Local Life - Chorley Town- Nov/Dec 2013 by Local Life 247 Ltd

Chorley Town Edition

Nov/Dec 2013

Borderline Madness for Lancashire Money Saving by TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Martin Lewis Class from the Past Clayton-le-Woods

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County Confusion

In this issue

Being situated in pretty much the geographical heart of the county, Chorley folk have never had worry about their ‘Lanky’ heritage. But not too far down the road, confusion has reigned supreme for close to 40 years now, and shows no sign of being resolved any time soon.

10 14 20 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 36 40 42

This month, to coincide with Lancashire Day on November 27, we take a look at the uncertainty which emanated from the local government reorganisation of 1974. Some readers may recall how, on April 1 that year, the old, local urban and rural district councils were merged to create the current Chorley Borough Council. And although Lancashire County Council was retained as the upper tier authority, its boundaries were severely altered. This lead to many thinking that places such as Wigan, Southport, Manchester and Liverpool were taken out of Lancashire. The truth, however, is somewhat different – see our feature starting on page 14 for the full story. This is the last issue of Local Life before Christmas in our Chorley Town distribution area. We’d all like to wish you a very merry Christmas and to say a big thank you to our advertisers, our hardy distributors and, most of all, to you for reading and supporting Local Life all year round.

New! Planning Ahead Win a ‘Lanky Spoken Here’ Book! Puzzle Corner Martin Lewis New! Class from the Past Recipe Of The Month Garden Diary Puzzle Solutions Win a Christmas Hamper Christmas Events Guide Jack’s Tracks - Dalton Home Services Useful Numbers

Publisher: Local Life 247 Ltd, Unit 8, Hewitt Business Park, Winstanley Road, Orrell, Wigan WN5 7XB T 01257 498 329

info@locallife247.co.uk W www.locallife247.co.uk

Editorial: David Sudworth Sales: Chris Pearce Design & Production: Peter Bretherton Accounts & Distribution: Sally Boon

editorial@locallife247.co.uk sales@locallife247.co.uk design@locallife247.co.uk accounts@locallife247.co.uk

Local Life is published every month. The magazine will be distributed into the following edition areas on an alternate monthly basis.

Best wishes

The Chorley Rural edition is delivered to 12,500 homes and businesses in Adlington, Anderton, Bretherton, Charnock Richard, Coppull, Croston, Eccleston, Euxton, Heath Charnock and Mawdesley. The Chorley Town edition is delivered to 12,500 homes and businesses in Astley Village, Chorley, Buckshaw Village, Clayton Green, Clayton-le-Woods, Higher Knowley, Wheelton and Whittle-le-Woods. You can also pick up a free copy of Local Life, on or around the second weekend of the month at Morrisons in Chorley, Tesco in Buckshaw or at farm shops in the Chorley area. Alternatively, you can check out our online publication at www.locallife247.co.uk.

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Next issue - December

Advertising deadline - Thursday 14 November Published - Thursday 28 November Local Life Media

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When you receive the new edition of Local Life - remember to recycle the old one.

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Rotary Help Astley and Buckshaw Rotarians helped local Beavers raise £1,200 for the charity Shelter Box. The 26 beavers and five leaders took part in a sleepover to raise funds for the organisation which provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world affected by disasters. Activities included learning about water filtration, how to milk a goat, hiking and a campfire. In addition, Astley and Buckshaw Rotary Club gave a contribution to the sponsorship monies.

Chorley Natural History Chorley and District Natural History Society‘s November meeting will be entitled South Lancashire Mosslands and its guest speaker is wildlife photographer Charlie Owen. It takes place on Thursday, November 21, at St Mary’s Parish Centre, Devonshire Road, Chorley, at 7.30pm. The society’s December 19 meeting is a Members’ Evening, with a variety of short talks, a quiz, and a photographic competition. Although it is a Members’ Evening, visitors are warmly invited to attend. More details are available from www.chorleynats.org.uk

Lisa Clifford, from the Euxton Methodist Beavers, said: “It was a really fantastic achievement and one which will enable Shelterbox to provide two of their boxes which will be deployed to help victims of disaster anywhere in the world. They told us that they are currently working hard to help the people of Syria, blighted by the conflict there. “

Hospital Friends Friends of Chorley Hospital are holding a table top sale at Euxton PC Community Centre, Wigan Road, on Saturday, November 9, from 2pm-5pm. Entry is 20p and refreshments are available. All proceeds from the event will go towards Chorley Hospital. For further details, call Enid Armstrong on 01257 274984.

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Free Publicity!

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If you want the crowds to come along to your next community group event, school fair or charity fundraiser, e-mail the details to Local Life. Not only can we publish the event free in our four magazines in Wigan, St Helens, West Lancs and Chorley, but we can also tweet about your events to our 1,500+ followers on Twitter!

Cbeebies presenter Alex Winters is heading to Cheeky Monkey’s play centre on Kem Mill Lane, Whittle-leWoods, on Tuesday, November 12. The centre is hosting the Kids Fun Tour which will see Alex star alongside Mr Yipadee with a host of music, games, singing and dancing. The shows start at 10am and 4.30pm, costing £9.99 per child. The price includes entry to the centre and show, a hot drink for the parent, with juice and biscuits for the children. Call 01257 234287 for tickets.

Email us the details of the event (what, where, when, why, who for, how much) along with a name and contact number and anything else you want to tell our readers. The earlier you can provide the information, the better the job we can do, so don’t delay – email us today at editorial@locallife247.co.uk

Story Time Parents are invited to take their children who are aged between 2 and 4 to the Storytime session held every Thursday at 10am at Ebb & Flo Bookshop on Gillibrand Street, Chorley. For more information, call 01257 262773 or visit www.ebbandflobookshop.co.uk

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Distributors Wanted

Help for Women

Local Life requires distributors (aged 13+) for our Chorley magazine. Distributors will typically work for 2/3 hours every 8 weeks, delivering in their own neighbourhoods. We are particularly keen to hear from potential distributors in the Cross Keys Drive/Delph Way estate, the Ashdown Drive/Osborne Drive estate, the Back Lane/Carlton Avenue area, the Queens Road/ Glamis Drive areas, Wymundsley/The Farthings in Astley, Burgh Meadows/Cottage Fields area, Wheelton and Buckshaw Village. You must be fit, enthusiastic and reliable. If you are interested, please email your name, address, landline number and date of birth to sallyb@ locallife247.co.uk

Chorley Women’s Centre, on Clifford Street, is offering free counselling, legal advice and support via its dropin service. Services on offer include free pregnancy testing, a library and relaxation/meditation sessions. No appointment necessary, just call in on Tuesdays and Fridays (10am-3pm) or Saturdays (10am-1pm). Call 01257 265342 for further details.

