BANK HOLIDAY BREAK
MONDAY being the May Day Bank Holiday, Warrington-Worldwide will be taking a break. The news pages will not be updated on Monday, unless there is a news story of major importance. We will be back as usual, with all the latest news, on Tuesday May 3.
Hannah prepares for
African adventure
by staff reporter
STUDENT Hannah Rees from Culcheth, Warrington, is embarking on a mission to Africa to carry out voluntary teaching work in a primary school.
University student Hannah has been busy fund-raising for the trip which takes place in June.
She will be travelling to Ghana in West Africa for 6 weeks and her work will essentially involve aiding the facilitation of greater development of literacy and numeracy skills amongst the children. Hannah said: “Although not one of the poorest African nations, although 30% of the country still lives below the poverty line, the people are particularly keen to improve the ability of their children in terms of the English language – the official language of Ghana.
” Of course I am not expecting this adventure to be a one way experience. I am excited, although perhaps slightly apprehensive, about experiencing an entirely different culture and lifestyle.
“I will be staying with a Ghanaian family – something I am particularly looking forward to! I will hopefully absorb the values of the people there and perhaps also gain some alternative perspectives in terms of what should constitute the truly important aspects of our lives.
“Coming from such a materialistic country as ours, I am not expecting this adventure to be easy. Indeed, I expect parts of the trip to be extremely difficult to cope with in terms of the totally different way of life there. However, I am looking forward to the challenge and look forward to gaining an appreciation of a different culture, existence and values.”
To make the voluntary work possible she needs to raise in excess of ?1,500.
A former pupil at Twiss Green County Primary School and then St. Aelred’s Catholic Technology College, as well as a member of Newchurch Parish Church, Hannah is currently a student at Manchester University, studying Mathematics and English.
Fundraising activities included organising Afternoon Tea at Newchurch Parish Hall. Donations for the trip can be sent to Hannah Rees, 377 Warrington Road, Culcheth, Warrington, Cheshire. WA3 5HS.
Housing chiefs take
legal action
against tenants
by staff reporter
HOUSING chiefs in Warrington have taken successful legal action against two tenants who caused disruption to their neighbours.
Golden Gates Housing – the borough council’s housing arm – was awarded an injunction, with a power of arrest, against a 40-year-old man from Festival Crescent who had allegedly threatened his neighbours and had been loud and abusive.
They were also awarded an injunction against a 22-year-old woman from Poplars Avenue who had allegedly threatened and been abusive to a neighbour.
The woman signed an agreement to say she would abide by the terms of the injunction for six months while the injunction itself was struck out.
A number of other anti-social behaviour cases are currently being reviewed by legal representatives, with a view to taking legal action including demotion of tenancy.
Golden Gates Housing director Peter Mercer said: “We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and we will continue to take action against those who make the lives of their neighbours a misery.”
More than 9,000 homes are managed by GGH in Warrington, on behalf of the council.
Village “freeman” honour
for long-serving Dennis
by Lesley Wilkinson
A MAN who served Lymm Parish Council for 25 years – and has seen the village change from a run down centre to a thriving community – was rewarded by being made the first-ever Freeman of the Parish at the council’s annual Civic Dinner.
Former councillor Dennis Thomason, 66, was a councillor until last year and continues his family’s service to the parish going back more than 50 years.
His election onto the parish council followed that of relative Peter Thomason who served for 12 years, and his own father who served on the former Lymm Urban District Council, and was chairman in 1955.
Dennis, currently living in Glebe, High Legh, is one of the select band of Lymm Grays – named after the Gray horses that previously pulled the Rushgreen carts. The title is given to people who are the third generation of their family to be born in the village.
He has always lived in Lymm, his father and grandfather were both born in Sandy Lane and the family history in the village goes back to the first census conducted in about 1790.
Dennis enjoyed serving the parish council and believes it offers a “value for money” way of getting things done in the village.
“I have seen lots of changes in the 25 years. The centre of Lymm was run down and boarded up, and was dying on its feet. It is vibrant now,” he said.
He was thrilled to receive the honour and has hung his scroll in pride of place in his office. The award was presented by chairman Coun Rita Cochrane, who paid tribute to his work.
Coun Sheila Woodyatt – who was unable to be present – also sent a tribute.
“He is a great loss and a very hard act to follow,” she said.
