The Lancashire & North West Magazine | March 2023

Grand Theatre

Discover

Managing Director: Natalie Christopher natalie@lancashiremagazine.co.uk

Editorial: 01253 336580

editorial@lancashiremagazine.co.uk

Design Manager: Stephen Mellows-Facer Sales Enquiries: 07918 685673 Accounts: 01253 336588

General Enquiries/Subscriptions: Tel • 01253 336588 accounts@lancashiremagazine.co.uk The

Writers:

• Denise Mullen

• Diane Wade

• Harold Cunliffe

• Hayley Hilton

• Manish Kumar Arora Margaret Brecknell

• Lucy Newton

• Max Wiseberg

• Miranda Christopher

• Rozanne Kay

• Sarah Harris Sarah Ridgway

IN THIS ISSUE...

This month we look forward to Mother’s Day with a fantastic gift guide from RSPB and suggestions from Clifton Arms Hotel, Lytham.

We talk to Miranda Christopher, an experienced certified Style Coach and the founder of ‘Goddess Style and Design’, helping to create your own unique style expression.

There’s also Mowbreck Park, a peaceful haven and the perfect spot to escape the hustle and bustle, yet situated just 2 minutes from the M55.

We visit The Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy, founded in 2019 at Park House Farm in Cumbria and producing the finest, award winning organic cheese and butter from creamy milk supplied by the farm’s Jersey/Friesian herd.

Miro Products tell us why they are the kitchen extraction specialists,

their business, based at Vision Park in Burnley, sells cooker hoods to independent kitchen retailers and designers across the UK.

Bolton Kia help fleet managers to navigate the market for a new fleet vehicle and show us the brand new, fifth generation Sportage, one of Kia’s best-selling cars, now available with a wide choice of powertrains – from plug-in hybrid and hybrid, tomild hybrid petrol engines. It also comes in a variety of different trim levels, with each including many bells and whistles as standard.

Harold Cunliffe tells the unikely but true tale of the Drunken Monkey and the 13 year old boy in Middleton found sleeping on a roof between two chimney stacks.

Margaret Brecknell also takes a look at the lives of six people who

shaped gawthorpe hall as well as Sir Francis Egerton, the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater. Heralded as the “Father of British Inland Navigation”, he was responsible for an innovative mid-18th century canal project which still bears his name today and is rightly regarded as playing a pivotal role in the early days of the Industrial Revolution.

We also pay a visit to the picturesque village of Whalley, which sits on the banks of the river Calder and is in the heart of the beautiful Ribble Valley. The stunning Forest of Bowland which is designated as an area of outstanding beauty surrounds it. The charming village is awash with historic buildings, and stunning architecture, and boasts a vibrant hub of independent shops, cafes, and restaurants.

And of course, as always, we have features on homes, health, wildlife and more - all in our March issue.

Multi-award-winning Crow Wood Hotel has become the wedding venue of choice for style-conscious couples. With a breathtaking panorama, it has all the grandeur of a bygone era in an ultra-modern setting.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE THE GRAND FOR CUTTING EDGE CONTEMPORARY DANCE... BOOK NOW!

Fall in love with Joss Arnott’s bewitching tale of the TIN MAN this April as part of Blackpool Grand Theatre’s captivating new contemporary dance season. It’s a fantastical family adventure!

Follow the yellow brick road to an enchanting re-imagining of the TIN MAN on Tuesday 11 April 2023 from Joss Arnott Dance as part of Blackpool Grand Theatre’s exciting contemporary dance season.

This visually stunning new live production for families and children aged 7+ presents a magical new telling of a classic story, seen through the rusty eyes of the TIN MAN and their journey to finding their heart and happiness.

TIN MAN explores a re-imagined story of this much-loved character’s encounters with the Witch in the deep dark wood, and the fantastical new friendships they form with a Scarecrow and a Lion along the way.

Told with brilliant humour and touching pathos, TIN MAN thoroughly entertains both children and adults alike with its magical storytelling and dramatic choreography along with spectacular costume and lighting designs, all accompanied by newly commissioned music from awardwinning composer Anna Appleby.

Attention! The unmissable, five-star work 05 Soldiers on Friday 12 May 2023 from top contemporary dance choreographer Rosie Kay offers no moral stance on war, but instead questions what it is that we ask of our soldiers and offers a necessary glimpse into a world we mostly prefer to ignore

The deeply realistic new dance piece explodes into The Grand exploring how the human body remains essential to war, with Kay’s trademark intense physical and athletic dance theatre.

For further information and bookings for Joss Arnott’s TIN MAN and Rosie Kay’s 5 Soldiers, or any dance shows at Blackpool Grand Theatre in 2023 please visit blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call the box office on 01253 290 190.

Dance into The Grand in 2023 for a stunning contemporary dance season and much more.

FANTASTICAL FAMILY ADVENTURE!

Make a vow to catch Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) at the Blackpool Grand this May

Period Drama goes Pop as the award-winning Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) perfectly joins Jane Austen’s legendary tale of love and marriage with top pop hits in this hilarious modern-day musical!

You are cordially invited to witness a riotous retelling of Jane Austen’s iconic period drama Pride and Prejudice at Blackpool Grand Theatre this May, featuring a string of pop classics!

Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) sweeps in from Tuesday 02 to Saturday 06 May 2023 direct from its triumph in the West End, where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy.

Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, where the stakes for the Bennetts, the Bingleys and the infamous Mr Darcy couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance.

Book your seats now for this ‘smart, laugh out loud funny’ show featuring a soundtrack of top pop classics including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and You’re So Vain. It’s the 1800s. It’s party time. Let the ruthless matchmaking begin…

Pride and Prejudice is consistently voted as one of the best-loved books ever written. So why not curl up with a copy and fall in love with the story of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy all over again before booking your tickets to see this unique and audacious retelling of Austen’s iconic love story.

Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) is an award-winning, raucous Regency romp that’s not to be missed!

Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 02 to Saturday 06 May with evening and matinee performances.

SMART, LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY!

THE BEST IN FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

TALES OF ACORN WORD

Tales from Acorn Wood is packed full of toe-tapping songs, puppetry, and all the friends from Acorn Wood.

Wed 29 to Thu 30 Mar

TIN MAN

Follow the yellow brick road to an enchanting re-imagining of the TIN MAN.

Tue 11 Apr

NORTHERN BALLET

UGLY DUCKLING

Ugly Duckling is lonely and fed-up, ignored by those around her who think she is too ugly to fit in.

Fri 21 Apr

UNEXPECTED TWIST

Unexpected Twist is the re-telling of the Charles Dickens classic, Oliver Twist.

Tue 23 to Sat 27 May

BREAKIN' CONVENTION

Jaw-dropping performances from internationally celebrated poppers, lockers, b-t and b-girls.

Sat 10 Jun

WINNIE THE POOH

Disney’s iconic Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and their best friends.

Mon 14 to Wed 16 Aug

SHREK

Everyone’s favourite ogre is back in the hilarious stage spectacle based on the Oscar-winning smash hit film.

Wed 05 to Sat 08 Apr

FIREMAN SAM

Join Sam, Penny, Elvis, Station Officer Steele and Norman in an all singing, dancing, action- packed show.

Sat 15 Apr

JULIUS CAESAR

RSC's Julius Caesar; a fast-paced political thriller about a divisive leader who holds awesome power.

Tue 16 to Sat 20 May

WIZARD OF OZ

Blackpool & Fylde Light Opera Company is back with their production of the much loved The Wizard of Oz.

Wed 31 May to Sat 3 Jun

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE

Now, the UK’s favourite science team Ministry of Science is back and more explosive than ever in 2023!

Sun 18 Jun

POP PRINCESSES

Bring your little pop star to a children’s live concert with a big difference, as four fairytale Pop Princesses sing a sensational soundtrack of top pop hits.

Mon 24 July & Sun 20 Aug

HOW TO FEEL FREE OF THE TREE POLLEN

By Airborne Allergens Expert, Max Wiseberg

tea also work as natural anti-histamines. Peppermint reduces congestion. Ginkgo biloba is thought to decrease the body’s response to allergens while also increasing energy levels and circulation. Horseradish is a pungent root vegetable which acts as a decongestant, helping to clear nasal passages. Liquorice root can ease inflammation and redness in the nose and is also believed to have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that can help boost the body’s immune response to hay fever. Turmeric contains curcumin, which has been found to have anti-allergy properties.

Apply an organic allergen barrier balm to the nostrils and around the bones of the eyes in the morning, throughout the day and at night to help stop pollen getting in the body. HayMax (HayMax.biz) organic drug-free allergen barrier balm has been proven to trap more than a third of pollen before it enters the body, as well as dust and pet allergens [1].

The tree pollen season is upon us and this can be one of the worst times of year if you suffer with hay fever. However, there are some simple things you can do to help during this time.

Understanding which types of pollen you are allergic to can help you to plan your allergy management better. There are two main types of pollen which affect hay fever sufferers in the UK – grass pollen and tree pollen. Tree pollen starts in February and peaks in March to May depending on which pollen you’re allergic to.

In March alder, hazel, elm and willow are in peak season. In April it’s elm, willow, birch, ash, plane and oak. And in May birch, plane and oak are still at their peak.

There is currently no cure for hay fever, but there are many products on the market, both natural and conventional, which seek to reduce the effects of pollen or limit the symptoms. There are also many practical things you can do when outdoors and around the home to limit the amount of pollen getting in your body – less pollen, less reaction!

Hay fever is a result of our immune system’s overreaction to innocuous particles such as pollen. The body reacts by producing histamines. Normal amounts of histamines are good – they keep us alert, attentive and awake. But, when there are too many, they cause hay fever symptoms.

Antihistamine medicines combat this reaction by blocking the action of the histamine, which works well for some people and is a popular method of treating hay fever. Some people find that the particular antihistamine they have chosen or been prescribed stops working after a while, or never worked particularly well in the first place. If this is your experience, don’t give up: there several available so it’s worth trying another. The more commonly available hay fever antihistamines are acrivastine, cetirizine, chlorphenamine, desloratadine, fexofenadine and loratadine.

There are many plants and herbs that may help. Aloe Vera has mild antihistamine properties whilst ginger and green

Wearing wraparound sunglasses when outdoors will also help to prevent pollen particles coming in contact with the eyes. And tie up long hair and wear a hat, cap or other head cover when outside to prevent pollen particles being caught in your hair.

Wash your face (or your child’s face) as soon as you get indoors to wash away allergens so that they can’t cause a reaction. Shower at night before sleeping to remove pollen particles from your hair and body.

Close windows and doors to prevent pollen blowing into your home. Vacuum the house regularly (especially beds and fabrics) to remove pollen particles. Dry your clothes indoors rather than on a clothes line to prevent pollen particles being blown onto the clothes by the outside wind. And if you own a pet then ensure that it is well groomed and shampooed as much as possible to remove pet allergens and pollen particles.

If your symptoms are particularly severe or the pollen count is particularly high, or you find that one product is not enough or stops working, you could try creating your own hay fever first aid kit. I suggest that an ideal hay fever first aid kit will consist of one or more natural products, such as HayMax, only one antihistamine, only one steroid nasal spray and eye drops. Never take two antihistamines together, never take two steroid nasal sprays together, and consult your pharmacist or doctor if you are already taking any other medication.

The Kia Sportage.

35 month term with an advance payment of 3 months rental (£1491.54) + VAT. 8,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charge of 10.38p + VAT.

Bolton Kia - Europe’s No.1 Kia Dealer 79 The Linkway, Middlebrook Retail Park, Horwich, BL6 6JA 01204 664800 l kia.co.uk/bolton /boltonkia

Fuel consumption in mpg (I/100km) for the model shown: Combined 48.7 (5.8), CO2 emissions 132g/km. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. The figures shown here are for limited comparison purposes; fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are tested using WLTP. Only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. For more information about WLTP please refer to kia.com/uk. Model shown: Kia Sportage ‘GT-Line S’ 1.6 T-GDI 226bhp 6-speed auto HEV 2WD including premium Experience Green with black roof paint at £800. Specification varies across the range and is subject to change without notice. Business users only. Quote valid from 06-01-23 till 03-02-23. *Offer available on Business Contract hire with advance rental of 3 months rental + VAT (£1491.54 + VAT), followed by 35 monthly rentals of £497.18 + VAT. Excess miles over contracted mileage of 8,000 miles per year (24,000 total contract mileage) over 36 months charged at 10.38 pence per mile (+VAT). Excess charges also apply if you breach manufacturer servicing or maintenance guidelines or if the car exceeds BVRLA Fair Wear & Tear guidelines for its age/mileage when it is returned to Kia Contract Hire. The total P11D value of the vehicle includes options, extras, manufacturer’s delivery and VAT. P11D figures provided are for guideline purposes only. Total Effective Rental (applicable to cars only) is £546.90 (this assumes a 50% VAT disallowance on the Finance Rental and VAT). Business Contract Hire Customer Maintenance (inc. RFL). This quotations does not include maintenance services. It is therefore your responsibility to arrange and pay for all servicing, maintenance and repairs in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and the Terms & Conditions of the agreement. Package includes Vehicle Excise Duty for the agreement duration, we reserve the right to pass on future increases in the cost of Vehicle Excise Duty. Guarantee/indemnity may be required. Prices and details are subject to change without notice. For full specification and T&Cs contact your local retailer. Kia reserves the right to amend or withdraw offers at any time without prior notice. You will not own the car. ALD Automotive Ltd., trading as Kia Contract Hire, BS16 7LB. All quotations are for guidance only and are subject to credit approval. ALD Automotive Limited trading as Kia Contract Hire reserves the right to amend quotations in the event of changes to manufacturer prices, interest rates and volume related bonus. ALD Automotive Limited reserve the right to amend quotations in the event of any change to VAT/RFL or any other statutory charges or taxes which may become appropriate from time to time. All figures provided are for guidelines purposes only.

7 Year / 100,000 mile manufacturer’s Warranty. For full terms and conditions visit kia.com/uk. Kia UK Limited trading as Bolton Kia are a broker (not a lender) for the purposes of this financial promotion and can introduce you to a limited number of carefully selected finance providers and may receive a commission from them for the introduction.

@bolton_kia Bolton_Kia

Buying For Business? Look No Further Than Bolton Kia

It’s fair to say that navigating the market for a new fleet car can be an overwhelming experience for even the most experienced fleet manager. There are now options for petrol, diesel, hybrid, mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fully electric and more, not to mention the plethora or finance and lease options, salary sacrifice and business contract hire. Then there are company and business car implications and taxation: Benefit-in-Kind tax; Advisory Fuel Rates; Total Cost of Ownership; service maintenance and repair; residual values; and the list goes on.

Is there a simple way around all the complications, we hear you ask? Thankfully, yes. Bolton Kia, one of the country’s leading dealerships employs it very own fleet team.

Alex Grindrod, Fleet and Business Manager at Bolton Kia commented: “Businesses need to focus on their business and generally speaking don’t necessarily have the time to navigate all the intricacies of investing in a new fleet vehicle.”

Naturally, businesses want to get the best vehicle for their needs. They want to get the best deal and they want to have the best support available. Kia offers a wide choice of vehicles, powertrains and provides fleets and businesses with generous support in the form of the Kia Business Service Promise.

Grindrod continued, “One of the great things about choosing a Kia is that it’s one of the widest ranges of cars

available from any one brand, meaning that business customers of any size or job need can come to us and drive away in the right car that meets their job needs and suits their work.”

The Kia Sportage

One the Kia’s best-selling vehicles is the Sportage. Now in its fifthgeneration, the model has become the brand’s most popular, and is available with a wide choice of powertrains – from plug-in hybrid and hybrid, to mild hybrid petrol engines. The model is also available in a variety of different trim levels, with each including many bells and whistles as standard. Grades start with the ‘2’, moving to the sports styled ‘GT-Line’, then the ‘3’ and range-topping ‘GT-Line S’.

Grindrod added, “Fleet and business customers always need the most appropriate equipment, which is why Kia ensured that even the entry-level grade Sportage comes generously equipped as standard – it’s one of the many reasons why it’s our best-selling car, helping us reach 100,000 sales in the UK last year, with nearly 60 per cent going to fleets.”

Headlining the Sportage model lineup is the ‘GT-Line S’, which comes with an electrified powertrain as standard – either a 1.6 Petrol T-GDi with 48V Mild Hybrid (MHEV) system, or a full hybrid (HEV) option – both available with front- or all-wheel drive. Finally, there’s a low-Benefit-in-Kind tax Plugin Hybrid (PHEV) option, providing up to 43 miles of pure electric range.

GT-Line S Hybrid

The heartland option for those picking the ‘GT-Line S’ is the Hybrid (HEV) powertrain, which accounts for more than 30 per cent of Sportage sales. Starting from £39,950 for the front-wheel drive or £41,550 for the all-wheel drive option, there are many reasons to choose the hybrid.

Most immediate are the possible fuel-saving thanks to the car’s powerful

electric motor and petrol engine combination driving the wheels. This is especially useful when driving in traffic, where the electric setup and power from the compact 1.49kWh battery drives the car forwards without the need for the petrol engine starting. Fuel consumption is rated at 48.7mpg (44.1mpg AWD) on the WLTP combined cycle, while the car emits just 132g/km CO2 (146g/km AWD).

Despite its fuel-sipping nature, the Sportage ‘GT-Line S’ HEV can accelerate quickly from 0-62mph in just 7.7 seconds, onto a top speed of 120mph. Unusually, the Sportage Hybrid can tow up to a 1,650kg braked trailer, making it particularly useful for when the copious 587-litre boot is full (1,776 litres with rear seats folded).

Generosity is standard

Discerning business customers will be pleased to find stylish 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, suede upholstery, ventilated and heated front driver and passenger seats, and a smart power tailgate. The latest safety technology comes as standard across the Sportage range, with Blind Spot View Monitor and Surround View additional driver aids included on ‘GT-Line S’ grades.

Adaptable to your needs, the Sportage is available with a large number and variety of accessories, ranging from roof bars to roof boxes and protective equipment designed to keep the mud and dirt off the carpets or boot – great additions for any business looking to use their car as a true work horse rather than svelte business wagon. But that’s the beauty of the Sportage, it is equally at home driving up to a redcarpet event as it is on a trip to your local countryside farm shop, doing the school run or collecting a colleague from the airport in style.

Wide choice of models to meet your business’ needs

In addition to the Sportage, Kia offers a wide choice of vehicles including the popular all-new Niro – Kia’s second best-selling model – available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric car. The all-new model was shortlisted to win the 2023 European Car of the Year, having already won numerous other awards since its launch in mid-2022.

Another impressive new electric car in the line-up, Kia’s first dedicated fully electric vehicle and winner of both European Car of the Year 2022 and 2022 What Car? Car of the Year, the Kia EV6, is also on display at the showroom. The EV6 spearheads Kia’s electric plan to launch nine EVs in the UK by 2027 (14 EVs globally).

Further options include the sevenseat Sorento to Kia’s smallest car, the Picanto city car, while the recently revised Ceed family sits squarely in the middle of Kia’s model line-up, offering exceptional versatility with hatchbacks and estate models, as well as a number of powertrain options.

Introducing the Kia Business Service Promise

Apart from Kia’s award-winning model line-up, there are plenty of other reasons to choose Kia for your business. Introduced last year, the Kia Business Service Promise offers fleets a competitive Kia dealer hourly labour rate of just £49 plus VAT for service work. In addition, fleets and businesses benefit from an automatic 10 per cent discount on parts prices, reduced oil costs and MOTs for £35. A free complimentary vehicle health check is also part of the free-of-charge package for fleet and business customers.

Benefits of coming to Bolton Kia for the Business Service Promise help ensure your car is kept with a full main dealer service record, which can help improve its residual value when the time comes to move it on. In addition, because we only use genuine Kia parts and our technicians are fully trained to Kia’s exceptionally high standard, you can rest assured that your vehicle will be seen to quickly and that we’ll help keep you on the road.

Grindrod commented: “The new Kia Business Service Promise sounds almost too good to be true, but there really is no catch and no hidden agenda here. We just want to make sure our business customers are happy and can continue with their work without having to worry about their car. We appreciate that cars are very often the lifeblood for many businesses, whether it’s for visiting clients, the office or transporting items. Kia goes the extra mile, so that you don’t have to.”

Meet the new Bolton Kia

Kia’s new brand identity was introduced at the start of 2021, featuring a new logo that reflects its position as a leader in electrification. Part of the rebranding includes the comprehensive restyling and refitment

of Kia’s showrooms around the world, which in the Bolton Kia pioneered in the UK. The new Bolton Kia includes two distinct zones: a customer zone full of warm wood and a natural, calming ambiance, alongside the display zone, where the cars in the showroom are allowed space to speak for themselves and for customers to browse, jump in and discover.

Come and see the new showroom for yourself by visiting Bolton Kia at: 79 The Linkway, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6JA located on Middlebrook Retail Park. Interested to find out more?

So, why choose to buy your next fleet or business car from Bolton Kia? Simple: as Kia’s number one dealership in the whole of Europe, you can expect to receive first class service from a dedicated team of experts.

“We understand that fleet customers have unique needs and requirements, and we are committed to meeting those needs through our wide range of vehicles,” said Grindrod. “We are excited to continue to grow your business and provide even more customers like you with the benefits of Kia’s high-quality, fuel-efficient

vehicles. Businesses need to partner with a company that understands them, but more importantly offers you the reassurance you need and with a standard seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, you can rest assured that you’ll get that with Kia.”

to speak to a member of the Fleet team (pictured above), please contact them directly by calling 01204 664800 (option 3), emailing fleet@boltonkia.co.uk

To speak to a member of our Sales Team please contact them directly by calling 01204 664800 (option 1), emailing sales@boltonkia.co.uk or using the online chat system via our website: www.kia.co.uk/bolton

ONLY 3 PLOTS REMAIN

Grundy Art Gallery’s Winter Exhibitions and Events Programme for 2023 Celebrates Blackpool’s Local Creativity

Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery is celebrating the creativity on its doorstep with a number of exhibitions and events that run from now until 25 March.

Blackpool’s Grundy Art Gallery is celebrating the creativity on its doorstep with a number of exhibitions and events that run from now until 25 March.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council and Chair of Grundy’s steering group said: “With over 200 works on display by Blackpool and Fylde Coast residents including over 60 by our local schoolchildren, the winter season at the Grundy demonstrates the gallery’s ongoing commitment to celebrate and give a platform to the creativity to be found all around us.

“Also, while the current external work to the building is underway please know that it’s business as usual here at the Grundy and we can’t wait to welcome you through our doors.”

OPEN EXHIBITION 2023

14 January – 25 March

With over 150 entries, 2023 is Grundy’s largest Open Exhibition to date. An opportunity for all Blackpool and Fylde Coast residents aged 16 years and above, this annual exhibition always presents an exciting mix of artworks that explore a wide range of themes, techniques and materials. With no selection process and no cost to submit work for display, the Grundy’s Open Exhibition strives to be as open an opportunity as possible.

COLLECTION SPOTLIGHT: BLACKPOOL

14 January – 25 March

Collection Spotlight is an ongoing series of exhibitions that focus on highlighting works from Grundy’s collection. Continuing its winter season focus on Blackpool and the Fylde Coast, two works that are linked by their connection to the area are on display. In Keith McGinn’s, The Sun Lounge, 1982, Blackpool’s promenade takes centre stage in this atmospheric painting that draws our eye out to the wild grey winter sea beyond. Shy Girl Beside the

Seaside, Campground, 2021 by Fylde Coast born and Blackpool based artist, Garth Gratrix, also makes use of the signs and symbols of the seaside in a work that investigates the coast from their perspective as a Queer artist.

Above: Keith McGinn - The Sun Lounge, (1982), © the artist, Courtesy Grundy Art Gallery / Blackpool Council.

Bringing artworks into the collection that explore Blackpool and the wider Fylde Coast is central to Grundy’s collecting policy. Through these artworks existing stories about the area can be presented, challenged and seen from new perspectives and new stories about the place can be generated and told.

ANNUAL SCHOOLS’ EXHIBITION: INSIDE A RAINBOW

14 January – 25 March

This year’s Schools’ Exhibition includes work by 60+ children from St. John Vianney Primary School, Devonshire Primary Academy and Mereside Primary Academy.

Working with contemporary artist Fiona Grady, the pupils explored light, colour and movement to produce their own unique artworks using self-adhesive coloured vinyl and shaped acrylic panels. Hung together in one of Grundy’s main gallery spaces, these 60+ artworks generate a cascade of colourful moving shadows showing how magical effects can be created from the simplest of materials and techniques. The title for this year’s schools’ exhibition is inspired by one of the participating children who described the experience of seeing Fiona Grady’s exhibition, Illuminated from Within like being, “inside a rainbow”.

FORECOURT COMMISSION:

FIONA GRADY: ILLUMINATED FROM WITHIN

14 January – 25 March

Born into a family of mathematicians Grady always employs a systematic approach to intervene within a space. Through her use of light, colour, shape, surface and scale, her colourful geometric artworks transform their setting and provide a unique response to the specifics of the place in which they are located. Activated by changes in the direction and intensity of daylight Grady’s work quietly marks the passing of time whilst also providing a dynamic contribution to Grundy’s 2023 winter exhibition and events programme.

WORKSHOPS / TALKS

FREE. All materials provided:

Booking required: 01253 478170

FIONA GRADY: SUNCATCHERS

Wednesday 16 February, Thursday 17 February, 10.30am – 12pm

Back by popular demand, artist Fiona Grady will lead these workshops where participants have an opportunity to make their own colourful vinyl collages and use light to cast eye-catching shadows. Suitable for Ages 8 Years+. Children must be accompanied

ARTIST TALK : GARTH GRATRIX – BSL Available

Saturday 18 February, 2–3.30pm

Join the Grundy’s Collection Spotlight artist, Garth Gratrix, for an Artist Talk and Q&A exploring their work through their lens as a Queer artist.

Presented as part of the Grundy’s LGBT+ History Month activity.

Left: Garth Gratrix, Shy Girl Beside the Seaside, Campground, 2021, © the artist, Courtesy Grundy Art Gallery / Blackpool Council. Photo: Matt Wilkinson.

MANISH’S ZODIAC PREDICTIONS

Manish Kumar Arora is a renowned KP Astrologer, Numerologist, Tarot Reader & Vastu Consultant. He has been rendering professional advice to clients with a reasonable degree of success. He has been conferred with the title of ‘Jyotish Varahamihir’ and ‘Jyotish Aryabhatt.’ He has been writing monthly astrological columns for many international magazines.

ARIES 21 Mar - 19 Apr

This is a perfect month to promote and position yourself for advancement. Move forward with your eyes wide open. You won’t want to miss a beat. Focus on bettering yourself and what you have to offer. Force may be required, and coupled with common sense and practical application, you will rise above any obstacles. Romance is highlighted, and the opportunity to meet new people is present if you participate in an event you believe in. Put time aside to enjoy the company of people who enjoy the same pastimes as you.

Favourable Dates: March 3, 5, 12, 14, 21, 23

Favourable Colours: Red & White

TAURUS 20 Apr - 20 May

Put everything else aside and concentrate on getting ahead professionally. Whether you sign up for a course or apprenticeship that will help you earn more money, or apply for a better position, you will make your way to greater financial freedom. Good fortune awaits you if you strive to reach your goals. Impulse spending must be curbed to stay within your budget. Keep an open mind and you will find a solution to a problem that has been hanging over your head. Don’t neglect the ones you love.

Favourable Dates: March 2, 4, 10, 14, 19, 22

Favourable Colours: Red & White

GEMINI 21 May - 20 Jun

A new perspective on what you have to offer and how you can create demand for a service will pay off. Put your heart into whatever you do. A partnership will bring good results. Sharing responsibilities will help you finish what needs to be done. Opportunity awaits if you take the advice of someone familiar with your circumstances and abilities. Love is in the stars, and celebrating it will enhance your relationship with someone. Your head must overrule your heart regarding money matters.

Favourable Dates: March 2, 7, 10, 17, 20, 22

Favourable Colours: Blue & Yellow

CANCER 21 Jun - 22 Jul

Emotional encounters will change your life, allowing you greater freedom to explore. You will learn from your experiences. A changing philosophy will enable you to venture down paths that did not appeal to you in the past. An emotional issue must be dealt with simply and quickly or you will end up wasting time. Don’t overlook something that should be a red flag about someone with whom you are dealing. Go to the source and ask the questions that are pertinent to a decision you have to make.

Favourable Dates: March 2, 7, 10, 17, 20, 22

Favourable Colours: Blue & Yellow

LEO 23 Jul - 22 Aug

Communication will be your best route to victory. Say what’s on your mind so that others can see and relate to your vision. Getting others on board will allow you to reach your goals. Strive for perfection by making sure you have a fail-proof plan in place. Take a short trip if it will help you get a clearer picture of your circumstances and how you can make your life better. Love is on the rise, and a change in your social status is likely if you get out and socialize.

Favourable Dates: March 1, 8, 10, 19, 20, 25

Favourable Colours: Black & Yellow

VIRGO 23 Aug - 22 Sept

Step into the spotlight and show everyone what you have to offer. You can pick and choose a direction that will help you mix what you like to do most with a desirable income. Take on a challenge and raise your self-esteem, and you’ll get back into the mainstream. Take part in a cause or an organization you believe in and you will end up in a good position. Love is in the air if you are single and searching a compatible soul mate.

Favourable Dates: March 4, 8, 13, 19, 22, 25

Favourable Colours: Green & Yellow

LIBRA 23 Sept - 22 Oct

You will feel a renewed sense of what life is all about. Your charm and sexual appeal will go a long way. Love and romance are heightened. Doing things that make you feel good about who you are and what you have accomplished will enhance your emotional attitude, as well as your love life. Getting involved in social affairs will lead to interesting changes in your personal life and your living arrangements. You will charm anyone you speak to and attract attention with your expressive stories.

Favourable Dates: March 2, 11, 13, 16, 22, 28

Favourable Colours: Red & Orange

SCORPIO 23 Oct - 21 Nov

Put what you have to good use and you will be able to make adjustments to your life that will lower your stress. A money deal can help you gain power. Concentrate on legal and financial matters that need to be settled before you can move forward. You may not feel comfortable with the changes happening in your life, but acceptance is the key to advancement. Teaming up with someone you’ve worked with in the past will make whatever you start easier. Let things unfold around you and you will find your way to a better place.

Favourable Dates: March 7, 10, 16, 18, 22, 27

Favourable Colours: White & Yellow

SAGITTARIUS 22 Nov - 21 Dec

Begin a personal project to get you back on track physically and mentally. Plan to network with people who can contribute to your plans. Focus more on what you can learn and how you can improve what you have to offer and you will figure out the best direction to take. You can make anything happen if you put your mind to it. Love and a change of scenery are highlighted and should lead to interesting friendships and a chance to do something you’ve always wanted to do.

Favourable Dates: March 1, 8, 10, 17, 18, 24, 27

Favourable Colours: Blue & Yellow

CAPRICORN 22 Dec - 19 Jan

Concentrate on putting all your skills and talents to work for you and relentlessly strive for perfection and a cost-efficient result. An unusual way to make extra money will develop. Doing as much as you can for as little as possible will impress the people who can help you get ahead. Don’t be surprised if someone you are emotionally attached to lets you down. You have to look beyond your current situation. There is no point in making a big fuss when what’s required is patience and tolerance.

Favourable Dates: 4, 8, 11, 19, 21, 24, 27

Favourable Colours: Red & Yellow

AQUARIUS 20 Jan - 18 Feb

Concentrate on putting all your skills and talents to work for you and relentlessly strive for perfection and a cost-efficient result. Now is a time to look inward for resolution rather than opinions and ideas from everyone else. A contract, deal or proposal will start to pay off. Opportunity is apparent and the people you connect with now will be significant in your life for some time to come. Rely on the people who have supported and advised you in the past.

Favourable Dates: March 1, 7, 10, 16, 21, 24, 26

Favourable Colours: Blue & White

PISCES 19 Feb - 20 Mar

A financial change, reorganizing your personal budget or investing in long-term assets should be considered. Update your technological knowledge and your attitude to set yourself on a positive path. A creative way to budget or handle your money will be revealed. Hidden assets and opportunities through agencies, large corporations or financial institutions will develop but don’t go overboard. You can make changes conducive to the lifestyle that suits your needs.

Favourable Dates: March 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 23, 26

Favourable Colours: Yellow & Green

Manish Kumar Arora, 91-9871062000 | K.P. Astrologer, Numerologist, Tarot Card Reader & Vastu Consultant F www.facebook.com/manishastroconsultant | E manish@manishastrologer.com

A World of Adventure

Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall

In their final year of St Mary’s Hall, the Preparatory School for Stonyhurst College, polite and confident young teenagers are ready to make the smooth transition to senior education.

At Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall (SMH) Prep School children enjoy an extra two years to extend the adventure of childhood, as they mature and progress to Stonyhurst College at the age of 13 – enabling them to embark on a senior education with a greater sense of wellbeing and personal confidence.

“There has, in the past, been traditional entry points to Stonyhurst including nursery, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12,” explains headmaster Fr Christopher Cann, who joined SMH at the start of September.

“However, we are seeing more children coming to Stonyhurst in Year 5 – a move that is advantageous in many ways.

“Years 5 and 6 see pupils finish the primary stage, then Years 7 and 8 at SMH has a ‘middle school’ feel about

it. These extra two years at SMH give pupils the chance to fully grow in personal confidence. They are at the top end of the prep school, which gives them time to mature and develop their personal leadership skills before they move up to the college for senior education. Nurtured in our Jesuit ethos and mission, they want to be ‘all they can be’ in a life of purpose, as young men and women for others.”

Parents are finding there are many advantages of entering SMH at Year 5 – First, many parents know that their children are not ready to move to a senior school environment at 11. They are looking for another path to avoid this very stressful transition. Secondly, the prep school provides wrap-around care from 8am to 6pm making it excellent value for busy working parents; homework is done at school. The main advantage, however, is SMH’s broad bespoke curriculum, which gives children the opportunity to play a huge variety of sports, enjoy a rich experience of performing arts, particularly musical theatre, learn new skills, including 3 foreign languages and make new friends with

children from across the globe: “The extended day provides a world of new opportunities for pupils. Parents often complain that state primary schools have to resort to a narrow basic curriculum, particularly in Year 6, which is SATS driven,” adds Fr Chris.

“At SMH we don’t believe in SATS. We are still able to give parents a very clear assessment of how the children are doing in all their subjects in relation to national expectations, without having to resort to a very unimaginative test-driven curriculum. We are more concerned with the individual learning journey and wellbeing of each individual in its widest sense.

“The pupils at the top end of SMH in Years 7 and 8 are allowed to be themselves, to still live childhood and have confidence in themselves and who they are as young teenagers. This is so important for their wellbeing and as a springboard for young adult life.”

A strict policy on not allowing mobile phones during the school day enables pupils to take full advantage of the many real-life experiences and activities, without being preoccupied with the virtual world of social media. The school has invested greatly in IT in recent years, with all pupils from Year 5 having their own laptops and access to the very latest smart adaptive technology that drives rapid progress in individual learning, particularly in English, maths, and science.

Sport is high on the agenda too, SMH pupils have access to a worldclass indoor tennis dome with two Grand Slam-sized courts and a 25m on-site swimming pool. Boys and girls can play rugby, football, hockey, netball, tennis, and cricket at the highest levels.

“We take pupils and, especially from Years 5 to 8, we see a transformation, which is very affirming. Our pupils develop into polite young people with good manners. They are very open, proactive and genuinely want to ask you if you are having a good day!

“This is a culture that’s sadly very rare in young people in our wider society today,” adds Fr Chris.

“Here we are – an international school in the middle of the countryside in the beautiful Ribble Valley. We have children from across the world who want to benefit from a first-class English education. It is a very unique and dynamic learning environment that allows children to be children and to extend that great adventure of a natural childhood that little bit longer.”

STONYHURST ST MARY’S HALL

YEAR 5 ASSESSMENT DAY

May 13 2023

9:00AM - 12:00PM

01254 827073 stonyhurst.ac.uk

Fly Around The World In 80 Days This February! It’s Fabulous Family Theatre!

