8 - 2019 | Chalmers News PR

Move and Play at Coventry Transport Museum

Posted on August 26, 2019August 26, 2019 by admin

HANDS up all those parents for whom the biggest challenge of the school holidays has been wrenching/bribing/threatening (or all three) their kids off their console of choice in favour of some physical activity?

Yep, me too!

Which is why I was keen to try out the new Move and Play exhibition currently debuting at Coventry Transport Museum.

It cleverly brings together some of the play concepts of computer games with movement to create an immersive world of games and challenges for all ages and fitness levels.

Here’s how the fun breaks down into 19 activities. . .

How hard can you kick?

Stand at the starting point and kick the ball toward the speed radar as hard as you dare. The display board will show you the speed of the ball in kilometres per hour.

How accurately can you kick?

Kick the ball from the starting spot to the lighted sector in the goal. Try to hit the sector before it shifts!

Sailing by Shouts

Start the game by turning the crank clockwise. To steer the boat, shout into the horn and expand or reduce the sail with the crank. Every now and then you need to pump the water gathered into the boat.

Team Stomp

Step onto the board and stomp on it. Wait for the starting shot. The more enthusiastically you stomp your feet, the faster the runner will advance in the competition. The more people there are stomping together on the board, the better the result.

Hit the Ball

Place one of the balls over the airflow. Hit the ball with your hand. Try to make the ball fly through as many hoops as possible.

Nostalgic Tennis

Stand on the floor near the edge of the playing area. Hit the ball by moving yourself sideways.

Goalie or Not?

Start the game by stepping on the START text shown on the screen. Stop the balls by moving yourself in their way. The game gets more difficult as you go on!

Circus Game

Join hands with the other players to form as large and round a circle as possible. Working together, try to stop the falling fruits and animals. The clowns on the screen show the movements of your circle. The larger the area of the circle formed by the players, the easier it will be to catch the falling animals and fruit.

Pulse Adventure

Put your fingers on the round discs and steer the red blood cell through the blood vessels using your own heart rate to move it up and down. You can raise your heart rate by moving and lower it by calming down.

Disco Donut

Roll the wheelchair to the centre of the dance floor. Always move to the lighted area of the dance floor. Keep up the speed and have fun!

Tightrope Walking

Take off your shoes and try walking along the tightrope, from one end to the other!

Skip the Rope!

Start the skipping rope and try the classic outdoor game. How long can you jump without errors?

Precision Throw

Throw a bean bag into the illuminated holes to put out all the lights.

Hula Hoop

Put the hula hoop around your waist and try to keep it up by moving your body. There are three different hoops: easy, regular and difficult.

You’re on Thermal Camera

Examine what you look like on a thermal imaging camera. Different colours correspond to different temperatures. How can you change the temperature of your skin?

Group Scales

Get on the scales and see which animal your total weight corresponds to!

Your Dimensions

Stand against the wall and move the handles on the scale. Compare the measurements and dimensions of your body with those of a friend.

Football on the Bench

Place the ball in the centre circle. By sitting on the seat you create a jet of air. Steer the ball with repeated air gets towards the opponent’s goal. Defend your own goal!

My ‘Movers and Players’ were all young teenagers for whom it is becoming increasingly hard to capture their interest or imaginations. But Move and Play manages to do just that.

The combination of determination, strength and concentration – as well as team play – unearth the impact of movement on their bodies and put their senses to the test. And it’s all disguised as good old-fashioned fun.

This exhibition is an added bonus to the current museum offering which houses the largest publicly-owned collection of British vehicles in the world

Unique galleries are home to, among other things, the fastest cars in the world and memorable vehicles from the last 200 years. Plus, for a small extra charge, there’s the chance to break the World Landspeed Record by taking a 4D simulator ride in the fastest car in the world

Previously free to visit, the museum has now introduced admission charges. But your tickets will allow you to revisit as many times as you like for the next 12 month so still represent excellent value. And even more so at the moment with the current Move and Play exhibition which runs until November

Let them burn off some steam in the safe knowledge that you can still make them a promise they’ll be playing with computers. It worked for me!

More information at: www.transport-museum.com/events/1414/move_and_play

Light up your lives with Dragon Slayer

Posted on August 22, 2019August 22, 2019 by admin

THERE’S a battle playing out between man and beast every night in Warwick these days. . . and it’s attracting quite an audience.

