Monday 10th January 2011 M45 motorway shut for hours by freezing rain
The Highways Agency were forced to shut the M45 motorway on the night
of January 8, 2010 after freezing rain caused a brace of minor
collisions. The motorway in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire was
closed for several hours to allow salt spreading to take place. The
motorway reopened westbound at about 0950 GMT and eastbound at 1030
GMT on the morning of January 9. A Highways Agency spokesman said the
problems arose because the rain was freezing on impact with the very
cold road surface causing difficult driving conditions. The M45 runs
from near Thurlaston in Warwickshire to junction 17 of the M1 in
Northamptonshire. Warwickshire

Monday 13th September 2010 Warwickshire people protest over high-speed rail plan
Residents of Warwickshire have walked from Offchurch to Ufton Woods on
the route of the proposed high-speed rail line (HS2) as a mark of
protest against the plan. Organisers of the walk claimed that the lack
of a local station mean the line would not benefit firms in the
county. HS2 trains would travel between London and Birmingham at up to
250mph with a journey time of only 49 minutes. A £50m compensation
fund for those "severely affected" by the line has been established by
the Department for Transport. A spokesman has said the government is
"mindful of the impacts on people and property of building any high
speed line". Warwickshire

Tuesday 15th December 2009 £27,000 for Christmas night in a castle
A bidder has paid £27,000 for the privilege of spending Christmas
night with up to 30 guests at Warwick Castle. The auction was carried
out on a popular online sale site and beat the reserve of £25,000.
Usually the castle is closed on Christmas day, although it is open to
the public the rest of the year.

The castle was formerly owned by the Earl of Warwick but he sold it to
the Merlin Entertainment Group in 1978. The winning bidder will enjoy
a champagne breakfast followed the chance to open presents around a 25
ft tree in the Great Hall. Warwickshire

Monday 27th July 2009 Big security for Warwickshire biker event
The Bulldog Bash will go ahead at the Long Marston airfield, near Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire under tight security this year amid fears of gang violence. Police will be on hand to prevent any retaliation to the murder of a Hell’s Angel after the end of the event last year. Gary Tobin was shot dead while riding his Harley-Davidson home on the M40 after last year’s rally. Seven members of a rival biker gang, the Outlaws, were jailed for his murder. The Bulldog Bash one of the largest biker festivals in Europe.

A brawl between the Angels and the Outlaws at Birmingham International Airport’s Terminal Two that saw seven men jailed each for six years in June is thought to be connected with the long running feud between the two gangs. Warwickshire