To contact us_

Either e-mail us using talk2us or ring us on 01562 823581 (Answerphone service out of office hours)

Welcome

The Premier Independent political party in Wyre Forest

The Wyre Forest area of north Worcestershire is the home of independent political thought - having been represented in Parliament for two terms (ten years) by the Independent M.P. Dr. Richard Taylor M.B.E.

Representing Wyre Forest people

The party has representatives at Worcestershire County and Wyre Forest District levels as well as Councillors on the Bewdley, Kidderminster and Stourport-on- Severn town councils.

Not just a ‘Single Issue’ party

As is reflected in it’s title, Independent Community and Health Concern is NOT just a ‘single issue’ grouping of independent representatives of the people; taking on-board all manner of local problems (and solving them) and local aspirations (and aiding in their delivery). It grew out of the projected closure of Kidderminster Hospital (to which so many had contributed with fund-raising). This prompted mass protest and street parades and, ultimately, the rejection of the sitting Labour MP - a junior Minister. While I.C.H.C. remains fundamentally concerned with the provision of health facilities and the delivery of all that results in ‘good health’ it is associated with concern for all aspects of a healthy community - education for all ages, support for the disabled and the elderly, transport, arts and entertainment, nature and the environment.

BERCOW actually does his job !

- makes a reasoned, legal decision -

and then ..

“Wallows in the attention -

like a Hippopotamus in a Jacuzzi !”

to quote the Daily Telegraph

Councils

Bewdley Town Council, created 1974, has 13 Town Councillors all of whom are elected for a term of four years. For voting purposes, Bewdley is divided into three Wards which are Bewdley West (4 Councillors) and Bewdley East (4 Councillors) on the west side of the river and Wribbenhall (5 Councillors) on the east side. The Town Council Elections last took place on 22nd May 2014. The next election is due to take place in 2019. Timetable for 2019 meetings not yet available January: 8th   -  Planning 10th - Services 22nd - Events 23rd - Finance 24th  - Town Hall 29th - KEF events planning 30th  - Full Council Tuesday 8th    January   2019 Tuesday 12th  February  2019 Tuesday 12th  March      2019 Meetings will be held in the courtroom of the Coroner's Service, Civic Centre, Stourport-on-Severn, unless otherwise stated

Stourport-on-Severn

Dixon Sheppard   01299 826941 Councillor for Lickhill Ward Janice Sheppard   01299 826941 Councillor for Lickhill Ward Julie Bennett   01299 827773 Councillor for Central Ward Gill Smith   01299 878067 Councillor for Central Ward Nicky Martin   01299 871825 Councillor for North Ward Neil Thomas   01299 871895 Councillor for North Ward Mike Salter   01299 877382 Councillor for Stour and Wilden Ward

Kidderminster

Mary Rayner   01562 748564 Councillor for Broadwaters Peter Young  01562  750529 Councillor for Broadwaters

Bewdley

Linda Candlin  01299 409414 Councillor for Wribbenhall Ward Elizabeth Davies  01299 403053 Councillor for Wribbenhall Ward Calne Edgington-White     01299  400726 Councillor for Bewdley West Ward

Worcestershire

County

Mary Rayner    01562 748564 Councillor for Kidderminster - St Georges and St Oswald

Wyre Forest District

Mary Rayner   01562 748564 Councillor for Broadwaters Nicky Martin   01299 871825 Councillor for  Mitton

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JOIN Health Concern to be part of Health Concern …

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VOTE for one of our Candidates

If you are not going to be in Wyre Forest on polling day (at work or on holiday) or

are not physically able to go to a polling station to vote in person, you can still

vote. Even if you've moved house since the electoral register was drawn up and

have not yet joined the register at your new address, this is how to exercise your

democratic right.

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If you wish to appoint someone else (a proxy) to vote on your behalf _

DOWNLOAD THIS FORM

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If you wish to vote by post _

DOWNLOAD THIS FORM

Simply print the form out, complete the details and send it to _

The Local Electoral Registration Officer.

Finepoint Way,

Kidderminster, DY11 7WF

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Or you can telephone the Worcestershire Hub on

01562 73292

Be a SUPPORTER  …  … 

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ATTEND our bi-monthly meetings and participate in our Social Events.

