Archive

  • MINI SOCCER

    FIFTEEN Halton primary schools will take part in a mini-soccer tournament next week when they will compete for a place in a Silver Jubilee Grand Final. Organised by the Borough Council's Sports Development Team, heats will take place on Monday and Tuesday

  • GOLF TUITION

    THERE will be an opportunity for anyone interested in trying their hand at golf at a special golf afternoon arranged during March at St Michael's Golf Course, Widnes. The afternoons are for absolute beginners who have always wanted to learn golfing skills

  • GOVERNORS STILL COMMITTED TO RUNCORN SITE

    THE UNHAPPY job news at Halton College will not get in the way of a proposed new site in Runcorn, according to its principal. Acting principal John Bolton said governors still want to develop an educational facility across the Mersey. This assurance comes

  • COFFIN FOUND

    THE discovery of the ancient coffin of a baby halted work this week on the multi-million pound reconstruction of a new Runcorn bus station. Contractors came across the tiny coffin, bearing the name of 15-month-old Peter Stretch, who died in 1869, at 8.30am

  • PREPARING FOR EURO\

    EURO-MP Brian Simpson has welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement of the national changeover plan which will ensure that Britain is well prepared should the British people decide to vote in favour of joining the Euro in a referendum. The plan will

  • CAT BURGLAR NABBED

    CAT burglar James Davidson was caught red-handed in the middle of a rooftop raid. He had only just been released from a three year custodial sentence, Warrington Crown Court heard on Friday. Davidson, 20 - stated to have been a crack cocaine addict since

  • EXTRA BENEFITS?

    LONG-TERM unemployed people about to start work may be entitled to extended housing and council tax benefit payment. If you currently receive these benefits and have been claiming Income Support or Job Seekers' Allowance (income based) for 26 consecutive

  • Woman of year

    THE nominees for the Cheshire Woman of the Year Award received their invitations to a charity lunch this week, where the winner will be announced. The event will take place in the historic council chambers at Chester Town Hall on March 17, where this

  • So-fa so good for furniture seller Claire

    CLAIRE Brooks is getting comfortable in the world of DIY furnishings. Claire, 18, left Woodford Lodge School in Winsford just two years ago. Since then, and with some expert guidance, she has risen to the post of manager at Focus DIY's furniture section

  • Farmers warned over sheep dip

    WINSFORD and Middlewich farmers are being warned to comply with new regulations to protect groundwater, or face up to £20,000 in fines. The Environment Agency is in the process of sending letters to growers and sheep farmers across the north west to explain

  • Flower vandals return

    THE daffodil vandalism season has started. No sooner do these golden heralds of spring appear, than mindless morons rampage through residential areas picking off the blossoms and throwing them on the ground. Why do they do it? Why is anything beautiful

  • Reach out - I'll be there

    IT is a well known saying that all evil needs to flourish is for good people to do nothing. I should like to add to this. I believe that for evil to flourish, it also needs people to be afraid of each other. I felt very sad recently to learn that paramedics

  • In the spotlight!

    THE bright lights are beckoning young Middlewich performers interested in joining a children's drama academy. The acting school, based at Middlewich Community Centre, is looking for new members. Brian Ormrod, principal of Helen O'Grady's Children's Drama

  • Read all about it...

    PUPILS and staff at a Winsford School have been putting pen to paper to make parents more aware of activities at the school. Handley Hill Primary School have started their own monthly newsletter and pupils are to be given the opportunity to contribute

  • Kops and Kids put on a top show

    A GROUP of bobby dazzlers took centre stage at the Winsford Civic Hall on Sunday and Monday night for the 20th annual 'Kops and Kids' show. Officers from the police's Congleton and Vale Royal Division joined children from local schools for the fundraising

  • MARK MISSES OUT

    MARK Came has said he was 'sick' that he didn't get the chance to take charge of his first home game on Saturday. With interviews for the Winsford United manager's job due to start next week, Came had the ideal match to improve his chances against the

  • In search of shipmates

    SHIPMATES who once served on the destroyer HMS Dainty are being sought for a reunion later this year. HMS Dainty was a Daring class ship, launched in 1950, commissioned in 1953 and decommissioned for breaking up in 1969. Peter Hillman, who founded the

  • Praise for doing it by the book

    CHESHIRE County Council's library development plan has been ranked third out of 34 similar blueprints produced by other English shire counties. For the first time this year, local authorities were required by the Government to submit plans detailing present

  • Millennium idea is real winner

    AMBITIOUS plans to celebrate the new millennium by creating a young people's volunteer taskforce across Cheshire have been warmly welcomed by a Winsford councillor. Cheshire County Council is bidding for almost £500,000 of Government funding to get its

  • Beating leukaemia

    - against the odds By NICK HALLISSEY A FAMILY has signed up to help poorly Sam Burgess - one year after their own close brush with leukaemia. The Beardmores, of Meadow Lane, Moulton, first appeared in the Guardian last year, after 10-year-old Stephanie

  • Burials set to stop

    ST John's churchyard in Winsford could soon be closed for further burials if an application to the Home Office is approved. The church in Delamere Street has requested closure of the burial area because it claims there is no proper room for new burials

