Roman invasion boost for
“save our school” campaign
by David Skentelbery
ROMAN soldiers ?invaded? the village of Stockton Heath, near Warrington as part of the campaign to save an old school from demolition.
The Romans ? members of a professional re-enactment group from Chester ? gave their services free of charge to help local residents battle to save the 96-year-old Stockton Heath Primary School.
In full Roman regalia, they marched through the village shopping centre from Victoria Square to the school – and then back.
Under the school?s foundations are the remains of a temple to the goddess Minerva while only a few inches beneath the playground is a well preserved Roman Road used to carry salt from the Middlewich area to Wigan and further north.
It links with another Roman Road leading to Chester from Wilderspool, Warrington ? once an important industrial centre which exported goods via ships on the Mersey.
Warrington Borough Council wants to demolish the old school and replace it with a new one on the same site. But 5,000 local people have signed a petition opposing the scheme and are campaigning for the old school to be refurbished instead.
Anne Dakin, a member of the action group campaigning to save the school, said: ?Archaeological excavations over the years have established the presence of many Roman remains beneath the school and the surrounding area.
. ?Unquestionably, there are Roman remains of high quality survive under the school grounds. The Roman Road survives in an excellent state of preservation and at a surprisingly shallow depth. Clear traces of roadside structures have also been recorded and many items recovered.
?But there are many more items at risk. Important items will be destroyed. We know there is a temple to the goddess Minerva beneath the school ? a bronze bust of Minerva was discovered in 1904, together with a stone bust of another goddess. These are now in Warrington Museum.
?Warrington was clearly an important centre in Roman times. It was the first available crossing point on the Mersey from the sea and also on an important cross roads. Archaeologists have searched for years without success for the Roman bridge. One theory is that it could be near the school.
?The school is an interesting Victorian building with 14-inch thick walls that are in sound condition. It is terrible that anyone should be considering demolishing it to replace it with some soulless, modern building.?
Warrington?s development control committee is due to consider plans for the new school on March 20 ? ironically the day after the Festival of Minerva begins. More information on Deva Victrix Roman tours can be seen at www.romantoursuk.com
Firms urged to enter
for “Big Chip” awards
by Lesley Wilkinson
COMPANIES in Warrington are being urged to enter “The Big Chip Awards” for North West businesses excelling in the use of IT and digital technology.
Awards organiser Manchester Digital is inviting companies to submit their entries, for the only sector awards for the region, by March 13.
The competition is now in its eighth year and this year there is a new category for the best in Cheshire and Warrington, together with categories for Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire. Winners of each region are considered for Best Overall Entry.
Entries are welcome from the digital sector companies, and also businesses, creative agencies and organisations in other sectors which have undertaken digital initiatives in 2005 – everything from a company website to wireless technology.
There are 20 categories including Best Digital Marketing Campaign, Best Game and Best Not for Profit Project.
Entries can be submitted free online at www.bigchipawards.com http://www.bigchipawards.com/. Winners will be announced at an Awards Dinner on May 24, at New Century Hall in Manchester.
Soldier prepares for “high
risk” mountain trek
by staff reporter
A WARRINGTON soldier is preparing for a lengthy trek at high altitude in a remote mountain region of South America ? as part of an expedition led by a vicar.
The British Army has classified Exercise Northern Inca, in the Southern Andes of Peru, as “high risk remote high altitude”, placing it among the most challenging and potentially dangerous training expeditions organised by the military.
The majority of the 16 soldiers taking part serve in the King’s and Cheshire Regiment (KCR), one of the North West’s two Territorial Army (TA) infantry battalions.
Warrington?s representative is Lance Corporal Steven Furby, aged 50, (pictured)who serves with HQ Company, King?s and Cheshire Regiment, and trains at the TA Centre in O?Leary Street, Warrington.
He has been in the TA for 21 years, enjoying many previous opportunities to train overseas, including to the USA, Gibraltar, Germany and Lithuania. He has also served a six-month tour on Operation Telic, the British Army?s peace support operation in Iraq.
Married to Karen and living at Bewsey, he has three children and works, in civilian life, as a driver for the Ministry of Defence.
