Police block
protest march
by James Parr
POLICE have blocked irate campaigners from holding a protest march today (Saturday) on highway safety grounds , as the battle to save Woolston Community High School rumbles on.
Hundreds of teachers, parents and pupils at the school were planning to join together and walk from the school into the town centre as a symbol of their opposition to plans to close the school, until police intervened on Friday afternoon.
Health and safety fears were given as the reason for the ban but school organisers remain undeterred.
Now hundreds of people are expected to gather in Market Gate in the town centre to appeal for support.
Warrington North MP Helen Jones is also expected to be at the gathering, showing her full support for the campaign.
This is just the latest in a line of demonstrations which have taken place since plans to close the school were officially announced in September.
Campaigners from the school have demonstrated outside various the town hall and are hoping this latest show of force will go some way to helping their campaign to save the school.
Petitioners have set up their own website to in a bid to raise more awareness and support at www.warringtoncouncil.youdontcare.com
The next public meeting is at the Church of the Ascension in Woolston on Wednesday, November 28 at 7pm
Market magic!
by James Parr
WARRINGTON’S Victorian and Continental markets have been hailed a huge success by Market Manager Steve Pickering.
Thousands of people visited both markets throughout the day and night yesterday as stalls rekindled the magic of times gone by.
An even bigger response is expected today (Saturday) as Warrington market has “gone back to its roots” according to Steve.
He said: “Both markets have been really, really great and they have drawn in the people of Warrington. It has been such a success we plan to have them several times a year.”
Thursday night also saw the switching on of Warrington’s Christmas lights by pop star Simon Webbe.
Both the markets stayed open until late and a big screen was placed at Market Gate to entertain the crowds.
Steve added: “It was tremendous, we had three sites really and people were wandering from one to other. It was great to see so many people turn up to support the events.”
Triple delight for
garden centre
by James Parr
A GLEEFUL Warrington Garden Centre is celebrating after scooping one of the most coveted titles in the industry.
Bent’s Garden Centre in Glazebury has been named as Britain’s Best Garden Retailer for 2007 at the national Britain’s Best Retailer Awards in London.
Bent’s managed to complete a hat-trick of awards at the ceremony by having Managing Director, Matthew Bent, named as Best Young Garden Retailer of the Year and having their new Open Skies building recognised as the UK’s Best New Development.
The Glazebury garden centre was given the accolades for taking the industry to a new level with their first of kind Open Skies building.
Matthew, 33, won his award for the role he played in making the new building happen, he said: “2007 has been a fantastic year for Bents not only because of all these fantastic awards, but for so many other reasons. We celebrated a major milestone with our 70th anniversary and also marked the start of a new era with the launch of our new Open Skies building.
“My grandparents had real vision when they founded the Bents business in 1937, something which was inherited by my father, Ron Bent who grew the business into the success it is today. It is now up to me to continue with this approach, ensuring the family business continues to evolve, staying one step ahead and leading the way for others to follow.”
This latest hat-trick of awards adds to the growing collection already on Bent’s shelf, as they were named Warrington Business of the Year at the Warrington Business Awards, and received the Customer Care and Visitors choice Awards at the event.
Matthew added: “Traditional garden centre retailing is evolving all the time. It is vital that we continue to change in order to welcome new customers and an ever-changing customer base. We are delighted with our new Open Skies building; it has changed Bents into a true year round all-weather destination something that we believe has been acknowledged by our latest awards.”
Indian adventure
awaits students
by John Hendon
A MERCY mission has been launched at Warrington Collegiate as 40 students will head off to India in order to help disadvantaged children.
Students will be targeting some of the most deprived areas of the country while on their visit.
They will also be taking part in support project, which aim to improve the infrastructure of disadvantaged towns and villages.
Students, who are all from the Collegiate’s Public Services course, have had the most deprived areas already pinpointed for them by Course Leader Carl Byrne, who visited India last year.
This trip of a lifetime will also see the students visit up and coming regions of the country and they will take part in a trek across the Himalayas.
All of them have been busy conducting fundraising events for the trip, which they will go on for three weeks in March next year.
Kelsey Berry, 18, from Great Sankey, said all the students were looking forward to helping improve the lives of others in India.
She commented: “We are really looking forward to seeing the country and taking part in all sorts of activities from survival training to helping out on projects to help really poor areas.”
Shoebox appeal with
no strings attached
by Lesley Wilkinson
YOUNGSTERS at Lymm High School have been busy packing festive treats for disadvantaged children into shoe boxes.
More than 300 boxes were collected for the Lymm Rotary Club appeal, and were loaded into a minibus for transportation.
Pupils from Lymm High have taken part in The Shoe Box Appeal for the past four years. Gifts collected are sent to disadvantaged children and families in countries in Eastern Europe in time for Christmas.
The school appeal was led by Miss Jenny Clancy and her year 10 form, who organised promotional assemblies, posters and gift collections.
Year 10 pupils Jess Moules, Jamie Elkaleh, James Atkinson and Esther Mallison accompanied staff to take the boxes to a warehouse in Preston for shipment to Romania in time for Christmas.
Pyjama party for
Children in Need
by staff reporter
AS people across Warrington dug deep for Children in Need youngsters and staff at The Rosebank Centre Children’s Nursery in Lymm wore their pyjamas for the day to help raise funds.
Pudsy Bear was there to watch over the event and a great time was enjoyed by everyone. Generous donations were collected from the children and staff which will be forwarded to the Children in Need appeal.
New business community
to be unveiled
by staff reporter
EXCITING new employment opportunities are being created in Warrington thanks to the unveiling of six new business units.
A whole new business community will be created in Burtonwood following the conversion of an agricultural building that was originally erected as a hay barn in 1895.
Funding from the North West Development Agency via the Rural Small Buildings fund, has established the two floor business units.
The building was deemed unsuitable for modern agricultural use and due to the changes, a family will be able to remain on the farm whilst creating many new jobs and making a significant contribution to the rural economy.
A official opening of the units will take place on Friday, November 23 with North West Development Agency Chief Executive Steve Br
oomhead, Chief Executive Andy Gatcliffe, players and officials from Warrington Wolves and club mascot Wolfie doing the unveiling.
