Archive

  • TARGET SET TO STOP THE DROP

    REVITALISED Congleton Town are looking to bag 30 points in the second half of the season to ensure they avoid the drop. Club treasurer Ken Mead believes 10 victories from the Bears' remaining 24 league matches should be enough to keep them in the first

  • First deal

    in USA WARRINGTON-based Performix, which launched in the US market three months ago, has clinched its first major deal in the American market. The contract, with Grand Adventures Tour and Travel, will see the implementation of Performix's award winning

  • KNUTSFORD caught the full effects of last week's Arctic blast.

    Residents awoke to a blanket of snow on Thursday morning. As the gritters worked round-the-clock to clear roads, many of which were knee-deep in snow, drivers were warned to leave their cars at home. At one point, Macclesfield Borough Council were forced

  • IT was a sign of their love for each other.

    But last week the bridegroom's gold wedding ring was buried after a snowball fight on the Moor. David Tait was playing with some friends' children during a family Christmas in Knutsford when the wedding ring slipped off his finger. "He is upset about

  • IT started with one woman and a small office in Knutsford.

    But now Olivia Ryder, managing director of COS Recruitment, is preparing to open her sixth branch and expects to employ 50 staff within the next four years. "It is all down to a good team, a lot of hard work and knowing the market," she said. Two extra

  • Pioneering scheme to help realise teaching ambitions

    MARIA Bani has become the first person to be offered a place on a teacher training course after taking part in a unique taster scheme for would-be teachers. The 22-year-old, of Lovely Lane, Warrington, is studying for a degree in psychology at Edge Hill

  • Jan is big in Japan!

    By JOEL SAWYER JAN Linton-Jones may be big in Japan, but he has even bigger plans for the British charts. For the past decade, Jan - known as Dr Jan (Guru) to his fans - who was born and brought up in Warrington, has been making waves in Japan with his

  • Residents voice concerns over phone mast proposals

    ANGRY residents and parish leaders in Thelwall are joining forces in a bid to stop a telephone mast from being extended in their village. Crown Castle Investments has put forward proposals to boost the phone mast on the top of the British Legion building

  • Man 'stable' after collapse outside pub

    A WARRINGTON man is in a serious but stable condition after collapsing outside the Sankey Arms public house on New Year's Eve. William Eaves, who is 38, came out of the Dorchester Road pub just before midnight and moments later collapsed with a massive

  • Physicist puts OBE down to team effort

    AN international physicist from Warrington has been awarded an OBE for his services to the world of science in the New Year's Honours List. Professor Erwin Gabathuler, aged 66, began his career as a particle physicist after gaining a BSc and an MSc at

  • OUR LITTLE MIRACLE

    EXCLUSIVE BY SUZANNE ELSWORTH MIRACLE baby Sam Barker defied all odds even before he was born - then battled back from a rare strain of the killer bug meningitis. Sam, now aged nine-and-a-half months, was an identical twin, but his brother Thomas sadly

  • It's just not cricket, say Park residents

    By JULIA RAVENSCROFT PARK Crescent residents are objecting to plans for a new cricket pavilion near their houses, claiming that it would cause disruption throughout the summer. An objector representing several residents from the Appleton street voiced

  • Blow to MS sufferers

    FRUSTRATED MS sufferers in Warrington are devastated by the news that the future of a vital drug will not be decided until autumn. Beta Interferon, a drug used to treat the relapsing and remitting form of MS, has been proven to significantly reduce relapse

  • Taxi firms ring in New Year

    IT was a happy new year for Warrington's taxi firms as revellers piled on the pressure to make their way home. Abba Cars seemed to have the best night of the bunch. A spokesman said: "After midnight we were jam-packed. The weather also affected our drivers

  • Reg makes his mark Down Under

    A FORMER Penketh man has put skills learnt in Warrington to good use at a theme park on the other side of the world! Reg Colter, formerly of Heath Road, moved to Australia in November 1953, aged 20. Before he left Warrington he trained at Warrington Technical

  • Field of dreams

    By SUZANNE ELSWORTH AN Appleton man has revealed his dream to put Warrington on the sporting map. Dr Michael Madden, of Barley Castle Lane, says he feels that facilities in the town need to be given a major boost before it will ever be considered for

  • Pensioner's heartache as burglar raids home

    By SARAH HARKER A DEVASTATED pensioner is appealing for the return of sentimental items stolen from her home over Christmas. Kathleen Stephenson, aged 61, of Sankey Bridges, lost her ex-husband to lung cancer and her 38-year-old son to liver failure and

  • Channel swim heroine Sunny celebrates 90th birthday

    WARRINGTON'S Channel-swimming champion Sunny Anderson has just celebrated a new milestone she celebrated her 90th birthday on Tuesday. The colourful character swam the English Channel in 1933, completing the challenge in 15 hours and 45 minutes. "It was

  • Devoted couple die within 17 days of each other

    By JOEL SAWYER A COUPLE who doted on each other for all their 56 year marriage have died within days of each other. Kathleen and Harry Cleworth, of Common Lane, Culcheth, lived for each other, according to friends, and were well known in the village for

  • Missing nude ... she's hanging on my wall!

