The Clitheroe Thursday, June 19th, 2003 No. 6,102 news and views from the Centre of the Kingdom


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A coroner hears how a Ribble Valley woman was swept to her death off a New Zealand beach.


.... ***""" page 8


Five-year-old Eleanor has qual­ ified for the Horse of the Year Show.


page 3


A man appears in court charged with indecent exposure follow­ ing a series of late-night inci­ dents.


“page 2


Motor vehicle apprentice Bren­ dan Cusack scoops a top training award.


pagelO


What did you think of the Great Days Festival? Have your say.


- ......... ■■ ■—"" 1 " " page 13 Arrests and fines follow a police


high-impact day in the Ribble Valley.


page 3


Former go-karting champion Chris Cattermole returns to the sport.


WEEKEND WEATHER: Sunshine and show­ ers, but becoming warmer.


SUNRISE: 4-38 a.m. SUNSET: 9-44 p.m.


LIGHTING UP TIME: 9-44 p.m.


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................. .................... - page 32 CALL US


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Editorial e-mail: vivien.menth@ castlancsncws.co.uk


k n ow s r e f r i g e r a t i o n


Baby barn owl steals the


market show!


A TINY ball of fluff was the centre of attraction a t Clitheroe’s latest Sunday Market extravaganza. The tiny creature was a baby barn


Bill, an owl expert who also displayed three other fully-grown owls - an eagle owl, a barn owl and a snowy owl.


owl, hatched only two days before the Sunday show, one of four this summer aimed at boosting trade in the town. The owlet was brought by Barnyard


business and there was entertainment from the comedy double act, the Great Pretendo, who have appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Clitheroe Town Band also played


brilliant weather meant the Sunday event was not as well supported as their first one. “Sadly for us, everybody went


dress competition received a prize donated by the organisers and the Tots-to-Teens shop. Children also enjoyed themselves on a bouncy slide. Organiser Mr Ray Barker said the


Harry Potter link to the theme of the day of Witches and Wizards. All the market stalls were open for


The presence of the owls was a imes


Birds mean business


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page 2 Lightning strikes,


but tots sleep sound A CRACK of thunder soon after 2 a.m. on Tuesday woke virtually the whole of Clitheroe.


family in Park Avenue, whose home the light­ ning struck, slept on in their cots, blissfully unaware of the drama of their father carrying a burning video recorder out of a smoke-filled lounge. Mr Martin Baptie and his wife, Angela, were


But the 14-week-old twin girls of the Baptie


awoken by the crack of thunder overhead and the sound of the smoke alarms and their car alarms going off.


was alight, the flames singeing the wall behind it.


Mr Baptie discovered that the video recorder


disturb the twins at all." She was full of praise for neighbours who


Mrs Baptie said on Wednesday: “It did not


during the day. All the children who entered a fancy


and the television and the lounge was smoke- damaged.


took them in and made tea, while firemen checked that the house was safe. The lightning destroyed the video recorder


“But at least it has happened now and.they say lightning doesn’t strike in the same place


off to the seaside” he said. But even more of the town’s shops joined in and opened for the occasion. The next


event, on July 13th, is based around the theme of Clogs and Cloth Caps. Our picture shows some of the


fancy dress entrants being inspected by Ribble Valley Mayor Coun Alan Yearing. (B150603/5)


Speeding drivers to face ‘jury’ of pupils instead of being fined


by John Turner


MOTORISTS caught speeding outside a Clitheroe school were yesterday given a stark choice as an alternative to a £60 fixed penalty ticket.


In an experiment which start­


ed this week, they could agree to be taken into Ribblesdale High School Technology College to face a panel of pupils to explain why they exceeded the 30 m.p.h. limit, instead of the fine. The school has linked up with police to educate motorists who


in Turner Street, Queens Road Little- moor Road and Pendle Road on Wednesday morning.


speed on roads near the school, endangering pupils. The speed cameras went into action


choices. They could accept the usual punish­


Errant drivers were being given two


ment of an Endorsable Fixed Penalty ticket with its £60 fine and three penal­ ty points or, to avoid the speeding tick­ et, they could accompany pupils into


will then challenge the motorists, under supervision, about their attitudes towards speeding and will give them the


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A church’s plans to assist the homeless backfire at meeting


Tuesday the majority of the 50 or so people who attended the forum were from the Whalley Road area and they were there to oppose any plans


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former Barkers Nursery in Whalley Road packed into the meeting at the church’s Kings Centre on Saturday night after some had been sent copies of the forum leaflet with the words “Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers” written in. Pastor Brian Clark said on


Church called an open forum to gauge what support there would be from the town to provide for the homeless, build a community centre, a cafe and affordable housing. Instead neighbours of the


PLANS by a Clitheroe Church to open up discus­ sions to provide accommo­ dation for the homeless have backfired on it. Clitheroe Community


ning to explore the possibili­ ties of what one of our ladies has a desire to see - if it is pos­ sible to provide some sort of accommodation in a Christian caring kind of way,” he said, adding that a lot of people at the forum had believed facili­ ties were to be provided on Barkers Nursery site for asy­ lum seekers. Mr Clark said although it


for them to oppose. The meet­ ing was purely exploratory. “We wanted to look at what sort of support there might be


to provide such facilities. They are making mountains out of molehills,” he added. Mr Clark said one of the


ladies of the church had raised the matter.


for the former Barkers Nurs­ ery site. He said: “There is nothing


girl aged 17 who was thrown out by her parents when she became pregnant. “She went around all the agencies in Clitheroe, but


abortion and get on with life,” claimed Mr Clark. He said they were planning


nobody was interested in her plight. “She was told to get an


amount of support at the moment.


another meeting for July 2nd. “There is not a huge


support it is something we shall let drop,” he added.


