/ m Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, March 26th,1998 3 Clltheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


Whitewell is the/inn’ place to be - that’s official after hotel gets top accolade


A N O N Y M O U S inspectors, blending effortlessly with the background, have given a Ribble Valley hotel a major national


accolade. The Inn a t Whitewell,


nestling snugly between the road and the river in the


small and famously beauti­ ful village, has beaten about 1,000 other venues to become Les Routiers Hotel of the Year. The announcement was


to be made officially a t a special ceremony at the inn which was due to take place yesterday. I t is one of the most


taking over the inn 20 years ago.


"We have ,11 bedrooms


with a very high occupancy rate and so we have no idea who the inspectors were or when they came," says Mr Bowman, an Oxford cricket blue and former Lancashire fast bowler and committee member. "Sometimes you wonder if people are from some guide or other, but these inspectors retained


total anonymity." Les Routiers is a support


organisation for indepen­ dently-owned hotels and restaurants — its connec­ tions with top cruise liners have recently been adver­ tised in the national quali­


important awards ever to be made in the Ribble Val­ ley and proprietor Mr Richard Bowman has been quick to praise the contri­ bution of his 50-strong team. I t is not thought that the identity of the owner of the historic building has played any part in the win - effectively, it is the Queen, as the inn is p a r t of the Duchy of Lancaster estate. Mr Bowman is an excep­


tionally well-known figure in the brewing and hospi­ ta l i ty industry. He was managing director of Dut­ tons and la te r of Whit­ bread West Pennines before


ty press on Sunday. I t offers a range of


awards for excellence as an incentive to high standards. Based in London, Les


Routiers has its own team of professional assessors who spend much of their time staying in hotels or eating in restaurants, and judging them against vari­


ous criteria. The details of just how


the Inn a t Whitewell impressed so vividly were due to be disclosed at yes­ terday's presentation, but it has beaten the best part of 1,000 others all over the


country. General manager Mr


Jonty Haighton is leaving soon and is being succeeded by Miss Sharon Green. They both come from the Ribble Valley but head chef Miss Breda Murphy is from Ireland, where she trained at a famous cookery


school. "The warmth of the wel­


come, preferably including


Man who put Valley on racing map dies at 41


A RIBBLE VALLEY man who was for years one of Britain's champion moto-cross riders has died aged 41.


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one of the leading mem­ bers of a group which put the Ribble Valley on the


map in two-wheel racing. He had a well-deserved


rep u ta tio n for a bold approach on the racetrack — and there has been heartfelt admiration for his brave response and that of those round him to his illness. Brought up in Gisburn,


Mr Hillary later moved to Brungerley with his par­ ents, and since his marriage had lived in Whalley Road and then at Edisford. He started scrambling,


later re-named moto-cross, as a boy and was still tak­ ing part in club events up to being taken ill last year. Mr Hillary had many


found two strokes. He was


an exceptionally experi­ enced engineer and motor mechanic, and had worked at several local firms in one capacity or another. For the past four years


l a l w u A*'- " t *


he had been a fitter at ICI, following time a t other places including The Tyre- men, Harrisons Engineer­ ing, TGB, and Lodematic. Over the years Mr


operation by a leading sur­ geon in Bristol. However, his condition deteriorated and he had been out very


little recently. The funeral service is


tomorrow a t All Hallows’ Church, Mitton, followed by cremation at Accring­ ton, the Rev. John Birbeck


officiating. Mr Hillary leaves his


wife and two sons, his par­ ents, two brothers and a


Hillary travelled thou­ sands of miles in pursuit of his hobby, supported by his wife, Clare, and their two sons. Everyone is pleased that son David is following in his father’s wheeltracks. Mr Hillary sustained


competition successes,


notably beating many other riders to the title of British Amateur Moto- Cross Four-Stroke Champi­ on three times, and runner- up or third place on other


occasions. He had represented Eng­


land in Europe. Well known for a fearless


sprint along the track from start to finish, Mr Hillary benefited also from his technical skills with the


his fair share of injuries, including broken bones, but was never deterred from his zestful and often successful dashes for the


chequered flag. An outgoing personality


very well-known in the area, Mr Hillary had many friends a t local social venues, especially the Waddington Arms. After being treated at


various North West hospi­ tals for a brain tumour, Mr Hillary underwent a major


Campaign to save tree-lined road


gathers momentum


mm- „1 I't


THE fight to keep Clitheroe a green and town has a new, but seasoned, campaigner. Town Mayor and bor-


ough councillor Mr John McGowan, a for­ mer Lancashire Coun­ ty Council grounds­ man, is giving his "100% backing to have any felled trees


replaced. He is supporting tree-


loving residents of Queen and Turner Streets who,


just last week, watched as workmen uprooted the


stumps of axed lime trees. thThey want new trees for


e limes, which were given the chop in line with a 1991


county decision to nd1 Lan- the species,


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which is blamed for causing damage to paving and threatening underground utilities because of a vigor­ ous root system. Limes also ooze a sticky summer-time


sap. Coun. McGowan is also . ,


offering the benefit of his experience to residents of Chatburn Road who, as reported in la s t week s Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, are fighting for written guarantees th a t their 12 lime trees, ear­ marked for felling in July and August, will be


