2 Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, February 3rd, 2005


INSIDE YOUR CLITHEROE ADVERTISER AND TIMES


■ Valley M a t te rs ................ ...............8,9 ■ Village News .................. . . . 13,14,15 ■ Letters ............................ .......... 20,21 ■ Weekendplus.................. .......... 28,29 ■ Weekend TV .................. ...........24,25 ■ Family Notices................ .......... 34,35 ■ Readersplus.................... ................ 27 ■ J o b s .................................. ___38 to 41 ■ Propertyplus.................... . . . 32,33,44 ■ Motorsplus ...................... . . . . 45 to 60 ■ Sport................................ ___61 to 64


AT A GLANCE • ••


£200,000 raised by church - page 5 Tsunami funds boosted - page 6 Panopticon latest - pages 8,21 Jail for child porn man - page 12


INFORMATION


Duty chemist: Heyes Chemist, 35 Moor Lane, Clitheroe: Sunday, noon to 1 p.m. Police: 01200 443344. Fire: In emergency 999 and ask for fire service. Electricity: 0800 1954141. Gas: 0800 111999. Water: 0845 462200. Councils: Kibble Valley Borough Council, Clitheroe 425111. Clitheroe Town Council, 424722. Hospitals: Blackburn Royal Infirmary: 01254 263555. Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn: 01254 263555. Airedale General Hospital, Steeton: 01535 652511. Clitheroe Community Hospital: 427311. Alcohol Information Centre: 01282 416655. Aidsline: 01282 831101 (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Domestic Violence Helpline: 01282 422024. Cruse Bereavement Care: Blackburn, Hyndburn and Kib­ ble Valley 01254 207999. Environmental Agency: Emergencies - 0800 807060. Drugs: Local confidential advice and information line: 01200 444484. National: 0800 776600. Ribble Valley Talking New'.spaper: 01200 428604. Samaritans: 01254 662424. Monthly Volunteer Helpline: 01200 422721. Lancashire Rural Stress Network: 01200 427771. QUEST (.specialist smoking cc.s.sation service): 01254 358095. Ribble Valley Citizens’ Advice Bureau: 01200 428966.


CONTACT US! News: 01200 422324


Advertising: 01200 422323 Classiried: 01282 422331 Family Notices and Photo Orders: 01282 426161, ext. 410 Fax: 01200 443467 editor e-mail: vivien.nieath@easllancsnews.co.uk news editor e-mail: duncan.smith@eastIancsnews.co.uk sport e-mail: edward.lee@easllancsnews.co.uk


WEATHER


DUNSOP BRIDGE ■


CHIPPING I ■ SLAIDBURN GISBURN O B CHATBURN


CLITHEROE ■ BWHALLEY


LANGHO B ■ r e a d B ACCRINGTON BLACKBURN B


WEEKEND WEATHER: Saturday is expected to be a mixture of cloud and sunny spells, with frost possi­ ble. Sunday will be cloudy with outbreaks of rain.


SUNRISE: 7-55 a.m. SUNSET: 4-53 p.m. LIGHTING UP TIME: 4-53 p.m.


'' BBURNLEY T-


www.ciitheroetoday.co.uk


Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


More Ultraframe are at risk!


by Vivien Meath


EMPLOYEES at Ultraframe were told yesterday that more


jobs are at risk. Up to 20 workers could


be made redundant as Clitheroe’s major employ­ er announced plans to restructure and consoli­ date its position in the UK market. Temporary contracts


a t the Salthill premises, the company’s directors maintained th a t they would weather the storm, adding th a t they were doing their very best in what was a tough market. Hundreds of Ribble Val­


will be terminated and those leaving the company will not be replaced. “Rapid and fundamen­


ta l changes are taking place in our industry, and in order to protect the future of Ultraframe we have no choice b u t to reduce our cost base,” said UK managing director Vanda Murray OBE. She added: “We will


continue to make the right decisions tor the long-term success of our company. Our complete commit­ ment to investing in prod­ uct development and Inno-


vation will not change. “We have already imple­


mented a number of major initiatives to improve our processes and drive effi­ ciencies. Regrettably, we now also need to reduce the number of people we employ. “By not replacing staff


leaving the company and by terminating temporary contracts, we have man­ aged to keep the number of positions a t risk to a minimum. In total, less than 20 roles are at risk of redundancy.