Dragon Slayer has returned to the castle after its success entertaining the crowds last year. And this time its even more spectacular.

The two-part show tells the story of Guy of Warwick in 14 twilight performances, including equestrian stunts, fire-jousting, a torchlit procession and a literally dazzling confrontation between warrior Guy of Warwick and his nemesis – the dragon.

After the 45-minutes the audience is encouraged to make its way across the bridge into the Castle’s historic courtyard where a stunning finale soon unfolds.

Here the castle walls become a 31-metre-by 80-metre blank canvas for a light projection and pyrotechnics show the likes of which I have not seen surpassed anywhere else.

Using 150,000 lumens of lights, 500 house lightbulbs and even more fiery elements to this year’s show, the castle is ingeniously transformed into a thrilling stage of light and sound to bring this legendary tale to a thrilling conclusion.

The Dragon Slayer spectacle is one not to be missed, even if only for its stunning finale, which has this year been extended due to popular demand.

If you’re a regular to the castle, as I am, this is a wonderful opportunity to see it in a very different light.

For the ultimate experience, Show and Banquet tickets start from £75 per person, including fast-track entry, car parking, three-course banquet with unlimited soft drinks and two servings of alcoholic drinks, exclusive entertainment during the banquet, and a ticket to Dragon Slayer. Show and Hog Roast tickets start from £30 per person including fast-track entry, car parking, hog roast (vegetarian alternative available) and one drink, in addition to entry to Dragon Slayer. Show Only tickets start from £20 per person with complimentary car parking. Bookings must be made online in advance and are subject to availability. And for those with show only tickets there’s a selection of good food options courtesy of Digbeth Dining.

And talking of availability, you’ll need to act fast as the dragon’s final outing is next Monday (August 26^th). Further information at: www.warwick-castle.com

Win a car and support Molly Olly’s Wishes at Food Festival

Posted on August 20, 2019August 22, 2019 by admin

FOOD lovers are in for a tasty treat at this year’s Stratford’s food festival where a new car is just one of the things on the menu.

The Town Centre Food Festival, organised by Stratforward Business Improvement District (BID) and sponsored by Loxleys Restaurant and Wine Bar, returns on 21st and 22nd September and features a veritable feast of culinary delights on High Street, Henley Street and Bridge Street.

There’s plenty to get your teeth into from learning top tips at the demo theatre to sampling the live music around town; browsing the bustling 120-stall food market; getting hands-on at the free workshops in Bell Court; or exploring the town’s restaurants, cafes and pubs on the Food & Ale trails.

There’s even the chance to win a brand new Citroen for a year, as part of a raffle being held in aid of local children’s charity Molly Olly’s Wishes, courtesy of the festival’s sponsor Loxleys which has donated the impressive prize.

The Win a Car raffle will be one of the highlights of this year’s event, which champions local food and drink in Stratford-upon-Avon.

This year the cookery demo theatre, which entertains and educates with free cookery and drinks demonstrations, will be held at Bridge Street in an effort to reduce road closure disruption.

There is a ‘farm to fork’ demonstration where Loxleys chefs will take food lovers on a journey of one of the restaurant’s much-loved dishes, teaming up with Adam Lucock from local business Barry the Butcher, who supplies Loxleys, as well as the local famer who supplies him. Free workshops include a kids’ pizza master class, wine tasting and scone perfection lessons.

The taste trails will once again provide festival-goers with the opportunity to sample some of Stratford’s finest eateries for just £5, at venues such as Carluccio’s, El Greco, White Swan, Veeno and many more. Vote for your favourite taste trail experience and you could win a meal for two.

Back by popular demand, the ale trail returns to help people wash down the tasty morsels with a souvenir 1/3 pint ale trail glass and at least seven 1/3 pint samples at different venues.

Family-run restaurant Loxleys, which is based in the heart of Stratford on Sheep Street, is sponsoring the festival for the fourth year and this year has added the raffle to its contribution to the event.

For just £2 a ticket, participants will be in with a chance of winning the use of a brand new Citroen C3 for a whole year, with all proceeds from the raffle being donated to Molly Olly’s Wishes, which supports children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses and their families, granting individual wishes and donating therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.

