[B}James and the
giant pots![/B]
ARCHAELOGIST EMBARKS ON CYPRIOT ADVENTURE
by Gary Skentelbery
A WARRINGTON archaeologist who uncovered ancient treasures dating back 4,000 years in a loft is now embarking on a mission to Cyprus to investigate the origins of the Bronze Age hoard.
James Balme believes the unique finds could be of international importance and aims to identify exact examples he believes will be housed in the National Museum of Cyprus.
The hoard consisting of 47 pieces of Early and Middle Bronze Age pottery, had been stored in a Lymm loft for many years and were believed to be no more than tourist souvenirs, brought back as holiday trinkets in the early 1950’s.
But after careful examination of the hoard he realised the collection is almost unique in the fact that almost all of the ancient vessels are complete, something unheard of when dealing with Bronze Age pottery.
Now James is flying out to Cyprus in September to carry out more research on the finds.
He said: “You can you imagine my surprise when I was presented with all these ceramic vessels in what can only be described as almost ‘mint’ condition. Following initial research it soon became very clear that all of these vessels could be dated to the early and Middle Bronze Age period of the Island’s history circa 2500 – 1500BC.
” I now intend to visit the island to carry out intensive investigations to locate similar or exact examples of these vessels. I know for certain that these vessels have been recovered from ancient tombs of the dead on the island and I look forward to being able to pinpoint the location of the tombs.
“I know that it may all sound a bit ‘Indiana Jones ‘ but this really is that sort of mystery and one that I intend to solve during my time on the island!”
James is no stranger to discovering ancient sites and artefacts having already located a lost Roman fortlet and three prehistoric encampments in the Warburton and Lymm areas. He is sure that his visit to the island will pay dividends in his search for the truth behind the origins of the ancient hoard and its international importance.
He added: ” The importance of this collection cannot be overstated and I really do feel that it should be given the exposure that it deserves. It is for this reason that I am putting so much effort into ensuring that it gets the recognition that it so richly requires. This is a very rich archaeological treasure and I know for a fact that public interest in this discovery is high!
“A great story remains here to be told and I will pursue the origins of this treasure for as long as it takes. The hoard is considered to be of such importance that when I recently put it on display in my local library I was asked to remove it a couple of days later as the Museums service was worried that it could not be safely housed in the building!”
Meanwhile James is also concentrating on new investigations in and around the villages where he lives in his search for further evidence of the ancient ancestors who once occupied the land.
“This is my eighth year of searching the land and following recent harvesting and ploughing I have started to recover evidence in the form of worked flint tools and weapons from the surface of fields dating back to the Neolithic period Circa 4000BC. I think the next twelve months are going to be very interesting indeed.”
Anyone interested in contacting James directly can e-mail him on [email protected] or why not visit his website at www.warburtonvillage.co.uk
Storm breaks over fire
control centre plan
by David Skentelbery
A STORM has broken over a plan to scrap 46 fire control centres nationally and replace them with nine regional centres – including one at Warrington.
The government says the new state-of-the-art centres will improve the service, but the Fire Brigades Union says the proposals are “wasteful and dangerous.”
Union president Ruth Winters says the fire service will become less effective and more expensive.
The nine regional control rooms will cost at least ?44 million in consultancy fees alone, she says.
She said: “?44 million would pay for an extra 1,400 firefighters who could save lives – or pay for a major boost to community fire safety, or for initiatives to reduce arson.”
The Warrington centre, which is due to open in 2008, would be at the Lingley Mere Business Park at Great Sankey.
It would be staffed by personnel transferred from existing control centres in Winsford, Swinton, Bootle, Preston and Cockermouth, although some new jobs would be created.
Ms Winters said: “Instead of the money being used to save lives, it is being used to line the pockets of yet more consultants to allow them to chase yet another technology rainbow, using untested technology. And to find the money, the new scheme will ensure that there are fewer staff to deal with more calls from the public – as calls have been increasing every year.
“To do this at any time would be dangerous and irresponsible. But to gamble with the efficiency of the fire service at a time when the threat of terrorism makes its efficiency a matter of life and death for all of us is almost criminally irresponsible.”
The Warrington branch of the FBU is also critical of the plan which, it claims, involves untested technology.
Manchester Withington Liberal Democrat MP John Leech has also condemned the plan, which would mean the closure of the recently modernised centre at Swinton.
He said: “Given the Government’s track record on IT schemes, the size of the North West Region and the fact that civil servants have warned that there is a “high risk” of “total project failure”, the Government should not be pressing on with one centre for the whole North West.”
