24 'Clitheroe Advertiser&Times, Thursday, June 23rd,2005


, www.cIitheroetoday.co.uk


Ciitheroe 422324 (Editoriai), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Ciassi(ied) • Letters to the Editor 1 - \ 1 r i t c l o :T h c E d i t o r ,C l i t h c r o e A d v e r t i s e r a n d T im e s , 3 K in g S l r e e l , C l i lh e r o e B B 7 2EW E d i to r ia l e -m a i l : v iv ic n .m e a l l i@ c a s t la n c s n cw s .c o .u k — An assassination


attempt on us! I FEEL I must reply to Mr Davis’s let­ ter in last week’s Ciitheroe Advertiser and Times. Rath er than air his opinions on


whether there should or should not be a Homebase in the centre of Ciitheroe, his column was an assassination


. attempt on both Shackletons Garden and Lifestyle Centre and Hansons Gar­ den Centre. Although both Hansons and our­


selves have a good professional relation­ ship and a healthy respect for one another, I can only uphold our o™ rep­ utation. First and foremost, Shackletons pride


themselves on being a totally independ­ ent family-run business. My brother and I have lived in the Ribble Valley almost all our lives. We began a humble garden maintenance business, just two local lads working seven days a week out of the back of an old green van, with no money, but a lot of enthusiasm and a great deal of ambition. Over the past 14 years the family


business has grown. We now employ 30 team members not to mention 10 fami­ ly members - if that does not constitute a family-run business I fail to under­ stand its definition. Shackletons is based between the


market town of Ciitheroe and the vil­ lage of Chatburn - we are effectively in no man’s land, neither Ciitheroe n o r ' Chatburn, therefore to all intents and purposes we are on the fringe of both (not as Mr Davis suggests “miles out of town”). Our Garden and Lifestyle Centre


goes to great lengths to source quality products from all around the globe and a great deal of these items cannot be found in multiples and sheds such as Homebase, B&Q etc. This leads me into the so called “sky-high prices” quoted by Mr Davis, as this an unfair assump­ tion on many non-comparable prod­ ucts. Mr Davis wrote in his letter that he


had visited Shackletons, Hansons, Read Garden Centre and Longsight Nurseries on.one Thursday afternoon - hardly enough time to price check the 40,000-plus products we have to offer. If he had, he would have found that over 90% of our products are offered under recommended retail price - some by as much as 33%. Shackletons endeavours to provide


quality garden products at competitive prices to suit the individual needs of all our much valued customers. On saying this we do have standards and we will not sell inferior quality products, no matter how cheap they may be. One of our mottos is that “quality equals value for money”. Over the past few seasons our reputa­


tion has spread far and wide by word of mouth and advertising in a wider catch­ ment area, many of our customers becoming regulars even though they travel from the likes of York, Harro­ gate, Lytham, Cumbria and even Dorset to name but a few. With Home- base stores in most major towns such as Accrington, Preston etc. why would vis­ itors from other areas travel to come to a Homebase in Ciitheroe? Therefore I feel we are justified in


saying th a t we would and indeed already entice more visitors from fur­ ther afield to the beautiful Ribble Val­


ley than a Homebase ever could. After enticing these customers we feel


it is totally acceptable to provide them with quality refreshments in our new coffee house. I would like to add th a t we have


never recieved local or government grants and in the six years that we have traded at the garden centre our rates bill, paid to the local authorities, has escalated from £6k to £45k per year and we provide salaries for our local workforce, not to mention local busi­ nesses that have provided us with mate­ rials and skilled workforces to carry our expansion plans. As I said at the start of this letter, in


14 years much has changed, though our values, enthusiasm and ambition has not (and unfortunately, neither have the seven day weeksi)


D.4VIDSHACKLETON, Sliackletons Garden and Lifestyle Centre Ltd


New store would be


a great benefit I WROTE to you some weeks ago to lend support for the new Homebase Store and I am of the same opinion as before. I had my doubts after reading two


ladies’ letters in the Ciitheroe Advertis­ er and Times, but after the gentleman wrote last week, I really think the Rib­ ble Valley would benefit from this new store. Myself and my husband are both dis­


abled, so therefore we tend to shop in Ciitheroe, although we do have a car to get around. I do not like going out of town (usually Blackburn), but when sheets, towels, household utensils, crockery etc. need replacing then we have to do so. Dawson’s do stock these items, but


