Local Life - Wigan - January 2021

LocalLife Wigan Edition

Jack’s Tracks visits

Jan/Feb 2021

Rabbit Rocks Pages 51-53

Through the Lens with Frank Orrell Pages 14-17

Old Courts - The Show Goes On Pages 20-23

Views needed for Orrell Survey Pages 28-29

Home Style - Down to Earth Pages 38-39

Veganuary Re-Visited Pages 48-50

Best SUVs for under £30k Pages 60-61

LOCAL NEWS | EVENTS2GO | FOOD | HEALTH | WALKS | COMPETITIONS | HOME & GARDEN SERVICES

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020 was the year when our feelings and emotions ebbed and flowed depending on the news cycle of the day. As I write this on Day 10 of Lockdown 3.0, the two dominant emotions today are relief and hope – the relief that the vaccines are showing us a way out of this and the hope that we’ll soon be able to resume our normal daily lives.

When the virus threat eases, many will be determined to make up for lost time by planning sunshine holidays whilst others will take pleasure from doing the simple things that we all took for granted, such as watching live sport at the DW, going down the pub or to the cinema.

As you can see from this issue, Wigan has much to look forward to post-COVID. The very real progress made by The Old Courts in transforming the Royal Court theatre on King Street will push the Wigan arts scene to heights not scaled for many years. How many readers can remember having four working theatres within a mile of Wigan town centre, not that many I’d wager!

The future looks bright for the Wigan Pier area and, whilst the work on the regeneration of the Galleries site isn’t slated to start until 2022, the exciting and radical proposals put forward could potentially light up the way to revitalise the entire town centre area.

Lots of exciting times to look forward to, so keep your chin up, get the jab when you’re asked to and we’ll enjoy those times together…

Over 25 years of local advice High Street, Standish

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This month’s highlights 14. Through the Lens with Frank Orrell

Contents 18. Books New discoveries!

32. Home Interiors Update your lighting.

44. Puzzle Pages Try these brainteasers for size.

50. Recipes Vegan banana and custard pots.

20. The Show Goes On

28. Orrell Survey

54. Pets Dog dieting.

55. Health Beat the January blues.

60. Motoring The best new SUVs under £30,000.

51. Jack’s Tracks visits Rabbit Rocks

38. Down To Earth

48. Veganuary Re-Visited

Next Issue - March 2021

Advertising deadline - 24th February Published - 10th March

65. Home & Garden Services Find the best local traders for you.

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6

Standish Coronavirus Help The new national lockdown from early January means that many vulnerable members of the Standish community will need help once again.

At the start of the first lockdown back in March 2020, Standish Voice and local ward Councillors came together to help vulnerable and elderly people affected by the lockdown restrictions and the same team are up and running and ready to help again.

to people who have been advised to shield again due to medical conditions.

The Standish Voice organisation, along with Councillors Adam Marsh, Debbie Parkinson and Ray Whittingham established Standish Coronavirus Help early in 2020, and this much needed lifeline is still available to support people through a network of volunteers.

This initiative is not designed to replace help that family, friends and neighbours can give, but to ensure isolated older people are not forgotten. The group can also alert the authorities to people in need of specialised help.

The group is mindful of the fact that some of the elderly and vulnerable people in Standish may not be able to rely on family, friends or neighbours to help, if they have returned to self-isolation.

If you need help or know of anyone that would benefit from the service, please email their name and address to a.marsh@wigan.gov.uk, debbie.parkinson1@wigan.gov. uk or raymond.whittingham@wigan.gov.uk.

Services include helping with shopping, delivering medicine or simply supporting them by having a conversation, on the phone or by email. This also extends

If you have not got access to the internet or an email account, a 24-hour helpline is available for urgent requests, and you can contact the team on 01257 228488.

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7

Hamper Winner The winner of Local Life’s December competition was Carole Astin of Gathurst Road in Shevington. Carole nominated one of her neighbours, Vicky Little, to receive the prize, which was a luxury Christmas hamper.

and holding music events at the bottom of the garden”.

Vicky, along with husband David and children James and Rebecca, hosted musical performances at key moments in 2020, such as the Clap for Carers nights, the VE Day celebrations and on Christmas Eve.

When asked why she had nominated Vicky, Carole said “She’s done a tremendous amount of work in the local community this year, helping out at the village food bank

Thank you to all those readers who participated in the competition.

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Santa Zooms In For the first time in many years, the Wigan Rotary Club’s annual Santa Floats were unable to run at Christmas and the Rotarians acted quickly to provide online solutions to ensure that local children were not disappointed. The club secured several Zoom slots with Father Christmas himself, and the bookings to meet him rolled in throughout December.

Wigan Rotary President Rosemary Charles said “I would like to thank all the parents, grandparents, children and friends who met Santa via Zoom each day. Thanks to

their generosity, Wigan Rotary Club will continue support for local, national and international charities to which we are committed.”

Rosemary added “We had lots of amazing feedback from the sessions with Santa and would like to thank those who participated”.

If you would like more information about the club, please visit www.ribi.org, contact them directly on 07813 471000 or email wiganrotary1924@virginmedia.com.

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Choose a caring community It has never been more important to choose the right care setting.

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Belong also operates an award-winning home care service, providing support with daily living, companionship and a range of initiatives to help with physical and mental wellbeing during lockdown.

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Counselling Help A team of Wigan counsellors are raising funds to provide much needed therapeutic activities to the local community.

Empathy North West is a non-profit organisation based in Wigan, that offers therapeutic sessions for individuals, couples, families, and children.

The team are dedicated to the mental welfare of residents and are currently providing counselling therapy through referrals and self-referrals.

Because of the current pandemic, the group now wants to go one step further to help by expanding on the wealth of knowledge of their counsellors and offering various activities that will help people through these tough times and beyond.

The sessions will be known as Wigan Community Saturdays and would involve various activities - everything from creative art therapy and first aid training, to a brew and drop-in chat sessions for the local community.

various topics, in the hope that this will bring people together in an inspiring way.

The benefits from these sessions include the provision of life skills, increased mental wellbeing and to re-introduce social environments back to people who have been isolated due to Covid restrictions.

The activities will take place on Saturdays at Empathy’s base on Library Street, always providing a Covid safe environment. However, as a non-profit making organisation the group need to raise funds to purchase equipment for the activities.

They have set up a Crowdfunder account and to date have raised £422 of their £500 target. If you would like to discover more about Empathy North West, visit the website at www.empathynorthwestcic.com, and if you would like to donate towards Community Saturdays, please visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/wigan-community-saturdays

The team also intends to invite speakers to talk about

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Iconic Ashton Store Closes An iconic equestrian store in Ashton has closed its doors for the last time.

Robinsons Country Leisure started life as Robinson Saddlers, located next to what is now Wigan NorthWestern station. The store moved to its current site on Wigan Road in Ashton in the early 1980’s and in 2013 sold a stake in the company to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct.

Plans have been submitted to the Council to convert the two-storey retail store into three separate units; a garage, complete with MOT testing station, a warehouse and a third unit. A planning decision is due in late February.

The company’s long history started in 1867, when James Robinson opened a small saddlery next to the station on Wallgate. In 1970 James’ grandson, Jim sold the company to Jim Bentham, a local riding instructor,

and in 1982 the company moved to the Wigan Road site in Ashton, rebranding as Robinsons Country Leisure. In September 2002, a fire destroyed the shop and it was rebuilt in 2003 as a 20,000 square foot equestrian superstore and café, Subsequent Robinsons Country Leisure stores were opened in Cannock, Basingstoke and Cardiff, as the company became the UK’s biggest equestrian retailer.

The growth was fuelled by the launch of the company’s innovative equestrian mail order operation in 1987 which was eventually re-located to the South Lancs Industrial Estate in Bryn.

It is understood that Robinsons Country Leisure will continue operating as an online retailer from www. robinsonsequestrian.com

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Smoke & Fire For those people looking forward to the time when going out and eating well is allowed again, there’s something completely different coming to the north west this summer to tickle your taste buds.

The Smoke and Fire Festival, a BBQ and outdoor cooking festival, was launched to great acclaim in 2017, attracting crowds of over 18,000. This year the Festival is going on the road, and one of the four UK venues is Victoria Park in Southport.

Each festival will showcase top BBQ and outdoor cooking heroes, competitions, fabulous pop-up restaurants, two live music stages, award-winning street food, BBQ and outdoor cooking equipment demonstrations, kids entertainment, and a mini real ale and cider festival.

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Walking Offer Did you know that you can download over 70 walks FREE from Local Life’s website? Many of these walks are easily reached from Wigan and the surrounding area.

Just go to our website and click on ‘Free Stuff’ and then on ‘Download Jack’s Tracks’ and you can pick and choose unlimted routes to download absolutely free of charge.

Quite a few of these Jack’s Tracks walks also appear on the excellent OS Maps apps created by Ordnance Survey. You just download the OS Maps apps from Apple or Google Play and you can search for walking, cycling and running routes.

