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ONE PAPER ... ALL THE NEWS from Dewsbury, Batley, Ossett, Mirfield, Liversedge, Birstall, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton & Spen Valley

Friday April 5, 2019

No. 888

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GET YOUR SKATES ON! Jake wins backing of a Baroness and MP... but his petition to save park needs 3,000 signatures

By Zoe Shackleton

Matty and Patrick are turning heads in Mirfield!

TWO local politicians have come together to try to save Spenborough’s skate park – and it could mean creating a new one.

Cleckheaton’s Lib Dem councillor Baroness Kath Pinnock and Batley & Spen Labour MP Tracy Brabin have set aside party politics to help young Jake Butterfield in his campaign to save the park situated behind Spenborough Pool.

It looks set to be lost under plans for a £15m revamp of the leisure centre.

Describing it as the best facility around, Jake simply said: “We can’t lose it”.

The 17-year-old skater from Cleckheaton launched a petition to prevent Kirklees Council from demolishing the park without plans for another – but after meeting with Coun Pinnock

and Ms Brabin at the weekend he says there’s now an option to build a new one at a different site.

The nearby Royds Park is being earmarked as a potential new home but the petition will need at least 3,000 signatures for plans to be considered by Kirklees.

Jake, pictured above, said: “It’s fantastic that Kath and Tracy came down.

I didn’t think they’d be interested but it turns out originally Ann Raistrick (a former Lib Dem councillor in Cleckheaton) helped get the skate park there in the first place.

“When I set up the petition, I thought the chances were that nothing would happen, but I could say that I tried.

“I thought if I do it and something happens then it’s worth it, instead of watching it be demolished.

“We’ve got time to get the signatures.

It would be great to get a new one, and there’s a lot of funding for youth stuff up at Royds Park so that will be help-

ful.” Coun Pinnock says Royds Park has been designated as a major play space in the council’s latest plans, which she reckons could “easily include a skate park”.

She said: “The skate park was installed as a result of action taken by the then Lib Dem councillor for Cleckheaton, Ann Raistrick. Ann got together a group of young people who made bids for funding and helped design the skate park. That was about 15 years ago.

“It is the go-to skate park for young people for miles around because of its design and the high quality of the concreting.

“It is most unfortunate that a new Spen pool results in the loss of a popular facility.

“I met a large group of skate park users on Saturday along with Tracy Brabin. We listened carefully to their passionate views.

Continued on Page 2

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Politicians’ plea to bring back 253

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Coun Kath Pinnock and MP Tracy Brabin with Spenborough skate park users

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Friday April 5, 2019

Royds Park could be skate saviour Continued from Page 1

Deaths ADAMS THOMAS BRYAN On March 30, peacefully in Dewsbury and District Hospital, of Crigglestone, Wakefield, formerly of Dewsbury, husband of Marjorie for 60 happy years.

Funeral service will take place at Wakefield Crematorium on Tuesday April 16 at 1.40pm.

BLACKSHAW (NEE PERCIVAL) VIVIENNE

FEARNLEY ALLAN ROYCE On March 23, peacefully at Pinderfields Hospital, of Liversedge, aged 76, husband of June. Funeral service will take place at Huddersfield Crematorium on Tuesday April 16 at 2.45pm.

On March 24, peacefully at Kirkwood Hospice after a short illness, of Gomersal, wife of Philip. Funeral service will take place at Park Wood Crematorium on Monday April 15 at 11.15am.

ASPINALL IVY KATHLEEN On March 27, peacefully in her sleep, formerly of Hill Top Estate, Heckmondwike, and Chapel Fold, Staincliffe, aged 95, wife of the late Jack.

Funeral service will take place

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Dewsbury, on Thursday April 11 at 12.20pm.

at Huddersfield Crematorium on Thursday April 18 at 1.15pm.

HALLAS (NEE SHOOTER) JUDITH

DIXON RAYMOND On March 22, peacefully at Kirkwood Hospice, aged 79, husband of the late June.

Funeral service will take place at the Kingdom Hall of

On March 31, peacefully after a short illness in Pinderfields Hospital, of Brownhill, Birstall, aged 75, wife of Keith. Funeral service will take place at St Saviour’s Church, Brownhill, on Tuesday April 16 at 11.15am.

DUCKETT JOY

HARWOOD (NEE CLAYBOROUGH) DENISE

On the 28th March at Ashworth Grange Care Home with her loving daughter Angela and son-in-law Glyn by her side.

On March 28, in hospital, of Mirfield, aged 70, wife of the late Colin. A ceremony for the celebration and thanksgiving for the life of Denise will take place at Healds Hall Hotel, Heckmondwike, on Wednesday April 10 at 11am.

Aged 86, much loved wife of the late Jim. Dearly loved mother of Jimmy, Angela, Peter, Dennis and a dearly loved Grandma, Great Grandma and Great Great Grandma.

Funeral service will take place at Cottingley Hall Crematorium at 9.40am Tuesday 9th April Thanks to all at Ashworth Grange for the excellent care

LEE DAVID On March 29, suddenly but peacefully at Dewsbury and District Hospital, of Heckmondwike, aged 77, dad to Antony, Claire and Nick.

Funeral service will take place at Scholemoor Crematorium, Bradford, on Wednesday April 10 at 2pm.

Telephone 01924 472178

BOLLANDS (BIRSTALL)

MOORE MOIRA On March 30, peacefully at Kirkwood Hospice, of Batley, aged 86, mum of Frances, Michael, Chaterine and John.

Requiem Mass will take place at St Mary’s RC Church, Batley,

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PLATTS ELSIE On March 27, peacefully at home in Gomersal, formerly of Carlinghow Hill, Batley, aged 91, wife of the late Tom. Funeral service will take place at Park Wood Crematorium on Wednesday April 17 at 12.45pm.

POLLARD JOHN MELVILLE On March 26, peacefully at his home in Mirfield, aged 76, husband of Janet. Funeral service will take place at Park Wood Crematorium on Monday April 15 at 2.15pm.

RAMSDEN (FORMERLY DICKENS) (NEE TAYLOR) IRENE On March 29, suddenly but peacefully in her sleep at Oak Park Care Home, Dewsbury, aged 93, mum of Kenneth, Paul, Tony, Carol, Susan and Tracey. Funeral service will take place at Park Wood Crematorium on Tuesday April 23 at 1.30pm.

SMITH (NEE DAVIS) JUNE On March 28, in hospital, of Earlsheaton, aged 80, a dear mum, mother-in-law and nanna. Funeral service will take place at Huddersfield Crematorium on Tuesday April 23 at 11.15am.

SMITHSON (NEE CHESHIRE) LILY On March 27, whilst in the safe care of Hopton Care Cottages, Mirfield, aged 88, wife of the late Raymond.

Funeral service will take place at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Mirfield, on Thursday April 18 at 1.30pm.

WILKINSON PETER On March 18, peacefully at his home after a long illness, of Batley, aged 83, husband of the late Ann. Funeral service will take place at Cottingley Crematorium on Monday April 15 at 12.20pm.

Acknowledgement

MALONEY John Francis Colette, Julia and Francis would like to sincerely thank all relatives, friends, neighbours, ex-colleagues and team mates for all the kind expressions of sympathy, messages and cards of condolence and generous donations received during their recent sad loss.

Grateful thanks to staff of Manor Croft Nursing Home for all their care and attention.

To Father Nicholas Hird for his visits, support and Mass offerings. Beryl, Patricia and girls for their catering.

Thanks also to Andrew and staff at Eric F. Box and Mary Meehan for her solo.

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“Later I took a couple of the group across the road to Royds Park, which is intended to be one of the destination parks in the Labour council’s plans.

“There is plenty of room for a new skate park there and the young people agreed it would be a good location.

“I will work with them to try to get a plan for a new skate park agreed and built.”

Ms Brabin added: “It was fantastic to meet Jake and the other young people who are fighting to retain a skate park provision.

“This is clearly very important to many people in Spenborough and beyond so it’s inspiring to see such a positive response.”

MPs explain reasons for their Brexit votes THE DISTRICT’S two Labour MPs abstained on different Brexit options as fresh indicative votes were put to the House of Commons on Monday night.

Politicians were asked to vote on four non-legally binding options to potentially break the impasse over Brexit in Parliament.

They were: 1) a customs union; 2) Common Market 2.0; 3) holding a second referendum, and 4) giving power to parliament to revoke Brexit if ‘No Deal’ was imminent.

Dewsbury MP Paula Sherriff abstained on the idea of another referendum, the socalled People’s Vote but supported all the other options.

Tracy Brabin, MP for Batley & Spen, abstained on the idea of parliament being able to block Brexit if ‘No Deal’ was set to

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But one campaigner says she feels Kirklees haven’t listened to people’s objections to the leisure centre proposals which would entail the demolition of the skate park.

Rebecca Newey, who runs the Pro Xtreme Sports shop close to the skate park, said: “All we’ve got is negative vibes from the council, which is very disappointing.

“If you speak to anyone there, they’re just extremely negative.

They’ve made the decision and that’s it; it doesn’t sound like they want to listen or help.”

The petition already has more than 800 signatures and can be signed at www.change.org /p/kirklees-council-save-spenborough-skatepark.

31 Branch Road Batley West Yorkshire WF17 5SB Tel: 01924 470296 Fax: 01924 472561

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happen.

However none of the four options were supported by a majority in the House of Commons.

Miss Sherriff said: “Theresa May is dragging us towards a cliff edge Brexit decision.

Her approach has left our rights, public services and industries at risk.

“I have been clear throughout this process – from my vote to trigger Article 50, to where we are today – that a No Deal exit, and the damage it would cause, would be a disaster for our country and must be prevented.

“I have also been clear that we can only accept a deal which meets Labour’s six tests and protects our economy as best we can, while respecting the way my constituency voted.

“We do need to find a way to break this impasse, and The Press abides by the principles of the Independent Press Standards Organisation and at all times attempts to report fairly and accurately and correct mistakes or errors as soon as possible.

In the first instance, contact the editor, otherwise we will be happy to give details of the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

If you notice a factual inaccuracy, please email news@thepressnews.co.uk.

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bring ourselves together with a deal which is good for the UK economically, politically and socially.

“Most of all, as a Member of Parliament, I need to be able to look my constituents in the eye and know that I have done my best to represent them all.”

Ms Brabin commented: “I’ve been absolutely clear throughout the Brexit process that I believe no-deal would be catastrophic for communities like Batley and Spen and I’ve consistently backed efforts seeking to remove the option of leaving the EU without a deal.

“What is important now is that we work towards a solution that can unite Parliament and our nation and deliver a Brexit that puts jobs, opportunities and workers’ rights first.

At this time I do not believe revoking article 50 and effectively ending the process of leaving the EU is the right way to achieve this or what the people expect.”

On Wednesday evening both local MPs voted to force the prime minister to ask for an extension to the Brexit process, in a bid to avoid any no-deal scenario.

Former Labour minister Yvette Cooper’s bill passed by 313 votes to 312.

Call The Press newsroom on 01924 470296 or email news@ thepress news.co.uk

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Two arrested in separate town centre incidents TWO incidents in Dewsbury on Wednesday lunchtime led to a large police presence in the town.

Armed officers first swooped on Longcauseway at around 11.40am after receiving reports of a man with a weapon.

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said the reports were that a man had been seen on Mill Street West, near to the Asda supermarket, with a weapon. They made the arrest on Longcauseway outside Costa Coffee, surrounding a van in full view of nearby shoppers.

A police helicopter was also involved in the operation.

In another, unconnected incident, officers arrested a 39-year-old man on suspicion of driving a stolen Ford Focus connected with burglaries. Police pursued the car and forced it to stop on Huddersfield Road at

12.01pm.

The driver attempted to ram the police car out of the way but was blocked in.

A police message on social media read: “Stolen Ford Focus driven by a male currently circulated for three burglaries. Driver tried ramming his way out.

One in custody.”

Matty’s mural tribute to town is a rail treat!

News In Brief College rated ‘good’ HECKMONDWIKE: Brian Jackson College has been rated ‘good’ by education officials.

Following an inspection in March, Ofsted said teachers, leaders and staff at the High Street school “have an absolute passion and commitment to do the best for pupils” and “have created learning environments where pupils feel supported and safe.”

Their report also said “the school has made strong progress since the last inspection”.

Brian Jackson College has sites in Heckmondwike and Huddersfield and offers places to children aged 14 to 16 who have been excluded from mainstream schools across the borough.

To improve, inspectors say it must encourage pupils to read more regularly and develop strategies to further improve pupils’ attendance.

‘Mystery woman’ talk THORNHILL: The next meeting of the Thornhill Probus Club will be on Thursday (April 11) at the Thornhill Social Club on Overthorpe Road.

Clive and Cath Richardson will be giving a talk called ‘The woman who didn’t exist’ from 10.30am.

Everyone is welcome. For more information call 01924 423363.

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By Zoe Shackleton A GRAFFITI artist is brightening up Mirfield by painting a colourful mural of the town’s most famous attributes.

Graphic designer Matty Evans has been commissioned by train company Grand Central to paint the full length of the wall opposite the entrance to Mirfield railway station.

The 25-year-old explained that he was contacted by Ruth Edwards of the Mirfield in Bloom group who, along with the Friends of Mirfield Railway Station, had secured a grant of £2,500 from Grand Central to brighten up the tunnel. While he was given a brief that the images had to depict Mirfield, he said he wanted to paint it in his own style – which he describes as pop art.

Images on the mural include familiar scenes and locations

such as the old Black Bull pub, Mirfield Fire Station, and a portrait of Mirfield-born Hollywood star Sir Patrick Stewart, above right.

Matty, who is from Mirfield and only does street art as a hobby, has spent the last four Saturdays working on the piece and hopes to have it completed in the next two weekends.

He said: “I haven’t just done it for myself, I want people to see it. It’s a dark place and this brightens it up. They are trying to get another grant to put some more lights up on the opposite side to shine onto it so you can see it more.

“The response I’ve got has been so supportive. I want people to know I’ve done it but I want to do it for them and for the people of Mirfield.”

While the majority of Mirfield residents have been supportive, Matty has had the

odd run-in with the law, despite having confirmation from Grand Central that he has been commissioned to do the work.

He said: “They did tell Dewsbury Police Station but word hadn’t gone round so they came from Chickenley on a 999 call and blue-lighted down here. This Saturday just gone, I had the dogs unit and two police officers asking me what I was doing.

“People don’t bother coming to ask me what I’m doing – they just call the police.”

Matty had previously worked on a mural in the same place back in 2013 with the help of a youth club.

He is hoping Mirfield in Bloom and the Friends of Mirfield Railway Station will be successful in bidding for more funding to extend the mural to parts of the opposite wall.

Three injured in street brawl THREE men suffered knife wounds following a street brawl in Ravensthorpe on Wednesday afternoon.

Police were called to the incident on Church Street at around 3.50pm after a fight broke out between a group of men who police believe knew each other.

A 24-year-old man was taken to hospital for treatment, while an 18-year-old was later discharged from hospital and a 23-year-old refused medical treatment.

It is believed that several

vehicles were damaged, with at least one car being rammed into two others.

Det Insp Di Johnson, of Kirklees CID, said: “We are conducting a number of enquiries into this incident in which fighting broke out between a group of men who we believe were known to each other. Officers have been carrying out extensive enquiries in Church Street and the surrounding area and those enquiries are ongoing.

“I would like to speak to anyone who may have seen

the fighting or have seen suspects arrive in vehicles on Bell Street just prior to the incident taking place.

“Behaviour of this kind will absolutely not be tolerated in our communities and I would ask anyone who has information to contact Kirklees CID on 101, referencing log number 13190172526, or to report online at www.westyorkshire.police. uk/101Livechat.”

Information can also be given anonymously to the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

NEWS EXTRA: TURN TO PAGE 19 FOR DETAILS OF LOCAL ELECTION CANDIDATES AND THE LATEST ON TRAVELLERS AT OAKWELL HALL

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News In Brief McDonald’s won’t be coming back DEWSBURY: A fast food restaurant has quashed rumours that it is re-opening in the town centre.

McDonald’s shut its doors on Church Street in 2013 because of a decline in business.

At the weekend, a resident posted on Facebook group Dewsbury Matters claiming that a franchisee had applied to open a restaurant in the Peacocks building in Market Place.

But a spokesman for the global chain said: “We can confirm that we have no plans to open a restaurant in Dewsbury and that these rumours are false.”

‘Threats to kill’: Armed police in arrest swoop KIRKLEES: Armed officers arrested a man in Liversedge over the weekend on suspicion of making threats to kill.

Police had previously searched an address in Lockwood, Huddersfield, late on Friday evening after receiving a report of a man making threats to use a firearm.

The property was found to be empty but following further enquiries officers attended another address on George Street in Liversedge at around 1.20am on Saturday morning and arrested a male suspect.

No weapons have been found and enquiries are continuing.

Quiz fundraiser MIRFIELD: The Old Colonial pub will be hosting a general knowledge quiz, raffle and auction tomorrow night (Saturday) to raise funds for new band equipment for Mirfield Air Cadets’ Drum Corps.

