Sooty- the
inside story!
by Terry Johnson
THE man who brought laughter to millions in a career spanning 25 years with children’s tv favourite Sooty will be stepping out of the shadows this summer as part of a Warrington village’s annual Festival.
Matthew (Peter) Corbett, who took over the hand-puppet, ‘Sooty’, from his father, Harry, to entertain families for a second quarter-century, is to reveal how one of the most famous bears in the country took over their lives.
But his furry friend will not be making a guest appearance due to legal reasons – and the show is certainly not suitable for children!
Matthew – real-life, Peter – (pictured outside his home) made his home in Lymm eight years ago, having helped make the ‘Sooty Show’ the longest running children’s tv show in the world.
He will recount anecdotes of his years in tv and theatre at the Lymm Festival in July – but warns that many of the out-takes are unsuitable for children!
“The show, entitled ’25 Years Sticking Your Hand Up a Teddy Bear’s Bottom’, is not for the faint-hearted”, said Peter.
Harry Corbett bought the original ‘Sooty’ bear for 7s. 6pence from a novelty shop on Blackpool Pier and introduced him to millions of children in 1948, the year that Peter was born.
In 1957 ‘Sooty’ was given a chum, ‘Sweep’, and Harry’s performances continued until he suffered a heart attack. The series went on and in 1993 ‘Matthew’ signed a deal with Granada Tv for a new series, ‘With Sooty and Co’.
The tv bear’s celebrity status was closely followed by national newspapers who carried headlines like ‘No Sex for Sooty’.
Peter, who lives alongside the Bridgewater Canal, will be showing ‘Sooty’ memorabilia to festival-goers – including a miniature copy of the OBE medal awarded to his father, who died in 1989, aged 71.
The show is at Lymm’s Spread Eagle Hotel on July 6-7……but for legal reasons ‘Sooty’ will not be able to attend.
Lymm Cruising Club will be presenting a fast-paced festival comedy, ‘Out on a Lymm’, written and directed by Nick Johnson, from Oughtrington.
The festival also presents Peter Read’s one-man show, Dylan Thomas in America, which received excellent reviews at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
Lymm has also invited back Oddsocks Theatre to present Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ in the garden of Cotebrook House.
Festival programmes are available from mid-May. Booking details on www.lymmfestival.org.uk
Traffic chiefs set to
rule on legal battle
by David Skentelbery
THE future of a piece of land in the middle of the shopping centre at Stockton Heath, near Warrington should be settled by councillors next week.
A legal battle has been raging over the land – the forecourt at The Forge shopping centre – and the borough council’s traffic committee will be asked to give a ruling.
The Forge owners claim the land is privately owned by them. But solicitors representing Stockton Heath Post Office and the owners of the Post Office building, claim it is part of the public highway.
Planning consent has been given for a major redevelopment of The Forge, which includes removal of the forecourt.
Solicitors for the Post Office say the land has been used by the public for long enough for it to be presumed as highway. Street furniture, litter bins, a telephone kiosk and control gear for a nearby pedestrian crossing all suggest the land is considered as highway.
In addition, the surface of the forecourt is consistent with the adopted footpath in London Road, suggesting they were constructed together and maintained together by the Highways Authority.
If the forecourt is removed it will prevent the public using the land to access the Post Office and adjoining chemist’ s shop.
However architects representing The Forge say the landowners have maintained the land and that street furniture, etc, was erected only with their permission.
Stockton Heath Parish Council says the land was, historically, a row of terraced shops and clearly not part of the highway. Construction of The Forge had not altered the perception that the land was not part of the highway.
Borough council officers are recommending that the committee rule the land is not part of the highway.
Choir and band join
forces for recording
by John Hendon
WARRINGTON?S Parr Hall was transformed into a recording studio to enable two top musical organisations to join forces to produce a CD.
The popular Warrington Male Voice Choir and Wingates Band got together to record the album ?Sounding Voices, Sounding Brass? which will be available in September and will be launched at two special concerts.
WMVC?s ?Last Night at the Proms? concert on September 23 will follow ?Brass Night at the Proms? which is the previous evening.
Discounts will be available for those who book for both concerts.
The show will then transfer to Victoria Hall, Bolton on Saturday October 21.
Choir chairman Barrie Johnson said: ?We are confident that this CD will outstrip all previous sales records?.the magic ingredient?.. ?Schneewalzer?, now regarded as the traditional end to the Choir?s Christmas concerts, and is probably our most frequent CD enquiry.
?This recording represents perhaps our largest output, with immediate double potential, as both the band and ourselves capitalise on our loyal fan bases?.
The CD will also feature an exciting arrangement of ?Be Still, My Soul? (Sibelius?s ?Finlandia?), and ?The Soldiers Chorus? from ?Faust? by Gounod.
