The Birmingham Post from Birmingham, West Midlands, England • 3

THURSDAY OctoM 6 1994 3 The Birmingham Post MIDLAND MIDLAND DIGEST Teachers face sack in college crisis 150-year tradition ends as girls break into junior school sex school from 11 to 16 years because we feel that boys and girls mature at different rates" Mr Wilkes said there was no financial reason for the decision Boys are expected to outnumber the girls by two to one but in some age groups girls will represent half of the roll policy formed the system" of education whereby the paths of the sexes divided at puberty but rejoined later He said: want to provide a family education and we found that parents wanted to send their sons and daughters to the same school will remain a single ted female students into the sixth form for the past ten years But it is the first time girls have been allowed into the 1 OOO-a-term junior school he college will remain single sex from the ages of 11-16 years Yesterday Mr Peter Wilkes the headmaster of the college said the new A top Midland public school has broken its 150-year-old only" tradition by admitting girls to its junior school Thirty girls have enrolled at Cheltenham College Glos joining more than 250 boys already at the school Cheltenham College is one of the top public schools in the countrv and has admit rying for ail staff particularly those who teach courses with few students" Ms Chris Keates Birmingham general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers of which about a third of the staff at St are members said: have been informed by our members that there have been threats of redundancies but we have so far received no formal notification from the college We would wish to hold talks at the earliest possible stage should this be the case The Further Education Funding Council which administers monev to all further education and sixth form colleges has been informed of the college's financial difficulties A spokeswoman said: have been informed by the college that there is likely to be a deficit w'e can say nothing more untU we receive a full financial forecast" No-one from the governing body was available for comment yesterday DOROTHY 11PK0WSKA Education Correspondent Teachers may face the sack at a Birmingham college after it was revealed it is likely to plunge £500000 into the red this year Managers at troubled St Philip's Sixth Form College in Edgbaston have warned staff there could be redundancies because too few students have been recruited Last year the college had a budget of around £26 million based on a student roll of 920 But in September just 780 sixth-formers enrolled The financial discrepancy arises because the college has maintained its full-time staff of around 70 The announcement of potential job losses comes just weeks before the findings of a inquiry into the running and financial management of St Philip's are published by the Further Education Funding Council carry out a student audit this week to find out what courses if any are over-staffed One teacher who asked not to be named said: feeling is that casual staff will go first because full-timers will have to be paid redundancy "But the situation is extremely wor It is hoped around 40 per cent of the deficit can be clawed back Most of the staff at St Philip's are employed on a full-time basis but up to ten are hourly-paid teachers who are likely to become the first victims of any job cuts It is understood Mr McFadyen is to The drop in student recruitment is due to the uncertain future of the college The governors plan to close it in August 1996 Meetings have been held between the acting principal Mr Peter McFadycn and heads of departments to see if savings can be made DNA tests prove Anna Anderson not Anastasia Four charged on PO ammonia raid Four men have been charged with conspiracy to rob over a raid on a Birmingham post office in which ammonia was squirted at customers Thirteen people needed hospital treatment following the £140000 robbery at Kingstanding Circle post office two weeks ago Hoart sears Senior Solihull councillor Coun Alan Vincent (Con Meriden) was yesterday recovering in hospital after a suspected heart attack during a meeting Fight chargas Four more men have been charged over a fight outside the ring after the Super Middleweight world title at Birmingham's NEC Four have already been charged Pc injurad Pc Mark Brampton aged 34 from Walsall station was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital with bruised ribs after he tried to arrest a man who crashed a stolen Ford Fiesta at the junction of Pleck Road in Walsall On tap More than 30 ales including brews such as Water Gothic Ale and Nutcracker bitter will be on tap at Fordbrookc Commumtv College beer festival in kelsall Walsall tomorrow and Saturday Racipa for suocass The former manageress of Solihull's Manor House tea room is hoping to cook up some success with her new venture Mrs Lvnne Black more aged 43 has set up her own business catering for parties and celebration dinners Councillor resigns Coun Gerry Greenwood (Con Kingswinford North and Wall Heath) has resigned from Dudlev Council after more tnan 21 years' service because of ill health Axa attack Three robbers brandishing an axe