Funeral directors Lee Solomon and Nathan Scully, seated, at their smart Sutton premises
Funeral directors win industry award
An independent Sutton Coldfield funeral business, founded by two lifelong friends, has been named one of the UK’s best.
The firm has achieved the ‘Recommended’ accolade following an assessment visit by the Good Funeral Guide, an independent funeral consumer advocacy organisation.
Lilies Funeral Directors started serving their local community in September 2015 and opened their funeral home in March 2016 on Chester Road, then a second on Kingstanding Road in 2018.
Sutton-born owners Lee Solomon and Nathan Scully, both aged 31, were born on the same street, went to the same playgroups and their mothers were best friends. They went to different schools but remained friends. Straight out of education, Nathan went into the funeral industry and worked his way from the bottom to become a funeral director within one of the country’s largest funeral services. Lee went to university and has a background in marketing and business development.
When the pair were 21, they had the dream of opening a funeral home together and turning a life long friendship into a deep and caring business partnership. Five years later their dream came true with Lilies.
In its review of Lilies Funeral Directors the Good Funeral Guide says: “Their reviews and testimonies on Google are all five-star reviews, with clients constantly referencing how the pair had gone the extra mile, how nothing is too much trouble, and their compassion and professionalism.”
The Good Funeral Guide assesses select funeral homes according to strict criteria which focus on thequality of the experience they offer to bereaved people. Lilies Funeral Directors has been inspected to ensure that clients are treated with courtesy, listened to with empathy, offered a full range of choice, charged fairly and empowered to play whatever part they want in creating a send-off for the person they have lost which accords with their values and wishes. The accreditation process also involved spending time behind the scenes in order to ascertain that those who have died are cared for with the utmost tenderness and respect. Fran Hall, CEO of the Good Funeral Guide said: “Choosing a funeral director can be very difficult because often they all look much the same. But they’re not. Some, a precious few, are truly outstanding, and Lilies Funeral Directors is one of them. “The team at Lilies Funeral Directors are unsung heroes doing a magnificent job, and the people of Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham deserve to know this.
“Bereaved people need to do their very best for their loved one who has died. They deserve the very best funeral director.” Director Lee Solomon was delighted with the recognition and said: “We are extremely proud to receive this accolade. Knowing our hard work and commitment to our families has been recognised and applauded by an organisation who strive to make the funeral industry better, leaves me very emotional.”
For information contact Lee Solomon at lee@liliesfunerals.com, call 0121 321 3446 or visit the website at www.liliesfunerals.com
The Good Funeral Guide is wholly independent of the funeral industry. It offers information and guidance to the bereaved and supports, empowers and represents the interests of dying and bereaved people living in the UK. It is a not-for-profit social enterprise company — Community Interest Company number 7818343.
Always smiling. Martha with her star award and at the start of her treatment
Brave Sutton schoolgirl, aged four, receives award as she starts tough new cancer treatment
A four-year-old from Sutton Coldfield who is facing chemotherapy over Christmas has received a CRUK for Children & Young People Star Award in recognition of her courage.
Martha Givans was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia just before she started school in July. Now she’s on the toughest phase of her treatment yet but her family are determined to make this Christmas extra special.
For the bravery she’s showed throughout her treatment so far, she has received a Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People Star Award, in partnership with TK Maxx.
Every child nominated receives the accolade, which is backed by a host of famous faces including celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, Nanny McPhee actress Dame Emma Thompson, This Morning’s Dr Ranj and children’s TV favourite Mister Maker.
There is no judging panel because the charity believes every child diagnosed with cancer deserves special recognition. The awards are open to all under-18s who have been diagnosed with the disease in the last five years.
As well as a star shaped trophy, Martha also received a £50 TK Maxx gift card, t-shirt and a certificate signed by the celebrities.
Martha, a pupil at Holy Cross School, received the award just as she was about to start her most intense round of treatment to date. The treatment involves three different chemotherapy drugs with side effects including sickness and extreme tiredness.
Mum Natalie Givans, who nominated Martha for the award said: “I can’t put into words how amazing she is. Some days she has to have 15 different tablets a day but she never moans and she’s always smiling. She has twin cousins aged two and she just mothers them, she’s so loving and caring.”
