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.

From eating out every week to going on holiday twice a year or starting a new business, new research conducted by pension advice specialist, Portafina reveals how Brits are planning to spend their retirement.

Despite recent reports about the future of the state pension, Brits aren’t letting their anticipation for their ‘golden years’ be dampened as they plan big for their retirement years.

The study, which involved a poll of 2,000, looked into attitudes to retirement, levels of financial preparation, and plans for the future.

With over half of working Brits stating that they are eagerly anticipating their retirement, Portafina  reveals the top ten ways the nation plans to spend its retirement years:

1.     Spending more time with family (35%)

2.     Taking up a new hobby (34%)

3.     Being more active (33%)

4.     Travelling the world (27%)

5.     Spending more time with friends (24%)

6.     Fulfilling a lifelong dream (24%)

7.     Starting their own business (18%)

8.     Eating out once a week (17%)

9.     Going on holiday twice a year (17%)

10.  Getting work experience in a dream career (14%)

Over a quarter (26%) of those in current fulltime employment did express concern about the cost of retiring, but the research showed this isn’t deterring our ambitions; with 29% planning on using retirement years to travel the world, 33% hoping to master a new language, and 27% even planning to learn to play a musical instrument.

A third (32%) hoped to be able to quit work completely – with the average aspired age sitting at 57 - but 40% said that semi-retirement was definitely an option, and not just for financial reasons.

Whilst 15% of those deliberating semi-retirement said their decision would ultimately come down to a need for extra income, more than half (53%) felt it allowed you to ease into the change, and 31% even believed that semi-retirement could be the perfect time to fulfil lifelong job ambitions, or start a business.

Of those currently enjoying semi-retirement, 30% said the time had offered them the chance to start a new career.

Suzi Grant, 67, (current location: Ibiza) said, “I became a blogger three years ago at the age of 64 and it’s now ridiculously successful.  I never expected that what started as a hobby would become nearly a full-time job!

“I worked in TV and radio most of my working life, trained as a nutritionist then wrote three books before happily retiring at 60. Because photography, writing and health are my passions, I have taken to my new career like a duck to water.”

Jamie Smith-Thompson, managing director of Portafina commented “There is always so much negative press about retirement, which must seem so depressing for younger generations that feel they are facing decades of work in order to secure the future lifestyle they want – and deserve.

“With semi-retirement revealed to be a viable option for so many, and numerous retirees already using this as a way to fulfil lifestyle and career ambitions, the nation’s dream retirement age of 57 may be achievable to some degree – that’s something I think we can all get behind. It’s important to remember that this can only come about through people taking retirement planning into account as early as possible”

Families in Tipton are now settling into their new homes as the keys to the latest council houses are handed over.

Sandwell Council has been working in partnership with developer Kier Living to create affordable homes for families on the former Princes End primary school site in Tibbington Terrace.

The seven homes, made up of six three-bedroom and one-two-bedroom properties will provide families with contemporary living spaces, private gardens and driveways.

The development  is part of the council’s millions of pounds worth of investment into new housing and was completed on schedule.

Councillor Kerrie Carmichael, Sandwell’s cabinet member for housing said: “This is great news. The completion of this scheme sees another seven new council  homes giving people the opportunity to set down roots and become part of a community.

“This is another example of the council working in partnership with a developer such as Kier Living to increase the quality and choice of housing in the borough.

“By the end of March next year we will have created nearly 200 new council homes since 2016 with hundreds more in the pipeline.

“This is part of our on-going strategic housing plan to increase the number of council-owned affordable homes.”

Chris King, managing director for Kier Living, said: "We are pleased to be able to support Sandwell Council in their drive to build more affordable homes in the borough.

"Kier has focused on providing high quality design and materials to create homes that offer a liveable and flexible space for tenants from day one."

The development also includes a further 22 properties for private sale built by Kier Living.

Commonwealth citizens are set to benefit from improved legal services in a range of areas as law ministers ended their meeting in The Bahamas with a package of agreements and pledges.

Tackling terrorism, addressing climate change, responding to natural disasters, meeting sustainable development goals and eradicating early and forced marriage were all on the wide-ranging agenda.

After three days of deliberations, ministers pledged to pursue key law reforms in a number of areas.

