2 Clitheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, September 7th, 200606


INSIDE YOUR CLITHEROE ADVERTISER AND TIMES


I Valle}' Matters .. I Village News----- I Letters ................ I Weekendplus___ I Weekend TV ____ I Family Notices .., IReadersplus........ I S p o r t .......... .........


AT A GLANCE...


Martin -best in country - page 4 Class record at show - page 9


Bank raid? No, cycle race - page 12 Susan’s work recognised- page 13


INFORMATION


Duty chemist: Buckleys Chemist, 4 Railway View Road, Clitheroe:: Sunday, noon to 1 p.m. Police: 01200443344. 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: Ribble Valley 01200 429346. Environmental Agency: Emergencies - 0800 807060. Drugs: Local confidential advice and information line: 01200 444484. National: 0800 776600. Ribbic Valley Talking Newspaper: 01200 428604. Samaritans: 01254 662424. Monthly Volunteer Helpline: 01200 422721. Lancashire Rural Stress Network: 01200 427771. QUEST (specialist smoking ce.ssation service): 01254 358095. Ribbic Valley Citizens’ Advice Bureau: 01200 428966.


CONTACT US! News: 01200 422324


Advertising: 01200 122323 Classified: 01282 422331


Family Notices and Photo Orders: 01282 426161, ext. 410 ' Fax: 01200 443467 editor e-mail: vivien.mealh@eastlancsnews.co.uU news editor e-mail: duncun.smith@castlancsnews.co.uk sports editor e-mail: edward.lee@eastlancsnews.co.uk


WEATHER


DUNSOP BRIDGE ■


CHIPPING I


■ SLAIDBURN ■


^ GISBURN ■ CHATBURN


CLITHEROE ■ B WHALLEY


LANGHO B % BLACKBURN B


M'EEKEND WE.ATHER: The rain clouds will clear with bright sunshine forecast. Temperatures will reach highs of lS°c on Saturday and 21 °c on Sunday


SUNRISE: 6-30 a.m. SUNSET: 7-42 p.m. LIGHTING UP TIME: 7-12 p.m.


■ READ ■ BURNLEY B ACCRINGTON


,® WINNERS at Clitheroe Bridge Club on Monday evening were: NS Linda Wilkinson and Janet Gilmour, Kath Hig- son and Ernest Ormand. EW Bill Wolstenholme and Geoff Capstick, Pat Ward and Roy Ward.


On Thursday evening


winners were: NS equal 1st, Jean Martindale and Janet Bailey and Merle Allen and Alasdair Carter. EW Lorna Pimperton and Brian Holden, B. Cuba and John K. Pollard.


GP


Public backing plea for badgers


I continued from page!


which are fitted with a radio transmitter collar, being sent into the sett to corner a badger. The “dig­ gers” will receive a signal from the collar using a hand-held receiver when they dig down to retrieve the dog and take the badger. Once they have got the


badger, the “diggers” may fight it with dogs at the sett or take it away until an organised fight can be arranged. Often these fights are


against pitbull terrier- type dogs and both the dog and badger will receive horrific injuries as a result of the fight. Earlier this week, Insp.


Phil McCarthy, from the RSPCA’s special opera­ tions unit described badg­ er baiting as the “worst act of cruelty” he has ever come across. He fears there may be more inci­ dents taking place in and around the region. “We are urging resi­


dents to remain vigilant for this type of activity and to immediately report incidents to the police,” he commented. “It is a very sick and cruel practice where up two to three dogs can fight against one badger. “This is viewed as a


serious crime and if mem­ bers of the public witness anything suspicious or


find people carrying shov­ els near badger setts, they should call 999 straight away. Insp. McCarthy warned


at no time should mem­ bers of the public approach any person car­ rying out this type of activity. Similar views were


shared by PC Nick Mat­ tock, wildlife crime officer for Ribble Valley, Black­ burn, Darwen and Hynd- burn, who has warned that officers will continue to monitor the area. He commented: “A


number of badger setts across East Lancashire have recently been target­ ed and the police are working in partnership with a number of organi­ sations and continuing to monitor vulnerable loca­ tions. “This is the time of year


when badgers traditional­ ly spend time improving their setts and doing fresh digging. “Badgers are protected


by law under the Protec­ tion of Badgers Act 1992 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it illegal to kill, injure or take a badg­ er, cruelly ill-treat a badg­ er, intentionally or reck­ lessly destroy, obstruct access to, or damage a badger sett, sell, try to sell or keep a live badger, or cause a dog to enter a badger sett.”


Jail term for drugs man lop cyclists pass through town www.clitheroetoday.co.uk clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) ■ .


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


^ "M ® "W ^


THREE months in prison was the penalty imposed on a Clitheroe man found guilty of


drugs charges. Gary Knowles (32), of Park


Street, Clitheroe, who pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to


produce cannabis was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Friday. Another defendant Stephen


Scott (34), of Mitchell Street, Clitheroe, has pleaded guilty to accusations that he conspired to produce and supply cannabis. He will appear at Preston Crown


Court for sentencing on October 6th. The court previously heard how


54 female cannabis plants were found in an attic and locked bed­ room at Knowles’ address. During a search the following month at a unit on Waverledge


Business Park, Great Harwood, more than 500 cannabis plants were said to have been found. A third defendant is pleading


not guilty to the charge of conspir­ acy to produce and supply cannabis. A trial date has yet to be set.