    THE missing painting in a famous artist's collection might have been found - and it was bought on Orford Lane in 1968. Joyce Lockett, who used to live in Orford but has moved to Widnes, saw artist Leo Janssen on television appealing for the return of

  • Steve is the new leading light of a pioneering youth service

    A PIONEERING new youth service set to be launched in Warrington this year has a new leading light. Steve Hoy has been appointed chief executive of the Connexions service for Cheshire and Warrington. Connexions will integrate existing careers advice and

  • Ambulance service has a quieter New Year

    PARAMEDICS in Warrington had a happy New Year thanks to people heeding their advice. Mersey Regional Ambulance Service, which covers Warrington as well as Runcorn and Widnes, had to answer fewer 999 calls than last year. Between 8pm and 8am over the New

  • Did you see accident?

    POLICE are appealing for information about the owner or driver of a car abandoned after a crash in Winwick Road. The accident, involving three cars, happened opposite PLP Motors at around 2.30pm on Saturday, December 16. But immediately after the collision

  • Give us our own recreation hall, say elderly

    THE forgotten 'Old Brigade' in Warrington is battling for its own recreation space in the town centre. A four-year campaign by the Warrington branch of the British Pensioner and Trade Union Action Association saw members handing a petition to Mayor of

  • £8m complex scheme wins major support

    By JULIA RAVENSCROFT PLANS to build an £8 million restaurant complex in the heart of Stockton Heath are being supported by two major organisations. Warrington Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Warrington Collegiate Institute have lent their support

  • RESIDENTS TO HELP RUN THE COMMUNITY

    BY BERYL PATEMAN URBAN areas throughout the borough could get their own 'parish councils'. The borough council is planning a trial of the scheme, designed to give residents and councillors a bigger say in what is happening in their own wards. It involves

  • HAPPY NEW YEAR IN NANTWICH

    THE year 2001 came in with a bang at Nantwich. Rockets lit up the sky just after midnight on New Year's Eve, heralded by the bells of St. Mary's. Although lower key than last year's explosive start to a year of celebrations, the town's festivities provided

  • CAN WE FIX IT? YES WE CAN!

    BY PETE HENSHAW THE hard work of dozens of pensioners and other volunteers has been recognised this week. The work has gone into the building of a new road leading to Wistaston Sports Ground, The Brittles. The ground has enjoyed a hugely increased number

  • NEW HOMES PLAN LEADS TO FEARS OVER ROAD SAFETY

    PLANS for 30 houses to be built in Weston look set to be approved despite concerns about nearby road safety. The application is for Fairclough Homes and is for the Wychwood Park site in Weston outside Crewe. Planning councillors will consider the application

  • Chance to share Vanessa's weight loss secrets

    TV personality Vanessa Feltz used to be known as much for her size 24 figure as for her bubbly personality. Now, she has a great, new image and has become a role model for millions of women who are trying to lose weight. Vanessa lost six stones in five

  • Right diet, more energy

    FINDING the right nutrition in the maze of modern food information which is available is a daunting task, and increasing numbers of people are taking professional advice to make sure they feed their families and themselves correctly. Carol Fisher, a nutrition

  • DIARY DATES

    Fri Jan 5 Nearvana (Nirvana Tribute) The Limelight Club, Crewe. Sat Jan 6 Vogue (Madonna Tribute Show) The Limelight Club, Crewe. Mon Jan 8 After Breast Care Assoc., Hilary Centre, Salisbury Avenue, Crewe 7.30pm Red Cross Whist Drive, RC Centre, Waterloo

  • MARTIAL ARTS EPIC HAS MORE TO OFFER

    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (12) Released January 5. REVIEWED BY PETE HENSHAW IN what has been classed an Artshouse meets Martial Arts production director Ang Lee seems to be sitting on a wondrous, if unexpected, gem. It is the effects which quite

  • SUE'S THE TOPS

    SUPER sales assistant Susan Chaddock has won an award as one of her company's top staff. Mrs Chaddock, from Woodhouse Lane, Biddulph, has worked at the Peacocks store in Bridge Street, Congleton, since it opened. The company has 360 shops across the country

  • YOUNGSTERS' CHORAL EFFORTS PAY OFF

    BY IAN ROSS YOUNG fund-raising marvels have scored a record-breaking success with their annual Christmas collections. Guides, Scouts and Brownies from Congleton coined in a whopping £1,900 by packing shoppers' bags and singing carols. The festive fund-raiser

  • On your bike!

