Lancashire Now 116

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Issue. 116 - Feb - 2020 0115 6972677 | www.wilcopmedia.co.uk | sales@wilcopmedia.co.uk

Pair jailed for FREE

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: WHAT’S ON - GETAWAYS - WEDDINGS - CARE

Ormskirk burglaries

Two men who targeted several businesses in Ormskirk during a burglary spree have been jailed.

Lee Brown, 26, of Muirhead Avenue, Liverpool and Kurtis Nelson, 26, of Kemsley Road, Liverpool, were arrested in January after raiding a number of addresses across Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

Around 10pm on January 5, three men broke into the Costa coffee shop in Ormskirk before stealing more than £460 from the safe and making off from the scene in a white Audi, reported stolen from an address in Wigan in

December.

The same offenders were later seen breaking into the Post House Bar in Orrell in the early hours of January 6, smashing a glass window and stealing £200 from a safe and till.

The group then returned to Ormskirk around 5.20am on January 6, breaking into Spit Roast restaurant and stealing cash before accessing the adjoining The Buck I’Th’ Vine, setting off an alarm.

Police arrived with one officer, who attempted to arrest two of the men, hit on the leg with a crow bar by Nelson. The officer attempted

to arrest the offenders, with one making off on foot and Nelson jumping into the Audi, driven by Brown.

The Audi was pursued and traced to an address in Kirkby, Liverpool. Brown and Nelson were arrested with safe and till drawers from the Spit Roast and Post House Bar seized from inside the Audi.

Nelson and Brown were both charged with three burglary offences and an offence of handling stolen goods. Brown was also charged with driving while disqualified, dangerous driving, driving without insurance and failing to stop.

Nelson was given a further

charge for assault with intent to resist arrest.

Both pleaded guilty last month, with Brown jailed for 50 weeks and Nelson jailed for 38 weeks at Preston Crown Court yesterday (Monday, February 10).

Det Insp Steve Monk, of Lancashire Police, said: “Brown and Nelson are brazen and prolific offenders who went on a relentless crime spree targeting a number of addresses, including Ormskirk.

“Thanks to the quick actions of officers, the trio were found caught in the act. Unfortunately one of the offenders made off from the scene, but Nelson and Brown were pursued and later arrested in the Liverpool area.

“This was a great cross-border response with excellent work by all involved.

“The officer attacked by Nelson thankfully suffered minor injuries and soon returned to work.”

dON’T BE A

VICTIM OF FRAUD

see page 10..

Page 2.

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Toughest sentence yet as

Bolton wages war on flytipping A prolific flytipper, who repeatedly dumped rubbish in the street behind her home, spent a weekend in the cells before being ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

In the strongest message yet that flytipping will not be tolerated, Livia Krskova was hauled before Bolton Magistrates’ Court for numerous waste offences.

The court heard how Bolton Council enforcement officers found a mattress, a bed frame and a fridge-freezer behind Krskova’s Woodfield Street home in August last year.

The discovery was made just 24 hours after she had failed to attend court charged with an earlier flytipping offence.

Krskova, 38, admitted leaving the items in the public street but again failed to attend a court hearing scheduled for

the following month. As a result, a warrant was issued for her arrest. A further offence was discovered in November when officers noted 29 black bin bags of household waste dumped in

the same spot at the rear of the property in Woodfield Street. The rubbish was easily linked to the Krskova’s address and the offence was added to her growing list of charges. Krskova was

eventually arrested on Saturday (Jan 18) before spending two days in custody ahead of a magistrates’ hearing on Monday morning.

The court ordered her to pay a £100 fine and £90 victim surcharge for each of the August and November offences. She was also handed 12 Month Community Order which will see her complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Environmental Regulatory Services, Cllr Anne Galloway, said: “I welcome this tough sentence which I hope will serve as a deterrent to the small minority who choose to blight our neighbourhoods and public spaces.

“This is a particularly shocking case of an individual who has shown utter disregard for her neighbours and repeatedly failed to take responsibility for her own actions. “Not only has she spent time in custody, but she will now spend 100 hours giving back to the community she has harmed. “As a council we are very clear that flytipping is an inexcusable crime. If you offend, you will be prosecuted like any other criminal.”

County's 150-strong electric vehicle charging network is now live Drivers of electric vehicles can now find a place to park and plug-in when visiting most of Lancashire's town centres thanks to a project to install 150 on-street charging points.

The partnership between Lancashire County Council and BP Chargemaster is nearing completion and reached a milestone this week with the opening of a new charging 'super hub'.

It features the largest concentration of public rapid chargers in the North West of England, and is the first such facility for drivers using the M6.

The 18 chargers are based on a Park and Ride site near J34 at Lancaster, offering drivers passing through Lancashire on longer journeys the

opportunity to fully charge their vehicle in less than an hour, depending on the model, as well as being a convenient place to plug-in and catch a bus into the city.

Meanwhile work is nearing completion to ensure electric vehicle-only parking bays can be enforced at a further 32 locations across the county which form part of the scheme, with parking restrictions reserving them for use by electric vehicles being agreed by the council's cabinet last week.

Most of the charging points are accessed via on-street parking bays in town centres, with some also at transport hubs such as Park and Ride facilities in Preston and Lancaster, and the Preston Bus Station car park.

County Councillor Keith Iddon, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The government has provided funding to establish 150 charging points in the county to increase take-up of electric vehicles, reduce emissions and improve air quality, and I'm glad that these points are now available for people to use.

"Most of them are in town and city centres for the convenience of people making local journeys, but we've also recognised that our Lancaster Park and Ride site is strategically well-positioned to provide a service for all electric vehicle owners.

"The way the motor industry is evolving suggests we're only going to see people using

more electric vehicles in the future, and I look forward to them becoming a more common sight in Lancashire." The charging points are part of the nationwide Polar network operated

by BP Chargemaster.

Matteo de Renzi, CEO for BP Chargemaster, said: "Lancashire County Council has been a great partner to work with in electrifying an entire county, helping drivers in the region to make the switch to electric vehicles.

"We are particularly proud of the launch of the first public rapid charging hub on the M6, which will make electric driving on the motorway in the North West even easier."

The charging points are a mix of 50kW chargers which can provide a full charge for many electric vehicles in 1 hour, and 7kW chargers which can provide a full charge in as little as 3 hours. The programme to establish more electric vehicle charging points follows a successful bid by Lancashire County Council for £14.8m from the Department for Transport's Highway Maintenance Challenge Fund to invest in new technology, including a rollout of LED streetlights.

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Page 3.

Purple Flag flying here!

Bury town centre has been awarded Purple Flag status for a fifth consecutive year in recognition of its thriving night time economy.

Purple Flag is a town and city centre award – similar to the Green Flag for Parks and Blue Flag for beaches – which promotes excellence in the evening and night time economy and aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between 6pm and 6am.

Areas awarded the Purple Flag are recognised for providing a vibrant and diverse mix of dining, entertainment and culture while promoting the safety and wellbeing of visitors and local residents.

Bury is one of only two town centres in Greater Manchester to fly the Purple Flag, having been the only town across GM for the last four years.

The accolade comes as Bury starts 2020 as the first GM Town of Culture, which includes plans for a multitude of family-friendly ‘Happy’ events inspired by the legacy of Bury’s own Victoria Wood.

Councillor David Jones, leader of Bury Council and chair of the Purple Flag Steering Group, said: “We are delighted to receive

this prestigious award for the fifth year in a row, and the timing could not have been better. “I had the pleasure of picking up our first Purple Flag years ago, and our fifth flag is a tribute to all the efforts that partners across Bury have put in to maintain our high standards.

“We will continue to work together to ensure that Bury continues to go from strength to strength and offers an enjoyable and safe evening out for everyone.’’

To retain Purple Flag Status, the Bury team had to provide detailed information for a range of criteria including, cleanliness and safety, movement and transport, the range of attractions, entertainment and events, high quality environment and strong partnership working.

The team has recently been working to strengthen the Town Centre Pub Watch group, support the Street Pastor service (who help vulnerable people on a night out), improve safety standards across the taxi/hackney carriage service and work towards a Best Bar None scheme which will be led by Greater Manchester Police.

This programme, supported by the Home Office, is designed to improve standards within licensed premises through partnership working with the licensed trade, police and Bury Council.

The aim is to create safer, busier and more successful businesses coupled with reduced levels of crime and disorder. Not only has Bury retained

Purple Flag accreditation but it has also been selected by the Purple Flag Panel as a finalist for the Purple Flag Award in the “Movement” category. This reflects the strong partnership working with TfGM and the authorities continued work to ensure that all town centre users have a range of safe options to travel to and from Bury.

The town will be up for the award with two other areas chosen from other Purple Flag rounds, with the winner being announced at the Association of Town and City management (ATCM) and Purple Flag awards in June 2020 in Cardiff. John Locke, chair of Bury Pub Watch, said: “This is fantastic news and reflects the ongoing hard work of the Bury Purple Flag partners including Pub Watch and GMP. We are determined to create an expanding and improved quality offer for Bury, and ensure all of our customers can enjoy a safe, enjoyable night out in Bury.