we find them quite expensive although the staff are always very helpful and it is only in recent months that a lift has been installed. Shakletons and Hansons are excel­


lent centres and I have spent quite a bit of money there over the years. The service and quality are second to none, again not the cheapest of stores and you need a car to get there, although they do deliver and you need to pick your choices before this can happen. One lady mentioned the vast


amounts of money these companies have spent expanding their businesses, but nobody twisted their arms to do this. Everybody has choices, this was theirs and being the astute business people they are, they must have checked any plans for new store open­ ings. The gentleman wrote about the four


supermarkets we have in town; and I must presume that they are doing nice­ ly thank you having worked for one (E. H. Booth) very happily from when they opened in 1983 until 2002, when an accident meant I had to retire. The lady mentioned multi-nationals,


but they are part of the 21st century from our fuel, cars, telephones, food and clothes so they are here to stay. As for the post office closures, I wrote twice about keeping them open, but the die was cast, government decreed and they closed their doors. As mentioned by the gentleman,


Homebase, hopefully with planning permission, is going where a factory now is so it will probably enhance the area, not the other way round. When and if the store is up and run­ ning, I sincerely hope it will be success-


ful and bring many more visitors to this town. Before I close, I feel I must mention


that these pros and cons for Homebase should be put to one side and we must start thinking how to keep future gen­ erations staying in the Ribble Valley. Low cost housing would be a good


idea.


MRSnVILKlNSON, Lilac Grove, Clithcroc


These centres are family-run firms


FROM his address and vague generali­ sations, it would seem that S.Davies (CAT letters, June 16th) is a fairly recent “incomer” to Ciitheroe. OthenvTse he must have known that


both Hansons and Shackletons garden centres are small, family-run business­ es by local people. A large acreage is necessary for both in order to display all species of plants, whereas a Homebase store would have all the plants indoors, whether suitable or not. It is ludicrous for Mr Davdes to sug­


gest that a cafe in a garden centre would take trade away from cafes and hostel- ries in Ciitheroe. Do people just drive out to a garden centre for a coffee and a sandwich! Frankly, Mr Davies’ letter would


seem to be a CV for possible employ­ ment with Homebase - happens.


if the worst


T.K.SUTTIE, Higlificld Road, Clilheroe


Big stores destroy


our traditions I REFER Mr Davies (CAT letters June, 16) to previous correspondence in your newspaper. Considerable objec­ tions have been expressed against the inane, stultifying stupidity of our Rib­ ble Valley Borough Council planners. They contradict the current basic


guidelines; educational and environ­ mental. They have desecrated with superstores inside the town the tradi­ tional atmosphere and character of a town that for centuries has been recog­ nised as a market town. I refer to a recent GCSE paper where


pupils were presented with circum­ stances and from four sites had to make a decision. That site is outside the town, on an


open area free for easy access. I t draws away from the town the congestion of traffic and pedestrian-unfriendly eidiaust fumes. I t is obvious tha t RVBC planners


would not pass their GCSE exams today. Neither would Mr Davies.


ROBIN PARKER, St Chad’s Avenue, Chatburn


loyal


We aim to keep our customers


EMOTIONAL heat is exactly what we felt when reading Steve Davies’ letter in last week’s Ciitheroe Advertiser. Miles out of town he says, we would


say one mile would be about right. Hansons is a small family-run garden


centre, which over the last two years has worked hard to build up to being a well-stocked garden centre where peo­


ple can come in a friendly atmosphere to discuss their plants and gardens or just to browse, even have a chat and get a one-to-one service which, I might add, you would not get in a big store. Has Mr Davies been to one of the


large garden centres, which are massive compared to ours? I also visited a garden centre locally


and found very little difference in prices to ours. It is all down to the customer, do they want quality plants, trees, shrubs etc. or mediocre from your store type of shop? We aim to keep our loyal customers


who want quality goods and a good service. Steve Davies speaks for the minority. Do you want to see another derelict


garden centre or shop? I know many of our loyal customers and friends will support us and say no to Homebase.


