The Lancashire & North West Magazine | October 2021

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October 2021

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BACKUP North West Tackling Homelessness Amongst Young People

FARFIFIELD MILL Art, craft & heritage gallery set on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales

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Collections From; Armani, Baldessarini, Bugatti Jacob Cohen & Tramarossa

rand architecture of the Bolton Town Hall will draw you towards the site like a magnet. tes a great impression on the pedestrianized Victorian Square. The most eye-catching e of this grade II Neoclassical Building is the Corinthian portico. The portico nestles a aroque tower that is bejeweled with the Town Hall clock that chimes every quarter of ur.

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Bolton

Wilmslow

Penrith

CONTENTS...

Features

on Museum, Aquarium, and Archive

olton Museum is a 15th-century building that houses various timeless artifacts, ys of local history, paintings, and decorative art. The Bolton Aquarium is an ground aquarium that has changed very little over time and exhibits over 70 exotic gered species of fish.

8

An Interview with Poetry Writer and Producer, John Cheetham - AKA - UK Bloke

112 Former Pupil Funds Transformational Bursaries

16

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SHARKS?

114 Block The Reintroduction of Animal Testing in Lancashire

19 f Bolton’s oldest industrial giants, where the mighty Atlas Mill once stood, has now revamped into one of the fascinating museums in the vicinity. The museum houses an 20 ssing and delightful assortment of stationary steam engines. These have mainly been ged from industrial facilities near and far- around Lancashire, Yorkshire, Manchester, 24 Wales.

26 74

Cricket Club Lands a Real Catch with Redrow Donation

116 Adna captivating new album Black Water

on Steam Museum

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146 40

205

The Second Scottish Independence Referendum At Home with the Pankhurst Family WHEN IS A CINEMA MORE THAN ‘JUST’ A CINEMA?

124 Flattering Earrings for your Face Shape 130 FARFIELD MILL

The Squirrel Man of York and Other Relatives

30

A Love Affair with Cranford - New exhibition opening at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House

34

Daisy’s for East Lancashire Hospice

40

Connected: The 12 Ways of Wellbeing for a Holistically Healthy Life

42

Motor Museum’s Surprise Star “Corrie the Corsa” Makes Wish Come True For Family Who Donated It

44

‘Pottery and Pastel’ Ceramics by Chris Hughes

156 Q&A with Dr Yusra

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SOCIAL ANXIETY? Tips for Easing Back into Society

162 Totally Local Lancaster

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North West Finalists Announced!

54

Innovative Nature Project Inspired by Japan Proven to Improve Wellbeing

64

ANNE CLOUGH - A Pioneer of Education for Women

180 THE CROSS GUNS INN REOPENS WITH A BRAND NEW LOOK

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Windmill Youth Group

74

Is That a Ghost You Are Sitting Upon?

184 Tackling Homelessness Amongst Young People

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Rochdale’s Memorial to Lancashire Dialect Writers

88

Lancashire Woman Named in Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling

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In Ordinary Everyday Life, Suddenly Something Magical Can Happen and an Adventure Begins

94

The Dukes Theatre present their Autumn 2021 Season

98

Co-Founder of Twitter helps Launch new social platform to rival Clubhouse

104 UK Top 5 for Young Runner

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122 ‘Hat-trick’ Celebration for Site Manager at Redrow’s Lancashire Awards

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100 ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT IT’S FINEST: MEET DON STEIN AND BIZ STONE

180

120 Youth Centre Continues to Support Local Teenagers Post-Lockdown

106 Girls Commended at Shakespeare Grand Final

136 Everybody Needs a Good Night’s Sleep 144 The Café at Lakeland 146 Bespoke Garden Rooms Without a Premium Cost 150 Macramé Art with the Magic of the Green Witch 152 Tyron Ash - The Real Estate Revolution 154 Search for Cumbrian Artist with £10,000 Commission 160 Dr Yusra Clinic: A Review 176 Don Alberto’s at The Loom 177 Heart-healthy BBQ 178 Healthy Breakfast

188 Could the Key to Your Health and Success be Found in your Saliva?

190 Can Personal Style Be An Effective Tool For Positive Wellbeing?

191 Making Sense of IT and CyberSecurity 192 Pam Molyneux SmartPA® 194 Your First Steps To Freedom... All Shapes and Sizes Solutions 195 Curvs 196 Fired 4 U Pottery Studio 197 MARIE MULCAHY BSC Western Herbal Medicine, MNIMH 198 Graphic Design to Give Your Brand Spirit 200 ‘A Whole New Way of Being You’ 202 Results Day

108 Engineering Developments are Mitigating Climate Change

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

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...CONTENTS

Regulars

46

Aiming Higher

38

Books

October 2021 • Volume 44 Number 10

126

51

172 Catherine Dean Coaching 126 Colour Me Beautiful 32

Deborah Hatswell

22

Denise Mullen

52

Doris & Friends

170 Essentialise 36

Fleetwood RNLI

168 HayMax 62

Jason Gleaves, UFOnly

21

Life of Di

56

Miles Consult & Construct

38

52

166 Nicola Parker, Herbalist 18

Peter Rutt

51

Pets Country Manor

169 Reubens Retreat 10

Zodiac Predictions by Manish

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172

October 2021

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BACKUP North West Tackling Homelessness Amongst Young People

FARFIFIELD MILL Art, craft & heritage gallery set on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales

COVER: Dr Yusra

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Design Manager • Tanjé Beach Writers Nicola Parker • Helen James Kate Gostick • Deborah Hatswell Denise Mullen • Sarah Harris • Margaret Brecknell • Peter Rutt • Harold Cunliffe • Jason Gleaves Catherine Dean • Aiming Higher Norman Harris • Lee Chambers Max Wiseberg • Manish Kumar Arora • Diane Wade • Megha Seth Dr Helen Flaherty • Ken Harcombe Sajedah Maka-Ismail • Victoria Corcoran • Doris Dearden Joel Newman • Emily Walker Georgie Kulkhan Albaythani

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IN THIS ISSUE...

W

e start off this month with a UltraSpace Garden Rooms, who pride themselves on supplying that extra room that you need with a variety of sizes and styles to suit your purpose. Dave Gregson shows us that in ordinary everyday life, suddenly something magical can happen and an adventure begins. Paul Cusimano from Totally Local Lancaster tells us about the biggest single day event in Lancaster’s calendar - ‘Lancaster Festa Italia’.

We have a delightful article on Farfield Mill, an art, craft & heritage gallery set on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales - this former Victorian Woollen Mill has gallery spaces, artists’ studios, and weaving looms is the perfect free to visit attraction. The Lancaster Bed Company shows us that everybody needs a good night’s sleep, we feature a fabulous review on the Dr Yusra Clinic and ask Dr Yusra a few 6

questions too! The Cross Guns Inn based in the village of Egerton reopens with a brand new look, boasting a brand-new art deco cocktail lounge, completely overhauled outdoor drinking and dining area as well as a 60-cover private function space. We urge you to sign the petition to block the reintroduction of animal testing in Lancashire, the co-founder of Twitter helps launch new social platform to rival Clubhouse called Roomkey. co. Harold Cunliffe tells us a few spooky stories, we celebrate alongside Lancashire’s schools and colleges with their fantastic results on GCSE’s and A Levels, The Dukes Theatre present their Autumn 2021 Season, we learn about sharks and why we need to protect them, and there is a new permanent exhibition at Manchester’s Pankhurst Centre called “At Home with the Pankhurst Family”.

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

And as always - our regulars.

The towns this month are: Bolton, Penrith and Wilmslow.

Deborah Hatswell has a few strange and unusual witness reports of unexplained phenomena. Sarah Harris Style talks about National Handbag Day and takes a look at our skin care routines as the weather is becoming cooler, Denise Mullen tells us hilarious stories about snow angels and bodies being a temple, Nicola Parker talks about using herbs for cholesterol, Ken Harcombe the Volunteer Press Officer at Fleetwood RNLI tells us about the RNLI’s two main assets: its volunteers and their lifeboats, and Miles Consult & Construct are in the mood to decorate. And of course - homes, health, delicious recipes, fascinating history, and a bit of wildlife and more, all in our October issue.

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The UK’s Largest Independent Kitchen Specialist.

Be inspired by 1,000s of customers’ kitchens, search #wrenovation

An Interview with Poetry Writer and Producer, John Cheetham - AKA - UK Bloke

We sat down and shared a chocolate bar or two with the inspiring John Cheethem, known as that UK Bloke in the music industry.

What made you want to become a poetry/song writer?

I didn’t plan to become a poet/ songwriter although, I’ve always been interested in music/songs from a lyrics point of view.

What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?

I hope to see one of my songs in the charts either, in the U.K. or USA. That would be wonderful.

What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great poetry/song writer?

I think that my strengths are that I listen. My incident gave me great patience.

Which instrument is your favourite to play?

The piano is the only instrument that I can play although, I’m not great. I was once given the opportunity to play Scott Joplin’s piano. My performance was not good!

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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?

Words are emotional are I like the fact that simple words can awaken emotions either good or bad.

Describe your creative process when you write new music.

I write lyrics first. Then, try to add the melody. That is the strength of a good music partnership when, one partner is good at lyrics and one at melodies. Lennon & McCartney for example.

Who’s your ideal musician to collaborate with?

Chris Rea would be a favourite of mine to collaborate with, then Elton John and Bruce Springsteen.

Are there any musicians who inspire you?

What qualities do you admire about them?

Elton John inspired me with “I’m still standing“ from his Too Low for Zero album.

As you know I was involved in a serious incident that, resulted in me being unable to walk for a long time. Elton’s “I’m still standing“ inspired me to try and walk again when four hospitals had said that I probably wouldn’t. It worked and, the song is still a favourite.

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GRAND WHAT’S ON AT THE

SEPTEMBER

FEBRUARY 2022

Fireman Sam

Sat 04

Carmen

Wed 02

Beyond the Barricade

Sun 05

Madama Butterfly

Thu 03

The Rolling Stones Story

Sun 12

Vampires Rock

Dads Army Radio Show

Wed 15

Tim Vine is Plastic Elvis

Sat 05 Sun 13

Alan Carr - Not Again, Alan!

Fri 17 and Sat 18

Omid Djalili

Woman in Black

Mon 20 to Sat 25

Fri 04

Ed Byrne: If I’m Honest

Fri 18

Blackpool Symphony Orchestra

Sun 26

Islands In The Stream

Sat 19

Jonathan Pie: Fake News (Corona Remix)

Thu 30

Bring it on the Musical

The (Steve) Royle Variety Performance

Sat 02

Father Brown

Frank Skinner - Showbiz

Sun 03

OCTOBER

MARCH 2022 Tue 22 to Sat 26

Around the World in 80’s Days

Fri 08 to Fri 05 Nov

APRIL 2022

Dragons and Mythical Beasts

Thu 21and Fri 22

Seven Drunken Nights Julian Clary - Born to Mince

NOVEMBER

Aida

Harpy

Sat 06

Sound of Springsteen

Sat 13

Kinky Boots

Sun 14

MAY 2022

Thu 18

Jason Manford: Like Me

Fri 19

Legends of American Country Show

Sleeping Beauty

Sat 20

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

The Greatest Love of All

Sun 21

Craig Revel Horwood Marty Wilde

DECEMBER Fri 3 Dec 2021 to Sun 2 Jan 2022 Mon 13

JANUARY 2022 Romeo & Juliet

Fri 07

Sun 01 Sun 08 Tue 10 to Sat 14 Sun 15 Sun 22

Rob Beckett - Wallop!

Grand Christmas Concert

Fri 08 Wed 13 to Sat 16

Sun Records The Concert Amanda Owen - Yorkshire Shepherdess

Wed 06 Sun 10

Maximum R’n’B with Manfreds

Snow White 2021-22

Tue 22 to Sat 26

Count Arthur Strong

Fri 27 and Sat 28 Sun 29

JUNE - OCT 2022 Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Sun 05 June

Magic of Motown

Sun 12 June

Swan Lake

Sat 08

80s Live

The Nutcracker

Sun 09

Boogie Nights

Sun 19 June

Lost in Music

Sat 15

The Lancashire Hotpots

Sat 09 July

You Win Again

Thu 20

Anything for Love

Sun 10 July

Johnny Cash Roadshow

Sun 23

Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever

Wed 22 to Sat 25 June

Vincent Simone - Tango Passions

#FeelingGrand

www.lancmag.com

Sat 16 and Sun 17 July Sun 16 October

blackpoolgrand.co.uk

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

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MANISH’S ZODIAC PREDICTIONS

M

anish Kumar Arora is a renowned KP Astrologer, Numerologist, Tarot Reader & Vastu Consultant. He has been rendering professional advice to clients with a reasonable degree of success. He has been conferred with the title of ‘Jyotish Varahamihir’ and ‘Jyotish Aryabhatt.’ He has been writing monthly astrological columns for many international magazines.

ARIES: (21 Mar - 19 Apr) This month is good for bringing new, more creative energy to your daily life, or the work you do and services you provide. You may find that career dealings go smoother than usual. You get and give advice, you learn about lots of new things, you get lots of new information, and your mind is going fast. You also come across well publicly. You’re more affectionate with others, and you feel more romantic and flirtatious. You come across as fair, wanting to be compromising, a good mediator, and concerned with striking a balance in your life.

Favourable Dates: Oct 3, 6, 12, 15, 21, 24 Favourable Colours: Blue & White TAURUS (20 Apr - 20 May) Exciting surprises may be in store that expand your mind and experience, but be aware that delays or troubles while travelling, or with new initiatives, could be part of the picture. If you have any creative projects to work on, you do them well. If you have to deal with your boss or a parent, you can win them over. If single, you could meet someone through your career. Depending on your current age, it may be a time when you feel your age, or it is a time when you see your body more clearly.

Favourable Dates: Oct 5, 6, 14, 15, 23, 24 Favourable Colours: Blue & Green GEMINI (21 May - 20 Jun) This is also a good period for career advancement and connecting with people who help you to feel more confident about reaching your goals. You could also be reassessing your feelings and attachments, or current pursuits. While you could be wrestling with some decisions, you can in fact be a real dynamo with a little extra solitude and time to yourself. You also feel bogged down by your values. You want security, but you don’t feel as though it’s possible for you right now because of all of your responsibilities or issues that need to be addressed.

Favourable Dates: Oct 5, 9, 14, 18, 23, 24 Favourable Colours: Yellow & Blue CANCER (21 Jun - 22 Jul) You keep your thoughts to yourself, don’t want to share your ideas, and are more focused on your imagination.

You may see things unravel, secrets come out, old issues come back, and things that you thought were dead and gone suddenly alive and kicking your butt. People in your life can be draining your energy now, and you’ll need to work out a plan that helps you to better divide your attention between self-care and attention to others.

You may derive enjoyment from getting in touch with your roots or family traditions.

Favourable Dates: Oct 7, 8, 16, 17, 25, 26 Favourable Colours: Yellow & White

LEO (23 Jul - 22 Aug) You are encouraged to find your creative voice, to seek out activities that you truly enjoy, and to discover and share your unique talents.

There are plenty of rewards for you here.

You continue to look for ways to improve your life experiences and increase your knowledge and wisdom this month. You could also decide to devote yourself to a cause and do something good for people or the planet. You can confront deeply held issues with less anxiety and fear.

This is also a good time for dealing with your joint finances, debts, loans, taxes, or inheritances.

Favourable Dates: Oct 7, 8, 16, 17, 25, 26 Favourable Colours: Yellow & White

SAGITTARIUS (22 Nov - 21 Dec) You can be strongly motivated to take action that helps boost your feelings of security as well as your comfort as the month begins,.

You have wonderful support from the cosmos for these efforts. It’s a great time for bringing creative flair to business endeavours, discovering new ways of earning more, and making your home life more enjoyable and comfortable. You’re more emotionally tied to your possessions, and you may shop for something just to make yourself feel better. You come across as more charming and beautiful, and people are attracted to you.

Favourable Dates: Oct 1, 7, 10, 16, 19, 25 Favourable Colours: Red & White

VIRGO (23 Aug - 22 Sept) The month brings some hurdles to jump. It will be important to work on a solid plan for organizing your money. You can be working especially hard for your earnings these days, but you’re also finding ways to inject routine work or daily life with more excitement. You’ll also want to deal with some of the trickier elements of your relationships instead of letting problem areas grow. Desires that have been buried or left unacknowledged can emerge now. Combining your resources or talents with someone can be beneficial for reaching a goal.

Favourable Dates: Oct 1, 5, 10, 14, 19, 23 Favourable Colours: White & Grey

CAPRICORN (22 Dec - 19 Jan) This can also be a time for discovering, developing, and putting to better use of your natural talents. You’ll be finding fabulous new ways for using the resources you already have to your advantage now. It’s a great time for getting the support you need, but perhaps more importantly, making things happen on your own. You feel like beginning something new, feeling more adventurous and pioneering, and you have the energy you need to embark on a new journey. You’re positive about your chances, and you forge ahead.

Favourable Dates: Oct 3, 9, 12, 18, 21, 27 Favourable Colours: Red & Blue

LIBRA (23 Sept - 22 Oct) You’ll be less impulsive and impatient, and this can point to a more enjoyable experience of this creative, romantic, and sexy combination.

You are attracting strong and intelligent people into your life, and you’re also taking more pride in your close relationships. This motivates you to put forward a solid effort when it comes to relating in positive, rewarding ways. You’re less competitive and want to do things on your own, feeling like you have better energy by yourself, and that other people drain you.

Favourable Dates: Oct 1, 9, 10, 18, 19, 27 Favourable Colours: Green & Yellow SCORPIO (23 Oct - 21 Nov) You’re encouraged to play with new ideas for work, and you can find much to enjoy in the process. . If you’ve been working hard for something with your career, you could finally get there.

Conversely, if you’ve been doing things wrong, you could have setbacks, delays, or other problems. You could find yourself in the public eye for some reason. You are called upon to strike a balance between your own needs for security and comfort and the same needs of other people, likely those of a significant other.

Favourable Dates: Oct 1, 3, 10, 12, 19, 21 Favourable Colours: Red & Yellow

AQUARIUS (20 Jan - 18 Feb) This is a strong time for simplifying and structuring your life, and this can involve boosting your faith in a higher plan to your life You closely identify with your values, and you want other people to have the same values as you do. You prefer to spend time around people who come from the same background or have the same beliefs as yourself. You also feel like letting loose and having fun in a way and engaging in your hobbies and may feel more inspired, creative, and artistic, as well as flirty and romantic.

Favourable Dates: Oct 2, 8, 11, 17, 20, 26 Favourable Colours: White & Blue PISCES (19 Feb - 20 Mar) It’s a great time to pay special attention to your income, how you spend your money, and your valuables.

You’ll have great ideas for how to improve your bottom line, as well as how to better make use of the resources you have. Exciting surprises may be in store that expand your mind and experience.

Pleasure-seeking activities, recreation, and amusement are increased. You are far less inhibited when it comes to expressing yourself creatively, and you are a lot more fun to be around.

Favourable Dates: Oct 2, 9, 11, 18, 20, 27 Favourable Colours: Red & Yellow

Manish Kumar Arora, 91-9871062000 | K.P. Astrologer, Numerologist, Tarot Card Reader & Vastu Consultant F www.facebook.com/manishastroconsultant | E manish@manishastrologer.com

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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

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Bolton Bolton

By Megha Seth

Bolton Town Hall The grand architecture of the Bolton Town Hall will draw you towards the site like a magnet.

It creates a great impression on the pedestrianized Victorian Square. The most eye-catching feature of this grade II Neoclassical Building is the Corinthian portico. The portico nestles a neo-Baroque that isHall bejeweled with the Town Hall clock that chimes every quarter of Bolton tower Town an hour.

With industry in its veins, Bolton was founded as a industry small hamlet knownwas as Bolton le as a small hamlet location known as Bolton le With in its location veins, Bolton founded Moors.Bolton has a rich history when it comes to the textile industry. The town has had a Moors. name olton for being the history centerwhen of production for textile textiles since the 14th century. Flemish weavers has a rich it comes to the industry. had a name for being the had settled inThe thetown areahas around this time introducing a wool and cotton-weaving tradition.

B

centre of production for textiles since the 14th century. Flemish weavers had settled in the area around The Industrial Revolution mainly contributed to the urbanization and development of the this time introducing a wool and cotton-weaving tradition.

town, with the introduction of textile manufacturing. It was regarded as one of the largest and The Industrial Revolution mainly contributed to the most productive centers of ofcotton spinning urbanization and development the town, with thein the world. The town’s history, and a flourishing introduction textile manufacturing. one, goes aoflong way indeed! It was regarded as one of the largest and most productive centres of cotton spinning in the world. The town’s history, and a flourishing one, goes a long way indeed!

Things To Do In Bolton THINGS TO DO IN BOLTON

Bolton is a vibrant city brimming with colours and

The grand architecture of the Bolton Town Hall will

Bolton is aItsvibrant brimming with colorsaround and character. beautiful industrial heritage is a great Bolton Aquarium, Archive character. beautifulcity industrial heritage is visible draw Museum, youIts towards the and site like a magnet.

It creates Bolton Museum is athe 15th-century building that houses various timeless artifacts, the borough and the inhabited by canals, cotton, coal,by canals,The impression on pedestrianized Victorian Square.

The visible around borough and inhabited cotton, coal, railways, and the people. displays of local history, paintings, and decorative art. The Bolton Aquarium is an railways, and the people. most eye-catching feature of this grade II Neoclassical You’re in for an enjoyable ride when in Bolton! Here underground is a curated list places aquarium that hasof changed very littleto overvisit time andand exhibitsfun over 70 exotic Buildingspecies is the Corinthian portico. The portico nestles a endangered of fish.

You’re inthat for an enjoyable in Bolton! Here is activities you can doride in when the city. neo-Baroque tower that is bejewelled with the Town Hall a curated list of places to visit and fun activities that you can do in the city.

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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

clockSteam that chimes Bolton Museumevery quarter of an hour.

One of Bolton’s oldest industrial giants, where the mighty Atlas Mill once stood, has now been revamped into one of the fascinating museums in the vicinity. The museum houses an www.lancmag.com engrossing and delightful assortment of stationary steam engines.

These have mainly been salvaged from industrial facilities near and far- around Lancashire, Yorkshire, Manchester, and Wales.

Bolton Museum, Aquarium, and Archive The Bolton Museum is a 15th-century building that houses various timeless artefacts, displays of local history, paintings, and decorative art. The Bolton Aquarium is an underground aquarium that has changed very little over time and exhibits over 70 exotic endangered species of fish.

The tower accommodates the finest collections of period furniture. It has a gallery of the best paintings in North West England, encapsulating the cultural and artistic glory of the periods it has borne witness to. The kitchen has been turned into a tearoom quite famous and loved for its home-baked cakes and bread. The terrace is a summer glee. There is also an adventure playground for youngsters.

These engines were the main source of power for the vast textile industries. A very remarkable about the engines is that most of the machines are functional despite being Bolton fact Steam Museum Bolton more than a century old.

Market

A stunning iron and glass Victorian-style building, One of Bolton’s oldest industrial giants, where the Bolton Market Rivington Pike is located in the centre of town on Turton mightyTower Atlas Mill once stood, has now been revamped Street.

When Market wasthen firstsix miles northwest IfAshburner you’re an outdoor enthusiast who the lovesBolton to be at one with nature, Originating thethe Middle Ages, the Turton Tower was raised as aThe fortified Pele tower, into oneinof fascinating museums ininitially the vicinity. ofcompleted, Bolton City center lies a the mesmerizing trek tothe Rivington Pike.

Therestored summit gives it was largest in UK. It was ina clear a style that is unique to the North of England. The tower has been constantly adapted with view over Lancashire Plain to the West and the Great Manchester to the south. It happens to museum an engrossing and delightful assortment passing time.houses It was revamped to a plush country house in the 16th century. The wattlethe and 1980s and again in the 2000s. be amongst the best lookout points in North-Western England. of stationary steam engines.

These have mainly daub walls seen inside are witness to the Tudor architectural style.been The Tower was again restored in thefrom 19th century duringfacilities the Victoriannear era. Now, tower encapsulates the fineThe architectural splendour makes it a must-visit, salvaged industrial andthe fararound There are several walks to the top. If you choose a bright, sunny day then you can take in fusion of both Tudor and Victorian architectural splendor. the view of Blackpool Tower, Lake District,Its theCathedral mountain of Wales, and the Isle of Man on Lancashire, Yorkshire, Manchester, and Wales. irrespective of the shopping. like proportions your way up. Near the top lies the Pike’s Tower which was built in 1733, adding a historical and the highest point of the roof which rises to 34 meters, The tower accommodates the finest collections of period furniture. It has a gallery of the andbest a dreamlike element to the peak.

Thesein North engines the main source of power for glory the of the periods paintings West were England, encapsulating the cultural and artistic it makes it a visual feast to devour. vast textile industries.

A very remarkable about has borne witness to. The kitchen has been turned into a fact tearoom quite the famous and loved for its home-baked andofbread.

The terrace is are a summer glee. There is also an engines is thatcakes most the machines functional despite The Lifestyle Hall is an ideal place for spending some adventure playground for youngsters. being more than a century old. leisure time. It houses a coffee roster, patisserie, a real ale bar, tropical florist and has various international dining Turton Tower options to choose from at the food court.

Rivington Pike

Originating in the Middle Ages, the Turton Tower was initially raised as a fortified Pele tower, a style that is uniqueMarket to the North of England. The tower has been Bolton constantly adapted with passing time.

It Market was revamped A stunning iron and glass Victorian-style building, Bolton is located in the center of If you’re an outdoor enthusiast who loves to be at one town Ashburner Street. When thein Bolton first completed, it was the largestwith in to aonplush country house theMarket 16thwas century.

The wattle nature, then six miles north-west of Bolton City the UK. It was restored in the 1980s and again in the 2000s.

Smithills Open Farm and daub walls seen inside are witness to the Tudor centre lies a mesmerizing trek to Rivington Pike. The The Smithills Hall and Open Farm a wonderful way to spend your architectural style. makes The Tower was irrespective again restored in theIts Cathedralsummit gives a clear viewisover Lancashire Plain tofirst thehalf of the day. Th The architectural splendor it a must-visit, of the shopping.

Hall is an awe-inspiring Medieval manor house that originates back to the 1300s which has like proportions and the highest point of the roof which rises to 34 meters, makes it a visual 19th century during the Victorian era. Now, the tower West and the Great Manchester to the south. It happens held on to its original plan from that specific period. Just beside Smithills Hall lies the feast to devour. encapsulates the fine fusion of both Tudor and Victorian to be amongst best Smithills Open Farm,the where youlookout can enjoy points the charminofNorth-Western open countryside living. architectural England.

The Lifestyle Hall issplendour. an ideal place for spending some leisure time. It houses a coffee roster,

patisserie, a real ale bar, tropical florist and has various international dining options to www.lancmag.com choose from at the food court.

Being a working farm, adults and children can learn quite a bit about where some everyday & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 13 produce comes from.LANCASHIRE There is also a daily “ Old Milking Demo”, especially educational whe you step outside of the cityscape to expand your horizon. It is always an enjoyable time at the pets corner interacting with animals, especially kid goats, lambs, pigs, rabbits, llamas,

There are several walks to the top. If you choose a bright, sunny day then you can take in the view of Blackpool Tower, Lake District, the mountain of Wales, and the Isle of Man on your way up. Near the top lies the Pike’s Tower which was built in 1733, adding a historical and a dreamlike element to the peak.

Smithills Open Farm The Smithills Hall and Open Farm is a wonderful way to spend your first half of the day. The Hall is an aweinspiring Medieval manor house that originates back to the 1300s which has held on to its original plan from that specific period. Just beside Smithills Hall lies the Smithills Open Farm, where you can enjoy the charm of open countryside living.

Being a working farm, adults and children can learn quite a bit about where some everyday produce comes from. There is also a daily “ Old Milking Demo”, especially educational when you step outside of the cityscape to expand your horizon. It is always an enjoyable time at the pets corner interacting with animals, especially kid goats, lambs, pigs, rabbits, llamas, deer, and some other exotic species as well.

Delightful Stopovers A vacation and an escapade are never really complete without the perfect place to crash at the end of the day.

Bolton being a popular destination amongst tourists has various accommodations to choose from.

Wendover Guest House: It is a traditional family-run homily guesthouse of over 50 years, renowned for the hospitality provided and facilities like parking, WiFi, and more. Crossing half a century, this cosy little place never bids farewell to the guests without a satisfactory smile on their faces.

Exquisite Bolton Apartments: If you’re someone with a penchant for the modern living space then this is exactly what you’re looking for in a crash pad! Modern with all necessary amenities, situated in the centre of the city with easy accessibility to most places, the host of the apartment has quite the name for being a thorough professional and making your stay as comfortable as possible.

Moses Gate Country Park Moses Gate Country Park was initially an industrial landscape with mines and Victorian bleach and chemical works. But today it is a serene park sprawling across 700 acres. This park has visitors for orienteering, cycling, fishing, and horse riding. Rock Hall, an elegant Georgian mansion built in 1807 has been turned into the visitor centre that gives details about what can be found in the park.

The Nob End nature reserve gated inside the park has earned the status of a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The artificially alkaline soils make it feasible for certain flora to thrive in this part of the city, not found in other parts of Greater Manchester.

Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa, a collection of 17th-century farmhouses has spectacular Last ofDrop Village Hotel &The Spa, collection ofluxury 17thviews the West Pennine Moors. spaaprovides various treatments, while the hotel also has steam and indoor hydro pools.

Bask in luxury as you takehas in the visual treat o century farmhouses has spectacular views of the Last Drop Village Hotel & Spa, a collection of 17th-century farmhouses spectacular the beautiful Moors. views ofPennine the West Pennine Moors. provides various luxury treatments, while the West Moors.

TheThe spaspa provides various luxury hotel also has steam and indoor hydro pools. Bask in luxury as you take in the visual treat of treatments, while the hotel also has steam and indoor the beautiful Moors.

hydro pools. Bask in luxury as you take in the visual treat of the beautiful Moors.

Conquering The Palette Quest Conquering The Palette Quest

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www.lancmag.com

Conquering The Palette Quest to Bolton always the blend of perfect An important element of exploring a place is to try Aavisit variety of isdishes.

Gourmets must be left historical and cultural elements that you take away from An important exploring a place tryof a space with neither any element spaceoffor regret nor isatolot their belly when it comes totofood. thein place.

From the architectural splendour learning variety of dishes. Gourmets must be left with neither any space for regret nor a lot of space in their belly when it comes to food.

about the rich history of the town, enjoying in the lap of nature to exploring fun places to wine and dine, Bolton never fails to disappoint if you’re traveling to the city for the first, second, or third time.

The Northern: Located Located nearnear the Bolton Hall,Town this is Hall, this is one of the restaurants that one The Northern: the Town Bolton one of the restaurants that one must visit when in Bolton.

It’s great location, a strong sense of history and plethorain of happy clients to vouch for the service, must With visita when Bolton.

With a plethora of happy clients vouch for the service, taste, heritage, and to passion for sports make it one of the taste, and quality, this traditional place serves absolutely best destinations in the Northwest. and quality, traditional place serves absolutely delectable quality food. delectablethis quality food.

The Courthouse Restaurant and Bar is the perfect place to grab a couple of cocktails, also said to be one of the best in Bolton, while pleasuring your taste buds. The menu is wide and covers a lot of cuisines.

The Courthouse Restaurant and Bar is the perfect place to grab a couple of cocktails, also From their amazing burgers to cold cut platters and said to be fondue, one ofpork theribs best in Bolton, while cheese to a steak that satisfies everypleasuring your tastebuds. The menu is wide and glutton’s and their beloved this place burgers to cold cut platters and cheese fondue, covers a lotdesire, of cuisines.

Fromcocktails, their amazing is truly a delight for the one who loves to drink, eat and know to things! pork ribs a steak that satisfies every glutton’s desire, and their beloved cocktails, this Head to this cosy little cafeone for a who fulfilling placeBaker’s: is truly a delight for the loves to drink, eat and know things! breakfast. As the name goes, they are very well known for their baked delectables and also provide a variety of vegan and gluten-free options to choose from.

Their ingredients are as fresh as their scones and Danish bread. www.lancmag.com

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Baker’s: Head to this cozy little cafe for a fulfilling breakfast. As the name goes, they are very well known for their baked delectables and also provide a variety of vegan and gluten-free options to choose from. Their ingredients are as fresh as their scones and

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SHARKS?

Feared and respected but cruelly hunted and harmed, we see sharks as ruthless predators. In reality, as a result of human action, several species are threatened with extinction. Yet, sharks are key actors of the marine ecosystem, helping maintain the balance. Friend of the Sea wants you to know the importance of protecting them.

N

o other species from the animal kingdom has starred in so many Hollywood films, such as sharks (more than 180, to be precise).

From Jaws to Megalodon and Sharknado, most of them picture sharks as brutal creatures. However, over the past decades, it’s humans who have cornered sharks, putting them under the threat of extinction.

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Overfishing, shark finning, and bycatch are responsible for killing more than 100 million sharks a year. An alarming figure, especially considering some shark species have a slow reproduction cycle, taking a very long time for them to recover. According to the IUCN Red List, more than 300 shark and ray species are classified as endangered, including the famous white shark, the whale shark, and the hammerhead.

For this reason, Friend of the Sea invites everyone to join the efforts to protect them, starting with getting the facts right.

DIVERSE AND INDISPENSABLE There are more than 500 species of sharks in the ocean.

They come in all sizes and colours. For example, a great white shark can reach up to 6

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meters long. However, half of all shark species measure less than one-meter long. Some feed on plankton and tiny fish, while others prefer bigger prey, such as seals or sea lions.

Apex predator sharks play a crucial role in the ecosystem, helping maintain the balance in many ways. But, as much as we like to imagine, they’re not fond of hunting humans.

Instead, sharks tend to attack people out of curiosity or because they feel threatened.

In 2020, there were 57 confirmed unprovoked attacks worldwide, resulting in 10 deaths, according to an international database.

WHO’S THE PREDATOR? It’s rather humans who have hunted down shark sin an unsustainable way, bringing www.lancmag.com

LEARN WHY WE NEED TO PROTECT THEM.

• Launching an international petition to ban shark finning.

the species to a critical point.

A recent study showed that oceanic populations of sharks and rays have shrunk by 71%, mainly because of overfishing.

BE A FRIEND OF THE SHARKS

Fisheries target sharks especially for their fins which are considered a delicacy in certain countries. The practice of shark finning is particularly cruel, and though it has been banned in several countries, it persists. It implies cutting fins off live sharks and then throwing them wounded to the ocean, where they die painfully from suffocation, blood loss, or eaten by other predators.

Friend of the Sea, a project from the World Sustainability Organization, promotes fisheries practices responsible with sharks, necessary trade regulations for vulnerable shark species, responsible consumption, and the creation of protected areas.

There is also a market for shark meat, with European countries representing the most significant share. In addition to being targeted for their fins and meat, sharks often end up in fishing nets as incidental bycatch. www.lancmag.com

So, instead of playing a shark film, learn with Friend of the Sea how we can protect sharks.

Additionally, Friend of the Sea has instated several initiatives to support shark conservation efforts, such as:

• Adding specific requirements related to sharks for its sustainable seafood standard.

• Creating a new whale shark watching standard for tourists.

Become a friend of the sharks and help us save these magnificent creatures.

The marine ecosystem will thank you.

Tel.: +39 02 8707 5166 Fax: +39 02 8707 5169 E-mail: info@friendofthesea.org Website: www.friendofthesea.org LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 17

A catch up with Peter Rutt Our monthly column by Peter Rutt.

P

art 1 of 3. Regular readers will know I love weird and wacky stories, even if they are not true.

So imagine my pleasure when I came across the sensation of alleged time slips in Liverpool.

Various people claim they slipped back in time, usually to the 1950’s or 1960’s. One claimed he slipped back to early 1900’s. He said as he walked down Bold Street the sky went very dark and what had been that year in the decade of the 1990’s changed to early 1900’s judging by the fashion he spied. Also the shops were old fashioned. Gone were the modern day stores as were modern day cars, replaced by horse drawn carriages. There was air there was sound and if he felt more confident he would have interacted with a person.

Imagine whipping out your smartphone was having a chat with someone to show someone from the early 1900’s! recently who found out elsewhere I Or go a step further and take photos had what the ability to What contact those no or film you see. would your longer physically alive.

He asked if I phone record? had communicated with this famous There is the story of a man who person or that, which was fine. Then walked near to Bold Street and he he asked in a kind of matter of fact alleges as he turned a corner, was way, I had communicated facedifwith a dead end. An oldwith wall people who had been missing years that wasn’t there the previous day had and presumed dead.

I told him he suddenly appeared. Like the previous was dangerous ground and man treading he said the sky became suddenly tried to make light of his question. darker prior to this obstacle being there.

But he persisted, wanting to know if I He even touched the construction and was aware of who committed crimes, it was solid. Confused, he headed back whether these missing people were the way he came. dead or not, and had centre I contacted Most of the stories on a the police to tell them where period of 1993-1997 apart fromcertain the individuals were located? They may one in the next paragraph.

This was a dilemma. well be Urban Tales and tall ones at that.

But it is thoughtwith provoking.

But Before I continue this awkward there are three particular stories I will tale I should explain something that centre on. may not be publicly known. After This one allegedly inthe 2006 these terrible crimes occurred occur and when ain ladspirit called Sean admitted he victim find those (on earth) shoplifted an item and ran outand of the who can see and hear them in shop pursued by a Security Guard.

As fewer cases re-run their final minutes Sean got to a corner (and the sky went before passing over, it does not mean dark) he turned and carried on running the receiver has to solve it or pass it but when he looked back he noticed on to the authorities. It is dependent

I

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on factors like whether we will be allowed to proceed by the powers that be and whether the police will believe us. As long as they do not prosecute receivers despite being fully aware of the crime committed and in some cases not publicised.

Where the body is, why it happened, when it happened and by whom? It is not a given that every poor victim will be allowed earthly his pursuer to be seen.other justice afterwas theynowhere pass over to the Relieved, he stopped and took in his side of life. If we can put a tick against surroundings. Everybody was wearing each of these obstacles then crimes clothes from the 1960’s and cars were will be solved very fast and efficiently. old fashioned from this era. Starting toAfter worryspeaking he brought out UK his modern to the police they mobilegophone, displayed no for don’t in for but thisitline of enquiry As he reason. walked back past to thecourt store asignal. very good If it goes he robbed he hinges noticedon it wasn’t the who one and the case a person he entered earlier. he looked remote viewed theAswhole thingahead it he could see the modern world.

When will be thrown out of court because he took a look behind him it on wasno still the defence will win based the 1960’s.

Frightened by his experience physical proof. However the Crown he caught a (modern) bus towill get not away.

Prosecution Service (CPS) The Security Guard that chased allow the case to reach court. him asserted that he was only a few paces So I told what I have just behind the this thiefman but as he got to that mentioned above. suggested I corner, the lad had He vanished.

He was bemused this.a police station and should gobyinto

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report everything. I said “They will not be interested.” He suggested “If I knew information I would report it.” I asked “To whom would you tell?” He replied with a shrug of his shoulders “The desk sergeant?” I said to him “OK, let’s put this to the test.”

I made up a fake crime and told him all the details. I said “Now you know everything what are you going to do?” He thought about it for a while rubbing his index finger appear across in his The other two stories chin. if I go toamy local police May’s“So edition and plausible answer to station” he eventually said,back “What the conundrum.

But going to an will happen me ifisI of spill the beans?” earlier point,towhich interaction, pondered on this.

If you talk to IIsaid “You will either be arrested someone from a longtheir ago time. era and or cited for wasting ” He influence to take a different course looked at them me with incredulity.

“Why to one that they happen?” historicallyAgain did take, would he would that have with ramifications on the“Because here and grappled this situation. now?

Also if you collect an item from you have no physical proof or know the 1950’s, does it travel with you back where to get it” I told him. to the present day?

I admitted I had made the crime up to prove a point. He was palpably relieved. Yes the crime can be typed out and posted but the police would be more interested in the sender than the information. How many hoaxes and false leads do you think the police get? www.lancmag.com

Cricket Club Lands a Real Catch with Redrow Donation A LOCAL cricket club will be able to undergo restorations so its players can enjoy the game throughout the season thanks to a community fund donation from housebuilder Redrow.

Left: Redrow’s Tyler Adams and Sarah Smith from Bramhall Cricket Club

Bramhall Cricket Club, based on Church Lane in Woodford, received £1000 from Redrow’s community fund, tied to Woodford Garden Village, that has gone towards the repairs and maintenance of the ground drainage system to enable more cricket to be played in times of inclement weather.

daily exercise. The Fred Perry Way goes across the ground.

Subsequently when cricket started again, the club found that more people would come to watch because of the safe environment it offered so people could be outdoors and socially distance themselves around the ground.

Phil Duffy, treasurer and groundsman at the club, said that the ground is in an area of a high-water table and full of east Cheshire clay so water retention is always an issue: “The project is to install additional drainage inspection chambers so we can clear the silt at various points around the ground. Up to now, we’ve been able to complete part of the project with the rest to be completed after the season finishes in September.”

Simon Bennett, interim sales director at Redrow NW said: “Local sports clubs such as Bramhall Cricket Club, are a huge part of local communities and they were all hugely missed when we were placed into lockdown. The fact that Bramhall Cricket Club will now be able to play throughout the cricket season, whatever the weather, will be a huge benefit to the players and community.”

The Club, that has 10 junior teams ranging from u7’s to u19’s, will now be able to offer more cricket matches during the season now that the drainage system is being fixed as the pitches won’t remain waterlogged. At the moment, after heavy rain it takes a number of days for the water to drain away and games cannot be played during this time, even if the weather is dry.

Through its community fund, Redrow has shared £10,000 between eight local groups.

During the initial lockdown period the cricket ground became a safe place for people to walk round and get their www.lancmag.com

To find out more about the three and four-bedroom homes currently available at Woodford Garden Village visit: www.redrow.co.uk/ansonmeadows or for more information on the two-bedroom luxury apartments at The Courtyard visit: www.redrow.co.uk/thecourtyard LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 19

The Second Scottish Independence Referendum Norman Harris gives us his thoughts on the Scottish Independence Referendum The second Scottish Independence Referendum is now at the top of the agenda of the SNP. Just like the Tories with a 2020 focus on Brexit, the SNP has the almost single focus of Independence. Yet the party is currently in turmoil.

T

he impacts of Brexit on the Union are now beginning.

Scotland leads in the demands for independence (they voted against Brexit). Border complications in Northern Ireland could result in a united Ireland and Wales has a Nationalist party.

Gordon Brown spoke on 25 Jan to news outlets on why the public has lost trust in how the UK is run and he outlined what should be done, basically more power to regional and national assemblies. We can have too many politicians per capita!

The Economist on page 19 of their 30 Jan issue indicated many of the constitutional problems that need to overcome to achieve independence but did not discuss what I outline below.

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SNP has 61 out of 129 seats in the Edinburgh Parliament, they only need 4 more for an absolute majority. A pity Labour handicapped themselves by voting for Boris’s EU Deal. Labour should have abstained on the final EU vote, that action would not have meant a disastrous NO DEAL and the vote should have been left as an entirely Tory deal. By abstaining may have helped Labour in the Scottish elections, nearer to achieving second place in the Scottish Parliament.

We can be certain that there will be as many lies in the Scottish Independence Referendum debate and there were in the Brexit debate.

Scotland gets more per head out of the UK tax purse than any other region. They will have to make this up from their own taxes for their unique and expensive policies on elderly care and free higher education. With Independence, Scotland would have to decide on a currency and a taxation policy to take over all functions of that remain with the UK government.

Defence locations in Scotland are seen as a problem and will need to be repatriated to the remaining UK. Is that a huge problem?

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Barrow in Furness make the submarines and I think The Shetlands (no fan of Edinburgh) may accept the revenue from a RAF air defence and surveillance station. There will of course be a capital cost to the UK, but also a revenue loss to Scotland.

When the Scots call for a second Referendum, Boris should not reject it. Instead, if it is possible that even he has learned from Brexit, he should insist that the margin for leave should be stated, say at least 60% in favour with a 60% turnout and that there can no repeat of the exercise for at least 15 years.

The Scots legitimate desire to rejoin the EU may well be rejected by the EU because of the border with England. Arguably a more difficult border than in Ireland., where there is a chance that it will disappear in time.

If the Scottish people know the facts and still want to separate from the rest of the UK, then let them get on with it. I wish them well. But they should note the squabbles within the SNP their governing party.

As a footnote, Gavin Esler, broadcaster, and author in his book “How Britain Ends” published by Head of Zeus postulates that even now it is too late to save the Union. www.lancmag.com

The life of Di

A monthly column by Di Wade, the author of ‘A Year In Verse’

INTERESTING SUMMER SO FAR...

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t was apparently baking at Wembley for our 1-nil defeat of Croatia, (which, ever the pessimist, I’d expected to be a 6-nil defeat BY them), and warm enough even in bracing Blackpool to allow me to sit out and listen to a scintillating French Open final. Barely two weeks later however, you could almost hear the amusement in Clare Balding’s voice as she announced there was no play at Eastbourne owing to its piddling down - or words to that effect anyway. Meanwhile, up here, it was clear it was going to be a case of a Sainsbury’s paella and scrabble at home by way of my dad’s birthday on the morrow – I said as much to a passing yeti. The morrow however quickly showed itself to be the kind of summer’s day Shakespeare might’ve been furiously scribbling sonnets about. Was gobsmacked, as the bard himself probably wouldn’t have put it.

Thus after tramping various green and pleasant ways, admiring darling buds of all sorts everywhere, we reverted to Plan A, and went to the Red Lion for lunch, where one could sit out. Perfect, or it would have been but for the constant need to fend off seagulls once the actual grub arrived: www.lancmag.com

I’d barely picked up my cutlery when one apparently swooped down, grabbed one end of my fish, (which was no minnow), and but for my dad’s quick reactions, would’ve made off with the lot. Meanwhile, its mates seemed scarcely less interested in my dad’s gammon, or my mum’s chicken tikka masala. Veritable eye-opener.

I’d heard that one’s dinner might be under threat were one to stroll along the prom in Devon or Cornwall with it, but never of such dangers pertaining to the outside of hallowed northern hostelries, and I think I’d rather hoped our seagulls would have a bit more class and restraint. Clearly not, though at least this bunch departed empty-handed – shortly before we ourselves departed - to watch Heather Watson not winning at Eastbourne, despite frequently establishing leads from which it seemed she couldn’t possibly lose. Tad frustrating, though as my mum pointed out, you had to watch to know, and the subsequent walk back to my place was a veritable joy, being amid an evening which warmed one through and through, gladdened the heart, and bathed gardens in a golden fire. This was all the more remarkable as the rest of the week was more like bleak midwinter, and on so-called Midsummer’s Day itself, I’d strongly to resist the urge to put the heat back on.

It’s since been as mixed as the doubles we’ve been so surprisingly good at in recent times. Heading for our first dental appointment in over a year, (oh the joys denied us during lockdown), the three of us found ourselves in town half an hour earlier than necessary, so parked ourselves on a bench outside Sainsbury’s and put the world to rights as to the previous day’s Wimbledon action. Thoroughly pleasant interlude actually – and who knew that anything

to do with a dentist could be pleasant?

Only thing was, a previously overcast day turned suddenly brightly sunny, and none of us had brought sunhats – except you don’t do you, not when your only plan was to submit to some poor bloke peering into your cakehole?

By contrast, walking up at Rossall the other day, my dad and I rudely had the equivalent of a swimming pool dropped on us. My dad had just been indicating some points of interest, (a flat-calm sea, a couple of canoeists, a whole bunch of fishermen, and a dirty black cloud, which might well let rip at some point), when the first heavy drops fell, as though directly to confirm the veracity of his last statement. We duly headed straight back to the car, only the sudden rainfall simply got heavier and heavier, as though determined both to prove how hard it could do it, and that we should be soaked through, however much we might make like Usain Bolt. The mere minute it took me to fling myself into the front passenger seat on our finally reaching the car seemed more than sufficient to flood the entire vehicle, by which point I was all out of curses regarding such a downpour happening the one time I’d not deemed it necessary to take a waterproof with me.

The only plus was that we might have been still further from the car but for stopping on the way out to rescue a baby swallow, (swallowlet, swallowling?), which my dad spotted stranded in the gutter. He’d picked it up and transferred it to safety, though not before it’d accidentally fluttered down onto my arm, and utterly enchanted, it’d been all I could do not to try and take it home.

Interesting summer as I say.

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Denise Mullen is a journalist, writer and entrepreneur.

His Body is a Temple: Mine’s More of a Wine Bar

By Denise Mullen

S

o after the fourth lecture about how ‘we aren’t drinking through the week,’ and ‘we need to cut down what we eat,’ and ‘I’ve got to get into training for The Big One,’ before his epic (honestly, a true use of the word, Orcs, Sword of Aragon and everything) climb, off he went to the Lake District to train.

He was training for his assault on of The Trampoline of the Merge (or something that sounds a bit like that). I’ve tried Googling it but fail even though he’s mentioned it a million times. It just won’t stick (because I don’t listen). So I can’t be pinpoint accurate here for detail-sticklers.

From what I can gather, this trip would be a bit like practicing your scales on a recorder before conducting the New York Philharmonic to televised millions.

It’s some nut-crunchingly terrifying mountainous range somewhere. He’s pointed at it on maps. I can confirm, it is really pointy.

His body was a temple, he told me, and I had to support him through the training regimen. I saw this as becoming some sort of dusty temple antiroom where they kept the musty-smelling hymn books, rugs smelling of cat pee, mothballs and mice. I committed. Although that changed.

So off he went.

Being a good-ish wife, I zipped ‘scene of crime’ tape around the fridge and vowed to support him in spirit as I worked on the PC fuelled only with granola, peanuts (ok there’s a bit of oil in those, but it’s ‘good’ oil) and Diet Coke.

Until, that is, I got the call. At 9.30pm.

I remember it like it was yesterday. He said: ‘Helloooo, sho, howssssh you und shhh pushhhy catsh.’

