DOZENS of jobs are due to be created with the planned opening of a new pub restaurant in Congleton. The Devonshire Group is looking to open the venue by Easter 2000 on the site of the former Danesford children's home. The pub restaurant is due to be developed
DESPERATE break-in victim Angela Dilks is hoping an appeal in the Congleton GUARDIAN will prove the key in finding precious pictures and contact lenses. The family snaps and lenses were stolen from Mrs Dilks' Congleton home on Monday night while the family
HEART OP pensioner Graham Quayle is appealing for support for a sponsored swim in aid of hospitals which have given him a new lease of life. Mr Quayle, from Brown Edge, is doing well after undergoing a triple bypass operation last October at North Staffordshire
CONGLETON police have issued an E-fit picture of one of two thugs who robbed two young men. The men were sitting on a bench at Astbury Mere when they were approached by the thugs and told to empty their pockets. They were threatened with violence, and
Birmingham City - 5 Crewe Alex - 1 THE Bank Holiday turned into blue Monday for Alex fans who watched their side get ripped apart by Birmingham, and only heroics in goal by Jason Kearton stopped the final scoreline being even more one-sided. Crewe had
PRIMARY school pupils in Willaston have helped to give future generations a glimpse of life in 1999. Pipeline company Transco moved one of its engineering units from Winsford to Crewe and decided to enlist local children to help with a special project
NEW housing development in the borough is 'careering out of control' according to South Cheshire's Friends of the Earth. Now the group has devised a ten point plan for the future which it is urging local planners to support. "We are at a critical point
SOUTH Cheshire College has praised GCSE successes after another year of top scoring results were announced. The college's many students on full time and part time GCSE courses received excellent results with a 100 per cent pass rate in sociology, photography
RECORD crowds made the weekend's Carnival a cracking success. Delighted organisers say the borough's largest annual community event has exceeded all expectations. From the popular opening parade to the spectacular closing firework display, it pulled more
LEISURE chiefs have come under fire for "keeping quiet" about a public meeting over the town's swimming pools. Users and community leaders claim they only learned about Tuesday night's Talk-about session at the last minute. The get-together with council
FIREFIGHTER Chris Spencer was back on duty in Crewe this week after spending days trying to rescue victims of the Turkish earthquake. And although the team he belonged to recovered a number of dead bodies there was elation as one man was pulled free after
VERDIN High School celebrated its best ever GCSE results on Thursday. Every pupil in the year passed at least one exam, 36 per cent got at least five A* to C grades, and 95 per cent passed at least five at A-G. Kim Hewitt and Neil Jackson were the star
A POPULAR Middlewich priest is leaving the town after eight years at St Mary's Church. Father Geoff O'Grady, pictured above, will bid a fond farewell to the parish on Friday as he moves to St Albans in Wallasey. This week he thanked his parishioners for
Report by MHARI KELLY AN ex Middlewich pupil is back on dry land - after 10 months sailing round the world. Greg Norris, 46, arrived in Plymouth last Wednesday on one of seven 60ft yachts competing in an epic 50,000 mile race round the globe. And he enjoyed
HEAD boy Andrew Sellors really lived up to his title at Middlewich High School - by getting the best GSCE results. He gained six A*s, four As and a B. Head girl Gemma McShane was not to be left out. She got four A*s, four As and three Bs - equal on points
LANGUAGE students were the stars of the show at Mid Cheshire College this year. English, Spanish and French students achieved particularly good grades. Spanish students achieved a 92% pass rate with mainly A* and A grades, and none below a B. French students
REPORTS in national newspapers have told readers of a 'boom' in the housing market, with house prices rising at an unprecedented rate. Is it true for Northwich? What do the experts think? And what is a 'boom'? News Editor NICK HALLISSEY went househunting
INSTEAD of 'civil disobedience' that I suggested last week I think I have come up with an idea which is perfectly legal and even fits in with present Government policy. Simply make Castle Street one way with two lanes, one, nearest the river strictly