Martha was diagnosed at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in July after her mum took her for a blood test on the advice of her GP.
“My mum kept saying she’s really pale,” said Natalie. “She didn’t have any other symptoms but eventually I called the GP. I didn’t want to go into hospital because of COVID but the doctor advised me to take her to the Children’s Hospital for a blood test. We got there at 9am and I got a call while I was shopping three hours later telling me to bring her back.
“I was in a complete panic. I knew it must be cancer but they couldn’t tell me until we had the results of more tests.”
Results of initial tests were inconclusive so Martha and Natalie had to stay in hospital for another three days before finding out what was wrong.
“I refused to Google anything,” said Natalie. “After three days I was told it was leukaemia. It all felt like a dream but I was just thankful she had the most treatable type.”
Although prognosis was good, Martha still needed immediate chemotherapy and her treatment won’t finish until 2022.
Bright and bubbly, Martha always has a cheerful smile not matter what she is going through
“Everything seemed to happen at once,” said Natalie. “She was really poorly with the first lot of chemo because she had to have a high dose of steroids for six weeks. That meant that was wanted a proper dinner every two hours.
“What was worse was that she didn’t want to play and she didn’t smile for weeks. It was like the lights were on but there was no one home. It was horrendous.”
Natalie was told that Martha would lose her hair but, so far, it’s only got thinner on top.
“She’s been lots better since she came off the steroids but she’s just started her intense phase of treatment so we have to see what the next few weeks bring,” added Natalie, a part-time accountancy lecturer at Sutton Coldfield College.
“She’s due to be in hospital Christmas week so we haven’t been able to plan anything but we’re hoping we can be at home on Christmas day and make it special.
“Getting the award was a lovely surprise. She knows she’s special now because she has a certificate and star to prove it.”
Around 160 children are diagnosed with cancer in the West Midlands region every year.*
Paula Young, spokesperson for Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People in Staffordshire, said: “Martha is a real star and it’s great to see her smile is back. It’s been an absolute privilege to be able to celebrate her courage with a Star Award.
“Cancer can have a devastating impact on children and young people and many of those who survive may experience serious long-term side effects from their treatment.
“We’re encouraging people to nominate inspirational youngsters for this year’s Star Awards, so we can recognise more children like Martha.”
More children and young people are surviving cancer than ever before, thanks in large part to the work of Cancer Research UK.
But, the disease still claims the lives of around 510 under 25s in the UK every year.**
Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults – from the types of cancer, to the impact of treatment. That’s why Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People is supporting dedicated research to improve survival and reduce long-term side effects for youngsters like Martha.
For example, Birmingham is home to Cancer Research UK’s Children’s Cancer Trials Team, the only one of its kind in the UK. The team coordinates groundbreaking clinical trials in many centres across the UK, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham. These trials make innovative new treatments available to young cancer patients.
The Star Awards are run in partnership with TK Maxx, the biggest corporate supporter of Cancer Research UK’s work into children’s and young people’s cancers. Since 2004, the retailer has raised over £40m for the charity. Over £37m of this total has supported research to help ensure more children and young people survive cancer with a good quality of life.
This was the scene at the Bracebridge in Sutton Park today. Scores of people queuing at the takeaway, lemming-like, or standing at tables near the pub.
There’s little or no social distancing in a 60 year queue, little evidence of face coverings and everyone appearing to treat it just like another normal Sunday.
This, less than 24 hours after after the latest restrictions were announced, as the virus is rampaging through the south of England and probably on its way to the Midlands before long.
The death toll is now approaching 70,000, more depending on which figures you look at, with hospital intensive care units near capacity and people just don’t seem to care.
It does not bode well for Christmas, whatever the law says, if people are just prepared to flout the rules, and yes, put others in danger.
Drivers in Sutton can be forgiven being afraid of ‘ghosts’, particularly on traffic islands, where confusion often reigns and danger can lurk.
When white road markings are removed, for example when road layouts change, the original lines can sometimes still appear as faint or ‘ghost’ markings, particularly in bright sunshine.
