Clitheroe 1,22321, (Editorial), U22323 (Advertising), Burnley £22331 (Classified) Pyrenees danger ends flight bid by Stewart Pimbley


A CLITHEROE couple had to cut short their crolight aircraft flight to Spain when danger- us Hying conditions blocked their route over the


•Pyrenees mountain range. n


^ *£-> ?• ? Spain^the


' revor Gate and his wife, Maureen, have safe and sound in the Kibble Valley,


p , n.? h 5^0 miles and spending 36 hours in the air.


_ _ r weather and turbulence made flying across the Pyre- ees too dangerous, dashing the couple’s hopes of com-


two-seater microlight aircraft to But they and the rest of the six-strong microlight


squadron were not disappointed, just thankful that they made the right decision.


^ 5 ? * * (58), a retired deputy head at Brookside Coun- ty Primary School, Clitheroe, explained what happened


on the morning they were due to cross the mountain range. We got up very early because it was meant to be calmer at that time. Two aircraft set off but, within five minutes,


they radioed back to say it was too rough and no one else should take off. To set off across the Pyrenees would have been stupid. • W»Tuf 8^ac*we not do it after seeing the rough ter-


{* “ *• There was hardly a smooth field so, if we had had to


thT ’ ^ would ^ave nieant a broken machine,” she said. The poor weather and low visibility was set in for a week, so the team left their machines at the foot of the Pyrenees in France, hired cars and completed the rest of their


planned journey to Alicante by road. They then enjoyed a leisurely holiday in Spain. But they did not miss out on seeing the Pyrenees from


the air; they took their machines up for a short flight to view the mountains at the start of their return journey. Weather was a major factor in the couple’s flight and they


narrowly missed being caught in a thunderstorm at Le Mans in France. They had to race against the clock to land before the weather caught up with them. But the weather also worked in their favour. The journey down was completed faster than expected due to fine con­


ditions and, on their return, strong winds allowed them to travel at speeds of up to 80 m.p.h. Their trip, starting from an airfield near Morecambe, con­ sisted of a series of flights and overnight camping stops for refuelling and food. I t was organised by the North- West Microlight Club and Kibble Valley Microlight Club. They navigated using satellite information beamed into a


mini-computer in their cockpit, as well as maps and radio for back-up. The Gates’ mammoth flight has left them with some last­ ing memories. Mr Gate (57), a retired Accrington College head of physics, will not forget the breathtaking views he saw from his pilot’s seat. He said: “When we came into Le Mans we could see the


whole city and the race track with the huge Dunlop sign. It was a wonderful sight.” It was also physically challenging for Mr Gate, because


he had to keep the aircraft flying in the right direction through strong turbulence. He explained: “All the micro- lights, except ours and another, had two pilots, which


First salvo fired by quarry protesters


by Theresa Robson


QUARRY protest­ ers have fired their first salvo at con­ troversial plans to extract 30 million tonnes of limestone from a Clitheroe


beauty spot. Castle Cement propos­


es to excavate Bellman Quarry, off the Pimlico L in k R oad, but pro­ testers say the green­ field site will be deci­ mated. Plans to reactivate the


quarry two years ago met with fierce opposition from local residents and were ditched by County Hall amid accusations of greed and emotional blackmail. The proposal was fought


tooth and nail by the Bell­ man Quarry Action Group,


which comprises members from every section of the community. County Hall planning


chiefs were so impressed with Mrs Mary Gysbers’ chairmanship of the group that they subsequently invited her to work with them on the publication of a guidance leaflet, for the general public, on mineral and waste plans.


* The revised scheme is said to be substantially smaller than the original — the life of the quarry having been cut from 50 to 30 years, reduced in size from 40 to 30 hectares (a difference of about 12 football pitches) and extraction reduced from 50 to 30 million


tonnes. But protesters have


described the changes as superficial, pointing out that the original applica­ tion was eventually down- scaled to 25 million tonnes and 23 hectares, so the revised plan is actually big-


gerl They have also questioned


Castle Cement’s commit­ ment to retaining its Rib- blesdale plant, whether or not the quarry plan gets the go-ahead. Mrs Gysbers, who lives in


Worston, commented: "Mineral planning guid­


ance notes state that plan­ ning permission may be granted for schemes of this size, only where there is evi­ dence of significant invest­ ment in plant, for example, a new kiln. “The youngest kiln at Rib- blesdale has about 10 years of life left and new kilns cost around a hundred mil­ lion pounds. Castle Cement wants reserves of 30 years, so how serious is it in con­ tinuing its Kibblesdale operation?” The Bellman Quarry


Action Group is also dubi­ ous about Castle’s proposed restoration scheme, which will involve the construc­ tion of a new hill, called New Bellman Knoll, a dry valley, lengths of rockface running to a lake, cliffs and rock tumbles. Mrs Gysbers commented:


“Castle Cement has placed heavy emphasis on its restoration plans, but such restoration is not mandato­ ry and how can a site that is already beautiful and has taken hundreds of thou­ sands of years to evolve be improved? “ New Bellman Knoll


won’ t be anything like a limestone hill. It won’t be able to support the flora and fauna of a limestone landscape and, during its construction, Worston vil­ lagers will be subject to the tipping operations of HGVs, while in dry weath­ er the dust from its con­ struction will be awful. “We are still concerned


about the possible effects on the local water table, as


there is already evidence of drawdown in Clitheroe. I f the water table is adversely affected, there will be absolutely nothing anyone can do about it.” Castle Cement has said


that reactivation of the quarry is essential for the job security of its 420 workers, as well as the 1,200 or so it employs indi­ rectly. The firm has calculated


that it pays gross wages of £9m. a year and that quar­ rying has been going on in the area for over 400 years. But the firm is still being


accused of emotional black­ mail and its claims have been described as exagger­ ated.