Dennis and his wife Barbara have three children and four grandchildren. He was formerly an area sales manager selling electrical components to the aerospace and defence industry throughout the country.
He has served the Lymm community in several other ways including being a scout master with the Third Lymm Scouts, as a member of Oughtrington Community Association and serving as a governor and on the PTA at Oughtrington Primary and Lymm High Schools.
Veterans
on parade
by Gary Skentelbery
A number of events are being lined up in Warrington to mark the forthcoming V.E Day and V.J Day events including the official July 10 celebrations and Services.
The RAFA Burtonwood branch in association with the The Royal British Legion Penketh/Sankey branch, The South Lancashire/Queens Lancashire Regiments and the Burtonwood Association are holding the following events:
May 8: VE Day Service and Parade takes place at Gulliver’s World at 10.15am when Salute to be taken by the holders of the highest Honours from the three Services present on the day.
July 9 : The above organisations are also supporting the Royal British Legion’s celebrations during the day: there will be face painting, bouncy castle and of course party food for all the local children from the community.
In the evening there will be a celebration 40’s style dance with a Vera Lynn soloist.
August 14: VJ Day Service and Parade again at Gulliver’s World 10.15am. Salute to be taken by holders of the Burma Star from the three Services again present on the day.
Further details are available from Brian Murphy, Chairman, RAFA Burtonwood Branch on 01925 791501
Ex-council leader
slams Prime Minister
by David Skentelbery
FORMER Labour leader of Warrington Borough Council Mike Hughes has called for the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair, in the wake of the row over the legality of the Iraq war.
He says if the Prime Minister has any honour he should resign.
Mr Hughes (pictured) – now standing as a Community Action Party candidate in Warrington North in the General Election – hit out after the revelations that the Attorney General’s advice on the invasion of Iraq originally raised doubts about its legality.
He said: “When leader of the council I proposed a resolution opposing any military action without a specific United Nations resolution which was unanimously agreed by the whole council.
“Even then it was clear to some that we were being bounced into an illegal situation that could only result in the loss of the political and moral high ground, the de
aths of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians and our own service personnel.
“Such a unilateral action could only act as a recruiting sergeant for more terrorism.
If the PM has any honour, he would resign.”
Mr Hughes also made a bitter attack on certain sections of the media for ignoring minority parties in the election campaign.
He said: “There are actually 10 candidates standing in the two Warrington constituencies but you would think from some sections of the media that there were only the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats.
“This is undemocratic and unfair. There should be a level playing field.”
New mini-tennis courts
to be officially opened
by David Skentelbery
INNOVATIVE new mini-tennis courts are to be officially opened at Stockton Heath Tennis Club, Warrington tomorrow (Sunday) as part of the club’s commitment to encouraging more children to play the game.
There will also be an open day at the club, when non-members can drop in and sample the club’s facilities and enjoy a lunch-time barbecue.
The brightly coloured courts enable the youngest juniors to play using small racquets, soft balls and a smaller net.
It is believed the facility – installed with the help of a grant from the Lawn Tennis Association – is one of only about six in the country.
The two courts can be combined to form an adult singles court.
Club chairman Jim Baron said: “We were fortunate to have an area of land which wasn’t really being used for anything which could accommodate the mini courts. The brightly coloured playing surface is attractive to children but is also used as a coaching aid, with different colours for different parts of the court.”
Stockton Heath Tennis Club has a partnership arrangement with Bridgewater High School – just across the road from the Delphfields Road club – under which the club contributed to the cost of the school’s floodlit all-weather courts and shares their use.
News in brief
Storage plan
PLANS to convert a warehouse in Langford Way, Appleton, Warrington for multi-tier document storage, with a security fence, sprinkler system and loading canopy, have been approved by the borough council.
Security fence
SEVEN feet high fencing, with emergency access gates, is to be erected on the Grange Industrial Estate, Melford Court, Warrington.
Dumped tyres
WARRINGTON Borough Council has been asked by Appleton Parish Council to take action over the dumping of old tyres in a lay-by off Grappenhall Lane, Appleton, at the entrance to the old Barleycastle Lane.
Youth grant
GRAPPENHALL and Thelwall Parish Council has agreed to make a grant of ?2,538 to the Grappenhall and Thelwall Youth Base – equivalent to the annual cost of one youth worker.