    In response to the letter in the GUARDIAN regarding nuisance cyclists. I feel that cycling should be encouraged rather than just the opposite. I agree with the gentleman that cycling should be safe and that cyclists should be encouraged to wear reflective

  • Looking for our long-lost cousin

    MY BROTHER, sisters and I are searching out our cousins in the UK. Most of them come from around Belfast. But there is one cousin, we believe, who lives in the Warrington area. Her name we think is now Hamblett. She was Marion Rose Shanks. Her father,

  • New Year messages to the borough council

    Saturday 30th December, 3.15pm I have spent a frustrating time in a queue on Kingsway, not being able to see ahead to congestion on Latchford Bridge. I thought it might be a horrible road traffic accident, as time ticked away beyond that normally associated

  • Speaking up for the hospital staff

    AS a member of staff at Warrington Hospital, I felt I must reply to Steve Grant's comments (Point of View, December 7). If you are to believe his accusations, the whole of Warrington Hospital are spineless employees who are afraid to speak up. I object

  • Can you give stray Tarzan a new home?

    A WINSFORD dog lover is desperate to find a home for a stray Alsatian, which now faces an uncertain future at an animal shelter. Andrew Blackshaw, 49, and his neighbours, in Caernarvon Avenue, Winsford, had grown fond of the Alsatian, which Andrew nicknamed

  • Where will it all end?

    WHO on earth sanctioned the destruction of mature trees and shrubs on the island at Winwick Island, and with it the nesting and feeding habitat of several species of bird and to replace it with a £10,000 "art feature"? Surely it would have been more sensible

  • Clr is taken at his word

    I do hope Suzanne Elsworth misreported Councillor Gartside in her interview with him on the town's failure to achieve city status. She reports him as saying "....there's been nothing for the north west. There does seem to be a pattern. I think the north

  • Road safety scheme could be on the way

    A SAFETY scheme is finally in the pipeline for traffic-choked Booth Lane after years of campaigning by residents and councillors. The busy road has seen several accidents including the tragic death of 34-year-old John Hunt, of Kitfield Avenue, three years

  • Holiday of a lifetime for TV quiz show winners

    FANS of TV quiz programme Family Fortunes would have thoroughly enjoyed the New Year's Day show, where the winning family managed to scoop all the top prizes. But only eagle-eyed viewers would have recognised Pamela and Colin Buzzard, of Chester Road,

  • Neighbours find boy who disappeared after bad dreams

    A NIGHTMARE before Christmas landed a Winsford boy in hospital. The 12-year-old, dressed only in his underwear, climbed out of bed and left his home in Weaver Street just after midnight on Christmas Eve. An appeal was put out every 20 minutes through

  • And some babies made a New Year appearance too

    THE first New Year baby of 2001 to be born at Leighton Hospital was a boy from Winsford. The youngster's arrival at 2.40am was followed by the birth of five more babies at the hospital to families from across Northwich, Middlewich, Sandbach and a second

  • Generous Amanda's boost for Sophie's appeal

    A KIND hearted 13-year-old was so touched after reading about leukaemia victim Sophie Edmonds' appeal in the Winsford Guardian last week she donated money. Sophie's family is very grateful to Amanda O'Sullivan for coming forward with funds to go towards

  • Friday January 5

    Congleton Town Hall - Storm, under 18's disco. 7 to 11pm. Further details 01606 738527 or 079800884241. Sat January 6 Alsager Civic Centre - Alsager Animals in Need coffee morning. 9.30am to 11am. Congleton Library - Trinity Operatic Society coffee morning

  • PRAISE FOR SCHOOL PLAY CAST

    YOUNG actors have won praise for their production of an award-winning play. Year 12 A level drama and theatre arts students from Congleton High School staged Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker at the school's new drama studio. The play explores

  • WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOARING TAXES?

