Over Wyre Focus - January 2016 by Focus Magazines

Over Wyre FOCUS Your Free Monthly Magazine

Knott End ~ Preesall ~ Pilling ~ Stalmine ~ Hambleton January 2016

Issue 194

What’s on Over Wyre

January Monday

4th

Family History Group - Knott End Library

Tuesday

5th

Meeting Point Hambleton - Birthday Party

25 7

Town Council Representative at Knott End Library

North Fylde Photographic Society - Dave Bibby (speaker)

Over Wyre Ladies

SSRA Meeting - Stalmine School

Pilling Historical Society - ‘Pilling in the Victorian Age’ 68

Wednesday

Meat Bingo - Winmarleigh Village Hall

6th

Cleveleys Walks - Community Centre, Beach Road

Thursday

7th

Over Wyre Probus Club - Springfield House Hotel

Friday

8th

Stalmine Village Hall Bingo

5 5 69 7

Fairytales Reading Group - Knott End Library

Sunday

10th

Special Service - Pilling Methodist Church

Monday

11th

Hambleton WI Monthly Meeting - URC Church Hall

Tuesday

12th

Fireside Fellowship - ‘Convict Transportation to Australia’ 12

Prize Bingo - Friends of Trinity Hospice

North Fylde Photographic Society

Over Wyre Art Society - Free Choice

Pilling Men’s Fellowship - Visit to Knott End (see above)

Stalmine Parish Council Meeting

Wednesday 13th

Mental Health Support Group - St Oswalds Church

Ladies Plesant Hour with Rev. Paul Critcchley

Garstang Historical Society - Garstang URC

‘World War 1: Women and the War’ - Knott End Library

Thursday

14th

Royal British Legion Meeting - Knott End Working Men’s Club

Friday

15th

Dancing for All - St Oswald’s Parish Hall

Monday

18th

Pilling Men’s Fellowship - ‘Assassination of President Kennedy’

Kids Get Active - MEND - Thornton YMCA

Tuesday

Scrabble Afternoon - Hambleton WI

19th

Over Wyre Art Society - ‘Pebble Painting Miniatures’ 48

Over Wyre & Garstang Focus Magazines www.focusmags.co.uk Tel: (01253) 813433 Event Advertising & Editorial: sue@focusmags.co.uk Business & Commercial Advertising: helen@focusmags.co.uk Postal submissions: Focus Magazine, 132 Highfield Rd, Blackpool, FY4 2HH Cover design by Phil S Clarkson | Printed by Moulton Printing | © Focus Magazines 2016

What’s on Over Wyre

Tuesday

19th

Over Wyre Ladies

Meeting Point Hambleton - ‘A Woman in a Man’s World’ 7

Bridging the Gap - Knott End Library

North Fylde Photographic Society

Wednesday 20th

Ladies Pleasant Hour - ‘Papua New Guinea’ 7

Pilling Ladies Bowling Club

Kids Get Active - MEND - Garstang YMCA

Thursday

YMCA Low Impact Circuit Session - Knott End Library

21st

Golden Ball Social Club AGM

Over Wyre Probus Club

Friday

22nd

Stalmine Village Hall Bingo

Saturday

23rd

Macmillan Cancer Support Jumble Sale

Monday

25th

Hambleton WI - Federation Fun Quiz - Stalmine Village Hall

Pilling Men’s Fellowship - ‘Early Maps of Lancashire’

Tuesday

Fireside Fellowship - ‘A Little Bit of Lanky’ 12

26th

North Fylde Photographic Society

Over Wyre Art Society

Fylde Bird Club

Wednesday 27th

Ladies Pleasant Hour - ‘The Bay’ 7

ITHA Travel Talks - ‘Cities, Canyons and Scenic USA’

Friday

Hambleton in Bloom - Litter Pick

29th

12 7

Knott End Domino Club - Knott End Methodist Church

Hambleton Walks - Shovels Inn Car Par

Last Friday Reading Group - Knott End Library

February Monday

1st

Tuesday

2nd

Over Wyre Cloggers - Working Men’s Club Meeting Point Hambleton - Quiz

6 7

Over Wyre Art Society - Pen & Wash Work Along

SSRA Meeting - Stalmine School

Pilling Historical Society - ‘Pilling to Kansas City’ 68

February 2016 deadline for editorial and adverts is Monday 18th January February deliveries commence 29th January 2016 While every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine to ensure accuracy, Focus Magazines cannot be held responsible for editorial content supplied by contributors. Our acceptance of an editorial item or an advertisement does not necessarily indicate our endorsement of the products, services or views contained within it.

EDITOR’S NOTE We can’t let the January issue of Focus go out without extending our thoughts and commiserations to those members of the community so drastically affected by flooding. There is little we can say that will alleviate what must have been a frightening and miserable time for those whose homes, businesses and places of work have been affected. St Michael’s in particular, where everyone thought that flooding might be a thing of the past, was so badly hit that Christmas, usually a time of joy and reunion, must have been a nightmare. Wherever you are, if you have been adversely affected by floods, we hope that you are now beginning to get your lives, homes and businesses back together. In the year since we took over Focus we have been struck by the strength of community spirit that burns brightly in the Over Wyre and

Garstang areas. Neighbours help neighbours and everyone does what they can to brighten and enhance the quality of life for all. In difficult times this goes a long way, as has been shown in the media coverage of communities across the North of England as they swing into action to help and support each other in unprecedented circumstances. We hope that this same spirit helps and supports people who are struggling and face an uphill battle to rebuild what the floods destroyed. We hope that 2016 brings in better decision making with regard to flood control and that lessons are learned in how better to protect those communities now shown to be at risk, not least by listening to the advice of local people who know their own areas better than anyone. Sue Moulton (Editor) and the Focus Team

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MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP

MEAT BINGO

St Oswalds Church Hall Wed 13th Jan 1:30pm - 3:00pm

Winmarleigh Village Hall Wed 6th Jan

Anyone who is experiencing, or has a loved one or someone close to them who is affected by mental health issues is invited to come along to this group.

First Wednesday of the month September May 7:30pm prompt.

We meet every second Wednesday of the month. For further information email sisterteague@ hotmail.co.uk or ring 07583 039 804. Pauline Teague

Refreshments served at half time. All welcome! For more information contact: (01995) 600715 Lilian Makin (01253) 811791

CLEVELEYS WALKS Sat 6th Jan - 10:30am

Proceeds for the re-construction of Pilling Memorial Hall. Bar & Raffle. Tickets £9 from (01253) 790615 or (01253) 790739.

Enjoy an hour’s Health Walk in Cleveleys, either a bracing Promenade walk or a look at Cleveleys Park, houses and Towers Wood paths, ponds and wildlife. Meet at the Community Centre on Beach Road for a prompt 10:30am start and return for a welcome cuppa.

Jacky Gaunt

Beryl Hartley (01253) 700066

HOUGHTON WEAVERS IN CONCERT Cockerham Village Hall Mon 15th Feb - 8:00pm

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INNER WHEEL We had a very interesting talk at our dinner meeting in November. It was about Dick Kerr’s Ladies Football Team, which was started in Preston and had connections with Preston North End. The team played a lot of their matches abroad and became quite famous. Alas the Football Association put a stop to ladies football and the team was disbanded. After the International Evening at the end of October when we heard about the children in the ‘Happy House’ in Kenya, we decided to sponsor a child for the next few years. His name is Lucky and he is 4 years old. We can send him letters and cards which will be kept for him in a memory box, which will only be opened by him. As he gets older and he is able to read himself he will open the box on his own. We are very much looking forward to getting the first contact from him. We held our Christmas party at the home of our President, Charmaine. It was a ‘Jacobs Join’ and the food produced by the Club was amazing. A good time was had by everyone. As usual anyone interested in joining us please contact our Secretary Maureen Garstang (01995) 604336.

OVER WYRE CLOGGERS The Over Wyre Cloggers would like to thank all those that supported their recent fundraising event ‘Lancashire Night’ . A total profit of £415 was made. This amount was increased to £500 from proceeds collected during the year. £250 each has been donated to The Lifeboats and The Air Ambulance. The Over Wyre Cloggers meet on Monday evenings 7:30pm - 9:00pm and will meet again following a short break, on Mon 1st Feb at 7:30pm at The Working Men’s Club, Knott End. We look forward to welcoming new members – dancers or musicians – young or old. Kate Hind (01253) 811977

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LADIES PLEASANT HOUR Wed 13th Jan - Rev. Paul Critcchley Wed 20th Jan - ‘Papua New Guinea’ Mrs. Jill Ruddick Wed 27th Jan Mrs. Kay Sanders ‘The Bay’ Wed 3rd Feb. Mrs. M. Ghanndi A cordial invitation is extended to any lady who enjoys a speaker and friendly get-together. We are a non-denominational group meeting every Wednesday at 2:30pm from September to Easter at the Methodist Church. Lois Barnard (01253) 810823

HAMBLETON IN BLOOM Litter Pick Fri 29th Jan - 10:30am Please come and join our friendly team of litter pickers. We meet at 10:30am at the Shovels Inn car park. Picks and bags provided, we enjoy a drink, food and a natter afterwards. Beryl Hartley (01253) 700066

MEETING POINT - HAMBLETON Tues 5th Jan - Birthday Party Tues 19th Jan ‘A Woman in a Man’s World’ - J Marr Tues 2nd Feb - Quiz We are a non-denominational group meeting fortnightly on Tuesday afternoons at 2:15pm at the URC Hall, Sandy Lane, Hambleton. Mrs R Dixon (01253) 700700

OVER WYRE WHIST & DOMINOES Every Tuesday at Knott End Working Men’s Club, 2:00pm - 4:00pm. New members always welcome. Maureen (01253) 810518 (evenings)

STALMINE VILLAGE HALL BINGO Fri 8th & 22nd Jan Everyone welcome - good prizes. Doors open at 7:00pm, eyes down at 7:30pm. David Makinson (01253) 700232

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GARSTANG HISTORICAL SOCIETY Garstang and District residents will be be learning about recent hi-tech archaeological activity in the area at the first meeting of 2016 of Garstang Historical Society. Highways historian David Routledge, who has been studying Roman roads in Lancashire for almost 50 years, is now using state of the art technology to help him trace ancient routes which once crossed parts of Lancashire.

sensing technology from aircraft (the same technology which famously discovered the lost Cambodian city of Ankor) has shown the Ribchester to Lancaster road took a route via what are now the settlements of Longridge and Inglewhite to Catterall. At Catterall it joined another Roman road (the main Roman road from the south heading to Lancaster).

His latest discovery is the precise line of a Roman road whose detailed route has been a subject of speculation among antiquarians since the 1850s.

Site visits have confirmed the reality of the route via Catterall - with several stretches of the road somewhat worse for wear! David commented: “This was to be expected given that the Romans stopped maintaining it over 1,600 years ago.”

One suggested route for the road - linking Ribchester to Lancaster - was via the hamlet of Street, near Dolphinholme, a route indicated on the first edition of a local Ordnance Survey map.

David will go into more details about this road and other Roman routes in Lancashire at Garstang Historical Society’s New Year meeting on Wed 13th Jan at 7:30pm at Garstang United Reformed Church Hall.

