November 2017 local living

LOCAL

November 2017 Issue 7

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LOWTON & GOLBORNE

Lots going on in our What’s On section this month

- page 10 & 11

Welcome to the November issue of Local Living Here we are with the November issue already!

We have a few foodie festive offerings for you this issue. There’s details of Il Cortile opening in Culcheth by the lovely people at The Courtyard Bistro and a fantastic review about our very own Amans celebrating their 10th Birthday this year! On the back cover The Rams Head have a new chef who is preparing home cooked food and a great range to suit everyone on the menu. Amanda’s Pantry is also doing her amazing Sunday roasts. Make sure you book your Christmas meals nice and early.

We have our now regular garden feature on p.12 with lots of wildlife information now included as suggested by one of our readers.

And, with our usual favourites, What’s on, Classified ads and Under 5’s, it’s shaped up to be a great magazine.

We are absolutely loving all your stories so please keep them coming and we will feature as many as we can. We also love feedback and suggestions so please get in touch at contact@localliving.online.

Our December issue will be distributed from Friday 1st December and will be our final magazine of 2017. If you would like to submit any news, articles or events, or if you would like to book an advertisement, please get in touch before 20th November.

Tracy Leach, Editor A Wigan care worker celebrated World Mental Health day at Buckingham Palace.

Along with a host of royals and celebrities. Angela Burchall who works at an award winning mental health hospital in Lowton was as guest at an evening reception held by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry . One of just 350 front line mental health workers invited to the palace, Angela mingled with well known faces including MIND president Stephen Fry, Esther Rantzen, Ruby Wax and musician Professor Green. The champagne reception was held to celebrate the contribution of those working in the mental health sector across the UK. Angela, a senior health care support worker at Ashwood Court Independent Hospital said ' I couldn't believe it when an envelope arrived at work with ER on it, it was an amazing privilege to celebrate World Mental Health Day in this way but I just do my job to make a difference and because it's my passion. ' I echo the sentiments expressed by Prince William at the event that mental health is at the heart of so many problems and that we all need to continue fighting to bring down the walls of judgement that surround mental health issues. 'After all, it's good to talk!' Angela qualified as a care worker 13 years ago, whilst working in a factory and bringing up her young family. Her work involved helping to identify hidden physical health problems in people with mental health disorders including diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Ashwood Court is a ten bed independent hospital in Lowton that provides rehabilitation for people with severe and enduring mental illnesses including bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. It is operated by the health and social care charity Making Space.

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Lowton West Arts Week Sculpture A big thank you to Mrs Thompson for all of her hard work with the children during Arts Week at Lowton West Primary School, which resulted in the production of the new ‘Ring a Rosie’ sculpture that has been given pride of place at the front of school. It has attracted a lot of positive praise and lovely comments from parents/carers and visitors to the school. A massive thank you to the Friends of Lowton West for kindly funding the Arts Week sculpture.

Under 5’s Groups, Classes & Events MONDAY Cheeky Monkeys Playgroup 9:15-11:15 Golborne Sports Club, Golborne. Call Elaine for further details 07799785280

TUESDAY Breastfeeding Support Group 12-2pm (Term time only) Treetops Play and Party Café, Golborne

THURSDAY Cheeky Monkeys Playgroup 9:15 Golborne Sports Club.

Elaine 07799785280

SUNDAY Sunday School 10:30 St Thomas’ Church . Teacher is Margaret Mulcron

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FREE ENTRY

Would you like to join Golborne Morris Dancers?

Golborne Morris dancer are now recruiting new girls.

They train every Wednesday evening from 6pm to 8.30 at Golborne Parkside (intex). Children can join from aged 2 onwards.

For any further information please contact Margaret Flannery on 01942 716952 or find us on facebook

On Thursday 14th December Golborne Morris Dancers are hosting a Christmas Prize Bingo Doors open at 7:30pm Eyes down at 8pm Golborne Parkside Sports Club (INTEX), Rivington Avenue Everyone welcome including children

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Amans Lowton celebrates 10 years with a glowing review Thursday 26th October 2017 marked the 10th anniversary of Amans Indian Restaurant & Takeaway in Lowton and we were lucky enough to be invited along by the owner Mr Miah.

Set just back on Church Lane, this cosy restaurant packs a punch that any heavyweight restaurant would be proud of. As you walk in, you are greeted by friendly and polite staff who are eager to please.

