A record 73% of students gaining 5+ A*- C grades at GCSE, with an overall pass rate of 99%, followed last week's excellent A Level results at John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form Centre. Just under 60% of the cohort gained the all-important 5 or more A*-C grades, including English and Maths. The school was also very pleased with the results of its high ability students with over a third of the year group attaining at least 3+A*/A grades and over 25% of all entries being graded at A*- A. These results need to be seen within the context of the year group containing an exceptionally high number of boys.

Headteacher, Nigel Griffiths, said he was delighted for students, parents, staff and governors, all of whom had worked very hard to achieve this standard. He pointed out that the strong performance across all subject areas reflected very well upon the school's multi specialist status. Also worthy of note is the fact that when many other schools are allowing students to drop Modern Foreign Languages, John Kyrle has compulsory languages with Spanish, for example, having almost 90% of students gaining a higher grade at GCSE.

Mr Griffiths noted, 'The school's excellent performance is based upon students achieving in traditional subjects which are considered more difficult but which we see as essential for their all-round education and future Higher Education and employment opportunities.' Over the next few months, Value Added figures will be published and internal estimates show that John Kyrle should expect to once again be amongst the top performing schools in the country on this measure.

Mr Griffiths praised his students and added, 'Very well qualified and hugely committed staff, support from governors and my relentless pursuit of high performance has allowed us to once again produce a very pleasing set of examination results. I am sure that parents of Year 11 students would confirm our view that close partnership with home is a key driver in our continued success.'

Brent Vinall, Deputy Head, said, 'This is a year group which has taken every opportunity to participate in the wider life of the school. Areas such as music, drama and sport have benefited greatly from their participation and students have been ambassadors for the school on many overseas trips. Members of the year group have played a key role in the School Council and were amongst the first group of students to participate in interviewing new staff. They have been a credit to the school and these excellent results are fully justified and deserved.'

A number of John Kyrle students are worthy of individual praise. These include Rosie Lindley with 8A*s and 6 As; Alix Baldwin with 7A*s and 6 As; Tagan Coyle with 7A*s and 4 As; Ed Cindery with 7A*s and 3 As; Ali Raine with 7A*s and 4 As; Nathan Shipton with 7A*s and 4 As; Jasmine Jones with 6A*s and 6 As; Julia Ormerod with 5A*s and 5 As; and Josceline Presdee with 5A*s and 4 As.

Assistant Headteacher, Rob Wallace, said that the results augured very well for the large number of students returning to John Kyrle's Sixth Form.

Herefordshire Magistrates have issued a drink banning order against a local man William Carr, 39, of Henry Street, Ross-on-Wye. The order was issued on Monday 23rd August. If William Carr breaches the order he can be arrested by the police and be fined up to £1,000.

William Carr has a full order that prohibits him from entering any licensed premises with an on licence, this means virtually all of the pubs and clubs, in Ross-on-Wye and the local policing team are informing those premises. The order for him means he is not to be drunk and disorderly in a public place that covers the whole of England and Wales. The total order is in place until 22 August 2011. He can go into off licences such as corner shops or supermarkets.

Police Licensing Officer Jim Mooney said, 'This is the first application made by the police in Herefordshire for a drinking banning order. West Mercia Police and its partners in Herefordshire are committed to dealing with all aspects of drink-related anti-social behaviour and disorder that directly impacts on the lives of our communities and businesses throughout the county.'

The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, allows the police to deal with those members of our communities who fail to curb their drinking behaviour and change their ways. The use of this act is seen as a last resort when challenging behaviour through other methods such as direct involvement with the PCT Community Alcohol Service and the civil Herefordshire Against Night Time Disorder group.

Mr Mooney stated 'Certain people, in particular a minority among the younger members of our community, must learn to curb their behaviour and act in a responsible way that allows others to enjoy pubs, clubs and open spaces in the county. The man who is subject to this order has had the opportunity to change and has failed. His behaviour has been unacceptable for a long time. Others who act in a similar way are put on notice that West Mercia Police will use this and other legislation to make our communities safer for all.'

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward who may have seen a collision which occurred on at 10:30pm the East bound side of the A40, Ross-on-Wye on Friday 20th August. The accident involved three vehicles; a Mercedes Sprinter van, an Audi A6 and a Scania Heavy Artic vehicle.

It is believed that the driver of the Mercedes van had just pulled back onto the East bound (M50 bound) carriageway from a lay-by that is situated approximately 400 metres from the Ross Labels roundabout. Whilst doing so, the vehicle collided with the Audi A6 which was already travelling in the main carriageway. The Mercedes overturned on impact and collided with the Scania Heavy Artic which was parked further up the same lay-by. The Audi left the carriageway and collided with the central barrier.

The driver of the Mercedes Sprinter van suffered a fractured pelvis, a fracture to his upper leg and bruising and has been detained in hospital. His passenger escaped with cuts and bruises, whilst the occupants of the other vehicles were uninjured.

