14


Clitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, January 14th, 2010?


Coffee event is cancelled


DUE to the adverse weather conditions the annual coffee morning planned for today a t Whalley Golf Club has reg rettab ly been can­ celled and is now re­ scheduled for Thursday, February 4th, at 11 a.m until 12-30 p.m. All the proceeds are for


Breast Cancer Aware­ ness. Ladies who h ave'


already bought tickets will he able to use them on February 4th. The lady captain, Mrs.


Frances Gierat, hopes that everyone will sup­ port them on the new date, subject to the won­ derful winter weather. Another meeting which


has been cancelled is the demonstration a t Whal­ ley Flower Club, due.to be held tonight in Whal­ ley Methodist Church hall. Unfortunately there has been a problem with the heating boiler.


Two schools


' ® Is i f


V t I:


were closed ONLY two Ribble Valley schools were closed this week due to the big freeze. St Leonard’s CE Pri­


mary School a t Balder- stone closed on Monday because of the adverse weather conditions. The road leading to the


I i


school was closed because of the snow and ice, and staff made arrangements to provide lessons on Monday morning, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at the Canberra Club, BAe Systems, Samlesbury. Details regarding the change of location were e- mailed to all parents. St Mary’s RC Primary


School, Sabden, was also closed on Monday because the school build­ ing had no water or heat­ ing and due to the adverse weather. I t reopened on Tuesday.


Appeal for big


freeze photos PHOTOGRAPHS of the Ribble Valley during the big freeze are wanted by librarians a t Clitheroe Library. The library is hoping


to mount an exhibition of photographs th a t cap­ ture the recent wintry scenes and situations. Anyone who has a suit­


able photograph should take it in to Clitheroe Library within the next week. For further infor­ mation call the library on 01200428788.


V ' ■ xVl \ IT’S a case of all play and i ! ' no work al Clilheroc’s Pen-i


;:''dle"PrimarySchool.:.i ’r .^ Youngs^ters at the. school have:_> : been braving the freezing tempefa- ;j tures and making the most of the win- ';


']


»w:,'f ::ter weatheriby.ibuilding'giant snow-i balls, snowmen and even snow chairs ? lheigrdunds around4he scIiooL ■ are some offthe’pupils'i


‘ 'S 'S fc having fun in the snow, fs) *<S!-


■ ABOVE is a photograph of the “Balmoral Park Escape Committee” digging their way out of Knunck Knowles Drive, Clitheroe. The heavy snowfall and lack of salt or grit meant th a t residents had to provide the means of escape for many motorists trapped on the estate - a good example of community self-help. Picture by Jeff Riding.


PUPILS a t Thomeyholme Prima­ ry School in Dunsop Bridge braved th e icy weather to reach th e ir school, which was open as usual after Christmas, despite tempera­ tures as low as -13C being record- ■ edi


Their enthusiasm for school was


rewarded hy tak in g p a r t in a “Grand Snowman Building Com­ petition” to end the week! Year 6 pupils established the ground rules and organised the children into - mixed age teams, their aim being to produce the most realistic snowr man in 45 minutes!


Acting Headteacher Judith Met­


calfe commented: “Powder snow made i t a tough ta sk , b u t.th e pupils were deterinined to succeed, a t the same time as enjoying the snow!” Pictured are some of the pupils and their snowman, (s)


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Jp <- pr


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www.cIitheroeadvertiser.co.uk a . '


Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 01282 426161 (Advertising), Burnley 01282 422331 (Classified)


Clitheroe 422324 (Edrtorial), 01282 426161 (Advertising), Burnley 01282 422331 (Classified)


www.clitheroeadvertiser.co.uk -


Cold snap causes farming nightmare


p yr-—-»• ^ •


FARMERS throughout the Ribble Valley have been hit hard by the ongoing icy weath­ er, w th deliveries of animal feed failing to reach farms. Treacherous conditions on roads


have left many farms cut off from v i ta l deliveries in what is the busiest time of year for feed sup­ plies.


Howard Blackburn, Managing


Director of Clitheroe-based Dug- dale N utr ition, says the current cold snap has proved almost impos­ sible to deal with:


TWISTON is one of several remote Ribble Valley settlements effective­ ly cut off by the snow since before Christmas. As gritters were targeted a t keeping


primary routes open, small backroads were left untouched, meaning tha t many outlying farms and small communities have been left to fend for themselves.


Pupils play


With a thaw ap pa rently under way, some relief is in sight, but it has been a long time coming. Isolation certainly brings plenty of


practical problems, not least the need for fuel, food and other essential supplies, but it also brings a rare chance for reflec­ tion. Twiston resident Jenny Palmer out­ lines some of the problems on our letters


page, but also set down some of her feel­ ings about the snow and being cut off in the following poem, entitled “Waiting for Twilight”. I t accompanies the pic­ ture above, taken by Jenny last Satur­ day: Mid-aflemoon The sun slips slowly behind Pendle casting shadows


The old beech tree reaches up into the clear azure In the distance snow-covered fells tempt us with their deadly spell while the sheep huddle near the hayrack.


