Lancashire Now 215

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Issue. 215 - AUGUST 2022 0115 6972677 | www.wilcopmedia.co.uk | sales@wilcopmedia.co.uk

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GRIFFIN LODGE TO BE TRANSFORMED

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KILLERS SENTENCE INCREASED

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Lancashire submits £50m bid to the Government's Levelling Up Fund

Lancashire's £50 million bid to the Government's Levelling Up Fund has been submitted.

The Levelling Up Fund is designed to invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK. The £4.8bn fund will support town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets.

If Lancashire's bid is successful, it could secure up to £50 million to develop a range of complementary public transport, walking and cycling projects that would significantly improve travel opportunities for people across East Lancashire, making them safer and greener.

After considering 600 potential transport schemes county-wide, the council has selected three themed interventions in the East Lancashire districts of Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale.

The title of the bid is 'Levelling Up East Lancashire. Creating opportunities through greener, safer and healthier travel'. It's three themes are: 1. Liveable Neighbourhoods – making residential areas safer for walking and cycling, and making neighbourhoods more attractive by connecting places through greener walking and cycling routes.

2. Public Transport

Service Improvements – upgrading public transport facilities, and reducing journey times to work, training and education.

3. Active Travel – improving walking and cycling facilities, connecting residential areas with places of employment, shops and leisure facilities – all helping to improve the health and well-being of local people.

County Councillor Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development and growth, said: "A huge amount of work has been undertaken to identify the areas that would benefit the most from the Levelling Up Fund. This includes looking at levels of employment, health, physical activity, air quali-

ty, car ownership, road accidents, walking and cycling, and bus and rail services.

"Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent public engagement that captured residents' views on the issues faced in their communities and potential transport interventions. This feedback has been used to help shape the final proposals.

"We are confident in presenting a strong bid which is not only deliverable but meets the fund's core objectives."

If Lancashire's bid is successful, more detailed proposals will be developed with input from partners and with close engagement with residents, organisations and businesses.

The county council has also offered in-principle funding support to six Levelling Up Fund bids being made by district and borough council's from its own £5million Levelling Up Investment Fund.

It is hoped this support will increase the chances of these partner council's having a successful bid.

The council's being supported are Preston City Council, Chorley Council, West Lancashire Borough Council, Rossendale Borough Council, Hyndburn Borough Council and Fylde Borough Council.

Cllr Riggott added: "All of these bids are really exciting and will make a real difference to their areas.

We're proud to be backing all of them."

Find out more at Lancashire's Levelling Up Fund Bid - Lancashire County Council

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Call for more Lancashire foster carers More foster carers who can foster brothers and sisters are urgently needed.

This is the stark message in a new Lancashire County Council campaign, which aims to keep siblings together when they need to go into foster care.

In the last month, the county council needed to find new foster families for 75 children.

A third of these children were part of a sibling group.

Foster carers come from all walks of life. The council is looking for everyday people to do something incredible by providing a safe, stable, and caring home for a child. They need to have a spare room and must be over 21.

Foster carers receive an allowance of between £341 and £447 per week, for each child they care for.

When a sibling group of three or more children are matched and placed at the same time, the foster carers will receive an additional incentive one off payment of £1000, after the children have been successfully fostered for two months.

Fostering service staff provide financial and practical support and training, includ-

ing courses at the county council's Foster Carer Academy and access to the Foster Carer Mentoring Programme.

There is also peer support through local groups, regular social activities and the Fostering Communities Project.

County Councillor Cosima Towneley, cabinet member for children and families, said: “Keeping brothers and sisters together in foster care is vitally important. The uniqueness of familial ties helps secure the children in times of crisis and can only be a good thing when looking

to the future.

“This is a superb opportunity for people to make a huge difference to local children's lives and one they will find very rewarding. Of course, fostering children can be challenging, but there’s plenty of expert support readily on-hand from colleagues in the county council’s fostering team.

“Whatever your race, gender, sexuality, living arrangements, age and employment status, we want to hear from you.

“I’d like to thank all of our

foster carers who provide a stable and loving home to children and, in advance, thank all of the new foster carers who sign up and successfully join us.”

Foster carers who transfer from another agency will be fast-tracked through the process. They will be paid at the same level as they received from the agency.

There are several events where people considering fostering can meet foster carers and the county council team, who would be delighted to answer any questions you may have.

For more information about becoming a foster carer, call the fostering recruitment team on 0300 123 6723 or visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/fostering

Underage vape sale fine for Leyland shop A Leyland discount store owner has been prosecuted and fined this week after a disposable vaping device was sold to an underage teenager.

A test purchase operation by Lancashire County Council’s trading standards team saw a 14-year-old girl successfully buy an Elf Bar 600 Disposable Pod from J & C Bargain Store, 345 Leyland Lane, Leyland on 14 February 2022.

The Elf Bar should only have been sold to over 18s, and the shop owner who made the sale has been hit with a fine at Lancaster Magistrates Court.

The court heard that the discount store on Leyland Lane sold a nicotine inhaling product to a 14-year-old volunteer on 14 February 2022.

Azeem Patel, who owns the business, was fined £184, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and council costs of £200.

Lancashire County Council's trading standards team carried out the test purchase operation in

response to a huge increase in the number of complaints relating to underage sales of vaping products.

County Councillor Michael Green, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Once again this case sends out a clear message that we won’t tolerate anyone selling vaping products to children under the age of 18.

"In many instances, we work with businesses to ensure they comply with the law and act responsibly. However, where necessary, we will not hesitate to prosecute, especially where previous advice is ignored.

"The health of our young people in Lancashire is very important to us. Test purchase operations like this are a key part of our plans to protect young people's future health and reduce the burden of smoking on our communities."

It is a criminal offence to sell nicotine inhaling products to anyone under 18. Nicotine inhaling

products include e-cigarettes, cartridges and e-liquids.

Angela Lomax, trading standards manager, commented: "Lancashire trading standards will continue to undertake test purchasing operations relating to the whole range of products and services that are subject to age restrictions.

"We will take action against those breaking the law."

Anyone wishing to report a shop for selling vapes, e-cigarettes, cigarettes or tobacco to young people under the Age of 18 should ring the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.

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Boost launches dedicated women in enterprise hub in response to female business leaders’ report

A dedicated new online hub has been launched to coincide with the release of a detailed report about the challenges faced by women in business and leadership in Lancashire.

The Women in Enterprise Hub has been funded and launched by Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub. It provides details of current female business support and events services as well as showcasing inspirational women in the county through Q&A interviews.

It has been launched in response to the Growing Women, Growing Lancashire report, which was funded by Boost and authored by two influential leaders in Lancashire’s business support community, Jane Binnion and Wendy Bowers. This report is now available to view in the new hub.

A Women in Enterprise steering group has also been established to work alongside the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and create a long-term strategy to grow the number of women in business and leadership in the county.

Andrew Leeming, programme manager, Boost, said: “We all need to do more to support female entrepreneurs and business leaders across the county.

“This is not simply about creating a new hub on the Boost website. It is a signal that Boost and Lancashire County Council is responding to this important report and will continue to work with Jane and Wendy to improve the economic landscape for our female entrepreneurs.

“We want to better understand the unique challenges women in business face and begin to tackle these together.”

Growing Women, Growing Lancashire maps the number of women owning businesses and leading organisations.

It finds that less than one in four businesses is owned by a woman and only one in

five directors are women.

The percentage of female directors has remained unchanged since 2014.

The report cites national research, in particular the Alison Rose Review (2019), in addition to compiling local research and reveals a landscape where more women than ever are starting businesses but very few of those grow to £1m turnover.

It analyses Lancashire’s business support landscape, including the support offered

by Boost, local authorities and several other organisations, and offers a number of recommendations to how the business support community can better support Lancashire women.

It finds that while there are equal numbers of men and women accessing new business support through Boost, mentoring and coaching (Boost Growth Mentoring and Boost Bespoke) support for established businesses has a split of 60 per cent male and 40 per cent female.

Wendy Bowers, co-author of the report and founder of the business coaching and leadership organisation Role founder, Role, said: “There is no national strategy to support women in leadership and business and Lancashire’s response to the recommendations in the report has been swift and impressive.

“We already have a Women in Enterprise steering group in place, working in conjunction with the Lancashire LEP as well as a six-month women’s business growth programme Women Scaling

Upthrough Lancashire County Council’s Two Zero scaleup service, which will begin in September.

“The Boost online hub is the third recommendation in the report and will be an online space where organisations can celebrate women’s success stories and women can find support, events and more which are designed at times to suit women and in ways that support women.”

Jane Binnion, co-author of the report and co-founder of women’s business growth organisation The Growing Club CIC, said: “It was back in 2015 that we worked with Boost and partners to run the Listening Out Loud event, to explore the various issues for women in business in Lancashire.

“So to have been given the opportunity and support this year to produce this report, launch the steering group and this online hub, is just fantastic.

“The Growing Club has been delivering women in business support for six years and we can now look forward to women across the county having the opportunity to access the right business support for them, be it start-up or growth.”

Boost is Lancashire's Business Growth Hub and is led

by Lancashire County Council and the Lancashire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership). It is supported by funding from Lancashire County Council, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

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Freddie bowled over by Afghan wonder-kid who is turning cricket into his own field of dreams When it comes to cricket, Freddie Flintoff has done it all! In 2005, Freddie’s career culminated in match winning performances which meant that England regained the Ashes.

Cricketers including former England international David Gower, Australian coach John Buchanan and former England captain Michael Vaughan, have marvelled over Freddie’s achievements as a batsman, bowler and slip fielder.

But now it’s Freddie who is looking on in amazement!

While filming his Field of Dreams documentary for the BBC in Preston, in which he tries to turn an unlikely

Adnan

group of teenagers into a cricket team, his attention was drawn to 16-year-old Adnan who is a refugee from Afghanistan.

Adnan’s foster parents, Barry and Elaine, who foster for Lancashire County Council, said they are both very proud of Adnan's sporting talent.

Elaine, from Preston, said: “To have impressed Freddie Flintoff, just shows how talented Adnan is. When Adnan arrived with us in March of last year, he went out into our garden and started bowling golf balls in our little driving range. Barry and I were immediately struck by his obvious natural ability.

“But there’s much more to Adnan than his sporting abilities. His story is astonishing.

“Effectively, Adnan travelled in the back of a lorry from Afghanistan to Calais by foot, boat, truck and cars. In Calais he hid in an empty lorry and found his way to Preston.

When he arrived here, he cut himself out of the lorry and handed himself in to the

police.

“Barry and I have total admiration for Adnan. In making his way to the UK, he has displayed astonishing levels of courage and ingenuity. Since he came to stay with us, he has learnt English, made lots of friends at college and of course, demonstrated his fantastic ability to play cricket.

“Adnan is genuinely gifted and we’re privileged to have got to know him”.

When Adnan arrived in Preston, he was frightened: “I just sat in my bedroom for the first couple of weeks, said Adnan. “I couldn’t speak a word of English. Barry said ‘football’ which I understood but I shook my head. Barry then said ‘cricket’, and I suddenly thought, he’s talking my language.

“I went into the garden and started bowling golf balls in the golf driving net. I think Elaine and Barry were both impressed with my technique and how quickly I could bowl the ball.

“When I arrived in the UK, I hadn’t heard of Freddie Flintoff. I definitely know who he is now. He’s a legend … for me to be involved in his television programme is a great opportunity.

“Freddie has offered me a lot of coaching and encouragement, and I really hope I can continue to improve as a cricketer. I will continue to work hard and you never know, I might just get somewhere.

“If I achieve just a fraction of what Freddie has achieved in the game, I will be extremely proud. I’d like to thank Freddie, Elaine and Barry, and the many other people here in Preston, for their love, help and support”.

Elaine added: “We only know a tiny amount about the trauma Adnan has experienced in Afghanistan and during his dangerous journey to the UK. Despite all of that, over the past 16 months, Barry and I have watched Adnan learn English, flourish as a cricketer and develop into a

Freddie with foster carers Barry and Elaine fine young man”.

County Councillor Cosima Towneley, Lancashire’s cabinet member for children and families, said: “There’s no doubt that Adnan is a very talented cricketer and it was lovely to see Freddie Flintoff taking such great interest in him.

“Adnan has faced extraordinary challenges in his young life, and we are delighted he found a safe, secure and happy home with Elaine and Barry through the Lancashire Fostering Service.”

“Like all our foster carers, Elaine and Barry are part of a very special breed by opening their home and lives to

children and youngsters like Adnan, they open a world of opportunity.

“We’re always keen to hear from people who are interested in fostering. There's no typical foster carer and our carers are different ages and come from many different backgrounds. The most important thing is what you can offer to a child or young person at a pivotal moment of their life. If you think this could be you, please contact Lancashire Foster Care on the details below.”

For more information visit https://www.lancashire.gov. uk/fostering/can-i-foster/ or call 0300 123 6723.

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Two arrested after death of baby in Hapton

Detectives investigating the death of a baby in Hapton have arrested two people on suspicion of murder.

We were called around 1.20pm on March 1 to an address in the village following reports a baby had suffered a medical episode.

Emergency services attended and the child was taken to hospital for treatment, however he sadly died on March 5. His family continue to be supported by specially-trained officers.

In March, a 60-year-old woman from Haslingden and a 78-year-old man from Burnley were arrested on suspicion of Section 18 Assault.

Following further enquiries, they were both re-arrested on suspicion of murder earlier this month. They have since been released on bail until August 18, with enquiries continuing.