Mrs Gysbers continued:


“ Quarrying might have been going on for 400 years, but for 350 of those years extraction was by way of pick and shovel, horse and cart! These days, extraction is on a far larger and more intensive scale. “ The firm has said it


employs 420, yet in your newspaper of July 14th, 1994, it stated that it employed over 200. Exact­ ly what is the correct fig­ ure? Nine million pounds might be paid in wages, but how much of that is residual income and how many of the employees actually live in the Ribble Valley and spend their money here? “There used to be upwards


of 20 working mills in Clitheroe, employing hun­ dreds and hundreds of peo­ ple. One by one they


closed, but the area has hardly been devastated? Let’s get one thing straight, Castle Cement runs its Kibblesdale plant for its own good, not for the good of local people. “We have been described


as opponents and critics of this scheme, but we are ordinary people speaking up for the needs of local residents and the environ­ ment. We are challenging people to look at this appli­ cation very carefully and understand exactly what it entails.” A public meeting about Castle Cement’s proposal is scheduled to take place at Chatburn Primary School on September 19th. The matter is expected to


come before Lancashire County Council’s Develop­ ment Control Sub-commit­ tee at the end of the year.


BELL — WADE


Gisburn couple Miss Hazel Joanne Wade and Mr Ken­ neth Bell made it a Gretna Green wedding and highly recommend the experience. The bride, a florist and nail technician, is the daughter of Mrs Jean Broughton, of Normoss Road, Blackpool. Her bridegroom is a trans­ port manager. The couple rode to the tra-


No cheer for Euro MP in foreign beer importing decision


THE local European MP has not been raising a glass to cel­ ebrate Whalley man Andrew Ronnan’s latest victory in his battle to sell foreign beer in


British pubs. Mark Hendrick has condemned


the latest European ruling, saying it will mean last orders for the coun­


try’s small breweries. Last week the commission ruled in favour


of Mr Ronnan and his beer import firm, Bavarian Lager Co. Ltd, on the need to


review the rule for guest beers in pubs. The rule restricts the sale of guest beers


in the large breweries’ tied pubs to those produced in the British real ale-style or “cask conditioned". This ruled out Mr Ronnan’s Bavarian


Brew, Ingobrau, but now the Government has 40 days to come up with a suitable solution or face being taken to the Euro­ pean Court of Justice. Mr Hendrick fears small breweries will be ruined if the commission presses on with the reforms. He said: “The European Commission has


got this wrong, and I will not hesitate to point this out to them. There are plenty of continental beers already on sale in British pubs. By opening up the guest beer rule, the commission will just be driving small independent British breweries out of busi­ ness.” The Labour MEP now intends to lobby


Brussels to get the commission to change its mind. Mr Hendrick added: “ I am confident that


a solution can be found and I will lobby vigorously for the right of Lancashire peo­ ple to enjoy real ale. I will also be urging the Department of Trade and Industry to mount a strong defence of the guest beer rule.” The ruling has been widely condemned by


the brewing industry, which fears it will open the floodgates to foreign beer and small breweries will be forced out of busi­ ness. The commission has not given a reason for


its decision but, once issued, the Govern­ ment will have 40 days to come up with a solution. Next month a meeting between the Gov­ ernment, the commission and the Euro­


pean Breweries Association is expected to take place.


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ditional Blacksmith’s Cot- tage at Gretna I la l l in a


horse-drawn Victorian car­ riage. The bride was given away


by her sister, Mrs Julie Kirby. She wore a full- length straight gown in white satin, the sleeves and bodice decorated with lace. The long train was decorat­ ed with beading and edged with lace. Her shower bou­ quet was made up of lilies, roses and freesia. The bridesmaid, the


bride’s niece, Miss Victoria Kirby, wore a floral Bo- Peep dress and carried a basket of flowers. Best man was the couple’s


son, five-year-old John. The groomsman was the brother-in-law of the bride, Mr Stephen Kirby. After the ceremony per­


formed by the Rev. Adam Barr, a reception was held at the Gables Hotel, Gret­ na Green. The couple are to go on honeymoon later in the year and they will live in Gisburn. Photo: Studio North, Carlisle.


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allowed them to alternate. Maureen does not fly, so I pilot­ ed all the time. I had to work harder than the others.” Mrs Gate will remember the hospitality of the French


people. She commented: “They were brilliant. They pro­ vided us with drinks, never charged us a landing fee and, on one occasion, we were made a five-course meal.” j The couple enjoyed their journey so much that they are


hoping to take to the skies again next summer. They are already considering a leisurely flight around France. I When not flying, the couple run Optical Select, a pre­


scription glasses and lens supply business based at their home in Clitheroe.


Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, August 15th, 1996 S


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