“The individuals con­


cerned will be treated with respect and every effort will be made to support them and to assist them with finding alternative positions. “Difficult though this


process is, we must now look to the future. It is in the best interests of our staff, customers and share­ holders that we are in the best possible shape to face the many challenges ahead.” Following the compa­ ny’s AGM, held last week


ley residents, as well as employees who have invested in the company, were this week keeping a close eye on the stock mar­ ket as shares dropped to an all-time low of 46p. At the end of last year,


12 management employees lost their jobs. Our picture shows


Vanda Murray (right) with marketing director Linda Doughty. • High Court battle


over Ultraframe union vote - see page 22. • Following the group’s


forecast of improved trad­ ing in the second half of the year, Julie Magee takes an in-depth look at how that is to be achieved - see next week’s Clitheroe Advertiser and Times.


Winning panopticon design to be unveiled


THE winning design concept for a new 21st Century Ribble Valley landmark is to be unveiled tomor­ row. Organisers of the panopticons


project will reveal which of the three shortlisted designs has been chosen for a site at Kemple End. If it goes ahead, the new land­


mark structure will be one of a series of six panopticons to be built in the hills of East Lancashire. However, initial reaction to the


three design concepts for the Ribble Valley site has been almost entirely hostile. Letters to this newspaper and comments generated by an exhibition revealed that most local people were opposed to any man­ made structure at the beauty spot. The three shortlisted designs


were: • Fold - a five-metre square and


2.7 metre high cross-shaped struc­ ture inspired by a traditional sheep


fold, but built using modern mate­ rials. • Kemple Pike - a 12-metre high


cone-shaped tower utilising alu­ minium strips for a random lattice work appearance. O Neoscope - a viewing wall built


of local stone and featuring a stone seat, wooden decking and a viewing hole with a suspended lens. • See “As I See I t”, page 8 and letters, page 21.


Killer wife claimed that husband stabbed himself during struggle


CONVICTED k i l le r Catherine Osliffe told jurors at Preston Crown Court that her husband had stabbed himself dur­ ing a bedroom struggle. Giving evidence during


the murder trial, the 34- year-old psychology grad­ uate and prison lecturer claimed that husband Roger (pictured) had threatened to kill her. She refuted the allegation that she had deliberately wounded him with a heavy duty kitchen knife. On Tuesday, she was


jailed for five years after the jury cleared her of murder but found her guilty of manslaughter. During her defence case,


the court heard th a t Catherine Osliffe graduat­ ed in psychology in 1998. After six months of teach­ er training at Preston


evening leading up to the incident they argued about some flowers that her mother had sent her, with Mr Osliffe insisting they were from another man. This was after he had come home drunk and tried to pick a fight, she claimed. Later, she went out to


Prison, she gained a per­ manent post in education at Garth Prison, Leyland. She met Roger Osliffe in


2001 while separated from her first husband and the new relationship flour­ ished from day one. After marrying last year, the newlyweds had a brief stay in the Cotswolds before taking an Adriatic cruise. She said that during the


meet up with a girlfriend, but he accused her of dressing up to meet anoth­ er man. The couple then met up in Whalley, but started arguing on the way home from a nightclub. Osliffe told the court she


was asleep in bed when he threw the flowers, water and a vase over her. He later walked into the bed­ room holding a knife by his side, she claimed. She told the court: "The


first thing he said as he walked in the room was


‘It's you or me’. I was still sat on the bed. My initial instinct was just to get off the bed. "I said what are you


doing? Don’t be silly." She said he held up the


knife and was pushing her on the shoulder and threatening to kill her. “She felt very frightened. She added: "The next


thing I can remember is a struggle between us. Both of us were standing up. It was like pushing and shov­ ing." Asked by her counsel,


Mr Paul Reid QC, if she had played any deliberate part in causing the fatal injury, she insisted she had not. She said she felt shock and disbelief when arrest­ ed - at th a t stage for assault - and also told the court: "I just miss him very much".


