Sentinel, The; Stoke-on-Trent (UK)

My Husband of 25 Years [...]

MY husband of 25 years is irritating the hell out of me. He is constantly critical and if I say how much this hurts me, he just says that he is doing it for my own good and to protect me. It is mostly about my friends, some of them I have known since school days and all of them female. He says that I put them first. I do not feel that I do and am always careful that I only make arrangements with them when we - my husband and I - are not doing anything anyway. The things my friends and I do ar...

Couple Crowned Stars of Their Slimming Class ; Ian and Gill Jones Have Been Through Some Tough Times Recently, but the Husband and Wife Team From Clyde Avenue, Biddulph, Are Determined to Face All the Challenges That Life Throws at Them Together, Writes Zita Collinson

Ian Jones, aged 57, and 54-year-old Gill have been married for 35 years. They have two children, a 32-year-old son called Christopher, who is in the RAF, and a daughter, Victoria, aged 28. While Ian works as an IT consultant for the NHS, Gill looks after their three grandchildren at home. After her diagnosis with breast cancer seven years ago, Gill underwent a lumpectomy. Then, when in 2007 she was told she would need an operation on her knee, she began thinking about making some lifestyle ch...

Vineyard Dreams Finally Start to Mature As Gamble Pays Off ; Five Years Ago Karen and Nick Kitchener Decided to Quit the Rat Race to Follow Their Dream of Owning a Vineyard in France. Now They're Starting to Reap the Fruits of Their Labours, Writes Zita Collinson

KAREN Kitchener and her husband Nick had it all. A seven-bedroom home, high-powered careers and the best cars money could buy. But in 2004, along with their then three-year-old son George, the family left Britain to take up the running of a vineyard in the south west of France. As Karen says, the change in their life was dramatic.

Etruria: Bus and Coach Operators [...] ; in Brief

ETRURIA: Bus and coach operators were due to meet today to discuss issues facing the industry. Members of the West Midlands branch of the Confederation of Passenger (CPT) Transport were also due to discuss training needs and regeneration. The meeting was taking place at the headquarters of the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, Festival Park, Etruria.

Pounds 700,000 Con Hit Small Businesses ; Cheats in Leaflet Sponsorship Scam Avoid Jail

THREE men involved in a scam which duped small businesses out of more than Pounds 700,000 have avoided jail. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday the defendants were involved in the running of a number of businesses which purported to be publishers of drug awareness leaflets and booklets for school pupils.

Easier Access to Explore Family Roots

LIBRARY users can now use a new research facility to help them trace their roots. South Cheshire Family History Society has a new base in Crewe Library.

Science Will Be Fun for All

A LIBRARY is holding a science festival with budget activities to keep visitors busy throughout October. Crewe Library, in Prince Albert Street, has lined up a series of talks, workshops and activities with a scientific twist.

Look No Hands: Fund-Raisers Have [...]

LOOK NO HANDS: Fund-raisers have supported a homeless charity by taking part in a sponsored abseil. Arch held the event at Staffordshire University's Mellor Building. Forty volunteers dangled from the 100ft tower in College Road, Shelton, each collecting sponsors to raise cash and boost the charity's profile.

Writers Aim to Inspire

A CHARITY writers' group is to launch its latest book and audio DVD. Where There's A Will There's A Weigh has been written and compiled by members of Rising Brook Writers, a charity which provides creative opportunities for over-50s.

Council's Payouts Approved

BONUSES for top officers were overwhelmingly approved at a behind- closed-doors meeting of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. Of the 56 councillors, only five voted against the move and five others abstained.

Your Stars with Shelley von Strunckel

ARIES: Mar 20-Apr 18 0901 470 0481 The last thing you''re in the mood to do is dwell on situations that rouse unsettling issues or make you feel emotionally vulnerable. Deal with them now and you''ll conquer them before they get out of hand. TAURUS: Apr 19-May 19 0901 470 0482 It''s not that you''ve been avoiding tricky issues. You''ve simply hoped the situations behind these dilemmas might improve. Actually, things will only become more unsettled. Discuss these frankly and openly.

Deadly Situation for Richard

Richard Wilson - Two Feet In The Grave BBC1, 10.45pm FEELING gloomy? Here's a statistic to cheer you up. Nearly 2,000 people die in the UK every day. Death, however, has been sanitised and shut away. Not since the winter of discontent have we enjoyed a public display of unburied bodies.

Gok Wants a Naked Nation

How to Look Good Naked C4, 8pm GOK Wan is back, as usual sharing half his fee with his spectacles. His hope is to encourage the nation's women to embrace their beautiful bodies, something I'm easy with so long as the hoovering gets done. In the first episode, Gok transforms a mother and daughter for the first time. Margaret and Maria, aged 62 and 39, both have such dreadful body confidence they fear they are passing their negative body issues on to Maria's two young daughters. Can Gok, pictur...

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I Foresee Myself Switching This Off

FlashForward Five SHOULD the entire world population black out for two minutes and 17 seconds, there are some things you really wouldn't want to be doing at the time. Riding the Grand National, coming in to land at an airport, or performing an invasive procedure on a cow. On the other hand, if you were watching Cash In The Attic you'd never know you'd been away. The result of the phenomenon happening in Los Angeles was people wandering about on fire, helicopters crashing into buildings and a ...

Switch On

The Choir: Boys Don't Sing Revisited BBC2, 9pm In 2007, choirmaster Gareth Malone took a teaching position at one of the largest all-boy comprehensives in the country. He wanted to prove singing could be a positive and enjoyable activity for boys. When Gareth arrived at the school, singing was a dirty word, but over two terms Gareth battled entrenched attitudes, building up a 100-strong choir from nothing, until they were good enough to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. Now, exactly one year ...

Tunstall: Defendant Jay Kumar Is [...] ; in Brief

TUNSTALL: Defendant Jay Kumar is facing allegations of domestic assault and threats to kill. He was bailed by North Staffordshire magistrates when he appeared before the court yesterday.

Newcastle: Magistrates Have Adjourned the [...] ; in Brief

NEWCASTLE: Magistrates have adjourned the case of Roger Rollitt, aged 42, of Sorrell Gardens, Newcastle, who is accused of breaching a community order for 80 hours' unpaid work. The original order was imposed by North Staffordshire magistrates for an offence of driving a motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs.

Beverley Hot-Shots Still Top of Pile After Demolition Job ; City Traders League

MARTIN Lear and Sam Smith grabbed hat-tricks to keep Beverley top of the Premier Division. The hot-shots were joined on the scoresheet by Matt Smith and Lee Goodwin in an 8-1 demolition of Smithfield, who replied through Lee Jones.

Fourth Win for Lion's Campaign ; Uttoxeter League

RED Lion maintained their unblemished start to the Division One campaign after chalking up their fourth successive win. Danny Heard's double, plus strikes from Wayne Chadwick and Simon Blanchard, helped them to a 4-1 victory over Tean Albion, who replied through Karl Allcock. Cheadle Cricket Club remain second following a Ben Carrinspired win against Uttoxeter Town A. Carr hit a hat-trick in the 4-1 victory, with Dan Jackson also on target. Marchington registered a 2-0 win at Cheadle Town, wh...