Christmas at the Valley is back and set to be even better than last year - with loads of fun for families including a Christmas circus.

For the second year in a row Sandwell Valley in West Bromwich will host the Christmas event throughout December.

Families can visit Santa's grotto, see the reindeer and take part in Christmas crafts. There will also be festive food and drinks, a small funfair, a Christmas shop and a treasure hunt.

This year, in addition to these festivities, families are set to be wowed by a Christmas circus. Shows will run throughout the day and include death-defying stunts like the wheel of death.

Christmas at the Valley runs every day from Saturday 2 December right up until Christmas Eve. Sandwell Park Farm will at open 10am to 6pm on weekends and 10am to 5pm on weekdays with last entry at 4pm during weekends and 3pm during the week. Tickets for Christmas Eve are already sold out.

Admission is £11 for children aged between two and 11 who want to see Santa in his grotto. Admission for children under two is £5, for adults and children aged 12 and over is £7 and £4 for over 60s. Admission for over 12s does not include a visit to the grotto.

Offering a cosy place to stay without the numbness of waking to an empty house; a comforting homemade meal and a festive party with none other than Aled Jones MBE as the turkey carver.

These are just some of the ways in which national older people’s housing and care charity The Abbeyfield Society is looking at tackling loneliness in people aged 55 and over as the Christmas countdown begins in earnest.

Sadly, an estimated 500,000 older people are expected to spend Christmas alone in the UK.

Launching on Thursday November 16 was Abbeyfield’s annual Companionship at Christmas campaign which offers older people affected by loneliness the chance to share physical, emotional and spiritual warmth during the festive period and beyond.

Up and down the country, Abbeyfield houses will open their door providing free overnight stays, meals and entertainment.

Abbeyfield patron Aled Jones will be bringing Christmas early to the charity’s Victoria House in Kew, London Borough of Richmond, on Monday November 27 where he will be supporting the campaign with a Christmas sing along for residents and older people living alone in South West London.

The popular singer and presenter will also be helping carve the turkey at a Christmas lunch Abbeyfield are hosting in County Durham for 100 older people living alone in North East England on Tuesday, November 28 at The Kingslodge Inn, Durham City, County Durham.

Aled Jones, MBE, said: “I’m very much looking forward to sharing an early Christmas with Abbeyfield residents and getting into the Christmas spirit!  Christmas is a time of love and sharing and no one should be alone at Christmas.”

Abbeyfield chief executive David McCullough said: “The Christmas build up resonates with excitement and celebration for many of us, yet it’s a time when older people can feel at their most isolated and alone. Their usual clubs or activities close down for Christmas, relatives are dotted across the UK far away from them and feelings of bereavement for lost loved ones is amplified at a time when families traditionally come together.

“Abbeyfield was founded over 60 years ago in response to the crippling loneliness endured by a forgotten generation of older people. That ethos continues today with campaigns such as Companionship at Christmas as Abbeyfield continues to enrich the lives of older people and make their later years happy, easy and more fulfilled.

“If you or anyone you know is worried about being alone over Christmas, please do get in touch with Abbeyfield and join in the free Christmas events and celebrations happening across the country over the festive period.”

Now in its eighth year, Companionship at Christmas has offered a lifeline of warmth and friendship to thousands of older people at Christmas, such as 83-year-old pensioner, Ron Hoverd who lives on the Isle of Wight.

He and his wife Mary were inseparable during their 45-years of marriage. The former RAF corporal was at Mary’s bedside when she died. Her death left him devastated and struggling to cope.

Ron said: “I couldn’t have had a better woman which made losing her so difficult. I watched her die, which was heart-breaking. After the funeral I reached rock bottom and was struggling to get by. I was so lonely. Mornings were the worst. Everything was so quiet. No one to say good morning to and waking up to the emptiness of the house.”

For Ron, who has no immediate family, Christmas was one of the most difficult times.

“There’s nothing worse than being on your own at Christmas,” he said. “You know you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself, but you’re sat there by yourself, wishing the day would end.