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Volunteer to deliver our Newsletters (Pulse) in your street, 

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Help with fund-raising,  

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Man the office phones and talk to people (we have machines to do the printing

and paper-folding).

 

Be a CANDIDATE  …  …

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VOLUNTEER to stand for election to represent your area and have the Health

Concern resources behind you

Ring for a ‘Call-Back’

01562 823581

Preparing for the Next Elections

Join Health Concern to become a member of the party. Membership details available from Keith Robertson, our Membership Secretary

Be prepared to Vote - Anyone who has not already registered to vote must do so by midnight on Tuesday 17 April 2018 Register by using this LINK www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

2nd MAY

DISTRICT COUNCIL ELECTIONS (WYRE FOREST)

TOWN COUNCIL ELECTIONS (KIDDERMINSTER, STOURPORT & BEWDLEY)

PARISH COUNCILS

Broome Parish Council, Chaddesley Corbett Parish Council, Churchill and Blakedown Parish Council, Kidderminster Foreign Parish Council, Rock Parish Council, Rushock Parish Council, Stone Parish Council, Upper Arley Parish Council, Wolverley and Cookley Parish Council. ALTHOUGH, IF YOU GO TO THEIR VARIOUS WEBSITES, YOU WOULDN’T KNOW IF THEY’RE AWARE OF THIS, YET.

23rd MAY

THE ‘EUROPEAN ELECTIONS’

FOR MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (MEPs)

THAT’S ALWAYS ASSUMING THAT WE’RE STILL IN THE E.U. BY THEN

National

As her latest negotiating ploy it is understood that Mrs. May will be flying to Brussels and will threaten Barnier with our continued membership of the European Union ! ____________________ Apparently we won’t be getting a 50p coin to spend on the 30th March (to celebrate our departure from the Continent) ! Despite promises to the contrary, the Treasury say “..it will be available following departure” .. when they finally know the date to stamp of the back, presumably ? ____________________ Loath as we are to criticise fellow web-sites (“those in glass houses .. just shouldn’t !”) there are three to which your attention should be drawn - very much on the principle of warning someone walking across a field that they’re about to step in a cow pat ! There’s <Unity News Network> .. run by UKIP’s Scottish Youth leader Carl Pearson and fellow-activist David Clews which, at a time when the ‘wrinklies and crinklies’ are returning to their traditional folds, are pushing the hardline, far- right agenda of Gerard Batten to the young, angry and digitally savvy. No longer the pleasant home of the ‘blue-rinse’ brigade, UKIP is becoming a party to be watched - with caution - for its promotion of an anti-Islamic, far- right, pro-Tommy Robinson agenda. As are <Kipper Central> and <Politicalite.com> “You Have Been Warned!” __________________ As the BBC have written_ “To call Chris Grayling accident prone would be to defy the laws of probability. Put simply, no-one's that unlucky.” What’s befallen the hapless transport secretary ? • His book ban in prisons has been ruled unlawful in the High Court • His part-privatisation of the Probation Service has today (02/03) received a highly critical review by the National Audit Office • He’s been judged to bear the blame for the rail timetable chaos of last summer • He’s supervised the increase in rail season tickets … and now • He’s provoked a law- suit from Eurotunnel for awarding a ferry contract to a ferry company with no ships and ultimately no financial backing. As ‘Sir Humphrey Appleby, GCB, KBE, MVO, MA,’ might have said .. “Some Ministers make mistakes, some have mistakes thrust upon them .. and then, there’s Chris Greyling !”. To cap it all, Downing Street says the prime minister has "full confidence" in her transport secretary. Yeah, just like the country’s got “full confidence” in the Prime Minister ! ____________________ Don’t you just ‘lurve’ a successful advertising campaign ? It often compensates for the paucity of the programmes either side of the commercial break. So the ad. for The Times  newspaper is now the highlight of every evening’s viewing. Populating the House of Commons with animals from the Zoo is a ‘corker’ of an idea .. and the most enjoyable bit ? Must be matching the animal to the politician ! The Old Goat on his hind legs (last legs ?) in front of the Opposition benches must be_ J _ _ _ _ _ C _ _ _ _ _. The Ostrich facing him (burying her head in the sand) must be_ T _ _ _ _ _ M _ _. The grotty, little, bad- tempered, frightened Terrier can only be_ J _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ _. The Rats (leaving a sinking ship) must be_ The T _ _ _ _ A _ _ _ _ _. So, who is the Python, the (Karma) Chameleon, the Vulture, .. etc, etc. ? Like I said, far better than the programmes, any evening. __________________ “What is it ..” as Stephen Fry might be heard spluttering “.. with women and their ‘Lady Bits’ ?” There we all are, quietly muttering into our beards about Brexit and all manner of diatribes and then, all-of- a sudden, .. there they are .. ‘in-your-face’ as it were. Firstly we have Boris’s “other half”, sister Rachel Johnson, stripping off on Sky News (Sky? How common is that ?) .. then we have Dr. Victoria Bateman, that esteemed Cambridge economic historian, (!) stripping off on ‘Today’ (in an attempt to embarrass Jacob R-M ?) .. and just last Friday, perhaps in emulation of their “big sisters” we have topless ‘gels’ running through Parliament Square in protest at climate change. They probably have good cause to protest about the British climate in February; still, the early Spring temperatures will allow their protests to stand out all the more. (16/02) ___________________ Ed: Thought was given in these “#-days” whether to post the above article and we believe, on the balance of probabilities that the ladies (?) in question, having abandoned the high moral ground of reasoned argument on the altar of notoriety, ought not to protest upon hearing whistles and cat-calls. __________________