Panto Time It’s that time of year again when crowds flock to see the seasonal Panto. This year, Chorley Little Theatre is staging Snow White from Friday, December 13, through to Saturday, December 21, at 7.30pm with matinees on Saturday, December 14, and 21, and Sunday, December 15. There will be no evening performances on December 15 or 16. Tickets are £10, a family ticket is £35 and groups are £9. They are available from Malcolm’s Musicland, Chapel Street, on 01257 264362 or via www.chorleytheatre.com

Thursday Club Over 55s in the Clayton-le-Woods area are invited to join a local group. Clayton Thursday Club meets on Thursdays, from 1pm-3.15pm, at the Community Centre at Manor Road School. Activities include outings, speakers, games, bingo and a refreshing cup of tea. For more information contact Gill, the club secretary, on 01772 313301.

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Planning Ahead CHORLEY SOUTH WEST 62 Lakeland Gardens: Erection of single storey rear conservatory (ref: 13/00963/FUL). The deadline for consultation responses is 7 Nov. 21 Whittam Road: Proposed single storey rear extension with a maximum length of 5.26m and a maximum height of 2.6m, with flat roof (ref: 13/00942/ PDE). The deadline for consultation responses is 8 Nov. Southlands High School, Clover Road: Provision of an external terrace outside a learning resources room (ref: 13/00931/FUL). The deadline for consultation responses is 8 Nov.

WHITTLE-LE-WOODS 14 Kem Mill Lane: Proposal to amend the previously approved planning ref: 13/00372/FUL, and increase the width of proposed single storey garage extension (new ref: 13/00927/FUL).The deadline for consultation responses is 8 Nov. Land adjacent 22 Shaw Brow: Outline application, specifying access, appearance, layout and scale, for the erection of a two bed detached dwelling, part two-storey, part three-storey (ref: 13/00877/OUT). The deadline for consultation responses is 1 Nov.

WHEELTON 5 Victoria Terrace, Victoria Street: Two storey side extension, two storey rear extension and single storey rear extension (ref: 13/00923/FUL). The deadline for consultation responses is 8 Nov. 29 Millbrook Close: Erection of two storey rear extension (ref: 13/00949/FUL). The deadline for consultation responses is 1 Nov. For more information about these planning applications, log on to www.chorley.gov.uk

Competition Winners Congratulations to the following who all won a family ticket to Martin Mere in our recent Local Life competition. Ruth Lynch, Highfield Road South, Chorley (pictured with her grandson Sam, aged 9, and granddaughter Erin, aged 5), S. McFadyen, of Claughton Avenue, Clayton-le-Woods; P. Gillgrass, of Spinney Close, Whittle-le-Woods; Karen Ashcroft, of Longworth Avenue, Coppull; Mrs Bleasdale, of Farm Avenue, Adlington; Nick Moxon, of Knebworth Close, Chorley; Carole Norris, of Roe Hey Lane, Coppull; Mrs Maltman, of Judeland, Astley Village; Marie Marland, of Euxton Hall Gardens, Euxton, and Melissa Rimmer, of Cam Wood Fold, Clayton-le-Woods.

Eyes to Skies The North West Bird Watching Festival is being held at Martin Mere, on Fish Lane, near Burscough on Saturday, November 23, and Sunday, November 24. For full details log onto www.wwt.org.uk/nwbwf

Shop for your necessities or stay the whole day! Over 30 shops including butchers, deli, fruit & veg, sweets, Fredericks ice cream, gifts, crafts, clothing, jewellery, handbags, antiques & much more. Wood Lane, Heskin, Nr. Chorley PR7 5PA â&#x20AC;˘ 07599 831907 www.heskinfarmersmarket.co.uk Opening times: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm / Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm / Bank Holiday Monday 11am-4pm

Snow Ball The Legacy Rainbow House 13th annual black tie ‘Snow Ball’ is to be held on Saturday, November 23, at Park Hall Hotel, Charnock Richard. Guests can enjoy a winter cocktail on arrival followed by a three course dinner, coffee, live entertainment, a Rihanna tribute act and DJ. Tickets are £55 per person, or £500 per table of 10. They can be purchased via www.thelegacy-rainbowhouse. com. For further details, call Serena Stringfellow on 01704 823276.

Treat the family this weekend to Chorley’s Best Sunday Roast!

Remembrance Service A Remembrance Service will be held on Sunday, November 10, at the War Memorial on Preston Road, Whittle-le-Woods. The procession will assemble in Whittle-le-Woods CE School at 2.15pm, leaving at 2.30pm towards the memorial. All welcome to attend.

Girls Allowed! Is your daughter football mad? Euxton Girls FC hold training sessions at Buckshaw Sports Facilities, on Old Worden Avenue in Buckshaw Village, and are inviting potential players to pull on their boots and get involved. Training is as follows: Development Squad (Saturday, 11am-2pm), Under 10s (Wednesday 6pm-7pm), Under 11s (Monday 5pm-6pm), Under 12s (Monday 6pm-7pm), Under 13s and 14s (Friday 6pm-7pm), Under 15s, (Friday 7pm-8pm) and Under 16s (Wednesday 7pm-8pm). For more information, call Mick on 01257 208995 or email mick.walsh@homecall.co.uk

Free Course at Church Living Waters Church on Bolton Street, Chorley, is offering free weekly course in helping people “look at life’s hurts, habits and hang-ups”. It seeks to offer a fresh start, new hope, ongoing support and encouragement to both men and women who are ‘recovering’ from any of the above issues. Organisers say the programme creates a safe place to be heard and share individual journeys. It takes place at the church on Mondays at 7pm apart from Bank Holidays. Refreshments provided. For more information, contact Kath Gale on 01257 260050 or email enquiries@lwchurch.co.uk

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Lights Switch-On The Chorley’s Christmas lights switch on will be on Saturday, November 16. Chorley Council say the event takes place one week earlier this year in a bid to extend the Christmas cheer and make room for more activities in the town centre in the run up to Christmas. The fun will start at 2.30pm when children and their families will be able to meet some of the best loved children’s characters including everyone’s favourite red nosed reindeer and Father Christmas himself. Then at 4.30pm the characters will make their way to the Market Street stage, where they will perform a string of Christmas hits. There’ll then be performances from some of the region’s best up and coming bands with Rock FM presenter Matt Spokes entertaining the crowds in between. The big countdown will take place at 6.30pm, followed by a ten-minute firework display and a chance to meet the stage acts afterwards.

Don’t Miss Our Christmas Parties! Children’s Christmas Party

Friday 20th December 5pm-7pm Entertainment, games, disco, party food and a visit from Santa bringing a gift for all kids. £10.99 per child – adults and babies free!