J. HANSON, Genus, Whiillev


Top marks for this first-class show


WHAT an e.xceptional production of “Fringe Benefits” by Peter Yeldham and Donald Churchill presented by the Bolton-by-Bowland Drama Group. It was great to see a full house on the


last performance on Friday and the laughter from the audience was a plen­ ty. The casting of the play had good consideration and brought to life the


' characters. The set arrangement assist­ ed the cast well with all the comings and goings of the Hudson house. The fun on stage duplicated well in to


the audience, the clever use of oranges, how to keep cool - just take off all your clothes, and the new way to communi­ cate through a trouser pocket was extremely amusing. If you missed this production, you


missed a pleasure as the entertainment value was priceless. And for those who shared the fun will agree that oranges were a great advantage. A huge credit to all the members of


Bolton-by-Bowland Drama Group as you made a fantastic performance come to life and I am sure that the script writers would have been pleased with your performance. Keep up the good work, looking forward to the next one.


ASHLEY WILLIAMS, Union Street,


Low Moor, Clitheroc


Europe’s role in the


modern world THERE is no doubt that Europe has been thrown into crisis by the French


and Dutch rejections of the Constitu­ tional Treaty. Of all EU treaties, this one protects


the powers of member states the most So why the crisis?


For me, the key moment came when


President Chirac failed to explain to an audience of young people why Europe was important to them. He belongs to a generation valuing the EU because it


has brought peace to a region ravaged by war. All that is now taken for granted.


The problem today is national govern- ■ ments like to take the credit when


things go well, but blame Europe when things go badly. That’s why Europe became the whip­


^ ^ 4 ^ /


ping boy in the French and Dutch ref- erendums. Much of the “no” vote was about fear of globalisation, loss of influ­ ence and immigration. Yet most of these issues can only be


properly addressed when countries work together, rather than alone.


Europe nee^ to define its purposes in


the modern world. The French must realise that economic reform is not an Anglo-Saxon conspiracy, but essential for long-term prosperity. Meanwhile, Britain must stop frightening itself about a mythical European superstate. Many will be enjoying this crisis. A


return to protectionism or a Europe at odds with itself would be against Britain’s in te re s t . We should also beware of the EU trying to muddle its way through. That won’t give Europe’s economy


the competitive edge it needs, nor pro­ vide the political leadership that is nec­ essary for global security and prosperi­ ty.


GARYTITLEY.MEP,


Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Parlv


Many must travel


for their religion I HAVE lived in Ciitheroe all my life and I am a religious person, however I do not understand why there is such an urgent need for a mosque. I am Catholic, as is my family, and


we have had to travel every day to get our education. There are no Catholic secondary schools in Ciitheroe, and have never been, yet we do not moan and demmd. It is my view th a t religion is a per­


sonal choice and I choose to send my son out of town for his religious educa­ tion. Up to five double-decker buses transport our children from Ciitheroe, so there is clearly a need for a school for us, but we have what we have and are very satisfied. If hundreds of children do that five


days a week, then you can get on a bus for your religion and stop getting so worked up about it. There are lots of things that Ciitheroe is short of, but they are never built or founded. We have to accept that we live in a market town and everything is not available.


MRS KRISTINA JOHNSON, by e-mail


I’m glad I chose the


speed awareness RECENTLY I was clocked at 38 m.p.h. in a 30 m.p.h. zone a t Penwortham. I was given the alternatives of a fine and penalty points, or a Speed Awareness Course, which was more expensive, but meant th a t the episode was finished with. I chose the latter and I ’m very glad I did, because I soon realised that although I have been driving for 52 years without any problems, a lot of things have changed in that time, especially to do with the volume of traffic, changes in road signs and the speed of modem cars. The course was held at Burnley Football Club and the morning session was con­ ducted by two very pleasant men who set out at once to make us feel at ease. There was a power point show of the various hazards and how to avoid them, plus questions on going faster.


MRCARTER, BIcasdale Avenue, Ciitheroe


■ ■


' . H ■


' L j Letters to the Editor r i t e to . T h e E d i to r , C l i lh e ro e A d v e r t i s e r a n d T im e s , 3 K in g S t r e e t , C i i th e r o e B B 7 2EW E d i to r ia l e -m a i l : v iv ie n .m e a th@ e a s l I a n c s n ew s .c o .u k ------- Memories of


the past recalled YOUR tr ib u te to Brian Fox recalled earlier days for me when Langho Football Club


- joined the Ciitheroe Sunday School League in 1948, losing three of their first five matches. The club was formed by