The interior is decorated to a high standard, and although not the biggest of establishments, the space is used perfectly with no table feeling too close and plenty of room to have a quiet night, although this night is all about celebrating!

My good friend, and huge curry fan, Andy joined me on this very special night for Amans Lowton. Two pints of cool amber beer were soon placed onto our table and popadoms with a delicious chutney try soon followed. Lime pickle is a particular favourite of Andy’s and he was soon waxing lyrical about the flavours of this particular silver dish on our tray. A perfect start to any Indian meal, crispy popadoms, sweet, spicy, tangy and refreshing selection of chutney and our taste buds were suitably tickled and craving more.

For starters, Andy went for the Salt and Peri Lamb Chops. Two succulent lamb chops arrived, coated in a balanced mix of herbs, spices and, of course, chillies. The cooking of the lamb was done to perfection with the flavoursome, juicy meat causing me to be faced with a silent, yet content, eating companion. I went for the Mixed Starter. A delightful plate of Indian favourites, onion bhaji, sheek kebab and chicken tikka was brought over. They say that the simplest things are the hardest to do in cooking as you cannot hide behind anything. Well Amans Lowton have no excuses to make as these staples of any Indian restaurant were faultless. Bhaji’s crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle. Sheek kebab full of flavour from the delicate spicing and finally the chicken tikka marinated and cooked for a juicy and flavourful bite.

The conversation at the table resumed once the starters had been consumed and the only topic was the atmosphere in the dining room and the delicious food we had just eaten. Our minds, and chat, soon turned to our main courses.

Andy had gone for the Chicken Tikka Naga while I opted for the Chicken Tikka Gulabi, a dish which I had never come across before. We went for a portion of Pilau Rice between us and 2 Garlic Chapati’s. Everything was brought to the table, laid out in front of us and each bowl of piping hot food explained to us.

Andy’s Naga, deep red in colour, was a dish of garlic, tomatoes, lemon, Naga (Viper Pepper) and a fine blend of hot spices. He scooped some of the rice onto his plate and then couldn’t get to his curry fast enough. The first forkful went down followed by a barrage of superlatives from Andy on how tasty the curry was, the fine line between something made to be hot, and something, like this, created for taste. This time around I had a dining partner that continued to tell me to ‘just taste that’, followed by ‘this is making me so happy’! My Gulabi was a dish more suited to my less spicy palate. Chosen from the Amans Specials section, it was a beautiful medium spiced dish with hints and undertones of honey and mustard. The slightly sweet sauce that gently introduced spice the more you ate it, was a delight to all the senses! The pilau rice was soft and fluffy, the garlic chapati’s gave an extra kick of garlic which married perfectly with the fine, flat bread.

I continued this quest for authenticity when I ordered.

As our table was cleared, Andy and I realised that dessert was out of our reach by now, with portions being very satisfying but not overbearing. We then had the pleasure of Mr. Miah joining us for a short while to reflect on his past 10 years in Lowton and the future to come.

“The last ten years here have flown by and each one has been a pleasure. All the guys, and myself, here at Amans Lowton have loved serving the Lowton community for the past decade.

We couldn’t have done it without the support of the amazing people around here and we can’t wait for the next ten years to make Amans Lowton a real treasure of the community.

We’ve also given back over the years and we have plenty more to achieve yet.”

We loved Aman’s. It’s smart but not pretentious, friendly but not too informal, authentic but with dishes for those with a less adventurous palate. Amans Lowton has gone from strength to strength in the past ten years, and in another ten years time it will still be a shining gem in Lowton.

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Amanda’s Pantry

Reiki Massage Reiki Facials Ear Candling Crystal Therapy Reflexology Now supply crystals to the public Deli-Licious Sandwich Bar 30 Newton Road, Lowton, WA3 1EB 01942 205877 / 07513382280 OPENING TIMES Monday - Friday: 7:00am - 2:00pm Saturday: 8:30am - 1:30pm Telephone orders welcome Free local delivery on orders over £8.00 Card payments accepted Buffets for all occasions

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We are pleased to announce the winner of Woman of the Year 2017 is Katie Brown! Slimming World groups across the country held their competitions for woman of the year and each group crowned a winner. Katie, who has lost 5 stone 1lb at the Lowton High School Group went onto the regional finals and, from 40 inspirational members, made it into the top 8. A worrying heart problem brought Katie to the group. Claire her consultant commented ‘we are so proud of Katie, she has improved her health which is so important and her confidence has soared. She’s such an Inspiration to the group. We would like to congratulate Yvonne who was woman of the year in our 5:15pm session who had a goal weight for her Disneyland trip and proudly went 4 stone lighter. Well done ladies.