In the background could be heard clinking and beery laughs. Also, Glen Campbell Wichita Linesman and, I think, two border collies having an altercation.

Mobile phone clamped betwixt ear and shoulder, I edged along a knife edge precipice toward the fridge (avoiding cat bowls and ironing board) to fling open the door to a recentlyforbidden paradise and snatch a bottle of Sauv Blanc.

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‘You’re squiffy.’ I observed, slitty-eyed and grim-lipped as I unscrewed the top with one hand.

Since his ‘training’ began we’ve been low carb, zero fat, zero alcohol and zero tolerance of anything the other one says.

‘I reshhhcued some bloke I found on a mountain ….

Hah Hah … shooo we had to cum to the phub. I’ve had five pints and a glaassssh of red wine.’

He is triumphant. High on this life-saving intervention which changed the course of events for a geography lecturer who had been mildly bamboozled in a light mist on a hill near Kendal.

My husband. Johnny-the-mongoose-France. Alcohol tolerance of a fruit-fly. He’s in hard-core training for a trip to The Trambone of the Meringue (what IS it called) in Sweden (or somewhere hillier, possibly beginning with ‘S’) and is still chunnering as I reach down a large glass from the ‘glasses fancy’ cupboard and pour. Yep, no holding back at my end.

We journeyed toward our telephone goodbyes with protestations of love at his end and rustling at mine. I was bent double and scrabbling inside a lower cupboard in the hopes of an overlooked family bag of full-carbs, full-fat, high-salt cheese balls (with additives). At this stage I was happy to forgive a challenging ‘sell-by’ too.

By the way, he did do that big climb – apparently not in Sweden – nearer Toblerone County I think. Traverse of la Merge, Mango, Meringo.

Nope, still not right. Sounds like that though.

Anyway the pictures of the vertiginous drops (from his big climbing trip, not from my wine glass) made my palms sweat.

Not bad for a man whose training mainly centred on getting pie-eyed in a pub in the Lake District with a stray bloke encased in squelching corduroy furrows.

I can only assume that extreme mist-wicking of said geography trousers contributed to his lagging behind the group.

Really, Spongebob. Call yourself a geography teacher… www.lancmag.com

Snow Angels Anyone?

By Denise Mullen

O

ur lovely mate Dev is a larger-than-life character.

A devoted wildlifelover (birds of prey are a particular favourite) he is a former tank commander who, these days, has a tree-felling business.

He could also be mistaken for pretty much any Disney villain/henchman.

He’s about 6ft 4ins and built like a barn door. Black goatee, shaven head, beer keg in front of the six pack and a penchant for hi-vis gilets teamed shorts and crocs. An amiable chap, but, whatever he’s wearing, no one’s going to cross him.

Dev very kindly supplies us with logs and we built a little depot for him on the farm. The structure soon took on another life altogether however. It’s now kitted out with a wood burner, table, squishy bench seating, BBQ and lighting. So, of course, it was renamed ‘Devos’ and our homefrom-home Greek taverna was born, complete with regular resident Greek Disney villain. It is all very convivial.

His leadership skills have been military honed. For a while, after hitting ‘civvie street’ as a young man fresh out of the army, he took a job at a local biscuit factory. Without a doubt, one of the attractions was the www.lancmag.com

female-dominated workforce.

Soon he’d carved a niche for himself and had even started a fell-walking group. The group, much to Dev’s disappointment, was all-men, but he threw himself into the spirit of the thing and arranged a Lake District adventure.

He and four other biscuit blokes took to the fells on a wintery day that stretched into early evening when a blizzard blew in. Soon all visibility had gone and the guys reached a point where they took the decision to stop trudging through the thickening – and now drifting – snow, and take stock of their options.

Dev decided they’d press on a little further, despite not being exactly sure where they were. Then he took another one and announced to the increasingly nervous lads that their only option now would be to dig in and create a snow shelter.

Bearing in mind these were city lads. The nearest thing to a hill they had come across previously had been encountered while mistakenly clicking onto Countryfile whilst flipping the TV remote.

Cold and desperate, in a world that offered no clue where the next McDonalds would be coming from,

one of the lads wandered off a bit into a deep drift. Dev called him back, warning him not to stray and ticking off the dangers of frostbite, exposure, getting separated from the group etc.

The lad turned and shouted. ‘I think we’re already dead Dev.’ ‘What do you mean?’ shouted Dev. ‘I can hear angels singing,’ shouted his bewildered companion.

Dev trudged over to grab his stray biscuit boy, then strained his ears.

He could hear it too.

‘Stay here,’ he warned the lads and pushed his 6ft 4inch frame through another drift. Cresting the banked snow, he found himself in the car park of The Cat and Fiddle pub where there was a bit of a beery sing song going on.

Ten minutes later the lads were tucking into pie, chips, mushy peas and a couple of pints.

The moral of this story? To be honest, there isn’t one. I just love it when the country-lore, army-trained hero is trumped by an 18-year old biscuit factory worker who’s never been further than Walton, lives with his mum – and believes in angels.

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At Home with the Pankhurst Family

New Permanent Exhibition at Manchester’s Pankhurst Centre own aspirations were sometimes left unfulfilled, Adela’s career dreams of being a teacher put to one side to join her mother and sisters in their work to achieve the enfranchisement of women. It also includes looking at the influences from both within the family and the radical city of Manchester in which they lived.

At Home with the Pankhurst Family is a significant milestone for this small museum, which is the country’s only museum dedicated to female suffrage and exploring what the legacy of this means; past, present and future.

That it has been made possible is thanks to funding from AIM Biffa Award History Makers, as part of the Landfill Communities Fund.

The Pankhurst Centre museum occupies the ground floor of 62 Nelson Street, with the room layouts very much intact and the story flowing from the entrance hallway, where visitors are reminded of the campaigners who saved the building from destruction in the 1970s, to the parlour where Emmeline Pankhurst held the first meeting of what would become known as the suffragettes.

Ruth Colton, Heritage Manager of the Pankhurst Centre, says, “Our aim is to give visitors the chance to discover more about the family behind the Pankhurst name and how they became both change makers and historical icons. The exhibition’s striking boldness reflects the strength behind the campaigning of the suffragettes and yet we are also reminded that this began from the setting of a family home.”

The transformation of the Pankhurst Centre exhibition space is incredible thanks to its new permanent exhibition, At Home with the Pankhurst Family.

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ts opening also marks the reopening of the Grade II* listed former home of Emmeline Pankhurst, with community groups invited to enjoy the experience from Thursday 29 July, prior to the public opening from Sunday 29 August.

The exhibition enables visitors to get to know the people behind the iconic Pankhurst name; their lives, influences, tragedies, resourcefulness and the factors that turned them into the campaigners that they became.

This includes how they used their skills, notably Sylvia as an artist, and how their campaigning meant that their

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TAKING YOU THROUGH THE AT HOME WITH THE PANKHURST FAMILY EXPERIENCE In room one we find out more about the Pankhursts as a whole family than has ever been previously explored in an exhibition, revealing more of their private lives, their early lives and about them as individuals – how they lived and worked in this space and what led them to be a family of activism. It is an intense experience with the loss of a son following the loss of a husband and the reduction in circumstances that brought them to this house, with strong graphical imagery forming the backdrop to a narrative that is illuminated by photographs, artefacts and objects.

Then in room two visitors find themselves confronted by an audio visual experience, which immerses you into the environment as the Votes for Women campaign reaches www.lancmag.com

Then finally spend a little time in the tranquil Pankhurst Centre garden, which was created thanks to over 500 Crowdfunder supporters in 2017. It’s a beautiful way to enjoy the suffragette colours of green, white and purple through nature and to reflect on their meaning and the powerful story they represent. On museum open days the garden will also be home to Coffee Cranks Co-operative serving hot drinks, sandwiches and cakes.

The exterior of the Pankhurst Centre is also looking a bit sharper, thanks to some urgent works that have been carried out to the pillars and stone steps, which has been made possible thanks to the Friends of the Pankhurst Centre. And the front door and railings have been given a new coat of paint!

its pinnacle, and everything associated with this. Militant tactics, clashing viewpoints and media headlines are just some of the dynamics that are at play and help to convey the shockwaves that were generated by the suffragettes.

And from the very visceral atmosphere of room two visitors finds themselves in the Edwardian parlour of this family home; that spine-tingling moment when you realise that this is the space in which the first gathering of the suffragette movement took place and Emmeline Pankhurst first uttered the immortal words “Deeds not words” on 10 October 1903. As you take a seat at the table you are transported to this moment, with letters, photographs and accounts helping to take you there. There are also stories of how the Pankhursts’ home was not only used as a place to meet, plot and plan, but as a place of refuge for suffragettes who had been released from prison, including Annie Kenney.

Specialist museum consultancy Mather & Co. has created the design for At Home with the Pankhurst Family, working closely alongside the Pankhurst Centre’s team and a panel of volunteers who form the Pankhurst Committee. It is hoped that the reimagination of the museum is the start of a journey that will ultimately lead to the restoration of 60 and 62 Nelson Street Manchester, the location that for many years acted as the hub for what would become one of history’s most renowned political movements.

COMMUNITY GROUPS Recognising their support, work and dedication, particularly over the last 16 months, the Pankhurst Centre is dedicating its first month of opening to giving community a special experience. Community groups can find out more about arranging an organised visit, to take place from Thursday 29 July 2021, by emailing Ruth Colton: E r.colton@pankhursttrust.org

In the parlour you are also reminded that as well as Emmeline’s role as a Registrar of Births and Deaths, the reduction in financial circumstances following the death of her husband Richard, meant that during her time at Nelson Street she revived the interior business she had once run from her shop in London, Emerson and Co. The house was used as a showroom for her collections and the dresser in this room came from Emerson and Co – bought

by Emmeline’s brother Herbert it stayed in the Pankhurst family until it was donated to the Pankhurst Centre in 2016.

Bringing the whole experience together and reflecting upon the Pankhurst Centre of today and its vision for the future a project film is screening in the temporary exhibition space. And travelling along the walls is a timeline, Remembering Resistance, which shares critical moments of women’s activism over the hundred years following the granting of the vote to some women. This is also the area that will be used for activities, from workshops to family friendly events, and is where you can visit the pop up shop. www.lancmag.com

BOOKING DETAILS Public bookings for the Pankhurst Centre will open on Thursday 29 July 2021 for slots from Sunday 29 August.

Entry will be FREE with a suggested donation of £5.

Opening hours will be Thursday and Sunday, 11.00am to 4.00pm. For further information and to book tickets visit www.PankhurstMuseum.com LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 25

WHEN IS A CINEMA MORE

By Nicolas Chican - Founder, Ōma Cinema*

You might not expect Lancashire to be the seat of a new innovation in cinema, but it is.

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urrently in development, the MMC complex in Blackpool is set to grace the town with an all-new, IMAX-ready, 9-screen cinema – but there’s more. It will also be an esports café. An incubator space for digital media businesses. A conference facility as well as an entertainment destination and innovation hub.

Cinema has had a particularly difficult time over the last 18 months.

While many different industries have suffered due to lockdown, not many have had long term changes to their business models occur alongside the pandemic. Not only have cinemas not been able to open their doors to audiences, but the film industry has also seen the rules change when it comes to agreements over streaming windows. Even when the nation’s big screens could reopen for short windows of time, schedules were subject to reduced capacities and choosing from a suite of ‘classic’ films rather than the latest blockbusters which could pull audiences back in again. Those

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in the industry could be forgiven for asking where the sector goes next.

The MMC development offers one avenue for Blackpool, Lancashire – rather than a multiplex development as we have come to know them, it is a multi-functional space which is conceptualised as a community hub as much as it is a place to watch the latest releases. We would argue that it is just this kind of rethinking of what cinema spaces can and should be which points the way to a brighter future post-pandemic for cinema operators, and cinema lovers.

concerned that the interest of younger audiences in cinema on a global level was decreasing. They are also a key demographic for the success of cinema – making up a large proportion of the cinema audience overall (28%, for the 15-24 age group which makes up 12% of the UK population overall).

Clearly, getting these cinemagoers back through the cinema doors is a major focus.

For all age groups, it’s the shared experience which sets cinema apart.

But in the face of other options, and

After all, stop and think about what a cinema is. It is a place where people come together to share an experience, to be immersed in an experience together, focused on the entertainment. It’s not just about experiencing a new must-see film, although the recent success of Black Widow, long delayed by Covid, has shown that people still want to be wowed by new releases on the big screen – even if they are released on the same day as streaming.

Speaking of streaming, the impact of home releases has been one of the two biggest concerns for the cinema industry, at least prepandemic, along with connecting with younger audiences. Many have been

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THAN ‘JUST’ A CINEMA? the ease of just watching a film on your sofa even if the sound and picture won’t be such high quality, what’s required is also providing a reason to make that trip from living room to auditorium. It’s the shared element of the latter which stands out – but what if you were making that trip to a standout location too?

If the auditorium itself was a source of wonder and intrigue? It works for the notable drive-in cinemas, with beloved favourites screening in front of dramatic castles and backdrops.

But if big screen traditional cinemas

can tap into this uniqueness too, then they can reconnect with audiences who want to experience something which is impossible to recreate in their homes.

This is why it’s the interior of the cinemas which needs rethinking. The MMC is one approach, creating a multifunctional space. Another is the interior of the cinemas themselves.

The physical inside layout of modern cinemas hasn’t seen much change over the last few decades. Plus, sitting next to strangers in rows won’t help audiences who are cautious postpandemic. But remodelling interiors to move away from rowed seating, to create an environment which combines that feeling of safety and uniqueness as well as a memorable film experience? That’s something people will leave their sofas for.

Our idea is just one way to rethink cinema interiors. The Ōma cinema design uses the full height of a cinema space to place cinemagoers on separate balconies, rather than in rows.

Each platform can have a different configuration of seats, from armchairs, and sofas to something closer to smaller sets of rows, depending on the designs of the operator. Instead of entering the auditorium together, there is a separate rear access for each ‘pod’ of seats.

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Audiences on the balconies are also located much closer to the screen, meaning they can really immerse themselves in the film, without any potential distractions from other people sitting right in front of them.

Flexible enough to also work for theatre venues as well as cinemas, this design keeps the ‘event’ nature of going to the cinema, a musical or a play in a unique environment, and makes the most of a big screen’s benefits – impact, size, quality, and sharing that experience with others simultaneously.

Cinema has a special place in people’s hearts, and often that space is associated with nostalgia.

Typically, people become fans of the big screen experience at a young age and keep coming back to it to find that sense of wonder and spectacle that they had when they were young.

However, cinema can and does engage modern audiences in its own right. By rethinking how the space itself is used, we can give modern audiences new reasons to experience the wonders of the movies, and keep people coming back to be entertained again and again.

*Ōma is an intimate, vibrant and unforgettable cinematic experience: https://omacinema.com/

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The Squirrel Man of York and Other Relatives

By Kate Gostick Who would have known when my son, Edward, had to draw out his family tree for cub scouts I was to begin a journey of discovery, not only of our past, but of my present and my future.

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t was a discovery of who I was, why I was, of where I had come from and where I was going. My cousin had already traced my dad’s side back to the 1700’s and given Edward the most impressive family tree for the scout project, but I wanted to see if I could go further. My mum had a lovely old Victorian photo album full of nameless photos each surrounded by painted flowers. She knew they were the family of her grandmother, who had died when her father was only a child, but nobody knew their stories. I longed to know who all these people were. I was an only child, the daughter of an only child, who was the daughter of an only child. A lady in the album, I was told, was named Sarah. Sarah was calling out from the faded sepia photo for me, as her only great grandchild, to prevent her being forgotten. If these people were not to be lost to time it was down to me!.

One night, my husband was away and there was not much on the TV so, after I put the kids in bed at 8 pm, I signed up for a genealogy website and started to fill in the blanks. Vivid green leaves flickered on the screen, signalling documents that may be linked to the person on that branch. I started to click on them and the dark abyss came alive with a cascade of emerald flickers as my tree began to grow. When I looked up at the clock it was 2 am! This wasn’t the first time that six hours would fade into one as

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an obsession was born. I longed to know more.

My mum had remembered visiting her Aunt Maria just after the war and staying in a house next to a church in Stockton on the Forest.

We looked at all the houses near the Stockton’s church, but non rekindled the memories of the time with Aunt Maria. Her memories of her time there were fond ones, although when she told me that Aunt Maria wouldn’t let her have pink juicy ham that hung from the hook in the larder because it wasn’t good for her digestion, which did not seem like fun to me. We found other houses in other villages, but non of them seemed right. While she was there my mother told us she would also visit an uncle who was a blacksmith and had a trained squirrel that ran up the curtains. My mum’s memory was strong for all the details, but not for the location of the house itself and the whole trained squirrel thing seemed a little far fetched, suggesting her memory may not be what it once was. A part of me just wondered if she had forgotten, but also deep down I knew she was like an elephant and never forgot!

When I did a DNA test whole new adventures were to begin. New connections were formed and each person I came into contact with splashed a little more colour into the story and contributed something to my knowledge, but non as much as Debbie who came up as a match on the maternal grandfather’s side.

I emailed her and told her that my mother remembered visiting family near York around the time of the war. I told her of Aunt Maria and Uncle Tom and the squirrel training blacksmith, adding that my mum may have got a

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little confused since it was now over seventy years since she last visited. I asked if any of her family remembered this uncle and his squirrel and if they knew his name. I wondered if that was the last I would ever hear from her, assuming she would regard us as the mad distant cousins who thought people trained squirrels for a living so I emailed and told her we had a photo album in the hope of keeping her interest. Much to my surprise she emailed back a newspaper cutting of her mother’s cousin Geoff holding an orphaned squirrel named Wilfred which he had trained and looked after as a pet. He remembered my mum and still lived near York and when Debbie’s mother, Molly, had seen the photos she told us she had a similar album which contained many of the same photos and also had names attached. Best of all we could all take a big sign of relief knowing my mum was just as sharp as ever and squirrels were cleverer than we had ever imagined!

On our next trip home we headed up to my mum’s and then over the Pennines to take her to York. Molly was just like my mum. A woman with a strong moral code who was very practical and gave the impression of not standing for any messing. Molly was kind enough to share a wealth of information with us and it was lovely to put names to the photographs as well as stories and memories. A man with a moustache seemed to listen intently from the pages of the album as he came alive on the sepia page before us. No longer anonymous, he became George, a man who struggled with the inner conflicts that resulted from shell shock, and eventually become over whelmed by them. A lady on a bike made up of reddish browns on www.lancmag.com

the monochrome photograph became Aunt Elizabeth dashing from house to house delivering telegraphs as curtains twitched and rumours spread about the effects of such a contraption on her fragile feminine internal organs and possible future infertility. She was not consumed by others’ objections to progress, she fought to become a modern woman finding her own path.

She found that path cycling under the blue skies of Yorkshire, lined with purple bluebells dancing in the green glades. Her world was one filled with colour unlike the sepia photograph or the men, whose letters she rode to deliver, fighting in the grey trenches of Flanders Fields.

Molly took us to visit her cousins and my mum was reunited with the Squirrel Man of York who recounted his vivid memories of her visit seventy years before. He had wanted to go to the cinema, but was forced to stay home and entertain his cousin visiting with her mother and father from the other side of the Pennines. My mum’s memories of sitting on a bench and talking to an Italian prisoner of war also turned out to be true as did her memories of running with her cousins through the wheat fields to Aunt Maria’s and Uncle Tom’s. Molly took us to see Aunt Maria’s cottage nestled next to a church, looking like the idyllic retreat that inhabited my mother’s distant memories, but not in Stockton as my mum had believed, instead in the nearby village of Warthill. Long gone was the water pump which stood in the garden from which Aunt Maria refused to allow my mother to collect water to wash her face in the morning, instead insisting that she used cold rainwater as it was better for her complexion and would give her skin a peachy glow.

Molly told us how the Italian Prisoners of War were housed in a camp in the nearby Stockton Hall and were taken by bus to work on the nearby farms, replacing the Yorkshire men now fighting abroad. I imagined the Italian man who joined my mother and her parents on the bench, stopping for a moment maybe to eat his lunch and read a letter from home. I imagined his dark olive skin and thick black hair, which seemed very exotic to my mother, who at that time had never encountered a foreigner before. I imagined his warm smile greeting her hiding his longing www.lancmag.com

to be back with his own family on a warm Tuscan hillside, but relieved he was no longer fighting in the fields of Europe. I could not help but wonder what my grandfather, a man who was home on leave from the conflict on the west coast of Italy, would have talked about with a man incarcerated for fighting against his comrades. It just shows the absurdity of war that at that moment two men could pass the time of day on a bench on a spring day in Yorkshire, but months earlier could have been pointing guns intent on annihilating each other on the hills that surrounded Naples.

Apparently, the fields of Yorkshire were filled with prisoners of war taking on the heavier work originally done by the land girls living in Stockton House. Molly reminisced about Goddard a POW who carried on living in the wash house of the farm where he worked long after the war had ended, unwilling to return to his native Austria as his village was in the Soviet sector. She gave the impression that wartime was far from unpleasant and the village was a hive of activity. My mother said the village seemed to have changed very little in the last seven decades and maybe this was why it was easy for me to imagine her stories coming alive.

Molly and my mother compared stories of VE day. Molly had spent her time eating sticky iced buns piped with her name, provided by local servicemen who also gave the children rides on their Jeeps around the parkland that surrounded the Hall.

My mother had few memories of that day saying she only remembered going to a field for a bonfire, but her memories were strong for the weeks following victory. She went with my grandmother to South Station in Blackpool to greet her father returning from the battles to regain control of Italy. My grandfather and the men that fought alongside him were referred to as the “D-Day Dodgers” reportedly by Lady Astor. This was a cruel term for men who had watched thousands of comrades fall in some of the most brutal combat of the war, but whose sacrifices were overshadowed by the invasion of Normandy. As my grandfather had stepped off the train in the demob suit and trilby hat that he had been given to ease him back into civilian life, he greeted his little girl, a virtual stranger, with his deep

voice. This did not match the softer tones that she had imagined as his words sung out in her head from his letters and she was horrified at this baritone voice that greeted her. She told Molly of how she learnt to knit at school and remembered sitting in rows with classmates, needles clicking as they made mittens and helmets to be sent to Europe. Molly shared her school day memories as Debbie and I listened in, gaining a glimpse of our mothers’ pasts.

“We didn’t get lovely sticky iced buns from the servicemen,” my mum recounted indignantly. “We were only given chocolate, which was waxy and bitter and cut with a knife from a huge brick sent by the Americans. It was a strange time.” We used to stand on the doorstep in St Annes and look up at the sky which glowed red. My Mother said, “That’s Liverpool burning! So we were lucky weren’t we Molly?”

Molly nodded in agreement as she rummaged in a drawer and pulled out yet more photos.

Molly had photos of my grandad that matched those we already had.

The identical clothes, little shorts and a matching jacket, brown with a big, white, sailor collar, socks almost to the knee and lace up boots. There were however different photographer’s props. On our photo he was perched on the edge of a carved wooden chair with a backdrop of stone columns.

On her photo he was on a stone bench and the painted backdrop now showed Yorkshire’s rolling hills and a little farmhouse. His shoulder length blond curls, parted in the middle were now covered with a little hat which matched his suit. All showed a picture of a little boy, obviously adored by his parents who were eager to capture this moment for posterity.

The photos showed their pride which they shared by sending the pictures to family members who had not seen him as often as they may like. Molly had photos of my grandad sat with his parents, unaware that their time together was soon to come to an end. I wondered if his mother’s brain tumour had started to manifest or if they were totally unaware of what was to come, posing like the perfect family. These are the questions I wish I had asked, I wish my mum had asked.

These are the kinds of questions I was determined to record for future generations who may ask them of me.

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A Love Affair with Cranford New exhibition opening at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House Following a successful fundraising campaign the Elizabeth Gaskell bedroom project was launched not long before the Covid-19 pandemic, which has added to the challenges faced by the small volunteer team that has carried out the work.

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s volunteer and Trustee Adam Daber, explains, “The starting point for our endeavor was the 1914 auction catalogue, which was produced when the house was sold following the death of Elizabeth’s daughter Meta. This gave us lots of clues of what we should be looking for together with our own extensive research. But even with that we found that we had to take a number of U-turns in a search that became global in its scope. The bed and the carpet created the biggest challenges, but now also help to create the wow factor when you walk in the room.”

The four poster bed is attributed to master makers Gillows of Lancaster and is circa 1785, reflecting of the fact that it is likely that some of Elizabeth’s own furniture may well have been second hand or family heirlooms. Many hours went into the research of this piece and many more into its construction, before a polish of beeswax and a dressing with a range of beautiful bedding fabrics. Finishing touches include two nightstands upon which visitors will be fascinated to see a selection of bedtime reading for both Elizabeth and

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her husband William. It was also known that Elizabeth’s preference throughout the house was for fitted carpets, and the team were fortunate to find one of the last pieces of Yorkshire made ‘Brussels’ looped carpet, which has been specially hand-stitched in panels just as it would have been in 1860.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s bedroom has been designed in vibrant colours, including vivid shades of cornflower blue and deep rich reds, as was the taste of the Victorian period. It’s a comfortable room, but not the largest bedroom in the house; she saved the largest for guests, which included fellow writer Charlotte Bronte.

Known to have favourite writing spots throughout the house, it is thought that Elizabeth’s bedroom would have been one of these, whether for writing short stories or catching up on her correspondence.

Volunteer and Trustee Jane Baxter has been involved in sourcing much of the fabric that visitors will see in the room, but there is one aspect that has eluded her search. “The fabrics, both in colour and texture, help to make this room and I’m overjoyed at the results.

However, I have an ongoing quest for www.lancmag.com

items that will enable us to illustrate that this was also William Gaskell’s bedroom, so my search continues for suitable Victorian men’s clothing and personal items.”

One of the outcomes of the project was an even greater insight into Elizabeth Gaskell herself. For Louanne Collins, Vice Chair of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House and a volunteer for the bedroom project, one of the fascinations was the realisation of how knowledgeable Elizabeth was about fashions of the time. Prized pieces that will go on display include an original hooded cape, lace gloves and lace shawls all belonging to Elizabeth and her daughters and which are on loan from the Gaskell Family Collection. Louanne Collins says, “This project has enriched our insight into Elizabeth Gaskell in so many different ways that will add even further to the information that our guides are able to share with visitors to the house.”

But what of Elizabeth’s own family? What do they think of the project? Sarah Prince, Elizabeth Gaskell’s great, great, great Granddaughter and a huge supporter of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, says, “Mrs Gaskell’s bedroom will draw visitors to another dimension of the house. We are treated to not just the public rooms of this wonderful Victorian home, but a private and intimate space that would have nonetheless been at the heart of her home. Whenever I walk up the steps and through the front door, I wonder anew at the lives of my ancestors that were lived in this house. Now the journey up that beautiful staircase under the clerestory window will elevate us to another level, encompassing the essence of Mrs Gaskell into the whole house.”

“Thinking of Mrs Gaskell’s own reaction to the project, in her day I think that she would have been horrified by the thought of visitors to her bedroom, famously known for being a very private person. But I feel that were she a time traveller, and as a forward thinker, she would see the benefit of the conservation, restoration, education and enjoyment that her house gives to others.

“Every element of the Elizabeth Gaskell House project has been hard won; from the initial fundraising, the various set backs during the restoration and now a pandemic to interrupt and impede this new project. Those involved have, with their fortitude, tireless energy and enthusiasm completed another new and exciting project: the bedroom.”

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House will be open every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11:00am to 4:30pm. Entry is £5.50 for adults and £4.50 for concessions (senior citizens and students). Tickets can be pre-booked up to two weeks in advance via www.ticketsource.co.uk/elizabeth-gaskell-house

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DEBORAH LILITH HATSWELL is a phenomenonist,

writer, podcaster, Investigator and the founding member of the Being Believed Research and Investigations group. Deborah is the UK’s leading expert on the British Bigfoot and Dogman phenomenon and she has taken or researched over 3000 personal witness reports from all across the globe. Deborah is based in Lancashire and has formed a team of volunteer investigators researching the many witness reports that are reported each week to BBR.

Deborah is a witness herself to an impossible creature that she saw in 1982: “It took 30 years for me to find an official body that would take myself and my experience seriously. During those years, I found thousands of people in a similar position.

Their experiences were with Reptilian or Cryptid

AN OLD WOMAN AT THE WINDOW - WITNESS REPORT FROM THE MIDLANDS: “Last Wednesday 14/7/21 around four o’clock in the afternoon. I had to take a visit to my local shops which are only a short walk away from my home. On the way there I had to stop to tie my shoelaces as they had become loose. I bent down to tie them and as I did I had the feeling I was being watched. Which at the time was not that unusual to be honest as I was on a main road. As I stood up and looked around I happened to look up at an old house where there was an old lady who caught my attention from an upstairs window. She was standing there as plain as day and she was calling me with her hands to come to the house. I hesitated as she was a stranger to me and I get quite anxious at times, but what if she needed help? I didn’t know what to do as she kept on calling me, as if to say ‘come here, come to the door’.

I decided she probably needed help so I started to walk down her garden path to the front door.

She was an ordinary looking lady, grey, white hair, she looked like someone’s Grandmother or aged Aunt. As I looked back up at the window I noticed her walk away. I expected her to open the door but when I got to the door and knocked on it a different lady came to the door and said ‘yes can I help you?’ I felt really awkward and I was like ‘ermmmm, the old lady from the upstairs window got my attention and asked me to come to the door’. The lady looked horrified as I explained and she said ‘No, not at this house I’m afraid, I think you got the wrong house.’

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Creatures, Alien Beings and Shadow People, Invisible Entities and all manner of Dimensional Entities. Many of the witnesses are abductees who have had a lifetime of interaction. Some families have had to deal with phenomena for generations.

There are cattle mutilations and missing people all across the UK.” Deborah set up BBR to help those people find somewhere they could report their experiences to and encourages them to investigate the cases and theories for themselves.

Now it is time to bring all of the so-called ‘alternative subjects’ under the same roof and let’s share our knowledge bases in the hopes of answering some of the still unanswered questions...

I felt like I’d been stitched up here, was somebody playing a prank? Was this some kind of TV show thing? I took a few steps back and pointed up at the window in question and explained it was definitely that window there. So she came towards me and looked up and said ‘which window?’ So I pointed up again, and she looked at me and was almost in tears and said, ‘please just go away.’

I apologised and walked away confused. I walked away thinking what!!! I won’t bother again! I had almost gotten to the bottom of the road when I heard a voice shouting ‘excuse me’ coming from behind me. I turned around to see this chap walking towards me and he was gesturing for me to wait. I thought he was going to ‘start on me’ for knocking on the door and upsetting his wife. This wasn’t the case as he first apologised for his wife’s actions and then he went on to explain the situation to me that his motherin-law, his wife’s mother had passed away several weeks ago, the window I pointed at was in fact her bedroom and the one passed away in. This chap asked if I knew this information or knew the family and if it was a prank, I explained to him how I saw the old lady from the street and she called me to the door.

Let’s just say we had a good chat and went on our way.”

- Raymond White

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I once heard from a lady named Gill Walker, who lives in Grays Essex who had an entire conversation with an elderly chap in the local cafe. They chatted about their love of dogs and how the chap was a little worried as he was waiting for his wife to arrive.

She had gone into the hairdressers as she did every week to have her hair set. Gill and the elderly man shared stories of their children, until my friend realised she had been sitting there so long her coffee had gone cold.

Gill looked up in the hopes of catching the owner’s eye for a refill when she realised everyone in the cafe was staring at her table. She turned to see if the chap saw this also and he was gone. He had simply vanished along with his tea cup and saucer. Gill was really confused and thought at first it was some kind of prank. The owner at first thought she was some kind of nut who had been sitting talking to herself for over an hour. Gill explained about the old man who was sitting there when she first sat down.

The cafe owner asked her to describe the man she was talking to and what their conversation was about? When she did, the cafe owner explained the chap was called Frank Avis. He had lived along the road from the cafe and would visit most mornings with his wife until she passed away, then he would come alone and if anyone asked if he was waiting for someone he would reply that he was waiting for his wife. He too had passed on a number of years ago

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Gill was completely overcome with a wave of sadness, before complete confusion hit. She muttered her apologies and excuses and got out of there as fast as her wobbling legs would allow.

A HAUNTED HOUSE IN THE CALDER VALLEY - WITNESS REPORT: “In 1970 my family member and her husband bought a large four storey Victorian house. They managed to get it at quite a surprisingly low price for the size and location. The house had small woodlands behind it which dropped down to the river Calder and the Calder Valley.

I spent a lot of my childhood there but I never felt comfortable in the house. I loved spending time with my family. On the first day my eldest sister moved in, strange events started to happen. The first events that I remember happened around a framed picture of an older lady in Victorian attire that had been found in the cellar. My sister thought this might have been the original owner of the house and out of respect she decided to hang the portrait in the entrance hall. No matter how many times my sister hung it up it always ended up on the floor, yet the string and the nail remained intact. Or the picture when hung straight would be found lopsided. No matter how many times it fell, surprisingly the glass never broke.

Once I visited with my younger sister and our mum. I remember mum calling up the stairs for her to come downstairs but she was getting no response. Mum shouted “what are you doing up there”? And the next thing that happened was that my sister came out of a downstairs room. My Mum looked really confused and said ‘I’ve just seen a girl run across the top of the stairs wearing a red skirt. My sister was wearing jeans at the time.

My older sister said she’s seen this girl a few times before, just flashes of her out of the corner of her eye and only ever upstairs. At this point I have to

mention my oldest sister was always very sensitive to spirit and nothing fazed her. She often spent weeks on her own there as her husband’s work took him out of the country a lot.

They did quite a lot of improvements on the house over the years they lived there. One improvement was raising the floor in the main room, to try and make it warmer by reducing the size, as the room was always so cold. One night my eldest sister was sitting in there reading when she suddenly saw, half? yes’ half a lady who was carrying a tea tray wearing a mop cap as she glided across the floor through the lounge and out into the kitchen.

All she could see was this lady’s torso from the waist up. My sister jumped up and followed her into the kitchen but the lady had gone!

My sister reckoned this woman was walking on the level of the old stone floor that was there before the renovation and that’s why she could only see her top half.

Now there were six bedrooms upstairs in the house but only two in use. One was the master bedroom and the other room I stayed in with another of our sisters. I would never sleep in that room on my own! Every night our blankets would be pulled off us by unseen forces. Our feet would be tickled, we even heard a child laughing. At this time nothing bad ever happened, just strangeness.

The room at the end of the corridor always scared me the most but when her cat had kittens they were always going into this room so of course I found myself in there more often than not. I’d always put my shoe by the door to make sure it didn’t close on me. There was just something about that room that wasn’t nice. The far corner of the room always seemed darker than the rest of the room. One of the kittens was sitting staring at that corner and as I went to retrieve it the bloody door slammed shut on me.

I screamed blue murder as I couldn’t open it. I was shouting and crying to my sister, convinced she was holding the door handle on the other side, when it suddenly opened and I legged it out of there still screaming. As I passed the landing window I saw my

sister outside in the garden! My older sister tried telling me that the door was prone to sticking (but years later she admitted she’d lied about that).

My shoe that I put in the gap of the door was nowhere to be found and I had to get two buses home with one shoe and one slipper on, we never did find it.

Another strange event happened to my sister when she was 16. She was staying at my sister’s house with mum and our mum found her standing at a window which was two floors up and below was a cobbled path leading to the woodlands. She was in some sort of trance with tears rolling down her cheeks. Mum had to shake her to get her to respond. She said she’d had an urge to jump out of the window. My older sister did some research and found out that a young girl HAD killed herself at the house 80 years earlier.

She died after leaping out of this very window! So many other things happened at that house. Far too many to list here.

After too many events my sister and her family finally had enough of the house and decided to sell it. A week before they were due to move my sister suffered a slipped disc and was on bed rest for the next 6 weeks, so the sale fell through. The second time they found a buyer once again a week before the move her husband lost control of his car in an accident. He ended up wrapping the car round a lamp post breaking both his legs. As you can imagine the sale fell through.

The third time they tried to sell it a pipe burst flooding the master bedroom! My sister reckoned the house refused to let them leave. As the house had servants quarters that were empty and seldom used they decided to have building work done to split it into two houses and sold the upper part whilst they still lived in the bottom half.

...Until next time, Deborah

E debbiehatswell@gmail.com | D debhatswell.wordpress.com | T BbrDeborah

PATREON: www.patreon.com/DeborahHatswellBigfootReports YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/channel/UCYGn8pR90PO_oBzO jiZ23tA/ SPREAKER: www.spreaker.com/show/british-bigfoot APPLE PODCASTS: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/british-bigfoot-dogman/id1480592906?uo=4 www.lancmag.com

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 33

Daisy’s for East Lancashire Hospice On a beautiful Bank Holiday Saturday at the end of May, Daisy’s, for East Lancashire Hospice opened its doors to the people of Wilpshire and the surrounding areas for the first time.

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his new, flagship, luxury boutique style shop is the latest to join the East Lancashire Hospice Retail Portfolio and aims to lead the way in ethical charity retail.

Located at 781, New Whalley Road, Blackburn, BB1 9BE, the shop sells a vast array of pre-loved and new clothing, shoes, bags, boho style jewellery and accessories as well as a carefully selected number of gifts.

The concept for the new shop came about in response to the ever changing landscape on the high street which has dictated that customers are no longer just looking to simply make a purchase, instead they want an experience. In support of this and in contrast to the existing hospice shops, the new shop has been named Daisy’s which was chosen as it is the flower that is integral to the hospice logo.

It isn’t however just the concept for the new shop that’s special, in fact the owners of the premises, Adrian Swindlehurst and his wife Lisa have a particularly special link to the hospice 34

having previously run an newsagent and post office from the location for over 20 years. Recently, when the time came for them to retire, they could think of no better way to support their local hospice than to offer them the premises for lease.

For Adrian, the hospice has a ‘special place in his heart’ after his mother, Maddalena was cared for there, initially as a day patient going in every Thursday, which she thoroughly looked forward to as it was the highlight of her week, and later as an Inpatient. Adrian went on to explain that he initially had to talk his mum into being admitted, however once she was there, she realised it wasn’t what she had at first thought it would be.

for ethical retail – a boutique charity shop for fashion lovers; one that cares about its curation of fashionable product, wants to make a difference to its community and offer an exciting customer experience. “Our company have been proud to have been involved in the full implementation of this project from creating the original concepts, new ‘Daisy’s’ logo design, handmade display furniture, through to manufacturing a complete new shop front & signage”. Liza goes on to say, “we always like to offer our clients a stress-free turnkey service whereby everything is taken care of on their behalf. We are so delighted to be given the opportunity to work with such a wonderful charity which

He added, “I really wanted the hospice to have the shop and I feel that mum is up there now watching down over us and is proud of how we are supporting the hospice and that gives us great comfort. We wish the hospice the best of luck with their new venture and are confident that they will make a success of it supported by the wonderful community of Wilpshire and the surrounding areas”.

Instrumental in the re-development process were Darwen based company, Blue Insignia. Liza Ricioppo, Director at the company describes how they were involved in creating this bold new concept

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is very close to our hearts & would like to thank the team at the hospice for giving our company the chance to make their ideas a reality. Blue Insignia always go to great lengths to deliver quality craftsmanship from concept to creation and we can’t wait now to see it become a success!”

Sharon Crymble, Income Generation and Marketing Lead for East Lancashire Hospice commented “We are very excited to have opened our flagship store Daisy’s, in Wilpshire and on behalf of everyone at the hospice we would like to thank Adrian and his wife Lisa for enabling this to happen. A huge ‘Thank You’ must also go to Liza and the team at Blue Insignia who have blown us away with the results of the shop fit out. We wanted a store with a difference, one that would give our customers the ‘Wow factor’ and offer them a ‘shopping experience’ and that is absolutely what we have got!”

The official opening of the store was marked with a ribbon cutting undertaken by landlord Adrian, and was later followed with a Fashion Show to coincide with Pride month, involving local Drag Queens Kobrah and Anaconda, the perfect occasion to show just how glam is glam, with outfits selected from the East Lancashire Hospice Darwen Shop, beforehand. These included an Elsa style long flowing dress, silver sparkly all in one jumpsuit, a very chic flowery dress suitable for a summer wedding, christening or garden party and of course a Daisy’s fashion show wouldn’t be complete with an outfit featuring Daisy Dukes shorts. The fashion show really was the jewel in the crown, and everyone was really impressed by the outfits on display.

the involvement of a great deal of local people and businesses, many of whom have offered their time and services voluntarily. From the Utilities Warehouse, Eastham’s Flower Shop, the Flower Shack by Sarah and Amelia’s of Clitheroe, to the shop volunteers who are also giving their time to support this new venture, each and every person has played a valuable role in helping to ensure as much money as possible is raised for the provision of patient services both at East Lancashire Hospice and in the local community.

It is fair to say that from start to finish, this project has been a real community effort and one which wouldn’t have been possible without

And for those people who also enjoy a more traditional charity shop, there is a great deal to offer in the hospice’s Darwen, Great Harwood and Clitheroe shops, as well as the Furniture Showroom on Brunswick Street, Blackburn.

The next step for the hospice is to introduce an online shop for Daisy’s providing supporters with another option of where and how they can make a purchase.

Daisy’s for East Lancashire Hospice is located at 781, New Whalley Road, Blackburn, BB1 9BE Tel: (01254) 491261 Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.

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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 35

By Ken Harcombe - Volunteer Press Officer, Fleetwood RNLI The RNLI’s two main assets are its volunteers and their lifeboats. Whilst courage, commitment and dedication are required for one, the other need’s reliability, safety and speed.

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ecruiting operational volunteers is difficult, as so much is asked of them. Not only do they need to live close to the lifeboat station, they also need the backing of friends, family and sometimes, employers, who will be ready to support the volunteer when the RNLI pager goes off. That’s before they’ve demonstrated the commitment required for weekly training, midnight call-outs in winter and supporting vital fundraising activities.

But lifeboats are more straight forward. The charity prides itself in providing the best lifesaving equipment available; not only to ensure volunteer crews can launch safely to assist those in trouble at sea, but also (and most importantly) equipment that will make sure the crews return home to their family and friends, safely, whatever the weather.

The latest all-weather lifeboat to join the lifesaving fleet is the Shannon.

The new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat costs £2.2 million. State of the art technology and world class safety features doesn’t come cheap, but as a lifesaving service, the safety of its crews will always come first.

But the RNLI is privileged to receive generous bequests and donations and they are fortunate to have a good public profile.

But it’s not all large donations that help fund new lifeboats. The general public also play a major role and sometimes their combined contribution is just as impressive.

At Blackpool RNLI, both their D class in-shore lifeboats had reached the end of their service life and needed changing. A bequest helped with the first, but the Fylde’s busiest lifeboat 36

station put out an appeal to its local community. Not only did they raise the £52,000 required, they raised it within 12 months! A remarkable achievement.

But Blackpool’s local community involvement didn’t end there.

Naming a new lifeboat is generally the privilege of the donor. But because this was an enormous community effort, that option was impossible. So, it was decided to involve the very people who had funded the new lifeboat in the first place. They were asked to suggest a new name for the D class in-shore lifeboat. Once a short list had been drawn up, the Seasiders were able to vote on their preferred name for the town’s new in-shore lifeboat.

that period. A few weeks after joining the squadron, Kenneth tragically died in a training accident.

Kathleen was 15 years old at the time and lived with this tragic memory for a further 70 years. The RNLI and Fleetwood Lifeboat Station were very grateful to Kathleen that she chose to honour her brother and ensure his memory would live on for many years.

The seaside resort will welcome both new in-shore lifeboats to the town this autumn and by then, the result of the naming poll will be known.

Above: Wing Commander Paul Bell from 605 Squadron at the Naming Ceremony

Above: Harbet and KJP

When Fleetwood RNLI received their new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat in 2016, it was as a result of a major bequest from Kathleen Pierpoint, of Altrincham, who provided the bulk of the cost and the request was made to name the lifeboat after her brother, Kenneth James Pierpoint.

As the Second World War raged, Kenneth gave up his university degree course at Cambridge to join the RAF Volunteer Reserves as a trainee pilot. He quickly attained the rank of Pilot Officer and in the August of 1942, joined 605 Squadron, based at RAF Ford in Sussex. But his career was short lived, as so many others were during

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Fleetwood RNLI volunteers were also privileged to welcome Wing Commander Paul Bell from 605 Squadron at the Naming Ceremony, who represented the Pierpoint family on the day. In his speech, he informed the attendees that 605 Squadron’s motto was ‘Nunquam dormio’, which translated is ‘I never sleep’. It fits perfectly with the lifeboat named after a comrade from a previous generation.

When RNLI Lytham St Annes was due for a new lifeboat, to replace the station’s Mersey class all-weather lifeboat, royally named Her Majesty The Queen; along with a substantial local fundraising effort, their major contribution came from the estate of Barbara Anne Cameron Roberts of Winchester. Of course, shortening the name to ‘Barbara Anne’ led some to assume a Californian pop group had donated to the new lifeboat.

But Barbara Anne’ not only required the £2.2 million to build her, but a further £1.5 million for the Launch www.lancmag.com

and Recovery vehicle to not only ensure the lifeboat actually reached the sea when the tide was out, but also to return her to the safety of the lifeboat station following a call-out.

Above: Barbara Anne

to ensure their loved one’s name appears on the side of a lifeboat.

Until now...

In 2019, the RNLI introduced an opportunity to remember your loved ones, by adding their name to the letters and numbers on the side of the lifeboat, in exchange for a donation.

The charity has now launched their third ‘Launch a Memory’ campaign to help fund a new Shannon class lifeboat for Wells-next-the Sea on the Norfolk coast. Invergordon RNLI was the very first lifeboat

station funded through the ‘Launch a Memory’ campaign, the second being Clifden RNLI. This lifeboat is currently under construction at the All-Weather Centre in Poole.

A suggested donation of £50 will ensure your chosen name will live on for a considerable time and you’ll be assured your donation will help save lives at sea.

For further details, go to: https://rnli.org.uk/give-money/ donate-in-memory/launch-amemory

The Barbara Anne made her passage to her new home from Poole (where the charity’s headquarters is based) to Lytham St Annes back in February 2018, and has been saving lives off the Fylde coast ever since.

The newest RNLI lifeboat on the Fylde is the D- class in-shore lifeboat at Fleetwood. She was named Harbet and her operational number is D-853. She arrived in February and was quickly brought into action, less than a week after arriving.

Harbet was named after Harold and Betsy Hollingsworth of Cheadle.

Harold had many happy memories of sailing out of the old fishing port of Fleetwood and so it was an apt place to choose to keep their memory alive.

Incidentally, Harbet is the 853rd D-class lifeboat in the RNLI fleet, since their introduction in the 1960’s, which explains her operational number, whilst the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat fleet are each named after rivers from across the UK and Ireland, Shannon being the latest.

Over the years, the RNLI have had many unusual names on the side of their lifeboats, generally as a result of a group or community fundraising effort. There was the unforgettable ‘Telford Shopping Centre’ adorning the side of Troon’s D class in-shore lifeboat and the equally memorable ‘Peterborough Beer Festival IV’, also on a D class in-shore lifeboat, reminding the good folk of Skegness, that not all donations are from seaside communities. This was also the Beer Festival’s fourth RNLI lifeboat.

The RNLI charity and its volunteers are very fortunate and privileged to have such generous supporters.

But not everybody has the funds to donate a substantial amount www.lancmag.com

Above: Launch a Memory 3 artwork FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT FLEETWOOD RNLI GO TO: www.fleetwoodlifeboat.org.uk TO DONATE OR SUPPORT THE RNLI GO TO: https://rnli.org.uk/support-us

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 37

Liddell at One Hundred: A Family Portrait of a Liverpool Icon

By Liverpool-born Author Peter Kenny Jones as a Royal Air Force navigator during World War II. Liverpool-born author Peter has penned Billy Liddell at One Hundred: A Family Portrait of a Liverpool Icon to celebrate Liddell’s life at a time when he would be turning 100 years old, had he not passed away in 2001 aged 79.

THIS Liverpool FC player had the ‘hardest shot in football’, breaking bones with his cannonball strikes. And the fascinating life of legendary forward Billy Liddell is now profiled in a revealing new book.

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uthor Peter Kenny Jones hopes to shine a light on the exploits of Liddell, a player some fans might not even be aware of, before it’s simply too late. Scotland international Liddell played for the Reds 492 times, scoring an incredible 215 goals between 1938 and 1961.

A teammate of late Anfield great Bob Paisley, Liddell was a toughtackling, clean-living and committed left winger and striker with a keen eye for goal. An exceptional athlete, his ferocious shot was feared the world over. And his professionalism shone through none more so than when he paused his career to serve

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Peter - a Liverpool Hope University graduate - compares Liddell’s attributes to the supreme fitness and versatility of the current Liverpool squad’s James Milner, and the sharp-shooting finesse of Mohamed Salah. And having spent 18 months interviewing Liddell’s friends, family, teammates and supporters, Peter is desperate to ensure the memories of Liddell’s successes live on.

same Scottish dancing classes that Liddell used to attend in the city back in the day.

It was through that connection that Peter was put in touch with various members of Liddell’s family - including his twin sons David and Malcolm.

Peter, who works in property management, has also secured forewords by Liverpool heroes Jamie Carragher, Ian Callaghan and Alan Hansen.

A great man on and off the pitch and a leader by example, Peter says Liddell’s close friendship with Bob Paisley - a former Liverpool leftback who went on to become an illustrious manager - is telling.

Peter, who completed both an undergraduate degree and a Master’s in History at Hope, reveals: “I’ve spoken with more than thirty people - fans, players, family - and not one person had a bad word to say about Billy Liddell.

Peter, 26, reveals: “Liddell made his debut with Bob Paisley and the pair won the league with Liverpool, got relegated with Liverpool, and stayed together until manager Bill Shankly took them back up into the top flight.

“He was quiet, unassuming, didn’t drink, didn’t swear and didn’t speak out of turn, he was a proper professional. And he was loyal, sticking with Liverpool even when they were playing in the second division.