We will continue to work with all partners to improve standards, support our evening economy businesses and ensure Bury offers entertainment for all age groups.” The Purple Flag assessor commented: “I was exceedingly impressed with the commitment and enthusiasm of the Purple Flag Assessment

Team and partners during the assessment. Their pride in the town was palpable. I have no hesitation in recommending Bury for retention of their Purple Flag status. They are leading the way for Greater Manchester authorities.”

For more details about Bury being the first GM Town of Culture, go to https://www. mynewsdesk.com/ uk/bury-council/ pressreleases/ get-happy-burysecures-prestigiousgreater-manchestertown-of-cultureaccolade-2955167

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New cleaner, greener package of Call for more volunteers in Oldham Our Town environment works revealed A ‘cleaner, greener’ package of environmental improvements has been announced for district centres as part of a major new campaign to celebrate Wigan borough.

Wigan Council has unveiled plans to spruce up 12 locations as part of Our Town with a raft of public realm works.

The package includes replacement bins and additional bins, repainting and replacing street signs and benches, new or improved street lighting and repainting road markings.

Each area will get a deep clean, including jet-washing, weeding and pruning to tidy up the streets.

New trees will also be planted in each district and new flower planters installed.

Leader of the council, Councillor David Molyneux, said: “Residents told us they wanted to feel proud of their local area and we want to give them even more reasons to feel that way.

“The package of environmental improvements is in response to people who

said they wanted their local communities to be clean and tidy. We’ll kickstart that with a good spring clean.

“We recognise people have deep connections with their individual communities – not just our main towns – which is why Our Town is tailored to each district.”

Inspired by feedback from residents, the Our Town campaign will champion the borough’s mix of ‘brilliant towns that make up one great place’.

The packages will be rolled out to each area throughout 2020. In addition to the standard environment works there will be individual projects funded in each of the districts.

And work is already underway to spend the cash. A new fence has been installed in Golborne after residents raised concerns about the area looking untidy.

Lead member for district centres, Cllr Yvonne Klieve, said: “Our Town is all about increasing community spirit and we know people want to look around their community

feeling proud of where they live. “The fence in Golborne was something local residents asked for and is an example of the type of community investments we’ll be making.

We have plans to add artwork to it which will also brighten up the area.

“There will be more exciting developments in the campaign throughout the year which we’ll keep residents updated with.” Other aspects of the Our Town campaign include projects to promote the borough’s heritage and to celebrate the people who dedicate their time to their community.

If there’s someone who goes the extra mile to boost community spirit, residents can nominate them for a local hero award.

Also in the pipeline for 2020 are short-story, poetry and photography competitions encouraging residents to share what they love about where they live.

For more information or to nominate a superstar neighbour visit www.wigan. gov.uk/ourtown

OLDHAM Council and its partners are encouraging people to consider volunteering as part of the final week of its New Year New You campaign. Thousands of people volunteer in Oldham each year and there is room for more to give just a small part of their time to help others as well as gaining personal benefits such as to their health.

Studies have found that when people stop thinking about their own problems and focus on someone other than themselves, stress levels start to decrease. And playing a role in the local community is a very important part of Oldham’s great heritage.

Councillor Arooj Shah Oldham Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Lead for Social Justice and Communities, said: “January is a great time for people to set personal goals and volunteering is one of those ‘hidden gems’ that people who give time to help others say they wished they had started sooner.

“For children and young people, volunteering builds social skills and develops awareness that proves very

attractive to future employers.

“For older people, the benefits of volunteering show up quickly and have longterm effects. For example, the benefits of consistent socializing include better brain function and lower risk for depression and anxiety.

“And for all those busy people who think they haven’t got time to volunteer, just a couple of hours volunteering a week can prove a fun distraction from the stresses of everyday lives.”

Action Together is an accredited Volunteer Centre in Oldham that helps both individuals find a suitable place to volunteer as well as working with organisations to advertise suitable opportunities.

Based in offices in Manchester Chambers (just off West Street), Oldham Town Centre, Action Together offers a range of support to strengthen communities. Their belief is that by learning together, sharing skills and pooling resources more can get done.

Nayan Joshi, Senior Partnerships & Project Officer at Action Together, said: “It is great to think that one

person’s efforts can change the life of someone else in Oldham. However, the best part, and often overlooked, is that volunteering is just plain fun. ​“We support people to get help, providing opportunities to get better connected to what is going on in their local community and find the support they need.

“We also strengthen community and voluntary groups by providing support to run their group, find and secure resources and work together to do more.”

For more detail go to Action Together’s website www. actiontogether.org.uk and to find out more about Oldham Council’s New Year New You campaign go to https:// w w w. o l d h a m . g o v. u k / newyearnewyou

Councillor Arooj Shah

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Page 5.

Tour of Britain Land Art winners Walmsley Primary School and Egerton Park receive trophy Walmsley Primary School and Egerton Park in Bolton today saw a special visit from Tour of Britain mascot ToBi to present them with their trophy for winning the National Land Art competition.

The 2019 Tour of Britain finished with a spectacular Greater Manchester stage, that saw the world’s top professional cyclists race through all ten boroughs of the city, including Bolton, before the finish in the heart of the city, where Mathieu van der Poel was crowned

Tour of Britain winner.

The Egerton community came together with Walmsley Primary School to create the winning cycling installation that was shown around the world on the race’s live television coverage, and came out on top in the public vote via tourofbritain.co.uk “Once again the reception to the Tour of Britain Land Art competition was outstanding and we had some truly exceptional entries from across the country. I would like to congratulate the whole

community in Egerton on their award, but also for their work in helping so many people to enjoy and be involved in the Greater Manchester stage of the Tour”, said Tour of Britain Race Director Mick Bennett.

Bolton Council leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, said, “I’m thrilled that Walmsley Primary School and Egerton Park have won the National Land Art competition. To come top among so many fantastic entries from across the UK is testament to the hard work and creativity of everyone involved.

“From Bromley Cross and Egerton to Horwich and Blackrod, I was so proud of the way everyone came out to support the event and cheer on the competitors. The support and enthusiasm of the local community is part of why major sporting events like the Tour of Britain want to come to Bolton.”

Commenting on the presentation, Cllr Samantha Connor from Bolton Council and Miriam Shamir from the

Play team said, “We were very excited that the Tour of Britain was coming to Bolton and passing right through our village so wanted to get the whole community involved to support the cyclists.

“Along with the Play team and Walmsley Primary School we created our land art Installation on Egerton Park and Bolton Council provided T-shirts for all the children to spell out ‘Bolton’.

“This combined with the Play team’s fun activities, face painter and an ice cream van provided an exciting and memorable day for everyone as the Tour of Britain raced past.

“We were thrilled to be shortlisted and then to actually win is an honour and a credit to every single person involved within our community!” Egerton Park and Walmsley Primary School

follow in the footsteps of the South Molton Farmers from Devon that won the inaugural land art competition in 2018.

The 2020 Tour of Britain is a part of the new UCI ProSeries and will take place between Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 September, starting in Cornwall for the first time and finishing in the Granite City of Aberdeen eight days later. In October race organisers SweetSpot

announced that they are looking for a new title partner for the 2020 race, following the successful conclusion of a three year partnership with OVO Energy.

The Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, giving cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their doorstep and helping to build a great cycling nation.

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£306 million investment strategy

set to be approved by Oldham Council An ambitious plan to transform Oldham, including creating more than 2,000 new homes in the town centre, 1,000 new jobs and 100 apprenticeship opportunities, is set to be approved by Oldham Council.

The ‘Creating a Better Place’ vision will unlock £306m of investment across Oldham by focussing on building more homes for local people, delivering new jobs through town centre regeneration, and ensuring Oldham is a great place to visit and do business.

Oldham Council has undertaken a detailed review of the regeneration plans for the borough in order to strengthen the focus on building homes in the town centre.

This means it will be able to meet the urgent need for more housing for residents – designed for a range of budgets and needs - by prioritising urban sites, and where possible, avoiding building on greenbelt land to protect the borough’s much-

loved open spaces.

‘Creating a Better Place’ is expected to significantly boost regeneration across the town centre, making it a destination of choice with lots of familyfriendly and accessible places to go, creating a vibrant nighttime economy and improving the variety of retail space. The Council is also committed to preserving Tommyfield Market and providing a sustainable future for it.

Councillor Sean Fielding, Leader of the Council, said: “Since becoming Leader of the Council I have listened to what residents are saying about the future of the borough and I have undertaken a detailed review of the evidence.

“I believe that this refocus of our plans will be revolutionary for Oldham, bringing jobs, homes and investment into our town centre and will help to create a better place to work, live and visit.

“Oldham Town Centre is at the heart of our borough and the potential to create lasting

change is immense. Together, we can Create a Better Place to secure the future of our town centre and ensure it thrives.”

‘Creating a Better Place’ is a boroughwide plan building on Oldham Council’s Town Centre Vision – a framework published in July last year which aims to address the challenges faced by town centres and sets out the priority areas for regeneration with housing as the catalyst.

It will provide an approach for the Council to support inclusive growth, thriving communities and the cooperative agenda by: • Building quality homes • Providing opportunities to learn and gain new skills • Providing opportunities to grow local businesses and create jobs • Supporting Oldham’s ambition to be the greenest borough • Embedding sustainability, energy efficiency and low (zero) carbon • Improving life-chances

and the health/well-being of our residents and local communities.

