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Stories to make you smile from across the West Midlands

Vanessa PearceWest Midlands
BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nicky Johnston/James Cook/Supplied A composite of three images in the first an actress from Call the Midwife in a nurse's uniform is smiling and pushing a child in a pram. In the mdidle a grey owl looks straight ahead. In the third a young girl, Layla, is amiling and wearing a dark dress.BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nicky Johnston/James Cook/Supplied
From Call the Midwife inspiration to the spotting of a rare owl, these positive stories have been making the news over the last week

The news can sometimes make us feel like life is all doom and gloom, but there are good things happening - and we want to highlight them.

Across the West Midlands this week we spotted a rare owl that had escaped a zoo, and met a 10-year-old who created a video about her grandmother who has Alzheimer's.

Take a look at some of our positive news stories from across the region.

Woman without womb helps to deliver own baby

Laura in a black dress holding George in a cream baby carrier on her front with Daniel with his arm around her wearing shorts and a blue top, standing on a train platform
The couple are hoping George will have a sibling as they prepare for another round of IVF

A woman who was born without a womb and told she would not have children of her own went on to help deliver her biological son - who is about to celebrate his first birthday.

Laura Folan from Sutton Coldfield feared she would never have a family after learning as a teenager she had a rare condition called Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser syndrome (MRKH).

But thanks to IVF treatment and a surrogate mum, not only did Laura, in her words, "get the gloves on" and "catch" baby George when he was born, she and partner Daniel Clarke are planning for baby number two with the same surrogate.

Rare owl spotted in wild after zoo escape

James Cook A Verreaux's eagle owl - a large grey owl with a black curved stripe on either side of its eyes is sat on a branch looking directly at the cameraJames Cook
The Verreaux's eagle owl is native to southern Africa

A large owl that is rarely seen in the UK was spotted in a Wolverhampton tourist spot after escaping from a nearby zoo.

The female Verreaux's eagle owl was sighted perched in the pine trees of Wightwick Manor and Gardens, in what has been described by a wildlife enthusiast as "basically impossible".

The huge bird of prey, which is native to southern parts of Africa, had escaped while on loan for a breeding programme at Wild Zoological Park - about seven miles (11km) away.

After several unsuccessful rescue attempts, it has been agreed by the National Trust, which runs the site, that she can stay in her new home.

'Extraordinary' couple cared for adults for 34 years

A man with thin grey hair and a grey beard with a blue jacket and blue checked shirt sitting beside a woman with dark hair and a black and white patterned top in a room with orange walls
Sue and Pete Hanne said their visit to Windsor Castle had been "amazing"

In Herefordshire a couple announced their retirement after 34 years of sharing their home with vulnerable adults who cannot live on their own.

Sue and Pete Hanne, from Hereford, were recently invited to Windsor Castle for a royal reception, to say thank you for their work.

Sue said sharing their home with strangers "just became normal to us".

Herefordshire Council, which runs the Shared Lives scheme that the couple were a part of, said their contribution had been "extraordinary".

A girl, 10, created a film about nan's Alzheimer's

Supplied A woman with long brown hair and a flowery dressed smiles as she looks at and puts her arm around a young girl while sitting down and holding a glass of red wine in her right hand. The girl standing next to her has dark brown hair and is wearing a white headband and dark blue outfit. Supplied
Layla described her grandmother as a "kind, caring and lovely" person

A 10-year-old girl was named runner-up in a film competition after creating a video about her grandmother, who has Alzheimer's.

Layla, from Stoke-on-Trent, made Hope Remembers – a short video about her relationship with her grandmother June, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2015.

She entered it into the national Bring Hope Home contest run by the Pauline Quirke Academy (PQA), which Layla attends, and it was described as a "heartfelt" film which explored the impact of the disease through the eyes of a child.

Layla said June was a "kind, caring and lovely" grandmother who she could always have a laugh with.

Wonder Stuff singer's brother swaps market for tour

The Market Hall Shrewsbury Middle aged man with a hoody on pointing behind him to The Wonder Stuff band postersThe Market Hall Shrewsbury
Russ Hunt will be returning to tour with his brother Miles Hunt and the rest of The Wonder Stuff as a guitar technician

The brother of The Wonder Stuff's front man said he would be leaving his market stall to go back on tour with the band, which is celebrating its 40th year.

Russ Hunt, brother of Miles, said he would leave White Rabbit Records at Shrewsbury Market Hall after a 10-year stint so he could once more serve as a guitar technician, this time for the band's anniversary shows.

He bought the stall in September 2015 from former owner Dave Lamont, after being made redundant from a corporate IT job he had for 17 years.

"We are sorry to see Russ go and White Rabbit Records leave, but for Russ this is an exciting opportunity and he will be in his element," said a market hall spokesperson.

Call the Midwife praised by one of the nuns who inspired it

A woman with white hair, glasses and wearing a red top smiles into the camera. She has a wooden cross around her neck.
Sister Margaret-Angela said the producers of Call the Midwife would call or email her "constantly" for advice on the show

After a dramatic end to the 15th series of Call the Midwife and with work beginning on a prequel to the TV drama, one of the nuns who inspired the series praised its attention to detail.

The 15th series came to an end last month, with the temporary closure of Nonnatus House while its inhabitants "discern our next steps".

Exploring the lives and work of a group of midwives in London's East End, the show features the fictional Order of St. Raymond Nonnatus - which is based on the real life Anglican community of St John the Divine, which in 1976 moved to the West Midlands.

Sister Margaret-Angela, who started out as a midwife in Poplar, said acting as a consultant for the programme was an experience she "never expected to have".

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