This can make the road ahead unclear for drivers. But, as this new footage shows, huge progress is being made in a trial on the M5 in the South West to eradicate the problem.
Last year Highways England launched a £685,000 international research project to find a solution to issues around the removal of white lines and of ‘ghost markings’.
The competition set out to identify the most effective road markings that will also reduce damage to the surface when the lines are removed.
Seven new products are being tested to check their skid resistance and performance in the dry and wet as well as five systems for removing white lines to see if they are more effective.
Head of Lean and continuous improvement Martin Bolt, who has been overseeing the competition for Highways England, said:
The trial will continue until April but the results so far have been very promising and the safety benefits are already clear. We are very optimistic that we have identified some effective solutions to a worldwide problem.
We know that people find the ghost lines confusing but these new methods could make this issue disappear, creating safer journeys for drivers. They will also prevent damage to the road surface saving time and money.
We have certainly gaining a greater insight into the materials and processes we, and the road industry, could be using in future schemes.
One approach used in the trial has been to apply a black baseline first before adding the white line. This also fills in some of the voids in the road preventing the marking penetrating too deeply into the surface.
Another advantage is that it provides greater contrast between the marking and the road itself which will be increasingly important as autonomous vehicles are introduced.
Products from around the world were submitted for the competition. At a testing centre in the Spanish capital Madrid, the markings were then subjected to some two million ‘wheel overs’ to find the top products for skid resistance and performance.
The best seven were then also put to the test on the northbound carriageway of the M5, between junctions 20 (Clevedon, Nailsea) and 18 (Avonmouth).
Once testing is complete, the most successful products will be highlighted in research shared around the world and setting new high standards for the road industry.
The competition, launched in conjunction with Roadcare and Kier, was funded through Highways England’s Designated Fund for Innovation.
Keith Dawson, managing director of Roadcare, said:
It is refreshing to see such collaboration across a wide range of countries, All competitors should be congratulated for the attitude they have shown throughout this competition in sharing knowledge and best practice, from which we have gained an enormous amount of data based on facts not opinions.
Tom Tideswell, head of innovations at Kier Highways, said:
Ghost markings are confusing to road users which can lead to poor lane discipline through no fault of their own and, in worst case scenarios, cause incidents to occur.
During the trials, the five innovative road markings removal systems demonstrated their capabilities and have since provided very positive results which could lead to eradicating this issue and create safer journeys for road users.
They will also reduce the scarring/pothole creation by being less intrusive to the carriageway which in turn improves journey reliability by reducing the amount of closures required to carry out repairs in addition to saving money.
The stunning view over Freshwater Bay on the western side of the Isle of Wight. Pictures courtesy of Visit Isle of Wight
Bill McCarthy enjoys the delights of the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is host of to one of the largest collections of fossils in Europe and I’m not talking about the ageing relics who flocked there for what was, arguably, the biggest music festival ever in 1970, writes Bill McCarthy
It seems a little incongruous that an island of such relative tranquility could have hosted that Isle of Wight Festival, one of the most famous music events of all time – but a bronze statue of the legendary Jimi Hendrix, who died just weeks after performing there, is a permanent reminder at Freshwater Bay, Dimbola Lodge museum.
After Bob Dylan headlined the 1969 event, the 1970 event is said to have surpassed the numbers attending the legendary Woodstock festival in America, with an estimated 600,000 fans watch over fifty performers were Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who, Ten Years After, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Joni Mitchell, The Moody Blues, Melanie, Donovan, Free, Leonard Cohen, Jethro Tull and Rory Gallagher’s Taste.
The unexpectedly high attendance levels led, in 1971, to Parliament adding a section to the Isle of Wight County Council Act 1971 preventing overnight open-air gatherings of more than 5,000 people on the island without a special licence from the council.
The Hendrix statue at Dimbola Lodge
A form of that festival continues to this day as do other musical gatherings such as the International Jazz Festival and Bestival. But music fans and other visitors can also take advantage of some of the most stunning coastal vistas and inland green beauty that make up the biggest island of England.
Especially in this time of Covid infections, where the island remains a relatively untouched haven, currently in the lowest lockdown tier.
