Students showcase
fashion – at bus stop!
by Gary Skentelbery
PHOTOGRAPHIC student Steve Johnson was given the chance to test his skills with a fashion show with a difference.
Fellow students from Warrington Collegaite decided to show off their latest fashion collection at a bus stop outside their college. Steve was on hand to capture the models as they staged an impromptu fashion show alongside the busy A49 during rush hour.
Dressed in peacock feathers and thigh skimming ball gowns the models performed their traffic-stopping show to showcase the talents of arts and fashion students.
Students decided to give their creations maximum exposure by using one of Warrington’s busiest roads as a catwalk. The end of year fashion show was the culmination of their studies before looking for work in the world of fashion.
Steve, who is planning on becoming a professional photographer once he’s completed his studies, said: “The models certainly caused quite a stir. You don’t often see such a glamorous queue at a bus stop!”
Win tickets to see
The Railway Children
THE UK’s premier professional open-air theatre company Heartbreak Productions will be performing Edith Nesbitt’s The Railway Children with an open air performance at Walton Gardens, Warrington on Thursday August 10th from 7pm-7.30pm.
Warrington-Worldwide readers have a chance of winning a family ticket for the performance for two adults and two children.
Simply send a an email to [email protected] and answer the following question – who wrote the Railway Children. Closing date for entries is August 7th.
With a specially designed stage and costumes by Phil Newman, dynamic music/sound score from Darren Scott (A Midsummer Night?s Dream/Macbeth) and directed by Maddy Kerr (As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, The Importance of being Earnest), Heartbreak invite you and your family to come and experience a poignant, feel-good show with lots of interaction, red flannel petticoats, and, (we hope!) a train!
Heartbreak is proud to be celebrating its fifteenth season and have enjoyed great acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
Restaurant
plan approved
by David Skentelbery
CONTROVERSIAL proposals for a three-storey building containing a restaurant, shops, takeaway and flats in Warrington Road, Culcheth have been given the go-ahead.
The scheme, at the junction with Shaw Street, involves the demolition of the existing takeaway shop.
Neighbours and Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council lodged strong objections to the plan, but the borough council’s development control committee voted 5-4 to grant permission.
The development will have 14 car parking spaces at the rear.
Nearby residents say the proposals will lead to an increase in traffic, noise, litter, smells, etc already experienced as a result of the existing takeaway.
They say the car parking provision will be inadequate, leading to on-street parking in Shaw Street, blocking people’s driveways.
The parish council said the plan lacked detail with the references to retail, restaurant and takeaway being too vague. The building would be 1.85 metres higher than the existing planning consent and with flats on the top floor would create overlooking and loss of privacy. Members were also concerned about parking problems.
But planning officers said parking provision was satisfactory and the proposals did not represent overdevelopment of the site.
There should be no detrimental impact on neighbours, nor the character of the area.
Village prepares for ancient
rushbearing festival
by Gary Skentelbery
LYMM’S ancient rushbearing festival is set to take place on Sunday August 14.
The village is now only one of only a small number of places to continue with the festival – a piece of living history.
The tradition grew out of the need in medieval times to replace the reeds which were used as a carpet on the earthen floor of buildings including the church.
The community joined together to gather the new reeds (rushes) and remove the old. They combined work with pleasure carpet laying at church with a procession, music and dancing.
Organisers continue with the combination although the laying of rushes at church is only symbolic rather than functional! The spirit of communal life is real and organisers are anxious for local people to join in.
Although there may have been some breaks the tradition seems to have continued from the medieval era until about the time of the first world war and was revived in the 1970s.
In 1869 it was reported that there were various village sports on a Monday in connection with the rushbearing but the actual procession had been on Saturday when “the rush cart was drawn through the streets of the township by four grey horses, decorated with flags, and bells.
The cart was preceded by a man and a band playing popular tunes. A great crowd collected round the cart at different parts of the district. The usual collection of shows, rifle galleries, standings and other things requisite for a country fair were located in the vicinity of The Cross. A fire occurred at one of the “peep shows” but was speedily extinguished by the bystanders”!
The procession will start from Pepper Street car park on Sunday August 13 at 4pm processing via The Cross up Eagle Brow, left into Brookfield Road and left into Church Road to arrive at St Mary’s Church at approximately 4.30pm.
After a short service the procession will then move down Rectory Lane to the Village Hall where there will be light refreshments, judging of the rushbearing garlands, and more Morris dancing.
It is hoped the procession will include not only Morris men but as many people as possible who have made and are carrying rushbearing garlands.
Club of the
year again!
by Gary Skentelbery
REGULARS at Appleton Thorn Village Hall near Warrington are celebrating after being voted Club of the Year again by the Campaign for Real Ale North Cheshire branch.
It is the first time licensees Alison and Derek Massey, who have been behind the bar for the past two years, have collected the award which was presented during a special “celebration” event at the hall involving committee members and regulars.
The award is presented on beer quality – but when four clubs all scored the same, other considerations were taken into account. These included: Friendly service, cleanliness and community focus – with the village hall coming out tops.
The award is extra special as the village hall club is celebrating its silver jubilee.
Former licensee Paul White, who was a founder member and is now an honourary life member and trustee was on hand to help mark the occasion.
Paul, who introduced guest beers, said: “We have previously won the regional and national club of the year titles, but this is a first for Alison and Derek who deserve it in recognition of all their hard work.”
The award was presented to Alison and Derek and club chairman Dan Heaphy by CAMRA North Cheshire Chairman Mike Thomson.
