8 CIrtheroe Advertiser & Times, Thursday, February 28th, 2003 Booths chairman
answers critics I WRITE on behalf of Booths to expras my dismay at the level of cor respondence that has recently tahen place centred on an elderly lady vrho vras ^prehended for having selected scods in our storr for hich shr geg DOl i^ d . I am given to understand that vre
have had to caution this customer upon a
pre-.ious occaaon and believe that the description of the recent (hr- cumstancas as put irv our emplovee in theh letter to be inaccurate To this end I fully support the
actions of our staff vrhich vrere carried out vrith due senstivirv and in a res.- sonable manner. Our business is not in a position to favour one member of soner.' over another and I believe it to be incorrect tha t anyone should expect us to anas' customers to shop for gcxxis tvithout pat'ing for them. I have DO personal Imovriedge as to
whether or not our customer has a genuine difiiculrv in this inaance cen tred on either abilitv" to pay or a con dition -which in some ■way has prevent ed her from shopping in an orthodox fashion. 1 should hope, however, that in a situation lilm this, family, friends or the sonal
ser.ices might intervene in order to offer support and assis tance Our company takes immense pride
in apph-ing human values to the ■ray in '.vmch it retails food and drink, both vrith suppliers, customers and staff. In addition, we are diligent in ensuring that customer transactions are prop- erlv- enacted and that a fair and con sistent approach is taken to issues appertaining to non-pajment.
EDWLNJ. BOOTH, Chainnan, E. H. Booth and Co. Ltd
This story is going VING bought the .Advertiser and
to the Minister H-Al
Times late last week, I read the letter regarding the old lady who was caught “shoplifting reduced items” in Booths store. My first reaction was “judge, jury
and executioner”. Both myself, my wife, our next door neighbour and her gardener were appalled at the way that this was handled and obviously so were caring members of Booths staff, NOT Booths. So many people in just three homes,
think Booths approach stinks, but it does not stop there. I also believe Booths are operating double stan dards. Sk months ago I wrote to them with reference to being scalded by one of the ready made meals that they stock. They passed on my complaint to their supplier who wrote to me agreeing to repackage the offending product, but only when present stocks of packaging ran out. Two letters later treminders) and one response from the supplier stating that they had still not run out of the packaging. Wny are they letting their suppliers dictate policy at the expense of their customers’ health and safety? Then we have the visit to Booths
three months ago at approx 4 p.m. mid-week. Three children were run ning up and down the isles, dropping to their knees and sliding apparently totally unsupervised. WTien I got to the tills the mother
appeared from elsewhere and her “lit tle angels” were called. They contin ued to misbehave right through the checkout, not one of them under 10 years-old, yet taking up a parent and child parking space.
vivi’
vr.cfrtberoeadvertiser.co.uk Follow the debate at for that manor anv member of staff Costs are driving
then? Having read and re-read the tetien
what r e e l 's you squarely in the face was the need for sorial sericss to be called. I have some personal experi ence of what shoplifters do. having sponesi a pair in Sain^ny's. Working as a team they took more than £300 worth of goods; both myself and the
sto.ve manageress tried to apprehend them. For my efforts I was rewarded ■with them knoridng me over and had to attend court three times. The woman wbo kno±ed me over skipped bail, did not vjm up to ootmt. only to eventually plead gmlty three weeks ago to six charges, none of them for shoplifting. Her and her partner pleaded guilty to that and were given slapped wrists, even though they had more swag than Fagin taken from most storK in Clitheroe in their car when stopped by the police on their way back to liverpooL I well understand the frustration of n this sort of thing but not
dealing vtit’ on t’
nis occasion. The store should have dealt -with it
tactfully, assessed the situation including the posabilit}- that this old dear had no means of support, posa- bly was making life choices - heat or eat - and called the police and social sendees. One way or another this poor old
dear would have received the help needed. Finally. WTiy not offer to help her shop or would that be against their “chiselled in stone” policis? Booths have made a serious error of
judgment here and I hope that they can bring themselv^ to face up to it. I intend to copy the original letter
to the Clitheroe .Advertiser and my response to the Minister for the Elder ly - 1 \ ^ Lewis MR
H.ARRY JOHNSTON, Rodhill Lodge, BoIton-by-Bowland
I support Booths
on this policy FOR the last two weeks, the story about Booths seems to be a hot topic. I shop regularly at Booths and I
think it's time someone backed their decision up. I believe th a t people should look past what people have said and realise'the facts. Stealing cost the supermarket money. Money which then has to come back through raising the cost of goods, now do these moaning people understand that... I think not. This theft means losses to Booths
and losses to shoppers’ pockets. There is nothing wrong with Booths theft poliev-, a thief is a thief If you cannot afford the costs, shop some place elsa WTiat Booths did was well within pol icy and within their rights. They could have rung the police if
they wanted, but they did not, so this shows common sense. I will continue to shop at Booths despite this because their customer service is as good as it gets in Clitheroe supermarkets, and I suggest people continue to shop there unless they still have a petty grudge against the past event.