Travel Around the World In 80 Days as silly circus antics and amazing acrobatics join the intrepid journey in this fantastic family theatre production at Blackpool Grand Theatre

Race for tickets for the best in family theatre at Blackpool Grand Theatre this February! This marvellously madcap new telling of Jules Verne’s famous tale Around the World In 80 Days will captivate everyone from young to old from Tuesday 28 February to Saturday 4 March 2023. It’s a real circus of a show! Book your seats in the Big Top now!.

Juliet’s Forster’s thrilling adaptation of Jules Verne’s Around the World In 80 Days is Phileas Fogg’s incredible journey across the globe as you’ve never seen it before! It’s a rip-roaring romp that’s not to be missed…

A raggle-taggle band of highly skilled travelling circus performers embark on their most daring feat yet as they recreate Fogg’s famous adventures as he sets off on his race Around The World In 80 Days. But wait? Who is this Nellie Bly biting at his heels? We can’t have an actual reallife woman win this race!

Sit back and enjoy as skilled performers traverse every country, embrace each character and navigate each mode of transport as fact clashes with fiction in this highly entertaining gallop around the globe. It’s an epic

family theatre adventure! Can’t wait to get started on the family fun?

Why not fill these long, dark January nights by playing Around the World In 80 Days the board game to get you all up to speed on the famous tale?

Most families will have bought new board games for Christmas and then packed them away with the decorations ready for next year’s festivities. Sitting around the table with the family to play a board game is one of the few times you can all get together, unleash some healthy competitive spirit and teach your little ones how to lose gracefully…

Let’s look at seven of the UK’s best-loved board games. Which one did you get in your stocking this year? Get them back out and enjoy!

1. Monopoly

One of the most popular board games of all time, Monopoly is perfect for competitive families while also delivering a crash course in capitalism and economics. The rules are simple - build your monopoly by buying up as much land as possible and then build houses and hotels on it to earn as much profit

as possible when other plays to land on your property. Unfortunately, as in real life, there are taxes and rent to pay, and you can even find yourself in jail if you’re not careful!

2. Mouse Trap

Since its launch in 1963, the Mouse Trap board game has long been a family favourite thanks to its zany action and fast-paced threedimensional gameplay. As one of the colourful mouse characters, you must navigate around the board collecting cheese and taking cheese from other players. But as you make your way around, you must be careful of the trap! Designed for two or more players, this game is all about construction, decisionmaking and cause and effect.

3. Scrabble

Scrabble is one of the most popular board games among older children, teens and adults. Test your word skills and fire up your competitive instinct as you each try to

come up with the highestscoring words. Players need seven tiles each to get started, and when it’s their turn, place the letters down or across the board to create words to score points. The game ends when all the tiles are gone.

4. Around the World In 80 Days

In 1872, the fictional character in Jules Verne’s novel Phileas Fogg bet £20,000 that he could travel around the world in just 80 days. As he heads off on his travels, he’s pursued by a detective believing him

of having robbed the Bank of England. The Around the World In 80 Days board game retraces Fogg’s adventures, with the first person to return to London winning the game. You must alternate between ambition and caution and time your return to the city just right if you want to succeed.

5. Articulate!

Articulate is a different kind of word game that requires you to think on your feet and talk fast. Each player has just 30 seconds to describe the words on their card to their teammates. The more words their team can correctly guess, the more points they get, and the faster they travel around the board. It’s loud, interactive, intense and a lot of fun.

6. Trivial Pursuit

Since it was first launched in the 1980s, Trivial Pursuit has been a stalwart of board gaming. Its format is simple, travel around the board,

answering general knowledge questions as you go. Whenever you answer a question correctly, you can collect a wedge. When you amass six wedges, you can make your way to the centre of the board to answer a question your opponents will choose. The game features over 2,000 trivia questions on sports and leisure, science and nature, art and literature, history, geography and entertainment.

7. Titanic

Playing as either Rose, Jack, Ruth, Cal or the Captain, you discover the famous Titanic ocean liner is sinking fast, and you need to get as many passengers as possible to safety before it sinks to the bottom of the sea. You’ll have to make lifeand-death decisions, choosing whether to save passengers or upgrade your abilities to save more people on your next go. It all takes place over nine rounds as you pass from room to room, saving passengers and

retrieving items. One of the tiles is flooded at the end of each player’s go, so it really is a race against time!

What are you waiting for?

Set that board back up again, gather the whole family and start playing.

Then run to the Grand Theatre Box Office to follow in Fogg’s famous footsteps and snap up your seats for the circus in this fabulous family theatre show! Your Around the World In 80 Days adventure awaits!

Around The World in 80 Days is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 28 February to Saturday 4 March 2023. Matinee and early evening performances available.

Tickets from £15.50 with concessions and group rates available.

For ages 7+

Book the very best seats now before it flies into Blackpool Grand!

Please call the Box Office on 01253 290190 or visit www. BlackpoolGrand.co.uk for full listings, bookings and further information.

LISTINGS

Around The World in 80 Days

Tue 28 Feb to Fri 3 Mar 2023 at 7.30pm

Sat 4 Mar at 1pm & 5.30pm Thu matinee at 2pm

Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT

N 01253 290 190

D blackpoolgrand.co.uk

F @blackpoolgrand

T @Grand_Theatre

I grandtheatrebpl

We pride ourselves in building quality homes throughout Lancashire

Redrow strive to create environments that will stand the test of time, where people can appreciate and enjoy their surroundings. We create homes that are designed for the way we live today, yet are rooted in the time-honoured traditions of craftsmanship and care.

New-look Lakeland Book of the Year expands for 2023

The prestigious Lakeland Book of the Year competition has revamped for 2023, with a brand new category and a new look judging panel overseeing this annual celebration of amateur and professional writing talent.

Entries are now open for the 39th instalment of Lakeland Book of the Year, which can include any book published in 2022 set in or featuring Cumbria.

This year’s competition includes the introduction of new judge Michael McGregor, who is Director of Wordsworth Grasmere. Alongside broadcaster Fiona Armstrong, who takes up head judging duties following the retirement of competition founder Hunter Davies OBE, will be former Cumbria Tourism President, Eric Robson and Rachel Laverack from Cumbria County Council who joins as guest judge.

This year’s awards also see the inclusion of a new separately judged category ‘The CGP Books Children’s Poem of the Year’. Open exclusively to school children between Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 5 across Cumbria, it is aimed at inspiring the next generation of Cumbrian authors.

The awards will be presented at a charity event at The Inn on the Lake, Glenridding on Tuesday 11 July 2023. Attended by authors, publishers and book lovers from throughout Cumbria and beyond, the charity partner for this year’s event is PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide in the UK). Joining us on the day will be Andy Airey from 3 Dads Walking, along with a representative from PAPYRUS.

Finalists will be whittled down across all seven main categories*, with the overall winner receiving the ultimate accolade of Lakeland Book of the Year 2023.

New judge Michael McGregor says, “Like the Lakeland Book of the Year Awards, Wordsworth Grasmere is dedicated to celebrating great literature, past and present. So when I was offered the opportunity to be a judge for

the 2023 Awards I jumped at the chance and I’m looking forward to seeing the submissions and enjoying an array of homegrown writing talent!”

Meanwhile, Michael Southorn, PR Manager at CGP Books adds, “We’re pleased to be sponsoring the new children’s category. As an educational publisher based in Cumbria, we understand the importance of recognising authors who write about the local area — especially those who help children develop a passion for reading and literature. We’re supporting the awards to help make sure these writers continue to be celebrated.”

*The full list of categories is:

• The Latitude Press Prize for Illustration & Presentation

• The Wordsworth Grasmere Prize for Literature & Poetry

• The Gilpin Hotel Prize for Fiction

• The Bill Rollinson Prize for Landscape & Tradition

• The Striding Edge Productions Eric Robson Prize for Guides & Places

• The Bookends Prize for People & Business

• The CGP Books Children’s Poem of the Year

The submission deadline for Lakeland Book of the Year 2023 is Tuesday 28 February.

Entry forms are easy to download at: www. lakelandbookoftheyear.co.uk Or for more information about the event, contact Ben Melling at Cumbria Tourism on 01539 822 222.

Halewood Marks The Spot For Launch Of New Property Type In The North West

HOUSEBUILDER Redrow will unveil a brand new property in the North West this January.

The new design will be revealed at an open house event at The Finches at Hilton Grange in Halewood on Saturday, January 21 from 11am - 4pm.

The four-bedroom detached Windsor, which boasts an open plan kitchen/ dining room and family area, as well as a separate utility room, cloakroom and lounge, is the latest property to be added to Redrow’s award winning Heritage Collection.

The first floor has four sizeable bedrooms, with an en-suite to the main bedroom and a family bathroom.

This event not only gives potential homebuyers the opportunity to look around a ‘Readymade’ Windsor, so they can appreciate the space on offer, but also to view the specification up close, including the kitchen and bathrooms.

“This is the first property of this type to be built in the North West so we have

decided to open it as a view home to give customers the opportunity to get to know more about its layout, room sizes and specification,” said Sian Pitt, sales director for Redrow Lancashire.

“It’s not been fully furnished like our show homes, however, that means our customers have a blank canvas to envisage how they would put their own design stamp on the house.

“Our sales consultants will be on hand to show prospective purchasers around the view home and show homes, as well as talking them through our development plans in our customer experience suite.”

Visitors will also be able to visit three professionally styled and furnished show homes at The Finches, The Marlow, The Cambridge and The Canterbury.

The Finches will offer a collection of 196 one and two-bedroom apartments, along with three and four-bedroom

terraced, semi-detached and detached homes, off Lower Road in the south-west of Halewood.

The Finches - and its neighbouring Grace Fields development - will provide a new community and form part of the significant East Halewood Sustainable Extension, a masterplan to build highquality new homes for the area.

Both developments are just a 30-minute drive from Liverpool city centre with its shops, restaurants, bars and cultural facilities, and close to the M62 for road journeys to Manchester, Leeds and beyond, while local railway stations offer services to Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

For further information visit www. redrow.co.uk/thefinches or call the sales team on 0151 391 7310.

left:

A representative image of The Windsor

GEORG JENSEN X STINE GOYA

GEORG JENSEN X STINE GOYA

GEORG JENSEN X STINE GOYA

WHALLEY

The picturesque village of Whalley sits on the banks of the river Calder and is in the heart of the beautiful Ribble Valley.

The stunning Forest of Bowland which is designated as an area of outstanding beauty surrounds it. The charming village is awash with historic buildings, and stunning architecture, and boasts a vibrant hub of independent shops, cafes, and restaurants. There is a strong sense of community with many volunteer-

By Sarah Ridgway

led groups, and nearly all retailers are independently owned by local people. It is not surprising that in 2016 the desirable location made it onto the Sunday Times Best 50 Places to Live in Britain and was the only Lancashire Village to do so.

Whalley’s impressive array of quirky independent businesses attracts visitors from all over including celebrities. Hollywood actor Sam Neill who is famous for his role in the Jurassic Park franchise has a connection to this Lancashire village. After paying a visit to The Whalley

Wine Shop the actor asked if they would stock his wine range in the shop. The Whalley Wine Shop was opened in 2010 by local Tom Jones agreed to the actor’s request. Neill paid another surprise visit in 2015 in between filming for Peaky Blinders in Manchester to check how his wines were selling.

Whalley is known to have existed since 1066, and many buildings in the area date back to the 13th Century including the Parish Church of Saint Mary and All Saints. There are twentythree more listed buildings in the

village, and King Street showcases many fine examples of Tudor and Georgian architecture.

Portfield Hill, known as Planes Wood Camp, is an ancient hillfort believed to date from the Late Bronze or Iron Age. The prehistoric site is an important archaeological site and one of over 140 scheduled monuments in Lancashire.

“Whalley is a bustling and vibrant village full of independent shops, restaurants, and pubs. The village has become popular with the younger generation as its wellknown nightlife has evolved, and is a friendly place with a great sense of community.”

Alison Baines, Owner of Deep Beauty Spa - Whalley

Bronze-Age artefacts were found in 1966 by workmen who were laying new pipes. The hoard included two axes, a knife, and a gold bracelet believed to be of Irish craftsmanship and dating from the mid to late Bronze age. More items were uncovered in the early 1970s, and replicas of these items can be seen in the Blackburn Museum and Ribchester Roman Museum.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

A strong sense of community spirit runs through the village, with many volunteer-led groups, that help run events throughout the year and keep Whalley looking ship-shaped. Whalley in Bloom is a community group that uses its green fingers to keep its spaces and plants blooming. The group work hard to fill the village with colour making it a wonderful place to live and visit. The Whalley in Bloom volunteers known locally as the Lavender Ladies also play a role in raising funds for projects with local events and activities. Whalley in Bloom was founded in 2011 and has won awards at the prestigious RHS in Bloom competition, and in 2019 won Gold at the National Britain in Bloom Awards.

The Whalley Pickwick festival began in 1988 and is a much-loved event held every December. The festival is run by volunteers with the profit reinvested into the local community. The Dickensian-themed event

named after The Pickwick Papers is full of activities and entertainment, including pipe and brass bands, Morris dancing, and a visit from Father Christmas. The village has over 30 indoor and outdoor stalls selling a variety of festive fayre, hot food, and a tombola.

Left: Sarah Layton Jewellery - Whalley

THE TEMPERAMENTAL RIVER

CALDER

On Boxing Day 2015 while most people were settling down after Christmas; many residents of Whalley were being evacuated from their homes after the Met Office issued a red weather warning. Due to the ferocious force of Storm Eva, the River Calder burst its banks and rose 2.5 metres above its normal level. Homes

and businesses began barricading their properties with sandbags, and the police, army and fire brigade were called in. Boats were required to rescue residents from their homes. Up to 196 properties were flooded, and King Street was submerged in water, with businesses and local farms suffering severe damage. The Whalley Community Hydro, a small water hydro station that produces £550 electricity a day was also damaged. The building was submerged by flood

water, but thankfully, it was quickly repaired and was up and running by 31st December. A local volunteer group the Whalley Lions were praised for working relentlessly to organize aid for the affected residents. After the incident, a six-year plan was organised, with an investment of £120 million in Lancashire flood defences National Flood Resilience A review was also ordered to improve safeguarding the country from future flooding.

In February 2020 Storm Ciara said to be “the biggest storm this century” paid an unwelcome visit to Whalley. The storm caused further destruction to the area, with over 70 properties flooded. People were again told to evacuate their homes, and many residents needed to be rescued by boat. Due to the torrential downpour the electricity was shut off, and people sought refuge by staying with family and friends elsewhere until it was deemed safe to return.

THE WHALLEY VIADUCT

The Whalley Viaduct is a listed structure and is a stunning example of Victorian railway engineering. The viaduct known locally as the Whalley Arches is a Grade II listed structure. The impressive construction was built between 1846 and 1850 in red and blue bricks. The viaduct has 48 grand arches, two of which incorporate a unique decorative brick infill. The viaduct’s design at that time was considered ground-breaking and was built by the Blackburn and Bolton railway company. Terrence Wolfe Flanagan was the chief engineer, and the line opened on Saturday 22 June 1850, and it transports the Blackburn to Clitheroe railway line 550 metres across the Ribble Valley.

The viaduct is 600 yards long and sits 70 feet above the valley, with its construction requiring over six million bricks and over 12,000 cubic yards of

stone. During the build, two of the arches collapsed and caused three fatalities, with heavy rain to blame for causing dampness to the brickwork. In 2016 a renovation project costing £1.6m was implemented to strengthen the arches. 2,800 steel brackets were installed, alongside a new drainage system on the ground floor as a flood prevention method.

THE MONKS OF WHALLEY ABBEY

The ancient ruins of Whalley Abbey sit on the banks of the river Calder at the edge of the village. The unique attraction is visited by thousands of tourists throughout the year. In 1296 the Cistercian monks of Stanlow Abbey, which sat on the banks of the river Mersey needed to relocate. The monks of Stanlow had suffered storms and flooding, and they asked the pope to move them to a better location. In 1296 the Pope agreed to the request, and the monks moved to Whalley.

There was already an existing chapel on the site, which was built by the rector of Whalley, and the monks incorporated the building into the new monastery. In June 1296, Henry de Lacy, the 10th Baron of Halton laid the first foundation stone of the new abbey. The stone for the buildings were sourced from two local quarries, Read and Simonstone, and the monks obtained a royal licence in 1339 to build a crenelated wall around the site.

The gatehouse was constructed between 1296 and 1310 and still stands. The gatehouse set the boundaries between the monastery and employed a gatekeeper who prevented unauthorised visitors from gaining access. The gatekeeper would also keep watch for any unusual activity and provided basic defence during military times and political unrest. It was very common for beggars and poor travellers to turn up at the monastery seeking food or assistance. Therefore, the gatekeeper would be responsible for allocating food and drink for them.

The church was completed in 1380, but the process was slow, and the rest of the abbey was not completed until the 1440s. The abbey closed in 1537 as a part of the dissolution of monasteries which was a legal process between 1536 and 1541. The act by King Henry VIII closed monasteries,

priories, friaries and convents in England, Wales, and Ireland. The king subsequently confiscated their income to initially increasing revenue to the Crown. Most of the seized assets instead funded Henry’s military crusades in the 1540s. By the end of the 16th century, monasticism had almost been eradicated in the European states with a Protestant faith, Ireland remained the only exception. John Paslew, the remaining abbot, disputed this act and was ultimately executed at Lancaster for treason.

In 1553 the land and the manor of Whalley were sold. John Braddyll of Brockhall and Richard Assheton of Lever, near Bolton bought them for around £2,151. The pair divided the land, with Assheton taking the monastic site and buildings. The infirmary’s buildings and abbot’s house were torn down, and the stone was used to construct a new manor

house. In the 17th century, most of the remaining church and monastic buildings were demolished. The manor house went through a succession of owners, and around 1900 the house and its land were bought by Sir John Travis Cragg. In 1923 the Church of England bought the manor house, which is now owned by The Anglican Diocese of Blackburn.

The abbey continues to attract tourists who can wander through the ruins and savour the tranquil location. Visitors can even book a guided tour led by resident monks. At the southern end of the south transept, the remains of the monks’ night stairs can be found, along with three medieval gravestones, one a prior named Thomas Wood and another a monk named John Walton. The north transept is a larger area with three chapels on its east side.

There are fragments of more medieval gravestones, and the foundations of two large piers that supported the crossing tower. The west range is the best-preserved part of the abbey, and in the north ambulatory visitors can find a gravestone bearing the arms of the De Lacy Family, the original founders of the abbey. A skeleton was found under the gravestone when the area was excavated in the 1930s and is believed to be one of the founder’s family.

Today the house is a retreat centre offering a place of welcome and prayer, where guests can stay at the 4-star bed and breakfast, with 17 en-suite bedrooms. Visitors can book retreats ranging from yoga, and mindfulness, supper clubs with guest speakers, and prayer retreats.

There is also a visitors’ centre, exhibition centre, cafe, and bookshop.

Should Pet Mums Celebrate Mothers Day?

by Hayley Hilton

This is why true pet owners these days often feel a deeper level of grief when we lose them than our previous generations. Pets are now more than just “fun” or “something to keep the kids happy”, especially as we know more about their nutrition, their behaviour and their pain related behaviours too. Since lockdown, many pets have become a lifeline to their owners, heping with mental health as well as physical exercise together on walks. I often hear tales of how the rescue dogs have rescued their owners and actually given them a reason to live in many circumstances.

So yes, if you love your dog as much as I used to love my Rottweiler Lola, (with all my heart) then I give you permission to be proud of being a mother to your pet this Mother’s day (or a pet father when this day comes along in June)... choose to celebrate the day together... because nobody else’s opinion matters, it’s a perfect excuse to treat yourself to a bunch of flowers, take yourselves to a dog friendly cafe for delicious cake and pupcakes or just spend a day together having cuddles on the sofa in front of your favourite movie or box set.

In a word, definitely!

If you love your dog, cat, guinea pig or snake as much as you love your kids then you will be caring for them just as much... more in fact... because our pets can’t grow up to open the fridge (unless they have had training as a therapy dog like my Aussie client Link), use the microwave or air fryer to cook their own food and can’t fend for themselves if left alone. Believe me, I tried phoning or texting my dog Lola to say I was going to be late and she never answered the phone or texted back!

So, there is actually more onus on today’s pet parents to care for their beloved pets, whether that’s spending quality time with them when you can and get to understand their needs, their particular pain or anxiety signals and do activities with them that give you both quality of life. And if you can involve your partner and kids in these aspects of your pets’ lives then you will be a tighter family unit whilst teaching your kids the true responsibility of pet ownership (and rid your pet of any confusing human behaviours when everyone treats them differently!)

You have my permission coz you are awesome and your pet thinks so too.

Happy Pet Mothers Day x

Do you agree with Hayley’s conclusion?

Do you want to know more about the dog world? Get in touch on: Hayley.Hilton@HandsOnHeart.dog to have chat… she may work with dogs but she doesn’t bite!

Hands On Heart Clinical Canine Massage Therapy, reducing pain and discomfort in dogs and owners through Science and Intuition. HandsOnHeart.dog

Winter Worries and Equine Welfare Concerns?

horse owners and horse lovers are often left wondering when horses are left out in the cold. Each breed has different needs, some horses are rugged and others manage perfectly well without. Some horses are pampered and stabled 24/7 whilst there are plenty of horses living out in all weathers, which are perfectly fine. It can often leave unanswered questions and give cause for concern.

Horses are designed to forage and can graze for up to 16 hours per day, building up a fat reserve over the summer months when grazing is plentiful. During the winter months horses will call on those reserves when grazing is limited or in short supply. In cold weather they will use up more energy to keep warm, and the rule of thumb is provided that they have a good body weight they will be able to survive through the cold spells and generate their own central heating. Ideally, when the ground is covered in snow we like to see that horses have got extra forage in the form of good quality hay to meet their additional needs.

If horses are not in work, then they generally don’t need any supplementary feed in the form of hard feed and winter grazing can be an option for some owners. Youngsters and geriatrics can benefit from plenty of turnout if not all year round.

Typically, landowners generally don’t like horses wintering out as every hoof print creates a large hole, which then fills with water and the ground can soon become severely poached, particularly surrounding gateways and feeding areas. At this time of year, we are particularly busy attending to calls involving horses living out in all weathers and remain

particularly busy during extreme weather conditions, with an influx in calls coming in throughout the recent cold snap.

HAPPA’s Inspectors play a key role in the co-ordination and enforcement of legislation relating to the Five Welfare Needs and provide expert advice and support to horse owners. They are also able to educate in such cases when an equine’s welfare is compromised due to a lack of knowledge.

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 states that it is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal, the Act applies to all animals on common land and contains Section 9 ‘Duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare’ and Section 4 ‘Unnecessary suffering’ which means that anyone responsible for an animal

must take reasonable steps to ensure that the animals needs are duly met.

Understanding how the framework is implemented and enforced can sometimes be complex, HAPPA’s Equine Inspectors have the experience and knowledge of the Act and apprehend what is acceptable and what is welfare compromise. They can intervene with guidance and support owners to make the relevant improvements where possible. Most situations can be improved or resolved with HAPPA’s intervention and prosecution is, although a last resort, an option available to us.

Animal Welfare Act 2006 Explained

When we attend a complaint we first of all evaluate the factors in

relation to each element of the Five Welfare Needs to establish whether or not the equine’s ‘Basic Needs’ are being met.

The Five Welfare Needs

Its need for a suitable environment –all horses should have a comfortable resting area and have protection from the extreme elements as appropriate for the breed or type. Shelter can be man-made or natural. Factors to consider include the horses age, size, breed, available shelter, sort of shelter, hard standing, rugged or not rugged. A donkey requires waterproof shelter with three sides and dry floor. During extreme weather conditions, if a field is flooded, can the horses get out of the water and stand on relatively dry land?

Its need for a suitable diet – if the horse is of a good body weight and has a good body condition score of 2. 5 and above and given the time of year (season) for instance a horse coming out of winter with a body score of 2.5 would not give cause for concern as the grass will soon be plentiful. The body condition score indicates whether or not the equine is receiving ‘A suitable diet’, this is a good the starting point. Water, is there clean

fresh water, stream, even puddles, are the horses clinically dehydrated?

Its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns – horses should be handled quietly with care and compassion and patience to avoid any undue stress or discomfort –restraining devices must be used humanely with sympathetic handling.

Any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals – horses in their natural habitat are herding animals and require the company of their own kind with the exception of stallions that will need to be kept apart from mares and other geldings.

Its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease – owners must be able to recognise signs of ill health and disease taking reasonable steps to ensure early diagnosis with access and intervention from a qualified veterinary surgeon to treat any serious illness or injury. Access to regular foot care from a qualified farrier.

Reporting Your Concerns

If you see something that concerns you, we will investigate, we keep your details confidential, so you

can be rest assured and report with confidence. Our Equine Inspectors will do everything they can to improve the welfare if it is required, however please respect that we are not able to share or discuss the details of individual cases due to Data Protection legislation. HAPPA (The Horses & Ponies Protection Association) investigate complaints of cruelty and neglect and implement the legislation within the Animal Welfare Act 2006, taking appropriate action where necessary. Interventions include the giving and offering advice and supporting owners to make the relevant changes. We have the option of issuing improvement notices to owners that fail to provide a satisfactory ‘Duty of Care’ which could potentially lead to prosecution.

We operate a traffic light system giving precedence to the most urgent complaints and endeavour to action all visits within seven working days. We provide Inspectorate cover Mon –Fri between the hours of 9am – 5pm. Our Inspectors may need to contact you on the number provided to ask further questions and gather further information.

We also do not duplicate visits and if another organisation is already dealing, we will liaise with the relevant organisation and ensure that appropriate action has been taken. We work closely with organisations that belong to NEWC (The National Equine Welfare Council) and Inspectors network with each other in relation to shared jobs.

Report cruelty here – https://www. happa.org.uk/report-cruelty-neglect/

Equine Inspector Liz Pharaoh’s Top Tips when Reporting a Welfare Concern (picture of Liz)

Report what you see- we need a clear picture of information from the source and cannot act on hearsay or items posted on social media.

If you can visit more than once try going at different times- get the full picture.

If reported to one welfare organisation and conditions get worse report back to same welfare organisation. Welfare organisations will communicate with one another.

Please do not trespass

Welfare Inspectors have knowledge and access to other organisations and the police which puts them in a better position to deal.

A picture may paint a thousand words so if you can take a photo… please include the whole scene.

Do not approach horses you do not know

Ponies in small paddocks or on limited grazing; it may be due to an ongoing health condition.

Do not judge an owner until you have all the facts; age, size, health and exercise may all contribute to the condition of a horse/pony.

Be realistic

Any concerns, if not urgent, keep a diary…this is very useful to and Equine or Welfare Inspector.

Do not approach horse or land owners

Do not feed if several equines are all fed in one place bullying may occur.

Please do not offer to rescue an equine on the assumption a welfare organisation will then be able to take action against a previous owner

or take an animal from you. Always speak to a welfare organisation first.

A final note on rugging

A typical call can begin with “they are out in all weathers without any rugs on.” Our native breeds and cobs hardly ever need rugging, they are equipped to cope with all weathers. However there are exceptions, if they are clipped, elderly or underweight. Thin skinned or finer breeds may benefit from rugging appropriately. Over rugging can cause sweating, rubbing and it is essential to adjust the type of rug worn by a horse to reflect the changing weather conditions. Rugs should be checked daily and changed regularly particularly when rugs become wet and damp.

It is also important to ensure that rugs worn outside are waterproof and that they are a good fit to ensure that they are not causing injury or discomfort from slipping or chaffing. All of this should be maintained by a good owner and we do not advise anyone to remove or change a rug of a horse that doesn’t belong to you.

& INTEGRITY

JUST GENUINE PRICES AND EXCELLENT SERVICE

Rossendale Interiors is the retail division of J & J Ormerod PLC. With roots tracing back to 1876, we’re a family run business with 6 experienced designers and a reputation that we’re proud of. For generations we’ve provided quality products and services to customers in Bacup, Lancashire, and the local area.

With us, you’ll find the perfect design for your home. Whether you prefer a traditional or contemporary design, we have more than 40 years of experience with over 50% of our business being from referrals and returning customers. You can relax in the knowledge that you’ll receive a truly personal and professional service with no high pressure sales, so call us now!

From our free planning and design service to the fitting of the last tile, our high-quality products are all realistically priced. We are backed by one of the UK’s leading kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom manufacturers, Rossendale Interiors PLC who have won many awards including the 2009 Gold Award ‘Green Apple’ for being environmentally friendly. We offer 12 months interest free or Buy Now Pay Later subject to status, or longer interest-bearing packages.

High quality products made by our parent company JJO in the Rossendale Valley.

Financially secured through JJO. Plus risk free 12 months

‘Buy Now Pay Later’ option (subject to status)

Showrooms open 7 days per week with over 60 displays to see

www.rossendaleinteriors.com

Why HAPPA Legacies Are Important

Remembering HAPPA when making your will is one of the most generous and long-lasting acts you will ever perform. Without legacies we could not continue our vital work and abused, neglected and abandoned equines would no longer have the opportunity to experience a second chance in a loving home.

Legacy income is vitally important to HAPPA, it provides over 80% of our annual income to carry out equine welfare work and we are truly grateful to everyone who chooses to remember our work at the time of writing their will.

Remember, you are never too young to make a will and, most important of all, a bequest to HAPPA does not mean it has to be your total value of your estate. A modest donation to us can make all the difference and can help HAPPA save lives.

Why Are Legacies Important?

“A legacy is not about what you did while you were there it is what happens when you are gone”

Darrell Waltrip

It’s a scary thought but over 80% of HAPPA’s annual income comes from legacies. Without this money HAPPA would very soon cease to exist and this fact worries us a lot.

Talking about legacies and will making in general can sometimes feel a little uncomfortable, after all, the subject matter skirts around death and dying and is often associated with pain and loss and these are not easy things to talk about positively. There are nicely packaged campaigns that we can use, sensitive wording, information we can offer to assist you in making your will and including a

bequest to HAPPA, however, after assessing the best way to approach you, we have decided that honesty is the very best option, so here goes…

Remember HAPPA Remember HAPPA in your Will

Please remember HAPPA when making your will

It really is as simple as that – no frills, no flowers. Whether your contribution is considerable or modest, every penny makes a difference.

HAPPA receives no state or lottery funding and as already mentioned, legacies account for a major percentage of our annual income. The remainder comes from small grants, donations, fundraising activities and trading.

We’re actively seeking to increase our trading activities by improving our visitor facilities at Shores Hey Farm, by offering facility hire, by providing educational and training opportunities and upgrading our farm shop, gift shop and tack shop but we will always rely heavily on legacies and we need to do more to ensure that this vital source of income does not reduce in the years to come.

Why it’s a good thing to remember HAPPA in your will

There are many good reasons but we think that the most important is that we use your money to make things better for horses, ponies and donkeys, we teach people what horses need, how to give them the best possible quality of life sometimes, when things don’t go well, we intervene and prevent cruelty and suffering.

We have a unique approach to equine welfare and believe that rescue is just the first step in the journey for horses, ponies and donkeys. We invest lots of money, time and effort in rehabilitating every animal, assessing their needs, teaching them good manners, devising suitable schooling programmes and basically doing everything we can to give each equine the best opportunity of a Second Chance in a Forever Home. We also do everything we can to find the right home for every animal, whether as a companion or a horse that will be ridden and then ensure its care and welfare for its entire lifetime by visiting every animal twice each year.

By changing how we do things, we

are caring for more animals than ever before, rehoming more animals than ever before and really earning our position of leading the field in equine welfare.

Peace Of Mind Scheme

“We promise to continue your legacy and offer your equine a lifetime of professional care and experience.”

Our Peace of Mind scheme is guaranteed to give you the reassurance you seek for the future welfare and care of your equine. We have been asked many times “What will happen to our horse should they outlive us?” Having given this matter consideration, we now offer our Peace of Mind Scheme specifically designed to address this issue.

To sign up for the Scheme, we require a pledge to be left to HAPPA to cover the cost of ongoing care, along with wording in your Will passing the care of your animal to us. This will cover all equines you choose to own throughout your life, not just your current horse, pony or donkey.

Signing up to the Scheme will ensure we act swiftly upon receiving notification of your passing, and

deploy our experienced Equine Care Team to pick up and transport your beloved friend back to Shores Hey Farm Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, where a warm welcome will be awaiting their arrival.

All animals that come into our Centre on this scheme will be assessed by our Veterinary Surgeon and Equine Care Team to see if they are suitable at some point to be rehomed with one of our Borrowers, so they can live out their lives as nature intended, through the HAPPA Loan Scheme. Where there is more than one equine we will do our very best to re-home them together.

If your animal has ongoing health or behaviour issues these will be addressed and for the foreseeable future the animal will be kept at Shores Hey Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre to receive all necessary veterinary and social care. We would like to add that our staff are

extremely experienced in dealing with all problems and they excel at bringing the best out in each horse, pony or donkey, offering them the most fulfilling life possible.

When your animal no longer enjoys a good quality of life, then be assured that HAPPA never euthanises an equine without consulting with a Veterinary Surgeon.

Whatever happens, we will treat your animal as an individual and provide the best care possible during its lifetime.

Be assured that Quality of Life is important to us and is sustained for every equine in our care.

If you would like to contact our Finance and Legacies Manager Carol Chidley to discuss further, please email enquiries@happa.org.uk

It is our policy that all equines in our ownership are offered for rehoming through our Loan Scheme and it is only by finding homes for the animals in our care that we are able to free up space to help those that are in desperate need. All rehomed equines are regularly checked for the remainder of their lives to ensure their continued welfare.

Everything you need for Mother’s Day

Our pages are packed full of treats, beautiful home gifts and toiletries, and a range for the birds and wildlife in the garden - something for everyone!

Restore toiletry gift sets

Our Restore toiletry sets are the perfect gift for those needing a little pick me up. Designed to be reminiscent of a woodland walk, they feature a cleansing and warming blend of sweet orange and bergamot, deep undertones of cedarwood and the fresh green of cypress and juniper.

Our candle is made from coconut and rapeseed wax rather than the traditional beeswax or soya wax.

This wax is produced using sustainable crops and is one of the most ecological available. It is smokeless, it has a slower burn time, and it is also veganfriendly.The candle is also free from all artificialfragrances.

Packaging: All the packaging is fully recyclable using glass bottles, card and aluminium tins.

Restore hand wash & nail brush set - £14

Restore Candle & Bath Oil Set -£12

Free as a Bird collection

This collection from our partner Half Moon Bay. See the whole range online.

Coasters (ceramic with cork base) £10

Egg cups from £8

Tea towel (organic cotton) £6.99

Lunch bag £12.99

Bottle (glass and FSC certified bamboo) £16.99

Mugs £9

Bird-shaped mugs £13

Coin purse £7

Pouch £9.99

Sling bag £25

Gola rainforest chocolate

This delicious chocolate is handcrafted in Cornwall and made from nature-friendly cocoa grown in the Gola rainforest.

Available in both dark and milk chocolate.

£3.99

Gola rainforest chocolate

This delicious chocolate is handcrafted in Cornwall and made from nature-friendly cocoa grown in the Gola rainforest.

Available in both dark and milk chocolate.

£3.99

Pigeon Posted letter papers

Introducing the letter, reinvented, from carbon-negative brand Pigeon. A beautiful blend of modern and traditional, this pack of 6 unique design ‘pigeons’ encourages you to ditch the screen and write a few words to your friends and family instead.

Wonderfully Wild (pictured) £8

Dawn Chorus £7.99 (rising to £8 as of 8 Feb)

Each pack holds six letter papers, featuring six different bold colour designs. Each paper is designed to fold in on itself and be its own envelope and letter paper in one.