“Paisley and Liddell were great friends. And because they both played on the left hand side of the pitch, they also had a real footballing connection.”

“And he was still getting picked for both Scotland and the Great Britain team while he was playing in the second division, which tells you just how good he was.”

For Peter there’s an intriguing family connection to Liddell, too, as his aunty used to take part in the

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For Peter there’s no question Liddell could have been a success in the modern game.

He argues: “If you’re good enough to play then, you’re good enough to play now. Liddell could play either wing, he could play up front, and he actually played every position on the pitch except in goal.

He could do everything.

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Liddell at One Hundred: A Family Portrait of a Liverpool Icon is published by Pitch Publishing and will hit shelves in November this year.

“He had the hardest shot in football. He broke one goalkeeper’s arm and another ‘keeper’s wrist. He was also a great header of the ball.

He was just an exceptional athlete and committed to his physical health.

“The people I spoke with would place Liddell alongside Liverpool legends such as Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard - he was that good.

“And what’s really important to me is that it feels like Liddell represents an era that’s about to become extinct.

“He played with nearly 100 different players with Liverpool and only 10 of them are still alive, with 6 in good health today. I wanted to record his exploits now, before it’s too late, and before these amazing stories disappear forever.”

Peter says his time at Liverpool

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Hope University was hugely influential in his decision to become a football historian.

He wrote two football-related dissertations during his two stints at the University, one about the inter-War period and exploring why fans spent money going to matches when they were, in fact, extremely poor, and the second essay delving into the ‘golden era’ of Merseyside football in the 1960s, a time when both Everton and Liverpool enjoyed huge success.

me following a path into becoming a football historian.

I’m really grateful for that support from everyone at Hope.”

Peter adds: “The University was extremely encouraging about me combining history with football, and being at Hope was really formative in

Liddell remains the oldest goalscorer in Liverpool’s history and their fourth-highest scorer of all time.

He was never booked or sent off in his entire footballing career.

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 39

Connected: The 12 Ways of Wellbeing for a Holistically Healthy Life

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“I wanted Connected to be a cross between a self-help book and a wellbeing directory. That way, readers who prefer to make changes or improvements by themselves are given the tools to do so, but those who require further support know who they can contact.

“I have been blown away by the amount of value that has been added by the inputs from the contributors, and I think that after everything we have been through over the last 18 months, it is a really important time to get these messages out,” says Gemma.

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In addition to this, the book will further contribute to supporting mental health in Lancashire through being an ‘in aid of’ product for Lancashire Mind. This means that £2 from the sale of every copy of Connected will be donated to the charity to help fund their work in the community.

“For as long as I can remember it has been my dream to publish a book and I am so excited that it is finally going to happen. I have been working on this project since early 2020 and it kept me going through the struggles of setting up my own business during a pandemic,” she says.

The inspiration for the book came from Gemma’s own journey. Having been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in 2015, she understands the importance of having access to the right information and assistance.

ctober 10th, 2021 is not only World Mental Health Day, the international day for education, awareness, and advocacy about mental health, but will also see the release of a brand new wellness book by debut author, Gemma Margerison.

Connected: The 12 Ways of Wellbeing for a Holistically Healthy Life is the first full publication by the Lancashire-born writer, speaker, coach, and researcher, who introduces us to her unique model of wellness, The Four Spheres of Connection.

“I believe we need to have a connection to ourselves, others, the world, and our purpose in order to live a well-round life. We explore each of these four sections through three sub-chapters; breaking them down into 12 bitesize and easy-tounderstand chunks,” says Gemma.

The book, which is an entry-level introduction into the world of health and wellbeing, features information, advice, and guidance from the author alongside 45 other UK-based contributors. Each one has also been able to include their business contact details and social media handles. www.lancmag.com

“There are so many things in the book that I wish I had known a long time ago. I believe that if I had understood the range of support out there, I would not have waited so long to seek help, which, in turn, would have speeded my recovery,” says Gemma.

“There has been a huge shift in attitudes towards wellbeing since the Covid-19 pandemic hit and we are finally starting to understand just how important it is. I hope this book will enable people from all walks of life to engage with the topic in a helpful and impactful way.”

Robyn Harris, Director of Equenergy who features in Chapter 12 of Connected says, “I believe that much of our healing comes through connection. Trauma cuts us off from ourselves and our inner wisdom and guidance; from others; and even from the society in which we live and the natural world around us. From this perspective, connection and

healing are deeply intertwined.”

For Jackie Robinson, Director and Founder of The Balance Approach, and contributor in Chapter 7, it was the collaboration element that drew her to the project. “I am passionate about collaboration, communication, and the idea that our health and wellbeing is holistically connected emotionally, physically and mentally.

When we are treated as a whole, we can create happier healthier lives.

The Balance Approach aim is to share tools and skills to enable us all to work together as a community,” she says.

A community is made up of individuals. “You are unique, and lifestyle should be personalised to elevate your health. We need facts, not guesswork,” says Success and Health Coach Julia Riewald, who features in Chapter 3. “The microbiome influences thinking, feeling, doing, and your genes.

Thus, gut health and Nutrigenetics are core elements for wellness and with Connected you see how these approaches combine with all other holistic therapy choices” Finally, we meet Matt Gibbs, Managing Director of Walx Preston, in Chapter 11. He summarises the book by saying, “True wellbeing comes from applying yourself in many areas of your life. This includes regular walking, eating well, educating yourself, looking after your finances, but also talking kindly to yourself and others. A key part of the whole process is being connected to others. Gemma has done a fantastic job of bringing people together to help others achieve a holistically health life.”

You can meet Gemma and some of the contributors at the book launch and wellbeing fair being held on Sunday October 10th from 1-4pm in the Garden Room at Ribby Hall Village. The event is free to attend, and each guest will receive a goody bag of information.

The book is available for pre-order prior to launch by contacting Gemma Margerison on: gemmalouisecoaching@gmail.com and will be available to buy via Amazon from October 10th.

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 41

Motor Museum’s Surprise Star “Corrie the Corsa” Makes Wish Come True For Family Who Donated It

The arrival of the Corsa at Lakeland Motor Museum spread across TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and social media like wildfire last November – reaching a combined audience of nearly seven million people in just a few days.

But few visitors will be aware of the heart-warming reason why it found a home at the Backbarrow attraction.

A little red Vauxhall Corsa’s elevation to surprise star attraction at a Cumbrian museum is a wish come true for the family who donated it.

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aul Harding handed over the flame red car, to Lakeland Motor Museum, in memory of his late father, George Harding, who had a lifelong wish to see a car of his own end up in a museum.

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The car was bought brand new back in 1995 by George Harding’s widow Irene – a few years after her husband’s death. In honour of George – and his life-long love for tinkering and looking after cars, they cared for it immaculately. It never failed an MOT and after 26 years with the family it had less than 33,000 miles on the clock.

Paul Harding then set out to make his father’s dream – of seeing one of the family’s cars in a museum – come true. www.lancmag.com

Pictured: Irene Harding with “Corrie the Corsa” Pictured: George Harding with one of his much-loved vehicles – a Renault 16 TS

Paul, a retired college lecturer from Morpeth in Northumberland, has just visited the museum at Backbarrow to see the Corsa on display. He says: “My father spent a lifetime tinkering around with cars and always said he would love one of his vehicles to become a museum exhibit. He died in 1988 but I never forgot the wish he had.”

When the time came to part with the car they call ”Corrie the Corsa” Paul was determined it should go to a museum.

“I didn’t want to sell it off and see it get raced and rallied around,” explains Paul. “My father used to love visiting the Lake District and the Lakeland Motor Museum and we were thrilled when they said they would happily accept our donation.

“We’re so pleased it will be looked after – and that my father’s wish, in a roundabout way, has finally come true.”

The Lakeland Motor Museum is better known for its collection of some of the most iconic vehicles of the past 100 years. Its decision to exhibit the 1995 Vauxhall Corsa – one of the most common cars of the past three decades - raised a few eyebrows.

In recent years it was driven by Paul’s wife Carole.

“She was a nippy little car and wherever we went people would stop and look at her!” said Carole. “I shed a little tear when we handed her over, but I’m so pleased she will be well looked after. It’s a lovely new home and a fitting way to meet the wishes of Paul’s dad.”

Chris Lowe, Lakeland Motor Museum’s Operations Manager, says: “We were delighted to accept the donation of the Corsa from Paul and his family. They know they can trust us to look after a car that obviously means a lot to the family.

“It may not be the great age of many exhibits here but it is the sort of vehicle to spark nostalgic memories for so many visitors.”

The museum has a collection of more than 150 classic cars and motorbikes including Donald Campbell’s Bentley, a DMC DeLorean made famous by the Back to the Future movies, and the classic Ford Model T. While the 1995 Corsa may be less exotic, it has attracted international attention. It’s appeared in national newspapers including The Guardian, on lifestyle websites in places as far-flung as Singapore, featured several times on BBC TV and radio news, as well as in classic car magazines and the local media.

But the Museum has predicted that given the Corsa’s rapid decline in popularity, this model could be extinct in as little as five years. The new exhibit has quickly become one of the Museum’s most talked about exhibits.

George Harding’s wife Irene, who lived near Durham, bought the 1.4Si GLS new in 1995 for £11,360.

Paul says: “Many memories from my childhood are of my dad pottering around with cars. He used to get emotionally attached to his vehicles. So, I’m chuffed to see our family Corsa here at the museum today. If we had kept it any longer it would have deteriorated just sitting in a garage. We know it will be looked after and appreciated.

I’m sure that my father would be absolutely delighted. It’s taken some years – but I feel like we have finally achieved something my dad always wanted.” www.lancmag.com

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‘Pottery and Pastel’ Ceramics by Chris Hughes

With so much uncertainty at present, it is hardly surprising that people are being drawn to seek out activities that will provide some structure to their day during the pandemic. TV programmes like ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’ have certainly fired people’s curiosity during lockdown into attempting new skills and hobbies.

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or any creative artist, the stimulus of their media will always be the inspiration for their craft - painters using oils; weavers and their threads; sketchers working with charcoal. Likewise, there is an inherent tactile attraction to the potential of moulding a humble lump of wet clay into an accomplished work of art.

This same appeal is well to the fore in the stoneware ceramics of avid potter, Chris Hughes, who has been perfecting his clay working skills well before the first lockdown hit, producing hand-built bowls, lampshades and clocks from his studio in Ainsdale.

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Chris confirms, “It is amazingly accessible. You can buy a bag of clay and make your pots – on the kitchen table or the garden bench – if they go wrong you dry them out and reconstitute the clay and start again.”

Chris goes on to add, “I believe that most artists are drawn to the medium that suits them the best. I like clay.

I like the feel of it the way it changes, you can model it, stick it together and build with it, carve into it, colour it and just leave it as the colour of the earth. By training I am a geographer, clay is all about earth, fire and water, pretty similar really.”

A former primary school teacher, Chris began making his pots in the late 1970’s after attending courses at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk run by Brian Cook. As his interest in pottery took hold, Chris undertook nightschool classes at Southport College and gained a oneterm secondment at St Martin’s College in Lancaster to attend the course ‘Clay as a Teaching Medium’ ran by Barry Gregson of Caton Pottery. It supported teachers from both primary and secondary school to improve

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their own pottery skills and to learn new and innovative teaching methods to use with the children back at their schools.

More assured in his ability, in 2005 he initially set up a studio – Ainsdale Pottery - in his own back garden.

Then, on retirement two years later, Chris enhanced his studio environment by building a full workshop and installing his own kiln. The new studio now provided Chris with the space to increase the quantity of pots he could produce and expand the range of shapes and glazes used to create his original and unique pottery.

All Chris’s pots are hand-built using pinching, coiling and slabbing techniques and glazed in sympathetic natural tones. Favourites are blue and black (Tenmoku) and iron, cobalt and copper oxides enhance his usual surface decoration.

A life-long walker and climber, the landscapes of the Lake District and Snowdonia play a substantial part in the decoration of Chris’ pots and contribute to their overall shape and composition.

Chris’ biggest relief landscape lamp so far (pictured) was premiered in summer at The ArtHouse in Southport.

“This is the largest lamp I have ever made, seen here paired with a lamp shade made by Joanne Eddon. The landscape is a scene of the Coniston Fells - Coniston Old Man and Dow Crag as seen from the southern end of Coniston Water. This is a place we have stayed at every year for a very long time and this view means a lot to me and my family.”

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Chris also likes to draw, using soft pastels, choosing landscape and abstract subjects. His abstract drawings draw heavily on aspects of the landscape and reflect his own interest in, and educational background, as a graduate in geography.

“I don’t make pots during the winter months as it is impossible to dry the slabs so I concentrate on drawing.

I work in pencil, pen and pastel and prefer to work at quite a large scale, but I sketch all the time in reasonably small sketchbooks. I have filled many of these over the years and many more this year. It is just not practical to continue to work at large scale so it is these much smaller sketches that I have looked to make use of in making my cards and coasters.”

Caught out, like some many other artists during the lockdowns, with retail outlets shut, galleries closed and exhibitions cancelled, Chris has been reinforcing his on-line presence. “I have hosted my Ainsdale Pottery website for many years but it has really only worked as a ‘showcase’ and a library of my work. Although I have sold a few items, I have never really tried to do more. But with the closure of all other sales outlets, virtual sites have become far more important. I have certainly become more attentive to Facebook and started to use Instagram more effectively. My son, who is my ‘webmaster’ has created several new sections on the website, most noticeably a ‘shop’.”

Treasurer of, and regular exhibitor with, The Southport Palette Club, Chris’ ceramics can be viewed at Lancashire Makers in Churchtown and Ormskirk.

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Aiming Higher YOU CAN DONATE TO AIMING HIGHER USING THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

WEBSITE | www.aiminghighercharity.org.uk/donate JUST GIVING | www.justgiving/aiminghigher/donate/ PAYPAL | Found on Aiming Higher website or call to make donations by phone POST | Aiming Higher, 231 – 233 Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 3PB. To see more of what we do please visit our website www.aiminghighercharity.org.uk or follow us on facebook @aiminghighercharity.

Please ring us on 01253 206447 for further information.

Ending Isolation @ Aiming Higher perhaps understand and sympathise more with families who struggle to get out and about. Before the pandemic struck, Aiming Higher worked hard to do all they could to help people meet up, with groups at the centre on Church Street, regular trips and visits for the under-5 groups and trips and visits for the whole family at weekends. These family trips had up to 300 people attending and getting together.

Obviously, with the arrival of Covid-19 this had to come to a halt but the team still did their best to keep people talking and socialising online with lots of groups and activities over Zoom.

PICTURED ABOVE: Families enjoy a teddy bear’s picnic at Stanley Park

One of the first things that most families who contact Aiming Higher report is feeling isolated because of their child’s need.

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ometimes this is because their child needs a lot of specialist care and equipment which makes getting out more difficult.

Sometimes, they feel other people don’t understand their child and judge them for their behaviour when 46

they do venture out. Sometimes they feel alone simply because they don’t see other families in the same situation. Whatever the reason this can be incredibly difficult. Aiming Higher for Disabled Children & their Families, is a Blackpool based charity that supports hundreds of local children and their families to conquer these feelings of isolation.

The Pandemic has made us all appreciate how important face to face social interaction is and

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Now as things open up again, the trips and visits can restart and families can start to meet up with others whose children share the same needs and issues. The charity restarted the trips and visits for the under 5s group before the Summer break and at the time of writing, plans are underway for the family trips to restart in the Autumn.

Direct Services Manager Latoya Sykes says: “It was really important to start getting families together, particularly the little ones, who may not have www.lancmag.com

PICTURED ABOVE: Families go swimming at Sandcastle Waterpark in Blackpool

had much interaction outside the family at all because of Covid. Socialisation is really important for them developmentally, and to help parents and carers realise they are not alone. Having a new baby can be a daunting experience at any time but having a child with a disability AND during a pandemic could be overwhelming.

for children and parents alike to chat and build friendships, to soft play centres, to the Sealife Centre and to Sandcastle Waterpark where several of the children experienced a swimming pool for the first time. As the photos show, they loved it!

“On our recent small trip to Blackpool Zoo one of our younger children saw a real animal for the first time – her face was an absolute picture and its these moments which make what we do so important”.

Like all charities, Aiming Higher saw fundraising activity decrease in 2020 and 2021, so if you can support them in any way possible, any assistance will be gratefully received.

The under-5s group have also had trips together to the park for a picnic and a play, with plenty of opportunity

Please send your ideas to: heatherholt@aiminghighercharity.org.uk

PICTURED ABOVE: Families visit the Sea Life Centre in Blackpool www.lancmag.com

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SOCIAL ANXIETY?

Tips for Easing Back into Society As lock down begins to ease across the UK, many are suffering from social anxiety so it’s important to sustain this community camaraderie whilst easing back into socialising beyond Covid.

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he pandemic has also undoubtedly bought about a renewed sense of community spirit not seen since war time. Rooted in community, there have been a wealth of positive stories – from standing on doorsteps clapping for frontline workers, to local heroes such as Captain Tom offering a glimmer of hope and capturing the heart of the nation.

The following guide compiled by HP offers advice and tips for people wanting to re-enter society and spread a bit of local cheer amongst their neighbours.

Combat lockdown loneliness Borrow my doggy The pandemic has seen an enormous surge in puppy sales with many people working from home. In face, a recent survey by Mars Petcare reveals that more than eight in 10 parents found that their family pet help their child feel less lonely during lockdown, with more than three-quarters feeling that day-to-day interactions with their cat or dog reduced their child’s stress and anxiety.

Whilst that’s not an option for everyone, there is a solution – Borrow My Doggy. BorrowMyDoggy connects dog owners with trusted local people who would love to look after their dog. They make it easy to arrange

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walks, playtime, overnight stays or holidays. The aim is to help dog owners when they need it, give dogs more exercise and playtime and to allow people without a dog to spend quality time with one. Win-win (or a woofwoof) situation for everyone involved. www.borrowmydoggy.com Transform your urban environment by planting a street tree - Woodland Trust / Beebombs Life is better with street trees. They’re a public asset and belong to all of us, so it’s up to us to make sure they’re recognised and valued. Woodland Trust has helped 500 community groups to celebrate and protect their street trees.

They also worked with local authorities across the UK to put in place policies that recognise the true value of trees in urban environments. Visit www. woodlandtrust.org.uk to download your free street tree celebration starter kit. Or for those who’ve already got a tree, why not buy a beebomb, they just need to be scattered onto cleared ground to create a wildflower meadow that will #bringthebeesback. www.beebombs.com Spread the rainbow of colour by decorating windows – HP With the rise of remote working and home-schooling, at-home offices are here to stay. Continue to spread the joy with a rainbow of colour by decorating your windows post pandemic – it’s also a great talking point to break the ice with your neighbours.

Whether it’s Ramadan, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, HP Printables allows you to print, download, and share preformatted content. Fun for the kids to colour or full colour options available

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for decorating. And why not print a few for your neighbours to spread the fun printables.hp.com/uk/en/ Get to know your neighbours by organising a street party Nextdoor / Streetparty.org Bringing neighbourhoods together is just as important in good times as it is in times of need. The Nextdoor app (www.nextdoor.co.uk) is where communities come together to keep a local shopkeeper in business. Where neighbours exchange recommendations for babysitters, plans for local events, and tips about what to order at that new cafe down the street.

With lockdown easing, why not bring your neighbourhood together by organising a socially distanced street party. Connect your neighbours with the app and make sure you check out www.streetparty.org.uk for tips from contacting your local council to planning activities.

Connect with locals and help your sustainable eating habits - Olio With a staggering 6.7 million tonnes of food wasted per year in the UK, small actions can lead to big change. Do your part by downloading Olio, the mobile app for food-sharing.

It connects the local community with surplus food to those who either need or wish to consumer it. As well as connecting local businesses giving away food at the end of the day, it can also be used for giving away that extra loaf of bread you might have going spare. A great way of connecting local businesses as well as meeting your neighbours at the same time. www.olio.co.uk www.lancmag.com

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North West Finalists Announced!

The Enterprise Vision Awards has announced the finalists for the 10th Anniversary business awards. The EVAS recognise exceptional female entrepreneurship in the North West and this year attracted a record number of nominations and entries.

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rom start-ups, young entrepreneurs and family businesses to global organisations and third sector businesses. The finalists include a diverse range of businesses showcasing the crème de la crème of businesswomen in the region. From boerewors, female health supplements, post breast cancer lingerie to luxury cat hotels serving pawsome afternoon tea, camper van hire, whistle blowers and game changers, the innovation, creativity and professionalism of these women is truly impressive.

Coral Horn, founder of the EVAS said: “Women have faced huge economic, logistical and emotional challenges as a result of the pandemic. It’s been an absolute joy to see the resilience and strength of these remarkable entrepreneurs who have adapted and flourished. Every nomination and entry deserves a huge round of applause and our thirty seven judges concur that the high quality of entries made their decisions exceptionally difficult – it’s interviews and voting next, then we’re ready for the celebration of the decade!”

Heather Waters, regional enterprise manager for NatWest, headline sponsor of the EVAS since 2013, said: “The calibre of the entries this year is out of this world! This has made the judging process very challenging. I want to congratulate every woman who is short-listed; they are all outstanding and amazing role models.”

Virtual interviews will take place over the couple of weeks to decide who will win a coveted EVA statue.

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Victoria Corcoran owner of the Pets Country Manor luxury hotel for cats in Liverpool is short-listed for the customer service award. After scooping the title in 2015 for customer service and the previous year Victoria won the young entrepreneur category Victoria says “I’m thrilled to have been short-listed a third time for the enterprise vision awards after what has been an awful 18 months for our business. To help make it through the pandemic we’ve introduced luxury upgrades for our guests holidays such as pawsome afternoon tea, kitty catacinnos, meowtinis, kitty tapas meals and orthopaedic four poster beds are to name just a few. We’re really looking forward to attending the award ceremony in the winter gardens its always such an amazing event” The winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Friday, September 24 at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

For the full list of finalists and tickets for the EVAS10 awards ceremony visit: www.enterprisevisionawards.co.uk www.lancmag.com

Tips for keeping your indoor cats entertained

By Victoria Corcoran, Pets Country Manor www.petscountrymanor.com | www.kittyhampurrs.com

My own five rescue cats are all indoor cats because we live on a really busy main road, I just cant take the chance in letting my babies out and I know I’m not alone.

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ur cats have their own bedroom which is full of toys including an adventure wall playground which goes across the ceiling and along the walls. There are lots of platforms, beds and cosy wall caves for them to sleep on, plus they have large scratching posts in their room and in our living room. Cats love being up high and being able to look down on us mere humans it gives them confidence but you don’t need to plan or build anything elaborate for them. A few strategically placed shelves around your home will work great, maybe some shelves at different levels next to a wardrobe or wall cupboard so your cats can use them as steps to get up on top? Or if you don’t mind cutting a few circular holes into your bookcase or shelving unit then your cats can use this to explore?

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TIP 4

Our cat hotel is in our back garden so we’re luckily enough to sort of work from home and can pop back into the house when we’re not in the cattery or our on-site cat lovers gift shop. However we always leave a radio on in the house playing classical music just like we do during the daytime in the cattery. Studies have shown that cats have lower values for respiratory rates and pupil diameters when listening to classical music, resulting in cats stress levels being lower which helps them remain calm and relaxed.

A simple other game that one of our cats called Havana loves is a simple ping pong ball in the bath, the ball cant get out and he pats it about as it flicks up the sides of the bath, keeping him entertained a few times each day.

TIP 2 Interactive toys are great too! We have lots of various battery operated toys, such as window sucker toys that flick a string back and forth, fly n feather toys which are one of our best sellers in our store kitty hampurrs and illuminated ball race tracks – the list is endless. Leaving a different toy switched on before you leave will help keep them entertained if they’re bored, just make sure you have rechargeable batteries otherwise it could get a bit pricey!

TIP 3 You can also leave your iPad on and put cat TV on from youtube, we offer this at the pets country manor and have downloaded dozens of different cat shows from birds, squirrels, fish and butterflies to laser dot and string, some cats ignore it but most of our guests love it and have great fun chasing the string on screen!

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TIP 5 Instead of hand feeding your cat some treats you could try hiding them in scrunched up bits of paper or in the inside of empty toilet rolls and fold the ends over, then leave them in different places in the house each day before you leave. (with your cat being an indoor cat they’re likely to be less active than outdoor cats so you’ll need to monitor their weight and not give too many treats)

TIP 6 The last tip I wanted to mention was an enclosed outdoor space. Ideally if you have the space for it then a catio is great for them, there are lots of companies who can fit cat flaps into doors or windows then you can attach a wire mesh outdoor run onto the side of your house or even just a wire mesh tunnel leading to the bottom of your garden into a catio. This way your cats are still able to experience the outdoors, fresh air, sunbathe and listen to the birds.

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DORIS & Friends

Hi, my name’s Doris, howl you all doing?

I’m a very pup-ular girl with my very own Facebook Fan Page and this is my column of me and my friends adventures.

So take a paws from your busy schedule, grab yourself some pup-corn, get yourself com-fur-table and enjoy my tails!

NAME: Doris Dearden

BREED: Border Terrier

DATE OF BIRTH: 18/07/2010

PLACE OF BIRTH: Doncaster

CURRENT TOWN:

HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FRIENDS:

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ddie is a Jackapoo and is 18 months old. He loves people and other dogs, so when we go for a walk, it’s his social outing. He loves to dance and is always showing off. He is my best friend, is always happy to see me and has kept me sane over the last 12 months.

Eddie

Preston

HUMAN DAD’S NAMES: Lee Dearden & Lee Gethings

OFFICIAL FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: Doris Dearden (The Border Terrier) Fan Page.

I have over 1,400 members!

CHARACTERISTICS: I sing to certain TV show theme tunes, ‘The One Show’ for example, I have many, guises (see photos below), I’ve been on many adventures and I love having my photo taken

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ola is a black & white Shitzu. She loves her mum and dad, they love to spoil her.

Lola’s favourite snack is Mini Cheddars, her favourite toy is a furry dolphin and she loves sitting in the sun and going for little walks.

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Lola

aisy is a 2 years old long-hair floppyeared Chihuahua who loves to go walks with her doggy friends at it’s simply the pets. Her mummy is her fave hooman and loves to eat cheese and chase her cat sister and her best doofy friend is her big bro, Charlie.

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camp joined the family when he was 4, as an anxious little scruff bag. He’s his human’s little fur baby, and talk about small man syndrome, he will try and take on any dog twice the size of him! He’s a little softie though, won’t go to sleep without a blanket on and loves any form of attention and cuddles. A little shadow, he follows his humans everywhere, until it’s his bed time when he takes himself off to bed. He has just moved to his forever home and Scamp has had a new lease of life, you’d never believe he was 11, with all his zoomies and always wants to play, but all his grey features gives his age away like a fine wine he just keeps getting better with age.

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Daisy

Scamp

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TUE 22 TO SAT 26 FEB Book now at blackpoolgrand.co.uk Phone our Box Office team on

01253 290 190

Innovative Nature Project Inspired by Japan Proven to Improve Wellbeing The results showed improved sleep and reduced loneliness, helping participants feel more connected, even during the pandemic; 94% agreed with the statement ‘being connected to nature brings me joy’ after taking part.

The idea was inspired by the Japanese ancient natural calendar. Unlike our traditional four seasons, in ancient Japan they divided the year into 72 micro seasons, each lasting around five days, presenting a poetic journey in which the land awakens and blooms with life and activity before returning to winter.

Pendle’s Kirsty Rose Parker came up with the idea after talking to Cathy Hopley, who is Programme Manager at the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership Scheme.

An innovative project around Pendle Hill, 72 Seasons, has improved the wellbeing of hundreds of people who took part, by enhancing their connection to nature.

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he project began in March 2019, with 310 people taking part during 2020, volunteering 3,564 hours.

The results showed their improved wellbeing led to 579 fewer GP visits in 2020, saving £17,370 to the NHS.

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Kirsty said: “I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, so was seeking ways to make it manageable. I was talking to Cathy about how walking and nature makes you feel better, but we’d got so busy with life, we’d forgotten to prioritise it. When I heard about the concept of 72 Seasons, I thought maybe I could translate the idea to the Pendle landscape, and break the winter into manageable chunks.”

In Japan, short poetic descriptions describe each season.

In March ‘Caterpillars become butterflies’, and in May, ‘Frogs start singing’.

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Kirsty said: “There’s quite a lot of inequality in green space. People who live in tree-lined spaces tend to be better off, and people who live in urban tower blocks don’t have the same experiences. I was thinking of all these things and it came together. In the Japanese version, there’s things like ‘Bears came out of their den’, that’s not applicable in the UK. I thought, let’s rewrite 72 Seasons for Pendle Hill, let’s make it our own.”

Cathy Hopley, Programme Manager at Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership Scheme, said: “The impact of 72 Seasons was very closely monitored and evaluated, and the results are astonishing. We wanted to evidence how we connect to nature and its physical and mental impacts, which makes cost savings to the NHS and wider economy.

Connecting with nature is a free and an accessible intervention.”

Kirsty has a degree in economics but also spent over a decade working the arts. As a qualified social return on investment practitioner and director of The Evaluator, which offers project evaluation services, she was well-qualified to lead the project. Kirsty spent a year monitoring the seasons, and undertook research, consulting the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, local GPs, and academics to inform the best ways to engage and encourage connection with nature.

Initially planned as a face-to-face ‘Year of Adventure’ for local people, the project moved online to be Covidsafe. Participants read 2,730 emails about nature and completed 1,154 surveys about their health, wellbeing and what they had noticed, with the option to join a dedicated 72 Seasons Facebook group.

The project engages the five ways to wellbeing identified by the New Economics Foundation, which are to connect, take notice, give back, keep learning and be active.

Kirsty said: “There’s a lot of research into why nature is good for us, and it’s evidenced to reduce blood pressure and improve mood, but I wanted to know how to engage and enhance that connection for people. 72 Seasons ticked all the boxes, and we used art and poetry to strengthen that meaning and connection.”

Kirsty explained: “We revealed three seasons at a time, so it wasn’t overwhelming. The emails we sent included encouraging people to give snowdrops a sniff, stamping on frosty puddles, and listening to birds.”

The project ensured anyone could engage, in their own pace. One participant, Jackie had been shielding while caring for her husband who has Parkinson’s.

The project was supported by the Forest of Bowland AONB, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund as a part of the Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership (PHLP).

Kirsty said: “Jackie had a traumatic year but has been so positive about how much she enjoyed 72 Seasons, even though she’s only been able to observe nature from her doorstep and small back garden. You can engage with nature in a gentle way, it doesn’t have to be stonking 10mile hikes up a hill, that’s one thing I’m passionate about.

Even before the pandemic, I wanted an online option because I work full-time and have a five-year-old, and two older children. Normally that means you can’t take part in things like this because you can’t go out in the evenings, and you work full-time. So, I had that in the back of my mind, to make sure anyone could have a go.”

The PHLP is a four-year funded programme of activity which seeks to conserve and enhance the landscape and heritage of the Pendle Hill area, whilst also seeking to reconnect people with Pendle Hill.

The Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership Scheme is now looking at developing 72 Seasons further, to engage more people, in face-to-face sessions, as well as a potential toolkit others can adopt.

Kirsty created the words for each season, and local artist Cath Ford illustrated them.

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Ask Miles Consult & Construct...

A DEDICATED COLUMN FOR ALL YOU DIY LOVERS AND PROFESSIONALS WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN INDUSTRY

IN THE MOOD TO DECORATE?

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uring the pandemic, there has been a surge in do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement as people have used some of their extra time at home to undertake projects that accommodate changes to their lifestyle.

While the overall home improvement market is expected to remain strong in the future, it is likely that this surge in DIY activity will fade and return to more normal levels. While there has been strong interest in home improvement projects during the pandemic, a surprisingly large share of this activity has been undertaken by homeowners themselves.

Rather than turning homeowners into a new generation of handymen and handywomen, the pandemic has presented the opportunity for many to make progress on their longstanding “to-do” list of home improvement and maintenance projects. Over 71 percent of owners undertaking DIY projects during the pandemic report that they had planned these projects prior to the pandemic.

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People have been turning to social media for ideas and inspirations, but I thought I would give you some inspiration too!

COLOUR CHOICES Do you want your kitchen to feel warm and homely? You may want your bathroom to be a relaxing haven. Whether it’s soothing, relaxing or energising, is very much dependant on the décor. I strive to create schemes which are pleasing to the eye, but we also need to focus on how our homes can make us feel. The psychology of colour could help us find out what we should and shouldn’t be using to aid our wellbeing. To a certain extent, colour choice is very much subjective. Colours reflect a lot about our personality and our individual sense. Everyone reacts differently to colours, which is why it is important to not be led by trends, but to create an environment that suits your own needs. You want your designs to enable you to feel soothed by your own home, feel enlivened and lifted, to feel safe and protected.

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Colour and materials play a huge role in this.

What should consider when choosing colours?

• What atmosphere do you want to create in the individual room?

• How do you want to feel in each space?

• What do you want that room to say about you as a person?

• Do you want the room to be contemporary or classic?

• How long will it be before you decorate again?

• Who makes the final choice? You alone or is it a family decision?

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HOW DO YOU WANT TO FEEL? Cosy and warm After a long hard day at work, you want to be able to walk to into a nice warm and cosy room to be able to switch off. You want an environment that nurtures and soothes. Warmer shades have very clearly been the trend colour this year so far. Pale Plaster pink tints to soft warm natural stone and earthy terracotta. These sorts of colours create warmth and an earthy feel.

Energised Sometimes you want your room to give you energy and boost your mood. These are more so in areas such as kitchens. You may want to feel vitalised and lifted. You have to undertake chores in the kitchen, so the last thing you want to feel is relaxed!

The kitchen is a social and creative space, where you want to feel inspired. It needs to be welcoming and uplifting.

Orange is a positive and uplifting colour choice. It is stimulating and can keep you alert. It promotes creativity and the desire to use your hands – ideal for cooking. Other colours in this palette include peaches, or richer burnt shades, which can be used for busier rooms where they are used by multiple people. These colours also stimulate conversation and appetite!

Other stimulating colours include turquoise and bright blues. Small accessories in these colours can quite easily give you the same feel.

Let’s have a look at how the latest palettes to create the right ambience for you. www.lancmag.com

Relaxed These create a tranquil feel in rooms.

Plants can help purify our air and that shopping sustainably is better for the environment. You want to be able to wind down in a room, therefore, it is an obvious connection with nature.

Warm natural stone shades or greens will bring a sense of peace. Soft olive tones have a very soothing effect, which will work particularly well in spaces like bedrooms or dining areas.

These colours also create an elegant and comforting atmosphere.

Try not to focus on just one colour and incorporate a few tones, to avoid making a room to overpowering. Grey creates tranquillity. Blues are a good choice too. Too much grey can create a sense of dullness and too much blue can be overpowering. Coordinate them together with white and you will create a calm sanctuary. There is no harm in introducing a splash of colour such mint, pink, or lilac. This will maintain the calmness but add a hint of charm.

WHAT TO AVOID

TIPS ON CHOOSING COLOURS

1

Compliment your colours – choose a combination and think of the palette carefully.

2 3

How do you want to feel in the space?

Choose your furniture and wallpaper first, before your paint.

This will make it easier to choose your palette.

4

Don’t forget the lighting, as this will have a significant impact on the scheme. Consider natural lighting vs artificial lighting.

5

Open plan rooms can be complicated, but make sure you have a transition between shades and use them to define distinct areas.

I hope this gives my readers an insight to what they should consider. If you have anything specific you want me to talk about or have any other queries, then get in touch and I will address them in my future columns.

• Pure white – it is a bright colour and when sunlight streams on it, it intensifies and disrupts any sense of calm.

• Bright red – It can evoke intense emotional and physical reaction.

It is even “colour of blood”, which can make your heart beat faster and leave you unsettled. Go for more earthier tones, as they create a soothing and cocooning mood.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL OR SEND AN EMAIL TO: sajedah@milescc.co.uk www.milescc.co.uk +44 (0) 1772 759345 +44 (0) 75810 14867

• Dark colours – Brown, navy and black can look elegant, but if you want the room to look brighter, then these colours will absorb light, leading to a duller space and create a cold environment.

FOLLOW US ON: N +44 (0) 75810 14867 I @milescc2021 F Sajedah Maka-Ismail T @milescc2021 L Sajedah Maka-Ismail

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 57

PENRITH

By Megha Seth

Image: Penrith Castle

Penrith is located in Cumbria’s Eden Valley, less than 3 miles away from the Lake District National Park. It is now an important market town lined with traditional shops and refined arcades.

T

THINGS TO DO AND PLACES TO VISIT IN PENRITH

pay a visit to when in this part of the country.

Let’s take a look at the number of delightful spots that this charming town has tucked away for visitors.

Rich in history and blessed abundantly in nature, Penrith has quite a few places that one must

Brougham Castle The well-preserved ruins of this once glorious castle are set in a very picturesque location on the meadows of River Eamont. Although

he history of Penrith is quite prosperous. Penrith’s position on the hotly disputed border with Scotland since the Roman times resulted in its development as a military centre. The location was based on a very strategic route. It was also the erstwhile capital of Cumbria.

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www.lancmag.com

The well-preserved ruins of this once glorious castle are set in a very picturesque location on

and double gatehouse retain their magnificent charm. The labyrinth of passages an stairways makes it a fun and interesting place to explore.

tower which is built from sandstone the castle Scottishwas Wars of Independence.

The erected in the 13th century and being a military base was a place o debris, possibly used defensive Robinson The 17th-century Robinson’s School importance during the Scottish Wars of Independence. The for 17th-century reasons as earlyPenrith as the 1100s and Valley’s his Buildinghas has aa museum Building museumworth worth visiting that documents and Eden 1200s.

The hub is composed of a visiting that documents Penrith also houses priceless artifacts and a good collection of fine art. smoother-dressed sandstone dating and Eden Valley’s history and also from the 1720s. While the interior houses priceless artefacts and a good collection of fine art.And Gardens gives it a Classical touch, with carved Lowther Castle oak seats and galleries supported by Lowther Castle And Gardens painted Tuscan columns.

The Lowther Castle and Gardens is The stained glass window a perfect setting for an outing to soak at the setting East end, altar,to is soak in the be The Lowther Castle and Gardens is a perfect forinanthe outing in the beauty of Gothic architectural breathtakingly striking, framed Gothic architectural Nestled in the lush green gardens spreading over lar splendour.

Nestled insplendor. the lush green by murals. This masterpiece was ofgardens land, the castle is a key in Penrith. spreading over largevisitor acresattraction installed in 1870. The graveyard of land, the castle is a key visitor houses the mystical Giant’s Thumb, attraction in Penrith. which is a Norse cross carved in The roof was removed after the Second World War when the Lowther Family had to leave their mansion for financial reasons and the property began to disintegrate. A conservation plan was soon put into place at the beginning of the 2000s.

abandoned 300 years ago, the striking ruins still do not fail to mesmerise as a visual and historical treat. No wonder it also became a centre of exploration by the evergreen poet William Wordsworth and was sketched by the worldrenowned English painter, W. Turner.

You can witness the Gothic arch, ornamental canopies, towers, vaulted galleries, and pinnacles. The grounds have beautiful terraces and grand avenues, with the addition of a new playground. The Lost Castle, which is the largest wooden playground in the country is a part of this stately property. It is made up of 11 miles of sustainably sourced timber.

St Andrew’s Church

The Tower of League still stands tall providing a panoramic view of the Eden Valley, the keep and double gatehouse retain their magnificent charm. The labyrinth of passages and spiral stairways makes it a fun and interesting place to explore.

Penrith is a gem for architectural and monumental splendour. Another Grade I-listed monument that makes it to the list of must-visit places is St. Andrew’s Church, Penrith’s parish church. This beauty is an exceptional mix of Georgian and Gothic styles.

The castle was erected in the 13th century and being a military base was a place of strategic importance during

Monuments give us a detailed idea about the cultural and historical prosperity of a certain period. The oldest part of this ancient church is the

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920. It is a monument to the King of Cumbria.

Aira Force The 21-meter Aira Force is the most striking and prized waterfalls of the Lake District. It is situated in a National Trust park which is on the west side of Ullswater. Again, a source of visual inspiration for the nature lover and renowned poet Wordsworth, Aira Force has been referred to in several Wordsworth poems, including Daffodils.

The Howard family in the 19th century have helped enhance the environment aesthetically and naturally. They installed a plant house in the canyon which is dotted with over 200 cedars, pines, spruces, and firs. A majestic Sitka spruce now stands tall, which is more than 35 meters high.

This addition only gives it a more magical touch, as one can see from the breathtaking backdrop. You can take in the mesmerizing views in its full glory of Aira from the two stone bridges - one at the foot and the other at the top.

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 59

Ullswater

Ullswater

Birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts, get your binoculars out! A promising day of visual and educational treat waits for you! A special flight demonstration also takes place every 2 hours in the mid-afternoon. There are specially designed aviaries housing the birds. You can also try a hand at handling a bird, supervised by an experienced keeper. The Centre is located in a beautiful walled garden by the entrance to the Lowther Castle. It is open from April to November.

RELAXING RESPITES

There are many things that make it to vacation or traveling requisites. Lodging is something that certainly makes it to the top of the list. So here are a few comfortable places where you can seek accommodation in Penrith.

Ullswater is considered mostlake beautiful lakeIt’sina glacial ribbonwhen Ullswater is considered the mostthe beautiful in England. lake and has aEngland. unique elongated zigzag shape. landforms onaitsunique shore, like Hallin Fell and Place Fell, It’s a glacial ribbonThe lake and has The George Hotel, Sure Hotel Collection have a very visually elongated zigzagassertive shape.influence.

The landforms on its shore, like The George Hotel, Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western

by Best Western The George Hotel, Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western Hallin Fell and Place Fell, have a very visually assertive Sightseers have always made it a point to pay a mandatory visit to this mesmerizing natural influence.

beauty since the 18th century. Steamers are available from Pooley Bridge, the first stop from Penrith, and canhave be seen all year round. trips to offered Sightseers always made it Boat a point pay at a Ullswater have always been serene.

The oldest of the fleet, Lady of the Lake, beauty was launched mandatory visitboat to this mesmerizing natural sincein 1877. The steamers are bestcentury. way to cover a chunkare of this beautiful from lake and also take in the view of several thethe 18th Steamers available Pooley other landforms on its shore.

Bridge, the first stop from Penrith, and can be seen all year round. Boat trips offered at Ullswater have always been Various fun, adrenaline-pumping water activities are also offered on Ullswater, like sailing, serene. The oldest boat of the fleet, Lady of the Lake, was paddleboarding, and canoeing. launched in 1877. The steamers are the best way to cover a chunk of this beautiful lake and also take in the view of several other landforms on its shore.

Various fun, adrenaline-pumping water activities are also offered on Ullswater, like sailing, paddle-boarding, and canoeing.

Lake District National Park

Lake District National Park

The George Hotel by Best Western is a perfect blend of

The George Hotel

by Best Western is a perfect blend of A traditional hospitality and exq traditional hospitality and exquisite comfort. beautiful The George Hotel by Best Western is with a perfect blend of traditional hospitality and exq comfort.

A beautiful Victorian building original features and lovely clean rooms, th Victorian building withbuilding original features and lovely cleanclean rooms, th comfort.

A beautiful with original features and lovely prime location of theVictorian hotel at the center of the market town makes it a desirable spot f rooms, the prime location of athe at the centre prime location of the hotel the has center ofhotel the town makes it a desirable spot f seeking accommodation.

Itatalso fine dinemarket restaurant and anofall-day bar. We give the market town makes it a desirable spot for seeking seeking accommodation.

It also has a fine dine restaurant and an all-day bar. We give plus one for having pet-friendly lodging rules. Experience high-quality comfort in this h plus one for having pet-friendly lodging rules.

Experience high-quality accommodation.

It also has a fine dine restaurant and ancomfort in this h base. base. all-day bar. We give it a plus one for having pet-friendly

lodging rules. Experience high-quality comfort in this Roundthorn homely base.Country House & Luxury Apartments Roundthorn Country House & Luxury Apartments Roundthorn Country House & Luxury Apartments

The Lake District National Park is aanhalf andrive hourfrom drive The Lake District National Park is a half hour Penrith. In this World Heritage from Penrith.

In this World Heritage Site, soak in the Site, soak in the striking views that nature has to offer in its entirety. There is always scope striking views From that nature to offer lake, in itsWastwater, entirety. There for adventures! visitinghas its deepest to its highest peak, Scafell Pike, a is always scope for adventures!

From visiting its deepest day spent at Lake District National Park is a day spent satisfied and at one with nature. lake, Wastwater, to its highest peak, Scafell Pike, a day spent at Lake District National Park is a day spent satisfied and at one Bird with nature.

Lakeland of Prey Centre

This self-catering apartment is a perfect place for a staycation. The landscaped gardens and panoramic view of Eden Valley and Lakeland Fells give a perfect touch to this Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre villa for a dreamy escapade in the lap of nature. All en The Lakeland Bird of Prey Centre houses over more than 150 native suite and exotic species bedrooms areofindividually styled and have a private Theincluding Lakeland Bird of Prey Centreeagles, housesbuzzards, over more birds owls, hawks, vultures, and falcons. decking Birdwatchers and area. The bar and lounge area is where evening than 150 native and species of birds including nature enthusiasts, getexotic your binoculars out!

A promising day of visualmeals and educational treat are served, just beside the log fires. There are owls,for hawks, eagles, buzzards,also andtakes falcons. waits you! Avultures, special flight demonstration place every 2 several hours inaccolades the to the name of The Roundthorn.

mid-afternoon. There are specially designed aviaries housing the birds. You can also try a

60 & NORTH WEST hand atLANCASHIRE handling a bird, supervised

by MAGAZINE an experienced keeper.

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quisite quisite he he for forit a e e it a homely homely

beside the log fires. There are several accolades to the name of The Roundthorn.

AshberryGuest Guest House House Ashberry

Four & Twenty: Considered a real gem in Penrith, the Four & Twenty is acclaimed for its great selection of wine The Ashberry Guest House is known for its lovely rooms and dine on the menu. The proper hand-crafted and The Guest House is known for its lovely breakfasts. A 15 min andAshberry hearty breakfasts.

A 15 min walk from therooms Penrithand heartyheavenly meals make it a must-visit! walk from the Penrith railway station, the loyalty from visitors vouches for the hospitality of railway station, the loyalty from visitors vouches for the this delightfulofbed breakfast. hospitality thisand delightful bed and breakfast.

The Clickham Inn: This cosy and charming little pub has amazing food and an equally amazing atmosphere to The Clickham Inn: This cozy and charming little pub has amazing food FLAVOURS OF PENRITH go with it. Considered a great find by tourists and local amazing atmosphere to go with it. Considered a great find by tourists an visitors, unwind with your friend and family over some Flavors Of Penrith Finding your way around the local and traditional unwind with your friend and family over some hearty meals and uplifting hearty meals and uplifting drinks. palettes of a place is certainly one of the best ways to know your travel destination better. From king-sized

Finding your way around the local and traditional palettes of a place is certainly one of the breakfasts to sipping on some fine wine as you dine and best ways to know your travel destination better. From king-sized breakfasts to sipping on feel the burst of flavours in your mouth, Penrith has a some fine wine as you dine and feel the burst of flavors in your mouth, Penrith has a variety variety of restaurants, eateries, and pubs that you can of restaurants, eateries, and pubs that you can choose from.

choose from.

Chapter 12 Coffee Rooms & Bistro: OneOne of the breakfast and lunch spots, this Chapter 12 Coffee Rooms & Bistro: of favorite the favourite cafe in Penrith known for itsthis fresh picks and delectable food. The courtesy of the staff breakfast andislunch spots, cafe in Penrith is known never to picks impress. for itsfails fresh and delectable food. The courtesy of the

staff never fails to impress.

Penrith is certainly a visitor’s find and keeps for a perfect and relaxing vacation away from the monotony of Penrith is certainly a visitor’s findthe andbeauty keeps of forgrand a perfect and relaxing va everyday life. From exploring castles the monotony of everyday exploring beautymore, of grand castle to diving straight into thelife. lapFrom of nature and the so much into laphas of nature and so much more, town has mesmerizing ch the the town a mesmerizing charm of the its own.

Thisamakes makes a refreshing and enjoyable tourist attraction.

PenrithPenrith a refreshing and enjoyable tourist attraction.

Four & Twenty: Considered a real gem in Penrith, the Four & Twenty is acclaimed for its Image: Penrith Beacon great selection of wine and dine on the menu. The proper hand-crafted and heavenly meals make it a must-visit!

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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 61

The Real War of the Worlds UFO Encounter

By Jason Gleaves, international author of ‘UFO PHOTO’ and The Ufology Umbrella’ plus Ufonly on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Onstellar.

When people in general have a UFO sighting (Close Encounter) or experience, it is of course a special and sometimes overwhelming experience which generally lives with them for the rest of their lives, I can personally vouch and attest to that.

N

ot everyone manages to get proof or evidence of their sighting in the form of photographs or video footage or even accompanied by any other witnesses but if they do, can elevate the case into a whole new realm and level, mainly too authenticate, check or prove the validity and accuracy of their account and not just become hearsay.

THIS CASE WAS ONE SUCH INSTANCE...

Way back on 15th August 1972 two university students (sighting photographer, Mr. Norihiro Sugimoto and other unknown) both aged 19 years old travelling around Kyushu, in the region of the beautiful sulfur valley of Iida Highlands in Kokonoe, Japan, witnessed and photographed a very unusual unidentified flying object, flying in an erratic manner, very reminiscing of the Hollywood movie War of the Worlds.

Not only did they not recognize what the object was, as it didn’t resemble any known aircraft in use at the time (Rotor or fixed wing) but as seen in a few images (6 separate in total) the object appears to be

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emitting some kind of laser or light beam, reddish, orange in colour as if surveying or looking for something in particular. The object is recorded and seen moving so we can certainly conclude it was moving under intelligent control.

The 6 separate images are of a decent print quality to be analysed and were taken using the older 35mm camera film format, pre-digital. Also in conjunction with the images is a partial detailed aerial map (very basic but sufficient) showing the different positions the object was photographed in, relating to the location and subject images.