Open verdict on mum


A CLITHEROE woman with a history of depression and mental illness was found hanging from the stair-rail at her home by her daughter. An inquest heard that Gabrielle Davis


(65) had made numerous previous attempts on her life, but had always phoned her husband and told him what she had done. However, the coroner recorded an open verdict on her death because he could not be certain she had intended to kill herself. The inquest heard that Mrs Davis, of


Stamford Place, developed depression in 1999. She was diagnosed as having a hia­ tus hernia, but was convinced she had cancer. Mr Bobby Davis said his wife's father


and her brother had both died of cancer and she had a “fixation” that it would also be the cause of her death. He said that over the years there had


been a number of incidents including over­ doses and wrist-slashing, which had led to Mrs Davis being sectioned under the Mental Health Act on several occasions.


Funeral


THE funeral of popular Ribble Valley landlord Peter Hodgkinson, known to hundreds as “Hoppy”, takes place today, Thurs­ day, at Gisburn Parish Church at 2 p.m. Mr Hodgkinson, who


left the Brown Cow, Chat- burn, last year, died in St Mary’s Hospice, Ulver- ston. The family has request­


ed donations to the hos­ pice in his memory, care of Luke and Mary Hodgkin­ son, the Royal Oak, 1 Main Street, Spark Bridge, Ulverston, (jum- briaLA12 8BS.


National call-up


TWO county cricketers from the Ribble Valley will com­ pete in a national final this weekend. Alex Hartley, of Simon-


stone, who turned 13 this week, and her 12-year-old friend, Nadia Wheeler, both play for the Lancashire Girls Under-13s squad. It won the Northern League, beating “roses rivals” Yorkshire in the process, and went on to beat Warwick in the semi­ finals to reach the final of the national county squad com­ petition. On Saturday, Alex, Nadia


and their Lancashire team­ mates will face Kent in the national final at Loughbor­ ough. See next week’s Clitheroe Advertiser and Times to learn how they did.


Mr Davis said that when his wife had


attempted to take her life before, she had always rung him in time for him to get her to hospital. “I think they were just cries for help,”


said Mr Davis. He said if anything his wife's condition


seemed to have improved in the early part of this year. She had started to leave the house for short walks and did so on the day of her death. Mr Davis went into town were he met


their daughter, Janet, but was only gone for 40 minutes. When they returned, Janet found her mother. There was no note left. The medical cause of death was given


as hanging and coroner Mr Michael Sin­ gleton recorded an open verdict. He said Mrs Davis was aware that her


daughter would be visiting that morning and that her husband would not be gone long. "I don't feel satisfied that I can be sure


she intended to kill herself," said Mr Sin­ gleton.


Hamish heads home?


A CAT which escaped from a cattery in Black­ burn during a break-in could be making its way home to the Ribble Valley. Five cats belonging to


the same Clitheroe family were taken tp the cattery at Belthorn while the fam­ ily went on holiday, but when thieves broke in one of the cats escaped and is still missing. Its owner, Mrs Brazen-


dale, of Bracken Hey, is appealing to local people to keep an eye out for the six-year-old pale ginger and white tabby cat.


which is slim with dark yellow eyes and is called Hamish. It is thought the thieves broke into the premises looking for valu­ able pedigree dogs, but entered the wrong com­ pound and opened the first pen, letting Hamish out. Because cats have a


strong homing instinct, Mrs Brazendale thinks Hamish might be trying to get home. Anyone with informa­


tion about the missing cat can call her on 01200 429051.


Pendle Club winners


BRIDGE winners at the Pendle Club were: Mrs Sylvia Walsh, Mr Brian Holden, Mrs Pat Parker, Mrs Jackie Pilling, Mr Harvey Jackson. New members welcome every Monday at 1-30 p.m. Solo whist winners at the Pendle Club were: Mrs A.


Foster, B. Wood, J. Eastwood, Domino winners: Mrs F. Pye, R. Knight, joint 3,


Mrs M. Parkes, D. Lowe and J. Pye. New members welcome every Friday at 7 p.m. Sequence dancing is held every Tuesday at 7-30 p.m. and line dancing every Thursday at 1-30 p.m.