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B irch al l B lackburn Solicitors


I wills injury or any other problems, contact us on Whalley 822247 or simply call in for a


For advice on marriage, housing, debts,


fe e interview at the LAW CLI^IC“ny Tuesday between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. STREET, WHALLEY


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Town Mayor adds weight to battle -------


’ pleasant tree-lined


replaced. He led a similar success­


ful campaign three years ago in the Henthorn and Millthorn area, which resulted in rowan tree replacements for axed


limes. Said Coun. McGowan:


"As a former gardener and tree-lover, I will support


any campaign to replace lime trees with a more suit­


able variety. I think trees are important to Clitheroe


and its residents." In response to the leafy


ambitions of Clitheroe's tree campaigners, borough tree warden Mr David Hewitt is working towards an April meeting with Lan­ cashire County Council to re-appraise the town's situ­


ation., Explained Mr Hewitt:


"The decision to replant is a jo in t consultation between the county coun­ cil, which is responsible for preparing tree plots, and the borough council, which is liable for providing and planting the trees. "In all cases, we will take


Residents join


in ‘save the trees’ call


h o u s e h o l d e r s


in the Chatburn Road area of Clitheroe have given th e ir overwhelming


support to local tree


warriors. As reported in last


week’s Advertiser and Times, an action com­ mittee has been formed in a bid to secure a guarantee that a group of 12 lime trees, ear­ marked for summer


felling, will be replaced. In a committee survey


of 217 homes, 211 came


out in favour of replanti­ ng to keep the approach to Clitheroe a leafy


green. Said committee co­


ordinator Mr Brian M illw a rd , who is for­


warding the poll's results to Ribble Valley MP Mr Nigel Evans'and local


trade and.tourist chiefs. "Residents are very sup- portive of our campaign and pleased that we are actively taking on the authorities, which sought to consult us on this important issue with only an officious letter, designed and worded, we believe, so as not to elicit


any response, r "Our' challenge to.


into account the wishes of residents, but technical considerations may deter­ mine where trees can bo re­


planted."


them is to give us writ­ ten assurances that our trees will be replaced and to ensure that, in future instances, genuine consultation takes place in a customer-friendly


manner." , r green, and a maroon ladies Eagle bike.______ ______ __


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Top-flight news on progress of mum-to-be


A GRINDLETON mum-to-be's parents rang the hospi­ tal to see how she was - via the captain of an airliner miles


above the Atlanticl Mrs Sarah Brierley


spoke to her mother and father just before they set off for England from


America. She explained to them that she and her hus­


band, James, were leaving for Blackburn Royal Infir­


mary! "When they had been in


the air for a few hours, they wondered how I was going o n - so the captain rang the infirmary for them," says Mrs Brierley, who worked for Yorkshire Television before her marriage. But baby Lucy was


keeping everybody waiting and there was no news of


her. In fact, it was 10 hours


before she made an appear­ ance, weighing seven


pounds 14 ounces. By that time grandpar­


ents Mrs and Mrs Norman Askew had touched down and were on their way North. But they still float­ ed on cloud nine when they got the news of the birth of their first grandchild. The couple live in Der­


byshire, but have frequent­ ly visited the area since the marriage of their daughter and Mr Brierley, a member of a well known Worston


13 Mre Brierley has worked on numerous Yorkshire Television programmes, both on the production and research side. She said this week: "British Airways were very helpful — appa­ rently the captain was able to use a special frequency to get straight through to the hospital, but a t the time I was still in labour."


More bike thefts in town


an opportunity to meet the proprietor as well as the staff, is one important fea­ ture of judging," says a Les Routiers spokesman. "However, giving value for money is vital too, and of course guests and therefore inspectors wish to stay in comfortable surroundings. Food is important, but


some people feel that the general concentration on it has tended to detract from the equally important aspects of quality and ser­


vice." Les Routiers say th a t


their awards are an indica­ tor of the determination of the hospitality industry to


improve all levels of service


offered to the public. "We are proud to recognise how much has been achieved by


our members" Guests invited by the


hotel as well as by Les Routiers were to attend yesterday's presentation, which was to be made by a key figure in the hotel


industry.


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