Archive

  • EVC launches inquiry after white powder leak

    A CHEMICAL leak alarmed local residents as it covered houses and roads in a fine white dust. A giant cloud of white powder escaped from Runcorn's EVC plant at 7am on Sunday morning. It drifted over the A577 Weston Expressway and homes in nearby Weston

  • Children are putting lives at risk

    RECKLESS children are putting lives at risk, firefighters have warned. Youths have been setting fire to grass and rubbish in several areas of the town. Firefighters suspect the young arsonists watch them tackle the blaze and then immediately ignite more

  • United front

    UNITED Services A have won the Hyundai Mid Cheshire Snooker League Premier Division title. Their last game brought a 4-3 win at Lostock A, leaving them with only one defeat throughout the season and 13 points ahead of runners-up Pockets C. Lostock A finished

  • Cricket pioneer dies at 88

    OAKMERE Cricket Club are mourning the loss of their founder Bert Haughton, who has died at his home in Shropshire. Bert, who was 88, farmed the land in Overdale Lane, where the club is now based, in the 1950s and set up a small group of cricketers. Oakmere

  • Nantwich are off to a flier in see-saw game

    NANTWICH CC got their season off to a flier with a three-wicket victory at Alderley Edge, last Saturday. Winning the toss, the visitors put their opponents into bat and made steady progress, reducing them to 50 for 3. A fine 36 from Usher steered them

  • CRCIKET ROUND-UP

    MACCLESFIELD won a thrilling opening day encounter at Little Budworth as their last pair put on 13 runs to snatch a one-wicket victory. Everything seemed to be going to plan as Oulton, and in particular Paul Berry, picked up where they left off last season

  • Wright on cue for title

    AMOS Wright recorded his second eight-ball break of the season as Rudheath strengthened their claim for the Northwich and District Pool League Division One title with a 6-1 demolition of Coachman A. Second placed Coachman B also won 6-1, at Blue Barrel

  • Another great recovery rescues Danny's race

    DANNY Buxton held on to second place in the Renaultsport Clio Cup after making his second sensational fightback in successive races at his local circuit on Sunday. Oulton Park has always been Buxton's favourite circuit and he won a double header of rounds

  • First leg of double is on

    Barnton 4 Poynton 0 Mid Cheshire Division One Saturday, April 20 BARNTON opened up the biggest glimpse of daylight between themselves and Cheadle Heath yet in this season's title race. They beat Crewe FC 3-0 last Tuesday while Cheadle drew at home to

  • Vale Royal back on track

    VALE Royal Athletics Club's girls dominated the first Cheshire League track and field meeting of the season at Deeside on Sunday. They took the first six places in the second race of the U15 girls 1500m, with winner Jessica Hunt followed across the line

  • Vics get mown down

    Forest Green Rovers 2 Northwich Vics 0 Nationwide Conference Saturday, April 20 THINGS always tend to go against Northwich at The Lawn, where they have lost all four of their previous games, and it was no different on Saturday. It took two penalties,

  • Bulldogs tear through Albert

    Widnes Ball Bulldogs 46 Widnes Albert 0 THE Widnes Cup competition got under way this week with the town's newest side Widnes Ball, who have gained promotion from NWC Division Six, meeting Widnes Albert, who finished low down in Division Three. The Ball

  • Bobby gets over Vikings defeat

    Langworthy Reds 14 Widnes St Maries A 44 THE weekend gave new St Maries director of coaching Bobbie Goulding very different emotions. After seeing his Salford Reds team beaten by the Vikings on Friday his second open age team defeated their Salford rivals

  • Would you Adam and Eve it!

    WITH only seconds to go at the Willows, impressive Salford fullback Damian Gibson, his side trailing by four points, scooped up a loose ball and looked certain to score a try to grab the City Reds at least a draw, writes Mark Farmer. Adam Hughes had other

  • Haslington have a day to forget

    HASLINGTON CC suffered a miserable start to the season at Burslem, last Saturday. An opening stand of 187 by the Lowdnes brothers did the damage and a string of missed chances put Burslem in a strong position enabling them to declare on 199 for 1 after

  • Victory elusive in Elworth's chase

    ELWORTH CC came close to victory against Leycett, last Saturday but just couldn't find the vital push. Chasing a declaration of 225-7, Elworth fell short on 207 for 8. Ryan Husdon (23) played the anchor innings while Dave Palin hit a powerful 51 and pro

