THE hospital battle is accelerating and spreading.
This week we have had news of threats to Whitehaven, nearly 40 miles from Carlisle, to Kendal which we have regarded as a workable model, and to the A and E Department at Oswestry.

On the other hand, Professor Darzi in a new report has recommended the retention of acute medicine and A and E but without emergency surgery at Bishop Auckland, twelve miles from Darlington and thirteen miles from Durham.

On Monday, parties from seven hospitals will visit London to deliver messages about the importance of local emergency services to 10 Downing Street and to the Department of Health and then to gather in Westminster Hall within the House of Commons to hear of plans to rationalise changes to hospitals across the country.
At last, it is being recognised that emergency services are needed close to where people live and we are going to drive this message home.

Because of the security at the House of Commons we can only take one coachload from each area. For disappointed people on this occasion we may well need further lobbies in the future.

At home my wife and I enjoyed the Mayor of Kidderminster's Ball, and the Wyre Forest Community Housing Tenants' Association Party.

There we were entertained by highly talented groups of young dancers and their professionalism was a tribute to them and to the Splinters Dance Group.

I had a meeting with Community Action Wyre Forest and heard about the facilities available for young people in our area and the difficulties faced by the organisers. Inevitably there is a shortage of volunteers to help with youth activities, and of course financial resources are limited.

I attended the opening of the carpet exhibition at Hartlebury Castle and was amazed to see the restored working loom with the Jacquard system that was the nearest thing to a computer 200 years ago for automating the weaving of colours into the carpets.
I had a chance to look round the rest of the County Museum and was reminded of the interest and scope of its exhibits including the unique Castle three-wheeler made in Kidderminster.

We are so lucky to have so many, varied attractions close to us and they remind us of our duty to protect them for future generations.
Of course I am thinking of the Bewdley Museum and the Kidderminster Museum Store in this context.