We are continuing to investigate the circumstances which led to the child’s death and are keen to hear from anybody who was in Townley Park, Burnley, between 10am and 2pm on March 1 and saw a woman pushing a pram, accompanied by other children.

In particular, we want to speak to two female dog walkers, who helped the woman and the children getting up a steep hill. One of the dog walkers was a medical professional, potentially an anaesthetist, and one of the dogs was a Springer Spaniel or a similar breed.

We also want to speak to anybody who saw a white Mitsubishi Outlander parked in the Townley Park carpark between the times above.

DCI Allen Davies, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “First and foremost my thoughts remain with the baby’s loved ones at this extremely distressing time. We are continuing to work hard to establish exactly what led to his death.

“Although two people have now been arrested on suspicion of murder our enquiries are very much ongoing. If you saw or heard anything which could help our investigation but have not come forward yet, I would urge you to do so as soon as possible.”

Call 101, quoting log 614 of March 1, 2022 or email forcecontrolroom@lancashire. police.uk

Sex abuser jailed for 30 years A man who committed a series of historical rapes and sexual assaults has been jailed today for 30 years.

Philip May, 60, of Wem, Shrewsbury, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court following an investigation

by Lancashire Police.

In 2019 police were approached by a woman who alleged she had suffered serious sexual abuse by May when she was a child. As part of police enquiries, a second woman was spoken to, who also confirmed she had suffered serious sexual abuse by May as a child.

The offending was reported as taking place between 2005 and 2009 in the Hesketh Bank area.

May was later given summons to appear at court for 24 offences, including rape, sexual assault, sexual touching and attempt rape.

He pleaded not guilty but following a trial was found guilty of all offences on Wednesday (July 27).

Today he was sentenced

to 30 years in prison. He must serve a minimum of two-thirds of his sentence and is only eligible for parole after 20 years.

He will be on the sex offenders register for life.

Investigating Officer Simon Morris, of Lancashire Constabulary’s Op Fervent team, which investigates historical sexual abuse, said: “May abused these girls over a number of years, committing horrific sexual abuse and robbing them of their innocence to satisfy his own depraved sexual desires.

“His conviction and sentence is justice for them and I commend them for their

bravery in coming forward and facing their abuser through the court process.

They have behaved with dignity throughout this investigation.

“Lancashire Constabulary remains committed to investigating allegations of this nature, no matter how historic, and no matter what the role, position and status of the alleged offender, and we would encourage anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward safe in the knowledge that they will be treated sensitively and professionally.”

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Killer's sentence increased

A man who murdered two of his own children and his girlfriend has had his prison sentence extended.

Jordan Monaghan, 30, who also attempted to murder a third child, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had his sentence increased at the Court of Appeal.

Monaghan had been found guilty of the offences following a 10-week trial in December.

He was initially jailed for life with a minimum term of 40 years.

Earlier this year, a decision was made to review the sentence by the Attorney General, as it had been described as too lenient.

After today’s ruling, Monaghan’s minimum term was increased to 48 years.

During his trial the court heard Monaghan smothered three-week-old Ruby Monaghan in January 2013 and his 21-month-old son

Logan seven months later in August 2013. The prosecution said he murdered the children to try and get closer to his then partner, the children’s mother, after the relationship became strained.

He sought to cover his murderous actions by presenting both deaths as tragic natural causes.

Both these deaths were investigated by the police under their national joint child deaths protocols, including a forensic post-mortem examination, but the findings at that time were given as natural causes (bronchial pneumonia) for Ruby and unascertained for Logan.

After the initial investigations the deaths of both Ruby and Logan were treated as non-suspicious due to a lack of positive medical evidence to the contrary.

Monaghan then tried to kill a third child in 2016. She survived but cannot be identified

for legal reasons.

After the attempted murder of the third child police reviewed the deaths of the first two children and further expert evidence strongly supported the fact they had died as a result of Monaghan deliberately restricting their breathing. Lancashire’s Force Major Investigation Team launched a murder investigation.

Monaghan was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and was on bail, pending a detailed and comprehensive investigation which included further forensic expert evidence, and prosecution advice.

In 2019 as police and prosecutors were building a case against him Monaghan struck again and murdered his then girlfriend Evie Adams by giving her a cocktail of illegally bought prescription drugs, including tramadol and diazepam. She was 23-years-old.

In spite of bail conditions ordering Monaghan not to associate with Ms Adams and an injunction against him contacting her, and despite police warning her of the danger he posed, the pair surreptitiously kept seeing one another.

There was already a non-molestation order in place in relation to Jordan Monaghan and Evie Adams which was granted in April 2018 and Monaghan was arrested and sentenced to 2 months imprisonment in July 2019 for a breach of this order.

Ms Adams was also offered refuge accommodation on two occasions, but these placements broke down because she continued to see Monaghan surreptitiously – a sign of his controlling behaviour.

Monaghan was also subject to monitoring whilst he was on bail and a number of dis-

closures were made to other women who he had attempted to strike up relationships with.

Monaghan again tried to cover up his crime by making it appear Evie Adams had taken her own life by faking a suicide note.

A full Major Investigation Team investigation began into Evie’s death, which led to the discovery of crucial evidence that led to his conviction.

Following two extensive and hugely complex investigations spanning a total of 3 years and after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service Monaghan was in January 2021 charged with murder, attempted murder and child cruelty. The offending took place in Blackburn.

Det Chief Inspector Pauline Stables, of Lancashire’s Force Major Investigation Team, said: “Our thoughts continue to remain with the families

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Jordan Monaghan and loved ones of Ruby, Logan and Evie Adams.

“Jordan Monaghan intended to kill his victims covertly and then made significant efforts to cover up what he had done. It was only after extremely complex and lengthy investigations that we were able to prove that the deaths of both the children and of Evie Adams were premeditated murder.

“It’s positive that the sentence has been reviewed and increased at the Court of Appeal and is reflective of his truly appalling and wicked crimes.

“Once again my thoughts remain with the loved ones of all of Monaghan’s victims.”

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Outstanding alumni receive special inaugural awards Jack Bishop, Sarah Gardner BEM and Sultan al Maskri were chosen as the first recipients

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has named three outstanding graduates as the first recipients of the inaugural Alumni Achievement Awards.

The special awards have been established to honour and celebrate the achievements of the University’s global community of more than 200,000 alumni.

Software engineering apprenticeship graduate Jack Bishop and management alumna Sarah Gardner BEM received the UK awards while Sultan al Maskri, who studied BEng (Hons) Fire Engineering and MSc Fire Safety Engineering at the Preston Campus, accepted the international prize.

All three took to UCLan’s graduation stage last week to receive their trophies and certificates.

British Aerospace software engineer Jack, who graduated in 2019, received his award in recognition of his contribu-

tion to science, technology, engineering and maths.

He was one of the first graduates from the course and had to work hard to manage his studies while holding down a full-time job. He is currently responsible for the development of a multi-million-pound Aircraft Health Monitoring System, leading a team of software development and test engineers.

Jack, from Hindley, is a Royal Aeronautical Society accredited engineer and in 2021, he was selected for the US Programmes Bee Beamont for excellent performance and dedication to the continuous improvement of software development teams.

He said: “I’m truly honoured to receive this Alumni Award. I wasn’t able to attend my own graduation, so I am pleased I got another chance to walk the stage!

“When I think of my time at UCLan I remember the camaraderie of my cohort working

together to solve problems with technical assignments or helping one another understand complex topics.”

Sarah, who graduated in 2000, was recognised for undertaking more than 20 years of volunteering and charity work, which started when she was a UCLan student.

The mum-of-two, from Uxbridge, works full-time in a senior counter-terrorism role but has also set up three charities; Serving Our Superheroes, Well-being for All, and CHEF – Community Health Education and Food Project.

In 2021, Sarah was awarded a British Citizen’s Award and in 2022 she was awarded the British Empire Medal. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Sarah trained and volunteered as a vaccinator, a care caller and is a community champion.

She said: “My time at UCLan was very special. I’m delighted to receive this award and it’s particularly special to

be one of the first recipients. I feel like I'm, in my own small way, contributing towards the University’s history.

“It was so great to return to the University after 22 years and see how it has changed, it was also fun to re-visit some old memories.”

Sultan, who completed his undergraduate degree in 2006 and master’s in 2008, was honoured for his significant contribution to industry and his work with UCLan to enhance the student experience.

The fire engineer has established his own company, Tenable Fire Engineering Consultancy, in the Sultanate of Oman. The company, which is one of the largest specialist fire engineering consultancies in the Middle East, provides a comprehensive range of high-quality fire and life safety services.

The majority of his 50 employees are graduates of UCLan or partner institution, International College of En-

gineering and Management and his company is sponsoring employees to complete undergraduate and postgraduate fire engineering courses at UCLan. Sultan, who recently featured on the Arabian Business Young Achievers 2021 list, said: “I feel honoured to be recognised as it’s been many years since I graduated, and being the first international student is quite thrilling.

“I still feel it’s too good to be true but it gave me a good opportunity to visit UCLan and explore new opportunities and future training and learning opportunities.”

Maggie Wild, UCLan’s Head of Development and Alumni, added: “We’re so proud of our graduates so we wanted to create a special award that recognises those who have achieved great things, whether that be in their profession, or through their work within the wider community.

“The awards are open to

Jack Bishop all UCLan alumni, including those from predecessor institutions such as Preston Polytechnic and Harris Tech-

Sarah Gardner nical College. The judges were so impressed with the quality of nominations. So well done to all our alumni. You make us proud.”

Sultan Al Maskri

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Family pay tribute to Jyothis The family of a man who died following a collision in Larbreck have paid tribute to his ‘selflessness’ and ‘kindness’.

Jyothis Manalayil, 27, from Bolton, sadly died following a collision on Garstang Road (A586) on Friday, June 10.

He had been driving a Kia Ceed car when it was involved in a collision with a Range Rover, suffering fatal injuries.

In tribute, his family said: “Jyothis Manalayil (Jyo) was a promising young junior doctor who tragically lost his life in a car accident in Garstang Road, Larbreck on Friday 10th June 2022.

“He was travelling from Lancaster Royal Infirmary Hospital after his night shift to Royal Victoria Hospital Blackpool to do a teaching section to medical students.

“Jyothis was a loving son to

his mom and dad and an angel guardian to his younger brother.

“He was an unusually kind and an exceptionally bright person that dedicated his life to caring for others. He continued to show immense potential as a doctor when he graduated in 2017 and he excelled in his academic and clinical career.

“He managed to pass his primary Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA) exams on his first try just when he was beginning his career as a trainee in anaesthetics, proving his dedication to keeping his skills up to date, in order to best treat patients.

“He was an ideal colleague to work with during our busy hospital shifts. He was incredibly hard-working and made sure his team was well looked after during stressful

times. Jyo worked for nearly two years on the ICU at Salford Royal (and during the first wave of the Covid pandemic) and was a well-loved, caring, supportive member of staff; he became a valued member of the ICU family here at Salford.

“Jyo had a passion for mental health awareness in addition to improving equality and diversity in the NHS workplace. He was compassionate, dedicated and always strived for the best in his career as a trainee anaesthetist. He always went the extra mile for his patients whether it was organising their dental appointments or just making them a cup of tea and sharing his terrible jokes.

“Jyo was ambitious about his career and continued to excel in his work. He was particularly passionate about teaching; including directing

on advanced life support courses, delivering teaching on delirium and supporting medical students. He cared about his colleagues deeply and went out of his way to make you feel loved, valued and supported. He always had time to listen to his colleagues concerns and worries and was always ready to help those who were struggling.

“His kind words and actions always provided comfort to those in pain. He was also loved by his patients who loved his calm and caring presence. He was entirely devoted to treating his patients with respect and dignity without prejudice or discrimination. He always took the time to understand his patient’s needs and values and was a powerful advocate for them. His selfless love and loyalty to his patients and colleagues helped many through

Jyothis Manalayil the most difficult of times.

“Jyo, you will truly be missed by the many who were blessed to know you. Your presence brought a smile to those around you and your

selflessness and kindness made those who were lucky to come into contact with you love you and adore you. May you rest in peace Jyo.”

Lancashire parents encouraged to check eligibility for funded education and childcare places for two-year-olds

Lancashire County Council is encouraging parents to check their eligibility for a range of funded early education and childcare for twoyear-old children.

Eligibility depends on individual family circumstances, and those eligible can claim a funded place from the term after their child's second birthday. Any child who turns two by the end of August could also be eligible for a funded place with a local nursery or childminder in September.

Across Lancashire, almost all nurseries and childminders are rated good or outstanding, so families can be confident their child is educated and looked after in a safe, secure environment.

All the local authority's nurseries and childminders are fully inclusive and cater for a

range of cultural, dietary, religious and special educational needs.

County Councillor Jayne Rear, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "This is an excellent opportunity for parents and families to take advantage of the high-quality education and childcare available to their children. Our dedicated teams support children to learn, play and thrive, which prepares them for new experiences like starting school.

If parents aren't sure if they qualify, I would strongly recommend using our eligibility checker – you could be missing out!"

Lancashire parents can go to Lancashire County Council's website to view the criteria and check their eligibility for a two-year-old funded place.

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WINES FROM GERMANY: KLOSTER EBERBACH Weingut Kloster Eberbach is a multi award-winning wine producer, located in the Rheingau district and has global recognition, for their high-quality wine productions. Very attractively furnished, comfortable accommodations, are also offered, plus regular, on-site events. The monastery at Eberbach dates from 1136 and was founded by Cistercian monks. The monks had a wine cellar (Cabinetkeller) where they kept their very best wines. Weingut Kloster Eberbach produces exceptional white and red wines and has an excellent range.

