Purveyor of London spirit, Portobello Road Gin, has launched the world's first Pechuga Gin to ensure your Christmas celebrations and merry-making are filled with good cheer.

Created by master distiller Jake Burger, the limited edition Director's Cut No:3 Pechuga Gin pays homage to a unique distillation process used by Mexico's artisan Mezcal producers whereby a raw chicken or turkey breast - or pechuga as it translates to in Spanish -  is suspended in the still, cooking in the slowly emanating vapours, adding subtle yet distinct flavours to the spirit.

To create the Pechuga Gin, Jake redistilled Portobello Road Gins signature 171 blend in a 400 litre copper alembic still with organic turkey breast and a flavourful combination of 13 botanicals: apples, pears, plums, currants, raisins, sultanas, apricots, brown rice, passion fruit, cinnamon, cassia bark, as well as nutmeg and mace that Jake harvested personally on the beautiful Spice Island, Grenada.

Traditionally, Mezcal De Pechuga is imbibed on occasions of great celebration such as baptisms, marriages and quinceañeras. The combination of dried fruit and spices in the Pechuga Gin results in a distinctly festive flavour; making it the perfect drink to toast the celebratory Christmas season.

The process of making the Director's Cut No:3 Pechuga Gin is incredibly inefficient, taking two bottles of regular Portobello Road Gin to make one bottle of the festive delicacy.

The Director's Cut limited-edition is a small-batch gin, launched every year to mark the birthday of Portobello Road Gin and it's founding director Ged Feltham. These unique blends allow the gin's directors to flex their creative muscles and introduce discerning drinkers to more unusual flavours and distillation processes. Previous Director's Cut blends include a smokey gin flavoured with juniper berries that were hand-smoked in Irish peat and a quintessentially English gin made using asparagus sourced from Cambridgeshire.

While bottles of Mezcal De Pechuga typically retail between £100 and £200, in keeping with the season of the goodwill bottles of Director's Cut No:3 will retail at £35 and is available to purchase from 1st November from Portobello Road Gin's website, as well The Distillery's Bottle Shop located on their namesake road.

Jake Burger, master distiller and director at Portobello Road Gin, says:

“My love for gin is matched equally by my passion for tequila and mezcal; and so for the third instalment in our Director's Cut series it was a natural choice for me to look across the atlantic and take inspiration from our Mexican spirit producing brothers and sisters.

“As the alcohol vapours pass through the turkey breast during distillation they add something almost indefinable to the gin. You wouldn't really say it was turkey flavoured gin, the flavour is very subtle, and whilst it adds it also takes away, absorbing some of the more intense fruit flavours and stopping them from overwhelming the taste of the gin.

“With its warming spices and dried fruits, this poultry-infused potable develops a distinctly festive flavour and we think that Christmas presents a perfect opportunity to drink this very special and uniquely indulgent gin.

“So with the launch of what we believe to be the world's first Pechuga Gin, as well as one of the most festively flavoured spirits, I wish you a Merry Christmas -  or 'Feliz Navidad' as they say in Mexico.”

Starting prices for the Wolves in Wolves charity auction have been revealed. Members of City of Wolverhampton’s wolf pack from the city’s biggest ever public art event will officially go under the hammer in the Hayward Suite, at Molineux Stadium, next week (Thursday, November 2).

The wolves to be auctioned off are Wild, Colour, Love, The Sitting, Sunset, Compton, Kiyiya, Rainbow, Meditation, Endless Opportunities, Dynasty, Garden, Sacred Grandfathers, Zeus and Beowulf.

Fielding Auctioneers Ltd are running the auction and will start the bidding at £1,500 for each wolf.

The proceeds will be shared between Outside Centre and the Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr Elias Mattu’s chosen charities.

Will Farmer, Director of Fielding Auctioneers Ltd, who is well known for his appearances on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, will lead the auction proceedings and entertainment will be provided by Dicky Dodd of Signal 107.

The remaining wolves will either be retained by their sponsors for use in projects, such as Hope at Headstart and Aurora at Talentmatch, both being used for activities with young people.

A handful of the wolves are set to remain on display in the city centre, such as Hunter outside the University School of Art, Old Gold in the Wolves Museum, Thomas at Marston’s House, Support Life at the University of Wolverhampton, Mander at Mander House, Beanstalk at the Grand Theatre, and roaming wolf Claude.

Almost 40 mini-wolves from the Wolverhampton Art Gallery exhibition will also be auctioned off on the night, with bidding for each one starting at £100.