RSPB Scarves

100% Global Organic Textile Standard organic cotton, produced without synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

£16 each, 2 for £22

RSPB Free as a bird, available online from 8 Feb

Swallows reversible throw –from recycled materials £35

Swallows plant pot 10cm £13

Swallows slimline vase £12

Kingfisher glasses case £10

Mallard coin purse £8

Long-tailed tit sling bag £35

Navy Sprigs Pink Murmuration Pink Forest Berry Murmuration

Give Hedgehogs the Help They Deserve

In 2011 we found out that hedgehogs, one of the nation’s favourite animals, were declining in Britain at the same rate as tigers worldwide.

To help turn the situation around for hedgehogs, we’re funding research into their decline. And along with our partner The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, we run Hedgehog Street, the largest hedgehog conservation project in the UK. We are:

• Recruiting more Hedgehog Champions to take action for hogs

• Working with housing developers to create hedgehogfriendly new-builds

• Investigating why rural hedgehogs are declining so fast

• Tracking where hedgehogs are spotted and where gardens are connected

• Determining which garden features hedgehogs prefer so champions can create hedgehogfriendly gardens

• Consulting with politicians about increasing the legal protection of hedgehogs

The decline of hedgehogs in urban areas looks to be slowing; hopefully an early sign that our collective hard work, and the efforts and generosity of thousands of people just like you, is paying off.

But there’s so much more to do!

Up to quarter of a million hedgehogs are killed on roads every year. We’re looking into risk factors associated with road use by hedgehogs (age, sex, time of year), what types of roads they attempt to cross and whether they’ll use wildlife tunnels if available. Preliminary results show male hedgehogs cross over roads more and, in one area, as many as a third of the local hedgehog population were killed on the roads. This is devastating. We want to stop this happening. Your gift could help carry out this research and turn it into positive action to help save more hedgehogs from being killed on roads.

We want to set up a national monitoring scheme for hedgehogs. Thousands of hedgehog sightings are logged on Hedgehog Street’s BIG Hedgehog Map, but we need to know their abundance in different habitats, and presence or absence to help us target conservation efforts.

I’m always delighted at how passionate PTES supporters are when it comes to hedgehogs. These spiny mammals are so loved, and yet declining in some areas, especially rural, at a very worrying rate. I want to turn this trend around and see hedgehogs thrive in Britain once more. With your help I think this is possible. It’ll take time, but it’s definitely worth the effort. We can’t sit by and watch hedgehogs disappear altogether.

To Donate, please visit: donate.ptes.org/newpublic/

Miranda Christopher

Miranda Christopher Launches the VIP Goddess Style Club

By Sarah Ridgway

Miranda Christopher is an experienced certified Style Coach and the founder of Goddess Style and Design.

The brand uses the trademarked My Goddess Style Expression framework to empower women to fully express themselves in the world. Its services include a Virtual Style & Personal Shopping Experience, Capsule Wardrobe Creation, Digital Wardrobe Management and My Goddess Style Expression along with motivating online courses and boot camps.

Miranda has some exciting news for 2023 and is just about to launch a VIP Goddess Style Club for women who want to create their own style and fashion rules. The VIP Goddess Style Club will create an online community of like-minded women and is all about unleashing your inner style and expressing yourself through your clothes. The membership will also include weekly style and shopping boards, fashion tips and tricks, opportunities to test out your virtual wardrobe, live fashion shows including industry guests, a monthly live coaching session with Miranda, a chance to get feedback from other members, and discounted access to the Virtual Shopping Service.

All of Miranda’s courses are included in the membership, such as the 7-day Self Style Awareness and the Grow your Body Confidence in 14 Days. The body confidence course helps women learn about their body confidence and create a style awareness to become confident to wear whatever they want without feeling limited by the rules that other people impose.

Why do think how women represent themselves is important?

For many women, how they dress and turn up is really a reflection of how they see themselves, and many women conform to what the expectations are or what they think will please other people. Body confidence is linked to our confidence as a person, so raising your awareness of yourself and how you choose to dress reflects how you feel about yourself as a person. The body confidence course is about getting to the root of why we make the decisions we do and how that shows up in the world. For example, colour is a huge part of how we express ourselves, and we don’t want women to be stuck in a box. Miranda’s approach

is all about what works for you and not being told what to do but discovering it for yourself.

How do you think lack of body confidence or being worried about what they wear holds people back?

Some people hide behind their clothes, while others put a mask on that they think other people want to see. Some women who work in business will choose to show a very masculine side to gain acceptance and don’t feel it is acceptable to be soft and feminine in the workplace. It shows up in many different types of ways in our daily lives.

Is the VIP Goddess Style Club suitable for anybody at any stage of their life?

Absolutely! Because we all reflect how we feel through what we wear. You will find there are days when we feel like being bold and bright and others where we just want to blend into the background. The monthly live coaching provides an opportunity for people to ask Miranda questions about their process, and everything is online and can be accessed however members want at their leisure while providing ongoing support. How we show up in the world is rooted in our self-confidence, and this exciting venture is built off the back of years of experience in this industry. For more information about joining VIP Goddess Style Club, please visit: www.goddessstyle.co.uk

Six People Who Shaped Gawthorpe Hall

By Margaret Brecknell

Now under the care of the National Trust, Gawthorpe Hall has a long and interesting history dating all the way back to the late Elizabethan era. The Shuttleworth family owned this beautiful stately home, situated at Padiham near Burnley, for nearly 400 years up until the latter part of the 20th century.

Here are the stories of five family members who shaped Gawthorpe Hall’s history, as well as one outsider who was responsible for a major restoration project during the mid-19th century.

REVEREND LAWRENCE SHUTTLEWORTH (1545-1607)

The Shuttleworth family’s connection with the Gawthorpe estate began in the 14th century, but the present building dates from the early 1600s. In the late 1500s one particularly successful family member, Richard Shuttleworth, decided to use part of his considerable personal wealth to upgrade the then most basic of properties, amounting to little more

than a watch tower, which was situated on the family’s Gawthorpe estate. He had made his fortune as a barrister and was considered so affluent that he was twice asked to lend considerable sums of money to the then monarch, Queen Elizabeth I – it’s a fair assumption to surmise that he probably never saw any of it again.

Richard Shuttleworth drew up plans for a grand new country home at Gawthorpe, but died childless in November 1599, and it was left to his younger brother, Lawrence, to bring the project to fruition.

Lawrence laid the first foundation stone for the new Gawthorpe Hall in August 1600. He was already in his middle fifties by this stage and, in stark contrast to his elder brother, made a living as a clergyman. He must have been a busy man over the following few years, as he continued in his role as the Rector of Whichford in Warwickshire whilst at the same time supervising the construction work at Gawthorpe. A noted architect of the day, Robert Smythson, has been credited with designing the new property, probably because it bears more than a passing resemblance to Smythson’s most famous commission, Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire.

The exterior of the property was largely completed by 1604, but it took longer to finish the interior and Lawrence did not live long enough to move into the house. He died, aged 62, in February 1607.

COLONEL RICHARD SHUTTLEWORTH (1587-1669)

Lawrence’s nephew, Richard Shuttleworth, inherited Gawthorpe Hall in February 1607 at the age of just 20. Soon afterwards, he and his new wife, Fleetwood Barton, became the property’s first permanent residents. The couple’s eleven children were subsequently all born at Gawthorpe.

Five years after they took up residence at Gawthorpe Hall, the notorious Pendle Witch Trials took place in Lancaster, following which the accused were sentenced to death and hanged. Richard Shuttleworth has an intriguing connection with this infamous incident, as it was his servant, Robert Nutter, who first accused one of the women, Anne

Redfearn, of witchcraft. As a local Justice of the Peace, Shuttleworth may well have been well expected to play a part in the Lancaster trials but appears to have excused himself because of his close connection to the case.

Shuttleworth became a highly influential figure in his home county, serving as High Sheriff of Lancashire on two occasions. In 1640, he entered Parliament as MP for Preston during one of the most turbulent periods in British history, with the relationship between the Parliamentarians and their monarch, King Charles I, at an all-time low. Hostilities escalated to such an extent over the following two years that, in 1642, the military conflict, today known as the English Civil War, commenced.

Richard Shuttleworth became a Colonel in the parliamentary army and led local resistance against attacks from Royalist forces in East Lancashire. Three of his sons also fought on the parliamentary side during the Civil

War and one, William, was killed during an attack by the King’s men on Lancaster Castle.

Matters came to a head locally when, in April 1643, a large Royalist contingent gathered near Whalley, only a few miles from Gawthorpe Hall. Shuttleworth was able to muster a local force of only around 400 men, but the Parliamentarians lay in wait for the Royalists at nearby Read Old Bridge and ambushed them, causing the much larger Royalist army to beat a hasty retreat. This unlikely victory cemented Parliament’s position in East Lancashire, and in the process ensured that Gawthorpe Hall was saved from possible capture.

Parliament’s ultimate victory in the Civil War only further enhanced Shuttleworth’s status and he continued to thrive even after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. He finally passed away in June 1669 at the ripe old age of 82.

SIR JAMES (1804-77) and LADY JANET (1817-72) KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH

Following the death of the 17thcentury Colonel, the family did not use Gawthorpe Hall as a permanent residence again until 1816 when Robert Shuttleworth set about making the property a family home once more. His daughter, Janet, was born in late 1817, but he was tragically killed in a carriage accident only months later and she spent much of her childhood in the south of England.

Janet first met her future husband, Dr James Phillips Kay, in 1839. Some 13 years her senior, he had initially worked as a doctor in Manchester where he had witnessed first-hand the appalling slum conditions in which the poorest members of society lived. As a result, he became one of the era’s most prominent campaigners for social reform, calling for improved sanitation and becoming a passionate advocate for education to be made freely available to all. It was in his capacity as one of the country’s

leading educationalists that Janet first contacted him for advice regarding one of the local infant schools near Gawthorpe.

The couple married three years later. James adopted his wife’s surname, meaning that henceforth the family became known as the KayShuttleworths.

Because of decades of neglect, Gawthorpe Hall was in dire need of restoration. The Kay-Shuttleworths threw themselves wholeheartedly into the project, commissioning, in 1849, one of the country’s most renowned architects, Sir Charles Barry (of whom more below) to work on the plans. The project took three years, encompassing not only the Hall itself but also the gardens which were completely transformed.

In 1850, the couple invited Charlotte Bronte to stay at Gawthorpe Hall. The Bronte family home at Haworth was situated only some 12 miles away and by this stage Charlotte was already becoming a well-known

author. The famous novelist described Gawthorpe Hall as “grey, stately and picturesque, a model of old English architecture”. She returned there again in 1855, together with her new husband, the Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls. Tragically, she died only two months later.

James and Janet had five children, but their marriage did not prove particularly happy. Janet suffered from poor health and spent much time recuperating abroad in warmer climes. Eventually, she settled permanently in Italy, living at the purpose-built Villa Ponente in the resort of San Remo, together with three of her children. Her closest neighbour was the poet, Edward Lear, and he is said to have originally written his most famous work, The Owl and the Pussycat, to amuse a three-year-old niece of Janet’s who was visiting her at the time.

Janet never returned to Gawthorpe and, in 1872, died, aged 55, in the German spa town of Bad Soden. Her husband, James, died in London five years later.

Above: Gawthorpe Hall, Burnley

Credit: Joyce Nelson

SIR CHARLES BARRY (1795-1860)

The son of a stationer, Charles Barry was born in London in May 1795, not far from the location for the building which would make his name.

He is famous for designing the building that houses Parliament in the heart of Westminster, next to the River Thames. Barry won the commission after entering an 1835 competition to design a new Palace of Westminster following the destruction by fire of much of the previous building a year earlier. Working closely with fellow architect Augustus Pugin, who designed much of the interior, Barry oversaw the construction of what is now regarded as one of Britain’s most iconic buildings. At the time, however, his work did not meet with universal approval. The project took some 18 years to complete and even then part of Barry’s original plan was abandoned because of mounting costs.

Throughout this period, Barry was also occupied with other projects up and down the country including Gawthorpe Hall. In his plans for Gawthorpe, Barry focused on restoring the house in a manner that remained sympathetic to its Elizabethan roots, as well as incorporating elements of the then fashionable neo-Gothic style. His design for the interior of the house included contributions from Pugin, who was also responsible for the decorative “KS” ironwork monogram on the front door.

Barry’s contribution to the advancement of garden design is today largely forgotten, but his influence was considerable. He was responsible for a complete overhaul of the outside space at Gawthorpe including the formal parterre garden to the north of the property, which even today remains very

close in style to his original 1851 design. His plans also included a small Italianate-style terrace garden to the rear of the property, but sadly this no longer exists. However, intriguingly the outline of its flower beds still emerges from time to time during periods of severe drought.

Parallels have been drawn between Barry’s restoration of Gawthorpe Hall and a similar project he undertook at the much larger Highclere Castle in southern England. Highclere has achieved fame in recent years as the location where the popular period drama, Downton Abbey, is filmed. The unquestionable similarities between the two properties have proved a marketers’ dream, with Gawthorpe Hall now often described as the “Downton of the North”.

Charles Barry died in London just days before his 65th birthday in May 1860 and was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey.

RACHEL KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH (1886-1967)

Born in 1886, Rachel was the daughter of James and Janet Kay-Shuttleworth’s eldest son, Ughtred, and the last family member to live at Gawthorpe Hall.

Ughtred inherited the Estate following his parents’ passing and lived at Gawthorpe Hall for many years, even famously entertaining the then King George V and Queen Mary there in 1913. However, the war years did not treat the Kay-Shuttleworth family kindly. Both of Ughtred’s sons were killed during World War I and his grandson died during World War II. The Estate then passed to a cousin, Charles Kay-Shuttleworth, who was himself badly injured during the war and did not take up residence at Gawthorpe Hall. Instead, the property was left in the care of his aunt, Rachel, who, as Ughtred’s daughter, had lived there for most of her life and remained there until her own death in 1967.

From an early age Rachel was a skilled needlewoman and, as an adult, taught the craft, believing it to be an invaluable skill. She began to amass textiles to use as examples in her teaching and the collection turned into a lifelong obsession. During her life Rachel acquired a huge selection of lace, embroidery and textiles, which has been preserved for posterity at the Hall as the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection. Including rare and unusual examples of textiles from around the world, Rachel’s mission in collecting the items was to educate and inspire her fellow needlewomen. She would have been surely pleased to know that many items from this fascinating and historically important collection are now on permanent display at Gawthorpe Hall and continue to inspire craft workers today.

Following Rachel’s death, aged 81, in April 1967, Gawthorpe Hall was acquired by the National Trust who, together with Lancashire County Council, still manage the property. The house opens to the visitors during the summer months and it is possible to take a stroll through Gawthorpe’s beautiful grounds all-year round. 

Above: Portrait of Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth c1892 Credit: Wellcome Images/CC BY 4.0

REDROW HOSTS ENERGY SAVING EVENTS ACROSS CHESHIRE AND FLINTSHIRE TO HELP NEW HOMEOWNERS

LEADING housebuilder Redrow is throwing open its doors to host a series of educational events across its Cheshire and Flintshire developments to help those looking to move to an energy efficient new home this year.

Between Saturday, January 14 and Sunday, January 22, prospective customers will be able to understand the energy costs that could be saved with better Energy Performance Certificate ratings, and how the Government’s sustainability and environmental targets will impact them as homeowners.

Prospective homebuyers will also be able to use Redrow’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) calculator tool, which is designed to help people compare the energy savings to their current properties and highlight the benefits of a newbuild Redrow home.

In fact, new research from Redrow reveals that three quarters (73%) of adults in the North West admit living in an energy efficient home is more important to them now compared to a year ago. However, nearly a third (28%) believe they are unable to make their home more energy efficient as their house is too old. This may be why, nearly half (44%) would consider moving to a new build home due to

the energy efficient features already installed.

“Our research shows people are more eco conscious than ever before and are looking at ways to be even more energy efficient, especially in relation to their homes,” said James Holmear, Director at Redrow.

“Our homes are designed to help people save money on household bills, with the average Redrow home being B-rated, saving homeowners an average of £2,600 a year on energy bills.

“Our sustainable options, such as eco waste bins, EV charging points, water butts and solar panels, have increased in popularity by 72% YOY and we suspect, with more people looking for ways to reduce their energy consumption demand will continue to soar in 2023.

“As a business, we are taking responsibility to help educate and inform homeowners and future buyers and would like to people to visit us, so we can provide a helping hand on the journey.”

Newer homes come with many energyefficient amenities built in and are also covered by a 10-year warranty from the National House Building Council. Redrow build good quality, energy efficient homes which start with fabric first approach. This includes using enhanced insulation, highly efficient doors, double-glazed windows and heating systems to reduce the home’s energy use and retain heat.

Events are taking place at the following developments in Cheshire and Flintshire:

• Weaver Park, Hartford

• Water’s Reach, Hartford

• Kingsbourne, Nantwhich

• King’s Moat Garden Village, Chester

• Ledsham Garden Village, Ledsham

• Tabley Park, Knutsford

• Woodford Garden Village, near Stockport

• Millstone View, Penyfordd.

For more information on Redrow’s homes please visit: www.redrow.co.uk/cheshire

left: King’s Moat Garden Village, Chester

Miro Products

By Margaret Brecknell

Kitchen appliance company, Miro Products, may have only been established four years ago, but it has already gained a fine reputation for the quality of its products and its first-class customer service. Focusing on quality, performance and style, Miro Products are kitchen extraction specialists.

The business, based at Vision Park in Burnley, sells cooker hoods to independent kitchen retailers and designers across the UK.

I spoke to Miro’s Sales Office Manager, Jamie Butterfield, recently to find out more about the company. He told me that the business was the brainchild of Liam Lord, who, after working in the kitchen industry for around 15 years, decided, in 2018, to branch out on his own. Liam discovered a supplier in Barcelona, who could provide him with high-end extraction solutions for the modern kitchen, and signed an exclusivity contract with the company. Miro Products remains the Spanish manufacturer’s sole UK distributor.

Jamie told me how the Burnley company’s name was inspired by that first visit to Barcelona. As he enjoyed a drink near Joan Miro Park, named in honour of Barcelona’s famous artist, Liam Lord decided to borrow the artist’s surname, Miro, for his new company. This, in turn, led to the “Art of Extraction” slogan, which is now the company’s tagline.

With the modern trend for open plan kitchens, today’s homeowners regard the kitchen not only as the heart of daily family life, but also as a place to entertain guests. There are so many factors to consider when planning a new kitchen that it can be all too easy to overlook one of the most important elements – the extractor system. The cooker hood is a vital element of any modern kitchen to eliminate steam and cooking odours effectively, but it is essential that it does its job with maximum efficiency and minimum noise.

Miro offers a stylish and unique range of quiet, high-performance cooker hoods. All Miro extractors are manufactured using only the highest quality materials and components. The type of hood required depends very much on where it will be positioned in the kitchen. Miro covers

pretty much every option, offering the choice of surface, wall-mounted, ceiling, island or integrated hoods.

These cutting-edge products come with “Silence Plus” technology, ensuring that the sound of the extractor never interferes with those important family occasions or a precious moment of peace and quiet.

The company is also able to offer a bespoke manufacturing service, offering customers the opportunity to customise a selection of its models.

Miro Products has enjoyed rapid expansion over the last four years. “We’re doubling growth year on year”, Jamie told me. The company now imports products from an Italian manufacturer, as well as its original Spanish supplier, and now has two warehouses at Vision Park.

Liam Lord and his fellow Director, Ryan Strange, both have a longstanding connection with the Burnley area and, during a night out, persuaded Jamie, whom they have known for years, to join the business as Sales Office Manager. All three firmly believe that the town has much to offer a business like theirs. “Burnley is thriving; it’s the centre of the north”, Jamie explained. “You can get on to any motorway from here and yet be in the middle of the countryside within five minutes”.

The company’s rapid growth is all the more remarkable, bearing in mind that the business was still at a relatively early stage of its development when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early 2020. With admirable foresight, the Miro team moved heaven and earth to bring in as much stock as possible to Burnley and the risk paid off. At a time when many of the larger kitchen appliance brands were struggling to meet customer demand, Miro was able to continue to supply its clients and maintain excellent stock levels.

Miro prides itself on its fast turnaround, usually fulfilling orders for the UK mainland within two to five days. The turnaround for bespoke orders is typically between six and eight weeks.

Miro sell exclusively to independent kitchen and appliance retailers across the UK but retains a particularly strong presence in Scotland (Liam’s former patch) and of course here in the NorthWest. “We enjoy collaboration with local businesses”, Jamie explained. “Some of the photos featured here

in this article are completed projects from three Lancashire based kitchen retailers; Moss Hall Kitchens in Blackburn and Frank Anthony Kitchens in Warton. The last photo, a project by Stuart Frazer, won “Best Kitchen Space” at last year’s Northern Design Awards. The winning kitchen

featured a Miro Nitro 360 stainless steel ceiling extractor. As Miro deals exclusively with trade customers, many homeowners may not even be aware of the name of the Burnleybased company that has supplied the state-of-the-art cooker hood in their brand-new kitchen. The Miro team are actively looking to increase awareness of their brand through features like this one.

Jamie was keen to emphasise the importance that the company places on satisfying its end users. The experienced team at Miro know their products inside out and pride themselves on providing excellent customer care and after-sales support.

A glance at the company’s social media accounts reveals some stunning kitchens belonging to reallife customers, all of which showcase Miro’s products.

Late last year, Miro launched a range of quality decorative lighting, designed with open plan kitchen living in mind, and the company may well look to expand its product range of kitchen appliances further in the future. Any potential new products will have to fit the Miro ethos. “We pride ourselves on supplying high quality products that do the job”, Jamie explained.

The Miro team have already demonstrated the vision, knowledge and expertise to succeed in their chosen niche market. With exciting plans for the future, Miro Products seem assured to enjoy further success.

Miro Products Limited, Unit 9, Evolve@Vision Park, Whittle Way, Burnley BB12 0AW

Phone: 01282 450238

Email: office@miroproducts.co.uk

Website: www.miroproducts.co.uk

Instagram: @miroproducts

Facebook: @mirocookerhoods

LinkedIn: Miro Cooker Hoods

La Locanda was an unforgettable authentic Italian experience that nobody in our party would have wanted to miss.

The night was a wild one, with rain thudding down from all angles as the six of us ran for cover in to a beautifully lit, warm and enchanting restaurant. Cinzia was waiting to greet us like an old friend with a huge smile and the ultimate attentive care and consideration.

Even though Christmas had passed, the magic was still in the air and the restaurant’s atmosphere was vibrant and interesting as couples and friends chatted away in the most comfortable and unusual spots. Each table area was totally different, some in alcoves or hidden round corners, each little area with a personality of it’s own. Our table was upstairs amongst a few other diners who all looked to be having a good time.

As we settled in to mulling over the menu, Cinzia arrived to explain about the roots of the food, the focus on local as well as authentic and natural was fantastic to hear. As one of our party asked for a traditional coke, we were quickly told that nothing so full of unnatural ingredients were served on Cinzia’s watch. As most of us were driving we ended up with mineral water from Italy and a couple of natural versions of coke which were organic with health benefits, poured over oranges and lemons we all enjoyed trying something new which had a great flavour.

Cinzia was extremely informative as she took us through the specials. We tried a lot of different dishes including the thinly sliced goose special which was tasty and was better than any

goose I have tried, think deluxe fine dining goose cooked to perfection with a variety of flavours and a side dip, not your uncle Harry’s overdone Christmas goose with no flavour. The rosemary focaccia and the Pane Carasau condito - thin flat crispy bread with fresh chopped garlic and rosemary and extra virgin olive oil is are a treat even if you aren’t a big bread eater as it is very light and crisp. The steak was fantastic, one was served with Porcini mushroom sauce and one made with green pepper and brandy sauce, this was not on the menu but nothing was too much trouble to arrange and both steaks were melt in your mouth. We had beautiful vegetables and potatoes to accompany our steaks. Some people plumped for Zuppa di Pesce - a rich fish stew which would rival any top

fish restaurant in the world and some people plumped for a typical Italian pasta dish, spaghetti allo scoglio which I was assured was not typical in anyway but light and fresh and full of flavour.

One of our party chose to have Anatra ai frutti di bosco con verdurine - duck breast with fruits of the forest sauce - which he had never tried cooked in this way before, he enjoyed very much and although he enjoys a drink and is not local, he has promised to do the drive to have it again soon which is a big compliment from our friend Austin.

In between the courses, something none of us had experienced for years, we were given a delectable raspberry sorbet to clear our pallet, we all agreed we could have eaten a tub of it.

We of course had to have some desserts and we tried the cannoli which came with a glass of dessert wine, something that worked really well as a pairing and we also had the cassata siciliana with home made gelato. The gelato is superb and the cassata did not disappoint, with a rich flavour of marzipan and some chocolate as well. Talking of chocolates, we were treated to a big tray of them at the end with our coffees and they were lovely, not overly sweet, I think even the chocolate is of superior quality and the best ingredients. No detail is left unattended to in this lovely getaway of a restaurant that really is so much more than a meal at a restaurant. If you want to impress someone for a reasonable price then this is the place for you.

After being given the Limoncello drink and some candies for the car home we left a little heavier than when we arrived but all of us excited to have found somewhere really special to bring our friends and family time and time again. 

La Locanda: an unforgettable authentic Italian experience

Ruskin Museum’s Engineering Partnership

Ruskin Museum announces engineering partnership with WEC Group’s Engineering Academy for the Bluebird K7 Hydroplane.

The Ruskin Museum are very proud to announce their partnership with WEC Group Ltd. With over 40 years of manufacturing experience and over 850 staff across 4 counties, WEC Group comprises of 14 manufacturing companies specialising in individual areas of engineering and fabrication.

WEC Group Ltd is the Ruskin Museum’s chosen engineering partner to deal with the ongoing maintenance of their hydroplane Bluebird K7, which was owned by Land and Water Speed Record breaker, Donald Campbell CBE.

Managing Director of WEC Group, Steve Hartley started the company over 40 years ago when it was a small welding and fabrication shop in Darwen, Lancashire and it is now one of the largest manufacturing companies in Europe.

Steve, however, has another passion, he loves all things speed related. Steve is no stranger to fast vehicles as he also races vintage formula 1 cars, racing at circuits in Belgium, France and USA to name a few. Steve is also the owner of an Aero L-39 Albatros Jet which he and his team operate and fly. He also owns and runs a Hawk T1 and is delighted to be involved with Bluebird K7.

Steve Hartley says: “The Bluebird K7 Hydroplane was originally manufactured at Samlesbury Engineering, just a few miles away

from our new Engineering Academy and we’re really excited that our apprentices will get the opportunity to provide engineering support and manufacture new parts for such an iconic engineering masterpiece back here in the Blackburn area where it all started.”

WEC Group originally opened the door of its in-house Engineering Academy in 2006 in a bid to tackle the local engineering skills gap, and over 200 apprentices have since been trained at the facility.

WEC’s welding & fabrication apprentices get to learn their craft while working on exciting community projects every year. Recent work has seen them fabricate a range of parts and a trailer for the Longbow Jet Hydroplane. WEC Apprentices were also recently heavily involved with the successful launch of Skybolt 2, an 8.3m tall space rocket.

WEC Group recently relocated their Engineering Academy to a newly purpose-built training facility at Walker Park, Blackburn, following a two-year construction phase and a £3m private investment from Steve Hartley. The new Academy was officially opened in September 2022 and it will allow the company to meet their pledge to train a further 400 apprentices over the next 10 years.

Jeff Carroll, Vice Chair of The Coniston Institute and Ruskin Museum says: “It’s really pleasing that we can announce the involvement of WEC Group with the Ruskin Museum. Their experience in a diverse range of engineering projects is incredible and we are honoured that Steve has seen fit to involve himself in our aims.

It is incredibly fitting that when we have physical possession of Bluebird K7, that she should be worked on by supervised apprentices giving them a memorable experience they will carry for the rest of their lives. The additional fact that the Apprentice Academy is in Lancashire, not far from where K7 was originally built, is all the more poetic.

Steve’s interest, background and network in aero and motorsport engineering are very impressive and should come in very useful in maintaining the future of Bluebird K7.”

Tracy Hodgson, Director of The Ruskin Museum added “We are over the moon to be working with

Steve and WEC Group. Bluebird K7 will primarily be looked after by WEC’s Engineering Academy where apprentices will work on and learn all about this iconic machine. What better way to inspire the next generation of engineers!” 

From left to right: Steve Hartley, Tracy Hodgson, and Jeff Carroll

The Drunken Monkey and a Night on the Tiles

By Harold Cunliffe

It is only when you reach a certain age that you realise how primitive and dangerous some working practices were in days gone by. During the mid-1960’s when as a 15 year old, I was employed by a cabinet manufacturer at Heywood, Lancashire, the operation of the Victorian lift at the Albert Mills filled me with fear.

Unlike a modern lift, this goods lift was of a manual nature. The person operating the lift had to pull chains which passed through the lift floor and roof which moved a leather drive belt to the up, down or brake mode, this operation was required to bring the car to a halt, a lot of jiggling of the chains was required to level the car at floor level.

Employees were not given training to use this antiquated equipment.

A few miles away at the town of Middleton the gardeners at Jubilee Park, a park and library which came into existence to honour the Jubilee of Queen Victoria, had its own greenhouse complex to produce the thousands of plants, labour intensive propagation via vegetative cuttings and seed were used in the production of summer and winter floral bedding to enhance the park and Central Garden.

The heart of the operations took place in the potting shed, a Victorian building built of brick which consisted of a sink, cold water tap and a kettle at one end and a stone slab used as a potting bench at the opposite. Below the stone bench were three bays in which to store the compost. During this period of time, 1968, the compost was made by the gardening

staff, based on the John Innes formula. Above the potting area were shelves which contained recycled black boxes once used in voting which contained chemicals of dubious character.

The use of these potions did not seem scientific. Should a problem occur with the plants the foreman would take a large pinch of whatever was in the container and sprinkle this into a watering can. One black container I recall contained a yellow powder, ‘Flowers of Sulphur.’

This was used to prevent the leaves of the Geranium plant from decay during the winter period. Thousands of Geranium cuttings were taken during September and grown in the greenhouses for summer bedding.

It was early spring when one of the old gardeners noticed that we had a large outbreak of greenfly in one of the greenhouses. The method

Push, And Pull Mowing - Jubilee Park

used was to spray the plants with a soap which contained nicotine, aptly named, “Nic-o-soap.” The old gardener, Jimmy, who smoked a pipe, was busy at his work using a hand held sprayer made from brass which was like a bicycle pump. The diluted soap was applied by finely misting above and the underside of the leaves. Jimmy was puffing away producing even more nicotine into the air of the greenhouse.

Then at the time I visited him to witness the procedure in progress I asked. “How’s it going Jimmy,” he replied, “Everything is going well, but you know? I can taste this soap in my pipe.” He was also increasing his nicotine level too. We have come a long way with the way we use chemicals in the horticultural business.

One of the first tasks I had to partake in the use of chemicals was the killing of weeds along the paths of the park. Without any instruction or guidance I was handed a pressurised sprayer and a gallon of Paraquat, I later found out that this chemical was the most deadly chemical in use as an herbicide.

The process was that this chemical would kill any green material via inhibiting photosynthesis, it cuts out the daylight. It had no known antidote, should anyone be foolish enough to consume it, and they would die. Gardeners were given this

to use without facemask and gloves, in fact no protective clothing at all. A family friend who was an actress, also appearing in Coronation Street once played the wife of a victim in a play based upon a true story of an office worker who, over a period of time poisoned the staff, one by one by putting this chemical in their beverage. Our friend said that it was an easy part to play; she filmed sitting next to the bed looking distressed and tearful as her husband passed away. In the old potting shed gardeners had to consume their food and drink alongside some dangerous chemicals. The gardeners of days gone by had a hard life. Before mowers had an engine one would push and another pull the heavy machines. During my period of working in the park and Central Gardens, we had no access to a staff toilet.

The council, in its wisdom, provided a portable cabin which included a toilet; this was just prior to the area being cleared for construction of a car park. At a place known as Jumbo, near Chadderton, an area of land was developed where an old chapel once stood.

Six inches of top soil was spread, grass seed and fertiliser was applied. Following this a number of trees were planted and prior to the area being mowed a team of men were employed to pick the stones which had risen to the surface. It was at the point that the

horticultural staff had completed the work onsite and was clearing their equipment that a chap walked past using a measuring wheel.

We enquired why he needed to measure the site because we had already carried out this procedure. He mentioned that in seven days’ time the site would be cleared and a new community centre was being built.

In the National News.

Last year an item was found in a newspaper cutting which documented a farming family that had relocated to the ‘Jumbo’ area, known as Middleton Junction following the construction of the railways. In the story of documenting this family it stated that they were the relatives of the terrible outrage which took place at Greenfield.

Frustratingly the report did not give details of the incident. It has taken a while to search the archives to find a family link, but eventually the facts of the outrage at the “Bill o’ Jacks” at Greenfield, Oldham were found.

Within the church outings newspaper reports we find that this location was popular. Horse drawn carriages would transport the parishioners to the open moorland where the mill workers would enjoy walks in the fresh air above Saddleworth, also partake in refreshment at the Bill o’ Jacks.

The incident succinctly reported in the newspaper refers to a double murder. William aged 84 and his son Thomas Bradbury 46, were savagely murdered on the 2nd April 1832. Ironically this location is in the area where Brady and Hindley, the moors murderers, buried the bodies of their victims.

The murder scene as related by the person who discovered the crime was of such a shocking nature it is disturbing to relate the details in these columns, but at the time it shocked the nation, making the national newspapers.

It transpires that items used in this murder are in the museum at Uppermill. A visit is planned in the near future which we will relate our findings. Following a search of the internet a memorial postcard was purchased.

This was written at the time of the murder and included a photograph of the building.

Throughout the land, wherever news is read,

Intelligence of their sad death has spread;

Those who now talk of farfamed Greenfield hills, Will think of Bills o’ Jacks and Tom o’ Bill’s.

Such interest did their tragic end excite, That, ere they were removed from human sight,

Thousands on thousands daily

came to see, The bloody scene of the catastrophe.

One house, one business and one bed,

And most shocking death they had;

One funeral came, one inquest passed,

And now one grave they have at last. Moat.

The Old Rectory was replaced by a new modern building close by. At one point it was stated that the Old Rectory should be demolished. For some reason the council demolished many buildings of historical interest during the 1960’s and 70’s and it was a stroke of luck that a builder purchased the property and saved the ancient Rectory from demolition.

At one point the building had a moat, as visible on old maps. It was when Jack Ogden, a local businessman acquired the building that he expressed a desire to excavate the area where the moat once was.

Interestingly the soil which was removed contained items which were lost when the land was used for fairs and the Agricultural Shows. Jack and his son spent hours sifting the mountain of earth to uncover gems from the past including hundreds of coins. The area in which the greenhouse complex was constructed was once the Rectory stables and kitchen gardens.

Sections of the walled garden

Above: Night Soil Toilet

Left: Birch Cemetery Fluke

exist to this day. During my period of working in the greenhouse area I found a clump of rhubarb in one corner, which did make you wonder how many years this had survived, was this a strain of the original plant used by the Victorians?

Night Soil.

A report in a vintage newspaper covers the question of the disposal of night soil. An item debated by the Commissioners, this was in the days prior to 1886, after which the town became a ‘Borough.’ Night soil was in fact the contents of the outside toilet. In the days prior to a flushing toilet and a sewerage system a thin metal pail which was fitted with a wooden seat was used in the outside privy by the family, which was emptied on a weekly basis during the early hours of the morning.

A dark coloured disinfectant was used in the chemical toilet prior to use. The job of the disposal was normally awarded to local farmers who would make use of this material to enrich the fertility of their fields by spread the contents upon the land. No doubt keeping up-wind.

Famine.

The potato famine of Ireland made the news. Potato blight devastated the crops causing hardship and hunger to thousands of people living in Ireland. Reading the labels on the old black tins, tins once used to collect the votes at elections and now recycled being the home to some toxic chemicals were visible on the shelf in the Victorian potting shed in which we gardeners worked, in which the contents may have provided a treatment for this blight.