  • Dismissal so decisive

    A DISASTER start cost Crewe and Nantwich dear in a 39-20 home defeat to Ellesmere Port. After just 10 minutes, their scrum-half suffered a harsh dismissal for tackling a player without the ball and the disadvantage showed. Some excellent running rugby

  • Crewe FC goal machine Griffiths can't stop scoring

    ANOTHER hat-trick from John Griffiths secured Crewe FC an excellent 4-2 victory at Broadheath Central, last Saturday. The veteran hit-man just can't stop scoring, with the latest treble taking his tally to an amazing 35 goals, this season. A frantic start

  • World of work is revealed

    DOZENS of budding employees left the confines of Malbank school this week as part of their work experience projects. However, as well as the usual throngs of year ten children venturing out for their week in the workplace, Malbank school also sent out

  • Considerate bypass team in running for award

    TOP work on the A500 Shavington-Hough-Basford bypass has earned its contractors a prestigious award nomination. Mowlem Northern Civil Engineering is in the running for a Considerate Contractors award after the £28million road scheme scored an outstanding

  • Hospital police presence increased due to success

    THE police presence at Leighton Hospital is to increase by a third. The police office at Leighton has been on site for over three years and has proved successful in tackling violent crime at the hospital. Now the number of constables based there is to

  • Business women's site visit to NWF

    SOUTH Cheshire Chamber's Women in Business group has visited the NWF Group. The NWF Group was originally founded by 7 farmers in 1871 and is based on a 30 acre former airfield site in Wardle, near Nantwich. Chief executive Graham Scott gave the group

  • A taste of life in the workplace

    GET ready world! Here come Malbank's finest. Dozens of pupils from Malbank School in Nantwich were out in force this week when they took to the workplace to gain vital experience. The school hs been implementing its usual work experience projects for

  • Study will look at dangerous roads

    SOME of Middlewich's most dangerous roads are being scrutinised by the area's leading highways authority. Following calls from Councillor Dave Sutton, safety issues on Holmes Chapel Road, St Anne's Walk and Croxton Lane are being studied. As a result

  • Happy families

    HELPING your child to read, preparing children for school and story time sessions are among a range of free courses for parents, grandparents and carers which start in the borough this month. Provided by St Helens Council's Family Learning Team, the courses

  • Ash in hot form

    ASHLEY Walton struck gold in all four events and was named top boy at the Spring Sprint Meet at Stocksbridge on Sunday. But Winsford Swimming Club's successful weekend started on Saturday evening in Stockport with the Senior Inter Counties Gala. Abi Tetley

  • Solid start for Middlewich

    MIDDLEWICH kicked off their Meller Braggins Cheshire League Division One season with victory over Lindow in a low-scoring game at Haddon Field on Saturday. Stuart Price quickly justified his captain Geoff Tomlinson's decision to bowl first, taking two

  • Girls get back on track for honours

    VALE Royal Athletics Club's girls dominated the first Cheshire League track and field meeting of the season at Deeside on Sunday. They took the first six places in the second race of the U15 girls 1500m, with winner Jessica Hunt followed across the line

  • Driver attacked by dog owner

    A BUS driver was left with bruised arms after he was assaulted by a man with a dog last week. The 27-year-old driver had to stop his bus after it was in collision with a dog on Bradbury Road in Winsford on Tuesday just before 8am. The dog's owner boarded

  • Concert in aid of church roof fund

    ST ANDREW'S Methodist Church in Winsford is playing host to a special concert this weekend in aid of its roof fund. The church's flat roof has fallen into a bad state of repair and has been causing problems since it was built 25 years ago. It will cost

  • Kwik Save named as town's flagship store

    DISCOUNT food giant Kwiksave is to build a new flagship store in Runcorn Old Town, creating new jobs. The announcement has been welcomed by Halton councillors and traders, following months of speculation. It marks the final phase in a long-awaited multi-million

  • Goodie goodie gumdrops

    CELEBRITY twitcher Bill Oddie opened Halton's new country park - on a former chemical dump. Wigg Island, in the shadow of the Widnes Runcorn bridge, is set to become a big wildlife haven. A former industrial site, it was once used to manufacture sulphuric

