News in Atherstone

Atherstone Town's road to Wembley has been strewn with the best wish possible – a civic commitment to see the football ground remain a sporting facility for the benefit of the community.

Ahead of Saturday's history-making quarter-final FA Vase tie, councillors will tomorrow night endorse a plan of action to ensure the Sheepy Road club remains exactly where it is.

Atherstone and district has found itself in the front seat of a civic drive to erase "fear and distress" by making back garden and organised firework activities much quieter affairs and more animal-friendly in future.

Tomorrow night in Atherstone, councillors are expected to light the blue touchpaper on a campaign piling pressure on Westminster to bring in new laws affecting private and public pyrotechnic displays nationwide.

The new guardians of Atherstone Ball Game have sounded their own battle cry to ensure the town's world-famous event lasts for a thousand years.

Event chairman Rob Bernard has pleaded with modern-day gladiators of the ancient Shrovetide right of passage to allow the spectacle to carry on for future generations.

Families in villages on the outskirts of Atherstone have been told to "protect themselves" as the threat of serious flooding returns to the area.

The communities of Sheepy Magna, Sheepy Parva and Sibson are back on danger alert from the rising waters of the River Sence.

A national award-winning residential home in Atherstone mentioned in G8 summit talks on living with dementia has welcomed the roll-out of an initiative to help with future hospital stays for people in care.

Merevale House is considering taking the 'Red Bag' scheme "on board" to make visits to the George Eliot faster and more effective.

The best kept secret of this year's Atherstone Ball Game is finally out in open play.

For the 2020 version of the town's single biggest claim to worldwide fame will be down – in big part – to a mother of six who believed in "keeping the faith" of a sporting tradition passed down the generations across ten centuries of time.

A World War II veteran has left "notes from the heavens" as Atherstone bid a final farewell to a man who defied deadly survival odds and horrors of being an aircrew member in the RAF's biggest bomber during the global conflict.

Flag-bearing personnel from all three armed forces paid a fitting tribute of "respect and gratitude" at the funeral of 97-year-old Reginald 'Andy' Croxall who died in the George Eliot hospital four days after a fall at his Croft Road home.

Atherstone Town's tilt for Midland Football League Division One honours fell victim to the weather today.

The club lost its race to get the Sheepy Road pitch ready for the home fixture with Heath Hayes this afternoon (3pm kick-off).

Atherstone Town are looking to put a "turbulent week" behind them this afternoon as football replaces the swirling storm clouds of allegations of off-the-field racial abuse.

The Adders have their eyes firmly fixed on an upward trajectory in terms of climbing to the summit of the Midland Football League Division One table – hoping to secure three points from opponents Heath Hayes in that pursuit.

Fed-up motorists in Atherstone who "get the hump" by swerving round traffic calming measures are inadvertently doing road safety a huge favour, Nub News has learned.

The 'sleeping policemen' on Witherley Road have sparked controversy for almost a decade and drivers are continuing to avoid them by steering their vehicles down the middle of the split bumps.