Highways chiefs warn
of summer traffic chaos
by David Skentelbery
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MAJOR road works taking place across Warrington and neighbouring Halton over the summer could cause traffic chaos.
Borough council chiefs are warning there could be an impact on traffic entering and leaving Warrington.
Essential work is currently being carried out on the Silver Jubilee Bridge crossing linking Widnes and Runcorn.
To minimise disruption, the bridge is remaining open to traffic and all lanes are remaining open during the working week.
However, there is a 20 mph speed limit in place on parts of the bridge, which is resulting in traffic delays and increases of traffic in Warrington of between 20 and 60 per cent.
During the weekend, lane closures will be in operation from 7pm on Friday evenings to 6am on Monday mornings. Work is due to finish in September.
Drivers are also being asked to be extra cautious when using the bridge in the evenings as work may be carried out into the night.
Additional road works include the A558 Daresbury Expressway, as part of the construction of a new roundabout for the Daresbury Science Park development.
The works will mean a single-lane running with traffic controlled by temporary signals. The works are anticipated to start in July 2004 and will last around five weeks.
Maintenance works lasting about 22 weeks on Walton New Bridge, Warrington and the A56 Chester New Road are due to start soon. A temporary speed limit of 40mph and single lanes inbound and outbound will be in operation.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time for their journey or to seek alternative routes.
Phil Johnson, Warrington’s assistant director for transportation said: “We always look to co-ordinate roadworks with other authorities wherever possible to limit major disruption to road users. Although Haltons’ Silver Jubilee Bridge works are causing some problems in Warrington, the works we are proposing to carry out on the A56 Chester Road should have only a limited effect on traffic.
“Wherever possible roadworks are carried out at times when traffic is lightest, but I can only apologise if the combination of these works, in particular the Silver Jubilee Bridge, causes delays to motorists in Warrington.”
Poets return
to their roots
by Gary Skentelbery
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TWO poets returned to their former primary school to entertain pupils as part of the annual Lymm Festival.
Local poets Hel?n Thomas and primary school teacher Kate McGann, both from Lymm and former pupils of Statham School, returned for the debut performance of their show, ?We Are Poets!?
Hel?n is a prize winning poet who performs regularly throughout the UK. She has appeared at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival; The Bristol Poetry Festival and The Cheltenham Festival of Literature. She also organises poetry events for the Lymm Festival and for Hot Wire Poetry events.
Kate studied drama and spoken word at The Elliot Clarke College in Liverpool and went on to teach there part time before embarking on her career as a primary school teacher. She has been teaching for nine years and currently holds the post of Literacy coordinator and Leading Literacy teacher for Sefton LEA.
Together Hel?n and Kate devised the performance piece, ?We Are Poets? which includes original poetry by Hel?n.
The pair take on the roles of Penelope Page and Gabby Mouth, two very different characters who have opposing ideas about poetry and words. Penelope Page thinks she?s posh. She likes to use her imagination to write poetry about millipedes, fruit bats and lovely toyshops. Gabby Mouth has scabby knees and writes about ladies who burp and people who don?t wash.
Using poems and songs; riddles and rhymes; wordplay and mayhem, along with lots of discussion, disagreement and audience participation, they ask the all-important questions: What is a poet? What does a poet do? What do poets look like?
With their combined skills of writing, performing and teaching, Kate and Hel?n have been able to produce an original piece of performance, which incorporates poetry specially written to meet the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy. Their aim is to celebrate the diversity of poetry whilst proving that words and poetry can be fun, varied and stimulating for pupils and teachers alike.
For more on the festival visit www.lymmfestival.co.uk
For more pictures from festival events click Lymm Festival photos
Residents in battle
to save post office
by Lesley Wilkinson
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NEARBY residents are battling to save Warrington’s Norris Street Post Office from closure and have signed a petition to Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
Fairfield and Howley councillor Yvonne Fovargue presented the Labour Party petition to the MP.
Ward councillors have had talks with Post Office management to discuss the threatened closure of post offices in the town. They told management that residents, especially those from Ryfields Retirement Village, were concerned about the possible closure of Norris Street branch.
Coun Fovargue said: “Post Offices provide a valuable community resource particularly for older residents and there is real concern in the community that access to a post office will become more difficult and even impossible for some residents.
“The petition shows the strength of feeling in the community and I was delighted that Helen Jones MP is also supporting the retention of the threatened Post Office.”
College aims to train
more legal secretaries
by Lesley Wilkinson
————————————————-A NEW course aimed at meeting the shortfall in legal secretaries in the town is being introduced from September at Warrington Collegiate.
The college, in partnership with Warrington Law Society, is launching two courses to encourage more people to join the profession.
The qualifications – the ILEX Legal Secretaries’ Certificate and the ILEX Legal Secretaries’ Diploma – will equip students for work in a legal office.
Students will also be taught administrative skills and an awareness of the legal environment. They will be encouraged to undertake work experience.
Those successfully completing courses will be guaranteed an interview with a law firm in the town.
Fiona Bruce, of Fiona Bruce & Co solicitors, said: “On behalf of Warrington Law Society, I am delighted to support this new initiative by Warrington Collegiate.
“There is a serious shortage of trained legal secretaries in the town and Warrington Law Society is looking forward to working with the Collegiate and its students to meet this important need for the town,” she added.
Tommy is top dog!
by staff reporter
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SCOTTISH Terrier “Tommy Pickles” made a winning start to his career as he won “best in Show” at a local competition.
Owned by nine-year-old Megan Coote from Whittle Hall, Great Sankey, Warrington, Tommy qualified for the finals in the dog show at the annual Warrington Horse Show event after being placed first in the “Best Condition” division.
The dog show attracted a large, varied field of quality animals, culminating in the “Best in Show” class being won by the two year old Scottish Terrier.
Give up smoking,
drink less, says MP
by staff reporter
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LOCAL people are being urged to give up smoking, drink less alcohol, eat more fruit and take regular exercise, by Warrington North MP Helen Jones.
She is highlighting the problem of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in the UK.
Figures for Warrington show that around 100 people every year die from the disease, and ma
ny more suffer from the condition.
She said although the mortality rate is falling, the numbers living with the condition is increasing, especially in older age groups.
“There still seems to be a complacency about major risks factors such as smoking, physical inactivity and obesity despite the increasing knowledge about the dangers,” she said.
She advised people to reduce or give up smoking, have regular blood pressure checks, eat healthily and exercise.
“As well as remaining a killer, CHD for more and more people represents a life time of ill health and misery which could be prevented by relatively small changes in life style,” she added.
