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Cllthoroo Advertiser & Times,Thursday, March 24,2011


AFTER a short AGM, Ribble Valley Family History Group had a most inter­ esting and very informative talk by Mrs Brenda Hustler on “Getting the Most Out of Ancestry”.


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gave a number of useful and helpful hints on using the research site Ancestiy. Many questions were asked and an­ swered, and afterwards members and visi­


During her screen presentation, she


Getting the most out of Ancestry In April there are two meetings, the first


is on Monday the 4th when there will be a talk on the history and family tree of the Towneley family, and the second one is the following week, on Tuesday, April 12th, entitled “A Mother’s Tears”. Both meet­ ings will be held in Clitheroe Cricket Club, Chatburn Road, commencing at 7-30 p.m.


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tors enjoyed an informal chat over refresh­ ments.


Day Valley shook world of politics


by Duncan Smith


' THE 20th anniversary of a piv­ otal moment in Ribble Valley’s rich political history - and one which rang a national death knell of the despised Poll Tax - has been commemorated at


position, and with a General Elec­ tion looming, the Poll Tax was scrapped soon afterwards. When Michael Carr took his seat in the Commons, outspoken veteran La­ bour MP Dennis Skinner heckled: “Don’t take yer coat off, you’ll not be stopping!” - and he was right. Mr Evans had the last laugh when he won the Ribble Valley


mated the unpopularity of the Poll TaXj they got the message loud and clear from Ribble Valley. Mr Evans was trounced, polling 4,600 seats less than the winner. Liberal Democrat Michael Carr. In the face of such obvious op­


was a fresh-faced youngster from Wales, one Nigel Evans, seeking his first seat as an MP and, pre­ sumably, fairly confident of win­ ning it in what was considered one of the safest Tory strongholds in England. But if the Tories had underesti­


ative MP, David Waddington, was elevated to the House of Lords, it meant a by-election and a welcome chance for the Tories’ political op­ ponents to cash in on their grow­ ing unpopularity, wielding the Poll Tax as their chief weapon. Standing for the Conservatives


stituted by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government, was deeply unpopular, but even after Mrs Thatcher resigned in 1990, her successor, John Major, stub­ bornly clung onto it. When Ribble Valley’s Conserv­


Stonyhurst College. Back in 1991, the Poll Tax, in­


POLITICAL DYNAMITE: the three 1991 by-election candidates from the left, David Brass, Nigel Evans MP and surprise victor Michael Carr beside the new plaque.


Stonyhurst by its Head of Politics, David Ridout, to commemorate •the 20 th anniversary of a by-elec­ tion shock which rocked the po­ litical establishment to the very core. The election count had taken place at the historic college on March 7th, 1991, depriving the boarders of sleep, and the result was announced in the College Li-


was the 1991 victor, Michael Carr, who tried twice more, in 1997 and 2001, to reclaim the Ribble Valley seat he held so briefly, but without success. Nevertheless, the words of his victory speech in 1991 have gone down in political history: “When the Poll Tax is finally put


braiy, sending shockwaves across the UK. Also at the anniversary event


seat at the General Election the following year, 1992, turning his 4,600-vote deficit into a 6,542 ma­ jority and holding firmly onto the seat ever since. He was among those invited to


to rest in the grave, its epitaph will read ‘Here lies the poll ta.\, killed in Ribble Valley’.”


contested the by-election, includ­ ing Clitheroe newsagent Peter Brass, who stood as an Independ­ ent Conservative.and was also at the college to mark the anniver­ sary. Among candidates unable to attend was the late Screaming


A total of nine candidates had


Lord Sutch, of the Monster Raving Loony Party, and Lindi St Claire,


veiled a plaqus in Stonyhurst’s li­ brary to mark the occasion.


events of 1991 by watching archive TV coverage of the historic night. The three candidates also spoke of their recollections, and of the by- election’s national significance and consequences, to members of the college’s Politics Society, none of whom had been born at the time! The three candidates then un­


also known as Miss Whiplash, of the Independent Corrective Part)'. There was a chance to relive the


Vkfww.clitheroeadverti8cr.co.uk Clitheroe Advertiser STImes,Thursday, March 24,2011