The event has been organised in conjunction with Mirfield Rifle Volunteers and 868 Sqdn. Tickets are £6, which includes entry to the quiz and a hot supper. The quiz usually starts at about 9pm.

Tickets are available from the Old Colonial and 868 Sqdn, or ring the pub on 01924 496920 to book a team in and pay on the night.

All money spent on tickets will go to the band fund.

www.facebook.com/ThePressNews

Friday April 5, 2019

Bus firm won’t budge on calls for 253 u-turn Stone me!No

By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter BUS operator Arriva is facing renewed calls to perform a U-turn on its decision to axe a popular bus service.

The company announced an overhaul of its services in February – and the withdrawal of the 253 bus received widespread condemnation.

But Arriva is standing firm, saying the 253 – which covers Dewsbury, Mirfield, Roberttown, Hightown, Cleckheaton, Gomersal and Bradford – will not be reinstated.

The company said it cut the 253 and made other changes to focus on routes “with greater commercial potential”.

Now three Labour MPs have written jointly to Neal Wallace, head of transport operations at West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), calling for bosses to reconsider their decision, taken last month, not to fund the reinstatement of the 253, which is a victim of government cuts to bus grants.

Chairman of WYCA’s

transport committee, Coun Kim Groves (Lab, Middleton Park), said budget cuts prevented WYCA from offering subsidies as it had in the past.

MPs Tracy Brabin (Batley & Spen), Paula Sherriff (Dewsbury) and Judith Cummins (Bradford South) say the withdrawal of the 253 is having “a detrimental impact” on the lives of residents.

In a separate letter to Dwayne Wells, head of commercial for Arriva Yorkshire, Ms Brabin wrote: “Many local residents are struggling to get to work, school, college and to medical appointments on time due to the changes, with some saying the new timetable has left them feeling completely isolated.”

Mr Wells responded: “Following a consultation exercise with our customers, we made some big improvements to many services in North Kirklees but we have had to make the difficult decision to remove the 253 route.

“The majority of our customers have a direct alternative service but we do recognise that some cus-

tomers will need to change buses mid-trip to complete their journey.

“We continue to engage with the local community to explain the changes and to promote the alternative travel options available.”

The MPs’ action has been described as “ironic”

by Coun Martyn Bolt (Con, Mirfield), whose suggestion to subsidise a commercial service rather than fund a tendered service to support schoolchildren and older students, was defeated by a 5-3 vote at WYCA transport committee on March 15.

Among those who voted to oppose it were Labour councillors Eric Firth (Dewsbury East) and Mick Lyons (Temple Newsam).

“These MPs are coming on board but it was their colleagues that voted it down. That’s ironic,” commented Coun Bolt.

He added: “At that committee we sadly saw politics at its basest – a straight blocking motion

by Coun Lyons.

“It’s hard now for Metro to change its course as the transport committee has voted but at least I have the support of three Labour

MPs. I hope they will join me in expressing concern that members of the Labour group on that committee should have recognised the benefits of my proposal and not blocked it.

“Had my proposal been supported then we may have seen the review completed and hopefully funding in place.”

In a statement this week, Paula Sherriff said: “People depend on a decent bus service and I’ve been asking for residents’ concerns to be addressed from the outset.

“I have a further meeting planned with Arriva to reiterate my concerns about cuts made to our bus services that are having a serious effect on local people and I hope that WYCA will also review their decision to see if more support can be offered for this service. Buses are crucially important to our towns and villages and a lifeline for many, particularly older people. But a poor regulatory framework and insufficient funding means they’re often left at the mercy of private business interests.”

wonder Holly the guinea pig was in agony A PET guinea pig who was finding trips to the toilet an eye-wateringly painful experience is happy and healthy again, thanks to an intricate operation carried out at a vets’ practice in Dewsbury.

Staff at Calder Vets on Savile Road solved the lifethreatening condition by using tiny forceps to remove a large stone, above, from Holly the guinea pig’s urethra.

Holly’s owner Anne Holgate had realised there was a problem when her three-year-old pet began frequently arching her back and squealing in pain.

X-rays revealed the cause of the problem and little Holly was sedated while vet Claire McAneny and nurses Louise Bardon and Helen Meegan quickly carried out the delicate operation.

Said Louise: “We managed to remove the stone using tiny mosquito forceps, without the need for invasive surgery.”

Woman faked supermarket fall to claim compensation A DEWSBURY woman who pretended to fall over a pack of orange juice in a supermarket to falsely claim compensation has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Farida Ashraf, 41, of Staincliffe Crescent, was helped by two accomplices – who have never been identified – during the incident in 2013, when the pack was deliberately placed on the floor behind her in a Bradford supermarket.

CCTV footage showed Ashraf ‘tripping’ over the pack before walking out of the store unaided.

She had hoped to pocket £3,000 from an injury claim without any questions being asked.

She did not contact solicitors about the claim until eight or nine months after the incident, thinking nobody would have remembered it.

But CCTV from the Al-Halal premises on Woodhead Road had been kept and a six-year legal battle – costing tens of thousands of pounds – to prosecute Ashraf ensued.

Ashraf said she suffered injuries to her shoulder, shin, calf and hip.

But in December 2016, after an inquiry by insurance company Aviva, a civic court judge ruled she had been “fundamentally dishonest”.

Aviva pursued a private prosecution when the police and Crown Prosecution Service declined to start proceedings against the defendant.

Ashraf admitted a charge of fraud when the trial started last month.

Prosecuter Nicholas Lumley said: “It is, we think, the first pri-

vate prosecution arising out of a public liability insurance claim.”

Judge David Hatton QC said: “You no doubt anticipated that the insurance company of the supermarket would pay up with little or no questions. Happily they did not.”

He sentenced Ashraf to 21 months in prison, suspended for two years.

She will also be electronically tagged and must comply with a sixmonth curfew between 9pm and 6am.

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Fraudster stole thousands from 80-year-old victim A FRAUDSTER who stole thousands of pounds from a vulnerable pensioner has been spared jail.

Leeds Crown Court heard how Shabana Ellis, 38, of Heckmondwike Road, Dewsbury Moor, met the 80-year-old man in Dewsbury’s Crow Nest Park.

Ellis, 38, befriended him and gained his trust before starting to ask him for money – which she said she’d pay back – and lifts in his car. The man, who lived alone, began giving her small amounts of

cash between £10 and £20, but then she started asking for more.

Prosecutor David Ward said: “He started giving her sums ranging from £200 to £250.

“She told him she was in trouble with the bailiffs. He gave her his bank card and pin number and she began withdrawing larger sums than agreed.”

Ellis also moved into the pensioner’s home with her one-yearold son at one point, after telling him she was having trouble with

her boyfriend. The offending took place while Ellis was on bail for another crime between May 25 and August 8 last year. It is thought she stole around £4,000 from her victim.

Ellis, a former drug addict, admitted to taking some money but said she intended to pay it all back.

The court heard she has 22 convictions for 33 offences, nine of which are for theft. She pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud but was

spared a prison sentence because recorder Catherine Silverton agreed she “has turned her life around”.

Ms Silverton said: “I have to consider the inevitable impact of a custodial sentence on your son.”

Ellis was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months. She must also carry out 15 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and will be electronically tagged for three months from 9pm-7am.

Travellers’ site ‘can still be challenged’ New safe route into town centre PEDESTRIANS and cyclists now have a safe and disability-friendly route into Cleckheaton town centre.

Kirklees Council project officers Andy Gardner and Steven Hanley worked with the highways department to create the pedestrian/bike access path between the Spen Valley Greenway and the corner of Prospect Road and Tofts Road, allowing access to the town centre via the Tesco car park.

For many years people have had to scramble down a slippery steep slope over tree roots on the site of Cleckheaton’s former railway station.

Spen Valley Civic Society has praised Kirklees officials for carrying out the work.

By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter A TRAVELLERS’ site proposed for land close to the M62 at Birstall can still be challenged even though it forms part of Kirklees Council’s massive planning blueprint.

The parcel of land, off Bankwood Way and close to the Showcase Cinema, has been reserved for 20 caravan pitches.

But it has been widely criticised by residents as well as businesses on the nearby Junction 27 Retail Park, which currently earns Kirklees around £7.6m in rates every year.

A petition objecting to the plan was signed by more than 5,000 people in less than a week.

Now Jacqui Gedman, chief executive of Kirklees Council, has confirmed that the Local Plan only

“earmarks” the land for traveller accommodation “but no development can take place until planning permission is granted”.

Ms Gedman was responding to a letter from Tracy Brabin, Labour MP for Batley and Spen.

She said the land was chosen from 36 site options, all of which were owned by the council.

Responding on social media, Ms Brabin wrote: “It is clear from the response that at this stage the land is only ‘earmarked’... and a full public consultation will take place before any final decision is made.

“This will give interested parties the opportunity to express their opinions formally, which will then be considered by the council as part of the decision-making process.”

Among the responses was one from Carole Wardley, who works at

the retail park. She said the council had ignored previous objections by local people and businesses.

She wrote: “(The) reaction from people working there is ‘Not again, we have been through this already’. We are the highest contributors to Kirklees rates and we get the worst service from them.

“Policies like they have, and an unwillingness to listen to people who pay their wages and expenses, will do nothing but increase far right support in this area.”

Among those who have spoken out against the traveller site is Coun Mark Thompson (Con, Birstall & Birkenshaw), who warned that its proximity to the retail park contradicted the council’s support for business growth.

He also pointed out it was less than three miles from a traveller site at Kidacre Park in Hunslet.

5

News In Brief Cancer teen family’s £5,000 for charity BIRSTALL: The family of a teenager who died from cancer have raised thousands of pounds in her memory.

Ella Crann’s family organised a special music event at Gomersal Park Hotel to honour what would have been her 21st birthday.

More than £5,000 was raised for children’s charity Candlighters, which helped Ella and her family during her illness and after her death. Ella was 17 when she died in May 2015. Her mum, Diane Crann, said: “ I will never be able to thank them enough, it means so much forever."”

Drumming workshops DEWSBURY: A drumming and percussion workshop starts on Tuesday (April 9), with weekly sessions until June 25 at the Elim Church on Wellington Street.

The workshops, featuring percussion instruments, rhythms, sounds and cultures from Brazil and Africa, are being run by Brazilian percussionist Claudio Kron.

Classes are from 6pm-7pm for 10-17year-olds (£4 per person, or £45 for 12 weeks) and 7.15pm-8.15pm for people over 18 (£5 per person, or £55 for 12 weeks).

NHS Trust meeting NORTH KIRKLEES: The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Dewsbury Hospital, is having its board meeting next Thursday – World Parkinson’s Day. The meeting at the hospital’s Oakwell Centre (9am) is open to the public and will start with a short video and comments from Trust chairman Jules Preston to help raise awareness of Parkinson’s.

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ThePress

6

Friday April 5, 2019

NOW ON SALE The fully updated edition.

Reserve a copy in office hours on 01924 470296, order via www.thepressnews.co.uk or call in at our office, 31 Branch Road, Batley

LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE Danny Lockwood

Leaving the party atmosphere HERE was quite a cheery mood in Parliament Square last Friday as thousands of patriots, young and old, from far and wide, gathered to mark March 29th and what should have been a celebration of leaving the European Union, but turned into a wake for Brexit’s betrayal.

T

Such as there was anger it was from the parade of speakers on the two stages – Nigel Farage’s gang had the main one, backing onto Westminster Abbey, while the official UKIP stage straddled Whitehall some 150 yards away.

Farage had attracted the headline speakers, JD Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin, the fiery Conservative MP Mark Francois – we like him – broadcaster Julia HartleyBrewer and Labour rebel the marvellously feisty

Kate Hoey.

They pointed and gesticulated to their right at the simpering Houses of Parliament, inside which treachery was still being fomented.

Up Whitehall, UKIP’s latest leader Gerard Batten – and I like his go-get-em attitude too – featured UKIP peer Lord Pearson and the UK’s Public Enemy No.1, Tommy Robinson.

Combined with making the two rallies overlap and the constant overhead drone of a police helicopter, the establishment did its best to spoil the day.

Farage has fallen out with his own party over its flirting with Robinson and I suspect there was more than a little strategy involved in populist Nigel starting his rally late and over-running into what had been scheduled as UKIP’s slot.

It meant that the crowds located in the middle of the

gathering probably couldn’t hear either stage’s speakers clearly.

As a brief aside, I figure if the Brexit battlers want to maximise effectiveness in bringing down the Tory and Labour establishment, they are going to have to swallow some pride and work together.

It’s going back a wee bit, but Boudicca (Boadicea), queen of the Iceni, was doing a very effective job clearing the land of Roman legions in AD61, until other tribal kings and warlords hijacked the Brit bandwagon and were massacred in an ill-conceived full frontal attack on Roman general Suetonius (remind me to publish my novel Britannia one of these days).

Back in Londinium – one of the Roman settlements Boudicca razed – it was very much a party atmosphere on Friday afternoon.

If you stood alone for more than a few minutes, strangers approached, inquired where you’d come from and soon asked, “what do you think happens next?”

Where’s Nostradamus when you need him? Mystic

Meg, even.

No-one had that answer. I chatted with northerners and southerners, factory workers and city gents, a Swiss citizen, and saw people of Indian, Asian and AfroCaribbean appearance.

I saw only briefly the later news clip of Channel Four’s broadcaster Jon Snow, saying “he’d never seen so many white people in one place”.

You need to get out more, sunshine.

Likewise, the news headlines of five people being arrested following a stand-off between packed ranks of police and a group of protesters – my, how the BBC lapped that up! It must have been after the good-humoured masses of people had gone home.

While I was there, the full

length of St James’s Park along Horse Guards Road (just the other side of Theresa May’s temporary abode) was nose-to-tail police vans packed with bored-stiff riot cops.

The only officers being kept busy were the ones attending to the mobile stables, scooping up horse shit – and let me tell you, there were enough mounted police to have ridden to General Custer’s rescue.

I rode my Boris Bike back across town, stopping for a mucky kebab and a pint, where a couple of local chaps started a conversation upon seeing my ‘Leave Means Leave’ lapel sticker.

One said he works for the civil service in Westminster but it would halt his career in its tracks if he admitted to being a Brexit supporter.

Really folks, that’s how insidious the establishment thought-police have become.

I sympathised but refused their offer of another drink – train to catch and all that.

My Hull Trains service to Howden (free parking, which costs a bomb in York) was a predictable 45 minutes late, which at least was better than the last time I tried to use the service – the train was cancelled altogether.

If only someone could find £39 billion or so to sort out our hospitals, schools, transport infrastructure etc…

Examining the root causes doesn’t score any points S NEWS broke last Friday afternoon of yet another knife murder in the capital, and as broadcasters played a predictable loop of London mayor Sadiq Khan blaming Tory austerity, I was actually marvelling that we have so many police in the country, let alone one city.

Judging by the swarming police numbers, every teenager from Brixton to Barnet and back could have their own copper to escort them to and from their drug deals and ensure they get home safely.

I suspect they’d still find a way to sneak off and get themselves stabbed though, because whatever is going on with this knife epidemic, police resources have little to do with why it’s happening in the first place.

Sadly, examining the root causes doesn’t score any cheap political points, which is all this is about. It would involve facing uncomfortable truths and the Sadiq Khans of this world won’t do that.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid at least seems more willing to face facts but it’s too big a task for any cheap political stunt to solve.

It’s too late, the damage is done, and the main question of concern is how long before the knives are replaced by guns.

If you want to find an inner city with a disproportionate number of single mothers and latchkey kids, where there has been decades of unfettered mass immigration from parts of the world where life is as cheap as a knife, where

A

gangs run every sub-middle class neighbourhood, and where the drugs trade is the main shortcut out of poverty, then London is it.

Good luck winding back 40 years of both Labour and Conservative policy that has specifically created today’s bloody mess.

Sure, unlimited money and doubling police numbers might break the grip – probably along with legalising some drugs – but only with a zero tolerance approach like New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani adopted in the 1990s.

Good luck finding a British politician with the required pair of wotsits to take that on.

Meanwhile, the token gesture of increasing police Stop and Search powers might take a few more potential killers off the street – not that we have sufficient prison space for them either – but even that would only fuel the rabid Left’s mantra that black and ethnic people are being victimised by the racist cops.

The Lefties don’t care that it’s almost exclusively black and ethnic people doing both the stabbing and the dying, nothing gets in the way of their blind dogma.

But what are the police supposed to do?

Stop a doddering old white granny coming home from Tesco? Search a middle aged white bloke, riding across London to Kings Cross station on a Boris Bike, wearing a racist Leave Means Leave lapel sticker?

On second thoughts, get the armed police to deal with that geezer…

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Club a big step closer to its goal

Child porn man gets jail let-off A MAN from Gomersal who downloaded more than 1,000 indecent images of children won’t be going to jail.

Leeds Crown Court heard that James Turner, 20, of Spen Lane, downloaded 1,183 illegal images to his computer when he was a teenager.