The strategy will build on Oldham’s recent successful town centre regeneration projects including the redevelopment of the Old Town Hall, improved connectivity via Metrolink and the redevelopment of Oldham Leisure Centre and Parliament Square.

Whilst construction work to

transform the former Oldham Library into OMA – a state-ofthe-art £13m arts and heritage centre which will offer galleries, a modern archive facility and performance space – will soon begin.

It accompanies ongoing investment and regeneration projects across the borough including: • The new Saddleworth School in Diggle • Redevelopment of

Alexandra Park depot to support the ground-breaking Northern Roots project which will create the biggest ecological centre and urban farm in the UK • The refurbishment of Royton Town Hall • The development of a leading hotel at Prince’s Gate, Oldham Mumps • Other projects to be announced in the coming months.

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Page 7.

Trio of new occupiers join line up at Rochdale Riverside

3 more major leisure and retail brands have joined the ÂŁ80 million Rochdale Riverside scheme.

South African restaurant Nando's, famous for its Portuguese inspired peri-peri chicken dishes, has taken a 3,500 sq ft unit on a 15 yearlease.

Nando's will be joined by luxury dessert chain Heavenly

Desserts, which is taking 2,000 sq ft of space on a 10year lease.

Superdrug will also be joining the retail mix with a 4,500 sq ft unit, offering the best in accessible health and beauty products and services.

The latest deals follow handover to M&S, H&M, Next, Boots, Reel Cinemas and Hollywood Bowl's new

mini golf concept, Puttstars, with all currently undertaking internal fitout works on site.

JD Sports and River Island will also take units in the scheme.

Delivered in a joint venture between Genr8 and Kajima in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council, Rochdale Riverside comprises approximately 200,000 sq ft

(60,970 sq m) of retail and leisure accommodation in the heart of Rochdale. Work on site is set to complete in April 2020 with a launch festival scheduled for Easter weekend.

These new deals mark another major step forward for the scheme, which will bring 24 new retail and leisure units to the heart of Rochdale town centre, alongside a 6-screen cinema.

Lauren Gavaghan, Development Manager at Genr8 Developments, said: "We are delighted to have agreed a deal to bring 3 popular brands to the Rochdale Riverside scheme.

These occupiers will complement the current tenant mix in the scheme and will help drive forward the leisure element.

"The scheme is now 80% let and with works continuing to progress at pace, we are now looking forward to

completion and the launch."

Councillor Allen Brett, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: "Rochdale town centre has undergone a major transformation in recent years, and Rochdale Riverside is a key part of it.

These new additions will complement the ever expanding offer in Rochdale town centre, which includes fantastic new independent restaurants, Bombay Brew and the Mannerist, and will soon welcome a Hogarth's pub as part of a ÂŁ1 million restoration of one of our major historic buildings."

Cheetham & Mortimer and LTL Property are joint agents on the scheme.

Wa r w i c k

Smither, director at Cheetham and Mortimer, said: "This is a massive endorsement for the town and the Rochdale Riverside development.

"Securing brands such as Nando's, Superdrug and Heavenly Desserts is a huge boost for the scheme and everybody involved.

We are looking forward to the launch of Rochdale Riverside and announcing further deals as we draw closer to completion."

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Protect your pipes this winter

Whilst the UK enjoyed an unseasonably mild end to 2019, the winter is set to take a grip with weather forecasters warning a cold snap could be on its way during the first few weeks of the new year. As the weather gets colder, the risk to your home increases. Insulating your water pipes will protect them from freezing, bursting

and flooding. Sometimes pipes freezing and thawing can cause them to burst. There are simple steps you can take to protect your home: • Pay attention to the pipes in the garage, loft, or those outside your home, as these are the ones most likely to freeze when the temperature drops.

• Wrap up your pipes to prevent them from freezing.

• Keep your heating on low during a cold spell, even if you’re away.

• Should the worst happen find your stop tap and turn the water off immediately.

The Met Office has more seasonal advice online and United Utilities’ winterwise campaign has tips on protecting your home this winter.

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Page 9.

dON’T BE A VICTIM OF FRAUD Page 10.

How long have you been in the Private Investigation Industry? I have been an investigator for over 40 years now. I was a detective at Scotland Yard for 16 years before transferring to the National Crime Squad where I conducted Investigations all over the world, working with many International Law Enforcement Agencies in the process. After retiring from Law Enforcement in 2009, I worked in both a Retail and an Investment Bank, in various financial crime investigation

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roles and this really helped, seeing frauds operate from both sides of the fence. I set my own Fraud and Corruption Agency (Fedora) up in early 2019 and have been amazed at just how many investigations are out there that don’t get reported immediately or ever to the police. That was really an eye opener.

What made you get in to this line of work? From my first days in the police at the age of 18, I knew that I wanted to be a detective.

The pride detectives put

into their paperwork and the painstaking amount of work that was required to get to the finish line astounded me. For me the real police work starts after all of the excitement of the arrest has subsided.

However, it always frustrated me, that the police as an institution were too fond of putting crimes and the police officers who investigate them into boxes.

I am afraid organised crime doesn’t work that way, it cuts across all areas of criminal activity. Organised fraud, usually involves some form of corruption and importantly is committed across numerous jurisdictions and involving a number of crime areas such as; cyber activity and money laundering. As a result, investigators need to be knowledgeable and proficient in all of these areas to take the crimes on otherwise the investigation that will follow will be too narrow and only progress within the comfort zone of the person investigating. Many times the investigator just doesn’t know where to start and so cases get left in the tray. Training is the key and that costs money.

In a crime survey for England and Wales there was an estimated 3,863,000 fraud offences against adults in England and Wales year ending 2019. What is the best way to protect ourselves?

Unfortunately, individual greed and/or naivety lies at the root of many frauds that are perpetrated. The old adage that if somethings is too good to be true it probably isn’t, is so true yet so many members of the public don’t take heed and never think they will be scammed. However, nobody is safe from fraud and fraudulent approaches, all the fraudster needs is the key to open your door. Often this key can be obtained through cyber activity and it is more subtle than you would imagine.

The fraudsters gain most of the information they need through phishing activity.

Lots of people think they know what ’phishing is’ but if that was true why do so many fall for the scams?

The first stage of the attack is often through the random use of spamming. The cybercrime world is a flat structure.

Spammers are not fraudsters they do their thing and then

sell on the product to others on the net. Millions of emails sent out to millions of people.

The messages usually carry no threat, no malicious payload such as a virus or trojan, they just want to identify whether your email address is ‘live’ and that you are a potential ‘clicker’, someone who clicks on anything without too much thought. Great, you clicked, you’re on the list.

Once they have been identified your email address as ‘live’ the information will go on to a list that will be shared amongst internet spammers, hackers and fraudsters via password protected websites owned by cyber criminals.

They are ready to take things to the next step.

Some cyber criminals will send out emails to your email address which contain malicious code hidden in a link or word document. These virus’ are designed to spider their way onto your machine in order to steal information or turn your machine into a zombie to be used in other cyber-attacks. Others will start to do some homework, some research and try to link your email address to social

media activity. LinkedIn is very useful to cyber criminals.

They want to see what makes you tick and most importantly what might make you click on a link. Once they have found the key, possibly a hobby or an interest of yours, you will be ready to be ‘spear phished’.

A spear phishing email is an email designed especially for you. It might purport to be from someone you know or about an interest you like.

It might be a friend who is organising that golf trip later in the year or it might be an invitation to a special event with your idol. Whatever the email looks like it will be designed to make you click on that link or open up that word document. When you do, the fraud or malicious activity will execute and you will be hooked. In short you are just about to be defrauded.

You are just about to send lots of hard earned money to the wrong account, a ‘mule account’.

What should people be looking out for? So, what do you do about it. Well, slow down and think! Does life really work that way? Why should you get that special email? What the hurry? Why the secrecy?

Fraudsters always want you to rush and its always a big secret! A deal that no one else knows about. Emails that urge to you do something urgently and secretly should be ‘red alerts’ to you.

Next, DON’T click on anything until you are sure who the email is from. Take a look at the email address of the sender and once you have taken a look, have three more looks. It might not actually say what you think it says.

Tiny changes to a name, changing the name ‘tommy’ to tomny’ is all that is needed. As a belt and braces, hover your cursor over the email address and see if the email actually resolves to a completely different email address. This is where any reply is really going to.

Lastly, if you are told by anyone that your account and money have been compromised and you need to place your life savings into a safe account DON’T DO IT. Again, life doesn’t work like that and nor do banks or the police. Seek advice but don’t send that money. If you are

Sales E: sales@wilcopmedia.co.uk | T: 0115 6972677 reading this and are thinking I would never do that, I beg to differ. On a day when you are all over the place, rushing around and just not thinking straight, that email or phone call will catch you. On the end of that phone or email will be a fraudster so polished and convincing you will do whatever they say. When that day happens, remember this article and stop and think! Take a moment and remember, life doesn’t work this way.

What should the government be doing to prevent this? I don’t want to criticise the police as it is in my blood however, things have got disturbingly bad.

There just aren’t enough resources and nowhere near the right amount of training to cope with the onslaught of fraud activity that hits the UK. For this to happen there needs to be a sea change in the Government’s response and put fraud higher up the agenda.