But recent research using Lidar remote

Garstang

Historical

Society

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recently

GARSTANG HISTORICAL (cont) celebrated its 50th anniversary. The December 2015 meeting marked the occasion with a cake cutting ceremony. The January meeting will see the distribution to members of commemorative badges incorporating a depiction of the area’s oldest buildings, Greenhalgh Castle. For more details of David Ratledge’s discoveries visit the historical society’s website - www.garstanghistoricalsociety. org.uk For more details of the society contact Peter Burrell (01995) 601054 (after 6:00pm). Anthony Coppin

Hotel, Skipton, to the luncheon with speaker Molly Johnson, best selling author. It was a great success and a very good start to the Christmas celebrations. On Saturday 28th November several of us were fortunate to be invited to an open day of the new research labs in Manchester, next door to the Christie Hospital. It was an amazing day, seeing at first hand how and where the money raised is being spent and meeting the researchers. Since the beginning of November we have raised £ 5,753.00. Many thanks to everyone for your support for helping to raise this fantastic amount.

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RESIDENTS URGED TO PROTEST Write in Protest at Cuts Get writing your letters of complaint – that was the rallying call from local Councillors during a packed public meeting to discuss proposed cuts to services in Knott End and Preesall. Several services face the axe as part of Lancashire County Council’s funding cuts, including the ferry, Knott End Library, the Youth and Community Centre and local bus services. More than 200 residents who attended a meeting at Knott End Working Men’s Club organised by the Mayor of Preesall and Ward Councillors on Preesall Town Council, expressed their outrage at the cuts, arguing these will impact on all sections of the community, from the old and vulnerable to people with disabilities and young people. Councillors urged everyone to write to the Chief Executive of Lancashire County Council, Jo Turton, to make their views known, ahead of the County Council’s public consultation in early 2016 prior to the final decisions being made by the full Council on 11th Feb. They also asked those present to spread the word and urge family members and neighbours to make their views known. A resident who attended the meeting said: ‘The over-riding message was clear: if we don’t stand up and shout about the loss of vital services like the ferry, the library, the Youth and Community Centre and local bus services, we will lose them.’ Letters to Jo Turton can be posted as follows: Jo Turton, Chief Executive Officer, Lancashire County Council, County Hall, Fishergate, Preston, PR1 8XB. Or they can be emailed to her at jo.turton@ lancashire.gov.uk

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ITHA – TRAVEL TALKS

KNOTT END FIRESIDE FELLOWSHIP

Wed 27th Jan – ‘Cities, Canyons and Scenic USA’. David and Julie Swift take a driving tour to show us the wonders of the: ‘Cities, Canyons and Scenic USA’.

The first Fellowship meeting of the New Year will be on Tues 12th Jan. Dr Colin Penny M.A. will speak about ‘Convict Transportation to Australia’.

New members and visitors are most welcome. Venue: The Concert Hall, Blackpool Sixth Form College, Blackpool Old Road, Blackpool FY3 7LR at 7:30 pm. Our facilities are suitable for the disabled, including audio loop. Refreshments available during the break.

On this evening members of the Pilling Men’s Fellowship will be our welcome guests.

For further information visit our website www. fyldetravellers.org.uk Joan Gaffiney (01253) 700799

KNOTT END DOMINO CLUB Fri 29th Jan We meet monthly at Knott End Methodist Church. Everyone is welcome. Lilian Makin (01253) 811791

Our second meeting of the month will be on Tues 26th Jan and will be an open night when family members and friends can join us to hear Mr Brian Schofield. Mr Schofield’s subject is ‘A Little Bit of Lanky’. Our meetings are held in the Methodist Church school room on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month and start at 7:30pm. New members are always welcome. B. Chesworth (01253) 811355

THE BIG TURKEY BURN OFF EVENT YMCA Poulton On Sun 3rd Jan join us at YMCA Poulton for a free day of classes and start your new year with a bang! All classes during the Turkey Burn Off are free of charge for everyone so bring a friend and share the experience. Class places are limited so pre-booking is essential. Call us on (01253) 891629 to reserve your place. Timetable Boxing Circuits – 9:30am -10:15am Kettlebells - 10:30am -11:00am LesMills Bodycombat - 11:15am -11:45am LesMills Bodypump - 12 noon-12:45pm Spinning - 1:00pm -1:45pm Simon Daly

SEQUENCE STEPPERS Charity Dance Group We meet at Barton Village Hall every Saturday night, 7:45pm to 11:15pm. Music by Alan Cookson. All profits to local charities. Tea and Biscuits. Barbara Holden (01772) 612311

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PROTECT WYRE GROUP Towards the end of September, the Chancellor, Rt Hon George Osborne, headed a delegation to China with the aim of procuring new Chinese investments for North West of England. The government produced a book entitled “Northern Powerhouse Investment Pitchbook” which outlined 20 business opportunities for Chinese investment. Amongst these was Halite’s proposed Preesall gas storage scheme which, in our opinion, reads more like a fairy tale than an actual account of what’s happening on the ground. You can read the entire pitchbook as an Adobe pdf download from this link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/ northern-powerhouse-investment-pitchbook

PWG wrote to the Chancellor expressing concerns about the validity of the content of the Halite pitch and indeed about the government’s verification of the facts. An extract of the letter follows... It is with some concern that PWG draws your attention to the scheme that you were promoting on your recent China trade visit from within the pages of the Investment Pitchbook, namely Project 18, Lancashire – Preesall Gas Storage on behalf of Halite Energy. On the rear cover of the Pitchbook, a disclaimer from the authors, UK Trade & Investment, a UK government department, says, amongst other things, that “...every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this document is accurate...” It would appear that little or no effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the description of this specific project. It says: Halite was recently granted planning permission for a 900mcm salt cavern gas storage facility. PWG: Senergy, the government appointed geological consultants, have stated in a document and report to the Planning Inspectorate ... “It considered there is a 50.4% probability of achieving a static working gas volume of 200 mcm and a 5.8% probability of achieving a static working gas volume of 300 mcm”. This is a 5.8% chance of achieving just 50% of Halite’s stated volumes!!!! It says: Preesall will be necessary to absorb short term swings in demand. PWG: It has never been proven or accepted by anyone outside of Halite and perhaps the unelected Lord Bourne who granted the DCO

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PROTECT WYRE GROUP (cont) that the Preesall scheme is “necessary” or “in the National Need”. It says: The Preesall site benefits from proven geology. PWG: The government’s own appointed consultant geologists, Senergy, reported back to the Planning Inspectorate at the last examination ..... (extracts below) Senergy noted that for whatever reason, the data received was sometimes “incomplete or late and delivered in obscure formats” and the report was therefore “necessarily limited to the data received”. “The Base Salt is not adequately imaged by the new seismic in parts of the proposed polygon areas, and there is no borehole data to confirm seismic picks with the development polygons. The interpretation within the development polygons is speculative and unconstrained in the

deeper parts of the basin, and this leaves considerable uncertainty in the calculations”. This is not ‘proven geology’! It says: A high proportion of the subsurface and engineering work for the project has already been completed. PWG: There are no pipe tracks, excavations, buildings or anything else one might connect with a development of this magnitude and be considered as engineering work. There is no mention of the ‘soon to be contested’ Compulsory Purchase Orders which could blight the scheme for years to come. It says: The project sponsor is also seeking funding for an LNG Terminal which will be linked to this storage facility by an underground pipeline. PWG: The underground pipeline referred to is presumably the undersea pipeline from Anglesey in North Wales to Preesall which is at best a pipe dream as it hasn’t even been tested with outline planning permission. The conclusion one must draw from this erroneous inclusion and over-statement of the potential of Project 18 is that it is either a great show of incompetence by UK Trade & Investment or an attempt to mislead the Chinese investors by either government advisors or the developer. Whichever of these two scenarios is correct the sad thing about this situation is that when the Chinese discover how far Project 18 is off the mark, they might suppose that some of the other projects might be equally overstated and over-embellished and this might result in less overall investment for the Northern Powerhouse – a negation of what the Trade Delegation sought to achieve. We were hoping to publish the Chancellor’s response to our letter but, yes - you’ve guessed it - we are still waiting.

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PROTECT WYRE GROUP (cont) In addition, Ben Wallace MP is actively pursuing Ministers within the European Commission in asking them to investigate a breach of the environmental safeguards, which are in place to protect Morecambe Bay and the Wyre Estuary. He does not believe that the UK agencies, whose duty it is to protect our countryside, have fulfilled their statutory duties. Ben has also written to Lord Maude, the Minister for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and has scheduled a meeting with him in January. As this article goes to press world leaders have been meeting to discuss climate change and no doubt, as usual, the UK will play this strictly by the book, even if it is to our disadvantage, whilst other countries will pay lip service to any agreement struck. In the light of an impending agreement it seems at odds that Amber Rudd has announced that she want companies to build many more gas plants in the UK to plug the gap between renewables and nuclear as coal power is phased out. There is talk of subsidising the gas plants with grants but the industry appears to be suspicious following the unexpected cutting of renewable subsidies which in turn could increase the risk of investment and leave developers out of pocket should the same happen. More about this next month and indeed more about the uncontrollable gas leak from an underground gas storage site in Los Angeles which is blowing methane hundreds of feet into the air and has been doing so since early November. The storage differs insomuch as it is in an old sandstone oil field but the leak has still resulted in over 1,800 families being relocated to a safe area with another 1,400 requesting relocation. The Federal Aviation Administration recently banned low-flying planes from flying over the site, since, in their words, engines plus combustible gas equals

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PROTECT WYRE GROUP (cont) a potential explosion. One environmentalist has likened the gas escape to having six extra coal fired power station or 7 million extra cars in the area. Not much we can do about it except to add this to the list of previous UGS gas escapes and explosions from around the world for future reference. It does however serve to show what can happen. So what next? The Development Consent Order is now enshrined in planning law and as such can only be overturned if the Secretary of State does an about face and recalls it - unlikely in the extreme - or if it were subject to judicial proceedings from a higher authority, i.e. the European Court and Ben Wallace is working tirelessly on this aspect of it. It’s been a disappointing and undemocratic decision but we are upbeat about the final outcome which we believe will be decided upon by the geology of the area. Any would be investor is bound to conduct a due diligence exercise and read all that has gone before and the unabridged geology findings are in the public domain for them to consider. We don’t share Halite’s optimism that a buyer for the site will be found. Finally, some readers will be aware that a new No to Gas postcard and poster campaign is or has started up in the area. We wish the organisers well but to avoid any confusion we want make readers fully aware that this is not a Protect Wyre Group activity. PWG continues to concentrate its efforts into areas which we believe will make most impact and we will report upon our progress in due course. Best wishes to all for a happy New Year Ian Mulroy - Chair PWG www.pwgroup.org.uk

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KNOTT END FERRY Threats to Ferry and Local Libraries

social care services.

As a sand grown ‘un, born and raised in Knott End, I find it heart-breaking to hear of Lancashire County Council’s funding cuts, which will have far reaching consequences for our entire community.