Jonny Walker who lived in York Lane. I t was very much a belt and braces affair in the early days with the goalposts being moved from field to field according to the local farmer’s co-operation (or lack of i t ) . These posts were cast iron drainpipes and took some shift­ ing. Their most notable success in


the early days was to win the Aitken Shield in 1949, beating Billington 1-0 when Jackie Hes- mondhalgh scored after a fine dribble with four minutes to play. In la te r years the club


secured the services of Ray Martin, of Clayton-le-Dale, who had been a professional with Wolverhampton Wander­ ers, and Ernie Melling, who travelled every week from Wigan where he had been a player with the Athletic. With such talent at its dis­


White Elephant


will draw tourists! WITH regards to the correspondence from Mrs Wall and Mr Nicholson recently published, I believe that they should have read the minutes of the meeting which are available in Whal­ ley Library before putting pen to paper. 'The facts are as follows. I t was a


meeting of Whalley Parish Council, and Coun. Eric Ronnan (chairman) opened the meeting and explained that the public could not speak at this meeting. I t was then proposed that the stand­


ing orders should be suspended to allow the public to speak, which was agreed by a majority vote. The names of those who opposed this can be checked in the minutes of the meeting. The meeting was held in the small­


est room in the Methodist Hall, attended by 40 members of the public and one member of the press. Due to the confines of the room, a number of members the public were unable- to gain access to the meeting. At the meeting, four members of the


public spoke in favour of the resurfac­ ing of the road and the raising of the pavement and one addressed the meet­ ing with a proposal for private fund­ ing for the development of the bus sta- tion/car park. The alternative plan for the devel-


opmeht was not discussed previously by the parish council although it had been circulated. This was not to be a concrete jungle,


but had areas for gardens and seating which would enhance the centre of


Whalley. Before the meeting this plan was


I V I 4 t V. i t < I t. i ; i


displayed throughout Whalley in shops, notice boards and was pub­ lished in this newspaper resulting in


....................


posal Langho completed a full season in the early fifties with­ out losing a match. Incidentally, Ray Martin


introduced the white ball into the Langho home games some time before the Football League brought it in. I was secretary to the club for


many years and an Advertiser and Times reporter on the club matches, but gave it up when I left the village to get married in 1956. Like Mr Fox’s teams, Langho


had an earlier team called Lang­ ho Juniors, which was formed by Joe Cross in 1943. There was no field available at


Langho so Joe took the club off to Ribchester to play their home matches. ■The team was largely com­


posed of Ribchester players with only two coming from Langho. These were Joe, himself, and


John Bufton who made it through into the second club after the war. Ribchester’s classiest contri­


bution was Mng-half Wilf Mar­ tin, but it also provided Cliff Walmsiey, who is alive and kick­ ing in the village today (a great­ grandfather, no less).


JOHN HILTON, Stoneygatc Lane, Ribchcsicr


1 ' ' , , \ \ \ m


Ciitheroe 422324 (Editoriai), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


www.ciitheroetoday.co.uk


Ciitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, June 23rd, 2005 25


bsSiKi&to-


PICTURED is Lungho F C winners of the Aitken Shield 1948/9 (Shawbridge FC)


Back row: Pat Thistlewaite, York Lane, Langho; Frank Webb, Clayton Row, Langho; John Bufton, Primrose Terrace, Langho; Norman Neville, Baldcrstone; Bill Hepburn, Langbo Colony. Front row: George Warden, Clayton Terrace, Langho; Gordon Price, Brockhall, Langho; Ken Craven, Mellor; Brian Cross, Railway Terrace, Langho; Jackie Hesmondhaigh, Whalley Road, Langho; George Thistlethwaite, York Lane, Langho. Picture by Ralph Wrigley, Salthill Road


the petition, which was signed by 226 people in favour and four against. The proposed car park would have


held 24 spaces for cars, but more importantly would have enabled lim­ ited short stay car parking in King Street, with spaces for disabled drivers outside the bank and post office. The clerk reported that Mr Jagger


at Ribble Valley Borough Council had indicated th a t £75,000 was in the 2007/08 council budget for car parking in Whalley, and this could possibly be moved forward. This is now history, and the bus sta­


tion has now been resurfaced and the pavement raised to allow disabled access, which allows Whalley the pleasure of the latest tourist attraction in the Ribble Valley. Therefore, as drivers drive slowly


through Whalley looking for some­ where to park they can observe the new Whalley White Elephant and the Jolly Green Fountain.