“Copper Sulph.” This sulphate was used by gardeners to kill off fungus

Why Choose The Lancashire GP?

• The Lancashire GP offers you the very best attention and treatment.

• As a patient with us, you are able to access an appointment that is convenient for you and be assured that it will run on time.

• We also offer both telephone & video consultations as well as face-to-face.

• We offer a full health screening service to keep your mind at ease.

• Our aim is to detect any early warning signs and refer you for appropriate treatment or further investigations.

• We are able to offer a convenient prescription service.

• Each of our consultations aims to complete a thorough assessment in one appointment.

• Vaccines, Covid-19 testing, and Sexual Health services now provided via Better2Know.

14 High Street • Garstang • Preston • PR3 1FA

n 01995 238081

e contact@lancashiregp.co.uk

d lancashiregp.co.uk

in plants. It was later found that a chemical treatment, a wash applied to the young plants saved the crops, (see advertisement).

At the height of the potato famine one Lancashire gentleman happened to be touring Ireland, and when passing through a railway station he witnessed many young men boarding trains which would transport them to the docks where they would take passage to America.

The gentleman was touched by the scenes he witnessed,the whole platform being crowded with next of kin, friends and relatives, mother’s and father’s, upon which the parting scenes were painfully touching.

It was this that prompted him to write a letter to his family home in Lancashire to inform his family of the emotional sights he had witnessed that day. Memories in which he would take with him to his grave.

In his correspondence he stated that the parents who were waving off their young men were just plain farmers, simple rustic folk who were in tears, sobbing as their children boarded the train. Even the porters were struck by the unrestrained sounds of emotion, having tears in their eyes, even though the scenes before them were familiar, visions they had witnessed on a daily basis and it was the fact that they would possibly never see their menfolk ever again.

“As the train began to move slowly away two or three of those upon the

platform clung, screaming to the carriage door until being dragged away. And amongst the wild outcry that arose from those left behind, one poor woman fell back upon her seat against the wall, wailing, “Oh my darling, my darling.” Whilst an old white haired man dropped down upon his knees, and with uplifted arms cried, “Oh may the hand of the blessed God be about thee, my own son.” Was related in his letter by the Lancashire gentleman.

A

Fluke.

As you enter the cemetery gate at the village of Birch, near Heywood, Lancashire, you have to walk across a memorial stone which forms the footpath.

Listed on the stone is the name of a cottage gardener, John Turner. John raised a new vegetable, a potato which was resistant to the blight and he named it, “The Fluke,” so named because the shape resembled a fluke.

Inscribed on the stone; John Turner, died 28th February 1854. It was found that this potato was a ‘good cropper’ and showed a remarkable resistance to the potato blight which was so prevalent during this period. Turner was granted an annuity for the good he had done in raising the new species.

It was reported that “In consideration of which a subscription of £115 was raised for his benefit during his life.” It seems that the potato proved to be popular with growers. A horticulturist

came across a crop of the ‘fluke’ in East Yorkshire thirty four years after the death of Mr Turner, although the cultivation of this vegetable in the district of Birch had ceased entirely. Since researching this story I have unearthed additional information. The Radclife Agricultural Society presented John Turner of Birch a silver medal for rearing a new potato called “The Fluke.”

Night on the Tiles.

A listing in the Police Court column states that a 13 year old boy had travelled from Bury where he and his mother had lived with an aunt after his father had left and gone away.

Next they both found lodgings at Blackley, Manchester but when he awoke he found that she too had left him. The boy knew that his mother was once married to Joseph Hussey of the Little Park area of Middleton, so the youngster set off in hope of finding his mother.

Arriving at Simpson Street late at night the young boy had to find a place to sleep. The following day a resident of the Little Park informed Police Constable Kilshaw that a bundle of old sacking was placed at the side of a chimney at the corner of Heap Street and Hannah Street.

Upon investigation he found that the sacking at the side of the chimney stack contained the 13 year old boy. He was unable to awaken him so obtained a ladder in which he found the boy was fast asleep, the poor boy

Above: Bordeaux Mixture Right: LittlePark - On the roof

was using an old can as a pillow. The sack he was sleeping upon was wet, as was the one which he used as a blanket.

The boy was taken to the Police Station and his case was put before Inspector Proctor. It transpired that the boy had lived at the Little Park at one point, and had attended the local Catholic school.

At the time that his father had left the young boy and his mother found shelter in the Bury Workhouse, and now with his mother leaving him he was sent to the Oldham Workhouse.

To complete this story we give thanks to “Yourtrust” at Rochdale Local Studies who provided an image of the actual house in which the young boy, named as Martin McHale spent the night. Clearly visible is the spot on the roof next to the warm chimney where young Martin slept.

The Drunken Monkey.

A number of reports from the time of the Second World War states that servicemen serving abroad gained pets from finding wild animals. A soldier serving in the Mediterranean area had a pet monkey.

All went well until the soldier became wounded and the animal made good its escape. Word was sent out to various organisations detailing the loss of the monkey, and then by a stroke of luck the monkey was found by the Red Cross who restored the animal to its owner who by this was time was back in England recovering.

The owner reported the facts to the press who commented that once found the monkey became an ‘entertaining’ guest at the Red Cross headquarters in Naples prior to being transported to this country.

A rather well off family took their pet monkey with them when they went on holiday; this was during the 1880’s.

Originally the animal came from the colonies and was purchased for the amusement of the children. All was fine with the addition family member who enjoyed creature comforts until the day the family members allowed their pet into the dining room of the hotel.

All through dinner the monkey, which was small in stature, was kept restrained in the corner of the room and from its elevated position was able to observe the family members enjoying the food and drink which was available.

Then during the afternoon when the monkey was left alone it became liberated and mimicked the actions of the human family members, by partaking in the remains of the repast left over by the family, in which the animal included sips of the wine, champagne proving to be the most satisfying beverage to be consumed.

Upon consuming this liquid refreshment the monkey soon became inebriated and began to jump about the room like no monkey had ever jumped before. Being of an excited nature, and out of control the animal began throwing chinaware from the table around the room and in doing so created a dreadful noise.

It was the noise of the breaking of the chinaware which alerted members of staff to the room who feared personal injury upon entry. One brave waiter in showing no fear entered the room to restrain the animal but retracted once he received a blow on his head from a flying sauceboat.

Holiday makers walking along the promenade heard the noise which emanated through a balcony window which had been left partly open, and subsequently a large crowd had congregated.

It was when almost all of the items on the table were damaged that the servants entered the room and brought the incident to a close. It is rather disturbing to read an act of violence in the press report, “With the aid of distraction a muscular chambermaid managed to capture the creature with her right hand and restrain the animal under her left arm, she then administered condign punishment upon its unlucky frame.”

I just hope the ‘booze’ acted as an effective anaesthetic. Any wrongdoing when I was a child would result with a clout round the ‘earhole.’

Raiking It In.

We have related the trade of the Hulbert family within the pages of this magazine.

I find that this family were hard working and enterprising too. One memorial to the family is the anchor which is fixed to the wall of the Central Library, Long St.

This artefact was donated to the Borough of Middleton by Mr John Hulbert when the firm of scrap metal merchants gained the salvage contract of the Sirene, which had collided with the North Pier at Blackpool, on October 9th 1892 and became wrecked.

Two years prior to this contract Mr Edmund Hulbert attended an auction a little further up the Fylde Coast at a place known as Raikes Hall. It was at this pleasure ground that a monkey house and conservatory were up for auction.

A fine picture of the Niagara Falls were housed in this conservatory, which was described as a masterpiece due to the fact it was on a steel roller and when operated produced an animated scene.

Mr Hulbert bought this artwork at the knock down price of £115, which included the 135 tons of iron which comprised of the building in which the painting was housed.

When Mr Hulbert was asked what he was going to do with such a large picture, his replay was, “I have not the slightest idea.”

The cost of removing this material may prove to be a white elephant was in the minds of the bidders. There was a time when the fantastic painting was worth several thousands of pounds.

Next to go under the hammer was the conservatory and skating rink. The maiden bid of £10 was rejected when the bidder said that he only wanted the conservatory so the lads can throw stones at it.

The lot was knocked down to the Middleton broker for a price not stated. The last lot was the entrance hall, where a voice shouted, “£50, I always give my top bid first,” next the hammer came down and the hall was sold to Mr E. Hulbert for £51.

This firm certainly had its work cut out moving all the iron and brickwork fifty or sixty miles over the Pennines to its base at Middleton using horse drawn vehicles.

Above:

Right: Anchor Library - Sirene

Bottom: Hulbert, now Millfold Motors

It looks like Mr Hulbert made a handsome profit out of his Raikes Hall salvage, coincidently we find in the planning column of the local newspaper he had submitted an application to build a fine house “Woodside” with stabling and business premises at the rear located at “Mill Fold.”

The business premises were later converted into a vehicle repair garage, known as ‘Millfold Motors’ prior to demolition.

In the weeks running up to the closure of Millfold Motors I was invited to inspect the building. Mr Hulbert spared no expense in its construction. The roof beams were of ample proportions to stand the test of time, but one feature existed from the days when the horses were

Hulbert Horses

stabled on the ground floor. The loft had a number chutes which were used to feed the animals in their individual stables. This was a fantastic labour saving idea. New homes now occupy the former site. The White Cottage.

Above the area known today as Millfold Road once stood a white cottage known as Miss Royle’s Cottage. During the last twenty two years of documenting the town’s history I have only found one image of this cottage in the local newspaper at the time that the building was to be demolished in 1936 to enable the building of new homes known as Highfield Drive.

But this was about to change when I met Melanie and Bob in Middleton Library who live near Bolton and had visited the library at Middleton to carry out research.

At the point that I entered the local studies section I noticed that Melanie was reading copies of the Bygone days feature which I produced. Naturally Melanie and Bob had no idea who I was, so with this anonymity I enquired what they thought about the chap who produced the weekly column, she gave a positive reply, so I then revealed my identity. Melanie had grown up in the town and her family (Whatmough) had roots in the town.

One member I have unearthed information upon was the licensee of a public house, based in the Little

Park area, close to the house where the 13 year old boy spent the night on the roof.

Another family member became a councillor. Following our meeting at the library we became friends and we continue to correspond frequently. Some years ago Melanie mentioned that she owns a family album which has some interesting old photographs, and invited me to visit her home to copy those photographs which were of interest which could be of use to enhance the weekly newspaper column.

The feature in which I produced did not have a budget, it was produced without payment, not even expenses, and having the opportunity to gain some interesting retro images was a kind gesture.

On the day I visit the home of Melanie and Bob, complete with a laptop and scanner I set to work copying some fascinating snapshots from their album, then, a photograph from 1932, taken from the back door of 21 Farmway by her late father produced an image of historical interest. So much so it created an interest to unearth more historical information.

The image of the cottage we have featured was taken by Arthur Whatmough who had captured an image of his snow covered rear garden and also a great shot of the ‘White Cottage,’ a year or so prior to

the building being demolished. Today a row of 1930’s houses are visible from the same location.

It transpires that the cottage was built by Mr Thomas Royle who in conjunction with Mr Jackson built and worked at a mill in Middleton. Miss Elizabeth Royle moved from Kersal, near Prestwich, Manchester to live at the cottage along with her sister in 1840. The land upon which the cottage stood was owned by the Lees family of Alkrington Hall. When Miss Royle died on the 26th July 1884 aged 79 years, we find that a massive wreath was placed upon the coffin by Mrs Lees.

Elizabeth was interned at Prestwich Parish Church. Her sister, Miss Sarah Royle passed away during April 1900 aged 88 years.

It was reported that Sarah was an active person and was often seen outside her cottage gardening and other activities in her usual vigour, then she began to fell unwell.

Dr Graham was called in and found Sarah to be suffering from pneumonia, which she seemed to be recovering from, then inflammation and chronic pain took her life. Miss Royle was buried at Prestwich Parish Church Cemetery.

It is interesting to note that in the centre of town there once stood Middleton Hall. Legend has it that the Lord of the Manor had a beautiful daughter.

High on the hill, but out of view of Middleton Hall stood Alkrington Hall, where a young man once resided, and had designs upon this young woman. There was one obstacle however, the two manorial families, those up the hill, and those at the bottom of the hill did not see eye to eye, and the latter kept a keen eye on his daughter.

The young gentleman however built a house on the hillside above the central area so he could observe the love of his life as she relaxed in the extensive gardens.

Following demolition of the ancient Middleton Hall the area where the garden was located was given the name of the “Little Park.”

Above: Miss Royles Cottage

Hidden Gems on Your Doorstep

Blackburn-based arts company Culturapedia, are passionate about bringing fantastic arts experiences directly to the people of Lancashire.

They’re not interested in grand buildings with Theatre or Art written above the door but believe in neighbours coming together to share something special together in familiar places such as libraries, village halls, markets, pubs and town squares.

“Our vision is that no one should be more than 5 miles from a great experience”, says company Director Sue Robinson; “Being able to enjoy arts and culture should be an easy, everyday decision. We work with people to offer a service that makes that happen, and we’ve been doing so for over 25 years.”

For many years Culturapedia has been running Spot On Lancashire, working with local promoters across the county to put worldclass professional performing arts into village halls and libraries. The atmosphere is electric. Over the past

25 years, artists from all over the world have visited communities in Lancashire, eaten at the local pub and performed in an intimate and social context unrivalled in any big theatre.

Culturapedia works closely in partnership with an amazing network of local promoters. They come from all walks of life with a myriad of life experiences. Often, in rural settings, they are retired people who have found themselves involved in a village hall committee or a parish hall group. Sometimes they are centre managers or events staff for their own venue, such as a pub or club. Their reasons for working with Culturapedia might differ, but their goal - to enhance opportunities to see and experience culture within their local area - is a core feature.

Keith Brady, who promotes Spot On events in Borwick and Priest Hutton, said: “What I remember most was when we first hosted The Polyjesters, from Alberta, Canada. They exploded onto the stage with original songs and superb musicianship delivered with the kind of enthusiasm that seemed quite shocking. The Spot On team

Coalesce Dance Library Show

said we would be impressed and our audience of about 90 just loved it”.

Chris Tobin from Tockholes added: “We’ve never had a bad show from Spot On. We’ve had productions of music, theatre, circus and acts from all over the world”.

Culturapedia believes that the people of Lancashire deserve access to the best there is and aren’t afraid to go looking for it.

Nine years ago, Culturapedia transferred the model of partnering with village promoters to working with Library Managers and their staff. If it works in a village hall, why can’t it work in a democratic space like a library?

Lancashire Library Service proved to be open-minded and has bent over backwards to allow access to staff time and library spaces. It’s a partnership built on trust. One of the first library projects involved a New Zealand dance company and the top deck of a double-decker bus. It was clear Culturapedia was going to bring some fantastic opportunities, along with some downright crazy ideas, to these settings.

Programmer and Company Manager, Lyndsey Wilson explains: “I’ll admit when we started the libraries project, I had to challenge some of my preconceived ideas of what library spaces and their staff would want. Even now, we encounter the occasional member of the public

Burns and Doran

Ma Bessie in The Barlow - Edgworth

who finds it almost sacrilegious to host music, dance, theatre, circus… all manner of things in a library. But I think it’s fair to say that Lancashire Libraries are a progressive and forward-thinking organisation. They see libraries as busy (sometimes noisy) community hubs. Safe spaces for people who might not have the means or the confidence or even the inclination to visit a larger scale theatre. Convenient spaces for regular theatregoers who don’t fancy travelling all the way to Manchester or into a larger Lancashire town to get their cultural fix.”

Over the past four years, Culturapedia has been extending its model of fantastical arts experiences to and for the people of Lancashire to more democratic spaces such as markets and town centres. Burnley Market has served as the hub for a words based festival (returning in June this year). Bacup Market has hosted musicians and art installations; there has been a ceilidh band performing in the snow in Haslingden market and a project encouraging people to draw with the support of some amazing illustrators in Rawtenstall.

Most recently, Culturapedia has been hosting live performances and workshops in both Blackburn and Darwen markets. People, for whom attending an arts event would never be on their radar, have been thrilled

Java Dance

Roshni

Photo Credit: Simon Richardson

by live theatre and got their hands dirty making pots, creating collages and even designing outrageous outfits for pantomime dames.

More things are on their way. The Spot On Spring season of shows in village halls and libraries is about to kick off with a theatre performance of Ladies That Dig at The Rainhall Centre in Barnoldswick. Most events have two to three days of touring around Lancashire before heading off to other counties. The new programme sees theatre, Kathak dance, poetry, music and shows for families touring 23 venues across Lancashire. To find out more about the events on offer, visit www.spotonlancashire.co.uk

A brand new Burnley Words festival (www.burnleywordsfestival. co.uk) will take over the town in June alongside a host of localised activities and workshops being delivered in partnership with The Burnley Mechanics. There is more to come in the markets of Bacup, Blackburn and Darwen, along with an exciting new programme for Blackburn with Darwen libraries.

You may not have encountered a project delivered by Culturapedia.

Lots haven’t. Their focused work with people, neighbourhoods and places that people naturally gather creates magic and lifelong impressions on those they encounter. Imagine a Lancashire of small lanes and tiny theatres. Of market halls and pocket parks. Pick up a road map and let your eye be drawn - not to the motorways and mainline trains to elsewhere but instead to the smaller

places. Here, if you look a little closer, you may find a crafter, a dancer or a storyteller. You will spot an audience of children sitting on cushions together enraptured, or passers-by catching a bite from a stall stumbling upon a roving storyteller busy making up songs about market traders.

For more information vist their website: culturapedia.co

Stute Theatre

I Am No Bird

Enjoy your mood is a lifestyle, it’s your lifestyle. It means feeling free to be yourself, to live the way you like it. Both outside and inside your house. Every moment is the right one to enjoy your sofa, but there is only one sofa that makes you enjoy every moment, the way you want it. It’s time to go with the flow.

Colour and Style

OUR SECTION ON COLOUR AND STYLE WITH SARAH HARRIS FROM ‘COLOUR ME BEAUTIFUL’

SPRING INTO STYLE

March is here and Spring is on its way! Layering is something we are used to in the UK and although Spring is on the horizon the weather is not quite there so keeping warm is still key for most of us! It is the perfect time to wear a little more colour to lift our mood and put a spring into our step, and by adding some accessories add interest to your outfit.

I’m Sarah Harris and I’m a Colour and Style Consultant who trained with Colour Me Beautiful the world’s leading Image consultants. My background is in fashion and after leaving school at 16, I travelled to London to work as a Fashion/Photographic Model, I enjoyed the life and it allowed me to travel the world, during my career I also worked in wholesale/retail within the fashion industry.

I learnt all about fabrics, business, international companies and trying all those clothes on – the quality, cut and fabric. I took a break from the business when I married and had our two children. I retrained as an Image Consultant with Colour Me Beautiful who have been changing the lives of women and men for over 35 years.

I’d like to inspire you with Colour, Style and Skincare tips every month, I’m hoping to give you an interesting read. If there is something that you would like to know about please email me and I will do my best to help.

E sarah@sarahharrisstyle.co.uk

D www.sarahharrisstyle.co.uk

Can the Colour you wear really affect your mood?

Yes it can. In fact there have been many studies conducted over the years to prove just this.

You can Influence your mood each morning as you select which clothes to wear.

YELLOW: evoked positivity and is certainly cheerful

RED: stimulates and lifts the spirit

GREEN: harmonises and soothes

BLUE: evokes confidence and helps with decision making

ORANGE: provides energy and creativity

PINK: calming and good health

Of course it is important that you select the BEST SHADES of any colour or it could end up wearing you or worse, make you appear unwell.

2023 is all about colour and optimism, so as you get dressed tomorrow morning, choose a shade that reflects how you want to feel.

Gianna Skirt in Purple Giraffe by www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

Robyn Jacket Lipstick Pink by www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

The above Image shows some of the Colours that suit a Warm Undertone. Jane who has warmth in her look looks amazing in the warm earthy tones of Olives, Camel’s, Bronzes, Corals, Oatmeal etc.

COOL UNDERTONE

Once you understand your Colouring it’s time to look at your Style and how to keep warm and Stylish in the changeable seasons of the UK. Layering and adding interest to an outfit shows that you care about how you look and this will make you feel better about yourself, giving you confidence in any situation.

A different kind of maths... Adding and taking, in the run up to Spring is all you need to do!

It’s easy to throw on a thick, chunky sweater when it’s cold outside, but it’s not always the most stylish option. Bulky jumpers can add pounds to your frame and are notoriously difficult to wear under coats. Instead opt for thin layers that you can add or remove.

See the Difference…

Whereas, my undertone is the opposite of Jane’s as you can see I’m wearing colours with a Cool undertone which are blue based colours such as Pinks, Raspberry, Trues Blue, Pansy etc.

If I wore the warmer tones that Jane looks stunning in they would wash me out as they don’t work in harmony with my look. Of course the same is true of Jane if she wore the colours on the swatch that I’m holding.

Also note that we are wearing lipstick in our colours, as the colours we wear on our face are as important as those of our clothes – everything works in harmony!

It is essential that you understand your colours in order to make the most of what you have!

The above images show that by taking away the bulky jumper and adding a more flattering ‘V’ neck top and Jacket you can still keep warm, flatter your figure and stay Stylish!

Start with a base layer from a pretty vest, a low scoop, ‘V’ or crew neck top.

Choose a neckline that suits your body shape. You can add another layer by way of cardigan or Jacket if needed. Alternatively I have seen the return of tabards/ knitted vests, which are a great way of adding interest to any outfit whilst still keeping you warm. But always remember to work with your bodies proportions.

By adding thin layers underneath, cardigans, tabards, jackets etc. you’ll add warmth and won’t compromise the Style so long as you follow your bodies proportions.

Add a colourful scarf, throw on your coat and you’re layered like a pro!

Images courtesy of Hamlyn Colour Me Younger.

Jane Lewis of Signature Style

Sarah Harris of Sarah Harris Style

Take a simple top and work with your proportions and Style Personality to add warmth and style. By adding the right clothing and accessories you can create a look that works for you!

in or leaving out…

Different Styles and Colours depending on the Individual!

A wrap dress is perfect for stepping into Spring and the patterned wrap is flattering on all body shapes, just take into consideration the pattern, and remember to keep it in proportion with your height and scale! A ‘T’ shirt underneath will give extra warmth, and continue to layer with Jacket/Coat and Scarf!

Tallulah Top - worn in different ways by adding accessories, tucking

Tallulah Top worn with neck scarf or Robyn Jacket and Print Belt www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

Louella Dress in Forest Paisley with Hetta Pima Long Tee in Aquamarine, Lara Waist Belt in Camel Nubuck www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

Louella Dress in Forest Paisley with Hetta Pima Long Tee in Aquamarine, Top Roxy Shirt Jacket www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

Tallulah Top worn with Tassel Necklace, Halo Scarf and Metallic Belt www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

Louella Dress with Cashmere Gauze Stole www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

You can have lots of fun creating your Image and as you can see there are many ways in which you can wear a simple top!

Don’t forget it’s Mother’s Day on 19th March!

If you’re looking for a special gift why not purchase a voucher towards a Colour, Style or Make-up Consultation – it’s the gift that keeps on giving!! Or perhaps a scarf in one of their colours, all wrapped beautifully!

Email: sarah@sarahharrisstyle.co.uk

Have

Look

Interior Trends 2023/24...

Colours, materials and moods driving our decors according to interior retail experts

on a practical level, on the back of the rising cost of heating our homes, but also in our colour choices and the materials that trend influencers are using. Oversize rugs and lots of layering with supersize textures is a key trend for 2023.

#1

2023 trends are being driven by the luxury of comfort and organic warmth

Lucy Mather from Arighi Bianchi: “Notice how the fashion world has transmuted the ‘tracksuit’ from chav (Vicky Pollard-style no no-wear) to lust-after luxury style? Our homes are on the same trend wave.

“Fashion has seen a huge shift in the definition of ‘luxury’ from formal to casual, where luxury and athletic wear merge. As a result, more and more luxury brands are expanding their athleisure collections. Even Victoria Beckham has a tracksuit maxi dress in her current collection; whilst the popularity of Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand shows that people are willing to pay a premium for loungewear. And the concept of luxury as comfort is increasingly shifting from fashion and into interior trends.

“Creating a luxurious home is now about tactile relaxed fabrics, matched

with curved, cocooning furniture and layering. This is evident with trending materials and colour choices. Sofas are ‘oversized’, bed heads are pillowlike and fabrics such as boucle – a trend that began to take hold in 2022 – continues across all types of furniture from dining chairs to sofas, snuggler chairs and accessories. In home furnishings we’re lusting after tactility and soft luxury fabrics.”

Daniel Prendergast, The Rug Seller and Shabby.co.uk: “The ‘comfort is king’ trend is coming through both

“We have seen the need for extra warmth translate into physical sales as people look for practical ways to retain heat in their home, making it as cosy and comfortable as possible. As the temperatures drop, wooden, tiled and vinyl flooring can be extremely cold underfoot, whilst a lot of heat can be lost through the floor.

“Taking trend influences and advice with ‘hacks’ from how Tik Tok, Instagram and media show us how to be stylish while adding insulation, many homeowners are turning to rugs and runners as an affordable and practical option to help to retain heat. As such, sales of hallway runners, kitchen and dining room rugs have doubled since the same period last year as people focus on making the more functional areas of their homes a lot more comfortable.”

#2

“Organic warmth using sustainable, recycled, and ethical materials also remains a hot topic. Placing more importance on sourcing and reusing what already exists is refining the shape of design. Designers and consumers alike are looking for ways to design against global waste, rather than add to it.

“Two main materials that are due to be increasingly popular and considered environmentally friendly are recycled bamboo fibres and sustainably sourced jute. Handwoven and hardwearing, jute is a popular eco-friendly material and represents a movement towards organic warmth. Other materials such as wool, cotton, clay, wickerwork, natural rattan, stone and ceramics are key elements for a smooth organic environment.”

“In a world that feels like it’s constantly changing, there’s nothing like being able to come home to a tranquil space that grounds you and allows you to totally unwind. In 2023, there will be an even greater shift towards mindfulness and how we can incorporate this into our lives through homes and spaces that we inhabit, not just our bathrooms as we saw in 21/22. Meditative materials; such as natural stones, wood and plaster are coming to the fore here which help

The Sensory Home –trends are being driven by mood boosting musthaves

create a serene place to cook and live in, a mood that is almost calm and secluded. Lucy Mather from Arighi Bianchi.

large indoor plants incorporated in a building’s structure to create a harmonious, seamless experience. Nature plays a big role in home design as we look ahead to next year, we are going to see this trend evolve and envelope a range of other stories, concepts and ideas, taking organic to a whole new dimension, this isn’t just about indoor plants anymore. The use of materials closer to their natural state, textural and tonal finish all speak to this narrative of wellness.

every wall, but more of a curated return, bringing a new wave of luxury features with it. Rooms incorporating rich fabrics, interesting textures and indulgent finishing touches. It’s more about the quality of one item rather than the quantity. Patterned borders and curtain trims are big news in 2023/24 adding accents to living rooms.

Daniel Prendergast, The Rug Seller and Shabby.co.uk: “Nature inspired design continue to be a key trend for 2023 as the biophilic trend helps us bridge the gap between the outside and in. Inspired by the African Baobab trees Louis De Poortere Abstract Structures collection is reminiscent of the tree’s bark texture.

“As boundaries between the two blur even more; look out for more

#3

Go big and bold with Maximalism 2.0 & Dopamine decorating

Daniel Prendergast, The Rug Seller and Shabby.co.uk: “Maximalism has shifted and elevated into a new sphere. This trend is no longer about clashing wallpapers and colours on

“Though it seems like eclectic style should feel disjointed and a little chaotic, a successful decor scheme should actually feel unified, with every design decision being a very deliberate one. It doesn’t have to necessarily be full on maximalism; eclectic decor can very much skew toward the subtle side, so long as it retains a mix of artisan textures, patterns, and styles. Eclecticism is about sculptural silhouettes and isolated bays of pattern rather than maximalism pleats, fringes and tufts!

“Statement wallpapers and loud and proud rugs will help homeowners take the bold step into maximalism in 2023.

“Home accessories in dopamine colours from brands such as Orla Kiely and Ted Baker have been steadily growing with sales of our rugs, bedding, throws, wallpaper and paint in brighter, colour pop shades on the rise.”

Lucy Mather from Arighi Bianchi: “Alongside maximalism, trendfocused consumers are turning to dopamine colours to brighten up their outlook. The idea of dopamine decorating has been a buzzword for the past 12 months, but this desire to add fun and energy into our interiors

is very much here to stay. It’s not just smaller soft furnishings that are being given a colourful makeover, homeowners are demanding an injection of colour from their larger pieces too. We will see more people opt for dramatic colours in large pieces such as sofas and beds.

#4 Global Styling … international influences bring eclecticism and individualism

Daniel Prendergast, The Rug Seller and Shabby.co.uk: “International influence is back, instead of travelling abroad for a dose of escapism, it’s as easy as walking into a room. Pieces that don’t just accent a space but create one, a sensory journey of colour and emotion whilst remaining effortlessly chic.

“Achieving this look is about pooling signature styles and pattern motifs from countries around the world and either mixing just one or two together or in abundance for a maxi and multilayered approach.

“The globally inspired look has been seen across interior styling tips for a while but with the focus of creating home environments with things we love, global influences in our homes are still trending.

Vibrant sea-inspired prints will also come to the fore, meaning it’s easy to capture the essence of the holiday feel in our homes. What better place to capture that holiday spirit than in our bathrooms, which are places we naturally retreat to for relaxation.”

#5 Hybrid Homes 2.0

Lucy Mather from Arighi Bianchi: “Never before have our homes taken on so many guises – from office to gym

to entertainment space to wellness retreat, there is no going back on how our homes have evolved over the past three years. In fact, now is the time to solidify this change. Rising fuel costs, train strikes and a continued appetite for and acceptance that hybrid working is here to stay, mean that in 2023 it will finally be time to make those changes permanent by replacing make-shift office set ups and re-evaluating work and living spaces. Similarly, the rising cost of going out has meant that we are retreating back to our homes for entertaining too. Dinner parties, cocktail parties, film nights, etc are all on the up as we recreate leisure experience at home.

“Since the pandemic there has also been an increased focus on physical wellness spaces within the home, whether this be stretching spaces, steam rooms or gyms, embracing the more traditional principles such as aspect, light, volume and materiality.

continue to be as important as ever. Spurred on by Covid restrictions we have found a new enthusiasm and acceptance for entertaining outside (not to mention all of those patio heaters that were purchased during lockdown). People are taking pride in their outside spaces all year round with lighting, furniture, flooring, pizza ovens and heaters.

#6 Trending on TikTok: real homes over show homes are bringing new trends

Daniel Prendergast, The Rug Seller / Shabby.co.uk: “With more than one billion active monthly users, over the past few years TikTok has been quickly overtaking Instagram as the platform where interior trends emerge. This marks a continued shift in who we look for, for inspiration into the latest trends – moving away from fashion houses, prominent interior designers and brands.

“In recent years the Cottagecore trend is said to have stemmed from TikTok. Trends coming through these channels include studio apartment style, cluttered maximalism and vintage revival.”

Lucy Mather from Arighi Bianchi. “It’s not just interior-led content which is shaping home styling trends. Fashion and beauty content creators are also influencing our homes as followers absorb every aspect of their lives.

“Thanks to the rise of beauty tutorials on TikTok, dressing tables are making a comeback – we are predicting this will be a key bedroom trend in 2023. With a 1920’s style design that taps in to another growing TikTok trend – the vintage aesthetic; our Lily bedroom range, in particular, is in huge demand with searches for this collection up 200% in the past six months. And what is driving sales? TikTok influencers. Vicky Pattison, Zara McDermott and a number of makeup artists have all featured this range in their content in recent months, bringing it to the attention of make-up brand Charlotte Tilbury who requested it for a shoot.”

Daniel Prendergast, The Rug Seller / Shabby.co.uk: “Our outdoor spaces

“Colours we expect to trend in 2023 include deep warming reds and orangery hues – including Apricot, which will really come through as we head towards spring. Earthy greens and inky blues continue to trend as consumers embrace more primary shades. Lucy Mather, Arighi

Colour Trends – our forecasters predict:

“When you look at this year’s colour predictions by the industry forecasters – you may think ’well anything goes!’ But the colour trends actually continue on the theme that key design inspiration is taking - we are increasingly turning to our homes into places that make us feel happy.

“So we have two main ‘camps’- there is colour to make us happy, and then there are trends in those hues that reinforce the aforementioned trends of spa-space serenity.

“Homeowners have been getting more and more experimental with colour of the past few years and with Pantone naming Viva Magenta as it’s colour of the year, we are predicting a colour explosion in people’s homes – especially in red shades. Whilst WGSN’s Digital Lavender is also one to watch for summer.

“For the calmer camp, the warming neutrals that inspired Dulux’ colour of the year, Wild Wonder, will see hues of soft golds and yellows coming to the fore, to add something new to a neutral palette. Daniel

Prendergast,

The Rug Seller / Shabby

“Pantone’s decision to pick Viva Magenta as it’s colour of the year very much underlines our desire to break free from the greys and neutrals of yesteryear.

Bianchi

David Eldridge’s Smash-Hit Two Hander is the Perfect Beginning to 2023

A Royal Exchange Theatre production

BEGINNING

By David Eldridge

Directed by Bryony Shanahan

16 February – 11 March

Press Night: Wednesday 22 February, 7.30pm – The Theatre.

Royal Exchange Joint Artistic Director Bryony Shanahan opens 2023 with her vision for David Eldridge’s BEGINNING

Seen in Manchester for the first time following its hugely successful National Theatre and West-End run, this tender, hopeful and funny two-hander is a celebration of the unexpected, a delightful observation of the complexity of meeting someone for the first time and the bravery of stepping into the unknown. Erin Shanagher (THE BAY) as Laura and Gerard Kearns (FLOODLIGHTS, SHAMELESS) as Danny cautiously wind their way through the afterparty’s clumsy silences, empty bottles and near-kisses. BEGINNING is a beautifully intimate play bursting with humour and full of heart and demonstrates just how unpredictable life can really be. BEGINNING runs from 16 February – 11 March.

In the post-party chaos, Laura and Danny slowly orbit each other –awkward moves, first dances, fish finger butties, embarrassing banter. Together they navigate a life-time of possibilities, and as night shifts into day, an unthinkable, impossible and crazy opportunity becomes clear. Amongst the missteps and butterflies there might just be.... a beginning?

Greater Manchester actor Gerard Kearns is a television, film and

stage actor, he returns to the Exchange following roles in MUCH A DO ABOUT NOTHING and ACCRINGTON PALS. Recognized for his long-running role in the celebrated comedy SHAMELESS his other television credits have included THE ESSEX SERPENT (SeeSaw Films / Apple TV+), THE ENGLISH GAME (Netflix), CHERNOBYL (Sky/Sister Pictures), THE LAST KINGDOM, OUR WORLD WAR and THE TOWN (BBC), THE SMOKE (SKY 1) and MOVING ON (BBC). Film credits have included Ken Loach’s LOOKING FOR ERIC, BAFTA winning THE MARC OF CAIN, TRESSPASS AGAINST US, Mike Lee’s PETERLOO, The RED RIDING trilogy plus the powerful new film FLOODLIGHTS (Real Drama / BBC).

Blackpool stage and screen actor Erin Shanagher makes her Royal Exchange debut as Laura. She has starred as Sgt Karen Hobson in ITV’s THE BAY and last year starred in director Prano Bailey-Bond’s psychological thriller CENSOR. Her previous TV screen credits include RIDLEY, VIEWPOINT (ITV) PEAKY BLINDERS (BBC/Netflix) and THE A WORD (BBC).