  • Wild castle

    VISITORS to Beeston Castle are being encouraged to spend a little time enjoying the wildlife all around it. The landmark, famed for its stunning views over six counties, is using its charms to spearhead the Government's 'Your Countryside, You're Welcome

  • Catholics have cars as well

    REGARDING Nantwich Sunday Parking. Responding to the article in last week's Guardian, we would just like to say that we Catholics also need to park our cars whilst in church, so keep up the publicity. Sheila & John Wilson St Anne's Church Parishioners

  • Australia is not a patch on Crewe

    Re letter 'A town no longer worth coming to' I TOO, emigrated to Australia from Crewe some 12 years ago. Yes, Crewe has changed but so has the world. Adelaide can never have the warmth and closeness that I experienced in growing up in Crewe. As for the

  • Bring us into 21st century

    I FEEL I need to write to say what a poor state Crewe is in. The state of the bus and railway stations alone are enough to give the town a bad name, they both need multi-million pound redevelopment, the Shavington By-pass should have been built years

  • Plucky Smudge is a very lucky dog

    A PLUCKY Jack Russell is back on all paws and recovering at home after being viciously attacked by another dog. Smudge, who lives in Winsford with his owners Steve and Claire Roston, needed four hours of life-saving surgery at the Willows Vet Hospital

  • Worried patient faces wait after vital op was cancelled

    A LOSTOCK Gralam man is still waiting for an operation at Leighton Hospital despite being told that without it he may not be able to walk. Frank Johnson, of Langford Road, has been waiting more than a year to have several bones in his neck replaced with

  • Staff lose jobs as the bailiffs clear store

    STAFF at a Northwich clothes store were left stunned - and jobless - when bailiffs cleared the shop floor of all stock without warning. Yes and Co in Witton Street, which employs six members of staff, was closed down last week as part of a regional company

  • Liberal Democrats

    THERE are three key reasons for supporting the Liberal Democrats. Our priorities are your priorities, value for money and protecting the environment. Too often the council seems to be more concerned with its own grand schemes and strategies, rather than

  • Heroes honoured at Oscars night

    HUNDREDS of unsung heroes from Crewe and Nantwich got star treatment when the Mayor's Oscars ceremony took place. The event brought out tales of courage and determination as well as dedication to the communities around the borough. The Oscars were introduced

  • A blooming shame

    WHERE have all the flowers gone? I was driving to work the other day and happened to notice that the roundabouts in Widnes town centre have been dug over and all the flowers have been replaced by giant stone boulders. Has Halton Borough Council employed

  • LITTLE KATIE SCARRED FOR LIFE

    A WINSFORD child has been scarred for life after yobs threw a plank of wood through the window of derelict flats due for demolition. Katie Dean, aged eight, was playing with friends in Hambleton Way last Tuesday evening, April 16, near to the three-storey

  • House debates court's future

    TATTON MP George Osborne has secured a 30-minute emergency debate in the House of Commons. This afternoon he will argue the town's case to retain local justice. On Friday, after he had signed the Knutsford Guardian's petition to save the Sessions House

  • WALKING TALL

    A KNUTSFORD man, who lost both legs in an horrific car crash that left him badly scarred, is learning to walk again. Matthew Warnes took a few more tentative steps at Withington Hospital last week. "I've always said that I'd walk my bride up the aisle

  • Let's stick together

    DESPITE fears of a mass exodus, Crewe plan to hold on to their big names as they seek a quick return to Division One. Relegation has brought the expected speculation over the futures of Dave Brammer, Dean Ashton and Rob Hulse. But Alex boss Dario Gradi

  • Stunning Sophie wows Warrington!

    THERE was murder on the dance floor this week when Warrington welcomed the long-awaited arrival of the new millennium queen of pop chic, Sophie Ellis Bextor. Sophie shone like a beacon of cool sophistication on Tuesday evening, as she wowed fans with

  • Sessions House has had its day

    ARE the citizens of Knutsford as worried about losing the Sessions House as the various loudish voices that filled the first five pages of your paper last week? The closing down of this old building will complete the doing away of an area of shame that

  • We must remain vigilant

    ALTHOUGH the developer of the Royal George has 'calmed down about the planning decision now' (last week's Knutsford Guardian), he nonetheless managed to score an own goal by wrongly attacking a local councillor, who had the audacity to stand up for residents

  • What about money wasted on the Dome?