It is worth considering each of the proposals in turn and considering the effect on the community:

The Ferry – the Council has indicated that it will end its £85,000 funding lifebelt to the ferry operators, which will effectively spell its Knott End has already lost its NatWest bank. closure. Now, it looks to face another triple whammy with the potential loss of its historic ferry For generations, the ferry has served a vital service, local library and transport services. role in transporting people to the shops, school and leisure facilities in Fleetwood, as Make no mistake, these proposals will well as forging a strong tourism link between leave residents marooned on an island of Knott End and Fleetwood. It is used by social isolation, cut off from the rest of the countless passengers today, who rely on it world by lack of transport and without the for everyday needs. networks and infrastructure that is needed Not only that, but the ferry is an important part in order to thrive as a community. of our heritage. It is easy to become caught With a largely older population, many up in sentimentality but the sad fact remains: without cars, this will inevitably impact on once the ferry closes, it is unlikely to return. people’s health and wellbeing, putting a The Library – under the County Council strain on already over-stretched health and proposals, there will be three libraries remaining in Wyre. Knott End is being considered alongside Garstang, as one of the 34 areas in the county designated for allocation of resources. It doesn’t take an Einstein to work out which of these libraries will close if it is a choice between Garstang and Knott End Library... and it won’t be Garstang.

Knott End Library serves as the hub for the local community. On most days it is bustling with people and used regularly by a range of local groups and societies, such as the family history group, reading groups, knit and natter group, baby bounce and rhyme. The computers are always crowded. People call in for more than just books – they call in for a social purpose, to chat to other users and to the library staff. If the library closes, where will all of these groups and each of these individuals go? A cynic might argue that, for many, it will be straight to the Medical Centre to pick up a prescription for depression and anxiety.

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KNOTT END FERRY (cont) Rural Transport Services – the district is already reeling from the loss of many of its public transport services. There is no longer a service between Garstang and Knott End, and other community travel services have been cut or are under threat. For those without cars, this means people becoming more isolated within their own village. If all the proposals from Lancashire County Council go ahead, Knott End residents could find themselves in the ludicrous situation of being unable to use Fleetwood or Garstang libraries – because they will have no way of getting to either! As a Knott End sand grown ‘un, someone who has seen the place of my birth grow and prosper into a thriving little community, I am genuinely fearful for its future – and for the future of its residents, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable, and risk becoming

trapped in their own homes. Loneliness has been identified as a major public health issue and these proposals will only exacerbate the sense of isolation that many individuals may be facing. Please, Lancashire County Council, do not kill off Knott End so that it becomes Dead End. Angela Norris (01253) 811691

POULTON PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY We meet at 7:30pm every Thursday, from September to June, in the Methodist Church Hall, Queensway, Poulton-le-Fylde, FY6 7ST. New members of every level of experience are always welcome. See our website www.poultonps.co.uk for further details or contact our Publicity Officer Ray Wilson on (01253) 886974 Email rjwilson@outlook.com

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KNOTT END LIBRARY Changes to fines for late return of books From 1st Jan all borrowers who are 18 or over will pay fines for late return of books. There are various ways in which you can renew the books you have on loan. In the Branch Library, Online, Library Elf (on line reminder service), by telephone 03001 236 704 or by email to library@lancashire.gov. uk. For more information on this please ask a member of staff. On Thurs 14th Jan our Community Heritage team will be hosting a talk here at the Library entitled ‘World War 1: Women and the War’ This illustrated talk looks at how the First World War affected home life for the women and children left behind. From fund raising, volunteering as individuals and with various organisations, and taking over jobs traditionally considered suitable only for men, this fascinating talk will reveal the sacrifices and changing roles that women undertook

throughout Lancashire and Britain during World War I. Starts at 2:00pm. Free event – tickets are available at the Library. Want to get fitter in the New Year? Then come along to the Library from 10:00am - 11:00am on Thurs 21st Jan for a free low impact circuit session run by YMCA instructors. Aims at improving your flexibility and mobility. Please do come along and support our events. A date to note for your diaries – on Tues 9th Feb Andrew Walmsley from our Community Heritage team will be here at the Library for 1:1 help sessions with researching your family history. Booking is essential so if you’re interested please see a member of staff Dates for our regular events The Family History Group will be meeting at the Library on Mon 4th Jan from 10:00am

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KNOTT END LIBRARY (cont) - 12 noon. Any issues with the area, then call in and speak to a representative from the Town Council, who will be at the Library on Tues 5th Jan from 4:00pm. ‘Bridging the Gap’ - Tues 19th Jan between 1:30pm - 3:00pm for free impartial advice for people using NHS hearing aids with free batteries available. Reading Groups - Fairytales Reading Group meet on Fri 8th Jan and the Last Friday Reading Group meet on Fri 29th Jan. Both meet at 2:00pm and the groups will always welcome new members. Baby Bounce and Rhyme sessions run weekly throughout the year every Friday morning from 10:30am -11:00am. Babies and toddlers welcome. Other weekly events include Crochet and Knit and Natter sessions. If you are interested in

any of the events please ask the Library staff for more information. And finally our colleague Liz retired at the end of December and I’m sure along with Joan and myself and the staff of Wyre Libraries you’ll all wish her a long and happy retirement. Christine France - Branch Manager, Knott End Library 03001 236 703

HAMBLETON WALKS Fri 29th Jan - 2:00pm Come along and enjoy an hour’s Health Walk around Hambleton, riverside paths, local lanes, and ginnels with lovely views of boats, creeks and gardens. Join us at the Shovels Inn car park for a 2:00pm prompt start. Afterwards enjoy refreshments in the local pub. Beryl Hartley (01253) 700066

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FRIENDS OF TRINITY HOSPICE My sincere apologies for providing the wrong date for December’s Bingo. The monthly Prize Bingo session will be at St Oswald’s Parish Hall, Preesall at 8:00pm on the second Tuesday of every month starting with Tues 12th Jan. Please come and join us. The dates for 2016 are: Tues 12th Jan, 9th Feb, 8th Mar, 12th April, 10th May, 14th June, 12th July, 9th Aug, 13th Sept, 11th Oct 8th, Nov and 13th Dec. Trinity Hospice has been celebrating the fact that during the thirty years that Trinity Hospice has been in existence, the Friends Groups across the Fylde Coast have raised £1 million. Records for individual groups exist since 1987 and in that time the contribution of the Over Wyre groups has been £239,683. The current group were presented with a trophy to acknowledge the work of members

past and present to support patients and families, and we in turn would like to thank the people of Over Wyre for their continued support. We are hoping to hold a grand raffle in the Spring. If anyone is able to offer a raffle prize to help us to raise funds please give me a ring or email me. Helen Lomax (01253) 702743 helenannelomax@gmail.com DANCING FOR ALL - PREESALL Strictly Come Dancing With John! Fri 15th Jan, 7:30pm - 10:30pm St Oswald’s Parish Hall, Lancaster Road, Preesall. Admission is £3.00 including refreshments. Please pay at the door. Profit goes to the Hall Maintenance Fund. John Blakey (01253) 811218

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GARDEN WASTE CHARGES Wyre to Introduce Collection Charge

additional green bins.

Wyre Council’s Cabinet has agreed proposals to introduce charges for garden waste collections.

Those who don’t subscribe to the new service can deal with their garden waste in other ways; home composting is the most efficient way of getting rid of garden and food waste, and provides a free supply of compost to keep the garden blooming. It can also be taken to household waste recycling centres.

The decision comes as the authority faces a loss of £980,000 funding from Lancashire County Council towards the recycling service, along with ongoing reductions in funding from central government. Paid-for collections will allow residents who subscribe to continue having their garden waste removed and at the same time recoup some of the money needed to deliver the service. Under the new arrangements, due to come into effect next spring, residents wishing to subscribe to the service will pay an annual fee of £30 to have their green bins emptied 22 times a year, which equates to £1.36 per collection. A reduced fee will be applied to

Further details on the service and how to subscribe will be issued in the new year. Find out more about home composting and get discounted compost bins at wyre.gov.uk/ compost

PILLING LADIES BOWLING CLUB We are holding a meeting for all lady members and any new prospective members wishing to join the club on Wed 20th Jan at 8:00pm at The Reading Room. Sue Foy

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DOWN TO EARTH So did you get everything you hoped for? Onion sets? A new hand trowel? Some heritage tomato seeds? An annual subscription to BBC Gardener’s World Magazine? A TV box set of Monty Don walking very slowly around yet another topiary garden? No? Just me then. What an odd December it was. Whoever heard of Daffodils flowering before Santa has dropped off all the gifts? One of our climbing roses was still in flower as the sound of reindeer bells cut through the evening sky – and an Olearia, which can be awkward at the best of times, decided to produce two of its daisy like flowers as we were putting the finishing touches to the Christmas cake. Now I know you’ve probably exhausted your interest in food, at least for a couple of weeks, but there’s nothing like looking ahead. One of the plants I love growing (barely need to do anything) and eating (packed with flavour) is garlic. Closely related to the onion, shallot, leek and chive, garlic is native to central Asia and is documented as having been used by us for over 7000 years. With the weather being so mild, you can plant your garlic cloves over the next few weeks for harvesting in the summer. The best advice is to buy bulbs that are certified virus-free and bred for growing in local conditions. However if you like to throw caution to the wind, experiment and if you’re not one for throwing yourself on the ground and having a tantrum at the risk of failure then be a devil and try planting shop bought garlic. So start by breaking the garlic bulbs into individual cloves taking care not to damage them as this can lead to rotting. Plant the cloves in well-prepared soil spacing

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DOWN TO EARTH (cont) weather. If it’s dry for long periods, the cloves won’t swell and your crop will end up only having a short storage life. My favourite varieties are Solent Wight and Lautrec Wight but there are lots to choose from depending on how mild or strong the flavour.

them 10cm apart. Simply push the cloves into the soil so that the tip of each one is just below the surface. If there is a frost then cover the cloves with cloches – or if like us you’re too stingy to buy expensive covers, just cut a clear 2 litre pop bottle in half and settle the base over the cloves. Keep your garlic well-watered during dry

If you like the smell of garlic in the garden and you’ve got the space you might consider growing wild garlic (Ramsons). The young leaves can be added to soups, salads and sauces. This way you can enjoy the satisfaction of foraging in your own border without having to don wellies, wet weather gear and hump around a picnic whilst rootling around in the undergrowth of your nearest wood. A happy new gardening year to you all. Alison Tarpey-Black (01253) 810039 / 07738 515 846

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NORTH FYLDE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOC Our meetings are held on Tuesday evenings from September to April at the United Reform Church Hall, Rossall Road, Cleveleys, at 7:30pm. January Meetings Tues 5th Jan: Our speaker tonight is one of our longest standing members, Dave Bibby CPAGB, EFIAP, BPE3*. His show is entitled ‘Iceland in Winter and Summer’ and promises to be a very special evening. Tues 12th Jan: ‘Projected Image Knock Out’ - A light hearted competition between our own members. Tues 19th Jan: Some of our members show their ‘Audio Visual’ presentations covering a wide spectrum of subjects. Tues 26th Jan: Members are privileged to see prints from the Lancashire & Cheshire Photographic Union Folio. Some stunning

examples of the best work from the Northwest. New members, of any level are always welcome. For further details please see www.northfylde-ps.co.uk or contact Paul King (01253) 700308 Paul Twambley

ROSEMERE CANCER FOUNDATION Rosemere Cancer Foundation is dedicated to bringing world class cancer services to our local hospitals across Lancashire and the South Lakes, including Preston and Blackpool. This year, as part of our annual appeal, we are asking our supporters to help us raise crucial funds and awareness by doing something that they love for Rosemere – anything from a sponsored swim to an afternoon tea. We have a fantastic charity raffle and we are

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ROSEMERE FOUNDATION (cont)

GOOSE GREEN BOWLING CLUB

also delighted to announce the return of our wonderful candlelight concert at Blackburn Cathedral on Thurs 11th Feb with tickets priced between £5 and £25.