Those hungry for more will be delighted to learn that this year’s food festival isn’t the end of the eatery experience for the town. Restaurants and cafes will also be hosting two weeks of special food offers and events from 4th-20th October as part of Stratford-upon-Avon Feasts where people can enjoy special menus, tantalising tasting and gastronomic adventures.

Stratforward Marketing and Events manager Tor Wilkes said: “A massive thank you has to go out to the 420 Stratford town centre businesses who fund this festival and provide the chance for everyone to see that Stratford’s food and drink industry is a recipe for success.”

Jonathan Lea, General Manager at Loxleys, said: “As a local, independent restaurant in the heart of Stratford, we love getting involved in the Town Centre Food Festival. It’s a great way of showing people from across the region exactly what we and all the other food and drink businesses in the town and surrounding areas can do.

“We’ve sponsored the festival for four years now and this year we really wanted to up the ante so came up with the idea for the raffle. This way we’re not just contributing to a great local event, but giving something back to help a local charity that does so much to help others.

Since 2012, Molly Olly’s Wishes has helped more than 1,500 children from new-born up to age 18 by granting individual wishes, from funding equipment to help a child live day to day with their condition, an alternative therapy treatment to complement traditional medicine, or even a special occasion or day out.

Rachel Ollerenshaw, trustee at Molly Olly’s Wishes said “We are extremely grateful to everyone at Loxley’s for their support. As a charity we have received an increased level of requests this year and the help is vital in ensuring that we can make a very real difference to children facing very challenging circumstances. It is great to be a part of the Food Festival and we would like to thank Loxley’s and all the businesses who are getting involved selling tickets.”

Loxleys will be selling tickets for the raffle from the Sheep Street restaurant in the run-up to the festival as well as at the event itself, when the car will be parked by its stand on Bridge Street, giving people the chance to see it for themselves.

To find out more about Molly Olly’s Wishes, or to donate, visit: www.mollyolly.co.uk

Remembering Matt and reflecting on my own life path

Posted on August 18, 2019August 18, 2019 by admin

IN 2014, having recently taken over as editor at The Stratford-upon-Avon Herald, I identified the need for a restructure and decided to cast the net out for a News Editor.

I was strongly encouraged by a senior colleague who had worked with Matt Bates, to give him a shot at interview.

‘Encouragement’ was needed only because, on paper, Matt was not the obvious fit. He had only four years’ experience on a news desk.

When interview day arrived in walked this unassuming slip of a lad with a beaming smile and brimming over with enthusiasm, but just the right amount of nervous energy to demonstrate his desire to land the job. He was clearly hungry for this opportunity and, over the course of the next hour and a half, he proved it to me. I was left in no doubt about this candidate’s desire – and importantly – ability – to do the job. If he just managed the team by example alone, I reasoned, that would be enough to gain their respect.

In 30 years as a journalist – around 10 of those involved in recruitment – Matt stands out as one of that rarest of breeds – a true journo whose instinct and nose for news had no off switch. His appetite for a good story was voracious.

He threw creative ideas down on the table that no one who had been in a profession for just four years had the right to know. An understanding of how to find – and treat – a story was second nature to him. He showed empathy, curiosity or tenacity as the situation demanded and it was a pleasure to see his efforts – and results – play out day after day.

An affable nature also made him both approachable to interviewees and a quick hit with the news team. I was soon at ease with my leap of faith in making this appointment. This was a star waiting to shine its brightest. . . Unfortunately fate had other ideas.

Although at The Herald for just a few weeks, the impression he left is a lasting one. This raw talent was emerging – before being cruelly snatched away from the industry. Matt never gave up showing stoicism in the face of this horrendous disease – recognising the same resilient qualities he’d demonstrated daily in his job. Sadly though, in October 2016, he was taken from us.

Surreal then that some five years on, I find Matt filling my thoughts again. Last week I met his mum Louise for the first time, in my new public relations capacity. – I left newspapers in November last year to launch my new business and it’s brought me back in touch with The Bates family to promote Louise’s new book, Letters To Matthew: Life After Loss. Bitter sweet of course. While it’s lovely to get to know this wonderful lady (who we’d heard so much about in the office), one wished it could have been under happier circumstances.

The heartfelt collection of letters she wrote to Matt during the year after his death was launched on what would have been Matt’s 30^th birthday this month, and also includes inspirational quotes and insights into her journey of self-discovery.