You can get instant access to all OS Leisure maps and even try an aerial fly-through of your planned route. It really is a must-have for any keen walker.

The app normally costs £28.99 per year, but until midFebruary you can get a single month’s access to OS Maps app for just £3.99. To access the offer, visit https://shop. ordnancesurvey.co.uk/os-maps-1-month-premiumsubscription-1/ You can find this month’s Jack’s Tracks – Rabbit Rocks Loop – on pages 51-53 of this magazine.

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14

Life

through the lens

by Nicola Gray Andy Warhol famously stated, the best thing about a picture is that it never changes, even when the people in it do.

To capture and preserve a moment in history surely leaves you with many great memories of your own, so I caught up with Wigan lensman Frank Orrell, to ask him just that.

Frank has taken thousands of pictures of Wigan, the people who live here and local events, spanning a career of more than 40 years with the Wigan Observer.

Frank started life at 84, Shevington Lane on 21st of January 1949 born to his Irish Mum, Foila, and Dad, Jim. Frank added, “I have a sister, Kathleen and a half sister, Ann. Ann’s mum died giving birth to her and my mum died of tuberculosis in 1954, my paternal Grandma, Annie,

Wigan Casino demolition, 1983

helped to bring us up while my dad was working as a joiner.”

Frank travelled about a bit in his younger years and spent some time in Ireland, “My Granddad, Thomas, had been killed in action on the Somme in the last months of the First World War. When mum was ill, Kathleen and I were taken to live in Corrinshigo, in Northern Ireland with our maternal grandparents.

We were there for about a year.”

When talking about some of his earliest memories, many of them centre around the happy times he spent in Ireland, but Shevington was always home, Frank added, “I remember coming home to a then very rural Shevington with few houses and hardly any traffic. Old Lane was just across from where I lived and as a child it was a bit scary, it was a mysterious and dark tree lined track.”

15

Bickershaw Festival, 1972

“I also remember that we didn’t have a television in those days but the Hilton family, who lived opposite us at Coach House Farm, did and would let me and my sisters watch Children’s Hour. I would spend most of the time asking who were the goodies and who were the baddies as the Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid and Range Rider rode across the screen.”

Frank attended St. Marie’s Catholic Primary School on Almond Brook Road in Standish and was taught by the nuns there. He says, “After passing my 11 plus I went to Blessed John Rigby Grammar School on Gathurst Road, which was run by the Christian Brothers order. I’m afraid to say I wasn’t as happy here as I was at primary school, the so-called Christian Brothers could be quite cruel and sadistic.”

On leaving grammar school, Frank had big aspirations of becoming a professional footballer, but football’s loss has been photography’s gain. He tells me, “Funnily enough I was never that interested in photography but my dad was a fairly keen amateur and because I’d no idea what I wanted to do after leaving school he suggested writing to the local papers to see if there was a vacancy for a photographer. They wrote back saying that there were no positions available at the time but would keep my name on file.”

Frank’s first job was a far cry from the craft he eventually made into his long-term career, “My first job was at Bradley’s menswear shop in Market Street, when I was sixteen. I went along to enquire about a job and the manager, appropriately named Mr. Wigan, was happy

to take me on. Duties included sweeping the step in the morning, lighting the coal fire, and dusting the shirt boxes. I was never much good at selling socks, underpants and cardigans and after two years of measuring bellies and inside legs, I got a letter from the Post and Chronicle newspaper on Leyland Mill Lane, inviting me for an interview for a photographic printer.”

Frank underwent four years of training, including printing pictures in the darkroom and occasionally going out with photographers on assignments, he added, “I was promoted to photographer and given my first camera, which was a Yashica twin lens reflex. I grew to absolutely love the job and I have covered everything from news and sport to leisure events.”

Some of Frank’s proudest moments have come from his time behind the camera but his proudest moment came as a Dad, he tells me, “I won several newspaper photography awards but my proudest moments concern being able to get two spare photographer passes for my sons, Danny and Mike, for the 1992 rugby league Challenge Cup Final between Wigan and Castleford at Wembley. This was during Wigan’s eight-year dominance of Challenge Cup wins in a row from 1988 to 1995, the

16

Golborne Miners, 1979

lads were able to sit with me on the pitch looking after my photographic gear as I took the pictures. Just to cap the day Wigan won 28-12.”

Frank has a deep affection for his hometown, and he has probably seen more of the place and people than most. When asked about Wigan he said, “It’s always been a friendly place and I think it’s quite attractive contrary to what people outside of the area may think. I love going for walks around Mesnes Park, Haigh Hall and in Elnup Wood in Shevington. Wigan has also been a great source of characters, stories, and pictures, happy and sad, throughout my career.”

And stories are what Frank has in abundance, and I can’t help but laugh as he regales me with the story about the time he was at the wrong end of Bernard Manning’s wit!

“You could say that I had the dubious honour of being insulted by Mr. Manning. He was appearing at Poolstock Cricket Club in 1973 and I needed audience reaction pictures as Manning told his jokes on stage. I wasn’t in a good position at the side of the room to see their faces, so

Orrell v Gloucester

I started to creep along in front of the stage to get a better angle. I was snapping away happily with my back to the stage when suddenly Manning stopped his act, leant over and asked me what I was doing.”

Frank tried to brush him off by telling him he was taking photographs, but spying the opportunity for a bit, Manning wouldn’t leave it alone. “‘What of?’ he asked me, so in true Wigan style I responded, ‘the audience not laughing at your jokes’, then I started to creep away, but he carried on. ‘You cheeky little toe rag. Bloody hell look at the state of him, look at the size of his nose, he could smoke a cigar under a shower’. Of course, the audience were in stitches and I didn’t hang around too long.”

Another incident that stuck in Frank’s mind was the time he went to take a picture of a charity cheque presentation at St. Mary’s Primary School in Lower Ince. Frank continued, “Nearly the whole school were in the assembly hall and I wanted to get as many of the pupils as I could on the photograph, but it was difficult from ground level so I dragged up a large vaulting box. I climbed on with camera and flashgun in hand and proceeded to snap away. Even from that height I wasn’t quite far enough back so I stepped backwards without realising that the box was sideways on, I tumbled over the back of the box and disappeared. The whole school were in uproar at my antics but luckily, I wasn’t hurt, and my photographic equipment survived. Just to add insult to injury as I was leaving a little lad said to me, ‘That was funny Mister, can you come back at Christmas?’”

17 When I ask about his most memorable image, I know it’s almost an impossible question to answer, but in true Frank style he says, “If I’m allowed to pick two or three images just to reflect the agony and ecstasy of life my most memorable images are a picture I took of redundant workers facing a bleak future in 1975, after it was announced that Empress cotton mill in Higher Ince, was to close. I pictured them looking forlorn between the huge empty cotton reels pondering their future.

“Another sad one was a picture that I took of the first miners going back to work just three days after the underground explosion that killed ten of their colleagues at Golborne Colliery in March 1979. A happier image was in the long hot summer of 1976 when Ince children made the most of the North West Water Authority testing a new water main to have some cool splashing fun.”

Empress Mill Closure, 1975

Frank took early retirement from his press photographer job in 2009 and started working on his self-published books. “I have nine books of photographs from my 42 years on the Wigan papers and am presently working on another book of photographs mainly from the 1960s.

During lockdown I have been busy scanning negatives and photographs at home. It will probably be late this year before I can get it published.”

Summer, Ince, 1976

@frankorrellphotography

18

New Discoveries

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to reading. We tend to choose genres that we know we’ll enjoy. But it can be good to try something new once in a while…

Quite

Reality and Other Stories

Claudia Winkleman Can’t stand books by celebrity authors? Try Quite. Reading it is a bit like putting the world to rights with your best mate over a glass of wine (or three). You’ll find out about everything from Claudia’s views on relationships and parenting to her thoughts on naps (essential) and brightly coloured clothes (to be avoided at all costs).

The Girl Who Drank the Moon Kelly Barnhill Still turning your nose up at reading children’s fiction as an adult? You’re seriously missing out. Start with The Girl Who Drank the Moon. A baby is left in the woods as a sacrifice to a witch. But rather than kill her, the witch raises the child as her own. Meanwhile, the mother is left to go mad in the tower, where the real threat lies. Storytelling at its best.

Humans Brandon Stanton Never bought a ‘coffee table book’ before? Humans won’t disappoint.

It’s a difficult book to describe in a way that does it justice. Let’s just say that it’ll give you a glimpse of people’s lives across the globe.

You’ll hear from people with differing viewpoints, discussing everything from the worst and best moments of their lives to everyday concerns. You’ll be uplifted, saddened and inspired and end up feeling just a little bit more connected to the rest of humanity.

John Lanchester If you haven’t read any ghost stories since your teenage years, Reality and Other Stories is a good place to start. From traditional ghost stories to Black Mirror-esque tales, each story is deliciously creepy and focuses on an aspect of modern life, from a twisted reality show to a possessed selfie stick. As you’d expect, some stories are stronger than others, but overall, it’s a decent collection to keep you occupied through these long winter nights.

