2 Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, March ioth, 2005


INSIDE YOUR CLITHEROE ADVERTISER AND TIMES


■ Valley Matters..................................8,9 ■ Village News .............13,14,15 and 24 ■ Letters .......................................... 22,23 ■ Weekendplus ...........•............... 28 to 30 ■ Weekend TV .................................26.27 ■ Family Notices...............................24,25 ■ Readersplus..........................................18 ■ J o b s ..................................................50 to 53 ■ Propertyplus....................................33 to 48 ■ Motorsplus......................................59 to 75 ■ Sport................................................76 to 80


AT A GLANCE... Call for A59 roundabout - page 7


Retiring town clerk thanked - page 10 Pupils go on trial - page 12


Youngsters steal the show - page 19 INFORMATION


Duty chemist: Boots the Chemist, 15-19 Castle Street, 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: Ribble 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. Aidsiine: 01282 831101 (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Domestic Violence Helpline: 01282 422024. Cruse Bereavement Care: Blackburn, Hyndbum and Rib­ ble Valley 01254 207999. Environmental Agency: Emergencies-0800 807060. Drugs: Local confidential advice and information line: 01200 444484. National: 0800 776600. Ribble Valley Talking Newspaper: 01200 428604. Samaritans: 01254 662424. Monthly Volunteer Helpline: 01200 422721. Lancashire Rural Stress Network: 01200 427771. QUEST (specialist smoking cessation service): 01254 358095. Rihhie Valley Citizens’ Advice Bureau: 01200 428966.


CONTACT US! News: 01200 422324


Advertising: 01200 422323 Classified: 01282 422331 Family Notices and Photo Orders: 01282 426161, ext. 410 Fax: 01200 443467 editor e-mail: vivicn.mcath@eastlancsncws.co.uk news editor c-maii: duncan.smith@custlancsncws.co.uk sport c-mail: cdward.lcc@castlancsncws.co.uk


WEATHER


DUNSOP BRIDGE ■


CHIPPING ■ CLITHEROE


LANGHOB SLAIDBURN ■ GISBURN ■ CHATBURN


IWHALLEY ■ READ


■ BURNLEY ■ ACCRINGTON BLACKBURN■


WEEKEND WEATHER: Forecasters predict that Sat­ urday is set to be bright with sunny spells, while Sunday will turn cloudy with possible showers.


SUNRISE: 6-40 a.ra. SUNSET: 6-02 p.m. LIGHTING UP TIME: 6-02 p.m.


www.ciitheroetoday.co.uk


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


Mini crash family trio’s lucky escape


Report and picture by Ben Parsons


A TEENAGER and his two siblings were lucky to escape serious injury when a Mini saloon overturned at a busy junction in


Chatburn. Driver William Green (18), his sister, Chelsea


(13), and brother Damien, of Victoria Avenue, Chatburn, were travelling in the vehicle when it overturned in Ribble Lane, near the junction with Darkwood Crescent. The accident happened at 3-30 p.m. on Fri­


day and both Chelsea and Damien were taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary with cuts and bruises. The pair were allowed home later the same day. Officers at the Road Policing Unit in Accring­


ton confirmed that the road between Chatbum and Grindleton was closed for an hour. Our picture shows the Mini after the crash. (B040305/7b)


Putting their faith in friendship


MEMBERS of Clith- eroe’s Interfaith Friend­ ship group organised an open day to welcome the public. The event, called “Faith


in the Ribble Valley”, was held in the Ribble Valley Council chamber and showcased information and artefacts from various faith communities within the valley, including Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. The event was spon­


sored by the Ribble Valley Strategic Partnership's Community Cohesion Task Group, a local alliance of residents, coun­ cillors, voluntary workers and council officials who promote diversity and cross-community co-oper­ ation in the area. I t was supported by a


range of people from dif­ ferent backgrounds, who enjoyed the experience of visual displays, devotional sounds and seasonal foods.


L ■


A super, free equestrian wallplanner


MAKE sure you do not miss our free, full colour, glossy equestrian wall- planner. I t is available from next week, March 17th,


: with a coupon in your Clitheroe Advertiser and Times. The wallplanner contains all the local rid­ ing club show dates and pony , club events throughout the season, plus a "What’s On" sec­ tion for local venues. Cut out the coupon


and collect your wall- planner from the Adver­ tiser and Times office, 3 King Street, from next Thursday.