Police seized the PC when they searched Turner’s home, which he shares with his parents and siblings, in February, 2017.

They discovered 569 images deemed to be category A – the most serious – with 180 category B and 434 category C images.

Following a trial in February this year, Turner was found guilty of making indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

Judge Neil Clark sentenced him to a two-year community order and ordered him to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement instead of prison because of his age, good character, immaturity and the content of a pre-sentence report.

He was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

By Zoe Shackleton

Maisie gets it write...

A HANDWRITING competition organised by Cleckheaton Rotary Club attracted entries from more than 150 local school pupils.

The winner was Maisie Gill, of Birkenshaw CE (C) Primary School, pictured, who was presented with her winning certificate and trophy by Rotarian Michael Shires.

The Rotary Club wanted to support schools in their development of handwriting and so organised the competition for

primary schools in the district to take part.

Year 4 pupils from five different schools were given a poem to write in their neatest handwriting.

The anonymous entries were judged by the Rotary Club and the winner from each school was entered into a final.

Michael said: “Participating schools all felt this was a worthwhile project in which pupils enjoyed taking part.”

A JUNIOR football club campaigning for a new clubhouse is one step closer to its goal after finding a site on which to build it.

Howden Clough Juniors revealed plans for the new facilities at the start of the year, after being without a proper base for two years.

Volunteers on the club’s committee wanted to give the 400 youngsters and their parents a place they could call home after the bar area they previously used at Batley Sports Centre was closed down.

Since then the club – one of the biggest in the district – has had help from Batley & Spen MP Tracy Brabin as it sought a location for its new home.

Batley Girls’ High School, where the club already plays some of matches, has agreed in principle to a clubhouse on its land.

The club has insufficent funds to cover the cost of building a clubhouse but Cath Pinder, regional president for the GMB union, hopes to help raise the cash needed to make the

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club’s dream a reality.

Ms Brabin said: “There is such a passion at the club to give the young people the best possible experience, so I’m absolutely thrilled that their dream is a step closer.

“This is a testament to the vision, hard work and determination of all involved at the club and a huge thank you also has to go to Batley Girls’ for being so supportive of a project that will undoubtedly benefit the local community.”

The club’s vice-chairman Ben Chapman added: “We are very grateful for the support from Tracy and the management of Batley Girls’ High School.

“This is a very exciting first step in realising our dream of giving a home to our players and supporters.”

Julie Haigh and David Cooper, co-headteachers at Batley Girls’, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Howden Clough in this venture.

Organisations such as this make such a positive impact on our communities and we are very happy to help.”

News In Brief Don’t miss out on Easter medication NORTH KIRKLEES: North Kirklees Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is urging people to check they have their essential medication ready for the Easter break (April 19-22).

CCG chairman Dr David Kelly said: “If you know your GP surgery will be closed over the Easter weekend, make sure you have enough medication to last the four-day weekend.”

Those who need to see a doctor when an appointment is not available or their practice is closed can use the GP access service at Dewsbury Health Centre, where appointments are available every day over Easter.

For non-urgent, minor conditions, pharmacists can give advice on over the counter medications and treatments.

NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for urgent health concerns.

Demolition paves way for new restaurant MIRFIELD: Workers started demolishing the former Thirsty Man pub in Mirfield this week to make way for a new Italian restaurant.

The building has been bought by the owners of the Capri restaurant at Horbury Bridge.

The new eatery will have a beer garden, rooftop terrace and a dining area for over 120 diners, according to development plans which have been approved by Kirklees Council. A date has not been set for completion.

1,000 in litter pick DEWSBURY: More than 1,000 young people will be joining together tonight (Friday) to help clean up the town as part of the Great British Spring Clean.

The Dewsbury Mosques Alliance will welcome children and volunteers from over 25 mosques and madressas to take part in the litter pick from 5.15pm.

7

ThePress

8

Friday April 5, 2019

Such wonderful memories of cinema I read with interest the story by Mike Popplewell dated March 15 in The Press.

I am now 95 years of age and I remember the marvellous days of the cinema in the 1920s and 30s.

There were five cinemas in Dewsbury, including the Picture House which was the Regal in my youth, and the Majestic which was an old chapel converted into a cinema. They showed cowboy films and the lads used to tell me to take a brush and shovel for the horse droppings!

There was the Pioneer, which had a lift and double seats for couples, and the Tudor, where there were suits of armour on display, but being beside the beck there were rats running around.

The Playhouse was the jewel in the

Letter of the Week: Mr G Lyons, Sandown, Isle of Wight crown, which was deluxe and the organ used to come up from the basement during the interval. The films changed to being on for three days, then they changed.

This went on to all cinemas and there were queues every Friday and Saturday night with commissionaires on the door. They used to call out “room for one” and I was in.

The cinema sessions ran continuously and lasted roughly three hours,

with two films and a Pathe newsreel.

I enjoyed all the picture houses in Dewsbury and they were my young life. What happy, contented days.

When I joined the forces my pleasure in the cinema had gone.

I am still interested in my beloved Dewsbury, I have so many happy memories of when I was young and carefree.

What a lovely, busy, bustling town, and the people were so friendly.

Speakers’ Corner In this feature, we give a platform for local people to have their say. This week’s Speakers’ Corner is written by PAUL YOUNG, Conservative candidate for Batley West (@Paul4Batley)

Let’s plan to change T HAS BEEN interesting to read many stories talking our town down in recent weeks, one of which is the death of our high street.

Whilst I hear what is being said, it is interesting to note that Batley actually has fewer empty shops than many similar-sized towns (surprising but true!).

Whilst the mix of shops changes (and will need to continue to do so), it says a lot for our town’s resilience that we still have regular shoppers.

That is not to say we should be complacent; we do need a re-imagining of what the town centre is for.

It needs to be the local place residents go for essential services: the post office, the GP, the library, the opticians or the dentist.

And around those essential services, in areas with natural footfall, we need to entice consumers to stay after their appointment has ended.

The mix of shops we have seems to be a concern to residents that I have spoken to.

Many feel we should be encouraging new and exciting businesses that will help our town centre thrive around those essential services that make it survive.

Can we make some simple changes that will encourage better use of the market square; pedestrianising or rerouting traffic to create space for seasonal initiatives?

Batley has a rich community with lots of different cultur-

I

al traditions that could make for interesting food and craft markets; showcasing our local produce and talent and providing a reason for visitors to come to our town.

And anyone who spent time in the market square this winter will surely agree that a few well-chosen lights and a reason to gather can create a pretty special space in the heart of our town.

We don’t need £25 million to create a cultural quarter in Batley; with our magnificent buildings overlooking the square, we just need a few creative ideas and fairly modest funds to enable us to maximise the benefits of what we already have, all year round.

One area where we have a challenge is ‘above eye level’.

Walking around town at the weekend, I was struck by the amount of empty space above the high street.

We need to encourage the conversion of these spaces into small business offices or even residential accommodation.

More people working or living in the town brings the obvious benefit that they will spend money during the day.

And at night, residents are more likely to spend time and money long after the shoppers and workers have gone home.

They also discourage antisocial behaviour as they are more likely to report incidents and disruption to the police.

Local councillors need to take the lead in doing more to encourage investment, and crucially to engage with the community to help shape a plan for the future.

I asked them last year what their plan for Batley was; I am still waiting for an answer.

Batley needs and deserves a long-term plan and that requires year-round action, not just soundbites at campaign time.

Though I wasn’t elected at last year’s election, I have been looking at ways to develop a plan, speaking to residents, traders and community groups.

And my efforts and commitment to Batley’s future will continue, regardless of the outcome on May 2 because Batley rightly deserves to be the northern jewel in Kirklees’ crown.

Nothing like our great pubs From: Tim Wood, Mirfield For years the good old British local pub has been the heart and soul of the community.

A place where people can relax and unwind after a hard days earning an honest shilling. A social institution for tall stories, opinions and spicy gossip.

The pub has become a meeting place for all occasions from womb to tomb. Take away the pub and the community loses its soul and sense of purpose.

The last pub in Thornhill Lees, The Nelson, or Nellie as it’s known locally, is up for sale. The only other licenced premise in the village is the Morton House Working Men’s Club.

In the 60s I used to live opposite The Nellie just a couple of doors up from Eastwoods Chippy at the bottom of Ingham Road.

The village was a busy thriving and industrious area with renowned blanket manufacturers Wormalds & Walker being the area’s largest employer.

Yorkshire Electrical Transformers were another local manufacturer whose products sold throughout the Commonwealth and farther afield.

Austins steelworks, Eddison and Wanless and British Manmade fibres all were established in the village, with countless other smaller businesses being conducted on a profitable basis.

To support the thirsty masses were pubs such as The White Hart on Clegford Bridge, The Perseverance Inn on Forge Lane, The Blackers Arms, The Victoria Hotel and mentioned earlier The Morton House WMC, all on Lees Hall Road.

In the centre of the village we had The Royal Oak later to become the Ale Taster, the old and new Thornhill Lees WMC. The old club later became The Old Cobbler then The Yorkshire Rose.

The Calder & Hebble Navigation was still busy with west country keel barges from Robinsons and Hargreaves all supplying coal to the power sta-

Dewsbury Market Place, with the Picture House to the rear tion on the banks of the Calder.

Slowly and painfully over the years the industries waned, and then closed down. The workforce moving elsewhere for employment.

Slowly the community changed, the bowling greens and tennis courts on Lees Holm Park became neglected and the planted walkways became avenues of weeds.

The pubs and clubs slowly emptied and were used for other purposes never before imagined in the 1960s.

I often go into the village and buy bread from the rather excellent bakers at the top of Brewery Lane and it tastes just as good as it did back then when it was (‘Watties’).

Just a couple of weeks ago I parked near the bakers, a car pulled up 100 yards away with blacked-out windows and a couple of youths approached the vehicle, the window quickly opened and a fug of smoke came from the window with that all-pervasive stink of cannabis.

Back in the 60s also living on Lees Holm if someone mentioned smoking weed you would have thought Bill or Ben had lost the plot or pot. How times have changed, some say for the better, I think not.

I hope The Nelson strives as a pub and wish its clientele well. I hope the Morton House and its customers make good of their golden opportunities, I wish them well. Pubs and clubs in the 21st century don’t need Government grants just honest decent people to breathe life into them and make them survive. Come on Snowflakes, go out and support the great British pub, there’s nowt like it on earth and that’s a fact.

Please stay the course From: Mr G Dennis, Birstall To Theresa May: I will never be your biggest supporter, but after three tortuous years for goodness’ sake please stick it out until April 12 2019 and honour the clear UK referendum when we will hopefully leave the EU. That is despite the pathetic protests from the

remaining official UK opposition parties, their resulting drop-out MPs plus the stubborn DUP party.

Let’s turn out in numbers From: Name and Address Supplied It is that time of year when the ‘pol-U-titians’ emerge from their taxpayer-funded hidey holes, beseeching us to allow them to carry on betraying, degrading and humiliating us, as they have done over the past five decades or more!

The only way we can restore our independent and sovereign UK is to plant the ‘little acorns’ from which our large oak tree of UK citizenry will grow.

We must start by ensuring that our local voters turn out in sufficient numbers to overcome those who promise to serve us – the public – and then, after the election, serve themselves and their masters!

In support of Ed Lines From: Alec Suchi, Bradford Further to Ed Lines, regarding the removal of a student from university for expressing reservations regarding the issue of halal meat and the vitriolic response of Councillor Pandor in reply to two local government candidates questioning how halal meat is being introduced into schools by stealth.

The self-righteous and morally bereft Liberal Left endeavour to transform society by discarding all our traditions, heritage and national identity.

This climate emboldens and encourages self-serving and unscrupulous politicians to prevent legitimate concerns from being expressed, and freely playing the “race card”.

Danny Lockwood is to be commended for exposing the self-serving hypocrisy of those who are prepared to discard our long-standing freedoms in the name of a supposed ‘inclusiveness’ which is newspeak for censorship.

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Knife policy debate PEOPLE convicted of knife crimes should be given tougher sentences, according to a prospective parliamentary candidate.

Mark Eastwood, the Conservative hopeful for Dewsbury, has backed the Government’s approach to tackle the scourge of knife violence – but his words provoked a strong response from Dewsbury’s Labour MP Paula Sherriff.

Mr Eastwood also wants to see courts hand out stronger sentences to anyone convicted of crime involving knives alongside some of the other measures announced by Prime Minister Theresa May and Home Secretary Sajid Javid on Monday.

Their plans include an extra £100m into law enforcement in the worst-affected areas, getting more police on the front line, setting up Violence Reduction Units, and providing long-term investment for programmes to steer young people away from violent crime or reoffending with a new £200m Youth Endowment Fund.

Other plans include making it harder for criminals to arm themselves through a new Offensive Weapons Bill and making almost £1bn of extra police funding available this year.

“Knife crime is a scourge on our society and here in Dewsbury and the whole of West Yorkshire it has caused pain, misery and anguish for victims and their families,” he said.

“I am pleased the Prime Minister and Home Secretary are working hard together to tackle this major problem with the range of measures they have introduced, particularly trying to stop knife offences before they happen.

“But I would also like to see more emphasis placed on courts to really hit people convicted of knife violence hard. I believe stiffer penalties for those criminals will send out a message to anyone reckless enough to consider carrying out these dangerous crimes.

“Of course, prevention is always better than cure, but for those who will not hesitate to use a knife, the punishments for them must be severe and be a deterrent to reoffending.”

Paula Sherriff blamed Conservative cuts for the crisis and hit out at the Government’s response to the problem.

Miss Sherriff said: “The horror of knife crime has been devastatingly highlighted recently following a spate of knife attacks around the country and here in Dewsbury.

“Official figures show a steep rise in the number of young people, particularly teenagers, needing urgent hospital care for knife wounds in recent years. At least 12 young victims of knife crime attend A&E departments every day, with gaps in NHS data suggesting the real number could be much higher.

“I’m pleased that this issue has now caught the attention of government ministers, but why has it taken a public outcry and police chiefs’ declaring the issue a ‘national emergency’ before it’s been put on the agenda?

“Even then, the Tory knee-jerk response has

LATEST PLANNING APPLICATIONS I Pulson, work to tree TPO 23/77 in CA, Wood View, 2 Heaton Road, Upper Batley.

L Bennet, work to trees TPO 23/77 in CA, Heaton Lodge, 10 Heaton Road, Upper Batley.

R A Shaw, alterations to convert garage/stables/workshop to dwelling, Primrose Farm, Crossley Lane, Mirfield.

Mr & Mrs G Rayner, singlestorey side and rear extension, 2 Ennerdale Avenue, Dewsbury.

H Rekhad, single-storey rear extension and detached garage, 22 Orchard Street, Savile Town.

Wakefield Acoustics, variation of condition 4 (hours of operation) on previous permission 2015/90708 for change of use of building to mixed use comprising B1, B2 and B8, Flush Mills, Unit 17 Westgate, Heckmondwike.

Perito Building Consultancy Ltd, removal of existing conservatory style building and erection of single-storey extension, Batley Girls High School Visual Arts

College, Windmill Lane, Birstall.

I Akhtar, extensions and alterations, 7 Windermere Road, Dewsbury.

J Clark, installation of ATM, Walkley Lane Service Station, Walkley Lane, Heckmondwike.

Food Programme Delivery Orchid Group, advertisement consent for erection of illuminated and non-illuminated signs, The Co-Operative Food, 6 Westfield Lane, Scholes.

Dewsbury Evangelical Church, single-storey entrance extension and alterations, Central Street, Dewsbury.

VT Ventures Three Ltd, discharge conditions 3 (Phase I Report) and 11 (noise report) on previous permission 2019/90013 for change of use from public house with flat above (A4) to restaurant/bar (A3/A4) with associated extensions and external alterations, The Thirsty Man, Old Bank Road, Mirfield.

P Kemp, rear first floor and dormer extensions, 26 Field

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been to scapegoat those police officers, NHS staff and teachers who potentially fail to spot the warning signs.

“We’re 21,000 police officers down since 2010, yet the Prime Minister has still refused to accept that police cuts are linked to the country’s knife crime epidemic. Our youth and other preventative services have been the victim to savage cuts and the courts system is crippled by an ‘impossible workload’ as the Attorney General warns the Crown Prosecution Service cannot handle more cuts.

“Frankly, it’s the Tory government who’ve failed to spot the warning signs. It is clear to all on the front line that investment is needed if the government is serious about tackling violent crime.”

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Mr & Mrs Robertshaw, singlestorey front extension and new roof to garage, 6 Salisbury Road, Scholes.

Mr & Miss Shackleton & Shrivell, single-storey side and rear extension, 1 Lynfield Drive, Hightown.

IEL Physiotherapy Ltd, change of use from A1 (retail) to D1 (physiotherapy clinic) (within a Conservation Area), 17 Nelson Street, Birstall.

Mr & Mrs Lunat, the proposal is for erection of single-storey rear extension. The extension projects 6m beyond the rear wall of the original dwellinghouse. The maximum height of the extension is 4m, the height of the eaves of the extension is 3m, 4 Broom Walk, Soothill.

