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TOP TV chef Gino D’Acampo will be turning up the heat at Merry Hill at a bash to mark the first birthday of Eat Central.

The I’m a Celebrity winner will be performing a series of live cookery demonstrations on Friday October 22 as part of a packed programme of activities marking the first anniversary of the popular dining destination. The Italian star will also be signing copies of his book at Waterstones in the mall on the same day.

Kelly Reed, Merry Hill marketing manager, said: “We wanted to mark the birthday with something special and we’re so excited to celebrate with Gino D’Acampo.

“He’s promised to cook up some treats and we’re expecting him to be really popular with the ladies.

The birthday celebration will also include giveaways, games, special offers and live entertainment from Heart FM.

And the party will continue into half term with activities for young and old alike ranging from a tea dance on the malls to a visit from Fireman Sam.

For more information about the Eat Central birthday celebrations visit www.westfield.com/merryhill

THE festive season will be kicked off in style at Merry Hill this year, as X Factor heartthrob Olly Murs will flick the switch for the Christmas lights.

The talent show’s runner up will be topping the bill at the lights switch-on event on November 12 and will be performing his debut single Please Don’t Let Me Go – which recently hit the top of the charts.

Olly will also be joined by comedy dance duo Twist ‘n’ Pulse, who came second in Britain’s Got Talent.

Kelly Reed, marketing manager at Merry Hill, said: “Our Christmas switch-on party has become one of the most talked about events in the Midlands and after the success of last year with Diversity and Stavros Flatley, we wanted to make sure we bring in a star that could live up to it.

“Olly Murs is the perfect choice. He was the star of the show for many in X Factor and he has such a broad appeal – everyone from mums, teenagers and grandmas seem to love him! We can’t wait to welcome him to Merry Hill.”

The event will begin from 4pm when Heart FM will be providing the entertainment.

Photo credits: Neighbours News

Thanks to everyone who took part in this event!!

 

Birmingham Daily Post

FRIDAY, 1st., OCTOBER, 1858

THE RAILWAY CATASTROPHE NEAR DUDLEY

The enquiry, before T. M. Phillips, Esq., coroner, into the circumstances attendant upon the late unfortunate accident on the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway resumed yesterday, at the Bell Hotel, Brierley Hill. William Fenton, Esq. chairman of the Company, and J. S. Pakington, Esq., on of the directors, were present. Mr. W. G. Craig, locomotive engineer of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway; Mr. Markham, locomotive engineer of the Midland Railway; Mr. Blackmore, superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway; Mr. Sherriff, the general manager, Mr. Adcock, the secretary, and Mr. Wilson, the engineer of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway, were also in attendance. James Burchell, Esq., solicitor, London, and Charles Pidcock, Esq., solicitor, Worcester, were likewise present. Mr. King, of the firm of Collis, Bernard, and King, of Stourbridge, attended as the legal adviser of the Company; Mr. J. E. Underhill, Wolverhampton, for Cook; Mr. Nelson, of the firm of Southall and Nelson, Birmingham, on behalf of the Skeldings family; Mr. Burbury, for the friends of Marshall and Mills; and Mr. Homer, on behalf of Mr. Harley, of Dudley. The Rev. E. C. Perry, of Copperfield, and Mr. Chellingworth, civil engineer, of West Bromwich, were also present. Continue reading Birmingham Post 1/10/1858 – Enquiry into Round Oak Rail disaster

EAR piercing screams heralded the arrival of chart toppers N-Dubz as they performed an exclusive after hours gig at Merry Hill last night.

The hip hop trio – Dino ‘Dappy’ Contostavlos, Tula ‘Tulisa’ Contostavlos and Richard ‘Fazer’ Rawson – performed hits from their two hit albums during a private one hour gig in Fountain Square to 500 excited competition winners. The popular band, who have taken the UK by storm with a number one album and three MOBO awards, sang crowd pleasers such as Strong Again, Papa can you hear me, Number One and an impressive cover version of The Script’s The man who can’t be moved.

N-Dubz returned to the shopping mall to perform the gig after a successful book signing in May, when hundreds of fans turned out to greet the band. Before the concert, Dappy, Tulisa and Fazer spoke to the News about their loyal following and their forthcoming plans.