  • CHANGING ATTITUDES - 50 YEARS ON

    FIFTY years ago, the mentally handicapped weren't seen in society. They were locked away in horrific institutions. But in Northwich, parents with handicapped children teamed up to try and change people's attitudes. The result was Mid Cheshire Mencap,

  • CHILDREN CAN'T ESCAPE FROM HEROIN'S EVIL GRIP

    ALL too often, parents just do not see the signs of heroin addiction. Even the lingo can pass them by. Some parents might think that 'Chasing The Dragon' referred to a rock band, or that 'getting some gear' meant buying clothes. In the third in our series

  • PIG IN SCRAPE: ANOTHER ROUND OF COMIC RELIEF

    PUPILS from the reception class at Witton Church Walk Primary School were distraught when their toy pig Peter was pignapped. And things got worse when they received a ransom note from the pignapper - who told them they had a week to give donations to

  • RACIST CRIME MUST NOT BE TOLERATED

    POLICE in Northwich have outlined their policy on dealing with racism - in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. Inspector Peter Hulse, the race liaison officer at Northwich Police Station, believes his force is doing everything it can to match up

  • THE stakes are high for determined racer, Andrew Howarth.

    The 23-year-old from Great Budworth has sold his lorry and his beloved motorbike to finance a bid for success in the British Fiesta Championship. Despite never having competed in a driving championship of any kind before, he insists he isn't mad. "I should

  • TELFORD 3

    NORTHWICH VICS 0 Nationwide Conference AFTER their four goal hammering at The Drill Field Kettering's players looked visibly shocked. At 4.45pm on Saturday, Mark Gardiner's side had a similar appearance, having been beaten by a team well below them in

  • COLLECTORS MAKE IT BIG AS BAND OF THE RISING SUN

    TALENTED trio The Collectors have just clinched an album deal which will launch their careers - in Japan! The Northwich-based musicians have caused a spin after rehearsing together in Barnton for just two years and playing just a handful of gigs. "It's

  • £9 MILLION GRANT APPLICATION TO STOP RUMBLING FREIGHT TRAINS

    BRUNNER Mond has turned to the government as it bids to quieten noisy freight trains. The firm has asked for a grant to help buy a £9 million set of wagons which would reduce noise and vibrations from trains travelling to its Winnington plant. If the

  • POLICEMEN PRAISED FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE

    THREE policemen have won commendations from Northwich Superintendent Ian Johns. Detective Sergeant Nigel Groom and Detective Constable Graham Gabbott were praised for their part in the conviction of child abductor Philip Du Rose. Supt Johns said their

  • MUM AND TWO KIDS DIE IN HORROR BLAZE AT HOME

    A MUM has died in a house fire - two years after narrowly escaping a blaze when she lived in Hartford. Lorraine McLarnon Buckley, her five-month-old son Peter and eight-year-old stepdaughter Cheryl died after their bungalow near Chester caught fire last

  • IT'S SKATE SADNESS FOR IN-LINE RINK BOSS

    THE owner of a skating rink, which has shut due to financial problems, has blamed the closure on schools and youth groups. David Gunton sent letters to youth organisations and every school in Cheshire at the end of February warning them that SK8 Madness

  • DONOR APPEAL FOLLOWS BROTHER'S TRAGIC DEATH

    A FORMER Northwich man has died in London after falling into the path of a car. Tony Yould, better known as Joe, was on his way home from a concert when the accident happened two weeks ago. He was 34. Surgeons gave him 35 pints of blood as they battled

  • "POLICE CHIEFS ASKED US TO DO THEIR JOB"

    POLICE chiefs have come under fire over claims they told Hartford's community leaders to get involved in policing their own village. The parish council was outraged after being asked to deal with troublemakers themselves. "It beggars belief," said Clr

  • BEATING LEUKAEMIA - AGAINST THE ODDS

    A FAMILY has signed up to help poorly Sam Burgess - one year after their own close brush with leukaemia. The Beardmores, of Meadow Lane, Moulton, first appeared in the Guardian last year, after 10-year-old Stephanie received a bone marrow transplant from

  • BARBARIC COCK-FIGHTING STILL GOES ON ... NEAR YOU

    POLICE and the RSPCA are calling for help in bringing cock fighters to justice. They say the public aren't aware that the abhorrent Medieval pass time still takes place. Cheshire's Wildlife and Environment officer, PC Mike Wellman, said: "We've got evidence

  • TEENAGER DIES IN BIKING TRAGEDY

    A YOUNG factory worker died in a motorbike accident on his way to work, last Friday. Distraught family and colleagues of Philip Hughes have paid tribute to the 17-year-old, who was employed at Morrison's Distribution Centre in Rudheath. The accident happened

  • RUGBYMEN BLOW IT

    CONGLETON'S rugby men blew their chance of finishing third in the league at the end of the season by going down 16-7 at home at the weekend. Congleton got off to a disastrous start, with Bowdon scoring after only two minutes. A full back ran through several

  • MIDFIELD STARS TURN HOTSHOTS

    MIDFIELD meastros Mick Dale and Steve Brown put on their shooting boots on Saturday to earn title challengers Alsager a vital 2-0 win. Dale scored on the half hour of Alsager's home clash against mid-table Brocton, with team-mate Brown sealing victory