Fraud isn’t committed by fraudsters and they don’t fit in a box called fraud. They are organised criminals and the money that is made from such activity is used to commit more crime and this includes terrorism.

It is interesting to note that the UK is targeted more than any other country on earth by fraudsters, because of our unique character.

We are in the main, very polite and trusting, especially of people we believe to be professionals, such as solicitors. Even the word commands respect for the typical Brit. All that a fraudster needs to do is raise his or her inclination and tone on the phone when you are hesitating, saying something like, “Don’t you trust me?” and the UK caller will back down and become totally subservient. I have listened to literally thousands of phone calls where it happens just like this.

We just don’t like saying no and we certainly don’t like slamming the phone down.

However, on the end of that phone is a master at deception. Possibly with ‘call centre’ experience, they have a silky charm, are very used to talking to members of the public, sound like they know what they are talking about and are very, very persistent.

Take a deep breath and say No. Give yourself time, don’t be rushed or bullied. Put that phone down and DON’T apologise when you do it!

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Residents urged to take pride in their communities A leading Burnley councillor has urged residents across the borough to take more pride in their communities in 2020.

Councillor Cosima Towneley said Burnley Council could only effectively tackle the problem of flytipping with the help and support of local people.

“The council does what it can to keep our communities clean and tidy but it’s fighting a never-ending battle to try and keep our streets free of flytipping and the only way we can win that battle is with the help of residents," she said.

“Think how much money we could save if we didn’t need to have clean-up crews going out every day to sort out the mess left by a selfish minority who don’t care about what effect dumping their rubbish on someone else’s doorstep has. “We are organising extra street clean-ups in certain areas but that hard work and investment is being abused by some people who think it means they can wash their hands of their responsibility to dispose of their rubbish properly.

We can clean up a street only for rubbish to start appearing

again within a matter of days.

“In most cases people don’t go far to dump their rubbish and residents in the area know who’s responsible for the flytipping.

We want people to report the flytippers and give the council information so that we can catch those responsible and fine and prosecute them.

We want to make the flytippers think twice before they dump any rubbish and realise there’s a good chance they will get caught and punished.

“We need people to take a pride in their communities and help us catch and fine those that dump their rubbish on our doorsteps and wash their hands of any responsibility.

“Dish the dirt on the flytippers and help us keep your communities clean and tidy.”

The council will clean up flytipping if it’s reported and officers try to gather evidence so that action can be taken against those responsible.

For example, the council’s contractors recently cleaned

up more than 20 bags of household rubbish dumped at the rear of Ormerod Road, Burnley. Officers traced the rubbish to an address close by and the householders were spoken to and now face further enforcement action.

Residents can give information on flytipping and those responsible online at www.burnley.gov.ukor by contacting the council’s streetscene unit by email streetscene@burnley.gov. ukor caling 01282 425011.

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Award-winning Arts in Libraries project returns for 2020 An award-winning project which brings a broad range of arts events into libraries across the borough is back for 2020.

Now in its 16th season, Cultural Hubs: Arts in Libraries - crowned the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded arts programme in 2016 - will run a packed programme of events between February and July, with something for everyone to enjoy.

This February half-term in partnership with local organisation, Citadel Arts – St Helens Libraries will present

a week of events showcasing the very best theatre for children and families as part of a new Story Telling Festival.

Featuring uplifting shows using puppetry and songs in unusual, intimate settings such as giant pop-up story caves, The WhirlyBird; Twisted Tales for Terrible Children; and Beastly Belle are certainly not to be missed.

Heading into March multi-awarding winning writer, performer, and BBC Radio 4 broadcaster Byron Vincent will bring

his funny and entertaining show, Instagramming the Apocalypse, to Chester Lane Library on Friday 20 March at 7:00pm.

Then on Saturday 28 March, a group of local artists will come together in the former Argos store in Church Street for a day of diverse works, including dance, photography, sculptures and live art.

Moving into April – a digital maker station will make its way to Bllinge Library on Thursday 9 April. Held during the library’s opening hours of 11:00am-4:00pm –

you can let your imagination run wild by creating digital crafts – and best of all, you don’t have to be a tech whiz to take part.

There will be football fever in Parr Library on Saturday 25 April, 1:00pm, when Mikron Theatre perform ‘Atlanta Forever’ 100 years on from when Dick Kerr’s Ladies football team drew a 53,000 crowd to Goodison Park – a side one of St Helens’ famous daughters, the legendary Lily Par, was a part of.

Meanwhile, following successful bids to the Arts in Libraries Fund, local artists and performers have been given the opportunity to showcase their talents at a number of exhibitions in libraries around the borough.

Pete Fletcher will use his fascination of old and new technology to create a virtual reality film of St Helens Borough which will be premiered at Haydock Library on Thursday 27 February – while on World Book Day (5 March) Rebecca Ainsworth will display her exhibition ‘The Trace of Words’ in Rainhill Library - a video installation made up of words in response to library visitors’ favourite books.

Drawing on the history and landscape of where she grew up, Stephanie Fry has used film, photography, collage and audio to bring back two forgotten Billinge locations; the old cinema that used to be on the same site as Billinge Library and the Cold War bunker on Billinge Hill.

‘Threads of History’ will be on display at Billinge Library

on Thursday 12 March.

Then from 22 May until 19 June - Alice in Wonderland fans will be in for a treat when Angela Wilkinson brings Exploring Wonderland to Rainford Library which will see re imagined scenes from Lewis Carrol’s much-loved story, using libraries in St Helens as the backdrop.

And finally on Friday 3 July at 7:30pm, father and daughter duo Imogen and Jeremy Sleith will hit all the right notes as they perform a collection of new jazz songs titled ‘Songs of Hope and Redemption’ in Rainhill Library as part of their St Helens Jazz Café project.

As part of the Cultural Hubs: Arts in Libraries programme, residents looking to lift their mood and self-confidence can also access award-winning ‘arts on prescription’ service ‘Creative Alternatives’.

The programme can be offered as an alternative or as an additional treatment for people with mild to moderate depression, anxiety or stress – opening up opportunities to take part in a number of workshops led by trained artists.

A Creative Alternatives open day will be held at Peter Street Library on Friday 20 March between 2:00pm- 4:30pm.

St Helens Council’s portfolio holder for libraries, arts, events and culture, Councillor Anthony Burns, said: “We’re really proud of our Cultural Hubs programme and how it has positively impacted communities across the borough, with over 4,000 people engaging with the project last year.

“Cultural Hubs is an opportunity for people, who may not usually engage with the arts, to be introduced to the world of arts and culture in a comfortable setting, and I’m delighted to see it return, with more exciting and inclusive events scheduled to take place in our libraries this year.”

Cultural Hubs is funded

by Arts Council England and delivered by St Helens Council’s Library Service, which is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.

Look out for a new Cultural Hubs events brochure in libraries and venues across the borough very soon, or alternatively visit www. sthelens.gov.uk/artsinlibraries Keep up to date with what’s happening in your local library by following St Helens Libraries Service on social media. Check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Two men arrested following RTC with scrambler bike Officers have arrested two men, both in their 20s from St Helens on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle following a road traffic collision on Travers Entry.

The incident happened at around 4:40pm on 9th February when two people riding a scrambler bike collided with a white Mercedes causing damage to the side of the car.

Both men made off from the scene, however were detained shortly after in a nearby garden.

The 21 year old and 25 year old were arrested and taken to hospital for treatment and later returned to custody. The driver of the car also sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene. An investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding people driving dangerously, should please call 101, contact @CrimestoppersUK anonymously or DM @ MerPolCC #OpTarget

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Spicing it up – new Rochdale restaurant backs town’s food festival

Rochdale's new arrival Bombay Brew will be spicing up the 2020 Rochdale Food & Drink Festival. The Indian street food and craft ale restaurant is sponsoring the festival kitchen when the event returns to the town hall for its 3rd year on Saturday, 4 April 2020.

Bombay Brew will be trading at the festival itself, selling street food, hosting menu tastings and their head chef Austin Hopley will be showing off his culinary skills

on the Hill in Littleborough and Noo Meenan from Rochdale's Thai food experts Issan Friends. The Festival Kitchen will be located inside the gothic splendour of Rochdale town hall along with stalls and activities. There'll be an outside food and drink village, an indoor seating area to watch chef demonstrations on a big screen plus a live music stage and lots of other activities. On the Family Stage popular TV presenter and Gastronaut Stefan Gates

new venture Bombay Brew.

There is already a strong food and drink offer in the town centre and we need to keep on promoting it to as wide an audience as possible, which is why events like Rochdale Food & Drink Festival are so important. We’ve had a busy first couple of months at Bombay Brew and the team are really looking forward to being part of this festival.”

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community

in the kitchen, revealing how a couple of their most popular dishes are created from scratch. The restaurant, based at 1 Drake Street in the town centre, will also stage festival warm up events in March during the run-up to the event.

Television presenter Chris Bavin will be hosting the festival, also introducing local favourite Andrew Nutter, Tom McNeeney from The Oxford, Adolfus Lewis from The Hare

will be performing his shows – promising hilarious, mindblowing edible adventures with food and science stunts including food rockets, edible chemical reactions, magical colour-changing cocktails and more.