The Night Bus Hero Onjali Q. Raúf Ever read a book with an unlikable protagonist? Ten-year-old Hector is a bully. He can generally be found causing trouble or picking on someone smaller. But when he mistakenly accuses an innocent man of a crime, Hector has to decide whether to continue on his path or become the hero for once. Strictly speaking, this is another children’s book, but it’s likely to be enjoyed by anyone aged ten up.

A Single Thread Tracy Chevalier As a genre, historical fiction is incredibly varied, covering as it does every period in the last few thousand years. A Single Thread focuses on the period between the two world wars.

At thirty-eight, unmarried Violet is a ‘surplus woman’, with no real place in society. However, she also has what many married women at the time did not – freedom. When she starts embroidering kneelers for Winchester Cathedral, Violet finds a way to both connect with the world and make her mark on it.

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The

Show Goes On

By Nicola Gray

2020 was a catastrophic year for the hospitality and entertainment industry and 2021 hasn’t started in a positive way. When your business model centres around drawing crowds time and time again, what is the plan when that is snatched away from you? I caught up with Becky Davenport and David Jenkins from the Old Courts in Wigan to see how COVID has impacted the venue financially, what the team have been up to during lockdown and what is in store for the future.

David continued, “This money will help to safeguard our staff, our buildings and the projects we are involved in, all of which play a vital role in how we benefit our community.” We genuinely feel that we’ve learned greatly from this forced process but whichever way we look at it, closing our income-generating operations has been nothing short of the hardest thing we have ever faced. We can’t thank the funders enough for this incredible lifeline at a time when we needed it most.”

“Back in March 2020 we made the difficult decision to close our doors due to the impending Coronavirus pandemic just prior to enforced lockdown, Managing Director, David tells me. “This decision was enormous as we fund over 80% of our community activity through revenue earned via the sale of event tickets, food and beverages and private hire of our spaces.”

In response to the national lockdown the Directors didn’t want to lose sight of their commitment to the arts, so with funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, they launched their brand-new online performance platform ‘The Old Courts Live’. Since May this has allowed the Old Courts to continue to support artists with paid work whilst offering much needed connection and entertainment to lockdown audiences, some of whom were isolated at home. Artistic Director, Jonny Davenport tells me, “Aside from a boost to the mental health of the audience and performers, we have paid over 400 freelance artists at a time when their work was virtually non-existent. To date, these online events have been viewed over 70,000 times.”

Sadly, by closing the doors to the Old Courts this has meant a loss of income in the region of £3m for this financial year. This really was a devasting blow for the team, who have worked tirelessly to raise the profile of the Old Courts whilst inspiring the community and giving a home to a hot bed of local artistic talent. David added, “Fast forward a difficult, busy and emotional 7 months and with our full staff team in tow, we’re delighted to have received £1,254,856 in emergency funding to cover costs up to April 2021, whilst continuing to support artists and our community.”

And the innovation didn’t stop there, 2020 also saw the team complete a self-published book of creative writing and imagery submitted by 109 local contributors, named The Language of Lockdown. As well as running the main arm of the organisation, The Old Courts teamed up with Wigan Council and Fur Clemt to offer their help to coordinate volunteers delivering meals across the borough.

Director Becky Davenport adds, “We also set up a phone line meaning that residents could contact us if they needed any help or even just needed a friendly chat. The response has been phenomenal and the feedback we have received from handling the phone calls is so heartwarming and proves what a necessary service this is, even without Covid isolation.

Directors Jonny Davenport, Michelle Mayor, Becky Davenport and David Jenkins - Photo credit Ant Robling

21 “We’ve had chats with people about theatre, music, family, holidays, war, politics and Wigan, you name it, we chatted about it. I remember when we were in strict lockdown and we had a gentleman call us up with concerns for his mother.

He didn’t live local and the lady didn’t have family in the area at all so one of our volunteers, Dan, went round to check up on her. Luckily, she’d just forgotten to put her phone back on the charger, so the battery had run out. The lady’s son

was so relieved and the lady herself was so grateful that we’d taken the time to go and see if she was ok.”

Becky continued, “Thanks to the support of the National Lottery Community Fund and the Co-op Foundation we’ve been able to commit to running our services longer.

Anyone who’d like to volunteer to help with phone calls or anyone who’d like to receive a phone call can ring 01942 912300.”

2021 The Old Court Updates In addition to protecting what The Old Courts stands for and everything the team have worked hard to create over recent years, they are going into 2021 with renewed vigour and will be planning the next steps for their reopening. The team have given us a bit of insight as to what the next year holds in store for The Old Courts and their other projects.

Royal Court Theatre

Photo credit Mark Sixsmith 8

Over the last couple of years, the team have been busy inside The Royal Court Theatre on King Street. They have carried out urgent repairs to the roof and have been busy stripping out the old night club remnants and paraphernalia whilst returning the historic building to the theatre it once was. Becky adds, “Aside from the schedule of works carried out, the focus has been around fundraising for The Royal Court Theatre to realise our ambitions for the site. It’s been a lot of work to say the least, but we’re delighted to report that we now have enough funds to complete the job so that The Royal Court Theatre

can open once more, something we passionately feel that Wigan deserves. In addition to the existing building, we have plans in place for a contemporary, complimentary addition to the rear of the site in which we hope to house a café and Northern Soul museum.”

Wigan Pier Due to Covid-19 work at Wigan Pier had slowed down as workers were forced to stay home. However, once they were able to safely restart work, activity was resumed with partners Step Places, Wigan Council and Canals Rivers Trust.

Progress on the external space was there for all to see with new roofing, repaired and replaced brickwork, new windows and new cladding. More recently with the installation of the board walks and glass balustrade along the canal, the iconic site has begun to take shape.

The vision involves transforming the renowned Wigan Pier into canal-side walkways, a food hall, events venue and cultural education spaces. The food hall will include spaces for retailers, a gin distillery and a micro-brewery with the adjacent former Orwell public house converted into an events venue suitable for exhibitions, festivals, conferences and private parties and weddings.

Becky added, “We are currently working with designers Dawnvale to finalise plans for the internal works ahead of work commencing. Considering functionality, ambience, heritage and now social distancing, we are designing a space which we hope will do justice to the reputation that Wigan Pier has.”

22 Once we have completed the planning and research, we require to safely re-open, we will run a series of small test events in the first quarter of 2021 and we intend to be as fully open as the world allows at the beginning of April 2021.

Collaborative Touring Network

The Old Courts Becky tells me, “We are now entering into a research and planning stage which will involve our staff team working with local artists, stakeholders, the voluntary sector and the community to establish what is needed and how we can work together going forward to emerge from 2020 stronger than before.

In September, The Old Courts successfully won a bid for £799,000 from Arts Council England to run the 7th, 8th and 9th years of a national project called the Collaborative Touring Network. The CTN is a partnership between 8 towns and cities that have over the past 6 years toured amazing shows and performances into areas of historical low engagement. This has seen shows feature in swimming pools, boxing rings, car park roofs and many other unusual spaces. Becky says, “Never has there been such a need for the pioneering network and with the project underway, we hope that we can lead the way to restarting touring work at some point in 2021.”

Language of Lockdown

We always say that The Old Courts is YOUR Arts Centre and right now in a time of uncertainty we mean it more than ever. We want to give the people of Wigan what they want which is why we’re working closely with the community to ensure voices are heard and everyone’s ideas influence our strategy.”

The team are well into the process of creating 14 high specification studio spaces for creative businesses to occupy as well as a recording studio which, once furnished, will be available for commercial hires and internal use. Becky adds, “Last but by no means least is The Grand Vault, our main music venue at The Old Courts.

We have formed a small design team who are working on a quirky internal concept with some key local creative figures. The purpose of the space will remain the same, but it will be given a new and exciting lease of life ready for re-opening.

COVID-19 Community Help If you would like to volunteer to help or if you or someone you know just wants to chat then please call 01942 912300 or go online at www.theoldcourts.com/help The Old Courts | Gerrard Winstanley House | Crawford Street | Wigan | WN1 1NA 01942 834747 info@theoldcourts.com www.theoldcourts.com

23 The Language of Lockdown was commissioned by The Old Court Arts Centre containing stories, drawings, sketches, paintings, photographs, poetry and creative writing based on the emotions, thoughts and experiences from the people of Wigan, Leigh, Greater Manchester and beyond during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

Jonny said, “We wanted something that would live on beyond these unprecedented times, something to look back on as a reminder of both how difficult things were in that moment and how, as a community, people managed to overcome and perhaps learn from our experiences. We want to provide hope to others demonstrating they were not alone in how we have been feeling, despite being in such an isolating period.”