    LIKE many I feel saddened and angry at the proposed closure of the Sessions House in Knutsford. Surely having ample law courts to help maintain law and order at a time when the Government is coming under increasing criticism for neglecting this area,

  • Team serve up treat

    KNUTSFORD ...8 Woodside ...3 AN EARLY success for Knutsford Tennis Club was the ideal way to begin the new summer season. The men's third team had a disappointing season last year but, under the captaincy of Ken Rhodes hope to reclaim their place in the

  • Fred unearths tale from the past

    DESERT dunes, rivers and volcanic activity 430 million years ago could help to safeguard the future of Knutsford Sessions House. For Fred Owen, a retired chartered chemical engineer, hopes that the history that surrounds Knutsford's historic court house

  • Rendell left Scot free

    Gretna 1 Witton Albion 3 UniBond Division One WITTON heeded boss Benny Phillips's call to not let the season just fizzle out with a fine victory over Gretna. Albion took the lead in the 33rd minute when Rendell intercepted Gavin Skelton's short back pass

  • Rock in a hard place

    The Scorpion King (12) I SUPPOSE it was inevitable. The Rock's rather brief appearance in The Mummy Returns has finally spawned a full feature film dedicated to the wrestler's muscle flexing antics. He stars as The Scorpion King himself and while the

  • Youth theatre is award-winner

    CREWE'S Lyceum Youth Theatre have been producing some award winning work. And it's been recognised. Borough mayor, Cllr Terry Beard presented a well-deserved James Golding Drama Trophy to the group, last week. The late Jim Golding MBE was a long serving

  • A night to enjoy passion, revenge and tragedy

    THE REGENT Theatre, Hanley will host the UK premiere of a Russian opera company's versions of 'Tosca' and 'The Barber of Seville'. The State Opera of Plovdiv presents 'Tosca' on Monday - Wednesday, May 6-8. Passion, jealousy, vengeance, tragedy and religious

  • Soak uo the atmosphere

    FRONT ROW punters at a stunning new production of 'Singin' in the Rain' at Hanley's Regent Theatre next month should prepare themselves for a soaking. Those brave enough to book a close up view of the musical, on from May 14-25, will be provided with

  • Pet celebrates 60 years in showbiz

    LEGENDARY star of stage and screen, Petula Clark, left, will be wowing fans of all ages with a mix of her hits and some brand new recordings when she visits the Victoria Hall, Hanley on Wednesday, May 15. The popular singer is celebrating 60 years in

  • Councillor passes away

    HALTON alderman and former Mayor, Cllr John Hughes has died in hospital, after a long illness. He was elected to Widnes Borough Council in May 1971 and represented Hough Green until he retired in 1997. He served as Mayor in 1985-86, and was a member of

  • Holy war of words

    AN angry resident from Chesnut Lodge has accused the Anglican Church of putting the 'final nail' in the community's coffin. Sue Wynne is incensed that two churches in the area have been forced to close within the last 20 years. The old Ditton Church Hall

  • More of the same please

    VIKINGS boss Neil Kelly has applauded his players' efforts in their close fought victory against Salford Reds and says that much of the same is needed for the visit to Headingly on Monday, writes Caroline Foran. Kelly is busy gearing up his squad for

  • Ghostly sight

    KNUTSFORD Studio Cinema's contemporary film season continues on Monday evening with The Devil's Backbone - a strange and unpredictable ghost story. Set during the Spanish Civil War it tells the story of Carlos, an orphan who arrives at the Santa Lucia

  • Aiming to cut Cables

    NANTWICH Town travel to third-placed Prescot Cables in search of the one point they need to hit their target, this Saturday. Dabbers boss Nigel Gleghorn has set his sights on 50 points and would love to blow a hole in their opponents title hopes. "We

  • Northwich finish season in style as Richard runs riot

    Widnes 12 Northwich 35 FRU South Lancashire Cheshire One NORTHWICH'S first ever win at Widnes was the perfect way to end the 2001-2002 campaign and must rank as perhaps the highlight of it. Centre Richard Norton scored the first try, the first of a hat

