Stone Choral Society

Stone Choral Society’s next concert is called ‘Sullivan to Sondheim’ and will be performed at St Dominic’s Priory School’s Priory Hall on Saturday 6th July.

The concert starts at 7pm and tickets – which cost £8 (£6 concessions, children free) – can be bought at Plants the Jewellers and Wikijum on Stone High Street. Alternatively, call 01785 817754 or email tickets@stonechoral.org.uk Tickets can also be bought on the door on the night.

Jennifer Burrows from the choir said: “Anyone, of any age, can enjoy singing and our next concert includes children from St Michael’s First School, Stone, who are all under nine. Membership of Stone Choral Society is free for anyone under 21, but there are no restrictions on age. New members are always welcome, even if they are over 21!”

There’s lots more about Stone Choral Society at www.stonechoral.org.uk

Stone Library is hosting a ‘Spring into Work’ drop-in event on Tuesday 21st May to give local jobseekers the boost they need to find work. 

The event has been organised by the National Careers Service, Signposts and Staffordshire County Council and will be held between 10am and noon.

This FREE drop-in event is aimed at anyone who would like to know more about a new career, current vacancies, starting their own business, a way back into education, re-training, volunteering and more. Help available on the day will include support with online job searches, basic IT skills, CVs and interview techniques.

Janene Cox, Staffordshire County Council’s Commissioner for Tourism and the Cultural County, said: “Many more job-related services are now being delivered over the internet and local libraries are a perfect point of access. The jobs market is still very tough at the moment and jobseekers need all the help they can get to find work.”

Thanks to the Little Bit of Stone reader who got in touch to warn people in the town of a tax rebate scam that their elderly relative fell victim to.

Always refuse to give any banking details from anyone calling you to offer tax rebates. Report any calls of this nature to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online HERE.

“An elderly relative of mine was contacted by phone, by someone calling himself Simon Young. He informed said relative that she was entitled to a £9000 tax rebate. When my relative became suspicious the caller then handed the phone to a woman (claiming to be a supervisor, calling herself Angela Patel).

She then convinced my relative to draw out £250 pounds worth of Ukash vouchers in order to claim the rebate. Unfortunately, as is often the way, coming from a trusting generation my relative did so. This operation was very crafty, even suggesting to my relative which shops she should purchase these vouchers from (namely the closest to where she lived).

When another family member visited the next day and was told about what had happened, they immediately saw it for what it was. Family member then rang the number left and, when pressed, “Angela Patel” put phone down.

Mrs Patel then left several messages later in the day, urging elderly relative to ignore family member and to obtain yet more vouchers to the amount of a further £400. Thankfully the £400 was not obtained but the police, bank and fraud team were notified.

Could you remind readers that Tax and Pensions never contact anyone by phone and rarely email, they normally always send a letter.”

GP surgeries in Stone will be writing to parents of teenagers over the next few weeks to offer the MMR vaccination as part of a national catch-up programme.

The public health department at Staffordshire County Council is urging parents to look out for the letters and take action if they need to. The Department of Health programme aims to prevent a measles outbreak in the county by vaccinating as many 10 to 16-year-olds as possible who have not had all of the MMR jabs, in time for the next school year in September.

Although there is currently no outbreak in Staffordshire, action is needed now to reduce the risk. By taking precautionary measures and arranging vaccinations, parents can protect their children and the wider community from the potentially serious effects of measles.

Dr Alison Teale from Staffordshire County Council’s Public Health team said: “Over the next few weeks, GPs will be sending letters to the parents of young people who haven’t been fully vaccinated.

“We are urging parents to look out for and read the letter as the vaccinations are really important. Many young people missed out on the jab when concern about MMR, based on evidence which has now been discredited, was at its highest. Public confidence in the MMR jab has returned, but many older children who missed out on the jabs remain unprotected from measles. The majority of these children are now in secondary school where the ability for the infection to spread rapidly is high.

“It is therefore important that parents and teenagers understand the risks and get advice on how to get vaccinated if they haven’t received two doses of MMR. GPs will invite young people for the immunisation within their practice. Local schools will also be playing an active role in encouraging their pupils to be fully vaccinated.”

More information on the Public Health England website HERE

Stone residents have been warned to take extra care when using cashpoints in the town following incidents at the machines outside Morrisons.

The warning came from new Stone PC Daniel Ferguson, who updated Stone Town Council on Tuesday night (14th May) about crime issues in the town.

He said that police believe a group of “Eastern Europeans” (the meeting was told that they have information leading them to this conclusion) have been targeting the cashpoints at Morrisons by attaching a small device. Victims’ cards are ‘swallowed’ by the machine, but the criminals return and can retrieve them – and pin numbers.

