16 Clitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, January 24th, 2008 Sunny walk


for ramblers ON a day which was forecast to be fine and sunny, 19 members of Clitheroe Ram­ blers set out to walk Smearsett Scarr. Starting from Buck Haw


Brow they made their way over access land, only recently available to walk­ ers, to join a footpath which took them to Little Stain- forth. A short road walk led


them to Hargreaves Barn from where, after crossing several fields, they began the ascent of Smearsett Scar. Although the mist fell and


there was some light rain, the restricted view from the top enabled them to look across the valley to the Celtic Wall - destination of a future walk. Returning to the footpath,


they continued down to Feizor where they turned to descend towards the Wharfe and Austwick. From the brow of the hill


they descended to Wood Lane which eventually brought them to Feizor from where walk leader Pat Par­ ro t t had devised a route never previously walked by the group. It followed Brun- ton Lane back to the waiting cars. A follow-up walk in the


same area is planned for next month.


m s m


www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk


Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) Men should wear skirts!


A CONDUCTED tour of Shakespeare’s Globe provided an excellent evening’s entertainment for Clitheroe Speakers’ Club. A newcomer to the club


explained to the 19 members present all the delights of the Globe, providing a vivid descrip­ tion of the old days. A mini par­ liamentary-style debate followed with two hotly contested topics under the spotlight. Members were divided into


“yes” and “no” groups to discuss the first title - should there be professionalism in the Olympic games? After a number of pas­ sionate speeches on both sides of the argument, the opinion was in favour of the “yes” team. The second topic up for debate


was “should English men wear skirts and ladies the trousers?” with one member refusing to stay


bn the “yes” side. One member of the team in favour of the title


spoke with passion about being allowed to wear a skirt, but draw­ ing the line on wearing high heels - drawing howls of laughter from both sides. The “yes” team again narrowly won the day. • Earlier this month 10 club


members took part in the North Pennine Area evaluation contest held in Darwen where Clitheroe was represented by new member Helen Birtwistle. Unfortunately, facing strong opposition from Burnley, Pendle, Blackbu)^/


Bolton and Standish, she did not win. ® The speaker’s club meets


next on February 4th at the Young Farmers’ Club at the Auc­ tion Mart site starting at 7-30 p.m. Anyone wanting informa­ tion about the club should con­ tact publicity officer Ron Loebell on 01200 428488. Clitheroe members are pic­ tured tvith Helen Birtwistle, (s)


Trains will be back on track by Beth Ellison


TRAINS travelling from Clitheroe should be on track after this weekend. Network Rail will be carry­


ing out work on parts of the East Lancs Line to remove various temporary speed


restrictions which have been causing delays to trains. The restrictions had been


put in place to make sure trains continued to run safely while work was carried out. A 20 m.p.h. restriction at


Bamber Bridge will be removed reducing journey times by 60 seconds, but


tracks through the station level crossing will be replaced resulting in the closure of the crossing. Local diversions will be in place. At Blackburn there is a


complicated track layout including several crossovers used for switching trains from one line to another. Work will


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mean track speeds will be increased to 50 m.p.h., saving nearly one-and-a-half min­ utes on a journey times. As a result of the work,


train operator Northern Rail will be replacing their normal Sunday services with road transport between Clitheroe and Bolton, Blackpool North


and Hebden Bridge and Blackpool South and Colne. Passengers are advised to


check their travel plans with the train operators. For more details ring


National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950 or you can log on to website www.national- rail.co.uk.


L J T i GANG leader Capone, eventually


jailed for lax evasion, and dying a broken man with illness-induced dcmenlia in 1947


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


www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk


Clitheroe Advertiser STimes, Thursday, January 24th, 2008 17


Valley man’s fascination with gangsters began with a book


by Natalie Cox A VALLEY man’s obsession with «


res of crime has lured him ateside on four separate occa­ sions. For Waddington resident John


Billington, his trips to America have enabled him to indulge his passion for the gangsters of 1920s Chicago - A1 Capone and John Dillinger. John Kohler’s book “The Life and


World of A1 Capone” is the reason why Mr Billington, together with his wife, Chris, and son David, once spent more than four hours scouring the Mount Carmel cemetery in West


■ iw ' r


side Chicago trying to locate the whereabouts of Capone’s grave. Mr Billington explained: “ I


bought the book around 1970 and then picked it up again sometime in the late ’80s. As I read through I started making little notes about what had happened where and when. I made notes on the various events and then I decided to go and have look a t what was left of these places.” His first visit to America on the


gangster trail was in 1989 when some of the sites he visited included the Biographe Theatre where Dillinger was shot by the FBI and the Lexing­ ton Hotel - the Capones’ headquar­ ters. He returned four years later to


visit more and more places: “By then my interest had grown and I had read various other books on both Capone and Dillinger - a bank robber who was public enemy num­ ber one.” Mr Billington’s 1993 tour took in