I AM collecting information for a book on folklore and the supernatural. May I invite your readers to write to me if they have any personal experiences of strange or unexplained occurrences, sightings of apparitions or remarkable coincidences and the
IN response to Superintendent Ian Johns' letter dated August 18, whilst I appreciate that 'not many people would want to swap roles with an officer at 11pm on a Friday night, being verbally abused', that is exactly what I had to do, not just on a Friday
HAVING read the story on plans to transform Winsford Shopping Centre into a "dream town", I am left wondering, where is this clouded land full of cuckoos in which they seem to be living? Changing the look of the shopping centre with "dramatic new gateways
I AM writing in response to the letter from the 'Angry mature student' published in your newspaper on August 25, complaining about Mid Cheshire College. I too am a mature student and have taken several courses at the college over the past four years -
THOUSANDS turned up on Bank Holiday Monday to Northwich's 14th annual Festival of Sport. The event, which was organised by Northwich Rugby Club, took place at Moss Farm and featured all sorts of fun and games. The main attraction was the Greenalls' Strong
WHEN you can relax, listen to your favourite CD, and slowly say to yourself, 'this is now my home', the house-buying process is fantastic. But the rest of it is, always has been, and unfortunately always will be, something of a pain for you, no matter
OAKMERE found their form again after a disappointing display against Mere last week but couldn't finish off a spirited rearguard action from Pott Shrigley. Batting first in their First Division match at Overdale Lane, Oakmere's openers struggled to get
OULTON didn't look as though they were missing captain and lead bowler Andy McIlroy as they destroyed Upton in their First Division game. McIlroy is leading an MCC tour party to Portugal for the next three matches but Dave Tattersall stepped into his
FRODSHAM Red Lion's good start in the Winsford Veterans Super Cup semifinal was undone by holders Burslem Suburban. Victories for Arthur Land and Jim Ellans gave them a great start but the Stoke club soon reeled them back in to take a one point lead at
LOSTOCK couldn't match opponents Garswood United Reserves for determination or strength as they slipped to their third defeat of the season. Garswood dominated midfield and controlled the majority of the first half as Lostock failed to get a grip on the
GOAL hungry Barnton powered four past Padgate St. Marks in midweek put their hot-shots coulSteve Astbury, Dave Murray, Richard Milne and an extremely rare Mark Warburton strike gave Barnton a comfortable win in Warrington, taking their goal tally to 18
Congleton 0 Witton Albion 1 Witton Albion put a run of three bad results behind them to bounce back with a win at Cheshire rivals Congleton. Witton needed a win to give their season a kick-start and a Paul Hennin goal late in the second half gave them
VICS manager Mark Gardiner believes his side can beat anybody on their day. The Drill Field men will entertain the league's moneymen Rushden and Diamonds on Saturday and Gardiner is confident his team can get a result. "All the games are tough in this
NORTHWICH-born distance runner Paula Radcliffe took on the world's best athletes and the oppressive heat to win a World Championship silver medal in the 10,000 metres in Seville. Her time of 30 minutes 27.13 seconds shaved 13 seconds off the British record
GYMNAST Philippa Sloane has really got rhythm. She pulled out all the stops with several outstanding performances in the Special Olympics World Games in the United States to win four medals. Special Olympian Philippa, of Post Office Lane, Norley, won
INTREPID duo Graeme Webb and Garath Davies want to do a parachute jump - to raise money for a new minibus at Castleigh Day Centre. But they are appealing for sponsorship of £250 each to cover the cost of the event. "If some company could cover the cost
NORTHWICH Guardian chief reporter Chris Reed has left the paper, on a mission to the other side of the world. For Chris and his wife Jennifer Kain have jetted off to settle 'Down Under' in New Zealand. Chris, who was our chief reporter for more than two
AN angry dad staged a protest outside Mid Cheshire College yesterday, Tuesday, over his daughter's expulsion. Robert Jennings stood outside the college for three hours with an enormous banner warning students about the way his 18-year-old daughter, Joanne
A FOUL stench wafted across Northwich on Thursday morning after a dangerous chemical was dumped in the town's sewer system. Environment chiefs received calls from homes and businesses complaining about a rotten egg smell caused by what is believed to