A police spokesperson said, 'Police are asking for anyone who saw this accident to please come forward.'

Anybody with any information in relation to this incident is urged to contact police on 0300 333 3000, quoting the incident number 0764s200810.

There should be something going on to please everyone in Ross-on-Wye this coming Bank Holiday weekend. The great annual Ross Regatta at the rowing club will be taking place and for those who prefer a more sedate pastime, St. Mary's Church will be holding a flower festival. The Association of Ross Traders, (A.R.T) are organizing a food and crafts market for Sunday, 29th August and a charities market is to be held on Monday, 30th. If you would like a stall at either of the markets, please contact Richard on 01989 762336 to book your place.

The association is encouraging as many of the local traders as possible to open their shops throughout the weekend and so far those that will be open are:

Truffles Delicatessen and Sandwich Bar, which will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday as will Tudor Sweets, with a special offer on Ross-on-Wye Rock and Fudge, Pots and Pieces Tea Room, Ross old Books, Rossiter Books, Ross Garden Store, Natures Choice, Molly Mays Dolls House Shop, The Cookshop, Pye Powder Gift Shop. The Golden Crust Bakery will be open on Saturday and Monday, as will Field Fayre, The Priory Coffee Shop, Madam Butterfly and Susannah's Gift Shop.

Many of the shops will be running special offers throughout the weekend.

For more details of the many events taking place over the Bank Holiday weekend locally, please visit the 'What's On?' page of Wyenot News. Have a great weekend, whatever you decide to do!

Ross Town Band celebrated their 25th anniversary on Sunday with a fete down by the Bandstand. There were several stalls for the large number of people who attended to enjoy and there were plenty of activities to keep the children occupied, whilst the band kept everybody entertained. Ross Town Mayor, Councillor Jo Lane was present and she appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the whole event.

Herefordshire's heritage services team is holding a treasure workshop at Ross Heritage Centre on Thursday, 26th August and youngsters will have the chance to handle some 'treasure' from Hereford museum's handling collection. They will also have the opportunity to make some jewelled flagons, crowns and other treasures during the workshop, which will run from 10.30am until 12.30pm.

The workshop is suitable for accompanied children aged five to 11 years and costs £3 per child. To book a place, please call 01432 260675.

If, whilst going around the town on Sunday morning you see a lot of strange people on bicycles, please, don't worry. The cyclists will only be Steve 'Ozzy' Bond, Gary Davies and friends pedalling their way through the lanes of Herefordshire in fancy dress to raise money for Acorns Childrens Hospice.

The intrepid team will be leaving the Man of Ross Inn at 10:30am, stopping for lunch at the Harp at Hoarwithy before returning to the Man of Ross, completing a circuit of 15 miles. The guys would really appreciate some more sponsorship in their endeavour to raise funds for this worthy cause, so if you can help them at all, please contact Ozzy on 07920 819387 or Gary on 07738 999278. They will be extremely pleased to hear from you.

After the cycle ride is over, at 2pm, another local man, Steve 'Scotty' Ellis will also be doing his bit for Acorns by undergoing a head and beard shave. Scotty's hair and beard have grown rather long now since being volunteered for this exciting role and, again, if you wish to sponsor, please contact Ozzy and Gary or simply turn up to the barbecue and make a donation there.

Gary and Ozzy have also organized a charity football match between a local team and the Aston Villa Veterans which is due to take place at the John Kyrle High School on 10th October, for as well as raising much needed funds for Acorns, they are also keen to promote football in the town in particular for young people. . Admission will be by programme, which will be available by contacting Ozzy on 07920 819387 or Gary on 07738 999278.

So far, the team have raised approximately £5,000 but are hoping to raise this total to £10,000 by the end of their campaign. Please help them to achieve their goal.

The Bob Cook Memorial Games were once again held at Swindon's athletic ground on Sunday, 8th August. The event is managed and organized by the Lions 105W organization and this year Ross Lions helped a group of 39 athletes from local homes, clubs and organizations to compete.

The games are now in their 22nd year and are designed for those adults, both young and old, who have disabilities or special needs. Four buses and coaches made their way from Ross and Hereford. The teams which went were those from Ross, (Weir End, Woodpecker Lodge, Mill House, Ryefield Centre, Treann, Chepstow House and Ross Special Crew) and First Key from Hereford.

The day was again blessed with superb weather and ideal conditions for all the athletes, who took part in several track and field events including 60m Walk/Run, 100m Walk/Run, 200 and 400m run, Relays, 4 x 100m, Wheelchair Relays, Javelin/Shot/Discus/Welly Throwing and Crown Green Bowls.