Age UK put Ron in touch with his local Abbeyfield House in Cowes, where staff invited him to join them for Christmas Day lunch. Since then, Ron has become a regular at Abbeyfield Clifton House. An avid gardener, he volunteers to help make sure the house’s grounds bloom and enjoys a homemade lunch several times a week. But more importantly, he thrives from having the company of other around him.

“It’s a lifesaver from my point of view. It means so much having Abbeyfield there.”

A ceramic poppy garden has been unveiled at Tipton library, one of a number of Remembrance events held in the borough.

Scores of Tipton library-goers and local school pupils have been making the ceramic poppies as part of a project  called Tipton Remembers.

It was organised by library staff and the local history group in partnership with Ceramic Arts and Creative Black Country – who have been running special poppy-making workshops.

Wednesbury poet laureate, Brendan Hawthorne opened the event by blowing a whistle – the signal for men to go ‘over the top’, leaving the safety of the trenches and heading into battle – and performed a selection of World War l-themed poems. Sandwell Mayor, Councillor Ahmadul Haque MBE, cut a ribbon with St Paul's Church of England Academy pupils Nicole and Ibrahim, to officially open the poppy garden.

The garden takes pride of place underneath the library’s memorial boards which list the names of the local soldiers killed in the Great War, and will be on permanent display.

Councillor Haque, said: “I am honoured to unveil this commemorative ceramic poppy garden which has been created by local people and pupils from St Paul’s Academy.

“The garden is now going to be on permanent display and is a fitting reminder of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in The Great War.”

A number of the ceramic poppies which have been made are for sale at the library during the next two weeks.

Taxi drivers and council officers from across the UK today (Tuesday) got their first look at the new all electric taxis that could soon be on City of Wolverhampton streets.

The taxi forum at Grand Station in the city centre showcased the London Taxi Company’s TX Electric taxi and the Dynamo Motor Company’s all electric taxi.

It was a chance for representatives from the taxi associations in the City of Wolverhampton to find out more about the types of electric taxis on offer ahead of new electric vehicle charging points being installed in the city centre.

The Dynamo is now on sale, while the TX Electric is available for order and will be launched in London next month, and in the Midlands in 2018.

City of Wolverhampton Council was handed £478,000 government funding in March to help fulfil a long-term plan to grow the number of electric taxis in the city.

The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) has since confirmed the electric charging network can also be made available for public use.

The funding means work can now start in the city on building the infrastructure to facilitate electric vehicles as they become more readily available over the next decade.

An initial 24 charging points will be installed over the next three years, with the aid of funding from a private sector partner, and the first points could be in place by summer 2018.

The management of the project will be put in the hands of a specialist private partner, who will be responsible for building, operating and marketing the network as well as providing 24/7 service, maintenance and repair.

The OLEV funding comes at a time when the Government has announced its plan to phase out sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040.

The widespread introduction of electric cars in the city would have significant environmental benefits such as a reduction in vehicles’ exhaust emissions to help improve local air quality, reduced carbon emissions, and a reduction in traffic noise.

Cabinet Member for City Environment, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “We are working closely with the taxi drivers in the city on this project and we are delighted OLEV has allowed us to broaden the scheme out for public use.

“Electric vehicles bring many benefits. They improve air quality and public health, make the city more attractive, support the economy of the Midlands, and support innovation and transformation, as well as helping to reduce carbon emissions.

“The idea of bringing on board a private sector partner also means we don’t anticipate any need to use council funds.”

The multi-million pound Hornsey Town Hall development will include 11 social rented homes paid for by the developers, following robust negotiations by Haringey Council.

Developers FEC Crouch End Ltd agreed today (Wednesday 15 November) that they will cover the costs of building the homes as part of the landmark development of the Grade II* listed building in the heart of Crouch End.

The commitment also means the council will be able to invest its land receipt in building at least 15 additional affordable homes at other locations in the west of the borough – bringing the total number of affordable homes made possible by the Town Hall development to more than 25.

The pledge from FEC comes after weeks of strong negotiations and follows an earlier announcement that the Hornsey Town Hall planning application had been amended to include affordable housing.

Part of the Broadway Annexe element of the multi-million-pound restoration of the Town Hall site will be ring-fenced for the new social homes. The council will now explore how best to invest its land receipt from the sale of the site into further units on other sites.