Local

We live in a Matriarchal Society  but haven’t we always ? Not only is Wyre Forest DC  constituted • 71% women (senior managers) / 29% men, and • 60% women (Corporate leadership roles) / 40% men but • women earn 9% to 14% more than the men. So that’s all the ‘glass ceilings’ shattered then ? “Let’s all go down the pub, lads, and leave ‘em to it?” ____________________ How worrying is this ? When, at the final full council meeting before the spring election, Tory Leader Marcus Hart (a.k.a. ‘Blue Leader’) confirms that Tory councillors • Nick Harris, • Jeffrey Baker, • John Campion & • Steve Williams would be stepping down from the district council at the end of the term ? Is this the Tory Party unravelling ? Never a good thing to do in a weaving town ! So; how worrying is it ? Not worrying at all. ___________________ Apparently our Police & Crime Commissioner, John- Paul Campion, feels that even he cannot do both jobs - of PCC and of District Cllr - properly, at one and the same time. A wise choice. Perhaps others might similarly consider whether it is possible to accomplish their full potential_ • within the PCC office • and at County Council • and at District Council • and on supervising Boards_ all with salaries and allowances to match ? Ah, yes. There is a difference. Women are able to “multi- task” .. or so they tell us. ____________________ J-P C (yes, even more of him) our erstwhile PCC, who has decided that ‘we’ - the residents of Wyre Forest - should pay an additional £20 per year in order to fund 115 additional Police Officers in West Mercia. The problem is that those officers will most likely be deployed to Droitwich and (far-flung) Evesham and we won’t see any additional Coppers patrolling their beats in our towns. Thanks, ‘J-P’. We’re pleased to be told that the rise is “at the right scale” and “at the right time.” ‘Right-On’ .. ‘J-P’. ___________________ Who’s  Simon Payne ? Well, he’s someone with a lower opinion of J-P than some. He’s also Chair of the Warwickshire Police Federation, the force with which West Mercia has an ‘on/off’ relationship - currently in an ‘off’ stage. So “off” in fact, that Simon is asking J-P for an apology for what has been said about “us” (West Mercia) subsidising “them” (Warwickshire). Then surely, if that’s the case, we should be hearing an apology soon for “us” (Wyre Forest) subsidising “them” (Droitwich and Evesham) ? ___________________ Some GOOD NEWS ! • Kidderminster Hospital Consultant Urologist Vincent Koo has a shiny- new state-of-the-art laser and digital camera to help improve the diagnoses and treatment of kidney stones and associated cancers. Our grateful thanks to the ‘Friends’ for stomping-up the cash for the machine. Pity the NHS couldn’t afford to spend £32,000 on us. • Home-Start W.F. The family support group in the Mental Health field have received a National Lottery Community Fund grant which secures their ‘Safe and Strong’ programme  for the next 5 years. Pity the NHS couldn’t afford to spend money on us. • Older-Adult  Mental Health National accreditation has been achieved by this group who support patients through pre-diagnostic counselling and adjustment to a diagnosis of dementia; which award recognises the high quality of care and compassion available to the people of Worcestershire. ___________________ It’s a shame when one’s dirty linen gets washed in public - a phrase and saying with which Adrian and Tim Hardman would no doubt agree. Even worse is when families fall out and things end up in the hands of “Chancery” (as Dickens advised against). Our modern ‘Jarndyce v Jarndyce’ protagonists came to blows before district judge Bosman at Cambridge County Court  the other week (17/01) over a book (worth £127.50 - but sold eventually at auction for just £25) in dispute since 1986. What a festering grudge ! Tim believed that, despite being their mother’s executor, he had not been informed of her demise ‘by her immediate relatives’ and that various of her possessions - and some of his - were removed from her home …. allegedly. Anyway, His Honour, Justice Bosman, ordered Cllr Hardman (that’s Adrian) who is also Worcester County Council’s cabinet member responsible for adult social care and a former leader, pay costs of £60, with the total amount of £187.50 due by January 31. We really ought to draw a veil over these proceedings; after all, as ‘Sly and the family Stone’ used to sing .. “It’s a family affair .. it’s a family affair .. !” _________________