Nightclub fire probe by police


POLICE are treating a blaze at Monroes Night­ club in Great Harwood as suspicious.


to the nightclub, in Wood Street, just before 10 p.m. on Tuesday night to find the premises well ablaze. Insp. Andy Hill, of Lan­


Fire-fighters were called


cashire Police’s eastern division, said no-one was injured in the blaze, but extensive damage was caused to the club. The area was cordoned


off and investigations are continuing into the cause of the fire.


The nightclub’s boss Mr


Ian Jackson, of Padiham Road, Sabden, was last week acquitted of know­ ingly permitting or suffer­ ing the supply of ecstasy in the club. The police are due to


consult with lawyers from the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether they should now proceed with a separate charge relating to the Licensing Act.


Drugs raid pair bailed


FOLLOWING last week’s high-profile drugs raid in Park Street, Clitheroe, a man and a 30-year-old Darwen woman, arrested on suspicion of possession of Class C drugs and culti­ vation of cannabis plants, have been released on police bail until March 2nd pending further inves­ tigations. Insp. Derek Brownless,


of Clitheroe police, said that 55 suspected cannabis plants recovered from the terrace house were at Greenbank Police Station, Blackburn, waiting to be taken for forensic exami­ nation at a laboratory in Chorley. • We have been asked


to point out that the pic­ ture taken following last Wednesday’s raid showed the cannabis plants stacked on the pavement outside a neighbouring property.


Pendle Club BRIDGE winners at the Pendle Club were: Mrs Eva Velvick, Mrs Kim McDonald, Miss Pat Har­ greaves, Mrs Joan Laver}", Mr Ernest Manning. Solo whist winners were:


Mr D. Grant, Mrs K. McDonald, Mr B. Wood. Domino winners were:


R. Barker, M. Berry, M. Smith, W. Wilson and M.


Hogg. Sequence dancing is


held every Tuesday at 7- 30 p.m. and line dancing every Thursday at 1-30 p.m. New members always welcome.


s. Parents’ 3,000 thanks


APPRECIATIVE parents have raised more than £3,000 for two local hospitals at which their children were nursed back to


health. The group of Clitheroe parents and


friends raised £3,314.36 in total after tak­ ing part in a 150 mile three-day cycle ride across the Pennines from Blackpool to Scarborough in September last year. The money will be shared between the


neo-natal clinic at Blackburn Royal Infir­ mary and Pendlebury Children’s Hospital in Manchester. A Body Shop party was also held in The


Castle pub attended by some of the neo­ natal nurses from Blackburn, who had become good friends of the families. The group of fund-raisers included


Clitheroe couple Miss Julie McDonald and Mr Phil Smith, of Faraday Avenue, the parents of little Sam Smith. He was criti­ cally ill in hospital for nearly four months after arriving three months premature and suffering from a range of life threatening ill­ nesses. However, according to Miss McDonald,


Sam, who originally weighed only 21b. 9oz., is now doing very well thanks to the care he received and will celebrate his first birth­ day on March 3rd.


10 students head for top universities


A TOTAL of 10 students from Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Sixth Form Centre have been offered places at Britain’s top uni­ versities - Oxford and Cambridge. The successful students are:


Oxford - Mark Bailey, Keble Col­ lege, to read history and modern languages; Edward Davies, Wad- ham College, biological sciences; Karl Eastham, St John’s College, European and Middle Eastern lan­ guages; Catherine Westwood, Jesus College, chemistry. Cambridge - James Aspinall,


Robinson College, computer sci­ ence; Stephanie Bamber, New Hall, natural sciences; Konrad Dabrows- ki. Trinity College, mathematics; Daniel Diggins, Emmanuel Col­ lege, natural sciences; Justine