Coun John Joyce, leader of Warrington Borough Council, welcomed the decision, however.
He said: “It’s a prime site and will bring high quality jobs to Warrington. It’s another example of Warrington being an attractive place to invest.”
Contest for would-be
children’s authors
by John Hendon
WOULD-be authors in Warrington are being invited to write a children’s novel to enter in the High Sheriff’s Cheshire Prize for Literature.
Closing date for entries is September l and entries are already pouring in.
The choice will be narrowed down by young readers themselves. Six pupils, drawn from schools across Cheshire, will work with the adult judging panel to draw up a shortlist of possible prize-winners.
Bill Hughes, the University of Chester’s external relations officer, who organises the Prize, explained: “We felt that after prizes for a short story in 2003, and for poetry in 2004, it was appropriate to move to children’s literature this year.
“In recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in writing for children; there must be a great many budding Rowlings or Morpurgos out there and we’re looking forward to hearing what our young critics have to say about them.”
Children’s Laureate 2003-5 Michael Morpurgo, the award-winning author of more than 90 books, will review the short list, and offer his own expert opinion. He will also present the winner with ?2,000 and two runners-up with ?500, donated by the MBNA Foundation, on October 27, at the University’s Chester campus, during the City’s Literature Festival.
The prize is open to anyone aged over 18 on January 1, 2005 who was born, has lived, worked or studied in Cheshire -including Warrington and Halton. Entrants can submit up to 1,500 lines of prose or 100 lines of verse, aimed at seven to 14-year-olds.
Two typed, non-returnable copies of each entry should be sent by September 1 to The Cheshire Prize for Literature, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester, CH1 4BJ. A covering letter should include the writer’s name, address, telephone number and/or email details and the first line of the entry submitted.
Hous
eholders urged
to get recycling
by staff reporter
HOUSEHOLDERS at Warrington are being encouraged to get into the recycling habit with the launch of a new campaign – Trees for the UK/Trees for Africa.
The campaign will give the borough one native tree for every tonne of aluminium cans and foil recycled and at the same time help grow trees in a sustainable forest project in West Africa.
Householders will be encouraged to get into the recycling habit, and everybody is being asked to get behind the scheme.
By recycling aluminium through local bring sites residents will really be taking environmental action.
Recycling aluminium uses only five per cent of the energy needed to make it from the raw material, and with recycled cans often back on the shelf just six weeks later, the energy savings quickly grow.
Residents can take their cans to local bring sites or to the Recycling and Household Waste Centres located at Gatewarth, Woolston and Stockton Heath.
Bring sites are located throughout the borough at supermarkets and car parks and have facilities to recycle cans and a range of other materials such as glass, paper, textiles, plastics and shoes.
Borough council leader John Joyce said: “This is a great campaign to encourage residents to get into the recycling habit. This is just one of many initiatives taking place across the borough so there really is no excuse not to get involved.
“Recycling is vital if we are to protect the environment in which we live and reduce the amount of waste going into landfill and if everyone does there bit then we can achieve our goals.”
Trees for planting locally will be selected from a list of native species such as English Oak, Scots Pine, Silver Birch and Rowan.
Speed limits
for village roads
by David Skentelbery
SPEED limits are to be introduced on village roads at Walton, near Warrington.
Warrington Borough Council has made an order to introduce 30mph and 40mph on currently derestricted roads in the village.
The restrictions can come into force immediately and anyone who wishes to objection will have to apply to the High Court within six weeks of August 4.
Walton Parish Council has been concerned about road safety problems caused by the speed of traffic on a number of local roads for some time.
But an objection from a local resident delayed moves to introduce speed limits. But now the borough has made an order which enable a 30 mph limit on parts of Hatton Lane, Warrington Road, Rowswood Lane, Park Lane, Houghs Lane, Walton Lea Road and Whitefield Road.
A 40 mph limit will come into force on parts of Hatton Lane and Warrington Road.
Stockton Heath Parish Council and the Warrington Cycle Campaign also supported the restrictions.
The resident who opposed the restrictions said they were unnecessary and would be difficult to enforce. He claimed the nature of most of the roads made them “self-limiting” so that it was impossible for drivers to drive at dangerous speeds.
Fire breaks out – at
fire research centre
by staff reporter
FIRE crews were alerted when a blaze broke out at…Warrington Fire Research Centre.
The blaze involved a forklift truck in a warehouse at the firm on Holmesfield Road, Warrington.
It was extinguished using a hosereel – and the cause was put down to an electrical fault on the gas-powered truck. No-one was hurt.