‘A great addition’. Ben Boothman, owner of Bombay Brew said: “I have supported many local events over the years and this festival is a great opportunity for our latest

and culture at the council, added: “Having one of our new restaurants on board is a great addition, adding value and expertise to the festival.

We are grateful to businesses who support this event, who share our goal of celebrating Rochdale’s wonderful food and drink offer to visitors and locals all year round.”

Rochdale Food & Drink Festival is on from 11am6pm, Saturday 4 April 2020.

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MasterChef winner to create dishes from Cumbrian produce at 2020 Lakes Hospitality Show The winner of MasterChef forthcoming Lakes Hospitality Show from nationally alongside Cumbria Tourism.

2019 has been confirmed on 25 & 26 March 2020, where she and internationally Irini, who impressed as a special guest at the will be creating special dishes made renowned local MasterChef judges in early Cumbrian produce. 2019 thanks to her ambitious methods, says, Irini Tzortzoglou cooking hasn’t been wasting “Coming from Crete, which is any time, having acknowledged by many as the already highlighted European seat of eagerness to local products show hospitality – as well as including Kin a foodie island, I feel that I fit Vodka, Hawkshead right in in Cumbria.

Relish, beverages It is a wonderful county which from the Lakes welcomes millions of visitors Distillery, Claire’s every year and its tourism Handmade and industry has such a strong even Windermere culinary focus.

Artisan ice cream as “I have always considered potential ingredients myself extremely fortunate for her creations. to have homes in two very One of the region’s different places, Cumbria biggest trade events and Crete, where nature is of 2020, the Lakes stunning, the people are warm Hospitality Show is and hospitable, and much time Cumbria’s longest- is taken by many to produce running show of amazing culinary delights. its kind and is This is my hope for this year’s organised by The LHA show where I will create Lakes Hospitality dishes that I love using great, Association (LHA) world-famous local produce.

“I was honoured to be asked to participate at the LHA show this year and I will very much enjoy bringing together the abundance of wonderful Cumbrian produce made by passionate artisans and elements of my culinary heritage, demonstrating what is possible with only a small amount of effort and time, along with a lot of enthusiasm.”

Cumbrian hotelier and Director of the Lakes Hospitality Trade, James Tasker, says, “We’re so pleased to announce Irini as one of our special guests, especially so soon after she brilliantly won such a prestigious TV cooking show.

We’re delighted and have no

doubt that Irini will come-up with some amazing ideas and we’re all very excited that she’s planning on using local produce to come up with what are sure to be extremely tasty creations!” The 2020 event will celebrate the show’s 45th anniversary, at the Junction 36 Rural Auction Centre. Just a one minute drive from the M6 motorway, the show is not only one of the biggest in the north of England, but one of the most easily accessible.

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More than 1,250 delegates from across Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and beyond were welcomed through the doors during last year’s two-day event, where the show hosted a recordbreaking 136 stands for a wide range of hospitality businesses including tourist attractions, food and drink suppliers and support services such as IT technology and catering equipment. For 2020, even more exhibition stands have been made available, giving businesses from across Cumbria and the north of England the chance to showcase their products and services to hospitality industry businesses from all over Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool and the North East.

The 2020 Lakes Hospitality Trade Show will also include the introduction of ‘Level 1’; 17 new stands created for smaller or start-up businesses, for just £225+vat for both

days. Also appearing at the a mentor for young managers, training; and also trains and To find out more about Show, visit: www.

Lakes Hospitality Show are leads courses for those develops butlers in both exhibiting at the Lakes lakeshospitalitytradeshow. wine expert Joe Wadsack, undertaking customer service private and corporate service. Hospitality Trade co.uk whose TV credentials include regular appearances on shows including Great Food Live, Saturday Kitchen, Ladette to Lady and Richard and Judy.

A columnist for The Sunday Express, Joe also writes for magazines including ‘Waitrose Food Illustrated’, ‘Red’ and regular articles in the trade press. Joe also judges at various international wine competitions and acts as a consultant to numerous companies in the wine trade.

Meanwhile, Andrew Coy will bring his tales of his 50+ years working in the hospitality trade to the event, putting a focus on how to deliver the very best customer service.

Andrew is Proprietor at Simply Banqueting and undertakes consultancy contracts in Private Houses, Villas, Hotels and Venues.

Andrew also manages VIP areas at major events, acts as

The steep path from the Sticklebarn pub follows Stickle Ghyll all the way up the valley side giving plenty of excuses to take a breather and wonder at the dramatic waterfalls and rock pools cut into mountainside and the striking views across the valley towards Lingmoor.

1. Leave from the top end of the car park and head through a wooden gate behind Sticklebarn. You'll then pass between some stone walls on the left and a bird feeding station to the right. The stone walls are part of the remains of a fulling mill which was built here in 1453 to clean and felt wool. The mill would have been powered by water wheel using water diverted from Stickle Ghyll (you can still see a channel further up the path on the left which would have provided water).

2. The trail very quickly heads uphill along a well defined path. An enormous amount of work has been done over the years repairing this much

Stickle Tarn trail Route Details Difficulty : Challenging Time : 2 hours Distance : 1.9 miles (3km) Terrain : Steep, well defined, stone pitched path with some short easy scrambling sections Starting Point : Stickle Ghyll Car Park OS Explorer Map OL6

used path. The majority of the route is constructed using a technique called stone pitching.

3. The trail continues onwards and inevitably upwards. The scenery is dramatic so take every opportunity to pause, catch your breath and take in the views.

4. After a while you'll approach a wooden footbridge over the stream. This is the location of the Stickle Ghyll hydro-electric scheme that is helping the National Trust in its aim to become a greener organisation.

5. Once you're over the footbridge you'll start to gain height fairly rapidly as the path becomes steeper and, in places, turns into short scrambles over rocky outcrops.

Eventually, as the top ridge comes into view you'll cross back over the stream on to its left side.

6. A few minutes later as you come over the final rise, you'll see the

rewarding sight of Stickle Tarn below the stunning backdrop of Harrison Stickle and Pavey Ark. These summits together with Pike

O' Stickle once formed part of the outer rim of a massive volcano. 7. Stick around for a while and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of Stickle Tarn.

It's a great spot to dangle your bare feet in the water before retracing your steps back down the same path to your start point.

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Double, double toil and trouble – help a witch escape Selby library

Grab a cauldron and create the perfect spell! Young sorcerers are invited for a day of Magick and Mayhem at Selby library to help a trapped witch break free.

Based on the bestselling children’s series, The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol, Selby library has created an escape room for budding witches and wizards aged seven to 11.

In teams of five, players will enter the world of Arianwyn, the apprentice witch, and try to save her from her nemesis, Gimma. By solving puzzles and quizzes read by James, they will need to find the right spell to release Arianwyn and

escape from the room.

James Nicol, author and library supervisor, said: “It’s very exciting to see my books being adapted into an escape room event.

I’m a huge fan of board games and escape rooms, so this is a dream come true. I’m really excited to be involved with being a virtual presence dishing out helpful clues to the participants.”

The escape room is running on Monday, 17 February, with morning and afternoon slots.

Tickets cost £2.50 and must be pre-booked.

The Magick and Mayhem programme of activities is continuing on Friday, 21 February, from 10am to 4pm, when York Bird of Prey will bring owls to the library.

At 4pm, James Nicol will talk about the world of The Apprentice Witch, sign books and host the game show Which Witch is Which?

Tickets for the talk (ages 6+) are £2.50 and must be pre-

booked. Anybody who is taking part in the escape room will be able to buy tickets for £1. “If you’re looking for something to entertain the kids this half term I would urge you to support your local library and get involved in these unique events,” said County Councillor Greg White, Executive Member for Libraries. “We are very lucky to have James as a member of our library staff, willing to share his writing skills and helping to run the exciting escape room.

The game gives children the chance to socialise and test their problem-solving skills with a magical twist.” For more information and to book your tickets, contact Selby library.

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Planning a day out?

Discover incredible things to do in North Wales But where to begin?

Well, the north east of Wales has plenty of history and is home to North Wale's only World Heritage Site.

The coastal regions like Colwyn Bay and Conwy have excellent beaches and family attractions.

You’ll find adventure in the mountains of Snowdonia & stunning locations along the Llyn Peninsula.

Picture this. An abandoned

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quarry, once the world’s largest, turned into the world’s fastest zip zone. Or how about the world’s first manmade surf lagoon delivering consistent two metre waves.

You can even scale to Britain’s lowest point, deep beneath the mountain's of Snowdonia. With all this, it’s no surprise that North Wales has a growing reputation as being the adventure capital of the UK. Underground, on ground or above ground, be prepared for an unforgettable adventure in North Wales.

But it’s not all about flying through the air. There are plenty of things to do in North Wales snd Betws-y-Coed for example that don't require a helmet or wetsuit. The region

has an incredibly rich and eventful history & heritage – which has to be explored.

Medieval castles dominate historic towns, historical structures can be seen across the region & you can even explore a 4,000 year-old mine! For a comprehensive look at the regions history, be sure to visit North Wales’ intriguing museums.

For families, North Wales and Llandudno in particular has a great array of attractions.