Riesling wines are aromatic and grace countless dining tables often, pairing with fish, seafood and white meats superbly, as well as being enjoyed on their own regularly, too. Crescentia Premium Wines are produced utilising grapes from the very best vineyards. Kloster Eberbach Crescentia Steinberger Riesling trocken (12.0% vol) and Kloster Eberbach Crescentia Rauenthaler Baiken Riesling trocken (12.0% vol) are both extremely popular, dry white wines. The respective bouquets have the typical riesling aroma of apples and other fruits, being displayed for the nasal pleasures. The

anticipation and further

production is regularly found to be on ‘top’ dining tables.

Certainly, a popular selection, for many. Kloster Eberbach Cabinetkeller Steinberg Riesling (13% vol) is a further choice, favoured by numerous lovers of white wines. enjoyments are continued, for The bouquet can, again, be classed as elegant, with citrus the mouthfeel and palate. fruits enticing to the following delights. Welcoming and The Kloster Eberbach range of wines also has Cabinetkeller productions. Highly praised and very much appreciated for their fine qualities, this section includes Kloster Eberbach Cabinetkeller Berg Roseneck Riesling feinherb expressive, the sensations of (11.5 vol). Again, superb fruits continue throughout, quality prevails and this

with an excellent, lengthy palate.

Other Kloster Eberbach Cabinetkeller productions include Berg Schlossberg Spätburgunder trocken (13.5% vol). This splendid, very impressive dry red wine has a ‘wealth’ of dark fruits and pairs with red meat dishes, wonderfully.

If visiting the Rheingau area there are wine tours of the estate available and tastings. The Kloster Eberbach wines can be ordered easily online, also. The Eberbach Monastery regularly has the most memorable weddings,

Article By Trevor Langley with personal requirements, including banquets and receptions, being meticulously planned. Please visit the website for all details. www. kloster-eberbach.de

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Green Light to Transform Griffin Lodge into Health and Wellbeing Hub Proposals to restore and extend Blackburn’s historic Griffin Lodge as a health and wellbeing centre for local people have been given the formal go-ahead.

The idea of carefully restoring and expanding the Grade II listed building, which was once the home of the Mayor of Blackburn, was first proposed by Witton, Limefield and Redlam medical centres in 2017 and today received planning permission.

Currently, the practices are all based in former houses which weren’t built for clinical care or services.

As a result, the practices desperately need new premises which are fit for the purpose of clinical care. In their current buildings, the environment for patients is poor: access for people with disabilities is difficult and the layout is seen as unhelpful and confusing. The buildings are limiting the health and care services the practices can deliver, and the staff they can recruit.

After positive feedback on the proposals from patients and local people in events with the practices several years ago, the practices have teamed up with North West-based primary care premises specialist, Assura, to work to turn their plans and people’s suggestions into reality.

Dr Hereward Brown from Limefield Medical Centre said: “This is an exciting step forward on our journey to create an even better experience for our patients and to improve the working life of our teams, as well as a fantastic thing for Blackburn to see this historic site transformed and put to work once again for our community.”

The new hub at Griffin Lodge will create an outstanding environment for patients. It would allow the practices to offer extended services away from hospital, bringing those services closer to people’s homes and workplaces. These would include minor operations, a much wider range of clinics and support including social prescribing, physiotherapy, mental health services for young people, COPD and pulmonary rehabilitation and many other wellbeing services on site. It will create space for training of student nurses, doctors and nurse practitioners and will be a local health education space. Given Griffin Lodge’s location, there will also be

fantastic links with the surrounding outside space.

Dr Mark Dziobon, Medical Director for Blackburn with Darwen and NHS East Lancashire CCGs said: “This is a major proposal for the area and is a really exciting development. For patients this is going to be a game changer. Over 90% of the contact people have with the NHS locally is via their GP and GP practice. So it is important that people have not only modern and accessible GP services but also services operating out of buildings that are ahead of the times and our expectations. We know that patients want health and care services to be joined up, closer to home and the best that they can

beand this development is a major step in that direction”.

One of the most exciting things about the project is the opportunity to reuse an historic building for vital community services rather than constructing something brand new – an important part of tackling climate change. Historic England research has found that carefully recycling historic buildings can produce far less carbon than the process of demolishing and constructing new sites.

Councillor Phil Riley, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council – which provided the site for the scheme – and Executive Member for Growth and Development, said: “En-

suring our residents have access to the very best services is a top priority for the Council and we’ve worked hard on this scheme with Assura.

“It’s fantastic that these plans for the medical centre in our borough have been passed – bringing a GradeII listed building, which had fallen into disrepair, back in to use too. We’re looking forward to the work starting and seeing Griffin Lodge transformed into a state-ofthe-art facility.”

Patients do not need to take any action and would begin using the new site when it opens as a health hub – subject to planning and construction timescales – in 2024.

Assura Senior Development Manager, David Sadler, said: “There’s still a long, long way to go as this will be such a complex and challenging construction project but receiving planning permission is the next step along the road.

We’ve already transformed a number of older buildings into incredible modern medical centres, from a Victorian school to a former fire station, but this is on a very different scale. The opportunity to help these three practices create their new home at the same time as protecting a local landmark for the future makes this doubly special.”

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Padiham Library ‘walking tall’ Staff at Padiham Library have won an award for offering a program of walks that encourages local people to get out and about.

Working in partnership with Burnley Leisure and Culture, Newground Together and local walking volunteers, the library’s staff developed the schedule of walks. They start and finish at the library, including a walk to Gawthorpe Hall which is tied in with the Bronte connection.

The walks have also been a source of interest for local historians, with walks around the centre of Padiham.

The Padiham Library manager, Alison James, said: “We were very pleased to find that we had been nominated for the Burnley Together Partnership Award and invited to a ceremony at Burnley Mechanics. Owing to a Covid scare, we weren’t able to attend the prize giving ceremony ourselves.

“I’m proud to say we won the award which was very kindly collected on our behalf by one of the organisations we work closely with. They came to present it to us at the library where we now have it in pride of place.

“We have very much en-

joyed working closely with Burnley Leisure and Culture, Newground Together and local walking volunteers. Not only are the walks good for our health, they also allow us to tell local people about all the other services we have in the library.

“The only minor disappointment was that we missed out on the opportunity to meet Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards who was presenting the awards”.

The current program of walks builds on the success of the Beat the Street walking scheme which the library’s staff ran last year. The idea was to get people of all ages out and about in the community, walking, cycling or scootering between beat boxes to gain points by zapping a card. Each participant was able to join a team and to use points collected to compete against other teams on a leader-board, including schools, community teams and small teams.

Later in the summer, it is planned to tie the current program of walks in with Planet Savers, which is the theme of the library service summer reading scheme, along with a Butterflies and Bees walk, and possibly an

orienteering walk working with Pendle Forest Orienteering Group.

County Councillor Peter Buckley, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for community and cultural services, said: “The days when libraries were quiet places where people spoke in hushed tones are long over.

Nowadays, they are at the centre of our communities and cultural lives, providing a range of innovative services.

“Staff at Padiham Library have gone a number of steps further, literally! Walking is an excellent form of gentle exercise and it’s a great way for people to make new friends. And of course, the staff at the library are taking the opportunity to promote all the other services they offer.

“I would like to congratulate the staff on winning the award … it’s richly deserved.

I’m sure Eddie the Eagle would have found something appropriate to say to them!"

The current program of walks is also being run from Burnley Central Library.

More information on the walks and other services available at Padiham Library is available on the Lancashire County Council website.

Lancashire residents who use Telecare thanked for their views on proposed new charges A consultation into proposed charges for Lancashire County Council's Telecare service is to be brought to an early close.

The consultation will close on Monday 8 August.

The consultation was launched to give people the opportunity to share their views on proposed changes to the service. However, the consultation and proposals will now be reviewed following initial feedback.

Carers, people who work in social care and the public were all invited to have their say.

Lancashire County Council's Telecare service is run

by Progress Lifeline and helps people who may need support to live safely and independently at home.

Digital devices enable people to call for assistance when they have a problem.

Some devices can generate automatic alerts in certain situations; for example, if a person has a fall or there is a gas leak.

These alerts are passed straight through to a call monitoring centre, where trained staff can talk to telecare clients and establish what support is needed. If assistance is needed, the monitoring centre will contact a family member or send

the mobile response team to the person's home to check on their wellbeing.

The county council is proposing to introduce charges ranging from £4 to £9 a week so it can afford to pay the increasing costs of running the service.

Officers are now set to review the responses received before considering a further consultation. The results of a further consultation will be considered by the council's Cabinet, which will take all responses into account before any decision is made.

County Councillor Graham Gooch, cabinet member for adult social care, said: "I

would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to give their views following the launch of this current consultation.

"The responses indicate that it would be useful to review our questions to ensure the consultation is as meaningful as possible.

"For that reason, we have decided to bring the current consultation to an early close, with a view to launching a further consultation in the coming weeks.

"We are facing increasing running costs as the number of people using Telecare has grown and expect further increases due to the telephone

service digital switchover.

"We are also aware of other similar technology, which people can use for free or at a lower cost.

“We have been keen to learn from what other authorities are doing and have researched similar schemes before putting forward these proposals.

“Currently, Lancashire

County Council is the only authority in the North West that does not charge any residents for a telecare and mobile response service. The average charge for this service in other local authorities is £5.51 a week."

Customers will be contacted with the details of any further consultation shortly.

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Mature student overcomes mental health issues to graduate from UCLan Alasdair opens up about personal battles during his studies A Weeton graduate has overcome mental health issues to succeed at University.

Alasdair Kilgallen has graduated with a BA (Hons) Strength and Conditioning degree from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), despite also juggling working full-time at Aldi and battling with anxiety and depression during his five-years of study.

After leaving King Edward VII and The Queen Mary Sixth Form, Alasdair’s sole focus was joining the Royal Marines but an injury during training meant this was no longer an option.

The 30-year-old said: “Suddenly I had no direction. Effectively the carpet was taken from under me and I became extremely unhappy working

dead-end jobs, spending my time unwisely, and falling into bad crowds.

“I quickly became a person I now realise was difficult to be around. Unreliable and untrustworthy, making life difficult for the family around me and going in no real direction.”

It was Alasdair’s long-time girlfriend Lucy McGurrell, a UCLan graduate herself, who suggested studying a degree related to his passion for weight-training and athletic performance.

Following a successful foundation year, Alasdair’s attendance gradually dropped in his first year when his mental health struggles began.

He said: “One morning, I parked at my usual place to

walk the rest of the way into uni when I suddenly started having what I now realise was a panic attack. This had never previously happened to me, certainly not to this extent, occasionally I became anxious in certain situations but I just put it down to nerves or something similar.”

Alasdair, who is originally from Fulwood, initially refused to believe there was a real problem with his mental health but was immediately diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and depression by his GP, which stemmed from the loss of his initial career dreams of becoming a Royal Marine.

His course leader referred him to well-being officer Joseph Pryle who helped to create a support plan but

Alasdair’s mental health took another downward turn and he had to repeat his second year.

He said: “This really was the toughest point for me, I didn’t want to be at university anymore and my mental health was really leading me down a dark path. Despite me desperately wanting to quit uni I spoke again with Joseph, and we agreed for me to take a break and begin my second year again.”

Thankfully, Alasdair’s mental health improved in his final year. “I could see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “I took my laptop on holiday with me and was working on my dissertation in a holiday cottage before anyone else was awake in the

morning. I was committed to finishing this.

“Joseph’s support has been incredible. His help in the middle of my studies was genuinely invaluable to me, both with getting me to finish my degree and with the wider picture with my own well-being.”

Alasdair, who has now begun applying for graduate

jobs, added: “I would like to explore helping others, potentially young adults that are troubled like I was in my late teens, and combine it with sport in some capacity. I am incredibly proud of completing my degree and glad I persevered when things were at their bleakest. I am now genuinely excited to see what happens in the future.”

Help keep St Helens Borough clean and tidy this summer Help keep our streets and green spaces free from litter and dog waste this summer by doing the right thing and disposing of your waste in a bin, urges St Helens Borough Council.

Victoria Park Green Flag The plea coincides with national Love Parks Week (29 July - 5 August) and follows increasing reports by local residents about the amount of litter on local streets and parks.

Love Parks Week, run annually by Keep Britain Tidy, gives people across the country the chance to shout about their wonderful green spaces, and celebrates the efforts of

workers and volunteers who protect them.

As part of the local call to action, the council is currently rolling out new signage for litter bins to encourage residents to use regular waste bins for both litter and dog waste.

There are over 450 litter bins in the borough and these can all be used for both litter and dog waste. If you have a dog, please be a responsible owner and clean up after your pets so everyone can enjoy public spaces.

A recent YouGov Survey for Keep Britain Tidy revealed that visiting the park is the highlight of the day for 62 per cent of dog owners, and 62 per cent of parents agreed that

it is the highlight of their child's day too.

The council's grounds maintenance teams have regular cleansing routes around the borough, as well as targeted callouts in response to community reports, but with 1400 hectares of open space, 473 miles of roads, 682 miles of footpaths to cover, residents must dispose of litter and waste to help keep the borough tidy.

And remember that if you're caught leaving dog waste on public land you could be hit with an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice.

