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Alsters Kelley Solicitors marks 10-year anniversary of Southam office

Posted on April 20, 2026 by admin

Alsters Kelley Solicitors, Southam

One of Coventry and Warwickshire’s leading law firms, Alsters Kelley Solicitors Ltd, held a special event to mark the tenth anniversary of their Southam office last week.

To celebrate the occasion local businesses and clients were invited to join the members and some of the staff last week at their High Street office, the fourth of six Alsters Kelley branches in the region, and which had relocated from Daventry Street.

The event also raised £220 for Galanos House, a care home in Southam for the Armed Forces community, offering residential care as well as nursing, palliative and end-of-life care.

The home is set within grounds designed by the residents themselves, including a memorial garden, a bowling green and a bandstand. The residents’ shared experiences in the Armed Forces create a unique and supportive community.

Alsters Kelley Solicitors, Southam — **Cathy Wahlberg and Julie McGarrigle of Alsters Kelley. Photos by Peter Rowe Photography.**

Alsters Kelley has become one of the largest solicitor’s firms, with offices in Leamington, Coventry, Stratford, Nuneaton and Banbury, employing nearly 100 people.

A Legal 500 firm, it provides a full range of legal services including Family (divorce, finances, children matters), family care (adoption, care proceedings, abductions), private client (wills, powers of attorney, tax and trusts), conveyancing, personal injury, medical negligence, dispute resolution and criminal cases, including motoring offences.

Cathy Wahlberg MD, said: “Reaching ten years in Southam is a milestone we are incredibly proud of. Over the past decade we have built strong relationships within the local community and have seen our business and team grow. This event was our way of saying thank you to everyone who has supported us and we are excited about what the next ten years will bring.”

Longest serving member at Southam and the first employee ten years ago, is Legal Secretary Ella Lee. She said: “I remember my first day at Alsters Kelley like it was yesterday. Being a new office, it was very quiet for the first few months, but as the months passed the clientele started to increase and we became busier, which was great.

Alsters Kelley Solicitors, Southam

“When I started as receptionist my knowledge of the legal profession was minimal but as the years have passed, I have become more confident within the legal sector and I have a better knowledge and understanding of the types of cases required by a solicitor.

“My knowledge and confidence has grown through having supportive, kind and helpful colleagues and a great boss, Corrine Seabourne who supports and guides me where needed. It has been a pleasure and honour to build up the Southam office with Corrine.”

Corrine, Senior Associate, Private Client department, said: “It has been a privilege to see the office develop and expand. I especially enjoy working with the people of Southam and being a prominent part of their community.”

The office is open Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm and can be contacted on 01926 359355. Or visit: HERE.

Hungry for success? Local journalist teams up with client to hold first PR workshop

Posted on April 19, 2026April 19, 2026 by admin

PR and Pies workshop, Fleur de Lys, Chalmers News PR

Award-winning local PR and journalist Amanda Chalmers is teaming up with one of her longstanding clients to host the first in a series of brand new workshops to support small and independent businesses.

PR & Pies, hosted by The Fleur de Lys pub in Lowsonford, is offering the exclusive two-hour workshop with Chalmers News PR, which promises to empower entrepreneurs with valuable PR top tips and strategies to adopt for their own brands.

The intimate session, which is limited to 15 people, includes a short presentation followed by guaranteed one-on-one time with Amanda. She will give valuable insight and guidance that will directly benefit your brand, including essential tips on press release writing, how to get published and how to then capitalise on the exposure.

And, following this, you get to reward yourself with a delicious pie of your choice from the award-winning Fleur de Lys menu, as well as a welcome hot drink.

Since its launch, in Warwick, in 2018, Chalmers News PR has gone on to win a series of national business awards, including being listed among the Top 10 in the ‘Best Business From Home’ category at the recent UK Business Awards.

PR and Pies workshop, Fleur de Lys, Chalmers News PR

She spent 30 years working in the regional press, culminating with a five-year stint in the Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald editor’s chair between, before launching her agency, which specialises in affordable cross-sector PR for small businesses and start-ups as well as charities and not-for-profits.

Amanda worked on newsdesks in and around Warwickshire, including the former Nuneaton Tribune and Rugby Advertiser, and, as deputy editor at The Daventry Express and Buckingham and Winslow Advertiser series before joining the Herald.

She said: “This workshop has been a long time coming and is my response to increasing demand. Working predominantly with small and independent businesses and organisations, I know the dilemma they face when it comes to balancing the importance of PR against the costs involved.

“However, my USP has always been to keep fees affordable to the smaller businesses who most benefit from the extra visibility. And this workshop is the next step in doing just that. For just £25 you will walk away feeling emboldened to start introducing your own PR techniques and learn the essentials for a press release that will get noticed by journalists!

The Fleur de Lys, which sits on the banks of the Stratford Canal, has a rich pie-making history now famous the world over. The Grade II listed pub first began serving pies through the kitchen hatch during the 1950s, drawing crowds from all over the Midlands to sample the finest steak and kidney or chicken and mushroom pies. The pub also went on to supply its pies to chip shops all over the county, becoming a staple treat for many.