Eyewitness reports and photographs were provided to Mr Osamu Sato, a UFO researcher in Kyushu, Japan, www.lancmag.com

who went on to investigate the case (conclusion unknown).

Mr. Osamu Sato established the Sky People Association in 1992. In June of 1992, the Sky People Association issued an institution magazine “Flying Saucer’s Phenomenon”. This amazing and fascinating series of pictures was published in the first issue of that publication which went on to be a huge success and very popular.

Upon analysing the images by upscaling the media this vastly reduces the pixelation process thus giving a more accurate detailed view, further enlargement and enhancement reveals even more detail of the object and surrounding location showing trees and foliage, which is also important for perspective ratios etc.

VERDICT:- UNKNOWN ORIGIN, UNIDENTIFIED. Thank you to fellow ufologist Kiyoshi Amamiya for his help in translating the fascinating Ufo case notes to English.

Kiyoshi Amamiya - 清 天宮 Japanese Ufologist (CBA).

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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 63

ANNE CLOUGH

- A Pioneer of Education for Women

By Margaret Brecknell In October 1871 a new hall of residence was opened in Cambridge, which for the first time provided accommodation for women who wished to attend lectures at the university but lived too far away to commute daily.

returned to Liverpool.

Her brothers attended one of England’s most prestigious public schools, Rugby School,

till 7.30. From 9 till 11 at German, then reading Bible, French, the History of the Jews with mother till going-out time….

In the evening Hallam

I

ts origins were humble, but this establishment would later become Newnham College which, as it approaches its 150th anniversary, can still boast of being the oldest university college run by women, for women.

As its first Principal, Liverpool-born Anne Clough played an integral role in the early days of Newnham College and she is rightly celebrated today as one of the pioneers of further education for women in this country, both at Cambridge and here in the North-West.

Anne Jemima Clough was born on 20th January 1820, the only daughter of James, a wealthy cotton merchant of Welsh descent, and his wife Anne. When she was still a small child, the family emigrated from Liverpool to start a new life in the United States. She spent most of her childhood at Charleston in South Carolina until, in 1836, she and her parents 64

Above: portrait of Anne Clough

but Anne was educated at home, as was the usual practice at the time for girls from middle/ upper-class families. This extract from her diary, which appeared in a later biography, illustrates how seriously the young Anne approached her studies, “I must be very industrious this week; I should like to get up at 5, prayer and reading till 6, then Euclid and Greek

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and poetry”.

Anne was particularly close to her brother, Arthur, who would later become a well-known figure in his own right as a poet of some note. He is said to have “advised her as to her studies and kept her constantly supplied with books”.

Soon after returning to England, Anne began to work as a volunteer at a

local charity school in Liverpool, an experience which would ignite her lifelong interest in education. She also appears to have harboured ambitions of becoming a writer but was compelled to abandon the idea when in 1841 her father’s business failed. Instead, in order to help with the family’s precarious financial position she established her own small day school.

It is apparent from her diary that in the early days Anne found the job difficult. In one entry from 1842 she writes, “At times get very tired of school-keeping, and find it more laborious and wearisome than I expected”. The school struggled to attract pupils and after four years she gave it up, but her passion for education remained.

In 1847 she wrote that “I still hanker after a more decided vocation of teaching”.

The following year she finally had the opportunity to receive some formal teacher training in London, in conjunction with working in two of the capital’s schools, before being compelled to return home to Liverpool when her mother fell ill.

In 1852 Anne and her mother moved to Ambleside, an area which they knew well as a result www.lancmag.com

of many holidays in the Lake District. At that time Ambleside was not the tourist destination which it is today, but a quiet village which attracted only a handful of visitors each summer. It was hoped that the mountain air would benefit her mother’s health, but Anne was also excited by the prospect of being able to open a new school there. The Cloughs moved into a property called Eller How, which was situated on a steep hill above the village, and this is also

children of chiefly well-todo shop and hotel-keepers, though some were from the families of professional men; they were from six to sixteen years of age, the little boys remaining till about ten or eleven.

Miss Clough apparently took personal interest in each of them, and was evidently regarded as a much-respected friend”.

Following the deaths of her mother and her much-loved brother, Anne moved to Surrey

assistant in charge of the school at Ambleside.

During her time in the Lake District, Anne had hinted in letters to family and friends of her desire to take a more active role in campaigning on the social issues of the day, particularly regarding the creation of more opportunities for women.

She may well have identified herself with her own description of women who had grown restless and “were like

being the driving force behind the foundation of the North of England Council for Promoting the Higher Education of Women, which led to the organisation of lectures for women by the local universities.

In early 1871 Anne was invited to take charge of a new hall of residence, which would provide accommodation exclusively for women, on Regent Street in Cambridge. She at first

Above: Ambleside during 1850s

where Anne’s school was established.

This venture appears to have been more successful.

Anne’s assistant, who subsequently took charge, later gave an interesting account of life at the school when she first arrived to work there, “There were then about twenty day-scholars and two or three boarders, the www.lancmag.com

so that she could offer support to Arthur’s widow, Blanche, in bringing up their three small children.

She was at first reluctant to give up her school, writing to an aunt in late 1861, “the thought that I shall probably have to give up my beloved school before long rather upsets me”. However, she finally made the move down south in 1863, leaving her former

caged birds, with their strong passions intensified by the want of action”.

Now, following the move to Surrey she was able to become more involved and to join forces with other leading feminist reformers such as Emily Davies, Barbara Bodichon and Frances Buss. She also actively campaigned in the North-West,

refused the job offer, before finally deciding in May to take it. When the hall first opened its doors in early October, there were only five students.

An interesting account by a former student at the hall during those early days was later reproduced in Anne Clough’s biography, “We lived very much the life of a family: we studied together, we had our meals

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at one table, and in the evening we usually sat with Miss Clough in her sitting-room. We did our best to keep down household expenses: our food was very simple; we all, including Miss Clough, not only made our beds and dusted our rooms, but we helped to wash up after meals, and we did the domestic sewing in the evening.”

For all her later success, her early days in the role brought more than their fair share of difficulties.

Her workload was heavy, added to which the cramped conditions in which she lived alongside the first intake of students led to some misunderstandings.

One student recalled that “She did not quite enter into our notions of fun; perhaps she took things a little too seriously, and so she did not gain our full confidence in those early days…It was not until I ceased to be a student that I realised her wonderful goodness and greatness.”

and to a plan of a life which was less like that of a family, because the students strongly desired it, but she did so with regret”.

Within four years the demand for places had grown so high that it was becoming difficult to find a suitable property in Cambridge which would provide adequate accommodation. The decision was taken to raise funds for a new purposebuilt hall to be constructed and Newnham Hall opened its doors for the first time in 1875.

Newnham College, as it is known today, was formally established in 1880, with Anne Clough as its first Principal. Its graduates include Rosalind Franklin, Dorothy Hodgkin and Iris Murdoch, as well as, more recently, Mary Beard, Diane Abbott and Clare Balding.

There is no doubt that Anne Clough made an invaluable contribution to Newnham’s early success and the role

The women’s presence at Cambridge was far from being universally popular in the early days, and Anne was probably more mindful than her students of the necessity to adhere to rules and not give the university authorities any reason to complain.

As she gained more experience in the role, so too did her ability to handle her students.

Following a move to larger premises, Anne did not live at such close quarters with them and life at the hall became more structured.

Her biographer notes that “After the first year it seems that Miss Clough’s authority was to some extent defined by rules.

She consented to this, 66

brought her the sense of fulfilment which she had sought for so long.

She once remarked to a friend that she only found true happiness when she reached fifty years old, the age at which she took up residence in Cambridge.

She stayed at the college for the rest of her life.

Arthur’s daughter, Blanche, came to read Classics at Newnham in 1884 and after completing her studies stayed on at the college to act as her aunt’s secretary. In February 1892 Anne Clough passed away after a short illness.

Her niece, Blanche, would later go on to serve as Principal of Newnham as well as become her aunt’s biographer. A Memoir of Anne Clough, published five years after her death, provides some fascinating detail about her life and has preserved for posterity some of her personal journal entries, which may otherwise well have been lost.

The esteem in which Anne was held was

reflected in the number of people who attended her funeral. An estimated three hundred people packed into King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, for the service on a snowy winter’s day including many of the university’s figures.

Prime Minister, William Gladstone, and the Poet Laureate, Lord Tennyson, were amongst those who sent floral tributes.

Anne Clough lives on at Newnham College today in the name of the ornate bronze gates which stand at its entrance.

She is also commemorated in her home city in the form of a stained glass window at Liverpool Cathedral, as well as having a Hall of Residence named after her at Edge Hill University in nearby Ormskirk. The homeeducated woman from Liverpool, who longed to make a difference, could hardly have dreamt that one day she would be regarded as one of the most influential figures in the women’s education movement.

Above: Plaque at Arthur and Anne Clough’s birthplace Credit: Tony Morrissey on Flickr

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LONGRIDGE HALL CARE HOME DEMENTIA CARE • RESIDENTIAL CARE

EXCEPTIONALLY CARING STAFF Longridge Hall Care Home is a specialist residential, dementia residential and short-term respite care home close to Preston. Our care team all have a comprehensive understanding of dementia and of the needs and aspirations of those living with it. We provide regular activities and a daily menu of fresh, homecooked food.

0800 048 5774

info@sandstonecare.co.uk

4 Barnacre Road • Longridge • Preston Lancashire • PR3 2PD

LONGRIDGE HALL C ARE H OME

www.sandstonecare.co.uk

New Care Home in Preston Welcomes its First Resident

A new purpose-built luxury care home near Preston has opened and welcomed its first resident.

R

ibble Court Care Home in Much Hoole is a new 53-bed spacious and stylish home providing a mix of luxury residential care and specialist/complex nursing care.

The home, the sixth in the Sandstone Care Group, will be creating up to 80 jobs when the home is fully occupied.

Manager Samantha Smith welcomed the home’s first resident, Geoff Dunnings, a retired local policeman.

Samantha said: “We’re delighted that our new highquality, purpose-built home is now open and that Geoff is our first resident. We’ve been enjoying his stories about living in the area, his love of golf, which he used to play at Penwortham Golf Course and his life with his family.

“We’re looking forward to the home becoming an important part of the vibrant Much Hoole community.”

Geoff, 87, who is married to Joan with whom he has three children and three grandchildren, moved into Ribble Court after finding it hard to cope at home on his own.

A former policeman, he worked for Lancashire Constabulary as a Traffic Officer in Hutton until he retired.

He said: “When I was living on my own at home I found that

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I had too many decisions to make, even down to what to eat and what to watch. It was too much. I’m now enjoying living at Ribble Court Care Home because I have no responsibilities and I can just relax and do what I want to do.”

Ribble Court Care Home is the sixth home in the Sandstone Care group, an independent, quality-driven care home operator whose primary purpose is to provide the same standards of care, comfort and compassion you would expect in your own home.

Sandstone Care believes the focus should always be on its residents, cared for by knowledgeable, gently, friendly and motivated carers and nurses within a loving and welcoming environment.

Other homes in the group include Longridge Hall and Fleetwood Hall, both in Lancashire, St Helens Hall in Merseyside, The Oaks in Newtown, Wales and Oak Springs in Liverpool.

Ribble Court Care Home, 150 Liverpool Old Road, Much Hoole, Preston PR4 4QB. For more information or to book a private viewing to any of Sandstone Care’s home please: visit: www.sandstonecare.co.uk email: info@sandstonecare.co.uk or call: 0800 048 5774

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RIBBLE COURT CARE HOME NURSING CARE • RESIDENTIAL CARE

NOW OPEN FOR RESIDENTS EXCEPTIONAL STANDARDS OF CARE Our trained and knowledgeable staff provide nursing, specialist, residential and respite care. Book your private viewing today.

0800 048 5774

info@sandstonecare.co.uk

150 Liverpool Old Road • Much Hoole Preston • PR4 4QB

www.sandstonecare.co.uk

Investment in Family Friendly Care Home in Fleetwood

A Fleetwood care home that prides itself on its family friendly ethos and homely atmosphere has invested £250,000 on dementia friendly interior design.

F

leetwood Hall Care Home is a specialist residential and dementia care home a short walk from the vast expanses of the Lancashire coast.

Operating at the very heart of the Fleetwood community, Fleetwood Hall is a warm and welcoming purpose-built luxury care home, with a devoted and passionate staff team intent on providing the very best care to its residents.

The Chatsworth Avenue home, which was awarded a ‘Good’ rating following a recent CQC inspection, is expertlyled by highly-experienced Home Manager, Joanne Warren.

The Sandstone Care Group, which runs the 62-bed home, worked with award-winning Catalyst Interiors to deliver a beautiful, safe and welcoming space for its residents.

Steve Donovan, Project Manager for Catalyst Interiors, said: “We updated all the facilities and refreshed the communal areas to create surroundings that will enhance the lives of the residents.

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“We have also used dementia friendly artwork, clear labelling and strategic use of colour to gently help to signpost residents around the home.”

Home Manager Joanne Warren, who knows all the residents, said: “We have a brilliant team at Fleetwood and families love the fact that we are like one big family.

“We’ve had a really good response to the refurbishment from residents and their families and it has created a very relaxing environment.”

The home, which has a high rating of 9.4 on carehome. co.uk, is regularly praised by families of its residents for its home-cooked food, high standard of care, kindness, wide range of activities and great links to the community.

Fleetwood Hall Care Home, Chatsworth Avenue, Fleetwood FY7 8RW. For more information or to book a private viewing to any of Sandstone Care’s home please: visit: www.sandstonecare.co.uk email: info@sandstonecare.co.uk or call: 0800 048 5774

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Fleetwood Hall_Lanc Life_Full Page:Layout 1 05/08/2021 14:09 Page 1

FLEETWOOD HALL CARE HOME DEMENTIA CARE • RESIDENTIAL CARE

NEWLY REFURBISHED Our knowledgeable, gentle, friendly and motivated staff team provide dedicated care for our residents within a loving, welcoming environment.

The home offers a wide range of features designed with the comfort, privacy and independent lifestyle choices of residents in mind.

0800 048 5774

info@sandstonecare.co.uk Chatsworth Avenue • Fleetwood Lancashire • FY7 8RW

FLEETWOOD HALL CA RE H O ME

www.sandstonecare.co.uk

Windmill Youth Group

By Georgie Kulkhan Albaythani

Stuart Sykes has been the chairman of the Windmill Youth Group for 40 years. Throughout those 40 years, the group’s purpose has continued, unchanged: for all young people, regardless of academic background, to reach their full potential of future success.

T

he 17th of July was a celebratory day for the Windmill Youth Group. The esteemed party of Youth Group members congregated on the Keswick Hills for another stimulating volunteer opportunity.

The group of nine started at the base of Grassmere and hiked to the very top of the Hills. This particular volunteer opportunity was in aid of a breathtaking adult parapenting competition: a well known, dangerous sport.

The volunteers served a host of audience members food and drink and picked up litter to ensure the Keswick Hills maintained its astounding beauty.

The group then slept under the stars on the Hills from 11pm until 7am, only to continue their volunteering for the second half of the competition until 5:30. For a

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group of 14-16 year olds, their commitment was beyond impressive. The competitors and audience members themselves were astounded by the group’s hard work, leading to them receiving a round of applause. As a sign of appreciation, the parapenting competitors set up a tip box for the group: this led to a collection of over £200.

Stuart set his Youth Group volunteers a challenge: he constructed them to schedule a private meeting, to decide how to split up their earnings. The group communicated efficiently and arrived at the conclusion that they should donate their hard-earned tips to Bowland and Pennine Rescue and the Mountain Rescue.

After a short weekend, a young team of youngsters with little working experience became an experienced team of esteemed volunteers.

The Windmill Youth Groups strives for young people to achieve valuable experiences to boost both their life skills and CV: through expeditions, volunteering and conservation. These aims can be shown by the multitude of Duke of Edinburgh completions Stuart has overseen, but also in a simple two day volunteering experience.

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Is That a Ghost You Are Sitting Upon?

By Harold Cunliffe

Above: The Ring o’ Bells public House

There are many public houses which claim to have a ghost.

O

ne such establishment, The Ring o’ Bells in Middleton, Manchester is well documented for having the ghost of a cavalier upon its premises.

One licensee commented that “having a ghost can be good for trade.” In 1969 a young man was employed to cover the bar during the early evenings to enable the licensee and her husband to have a break before the evening rush commenced.

The licensee enjoyed playing a baby grand piano so took advantage of a few hours rest. The young chap would 74

serve the odd customer throughout the evening. His first regular customer would arrive around eight thirty; who was an insurance agent who would spend half an hour with a pint seated at a table where he brought his round book up to date. The “Ringers,” as it was known was famous for having a small bar, measuring only thirty six inches wide. One evening in the run up to Christmas the barman who was alone, noticed that the pint pots which were stored on hooks above the pumps, started to sway. The first dimpled pot would start to sway, followed by the next until all the pots were seen swinging in unison.

No matter how often he stopped them, they would start again. What happened next would leave him with

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memories which would last a lifetime.

As he was cleaning the bar he noticed a white ball of mist enter the corridor from the staircase. This orb slowly made its way past the bar and rested on the second seat in the small ‘Snug’ which on the left of the bar. Around ten minutes later the insurance agent came into the pub, he was known as Frank. “Hi, it is a bit cold out there, give me a pint,” he said. Then to the surprise of the barman, he proceeded into the same room as the orb, and then sat in the very seat. Having no wish to explain what had just occurred the barman watched with interest as Frank settled down to his bookkeeping. Within minutes the seated man became restless, he moved around in his seat. Then commented, www.lancmag.com

Above: Licensee, Mr and Mrs John Chapman.

Notice the dimpled pint pots above their head

Above: Regulars at the “Ringers” showing Frank the insurance agent, rear, right.

Above: Postcard picture of the Park and Cemetery where body-snatchers plied their trade.

“You know, my backside is freezing, I have never known my bottom to be so cold.” The barman advised him to move to another chair, left or right. Frank could not see the point in moving and continued to complain.

Next he was advised to move to the next seat to his right which would be closer to the coal fire. Once again he said that it was a waste of time, he had a change of heart when he was suffering so much discomfort and shuffled into the next seat, “Ahh he cried, that is tons better.” He had no idea that he had been sitting on the knee of a ghost.

rivers to customers Manchester.

One town near Manchester had a cemetery watchman, who would keep watch well in to the early hours of the morning. But one determined snatcher unearthed a body of rather large proportions, and her is where the plan went horribly wrong. In this true story the newspaper reported that two workmen who were making their way to the mill spotted a man hanging from a tree which overlooked the cemetery. Suicides at this time were not uncommon. In due course a policeman arrived to investigate.

The officer of the law was shocked when he entered the cemetery to cut the rope which was holding the deceased man, for the rope was anchored around a dead body. Then the circumstances became clear. The body snatcher had a problem in lifting the body over the cemetery wall. He acquired a rope which he managed to suspend from a tree. The problem he next encountered was that the corpse was heavier than he. In an attempt to tie off the rope once the body was in the air he wrapped the rope round his upper body, and under his arms.

In a freak accident the rope slipped from under his arm, resting round his neck, thus hanging the culprit. Instead of the cemetery suffering the loss of a body, it gained two.

he became homeless. The housing association offered him a one bedroomed flat which was located within half a mile of the church that he had sketched as a child. He soon became an active member of the congregation, helping the church in practical ways too. He noticed that the wooden ceiling was dry and required a coat of linseed oil. Each Tuesday he would make his way to the church, and with the aid of scaffolding would proceed to preserve the ceiling. Upon entering the building he would take care to ensure that he was alone.

Constantly securing the doors. To his amazement he noticed a woman seated in the front row, bent over in prayer. He made his way over to the woman who sported bright red hair, and politely requested that once she had completed her worship to let him know so that he could unlock the door to let her out. Sometime had elapsed before he noticed that she had left.

He searched the church but could not find her. He was the only person in the building. It is thought that the ghost was the spirit of a woman known as “Polly,” who, during her lifetime was a bit of a character, who repented towards the end of her life. A wellknown historian was a woman called

Friday nights were busy in this cosy Lancashire public house. One of the barmen would wait-on during the evening to help ease congestion.

Problem was that on most Friday evenings an old lady, small in stature, beautifully dressed in black lace around her head, complete with a black silk dress would be stood near to the entrance. Her attire looked out of place for this period, but, never the less she always gave a smile as the barman passed by with a tray full of drinks. One evening he happened to mention to the bar staff that the old lady was in causing an obstruction; then turning round to point her out, he was shocked and stunned to find that she had disappeared. And following a search of the premises she could not be found. No one in the pub had seen her, apart from the (sober) waiter.

THE REVENGE OF A CORPSE There was a time when doctors required a cadaver to work on to enhance their medical knowledge.

Body snatchers would ply their trade following a funeral, making good their escape with the recently deceased by boat, sailing down www.lancmag.com

POLLY MAKES A COMEBACK In close proximity of the cemetery and the Ring ‘o Bells is an ancient church. A young boy from Moston, Manchester would visit his aunt Becca who lived near the church during summer holidays. She knew that he was interested in drawing so advised him to visit the ancient church. He fell in love with the place of worship due to its character. It was due to personal circumstances that

Above: Peggy Smith’s Ghost.

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Peggy. She also had a fascination with this place of worship. One day she decided t record the exterior of he church for decay and to record how acid rain was eating away at the stonework. It was when she received her snapshots from the developers that she noticed a ghostly face which was captured in front of her camera.

This image was featured in the local newspaper, but when the preview was examined in the newspaper office the ghost was not to be seen.

It was too late to take action; the paper had been put to bed. An explanation for the attention of the readers was written for the next issue, and then, amazingly as the newspapers arrived from the print-room, the spirit decided she would make an appearance.

MYSTERY OF A GROTESQUE FACE Undertakers I should imagine are not keen to have ghost stories associated within their Chapel of Rest. About thirty years ago a family member of a deceased decided to photograph their family member at rest in the coffin. A number of shots were fired off including one of the coffin lid which was stood in the corner of the room. The roll of film was sent for developing, but upon the return they were shocked to find a grotesque figure staring at them through the varnish of the coffin lid.

Naturally an investigation took place.

It was noticed that the flash was clearly visible near to the name plate, and then the outline of a person could

Above: Interior of the church where “Polly,” returned to worship.

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Above: One of the access roads next to the cemetery.

Above: The cemetery wall and tree where a snatcher came to grief.

be seen. The grotesque face was in fact a reflection of the person who took the photograph.

ladies hand and made an attempt to remove it, but it was a tight fit, as he tried hard to remove the ring the other hand of the deceased took hold of his hand, which frightened him beyond belief, with which he ran off a great speed. The old lady then climbed out of her coffin and made her way back to her large home in the centre of town. A problem occurred, she had no means of entering her home, so had no other option but to ring the doorbell. Both the maid and butler attended the front door expecting to welcome family members who were delayed. As soon as the maid saw her mistress dressed in her shroud she thought it was a ghost and fainted.

The butler however was unfazed by her arrival and attended to his employer. They say that crime does not pay, but that may not be the case in this situation. There is no doubt at all that the butler was intent on stealing the valuable ring, but I doing so his actions saved the life of this elderly lady. I am sorry to reveal that I was unable to bring this situation to a conclusion. It would seem that the chap left town and no trace of his whereabouts can be found. I suppose the police would have prosecuted him for his actions. I do feel however that he was given a golden handshake, or maybe given employment at one of their other homes, possibly in Ireland.

The mistress however lived for another six years

WHAT THE BUTLER SAW Over a hundred and fifty years ago there were some wealthy cotton mill owners living in Lancashire. The next true story is relating to the ’death’ of a mill owners wife, a widow in her 90’s.

It transpires that one morning a maid entering the bedroom of her mistress found that she was unable to wake her. Thinking that she had passed away during the night she sent for the local doctor, who lived quite close by.

Upon examination he confirmed that the old lady had indeed passed away.

An undertaker was engaged to carry out the necessary arrangements. No grave was required for the deceased because a family vault existed. Things moved along quickly and the funeral was planned for the very next day.

Many friends and family attended the wake and gave their respects to this kind old lady, including the household staff. The butler however spotted a large diamond cluster ring on the hand of the deceased. His thoughts were that with impending unemployment the sale of that ring would secure his future for many months. His thoughts were that it was a waste to place this valuable item in a vault which would rest there for centuries, and never see the light of day, which value would give him security. All night long his mind would not rest thinking about this item, but how could he acquire it? The following day the funeral took place, all went well without a hitch.

The butler visited the vault during the early hours of the morning. He managed to gain access to the vault, and eventually opened the coffin lid.

You can image how he must have felt, his heart must have been racing. He spotted the diamond ring on the old

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DECEASED REACHED THE REQUIRED TEMPERATURE A newspaper reporter who was travelling to Manchester to cover court cases spotted a young woman that he knew in the railway carriage.

“Good morning, you are a little late for work,” he enquired. “Yes I am” she said, “I was at a funeral but it did not take place, so I am on my way to the office.“ Newspaper reporters are, by www.lancmag.com

Above: Middleton Junction or “Jumbo” as it is known.

Above: View of the village of Blackley who had its very own female factory ghost.

their very nature, inquisitive. His mind would not rest until he found out why the funeral did not take place. Reading his notes it transpired that an elderly woman who lived at a place called “Jumbo,” had passed away during a period of very cold weather. On the day of the funeral her coffin was put into he front parlour to enable friends and relatives to pay their last respects.

Due to the bitter cold weather a roaring coal fire was made in the room. At nine o’clock the undertaker arrived to carry out the proceedings.

He entered the packed terraced house and proceeded to fasten down the coffin lid. As the lid was about to be placed over the deceased, she sat bolt upright. Every person in the house, some screaming, made a dash to exit the property, amazingly the undertaker however managed to be the first person to achieve this. The elderly lady wondered what was going on, and climbed out of her coffin. She lived for many years. It is thought that the woman was in a coma, and once near the fire she awoke once she had reached the required temperature.

went home. Five years later a young employee at the works was instructed to work late. It is amazing that before we had child protection which would oversee the hours children could be employed, our young chap was sent to work when he was seven and a half years old. The young children were given the name of a ‘teer boy,’ who it is aid was like a printers devil, a young person who would assist the tradesmen in their work. Mainly to fetch and carry. Their hours of work were long. Normally starting work at six in the morning until ten o’clock at night. On some occasions they were expected to work through the night, being called back to the mill for midnight. It was the middle of November when he was instructed to return to work to help his master with a special order which would see him working into the early hours of the morning. He arrived at the blockprinters room located on the top floor just before midnight, which was the hour they commenced work.

To his amazement no other person

had turned up for work. He was sure that the man who he ‘teered’ for had instructed him to return for work that night. It was a bitter cold night so the young employee decided to sleep at the mill due to him having to be back at work six hours later. A large wood burning stove was located I the centre of the room which provided some light. The young chap soon made himself comfortable under the printers table. As he lay wondering why no one had turned up for work, and feeling lonely, he was suddenly disturbed by the sound of a most unearthly sound. Before he could comprehend what the noise was, it repeated itself. This caused his whole body to shake with fear.

Fifty years later he still suffered the effects of this experience. This awful screaming of a female as she passed by him left him in shock. He thought that the hands of this woman would, at any moment, remove the cloth which he was hiding under, take hold of him and dash him to pieces. In his report he claimed that he remained under the bench until the day staff arrived. He was then informed that he had encountered the ghost of “Owd Shay’s Wife” who had cut her own throat at the works and for many years following this violent act had been seen rambling about inside the printworks, upon each sighting that awful ghostly noise was heard. When he was asked if it was a ghost that he had encountered he replied, “I have not the shadow of a doubt, that noise was a ghost to me.”

SPINNING MILL GHOST In the 1830’s at the village of Blackley, north of Manchester, a night watchman was making his rounds at the Blackley Spinning Mill between nine and ten o’clock in the evening when he heard a voice say, “What do you want here?” He then froze with fear because he was the only person in the building. He did not reply but turned round to see the ghost fade away commenting, “Good night.” The terrified man ran out of the building and commenced to knock on doors of friends that he knew. He related his experience which emanated with a group of locals taking up watch outside the mill. But after almost three hours waiting and no further sighting they gave up the ghost and www.lancmag.com

Above: Boggart Hole Clough. Legend has it that Boggarts once lived there.

Located next to Blackley Village.

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WILMSLOW

By Megha Seth Situated 10 miles south from the Manchester City Centre, Wilmslow is an upcoming posh town in Cheshire. With a population of only 7,000 at the time of its formation, this quaint little town houses over 30,000 people today.

W

discoveries in the country, which was reported as “one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 1980s”. However, the artefact was soon transferred to the British Museum, where it is currently a central feature of the Iron Age exhibition.

Recreated as a civil parish on 30th September 1894, Winslow became part of Macclesfield Borough on 1st April 1974. And on 1st April 2009, Winslow became part of the Cheshire East unitary authority.

ilmslow also happens to be one of the most desired neighbourhoods for local footballers.

A confection of upscale markets with a touch of high streets, people here can experience the true “Cheshire lifestyle”. Exploring Wilmslow is a traveller’s delight for a quick relaxing getaway.

Wilmslow gained popularity in the Victorian era. It was mainly the wealthy North-Western businessmen who preferred to move to this town with the advent of railways connecting towns easily.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF WILMSLOW

THINGS YOU CAN DO IN WILMSLOW

Wilmslow derives its name from the Anglo Saxon term ‘Wīghelmes hlāw’, which means ‘mound of a man named Wīghelm’. The unearthing of Lindow Man, which was preserved in the peat bogs for 2,000 years led to the discovery of the local Iron Age history of Wilmslow. It is one of the most significant Iron Age

Now that we have warmed up to the history of Wilmslow and have a little idea about what to expect from this quaint upscale town, let’s take a look at the list of places that you can visit when in Wilmslow. Not to forget the activities that you can indulge in while doing so.

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Spend a Delightful Day at Carrs Park A delight for the outdoor and nature enthusiasts, Carrs Park is an ideal spot for spending the day.

Opened in 1935, it is spread across a sprawling area of 71 acres. The vast grasslands make it a place perfectly cut out for picnics with friends, family, and loved ones.

The River Bollin meanders through this park. The park also encloses footpath links, woodland walks, a skateboard ramp, a multi-use football area, a basketball arena, and a children’s play area. The Wilmslow Parkrun (collection of events for walkers, runners, and volunteers) also takes place in this park, alongside the Wilmslow Junior Parkrun.

Create to Your Heart’s Content at Pottery Cafés and Ceramic Centres If you’ve got a knack for creativity, try a hand at pottery and ceramic art at these cafés and centres.

Bond with your family by doing a fun activity together or unwind alone by spending some quality time with yourself.

Breathe life into that imagination and create your heart away. There are various places to choose from, be it The Happy Potter, Bean and Brush Family Art Cafe, Pottery Corner, etc. Whatever you create is for you to take back as a beautiful souvenir.

A Visit to the Quarry Bank Mills and Chapel Woods

A Visit to the Quarry Bank Mills and Chapel Woods

This mill is one of the best-preserved mills of the very famous Industrial Revolution. Located on the banks of This mill is one of the best-preserved mills of the very famous Industrial River Bollin, this picturesque place is still every bit as Revolution. Located on the banks of River Bollin, this picturesque place is relevant. The water-powered mill produces calico cotton still every bit as relevant. The water-powered mill produces calico cotton to to date. date.

An Escapade to Alderley Edge

AnAEscapade to Alderley EdgeWilmslow, Alderley Edge is 10-minute drive from

a village that houses various tourist attractions. As you reachdrive thefrom village, takeAlderley in theEdge view deep A 10-minute Wilmslow, is awith villageathat houses

breath. The picturesque landscape of the striking red sandstone escarpment with an equally impressive deep breath. The picturesque landscape of the striking red sandstone view of the ancient copper mines are legends of both escarpment with modern an equally impressive ancient and times. view of the ancient copper mines

various tourist attractions. As you reach the village, take in the view with a

are legends of both ancient and modern times.

During the 1900s, bars of gold were discovered here.

But the Edge looks equally enchanting today sans the During the 1900s, bars of gold were discovered here. But the Edge looks bars of gold. The charming rural vibe puts your mind equally enchanting sans the bars of gold. The charming rural vibe immediately attoday ease. puts your mind immediately at ease.

As the tale goes, Alderley Edge was the location where King Arthur’s Knights slumbered in wait for daybreak to awaken and rise, to defend their country.

Adrenaline Rush at Adventure Parks Adrenaline Rush at Adventure Parks

If you are an adrenaline junkie and love spending time with your family outdoors, Wilmslow has If you are an adrenaline junkie and love spending time with your family adventure parks with various fun activities. outdoors, Wilmslow has adventure parks with various fun activities.

BeWILDerwood Cheshire is based on a magical book.

BeWILDerwood Cheshire is based on a magical book. This woodland This woodland adventure park has activities for all age adventure park has activities for all age groups. From ziplining to finding groups. From zip-lining to finding your way out of the A host of live makes this place there an equally exciting place for forchildren some your way out shows of the MishMash are various options MishMash maze, theremaze, are various options for children enchanting entertainment. and also a separate play area for toddlers. and also a separate play area for toddlers. A host of live shows makes this place an equally exciting place Go Ape is another adventure retreat nestled in Delamere forest. Explore for some enchanting entertainment. the forest, get going on an adventure trail as you also enjoy various

activities like Treetop Adventure, Tarzan Swing drops, etc. A in perfect Go Ape is another adventure retreat nestled Delamere

forest. Explore the forest, going adventure combination of amusement withget a view in theon lapan of nature.

trail as you also enjoy various activities like Treetop Adventure, Tarzan Swing drops, etc. A perfect combination of amusement with a view in the lap of nature.

Explore the Flora and Fauna of Lindow Common Although the heathland is spread over a small area, the Local Nature Reserve is thriving with diversity when it comes to flora and fauna. If you’re someone who happens to be a nature enthusiast, the place would prove to be no less of a paradise. This reserve is identified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. www.lancmag.com

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 79 Shop Till You Drop

outdoor b Shop Till You Drop

The Stanneylands, located 1 mile away from the Wilmslow Rail Station, Stanneylands is an extremely With designer boutique shops lined up in a row elegant hotel. The architecture of the hotel has a and countless names to choose from, Wilmslow is a beautiful cottage-core vibe while the interiors are shopper’s paradise if you are into high-end fashion. elegant and swanky. The rooms live up to the standard There are amazing options in the shops lined in the thetake classic lobby. This hotel theinoption of gardens where you of can leisurely walks asalso youhas stay this immaculate town centre’s shopping street. two dining venues. The property encompasses large gardens where you can take leisurely walks as you hotel.

Look out for the charity shops where you can buy stay in this immaculate hotel. designer goods at a very reasonable price. In these shops, even a Roberto Cavalli frock costs £99! Thrifting Since the world has been grappled with COVID-19, and sustainability, anyone?

Since the world hasthe been grappled with COVID-19, the hotels have taken hotels have taken every necessary step to mitigate concerns in the wake of the same reason.

Interesting fact: The town’s Aston Martin everydealership necessary step to mitigate concerns in the wake of the same reason. also happens to sell the highest number of Aston From sanitation to contact-less check-ins, etc., they sanitation to contactless check-ins, etc.,guests they as aim to make Martins in the United Kingdom. This From high demand is aim to make the stay of their smooth and the stay of because of the high number of the affluent population. safe as possible.

their guests as smooth and safe as possible.

Sweet Sojourn Best Western Plus Pinewood on Wilmslow Hotel Cheshire is a delightful hotel located in a convenient spot, within the proximity of both the train station and the airport. Enjoy the natural view of Tatton Park as you stay here. The hotel has an in-house restaurant with a fully equipped bar and a lounge.

Treat Your Tastebuds With Scrumptious Meals One of the key elements of exploring a place is to try out the various cuisines that it has to offer.

Treat Your Tastebuds With Scrumptious Meals From delving into the local palettes to pleasing your tastebuds with the specialties, a gastronome leaves no tables unturned when it comes to food. Wilmslow offers a variety of cuisines to tourists as well as One of the key elements of exploring a place is to try out the various residents.

cuisines that it has toGive offer.

Fromkick delving palettes to pleasing a great start tointo yourthe daylocal with a hearty and

satisfying breakfast at the Village Cafe. The cafe is tastebuds the specialties, a gastronome leaves no tables Mottram Hall Hotel is an exquisiteyour luxury hotel built withknown for its fresh ingredients and wonderful service. on 270 acres of sprawling gardens. It encompasses an Enjoy the world pass by withoffers a freshly brewed of cupcuisines of unturned when it comes to food.

Wilmslow a variety to Championship Golf Course.

The Champney’s l is an 18-hole exquisite luxury hotel built on 270 acres of coffee in your hand if you choose to sit outdoors, or Spa inaugurated in 2020 is every bit as grand as andwell as residents. enjoy the airy interiors. tourists luxurious as you expect from one of the finest It encompasses an would 18-hole Championship Golf Course.

Heddy’s, a restaurant that has been in the longleading health spas in the country. standing food business for quite some time. Apart from pa inaugurated in 2020 is every bit as grand and Mottram Hall has also received many accolades for specializing in Mediterranean cuisine, they also serve the plethora fine dining your pick from spas uld expect fromofone of theoptions. finestPick leading health in Eastern, Persian, and Armenian cuisines. This Middle the ritzy bar. Bask in luxury and lead a true blue blood Turkish delight most certainly gives businesses a run Cheshire lifestyle in this hotel. for their money.

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www.lancmag.com

beer garden to enjoy your drinks under the pleasant skies.

Head over to Bulls Head, a charming traditional pub in a contemporary style to enjoy a lively evening with your friends and family. Pick your pick from all sorts of wine, beer, or simply a cup of freshly ground coffee. The food served is delectable in terms of taste. This pub also boasts of an outdoor beer garden to enjoy your drinks under the pleasant skies.

With a light and airy venue, Phantong Thai is the ideal place to indulge in some authentic Thai scrumptiousness.

Theplace quality to of food is such ain hit With a light and airy venue, Phantong Thai is the ideal indulge amongst the customers that there now exists a second branchof of food this restaurant. some authentic Thai scrumptiousness. The quality is such a hit If you are looking for a Wilmslow equivalent

amongst the customers that there now exists a second branch thisis the of McDonald’s then The Gourmetof Burger restaurant.

If you are looking for a Wilmslow

place for you. Known for its amazing fast food, this place is brimming with life on the weekends with countless kids’ parties.

This is an instant favourite amongst kids and adults same. equivalent of the McDonald’s then The

Wilmslow offers numerous choices to pick from Gourmet Burger is the place for you. Known for its amazing fast food, this for an ideal stay-cation. From sightseeing to finding hidden gems and trying out various cuisines offered

countless parties. place is brimming with life on the weekends here, with this town never fails to kids’ mesmerise.

When in

need of a short escapade, you have to head to this

This is an instant favorite amongst kids and the same. partadults of the country.

Find out what makes this town unique as you explore your way through.

www.lancmag.com

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 81

Rochdale’s Memorial to Lancashire Dialect Writers

By Margaret Brecknell

Above: Portrait of John Collier (Tim Bobbin) c1773 - Wellcome Images/CC BY 4.0

Above: Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial - Tim Green/CC BY 2.0

Broadfield Park in Rochdale is home to one of Lancashire’s more unusual monuments.

A memorial to four 19thcentury authors associated with the area, who were renowned for their use of the local dialect in their writing, stands on Broadfield Slopes overlooking the town centre.

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ochdale had been famous for its local dialect writers long before this monument was officially unveiled in October 1900.

The works of the satirical writer and artist, John Collier, who wrote under the pseudonym “Tim Bobbin”, are generally acknowledged as being the first significant examples of the Lancashire dialect in print. Upon his death in 1786 he was laid to rest in the graveyard of the parish church at Rochdale. He is reputed to have composed his own epitaph only twenty minutes before his passing, “Jack of all trades…Left to lie i’th dark”.

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Just over a century later, repair work was carried out on Collier’s grave in St Chad’s churchyard and in 1892 a ceremony was held to mark its completion. In his speech to the assembled crowd that day, the Vicar of Rochdale, Archdeacon James Wilson, is said to have been the first to put forward the idea that the town’s dialect writers be commemorated with a public memorial. Oliver Ormerod and Edwin Waugh, who would later be chosen to be immortalised on the memorial, had already died by this time, but the other two writers, Margaret Lahee and John Trafford Clegg, were present at the ceremony.

Enthusiasm for the scheme only seems to have gained momentum following the deaths of both Lahee and Clegg in 1895. A public meeting was held the following year, at which it was agreed to proceed with the construction of the memorial.

It took a further four years before it was finally completed, primarily because of a disappointing response to the initial appeal for funds. The fact that a similar appeal for help with financing the restoration of John www.lancmag.com

Collier’s grave had occurred only four years previously may well explain the public’s muted response to this further request for funds, as well as being the reason why Collier’s name was not included on the new memorial.

The monument, which takes the form of a tapering column on a square pedestal, was designed by local architect Edward Sykes. At the base of the column, on each of its four sides, were bronze medallion portraits of the four writers by wellknown Manchester sculptor, John Cassidy. The medallions had to be subsequently replaced when the originals were stolen. The inscriptions in gilded lettering beneath each portrait provide details of the writer’s birth and death, together with an appropriate line or two from their work.

The name of a fifth dialect writer, Harvey Kershaw (1908-86), was subsequently added to the memorial in 1987.

The main inscription on the memorial reads, “In grateful memory of four Rochdale writers of the Lancashire dialect who have preserved for our children, in verse and prose that will not die, the strength and tenderness, the gravity and humours of the folk of our day, in the tongue and talk of the people”.

So, who were the four writers honoured in such a public way on this memorial?

OLIVER ORMEROD (1811-79)

Born in Rochdale on 21st June 1811, Oliver Ormerod’s father worked as a currier in the leather trade and the young Oliver would later follow him into the same profession. As a young man Ormerod became a close friend of the Liberal MP and prominent campaigner John Bright, who also hailed from the town. During the late 1830s the two men were involved in a high-profile campaign to oppose the imposition of a “church rate” on the people of Rochdale by the local parish.

Above: Painting of Edwin Waugh by William Percy c1882

The inscription reads “Aw sed awm o Rachde felley mon un we’re meterly fause theere aw’ll warrunt te”, which roughly translates as “I said I’m a Rochdale fellow man and we are moderately clever there, I’ll warrant you”.

In 1863 John Bright praised Ormerod for his efforts to save for posterity the local dialect, commenting that “Our dialect, as you know, is vanishing into the past.

It will be preserved in future times partly in the work of “Tim Bobbin”, but in a very much better and more instructive form in the writings of one of my oldest and most valued friends”.

EDWIN WAUGH (1817-90)

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After a basic education, Waugh was apprenticed to a printer and bookseller called Thomas Holden.

This position enabled him to continue to educate himself through reading and by the late 1840s he was writing both poetry and prose.

Ormerod wrote a series of humorous magazine articles in the local dialect, before, in 1851, writing as the “Rachde Felley” (Rochdale Fellow), he published a comical account of a visit to the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park. The extract from this work which is inscribed on the Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial may well appear odd to modern eyes, mainly because of the decision to recreate the Lancashire dialect phonetically in the hope of making it more accessible to standard English speakers.

By the time of his death at his Rochdale home on 1st November 1879, Ormerod had become a hugely respected figure in the town, who was as well-known for his charitable work as for his writing. A collection of his work, The Writings of Oliver Ormerod, edited by historian Henry Colley Marsh, was published posthumously in 1901.

Above: Oliver Ormerod commemorated on Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial - Gerald England/CC BY-SA 2.0

memorial in Broadfield Park and was among the first of the Victorian era to reintroduce the kind of Lancashire dialect writing first pioneered by John Collier during the previous century.

Edwin Waugh, who was born in Rochdale on 27th January 1817, is probably the best-remembered of the writers who appear on the

His first book of prose, Sketches of Lancashire Life and Localities, was published in 1855. The following year the poem which made his name, Come Whoam to Thi Childer an Me, first appeared in the Manchester Examiner. When this poem was subsequently published in pamphlet form, it sold so well throughout England and across the continent that soon after Waugh was able to give up his job and focus on his writing.

Waugh was a prolific writer and such was his reputation that he became known as the “Lancashire Burns”. Like his Scottish counterpart, Waugh possessed the enviable ability to recreate in the local dialect a vivid picture of his native county’s people, places and customs.

Towards the end of his life Waugh retired to the then fashionable seaside resort of New Brighton on the Wirral and this is where he died on 30th April 1890. The title of the 1856 poem which established his reputation is inscribed underneath his portrait on the Rochdale memorial.

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MARGARET REBECCA LAHEE (1831-95)

Above: Margaret Lahee commemorated on Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial - Gerald England/CC BY-SA 2.0

Margaret Lahee was born in Ireland on 10th May 1831, but at the age of 24 arrived in Rochdale to serve as an apprentice to a local milliner and dressmaker who was a friend of the family. She did not enjoy the work and decided instead to write for a living.

In a letter written to Edwin Waugh not long before his death, Lahee wrote that had she never heard Come Whoam to Thi Childer an Me, she probably would never have aspired to become a writer of the Lancashire dialect. For his part Waugh described her as “a gifted woman and one of the most remarkable amongst the numerous writers in the Lancashire dialect”. Few women achieved this level of recognition in what was traditionally very much a male dominated field and her success is all the more astonishing, bearing in mind that she had only started to study the local dialect on coming to live in the county as a 24-year-old.

When Lahee’s first work, Owd Neddy Fitton’s Visit to th’Earl of Derby, was published in 1859, it proved an instant success. Initially, she concealed the fact that she was both Irish and a woman by publishing her work anonymously, or by using her initials “MRL”.

Like other dialect writers, Lahee took inspiration for her work from local people and the landscape in which she lived. As one of the few 84

female Lancashire dialect writers from the 19th century whose work has survived, her stories provide a valuable insight into the day-to-day lives of Lancashire women during this period as well as highlighting some of the specific issues they faced.

The author lived in a close relationship with Susannah Rothwell Wild for over 30 years right up to her death in June 1895. She may have won the respect of her fellow writers such as Edwin Waugh, but sadly she does not seem to have been universally accepted by everyone in her local community who found her lifestyle too “unconventional” for their taste. Upon their deaths the two women were buried alongside each other. However, their wish for an inscription, composed by Lahee, that read, “They were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in death they were undivided”, was never fulfilled.

Lahee’s name has, however, been preserved for posterity on the Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial, which also includes a few lines from one of her novels, Left To His Fate.

JOHN TRAFFORD CLEGG (1857-95)

Above: John Trafford Clegg commemorated on Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial - Gerald England/CC BY-SA 2.0

John Trafford Clegg was born on 22nd January 1857 in Milnrow, the town close to Rochdale which John Collier had made famous a century or so earlier. The son of a grocer, Clegg joined his brother’s printing business on leaving school.

Although he would later recall that

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“I have been guilty of imaginative writing ever I could use a pen”, he only began to make his name as an author some five years before his death with the publication of Reaund bi th’Derby in 1890.

This tale of Lancashire weavers, written under Clegg’s nom de plume of “Th’ Owd Weighver”, was wellreceived. One critic praised him as, “an acute observer of the humours of the Lancashire weavers. His descriptions of rambles about the country possess the best qualities of sketches. They are full of brightness and life”.

Soon after achieving literary success Clegg fell ill and was compelled to leave his native county, moving to Bournemouth on the south coast in the hope that the mild sea air might improve his health. He continued to write and his novel, David’s Loom, a story of Rochdale life in the early 19th-century, was published only days before his death in March 1895 at the age of just 38.

An anthology of his work, entitled Sketches and Rhymes in the Rochdale Dialect, was published posthumously by the Aldine Press, the publishing business run by his brother. The quotation on the Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial comes from the story, Lijah’s Fortin, which was included in this collection of his work.

The 19th-century Lancashire dialect writers were once household names, their work resonating with the Lancashire mill workers and labourers whose language and customs they sought to represent in their poetry and prose. Archdeacon Wilson spoke with some prescience at the opening ceremony for the Lancashire Dialect Writers’ Memorial in 1900 of the material which these writers would provide for future historians, declaring that there were “certain aspects and incidents of the life of the people which can only be perfectly reproduced and exhibited by the use of dialect”.

Today they are largely forgotten, but their work remains an invaluable source of information for those looking to research the lives of Lancashire’s working classes during the Victorian era. www.lancmag.com

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Lancashire Woman Named in Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling To launch its annual Women’s Festival of Cycling, Cycling UK has also released figures showing that more women have taken up cycling during the coronavirus pandemic.

A survey found that 31% of women surveyed switched from a car to a cycle for everyday journeys, and those who cycled regularly reported improvements to their wellbeing.

Although the number of women cycling increased during lockdown, men are still cycling nearly twice as much as women.

Cycling UK is encouraging women to stick to the pedals and continue to replace their car journeys with cycling, and is highlighting women who are inspiring, teaching and encouraging others to do so.

Sarah Mitchell, Cycling UK chief executive, said: “Congratulations to Anne for making it into our 100 Women in Cycling in 2021.

It’s an incredible achievement and testimony to the tireless work she’s done to raise the profile of women’s cycling.

A Lancashire woman from Clayton-le Moors has been named in Cycling UK’s 100 Women in Cycling. Anne Stott, 70, was included for her work encouraging women to cycle.

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he joins TV and film actress Maxine Peake, BBC Radio 4 presenter, Melanie Abbott and gold medal winners Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker in the cycling charity’s list recognising significant achievements in promoting women’s cycling.

The women have all been recognised in celebration of the amazing work they have done to inspire other women to cycle, as part of Cycling UK’s Women’s 88

Festival of Cycling which ran between 17 July and 1 August.

The list also includes less wellknown names of women who have been working tirelessly at grassroots level during particularly difficult times to encourage and support more women to ride: people such as Anne.

Anne Stott has been recognised for her lifelong work supporting and promoting cycling. At 70 years old Anne’s passion for cycling is as strong as ever. She has organised family cycling events, training sessions and club races for her local cycling group, which have all nurtured younger riders. She is currently the Member Group Chairperson and Social Secretary for the Blackburn and District CTC cycling group.