Its contents brought a tear to my eye – but it is Louise’s hope that the book will leave a positive impact on those struggling to navigate their way through the pain of grief. It can be purchased here

And times like this leave us reflecting on our own life’s journey. In 2014 a bright young talent walks into my office and makes me excited for his future. Just five years on he is no longer with us, while my own future has also taken a very different turn. I no longer work on newspapers and am enjoying success with www.chalmersnewspr.co.uk – meeting a host of inspirational business people, many of whom are also pursuing their dreams of a new start. None of this could have been predicted.

It’s also poignant occasions such as my recent meeting with Louise that reinforce the brevity of our time – and potential – in this life.

Matthew Bates — Matt at Warwick Hospital just eight days before he died.

It has been surreal to be referring to Matt in the past tense, let alone writing a press release about a book following his death. But I’m also proud to have been the one selected to do it.

Just like Matt, journalism will always be a part of what defines me. Three decades of my life in an industry I loved and grew up with, brings me no regrets. But, for a variety of reasons, the time was right to make a break. I am proud (and relieved) to report that I have not looked back – not for one solitary second.

Life is too short to put up with stress and/or unfulfillment and I have never felt so much respect for the entrepreneurs – and charity leaders – such as those I now work with.

What would Matt have made of me turning my back on the industry he adored as much as I did? I didn’t know him that well, but I like to think he’d understand.

Read Matt’s story here

Mum publishes book of heartfelt letters to son after he died

Posted on August 16, 2019August 18, 2019 by admin

A WARWICKSHIRE mum who lost her son to a rare kidney cancer has released a collection of heartfelt letters she penned in the months after his death, in a poignant new book.

Letters To Matthew: Life After Loss was launched this month on what would have marked Matthew Bates’ 30^th birthday.

The talented young journalist, who had recently graduated from Brighton University, was diagnosed with Type 2 Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma in 2014, an extremely rare and aggressive tumour that affects only five per cent of kidney cancer sufferers.

But it was more than two years before the severity of the condition became known.

Mum Louise, 60, from Leamington, said: “I noticed when he came home from university he used to drink gallons of squash. I thought this isn’t right and he should go and see the doctor but he didn’t really have any other symptoms and, what with one thing and another, it was a couple of years before he actually went.

“He started going to see his local GP about three years later complaining about fatigue, weight loss, back pain and night sweats and even blood in his urine. They only tested him for diabetes and they put it down to a kidney infection and gave him antibiotics. We have since found out that blood in the urine can be a symptom of kidney cancer.

“In the end he went back to the doctors as he was losing weight and had a persistent cough. They finally ran some blood tests which flagged up something was wrong. He was immediately admitted to hospital where they ran a series of tests and a scan showed a large mass on his kidney.”

“We were in complete shock. The bottom of our world just fell out. But then a survival mechanism kicks in. It still feels unbelievable today that this happened to our family.

“When he was told, the consultant came in and held his hand. I knew this was going to be bad news. But we were given hope. We were told that he could survive with one kidney and an operation to remove it could be the cure.

“When the consultant left the room Matthew was shaking. You could feel the shock through him. For half an hour we just held each other and we both cried.”

June 2016 on one of the regular visits to the Christie Hospital in Manchester where he was undergoing experimental Nivolumab treatment.

Matt underwent surgery to remove his kidney and there was good news for the family when a scan a few weeks later revealed no evidence that the cancer had spread.

“Once his kidney was removed and he was on his new healthy eating plan, you could see him slowly getting stronger and stronger,” Louise said. Then the scan came out clear and we thought, that’s it. It’s over.”

But a further scan told a different story and, as the family tried to come to terms with the latest blow to their hopes, Matt was accepted on a new trial immunotherapy drug at The Christie Hospital in Manchester, Europe’s largest cancer centre. Unfortunately, his body did not respond to the treatment.

In a second trial, he was put on another targeted drug therapy, Nivolumab.

Louise said: “He responded to that and his soft tissue tumours were shrinking rapidly and some of them had even disappeared. But at that point we didn’t know he also had a tumour on his spine.”

Cannabis oil

Desperate to seek a solution for her son, Louise, who runs a complementary therapy business, managed to source illegal cannabis oil, which, she learned, had showed positive effects for other cancer sufferers.