A DESPERATE Hartford woman faces being torn apart from her Hungarian sweetheart - because they can't afford to pay for his university course. Emma Clarke and Istvan Kaplan have just three weeks to find £6,000, or Istvan will have to go back to Hungary
IT was incredible to see so many good humoured wonderful people having such a brilliant time in Matthew Street and at the party at the pier on Bank Holiday Monday. It was phenomenal - thousands upon thousands of people just raving and having fun! This
DON'T struggle alone, help is at hand for mums and dads trying to bring up families on their own. Halton now has three New Deal for lone parent advisers - Jane Gouma, Julie Hall and Susan Steele. They are waiting to help and advise you in the job centres
IT'S the worst part of the summer holidays for this year's school leavers as the long awaited GCSE results are finally out. This year there is cause for celebration for pupils since they delivered a record 98 per cent pass rate, with over 55 per cent
West Bank 20 Ulverston 35 THE BANK started well and took the lead after only six minutes with a super try after a 75 yard move. From a short ball off scrum-half Darren McKeown, Steven King broke through. Prop John Wilson supported well but was caught
AS the Vikings prepare for Sunday's titan clash against Hunslet coach Colin Whitfield this week told the club's fans: You played a major part in getting us where we are today. Last weekend's victory against Workington - in front of a 4,000 strong crowd
Widnes Albion Bulls 26 West Sutton 6 OPENING their Division One programme with a good solid performance the Albion finally laid a bogey to rest against a team they have previously failed to beat. Despite constant pressure it took 20 minutes for the Albion
Moore Rugby Club MOORE coach Frank Williams, club captain Gary Harvey and first team captain Ian Williamson took advantage of the opportunity to try out different options in last Saturday's trial match against Hoylake. Moore used 30 different players
YOUNGSTER Sarah Weir was the toast of Halton Girls u10s in a recent football tournament. Not only did the midfielder come to the rescue when she volunteered to go in goal when her team found themselves without a keeper, but she also won three man-of-the-match
ALMOST 500 jobs have been axed this week after a Runcorn building company collapsed. R Stewart Group Ltd has more than 40 sites in the region and has operated Stewart Mechanical Services in Runcorn and Rogersons Development Ltd in Liverpool for more than
HALTON'S greatest art treasure has returned to his historic home at Norton Priory Museum. The unique 600-year-old statue of St Christopher is now the centre piece of a brand new purpose-built gallery. This colossal sandstone figure is expected to attract
CONGLETON and Alsager people are being offered crime prevention advice next week. Advice and demonstrations on crime prevention will be offered by Dane Housing's Careline and police officers. The initiative will be staged across Congleton Borough during
GREEN-FINGERED Lester Crisford is one of a series of Alsager gardeners due to receive awards this Saturday. Mr Crisford, from Talke Road, won the best front garden section in the 1999 Alsager Gardens Competition. The prize for best overall garden went
CONGLETON'S own brewery is due to open a pub in the town in time for the new millennium to cater for its growing band of real ale fans. The Beartown Brewery is hoping to open its flagship inn by Christmas with the planned conversion of a former bistro
BIDDULPH GP Michael Smith is to be remembered in a new public area unveiled in the town this week. Dr Smith practised in Biddulph from 1985 until his death from a brain haemorrhage five years ago at the age of just 38. A lasting tribute to Dr Smith has
ANGRY mum Ivy Wood has slammed train bosses for the 'appalling' service she received on her way to what she hoped would be a holiday to remember. Mrs Wood and nine-year-old son Christopher were looking forward to a week-long break at Butlins Family Entertainment
YOUNG college student Paul Eastham died of asphyxiation by hanging, a post-mortem examination has confirmed. The body of the 21-year-old was found hanging from a tree in woodland a mile from his home four days after he went missing. Paul, from St John's
CREWE and Nantwich RUFC return to action with a friendly against tough opposition Northwich, at home this Saturday, 3pm kick off. The following Saturday, September 11, the club start their league campaign with a visit to newly promoted Dukinfield who
NANTWICH Town had a successful Bank Holiday weekend with a point earned in a 0-0 draw at Clitheroe on Saturday and a 4-0 thrashing of Atherton Collieries at home on Monday. Manager Paul Cuddy started the rout on 16 minutes followed by goals from Andy