Our team is in need of more players. Any man over the age of 60 who would like to join us is most welcome. No experience is necessary. Our bowling green is on Pilling Lane, Preesall.

The concert will feature award winning soprano Grace O’Malley, the uplifting voices of The Preston Cecilian Choral Society and the Jazz Band of Ripley St Thomas C of E Academy, Lancaster. If you would like more info, or to get involved, please visit www.rosemere.org. uk, email info@rosemere.org.uk, or call us on (01772) 522913. Amy Hilton

GOLDEN BALL SOCIAL CLUB PILLING Thurs 21st Jan - 7:30pm

If you would like to join please contact: Derek Hinds (01253) 810034

MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT Over Wyre Committee Our next fundraising event will be a Jumble Sale to be held on Sat 23rd Jan in Pilling Methodist Church Hall, Smallwood Hey, Pilling, commencing at 2:00pm. There will be all the usual stalls.

AGM to be held at the Golden Ball, Pilling. Old and new members welcome.

Admission £1 (to include tea and biscuits). Everyone is welcome!

Joan Weardon

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BATTLE TO SAVE MUSEUM Residents are being urged to join the fight to save Fleetwood Museum, which acts as custodian for an important part of the area’s heritage.

collection in Fleetwood’s former Dock Street library and moved in 1991 to its present venue in Custom House. The building was latterly Fleetwood Town Hall - Wyre Council rents it to The museum is threatened with closure at the County Council for a peppercorn. the end of March because of a cash crisis Lancashire intended to close it in 2006, but a at Lancashire County Council caused by major campaign secured it for a decade. Government funding cuts. The Fleetwood Museum Trust, which recruits The Queen’s Terrace building, with fine views over to Knott End, includes a major section on Preesall’s salt-mining industry, using materials donated by ICI in the 1990s. The museum’s displays also include items on Knott End Ferry, along with a model of Wyresdale Ferry, a copy of the Knott End Railway Bill, holiday brochures and fishing exhibits from Knott End Coastguard. There are also articles relating to Knott End’s famous Dolly’s Cottage.

and trains the volunteers and raises funds, is spearheading the campaign to keep the doors open and the historical collection intact. Chairman Keith Porter said there were strong links between Fleetwood and Over Wyre, because many of the earliest inhabitants of the new port came from the opposite side of the river.

Keith is himself descended from the first husband of Dolly Carter, who kept Dolly’s Cottage during the Victorian era. The The museum grew from a local history grandfather of vice-chairman Dick Gillingham

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BATTLE TO SAVE MUSEUM (cont)

HAMBLETON WI

was a Preesall salt-miner during the First World War.

Diary Dates

Many historical items dating back several millennia have been unearthed Over Wyre over the years, and Keith said there was a case for trying to bring these back from collections around the country if the museum remains open. A major petition has been organised online ar www.change.org - click on ‘Search’ and enter ‘Save Fleetwood Museum”. Residents are also asked to write to Lancashire County Council Leader Jennifer Mein at jennifer. mein@lancashire.gov.uk . Enquiries about other ways to help the campaign should be addressed to savefleetwoodmuseum@ gmail.com . Nic Fogg - Fleetwood Museum Trust Publicity Officer

Mon 11th Jan: Monthly Meeting 7:30pm at URC Church Hall. Kick-start the New Year with Simon - Manager of the YMCA Poulton Spa and Health Centre. Sat 16th or Mon 18th Jan: Home Furnishings Workshop at WI Leyland office. Tues 19th Jan: Scrabble afternoon at the WI Leyland office. Mon 25th Jan: Federation Fun quiz at Stalmine Village Hall. Fri 5th or Sat. 6th February: Beginners Embroidery; WI office Leyland. Wed 17th February: Games Evening at Barton Village Hall. Lots to do at Hambleton WI. For further information please contact Gaynor (01253) 702980 e.mail gaynor2386@hotmail.com Beryl Hartley.

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WYRE JUNIORS FOOTBALL CLUB

CHARITY LUNCH

From all at Wyre Juniors FC, we hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and we wish you a very successful New Year!

You are invited to a Charity Lunch supporting Cancer Help Preston Ltd. (M O’D Bursary Fund Reg. Charity No.1032828) on Thurs 11th Feb at Ferrari’s Hotel, Chipping Road, Thornley PR3 2TB

We are nearly half way through the season at Preesall Park. The wet and windy weather has caused some games to be postponed but many of our teams have battled on and are continuing to see successes on the pitch. A big thanks to the parents and loyal supporters who stand on the touchline in extreme weather supporting the teams and the club. We need new players and people to help run the club in either administration or coaching roles. Teams are managed by volunteer coaches whom Wyre Juniors support in gaining FA coaching qualifications.

Stalls from 11:30am, lunch served 12:30pm (choice of menu on the day) followed by Angela Danby’s talk – ‘Tales of a Newspaper Reporter’ . Admission £25 by prior booking only. Information or tickets Tel. (01995) 640185/ (01772) 864689. Sandra Allen

Saturday Morning Football Club Wyre Juniors FC’s SMFC holds coaching sessions at the Sandy Lane playing fields in Preesall on Saturdays10:30am until 11:30am. We use the Sports Centre in bad weather so bring both football boots and trainers in case we are indoors. Players should also have shin pads and a non fizzy drink. SMFC is for children from Reception to Yr 3, of all footballing ability. We teach basic football skills with games and exercises that make football fun. Coaching at SMFC is by experienced FA and UEFA qualified coaches. As the children graduate from SMFC we aim to start a team made up of children in their school year. These teams take part in friendly tournaments and leagues where the emphasis is on finding fun in football. If you are interested in helping out in anyway please ring Steve Creer (01253) 812392 or 07751 287 238. To follow our teams progress visit our website at www.wyrejuniors.co.uk or come along on Saturday mornings to Preesall Park.

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COMPUTER SAFETY Your local source for all IT help Located in Pilling, offering reliable and friendly community-based IT help and support services in the Over Wyre area. Training and advice given. Windows 8 or 10? No problem!

Joan Bailey

07528 173891

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Websites ~ PC help and advice ~ Bug fixes

Last month we looked at the importance of choosing good passwords and looking after them. It’s time to start looking at some of the ways those passwords are used – shopping and banking online. Firstly a few words about connecting to external wireless networks ie. somewhere outside of your own home: If you have a smartphone, tablet, or wireless laptop then you are not tied to your home and can connect to the internet from lots of places. Never, EVER be tempted to connect to an unknown and unsecured network. If you are at a friend’s house, make sure you are connecting to their router, and if it doesn’t ask for a password/key the first time you use it then gently explain to them about the need for security (see my article back in June)! If you are using your own laptop etc in a public place, perhaps in a coffee shop or pub which offers free wifi, then be careful

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COMPUTER SAFETY (cont) what you do after you connect to their wifi. Where possible, please try to avoid doing any sensitive or financial transactions over a public wifi as there is a much increased risk of your details being intercepted. You may want to use a public computer away from home eg. in a cafe, hotel or library. These present more risks to the unwary user as you have no control over the level of security on the machine and it is possible that the computer could be infected by a virus or a malicious program which collects information about you when you use it. As with using your own equipment on an external wifi, please try to avoid doing online banking or shopping if you can. Even if the computer is clean, the web browser can still keep a record of your passwords and the pages you visit so start by looking for the ‘private’ or ‘anonymous browsing’ feature in the browser and turn this on.

Make sure that no-one is watching you when you use the machine (looking to see your username and password). Do not leave the computer – even for a few seconds – once you have started using it. When you have finished, log out of any sites you have visited then re-open the browser and clear the cache. If you have viewed any documents eg. on a website or through webmail or even from a pendrive, make sure they are not left on the computer. If you don’t know how to do any of this, find out before you go on holiday – don’t rely on the café workers telling you that it will all be okay! Next month – a bit more about safe shopping and banking. If you have any questions or concerns about security, then give me a ring for a quick chat. Joan Bailey 07528 173 891

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POLICE NOTES Happy New Year from all at Garstang and Over Wyre Neighbourhood Policing Team! We hope you all had a Merry and crime free Christmas and New Year! In the run-up to Christmas we had several rural burglaries reported including St James’ Church in Stalmine where the offender forced open a pair of doors before entering and helping themselves to a quantity of brass and silver candlesticks and removing a safe. It happened between 8:00pm on Thurs 3rd Dec and 10:00am on the 4th. If anyone saw anything suspicious phone 101 and quote log number LC-20151204-0393. The good news came last month that the Government did a U-turn on policing cuts. Thanks to all who supported the campaign to prevent further cuts. The reality is that the policing budget had already been reduced to a state which has

seen fewer police and PCSOs employed. We still need the public to be vigilant, make sure your property and premises are secure and that you report at the time any suspicious people or vehicles on 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress. In the Know Have you signed up to ‘In the Know’? Go to the website www.stayintheknow.co.uk/ Why join In the Know? It’s local – updates are specific to the area where you live or work. Find out what’s happening in your area – receive regular crime updates and learn about what your local neighbourhood policing team is doing. Information you can trust – get the real facts from a reliable source. Get updates for your workplace or a friend or relative – you can register multiple addresses to receive updates on more than one area. It’s completely free to

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POLICE NOTES (cont) sign up – you won’t have to pay a penny to subscribe to the service. You’re in control – choose whether you receive updates by SMS text, email or voice message. Let us know how we’ve been doing – you will be able to reply to emails and text messages you receive and give your views on what issues your local neighbourhood policing team should be addressing in your area. Speeding We continue to get reports of speeding vehicles through our villages and a number of motorists ignoring the 20mph and 30mph speed limits. Please understand that the limits are there for a good reason and adherence to them can and does save lives. The powers that be are still debating whether to enforce the 20mph limit and the more we

see motorists failing to self-regulate then the sooner this enforcement is likely to come! So come on, prove us wrong and stick to the limits! If you want to report drug dealing in your street or local park etc. please phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You can even remain anonymous. Visit us on facebook. To click and ‘like’ the page visit www.facebook. com/GarstangNHP. You can email us atGarstangOverWyreandPoulton.NPT@ Lancashire.pnn.police.uk You can contact us via our communications room on 101 or in an emergency dial 999. Garstang and Over Wyre Neighbourhood Policing Team: Sgt 6336 Danielle Freaney; PC 1136 Matt Butcher; PC 2425 Gary Cross; PC 460 Ian Rawcliffe; PCSO 7169 Terry Molloy; PCSO 7451 Karen Hodgson and PCSO 7187 Kirsty Newson.

