Warwick's 2024 in 12 stories and photographs
Having published over 1,500 stories about Warwick last year, we have picked one story from each month to help summarise 2024.
Here is our rundown of 2024 in 12 stories and photographs - one for each month.
January
January 2024 kicked off with floods in Warwick and across the country.
Warnings and floods were in place on the River Avon at various points throughout the month, with fantastic aerial shots showing it bursting its banks and much of St Nicholas Park flooded.
February
A new fine dining restaurant has opened in the centre of Warwick, aiming to offer an "accessible and enjoyable" experience for guests.
Hem opened its doors in Market Place in February, in the former home of long established local eatery Tailors, where new owner Sebastian Hargreaves had worked as front of house manager.
Dan Cavell, one of the previous owners of Tailors, has come on board as the chef at the new restaurant and says he is delighted to be bringing his food back to the town after a short hiatus.
March
Residents have continued to object to plans to build new houses in Barford, which one local said would "ruin" the village.
Kendrick Homes' planning application for the scheme along Westham Lane has been met with great resistance from locals.
The scheme - submitted to Warwick District Council - aims to turn a parcel of grassland into a new estate.
The developer described the scheme as a "logical infill" for the village with a mixture of one to five bedroom homes.
But locals have not been so positive, with questions raised over parking, the need for more houses and overdevelopment.
And while the developer has since reduced the scale of the scheme, it has continued to draw objections.
April
The spring brought the exciting news that St Mary's Church tower would reopen following a major redevelopment.
The landmark church announced in April that the tower would reopen on May 4 2024 for the first time since 2023.
The project has since won a national architecture award and the church was chosen to host Christmas Eve Midnight Mass on BBC One.
May
May brought the troubling news that Myton School had to be shut due to a bomb hoax.
The school was evacuated on Monday 20 May following the "threat" incident.
Warwickshire Police then cordoned off the site and completed a full search of the building before handing it back to staff.
A teenage male from Leamington was then arrested in the early hours of Tuesday 21 May before the school reopened.
June
June brought the news that Lloyds would close its Warwick branch in 2025.
The town has since been told it will be getting a banking hub as it faced the threat of not having a bank.
A location for this has yet to be confirmed.
But planning permission has already been granted for Lloyds to have its ATM's removed and signs taken down as it gets ready to close.
July
The start of July saw Matt Western re-elected as MP for Warwick and Leamington.
The Labour candidate absolutely blew away the rest of the competition, taking his majority from the near 800 won in 2019 to around 12,000 votes.
Conservative candidate James Uffindell came second locally, taking 11,563.
August
Aerial images sent to Nub News have shown the extent of the damage caused by a fire in Warwick on Friday 8 August.
Fire crews were called to the incident on Mill Street at around 3pm, with four appliances dealing with the blaze.
Neighbouring properties were evacuated while firefighters dealt with the fire in the roof of a garage.
September
A 26-year-old man from Warwick was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply and driving under the influence of drugs after a car crashed into a block of flats in September.
Photos show the damage left behind after the ford hit a block of flats at Campriano Drive at around 1pm on Sunday 22 September 22.
Eye witnesses said the car came down Nelson Lane and Wharf Street before mounting the pavement and going through the railings in front of the homes.
October
TV presenter and journalist James May has performed at a special concert at St Mary's Church in Warwick as part of a series of fundraising events in south Warwickshire.
The former Top Gear and Grand Tour star has been visiting businesses across the area over the past few days with fellow star of BBC Two programme Oz & James's Big Wine Adventure, Oz Clarke.
The duo cycled around the county in October to help raise money for Armonico Consort and the work it does for those living with dementia and for its outreach and education work.
Pianist James and singer Oz have visited a number of care homes in the local area to perform to the residents, as well as featuring at the service at St Mary's and flashmob performances at local pubs.
November
November brought a mixed reaction to the news that a hotel in Warwick had closed to house over 300 asylum seekers.
Local councils called for compassion from locals, while Warwickshire Police said it would 'respond robustly' to any criminal activity around the Delta Hotel on Stratford Road.
Local MP Matt Western also visited the site to meet staff. He did also criticised the Home Office for the lack of notice around the decision to repurpose the hotel.
December
And ending our roundup on a cheery note, December saw the town transformed for Christmas with more Christmas Lights installed than ever before.
After being officially turned on at the Victorian Evening at the end of November, the lights brought a huge amount of festive cheer throughout December.
Local businesses also got in on the act with a huge number of shops and pubs getting decorated in time for Christmas.
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