The West Midlands region continues to see an increased number of outbreaks of stomach bugs, including norovirus – with reports showing significantly higher levels than this time last year. Public Health England (PHE) West Midlands is therefore urging people to support their local NHS and call before going to the GP or A&E if they are poorly with a stomach bug.

Dr Helen Carter, Deputy Director for PHE West Midlands, said: “At this time of year we see a lot of diarrhoea and sickness bugs, which are very infectious. So if people feeling unwell with a stomach upset decide to visit their GP, a walk-in centre, or their local A&E, they could be putting a lot of other people at risk of infection and adding significantly to the seasonal pressures already experienced in healthcare settings.

“Norovirus usually leads to mild diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal or stomach cramps. People generally recover quite quickly from these bugs and there is no specific treatment, apart from drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration and avoiding reinfection with good hand hygiene – especially before eating and after going to the toilet; along with cleaning touch points and communal areas with a bleach-based cleaner.

“Laboratory reports of norovirus are considerably higher than this time last year and higher than the 5-year seasonal average. People feeling unwell can call their GP or NHS111 for advice. Over half the outbreaks we’re seeing are in care homes – so it’s really important that staff in those settings seek advice on the phone from their GP surgery before considering transferring people to hospital. If someone is seriously unwell and in need of hospitalisation, it is still important to let NHS staff know that the person has an infectious illness, so the correct measures can be taken to avoid spreading the bug to other patients and healthcare workers.”

Dr Kiran Patel, Medical Director for NHS England in the West Midlands, said: “We are asking people not to visit hospitals and care homes to see relatives or friends whilst they have sickness and diarrhoea, or if they have recently experienced these symptoms. This is because people may still carry the virus and infect others up to three days after their symptoms have stopped.

“People concerned about visiting a relative or friend who may be in hospital or living in a care home should speak to the nurse in charge of the hospital ward or phone the care home beforehand for advice.”

The RSPCA rescued a collapsed 19-year-old terrier cross who had been shut outside in the snow in temperatures of -3C during the Beast from the East.

The animal welfare charity received an anonymous call on 2 March to an address in Coventry, West Midlands.

RSPCA inspector Herchy Boal said: “Unfortunately during the recent snowy weather we received a huge number of calls - many of which were people who were concerned for dogs that had been shut outside in gardens, despite the freezing temperatures.

“The RSPCA is restricted in what we can do in many of these situations as, while we certainly wouldn’t advise keeping dogs outside, it is not illegal to do so if the dog has adequate shelter.

“However, in some cases, there is an urgent need for our involvement and, when we receive reports of vulnerable and exposed animals in this type of weather, we know we need to respond quickly.”

Stormy is a little dog with a short coat and was left outside during the cold, snowy weather.

Inspector Boal said: “Records show it was between -1 and -3C that day and there was a significant amount of snow on the ground.”

But her major concern was his age. At 19, or 92 in dog years, he should not have been outside in that weather.

He was taken into RSPCA care and Inspector Boal took him to see the vets at RSPCA Newbrook Farm Animal Hospital in Birmingham.

He has had veterinary checks and some dental work, and is now being looked after by staff in the Newbrook Farm Animal Centre where he will go up for rehoming - making him the oldest dog the centre has ever rehomed, and one of the oldest the charity has ever rescued.

“Despite his age, Stormy is in generally good health and we’d like to find him a lovely new home,” Inspector Boal said.

“He’s a really sweet little dog and he’d make the perfect companion for an older person who wants to share their sofa with a new friend.”

Birmingham Heritage Week, a city-wide festival that celebrates Birmingham’s rich and diverse heritage, is set to return for a fourth year after securing vital sponsorship funding.

Sponsors who will be supporting this year’s festival include The University of Birmingham, Historic England and Colmore BID as Gold Sponsors and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce as a Silver Sponsor. It is thanks to these organisations that Birmingham Heritage Week will return to the city for 2018.

Birmingham Heritage Week is a celebration of Birmingham’s history and culture. Each year, around 70 partner organisations come together to organise over 100 events, which year on year delight in the region of 20,000 people.

These events range from exhibitions and tours, to open days and concerts. Attracting new tourists to the city, and allowing locals a deeper insight into what makes Birmingham one of the most exciting cities in the UK. The 2018 festival is set to be a cultural highlight in the calendar once more.

Running from 6^th – 16^th September, there will be 10 days of fun-filled events for everyone to enjoy. Past event highlights have included talks with celebrated local historian, Carl Chinn, and events at historic sites such as Birmingham Oratory, Aston Hall, Coffin Works and Two Towers Brewery.

Alex Nicholson-Evans, Commercial Director at Birmingham Museums, said: “We are delighted that organisations across the city have come together to ensure the continuation of Birmingham Heritage Week. It’s thanks to these generous sponsors that we are able to run this popular festival for its fourth year.”

There are still opportunities for additional sponsors to support the event.

The world’s most extensive bike-share operator, nextbike, is bringing 5,000 bicycles to the West Midlands after being chosen to operate the UK’s largest docked bike-share scheme outside of London.

Transport for West Midlands announced the news today (Tuesday March 20) alongside West Midlands Mayor Andy Street and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The landmark scheme will bring 50 jobs to the region, with posts including area managers, van drivers and mechanics.

Bosses at nextbike said the first bikes will be hitting the streets in September this year, when 2,000 are installed across Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

The remaining 3,000 bikes will be rolled out in phases that will also include Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Solihull in 2019.

Docking stations will be located around key sites in the towns and cities involved, with bikes available 24 hours a day.

Annual membership to the scheme will cost just £30 per year, meaning riders can access the bikes for as little as 8p per day.