    CLLR DEREK Bateman states in your newspaper that "Government policy on Local Government financing is bizarre" and that "the Government has given money to inefficient local authorities and taken money off Cheshire to do it". Is he talking about the present

  • CABINET WILL LEAD TO HAVES AND HAVE NOTS

    CLLR Dawn Threadgold implicates the Tories are dividing our community by "setting one area off against another". Well, let's consider the facts. Labour's new cabinet system is a two tier system; dividing our 56 borough councillors into 8 cabinet members

  • YOUTH LEAGUE SET TO TAKE A RAIN CHECK

    THE Mid Cheshire Youth Football League is set for a major re-structuring following this season's nightmare fixture pile-up. Two months of relentless rain and snow has destroyed the league programme, and with the exception of the under-11s and under-13s

  • ARCHER TAKES A BOW WITH LATE TRY

    Winnington Park 19 Altrincham Kersal 12 Cheshire Cup Saturday, December 23 THE defining moment of this match came in the last 10 minutes when substitute Nathan Archer scored Park's only try of the game to eliminate Kersal from the Cheshire Cup. Under

  • MERRY LEIGH ON HIGH

    Northwich Vics 1 Leigh RMI 1 Nationwide Conference Tuesday, December 26 IN their first game since going out of the FA Cup, Vics wasted little time in proving that their minds are still firmly fixed on Conference survival. It took just two minutes for

  • UPBEAT NAYLOR MAKES RESOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE

    GARY Evans has taken over the captaincy of Northwich RUFC. The club, still reeling from the death of previous skipper Shaun Bennett, returns to South Cheshire/Lancashire Division One action at Aspull on Saturday (2.30pm). Prop Jan Cartman has been named

  • GLAD RIDINGS MEANS NO HAPPY NEW YEAR

    Leigh RMI 3 Vics 0 Nationwide Conference Monday, January 1 VICS took to the field with Mark Devlin as the only recognised midfield player and almost inevitably paid the penalty when opposition midfielders David Ridings and Ged Kielty stole the show. It

  • JONES HAPPY NEW YEAR

    BARNTON & Frodsham Angling Club's third round of the Scotts Shield took place on Christmas Eve at Heesom's Pool, winner on the day being Trevor Jones who drew peg 43. Pole and pinkie at seven metres took a carp of around the 1-10-0 mark early on plus

  • BOXING MATCH NOT MUCH OF A FIGHT

    Witton Albion 1 Winsford United 0 UniBond Division One Tuesday, December 26 TWO average sides and an only just above average crowd made sure this derby didn't quite fit in with the festive party season. It won't live long in the memory, although the anoraks

  • WHAT'S ON

    THURSDAY Norbury Booths' reunion for July 1993 school leavers. Contact Isabel Stanton 654397 FRIDAY 7.45pm: Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society, Cranford Suite, Civic Centre. Talk by Mark Hamblin on birds of Derbyshire. 8pm-10pm: Knutsford Brass

  • Let it snow... let it snow... let it snow!

    UP TO five inches of snow fell between December 27 and 28. It spelt misery for some - while others just had a fun time. POLICE have warned drivers to be careful after Northwich and Winsford were coated in winter snow. Emergency services had to deal with

  • KATIE SHINES AT

    HIGHER LEVEl WARRINGTON Athletics Club took part in the first race of the Cheshire Cross Country League at Frodsham's Castle Park on New Year's Eve. In treacherous conditions the under 11s girls gave the club a great start to the meet with Sarah Oldfield

  • More calls to the Samaritans

    CALLS to The Samaritans have risen over the Christmas period compared to last year. Around 592 people from the Northwich, Winsford, Knutsford and Middlewich areas made contact with the organisation between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. A spokesman

  • Inn Partnership Darts and Dominoes Leagues

    DOG PAIR WAG TAILS THE only Inn Partnership Darts League action over the festive season was the finals of the Open Pairs competition. This used to be the Wakefield DIY before sponsorship ceased and comprises pairs drawing to play two singles matches and

  • Go green with your festive rubbish

    IF you are thinking about what to do with all the extra rubbish produced over the festive period there is plenty of choice for recycling. A number of schemes to recycle your Christmas trees, cards and wrapping paper have been organised by Vale Royal Borough

  • Knife-wielding robber strikes at off-licence

    POLICE are hunting a robber who threatened staff with a knife - and made off with cash from an off-licence in Hartford. The robbery happened on Saturday, December 23, when a man, with a scarf covering his face, entered the Wine Cellar, in Chester Road

  • By MIKE PARSONS

    WHO WILL PLAY IN WHICH ROLE? WARRINGTON Wolves fans are playing guessing games over the team's line-up for the start of the 2001 campaign. The biggest talking points are the wing spots, the stand off jersey, the hooker role and the back row places. Wolves

  • Katie set to see her winning poem in print

    A RUDHEATH girl is celebrating after her poem was selected in a national competition to be published in an anthology of verse. Katie Valentine, of Cotebrook Road, wrote I Wonder - telling how she misses her great grandmother who died last year. And now

  • By MIKE PARSONS

    ALLAN Langer jetted back into Britain this week with a message about his pal Kevin Walters. Alf, gearing up for his second season with Warrington Wolves, said: "Kevin's looking very fit and really looking forward to his new challenge over here." Skipper