The work captured the good, the bad, the ugly, the boredom, the feelings of children missing school, the desperate need for a haircut and a hug. The book is available to buy on Amazon for £15.99, all proceeds will be used to support the work of The Old Courts.

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Swing and a Miss?

When I pen these pieces at this time of year, I traditionally reflect on what has happened in the Wigan housing market over the past twelve months and try and give readers an idea on what to expect in the New Year.

There is an old saying that goes, ‘Predicting the future is easy - getting it right is the hard part’ and as we welcome in the start of another year, we’re greeted with an avalanche of Nostradamus-wannabes trying to predict how house prices will perform in 2021.

The interesting part comes when one looks back on past predictions to see who was on target and who missed the mark by a country mile. Here’s two property-related predictions that didn’t quite hit the mark.

For the first, roll the calendar back to when Covid-19 hit early in 2020 and, despite a buoyant housing market still riding the ‘Boris Bounce’, major financial economists and property market commenters were predicting a property crash. The more positive amongst them were predicting a 5% drop in house prices by the end of 2020, but the forecasts from most ‘experts’ ranged between a 10% to 15% drop.

And for the second, let’s wind back the calendar even further - all the way back to 23rd June 2016 – that’s right, the Brexit vote. It was the considered opinion of Her Majesty’s Treasury, headed up by Chancellor George Osborne, that national house prices would drop by 18% if the country voted to leave the EU. Multiple ‘property experts’ voiced similar concerns.

The table below illustrates how those predictions have played out in the past 4½ years.

House Type

House Value 2016

Predicted Value post-Brexit Result

Average Value Today

Wigan Detached

£250,100

£205,100

£275,900

Wigan Semi

£137,700

£112,900

£156,100

Wigan Terraced / Town House

£97,200

£79,700

£106,600

Wigan Apartments £99,000

£81,200

£115,600

The table shows that Wigan homeowners who own detached homes would have seen an increase in their property’s value equivalent to £99.23 a week. This is calculated from the price they would have paid in the summer of 2016 and the price they would sell for today.

On this basis, owners of semidetached homes would have seen an increase in value equivalent to £70.77 per week, owners of terraced homes/town houses of £36.15 per week and apartment owners of £63.85 per week.

So why has the Wigan property market not matched the property pundits twice in the last five years or so?

For most of us, getting on the property ladder is about having somewhere to live rather than an investment, and any increase in value is a secondary benefit.

Whilst panicked property predictions by ‘experts’ looking for a quick headline won’t materially affect homeowners, what they do is to frighten away those young people who are about to step onto the housing ladder and that’s regrettable because getting on the property ladder is, for everyone who is on there for the long term, a great investment.

So, what of 2021? It’s true that the country will have high unemployment, yet at the same time, we have ultra-low interest rates and for the last 20 years, on average we have only built 150,000 households per year, but we need 300,000 homes per year to keep up with immigration, people living longer and changes in the way households are made up.

And what does my crystal ball say? Rightmove are predicting a rise of Uplift in Value in % Increase since 4% in house prices in Last 4.5 Years Brexit Vote 2021, but the Halifax £25,800 11.3% are predicting a drop £18,400 12.4% of 5%, so I’m going to £9,400 10.7% sit on the fence and say it will be something in £16,600 15.8% between!

Alan Batt is a member of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and has worked within the Wigan property market for over 30 years.

Alan Batt

For more of Alan’s tips, guidance and analysis on the Wigan property market, check out his blog at

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Tell us

Your Views A message from Orrell RUFC, Brighter Better Orrell and Councillor Michael Winstanley A few months ago, Wigan Warriors moved their training base from Edge Hall Road to Robin Park as part of a deal with Wigan Council. Since then, there has been much speculation about the future of the Edge Hall Road site.

have joined together to examine how much interest there would be in such a proposal. They have established a small working group with key people from both groups and support being provided by Cllr Michael Winstanley.

Different options have been mentioned on how to make use of the site, including Orrell Rugby Union Club returning to their former home, the possibility of it being used by the local community, or using the land for housing development. The land being sold for housing is something that may happen, but many local people feel that this would be the worst possible outcome.

They would like to hear your views about these proposals.

A survey has been created and they would very much like to hear from you. The more people that respond will show how much support there is in the local community for such a scheme.

Over the last six months Orrell RUFC have been in discussions with Wigan Warriors about various options for use of the site and have been given first refusal to come up with a proposal.

Commenting on this proposal Gill Eyre, Chair of Brighter Better Orrell, said “With all the amazing work, already being done, by all the volunteers in Orrell, not just the BBO but Friends of Orrell Station, Ellen’s garden, the Water Park, Holgate Park, this is a golden opportunity to enhance our beautiful community further. We all need to get behind this for the benefit of the whole community, the possibilities are endless, but we need the people of Orrell to drive it forward.”

It has been suggested that Edge Hall Road could become a true community hub with the site being leased to the local community. This would include the pitch being used

by Orrell RUFC and other local sporting teams, whilst the Club House could be turned into a much-needed meeting place for community groups and associations to use for various activities.

With this in mind, Orrell RUFC and Brighter Better Orrell

You can complete the survey until Friday 19th February here; https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7ZL6WKC

Tony Havlin, Chair of Orrell RUFC and Orrell & Winstanley Community Sports Club said “We are delighted to be working with BBO on a proposed community project

29

that could see Edge Hall Road (the former home of Orrell RUFC) returned to the community as a community hub. Recent events have raised the awareness of the importance of sport and community and this facility would bring the two together at a time when it is much needed and wanted”.

a real asset for improving health and getting people fit and also providing much needed facilities and activities for the young people of Orrell and Billinge”.

Tony added “We believe the idea will complement our own vision of a community sports hub (as Orrell & Winstanley Community Sports Club) at the heart of the community used by all ages, offering a range of participation sports, health and wellbeing activities; all of which will be a great addition to the locality – making it a much better, brighter Orrell!”

This project can only succeed with the backing of the local community. If you want this project to succeed, then please complete the survey at https://www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7ZL6WKC and encourage your family and friends to do the same.

Councillor Winstanley commented “This is a real opportunity to build a long-term facility that can be at the heart of the local community which will help to provide

Once all the responses have been received then these will be analysed and incorporated into the business case that will be presented to the Wigan Warriors.

If you do not have access to the internet, then please make your views known to the working group by writing to Councillor Winstanley at 111 Bolton Road, Ashton-inMakerfield, Wigan. WN4 8AD. Thank you

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Glenys to the Rescue Her deep affection for animals inspired Billinger Glenys Rhead to plan a project that would raise £1,000 to help a dog rescue centre through the Covid-19 pandemic.

She then sold the masks from a display table outside her home and in November, Glenys presented the RSPCA at Ormskirk with a cheque for £1,000.

73-year-old Glenys, from Tracks Lane in Billinge, is a retired NHS worker who is well known locally for her creations of a diverse range of craft products. During the 2020 lockdowns, Glenys created a range of washable cotton face masks, both for adults and children, mainly adorned with images of dogs.

Glenys said, “I was originally aiming to raise £100, but I never thought I would sell so many masks. It’s kept me very busy indeed throughout 2020, but I would like to thank everyone who bought them and helped me raise £1,000 for the RSPA.”

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Light in layers ‘Layer’ lighting from several different sources and directions for both practicality and aesthetics.

Professionals think of four types of lighting: general, task, accent and atmosphere, and you can mix several types in each room using a combination of ceiling lights and pendants, wall washers, floor or table lamps, and special shelf or picture lights. Use floor and table lamps for better illumination at mid and higher levels around the room.

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Choose modern LED energy-saving bulbs – although expensive initially, they are cheap to run and should last for years. For a warm, welcoming light, look for bulbs marked around 2,700K. For brightness, consider lumens (lm) rather than wattage – use around 470lm as the equivalent to a 40w bulb, or around 800lm for a 60w bulb. Note that dimmer switches make all lighting schemes more versatile but it can be trickier to dim LEDs, so consult your electrician if you’re unsure.

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LIGHTING REGULATIONS All electrical work in the home in the UK must comply with Part P of the Building Regulations, so for anything other than the most minor works use an electrician who is registered as a ‘competent person’.

Lights fitted in bathrooms and outdoors must be specially rated, usually to at least IP44, but check with your supplier and/or electrician before installing.

Lighting technology is moving fast. LED lighting allows for very small, slim fittings in places that were not previously possible. Strip lights can be placed around the home to create interesting effects, while the energy efficiency of LED means that cordless, battery-powered lights can be placed almost anywhere. Meanwhile, ‘smart’ lights that wake you up, turn on as you walk into a room or change colour in time to your music can be controlled via an app, a remote control or even voice commands. Futuristic innovations include lighting that supports bio-rhythms via adjustable light levels and light panels that look like skylights to bring ‘daylight’ into windowless areas.

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Residents of Appley Bridge are hoping to welcome a new housing development to the village - for hedgehogs to move into!

Appley Bridge Community Association are raising money to build a hedgehog village to rehome previously injured hedgehogs.