Adventure parks provide an array of things to do in North Wales including roller coasters, slides and experiences. For a day of discovery, head to one of the regions zoos & aquariums – here, the kids can be

introduced to animals from all over the world. With so much going on, you might forget to take it all in so why not make your stay a bit longer?

Whether you are looking for seaside hotels, traditional

bed and breakfasts, quirky glamping and campsites, family friendly holiday and carvan parks or just basic self catering accommodation, all needs and tastes are catered for in North Wales!

And in terms of dining out, Don’t worry. With a wide variety of excellent restaurants, pubs and bars to choose from, you can be certain your stay in North Wales will be a fantastic one!

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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 everpopular 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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How to Choose a Wedding Venue: What You Need to Consider Finding the perfect venue is likely to be at the top of any newly engaged couples list. With the venue playing a vital role in the success of your day it’s the big decision you really need to get right.

Just like viewing a new property it is easy to become overexcited and fall in love with a place without checking the venue can cater to your requirements, so hitched. co.uk are here to answer that question - how to choose a wedding venue?

Wait until you get the feeling Much like finding your dress, the shoes, a new home, it is true that when you view venues you will know if it is right for you. You need to be able to picture yourself there on the day and ensure the style of the building both exterior and interior will work with the theme of your wedding.

Finding the right venue in our opinion is the most important factor, once you fall in love with somewhere before rushing in to anything at the very least check the following match your criteria: Is it the right location?

Where will your guests be coming from? If they are not local, choosing a venue that is easily accessible, has accommodation on site or hotels in close proximity is desirable. If you have guests coming from abroad how far is the closest international airport? These factors may play a role in your decision making. Is the capacity right for you? Think about whether you need a large capacity wedding venue or a smaller and more intimate wedding venue. The size of the venue is just as important, too small for your number of guests and the room will feel stuffy and overcrowded, too big and guests will feel lost and the space will feel cold. When a space is empty it is hard to imagine how it will look when filled with tables. For this reason we would always advise viewing a venue when it is set up for a wedding. If this is not possible ask to see photographs, most venues should have a photo book or slide-show. Another tip is to ask for a seating plan of the room at capacity, this will give you a good idea of how much

space there is and how comfortably your guests numbers will fit.

Ask about the flow of the day Make sure the venue representative talks you through how a typical day runs. The flow of the day is crucial, any long pauses or delays and your guests will become bored.

If your ceremony and reception is in the same room how long does the turnaround take, where will the guests be and what will they be doing? This is also relevant between the reception meal and the evening dancing. The weather in the UK can be unpredictable to say the least! If it does rain does the venue have indoor space for the reception drinks? Do they provide a master of ceremonies/ manager? This takes the stress off you and is the best way to make sure all your guests are where they are meant to be at all times.

Check the timings. Planning the time of your ceremony is a big decision; when do the venue advise? In our experience weddings of 8-9 hours work well, any longer than this and the atmosphere dwindles towards the end, you want your wedding to end on a high! Also bear in mind where the majority of people will be coming from on the day, leave plenty of time for people to get ready and arrive.

Also ask, what set up time is included in the hire fee, when will your suppliers have access to the room and when do things need to be collected?

Think about the lighting. Lighting plays an important part in any event, if your ceremony is during the day does the room have lots of natural daylight? During the evening do they provide/ let you bring in candles?

Cameras will be a big part of your day so practise your smiles! Bearing this in mind what is the surrounding area around your venue like? Where will your photographs be? If you are looking at a central town hall where will you take outdoor photographs?

The view from the venue and any outdoor space is also a massive plus not only for photographs but for your guests enjoyment. Does the venue have grounds or ample outdoor space – this is useful if you have children attending and for guests to stretch their legs for ten minutes after the reception meal. Check the finer details.

At the venue viewing stage you will not know every detail of your day however you must ask the venue what is not permitted…. If you envisage a romantic candlelit winter ceremony check the venue permits candles! If you are having your ceremony at the same venue can you throw confetti?

Finding these details out early in the planning stage before you book

is essential, you are likely to have an idea of what your day will be like and the venue needs to be able to live up to this, for this reason write a list of…..

Make a list of your nonnegotiable's. Before viewing any venues sit down with your partner and discuss any non-negotiable's these could include: Budget – will the venue be able to provide everything you need within your budget, is VAT included in the price, are staff gratuities added and if so are they optional?

Catering – What type of cuisine would you like? Can the venue provide this?

Suppliers – do you have artistic friends that want to bake the cake or take the photographs? If so check the venue will permit this or do you need to use their recommended suppliers?

Live music – if you would like a band does the venue permit this?

If you would like a string quartet during reception drinks do the venue allow music outside?

Fireworks, sparklers, flame eaters etc. – if you have any different entertainment ideas check your venue will allow it. Finding your venue will

be one of the big milestones in your wedding planning and will determine your date, location and therefore will impact a lot of your other

wedding planning decisions.

You may even want to consider finding a wedding dress that perfectly suits your venue.

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The Tipsy Truck Co Born out of a passion for hospitality and fantastic customer service, Martin and Rachel decided it was time for

them to bite the bullet and “Go for it”!

Both Martin & Rachel started their careers in hospitality, Martin as a chef and Rachel front of house supervisor,

in the restaurant and on the bar. Their careers were leading to running their own business, when, whilst pregnant, complications occurred and their eldest Jake, was born 13 weeks early.

Rachel decided to give up her career, as Jake was later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and left confined to a wheelchair.

The couple put their plans for a business on hold, and 2 more children later, Martin and Rachel have a fantastic family with 3 amazing children, Jake, Olivia and Isaac. Martin moved into Hospitality training and Rachel brought up the children and became Jakes full time

carer. Then, in the autumn of 2018, things were about to take a turn…………...

After watching a section on “This Morning” Rachel came up with an idea to convert a vintage horsebox into a bar that specialises in Gin. With Martin still heavily involved in the hospitality industry as a hospitality trainer, he was up to date with current trends, legislation and with a backlog of contacts in the industry, the idea quickly developed into a passion and so Hilda was born! With their colossal knowledge of Gin, they decided this was the area they would like to specialise in.

After getting in touch with a few conversion companies, they decided to go with “Bespoke Conversions” in Widnes and after meeting Paula and Mark, they knew they had made the right choice. Bespoke Conversions sourced us a vintage “Rice Beaufort” horsebox, she was rescued from a field and at over 55 years old, she needed a little TLC. Rachel designed the trailer, from the colour, the layout, fixtures and fittings, wallpaper and accessories, Paula and Mark got to it and 5 months later, she was ready to roll. They decided to focus on local producers and suppliers, “We love the Ribble Valley” said the couple, “and being from Clitheroe, we have the best suppliers on our doorstep”. They have travelled the UK and seen many establishments, bars,

restaurants, pubs, etc… all serving Gin is various ways, from the perfect serve to personal preference, at the end of the day, it’s down to the customers taste when it comes to mixers and garnish. So, the bar carries a wide selection of Gins, over 40 from around the UK and afar and every flavour of mixer you can think of to accompany your preferred Gin. “We will always give our opinion and personal taste to Gin, but we make sure we tailor it to the customers preference, after all, the customer is always right!”

The Tipsy Truck Co are also passionate about the environment, so all their accessories are recyclable and environmentally friendly, from their cups, straws and stirrers, to the cardboard they receive their deliveries in, it’s all handled and disposed of safely and responsibly. The Tipsy Truck has a 5-star rating for Food Safety and Martin has his personal licence for

the sale of alcohol, so you’re in good hands! They have fabulous family and friends who have helped them out, their cousins keep Hilda safe and sound on their farm, their parents help with the accounts and maintenance, their close friends who have a Clitheroe pub and keep us informed of new stock lines. “We have our fantastic kids who help with setting up and serving”.

Their daughter Olivia has worked in restaurants and hotels, so she helps them at busy events whilst taking time out from her studies at University at Chester, Isaac helps them to set up for events and Jake keeps things organised at home, he also helps Rachel write the menu boards and corrects any spelling mistakes (he takes absolute pleasure in correcting her!). Jake enjoys books and literature and is hoping to become a famous author one day…...watch this space!

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Below is “Our story” taken from the website - www. tipsytruck.co.uk.

“We are The Tipsy Truck Co, passionately known as “Hilda” She is a vintage Rice trailer, lovingly converted bespoke to our specification.

We can provide all your beverage requirements, served by our professional and qualified team from Hilda whatever the occasion.

We are really happy to attend any event, weddings, festivals, Christmas markets, etc… anywhere we can park up, we will attend and provide and excellent service and quality beverages.

We are fully licensed and H&S/Food safety qualified and we have both worked in Hospitality for over 30 years combined. We are a husband and wife team, both passionate about the industry and providing excellent customer service and with a good dose of humour, you won’t be disappointed with our service and products.

Our Hilda is stylish, trendy and will fit any occasion, whether it’s a large festival, or a family gathering, a wedding or a corporate event, we will tailor it to fit your preference.

We will even personalise Hilda with your colour scheme or we will add your favourite “Tipple” on our bar menu, we can be as bespoke as Hilda is, nothing is too much trouble!”

As a business, we can offer so much more than just a bar, our tariffs below can be made to suit your needs and whatever your budget, we can work around this o make your event magical!

The options are.