Con builder s e n t to


heard Boswell targeted Diane Boothman for two years.


any compensation for the £32,700 she is out of pocket, despite Sean Boswell making an offer to pay £500 a month. Blackburn magistrates


from Multiple Sclerosis apd supporting her husband, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. Boswell (37), of Ewood


At the time, she was suffering I


Park Caravan Park, Bolton Road, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to committing fraud by telling Mrs Boothman he had replaced 150 roof tiles at her home, when he had only replaced 24; by fraudulently making a false representation that all the roof battens were rotten and needed replacing; by fraudulently making a false representation that six cheques made out to him represented fair payment for work carried out by him; and by failing to tell Mrs Boothman of her right to cancel a contract.


jailed for eight months. But his victim will not receive


A PROPERTY repairer who ripped off an elderly Whalley woman has been


prosecuting for Lancashire County Council Trading Standards, said the offences started in January 2008.


Mr Nick McNamara,


from holiday, he called at her house and told her he had replaced 150 cracked tiles, and gave her a bill for £9,800.” The next job was knocking


estimate, but it was agreed he would carry out the work while Mrs Boothman was on holiday,” said Mr McNamara. “The day after she got back


doorstep five montns later, offering to apply a product called Aquaseal to her roof, which would prolong its life and help prevent a full re-roof, which would cost her £23,000. “Again he didn’t give an


work that had been done, but was otherwise occupied with her husband’s failing health,” said Mr McNamara. Boswell turned up on her


some work, and work started the next day. It took two days to complete, and Mrs Boothman was given a bill for £7,300. “She was not happy with the


Bqstvell, who was working on a neighbour’s property. -She asked him to carry out


Mrs Boothman approached


down a chimney and repairing a garage roof, for which Boswell charged £8,750. And in July 2009, he charged


an independent surveyor to inspect the work carried out and he gave a combined price of £13,160 - instead of the £32,700 Boswell had charged. Miss S hauna R i tchie


behaviour was totally out of character and he has always been an honest and hard working man.”


(defending) said Boswell had never been in trouble before and was racked with guilt. Miss Ritchie said: “This


letter, saying that Redearth Street had been demolished, which Blackburn-with-Darwen Council confirmed had happened at the start of 2008. Trading Standards instructed


decided she mayjiave been exploited, and wrote to Boswell at a Darwen address written on a receipt he had gave her. The Post Office returned the


Boothman’s husband was seriously ill with bone marrow cancer,’'said Mr McNamara. Mrs Boothman eventually


another £6,850 for replacing the rotten roof battens. “ By th i s t im e Mrs


Walking the Great Wall


■ through watchtowers and battlements along the Great Wall.


vital in large rural areas such as Ribble Valley, where a casualty in urgent need of medical care might be many miles from the nearest help by land. The air ambulance can access all areas, and the'maximum flying time to the nearest hospital from anywhere in its coverage area isjust 10 minutes. Between them, George and Andrew have raised more


Ambulance is a charity and it costs nearly £4m. a year to keep flying. Every day of the year, it operates rescue helicopters, medically equipped and carrying trained paramedics, to attend topeople with life-threatening injuries or illnesses. The service is particularly


one day repairing the wall on a watchtower, and are hoping to conquer the 1,000 steps of Mutinayu — certainly not for the.faint-hearted! The North West Air


They will lend a hand on su p p o r t in g


and Andrew, of Clitheroe, will be travelling out to China on March 26th, which is Andrew’s birthday, and will have six days’ trekking in breathtaking scenery,


FATHER and son George and Andrew Blenkinship are all set to take part in North West Air Ambulance’s first overseas challenge to the Great Wall of China. George, of West Bradford,


LIKE FATHER LIKE SON: George and Andrew Blenkinship, who will trek the Great Wall of China to raise money for the North West Air Ambulance.


than £5,000 for North West Air Ambulance through sponsorship and various events. George and his wife Sally


raised funds by cycling from Vienna to Prague last October. Andrew said: “We are both looking forward to the challenge and have been


pleased to be raising funds for such a worthwhile cause as North West Air Ambulance.” You can donate online


training hard for iL “We are particularly


at: www.Justgiving.com/ andrew-blenkinship


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