Unit 1 Thorneybank Ind Est Burnley Road, Hapton, Lancs, BB11 5QR


* Blown Vinyls in Stock * 1000’s of Patterned Papers to order * Full Range of Interior & Exterior Decorative Paints


* In House Colour Matching Service * Industrial Paints * Spraying Equipment * Brushes & Rollers * Health & Safety Equipment * Floor Paints


TALES FROM THE HARDWARE STORE As I seem to have spent all January trying to pretend I’m actually in Barbados rather than shivering in Padiham, it seems appropriate to open this month’s column with a typical Barbadian greeting, so……… ‘Hi, what’s up yo!’.


Actually, just before Christmas when there was lots of snow and ice on the ground, we did meet a lovely lady in the shop, who was over on holiday from Barbados. She was over for a few weeks visiting her son. She confided that she was finding the cold temperatures very difficult to deal with! All we could say was, you must love your son very much! 2011 kicked off to a perfect start for the Broadbelt family, as we made the most of the Bank Holiday and went on the Turf to see the Clarets beat Sheffield Utd. We were lucky enough to enjoy the facilities of the 1882 Lounge and had a thoroughly entertaining afternoon. (If you’re looking to give someone a birthday treat, I would certainly recommend the 1882 Lounge as apart from the lovely meal you get brilliant seats in the Bob Lord stand) It was a new year and a new start following the sacking of Brian Laws a few days earlier and there was excitement in the air. Many people have already expressed their pleasure at the acquisition of Eddie Howe as new manager, and it seems we are now back on track for 2011 and feeling once more, very, very positive. Sadly, feeling very positive isn’t something used to describe most other things at the moment as there is much dissatisfaction and a general disgruntled feeling about a range of topics, from light bulbs to bus services! Cut backs have caused bus route changes, and shoppers from the Lowerhouse area can no longer catch a bus directly into Padiham. Although, previously it was only an hourly service, it now doesn’t exist at all, so shoppers who previously visited Padiham for the library, hairdressers and shops have to either get a taxi or change their shopping habits completely. Another hot topic at the moment is the plan to increase the retirement age. Many customers currently in their late fifties who will be affected by the change feel it is ridiculous that with so many young jobless people out there, they should have to carry on for another year. As one gentleman put it’ when you’ve been working on building sites since the age of 15, your body becomes tired and worn out, and manual labour becomes increasingly difficult. It’s not the same for someone sat down all day in a comfortable office, but the people that make these decisions don’t seem to understand this’. I totally agree with him. Sadly balancing the country’s books seems more important than ensuring a fair retirement for hardworking people who have contributed through physical graft for over 40 years! What a crazy world we now live in! A crazy world indeed, as far as light bulbs are concerned, but we’ll save that topic for another time! Despite this crazy world, we’re never too old to learn something new and I was recently enlightened about Sliced Stew, by Tony next door at ‘Tony’s Cooked Meats’. Tony couldn’t believe I’d never heard of it. It must be a Lancashire speciality because we never had it in Sheffield! It’s basically cooked stew meat and onions pressed into a mould, chilled and served sliced. Apparently most of Tony’s customers enjoy it melted over chips, but years ago it was served cold in pubs as ‘Stew and Hard’, with the hard bit being a flexible oatcake. If you’ve never tried Sliced Stew, or you haven’t had it for a while, just call next door at Tony’s! Well, now time to say Goodbye, in a typical Barbadian way; Later, I gone, see ya! Keep smiling, we’re all in this together! Carol Broadbelt The Hardware Store.


Tel: 01282 777607 Fax: 01282 779111 Web: www.mj-supplies.com Email: sales@mj-supplies.com


8. Queens Park Rangers.


A man has been charged with GBH after attacking a man with sandpaper. In his defence he said "To be honest I only intended to rough him up a bit."


It Never Rains ! During December, rainfall was definitely in short supply, with only a quarter of our usual amount being delivered, leading to many days being completely dry. For the first few days of the month though we thought that Jack Frost had finally left us for good, wrong! It seems he quite liked to hang around East Lancs, taking up permanent residency for most of December. With high pressure building, and temperatures falling below zero by the start of the second week, we didn’t know what was in store for us. There was little change through the third week until the 18th, when the rot really set in. I know what you did then; you dug out your Long John’s and thermal vests again, and gave those woolly socks another airing, for what was to come. 15cms of snow fell overnight on the 17th causing chaos all around. It was going to be our turn now, as Scotland had suffered previously. The roads were gritted, but as usual pavements weren’t. This led to pedestrians clinging to lampposts, hedges, passing strangers, anything to keep themselves perpendicular, and with Christmas approaching fast, the weather just got colder. Overnight the temperature dropped as low as -8.1c, and climbed to only -4.2 on the 20th brrr, which is a really penetrating frost. Daylight temperatures during the rest of the week were no better, as they stayed below freezing until the 25th, but by then the worst was over. Maybe it was now time to put away our thermals after Christmas, as the mercury started to climb once again. A final snowfall of 3cms on the 27th left us with damp, dank, dark, days, gone were the blue skies, maybe that fortnight’s cold weather wasn’t so bad after all! Statistically, this led to December being the coldest since records began in 1910 and the second sunniest since 2001 (Met. Office) Stay warm. Frank Whittaker. Supporting Macmillan Cancer Care. www.macmillan.org.uk


If laughter is the best medicine, who's the idiot who said they 'died laughing'?


21.


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