Tools stolen by thieves


THIEVES stole tools from a white Peugeot van parked in Kendal Street, Clitheroe, at the weekend. The haul included a


portable compressor worth £200, a Makita portable chop saw worth £350, a Dewalt 14-point four com­ bination set including a cordless screwdriver and trim saw worth £250 and a Dewalt cordless drill screwdriver worth £220. The vehicle was


unlocked from the passen­ ger side door between 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Anyone with informa­


tion should call Clitheroe police on 01200 443344.


such as hot cross buns, dates and tibetan tea. Sheraz Arshad, of the


Medina Islamic Educa­ tion Centre and chair of the CCTG, was delighted with the number of people who showed their support and was pleased that more were becoming involved with the group. He said: “I t was great


to see so many local people taking an interest in


learning more about dif­ ferent faiths and cultures. “The Clitheroe Inter­


faith Friendship is a strong vehicle for promot­ ing interfaith understand­ ing and promoting ideas of mutual respect between different communities. “The event on Saturday


was a fitting celebration of our common values". Anyone wishing to find out more about the group


or get involved is invited to email faithforum@ aol.com. • A carrier bag was left


behind in the chamber. Anyone wishing to collect it is advised to contact the borough council. Our picture shows


helpers and officials who took part in the Clitheroe Interfaith Friendship open day. (A050305/4a)


End of the line for Valley rail service? conlmucd from page 1 There will no longer be an oppor­


tu n ity to hold a public inquiry organised by the regional RPC. Instead formal consultation will be carried out at a distance. The Bill, said Mr Butterworth,


also requires local authority trans­ port providers to consider the replacement of train services by buses, something seen by many as a means of smoothing the way for a "Beeching 2" process of line closures. And, despite Alistair Darling's


assurances tha t the Bill would ensure that the new structure would be customer, not industry, focused, rail users and supporters throughout the Ribble Valley fear that use of the word "streamlining" could signal clo­ sures. The Friends of the Blackburn to Hellifield Line representative offer­


ing to put his money up front says: "The infrastructure is all there, it just needs commonsense to make it work." "A lot of local people looking at


travelling by train to London drive to Preston to catch the train. They don't want to spend 30 minutes at Blackburn waiting for a connection to Preston before continuing with their journey to Euston. They should have the option of travelling direct to Preston, or going to Helli­ field and then on to the Yorkshire line to Kings Cross." He also argues that investing in


the construction of a station at Hen- thorn would improve passenger take- up on the local line, as well as offer­ ing a transport option, particularly to school pupils travelling to Rib- blesdale High School Technology College. Pointing out that the Blackburn


to Hellifield line celebrates its 125th anniversary later this year, he main­ tains th a t a station at Henthorn with parking on the old Trutex site would boost the business and would require only minor adjustment of the timetabling. Meanwhile, Mr Moore points out


that Ribble Valley Rail and the bod­ ies who supported the re-opening of the local line have made it easier for 58,000 people to travel without cars. He states: "If this Government is


serious about the Kyoto agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then it also needs to look seriously at moving freight and people via the country's railways. We have Castle Cement and I Cl ideally situated alongside the line." This week, the commercial man­ ager for Northern, Chris Kimberley,


had no comment to make on the fears.


Pendle Club


Mrs Maqorie Collier, Mrs Kim MacDonald, Mrs Pat Parker, Mrs Doris Blunt. Domino results were: Mrs A. Low, Mrs F. Cooke, Mrs V. Giles, Mr G. Berry and Mr W. Cooke. The previous week, win­


ners were: bridge - Mrs Anne Cooper, Mr Joe Lynch, Mrs Sylvia Walsh, Mrs Marjorie Collier; solo whist winners - Mr A. Hartley, Mrs A. Foster, Mr D. Grant; dominoes - G. Berry, Brian Holden, J. Healey, G. Capstick and M. Berry.


Bridge results


WINNERS at Clitheroe Bridge Club on Monday were: N/S Mr D. Mor­ timer and Mrs B. Wilson, Mrs J. Martindale aiid Mrs J. Taylor. E/W Mrs M. Thompson and Mrs S. Cornwell, Mrs M. Parker and Mrs D. Blake. On Thursday, winners


were: N/S Mr G. and Mr C. Pollard, Mrs M. Phillips and Col M. Jef­ fery. E/W Mr and Mrs R- Ward, Mrs L. Pimperton and Mr B. Holding.


WMJ f 'll—-i'" new


name, same team!