The Island supports the nationwide ‘Good to Go’ initiative by Visit England, a national criteria set to equip you, our valued visitor, with everything you need to know before, during and after you travel to the Isle of Wight.
It would have seemed a long way off back in those days, but travel to the island has now become greener.
Having introduced its new environmentally-friendly ferry Victoria of Wight in 2018, Wightlink has introduced a hybrid energy ship that runs partly on electricity. Victoria of Wight offers greener crossings every hour, using at least 17 per cent less fuel than its sister ships. The Isle of Wight is also the seventh area in the UK to be awarded a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, in June 2019.
The Isle of Wight is ideal for an eco-friendly escape, and with Wightlink visitors can choose to travel by foot, bicycle, or car. For those on foot, Wightlink’s FastCat service takes just 22 minutes and customers can bring their bicycles on board at no extra cost.
For those wanting to bring their eco-friendly electric vehicles to the Island, there are 17 charging stations spread across the Isle of Wight, as well as Wightlink’s own EV charging points at Portsmouth car ferry terminal, Lymington, Fishbourne and Ryde Pier, all part of Wightlink’s Green Agenda.
The island was home to the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, and to Queen Victoria, who built her own residence at Osborne House at East Cowes. It is home to a myriad of wildlife and is one of the richest locations of dinosaur fossils in Europe.
Clockwise from top, funfair at The Needles or seeing them on a boat trip, the garlic farm and the alpaca farm
With its miles of coast it’s no surprise that it is popular with families looking for seaside locations, but it also features picturesque walks and cycleways that offer the tranquility that is often missing in the island’s towns. Initiatives offer a range of fresh air challenges for parents and children to tackle.
Families can set out on foot to find miles of virgin sand, rocky ledges, monster vegetation covering huge expanses of rock pools, flora and fauna rarely found on mainland Britain and even those dinosaur bones and fossils that have been hidden for millions of years. The island is situated between three and five miles from the mainland and is serviced by a number of ferries from various ports.
We travelled from picturesque Lymington to Yarmouth on the western side of the island with Wightlink.
Previously we have travelled from Porstsmouth to Fishbourne, but as we were staying in the quiet, but pretty, Totland Bay, we landed just a couple of miles from our accommodation, the Sentry Mead hotel.
An imposing Victorian house that has been a hotel since the 1930s, the building has 16 individual rooms, the best of which give spectacular views across the Solent.
On top of that the staff are naturally friendly and the hotel offers excellent food in a cosy and relaxed atmosphere. A nice touch is the complimentary coffee that is available from late afternoon onwards.
From the seaside atmosphere of Ryde to miles of mostly unpopulated downland, the island is surprisingly diverse. Try an offbeat trip to the island’s garlic farm. Here you can try all types of garlic and they even offer a garlic beer.
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway takes visitors back to the golden age of steam. Be prepared for queues though, this is a very busy attraction.
For those who love spectacular scenery the imposing Needles rocks are worth seeing, but be prepared for a walk. When the kids have tired with that the Needles theme park virtually next door offers plenty of rides for them to let off steam. The alpaca farm is also worth a visit
So much to do and see. The relics who attended that momentous festival in 1970 probably didn’t know what they were missing.
Sutton residents promised more efficient service with first of new fleet
Residents in Sutton Coldfield have been promised an improved bin collection service as the first of 76 new environmentally-friendly waste and recycling vehicles have started to roll out on the streets.
The vehicles have been supplied to the city council by West Midlands-based Dennis Eagle and represent an £11 million investment into Birmingham’s waste collection service.
Their arrival in the city heralds the start of the rolling replacement of a fleet that was last upgraded in 2014 and will see the remainder of the service’s vehicles refreshed by 2024.
All the new vehicles will be compliant with the city’s Clean Air Zone, which is set to be introduced from June 2021.
Cllr John O’Shea, Cabinet Member for Street Scene and Parks at Birmingham City Council, said: “Our hardworking crews do a great job as part of our effort to keep the streets of Birmingham clean.
“But they need the best tools possible in order to do this – the refresh of our fleet is long-awaited and will help improve the reliability of the collection rounds, reducing our dependency on hire vehicles to shore up the service.