Expedition leader is Major Jerry Sutton, a TA chaplain and the KCR’s padre. He is also vicar of St Margaret and St Mark CE churches in Altrincham.
Each day, the soldiers will trek for up to seven hours, at altitudes exceeding 4,600m, covering up to 11km. The 17-day expedition will be self-sufficient and never nearer than eight hours from help or civilisation. Colleagues in the SAS have trained them for every eventuality.
L/Cpl Furby said: He said: ?This is likely to be my last expedition as a member of the Territorial Army so I am going to make the most of it. I feel I?ve just found myself in the right place at the right time ? my last expedition and I?m going to a magnificent world heritage site!
?The big challenge for me is simply that I?ve not done this kind of thing before. So it?s going to be interesting for me to see how I cope with it all. I believe I can keep up with anything and anyone. I?m sure the others will learn bits from my TA experience.?
Asked about being a member of the Territorial Army, he said: ?When I first left school, I always wanted to be in the Army, but circumstances at the time took me down a different route. I then had the opportunity to join the TA when I was 29 and I took it. It feels a little like I?m doing my life back to front ? and here I am towards the end of my TA career trekking in the mountains of the southern Andes!?
Long serving JPs
to be honoured
by John Hendon
MORE than 80 of Cheshire’s longest serving magistrates – including a number from Warrington – are to be honoured in a ceremony at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, March 15, when they are awarded special certificates in acknowledgement of their service.
A total of 82 JPs will be congratulated on their “long service, commitment and loyalty” by Judge Elgan Edwards and Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire William Bromley Davenport.
In each case it is a recognition of more than 20 years service – a combined total of more than 2,000 years service to the Crown and community.
The certificates are an innovation introduced by Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor and Lord Phillips, the Lord Chief Justice.
Cheshire has a total of 481 magistrates and, along with the rest of England and Wales, has been encouraged by the Department for Constitutional Affairs to increase its numbers by up to 25 percent.
The presentation ceremony is also being used as a clarion call to younger members of the community to consider the role as a local magistrate for the future.
Mr Bromley said: “Magistrates are ordinary people from local communities and with few exceptions anyone can apply. If you are of good charact
er with social awareness, sound judgement and knowledge of the community you live in, you could be a magistrate.”
Magistrates can be recruited as young as 18 – Cheshire’s youngest is 26 – while the upper age limit for appointment is 65.
Technology firm moves
in with innovators
by Lesley Wilkinson
NORCOTT Technologies, the design and engineering arm of The Norcott Group, has moved to the new Daresbury Innovation Centre, near Warrington.
Managing director, Pete Lomas, said the move will allow his company to work with innovators from a much earlier stage in the design and development cycle.
“A large part of our business involves working with both start-ups and established companies in the realisation of new electronic products,” he said.
“Getting involved at an early stage allows our customers to take advantage of our experience in bringing products to market. As a company, we have always been proactive in assisting the wider design community. The informal networking opportunities of the innovation centre is a key component of this activity,” he added.
The centre is on the Daresbury International Science and Technology Park and aims to bring large and small technology organisations together from both the public and private sectors in a pioneering scientific environment. It also benefits from links with the adjacent Daresbury Laboratory, one of the best resourced science facilities in the UK.
Centre manager Paul Treloar said the move is: “a real opportunity for this growing business to benefit both from close co-location with an increasing number of relevant innovative companies, and from the north west universities associated with this site.”
Lib Dems salute
new leader
LIBERAL Democrats in Warrington are in a buoyant mood following the election of their new national leader, Ming Campbell.
Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Warrington Borough Council, Ian Marks said: “At our spring conference in Harrogate there was a real buzz in the air. After a difficult period at the turn of the year, we have bounced back in the opinion polls and now have a leader. We stormed to victory with a sensational win in the Dunfermline by-election.
?There was a massive swing to the Lib Dems in Chancellor Gordon Brown’s backyard. It was a disastrous result for Labour and shows they have lost people’s confidence. For all the talk about their new leader, the Conservatives had their worst by-election result for eight years.?
The party is now looking forward to the May local elections in Warrington when they are hopeful of making some gains.
[ 10.03.2006, 05:14: Message edited by: DS ]