  • Former British Lion roars back

    WINNINGTON Park legend Dewi Morris will come out of retirement to play for his old club on Saturday afternoon. The former England and British Lions scrum half will be part of the Winnington Park Vets team that takes on Northwich for the first Murphy and

  • Assistant bows out with a bang

    Lostock Gralam 3 Cheadle Heath Reserves 2 Mid Cheshire Division Two LOSTOCK ended their season with a performance that was a fitting tribute to legends Mike Alcock and Chris Peers, who announced their retirement from playing Saturday football. The day

  • Buckley tightens grip on the county cup

    NORTHWICH Vics' youth team won the Staffordshire County Cup for the second time in five years on Sunday. A good team performance meant Vics deserved their victory over Walsall side Chasetown, Ben Buckley netting the only goal of the game in the first

  • Girls get back on track for honours

    VALE Royal Athletics Club's girls dominated the first Cheshire League track and field meeting of the season at Deeside on Sunday. They took the first six places in the second race of the U15 girls 1500m, with winner Jessica Hunt followed across the line

  • BIG IDEAS FOR NEXT SEASON

    Stevenage Borough 1 Northwich Vics 0 Nationwide Conference VICS boss Jimmy Quinn learnt a lot from Monday's defeat at Stevenage, as he saw in his opponents ways he can strengthen his own squad this summer. Quinn thinks he already has the nucleus of the

  • Raven are a scalp too far fir Nags

    RAVEN B edged a classic confrontation to end the dreams of giantkillers Nags Head A and win the Winter Team Knockout final. A hat-trick of Premier scalps gave the Second Division Nags a chance of silverware and Alf Roberts got them off to a great start

  • Warm up wins bode well

    BIG wins for Karl Minshull and Chris Jackson provided Crewe Boxing Club with the perfect boost ahead of tonight's fight night in Nantwich. The duo impressed as Joey Singleton's boys were among those on the bill at Creations Night Club in Hanley, last

  • Search is on for biggest mobile addict

    NANTWICH mobile phone dealer m-viron is looking for the town's biggest phone or text message addict. The outlet in Hospital Street is appealing for users to confess their stories of mobile phone devotion. "We want to hear from people who can't get through

  • Oscar for Mercia

    HUNDREDS of unsung heroes from Crewe and Nantwich were given star treatment when the Mayor's Oscars ceremony took place. And among the tales of achievement and community spirit, the unstinting dedication of one Nantwich lady has been recognised. Mercia

  • Dragon fire the shots

    WHARTON Cons couldn't carry their dominance of Mid Cheshire crown green bowls on to the national stage. They were beaten in the semi-finals of the British Crown Green Team Championship at Irlam Steel on Sunday after beating three of the top 32 teams in

  • Blues sign off with win

    Winsford United 1 Curzon Ashton 0 North West Counties Division One Saturday, April 20 THE Blues have had only one team do the double over them this season and that was champions-elect Kidsgrove Athletic. Curzon Ashton were the only side left that could

  • No Pott luck on season's first day

    Winsford 126 Pott Shrigley 129-6 Meller Braggins League Two THE curtain raiser for the 2002 season ended in disappointment for Winsford on Saturday as not enough runs, coupled with several dropped catches, ensured their downfall. Winsford's total of 126

  • Toxic scare for fire crew

    TEN firefighters training how to rescue blaze victims ended up in hospital - overcome by toxic fumes. They were on the first floor of their practice tower behind the fire station in Heath Road, when they were overcome by a mystery 'chemical'. They were

  • Parking problems are putting us off

    A FEW years ago my wife parked in the Asda car park and put 2 x 20p coins in the ticket machine for a two-hour ticket (as it was then). Unnoticed by her, the machine had registered only one of the coins and issued a one-hour ticket. Needless to say, 1

  • Shoppers need more variety

    TO REITERATE what the gentleman said in your letters page about empty shops. I have been thinking the same myself for months. I don't know if it's the owners of the premises charging too high a rent or the council tax which is too high, or both, which

  • DNA decorates council reception

    CREWE and Nantwich borough council has gone modern - in art that is! And it's all thanks to local artist Nicholas Franklin who has donated a piece of his work. Our mayor, Cllr Terry Beard, opened Nicholas' 'Fab' exhibition at the Lyceum Theatre in January

