MAY
Northern lights
THE Northern Lights lit up the sky with rare sightings across the country, including Alveston, pictured.
The Northern Lights as seen from Alveston on Friday night into Saturday morning. Photo: Mark Williamson
The visibility of the Northern Lights was increased because of an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The cause of the storm was a large sunspot cluster and is 17 times the diameter of Earth.
Premium parking
THREE parking spaces in Stratford valued at £40,000 were snapped up within two hours.
Sheldon Bosley Knight sold the parking spaces at the rear of Evesham Place. A spokesman for the firm told the Herald: “It is rare to get parking spaces such as the ones in Evesham Place for sale, particularly in the town centre. As you can imagine, they generated a considerable amount of interest, not least as they are so close to the town centre.”
People power saves pub
PEOPLE power in Cleeve Prior has led to the village pub reopening months ahead of schedule.
Villagers are battling to keep their beloved pub open and launched a campaign to raise enough money to buy it.
Villagers trying to save the 500-year-old pub formed Cleeve Prior Community Pub Limited, a Community Benefit Society registered with the Financial Conduct Authority, in a bid to save the pub from permanent closure, when it shut its doors last year.
This Society is now working in collaboration with licensee Dave Lewis, ahead of a Community Share Offer launched on 27th April.
Residents and the wider public are being invited to invest in history by buying shares in the society, with a target of at least £200,000, which will sit alongside grant monies to enable the pub to be bought and sensitively refurbished.
PCC results
CONSERVATIVE Philip Seccombe scraped a narrow victory to become Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire for a third term.
He won by 261 votes, results revealed today after Thursday’s vote.
Mr Seccombe received 45,638 votes, while Labour candidate Sarah Feeney came just behind with 45,377. Liberal Democrat Richard Dickson came third with 24,867 votes.
Mr Seccombe first took on the role in 2016 and was successful again in the following vote, delayed until May 2021 because of covid.
He recently told the Herald he would be focussing on anti-social behaviour (ASB) and recruitment, among other issues.
Festival success
A LIVE music festival returned to Stratford town centre for the first time in years, bringing crowds flocking to the Rec.
An estimated 12,000 people attended the Stratford Pursuits Festival where there were live bands, stalls selling food and drink and marquees where there was art, crafts, sports and wellbeing on offer.
Stiltman entertained visitors including Jodie Stagg and her son Dalton, aged five, at the Stratford Pursuits Festival. Photo: Mark Williamson
With the sun shining (for once), the inaugural festival was a success, organisers Kate Livingston told the Herald. And she plans to come back next year for more.
“The feedback has been overwhelming,” Kate said. “On social media people were saying how well organised it was and messaging me on Facebook to say ‘thanks’.
“There were so many people to keep happy, but the musicians were happy, the stallholders were happy and the charities and groups were happy.”