Giant foxglove is
a record breaker!
by Gary Skentelbery
A WORLD record-breaking flower is growing in a pensioner’s country garden at Lymm, near Warrington, much to the amazement of his friends and family.
Bill Leake, 81, of Agden Park Lane, Agden, is stunned that the wild foxglove, with beautiful mauve flowers, has reached a height of 12 feet. Usually the plant only grows to five feet.
“I didn’t plant the flower, my ‘visitors’ of rabbits and birds must have brought in the seeds,” he said.
“My family are astonished by it they cannot believe how it has grown. Everyone asks me what I feed it on, but I don’t give it anything,” he added.
Bill, who has two sons a daughter and six grandchildren, lost his wife Eileen several years ago. She was a keen gardener and he keeps the garden tended in her honour.
He said his family are regular visitors and those who live nearby help with the garden. He is a regular at the nearby Wheatsheaf pub and says his friends are amazed by the foxglove.
Bill, who ran an engineering company in Burtonwood before retirement, has worked hard in the garden over the past 45 years. He still spends a couple of hours each day working on it.
“It is a three-quarter acre paradise and there are regularly ducks and rabbits visiting. I have got to be constantly working on it, as if it gets out of hand I’m sunk. Still it keeps me fit,” he said.
He has built up the garden during his time there, and planted more than 20 trees. He previously had a kitchen garden, but said that he could not get rid of all the produce.
He has now converted it to an orchard and is growing greengages, damsons, apples and black cherries. Bill said that this year he hopes to have enough fruit for a jar of jam.
“I hope that people will take seed cuttings from the foxglove,” he said. “I cannot stake it, because it is too high and I don’t want to climb 12-feet up a ladder as it would be a bit wobbly.”
The previous world record for the Tallest Foxglove was in 1997, by Lydia Foy grew a foxglove that reached a total height of 3.29 m (10 ft 10 in) in her garden in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland.
Warrington-Worldwide’s sister publication Lymm Life, has submitted details of Bill’s foxglove to the Guinness World Records website.
Glorious sunshine for
walkers and DAD 2005
by Gary Skentelbery
WALKERS basked in glorious sunshine at the annual Stockton Heath Walking Day on Saturday as hundreds of people from local churches performed their walk of Witness through the village.
John Hayes from Bethesda Chapel is pictured leading the walkers through Stockton heath village centre.
Meanwhile the glorious sunshine ensured a bumper turn out at the annual Disability Awareness Day at Walton Gardens on Sunday.
An estimated 20,000 visitors flocked to the event which encourages independent living and provides and opportunity for local charities to boost their profile in the community.
Steven Peebles from Warrington District Rifle and Pistol team is pictured with Ken Nash Vice Chair of the National small bore rile Assoc. on one of the many “have a go” events.
More pictures from both events have been added to our walking days and festivals picture gallery.
TOp picture shows Indian dancers providing a splash of colour to the central arena at the event.
Click here to check for pictures from both events and also see pictures from previous years. PICTURE GALLERY
Mayor puts caring at
top of the agenda
by Terry Johnson
WARRINGTON Mayor Hans Mundry, has put “caring for families” at the top of the town hall agenda.
He is giving civic muscle to kick-start The Butterfly Project, which helps children with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
And he also pledges to assist Home-Start Warrington, which offers friendship and practical help to parents with young children.
Coun Mundry launched his charity appeals at Warrington Market and is backing the sale of special key rings, priced ?1.50, to aid the two charities.
He stated: “I understand how important charities are in helping to improve and support the lives of families and society.
“The work they do is invaluable. I have pledged to help these two very special ‘life-giving’ charities during my year in office”.
“I would urge the people of Warrington to dig deep and buy one of our key rings”.
The Butterfly Project provides help for any family with a child diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.
Home-Start Warrington works with the vision that every child should have a good start in life. Volunteers – usually parents themselves – offer friendship and support to parents with children under five during stressful times.
MP’s gives welcome to
new community centre
by Terry Johnson
WARRINGTON North MP, Helen Jones, has given the “thumb’s up” to Longford’s new Beaches Community Centre, which has officially opened.
A celebration cake-cutting was followed by the Labour MP touring the centre and meeting Megan Marigold, who designed The Beaches teddy bear-and-sandcastle logo.
She said: “The facilities and courses offered by this new centre are fantastic and it was a real pleasure to be invited to come and see the final part of the Sandy Lane Children’s Centre opened and meet the parents, children and staff who will make this place such a success.
“It was also a real privilege to meet and congratulate Megan on her logo design, as well as help her cut the official cake with that very logo iced onto the top.”
The Beaches, which offers taster sessions in Pilates, hand massage, baby massage, keep fit and dance, storytelling, computers, arts and crafts, completes the Sandy Lane site with adult learning, health services and other projects.
The name of the new centre was thought up by a group of Longford parents who have been heavily involved in the development of the building and its services.
Neighbours rescue man
from blazing house
by David Skentelbery
NEIGHBOURS dragged a man to safety after fire broke out in his living room and filled the house with dense smoke.
The blaze was at a house in Rostherne Close, Sankey Bridges, Warrington in the early hours of the morning.
Firefighters praised neighbours who managed to get the man out of the house.
He was conscious but had become confused and was apparently wandering around the smoke-filled property.
Neighbours went in and managed to pull him to safety before fire crews reached the scene.
The blaze caused extensive damage in the living room and heavy smokelogging throughout the rest of the property. The cause is still under investigation.
In another inicdent, a man escaped from a fire at his home in Hastings Avenue, Orford, Warrington.
He was asleep at the time of the outbreak when the fire started in the kitchen. A smoke alarm failed to activate because it was poorly positioned.
The kitchen was badly damaged and the man was taken to hospital suffering from the effects of smoke.
Flood averted – by
filling the bath!
by John Hendon
FIRE crews managed to minimise damage after a fierce blaze burst a water tank – by moving a bath to catch the floodwater.
The blaze was at a house in Fordington Avenue, Great Sankey, Warrington and was caused by a faulty immersion heater.
As a result of the heat, the water tank burst and sent water cascading down through the ceiling into the living room below.
But fire crews hit on an unusual way of minimising damage. The occupier had just had a new bath fitted in the bathroom and the old bath was still downstairs. Firefighters moved the bath underneath the flood and made sure the plug was in.
The bath was still not full by the time they managed to turn off the water supply.
A Fire Service spokesman said: “It was unusual thing to do – but it was effective.”
The occupier suffered burns to his arm
tackling the blaze before fire crews reached the scene.
Children in
“tidy” contest
by staff reporter
TEAMS of school pupils competing in Great Sankey Parish Council’s ‘Tidy’ competition will attend the awards presentation on July 18.
The projects of 12 groups of finalists will be delivered for judging.
The parish litter-awareness project has been running since September and has helped maintain a tidy environment at schools and their approaches.
Imaginative anti-litter projects qualify for a ?300 school award. There will also be individual cash tokens to pupils.
