Opinion

North Herefordshire MP Ellie Chowns

Column by North Herefordshire MP Ellie Chowns

Sean Jones & Joe Sleigh: Mickey and Eddie

I'm not a musical fanatic - but Blood Brothers left me enthralled

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: A sea of flat caps, bowlers, and bonnets fills the centre of Ludlow as a massive crowd gathers outside the historic Buttercross to welcome newlywed Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles on June 6, 1922. The photograph, published in David Evans’s book Dawdling in the Dale, captures the town’s jubilant celebrations framed by the landmark Bodenhams drapery store in the background.

NHS praise, wind farms – your letters and Ludlow’s royal visit in 1922

Prime Minister Andy Burnham

Journalism is a vital part of our national infrastructure Prime Minister Andy Burnham

Mayor Mayor of London Sadiq Khan marking the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street

Mark Andrews: Bank job cuts, bike perils, and yobs on the buses Mark Andrews

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Lovebirds Angela Lloyd and Wayne Boycott gave their big day a spine-chilling twist when they tied the knot in full fancy dress on Halloween. The Burntwood couple traded traditional wedding attire for ghoulish makeup and macabre outfits as they signed the register back on October 31, 2017. Friends and family also got into the spooky spirit, joining the bride and groom in full costume for the hauntingly unique ceremony.

Letters: Halloween meets Christmas, plus a spooky wedding picture

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Office staff at Alveley Colliery took a well-earned break in the summer sunshine when they gathered outside the pithead for this group snapshot back in 1948. The 11-strong team, captured smiling on the colliery grounds, traded their paperwork and ledgers for a brief pause in front of the lens. Pictured in the back row are (from left) Tom Cadwallader, Olive Link, Dennis Bache, Doreen Giles, Ted Warrington, and possibly Joan Childs. Taking a seat at the front are (from left) Harold Powell, Wilbur Lloyd, Marie Price (née Robinson), Denise Davies, and Keith Holford.

Political debate and EU ties – your letters, plus colliery memories

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: In 1990, sixth-formers at the Royal Wolverhampton School gave their charity appeal a supersonic boost by pitting their strength against a Jaguar jet. More than 20 pupils joined forces to haul the aircraft 500 yards across the tarmac at RAF Cosford in a strongman stunt. The sponsored challenge was the latest in a series of events being held as part of the teenagers’ annual Lenten Appeal.

Your letters on Halloween and e-bikes, plus pupils take on a jet

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Prime Minister Tony Blair chats with Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto as world leaders take a stroll down the stone steps at Weston Park on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border in 1998. The distinguished group gathering for the G8 retreat included US President Bill Clinton, French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and Russia’s Boris Yeltsin.

Letters: Nato and High Streets, plus world leaders at Weston Park

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: The Mayor of the French town of Thiers, Mr Maurice Adevah-Pœuf (left), joins Bridgnorth Mayor Councillor Mike McCarthy to display the official scrolls marking the twinning of their two towns on October 1, 1978. A large crowd gathered in Bridgnorth's High Street to celebrate the civic ceremony cementing the international partnership. Were you among the crowds on the High Street that day, or have you ever taken part in a Bridgnorth-Thiers twinning exchange?

River dredging, wildlife, EU debate and Bridgnorth twinning in 1978

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Members of England’s 1966 World Cup squad - Peter Thompson, Ron Flowers, Martin Peters, and Bobby Charlton, weave through slalom poles with footballs during an intensive training session at Lilleshall Hall in Shropshire. The national sports centre served as the quiet, secluded base where manager Sir Alf Ramsey put his squad through their paces ahead of their historic World Cup victory later that summer.

Readers’ views on the 1970s and Thatcher, plus England’s 1966 heroes

Bussy McBus Face, anyone?

Mark Andrews: Tenants with mould, a new bus logo, and local identity Mark Andrews

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: England manager Walter Winterbottom (right) shares a quiet moment in conversation with Wolverhampton Wanderers inside-right Peter Broadbent during an international squad gathering in 1960. The pair were pictured at Lilleshall, the national sports centre on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border that served as the primary training base for the England national team for many years. Do you remember Peter Broadbent playing during Wolves' golden era, or visiting Lilleshall Hall during its years as an elite sporting hub? We’ll have another Lilleshall picture on Monday.

