We always try and go on a family trip every year, but it’s been getting harder and harder to find places that our kids want to go now that they are teenagers. After weeks of debeting, we all decided that we should go to Alton Towers for the weekend for a nice break. My son is 16 and my daughter is about to turn 14, so they are very excited at the prospect of going to the park and riding on all of the amazing rollercoasters. I have been looking at places to stay, and decided that teh hotels in the park are too expensive, and it might be nice to get out of the parks in the evening, so I looked into finding a B and B in the area. After looking online I found www.bedandbreakfastnearuttoxeterracecourse.co.uk, a great little B and B that’s really near Alton Towers but far enough away so that we can get some rest. We’re booked in for a couple of weekends time and we’re all really excited.

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A charity in the area held a recent fight night in a bid to raise money, but the fighters weren’t professional boxers, they were white collar workers!

T6 Elite, a Burslem-based boxing club trained 26 fighters for the event which was held at the King’s Hall in Stoke in front of over a 1,000 cheering spectators. The workers decided to turn their backs on their usual office jobs and fight in the first event of its kind for the Douglas Macmillan Hospice.

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Olympic fever is sweeping the UK, and it’s even hitting the supermarkets in Stafford. Shoppers have been offering donations for six local Olympic hopefuls who want to take part in the London 2012 games.

The rising sporting stars are fundraising because they have no external funding and need help if the want to take part in the prestigious games. They need the money to help to may for their travel and equipment expenses.

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The 100 year old Queen Victoria statue in Newcastle is set to get a makeover soon.

 The statue that was moved as part of the millennium celebrations used to stand in Station Walks. Members of the Newcastle’s Civic Society are hoping that a new grant will help to secure the statue’s place for another century.

An application for £2,000 has been made to the Newcastle Borough Council, but all of the restoration work is expected to cost £9,801

The vice chairman of the Civic Society, Jim Worgan, said that the group has been trying to get the money for these repairs for many years.

He added: “The society was instrumental in bringing Queen Victoria back to the gardens. We have been in close contact with Newcastle Borough Council and we are very anxious Queen Victoria is restored, as she is not in a very good condition. Nothing has ever been done to the statue and water is getting into the stone because it has been neglected over the years. It’s a Grade II-listed statue so we are keen to preserve it.”

The statue is located in the town centre conservation area, and its restoration would be part of a wider scheme to makeover the surrounding gardens.  If the grant is approved, it will go towards repairing the statue and also helping the wider conservation scheme.

Joan Howe, group chairman of Newcastle said:”We want to make sure that the statue is kept in good condition in future. The Civic Society pressed to get the statue relocated and now it is in the right place, it is important that the statue is well kept.”

If you’re a fan of music in Stafford, you will be pleased to hear that the popular 60s band Charisma came out to rapturous applause as they reunited for a gig at The Bellringers in Eaton Park. The band, who last played together in the early 90s played to swarms of fans.

However, there was one change to the previous line up, as founding member and lead guitarist Dave Roden passed away in 1995. Happily though, he was replaced by his son Lee.

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The Aerodrome, Broadway cinema in Stafford and a visit from JFK were just some of the events that were recalled at the 50^th birthday of a town library.

Residents enjoyed a nostalgic exhibition and coffee morning to mark 50 years since the Meir library opened. Any visitors shared their memories of the time and watched a film made in 1946 about the local Aerodrome.

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Cancer affects millions of people and their families around the world. We always think that attention should be called to people who take the time to raise money to help those who are suffering from cancer. Money raised for cancer charities also goes towards research that may help find a cure for the disease in the years to come.

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One of the leading leisure centres in Stafford, Waterworld  is aiming to break a world record on the day of the Royal Wedding.

They want everyone with flag adorned trunks and towels to come down to the pool on April 29^th for a patriotic day of fun. They are aiming to get more then 603 people in their main pool.

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There was joy throughout as Stafford as Stoke City thrashed Bolton Wanderers 5-0 in the FA Cup Semi Final. Fans enjoyed a fantastic day out at Wembley

Five lucky supporters won tickets to the event through a competition held by National Express and The Sentinel. Winner Wayne Hadgett thought that he was the victim of a practical joke when he was called and told that he had won.

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There is a fantastic chance for aspiring young actors to get training from professional directors and stage their own production, with a two week crash coure at the Regent Theatre in Stafford.

The ‘Stage Experience’ project has places for 120 young performers between the ages of 9-25 who will all work to become the cast of Fame The Musical. The show will run for three nights in August.

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