Crewe Alex - 1 Grimsby Town - 1 NEIL Sorvel rescued a point for the Alex with a great finish, five minutes from time, to preserve their unbeaten run in Friday's encounter with Grimsby. Dario Gradi kept faith with the central defensive partnership of Mark
A FRUITY group made the journey from Coventry to Crewe last week in search of a good home. The100,000 apples were available from a European surplus similar to the butter mountain. Keith Boughey, the borough council voluntary sector liaison officer soon
AUNTIE Alison Cartlidge certainly brought her nephew good luck when she took him to Nantwich Market last month. Alison, from Nantwich, was looking after nine-year-old Simon Davies for a morning when she called in to the market. They took part in the '
VOLUNTEERS and workers at Crewe Citizens Advice Bureau have been given a £5,000 boost to develop services. The money has been granted from the Britannia Building Society Foundation to four CABs in Cheshire and Derbyshire where staff all received pound
FORMER Ruskin High School pupil Helen Cheers is helping to keep things moving in Kosovo. The 20-year-old Private, from Crewe, plays a vital role in making sure British soldiers get to the right place at the right time in the Balkans. Helen is serving
FIREFIGHTERS are still investigating the cause of a fire at Maw Green Landfill Site in Crewe. The fire started in the early hours of Saturday morning when 60,000 square metres of scrap tyres and household waste went up in flames. The fire brigade spent
WOODFORD Lodge pupil Lyndsey Brogue insist she was the first person to find out about her excellent GCSE results last Thursday. Her mum, Lorraine, who works in the school's office, was not allowed to sneak even a quick look at the grades, which included
PUPILS at St Nicholas RC High earned the school one of its best ever set of results. No one left with less than six GCSEs and almost half got at least 10 A* to C passes. "Their achievements are a just reward for their endeavours across a wide range of
A GROUP of children have been swapping the big smoke for a much quieter haven in Winsford during the school holidays. The Children's Country Holiday Fund hosted 42 youngsters from London, giving them a taste of life in the wide open country. A party was
THE housing market's 'feelgood factor' may be high at present, but it can inspire a touch of paranoia. Many buyers can make snap decisions because they feel the opportunity will pass, when it's always wiser to keep calm. Homebuyer Nikki Brooks was so
IF the person who lost the Ladybird baby items in Northwich last Wednesday August 25 is a Northwich Guardian reader, then they are in luck. For their return please let me have your address. BRYAN DEARDEN Boundary Lane North, Cuddington. Converted for
AS we approach the start of a new school year - are there people out there who are dreading the increase of commuting traffic as those dear parents ferry their children back and forth to school? I wonder what Roald Dahl would have had to say about parents
HUNTING is not a rural way of life. It is a rural way of death and destruction for those who live, work or visit an area where hunts rampage through the countryside. Discrimination exists in the law that would make hunting of pets, livestock or poultry
SUPT Ian Johns continues to justify his actions in removing policemen from the streets of our villages and towns, despite local and national opposition to this policy. As a local councillor I am regularly contacted by concerned members of the public regarding
THE housing market's 'feelgood factor' may be high at present, but it can inspire a touch of paranoia. Many buyers can make snap decisions because they feel the opportunity will pass, when it's always wiser to keep calm. Homebuyer Nikki Brooks was so
HARTFORD'S comfortable victory against Audlem sealed them promotion to Division One but the title is still up for grabs after Over Peover beat Northwich. Both teams are promoted but with only four points between the two the race for the first place is
DANIEL Buxton fought back from a disappointing ninth place in qualifying to take second spot in the Fiesta Zetec Challenge race at Brands Hatch. The Cuddington racer also set the fastest lap and pushed championship leader David Gibson into third place
Nuneaton Boro 3 Northwich Vics 1 LANCE Key was both hero and villain as Vics lost their first match of the season at newly promoted Nuneaton Borough. Key pulled off a string of excellent saves to deny the home side but two lapses in concentration late