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“Every woman on our list is a powerful ambassador for women’s cycling, and many have done outstanding work supporting women to cycle during lockdown. But sadly, women remain underrepresented when it comes to everyday cycling.

“During this year’s festival we’re asking every woman who already cycles to find just one more woman they can help and inspire to get on their bike.”

The Women’s Festival of Cycling features a range of virtual events, local group rides and a social media challenge asking women to share pictures of their ‘bicycle face’.

Find out about events in your area and to see a full list of nominees, visit our website: cyclinguk.org/womensfestival www.lancmag.com

CHILDREN’S BOOKS | DETECTIVE BOOKS | SCI-FI BOOKS

AUTHOR OF ADULT AND CHILDREN’S FICTION LEADING ADVOCATE FOR EQUALITY, DISABILITY RIGHTS, AND ANIMAL WELFARE

PUBLISHERS LIST: Xlibris | Great Writers Media | Austin Macauley | Pegasus Publishers | Olympia Publishers | Peoples Friend Magazine Illustrations by Samuel Batley and proof reading by Aimee Youles

Dave Gregson is a fiction writer who has written in genres for both adults and children and is the author of The Clever Trick and Piggy.

Dave has worked in several jobs, firstly training in Askham Bryan College obtaining HND in Amenity Horticulture, working in landscape and tree and shrub growing before moving into a career in social care between 1996 and 2018. Dave obtained a Higher Certificate in Management in Health and Social Care from Leeds University during that time and worked in a range of care settings.

Dave has since his most recent employment worked independently as a volunteer, fundraiser, and campaigner on a wide range of causes and issues, Dave has a big believer in diversity and inclusion and has travelled to some of the more off the beaten track places across the world to witness different cultural experiences and meet new people.

Dave is a supporter of several animal welfare organisations and charities both large and small. Animals are very close to Dave’s heart and many of his stories involve lively animal characters.

T dave gregson401 | L dave-gregson-16a624156

www.davegregson.co.uk

In Ordinary Everyday Life, Suddenly Something Magical Can Happen and an Adventure Begins

By Dave Gregson

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www.lancmag.com

My reason for doing what I do is to support others and raise awareness and support the vulnerable. It’s not so much about me, it’s by sharing my story publicly - I want to help others.

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rom March 1996 till December 2018 I worked in front line heath and social care. One of the jobs, I was made redundant from in December 2010 and the other I was dismissed under the Capability Policy in December 2018. This lead me to take my previous employer (a large charity) to a Tribunal and won the case.

What became apparent was just how toxic a workplace can be allowed to get and what was clearly the harm caused by workplace bullying and how both prevalent it was and also how little people were then talking about it.

I was diagnosed with autism in January 2018 and what also became apparent was how poor some workplaces are at understanding autism despite having all these policies and procedures.

It was clear that many employees who had suffered bullying and lost their jobs but were not in a position to take their cases to a tribunal.

I questioned whether such “charities” can even call themselves “non for profit”.

At the same time in 2019, I became a registered full time carer for both my Parents and I was literally staggered by how much we as a community and society rely on the unpaid carers, they are paid the least, less than £70 per week, but they come from all ages and backgrounds and without them the health and social care system would have collapsed in the last year.

I wanted to campaign and raise awareness for support and increased support for unpaid carers too.

During lockdown, what has also become apparent is how much the voluntary sector and unpaid do with little or no resources and provide front line life saving outreach services.

All my stories include common themes running through them including anti bullying, mental health and tolerance and kindness to both people and animals. All my stories for younger readers are animal stories, I always enjoyed talking animal stories and created imaginary worlds and now I realise that my autism is a big factor in that, which is positive.

I wanted to also join the community of others who were also dedicated to this and since that period more and more people are talking about workplace cultures and bullying.

The Tribunal case was fairly high profile and was covered in the media and this also made it very difficult for me to work in the care sector again. Not because of me but care organisations were naturally worried about unwanted media attention and publicity. So I used that to set up the non for profit and then had unexpected success with my writing.

I also share with people that I suffered bullying and abuse at school and did finally report this and received some compensation, nearly 30 years later.

It is important to share the fact that whether school or workplace or anywhere bullying has devastating consequences and ultimately costs lives.

Safeguarding is an obligation on everyone. It was also evident through publicity that certain large charities governed themselves very badly and the business partner model was a failing. Think the reports governance, CEO salaries, high profile cases. www.lancmag.com

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pen and playing in the fields. My father told me a lot about village life and I wish to include this as a sort of memory and tribute and thank you to my Parents.

It was also a clear motive to promote the beauty and history of Lancashire and that’s one of the reason real places are used.

With the other stories, I have always created clear worlds and imaginary characters whilst growing up, so I wanted to also use this within my writing.

My stories include often many vivid memories of childhood, such as my Grandmas house, with its old iron fireplace, where such as the tin bath went. Sadly, she passed away in 1979. These feature in “Tales of Lanehouse”

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which is in part set in the village of Trawden in Lancashire. I remember also visiting various great aunts and uncles every Saturday morning for many years and doing things like helping out feeding the chickens down at the

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The “Secret Wild Wolves of Britain” , is one such project. Set against the country coming out of the pandemic and a different take on some of the issues such as rewilding, understanding and tolerance and also sharing information on wildlife and countryside organisations.

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There is also deliberate characterisations such as a central character who is autistic and one who has experienced mental health and overcome workplace bullying.

“Nothing of Interest” and “The Mystery of Melsham Wood” are mysteries and with that twist of the unexpected, which I have always clearly created in my imagination.

The book “The Night of The Sleepoons” I purposely set against the memories of family holiday cottages and exploring and finding new adventures. One of the themes is to look back at good memories to get strength to move forward.

That’s why I set the book against an adult revisiting the memories of a childhood adventures way back in the summer of 1978.

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One future project under review is a similar take of fantasy and mystery that is called “The Return of The Children of The Night” featuring garden gnomes that came to life at night and used to help the central character out as a child and then years later as an adult, these old stone gnomes who have sat for years at the bottom of the garden hidden away for years, come to life again to help the storyteller as an adult.

graphic violence or such images, and tell tales of mystery and in some cases fantasy that can be read by both children, younger people and adults.

“What I want to show is that in ordinary everyday life, suddenly something magical can happen and an adventure begins.”

Dave Gregson’s children’s, dectective and sci-fi books are all available to purchase from Amazon. co.uk, Waterstones, WH Smith, Goodreads and Barnes and Noble.

With my writing, I wish to write books that are suitable for all ranges of audiences, so I leave out

T dave gregson401 L dave-gregson-16a624156 D www.davegregson.co.uk

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 93

The Dukes Theatre celebrates 50th Birthday year with exciting new season This year The Dukes has taken on the stories of Grimm Tales: Witches, Wolves, Fairies and Frogs, a sell-out production which has received rave reviews from audiences.

In 2016, The Dukes Park Show won Best Show for Children and Young People at the UK Theatre Awards.

1971 – 2021

In 1995 The Dukes opened a second building, now known as Moor Space, further up from the main theatre and cinema on Moor Lane. The building was completely reimagined, transforming it from an empty shell into the home of participatory work with the local community and a new performance space welcoming new artists to Lancaster.

The Dukes 50th Year celebration Autumn season includes many fantastic pieces of live performance, including newly commissioned work focusing on Lancaster stories. Belle & Mary is a new retelling of an infamous Lancaster true-crime tale.

But The Dukes is not just focusing on local themes - it will welcome companies from across the UK with great family productions such as Tarzanna and Protein Dance’s Little Prince.

There is also tremendous comedy and drama with La Navet Bete Theatre’s The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure and Dracula: The Untold Story by innovative Lancaster theatre company, imitating the dog.

The Dukes is back to delight audiences with its Autumn 2021 season – ushering in a celebration of The Dukes 50th Anniversary!

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eginning a year of celebration until Summer 2022, the new Autumn season is packed with imaginative storytelling, gripping drama, heart-warming family shows, fantastic film, and cracking comedy.

Since opening the doors in 1971, The Dukes has been committed to placing arts and culture at the heart of the Lancashire and Lancaster City region. As Lancashire’s only producing theatre, over the years The Dukes has welcomed the likes of Dame Harriet Walter, Gloria Grahame, Andy Serkis and most recently, Sir Ian McKellen.

In 1987, The Dukes broke new ground with the firstever Play in the Park, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Every year, audiences are dazzled in Lancaster’s beautiful Williamson Park with the annual promenade production.

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The ever expanding and exciting Moor Space programme will showcase pioneering work, including Too Pretty to Punch and Finding Folk, bringing new voices to The Dukes stage. And finally, to finish the year a magical festive family production of Beauty and the Beast – done The Dukes way!

You can download The Dukes season brochure from the website: dukeslancaster.org Happy Birthday The Dukes.

Here’s to the next 50 years!

M The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE D Website: www.dukeslancaster.org E Booking Enquiries: tickets@dukeslancaster.org E General Enquiries: ask@dukeslancaster.org N Box Office: 01524 598500 OPENING TIMES Sun: Closed | Mon - Sat: 10:30am – 4pm

www.lancmag.com

A stunning line-up of gripping drama to heart-warming family shows. The Dukes Theatre present their Autumn 2021 Season Kicking off a year of celebration for the 50th Birthday for the Dukes theatre, their new Autumn season is packed with imaginative storytelling, gripping drama, heart-warming family shows, fantastic film and cracking comedy, bringing some of the biggest names in theatre, comedy and film to the audiences of Lancashire.

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e’ve compiled a small selection of highlights during October and November, a full line-up of whats-on can be found on their website: www.dukeslancaster.org.

DRACULA: THE UNTOLD STORY WHEN: Fri 29 October: 7.30pm Sat 30 October: 2.30pm & 7.30pm TICKETS: £16

Unfolding on stage as a live graphic novel, Dracula: The Untold Story is a chilling new version of the classic gothic vampire tale that you thought you knew so well.

Using the latest digital technologies, imitating the dog engage with the dark landscape of the gothic with a renewed energy and political insight.

Fresh from their critically acclaimed adaptations of Heart of Darkness and Night of the Living Dead (TM) REMIX and 123 years after its publication, imitating the dog take Bram Stoker’s seminal gothic novel as the starting place for their radical exploration of our fascination with the most enduring manifestation of evil in literature and cinema.

Recommended for 14+ www.lancmag.com

and more costume changes than you can shake a spear at, expect the HandleBards usual irreverent, charming and hilarious style to come bursting onto the stage at The Dukes. Forget the tears and tragedy, and get ready for some live and wired Shakespeare as you’ve never seen it before.

BELLE & MARY WHEN: Thu 18 & Fri 19 November: 7.30pm Sat 20 November: 2pm & 7.30pm TICKETS: £18 - £14

“AN EXCEPTIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION… EXPLODES WITH ENERGY AND IS A GENUINE TREAT FROM START TO FINISH” - THE STAGE, ON THE HANDLEBARDS’ TWELFTH NIGHT

A brand new play about the infamous Buck Ruxton case Written by Adam Z. Robinson Directed by Martha Simon When several wrapped bundles containing human remains are discovered in Moffat, Scotland in 1935 a landmark police investigation begins that will eventually lead back to two women in Lancaster and to the man who killed them.

This brand-new production, staged as if it was a radio play, tells the story of the murders of Isabella “Belle” Ruxton and Mary Jane Rogerson and explores why the notorious Buck Ruxton case is still so resonant and relevant today. Still regarded as one of the most shocking crimes of the last century, this infamous case also marked a pivotal moment in forensic detection.

ROMEO & JULIET WHEN: Thu 14 October: 7.30pm Fri 15 October: 7.30pm Sat 16 October: 2.30pm & 7.30pm TICKETS: £18 - £14

Three actors cooped up together during lockdown. Fuelled by cabin fever and with a bookshelf full of Shakespeare, they did what they do best and created an unhinged and bonkers, laugh-out-loud version of Romeo & Juliet. With music, mayhem

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR WHEN: Sat 6 November: 1pm & 3.30pm Sun 7 November: 11am & 2pm TICKETS: £14

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by author/illustrator Eric Carle has delighted generations of readers since it was first published in 1969, selling more than 43 million copies worldwide. Eric’s well-known books captivated readers with his iconic colourful hand-painted tissue paper collage illustrations and distinctively simple stories, introducing generations of children to a bigger, brighter world–and to their first experience of reading itself. The timeless classic has made its way off the page and onto the stage.

Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, the critically acclaimed production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show features a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets, faithfully adapting four of Eric Carle’s stories, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, The Very Lonely Firefly and of course, the star of the show,The Very Hungry Caterpillar who celebrated its 50th Birthday in 2019.

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The Dukes Announce ‘Beauty & the Beast’ as their 2021 Christmas Production BEAUTY & THE BEAST WHEN: Fri 3 December - Fri 31 December TICKETS: £16 - £20. Family Tickets Available

Written & directed by Daniel Bye Join The Dukes this Christmas as they bring Beauty & The Beast to the intimate Round theatre.

Created by the team who brought you our highly acclaimed productions of Cinderella: A Fairytale and Sleeping Beauty, this brand-new production is a thoroughly festive adventure that all the family will love.

Bella and her mother live alone in the countryside, scrimping and saving to make ends meet. But, not far from their farm, in the forest, there is a terrible secret waiting to be uncovered that has made the land barren.

Kidnapped by the fearsome Beast, Bella discovers that he might not be the mean-spirited creature that she has been told about – and that the curse he is under can be broken.

Filled with magic, dancing and songs that you’ll love to sing along to, this is Beauty & The Beast done Dukes-style.

“A DELIGHT” - NORTHERN SOUL ON CINDERELLA: A FAIRYTALE “CLEVER, COMPACT AND THOROUGHLY-COMIC” - THEATRE REVIEWS NORTH ON CINDERELLA: A FAIRYTALE

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Moving Tribute to Theatre Supporter

Above Left: The Dukes newly restored milk float named after Bernard Gladstone. Above Right: Bernard Gladstone’s daughter, Karen Chandisingh, unveils the restored milk float named after him, watched by The Dukes technical team.

Lancaster’s Dukes theatre has paid an unusual tribute to a much-loved volunteer and supporter of their outdoor walkabout shows.

“As The Dukes archivist, it was important to dad to retain its history so he would be made up by this tribute. His family are immensely proud of him and it’s so nice that his memory lives on in this way.”

ernard Gladstone, who died in March, had seen every Dukes production in Williamson Park since 1987 and had volunteered at them for decades. He was also the theatre’s honorary archivist for more than 40 years.

Bernard looked after the cast and crew in the Williamson Park dressing rooms during The Dukes summer promenade season for 25 years and in 2011, won a Making A Difference Award at Lancashire & Blackpool Tourism Awards for his dedication.

In honour of his support, The Dukes has named the milk float after him which travels around the park during shows. It carries the essential lighting and sound control panel, so Bernard’s presence will be felt there for many summers to come.

He even had an award-winning garden packed full of props and memorabilia from Dukes park shows which was filmed by BBC NW Tonight in 2017.

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After months of work, the newly restored milk float with its special name was unveiled by Bernard’s daughter, Karen Chandisingh, who is The Dukes box office manager.

“My dad’s two passions were The Dukes and his garden so when the theatre decided to present shows outdoors in Williamson Park, it was a dream come true,” said Karen. www.lancmag.com

The float, which began life delivering milk for the Express Dairy in Farnworth 54 years ago, was restored following a fundraising effort to pay for its long overdue repairs and the replacement of worn and outdated park show lighting and sound equipment.

The fundraising was supported by many generous individuals, the Foyle Foundation, and proceeds from Sir Ian McKellen’s 80th birthday tour which called into The Dukes in 2019.

Refurbishment of the electric controllers and batteries began in January 2020 with the help of milk float specialist, Steve’s Electrics, based in south Wales. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck, all work ceased.

In May, the electrics were eventually completed and repairs to the bodywork, access panels and technical controls could be done while still retaining the character and historic features of the vehicle which has become a familiar sight to park show audiences over the years.

The finishing touch - Bernard’s sign - was painted by Rachel WaltonDaniels, a former park show stage manager.

Bernard’s milk float can be seen throughout this year’s show - Grimm Tales: Witches, Wolves, Fairies and Frogs - which has now SOLD OUT - if you have missed out you can book now for the ever popular Dukes Christmas Show, Beauty & the Beast.

Tickets can be booked in advance by visiting www.dukeslancaster.org or ringing The Dukes Box Office on 01524 598500

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Co-Founder of Twitter helps Launch new social platform to rival Clubhouse

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fter 3 years of hard work, Roomkey.co has finally invented a totally new way for virtual networking to happen online. Digital communities, starting today, can now access our product for free. This means they can set up a community lounge for their team, and host free networking events, and virtual meetups.

Roomkey is built for the admins of Discord, Slack, Facebook, and Linkedin Groups!

My name is Don Stein, and I’m the Founder of Roomkey.co. As a first-time entrepreneur trying to figure out the right way to operate, it’s really instrumental to have VC’s who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. I’ve been so fortunate to work with many great backers like Larry Braitman, Spark Capital, General Catalyst, betaworks and more. They are the type of investor who offer advice, guidance, mental support, and many introductions. It’s so valuable. But one special investor has really leaned in to help me over the past six months, and I’d like to thank them. They are the investor who was willing to work on a project with me from start to end, fitting into 98

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deadlines as needed. Always doing what’s best for the company. That’s the type of investor we have with Biz Stone of Future Positive.

Future Positive is a new fund started by Biz Stone and Fred Blackford (who recently joined the Board of NotCo, a leading food-tech company in Latin America). I believe they are one of the strongest global teams for investment in the world, with close ties to London and Silicon Valley. Fred is well connected within the realm of capital. And Biz, he’s an All Star within entrepreneurship. Having co-founded Twitter (NYSE), Medium (yes, this Medium), and Jelly. If you’re in the mood for a good burger, he’s also on the Board of Beyond Meat (NASDAQ: BYND). Biz has great access and support in the UK as he’s currently involved with Oxford.

In partnership with Future Positive, Roomkey co-hosted The Social Entrepreneurship Festival 2021. Biz and I spoke for 2 hours on the virtual stage over the course of Thursday and Friday, in a public setting within the Roomkey.co app.

The feeling of inspiration was just as strong in-person as with his avatar. www.lancmag.com

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Serendipity can change your life, keep meeting people online!

At the age of 9, Biz had to work on a lawn mowing company in order to help bring in money for his family to pay for food and other necessities.

He ran this company through high school. He maintained an optimistic spirit to build his own startups.

He initially started Xanga prior to Twitter, and despite it growing to 1M users, he felt his time was better spent working on projects with Ev Williams. So he discontinued with Xanga and buddied up with Ev. At that time, Ev was a popular blogger, so his friendship with Biz was a natural fit. The serendipity of the internet brought these two together, Ev and Biz, the co-founders fo Twitter. Although they were working on a product, it was not until this extremely unique moment when they incorporated. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6bWzFkReB7Q

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Act fast when you see an opportunity

Don’t let opportunity pass you by.

There are many stories of elderly people on their death bed regretting ‘not taking action’ to capture something they feel is an opportunity.

Biz is not in this category. Prior to even starting Twitter as a business, they built it as a product with a SMS messaging system. During their trip to SXSW, they witnessed the power of this platform. After this story happened to the twitter co-founders, they knew they had an opportunity, and incorporated Twitter Inc. the next day. We are glad Biz Stone, Jack Dorsey and Ev Williams went to SXSW! www.youtube.com/ watch?v=iXqyTeCj7lA

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You’ve heard the saying. It’s the common theme of Biz’s career, book, and life philosophy: the power of groups of people. Biz finds great people, and sticks with them for a long time, and his platforms allow others to do this as well.

Biz’s unique combination of nurture and nature made him a global citizen who thinks deeply about the world, and gives back with philanthropy.

Every time we have an adviseradvisee call we laugh a ton, and it’s because of his comedic wit plus genuine nature.

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much

All of his companies; Twitter, Medium, Jelly, and even his first one, Xanga, are about helping people share ideas into a pool of collective intelligence. A virtual space where people come together to engage with each others ideas, and build bonds. In some ways, ‘’the internet already is a mini-metaverse.’’ www.youtube.com/ watch?v=LZEX-T1bxbY

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Follow your passions, even if you have no money

The reason why Biz is so inspiring to myself, and to others, is because we all have that one passion we care about. The thing that we would do regardless of money, yet most of us have financial or psychological reasons why we are not pursuing our passion. Even while growing up on welfare, Biz found a way to do what he loves. Part time, full time, half time, or just a little time, any time you can find to work on your passions is time well spent. (Mine are music and startups). Below, he discusses how as a 9-year old to help get his family off of welfare he would work lawn mowing jobs, and continued to work various gigs his whole life.

Attitude determines your latitude

Biz has a theory that “money doesn’t change you, it amplifies who you already are.” As he frames it, an evil billionaire will let go of all of the caged tigers in San Francisco. But a good person will give back and help others who have a social cause.

Given the entire thesis of Future Positive is to help those who want to achieve success in the right way, it’s great to know who will be funding the next evolution of businesses.

Always humble, it’s hilarious to hear the founder of Twitter say, ‘’I’m not great with technology.’’ www.youtube.com/ watch?v=DMlrU8BTXHI Truly a fun conversation, if you’d like to join our virtual world and bring your community so you too can host these types of events, you can get started for free with your first events! roomkey.co/download.

Available anywhere (iOS, Android, Windows, Mac).

- Don Stein

www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vYrYXrFk4HY

Download Roomkey and invite your friends to chat today!

Roomkey.co/download www.lancmag.com

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT IT’S FINEST: MEET DON STEIN AND BIZ STONE We hope you enjoy their interview and even more than that we hope you enjoy spending time in Roomkey for personal hangouts and work or college collaborations

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Q&A WITH DON STEIN

Q

Don, tell us about your education and what you enjoyed and what you didn’t enjoy and tell us if you always had your direction planned?

I went to a very artsy high school which encouraged freedom of thought, and creativity. It had a culture where the hard workers were rewarded with good grades.

I could not wrap my head around this concept. My Dad dropped out of college after 6 months because he was dyslexic. So I was raised as an entrepreneur, which by definition takes action rather than studies.

I therefore spent most of my high school years creating small business ventures. My first one was a custom t-shirt company which we sold to students. I choose to work on this rather than study as I felt it was a better education for what I wanted to achieve in my life (starting a business). Next, I went off to college at Indiana University. I was lucky enough to earn a spot in their Kelley School of Business by working very hard and getting B+ and above in all classes my freshman year. That was the first, and last year, that I ever tried in school. Once I got into the school and was able to put that on my resume, I then calculated what’s the minimum grade I need to pass each class. Literally, I came to my parents with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that projected out my grades for the next 3 years, and I told them “I’m

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going to get C+’s for the rest of my time, and other than that, I’ll work on a business.’’

And that what I did, I started 2 companies in college. The first was a physical discount card, which you connected to an app with a barcode.

I walked into local restaurants and got them to sign up to use our card.

So students who owned the LegendsCard could go into the restaurant and claim their discount.

Driving sales, and happiness. The next business I started was a bit more serious, I raised $48K as a 19 year old alongside my college roommate from our previous bosses at our summer internships. We did not know them prior to working for them, and we both got our jobs through application.

So that goes to show if you work hard for good people during internships they’ll reward you. We spent that $48K on building technology which allowed people to customize t shirts (much like Custom Ink). We sold those shirts to school organizations, fraternities, sororities, and for school events. I graduated in 2011 from Indiana University, but truly, my education came from starting companies and trying to learn how to keep them alive.

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awkward, and caused fatigue. I was looking for a solution to my own problem, I wanted to build my community, but didn’t have the right online tools. At this same time, I had raised $1M from Larry Braitman (a world renown angel investor in Silicon Valley) and we were investing into VR startups. So one day it hit me on the head… what if I combined VR and Meetup events, and made a way for people to host online events inside of virtual worlds with avatars to build their community. That’s how Roomkey was born back in 2018.

It then took us 2+ years to build the product and company into what it is today.

Q

What can students gain from using Roomkey and what should they expect?

Roomkey is an amazing and fun way to meet with your friends to hangout and talk. Think of it like a group phone call, but inside of a virtual space that you can move around. The more friends in the room the better, so invite them!

Q

How did you learn about future positive and was it difficult to get chosen for support?

I was introduced to Biz and Future Positive by another investor of ours, Bijan Sabet from Spark Capital.

Tell us where the idea came from to create Roomkey and talk us through the process?

I used to host Meetup.com events when I was living in San Francisco from 2015-2018. It was amazing to see people come to my event alone, and then walk out with friends. I wanted to recreate this experience online, but video calls were too

Bijan was the early investor of Twitter, and he sat on their Board for many years. So he had a strong relationship with Biz. I initially met Bijan because during lockdown when he was introduced to me by another one of our previous investors, Betaworks Ventures.

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Q

What is the best business strategy you have learnt from your business mentor Biz?

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Biz is more of a life coach than business coach, and I’ve come to learn for an entrepreneur these are one in the same. As a business owner, your own mindset is what the team and companies feels. So you need to show confidence, be human, and ‘fake it until you make it.’ Biz really emphasize the idea of finding what you want to do, and then doing it. Without compromise.

I think probably the moments I am most proud of are not the good ones, but they are the bad ones. This has been extremely hard to build a company like this as a 26 year old.

To be honest, I have no idea what I am doing. And that’s the beauty of it.

So remembering all the hard times and the bad times… those are my favourite moments. Because it means they’re in the past, and I got through them.

Q

Tell us about your future projects and plans?

The Creator Economy is massive right now, as virtual goods and services become mainstream. For example, you are probably making 3D assets on Roblox, and making money from those assets. This is the future. So we are going to come out with Key Coin which will be a way for creators to make money as they build up their community. SO the more events they host, the more people that get invited, the more Key Coins they earn. Those coins can then be used to buy virtual assets like new avatar clothing, or upgrades for your virtual room.

Download Roomkey and invite your friends to chat today!

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What has been your best moment in the process so far?

Here’s a quote to leave you on:

“The Brick walls aren’t there to keep you out… they are there to see how badly you want to get in.’’

So, go figure out what you want to achieve in life, spend a lot of time exploring your passions from reading, writing, singing, painting, dancing, designing, anything. Just find something you love to do, then COMMIT TO DOING IT WITH SELF CONFIDENCE. Show people how badly you want to break through those walls!

Roomkey.co/download

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Q&A WITH BIZ STONE

Q

Biz what attracted you to Don, was it person led or product led?

My good friend Bijan Sabet at Spark Capital asked if I would like to invest in Don’s startup alongside Spark.

I met Don inside Roomkey and I really liked both him and the product so I decided on the spot that we should work together.

Q

What is the most satisfying element of working with new entrepreneurs?

Personally, I’m very satisfied working with new entrepreneurs because the 20+ years of experience I have in the startup world can be put to good use.

My own successes, and more often my failures, can be very helpful to a new entrepreneur.

Q

What is next for you and Roomkey?

I’m focusing on mentoring, advising, and investing in a new generation of founders and entrepreneurs.

Roomkey is at a point now where we can see what people love about it so it’s time to build and grow!

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UK Top 5 for Young Runner

By Alice Bradshaw Elena’s journey began five years ago when she joined Salford Harriers at eight years old. At her very first training session with the club, her mother was approached by one of the coaches who said that she was really talented and stood out from the rest. Several weeks later, Elena took part in her first Salford Schools Cross Country race at Buille Hill Park: she won the race and continued to gain first place at every cross country event she took part in whilst at St Mark’s Primary School. During this time, she also won the Manchester Mini Marathon and gained second place overall (including boys). In 2017, she won the greater Manchester Cross County Championships and the City of Manchester Junior 800m track race.

Elena Bartalotta is currently fifth in the UK at the Under 15 Women’s 800m. This year, she gained second place in the Greater Manchester Schools 800m race and, in May, was ranked second in Great Britain.

After joining Bolton School Girls’ Division in 2018, Elena became the Year 7 Bolton Schools Cross Country champion. She went on to represent Bolton Town at the Greater Manchester Cross Country Championships, where she came fourth in the Year 7 race and earned a place in the national schools’ final. At the 2019 Bolton Town Athletics Championships, she was named Town Champion in the 800m and helped Bolton School win the Year 7 competition. Later in 2019, she came second in the Year 8 & 9 race at the Bolton School Cross Country Championships and again qualified for the Greater Manchester race.

Elena is currently fifth in Great Britain at the Under 15 Women’s 800m and is determined to rise even further in future.

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he Year 9 pupil at Bolton School Girls’ Division said: ‘When I found out that I was second in the UK, I felt very proud of myself. It boosted my confidence.

Before the race I felt strong and I tried to stay positive.

I now feel more determined to work harder to become first.’

Also in 2021, Elena has represented Bolton Town Athletics Team in the 800m at the Greater Manchester Schools’ Athletics Championships, where she earned a silver medal; and qualified to compete in the 800m at the English Schools athletics final, which was held in Manchester in early July.

She is now working hard with her coach to move even further up the national rankings, which change week on week. EElena trains five times a week and did not let the pandemic get in her way. She said: ‘During lockdown, I could no longer train at the track, so my coach sent us the sessions for the week. I continued to train locally on the loop line and in the woods. It was great to get back into competitions, as racing pushed me further and I enjoy being pushed by other athletes.’

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Girls Commended at Shakespeare Grand Final

By Alice Bradshaw

Above: Charlie performing as Helena from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Bolton School Girls’ Division enjoyed ample representation at the Grand Final of the English Speaking Union’s Performing Shakespeare competition.

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hree students from Year 10 competed, each performing over Zoom to a panel of judges comprising the most eminent academics, directors and actors in Shakespearean theatre. Members of the Girls’ Division community followed this closely fought competition as it was broadcast live over YouTube.

Above: Lola performing as Mistress Page from ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor’

portrayal of Helena from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespearean Studies at the University of Oxford, also commended Lola Rigby for her standout performance. Finally, Safa Karim won the sole runner up award for her highly nuanced characterisation of Phebe from ‘As You Like It’.

The Girls’ Division Drama Department celebrated these performances by presenting each competitor with roses and a badge.

The English Speaking Union will award each competitor with a certificate and Safa will receive the runners-up trophy.

Above: Safa earned second place with her performance as Phebe from ‘As You Like It’

provides a significant level of challenge. Competitors must speak for two minutes; introducing the material, which they have chosen, before slipping in to role to perform a three minute extract from Shakespeare’s canon. In the first instance, they are judged on their ability to engage an audience using public speaking skills and, later, in the capacity of actor.

The judging panel heartily congratulated all of the competitors.

Jacqui O’Hanlon, Director of Education at the Royal Shakespeare Company, commended Charlie Lowe for her sensitive and joyful

Miss Sarah Talbot, Director of Theatre Studies, Speech and Drama in the Girls’ Division, is grateful to the English Speaking Union (ESU) for providing her students with this opportunity; ‘This competition

‘In this tenth year of the Performing Shakespeare competition, the ESU harnessed modern technologies to enable competitors to share work with an audience, which spanned the length and breadth of the country, despite Covid restrictions.

Our finalists were thrilled to perform before a panel of such eminent judges. Indeed the Grand Final proved a fitting tribute to the competitors’ dedication and passion for Shakespeare in performance.’

Above: Charlie received the judges’ commendation and flowers from the school’s drama department

Above: Lola receiving flowers from the school drama department following the judges’ commendation of her performance

Above: Safa receiving flowers from the school drama department as congratulations for coming in second place

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Photo by Michael Wharley

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Engineering Developments are Mitigating Climate Change PART ONE

By Norman Harris

Engineering in all sectors is a continuous process of development. Generally small and continuous improvements, but sometimes, a breakthrough.

uses. Coal stations are now on restricted use and will cease to operate at all in the next 2 or 3 years. Leaving a hundred years of coal in the ground and some areas of the UK still depressed and desolate.

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The first white knight for electrical power generation was nuclear. But the high costs of construction and an emotional fear of what happens if something went wrong hampered their adoption. Everyone has heard of the Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986), and Fukushima (2011) disasters.

Fukushima should never have been built on a geological fault line, but the ensuing tsunami was unavoidable. This disaster making Germany decide to abandon nuclear and move to dependence on Russian gas, potentially dangerous politically and much to the justifiable chagrin of the US Government.

hen I first entered engineering, I took an interest in the generation of electrical power. My Mechanical World Yearbook of 1965 still had its bookmark in the pages recording the thermal efficiencies of coal Power Stations. Efficiencies were measured by division of the heat value of the coal put in and the heat value of the electricity produced. Efficiencies ranged from only 30% to 35%, with a league table of stations provided.

All those station names have now disappeared into their local histories and most of the sites have moved on to other 108

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As I said engineering in all fields is a continuous process of development and the challenge of Climate Change is no exception. I monitor the technical press and since Oct 2019 I have posted over 285 of such engineering developments reducing the impacts of climate change on the social media sites of LinkedIn and Twitter. In the second Part of this article, I will provide a review of where the greatest progress has been made.

In this the first part, I will start with developments in how we produce energy.

ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION On any day, any member of the public can check on Gridwatch.co.uk, on how much electric energy we are using and how it is being produced. I did a spot check when developing the article and 48% of demand was served by gas generation, 14% by UK nuclear and a further 8% from France output which 90+% nuclear and solar 11% with wind at 2%. Overall, 19% 0f demand was served by renewable and a further 27% carbon neutral.

CARBON CAPTURE So, my first topic of engineering mitigating climate change is Carbon, Capture and Storage or CCS for short.

There three principal processes vying for adoption based on safety and economics. About 10 years ago the UK was leading the world in this development with two pilot projects after around 6 years of development only for the Government to withdraw its support. But since we will need electricity in large quantities from fossil fuels for many years to come it has come to the fore again with some Government funding. The processes take the carbon and other harmful by-products out of the flue gases. Arguably the world now leads the UK, and it is proven technology as the slide below shows.

CO2 is not all bad There are lots of uses for it. So, the further acronym for CCUS of Carbon Capture, UTILISATION and Storage has been coined. These are too many uses to record here, but I mention refrigeration and the “smoke” gas of stage performances, along with water treatment, various plastics, mattresses, and of course carbonated drinks.

Add to this that the demand for electricity is forecast to go up fourfold as everything that moves goes to electric and if temperatures rise, more air conditioners will be installed.

Over time it would be cost beneficial if factories using CO2 were to be built alongside the electricity generating facilities that produced the gas.

Because it will take some time to develop and construct the new techniques of electrical energy production to safe operational standards. And also, because we need controllable, flexible sources and wind and solar despite their advantages are intermittent depending on the whims of Mother Nature. This should tell is that we will be using fossil-based fuels for a considerable time to come. If we are to meet out Climate Change commitments then we have to remove the carbon from the combustion oil fired generation produces. By “carbon” we always mean the gas “carbon dioxide” or CO2.

The storage of the gas from UK power generation would generally be in the depleted oil fields of the North Sea and the industrial estuary areas on the East Coast are already converting their pipework networks to deliver the gas to the North Sea oil wells. Fortunately, this also extends the life of the wells by pressurising out harder to get oil. The process is called Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), there is an acronym for everything!

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Incidentally, we all need a little CO2 gas in the bottom of our lungs in order to breath well.

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SOLAR

WASTE TO ENERGY

The power of the sun has driven everything since the earth began. And whilst it does heat the land and bodies of water we have not been able to harness it to use as we wish until very recently. Now after a period of Government subsidies which resulted in many homes with rooftop installations, the equipment has developed and is cost effective in its own right. A drive West from London on the M4 or a train ride North and one cannot miss huge fields of solar panels.

Farmers now make more money from them than with crops or animals. And comparatively they need little care. Sheep grazing between and under the panels is optional. The fields do not look that great and an immense area is needed to produce a meaningful output on a national scale. And of course, they produce nothing in the dark or on dull days.

The combustion of Waste to produce Energy is common in Scandinavian countries but less common here. It has the great advantage of avoiding landfill and could be used to reclaim existing landfill sites with their many disadvantages of large unsightly areas and poisoned ground water. Otherwise, plants can be placed in industrial areas to minimise the ground transportation of rubbish trucks. Clearly good scrubbing of the flue gases is needed to remove toxins and the CO2 by CCS. In addition to electricity such plants should provide district heating from the warm gas of combustion. I class this technology as akin to Bio plants intended to convert green waste into energy.

Drax in Yorkshire, the largest power generation complex in the UK, has now converted entirely from coal to wood pellets. This has the seal of approval of climate change specialists, although I have reservations as there is the need to cut down forests and then replace the trees. I am sure that in general they are replaced, so provided it is part of the management of forest and woodland, it is OK.

WIND Like the sun, wind has been with us since time began, but we have learned to harness it since Egyptian times.

And Holland still preserves many picturesque windmills whose output was limited to a task such as raising water a metre or so or grinding cereals, always in the immediate vicinity of the windmill itself. But now engineering has progressed from these humble beginnings to huge arrays of many windmills with 100-metre-long aerofoil blades linked by cabling to the electricity supply network of the country.

But there are downsides these installations are huge, and land based (onshore) installations are not popular. As the spot check of the power sources that I noted above on a still day they do not produce very much. Their siting offshore means if maintenance is needed it is costly. But development continues apace, and more and more sites are being constructed including totally floating ones in deeper water, which eliminates the cost of anchoring to the seabed.

On days of gale force winds, they have to be shut down.

Lone modern windmills or solar panels have brought about the concept of Stranded Power. The sites may be too far from the current power distribution networks to be economically linked, so when there is excess power generated, rather than waste it can be stored (see Part 2) or turned into carbon neutral petrol.

HYDRO I turn now to waterpower as a source of clean, renewable energy. Man has known of its power since Archimedes.

And Victorian engineers were masters of developing small water turbines. But the geography of the UK does not in the main lend itself to significant hydro generation. You need large quantities of water cascading down mountainsides or huge valleys that can be damned, flooded and turbines at the foot of the dam. The only dams built in the UK tended to be between the two World Wars as a means of storing water for drinking purposes. Environmentalists are right to resist dams wherever they are proposed in the world, as they destroy habitats, both of human and nature.

I mention tidal proposals which suffer the same environmental concerns. Even if approved they would only produce a modest output of 4 short periods of the day and the gaps would have to be covered by gas generation.

Much research has been done on the harnessing wave power which is of high potential as it is continuous, but so far engineers have not succeeded in building wave machines that are big enough and strong enough to produce meaningful power. Sub surface currents are less destructive, but I am not aware of a viable installation after considerable research.

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GEOTHERMAL There are trends towards district heating and Heat Pumps and Geothermal have a part to play. The systems must be robust, and able to fall back on central power sources if there are issues. The UK is not seen as fertile territory for geothermal because unlike many countries there are no visible hot springs or gushers. But you do not have to go far into the ground to get a stable temperature which is warmer than the surface in winter. But at any time of the year the heat can be extracted by a process opposite to your refrigerator and warm your home or office. However, if you drill deeper the temperature rises enough to at least in theory provide heat for a small to medium power station, heating water to produce steam and hence electricity in the conventional manner, but without any flue gases. The process does involve drilling into the ground but unlike fracking only heat is extracted nothing solid that could cause any subsidence. To underline these comments an energy company has just announced a £4m project to extract the earth’s heat from under the City of London and to capture waste heat from buildings that would otherwise vent to atmosphere.

NUCLEAR I mentioned the role of nuclear at the beginning of this piece. The technology is green, renewable but subject to emotional resistance. But in power terms large stations are ideal for baseload and better for the environment than our continued dependence on oil or gas. A new development is coming along called SMRs, Small Modular Reactors. These are designed to supply power and heat to a single facility.

They are factory produced and assembled on site. RollsRoyce is leading the way in this work. All the indications are that the power will be affordable, and the Office of Nuclear Regulation is likely to approve the designs this year or early next and with units built into new facilities to be constructed by the end of this decade.

This Part is not going to discuss Hydrogen which is a rapidly developing as a “multi-coloured” fuel, but not used for the production of electricity.

But in Part 2, I will discuss the changes in how energy is stored and used in which Hydrogen is a major factor...

Stay tuned for Part 2 in our November Issue! www.lancmag.com

Former Pupil Funds Transformational Bursaries

Four new Sixth Form bursaries are to become available at Bolton School Boys’ Division, thanks to a £100,000 donation from Old Boy Adam Crook.

A

dam, who left Bolton School in 1992, has recently been promoted to the partnership at Goldman Sachs, the American investment banking firm, and the donation has been arranged through the Goldman Sachs (GS) Gives Fund.

The fund can be used by Partners at their discretion to support charities and projects which meet key criteria, including social mobility – a key strategic priority for the School which it helps deliver through its bursary scheme.

From September 2021, and for the following three academic years, a bursary recipient will begin their studies in the Sixth Form of the Boys’ Division, having had their fees paid in full by the Adam Crook/GS Gives Bursary. The recipients will be chosen after consideration of their academic ability and their family’s financial circumstances, in line with the School’s bursary criteria.

Adam has strong personal reasons for wanting to make the donation. He reflected: ‘Looking back at my own family history, it’s only really in the last couple of generations that there has been genuine potential for social 112

mobility, through access to education and a broader more meritocratic society. Education is transformational and for my grandparents, growing up in Bolton, today’s opportunities were just not available. Every child should have the opportunity to fulfil their academic potential and that shouldn’t just be a function of where you grow up or whether your parents can afford it.’

Looking back on his time at Bolton School, Adam said: ‘I do think the school offers something unique and truly opens children’s eyes to opportunities in the community and beyond. I would love to be able to support some of those children who can’t take advantage of these opportunities because of family circumstances.’

‘Being at a US firm, the ethos of donating to a former school or college is quite engrained. It made sense to me, along with some other things I am doing with Veterans’ charities, to give something back to my old school and community.

The school Bursary Scheme does an excellent job broadening access to education across the community and I would encourage any former pupil, who finds him- or herself in a position where they are able to help, to consider contributing to this effort.’

Adam is looking forward to acting as a mentor to the recipients of the Adam Crook/GS Gives Bursary, if

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they would like this, and to offering them advice and guidance as they navigate their Sixth Form studies and beyond.

Headmaster of the Boys’ Division at Bolton School, Philip Britton, said: ‘These bursaries will make a difference not just to the young people who receive them but also to those in the communities they will be part of in later life as they live out the values that we promote here and use their talents for the greater good.

There could be no better example of that than Adam’s own personal success leading to him giving these bursaries.’

During the last academic year, Bolton School spent £2.89m supporting bursary places for able students whose family circumstances meant they would otherwise be unable to attend. Currently 350, one in five, Senior School pupils receives financial help with their schooling, with one third of recipients – 6% of the pupil body – receiving fullyfunded bursaries. The School remains intent upon its long-term ambition to deliver needs-blind access to the transformational education it offers, and this gift will make a significant contribution to that aim.

To date, GS Gives has made nearly $1.8 billion in grants and partnered with 8,000 non-profitable organisations in 100 countries around the world. www.lancmag.com

Our aim is to design and create furniture to fit perfectly in your beautiful homes. We offer a high range of designer fabrics which are only of the best quality. Our aim is to provide our customers with a tailor made, bespoke service that allows you to design and create the perfect furniture for your beautiful homes.

We offer an extensive range of designer fabrics to ensure our customers receive the highest quality finishes for their bespoke furniture.

With 10 years experience and City and Guilds Level 4 qualification in upholstery we can therefore offer free home consultations. In these consultations we can design and discuss all your ideas so we can make the furniture to fit all of your requirements.

All of our jobs come with a 3 year guarantee so please get in touch with us to make your dream furniture a reality.

SB BESPOKE UPHOLSTERY, Millers of Longton, Unit G, Wendover, Gill Lane, Longton PR4 5SR Email: stephen@sbbespokeupholstery.co.uk Call: 07584 200 834 Visit: www.sbbespokeupholstery.co.uk F SBBespokeUpholstery I sbbespoke

Block The Reintroduction of Animal Testing in Lancashire Urges Salon Business Solutions Distribution company SALON BUSINESS SOLUTIONS (SBS), which counts Nine Yards, EveryGreen and R+Co among its brands, is calling on the hair and beauty industry to back a campaign to stop the reintroduction of animal testing to the UK.

S

“Stand up against this utterly barbaric practice” - Salon Business Solutions Co-founder, Adam Riley

BS are urging UK salons and spas to contact their local MP to support the campaign by animal welfare charity Cruelty Free International (CFI) to ensure that the UK government doesn’t reintroduce animal testing for cosmetics and beauty products.

Vegan hair and beauty products have been the standout growth story of the industry in recent years; the vegan cosmetics market is anticipated to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% during the forecasted period (2021-2026), increasing to $20.8B by 2025.

Salons wishing to receive a template letter can request this by emailing: info@sbs-hair.com

The shift in consumer preference during the pandemic led consumers to seek out healthier cosmetics options causing the sales of organic and vegan products to surge.

Co-founder Adam Riley says, “We were astonished and appalled to hear that in 2021, the UK government is considering the completely unnecessary reintroduction of animal testing for the cosmetics industry, a practice that was rightly banned in 1998.

Animal welfare charity Cruelty Free International (CFI) says that animal testing on ingredients exclusively used in cosmetics could be required, after being told by the Home Office that the government had ‘reconsidered its policy.’

We are urging the industry to stand up against this utterly barbaric practice, which would be a huge step backwards in this country.

The market growth is driven by increasing consumer awareness of the usage of animal-derived ingredients, and the increasing demand from mainstream consumers across the world for vegan-certified products is expected to push the revenue generation in the global market over the medium term. The demand for natural hair colours is growing in the cosmetics market. ** A 2020 survey from UK charity Frame found that 84% of respondents would not buy a cosmetics product if they knew it, or one of its ingredients, had been tested on animals.*

We have created a template letter that salons and brands can send to their local MPs to show them that we will not tolerate a return to animal cruelty, and we wholeheartedly support CFI’s campaign to hold the government to account. This must not be allowed to become law.”

The Guardian has reported that in a letter, the government said it was aligning itself with a decision made last year by the appeals board of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which said that some ingredients used only in cosmetics needed to be tested on animals to ensure they were safe.* *Source: www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/11/uk-could-allow-animal-tests-for-cosmetic-ingredients-for-first-time-since-1998 **Source: www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/vegan-cosmetics-market

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www.lancmag.com

Classic European Cars Ltd. Importers of classic 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s cars from dry states 07767 392053 www.classiceuropeancars.biz

Adna captivating new album Black Water

Out 17th September via Despotz Records Following on from the release of her stunning 2017 full-length ‘Closure’, an album which was lauded across numerous outlets including Stereogum, CLASH, The Line Of Best Fit, DIY and many more, Swedishborn but Berlin-based singer songwriter Adna has now unveiled the details behind her next LP ‘Black Water’, previewed by the new lead single ‘Don’t Know’.

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uch like her work to date, ‘Black Water’ sees her channel a rich and ambient direction, filled with warm and textured aesthetics. With her smooth and seductive voice layered over a heady mix of bright and enticing production, her latest collection looks set to become one of her most praised to date.

The record’s new lead single ‘Don’t Know’, which follows on from the previously shared gem ‘November’, gives us a clear insight into what we can expect on this forthcoming fulllength. Conjuring up more of that raw and euphoric direction she is known for, this new cut showcases her at her humble best, bringing back a broad and soaring sound that fits her immaculate voice perfectly.

Speaking about the new offering, she said, “I wrote this song one morning before bringing it to the studio of Hannes Butzer (who I coproduced this song with). I guess the song doesn’t really fit into the happy category, but it felt good to play around with the music and the sounds to turn it into something playful instead.”

To date, Adna has made three beautifully woeful albums; 2014’s ‘Night’, 2015’s ‘Run, Lucifer’ and the album ‘Closure’ in 2017. Supporting ‘Closure’, Adna played a packed Eurosonic showcase in 2017 and toured throughout Germany, UK, France and Scandinavia in the months since its release. Adna’s music has had more than 50 million streams on the large DSPs, and has had her melancholic, lo-fi work compared to the likes of Bon Iver and Daughter.

Adna’s new single ‘Don’t Know’ will be available to stream from the 28th May via Despotz Records, with the new album ‘Dark Water’ dropping on the 17th September.

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“a bit of lush melancholia with dreamy overtones that will certainly tug at your heart strings” // Stereogum “It’s a beautifully introverted return, all hushed ambience and slow-moving melody” // CLASH ““Closure” is a lilting-yet-intense folk offering from Sweden’s Adna” // The Line of Best Fit “Introspective and fragile, it’s a modern-day take on heartbroken folk tales that’s as instantly relatable as it is devastating” // DIY www.lancmag.com

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For generations we’ve provided quality products and services to customers in Bacup, Lancashire, and the local area.

With us, you’ll find the perfect design for your home. Whether you prefer a traditional or contemporary design, we have more than 40 years of experience with over 50% of our business being from referrals and returning customers. You can relax in the knowledge that you’ll receive a truly personal and professional service with no high pressure sales, so call us now!

From our free planning and design service to the fitting of the last tile, our high-quality products are all realistically priced. We are backed by one of the UK’s leading kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom manufacturers, Rossendale Interiors PLC who have won many awards including the 2009 Gold Award ‘Green Apple’ for being environmentally friendly. We offer 12 months interest free or Buy Now Pay Later subject to status, or longer interest-bearing packages.

High quality products made by our parent company JJO in the Rossendale Valley.

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Youth Centre Continues to Support Local Teenagers Post-Lockdown A YOUTH centre based in Bramhall has received vital funding that will help it to continue to provide a safe space for children aged between 10 and 18.

Left: Redrow’s Rob Mccann with youth workers Ian Watson and Rosie Ratclif

The Millennium Youth Centre, also known as The Mill, has received £1000 from Redrow’s Woodford community fund that will be used towards ongoing costs such as the employment of two youth workers and rent and utility costs.

The centre, that opened in the year 2000, provides a safe environment and a positive option for young people to spend their time where they can socialise and play a variety of games.

Its two part-time youth workers, Ian Watson and Rosie Ratcliff, are there to not only oversee the centre but also mentor its members through school studies and school life and teach them new skills through a variety of workshops.