David Eldridge is widely regarded as one of the prominent playwriting voices of his generation, whose award-winning plays have premiered across the UK and played across the world. His past work for the Exchange has included new versions of Ibsen’s THE LADY FROM THE SEA and Strindberg’s MISS JULIE. His theatre credits include BEGINNING, MIDDLE and MARKET BOY for the National Theatre; IN BASILDON and UNDER THE BLUE SKY for the Royal Court Theatre, London; THE KNOT OF THE HEART and FESTEN, from the Dogme 95 film, for the Almeida Theatre; SUMMER BEGINS, and new versions of Ibsen’s THE WILD DUCK and JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN

for the Donmar Warehouse. His television credits include the THE SCANDALOUS LADY W (BBC 2) and OUR HIDDEN LIVES (BBC 4) and he has written many plays for BBC Radio including THE PICTURE MAN which won the Prix Europa for Best European Radio Drama. He is under commission to the National Theatre for the final play in his trilogy, END.

Director Bryony Shanahan is Joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre. In 2016 she won the Genesis Future Directors award and directed TRADE at the Young Vic. Her directing credits for the Exchange include LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, NORA: A DOLL’S HOUSE, BLOODY ELLE: A GIG MUSICAL, which reopened the Royal Exchange in May 2021, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, ADIEU, QUEENS OF THE COAL AGE and NOTHING (winner of Manchester Theatre Award). She has also developed projects such as ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS and OH WOMAN! for the theatre. Other directing credits include TRADE (Young Vic), BLOODY ELLE: A GIG MUSICAL & ENOUGH (Traverse Theatre); CHICKEN SOUP (Sheffield Crucible); OPERATION CRUCIBLE (Finborough Theatre, Sheffield Crucible/UK tour/59e59 New York); WEALD (Finborough Theatre); BITCH BOXER (Soho Theatre/national tour/ Adelaide Fringe Festival); BOYS WILL BE BOYS (Women Centre Stage, National Theatre); CHAPEL STREET (National Tour) and YOU AND ME (Greenwich Theatre/National Tour).

The creative team for BEGINNING includes: Designer TK Hay, Lighting Designer Zoe Spurr, Composer & Sound Designer Russell Ditchfield, Assistant Director Polly Wain and Casting Director Helena Palmer CDG

The South

(Featuring Members Of The Beautiful South)

Play Oswaldstwistle and Wigan this March

The South are back on the road and do what they do best - perform the songs of that great British pop institution, The Beautiful South, to the thousands of fans of these timeless classics.

The South are back on the road and do what they do bestperform the songs of that great British pop institution, The Beautiful South, to the thousands of fans of these timeless classics.

The South are an impressive 9 piece band who feature former members of The Beautiful South including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles. Since Dave Hemingway, the original singer, left the group at the end of 2016, Gaz has moved across to front the band with Alison and taken on vocal duties.

Since the demise of The Beautiful South in 2007, this exciting live band have spent 14 years touring the theatres and festivals of the UK up and down the country, bringing back

the full sound and arrangements of these treasured songs - A Little Time (the number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Song For Whoever, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold, Don’t Marry Her plus many more singles and album tracks as well as a few choice South originals. These songs span an impressive 18 year career starting way back in 1989!

The South are:

Alison Wheeler (Vocals), Gaz Birtles (Vocals), Phil Barton (Guitars), Steve Nutter (Bass), Dave Anderson (Drums), Karl Brown (Percussion), Gareth John (Trumpet), Su Robinson (Sax) and Andy Price (Keyboards).

Let’s Carry On… Regardless!

THE SOUTH – 2023 UK Tour

Dates include:

Friday 17th February

MILTON KEYNES – MK11

Sunday 19th February

BURY ST EDMUNDS – Apex

Friday 24th February

HARPENDEN

– Eric Morecambe Centre

Saturday 25th February

BUXTON – Opera House

Thursday 9th March

OSWALDSWISTLE – Civic Arts Centre

Friday 24th March

WIGAN – The Old Courts

Thursday 8th June

BELFAST – Limelight 2

Friday 9th June

DUBLIN – Whelans

Friday 8th September

KENDAL – Brewery Arts Centre

Saturday 30th September

HERTFORD – Corn Exchange

Sunday 1st October

TAMWORTH – Assembly Rooms

Saturday 7th October

DERBY – Hairy Dog

Friday 8th December

CLITHEROE – The Grand

All tickets for the above shows are available from:

thesouth.co.uk/tour-dates/

TORPENHOW ORGANIC CHEESE & BUTTER

Award-winning cheese and butter, made by hand in our farmhouse dairy using fresh organic milk from our single herd, pasture fed cows at Park House Farm, Cumbria.

Park House Farm, Torpenhow, Wigton, Cumbria CA7 1JZ

n 016973 34410

e cheese@torpenhoworganic.co.uk

OAK SMOKED CHEDDAR

BINSEY RED

ORGANIC TRUSMADOOR

The Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy with Jenny & Mark Lee

By Sarah Ridgway

which had to be hand-delivered to local doorsteps due to lockdown. Fast forward two years, with a pandemic to boot, and TheTorpenhow Farmhouse Dairy has grown into an awardwinning business; with lots of exciting plans for the future.

Tell us about the start of your journey

We had to learn everything from scratch, so we did a cheese-making course with Kathy Biss from the West Highland Dairy, who showed us the basics. After that, we just threw ourselves in and learnt on the job. We had a bit of additional help along the way from various consultants and people who helped us source the right equipment and build the right space for our cheese room. There’s been so much to learn in a short space of time, and we grew massively, quickly, so have taken on new staff. It’s been exciting, but we’ve definitely learned a lot.

Jenny spoke to Lancashire Magazine amid making a batch of cheddar and brie with her husband Mark. The Torpenhow Farmhouse Dairy (pronounced ‘Tra-pen-ner) was founded in 2019 at Park House Farm in Cumbria.

Jenny’s granddad bought the farm in 1952, and an opportunity brought the couple back to the farm ten years ago. Since their return, the farm has undergone lots of change, with

Jenny saying, “We think changes help the environment and have really changed the way we farm as we are farming with nature now.”

The farm’s Jersey/Friesian herd, delicious and creamy milk, inspired the couple to put their star ingredient to use by making their own organic cheeses. They converted an old hay barn into their cheese room, underwent a cheesemaking course before throwing themselves in at the deep end. Just a few months later, their first batch of cheddar was ready,

How quick was it from making your first batch of cheese to selling it?

I can’t believe this now, but Kathy came to train us in September 2019, and by December that year we were making cheese. We made a cheddar first, which needed to mature for five months, and just when we were ready to sell it, the country locked down, so we had nowhere to sell it as all the shops shut. Instead, we spoke to people in the local villages via WhatsApp groups to see if they wanted to buy the cheese and it grew from there through word of mouth.

What was the inspiration to become cheesemakers?

It was all about taking control of our milk price, and the changes we’ve made on the farm stemmed from making it more profitable. We initially had a high input herd where we were producing a lot of milk, but we were spending a lot of money on feed, grain and buying products to feed to them, and just not being paid enough for it. So, we’ve changed our whole farming system to be a low input system, and the cows just eat grass. As a result, the milk they’re producing is really good quality and is 100% from pasture and is organic. We don’t put fertiliser or sprays on our fields, meaning the quality of the milk, although we’re producing less, is of such good quality with a high butterfat. The milk was still going to be sold to a big milk processor, but we felt we weren’t getting the value for it. We both sat down and brainstormed how we could add value to our milk and get what it’s worth.

We both like cheese, and we knew it was traditionally how farmers would

have stored their milk by putting it into a product that you can then put into a store for six or seven months.

It’s also a good way of producing a product you’re going to get more value for, so that’s where the inspiration came from. We knew our milk was good, so we invested in building an area where we could process it ourselves. We have a big cheese vat

and a pasteuriser as we pasteurise all our milk and have just bought a bigger vat which will potentially quadruple what we can make in a day, so things are growing.

What was your first cheese?

We started with cheddar and made a lot of cheddar in that first winter. Then we started selling it, and people

really liked it and kept coming back and asking, “have you got anything else?” So, we looked at little tweaks we could make to the recipe to make slightly different cheeses. When you go to a market, people like to see a whole range of cheeses, slightly different colours, different flavours. So, it grew from that, and we tried to play to the strengths of our milk, which is really creamy, and all of our cheeses have a rich creaminess. Currently, we make cheddar, which we also smoke, a red Leicester style, a white stilton, a brie, and butter. We started smoking the cheeses because that’s quite an easy way of changing a product, as we felt people wanted to see a range. Cheddar and brie are definitely our core products, and the butter is growing too, but as we expand, we may start to narrow down our range.

How were you getting your cheese out to people at the start?

Initially, as we were in a lockdown, we were hand delivering it to the local villages as we didn’t have anywhere to sell it. People would say what they wanted in the village WhatsApp group, and we left it on their doorstep. We then began speaking to local shops that stayed open through the lockdown, so the village shops, local butchers, and deli counter and bought a vat packing machine to start packaging it so they could get on their shelves. We started getting stocked in

slightly bigger Cumbrian stores, and our online shop grew too. During the pandemic lots of people were coming to us through the website, and we had a huge couple of years for Christmas hampers.

We’re in a period of change currently, and our business model is changing now, which I think was very much shaped by the pandemic and lockdown. We’re looking at selling the whole rounds of cheese to wholesale distributors like Cartmel Cheeses, who can package it and take it to the hotels for us. From the start, we have had a really good relationship with Bassenthwaite Lake Station, who have a restaurant on a train, and have bought our brie from the start. The Dog & Gun at Skelton make a cheese souffle with our cheese and uses our butter, so we were really excited when they started buying from us. Recently, we knew Simon Rogan’s restaurant L’Enclume has bought our cheese from Cartmel Cheese, so we’re starting to get into the restaurant’s side as well. We are always really excited when we get new customers and when people tell us they’ve had our cheese somewhere.

Are you also involved in the sales side?

That’s been part of our growth in the last year, as it was very much just us at the start. We now have Kimberly Lattimer, our sales manager, who has been with us for nearly a year, and

she’s brilliant. Kimberly’s job is to go out and find new customers, and she is doing a great job conducting tastings, and is such an asset to the team. We’re going to the World Cheese Awards at the beginning of November, and we have booked a trade stand as we’re looking to grow quite a bit in the next few months. It’s about matching sales with what we can produce in the cheese room now. It has been a balancing act that we’ve had to learn, as we don’t want to take on too big a customer and not be able to fulfil it, so we’re trying to grow it all together.

How has the company grown?

The team has grown, and we have Connor full-time in the cheese room, and he looks after the cheddar and the brie area. We also have Rachel, who works one day a week with us, and I take over for the rest of the week. Mark is very much involved in grading and looking after the cheese in the stores, which is a huge job, and getting the orders ready to go out. Mark and I also have the farm to look after, so it’s long days. We will definitely need a few more hands in the cheese area and will be looking for more help early next year.

Tell us about your Awards and accolades

We were Best New Cheese Makers 2022 at the Virtual Cheese Awards, and we picked up a gold and three bronzes at the International Cheese Awards. We won three golds and two silvers at the Yorkshire Show and got quite cocky and took our cheddar down to the West Somerset Show, which is a cheddar stronghold, and picked up a silver medal for our cheddar. This year we also won the Farm Diversification Award at The Cumbria Farmer Awards.

So there have been plenty of awards, which is just a good affirmation really, and when you can get into restaurants like L’Enclume and the Dog & Gun and remain on the menu, then that’s a big enough accolade as winning an award in many ways.

What makes your cheese unique?

We’re currently concentrating hard on the names of the cheeses because we want to make our cheeses the superstars. Our brie is called Darling Howe, after one of our fields on the farm, which gives it a permanent name, ties it to the land, and gives it that terroir of where it’s from. We’re just going through a bit of restructuring and rebranding and have changed the name to encompass our cheese, butter, and potentially ice cream.

One of our USPs is that we’re an organic cheese and also the only dairy herd in Cumbria that’s 100% pasture fed and certified through the PFLA. That means we feed our cows what grows over the pastures, so clovers, grasses, and legumes. That gives the milk when it’s turned into cheese some high nutritional values, which has been proven. There’s higher Conjugated linoleic acid (CLAs), higher Omega 3s, Omega 6s, and the keratin produced is really high and gives the cheese and butter a rich creamy golden colour, and that comes from all the pasture that the cows are on 300 plus days a year This helps build our soil and helps sustain and regenerate the farm and our cheeses are absolutely top quality with proven health benefits as well.

Does the handmade aspect make a difference?

Absolutely! Because we are quite a small scale, each batch now is 500 litres of milk. We’re both just sitting here now watching the cheese in the vat and can notice things in the process. We can tweak things at different times of the year as the milk is different depending on what the cows are eating. We are very hands-on with our products, and that definitely has an impact on the quality of the products coming out.

We also make butter and are one of only three commercial butter makers left in Cumbria. Traditionally this was a big butter-making area, and every farm would make butter, and my

granny used to make butter here, but the art is being lost. We went back to Kathy Biss who has a huge amount of knowledge and picked her brains on how to make the best butter. We make just one or two batches a week, and is a very hands-on process, and we believe it makes a special product which, to be honest, we can’t keep up with demand at the moment.

How important is being a sustainable company and how do you implement that?

We’re in the process of applying to become a B Corp and are just finishing our audit process. We understand that people need to know where their food comes from and that it meets a certain standard. The biggest tag we can put on our food is that it’s local, and sustainability is important because we know everything that we do comes down to the health of the soil. If the soil isn’t sustained, it gets washed and blown away and dies because of chemical overuse, and we won’t be able to sustain it for the next ten years, never mind our children’s generation. We want the farm to be sustainable and make money from the resources here. We employ local people and want them to enjoy coming to work and also know we are not adding anything to the land that will cause damage. It is all about protecting the future for the next generations.

What are you most proud of over the company’s two-year journey?

We are so proud when we cut into our cheese, and it’s delicious, and we know that we’ve made that, and that’s all come from our soil, grass, and cows. I will never again go to a farm deli shop or a bakery and take those edible quality products for granted again, because we now appreciate the time, effort, resources, passion, brain power and long hours that go into it.

What’s next for 2023 and beyond?

We have made a slight name change to incorporate the other products we’re selling and will process more of our milk. We also want to push our reach outside of Cumbria and find some markets where people appreciate high-quality products and grow our customer base towards the Lancashire and Yorkshire shops and delis.

Aiming Higher

YOU CAN DONATE TO AIMING HIGHER USING THE FOLLOWING METHODS: WEBSITE | www.aiminghighercharity.org.uk/donate JUST GIVING | www.justgiving/aiminghigher/donate/ PAYPAL | Found on Aiming Higher website or call to make donations by phone POST | Aiming Higher, 231 – 233 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 3PB. To see more of what we do please visit our website www.aiminghighercharity.org.uk or follow us on facebook @aiminghighercharity, Instagram @aiming_higher_charity or twitter @ahcharity

Please ring us on 01253 206447/8 for further information.

Aiming Higher Are Really Aiming High!

Aiming Higher for Disabled Children & their Families is the Blackpool based charity that supports hundreds of local children and their families. The charity has been bringing the families of children with disabilities together for over 10 years.

IIn July the charity will really be aiming high - 1085 metres above sea level to be exact! They are joining forces with Aspire Adventures to offer a guided climb of Snowdon to raise funds to help the amazing work they do.

At 1085 metres above sea level, Yr Wyddfa (the Welsh name for Snowdon) is the highest mountain in Wales and higher than any mountain in England. While it’s a formidable challenge to summit this beauty, with training it’s possible for many and the Charity would urge anyone who has ever wanted to attempt the climb to join them on July 1st.

They will be walking up and down the scenic Llanberis Path which is around 10.5 miles in total with 1,000

metres of height gain. If you choose to join them, you’ll go at an appropriate pace and there will be a high ratio of Guides to walkers meaning that some can walk faster, some can walk slow, and Aspire Adventures will ensure you are kept safe and well. The aim is to start at 09:00 with a briefing at 08:45 as a group. Finish time could be anything between 15:30 and 17:30 depending

on how much time is needed. Cost of registration includes a challenge t-shirt and finisher medal plus fully qualified mountain guides and we ask that you pledge to try and raise £250 (although any fundraising contributions will be welcomed). On the day registration will be open from 08:00 to collect your t-shirt and any add on’s you may have purchased.

The walk will take between 4 and 8 hours depending on fitness levels, but whether you’re aiming for a speedy 4 hours or want to take it slow, that’s absolutely fine – the Aspire Adventure guides will have your back and will be there with you every step of the way. Four legged friends are welcome to join us too but must be kept on a lead.

Once booked, you will receive updates from the Charity on how your support will help and from Aspire Adventures regarding further details for the day, kit list and a discount code for kit purchases at Ellis Bringham.

With Covid and the Cost of Living crisis, charities have missed out on a lot of fundraising in recent years. The funds raised on this breathtaking ascent will help Aiming Higher to provide disabled children and their families with opportunities to meet up, enjoy family days out that many of us take for granted, attend groups and workshops, receive counselling and get individualised support from the team. The charities aim is to improve the lives of these families and increase their resilience for the challenges they face. 

If you would like more information regarding the support offered by Aiming Higher and would like to join our email mailing list please give us a call on 01253-206447 or email info@aiminghighercharity.org.uk

You can also view our new newsletter by visiting bit.ly/AHnewsspring2022

OWL WOMAN

By: Elen Sentier

OWL WOMAN

by Elen Sentier

ISBN: 978-1445289410

PUBLISHED: February 9th 2023 Lulu.com

288 PAGES | PAPERBACK

Vicki fights her way out of a dream to find it’s come true. Her father is dead and the Owl Woman, the spirit of place of her home-village, calls for vengeance. At the funeral she meets her lover from ten years back and the chemistry springs alive again, they begin a scene and he tells her that her father’s mistress, with her new toy boy, has stolen the village’s water to bottle it and make a fortune, bringing suicides, sickness and death.

The villagers are furious. Do they blame Vicki? Is her father’s mistress the woman who killed her mother twenty years ago, and has she stolen the Owl Woman’s ancient gold cup?

Enemies and challenges crowd in from all sides as the Owl Woman forces Vicki to uncover the truth. Her lover helps but Vicki screws that up too and all hell breaks loose. Can she untangle it or will it kill her?

A fast-paced, helter-skelter, rollercoaster mystery story, with a thumping-good plot and deeply believable characters, loads of scary magic, and romance fraught with challenges. Sentier pulls it all together with a scary twist at the end.

Story behind the story...

It’s based on the 4,000 year old legend of the village well where I grew up. My aunt owned the property where it stands and the wall of my parents garden was built around it. The well was very famous and brought the village a lot of money from pilgrims hundreds of years ago. It’s dedicated to a unique saint, a well-woman, well-guardian, from way before Christian times. I grew up with this story and her history was fully uncovered by our vicar who wasn’t opposed to the old ways. For many years the village had (and may still have) their own “mummers” play, performed on the saint’s feast day, my stepmother, and later me, took part in it.

I’ve changed some things, including moving some geography around - it’s a thing novelists do, partly to help things fit with the story and sometimes to hide real places and people - and the ritual I use here is one I learned in another place.

It was my first novel and I’m still fond of it. I’m currently writing my fourth, while hunting how to publish my third that I finished last Midwinter. My second novelMoon Song - was published by the Moon Books imprint of John Hunt, but I may go Indie with the third!

THE BLACKOUT MURDERS: HOMICIDE IN WW2

THE BLACKOUT MURDERS: HOMICIDE IN WW2

by Neil R Storey

ISBN: 9781399071024

PUBLISHED: JANUARY 2023

PEN & SWORD TRUE CRIME

224 PAGES | HARDBACK

Nostalgic recollections of wartime Britain often forget that when the blackout was enforced at night in an attempt to foil Nazi bombers a crime wave, cloaked by the inky black darkness, ensued on many of our streets. There were petty crimes, robberies, sexual assaults and, as The Blackout Murders reveals, some horrific murders took place on our home front during the Second World War. Some of them still rank among the most shocking crimes in modern British history.

Some of the murders recounted within the pages of this book remain infamous, others are almost forgotten and some remain unsolved to this day. Several cases have new light shed on them from recently released archives and records uncovered by the author. Every case has been carefully selected for its reflection of wartime conditions and each one has a powerful, poignant and tragic story to tell.

Readers will gain insights into the darker narrative of our home front and learn about some of the men

and women who strove to maintain law and order under the most challenging circumstances. Others innovated and developed groundbreaking forensic techniques to identify bodies, recognise if foul play had occurred and as a direct result brought murderers to justice who may otherwise have gone undetected and unpunished.

Anyone reading The Blackout Murders will never look at Britain’s Home Front during the Second World War in the same way again.

About the Author

Neil R. Storey is an award winning historian and author of nearly fifty books. A graduate of University of East Anglia, he is an internationally recognised authority and lecturer on British crime history. Known for his ground-breaking research, his remarkable library and archive of original photographs, documents and manuscripts, Neil frequently appears as guest expert on television and radio factual programmes such as Who Do Think You Are? and The Buildings That Fought Hitler

• Some of the most shocking murders in modern British history were committed on our home front during the Second World War.

• The Blackout Murders challenges popular perceptions of life in Britain during its darkest hours.

• Every case in the book, whether it remains infamous or is almost forgotten, has been carefully selected for its reflection of wartime conditions and each one has a powerful and poignant story to tell.

• Neil Storey’s research sheds new light on wartime homicides and reveals a compelling case to finally identify the Colne Strangler after 80 years of the Lancashire murder remaining unsolved.

• Anyone reading the book will never look at Britain’s home front during the Second World War in quite the same way again.

10CC’S GRAHAM GOULDMAN

‘Heart Full of Songs’ March 2023 UK Tour Dates!

It is only between 10cc’s sell-out, bi-annual UK tours that the band’s co-founder Graham Gouldman is able to fully indulge his Heart Full of Songs project and take it on tour.

The semi-acoustic four-piece performs a broad spread of Graham’s song-writing catalogue, including chart hits for 10cc, the Hollies, Herman’s Hermits, the Yardbirds, Jeff Beck and his time in Wax with Andrew Gold.

The band line-up comprises Graham, 10cc live band members Iain Hornal and Keith Hayman, and Dave Cobby.

When Graham formed what became Heart Full of Songs nine years ago, it was purely for the pleasure of playing his songs in their simplest form, acoustically.

For lovers of perfectly-crafted music performed by the composer, a Heart Full of Songs concert is truly an exquisite experience.

Tickets for the following 10cc’s GRAHAM GOULDMAN

– March 2023 UK Tour Dates are available from:

Monday 6 March: BURY ST EDMUNDS

Apex Arts Centre

Thursday 9 March: BUXTON

Pavilion Arts Centre

Friday 10th March: HOLMFIRTH

Civic Hall

Sunday 12th March: STAMFORD

Corn Exchange

Monday 13th March: LYTHAM ST ANNE’s Lowther Pavilion

Tuesday 14th March: SOUTHPORT

The Atkinson

Saturday 18th March: BASINGSTOKE

Haymarket

Monday 20th March: LINCOLN

Drill Hall

Tuesday 21st March: SHREWSBURY

Theatre Severn

Thursday 23rd March: SALFORD

The Lowry

Ticket available from thegigcartel.com/Artistsprofiles/10ccs-Graham-Gouldman

For further information on GRAHAM GOULDMAN, check out the following links:

D grahamgouldman.info/

F GrahamGouldman/

T grahamgouldman

I grahamgouldman/

You Are Enough

Kim Antrobus

Family lawyer and professional singer, Kim Antrobus, tells us about her upcoming book collaboration From The Ashes, She Is Ignited: Vol. 2, and why it was so important for her to tell her story.

In 2021, as we emerged from the Covid-19 Pandemic, I set up a new business where I would

be helping people to capably and effectively represent themselves in the Family Courts. As a Law graduate and Associate Member of CILEx with over a decade’s experience as a paralegal, I made it my mission to help warring families find peace and to help separated parents to centre the needs of their children.

It wasn’t long before I was raising my visibility and networking, telling people about what I do. The same

question kept coming up, time and again; people wanted to know why I do what I do - what had inspired me to go into family law?

In June that same year, I met Louisa Herridge of Mamas Ignited at a business development session run by our mutual friend and business mentor, Dani Wallace (I Am The Queen Bee). Over the coming months, I celebrated from the sidelines as Louisa released her own bestselling book, and then began to work on a collaborative collection of stories from women who have overcome adversities, which went on to become an Amazon bestseller with From the Ashes, She Is Ignited: Vol. 1. When the opportunity arose for me to be a part of the collaboration’s second publication and get my story out there, I leapt at the chance!

WHY I DO WHAT I DO?

As a divorced, remarried mum of four, child from a broken home with a child from a broken home, I have quite literally been there, as both a child and a parent, and on the flipside, as a lawyer.

My childhood was troubled. My parents were great at many things, but not together. I grew up on a council estate in working class family. We were surrounded by people who struggled with poverty and drug addiction. My own parents had had difficult childhoods and became parents while still children themselves. They protected us from the world around us as best they could. Yet in our family home, conflict was rife. My childhood memories are shrouded in arguments and often deep sadness.

Don’t get me wrong, I was fortunate in many ways – I was well fed and well cared for. My parents worked hard and raised us all with a strong set of values to live by. There were many good times, there was love and laughter, and there was fun. I was raised with a strong work ethic, and I excelled at school. But there were also times where I felt very alone,

frightened, sad and confused. I didn’t always feel safe. I rarely felt heard. This early imbalance led to a very flimsy self-esteem and sense of self. I didn’t value myself at all.

Growing up, I never felt “enough”. I was either made to feel like I was too much by some or not enough by others. I had no real confidence. The issue was that I gave other people the power to control how I felt about myself. I gave more weight to the opinions of people who barely knew me than I did to my own. With the rise of social media, I can only begin to imagine the harm it can do as people volunteer their opinions and often harmful critiques so willingly and with little thought as to the consequence or the impact it might have on a person.

As a teenager, I shifted myself from awkward wallflower to loud, gregarious and hilarious human (I mean, I always was hilarious but I rarely spoke to many people in early high school so who knew?!). But it wasn’t real. (Well, I was and still am charismatic and hilarious). The powerful personality I made sure people heard was a shield to protect myself and deflect people from seeing

me as a target. And it worked – my popularity increased, and I began making friends.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

My mum left home when I was 14. My parents finally called time on their relationship (instead of “staying together for the kids” – bleurgh – don’t get me started!) and they divorced in 1998. It was less than pleasant. My mum’s mental health was in tatters. My dad was angry and struggling to cope with his own emotions. I just kind of floated between each of their miseries, not even sure of what I thought or felt.

My problematic and disordered life soon reflected itself in my eating habits. I already had a very uncomfortable relationship with food. I felt awkward eating around people so I would starve myself all day and then eat all of the food when I got home famished. I was a “latch key” kid so I was left to my own devices when it came to afternoon eating.

By my early 20s, my relationship with my dad started to dissolve into nothingness as he moved on with his life – and without his children. My relationship with my mum became

strained as each of us struggled to cope with our lives and each other.

In my chapter, I explore this in a little more depth, but essentially, years of feeling like I was not good enough, I wasn’t particularly important, and my opinions didn’t matter took their toll on me. This life experience has been a driving force for me since I began work in Family law.

EVERYTHING IS CHANGING

Much has changed over the last 15 years, particularly since having the first of my (four) children.

Working on my self-esteem and my self-worth has helped me to develop a real confidence and not a bravado to keep myself protected from the thoughts and opinions of others. Working on me, and knowing my own worth, has given me the confidence to aim for more and for better in my life and my career.

Since 2005, I have been fortunate to have worked in some excellent regional Law firms, assisting Heads of Department in both Litigation and Family Law and managing my own caseloads, too.

on my work as a singer. I joined my husband’s business and helped him to grow and develop that. But I missed Law. It just wasn’t the same!

In 2019, I met the founders of Family Law Assistance through a business development group. They were assisting people to represent themselves. In 2020, they started running a course and helping other people to do what they do, and also set up their business model as

of families to set their conflict to one side by focusing on the needs of their children. It is no secret that I get great joy from seeing family wounds healing and giving people workable solutions to the difficulties they have communicating with their exes. I have had some outstanding feedback. It feels good to empower other people to focus on their children and to deal in reals and not feels, having seen first hand the damage it can do.

FROM THE ASHES; SHE IS IGNITED

In September 2022, I began working alongside Louisa Herridge and a number of other women collaborating to produce a second volume of Louisa’s best-selling collection of stories for women by women. These are women from all different walks of life who have empowering stories of resilience, having survived trauma or adversity, each of whom with a lesson to share, and words of wisdom and encouragement to impart upon their

The collaboration was launched on 25th January 2023. It was published with support from by Authors & Co and mentoring from fellow author and positive psychology and mindset coach, Louisa Herridge of Mamas Ignited. The whole process has been uplifting and well guided. Learning to talk from the scar and not the wound, and how to take readers on a journey around the pain and not to it, has given even myself a refreshed outlook on my childhood and the story which

It was vitally important for each of us to have messages on positivity and not just share stories of misery or misfortune. The book isn’t about anyone wallowing in their pasts or seeking sympathy; we are telling our stories as cycle breakers, as women who have stepped into their own successes, women who have gained strength and turned their lives around who are now putting themselves out there, shining a light to guide the way

Humanity can be many things, but it is so often beautiful, nurturing, kind and supportive. We need more light in the world. Life can be tough (really tough) but learning to curate your circle, switch your mindset, developing a positive outlook, can help you push through. Sometimes it helps to know you are not alone. Sometimes it helps to have others show us the way out of difficult times. Sometimes it helps to have a (metaphorical) hand to hold. And that is the purpose of this collaborative collection of real-life stories.

NOW WHAT?

Now, I literally make it my business to help people by guiding people through emotional hurdles, helping them to navigate their way through the Family Court system while also coming to terms with their relationship breakdown and their family becoming fractured. It’s a minefield for those who can’t afford Solicitors and can’t get Legal Aid. I am fortunate to do what I do, helping to bridge the gap in access to justice by giving people an affordable alternative to Solicitors.

I have always been passionate about Law. It represents justice to me. It represents giving people a voice. And now I am a part of that; I use my voice to help others, in courtrooms and on stages!

I keep my eyes on the prize, I focus on my goals, I take up space! You may hit rock bottom but there is a way out of the depths of darkness. You can rebuild yourself. You can break your cycles. You can make changes and recognise your own value and worth. Get uncomfortable and allow yourself to grow! Set boundaries. Love yourself. Do the work. You will see the changes and reap the rewards. Trust yourself and allow yourself to shine so you can light the way for others. Give yourself and others a voice. Give yourself permission. Be safe. Be unapologetically you. You are enough.

From the Ashes, She is Ignited Vol. 2 is available to buy for £10.99 plus P+P via kim@familylawassistance.co.uk.

Kim is available to assist you with your family law issues, providing an affordable alternative to a Solicitor – you may not be able to afford a Solicitor, but you also can’t afford to go it alone!

Reach out to Kim at:

E kim@familylawassistance.co.uk

F @kimfamilylawassistance

I @kim_familylawassistance

L linkedin.com/in/kimantrobus/

D www.kimantrobus.co.uk

Experience High Adventure at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is giving guests the chance to experience some of the UK’s tallest rollercoasters like never before. High Adventure Experiences take participants on guided tour of some of Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s tallest rollercoasters, covering many ups and downs and exploring parts of the ride that most visitors will have never been before.

High Adventure Experiences is the collective name for three separate thrilling experiences – Walk The Big One, Walk The Woodie and Walk The Big One XL.

Walk The Big One offers guests the chance to walk 235ft to the top of the UK’s tallest rollercoaster and enjoy the breath taking views.

Guests can walk to the top of one of Europe’s tallest rollercoasters and take in the stunning views of the 42-acre amusement park and beyond. From

September the views are extra special as they also take in Blackpool’s famous illuminations.

With Walk The Big One XL, as well as climbing the 420 steps to the top of The Big One, participants will also get the chance to explore the ride’s maintenance area and get a better insight into how it works. They will also have the chance to climb up two exciting new points on the ride where they will experience unique views of the ride, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and the stunning seafront.

Walk The Woodie 100 is an exhilarating experience where guests have the chance to walk up the lift hill of the park’s oldest rollercoaster, The Big Dipper. As well as experiencing amazing views, participants can find out more about the ride’s history. This experience is particularly special as the ride celebrates its centenary in August 2023.

Each High Adventure Experience is run by members of Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s ride operations team who will guide guests through the experience,

share fascinating facts and stories about the rides, and also share a few interesting tales about their time working at the famous amusement park.

Speaking about High Adventure Experiences, Andy Hygate, Blackpool Pleasure Beach’s Director of Operations comments, “The original Walk The Big One and Walk The Woodie event were hugely successful so we developed a new experience, Walk The Big One XL, to build on these and offer something completely new.

“Walk The Big One XL takes our guests to parts of the ride they will never have been to before, and experience unique views of the ride and surrounding areas. Having

tried the walk myself, I can definitely say that it’s something that all fans of Blackpool Pleasure Beach will love to take part in.”

Walk the Big One dates – Saturday 25th and Friday 31st March, Thursday 20th April, Friday 5th Saturday 13th

and Saturday 20th May, Friday 2nd Saturday 10th Friday 23rd and Friday 30th June, Friday 15th Friday 22nd and Friday 29th September.

Walk the Woodie 100 dates – Friday 21st and Friday 28th April, Thursday 5th and Friday 12th May, Thursday

1st, Friday 16th and Saturday 24th June and Friday 7th July.

Walk The Big One XL dates are Saturday 29th April, Friday 26th May, Friday 21st July and Sunday 10th September.

For more information, or to book for any High Adventure Experience, please visit https:// www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/ experiences/

ALL SYSTEMS GO! - Moving into the Aquarian Age

By Rozanne Kay

We have some powerful changes in the sky this month! Not only does the sun pass through the equinox point, the days becoming longer than the nights, we also have some potent shifts in energy, giving us a glimpse of the future as we progress towards the Age of Aquarius.

active toddler with an increasingly compelling sense of individuality keeps everyone on their toes! What is this new era? Well, some may call it the Aquarian Age, others the Great Reset or the 5th Industrial Revolution, some call it New Earth – I call it Pluto’s ingress into Aquarius

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2020

- remember that? Astrologers were talking about 2020 as the birthing of a new era for years before it came. Well, March 2023 is here, and we have the biggest astrology since then. If 2020 was the birth of the new era, from now onwards that new-born is finding its metaphorical legs and learning to climb up the shelves. Having a new-born isn’t easy, the sudden change from having an immobile baby developing into a curious and

Before we get into that though… Happy New Year! Wait, what? New Year? Astrologically speaking, yes – The Spring Equinox, when the sun enters Aries, marks Astrological New Year which happens this year on 20th March at 21:25 UK time. To add to that, we have a New Moon at 0° Aries – the initiating point of the zodiac – the very next day. This is a huge new beginning supporting initiation, action and drive; Jupiter is also still in Aries providing enthusiasm and optimism to the new beginning – as energy goes, this is like rocket fuel.

Now is a great time to go back to any resolutions you made in January and act on them or start something new entirely. The natural energy of the cycles of life supports the growth of seeds planted and nurtured at this time. Furthermore, all planets are in direct motion (which doesn’t happen that often) until 21st April when Mercury turns retrograde in Taurus. This means that forward momentum is massively supported, we receive help with any actions we take that are in alignment with our greatest evolution. It’s like swimming downstream instead of against the current –everything is just easier and flows better.

If that wasn’t enough great energy, Venus enters her home temple of Taurus on 16th where she is able to devote herself to creating natural abundance and adding value to whichever area of your chart is occupied by Taurus. Meanwhile, Mars – who has had an extended 7 month stay in Gemini as opposed to his usual 2 months in a sign –finally moves on into Cancer on 25th creating a feeling of relief and a calm and nurturing boost of energy for forward momentum. The Gemini natives amongst us will certainly be relieved by this!

SATURN ENTERS PISCES

We will experience a global shift in energy from 7th March as Saturn -planet of structure, responsibilities, hard work, restrictions, boundaries and limitations- moves into Pisces, sign of dreams, mysticism, oneness, healing and illusions. For the past 5 years Saturn has been operating in his home ruled signs of Capricorn and Aquarius – where he is naturally extremely serious. However, in Pisces, he doesn’t work as well – here, Saturn attempts to create definitive structure to the metaphorical sea.

