Organ “treasure” may
be sold to China
by David Skentelbery
THE historic 137-year-old Cavaille-Coll organ in Warrington?s Parr Hall may be sold to the Chinese.
Borough council officers cannot find any venue in Britain to take the instrument and now believe it may have to go overseas ? possibly China.
A number of reputable venues in this country have expressed interest in purchasing the organ ? but changed their mind after learning that the cost of dismantling and transporting the giant instrument could be a staggering ?1 million.
The unique instrument was built by the master French organ builder Aristide Cavaille-Coll in 1870. It was originally installed at a hall in Yorkshire but was purchased by Warrington Council in 1926.
It has been described as a ?treasure? ? but it is only played about six times a year and stands in the way of a ?6.8 million scheme to restore the Parr Hall ? Warrington?s main concert venue.
In the late 1960s the council received a ?500 quote to take the organ away for scrap ? but local enthusiasts launched a rescue campaign. In 1970 it was restored at a cost of ?9,000 and since then about six recitals a year have taken place, promoted by the council and the Cavaille-Coll Organ Support Group.
But audiences have dwindled and one recital, by a top organist, attracted only 14 people.
Ted Tilling, secretary of the organ support group said: ?In my opinion, the organ is not appreciated in Warrington. Local people couldn?t care less.
?Our group has about 70 members, but most of them come from out-of-town ? some from many miles away.
?I personally would like to see the organ go somewhere it will be used more often and heard by more people. It would be sad if it had to go as far afield as China, but I have heard of another organ, in the Midlands, which also ended up in China, so I am not surprised.
Borough council leader Ian Marks said: ?Our officers have tried to very hard to find a venue in this country. Quite a few reputable venues have expressed interest until they found the cost of simply moving it would be a six or even seven figure sum.
?Unfortunately it cannot stay where it is if we are to modernise the Parr Hall. I would not like to see it dismantled and put into storage because the chances are it would never be seen or heard again.
?We are consulting the organ supporters? group and doing everything we can to find a suitable venue, but it is a very difficult problem. It would disappoint me if it had to go overseas.?
The organ is believed to be the only unaltered Cavaille-Coll instrument in Britain. There is one in Manchester Town Hall, but it has been adapted at least twice and now bears little resemblance to the original.
Village’s longest-serving
shopkeepers to retire
by David Skentelbery
THE longest-serving traders in the village centre at Lymm, near Warrington, are to retire.
Newsagents Peter and Joan Dobson have run their shop in Eagle Brow for 39 years ? and it is believe the shop has been a newsagents since the 1800s.
Mr Dobson?s father and grandfather before him were newsagents in Stockton Heath.
Dobson?s were the last newsagents in Lymm to deliver newspapers ? discontinuing the service only in February after deciding to retire.
Mrs Dobson said: ?We will miss the shop very much. Many of our customers have become friends.
?Fortunately we have been able to pass over some of our delivery rounds to a milkman who will deliver the papers along with the milk.
?In recent years it has been increasingly difficult to find paper boys and girls but we always felt it important to deliver ? particularly to older customers.?
Mr and Mrs Dobson will also miss their staff, some of who have been with them for more than 20 years.
The couple live in Lymm but also have a house in Scotland and hope to spend more time there in their retirement.
The shop has been sold to a property developer and its future at present is unclear.
Picture shows Mr and Mrs Dobson outside their shop.
Schools celebrate
World Book Day
by Gary Skentelbery
SCHOOLS across Warrington and surrounding areas celebrated World Book Day in style as pupils turned up for their classes dressed as their favourite characters.
The annual event aimed at inspiring children to read more books produced an array of characters from Harry Potter to Snow White.
Top picture shows pupils at High Legh Primary School near Lymm, who held a fancy dress competition. The competition winners are pictured dressed as their favourite book characters.
Pictured (L-R) are Charlotte aged 7, Adam aged 10, Benjamin aged 4, Harry aged 10, Hannah aged 5, William aged 8, Jen aged 11, Rana aged 7, Hannah aged 9 and Oliver aged 6.
Meanwhile pupils at Culcheth Community Primary School near Warrington arrived at school dressed as their favourite book characters.
Residents celebrate as
“high rise” scheme rejected
by John Hendon
RESIDENTS of Howley, Warrington are celebrating another victory in their long campaign to stop the building of high rise flats on the banks of the River Mersey.
A planning inspector has thrown out an appeal against Warrington Borough Council?s decision to refuse planning consent for 97 one and two bedroom apartments on land at Navigation Street.
Two earlier plans for blocks of flats up to 12-storeys high at Howley Quay were also rejected following an inquiry last September.
Outline planning consent for 77 apartments already exists but residents believe this scheme may not go ahead because of reduced profit margins.