Located in the Meadows, near to the canal, members of the Community Association, who are working alongside Chorley Hedgehog Rescue Centre, think this is the perfect home for our spikey friends.

Kate Rossington from the Appley Bridge Community Association said, “We are hoping with your help to build homes to keep them safe from predators during their hibernation period. This will also hopefully encourage the mother and her hoglets to feel safe there in the warmer months.”

The hedgehog village will also provide feeding stations, which will encourage the hogs to remain in their designated area.

friendly trees such as firs which we don’t have in The Meadows currently, buying mature trees is much more expensive than growing them from scratch but we want to be up and running in the next few months so we can start helping sooner rather than later.”

The team have a goal to raise £600 to pay for supplies and have currently raised £252. Kate continued, “Hedgehogs are declining and are near extinction, so every penny counts and is much appreciated to save these lovely creatures.”

If you would like to make a donation you can go online at www.gf.me/u/Zbg9wi or if you would like to volunteer to help the Community Association please send them a message on Facebook.

Kate added, “We need to plant some more hedgehog

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36

New Future for Galleries Wigan Council announced last month that Galleries25 has been appointed as the Strategic Development Partner for the £130 million redevelopment of the Galleries Shopping Centre in Wigan.

The proposed scheme will see the existing 440,000 sq. ft shopping centre transformed to provide: • A multi-media centre comprising: six screen cinema, music and E-sports venue, 10 lane bowling alley, indoor mini golf, food and beverage units • New market hall, including a contemporary foodhall, co-working space and small offices • Evening entertainment space • A landscaped public realm square for annual outdoor events • 464 residential units and a new hotel

• A re-animated Makinson Arcade • As part of the scheme, the markets will be relocated to a more central position.

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37 Galleries25 is a joint venture partnership between Cityheart and Beijing Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI). Cityheart, a North West based property development and investment company, has a 15-year track record of successfully delivering significant projects across the country, working almost exclusively with the public sector. UK based BCEGI will lead the construction programme for the new scheme.

Following consultation with residents, retailers, traders and visitors, the proposals have been designed to transform Wigan town centre into a vibrant, attractive and accessible place. Currently the centre is dominated by retail units, but under these plans there will be a much wider and diverse offer, including improved hospitality, leisure, and residential opportunities.

The Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor David Molyneux, said: “These proposals very much reflect the feedback we got from residents about the importance of vibrant town centres during the Big Listening Project in 2018 and the more recent consultation held earlier this year”.

“Now more than ever it’s vital we do everything we can to create exciting and welcoming town centres to help support our local businesses and jobs. These plans do just that and I certainly can’t wait to see them materialise.”

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The redevelopment will create 475 construction jobs and a further 190 jobs when the scheme opens. Galleries25 has committed to recruiting local people to the jobs, including 25 apprentices annually, providing work experience and education visits and to supporting the local supply chain through a spend of £52m.

The new scheme offers the hope that the redevelopment of the Galleries site can revitalise the wider town centre economy by attracting residents back into the town centre.

Back in November 2013 the then owners of the site, Vale Retail, announced a £60m plan to redevelop and expand The Galleries, which failed to materialise.

In March 2018 the Council bought the site, which includes Makinson Arcade, Marketgate, the indoor market hall and the former Morrison’s site, for an undisclosed sum from its former private sector owners due to concerns about the viability of The Galleries and the negative impact it was having on the remainder of the town centre area.

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This living room, designed in Dulux’s ‘Earth palette’, demonstrates how to use Brave Ground with other colours.

THIS WARM AND GROUNDING NEUTRAL SHADE IS SAID TO HELP CREATE A NURTURING REFUGE FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES

Down to Earth

• Use this earthy colour as a base, and combine with touches of other shades such as rust, chocolate and ochre for a rich, warm and welcoming vibe. This palette would be lovely in a living room, but could also help create a relaxing bedroom, a sanctuary bathroom, a cosy kitchen or a productive home office.

• If you prefer something less neutral, Brave Ground can be contrasted with dashes of bolder, brighter tones. It works well with watery greens and blues, mustard, orange and acid yellow, and even shocking pink.

• Natural materials are perfect for combining with Brave Ground: wood floors, jute rugs, sheepskins, raffia lampshades and comforting wool throws.

Add plenty of house plants and even some pampas grass for that on-trend, ‘hygge’ look.

This metal pendant light is a great combination of a neutral palette and clean lines.

Montreux pendant light by Its About RoMi, £269.95, Lime Lace.

• The tone of this colour will change subtly throughout the day as the light hits it, and will appear quite deep at night. It is always worth painting a large sheet of neutral-coloured card using a sample pot, attaching it to the different walls of your room and observing how it looks from morning until night.

Alpaca wool is durable, luxurious and silky, celebrated for its warmth and hypoallergenic qualities.

Alpaca throw in natural diamond herringbone, £159.95, Annabel James.

Give your home a soft style with prints in tranquil and Made of porcelain with a realistic, woodeffect design, these

muted colours.

Beige abstract poster, £12.95, Desenio.

parquet-style tiles have a naturalistic matt finish, and can be used on a wall or floor.

Woven sand wood-effect tiles, £39.95 per square metre, Walls and Floors.

Brave Ground, Dulux’s colour of the year 2021.

39

40

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42

New Year

Resolutions!

Firstly, here’s to a happy and healthy 2021 to all Local Life readers. Let’s hope that 2020 quickly becomes a distant memory as the vaccine roll-out gathers momentum and life starts to get back to some form of normality.

I’m writing this piece well before Christmas but I think it’s likely that the usual resolutions don’t stack up too well in 2021. Cutting back on visiting restaurants and the pub after spending so long away from them isn’t that practical and pledging to spend more time in the gym is all very well, providing it’s actually open.

Let’s face it, we’re all desperate to get out and live a little so many of our usual resolutions will fall by the wayside very quickly, if they haven’t already done so.

One resolution that shouldn’t drop off your radar though is the resolve to have an investment/pension health check, which could bring many financial benefits. With the uncertainty around the pandemic abating, and the US election behind us, and Brexit appearing to be approaching the chequered flag, we at Prosper believe that there could well be some very interesting investment opportunities in 2021.

Why do we always see increased enquiries in January from Local Life readers?

Perhaps it is all the time off over Christmas or the completion of tax returns, but whatever the trigger, reviewing and revamping your portfolio now could make a significant difference to your ultimate value over the longer term. Apart from weeding out the poor performing funds and checking you’re still on track financially, you might find your finances could be arranged more taxefficiently.

I was recently talking to a new client who was having a moan about the amount of paperwork he was receiving from all his different investments. He didn’t have a clue what his valuations were and didn’t know how well his investments had been performing. I asked him what his “ideal” would feel and look like.

He wanted to;

• Retake

full control of his investments rather than getting swamped with paperwork and information

• Have ‘peace of mind’ knowing that an expert was also keeping an eye on his investments

• Invest in a wide choice of leading companies without being tied into a single company/fund

• Just

deal with ‘one firm’ for all of his different investments rather than having to speak to different companies for his various funds

It probably does not come as a great surprise to learn that we have the solution to all these issues and much, much more. Our Wealth Management Service delivers on all the points above.

If you would like more information, please feel free to get in touch on 01257 423800.

The cost of the initial consultation is met by us and you are under no obligation to take things further.

We are following COVID-19 guidelines in our offices and we can also offer zoom and telephone meetings for clients that would prefer. Alternatively visit our website www.prosperifa.co.uk or email us to request a brochure.

If you invest in the stock market the value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount invested.

David Barton APFS Cert CII (MP)

Chief Executive Officer

Remember all investments can fall as well as rise in value so investors could get back less than they invest.

43

44

Puzzle Pages

CROSSWORD

DOWN

1. Make a rhythmic sound with the fingers (5) 2. Continuous portion of a circle (3) 3. People engaged in the pursuit of wild animals

or game (7)

4. Ideal of a democratic and prosperous society,

regarded as the aim of US citizens (8,5)

5. Main part of the human body (5) 6. Underwater warship (9) 7. Fund of money put by as a reserve (4,3) 11. Acute spasmodic nerve pain (9) 13. Itinerant Australian labourer (7) 14. Make less subtle or refined (7) 16. Chemically-tipped strip of wood used to light

a fire (5)

18. ___ firma, solid ground (5) 21. Common type of rodent (3)

ACROSS

1. Tube which conveys air in and out

12. Prehistoric metalworking

19. Type of Russian fighter

of the lungs (7)

period (4,3)

aircraft (3)

5. Mike ___, former heavyweight

13. Penetrating examination of one’s

20. Financial officer (9)

22. Welsh town to the east of

champion boxer (5)

own beliefs and motives (4-9)

8. Person skilled in telling anecdotes (9)

15. Struck with fear or apprehension (7)

9. Public transport vehicle (3)

17. Representative who buys or

23. Small or minor detail (7)

10. Residence of a clergyman (5)

sells for another person (5)

WORDWHEEL Using only the letters in the Wordwheel, you have ten minutes to find as many words as possible, none of which may be plurals, foreign words or proper nouns.