Fire stations, Crooked House and a football legend in 1960

Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn

Column by Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn

T-Level students at Sandwell College, with Lisa Capper, right

'T-Levels are vital if we are to power progress through skills' By The Newsroom

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: A barber wearing a protective visor works on a client wearing a face mask inside a Bridgnorth barbershop as coronavirus lockdown restrictions eased across England in July 2020. After months of closure, the summer respite allowed locals to finally replace questionable home DIY haircuts with a professional trim. Did you queue up for a professional haircut as soon as barbers reopened, or did you stick with a lockdown DIY trim?

Letters: Loneliness, school trips and a 2020 barbershop scene

Prisoners celebrating their early release

Mark Andrews: Solve jail crisis and boat crossings in one fell swoop
Mark Andrews takes a wry look at the week’s news
Mark Andrews

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Dora Mayall slices a loaf of homemade bread at Lea Hall in Harmer Hill, captured in a photograph published on July 23, 1960. Married to local farmer Sam Mayall, Dora baked her own loaves using wheat grown right on their farm—a true picture of self-sufficiency and natural living long before it became a modern trend. Do you or your family bake your own bread using traditional methods, or does this slice of 1960s farm life bring back fond memories?

Letters: EU U-turn, loud music and loneliness, plus 1960s farm life

The cast of The Choir of Man on stage

The Choir of Man brings joy to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre - review

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Former classmates gathered at Idsall School in Shifnal in 2020 for a memorable school reunion. Event organisers Dr Anne Woolridge (née Baston) from Albrighton (far left) and Nick Billingham from Shifnal (far right) led the group as the old friends reconnected and caught up on their lives since leaving school. Were you part of the Class of '78 at Idsall School, or do you recognise any familiar faces in the crowd?

Your letters: EU, Brexit and prisons, plus Shifnal's class of '78

Donald Trump continues to move ever closer to Vladimir Putin

How much more money should UK commit to conflicts we cannot control? Roshan Doug

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: The Mayor of the French town of Thiers, Mr Maurice Adevah-Pœuf (left), and Bridgnorth Mayor Councillor Mike McCarthy pose proudly in Bridgnorth High Street on October 1, 1978. The pair held up the official scrolls commemorating the civic ceremony that formally united Bridgnorth and Thiers as twin towns. Were you in the High Street crowd to watch this historic moment in Bridgnorth's history?

Letters: Wildlife, Europe and Strictly, plus a 1978 twinning ceremony

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: This aerial photograph captures the changing skyline of Whitchurch in 1978. Key landmarks of the Shropshire market town stand out clearly across the townscape: the historic St Alkmund's Church dominates the top left, the bustling Smithfield market occupies the top right, and the town's local dairy site is visible in the bottom left. Do you recognise any of your favourite streets or buildings in this 1970s view of the town?

Pensions, transport and the Budget - letters, plus a 1978 aerial view

Member of the Senedd for Gwynedd Malddwyn, Claire Johnson-Wood taking her oath.

Column by Reform UK Senedd Member Claire Johnson Wood

Nigel Hadlow, who was assistant general manager of the Chasewater Light Railway, near Cannock, was sprucing up some old signs ready for the new season when this picture was taken in February, 1978. Old railway signs continue to be in high demand from collectors.

'What's going on with the Royal Mail?' - Your letters

Dorothy Croxton was a cobbler in the village of Penkridge, Staffordshire, and is pictured here at her workshop in May 1970. She took over the job when her husband left the business to work for the council. This image comes from the national archives of the Press Association.

'Was I brainwashed on Brexit?' - Your letters Pictures from the Past

Roshan Doug

'I feel a part of England, but am also tied to Indian roots'

Vicky Turrell

Vicky Turrell: The things we knew before mobile phones
Autumn fairs, a nostalgic Humber ferry crossing and a disappointing garden pumpkin prompt reflections on growing older, changing times and the knowledge that comes with experience
Vicky Turrell

Powys County Council Leader Cllr Jake Berriman - Liberal Democrat - represents Llandrindod North.

Column by Powys Leader Councillor Jake Berriman

An elephant named ‘Five’, aged 13, paints a portrait of Lottie and Adam Smith at the West Midlands Safari Park in a picture from April 2009 . Five arrived at the park as an orphan from South Africa
when she was around six years old and is one of a group of elephants popular with visitors.