^ rT E:


SOLO whist winners at the Pendle Club were: Mrs D. Knight, Mrs M. Park­ er, Mrs K. MacDonald. Bridge winners were:


Thursday, March 10th, 2005. No. 2 A


The Clitheroe


dvertiser and 1 imes r p including Barrow, Biliington, Langhn, Caldersinnes and Brockiiail clHheroetbday.co.uk . Price 58p


n ib b l e VaUcy E x p l o r e r 2 0 0 5


Historic artefacts found at abbey!


by Faiza Afzaal


ANCIENT artefacts dat­ ing back to the medieval period have been unearthed by a team of archaeologists working on a major project in Whalley Abbey. The Abbey - a historic


retreat house of the Black­ burn Diocese situated in the heart of Whalley - is currently undergoing a £lm. revival plan. Under the plans, the


refurbishment programme includes revamping the 14th Century Abbey itself, its historic retreat house and conference centre. The scheme also includes


creating a new dining hall and reception area, installing a new lift for dis­ abled people and upgrad­ ing accommodation in the former Abbot’s lodging. However, as the work is


being carried out, consul­ ta n t archaeologist Mr Nigel R. J. Neil, along with his team of workers, has discovered fragments of medieval tile, including ancient pieces of pottery, glass and has uncovered a


wattle and daub partition wall in the east mng. According to Mr Neil,


the find is believed to be the biggest Whalley has seen since the medieval period and in the time of the Reformation. Another interesting find


is a finial tha t could be medieval. Made of terra­ cotta, the finial was found buried under a concrete floor on the ground-floor of the Abbey. Mr Neil, who has been involved in several projects involving the his­ toric retreat house, says the discovery of the artefacts is shedding light on the hid­ den history of Whalley Abbey. He added: “A very inter­


esting period of the Abbey has come to light. There are a lot of architectural questions tha t have remained unanswered for many years. “The discovery of these


important objects is very exciting and we are pleased to support the work to dis­ cover its historical origi­ nals. In doing so, people across the Ribble Valley can re-discover the hidden history of the Abbey. The


yfW.SS.'i ' 3 ' • ' j f V m


wattle and daub partition wall uncovered would prob­ ably date back to 1588 and its historical walls could tell us more about the place.” Mr Neil added that the historic items discov­ ered may be sent for analy­ sis in a bid to assess their individual value. Whalley Abbey began as


a community of Cistercian monks, who moved to the Ribble Valley from the Wirral in 1296. The monas­ tic Abbey closed in 1537, during the suppression of the monasteries by Henry VI11 and later became a private home for more than


200 years for the Assheton family. I t was bought by the Church of England in 1923, and became the prop­ erty of the Diocese of Blackburn when the dio­ cese was formed out of the Manchester Diocese in 1926. The refurbishment programme is expected to continue until July and once complete, the diocese hopes to attract more busi­ ness conferences, wedding receptions and social func­ tions. Mr Neil is pictured with


what is believed to be a medieval finial.


(CR040305/2)


THE Ribble Valley’s flag­ ship railway line could be under threat. Concern is growing


that the line, successfully re-opened 11 years ago, could fall foul of the Gov­ ernment's new Railways Bill. MP Nigel Evans this


week vowed to campaign vigorously to ensure the line is retained and, if anything, enhanced. "This is a busy and


popular line and the Gov­ ernment must now come clean before the General Election in order to tell the people of the Ribble Valley whether or not their line is for the chop,/ he added. "The Beeching axes


must not be allowed to fall again on our vital rural rail services. Has this government learnt nothing?" Mr Evans is to table


some written questions to the Secretary of State for Transport. A Clitheroe business­


man expressing concern about the line's future has offered £50,000 to under­ pin the extension of the passenger service to Helli­ field, while Ribble Valley Rail chairman Peter Moore is to ask former


PfiS13


Blackburn 01254 246046 Brownhill Roundabout


Colne 01282 868444 Regent Street, (opp Boundary


. Mill) Rochdale 01706 347111 Cheetham Street


Setting the Standards


Home Secretary and for­ mer Ribble Valley MP David Waddington for his support. "Use it or lose it," is the


message from RVR's Mr Moore as fears grow that the Manchester to Black­ burn line could already be at risk. Meanwhile, the busi­


nessman, who prefers to remain anonymous, has told the Clitheroe Adver­ tiser and Times that he is prepared to sign a legally binding agreement stat­ ing that if an experimen­ tal five year extension of the current passenger ser­ vice from Clitheroe to Hellifield fails and i t reverts to DalesRail, he would pay Northern Rail £50,000 in compensation. If, after five years, the


line did prove to be com­ mercially unviable, then


116E4


he says it would still have been better to have tried than to do nothing at all. "It would be better to


spend a little effort on making it work and expanding it rapidly than to sit back and think about what could have been," he said this week. In the letters page of


this newspaper on Febru­ ary 10th, deputy chair­ man of the Rail Passen­ gers Committee North West, Clitheroe resident David Butterworth, revealed how the coun­ try's RPCs, which have been in operation for half a century, are to be abol­ ished. The new Bill, he warned, is seeking to "simplify" the process for the closure of stations and rail routes.


■ i f -


Is Valley flagship rail line facing the chop?


www.kitchentradecentre.co.uk


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