Always check a cashpoint for anything unusual and always shield the keypad when entering your pin number. Report any concerns to the bank immediately. It’s worth paying particular attention to the slot where the card is inserted. Some cash machines now have a picture of what the slot and keypad are supposed to look like, so that users can identify any foreign devices attached.

The Equipo team with their trophy – now to the West Midlands finals! Pic: Josh Cope

Congratulations to a group of young entrepreneurs from Alleyne’s High School who won the Staffordshire final of this year’s Young Enterprise competition – the third year running that a team from the school has done this!

The Earbuddy

Equipo’s product, the Earbuddy, prevents tangling and damage to earphones, and almost 1,000 units have been sold. The team will now represent Staffordshire in the West Midlands final on 12th June and are one step away from the national final.

Equipo follow The Sock Tree Company and Versaleaf, successful Alleyne’s teams from 2011 and 2012.

Robyn Johnson, marketing director of Equipo, said: “As a team we’ve found the Young Enterprise programme a great opportunity, which we hope will prepare us for future job roles or perhaps if we ever decide to start a business of our own!

“To come up with the EarBuddy, we brainstormed in the first few weeks and the EarBuddy seemed the best idea because it solves a problem we had all faced in the past and we received great feedback from our first few customers. Even though it’s been stressful at times it has been worth it to see our hard work pay off and we hope sales will continue and help us win at the regional finals!”

Mr Tweats, Head of Business Studies at Alleyne’s, said: “The students were incredible, their presentation was outstanding, they have worked extremely hard over the past year developing a product that is quirky and functional – we are very proud of them.”

They received their ‘Best Company’ award at a ceremony at Wedgwood from chief financial officer Anthony Jones.

Lots more information about Equipo and their Earbuddy at www.equipo.co.uk

The outdoor pool at Trentham Gardens in this photo from the 1970s. Did you go swimming there? Photo from www.staffspasttrack.org.uk

People in Stone have been asked to share any memorabilia they may have of Trentham Gardens for a new exhibition at the Borough Museum and Art Gallery in Newcastle.

Delyth Copp from Stone is curating the exhibition about the Trentham Estate in the 20th century, which opens on 25th May. There’s still time to get your memorabilia into the exhibition though!

Delyth said: “Does anyone out there have any memorabilia relating to Trentham between 1900 and 1980? It might be a ticket (perhaps for the Beatles?), souvenirs, photographs, the dress or suit you wore in the ballroom, the cozzie you wore in the outdoor pool…if you have anything please get in touch on 01782 619705 or pop in and see us on Brampton Park! Happy rummaging!”

A Stone man was arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine as part of a number of arrests and cautions under Operation Nemesis, Staffordshire Police’s ongoing crackdown on drug dealers.

The 55-year-old was arrested after his car was stopped on Yarlet Bank on Sunday 12th May and he remains on police bail pending further enquiries.

As part of the ongoing operation, a 34-year-old Stone man was also cautioned on 1st May for producing cannabis.

Chief Inspector Scott Jones, from Stafford Borough Local Policing Team, said: “We want to reduce the amounts of drugs on our streets and make Stafford and Stone no-go areas for drug dealers. Through Operation Nemesis we’re determined to continue our crackdown on drug production and supply in our communities. Officers are continually working hard to gather intelligence which results in them carrying out searches and warrants. Ultimately we aim to target the dealers who bring drugs into the area.

“Information we receive from members of the public is crucial. I’d like to take this opportunity to urge anyone with any concerns about drugs in their area to ring Staffordshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can ring independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

Other recent police activity under Operation Nemesis focused on Stafford:

• The discovery of 20 mature cannabis plants in Edison Road, Stafford, on Thursday 2 May. A man (37) was arrested on suspicion of cannabis production and remains on police bail pending further inquiries
• Two arrests made after a car was searched in Redhill, Stafford, on Friday 10 May. A Stafford man (38) was arrested for possession of cocaine with intent to supply after drugs with an estimated street value of £5,000 to £7,000 were recovered. A 28-year-old Stafford man was also arrested for possession of cocaine. Both men remain on police bail pending further inquiries
• A man (33) searched in Marsden Road, Stafford, on Wednesday 8 May. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing heroin and crack cocaine and remains on police bail pending further inquiries
• A man (30) searched in a Stafford street arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs on Wednesday 8 May. A search of a house in Peel Terrace, Stafford, uncovered more drugs and a woman (33) was arrested on suspicion of possessing with intent to supply class A drugs. Both remain on police bail pending further inquiries
• A Blythe Bridge man (31) was stopped and searched in Highfields area, Stafford, on Thursday 9 May and arrested on suspicion of possessing heroin. He remains on police bail pending further inquiries.

The Medieval Priory seal

The 12th Century Seal Matrix of Stone Priory, which was bought for the town following an appeal last year, has been away in Wiltshire since January undergoing conservation work. And there’s a special talk later this month to mark its return.