  • BRACE FROM DEADLY DUTTON

    KNYPERSLEY Vics earned three league points on Saturday thanks to a memorable brace from their in form striker Dutton. The Vics' hot shot scored on five and 73 minutes as Knypersley beat Sandwell Borough, two places above them, 2-1 at home. The Vics made

  • COSTLY PENALTY

    TWO penalties proved decisive for Congleton Town on Saturday as they slipped back into the relegation zone. Bears' striker Darren Washington missed a spot kick in the first half of his side's league match at fifth-placed Eastwood Town. However the home

  • CLOCK TOWER INSPECTION AFTER FALL

    STRUCTURAL engineers are due to carry out a detailed inspection of a clock tower after part of it fell into the street below. The foot long by four-inch wide piece of masonry broke off the clock tower on Congleton town hall at 9.15am. Fortunately no-one

  • RADIO THEFTS

    RADIO cassette players and clothing valued at £1,000 were stolen in two raids on cars at a hotel car park. The items were taken on successive nights from cars parked behind The Bull's Head Hotel, Mill Street, Congleton. A radio cassette player and clothing

  • JOBLESS TOTAL

    UNEMPLOYMENT in the east of Biddulph is running at more than twice the average for Staffordshire Moorlands. The latest jobless figures for the district reveal there were 87 people out of work in Biddulph East in November. That represented 5.8 per cent

  • SCHOOL FRIENDS TEAM UP

    SCHOOL friends Judith Bamford and Lydia Ambage are teaming up again to help refugees in strife-torn parts of the world. The teenagers are among 500 people expected to take part in the annual sponsored walk at Trentham Gardens on March 20. The walk is

  • NEW LOOK FOR TOWN HALL

    WORK is due to start next week to pave the way for a new-look reception and payments area at Biddulph Town Hall. Builders move in next Monday to start internal alterations at the town hall, part of a scheme to transform the building into a so-called '

  • HIGH TEA AT DOWNING STREET

    YOUNGSTERS Timothy Blythe and Ian Martindale have been swotting up on the work of an MP in readiness for a special high tea. Timothy and Ian were due to sit down for a cup of Rosie Lea and a chat with Cherie Blair at 10 Downing Street yesterday. The boys

  • CHILDHOOD MEMORIES IN PICTURE FORM

    CONGLETON MP Ann Winterton has been putting her brushwork to the test for a special painting competition. Mrs Winterton was invited to Rode Heath playgroup on Monday to paint a picture based on the theme of a childhood memory. Her work of art will be

  • REBECCA'S ISLAND ADVENTURE

    TEENAGER Rebecca Webb will be enjoying a life on the ocean wave this month as part of a team of young sailing recruits. Rebecca, aged 18, from Congleton, will join young people from across the UK on March 30 for a 10-day adventure to the Canary Islands

  • HI-TECH FIRM PERFORMS WELL DESPITE LOSSES

    HI-TECH Congleton company JSB Software Technologies has performed better than expected despite turning in pre-tax losses of £373,000. The losses for the six months to November 30 were set against anticipated losses of £650,000, and were linked to the

  • ALSAGER COUPLE DIE IN SUICIDE PACT

    AN ELDERLY Alsager couple with a history of depression killed themselves in a suicide pact, an inquest heard this week. Allan and Mavis Crabtree, aged 78 and 80, locked themselves in their car and used a vacuum cleaner pipe to pump exhaust fumes into

  • CHILDREN PACK THEIR BAGS FOR COMIC RELIEF

    CHARITY-MINDED children raised almost £500 on Saturday by packing hundreds of shoppers' bags. The 30-strong team of Congleton Guides and Scouts packed bags at Safeway in the Bridestones Centre for four hours, raising £488 for Comic Relief. The fund-raising

  • TRIO FIGHT IT OUT FOR BRUCE'S SEAT

    BUSINESSMAN Stan Snowdon is hoping to win a place at County Hall next Thursday in a three-cornered by-election fight. Mr Snowdon is contesting the Congleton and Buglawton seat on Cheshire County Council for Labour, a party he joined 12 months ago. The

  • SHARES OFFERED IN MILLENNIUM CELEBRATIONS

    VILLAGERS are being invited to secure a personal stake in a series of celebrations planned for the year 2000. So-called investment blocks are being offered to the residents of Church Lawton to kick start fund-raising for the Millennium events. ''The investment

  • ELECTRICITY PLAN SPARKS ANGER

    RESIDENTS are up in arms over plans to site an electricity sub-station near their homes. The MEB is behind the controversial scheme, which is aimed at solving problems faced by some of the power company's customers in Biddulph. Homes in the Thames Drive

  • FUND-RAISING FUN AT SCHOOL

    FANTASTIC fund-raisers from a Congleton high school have raised a whopping £2,800 with a series of Comic Relief capers. The superb total was raised from a series of imaginative events at Heathfield High, the highlight of which was a memorable Stars in

  • DREAM WEDDING FOR YOUNG COUPLE

    ECSTATIC young couple Alison Kemp and Richard Nuttall are still pinching themselves after winning a dream wedding. Alison and Richard are set to marry at top hotel before jetting off for a honeymoon in Mauritius after courtesy of Granada Television. The

  • JOB CUTS WILL PROTECT SISTER COMPANY

    AUSTIN Reed is set to end production of its machine-made garments at the Weston Road site in Crewe this July. The move follows the decision to reorganise the manufacturing business but the Group will be continuing to develop the associated Chester Barrie