International

The ‘Electoral Regulator’ (and I bet you didn’t know we’d got one of those ?) has just told the major political parties to prepare for the European elections ! And issued 23 pages of guidance ! Apparently we go to the Polls on May 23rd. I wonder what those ‘major’ parties will put in their manifestos (that the public will believe) ? So put that in your diaries .. and smoke it ! ___________________ PLEASE don’t get a puncture in Paris .. the ‘Yellow Vests’ are out on the street (again); this time burning-down a bank and various stores. Apparently “it gives them something to do.” ___________________ 15 mile queues of lorries .. hundreds of travellers milling around train stations .. EuroStar services cancelled .. No, not post-Brexit.    Now.     In France, as trades-unionists strike or “withdraw labour”. Their (reason) excuse ?  They will need more money after Brexit ! ‘VIVE LA DIFFERENCE !’ _____________________ The ‘Pin-Up Boy’ of the Western World seems to have much more than a staple through his navel ! We refer, of course, to the Prime Minister of Canada; Justin Trudeau. Not only has he “lost” his Treasury Board President Jane Philpott who has resigned through no confidence in the government's handling of a corruption inquiry _ "I must abide by my core values, my ethical responsibilities, constitutional obligations." but also his Attorney-General Jody Wilson-Raybould,  who was also Canada's Justice Minister. (Unlike in the UK, the two roles are held by the same person.) She was also Canada's first indigenous justice minister and worked on a number of pieces of landmark legislation including legalising cannabis and assisted dying. So, two prominent women feel they have to leave - and one his ‘token’ Native Canadian’. Doesn’t look good. And the scandal regarding the SNC-Lavalin Corporation - one of the world's largest engineering and construction companies - rumbles on, threatening to take Trudeau with it. The company is currently facing fraud and corruption charges in relation to approximately C$48m ($36m; £28m) in bribes it is alleged to have offered to Libyan officials between 2001 and 2011 (when Muammar Gaddafi was in power.) Remember him ? ___________________ Do people think before they speak any more ? Obviously not - considering the utterances of _ Ireland’s foreign affairs minister, Simon Coveney who, in the manner of a comedian paraphrasing the caricature Irishman said .. “Temporary means temporary - that is, it’s not permanent !” or of _ Canadian Mark Carney (erstwhile Governor of ‘our’ Bank of England) who confessed _ “A ‘No-Deal’ departure from the E.U. will not be anything as severe as was previously predicted !” Isn’t that good to know .. eventually ? _____________________ The EU reveals its true face as Donald Tusk, that inane grinner of inane grins, thinks its funny to condemn Brexiters to hell !    (07/02) “There is a special place in hell for ‘Leave’ campaigners !” he says. “After what they did to Britain, even Lucifer would not welcome them !” Well, Donald .. (and what is it with politicians called ‘Donald’ not being able to get a grasp on reality ?) we (the British) have seen hell many a time, usually when we’ve had to visit the continent to rescue you chaps from your latest megalomaniac dictator, intent on enslaving you - or wiping you out ! Yep, Lucifer is an old friend of ours .. thanks to people like you ! __________________ Oh .. and that combines well with an interesting little snippet about others with whom we are “negotiating”.. the dad of Martin Selmyer, the un-elected Head of the EU Civil Service .. we repatriated him in 1946 to Yugoslavia to be convicted of war crimes - only for him to be released to work for the CIA .. Velly interestink ! __________________ Nissan, the car maker, is in disarray following the arrest and financial misconduct charges brought against its charismatic and globe- trotting former chairman, Carlos Ghosn (a ‘Mr. Bean’ look-alike if ever there was one). Firms around the world are frantically engaged in the biggest re-engineering of production since the introduction of the Ford Model T by Henry Ford in 1908 as the internal combustion engine, which has reigned supreme for more than a century, is under huge threat from regulators and politicians seeking to reduce pollution and global warming.  