The matrix – which was found in a field in Surrey in 2011 –  is being returned to St. Michael and St. Wulfad’s Church, where it is going to be on permanent display, on Wednesday 22nd May.

In the evening, Kelly Abbot – who has undertaken the conservation – will give a talk on the processes involved at 7pm. All are welcome and admission is free.

Philip Leason, Chairman of Stone Historical and Civic Society, which raised the money to purchase the matrix and for the conservation work and specially made case, said: “The work has apparently highlighted the features on the matrix and the conservation work undertaken will ensure the matrix will be preserved so that it can be seen by future generations.”

It is hoped the matrix will be formally unveiled in its specially made case (currently being manufactured) on St Wulfad’s Day in July. More details about this soon.

Click the ‘Medieval seal’ tag below to see all of A Little Bit of Stone’s articles on this fascinating piece of our town’s history.

Thanks to Kris Grainger for this review of the Ray Butcher Quartet, who played the live jazz night at The Royal Exchange in Radford Street on Monday night.

There’s live jazz every Monday night from 9pm at The Exchange – and if you love live music, you really should give it a go. It’s a cracking night.

Over to Kris…

The Ray Butcher Quartet (drummer hidden from view!) at the Royal Exchange

Stone has always been a great place for live music. Indeed, one of the many reasons I moved to Stone five years ago was that the band I was in at the time were playing here so much so that it worked out cheaper for me to move here than keep paying petrol costs. It’s never had a shortage of venues willing to host bands, (The Swan, The Star, The Red Lion and Granville’s to name but a few); but it is those unexpected moments, when one stumbles across music, that can create those moments of serendipity that stick with you.

Tonight was one such moment as founder member of alittlebitofstone.com, Jamie Summerfield and I, stumbled into The Royal Exchange for a Monday night pint and a catch up. As we approached, the unmistakeable sound of jazz and the sight of a double bass assured us we were in for an unanticipated treat.

After settling down with our pints of Steerage, we were treated to several hours of top-notch jazz provided by the excellent Ray Butcher Quartet, including jazz standards from Dizzy Gillespie as well as re-workings of popular classics such as The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood. Ray, the band leader and trumpet player providing the melody amidst many excellent solos from his band members Simon ‘Smudge’ Smith on bass, Pete Hammond on drums and Tim Amann on keyboards. Ray himself has worked with the likes of King Pleasure and The Biscuit Boys and Mica Paris, whilst also playing support for B.B. King; to name but a handful of his various live and TV credits.

Here’s a blast of the Ray Butcher Quartet from last night:

So ‘what’, you might ask, ‘is a musician of such standing and calibre doing in Stone, on a Monday night, in the middle of his very busy schedule?’ Well I found myself asking the sole same question to the event organiser Dr. Alan Swale. Alan informed me that the band were here as part of Jazz in Stone, a weekly gathering of jazz lovers in need of a good ‘fix’ of music. But how did the organisation attract such a high calibre of musician to Stone?

Alan informed me that the society has been established some 15 years and that it is somewhat of a ‘place to be seen’ for touring jazz musicians. It was founded back then by local resident Mick Gilligan and has variously been hosted at The Red Lion, Langtry’s and The Vine, before finally putting down its routes at The Royal Exchange.

‘Despite the organisation having very little money, not enough to have our own website or to pay for advertising’ Alan said, ‘we still manage to put top quality acts on, week in, week out at The Exchange.’ Alan informed us that they have a core of followers and rely on ‘word-of-mouth’ as well as contributions from the audience members to ‘top-up’ the performer’s fees. ‘More importantly’ says Alan, ‘the longevity of the organisation, and the reputation it has built, continue to create a buzz in the jazz community; enough to keep acts of this standard returning to Stone.’

I have managed to live in Stone for 5 years and not know about this wonderful evening, so I think it’s our duty to help Alan and the boys pass the word around. Stone has such a multitude of music events going on, (see below), that don’t just start and end with our wonderful annual music festival. We need to do what we can to keep these events alive.

Next week at Jazz in Stone at The Royal Exchange, (20th May) sees the Charlie Right Quartet followed by Ben Holder on the 27th May and Cool School on the 3rd June. For anyone interested in Jazz in Stone, Alan Swale can be contacted about the events on (01785) 813391 or emailed on: alanswale@clara.co.uk

Other noteworthy musical events in Stone are:

Mondays: Paul Walker’s Open Mic Night at Granville’s

Wednesdays: Ben Owen’s Open Mic at The Star

Thursdays & alternate Saturdays: Live Music at The Swan

1st Friday of each month: Live Rhythm and Blues, with Open Mic, at The Crown Hotel

2nd Friday of each month: Young Musician’s Showcase at The Crown Hotel hosted by Ben Owen

Kris Grainger