Christmas Toddler Party

Thursday 19th December 10am-12pm Entertainment, games and party food, followed by a visit from Santa bringing a gift for all toddlers and free mince pies for Mum and Dad. £9.99 per toddler – adults free!

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Christmas Carols The sound of Christmas song will fill the air in Astley Village and Euxton on Monday, December 16, and on Wednesday, December 18, respectively. The Parish Council, Chairmen and Councillors of both parishes are inviting locals to the Christmas Carol Concerts being held around the local Christmas trees. These are situated on the Village Green in front of the shops, Chancery Road, for the Astley event, and in front of Euxton Parish Church Community Centre, Wigan Road, for the Euxton event. Both events take place at 7pm and feature musical accompaniment from Chorley Silver Band. Following each event, refreshments will be served in the community centres. All welcome.

Kids’ Cakes Cupcake decorating classes for children are being held at Cakes by Ruth, 20 St George’s Street, Chorley. The dates and times are as follows: Tuesday, November 12, (4pm-5pm), Tuesday, November 19, (4pm-5pm), Tuesday, November 26, (4pm-5pm), and Tuesday, December 3, (4pm-5pm). The cost is £5 per child per class, with all materials, cupcakes and equipment provided. Younger children may require some help from an adult. All classes must be pre-booked and paid in advance. Call 07814 656833, email ruth@cakesbyruth. co.uk or log onto www.cakesbyruth.co.uk

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Whittle Issues Anti-social behaviour in Whittle-le-Woods is on the radar of local police officers. They are focusing on incidents taking place beneath Chorley Old Road bridge and at Hill Top Lane, at the entrance to Whittle Quarry. The next police meeting is being held on Monday, November 4, at 7pm in Whittle Village Hall, Union Street. Members of the public are welcome to attend and raise non-emergency issues.

Yee-Ha! Line dancing classes are being held every Wednesday afternoon at the St John Ambulance Unit, in Library Street, Chorley. Learners’ classes are from 12.30pm1.30pm and improvers’ classes are from 1.30pm-3pm. For more details, call 01253 352591 or 07870 556440.

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Borderline Madness Almost 40 years of confusion over ‘Lancashire’ shows no signs of abating. David Sudworth reports…

It’s a date which is etched on the calendar of many a proud Lancastrian. Each year, on November 27, devotees of the Red Rose County gather in town squares, village halls and other community spaces to hear the Lancashire Day Proclamation, a rousing piece of script which aims not only to entertain, but perhaps more importantly, inform. The need for the educational part of the proceedings can be traced back to 1974. Almost overnight, , a large-scale reorganisation of local government took place with the old, two tier system of Lancashire County Council, supported by smaller urban and rural district councils, was abolished. In their places, new, larger, metropolitan authorities were created. Areas such as Rainford, Garswood, Crank, Newton-le-Willows and Billinge would now come under St Helens Council, overseen by Merseyside County Council. Wigan became an authority in its own right with the upper tier of governance coming from Greater Manchester Council. And so the idea of the residents of these areas being suddenly stripped of their ‘Lanky’ status began to grow. Although the Greater Manchester and Merseyside County Councils were themselves abolished in 1986, many who live in the ‘new’ areas still think they are no longer officially recognised as Lancastrians – a myth which campaigners say has been perpetuated by the media, the retention of the names of the local police forces and a redrawn Lancashire County Council area. Chris Dawson, founder of the Friends of Real Lancashire, explains: “New administrative counties were created, but these did not affect the boundaries of the ancient and geographical counties. The boundaries of Lancashire remained unaltered. However, because the media began to refer to these new administrative counties instead of continuing to use the names and identities

of the geographical counties, some people were misled into thinking that they had been moved over night into a new county.” This is backed up by the Government, which issued a statement at the time saying: “The new county boundaries are administrative areas, and will not alter the traditional boundaries of counties, nor is it intended that the loyalties of people living in them will change despite the different names adopted by the new administrative counties.” Government Ministers have subsequently reaffirmed this. However it’s fair to say the battle to preserve ‘Lancashire’ is not without its challenges, particularly as the 1974 reorganisation becomes an ever-distant memory.

David Monk is the Chairman of Rainford Parish Council. His village, nestled between St Helens and Ormskirk, became part of the Merseyside council area in 1974.

There’s also consternation from some quarters about the ‘new’ authorities’ seeming reluctance to officially recognise the area’s Lancashire heritage.

Despite this, David says Rainford still holds a fond place in its heart for Lancashire: “There is nostalgia among people who were born in Lancashire to identify themselves with the old county; they have never felt part of St Helens. The younger people, never having been involved in the change, would probably not have a strong opinion on the topic. Rainford’s demography has changed considerably over the last 40 years - a large part of the population have only known ‘Merseyside’.”

A spokesman for Wigan Council said: “We do not use Lancashire on our official documents or letterheads. We have not promoted Lancashire Day in the past and have no plans to this year.”

That’s not to say people who remained in the administrative area of Lancashire have been able to rest on their laurels. Only relatively recently, there was uproar at proposals from a Government quango to carve up West Lancashire and divide it up between the Sefton and Wigan council areas.

However, the Friends of Real Lancashire say they can now actually see the benefits of the abolition of ‘Lancashire’ in the administrative sense.

In comparison, last year, many of the councils still in the administrative area of Lancashire held celebrations. Among those was Chorley Council which held cooking demonstrations of Lancashire food, using produce from Chorley market and local shops.

Chris Dawson, who set up the group in 1992, told Local Life: “There’s no chance now of Lancashire County Council going back to the time when its boundaries

Win a copy of ‘Lanky Spoken Here’ To celebrate Lancashire Day this Wednesday, November 27, we’ve got four copies of Dave Dutton’s ‘Lanky Spoken Here’ to give away. To be in with a chance of winning, simply match the following phrases with their meanings. Send your answers to Lancashire Quiz, Local Life magazine, Unit 8, Hewitt Business Park, Winstanley Road, Orrell, Wigan, WN5 7XB. The deadline for entries is Friday, November 15, at noon. Usual competition rules apply and the editor’s decision is final.

a. Am gooin’wom

Name ...................................................................................................... Address ................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................... ............................................. Post Code ............................................... Phone ..................................................................................................... Email ....................................................................................................... Competition Rules

b. As forgeet baggin’/jackbit

1. Only one entry per household

c. Givvus th’ommer

2. Entrants must be over 16 years of age

d. As geet bellywarch

3. The winners will be notified within 14 days of the closing date.

e. Tha needsapow thee

4. Local Life 247 Ltd cannot accept responsibility for entries that are delayed or damaged in the post.

Pass me the hammer

5. Employees of Local Life 247 Ltd or their immediate relatives are not eligible to enter this competition.

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I’ve got stomach ache

Local Life 247 Ltd is registered under the Data Protection Act and abides by the guidelines of the act. We will never sell or pass your data to any third party company. However, we would like to contact you occasionally by email with news of great local offers and also to check our magazine distribution in your area.

