Business

New roof and repairs on medieval barn complete

by Brooklyn
written by Brooklyn

Work to restore a 15th century thatched barn in Upminster, east London has been completed.

Tithe Barn, which dates back to about 1450 and is among the largest of its kind in England, fell into disrepair in recent years and was believed to be at risk of further decay.

Four master thatchers and two apprentices installed a new roof, using about 30 tonnes of water reed. The barn's ancient brickwork and oak frame was also repaired.

Historic England, which the led the project, said it was a "magnificent restoration" and the site was to have a variety of uses, with public access guaranteed under the grant conditions.

Historic England
About 11,000 bundles of water reed were used to entirely re-thatch the barn's ageing roof

The £750,000 project was largely funded by National Highways as part of an agreement it would support local initiatives following its plans to build a new tunnel under the Thames connecting Essex with Kent.

Historic England said the restored building could safely be removed from a list of heritage sites it believes to be at risk of neglect, decay, or poor development.

Historic England
The barn's timber frame was built from oak felled between 1420 and 1440

Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: "The magnificent restoration of Upminster Tithe Barn demonstrates the powerful benefits of working together to protect our irreplaceable heritage and delivery of positive outcomes for people and communities alike."

However, further funding is needed for a heating system and toilets so that the building can be widely used by the public, Historic England says.

The building has used in recent years as a museum displaying local historic artefacts, but it has not been confirmed precisely how it will be used in the future.

Historic England
The new thatched roof has been topped with two straw boxing hares, named Willow and Hunter by local school children

According to Historic England, Tithe Barn was built during the reign of King Henry VI, at a time when England was in the midst of an economic crisis known as the Great Slump, which partly led to the subsequent civil war between the Houses of Lancaster and York.

Built with oak felled between 1420 and 1440, it originally formed part of the Waltham Abbey estate in Epping, at a time when the area was open countryside.

It is one of the earliest surviving buildings in the London Borough of Havering and is now a "scheduled monument", meaning it has a high level of protection and is considered a nationally significant site.

At 44m (144.4ft) long, Tithe Barn is one of the largest thatched barns in England.

It is now owned by Havering Council.

Historic England Archive
The barn was considered "at risk" before its restoration

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Market

Man dies after A16 crash involving lorry and van

by Layla
written by Layla

A man in his 50s has died following a crash near Boston involving a lorry and a van.

Lincolnshire Police was called at about 12:55 BST to the A16 between Algarkirk and Sutterton Dowdyke, close to Church Lane.

The man who died was from Holbeach.

Police have appealed for anyone with information or dashcam footage to get in touch with them.

Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds latest episode of Look North here.

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Tech

Two more arrests after car hits pedestrians

by Adrian
written by Adrian

Two more people have been arrested after a car crashed into pedestrians in Leicester.

Police were called to the incident in De Montfort Street in the city centre at 00:34 BST on Saturday, which left three people with serious injuries and one person with minor injuries.

A 31-year-old man, from Leicester, had already been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and causing serious injury by dangerous driving and has since been released on police bail.

Officers said a 28-year-old man, from Leicester, and a 34 year-old man, also from Leicester have now been arrested, but said the 34 year-old was also released on bail.

Officers said all four victims were sent to hospital on Saturday

The 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the collision, and remains in police custody.

The 34-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray, added officers.

Police said the incident was reported to have happened following a fight at the same location and believe the suspects and the four victims had all been in attendance at a private event nearby prior to the incident.

Three of the seriously injured people currently remain in hospital in a serious but stable condition, said police.

The fourth person who suffered minor injuries and has been discharged from hospital.

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Market

Thousands respond to East West Rail public events

by Brooklyn
written by Brooklyn

Nearly 6,000 people took part in a consultation exercise on the new East West Railway line that will ultimately link Oxford to Cambridge.

There were events at 16 locations along the proposed route between November 2024 and January 2025.