Cash Bar - We turn up fully stocked, staffed, and ready to go. Guests pay for their drinks

as they would at any event or bar.

Dry Bar - Hire the “Tipsy Truck” and bar staff, fill her up with your drinks, accompaniments, etc… and we’ll do the rest! Or we can source the drink supplies for you, a small fee will be charged to cover this additional service.

Complimentary bar - We will serve your guests up to the arranged limit, once it’s gone, you can either top up the amount or we will revert to a cash bar where guests buy their own.

The couple have a wealth of contacts from the industry, from chefs to mixologists, wine experts to BBQ Kings (or Queens!), whatever you need, we can source it for you!

Additional services.

Glass hire Arrival drinks for wedding receptions, etc…

Canape service Food caterers sourced Additional staff for your event.

Indoor “Pop-up-Bar” new for summer 2020!

Nothing is impossible………….

Their recent Christmas events have been amazing, “We have made some amazing trader friends and met some fantastic people along the way, plus a huge variety of dogs, so we are always on hand with a bowl of water and bucket full of doggy treats!” Their own special recipe for “Mulled Gin” was warmly received, with a choice of flavours, they can even “pimp” up your winter warmer to and kept the Christmas shoppers in the festive spirit. Rachel also developed the Tipsy “Gin-Secco” which has been very popular at their events.

So, what’s new for 2020! “We are gearing up to move into the wedding trade, we have already had interest from Marquee and Tipi wedding companies around the North West and will be involved with a local company with their marketing campaign, so that will be exciting”.

“We feel Hilda will be a fabulous addition to any wedding day, she can be decorated in the brides and grooms colour scheme, we can have arrival drinks and canapes, full bar

option and we can even make up a drinks menu of all the happy couples favourite drinks, nothing is too much trouble for us to make their day that little bit more special.

We have plans for an indoor “Pop-up–Bar” option, this will mean that we can bring all our service indoors for smaller events or customers who are unable to have Hilda at their event. It will be the same service, same quality drinks, but all indoors, so the weather will have no effect on the event or special occasion. We can even place the bar under cover outdoors, this way we can supply a bar for any situation, occasion and event to our customers needs”.

They are also looking to expand to another horsebox bar, “We haven’t yet decided on the service we will provide yet, but I’m sure it will be fantastic and we can’t wait for what the future holds for the Tipsy Truck Co!” If you would like “Hilda” to attend your event, help you to plan your big day and bring a little “Hilda magic” to your special occasion, then give us a call and we can create a bespoke package for you.

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“We look forward to joining you on your special day or at your fabulous event!”

Martin & Rachel Houghton The Tipsy Truck Co Clitheroe Lancashire 07368692633/07590477626 enquiries@tipsytruck.co.uk www.tipsytruck.co.uk Facebook – The Tipsy Truck Company Instagram – tipsytruckco (#tipsytruck) Twitter - @TruckTipsy

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Planning for your Wedding Day 2020 As couples plan for their big day for 2020 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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30 YEARS IN CARE In May 1989, Mary Lee founded a small company dedicated to providing a personal and person-centred care service in Alcester, enabling its customers to remain in the comfort of their own home while still receiving the support that they needed.

Since then, Helping Hands has opened 97 branches across the UK alongside a dedicated Support Centre in the small Warwickshire

town it was founded. With an exceptional level of carer training and a team of dedicated clinical nurses and dementia specialists, Helping Hands is the only homecare provider that has been endorsed as a Centre of Excellence by Skills for Care, as well as being fully licensed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Whether you need a 30-minute drop-in to help you prepare your meal, or more complex

and intensive support that involves overnight or livein care, the Helping Hands team will provide you with

a dedicated support plan that is tailored to you and your individual needs. Regardless of your requirements, the carers at Helping Hands are fully trained and experienced in supporting a range of conditions including cerebral palsy, ADHD and

neurological conditions such as MS and motor neurone disease. Helping Hands is also one of the UK’s leading dementia care specialists, offering extensive knowledge in dementia care and fully-trained carers to support you and your loved

ones while enabling you to remain comfortable in the familiarities of your own home.

Since it was founded 30 years ago, Helping Hands remains a family-run business that is now managed by Mary’s sons, Tim and Ben. When asked about the progress of Helping Hands in the industry, Mary said: “I started Helping Hands as I believed there was a gap in care for the community that social services could not provide. I had no idea we would grow to such a large caring family.”

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Martin Mere Careers in Lancashire Police

Step into a wilder world.

Come and enjoy each season; from ducklings to migrating swans - you’ll be amazed at how close you can get to fantastic wetland wildlife.

We offer hands-on experiences in amazing wetland habitats, linking with your work on adaptations and survival, food chains, the water cycle, birds and many more topics.

Policing Lancashire is no easy task. It takes a huge number of people from all sorts of different backgrounds with a wide range of skills and experience. Do you have what it takes to be one of them?

Lancashire Police are planning to open Police Officer applications in Spring 2020.

In the meantime, if you would like to receive confirmation of the opening date for Police Officer applications and useful information about becoming a Police Officer, you can register your interest at www.lancashire.police.uk/ JoinUs We can cater for a wide range What's Life Like as a Police of ages, needs and abilities, so Constable? get in touch to book a fantastic All new Police Constables at Lancashire Police spend day at Martin Mere.

their first 2 years working on emergency response.

You'll find yourself: • Providing a police presence in town centres on a Friday night • Responding to domestic violence incidents • Helping people who are going through a mental health crisis.

It's a 24/7 service.

That means you'll be providing support around the clock including weekends and during the holidays.

It's fast paced.

Lots of Police Officers thrive off the fast paced business of responding to emergencies and stay in 'response' for many years.

Others find a different area that interests them and go on

to specialise.

This could be: • Supporting victims of abuse • Solving serious crimes • Working in counter terrorism • Preventing cyber crime.

It's supported.

Whatever you choose, you’ll have a full training programme to get you started. We also offer defined pathways to help you to meet your career goals.

It's diverse.

Here in Lancashire we are working towards a workforce that better represents the communities we serve.

This will ensure we are better able to respond to and meet the needs of our local communities and better understand all cultures and lifestyles.

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Want to advertise here? call: 0115 6972677

Want to advertise here? call: 0115 6972677

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Kingfisher Caravan Park

wins top award for seventh year East Lindsey District Council's Kingfisher Caravan Park has once again secured the Gold David Bellamy Conservation Award, marking the seventh consecutive year the Park has achieved the accolade.

The David Bellamy Conservation Award is one of the longest running green tourism awards in the UK and champions holiday parks that are working to protect and enhance Britain's natural environment.

The Park, which is located on Sea Lane, Ingoldmells, has been assessed by the scheme's team of local wildlife experts and has been scored in across a range of criteria in three key areas: Good Neighbourliness, Sustainability and Ecological Management.

The Park team were praised for their work in each area, with the assessor specifically

commending the excellent links between the Park and the local community, the recruitment of a Park Development Manager and the Park's longer term plans.

The scheme also awards Parks a number of badges for work on specific areas and this year Kingfisher successfully secured three of those badges: Woodland Habitat, Wildflower Habitat and Hedgerow Habitat.

Kingfisher Park Development Manager, Mickey Reeson, said: " W e ' r e delighted to have secured the Gold David Bellamy Conservation Award once more.

We take great pride in the work we do

and the national recognition we receive through this Award is a testament to our whole team."

Portfolio Holder for Finance, Councillor Richard Fry, added: "We were saddened to hear of the passing of David Bellamy, who founded these Awards. His tireless work in establishing these conservation awards will ensure his legacy lives on and I'd like to pass on my condolences to his family."

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BLACKPOOL ILLUMINATIONS ANNOUNCES EXCITING COLLABORATION FOR NEW INSTALLATION

Lancaster University (l-r) Kobi Hartley, Lorraine Underwood, Miriam Sturdee & Prof Joe Finney

One of the UK’s top universities is joining forces with an innovative young designer to create a spectacular light installation for this year’s world-famous Blackpool Illuminations.

Jack Irving, known for his amazing costume designs for Lady Gaga, will collaborate with a team of computer scientists from Lancaster University after the two were named as winners of a £100k competition to deliver the new

attraction in the 2020 display.

Jack and the university team, led by Professor Joe Finney, were among numerous entrants from all over the world vying for the unique opportunity to be part of Blackpool Illuminations.

A panel of judges, chaired

by Blackpool Illuminations creative curator, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, decided to award the prize to joint winners, with Jack providing the creative content and

Professor Finney’s team providing the technical expertise. Their concept will incorporate deep sea creatures brought to life in a high-tech, interactive projection show on the Promenade close to The Blackpool Tower.

The project will now move from concept to manufacture stage with the two teams working together to create the installation which will be unveiled in time for the switch on of this year’s Blackpool

Illuminations on September 4. Jack, 26, born and raised just a couple of miles down the coast from Blackpool, said: “It’s been a childhood dream of mine to design part of Blackpool Illuminations and so excited that this competition has made my dreams come true.

“Being brought up next to the sea, my fascination with the eye-catching creatures and organisms that live there, has been my inspiration for the design.

“It’s a little appreciated fact that most of the animals in our ocean make light.