Several other men also completed the


cycle ride after their children spent time in the care of the hospitals. The son of Mr and Mrs Guy and Lisa Halstead, Jack, was eight weeks premature and spent four weeks in the neo-natal clin­ ic. He celebrated his first birthday on Jan­ uary 27th and is also in good health. Cyclist Mark Turnbull also took part


after his son, Joseph, spent three weeks in the neo-natal clinic after being born pre­


maturely. Meanwhile, Mr Stephen King’s daugh­


ter, Abby, had a cyst removed from her neck at just five months old and was cared for at Pendlebury Children’s Hospital. The riders have expressed their thanks to


all those who offered their support as well as sponsoring the event, including a num­ ber of local companies Pictured are some of the cyclists who


took part in the event apart from Gavin McQuade and Steven Turnbull, who were unable to make the photograph. Pictured from the left, back row are - Mark Turn- bull, Rick Haworth, Jon Penman and Stephen King. Philip Smith and Guy Hal­ stead are holding the cheque. (T300105/7)


HALIFW Always giving


Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


www.clitheroetoday.co.uk


Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, February 3rd, 2005 3


I L vAV'


Ascending star! by Natalie Cox


PLAYING to rave reviews in London’s West End is an actor


from Clitheroe. Steve Vamom, a former head boy


at Bowland High School, has taken over one of the lead roles in a new musical partly penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber. When “The Woman in White”


opened at the Palace Theatre, Lon­ don, in September last year, televi­ sion star Michael Crawford played the role of Count Fosco, but illness has forced him to step aside leaving his understudy Steve (pictured) to take on the role. A review on December 30th by


Tom Keatinge, published on the Lon­ don Theatre Guide on-line said Steve had played the role “with aplomb”, while another on-line, reviewer said he believed Steve’s portrayal of Count Fosco was “better than Craw­ ford’s - there was much more menace in his acting as well as the campness of the role, and he made Fosco more of a nasty character beneath the charm (Crawford is more one dimen­ sional as Fosco - almost playing it for laughs).”


Mr Alun Day


DUE to a misunder­ standing, an error appeared in an article headed “Talented local accompanist offers his musical services” on page 15 of our January 20th issue. The report said Mr


Alun Day was choir­ master of WMdington Church for many years. In fact it was Mr Day’s piano tutor who was choirmaster at the church and Mr Day is keen for us to make this clear. We apologise for any


upset caused by this unintentional error. Mr Day is still keen


to offer his services and can be contacted on 01200 423698.


Ultraframe


Making quality windows, doors and conservatories for over 21 years. Always providing first class service and guaranteed world class products. Approved by the Guild of Master Craftsmen.


One of Steve’s greatest fans is his


grandmother, Mrs Brenda Turner, who lives in Clitheroe. She hopes to travel to London in the next week to see her grandson in his latest role. She said: “He is doing brilliantly,


getting standing ovations.” Mrs Turner said that at one of the


performances part of the audience consisted of members of the Michael Crawford fan club from America. She added that her grandson had no problems winning them over and they told him they had not been disp- pointed at all. “They were thrilled to bits with him,” said Mrs Turner. One of his co-stars in this latest


production is a white rat, but accord­ ing to Mrs Turner, Steve has not been


deterred and has even managed to win the rodent round! She is sure that after his latest suc­


cess he will have no problem in secur­ ing work: “I am sure he will get a lot of offers after this,” she said. Steve will continue to play the part


of Count Fosco until mid-February when singer Michael Ball is due to take over the role. A life treading the boards in Lon­ don’s West End is a dream come true


for Steve. He was an active member of


Clitheroe Parish Church Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society when he lived in the Valley, and was encour­ aged to pursue his acting ambitions by teachers at his Grindleton high school. In 1986 he won one of only 26 places at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, beating off stiff competition from 6,000 hopefuls. Three years later he became only the second student from the academy to go straight into a leading role, play­ ing “Billy Boy” in a Royal Shake­ speare Company production of “The Clockwork Orange” at the Barbican Theatre. Since then he has never looked


back and his career continues to go from strength to strength, (s)


Registered Company


Greenwood, Queens’ College, natu­ ral sciences; Richard Moore, St Catharine’s College, land economy. Keith Harwood, senior tutor in


charge of Oxford and Cambridge admissions, told the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times: “We are delighted by the success of our stu­


dents. Every year competition for places at Oxford and Cambridge is becoming more intense “For 10 students to be offered


places out of 22 applicants from CRGS is very pleasing.” Pictured are the successful stu­


dents. (s) tel:01200 429929


fax:01290 442991 www.ultraframe-Gonservatories.co.uk


ultra uH


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