Northwich Vics 2 Doncaster Rovers 1 NORTHWICH Victoria had to survive almost 45 minutes of pressure as they hung on to beat Doncaster Rovers on Monday. The South Yorkshire side pressurised the Vics midfield and dominated the second half as they desperately
Witton Albion 0 Bradford Park Ave 2 NIGEL Gleghorn's Witton woe continued as they suffered their third defeat in a week at the hands of Bradford Park Avenue. Dumped out of the FA Cup and the Cheshire Senior Cup earlier in the week, manager Gleghorn had
CAMPAIGNERS believe Whitegate faces grave danger unless drastic steps are taken to cut traffic. The warning follows the publication of a report into countryside traffic by the Council for the Protection of Rural England. Local CPRE chairman Stuart Hogg
TIME'S almost up for the grot spots. We've handed over a dossier containing details of the eyesores in your neighbourhood to council officials. And they've pledged to tidy as many as they can - as quickly as possible. Each week we'll report how they're
A CASTLE family had to wait six months for a new back yard wall after street cleaners accidentally knocked down their old one. Stephen Pugh and his family couldn't use the yard of their Romanes Street home during the six-month period because bricks and
THERE are two reasons why businessman Martyn Bracegirdle is running from Land's End to John O'Goats and back again. The first is to raise money for charity and the second is to celebrate the approach of the Millennium. Martyn, aged 53, of Antrobus, will
ANGRY villagers in Sandiway are banding together to try to put an end to a foul stench which is plaguing their village. The smell is coming from a disused waste tip, which has been filled with chemical by-products since the 1950's. Developers Alfred McAlpine
LIFELINE, the agency that works with drug users and their families, is setting up a support group in Halton this September. Having a drug user in the family can be devastating and Lifeline strives to offer help to relatives who may struggle to cope with
A PIONEERING technique to detect breast cancer earlier than present methods is to be tested by scientists at Runcorn's Daresbury Laboratory. Researchers will be examining a new lifesaving device as part of a £1.3 million Euro project. Daresbury scientist
Widnes Golf Club THE Bank Holiday weekend provided a feast of golf at Widnes Golf Club, the four-day package opening on Friday with the annual team competition and finishing on Monday with the August Mixed. The Team competition produced a desperately
MOORFIELD Casuals cricket team finished the season off in style with a 57 run win over Travellers Rest. Moorfield 176 for three, Mark Bazley scored 95 not out with 10 fours, and five sixes. Travellers Rest made 119 for nine, Ashley Jones taking three
A PULSATING Hyde Cup Final at Widnes Rec was won by Halton Whitfords by nine runs. It was the club's second success in the competition haveing previously won it in 1990. Ditton CC skipper Robbie Morris won the toss and asked Whitfords to bat first. In
AN ARMED gang of yobs brandishing hammers, poles and a fireman's axe attacked a group of youths in a street battle on Bank Holiday Monday. Terrified residents who witnessed the violent fight in Ditchfield Road raised the alarm. The warfare broke out just
PSYCHICS have uncovered vital clues in the hunt for the killer of Widnes mother-of-two Vera Anderson, the World can exclusively reveal. Detectives are convinced it is only a matter of time before one of the biggest murder inquiries in Cheshire is solved
THE LINNETS suffered their fourth defeat in five games on Saturday with a 1-3 defeat by early league leaders Emley and then crashed 2-0 away at Banber Bridge. Robert Tonks bagged a brace after Darren Day put the visitors on level pegging shortly after
IN the Runcorn Greenall Darts League, the Town Championship winners trophy will change hands as hitherto holders Dockside B were eliminated from the competition when they went down 7/2 to Lion Doo Waps in the second round. Albion protected their unbeaten
Third Division West Cheshire League Mond Res 3 Maghull Res 1 TWO evenly matched teams produced a game that was credit to the West Cheshire league. Both sides contained a large number of youth players and the pace of the game was exceptional. John Urmson
Runcorn Ladies Darts League THE LEAGUE and challenge of the Runcorn Ladies Darts summer season, has seen some close finishes in all sections. Section One being decided on the last week in the league by Lion just pipping Navigators for the top spot by
RUNCORN boxing club re-opens this week, preparing for the start of the championship in October. Training sessions will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5pm onwards. If you are interested in training call Rab Shearer 01928 718101. Converted