At the events, East West Rail presented information on work to upgrade the existing line between Oxford and Bedford, as well as the proposed new line between Bedford and Cambridge.

It is the third non-statutory consultation that has been carried out, and will help inform the final design, which will be presented for consideration next year.

The highest level of interest came from people who attended the events in Comberton, Great Shelford and Cambourne in Cambridgeshire.

Network Rail
A test train successfully completed its first run between Oxford and Milton Keynes in October 2024

People largely saw the new route as good for the UK's economic development and felt it could drive up local property values, especially in areas like Bicester and Cambourne.

They also felt it could address housing shortages, with more development near the new stations in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

There was concern about the demolition of homes, disruption and negative impacts on businesses and house prices during a prolonged construction phase, as well as the visual impact of the line.

There were questions too about some station designs, changes to major roads and bridges in Bedford and Bicester, and the environmental impact of a viaduct over the River Great Ouse floodplain.

East West Rail said its technical team would now be going through the comments in detail to see if there were any refinements that could be made to the designs.

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Market

New team helps cut adult social care waiting times

by Tiffany
written by Tiffany

The creation of a new adult social care team has helped to reduce waiting times for people seeking support in Wolverhampton, the council has said.

City of Wolverhampton Council recently established the front door team as part of its programme to transform adult social care in the area.

It acts as a first point of contact for vulnerable adults who need directing to what support is available, and the authority said it had helped to simplify the process for residents.

According to the council, it has helped to cut the time it takes for people to get support from months to fewer than five days in most cases.

The number of people needing help from social workers has also reduced by half due to the front door team being able to resolve their issues.

'Top priority'

The authority's transformation programme, which includes providing more community-based services outside of care homes, came amid rising demand for adult social care in the city, with an increase of 31% over the last five years.

Its budget for care packages has also increased by £44.6m in that time, with a further £1m approved for 2025 to 2026.

Councillor Paula Brookfield, the council's cabinet member for adults, said adult social care was a "top priority" for people in Wolverhampton.

"We are determined to ensure adult social care services are the best they can possibly be, but we must also be mindful that the increase in costs which we have seen in recent years is not sustainable in the long term," she said.

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Innovation

Thomas prepares for seventh charity Tour De France

by Christopher
written by Christopher

Ex-Wolves and England footballer Geoff Thomas is riding in his seventh Tour De France this summer to raise money towards clinical leukaemia trials.

The retired player and former leukaemia sufferer will be part of a team to cycle the full 2,200-mile (3,540km) route across 21 days in June and July.

The challenge aims to raise £1m for Cure Leukaemia, with Thomas describing it as the "most gruelling" of his life.

He said: "I first did it in 2005, when I was six months in remission – if I could do it then, what's stopping me now?"

Thomas, who lives in Worcestershire, received nine caps for the national team, but was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2003, a year after he retired.

He subsequently raised millions of pounds for charity, became a patron of Cure Leukaemia and launched his own charity, The Geoff Thomas Foundation.

He said if he could reach the finishing line in Paris in July, setting off a week before the pro riders, it would "eclipse anything" he had ever done on a football pitch.

"I don't really think you can do enough training – it's about getting as many miles in your legs as possible, without fatiguing yourself," he said.

"I'm just aiming to do the first day, knowing that you've got over 100 miles to do – you've got to survive that, and then take each day as it comes."

He described reaching Paris on previous tours as "one of the most enjoyable experiences you can have".

"It eclipses anything I ever did on a football pitch, and I was lucky enough to be involved in some great games – it's just a magical time."

Worcestershire ex-England star set for huge ride

Thomas announced his decision to take part in the event at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where he met current leukaemia patient Adam Claxton, 42, from Worcester.

Mr Claxton said his own diagnosis the previous year had been "a complete shock".

"I'm a football fan, and I remember Geoff as a player – his career was terrific, he had a great run on the pitch and to meet him off the pitch is an honour," he said.

"What he's doing is inspirational."