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GARSTANG AND DISTRICT LIONS Guys 10-Mile Race We were due to provide their Car Parking service at the Guys 10 Mile Road Race on Sun 6th Dec but due to the awful weather the race was cancelled. Victorian Evenings We provided Santa’s Grotto during the Victorian Evenings on Monday 7th and Tues 8th Dec. Santa and his helpers met lots of children and after Santa had had a chat with them he gave them all presents. As always the event was supported by large crowds and Santa was kept very busy.

Dec. Around 50 Clients and Carers were provided with Christmas lunch and afterwards the Mencap clients met Santa who had a present for everyone. Christmas carols were sung by Garstang Musical Productions. A special ‘thank you’ goes to Andrea and all her staff at the Kenlis for providing an excellent meal and venue. The Lions welcome new members or anyone who interested in seeing what we do. Information is available on the web site: www.garstanglions.co.uk, speak to a member or simply come along to a meeting 3rd Tuesday of the month in the Royal Oak at 8:00pm. Look for anyone in a dark blue fleece or light blue polo shirt, (don’t worry - it’s not compulsory to get ‘dressed up’ if you join!)

Mencap Lunch

David Lewis (01995) 605146

This year’s Lions Mencap Christmas Lunch took place at The Kenlis Arms on the 13th

Facebook:Garstang Lions

Email:garstanglions@hotmail.co.uk

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MOBILE LIBRARIES The dates for the mobile library visits for January are as follows:

Rosemount Avenue: 15:45 - 15:55pm

Pilling: Thurs 14th January

Garstang Library 0300 1236703 www.lancashire.gov.uk

Hambleton: Monday 4th & 25th January Arthurs Lane: 11:00 - 11:10am Meadowcroft Avenue: 11:15 - 11:30am Wyreside Drive 11:35 - 11:50am Wyreside Park, Kiln Lane 11:55 - 12:05pm Coniston Avenue: 13:15 - 13:25pm Birchwood Drive: 13:30 - 13:45pm Hambleton Country Park: 13:50 - 14:05pm

Pilling Lane: 16:00 - 16:10pm

PREESALL SEWING GROUP Have you been given a new sewing machine for Christmas? Or got one in the cupboard and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to make? Come along to the Preesall Community Centre (behind the Bethel Church) on Fridays from 9:00am to 12:30pm.

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We have a qualified Instructor. From simple pincushions and tote bags to full sized quilts we will show you how. You will be made most welcome and tea/coffee and biscuits are available all morning. Please contact Linda on (01253) 790851 or e.mail martin.ireton@ yahoo.co.uk

Ash Grove: 15:20 - 15:40pm

Beryl Hartley

Stalmine Stalmine Country Park: 14:10 - 14:25pm Seven Stars: 14:30 - 14:50pm Woodside Park: 14:55 - 15:10pm

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SOROPTIMISTS Happy New Year to all of our friends and supporters. What a fabulous turnout there was for the Garstang Victorian Festival nights back in December! We cooked and sold over 300 pots of peas and made £165 for Water Aid to help support their work providing clean water and sanitation in poor communities in Africa. The Christmas Hamper provided by us to raise funds towards the Garstang Christmas lights raised £191! See photos and comments on www.facebook.com/SoroptimistGarstang www.sigarstang.org.uk or follow us on www.twitter.com/GarstangSorop Thank you again, for your support.

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New Year Resolutions? Have you made any? Could it be that you have decided to go out more, make more friends? Have you decided to expand your business and professional networks, get involved in a bit of charity work, DO something really worthwhile? How would you like to join the largest women’s service organisation in the world? Garstang Soroptimist Club would love to welcome you. Whether you are a new resident in the Garstang or Over Wyre District and looking to join a social group of women whose main focus is to improve the lives of women and girls, locally and globally, and to have fun whilst doing it (Soroptimists really do make a difference!), or maybe you are a local resident who knows about us but just hasn’t got around to contacting us yet. Please pick up the phone and come and meet us. We are

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SOROPTIMISTS (cont) a friendly and diverse group of women. We have new members, and long-standing ones, all of whom are eager to see you. We meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays in the month at the Garstang Golf and Country Club 7:30pm (or in the bar beforehand for a snack and/or drink).

Garstang, for continuing to act as our ‘drop off’ point for your donated items in 2016. I look forward to giving you a more detailed up date in the February edition of Focus.

Take a look at our information leaflet on page 46. Maybe your friend or neighbour would like to come with you to one of our meetings. Why not take it out and pass it on?

OVER WYRE ART SOCIETY

Backpack Update As we roll into 2016 we will be continuing with this truly worthwhile project. The backpacks that you help us to fill gives the priceless gift of education to children who live in poverty – this is their way out.

Enquires via website or (01995) 606604. Muriel Burnham-Airey

A Happy New Year to all. Let’s hope all our troubles of 2015 are left behind and we can look forward to a bright and cheerful 2016 We had great Christmas events which included Mollies Giant Jigsaw and wine glass painting, both with arty themes. Our lunch at The Bourne Arms was lovely, ending with a lively illustrated quiz.

So now it’s back to weekly classes and subs for 2016. We start back on Tues 12th Jan Our continued thanks go to the Mustard Seed with free choice. This gives us a chance to Café, Methodist Church, Park Hill Road, settle back in, maybe try out new paints which Santa dropped down the chimney or perhaps try a pastel sketch. Ray Swift gave a superb Lifestyle Clothing & demonstration with soft pastels in November Wellie Specialists after which many of us were encouraged to take this up.

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We meet at St Bernard’s Church Hall, Hackensall Road, Knott End Tuesdays 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Sandra Langhorne (01253) 813739

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HAMBLETON GALA QUEEN 2016 Would you like to be Hambleton Gala Queen 2016 or be part of the retinue? As of Sun 10th Jan we will be taking applications for all positions. Please see the Hambleton Gala website at www.hambletongala.co.uk to get an application form. Alternativley, you can pick a form up from local village shops. Any queries please contact: committee@ hambletongala.co.uk Ailsa Williams

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OVER WYRE LADIES Due to donations from the ladies and a lot of hard work by Beryl Stott, who co-ordinated everything, a total of 56 Christmas Boxes were taken to the Women’s Refuge in Blackpool. Our meetings this month are on Tues 5th Jan and Tues 19th Jan.

THE KNOTTY KNITTERS The Knotty Knitters meet every Wednesday afternoon from 2:30pm to 4:00pm in the upstairs lounge at St Alban’s Nursing Home, Clarence Ave, Knott End. Entrance fee £1 includes tea and coffee. All welcome. For further details please contact Elaine (01253) 810292

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CROSSWORD (ans page 75) Across 4. Alexander Graham ____, inventor (4) 6. Leader in the army (7) 7. Just, simply (4) 8. For your first step into the house...(7) 9. Party-giver (4) 12. Junction, knot (4) 16. Someone moving between countries (7) 17. Vivid, profound (4) 18. Monkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shaven head (8) 19. Remain (4) Down 1 Gilt, flaxen (6) 2 Manage, sustain (6) 3 Rascal (5) 4 Soup (5) 5 Lounges (5) 10 Not transparent (6) 11 Stagger (6) 13 Explicit (5) 14 Without content (5) 15 Painful newspaper aunt? (5)

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PILLING JUBILEE SILVER BAND During December the band was busy attending the usual Christmas engagements.

the carol service at Stalmine church where an almost full band played to the congregation.

As well as lighting up the Christmas trees in Knott End and Pilling, we played in Garstang for their Victorian shopping nights.

By the time you read this it will already be 2016, so a happy New Year to all as we look forward to a fresh year of banding.

Our concert in Goosnargh church was on the Saturday night of the dreadful floods and there was some doubt as to whether it would go ahead. In the end, it did and some of the players experienced difficulty getting there. Indeed, one unfortunate member damaged his diesel car whilst negotiating a flood near Garstang. One or two from further afield didn’t make it at all.

As always the band cn be contacted via the website www.pillingband.com or the Secretary Emily Hallett on 07710 983 916 Jack Isles 200 Club December Draw 1st Prize £50 No 144 Barry Banks

It was wet again for our carols at Trinity Hospice (Pilling Band attracts rain, if you hadn’t noticed) but this event is always well appreciated and worthwhile.

2nd “ £30 179 Muriel Bradshaw

Finally we went almost straight from there to

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3rd “ £!0 193 Molly Stafford 4th “ £10 138 Barry Acton

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RSPCA I will start by wishing everyone a Happy 2016 and we are hopeful that we will be successful in re-homing lots of animals who come in to our care throughout this New Year. The response of shoe boxes thanks to November/December’s issue was marvellous so thank you to everyone who dropped off gifts for the animals at Christmas. We had great support from people in 2015 thanks to our stories featured in this book. Thank you again to all those people who donated items. We couldn’t continue our work without the generosity of the people in the community and those who support us from further afield. We are always in need of newspapers, toys, blankets, beds and food for our animals. We have dogs, cats, guinea pigs, degus, gerbils, birds, rabbits all in foster and lots of other small furries, all in need of loving, care and attention. All our animals are vet treated which costs the branch a lot of money over the year so any donations of the basic stuff like that which is listed above goes a long way in helping us run the Centre to the best of our ability. Featured in this month’s issue is our loveable Lady, a 4 year old Lurcher. We are featuring her as our ‘Dog of the Month’ because she has been with us for a long time.

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RSPCA (cont)

CRAFT GROUP

She is a very gentle, loving dog. Lady was transferred to us from Sheffield RSPCA at the end of September after being taken in due to welfare concerns.