“This was a critical moment for the Commonwealth for so many reasons,” said Secretary-General Patricia Scotland. “Dominica and Barbuda are still in ruins after devastating hurricanes Irma and Maria, and millions of people in Asia and Africa are still suffering the after-effects of mudslides, floods and desertification.

“Countries at the table are also dealing with a frightening escalation of violent and virtual crime, the impact of global terrorism and violent extremism, and with young girls being taken out of school and forced into marriage. These are just some of the challenges facing the nations represented at our meeting, and I am so proud of the diligence, commitment and resolutions of law ministers to find solutions to these issues.”

Ministers and attorneys-general agreed to review and strengthen legal frameworks and legislation to prevent the grooming and recruitment of terrorists and to stop them crossing borders and being funded. They discussed how to make this aspiration a reality and recognised the importance of community involvement.

Delegates also focused on law reforms to help their countries achieve targets to lower global temperatures and to support the smooth operation of relief efforts during and after natural disasters. They discussed how they will work, as legal advisers to government, to develop legal frameworks to improve health, education, employment, financial and other critical services relevant to the achievement of their sustainable development goals.

“There were many aspirations expressed at this meeting and to ensure that we are able to turn them into action, the Secretariat offered ministers a number of tools and support mechanisms,” said the Secretary-General.

“Our new legislative drafting handbook and guide to law reform will take legal drafters and those responsible for law reform through a step by step, stage by stage guide to create or amend laws in any of the areas discussed. These are going to help all our countries, but will be particularly valuable to developing and smaller nations with limited resources.”

She continued, “The theme of the meeting was Strengthening the Rule of Law through Technology, so we offered all ministers access to our Office of Civil and Criminal Justice Reform, which provides technical assistance and an online platform with best practice guides, model laws, standards, templates and legal insight on a range of issues.”

The Secretariat also presented a new secure messaging mobile app which will be trialled in 2018. This app will enhance international cooperation by helping countries to collaborate to tackle cross-border and organised crime.

Delegates underscored the importance of these meetings as a forum for sharing best practice, one of the Commonwealth’s greatest advantages. Marlene Malahoo Forte, Attorney General of Jamaica, said this year’s summit provided an opportunity for vibrant discussion and collaboration on key issues.

Anisul Huq, Minister for Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs in Bangladesh, said “The issues that have been taken up in this conference are very pertinent to us and it is important that we come here, we share our experiences and we exchange ideas to improve on these issues.”

Samoa’s Minister of Justice & Courts Administration, Faaolesa Katopau Ainu’u, praised the Commonwealth Secretariat for preparing a strong agenda.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Law & Justice & Electronics & Information Technology in India, said, “This is an occasion to share the best practices, the smaller countries, the big countries. In that way this interaction is very very meaningful, very very purposive. We make good friends, many of the problems are similar in many ways, the solutions can be similar.”

The Bahamas’ Attorney General, Carl Bethel, who hosted the event, described the summit as a very important forum for law ministers across the Commonwealth, "to come together to share best practices and consider our responses, both as a commonwealth and as individual countries to shared challenges.”

Staff and volunteers at John Taylor Hospice in Birmingham are inviting families and friends to join them at Light up a Life.

The annual remembrance event is a special time to remember loved ones who have died and to make a dedication in their memory.

Light up a Life will be held on Sunday 10 December at 6pm at Hollyfields Centre in Erdington. The short service will feature music, readings and a quiet moment for reflection – all dedicated to people who are very special to us.

A tree full of lights is illuminated during the service and there is the opportunity to make a dedication in the hospice’s Book of Remembrance.

This year, the hospice has introduced dedication stars as a new way to write a personal message to someone special. Each dedication pack contains two stars with space to write a message – one star is to keep and one can be returned to John Taylor to decorate Christmas trees inside the hospice during December.

Joining this year’s Light up a Life in memory of their mother Betty Morris are sisters Joanne and Helen Morris. When Betty was diagnosed with womb and lung cancer in May 2016, her wish was to be cared for at John Taylor Hospice. Joanne and Helen say they will be ‘forever grateful’ for the care and support their mother received from the hospice – both in her own home and at the hospice in Erdington, Birmingham.