Shop reports sledge frenzy


A BATCH of 100 sledges sold like hot cakes on Sat­ urday from a Clitheroe town centre store. David Marsden, owner


of Cowgills of Clitheroe, has been inundated with requests for sledges over Christmas and into the New Year. But manufacturers have


been struggling to keep up with demand, so when Mr


: Marsden secured an order for 100, eager Ribble Val­ ley residents flocked to the


■ Market Place store. The plastic sledges,


which have been as rare as hen’s te e th with many


Jocal businesses failing to get hold of any, sold out in ;; around an hour with peo-


■ SLED GERS have been urged to take care after a Rib­ ble Valley man was taken to hospital by the North West Air Ambulance. On Saturday a t 12.34 p.m., a 31-year-old man was res­


cued from hills near Mellor and flown to the Royal Blackburn Hospital after coming off his sledge. Lymda Brislin, chief executive of the North West Air


Ambulance, said: “No one wants to be a misery but although snow can be a huge amount of fim it can also be dangerous, so children and adults alike are being asked to take extra care.”


pie reserving them from as far away as Colne. “Manufacturers have


been caught on the hop, like everyone else. They cannot make more than 1,000 a day and they have to share them out fairly between all retailers,’’ Mr Marsden explained. “I t’s been manic with all


th e phone calls and requests for sledges. We even had to reserve one for


someone from Colne!” The extra business has


been welcomed at Cowgills, which Mr Mars­ den said had suffered dur­ ing the big freeze with cus­ tomers n o t wanting to venture out.


Mi . ■-i- ‘■€'1


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i “We've had massive problems; not just with farming deliveries but actually getting the raw materials we need, from all areas of the coun­ fry, whether it's north, south, east or west.- “We have no chance of getting to


these farms; we're having to meet farmers with trailers and a lot of farmers are coming to pick supplies


by Alasdair Gill______


up themselves. I t 's completely unprecedented,” he said. With Lancashire County Council


concentrating on keeping main routes clear, farmers are having to clear many of the side roads them­ selves.


“Farmers are up aga ins t i t ,”


added Mr Blackburn. “They are receiving no help, and having to dig roads out by themselves.” Mr Blackburn adm itted th a t


Dugdale Nutrition will record sig­ nificant losses for the winter period, as its staff battle to supply farms. “I t will put 50% on our opera­


tional costs. The costs are stacking up and i t will ce r ta in ly cost us thousands of pounds,” he said. With the Met Office predicting


conditions to continue until the middle of January a t least, there appears to he no immediate reprieve for Ribble Valley farmers. Mr Blackburn said: “It's a night­


mare. I t doesn't seem to get any better - it's been like this since the week before Christmas. But as long


as we keep people going then I'll think we've done a good job. “We haven't had a farmer yet


who hasn't received something, but a lot aren't getting all th a t they ordered.” So far not one member of the 50-


strong workforce a t Dugdale Nutri­ tion has missed a day of work because of the snow. Mr Blackburn said: “All of our


staff have come to work every sin­ gle day, and some of them have travelled some distance.” One of the many Rihble Valley


farmers who has been affected by the arc tic conditions is James Towler, of Grindleton. . He said: “We thought we had


ample feed, but we had to s ta r t feeding six weeks early this year because of the weather. “We ran out of feed for three or


four days because the wagon could­ n't get through. “But we are able to get to mar­


ket; they've kept it running pretty well at Gisburn.”


CLITHEROE Castle from the castle gates. Photo by Stu Rutter (s) Help at hand for residents trapped by snow


HELP is a t hand for anyone in the Ribble Valley trapped by the snow. Help Direct is working to ensure


people in the area have enough provi­ sions to see them through the severe winter conditions. A spok^man for Help Direct said: “We have already been contacted by


several members of the public offering their time and support and have been impressed with how the community has come together to support vulnera­ ble people in difficult circumstances. “However, we are looking for more


volunteers to deliver emergency sup­ plies to residents or offer other practi­


cal support to vulnerable people. “ • Lancashire's "Meals on Wheels"


service is still running despite icy roads. Gary Roberts, Lancashire County


Council's contract manager for Adult Social Care, said: “Despite the adverse weather conditions, the Meals on


Children’s snowman contest


Wheels service will provide a hot meal to every service user in the county who needs one. “Staff from icare Group, Lan­


cashire's Meals on Wheels provider, have contacted every service user who usually receives a hot meal to check whether they still need one. In cases


where they haven't been able to make contact with the service user or their next of kin, a meal was delivered.” Anyone who needs urgent help with


essentials such as food, water, pre­ scriptions or emergency repairs and other related problems should call Help Direct on 0303 333 1111.


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Clitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, January 14th, 2010 15


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