  • DABBERS DROP INTO DOGFIGHT

    NANTWICH Town have dropped into the bottom three in North West Trains League Division 1 after slumping to their 18th defeat of the season at St Helens. The Dabbers recovered well with a Matt Patrick strike that levelled the scores after falling behind

  • ROBINS ROCKED BY CREWE

    Swindon Town - 1 Crewe Alexandra - 2 CREWE were keen to get back in action when they faced a Swindon side which had not won at the County Ground since Boxing Day last Saturday. The pace and opportunism of Rodney Jack was seen to good effect 16 minutes

  • RUC VISIT LEIGHTON HOSPITAL

    POLICE officers from Northern Ireland paid a visit to Crewe last week to find out about a pioneering scheme in the town. Last year Leighton Hospital saw its own police station open follow a rise in crime at the Accident and Emergency unit and in the grounds

  • QUAD BIKE PLANS SPARK PROTESTS

    WORRIED residents are rallying support for a campaign to scrap plans for a new quad bike track at Barthomley. The parish council meeting at neighbouring Haslington last week was flooded with protesters against the proposal, which will be debated by the

  • ACCIDENTAL VERDICT FOLLOWED DROWNING

    A MAN drowned after falling into the River Weaver at Nantwich, an inquest heard this week. The body of 48-year-old railway driver John Scane, of Audlem Road, Nantwich, was found in the river on November 13 last year, two days after he was reported missing

  • PEPPERING UP AID TRIP TO ROMANIA

    RESTAURANT partner Tony Pepper is on the move this week as part of an aid trip to Romania. Mr Pepper, a partner in Pepper's Restaurant in Nantwich, is heading off to central Romania on Friday with a branch of Relief for Romania where the help is directed

  • REPAIRS TO AQUEDUCT

    BRITISH Waterways engineers have been working on the canal through Nantwich in a bid to repair a leak in the aqueduct. Last Wednesday it was reported that there was water leaking from the Shropshire Union Canal at the aqueduct over Welsh Row. Engineers

  • FAMILY'S PLAN FOR A PET CEMETERY

    ANIMAL lovers could soon have their own special place for burying pets and using as a garden of remembrance. Susan Lea, of Crabmill Lane, Warmingham is hoping to set up a pet cemetery in one of the family's fields at Tetton Lane. The field is about seven

  • TRIO ON DRUGS CHARGES

    THREE men have appeared at Crewe Magistrates charged with heroin offences after a local man died of an overdose. Mark Ravenscroft was found dead at an address in Moathouse Drive, Crewe, on January 12 after a drug-taking session with defendants Lee Hobbs

  • NEVER MIND THE PRICE

    CONGRATULATIONS on being included in one of the biggest scientific experiments ever conducted - the great genetically modified foods gamble. So scared are the US and British Governments of the companies behind the 'genetic revolution' that modified foods

  • WIDS KIDS ROUND-UP

    Widnes u13s 77 Sandbach u13s 0 A TOUCH of spring brought the best out of Widnes as they completely destroyed the Cheshire Cup holders. The game produced 13 tries, several the products of quality play and excellent ball distribution. Top drawer performances

  • BREAD AND BUTTER FOLLOWS CUP FEAST

    CUP heroics in the past, Colin Whitfield's men return to the business of winning promotion tonight (Wednesday) when Widnes play Featherstone. Whitfield said: "The game will be hard and physical, it always will be up at Featherstone. They have not played

  • WEST BANK SUNK

    Waterhead 48 West Bank 0 WITH confidence low and several regular first-teamers notably missing the Bank travelled to Oldham to face last season's champions Waterhead. The result was never in doubt from the 25th minute when the home side added three tries

  • SIN BINS VIKINGS

    Widnes Vikings 10 Leeds Rhinos 46 IF you weren't at this game, the scoreline might suggest a crushing victory for the Rhinos. In truth, the Vikings gave a fine account of themselves before running out of steam in the last quarter. With 55 minutes on the

  • CRICKET MERGER

    Widnes clubs will be affected when two major North West cricket leagues merge in the year 2000. Officials of the Manchester and District Association and the North West Counties League have agreed plans to amalgamate to form a new league structure of 28

  • CRICKET CHANGES

    Halton AgrEvo Cricket League PROPOSED rule amendments which will be discussed at the AGM on Tuesday, March 23 are as follows: Ditton CC propose an amendment to Rule 8 (a) - points for a draw. If at the due start time of 6.30pm (6.15pm in August) the game

  • LINNETS PAY THE PENALTY

    A PENALTY that shouldn't have been was enough to consign Runcorn to another defeat and leave them in the thick of the relegation struggle. Although the decisive moment was the referee's decision to award a penalty when Graham Roberts ran across the unfortunate

  • RUNCORN RUN RIOT

    Marple 0 Runcorn 1st 58 KEITH ROBERTS was rightly crown Mom after scoring a stunning first-half hat-trick of tries that ripped the Manchester side apart. Marple, two divisions the better of their Cheshire opponents struggled to keep up with the relentless

