Town’s tourism experts
can bid for “Oscars”
by John Hendon
WARRINGTON’S top tourism experts have a chance to pick up awards at a lavish Oscar-style presentation night this autumn.
The cream of the world of tourism, whether working in hotels, parks, restaurants or bars, will be invited to the big night at Mere Golf and Country Club on November 17, which will be attended by guest stars from TV’s Hollyoaks.
CATS, the Cheshire Awards for Tourism Skills, will be awarded to the successful entrance at a Masquerade Ball.
The CATS awards, now in their fifth year, recognise the importance of people and training in tourism.
Chris Brown, chief executive of Cheshire and Warrington Tourism Board, which organises the event, said: “Individual winners derive a great deal of prestige and confidence, and winning companies gain a distinct advantage over their competitors.
“In today’s competitive market, the excellence of staff and their service is paramount. Through these awards we can reward achievement, recognise quality and celebrate those who are helping to put Cheshire at the top of the tourism ladder”.
Visitor attractions, hotels and other accommodation providers, education providers and other tourism-related businesses throughout Cheshire and Warrington are invited to nominate their top performers by October 7.
Award categories include Excellence in Customer Service, Unsung Hero, Most Outstanding Young Tourism Manager, Most Up and Coming Cheshire Chef and Most Valuable Volunteer.
Event spokesman Richard Daly said: “We received a record number of entries last year, over 90. We’re hoping that more organisations, including new and emerging tourism of all sizes, will nominate their stars for this year’s awards.”
Application forms are available from Richard at the tourism board on 01244 346543, or from www.cwtb.co.uk]www.cwtb.co.uk
Dig out the facts at
museum exhibition
by Lesley Wilkinson
ANYONE interested in finding out more about archaeology can find out more at an event at Warrington Museum on Saturday.
Finds Liaison Officer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, Nick Herepath, will be on hand to offer tips and advice to anyone who has unearthed an archaeological treasure.
The scheme is a national project to encourage people who find archaeological objects to report them so that records can be made. Nick is working in a team recording finds in Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
So far 3,000 finds have been recorded ranging from prehistoric tools to Medieval coins and objects.
Nick will be at the museum from 10.30pm to 12noon and from 1pm to 2.30pm, and anyone is invited to attend.
He said: “The North West may be not as plentiful in finds as some other parts of the country but some very important objects have been discovered and reported in recent years.
“These include a rare hoard of Viking silver bracelets found in Cheshire last year and a significant number of Anglo-Saxon finds, a period from which only a few finds were known in this part of the world. But it is mostly ordinary, everyday objects and coins that are helping to increase our understanding of the past,” he added.
This event is linked to the Warrington in Close-up exhibition at the museum until November 12, which shows some important finds, included a terracotta garden urn and two musket balls from Bewsey Old Hall.
Student Sarah
is flying high
by Lo O’Donnell
THE day Warrington student Sarah De Groot learned she had obtained a degree with honours, she also landed a high-flying job with a top international airport company.
Sarah (pictured)who studied at the Warrington campus of the University of Chester, is now putting knowledge from her degree in Business Management and Information Technology to good use in the marketing department of ATG Airports at its base in Warrington.
She said: “I had a call from the College Careers Service to tell me the company was looking for people, so I rang up just in case and arranged an interview on the same day as my results.
“It was really exciting picking up my degree. I was so glad I’d done so well. Then I went for the interview. I wasn’t sure I’d get the job as positions like it are highly sought, but by the evening they’d phoned me back with a start date.”
Sarah is now training with the company which is responsible for creating and upgrading airports worldwide, including major projects at Manchester, Liverpool and Heathrow, with a view to taking over responsibility for all its marketing functions, which include international events, by the end of the year.
Luckily for the many other Warrington students who have just graduated, stories like Sarah’s are by no means uncommon with 93 per cent of last year’s business graduates either finding work or going on to further study. Sixty seven per cent of all graduates are categorised as having high-profile jobs like Sarah’s – as managers and senior officials, associate professionals or technical professionals.