HAPPY SHOPPER, Name and address supplied
Write ta The Edhon C5ibeioe.4<berri-^ and Ttmes. 3 Kin? Sreet, CBtberoe BB72EW or e-mail:
ririen.meathgea.sllancsncws.co.uk Wnere was the store manager (or
our E
us out of tO\\Tl THE news of an hl&S coming to Clitheroe could be just what the town needs. Footfall in Clitheroe has halved in
the past two years and yet the land lords and council keep on increasing rent and rates. I ha've loved my shop on the main
street: it is a great location, a great size and a great building, but I just cannot afford the !at«i rent and rates increase. Pvetailers are bring so.ueezed all the
time from all directions - higher rent and rates, highs' electridtv- and bank charges, higher costs from suppliers and yet the public expect lower and lower prices in store. It is ATIRY hard to run a sucoesful independant retail busness in the current chtnate. I love CiithercK and love my busi-
n e ^ I have been looking to relocate for the past year, but the rents ’
nave
gone through t'ne root One property I was looking at increased its advertised rent from £15,000 pa overnight to £24,000. It is currently a charity shop. .-And there has been interest in my
current shop by another famous char ity shop name, one that intends to krep its current location in Clitheroe toa Dos Clithaxe really want anoth er branch of a cha.rity shop, let alone in such a prime location? The more charity shops that move
in (they do not have to pay rates) the higher the rates will be for the rest of us and the less people will come to shop. Clitheroe used to be buzzing with a huge number of e.xcellent inde pendents. I t is what set us apart from many other towns. But I am just one of eight or so businesses in the main street which is closing down or trying to move to cheaper premises. Is Clitheroe going to drown under an abundance of charity shops? I am not ready to quit Clitheroe
just yet and I am currently trying to move to Moor Lane, but I just hope that Homebase and M&S moving into the town could pve Clitheroe the lifeline it so desperately needs. In the meantime I would like to
thank all my wonderful customers and staff who have stood by me through this troubled time. have been beseiged with customers desper ate for us to stay in the town. I t is thanks to them that I hav^ decided to relocate. But landlords and Ribble Valley must be made aware of the dif ficulties facing us small retailers. 1\ithout us the town will go downhill fast.