I’ve forgotten my lunch

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I’m going home

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Lanky dialect aficionado Dave Dutton, from Atherton

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Along with its culinary delights and stunning scenery, Lancashire is well known for its unique dialect. It’s one of the country’s most recognisable regional accents – and some of its words can be traced back to Viking times. Old Norse can be found in many ‘Lanky’ words, such as ‘nay’ and ‘nowt’. Even everyday English words such as ‘gate’ are still used today in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian. One of those fascinated by the dialect

“It is tough, it is tender, it is beautiful and it is worth preserving. Long live Lanky – and a Happy Lancashire Day to all your readers!”

en ur o tio fe ff nt e his s ad ve rt

Reet On!

Dave told Local Life: “My love of Lancashire dialect stems from my upbringing in Atherton where virtually everybody spoke it, and lots of people who live there still do today. My grandma, who was born in the late 19th Century, spoke broad Lancashire so it was natural that I picked up on it. I love it for its pithiness and its dry sense of humour which I have tried to encapsulate in all my Lancashire books; Lanky Spoken Here, Lanky Panky and Lancashire Laughter and Tears. It’s also an amazing link with our forebears with echoes of the Saxons and Vikings still lingering in our dialect words today.

Whether this prediction Chris Dawson, founder will come true remains to of The Friends of Real be seen. But regardless Lancashire what happens, Local Life readers can say with 100% accuracy that no matter where they live – be it in the Wigan, St Helens, West Lancs or Chorley council areas – they are all in fact residents of the County Palatine of Lancashire.

is Atherton-born actor Dave Dutton. Over the years, Dave has starred in Coronation Street, Brookside and Emmerdale. He’s also written a book, ‘Lanky Spoken Here’, which is billed as a comic guide to Lanky words, phrases, sayings and customs.

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mirrored the old traditional boundaries as they did before 1974. The way things are going, the County Councils will be abolished which to some extent would help as there wouldn’t be a ‘boundary’ for people to get confused over.”

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Astley Meeting

Shopping Evening

The next meeting of Astley Village Parish Council takes place on Wednesday, November 6, at 7pm in the Community Centre, on Hallgate. Members of the public are welcome to attend and an agenda will be published nearer the time. For further details, visit www. astleyvillageparishcouncil.org.uk

The PTA at St Chad’s Primary School in Whittle-le-Woods has organised a Ladies’ Shopping Evening for Thursday, November 7, between 7.30pm and 9.30pm. A number of stalls will be available on the evening, such as those selling jewellery, handbags, cards and oil burners. Entry to the event, being held in the hall at the South Hill school, is £3, or £2.50 if pre-booked.

Picture This Art exhibitions are being held at Astley Hall Art Gallery and Townley Parker Room, Park Road, from Saturday, November 9, to Sunday, December 15. These are the final art exhibitions of the year featuring local art group Chorley Lodge Artists and local photographer Nicola Selby. Exhibition times are from 12.30pm-4.30pm. All welcome.

Autumn Concert Rivington Music Society is holding its Autumn Concert featuring The Halle Horns on Friday, November 8, at 7.30pm in Rivington Parish Church, on Horrobin Lane . Also performing is James Fisher on bass and accompanist Robert Aston. Tickets are £30, including an after concert dinner or £10 for the concert only.

Great tea, coffee and food served in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Fabulous homemade (by us) cakes & cookies. Homemade (by us) soup, sandwiches, toasties, ploughman’s & afternoon teas.

10% off your food bill with this voucher. Expires 31 December 2013.

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Sew Crafty!

Funding Deadline

Are you a dab hand with a needle and thread? Crafty Fingers, which meets on Tuesdays between noon and 2pm, could be for you. Based at Buckshaw Village Community Centre, on Unity Place, it offers locals the chance to get together and learn new craft skills, such as knitting, crochet, sewing and making cards . The charge is £1 per meeting and refreshments are included. For more information, call Jill on 07933 762882 or Rachel on 0750 7853612.

Chorley’s community, voluntary and faith groups have until Monday, November 4, to apply for a share of over £8,000 of funding from Lancashire County Council. They are being invited to bid for Local Initiative Fund (LIF) grants to fund their activities. Amounts handed out are between £1,000 and £5,000. They must support one of the LIF’s three priorities which are: family work, skills and employability, and activities for teenagers.

On Track It’ll be full steam ahead at Chorley Library on Monday, November 4, when Steve Williams gives a talk entitled ‘Rails to the Front’ about the important role the railways played in World War I. Free tickets for the 6pm talk are available from Chorley Library, which is hosting the event. Call 0845 0530005.

Blood Donation

Bl a ba ck se rod d

The Pines Hotel, on Preston Road in Clayton-le-Woods, is hosting blood donation sessions on Thursday, November 14. The sessions are from 1.45pm-3.45pm and 5pm-7.30pm. To make an appointment, call 0300 1232323.

Funding will go towards specific community projects rather than general running costs of the groups. Other criteria for the grants are listed in the information pack which can be downloaded from the county council’s website www.lancashire.gov.uk. Enter ‘Local Initiative Fund’ into the search box to find the correct page. Any organisation that has already been awarded funding in the first round of LIF for 2013/14 is unable to apply for further funding in this second round.

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Open Studio Sale Need some inspiration for Christmas presents this year? Come along to our open weekend and choose from lots of lovely and unusual gift ideas, all work is handmade at the studio and many pieces will have upto 70% off for this weekend! Christmas decorations, bowls, jewellery, wall panels, mirrors, coasters and sculptures will all be on show at great discount prices. So come along on the 9th & 10th November 2013 open from 10-4 both days. Unit 11, Hewitt Business Park Winstanley Road, Orrell, Wigan, WN5 7XB t/f 01695 624182 w www.morpheusglass.co.uk e info@morpheusglass.co.uk splashbacks | panels | coasters | jewellery | hangings | sculptures | bowls

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Wordsearch Sudoku

Puzzle Corner

Guess where? Photo courtesy of Lancashire County Council. For more images wisit ww.lanternlancashire.gov.uk Answers are on page 31 of this magazine Armagh Bangor Bath Belfast Bristol Canterbury Derby Derry Durham Ely Exeter Leeds Lisburn Manchester Newport Newry

Norwich Nottingham Oxford Perth Preston Ripon Salford Sheffield St Albans Sterling Swansea Truro Wells Wolverhampton Worcester York

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TRuE BEARInG CHARTERED

e Right Direction for Financial Advice

WORK PLACE PENSIONS FOR ALL Firms are auto-enrolling in order of size. Biggest ﬁrst smallest last. e process so far has been successful with over 9 out of every 10 workers choosing to stay in. MESSAGE FOR EMPLOYEES You will be automatically enrolled by your employer. KELvIN DAhL

Every employer in this country will automatically enrol their employees into a Work Place Pension. You should have seen or heard the adverts. It started in 2012 and ﬁnishes in 2017.

