New plan to re-open
disused country club
by David Skentelbery
WORK is at an advanced stage on a new bid to re-open a disused country club near Warrington.
The Glazebrook County Club, in Bank Street, Glazebrook has stood empty for years following a series of disasters which left the building ravaged by fire and pillaged by travellers.
Owner Christine Lucas has fought a running battle with vandals ? and nearby residents ? in a bid to re-open the club.
Now she is planning to re-open it as an activity centre and agricultural centre. Workmen have been restoring the building over a period of nearly a year.
The Glazebrook Country Club has had a chequered history. It was originally a wartime camp, occupied by both US and Canadian army and navy personnel.
In the sixties it was converted into a country club and restaurant ? and drew complaints from villagers when the then owners staged strip shows and gambling.
Later it became a members? club offering facilities for squash, badminton, table tennis and a lounge bar for functions.
In 1991, however, after Mrs Lucas had taken it over, the club was closed after a 400-volt power surge caused a blast which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage. Since then it has only opened for short periods in between attacks by vandals and invasions by up to 50 travellers. For most of the time it has stood empty and deteriorating.
Warrington Borough Council has refused a number of planning applications to bring the site back into use ? including one for a house on the site and another for apartments. All were opposed by nearby residents.
Mrs Lucas said: ?I don?t give up. This building has been part of my life for 20 years and has cost me a fortune. But I cannot let it go on deteriorating.
?It has planning consent for various activities so I will be concentrating on activities I can introduce without seeking planning consent. These include indoor archery and clay pigeon shooting and use as an activity centre.
?There are about four acres of land around the club which would be suitable for horse riding, agricultural studies, dog training, etc.
?The Air Training Corps are interested in using it as a training centre ? and that would be ideal. It was a military establishment originally, so it would be good to see the air cadets here.?
A spokesman for the South Manchester and East Cheshire Wing of the ATC confirmed they were interested in using the centre.
?It needs some work doing on it to meet our requirements, but once that is done it would be ideal for us.?
College art team
highly commended
by John Hendon
THE Art and Design team from Warrington?s Priestley College returned from the Beacon Awards ceremony at the Association of Colleges conference in Birmingham with a ?highly commended? award.
Although disappointed not to scoop the top award following an outstanding Urban Renewal Project based in Liverpool and continued academic excellence, the college was very happy with the outcome.
Priestley?s submission followed a project based in the Ropewalks District of Liverpool as students produced artistic outcomes on the theory of urban renewal.
Many different partners came together to work on the brief including the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment as well as professional artists and guest tutors.
The work was then displayed in one of the city centre?s most prestigious art galleries ? the Renew Rooms.
Since the exhibition, further good news followed with students Hannah Slater and Annice Callery named in the top five national performers for Art and Design, while many of this summer?s other leavers went on to study at world famous art institutions.
Andrea Marren, Priestley?s head of Art and Design commented: ?We were very happy indeed to be ?highly commended? at the presentation ceremony and see it as a fitting reward for the efforts of everybody associated with Art and Design at Priestley College.?
New police warning
on doorstep thieves
by John Hendon
POLICE have issued a new warning about distraction burglaries following a series of incidents in the Warrington area.
Three offences are being linked by detectives, who believe the same offenders are responsible for them all.
In the first, two men called at a house in Gerrard Road, Croft, telling the elderly occupant they were from the water board. They were admitted to the house and one stole cash and jewellery while the other kept the occupant talking in the kitchen.
Both men had Liverpool accents and one wore a baseball cap.
The second offence was in Chapel Lane, Rixton when a man in a boiler suit called asking to check the water. He was admitted to the kitchen, but left when the elderly occupant?s carer arrived.
A third incident took place in Chester Road, Warrington when two men in dark clothes asked if they could check the water. One managed to get upstairs while the other distracted the occupant. A quantity of cash was stolen.
Anyone who has seen anything suspicious in these areas, or elsewhere in the Warrington area is asked to call DC Tracy Short on 01244 614892.
Boy cyclist foils
armed robber
by David Skentelbery
A YOUNG boy foiled a would-be thief armed with a knife at Warrington – by cycling away from him.
The incident happened in Sankey Valley Park as the youngster was riding over a bridge.
A shaven headed man, brandishing a large knife, leapt from behind some bushes, stopped the 16-year-old boy and demand his bicycle, his mobile phone and his money.
But the youngster rode off at speed, eluding the thug.
Police say the offender was aged about 20 and was 6ft tall.
Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who saw anyone in the park answering the offender’s description, is asked to call DC Ian Hampson on 01244 613845.
Youngsters struck
gold in Africa
by Mark Hemmings
A GROUP of Warrington youngsters who travelled to The Gambia to help provide better education for local children are set to officially mark their success.
G12, as the group are known, are to hold a special presentation evening at The Gateway Centre in Warrington on Thursday (November 30) at 7pm.
Sponsors and supporters of the team will be able to see evidence of their achievements in The Gambia.
The youngsters made the trip as part of their work for the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.
They stayed in the African country and helped in the construction of a new school, building walls, painting classrooms and distributing learning equipment they had sent over from this country.
The group managed to raise ?2,000 each thanks to fundraising events leading up to the trip.
Team member Katy Quinn said: “The Gambia trip changed the way we look at life and through it we each formed many new friendships.”
Other members of the team were Amy Jones, Rebecca Quinn, Kirsty-Ann Heggie, Tanya Clarke, Daniel Cheung, Alex Johnson, Gareth Moore, Laura Myles and Kat McIlveen.
MEP urges superstores
to be socially responsible
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON-based Euro MP Brian Simpson has called on the large supermarket chains to do more to help local farmers to do more to protect the environment and to help create more sustainable rural communities.
Speaking in the European Parliament, Mr Simpson recognized that the large supermarkets had brought some benefits, but said they had also created many problems needing to be addressed.
He said: “The growth of large multi-national supermarkets has led to the closure of many local bakeries, many local shops and a driving down of prices paid to farmers for their products. If you add to this the environmental damage being caused by the over-packaging of supermarket goods and their obsession with plastic carrier bags, then I feel it is about time that they started to realise their social obligati
ons as well as their profit margins.?
Mr Simpson would like to see national governments and the European Union draw up a plan that would see the supermarkets supplying local corner shops, reducing the amount of packaging and paying a guaranteed minimum price to farmers.
He added: “Our supermarkets are making vast profits, but leaving a trail of rural, urban and environmental chaos behind them. What they have done in the UK is now being practiced in Eastern Europe with the same results for farmers, small shopkeepers and bakers.
?I believe the big supermarket chains are too big and need to be reigned in and reminded of their social responsibilities.?
