Somme centenary: Thousands pay tributepublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Thousands of people across the Midlands have marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme.
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Updates on Monday 13 June 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Tuesday
Somme centenary: Thousands pay tributepublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Bromsgrove-born poet Sir Geoffrey Hill diespublished at 17:14 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
BBC Entertainment and ArtsBromsgrove-born poet Sir Geoffrey Hill has died aged 84, his wife has confirmed.
Alice Goodman said, external her husband died "suddenly, and without pain or dread" on Thursday evening.
Sir Geoffrey was the Professor of Poetry at Oxford University until last year, and best known for Mercian Hymns, his 1971 collection of prose poems.
Jacqueline Norton, Senior Commissioning Editor for Literature at Oxford University Press, praised his "poetic genius".
Image source, PALatest: Bromsgrove-born poet Sir Geoffrey Hill dies; police deny officer racially abused singer Jameliapublished at 17:00 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineHere are some of the sotries we're lookign at this afternoon:
- Bromsgrove-born poet Sir Geoffrey Hill dies
- Police deny officer racially abused singer Jamelia in Worcestershire
- Man wanted in connection with assault and criminal damage, external
Somme centenary: Thousands pay tributepublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Thousands of people across the Midlands have marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme. The campaign in France lasted five months, with the British suffering almost 60,000 casualties on the first day alone.
Inside Wyre Forest's new multimillion-pound leisure centrepublished at 16:08 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Take a glimpse inside Wyre Forest's new multimillion-pound leisure centre, external ahead of its opening.
Man wanted in connection with assault and criminal damage in Redditchpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Police are looking for a man wanted in connection with assault and criminal damage in Redditch.
The first incident was between 20:00 and 20:39 on 14 May outside some shops on Mount Pleasant.
The second was at a property in Flanders Close on 26 May.
Keith Patrick Langton, external, 34, from Redditch, is wanted in connection with these incidents. He is described as white, about 5' 11'' tall, of a medium build with short brown hair.
Image source, West Mercia PoliceA glimpse inside new leisure centrepublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
A glimpse inside Wyre Forest's new leisure centre
In pictures: Battle of the Sommepublished at 15:42 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
BBC News UKThe Battle of the Somme was one of the bloodiest of World War One, with more than one million people killed or wounded. It lasted five months as the British and French Armies fought the Germans on a 15-mile front.
Image source, PA
Image source, PALatest: Man questioned over Jamelia racial abuse and Hereford woman discovers family's tragic WW1 pastpublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online- A man has been questioned after singer Jamelia claimed she was racially abused, external
- Kidderminster leisure centre demolished
- Herefordshire woman discovers her family's tragic WW1 past
Police deny officer racially abused Jameliapublished at 14:54 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineWest Mercia Police say an officer was not responsible, external for alleged racial abuse suffered by popstar Jamelia during a confrontation in Worcestershire.
The singer said a man who appeared to be a police officer used a racial slur in front of her daughters during an angry exchange that left her "feeling scared", after she overtook him in Hewell Lane, Barnt Green on Monday.
West Mercia Police say a 56-year-old man is being interviewed in connection with the incident, but was not under arrest
The investigation continues.
Image source, Getty ImagesWhistles mark the moment men went over the top in Sommepublished at 14:31 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineCommemorations are taking place across Britain and France to remember the 100th anniversary of the start of the Battle of the Somme.
At Worcester Cathedral whistles were blown to mark the moment the first British soldiers went over the top of their trenches.
Leader of the city council, Adrian Gregson blew the whistle, he said: "There were eight battalions of the Worcestershire regiment that had taken part. They lost something like 4,000 men.
"You can argue all you like about whether the tactics were right and how the overall war itself went.
"You can't erase the fact that we lost 60,000 men on one day - that's a big football stadium."
This time last year: The weatherpublished at 14:29 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Need cheering up? Perhaps don't look here. A year ago today, temperatures were rather hotter at 36C.
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End of twitter postThe weather for the West Midlandspublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The weather for the West Midlands.
Midlands business leaders expect the unexpectedpublished at 13:52 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Patrick Burns
Political editor, MidlandsMy latest blog post takes the temperature among Midlands decision-makers at the launch event for the West Midlands Combined Authority.
The atmosphere was spiced-up of course by the Brexit vote.
Image source, Getty ImagesLord Heseltine was the star attraction, but I spent plenty of time mingling with the men and women at the sharp end of economic decision-making during the lunch and coffee breaks.
Their mood was, above all, uncertain.
Cricket: Worcestershire's director frustrated over abandoned matchpublished at 13:50 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
BBC Sport"It's washed out what I think would have been a fine game.. but we can't do anything about the English summer," said Worcestershire County Cricket Club's Steve Rhodes.
He was frustrated but philosophical after his team's NatWest T20 Blast match at Durham Jets on Thursday was abandoned in the 15th over with Worcestershire on 103-5.
The Rapids will be back in action tonight when they will take on Derbyshire Falcons at New Road, Worcester where play is due to start at 17:30.
There will be full commentary on that game on 738 AM and online.
Why was first day of Somme battle such a disaster?published at 13:21 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The first day of the Battle of the Somme, in northern France, was the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army and one of the most infamous days of World War One.
But why was 1 July 1916 such a disaster? We've been looking it in detail on the BBC iWonder website.
Frustration after wash out cricket gamepublished at 13:08 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
"It's washed out what I think would have been a fine game..but we can't do anything about the English summer", said Worcestershire County Cricket Club's Steve Rhodes. He was frustrated but philosophical after his team's NatWest T20 Blast match at Durham Jets on Thursday was abandoned in the 15th over with Worcestershire on 103-5.
End of an era as leisure centre demolishedpublished at 12:49 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
It's the end of an era this week - as a 30-year-old leisure centre in Kidderminster is demolished.
The Wyre Forest Glades Leisure Centre - which was opened by Princess Diana - is to be relocated on the Kidderminster to Stourport Road in the town next week.
Image source, GoogleLatest: Services mark 100 years since Battle of the Somme; woman denies stealing dogpublished at 12:32 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News OnlineHere are some of the stories we are looking at in the Hereford & Worcester newsroom this afternoon:
- Services mark 100 years since the Battle of the Somme
- Woman denies stealing a dog from outside a supermarket , external
- Petition against children's services cuts
Roof cut off car after Worcester city centre crashpublished at 12:13 British Summer Time 1 July 2016
The roof had to be cut from a car to get to the casualty following a crash, external involving two cars in the centre of Worcester this morning.
Image source, Worcester News