Councillor Andy Bowden, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: "Whether you're having a picnic in one of our

parks, walking your dog or grabbing a bite to eat from your local high street, please use the litter bins provided and help us to keep St Helens Borough clean and tidy this summer.

"While we go to great lengths to keep our streets and green spaces clear of litter, we simply can't do it without you. Parks give our communities, our families, and our pets a vital space to play, grow, and bond. Show our borough some love by always disposing of litter and dog waste appropriately."

For more information on reporting litter and dog fouling visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/ report-it

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Short Breaks at Derwen College offers a break in picturesque Shropshire As the summer holidays approach, thoughts turn to making the most of a break from school, college or work.

For parents and carers of young adults with learning difficulties or disabilities, holiday options may seem more limited.

Short Breaks at Derwen College offers a break in picturesque Shropshire for adults with a range of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Set in idyllic countryside, yet close to nearby Chester, Shrewsbury and North Wales, Short Breaks offers guests the chance to enjoy a fun-filled break with trips and activities, or to chill out and relax with friends. For other guests, the facility can be the ideal stepping stone between home and supported living.

Derwen College offers Short Breaks respite care for over 18s for 51 weeks a year including day trips, social activities and independence skills. Though separate from College campus, guests have access to the exceptional College facilities which include a gym, sports hall and swimming pool.

Each guest has their own bedroom

with en-suite facilities, and specialist equipment if required. Guests and their families are invited for a look around to get to know the accommodation and staff, to make sure they feel happy about their new surroundings.

Each guest is carefully assessed so that staff can understand medical needs, behaviour plans, as well as likes and dislikes.

Short Breaks activities are tailored around guests’ preferences and wishes wherever possible – so visitors will want to come back again and again!

Short Breaks has room for a maximum of six guests at a time, with an average of four or five staying at one time – perfect for getting to know new friends, while in a cosy, comfortable environment.

A parent says: “Our son loves to take part in the trips and activities at Short

Breaks at Derwen, and appreciates that staff listen to his opinions and preferences. He has made friends of a similar age and learnt some home-making skills too. As parents, we can rest easy knowing that he feels safe and is having fun in a home from home.”

Another comments: “We

know our daughter really enjoys her short breaks on the college respite scheme.

We feel this is because the staff really understand her and her complex needs, and through providing structure and clear communication, plus interesting and motivating activities, she is happy and co-operative.”

Guest reviews for short breaks are also overwhelmingly positive, with many returning time after

time.

For example, Josh says: “I like Short Breaks! I like the staff, the food, and the days out!”

What more could anyone ask for from their summer holiday (except for the weather!)?

To find out more about what Short Breaks could offer you, email shortbreaks@derwen.ac.uk, or telephone 01691 779243. www.shortbreaksatderwen. co.uk

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Comments from Maryport Town Council Mayor Peter Kendall I consider that the future is looking bright for Maryport. An article in ‘The Times’ identified Maryport as one of the best value prices for property & scenery in the United Kingdom. The article said that ‘it ticks all the small seaside town boxes: a marina; a Roman history; independent cafes & shops.’

Maryport has impressive & brightly painted Georgian architecture linked to its seafaring past & was voted best place to live in Allerdale by readers of the West Cumberland Times &

Star in 2021.

Maryport has attractions to suit both old & young, with the Lake District Coast Aquarium, The Wave Centre with climbing wall, indoor caving, soft play area & gym, Go Karting, a beautiful unspoilt coastline adjoining an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a promenade & abundant walking & cycling routes, including Hadrian’s Cycleway.

Known as ‘Allauna’ in Roman times, the town hosts a Roman museum housing artifacts discovered in Maryport, & a maritime museum

in reflection of its rich shipping heritage.

Maryport Town Council is active in making environmental improvements to complement regeneration works to redevelop The Carlton, Christ Church & improvements to the promenade. Support is given to local festivals, including Maryport & Flimby Carnivals, the Taste of the Sea Festival & local music events.

I am proud to have been born & bred in Maryport & will continue to support its active development as a visitor attraction.

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CUMBRIA AND THE LAKE DISTRICT

Cumbria is home to the English Lake District and is a predominantly rural county, considered one of the most beautiful regions of the UK. Cumbria includes the whole of the Lake District, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, the Eden Valley, the North Pennines, the Furness Peninsula, and part of the Yorkshire Dales.

Windermere lake, at 10.5 miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep, is the largest natural lake in both the Lake District and in England, and is fed by numerous rivers.

Strictly speaking, Windermere lake is just called Winder”mere”, with “mere” meaning a lake that is broad in relation to its depth.

However here, to avoid confusion with Windermere Village, we refer to it as Windermere lake.

The long thin lake itself forms the central spine of the Windermere lake area of the Lake District. This area is also known as the South Lakes.

Bowness-on-Windermere is Lakeland’s most popular holiday resort. An excellent centre

for boating activities, it has over 10,000 boats registered. Until March 2005 Windermere was the only lake in the Lake District without a speed limit. A 10 mph limit has now been imposed.

Steamers and launches operate from Bowness Bay to Waterhead at Ambleside, and Lakeside at the southern end.

At the southern end of the lake is Lakeside Pier, and Lakeside Station of the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. Another popular attraction here is the Aquarium of the Lakes.

The only car ferry takes around 10 minutes to cross the centre of Windermere lake. It runs from Ferry Nab, just south of Bowness, to Ferry House at Far Sawrey and operates all year round.

The lake is today one of the prime destinations for water sports in the Lake District. Several marinas and Sailing and Windsurfing Centres are to be found on the shores. You will also find a large selection of Adventure Activity companies, guides and instructors for all abilities based around the lake. Details of these can be found in our Activities Section.

Arthur Ransome based his book ‘Swallows and Amazons’ partly on Windermere lake and partly on nearby Coniston Water. There’s a superb range of places to stay in the South

LAKE DISTRICT WALKS The Lake District is one huge adventure playground, providing gentle countryside ambles and more serious high level challenges. Whichever path you take, you’ll have much more fun if you plan properly beforehand.

PLAY IT SAFE Decide your route carefully and make sure you have enough time to get back in daylight. Darkness can quickly descend, so it’s also a good idea to pack a torch, just in case. Before you leave, tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return.

THINK OF OTHERS When planning your day, bear in mind your own capabilities and those of all the others in your group. During your work, be prepared to cut it short if conditions become too difficult or a member of your party begins to struggle.

WEAR THE RIGHT GEAR Take appropriate clothing,

equipment, food and drink and a first aid kit. Boots, warm, windproof, waterproof clothing, a hat and gloves and some spare warm clothes plus a rucksac are all essential.

Regardless of the season.

BEWARE THE WATER If you’re thinking of going for a paddle, be careful, many tarns and lakes shelve deeply, and the water’s chilly even in high summer.

FOLLOW THE COUNTRYSIDE CODE • Be safe, plan ahead and follow any signs • Leave gates and property as you find them • Protect plants and animals, and take your litter home.

• Keep dogs under close control • Consider other people CHECK THE WEATHER! The Lake District weather can change rapidly and conditions on the tops can be very different from those in the valleys. So check out the

forecast in advance by calling the Lake District National Park Authority’s Weatherline service on 0844 846 2444 IN AN EMERGENCY Ring the police and give a description of the incident and it’s location. Keep injured or exhausted people safe and warm until help reaches you.

Lakes, from camping and hostels to luxury spa hotels and holiday cottages. Private hotels and b&b’s are plentiful in the area. Yurts and shepherd’s huts are at Low Wray, near Ambleside, and Rydal. Wherever you choose to stay you will find a great selection of excellent attractions to visit nearby. And for the adventurous, the outdoor activity industry in the Windermere lake area offers almost every imaginable opportunity. Bownesson-Windermere is on the east shore and the busiest tourist destination in the Lake District.

Ambleside, at the northern tip of the lake, is also very popular with visitors. Newby Bridge at the south end of the lake is slightly less well known and consequently a little quieter.

However it also has plenty of accommodation and attractions. It is connected to the lake cruises route via a short journey on the steam railway. Other popular visitor destinations around Windermere lake are the delightful Coniston, Rydal & Grasmere villages. These all have their own smaller lakes of the same names. Hawkshead, Sawrey and Troutbeck and the majestic Langdales are all close by.

Visitor Centres in the Lake District & Cumbria Brockhole- The Lake District National Park Visitor Centre

Brockhole, situated between Ambleside and Windermere, is the Lake District National Park Authority Visitor Centre. It is set in 30 acres of magnificent terraced gardens and grounds stretching down to the shore of Windermere lake, with splendid views of the surrounding countryside.

The grounds at Brockhole are now home to a large range of outdoor activities and boats and bikes can also be hired. Or you can just relax and enjoy the historic house, grounds and visitor facilities. You can also arrive at Brockhole by water.

Whinlatter Forest :Cockermouth / Keswick / Braithwaite / Lorton Whinlatter is England’s only mountain forest.

Planting first started after the first world war to combat the timber shortage. Whinlatter

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Looking for ideas to enjoy some free time this Summer? There is no shortage of things to do in the Lake District from indulging in good food and drink to unwinding with gentle strolls and lake cruises.

During summer, popular areas of the Lake District can become unbearably busy, however there are a few tips you can use to beat the crowds, traffic, and astronomical parking charges!

For a visit to Ambleside and Bowness, instead of parking in the towns themselves, start and end your visit at a nearby hotel outside of the centre – many of which will allow you to park for the day if you are visiting for afternoon

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tea or lunch etc. We did just that when we found Holbeck Ghyll, an award-winning hotel and restaurant with breath taking views of Lake Windermere. We started our day on the hotels terrace, a sun trap showcasing the stunning scenery, and indulged in an extremely delicious afternoon tea. The hotel kindly allowed us to leave the car whilst we enjoyed a short but scenic walk into Waterhead and Ambleside (from details we found on their website, www.holbeckghyll.com).

Another tip is to combine a lake view cruise with your travel plans, avoiding the road traffic!

Following a walk from Holbeck Ghyll to Waterhead, a great way to get

about is by boat using regular services provided by Windermere Lake Cruises. From Waterhead you can visit Bowness and the Brockhole visitor centre adventure playground (great for

the kids!)

The bonus for starting and ending your visit from a hotel? Your day can start and finish with good food and drink!

We just had to enjoy

the view from Holbeck Ghyll one final time before heading home…a summer cocktail (or mocktail for the driver!) was the perfect ending to an extremally relaxing day in the Lakes.

This day out is one to write home about and your taste buds will thank you for it too!

Don’t just take our word for it try it yourself and you won’t be disappointed.

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Forest has had considerable investment in order to turn it into a recreational resource with many waymarked woodland paths.

The Visitor Centre is the ideal place to start a visit.

In the centre you will find a seasonal DVD & a live Red Squirrel Camera, which are both shown on screens.

Also when the Ospreys return there is a live camera link showing the nest and all the activity that takes place in it. This tends to replace the live Red Squirrel camera. During the season there are Osprey staff and volunteers who will answer any questions about Ospreys.

There are also Osprey and Red Squirrel Interpretation Panels.

There is also a book and gift shop and a very popular restaurant. The shop sells a guide to the forest, showing the fourteen miles of road suitable for walkers and

cyclists, as well as many other paths for walkers.

Whinlatter Forest Park is home to the longest purposebuilt mountain bike trail in the Lake District. The Altura Trail puts the mountain back into biking and has been built for experienced riders with good off road skills and a higher level of fitness and stamina. For children there is a adventure forest playground, and junior trails that start and end at the visitor centre.

There are also Go Ape Tree Top Adventure and Go Ape Forest Segway at Whinlatter.

Grizedale Forest Visitor Centre Set deep in the heart of the Grizedale Forest, between the lakes of Coniston Water and Windermere, is the Grizedale Visitor Centre.

The Visitor Centre facilities include a new exhibition space with a full program throughout the year, gift shop, tearoom, adventure

playground and picnic tables and is a good starting point for superb forest walks.

7 cross country and downhill mountain bike trails are free to use either with your own bike or hired bikes. There is mountain bike hire at the start of the trails.

There are also Segway treks, Tree Top Junior, Ziptrekking and Tree Top Adventure. For details of walking and forest trails in Grizedale and a free download for Grizedale Walking Map see the Lake District Forests and Forest Trails page. The shop in the Visitor Centre also sells a guide to the forest, showing the many miles of track suitable for walkers and cyclists, as well as many other paths for walkers.

The Rheged Centre Named after the Ancient Kingdom of the Dark Ages, Rheged is one of the largest visitor attraction ever to open in Cumbria.

Rheged is an all weather,

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all year round visitor centre of national importance.

Situated in Britain’s largest grass covered building, Rheged’s centrepiece is a six storey high cinema screen, the biggest 3D cinema screen in the northwest, featuring a dramatic journey back in time through 2,000 years of Cumbria’s history and mystery as well as selected films of interest. Rheged provides an inspiring choice for group visits, an

exceptional educational resource and a refreshingly different venue for corporate hospitality, product launches and conferences.

There are a selection of cafes offering fresh food with a distinct Cumbrian flavour made using the best local ingredients, including lamb and beef from Rheged’s farm.

9 individual shops within Rheged aim to include the best of the region, its

activities, crafts people and food producers, and offer a varied collection of gift ideas both from Cumbria and further afield.

For families, there is an indoor and good outdoor play area and a varied programme of really quite good and imaginative children’s events throughout the school holidays from Mad Science to children’s theatre and hands on workshops

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ON WINDERMERE LAKE Windermere, at 10.5 miles long, one mile wide and 220 feet deep, is the largest natural lake in both the Lake District and in England, and is fed by numerous rivers.