For a monthly net contribution of 4% of your salary, then 8% -yes double! - of your salary will go into your own pension fund each month. You would be da not to take advantage of this. When you retire your Work Place Pension will be added to your State Old Age Pension to secure your standard of living.

Brought to you by Chartered Financial Planners, True Bearing Ltd. Highly qualified independent financial advisers offering a professional, yet personal financial planning service, built on trust, experience and transparency.

Telephone: 01257 260011 Email: contact@truebearing.co.uk | Website: www.truebearing.co.uk True Bearing is an Independent Advisory Firm, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

WORK PLACE PENSIONS FOR ALL MESSAGE FOR EMPLOYERS

Areas of Advice:

You will receive a letter from e Pensions Regulator one year before your staging date. e staging date is when the Work Place Pension needs to be up and started.

Care Fees Planning

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Why is this? It is more involved than you think. Employers responsibilities are substantial. ose ﬁrms that have already been through the process are saying " It takes three times as long and is three times as complicated than you imagine."

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An initial meeting is at our expense. To proceed further, advice charges will be clariﬁed. Go to our website www.truebearing.co.uk for our terms of business.

To discuss your needs with no obligations, please call True Bearing Chartered today on 01257 260011.

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Money Saving - by Martin Lewis Online auction site eBay may seem a relatively simple beast. But it’s all too easy to get sucked into bidding wars, with your finger quivering on the mouse, and then just overpaying at the last minute. Yet a host of hidden tools and websites allow you to hone in on hidden deals overlooked by rival bidders. Here are my top eBay buyer’s tricks… Exploit spelling mistakes Typos and errors on eBay are incredibly common. A host of mistake spotting sites, such as www.fatfingers.co.uk, www.goofbid.com and www.bargainchecker.com trawl eBay for all possible spelling combinations which have lower prices. Find collection only bargains near you From designer sofas to skis and scooters, sellers often specify items are ‘collection only’. This means fewer competing bidders and serious local bargains. Bag no-bid 99p items Often sellers start auctions at 99p or less, hoping a tug of war will break out between buyers. Many items go unspotted and stay at these super-low prices. It’s possible to scour eBay just for these with 99p spotter www.lastminute-auction.com Buy stolen goods on the cheap Well, nearly, but great headline, you must admit. This one isn’t actually eBay, but is worth checking - it’s legal via police auction site www.bumblebeeauctions.co.uk

Be an eBay sniper… Spotted something you want to buy on eBay? Bid too early and rival buyers bid back, forcing the price upwards. Sniping tools auto-bid for you in the last 10 seconds to seal cheaper deals. Top free auction snipers include Goofbid.com and www.gixen.com A word of warning though - you need to give sniping sites your eBay password for them to work, which is a security concern. If you do sign up, never use the same password for eBay as you do for other accounts such as banks or email. Don’t assume it’s cheapest because it’s on eBay Never assume it’s a bargain until you’ve checked prices elsewhere first. Use shopbots (shopping robots), that whizz to scores of internet retailers to find the cheapest price. My MegaShopBot.com tool auto-searches the best of these for each category. Reclaim 14 years of lost music Buy CDs/vinyl from Amazon and its auto rip services mean you can not get the MP3s for nothing. Yet did you know this works for anything bought since 1999? So you can recover years’ worth of music from CDs you may have lost or damaged. To check for lost music, just log on to Amazon.co.uk’s Cloud Player to see what music’s in there - you can then stream or download it. In 10 minutes, one member of my team found 150 albums going back 13 years. Free translation Android app for 50 languages There’s a handy trick to turn an Android smartphone into translator for free. Just download Google Translate from the Google Play store. Do this in the UK before you go, and you won’t need data to use it overseas. There are 50 languages to choose from, including French, Spanish, Greek and Thai.

Each month, Martin will be writing a feature for Local Life - advising our readers how to save thousands of pounds every year! Don’t miss it! Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert, is an award-winning campaigning TV & radio presenter, newspaper columnist and a best-selling author. An ultra-specialised journalist, focusing on cutting bills without cutting back, he runs and founded the UK’s biggest money site, www.moneysavingexpert.com with 13 million monthly users.

Get Martin’s FREE tips and money-off vouchers emailed directly to you each week by signing up to www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips

Class from the Past - Clayton-le-Woods School

Welcome to our new column where we help Local Life readers rekindle memories of their school days by publishing your photographs.

This photo is of Clayton-le-Woods School and was taken in the mid -1980s, which means the children in this are likely to be in their late 30s now.

Do you have a school photo to share? Send your photos via email with as much information as possible to editorial@locallife247.co.uk

01257 367 404 www.locallife247.co.uk

Euxton based

Recipe of the month

Granny’s Christmas Pudding The stout in this recipe will add the moisture to the pudding and the cocoa powder makes the pudding look dark

Ingredients

Method

• 1oz mixed peel

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together.

• 1oz ground almonds

Add the eggs and the brandy and mix then pour in the stout gradually and keep stirring until your mixture is the consistency of a loose cake mix.

• 2 medium sized eggs • ¼ teaspoon almond essence • 2 teaspoons brandy • 1 can of stout • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg • ¼ teaspoon baking powder • ¼ teaspoon mixed spice • 4oz plain flour • 4oz breadcrumbs • 4oz beef suet • 4oz brown sugar • 4oz raisins

Grease your pudding bowl (2 pint pyrex bowl) with a little butter and pour in the pudding mix. Cover with foil and then a tea towel or pudding cloth and tie it to the top of the bowl, this is to prevent any water getting in. Place in a large boiling pan and fill with water ¾ of the way up the side of the bowl. Boil on a moderate heat for 6 hours keep topping up the water with boiled kettle water if the level starts to drop. When the pudding is ready turn it out and leave to cool. These puddings can be stored wrapped in foil from now until Christmas, to reheat just place the pudding back in the bowl and boil for another 2 hours on Christmas day. Can be served with a sprinkling of icing sugar on the top or pour on ¼ brandy and light for a flaming Christmas pudding.

