BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY
MONDAY, August 28, being a Bank Holiday, Warrington-Worldwide will not be routinely updated that day. However, in the event of a major local news event, it may be updated. The site will remain online and the popular Readers’ Forum will be operating as usual.
lRailway yobs could have
caused 100mph crash
by Terry Johnson
RAILWAY police are asking for the Warrington community’s help to catch yobs who ?barricaded? a high-speed line.
Boulders, metal bars and debris dumped across all four tracks of the Euston-Glasgow line at Winwick Quay, Warrington, threatened a 100mph derailment.
British Transport Police spokesman, PC Robert Benson, said: “It’s mindless vandalism that is putting passengers and railway workers’ lives at risk.
“I am appealing to the community to assist us with this investigation”.
The barricaded tracks halted 18 trains.
“Obstructions of this size have the potential to derail a train”, said PC Benson.
It was the worst main-line vandalism incident of the school holidays and followed a stones bombardment of Virgin and Arriva trains, near Warrington Bank Quay Station.
Missiles thrown from a bridge struck Virgin’s Bournemouth-Edinburgh train, damaging the outer skin.
Arriva’s Llandudno Junction-Manchester Piccadilly train also ran a gauntlet of stones between Warrington and Earlestown stations, causing windows damage which put the train out of service.
Police believe someone will be aware of those responsible for the rail attacks.
They urge that they help the rail police investigation by ringing 0800-405040.
Wedding just the ticket
for Keith and Tracy!
by David Skentelbery
BUS driver Keith Bradshaw thought it was just the ticket when his bride-to-be Tracy Morris suggested they travel to their wedding by bus.
A workmate offered to drive and employers Warrington Borough Transport laid on an old, out-of-service double-decker for the occasion.
Careful plans were made. Keith would ride to Warrington Registry Office in the bus, picking up guests on the way.
After the service, bride and groom would join the guests on the bus to go to the reception.
All went well until after the newly weds posed to have their picture taken with the bus outside the registry office.
Everyone was ready to get on board – then the bus broke down.
Keith and Tracy tried a push-start – but double deckers are rather heavy.
Warrington Borough Transport came to the rescue by sending a service van and the fault was quickly traced to a flat battery. In no time at all, bride, groom and guests were on their way to the reception.
The pair, from Orford, Warrington, have been engaged for 18 years and decided to tie the knot after getting fed up with family and friends telling them it was time they married.
“We love each other to bits – we just never got around to getting married,” said Keith.
After the reception the couple were off on their honeymoon. But this was to be no busman’s holiday – they were flying to Malta.
Four years for man
in drugs conspiracy
by court reporter
A 31 year-old- man from Warrington is behind bars after being sentenced at Warrington Crown Court.
Carl Critchley of Densham Avenue, Longford, was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to robbery and conspiring to supply Class A drugs.
He had been arrested on July 12 as part of Operation Crackdown, the major police drugs operation in Warrington and Halton.
Around 300 officers took part in the early morning raids at 30 properties in Runcorn, Widnes, Liverpool and Warrington. Officers arrested a total of 20 suspects as a result of the operation and all were subsequently charged with various drugs offences.
Operation Crackdown followed months of intelligence gathering work by police, coupled with information supplied by the community, keen to remove drug suppliers from their doorsteps.
Following the sentencing, Det Chief Martin Cleworth, said: ?Critchley played an instrumental role in a Class A drugs supply ring in Warrington. Local residents will hopefully feel reassured by today?s sentencing which should send out a strong warning to others who conspire to supply Class A drugs.?
Operation Crack Down is an on-going operation in Warrington and Halton.
Golf course to get
a ?250,000 facelift
by Terry Johnson
TOWN hall chiefs at Warrington are to give a ?250,000 facelift to the municipal golf course at Walton.
National consultants have been called in to produce a Master Plan for development and maintenance of the 18-hole course, which wraps round the showpiece Walton Hall park.
The borough is to invest ?250,000 in the project.
The Walton course has suffered in recent years from drainage problems, affecting quality of play.
Council executive member Coun Graham Welborn, said: “We have listened to users of our golf course. And I am confident they will be happy with the results.
“Walton has a great membership, including juniors, seniors and ladies sections. This development will increase the quality of the course”.
Club captain, John Diprose, said he was pleased the council was so committed to the success of the sport.
Traffic restrictions in
place for pop festival
by staff reporter
A SERIES of temporary traffic restrictions on roads likely to be affected by traffic travelling to the Creamfields pop festival at Daresbury, near Warrington have been introduced today.
The restrictions will be in force when signs are in place on site ? but they are only expected to be in place over the weekend.
Restrictions include:
A56 Chester Road: 30mph speed limit from its junction with Old Chester Road/Runcorn Road for a distance of 420 metres in a southerly direction.
A56 Chester Road: 20mph speed limit from a point 435 metres north of the junction with Daresbury Expressway (A558) to a point 420 metres south of its junction with Old Chester Road/Runcorn Road.
Pillmoss Lane: one way order from its junction with Summer Lane to its junction with Hatton Lane in a northerly direction.
Daresbury Lane, Holly Hedge Lane, Hobb Lane, Hatton Lane, Newton Lane, Old Chester Road, Park Lane, Pillmoss Lane, Runcorn Road, Warrington and Underbridge Lane: clearway orders.
In addition, three rural footpaths in the area will be temporarily closed while the festival is in progress.
Local residents ? many of who campaigned against the application to hold the festival at Daresbury ? are preparing themselves for an influx of up to 50,000 fans expected to attend.
Many have erected signs at their gates stating: ?No access to Creamfields.?
Some 500 extra police are being drafted in to control traffic and also maintain order during the event. But police say normal police patrols, involving local officers, will be maintained in Stockton Heath, Appleton, Stretton and other areas adjoining the Daresbury area.
Poets invited to
share inspiration
by John Hendon
WOULD-be poets at Warrington are being invited to share their inspiration, imagination and creativity by joining a new group.
Warrington Poetry Writers is to launch next month and is anxious to attract anyone over the age of 16 who is enthusiastic about jingles, lyrics, odes, rhymes, sonnets and verse and would like to join.
The meetings will be on Saturday, between 1.30-3.30pm at Warrington Library, beginning on September 16.
Idea for the group came from people attending poetry reading sessions at the library on the first Friday of each month.
A spokeswoman said: ?We had such a good time we decided to form our own writing group to develop our poetic skills.
?Everyone will be welcome ? no matter how inexperienced.?
More details are available from Wendy at the library on 01925 442732.
News in brief
Do you remember?
“DO Y
our Remember?” is the title for an entertainment in words and light music being presented by Culcheth Methodist Church Choir and friends on Saturday, October 7 at 7.30pm.
The show is at the church in Ellesmere Road and tickets, available at the door, will be ?3.50 (concessions ?3 and under 15s ?2.50) including refreshments.
Hospital lottery
WINNING numbers in the weekly lottery run b y the League of Friends of Warrington Hospital were 1, 8, 11 and 15. Both the ?203 jackpot and the ?25 consolation prize were won. There will be no draw next week, because of the Bank Holiday.
Homes plan
PLANS for 10 houses, an office building, car parking and an open spa have been submitted by Chester Road Developments for land at Deans Lane, Thelwall, Warrington.
Disabled parking
WARRINGTON Borough Council proposes to make an order to introduce disabled persons’ parking places in Gorsey Lane, Manchester Road, Wellfield Street, Earl Street and Willis Street.
[ 29.08.2006, 12:56: Message edited by: DS ]