Claire Mountford.

Consultant and Team Developer for Slimming World

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Tuesday The Three Towns Operatic Society rehearse 8 – 10pm at Tyldesley Methodist Church, Elliott Street, Tyldesley M29 8JE. Anyone wishing to become a member is invited to come along with no commitment. Learn in a friendly atmosphere.

Broadway, West End, Songs from the Shows, Popular and Classical Music. For further information look at our website or contact Ursula Lightford on 01942 670284. www.thethreetowns.net

Wednesday 10:30 Coffee morning St Thomas Church.

Thursday 13:00-15:00 Craft Club at St Thomas’ Church.

Thursday 8:30 - 12. Coffee and chat at Lowton St Mary’s, Newton Road.

Thursday Lowton and Golborne art group meets every Thursday at Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club from 10 till 4 and enjoy not only the freedom to express their artistic talents but also engage socially with other members with similar interests.

Second and fourth Friday of the month Knit and natter held in St Luke’s church on Slag Lane. 2-4pm.

Lots of chatting and cup of tea and a biscuit 50p towards costs.

First Thursday of the month The WI meet on the first Thursday of the month at All Saint's Social Centre in Golborne at 7.15pm. The next meeting we will be trying our hand at Origami. Visitors always welcome. For details contact Lin Hayes on 01942 207764.

Saturday 18th November 11am. Santa arrives with reindeer at Trebaron Garden Centre.

Saturday 25th November From 12pm. Lowton J&I school Xmas fayre. There will be prizes of £150 cash, meal vouchers, year passes to Prendoolys, pamper vouchers and many more...

Saturday 25th November 11-2pm St Thomas’ Church Golborne Christmas Market. In the Scout and Guide Headquarters, Cottesmore Way, Golborne.

Refreshments and a variety of stalls. St Thomas’ school choir at 11:30. All are welcome.

Thursday 30th November Thurs, Fri and Sat 10-4pm. Lowton St Marys Church (Newton Road) Christmas Tree Festival. Refreshments and raffle each day In the community hall. Saturday 2nd there will be a Xmas Fair in the hall. Saturday evening LGN Choir will give a concert at 7pm.

Price for the concert is £7 pp including refreshments. For tickets please ring June on 01942 275507. A closing service will be Sunday 3rd Dec at 6:30pm in Lowton St Marys Church followed by sherry and mince pies.

Thursday 7th December 7:30pm. Annual Hospice Carol Service at Heath St Methodist Church, Golborne. Shade Chort organist and LGN Comm choir.

Congregational Carol singing and guest speaker, Craig Alker, Hospice Counsellor. All welcome as we raise funds for Wigan and Leigh Hospice.

Saturday 2nd December 1:30 Christmas Fair All Saints Social Club off High St, Golborne.

An assortment of stalls, tombola and refreshments on sale.

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GOLBORNE ST THOMAS ADOS ARE MAKING A COMEBACK After not being able to put a show on in the School Hall since October of 2014 we are returning to the stage to perform the pantomime 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Auditions have taken place and we are looking forward to seeing wonderful performances from faces old and new! Please support us and come along in February to share the fun and laughter. The pantomime will take place from Monday 19th to Sat 24th February 2018. Tickets will be available on 01942 561799. Adults £6, Children £3 & Concessions £5.

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November in your Garden...

November and December are the two quietest months of the gardeners’ calendar.

November is still a good month for planting trees and shrubs, or for tidying up the beds of herbaceous perennials. But plants in general are going to sleep, with the few exceptions of things like sprouts and winter cabbages, and shrubs that flower in the winter (such as the gloriously scented Sweet Box, Sarcococca confusa, that is superb in a big tub placed besides the front door! Highly recommended!). But other than that it is simply a matter of keeping everything tidy. However during this and the next three months we gardeners ought to remember that we share our gardens with wildlife, and especially the birds. If you have children or grandchildren who visit why not use the garden to teach them how to identify the commoner species?