Putting all this together, we will be able to feel some relief from the confines we’ve felt for the past 5 years. We are given the opportunity to let go of our illusions and get real about our dreams and visions in at least one area of our individual lives. Working with this energy consciously, learning the difference between pipedreams and what may be truly possible – this can support turning dreams

(Pisces) into reality (Saturn). It will also provide an opportunity to heal from the collective trauma we have all experienced in recent years as well as to let go of any addictive or escapist behaviours. We must put in the work to achieve the best possible outcome, Saturn won’t do it for us but will reward our effort and, like a strict schoolteacher, give us detention if we’re not doing the work!

Those with birthdays around 18th-25th February, 21st-28th May, 23rd-30th August and 22nd-29th November will feel this the strongest with some lessons coming in the form of restrictions and frustrating limitations – all designed to support you to align with your purpose and develop your personal will. Those born between 21st-28th June and 23rd-30th October will be blessed with extra determination, staying power and focus towards making your goals and visions reality.

PLUTO ENTERS AQUARIUS

Pluto has been in Capricorn since 2008 – on the 23rd of March the God of the Underworld will leave Capricorn to go and check out Aquarius. It’s only a temporary visit until June when he retrogrades to finish off his work in Capricorn before fully setting up residence for 20 years in Aquarius in 2024.

Pluto intensifies and transforms; Aquarius is concerned with communities, uniqueness, futurism, advanced technology, invention and innovation and rebellion! No-one alive today has experienced Pluto in Aquarius – the last time he was there was between 1778 and 1798intensifying the industrial revolution, transforming life for humanity. We are likely to see great technological advancement, invention and innovation changing how we live yet

again over the next 20 years. How do you feel about piloting a flying car? Human Augmentation? If you’re a Sci-fi fan you’ll get where I’m going with the Aquarian energy – pick your sci-fi film but try not to make it too dystopian because we are all contributing to how the age develops by our imagination of how it will look!

On an individual basis, those born at the cusp of Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus will feel this the strongest, potentially through themes of empowerment/disempowerment while those born on the cusp of Gemini and Libra will be harmoniously supported.

Rozanne Kay is an Astrologer & Life Coach. She helps people become empowered through greater selfknowledge. She uses a variety of techniques to help clients integrate their experience, remove blocks, fears and limiting beliefs and begin to create the life they want. She is trained in Hypnosis, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Emotional Freedom Technique and is a Reiki Master/ Teacher. You can enquire about her work at:

info@rozannekaycoaching.com

Portrait photography by Alison McMath - alisonmcmath.co.uk

Energy Partnerships: Friend or Foe?

By Lucy Newton

We are all well aware of the current global climate emergency and the UK energy crisis. Changes across the globe need to be made. However, would you be prepared to sacrifice the tranquillity and views of your home in order to do this? Lucy Newton takes a look at the new proposal for a Wind and Solar Farm in the sleepy Lancashire village of Bretherton.

Bretherton, a small village in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire is home to some 675 individuals and currently has 260 households. The area is surrounded by rolling fields, the nearby village of Croston and natural beauty. In 2022 the village was the winner of the ‘Best Kept Village’ with villagers taking pride in the beauty of this rural gem.

1.4 miles from this recently honoured village is the GA Pet Food factory. Located between Bretherton and Tarleton it is a family owned pet food corporation tracing back to 1992. With over 800 employees and exporting to over 50 countries worldwide, it is a thriving business, committed to working with ‘honesty and integrity’.

A large corporation, GA Pet Food Partners (GA) is well aware of the environmental impact the emissions their factory is having on the planet and are also keen to reduce the rising costs of electricity. With electrical running costs equating to roughly £17 million a year, it is a logical, business savvy step to try and utilise the rural landscape around them to produce renewable energy. GA have therefore come up with a sustainable, eco friendly and cost effective solution; Asland Walks Energy Park.

What is the proposal?

GA have proposed an energy partnership in Bretherton in order to

benefit both parties through a wind and solar farm built in the village. The energy farm would be home to a single wind turbine, measuring between 150 and 180 metres tall along with a 70 acre solar field. The turbine would be connected to the factory via a ‘private wire’ which would then provide power to both the factory and the parish of Bretherton. The location of the farm would be on the land between the River Douglass and the Leeds to Liverpool Canal. The total area would comprise 100 acres of arable land, including several public rights of way.

Many people may be questioning why the residents of this idyllic village would welcome a wind turbine as tall as Blackpool Tower into the outskirts of their homes, however this is where the term ‘partnership’ comes into fruition. GA has stated that if the proposed plans are approved, then the farm would use 5% of it’s electricity generated to supply power to the 260 households of Bretherton. The remaining 95% of the power generated would be used to

Example of a solar field

power the factory helping it to reduce running costs and work towards net zero carbon emissions. With GA stating that 5% of the energy supplied represents twice the energy used by households in Bretherton, they are confident that the solar and wind farm would provide enough power to supply renewable energy, not only to themselves but also the whole parish of Bretherton.

What are the benefits?

It is well known and documented that globally, corporations and countries are doing all they can to work towards a greener, cleaner future due to the ongoing climate emergency. The recent COP27 meeting, chaired by the United Nations, held in Sharm el Sheikh 2022 saw some 190 world leaders come together to agree to a new global climate pact and implementation plan, in which countries including the UK made promises to undertake initiatives that would provide a low to zero carbon pathway.

Clearly, the GA Pet Food Partnership would not solve the current climate

crisis, however it is certainly a step in the right direction in providing innovative and forward thinking solutions into how corporations can work towards being more sustainable and environmentally friendly. With one fifth of the houses in Bretherton using fossil fuels to heat their homes along with the carbon emissions produced from the factory, according to the company’s findings, the solar and wind farm would offset up to 19,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. That equates to 4,132 petrol passenger cars driven for a year.

Another clear benefit for the residents of the Parish of Bretherton would be the supply of renewable energy, dramatically decreasing the cost of energy bills, an appealing advantage in the current economic crisis the country is facing. GA have suggested that the current cost of energy bills, during the energy crisis, for the average household in Bretherton is £3,800 a year. Having access to banked energy produced by the solar and wind farms would dramatically reduce these overhead costs. All that households would need

in order to access this energy is a smart metre installed into their home.

What are the negatives?

With the proposal raising some very notable benefits, some concerns have also been raised by local residents with many of the finer details of the scheme raising some validated questions. One of the major drawbacks to the scheme is the sheer size of the proposed wind turbine. With the height of it being taller than Blackpool Tower, is this rural setting really the appropriate home to such a modern and arguably unsightly structure? With Blackpool tower being visible from surrounding areas such as the Lake District, North Wales and Liverpool, the new turbine would surely cause a visual eyesore, not only for the residents of Bretherton but also for surrounding areas far and wide.

Another, less obvious negative of the scheme is the cost of the electrical storage facility for Bretherton residents. Due to this particular scheme relying on energy from wind and solar (and it is not windy and sunny all of the time!) energy will have to be stored. GA states

Beretherton Parish Church Credit: ProfDEH - CC BY-SA 4.0

A single wind turbine, measuring between 150 and 180 metres tall is proposed in the village of Bretherton

that this storage facility would need to be financed, built and owned by a “not for profit community enterprise” and the Parish of Bretherton would have to run the “Bretherton Energy Local Club”. This raises a number of challenges and concerns for the residents of Bretherton. Some key questions that need to be addressed include:

• How much will the facility cost and where will the money be raised from – presumably residents?

• Who will run it and maintain it?

• How much will need to be put aside to replace the batteries once they reach the end of their life? (Battery life is usually estimated at 15 years).

• Will different households (dependent on size and consumption) have to subscribe for different amounts?

• What happens to residents’ shares if they want to sell their house and the new owner doesn’t want to buy them?

• Is it realistic to expect that all households will choose to participate in this potentially expensive investment?

• What will the payback be for people who do invest?

• With energy prices certain to fall over the next few years, how will this reduce the savings from the scheme and the payback for residents?

One local resident neatly summarises the issue by stating “I can see the theoretical benefits for the community, and certainly the real benefits for GA, but as it stands the residents’ case is too complicated and not properly developed. For it to work, I believe GA needs to own and fund the whole scheme.”

Other concerns of the scheme also include impact on the local wildlife, noise pollution, risk to birds in flight and interference with local television signals.

With local residents having been asked to complete a survey by the 16th December, in which they state whether they are for or against the proposal, only time will tell whether the GA Bretherton Energy Partnership will go ahead. GA have acknowledged on their website that “The project is still at early stages and some key details which could affect the commercial and technical viability of the Bretherton Energy Local Club are yet to be established. The club is dependent on being able to install the community battery. If the battery cannot be connected to the local electricity grid, or is not commercially viable, the Club will not be able to operate and supply reduced cost electricity to Bretherton residents”. The company therefore acknowledges some of the potential issues that have been raised and the scheme is by no means watertight at this moment in time.

It seems that the work of such schemes provides a real moral dilemma for individuals. There is no doubt that energy partnerships are a viable and environmentally friendly way forward. The reduction of carbon emissions is something that we are all responsible for and signing up to such partnerships would be a sure way to work towards a greener future. However, individuals also need to consider the impact that these partnerships will have on their own financial situations. Whilst initially they may seem to be reducing overhead costs, the finer details may suggest otherwise. It appears that in this particular instance there is still a substantial amount of work to be done, in order for the residents of Bretherton to reap the rewards of such a scheme. 

Woodland Walk at Bank Hall, Bretherton

Complete Compliance Solutions

From a light bulb moment and a pencil and paper map of a structure – CheckedSafe was created – a vision by Gary Hawthorne and Darran Harris on how the future of compliance within the transport industry should be.

Born out of many years of both working in Transport Darran as a litigation Solicitor and Gary as a Transport professional for over 30 years.

Since 2014, CheckedSafe has provided a simple and inexpensive compliance solutions that can be tailored to each client with bespoke templates to check ANYTHING.

Established by Gary Hawthorne and Darran Harris, CheckedSafe is a SaaS platform compliance provider providing mobile apps on IOS and Android along a webbased management reporting system that is multi-functional and secure utilising AWS servers as the cloud provider.

The CheckedSafe system offers organisations a complete solution, enabling them to manage and protect their workforce and comply with legal compliance requirements whilst reducing cost and liability. “We can provide you will a fully integrated solution - you can be completely paperless - by using our system properly you will have a legally defensible product. We bespoke templates on the app to suit individual requirements” said Gary.

Gary and Darran are both North West lads Gary from Horwich near Bolton and Darran located in Burnley, where they have set up the head office in the centre of Burnley. That said the system is global and can be accessed from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection, the app itself works off line and on-line so there is no restriction on using the app.

Both Darran and Gary’s individual expertise has resulted in CheckedSafe being a nationally recognised company.

Gary started life as a young Farmer, moving into Hotels before settling his career in Transport at 27 for Stagecoach, before moving to Transport for Greater Manchester (formerly GMPTE) where he spend 13 years “learning” from a government side about Transport – working within Passenger Transport Information –Traveline UK – Government White Paper 1999 with the Deputy Prime Ministers office – Gary finished his career as a Civil Servant connecting travel data across Europe to provide Smart Travel Plans in real time for travellers across Europe. 2006 Gary too the opportunity to leave TfGM and try his hand at operating his own bus company – by 2010 he had 40 buses 100 staff had won local business of the year in Bolton – in 2013 Gary decided to exit the business by selling the company and moving into compliance as he felt that was the future for him.

A CPC holder for both PCV and HGV, a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Transport, Fellow of both Society of Engineers and Institute of Road Traffic Engineers and hold a BSc in Transport Management – Gary has probably forgot more than most know in transport.

Whilst setting up CheckedSafe –Gary undertook to get qualified as a DVSA Examiner and Quality Auditor as he felt this was a great addition to his portfolio of skills and can offer a client a complete solution. It also meant that when CheckedSafe was taking off client has the knowledge that CheckedSafe guys were professionals in their business world and can relate directly with operators needs and issues.

Darran who is 7 years younger than Gary (but not near as good looking) started life working for the foreign office but quickly realised he was not

going to be the next James Bond (he couldn’t reach the pedals of the Aston) – took to becoming a Solicitor – the next 7 years he spent obtaining his qualification at Salford and Manchester Met – qualifying as Legal Executive in 1996 and finally as a Solicitor in 1998 – the next 20 year Darran worked on litigation cases across many areas one of which was for TNT undertaking ground breaking litigation In the credit hire and credit repair field.

Darran had several high profile cases reported including cases in the court of appeal and supreme court – one of Darran’s legacies is he instigated what we all now know as a Bump Card with TNT.

Darran met Gary through his brother in-law who was Gary’s bank manager when Gary was looking to sell the bus company – they hit is off and realised they had very similar work ethic and values and both had transport background.

CheckedSafe was created! They worked tirelessly with in-house development team and marketing team to launch the initial product in 2015 – they went on the road selling to everyone over the next 3 years. It was madness they would spend 2-3 days a week away covering as many leads as possible then late nights in hotel writing up the deals. Behind all this the developers were busy rolling new features each month to improve the solution.

Both Darran and Gary made sure staff and developers got paid they took almost nothing feeding the business with their enthusiasm and vision –by April 2018 they has 1,000,000 checks in the system – they had a party ……… and then started to take a wage at last.

The next 4 years April 2018 –April 2022 saw the company grown exponentially from 1,000,000 to 12,000,000 checks so 11,000,000 checks in 4 years and over 500,000,000 data points in the system across over 5000 depots.

CheckedSafe has a range of services from vehicle compliance solutions, compliance and regulations, risk assessment and incident reporting tools via the App that enables them to offer the client a complete solution. Gary explained, “We constantly develop our product from user feedback. We release new features at least every quarter and a new app probably every four months depending on what features we have developed. Customer feedback is critical to us, we know a lot about transport, but the end users have great ideas that we take on board and use to develop free of charge and push out to the CheckedSafe community.”

Features such as:

1Unlimited daily checks with all of the various controls that we have. We can also update the checks to give you Covid-19 checks for such things as sanitising vehicles etc.

2Bespoke templates for any piece of kit including plant equipment.

3Full maintenance solution. This allows scheduling your PMI’s. Brake Roller Tests, LOLER check etc. The system provides the ability to either do the check digitally or if you prefer use manual PMI sheets and upload them to our system and we will digitise them so you can be totally paperless.

4Unlimited document storage either for vehicles/assets or users.

5Unlimited users.

6Full message service (back office to App users- useful for things like briefings and toolbox talks etc). This has proved very popular during the lock-down period as it allows you to communicate with all of your staff.

7Documents-to-App service whereby the customer can push documents to the user via the App. Useful for certifications, dig-tickets, access documents. Covid-19 briefings etc.

8Reminder service for things like servicing, maintenance, MOT’s Insurance etc. This will provide a weekly-to-do list to allow you to keep on top of the whole compliance provisions for the business.

9Trend Report to show things like:

9.1 Most common defect

9.2 Drivers not reporting defects

9.3 Drivers with repeat defects for the same issues

9.4 Time taken from defect being reported to repair/rectification etc

10Full cloud based solution so you can operate the system from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection.

11We are a full accredited and validated DVSA IT ER Systems Provider.

12We are endorsed by the Fork Lift Truck Association and Border Force Agency.

13All our software belongs to us and we do not need to licence parts of it from others. I know a lot of our competitors bolt on other people’s software to their own which introduces a vulnerability.

CheckedSafe’s web-based reporting system is accredited by DVSA and the FLTA and utilised across all fleet types of HGV, PCV, VAN, plant or utilities. If it needs a checklist, CheckedSafe can digitise and catalogue it, providing you with a cost-effective compliance solution.

With much of the industry yet to explore, over five million commercial vehicles in the UK and over 20 million pieces of plant, there is a huge market for CheckedSafe to expand into.

“Our plan is to furrow into the fleet industry and develop new features, and if from this market we get new ideas then we will look to develop them further. We have recently developed our API to link with Dynamic 365 for a large crane operator which will come into development later this year/early 2022,” stated Gary.

We have lots of developments in our pipeline – some very exciting that will be real game changers.

• Job Cards

• Driver License Checked

• Domestic Hours Recording

• And many more

Despite COVID-19, CheckedSafe has managed to outsource all marketing resulting in an increase in in-bound enquiries. Utilising platforms such as Zoom and Teams, less time has been spent travelling and more focus has been on growing the business from home. This has resulted in growing 3x in size over the last two years.

They have also recruited additional staff all from industry so boosting the knowledge and expertise so whoever calls they should be confident in the knowledge that whoever they call from the CheckedSafe team they will have an understanding of transport and compliance

Eight years ago, CheckedSafe was an idea, that today, has flourished into a fully successful business. Gary and Darran are passionate about what they do and provide a skill set that boasts professionalism and expertise.

“We know our industry and our clients have an immediate infinity with us and put faith in us,” said Gary.

If you would like to find out any further information, please see the details below:

Street Pastors Continue To Make Congleton Safe

A GROUP of volunteers who help vulnerable people during weekends have received funding from Redrow for further training.

Congleton Street Pastors is a group of volunteers from churches in the area who patrol the town centre on Friday and Saturday evenings from 9pm-1am.

They help anyone who may be in trouble or need first aid and even walk vulnerable people home.

Redrow has donated £350 to the group from its Congleton community fund, which they will use to train more volunteers and purchase supplies that can be used during weekend patrols.

Chairman, Rev. Andrew Lindley, said: “Our street pastors provide help in a variety of ways. We provide flip flops for young women in pain from uncomfortable shoes, hand out bottles of water to assist those who may have had too much to drink, administer first aid and we ensure people get home safely by walking them home.”

The group currently has 12 street pastors with another currently in training and are hoping more volunteers will join the cause this year.

During their training, the pastors learn about roles and responsibilities, administering emergency first aid, awareness of drug, alcohol and solvent abuse and mental health. They are also taught about listening skills, safeguarding and youth culture. All Street Pastors also require DBS checks.

“We are regularly thanked for helping vulnerable people and making the community feel safer. Our pastors stay with anyone in need until friends or family arrive, diffusing situations which could be dangerous,” added Rev. Andrew.

Redrow’s community fund is linked to the home builder’s Round Hill Gardens development, off Manchester Road.

Amanda Hollins, area sales manager at Redrow NW, said: “The Street Pastors do such great work for the community and it’s something that is quite rare to see too. It’s just another example of why Congleton is a great community to be part of and we’re really pleased we

could contribute towards training of more volunteers.”

Redrow’s Roundhill Gardens will bring a mix of three, four and five bedroom properties split into two phases –Blossoms and Woodlands.

Areas of the site are also earmarked for a new primary school, 12.5 acres of open space and local shops and will be subject to future planning applications.

Potential customers can explore a new customer experience suite that is digitally led, with interactive screens, showing site plans and local information including nearby schools and amenities.

For further information call: 1260 460058 or visit the sales office that’s open seven days a week from 10am-5:30pm.

left: Rev. Andrew Lindley, volunteers Pauline and Richard Drew and Redrow’s Gabriella Agnello

SOCIAL SUPERMARKET BAGS FUNDING FROM REDROW

A CONGLETON charity that ensures everyone in the community has access to food has received funding for a months’ supply from Redrow

The Green Treehouse Charity aims to support local community members to eat well on a very tight budget. They received £615 from the housebuilder that has been used to purchase a pallet of food from His Church and a large food shop from a high street supermarket.

The charity, set up in 2014, provides members with a wide variety of nutritious foods including milk, bread, cheese and eggs. They purchase food from Fareshare each week as well as local supermarkets.

Sean Thomson, treasurer at The Green Treehouse Charity, said: “The social supermarket is an essential project in the community, people rely on us. Over the last few months, the cost of living crisis has meant we have had a 48% increase in people coming through our doors so the donation will mean we can continue to support our families for another month and in the run up to Christmas.”

The food pallet alone will support around 50-60 families a week for a whole month.

The charity was originally set up as a support group prior to the pandemic and, in 2020, the supermarket was established to support families struggling with food poverty. Members can choose ten items of food, essential household goods and toiletries for £5.

Sean continues: “Not only does the charity provide food, but it also motivates members to gain the skills needed to change their situations, with the long term aim of stopping them needing third party support.”

This is done through projects such as cooking classes, teaching members nutritional information and how to eat well on a budget.

Amanda Hollins, area sales manager for Redrow NW, said: “The Green Treehouse is a wonderful charity that helps those most in need in the Congleton community. The fact that more and more families are struggling to buy food due to the cost of living crisis, means the work the charity does is crucial and I’m really pleased we could support them through our community fund.”

The community fund is linked to Redrow’s Round Hill Gardens development, off Manchester Road.

The development is split into two phases – Blossoms and Woodlands.

For more information about The Green Treehouse call 01782 852131 or email tgthfoodclub@gmail.com

left and Above: Sean Thomson from The Green Treehouse and Redrow’s Gabriella Agnello

Epstein Entertainments Ltd celebrates first anniversary with a brilliant new programme of comedy, music and drama

Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre is looking forward to a fantastic start to 2023 with the announcement of a busy programme of events for music, theatre and comedy lovers.

Epstein Entertainments Ltd is celebrating its rst anniversary running the grade II listed city venue by delivering an unmissable range of top-quality entertainment this spring.

The season gets underway this Thursday, 26 January with a soldout show New Purple Celebration: The Music of Prince, a musical extravaganza celebrating the life of the late American singer-songwriter and pop icon.

And the music continues on Friday,

27 January with the welcome return of a tribute to three more legendary performers – Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley – in We Three Kings: of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Expect an uplifting night of musical genius in the company of Darren Page, Mark Robinson and the Counterfeit Crickets and Steve Halliday.

Then a true Liverpool legend is celebrated on Sunday, 29 January in Billy Fury in Sound and Vision. Join talented West End star Gavin Stanley playing live and enjoy exclusive lm footage from the BBC4 documentary The Sound of Fury.

Ricky Tomlinson hosts Ricky’s Royle Variety Show on Sunday, 5 February. The afternoon of amazing variety talent – including cabaret performers, comedians and musicians – is presented by Ricky in collaboration with Asa Murphy Productions.

The hilarious hit stage version of Andrea Dunbar’s cult classic Rita, Sue and Bob Too comes to the Epstein stage from Saturday, 11 February to Sunday, 19 February. The brilliant cast includes Emmerdale star Michael Parr as lothario Bob, Crissy Rock as

RuPaul’s Drag Race break out stars Ginny Lemon & Sister Sister arrive with their You Keep Me Hangin’ On Tour on Wednesday, 22 February including the chance for a meet and greet.

They are followed by a trio of top comedy names who pay a visit to the Hanover Street venue over one long weekend.

Expect gags about life, family and loads of other nonsense when Liverpool’s Chris McCausland brings his live stand-up show Speaky Blinders to the Epstein for two successive nights on Thursday, 24 February and Friday, 25 February. Friday – Sold Out!

Star of Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week Rhys James arrives with his new touring show Spilt Milk on Saturday, 26 February which is also sold out.

And following his groundbreaking 2018 show Deaf Com Fam, international award-winning Ray Bradshaw returns to the stage with

Mother and Hollyoaks’ Jessica Ellis as Michelle.

Deaf Com I, a new show charting recent fatherhood, teaching his young son sign language, and a disastrous trip to Bahrain. Catch him on Sunday, 27 February.

Enjoy the timeless music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in The Jersey Beats: Oh What a Nite! on Thursday, 2 March and Friday, 3 March. The touring show has been wowing audiences since it burst on to the scene almost a decade ago.

Meanwhile in One Tonne of Fun on Saturday, 4 March, comedian Lloyd Grif th showcases his unique mix of stand-up, dubious impressions and some ‘incredible’ singing.

Hilarious adult panto returns to the Epstein stage on Monday, 6 March with The Little Mermaid. The show stars Davina De Campo in the title role, with Detox as the evil Sea Witch and David Potts as the captain.

It’s followed on Friday, 10 March by the high energy Whitney WideOn Experience featuring Liverpool’s self-professed number one Queen of busted drag.

Britain’s Got Talent 2022 champion Axel Blake is heading out on his rst tour ‘In Style’, with a date at the Epstein Theatre on Saturday, 11 March where he will show Liverpool audiences the observational comedy and witty charm which garnered him a golden buzzer.

Meanwhile in Bathtime for Britain on Thursday, 16 March there’s a chance to wash away the last of

the pandemic blues with a night of belly laughs and booming vocals from queer cabaret legend Dr Adam Perchard.

Comedian, poet, actor and writer Tim Key arrives on Friday, 17 March with Mulberry, an all-new show featuring ruminations about the great outdoors with a bit of stamping around, a velour tracksuit, continental lagers and some ‘poetry’.

Epstein audiences loved Irish Annie’s when the show was performed last year to a sell-out crowd, and now it’s back - along with its stars Ricky Tomlinson, Catherine Rice and Asa Murphy - for two brilliant performances on Saturday, 18 March.

You will be Twistin’ The Night Away with Si Cranstoun and his band on Sunday, 19 March as they deliver a dynamic, toe-tapping evening of brilliant tunes and retro dance rhythms.

And in the urgent, lyrical comingof-age drama Too Much World All At Once, on Thursday, 23 March, 15-year-old Noble is transformed into a bird and sets out to reach his sister Chloe, stationed with the British Antarctic Survey on a remote island thousands of miles away where all the birds have disappeared.

Then Stone on Stone comes to the stage on Friday, 24 March and Saturday, 25 March. Based on a true story, Frank Kenny’s play is set in New York’s notorious Sing Sing prison in 1922 where Liverpool Irish trade unionist James Larkin was being held on charges of criminal anarchy, and

where he was visited by one highpro le supporter…Charlie Chaplin.

April starts with a visit from comedy royalty and godfather of observational stand-up Jasper Carrott who comes to the theatre on Saturday, 1 April, along with special guest Fake Thackray.

And it wouldn’t be Easter without panto – oh no it wouldn’t! Sleeping Beauty, running from Friday, 7 April to Sunday, 16 April, tells the story of the beautiful Princess Aurora, cursed by the evil fairy Carabosse and tricked into an eternal slumber from which she can only be woken by true love’s kiss.

Wednesday, 19 April sees the arrival of sensational singing trio Soul Jam, performing the very best in classical and contemporary soul music from Motown to Paloma Faith and CeeLo Green.

The fantastic music programme continues on Friday, 21 April and Saturday, 22 April, with Darkside: The Pink Floyd Show – two evenings of classic Pink Floyd including

celebrations of the Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here albums.

Expect epic acoustic classic rock when the internationally acclaimed artist and arranger, and YouTube star, Mike Massé visits on Friday, 28 April.

Then the velvet-voiced Country legend Patsy Cline is celebrated in Patsy Cline and Friends on Saturday, 29 April in a special show marking the 60th anniversary of her untimely death in a plane crash aged just 30.

Eurovision fever is set to take over Liverpool in May when the song contest is held in the city on behalf of Ukraine, and the Epstein Theatre is joining in the fun with a Holy Moly Cabaret Eurovision Special! on Friday, 12 May hosted by Nana Funk and starring some of the regions nest cabaret acts.

Veteran bluesman Walter Trout takes over the Epstein stage on Tuesday, 16 May with a show packed with brilliant blues rock. Trout started out with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Canned Heat and went on to forge a hugely successful solo career. Support comes from Alastair Greene.

And the voice of Cockney Rebel Steve Harley arrives on Friday, 19 May at the head of an acoustic band featuring violinist/guitarist Barry Wickens, Oli Hayhurst on double bass and Dave Delarre on lead guitar.

It was a smash hit at the Edinburgh Fringe and again at last summer’s Liverpool Theatre Festival, and now there’s another chance to see Looking For Me Friend: The Music of Victoria Wood. BBC’s All Together Now star Paulus creates and stars in this funny and touching tribute to the genius of Wood and her unforgettable songs, characters and sketches, here for one night only on Saturday, 20 May.

Award-winning rising soul star Mica Millar appears on Sunday, 21 May as part of her rst UK tour in support of her critically acclaimed debut album Heaven Knows.

And on Saturday, 28 May, Grammy-nominated alternative cabaret stars The Tiger Lillies bring a career spanning concert, From the Circus to the Cemetery, packed with dark and deviant theatrics and songs old and new.

Epstein Entertainments Ltd, which manages the landmark Hanover Street theatre, is a joint venture between Liverpool producers Bill Elms, Artistic and Communications Director; Chantelle Nolan, Artistic and Operations Director; and Regal Entertainments Ltd Company Director Jane Joseph.

Bill Elms says: “In the 12 months since the Epstein Theatre has been reopen, it’s played host to almost 80 fantastic productions including four spectacular pantomimes courtesy of Regal Entertainment and has welcomed 67,000 audience members through its doors.

“Just as importantly, the theatre has also created 40 jobs, both front of house and behind the scenes, helping to bring alive a wide-ranging programme of brilliant live music, comedy, drama, dance and family entertainment.”

Epstein Theatre manager Anthony

adds: “I’m really proud of what the team at the Epstein has achieved over the past year. And looking forward as we start 2023, I know it’s going to be just as special.

“Whether you love great comedy, thought-provoking drama, amazing live music, magical traditional pantomime or the atmosphere of Eurovision, I can guarantee there will be something for your diary. I can’t wait to see more happy audience members lling the auditorium.”

Follow the Epstein Theatre on social media channels:

F EpsteinTheatre

T @EpsteinTheatre

I @EpsteinTheatre

Online Brochure: issuu.com/epsteinentertainmentsltd/ docs/epstien_brochure_winter_2022_for_issu?

Proctor

Pastures New

Holiday park aficionados, the Marshall family, continue to develop their premium holiday home locations with further pitches released for 2023, along with other improvements to make park living highly desirable.

Overlooking the main site and offering an elevated and quiet retreat, The Pastures is a new 17 pitch development at Riverside Caravan Park in Bentham, offering a mix of single and twin unit holiday homes.

As the name Pastures suggests, the setting is amid rich former farmland and Riverside Caravan Park is in an enviable location appealing to both tourers and holiday homeowners. With an impressive backdrop of Ingleborough, it is nestled in the foothills of the Three Peaks, on the doorstep of two contrasting National Parks and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. From here you can explore the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, The Forest of Bowland and the north-west coast from one central base.

Alongside creating the Pastures development, for 2023, the Marshalls have invested in refurbishing the children’s play area, reinforcing Riverside Caravan Park’s credentials as a family friendly park. The new facilities feature an improved safe surface for those inevitable tumbles and exciting new play structures to keep kids entertained as they make new holiday friends.

Fishing features strongly here, as the park offers not only river fishing on the Wenning but also boasts its own lake for coarse fishing, well-stocked this year with carp, rudd, roach and perch.

Landscaping is always top notch here, and several new fruit trees have been planted to not only enhance the appearance of the park but also boost the local ecosystem and help feed and encourage the wildlife.

The all important toilet block facilities also deserve a mention having been awarded Platinum Plus in the 2022 Loo of the Year awards!

Meanwhile, just a mile away and also run by the Marshall family, Wenningdale Escapes offers luxury lodges for sale amid the fairways of Bentham Golf Course, with discounted golf memberships and green fees for owners from both parks. The first phase of the lodge development is nearing completion with three lodges in stock ready to go and one pitch available for sale.

Find out more at: www.riversidecaravanpark.co.uk/ and www.wenningdale.co.uk

Riverside Caravan Park is set beside the River Wenning, with calm relaxing stretches of water ideal for paddling and dinghies – a real treat on a hot summer day!

There’s an Unexpected Twist for Oliver at The Grand in 2023…

Dickens goes digital at Blackpool Grand Theatre in 2023 as Charles Dickens’ classic tale of Oliver Twist gets a marvellously modern re-telling from author and poet Michael Rosen in Unexpected Twist from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 May

It’s a must see!

The innovative new musical from The Children’s Theatre Partnership and Royal & Derngate, Northampton, will open at Northampton in February 2023 before embarking on a National Tour.

Unexpected Twist is a radical retelling of the Charles Dickens classic, Oliver Twist, by one the best-loved figures in the children’s book world, Michael Rosen. Adapted for the stage by BAFTA award-winning playwright Roy Williams (Soul, Sucker Punch), with original music by rising R&B star Yaya Bey and BAC Beatbox Academy’s Conrad Murray; Unexpected Twist is a thrilling new production from the producing partnership behind the successful stage adaptations of Holes and The Jungle Book.

Shona and her class are studying Oliver Twist. She’s new in school and keeps finding herself in trouble –much like Oliver himself! When she’s given a new phone by a stranger, she begins to suspect there’s something fishy about the new kids she’s met...

Directed by James Dacre (Olivier Award-nominated Our Lady Of

Kibeho and Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate, Northampton) with design by Frankie Bradshaw’s (Two Trains Running) Unexpected Twist brings to vivid life the worlds of both Shona and Oliver, as their stories twist together, unexpectedly!

Writer Michael Rosen said: “I have always been a huge lover of theatre and the dramatic arts. I believe in the power and value of live performance and rate it as an equal to all the other literary activities. I can’t describe what a thrill it is for me to know Unexpected Twist is going to be a play. I’ve already seen a draft script and it leapt off the page. I could immediately ‘see’ it as being a funny, tough, edgy, contemporary, powerful show. I am desperate to see it.”

Roy Williams (Stage Adaptation) said “If there is no children’s theatre, there will be no theatre at all in years to come. It is essential theatre gets them early. It’s the opportunity for them to express themselves. Unexpected Twist is a story about young people for young people! That is how I felt when I first read Oliver Twist when I was a child. Those are always the best stories to hear.”

Yaya Bey (Music)said: “Working on Unexpected Twist has been such a pleasure. Everyone has been so kind and willing to collaborate. I wasn’t sure how I would relate to the story coming from the States, but there is such an emphasis on important issues that transcend culture barriers, and it has made it easy for me to pull from my experience.”

The Children’s Theatre Partnership’s exciting new musical Unexpected Twist from top writer Michael Rosen comes to Blackpool Grand Theatre in May 2023.

Conrad Murray (Music)said: “Working on this show is like assembling The Avengers! The creative team is top notch, and the cast are incredible. I love that it takes Oliver Twist as a story about poverty, which seems to tell a story about our current times. Being able to bring beatbox, hip hop and grime to the show is sick, as it helps modernize the story and create a new language and theatrical form on the stage. Can’t wait for audiences to see and hear it.”

James Dacre (Director and Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate Theatres) said: “Take Charles Dickens’ masterpiece, Oliver Twist and add the literary magic of Michael Rosen and the theatrical verve of Roy Williams to tell this classic story in a radically new way. Mix with Conrad Murray and Yaya Bey’s breath-taking contemporary beatboxing, R&B, rap, grime and soul music. The result?

Unexpected Twist is a joyful family tale which weaves the streets of Victorian London into the school corridors of contemporary Britain.”

Unexpected Twist from The Children’s Theatre Partnership and Royal & Derngate, Northampton, is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 May 2023 with matinee and evening performances. Tickets from £15.50. School rates available.

Visit blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call the box office on 01253 290 190 for bookings and further information.

LISTINGS

Unexpected Twist

Tue 23 May, Fri 26 May & Sat 27 May at 7pm, Wed 24 May & Thu 25 May at 10.30am & 2pm, Sat matinee at 2.30pm

M Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT

N Box Office 01253 290 190

D blackpoolgrand.co.uk

F @blackpoolgrand

T @Grand_Theatre

I grandtheatrebpl

Rocky Horror Show Celebrates 50th Anniversary at Blackpool Grand

Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock and roll musical The Rocky Horror Show roars into Blackpool Grand Theatre in February 2023 for its 50th anniversary! Don’t just Dream It, Be it!

Bless My Soul! Get ready to celebrate 50 fabulous years of the sensational Science Fiction Double Feature as Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show gets ready to thrill once more at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Monday 13 to Saturday 18 February 2023. Tickets are already selling fast for the boldest bash of them all! Book yours now!

Bursting at the seams with

timeless classics, including Sweet Transvestite, Damn it Janet, and of course, the pelvic-thrusting, floor-filler Time Warp; The Rocky Horror show is a guaranteed nonstop party that’s ready to delight you once again with its frothy, fun, and naughty moments, muchencouraged audience participation and, of course, outrageous outfits!