London and Cambridge Properties Ltd, discharged condition 6 (materials) on previous permission 2017/93674 (APP/Z4718/W/18/3204703) for erection of class A1/A3 coffee

shop with external seating area, land at Northgate Retail Park, Albion Street, Heckmondwike.

J Hirst, discharge conditions 3 (materials), 6 (Phase II), 7, 8, 9 (Remediation strategy) on previous permission 2016/92949 for demolition of existing buildings and erection of one detached dwelling, 25 Garfitt Hill, Gomersal.

K Khan, the proposal is for erection of single-storey rear extension. The extension projects 6m beyond the rear wall of the original dwellinghouse. The maximum height of the extension is 3.6m, the height of the eaves of the extension is 2.5m, 10 Crescent Walk, Ravensthorpe.

M Hussain, the proposal is for erection of single-storey rear extension. The extension projects 6m beyond the rear wall of the original dwellinghouse. The maximum height of the extension is 4m, the height of the eaves of the extension is 2.6m, 43 Ravens Avenue, Scout Hill.

News In Brief

Funding available for elderly groups KIRKLEES: Voluntary groups in the district which help older people can apply for up to £6,000 in funding.

The One Community foundation is inviting applications to the Midway Equities Fund, which is looking to provide full support to groups which have services or projects dedicated to looking after the elderly. They could also award project equipment and operatingcost funding.

One Community general manager Paul Johnson said: “We are mindful of the terrific work that many voluntary groups undertake in this field …

“They are a credit to themselves and the many volunteers that enable these groups to thrive.”

Applications need to be submitted online

by Thursday May 2 at www.onecommunity.org.uk.

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Friday April 5, 2019

Staff satisfaction key to top rating for our hospitals: Trust boss

BUMPY road to £50,000 A COMMUNITY group in Birstall could pocket its share of £3m of Lottery funding after being shortlisted as part of this year’s People’s Projects scheme.

Birstall Urban Motorcycle Project for Youth (BUMPY) will hope to win against four other community groups in the Yorkshire and Humber region which are vying for a pot of money.

The People’s Projects scheme gives the public a say in where Lottery money should go in their local area.

BUMPY’s Ready, Steady, Go project could receive £50,000 to help continue their work enabling vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people with learning, sensory and physical disabilities to experience using off-road vehicles at their base in Howden Clough.

Families will also be able to access life skills workshops, peer support group sessions as well as connect with other local people through an online platform.

The project, which is up against community groups in Malton, Scarborough, Leeds and Harrogate, featured on ITV’s Calendar show on Monday in a bid to win the public’s support.

Voting closes on Monday, April 15 (noon). To vote, visit www.thepeoplesprojects. org.uk.

By David Spereall Local Democracy Reporter

MP joins Spring clean-up DEWSBURY MP Paula Sherriff spent her weekend helping to clear litter as part of the Great British Spring Clean – with the help of green-fingered constituents.

She was joined by over 75 local people armed with litter pickers and bin bags who took part in the clean-ups in Dewsbury, Kirkburton and Clayton West.

Miss Sherriff said: “What a tonic it was to be out in the fresh air, litter picking at the weekend!

“Over 100 bin bags’ worth

collected. Thanks to over 75 members of the community who joined us – I’m so proud that the campaign had such an amazing response.

“I wanted to help with the Great British Spring Clean as it is really important to encourage everyone to love where we live. It was great to see people getting hands on and really making such a positive difference to our area.

“We are lucky to have so many local groups who volunteer tirelessly to keep our area tidy – thank you so much.”

THE man at the head of Dewsbury, Pinderfields and Pontefract hospitals says he wants them to be collectively classed as outstanding by 2022.

Martin Barkley, chief executive of Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, said the organisation could be recognised as one of the country’s best within three years if further improvements are made.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the trust, as “requires improvement” last year but recognised substantial progress in a number of areas since its previous inspection in 2017.

Mr Barkley said developing staff satisfaction in the hospitals was the key to improving all aspects of healthcare.

Asked how long he believed it would take for the trust to achieve the top rating from the health watchdog, Mr Barkley said: “My ambition is three years from now.

“I’m really confident that with the great staff we’ve got here, we can achieve it.

“The sort of loyalty and committment they have, despite all the difficulties there have been, is absolutely humbling.

“If we can support them better and empower them better, it will lead us to achieve that rating of ‘oustanding’.”

He said year-on-year improvement in the staff satisfaction survey was one of the things he was most pleased about after three years in charge of the trust.

He added: “All the evidence in the western world is that the quality of patient experience is inextricably linked to staff experience.

“So improving staff experience will help us retain staff and recruit staff. All of this will benefit patients, which is what it’s all about.”

Mr Barkley celebrated 25 years in NHS management this week. In an era where the health service is widely believed to be chronically underfunded, he said that new medical advances and artificial intelligence were reasons to be optimistic about its future.

He also said that a nationally dwindling workforce was a bigger problem than cash.

“Vacancies, I think, will be a more limiting factor than money going forward,” he added.

“The recruitment gaps in nursing staff first appeared around eight years ago and

that gap has never been bigger than it is now.

“We have around 200 registered nurse vacancies at the moment and many other trusts are in a similar position.

“We’ve recently set up a virtual nursing school with the University of Bradford, which will start to bear fruit for us in two or three years’ time. But that’s a local solution and it still doesn’t resolve the national shortage.”

Mr Barkley said politicians were right to impose time-sensitive targets for patient care, despite NHS trusts struggling to meet several of them in the current climate, because he believes they have raised standards significantly.

He said it would be “up to the public at the ballot box” as to whether or not they want to see the NHS continue to be funded sustainably by tax, a system he wholeheartedly supports.

He added: “I’d hate to see a system, like in the United States, where people are scared to get ill.

“The NHS gives amazing value for money. Compared to almost any other health system in the world it’s the most efficient, and I think that will continue.”

Friday April 5, 2019

ThePress

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ThePress

News In Brief 100 treated by dental charity NORTH KIRKLEES: Over 100 people needing dental treatment were seen for free by charity Dentaid.

The charity, which provides free check-ups and treatment for those not registered with an NHS dentist, ran four clinics in Dewsbury – at Thornhill Lees Community Centre and Dewsbury Moor Children’s Centre – last month.

The team of volunteers extracted 26 teeth and completed 24 fillings in addition to giving oral cancer screening and dental health advice.

The clinics were funded by Kirklees Council, which is working with Dentaid to help more people access basic dental care. A total of 135 patients visited the clinics over four days.

Friday April 5, 2019

The best in town!

Care home’s top 20 prize HECKMONDWIKE: The company which runs Avery Mews care home is one of the top 20 care groups in the UK. Care provider brighterkind has featured in carehome.co. uk’s top 20 awards for a third consecutive year.

The home on Railway Street earned a 9.7 out of 10 rating, based on reviews by residents, their families and visitors.

Honours for Mirfield community and business organisations

By Zoe Shackleton

Appeal for relatives DEWSBURY: Coroner’s officers want to trace relatives of a man from Dewsbury, Trevor Robinson, aged 77, who died on March 22. Anyone with information can contact coroner’s officer Arran Arblaster on 01274 373721.

Members of the Winter Warmers community group celebrate their award

Mirfield Parish Pantomime committee... lifetime recognition

Debs Holroyd and Tania Asquith helped raise £20,000

A HOST of businesses and organisations were recognised for being the best in town at the MyMirfield awards.

Over 1,000 nominations were made by the public, with more than 100 different businesses, organisations, events and retailers then shortlisted for their work within the community.

Around 40,000 votes were cast across nine categories.

Winners at the awards night at the Cedar Court Hotel were: Newgate Garage (business/tradesman), Rhubarb & Ginger Home and Wedding (retailer), Salvia Restaurant (food and drink business), Roger’s Gent’s Hairdressing (hair and beauty business), Creative Arts Hub CIC (activity organisation), Battling Fat Lads FC (sporting organisation), Winter Warmers (community organisation), Mirfield in Bloom (community project) and Sarah’s Wish for Kirkwood (community event).

Debs Holroyd and Tania Asquith, who helped organise the Mirfield Half Monty, walked away with the Above and Beyond prize in the community award category for helping to raise over £20,000 for cancer charities.

Mirfield Team Parish Pantomime Committee received a standing ovation

as they were presented with the lifetime recognition award – celebrating 70 years of the annual pantomime.

Co-organiser Richard Hartley said: “Whether the finalists walked away with a winners’ trophy or not, every person in the room should be so proud of what they have done in the Mirfield community over the years.

“It often goes unsung and is seen as ‘just what they do’, but the nominations showed that the public wanted to acknowledge and thank them for being amazing. What we do is only possible because of all the great people and businesses we have in Mirfield.”

This year’s awards helped raise funds for Mirfield Mayor Martin Ibberson’s chosen charity, Little Deer Wood – an activity centre which provides land and water-based activities for people of all ages and abilities.

He said: “It was another amazing night with so many worthy finalists and winners.

“868 Squadron and Sutton School of Performing Arts kicked off the evening with energising performances, Regan Backhouse wowed guests with his magic, Martyn Jones showcased the special recognition awards, and the night was wrapped up with laughs, fundraising and a Kylie tribute!”

Baby massage classes Co-op break-in probe A CHILDREN’S nursery in Heckmondwike has teamed up with an infant massage specialist to offer classes for parents and carers.

Masseuse Marion Allen will be teaching sessions at the Little People nursery on Goose Hill, so that parents and primary carers can learn the art of baby massage.

Each session is 90 minutes long and suitable for all babies from birth to 12 months.

Marion said: “I’m delight-

ed to be offering baby massage classes. I love seeing the relationships between babies and parents or primary carers grow through massage and hearing how the massage has helped with all sorts of common issues such as colic, constipation and teething pain.”

The first course started this week but another is planned in June, starting from Monday June 17 (10.30am-noon). Contact info@littlepeoplenurseries. co.uk.

POLICE are investigating a burglary at the Co-op store in Scholes at the weekend.

Officers were called in the early hours of Saturday to reports of a break-in at the shop on Westfield Lane.

The suspects forced entry to the back door, pictured, and searched the premises before fleeing at around 4am.

Police are asking for anyone with information to contact them on 101, quoting crime reference number 13190164202.

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Throughout 2019 local historian Mike Popplewell will be searching through his newspaper collection from the 1920s and 30s for some of the biggest headlines from home and abroad – while also taking a look at stories making the news in our own district. Readers are welcome to provide feedback if any of these features are remembered personally, or you can recall being told them by an earlier generation.

Cricket ... and hunger ITH Australia due here this summer to contest the historic battle for the Ashes, we take a look back to an earlier encounter between the two countries that ultimately became perhaps the most controversial in cricket history.

In October 1932 the sports pages of the Yorkshire Observer carried news of the MCC’s match in Perth, Western Australia, against a Combined Australian XI. It was a warm-up game ahead of the Test series and passed off without any undue incidents … but this was the calm before the storm.

Back home things were anything but calm!

The ‘Brexit’ march to London this week was just another in a long list of protest marches to the capital over the years, and in autumn of 1932 the newspaper front pages were certainly not concerned about events on a cricket field on the other side of the world.

While Yorkshire’s Herbert Sutcliffe and the Indian prince, the Nawab of Pataudi, were making the sporting headlines with centuries in that game in Perth, the front pages of the Yorkshire Observer were very much focused on the National Hunger March to London and the days of protests and riots.

An estimated 2,000 hunger marchers arrived in central London on October 28 and gathered around Hyde Park for a huge unemployed mass meeting but it soon got out of hand.

One of the speakers was Tom Mann, a renowned Labour activist between the wars, and such was the

W

respect in which he was held the East London borough of Barking bears a street of that name in which my relatives lived.

The marchers were said to have been accompanied by huge numbers of both mounted and foot police, but it didn’t stop fighting breaking out.

A battle ensued between the police, who mounted a baton charge on horseback, and the protesters, who armed themselves with missiles to throw at the police – including coal from a wagon that had become stuck in the traffic jam that developed.

Closer to home there were more orderly protests against the means test, where claimants were subjected to an inquisition attempting to block applications by proving they did not need assistance, and the people of Kirklees were facing another problem in that there had been an outbreak of typhoid in Denby Dale that had already

claimed lives.

Amidst all this upheaval Canon Leteux of Wakefield, presiding over a three-day bazaar at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church and school in Batley Carr, spoke out against the rise of communism and the threat to the existence of Roman Catholic schools.

However, in a more positive mood the parish priest, Dean McMenamim, declared that there was co-operation with other denominations and many non-Catholics had "proved themselves most excellent friends to the church and schools".

Former Dewsbury MP Walter Runciman, by now head of the Board of Trade, was making news as the prime negotiator with Canada on a trade deal, some things never change, JB Priestley had just written another play, and Dewsbury were due to entertain a weakened Leigh side for the first time in four years in a rugby league game at

Crown Flatt.

As for those h u n g e r marchers, the story was destined to run a little longer. The petition to Parliament protesting against the means test was actually confiscated by the police and there were further baton charges against protesters in the ensuing days.

Surprisingly, Dewsbury and other West Riding towns seem to have escaped the worst of the protests organised by the communist-led National Unemployed Workers Movement but there were demonstrations in Manchester, Liverpool, Oldham and Bolton, amongst others across the country, with the march on London the biggest since the Chartists in 1848 a situation currently under review in the latest ITV series of ‘Victoria’.

Going back to the cricket, it should be noted that the game in Perth was just an innocuous prologue to a tempestuous winter.

A winter that was destined to see the clashes between cricket’s two oldest rivals reach a pitch of anger and animosity that was to spill over from the pitch to the political arena, with diplomatic ties between England and Australia stretched almost to breaking point.

More on that in coming weeks.

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Foster carers would boost Kirklees system

By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter FEWER children in care would have to be placed out of Kirklees if there were more foster carers in the borough.

Despite issues with recruiting carers – which remains a national problem – Kirklees continues to have a lower number of looked-after children aged 0-17 than its surrounding authorities with 63 per 10,000. The authority is also slightly under the national average.

Between February 2018 and January 2019 Kirklees’ number of looked after children fluctuated from 675 to 629.

Generally the figure hovered around 630, reducing from 637 in November to 629 in December, and rising by four to 633 in January.

In the eight months between July 2018 and February 2019 there was a slight increase in the number of children placed more than 20 miles outside of Kirklees district.

The ethnicity profile showed that the vast majority were white (73 per cent) followed by mixed race (15.5 per cent), Asian (7.3 per cent) and black (1.6 per cent).

The number of children placed outside Kirklees district dropped from 110 in July 2018 to 104 in February 2019.

Coun Lisa Holmes (Con, Liversedge and Gomersal) asked directly how many children were placed outside Kirklees because there was no place for them within the borough.

Reporting to the Children’s Scrutiny Panel at Huddersfield Town Hall Steve Comb, the council’s head of corporate parenting, said: “A broad answer to your question is if we had more foster carers and choice in the district then we would be able to reduce that number.”

But he said complex issues around keeping some siblings together meant investigating “kinship carers”, such as grandparents or other older relatives, who might live further afield.

“The key is trying to translate that into a special guardianship,” he added.

Panel chair Coun Cahal Burke (Lib Dem, Lindley) agreed that the issue of placing children outside Kirklees, and the cost incurred, required further investigation.

It costs the authority on average £605 a week to foster a child. The figure includes operational costs.

That compares with paying £780 a week paid to agency workers.

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Friday April 5, 2019

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PICKING a Grand National winner is not quite the lottery some people think. Over the race’s long history, trends have appeared which can help you narrow down the number of horses who have the right stuff to win at Aintree. These tips could help you choose a horse with a real winning chance: • HORSES AGES 8, 9 AND 11 BEST CHANCE; • BEWARE HORSES CARRYING 11 STONE+; • BRITISH AND IRISH HORSES ARE PREFERRED OVER FRENCH RUNNERS; • PREVIOUS SCOTS, WELSH AND IRISH NATIONAL RUNNERS DO WELL; • GOOD JUMPING FORM IS A MUST; • PREVIOUS AINTREE EXPERIENCE IS A PLUS.

Thanks to all of our advertisers on this feature – the horses they’ve been drawn are in plain numbers within their ads! Good luck one and all!

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National in 1839. £1m: Prize money on offer 150,000: Spectators who visit Aintree over the three-day festival 1977: The first year women began riding in Grand Nationals 1: Jockey to have died as a result of injuries sustained in the race (Joe Wynne, 1862) 2 26

THE GREATEST RACE OF THEM ALL GRAND NATIONAL 2019 RUNNERS:

HE GRAND National is part of the fabric of this country’s sporting heritage and the nation is preparing to pick their favourites ahead of the world’s greatest steeplechase.

It rarely fails to serve up thrills and spills alongside triumph and tragedy as one of the greatest sporting spectacles on the planet.

Who can forget Red Rum’s unmatched historic third win in 1977 ten years after the unfancied 100-1 shot Foinavon was the only horse to get over the 23rd fence after a melee, going on to win?