  • Operation Nativity declared a success

    THE police initiative that put bobbies back on the beat in the run up to Christmas is being hailed as a major success. Operation Nativity ran from Wednesday, December 20 to Christmas Eve and saw 14 officers patrolling the town centres of Northwich and

  • Business leaders boost anti car crime drive

    POLICE have declared war on car crime - thanks to the support of local businesses. In the last year an anti car crime strategy, called Operation Nitro, has yielded up to a sixth of the total arrests across Vale Royal and Congleton. And thanks to a donation

  • Re-live the 1940s with help from author John

    WINSFORD author John Malam has gone back in time to write a book about a modern-day television programme. For John, who has written over 100 children's books, has written a new one in collaboration with Channel 4's The 1940s House. The book, The 1940s

  • HERO PILOT IN MID-AIR DRAMA

    A NORTHWICH pilot has been hailed a hero after preventing a terrifying mid-air battle with a deranged passenger from ending in disaster. First Officer Phil Watson was on board the British Airways BA2069 flight en route from Gatwick to Nairobi in Kenya

  • DABBERS ARE FIRED UP FOR VITAL BATTLE

    ONE word sums up what the young stars of Nantwich Town have planned for Saturday - victory. The Dabbers will settle for nothing else at Jackson Avenue, this Saturday as they entertain rock-bottom Leek CSOB. Before Tuesday night's encounter with Salford

  • VICS TURN BACK THE CLOCK

    KNYPERSLEY Vics FC is to hold a valentines celebration and 60s tribute night next month. The evening is due to take place at Knypersley Sports and Social Club on Febraury 10, and will feature Beatles and 60s tribute group Memorabilia. The event follows

  • Export help

    from Peter PETER Hogarth has been appointed by Trade Partners UK as the regional's first international trade director. He is based at the North West Development Agency, Birchwood, Warrington. Trade Partners UK brings together under one umbrella British

  • Acquisition for ISN

    WARRINGTON-based Information Systems Networks has acquired Runcorn-based Simply Business Systems, resellers of accountancy software, and taken on all of the staff, including former managing director Chris Cowling who becomes a senior consultant for ISN

  • Exor soars after £3.5m cash boost

    By PAT GILL BOLTON WARRINGTON-based Exor Corporation, the world's largest supplier of highways management software, has received a £3.5m cash boost from venture capital company 3i and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Exor will use the money to step up its

  • A VILLAGE pub may be demolished to make way for homes.

    Plans have been submitted to Macclesfield Borough Council to flatten The Village Inn at Pickmere. But the plan has angered some residents. "The idea of village life is a few houses and lots of pubs," said Sarah Carson, of Beaver Close. "Before long there

  • Chamber's honour for Chuck

    MEMBERS of Warrington Chamber of Commerce and Industry's After Hours Club were given a conducted tour of the Town Hall when their meeting was hosted by their president, Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the Borough Council. Members were welcomed by

  • Dave cops surprise honour from Queen

    By JULIA RAVENSCROFT WARRINGTON community safety officer Dave Betts has been awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the New Year's Honours List. Dave has served Warrington since 1973 and has not only helped to reduce crime but has also been a community champion

  • Hospital chosen for pioneering project

    HEALTH chiefs in Warrington are to champion a pioneering pilot project to perform hearing tests on newborn babies. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Public Health Minister Yvette Cooper. The town is one of just 20 sites chosen nationally. Every

  • Princess to visit town

    THE sterling achievements of young people in Warrington are set to be given a royal seal of approval. Princess Anne will pay a special visit to the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Young People's Centre next month to recognise the efforts of youth workers and

  • PANTO AT HASLINGTON

    HASLINGTON Amateur Theatrical Society is putting on a top show for all the family. The pantomime Old Mother Hubbard is being staged at Yoxhall Village Hall. There will be lots of music and jokes as well as a trio of bad guys with sidekicks Hank and Jake

  • YOUTH LEAGUE SET TO TAKE A RAIN CHECK

    THE Mid Cheshire Youth Football League is set for a major re-structuring following this season's nightmare fixture pile-up. Two months of relentless rain and snow has destroyed the league programme, and with the exception of the under-11s and under-13s

  • BOXING MATCH NOT MUCH OF A FIGHT

    Witton Albion 1 Winsford United 0 UniBond Division One Tuesday, December 26 TWO average sides and an only just above average crowd made sure this derby didn't quite fit in with the festive party season. It won't live long in the memory, although the anoraks

  • 'The most rebellious village in Britain'