  • Five year plan for rural regeneration

    CHESHIRE'S recovery from the double blow of foot and mouth and terrorism has been boosted with the launch of a countryside plan. The County Council's regeneration blueprint consists of a five-year plan and was drawn up by the Rural Task Force. Latest

  • Mum's warning over danger of the Pill

    A WOMAN is warning of the dangers of the contraceptive pill and says the Government should be carrying out research as a matter of urgency. Jenny Bacon spoke to the Guardian after hearing about Claire Stanley, aged 15, from Barnton, who died from a massive

  • Use your vote to make your voice heard

    THERE are to be some elections on May 2, surely that is the time for all electors to show their approval or disapproval of the Crewe & Nantwich Councillors. For instance the petitions that are ignored, the requests refused, the transfer of the council

  • Roadwork disruption on the M6

    THE Highways Agency has begun a £1.85 million resurfacing and maintenance scheme on the M6 southbound carriageway, between Walton's Wood and Crewe's Junction 16. The work, which started on Monday, is expected to last for 66 days until June 26. Project

  • A Goodie way to deal with waste

    WHAT a goodie! Famous ecologist and TV personality Bill Oddie was in Crewe to lend a helping hand at Brookhouse Allotment, last week. Bill's visit was to highlight the amazing transformation taking place at the site that will bring big benefits to the

  • Tic gets under skin of pupils

    AN INNOVATIVE new theatre company has been working with local pupils to make the most out of their time at school. Shavington High, Kings Grove and Brine Leas are all taking advantage of a new range of drama and physical theatre workshops, thanks to Tic

  • Conservative Party

    IT'S another year and time for you to vote again on the borough elections and I ask you to vote for your Conservative candidate. The Conservative candidates in your ward are willing and able to manage your council better than any other party. We will

  • Nantwich Independents

    THE major parties tend to publish policies long on words and short on results This is neither beneficial for rainforests nor residents. Our policies are on practical issues and are achievable. This Council can improve and climb towards promotion from

  • Labour Party

    LABOUR has produced a major statement called Caring and Competent of the issues, that face our borough in the coming few years. There are 19 different issues in all, each with a set of actions, which Labour councillors have agreed to pursue. Everyone

  • Are rural residents gettinga raw deal?

    RURAL residents pay high community taxes but don't get their money's worth from the County Council a borough politician claims. Englesea Brook councillor Maureen Campbell has presented 40 letters of complaint from constituents in Weston, Crewe Green and

  • Courage earns brother and sister Oscars

    THE determination of one family to overcome great odds has earned a brother and sister two of the Mayor's Oscars. Tracey Clark was diagnosed with a brain tumour in August of last year and has spent the last nine months fighting the terrible disease. Tracey

  • Teenagers are out of control

    I CAN'T believe the teenagers of this town, what is up with them? Recently my young sister was coming home on a bus and when it passed the Weates Close estate a brick was thrown by a gang of teenagers, smashing the window and narrowly missing her. Luckily

  • Saddened by critisism

    I WAS extremely upset and saddened to read the letters published last week. Some were written by students who had just returned from a study weekend run by our maths department! The staff were astonished. What concerns me most is that the result of the

  • politicians are to blame

    I'VE been following the story about Halton High School with interest being a teacher (and father) myself. There will be no doubt that the teachers/management of the school will be doing their best within the National circumstances. For 20 years it has

  • Threat to May Day tradition

    CLOSING Knutsford Sessions House will spoil the Royal May Day Festival. For more than 100 years the May Queen has joined the procession from the courtyard at the back of the historic building. But the plans to shut the 19th Century grade II* listed building

  • Lord Chancellor fails to give court house its star rating

    THE Lord Chancellor's Department accidentally forgot to give Knutsford Sessions House the status it was awarded 48 years ago. Public consultation documents, which will help to decide the future of the historic courthouse, describe it as a grade II listed

  • Doctors said Matthew Warnes would die. He knew he'd walk again

    It was not much to ask but to Matthew Warnes it meant more than anything. As the nurse pushed him down the hospital corridor in his wheelchair, he wanted to see the outside world. "I used to ask her to push me slowly just so that I could see daylight,