• 4oz sultanas • 4oz glace cherries • 1 grated lemon rind • ½ apple grated • ½ carrot grated

Recipe courtesy of chef Lindsey Crozier & photograph by Nigel Maisey

Sunday, 3rd November 10am til 5pm Bigger than ever display of beautiful Christmas cards and gifts on sale in our purpose built heated marquee, along with additional stalls in the Coach House. • Austrian Market stalls • Festive Cookery Demonstrations. • A “Taste of Lancashire” Food Fayre. • Traditional Punch & Judy Show. • Ice rink and traditional carousel & vintage bus rides. • Horse drawn carriage rides through the park, returning for traditional mulled wine and mince pies, along with a wonderful Dickensian Santa for the children to visit in the wonderful surroundings of Astley Hall. Join us for this spectacular festive event to enjoy the best of seasonal fare, and raise vital funds for Derian House Children’s Hospice.

www.locallife247.co.uk

Garden Diary - by Angie Barker

Don’t give up on the garden just yet! Many people assume that come November there is nothing more that can be done in the garden. When actually you can make a beautiful garden during the winter months, just be careful not to plant when the ground is very wet or frosty, then you’ll be ready to enjoy your new garden next year. In spring any reputable contractor will already be booked up for months ahead so now is the perfect time to start planning your garden transformation. Even if you feel your garden just needs an injection of colour and interest to enliven winter borders, you can still plant now. Bare root trees and shrubs are available for planting now and they are often cheaper than container grown plants because they come straight from the nursery’s ground where they have been raised. There are some wonderful shrubs that produce scented flowers in the colder months and here are just a couple of my favourites. Sarcococca confusa (Christmas Box) is a small evergreen shrub, which produces sweetly scented white flowers during the winter months and grows well in

Angie is a qualified award-winning garden designer who will plan your garden to your needs from start to finish, supplying reputable contractors and the ideal plants.

Award Winner

shade. If you can, plant it near a door so you can benefit from the wonderful perfume.

Mahonia x media ‘Charity’ is also evergreen, producing yellow scented flower spikes and can get to around 4 metres so you need room for this one. Perhaps not the best choice if you have young children as its leaves are prickly.

Shrubs like these are invaluable in the garden at this time of year not only to cheer up us humans but for wildlife too. And give a thought to next spring as well by planting some Tulips. There is an incredible range available now but I prefer the subtler shades like ‘Queen of Night’ which is a single late tulip with deep purple petals and looks fabulous teamed with white tulips – very elegant. (Oh, that’s nice - Hubby says just like me… hmmm what is he after ...) So as well as starting to think about your Christmas shopping list, please do give some thought to your garden at this time of year - next year you will be so glad you did.

Call Angie now for your free consultation! Author: Angie Barker Dip GD (Inst GD) BA (Hons) Garden Design For All Seasons Tel: 01942 522 405 Mob: 07857 008 383 www.angiebarker.co.uk

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Puzzle Corner - Solutions

French Music

The picture is of Meadow Street, Wheelton

BBC choirgirl of the year, Louisa Stirland, will be in fine voice at Chorley and District Choral Society’s Evening of Popular French Music. Soprano Louisa will join Roger Barlow on bass and Peter Morrison on the organ for a number of pieces including The Faure Requiem and Songs of the Auvergne. The event is being held at St Andrew’s Church, Worden Lane, Leyland, on Saturday, November 2, from 7.30pm. Tickets are £8 and accompanied under-16s go free. They are available from Malcolm’s Musicland, on Chapel Street, Chorley, from Mrs Kay (01772 455185 or Mrs Clough (01704 822709).

Winter Sparkle A Christmas-themed fundraiser for Derian House Children’s Hospice is being held once again this year. Now in its fourth year, this seasonal Winter Sparkle event is held on Sunday, November 3, from 10am-5pm. The Coach House, Courtyard and Victorian Walled Garden in Astley Park will play host to the event which will feature a Taste of Lancashire Food Fair sourcing the best food products from around the county, Austrian style markets, an outdoor ice rink, and Santa’s Reindeer for children to feed and pet. All these, and the entire collection of Derian House Christmas cards and beautiful Christmas Gifts, will be on display in the purpose built, heated marquee, and are set to contribute to making this a fabulous event for all the family. By purchasing Christmas goods, you will be directly helping Derian House and the many families throughout the North West which it supports. For more information, call the Fundraising Team on 01257 271 271.

www.locallife247.co.uk

Competition

Win a Christ�as

Every year for the past five years, we have lovingly compiled Christmas Hampers to use as prizes for our reader competitions. And now you have the chance to win one of the two hampers we have earmarked for readers of our Chorley Local Life magazine. Each Christmas hamper will be filled to the brim with luxury seasonal produce, much of which is made in Lancashire. The finished contents of the hamper was still being finalised as we went to press in mid-October, but

we can tell you that each hamper will include Christmas cake, chocolates, mince pies, cheese, shortbread, wine, real ale, nuts, sweets and a lot more besides. We source the produce from local manufacturers where we are able, and many of the products come from local farm shops and local farmers markets. The produce is packaged in an attractive and sturdy wicker basket and expertly wrapped in cellophane and ribbons. Even if you’re not a natural ‘foodie’, these hampers would make a wonderful present for someone special in your life, because each hamper is full of luxury items and will bring a little extra to their Christmas.

Hamper! Local Life 247 Ltd Unit 8 – Hewitt Business Park, Winstanley Road, Orrell Wigan WN5 7XB



To win one of these two Christmas Hampers, simply complete the bumper Christmas Hits crossword on the opposite page and return your entry to;

Or simply email your answers, along with your name, address, postcode and contact number, to crossword@ locallife247.co.uk.

Across

Your entry must be with us by 5pm on Wednesday 11th December and the lucky winners will be notified within 48 hours and presented with their prizes on the weekend of 14/15th December.

6. White _ (Bing Crosby)

We will also be giving away a further hamper to one of our Twitter followers, so follow us on @locallifemedia for another chance to win this hamper. Look out for our Twitter feed for details of the competition which will be staged on 11th & 12th December! Pictures of the lucky winners, along with their hampers, will be posted on Twitter and will also be printed in the January magazine.

1. Fairytale of New _ (The Pogues) 3. I wish it _ be Christmas everyday - Wizzard 9. _Christmas Everybody (Slade)

Down 2. Do They _ it’s Christmas (Band Aid) 4. _ Christmas (George Michael) 5. Stop The _ (Jona Lewie) 7. _ Christmas(War is Over) - (John & Yoko) 8. Mistletoe and _ (Cliff Richard)

Name ................................................................................................ Address ............................................................................................

Crossword Competition Rules 1. Only one entry per household

.............................................................................................................

2. Entrants must be over 16 years of age 3. The winners will be notified within 14 days of the closing date. 4. Local Life 247 Ltd cannot accept responsibility for entries that are delayed or damaged in the post. 5. Employees of Local Life 247 Ltd or their immediate relatives are not eligible to enter this competition.

