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m Thursday, December 18th, 2003 No. 6,128 Waving


imes news and views from the Centre of the Kingdom


the flag S a P F stylish for Valley


page 19 AT A GLANCE


The new value-add ed se c ­ ondary school league tables are out. ,


- ii'i page 21


Please make your Christmas by not turning us out says a local fire chief.


' _ ■ page 17


A Clitheroe dessert pushes M and S into second place as it is voted the best luxury product.


page 22


The f ir s t page of our school nativity picture special - more next week.


page 18


A champion for young people in the Ribble Valley has been knighted for his services.


ipage 3


A hospital has called in a top Valley chef to give its menu a tasty boost.


............. .. ..............page 4


Clitheroe manager Lee Sculpher has had enough of the club’s “bridesmaid” tag.


page 32


WEEKEND WEATHER: Cold and cloudy, with rain on Satur­ day.


SUNRISE: 8-22 a.m. SUNSET: 3-49 p.m.


LIGHTING UP TIME: 3-49 p.m.


CALLUS


News: 01200422324 Advertising: 01200422323 Classified: 01282422331 Fax: 01200 443467


Editorial e-mail: vivien.meath@ eastlancsnews.co.uk


by Faiza Afzaal


SPIRALLING property prices in the Ribble Valley are making it harder for young to people take their first steps on to the proper­


ty ladder. While most of us will never know


what i t is like to be without a home, alarming statistics reveal th a t home­ lessness is fa s t becoming a serious prob lem in th e ru r a l id y l l of life, resulting in a number of people with­ out a ro.of over their head; On Christmas'Day, most people will


be sitting in front of a cosy fire, unwrap­ ping presents and indulging in festive treats, but the joyous season is cheerless for those who will be out on the streets in the cold damp weather.


CHANGE OF ^ NAME


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CHANGE OF DIRECTION


1st JANUARY 2004 TO CELEBRATE


AS FROM


15 years of trading in the Ribble Valley


dugdales TV will become


' ) ] In a bid to crack down on the growing


problem of people sleeping rough, Rib­ ble Valley Borough Council will be given a cash injection of £30,000 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minis­ ter, early next year. The cash boost will ensure th a t by


March 2004, no homeless family in the Ribble Valley will be sleeping on the streets. Speaking about the grant, Homeless­ ness M in is ter Mr Jeff Rooker •


Donkey duo steals the show in school play


TWO pupils from Gisburn Primary School received an early Christmas


present this week. Seven-year-old Jenny-Mae Adamson


and James Lynch, six, who are starring as Mary and Joseph in the school’s nativity production, had the chance to meet their very own little donkeys. The pair of donkeys called Rocky


and Freddie are staying at Great Tod- ber Farm on the outskirts of Riming- ton. . The donkeys travel from Blackpool to spend the winter months resting in a field fronting the home of Mr and Mrs Herbert and Elsie Moorhouse. The couple replied to an advertise­


ment in the Farmers Guardian placed by a donkey owner seeking winter graz­ ing. The donkeys were a common feature around 25 years ago when the Moor-


houses’ family of three children were


growing up. Now that all their children are grown


up, i t is the grandchildren’s turn to enjoy the donkeys’visits. Mr Moorhouse told the Clitheroe


Advertiser and Times that it was still a great pleasure to have the donkeys stay at the farm during the winter. James and Jenny-Mae certainly •


enjoyed the experience, even the bit when Freddie tried to nibble their ears. The children acted out the nativity '


play with the rest of the pupils at the school on Monday and Wednesday evening and Tuesday afternoon. The junior pupils at the school also


presented a selection of Christmas car­ ols and poems. Pictured are James and Jenny-Mae


with one of the donkeys. (G081203/4b)


£30,000


to aid the plight of young people


According to the Land Registry, the


average house price in the Ribble Valley is £129,000. Terrace properties sell a t an average


of £78,000,44% higher than the North West average. And access to the private rented mar­


k et for a two-bedroomed p ro p e r ty would require an income of around £17,000 in Clitheroe, and up to £25,000 in Whalley. A proportion of !the £30,000 grant


explained: “This funding is good news .Avill be used to fund the council’s new for Ribble Valley Borough Council andftjR'eiit; (guarantee Scheme, and the d em o n s tra te s : our commitment in appointment of a.homeless families offi- reducing levels of people living without’ cer. a roof over their head.” While the boost in property prices has


Due to the small number of council


been good news for homeowners, for those trying to buy, or even rent, it is anything but.


owned dwellings, the scheme will under­ write bonds for rented houses allowing young people to get a foot in the door. Homeless families office, Mrs


Dorothy Clark explained: “Despite the rural idyll of life in the Ribble Valley, deprivation and social exclusion do exist. “Homelessness is seen as an urban


problem, but there is evidence to suggest th a t the problem is growing faster in rural areas than in urban areas. “The situation is particularly bad in


the Ribble Valley for young people, because of high property prices, which also increase rents. “This means it is difficult for young


people or low-income families to get on the housing ladder".