Chairman of trustees, Angela Rowley says The Mill works closely with Bramhall High School and local primary schools and they are also endorsed by Stockport Council and the local police who recognise the work done to reduce antisocial behaviour: “The Mill is one of a very few youth centres in the Stockport Borough. Despite us having to close our doors during the various lockdowns, we have worked hard to make the centre a safe yet controlled place our members can meet now restrictions have eased, with every Covid-19 precaution in place.

“Navigating school life can be difficult for some youngsters and this has been exacerbated with all the current restrictions in 120

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schools as a result of the pandemic so we hope we can provide some respite.”

The Mill is open every day after school and on Saturdays in the early afternoon and evening. The youth centre has a kitchen/ café area, two games rooms and a music room.

Simon Bennett, interim sales director at Redrow NW said: “Youth clubs have hugely positive impacts to teenagers in their local communities and this is one reason that we wanted to support The Mill. It’s on the doorstep of Woodford Garden Village so some of our teenage residents may find themselves using the club’s services. The past year or so has been something we’ve all had to navigate through but it’s great that The Mill is there for the teenage community in Woodford and Bramhall.”

Through its community fund, Redrow has shared £10,000 between eight local groups.

To find out more about the three and four-bedroom homes currently available at Woodford Garden Village visit: www. redrow.co.uk/ansonmeadows or for more information on the two-bedroom luxury apartments at The Courtyard visit: www.redrow.co.uk/thecourtyard To find out more about The Mill visit: themillbramhall.com www.lancmag.com

HEARTS FOR HOMES THE QUAINT SHOP IN THE LOVELY TOWN OF RAMSBOTTOM The concept of Hearts of Homes is to bring affordable yet charming home décor and gifts to our customers.

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amsbottom gift shop Hearts for Homes celebrates it’s four year anniversary this April as owner and busy mum of three boys’ Kerry Khan reflects on how life has changed since she opened.

When Kerry first launched this beautiful, unique gift emporium back in 2016, little did she know

that within two years she would be outgrowing the original premises on Bolton Street and moving into a shop with three floors right on the corner of Bridge Street.

This prime spot formerly the Bridge Street News is now well established as Hearts for Homes and it’s pretty pink window display keeps the crowds coming

MADE IN THE UK, LARGE SELECTION OF COLOURS...

STOCKIST OF THE ORIGINAL ARTISAN RANGE • NEW & IMPROVED LABY RANGE • AL FRESCO INSIDE OUTSIDE RANGE • CHALK WALL PAINT • TRIM PAINT • EASY GRADE WAXES • BRUSHES • FRENSLEEN • FINISHING COAT • FRENCHIC SUGAR COAT • STENCILS • ACCESSORIES & OTHER

w www.heartsforhomes.co.uk e kerry@heartsforhomes.co.uk 47 Bridge Street l Ramsbottom l BL0 9AD t 01706 560462 www.lancmag.com

in as it opens seven days a week in peak seasons.

Kerry’s passion for upcycling furniture snowballed into a gift and homeware boutique packed with treasures from floor to ceiling including gifts for mum, dad, baby and even mum to be.

From stunning silver jewellery made with real flowers ideal for Mothers Day to elegant scarves

by Shruti. Books, Manchester Bee unique giftware, wedding gifts, homewares from the Just Slate Company. From clocks to cushions, pebble frames made to order, quotes on cards by Claire, The Mudlark local pottery by Lynn and artwork by another Ramsbottom artist Julian Cohen.

“We have an incredibly loyal local customer base but our customers come from as far as Cheshire to shop here, we source all our suppliers individually and we’re proud to showcase local craftspeople and talent. I am delighted that we have already started holding craft workshops on our newly refurbished top floor too. Local artists have offered their services by popular demand including furniture painting and stained glass craft” adds Kerry.

One of the newest additions to the Hearts for Homes range is the environmentally friendly ‘Frenchic’ furniture paint. A firm Pinterest favourite, Frenchic is a chalk and mineral paint, toxin and solvent free with no odour with a creamy and rich coverage.

Designed not to peel or chip, the paint can be used literally anywhere including nursery furniture and in bathrooms.

“Frenchic has been so popular since we started to stock it” says Kerry. We have sold so much, the colour palette is fantastic and prices start at £8 for a small tin”.

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‘Hat-trick’ Celebration for Site Manager at Redrow’s Lancashire Awards THERE was a triple treat for site manager Alan Purdy at Redrow Lancashire’s Employee Awards presentation.

Above Left: Alan Purdy won Site Manager of the Year

Above Middle and Right: Paul Aaron and Rachel Allred were both given Peer Awards

The 69-year-old from Formby won Site Manager of the Year, and his site, Sanderling Park, in Formby, won Health and Safety Team of the Year – and it all happened on his birthday.

“It was crazy, I couldn’t believe it,” said Alan. “It felt surreal, but it was great to have so many reasons to celebrate. But I would add that both of the awards belong to the team, not just me – you’re only ever as good as the people you work with and I have a great team and I’m really proud of them.”

Redrow Lancashire held the Employee Awards presentation virtually on Zoom because of Covid-19 restrictions, with around 120 people across all its departments attending.

Father-of-two Alan has worked at Redrow in different roles for 16 years and has previously received two NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards.

During the event – at which The Brook at Taylor’s Chase in Warrington was named Development of the Year – Paul Aaron and Rachel Allred were both given Peer Awards, having earned the praise and respect of colleagues who voted for them.

Rachel, 30, a customer service manager from Bolton, has worked for the company for two and a half years, having been promoted to her new role from that of co-ordinator just before lockdown hit.

“That made the job more difficult,” she admitted, “because there were so many issues that had arisen because of Covid through the whole buying journey that weren’t there before and having to manage customers’ expectations.”

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giving 100% were some of the comments made by her colleagues and Rachel said: “I’m over the moon, I’m really happy to have won. It’s such a nice feeling that the people you enjoy working with and who you respect, are noticing you and your hard work too.”

Area construction manager Paul has been working for Redrow for 24 years.

The 54-year-old father-of-two, from Ashton-in-Makerfield, says he always tries to motivate people and get the best out of them, encouraging mutual respect.

“It’s been harder to get the messages across over the last year with less interaction, so to win a Peer Award in such a difficult year makes it even more rewarding. People are acknowledging what you’re doing and it’s pleasing to know that.”

Redrow Lancashire’s managing director Claire Jarvis, who was part of the virtual awards, gave credit to all the winners who she said had risen to the top in a very difficult 12 months.

“They have maintained a professionalism and dedication throughout, and worked harder than ever to achieve the high-quality of homes and customer service for which Redrow is renowned.

“We are delighted and proud that they have shown such loyalty and commitment and demonstrated the teamwork and focus that keeps Redrow at the very top of the housebuilding industry.”

To find out where Redrow is building in Lancashire visit: www.redrow.co.uk/Lancashire www.lancmag.com

Flattering Earrings for your Face

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Shape

www.lancmag.com

OVAL Just about any shape will flatter an oval face shape. Try teardrop or stud earrings.

OVAL

Celebrities with oval-shaped faces include: Tina Fey, Charlize Theron, Julianne Moore and Jamie Lee Curtis.

HEART Enhance your features with elongated lines and curves. Dangle, teardrop and chandelier earrings adds a good contrast to a heart-shaped face.

HEART

Celebrities with heart-shaped faces include: Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon and Eva Longoria

ROUND Select long and/or angular designs such as teadrop and dangle earrings for a round face. Avoid rounded designs.

ROUND

Celebrities with round faces include: Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet.

SQUARE Rounded designs will soften your features if you have a square face, as will elongated, dangling pieces and hoop earrings. Avoid wide earrings.

SQUARE

Celebrities with a square face shape include: Jennifer Aniston, Katie Holmes, Geena Davis and Demi Moore.

RECTANGLE Choose earrings that emphasize the width of your face. Studs, clustered earrings, short dangles, and hoops in a medium to large size are a good fit for you.

RECTANGLE www.lancmag.com

Celebrities with a rectangular face include: Meryl Streep, Raquel Welch, Courtney Cox and Liv Tyler.

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Colour and Style

www.sarahharrisstyle.co.uk

Our section on Colour and Style with Sarah Harris from ‘Colour Me Beautiful’ October is here and I hope that you are keeping well and enjoying the lovely Autumn colours! If you like handbags this month is for you as the 10th October is National Handbag day so let’s look at handbags!

It is also a good time to re look at our skincare routines as the weather is becoming cooler and turning the heating up can dehydrate our skin.

HANDBAGS – HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE AND ARE THEY THE RIGHT SIZE FOR YOU!

I’m Sarah Harris and I’m a Colour and Style Consultant who trained with Colour Me Beautiful the world’s leading Image consultants. My background is in fashion and after leaving school at 16 I travelled to London to work as a Fashion/photographic model, I enjoyed the life and it allowed me to travel the world, during my career I also worked in wholesale/retail within the fashion industry.

I learnt all about fabrics, business, international companies and trying all those clothes on – the quality, cut and fabric. I took a break from the business when I married and had our two children. I retrained as an Image consultant with Colour Me Beautiful who have been changing the lives of women and men for over 35 years.

I’d like to inspire you with Colour, Style and Skincare tips every month, I’m hoping to give you an interesting read.

If there is something that you would like to know about please email me and I will do my best to help.

Email: sarah@sarahharrisstyle.co.uk www.sarahharrisstyle.co.uk

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Handbags are one of the best accessories, they are an inexpensive way to update your wardrobe.

There’s such a fantastic choice in the shops and online with every colour of the rainbow, in fact some have rainbows all over them! Knowing your style personality, scale and proportions will help you decide which bag to choose. An oversized tote bag might be in fashion but it doesn’t mean that Zebra Print clutch it will suit you, the style www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk could be perfect, however, the size might overpower you if you’re petite in height and build! It will certainly make a statement but is that what you want?

As an Image consultant I work with clients to make sure when they walk into a room they are the focus and not their hand bag, unless of course they want the bag to be the main focus!

Having the right Image is about balance and making sure that your clothes and accessories are an extension of you.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BAG? DO YOU HAVE ONE THAT YOU WEAR ALL THE TIME? DID YOU KNOW THAT BAGS PLAY A BIG PART OF NECK AND BACK PAIN! I have several handbags but I tend to use one all season, at the moment it’s a black saddle style with a wide black and white strap. I usually add a small scarf to give it a pop of colour and this works well with my style personality.

A few years ago my back started to hurt and after much research I discovered that my shoulder bag was impacting on my posture! I have learnt to carry a smaller bag over my shoulder and my larger bags I carry in my hands, sometimes I slip them back over the shoulder but only for short periods of time. It is something to consider when buying a bag. www.lancmag.com

LOOK AFTER YOUR BACK AND BUY A BAG THAT WILL PROTECT YOU FROM BACK ACHE! I have selected a few popular styles of bags as examples but as you know there are so many different styles and shapes, however, the principles of wearing them are the same. Think about your back, the best style and size for you and consider if you need a really big bag every day. I carry a crossbody bag and sometimes a larger bag depending on the occasion.

Faux Leather zip detail Bum Bag www.marksandspencers.com

The Bum bag which became popular in the 1990’s have been back in fashion for a few years, they are perfect as they are worn around the waist and so free your arms causing no stress to the shoulders!

I often use them for events as there is enough room for my phone, purse and lipstick.

The Cross Body bag is a good bag if you’re on the go as they don’t cause as much stress on the shoulders as the bag is across the body and therefore carried by the body. It’s a good idea to switch sides every so often to prevent too much pressure on one side and the thicker the strap the better as it will lessen pressure on your body and shoulders.

Backpacks are the best bags for your back as they equally distribute weight to your spine but be careful not to wear them on one shoulder too often!

Smart Casual rucksack www.next.co.uk

Leather mini backpack www.marksandspencers.com

TWO BAGS THAT ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER There is a long list of designer and sought-after bags that we could discuss but I’m going to look at two classic handbags by Hermes, made fashionable by Grace Kelly and Jane Birkin they are highly sought after pieces as their designs are timeless, made with luxurious materials.

These bags are made to be carried in your hand or arms depending on your style personality!

The actress and Princess, Grace Kelly, used the bag to cover her baby bump from the paparazzi in the 1950’s and as the photograph was widely publicised the bag became known as the Kelly Bag. Then the Birkin bag made popular by Jane Birkin the English actress who inspired Hermes chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas, to create a leather weekend bag. The inspiration came when on a flight from Paris to London the actresses straw travelling bag burst open and the contents fell to the floor. As she was picking everything up she commented that she couldn’t find a leather weekend bag that she liked and this is when Dumas’s idea evolved!

Suede tassel bag www.kettlewellcolours.co.uk

Tote Bags which are larger by design as they are made to fit many items are better bought in a lightweight material and again with a wide strap. (Take care with a narrow strap not to put too much pressure on your shoulder)

Community Clothing www.communityclothing.co.uk

www.lancmag.com

The differences between the two bags is their shape the Kelly bag is straighter and has one handle whereas the Birkin is curved and has 2 handles.

The Kelly bag is far more sophisticated and has a polished look whereas the Birkin has a more casual look which was the intention when designed.

This is where style personality comes into play both bags are classic designs, however, the actresses had different style personalities. Grace Kelly wore classic, feminine pieces that were well made and very elegant. Jane Birkin had a very French Chic style with a bohemian twist, wearing simple classic styles and adding something extra like an oversized masculine jacket. Her style icon was said to be sixties model Jean Shrimpton.

Personally I wouldn’t want to pay so much money for a handbag although they are beautifully made I would much rather find a look alike that of course is made well!

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I came across some wonderful colourful handbags by Roodle www. roodlebag.com that are just what you need when you are on the go; they can be worn over the shoulder or across the body and there’s plenty of room for all your essentials!! You can also purchase interchangeable straps. So that when you are wearing a different outfit maybe change the strap instead of the bag – ingenious!

The bags come in two sizes standard and maxi and they are made in Italy using quality leather.

www.roodlebag.com

ESSENTIAL SKINCARE FOR THIS SEASON!

This is the time that we start noticing that our skin becomes dryer due to being inside more, we need to take extra care and protect it. Using a face mask weekly is a really good idea in the winter months. At CMB we have the perfect Clay Face Mask containing Aloe Vera, Apple and Avocado that will boost your skin when it’s not looking its best.

This organic product absorbs and removes toxins from our skin and the antioxidants and vitamins A,C and E work as a strong defence against the environment and ageing.

It is nourishing and gives intense hydration to dull and dehydrated skin. It also smells gorgeous! So when you have a quiet 15 minutes cover this over your face and neck and relax the product will dry and then you can rinse off with lukewarm water. Then I usually apply Lavender and Frankincense Facial Oil, it really nourishes your skin and Lavender has antiinflammatory properties and is very soothing. The frankincense (liquid gold) reduces wrinkles and skin imperfections such as discolouration and it stimulates the growth of new cells. You will feel like you’ve had a spa facial afterwards!

Turquoise x Africa Sky by www.roodlebag.com

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At Colour Me Beautiful our products are Organic, Vegan, Cruelty-Free and made locally. There is a whole range of skincare products that help protect the skin and because they are produced in the UK the carbon footprint is reduced and therefore we are helping our planet.

I hope that you have a colourful October and remember when purchasing a handbag think about your back!

Look after yourselves and each other!

Warm Wishes, Sarah x www.sarahharrisstyle.co.uk sarah@sarahharrisstyle.co.uk

Skincare by Colour Me Beautiful www.colourmebeautiful.co.uk

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art craft heritage

free entry

Art Exhibitions - Artists' Studios - Heritage Workshops - Craft Gallery - Tea Room

www.farfieldmill.org

Open 10.30am-4.00pm Wednesday to Sunday Garsdale Road Sedbergh Cumbria LA10 5LW

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Farfield Mill is art, craft & heritage gallery set on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

Industrial Heritage

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his former Victorian Woollen Mill has gallery spaces, artists’ studios, and weaving looms is the perfect free to visit attraction. The Mill exhibits and sells a range of contemporary art and traditional craft made and designed by artists from Cumbria, the Yorkshire Dales and beyond.

Craft Gallery and Mill Shop

Above: Farfield Mill Workers 1911 Sedbergh and district history society

©

Arriving at the Mill you enter on level 3 where you find the Mill shop, Craft Gallery, and some of the resident artists studios. The Craft Gallery stocks a wide range of handcrafted items from local and regional artists and makers. It is a perfect place to find unique gifts and original pieces. The Mill shop stocks quirky and interesting things to treat yourself or others, including handcrafted jewellery, leather items, metal work, wood turning, ceramics, glassware, and a range of textiles.

Exhibitions at Farfield Mill

The heritage display tells the story of some of the workers at the Mill, shows examples of the processes involved in producing woollen cloth and the social history associated with the Mill. Included within the exhibition is a 300-year-old Witney blanket loom.

Many visitors appreciate the rugged stone exterior. Like many other buildings in the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District it echoes a lifestyle now lost.

As you head down to level 1 you will find the 1896 Gilkes Turbine in the old water wheel pit, the source for all the Mill’s power before being replaced by a now missing Lancashire boiler. This power was for the textile machinery of which an old Dobcross Loom survives and has been joined by a more modern Somet loom.

Wander down to level 2 and discover gallery spaces showing a changing programme of exhibitions. Being an old textile mill many of these exhibitions focus on textile art, but they also exhibit local and regional artists including work from our own Farfield Resident Artists.

More information about the current exhibitions can be found online as well as information about past exhibits.

The Dobcross loom was built in 1936 by Hutchinson & Hollingworth of Diggle, Saddleworth, Yorkshire who were one of the makers of the Dobcross loom between 1861-1970. This lovely old loom still produces fabric for commissions and throws which are sold in the Mill shop.

The Somet loom is an AC2 from Italy and was bought in 2016 from a mill in the Borders of Scotland. It was bought to work alongside the Dobcross Loom and increase speed of production.

https://www.farfieldmill.org/whats-on/exhibitions/ www.lancmag.com

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The Tea Room at Farfield

Two years later he died, but his two sons James and John carried on the business which stayed in the family for 100 years. The family eventually owned a great deal of land, building themselves two pleasant houses close to the factory. Farmland was paid for in fleeces which were delivered straight to the mill. Although spinning and weaving was done in the factory, for a long time the cottage industry carried on. Handloom woven goods made in the farmers’ back parlour, using Farfield wool, continued into the 20th century. Wool spun at Farfield went out to knitters from Dent to Howgill.

Resident artists Farfield Mill provides affordable studios for artists and makers.

There are 18 Studios at the Mill which are home to a community of artists and makers who live in the local area. Their work ranges from contemporary craft of weaving, knitting, quilting and rag rugging to fine art.

They are happy to chat to visitors when they are in their workshops, and you can see how they create their work.

Finally, no trip to Farfield Mill is complete without a visit to the Tea Room for some of their delicious homemade cakes or scones. The Tea Room is next to the river with fantastic views of the Howgill fells and Garsdale bridge.

The outdoor seating is perfect on a hot day but there is shelter if the rain starts to fall.

History of the Mill The first mill at Farfield was built in 1837, the year Queen Victoria came to the throne, by Joseph Dover. Joseph was originally a merchant from Keswick, but for many years he worked as manager of Hebblethwaite Mill in the valley of the Rawthey. This was one of five mills that ran in Sedbergh during the 19th century. His ambition in life was to own his own mill. In 1836 he bought 9 acres of land for £490 on a bend of the River Clough and the town’s labourers suddenly found there was work aplenty, carting stone from a local quarry, building a dam and constructing a huge wooden waterwheel.

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Above: Ruth Clayton - Wickerfish Studio Resident Artist

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September Exhibitions Farfield Mill hosts a range exhibitions throughout the year, they exhibit exciting group collaborations as well as solo exhibitions.

Thread Running Through - Textilia 3 15 September to 7 November (Textile art Exhibition from contemporary Textile group Textilia III based in the North of England)

Secrets of The Sea - Ruth Clayton 19 August to 24 October (Water colour and mixed media exhibition by resident Artist Ruth Clayton) Energy, Movement and Light I’m passionate about the sea. Not a calm sea, however, but the energy of the sea with its movement and reaction to light. The sea never stays the same and the colours, shapes and patterns change from the palest turquoise to the deepest blue in seconds.

“The sea, once it’s cast its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever” Jacques Cousteau’ Ruth paints the sea for people who want to bring the ocean into their own home. Can you smell the salt?

Ruth Clayton Ruth qualified as a Graphic Designer at Leeds Metropolitan University, specialising in illustration, in 1986. She then gained a teaching qualification at Manchester University. She shares a studio with her partner Stuart Gray at Farfield Mill in Sedbergh, Cumbria where they work and sell their paintings.

Above: Textilia3 - Jo Valentine muted

The landscape in which we live, meet and work is a northern landscape largely shaped by cloth. Distinctive weavers cottages line the canals and perch on hillsides, tall mill chimneys dominate the valleys. We meet in a grand and richly furnished manor house created by mill owners, exhibit and seek inspiration and materials at converted mills in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cumbria.

Some of us have mill workers in our ancestry, weaving in our memories and in our blood.

We are drawing on this rich history to create a series of exhibitions in 2019/20, exploring the thread that runs through our stories, landscapes, and work, creating a body of work that weaves together mill workers and owners, beauty created, and price paid, the heritage we live and take forward.

The artists in Textilia 3 use many diverse techniques, including hand and machine stitch, felt, appliqué, mixed media and painting, ceramics, dyeing and resists, print and manipulated fabrics and fibres. Abstract, figurative, and decorative pieces, wall art, 3D and wearable art are all included as well as a wide range of smaller textile items and cards.

Textilia 3 is a well-established group of 16 contemporary textile artists, based in the North of England, who have exhibited widely in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Cumbria over the last 25 years. We have built up a popular following of loyal visitors who regularly travel to see our work.

Above: Secrets of the Sea Exhibition - Ruth Clayton

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Above: Textilia3 - Sue Ingles

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A Line to Follow – Nolitex 15 September to 7 November (Textile art Exhibition from contemporary textile group Nolitex based in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire)

art craft heritage

free entry

NOLITEX, (Notts. Lincs. Textile Artists) is a group of artists which promotes textile and mixed media art through regular exhibitions The group has exhibited in the UK and Ireland in a range of venues including art galleries, cathedral chapter houses, museums and at the NEC Birmingham, as well as in more challenging spaces such as outdoors in Easton Walled Gardens and at Papplewick Victorian Pumping Station. At each venue the work is curated to take on a different character.

In 2020 Nolitex met the challenge of galleries being closed due to covid19 regulations by moving online to showcase its exhibition ‘Rooted in the Wood’ on FaceBook and Instagram. This was followed by another virtual exhibition of work inspired by members’ reflections on lockdown, ‘Looking Out, Looking In’, and the group continues to maintain its online presence by sharing images of work in progress.

Nolitex is delighted to be returning to exhibiting ‘in the real world’ at Farfield Mill in autumn 2021 where the twelve members of Nolitex will explore their own lines of thought, from the prosaic to the fanciful, in textiles and mixed media.

Art Exhibitions - Artists' Studios - Heritage Workshops - Craft Gallery - Tea Room

www.farfieldmill.org

Open 10.30am-4.00pm Wednesday to Sunday Garsdale Road Sedbergh Cumbria LA10 5LW

Above: Nolitex Exhibition - Walks with my Dog

Opening Times: Wednesday-Sunday, 10:30am-4pm - FREE ENTRY N 015396 21958 E reception@farfieldmill.org Above: Nolitex Exhibition - Threads of Connection JB

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M Garsdale Road, Sedbergh, Cumbria LA10 5LW www.lancmag.com

Here to help you get a great night’s sleep

Harrison Spinks are leading the way in mattress recycling, introducing the world’s first recyclable mattress. Using state-of-the art glue free spring technology and fully recyclable fibres, their vision is for a zero landfill culture.

Their award winning, patented and glue free spring systems are revolutionising mattress sustainability. Lighter weight, replacing foam,100% recyclable and even more comfortable, they are continuously innovating so you can sleep better, night after night.

FREE LOCAL DELIVERY

Find us on Facebook LancasterBedCompany

01524 874382 97 Penny Street | Lancaster | LA1 1XN (Opposite KFC) lancasterbedcompany@gmail.com www.lancasterbedcompany.co.uk

Everybody Needs a Good Night’s Sleep

Established in 2012, Lancaster Bed Company are a business motivated by providing top quality advice and products to their customers for a fair price.

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n 2019 when the current owners took over the family business their passion for providing quality products allowed the company to excel. Having understood the individual, tailor made necessity to a perfect nights sleep the pair collaborated with some incredible brands to bring this personal service to their customers. The premium brands the company have on offer provide an array of different beds, mattresses and bedding considering factors such as temperature and support in order to supply each individual with their best nights sleep.

The Lancaster Bed Company source the prestigious brands on the next few pages from inside the UK, partnering only with companies who appreciate the necessity of quality and customer satisfaction, with due consideration to the detail of their design and the origin of their materials, with some of the companies resourcing fibres from their own farms to provide the highest quality goods for all of their customers.

Their Lancaster based store is open for business with over 25 beds on display and free local delivery.

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LANCASTER BED COMPANY M 97 Penny Street, Lancaster LA1 1XN N 01524 874382 E lancasterbedcompany@gmail.com D www.lancasterbedcompany.co.uk www.lancmag.com

LANCASTER BED COMPANY M 97 Penny Street, Lancaster LA1 1XN N 01524 874382 E lancasterbedcompany@gmail.com D www.lancasterbedcompany.co.uk

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illbrook are very much a family firm. Many of the skilled mattress and divan makers and seamstresses have followed their parents or grandparents into the Company.

To everyone, the excellence and high reputation of Millbrook is a matter of quiet personal pride and it is perhaps this more than any other factor that results in the supreme quality and finish of each piece of Millbrook furniture. www.lancmag.com

Millbrook use Hampshire wool in their mattresses but What makes wool from Hampshire so special? British wool is unique as it has natural crimp along its staple length. This crimp acts like nature’s own spring and this bounce, springiness and resilience is much sought after by manufacturers around the world.

That’s because added natural bulk not only improves the quality of the finished product, it has improved thermal properties and means mattresses made using British wool are naturally more comfortable to sleep on.

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LANCASTER BED COMPANY M 97 Penny Street, Lancaster LA1 1XN N 01524 874382 E lancasterbedcompany@gmail.com D www.lancasterbedcompany.co.uk

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ypnos is a British family-run mattress and bed manufacturer. In fact Hypnos has been practising and perfecting the art of making luxury pocket spring mattresses and beds by hand since Edwardian days.

With over 100 years of bed-making experience and insight into a great night’s sleep, their philosophy and commitment focuses on sustainable designs, the pursuit of perfection and the delivery of a deep, energising night’s rest, helping to fulfil dreams of a healthy and enjoyable life.

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A Royal Warrant from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II reinforces Hypnos’ reputation for service excellence and the very best of British quality. Hypnos is proud to be the only bed manufacturer to have won the National Bed Federation’s “Bed Manufacturer of the Year” three times, in 2011/12, 2014/15 and 2017/18.

Hypnos also gained the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2017 and for Sustainable Development in 2020. www.lancmag.com

LANCASTER BED COMPANY M 97 Penny Street, Lancaster LA1 1XN N 01524 874382 E lancasterbedcompany@gmail.com D www.lancasterbedcompany.co.uk

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arrison Spinks are world leaders in luxury sustainable comfort. They are driven by making mattresses which support healthy sleep and are kind to the environment.

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This means they only use the finest sustainable materials in our handmade beds. From growing natural fibres on their own farm to drawing their own wire to create their innovative spring technology, vertical integration is at the heart of Harrison Spinks. They make over 90% of their components in-house.

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Visit our f lagship Windermere store

Find thousands of great ideas to help you cook and bake better, clean faster with minimal effort, and tackle the laundry mountain with ease – and with help and advice from our knowledgeable colleagues, you’re sure to find something you can’t live without.

Still family-owned, we pride ourselves on the quality of our products and service – offering an unrivalled collection of creative kitchenware and inspiring gifts from all over the world. And so you can shop with complete confidence, everything you buy comes with a 3-year guarantee.

While you’re here, take a break from W’mere Hotel

To Ambleside & Keswick

To Staveley & Kendal, M6

A591 NatWest Bank

Ma in R oad

Vic to r

ia

t ree St

Railway Station

Booths

Find us right next to Windermere train station

✓ ✓

Free parking

✓

In-store café

Wheelchair access OPENING TIMES: Mon to Fri 8am-7pm Sat 9am-6pm Sun 11am-5pm

shopping and enjoy The Café at Lakeland’s new menu, open under new management in summer 2021, serving delicious Cumbrian food and home-made cakes every day.

Come and see us – we’d love to meet you.

Visit lakeland.co.uk for up-to-date information and opening times.

Lakeland, Alexandra Buildings, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1BQ Tel: 015394 88100

Shop online at lakeland.co.uk

A taste of something new

You’ll find us on the first floor of our flagship Windermere store

Whether you’re looking for the perfect spot to take a break from shopping or needing some fuel for the fells, The Café at Lakeland is just the place.

Open under new management in summer 2021, exceptional customer service and delicious Cumbrian food is at the heart of everything we do.

We’re proud to support local suppliers and enjoy all the wonderful produce the Lake District has to offer, sourcing ingredients locally where possible.

Our award-winning chef Ben Donkin has created a new menu with everyone in mind, whether you fancy a hearty Lakeland breakfast, our new Cumbrian Posh Dog, or a fresh coffee and slice of home-made cake - there is something for everyone.

Finally, if you fancy a tipple with your dish, the Café is fully licensed with beers from Hawkshead Brewery we’ll cheers to that!

We look forward to welcoming you to the café where families, your fourlegged friends and muddy boots are all welcome. There is no need to book, simply visit us and we’ll find you a table!

To see our full menu, visit the website opposite.

All our food is freshly prepared, locally sourced from excellent Cumbrian providers and made in-house where possible! cafe@Lakeland.co.uk | www.lakeland.co.uk/stores/the-cafe-at-lakeland

Fancy irresistible, mouthwatering buttermilk waffles with plenty of scrumptious toppings?

They are a firm favourite amongst our customers, and thanks to Ben our chef, you can recreate this delicious dessert from your very own kitchen just follow the recipe!

Buttermilk Waffles with Vanilla Custard and Macerated Strawberries Serves 4 Let’s start with the vanilla custard, as this will need to be made the day before!

Vanilla Custard What you’ll need: 600ml Milk 75g Caster sugar 50g Plain flour 8 Egg yolks 2½ Gelatine leaves 1. Place the gelatine leaves in cool water for 3-5 minutes until they soften.

2. Gently heat the milk in a pan until warm.

3. Mix the sugar, egg yolks and flour in a bowl.

4. Once the milk is warmed through, add to the egg mixture in the bowl, and then place the whole mixture back in the pan.

5. Keep the mixture on a low heat whilst whisking until it thickens up.

6. Once it has thickened, add the gelatine and mix thoroughly.

7. Leave the mixture to set overnight in the fridge.

8. Once set, blend until smooth - delicious!

Now for the Buttermilk Waffles!

What you’ll need: 450g Plain flour 125g Caster sugar 2½ tsp Baking powder 450ml Buttermilk 1¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda 2 Large eggs 90g Unsalted butter Pinch of Salt 1. Put all dry ingredients in a stand mixer with whisk attachment, or use a hand whisk.

2. Gently melt the butter, don’t let it get too hot.

3. Add all wet ingredients to dry and whisk together until the mixture is smooth.

4. Pop the mixture into the Lakeland No Mess Waffle Maker, each waffle takes around 3 minutes.

To create this delicious treat, Ben is using the Lakeland No Mess Electric Waffle Maker. This easy-to-use machine cooks four golden waffles at a time, and we’ve made sure there’s a drip-catching ‘moat’ at each side of the plates to catch any drips and eliminate mess if you’ve been a little generous with the batter!

£44.99

… and finally the Macerated Strawberries What you’ll need: 1kg Fresh strawberries 1 tbsp Caster sugar 2 tbsp Lemon juice 1. Begin by removing the strawberry stalks and halve each strawberry.

2. Place strawberries in a bowl with the sugar and the lemon juice.

3. Simply leave to sit for 30 minutes before serving!

If those toppings aren’t enough, visit the Lakeland blog to discover how to recreate Ben’s home-made shortbread, strawberry purée, and chervil syrup.

Find the full recipe online https://blog.lakeland.co.uk/recipe/buttermilk-waffles-vanilla-custard/

Shop online at lakeland.co.uk

oh My! my

myLakeland members can save 10% off your bill - just show us your myLakeland membership card at the till!

Over one million members have already joined our myLakeland club, and are enjoying special discounts, hand-picked partner offers, exclusive competitions and so much more. Plus, whenever members shop and show their club card, a few pennies go into our Charity Pot, which has already raised over £100,000 for deserving UK charities.

We’d love you to join so you don’t miss out. Sign up today and we’ll post your free membership card within a couple of

Have you joined our club yet?

3 simple ways to join...

1

weeks, along with a voucher to say thanks for joining... and that’s just for starters!

Online at lakeland.co.uk/mylakeland

2

By phoneon 015394 88100

3

Pop along to one of our stores and fill in the application form

Shop online at lakeland.co.uk

The Café at Lakeland

You’ll find us on the first floor of our flagship Windermere store

Whether you’re looking for the perfect spot to take a break from shopping or needing some fuel for the fells, The Café at Lakeland is just the place.

The Café at Lakeland Alexandra Buildings, Windermere LA23 1BQ Telephone: 015394 88200 I @thecafeatlakeland F The Café at Lakeland

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pen under new management in summer 2021, exceptional customer service and delicious Cumbrian food is at the heart of everything we do. From Grange to Cartmel, we’re proud to support local suppliers and enjoy all the wonderful produce the Lake District has to offer, sourcing ingredients locally where possible. Our award-winning chef Ben Donkin has created a new menu with everyone in mind, whether you fancy a hearty Lakeland breakfast, our new Cumbrian Posh Dog, or a fresh coffee and slice of homemade cake there is something for everyone.

Why not try our special Buttermilk Waffles using our own ‘Lakeland no mess waffle maker’, you’ll love them so much that you will want to take the recipe and make your own at home.

Finally, if you fancy a tipple with your dish, the Café is fully licensed with beers from Hawkshead Brewery - we’ll cheers to that!

If you’re a myLakeland member, you can receive 10% off your bill - just show us your membership card at the till!

We are open every day with last food orders at 3pm and coffee and cake served until 4pm.

We look forward to welcoming you to the café where families, your four-legged friends and muddy boots are all welcome.

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www.lancmag.com

Are you interested in a glorified shed, or are you looking for a multifunctional space, built with the highest quality materials that are durable and comfortable throughout the seasons?

UltraSpace Garden Rooms are more comparable to a standalone conservatory!

Build a home office, create a personal fitness hub or simply enjoy a living space in the garden that you can use all year round with an energy efficient Garden Room from UltraSpace.

Make your space multifunctional by adding a stunning room in your garden, to serve you and your closest and for whatever the function requires. work, exercise or relaxation.

All are delivered and installed by our highly trained team. Delivery is included for the highlighted postal areas. Outside of the areas marked in green will incur additional charges.

D www.ultraspacegardenrooms.co.uk E info@ultraspacegardenrooms.co.uk I ultraspacegardenrooms

Bespoke Garden Rooms Without a Premium Cost

Providing the extra space your home needs.

UltraSpace Garden Rooms pride themselves on supplying that extra room that you need with a variety of sizes and styles to suit your purpose.

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hey create comfortable garden rooms and studios using only the highest quality materials that will be durable yet homely throughout the seasons.

All the materials used by the company are hand selected, based on their robust nature and aesthetic design in order to deliver a product people are happy to refer to as their home.

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Be it an office, an exercise space or a studio the room will be insulated with corner columns that provide strength and warmth to the structure.

The roof is also double insulated with the option of fixed lighting to allow for a brighter feel. The walls are panelled with the most energy efficient garden room walls on the market providing a living space in the garden that you can use all year round.

A contemporary grey finish surrounds the structure, with other styles available to suit your space and style, consisting of a UPVC wood grained design. Its strength provides protection from the elements and the UPVC hosts a prolonged duration of quality, removing the necessity of maintenance such as painting, sealing and staining that can be common with most garden rooms.

The multitude of designs and features on offer allows for a personalised space and product that is the perfect addition to your home. UltraSpace Garden Rooms offer an array of different wall panels, doors and windows, so whether you prefer French doors, sliding doors or bifolding doors they can craft the space for you with the versatility offered by this company they really offer a stand out service. www.lancmag.com

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USE OF SPACE WORK SPACE - Working from home is becoming more frequent in this busy, technologically driven era. The stressful working environment of a busy office or loud home can be forgotten and the long stressful commutes can be transformed to a peaceful stroll down the garden. Whether you are working remotely or operating your own business UltraSpace can provide the perfect base that will be warm and comfortable all year round. With multiple size and design options, there is an UltraSpace Garden Room that will suit the majority of needs.

FITNESS SPACE - If you struggle to make time to go to the gym or find that at busy times it gets too overwhelming UltraSpace can build one just steps from your home. With a variety of roof heights and floor sizes, be it for peaceful yoga or intense weight lifting, UltraSpace will be able to craft your optimal workout space.

ENTERTAINMENT SPACE - Do you need a separate area to watch tv in peace? Would you like a games room, a music room or a secret hideout for the children? UltraSpace can provide the perfect getaway with high quality insulation. Roof lights and windows provide plenty of light and feature the beautiful views of the garden, providing an opportunity to appreciate the great outdoors from the warmth of your own garden room.

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SOCIAL SPACE - A social garden room removes the mess form the house when having a get together. The thermal performance of the structure provides a warm shelter if there is a change in the weather or a shade if the sun is too hot. Perhaps you just want a garden bar, UltraSpace can provide your ideal social location.

MINDFULNESS SPACE - Relax in a place where your mind can be at ease. Use this as a place to escape to from time to time, when the challenges of life is causing a particularly difficult day.

STUDIO SPACE - Use this space to encourage your creative abilities. Draw inspiration from the great outdoors making use of the generous windows and glass doors on offer to help with your next master piece.

Contact the experts today for advice on cost, location, planning permissions or to start designing a stunning additional space for your home. All are delivered and installed by our highly trained team. Delivery is included for the highlighted postal areas. Outside of the areas marked in green will incur additional charges.

Also, remember to keep an eye on their social media, such as Instagram, to see the results of their upcoming projects.

UltraSpace Garden Rooms Ltd Unit 232 Oldfield Road, Walton Summit, Bamber Bridge, Lancashire PR5 8BG N 0204 525 3496 D www.ultraspacegardenrooms.co.uk E info@ultraspacegardenrooms.co.uk I ultraspacegardenrooms www.lancmag.com

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Macramé Art

with the Magic of the Green Witch

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ecorative macramé first appears in carvings by the Babylonians and Assyrians that show fringed braiding used to adorn their costumes. In the 13th century, Arab weavers used decorative knots to finish the excess thread on shawls, veils and towels. It then spread to Europe via North Africa when the Moors brought macramé to Spain. The word “macrame” is thought to have come from the Arabic word “migramah”- fringe. In the 1970’s, it symbolised the Bohemian style and was used to make wall hangings, plant hangers, accessories and clothing.

Nowadays macramé is highly popular.

It’s amazing addition in a different styles like boho chick, seventies retro, mid-century, farm house and even modern, minimalist style.

We sat down for a quick chat with Gabi, founder of the Magic of the Green Witch to discuss all things knotty: What is Macramé?

Macramé is the beautiful art of knotting cord, or string, in patterns to make decorative pieces like wall hangings, plant hangers, jewellery, coasters, curtains, clothing and even furniture. Using simple materials like cotton twine, jute, hemp, or yarn, macramé can be simple or complex. Embellishments like crystals or wooden beads, as well as dyed threads, can also open up a range of creative possibilities.

What do you enjoy about the creative process?

Macramé is very therapeutic and has 150

a way to create an escape from the stress which is in all of our lives. It’s a complex process of creation, allows me to open my mind and heart. It gives me balance in my life and I believe the pieces I make reflect that.

I also take great pleasure in seeing the beautiful photos that my clients send me of my work.

At what age did you discover Macramé?

It was couple of years ago in some decor magazines. I found it very impressive how some simple cords and knots can ad so much life and soul in to your home. I decided to give it a try on my own this year and here I am!

What is your favourite macramé piece that you have created?

Definitely piece I called “Mother Earth“ As soon I finished working on it, I immediately fell in love. It’s so unique and magnificent. There is no chance to recreate the lines and colours. It’s only one in the whole world.

What are your preferred types of material to use for your macramé?

At the moment I’m trying many different types of eco cotton cords, but my huge love is hand painted yarn from Tangled Pixie. As additives, crystals, wood and leather.

Why Magic of the Green Witch?

As I said before, every creative process is some sort of therapy, we can discover ourselves and through

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our work we can make the world better and more colourful. It’s magic for me. Green Witch – well, I have green hair and I really can’t count how many times I was called a witch 🙂🙂 (in a good way obviously).

Where can our readers see and purchase the pieces you’ve made?

D www.etsy.com/shop/ magicofthegreenwitch I @magicofthegreenwitch E magicofthegreenwitch@gmail.com

www.lancmag.com

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stablished in 2019 Tyron Ash Real Estate is now the leader of the UK real estate revolution. With innovation in our hearts and motivation in our minds, we unite the connoisseurs of life with their aspirations through prestigious real estate, and a deeply connected network of only the most exceptional buyers.

With a worldwide collection of top brokers representing the finest luxury properties across the UK, we’re dedicated to those who are in the real estate market, and are always open to discovering new trends and interior solutions.

Whether you’re looking for a luxurious suite in the busy streets in a central location, a mansion tucked away into the glorious nature of Lancashire, or even a penthouse in a modern city, Tyron Ash has the largest selection of luxurious homes to offer in the most chic and renowned places in the UK.

SARAH JANE LANGTON NORTH WEST DIVISION TYRON ASH REAL ESTATE

N 07577 740 473 E sarahjane.langton@tyronash.com I @tyronash_realestate I @sarahjanelangton_realestate D www.tyronash.com

Tyron Ash - The Real Estate Revolution

By Joel Newman and Emily Walker

Actively searching for their clients dream home. Tyron Ash is a prestigious name in the property industry and are at the for front of the Real estate revolution.

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heir fresh and unique method of connecting spectacular properties with their incredible clients is the primary reason the are currently holding the title of the fastest growing real estate agent in the UK. Their portfolio hosts a vast array of luxurious properties that they are showcasing on behalf of their esteemed national and international clients. The selection on offer ranges from chic penthouse locations in the heart of the city, to beautiful rural mansions in the gorgeous landscapes of Lancashire, surrounded by stunning grounds. UK’s most renowned locations including exclusive central London properties are all visible in their incredible portfolio and with motivation and ambition at the core of the company they host an incredible turn around time usually managing to complete sales in 30 days allowing people quicker access to their new showstopping homes.

Their elite team of partners and associates are scattered throughout the UK further supporting the versatility of what can be expected from this team. The quality of their work is evident from the testimonials provided from their clients with some recounting the service provided by Tyron Ash as ground breaking, recalling how the associate they dealt with was prepared to take calls late into the night to account for the time zones they were operating within. Other clients were thrilled with the price their house had fetched and all stating there were no negatives attached to working with the company and recommending them highly.

One member of their team is Sarah Jane. She is just one of the 75+ staff that make up the unique community at Tyron Ash, and operates mostly throughout Lancashire and Cheshire. Sarah Jane dedicates her time to finding and selling some of the most exquisite properties across the UK to match her clients hopes, dreams

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and specifications. If you would like her assistance in buying your dream home or selling your property she is currently recruiting new clients and her contact details are below.

Sarah Jane joined the company last year. She already had an eye for style and design after owning her own fashion store and due to the challenges covid was presenting she was ready to change her career and pursue her interest in property. Tyron Ash immediately stood out to her as a revolution in the industry. They had an extensive social media presence which she felt was unique to real estate companies and she favoured this over the companies that just advertised their properties in high street shop front. She also appreciated how Tyron Ash dedicated themselves to selling a few bespoke properties rather than creating a huge catalogue, with each team member responsible for a smaller amount of properties that they found suitable for them to manage.

This personal approach proved essential for finding a client their dream home as instead of trying to make a house fit the client, Sarah Jane actively locates the home they are looking for. This real estate structure was adopted by their founder Tyron Ash after he spent time working in America seeing their real estate structure.

He discovered that the self employed approach where you located houses after you’d obtained the clients specifications was a more efficient, pro active and personalised service. A catalogue of the properties they hold can be viewed on their website but this is no constraint of the options available as their team of associates are always searching to find every potential homeowners dream. To secure the help of Sarah Jane with buying or selling your house contact: SARAH JANE LANGTON NORTH WEST DIVISION TYRON ASH REAL ESTATE N E I I D

07577 740 473 sarahjane.langton@tyronash.com @tyronash_realestate @sarahjanelangton_realestate www.tyronash.com LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 153

Search for Cumbrian Artist with £10,000 Commission

Above: Laura Ford, Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house

• Amazing opportunity for artist living in Cumbria.

• Their work must be in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Resulting piece will be shown at Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house and will play an important role in its autumn/winter programming.

• Creation would be displayed with contemporary artist Grayson Perry and wellknown local photographer, Joseph Hardman.

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he search is on for an artist in Cumbria to create an artwork to go on display at Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house.

As part of a new exhibition: Class, Covid and Cumbria (22 October - 27 February), curators are searching for a creative practitioner to develop a reflective response to the pandemic.

The artist must live or work in Cumbria and their work must explore the themes of class and covid in the county.

The commission fee for this project is £10,000.

Naomi Gariff, Programme Curator at Lakeland Arts said: “As part of the Class, Covid and Cumbria exhibition at Blackwell this autumn/winter, we’re calling for local artists and makers to share their experiences of the pandemic.

“This is an amazing opportunity for early- and midcareer creative practitioners to create significant work that captures a really important time in the history of our county.

“It is also an exciting and rare opportunity for artists and makers to have their work exhibited alongside the internationally acclaimed artist Grayson Perry and local photography legend Joseph Hardman at Blackwell - a

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Above: Laura Ford, Blackwell - the Arts & Crafts house

stunning Grade I listed Arts & Crafts house, in the heart of the Lake District.”

The deadline for artists to submit their ideas is Friday 16 July 2021, with the final deadline of Sunday 14 November 2021 for the work to go on display.

More details: https://lakelandarts.org.uk/job/artistcommission-class-covid-and-cumbria You can also contact: Naomi Gariff, Programme Curator E ngariff@lakelandarts.org.uk In partnership with The Currell Collection, Class, Covid and Cumbria (22 October 2021–27 February 2022) brings together important work by Grayson Perry, photography by Joseph Hardman and works by community groups through the Lakeland Arts MEND project, to explore Cumbrian experiences of the pandemic.

This dynamic programme of displays, events and community work will delve into the impacts of location, isolation, and class on the Cumbrian Covid experience, highlighting voices from across the county.

MEND is a community-focused project introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, aimed at connecting people across Cumbria through creative collaboration and shared experiences.

Lakeland Arts’ Participation and Learning team have been reaching out to create authentic experiences to mend objects and local communities.

By sharing skills and practices, igniting new conversations, and creating enjoyment, MEND makers hope to build new and lasting partnerships with the people who make Cumbria a contemporary place to live and thrive.

To learn more about MEND visit https://lakelandarts.org.uk/mend/ www.lancmag.com

New homes across Lancashire How very Redrow We pride ourselves in building quality homes throughout Lancashire

Images typical of Redrow homes. Details correct at time of going to press.

Discover more about the new homes in Lancashire

Visit: redrow.co.uk/lancashire

Redrow strive to create environments that will stand the test of time, where people can appreciate and enjoy their surroundings. We create homes that are designed for the way we live today, yet are rooted in the time-honoured traditions of craftsmanship and care.

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& QA

By Lyndsey Evans

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nternationally-renowned Harley Street aesthetics and wellness expert, Dr Yusra has opened her first ever northern outpost in Blundellsands, Merseyside. The Dr Yusra Clinic in Blundellsands is the hot new place to refresh, rejuvenate and reset. This cutting-edge aesthetics wellness clinic utilises the latest, most gentle and effective evidence-based, medically proven treatments with the aim of creating empowering transformations. Often referred to as the Glow Dr, Dr Yusra’s philosophy is ‘radiance on the outside, wellness on the inside’, we caught up with her to find out all about the new clinic.

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WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY IN AESTHETICS? I have been practicing facial aesthetics from a clinic in Harrow on the Hill since 2013 and Harley Street, London since 2019, and moved to Liverpool in 2016.

Prior to that I worked in oral and maxillofacial surgery with patients with facial trauma, skin concerns or congenital facial deformity. I take a holistic approach to aesthetic medicine, understanding my patients concerns, desires and lifestyle and perform full face 360 assessments providing tailored treatments that leave my patients looking like the best versions of themselves.

My patients understand that I don’t take a cookie cutter approach to their face, and I combine medical artistry with evidence based science to give them the best possible outcomes. I’ve built my clinic on word of mouth, with those patients seeking more rejuvenating, elegant and fresh-looking enhancement, in line with my “look good, not done” ethos rather than ‘overdone’ and ‘duck pout’ looks that were popular, particularly in Merseyside, in recent years. I am honoured to see patients who travel internationally as far as the USA and Australia to see me, and I am booked up six months in advance. My passion in particular lies with facial balancing and harmonisation, and I teach my non surgical rhinoplasty technique to advanced doctors. I have trained and mentored therapists and doctors at the clinics who follow the same techniques and protocols and my clinicians are world renowned for their work, ethics and results. I am the UK National key opinion leader for Obagi Medical skincare and a registered member of the British college of Aesthetic Medicine and Royal College of surgeons.

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW CLINIC’S ETHOS The clinic’s philosophy is rooted in supporting patients on their wellness journey and empowering their transformation. We focus on a result that is rejuvenating, while remaining elegant and natural looking. We take a holistic approach to client treatments, beginning with a comprehensive assessment of each patient, including lifestyle, skin type and facial features, after which we advise on bespoke treatments, skincare and nutrition.

We want to look after our patients’ health holistically, and understand they do not come in “parts” or isolated concerns, but that their whole self is important to understand and to support. My desire was to create a place where people could come and tap into whatever health needs they needed, and so we look after our patients aesthetic health, body health, mind health and will soon to add dental health to the offer.