Good luck to all who enter – and a Happy Christ�as to all! www.locallife247.co.uk

............................... Post Code ........................................................ Phone ............................................................................................... Email .................................................................................................

Christ�as Events Thursday, November 8, - Sunday, November 10,

Wednesday, November 13 & Thursday, December 5

Crafts for Christmas

A Taste of Christmas at Warbeck

This event is organised by Rural Crafts & takes place on the Great Yorkshire Show Ground. Exhibitors taking part in this show include Oakwood Aromatics, Vive, Gracie Mae, June Onigbanjo and Hungry Hippo Designs.

Enjoy a welcome glass of mulled wine, Christmas displays, speciality food tasting and pick up tips from demonstrations at Warbreck Garden Centre in Lathom, near Ormskirk.

Great Yorkshire Showground, Wetherby Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 8PW Time: 9am-5pm each day Cost: Advance - adults £7, seniors £6 Daily - Adults £9, Seniors £8. Children free Details: www.ruralcraftsassociation.co.uk

Where:

Monday, November 11-Tuesday, November 12,

Manchester Christmas Market

Where:

Arley Hall Shopping Spectacular Join the incredibly popular Champagne and Shopping evening where you can enjoy a drink or two while you shop on the Monday evening, or make a day of it on the Tuesday, have a shop and meet up with your friends for a bite to eat in the Tudor Barn Cafe. There will be around 60 hand picked stalls from all over the UK offering a wide variety of stunning gifts and treats for all of the family. The event is held in aid of Seashell Trust, a charity for profoundly disabled children. Where: Time: Cost:

Tickets:

Arley Hall & Gardens, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 6NA 6pm - 9.30pm on the Monday 10am - 3.30pm on the Tuesday Monday Champagne reception £10 in advance/£12 on the door. Tuesday Shopping Spectacular £5 on the door or free entry with an evening ticket. 0161 610 0170 (credit card booking facility) tickets@arleyhallshoppingspectacular.co.uk

Time: Cost: Details:

Warbreck Garden Centre, Lyelake Lane, Lathom, Ormskirk, L40 6JW 5pm-8.30pm Free, and free car parking on site www.warbreck.co.uk

Friday, November 15, - Sunday, December 22, If you want to get in the mood for Christmas, a visit to the Manchester Christmas Market is a must. With chalet-lined streets, colourful displays and the smell of mulled wine in the air, it’s an event which all the family can enjoy. This year the market will be celebrating its 15th year and will take over nine different spaces around the city, each with its own distinct character and atmosphere. Where:

Time:

Cost: Details:

Manchester City Centre: Albert Square, Brazennose Street, King Street, St Ann’s Square, Exchange Street, New Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, The Corn Exchange, Corporation Street. 10am-7.30pm, weekdays in November 10-8pm, weekdays in December 10am-7.30pm, Sat and Sun in November 10am-8pm, Saturdays in December 10am-6pm, Sundays in December Free www.christmasmarkets.com

...mer�� Christ�as! 34

Guide

Sunday, November 24,

Vibrant Vintage Fair at Haigh Hall Taking place over two floors, there will be a wide selection of stalls selling vintage and retro clothing and accessories as well as collectable items, cupcakes, homemade chocolate and retro craft items. Haigh Country Park, Wigan, WN2 1PE 10am - 4pm £1 www.vibrantvintage.co.uk

Thursday, November 21, - Saturday, December 21,

Where: Time: Cost: Details:

Chester Victorian Christmas Market

Friday, November 29, - Sunday, December 1,

If you are looking for the perfect place to hunt out those special Christmas gifts, then look no further than this year’s Christmas Market in Chester with local crafts, gifts and food and drink vendors, it’s the perfect way to spend the day. This Christmas, Chester has a vibrant calendar of festive events to tempt you, with Winter Wonderland: Chester’s first ever Christmas destination, sparkly, magical lanterns, winter parades, carol concerts, festive theatre and more.

Tatton Park Gift Fair

Where: Time: Cost: Details:

City Centre, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 2HJ 10am-6pm, seven days a week Free 01244 405631

Thursday, November 21 – Sunday, December 22,

Liverpool Christmas Market Set in the heart of the city centre, Liverpool Christmas Market provides the perfect opportunity to get those Christmas stocking fillers. Where: Cost: Details:

Lord Street, Church Street and Whitechapel, Liverpool, L1 8LT Free www.visitliverpool.com

A chance to look for those special Christmas gifts for all the family, and ideas for presents not usually found in the high street. Where: Time: Cost: Details:

Saturday, November 30, December 7, and 14,

Grassington Dickensian Festival For three Saturdays before Christmas, Grassington travels back in time for the annual Dickensian Festival. Visitors are treated to a glorious array of sights, tastes and smells from a bygone era. The village is adorned in Christmas lights, the square and streets come alive with a traditional market with shopkeepers and villagers dressed in Victorian costume. Visitors can revel in delight at the musicians, dancers, street entertainers and exhibitions of traditional country crafts. Where:

Sunday, November 24,

Samlesbury Hall Christmas Fair Samlesbury Hall showcases a wonderful array of traditional and contemporary crafts - a wonderful family day out. There will be lots of Christmas food to sample; ample free parking and refreshments to complete a fantastic day out, plus Father Christmas will be making a visit between 12noon and 2pm Where: Time: Cost: Details:

Samlesbury Hall, Preston New Road, Samlesbury, Preston, PR5 0UP 11am-4pm Adults £3, children £1 www.samlesburyhall.co.uk

Time: Cost: Details:

Grassington town centre, North Yorkshire. Park & Ride at Threshfield Quarry: BD23 5PA. No car parking in Threshfield or Grassington on the day of the event. 11am-5pm Free Email dickensian@grassington.uk.com

Sunday, December 8,

Croston Christmas Fair The village comes together once again for this festive delight. The day culminates with a torch lit procession to St Michael’s Church for Carols for Croston, a prayer and collection for Christian Aid. Where: Time: Cost: Details:

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Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN 11am-4.30pm, but noon-7.30pm on Friday Free, but £5 car entry charge applies www.tattonpark.org.uk

Trinity & St.Michaels Primary School, Croston Old School and Croston Community Centre 1pm-5.15pm Free, and free car parking at Bishop Rawstorne CE Academy www.crostonfestivities.co.uk