    By JOEL SAWYER VILLAGERS turned out in force at a meeting in Lymm to show their overwhelming support for a blockade protest to development in the village. The radical fuel protest-style demonstration is set to bring the village's roads to a standstill

  • BLUES BOSS CONCEDES PROMOTION

    MANAGER Steve Shaughnessy has written off Winsford United's promotion chances in the New Year as two of his young stars face lengthy lay-offs. Midfield dynamo Carl Rendell completed 90 minutes against Witton Albion on Boxing Day, but he cracked a knee

  • New phone mast plan for village

    GORSE Covert residents fighting to stop a telecommunications mast from being put up on the outskirts of their village are facing new plans which do not require council permission. David Eccles, councillor for Birchwood East, met with planning officers

  • Calls to reduce overcrowding

    THE standing room on trains passing through Warrington's railway stations has been put under the microscope by passenger watchdogs. The Rail Passengers Committee (RPC) has called for urgent action by railway operators to provide more carriages on trains

  • Warrington penpals brighten soldiers' Christmas

    IT was a very merry festive period for the soldier boys out in Kosovo all thanks to their pen pals in Warrington. Servicemen and women serving with the Royal Engineers in Kosovo have sent a big "thank you" to the readers of the GUARDIAN, for responding

  • Gartside keen on university link up

    THE leader of the borough council has revealed his vision of Warrington becoming a university town. Labour leader John Gartside made the revelation to colleagues on the policy and resources committee that he saw a university as a key element of the town's

  • Venue's sound quality is no joke for audience

    PARR Hall bosses have come under fire from disappointed theatre-goers who say that comedy king Ken Dodd's new year performance at the venue fell on deaf ears. Some unhappy visitors complained that they were unable to hear much of the show due to poor

  • Flooding threat to town from Mersey

    PARTS of Latchford and the town centre are at risk of tidal flooding if Warrington were to be hit by extreme weather conditions. The likelihood of the River Mersey bursting its banks and immersing the centre of Warrington in sea water has a one in 200

  • Jack Frost's winter cloak fails to cause chaos

    IT may have been that Jack Frost's first festive visit caused motorists in Warrington problems, but it was business as usual for the important services. United Utilities incorporating North West Water and Norweb had no major incidents in the town, despite

  • Woman's cold and bleak Christmas

    By SARAH HARKER AN elderly woman says she was left without heating over Christmas after the council failed to identify a problem with a gas boiler. Despite four visits from council maintenance workers, 82-year-old Mary Brinksman, of Hale Street, Warrington

  • Shed those extra pounds

    ANYONE trying to shed those extra pounds after the excess of Christmas should get down to the peace centre and join a sponsored slim to raise funds. Slimmers should visit the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Young People's Centre in the week beginning January

  • WILLASTON IS A NO GO AREA

    HEAVY traffic for the construction of the new Shavington Bypass will not be able to use Willaston village roads. The Highway Agency is insisting in their tender documents that such vehicles must not use the A500 and not attempt to use rat runs through

  • DRY TIMES AHEAD FOR ATC CADETS

    THE 95 (Crewe) squadron Air Training Corps are hoping for a dry new year, especially inside headquarters! A leaking roof at their base in Lodgefields Drive has caused them nothing but trouble over the last couple of months. But thanks to a successful

  • NURSES HIGHLIGHT HEALTH HELPLINE

    .BY PETE HENSHAW HEALTH chiefs are anxious to highlight a new service which was recently launched in Nantwich. The NHS Direct Service consists of a 24-hour phoneline which gives the public access to health advice and attempts to alert residents to its

  • ORANGE'S MAST PLAN COULD RUN OUT OF JUICE

    RESIDENTS protesting against the installation of a mobile mast near Nantwich look like winning their battle. The borough planners are set to refuse an application to install a 22-metre mobile phone mast on the site which is at Cockshades Farm, off Stock

  • JUNE LAYS DOWN HER LOLLIPOP AFTER 28 YEARS ON PATROL

    PARENTS and children in and around Gainsborough Road have been paying tribute to their lollipop lady, who has retired after 28 years service. June Slack has been working since 1972 ensuring the pupils from Gainsborough Road Infants and Junior schools

  • SKATING ON THIN ICE

    BY PETE HENSHAW CREWE and Nantwich's icy end to the millennium year 2000 caused an abnormally large amount of snow and ice related accidents and has prompted calls for more extensive gritting over the coming winter months. The state of some roads in the

  • For those who want and deserve more

    By SARAH HARKER THEY say to be forewarned is to be forearmed but nothing could have prepared me for my trip to North Devon for the Extracare activity weekend. Action and adventure was the name of the game as the young at heart got to grips with abseiling