After some intense limbering up, buckets of sweat, guts and immense effort, the athletes from Herefordshire pushed themselves to a staggering total of 43 Golds, 34 Silver and 32 Bronze medals, an awesome achievement. The effort put in by all those who participated was incredible and a joy to be seen. The overriding observation from Ross Lions and the carers involved was how much enjoyment everyone had. Well done to everyone who took part- you did yourselves and all of us proud.

Special thanks must go to Chippenham and Highworth Lions for once again running the games. Particular thanks must also go to Ross Lions and especially Jim Swinson, Jim Hamilton, Mel Middlecote and Danny Lister. Those who also supported the day included PGL, Flying Colours, H&H Coaches, WRVS, Ryefield Centre and Ross Action Committee, (Rosemary & Tim). Ross Lions would also like to thank all the management and carers of the homes and organizations who made the day such a success. Most thanks though go to the athletes, brilliant and well done. See you next year!!!

If anyone else is interested in competing in next years games on Sunday, 7th August 2011, please contact Lion Martin on 01989 568941.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire, The Countess of Darnley today called on the county to nominate outstanding local voluntary groups for next year's The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups.

Nominations for the 2011 Award should be received by 30th September 2010, therefore those who know of the great work or indeed have benefited from a voluntary group's hard work should nominate now. Successful groups will be announced on 2nd June 2011. Further information can be gained and forms can be downloaded by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice or by calling 020 7781 2397 to request a hard copy.

The Countess of Darnley said, 'Voluntary groups in Herefordshire continue to play a pivotal role in the community, and many individuals' lives. Recognizing their influence is vital and I want Herefordshire to express their gratitude to these groups by nominating as many as possible for The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for volunteer groups and highest honour in the voluntary sector.

Herefordshire's volunteers carry out tremendous work across a number of areas such as youth projects, BME and rural community based initiatives and these are the types of groups for which we would like to encourage more nominations. We have a plethora of groups who could be nominated so please visit the website or call 020 7781 2397 to find out more and nominate.'

In June this year, two outstanding groups in Herefordshire received the 2010 Award from the hundreds of nominations made from across the UK. These groups were nominated by friends, family or members of the public. Eight hundred and fifty groups from across the UK, including 5 from Herefordshire, have now received The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service since it was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002.

Groups from different backgrounds providing extremely diverse activities have all felt the Award's benefits, which include attracting more volunteers, increased awareness of the group to potential funders and of course helping to raise morale amongst existing volunteers. This year's winners from across the UK can be found by visiting the website of by clicking the List of 2010 Winners, while case studies can be found in the Case Studies Section.

For details of all The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service winners or to download a nomination form in pdf, visit www.direct.gov.uk/thequeensawardforvoluntaryservice.

Local band, SILVA put on an excellent performance at the White Lion Inn on Saturday evening and had everybody up on their feet and dancing pretty much from the start of their performance right up to the very last number. Silva's set includes a fantastic range of music, covering songs by Rod Stewart, Snow Patrol, Blondie, Bryan Adams, the Rolling Stones and many more. Their varied set has something to suit most musical tastes so they are ideal for family parties, weddings etc.

This coming Sunday, 29th August, popular local trio, the Double Barrel band will be performing at the White Lion, so put on your dancing shoes and get ready to dance the night away, from 8:30pm onwards.

Herefordshire Council and Job Centre Plus have organized a jobs fair to help job seekers find employment and learn about training opportunities. The fair will take place on Thursday, 16th September at the Shire Hall, St Peter's Square, Hereford from 10am to 3pm.

There will be more than thirty different local employers recruiting on the day, including Argos, Cargill (Sun Valley), Amey, Sainsbury and Morrisons. Jobs on offer cover retail, customer services, clerical, manufacturing and care professions. In addition, local training groups will be at the fair offering courses and training programmes to help people get back into work or make career changes.

Forty five minute workshops will be held throughout the day, offering advice on how to improve people's chances of getting a job and managing lifestyles through these difficult times. Top tips on improving curriculum vitae, completing an application today's way, becoming self employed, training for a new career and improving interview skills, are all available. Workshops need to be booked by emailing recruitmentteam@herefordshire.gov.uk or by calling 01432 260028.

Councillor June French, deputy leader of Herefordshire Council said, 'This event is for anyone seeking work, whatever their age, background or current position. Although the country is still in recession, there are still opportunities available and we want to make sure all our job seekers are given a head start by equipping them with the skills they need to gain employment. Technology has changed the way people apply for jobs over the last few years. It may be some time since job seekers have had to complete an application form, so we are putting on workshops to help them get up to speed.

As young people receive their exam results, they need to consider their futures. Some will want to embark on an apprenticeship or gain immediate employment; others may decide to continue their education. Connexions professionals will be at the fair to offer advice and support and help them decide how to plan for the future.'

This is the second year that Herefordshire Council and Job Centre Plus have organized a jobs fair. Last year 670 people attended the event from a diverse range of backgrounds with ages varying from 16 to over 50.