Swift card members will be able to access the bikes as part of their regular subscription. The bikes will also be free for the first 30 minutes to people who sign up to Whim - the new smart travel service that is launching in the Midlands next month.

The bikes will feature advanced technology and enhanced security features, including integrated front locks and GPS tracking, that makes using them easy for users.

nextbike and TfWM are currently in discussion with a number of global brands interested in working in partnership to sponsor the scheme.

Julian Scriven, nextbike UK MD, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing nextbikes to the people of the West Midlands. We are able to offer the most technologically-advanced and forward-thinking bike-share scheme and fleet in the UK and it’s amazing that the people of Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley, Solihull and Coventry will be able to benefit from it.

“The interconnectivity it will offer is going to be brilliant, it will really help to make journeys across the Midlands seamless. People will be able to take a nextbike to start their journey to get to their local train station, hop on the train, and pick up another nextbike to finish off their journey at the other end. No more having to lug a bike on public transport, or worrying about finding a parking space at the train station.

“We will be creating more than 50 new jobs across the area and we will be partnering with the Walsall-based Steps to Work charity to help fill the roles. They work with long-term unemployed and young people currently not in education or employment amongst others, and these are groups that we are passionate about reaching, retraining and recruiting here at nextbike.

“Although this is a fantastic initiative for Transport for West Midlands, and for nextbike, we don’t see the scheme as belonging to either organisation. We firmly see it as belonging to the people of the West Midlands and we hope the communities will take the bikes to their hearts.

“We will be offering Bikeshare4all across the West Midlands, which will mean heavily discounted membership and use of the bikes for the unemployed and other economically-deprived people to ensure that the whole of the community is truly able to benefit from the bikes.

“On a personal note for me, I’m a local boy who grew up in the Midlands and ever since I joined nextbike I knew I wanted to bring the bikes back home. It’s going to be a very proud moment being able to use the scheme with my family and friends. I can’t wait to see my mum and dad on a West Midlands nextbike!”

Homeowners blighted by destructive Japanese knotweed may be hoping that the plant has died when it fails to emerge from its winter hibernation as normal around mid to late-March. But in fact the recent cold weather, with more low temperatures forecast, is delaying the start of the plant’s growing season by 2 to 4 weeks, as it will not awaken until the ground temperature reaches around 4°C.

The ‘Beast from the East’ brought the coldest February week in five years last month, with a new cold snap last weekend and lower-than normal temperatures forecast for the rest of March. This is causing Japanese knotweed, described by the Environment Agency as  “indisputably the UK’s most aggressive, destructive and invasive plant”, to prolong its underground hibernation, before beginning its annual assault on property foundations, patios, driveways, cavity walls and drains. 

Homeowners should remain vigilant once the warmer weather arrives, looking out for signs of red or purple asparagus-like shoots which emerge from the ground and quickly turn into green bamboo-like stems. They grow at a rapid rate, up to 10cm per day, to reach up to 3 metres in height by June. The plant has flat, heart-shaped green leaves and blooms in late summer, when its stems become covered in tiny creamy-white flowers.

Environmentalist Nic Seal, Founder and MD of Environet, said, “Normally we would see Japanese knotweed shoots springing up in warmer parts of the country and in sheltered urban areas during the middle of March, but the cold weather has set the start of the growing season back by at least a fortnight, possibly as much as a month.

“Homeowners may be hopeful that their knotweed problem has disappeared, particularly if they attempted to treat it themselves, but it’s extremely unlikely that any DIY treatments will be successful and the plant is simply hibernating for longer than usual due to the unseasonably cold weather.

“Japanese knotweed has spread so rapidly across the UK in the last decade that it’s really no longer a case of winning the battle. Those who discover knotweed on their land should take immediate action and put a professional treatment plan in place to protect their property and protect themselves against litigation from their neighbours.”

While it isn’t illegal to have Japanese knotweed growing on your land, homeowners can be sued if they allow it to spread onto a neighbouring property. They must also declare the presence of knotweed on the TA6 conveyancing form when they sell their home, even if it has been successfully treated. Mortgage lenders will require an insurance-backed guarantee for the works before lending on the property.

When you think of iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, your mind is instantly drawn to the wonders of Cats, Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar, but you would be forgiven for forgetting that he is also the man behind the impeccable Evita.

Telling the true story of Eva Perón, Evita showcases her rise from poverty stricken Los Toldos resident to a radio, film and stage actress before eventually becoming the First Lady of Argentina.

With a boldness, yet fragility, coupled with strength and determination, Madalena Alberto brought Eva to life on stage, effortlessly performing the challenging numbers throughout the evening.

Showing the different sides of Eva, both in her almost saint-like role and her less than perfect personal life, allowed the brilliance of Madalena to shine through. Topping off a wonderful performance all round was the iconic ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ sung from a balcony addressing the Argentinian people, moving many in the audience to tears.

Of course a musical is not just based on one performer, and more than ably backing Madalena was Gian Marco Schiaretti as Che. With his rugged good looks and great physique he had the audience waiting on every word. His impressive vocal range was showcased from Santa Evita to High Flying Adored and everything in between, and with each cheeky wink the audience was putty in his hands.

As Eva’s husband, and President of Argentina, Juan Perón, Jeremy Secomb’s gloriously rich and deep voice was a stark contrast with that of Eva, further emphasising the unconventional relationship.

Culminating in a standing ovation on opening night, Evita is on at Birmingham’s Hippodrome until the 24th March and is one not to miss, even if you may unfortunately be unable to adhere to Eva’s words, “Don’t cry for me….”