“If there is not sufficient


had to sleep on friends’ floors or move out to neighbouring towns. He cited a case of a local


was well hidden, Clitheroe had a homelessness problem. The homeless in the town


need to do something about Clitheroe’s homeless. “All we are doing is begin­


She had felt there was a


the school to face the panel of young people. A police spokesman said: “The pupils


opportunity to justify their need for exceeding the speed limit.


drivers regarding the dangers of speed­ ing and will be using a graphic display of photographs taken at the scene of


“The pupils also hope to educate the


road collisions to get the message across.” Six pupils from the school, who are


study the police for the “Service” aspect of the award. PC Andrew Kent is assisting the


taking part in the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, have chosen to


pupils in their Speed Awareness Cam­ paign.


Operation Safer School Streets is to educate motorists about the danger of


He said: “The main aim behind


speeding whilst engaging young people in policing initiatives and helping them attain awards. “We are taking a different approach


the roads around the school much safer.”


Clitheroe Insp. Bob Ford told the Advertiser and Times that six motorists had been stopped on Wednes­ day morning for exceeding the 30 m.p.h. speed limit.


As we went to press yesterday,


interviewed by the pupils. Nobody refused,” he said.


Queen’s honour for Geoff


past three decades, he has been awarded the MBE for “ser­ vices to the community in


the Prime Minister’s office about a month ago - and his wife, Diana, had known for three years - that he was being recommended for the honour, Mr Braithwaite and Diana, kept the news to themselves until the 11th hour when they revealed their best kept secret


to build on the gable end of 26 Holden Street, Clitheroe. But now the original early morning to late-evening use times sole1 ly responsible for the recent planning appeal failure have been modified to 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. The appeal judgement


LOCAL Muslims are con­ fident that they will soon have their own mosque. They are again applying


dismissed objections on highway, traffic and park­


ing grounds put forward at length and in detail by many local people. This point has been highlighted in a letter to the council from the mosque trustees. They point out that the


Although he had heard from


JOINING Beckham, Mirren and Moore in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List was the name of Ribble Valley man Mr Geoff Braithwaite. A Downham resident for the


Clitheroe and the Ribble Val­ ley”.


Mr Braithwaite decided to block the robbers’ exit from the sorting office. His vehicle was smashed into by the rob­


Hopes high for mosque


new hours suggested would mean some prayer times could not be observed. “This is a significant con­ cession and we are hopeful that the council acknowl­ edges how this demon­ strates the importance attached to securing a place of worship for the Muslim community at an early


five prayer sessions, if the application is granted. However, there will only be room in the seatless build­ ing for about 12 or 15 peo­ ple and the trustees have always said that sometimes there will be only a handful present.


opportunity,” write the trustees. Most days will see about


is no stranger to receiving awards. In the 1990s he was presented with a certificate for “meritorious conduct” from Lancashire’s Deputy Chief Constable for the part he played in pursuing armed rob­ bers who had stolen £55,000 from Clitheroe Post Office. Having witnessed the raid,


to their three children, Terry, Mark and Ann. As a result Sunday’s Father’s Day cele­ bration at the Braithwaite family home turned into an extra special event. Mr Braithwaite (pictured)


“All six went to the school to be


and are giving those who exceed the speed limit a choice - take a ticket or take stock of their actions. “Hopefully, this will result in making


of thunder “woke most of Clitheroe.” It was fol­ lowed by a huge downpour of rain.


from the lightning strike. Station Officer Dave McGrath said the crack


The structure of the house escaped damage


have got up and discovered the fire before it had got hold.


He said the family were very fortunate to McGrath. “It could have been a lot worse,” said Mr


Town’s cinema plan is refused


PLANS for a 200-seat single-screen cinema at Shawbridge Mill, Clitheroe, have been refused.


area were extremely concerned about the venture.


that potential problems included parking, litter, night noise and proposed signage. For a full report, see next week's Clitheroe Advertiser and Times.


A representative told the committee


members of Ribble Valley Borough Coun­ cil’s Planning Committee went against officers’ recommendations and turned down the plan. Councillors heard that residents in the


In an about turn on Tuesday night,


twice. I hope that is the case,” added Mrs Bap­ tie.


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bers, but undeterred he went in pursuit and only left the scene after being threatened with a gun.


Lucky escape for boat pair


A RIBBLE VALLEY couple cheated death after their motor cruiser blew up in Ambleside. The couple, Mr Alan and Mrs


Barbara Turner, of Rimington, were treated for minor injuries at West­ morland General Hospital following Thursday afternoon’s explosion. Their motor cruiser, called The


Dawn Princess, was destroyed in the explosion and a neighbouring boat was damaged by fire. Just before 4-30 p.m. on Thurs­


day, the couple had stopped to refuel when there was an explosion on board.


Police and fire-fighters attended


the scene and a nearby road was closed as a precaution.


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HOWARTH & JEPSON TmJUlimul muJ comum/niwry /W* /umfaMtupi


Pendle Mill, Pendle Road, Clitheroe Telephone 01200 425522


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