Chicago, Indiana, Missouri and Wis­ consin viewing places in much more detail having done more research. Places Mr Billington has visited


during his tours have included the Mason City Bank in Iowa. He described one visit: “My son went to CRGS and took part in an exchange with a student from Iowa. We went to visit his family’s farm and they knew of my interest. While there we went into town to the bank Dillinger had robbed and we were told to go and see Floyd Kafer in the next vil­ lage. He was an 18-year-old tele­ graph boy who was in the bank when Dillinger and the boys burst in with their machine guns. At the time it


m i


MR BILLING­ TON piclurcd


, }


willi Floyd Kafer, an eye witness to one of John


Dillinger’s bank robberies


at school with Dillinger in Indiana, led Mr Billington to discover the gangster’s early fascination with cowboy books. And to satisfy his own knowledge,


Mr Billington also visited the two cemetries where Capone was buried: “A1 Capone was buried twice, first in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in south side Chicago alongside his brother and father, but so many tourists were going along to look at the site that they were all exhumed and reburied in the Mount Carmel cemetery although the original grave stone still exists.” Over the past two decades Mr


was a massive heist of fifty-two thousand dollars - it would be worth 10 times that amount now.” After being shot in the shoulder


Dillinger fled to Wisconsin and pho­ tographs of the Bohemia Lodge Hotel where he stayed are among the many taken and recorded by Mr Billington during his trips, including pictures of belongings left behind at the hotel when the gang fled from the police. On his 1993 trip Mr Billington vis­


ited the site of th e infamous St Valentine’s Day massacre. The actu­ al garage has been demolished and a home for the elderly has been built there. While photographing the area Mr Billington got talking to some­ one who turned out to have connec­ tions with the Chicago Sun Times newspaper and ended up making the headlines in the city for his “inspired travel spree”. He also made contact with a for­ mer detective who he continues to


correspond with who sends various photographs and newspaper reports to the Ribble Valley. On one visit a face to face meeting with Delbert Hobson, who had been


Billington has travelled to America four times on the gangster trail. His next project is to study the life


of Argentina’s Eva Peron in depth and he dreams eventually of follow­ ing her story all the way to South America.


THE site of the


u im A ■ A :


1929 St Valen­ tine’s


Day mas­ sacre where


seven of rival gang boss Bugs Moran’s associ­


ates met ■


their end at the


MR


BILLING’l’ON (CR100108/I)


hands of Capone’s hench­ men


Conference aims to save young lives


A DRIVE to save more young lives on Lancashire’s roads has won the backing of local MPs and communi­ ty leaders. The region’s politicians, police


chiefs, business leaders, education and road safety experts pledged their commitment to take action following a major conference organised by the Lancashire Partnership for Road


Safety. Its core aim is to cut the number


of young drivers and passengers killed in crashes on local roads.


^M o r e than 150 key figures attend- the event at Ewood Park, where


rhey were told of the “Wasted Lives Young Driver Education Pro­ gramme” and shown a new film pro­ duced by the Partnership. I t tells the true and heartbreaking


story of the Hannon family, who lost their son, Matthew (22), in a car


crash. , Many people fought to control


their tears during the stunned silence


as the film concluded. Speaking at the close of the event,


Blackburn MP and Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw pledged to talk further to Ruth Kelly, Secre-


m i


Safety to create the film about their tragic loss and the lessons they have learned in hindsight. Mr Straw said that the film should


be shown to everyone across the country - not just in Lancashire - and invited the couple to Westmin­ ster to meet Ruth Kelly. The importance of education to


bring about cultural change was echoed by many delegates, including senior representatives from the RAC Foundation, Roadsafe, Lancashire Constabulary and Lancashire Coun­ ty Council, calling for measures to embed “the ability to assess risk” in the national curriculum. Student Andy Grayston (17), who


tary of State for Transport, and the Prime Minister. He stated that, fol­ lowing the conference, he would per­ sonally chair a cabinet committee in the near future to bring about the action required to save the lives of young drivers. In his view, three avenues need to


he tackled for success: e changes to the law to place restrictions on new drivers


S a change in the risk-taking cul­


ture of our young people through education 0 and a greater responsibility


taken by the motor insurance indus­ try to change incentives. Mr Straw paid tribute to Black­


burn couple Ann and Terry Hannon for their “extraordinary courage” in coming forward and allowing the Lancashire Partnership tor Road


passed his driving test jus t seven weeks before the conference, said: “The ‘Missing Matthew’ film is very powerful and moving. It tells me not to be stupid. “You think it won’t happen, but it


really does - as it did to Matthew.” John Davies, Project Manager for


Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety, said: “This film could really make the difference between life and death and anyone who works with or lives w th youngsters who w'ill soon


learn to drive, or who have just start­ ed, needs to see this film, which can be downloaded free of charge at www.safe2travel.co.uk Anyone who is keen to know more


about our fuller education p ro ­ gramme, please get in touch on 01772 534 592.” Also at the conference was Ribble


Valley MP Nigel Evans, who com­ mented: “The country is full of peo­ ple th a t think it won’t happen to them! More action is needed and this event has shown that there is now a general consensus for th a t urgent action.” Young drivers aged 17 to 24 make


up just 16% of drivers on the roads in Britain, yet they are involved in 52% of all road deaths. Many of those horrific accidents


happen not on busy main roads, but on quiet country road like those across the Ribble Valley. Pictured a t the conference are


Ribble Valley MP Evans, right. Jack Straw and Rossendale Valley MP Janet Anderson. O See the “Missing Matthew”


film for yourself at: www.safe2trav- el.co.uk


5101;


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