  • BURMA SHINE

    Plettac NSG Runcorn Sunday League IN the Plettac Runcorn Sunday League Premier Division, Wellie were defeated 2-3 at home against Burma Star. There was nothing to separate Norton Arms and Old Transporter the game ended all square at 1-1. Leaders of the

  • ASHVILLE GO FOR A BURTON

    Mond Rangers 3 Ashville 0 AN excellent team performance, was manager Pete Ellis' verdict on this victory against the county champions. Mond took the lead in the 33rd minute, when Wood and Crane combined to find Dwyer who laid on a pass that Simon Burton

  • MOND'S FOUR-TUNE

    Burnley Ladies 0 Mond Rangers Ladies 4 THE home side surely couldn't help but notice the absence of Mond's prolific goalscorer and their goalkeeping captain but they hardly made the most of the advantage. Mond Rangers gave Lauren McCormack her senior

  • HOLIDAY COACHING

    THERE'S an opportunity for Halton youngsters to learn some sporting skills over the Easter holidays at basketball and mini-soccer coaching sessions. Halton Borough Council's Sports Development Team has arranged sessions in both sports on Monday, Tuesday

  • VULCAN RUBBERISED

    Vulcan 1st XV 20 Helsby 1st XV 25 HELSBY returned to winning ways gaining two valuable league points. Several changes were made to the side following two defeats and the switch of Paul Taylor to centre from full-back proved a very good decision as he

  • HIGH FIVE FOR HALFWAY

    South Wirral Cup Halfway 5 Hope Farm 1 BOTH clubs were glad to get this rearranged cup-tie played but it was Halfway who strolled into the Quarter-Final stages. Hope Farm, the Ellesmere Port visitors started brightly with wind advantage in the first-half

  • HALTON GIRLS

    Halton Borough Girls u12s 3 Chester City u12s 0 HALTON thoroughly deserved their victory in a rather one-sided encounter. Both sides gave their all but it was the Borough side who played the more incisive football in a match that was played in an excellent

  • MP CALLS FOR MORE GOVERNERS

    THE DRASTIC Halton College course of action and the events of the past few years engendered mixed feelings in Halton MP Derek Twigg who said of the redundancies: "It's very bad news. I am disappointed and annoyed; it is clearly a result of previous bad

  • DEATH MYSTERY INQUEST

    TESTS are still being conducted to find out what killed a woman who was found dead in her Runcorn home two weeks ago. An ambulance was called to the house of Debbie Hamilton, 32, shortly before 4pm on Monday March 1 after her young son had found her in

  • PHONEY TIMESHARE CON IN ACTION

    HALTON'S Euro-MP is urging holidaymakers who fall foul of timeshare conmen this summer to help him put a stop to the annual fleecing fiesta. Brian Simpson said he will use new European legislation to catch out people who try to take advantage of tourists

  • WE'RE NEARLY THERE!

    ALMOST £4,000 has been donated to the World appeal to Save Halton Haven this week in memory of founder Dom Valdez, 59, who died suddenly last month. Hundreds of cards with cheques and moving messages of condolence have been sent to the cancer care centre

  • FEEL THE BENEFIT

    HALTON Council is advising recipients of council tax benefit that their benefit entitlement will be assessed for the new financial year. Bills for 1999/2000 will show the amount payable for the year ahead. Any council tax payer on a low income who would

  • COLLEGE D-DAY SOON

    THE SWINGEING cuts at Halton College may not be the end of the financial pain as it will be 10 years before the college breaks even again, it was claimed this week. A public meeting was held on Tuesday as unions repeated their calls on the Government

  • Trainees get set for a really wild night out

    FLEDGLING workers from the Northwich area, who have excelled in their fields, are getting set for a really wild night out. Four young captains of industry will be honoured by Normid TEC tonight, Wednesday, after clinching top awards for their work as

  • Moving in the right direction

    THERE are signs that the economy in and around Middlewich may be improving, according to experts based in the town. The latest local economy update, produced by South and East Cheshire TEC, shows that businesses in the boroughs of Congleton, Macclesfield

  • Firm has designs on a bright future

    FURNITURE manufacturer Renray David Baker has got designs on a bright new future. The firm, which employs 90 people at its base on Winsford Industrial Estate, turned to Business Link Vale Royal for help with developing its product range. So design counsellor

  • Student poverty is a national disgrace

    I AM writing to make all Guardian readers aware of the national disgrace which is student poverty. One in five students drops out of college before finishing the course. It is little wonder when we consider that after paying rent they have an average

  • Keep lane open

    I WAS one of several hundred residents who attended a public meeting about the proposed closure of Marbury Lane in Northwich. To me, the fact that the meeting was being held after the closure clearly illustrated the agenda of the county council. Questions

  • Green team needs you...