attacked a man aged 33 and robbed him of a Asian gold chain and pendant worth £300 and a wallet containing £120 in an allev near Livingstone Road West Bromwich Post Script Cribbagc experts from the Cottage Spring in Crook hay Lane West Bromwich and the Friar Bark British Legion Club in Crank hall lanc Wcdncsbury will be competing in the British National Cribbagc Championships at Bridlington Last Yorkshire on Saturday Russian guard after her family was gunned down in 1918 Mrs grandfather Dr Botkin was the imperial family's personal physician and was murdered with them father knew the Grand Duchess Anastasia as a child and went through Siberia with the family" added Mrs Schweitzer she reappeared he didn't want to believe the story but the moment he met her he knew it was she and he never faltered in his Dr Gill went to Charlottesville Virginia in June to collect tissue samples stored in wax at a hospital where Anna Anderson had an operation He said he could not be 100 fer cent sure the samples had elonged to her but the hospital seemed to have reliable methods of preserving and labelling tissue Hair samples also believed to have belonged to Anna Anderson were analysed by experts from Pennsylvania State University and confirmed his findings Franzisca Schanzkowska worked in a munitions factory during First World War but disappeared mysteriously in 1 920 The woman who claimed to be the youngest daughter of murdered Russian Tsar Nicholas II was last night confirmed as a hoaxer by a Birmingham forensic scientist DNA tests on intestine tissue proved Anna Anderson who died in 1984 could not have been the Grand Duchess Anastasia Home Office expert Dr Peter Gill said Instead his research suggested that the woman who claimed for 64 years to have escaped the Bolshevik slaughter was a Polish factory worker called Franisca Schankowska Dr Gill compared his DNA tests with a profile of the Polish woman's great-nephew and they matched After the forensic results were announced Prince Rostislav Romanov great-nephew of the last Tsar said over The London-based merchant banker added: never has been any question in my mind She was not Anastasia I never had a shadow of doubt However the couple who commissioned the Home Office research American lawyer Mr Richard Schweitzer and his wife Marina said they still believed Anna Anderson was the Tsar's daughter She claimed to have escaped with the help of a work gone as farmer loses tenancy over rent acre of the farm some years ago and built a house on it so at least we have a roof over our heads otherwise we would be homeless right now" he added Mr Roger Stone of James Lister Iea said: reasons for the termination of Mr occupation are concerned with the payment of rent the lack of performance of covenants and the amount of rent 1987 Mr Marcuson was slow with the payment of rent and has in some respects farmed badly was warned at interview on tw-o occasions that his late payment of rent and his bad farming would probably mean that his short-term tenancy would not be renewed proposals for the construction of a motorway service area and the termination of Mr series of short-term lettings have no connection whatsoever" Mr Marcuson said he received a letter in April t'lis year from James Lister Iea informing him his tenancy was to be thrown open to outside bidders for the first time since his grandfather moved to the farm in 1 934 Mr Marcuson who was born at Walford Hall Farm offered to pay £75 per acre annual rent after previously paying £50 He said: would be extremely difficult to break even at £75 an acre my annual rent would have rocketed from £10000 to £15000 but I was desperate heard nothing until the end of July when they informed me I had lost the tenancy and must be out by the begining of October" Mr Marcuson said he had not only lost his livelihood but also tens of thousands of pounds by having to sell his cattle at the wrong time of the year my grandfather bought an A Midland farmer has lost his livelihood and been evicted from his home of almost 50 years tenant farmer Mr Michael Marcuson said his life had been destroyed after Birmingham property agents James Lister Iea acting on behalf of Suffolk landowner Sir John Gooch rejected his offer to pay a higher rent His 190-acre afford Hall Farm off Solihull Road atherine-de-Barnes includes land earmarked for a massive motorway service station for the M42 Mr Marcuson aged 49 and his wife Sandra watched as their 170 head of cattle combine harvesters and other machinery were auctioned last Friday Farmer Mr Nigel Redfern is to be W'al-ford Hall's new tenant Mr Redfern of Shadowbrook Iane Hampton-in-Arden drew up plans for a massive golf course in the area but the scheme fell through 64-year hoax: Anna Anderson Manahan Libel claim at first Rydale Central Former Home Office forensic scientist Dr Frank Skuse at the first in his claim that he was libelled by a World in tenon programme criticising his conduct in the Birmingham Six case a High Court judge was told Mr Michael Mansfield Q( for Granada Television said Dr Skuse complained the programme portrayed him as failing to show the skill knowledge care and thoroughness to be expected On that basis his claim could not succeed if only because of