Each word must be of three letters or more, all must contain the central letter and letters can only be used once in every word. There is at least one word that uses all of the letters in the wheel.

TARGET EXCELLENT: 28 or more words GOOD: 22 words FAIR: 17 words

Swansea (5)

45

WORDSEARCH

WINTER WORD SEARCH

SUDOKU

BLIZZARD

ICICLES

SNOWFLAKE

BOOTS

MITTENS

SOCKS

COLD

PARKA

SOUP

FIREPLACE

SCARF

STEW

FOG

SKATES

TOBOGGAN

FREEZE

SKIING

VACATION

FROST

SLED

WIND

GLOVES

SLEET

HAIL

SLIPPERY

NUMBER BLOCK The numbers in each row add up to totals to the right. The numbers in each column add up to the totals along the bottom.

8

The diagonal lines also add up the totals to the right.

7 4

WIGGLE WORDS CLUE: when a more precise number is not available Trace a path through all the letters to find the word or phrase that fits the clue.

A R K E

P E T S

L L A T

B A M I

3 1 6

8 4

12 23 14 19

15 17 18 18 18 All the puzzle solutions can be found on page 62 of this magazine

46

Xero the Hero

by Chris Alcock - CMA Accountancy

If there is one piece of software that can transform how effectively and efficiently you run your company, it’s Xero. We have been using this product since 2010 and, as Gold Partners with Xero, CMA Accountancy are experts at helping companies work flexibly and keep track of their businesses.

The sheer flexibility and ease of use of this software came into its own during pandemic-stricken 2020, as it helped so many of our clients to see what was happening to their businesses in real time and helped them plan cashflow forecasts, re-focus business plans and provide information to support loan and grant applications. All information on XERO can be accessed anytime, anywhere and on any mobile device or PC. The beauty of Xero is not just the software itself but the multitude of 3rd party Apps that integrate seamlessly with the software to ensure that the whole business accounting process is as efficient as possible.

Whatever business sector you are in, whether this is hospitality, construction, IT, e-commerce or a startup business, there will be an App that links to Xero to make your life easier. This summary below shows a small selection of Apps that link up to Xero to help you manage your business Credit Control – Assists with debt tracking and cash management Chaser

Automates invoice chasing

Fluidly

Manages cashflow

Satago

Provides credit risk tools

Receipt Capture – Reduces data entry and saves time preparing your accounts.

E-Commerce – Take control of your store or on-line store Shopify

Seamlessly connect your store to Xero for real time sales information

Vend

Provides excellent point of sale analysis

Job Tracking – Great for trades people to keep control of job scheduling and billing ServiceM8

Manages and field service business

Tradify

Complete job management for trades and contractors

These are just a small selection of Apps available, please contact us to find out more about these and the hundreds of other available Apps.

And let’s not forget Making Tax Digital. Pandemic or no pandemic, MTD will figure highly on the agenda with HMRC in 2021 and it is important that you start to plan for these changes as soon as possible. As well as setting up Xero and converting your data from another product, we can advise you on which is the best App to use and help you integrate this with Xero.

If you have any questions regarding Xero, Making Tax Digital, Apps or switching to an online accounting system please do get in touch.

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Do you need help and guidance with;

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ad

Benefit

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Company Accounts?

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Self Assessment?

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48

How to take part in

Veganuary this year

Founded in 2014, Veganuary is a New Year initiative to encourage people across the world to try veganism in January. Here, we look at the reasons to take part and how to survive a month – or more – without meat and dairy.

Veganism has ballooned in recent years. A record 400,000 people signed up to the Veganuary movement in 2020, and it’s estimated that the UK alone is now home to nearly two million vegans. Exposing documentaries like ‘What the Health’, ‘Cowspiracy’ and David Attenborough’s ‘A Life on Our Planet’ have helped drive the trend, all of which shed light on the benefits of a vegan diet for our health and for the planet.

What is veganism?

A vegan diet is one that excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs and even honey in favour of plants and plant-based products. Many ‘lifestyle vegans’ will also avoid buying leather, fur, wool and anything that’s been tested on animals. In short, a vegan lifestyle is one that tries, as much as possible, to exist without exploiting animals.

Why should you try it?

The benefits of adopting a more plant-based diet are numerous. David Attenborough said himself that our planet simply cannot sustain seven billion meat eaters, and scientists have claimed that eating large amounts of meat and dairy is linked to a number of health conditions too.

What many people don’t know is that, when done correctly, it’s actually possible to get all the nutrients you need from a totally plant-based diet, no matter your age or lifestyle. Giving up meat and dairy can also help you lose weight and introduce you to more fruits, vegetables, seeds and grains that you wouldn’t normally incorporate into your weekly shop.

Veganism may not be for everyone, but just trying it for a month will significantly reduce your carbon footprint and may encourage you to eat less meat and dairy in the future.

The big question: how?

Adopting a vegan diet is actually a lot easier than you think! Supermarkets, cafes and restaurants have been filling their shelves and kitchens with tasty meat and dairy substitutes over the last couple of years, meaning finding something you like is easier than ever. Book shops and the internet are packed full of easy, tasty recipes for you to try, and if you sign up to Veganuary you’ll receive weekly tips and recipe ideas to keep you on track.

49

Seitan, Quorn and tofu are fantastic substitutes for meat and can be used to create plant-based versions of your favourite dishes, from spaghetti bolognese to chicken tikka masala (be aware that Quorn does sometimes use egg in its products). They’re all easy to cook, packed with healthy plant proteins and have a very convincing meatlike texture.

What about milk? Thankfully, the dairy section in supermarkets is now filled with a huge array of plantbased milks, including soy, oat, almond and coconut, all with a milky texture and their own unique flavour. There are huge varieties of vegan cheeses too, from coconutbased cheddars to softer cheeses made from cashew nuts. Although they won’t taste exactly like the real deal, they’re close enough – and delicious in their own right!

Love your Greek-style yoghurt? Plant-based powerhouse Oatly even do a vegan version of that too.

Eating out is also easier than ever. Every Veganuary, more and more restaurants and fast-food chains are adding extra vegan options to their menus, with the famous Greggs ‘sausage roll’ going viral in 2019. Now, even Dominoes, KFC and Pizza Hut offer vegan versions of their most popular meals; sacrificing meat and dairy doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice junk food!

What about your health?

Contrary to popular belief, you can get all the nutrients your body needs from eating a varied and balanced vegan diet. The only vitamin that’s difficult to find is Vitamin B-12, but thankfully many cereals, soy milks – and even Marmite – are fortified with this essential vitamin.

Eat your five-a-day, pack lots of protein-rich beans and pulses into your diet, and get your calcium and iron from green, leafy vegetables and wholemeal bread. If you find it difficult to cram everything in, supplements are also an option and the Veganuary website has plenty of health and nutrition tips for going vegan the right way.

Is veganism more expensive?

There is a common misconception that adopting a vegan diet is more expensive, but this isn’t necessarily true. Highquality meat and dairy products can be costly and cutting them out of your diet in favour of fresh fruits and vegetables can actually help you save money on your weekly shop.

Branded meat and dairy substitutes can be more pricey, but most long-term vegans will buy these rarely, instead getting their nutrients from beans, rice, pasta, fruits and vegetables – the cheapest ingredients in the world!

Visit uk.veganuary.com to sign up today.

50

READY

in 20 mins Makes 4

Vegan banana and custard pots These delicious dairy-free sweet pots are perfect for an energy-boosting breakfast or a simple dessert.

Ingredients 500ml non-dairy milk (see Tip) 2 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp vanilla extract 2-3 tbsp maple or agave syrup Few drops vegan yellow food colouring 100g vegan granola 1 large banana, peeled and sliced Mint sprigs, to decorate

Method 1 Mix 6 tbsp of the non-dairy milk with the cornflour and vanilla extract in a jug to make a smooth paste. Gradually stir in the rest of the milk.

2 Pour the milk mixture into a medium saucepan and slowly bring to the boil over a medium heat, stirring all the time. The mixture will gradually thicken but keep stirring to prevent any lumps forming. Continue cooking over a low heat for 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth thick sauce. Stir in the maple or agave syrup and a few drops of food colouring to give a custard-yellow colour.

3 Divide half the granola and nearly all the banana slices between four small heatproof serving dishes. Spoon over the custard and top with the rest of the granola and banana. Decorate each pot with a sprig of mint and serve warm or cold.

TIP: Almond, oat, coconut or soy milk will all work well in this recipe.

51

Rabbit Rocks Loop

by Chris Pearce

Distance: 7.3 miles Difficulty: Medium

There is a definite urban renewal theme to this month’s Jack’s Tracks. Go back less than 100 years and this walk would have taken in some of the dirtiest, smelliest places in Wigan. In the 1930’s George Orwell described the area in his diary as a “frightful landscape of slagheaps and belching chimneys”. With lots of investment and the helping hand of Mother Nature, the area directly to the south/south-east of Wigan town centre has undergone a complete change, and this 7.3-mile walk through Wigan’s ‘Greenheart’ highlights that remarkable transformation.

