APRIL
Shakespeare half marathon
THE Shakespeare Marathon and Half-Marathon returned to the Birthday weekend programme of events after a year’s absence and attracted around 3,000 runners under new race management.
The Shakespeare Marathon and Half Marathon 2024. Photo: Mark Williamson
The organisation of the event has passed from Stratford Rotary Club, whose members are still involved, to RunThrough Events, a company which has a variety of runs happening almost every weekend.
But while the organisers may have changed, the course was still the same, the atmosphere was just as good and there were plenty of runners taking part. In fact, the race had sold out.
The new organisers also upheld a few of the race traditions – the event was supporting the Shakespeare Hospice, and the runners who crossed the finish line were given medals designed by a student in the Stratford district.
Shopkeeper retires
BRIAN Westmacott, who lived and worked at 95 High Street, Henley, for more than half a century, retired. For more than 10 years, Westmacott’s has been a thriving sandwich and baguette shop, and many remember when it was a busy greengrocer.
Brian’s parents George and Iris Westmacott began selling fruit and veg from the same spot in 1949, sourcing much of the produce from their own market garden.
Brian Westmacott.
Born and brought up in the family home at the back of the store, Brian joined the business in 1972.
Gateway Project setback
HOPES that the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) would help fund Stratford’s Gateway Project look to be on rocky ground because of “political problems” in other parts of the region.
Stratford District Council’s cabinet this week approved the Gateway Masterplan, a guide for the redevelopment of a triangle of land between Arden Street, Birmingham Road and Windsor Street.
However, the hurdle for the scheme, which includes proposals for a World Shakespeare Centre, has always been funding. And that hurdle has yet to have been cleared.
On Monday (15th April) cabinet members were challenged about the prospect of development not happening after WMCA’s investment board deferred a decision on going ahead with a financial deal that would have given the Gateway Project the foundations it needs to move forward.
River pollution
THE appearance over the Easter weekend of brown scum on the River Avon, described as ‘looking like vomit’, could be taken as a biblical lesson: you sow what you reap, according to campaigners.
A report by the Environment Agency (EA) revealed that a record-breaking amount of sewage was pumped into England’s rivers in 2023.
Given the high number of spills into the Avon, it is perhaps not surprising that water-testers for environmental group SafeAvon found that in the Stratford area 93 per cent of nitrate readings and 57 per cent of phosphate readings have been ‘very high’; and 99 per cent of both have been at least ‘high’.
Richard Price, a member of Friends of Lench Meadows, took photos of the scum-choked riverbank at Fisherman’s car park and shared them with the Herald.
He said: “It is a new low. There have been numerous incidents recently of strange things floating down the river but nothing as revolting as Saturday. It looked like brown vomit, absolutely disgusting. You wouldn’t want your dog in it and certainly not your kids paddling.
Marathon cycle ride
RICHARD Lucas, aged 57, from Wilmcote has cycled solo from Singapore to Alice Springs to raise £2,800 for Shakespeare Hospice in memory of his father, Tony, who died from cancer last August.
Richard’s cycling marathon covered 3,208 miles during which he had one puncture, used one bicycle chain and had to repair one broken luggage rack with bamboo and cable ties but he still cycled to his mum’s house in Wilmcote from Birmingham International Airport when he landed back in the UK in time for coffee last Tuesday morning.
Richard Lucas gets over the line at Alice Springs, Australia.
Having flown out to Singapore on New Year’s Eve, Richard set off on his ride shortly after with the target of reaching Alice Springs, Australia, by the end of March and he’s met many people and has many memories everyday he got on his bike and was on the road again.