In 1981 there was the heartwarming tale of both horse and jockey, Aldaniti and Bob Champion, recovering from illnesses to win the race.

Finding the winner of the National has been a tricky affair since the appropriately named Lottery won the first race back in 1839. Captain Martin Becher was unseated from his mount Conrad, when leading at the sixth fence on the first circuit and the fence, which is also the 22nd obstacle these days, became known as Becher’s

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from Brook. So exceptional were Red Rum’s achievements that many have long considered his Aintree record would remain untouched forever and 42 years later no horse has even won twice.

But that could change at 5.15 tomorrow (Saturday) as TIGER ROLL must have the best chance of following up of any Grand National winner during the intervening years.

Jockey Davy Russell is again wearing the maroon and white silks of Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud racing operation, but for once a year punters last year’s hero, who runs off a 9lb higher mark, will probably be

a turn off at 7/2 favourite which is the shortest price since Red Rum in 1975.

Value hunters and each-way backers have plenty of alternative options especially those with form over at least three and a half miles.

RATHVINDEN has been laid out for this race, loves a stamina test and will be at home over the 4m2 ? slog. He won his only start this season at Fairyhouse and that was after the National weights were published so he’s 5lb well in and has Ruby Walsh up top.

BALLYOPTIC came within a nose of winning last season’s Scottish National and could be

6 17 30

7 22 39

31 24 18 8 15 35

1839: Year the race was first staged 4: Miles to be covered by the horses - plus two furlongs and 74 yards 30: Fences to be cleared 8m 47.8s: The fastest ever time Mr Frisk recorded in taking victory in 1990 14m 53s: The slowest time it took Lottery to win the first

DEWSBURY’S LEADING BOOKMAKER

Press racing correspondent Mike Smith takes a look at some of the leading Grand National contenders...

5 12 21 29 34 40

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strongly fancied if at his best but fell over these fences in December’s Beecher Chase and will need to be handy throughout.

Nicky Henderson has failed to break his National hoodoo with better chances than the horribly handicapped VALTOR, and the unfortunately for ROCK THE KASBAH the same can be said for Richard Johnson.

STEP BACK stays well but isn’t running well, however connections have had half an eye on Aintree all season and dropping 2lbs for his last run when sixth at Warwick won’t harm.

It’s not a big punting race for me but I will be having a couple of quid each way on Welsh Grand National runner-up RAMSES DE TEILLEE. At seven years old age is not in his favour as its 78 years since a horse under eight won, but this progressive young chaser is trained by David Pipe who knows what it takes to win around Aintree having saddled Comply Or Die in 2008.

With 17 of the 40 runners trained by Willie Mullins or Gordon Elliott it would be no surprise if the winner once again came from across the Irish Sea. DOUNIKOS and NOBLE ENDEAVOUR are strong contenders for Elliott but I feel his best hopes lie with the Tiger and JURY DUTY. The latter is a horse trying to add victory at Aintree to his win in October's 'American Grand National' at Far Hills, New Jersey, a feat only achieved once previously, by Battleship in 1938.

Tiger Roll's credentials are obvious for all to see but, however talented, his odds in such a big field when good fortune plays such a vital role are too short; so long as Jury Duty's stamina lasts out the marathon distance, with his weight he could be the one.

Yorkshire hopes will be carried by VINTAGE CLOUDS who is trained by Sue Smith at her stables on the edge of Baildon Moor. He ran a good trial for this when finishing second in this year's Ultima and he could go well if bouncing back to his best form.

Two big-price selections with each-way claims are VIEUX LION ROUGE (33/1) who has made it round in all of his previous six Grand National’s, and REGAL ENCORE (66/1) who finished eighth

We are paying the top five at 1/5th of the odds. This must be clearly marked on your betting slip or bets will be settled at 1/4 odds on the first four only *T&Cs apply.

Visit your local Carrigill’s for more details

last year and has scope to improve.

Finally, if there are any Aintree gods let’s hope they are looking down on leading owners Andrea and Graham Wylie who lost two horses at Cheltenham. Their UP FOR REVIEW is another Mullins contender and his pedigree points to an improved performance away from soft ground.

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GREEN ROAD, LIVERSEDGE

1. ANIBALE FLY, 9, 11-10 – Tony Martin/ Barry Geraghty 12-1 2. VALTOR, 10, 11-06 – Nicky Henderson/Daryl Jacob 40-1 3. TIGER ROLL, 9, 11-05 – Gordon Elliott/ Davy Russell 7/2 4. OUTLANDER, 11, 11-04 – Gordon Elliott / Keith Donoghue 66/1 5. DON POLI, 11-03 – Gordon Elliott / P W Mullins 66/1 6. GO CONQUER, 10, 11-03 – Nigel Twiston-Davies / Sam Twiston-Davies 40/1 7. MALA BEACH, 11, 11-02 – Gordon Elliott / JJ Codd 50/1 8. MINELLA ROCCO, 9, 11-01 – Jonjo O’Neill / Richie McLernon 25/1 9. LAKE VIEW LAD, 9, 11-01 – Nick Alexander/ Henry Brooke 14/1 10. PLEASANT COMPANY, 11, 11-01 – Willie Mullins/ TBC 18/1 11. BALLYOPTIC, 9, 11-01 – Nigel Twiston-Davies / Tom Bellamy 33/1 12. DOUNIKOS, 8, 11-00 – Gordon Elliott / Jack Kennedy 33/1 13. RATHVINDEN, 11, 11-00 – Willie Mullins/ TBC 10/1 14. ONE FOR ARTHUR, 10, 11-00 – Lucinda Russell / Derek Fox 25/1 15. ROCK THE KASBAH, 9, 10-13 – Philip Hobbs/ Richard Johnson 18/1 16. WARRIORS TALE, 10, 10-13 – Paul Nicholls / Harry Cobden 40/1 17. REGAL ENCORE, 11, 10-12 – Anthony Honeyball/ Richie McLernon 66/1 18. MAGIC OF LIGHT, 8, 10-11 – Jessica Harrington /TBC 66/1 19. A TOI PHIL, 9, 10-11 – Gordon Elliott / Denis O’Regan 50/1 20. JURY DUTY, 8, 10-11 – Gordon Elliott / Robbie Power 22/1 21. NOBLE ENDEAVOR, 10, 10-10 – Gordon Elliott/ Mark Enwright 33/1 22. MONBEG NOTORIOUS, 8, 10-10 – Gordon Elliott / Sean Bowen 66/1 23. RAMSES DE TEILLEE, 7, 10-09 – David Pipe/ David Noonan 25/1 24. TEA FOR TWO, 10, 10-09 – Jane Williams/ Lizzie Kelly 66/1 25. MALL DINI, 9, 10-08 – Pat Kelly / TBC 20/1 26. STEP BACK, 9, 10-07 – Mark Bradstock/ Nico de Boinville 22/1 27. ULTRAGOLD, 11, 10-07 –Colin Tizzard / Tom O’ Brien 50/1 28. BLOW BY BLOW, 8, 10-06 – Gordon Elliott / Andrew Ring 66/1 29. UP FOR REVIEW, 10, 10-06 – Willie Mullins / TBC 33/1 30. SINGLEFARMPAYMENT, 9, 10-06 – Tom George/ Paddy Brennan 50/1 31. VIEUX LION ROUGE, 10, 10-06 – David Pipe/ tom Scudamore 33/1 32. VALSEUR LIDO, 10, 10-06 – Henry de Bromhead / TBC 66/1 33. VINTAGE CLOUDS, 9, 10-04 – Sue Smith / Danny Cook 12/1 34. GENERAL PRINCIPLE, 10, 10-04 – Gordon Elliott / JJ Levin 28/1 35. LIVELOVELAUGH, 9, 10-04 – Willie Mullins / TBC 50/1 36. WALK IN THE MILL, 9, 10-04 – Robert Walford / James Best 25/1 37. FOLSOM BLUE, 12, 10-04 – Gordon Elliott / LP Dempsey 40/1 38. CAPTAIN REDBEARD, 10. 10-03 – Stuart Coltherd / Sam Coltherd 39. BLESS THE WINGS, 14, 10-03 – Gordon Elliott/ Robert Dunne 40. JOE FARRELL, 10, 10-02 – Rebecca Curtis /TBC 16 /1

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Friday April 5, 2019

Ramblers’ corner FORTHCOMING walks with the North Kirklees Group of the Ramblers – non-members are always welcome. Please call the walk leader for more details.

SATURDAY APRIL 6 WALK TO WOODKIRK CHURCH Starts at 10.30am, meet at the entrance to Birkby Brow Woods, Howden Clough Rd (SE240270) no dogs please 6.5 miles – moderate Contact: Adrian and Karen 07475 792396

SUNDAY APRIL 7 HIDDEN HAMLETS Starts at 1.30pm at Thornhills Beck Lane (HD6 4AB, SE147235) guide dogs only 3.5 miles – leisurely Contact: Peter Davies peterdavies567 @btinternet.com

Mikron Theatre drops anchor in Dewsbury 12 strangers at Minster

Elizabeth Robin and Rachel Benson star in All Hands On Deck Photo: Peter Boyd

DEWSBURY MINSTER is hosting a special Easter performance on Saturday April 13.

A dramatisation of Handel’s Messiah will be performed by the Merry Opera Company, in which 12 strangers seek spiritual comfort in their struggle to understand the world.

Singing together in a church, they inspire each other to pick up the ragged ends of their faith and look to the future with hope.

Starting at 6.30pm, tickets priced £7.50 are available direct from the Minster or online at https://bit.ly/2Oyuh7V. DEWSBURY Collegians Amateur Operatic Society are on the hunt for people to take part in their next major production, Calamity Jane.

The group urgently needs both men and women to make up the chorus and for small principal roles.

The performance is being staged at Dewsbury Town Hall from Wednesday June 12 to Saturday June 16 and rehearsals are underway.

To join in the fun, contact Kirstie Firth on 07977 761785 or Noel Rigg on 01924 466659.

Tickets for the show, priced at £13 (balcony) and £12 (stalls, £10 concessions), are available from the Collegians’ ticket line 01924 492742 or the Town Halls box office 01484 225755. You can also get tickets from Dewsbury Town Hall.

BAGSHAW Museum in Wilton Park, Batley is celebrating Easter with fun crafts and an egg hunt.

On April 16, youngsters can get creative making Fabergé-style eggs, bunny collages and printing cards.

There will be drop-in sessions from 11am1pm and 2pm-4pm; no booking required. The cost is £2 per child; all ages welcome.

Then, on Easter Sunday, April 21, there is a Fabergé-inspired egg hunt.

Youngsters have to find the eggs hidden around the museum to earn a certificate and a small chocolate prize.

For more information call 01924 324765.

MIRFIELD Choral Society presents a celebration of coronation music tomorrow (Sat), with guest soloists Colleen Brown, SallyAnn Perkins, Peter Cain and Graham Thorne performing at Longcauseway Church in Dewsbury town centre.

Starting at 7.15pm, tickets priced £10 (U18/students £5) are available on the door or by calling 01924 494708. For more information email mirfieldchoral@gmail.com.

THERE’S free live music and dancing every Sunday afternoon at Batley Central Club, with the well-known Reg Hargreaves Trio playing at the venue from 1.15pm to around 3.30pm.

A variety of guest singers perform each week.

The bar is open and the club on Bradford Road in Batley, wants to encourage as many people as possible to come down and enjoy the afternoon’s entertainment.

THE AWARD-WINNING Mikron Theatre Company returns to the Leggers Inn in Dewsbury on Tuesday April 23.

Their latest theatrical offering is All Hands On Deck, one of two plays touring for the 2019 season.

Set in World War Two, the show navigates a love story between the Royal Navy and their loyal ‘Jenny Wrens’.

Marsden-based Mikron always go down a storm in Dewsbury, delighting audiences with their informative and musically jampacked shows.

New WRNS recruits Ginger and Lily are looking for wartime adventure.

Lily wants to serve on dry land, but Ginger is desperate to serve at sea – and the sailors can’t believe their luck!

The show pays tribute to all those wartime women who pushed the door to opportunity firmly open. Full of dots, dashes, semaphore and song, Ginger and Lily find themselves in uncharted waters on a journey they’ll never forget.

Playwright and former Mikron actor, Vashti Maclachlan, who penned last year’s ‘Revolting Women’, has had a great time steering the ship on All Hands On Deck.

“It’s been a pleasure to write

again for Mikron in its 48th year and an honour to shine a spotlight on the tireless women who gave their all to shape a Women’s Royal Navy Service fit for the future,” she said.

Marianne McNamara, Mikron’s artistic director, explained why the Wrens show means a lot to many Mikron followers.

“I’ve always been interested in the Wrens,” she said. “They’ve been suggested as an interesting subject matter by a number of audience members who were related to Wrens.

“There are plenty plays about the war but not that many that explore women’s contributions to

the war. It’s been fascinating to research their story and to celebrate their endeavours.”

All Hands On Deck tours nationally from April until October 2019 alongside Mikron’s other brandnew show Redcoats – that celebrates 80 years of British seaside entertainment from the very beginnings of Butlins to the present day.

The show drops anchor at the Leggers Inn, on Savile Town Wharf, Mill Street East, at 7.30pm on Tuesday April 23.

A cash collection will be taken.

For details call 01924 502846 or email manager.leggers@gmail. com.

Join the pirates next week in Batley ONE OF THE stars of Batley Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s latest show is hoping to bring back some happy memories for a group of people who appeared in Wheelwright Sixth Form College’s production of The Pirates of Penzance in 1976.

Malcolm Parkinson is trying to contact cast members from 43 years ago to form a group booking to see him reprise his role as the MajorGeneral in Batley Gilbert & Sullivan Society’s production of Pirates at Batley Town Hall next month.

Back in 1976 the venue was the hall at Birkdale High School – pre-

viously known as Wheelwright Boys’ Grammar School.

Pirates boasted a cast of over 50 people, a figure unheard of in most Gilbert & Sullivan societies today.

It was produced by Mavis Roberts and musical direction and accompaniment was provided by Ray Wood. Both were teachers at the college, and costumes were also made in-house.

Wheelwright College was created in September 1974 as one of the last major decisions of the former County Borough of Dewsbury, but in 1987 it merged with Dewsbury & Batley Technical and Art College

as part of a re-organisation.

Some of the cast of that 1976 production, however, continued their involvement with the works of Gilbert & Sullivan. Elizabeth Ward, who played Ruth, and Joe Zserdicky, who played Frederic, would eventually marry and become leading lights of Wakefield Gilbert & Sullivan Society.

Carol Aveyard, who was a chorus member in 1976, and Malcolm Parkinson, who played MajorGeneral Stanley, would also marry and become long-standing members of Batley Gilbert & Sullivan Society, a group which this year

celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Their production of Pirates at Batley Town Hall runs from Wednesday April 10 to Saturday April 13 at 7.30pm nightly, plus a matinee on the Saturday at 2.30pm.

The show also features Carol as Mabel, and Jennifer Day (nee Jones) who played Mabel in the 1976 production.

If you were in Wheelwright College’s 1976 production and would like to join the party, please ring Malcolm on 01924 456780.

Alternatively, tickets can be obtained by calling 07810 447183 or through the Kirklees box office.

Friday April 5, 2019

ThePress

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ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Expansion sounds good

The Wakefield Acoustics team in front of their facility in Heckmondwike

Web TALK

A HECKMONDWIKE noise control firm has been boosted by growth after increasing staff numbers by nearly 50 per cent in the last 12 months.

with Andrew Firth Welcome to the latest edition of Web Talk, helping Kirklees website owners to prosper online.

Lighting the way to speed ’VE OFTEN brought up the subject of website page speed. Slow websites do not perform well in the search engines, or if users find them, because we expect a website to work instantly and if it is slow loading there is always another site to go to that is less frustrating.

Google knows this, and so it scores websites based on page speed and rewards fast-loading websites, particularly when searching on mobile.

Google Lighthouse Google have a different index (search engine list) for mobile compared to desktop, so a website that doesn’t perform well on mobile phones may not rank as well, even though its desktop (responsive) performance may be strong, and helping it to rank well on a desktop search.

If you search ‘Google Page Speed’ the top result is a Google Developer Tool that allows you to add your website domain and see how fast your website is on mobile and on desktop using the top menu.

The page speed check uses a Google tool called Lighthouse, which

I

provides a score out of 100 for your page speed and provides tips on how to make improvements to the speed.

Lighthouse has been around since 2016 but has become the standard Google page speed checking tool as Google focus more on mobile accessibility of websites (because more people use mobiles than desktops to search now).

Page speed improvements You can use the Lighthouse list of advised improvements to make changes to your website to improve its speed and performance on mobile.

One of the main changes Google have introduced relate to image formats, with most online images being in the .jpg or .png format which are traditionally large files (comparatively) and slow to load.

Next generation (NextGen) image formats (such as JPG2000 and Web P) are much more efficient, and if you update your website images to these formats then this will enhance your mobile page speed.

For websites with animation, ‘Time To Interactive’ or Total Load

Time is a big factor. This is the time it takes someone accessing your site to be able to interact with your website (eg scroll).