Start at the dry dock next to Wigan Investment Centre (WN3 5BA), cross over the bridge and turn right to head away from the handsome Trencherfield Mill. Go under Henhurst Bridge, which carries the Chapel Lane traffic,

and follow the canal round a left-hand bend. Follow the canal as it climbs uphill for 1.3 miles passing several locks until you reach lock number 73.

52 Cross the canal at this point and head up the hill directly on the left to experience one of the highlights of the walk – the views from Rabbit Rocks. This was once the site of Europe’s largest iron and steel works, and the rocks comprise of unwanted blocks of slag, some of which are huge and cylindrical. The views of the town centre and beyond are impressive.

Follow the main shale path gradually downhill and then turn right at the wooden post to go down steps and through the wooded area until you reach the gates. You’ve arrived at the former Whelley Loop railway line; turn left and follow this charming tree-lined corridor for just under a mile until you reach the busy A577 Wigan to Hindley road.

Use the crossing and head in the same direction onto Amberwood Common, again using the disused rail line.

Turn right when you reach a three-way junction and then turn left when you reach another three-way junction shortly afterwards and walk round the left-hand side of the lake. When you reach a staggered four-way junction by a fingerpost sign, head away from the lake uphill towards Widdows Flash.

Follow this route for just over half a mile until you arrive at the doughnut shaped Widdows Fishery. Turn left and follow the path out of the fishery, and along the cobbled Constantia Street until you reach the busy A577 Warrington Road. Turn right, cross over and then, 250 yards later, turn left down Taylors Lane.

Follow the road over the railway bridge and head downhill

on a wide track. Turn right at the bottom and go through a tunnel underneath the railway. Cross the wide track at the other side of the tunnel and enter some woodland.

Bear right immediately and again a little further on when you have passed through a large expanse of knotweed. When you emerge into open space, take the better used footpath on the left and then turn left again shortly afterwards when you reach a concrete path.

You’ll pass through the impressive metalwork entrance to Wigan Flashes on the left and then follow the block paved path to the canal – the Leigh branch of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. Turn left, cross at the first bridge and then turn right. The canal passes through two expanses of water, Scotman’s Flash on the left and Pearson’s Flash on the right, both formed as a result of mining subsidence.

The last leg of the walk goes under the new road bridge and eventually runs parallel to Poolstock Road, passing the attractive St James Church. Just by a huge waste facility, as the Leigh section of the canal merges into the main branch, there is a metal bridge. Cross the bridge and turn left, go under Henhurst Bridge once more and you’re back at the starting point of the walk.

Please ensure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear whilst walking. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the walk is accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or other cause.

REET POOL ST

Wigan Flashes Nature Reserve

Pearson’s Flash

WAY OD TWO WES

Scotsman’s Flash

9 A4

Wigan Wallgate

Wallgate

A49

WIGAN

A577

A5 73

A577

Rose Bridge

Lower Ince

Ince

Spring View A5 73

Ince Brook

Higher Ince

INCE-IN-MAKERFIELD

Scholes

FOR GE STR EET

Water Hayes

Ince Moss

Amberswood Common

Lakes Terrace

A5 77

JT-Rabbit-Rocks A5 8

Longshoot

53

For those with the OS Maps

app on your desktop, mobile

or tablet, this walk is named:

73 A5

54

Dog

Dieting

Your dog isn’t starting the month worried about zipping up their jeans. But if a check on their waistline shows that they are carrying a few extra pounds, it’s time for to you to address the problem for the sake of their health.

Studies have shown that overweight dogs don’t live as long and are more prone to illnesses that spoil their quality of life. All those little extra treats you’ve been giving them could mean there’s a genuine risk of killing your pet with kindness.

There’s no BMI chart for dogs, so you need to look at body shape and assess body fat.

Viewed from above, does your dog have a waist where their body tapers after the ribcage? Can you feel your dog’s ribs or do they have a potbelly?

Increasing exercise will not be enough on its own, so you should plan a trip to the vet. Not only will they assess how overweight they are, they’ll check if any medical conditions are causing the extra pounds or will prevent weight loss. Furthermore the vet can provide a special calorie-controlled food.

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Keep a note of everything – including table scraps and treats – that your dog eats for a few days. A dog that does not seem to eat much dog food probably still has an appetite for sausages and biscuits!

If you’ve reached the stage that your pet actually looks plump, it’s going to take quite a while to reach their target weight, so stick with it.

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55

January

Blues

The ongoing pandemic is challenging the best of us when it comes to keeping our spirits up, but even without this the shorter daylight hours of winter can have a huge effect on how we feel. It’s not good for us or for those around us to feel perpetually negative, so it’s time to take action.

The Great Outdoors Spending time outdoors each day is crucial to tackling winter blues. Exercise and laughter both stimulate and boost endorphins, those wonderful feel-good chemicals in our bodies that help to lift our mood. Furthermore, spending an hour or two away from the news will distract you from negative feelings through the rest of the day.

It’s Not All About You Our social lives have been considerably curtailed since March 2020 but contact with other people is so important.

When you are feeling down, you might feel you don’t want to bother your friends and family. But imagine if they asked to speak to you? You’d be unlikely to say no, so flip that on its head and remember that they are likely to be glad to hear from you too! Video calls are a real blessing for distanced interactions, but even just a phone call will cheer you.

Even better, instead of a phone call, a short walk around the block for an in-person catch-up is likely to find conversation flowing more easily. If you are on your own, go somewhere that other people are – a park, the seaside or one of the National Trust gardens.

Maybe It’s Really SAD Over two million people in the UK are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The low levels of light during the winter months can cause a range of symptoms, from slowing down and lacking energy right through to severe depression. Other symptoms include feeling gloomy, lethargic and experiencing feelings of being unable to carry out our normal routine.

Light therapy in the form of a lightbox has been shown to be helpful for many sufferers, but any exposure to light will help: a lunchtime walk or sitting near a window when indoors.

Read All About It…Or Not Reading about ‘the blues’ can help as it’ll reassure you that you aren’t on your own. Seeing a post on a user forum from someone with a similar problem and reading the encouraging and sympathetic replies will be a comfort to you. “A problem shared is a problem halved” as the saying goes.

On the other hand, if the news depresses you and social media makes you feel like everyone else is living their best life, switch it off. When someone boasts about how amazing their life is right now, it’s really not going to cheer you up.

Summer’s Coming OK, admittedly that’s stretching it a bit in January. But each day has been getting a few minutes longer since the 21st December so there is – literally – light at the end of the tunnel.

56

Helping your child to get their

5 a day

Fruit + vegetables + kids isn’t always a match made in heaven.

These tips might help to make meal times less stressful.

Don’t let dinner become a battle field Studies have shown that putting pressure on kids to eat can actually lead to worse eating habits a couple of years down the line. Try to make sure you’re sitting down to eat as a family at least a few times a week and don’t let the tension build up until you’re all just focusing on how much (or how little) your child is eating.

Ultimately, you want your child to have a healthy longterm relationship with food. That’s going to be so much harder if they end up getting anxious about dinner time.

And remember that we all have food we hate, even as adults. So if they really despise something, move on.

Try raw Kids often prefer the taste or texture of raw vegetables over cooked. My children, for example, will happily munch on raw carrots and peppers, but loathe cooked ones.

Some vegetables shouldn’t be eaten raw (like potatoes) but most can be, even ones like broccoli.

When you are cooking vegetables, it’s worth trying different methods. My daughter hates steamed kale, but loves crispy kale (chopped up, tossed in olive oil and roasted in the oven for 5-10 minutes).

Give them a choice If you can, involve your child in shopping, and let them pick out some fruits and vegetables that they want to try. You could also help them to grow some of their own, even if it’s just strawberries on a windowsill. When it comes to meal times, try offering your child a choice of a few different vegetables sometimes, so they feel that they have some control. And when you have time, involve them in preparing dinner and then praise them for how tasty the food is.

Boost with multivitamins Multivitamins don’t replace the need for a healthy diet, but they can provide a handy boost. Look for ones that include Vitamin D, as our bodies struggle to absorb enough of it during winter.

Bassetts chewable multivitamins tend to be popular with kids. Another option is Kendakids Vita-Boost Shakes, which are fortified with twenty-three vitamins (including vitamin D). You mix the powder with warm water (it’s a bit like making up a bottle of baby formula). There are three flavours to choose from. The chocolate one is basically a healthier version of hot chocolate, but my son swears the strawberry is by far the best. See www.kendamil.com.

Blend it up Children often complain about ‘bits’, whether it’s the seeds in granary bread or pieces of mushroom in a pasta sauce. Blending soups and sauces until they’re smooth can work wonders.