“Mommy was very caring and was always thinking of others,” said Helen, 54. “The three of us lived very happily together in our home in Great Barr. When the ambulance arrived to take Mommy to the hospice she waved goodbye to her home of 58 years.

“This was our first experience of a hospice and from the moment she arrived she was welcomed by all staff. All of the care Mommy received at John Taylor was exceptional and this made such a terrible situation quite bearable. We know she was looked after so well and there was never any doubt in our minds which was very reassuring for us all.”

Joanne, 58, added: “We found all the staff to be quite remarkable and it is because of these wonderful people we have lots of happy memories. We always speak so highly of John Taylor and mention hospices to people to make them aware of what fantastic places they are. We will never forget all that was done for Mommy and feel we will be forever grateful.”

Hospices around the UK host Light up a Life events during the festive period and they are open to anyone – not just people whose loved ones were cared for by a hospice. As well as being a special time to remember loved ones, Light up a Life donations help to support the work of hospices by raising vital funds.

“Hundreds of families joined us for last year’s Light up a Life and it is always a very special and moving service,” said John Taylor’s Community Fundraising Manager Darren Dudley. “We feel privileged to stand side-by-side with families, friends, hospice staff and volunteers to honour the lives of people we love and miss and will always hold dear.”

There is no need to register for the event but dedications for the Book of Remembrance will need to be with the hospice by 1 December.

As Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG) continues to plan for an ambitious re-development project, Birmingham Museums Trust is taking an important step to bring new perspectives to some of the city’s most significant stories.

The Past is Now – Birmingham and the British Empire, opening on Saturday 28^th October, is the first in a series of prototype exhibitions in the ‘Story Lab’ gallery at BMAG. The gallery will see Birmingham Museums Trust work directly with the city’s diverse individuals, communities and activists to help define innovative new ways of understanding Birmingham’s collection of museum objects.

The city’s historic and encyclopaedic collection covers almost every imaginable subject area across art, human history, natural sciences, and science and industry, and this new approach will help Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to reach new audiences and tell new stories.

For this first exhibition, Birmingham Museums Trust has the taken the bold, experimental approach of collaborating with local activists to curate the exhibition. The co-curators include graphic designer, Abeera Kamran; artivist, Aliyah Hasinah; writer, Mariam Khan; cultural activist, Sara Myers; textile designer, Shaheen Kasmani, writer and researcher Sumaya Kassim.

The full history of Birmingham’s relationship to the British Empire has traditionally been under-represented and this exhibition aims to tell a different story about the outcomes of colonialism and encourage discussion.

Key topics of focus within the exhibition include; Joseph Chamberlain’s role as Colonial Secretary and his work to expand British rule in South Africa, which resulted in deepening divisions in the region, and the end of British colonial rule in South Asia and the Partition of India and Pakistan, which led to largest mass migration in human history.

Other themes include capitalism and Birmingham’s position as one of the manufacturing centres of the British Empire. While this role was celebrated in Birmingham at the time, many of the objects that were manufactured were shipped across the world to be traded for goods and people, as the colonies were exploited and oppressed.

The new specially designed ‘Story Lab’ space within BMAG will be used to test new ideas and radical approaches over the next two years. Community groups and campaigners will continue to be involved in the process and future exhibitions will tackle a range of topics. The displays will provide vital insight and feedback for the plans for the museum re-development.

The ‘Story Lab’ gallery is an Arts Council England funded project and part of the Change Makers Programme. The programme is aimed at increasing the diversity of senior leaders within England’s arts and cultural sector, and included funding to host a training placement for senior museum professional Sara Wajid.

Throughout 2017 Sara has led the programme to reinterpret the collections on display at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to reach a wider audience. A specialist researcher, Rachael Minott, was also recruited to work closely with co-curators on The Past is Now exhibition.

Sara Wajid, Head of Interpretation at Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “Story Lab builds on a powerful movement to democratise knowledge production within museums. The Past is Now could only happen in Birmingham, where we have the perfect cocktail of talented cultural activists, progressive curators and knock-out collections.”

The Past is Now – Birmingham and the British Empire, will be on display at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery from Saturday 28^th October until Monday 12^th March. Prototype exhibitions will continue in the space throughout 2018 and visitors are encouraged to share their thoughts and feedback.