The long thin lake itself forms the central spine of the Windermere area of the Lake District. This area is also known as the South Lakes.

Looking north from the foot of Windermere lake, with Fell Foot Park right, and Lakeside Pier left.

On Windermere lake Bowness-on-Windermere is Lakeland’s most popular holiday resort. An excellent centre for boating activities, it has over 10,000 boats registered.

Steamers and launches operate from Bowness Bay to Waterhead at Ambleside, and Lakeside at the southern end.

At the southern end of the lake is Lakeside Pier, and Lakeside Station of the Lakeside

and Haverthwaite Railway.

Another popular attraction here is the Aquarium of the Lakes.

The only car ferry takes around 10 minutes to cross the centre of Windermere lake.

It runs from Ferry Nab, just south of Bowness, to Ferry House at Far Sawrey and operates all year round.

The lake is today one of the prime destinations for water sports in the Lake District.

Several marinas and Sailing

and Windsurfing Centres are to be found on the shores.

You will also find a large selection of Adventure Activity companies, guides and instructors for all abilities based around the lake. Details of these can be found in our Activities Section.

Arthur Ransome based his book ‘Swallows and Amazons’ partly on Windermere and partly on nearby Coniston Water.

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World of James Herriot - Explore & Discover It’s easy to see why the World of James Herriot visitor attraction attracts visitors from all over the world. There’s so much to see and do here… It’s not just for fans of the books!

worked and wrote his much-loved stories based on his experiences as a young veterinary surgeon working among the farming community of North Yorkshire.

The 1940s home and surgery

Stepping through the famous red door of 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk is to step inside the World of James Herriot, the fully-restored site of his original 1940s home and veterinary practice (known in his books as Skeldale House, Darrowby) set in the heart of stunning Herriot Country.

The home retains many of the original furnishings in the family rooms, frozen in time.

The dining room doubled as the practice office, where farmers’ bills were typed up at the desk; the sitting room displays original books and family photos; the basement converted to an air raid shelter during the Second World War; the breakfast room favoured for its relative warmth and the reproduction of a typical farmhouse kitchen.

The dining room and practice office The original dispensary containing all poExplore this magical time-capsule, where the tions great and small world’s most famous vet and one of the most As well as a family home, it was also a busy popular writers of the twentieth century lived, surgery with a dispensary crammed with fas-

cinating ancient and bizarre remedies and the The latest addition to the centre’s collection is cramped and primitive consulting room that the original 1938 Austin Seven car, Registrasaw the treatment of many a poorly pet – only tion JK 7443. creatures small were dealt with by Alf in here!

It appeared in the film “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet” with actor John Alderton as James Interactive Gallery Herriot, when it famously broke down in a There’s no telling children ‘don’t touch’ in this river in the Yorkshire Dales. gallery! Designed to engage children, young and old, the pieces use fun and interaction to Veterinary Science Rooms educate visitors about farm animals and how There’s an incredible array too of veterinary they interact with our lives. paraphernalia from Herriot’s time as a young Full of fascinating facts, the gallery gives vet – in an era before advances in diagnostics, visitors the opportunity to test their skills, modern medicine and agricultural machinknowledge and reflexes whilst learning how ery. It is the largest collection in the world. vets work with farmers to keep animals fit and well. Not just for children!

There is one installation that TV viewers particularly will recognise and that’s the ‘not to be missed’ opportunity to place your hand up a cow’s bottom! An essential skill that every vet has to learn, All Creatures Great and Small actor Christopher Timothy famously did his part on several occasions, much to the amusement of the cast, crew and viewing public!

On display is a 4,000 piece archive showcasHerriot Memorabilia ing veterinary instruments from the past to The World of James Herriot houses the largest the modern day. These items chart the history collection of Herriot memorabilia in the and progress of the profession over the years. world – from books, posters and letters to Some of the instruments appear primitive but ornaments and collectables. were all designed for a particular purpose, The Memorabilia Room is dedicated to dis- since refined and updated for the modern playing items that were instrumental in James vet’s practice.

Herriot’s writing career.

The display reveals the close link with veterinary surgeons and the armed forces, from TV Studios the days of the mounted cavalry and horses Take a close-up look behind the scenes of pulling gun carriages and supply wagons in a reproduced set from the BBC series All warfare. Even today, ceremonial horses and Creatures Great and Small and experience battle-trained guard and sniffer dogs are the the fascinating world of the TV studio and responsibility of the Royal Army Veterinary what was involved in the making of the TV Corp, formed in 1796. program.

Foldyard and The Farrier’s Workshop Much of Alf Wight’s work took place in farms all over North Yorkshire. To the rear of the house you will find the Foldyard and The Farrier exhibits, both with which Alf would have been very well-acquainted.

The Foldyard (described as an enclosure for sheep or cattle) houses a collection of primitive-looking hand tools in everyday use You can be the star of the show! Get in in farms before machinery appeared. In the front of the camera and imagine yourself as hands of skilled workers, however, these tools Christopher Timothy playing James Herriwere most effective. The Foldyard provides ot, Robert Hardy as the eccentric Siegfried an authentic setting for visitors to watch an Farnon, Peter Davison as Tristan Farnon, or exclusive short film of Alf Wight, his family Carol Drinkwater and Lynda Bellingham who and friends and the cast of All Creatures both played James’ wife Helen Herriot.

Great and Small.

The series was a hugely popular show and In the Farrier’s Workshop. the role of the had two runs from 1978 to 1980 (based farrier, which combines skills of both blackdirectly on Alf ’s books) and 1988 to 1990 smith and vet, is brought to life in this inter(filmed with original scripts). The equipment esting exhibit. Before tractors and combine on display shows just how far technology has harvesters, farming relied on manual labour moved on in TV and film, the huge cameras, and what limited mechanisation existed was endless cables, the intense heat from the light- driven by horses. Farriers were an integral ing rigs all making life pretty uncomfortable support to this system until the inevitable march of progress. for the actors involved.

World of James Herriot Ltd, 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire,YO7 1PL The Austin Seven Car from ‘It Shouldn’t Tel: 01845 524234 Happen to a Vet’

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The best parks in Yorkshire t Make the most of the warm weather this summer and head off on an outdoor adventure with the family.

Ideal for picnics, nature walks and soaking up some sun, these parks and gardens around Yorkshire offer a scenic spot to relax and unwind.

Bolton Abbey Estate The vast Cistercian ruins of Fountains Abbey provide an impressive backdrop for a picnic Visitors will be spoilt for choice with things to do at the popular Bolton Abbey Estate in Wharfedale.

Put your balance to the test crossing the 60 stepping stones, take a walk to see the Strid in the ancient woodland, enjoy the scenery along the nature trails, or nestle down on the lawns in front of the magnificent 12th

century ruins.

Visit: Bolton Abbey, Skipton, BD23 6AL – www.boltonabbey.com Golden Acre Park Golden Acre Park in north Leeds is popular for its circular lakeside walk and pretty gardens Hugely popular for its pretty gardens and circular lakeside walk, this north Leeds park stretches across 55 hectares, providing plenty of space to bask in the sunny weather.

There’s a huge amount of space to set up a picnic, or you can head to the on-site cafe if you’d prefer.

Visit: Arthington Road, Bramhope, Leeds, LS16 8BQ – www.leeds.gov.uk Oakwell Hall and Country Park The vast Oakwell Hall estate stretches across 110 acres with a network of footpaths

and nature trails for visitors to explore Combine sightseeing with outdoor adventures at Oakwell Hall and Country Park, where you can take a tour of the bautiful Elizabethan manor house, which offers an intriguing insight into the late 17th century, before heading off to explore the 110 acres of country park which surround it.

The vast estate is home to a network of footpaths and nature trails, where you can expect to find glorious scenery, flowers and wildlife along the way.

Visit: Nova Lane, Birstall, Batley, WF17 9LG – www.kirklees.gov.uk Manor Heath Park This nineteen acre park in Halfax is perfect for an active day outdoors, thanks to its many exciting on-site attractions.

Alongside woodland walks, a walled garden and wild flower area, children will love playing in the water park and sand pit, or spotting

an array of exotic plants and creatures at The Jungle Experience, the park’s tropical onsite greenhouse.

There’s also plenty of spots to set up a picnic and if you’re feeling energetic, there is an outdoor gym where you can work up a sweat.

Visit: Halifax, HX3 0EB – www.visitcalderdale.com Valley Gardens These English Heritage grade II listed gardens in Harroage spread across 17 acres and feature an array of different areas giving visitors plenty to explore.

Have fun in the playground, skate park, boating pool and games areas, which include tennis, pitch and putt and crazy golf, take a dip in the paddling pool, or simply take some time out to wander the footpaths through the gardens.

Visit: Valley Drive, Harrogate, HG1 2SZ – www.harrogate.gov.uk

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to visit with the family Yorkshire Sculpture Park If you’re looking for a park that is a little more out of the ordinary, Yorkshire Sculpture Park won’t disappoint.

The magnificent open air gallery is home to around 80 sculptures and installations, offering a more unqiue way to appreciate some contemporary art by some of the world’s finest artists.

Visit: West Bretton, Wakefield, WF4 4LG – www.ysp.org.uk Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden Tucked away in a secluded valley, visitors are guaranteed to be impressed by the vast Cistercian abbey ruins and Georgian water farden at this National Trust site in Ripon.

A medieval deer park, Elizabethan Hall and Gothic church are also on site to see, while the vast green lawns which lead down to the riverside provide a wonderful spot for a picnic.

Visit: Fountains Abbey And Studley Royal Estate, Ripon, HG4 3DY – www.nationaltrust.org.uk Roundhay Park A firm favourite spot to soak up some sun in Leeds, Roundhay Park stretches across 700 acres of pretty parkland, lakes and woodland, providing a picture-perfect location for leisurely picnic.

Youngsters are well catered for with two playgrounds on site, along with the popular Tropical World visitor attraction where a variety of exotic animals and plants can be seen.

Visit: Mansion Lane, Leeds, LS8 2HH – www.roundhaypark.org.uk Castle Howard This stunning 18th century historic house just outside of York stands within 1,000 acres of glorious landscape, with lakes, fountains, woodland, temples, rolling lawns, an ornamental garden and a children’s play-

round just a few of the delights which await to be explored in the grounds.

Visit: Castle Howard, York, YO60 7DA – www.castlehoward.co.uk Greenhead Park Nestled just half a mile from Huddersfield town centre, Greenfield Park is the perfect spot to escape the hustle and bustle, and enjoy some time outdoors.

Home to a skate park, tennis courts, play areas, paddling pool and ornamental lake, as well as a miniature steam railway, there’s a great variety of attractions to keep the whole family entertained.

And visitors can even enjoy horse and carriage rides on weekends.

Visit: Trinity Street, Huddersfield, HD1 4DT – www. kirklees.gov.uk

Roo Waterhouse Art

Roo Waterhouse is an artist based at Northlight Art Studios in Hebden Bridge. “It has been so wonderful to grow my art practice over the years as a part of this thriving creative community.”

Roo specialises in carefully rendered, rever-

ential ‘Shelf Portrait’ oil paintings showing collections of treasured books resonating with the relationships they hold.

Roo’s work blends together a love of oil painting, books and typography with a fascination about how our bookshelves can hold on to our stories and reflect our lives.

Bespoke Shelf Portrait clients choose their most treasured books to be painted together and as the painting comes together it builds up a portrait, reflecting the client's own tales and passions..

“I enjoy visiting people’s homes, chatting about their book choices, then seeing the stories of their lives unfold before me across the canvas as I paint.

It’s a bit like Desert Island Discs!

Which books would you choose?...”

Roo always has an eye out for pleasing groups of books, browsing second-hand bookshops or inviting herself

into the homes of strangers who sound like they have an intriguing collection on their shelves! Local inspiration has come from the shelves of the Bronte Parsonage and Shibden Hall.

As well as original paintings, Roo produces a wide range of book-themed gifts: Limited Edition prints, notebooks and cards with themes such as classic literature; penguin paperbacks; natural history and childhood - perfect for book lovers!

You can see Roo’s work and buy gifts at www.roowaterhouse.art

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HITTING THE BEACH?

If you love beaches – then you’ll love North Wales.

With 250 miles of coastline, beaches aren't hard to come by. You'll discover a fantastic variety of diverse beaches in North Wales, with something to suit everyone.

North Wales’ coastal resorts were made famous by their fabulous beaches. Colwyn Bay beach, for example, has a longer coastline than Rio’s world famous Copacabana beach – that’s a lot of beach! It’s a consistent feature among the coastal resort beaches – long beaches which provide plenty of space for everyone to enjoy themselves peacefully.

For a day beside the beach with the family, the ever-popular seaside resorts of Rhyl and Llandudno continue to please. With long beaches there’s plenty of room to enjoy activities whilst the promenades provide plenty of entertainment.

If you’re planning a beach break to North Wales, a visit to one of the Llyn’s beaches is an absolute must. Hidden away, the Llyn’s secluded beaches provide the perfect location

for a peaceful getaway. Popular resorts like Abersoch provide a much livelier day at the beach, with plenty of things to do including a world-class water sports programme.

The Llyn is even home to one of the best beach bars in the world. Nefyn’s Ty Coch Inn has been voted by users of TripAdvisor as one of top ten beach bars in the world.

Being an island certainly has its advantages.

You’re never too far away from a beach when visiting Anglesey.