Council concern over
invasion of pop fans
by Lesley Wilkinson
IF the Creamfields pop festival goes ahead at Daresbury in August it will have an impact on Stockton Heath, the parish council heard.
Coun Peter Walker said up to 50,000 people were expected at the all-night event on August 27.
Parking for more than 12,000 cars will be provided in the adjacent areas of Hatton and Daresbury.
“All festival cars will be directed off the motorway at the A49 and make their way to the site through Stretton and Hatton,” he said.
Chairman Coun Maurice Leslie said people from Stockton Heath and neighbouring areas may walk to the event.
He suggested members should write to Warrington Borough Council suggesting that a designated walking route should be signposted.
Members were also concerned that the event would mean an influx of visitors to the pubs and restaurants in the village.
Equipment rental company’s
success in “business oscars”
by business staff
WARRINGTON-based equipment rental company, A-Plant, has been chosen as one of four finalists in an unprecedented five categories for The National Business Awards North West Regional Programme.
The National Business Awards are the highest accolade that British businesses can aspire to achieve and have been acknowledged by Chancellor Gordon Brown as the UK’s ?Business Oscars?.
Their aim is to reward and recognise exceptional business, best practice and innovation throughout the UK business community.
A-Plant, which has more than 200 depots throughout the UK, more than 2,000 employees and its head office based in Warrington, has been nominated as a finalist in the following categories for the North West Programme: The City and Guilds Employer of the Year Award; The Award for Business Improvement Through People; The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award; The Customer Focus Award and The HSE Health & Safety Award.
The winners of each category in the North West Programme will be announced at an awards ceremony on July 11 at Manchester’s Palace Hotel. The winners of each regional category will then be entered into a national final hosted at the prestigious Grosvenor House in London in November.
Winners at the national finals could then go through to the European Business Awards in Brussels in January 2007.
Asif Latief, A-Plant’s marketing director, said: “We entered five categories and we are absolutely delighted to have received five nominations as a finalist. We have made great strides at A-Plant and these nominations recognise the progress we have made in terms of innovation and commercial success.
?We know that our award submissions were subject to intense scrutiny by a team of pre-eminent business experts so we are very pleased.”
A-Plant generated turnover of ?156.3 million in its last financial year and pre-tax profits nearly trebled to ?11.7 million.
Youngsters making
a real Impact!
by staff reporter
FOLLOWING on from the success of the Youth Parliament elections which involved more than 2,000 youngsters electing their representatives a new youth group has been formed.
The Impact group has a manifesto on transport, the environment and meeting places like community centres for young people.
Around 30 young people are involved in the organisation which holds monthly meetings at the Gateway in Warrington.
Members of the Environment group have been proactive on the warrington-worldwide discussion forum and recently met up with Editor Gary Skentelbery at Bennetts Recreation Ground in Padgate, after offering their services to help clear up litter in the area.
Website chat “ruins
school’s reputation”
by Lesley Wilkinson
A CLAIM that the reputation of a village primary school is being “ruined” by comments on its website was put to Stockton Heath Parish Council.
Parish councillors and residents were discussing the New Building Message Board on the website of Stockton Heath Primary School which features comments on the campaign to save the school building.
One resident said the discussion was getting “heated,” and the site should be better managed.
Chairman Coun Maurice Leslie said: “The matter is getting heated, but it is not yet at the point where it should be shut down.”
But one woman resident disagreed and said: “The school’s reputation is being ruined because of the message board and I think it is very damaging.”
One resident complained about messages on the site, which insulted the intelligence of people who campaigned to save the school building.
Coun Leslie said he would speak to the school governors.
“Some of the content is inappropriate, but I have seen far worse on other websites,” he said.
News in brief
Hospital lottery
WINNING numbers in the weekly lottery run by the League of Friends of Warrington Hospital were 2, 7, 12 and 13. Two winners shared the jackpot prize winning ?63 each. The ?25 consolation prize went to K Whitfield. Next week’s jackpot is expected to be ?200.
Road closure
WARRINGTON Borough Council is to make an order introducing a temporary road closure in St Mary’s Street, Latchford from April 24. It is expected the closure will remain in force for about two weeks and an alternative route via Knutsford Road, Clifton Street and Miller Street will be signposted. The closure is required because of drainage works.
St George’s Day
THE annual St George’s Day parade at Warrington will take place on Sunday, April 23 between 2pm and 4.45pm approximately. It takes place between the Town Hall and St Elphin’s Parish Church and back, during which time roads will be closed temporarily to traffic and alternative routes will be signposted.
Road humps
WARRINGTON Borough Council is planning to make an order to enable the installation of road hums on the Hilden Road estate at Padgate in a move to reduce traffic speeds. Parking restrictions are also to be introduced. Objections must be sent to Karin Spiers in the council’s legal services section by April 27.