Jack’s Tracks

Dalton Autumn is possibly the best time of year to pull on the walking boots. The leaves are turning a golden colour, the weather is mild and nature’s bounty is in full flow, with conkers, acorns and fir cones covering the ground. So it was in high spirits we headed towards Ashurst’s Beacon near Up Holland for this month’s stroll. It’s an area I know well from my days working on the local paper but perhaps, like many people, I spent my leisure time exploring places miles away rather than what was on my own doorstep, which made this walk extra special. No sooner had we parked the Local Life charabanc and Jack, as per usual, was raring to go. We chose a car park just opposite The Beacon pub, fronting onto the golf course, which gave us a sneak preview of the views to come, as well as giving Jack a few minutes to find his ‘fetch’ stick from the undergrowth. Walking boots on and armed with copious energy-boosting chocolate bars, we crossed the road and headed toward Ashurst’s Beacon. The pathway towards the monument is just to the left of the pub and not signposted. Once at the top we had an early treat; stunning 180 degree views from Cheshire in the south to Blackpool Tower in the north. The wind was blowing quite a bit, and had a distinctive autumnal chill, but it wasn’t enough to distract us. To give some perspective of distance, Dalton Parish Council’s 100 year centenary stone, just a bit further up, advises that standing at the top of the Beacon, we are five miles from Wigan Parish Church, 27 miles to the Bowland Fells and 84 miles to the Isle of Man.

We started the walk from the Beacon itself, but you need to have your wits about you as the paths aren’t immediately obvious. We had to walk in a north westerly direction towards the woodland. As a rule, If you can see Blackpool Tower, basically you need to head towards that, and the informal pathway will become apparent. Once in the woods, we were greeted with a floor scattered with pine cones. Having picked up a few for my six-year-old daughter, we headed westwards and eventually hit a cobbled footpath with fields on either side. Around five minutes later, continuing eastwards, we cross a stile onto a bit of a grass clearing and an old stone house, complete with a rather large, solid wooden gate. If you turn around you should see some sort of rusted farm machinery at the boundary of the grassland. We bore left down the side of the house and carried straight on. What greeted us at the end of the path was a beautiful 17th Century stone dovecot, which as we discovered was restored by the North West Buildings Preservation Trust in 1985. Alongside this was a small pond and trees groaning with conkers and

acorns. Suffice to say, being a big kid at heart, I started hoovering these up in anticipation of being able to use my haul to stage a mass conker challenge back at Local Life Towers. However, Jack being a dog and therefore having no interest in conker fights was in no mood to hang around so headed off towards the car park of the magnificent St Michael & All Angels Church. The church faces the equally impressive and historic Ashurst’s Hall, a

Grade II listed building which was originally the seat of the Ashurst family. Coming out of the car park, we took a right past the primary school and down Higher Lane. Before long, the pleasing sound of acorns crunching underfoot was ringing in our ears – they were all over the place and to be honest my heart sank a little when I saw the street sweeper a little further down the road. Before I became too disheartened, we peeled off rightwards onto a tree-lined Dungeon Lane, where we came across some very colourful wild, but I am advised highly poisonous, mushrooms. As a seasoned walker, Jack didn’t pay much attention to the various fungi on display but for a novice like myself, I couldn’t resist whipping out my lens for a quick photo op. At the end of the lane, we turned left and then around 50 yards down we turned right. Now admittedly, at first we were hesitant as it looked very much like a private driveway (signage says Blackbird’s Farm/Lees Lane Nursery/Mobility Store) but according to our trusty Ordnance Survey map, it was a public footpath so went down it. Towards the rear of the property, we saw the

Ashurst’s Beacon Ashurst’s Beacon is one of the area’s most prominent landmarks. Predominantly overlooking the 1960s Liverpool overflow new town of Skelmersdale, the Beacon dates back to 1798 and is believed to be one of a chain of Lancashire beacons stretching from Liverpool up to Lancaster. Archives suggest it was built by Sir William Ashurst to serve as an early warning system against invaders ahead of the Napoleonic wars.

all-important way markers and a stile so headed over it. Eventually we came to a field and spotted a bridge over the River Douglas in the distance. However, before that, we had a challenge we just couldn’t avoid – a field full of cows. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love animals but these cows were a bit too friendly for my liking. Jack didn’t seem to mind them and pleasantly sauntered off like he was on a Sunday stroll. I, on the other hand, was

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It attained listed status in 1967 and is owned by Wigan Council. Despite being targeted by vandals and graffiti artists over the years, the Beacon remains a popular spot locally due to its views spanning as far as the Welsh Hills.

breaking into what became a rather brisk walk/slow jog. This only seemed to intensify the cows’ interest in us and they eyed us far too keenly as we hot-footed it towards the bridge. Once safely out of harm’s way, I looked back and to my horror saw that the preponderance of cows masked the fact that, in the middle of them, was the largest bull I had ever seen. Gulp.

Wood and started to get some lovely views towards Standish, with Winter Hill in the distance. We continued heading southwards before taking a right onto Long Heys Lane. It’s at this point the walk becomes quite steep so, in anticipation of the energy sapping gradient I was about to embark upon, I cracked open one of my choccie bars and steeled myself for the challenge. I’ve no idea how Jack – at this point on his lead due to the frequency of vehicles using the road - managed it without refuelling but he did. After about 10 minutes or so, we spotted a small path off to the right and headed down it. Cross the driveway to Bradshaw Farm and Bradshaw Barn and head off again into the wooded area which adjoins the properties. Before long, the pathway comes out near the Beacon and, five miles later, the walk was complete. All in all this was a very enjoyable afternoon. Due to the informal nature of some of the pathways, and some possible confusion which can arise due to lack of signage, you do need to keep your wits about you. But the rewards are plentiful; beautiful buildings, historical points of interest, stunning views. And If that doesn’t grab you, then there’s always the lure of a pocket full of free conkers…

After thanking my lucky stars, we headed off towards the Leeds-Liverpool canal via the Douglas. We went over a stile and ended up at what felt, again, to be like private property with some well- tended grass and bushes adorning the landscape. Just to the right was a rather pleasant and unexpected feature of this walk, a memorial stone showing the site of the Old Douglas Chapel, which existed for 400 years before being demolished in 1875. The memorial cross is carved from the old church’s threshold stone, and erected in 1906 as a lasting memory of somewhere which was clearly an important focal point for this rural community. Once past the stone, and a cluster of old dwellings, we carried on, taking the towpath on the Dalton side heading towards Wigan. Although he maintained his usual ice-cool exterior throughout, I suspect the recent bovine drama must have caused Jack some anxiety as he decided to crouch down by the canal and take some hearty slurps to quench his very sudden thirst. Once suitably refreshed, we started to head back, over the Douglas and headed towards Keckle Hey Wood. The pathway went past a few barn conversions on the right, before emeging on to Lees Lane. Going left, it was a short walk before we turned up the track opposite Lower House Farm. We headed up through Wigan Lane

Please ensure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear whilst walking. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the walk is accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or other cause.

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