R.BOLSOVER, The Cloisters, Whalley


Invitation to our


university reunion ARE you a graduate of the University of Leicester? If so, the University would like to invite you back onto campus for the 2005 Homecoming on June 25th. There is no need to register in advance, simply turn up for all or part of the day and enjoy a reminder of your student days p d a taste of current University research. There are many reasons to revisit


your alma mater, including renewing friendships and visiting old haunts. This year, graduates will have the opportunity to see the first stage of a £300m. development that will trans­ form the c^pus-physically Md Intel-


lectually over the next 30 years and to discuss vrith experts some of the issues facing the world in the 21st century. Even if you can’t attend, but would


just like to stay in touch, please e-mail the University on the following: alum- ni.relations@le.ac.uk or write to us at the address below so that we can add you to our records and let you know about future events and programmes. Our programme of mini-lectures for


this year focuses on crime and discov­ ery. Topics will include opium addic­ tion in Victorian writing, prehistoric murder in Leicestershire, the new law on magic mushrooms and fraud in the world of art. The keynote address will be given


by Dr Julian Boon, one of the UK’s small group of recognised psychologi­ cal profilers. If you think you know everything about criminal profiling thanks to “Cracker” and the books of Patricia Corwall, Dr Boon will give you a fascinating insight into the real world of a profiler. The day will also include tours of


the campus, a city bus tour, as well as tea at the Botanic Gardens. If we’ve got your attention, you can


contact me by phone on 0116 252 2195, or by email on: alumni.rela- tions@le.ac.iik or check out the full programme on our website a t www.le.ac.uk/alumni/,


KATHRYN WHITEHURST, Alumni Rclalions Officer,


University of Leicester, Leicester, LE17RH


Free service to aid


responsible owners EVERY single day the RSPCA in the East Lancashire Branch area deals with the problem of unwanted dogs and p_uppiffi,.whether dumped m c ^ - .


.< • J ,


board boxes, tied to fences and aban­ doned outside animal centres. Our inspectors also have their work cut out - they see the neglected and injured animals, the drowned, stabbed and starved dogs. Yet, this seemingly endless cycle of


misery could be halted, if only dog owners would do the responsible thing and get their pet neutered. Getting your dog neutered stops your pet get­ ting pregnant or making others preg­ nant. And there are health benefits for your pet too. Testicular cancer can be risk for unneutered, older dogs and females are at risk from an infection of the womb called pymetra if they remain unneutered. Think also of the financial benefits


- dogs injured in fights will need vet­ erinary attention - and imagine the costs involved in caring for an unex­ pected litter of six puppies. Do you know enough people to take on any puppies your dog might have, or would those pups become another RSPCA statistic? I t is a mistake to leave your dog


unneutered - there are already thou­ sands of unwanted animals in animal centres - and getting your pet neutered couldn’t be simpler. The RSPCA has teamed up with


the Dogs Trust to offer free dog neu­ tering for pet owners. The initiative is open to anyone who is on an income- based benefit and living in the Lan­ cashire East Branch area. To claim your free voucher call


01254 231118 for details. Pet owners simply choose a participating vet to carry out the operation, and hand over the voucher they recieve as payment. Getting you pet neutered really is the kindest cut of all.


KEN HARRISON, Branch Manager, RSPCA Lancashire East branch J i . ; . i


-i j a j VV a Your letters. . . • The Editor welcomes letters on any sub­


ject, but correspondents arc reminded that contributions may be edited or condensed, must not exceed 330 words and should reach us by noon on Tuesday. Letters with noms de plume are only


accepted for publication if the editor agrees that there is a valid reason for the writer's identity to be withheld. Letters can be sent by post to the Ciitheroe


Advertiser and Times, 3 King Street, Clithcroc BBT 2EW, via e-mail to vivien.raeath@easllancsnews.co.uk, via fax to 01200 443467 or texted to 07799G9G447. Letters submitted by any of these meth­


ods must, however, include the writer’s name and full postal address.


TV OPPORTUNITY


This summer, we're filming a series for ITV Granada. It wiil feature interesting people that have helped shaped the character of the North-West. Do you


know someone with great tales to tell? Is there an unsung hero in your neighbourhood?


Or maybe someone with an unusual hobby or pastime?


Please let us know! More details are on


www.bakermedia.co.uk


For auftiffiBBWIRMiBilfalls In the


Ciitheroe'


’ Advertiser & T im e s " contact


Jsa Rudgyard oi f


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