COFFEE FLOWS AS BILL TAKES FINAL BOW (From Warrington Guardian)

COFFEE FLOWS AS BILL TAKES FINAL BOW

AT times it was only the coffee flowing freely.

After an initial burst, the results stopped coming and the remaining candidates could do nothing but wait, dry of mouth and hopeful of heart.

The only truly relaxed faces belonged to the candidates standing uncontested.

Most of their colleagues seemed to know their fate long before Bill Woods reached the microphone. The borough's chief executive, returning officer for the last time before retirement, had seen it all before.

But after the last results were revealed at Northwich Memorial Hall, a little before 1.30 on Friday morning, his first move was towards a giant screen where Vale Royal's political make-up was mapped out in red, blue and gold.

One colour was missing from the computer-controlled image, a technological first for Vale Royal that Peter Snow would have been proud to prowl in front of.

Success by an independent candidate would have put a white square on the chart. But the borough had only one, and Geoff Hayes, standing in Lostock and Wincham, polled only 71 votes. It wasn't for the lack of effort. He was at the front of the queue when his polling station opened and spent the rest of the day trying to persuade the undecided to ignore the major parties.

But by the time his ward was won, he knew he'd lost and as the next results were read out, someone poured another pot of coffee.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.