Websites with video and animation are often slower to become interactive and so changes can be made (such as removing the autoplay function of a video on mobile).

Lighthouse is a great tool to use to check how your site is doing, and speak to your developer about making enhancements that could get you better rankings in the search engines, and more sales and enquiries as users find it easier to interact with your website.

• To read more on this and other subjects, please visit the blog at www. ascensor.co.uk/blog.

For more information contact andrew@ascensor.co.uk Twitter: @andrewjfirth Connect on LinkedIn: andrewjfirth Ascensor are a Digital Agency providing website design, ecommerce and search engine optimisation.

In the last year Heckmondwike-based Wakefield Acoustics has grown to a team of 61, appointing 20 new staff members across the company and continuing to grow across a number of key business sectors.

The newly-appointed staff include skilled and semi-skilled sheet metal workers and fabricators, solidworks engineers, laser programmers, as well as project and site staff.

Based at Flush Mills on Westgate, Wakefield Acoustics manufactures advanced industrial, commercial and environmental noise control systems During the last 12 months activity has increased in its core markets of oil and gas, power generation and combined heat and power (CHP) and construction.

The company has completed several high-

profile schemes across the UK and internationally including phase two of the Johan Sverdrup Oil Field in Norway, the Upper Zachum Oil Field in Abu Dhabi, Creyke Beck Power Station in the UK and Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Managing director Lee Nicholson said: “Wakefield Acoustics has grown rapidly in recent years and this investment in staff has been made to allow us to meet the capacity demands of our customers and markets over the coming years as the demand for noise control technology continues to grow.

“We’ve secured a number of long-term contracts, as well as growing our range of noise control solutions and services, which has provided the platform to enable us to further expand.

“The investment in our workforce will help us to deliver both improved lead times and enhanced product quality, which is what customers want in these extremely competitive times.”

Parliamentary Review honour for HR specialists BIRSTALL HR consultants Lamont Jones have been selected to feature within The Parliamentary Review 2019.

The publication is released to coincide with the beginning of the Parliamentary year, combining political commentary and sector-specific insight, demonstrating how businesses have responded to changes in the political and economic environment.

Each year, the publication shortlists businesses that have demonstrated best practice within their industry, before selecting around 10 contributors.

Lamont Jones will feature

within the Law & Justice edition of The Parliamentary Review, which in 2018 included a foreword from the Prime Minister, Theresa May. Now in its 12th year of trading, Lamont Jones has grown from a one-person operation to a team of 10, based on Bradford Road in Birstall.

Their inclusion in the review comes after years of helping businesses manage their people, from global construction companies to renowned British design studios.

Managing director Heather Jones said: “Being featured in The Parliamentary Review

is real justification for the years of hard work and dedication the team have put into building the reputation of our business. It’s a proud moment for myself, and one the whole team can share with me.

“The Parliamentary Review is seen by some of the most significant politicians and leaders across the UK, and for our business to be in such esteemed company is fantastic.”

The document will be released in October 2019 at the annual gala, where Lamont Jones will join speakers from the political, sports and media industries.

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Spat with cops Candidates announced over travellers

By Tony Earnshaw Local Democracy Reporter A COUNCILLOR who used her car to block travellers from setting up an illegal encampment was told to move by police.

Now Coun Lisa Holmes is asking West Yorkshire Police to explain why she was moved – and why officers did not send the traveller group away.

The spat surrounds a traveller convoy that arrived at Oakwell Hall in Birstall last Wednesday (March 27). They were barred from entering the country park’s bottom car park

by Coun Holmes, who used her car to block an entrance.

But when she called police to the scene they told HER to move.

“I rang the police at 2.10pm. They came within 10 minutes and told me to move straight away, which I did,” said Coun Holmes, who represents nearby Liversedge and Gomersal ward for the Conservatives.

She has since written to West Yorkshire Police asking why officers did not attempt to remove the travellers.

She added: “I was parked fully on Oakwell ground. I was not in or on the road. I wasn’t preventing traffic from moving. I was blocking the entrance to the car park.

“I fully expected the police to come and tell me to move, and I did.

“The travellers didn’t break in (to the Oakwell land).

“They just went on because a con-

tractor left the barrier up.”

Coun Holmes said officers “didn’t even look into the possibility” of using Section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, which gives them the power to remove trespassers.

The traveller group has now been on the site for a week.

Fellow Kirklees councillor Mark Thompson (Con, Birstall and Birkenshaw) said he understood their presence had led to the cancellation of the weekly Parkrun.

Brand-new cycle tracks have also been used by youths riding quad bikes, though it is not known whether they are part of the traveller group.

He commented: “I am curious to know what the police process is.

What did Coun Holmes do wrong?

“She was trying to rectify someone else’s mistake and was asked to move before the gate was closed and locked. Why would the police follow that procedure?”

In recent months Kirklees Council has adopted a robust approach to illegal camps.

A spokesman said: “The council is aware of the encampment on the Oakwell Hall site and is undertaking the necessary legal proceedings for their eviction.”

A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “West Yorkshire Police have been in discussion with Kirklees Council over the matter.

“We are aware the council is taking action in relation to the encampment on the Oakwell Hall site.”

THE FOUR main parties in Kirklees are each fielding a full slate of candidates as more than 100 election hopefuls go head-to-head for 23 seats across the borough.

And as Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens prepare to do battle they will have to contend with candidates from the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in a third of district wards.

There will also be a showing from Independents (4), Democrats and Veterans Party (2), Batley Borough Independents – Heavy Woollen District (1), and Dewsbury Borough Independents – Heavy Woollen District (1).

A number of seats have been vacated as councillors – some of them long-standing veterans – step down.

They include former Conservative group leader Robert Light (Birstall and Birkenshaw), who resigned last year prior to joining the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise as its head commissioner, and current Labour group leader David Sheard (Heckmondwike), who has been a councillor since 1982.

Coun Sheard, who joined Kirklees Council as a work study officer in 1975 prior to election, was later deputy leader of the council and also leader of the council until 2018.

Other members leaving the council are Labour’s Judith Hughes (Almondbury), Marielle O’Neill (Batley West) and Edgar HolroydDoveton (Holme Valley North), the Lib Dems’ Gemma Wilson (Lindley) and the Greens’ Julie StewartTurner (Newsome).

Voters go to the polls on May 2.

Here’s a guide to who is standing in North Kirklees, listed in alphabetical order: Batley East: Keiron Gavaghan: Conservative James Hansford: Green Party Clare Kane: Liberal Democrats Habiban Zaman: Labour *Seat currently held by Labour’s Habibab Zaman.

Batley West: Paul Halloran: Batley Borough Independents – Heavy Woollen District Yusra Hussain: Labour Christopher Kane: Liberal Democrats Martin Pelan: Green Party Paul Young: Conservative *Seat currently held by Labour’s Marielle O’Neill, who is stepping down.

Birstall and Birkenshaw: Charlotte Goodwin: Conservative Christopher Green: Green Party Catherine Pinder: Labour Louise Walsh: Liberal Democrats *Seat formerly held by Robert Light, a former Conservative group leader, who stepped down last year.

Cleckheaton: Khalid Patel: Labour Andrew Pinnock: Liberal Democrats Madeline Poutney: Conservative Linda Simmons: Green Party *Seat currently held by the Liberal Democrats’ Andrew Pinnock.

Dewsbury East: Eric Firth: Labour Sean Guy: Conservative Dennis Hullock: Liberal Democrats Aleks Lukic: Dewsbury Borough Independents – Heavy Woollen

District Gideon Barry: Green Party *Seat currently held by Labour’s Eric Firth.

Dewsbury South: Marnie Cope: Green Party Nosheen Dad: Labour Bernard Disken: Liberal Democrats Charlie Reid: Conservative *Seat currently held by Labour’s Nosheen Dad. Dewsbury West: Jon Bloom: Liberal Democrats Simon Cope: Green Party Farmida Ishaq: Conservative Darren O’Donovan: Labour *Seat currently held by Labour’s Darren O’Donovan.

Heckmondwike: Aafaq Butt: Labour Alan Freeman: Green Party Helen Gavaghan: Conservative Alan Girvan: Independent Josie Pugsley: Liberal Democrat *Seat currently held by Labour’s David Sheard, a former leader of Kirklees Council, who is stepping down.

Liversedge and Gomersal: Lisa Holmes: Conservative Jude McKaig: Labour David Snee: Liberal Democrats Nicholas Whittingham: Green Party *Seat currently held by the Conservatives’ Lisa Holmes.

Mirfield: Stephen Bird: Liberal Democrats Keiron Dunn: Labour Kath Taylor: Conservatives Catherine Whittingham: Green Party *Seat currently held by the Conservatives’ Kath Taylor.

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Friday April 5, 2019

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PUBLIC NOTICES

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SITUATIONS VACANT Young man with autism and learning difficulties, no challenging behaviour, requires

Experienced Support Worker (training can be given) for help with life skills and social outings.

Approximately 16 hours per week.

Hours flexible. Must have own transport.

Good rates of pay for the right person.

Please email CV or for more information contact me on:

christine.ramsden@ntlworld.com

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ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

Marketplace Turn your unwanted items

into cash £££s 1) Ring Angela on 01924 470296 (9.30am-4.30pm). Have your advert ready and you can pay by debit card (30p surcharge).

2) Call into the office at 31 Branch Road, Batley WF17 5SB and pay by cash, cheque or debit card (30p surcharge).

3) Post your advert and include your name and a contact number, along with cheque for payment.

ADVERTS must be no longer than 50 words. (We cannot accept the following items: Motor vehicles, caravans, livestock. All listings will stay in Marketplace for a maximum of two months. If you wish to amend your listing, or cancel when sold, contact or call 01924 470296.

NEW 5ft pale grey unholstered headboard and matching bed base with two integral storage drawers.

Bargain at £30, no offers. Tel 07925 127198. (2385) Outdoor round wooden table, seats six. Also four white plastic chairs with seat pads. £50 the lot.

Buyer to collect. Tel 01924 479297. (2378) Cream leather threepiece suite (two-seater sofa), £40. Buyer to collect. Tel 01924 455921.

(2379) Upright fridge/freezer. As new, never used. Cost £300, accept £125.

Buyer to collect. Tel 01924 455921. (2379) Strong mesh cage, has wooden floor which can be used as lid instead.

Suitable for rabbits/ guinea pigs. Size 46” x 52” x 30”. Cost £90, sell £35. Tel 07522 540908.

(2380) Double bed frame includes headboard and mattress, £70 ono.

Collection only. Tel 07894 577256 (Birstall).

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Various sizes, prices from £10 to £250. Tel 07866 019737. (2383) Schreiber wardrobe unit in teak. Comprising two wardrobes and centre dressing table with light fitting. Complete with dressing table stool. 9ft W x 6ft H x 1ft 9ins deep. £50 ono. Tel 01924 518776. (2384) BEDROOM 2 x single memory foam mattresses. 5cm thick x 180cm L x 55cm W. £45 each. Tel 01924 496377.

(2371) Chair bed to make into single size bed. Includes blankets etc. In good condition, £30 ono, Tel 01274 811232, (2372) CLOTHING Two pairs of Hotter sandals size 7, one salmon pink, one rose gold. £25 each.

Tel 07564 739087. (2368) Gents Barbour breathable coat, size large. Dark green colour. Hardly worn and in excellent condition, £100 ono. Tel 01924 497679.

(2366)

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Excellent working condition. Can deliver locally. £50. Tel 01924 471758 (2369) Bush personal CD player plus headphones. Only used once, £20. Tel 07564 739087. (2368) FURNITURE Mahogany corner TV unit, glass lead effect doors.

Shelves for DVDs, Sky box etc. Good condition, £15.

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Very good condition, £150.

Tel 01484 656666. (2352) HOUSEHOLD Mahogany effect pendulum wall clock, plastic. Very good condition, £10. Tel 01924 404846. (2374) Homebrew Kit includes 4 x 25/35ltr buckets, dispensing taps, syphon pump, filler tube and valve, hydrometer, thermometer, bottle corker and bottle capper, shrink cap tool, caps, corks, bubblers, stirring utensils, half steriliser and many other items. Paid over £160, sell for £95 ono.

Tel 07486 636196 collection only. (2365) Brother Industrial sewing machine on new flatbed table. Good working condition, £200 ono. Tel 07510 323053 (after 3pm). (2359) New portable gas heater on wheels. Size 720mm x

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? ITEM bands

Cost per item

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Three heat settings. £55 ovno. Tel 07925 944885.

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With certificate of authenticity. Make a lovely gift, £15. Tel 07925 127198.

(2350) MISCELLANEOUS Rope 25mm diameter, approx 50 metres long. £20. Tel 01924 430088.

(2377) MOBILITY Disability aid – raised toilet seat with safety handles.

As new, cost £50, will accept £20. Tel 07931 003053. (2357) Disability aid – kidneyshaped over armchair dining table. As new, cost £120, will accept £50. Tel 07931 003053. (2357) Commode – fold-up, as new plus raised toilet seat.

Cost £100, sell for £25. Tel 07522 540908. (2375) MOTORING Reliant Robin spare parts for sale.

Various items from clutch cables to gearboxes, starters, doors, bumpers etc. Tel 07414 297858 for more details. (2362) MUSICAL Reynolds USA good quality tenor trombone, in original quality case with Reynolds logo.

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£1 £2 £3 £4 £5 £7 £9 £11

OUTDOOR/CAMPING 6kg calor propane cylinder with valve, £10. Tel 01924 430088. (2377) Motorhome awning. Kampa Air Motor Rally Pro390.

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(2367) PET GOODS Indoor small rabbit/ guinea pig cage, includes feeding dishes and bedroom. Size 100cm L x 50cm W x 33cm H. £10. Tel 01924 468509.

(2360) Pets at Home rabbit playpen. Use inside or out, 35 inch x 20 inch, £6. Tel 07925 127198. (2350) SPORT/EXERCISE Shogun Trailbreaker gents’ mountain bike, bright green, 18 gears. Good condition £50. Tel 07974 967055. (2376) Peugeot ladies’ drop handle racing-style bike.

White/red stripes, 10 gears, circa 1988, £40. Tel 07974 967055. (2376) TOYS/CHILDREN’S GOODS Mothercare red stroller, rain cover & shopping net.

Hardly used, £25. Tel 07974 967055. (2376) Britax Prince child’s car seat 9-18kgs. Excellent condition, £30. Tel 07974 967055. (2376) 2 x Kids E scooters.

Electric scooter with seats.

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(2367) WANTED Wanted: Manual typewriter, must be in good working order. Tel 07729 518086.

(2373)

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

25

FOOTBALL

Corner makes the difference as United fight back Evo-Stik East Division

SPALDING UNITED OSSETT UNITED

1 2

OSSETT UNITED recovered from an early deficit to claim another win and continue their push for a play-off place.

They remain fourth in the table after a testing afternoon at relegation-threatened Spalding United, where a rock-hard pitch threatened to derail their promotion aspirations.

United goalkeeper Brett Souter endured a nightmare start, misjudging a bounce and allegedly taking out Romario Martin as a result.

Martin converted from the penalty spot for a ninth-minute lead.

He received a yellow card for that incident rather than red and he was in trouble again moments later, pushing Martin following a poor clearance but escaping dismissal.

With United struggling to put two passes together, Spalding were in control, but the best chance they could create was for Rudy Misambo and his header was easily saved.

Manager Andy Welsh wasted no time in making a change to the way his side were

playing, bringing striker Tom Corner off the bench to aid a more direct approach in the absence of a smooth surface.

That brought a brighter spell as the first half came to a close, and Spalding goalkeeper Michael Duggan had to scramble to keep out Tyrone Gay’s header.

United only needed two minutes of the second half to manage what they failed to do in the first half and find the net. A long throw into the penalty area wasn’t dealt with by the defence, giving Marko Basic the opportunity to fire in and level the scores.

The second period belonged almost entirely to Ossett as they probed for a second goal.

Defender James Knowles twice went close with headers, with the second of those requiring a superb stop from Duggan to tip his closerange effort over the crossbar.

The winning goal finally came with 12 minutes left on the clock as, following an excellent team move, an Aidan Chippendale effort was blocked into the path of Corner, and the man whose introduction changed the game was appropriately the match-winner.

Spalding had offered very little in the second half and the visitors hung on for another important three points.

CRICKET

Like father, like son...

SUPER SUB: Tom Corner celebrates with a fan after scoring the winning goal at Spalding United

PHOTO: John Hirst

Ladies aim for double delight Continued from back page “The work that we’ve done to gather interest from our fans will make it like a home fixture. We really want people to come out and support us over the next three or four weeks, we need everyone behind us,” he said.

Before the men’s side battle it out for a trophy, the women’s side will have the chance to show them how it’s done when they play Durham for the League Cup. They won their league, losing just once in the whole North East Division One South campaign, and now have their eyes set on the double. Smith says that the women’s teams are his favourite story from the club so far.

“They won the league before Christmas, they’re in the cup final. They’ve played a couple of teams far higher up the pyramid than they are,” he said.

