Rare medal takes pride of
place in police museum
by Terry Johnson
A RARE medal given to a serving Warrington police officer 94 years ago is has taken pride of place in the Force’s museum.
Victorian PC Samuel Gilchrist, who joined the old Warrington Borough Police in November, 1899, received the Coronation Medal in 1911. He left the force in that year, due to ill health, aged 35.
Now PC 63 Gilchrist’s son, 86-year-old Tom Gilchrist, and his son, Ian, have donated the family medal to the Force museum at Arpley Street Police Station, Warrington.
Ian Gilchrist had seen an article on the Warrington-worldwide website, appealing for Warrington residents with police memorabilia to get in touch.
The pair were given a VIP tour of the Cheshire station by museum curator, Peter Wroe, himself an ex-police officer.
It included the old parade room and a visit to the cells.
The official 1911 Coronation Medal was issued to just four Warrington officers, with 83 others receiving replicas.
A photograph of PC Gilchrist driving an old-style police vehicle was also presented to the museum.
New look
for trail
by Terry Johnson
LANDFILL Tax credits and regional development aid has helped transform a pitted and often flooded stretch of the Trans-Pennine Trail through Latchford village, Warrington.
The major up-grade, between Greenalls Avenue and Walton Lock, now makes it an attractive asset for local residents, school and college users, shoppers and cyclists who for years have bemoaned the state of the urban pathway.
Lib-Dem councillors, Ted Finnegan and Graham Welborn were the driving force for the up-grade.
Said Coun Finnegan (Latchford West): “We are grateful for all the help and funding received from three bodies.
“Waste Recycling Group showed care for the environment by providing Landfill Tax credits. They are the main funders.
“Chief Executive, Steven Broomhead, agreed the North West Development Agency contribution. They see the trail as a regional asset, of value to a wide range of users.
“Warrington Boro. Council also lended support with an Environmental Improvement Grant. They view the trail as an extension for the Greenway route system around the town – meant to encourage people to use their cars less and become cyclists.”
Coun Welborn added: “People use the trail to get to and from work, school or college. Some use it to get to the shops or for watching birdlife. Others use it for walking, running or cycling”.
Residents have complained for years about the condition of the pathway, with children tramping through mud to school.
The trail surface has been raised and widened to three-metres to ensure cyclist-pedestrian safety.
Golf club plans
centenary auction
by Gary Skentelbery
LYMM Golf club’s centenary is now just over a year away and a special charity fund-raising auction is taking place next month (October).
The club’s Centenary Committee is planning various events to celebrate this important milestone in the club’s history.
The committee is hoping for a full house on Friday, October 14th for the grand charity auction, to be held in the clubhouse at 7.30pm.
In addition to raising funds to enable the committee to organise events in 2007, which will benefit the whole community, the auction will raise money for two very worthy charities with a local interest. “Steps” is a charity with its national HQ in Lymm village.
It supports children with lower limb abnormalities such as club foot. It is the adopted charity of this year’s Lady Captain, Di Broady.
Kabuki Syndrome is the other charity, and it supports research into this rare disease, which claimed the life of little Hannah Scales of Burford Lane a few years ago.
This charity is the adopted charity of this year’s Captain, George Bradshaw.
The committee has a marvellous selection of “lots” to auction, including a golfing weekend on the Algarve and a miniature cricket bat signed by many Lancashire CCC players.
In total, there are over 40 lots and we have engaged the services of a professional auctioneer.
Catalogues for the auction are on sale at Stephanie’s Florists, Rush Green Garage and at the Golf Club office. The catalogues list all the lots in detail and cost ?2 each.
They serve as admission on the night. Admission is not restricted to golf club members.
The Centenary Committee is keen that the event is open to anyone who would like to go, and hopes to see many local people at the event.
Unbalanced plan
A home-owner’s plans to extend his property, alongside Warrington Cemetery, have been thrown out.
Planning councillors decided that a proposed first-floor extension over the garage of a house in Peacock Avenue would produce an ‘imbalance’ within the street scene.
David Aspaturian sought full planning consent to extend his home, in a cul-de-sac off Manchester Road.
While planners considered the modern house design was good, an extension above the garage would result in the home ‘becoming unbalanced’.
It would result in ‘an incongruous feature’ in the street scene, they said.
Previous plans had proposed six flats on the site and, further, a four-bedroom detached house.
Students take a break
by Terry Johnson
STUDENTS from Priestley College, Warrington, signed up in their hundreds for take-a-break ‘enrichment activities’.
The biggest non-study ‘market’ in the college’s history saw students eager to take on Millennium Volunteer, Duke of Edinburgh, driving theory and computer club projects.
They also signed to work on the college magazine, in sports journalism and to involve themselves in traditional sports, sign language and film club events.
Senior tutor, Margaret Southern, said: “It is of paramount importance that students get a break from hectic programmes of academic study. Enrichment activities offer this solution”.
Green light for
isolated plan
by John Hendon
The isolated setting of a country cottage at Rixton, east of Warrington, has helped win approval to major extensions.
Rixton-with-Glazebrook Parish Council objected to the two-storey extension of green belt-sited Rose Cottage in Dam Head Lane.
The plans also included building a conservatory.
The local parish council were opposed to ‘over-development’ within the green belt.
But borough planners, while acknowledging the proposal could exceed normal development limits, said the cottage was in a remote location, bounded by mature trees and shrubbery. The extension would not be visually harmful.
Lucky escape!
by John Hendon
A worker from the highways agency had a lucky escape when he was struck by a car while surveying an accident blackspot on the M62 at Winwick.
He had been called out to investigate why vehicles had been skidding on the surface at the Winwick junction, when a car being driven by a pregnant woman, skidded out of control and collided with him.
The vehicle ended up in a ditch but fortunately both the driver and the highways agency worker escaped unhurt.