Will said: “I am thrilled to be the auction partner for this fantastic and very successful project.

“It will be wonderful to find some new homes for the wolves and to raise a huge amount of money for charity.”

The majority of the wolves are currently resting in a warehouse ahead of the auction.

Councillor John Reynolds, City of Wolverhampton Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “The wolves have really captured people’s imaginations and the whole project has been a howling success.

“The auction now gives people the chance to bid for their favourite wolf and raise money for charity at the same time.

“Wolves in Wolves has showcased the city to visitors and the wolves have helped put the city on the map as a cultural centre.

“It has also been a great way for people of all ages to get active and discover the city and what it has to offer.”

On the day of the auction, doors will open at 4pm for viewing, with the auction starting at 7pm.

Talented young people from more than 20 schools across Wolverhampton will celebrate the City’s rich diversity at a special event next month.

Now in its 30th year, the annual Schools Diversity Celebration takes place at the Civic Hall on Thursday 2 November, 2017, and will see hundreds of pupils from 22 schools and groups take to the stage to perform dance, drama and music in front of a specially invited audience.

The celebration, entitled One World, One People, One Voice, will showcase the range of cultures, languages, traditions and faiths found in Wolverhampton.

The performers include children from Penn Hall School (performing In My Hands, Feet And Heart, Wodensfield Primary School (Sing), Perry Hall Primary MAT (We Are All In This Together), Merridale Primary (Bhangra Beat), Amethyst Trust (Africa), Lanesfield Primary School (I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing), St Michael’s CE Primary and Christchurch CE Infants School (Turn to Me), Bantock Primary School (Shine), Green Park School (Altogether We Are One) and Goldthorn Primary (We Are The World, We Are The Children).

Also performing will be St Andrew’s CE Primary (Amani Utupe), Diversity Community Choir (Count On Me), Northwood Park Primary and Villiers Primary (One Family), Bilston CE Primary School (One Love), Stow Heath Primary School (We Are One), Springvale Primary School (Working Together), St Luke’s CE Primary (Living In Harmony), Elston Hall Primary MAT (Faded), Loxdale Primary School (Where Is The Love), Trinity CE Primary School (Coalition), Wolverhampton Music School String Orchestra (Rockin' All Over The World by J Fogarty arr Edwards) and The King’s C of E School (I Smile).

There will also be a performance of One Love by Marley and Mayfield by the Wolverhampton Music School String Orchestra, and the show will end with children and young people from all the schools coming together in a spectacular rendition of The World In Union by Gustav Holst.

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "This wonderful annual event is one of the highlights of the educational calendar, and showcases what a diverse and multi-cultural City we live in.

"It is a tremendous opportunity for pupils from across Wolverhampton to take to the stage in the famous surroundings of the Civic Hall and perform before family and friends."

Councillor Val Gibson, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, added: "The pupils have been hard at work fine tuning their performances and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do."

Also in attendance will be the Mayor and Mayoress of the City of Wolverhampton, Councillor Elias Mattu and Asha Mattu and Director of Education Meredith Teasdale.

Entry to the event is by invitation only, but people can follow the evening on Twitter using the hashtag #wolvesdiversity.

The Schools Diversity Celebration has been made possible through sponsorship from CPN Systems, AM Griffiths, Concept Education, William Gough, Community Trade Union and the Rotary Club of Tettenhall.

Severn Trent’s own ‘Poo-wer Rangers’ have been recognised for their work to support WaterAid by designing a solution to waste issues in Nicaragua.

The company’s team of Water Innovators were given the best presentation award for their plan that tackled the sanitation issue of removing sludge from septic tanks.

The group of seven Severn Trent employees, who named themselves after the ‘90s TV show, have also carried out various challenges, including triathlons, half marathons and the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge to raise more than £5000 for WaterAid.

The team received the award at a special ceremony at EY’s UK headquarters in London.

Declan Barlow, who took part in the challenge, said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised for the hard work we’ve put into the competition for such an amazing cause.

“In Nicaragua 800,000 people don’t have access to clean, safe water, and two million live without access to a decent toilet.

“We’ve developed a business plan that outlines how we would improve sanitation in Bilwi. It provides employment for local people, reduces the environmental impact of sludge disposal and improves the health and safety of the population.

“We hope our work will help to promote the amazing work that WaterAid is doing to implement and drive improvements for people living in the Central American country.”

Since April this year Severn Trent has raised more than a quarter of a million pounds for WaterAid with more fundraising events to come.

Six spectacular switch-ons for all the family will light up City of Wolverhampton for the countdown to Christmas.