Follow squeaky clean college sweethearts Brad and Janet on an adventure they’ll never forget when, by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy

mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor. There they meet the scandalous Dr Frank N Furter, the rippling Rocky and the vivacious Magenta and the cute couple’s lives will never be the same again…

Since it first opened in London in June 1973 at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show has become the world’s favourite Rock ‘N’ Roll musical, having been performed worldwide over 45 years in more than 30 countries and translated into 20 languages.

This musical extravaganza continues to play to packed houses and shows no signs of slowing down! This is theatre is in full throttle and this extraordinary new cast of West End stars includes Stephen Webb (Jersey Boys/Legally Blonde) taking on the iconic role of Frank N Furter. We talked to Richard about the phenomenon that is the Rocky Horror Show and how it all began…

How does it feel to see the incredible success the Rocky Horror Show has had?

Richard O’Brien – “I hope what I’ve done professionally on stage has entertained and made people feel a little bit better when they leave the theatre. I’ve never done anything for back-slapping purposes, to make myself feel elevated in any kind of way. I’m just so grateful that I’ve been part of something that has so uniquely left its mark.

I remember a director once told me, ‘There’s only one thing you should do in your life, Richard, and that’s realise your dreams. A lot of people will try and stop you achieving those dreams but the only real person who can stop you is yourself.’ I was young and he was old and it was the first time a grown-up had ever said anything so joyous to me, so wonderfully liberating. Everybody else said, ‘Be careful, get a proper job, get your degree as a plumber. Don’t get these lofty ideas.’ As it says in the show, “Don’t dream it, be it.”

Why do you think Rocky Horror is still so popular?

“It’s very inclusive, it’s very easy to watch. It’s not rocket science as far as narrative is concernedBrad and Janet are a couple that we kind of recognise as Adam and Eve or Romeo and Juliet, like a stereotypical couple - we can all relate to them. It is a fairytale - we even like the nasty characters, we love the Cruella De Vil kind of character, Frank N Furter. The fact that it is such light-hearted naughtiness, combined with root fairy tales has a lot to do with its longevity.”

What was happening in your life at the time you wrote The Rocky Horror Show?

“I was a recent father of my first child and out of work when I wrote the show. 1972-73 was a moment of change. Glamrock and overt sexuality was around, gay people were coming out and there was a ‘buzz’ in the air. There are certain parts of the world where we are a little bit more free to be ourselves. London is certainly one of them. Back in the Seventies you had gay bars, but now you don’t

need to because if you walk into most bars in London there will be a gay man behind the bar. That is rather nice.”

What was your inspiration when writing the show?

“I have a very low-brow approach to life, I like Populist kinds of themes - comics and rock’n’roll and B movies. The plot and dialogue for The Rocky Horror Show are raids on populist things: from advertising, from comics, from B movies, from sci-fi. It’s a complete and utter raid upon all those elements; a joyous raid.”

Do you have a favourite character?

“I would have loved to have played Rocky, that would have been cool, wouldn’t it? But one thing is essential, you have to be rather handsome and you know, muscular, and that ain’t going to work. I could have played Janet. They’re all so stupidly wonderful these characters, they’re iconographic.”

How do you think the live shows compare to the film?

“The live show has an energy that the movie doesn’t have - it wasn’t

intentional, but the film was very slow. Once some fans came up to me and said, “did you leave the gaps between the lines so that we the audience could say our lines?”. I said, “Well, ok yes”. But no we didn’t. The movie is a very surreal, almost dreamlike journey, the live show is far more rock and roll.”

What advice do you have for anyone that is new to Rocky Horror?

“None - just come with an open heart and a good will or not at all. I always worry that maybe the fans might steal the evening. I don’t ever want the show to be just a few people having fun and the rest of the audience thinking that they’ve arrived at a party that they weren’t invited to, so that’s important.”

What’s your favourite part of the show?

“The noise at the end of Rocky is wonderful – it is empowering and exhilarating at the same time it is quite joyous. Rocky never fails to deliver. Each performance lifts the heart and the nightly laughter and roars of approval leave the whole cast with a sense of wellbeing and accomplishment that you rarely get from any other shows.”

What sets Rocky Horror apart from other musicals?

“When it was written, it didn’t follow any kind of formula. The songs aren’t showbizzy. So many new musical numbers you hear now, if you didn’t know what song it was you would instantly know it was a Broadway song. I find that a bit annoying. If you’re going to spend a bit of money on a night out it’s good to know that you’re spending it on something you’re going to enjoy. It’s a rock’n’roll show with a storyline on one level, it’s a fairy tale on another level, and it’s as enjoyable and silly as a Carry On on another.”

How different do you think your life might have been without Rocky?

“I have no idea but, I would have had a good life because I am made that way. My journey has been

a different one than others. I guess some people have a game plan. I would imagine they’re rather humourless. Most of us get an opportunity and we wing it. Luck plays an awfully big part in our lives. You should never underestimate that. I am the luckiest person on the planet. I shall be happy as long as I can keep singing.”

Show producer Howard Panter said: “Rocky Horror has always been a show I loved, since its earliest days in the Kings Road. Richard O’Brien and I are delighted this non-stop party continues to thrill audiences across the world, and we look forward to the next 50 years!”

Is it your first time to the Rocky Horror Show? Don’t worry Rocky Horror virgins, you don’t have to dress up in fishnet stockings, suspenders and a basque! Although you will fit right in if

you do and, of course, females may also wear these items!

Be a sexy French maid like Magenta, sport a top hat and shorts like Columbia, dress preppy and clean-cut like Brad and Janet or go full Dr Frank ‘n’ Furter in a glamorous lace corset and high heels – it’s up to you! Or just wear something casual and comfortable for the rockiest night of your life! Everyone is welcome.

Book your seats now and get ready to dress to impress for a fabulous night of fun, frolics and frivolity!

The Rocky Horror Show is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Monday 13 to Saturday 18 February 2023. Monday to Thursday at 8pm. Friday & Saturday 5.30pm & 8.30pm.

Book now by visiting blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call the box office on 01253 290 190.

LISTINGS

The Rocky Horror Show – Mon 13 to Sat 18 Feb 2023

Mon 18 to Thu 16 at 8pm

Fri 17 & Sat 18 at 5.30pm & 8.30pm

Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT

N 01253 290 190

D blackpoolgrand.co.uk

F @blackpoolgrand

T @Grand_Theatre

I grandtheatrebpl

Twenty Twenty Me!

By Lucy Newton

We have all heard the cliche saying ‘New Year, New Me’ but in 2023 let’s make those goals and promises we made at the start of January stick. With gym memberships ever increasing in price and not to everyone’s taste, Lucy Newton investigates alternative ways to stay fit and healthy in our county this year, without ever having to step foot in a gym!

With mince pies and mulled wine but a distant memory, it is time to make sure that 2023 is the best year yet and that we are smashing all those goals we set ourselves in January. However, for many, the thought of counting down the minutes on a treadmill, or navigating the formidable weight room sounds daunting and exhausting, making sticking to those fitness goals far less likely!

However, with life as chaotic and busy as ever, staying fit is not only important for our physical well being (with benefits including reduced risk of major illnesses, improved sleep and helping to maintain a healthy BMI) it has also been proven to

significantly improve an individual’s mental wellbeing. When exercising, the body releases chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin which have a mood boosting effect. If there is one investment worth making this year, it really is the investment of your physical and mental health.

It can be difficult to get into the swing of staying fit and incorporating fitness into your lifestyle. There may well be a lot of trial and error to find out what works for you, your budget and your time constraints. When looking at what will work for you,

I find the mantra “Yes, I GET to do dancing/running/weightlifting” rather than “I HAVE to do X/Y/Z” helps individuals stay far more consistent with their fitness goals. Fitness and exercise does not have to be a chore. Find something that you love, and you will quickly welcome and even look forward to that 30-60 minutes of me time each day, and feel much better for it.

Luckily, in Lancashire, we have an abundance of alternative fitness spaces, classes and events.Thanks to our cocktail of rural delights, local

parks and bustling towns and cities, staying fit and healthy has never been as easy or entertaining. This article merely dips its toes into the riches of fitness opportunities on our doorstep, to give you some inspiration and help you kick start your fitness adventure.

WALKING

There is no denying that Lancashire is home to some truly magnificent scenery so why not make the most of it and use it to aid your fitness goals? Walking is free, requires minimal specialist equipment and can be done by all the family (including any furry friends!). With scientists suggesting that adults should be aiming for 10,000 steps a day (equivalent to roughly 8km), it’s time to step outdoors and revel in the fresh country air! From expansive canal towpath networks to a 220 km coastline combined with pikes, hills and two national parks in touching distance, we are truly spoiled with opportunities to get those steps in.

It may seem daunting and overburdening initially, but just 3045 minutes of fresh country air each day will do wonders for your overall health and wellbeing. You may decide to do this solo, whilst listening to a good podcast or alternatively there are

opportunities to join walking groups such as the ‘Lancashire Walking Group’. This group has over 6000 members and usually undertakes one walk each weekend with evening walks during the week in the Summer months.

However for those of you who would prefer to decide for yourselves when and where your adventures take place, and are in need of some inspiration, some popular walking destinations in and around Lancashire include:

• Rivington Pike

• Pendle Hill

• Formby Beach

• The Lake District

• The Lune Estuary

• Morecambe Bay

So get those boots on and take it all in!

PARK RUNS

With 27 locations in and around Lancashire, park runs are exactly what they say on the tin; a 5 - 10km run every Saturday morning around local parks in specific locations. These runs are designed for all abilities and are a fantastic way to meet like minded people, keen to smash their fitness goals! Individuals can walk, jog or run around the course and best of all, they are absolutely free of charge. All you need to do is sign up at the website to receive your barcode. Park runs thrive on communal spirit and are a sociable, fun and welcoming way to help you work up a sweat! Park runs welcome individuals of all ages, however children under the age of 11 will need to be accompanied by an adult.

TRAMPOLINING

For many of us, trampolining is synonymous with childrens playdates or foggy memories of a weatherbeaten trampoline in the back garden. However, trampolining isn’t just for kids! With 10 minutes of bouncing equating to the same amount of calories burned as a 30 minute run, along with its low impact nature, trampolining could be the exercise that sees you jump to new highs in 2023! Preston and Skelmersdale based (BOUNCE) mini trampoline fitness have taken the humble trampoline and created low impact, high cardio engaging sessions for all ages and abilities. With nine different classes on offer, ranging from dance cardio to bounce yoga, there is sure to be something to tantalise your exercising taste buds. Sessions cost

£6.50 but class passes will allow you to buy multiple sessions for a reduced price.

PILOXING

Pilates, a type of exercise focusing on core strength, balance and flexibility has certainly had a moment in 2022 and expect to see more of it mentioned in 2023. But, what happens when pilates is combined with other exercises, such as… boxing? Boxing has long been renowned for its calorie blasting qualities, along with its ability to improve agility and whole body strength. UpFit in Penwortham and New Longton has taken both of these fitness disciplines and combined them to create a hybrid workout named ‘Piloxing’. Described as ‘the ultimate fitness fusion’ classes will see members engaging in high energy interval workouts that combine the speed and agility of boxing along with the targeted sculpting of pilates. Classes even have a little bit of dancework thrown into the mix too, to release those all important endorphins, key for our mental well being! Ages range from 20 through to 80 years old and all abilities are welcome. All workouts aim to tone muscle and burn fat and will leave individuals stronger, leaner and more flexible. Classes are booked

online via the UpFit website, with pay as you go options for classes priced at £7.50. There are also 10 class passes and membership choices available, reducing the cost of each session.

explains how incorporating Yoga into your lifestyle could have a myriad of both physical and mental health benefits. Physical benefits range from increased flexibility, weight reduction and increased muscle strength and tone while mental benefits include sharpened concentration and reduced stress levels. While there are over 100 different types of Yoga, the core principles focus on breathing techniques, meditation and adopting postures that aim to strengthen and flex different muscle groups. With over 20 different specialised Yoga studios located within Lancashire, such as Mula Yoga, located in Burscough, West Lancashire, we have access to a plethora of yoga styles and teachers to help us on our spiritual and physical journey.

YOGA

Last but not least, for those of you hoping to achieve your fitness goals but need an exercise a little less strenuous and more gentle on your joints, yoga could be the way to go. The American Osteopathic Association

These range of fitness activities provide a mere glimpse into some of the fantastic and unique businesses and opportunities available on our doorstep here in Lancashire. Finding something that you love which suits you, your budget and lifestyle is truly key to staying consistent with those fitness goals. So, make the most of all that is on offer here in our wonderful county to achieve a fulfilled, healthy and happy 2023. You’ve got this!

Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Bounces into The Grand in August 2023!

Take a wonderful walk through Hundred Acre Wood with Disney’s magical new stage musical Winnie the Pooh at Blackpool Grand Theatre

rave reviews. The UK premiere of Disney’s Winnie the Pooh will open at London’s Riverside Studios in March and will tour the UK until September 2023. This exciting new musical is developed and presented by renowned family entertainment creator Jonathan Rockefeller (whose spectacular puppetry appears in the acclaimed productions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show and Paddington Gets in a Jam).

For further information on Disney’s Winnie the Pooh please visit:

www.winniethepoohshow.co.uk

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.

“It’s the day to book the magical stage musical Disney’s Winnie the Pooh,” squeaked Piglet.

“My favourite day,” said Pooh.

Disney’s Winnie the Pooh is taking a sweet new adventure to Blackpool Grand Theatre with a beautifully crafted new musical stage adaptation from Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 August 2023.

A.A. Milne’s beloved characters Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl (and Tigger too!) will be live on stage in an enchanting new tale of Hundred Acre Wood, told with stunning life-size puppetry through the eyes of the characters we all know and cherish.

An original score by Nate Edmondson also features some of the Grammy award-winning songs written by the Sherman Brothers for the original animated features - including Winnie the Pooh, The Blustery Day, The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce, plus A.A. Milne’s The More It Snows (featuring music by Carly Simon) and Sing Ho in a new arrangement.

Inspired by the adored books by A. A. Milne and the classic Disney featurettes, the production was first welcomed in New York in 2021, breaking theatre box office records and receiving

Book your seats now!

Disney’s Winnie the Pooh is at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Monday 14 August to Wednesday 16 August 2023. Visit BlackpoolGrand.co.uk or call the box office on: 01253 290 190 for bookings and further information.

LISTINGS

Disney’s Winnie the Pooh – Mon 14 Aug to Wed 16 Aug 2023. Times vary Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT

N Box Office 01253 290 190

D blackpoolgrand.co.uk

F @blackpoolgrand

T @Grand_Theatre

I grandtheatrebpl

SPA PACKAGES | FACIALS | MANICURES & PEDICURES | EYE TREATMENTS

BODY TREATMENTS | BIO SCULPTURE | WAXING | MAKEUP & WEDDINGS

SPRAY TANS | MEN’S TREATMENTS | ACRYLIC NAILS

Set in the beautiful Lancashire countryside, Contours Day Spa is quite simply the next generation of Spa. Offering a holistic approach to wellbeing and relaxation with experienced therapists. Spread over two floors; the spa features seven treatment rooms, a private spa suite and a stunning thermal floor with an outdoor hot tub, steam room, sauna, marble heated loungers and a private relaxation area. Whins Green Kitchen, specialising in vegan/vegetarian plant based cuisine, complements the overall offering by serving light meals, afternoon tea and refreshments.

CONTOURS DAY SPA

M Whins Barn, Whins Lane, Wheelton, Chorley , Lancashire, PR6 8HN

N 01254 831111 E contoursdayspa@hotmail.co.uk F @contours.dayspa T @contoursdayspa

www.contoursdayspa.co.uk

FRANCIS EGERTON - The Canal Duke

By Margaret Brecknell

This March marks the 220th anniversary of the death of Francis Egerton, the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater. Heralded as the “Father of British Inland Navigation”, he was responsible for an innovative mid-18th century canal project which still bears his name today and is rightly regarded as playing a pivotal role in the early days of the Industrial Revolution.

Born in May 1736, Francis was the fifth and youngest son of Scroop Egerton, the 1st Duke of Bridgewater. As such, it seemed unlikely that he would ever inherit the dukedom. In his early childhood

he was largely left to his own devices, receiving little in the way of formal education and, indeed, was dismissed as being dim-witted. Yet, his father and four older brothers all died within the space of a few years and, remarkably, Francis inherited the title of the Duke of Bridgewater at the age of just 11.

Such was the consternation caused by this unlikely turn of events that even his own mother is believed to have investigated the possibility of having Francis excluded from the inheritance on the grounds of his limited intellectual capability, but this never came to pass. Instead, he was hastily given a rudimentary education and, as was common practice for upper-class young gentlemen of the day, was sent on a continental “Grand Tour” to experience European culture first-hand.

In his early twenties, the young Duke became engaged to Elizabeth, Duchess of Hamilton, a well-known society beauty of the day who had been recently widowed. The engagement did not last long. It is possible that he may have found it difficult to adjust to the social constraints of London society because of his unusually sheltered early upbringing. Soon afterwards he left London and was content to shun life in the capital in favour of focusing on his business interests in the North-West.

He took a particular interest in the family estate at Worsley, near Manchester. Records show that coal had been mined in the area on a small scale from as early as the 14th century. In an era when Manchester’s cotton industry was rapidly developing, the

Duke now looked to exploit the

Above: Sir Francis Egerton , Duke of Bridgewater

rich coal seams that lay beneath the largely agricultural estates at Worsley and set about modernising the existing mining works with the help of his land agent, John Gilbert.

Between them, the Duke and Gilbert came up with a scheme to prevent the persistent flooding that affected the efficiency of the Worsley mines by building a network of underground canal tunnels. However, one major issue remained, namely the necessity to come up with a new method of transporting the coal from Worsley to the industrial heartlands of Manchester some seven miles away in a costly and efficient manner. Traditionally, packhorses had been used, but this was by no means a quick method of transportation and was also extremely limiting in terms of the quantity of coal that could be sent at any one time.

Encouraged by the recent construction of the Sankey Canal nearby, which connected St Helens with the River Mersey at Widnes, the Duke hit upon the idea of resurrecting

a scheme first mooted by his father two decades or so earlier. He decided to build a canal between Worsley and Manchester. However, whilst the Sankey Canal followed the course of the Mersey, a section of the Duke’s new canal would be crossing terrain where there was no easy access to a water course.

Fortunately, a solution to that problem was close to hand. The Duke and Gilbert hit upon the idea of linking the proposed new surface canal to the underground canal network which they were constructing. Not only did this create a permanent outlet for the excess flood water in the mines, but it also provided the new surface canal with a convenient supply of water and at the same time eliminated the problem of transporting the coal from the mine to the surface. Instead, it could be carried by means of the underground water channels direct to the new canal above ground.

The Duke was required to obtain formal permission before any work could start on the project. Helped

by the support of local Manchester tradesmen, an Act of Parliament was passed “to enable the Most Noble Francis Duke of Bridgewater to make a navigable Cut or Canal from or near Worsley Mill, over the River Irwell, to the town of Manchester in the county palatine of Lancaster”.

The Duke of Bridgewater turned to an up-and-coming engineer named James Brindley for help in constructing some of the most challenging sections of the route. Brindley’s work on the Bridgewater Canal made his reputation, particularly the Barton Aqueduct which he built to carry the canal over the River Irwell at a height of 13 metres.

This huge stone structure was the first navigable aqueduct to be constructed in England and attracted enormous public interest when the canal first opened to traffic in July 1761. Tourists came from all over the country to see this revolutionary piece of engineering for themselves, which was described in one newspaper as “the greatest artificial curiosity in the

Brindley’s original Barton Aqueduct

world”. The aqueduct remained in use for more than a century before it was replaced in the late 1890s by the Barton Swing Aqueduct, which is still in operation today.

Still only in his mid-twenties, the Duke invested much of his personal fortune in the Bridgewater Canal project. The estimated cost of £168,000 is equivalent to the eyewatering sum of around £24m today. However, the canal’s impact on the cost of coal in Manchester was quite extraordinary, with the price falling by 50% within the first year because of the transformation in the way in which the commodity was transported there.

The Duke of Bridgewater and his team did not rest on their laurels. Instead, buoyed by this instant success, the Duke set about extending the new canal to the River Mersey at Runcorn, thus effectively connecting Manchester with the Port of Liverpool. A new Act of Parliament was obtained in March 1762 which allowed work to commence almost immediately. However, this project was more ambitious in scope and took 14 years to complete, almost bankrupting the Duke in the process.

Progress was not helped by the vehement opposition they faced from some landowners at the Runcorn end. One man in particular, Sir Richard Brooke of Norton Priory, proved to

be a thorn in their side. His refusal to allow permission for the new waterway to be built through his estate meant that a one-mile stretch of the canal at the Runcorn end remained incomplete for several years before he finally capitulated. James Brindley died in September 1772 and so did not live long enough to see the final section of the canal completed.

Two decades later, the Duke returned to the Bridgewater Canal project when he successfully obtained parliamentary permission to build an extension from Worsley to Leigh.

By this time he was an extremely wealthy man, having recouped his original family fortune and much more besides from his canal and coal

Bridgewater Canal at Worsley Image: Wikipedia/Tom Jeffs/CC BY-SA 3.0

mining enterprises. Believing that there were huge sums of money to be made, speculators looked to invest in similar canal schemes up and down the land during what is now regarded as the golden era of canal building.

The Duke had never married and was often portrayed as an eccentric character, such as in the following newspaper extract,

“One of the droll habits to which he was addicted was that rushing out of the room every five minutes, with the pipe in his mouth, to look at the barometer. Out of doors he snuffed, and he would pull huge pinches out of his right waistcoat pocket and thrust the power up his nose, accompanying the operation with sundry strong, short snorts. He would have neither conservatory, pinery, flower-garden, nor shrubbery at Worsley; and once… finding some flowers which had been planted in his absence, whipped their heads off with his cane and ordered them to be rooted up.”

By the turn of the century the Duke of Bridgewater was turning his attention to another large-scale project. He planned to build a grand new stately home at Ashridge, a large estate owned by the Egerton family in Hertfordshire, but died in London in March 1803, at the age of 66, before the work commenced. A monument was subsequently erected on the Ashridge estate to commemorate “Francis, third Duke of Bridgewater, Father of Inland Navigation”.

Only two years after the Duke’s death, the renowned Scottish engineer, Thomas Telford, called him “the model and root of the canal navigation of England”, adding that “by his exertions and example he turned a great portion of British talent and capital into a direction which has in a few years pervaded and improved the whole kingdom and been a principal means of extending its commerce and manufactures”.

This is no overstatement on Telford’s part. The Duke’s foresight in building the Bridgewater Canal transformed the way in which goods were transported in and out of large cities and thus helped to facilitate the Industrial Revolution. 

The Bridgewater Monument, Ashridge, Berkhamsted

Life-Changing Community Centre Revived by Vital Refurbishment

New lease of life breathed into The Hive, Salford, improving its essential community outreach

Those in need champion its social value after works completed

Centre embodies “the Spirit of Salford” says Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett

Apillar in the Salford community has been transformed by a £30,000 refurbishment following an essential fundraising appeal.

The Hive community centre in Victoria Park, Swinton has long been providing life-changing support and welfare advice to Salford residents but needed a refurbishment it couldn’t afford. Now it has been refreshed and reenergised by the transformative works. The works allow it to continue to help support and promote residents to

gain self-confidence and assist in finding employment in addition to wellbeing support for mental health issues and substance abuse.

The Hive also facilitates free alternative education provision, delivered by the Community Social Inclusion Network (CSIN), which trains and mentors many individuals through difficult periods in their lives. It has played an integral part in improving the lives of residents, including ex-armed forces officer Jamie, who served in Iraq. He has found The Hive to be a “place to come to have a chat, share life experiences and access support to guide my life in a positive direction” and cannot imagine life without The Hive’s nurturing.

Danielle, who is currently homeless, has championed the community spirit of the hub. She said: “The Hive provides me with friendship and support within an informal environment where I feel welcomed and valued.”

A key part of the work carried out by family-run contractor Seddon was the installation of central heating and high-quality insulation, which it hadn’t previously had. The centre has also had all windows replaced and a new kitchen fitted alongside painting and joinery work to make The Hive a more vibrant, welcoming, and comfortable space for all. The refurbishment has given the highly valued community space a new lease of life, with the investment allowing the facility to remain open throughout the year.

Its refurbishment was celebrated at a launch event 6th January. Key leaders from Salford City Council, including The Mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett and Les Woolhouse, head of building and facilities were in attendance as well as Seddon CEO Jonathan Seddon and owner and director Nicola Hodkinson. They were joined by residents who spoke positively about what The Hive and this refurbishment means to them and the Salford community at large.

Mayor of Salford, Paul Dennett said: Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “The much-needed transformation of the Hive Community Centre is fantastic. I’m absolutely delighted to see it open, meet the people who use the centre and hear about the wide range of positive differences it makes to their lives. It is now a building fit for the excellent services it provides and set for a positive future.

“Salford City Council has supported the Hive since it opened its doors to both veterans and the wider community. We’re proud of the incredible people who work there who clearly have the Spirit of Salford and provide local people with the vital support and care they need.”

Seddon was touched by the value The Hive brings to the local community and was eager to provide the refurbishment works it desperately needed.

Nicola Hodkinson, owner and director at Seddon said: “The Hive is a fantastic and well-valued pillar of the community which has been providing so much to the residents of Salford for so many years. Hearing stories from the people they’ve helped support and get back on their feet has been inspirational. When we saw their appeal for central heating and just how much the refurbishment would mean to the local area, it was an easy choice for us to step in and provide as much assistance as we could.”

“CSIN and The Hive make a real, positive difference to people. We are proud to have refurbished The Hive so that residents of Salford have a much-needed space to come together to socialise and enjoy activities and enrichment all year round.”

Blackpool Grand Theatre Announces a Quality New Show Season

Blackpool Grand Theatre announces a Quality new show season that’s right up everyone’s Street!

This glorious new show lineup is like a splendid Quality Street selection, so why not dip into the tin and share the unforgettable experience of live performance?.

Top of the tempting treats is Northern Broadsides’ revival of JM Barrie’s delectable farce Quality Street from Tuesday 27 June to Saturday 1 July. This hit regency comedy was such a sensation in its day that it gave its name to the UK’s most loved chocolates! This delicious comedy also stirs in a good helping of Yorkshire wit from the retired workers of the Halifax factory where Quality Street have been proudly made since 1936. Think Bridgerton meets Inside the Factory… It’s not to be missed!

But that’s not all! We have a whole host of irresistible ideas to amaze and delight the whole family tree!

You are sure to find the perfect present to pop in their stocking this December!

For West End musical lovers… Richard O’Brien’s raucous Rocky Horror Show will be bursting at the seams ready to thrill once again from Monday 13 to Saturday 18 February with its frothy, fun and naughty numbers; the five-star theatrical masterpiece Titanic The Musical will dock at The Grand from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 March with the acclaimed production that has enraptured theatregoers time and time again, and Rave On as the rock’n’roll spectacle Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story makes a rocking return from Tuesday 25 to Saturday 29 April. Oh Boy!

For drama lovers…

The award-winning ThickSkin presents the uplifting and

unmissable true story of an eleven-year-old unaccompanied asylum-seeker in How Not To Drown from Wednesday 15 to Friday 17 March; Hail Caesar! The Royal Shakespeare Company will march in from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 May with William Shakespeare’s fast-paced political thriller Julius Caesar, and Dickens goes digital as Oliver Twist gets a marvellously modern re-telling from author and poet Michael Rosen in Unexpected Twist from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 May! It’s a must see!

For comedy lovers…

The divinely hilarious Dragatha Christie sensation Death Drop: Back in the Habit sashays in from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 January with a full killer cast featuring illustrious Drag Queen Cheryl Hole; laugh out loud with a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s iconic love story as Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) sweeps in from Tuesday 2 to Saturday 6 May direct from its West End triumph and featuring a string of pop classics; get the girls together for the smash-hit sequel Menopause the Musical 2 on Wednesday 12 April for a truly funny and heartfelt trip of a lifetime, or give them great nights out with all the big names in stand up in 2023 from John Richardson and Tom Allen to Frankie Boyle and Dara O’Briain.

For all the family…

Fly Around The World in 80 Days in a wacky new telling of Jules Verne’s famous tale from Tuesday 28 February to Saturday 4 March with amazing acrobatics and silly circus antics; Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved Tales from Acorn Wood stories are brought to life on stage for the first time on Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30 March; race to join Fireman Sam and all the gang on Saturday 15 April in an action-packed escapade with a circus tiger on the loose!, and take a sweet new adventure with Disney’s Winnie the Pooh in a beautifully crafted new musical stage adaptation from Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 August.

For live music lovers…

Hit the right note with tickets for a Grand night out they will cherish for a lifetime. They’ll say Thank You For The Music on Friday 20 January

with Waterloo - The Best of ABBA; Take It Easy with a ‘masterclass in musicianship’ with The Illegal Eagles on Sunday 19 March; love to meet landlady Annie and her madcap regulars (including TV favourite Ricky Tomlinson!) in Irish Annie’s on Monday 27 March, and leave all their 9 to 5 worries at the door with the King and Queen of Country in Islands in the Stream on Saturday 1 April.

Perfect gifts for dance lovers…

Melt their hearts with tickets to a beautiful ballet this January - from the grace of Swan Lake to the heart-break of Giselle and the pure joy of The Nutcracker; step to it and book for the incredible Spirit of the Dance on Wednesday 18 January; explore a fantastical re-imagining of the Tin Man on Tuesday 11 April in a visually stunning new production for families and children from Joss Arnott, and the thrilling new dance piece 5 Soldiers from choreographer Rosie Kay on Saturday 26 November explores how the human body remains essential to war, with Kay’s trademark intense physical and athletic dance theatre. Unmissable!

Live entertainment has never looked so good! Still struggling to choose from the dazzling array of exciting shows?

Look out for the new Grand Theatre mini guide coming through your letter box soon or pick one up at the Box Office. All shows and experiences are also listed on the website.

You can also download a digital copy of the mini guide here:

Visit blackpoolgrand.co.uk for full show listings and bookings or call the box office on 01253 290 190 for bookings and further information.

LISTINGS

Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool

FY1 1HT

N Box Office 01253 290 190

D blackpoolgrand.co.uk

F @blackpoolgrand

T @Grand_Theatre

I grandtheatrebpl

Sample Vegan Delights at Manchester Vegan Festival

There will be an opportunity to sample the latest vegan delights at Manchester Vegan Festival happening this March. This extravaganza will provide the ultimate inspiration for vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians, those thinking about going vegan or wanting to include more vegan products in their diet –everyone is welcome.

Manchester Vegan Festival, taking place on Sunday 12th March at Bowlers Exhibition Centre, will feature over 80 fantastic stalls showcasing the very best of the vegan lifestyle. There will be a wide range of caterers, food and drink stalls, skincare, homewares, crafts, clothing stalls, healthy lifestyle, charities and not-for-profit organisations. There will be free samples on offer and entry for under-16s is free.

Caterers include Vdogs selling their freshly prepared range of vegan hotdogs, using sausages made from wheat to give a meat like consistency that’s packed with protein. Other featured stalls include Miracle’s Mission and Bo’s Book. And clothing, including T-shirts, from Vegan Slogans will also be on offer.

There will be a stall selling Bo’s Book, a new cook book that features simple, easy-to-follow recipes together with beautiful illustrations of dogs from animal welfare charity, Miracle’s Mission. All the profits go to help needy dogs at Miracle’s Mission.

Miracle’s Mission will also be featuring at the event. Miracle’s Mission is a non-profit animal welfare organisation that works with sick, injured and difficult animals. Its mission is to provide a place of safety for animals in danger, to educate on the need for neutering both pets and strays and to neuter stray dogs and cats to prevent the birth of more dogs and cats onto the streets. And all the profits from the event will go directly to the charity.

The Manchester Vegan Festival takes place on Sunday 12th March 2023 from 10.30am to 4.30pm at Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Longbridge Road, Manchester, M17 1SN. Entry is £5 payable on the door (with under-16s going free) or £15 for VIP tickets in advance from Eventbrite to include fast track entry and a goody bag full of vegan products, samples, discounts and offers.

To find out more information please visit:

www.veganeventsuk.co.uk or find them on Facebook

People come to stay with us when an aspect of their life is overwhelming all else. Whether it be their relationship with alcohol, substances or behaviour, we help guests heal and take back control. Delamere Health Ltd is the UK’s only purpose-built behavioural health clinic. Set discreetly amidst six acres of grounds beside Delamere Forest in Cheshire, we offer exemplary care in a dignified setting.

To find out more, visit Delamere.com or contact our admissions team on 0330 111 2015

Spring 2023 Collections

Too Much To Show In One Advert

Successful Songsmith Grant-Lee Phillips Visits Morecambe on UK Tour

American Singer-Songwriter

Grant-Lee Phillips visits More Music in Morecambe on Sunday 22 January as part of a long-awaited UK tour.

His latest album All That You Can Dream, is anchored by empathetic voice and rich acoustic guitar. The album’s lyrics attempt to make sense of an uncertain, anxiety-riddled time, while coming to terms with the idea that once-unshakeable things now seem fragile or fallible.

Maintaining a sturdy through-line between the past and present gives Phillips’ music emotional heft. All That You Can Dream is no exception.

With 11 solo albums to date, his latest is “the iron fist in the velvet glove and arguably some of the most potent songs he’s written.” (Mike Davies, Folk Radio UK)

“I’m driven by the potential of making a connection,” Phillips says. “Finding that place where the listener is able to engage by way of their own experience and what I’m bringing to the table. We’ve experienced some staggering events over the last year or so. When people speak of those things, it’s not enough to simply highlight or underline the headlines of the day. The aim is to tap into the feelings that we share that are trapped beneath our skin—and figure out how we expel those feelings by talking about them.”

Prior to his successful solo career, Phillips led the group Grant-Lee Buffalo in the 90s and featured as the town troubadour in American TV series Gilmore Girls.

Doors: 7.30pm

Tickets for the gig cost £17.50 in advance (under 18s and essential companions free).

For more information and to book visit: www.moremusic.org.uk/ whats-on or call 01524 831997 (Monday – Friday between 10am and 2pm).

THE PERFECT FOREVER HOME NEAR PRESTON

FOR families looking for a forever home, Redrow has the perfect property that offers lots of flexible space to suit different lifestyles.

Located on the second phase of Redrow’s award-winning Tabley Green development in Fulwood, The Balmoral is a substantial four-bedroom family home.

Inside the kitchen incorporates a dining area, with wide patio doors opening out onto the rear garden, and there are double doors through to the main lounge to encourage sociability. There’s another reception room that is ideal for use as another lounge or could be a home office or kids’ playroom. The ground floor also enjoys other modern essentials like a cloakroom, utility room and detached double garage.

Upstairs both the main and second bedroom feature an ensuite, while the family bathroom serves the two remaining double bedrooms.

The Orchards is home to some of Redrow’s larger styles at Tabley Green, which is located less than four miles from Preston and close to open fields and farmland, creating a semi-rural feel.

Sian Pitt, sales director at Redrow Lancashire said: “To some, a forever home might be the stage after buying a first homewhen more space is needed to fit a growing family. This is the home that people aim to stay in for a long time and, to fit the bill, a key factor is adaptable space, so needs can be met at different times as the family evolves.

“In the Balmoral, the extra downstairs room might be a playroom or a ‘chill’ room while the kids are still at home. Then, once they have fled the nest, it could be transformed into a study or a reading room. And that’s the beauty of this home.”

The Orchards, has all the benefits of being close to the bustling city centre of Preston, with all the restaurants, bars and shopping amenities that offers, while closer to home a Sainsbury’s supermarket, Post Office and more, provide all the essentials.

Preston is accessible from a number of major motorway networks so it’s easy to connect with the wider area, and its trains travel to places like Manchester, Liverpool, London, Edinburgh, and The Lake District.