his failure to make notes of the non-standard test procedures he used in taking samples on which Interests Of Justice which resulted in the convictions being referred to the Appeal Court Granada pleads justification and says the words used in the programme were true Dr Skuse aged 59 of Wigan was forced to retire on grounds of efficiency" in 1985 He was cleared in of any irregularities in the Birmingham case In his libel action he intends to call fresh evidence based on new forensic tests made two years ago suggesting that traces of expkv-sives were found in samples linked to four of the Six The hearing was adjourned until October 17 he based his "99 per cent certain" conclusion that two of the Six had handled explosives was not just any old scientist dealing with any old breathalyser case He was a senior scientist dealing with the most serious of cases in which he was likely to be called to give evidence" Mr Mansfield told Mr Justice Drake Act there was nothing in his notes to indicate exactly what test he had used The conclusion was that the tests he carried out were not specific for the explosive substances he claimed to have found Dr Skuse is suing over an Octo-ber 1985 programme In The Two jailed for badger interference By MITCHKLL CLIWS The Birmingham Post Two men were jailed yesterday for interfering with a badger sett in a Midland wood Robert Hicks (28) of Shelley Close Catshtll Bromsgrove and Simon Bullock (30) of Pen Llan Ruabon Wrexham were each given three-month sentences by Redditch magistrates for interfering with the sett at Chaddeslcy Corbett near Kidderminster They were also given a further three months to run consecutively for interfering with the sett by causing a dog to enter it Both appealed against sentence and conviction but were refused bail The men had denied both charges but were convicted after a hearing over five days in July and last month They appeared for sentence yesterdav Each was ordered to ey £100 costs and equipment und at the scene was Pilots say airport plans may threaten safety Midland pilots claimed last night that Birmingham International Airport's plan to scrap its second runway as pan of a £400 million expansion scheme is flawed and could lead to a drop safety standards They say the runway is a multi-million pound asset which must be retained Members of the Birmingham General Aviation Users Association which represents commercial and private pilots and city councillors have written to the airport Users association chairman Mr Tom Lloyd said that the airport's second shorter runway was pre-fered by light aircraft because it favours the wind With its abolition the airport would be left with just one runway leading to a potential reduction in flexibility and safety he said Property seekers have turned down the chance to snap up a £300000 farmhouse near the airport No one was prepared to put in a bid at the auction of Glebe Farm Bickenhill demanding it reconsider its plan to expand the terminal building over the second runway The users association is presenting a case against the abolition of the second runway to airport managing director Mr Brian Summers Committee member Coun Harold Blumenthal (Con Quinton) a pilot and former flying instructor said: absurd to get nd of a multi-million pound asset which is used by large numbers of small executive aircrafl at peak times APPROVED USED CAR AUTUMN EVENT Saturday 8th October 900am 530pm No free offers or giveaways simply a selection of over 100 of the finest used BMWs around means there is a great deal waiting for you at Rydale Central Prices start at £9995 Call in this weekend enjoy a coffee and Danish pastry with us and discover why -No one knows BMW better! 200 Broad Street Birmingham Telephone 021 631 4477 out of alligator Sir why not try the wild boar? Alligator with orange gravy and buffalo burgers with chips are the latest additions to the menu at a Birmingham restaurant Sawyers Bar and Restaurant in Pershore Road South kings Norton is also planning to introduce wild boar to Birmingham served with apple sauce Mr Simon Waters the new manager decided to offer the exotic fare after it proved popular in his last restau- rant the Mermaid in Wolverhampton He sold out of alligator meat on a trial run last Friday and is now hoping to make it a regular feature on the menu buffalo burgers we sell are 100 per cent buffalo meat so they are very low cholesterol" said Mr Waters are going for tbe healthy option as well as exotic food tastes like spicy beef and for around £450 He said they plan to sene wild boar whkh will probably be imported from France as a sizzling dish on a skillet with sage and apple sauce and chips His favourite exotk dish is soft shell crab from Virginia in America Twice a year tbe crabs shed their hard shells and it is then possible to eat tbe whole thing including tbe remaining softer shell tbe alligator meat has a chickens taste with a pork texture and a slight taste of fish" He said alligator which is fanned in Louisiana and supplied by the wholesaler Funny bones in londotu costs around £5 or £6 for a starter A main course costs around £10 and is served with an orange ginger and poppy seed sauce The busk buffalo burger also from America comes with chips.