“Just as importantly, these are vehicles made right here in the Midlands. They are cleaner and greener and will improve our wider environmental ambitions related to air quality and carbon emissions.”
Dennis Eagle’s Sales & Marketing Manager Lee Rowland said: “It’s great to be supporting an operator right on our own doorstep, in a place where many of our own staff live.
“This is a very significant order for Birmingham City Council as these vehicles will be much cleaner and more efficient than their existing fleet. They will play a key role following the introduction of a Clean Air Zone next June which will benefit everyone who visits or lives in Birmingham.”
WHEN it comes to combining luxurious comfort with electric performance, BMW has few peers.
But now the firm has taken that electric performance further, literally, with a big push in diverging from the combustion engine alone technology.
Take that technology and add it to one of its most enduring models, the X5, and this plug-in version and you have a vehicle that has literally electric performance together a massive economy and ultra-low CO2 emissions.
In this case the vehicle has a claimed theoreticl economy of a 180-230-odd mpg combined with just 31g/km of CO2, producing big savings on the day to day running of the vehicle, particularly for business users.
BMW claims it can travel up to 54 miles purely on electricity which means on the company car tax scale – for PHEVs now calculated on electric range as well as overall emissions – that its benefit-in-kind rating is just eight per cent.
Of course the mpg is theoretical unless you are driving less than the electric range miles and are charging the car every day and with very little use of the three-litre V6 twin turbo-charged petrol engine. It would seem obvious, however, that drivers would wish to make use of all that pace and power at some point.
The X5 is now in its fourth incarnation and this model has produced a combined system power output of 394bhp, 286bhp augmented by the 112bhp from the battery power.
It feels jet propelled and can hit 60mph in around five-and-a-half seconds and on to a top speed of 146mph. Even in electric only it can hit an impressive 85mph.
The X5 has always been an attractive motor, but in the M Sport mode it really does look the business
The engine is combined with the 82kW lithium-ion extended storage battery to provide the power needed to shift a 2.5 tonne vehicle so quickly and so economically.
It also combines the BMW EfficientDynamics drive family and the super-slick, eight-speed automatic transmission with the latest generation and the intelligent all-wheel on-demand xDrive system.
There are various drive modes, which are selected by buttons near the gear shift, with electric, hybrid, sport and auto adaptive available. Obviously for maximum economy choose electric and for serious fun, choose sport and let rip by using the steering wheel paddles, but for most, the auto mode will select drive mode for the appropriate conditions.
In addition, the vehicle’s smart route navigation can keep electric power in reserve for urban driving later in the journey.
A separate Battery Hold mode and regenerative braking, allows the battery to be fully charged while driving. On top of this, a 69-litre fuel tank also ensures fewer expensive visits to the filling stations.
The X5 has always been an attractive motor, but in the M Sport mode it really does look the business with its slim headlamps, huge, diamond cut alloys and the familiar kidney grille, air scoops and side air vents finished in gloss black.
The interior is pure class, a riot of leather and high end soft touch finish. It is a big car with plenty of head and legroom at the front, although the rear is more limited. It offers a raft of hi-tech, high end bells and whistles that you would expect from a £66,000-odd motor, including head-up display and electrically heated and powered front seats.
The M Sport model also includes a sports steering wheel, specific pedals, driver’s footrest and piping on the seats, plus exclusive interior trim in aluminium. Also included on this model adaptive air suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels.
Central is the 12.3-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash with controls sat nav, infotainment and connectivity and climate control controlled by the now familiar iDrive rotary dial on the central console. Connectivity includes Apple CarPlay, digital radio, enhanced Bluetooth with wireless charging and gesture control.
On the road, the two-axle air suspension and electronically controlled dampers makes for a smooth and controlled ride with sharp, agile handling and a comfortable ride for all passengers, although it became unsettled over larger potholes and bumps.
It remains a practical vehicle and when all seats are used, the storage volume is 500 litres. Fold the rear backrests and a cavernous 1,720 litres is available. A two-section tailgate for ease of loading with optional remote opening and closing.
Safety kit is comprehensive, with full complement of airbags, traction and stability control plus, plus lane change warning, crossing traffic warning, rear-end collision warning and speed limit information.