The council has also negotiated a “review mechanism” with the developers, meaning that the viability of the scheme will be reviewed when the development is close to completion and any additional contribution negotiated at that stage will also be used to deliver even more off-site affordable housing.

Exciting proposals for the redevelopment of the Town Hall include £30million investment in restoring the Art Deco landmark – removing it from Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register – and delivering a new arts centre, café and community spaces and hotel alongside a refurbished Town Hall Square designed in partnership with local residents.

Cllr Alan Strickland, Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Planning, said:

“We’ve been pressing the developers hard to cover the costs of affordable housing as part of their plans for Hornsey Town Hall, and I’m absolutely delighted that they’ve listened.

“We’ve been clear that our priority for Hornsey Town Hall has always been to see this beautiful building brought back into long-term sustainable use for future generations to enjoy. The redevelopment proposals show how the Town Hall could once again be the beating heart of Crouch End, with a new arts centre, café and community space.

“To have affordable homes sit alongside this is a tremendous bonus. I’m delighted also that FEC’s commitment to covering the costs means we will have more money to invest in further much-needed affordable housing at other locations in the west of the borough.”

Planning proposals will come before the council’s planning committee in December.

By their nature, dogs are a highly social species - they have a natural instinct to live in harmonious groups. However some dogs may find this more difficult than others, potentially experiencing signs of anxiety when they are around other dogs.

Whether it’s seeing other dogs in the park or living with another four legged friend at home, it’s important that your pooch is calm and comfortable when encountering other dogs.

As part of their “Happy Dogs, Happy Days” campaign, Lintbells, manufacturers of premium pet supplement YuCALM Dog, is working with dog behavioural expert Dr. Emily Blackwell to help owners to spot and deal with any anxiety your dog may be experiencing when they are in the company of other canines.

“Although dogs can naturally be very sociable animals, this may not be the case for all. Some dogs can love being around others playing and running around, however some may find this more difficult and become nervous.

“An instance when this issue may become apparent is when you are introducing another dog into your home. This can be an exciting time for the family, welcoming a new canine companion in to the house, but for the new addition it can be nerve-wracking.

“There are a number of tips you can follow however, to ensure the introduction goes without hiccups:

• Before the big move in day take both dogs for a walk, and if things go well bring them back to the garden allowing the new dog off the lead to explore first before letting the resident dog off the lead.
• Try to avoid leaving “valuable” items, such as bones and chews, around the house for the first few weeks, and feed the dogs in separate rooms to begin with
• Don’t tell either dog off if things appear tense, try to distract them calmly to diffuse the situation
• Watch your dogs. Learn how they communicate using visual signals, so that you can start to “read” what they are “saying” to each other. If one dog is showing signs of anxiety look out to see if the other dog is backing off, or continuing to play
• Relaxed interactions between both dogs should appear more equal, with both dogs taking turns to chase or wrestle each other
• It’s important to remember that if your dog doesn’t naturally enjoy playing or interacting with other dogs and instead avoids them when out and about, think carefully before bringing a new dog into your home. Not all dogs benefit from having a “friend” and it may cause stress.

• Don’t overwhelm them – Many people believe that they need to make their dog “face its fear” or “socialise” with other dogs, however this isn’t the case. Every time your dog reacts to another dog the behaviour becomes more well-established and rather than improving, the reaction is likely to worsen.
• Find your dog’s threshold – You should aim to only encounter other dogs at a distance at which your dog remains calm. This may be the other side of the road, or the other side of a field, each dog’s threshold will be different
• Make positive associations – Once you’ve found the distance at which your dog doesn’t react, you can reward the unreactive behaviour with treats or extra fuss. They are then more likely to remain calm next time.
• Stay on your toes – Be alert for signs that your dog may be uncomfortable, don’t wait until they are lunging/barking at other dogs, move away at the earliest signs your dog is worried
• Remain calm – Although it can be frustrating/embarrassing to have a dog that lunges and barks, it’s important that you don’t get angry and tell them off. This will just confirm to your dog that other dogs are bad news.

If you are worried that your dog may be experiencing some anxiety,  Lintbells also offer a natural calming supplement, YuCALM Dog, which can be added to their diet to help reduce dog anxiety.