Scattered along the coast, you’ll discover a great array of beaches, from secluded to historic, Anglesey’s beaches are sure to delight and surprise.

If you’re a fan of history, then Anglesey’s beaches and coastline will be for you.

Anglesey has a rich maritime history, which is partly thanks to areas of water having a high copper content, which would help clean the boats before an excursion.

On Anglesey’s beaches you’ll find an array of historically important buildings including churches and lighthouses.

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SLOW TRAVEL RAILWAYS IN WALES

The timeless narrow-gauge railways of Wales are the perfect way to soak up the country's glorious scenery – and enjoy travel as it used to be 1. Ffestiniog Railway Built in 1832 to service the local slate industry, the Ffestiniog is the world's oldest narrow-gauge railway and uses lovingly restored carriages and locomotives that are over 150 years old.

Starting at the harbour in Porthmadog, the train travels 13.5 miles to the slate quarrying town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Along the way it climbs over 700 feet into the mountains past forests, lakes, pastures and waterfalls, clinging to the side of the mountain or tunnelling through it.

The line is popular with railway engineers, apparently.

But that could be because of

the craft beers served in the dining carriage.

2.

Snowdon Mountain Railway Described as one of the most unique railway journeys in the world, the Snowdon Mountain Railway has been offering visitors an aweinspiring and enchanting way to reach the top of the highest mountain in England and Wales since Victorian times.

Starting in the tiny village of Llanberis, in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, your carriage will be pushed to the top by a heritage locomotive, past thundering waterfalls, to Eryri, the land of the eagles.

Railway buffs will want to book the Heritage Steam Experience on the Snowdon Lily, a period carriage built from the original chassis and bogey used when the line first opened. Pushed by one of three

working steam locomotives, it offers the opportunity to ride up the mountain like the early pioneers did, but with a little more leg room.

3. The Welsh Highland Railway At 25 miles long, the Welsh Highlands Railway is the longest heritage train line in the UK. It's also the most luxurious, with a First Class Pullman carriage and freshlycooked food brought to your seat.

The scenery is first class too.

The line runs past the foot of Mount Snowdon, from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, taking in the picture postcard village of Beddgelert and the stunning Aberglaslyn Pass.

Check the Loco roster on the Railway's website to see which restored steam engine is pulling the carriages on the day of your visit – the Earl of Merioneth or Linda

4. Talyllyn Railway Another Welsh line built originally to carry slate, the Talyllyn Railway is still very much the railway it always was, a rural byway where the pace of life is gentle, the average speed of the train is still less than nine miles per hour.

Set in the heart of mid-Wales, the train runs from from Tywyn to Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol, along

the unspoilt Fathew Valley and past the Dolgoch Falls.

Both the original locomotives and all the original carriages remain in regular use 5. Llanberis Lake Railway Situated in the heart of Snowdonia, this line offers a relaxing five-mile ride past the 13th century Dolbadarn Castle and along the shores of Lake Padarn to Penllyn, offering stunning views of Mount Snowdon along the

way.

Although the journey is short, there are plenty of opportunities to break your journey along the way. At Gilfach Ddu, where you can visit the National Slate Museum. (It's also where the train stops to take on water for the engine and the driver stokes the fire.) Or alight at Cei Llydan, a tranquil spot that is ideal for a lakeside picnic.

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TOP 5 CASTLES TO VI There are over 600 castles in Wales and it is said to have more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world.

Here are the top 5 castles to visit in North Wales:

CAERNARFON CASTLE Built in the 1280 by Edward I, Caernarfon is the largest castle in the area and does not disappoint. Having included all the mod cons for its day like toilets, running water and glass in the windows, this vast building is spectatuclar. A brute of a fortress.

Caernarfon Castle’s pumped-up appearance is unashamedly muscle-bound and intimidating.

Picking a fight with this massive structure would have been a daunting prospect. By throwing his weight around in stone, King Edward I created what is surely one of the most impressive of Wales’s castles. Worthy of World Heritage status no less. Most castles are happy with round towers, not Caernarfon! Polygonal towers were the order of the day, with the Eagle Tower being the most impressive of these. You will also note the colour-coded stones carefully arranged

in bands. The site of this great castle wasn’t chosen by accident. It had previously been the location of a Norman motte and bailey castle and before that a Roman fort stood nearby.

The lure of water and easy access to the sea made the banks of the River Seiont an ideal spot for Edward’s monster in masonry.

Edward wasn’t one to miss an opportunity to tighten his grip even further on the native population. The birth of his son, the first English Prince of Wales, in the castle in 1284, was a perfect device to stamp his supremacy.

In 1969, the investiture of the current Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Charles took place here.

Whilst you’re visiting this formidable fortress, don’t miss the opportunity to see the Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum, which is housed in two of the castle’s towers.

CONWY CASTLE Conwy Castle entrance is truly impressive with two fortified gateways and made up of eight enormous towers. The great hall, private chambers and kitchen can still be seen on visiting which gives you a real sense of what it would have been like back in the day.

Built for Edward I, by Master James of

St George, the castle is amongst the finest surviving medieval fortifications in Britain. In a word, exceptional. You can’t fault it, from the grandeur of its high towers and curtain walls to its excellent state of preservation.

An estimated £15,000 was spent building the castle, the largest sum Edward spent in such a short time on any of his Welsh castles between 1277 and 1307. Money well spent.

Two barbicans (fortified gateways), eight massive towers and a great bow-shaped hall all sit within its distinctive elongated shape, due in part to the narrow rocky outcrop on which the castle stands. You won’t find Edward’s concentric ‘walls within walls’ here. They weren’t needed. The rock base was enough security in itself. Some say it is the most magnificent of Edward I’s Welsh fortresses. To get the full picture, head for the battlements. Breathtaking views across mountains and sea. If the outside impresses (and it will), wait until you go in. With an outer ward containing a great hall, chambers and kitchen, and a more secluded inner ward with private chambers and a royal chapel, it is very easy to imagine how Conwy functioned

when the royal entourage were in town.

HARLECH CASTLE Harlech castle is built on what is said to be the oldest rock in the world. It was impenatrable in its day due to its location. Originally it would have been white as it was painted in limestone. The new visitors centre is a wealth of further infomation.‘Men of Harlech.’ The nation’s

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ISIT IN NORTH WALES

unofficial anthem, loved by rugby fans and regimental bands alike, is said to describe the siege which took place here during the War of the Roses, wherein a handful of men held out against a besieging army of thousands.

Edward’s tried and tested ‘walls within walls’ model was put together in super-fast time between 1283 and 1295 by an army of nearly a thousand skilled craftsmen and labourers.

Edward liked to use only the best masons from Savoy and England’s finest carpenters and blacksmiths. At the time this was one of

the cheapest of Edward’s castles. A snip at a mere £8,190.

The structure, overseen by Master of the King’s Works, James of St George, boasts two rings of walls and towers, with an immensely strong east gatehouse.

It was impregnable from almost every angle.

Its secret weapon was a 200-foot (61m) long stairway which still leads from the castle to the cliff base. Access via the stairway to the sea and crucial supplies kept the castle’s besieged inhabitants fed and watered. When it was first built, a channel would have connected the castle and the sea. You could have sailed a boat up to the moat. Seven hundred years later, the sea has receded and you could say the castle appears almost stranded, waiting for the tide to turn once more. The newly installed ‘floating’ bridge at Harlech Castle makes access to the castle truly available for all. The bridge connects the castle with the brand new visitor centre in the former Castle Hotel building.

BEAURMARIS CASTLE This was the last of Edward I’s castles and he unfortunatly never saw it complete.

It is said to be one of the most beautiful of his castles. In terms of design and finish, the

castle was super high-tech for its time with the ‘walls within walls’ features. Dare we say it, an absolute cracker of a castle with classic proportions and perfect symmetry. The last hurrah of Edward I’s massive building programme in north Wales… just a shame he never got round to finishing it!

With finances stretched to the limit and the Scots now increasingly effective in their resistance to the English monarch, his vicelike grip on Wales was beginning to slip.

Edward or ‘Longshanks’, on account of his extraordinary height, was forced to focus his attention elsewhere and the rest is, quite literally, history…

Technically perfect and constructed according to an ingenious ‘walls within walls’ plan, Beaumaris Castle was the 13th-century hi-tech equivalent of a spaceship landing unceremoniously on Anglesey today. You can usually complain if a neighbour’s extension plans are a bit on the large side. Seven centuries ago the problem was resolved rather differently. The population of Llanfaes was forcibly moved 12 miles (19km) away to Newborough to make way for Edward’s new castle.

CRICCIETH CASTLE This castle was built by Llywelyn the Great.

The twin tower gate house would have been inimidating for visitors and due to its position,

the castle was always in high demand and changed hands on a number of occassions.

Steeped in lots of history, its a very interesting site to visit.

What a picture, what a view! Perched on a headland with the sea as its constant bedfellow.

Its twin-towered gatehouse intimidates prospective attackers.

So badly did the native Welsh princes and English monarchs want it, that it changed hands more often than a relay baton.

Built originally by Llywelyn the Great, this very Welsh of princes included a very English style of gatehouse. Edward I’s forces took the castle some 50 years later, undertook their own improvements and remodelled a tower for stone-throwing engines. Not as much fun for those at the bottom as it sounds for those at the top!

Owain Glyn Dŵr sealed Criccieth’s fate when his troops captured and burnt the castle in the early years of the 15th century.

This was to be the last major Welsh rebellion against the English. Criccieth Castle may also have given the name to the town rather than the other way round. Its suggested origins are ‘crug caeth’ – ‘crug’ (hill in Welsh), ‘caith’ (captives) – the name given to the jail on the hill, a function once held by the castle. Buy an ice-cream, there’s a lot of history to digest.

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Free summer fun activities for children at UCLan Keep the kids entertained this summer holidays with free, fun activities at UCLan The long summer holidays have finally arrived and with it comes the struggle for families to keep children entertained without breaking the bank.

To help, the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has created a range of free, fun activities for youngsters.

The interactive sessions on fashion, forensics, cosmetics, art and design, and creative technology are split between two age categories, nineto-11, and 12-to-13.

The workshops will take place between 2 August and 4 August, from 10.00am to 3.00pm, at the Preston Campus and all activities include a free lunch.

Dr Liz Granger, UCLan’s Head of Widening Participation and Public Engagement, said: “We know children love doing hands-on activities and we appreciate that times are hard for families so these fun free sessions are ideal to keep nine-to-13-year-olds entertained for a few days in the summer holidays.”

For the nine-to 11-yearolds, on 2 August, the Art and Design class will see them create life-size drawings of people in groups, with each person being responsible for a particular body part, hoping they all come together at the end.

On the same day, the Fashion event will allow the children to explore various fashion illustration styles and embroidery techniques and

they will create artwork to be printed on to keepsake canvas tote bags.

The activity-packed days Cosmetic Chemistry will take place on 3 and 4 August, allowing youngsters to make their own bath bombs and lip balms. They’ll get to experiment with acids and alkalis and make their own personalised bath bombs. They will also investigate the properties of materials and states of matter whilst making their own bespoke lip balms.

For the 12 to13-year-olds, on 2 August there will be a hands-on Forensics’ session.

This will give the children the experience of what it would be like to work in a forensics lab by investigating a fictional murder and carrying out experiments to process evi-

dence from the crime scene.

On 3 August, a Fashion event will allow young people to explore various fashion illustration styles and embroidery techniques and they will create artwork to be printed on to keepsake canvas tote bags.

Creative Technology is the topic for the final event on 4 August. The day is perfect

for creative and tech-enthusiasts as the workshop will explore the current trend of connected toys, the privacy and security issues related to them and the role of digital toys within play. The children will generate ideas to prototype new toys, using a mix of physical and digital materials.

They will also learn how to use music, coding, maths and

physics to create a magical aura effect.

To book you child’s place on any of the sessions, please click on the subject headings or the corresponding date and complete the online application form.

For more information, please contact Dr Liz Granger by email or 01772 894286.

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Matlock Bath

Matlock Bath was developed as one of England’s first true tourist destinations. It occupies a beautiful position in a limestone gorge on the River Derwent, and boasts attractive riverside gardens and steep wooded hillsides.

Matlock Bath has been a popular tourist attraction since the late 17th Century, when the healing properties of its warm spa waters were first discovered. Access to the area was improved in the 18th Century, and by the 19th Century Matlock Bath was a place for society’s finest to visit.

The town is still a wonderful place to visit, with a long street of shops, cafes, amusement arcades and places of interest, including an aquarium and photographic museum. The riverside walks are great for peaceful, shady strolls, and there is a good children’s playground area to keep younger visitors amused.

Matlock Bath Illuminations

Running throughout September and October, the Matlock Bath Illuminations are well worth a visit. The beautiful riverside park is illuminated and filled with stalls and fairground rides, while brightly-lit and decorated rowing boats parade along the river. On Saturday nights throughout the event there are fabulous firework displays that light up the gorge.

Gulliver’s Kingdom

Matlock Bath is home to this large, family-friendly theme park, which is within walking distance of the town centre. It is particularly suited to visitors aged 13 and under. The park is located high on a hill overlooking the town, which adds an extra element of thrill to the rides! Please see www.gulliversfun.co.uk/ gullivers-kingdom-matlock-bath for more information.

Peak District Lead Mining Museum Located within the Grand Pavilion, the

eye-catching pink building at the top of the main street, the Peak District Lead Mining Museum tells the story of the mines and miners of this area. It houses thousands of items from the lead mining industry, as well as hundreds of rock and mineral specimens from around the world.