S.ARACOLLINGE, Sara’s, 37 Castle Street, Clitheroe
Once lost, then
gone forever THE varied responses to the Con trarian article in last week’s letters page have made me realise what an appalling piece of journalism was presented to the reader who willingly coughs up their 65p each week to read about what is happening in
Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) conclusion. Well maybe it has. There
r.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk etters
their local community. Coupled with the .Advertiser’s active promotion of the Grand and its wonderful commu nity facilities, it is these two articles tha t seem to have stifled the St
Marv-’s debate. At the heart of any community
lies a meeting place that is non-judg- mental in any shape or form. A place where you can meet fellow citizens, take part in activities, see a movie perhaps, arrange a private party or go and watch your kids in their Nativity play. I t does not matter where you
work, your choice of footwear is unimportant and nobody makes judgment on your diet! It is a place that you regard as an important part of j’our community, something that you are proud to belong to and somewhere that you want to use as part of your everyday life. It does not matter who funds the
place, it does not matter if you do not want to be a part of it, but it does matter th a t such a facility e.xists for you to use if you so choose. For the majority of tax payers we
have little choice in how our money is spent. If we see that some of it goes to supporting those less fortu nate in a positive manner then we do not mind. If vve see that money is being wasted then we make our point and usually forget about it verv’ quickly. We move on to another agenda. To lose the St Mary’s Centre for
the town will be something that vve will not be able to make good later on down the line. The community will not have its ovvm venue and some of those smaller, less-well-off groups who use St Mary's will have no venue and will probably close. It does not matter if a correspon
dent regards the amateurish nature of the Trinity operation as a key fac tor for the community facility not to e.xist. He failed to point out th a t some of those employed at the cen tre were in supported employment, making a contribution to society and paying income tax. He failed to recognise that if you work within a very restricted budget then you con stantly strive for improvement, but sometimes this is not always possi ble. He failed to recognise that at the heart of the operation were dozens of volunteers who freely gave up their ovvm time to trj' and make the place a success. The operation of the St Mary's
centre was a very diverse task. Har nessing all users’ needs and trying to create a sustainable business while at the same time attracting funding to develop the centre was not an easy task.
Nevertheless, Trinity Community
Partnerships, as a registered charity, continued with all its other projects. The manner in which TCP carried out this work for three years must not go unrecognised. The energy of the chief executive, the trustees and the staff in maintaining the TCP charitable aims and objectives is admirable. Yht we are now left with a sting in the tale from an ill-advised correspondent clutching at straws to create some local debate on a subject that many seem to have accepted as something that has reached its final
are lots of people whom I meet who want to see the St Mary's Centre continue and move on to greater things. There are many who share the
same vision as others to really try to see if we can keep the place alive. There are lots of words spoken, but little action takes place. The question th a t we must now
ask is whether the people of t j | ^ town want the place to continue if so what can be done about it. If the answer is “no”, then fair enough, let the place close and become what ever it becomes. Let us lose a cen trally-located venue for the commu nity and carry on in the certainty that it is likely th a t Clitheroe will never again have such an opportuni- ty.
As this local paper has the cover
age and ears, well eyes, of the local community why not conduct a poll on its website to see once and for all if this is what Clitheroe people really want.' If the answer is “no” then I am sure that the sandal-wearing veg etarian social workers will be silenced and the debate will cease. If the answer is “yes” then at long last somebody may sit up, listen and take some positive action.
D.AVID WALTON, Thorn Street, Clitheroe
Three cheers for a
guardian angel! IN response to last week’s letter regarding the kindness of Sharon Hall to one of your readers, I know Sharon very well and she is a guardian angel to a lot of people and has been to me in the past. I know that if ever anyone is in
trouble or just needs someone to talk to, i t ’s never too much trouble. Hoorah for Sharon!
J.ACQUELINEOWE.N, The Bridge Inn, Shawbridge Street, Clitheroe
Couple’s dreams
left in tatters I AM disappointed because when Clitheroe young lovers had found their ideal first home and were about to seal the deal, their dreams were shattered on Valentine’s Day when they were “gazumped” by “a builder” putting a cash offer on the table. To “the builder” - how can you
sleep at night? To our council - what is being
done to enable our third generation local youngsters to live in their ora to ra and in their o ra home? To our MP - can j'ou help?
N.AME AND .ADDRESS SUPPLIED Your letters. . .