Black Bull - Preesall Mondays 6:30pm - 9:00pm

She is a lovely dog with a very sweet nature. Lady gets on well with dogs and is suitable to live with older children but would benefit from a quieter home where she won’t be left for too long as she does show signs of suffering from separation anxiety. Previous dog experience is essential and Lady would benefit from further basic training and socialisation. She walks well on a collar and harness but can be a little hesitant on uneven surfaces so will need a patient owner. Lady will need lots of support and care when settling into her new home. Hopefully we will be planning and holding lots of events this year but at the moment our next one is going to be a Sponsored Dog Walk in March so please keep your eyes peeled for more details on this to come on our website. Sponsor forms will be available from the Animal Centre as soon as February comes. We hope it is going to be a big turn out as a lot of preparation is going into planning it. Remember the Animal Centre does microchipping for a small donation and we also can help towards the cost of neutering your pets and vets bills if you are claiming certain benefits. Please call the Centre for more information on (01253) 703000. Our Winter opening hours are: Monday’s - Shut Tuesday - Sunday 11:00am - 5:00pm Natasha Henderson RSPCA Blackpool & North Lancs Branch Longview Animal Centre, Old Toms Lane, Stalmine FY6 0JR enquiries@rspcablackpool.org.uk

We are an informal, friendly group of people who meet to work on our favourite crafts or just to chat. We practice a range of activities. New members and beginners are always welcome. Bring your own materials. Meetings take place every Monday at The Black Bull in Preesall. Maria Fitton (01253) 813416

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BASIC HEALTH ADVICE Happy New Year to one and all! I trust moderation and balance were the order of the day over Christmas? No? Hmmmm, in which case I shall allow you a little overindulgence….just this once. This time of year brings the familiar mantra of a ‘New Year and a New You’! So I think it would be fitting to provide a few simple changes you can make to improve your health this coming year. First of all – always have some protein at breakfast time. That could be eggs, kippers, the good old full (not too full) English or even, if time does not allow, a protein shake. Most of us have none with our breakfast and then say we have a balanced diet. A balanced diet requires the right balance of macronutrients…these being PROTEIN, FAT and CARBOHYDRATES…and your body requires all of these with every meal or you are NOT having a balanced diet.

good quality cheese to be a health food). Fourth – do not allow any processed food to pass your lips. If you are one of those who browses the shelves to see what lovely ready meals the processed food manufacturers have lined up for you to eat, I implore you to go nowhere near them! They are designed to make money and look attractive, they are, with a few exceptions, not made with any sense of what a human needs to function in full health. Many people, when I discuss banning processed food from their lives, look at me with a jaw that hits the floor, then say, well what can I eat? Quickly followed by the excuse that they do not have time to cook. Sorry folks but time in the kitchen is never wasted time…never! So start cooking from scratch and enjoy it…your own efforts will have more nutrition and flavour than anything from a jar. The time argument is not acceptable I’m

Protein will make you feel fuller for longer and give you longer lasting energy too. Secondly – dramatically lower your intake of bread – any bread! Too many people have toast at breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and some bread as a filler with their evening meal. Please stop this now! If you do not feel full enough rule number one is go back to the protein with breakfast. If that does not do the trick then eat more vegetables – not the starchy ones like potatoes and corn but the lovely colourful ones – there should be greens, reds, purples, yellows on your plate, not a mush of grey and brown. Thirdly – throw away all your sugar and, sorry folks, stop buying or baking food that contains it. I challenge you to ban ALL sugar from your diet. You will be amazed how quickly the craving for sweet stuff disappears if you stop putting it in. If you need a dessert, then eat some cheese…on its own or with a small glass of red wine or port! (I consider

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BASIC HEALTH ADVICE (cont)

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

afraid…sorry! Hippocrates said, “The person who cannot make time for their health must be prepared to make time for their disease”.

Orchard End Community Benefit Fund

Fifth – eating fat does not make you fat. Nor does it give you a heart attack. I have discussed this before and will elaborate another time. Sixth – movement is life! Move your body. A rolling stone gathers no moss. Finally – perhaps controversially – stop believing you can catch a cold! You cannot and there has never been an experiment conducted that has ever proved you can. I have not had a cold in fifteen years and I have encountered as many nasty ‘bugs’, viruses and anything else you care to mention as anyone. My secret? Ah well, I shall discuss this another time too….I have a whole year of topics to expand upon once more! Nick Tofalos

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The Orchard End Community Benefit Fund £16,000 available each year for community projects. The Fund accepts applications for grants between £250 and £4,000 distributed in two application rounds each year. The 2016 closing dates are Wed 13th Jan (decisions by the end of Mar) and Wed 15th June (decisions by the end of Aug). Prospective projects must be located within 3km of the REG Windpower Orchard End Wind Farm (see the map on the GrantScape website), To find out more or to complete an application form, visit www.grantscape.org.uk/fund/ regcbfs If you have a project idea that you would like to discuss before you apply, please contact Liz Payne at GrantScape on 07963 987 653 Email liz.payne@grantscape.org.uk . For more info about the Orchard End Wind Farm see www.orchardendwindfarm.co.uk The Fund was launched last May and the first grants were awarded the following August. Three highly deserving local projects shared a windfall of almost £6,500. Pilling Parish Council were one of the recipients, receiving cash to purchase a Defibrillator which is located outside St Mark’s Church Hall in case of local emergency. Nateby Primary School received a grant which has been used to install an outdoor classroom in the school grounds.

Finally a grant was awarded to Eagland Hill Coffee Feast to improve the pot-holed Designed manufactured & fitted, by Roland Moss Interiors community car park at Eagland Hill.

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The next application deadline is fast approaching so do not delay, complete an application form today! Elizabeth Payne (01282) 603842

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GREY MATTER TEST (ans page 76) 1. January King, Christmas Drumhead and Winter White are varieties of which popular vegetable? 2. In which city is the O2 arena? 3. Who invented the Bouncing Bomb? 4. Who was shot outside the Dakota Building, New York, in 1980? 5. What is the capital city of Iraq? 6. What creature inspired Robert the Bruce to try again when he was in hiding? 7. What fruit gave its name to the record label founded by the Beatles? 8. What is the name for the dimly lit room used to process photographs? 9. There are four ‘C’s’ when rating diamonds, cut, clarity, colour. What is the fourth? 10. A deficiency in which mineral is a cause of anaemia?

11. What is the last word in the New Testament? 12. What did the Suffragettes fight for? 13. Who funded and accompanied Howard Carter in the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun? 14. What do the initials RSC stand for? 15. Which artist is best known for his paintings of Venetian canals? 16. Which property buying board game was invented in 1935 by Charles Darrow? 17. Which sport is Ray Reardon associated with? 18. The Netherlands are associated with which flower? 19. What ‘P’ is both a freshwater fish and a resting place for birds? 20. In which Russian city would you find the Czar’s Winter Palace?

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I could tell you all about Sea Bank House and its facilities as if I was describing a hotel, for example the beautiful Individual rooms, some with sea views, the designer bathrooms, Wi-Fi, HD televisions, telephones and the glorious sea views from the lounges... However when I was searching for a room for my own mother all those years ago, I do not remember any of those concerns being uppermost in my mind. What I do remember is the fear of making the wrong decision, whether I was ‘doing the right’ thing, remembering “don’t ever put me in an old people’s home” knowing that was exactly what I was considering... I now realise what made it all so diffi cult: it was the realisation that taking and accepting the responsibility of making such a life-changing decision on behalf of a loved one was the hardest decision I had ever had to make. Finding the type of care available within the many different care homes is daunting in itself: • Do I want a new, large, modern home or should I say institution with all the facilities like Wi-Fi and a garden maze, or do I want the home that offers the nearest possible likeness to a ‘home’? • Do I want familiar staff, many of whom have been working at the same home for many years, coupled with on-going continuous training enhanced by a dedicated management team who are in daily contact with both residents and staff? • Do I want to see certifi cates plastered all over the walls or do I want to be greeted every time I visit by the same familiar faces? • Do I want the same staff knowing my loved one not only during the day but also at night when they are alone and feeling lost and knowing that they would appreciate If you are thinking along these lines, then come and visit Sea Bank House for a chat and feel the homely atmosphere for yourself. Contact Andrea on 01253 810888 or e-mail info@seabank-house.co.uk Visit www.apexhealthcare.co.uk or hear what others think of us at www.carehome.co.uk 27-31 The Esplanade, Knott End On Sea, Poulton-Le-Fylde, FY6 0AD

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POSTCARD CAMPAIGN

GARSTANG LAKELAND CLUB

Our postcard campaign against gas storage is going with a swing. We are aiming for a few thousand to deliver to Amber Rudd in March, so get signing!

Our walking year ended with a celebratory Christmas meal at The Crofters, though our final walk was washed out by the persistent rain.

You can use your own postcard or pick up one of ours at Dawn’s Café, Knott End Café, the Golf Club, the newsagents, the Bourne Arms, all in Knott End. They are also in the Shovels. Postcards and post boxes for delivery are in Shoreway Fisheries, the pet shop in Knott End, the podiatrist’s, Mr Green’s, the Bethel Church, Preesall Auto Discount and Stalmine Village Hall. A volunteer is also getting postcards signed in Fleetwood.

We all now look forward to 2016. We have some interesting trips planned to the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.

Posters for your window are available from us or from the pet shop in Knott End. Our next meeting is on Tues 19th Jan in the Golf Club at 7pm. We will give an update and hope to launch our petition to the EU, as well as plan a community walk and picnic in the spring.

We start with a New Year’s stroll from Hest Bank with walks planned to Kirkby Lonsdale (January), Entwistle (February) and Brigsteer (March). Garstang Lakeland Club is a friendly group of walkers who enjoy guided walks in some of the most lovely countryside in the North West. If you would like a ‘taster’ walk or more details, please contact Michael (01995) 604358, Gwyn (01995) 604538 or Kate 07759 659 004. Michael Collins

There will also be a raffle to fund the postcards so we would welcome donations of any kind. Thanks to all for your continued support and hope to see you at the meeting in January. Best wishes for a Happy New Year! Claire Quaid (01253) 811242

PILLING MEN’S FELLOWSHIP January Meetings Tues 12th Jan Visit to Knott End where the talk is ‘Convict Transportation to Australia’ Dr Colin Penny MA. Mon 18th Jan ‘The Assassination President Kennedy’ - Neil Hendre.

Mon 25th Jan ‘Early Maps of Lancashire’ Dr Ian Saunders. Both meetings in Pilling are in the Fellowship Room at Pilling Methodist Church at 7:30pm for a 7:45pm start. Andrew Bell

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BEN WALLACE MP Happy New Year! I hope you have all had a restful and peaceful Christmas. During the festive period my thoughts were with the residents of St Michael’s, Churchtown and Garstang who were affected by the floods in December.

and the emergency services. The pub was also used for meetings and was a central point where villagers congregated to help each other. I am very proud to represent such a special place. Looking to the future, it is very important that Government works with the local authorities and the Environment Agency to minimise the risk of flooding.

I would like to thank all emergency services, the Army, The Environment Agency, Wyre Council and Lancashire County Council and all who helped residents during the flooding and with the clean-up. They all deserve a special thank you.

I know that the Government is increasing spending on flood defences and I welcome the Government’s new £50 million Flood Fund for all those affected by the recent flooding in Lancashire and Cumbria.