    CALLING all local Greenpeace members. We know there are a lot of members in Vale Royal not actively involved in the local group. We will be having a street collection very soon and really do need some help. If you are interested, please contact Carol

  • Why it is a dog's life being a child

    I READ your letters page with great interest last week, as I do every week, and it never ceases to amaze me how self-centred and self-absorbed people can be. I refer in this instance to the letter which was bemoaning the proposals to introduce car parking

  • Marc's a winner

    A TRAINING course with North and Mid Cheshire TEC was just the job last year for Marc Sayle. Marc found his way out of the employment wilderness and became trainee assistant manager at Motorworld in Winsford within weeks of enrolling. And his deserved

  • Major footy fest planned

    A WINSFORD football club is hoping to launch a major youth tournament to celebrate the millennium. Over Three Youth FC are hoping to get sponsorship to enable them to hold a 'Millennium Festival of Football' across Vale Royal in the year 2000 - and carry

  • Why Alec's sticking up for the Blues

    WORD needs to be spread around Winsford if gates are to go up. This was the message at the recent shareholders meeting, where it was agreed that promotion of Winsford United within the town was esssential to any success. "Some people don't even know where

  • Taxi driver helps to avert blaze disaster

    A WINSFORD taxi driver prevented a potentially horrific distaster when he rushed to the aid of a man whose car was ablaze in a petrol station. Taxi driver Robert Eaton was driving along the Wharton by-pass from the direction of Town Bridge, last Saturday

  • Top of the class as schools get cash boost

    INFANT and primary schools in Winsford and Middlewich are to benefit from a substantial cash injection from Westminster. The Government has announced that Cheshire County Council is to receive more than £2 million to boost its education facilities. The

  • Theatre of dreams. . .

    A FORMER Winsford man, who is now a producer in London with his own theatre company, wants to bring a play to his home town. Terry Finnegan is hoping to bring his production of Macbeth to Winsford Civic Hall in early May. He has consulted Winsford Town

  • Culture takes pride of place

    THE borough of Congleton is to be given a culture shock when a huge music, dance and drama event is staged. 'Pride of Place' is an exciting and entertaining cultural event which has been organised by Congleton Borough Council. It will take place on March

  • Here comes the band of the rising sun

    IT'S big in Japan for The Collectors who have just clinched an album deal with the land of the rising sun. The trio - Matt Kittle, from Winsford, Chris Insley, of Winnington and Mark Borlaise, of Warrington - have caused something of a spin after rehearsing

  • Barbaric cock-fighting still goes on. . .near you

    POLICE and the RSPCA are calling for help in bringing cock-fighters to justice. They say the public aren't aware that the abhorrent medieval pastime still takes place. Cheshire's wildlife and environment officer, PC Mike Wellman, said: "We've got evidence

  • Bogus callers warning

    PENSIONERS have been warned to watch out for bogus callers after an elderly Winsford woman was robbed in her home. The distraction burglary took place last Thursday afternoon, when a man called at the Queensway home of a 76-year-old woman. After knocking

  • WORKER'S DEATH IN FACTORY ACCIDENT

    A WINSFORD firm has admitted not taking enough safety precautions after an employee was crushed to death in an horrific accident. Paul Dawson, a father of four, died at Weatherseal Holdings last year when two tonnes of plastic sheets fell onto him, a

  • TO the residents of Northwich.

    The closure of SK8 Madness will in some way involve us all. As a Winsford mother of a "dedicated blader" who lives and breathes "grinding, Air, Misty" etc. this is a devastating blow. Will my child now be skating in the empty car parks and jumping off

  • BRETT Mankee made a smashing boxing debut last Thursday.

    The former SIMTA British super-middleweight Thai boxing champion only made the switch to conventional boxing last October in a bid to keep fit. But his second round knock-out of Graeme Bell from Shotton Boxing Club at Warrington's Parr Hall last week

  • ASHTON 0

    WITTON ALBION 2 UniBond First Division AN incident which wouldn't have been out of place on Question of Sport's 'What happened next?' feature gave Witton an unassailable lead at title-chasing Ashton. The game erupted in controversy six minutes before

  • WITTON ALBION 1

    GREAT HARWOOD 1 UniBond Division One NATHAN Comley-Excell signed in at Wincham Park with a second half strike on his debut, writes Nick Hallissey. But this was a dull game overall, full of missed chances and frantic scurrying. Eddie Bishop clearly viewed

  • WATER WAY TO GO, CLARE

    THIS week the Northwich Guardian is saying a fond farewell to reporter Clare Lawrence. Clare has worked at the Guardian for two years and will be missed by all her colleagues. She is leaving to marry her fiance Andy Knowles and the couple will manage

  • A BOUNCING BABY BELL

    MARTIN Bell cradled his newborn grandson on Friday and declared: he's quite the most beautiful baby ever born. It was a proud moment for the father of two, who'd pledged never to pick up a baby during his general election campaign. "I never held a baby

  • LABOUR DISMAY OVER BELL'S DECISION

    TATTON'S Labour group has responded with caution to the news of the Tory nominations. Some Labour councillors feel a return to Tory control could be inevitable if - or when - Martin Bell steps down. Clr Bill Davies said: "This was once the fifth safest

  • FOUR ON TORY SHORTLIST TO BATTLE FOR TATTON

    TORY leaders have short-listed four men in the running to try and win back Tatton - the supposedly 'safe' seat taken from them by MP Martin Bell at the last general election. The list includes none of the famous names who were thought to be interested

  • 'BOAT MUST BE SAVED FROM THE SCRAP HEAP'

    A NAVAL historian is hoping to bring a memento of the town's maritime history back to the River Weaver. The defence boat HMS Droxford, built at Pimblott's Yard in Northwich in 1952, is currently sitting in the river Clyde in Scotland, after a long and