“The coach, Emily Senior, has been unbelievable in motivating that group of girls. The

women’s reserves team are second in their league, and our under 23s are in the semifinal of their cup and finished second in their league. Everybody’s achieving above expectations this year.”

United Ladies were formed from the old Albion women’s side, and have a ground of their own in Albion’s former home, Dimple Wells.

Smith said: “It generated a lot of interest, purely because there are only two women’s football teams in the entire county with their own stadium that’s just theirs. One is Manchester City, the other is us.

“That’s helped them massively with their recruitment. They started recruiting players from the league above and even two leagues above, which has given them a very strong side, purely because they’ve got their own facilities, they’re all decked out in their tracksuits, they’re a proper football club.”

Sedge complete perfect month NCEL Premier Division

LAST HURRAH? Veteran John Wood will be joined at Cleckheaton this season by his son Joe

By Mike Popplewell Cricket correspondent sport@thepressnews.co.uk

THE ALL ROUNDER Cricket Bradford Premier League season is almost upon us with the Heavy Woollen Cup, on Easter Sunday, serving as a prelude to the opening of the 2019 Championship campaign.

Last season Spen Victoria finished second bottom in Championship Two while Pudsey St Lawrence carried off the Premier Division title. But 29 years ago the two clubs experienced widely different fortunes as Cleckheaton’s John Wood, then just 20 years old, helped Spen to a resounding Priestley Cup victory with one of the best spells of pace bowling seen in a final.

Wood went on to play for South African side Griqualand West, while his career with Durham and Lancashire saw him clock up 115 first-class appearances, score 1,792 runs and take 318 wickets.

Having played for Hanging Heaton and Spen Victoria before moving to Cleckheaton, Wood has accumulated 7,753 runs and taken 415 wickets in the Bradford League.

While his career is undoubtedly edging toward a close his son Joe has rejoined Cleckheaton, after a season at Spen Victoria, and looks like being an important squad member this season.

‘The Circle of Life’ doesn’t just apply to

‘The Lion King’ as Joe Wood is certainly not the only son following in the footsteps of a famed Bradford League father this season.

In fact, one of Wood’s teammates in that memorable Priestley Cup final of 1990 was Andy Bethel, who hit almost 12,000 Bradford League runs with Spen Victoria and Pudsey Congs. Andy’s son Callum has stepped up from South Riding side Whitley Hall to join the first team squad at 2017 champions Hanging Heaton.

Cricket chairman John Carruthers sees Bethel, whose uncle Stephen was once with Yorkshire, as being a useful all-rounder and a real asset as the Batley club strives to build on a record that has seen them capture seven trophies in two seasons.

And, on the subject on sons following fathers, it is worth noting that among Hanging Heaton’s other close-season signings is Will Rich, from Townville, who is the son of hard-hitting middle-order batsman Kevin Rich who had a very successful career in the old Central Yorkshire League.

Carruthers reports a largely unchanged squad from last season when skipper Gary Fellows led them to third place, and, like last season, they will once again play without an overseas player.

Cleckheaton did try to recruit from overseas and, though they were ultimately unsuccessful, they have signed 28-year-old off spinner Azeem Rafiq, whose two-year contract with Yorkshire expired at the end of last season.

LIVERSEDGE FC THACKLEY

1 0

LIVERSEDGE completed a perfect March with a narrow win over neighbours Thackley.

Mason O’Malley scored the

game’s only goal with 13 minutes left to play at Clayborn, as Sedge held on for a third 1-0 triumph in a row.

The result left them with a perfect record in March, claiming four wins out of four in the league – without conceding a goal – and winning an NCEL League Cup

quarter-final tie.

They renew acquaintances with Thackley tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 3pm) as they travel for the return league fixture.

They then host Barton Town at Clayborn three days later (Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm).

HEAVY WOOLLEN FOOTBALL Premier Division going down to the wire THE HEAVY WOOLEN Sunday League Premier Division title looks to be going down to the wire with the top three teams separated by just one point with two games each to play.

Current leaders Mirfield Town lead with a superior goal difference but weren’t in action last weekend, but second-placed Walkers Hounds missed the chance to go clear at the top after losing 3-2 at AFC Chickenley. Shaun McDaid (two) and Tim Clarke netted for Chickenley, who climbed to sixth.

Deighton WMC lie in third place, but current champions Linthwaite sit three points off top spot with a game in hand after they beat bottom side Cock of the North 4-2.

Clifton Rangers continued their good form

with a 6-3 win over Roberttown Rovers.

Mount Pleasant were crowned winners of the Championship last week and this week were held to a 1-1 draw at Wire Works despite Abdullah Mayat’s goal.

Gary Foley put in a man of the match performance as Birstall Cricket Club progressed to the Heavy Woollen Challenge Trophy final by beating Clifton Rangers Reserves 3-2 in a pulsating game.

Matthew Barrett, Jack McDermott and Taylor Biggins netted for Birstall, who will meet Snowdon in the final.

This Sunday (kick-off 11am) sees the second semi-final of the Challenge Cup between Wellington Westgate and Mirfield Town take place at Overthorpe Sports Club.

26

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

AMATEUR RUGBY LEAGUE

Sharks grind out away win

TEAM EFFORT: Coach Mark Barlow (crouched) with his players after the Askam victory

NCL Division Two

ASKAM SHAW CROSS SHARKS

0 18

SHAW CROSS SHARKS produced a superb away performance to take the two points from Cumbria against Askam.

Shaw Cross had to do plenty of work in defence in the first 40 minutes but held out stubbornly, and they twice had potential tries ruled out themselves.

The impressive Dec Brereton scuttled over the line but was ruled to have already been tackled, then moments later Ben Ripley was in at the corner but the assist was ruled forward.

The Sharks began the second half with increased determination and intensity and after bombing a great chance, the ball was moved left and Sam Ottewell and Callum Barker combined to see Ross Roebuck over the line. Alex Whittaker attempted the conversion from the touchline but hit the post.

Roebuck almost had a second but the grubber kick in behind had run dead before he got there, and Shaw Cross then had to display more great goal-line defence after Askam forced consecutive drop outs.

When they came forward again, Luke Hudson won a penalty in front of the posts and Ottewell knocked it over for a 6-0 lead.

After more good defence, the Sharks saw a drop goal attempt blocked but the ball was immediately sent left and Barker went round the defence, with Brad Baines coming off the bench to convert.

That was quickly backed up by a third and final try, as Brereton ran over on the right and Baines converted to make it 18-0.

Ottewell was sin-binned in the final minute for a tip tackle, and Askam had the chance to spoil the zero on the board from the resulting penalty but Kristian Tyson missed the target.

The Sharks continue a run of five away games on the trot tonight (Friday, kick-off 7.30pm) when they go to Bradford Dudley Hill.

Thornhill take nothing from Siddal battle NCL Premier Division

SIDDAL THORNHILL TROJANS

22 17

THORNHILL returned home empty-handed after errors cost them in an epic battle away at Siddal.

Man of the match Sam Walsh scored two tries for the home side as they picked up their first win of the season, against a Trojans side who had been looking to back up their first success the week before.

Thornhill played down the Siddal slope in the first half but it was the hosts that looked to be the most dangerous in the opening exchanges.

A quick switch in direction of play unlocked Thornhill’s defence when Henry Turner latched onto a pass and danced his way around the last line of defence to go over for a try. There were appeals from Thornhill for a forward pass but the referee was having none of it and the try was awarded. Gareth Blackburn converted.

Following this opening score Thornhill reshuffled with Zach Johnson and Jack Gledhill making their playing returns having both sat out two-match bans. This switch seemed to do

the trick as they began to gain the upper hand.

From the restart they forced Siddal into dropping the ball. Thornhill took possession and pressed down the slope towards the corner, with Joel Gibson going on a darting run to the corner for a try which George Woodcock converted to level the score.

However, Siddal hit back with a try. A kick along the ground went into the in-goal area and Walsh won the chase for the ball to pounce and score an unconverted try.

Tempers began to boil over in the run up to half-time and Declan Tomlinson was involved in an altercation. However, calm was restored and Siddal led 10-6 at the interval.

Now playing up the slope, Thornhill started the second half with purpose.

It was a fantastic break from Sam Ratcliffe which resulted in the next try of the game.

That took Thornhill towards the Siddal try line, where Zach Johnson then made a strong run for the line, stood up in the tackle, held off the defenders and managed to offload the ball to brother Casey Johnson to score. The scores were now once again level.

Thornhill continued to test the Siddal defence and when the home team had George Ambler sin-binned for a dangerous tackle, the Trojans took the lead through a well-placed

drop goal from Gibson.

But Thornhill made a complete hash of collecting the ball from the restart. This seemed to see the balance of play swing towards Siddal, and a quick play the ball saw Walsh roll over the line for his second try of the game.

Good handling from Siddal then saw the ball travel along the attacking line, and space was created out wide for Jack Georgiou to go over for a try in the corner. Blackburn converted both efforts.

Thornhill continued to battle and really tested the Siddal defence in the closing stages of this game. Ben Kendall was held short, but from the play-the-ball Will Poching opted to go himself and twisted over for a try. Woodcock converted.

It was now very much game on as Thornhill threw everything they could at Siddal, making for a very exiting finale to this game.

First Zach Johnson was held short of the try line. The ball was worked out the wing but Ratcliffe went into touch. The ball was then worked to the other side of the field but Josh Gearey was closed out and Thornhill were left disappointed as the full-time whistle went.

The face another away day tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm), this time travelling to Egremont Rangers.

Knowles leads Boys to win Celtic climb up to third NCL Division Three

BATLEY BOYS DRIGHLINGTON

30 10

MAN OF THE MATCH Joshua Knowles scored twice as Batley Boys beat Drighlington to seal a third consecutive win.

The visitors got the first try as Ethan Hallas opened the scoring and Michael Sanderson converted for a 6-0 lead.

The Boys improved following their sloppy start, with Josh O’Sullivan scoring from an Adam Bingham pass and Gavin Davies touching down next.

Luke Sheridan added a conversion but then had to go off injured, and brother Matt missed a penalty attempt shortly before the break as it

remained 10-6.

Hooker Knowles notched his first try four minutes into the second half, before Ben Speight replied to reduce the difference to four again going into the final quarter.

However, Drig’s cause wasn’t helped when Steven McIntyre was sin-binned for kicking out.

The Boys added three more tries in the final 20 minutes as Knowles registered his second before one each for Tom Brooks and Matt Sheridan. Adam Bingham was on target with two of his three conversion attempts.

Batley will look to keep their good run going tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm) when they go to bottom-placed Salford City Roosters.

NCL Division Three

WOOLSTON ROVERS 10 DEWSBURY CELTIC 18 DEWSBURY CELTIC picked up another tight win on the road to secure a third Division Three success in a row and move up to the third in the table.

After overcoming Millom the previous week, Woolston Rovers were the latest to be dispatched late on by Celtic.

Even more impressively, they came out on top despite having Danny Lee sent off on the hour mark with the scores level at 1010.

Woolston took the lead after just three minutes through an uncoverted Justin Becker try.

The next points did not come

until a minute before half-time, when James Walker went in for a Celtic response and Charlie Heaton converted to put them 6-4 in front at the break.

This time it was Celtic who made a quick start to a half, with Tommy Dunford going in inside four minutes following the restart.

Five minutes later Woolston replied with a Daniel Griffiths try and Billy Maunder conversion, before Lee was dismissed for punching.

Celtic regained the lead with a Heaton penalty on 71 minutes, before a try from man of the match Billy Yarrow and another Heaton goal sealed a hard-fought triumph.

They return to Crow Nest Park tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm) to host Heworth.

RUGBY UNION

Cleck secure vital win over high-flying local rivals North One East

CLECKHEATON RUFC 29 MORLEY 24 CLECKHEATON produced a commendable performance to pick up a much-needed win over local rivals Morley.

Their high-flying neighbours hadn’t lost a match since Cleck defeated them back in December, and this victory came at the perfect time to ease relegation fears.

Indiscipline has cost the Moorenders on a number of occasions this year, but they reaped the rewards for a significant improvement in this department as they conceded only five penalties to Morley’s 14.

The Spen Valley men made one change to last week’s team with James Wilson returning at full-back after injury and Mike Swetman dropping to the bench.

Cleckheaton got off to a solid start and when Morley were penalised at a scrum inside their 22, Dale Breakwell slotted over a simple penalty goal to open the scoring.

Cleckheaton had their

kicking boots on, with telling tactical kicks from both halfbacks pushing Morley into their own quarter. Breakwell added a second penalty on 15 minutes for offside to make the score 6-0.

Breakwell then set up the next score with a superb kick towards the left corner which held up and caught the Morley defence napping.

Danny Booth was the quickest to react and run in, and the conversion was good to put Cleckheaton 13-0 in front after 25 minutes.

Cleckheaton had dominated the scrums with the front three of Paul Turner, Ben Thrower and Andy Piper proving formidable on the day.

Morley conceded three quick penalties at such a setpiece and on the last occasion the ball was tapped and quickly moved left where a scoring pass to Mikey Hayward was intercepted by Morley winger Karl Bradshaw, who raced 80 metres to the other end of the field for an opportunist try.

The conversion was missed but Morley were on the board.

The final action of the half

FULL STRETCH: Cleckheaton’s Danny Booth can’t quite reach the ball against Morley saw more domination by the Cleck pack and after a switch to the blindside by Jack Bickerdike, Booth crossed near the corner flag for his second of the day and 14th of the season. Breakwell missed the conversion and the referee blew for half time with the score 18-5 in Cleckheaton’s favour.

Cleckheaton added Tom Austin and Niall Jackson to the fray and both would go on to have fine games but it was Morley who recommenced with the bit between their teeth.

After several phases close to the Cleckheaton whitewash, a try was awarded and then goaled by Mark Chester,

PHOTO: Gerald Christian

putting Morley back within six points.

It was important that Cleckheaton kept up their momentum after a dominant first half and midway through the second half, they did just that with a spectacular third try.

Morley were penalised deep inside the Cleck 22 and

Breakwell cleared to halfway.

The lineout fell into Morley hands but Brad Marsden ripped it back off them, peeled around the front of the lineout and went on an unstoppable 45-metre romp for a fine try.

Breakwell was unsuccessful with the conversion but he was on target with a penalty from 20 metres some five minutes later to extend the lead to 26-12.

A lapse in Cleck’s defensive line on 69 minutes saw Morley cross for their third try, again improved by Chester to make the score 2619 with just over 10 to go.

Breakwell kicked his fourth penalty goal of the game a minute later to calm Cleck’s nerves and make it a two-score game again, and this proved to be priceless when Morley went in for their bonus point try with a couple of minutes to go.

Tomorrow (Saturday, kickoff 3pm), Cleckheaton face a long trip to North Shields to face Percy Park in their final away game of the season.

Safety is almost secured as, with only two matches left to play, Cleck are now eight points above the drop zone.

ThePress

Friday April 5, 2019

27

RUGBY LEAGUE

Reittie leads Bulldogs cup romp Coral Challenge Cup

BATLEY BULLDOGS LOCK LANE

62 6

Stephen Ibbetson at Fox’s Biscuits Stadium

BATLEY BULLDOGS secured safe passage to the fifth round of the Challenge Cup with an 11-try defeat of a determined Lock Lane outfit.

The amateur side fought well in the first half but struggled as injuries took their toll, and Batley took advantage going down the hill in the second period to rack up a big score.

Lock Lane showed their intent from the outset but were behind after only four minutes, when Alex Bretherton charged through a gap in the defence after Tom Hemingway’s pass and Danny Yates was found in support to touch down. Dave Scott nailed the first of his four conversions.

Batley’s forward pack was causing them problems, and Tyler Dickinson received a short ball from Louis Jouffret to drive over for the second try from close range.

Former Bulldog Danny Sowerby beat Johnny Campbell to the restart and that paved the way for three consecutive sets attacking the home side’s line, following a last-play knock on and then a goal-line drop out, but the defence remained firm.

Lock Lane were paying the price for their determined efforts as both Corey Southern and Lewis Price were forced off through injuries, and Adam Rothwell admirably fought on following problems of his own.

That came following a high tackle on the advancing Campbell, and from the penalty Batley executed a swift left-toright play which finished with Scott playing Wayne Reittie into the corner.

Lock Lane’s efforts continued though and, after being awarded back-to-back

MATCH STATS DEWSBURY RAMS: Dale Morton Rob Worrincy Cameron Leeming Adam Ryder Andy Gabriel Simon Brown Liam Finn Jode Sheriffe Robbie Ward Jordan Andrade Lucas Walshaw Samy Kibula Daniel Igbinedion Subs: Danny King Jack Ray Liam Mackay Callum Field Tries: Gabriel (13, 55), Leeming (24, 62, 77), Morton (33).

Goals: Finn 4/6.

WEST HULL Harry Tyson-Wilson Neville Morrison Jack Watts Jack Lazenby Ryan Langton Ian Kerman Scott Spaven Ryan Wilson Nathan Powley Lee Cator Louis Crowther Ben Arbon Ryan Steen Subs: Josh Wood Sam Cator Oscar Ellington Bobby Tyson-Wilson Tries: Arbon (74).