So this is yet another ‘green’ debacle that we can lay at Tony Blair’s door. It makes obvious sense for Japan to retrench during the universal ‘retreat from diesel’ by switching production to its home country. (05/02) Good news ?   Nissan has reaffirmed that its production of another relatively new model, the petrol-fuelled Qashqai, will remain here. Bad news ? The disingenuous use of this ‘news’ to lay the Sunderland U-turn at the door of Brexit – particularly by “.. the personable but ineffectual Business Secretary Greg Clark” (to quote a national daily). And the ‘elephant in the room’ ? Getting rid of diesel cars doesn’t get rid of diesel ! When you ‘crack’ crude oil you get lighter distillates (petrol, aviation fuel, central heating fuel, etc) .. diesel is one such and, no matter what you legislate, every gallon of crude that is processed will continue to produce the same volume of diesel. That’s the laws of chemistry at work. It’s why there was all that ‘spare’ diesel around which fuel companies wanted to flog cheaply and which led to the over-production of diesel engine cars. Question. What do with the diesel being made when we’ve got rid of the diesel engine cars  ? Answer, on a postcard, to Greg Clark, please. ____________________ “And there’s more .. from Ireland” (26/01) ‘Lovely Leo’ Varadkar- that Dublin-born Taoiseach whose family have progressed here via Mumbai, Slough, Leicester,, back to India, and back to Dublin (and good for them) - has ‘threatened’ a hard Irish border, complete with wire, watch-towers police and troops ! Plenty of troops .. though whose troops he’s none too explicit about. Perhaps he’s referring to the projected new European Army, strung together with bits and bobs of French and German reserves (never a good mix) ? And all to man Barnier’s  ‘Atlantic Wall’ (something that Hitler was none too successful doing) ! Against what ? Lorries of soap-powder and vans of pickled onions ? ___________________ They may be the “New IRA” in name but ‘The Boys’ in Londonderry are stuck in their old ways. Even past allies Sinn Féin say it was a “mindless and outrageous attack on the people of Derry” (Sinn Féin president Mary-Lou McDonald) .. and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says “the Government in the Republic condemns the incident in the strongest possible terms” -  “an appalling, reckless and cynical act of terror,”- (20/01) And yet, ‘The Boys’ can’t break with their old ways and, in alerting the innocent Irish citizens of Derry to their bomb-blast, they chose to ring .. The Samaritans .. in Birmingham - a somewhat roundabout (but to them conventional) route. In situations like that it depends who you’ve got on speed-dial and, apart from Ghost-busters, who else are you going to call ? ___________________

Blog

Comments about what’s going on in political life …  … Please note that views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Health Concern or of it’s Councillors or members - so enjoy them - or ignore them (!) It’s your choice.

News

TUESDAY’S “MEANINGFUL” VOTE ‘ .. WEDNESDAY’S ‘NO-DEAL’ .. THURSDAY’S

VOTE ‘DELAY’.. PARLIAMENT’S EASTER BREAK DUE TO BE CANCELLED ..

COULD THINGS GET ANY WORSE ?  WATCH THIS SPACE !

If you didn’t laugh .. you’d cry ..