I’m a keen advocate for mental wellbeing, and a strong believer in the connection between external and internal wellness, which is why where appropriate, my patients at the Blundellsands clinic are offered a free session with the resident psychologist as part of their treatment care journey.

WHAT MAKES YOUR CLINIC DIFFERENT? The clinic is a centre of aesthetic excellence that is medically-led and features state-of-the art FDA approved technology for proven results. It hosts five specialist treatment rooms, all offering a luxury experience, alongside world-class clinically proven technologies.

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exclusive in the region. These include the highly soughtafter CoolSculpting®, ULTRAcel and Endolift procedures, where we are leading the way in the north west.

As part of their individual wellness journeys, each of our patients is educated on the procedures and armed with enough knowledge to enable them to make the best personal aesthetic decisions. Treatments are meticulously planned and carefully delivered to keep patients looking fresh but never “fake”.

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU OFFER? We specialise in aesthetic treatments for skin rejuvenation, anti-aging, body sculpting and permanent fat reduction, acne and skin pigmentation, weight loss, skincare, injectables, non-surgical rhinoplasty, face lift with Endolift and thread lifts and Ultracel, and hair loss treatments. We have dedicated suites for skin, sculpting and aesthetics, with a dentistry suite to follow. Our treatments are aimed at empowering our patients journey back to health and we tap into different modalities of treatment depending on the patient.

TELL US ABOUT THE SCULPT SUITE? The Sculpt Suite is focused on helping clients to enhance their silhouette. It is home to one of 30 ULTRAcel machines in the whole of the UK and one of only 110 CoolSculpting® machines in the country.

Ultracel is a next generation, multi-platform device offering non-surgical facelift and body skin tightening and lifting procedures, completely needle and surgery free. It also addresses fine lines and wrinkles.

CoolSculpting® is the number one cryolipolysis system on the market and the only FDA approved fat reduction treatment using cryolypolysis – a non-surgical technology that freezes fat cells in the abdomen, thighs, back / bra strap areas, chin, flanks/sides, arms, male chest, buttocks and knees to permanently get rid of fat.

TELL US ABOUT THE AESTHETICS SUITE? The Aesthetics Suite is where our aesthetic artistry comes into its own. Here we offer Botox anti-aging injections and dermal fillers that support the structural components that maintain a youthful face, addressing volume loss such as flattening of the cheeks (mid-face), hollowing under the eyes, line formation around the nose, mouth and chin, as well as lip definition. The bio remodelling treatment, Profhilo, which works to cure wrinkles from within, rather than just fill them, is also available here. We have recently introduced Endolift which is a doctor led laser treatment designed to remove double chin, jowls and lift the face.

In this suite we also offer one of our signature specialist treatments - medical rhinoplasty, a corrective treatment to reconstruct congenital or traumatic deformities or bumps on the nose straighten the nose performed with medical intervention via injections to the nose. A nose job, but without the surgery. The procedure involves using a dermal filler and patients can have their treatment and leave during a lunch time break.

TELL US ABOUT THE SKIN SUITE? The Skin Suite delivers the clinic’s signature glow, brightening, high-tech and anti-ageing treatments. These www.lancmag.com

include INTRAcel micro needling and radio frequency treatments, which use proven technology to reduce the signs of aging, eliminate wrinkles and correct scarring with little or no downtime, and the six-step HydraFacial MD treatment, which uses the latest technology to cleanse, exfoliate, peel, extract and hydrate the skin.

We also offer acne and acne scarring treatments in the Skin Suite. Treatments include Dermaroller, skin peels, skin boosters, volite, skin rejuvenation and chemical peels, using leading medical-grade brands that include Obagi Nu derm and Skinceuticals. Skin Suite clientele are also provided with treatments to administer at home, supported by a continual journey of care, which includes virtual and in-person check-ins to ensure accountability.

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN AESTHETICS? I had an accident at the age of eight that left me with visible facial scarring that bothered me for many years, and this was then compounded by experiencing teenage acne. I developed a passion for facial reconstructive surgery spending years doing extensive training in facial assessment and the artistry of maxillofacial surgery at various London trauma hospitals. Following this I have become a life-long advocate and champion of the link between appearance and wellbeing.

WHAT’S YOUR MEDICAL BACKGROUND? I first qualified first from Imperial College London with a First class honours degree in Medical Science and Healthcare Management, then as a dental surgeon with Honours and Distinction from Kings College London. I spent several years in surgical training at the Royal London Hospital, Homerton University Hospital, Whipps Cross University Hospital and St Bartholomew’s Hospital treating skin cancers, facial trauma or congenital facial deformities. I am a Level 7 Trainer and lecturer in medical aesthetics and on the advisory board for the University of Manchester Skin Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine course. I use my surgical training and intimate understanding of facial anatomy to approach all of my patient transformations.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE BLUNDELLSANDS? Merseyside was the most natural next location for me; I have such a large clientele in London but Liverpool is home, and the patients here are among the most discerning in the UK when it comes to their beauty regimes. I am thrilled to be launching my new brand of aesthetic wellness in Blundellsands and am excited about helping those that visit our new centre of excellence, to get back their glow.

HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC AFFECTED HOW WE LOOK? Living through a pandemic and three lockdowns in the space of a year has taken a toll on many Brits’ health and wellbeing. As well as affecting the mental and physical health of the nation, it seems that lockdown is the gift that keeps on giving, in that it has also aged us with Pandemic Droop. Chronic stress harms the integrity of the collagen in your skin and when this breaks down, skin appears thinner and shows the signs of ageing, with fine lines and wrinkles appearing. I am currently seeing more clients than ever affected by the visible www.lancmag.com

signs of ageing brought on by the stress of lockdown and enlargement of masseter muscles and migraines due to stress related grinding. Dark circles, tech neck, dull skin, sunken hollows, migraines and lockdown weight gain are also some of my clients’ top concerns.

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR LOOKING GOOD AS WE COME OUT OF LOCKDOWN? We often see the first signs of ageing in the area of the face often referred to as ‘the triangle of youth’. As we age this youthful triangle becomes inverted and the face becomes more oblong, cheeks flatten due to midface volume loss and jowls appear due to the descent of superficial fat pads and recession of the chin. The lower face and jawline becomes square and the triangle inverts. This can be slowed down and, in some cases, reversed through non-invasive treatments and non-surgical tweakments, such as bio remodelling, radiofrequency and microneedling. Also switching to medical grade skincare and using a broad spectrum sunscreen daily can make a huge difference.

WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD WE BE INVESTING RIGHT NOW? Key products I would recommend investing in as we come out of lockdown include mineral SPFs, Retinol, vitamin C - Skin, niacinamide, a liquid exfoliant such a glycolic acid, lactic acid or polyhydroxy acid and UV blocking sunglasses.

WHICH TREATMENTS WILL GIVE US A POST LOCKDOWN GLOW? If you are looking to rejuvenate your skin post lockdown then there are a number of treatments that can give you back your glow. These include skin booster hyaluronic acid injections which rehydrate the skin; Profhilo - an injectable moisturiser that offers rejuvenation of the whole face to plump, hydrate, and boost skin cell turnover; dark circle correction which involves placement of dermal filler under the eye; chemical skin peels, INTRACEL radiofrequency microneedling and ULTRAcel face tightening and lifting.

Endolift is taking the UK by storm and is a results-driven, doctor-led treatment for face lifting and tech neck, double chin and jowl reduction.

THE DR YUSRA CLINIC is a centre of excellence, offering a range of wellness clinics covering skin care, weight loss, hair restoration, aesthetics, injectables and mind therapy.

TO BOOK A CONSULTATION: Email: info@dryusra.com Call: 0333 224 4666 (Mon-Fri 9.30am - 6pm) FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit: dryusra.com FOLLOW I F : @dryusraclinic For some brilliant tips and to see examples of her work LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 159

Dr Yusra Clinic: A Review

By Natalie Christopher Tucked away next to a quaint little train station in a peaceful part of Liverpool the Dr Yusra Clinic is a tranquil and Idyllic little retreat.

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r Yusra, who leads the family that is the Yusra A Team, specialises in bespoke patient led care, and though Dr Yusra herself (who I was lucky enough to meet) may not have been born in the North of England, she has definitely brought something special here. After being based in the local hospital whilst she and the team transformed their new building, Dr Yusra’s love for the sea and her northern roots are growing.

As I sit in the stylish waiting room with the sun streaming through the large bay windows, I feel like I could be anywhere in the world.

I overhear two conversations with the friendly reception team who are making arrangements with clients for payment plans. I was really pleasantly surprised to hear all of the options on offer making positivity and confidence in your appearance available to everyone. I finish the

thorough questionnaire quickly on the iPad and make my way upstairs to another beautifully decorated and comfortable room for a rare treatment that turns out to be both relaxing and beneficial.

This six step treatment was given with love and care by Nicola, my skin therapist and let’s not forget the sprinkle of magic - the latest technology. The treatment removes dead skin cells and impurities and puts in peptides and antioxidants.

Considering I have had therapists remove my black heads with their nails in the past, it was refreshing to have a machine do it much less painfully than a nail! I was also shown the cup of dirt that came out of my face, which I was reassured was less than average, this was one time when I was actually happy to be less than average. If I tell you in order what to expect so you are ready for your own treatment, the first part of the treatment was the detox including lymphatic drainage to eliminate toxins and in turn reduce any puffiness.

After that was the deep cleanse and exfoliation which again was machine led and felt great. I moved on to

my glycolic and salicylic solution which was for brightening of the skin followed closely by the extraction.

The famous and tried and tested hyaluronic acid combined with more antioxidants and peptides were then infused to hydrate and smooth out those pesky fine lines - which most us have or have on the way!

To finish, I was taken to another room where a very new LED light was used to, I think, knit the other steps together and help boost the collagen.

After one treatment I felt I looked more human as I was looking very tired but I ultimately think a few of these hydra facials would make a big difference and although you get a lot done, it is not a heavy treatment so you can have it pretty regularly and the great part is that nobody can tell you have had anything done even if you don’t put make up on as it leaves no trace.

You definitely won’t regret it, so go on - you deserve it, book yourself this special treat and make a day of it as the beach is just up the road for a lovely walk - though as good as Dr Yusra is, I am not sure they can plan the weather!

THE DR YUSRA CLINIC is a centre of excellence, offering a range of wellness clinics covering skin care, weight loss, hair restoration, aesthetics, injectables and mind therapy.

TO BOOK A CONSULTATION: Email: info@dryusra.com Call: 0333 224 4666 (Mon-Fri 9.30am - 6pm) FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit: dryusra.com FOLLOW I F : @dryusraclinic For some brilliant tips and to see examples of her work 160

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www.lancmag.com

ic n i l C G et a r s u B a ck Y r Your Glow at the D Harley Street Aesthetics Expert Launches Merseyside Clinic Redefining the art of aesthetics, the new Dr Yusra Clinic is home to empowered transformations.

A medically-led practitioner, Dr Yusra takes a holistic approach to the art of aesthetics, utilising the latest and most effective evidence-based techniques. Her clinic specialises in anti-aging, fat freezing, acne and skin pigmentation, weight loss, skincare, injectables, non-surgical rhinoplasty and hair restoration treatments.

THE CLINIC FEATURES 5 WELLNESS SUITES INCLUDING: •Sculpt Suite - utilising the latest beauty tech, including CoolSculpting and ULTRAcel, to deliver results •Aesthetics Suite - home to aesthetic treatments including botox, fillers, nonsurgical rhinoplasty and bioremodelling •Skin Suite - where Dr Yusra delivers her signature glow and anti-ageing treatments

Get Your Glow Back by Booking a Wellness Consultation F @dryusraclinic I @dryusraclinic E info@dryusra.com N 03332244666

(Mon-Fri 9.30am - 5pm)

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DR YUSRA

By Paul Cusimano, Joseph Clothing, Lancaster Twenty and Twenty-One have not been the years we were looking forward to back in Two Thousand and Nineteen.

Now, pandemics are not just a modern problem.

Back in the Sixth Century AD, much of Europe was affected by the first recognized pandemic. Britain was spared until the mid thirteen hundreds after the arrival of rats to our shores.

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ats and fleas living in close proximity to humans, and the general living conditions of most of the population, resulted in a number of outbreaks of the plague in Britain, during the following Centuries.

Fast forward to twenty twenty one. Rats and fleas are not the hosts and spreaders of Coronavirus 19 but we have been living through a global pandemic. Millions of lives lost, financial implications, long term physical and mental health issues have resulted.

We now have light at the end of the tunnel. Most of the restrictions that we have lived with for the past eighteen months have been lifted. Travel bans and isolation periods are being faded out. We are able to meet up again, attend parties, celebrations and even sporting events.

The compact beautiful historic City of Lancaster makes the perfect backdrop for an Italian event, after all, Lancaster has a history spanning over two thousand years and was ruled by the Romans for over four hundred years. Most visitors to Lancaster return, overwhelmed by its stunning architecture, culture, ease of access and its huge retail and hospitality offering – seventy percent of which are independently owned businesses.

Lancaster has had an Italian community for decades, my father brought us in nineteen sixty seven. Lancaster has four fantastic Italian restaurants, Buccelli’s, Etna, Marco’s and the Spaghetti House, numerous Pizza takeaways and two fantastic wine merchants, Provino and Chapel Street Wines who will have stalls.

Family is at the heart of Italian culture, along with religion, food, beauty and of course football. Of these five, four will be present again at this year’s Festa, whereas religion, well we’ll be praying for good weather.

But none of us need a recap, so I will move on and instead tell you about what’s happening in our little City that will definitely lift your spirits. Most haven’t been able to go on holiday during these last two years, so for twenty four hours let holiday come to you, or nearer to you at the very least.

‘Lancaster Festa Italia’ has become the biggest single day Event in Lancaster’s calendar. The brainchild of Bruno Buccelli, 2018 was the inaugural year, repeated in 2019 but sadly it had to be cancelled for 2020. On the 19th of September 2021, Lancaster goes Italian, again.

Above: Bruno (R) & I sat outside Buccelli’s where all the planning for Festa and TLL takes place

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Above: Renaissance Characters Under The Canopy

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Above: The Melodrome Stage In Market Square

Above: Getting In The Spirit (Joseph Clothing)

FAMILY Festa’s are family focused, it’s a winning combination, children happy, parents happy, everyone’s happy. There is entertainment for both adults and children on the main stage as well as on the streets. There is a ‘Bambino Zone’ for the youngest where there will be various activities, including arts and crafts, dance and various competitions running throughout the day.

Even those who are not mad about cars and motorbikes are drawn to Church Street when the Italian supercars and motorbikes arrive and park up. It has been incredible just watching the crowds looking around these beautiful vehicles, taking pictures and selfies by them.

Above: Two v Four - Fast, Beautiful, Loud & Italian

Above: Authentic Italian Street Food

FOOD Meal time is when the family come together, share their days experiences and strengthen their bonds. When they talk about food it is a conversation filled with passion.

Food isn’t just about sustenance to an Italian, it’s about love, it’s symbolic and that is why they love cooking and what they make.

Because of the importance of food within their culture, you will only find the best street food sellers at Festa, which will compliment the offering from the City’s hospitality businesses.

Above: New And Old

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BEAUTY Whether we are talking about food or fashion, Italians are stylish. They love surrounding themselves with beautiful things. Police uniforms, for example, have been designed by the likes of Giorgio Armani and Valentino in the very recent past.

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There is an area in the north of Italy that is the Automotive Region. Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, FIAT, Alfa Romeo, Ducati, MV Agusta and Moto Guzzi are all located within a stone’s throw of each other, each driven (excuse the pun) to make something more beautiful, faster or exclusive, than the other.

FOOTBALL To be fair, Italians are also huge lovers of motorsport, but football is the sport that captures the nations heart. For Festa ‘21, football is going to be introduced as one of the activities in the ‘Bambino Zone’ for the young ones, and I almost daren’t mention it, it will be a penalty taking activity!

Above: The QSF Menu Is Amazing

‘Lancaster Festa Italia’ brings all these things together in a way that is so palpable, you could be forgiven for thinking you were on holiday in Italy, experiencing their way of life; the sounds, smells, tastes and visual experiences of everything Italian, albeit it for a day.

This year, as was done in 2019, many of the hospitality sector around the City will join in the celebration, offering Italian food and drink options on the Saturday night as well as on the Sunday. With this in mind, this would be the perfect opportunity to make a weekend of it. Enjoy Lancaster and all it has to offer on the Saturday, before it turns Italian on the Sunday.

Above: The Borough Boards

Lancaster has some truly fantastic boutique accommodation in the City centre. They all have amazing food menus with breakfasts to die for. So let me introduce to you, in no particular order...

Above: Sun Hotel Dining

Above: Buccelli’s - Italian Cuisine At Its Finest

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Above: Crazy Italian Waiters

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‘QSF’ (Quite Simply French) is located on St Georges Quay. Renowned for its outstanding cuisine, they added to the experience a couple of years ago by investing in some absolutely exquisite accommodation.

Without wishing to be repetitive about the food offerings, suffice to say, they all offer something different in their respective menus, but they are all top notch, you will not be disappointed.

‘The Wagon and Horses’ is right next door to QSF, ‘The Borough’ overlooks and is in Dalton Square, whilst ‘The Sun Hotel & Bar’ is located right beside where the supercars and superbikes will be parked up during Festa. The ‘Royal Kings Arms Hotel’ is situated at the top of Market Street whereas ‘The Toll House’ is at the top of Penny Street. All beautiful. All within the City centre.

Above: Stunning Sun Hotel Accomodation

To close, I want to let you know about the other upcoming Events in the autumn of 2021; Sepember 11th 2021 - Lancaster Jazz Festival October 3rd 2021 - Dino Day October 14th-17th 2021 - Lancaster Music Festival November 5th-6th 2021 - Light Up Lancaster November 28th 2021 - Christmas Light Switch On December 5th 2021 - Reindeer Day

Visit our website totallylocallancaster.co.uk for event info, places to stay, eat and shop.

ci vediamo li

Above: The Sun Hotel Dining Experience - Beautiful Cosy Dining Rooms

Above: Dancers

Above: The Borough - Gorgeous Rooms & Suites

Above: The Businesses Love Festa (The Bridal Collection)

Above: QSF - Ashton Suite

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CHOLESTEROL

By Nicola Parker MNIMH

Taking medication is something most of us want to avoid. While we are extremely lucky to have many life saving medicine available to us, none of us really want to be in the position of needing to take it.

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Some people are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and so dietary changes alone are not always enough. If this is the case, your doctor may offer you statins to help manage your cholesterol. Statins tend to be one of the less popular medications as many people don’t get on with them, reporting side effects like muscle cramps, joint pain and tiredness.

Our doctors monitor our cholesterol closely as we get older, as high cholesterol is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and stroke. Leading a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a good diet can help reduce our risk of high cholesterol and if your cholesterol levels are elevated, there a number of things you can do.

Due to their lack of popularity, statins are one of the medications I see people trying to avoid most.

If your doctor is willing to support your decision to explore alternative means of managing cholesterol, it’s worth being aware that there is more you can do than just altering your diet.

Eating a diet rich in fibre and omega 3 oils can help as well as cutting out high sugar and high fat foods. Omega 3 comes from oily fish, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and linseeds. Extra vegetables at meal times will provide more fibre as well as swapping out white bread, rice and pasta for their wholegrain counterparts. Enjoy oats at breakfast time and bulk out soups, stews, curries and mince with beans and pulses.

One of our oldest remedies is called Cholesterol Maintenance™, a combination of Red Yeast Rice and nutrients that support the liver, the main organ involved in managing cholesterol.

Artichoke, turmeric and a herb called guggul from the frankincense and myrrh family, are all valued as herbs used to traditionally support the livers management of fats and cholesterol.

s a herbalist, I’m often approached by people who want to avoid orthodox medication after a health concern has been highlighted to them. In some cases, medication is not unavoidable, if proper lifestyle and dietary measures are put in place.

This is where herbal medicine can really make a difference.

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While these herbs help your body’s natural elimination processes, Red Yeast Rice packs a bit more of a punch, acting like a statin by reducing the cholesterol produced, rather than just supporting its elimination. Since it works like a statin, I regularly get reports that it helps people with genetically high cholesterol. When I use Cholesterol Maintenance™, I get significantly better results than when I work with diet alone.

Dietary adjustments for cholesterol improvement need to be a lifelong change and it can take some for blood tests to reveal significant improvements, especially if your diet is already relatively healthy. Cholesterol Maintenance™ works much faster, meaning that you can often request a 4-8 week period before taking statins, to try and do it without the medication.

My favourite success with Cholesterol Maintenance™ involved a lady of 78. Feeling that statins had worsened her joint pain, she requested a couple of months off her statins to try something different. She stands out in my memory for her positive and incredibly feisty attitude, so I’m not

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surprised that her doctor agreed.

Initially, she tried dietary changes alone but after a couple of months her cholesterol shot up to 8.5.

Undeterred, she insisted that she wanted another couple of months to try herbal medicine before returning to her statins. Once again, her GP reluctantly agreed and she began to use Cholesterol Maintenance™.

After 2 months her cholesterol went from 8.5 to 4.5 and she told me with great joy that her doctor was incredibly surprised but also happy for her to continue “whatever she was doing” as it was clearly working.

I definitely believe that living in a society that gives us easy access to medication makes us incredibly lucky. Yet I also enjoy every success that involves someone taking control of their own health to avoid the need for medicine.

Nicola Parker MNIMH has a herbal medicine clinic located on the picturesque coast Morecambe Bay where she offers face to face and virtual appointments.

For more information on the topics she writes about or to book an appointment, contact her clinic on 01524 413733 or via email at

helpmebehealthy@gmail.com

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 167

How You Can Avoid The Allergen Instead Of Your Pet!

by Airborne Allergens Expert, Max Wiseberg

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f you or one of your family develops an allergy to your pet it can be miserable and debilitating, with the sufferer experiencing symptoms that are very similar to hay fever. The most common form of pet allergy is an allergy to ‘dander’ which are tiny particles of dead skin and saliva that are shed by the animal and fly around in the air, just like dust and pollen. Spending more time inside during October will mean increased contact with these allergens, causing symptoms to flare up and become difficult to manage. However, there are lots of ways to avoid the allergens so that you and your family can live more comfortably with your pet.

Pet allergy symptoms include sore, itchy, watery, red eyes; sneezing and wheezing; and cold like symptoms such as a runny nose and sinus pain.

In fact, many people believe they have a winter cold when their symptoms are in fact a result of spending more time inside amongst pet allergens than in the summer.

HayMax (www.haymax.biz), applied to the nostrils and bones of the eyes in the morning and throughout the day, has been proven to trap pet allergens before they enter the body[1]. Less allergen, less reaction!

Create your own Pet Allergy First Aid Kit consisting of one or more natural product, one antihistamine, one nasal spray and eye drops. The interesting thing about this is that many of these remedies can be complementary to each other. So if one helps, but doesn’t do the whole job, you may be able to try other remedies at the same time and get a better result. But there are rules: never take 2 anti-histamines together, never take 2 steroid nasal sprays together, and consult your pharmacist or doctor if you are already taking any other medication.

Make sure that your dog or cat is well groomed and shampooed as much as

possible to remove pet allergens and pollen particles from its coat.

Make sure you keep pets out of the room in which you sleep, so it is as free from pet ‘dander’ as possible. Use allergy friendly mattress covers and bedding. Keep blankets, as well as cuddly toys, in a cupboard to prevent the build up of allergens on them.

Consider using an air filter/purifier with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particle Arresting) filter to capture the pet allergen particles. Damp dust surfaces regularly; this prevents particles being dispersed into the air compared to ‘dry’ dusting. And vacuum regularly.

It may also be beneficial to install “Allergy Friendly” flooring.

I hope these ideas are helpful to you – do let us know.

I’ll be back next month with more info. Have a great month!

Try taking a two pronged attack to manage your symptoms by avoiding the allergen, so there’s less in the body to cause a reaction, and treating the symptoms with a combination of one or more natural and conventional products.

Use a natural organic drug free allergen barrier balm to reduce the amount of allergen in your body.

REFERENCE: [1] Chief Investigator: Professor Roy Kennedy, Principal Investigator: Louise Robertson, Researcher: Dr Mary Lewis, National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, 1st February 2012.

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Double National Business Award Win for Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing and Lee Chambers

Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing, the health and wellbeing company founded and operating out of Preston, has received the honour of being named SME Workplace Wellbeing Award winner at the UK Enterprise Awards.

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his wasn’t the only win for Essentialise on the evening, as founder and lead psychologist Lee Chambers won the Organisational Psychologist of the Year Award. This is somewhat of a homecoming, 10 years after Chambers won Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year at the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2011 as the founder of European video game company, PhenomGames. www.lancmag.com

The national awards, which celebrate small and mediumsized businesses located in the United Kingdom, are in their fifth year. With thousands of companies across the UK applying to judged, scored and interviewed, the level of competition for the numerous award categories has been more challenging than ever.

The UK Enterprise Awards are the premier awards for small to medium-sized businesses across the United Kingdom.

They are renowned for championing innovative startups and scaleup from a variety of industries. Whether they are setting an example of optimal employee experience or organisational culture, offering innovative and groundbreaking customer service, or bringing to market products that solve the challenges of the future- the awards are said to recognise the best of British businesses, and the leaders who are creative, courageous and disruptive.

Jessica Wilson, Director of Award Co-ordination, said: “We would not have forecast the business landscape of today 18 months ago, and there hasn’t been a business we’ve judged who hasn’t had challenges, whether it be working remotely, losing clients or growth outstripping capacity.

Despite this, one thing has remained clear from everyone company we have spoken to. The tenacity to continue to progress, the resilience to manage change, and the agility to evolve are embedded within the nation’s entrepreneurial spirit. We have seen sectors struggle and thrive, and very few forecasted such turbulence. Looking to the future, we believe there are great signs of optimism and hope given the qualities and skills of those we have engaged in the awards processes. Dynamic, forward-thinking and strategically astute, we expect many of them to achieve their growth ambitions and support them in building the business that will continue to change the world for the better.

Essentialise stood out for several reasons. The judges highlighted the market opportunity for data-driven wellbeing, were complimentary of the collaborative approach and the evidence-based influence, and were impressed by the calibre of clients attained, Chambers passion for making a positive impact, and their sound financial projects and future forecasts.”

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Lee Chambers, who also collected the Psychologist of the Year Awards, said: “Having the opportunity to be nominated and win such a highly regarded award, at such an early stage in our business journey, is something I am incredibly proud of. The team have been amazing throughout the difficult year we have had, and despite some early difficulties, we are now flying. It is truthfully all down to their determination and positive attitude. Our profits have increased by 300%, and the award recognition is just another positive step towards impacting as many organisations as possible, giving them the tools to be able to increase the health and performance of their teams. I am also delighted to win a personal award after a 10 year wait, and am passionate about my field and creating better workplaces and sustainable wellbeing across society.”

ABOUT ESSENTIALISE WORKPLACE WELLBEING Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing is a wellbeing and performance company, headquartered in Preston in the United kingdom. They specialise in wellbeing strategy and data-driven wellbeing measurement for businesses across a variety of sectors. They also deliver evidencebased and engaging wellbeing workshops and activities for corporations globally. Their client base is diverse, and include Oppo Mobile, Regital and B&Q. ABOUT LEE CHAMBERS Lee Chambers is a British psychologist and entrepreneur, born in Bolton and residing in Preston. He is the founder of PhenomGames, which was acquired in 2020. He has had a diverse career alongside his entrepreneurial journey, and in 2020 was named in the Top 50 BAME Entrepreneurs Under 50. He has worked with a range of high performers, including Lewis Hamilton and Nitin Passi. He is the host of the Self Aware Entrepreneur Show, and his new book is due out in December 2021.

Are you a business looking for wellbeing that works, or an individual looking to take your performance to the next level?

Give Essentialise a call on 01772 846198 and see how we can support you today.

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SLEEP - THE OVERLOOKED PILLAR OF HEALTH

RLOOKED PLUS SEVEN STEPS EALTHTO A BLISSFUL NIGHT’S SLEEP

l Night's Sleep

Hello! I’m Catherine

ion &from Lifestyle Coach Catherine Dean

a Nutrition more Coaching, energy and feel

& Lifestyle Coach who works with women usy life, a real that make are ready to ditch diets, have more energy and feel better. My approach to weight loss isn’t about quick fixes or fad diets.

It’s about helping you to create healthy habits that fit around your busy life, make a real difference and last in % the long term.

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fad diets. It’s about

Quality sleep is as essential to our survival as food and water. It’s thought that the ideal amount of sleep we should

be getting is roughly between 7 to 8 hours per night. In a 2016 study by Aviva 48% of adults admitted to not getting the right amount of sleep. 67% suffered from disrupted sleep and of those, 23% managed just 5 hours of sleep per night. Even if you are one of the lucky ones and are getting the recommended amount of sleep each night, the quality of your sleep is just as important. We need to cycle through several sleep stages during the night so our body and brain can restore, replenish and regenerate from the day. If you find yourself waking up feeling tired and groggy instead of refreshed and rejuvenated, no matter how many hours you spent in bed, this article may be just what you need.

Many of the clients I’ve worked with have spent years focusing purely on diet and exercise to help them to lose weight. Of course, diet and exercise are incredibly important. However, when we don’t prioritise sleep it can make eating well and exercising regularly much more difficult. It can also impact many other aspects of our health including our hormones, weight management and our stress levels.

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nt and is why sleep is one of the things I look ake up feeling tired, this can affect the ates the hunger feeling whilst leptin helps us ease, 172 likelyLANCASHIRE to make& NORTH us feel hungrier than WEST MAGAZINE satisfied after eating. So, if you are finding

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Regularly getting a good night’s sleep can support weight management and is why sleep is one of the things I look at with my weight loss clients. When we don’t get enough sleep and wake up feeling tired, this can affect the hormones that regulate our appetite, ghrelin and leptin; ghrelin regulates the hunger feeling whilst leptin helps us to feel satisfied after eating. If we’re sleep deprived ghrelin levels increase, likely to make us feel hungrier than usual and our leptin levels fall which means we probably won’t feel as satisfied after eating.

So, if you are finding yourself feeling hungrier when you’re tired then it’s probably helpful to know that it’s not just you!

If we’re tired we’re much more likely to grab something quick & easy or whatever’s going to give us that quick burst of energy. This is when we’re probably reaching for more caffeine or those highly processed snacks, high in carbs and sugar.

A Vicious Cycle This can lead to a bit of a vicious cycle. Caffeine, sugar and processed foods can all act as stressors to our body.

Our body can’t distinguish between different types of stress, so nutritional stress, physical stress and emotional stress all impact it in much the same way. Stress and poor nutrient intake can affect our stress hormones, increasing our cortisol and adrenaline levels. When our sympathetic nervous system is active and we have high levels of cortisol and adrenaline, we are in flight or fight mode. We are literally getting ready to either fight or run for our lives! This is hardly conducive to a good night’s sleep.

It’s Quality And Quantity That Matters When we’re thinking of improving our sleep we need to think about the quantity AND the quality of sleep we’re getting.

If stress hormones are active in our body until late at night, the growth and repair hormones that we need to restore and rejuvenate ourselves won’t be active in our body as long as they should. The amount of physical and psychological repair that can take place as we sleep will be greatly reduced.

Different studies have identified different times for the optimal amount of sleep we should be getting. The most important thing is to find what amount of sleep works best for you. Try asking yourself, “Do I wake up feeling refreshed in the morning?” If the answer is no, try some of the following tips to help you wake up feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready for the day ahead.

Doing just a few of these actions can really help to improve the quality of your sleep. Remember though, consistent action is what matters. You may not see much impact the first time you try these tips, but it’s what we do consistently not occasionally that makes a difference to our health. www.lancmag.com

1. Reduce Your Caffeine Intake This won’t come as a huge surprise, as many of us rely on coffee to give us a much-needed kick start when we’re tired in the morning. Your morning coffee is unlikely to affect your sleep, but caffeine has a half-life of 5 to 6 hours, so a cuppa in the evening means you’ll still have caffeine in your body as you’re trying to drift off. Avoiding caffeine after 2pm, or 12pm if you’re sensitive to it, can help to improve the quality of your sleep. This includes cola, tea, coffee or dark chocolate.

2. Reduce Blue Light Exposure Reduce exposure to blue light later in the evening by trying not to use your ‘phone or laptop after 9pm.

Blue light from our devices affects the production of melatonin, the sleep promoting hormone. If you have to use your devices at night, try using blue light reducing apps or glasses. Equally, getting outside into natural light can help to regulate our circadian rhythm, our natural daily rhythm. Natural light first thing in the morning is particularly helpful when trying to improve your sleep patterns. Go for a walk if you can, but sitting outside with your morning brew for just 5 minutes can make a big difference.

3. Cut Out The Nightcap Avoid alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. A nightcap may seem as though it’s sending us of to sleep, but alcohol actually reduces the quality of our sleep. A drink in the evening may help us to feel drowsy, but it’s also likely to leave us feeling groggy the next day due to poor quality sleep. Try drinks such as chamomile tea, milk and tart cherry juice that can help to support sleep.

4. Lighten Up On Evening Meals Try to eat lighter meals in the evening and eat as early as possible. Eating heavy meals late in the evening can disrupt sleep by stimulating our digestion and insulin production. A small, light, snack with protein rich foods containing tryptophan can help. Sleep promoting foods include oats, yoghurt, milk, sour cherries, chicken or turkey, bananas and nuts.

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on the positives from the day can help us to relax and reduce our stress levels. our cortisol levels, which can make it easier to fall asleep and improve the quality of a can have a similar effect in terms of managing our overall stress and helping us to n apps such as Calm, Headspace and Insight Timer are great places to start.

Shutterstock photo 590457914

done, but minimising stress levels in the evening can help us to get a better night’s r study at least 2 hours before bedtime and avoid watching the news before going to . Try to resolve any heated discussions or arguments before trying to go to sleep. If down what you want to say to the other person before you go to sleep. You don’t have it may help you to feel less frustrated and help you sleep more easily. Remember this e relaxed, not about them!

5. Focus On The Positives

7. Turn Your Bedroom Into A Relaxing Retreat

If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, keep an eye out for more advice from me in future editions of Lancashire Magazine.

I’ll luxury be joiningspa you in every day.

Think month throughout 2021.

A Relaxing Retreat Write a gratitude journal. Write down three things you are grateful for each Make it somewhere you look forward forward down at the end of a busy nightto justrelaxing before bed.and This iswinding a really to relaxing and winding down at the butmake focusingsure on theyour endbedroom of a busy day.

Choose dark music, and serene. Minimise noise th thesimple spa practice theme, is quiet, positives from the day can help us to colours and fabrics that make you not head to my website: urtains orandblinds and wear mask youluxury need Make Why sure to keep your room relax reduce our stress levels.an eyefeel good. ifThink spato. in your www.catherinedeancoaching.co.uk bedroom!

Continuing with the spa where you’ll find my weekly blog and Reducing stress reduces our e to help you our sleep more easily. theme, make sure your bedroom is

can sign up to receive my weekly email. cortisol levels, which can make it quiet, dark and serene.

Minimise noise easier to fall asleep and improve the to support our overall health, weight mood, someit’s and usemanagement, ear plugs, blackout energy curtains and You can also email if you have any quality of your sleep. Meditation or blinds and wear an eye mask if you nutrition & lifestyle questions you’d a similar effect in that is most often overlooked, but is no less important ware or of.yoga It’scan thehave pillar of health need to.

Make sure to keep your room like me to answer in future columns: terms of managing our overall stress at a comfortable temperature toinstead help info@catherinedeancoaching.co.uk , when wake upwind feeling and energised, of tired and depleted, andyou helping us to down refreshed for you sleep more easily. apps such as Calm, ularlybed. areMeditation much more likely to happen.

Headspace and Insight Timer are great Improving our sleep can help to support places to start. our overall health, weight management, mood, soand it’s something ht in a6.way that will help you to feelenergy lessand stressed more we Minimise Stress should all be aware of. It’s the pillar This may be easier saidMy thanholistic done, but approach coaching packages. to weight of health that, I believe, loss is theismost minimising stress levels in the evening overlooked, but is no less important reatecan healthy last.

For fully personalised nutrition help ushabits to get athat better night’s than diet and exercise. In fact, when sleep. If possible, stop work or study at wake up feeling refreshed and to hear from you. worksleast for2you, get in touch. I’d love you hours before bedtime and avoid energised, instead of tired and depleted, watching the news before going to bed eating well and exercising regularly are s article, keep an eye out more advice from in future as it can increase anxiety.

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I’ll be joining you every month throughout If you’re looking to lose2021. weight in a way before trying to go to sleep. If this isn’t that will help you to feel less stressed possible, try writing down what you and more energised, take a look www.catherinedeancoaching.co.uk where you’ll find myat want to say to the other person before my coaching packages. My holistic you go to sleep. You don’t have to give o receive my toweekly email.

Youyoucanapproach also email meloss if you have to weight is perfect for this letter them, but it may help you if you want to create healthy habits to feel less frustrated and help you in last. future columns: questions you’d like me to answerthat For fully personalised nutrition sleep more easily. Remember this is & lifestyle advice that works for you, @catherinedeancoaching.co.uk about helping you feel more relaxed, get in touch. I’d love to hear from you. not about them!

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BURY’S AWARD WINNING MARKETS SHOP

EAT

ENJOY

A Great Day Out

Tel: 0161 253 6520 www.burymarket.com

Follow us on our social media pages

Hyndburn Business Networking Group for Women Monthly Meetings • Meet Like-Minded Women Free Membership • Grow Your Confidence I’m a retired professional body-builder! I left my profession as a Textile Technologist over 20 years ago to pursue a career in the fitness industry. I live with my husband and two Shih Tzus, and love spending time at our lodge in The Lyth Valley. I’ve now retired from my Personal Training business to concentrate on Unique Ladies.

I started going to Unique Ladies in 2015. I loved the new friendships I was making and being able to help the other ladies in the groups with referrals for their businesses. When the opportunity to take on a franchise arose I grabbed the chance and in September 2018, Hyndburn network was launched. I now run two more franchises in Blackburn and Preston. It’s so nice being able to help local businesses, particularly those run by local women. The ladies in the groups are so friendly and approachable, making us a fabulous network for those who are new to it or don’t actually enjoy networking! So why not join us?!

Contact Dawn Roberts: E dawn@uniqueladies.co.uk www.lancmag.com

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Don Alberto’s at The Loom

By Veli & Ayse Kirk

On a beautiful summer’s evening, my Husband and I decided to visit Don Alberto’s in Leigh, a new Italian Restaurant and Cafe Bar in the Loom retail park, which opened in June 2021.

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his now completes a trio of award - winning establishments for this family run business. We were not sure if we had to book but took our chances and luckily there had just been a cancellation.

We were greeted by Alberto and his wife Claire, who also own Il Padrino in Middlewich and Don Alberto in Holmes Chapel. We were seated immediately and Alberto talked passionately to us about the business he has started with his chef and business partner Salvatori.

What appealed to us was the outdoor seating area, surrounded by plants. Al Fresco whenever we can.

Reminds us of being on the Mediterranean on our holidays. The interior was a combination of contemporary and traditional and the ambience was full of activity and a very popular location.

The menu changes during the day to accommodate each customer, morning shoppers are offered mouth watering cakes and coffee. The lunchtime visitor more traditional Pizza and Pasta and the menu evolves into the evening clientele with speciality dishes, steaks and some less well-known Italian delicacies. The staff were very busy but extremely helpful, attentive and polite.

It was hard to decide from their extensive and impressive menu but I opted for Bruschetta Fungi to start with and Pan Fried Seabass with Lemon Butter accompanied with seasonal vegetables to follow.

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It was cooked to perfection. My husband chose the Cheese and Tomato Garlic Bread, which was baked in an authentic stone oven. The seasoning was very tasty and the texture made it clear that the base was cooked well and finding it hard to decide, he opted for the Bistecca alla Griglia, served with mushrooms and tomato on the side. The steak was full of flavour and melted in his mouth, very enjoyable. They even had my favourite Sicilian wine, Nero d’Avola, a beautiful dry, red wine full of a plum and peppery flavour. We were so full but could not resist sharing a Pistachio Cheesecake between us - so light and creamy, with a beautiful buttery base.

I would absolutely recommend a visit to Don Alberto’s but advise you book, as word gets around, you would not want to be disappointed at this little gem in Greater Manchester.

You can find Don Alberto’s at: M The Loom Retail Park, Leigh WN7 4BA N 01942 673858 E donalbertos.theloom@gmail.com www.lancmag.com

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip

Heart-healthy BBQ

Many of us will be heading outdoors to fire up the BBQ.

Swap white bread rolls for highfibre alternatives

Foods traditionally cooked on BBQs, such as burgers and sausages, can be high in calories, fat and salt.

Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease. Why not switch from white bread rolls to wholegrain rolls or wholegrain pitta, brown rice or jacket potatoes.

We have some tips for enjoying a heart-healthy BBQ without compromising on taste.

Choose a healthy source of protein Foods that are high in saturated fat, such as red meat, sausages, burgers, butter and hard cheese, can increase your risk of heart disease.

You can cut down on saturated fat by swapping red meat, sausages and burgers by threading cubes of chicken, firm fish or tofu onto skewers with slices of bell pepper, courgettes, mushrooms, red onion and cherry tomatoes before grilling.

the BBQ, giving them a lovely sweet flavour. Serve with a spoonful of thick, creamy yoghurt and sprinkle with a handful of chopped toasted nuts, such as hazelnuts or almonds.

You can find lots more tips, recipes and health advice at https://heartresearch.org.uk/

Add some colour Include plenty of salad and vegetables to make your BBQ colourful and nutritious. Avoid using too much salad dressing as it can be high in calories.

Try rubbing a spicy marinade on pieces of courgette, bell pepper, onion, cornon-the-cob and mushrooms and grill them on the BBQ. Healthy grilled desserts Ditch the high-fat puddings and switch to grilled slices of pineapple, bananas, peaches, nectarines or plums. The natural sugars will caramelise on

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

If you’d like to support Heart Research UK’s vital work into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease, please visit www.heartresearch.org.uk for inspiration on how you could help. www.lancmag.com

LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 177

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip

Healthy Breakfast

BANANA BERRY BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE Serves 1 INGREDIENTS • 1 whole banana • 1 handful berries (fresh / frozen) • 1 cup milk (plant based milk / cow’s milk) • 1/2 cup oats (these could be gluten free oats if you have an allergy) • 1 tbsp chai seeds DIRECTIONS Put all the ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth and only very small pieces of the oats remain.

NOTES You could put all the ingredients in the blender jar the night before, store in the fridge, then blend in the morning for an even quicker smoothie.

A survey by Action on Salt has found that second to bread, bacon is one of the biggest contributors of salt to the UK diet, with many brands containing at least as much salt as seawater!

Too much salt in your diet can cause your body to hold onto more water which puts pressure on your heart and arteries by increasing your blood volume. This weekend, why not start the day in a heart-healthy way? Here are a few tips below for doing just that: Reduce Processed Meats Try swapping processed meats like bacon, for healthy protein sources such as oily fish (salmon, pilchards, mackerel) or eggs. When it comes to salt, try to avoid ‘canned in brine’ and ‘smoked’ options and instead opt for grilled or baked fish and add your own choice of salt-free flavouring.

Crushed black pepper, chopped tomatoes, lemon, herbs, or even turmeric can all add extra flavour to your meal, without the added salt..

Maximise your Fruit and Vegetables Vegetables and fruits are a great source of nutrients and contain little-to-no salt whilst ‘bulking up’ your meal.

Smoothies are also a great way to get one of your ‘5-a-day’ and they can be really filling and yummy too. Be sure to stick to no more than 150ml per day to maintain healthy daily sugar levels as it can be easy to consume lots in one go when fruit is blended.

As an alternative breakfast why not try our Banana Berry Breakfast Smoothie recipe or try adding a handful of fresh fruit to your morning porridge?

Swap out Breads Moderately processed foods such as wholegrain bread can be eaten in moderation, but there are other options if your goal is to reduce your salt intake. Why not try serving a poached egg on a baked Portobello mushroom instead of bread, or cook up a naked veggie burger or burrito?

For added taste, crisp up your vegetables with a light spray of rapeseed oil, and add a little paprika and black pepper. Wilted spinach, vine tomatoes, grilled peppers and chia seeds will also add colour and flavour to your meal.

You can find lots more tips, recipes and health advice at https://heartresearch.org.uk/

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

If you’d like to support Heart Research UK’s vital work into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease, please visit www.heartresearch.org.uk for inspiration on how you could help.

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Prosecco The Cross Guns reopens under new management by industry veteran Jon Peek

A Bottle of prosecco £15

With over 15 years of top-end experience and working alongside Marco Pierre white for over 10 years, including most recently as General Manager at Marco Pierre White’s luxury hotel, The Rudloe Arms in Bath.

The new-look Cross Guns Inn has undergone an extensive renovation project and offer a selection of modern and traditional English dishes cooked to an exceptional standard. With pub favourites at the forefront, the menu has been re-designed to tempt and delight all tastebuds whether its for an intimate meal for two, a family get-together or Celebration.

The Cross Guns also include a private function room for 60 guests a new open plan kitchen as well as a beautiful Art Deco cocktail lounge and new outdoor drinking and dining area with its own bar.

Available Monday - Friday from 3pm until 6pm

Telephone 01204 291204 Email info@thecrossguns.co.uk

@crossgunsinn

Website www.thecrossguns.co.uk Address 354 Blackburn Road, Egerton, Bolton, BL7 9TR @thecrossgunsegerton

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THE CROSS GUNS INN REOPENS WITH A BRAND NEW LOOK

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ollowing an extensive refurbishment, The Cross Guns Inn based in the village of Egerton, opened its doors in July. Tipped to be Greater Manchester’s newest hot spot, the pub will boast a brand-new art deco cocktail lounge, completely overhauled outdoor drinking and dining area as well as a 60-cover private function space. Following an extensive investment, The Cross Guns Inn will capture that familiar country pub vibe whilst bringing a touch of luxury through a delicately crafted menu and stunning interior.

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With roots dating back to 1770, The Cross Guns Inn has been serving the village of Egerton for over 250 years; now with a brand-new boss taking the reins and budding young chef at the helm of the kitchen, this local haunt is set to become the place for drinking, dining and socialising with friends.

Revamped from floor to ceiling, the all new Cross Guns Inn combines a classic country pub aesthetic with stunning art-deco finishes to create a familiar yet luxurious atmosphere for locals and newbies alike. Restoring wooden panelling and grand fireplaces and installing a brand new 15ft bar in the cocktail lounge, the venue really embodies that of a ‘destination location’. From al fresco brunch to cosy Sunday lunch, cocktails with a touch of class to post-dinner drinks and dancing in the lounge; The Cross Guns Inn has something for every occasion.

Headed up by industry veteran Jon Peek, the new-look Cross Guns Inn has undergone an extensive renovation project over the last 18 months. With over 15 years of top-end experience, including most recently as manager at Marco Pierre White’s luxury hotel, The Rudloe Arms, Jon brings together a team of 50, creating 50 new jobs.

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Bringing his experience working within a Michelin Star kitchen, the appointment of Head Chef, Dan Sandilands-Watson is an exciting prospect for Jon and the team. As his inaugural head chef role, Dan aims to showcase his flair for fine dining and passion for fresh produce through the menu at The Cross Guns Inn. Carefully crafting a menu centred around dishes that preserve the pub familiarity we all know and love, yet taking them to new heights by using only the highest quality ingredients, the menu is sure to serve up something for everyone.

Commenting on the opening of The Cross Guns Inn, Manager Jon says: “Pubs to me are all about community, and our ethos at The Cross Guns Inn is all about creating that experience for everyone. Whether it’s an intimate celebration, a big birthday blowout or a quiet drink afterwork, we want everyone to feel like they belong at The Cross Guns.

“I am so excited to finally open our doors and showcase what we have to offer. It’s all been going on behind closed doors, and we’ve been working around the clock to create something special.

From the cocktails and the food, to the interior to the décor, we’ve really wanted to create a space that Egerton and beyond will be proud of!”

www.lancmag.com

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Tackling Homelessness Amongst Young People

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t started with one 2 bedroomed house which was shared by two young women, the first ever residents, and supported by a part time worker who worked to ensure they were living independently, preparing them for moving on into their own place. The name changed to Backup in 2018 and now has 112 units of self contained accommodation and the level and type of support that goes with that has increased massively.

Maura Jackson, CEO since 2012, says that this is no ordinary housing service. The accommodation is of good standard, all owned by housing associations but managed

by Backup. It contains white goods, furniture, furnishings, along with being decorated and cleaned to create a home, not a hostel. Every resident is offered a new bed and 2 sets of bedding which they can take with them when they move on. Why 2 sets? We need young people to get in the habit of changing and washing bedding as soon as they move in. One set is brand new, one is donated.

Above: Maura Jackson, CEO

Backup North West is a charity based in Bolton tackling homelessness amongst young people aged 16-25 years.

Established 30 years ago, as Bolton Young Persons Housing Scheme, the charity was formed to address rising concerns that young people were experiencing disproportionate levels of homelessness.

I am homeless because of a family fall out; homophobic; I left because I was so uncomfortable, my family still don’t know about my sexuality. 21yo.

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“No young person will remember the type of curtains or wallpaper we provided but they will remember forever how they were treated and made to feel.” said Maura Jackson. “This is why we provide extras and fundraise to do so; chef whites for catering college, a trowel for an apprentice plasterer, acrylic nails for the prom night, flowers for a still born baby’s funeral.

We have a fund – young people can access internally, once a year for up to £80 for something that is connected to improving their wellbeing.

The results are always priceless.”

Every young person is given a tailored support package; we assess the needs and current circumstances and we move from there. All of the services are different; ranging from very intensive round the clock support and security through to medium through to lower semi independent living. Collectively 6 projects accommodate 112 young people at any one time. Young people can move through the services as their needs decrease. The final stage being a managed flat in the community which we support through a visiting support ‘Outreach Service’, they experience almost complete independence but have a backup. Pardon the pun.