Goals: Scott 2/2.

Referee: C Worsley Half-time: 18-0 Penalties: 4-7 Man of the match: Cameron Leeming (Dewsbury) Attendance: 366

7 7 8 7 7 7 8 7 7 7 8 7 7 7 7 7 7

7 7 7 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 7 7 7 8

penalties, they displayed a fine move of their own as Connor Land’s give-and-go with Steve Scott saw him over for their first points, with Land also converting.

The last word in the first half went to the hosts, with Jouffret winning a penalty close to the line to allow his side to put further pressure on and Joe Taira sending Michael Ward in under the sticks to make it 24-6 at the break.

Batley had played most of the first half far from their best, but began the second half down the slope in strong fashion.

A loose ball was picked up by Ward and he found Reittie on the wing to step inside and run in for a try two minutes

in. With Dom Brambani replacing Scott at half-time, Jouffret took over kicking duties to extend the lead.

Yates looked to be clear moments later after Paul Brearley broke through but the initial ball to him was ruled forward. They were definitely over again though when Lock Lane were caught short of numbers following a scrum, giving Jouffret acres of space to jog through and touch down.

From the restart Taira muscled his way through and tried to lumber all the way to the line, but his legs just couldn’t carry him to the corner. Tom Sowerby was down in back play after taking a knock to the head and had to

be helped off after lengthy treatment.

The injury count wasn’t helping their efforts as Batley continued their rampage, with Brearley offering a superb offload for Jouffret to run in for his second try in four minutes.

The Frenchman then turned provider for Sam Smeaton to finish off a rapid move from left to right, before Taira’s offload to Brearley saw them through again as Hemingway finished off an incisive move down the middle.

Another left-to-right move saw Smeaton slipped in by Jouffret again for his second with five minutes left on the clock, before Reittie sealed his hattrick in the final moments.

Diskin: Selection headache for Vikings Continued from back page The cup tie gave the Bulldogs boss the opportunity to try out different players and combinations, with eight personnel changes made to the team that lost to Toulouse the previous week.

Both Wayne Reittie and Dom Brambani were handed recalls, with Reittie scoring a hat-trick of tries on the wing and Brambani coming into the halves in the second half alongside fellow returnee Danny Yates as the team rotated its pivots.

“Danny Yates and Dom Brambani came in and got 40 minutes apiece to try and look at the things I’ve asked them to improve, that have stopped them getting selected the last few weeks,” explained Diskin.

“I thought they tried today, so it gives me a selection headache going into (this) weekend.

“Wayne’s a very good player and we know he can score tries.

LOCK LANE: Lewis Price Adam Rothwell Nick Saxton Tommy Newbould Tom Sowerby Danny Sowerby Connor Land Sean Hesketh Craig Savage Rob Firth Corey Southern Steve Scott Chris Siddons Subs: Craig Duncan Jack Lee Michael Platt Craig Jones Tries: Land (33).

Goals: Land 1/1.

DECISIONS TO MAKE: Coach Matt Diskin was pleased to see players take their chance to impress I’ve been asking him to work on the smaller details of his game, off the ball, and we’ll have a look at the video and see if he took those

messages on board. But we know he can finish and carry a ball, it’s the smaller details that I’m asking of people at the moment. They’re

Fringe players star as Rams progress to the next round Coral Challenge Cup

DEWSBURY RAMS 32 WEST HULL

6

at Tetley’s Stadium CAMERON LEEMING scored a hat-trick as Dewsbury Rams sealed their route into the fifth round of the Challenge Cup with an efficient if unspectacular performance against a hard-working West Hull side.

The NCL Premier Division side emerged from the contest with plenty of credit and made their hosts work hard for every point, while also posing their own questions with the ball in hand.

Jack Lazenby, Ian Kerman and Ryan Steen were impressive performers for the visitors, while Leeming, supported

by Lucas Walshaw and Liam Finn, did much of the damage for Dewsbury.

West Hull applied pressure during the opening stages but were unable to find the right ball on the fourth and fifth tackles.

While Rob Worrincy knocked on with space in front of him for Dewsbury, the Rams opened the scoring in the 13th minute when an excellent

MATCH STATS BATLEY BULLDOGS: Dave Scott 7 Wayne Reittie 8 Sam Smeaton 7 Keenen Tomlinson 7 Johnny Campbell 8 Louis Jouffret 8 Danny Yates 7 Tom Everett 7 Tom Hemingway 8 Tyler Dickinson 8 Paul Brearley 8 Alex Bretherton 8 Dane Manning 7 Subs: Lewis Bienek 8 Dom Brambani 7 Joe Taira 8 Michael Ward 8 Tries: Yates (4), Dickinson (16), Reittie (28, 42, 79), Ward (36), Jouffret (49, 53), Smeaton (55, 75), Hemingway (65).

Goals: Scott 4/4, Jouffret 5/7.

offload from Walshaw released Leeming on half-way.

Leeming found his winger Andy Gabriel, who had an easy run into the corner.

Finn added the goal, but the visitors reacted well to prevent the Rams building much momentum.

The hosts added a second try in the 24th minute when Leeming connected with a flowing right-to-left move to crash over out wide.

Finn added a superb conversion but again the visitors responded positively and asked questions in attack.

Jordan Andrade was held up over the line after hitting Finn’s flat pass at pace and West Hull rallied to keep the deficit down to 12 as half-time approached.

But the hosts grabbed a game-breaking third score in the final five minutes when Dale Morton jinked his way over from close range.

Finn’s goal made it 18-0 and the Rams were in total control, despite the gallant efforts of their opponents.

West Hull were millimetres away from getting off the mark 10 minutes into the second half, but Neville Morrison knocked on as he attempted to latch on to Harry TysonWilson’s kick.

The Rams added a fourth try in the 55th minute when Gabriel jinked past three defenders to race over.

Leeming later added a second when he straightened up another move left.

West Hull were rewarded for their efforts throughout the contest with just over five minutes remaining when Ben Arbon plunged the ball down out wide.

Ryan Wilson added a superb conversion from the left touchline to make it 26-6, but Leeming complete a hat-trick.

The centre was quickest to react when Morton palmed back Finn’s cross-field kick.

Fifth round draw THE DRAW has been made for the fifth round of the Challenge Cup, with both Heavy Wollen sides receiving ties against lower-league opposition.

Dewsbury Rams play the last amateur club left in the competition, Thatto Heath Crusaders, away from home after the NCL Premier Division side beat semiprofessional North Wales Crusaders last weekend. Dewsbury’s game will be streamed live on the BBC Sport website on Sunday, April 14 (kick-off 3pm).

Batley Bulldogs also face an away tie as they go to League One Doncaster, who thrashed Featherstone Lions last time out, on Sunday, April 14 (kick-off 3pm).

getting up to speed and they’re working hard with it, and it was good to see those guys putting a little bit of that into practice.”

6 6 6 6 7 7 7 6 7 7 6 7 7 6 6 6 6

Referee: N Bennett Half-time: 24-6 Penalties: 6-5 Man of the match: Tyler Dickinson (Batley) Attendance: 501

Moor last side without a point after heavy defeat

TOUGH START: Aiden Ineson scored Moor’s only try in their latest loss

NCL Division One

DEWSBURY MOOR YORK ACORN

6 40

DEWSBURY MOOR are now the only side in the National Conference Leagues without a point this season after a third defeat on the bounce.

This was the heaviest yet as York Acorn notched 40 points against the newly-promoted side still struggling to find their feet in this tier.

Man of the match Anthony Chilton opened the scoring with a converted try for Acorn, before adding conversions to two further first-half tries from Tim Stubbs and Lewis Brown as the visitors led 18-0 at

the break.

Moor hit back early in the second half with an Aiden Ineson converted try, but two tries in 10 minutes for York put the game beyond them.

Lewis Lord and James Mountford added tries as Chilton landed one conversion and a penalty with six minutes to go.

Joel Johnson and Reece Rushworth went in for tries in the final four minutes and Chilton landed one more conversion to complete another tough day for the Maroons.

They have another chance to get off the mark in front of their own fans tomorrow (Saturday, kick-off 2.30pm) when they host Wigan St Patricks.

New deal for Day

By Stephen Ibbetson Sports Reporter sport@thepressnews.co.uk

DEWSBURY RAMS hooker Sam Day has signed a new two-year deal with the club.

The 24-year-old has been one of their stand-out performers so far this campaign, appearing in all seven of their Championship games and scoring three tries.

He first joined the club on loan in 2017 and signed a permanent deal last year, while his new contract will keep him at Dewsbury until 2021.

“I’m very happy to get it sorted out so early on and it’s nice to know where you’re going to be playing and I can just look forward to the next few years here,” said Day. “My main aim was just to play more games this year. I feel like playing week after week is really benefiting me and hopefully I can carry it on for the rest of the year.”

Coach Lee Greenwood says that Day has impressed him since taking charge of the team.

“Sam started the season really well and was probably thirdchoice hooker last season, having come from Featherstone before that,” he said.

“He is now establishing himself this season, and with a good pre-season behind him and given the opportunity to play he can now show what he can do. The retention of players is just as important as recruiting new players.”

The club have also been busy with loans this season, and Greenwood says that five of the players currently at the club will remain there until the end of the season unless they are recalled.

Callum Field and Samy Kibula are at the club from Wigan Warriors, while Wakefield Trinity pair Luke Hooley and Chris Annakin and Hull KR’s Owen Harrison also remain available. Owen Trout’s loan from Leeds Rhinos has been extended.

“Field, Kibula, Annakin, Hooley (and) Harrison are all pretty much for the season now unless their first teams want them,” Greenwood said.

“Owen Trout we’ve extended for just another week for now, because there’s a good chance he could make his first-team debut for Leeds soon, so we’ll review that one as we go along.”

He added: “Obviously Easter’s quite difficult and then we don’t really get a week off. It’s game after game and there’s the 1895 Cup that starts as well, and if you’re in the Challenge Cup you’ve got play (the 1895 Cup) midweek, so it’s quite a tough schedule for a part-time team.

“We want all bodies available to us, so that’s the loan players that we’ve brought in but that’s also the guys of ours that have gone out on loan for game time.

“When it comes to this Easter period, most of them will have had the month and they’re ready to be called back if we need them.”

Harvey Hallas has spent the last month at Keighley Cougars,

HAPPY DAY: Sam has signed to 2021 and that loan has been extended, although Greenwood says that his opportunity for the Rams will come.

Meanwhile, they could be without captain Paul Sykes for the next few weeks after he picked up a knock in the win over Featherstone Rovers.

The veteran half-back is suspended for this week’s trip to Bradford Bulls anyway, but Greenwood will hope to have him available over the Easter period.

“It’s not a long-term one I don’t think, but obviously you’d prefer to have him in your squad,” said the Rams boss.

“We’ll have a look at it after this week, it’s Thatto Heath in the Challenge Cup (next week) so if he misses that one we can cover that but then we’ll look and see.”

Dewsbury progressed in the Cup with a 32-6 win over amateur

side West Hull last weekend.

Cameron Leeming scored a hattrick of tries and Andy Gabriel added a double, and both are giving their coach a selection headache having only played one league match each so far.

“They got a chance at the weekend and you can’t do much more than scoring three and two tries,” said Greenwood.

“We want competition for places. You can’t just go with 17 lads and expect that will get you through the year, you need maybe 25 players of Championship quality who can come in and do jobs at different times. So hopefully those guys are improving week on week.

“Those two signed from League One so it doesn’t always work out that you’re ready-made to play every single week, but they’re both training hard and I’m sure they’ll both play a big part this season.”

Before the next round and a trip to Thatto Heath Crusaders, the Rams go to Bradford on Sunday (kick-off 3pm) in a match that is being streamed live on the OurLeague app.

On the Bulls, Greenwood said: “Their form’s not been bad, they narrowly lost at Widnes who are full-time so that was a decent effort, then they beat Leigh in their last league at home.

“They’re a good side and I’d say two thirds of the squad are possibly full-time. There’s a lot of experience and quality from a level above in there as well, so we’re going to have to be at our absolute best to try and come away with something.”

Another tough test for Batley BATLEY BULLDOGS coach Matt Diskin admits his side face more “tough opposition” when they take on Widnes Vikings this weekend.

After coming up against Toronto Wolfpack and Toulouse Olympique in their last two Championship fixtures, the Bulldogs encounter yet more full-time opposition on Sunday (kick-off 3pm) at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium.

Having been comfortably beaten by both the Canadian side and the French outfit, the coach knows how big a task they face against the Vikings.

“They’re another full-time team we’re coming up against, and that brings us different challenges,” he said.

“They’re very clinical and they’ve been able to spend a lot of time on the small details, and they’ll be tough opposition for us. They’ve started the season well and picked up the points very quickly.”

Widnes remain bottom of the table after their 12point deduction for entering administration, but have already recovered to zero points after six wins from their opening seven outings.

A win this weekend would see them overtake Batley, who have only picked up one victory in their first eight and would likely be pushed into the relegation zone.

The Bulldogs were at least able to enjoy some relief from their Championship struggles last weekend, romping to a 62-6 home win over amateur side Lock Lane in the Challenge Cup fourth round.

Diskin concluded that the match had been “a good confidence-builder” for his struggling squad.

“Defensively in the second half we controlled field position and made it very hard for Lock Lane,” he said after the game.

“From an offensive point of view it’ll build some confidence and some relationships where in the last few weeks we’ve not been as clinical as we need to be.

“We’ve got to back that up against the quality opposition that is in our league. No disrespect to Lock Lane but their middles wouldn’t have had the same level of conditioning as ours and we knew that and got the rewards for that later on.

“Our job now is to make sure we can do that against teams of a higher quality,” he added.

Continued on page 27

Biggest week as United prepare for two cup finals

By Stephen Ibbetson OSSETT UNITED are looking ahead to the biggest week in their short history as they prepare for not one but two cup finals.

The men’s team play Guiseley in the West Riding County Cup final at Ingfield on Tuesday night (April 9, kick-off 7.45pm), three days after a crucial league clash in their play-off race when they host Tadcaster Albion (Saturday, kick-off 3pm).

But they’re not the only side aiming for silverware over the coming days, with the women’s team in the North East Women’s League Cup final against Durham Cestria at Storking Lane, Wilberfoss (Sunday, kick-off 2pm).

United chief executive Phil Smith says that the atmosphere at the club, which was only formed last year from the merger of Ossett Albion and Ossett Town, is special.

“There’s a great buzz at the club at the moment, not just from where we are in the league or what we’re doing in

the cup but just in general,” he said.

“It helps to breed success.

Everyone’s going in the right direction, you’ve got the right people in place. You see that formula come together and that’s what seems to have happened.”

Ossett have put great stock in their County Cup run, and were rewarded with a superb 4-1 over National League side FC Halifax Town in the last four to reach the final.

They are fighting on two fronts with a big league tie tomorrow against Tadcaster, who sit just outside of the play-off places, only three points behind United, while Guiseley are battling against relegation in National League North.

“If we beat them on Saturday it puts a nice gap between us in the play-offs and just outside it, which is a target on Saturday,” said Smith. “And then most of us are looking past the weekend already to that big game on Tuesday.

“We’re unsure what kind of

EXCITING TIMES: Ossett United chief executive Phil Smith (left) and manager Andy Welsh side Guiseley are going to play. They’re struggling a bit in their league, so are they going to send across a full first team because it’s a chance to win a trophy, or are they going to not risk it and send across a team like Halifax did?”

County Cup finals are usually played at the West Riding FA’s headquarters at Fleet Lane, but with such large demand expected the two

clubs decided on who should host the match in the fairest possible way.

Smith explained: “We’ve both got more fans individually than Fleet Lane could hold, so it actually went down to a coin toss!

“The chairman tossed his lucky coin back in his office on FaceTime and he landed his on tails. We flipped the coin at headquarters and it landed on tails!

PHOTOS: John Hirst

“We’ve sold 750 tickets and we’re expecting at least another 100 to turn up on the night.

“They’ve only sold about 80 tickets at Guiseley though, so they’re not getting much response behind it.

“For them it’s just a County Cup but for us it’s a big deal, it’s our first-ever cup final as a club in our first year.”

The gate receipts will be split, but Smith joked:

“Guiseley will probably go home with a few quid in their back pocket. Let’s hope that’s all they go home with!”

While the cup final is the talk of the town, it’s the job of manager Andy Welsh to keep the players focused on their league game first.

“In terms of the playing side, I’ve not given it any thought at all at the minute,” he said of the final.

“The cup final is a free hit really. After we get Saturday out of the way, we can concentrate on the cup final. I’d rather all my players absolutely go for it on Saturday rather than holding back.”

On Guiseley, Welsh said: “I think they have quite a few games to catch up on and I know they’re in a bit of a precarious position in the league so it all depends on what injuries they have and things like that, as to whether they’ll play a decent side.”

He also believes that having home advantage will make a big difference.

Continued on page 25