• The Editor welcomes letters oi< any subject, but correspondents reminded that contributions may be edited or condensed, must not exceed 350 words and should reach us by noon on Tuesday. Letters with noms dc plume arc
only accepted for publication if the editor agrees that there is a valid rea son for the writer's identity to be withheld. Letters submitted by any method MUST include the writer’s name and full postal address.
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Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)
Last of winter competitions
THE last of the series of win ter competitions was held at the Ribblesdale Camera Club,
judged by club members Gra- 8Rm Dudley and Raymond Greenwood. Both judges had submitted
entries for the competition, but the order of images was arranged so that neither had to consider their own pictures. In fact, the print section,
comprising 13 entries, was won by Graham Dudley, awarded a maximum of 10 by his fellow judge for “Awaiting Departure” , a picture from the American preserved steam railway line at Durango. Ray mond describing it a perfect composition. Second place was given to
“Window Dressing”, taken in New York also by Graham. This tied with Brian Tillot- son’s “Paradise Found”, a fan ta s t ic beach picture from Northern Australia. Graham had yet another
picture in fourth place: “City Skyline”, this time from Syd ney. Out of the 20 digital projec
tions, Helen F letch er’s “Robin” was a clear winner, while her husband John was
in second place with “King fisher”. A four-way tie for third was
between Dean Weaver’s superb “St Martin’s in the Fields”, a night shot of the famous London church; Les Marklew’s “Pavement Girl”; Trevor Marklew’s “Windows and Shadows” and Brian Tillotson’s “Balloon Meeting”. There was also a good entry
of slides. The winner was club chairman John Bradley’s “Grand Titan, Wyoming”, with a tie for second place between Ken Geddes’ “View through the doorway” and John Bradley’s “Going for it”. Jus t behind was Eleanor Friend’s “A Damn m the Pad- dock” with the same mark as two pictures from Ken Ged des, “Cleaning Up” and “Grooming Macaque”. At Tuesday’s meeting there
was the judging of a competi tion for three related prints and for montages of up to six images. The club welcomes new
members of all abilities and more information can be obtained from the chairman on 01254 822921 or the secre tary on 01200 423474.
9 A selection of club members’ photos can be viewed on our website:
www.clitheroeadverliser.co.uk
Remanded in custody
/
A PADIHAM man has appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with indecently exposing himself to a 19-year-old girl at the bus station m Whalley. Paul Thomas Sweeney
(41), of St Annes Street, was ordered to stand trial at Preston Crown Court and he was remanded in cus tody for the preparation of committal papers. The court heard th a t
after the girl had raised the alarm another member of the public took Sweeney’s picture on his mobile phone as evidence.
• THE thef t of a JOB hydraulic breaker worth £5,000 IS being investigated by police. Raiders gained entry into Simonstone Busi ness Park around 3-20 p.m. last Thursday. Police are appealing for any
one who knows something to call them on 01200 443344, or the free-and-confidential Crimestoppers line on 0800
555111.
• POWER tools worth over £900 have been stolen from a Citroen Berlingo parked in Brook Street,
Chtheroe.They took a Stihl saw, nail gun and two Makita drills. The theft occurred between
9-30 p.m. February 19th, and 7 a.m. the next day.
www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk
Clifheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, February 28th,2008 9 Ancient art causes a few moments of hilarity!
THE art of origami was demonstrated at the February meeting of Clitheroe Lady Farmers. Guest speaker Mr Steven Wat son, of Leyland, said origami dates back 1,200 years. He explained that the art is to fold paper into various shapes like cranes and dragons without using glue or
Sellotape. Members then made a lotus flower and a box with lid, which caused much hilarity. Elaine Marsden thanked Mr Watson for the excellent talk, demon stration and an enjoyable evening. Supper, was served by the Calf’s Head and the business meeting followed. Ruth
Goar and Mary Preston were welcomed on to the committee. Details were given about the county AGM on April 8th at Ferrari’s and names were being taken for the trip to Tatton Park in July. Next month’s meeting will look at aerial views of the Ribble Valley.
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