See www.peakdistrictleadminingmuseum.co.uk for

more details.

Crich Tramway Village Located just a short drive outside Matlock Bath, the fabulous Crich Tramway Village is a fabulous place to spend a day, with plenty to keep the whole family happy.

It is home to the National Tramway Museum, with more than 60 vintage trams for visitors to admire in airy exhibition halls, and it also features a beautifully recreated period village with a pub, café and olde-worlde shops.

A number of the trams run through the village and can be hailed at historic tram stops. Visitors pay one old penny (original coin included in the admission price) to take unlimited rides for more than a mile into the surrounding countryside, with stunning views of the surrounding Derwent Valley.

There is also a Woodland Walk with a sculpture trail that is perfect for keeping little people interested along the way, as well as a picnic area and a children’s playground.

See www.tramway.co.uk for more information.

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Preston Markets to launch new website with prizes to be won!

A brand-new, all-encompassing website for Preston Markets will go live this month with a chance to win some exciting prizes.

A showcase of Preston Markets, the new site will include all the latest information a visitor needs.

Social media followers could be in with a chance of clinching some amazing prizes with Preston Gift Cards and a family ticket to a Rugby League World Cup game up for grabs over the next two weeks.

Adrian Robinson, Interim Director of Customer Services, said: “The competition begins today, follow @ prestonmarkets social media pages and follow the instructions for a chance to win.

“There will also be a chance for shoppers to win, from Monday 8 to Saturday 13 August one stall per day will be giving away Preston Gift Cards to lucky Preston Markets customers, simply shop at Preston Markets for your chance to win!”

Preston City Council have called upon some amazing local creative talent in the making of this website with input from several local photographers and videographers.

Adrian added, “I’m delighted to see that our

historic marketplace, its fantastic traders, and loyal customers now have the representation they deserve. The Preston Markets website has been in the pipeline for some time but was delayed during Covid as priorities had to change.

“With the Market Hall development complete and the Animate scheme about to begin it’s the perfect time to launch this new website, making it easier for customers and traders to access all the information they need to make the most of Preston Markets.”

Follow @prestonmarkets on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for your chance to win.

You can visit the new website at www.prestonmarkets.co.uk from 16 August.

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LANCASHIRE MARKETS More and more of us go let life rush by in an endless cycle of work, quick shop, eat, bed and repeat. Shopping has become one of the many chores that we carry out on a daily or weekly basis as hectic lifestyles get in the way of allowing ourselves to slowly stroll around one of Lancashire’s famous markets, looking for a bargain and chatting with a knowledgeable local market trader. Why not return to the days where the people whom you buy your goods from become friends who you regularly pop along to see for a chat and advice on anything from politics, sport or which kind of potato to use in a hotpot.

10 Reasons to Visit Your Local Market 1. Market stall holders don’t have the same over head prices as bricks and mortar stores, so you’ll always buy things at a very reasonable price.

2. Great places to spend a few

hours wandering around on a sunny weekend. Fun for the whole family.

3. Many markets sell home made food or are located in venues where you can grab a bite to eat. So you can shop and eat! What more could you want?!

4. Learn about Art, craft and design. Kids and adults alike enjoy exploring the creative world of art and design by browsing market stalls and talking to artists and designers.

5. Lots of stall holders are regulars at the markets they attend, so if you fall in love with one of their products, you can always go back and buy it again. Many stall holders also have online stores so you can discover great products that are available online, while still supporting local business.

6. When you buy a product in a department store, you’re never aware of who made it, how it was made and more often than not, all you know

is it was probably made in a factory in China. When you buy from the markets, you almost always meet a products’ maker who will gladly tell you how it was made, what it’s made from and where it was produced.

7. As almost all products you’ll find at art and craft markets are handmade, it’s common to find products made from recycled or upcycled materials, organic ingredients and making processes that are environmentally friendly. Not only will you be supporting local industry but you’ll also be supporting our environment.

8. If you are new to an area or visiting, it’s a great way to meet local characters, eavesdrop on local conversation and find out a little something about what makes the locals tick.

9. If you’re tired of looking at the generic products of Myer, David Jones and other department stores, but still

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want variety, durability and quality, markets are the place to go.

10. I think this one is the most important. Keep up to date on art and design being created by the people who live in your local community. Buy their products and support local artists and designers.

ACCRINGTON MARKET Tel: Market Superintendent 01254 233816 Market Hall, Blackburn Road Open: Monday , Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 8.30am to 5.00pm Wednesday 8.30am to 1.30pm Sunday Car Boot Market Accrington boasts a seventystall, Victorian Market Hall, built in traditional style in 1868 and which has undergone extensive renovation and redecoration.

At the rear of the Market Hall is a traditional Open Market of some one hundred and eighty stalls, most of which are housed under two contemporary concrete and glass ‘umbrella’ roofs.

BLACKBURN MARKET

Tel: 01254 669258 Open: Monday to Saturday 9.00 am - 5.30 pm Those with eye for a bargain will find plenty of opportunity to spot value for money at Blackburn Market. There is a fabulous mixture of fresh food food stalls selling meat, fish and game. Alongside is a new eating area with shared seating so customers can choose. Fashion, health & beauty, cards and gifts, plus speciality stalls selling latest household goods and technology – its all there.

BURNLEY MARKET Tel: 01282 477188 Market Square, Burnley Open: Market Hall MondaySaturday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm (Tues 10 am - 3 pm) Open market Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 9 am - 4 pm The market hall is a large, spacious, modern building creating a bright, light, airy environment for its 119 stalls which, since its completion, has proved extremely popular with shoppers. Adjacent to

the market hall is the popular traditional open general retail market boasting 144 stalls retailing just about everything you could possibly imagine.

This together with the market hall provides the opportunity for shoppers to browse over 263 stalls and all under one roof.

FLEETWOOD MARKET Tel: 01253 887651 Open: Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat all year 9 am - 4.30 pm and Bank Holiday Monday Fleetwood market has been located on its present site since 1804. Today Fleetwood’s Traditional Market has over 250 stalls in its three indoor heated halls and large outdoor market selling a wide variety of goods from clothes to food and much much more. With thousands of bargains available, the most famous market in the North West is definitely worth a visit. Fleetwood Market is renowned for its variety of goods, traditional values and friendliness.

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Explore the stalls at Burnley Markets Discover a wide variety of local independent stores alongside inspiring pop-up at the heart of Burnley town centre.

Butchers, bakers and candlestick makers, well… nearly (2 out of 3 ain’t bad). Burnley Market is home to many varied and unique stores, from fresh fruit and veg and experienced butchers to nail bars and affordable fashion to suit all tastes, and not forgetting our phone and gadget repair specialists.

Whatever you’re in the market for you’ll find it in the Market Hall.

Fashion and Beauty

Explore the worlds of high fashion and on trend beauty treatments – right here in the middle of Burnley!

Food

Fresh foods are what markets are made for! Choose from our fruit, veg, and meat suppliers – including yummy Haffner’s pies!

Services and all the Rest!

So much choice in the Market Kitchen – a world of cuisine on your doorstep!

Produce We’re at your service! Whether you need a newspaper, a work of art framing or a mobile phone repaired, Burnley Market can help you out.

Technology Gadgets galore at Burnley Market.

Up-to-date phones and gizmos and the knowledge to help you find the right thing at the right price.

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Planning For Your Wedding Day 2022

As couples plan for their big day for 2022 now is the time to get into shape. and start organizing for what will be the best day of their lives. For the bride, you can’t start earlier enough.

You want to arrive at the alter looking vibrant with health and beauty, so what better excuse do you need to invest a little bit of time, money and energy in getting you there?

Whether it is planning a few pampering trips to some spas or joining a gym, not only can you trim your figure, you’ll do wonders for your complexion and overall energy levels.

Shopping for the wedding dress is probably the part of the wedding plans you are looking forward to more than any other aspect. The majority

of bridal gowns bought in the UK are classed as ‘off the peg.’

You try on a sample of the gown in the shop; they take your measurements and order the most appropriate size for you which is then delivered to the shop for alterations to fit your exact shape and size.

Don’t panic, there may be a huge amount to do but here is a handy checklist with some of the main points to take into consideration in the build up to the big day!

12 months before…

Choose a wedding date Decide on a budget Make a list of guests and decide on numbers Book your Church/Ceremony location. Book your reception venue/caterers. Choose your Bridesmaids, Ushers and Best Man. Start looking for The Dress!. Choose and book your

photographer 8 months before…

Choose bridesmaids’ dresses Book entertainment Choose and order your wedding cake Make an appointment with your chosen florist 6 months before...

Give Notice of Marriage Purchase or hire menswear Select your wedding rings 4 months before...

Send out your wedding invitations Arrange fittings for the wedding dress and menswear 1 month before...

Arrange a final fitting of your wedding dress your bridesmaids, ushers and best man. Enjoy your hen and stag parties!

2 weeks before...

Confirm the date and time of the rehearsal to the relevant

people 1 week before...

Arrange to collect your wedding dress, bridesmaids

dresses and the menswear Have all your beauty treatments Drink plenty of water and

have some early nights Relax and enjoy this time – all your hard work is about to come to completion!

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How To Get An Upgrade On Your Honeymoon!

Getting married isn’t just about going on honeymoon, but it sure is an exciting plus to the whole shebang! But how do you go about milking the special occasion for all its worth? Everyone loves an upgrade and if you can’t get one when you’re going on your honeymoon then when can you? It’s the perfect opportunity to be pampered and spoiled, especially after all the stress of the wedding planning is over.

Calling first class!

There are so many moments where you might be able to wangle an upgrade when you go on honeymoon. The first is the flight. This is a lot easier to accomplish if you haven’t booked a package deal through a high street travel agency. If you’ve booked flights and accommodation separately then turning up at the airport in your finest clobber, rather than like a scruff bag (albeit a very comfy one), is a great

way to find yourself boosted up to First or Business class.

This is an important fact to consider as the area you want to be moved into is usually full of very well-heeled people. The next step is to arrive at the airport early.

This gives you the best opportunity of nabbing any last-minute upgrades.

Don’t forget to check again when you reach the gate in case an upgrade has become available since you checked-in. Another hot tip for making it more likely to receive an upgrade is to fly on a Saturday as this is when business travellers are usually at home, meaning you have less competition.

Tell the world you’re here for your honeymoon Once you’ve made it to your honeymoon destination the next step towards getting an upgrade is to tell everyone that you’re on your though. Telling businesses honeymoon! It’s important that you’re going on your to do this at the right time honeymoon when you make

the booking tends to hike the prices up. So, you’re better off waiting until you hit the runway to mention that you’re newly-weds on honeymoon. If you’re staying in a hotel then mention at check-in that you’re on your honeymoon and ask if there are any honeymoon suites available for you to upgrade to or if there is anything they can do for you to help make your honeymoon more memorable.

Then as you go about making

your precious memories whilst you are away, you need to keep speaking up.

Tell everyone you meet that you’re there on your honeymoon. You never know, it might lead to a couple of free glasses of champagne over dinner at any of the restaurants you might visit!

The same can be said for any activities, excursions or day trips that you intend to do whilst you’re away.

Live like an A-lister Of course, before you even

get to this stage you need to decide on where to go!

If you’re at a loss for ideas, other than knowing that you want the A-list treatment, then take a leaf out of @ RocknRollBride’s book. She says that ‘If you’re looking to really go all out on your honeymoon, to have a once in a lifetime experience and to truly live it up like a rock star, then the Maldives has to be top of your list.’

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Ktwo’s Roadeo Compact And Push Trailer

Ktwo, one of the biggest British manufacturers of farming machinery, has manufactured the Roadeo Compact and Push Trailer which is being hailed the next generation of trailer.

It’s been designed to increase capacity by compacting its contents which can achieve up to an additional 40% per trailer.

The Roadeo Compact and Push Trailer is unique in its design because it doesn’t tip to empty it’s produce, instead it compacts and pushes its contents out. This

increases capacity through compaction and reduces costs by increasing the volume each trailer can take by up to 40%.

The Roadeo Compact and Push Trailer’s success is also based on its safety and reliability.

The chassis and running gear have been designed to provide maximum stability with the very best of on-and-off road handling characteristics as demanded by today’s high-speed tractors. It is fitted with high specification axles and brakes to ensure that the trailer can stop safely in all conditions. ‘’Our Roadeo Compact and Push Trailers are already being

used by farmers and contractors in the UK and worldwide.’’ Explains Robbie Polson, Ktwo Managing Director. ‘’We regularly get praise for their time and cost saving benefits to farming.

The increased capacity and emptying speeds reduce fleet running costs dramatically.’’

The traditional tipping trailer is likely to be replaced by the safer and cost saving pusher design in the future.

For more information on Ktwo and The Roadeo Compact and Push Trailer, visit: www.ktwo. co.uk

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Road safety innovation for motorists Modern motorists need new and better road safety solutions. The Be-Seen Screen is designed as a fast and highly effective warning signal for broken down vehicles on busy roads.

Placing the traditional warning triangle 45 metres along the carriageway represents a risk in itself. The BeSeen Screen is a bright and reflective alternative warning sign that can be in place in moments.

By pressing the powerful suction pads to the rear windscreen or boot you can clearly and securely display the distinctive chevrons and ‘broken down’ message. This can provide the vital extra seconds of awareness that prevent accidents.

The Be-Seen Screen is the brainchild of entrepreneur, Richard Edwards, and is

endorsed by a former Senior Policing Area Commander of Thames Valley Police, who knows that the dangers and deaths on our roads need to be radically reduced.