® A FORMER Read resident has opened a new estate agency. Sara Brown has teamed up with Gina Greenwood and Angie Snell to launch The Dwelling Place. The trio have chosen Padiham in which to base


their business, having bought and refurbished prem­ ises in Church Street, opposite the Cellar restau­ rant. The venture has Ijeen given a massive helping hand from Padiham Life, thanks to a Retail Improvement Scheme grant from the North West Development Agency, the first one to be given out.


by Faiza Afzaal


A STRUGGLING charity, which pro­ vides a lifeline to hundreds of young fam­ ilies in the Ribble Valley, has received a £10,000 boost from a local organisation. Home-Start Ribble Valley, which has


been offering support, guidance and practical help to parents with children under five for the past eight years, has been under serious threat of closure because of lack of funding. The past year has been particularly


difficult for the organisation as it failed to secure funding from Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust and has had to rely on donations and fund­ ing from a number of charity organisa­ tions. But volunteers at Home-Start Ribble


Valley were over the moon when they received a cheque for £10,000 from the Clitheroe-based Lancaster Foundation. The Christian charitable trust’s funding has been matched by an anonymous donor, along with the promise of some further funding from Ribblesdale Chil­ dren’s Centre. A spokesman for the Lancaster Foun­


dation said: “Any family can need extra support when bringing up children, espe­ cially in the Ribble Valley where rural


isolation is widespread and where access to services is limited. The Ribble Valley with its images of green fields and rolling hills belies the fact that it has a much higher than average incidence of post­ natal depression running alongside other issues such as debt, drug and alcohol problems - and sometimes just the demands of twins and toddlers on their parents. These issues are compounded with high living costs and some of the lowest wage rates in the country.” Thanks to this much-needed cash,


Home-Start is now able to recruit more volunteers for its next preparation course. The 10-week course begins on October 11th and will run each Wednes­ day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until mid- December. If any parent or grandparent is inter­


ested in becoming a volunteer, they are asked to call 01254 825955 for further details. Alternatively, they can go along to Home-Start’s annual meeting on October 4th, at noon at the Ribble Val­ ley Borough Council Chamber. “We always rely on donations and


thank the Lancaster Foundation and the anonymous donor for their support,” said a spokesman. Our picture shows children trying


their hands at painting during a recent open day. (A070806/lb)


H riT)T7’r'cnA»T»mDO 4-1_____ 4.___ __ ,


SPECTATORS lined the route as Britain’s premier long-distance cycle race sped through the breathtaking scenery of Ribble Valley. The six-stage Tour of Britain start­


ed in Glasgow on August 29th and ended with a thrilling race around London on September 3rd. Other exciting stages were held


around the North-West, Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the South- East. Stage Two of the race saw 93 elite


riders set out from Blackpool for a 101-mile race across the North West, finishing in Liverpool. The testing route - one of the most


demanding stages of the tour - took in the steep climbs, twisting roads and death-defying descents of the Trough of Bowland, through Newton and across Waddington Fell before drop­ ping into Clitheroe and on to Hurst Green. From there the cyclists raced back


to the coast at Southport and the fin­ ish line at Liverpool 'Town Hall. Hundreds of spectators, many of


them keen amateur cyclists, made their way to the Ribble Valley for the exciting moorland stage, relishing the


opportunity to see some of the world’s top cyclists in action.


. Television crews were also stationed


in Clitheroe to catch the racers as they sped through part of the town, accom­ panied by a fast-moving rolling block­ ade of motorcycle outriders, race mar­ shals and team cars.


Winner of the stage was UK rider


Roger Hammond, who crossed the line in three hours, 54 minutes and 15 seconds.


All but four of the 93 starters fin­


ished the tough stage. At the tour’s exciting climax in Lon­


don, overall winner was Danish rider Martin Pedersen, making an impres­


sive debut in his first year as a profes­ sional. He completed the six stages in a


total time of 21 hours, 51 minutes and 24 seconds.


First British rider home was Russel


Downing, placed ninth overall in 21:54:40. Of the 95 riders who set out from Glasgow, 74 crossed the finish line in London six days later. Full results are available on the


tour’s official website www.tourofbri- tain.co.uk


® See “As I See It” on page 6 ® Readers’ letters on page 12


Lifeline for Home-Start


Drink-driver avoids jail


A DRIVER who was four times the legal drink- drive limit on a Sunday morning in Clitheroe has narrowly avoided going to jail. Anthony Bromley (53),


of Three Rivers Country Park, West Bradford, was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison, but the sentence was suspended for 12 months by Blackburn magistrates. He was also banned from driving for two years after pleading guilty to driving with excess alcohol. The magistrates were


told that Bromley gave a reading of 139 against the legal limit of 35 when he was stopped in Pimlico Road at 11 a.m. on a Sun­ day. Miss Rachel Adamson


(defending) said it was a one-off incident and Bromley was deeply ashamed.


®A RETIRED senior police officer was arrested at his home in Whalley following reports of a late- night disturbance. Former Chief Insp.


Shaun Sumner (52), of Mitton Road, was arrest­ ed when police were ca,lled to his home shortly after 11 p.m. last Thursday. He denied behaving in a man­ ner likely to cause a breach of the peace when he appeared before Black­ burn magistrates and the case was adjourned. Sumner was a police


officer for more than 25 years, four as a Chief Insp. in Accrington.


THE Tour of Britain Cycle Racc, abovc, passc.s over Waddinjj- ton Fell (B300806/1C) and left, the lead pair set the pace on the fell road (B30080G/lb)


Pictures bv BEN PARSONS 1. - ■1 m i


www.clitheroetoday.co.uk


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