More Crackers .. # Will BREXIT be followed by Grexit, Departugal, Italeave, Czechout, Finish and Byegium  ? # What song did David Cameron (or Peter Mandelson, or ?) sing at the Christmas party ?   “All I want for Christmas is EU !” # Jeremy Corbyn says that his position on Brexit is quite clear .. it’s just that he doesn’t agree with it ! # BREXIT .. that’s saying ‘Goodbye’ to Croissants and ‘Hello’ to Crumpets. # Great idea of the people of England to vote for BREXIT and leave Germany with the majority of power in Europe.   What could go wrong? # I just read that after this BREXIT-thing the people of Britain will be forced to live on a rainy island   separated from the rest of Europe. # BREXIT ?  It sounds like a three year-old trying to pronounce Breakfast. # What’s the difference between BREXIT and Donald Trump’s “Great American Dream” ?   We’ve already got a ditch ! # When you look at the map above (top of page) remember that for vast tracts of Scotland and N. Ireland (the   Yellow bits) you’d be sharing the vista with sheep from horizon to horizon .. and (some say) that, to the south (the    Blue bits) the same would hold true. # Just after one MP described Theresa May’s Brexit document as “.. a fig-leaf .. and a small one at that !”,   that adorable Michael Gove chimes-in with a quote from “Game of Thrones” “ .. Winter’s coming !”   How un-gentlemanly ! # Have you noticed that the date for BREXIT is a FRIDAY .. and, since ..   “.. on Saturday and Sunday, we do not work at all  .. .. it’ll be on the Monday morning Brexit’ll make fools of us all !”   Our first ’proper’ day of freedom will be APRIL FOOL’S DAY AND THERE’S MORE .. keep ‘em comin’.

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‘Plus Ca Change ?’

Do we have a “New ‘Centrist’ Party ? Or is it ‘more of the same’ under a different name ? Apart   from   hating   ‘The   Sainted’   Jeremy   Corbyn   (and,   possibly,   being   equally   hated   by   him   in   return)   what   do   ‘ The   Magnificent   Seven’   have in common ?  Why .. their hatred of BREXIT ! This   is   a   “REMAINERS   PARTY”    fully   intent   on   stopping   Brexit   from   happening   and,   seeing   March   29th    approaching   at   breakneck   speed, are panic-stricken to put the brakes on (and don’t see Jeremy as having a clue where the brake-handle is). This   group   is   pitching   at   a   specific,   identified   demographic,   to   which   it   will   promote   itself   as   their   ‘saviours’. They   look   to   the   London-centric, former Blair supporters who have clammed-shut in the face of Corbynista guerrillas. Read   their   opening   texts   and   recall   ‘Two-tone’   Tony’s   words   (read   them,   and   weep)   ..   “improved   life   chances   ..   mixed   social   economy   .. safe-guarding the vulnerable .. multilateral this .. international that” .. and a partridge in a pear tree to all who vote for us. Few   people   want   to   be   perceived   as   “extremist”   ..   apart,   that   is,   from   people   who   have   isolated   themselves   on   the   extreme   poles   of   thought ..   “akin   to   madness   close   allied”.   So   everyone   these   days   thinks   of   themselves   as   being   in   the   ’Middle   Ground’   and   everyone   else   is   “an extremist”.   Wherever   the   middle   of   the   ‘Middle   Ground’   is   to   be   found   it   won’t   be   in   the   thoughts   and   proclamations   of   a   London-based ‘social liberalism’, which is so very, very far away from the aspirations of the ‘working man’ elsewhere in the UK. JUST HOW MUCH OF AN ‘EXTREMIST’ ARE YOU ? Left Wing Middle Ground Right Wing _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact

Health Concern

I.C.H.C. office Station Approach, Comberton Hill, Kidderminster. Worcs. DY10 1QX Tel: 01562 823581 Fax: 01562 77 00 11 e: talk2us@healthconcern.org.uk

Seen our Advert in last week’s Shuttle ?

Page 5

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Our office is located on Comberton Hill, next to the Severn Valley and West Midlands railway stations. There are a number of Pay & Display car parks in the immediate vicinity. There is a bus service along the main road.

Hours of Business

Please ring to make a weekday appointment. 01562 823581

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