Dr Salim Shafeek, a consultant haematologist who previously treated Thomas at Worcestershire Royal, said he was "a real ambassador for people with leukaemia".

"It's unbelievable what he's been doing for clinical research over the last 20 years," he added.

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Economy

Crews tackling blaze at metal recycling centre

by Theodore
written by Theodore

Firefighters are tackling a blaze at a metal recycling centre on the outskirts of a village.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue said it was called to the fire at Railway Terrace, Kings Langley, near Hemel Hempstead, at about 03:10 BST.

The fire service is advising residents nearby to keep their windows shut.

Road closures are in place and are expected to last for some time, said Hertfordshire Police.

Kings Langley Fire Station
Residents nearby are being warned to keep their doors and windows closed
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Tech

Pub to return to listed railway waiting room

by Lauren
written by Lauren

A pub is due to return to the former first class waiting room of a city's railway station.

The Grade II listed room at Carlisle station was recorded as hosting Queen Victoria on a number of occasions.

It is currently used as a storage room and kitchen, but had been used as a pub in recent years.

Network Rail confirmed work would start next month to refurbish the space, including creating a mezzanine level.

The waiting room, which is on platform four, was built by architect William Tite in 1880 as an extension to his original 1847 neo-Tudor station designs.

It retains the character of the time, including prominent original fireplaces.

John Huggon/Network Rail
Queen Victoria was recorded to have used the waiting room

The work is part of the Carlisle Gateway project – a £27m government-funded plan to redevelop the station into a transport hub.

Court Square will be pedestrianised and Lawson's Monument will be moved as part of the scheme.

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Industry

Man dies in house fire in early hours of morning

by Wyatt
written by Wyatt

A man has died after a fire broke out at a house in the early hours of the morning.

Firefighters and ambulance were called at 00:31 BST on Wednesday to a property just off Brunel Road in the Malinslee area of Telford.

A man believed to be in his 60s was rescued by Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service but died a short time later, West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed.

An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the blaze.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "When ambulance staff arrived, they found fire colleagues administering CPR to the man.

"The team of ambulance staff took over advanced life support, but sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone on scene, nothing could be done to save the man, and he was confirmed deceased a short time later."

Fire crews from Telford and Tweedale attended the blaze, which was put out with hose reel jets.

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Industry

Festival to celebrate St George and Roman heritage

by Tiffany
written by Tiffany

A free two-day festival is set to take place in Leicester to celebrate both St George's Day and the city's Roman heritage.

A large replica Roman forum will be constructed and disassembled in Jubilee Square in the space of 48 hours during the Old Town Festival on 26 and 27 April.

Visitors will also have the chance to encounter a fire breathing dragon, learn about the archaeology of Roman Leicester and meet costumed characters including knights, jesters, wizards and centurions.

Events will take place at Leicester Cathedral, the Cathedral Gardens and Leicester Guildhall as well as Jubilee Square between 10:00 BST and 17:00 on both days.

Getty Images
Artist Olivier Grossetête will lead construction of the Roman Forum in Leicester using cardboard and tape, similar to his People's Tower in London in 2019

The construction of the forum will be led by artist Olivier Grossetête, who specialises in large-scale constructions using only cardboard and sticky tape.

Participants will start by creating key elements of the structure, such as arches and balconies, before working as a team to join the pieces together.

Organisers have said St George and the Roman empire are more linked than many people might expect.

"St George was likely a Roman soldier from 3rd Century Cappadocia, now Turkey," a spokesperson said.

"His bravery inspired legends, especially the famous tale of him slaying a dragon. While the story is likely symbolic, St George is still seen as a hero of faith and courage.

"He became the patron saint of England and many other places and his red cross on a white background remains a national symbol today."

The event has been organised by Leicester City Council alongside BID Leicester, Global Streets, Arts Council England, Highcross Leicester, Haymarket Shopping Centre and Hidden Histories.

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