'Why Andy Burnham should leave rural life alone' - Your Letters

Nightmare Tenant: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

The King's nightmare tenant, TV executions, and the new Jaguar Mark Andrews

An arrest was made in Aylesbury on Wednesday

Plus Police use of force: easy to criticise from the comfort of an armchair Toby Neal

A Buccaneer bomber making its last journey by transporter from RAF Shawbury to its final resting place at Cosford Museum on January 20, 1993. It came from RAF Lossiemouth and operated from Bahrain during the Gulf War. The journey brought many logistical challenges.

‘Why choose October 7 for pro-Palestinian marches?’ - Your letters

Goalkeeper Bert Williams, pictured at his Shifnal home in 2010 when he was given an MBE in
the Queen's Birthday Honours. He played 381 times for Wolves and had 24 England caps and
is widely rated one of the best keepers England has produced. He died in 2014 aged 93.

'We love our child's school' - Your letters

Kemi Badenoch waves on stage at the Conservative Party conference 2026

I went to the Tory Party conference and was pleasantly surprised

Chaplain of the Fleet Rev. Simon Golding, right, discusses the forthcoming international Military Chiefs of Chaplains conference with US Col. John W Stefero, Command Chaplain for the
United States European Command at the RAF Museum, Cosford in February 2002.

'Zionism belief is not racist' - Your letters

Pop star Meat Loaf is greeted at Stafford railway station by Prince Edward for rehearsals of charity event, the Grand Knockout Tournament at Alton Towers Theme Park. The show featured members of the Royal Family along with celebrities compete on obstacle courses.

‘We were misled on NHS spending’ - Your letters

Plus Billy Wright – Golden memories of a Wolves and England legend

Fire at COD Donnington, Telford. The blaze in a massive stores building was on June 24, 1983, and this picture dates from that day. The fire, believed to be arson, caused damage worth over £150 million. Asbestos from the building’s roof went into the atmosphere and landed around the area.

Bumper letters postbag - and two pictures from the past

Deputy First Minister and Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd Senedd Member Sioned Williams

Column by Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd Senedd Member Sioned Williams

Aunt Bessie now looks like Myleene Klass

Mark Andrews: Aunt Bessie's makeover, and PM is right about two things Mark Andrews

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Member of Parliament Andrew Bonar Law in conversation with General MacKinnon during a visit to Shrewsbury School in January 1915. Standing directly behind Law is E T Page, former master at Charterhouse School. Following this visit, Bonar Law joined the wartime coalition cabinet in May 1915 and later served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1922 to May 1923.

Letters: Pension debate, and Bonar Law pictured at Shrewsbury School

Prisons are near capacity

Rough justice as our cells fill up and inmates are let free Roshan Doug

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: A major road project takes shape as construction gets underway on the new Midlands Expressway, later known as the M6 Toll. The privately funded £485 million road was built to relieve congestion on the M6 and opened to traffic in January 2004. The project attracted criticism from environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth, over its impact on the local landscape, while campaigners also questioned the decision to use traditional toll booths rather than electronic payment systems. Do you remember the M6 Toll being built – and what did you think of the new road when it opened?

Your letters: Proms debate, royal security and memories of the M6 Toll

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Members of 3rd Wombourne Methodist Scout Group launch their new "Squirrels" section for 4 and 5-year-olds. Front to back: Finley (5), Ayanna (5), George (5), and Ben (4), with Scout Leader Tania Timmins. Back (L-R): Henry Cleaver (Scout Leader) and Darryl Poultney (Group Scout Leader & District Commissioner). The group is currently seeking additional volunteers so they can welcome even more young members.

Letters: Road safety concerns and Squirrels memories from the archive

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Miller Chris Narburgh carries a heavy sack across the cobbled courtyard at Milford Mill, near Baschurch, on January 11, 1961. He is pictured beneath the timber supports of an old archway, with winter sunlight casting long shadows across the courtyard and surrounding brick buildings. The picture offers a glimpse of working life at the mill, where traditional milling was still part of the rural landscape of Shropshire in the early 1960s. Do you remember seeing Milford Mill in operation or visiting the area around Baschurch in the 1960s? What other traditional mills or country trades bring back memories?

