From Clftheroo A Whalley I


A


= a t a GLANCE


Two women have formed a new pres­ sure group, Air Watch, which they hope will stop Cas­ tle Cement burning Cemfuel.


■ page 3


A question mark hangs over the town’s annual bon­ fire, because of a d i s a p p o in t in g slump in charity donations.


page 11


The youth band at the centre of a Remembrance Sun­ day controversy has


been given its marching orders. i ■■■imi page 3


A campaign to warn youngsters about the dangers of strangers has been launched by Clithcroe police.


page 11


A mercy mission to the Ukraine by two Clitheroe men has proved a lifeline for a stricken hospital.


—


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page 3 by Theresa Robson


WHEN it comes to the school of life, Clitheroe man Mr Jim Horrocks has a first-class hon­


ours degree. Not only has he ju st com­ pleted an MA by distance


by Max Gardner


HOUSEBOUND pensioners in sheltered accommodation were left in the dark after a power cut found their emergency


call-out service wanting. E lev en t im e s th e p ens ioners from Crow Trees


G a r d e n s , C h a tb u r n u s e d th e em e r g e n c y s y s t em to sum m o n s help — and every time


th ey were le t down. One man, who needs an


e le c t r ic a l ly -p ow e r e d machine to help him breathe, went over 12 hours before a back-up generator was sent to help him. The power cut, which


occurred at 7-15 p.m. on Sunday and lasted until Monday afternoon, affect­ ed 10 of the 14 pensioners living at the Chatburn


development, a Ribble Val­ ley Borough Council shel­ tered accomodation.


The efficiency of the 24-


hour emergency service, which is administered from offices at Hyndburn Bor­ ough Council and is sup­ posed to offer many house­ bound pensioners in the Ribble Valley peace of mind, has now been brought into question. The incident, which left


the single, elderly residents without electricity for 21 hout*s, has also given gre-.ter weight to their renewed calls for a full-time warden to be re-instated at Crow Trees Gardens. Many central heating sys­


tems switched off, nobody had light and all the elder­ ly people needed reassur­ ance. When the emergency calls


were made, the operator at the end of the line told resi- dents th at Norweb had been notified and had reported a mains failure. They were also told that Norweb would not be car­ rying out repairs until the following morning, to avoid disturbance. The part-time warden cov­


ering Chatburn was not notified of the incident until 9 a.m. on Monday. Fortunately, a twilight -


nurse from Clitheroe Hos­ pital was on hand when the power failed. She gave her own time and, along with a caring local resident, com­ forted the old people, hand­ ing out candles and cups of tea and helping residents


into bed where necessary. A spokesman for Hynd-


bum Borough Council said that it was regrettable that


no call was received from the man with the breathing problems. “If he had used the service to notify us of a problem we would have arranged the appropriate support,” he said. A neighbour’s visiting rel­


ative said she believed the man was afraid that if he had pulled the cord to sum­ mon help he might have been taken to hospital. Mrs Janet Swarbrick, of Newlands


. Avenue,


Clitheroe, who visited her great aunt, Mrs Lilian Friend, during the power cut, said: “This highlights one of the many problems associated with leaving res­ idents alone and without a warden.” She praised the nurse and


the Chatbum resident and criticised the emergency system and Ribble Valley’s recent cuts in the warden


She said: “When the last


warden left Chatburn, the borough council said that


while there was no warden all one had to do was ring Ilyndbum Council and rel­


atives would be looked after. This has proved not to be true.” Three days before the inci­


dent, borough councillors attending a meeting of the Housing Committee decid­ ed to replace the full-time warden with a part-time warden. The previous war­ den left earlier this month. It is expected that the new


warden will live on site, but will be employed for only 15 hours per week. Residents are not happy


with this decision. Mrs Muriel Wrigley (77), who has only one leg and gets about in a wheelchair, said: "Most of the people here have a mobility problem and they need somebody on hand, full-time. The council can find the money for some things, but not for


the elderly.” Mrs Josephine Hewitt


(79), who recently received a knee replacement and suffers from arthritis, agreed. She said: “Suppose somebody is ill in the evening and the part-time warden is not about. That's the time when you need someone. We would just feel safer with a full-time warden.” At Thursday’s meeting,


Coun. Bert Jones criticised the shake up in the borough council’s warden system. Commenting on Sunday night’s problem, he said: “We are now having to put up with a diluted service. Had the situation proved critical, Ribble Valley Council would have fin­ ished up with egg on its face.” Mr Dave Morris, the bor­


ough council’s director of development, said on Mon­ day that an inquiry would be taking place into the incident.