This phenomenon is called bioluminescence. I have used this as my inspiration for my Illuminations design” Professor Finney, from Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications, added: “Lancaster University is committed to local, regional and international public engagement, and we are really excited about this opportunity to create a unique and

engaging visitor experience for this year’s Blackpool Illuminations.

“This project provides a great example of the creative and collaborative nature of modern Computer Science, and how it can transform our daily lives.”

Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of Blackpool Council said: “The whole purpose of the Blackpool Illuminations competition was to bring exciting design and technological expertise to the table.

“It has done exactly that with some incredible concepts submitted from designers and artists across the world.

“When it is completed, this project will add a completely new dimension to the 2020 Blackpool Illuminations display.”

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen added: “Judging by the sheer number of extraordinarily exciting entries, there’s no doubt in my mind that our Illuminations X-factor style competition has captured the

imagination of the creative world. Young and old, professionals and amateurs, From Fylde to Australia we’ve had some truly illuminating ideas.”

Other short-listed entrants included The Guild Hall School of Music and Drama and Lisa Ashcroft, an artist born in Preston, but now working in Australia.

The new light installation will be revealed during the Blackpool Illuminations season which runs from September 4 to November 8 this year and will be located on the Tower Festival Headland.

For further information, please go to visitblackpool. com/illuminations.

Jack Irving

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Early bird entries open for Williams BMW Rochdale Half Marathon and 10K Registration has opened for the 2020 Williams BMW Rochdale Half Marathon and 10K - and prices have been cut for an early bird offer.

Entry for the half marathon is reduced by £8 and there's £4 off the 10K for entries received by Tuesday, 31 March 2020. Over 200 people have already signed up for the popular event, which returns on Sunday, 4 October 2020.

'Demand for 2020 places is

already strong' Races will start and finish by the Grade 1-listed Rochdale Town Hall, they will be chip-timed on fully-marshalled traffic-free courses, with a technical t-shirt and medal handed out to finishers.

Since 2015 over 5,800 people have taken part in the event, which takes in town and picturesque countryside scenes like Hollingworth Lake. The courses are

relatively flat too, so they're great for personal bests.

Councillor Janet Emsley, the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture said: “The event proved popular again last year and demand for 2020 places is already strong.

The support and camaraderie was amazing with a friendly atmosphere, many personal bests achieved and thousands raised for good causes. We

Goodridge Pens New Deal Midfielder Mace Goodridge has signed a new contract with the Clarets, extending his stay at Turf Moor until the summer of 2021.

The central midfielder, who joined the Clarets in the summer of 2018, is a regular for the club’s U23 side and was named on substitutes bench for the first team at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League earlier this season.

Goodridge, 20, originally started out at Manchester City, before spending two years at Newcastle United in the youth team, where he played alongside current Magpies midfielder Matty Longstaff.

After an initial trial spell with the Clarets towards the end of the 2017/18 season, Goodridge then signed a first professional deal at Turf Moor, before going onto feature for the first team in pre-season of 2018/19.

A serious knee-injury cut the season short in October last season, but after successful surgery, Goodridge signed a contract extension and was back in action for the U23s

in September last year, where he has been a key figure since returning.

Goodridge smiled: “I’m really happy, to get it over the line, I’ve worked hard to get back from my injury, so I’m delighted to get it done.

“Obviously, I have been in and around the first team a couple of times and that’s where I want to be.

“You can see how well the first team lads have done, come through a tough patch against top teams recently and

I want to be a part of that someday.

“I really enjoy being here, it’s my third season here now and I’m delighted to be here for a fourth come pre-season.

“And although I have been to a few clubs, I really feel like I have found a home here and I’m ready to kick on.”

can’t wait to put on another incredible day and look forward to welcoming runners of all levels this October. Our early bird discount should encourage more people to secure their places.”

Half marathon places now cost £23.40 for club-runners, £25.40 for non-club runners, while the 10K is £16.60 for club runners, £18.60 for non-

club runners. Fun Run entry opens in June 2020.

The annual event is coordinated by Rochdale

Harriers, Middleton Harriers and Rochdale Triathlon Club, supported by Rochdale Borough Council.

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Lancashire trio included in Test squad Keaton Jennings, Jos Buttler and Matt Parkinson have been selected for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka next month Three Lancashire players have been selected in a 16man squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka starting at Galle on 19 March.

Opener Keaton Jennings has earned a recall to the national side, with Jos Buttler and Matt Parkinson retaining their places from the recent series win over South Africa.

Jennings returns to the England fold for the first time since the West Indies tour a year ago.

The left-hander will be looking to add to his 17 Test caps, which includes two centuries - both scored in the subcontinent - on debut in Mumbai in 2016 and a superb 146 not out against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2018.

Buttler featured in all four of the Tests against South Africa, while Parkinson will be hopeful of a maiden Test cap in traditionally spin-friendly conditions after being a part of both Test tours this winter.

James Anderson, who is recovering from a cracked rib sustained in January during the second Test in Cape Town against South Africa, will continue to condition and prepare ahead of the start of the English season.

Commenting on the selection of the squad, National Selector Ed Smith, said: “The selection panel has supported

continuity after a successful series victory in South Africa.

"The South Africa tour marked the emergence of a very exciting group of young players, creating a nice balance with an experienced core of senior players.

That squad is mostly retained, with some tweaks to the squad relevant to injury, rest and the challenges of playing in sub-

continent conditions.

“Jimmy Anderson will continue to work with Lancashire and the ECB so that he is ready for the start of the County Championship season leading into the Test series against the West Indies in June."

The two-match Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. Joe

Root’s team currently stand in third place and will be looking to close in on India and Australia, who are currently leading the standings. The top two teams at the end of the two-year cycle will compete in the ICC World Test Championship Final in England in June 2021.

2020 England v Pakistan Test tickets

Shah, one of the most exciting young bowlers in international cricket, is expected to play a big part in the series against England this summer.

There is now limited availability for Day Two of England's Specsavers Test match against Pakistan at Emirates Old Trafford between Thursday 7 to Monday 11 August.

Preston North End No.1 Declan Rudd is enjoying the team’s current run of form, but is very level-headed with 15 big games still to be played.

The Lilywhites’ goalkeeper is looking forward to making the trip to the bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night and thinks the stern test that Stoke City will provide will be a good one for he and his teammates.

“It is never an easy place to go,” Dec told iFollow PNE. “The old saying says ‘can you do it at Stoke away on a Tuesday, or in this case Wednesday, night?’!

“Our away form has picked up, their home form is good, so it should be a good game.

“With a bit of luck, this storm will have moved on by then.

I have played there many a

time in midweek, and whether it is June or February, it is still blowing a gale.

“It [the weather] makes it interesting. We have played in that weather enough to know how to deal with it. Sometimes it can be a bit unpredictable, but that is football, you have to get on with it and hope that the work you have been doing in training can help you through it.

“If you look at their manager’s Northern Ireland side and how they do in getting into competitions, qualifying, they never seem to get turned over, even by the big sides and he is very good at getting them organised and with the squad that Stoke have got, with the quality, if they can be organised they will be some squad to stop.

“It is no surprise that he

has gone in there and it has completely changed around and that he is getting the right results out of the squad – so it will be a tough one for us.”

The Championship tightened up again at the weekend, with now just five points covering second to seventh and the former Norwich City custodian believes that concentration is the key.

“It is a mad league,” he continued. “You can go from being out of it one week, to two games later being right in the mix. You have to just try and keep on a run and if you do have a loss, or the team has a bad game, you just have to put it aside and concentrate on the next one.

“One game isn’t going to put you out of it, because there are so many teams involved.

It is about staying focused,

not getting carried away or too low and staying on a medium level.

“This part of the season is a separate mini-season. You have the bottom six battling it out, you have the teams in the middle trying to get higher and then you have the teams battling it out for promotion and that’s what makes it so exciting.

“Every game is like a cup final. You look to go out there and take all three points, because sometimes one point isn’t good enough because you have a lot of teams around you.

“You don’t want to be going into the last two or three games needing to win to get into the Play-Offs, you want to make your run into it is good enough to make sure you are already there and you are

not putting too much pressure on yourself, because that can also affect your chances of getting in there.” And in the remaining 15 games, eight of which come away from Deepdale, Dec feels that the atmosphere generated by the travelling support has an important part to play.

“The Blackburn and Wigan away games felt like home games. We probably had more fans in their stadium than they did.

“The away fans have been unbelievable, travelling all over the country to support the team and that gives you that extra boost that you need to push you on.

“Win you win a game, the atmosphere is brilliant – at the end of the game on Saturday they stayed behind and were signing and it was great.

“But no one should get carried away. Fifteen games is a lot of games and if we start thinking we have done it already, then that’s when we will start falling behind, because that’s when you take your foot off the gas and miss out on that extra couple of per cent.

“We just need to make sure we carry on doing what we are doing. The manager is one that won’t let us take our foot off the gas. He has been there before – at Norwich – in a similar position at this point in the season and ended up going up through the PlayOffs.

“He knows what it takes and in the last couple of years we have also been in and around it, so let’s hope we can use that experience to push us into the top six this year,” he added.

Declan Rudd Staying Focused

Each Edition of the Lancashire Now has an estimated readership of 42,500 from print and online. Published by Wilcop Media Ltd, 92L Rolleston Dr, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 7JP.