  • SCHOOLS TO GET EXTENSIONS

    CLASSROOM extensions are in the offing at Astbury and Mossley Primary Schools. The Astbury scheme involves the demolition of a flat roofed classroom, and the proposed extension would be adjacent to the school car park. The scheme at Mossley entails infilling

  • WITNESSES WANTED TO STREET BRAWL

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a major fight outside an Alsager hotel. The fighting involved numerous people, and started at 11.20pm on December 22 outside the Alsager Arms Hotel in Sandbach Road South. A taxi was damaged during the brawl, and

  • TAKEAWAY DESIGN IS JUDGED MORE TASTEFUL

    BUSINESSWOMAN Jacqui Do has won over planners with the design of her planned Chinese takeaway. Mrs Do is aiming to open the takeaway in Lawton Street, Congleton, in long vacant premises currently sealed with concrete blocks. Permission for the venture

  • CHURCH YOUNGSTERS SLEEP ON THE STREET

    REPORT BY IAN ROSS YOUNG churchgoers slept rough in Alsager as part of a campaign to highlight the plight of street children. The initiative involved 16 youngsters and four leaders from the Young People's Fellowship at Wesley Place Church. The young people

  • VANDALISM IS THE WORST IT HAS BEEN FOR 18 YEARS

    BY IAN ROSS MINDLESS vandals have been condemned for their latest attack on Congleton Railway Station. The yobs smashed their way into the main waiting room, tearing down Christmas decorations and stealing the clock above the ticket office. They also

  • WITNESS APPEAL AFTER TEENAGER DIES IN CAR CRASH

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a road accident which claimed the life of a young man. The teenager, who has yet to be named by police, died after losing control of his Peugeot car which then hit a tree. He suffered serious injuries, and was taken

  • BOMB ALERT

    BY IAN ROSS DETECTIVES were this week carrying out forensic tests on a letter bomb which injured a six-year-old girl. Leah Cain was lucky to escape serious injury after the device exploded at her home in Church Lawton. The package is believed to have

  • Making all the difference

    I HAVE just returned home from an amazing display of human kindness and have been a spectator at a 70s show that was spectacular. The special people in the show have been working on this performance since June and what a performance it was. Along with

  • A sincere thank you

    MAY I take this opportunity to offer my sincere thanks to the thoughtful and caring people, who came to the assistance of my wife after she had tripped and fallen in Sankey Street on December 18, causing a severe head injury. It is reassuring to know

  • Let it snow... let it snow... let it snow!

    UP TO five inches of snow fell between December 27 and 28. It spelt misery for some - while others just had a fun time. POLICE have warned drivers to be careful after Northwich and Winsford were coated in winter snow. Emergency services had to deal with

  • Football fan Harry steps down after six years at the helm

    HARRY Mooney has announced his decision to stand down as chairman of a Winsford association, after making it the largest in the area. Harry, 81, took over as chairman of the Vale Royal Pensioners Association, Winsford, in 1994 after moving to the town

  • Special deliveries for proud parents

    THERE was a special present for Lisa and Michael Cook on Christmas Day - their first child Michaela. Little Michaela, who weighed 7lb 3oz arrived at 9.30am in Leighton Hospital on Christmas morning. She is now at home with her parents in Wentworth Grove

  • SHOP WORKERS THREATENED WITH AN AXE

    ARMED robbers wielding a knife and an axe terrified shop assistants in Winsford before escaping with handfuls of cash. Two female staff members, at the Alldays convenience store, on School Road, were confronted by the two men who threatened them and grabbed

  • MARTIAL ARTS EPIC HAS MORE TO OFFER

    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (12) Released January 5. REVIEWED BY PETE HENSHAW IN what has been classed an Artshouse meets Martial Arts production director Ang Lee seems to be sitting on a wondrous, if unexpected, gem. It is the effects which quite

  • IN SEARCH OF ROB AND JEAN

    WE are writing this letter from Germany, and I hope there's someone who can help us. We are trying to find our friends Rob and Jean, who we met this year on holiday in France. There are not many things we know about them, only their first names and that

  • NEW YEAR, SAME OLD STORY

    WITTON'S UniBond League Cup group game at home to Vauxhall was called off after a heavy downpour last night (Tuesday). It means Albion have only played one game in this badly disrupted, near farcical competition and will try again at Colwyn Bay this Tuesday

  • POLAND PULLS THE STRINGS FOR SECONDS AS CUP STARS STROLL IT

    Northwich Vics Reserves 5 Leek Town Reserves 0 Lancashire League Saturday, December 23 FA Cup hero Ian Cooke returned to action for Vics Reserves just three days after his live TV exploits captured the nation's imagination. It was a bit of a harsh return