  • SHOCK AS SKATE RINK CLOSES ITS DOORS

    MYSTERY surrounds the future of a Northwich skating rink which was suddenly closed last week. Skaters, who turned up at SK8 Madness, on Warrington Old Road, last Thursday, were shocked to discover a notice informing them the business was shut until further

  • ROBBED IN THE STREET - FOR JUST £8

    A WOMAN was attacked and robbed as she walked to the shops on Sunday night. The attack happened as the 34-year-old woman was walking towards MS convenience store, in Barnton, at around 8.20pm. Suddenly two men jumped out of a side alley, in Runcorn Road

  • 45 YEAR-OLD SHIP MAY COME HOME TO WEAVER

    WE'VE had a flood of responses to our appeal for information on the Northwich-built patrol vessel, HMS Droxford. In the Guardian last week, we exclusively revealed naval historian Paul Gwilliam's quest to bring the 45-year-old ship home - before she is

  • FAMILY ACCUSE POLICE OF RACISM

    Exclusive A BLACK teenager and his father have attacked claims by Northwich police that their force is not racist. Ben Kershaw, an 18-year-old student from Hartford, says his car has been stopped by local police 20 times in just four months. "I've been

  • JOBS SAFE AS TAX SCARE IS QUASHED

    BOSSES at Brunner Mond breathed a sigh of relief yesterday, Tuesday, as Chancellor Gordon Brown saved the company from a crippling new tax. Fingers have been crossed for months following Mr Brown's proposals to introduce a tax on minerals, like limestone

  • VALE CRASH AT STRUGGLERS

    VALE Juniors under-14s came unstuck in the league on Sunday when strugglers Grappenhall ended their five-game unbeaten run. Grappenhall are near the foot of the table, but overturned the form book to score a surprise 2-1 home win over their opponents.

  • ARCHERS HIT BULLSEYE

    ALSAGER Company of Archers struck gold in the biggest indoor competition ever held in Cheshire. The club took home an impressive haul of four trophies, as well as seven gold, four silver and five bronze medals. Andrew Lewis from Haslington won the junior

  • FLOOD ACTION

    LEISURE officers are looking at diverting a stream running alongside a sports centre to prevent a repetition of devastating floods. Much of Biddulph Leisure Centre was closed for a number of weeks last October after extensive flooding at the complex.

  • SIEMENS STAFF CARE AND SHARE

    CARING staff from Siemens in Congleton have donated more than £1,800 to local and national charities. The money has come from the employees' Care and Share Team initiative, in which staff donate £1 of their wages each month. The staff total is matched

  • WITNESS APPEAL

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an early afternoon accident in Alsager which left two people with serious injuries. The road smash involved a Ford Mondeo and a Vauxhall Cavalier, and happened in Linley Lane just after 2pm on Sunday. Sgt Blair Wilson

  • COMIC CAPERS AT HEATHFIELD

    TEACHERS and sixth formers team up tomorrow for comic capers at Heathfield High School in Congleton. Pupils will be donning 60s, 70s and 80s gear for the day, and staff will be belting out chart-toppers from groups including Sonny and Cher and The Spice

  • DUO TEAM UP TO HELP REFUGEES

    SCHOOL friends Judith Bamford and Lydia Ambage are teaming up again to help refugees in strife-torn parts of the world. The teenagers are among 500 people expected to take part in the annual sponsored walk at Trentham Gardens this Saturday. The walk is

  • HOUSING LAND ON OFFER

    HOUSING developers are due to be offered the chance to bid for a large swathe of land in Biddulph The 4.2 hectares lie between Tunstall Road and Lynside Road, and have been pinpointed for large housing estates by major developers. Alfred McAlpine Homes

  • POST OFFICE LOOKS FOR NEW HOME

    POST office bosses have begun the search for a new home for their Congleton counter business. The move has been prompted by a decision by Woolworth not to renew its franchise agreement with the post office. The post office has been based at the Woolworth

  • STAFF GO AT SIEMENS

    ELECTRONICS giant Siemens shed a further 50 temporary workers this week at its Congleton plant in the wake of a further drop in orders. The layoffs at the drives manufacturing factory brings to 129 the number of temporary jobs lost at the plant since

  • COURT HEARS OF RETIRED NURSE'S DRINKING BINGE

    RETIRED nurse Christine Turner was stopped by police while driving to hospital after a drinking binge, Macclesfield magistrates heard on Monday. The court was told that Turner, aged 55, was on her way to visit her husband, who was suffering from cancer

  • JURY TOLD OF ALLEGED ABUSE

    JURORS were told this week how a former housemaster at a Congleton children's home indecently assaulted a teenage pupil over an 18-month period. The allegations were made by an ex-pupil of the former Danesford children's home at the trial at Knutsford

  • CALL FOR HELP FOR WAR REFUGEES

    CONGLETON people are being asked to support a building project for desperately-needed school classrooms for hundreds of young refugees. The traumatised youngsters have set up home in a village in The Gambia after fleeing from their homeland in war-torn

  • WOLVES MEET SUPER LEAGUE STARS OF THE FUTURE

    THE future of the newly-formed Crewe and Nantwich Rugby League Club looks in safe hands after a visit from Super League mentors Warrington Wolves. Players and coaching staff paid a visit to Ruskin High School in Crewe to check out the young prospects