Put a bird table close to a window – about four or five yards away – and have several feeders suspended from tree boughs by thin wires. The lengths of thin wire prevent grey squirrels getting to the feeders. Food? To get the more interesting species buy some of the special mixes of seed and suet. This will attract chaffinches, reed buntings (common round Lowton and Golborne, the male has a black head and white ‘clerical’ collar) and, if you are lucky, bramblings, a finch that comes to us in winter from Scandinavia. Keep a special feeder, the long plastic tubes with four or six ‘feeding stations’, full of sunflower hearts and this will bring in the beautiful goldfinches and greenfinches, as well as blue, coal and long-tailed tits. Have also one of the special feeders that holds a mix of suet and seeds in balls or flat blocks, for this may well bring a great spotted woodpecker or nuthatch to your garden. Scatter a handful of dried mealworms on the lawn and watch the blackbirds, dunnocks and robins scrap over them. The birds will appreciate it and you and your family will enjoy it.

Also keep your ears open. We live in Lowton close to the Millennium Byrom Wood, and at 5.15am a couple of mornings ago we were awoken by a loud screeching din in the garden. It was a barn (or screech) owl. South and West (proper) Lancashire probably has the highest density of barn owls in the world.

Keep your ears open in the day for a mewing almost cat-like Meow; this is made by the buzzard, now our commonest bird of prey. I have seen up to six over my Lowton garden.

Keep your ears open and you are likely to hear a loud, high-pitched yapping din (‘wink..wink..wink..pinkwink’) and if you look up you will see a long V-shaped line of birds heading either southeast or northwest. These a skeins of pink-footed geese, of which around 40,000 now visit the Lancashire coast and moss lands, from breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland. Those going southeast are heading to Norfolk to feed, whereas those heading northwest are returning from Norfolk and heading to the Ribble marshes.

Wildlife highlights of the winter day!

Newton-le-Willows Gardeners’ Association’s Sales and Advice Hut is now closed. We reopen the first weekend in January. All welcome.

Malcolm Greenhalgh MLSgardenservices QUALITY LANDSCAPING, GARDEN MAINTENANCE AND JET WASHING 01942 731302

07927960281

MLSgardenservices

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OPENING EARLY DECEMBER We are pleased to introduce our newest restaurant venture - il Cortile Italian Bar & Grill which will be opening in Culcheth in December. il Cortile’s aim is to fuse the very best authentic Italian traditional cuisine with locally sourced produce, homemade pasta, pizza, freshly prepared grilled meats, fish & seafood with a modern and fresh approach. We are adding to that the coolest cocktail offer around (excluding our sister restaurant the Courtyard Bistro).

With award winning craft beers and expertly sourced Italian wines. All of our menus are specially prepared by our dedicated professional team who have come together from all over Italy to provide Culcheth with the best Italian Restaurant & Bar for miles around. Please come and join us soon to see for yourself. We are equally proud and excited to bring you what we feel is the ultimate Italian Meet, Eat & Drink experience to our lovely corner of the North West.

Phone lines should go live mid November.

For all enquiries the best way to reach us is through our Facebook page

Ilcortileculcheth

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ARCHITECT SERVICES

ROOFING

Lowton based architect for your property conversion designs including submission to local authorities for planning and building regulation consideration. Excellent service with quality drawings at competitive prices. Ring Gavin Pinion at Goldcrest Design Services Ltd on 01942 729832 or 07958102874

Time served roofer. (25 yrs exp). All roofing and gutter repairs - from a broken tile to a full re roof. Insurance work undertaken, special rates for OAP’s. Call Alan on 01942 576183 or 07930 110031 for a free estimate

CARPETS & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Premier Clean. Fast dry carpet & upholstery cleaning . Professional with over 15 years experience. For a free quote and advice Call Dave on 01942 731744 or 07519625981

XMAS FITTING GUARANTEED

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UPHOLSTERY DESIGNS Atlas Upholstery Design Services.

Specialist in the re-upholstery of Settees, Easy Chairs, Dining Chairs etc. Headboards recovered and made to order. Spring repairs etc. Do you need new foam cushion? Pubs, Clubs, Caravans recovered etc. 40 years In the trade. Workmanship guaranteed.

Free Estimates. Call David on 01942 729978. www.atlasupholstery.co.uk

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