Another key feature for electric cars is when the vehicle is running at low speeds on electric power, a speaker system emits a distinctive sound generated to alert pedestrians.
At more than £66,000, it’s not cheap, but considering it has a three litre petrol engine on board, running costs are good.
And for that 54 miles range on electricity, it may give serious tax benefits but it was a figure I only got near to with very careful driving.
Factfile
BMW X5 xDrive 45e
Price: £66,665
Mechanical: 394bhp, 2,998, 6cyl petrol engine and electric motor driving four wheels via 8-speed automatic gearbox
The offending four-page newsletter and at the Sutton Park unveiling of the electric bike campaign
Sutton Coldfield deserves better than naked electioneering during pandemic
As the coronavirus held us in its deadly grip this year, I have held my tongue as government and local leaders grappled with the horrendous number of fatalities caused by this terrible disease, writes Bill McCarthy.
But with a figure of approaching 70,000 dead, more, depending on which figures you look at, due mostly to government incompetence and the catastrophic consequences for business and jobs, I can hold my tongue no longer.
Why? Well, just the other day we what I can only describe as a propaganda sheet dropped through the letterbox, extolling mainly the virtues and achievements of West Midlands Mayor Andy Street.
My local the Butler’s Arms, on Lichfield Road, being a classic example of keeping customers safe with ingenious and ground-breaking ideas, at some considerable costs, all for nothing it seems.
This is the mayor who speaks of his contacts with health secretary Matt Hancock, but seems to have little influence. Take the vaccination programme where Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham, our second city let’s not forget, is left off the initial rollout.
He says on a recent Twitter feed: “I expect confirmation this afternoon that vaccinations will begin in Birmingham in the coming days. Disappointing and surprising that the city’s NHS trust wasn’t part of the initial roll-out given its size and record, but I’ve been in contact with Matt Hancock to put that right.”
On an electric bike at Sutton Park and e-scooter in Birmingham
Seems par for the course, just like the cosy phone calls about the tier system and how he was ignored on that score as well.
But back to the four-page sheet called Sutton Coldfield Champion. It goes into great detail about the Conservative mayor’s achievements, together with praising other local Tories, including MP Andrew Mitchell, town council leader Simon Ward and West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner candidate Jay Singh-Sohal.
The fine print tells you it is published on behalf of West Midlands Conservatives. Which is fine except Andy Street is mayor of the West Midlands, not just Sutton Coldfield. So the Sutton Champion angle is a bit disingenuous, don’t you think? Especially when his Twitter feed says he is ‘Conservative Mayor of the best region in the world’.
Looking at ‘achievements’. It’s a bit like Frank Sinatra. He’s had a few, but then again, too few to mention.
It seems to be a case of ‘pressing’ for this, ‘supporting’ that or ‘maintaining’ the other. Hardly a roll of honour is it Andy? Constantly lobbying on our behalf. Well the lobbying is buttering few parsnips as far as Sutton’s hospitality industry is concerned.
I have to admit an interest here as family members work within that sector. Furloughed if they’re lucky, but not sure if they have a job to go back to, or already out of work, with a bleak future ahead of them.
The efforts to keep Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield in tier 2 failed miserably. The lobbying was so low key, it was invisible. Hospitality venues have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep premises Covid-secure. My local, the Butler’s Arms, on Lichfield Road, is a classic example of keeping customers safe with ingenious and ground-breaking ideas, at some considerable costs, all for nothing it seems.
Meanwhile, the mayor is never shy of a picture opportunity, wobbling around on e-scooters, electric bikes or digging yet another hole, while the hospitality sector tanks. Bit like Nero with his fiddle.
He boasts of having the ear of Matt Hancock, well try the organ grinder, the Prime Minister, rather than the monkey, although I doubt he will get much joy there either.
For the record, Sutton Park was the venue for unveiling the new cycle hire scheme which is due to launch across the West Midlands next year.
The operator, Santander Cycles, has been appointed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to offer bikes for hire in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Wolverhampton and Walsall from next Spring.
Contractor Serco will initially provide 1,500 bikes for hire, of which 10 per cent will be ebikes. Serco? Think track and trace. What could possibly go wrong?