Health centre go-ahead by Tony Cliff


“A N in ves tmen t in th e fu ture” is how a lo ca l h ea lth adm in is ­ trator describes proposals for a new health centre for Clitheroe. And he sa y s th a t th e p u b l ic ’s


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views, ideas and support are an essential element if the scheme is to go ahead. • Mr Phil Mileham is practice/fund manager for Railway View Medical Practice. He was speaking after a meeting of the East Lancashire Health Authority approved propos­ als for a new primary health centre


for Clitheroe’s three GP practices and CommuniCare. But Mr Mileham stressed that the


authority’s unanimous approval was only the beginning of a long process. He said: “The next stage is to find


out what the public would like to see. We haven’t closed the door on any­ thing, either the site for the centre or


what might be on it. Nothing is set in tablets of stone.” The process of public consultation is


being considered now and the Com­ munity Health Council will be involved in it. Mr Mileham said: “This could take


any one of a number of different routes, but it is clearly essential to get all the available information to the public and to explain what a primary health centre is. Without informa­ tion, people simply cannot make an informed decision.” The process is likely to involve exten­


sive leafleting and a variety of meet­ ings, which might range from public meetings to talks with particular groups representing different inter­ ests. The site favoured by Clitheroe GPs


is adjacent to Clitheroe Community Hospital. They see the site’s accessi­ bility, the availability of land, the scope for future development and the link to the hospital as reasons in favour of putting the development


there. Mr Mileham said: “If that site turns


out to be acceptable to the public, the link to the community hospital could help to secure its long-term future, which certainly fits in with current ideas of redeveloping the cottage hos­ pital concept.” The drawbacks in terms of distance


from the town centre are recognised and a range of suggestions to meet them, with special transport and the retention of facilities in town, have already been put forward, but Mr Mileham stresses that all of these areas should be part of the public debate. The consultation process will be fol­


lowed by detailed financial planning. The specification for the new centre


will then be available for tendering as part of the Government’s Private Finance Initiative, where a company coming up with a competitive bid might build the centre and lease it 6 Continued on page 18


OUR four-legged friends should be well provided for this Christmas


— thanks to generous customers of a Clitheroe supermarket. Hundreds of tins of pet food have been donated to a local charity, Friends of Fur and


Feather, in preparation for what is always the worst time of the year for pet abandon- ment.


Booths store manager Mr


Andrew Matthews said the supermarket had been astounded at the response from its customers to the Christmas appeal. He said: “Allowing the charity to collect pet food outside Booths has created a greater awareness of the efforts needed to ease the problem of stray animals.” The tins were presented to Miss Nora Briggs by deputy store manager Mr Mark Eatough on Monday. Miss Briggs works tireless­


ly to rescue and find homes for abandoned animals and relies upon charitable dona­ tions to help her work. There are 14 women from Clitheroe who help raise money for Friends of Fur and Feather through the organisation of coffee mornings, bric-a-brac stalls , jumble sales and bingo evenings. “It is a brilliant result,”


said Miss Briggs. “At the moment there are a large number of cats and kittens in my care, some of which will be looking for homes after Christmas.” She added that at this time of


year, people bought pets as gifts but failed to realise how much investment in terms of time and money it took to care for an animal. (CAT 5074)


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77?e Clitheroe The paper that champions the Rlbble Valley cause


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28th, 1996 No. 5,760 Price 42p


dvertiser andTimes §


Family’s man in a million proves that he is first class in more ways than one


learning, he has also looked after his seriously ill wife and held down a job in the process! Mr Horrocks, of Moorland


Crescent, enrolled on a masters course in Community Cure and Learning Disability at Kecle University four years ago. Shortly afterwards, however, his wife, Lesley, suffered liver


failure and was rushed into hospital. Luckily, she was soon offered a liver transplant and, after surgery at Queen Eliza­ beth’s Hospital, Birmingham, began the slow and painful process to recovery. Mr Horrocks, described by his


wife and son, Phillip, as a man in a million, held down his job as a senior lecturer in learning


disabilities at the University of Central Lancashire, as well as nursing his sick wife and con­ tinuing with his studies. On Saturday, his grit and deter­ mination pays off, for he will take his place as a masters graduate at Kcclc University with his proud wife and son looking on. Mrs Horrocks said: “How he


Lifeline lets down elderly residents


has done it all I just do not know. He has worked very hard and was a brilliant nurse. He is a man in a million and we arc very proud of him.” Despite his workload, Mr Hor­


rocks (pictured with his wife) still finds time for a spot of computing and gardening, Mrs Horrocks pointed out!


(CAT 5114)


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