--------- Eighty per cent of homeless applica­


tions in the Valley are from people under the age of 25 and there has been a 17% increase from people aged 16 to 17 years this year. Two hostels in the borough provide temporary accommodation for the


Hitting the bull for a special little boy


DARTS players will take to the oche next week to raise money for the intensive care baby un it a t Blackburn’s Queen’s Park Hospital. A friendly competition has been


organised by Mr Danny Burns, of Dean Meadow, Clitheroe, who has been involved in the local darts scene for the peat 28 years. He was prompted to organise the


event after his'sister-in-law, Mrs Nicola Kerr, and her husband, Stephen, of Mearley Syke, Clitheroe, had a baby son, George, who was 12 weeks’ premature and only weighed two pounds 13 ounces when he was born. He had to remain in hospital for


seven weeks altogether being treat­ ed on the intensive care unit and high dependency unit.


Mrs Kerr told the Clitheroe


Advertiser and Times that the unit provided invaluable support to George during those first couple of months of his life. “He would not have survived


without the care and attention he received on the unit. They did a marvellous job,” she said. Mrs Kerr added th a t the unit


needed all the help it could, espe­ cially in the funding of hew incuba­ tors, which are always in demand. Mr Burns, who went to visit Mrs


Kerr and George when they were in hospital, said he could not think of a better cause to raise money for. “When I went and looked


around at all those beautiful little babies it really took me back,” said Mr Bums.


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"CHRISTMAS m a$t> i t - ft! el re! s '


RUBBING shoulders with the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, the golden boy of English rugby, and celebrity chef Brian Turner has left Downham resident Mr Geoff B ra i thw a i te on cloud nine. Mr Braithwaite travelled to


London last week to be present­ ed with the MBE for “services to the community in Clitheroe and the Ribble Valley”.


. The trip was one he will never


forget and full of surprises from start to finish. The first was walking out of


Mayfair’s Millennium Hotel to find a stretch limousine waiting for him and his wife, Diana, to take them to Buckingham Palace.


Carol Mason, the daughter of


Vic and June Rumfitt, who used to run Downham Post Office and who are close friends of Mr and Mrs Braithwaite, organised the accommodation and the stretch limousine. Mr and Mrs Rumfitt accompa­


nied Mr and Mrs Braithwaite on the occasion, as Mr Braithwaite could not.bring himself to chose only two members of his family, which was the limit set for the number of tickets to the event. ’After a quick tour of the city,


the party arrived a t the palace and were shown up to the gallery. ’To Mr Braithwaite’s surprise,


the gallery was virtually empty and he was left in the enviable


position of standing face to face • with sporting hero Jonny Wilkin­ son^ Retired businessman Mr


Braithwaite, pictured with his wife, Diana, said: “There was just me talking to Jonny Wilkinson about the whole excitement in Australia and the tour around London. He was a right nice lad.” He added th a t he reminisced


with Jonny Wilkinson about when he used to sponsor the rugby sevens team at Stonyhurst College. Three of the college's "old boys” also played for the England squad against Australia in the Rugby World. Cup.


ronhmicri on pai'e I


Your Advertiser and Times is out a day early next week, on Christmas Eve JtwOj


Unfortunately, George, who is


now 14 weeks old and weighs seven pounds one ounce, has been taken back into Queen’s Park, this time on to the children’s ward. George is suffering from bronchi­


olitis, a common infection in chil­ dren, but because he was prema­ ture, the hospital has taken him in. ’ The competition will be held at


the Bridge Inn, Pendle Road, Clitheroe, on Monday, at 8 p.m. I t will be for mixed pairs and it will cost £4 a pair to enter. Mr Burns would like to have all


the entries in as soon as possible and anyone interested in joining in should contact him on 01200 444588 before the weekend. Pictured is tiny George with his


parents, (s) 1 A*


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homeless. The Joiners Arms in Clitheroe has seven units and Beacon Villas in Longridge has four self-contained units. In October 2001, New Leaf opened at


The Sidings in Clitheroe, providing six self-contained flats for 16 to 25-year- olds. Recently, nearby residents voiced


their concerns after metal bars were put outside some of the windows of the development, but a spokesman for New Leaf confirmed they were purely for security. As well as the R ent Guarantee


Scheme, the council plans to launch a NightStop Scheme, which is aimed at recruiting householders willing to take in homeless young people for three nights, while alternative accommoda­ tion is found.


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Whalley’s night out


Festive day at sehool


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f/l WIN Lottery tickets page 10


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9 ______________


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