Sarah, however, is now looking forward to a long and successful career in marketing management.
She said: “This job is a big chance for me. I’m getting a break some graduates elsewhere don’t get. It just shows that hard work does pay off!”
Free swimming
causes a splash
by staff reporter
FREE swimming sessions in Warrington have caused a splash of success in the first three weeks with more than 12,000 youngsters taking the plunge.
Four Golden Gates Leisure Centres – Broomfields, Fordton, Great Sankey and Woolston – are taking part in the Free Swim for Kids sessions that run until September 4.
So far 12,153 children and young people have attended, compared with 10,500 for the full six-week summer holiday last year.
Children under 16 and students in full time education up to 18, can take part in the free sessions funded by ?40,000 from Warrington Borough Council to improve the health and well-being of youngsters.
Sessions are available on a first come, first served basis. Sessions are busy and access may be limited depending on the number of swimmers in all pools.
An adult must accompany children under the age of eight in the pool at all times.
Coun Maureen Banner, executive board member for well being, said: “This is fantastic news and I am very pleased that this initiative has taken off and so many of our children and young people are enjoying their swimming. I hope this continues throughout the full six week holiday.”
All that jazz – in
the market place
by Lesley Wilkinson
POPULAR jazz and R&B singer Georgie Fame will be entertaining the crowds at a free concert on Saturday August 27 at Warrington’s Old Market Place.
He appears in the Golden Square concert alongside the multi-award winning Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra.
Local musician Peter Price will play a short set of acoustic jazz and blues followed by a combination of jazz and blues from the orchestra from 8pm.
Georgie will make a number of appearances throughout the concert and during the second set will join the orchestra for an eclectic blend of swinging jazz and American R&B.
Michael Hancock, chairman of Town Centre Warrington Partnership who organise the event, said: “The concert illustrates the town centre’s commitment to supporting talent in the North West, whilst also providing a key event in the region’s community calendar.”
Stuart Smith, music development officer at the Pyramid Arts Centre, said: “This is my third year of involvement in organising the jazz concert and it never ceases to amaze me how good this young orchestra is. Coupled with an artist the calibre of Georgie Fame, this is set to be one of the best yet.”
Death crash
victim named
by David Skentelbery
POLICE have named a woman killed in a road accident near Warrington at the
weekend.
She was Geraldine Holmes, aged 43, of Egerton, High Legh, a communications officer with Merseyside Police.
The accident happened in Warrington Road, High Legh on Sunday evening and was reported in Warrington-Worldwide earlier in the week.
Ms Holmes (pictured)died when her car, a blue Mercedes, apparently left the road and collided with a garden wall at the junction with Heath Lane. The car then collided with a Ford Galaxy.
Police are still seeking witnesses of the crash, in particular the drivers of two vintage cars travelling in the direction of Warrington.
It is believed they may have stopped briefly at the scene before continuing on their way. At statement issued by the deceased’s family said she was a concientious worker, admired and respected by her colleagues.
She was a warm, friendly and affectionate person and her death would leave a void of such depth that the family did not know where to begin, the statement added.
Anyone who can help police is asked to call Sgt Steve Griffiths on 0845 4580000.
Motorway closure
brings traffic chaos
by staff reporter
A SECURITY alert on the M56 brought traffic chaos to outlying areas of Warrington.
The alert was more than 20 miles away at the Hapsford Service Area near Chester.
But the motorway was completely closed in both directions, producing enormous tailbacks which extended back to the Warrington area and beyond.
Evening rush hour motorists faced a nightmare journey home as they were unable to get onto the motorway at any of the Warrington junctions.
Bomb squad officers carried out a series of controlled explosions on a suspect van found parked at Hapsford but it turned out to be a false alarm.
Police said the owner of the van was eventually traced and it was found no criminal offence had been committed.
[ 23.08.2005, 16:14: Message edited by: DS ]