Dappy said: “We love how our fans give us so much support, we would be nothing without them and It is great to see them sing along with our lyrics.”

The band also spoke about their third album, which is yet unnamed, and is set to be released in November, along with their new single called Best Behaviour, which is due out next month and which the band are filming the video for in St Tropez later this week.

Sisters Emma and Samantha Skelding, from Wordsley, were among the lucky concert-goers and had the chance to get up close and personal with their pop idols when they met the trio back stage. Samantha , aged 14, who has been an N-Dubz fan since they first started, said: “The concert was brilliant and I can’t believe I got the chance to meet them. That was the best bit as I think they are great.”

Emma, aged 11, added: “I was really nervous meeting them, but they were really nice and the concert was great.” Also meeting the band was 14 year-old Becky McGrory, from Liverpool, who won a competition to design the stage backdrop, with her colourful artwork of the trio.

Photo credits: Stourbridge News

#todayinhistory #UK 1858 – The Round Oak rail accident occurs in Brierley Hill in the Black Country, England. It is ‘Arguably the worst disaster ever to occur on British railways’.

via Twitlonger: #todayinhistory #UK 1858 – The Round Oak rail accident occurs in Brierley Hill in the Black Countr.

Friday night’s production of the National Youth Theatre’s Ghost Office in Brierley Hill had to be split into two performances following an audience turn out in excess 200.

Fifty local youngsters and national members of the National Youth Theatre worked together to create the play which was performed in an empty suite of offices at Brierley Hill’s Waterfront.  And for the second year running the young people worked together with members of Age Concern to bridge the generations and build understanding of each other’s perspectives of the area.

Tackling themes from national economic policy such as the Enterprise Zones, through the personal devastation of losing a job, to the politics at the time when Round Oak closed the cast and the creative support team produced an engaging an exciting and thought provoking piece of work of the highest standards.

The play told the story of employment in the area – starting with the new jobs being created in Brierley Hill and working backwards to the 19th century establishment of Round Oak Steelworks – through ghost workers retelling their tales, a reconstruction of events in parliament when Round Oak was closing, to the use of lighting and synchronised movement to create the feel of molten steel and the pulsating, driving power of industrial machinery.

Ghost Office was another excellent production by the National Youth Theatre, building on previous work in Brierley Hill.  As one blogger on this site commented:

“Visited waterfront offices to see ghost office absolutely brilliant performance by all concerned well done very enjoyable experience thank you.”

Pensnett’s Lookout Project, which helps local young people make positive life choices, will officially open its new base this month.

The centre, located at 116 Commonside, will hold an open day to mark the occasion on Wednesday 18 August from 1.30 to 3pm. There will be an opportunity to look around the new base as well as the chance to meet with the volunteers who run the project. The opening of the building follows a £6,000 grant from the Brierley Hill area committee capital allocations fund, which funded the installation of door and window shutters to enhance security to the building.

Councillor Geoffrey Southall, chairman of Brierley Hill area committee, said: “Lookout Project offers guidance to young people on a number of issues including debt, sexual health and substance misuse. It also gives them the opportunity to volunteer and undertake peer mentoring.

“The new building will be a vital base for the volunteers who make the project possible and the capital allocations funding will help to keep it secure.”

For more information about funding opportunities via area committee capital allocations, call Joe Jablonski on 01384 815243.

Groups and organisations that have already been successful in obtaining funding from capital allocation budgets are reminded they cannot reapply within a three-year period.

For more information on the Lookout Project call 01384 918801 or email www.ourneighbourhoodextended@yahoo.co.uk

As part of Dudley CVS’s exciting new campaign to launch the 2010 Dudley Volunteer Awards, some of the people who scooped awards at last year’s ceremony agreed to star in their 2010 campaign based on another popular film.

‘Meet the real Incredibles’ stars local people who give up their time to make Dudley borough a better place and hope that their posters will get you thinking about the incredible people you know who could be nominated. You can put groups forward too as long as they do not include any paid staff members. Look out for our posters in local shops, libraries and the Dudley CVS office in Albion Street, plus you can download your nomination form from www.dudleycvs.org.uk, or call 01384 267425. The closing date is September 19th 2010.