  • HOT-ROD JOHN FACES TOUGHER CHALLENGE

    CHAMPION driver John Parton made a steady start to his 1999 campaign despite having his race dramatically cut short. The Shavington hot-rod, who triumphed in the Super Road Saloon Champioinship last year, finished third in class in round one of the tougher

  • RUGBY UNION

    Old Anselmians - 18pts Crewe & Nantwich - 27pts A VITAL win against Wirral side Old Anselmians banished the threat of relegation for Crewe & Nantwich. A Russel Harper try from a five-metre scrum and two goals from Simon Robertson pulled back an

  • GRIM ENCOUNTER AT CREWE

    Crewe Alex - 0 Grimsby - 0 CREWE finally brought a miserable five-month spell at the foot of the table to an end after grinding out a point in a dour encounter with Grimsby on Tuesday night. The draw lifted the Railwaymen above Bristol City at the bottom

  • ELECTORAL CHANGES ON SHOW IN TOWN SQUARE

    NANTWICH residents are invited to have their say on how Cheshire's electoral map should be shaped. The existing electoral boundaries are currently being reviewed by the Local Government Commission for England. Cheshire County Council wants to consult

  • SKATE PARKS ARE WHAT THEY REALLY REALLY WANT!

    TEENAGERS across Nantwich have told the adults what they really want in their town. A special meeting was held last Friday for the Nantwich's young people to get together with members of the town council, church and youth groups and other interested parties

  • WARDEN SERVICE SET TO BE REDUCED

    THE warden service at Millfields Flats in Nantwich looks set to be withdrawn. CLS, which currently runs the service, has told the borough council that from April 1 it will be unable to fund the provision of a daytime warden. As a result the service is

  • MORE REASONS TO SHOP!

    MORRISONS has been given the go ahead to build a new store, petrol station and parking for more than 600 cars in Crewe. The new 83,000sq ft store will be built at Richard Moon Street alongside a new road linking West Street and Edleston Road across the

  • CEMETERY FACELIFT

    WESTON cemetery has had a face lift. New flower borders have been planted and the main gate has been repaired and painted, with plans for a lavender hedge along both sides of the path in the near future. "Several months ago I had cause to complain about

  • NEW HOUSING OFFICES SHOULD BE TENANTS' FIRST CHOICE

    THE Borough's Housing Division is on the move this week with decentralised offices set to be up and running by March 22. Day to day housing services will be provided through area based housing officers in Crewe, Nantwich and the West End. The area offices

  • DANGER! MEN AT WORK

    PARENTS are being warned to keep their children away from work being carried out on land in Crewe from this week. Improvements totalling £300,000 are being carried out in Victoria Avenue as part of a nationwide programme of works for BG Property Division

  • ASSISTANT'S QUICK TILL SLAM FOILS 'ARMED' ROBBER

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses following an attempted robbery at a shop in Wistaston. The incident happened at 12.20pm last Sunday, March 14, at Londis newsagents in Kings Drive, Wistaston. A man entered the shop, picked up a box of matches and approached

  • JAILED FOR £1m DRUGHAUL

    A DRUG-smuggler from Nantwich has been jailed for 16 years for shipping over £1million of heroin into the country. Roger Calland, of Longhill Lane, near Audlem and Ian Shaw from Rochdale were convicted of drug smuggling after a five-day trial. The class

  • BEARS ROUND-UP

    West Bank Bears u11s 10 Pilkington Rec u11s 10 A TREMENDOUS battle ended with the spoils being shared. Excellent tackling by both teams made it an exciting game to watch. The Bears conceded a silly try in the first-half which wasn't converted, but bounced

  • GOING FOR GOLD

    Widnes Amateur Swimming Club Cheshire County Championship: March 13-14 DAVID HUNT starred in a great performance by local swimmers at the Cheshire County Championships on Saturday, March 13 and Sunday, March 14. The championships runs as both an age group

  • BOWLS INVITE

    THE 1999 Maxi Martland Open Handicap, sponsored by Widnes Recreation Club and John Smith's Brewery, is due to start at Widnes Recreation Club, Liverpool Road. There are £1,500 in prizes, subject to full entry: winner £500; runner-up £250; semi-final two

  • CAR CHASE YOUTH JAILED

    A YOUTH involved in a high speed police chase has been sentenced to 12 months' detention. Martin Rigby was told by Judge Sean Duncan that he had been involved in the sort of driving where someone could easily have been killed. Rigby, 19, of Alt, Hough

  • BOXER BROKE MAN'S JAW

    BOXER Daniel Hill broke a man's jaw after finding him with his ex-girlfriend. The attack took place on the day he was released from custody after being held on rape charges, Warrington Crown Court heard on Thursday. Hill, 25, of Keeble Street, Widnes,

  • WINDMILL ROUND-UP

    Windmill Hill Junior Football Club Brookvale u14s 2 Windmill Hill u14s 2 IN an excellent game Windmill finally avenged two previous defeats to earn a 2-2 draw with goals from Alan Fletcher and Craig Jones and were very unlucky not to come away with all

  • THE FIFTH AMENDMENT

    Norton 1 Old Transporter 1 THIS league fixture was the fifth time these two sides have met this season - the Tranny winning all four previous games. The game was hard-fought with both sides giving no quarter in their push for a victory. The first-half