  • Easy victory on a strange day

    Crewe...2 Rotherham...0 CREWE ended their five-year run in Division One with victory over Rotherham, on Sunday. And the fact that they won't be among the Football League's elite come August, still hasn't properly sunk in yet. It's been a strange season

  • Partytime for playgroup

    PLAYGROUP pupils and leaders from the past 30 years were in a party mood on Friday as they gathered to mark a special birthday. Lymm Village Playgroup first met in 1972 and it held a tea party 30 years on as a celebration of its remarkable staying power

  • TWO MEN ARRESTED AS PART OF CHILD PORN OPERATION

    TWO Warrington men have been arrested over Internet child pornography as part of a nationwide operation. Warrants were executed at two homes in the town on Wednesday morning. Computer equipment was seized from both and two men were arrested. The action

  • Deadline leaves little time

    I WAS very surprised, and alarmed, to see the letter and press release informing us of the proposed closure of the crown court, especially with all the denials of recent months and weeks. I was even more horrified at the timescale available for 'consultation

  • Coverage will strengthen our case

    CONGRATULATIONS on your extensive coverage of the proposed closure of the Sessions House. Such detail will bring home the implications of the loss of the court to Knutsford's residents. Yet I do hope those who live in areas like Macclesfield, Poyton and

  • Toft hang on for draw

    TOFT - relegated from the Murray Smith, Cheshire County League Premier Division last season - started their first game in Division One on Saturday. The Congleton skipper won the toss and elected to bat on his home pitch. The openers started briskly, scoring

  • It's all over for Town

    KNUTSFORD...1 Poynton...1 KNUTSFORD Football Club returned to the top of the Mid-Cheshire League in their final home game, but only for 24 hours. They are still in with a good chance of runner-up position, but the Championship, which looked well within

  • Carragher makes a point

    RUNCORN FC Halton extended their unbeaten run to five games - but should have come away with all three points, writes Debbie Quaile. The Linnets had the better chances, played composed football and always looked the more likely team to win. Steve Carragher

  • We are the champions - honest!

    Witton Albion 0 Harrogate Town 0 UniBond Division One Saturday, April 20 HARROGATE Town picked up the point they needed to secure the UniBond Division One championship on Saturday, but Witton boss Benny Phillips is more concerned with the progress his

  • PR firm cracks its market with a Beckham assist

    A NEW Nantwich PR agency has been helping to drive David Beckham to pieces! And we're not talking about his foot. As the nation worries over his World Cup fitness, the England captain has been the subject of Manchester artist Mark Kennedy's latest work

  • Road trip turns to teen terror

    Roadkill (15) IN this menacing suspense thriller set on the vast open roads of mid-west America a routine cross country journey becomes a trip of terror for three unsuspecting teens. After receiving a late night phone call from a girl he has fancied for

  • Diary dates

    MONDAY, APRIL 29 l Yoga session at Nantwich Civic Hall 7.45-9.15pm, Tel 624303. l Cheshire Academy of Integrated Gymnastics, Macon Way, Crewe Special Olympics SE Cheshire 7.45pm. Details tel 665992. TUESDAY, APRIL 30 l Nantwich Camera Club, The Gables

  • Looking at local history

    A SERIES of Open Days celebrating Local History Week are to take place. The week runs from May 4 to 12 and locally two Open Days will be held at South Cheshire Studies Centre at the Alsager Campus of Manchester Metropolitan University on Hassall Road

  • Sing-along-a-ABBA at a mass karaoke concert

    ABBA fans can really let their hair down and join in with their favourite songs at a Sing-along Concert at the Victoria Hall, Hanley on Saturday, May 4. The Sound of Music Sing-along team have come up with the follow-up mass karaoke featuring the popular

  • Four hour concert will leave you in the Pink

    THE ultimate Pink Floyd experience is coming to Crewe in the name of charity. The fund-raiser is in aid of Oxfam and consists of a four-hour long Pink Floyd celebration at The Limelight Club on Sunday, May 5. In the concert will be live acoustic sets

  • Gigs at a glance

    FRIDAY, APRIL 26 l Country and Western night at Shroppie Fly, Audlem with Dave Christie from 9pm. l Band night at The Farmers Arms in Rudheath, Northwich featuring Wot No Drummer. Music from 8.30pm. l Neil Curtis at The Black Lion in Nantwich from 9pm