The product has taken three years to perfect and has been extensively tested on a range of vehicles, both indoors and outdoors, at the Millbrook Vehicle Proving Ground in Bedford.

The banner has the same reflectivity as emergency vehicles, day or night, to make other motorists aware of your stranded vehicle. It is suitable for use on cars, vans, caravans, and HGVs. The Screen uses a micro-prismatic method to

achieve high reflective performance in all light conditions, tested at multiple angles. The lime-yellow and red chevron design is immediately recognisable as a warning.

Importantly, the product’s design means that motorists can have full confidence in its effectiveness at any time because it doesn’t use electronics that can degrade, and an energy source isn’t needed.

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Winner of Runwood Homes’ care chef of the year announced during finals at Billingsgate market

Six finalists across Runwood Homes Senior Living and sister company, Sanders Senior Living, made their way to Billingsgate Market on the 8th of June to take part in the Care Chef of the Year award live finals. The competition was organised by Chris Williams, Group Hospitality Manager, and James Cotton, Group Development Chef, and was launched back in February.

The finalists included talented chefs from across the Group, including Craig at Lower Meadow in Warwickshire, Michael at Redbond Lodge in Essex, Tomasz at Ivy Court in Doncaster, CJ at Madelayne Court Essex, Oscar at The Belmont in Worcester and Gary at Leawood Manor in Nottingham.

The finalists, along with Chris Williams and James Cotton came together bright and early at the market, and as part of the day they enjoyed a market tour and fish masterclass from CJ Jackson.

The finalists had 60 minutes to then prepare and cook their chosen dishes, before serving to special guest judges.

The brilliant dishes that were prepared and served set an exceptionally high standard and the judges had a tough time picking a winner. After much deliberation though, the judges proudly announced Gary Edson at Leawood Manor as the well-deserved winner for his delicious lamb rump dish, which was prepared with

spring onion mash, minted pea puree, carrot puree, braised red cabbage and a red wine jus.

Gary proudly received his award, along with a prize, and his dish will now be certified as a ‘Runwood Certified Dish’ and featured on menus across the country.

Craig Martin from Lower Meadow received second place and Michael Kirwan from Redbond Lodge was awarded third place.

Both Chris and James were so pleased with how well the final event went and would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in the planning of the event and a special thank you to all the brilliant sponsors, including Jamie Clews from Robot

Coupe, Mark Taylor at Bloom Foodservice and Danny Silcock at Brakes.

James Cotton said: “I am so pleased with how yesterday's event went. It was a great day in an iconic venue with lots of fantastic food.

Thank you to everyone at Billingsgate Market for edu-

cating us all and being such fantastic hosts and thank you to everyone who was involved in the event. Of course, a big well done to our finalists and winner too.”

Chris Williams commented: “It was great to see the competition and the live finals go so brilliantly and to showcase

the talent and passion of some of our chefs across the Group. Food plays a big part in the care home setting and so organising an event like this one reflects how much we as a company value the importance of good food in our care homes.”

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Home Improvements That Add Value

If you are looking to add value to your house, why not try out some home improvement upgrades?

Here are two home improvement upgrades that add value…

It can be super exciting to embark on home improvement projects, but it’s even better

when the upgrades you opt for add value to your home. It’s worth bearing in mind, however, that some improvements might be worthwhile to you personally, they may not increase the value of the house to others.

In this article, we’ll sum up our top five ways to add value to your home through

improvements which you — and future buyers — will benefit from. Here are the top home improvement upgrades that add value…

1. Add insulation In addition to increasing the value of your home, installing energy-saving insulation will also reduce your energy bills as well as ensure you’re minimising

TO ADVERTISE HERE PLEASE CALL OUR FRIENDY STAFF ON 0115 6972677

your carbon footprint. If you opt to insulate your loft or basement, this is a job that you can easily do yourself with a little bit of time and patience, but if you’re insulating your walls then we recommend you hire a professional to do it right. Another method of insulation is double glazing — double glaze your windows to further lock in warmth and add value to your home.

2. Upgrade your heating system Next on our list of home improvement upgrades that add value is to upgrade your heating system.

Adding or upgrading your heating system is a failsafe way to add value to your home. You can do this with a few options, such as replacing windows (or add double glazing if possible, as mentioned in tip #1), seal any drafts around doors and windows or replace a boiler.

If your existing boiler is due an upgrade and has passed the point of repair, then it’s a worthwhile investment to get a new boiler installed in your home.

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Laura Jackson on Sparks win, Commonwealth Games and The Hundred To get that win against Central Sparks in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy has put a real spring in our steps as a Thunder squad as we break for the Hundred.

We’d got ourselves into a bit of a losing habit, which hasn’t been great.

There have been a few games of late that we could have won but just fell short. So it was just good to break that cycle against the Sparks, who are a really good side.

We have beaten some good sides. They had qualified for the Charlotte Edwards Cup final during the first half of the summer, and we also beat the Northern Diamonds, who have made three different finals in regional cricket.

We know we can do it. It’s one thing when you’re so far out of your depth, but we’re not.

We’re a very competitive team. Consistency is the key for us now.

The great thing about that Sparks win was that it was a real team performance. It wasn’t just one person who did it, and they are the most pleasing ones.

Laura Marshall came back into the squad and contributed. She had a really good partnership with Ellie Threlkeld to get us up to a total of nearly 240 batting first.

We also had Emma Lamb back, and she got her runs - as normal. She’s superwoman!

We said that we just want to get some partnerships together in order to build those winning totals, and that’s what we did. And the bowlers bowled in partnerships as well.

To do it under the floodlights at Old Trafford gave us even more of a boost because we all love playing there. It’s such a special feeling which is hard to describe. “’m really excited for the Hundred now with the Manchester Originals, which starts in a couple of weeks. We have some really good overseas players, and our England players are amazing. We also have some new domestic players involved, so we should have a great chance of doing well.

One of those overseas players is Deandra Dottin, who has been with us at Thunder over

the last month. She’s had an amazing influence on the squad.

First of all as player, it was nice to have her expertise around. She’s a gun fielder who throws herself around. That’s shown the rest of us where we can get to. With the ball and the bat, she just goes for it.

As a character, well, she’s just hilarious. It took a week for her to come out of her shell.

I had all the girls round at my house for a barbecue when we played at Southport, and that was the night which brought her out. I must host a good party!

Everything she does, she’s just so funny. She just takes the mick out of everyone, which is what the rest of us do anyway. She fitted in perfectly in that sense.

The women’s Hundred doesn’t get going for a week to 10 days after

the lads, and I’m a bit gutted about that if I’m honest. We miss two games, of which one is at Lord’s. And I’ve never been to Lord’s.

We start training late next week for those who aren’t in the Commonwealth Games, and then we have a few warm-up games after that.

To be involved in the England squad for the Commonwealth Games one day is something I would love to do.

Badminton is big in my family, and we went to watch that at the London 2012 Olympics.

It was so cool. Everyone’s there for sport, and the vibe around an event like that is amazing.

I also heard Kate Cross say the other day that it will appeal to a new audience, people who have never really watched cricket but will do because it’s there on BBC. Hopefully we can continue to raise the profile of cricket and women’s sport on the back of the football, which has been killing it of late.

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Club Statement: High-Performance Review and future domestic schedule In light of the High-Performance Review being undertaken by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the on-going debate concerning the structure of the domestic schedule for 2023 onwards, Lancashire Cricket would like to update its Members and supporters on the Club’s position.

Lancashire Cricket fully understands and respects the strong feeling from within the Membership and from wider cricket supporters throughout the country regarding the amount of County Championship cricket that is played throughout the English domestic season.

At the time of writing, the Club has not held any formal meetings with the ECB that relate to the High-Performance Review, which is currently being carried out,

nor have we had any formal discussions regarding the 2023 domestic schedule.

Representatives from all 18 First-Class counties will meet with the ECB for a first update session on the High-Performance Review and future domestic schedule.

The decision that will be made later in the year, and ultimately voted for by the First-Class counties, will not be a commercial decision.

Rather, it will be one based on the development and welfare of our players, which must always be at the forefront of our minds throughout this process.

We all know the cricket schedule has become increasingly gruelling, both at a domestic and especially at an international level. Covid-19 also impacted the schedule around the world and has had

a significant impact on player welfare. Additionally, there is an increasing number of T20 leagues which are being hosted around the world competing for priority slots within the calendar.

The recent retirement of England’s Test captain Ben Stokes from One-Day International cricket provided strong evidence of these pressures with Ben quoting in his statement: 'We're not cars - you can't fill us up with petrol’.

The Club believes that by ensuring our players are at their best, both physically and mentally, they will be able to perform at their highest ability throughout the season, leading to higher quality cricket being played across the board. In this regard, we are supportive of the process being led by Sir Andrew

Strauss.

However, it is also vital that cricket listens to the voice of its fans. At Lancashire Cricket, we are committed to ensuring that the voice of our Members and Supporters is heard at the highest levels whilst this review is carried out.

Daniel Gidney, Chief Executive of Lancashire Cricket said: “We are listening to the views of our Membership and, alongside player welfare, these will be at the forefront of the discussions during our upcoming meetings.

“Following the conclusion of the ECB’s High-Performance Review and the meetings, which will take place between all 18 First-Class Counties, we will endeavour to support the creation of a domestic cricket schedule which is suitable for all coun-

ties, players, Members and supporters alike.

“As conversations between all stakeholders continue, we will keep Members updated on progress.”

Chair of the Members’ Representative Group, Colin Gore, added: “This is an issue of huge significance for Members and as a result, we have been speaking to the Senior Management Team at the Club regarding the on-going speculation around next year’s domestic schedule.

“In our most recent meeting last week, they confirmed that

no decision has been made on this and that there is an all-county and ECB meeting this week, to give an update on the review.

“Lancashire Cricket and the MRG are well aware of strong feelings amongst Members and cricket supporters generally and the Club have said that these concerns will be put forward to the ECB. We do acknowledge however that a key priority for all stakeholders is the players themselves and ensuring their welfare is at the forefront of any decision.”

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PNE Welcomes The EPIC Risk Management Man Of The Match

Preston North End are delighted to announce EPIC Risk Management as the club's new Man of the Match sponsor.

Dozens of charities will benefit throughout the season as our new sponsors prepare to donate £500 every game to the Preston North End man of the match’s chosen cause!

In a new twist on a popular concept, for every competitive first team home fixture in the 2022/23 season, Preston North End’s star man – as chosen by the match sponsor or our new award sponsors – will be winning the accolade on behalf of a cause close to their heart, as our new partners pledge to donate £500 to the player’s nominated charity.

EPIC Risk Management – who are a Lancashire firm, based in Appley Bridge, but working in 27 countries – are globally-leading specialists in gambling harm minimisation, preventing gambling from harming people and organisations through education, training, advice and consultancy.

The players and staff at Deepdale are very familiar with EPIC’s work, thanks to an ongoing five-year deal which sees EPIC visit every EFL club once a season to deliver education sessions from facilitators with lived experience of gambling harm.

The company also enjoys plenty of connections with PNE, having been executive box holders and player sponsors in recent seasons thanks to CEO Paul Buck’s lifelong support for the club, while

their marketing communications manager, Adrian Ward, job shares the stadium announcer’s role on matchdays at Deepdale.

Reacting to the new arrangement, Ward explained: “It’s a pleasure for EPIC Risk Management to increase our involvement with Preston North End and become the new Man of the Match sponsor, furthering a long-standing connection with the club and supporting some very worthy causes in the process.

“It’s in keeping with our company ethos to be benevolent wherever we can. We’re currently part of the B1G1 movement, which sees us

donate to global causes on a sliding scale every time we enjoy a business success, and we’ve also been sponsors of other professional, grassroots and charitable sports and events.

“Preston North End are one of the many sports clubs that we already work with. Every year for the past four seasons, we’ve delivered our education programme to various groups within the club, by staff who have lived through serious gambling disorders, and will be back working with the club’s first team squad again this season.

"We do that for every club within the EFL, as well as elite

cricket and rugby union in England and the huge NCAA college network in the USA, plus many other high-risk sectors in 27 countries.

“On a personal note, this is the ideal arrangement for me, given that I work full-time for EPIC whilst also sharing the stadium announcer’s role at Deepdale on matchdays, so I look forward to announcing all the man of the match winners and their chosen charities this season. I have absolutely no excuse for getting my lines wrong when I’m announcing the sponsors’ details for this award!”

Welcoming EPIC Risk Management’s extended

relationship with the club, North End club secretary Ben Rhodes added: “It’s absolutely fantastic to have the man of the match award return – it’s part of the matchday experience for fans up and down the country.

“To partner with EPIC Risk Management on this – with what I think is a unique prize – is something that’s great to talk about. The fact that we’re going to be giving a charitable donation for every award winner and the player is going to be able to support charities that they personally want to back is something that I’ve not seen anywhere else. It’s a great partnership

and something that we’re looking forward to re-launching.

“EPIC are a company that we’ve worked with over the past few years through the EFL, working with our young players, staff and senior players. They make them aware of the risks of getting involved in gambling; the effect it can have on people’s lives, the effect it can have on their family’s lives.

“It’s great to partner with a company that has such a positive impact on our sport.

To do this in such a unique way and give something back is a concept that we’re really happy with.”

Each Edition of the Lancashire Now has an estimated readership of 50,000 from print and online. Published by Wilcop Media Ltd, 92L Rolleston Dr, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 7JP.