You really need fewer picture opportunities and more concrete action Mr Street.
Adam in the garden at St Giles with a picture of him and Sue, who died in march during the lockdown
Husband shares emotional story to support St Giles Hospice after the cared for his dying wife during lockdown
A husband is making a heartfelt appeal for people to support St Giles Hospice after they took such good care of his wife when she died just days into England’s first national Coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
Adam Watkinson had to say his final farewells to his wife Sue and go into self-isolation because of COVID-19, but added that even though he could not be with her, the knowledge that she was so well cared for and did not die in fear was the greatest gift the hospice could give him at such a difficult time.
His appeal comes as St Giles, which has centres in Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield, renews its call for people to support Katie’s Appeal, the charity’s response to COVID-19, at a time when it has been forced to close its shops again and cancel fundraising events, leaving the hospice more reliant than ever on donations from the community.
Adam in the garden at St Giles with ward manager Sharon Meehan
Sue was receiving palliative care as an inpatient at St Giles in Whittington when she called Adam on the morning of Wednesday, 25th March and told him she was struggling to breathe. Adam rushed to her bedside, fearing that she was taking her last breaths, but the nurses helped to reassure Sue and they were able to calm her down.
However, later that morning St Giles Clinical Director, Katie Burbridge, had to tell Adam the devastating news that they suspected she had COVID-19 and that they were waiting for the test results.
Lichfield Diocesan priest Adam said: “At that time – in the height of lockdown – and because I too had possibly been exposed to Coronavirus, I had no choice but to self-isolate for seven days on Government guidance.
“I sat next to Sue, holding her hand. She was wearing a watch that I had bought her just weeks before and I watched the minutes on it ticking down to 12, knowing from that moment on I’d probably never see her again.
“It was such an emotional moment for everyone, but Katie was so helpful and thoughtful. She knelt down next to Sue, held her hand and told her that she would keep her safe. It was a beautiful moment at such a terrible time. Katie’s reassurance was so important to us both.”
Sue, who worked as Matron-in-College at Eton School, was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2018.
During term time she and Adam, who is an Anglican Priest and Chaplain at Charterhouse School, lived apart, but during holidays the couple shared a home in Alrewas with Sue’s son Sam.
“Sue’s end – when it came – was quite beautiful. She passed away on the morning of Sunday, March 29, after a night of restful sleep.
They moved to their new home in July 2019, but only months later Sue fell ill on New Year’s Eve and a scan revealed that her cancer had returned and spread. She began chemotherapy but developed sepsis and was told that the treatment would have to end and that she would receive palliative care.
Sue was admitted to St Giles on Friday 20th March in the hope that her condition could be stabilised enough for her to return home, and Adam spent as much time with her as he could.
Adam added: “Right from day one she was totally reassured that St Giles was the best place for her to be. The nurses started caring for her straight away – no detail was left unchecked and they looked after her so well.
“The food was lovely and Sue was able to enjoy it – it was wonderful to see her regain her appetite and enjoy eating again. Sue loved birds and her room looked out onto the trees. We were allowed to put bird feeders up so she could watch them, which was such a joy.”
Memories of happy holidays together, on a special night out and Sue, during her treatment for cancer
But two days later Adam was told that family visits were being limited to one a day due to the national rise in COVID-19 cases, and further safety measures were then introduced in accordance with Government guidelines.
“The staff were all so wonderful and we looked upon them as family,” he added. “They started to wear protective clothing – but despite that, we could still see their eyes and could see the love and compassion that was there.
“One of the people who cared for Sue was asthmatic and although she could have been vulnerable to COVID-19 herself I watched as she helped my wife. I preach about love and self-sacrifice but at St Giles I was watching it in action every day.
“They showed such professionalism, with humanity and gentleness. When the nation clapped for the NHS and health staff each week I could put real faces to them.”
Adam feels so grateful for the love and care that his wife received and the support that he and Sam have been offered since Sue died that he is sharing his story to support Katie’s Appeal – the fundraising campaign launched in Spring 2020, which has become vitally important again during the latest lockdown.
Adam has told his story in a moving video which accompanies the appeal, named after Katie Burbridge, the hospice’s Clinical Director who pledged to look after Sue during her final days when Adam was unable to visit.