Local councillor Yvonne Fovargue (pictured)said: “I am very pleased that once again the inspector has supported local residents in Howley. She has quite rightly decided to dismiss the appeal on grounds of over-supply of housing in the borough.
“It is clear to everybody in the town that the number of new homes and apartment blocks far outstrips the agreed figures for new housing in Warrington which is contained in the council’s blueprint for planning ? the Unitary Development Plan.
“Apartment blocks are not critical to the regeneration of Howley – the sooner developers realise this the better!”
Youngsters set for
a night of celebration
by Mark Hemmings
WARRINGTON’S young people are all set for a celebration at the Peace Centre.
Marking the educational achievements of youngsters from across the town, those who have participated in the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Trust’s ?Full On? programme will be presented with Certificates of Achievement by the Trust chairman, Colin Parry OBE.
The Open College Network nationally accredits the ?Full On? programme.
It deals with anger management, anti-bullying, self-awareness and identity, communication, conflict resolution, and citizenship. The programme has been exclusively researched, developed and written by the Trust. It aims to raise standards and attainment in schools, improve community relationships, overcome barriers to exclusion, increase access and participation in learning and enhance employability skills.
The Trust is particularly pleased to be hosting successful participants from the Greater Manchester area of the North West. The Trust recently secured funding to deliver ?Full On? Programmes to 144 young people from the Greater Manchester area.
In the six years since the Peace Centre has been open, more than 15,000 young people have participated in Trust programmes with 6,000 of these participating in ?Full On? programmes.
Programme leader Kelly Simcock said: “These young people, some of whom have gained accreditation by the Open College Network, have worked hard to achieve these certificates.?
Coun Linda Dirir, Mayor of Warrington and Warrington Wolves coach, Paul Cullen will be among the guests in attendance at the presentation at the Peace Centre next Wednesday (March 7) at 6.50pm.
“Near
ly new”
sale for kids
by Mark Hemmings
WARRINGTON parents have a chance to kit out their children with virtually brand new clothes at a fraction of high street prices.
Thanks to the North Cheshire branch of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) a Nearly New Sale for babies, toddlers and children will take place tomorrow (Saturday) at St John’s UR Church, Wilderspool Causeway, Warrington from 12.30pm-2pm.
NCT Nearly New Sales give parents the chance to buy everyday necessities for their children without “breaking the bank”.
The sales are intended to ease the strain on the childcare budget of the average family by offering parents a more economical alternative to buying brand new.
Catherine Walshe of the North Cheshire branch of the NCT, said: “Parents always want the best for their children but many of them simply can’t afford the latest ‘must have’ item on the market as well as all the everyday clothes an active child can get through.
“The cost of kitting out a child for the first five years can run to thousands of pounds. But on the other hand, parents don’t want to dress their children in hand-me-downs. Our Nearly New sales are the perfect solution – high street quality at knock-down prices.”
MP flags up problem
of runaway children
by Lesley Wilkinson
A WARRINGTON MP held a special reception at Westminster to make fellow MPs aware of the problem of runaway children.
Helen Southworth, (pictured)MP for Warrington South, said every year 100,000 children run away from home or care – that’s one child every four minutes.
At the event, Youth Music Theatre UK performed extracts from “Missing Melanie,” a musical about a girl who runs away from home.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Tessa Jowell opened the event which was attended by MPs and opinion makers who had the opportunity to meet young runaways and hear their views.
Mrs Southworth is chairman of the All Parliamentary Group for Young Runaways and Missing Children. She has regularly raised these issues in Parliament with a private members bill entitled Safeguarding Runaway and Missing Children, which will be heard in May.
Research shows that most youngsters run away from home because of problems there, with girls aged 14 to 15 most at risk. Runaways are at risk of being injured or harmed, according to research, as one in six end up sleeping rough.
Arctic Monkeys “secret”
gig went down a storm
by staff reporter
DOUBLE BRIT award winners the Arctic Monkeys went down a storm when they played a surprise gig to a packed Parr Hall, Warrington.
The gig was announced just 24 hours prior to tickets but word soon spread and so many fans arrived, prepared to camp out overnight if necessary, that arrangements were made for them to queue on the Parr Hall car park.
When it was realised the number of people queuing exceeded the total ticket allocation, tickets were put on sale to minimise any public safety issues and to avoid hundreds of people queuing for longer than necessary.
The gig itself was a massive success, with local group The Coral, members of Starsailor and footballer Joey Barton among the hundreds of fans enjoying the show.
Pyramid and Parr Hall general manager Phil Slorick said: “We are delighted to have been able to bring the Arctic Monkeys to Warrington.
?This event came hot on the heels of performances by Damon Albarn’s The Good, The Bad and The Queen, 10CC and our announcement that Travis are to play in March.
?It is further evidence of Parr Hall’s importance as a national touring venue.?
[ 06.03.2007, 17:10: Message edited by: DS ]