Let them help themselves Keep your fruit bowl within reach of children over three, so that they can help themselves when they want a snack.

You could also keep a snack box of chopped up carrots, peppers, cucumbers etc. on a low shelf of the fridge.

57

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58

What is Tinnitus?

By Darren Glancey of Wigan Hearing

Tinnitus is an abnormal noise (or noises) that you can hear, however the noise does not come from outside your ear. Some of the noises that people can hear include ringing, buzzing, whistles, roaring, and humming. Tinnitus can be either constant or come and go and it can vary in loudness and character. You can hear the noise or noises in one ear or in both ears, making it difficult to pinpoint where the noise is coming from.

The noise is often more prominent when you are in a quiet place, as there is less background noise to distract you, such as when you are in bed and trying to get to sleep. It may also be more noticeable when you are tired.

Some people with tinnitus are also more sensitive to normal everyday sounds; the radio or TV can be painfully loud when it is at a normal volume for most other people.

Tinnitus red flags · Pulsatile tinnitus · Tinnitus in association with significant vertigo · Unilateral tinnitus · Tinnitus in association with asymmetric hearing loss · Tinnitus causing psychological distress · Tinnitus in association with significant neurological symptoms and/or signs It is though that around 10% of the population experience tinnitus and both sexes are equally affected and although tinnitus is more common in the elderly it can occur at any age, including childhood. Most tinnitus is mild, and it is relatively rare for it to develop into a chronic problem of life-altering severity. The natural history of tinnitus in most patients is of an acute phase of distress when the problem begins, followed by improvement over time.

But for a minority of patients the distress is ongoing and significant, and they will require specialist support.

For reasons that are not clear tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss can give rise to a blocked feeling in the ears despite normal middle ear pressure and eardrum

mobility; and therefore, decongestants and antibiotics are rarely helpful.

It is all too common to hear that patients have been told nothing can be done about tinnitus. Such negative statements are not only unhelpful but also tend to focus the patient’s attention on their tinnitus and exacerbate the distress. And whilst there is no direct role for drugs, they can be used to treat associated symptoms such as vertigo, insomnia, anxiety or depression. Referral routes vary and will depend on local protocols, but in most cases, referrals are directed to ENT or audiology services.

Tinnitus prevalence is greater amongst people with hearing impairment but the severity of the tinnitus correlates poorly with the degree of hearing loss. Hearing aids are helpful if there is associated hearing loss and straining to listen can allow tinnitus to emerge or, if already present, to worsen. Correcting any hearing loss reduces listening effort and generally reduces the level of the tinnitus. Hearing aids are useful even if the hearing loss is relatively mild and at a level where aids would not normally be considered. Some modern hearing aids have sound therapy devices incorporated within the aid specifically for tinnitus patients. In our view, all people who describe tinnitus deserve an audiological assessment. Decisions on when to start using a hearing aid and what sort to use are up to the individual patient and audiologist.

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions.

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The best new SUVs

for under £30,000 AFTER AN SUV BUT DON’T WANT TO BREAK THE BANK? WHY NOT TRY THESE OPTIONS? MAZDA CX-5 The SUV segment is one that seems to be showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to popularity. They’re being snapped up thick and fast thanks to good practicality levels and that allimportant high driving position.

But they’re often not cheap. However, there is a way to get into a new SUV without stretching the budget too far – so we’ve set a cap of £30,000. Let’s see what’s on offer.

An SUV is not often the type of car you go to for a true ‘drivers’ experience; they can be heavy, a little detached and not overly involving. The CX-5, however, is a car that goes against the grain – somehow Mazda has made this big SUV a genuinely good car to drive. It’s smart to look at and smart inside too, while all of the materials feel of a high quality. It’s also well put together and standard equipment levels are good – all for well under our £30,000 budget.

HONDA CR-V Honda’s CR-V is a space-age looking SUV that stands out from the crowd thanks to plenty of quirky design touches, such as wraparound LED headlights and funky chrome sections. It’s practical, well-made and spacious too. Like the Kodiaq, there’s a seven-seater option as well.

Only available with either a petrol or hybrid setup, the CR-V does lack the diesel option that is often preferred in this segment, but it counters with a great driving experience and frugal around-town motoring.

61 SKODA KODIAQ The Skoda Kodiaq is one of the go-to choices when it comes to budget SUVs. It’s spacious, practical and it looks good too – but more importantly, it comes loaded with equipment yet won’t break the bank.

Prices start for a smidge over £25,000 which, given the Kodiaq offers a refined driving experience and seven-seater flexibility, isn’t bad at all in our minds.

PEUGEOT 5008 If you’re after a different-looking SUV then step this way towards the Peugeot 5008, arguably one of the most distinctive cars of its type on the market today. Prices start from just over £28,000, and for that you’re getting plenty of standard equipment and an interior that really does feel a class above the rest in terms of styling.

It too has seven seats – matching the CR-V and Kodiaq’s offerings – which adds another string to the 5008’s already well-strung bow.

RENAULT KADJAR Renault’s Kadjar is one of the best cars on this list in terms of budget, thanks to a starting price of just under £22,000.

For that, you’re getting a good-looking SUV with smart styling and a well-appointed interior, along with the choice of efficient petrol or diesel engines.

It recently had a refresh too, only helping to sharpen the way it looks, and is packed with technology and assistance systems.

NISSAN QASHQAI The Nissan Qashqai is one of the go-to cars in this segment – it’s been one of the most popular SUVs in the UK for some time now, where its excellent value and good practicality levels have won many drivers over.

The most recent Qashqai has been around for some time now – and it’s due to be replaced soon – but it still represents a real bargain considering prices start at £23,450.

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Forget New Year

Resolutions

by Angie Barker

Award Winner

Happy New Year everyone. Let’s look forward and hope we get some normality back into to our lives, 2020 was a tough year. This year, more than any other we could do without focusing on dreary new year resolutions which are usually based on depressing deprivation. Instead let’s plan ahead and dream of new and exciting projects, holidays and celebrations spent with families and friends.

Beware slugs will go for young plants so only plant out in borders when they are a good size

I have a garden notebook and at this time of year I sit down and write a list of all the things I would like to achieve in the coming year. Here are some of the things on my list which may inspire you to start planning your outside space and to dream of happier times to come:

Broughton House – a two acre garden in Moreton In Marsh. A gorgeous garden which I plan to visit in late summer (not told Hubby yet)

New plants to buy

(there is always room to squidge one more plant in a border) Gilenia trifoliata - a lovely perennial covered in star shaped white flowers in summer Lychnis coronaria - magenta flowers which float above clumps of silver grey leaves

Seeds to order Tomato ‘Oh Happy Day’ - I’ve not grown this tomato before but they are said to be blight resistant with lots of flavour Courgettes – if only to prove to Hubby that you CAN stuff the flowers with cream cheese and eat them Lupinus ‘The Pages’ – if you like cottage garden planting then this is one for you. It has spires of red pea-like flowers.

Angie is a qualified awardwinning garden designer who will plan your garden to your needs from start to finish, supplying reputable contractors and the ideal plants.

Visits

Chelsea Flower Show. This always coincides with our wedding anniversary in May which is handy because it means Hubby never forgets and always buys me a glass of fizz. I really needed cheering up one dark day last November so I ordered the tickets – and well, if you’re going to London you may as well spend a few days down there and visit the National Gallery and take in a show.

(Again not told Hubby yet)

Projects Buy a solar water fountain, a glazed pot (without drainage holes) and some pebbles and assemble for a home made water feature. I saw a lady do this on telly during the first lockdown – brilliant!

Well I’ve enjoyed sharing my plans with you and hope I’ve given you food for thought – and let’s face it, this year our new year resolutions can always be tackled at Easter.

Call Angie now for your free consultation!

Angie Barker Dip GD (Inst GD) BA (Hons) Garden Design For All Seasons Tel: 01942 522 405 Mob: 07857 008 383 www.angiebarker.co.uk

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ou t

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sa Ask u

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a id s

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74

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75

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ShOwROOM NOw OpEN at 19 Preston Road, Standish WN6 0HP

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NEWLY rEFUrBISHED in 2019

term time 8am till 5.30pm the for Open Mon-Fri: a booking system We operate saves you money holidays which entitlement 30 hours free We deliver day £29 for a full available Flexible sessions from 2 years old We take children beautiful woodland in a01744 Call gain Sarah on to more situated 886166 childfor Nursery is information or admin@cranknursery.net for your Little Acorns vibrant place s. a safe and l experiencewww.cranknursery.co.uk setting. It is educationa in the forest lots of wonderful being down outdoors & well-being on the great health and child’s We are big for your which is good

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K Stone Building Services

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NEIL SIMPSON BUILDER

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LocalLife St Helens Edition

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NEXT ISSuE DEADlINE March 2021

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Also available at; Tesco Extra (St Helens Linkway)

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Tomorrow’s Home Improvements Today!

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