It was great to see the community come together during such as difficult time. Gary, Michelle and all the staff from the Grapes should be congratulated for providing refreshment and snacks to villagers affected

Residents and businesses can apply for grants of up to £5000 to protect their homes. I understand that funds will be distributed through the Lancashire Community Foundation. Residents affected can apply

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BEN WALLACE MP (cont) to the Lancashire Flood Recovery Fund by emailing info@cflm.email or telephoning 0151 232 2444. If residents are facing any difficulties please do get in touch and I would be happy to help in any way I can. In 2015 we saw another challenge to our area, namely the outbreak of cryptosporidium and the contamination of the drinking water supply. I have written about this issue before; however I wanted to update residents. In December, I met with the Chairman of the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) and Officials from United Utilities. Please be assured that I am continuing to press the case for more compensation and a rigorous investigation. You may be aware that the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s investigations are ongoing. I am continuing to o We als ton s in g lo ly supp logs & ets of bags, n ﬁregrates g, kindlin h more m & uc

monitor their progress carefully. In better news, the Autumn Statement delivered the protection of funding for the Police. The Government is protecting overall police spending in line with inflation, an increase of £900 million by 2019/20. This is something that I worked very hard behind the scenes to achieve and I am pleased that the Government has listened. Have a happy new year. I hold regular surgeries. If you would like to book an appointment please call my Office at the House of Commons on 0207 219 5804. I can also be contacted at my Constituency Office on (01995) 672976, alternatively you can email me at wallaceb@parliament. uk or write to me at: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. Ben Wallace MP

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THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Over Wyre Branch Remembrance Sunday The day began with the Standard Bearer and the new Branch Chairman attending the Service at St. John’s Church in Pilling and me going to Blackpool to give an interview for Forces News TV. In the afternoon the muster on Bethel Church Car Park was a bit of a panic due to the weather. The Parade Marshal - yours truly - because of the inclement (to put it mildly) weather and not wanting either the band’s music and instruments to be ruined or people to get any wetter than possible, instructed the band and the various groups on Parade to march straight to the Church with only those laying

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wreaths halting at the Memorial to pay their respects. Unfortunately, the instructions appeared to get lost in translation as the Band marched on but those at the front of the Parade halted which meant so did everyone else. I have read the Pilling Band Focus entry for last month and must agree - to those watching it must have looked a shambles (or in their words: ‘Like something from an episode of Dad’s Army’) but – power to those on Parade they stood their ground and I felt really, really proud of them and I owe them a great debt of gratitude for their resilience and therefore must offer very, very grateful thanks. Despite the weather it was still a very good turn-out both on Parade and spectators. That is the first time in 9 years that we have had such a downpour. Fingers crossed that we return to drier conditions for 2016. Thanks must go to Pilling Band who led the Parade and once again did us proud. The Local Civic Dignitaries marched in time and ‘in-step’ followed by The Royal British Legion, Ex-Service and Civil Organisations, Women’s Organisations, Youth Organisations and those who just wanted to participate in the Parade to show their appreciation and respect. Some of whom – I know – had great difficulty in marching let alone climb the steep steps to the Memorial to lay their Wreaths. There seemed to be more Wreaths laid this year than in the past. Unfortunately – again due to the weather - the Church Service wasn’t as well attended as in past years. 11-11-11 – Armistice Day

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The turn-out for Armistice Day took me completely by surprise. The weather was worse than that on Remembrance Sunday and yet about 40 people attended. A short Service of commemoration, wreath and wooden cross laying, was held at the

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION (cont) Battle of Britain Memorial in Knott End to commemorate the end of the First World War. Many attending also lay wooden crosses for friends and relatives who gave their lives in the numerous conflicts since that day. I must also say a big thank you to the Police who put out the parade signs to warn traffic that there may be an obstruction on the road as well as ensuring that the traffic flowed as freely as possible. More thanks are due to those who erected the Flagpole and hoisted the flag in such awful weather conditions – Thank You. Poppy Appeal This has gone very well this year. The boxes were all collected, emptied, money counted and paid into the Bank by Thursday 15th. November. To date £4509.40p has been banked which – technically – is a decrease from last year but only because we had a donation of £1,000 from Kepplegate Care Home last year as their nominated Charity of the Year. Grateful thanks go to the Street Collecting Team , Anne, Gary, Ray, Kirsty and Jackie. It’s no fun standing there in the cold and rain for several hours. Thanks also go to the various businesses, schools etc who very willingly take the Poppy Appeal collecting boxes onto their premises. I was surprised this year to find, in some instances, that there were no Poppies left in the trays but only 1 or 2 pounds in the collecting box! All those who donate or have collecting boxes on their premises really are stars and deserve the very grateful thanks of the RBL for their efforts in raising the much needed funds to enable us to carry on helping those of the Service and ex-Service Community and their families who are in need.

Membership Our branch urgently needs new members whether you are ex-Service or not. Meetings have now been cut to one every two months, the next one being in Knott End Working Men’s Club at 2:30pm on Thurs 14th Jan. It isn’t always convenient for members to attend our Branch meetings when they are held during the day, particularly if you are employed, therefore if there were sufficient people coming forward who would rather attend an evening meeting then that could be organised. If anyone is interested contact me, Bill Burn on 0771 578 4128. Thank you to everyone in Knott End, Preesall, Stalmine, Pilling, Stakepool and Hambleton for your very loyal support and hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016. Live on – to the memory of the fallen and the future of the living – live on.

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SAINT AIDAN’S NEWS The start of a new term brings all sorts of challenges and exciting projects and finds our students involved in a whole range of activities both in and out of school.

secondary school in Fylde and Wyre was given to us. As a school we are so very proud of every single member of the Saint Aidan’s family.

Saint Aidan’s is the Secondary School of the Year!

Christmas Party

The Blackpool Gazette Education Awards, held annually, was a real success for the students and staff at Saint Aidan’s. We were nominated and shortlisted for a total of ten awards! As a school we were awarded again the Educational Tours Award and the Creative Arts and Digital Industries Award went to Josef Houldsworth in Year 11. At the end of the evening, the top accolade of best

Just before we broke up for Christmas over a hundred guests attended our annual Senior Citizens’ Christmas party. Year 7 students showed everyone to their seats to music from the school band. Carols were sung and a lovely tea of sandwiches and cakes was enjoyed before everyone settled down to a game of bingo. Chocolates and Christmas cards were distributed before the guests went home. Soak the Teacher! The teachers are always willing to support students in any way they can but sitting on a chair on a cold December day on the top yard having soaking wet sponges thrown at them is a big ask. But that is exactly what five teachers did! Mrs Bray, Miss Seville, Mrs Marland, Mr Coe and Mr Armfield all ‘agreed’ to get soaked to help the form, K2, raise money for Manchester Children’s Hospital. Students from all years queued up ready to seek revenge on their teachers armed with ice cold dripping sponges! Within five minutes the teachers were soaking wet and shivering but managed to last the required 15 minutes! £115 was raised in a mere quarter of an hour. Could this become a weekly event? Parents’ Association We are very lucky to have such a dedicated group of parents who give up so much of their time to support our school. Their recent Christmas Fair was a huge success. Despite the dreadful weather, the hall was absolutely packed with people enjoying the items on the various stalls, the bacon sandwiches, sausage baps and mulled wine. All the money raised is put back into school and one of the recent purchases is a set of cornets meaning all students will have the opportunity to play a

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SAINT AIDAN’S NEWS (cont) musical instrument. Looking forward! BBC School News Report 2016 Saint Aidan’s is once again taking part in the nationwide BBC News School Report event this year in March. This involves students spending the day reporting the news and producing their own bulletin for broadcast through the School Report website. This is our seventh year of taking part and it has opened up some great opportunities for our students to report and make the news. If you would like to visit us at any time or have any questions whatsoever please do contact me. Sue Marland - Assistant Head sue-marland@st-aidans.lancs.sch.uk

PILLING WI ‘Northern Entertainment’ strayed a long way from the land of ‘Gradely Lads and Lasses’ and clog dancing without heels when they entertained Pilling WI members and their guests from neighbouring institutes at their Christmas Party. Their music took us also to North America to be reminded of such stars as Ricky Nelson and Buddy Holly. We opened with a traditional meat and potato pie, followed with a selection of desserts provided by the committee. Lashings of tea enabled us to join in the singing. President Marlene Connolly gave out the prizes for the 2015 competitions - 1st Lena Tooth, joint 2nd Vera Redman and France’s Connolly, joint 3rd Betty Lawenson and Helen Curwen. Lesley Lingard was thanked for her service on the committee. All are welcome to join us and a warm welcome awaits you. Frances Connolly

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CAT SMITH MP Flooding Matters Locally Recently I attended a meeting hosted by Pilling Parish Council with the Environment Agency to discuss local flooding issues. These meetings have been convened for a number of years and I was keen to attend to ensure I’m well informed to fight for local flood defences which are appropriate and informed by local knowledge. I’ve also done some local visits to constituents who have been flooded to see for myself the devastation and learn more about how this happened and what they need in future. I’d be happy to visit anyone else who feels that would be helpful in informing me more about localised issues or if you need any assistance dealing with insurers after flooding. Flooding and Climate Change We need to take climate change and flood defences seriously. In Parliament there was

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a three and a half hour debate on climate change and flooding in December. I spoke about the way in which our local community has responded to the floods. The floods in recent weeks are consistent with what we should expect in a warming world. Met Office data shows that annual rainfall has increased in the UK since the 1980s. Five out of the six wettest years on record have occurred since the start of the new millennium. That is a warning that I heed so I voted in favour of the motion which challenged the Government on its cuts to flood defences and called for a climate risk assessment that considers the implications of the Paris Summit for future flood risk. It should not take another flood for Government to realise their mistake. Adult Social Care An adult social care crisis looms large on my mind. By 2020 Lancashire County Council (LCC) is expecting to have had its funding cut by £685m from 2010 levels. The Government’s announcement that councils will be able to raise Council Tax by 2% for adult social care will not be enough to deal with the funding gap in the service. In Lancashire, this would barely cover the increase in wages for staff due to the new ‘National Living Wage’. Government have realised there is a crisis in adult social care but have not provided councils with the means to effectively address it. I’m aware Focus readers don’t want party politics in these pages so let me be clear that all councils of red and blue are saying this is a crisis which needs addressing. The Conservative Chairman of the Local Government Association, Lord Porter said “councils are on the edge of collapse”. Whilst LCC is Labour-run, I share the concerns that this is a crisis soon to come home to roost. Police Matters I have recently met with Inspector Jon Smith

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CAT SMITH MP (cont)

SSRA

whose patch covers all the villages across Wyre and I raised with him some concerns which you have been in touch with me about.

Stalmine / Staynall Residents’ Association We wish you a Happy New Year everyone. The SSRA is looking forward to another year of events and progress on local issues, some new, some now established in our calendar. Our final 2015 event was the Lantern Parade on Dec 7th to St James’ Church to watch the Christmas Lights switch on and enjoy the Church’s refreshments and Christmas stalls. This SSRA event was brilliantly supported by dozens of children, families and friends who met at Stalmine Primary School in late Nov to make their willow lanterns ready for the procession in December. The school hall was packed on lantern making evening and the animated buzz of excitement was fantastic. SSRA members assisted newcomers to lantern making and provided supplies of materials on the night. When all lanterns were completed, we enjoyed a delicious hotpot made for us by Mrs Jones, the school cook.

I know there is strong feelings in Knott End that the community would benefit from CCTV: the big question is where funding will come from to make this happen. It’s clear Local Government funding is not an option (see above) and the policing budgets can’t cover it. In some places, local businesses club together to fund CCTV in shopping areas - perhaps this is an option which could be explored? Fracking In Westminster I attended the Delegated Legislation Committee on Fracking Regulations, i.e. should Government allow fracking through drinking water aquifers, drinking water protection areas, National Parks, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty? I spoke out passionately against this. In an unusual move, we managed to get a vote of all MPs on this legislation and I’m proud to say, in line with the views of my constituents, I voted to protect our national parks. Sadly the Government won the vote which will allow fracking in these precious areas. I am disappointed with this result but would like to thank local people who have written to me about it. It’s always nice to receive these emails so I can know the issues I speak about matter to you too. If you live in the Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency, which includes Knott End, Preesall, Pilling, Cockerham, Scorton and Forton, please feel free to get in touch either by email at cat.smith.mp@parliament.uk, telephone (01524) 566551 or Facebook: www.facebook.com/catsmithmp You can write to me at 47 Scotforth Road, Lancaster, LA1 4SA. Cat Smith MP

FITBODS

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SSRA (cont)

PILLING HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Thanks go to Mrs Foster, the Head Teacher and SSRA member, for allowing us to use the school facilities, to Mrs Jones and Liam at the school and to everyone who supported the event. Thanks also go to our Church and Parish Council who made this a truly Stalmine village event.