“I had read an article about a 14-year-old boy who had cancer. He was in a hospice with days to live and his mum started giving his cannabis oil and he started getting better. He got so well he had to leave the hospice and then over time his cancer was cured. She is quite a high profile person now in trying to legalise cannabis.

“Matthew took it for three weeks and it helped him sleep and boosted his appetite but he didn’t like how it made him feel. He was worried that if the hospital picked up drugs in his blood they would refuse him treatment so he wanted to come off it. I was always guided by him.”

“We thought he was doing really well, he was starting to feel better in himself, he was getting his appetite back and then he woke up on Bank Holiday Monday August 2016 and said: ‘Mum, my legs feel really wobbly and I can’t pee.’ So he phoned up the Christie’s 24-hour hotline and a five minutes later he had an ambulance outside the door. They recognised the symptoms of spinal compression from what he’d told them and he was whisked into Warwick Hospital. A scan showed the spinal tumour was getting bigger. We were just devastated.”

It was at this stage the disease really started to take hold and a subsequent operation on Matt’s spine led to a series of complications which left him paralysed and suffering from a severe infection.

Louise said: “I remember driving home from the hospital after the surgery a few weeks before he died and I am screaming at the top of my voice and banging the steering wheel. I think that was the moment when I finally realised I couldn’t control this. I couldn’t stop it.”

A makeshift hospital ward was set up at home but it was to be only two weeks before he returned to hospital after water developed in his lungs.

Louise said: “They took him in and he never came home again.

“But Matthew was so accepting of it all. He was in such a good place. When the doctors said to him 10 days before he died: ‘You’re not responding to the antibiotics and the cancer’s getting worse. There’s nothing else we can do for you now, we’re just looking at end of life care,’ he was just thanking them for everything they’d done. I thought, how can you be so calm? He was incredible. I don’t know how he did it.

Bedside wedding

“On his last night in Myton Hospice we witnessed his bedside wedding to his girlfriend of nine years. The hospice team were amazing. They made a sanctuary and put flowers everywhere. It looked beautiful. It was wonderful to see Matthew’s face. I’m so happy he got his last wish.

“I stayed with him that night. I stayed awake and I held him all night. It turned out to be his last night.”

Matt was passionate about music and wrote and recorded two CDs.

A keen sportsman, Matt played football for Norton Lindsey and Central Ajax, as well as proving to be a talented golfer and cricketer – playing for Stoneleigh Cricket Club and even being trialled for Warwickshire.

But when he became too ill to play it was his passion for music that had given him a new focus. He would spend hours in his dad Bill’s recording studio – a converted shed – in the back garden – learning to write and record his own songs. This resulted in two CDs, the second of which was released just a few days before he died, in October 2016.

It was very soon after Matt’s death that Louise sought solace penning letters to her son.

“Afterwards I didn’t know what to do with myself and I started journaling as a form of therapy and getting my emotions out of my head.

“One day I was peeling the vegetables and all of a sudden I was surrounded by this energy of Matthew and it was like he was there with me. It was the weirdest feeling, like he was giving me a virtual hug and saying he liked my letters. And I got a picture of a book in my head. It’s as if Matthew was saying this needs to be a book Mum.”

In Letters To Matthew: Life After Loss Louise also shares with readers inspirational quotes and insights into her journey of self-discovery’ It also includes heartfelt tributes from Matt’s father Bill, 61, and sister Sarah, 33.

Both a book and Kindle edition are available to buy on Amazon here

The Bates family during happier times in Mallorca 2013.

Louise’s blog, which complements the book, can be found at: www.letterstomatthew.co.uk

Louise said: “My wish is that my book helps people talk about grief in a much more comfortable way without all the awkwardness that comes with it. I want people to be okay about grief. I want to help other people understand what grief is. There’s also tips in the book about what to say and how to be. And hopefully, by reading the letters and sharing my experience of what it was like for me, it might help them in the future.

“This book is not about fixing people or forcing the healing process because, as the book explains, there is no cure for grief. Grief can only be absorbed, carried, experienced and cared for.

“You never get over loss, you just learn to grow around it and move on in a positive way. I’m still just taking it a day at a time.”

Read Amanda Chalmers’ blog here