Katie said: “Sue was going to face death without him, but we made sure we were 100 per cent with her and she was never, ever on her own – that’s the promise I made to Adam and that’s the promise we kept as a team.
“We are so indebted to Adam for his kind support and honoured that we were able to offer Sue and Adam comfort at such a heart-breaking time.
“With ongoing CVID-19 restrictions this continues to be an extremely worrying time for everyone, especially our patients and their families who are living with a terminal illness.
“As a hospice we are experiencing a big increase in demand for our care services.
“We are continuing to care for our community’s most vulnerable people which is easing the burden on the NHS and our dedicated care teams are still working 24/7 in our hospices and out in our community.
“We are concerned about the impact the Coronavirus outbreak continues to have on the hospice’s future.
“The fact is that we need to raise £850,000 every single month just to keep our services going. That’s why our message to the community is that we need your help today to ensure that we’re here for you tomorrow.”
Reliving his final moments with Sue, Adam is asking people to help in any way they can. “It’s so important that other families continue to get the care, love and reassurance that Sue and I received,” he said.
“I was devastated when we had to part, but Sue told me not to get too upset and that it would just be like when we went to work at our separate schools. It was a relief to see that she had such acceptance and it helped so much that Katie had promised Sue would be safe.
“Sue’s end – when it came – was quite beautiful. She passed away on the morning of Sunday, March 29, after a night of restful sleep. She could see the birds through the window and one of the nurses who was caring for Sue, noticed a change in her breathing and was holding her hand as she slipped away,” he added.
“The care and support we received as the end approached and the continuing support we have had from St Giles since Sue passed away is very special. They have kept in touch and they genuinely do feel like family to us.
“When we first arrived at St Giles a nurse said that the hospice was about life, not death, and we got a real sense of that. It’s not a place to be feared. There’s a vibrancy, there’s a care and there’s a joy.”
Anyone who would like to make a regular monthly donation or one-off donation to support the work of St Giles to give the hospice a little more certainty in these uncertain times can visit www.stgileshospice.com/katiesappeal
Diggers and bulldozers clearing the ground for the building of a new Lidl store and car park in Mere Green
Diggers and bulldozers have converged on a former industrial site as work has finally got under way on the new Lidl store being built in Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield.
The former contaminated Lucas factory site on Mere Green Road, has been an eyesore for many years, following the factory demolition and the time needed to get rid of the contamination at the site.
This two-acre site is now being developed despite some local objections and plans being sent back to the drawing board during the planning process, before finally being approved. One local councillor described the original Lidl design as looking like a brown and white shed.
It will include the store and a number of parking spaces, finally opening up a site that has been blocked off with blue boarding for more than 10 years.
It offers a budget alternative to the giant Sainsbury’s store opposite, but is sure to create extra traffic and congestion in the busy Mere Green area. However there will be new jobs and a likely boost to the local economy with increased footfall.
The development could be the final piece in the jigsaw in the renaissance of Mere Green. The area been blighted for years with rows of boarded up shops, but that finally gave way to the Mulberry Walk development. Anchored by the Marks & Spencer food hall, the new shops and a number of smart bars, restaurants, coffee shops and a gym, complement the existing shops on Lichfield Road.
Diggers and bulldozers clearing the ground for the building of a new Lidl store and car park in Mere Green
Now groundworks are under way despite dozens of letters of objection received from residents raising a number of concerns including traffic levels and pollution fears.
Four Oaks ward councillor Maureen Cornish was less than impressed with the original plans but now backs the new development.
She said: “The new Lidl development was scrutinised in depth by planning officers and committee, it covers all legal requirements. It’s never possible to please all, however this site was derelict for a number of years and desperately needed to be developed.
“Lidl will provide versatile shopping giving the public more choice, it will increase the footfall and competition between similar stores provides shoppers.”
She added: “Lidl provides reasonable parking for shopping only with a limited time for doing so. This is required to prevent those that park but then walk to the train station, which is unacceptable. Highways will monitor area if congestion becomes a problem but are comfortable with the existing arrangements.”
Sutton Coldfield Life 