  • REALITY BITES

    NORTHWICH Vics have added to their former Manchester City contingent by signing ex-Maine Road midfielder Mike Quigley. Keith Alexander snapped up the 30-year-old who was released by Hull City in the summer after 67 appearances Like Northwich striker Adie

  • BOLLIN BREAM NET

    I AM still wiping the egg off my chin following last week's article, when I pointed out that there seemed to have been no significant snowfall in recent years. By the time the article was read, there was four inches of snow on the ground, and the country

  • WARRINGTON SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

    Nominations for Warrington Sports Personality of 2000 main award Make your choice from the five nominees below who you think has earned the right to be Warrington's best sports personality. When you have decided either vote online on this internet site

  • ISLAND

    ADVENTURE ENDS IN MISERY FOR LYMM Vagabond IOM...24 Lymm...24 AFTER negotiating blizzards, lost luggage and a mad hunt to find a playable pitch on the Isle of Man, Lymm suffered the final insult of a cup exit despite finishing level on points because

  • EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW by PETE HAYES

    GEORGALLIS HAS SIGHTS ON TROPHY MULTI-NATIONAL Warrington Wolves new signing Steve Georgallis has come to town in the hope of winning a major trophy before he retires. However, the Australian with a European passport is hoping to continue playing for

  • New Year delight for proud parents

    NORTHWICH was blessed with two New Year babies from Weaverham and Castle. Christian and Michelle Quiltey, of Owley Wood Road, Weaverham, became the proud parents of Joshua, who was born at 3.03am, on New Year's Day, at Leighton Hospital. And their joy

  • Veronica's honoured

    A HARTFORD woman is celebrating after receiving an MBE in the New Year's Honours List. Veronica Laird, of Hodge Lane, has been honoured for her services to St Helen's Chamber of Commerce for which she is a director. "I'm absolutely delighted and I feel

  • Anger over 350-home plan submitted over busy Christmas period

    HARTFORD Village Trust has accused developers of submitting the Grange Farm housing plan scheme during the busy Christmas period to prevent full scrutiny by residents. Redrow Homes, of Flintshire, put in the planning application for 350 homes to Vale

  • Troubled gym members left 'in the dark'

    KEEP-fit fans are still desperate to track down hundreds of pounds in membership fees after the company running Active Images gym, in Northwich, went into liquidation. The gym, on Leicester Street, closed more than a month ago and a creditors' meeting

  • Mindless vandals smash windows at Gingerbread charity centre

    LEADERS of Northwich Gingerbread Club were faced with an unhappy start to the New Year after vandals targeted their centre over Christmas. More than £700 worth of damage was caused to the Winnington Street drop-in centre as a result of the incident, which

  • George and Ivy Bunn are still true sweethearts

    WHEN George Bunn met a young girl called Ivy at a dance on Christmas Eve 1934, he swept her off her feet. Now the couple, of Queensgate in Castle, have just celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary and are still dancing to the tune of love. They celebrated

  • Bands hope to make Northwich a music capital

    A BAND from Hartford High School is hoping that 'Scumfest' will be the catalyst for a new musical era in Northwich. Scumfest is a festival of music by Northwich bands for an exclusive invited audience, and for one night only. Organised by 15-year-old

  • SPEED KING CHRIS IS NEW CHAMP

    SPEEDSTER Chris Betteridge's fantastic year on two wheels has been crowned now he's the official National 250cc 2000 ACU Star Champion. The 32-year-old was sure his fourth place in the final round at Donnington Park, in November, had earned enough points

  • KENNY NOTCHES 100 STARTS AT AGE 20

    ALTHOUGH defeat marred Crewe's trip to Blackburn, the match gave cause for celebration as one of the club's young stars recorded a personal milestone. When Kenny Lunt pulled on an Alex shirt and stepped on to that pitch at Ewood Park, last Saturday, it

  • IAN WANTS TO SEE MORE OF A KILLER INSTINCT

    THE KILLER instinct is what Crewe FC boss Ian O'Reilly is hoping to instil in his side during the new year. He feels it's the only factor preventing the club from competing with the front runners in Division One of the Mid Cheshire League. Weather ruled

  • HOPES DASHED

    Blackburn Rovers...1 Crewe Alex...0 ALTHOUGH you always hope, the odds were against Crewe repeating last season's 'miracle' result at Blackburn. The festive season brought no cheer for Dario Gradi's men or their supporters as Y2K closed with three straight

  • CARDIFF TIE LOOKS TOUGH

    BY TOBY ROBINSON WELCOME break? With league form currently in freefall for Crewe Alexandra perhaps a little magic in the FA Cup may provide a much-needed boost. The third round clash is at Cardiff City - perhaps not! After what would have been a battle