The festivities kick off with a huge city centre lights switch-on and firework display in Queen Square on Wednesday, November 22.

The fun-packed evening starts at 5pm, with entertainment from the Free Radio roadshow, a mini-funfair, real reindeer located in Lichfield Street and traditional Christmas music from the Wulfruna vintage steam organ.

Mayor of Wolverhampton, Councillor Elias Mattu, stars from this year’s Grand Theatre pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, children’s picture book character, The Gruffalo, and British Citizen Youth Award winner, Louis Johnson, will join Father Christmas to switch on the lights at 6.30pm, which will be followed by a spectacular fireworks display.

There is also the chance to grab some fabulous Christmas gifts and goodies at the festive market taking place on Dudley Street from 10am to 8pm.

And you can meet Father Christmas in his Winter Wonderland, in the Mander Centre lower mall, between 4pm and 8pm – everyone who meets him will get a present.

The city centre fun is followed by five more evenings of festive celebrations when the lights are also switched on by Father Christmas and the Mayor of Wolverhampton at Wednesfield, Tettenhall, Bilston, Bantock Park and Northycote Farm.

Entertainment will be provided by Dicky Dodd and the Signal 107 roadshow.

Councillor John Reynolds, Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “Each year we get more and more families coming along to enjoy the lights being switched on to mark the start of the countdown to Christmas - they really are great free evenings out.

“And what better time to also take advantage of the city’s diverse range of shops. Our offer is improving year on year and visitors can now make the most of Mander Centre’s new flagship Debenhams store.”

All the below Christmas events are free:

Wednesday, November 22 – Wolverhampton, Queen Square – event starts 5pm, lights switch on 6.30pm

Thursday, November 23: Wednesfield, High Street - event starts at 4pm, switch on 5.30pm.

Saturday, November 25: Tettenhall, Upper Green – event starts at 5pm, switch on 6.30pm

Sunday, November 26: Bantock Park, Finchfield Road – event starts at 5pm, switch on 6.30pm. You can also meet Father Christmas in the Drawing Room of Bantock House Museum between 5pm and 6.15pm.

Friday, December 1: Bilston, Church Street – event starts at 5.30pm, switch on 6.30pm

Saturday, December 2: Northycote Farm, Underhill Lane – event starts at 4pm, switch on 5pm. Free craft and storytelling session for children from 4pm.

It’s that time of year again when Japanese knotweed’s growing season draws to a close and the plant dies away, but specialists Environet are urging homeowners not to delay tackling the weed as it remains very much alive, waiting to emerge bigger and stronger with new shoots next March. 

Although still standing, the bamboo-like canes will now be turning brown and brittle, which can fool homeowners into believing the plant has died or that their own efforts at treating it through cutting the plant back, or burning it, have been successful. However, like many plants, the rhizome system beneath the ground is healthy and lying dormant throughout the colder winter months.

Herbicide treatments cannot be used during winter as they require the plant to be in leaf, but that doesn’t mean treatment needs to be postponed until spring. In fact, Japanese knotweed can be dug out at any time of year using the environmentally friendly Resi-Dig-Out method, which involves digging out the rhizome roots and sifting out every viable piece before returning the clean soil to the ground. An insurance-backed guarantee can then be secured for the treatment which will ensure the property can be bought or sold without difficulty. 

Nic Seal, MD and Founder of Environet comments: “Each winter we see enquiry levels fall, but we know Japanese knotweed hasn’t magically disappeared, it’s simply a case of out of sight, out of mind. Savvy homeowners will take action through the autumn and winter to tackle knotweed on their land, ensuring they don’t face an even bigger problem next spring. Digging knotweed out of the soil is an instant solution, giving homeowners complete peace of mind and the freedom to sell their property if they so wish.”

Homebuyers should be particularly vigilant when viewing properties during the winter months, when property owners may have taken advantage of the plant’s apparent demise in order to deliberately conceal it. Often the canes have been removed but the crown is still visible in the ground, or in extreme cases membranes are laid horizontally in the ground to conceal the knotweed, with a path or lawn laid over it. 

A surveyor should be able to identify knotweed if it is visible, but deliberate concealment is illegal and sellers are required to answer truthfully to the direct question about Japanese knotweed on the TA6 Property Information form, completed during every property transaction. If a seller is dishonest or claims not to have known about the presence of knotweed, the buyer may have a claim for misrepresentation and are likely to be awarded the cost of professional treatment and legal fees, as well as any decrease in the property’s value.