But in 1964 the original pie recipe was sold to Avana Meat Products in South Wales, who were subsequently absorbed by Premier Foods.

Determined to keep the pie legacy alive, under the auspices of current landlords Emma and Nick Woodhouse, in 2018 The Lowsonford Pie Company was born, the Fleur de Lys pies continuing tradition and once again becoming sought after – handmade and served from the Fleur De Lys kitchen for both dining in and takeaway.

Fleur de Lys, British Pie Awards

Many of the recipes have gone on to win a raft of national Pie Awards as well as the inn itself being named Pub of the Year in last year’s Coventry and Warwickshire Foodie Awards.

The PR and Pies workshop is a first for both brands and forms part of a series of collaborations by the pub with local businesses.

Emma said: “Having worked with Amanda for the last two years, we have firsthand experience of how invaluable her PR skills and expertise are for small businesses like ours. That old saying about learning how to shout about yourself because no one else will falls on deaf ears as Amanda is always in our corner, always shouting about us and, most importantly, getting heard by media outlets who know and trust her.

“It’s an honour to be hosting this PR & Pies Workshop because we know it’s going to be a business-altering two hours for founders and creatives who are looking to get themselves heard in our noisy modern world. Take it from us: there’s no one better to guide you through the PR process than Amanda.”

To book your place on the workshop, on June 10^th, visit HERE.

Cue the entertainment for charitable cause

Posted on April 17, 2026April 17, 2026 by admin

John Parrott MBE, snooker, Molly Ollys

A Warwick restaurant is racking up a great night of entertainment in aid of a local children’s charity.

The good sports at Warwick Spice, in Smith Street, are hoping to pocket plenty of money for Molly Ollys which supports children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

An Evening With Jon Parrott MBE, will offer visitors the chance to enjoy an exclusive audience with the snooker legend, who returns to the restaurant, on May 12^th, ten years after his first visit.

Parrott came to prominence in the mid to late 1980s, and won both the 1991 World and UK Snooker Championships, making him only the third player to win both championships in the same calendar year. He is now a respected commentator and pundit for the BBC.

John Parrott said: “I can’t believe its 10 years since I last visited Warwick Spice and I’m looking forward to returning shortly after this year’s World Championships in Sheffield.”

“It’s all in aid of a great cause and I’m looking forward to bringing stories back from Sheffield and taking a step back in time whilst enjoying the best food you could wish for.”

The evening starts from 7pm and includes a meet and greet, chance to take photos with John, a signed picture and three-course meal. Plus there’ll be chance to take part in a raffle where prizes include signed items by John Parrott.

Molly Ollys was established in 2011 by Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw, from Warwick, following the death of their eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer.

The charity works to support children with terminal or life-limiting illnesses and their families and help with their emotional wellbeing. As well as providing wishes, they donate therapeutic toys and books to both children directly and to hospitals throughout the UK.

The therapeutic toy lion called Olly The Brave has his own Hickman line and a detachable mane which helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy. These form part of an Olly The Brave pack that has now been handed out to more than 70 hospitals or health centres, along with a set of books from the charity’s exclusive Olly The Brave series.

The charity also works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community, including funding consultants in paediatric palliative medicine and the creation of Magnolia House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, a safe and non-clinical space where medical teams and families can have important discussions.

Rachel said: “A massive thanks to all the team at Warwick Spice for hosting another Molly Ollys fundraising event with snooker legend John Parrott. We’re always grateful for the support that Warwick Spice gives us, with the funds raised being vitally important for our charity as we continue to support children with life-threatening illnesses around the UK.”

The award-winning restaurant, in Smith Street Warwick, has been a firm favourite of diners for more than 25 years.

The carefully selected menu has been specially crafted to offer a wide variety of Indian and Bangladeshi cuisines, including Chef’s Specials. It has also accumulated a host of culinary awards over the years, including most recently, Top 10 Indian Restaurant in UK two years running, in 2017 & 2018.

A spokesperson for Warwick Spice Hosoun Miah, said: ““As a father of three I can imagine what Rachel and Tim went through. The restaurant has supported local charities for the last 23 years. This gives me immense pleasure as we are a local business and we would not exist without the support of the local community. I would urge all locals to come and enjoy these very special evenings.

“We’re very happy for the people of Warwickshire who have the opportunity to see John and have a fantastic fun night!”

More information and tickets for the ‘Evening With John Parrott MBE’ are available HERE.

Tickets are also available on 01926 491736 or 01926 400402 or via: admin@warwickspice.co.uk

Anyone wishing to donate can do so HERE.

Review: The Talented Mr Ripley

Posted on April 14, 2026April 14, 2026 by admin

Step into a world of deception, desire, and deadly ambition.

Tom Ripley is a nobody – until he’s offered an unexpected opportunity: travel to Italy and bring home the wealthy and carefree Dickie Greenleaf. But as Tom is drawn into Dickie’s glittering world of privilege, his obsession takes a dark turn. What begins as an innocent invitation spirals into a web of lies, identity theft. . . and murder.

Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of 1950s Italy, this gripping stage adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley brings Patricia Highsmith’s iconic novel to life in a thrilling new production.

Patricia Highsmith’s iconic tale of charm, deceit and dangerous ambition, arrives at the Belgrade Theatre with a sleek, psychologically charged production that grips from the first moment and refuses to let go.

The production wisely avoids caricature, instead presenting Ripley as a man whose desperation to belong curdles into something far darker. The performance is magnetic – quietly intense one moment, chillingly unpredictable the next. It’s a portrayal that keeps the audience leaning forward, searching for the cracks in his carefully constructed façade.

Opposite him, Dickie Greenleaf is rendered with effortless charisma by Bruce Herbelin-Earle, the kind of golden‑boy allure that makes Ripley’s obsession both believable and inevitable. Their dynamic – part admiration, part envy, part possession – drives the production with a taut, simmering energy.

The staging is elegant in its restraint. Clean lines, clever lighting, and fluid scene transitions evoke Italy’s sun‑drenched coast without ever distracting from the psychological drama. The design team uses shadow and silhouette to powerful effect, underscoring the story’s themes of identity, duplicity, and the masks we wear.

The Talented Mr Ripley at the Belgrade Theatre is a stylish, intelligent, and atmospheric adaptation that honours Highsmith’s original while carving out its own theatrical identity. Anchored by a standout central performance from Ed McVey, this is a gripping exploration of ambition, identity and the seductive pull of reinvention.

Maisie Smith, best known for her Eastenders character, provides solid support as Marge Sherwood.

How far would you go to be someone else?

A darkly compelling triumph for the Belgrade, The Talented Mr Ripley plays until Saturday and tickets are available from the box office HERE or call: 024 7655 3055.

Warwickshire’s award-winning ideas festival returns this summer with homegrown talent at its heart

Posted on April 9, 2026April 9, 2026 by admin

ALSO Festival 2026, Compton Verney — **Long Table Feast at returns to ALSO.**

ALSO Festival announces hundreds more headline speakers and performers for its 13th edition at Compton Verney in Warwickshire, 10-12 July 2026.

One of the Midlands’ most distinctive summer events is back and bigger than ever. ALSO26 – the unique ideas, music, comedy and wellness festival held at the stunning Park Farm – has announced its full lineup for ALSO26.

Now in its 13th year, ALSO has built a devoted following across the Midlands and beyond, blending headline thinkers, live music, comedy, food and outdoor experiences across a single summer weekend in one of the region’s most beautiful settings.

This year’s theme – Oh Fortuna! – explores luck, science and the role of chance in shaping our lives. Leading the speaker programme is bestselling Wolverhampton author Sathnam Sanghera, bringing his new book about the life of George Michael to the stage.

Political historian Sir Anthony Seldon will deliver a live talk on The Brexit Effect, while award-winning neuroscientist Catherine Loveday and broadcaster Claudia Hammond take on The Psychology of The Traitors.

Stratford-upon-Avon’s own BAFTA-winning animator Greg McLeod joins the programme with a fascinating exploration of creativity and the life and death of ideas.

ALSO26 Festival, Compton Verney — **The ALSO stage.**

On the music front, ALSO26 welcomes PVA, one of the UK’s most exciting electronic acts, alongside African music and live electronics collective Afriquoi headlining Saturday night. Other music highlights include:

the genre-defying sounds of Sheep, Dog & Wolf (Daniel McBride)
soaring indie-rock and gritty, emotionally resonant Northern storytelling from one of Britain’s most compelling new guitar bands The Rosadocs
alt-pop songwriting and trip-hop production from Moon Idle
psychedelic street punk desert rock from Bones Ate Arfa
the Brazilian carnival vibes of Tribo
enchanting musical landscapes with One Trick Donkey’s Balkan folk melodies
soulful indie artist Purdy Smith blending catchy melodies with honest storytelling that moves and inspires
DJ masterclass and introduction to DJing from Neon Pumps

ALSO 2026, Compton Verney — **Luke Wright. Photo by Emily Fae.**

Comedy highlights include award-winner Esther Manito, joining Mark Thomas, Robin Ince and Elf Lyons.

Wellness highlights include moonlight wild swimming, paddleboard yoga and sound baths on the Capability Brown lake.

Food remains a centrepiece, with Syrian chef Imad Alarnab hosting a special long table feast, alongside River Cottage’s James Whetlor and other guest chefs. Midlands-based artisan food stalls include Water Buffalo Ice Cream from Napton, Draycote-based Red Banger with their fork-to-field ethos and Crafty Boys from Staffordshire who offer artisan coffees and espresso martinis.

Warwickshire’s own Playbox Theatre – one of the region’s most celebrated youth theatre companies – brings high-energy musical theatre Workshops and evening storytelling to ALSO26, giving local families a chance to see a homegrown favourite in a spectacular new setting.

Family-friendly as ever, ALSO26 features theatre, circus skills, storytelling and dedicated activities for children of all ages. Tickets for ALSO26 as well as all bookable experiences, tastings and workshops are available HERE.