Your letters: Migrant returns, tax and a look back at Milford Mill

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Eager runners surge forward beneath a soaring canopy of multi-coloured smoke as the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) Colour Chaos run gets underway at RAF Cosford in 2018. Participants of all ages, clad in white t-shirts, dash across the airfield grass as clouds of blue, yellow, and pink powder launch into the air. Organised to raise vital funds for service personnel, veterans, and their families, the charity fun run transformed the historic airfield into a spectacle of vivid colour, energetic enthusiasm, and community spirit. Did you or anyone in your family take part in the Colour Chaos run or other charity events at RAF Cosford?

Readers have their say - plus a colourful RAF Cosford memory

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Spectators scurry away from the water's edge as a dramatic wave from the Severn Bore crashes over the riverbank at Stonebench in Gloucestershire in 1953. Known as one of the most popular vantage points along the river, Stonebench offers a front-row view of the impressive natural phenomenon, where a heaving wall of water surges upstream during spring tides. Funnelled by the unusual shape of the estuary, the powerful surge often catches onlookers off guard as it sweeps violently past the grassy banks. The dramatic photograph captures a thrilling moment of surprise and retreat as spectators scramble uphill to escape the cold, muddy spray. Have you ever witnessed the incredible power of the Severn Bore in person? Do you remember travelling to watch high spring tides or dramatic natural sights during the 1950s?

From bus fares to school plans: Your views - plus an archive memory

Use of BBC iPlayer is included in TV licence fees (Getty)

Is it time to end the BBC TV licence? Dr Steve McCabe

Powys Chairman Councillor Geoff Morgan

Column by Powys County Council Chairman

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Greeting two young fundraisers and their four-legged companions at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II chats warmly with Rachel Dancer from Telford (centre), and Holly Smith from Sheffield. The dedicated pair completed an extraordinary walk all the way from Balmoral in Scotland to London to raise funds for the Michael Elliott Trust animal sanctuary. Pictured alongside their donkeys, Joshua and Tinker, the young women earned a memorable royal reception following their gruelling cross-country journey. The heartwarming moment captures the spirit of charity endurance and a unique royal encounter outside the palace grounds.

Letters: From moonlit wonder, AI and football - plus a royal welcome

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Memories of Blue School, Ironbridge (c. 1950–1951). Paper party hats, festive bunting, and smiling faces - this nostalgic image captures the pupils of the Blue School on St Luke’s Road during a Christmas gathering over 70 years ago. Shared from the family collection of Peter Fletcher, whose father, Joe Fletcher, was a tireless local organiser for youth sports and clubs in Ironbridge. The photo holds special personal significance as it includes Peter's late sister, Rosemary Fletcher, pictured on the back row in a striped top.

GP struggles, tax changes and memories from an Ironbridge school

Earl Spencer, William, Harry and Charles at Diana’s funeral service

'I sympathise with King Charles – grief is never black and white'

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Captured from high above the River Severn around 2008, an aerial view looks down over Frankwell, showing the Guildhall complex to the right and the new Theatre Severn taking shape on the left. The impressive venue officially opened its doors in March 2009 following a three-year building project, swiftly growing into a cornerstone of the town's night-time leisure economy and arts scene. Nestled along the waterfront near Welsh Bridge, the development transformed the former riverside site into a major contemporary landmark for Shrewsbury. The prospective bird's-eye photo offers a fascinating snapshot of the town's architectural evolution and urban regeneration during the late 2000s.

Letters: Royal revelations, derby day and a changing Shrewsbury

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: Posing proudly alongside a classic wooden scoreboard bearing those legendary magic digits, local snooker player Matthew Davies celebrates the ultimate potting achievement at Shifnal War Memorial Club in 2016. Ever since Steve Davis made history with the first televised maximum back in 1982, reaching a 147 break has been the absolute holy grail for snooker players everywhere. Clearing the table red-by-red and black-by-black is a rare feat at any level, making Matthew's incredible local club milestone a moment of pure potting perfection! Have you ever witnessed a maximum 147 break in person at your local club, or what is your own highest snooker break?

Letters: Burnham, defence, Shifnal's 20mph limit – plus a 147 break

One of six Senedd Members of Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd, Welsh Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds

Column by Jane Dodds, Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd Senedd Member

PICTURE FROM THE ARCHIVE: This fascinating picture takes us back to Spencer’s blacksmith’s shop in the Broadway, Shifnal, although the exact date of the photograph is unknown. The business later moved to Church Street, but the premises pictured here have since been demolished.

Buses, football, security and more: Readers have their say

Local news you can trust

© 2026 Iconic Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved.Terms and Conditions Privacy notice