The support workers are employed for their life experiences as much as their qualifications, they range from social workers to former teachers, health care, criminal justice and social care colleagues but also include people who have retrained – an ex gardener, chef, plumber, website designer, insurance broker, banker and painter & decorator. What they have in common is a willingness to make a life changing difference for young www.lancmag.com

people and they share the company values; Commitment, Honesty, Empathy, Empowerment, Resilience, Respect and Support.

Backup now employs 67 staff, support workers, managers, business staff and a small fundraising team with a common goal of tackling homelessness but for those young people who do experience it and whilst they experience it, giving them a great quality service and safe option. They are an Investors in People GOLD employer and have been for 7 years, successfully completing assessments every 3 years. They employ 6 ex residents, 2 as service managers.

I am homeless because I have never had a stable home, always lived at different houses, my Mum abused drugs and alcohol and kicked me out. 16yo.

The ultimate aim is to ensure the young people move on in to their own safe and secure accommodation.

250 young people move on every year, we have a 91% success rate. The young people are amazing, so diverse and resilient. In our 30 years of operation we have seen young folk go on to be prison officers, bankers, charity founder, artists, managers, solicitors, teachers, support workers, business owners, local government staff, civil servants and a BAFTA winning comedienne and writer.

There are also parents, carers and community activists.

We have a few ex residents who became lifelong users of services, didn’t succeed in their efforts to stop offending, drinking or using drugs, became trapped in sex work, couldn’t leave the abusive relationships they formed and occasionally we see a familiar face in Bolton Most Wanted page in the local paper. This isn’t Disney, but when it works, it’s magical.

The charity sector is under pressure to deliver fantastic outcomes with little or no resources. So Backup are using creative approaches to secure and diversify income.

These include The Van, a social enterprise designed to generate profits for the not for profit. It is a mobile coffee and cake service trading with Rijo42 drinks and bespoke homemade cakes. It can be used at community events, corporate/private functions or trade anywhere where our license permits. We use volunteers to staff it alongside paid workers and many of these are residents.

Win-win opportunity for us to train and develop young people with skills for future employment whilst trading.

Our paid apprentice on The Van is also an ex resident.

Backup also has established an online shop to purchase branded items but in amongst the hoodies and caps you will see for sale calendars and Indian Spices.

A bit random...

Cooking with Maura is a program of tutorials to cook authentic Indian dishes with the Backup CEO and Head Chef at Spice Valley (Horwich) restaurant. 12 different dishes have been selected, cooked, reconstructed, written up, reconstructed and filmed so it can be shared with the public. The owners of the restaurant have provided their experience, knowledge and the spices for each dish, packaged with the recipe and method and are for sale.

Every time you purchase one Spice Valley spice pack and make your meal for 2, you are paying for 2 meals for a homeless young person at Backup.

The Chances team within Backup offer specialist support to hundreds of young people. There are 2 employment support workers, 2 mental health practitioners, a care leaver worker and a sexual exploitation worker. Between the 6 of them they offer additional support to young people who have extra support needs and are at risk of losing a placement with Backup – we do not want to see young people experiencing repeat homelessness; once is too much.

If it wasn’t for Backup I would be dead. www.lancmag.com

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The charity calendar 2022 is also for sale and is a musical theme, a series of photos including young residents (The Beatles) the CEO (Boy George) and the Mayor of Bolton (ABBA) staff and other supporters of Backup. When you check out the website you will also be able to see the upcoming fundraising events including:• Ladies Festive Lunch Friday 19th November 2021

We can’t save everyone but most endings are positive ones. Backup prides itself on being much more than housing, addressing housing and homelessness is the first step in a long and complex journey of unpicking 16 + years of emotional damage and trauma.

“Without the accommodation you can’t succeed but providing it is only the tip of the iceberg”. Maura.

• Charity Gala Ball (Peaky Blinders theme) 19th March 2022

Stan lived in the Backup scheme for over a year.

Initially referred because of a conflict with his Mums partner, he was homeless and we moved him in to the Lucas Project. He needed emotional support and help with diagnosed mental issues from the start.

His support focussed on mental and physical health, supporting healthy relationships, college and managing his tenancy. Like many young people, he had experienced trauma and was struggling to manage, he wasn’t using prescription medication safely and was regularly self harming.

He was funny, a keen skateboarder, loved music and his Mum. She died of breast cancer August 2019 and he was bereft. Just managing to survive his grief, lockdown arrived and he told support staff he felt trapped. Despite securing a place at University for September Stan took his own life June 2020 aged 19. To say Backup colleagues were upset is an understatement, they worked so hard to save him and in the end the choice was his. Colleagues here had seen him between 1 and 5 times a day for a year so had developed great rapport. Backup mental health workers and support workers spent hours with him, 7 hours, the day he made the attempt to end his life accessing emergency NHS interventions, offering talking therapies, just being there.

This wasn’t Stan’s first attempt but was to be his last.

He died 4 days later in hospital.

Jon, one of the mental health workers made a bench for the Lucas garden in memory of Stan, out of skateboards for Lucas residents.

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100% of young people in Backup have not come here by choice. But over 75% wouldn’t leave if it was their choice.

Advice, advocacy, support, encouragement, guidance all contribute to preparing an individual for independence. A young individual who is expected as a teenager to take responsibility for a tenancy, bills, cooking, cleaning and laundry because they have been unfortunate enough to find themselves homeless.

For some it’s the first time they’ve had responsibility but also the first time they have been treated with respect, eaten (regular) meals at a dining table, not been exploited, felt safe. They are all traumatised, either by something that’s led to them becoming homeless or as a result of experiencing homelessness.

Either way the damage is lasting.

It’s not all doom and gloom...

The fundraising pays for many extras that Backup try and deliver as standard. Optional days out, kayaking, wall climbing, cycling, cinema, art or animal therapy, theatre are delivered regularly. Free TV licenses and wifi are also subsidised.

Help us by:• • • • • •

Following us on social media Supporting our events Buy our merchandise Donate Book The Van Be a Guardian (financial patron £500 a year)

Backup are a multiple award winning service with a multiple award winning CEO. We work with 400 young people a year.

Here is our “why... www.lancmag.com

Elise whilst living at the Lucas Project overcame many hurdles after the devastating loss of both her parents who died within 18 months of each other.

Despite suffering from anxiety, depression and social anxiety, Elise proved herself to be very capable in all areas of managing her tenancy but still had confidence issues in regards to moving to a property without support. Elise spoke at the AGM 2018 sharing her story with stakeholders, it was heart breaking.

Elise moved into Supported Tenancies after Lucas in order to gradually transition to her own property. Elise was also accessing Backup mental health services and wanted to continue with this as she was finding it very beneficial. Elise was placed into one of our flats nearer to her family and support network at the end of September 2019.

Elise said: “In the last eight months I’ve lost all my weight (10 stones), got myself a boyfriend, grown in confidence, become more independent, faced a lot of fears and achieved so many goals I have always wanted to do”.

Elise said her anxiety has improved and that previously if she went out she always felt so uncomfortable and like everyone was watching her and judging, she said it feels now like a total mind set change.

“Backup believed in me and now I do too.”

Elise had been waiting for an operation for a gastric bypass for months and soon after moving in had it done. Elise also began to do things out of her comfort zone. It began with simple things that most of us take for granted e.g. catching public transport for a shopping trip to Bury with a friend, resulting in Elise going sightseeing with friends to London for a few days.

www.backup-charity.org.uk www.lancmag.com

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Could the Key to Your Health and Success be Found in your Saliva?

They say a balanced diet needs grains, dairy and meats. But if you are lactose or gluten intolerant this is not an option and if you absorb iron too easily, then red meat can cause problems.

All generic advice – but: YOU ARE UNIQUE! Imagine a world where we are not punishing ourselves because we snacked on something allegedly bad or wrong for us!

Imagine the freedom from not needing to listen to the so-called experts competing for you to follow their latest diet or exercise regimen.

We would not put the wrong fuel into our cars – so don’t put the wrong food into your body!

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o have a healthy and successful journey through life, you should choose the right ‘fuel’ – food and lifestyle - following your body’s own instruction manual. But, where can we read this manual?

It’s in your DNA and the power of the new science of Nutrigenetics.

Lifestyle advice is confusing.

We spend millions on books, gadgets or coaches to tell us how to lead a healthier lifestyle, to eat better or exercise. For example they tell us ‘Caffeine is bad, now they say it can significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer.’

Stop imagining – NUTRIGENETICS has the answers.

The DNA - the recipe book for your body - contains instructions for every single cell and what it should or shouldn’t do. Nutrigenetics reads a specific part of your DNA and informs you what you cannot see but has a direct effect on your physical and mental health and we should know about those.

A simple saliva sample can determine what nutrients, supplements or exercise are very beneficial for you and which can trigger dormant lying health issues.

It allows you to optimise your lifestyle choices, personalised to your own body’s script and based on science and facts…no more guesswork!

I use ‘MyGeneticBody’. The 4-in-1 DNA test analyses 64 genes (most tests do 2-3!).

You receive a 200-page report unique to you. The results are user friendly to help introduce lifestyle changes immediately. Detailed advice on Macro and Micro nutrients. A list of almost 1,000 foods, all tested against your personal body; their benefit or potential risk for your health plus, which foods could trigger the symptoms of lactose or gluten intolerance.

IT IS MINDBLOWING EVERY TEST IS UNIQUE. In my clinics, I combine science, nutrition and mindfulness to improve your health and performance with programmes built around YOUR lifestyle - all delivered with a concierge level of service to help you become the best version of yourself.

1-2-1 mentoring, corporate programmes – my approach is bespoke, your progress is measured and supported through an online portal to optimise your journey to better health.

Certification for therapists and PTs for online run programmes that are proven to achieve results for their clients faster.

Please book/get your… …FREE 30 minutes Lifestyle Analysis consultation which will help you see how your body feels inside. …FREE demo DNA report. …FREE 7 Day Percent-Edge Trial.

Contact: Julia Riewald – Success & Health Coaching N +44 (0)7902 214534 E Julia@percent-edge.com

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Can Personal Style Be An Effective Tool For Positive Wellbeing?

First and foremost, Natasha Diskin is a married mum of 2 and has amazing friends, who all contribute to a meaningful, quality life. She was born in the Congo, West Africa, then lived in France and moved to the UK at a very young age.

She speaks fluent French, Lingala and English.

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his has given her passion to adapt to different scenarios. She trained as a mental health nurse and now is a cognitive behavioural therapist in private practice. She loves to help people grow and build confidence.

Her style journey began in 2016. After 15 years of wearing clothes that did not fit her body shape, she would go shopping for hours and come back empty handed.

Her wardrobe was uninspiring. Her style unobtainable, stuck in a rut, wearing clothes that didn’t represent who she was or flatter her body shape. After having a baby, she made a commitment to improve herself. Focusing on the clothes already in her wardrobe. She lost the clothes that did not make her feel good and kept what she actually liked to wear, creating new looks, taking better care of herself, her wellbeing and starting to notice how to improve her personal style.

At the time, Natasha’s Mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was on palliative care. Style became her lifeline. She would spend hours researching and experimenting different style personalities. A welcomed distraction from the pain of losing her mum.

After a lot of self - reflection, research and determination she realised that she could be stylish without wasting time and money. She just needed to invest in herself and realise she was worth the effort. Style has given her inner strength and confidence. Through painful trips to the hospital to be by mum’s side and through the miscarriage of her twins.

When she is dressed on point in keeping with her Signature Style she feels invincible, strong and can do anything.

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After a year, she noticed that other women were going through the same. Her mum was instrumental in her starting a business. She told her ‘’life is too short to waste it on what ifs, do what you want to do”.

And so, with her blessing Savvy Style was born!

She wanted to use style to help women overcome their personal battles and build confidence from the inside out.

Savvy Style has helped hundreds of women see results within a couple of sessions! there is now a tribe of women who are aware of their style journey, own and accept themselves as they are today. Natasha has helped them find their personal style and maintain it for life.

Being the entrepreneur she is, she has also started another business - The Chocolate Treat Box online.

Classic chocolates in a box delivered to you with a personal message inside. A lovely gift idea delivered anywhere in the UK. Contact Natasha, Savvy Style - Personal Stylist & Wellbeing Coach: D www.savvystyle1.com E savvystyle@yahoo.com N 07950 632850 F savvystyle1 I savvystyle1 The Chocolate Treat Box: I @The_ChocolateTreatBox D Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ TheChocTreatBox F @Thechocolatetreatbox www.lancmag.com

Making Sense of IT and CyberSecurity

My name is Suzanne Girdlestone and I make IT/CyberSecurity make sense.

I

have worked in IT for over 20 years, in various industries. Predominantly in insurance and highly regulated financial organisations, and over 10 of them were specifically in IT and Computer Security.

I have 2 passions my IT business and horses I’m a crazy horse lady who loves everything rural and I have an affinity with the countryside.

Cyber Security | Computer Security | Information Security | IT Security Whichever title you use, they all do the same thing, they’re all the practice of protecting computer systems and networks from information disclosure, and theft or damage.

In a connected technological world, all businesses are vulnerable and are not always aware of what RISKs their business faces.

I often hear comments from business owners saying: “I am too small and insignificant to be hacked” “I use public WiFi all the time and have never been hacked” “I have an iPhone or Apple Mac”

It is my mission to help educate and inform business owners so they understand the RISK and THREATS to their business and be able to implement a holistic security system that can reduce those risks. If in the event an incident does occur, they are able to recover and provide business continuity. www.lancmag.com

I ensure working with me is easy-going and I explain everything in relatable terms, so it is easy to understand.

I ensure when we work that the policies and processes fit your business model and are specifically tailored to your business functions and operations.

I like to say that ‘IT Security’ is like a CAKE; you need many different ingredients. You need many different controls, software and processes to make a good Security management system/framework. It’s also important that your IT support is providing Security Policies and Processes to help IT run smoothly and securely.

Many SMEs see IT Security as a cost, but when it is implemented correctly, it can be very cost-effective and actually save you time and money. Simply put - by having great IT Hygiene and efficient processes you will be able to connect to all your departments.

Here’s some great comments I have received from my clients: “Suzanne’s knowledge and support has been accurate as to our requirements and more importantly, completely clear for a team who aren’t experts in the language of IT security.”

“We consider Suzanne to be an extended member of our team and this is testament to her approach and engagement with our business.“ “I feel totally prepared to take on more and more IT security questionnaires myself especially as I know Suzanne is only an email or a call away if I need help.”

If you don’t know where to start or you are a proactive business owner who doesn’t want to be vulnerable, please email: E suzanne@smartbusinessit.co.uk and find out how I can support your business. I support Zoom calls too!

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Pam Molyneux

It’s National Work Life Week 11th - 15th October – an annual campaign run to get employers and employees talking about wellbeing.

I

qualified as a Corporate Wellness Coach in August 2021, a recent qualification to represent the 25 years of working in corporate HR supporting managers and staff to be the best version of themselves – now I focus my efforts with business owners.

But what does that even mean, being the best version of yourself?

Well for me I found that out the hard way a few years ago when I hit a wall – a wall of shear exhaustion. I was in the security bubble of working in a corporate setting so it was all good, I had a manager watching out for me, I was surrounded by policies and protocols that would help me.

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Not true in my case I am afraid. I accept responsibility that I am in charge of my wellbeing now but at the time, felt compelled to just do that extra work, to just answer those emails that dropped in the inbox overnight. That was the crazy illusion I was telling myself and, in the end, it caught up with me – after a concentrated couple of years of working ridiculous 15 plus hours per day, travelling the length and breadth of the country, dealing with stressful people management issues every day.

After two weeks of just being able to get out of bed to take the kids to school, to then crawl back into bed until pick up, get them dinner, have some kind of evening and in bed at the time they went, a voice screamed at me saying is this it – is this what you have worked so hard for, is this what your legacy is going to be.

I was lucky, thankfully I found the strength from somewhere and with the support of my family, to go that bit further one day and I joined the gym and built myself up - swimming, yoga, going on the running machine.

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Physically and mentally, it was a battle – building confidence again, working through those inner voices of guilt, shame, feeling a failure.

But I got there, after nine weeks, I returned to work and vowed never to go there again and thankfully haven’t, but it takes work, it takes regular daily reminders of what I have achieved and that it is ok to have a pile of other stuff that still needs sorting.

So, my plea to you as a business owner, as a manager in charge of staff, as a member of staff - reflect on your working practices, take stock of what your contribution is in comparison to what your work life balance is and walk away regularly!

If you ever need to talk, lets grab a brew – please remember, you are never alone.

Solver of distractions to keep business owners focused on their business with SmartPA E @pammolyneuxsmartpa D www.smart-pa.com N 07977 459177 www.lancmag.com

Julia Riewald Success & Health Coaching +44 (0)7902 214534

Julia@percent-edge.com

savvy style

personal stylist and Wellbeing coach

1-2-1 & Corporate Coaching

Bespoke – Measured - Online Portal Certification for Professionals

Σ 14-Day Accelerator

21-Day Purify

28-Day DNA Upgrade

30-Day Sports Performance

90-Day

>> FREE Lifestyle Analysis Consultation << >> FREE Demo DNA Report << >> FREE 7 Day Percent-Edge Trial <<

Be confident. Be Authentic. Love Life.

D www.savvystyle1.com N 07950 632850 E savvystyle@yahoo.com F savvystyle1 I savvystyle1

Get Security Savvy with Suzanne Are you a pro active business owner?

If the answer is yes and you don't want to be vunerable get in touch with Smart business IT for a free 40 minute consultation

Client Testomonial I regularly send people Suzanne's way when they're confused about how to keep themselves and their Businesses safe online. Suzanne speaks in plain English which takes some of the fear away, so straight away you know you're in good hands.

Whether you need a couple of policies written or a full on cyber audit of your business and data systems Suzanne explains everything you need and most importantly why you need it, so you know exactly what you're paying for and you don't end up paying for things you don't need!

CONTACT DETAILS SUZANNE@SMARTBUSINESSIT.CO.UK WWW.SMARTBUSINESSIT.CO.UK WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/SUZANNEGIRDLESTONE

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Pam Molyneux Solver of distractions to keep business owners focused on their business with SmartPA @pammolyneuxsmartpa www.smart-pa.com | 07977 459177 LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE 193

Your First Steps To Freedom...

All Shapes and Sizes Solutions From The Disruptive Health Coach doesn’t work and how we can rebalance our weight without the tyranny of dieting.

Carol is the anti-dieting Disruptive Health Coach who will release you from Dieting Prison! She teaches a Health At Every Size Approach (oka HAES). She shows her clients why dieting doesn’t work for them and what to do instead to rebalance their weight and more importantly, how to become truly healthy and never worry about food, their weight or their eating every again! In her words BMI stands for Bullshit Misleading Inaccurate...

Sick of the war with your body and daily battles with food? Sick of hating your body and yourself?

Take your first steps to Freedom!

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arol May, a lady who does not look anywhere near the years on her birth certificate, realised she was hitting a mid-life crisis when her husband left and her life fell apart. She felt abandoned, unhappy, she became homeless & bankrupt and like most of us, turned to food for comfort.

She decided to have therapy and learned how to release her Anger, Resentment and feelings of Abandonment. She learned to let go of her negative thinking & how to live in the moment. As a result, her body released 44 lbs of weight it no longer needed to carry around, without dieting!

As a chronic dieter for 5 decades this led her to research WHY dieting 194

There has been a scienctific study that says that women with a BMI of 25 – 35 are the healthiest people in the world and will live the longest... not what we are used to being told!

17 years ago, Carol was a counsellor for the Lighterlife Diet Plan, but realised it didn’t work on a permanent basis. As soon as her clients started to eat ‘normally’ again they would put all the weight back on again, despite all the counselling which was part of the programme.

That’s when she trained in Eating Disorders and began to learn why even that programme didn’t work!

Carol’s clients are usually midlife chronic yoyo dieters, always emotional eaters, and sometimes binge Eaters, who are AFRAID TO NOT DIET but she teaches them how to let go of dieting, reconnect with their body and their emotions, and to live a life of total FREEDOM around food and in their beautiful body; for some this is the first time they have ever really lived life, having put living on hold until they were thinner…

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Carol is also a Nutritionist and Home Economist, so cooking meals from fresh ingredients is an essential part of all her programmes; plus Mindful and Intuitive Eating ie.

Eating what your body wants, when it wants it, in the quantity it wants imn order to feel satiated and satisfied.

There is never any food you cannot eat, or any need to feel guilty about eating it either! However, you may CHOOSE not to eat certain foods when your body says it’s not what it wants OR you realise that they are upsetting your digestion, giving you a migraine, or worse…

She also helps her clients to look at Cravings in a different way which will help them cope with them in the moment.

Working with Carol you will achieve a stable weight long term, possibly for the first time in your life, although it may not be the weight you think you want to be or have been told you ‘need’ to be by a medical professional. Her clients lose between 12 and 44lbs in 3 months without dieting.

Carrying extra fat is so much more than having eaten too much and modern science is helping to debunk all the dieting propaganda being spouted by dieting companies and show that there are many causes! So please, stop shaming yourself and others - change doesn’t happen when we feel guilt and shame!

If you’d like to learn how to rebalance your weight, love your body and be healthy without dieting, contact Carol: N 07884 435554 | E carolmay54@live.co.uk www. thedisruptivehealthcoach.com

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Would our friendship survive this? That was the question we asked ourselves as we sat down, one grey day at the start of a global pandemic in March 2020. Only one way to find out.

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laire and I had been best friends since the days of electric blue eyeliner and shoulder pads.

We had survived awkward first dates, births and marriages, kids and dogs, disasters and triumphs and had been nurses together way back when. Now we were about to go into business.

We were at the beginning of something potentially wonderful and most importantly, had a shared passion, we loved lingerie!

Luxury lingerie, beautifully created, with gorgeous fabrics and a perfect fit. We had done our research ( I’m an over researcher and will happily spend hours!) There was a definite lack of choice available for women with a fuller figure and bigger bust. What was available was often plain with little choice of style and colour or lacking in quality. Why should curvy women have to put up with such a poor retail experience? We were determined to change that.

Our aim was to develop an online store showcasing an exciting range of lingerie from a D to a K Cup. The collections would include traditional full cups but also strapless, non-wired bralettes and plunging necklines. We

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wanted our customers to feel inspired, confident and beautiful and from this the idea of Curvs emerged.

Claire already had experience of running a lingerie business and I would quickly get up to speed. The transition from the idealisation of Curvs to the reality, took a lot longer than anyone predicted mainly due to the fact we were in a global pandemic!

Shut downs and isolations were common and it was difficult to liaise with the designers and brands that we wanted to partner with. Work slowed down on the business and nursing increased. I was often working 50 hours a week and felt I couldn’t let my colleagues and patients down and was then spending hours working on Curvs. By the end of September, I was physically and mentally exhausted and had reached a turning point.

The pandemic had slowed down and it was time to re-prioritise. To take stock as am sure many of us did. What matters in life, the people we love and doing what makes you happy!

By the beginning of 2021, we had refocused and began to work on Curvs in earnest.

We began to bring together a collection of lingerie we loved, sourced from top designers with a proven track record in making and designing lingerie for curvy women. They had to tick all our boxes. Choice, style, fit and comfort, definitely comfort!

We didn’t want a poor fit, wires

digging in and uncomfortable straps and were determined that our customers would feel inspired, confident in the knowledge that they looked fabulous and would stay comfortable and all day long. No compromise on that.

So 6 months on we have launched and been through a steep learning curve and are still learning every day.

It’s been tough, but the results are worth it. It means so much to receive really lovely reviews and know that you have made a difference to somebody.

Everyone deserves to feel good about themselves.

We are a small independent and our customer is queen. We are proud of our business and the fluidity being an independent offers. It means we can think outside the box and go the extra mile to provide a truly individualised service.

So to the future, exciting times lie ahead. We are expanding our range to include sports wear , lovely comfy Pjs and swimwear. Plus, we have plans to bring post surgery lingerie next year, something close to our hearts.

The best advice I can give would be to believe in yourself, do your research and go for it!

And yes, we are still best friends….. so far!

N 07570 422036 E hello@cu0rvs.co.uk F curvsuk I curvslingerie D www.curvs.co.uk

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Fired 4 U Pottery Studio experiences elsewhere, which puts them off. Perhaps being told they were no good at it, just makes my blood boil that someone has made anyone feel like that. The big benefit of doing any art is how great it is for your mental health, self-esteem, and wellbeing. It’s the doing it that is the important part, having fun together with others or by yourself with us.

Jane Fox, the owner of Fired 4 U Pottery Studio in Preston, was born in Northumberland.

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fter a career managing hotels, she decided things were drastically changing.

Not feeling valued, she set about looking for alternative roles. ‘’Whilst on holiday in 2005, I read an article about pottery painting studios, looked into it, found a course the next weekend to attend, returning 2 days later announcing to my husband I was leaving the hotel to set up a pottery painting studio. It wasn’t quite that simple but it did happen and so Fired 4 U was born eventually in July 2006.’’

Creating and making things is good for you. It’s fun and relaxing, you can switch off from challenges and it helps you plan and work things out. You can recharge your batteries and calm your brain and make you feel great. During Lockdown 2020 I ran a weekly art challenge for my customers, to give them something to focus on, to look forward to and try out each week, aiding their mental health.”

Fired 4 U Arts and Crafts Studio M 15-17 Hennel Lane Walton-le-Dale Preston PR5 4LA D fired4u.co.uk N 01772 203060 E mail@fired4u.co.uk F fired4u I fired4u P fired4u

Craft making has always been in her life, her parents encouraged Jane and her brother to explore their creativity. ‘’I used to think this was normal for everyone but found that’s not the case on opening my studio. People either love it and do it at home or with us very happily or all too frequently children and adults have had negative

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www.lancmag.com

MARIE MULCAHY

BSC Western Herbal Medicine, MNIMH

Where do I start to recount how I got to where I am today?

I am originally from London.

I moved to the North West four years ago and have lived in Darwen Lancashire for two years. I have Herbal Medicine and holistic health clinics in Barrowford, Lancashire and Clitheroe.

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s well as offering Western Herbal Medicine, which works for virtually every medical condition, I am a Medium, Tarot Reader and Tarot teacher.

I also offer health coaching which I combine with my training as a Mental Health First Aider.

I also can provide Reiki/spiritual healing. I also have a tiny natural health products shop (that includes supplements to order) in my Barrowford Clinic.

As a child, I discovered I was both psychic and an animal healer. In my late twenties I went on to formally train in healing human and animals, mediumship and Tarot. Training at the Spiritual Association of Great Britain and The College of Psychic Studies. www.lancmag.com

I studied for my first degree in Modern European Studies at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham - the first time I ventured towards the North and after graduating. I went back to London, studied PR and Marketing and worked as a PR for National Charities and also in Fundraising roles. Also PR in a PR agency until 2001, when the tragedy of the Twin Towers in the US happened, which ended my move to work for a US PR agency in London.

So I found myself starting all over again in 2001, as my longterm relationship ended, I had always been in and out of Retail since my first job as a Saturday girl in Woolworths - who remembers them?!

My plan was to train as a Medical Herbalist, as I loved working for myself, being a people person and passionate about health, this seemed perfect. It was a tough six years parttime while working full time in Retail management roles.

My degree, which included 500 clinical hours with patients in our university clinic (and stints in the Dermatology unit at Whipps Cross hospital) treating a wide range of people and conditions. We follow the training of Medical students and my final clinical exam was overseen by a Respiratory Consultant and a Senior Medical Herbalist.

My last role in London was four years running a Community Champions health project for public health, (alongside my food growing social enterprise). I loved it and combined it with the last years of my degree. On graduation, I set up a clinic in London before I moved to Greater Manchester in 2018.

I started as a Christmas Temp in the lingerie department of a big M&S store. This led me back into Retail Management, for a variety of high street names and even a year managing a shop at the British Museum.

During this time, I set about retraining. Not having any science levels, I had to go back to evening school and take a science foundation at university.

Marie Mulcahy - Medical Herbalist, Healer and Spiritualist E urbanbasedherbalist@gmail.com N 07727 119 629 M 2 Forest View, Barrowford BB9 8PR

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Graphic Design to Give Your Brand Spirit

After 15 years of working her way up to senior designer supervisor of a busy in-house design team, Nikki Carter took the brave step to opening her own business; Nikki Carter Designs.

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ike most of the UK in March 2020, she was sent home from her position as the senior graphic designer due to the pandemic with no idea when she would return. With bills still to be paid and uncertainty around the future, along with lots of free time, Nikki decided to take matters into her own hands. She put a plan together to begin using her skills and knowledge as a designer to good use, helping small businesses in the local area with their branding, offering logo design for testimonials she could use across her social media.

Nikki said, “I wanted to use my time productively to help people and saw lots of new businesses popping up online. People included myself had to think outside the box to raise extra income, and that’s when I had 198

my light bulb moment. I had the time and capabilities to give a helping hand to businesses offering graphic design while gaining a stepping stone to opening my own business.”

From Nikki’s light bulb moment, she was then able to set up her business working with clients from all over the UK and across the pond in the USA in all different industries.

Working side by side with her client’s to create effective branding that connects with their audience.

One of Nikki’s success stories is from a business that was incorporated in August 2020. She worked with the owner to develop their branding and marketing visuals, including logo, colours, fonts and business essentials.

The company has now gone on to win business awards in their local area.

Nikki said, “I love to see businesses I work with grow and how companies use their branding to create connections and build recognition as leaders in their field.

Using design effectively within your business can increase sales by helping your business stand out from the crowd. A solid brand strategy

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aligns all your marketing efforts and brings consistency wherever you appear to your customers.”

Nikki’s love of design stems from being a child, painting and drawing with her Nana. She was introduced to digital design in her early teens after her dad brought home a PC and showed her to use Photoshop, opening up a whole new world that set her on the path to where she is now. She spent years training and refining her skills and has over 16 years of experience helping businesses with their design requirements. When she is not designing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends or drinking a glass of wine with her feet up.

If you need help creating a brand that stands out from the crowd, arrange a discovery call by emailing: E nikki@nikkicarterdesigns.co.uk D nikkicarterdesigns.co.uk F @nikkicarterdesigns I @nikkicarterdesigns L linkedin.com/in/nikki-carter www.lancmag.com

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Herbal Medicine for all Those Niggling Health Needs Tarot Card Reading and Healing Natural Health Products to Buy ALL AT MY CLINIC AT: We help adults and children to discover their creativity in a relaxed and supportive environment, by focusing on being creative for up to 2 hours using the right side of their brain. They escape from daily stresses and pressures, leaving us relaxed and recharged with renewed energy.

2 Forest View, Barrowford BB9 8PR E urbanbasedherbalist@gmail.com N 07727 119 629 MARIE MULCAHY BSC Western Herbal Medicine, MNIMH

Fired 4 U Arts and Crafts Studio 15-17 Hennel Lane, Walton-le-Dale, Preston PR5 4LA N 01772 203060 E mail@fired4u.co.uk F fired4u I fired4u P fired4u

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SPD

Pilates ‘A Whole New Way of Being You’ What does it really mean and what can it do for you?

I often get asked what does Pilates mean –well my answer is this – Pilates is based on a set of Principles - Concentration, (Centre Core), Control, Precision, Breath and Flow and a set of Fundamentals - ABC – Alignment, Breathing and Centre (core)

P

ilates lengthens and stretches all the major muscles groups in the body in a balanced fashion. It improves flexibility, strength, balance and body awareness.

Joseph Pilates introduced his Pilates method into the US as a way to help injured athletes and dancers safely return to exercise and maintain their fitness.

My journey into Pilates started with my own chronic shoulder pain – the result of 3 whiplash accidents within a space of 15 months and years of sitting at a computer. As with most chronic pain there are no outward symptoms so people think you are OK. I spent years – and money – going to physiotherapists and osteopaths, all really to no avail, temporary relief.

Then I discovered Pilates.

I had a few attempts at going to classes – until I found one and a great teacher who really helped me.

I suffered a horrid virus in 2012 and it was attending the classes that built me up and got me fit – and greatly reduced the pain.

Fast forward to 2014 – I left England for Saudi Arabia. I stayed until 2017 and whilst there I started to teach my own classes and eventually in December 2016 qualified as a teacher.

By now I was DEFINITELY pain free.

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I came back to England to start classes up and it was a hard slog to get established. Eventually, on a training course for learning how to teach older adults, I met and befriended another teacher who eventually ‘gifted’ me her teaching movement slot to her SMILE Chronic Pain Support Groups. That was a turning point, I knew had to up my game, to make sure these people received the best possible instruction.

This changed the way I taught, and also fuelled my hunger for learning how to be a better teacher for my clients and add variety to my classes.

During lockdown, I trained as a Level 4 matwork instructor – the highest qualification in Pilates training.

Fast forward to today, I now teach community classes to all levels of fitness. I am the Pilates instructor at a local tennis club and have also produced a course for golfers to enable these groups to enhance their game through increased flexibility, strength, balance ad body awareness.

During lockdown I took my classes on-line and kept my ‘tribes’ exercising daily with live video classes and information to make life interesting.

Athletes of all disciplines be it tennis, golf, rugby, running, swimming, need to realise the benefits of Pilates to enhance their game – like the England football team did – and understand this is the good base to stretch. It helps rehabilitate, re-define your body and mind.

Pilates for me was a life changer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

E suzepd01@gmail.com N 07860 273782 www.lancmag.com

SPD Pilates Solutions

‘A whole new way of being You’ Susan Pilkington-Davis – Pilates Professional Classes in Poulton-le-Fylde and Bispham Blackpool.

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Susan has trained with the leading teacher trainers in both the UK and New York – at the original Joseph Pilates Studio. Her main aim is to get people moving and keeping mobile to improve their wellness and fitness at whatever their age.

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Susan has adapted the Pilates method of exercise to cater for athletes - particularly tennis players and golfers to assist in improving their flexibility, strength and ultimately, their game.

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She works regularly with the SMILE Chronic pain support groups in both Blackpool and Preston. Her client list includes people from Canada and Saudi Arabia.

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RESULTS A Level Results Day at Bolton School Girls’ Division

For Year 13 students departing Bolton School this summer, Results Day saw a return to something approaching ‘normal’ after a unique and very different Sixth Form experience.

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he past two years have seen them continue their education through lockdowns, across distance learning, and back in the classroom in year group bubbles.

Last summer, Girls’ Division students were not able to celebrate their A Level successes in school, but this year they were back for a ‘nearly normal’ Results Day! The Class of 2021 received their results in traditional style from form tutors in the Great Hall. This was a wonderful opportunity for them to celebrate everything that they have achieved through hard work and perseverance with friends, family and teachers alike.

Acting Headmistress Lynne Kyle said: ‘I am delighted with this year’s

A Level examination results. The girls have worked hard and navigated an uncertain year with resilience and determination. I am confident that the vast majority of the pupils will be delighted today.

‘They also have much to be grateful for and are fortunate to have been guided by such dedicated staff during their Sixth Form years.’

The overwhelming majority of students have achieved or exceeded the entry criteria for their first choice of University course. Among them were Shreya Kamath, who has benefitted from an Arkwright Scholarship during her Sixth Form years, and achieved four A*s; she goes on to study Electrical and Informational Engineering at Imperial College London. Similarly, Sophie Hann also heads to Imperial to read Physics having achieved straight A*s. Passionate horse rider Olivia Stubbs achieved four A*s and will go forward to study Maths and Computer Science at Durham

University, where she hopes to continue riding and eventing; she is currently looking forward to taking part in the Pony Club National Championships in Dressage and Showjumping next week. Katherine Baker and Head Girl Sarah Walker both gained places at the University of Oxford to study Classics and Law with French respectively.

Charlotte Hughes is going onto a Degree Apprenticeship after achieving three A* grades: her apprenticeship is in accountancy with professional services at PWC. An outstanding 89% of students achieved facilitating grades of at least ABB, offering them access to the top universities. Over three quarters (77.8%) of grades awarded in the Girls’ Division this year were A* or A, of which 40.4% are A*. 93% of girls received at least one A* or A and more than half (65%) received 3 As or better. A fantastic 94.3% of grades were between A* and B and the pass rate for the cohort of 75 was 100%.

Photography by: Mark Power at www.karlkramer.co.uk

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A Level Results Day at Bolton School Boys’ Division

school when they could not play other schools. The spirit they have shown in enjoying what can be rather than moaning about what could not happen has been exceptional.

It has been a highly unusual Sixth Form experience for those Year 13 students departing Bolton School this summer.

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heir educational journey has continued through lockdowns, across distance learning and back in the classroom in year group bubbles, and Results Day this year was a final celebration of all they have achieved through hard work and perseverance.

Staff welcomed the Class of 2021 back into school for a ‘nearly normal’ Results Day to round out their time at Bolton School. Students collected their results from form tutors in the Great Hall and enjoyed celebrating everyone’s A Level successes in the Riley Sixth Form Centre and outdoors.

Headmaster Philip Britton said: ‘It is such a joy to celebrate with the boys this morning as they receive their results and make plans for the next steps in their life beyond Bolton School. They had essentially one normal term of Sixth Form life before the pandemic. Throughout that time, they have kept motivated, worked from home and, when in school, fully engaged with all we can do. They have acted in filmed plays, recorded for online concerts, spoken at Zoom assemblies and played matches within

‘Although the public reports were that exams were cancelled, actually assembling the basket of evidence probably involved more sustained preparation and assessment than the normal exam process and certainly in more difficult circumstances. That the results are terrific this morning and allow students to move on to their next steps is all about their tenacity and the professionalism and determination of their teachers.

‘It is not a day for trying to compare results with previous years, because this year, like last, is not like any other year. We must remember that this last few years have disrupted education more than any event since the Second World War. Trying to imagine things would be normal and comparable is wrong – of course things are not normal. But what is just as usual is that the Bolton School boys have been adaptable and determined, just as they always are.’

Four of the school’s athletes will be travelling to the US for their studies after securing sports scholarships: Alfie Yearsley and Tom Simpson will begin their university careers this September, with Luca WilliamsDenton and Jensen Myerscough

deferring their places to 2022.

Thomas Yates, who is a member of the seven-years-undefeated senior Water Polo team, has earned a spot at Durham University to study Chemistry; and Piers SkeelsCaldwell, the captain of the Rugby First XI who jointly raised £5,000 for Cancer Research UK earlier this year, will go on to read German and Business at Leeds. He ran his ‘24 miles in 24 hours’ charity fundraiser alongside his friend and First XI teammate Daniel Bentham, who also achieved the grades needed to secure his university place.

Hamzah Chariwala and Thomas Higham both achieved 5 A* grades, including the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification): Hamzah goes on to read Design Engineering at Imperial; while Thomas will study Maths at Warwick University.

Three boys head to Oxbridge places: Jude Ashcroft to study Classics at Cambridge, Thomas Britton to read History at Oxford and Jack Danson to study MFL at Oxford.

70% of students in the Boys’ Division achieved at least ABB grades, which allows access to the top universities. Almost two thirds (62.6%) of grades awarded this year were A* or A, of which 25.2% are A*, and 84.9% of grades were between A* and B. The pass rate for the cohort of 110 was 100%.

Photography by: Mark Power at www.karlkramer.co.uk

www.lancmag.com

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Burnley College A-Level Results Day

By Joel Newman and Emily Walker

Burnley College hosted a fantastic celebration to congratulate their incredible students.

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heir highest achievers, all obtaining 3 A*’s congregated at 8:30 ready to receive their outstanding results, with confetti canons, a breakfast buffet and decorations to celebrate their accolade of receiving such results despite the struggles that covid presented, including distance learning.

The students insisted that the colleges monumental support played a huge role in their success. Upon speaking to the students it became apparent that these results had unlocked a vast array of opportunities with students progressing to

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universities such as Oxford, Newcastle and York where they were going to further demonstrate the spectrum of talent at the college with studies ranging from creative arts such as theatre, to other competitive subjects such as Law Midwifery and Computer Science.

The results that followed throughout the morning were again superlative with most obtaining A’s and A*’s opening expansive pathways with students heading to Leeds and Manchester where they would be studying sports, teaching and English language, others were taking a gap year with incredible experience opportunities and some already had obtained employment in their desired fields such as healthcare.

Some students spoke of how their studies had differed from what

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they were expecting due to covid.

One student spoke about how they were looking forward to theatre and performing in groups but due to distancing they couldn’t really work together and so in order to have the performing experience they were able to perform monologues and physical theatre/expressionism.

Others spoke about the change in subjects such as physical education saying that they were able to focus on theory, but the sentiment the college had been integral in the foundations of making the work enjoyable was unanimous.

This event was a true celebration of the students achievements and the pride that was evident from teachers and family demonstrated the support that inevitably helped students reach this incredible goal. Well done to all at Burnley College.

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Rossall School

Students Achieve Over Two Thirds A / A* Grades at A-Level

Above: Rossall School Twins - Max and Jess Watson, Stephan and Theirry Bilby, Lily and Joey Warwick

A Lancashire-based independent school is celebrating another year of outstanding A-Level results, with over two thirds of results gained being in the A / A* bracket.

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ossall School, Fleetwood, is known for being a centre of academic excellence, and this year’s A-Level results have further reinforced this.

This outstanding set of A-Level results follows swiftly on the heels of a recordbreaking year for students pursuing the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at the School.

The fantastic results achieved by all Upper Sixth students at Rossall confirm its place as a regional leader within the north west.

Many students are now preparing for the next steps in their education, from accepting positions at some of the country’s top universities to going overseas for international qualifications.

From almost a third of all academic departments, students achieved nothing less than an A grade, including English Literature, Geography, German, Spanish, Chinese, Music, and Theatre Studies.

A huge number of students achieved a clean sweep of A / A*s this summer and, whilst there is much to celebrate as a school, it’s the individual success stories that mean so much to staff, parents, and pupils.

Worthy of particular mention, are three of Rossall’s four sets of twins: Jess and Max Watson, Ed and Will Robinson, and Joey and Lily Warwick amassed a staggering 12A*s and 9As between them.

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Above: Will and Ed Robinson with Family Above: Lily and Joey Warwick

Stephan and Thierry Bilby, Rossall’s fourth set of twins, are excitedly looking forward to beginning their RAF careers.

60% of Rossall students off to Russell Group or top 20 universities to study everything from Medicine to Architecture This cohort of students has secured university places at some of the most prestigious institutions in the UK and overseas.

Rossall anticipates that over 60% of sixth form students will be attending Russell Group or top 20 universities, whilst a number have been awarded full sports scholarships to top institutions in the USA. Students are progressing to Imperial College London, King’s College London, University of Bristol, University of Warwick, University of Leeds, University of Manchester, and Durham University, pursuing subjects as diverse as Medicine, Economics, Politics, Computer Science, English, Architecture, and Chemistry.

States are golfers Kieran Hogarth and Lydia Cryer. Kieran will be heading to Chicago State University whilst Lydia has been awarded a highly competitive scholarship to study at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Rossall is a school with a global outlook and this is reflected in students’ destinations which are increasingly international. Along with the Czech Republic and the United States, students will be studying in locations including Dubai, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Whilst the vast majority of students who leave Rossall will take up places at top universities, students are increasingly exploring alternative options. Georgia Bowling will be taking up a place on Mercedes Benz’s highly competitive Financial Services Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship Scheme.

Visit Rossall Sixth Form today!

Book a visit to Rossall Sixth Form and enjoy a private tour of the School’s extensive facilities. Contact admissions@ rossall.org.uk or phone 01253 774201.

No fewer than four students will be taking up places to study Medicine. Erin Bradbury, Will Jackson, and Sam Currie will be taking up places at Queen’s University, Belfast, the University of Leicester, and the University of East Anglia respectively. Student, Nino Abesadze, has been awarded a 100% scholarship to read Medicine at the prestigious Charles University, Prague.

Rossall’s Golf Academy (currently ranked Number 1 in England) graduates go on to study with State University Scholarships Taking up full scholarships in the United

Above: Georgia Bowling

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Rossall School

Another year of excellent GCSE results for Rossall pupils Kai Wagner’s 12 GCSEs, all at grade 7 or above, are a testament to his intellectual curiosity and determination to make the most of academic opportunities available on and off timetable.

Above: From L to R - Jessica Sanderson, Grace Lewis, Constance Lupton, Alice Christy, Suzanne Wrigley and Alicia Anandappa

Rossall School teachers and pupils have much cause to celebrate following another year of exceptional achievement.

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ver 55 per cent of all entries awarded this summer were a grade 7 or above, with an astounding fifth of all grades achieving the coveted grade 9.

Enrichment through Ancient Greek, Business Studies and Mandarin Art, Latin as well as Rossall’s enrichment subjects Ancient Greek, Business Studies and Mandarin are all celebrating 100 per cent of their grades being 7 – 9.

Furthermore, almost all subjects, including the core English, Maths and Science, had over half of their entries at grade 7 or above. During this most difficult of years, Rossallians have excelled in every regard.

public examinations.

The results of these are standalone achievements are a testament to the hard work and determination of Rossall pupils but this year also formed an important part of the final grades that each pupil was awarded.

A-Level, International Baccalaureate and BTEC At Rossall school, unlike other independent schools, pupils can pursue a number of pathways. Students will now go on to study A-Level, International Baccalaureate and BTEC Qualifications at Rossall Sixth Form, which will help them to progress towards careers in Medicine, Astrophysics, Sports Management and Professional Sports careers, to name a few.

A significant proportion of the cohort achieved nothing less than a grade 7 this summer.

Amongst his many grade 8s and 9s, Kai is perhaps most proud of his grade 7 in Astronomy GCSE, a notoriously challenging subject offered in only a handful of UK schools that prepares pupils successfully for academically rigorous courses in theoretical physics.

Elite Football Programme for boys & girls in partnership with Fleetwood Town FC Sherman Wong joined Rossall school from Hong Kong at the start of Year 11.

Alongside his significant commitment to football through the Rossall Football programme throughout the year, he has also achieved a strong set of GCSE grades in nine subjects.

Sherman will be taking up BTEC Sport at Rossall in combination with Business Studies A-level and the EPQ qualification.

He will be following in the footsteps of our outgoing Upper Sixth BTEC Sport students the likes of Kieran Hogarth and David Jones Barroso, who have secured places at Chicago State University on a scholarship, and Bath University to study Sports Management and Coaching BSc respectively.

Scholarships and bursaries are available for outstanding students.

Given the importance of examination experience and the need to ensure the best possible preparation for Sixth Form courses, Rossall School once again ran its own internal Rossall GCSE Diploma examinations. These rigorous assessments were designed to fully replicate the experience of preparing for and sitting

Alice Christy achieved a superb nine grade 9s one grade 8 and an A* in her Higher Project Qualification which was a detailed study of gender identity.

The School offers a number of scholarships and bursaries for pupils entering Year 7, 9 and 12 and welcomes enquiries from potential applicants throughout the year.

Rossall School is one of the only schools in the country to have its own Astronomy Centre and Planetarium

If you would like to find out more about Rossall School, then please contact admissions@rossall.org.uk or phone 01253 774201.

Above: Harry McAleer

Above: Sherman Wong and Family

Above: Yemi Ajiteru

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Resgister now: ww w. r o s s a l l . o r g . uk / r o d 2 0 2 1 AND RECEIVE A SCHOOL PROSPECTUS

Stonyhurst College A Level and IB Results

Stonyhurst is delighted to release its A Level and IB results for 2021.

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he Stonyhurst College standard was flying high on results day to celebrate the achievements of the class of 2021.

STONYHURST 2021 INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) HIGHLIGHTS: • 100% Diploma Programme pass rate compared to a world average of 85% (IBO, 2020) • Our top scorer achieved 45 points (out of a maximum of 45 points) placing them in the top 0.5% of candidates worldwide and equivalent to 4A* at A Level • 71% of pupils achieved 36 or more points equivalent to 3As at A Level • A third of pupils achieved more than 40 points, placing them in the top 4%of candidates worldwide • An average point score of 37.8, compared with the typical worldwide average of 31.3 (IBO, 2020) • 100% pass rate for our IB Career-related Programme pupils STONYHURST 2021 A-LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS: • 99% pass rate • 55% of all candidates received all A*- A • 81% of all candidates received A*- B 208

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John Browne, Headmaster of Stonyhurst, said: “Many congratulations to all Rhetoric pupils on their achievements. Our young people, wonderfully supported by their staff and families, have done all that was asked of them and they have risen to the challenges magnificently.

There are many stories of extraordinary endeavour and determination behind these amazing grades. The global diversity of university destinations and breadth of subjects to be studied demonstrate the ambition of our Stonyhurst students, now proud to call themselves OS. This has been a year of unprecedented challenge and these fine young people provide hope and inspiration for the future.”

Offers have been secured at a range of top UK Russell Group universities and prestigious universities worldwide including: Bristol (UK), Cardiff (UK); Courtauld Institute of Art (UK); Durham (UK); ESADE (Spain); ETH Zurich (Switzerland); Exeter (UK); Edinburgh (UK); IE University (Spain); Imperial College London (UK); Kings College London (UK); ICADE (Spain); Leeds (UK); London School of Economics (UK); Liverpool (UK); Loughborough (UK); Maastricht (Netherlands); Manchester (UK); Newcastle (UK); Reading (UK); Royal Northern College of Music (UK); St Andrews (UK); Sophia University (Japan); University College London (UK); University of St Gallen (Switzerland); Warwick (UK).

Courses include: Architecture; Art; Biomedical Science; Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Chemistry; Computer Science; Criminology; Dentistry; Economics; Engineering; English; History of Art; International Management; Law; Liberal Arts; Marine Biology; Material Science and Engineering; Mathematics; Medicine; Music; Politics and International Relations; Politics, Philosophy and Economics; Philosophy; Physiotherapy; Psychology; Statistics, Economics and Finance. www.lancmag.com

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LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE

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Based in the rural village of Goosnargh, Laurel Farm Kitchens has been recognised as one of only a few truly bespoke kitchen manufacturers in the North West receiving a reputation, second to none, on quality and craftsmanship over the past 25 years.

“Our aim, through the creativity of our kitchen designers and their ability to bring out the best in our client’s ideas is to create the most imaginative and workable kitchens from the canvas supplied.”