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Future SSRA events will be posted as usual in Focus and around the village. Our 5th newsletter will be out early in the New Year. The next two SSRA meetings are Tues 5th Jan and Tues 2nd Feb, 7:00pm at Stalmine School.

Mrs R Lawson (01253) 810841

For further information contact Pauline Andrews 07808 058 097, Ann Ralph 07713 852 639, Peter Swarbrick (01253) 702675 or Irene Walsh 07807 041 106. Facebook: Stalmine with Staynall Residents’ Association (SSRA). Pauline Andrews

Tues 5th Jan The Hugh Sherdley Memorial Lecture, ‘Pilling in the Victorian Age’, Lecture with slides by James Houghton. Tues 2nd Feb - ‘Pilling to Kansas City’. Andy Jenkinson

FYLDE BIRD CLUB

Tue 26th Jan River Wyre in Poulton We have speakers and other events throughout the year. For £3.00 you can attend one of our meetings to show you what we do as a club or join as a member - £14 for a single member, £10 for a senior, juniors £5 or for a family £22 each year. www.fyldebirdclub.org jean.wagstaff@hotmail.co.uk

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DECEMBER FLOODS

OVER WYRE PROBUS CLUB

After rain soaked weeks, flooding yet again visited St Michaels and Churchtown in December, just in time to spoil Christmas for lots of people!

Thurs 7th Jan & Thurs 21st Jan

The River Brock, a tributary of the River Wyre, eventually breached in three places and flowed quickly down Hall Lane in St Michael’s on to low land, into the school and the Village Hall, then in to the bungalows beyond. The army worked on the breach in the Brock, wagons carried rocks and clay to stop the flow and did so for several days. This was a devastating blow to around 21 homes, some for the second time. Remember the flood of the mid 1980s!

Membership of the Club is open to all gentlemen, resident in or adjacent to the Over Wyre district who have fully or partially retired, or are about to retire from professional, business or other similar occupations. Meetings are held on the first and third Thursday in each month at Springfield House Hotel. If anyone is interested in finding our more about the Club or would like to attend a meeting initially as a guest, then please telephone (01253) 790391. Stewart Lyell

Villagers have all worked together with a strong community spirit. However it will be many months before the school and village hall re-open and homes are habitable again. Judith Hunter

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FOCUS MAGAZINE Each month, Focus Magazine is hand-delivered by a team of local people

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PREESALL TOWN COUNCIL NEWS Parish Based Public Transport Scheme Consultation Lancashire County Council is consulting on a parish based bus service scheme and is seeking the views of Town and Parish Councils. Councillors raised a number of concerns if the Town Council were to run such a scheme and, in particular, the effect on the precept of having to raise the funds required. If the current bus services continue as they are then there would be no need for the Town Council to consider such a scheme but, if those services were withdrawn, it would become of interest. However, Councillors warned that the Council would need considerable financial and technical support from the County Council if it were to consider running such a scheme. Bus Shelter – Saracen’s Head The Town Council is hoping to provide a new bus shelter near the old Saracen’s Head to replace the one that was demolished and had to be removed. Councillors are grateful to the new owner of the Saracen’s Head who has agreed to donate a small piece of land for the shelter and to Wyre Council which has agreed to provide the base and make a contribution towards the cost of the new shelter. The Town Council will make budget provision in next year’s budget for the remainder of the cost. Traffic on Smithy Lane/Mill Street Councillors are hoping to arrange a site meeting with highways officers from LCC to look at the parking problems at the bottom of Mill Street to the junction with Park Lane and near the former Saracen’s Head and to try to find a solution. Parking is making pulling out from Mill Street onto Park Lane dangerous. Proposed Wyre Barrage Councillors are to invite representatives of Natural Energy Wyre Ltd to a public meeting in the new year so that residents can learn

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PREESALL COUNCIL NEWS (cont) more about the plans for the proposed Wyre Barrage. Dog Fouling and Littering from Cars Wyre Council’s Area Officer has confirmed that reports of dog fouling have increased and a zero tolerance policy is in place where anyone caught allowing their dog to foul and not picking it up will be fined. He has also confirmed that patrols in plain clothes will take place. Three local people have volunteered to help with issuing leaflets to dog walkers and additional volunteers would be welcome. For more information contact the Clerk. He has also confirmed that a number of local people have been fined for throwing cigarette ends out of car windows.

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Green Dicks Lane Closure LCC will close Green Dicks Lane from its junctions with Head Dyke Lane to a point outside Carr House Farm. An alternative route for vehicular traffic affected by the closure is via: Green Dicks Lane – Pilling Lane – B5270 Sandy Lane – B5270 Lancaster Road – A588 Head Dyke Lane and vice versa. The temporary prohibition is necessary to allow pre-patching works to be carried out. The prohibition will be operative daily from 0800 hours until 1800 hours on Mon 11th Jan until Fri 22nd Jan, or until completion of the works within this period. By-Election Costs The Town Council has been notified that the cost of the by-election in October is £4,943.13. This will be deducted from the 2016/17 precept and provision will be made in the budget. For further information contact the Clerk, Jan Finch, by email at preesalltowncouncil@ gmail.com, by phone on 07739 868 212 or via the Contact function on the website. Jan Finch

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STALMINE PARISH COUNCIL NEWS Happy New Year The Parish Council would like to wish a Happy and Healthy New Year to everyone in Stalmine and Staynall. Parish Based Bus Scheme Consultation Councillors noted that Lancashire County Council is consulting on a parish based bus service scheme and has asked Town and Parish Councils to provide responses to the following questions: Is such a scheme of interest to the community? Is there a demand for such a service locally? What support would be required from LCC to enable the Parish Council to take control and ownership of a parish based public transport service. Councillors agreed that, at the current time, the Parish Council would not be interested in such a scheme given that there is a regular public transport service but this would become of interest if there were no other public transport service available when there would be a demand locally. As a small parish with limited funds and staff time the Parish Council would need considerable financial and technical support from LCC if it were to try to run such a scheme in the future. Electoral Review of Lancashire: Draft Recommendations The Parish Council is currently being consulted on draft recommendations from the Local Government Boundary Commission which is looking at future electoral arrangements for Lancashire County Council in order to balance the number of electors in each division more evenly. The Commission is proposing that Stalmine and Staynall are included in a new division covering Thornton and Hambleton but councillors felt that, as an urban area, Thornton has nothing in common with rural areas and the Over Wyre area should be kept in the same division.

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STALMINE COUNCIL NEWS (cont) Councillors felt that, if the numbers needed to be balanced, it would be better to include Great Eccleston and Inskip in a different division. Container for Flood Equipment Following the decision by the Village Hall Committee that a container to hold equipment such as road signs and sandbags could not be placed in the Village Hall car park as the space was needed for additional parking, LCC’s Emergency Planning Team and a highways officer have been looking at various locations within the parish where the container could be located. Sadly they have not been able to come up with a suitable location either within the parish or within a mile radius. If no location can be found equipment will not be able to be stored locally and this could have a detrimental effect on local properties in the event of flooding. Date and Time of Next Meeting The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Tues 12th Jan at 7:00pm. Your Parish Councillors The Councillors for Stalmine-with-Staynall Parish Council are: Cllr June Jackson, Height o’th Hill, Highgate Lane, Tel: 700328 (Chairman); Cllr Ken Jenkinson, Pump House, Moss Side Lane, Tel: 701354, Cllr Sue Pelham, Eldersfield, Brickhouse Lane, Tel 700750; Cllr Ailsa Wallace, Longacres Farm, Back Lane, Tel: 700213 and Cllr Davia Walmsley, The Old Smithy, Carr Lane, Tel: 702531.

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For further information contact any councillor or contact the Clerk by email at stalminepc@gmail.com, by phone on 07880 657 761 or through the website at www.stalmineparishcouncil.org Jan Finch - Clerk to Stalmine with Staynall Parish Council

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RAMBLERS’ DAY Garstang & Mid Lancs Ramblers Sat 13th Feb from 9:30am The Ramblers invite you to join them for a special day of walking, information and activities in association with Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team at their Centre in the Creamery Industrial Estate near Garstang. This is a great opportunity to find out more about the work and activities of both your local Ramblers Groups and Mountain Rescue Team, to walk in your local countryside and meet other like-minded people. Activities include a free 6-mile guided walk along part of the Garstang Canal and Wyre Valley Way starting outside the Kenlis Arms pub off Ray Lane at 9:30am (Grid Ref 511439). Meanwhile, for those interested in outdoor safety, the Mountain Rescue Team will be

providing free indoor taster sessions on First Aid and Navigation at their centre at 10:30am and 11:30am, plus a presentation about their work at 1:00pm There will be free tea and coffee all day, plus light refreshments at lunchtime. The Ramblers Area AGM also takes place from 2:00pm at the Centre to which everyone is welcome. Booking for activities is not essential but is useful to help organisers plan refreshments. For more information about the event and venue or to confirm your attendance email: midlancsramblers@virginmedia.com, call/ text 07804 906834 or go to www.ramblers. org.uk/mid-lancashire Keven Matthews

KIDS GET ACTIVE – MEND Come and Join the Fun with MEND! MEND is a fun 10 week nutrition and exercise programme for 7-13 year olds who want to learn more about healthy eating and becoming more active. This fantastic programme involves interactive nutrition sessions such as taste testing, supermarket tours, fun recipe ideas and label reading as well as energetic exercise sessions playing fun games such as dodgeball, dancing and football! And the best part is.. its all for free! When: Mon & Wed (5:00pm - 7:00pm) Where: Thornton YMCA Start Date: Mon 18th Jan When: Mon & Wed (4:00pm - 6:00pm) Where: Garstang YMCA & Library Start Date: Wed 20th Jan Don’t miss out and book your free place now Rachael Myerscough (01253) 882105 Email: mend@fyldecoastymca.org

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GREY MATTER ANSWERS

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

1. Winter Cabbage 2. London 3. Sir Barnes Wallace 4. John Lennon 5. Baghdad 6. Spider 7. Apple 8. Dark Room 9. Carat 10. Iron 11. Amen 12. Votes for women 13 The Earl of Caernarvon 14. Royal Shakespeare Company 15. Canaletto 16. Monopoly 17.Snooker 18. Tulip 19. Perch 20. St Petersburg

Across 4 Bell 6 Officer 7 Only 8 Doormat 9 Host 12 Node 16 Migrant 17 Deep 18 Tonsure 19 Stay Down 1 Golden 2 Afford 3 Scamp 4 Broth 5 Lolls 10 Opaque 11 Totter 13 Overt 14 Empty 15 Agony

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