And, for homeowners wanting to enjoy the great outdoors, Brockholes Nature reserve is just over 10 minutes away..

To find out more about The Orchards at Tabley Green or to book an appointment with Redrow’s sales team, visit www.redrow.co.uk/tableygreen or call 01772 507449.

left: The Balmoral

Enjoy an Early Slice of The Mousetrap With Star-Studded New Film See How They Run

Tune into Disney+ this month and catch the smash-hit new film See How They Run before snapping up tickets to Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap at Blackpool Grand Theatre in 2023

Get a taste for the thrill of Agatha Christie with the classic crime caper See How They Run on your TV this month, before snapping up your tickets to the iconic murder mystery

The Mousetrap at Blackpool Grand Theatre in June 2023.

The smash-hit murder mystery movie See How They Run is streaming on Disney+ this November starring Hollywood superstars Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan, with Christie’s iconic stage play The Mousetrap at the centre of the madcap plot.

It’s 1953 in London’s West End and plans for a movie version of the sell-out play The Mousetrap come to an abrupt halt after the

director hired to shoot the bigscreen adaptation (Adrien Brody) is horribly murdered. World-weary Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and eager rookie Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) take on the case and soon find themselves thrown into a hilarious whodunit within the glamorously sordid theatre underground. It’s a fun-packed farce that’s perfect antidote to the dark winter nights!

Tune in to Disney+ now and enjoy this madcap murder mystery and then book your show tickets for the real deal before The Mousetrap slips into Blackpool Grand from Monday 19 to Saturday 24 June 2023 as part of its 70th Anniversary Tour direct from the West End!

It’s THE genre-defining murder mystery from the Queen of Crime… case closed! and has kept millions of people from every corner of the

globe on the edge of their seats for almost 70 years. Could you be next?

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at a stately countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror –that a killer is in their midst! One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim? Can you solve the mystery before another ‘mouse’ goes SNAP?

Agatha Christie is still the bestselling novelist of all time and is best known for her 66 gripping detective novels and 14 scintillating short story collections. She is only beaten to the top spot by The Bible and William Shakespeare!

Christie’s books have sold over a billion copies in the English

language and a billion in translation, with many of her most noted works having been transformed into world famous film and stage plays, including See How They Run and the 2022 Hollywood blockbuster Death on the Nile starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Annette Bening and French and Saunders!

Agatha Christie – Timeline

1890 – Born in Torquay in Devon. Christie taught herself to read at five. She received little education, mainly home-schooled by her mother and sister, encouraged to write in her spare time, and always enjoyed coming up with new characters and stories.

1905 – Moved to Paris, attended finishing school and dreamed of becoming a singer. Turned her attention to writing as her voice wasn’t strong enough.

1914 – Married her first husband, Colonel Archibald Christie.

1914 – Agatha Christie worked as a pharmacist and nurse in WWI, which gave her access and knowledge to medicines and poisons, which often were a staple of her murder mysteries.

1920 – First novel published

1926 – First short story published in the Sovereign Magazine. Her disappearance was also this year.

1926 - Agatha Christie’s disappearance caused a nationwide search, including sniffer dogs as people tried to piece together the real- life mystery. It captured the attention of people nationwide after her car was found abandoned at the top of a quarry. She was eventually found 11 days later in a hotel in Harrogate, when she’d checked in using the name of her husband’s mistress. It is said the events of her mother’s death and husband’s affair caused her to go off the grid, and she refused to ever share publicly details of her disappearance.

1928 – Her divorce was finalised in 1928, and two years later she moved to the Middle East to get away from the bad publicity and reset. She met archaeologist Max Mallowan, her junior by 14 years. The two were married and Christie enjoyed a happy second marriage and wrote plenty more crime novels in this period of her life.

1946 – Married Max Mallowan

WW2– Worked at University College London at the hospital, dealing with poisonings and medicines, which helped with her knowledge of poisons as was so widely used in many of her novels.

1974 - Agatha Christies’ health declined in the 70s and her last public appearance was this year at the opening at one of her plays.

1976 - Agatha Christie died on 12th January aged 86 from natural causes. Her last novel was published post humously ‘Sleeping Murder: Miss Marple’s Last Case in Oct 1976.

More facts about Agatha Christie

• She enjoyed agriculture and rarely gave public interviews, preferring to stay away from the limelight and modern life.

• She preferred a quiet and idyllic life.

• She preferred to write about Miss Marple than Poirot, although Poirot was much admired and revered by her audiences and readers.

Race for your your tickets now for an iconic piece of theatrical history and celebrate 70 sensational years of the Queen of Crime on stage!

Have YOUDUNNIT yet? DON’T JUST SEE IT. SOLVE IT!

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap - 70th Anniversary Tour from Monday 19 June to Saturday 24 June 2023. Matinee and evening performances.

Please call the Box Office on: 01253 290190 or visit www.BlackpoolGrand.co.uk for full listings, bookings and further information.

LISTINGS

The Mousetrap – 70th Anniversary Tour: Mon 19 Jun 2023 at 8pm. Tues 20 Jun to Sat 24 Jun 2023 at 7.30pm, Thursday & Saturday matinee at 2pm

Grand Theatre, 33 Church Street, Blackpool FY1 1HT

N Box Office 01253 290 190

D blackpoolgrand.co.uk

F @blackpoolgrand

T @Grand_Theatre

I grandtheatrebpl

The World’s Most Successful Rock & Roll Musical - 2023 Uk Tour BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

“Pure Unadulterated Fun”

Daily Telegraph

On the back of an incredibly successful 30th year anniversary tour, smash hit rock & roll musical Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is back in the UK for 2023 and visits the Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 25th to Saturday 29th April 2023.

Buddy has enjoyed phenomenal success, having played a recordbreaking 4668 performances over 580 weeks on tour in the UK and Ireland, as well as 5822 performances over 728 weeks in London’s West End. Buddy is one of a small number of iconic musicals including Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Miss Saigon, Evita and Cats in reaching a phenomenal three decades on stage.

Loved by critics and audiences alike, Buddy tells the enduring story of the musical icon’s meteoric rise from his Southern rockabilly beginnings to international stardom and his legendary final performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, before his tragic and untimely death at the age of just 22. In 18 short months the bespectacled boy from Lubbock, Texas, revolutionised the face of contemporary music, and would influence everyone from The Beatles to Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones.

Boasting a multi-talented cast of actor-musicians, Buddy presents two terrific hours of music with over 20 of his greatest hits, including the timeless classics That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Everyday and Rave On. With the Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace and Ritchie Valens’ La Bamba, and rip-

“The Show You’ll Never Forget”

Daily Mail

roaring versions of Shout and Johnny B. Goode completing a stellar musical line-up, Buddy is a not to be missed evening of family entertainment.

Writer/Producer Alan Janes says: “We are so excited to be back on tour and to see our audiences – aged 8 to 80 – dance in the aisles every night to our story of a young man whose musical career spanned an all-toobrief period, but whose music will be remembered forever.”

Since its inception, Buddy has inspired a generation of multi-million selling jukebox musicals including Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You yet remains the true original and a musical phenomenon. Seen by more

than 22 million theatregoers since it opened in London’s West End in 1989, Buddy speaks an international language and continues to have audiences rockin’ in the aisles across the globe!

“It’s Still Buddy Brilliant”

The Sun

To book tickets for Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 25th to Saturday 29th April 2023 visit blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call the Box Office 01253 290190.

QUEEN WILL ROCK YOU (Reliving

Wembley ’86)

Comes To Liverpool – M&S Bank Arena On Friday 1st September 2023!

Queen Will Rock You are well established as one of the world’s most authentic tributes to the legend that is Freddie Mercury and Queen.

This electric theatre production fully imitates the enthralling appeal of rock’s most ostentatious front man, faithfully and accurately recreating the unique Queen experience, from the movements of Freddie to the same equipment Queen used themselves to create their distinctive sound.

The extraordinary vocal range and outstanding delivery of Dominic Creighton as Freddie Mercury and the intricate guitar work of Alex Gaskell as Brian May are backed by superbly crafted harmonies, a driving rhythm section and state-of-the-art production. This show is a carbon copy experience of Queen’s famous 1986 Wembley Arena concert.

Including performances of the most popular Queen hits, such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, We Are The Champions, We Will Rock You and many more, this show will captivate any audience - from die-hard Queen fans through to new generations of music lovers in a way that Freddie and Queen themselves would be proud of.

Tickets for the QUEEN WILL ROCK YOU – Liverpool M&S Bank Arena – September 2023 show are available from:

Friday 1st September 2023

LIVERPOOL – M&S Bank Arena

Box Office No – 0344 800 0400

Website – www.mandsbankarena.com/whatson/queen-will-rock-you-reliving-wembley-86/

Tickets Price - £20.00

Doors Open – 7.30pm

The life of Di

A monthly column by Di Wade, the author

of ‘A Year In Verse’

IT’S OVER TO YOU, EASTER

I’m not superstitious – she says crossing her fingers. I DID however have my dad let the New Year in for me this year, sure I’d done it last year, and look how that’d worked out.

Ushered in by another, perhaps this one’d shape itself a bit better – touch wood anyway. I even considered having the honours done with full complement of first foot paraphernalia, only opinion seemed to vary as to what this comprised: My friend’s family let their new year in with salt, a leaf, and a penny among other unlikely things, but that might be just them.

I’m always interested in how others mark festivities, (assuming they actually do, and are not content merely to spew humbugs and blow raspberries), not to mention any personal customs arising in between. I’m just back from one such in the form of my annual attempt to banish the January blues by going with a friend to see the Nutcracker at the Grand. Magical, keeping Christmas going just a bit longer – and as for Christmas, veritable treasure trove of traditional possibilities. My dad’s family, all prominent members of the church choir and Marton Operatic Society, unfailingly went carolling on Christmas Eve, which they rounded off by piling back out into the street come midnight for a rousing rendition of “Christians awake”. The current crop of Wades mostly being the singing equivalent of Les Dawson on piano, this has long since been a thing of the past - mercifully for any present neighbours did they but know it. However, there are still details which characterize our festive season like clockwork – World’s Strongest Man, scrabble, bemoaning the New Year’s Eve TV, and submitting to being blown halfway down the prom on New Year’s Day only to wonder whose silly idea this was anyway – things like that.

It’s surprising too what’s endured at the time but endorsed with knobs on remarkably soon after: By six o’clock

on Christmas Day, I was seriously questioning the whole turkey and trimmings business, notwithstanding it’d all been gobbled up in a trice. I mean, my parents’d been up since sparrow fart preparing it, the morning had been defined by one person or another repeatedly springing up like a jack-in-a-box checking on bits of it, and no sooner had it been despatched, (at something like the speed of light), than it was seemingly all anyone could do to stay awake. To put the tin lid on things, I’d briefly and gloriously been the proud owner of The Tower, The Pleasure Beach, The Gazette, and The Sands, among other prime real estate, till repeated unwanted contact with my sister’s overpriced pad near Stanley Park cost me the lot.

Sitting in my friend’s cosy kitchen four days later however, (slurping mulled wine, and playing with her adorable golden retrievers), I practically glowed like her Christmas tree as I recounted events, (lamentable monopoly prowess and all), if not lit up like the notable street for which we were shortly bound: We’d both been surprised to find it news to us,

but it seemed that a certain Borage Close in Thornton became something akin to a mini festive-themed illuminations for the duration of yuletide, all in aid of charity via the donations invited. Blown away by bright lights of any description, my attendance was a no-brainer. However, it was immediately apparent how it might have attracted several hundred visitors a night. Fantastic display incorporating every kind of Christmas character in a bedazzling array of brilliant hues. My friend had to drag me away in the end, there were simply captivating lights wherever one looked. Well done that street.

All told, the festive season, concluding with two chilled days at my parents’ represented a haven of peaceful pleasure and quiet calm.

So it’s over to Easter – complete with simnel cake-eating, and egg-painting, or however else one might choose to mark that particular festival.

New Flooring For Halewood Children’s Group

THE youngest members of a community now have a safe floor to explore thanks to funding from housebuilder Redrow.

Above:

Ariana, Jen Hargreaves, Connie, Linda Sedgwick, Leo, Edith, Raechel Lynch, Fred, Odeta Katiliute and Gracie

Shining Lights Halewood, a community interest company based at St Mary’s Church, provides an affordable setting for childcare/early education and hosts a range of courses and workshops for families.

The group, established by Jennifer Hargreaves in 2021, applied for Redrow’s Halewood Community Fund last year, requesting funds to purchase new flooring.

“We have been working really hard to improve our space in order to register with Ofsted so we can open the nursery and provide quality childcare and Early Years Education

for the community at affordable prices and employment opportunities too,” said Jen Hargreaves, director of Shining Lights Halewood.

“We are so grateful to Redrow for their generous contribution, our new floor has transformed the space to a much more welcoming and cosier environment.”

Redrow launched the community fund after starting work on two new developments in the town - The Finches at Hilton Grange, off Lower Road, and Grace Fields at Hilton Grange, off Greensbridge Lane.

As well as new homes, the developments will include green open spaces and wildlife habitats, providing places for future homeowners to enjoy nature on their doorstep.

To support the growth of the neighbourhood Redrow has agreed to significant investment to improve local facilities, from healthcare and schools to highways, bus services and even equipment for the local leisure centre.

Sian Pitt, sales director at Redrow Lancashire, added: “Our community fund helps to support groups that do so many wonderful things in our communities.

“Jen and the team in Halewood are offering a great service and we were pleased to be able to help them purchase this much needed flooring. I hope it’s enjoyed by many families in the future.”

Shining Lights Halewood currently offers stay and play sessions every Tuesday and Friday morning (9.30am – 11.30am) for children aged 0-5. A family ticket costs £4, which includes a snack for the children and a hot drink for a parent/carer. The group also runs a baby bank, providing baby essentials and clothing to those who need help.

For further information on Shining Lights Halewood email shininglightshalewood@gmail.com .

ForFor further information about The Finches visit: www.redrow.co.uk/thefinches or call 0151 391 7310.

This voluntary gift to the community is over and above the statutory investment from Redrow linked to the Halewood planning consents.

More Music is Excited to Announce Its Spring 2023 Season –The Start Of Its 30th Birthday Celebrations

For 30 years, More Music have created opportunities and safe spaces for people of all ages and all backgrounds to make music, to express themselves creatively and to celebrate their communities.

Pioneering local, national and international music projects, nurturing young talent, creating wonderful music and establishing new traditions, More Music believes in the power of imagination, partnership and connection.

2023 will be a celebration of their journey with the people who have travelled alongside, while welcoming new artists, musicians, participants and audiences into their wonderful community, too.

The monthly gig series All the Right Notes returns for 2023, beginning with The Brass Monkeys on Saturday 4 February, Xhosa Cole Quartet on Saturday 4 March, Magic Islands of Music on Sat 1 April and Iona Lane on Saturday 6 May. Tickets range from £5 - £10 and under 18s go free.

Remaining true to their mission to bring world-class musicians from around the world to Morecambe,

More Music are excited to welcome Folk and Americana Singer-Songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips on Saturday 22 January, and innovative folk trio HackPoets Guild on Saturday 18 March.

On Saturday 11 February, More Music’s Girls Can team will join forces with Manchester based punk four-piece Loose Articles for a day of inspirational workshops, Q&As and thrilling live music.

Throughout the season there will also be exceptional workshops including With One Voice Singing

Workshop with vocal leader Faith Watson on Saturday 18 February and Rhyzim Drumming Workshop with Zimbabwean percussionist Bruce Ncube on Saturday 25 February. Open to everyone, no experience needed.

Over the coming months, you can join More Music in celebrating an incredible history and impact, which extends far beyond the corner of the West End of Morecambe. After a jam-packed spring season More Music will stage a spectacular return to Morecambe promenade and the nearby beaches for an extra special Catch the Wind Kite festival. Bring your kite, your family and your friends on Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 June for wonderful music, professional kite flyers, street performers and creative workshops, all with a focus on the natural world, climate change, the landscape and the future of the planet. Be sure to save the date.

For more information, listings and to book tickets visit: www.moremusic.org.uk/whats-on or call 01524 831997

(Mon – Fri between 10am & 2pm)

Hack Poets

Credit: Rosie Reed-Gold

Vincente Paredes, Scott Wicking

Xhosa Cole Quartet. Credit: Ian Davies

Grant Lee Phillips at More Music

Lancashire Teen Through to Finals of Competition to Find the UK’s Top Young Chef

A young aspiring chef who recently moved to Lancashire from Ukraine is celebrating after being crowned the winner of a competition to find the region’s most talented young chefs.

Dianna Kysheniuk, 15, from Ormskirk High School, beat tough competition from 306 students who registered to take part in the North West and will now head to London in March to represent this area in the UK-wide Springboard FutureChef 2023 National Final.

Dianna won her spot after impressing the judges with her cooking skills during the competition hosted at St Helens College on 11 January 2023.

Three young teenagers went headto-head in the regional final, receiving just 90 minutes to prepare a main course and a dessert. The dishes were judged by a panel of industry professionals, including Hilton’s Stuart Duff, BaxterStorey’s Chris Watson-Gunby Gunby, and Wellocks’ Leigh Myers and Martin Evans - with Dianna blowing judges away with her Varenyki dish, which are traditional Ukrainian dumplings.

Dianna’s mentor, James Holden of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, said, “Mentoring Dianna in preparation for the final allowed me to see how determined, enthusiastic, and eager to learn she is! It was great to see her confidence grow over three mentoring sessions and the amazing dishes she created as a result. I am so proud of her achievement.

“Springboard has made a real difference to this young lady’s life, more than they can imagine. I look forward to mentoring Dianna further in preparation for the National Final in March - but to me, she has won already!”

Discussing her win, Dianna said: “The competition was very exciting and interesting for me because I would never have thought that after a few months of moving from Ukraine to Great Britain, I would already be taking part in competitions and being active! I was full of emotions and a little nervous. My dreams are based on life experience, and until recently, I had no idea I would have such a desire to become a chef and create miracles in the kitchen!

Cooking is like a work of art, where you put your vision and love into the food, and then it turns out very tasty and beautiful! At the moment, I am the North West regional winnerand I am looking forward to going to London in March, where I will try hard and dream of becoming the winner!”

Aiming to find the UK’s best young chefs and up-and-coming industry stars, FutureChef is an initiative from Springboard - a charity committed to nurturing young talent and promoting hospitality as a great sector to work in.

Since the annual Springboard FutureChef competition began in 1999, almost 200,000 young people aged 12-16 have taken part, with many going on to establish themselves within the industry. It is now the UK’s largest school culinary competition with a long list of successful alumni, including April Partridge, who went on to complete an apprenticeship

with The Ivy, and Katie Cooper, who completed an apprenticeship at UCB with the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and is now a Home Economist for the BBC’s The Great British Menu.

Throughout the competition, participants are mentored and judged by all-star FutureChef champions and supporters, including Michelin Star chef Shaun Rankin. With over 35 years in the sector, Shaun’s wealth of expertise places him in the perfect position to guide the upcoming generation of hospitality starts into a career of success.

Chris Gamm, CEO of Springboard, said: “The hospitality industry continues to face numerous challenges, including recruitment and false stereotypes that circulate the industry. It is more important than ever to keep the prospect of a career in hospitality at the forefront of the minds of students, teachers, and parents, and the Springboard FutureChef competition has proven very successful in doing this.

“By introducing young talent to the world of hospitality and allowing them to experience the level of creativity that comes with it, the competition has enabled many talented young individuals to enter the industry and discover their passions for what the sector offers. Competitions like these are critical because they bring in talented and motivated workers while promoting the industry. It is also great to see competitors having fun and doing what they love!”

For more information on FutureChef, visit https://futurechef.uk.net/.

Blackpool Theatre Aims To Be An Essential Part Of Friday Night Entertainment With Spring Season

Blackpool’s The Old Electric Theatre has launched its spring 2023 season of performances and activities.

The programme includes a topquality selection of touring theatre taking place on Friday evenings that wouldn’t be out of place at the Edinburgh Festival.

The venue’s community company will also stage its own ambitious production of Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and other love songs) from Thursday June 22 to Sunday 25; set to be its most tantalisingly weird and wonderful show to date.

Tickets for The Old Electric’s spring 2023 season of performances and activities are on sale now and are available at www.theoldelectric.co.uk

Melanie Whitehead, Artistic Director of The Old Electric, said: “Part of this season is about becoming an essential part of people’s Friday night entertainment in Blackpool.

“The programme of work we’ve put together is exciting, diverse and of fantastic quality, and we’re thrilled to be welcoming so many brilliant artists to town.”

Horror-lovers will be in their element on Friday February 10 as Dracula, Dead or The Undead celebrates 125 years since Bram Stoker’s classic was first published, with a one man show packed full of Victorian vampirism.

Friday February 24 will see Barely Visible combine strength, a pole and a whole load of humour as two performers explore identity, objectification and what it is to be a ‘barely visible’ gay woman.

Audiences will go on a journey of self-discovery on Friday March 3 with disabled perspectives taking centre stage through the lens of superheroes. Expect a vibrant show filled with physicality, music, and innovative storytelling in SUPER!

A Shakespeare classic is retold from a different perspective on Friday March 24 in John D Slater’s one man show King Lear’s A Fool’s Tale.

Autobiographical show Black Sheep unpacks stereotypes, otherness, feminism, racism and trauma through physical theatre, spoken word and sword swallowing on Friday March 31.

New musical The Legend of Sleepy Hollow brings together a haunting score, stunning vocals and a script based on the famous Washington Irving novel from Wednesday April 12 to Friday 12.

Three Manchester-born daughters of Romanian Jewish exiles perform an entertaining and provocative musical play, exploring the rarely told histories of English women in A Manchester Girlhood on Thursday April 20.

Part autobiographical, part mythical,

Wild County digs into what happens to women when change their location and culture to raise a family on Friday May 5.

Ben Calvert performs on Friday May 12 offering ‘a kind of folk music that indie audiences gravitate towards.’ Taking inspiration from the stage, Ben’s music often includes strong, narrative driven songs.

Rowan McCabe knocks on strangers’ doors and writes poetry for them, but in March 2020 things went in an unusual direction. Now, he brings Door-to-Door Poetry to The Old Electric on Friday May 26.

Friday June 2 sees Daniel Valentine return to his family home to celebrate Mother’s Day in Jesus, Jane, Mother & Me. Written by award-winning playwright Philip Stoke, this twisted coming-of-age story blends pitchblack humour and heartache.

Special public performances of The National Theatre’s children’s production of Hamlet will bring Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedy to life on Tuesday February 21, offering a perfect introduction to the bard’s work for children aged 8 to 12.

Children can meet the worldfamous twins Jake and Will Grimm on Thursday April 4, as they tumble from their magical wagon brim-full of stories collected from every inch of the world in The Not So Grimm Twins.

As well as the performance programme, The Old Electric will also offer a wide and varied programme of participatory activities including singing, acting and playwriting, plus a host of artist development activities designed to support new work being produced in the town.

Tickets for The Old Electric’s spring 2023 season of performances and activities are on sale now and are available at:

www.theoldelectric.co.uk

Martha Pailing explores female rage, the pain of betrayal and getting better but staying angry in a work in progress performance of her show Chat Shit, Get Hit on Friday June 16.

Alongside the Edinburgh-style performances, the venue will also be offering some performances perfect for children and families.

Black Sheep

Wild County

By Paul

Motorcycles are my hobby. I have two favourite brands, Ducati and MV Agusta. To me, both manufacturers produce achingly beautiful motorcycles, that are also fast and full of automotive technology. Weather permitting, the roads of Cumbria become my race track on a Sunday morning. Unfortunately, I am no Valentino Rossi, and of course, I stick to the speed limits.

So to the pictures, I love things of beauty. MV Agusta’s slogan is ‘Motorcycle Art’. Massimo Tamburini, widely acknowledged as being the greatest motorcycle designer of all time, designed for both marques, and would be afforded whatever time required, and that always ran into the years.

Tamburini was a real craftsman, and they are becoming ever more scarce. The ‘Lawson’s’ are to jewellery what Tamburini was to motorcycles.

Chris and David Lawson are the craftsmen behind the bespoke pieces of jewellery created at ‘Firths Jewellers’, here in Lancaster.

Firths was established in 1953 by David’s grandmother on North Road. In the 1970’s the business moved to Gage Street where it has remained

All shapes and sizes

ever since. David is the third generation and along with his wife, Kirsty, are the custodians of this fine jewellers. Chris, is David’s uncle and loves being tucked away in the workshop repairing and creating.

In 2015, the business expanded into No. 14. This gave them a larger sales area on the ground floor, as well as a beautiful lounge area and ‘open’ workshop space on the first floor.

Towards the end of each month, I look forward to the new editions of the motorcycle magazines arriving. My wife often comments that all I do is look at the pictures, and for the most part, she is correct.

Cusimano

Adding The Finishing Touch

From the moment you enter the store, you are greeted with a warm welcome that’s accompanied by a very relaxed and informal approach, instantly setting you at ease. My first visit, around seven years ago, was as a result of a recommendation, and what a fine recommendation it was.

The work was carried out and the ring was returned looking like it was brand new. I find it difficult to put into words, but my praise for their work was met with, what I

can only describe as, smiles of pure satisfaction; my joy brought them immense satisfaction. That sums it up.

You tell them what you are looking for, or what the occasion is that you are celebrating, and they will take the time to find you the perfect piece(s). I say this having approached them with a number of challenges; some have resulted in purchases from their beautiful stock collections, others were made, bespoke.

Whereas I love two wheeled horse power, my wife loves four legged

horse power. We have two equine members of the family. I enquired whether they had anything ‘horsey’ that I could buy her for Christmas, a number of Christmas’s ago.

As it happens, they didn’t have anything in stock but wanted to know more about her and the horses. We went upstairs to the lounge. At the far end of the first floor was the workshop. Workshops always fascinate me, I guess this stems back from spending so much time in my father’s tailors workshop.

We talked horses, their ages, sizes and even their personalities. David

Chris Lawson Avoids The Limelight

David & Kirsty Chilling

Big Heart

Couldn’t Decide - Have Them All

David Lawson At Work

and Chris told me to leave it with them. I received a phone call a few weeks later to invite me to return. I was presented with a silver pendent, a mock up, an idea they had designed. It was heart shaped, not symmetrical, each half made up of a horse’s head and neck. One slightly, but noticeably, smaller than the other.

Made in platinum, the finished item is detailed with contours, markings and small diamonds. Each of its two sides are detailed differently. They

had clearly put so much thought into this. What I thought was just a conversation the last time we met had in effect been a fact finding mission to capture the story, the feelings and the importance these horses meant to her, and us.

About choosing his marble at the quarry, Michelangelo said “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely

apparition to reveal it to the other eyes as mine see it.”. Artists draw their inspiration from many sources.

You may be left wondering if my wife liked her Christmas present that year; she sobbed for over half an hour as she sat staring at it on its chain in the beautiful presentation box, and has rarely taken it off since that day. As far as a ‘material’ item goes, it is one of her most treasured, I would say.

I left it a few years before I dared even consider trying to match, let alone, out-do, that gift. But Firths isn’t just about ‘commissioned’ pieces, they literally have something for everyone, in every way – the term “treasure trove” springs to mind.

Pieces made of every precious metal, that can include every type of stone, as rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, pendant’s and charms; new or antique. They also value, repair, re-size and even repurpose jewellery.

Having written the main body of this article, I thought I would have a look at their website. Many businesses websites make bold claims. Not Firths. It simply describes so accurately what they do, and in doing so, what Firths stands for ……

“As a family business we have spanned the generations and have used our collective 400 years experience to produce a simple jewellery experience that covers every single area possible.

We pride ourselves in serving customers throughout the UK as well as doing trade work for

Firths, More Than A Name

Etermity Ring Made To Compliment the Engagement Ring

How Big Do You Want Your Solitaire

Making Bespoke

Pure Sophistication

One For Every Ocassion & Every Outfit

local jewellery businesses and additionally we are honoured to be jeweller to the Lord Mayor of Lancaster.

In this fast-moving world of internet and high-pressure sales, Firths provide an experience tailor made to each individual. We believe customer service starts as soon as you walk through our door and lasts a life time. This is why, just like Firths, our customer base also spans generations of families.”

In closing, I want to bring it back full circle. Last years Christmas gift for my wife was a second bespoke piece. I sent David a photography of a ring I saw in a film I was watching on television (yes, I paused the film and photographed the television).

A few days later, we spoke and he asked if I would like him to offer

me a few of variations of it using CAD drawings. He’d obviously been mulling it over. When the CAD images arrived, one immediately jumped out at me.

With less than a week to Christmas, David and Kirsty came to see me. This was my first sight of the ring. I was speechless, totally speechless, and as I looked up at them both, there was those smiles; the smiles of immense satisfaction.

Now back to images. Jewellery is both a visceral and emotional experience, highly personal. Therefore, it is only fitting that when talking about such things of beauty, it should be accompanied with many images (like a good motorcycle magazine).

‘Firths Jewellers’

Where passion is at the heart of everything they do

M 12-14 Gage Street, Lancaster. D firthsjewellers.co.uk F firths jewellers

Ready For The New Recipient

Spot The Hidden Diamond

Redefining Window Shopping

The Passion Behind The Proposal - Not Just Restricted To The Jewellers

Stunning & Unique Pair Of Diamond Earrings

Christmas 2017

TRENTHAM LIVE 2023 Returns To Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire Between Thursday

17th August and Sunday 20th August 2023!

TRENTHAM LIVE 2023 returns with four amazing shows set over one weekend, featuring an incredible line-up of artists so far in the unique outdoor setting.

From Thursday 17th August through to Sunday 20th August 2023, Staffordshire’s Trentham Estate again welcomes some of the world’s biggest music stars following the success of this year’s music event Trentham Live!

The first of the headline acts for next year’s August weekend is OLLY MURS who closes the weekend’s events on the Sunday night.

Kerrie Pope, Head of Events at Trentham said, “Following on from last year’s successful event, we are really excited about 2023! It’s an incredible line up and we know that people will really enjoy an exciting weekend of live music, fun and feasting in our unique historic setting. There’s an electric atmosphere at Trentham Live and it’s amazing to see the festival get bigger and bigger each year as friends and families come together to party. We are delighted to have Olly Murs on board to finish off the weekend in style”.

Senior Director Alastair Budd added, “ As Visit England’s 5th most visited visitor attraction, Trentham is a must-see venue, not only in Staffordshire and the Midlands, but nationally as well! We can’t wait to welcome thousands more visitors back again in 2023 and we have a range of hotel and transport packages this year to make it easier to do so!”

For more information on Trentham Live 2023, please visit the following links:

Website: www.ticketmaster.co.uk/trentham-live

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TrenthamLive

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrenthamLive

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trentham.live/

The Trentham Estate

The Trentham Estate within Staffordshire, offers one of the UK’s most diverse days out with a range of leisure activities for all ages.

It’s one of the country’s top leisure destinations, attracting more than 3.2m visitors per year. In 2021 Trentham won an iTravel Staycation Award for Green Space of the Year, in recognition of natural refuge the destination provided during the pandemic. The fabulous,

restored Trentham Gardens, at the heart of the estate, attracted 837,500 paid visits in 2019 – making them one of the most visited gardens in the UK.

Owned and managed by St. Modwen, the expert developer and regeneration specialist, the 725-acre estate, which was previously owned for over 400 years by the Dukes of Sutherland, has undergone a massive regeneration programme since 2003.

The famed Trentham Gardens includes the very important Italianate Gardens designed by Charles Barry in the 1830s, which have been lovingly restored using top landscape designers. The gardens feature the UK’s first ‘barefoot’ walk, as well as a fantastic children’s adventure play area and maze, and a beautiful walk around the mile-long lake, originally laid out by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th century. Trentham is also home to Trentham Garden Centre and the expanded Shopping Village, an eclectic mix of shops and eateries with a 119-bedroom Premier Inn Hotel.

Trentham is a conservation and biodiversity hotspot, with the Monkey Forest offering visitors the opportunity to walk amongst 140 free roaming Barbary macaques, in a natural woodland environment for this endangered species. Trentham boasts extensive woodlands with the formal conservation designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), with the wider estate providing grazing for rare breed herds and wild black fallow deer.

RAZORLIGHT announced as support for the KAISER CHIEFS for Trentham Live 2023!

The support act for next year’s Kaiser Chiefs show at next year’s Trentham Live 2023 is RAZORLIGHT performing at the beautiful surroundings of Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire on Saturday 19th August 2023.

Razorlight

London quartet Razorlight formed in 2002, when front man Johnny Borrell tired of the solo troubadour life and joined up with Swedish guitarist Björn Ågnen. They instantly hit on a winning formula, straddling the emerging scenes in both New York and Camden with their angular, pop-inspired indie rock and skinny-jeaned, post-Britpop cool. Between the alluring insouciance of Borrell and a surfeit of engaging hooks, the band quickly amassed a slew of hits from their 2004 debut Up All Night and it’s even more successful follow-up, 2006's Razorlight. Tours with Queen and Oasis introduced the quartet to the masses and the single 'America' gave the band their first UK No.1.

Following a series of line-up changes, Borrell remained the only original member of the band and put Razorlight on hold in 2011 to focus on a solo career, returning to the group the following year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Up All Night. Olympus Sleeping, the band's first new album in 10 years, followed in 2018.

In 2022, Borrell and long-time drummer Andy Burrows patched up their differences and announced a best of compilation (featuring two new Razorlight songs) for December 2022 and an accompanying tour set for April 2023.

Tickets for the Kaiser Chiefs / Razorlight – Trentham Live 2023 show taking place on Saturday 19th August are available from:

ticketmaster.co.uk/artist/5345201

For more information on Razorlight, see links below:

Website: razorlightofficial.com/

Facebook: facebook.com/Razorlight/

Twitter: twitter.com/razorlight

Instagram: instagram.com/ razorlightofficial/

Kaiser Chiefs

Razorlight

Charities Benefit From Windermere’s Lost Property

Unclaimed items of lost property left on Windermere Lake Cruises’ vessels have been put to good use after being handed over to local charities in Cumbria.

Every year, despite extensive efforts to re-unite items with owners, hundreds of things go unclaimed after being left on cruise vessels on England’s longest lake.

The latest collection includes a multi-coloured crocheted blanket, 22 pairs of reading glasses, socks, sunglasses and sweaters.

Even social media campaigns have proved unsuccessful in re-uniting people with their lost property.

That’s why Windermere Lake Cruises has now donated several boxes of good quality lost property items to the North West Air Ambulance Charity base in Kendal.

“Anything lost and found on our vessels is logged, dated and stored

for three months before being packed up and donated to charity,” says Jennifer Cormack, Sales and Marketing Director for Windermere Lake Cruises.

“It’s nice to know that lost property is going to a good home rather than just being thrown away. The NWAA receives an average of three callouts a day and has saved countless lives in our area. We hope this small contribution helps such a valuable local charity.”

Windermere Lake Cruises also donated the 22 pairs of reading glasses to the charity “Peep” which works alongside their partner Lion’s Club to recycle or upcycle, restore or resell unwanted spectacles.

After every cruise on England’s longest lake, passengers are reminded to check they have all their possessions with them before leaving the vessel. But if any items are left behind staff at Windermere Lake Cruises work hard to re-unite visitors with their belongings.

“We recently returned a lost wallet and documents to their owner after locating him through Facebook,” says Jennifer Cormack. “We know how inconvenient it can be to lose keys, phones and wallets and that’s why we do our best to track their owners. But sometimes it proves impossible. That’s when we seek to support a good cause rather than throwing items away.”

Opposite: A collection of the unclaimed items found on Windermere Lake Cruises’ vessels

Image: River Calder near Whalley

PAD showroom exhibits the best in good quality, beautiful designed, well-crafted European furniture. Showcasing pieces from Connibia-Calligaris, German bedroom manufacturer Nolte, Italian leather sofa’s from Nicoletti and fantastic bed ranges with a wide range of mattresses and more, manufactures on the continent. The clean lines and smooth edges make up a collection of pure design classics which are all hand picked by owner and interior stylist, Paula Baxter.

from rooms to a full house including bed design,