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Local Life - Wigan - March 2018

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<strong>Local</strong><strong>Life</strong><br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Edition <strong>March</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

Water legacy for<br />

Orrell<br />

Pages 37<br />

Health Centre Update<br />

Pages 54<br />

<strong>March</strong> For Men<br />

Pages 56<br />

Chorley Walk<br />

Pages 74<br />

Win tickets to The Beatles Story<br />

<strong>Local</strong> News Motoring Jack’s Tracks Garden Diary Event2Go Home Services<br />

locallife247.co.uk


Ince Hall Avenue, Ince £300,000 Lordy Close, Standish £280,000<br />

A truly impressive 3 bed detached bungalow with a<br />

beautiful open plan lounge diner and a stunning fitted<br />

kitchen set within ¼ acre of land.<br />

Set in a quiet residential close this beautiful 4 bed<br />

detached home with attractive gardens has stunning<br />

open views to the rear over Haigh County Park.<br />

Hesketh Drive, Standish £260,000 Fairholme, A-in-Makerfield £250,000<br />

This modern 4 bed detached offers neutrally presented<br />

accommodation in a private close near the M6, and has<br />

a spacious plot with a generous rear garden.<br />

This 4 bed detached true bungalow occupies a<br />

generous corner plot with gardens to three sides plus a<br />

double garage, and offers fabulous scope for extension.<br />

St Annes Court, Shevington £250,000 Ashgrove Crescent, Billinge £190,000<br />

Positioned in a cul-de-sac off Gathurst Lane, this 4 bed<br />

detached home boasts a magnificent 25 feet through<br />

lounge, large conservatory and a modern kitchen.<br />

Located in the heart of Billinge lies this very versatile<br />

well maintained 3 bed bungalow with a fully fitted<br />

modern kitchen and mature gardens.<br />

a name you can trust


Pemberton Road, Winstanley £180,000<br />

Located on the highly desirable Pemberton Road is this<br />

traditional 3 bed family home with well-maintained<br />

gardens available with no upward chain.<br />

Warnford Street, Swinley £160,000<br />

This impressive and substantial 3 bed terrace, located<br />

near Mesnes Park, boasts charm and traditional<br />

features a plenty, as well as a stunning family bathroom.<br />

Karen Road, Ince £150,000<br />

This modern and stylish 3-4 bed family home, located<br />

within a quiet cul-de-sac, is stunning throughout with a<br />

fabulous kitchen and spacious open plan lounge/diner.<br />

Toulston Road, Springfield £150,000<br />

This well presented 3 bed semi-detached family home<br />

is located on a popular estate and occupies a large<br />

corner plot with a lovely UPVC conservatory.<br />

Lincoln Drive, Aspull £140,000<br />

This 2-3 bed semi-detached bungalow with private<br />

gardens and off road parking is located in a lovely quiet<br />

cul-de-sac in the popular village of Aspull.<br />

Grove Lane, Standish £125,000<br />

This lovely 2 bedroom top floor apartment is situated<br />

on a secure development near the village centre and is<br />

floored throughout. Perfect for 1st time buyers.<br />

www.alanbatt.co.uk


2<br />

Main Street, Billinge - £375,000<br />

This beautiful four bed cottage retains many original features and viewing<br />

really is essential to truly appreciate this stunning family home. Its lovely rear<br />

garden, complete with stone patio, is perfect for al fresco entertaining.<br />

www.alanbatt.co.uk


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3<br />

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Telephone: 01942 583 558<br />

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(FREE parking to the rear)<br />

wiganfiresandfireplaces.co.uk


4<br />

Birthday<br />

shout out<br />

Icouldn’t let this month’s issue go without<br />

a timely plug for the Saturday Breakfast<br />

fundraisers.<br />

Saturday Breakfast is two years old in <strong>March</strong> and by<br />

the time you read this, the organisation will have<br />

donated over £8,500 towards community projects<br />

and groups in Orrell and Billinge.<br />

The concept is simple; Come and have breakfast on<br />

Saturday morning between 9am-11.30 at the Straw<br />

Bale café at Greenslate Farm in Billinge. Meet up with<br />

family and friends if you like and you can even bring<br />

the dog too. Pay a reasonable price (£2.25-£4.95) for<br />

a freshly cooked breakfast with quality produce at<br />

cost price from commercial supporters H Greaves<br />

Butchers and Windy Arbour farm shop, and cooked<br />

and served by a team of dedicated volunteers.<br />

All appetites and tastes are catered for – amongst<br />

the dishes served are the usual full (or small) English,<br />

Eggs Benedict, Eggs Hebridean, bacon and sausage<br />

barms, and even teas cakes for the lighter appetite.<br />

And you can eat knowing that all the profits from<br />

your breakfasts go towards community projects in<br />

Orrell and Billinge.<br />

The amount donated so far has gone to help<br />

transform Orrell station, build a memorial garden,<br />

tidy up Orrell Water Park, perform a theatre show,<br />

buy new tents for the local scouting movement and<br />

much more. It’s a great way of contributing to your<br />

local community and all are welcome.<br />

See you there soon?<br />

Chris Pearce, Publisher<br />

chrisp@locallife247.co.uk


5<br />

In this issue<br />

Water a great<br />

legacy<br />

37<br />

FODMAP<br />

diet<br />

Regulars<br />

24 Class from the past<br />

46 Planning<br />

52 Puzzle Corner<br />

Sections<br />

6 Property<br />

48 Travel<br />

54 Health<br />

58 Legal & Finance<br />

60 Business View<br />

78 Garden Diary<br />

83 Test Drive<br />

98 The Lump<br />

68 Events2Go<br />

77 Pets<br />

78 Gardening<br />

86 Home Services<br />

64<br />

Win tickets to<br />

The Beatles<br />

Story<br />

70<br />

Jack’s Tracks visits<br />

Chorley<br />

74<br />

Test Drive<br />

Audi A4<br />

Avanti 3.0<br />

83<br />

Next issue - April <strong>2018</strong><br />

Advertising deadline - Thursday, 8 <strong>March</strong><br />

Published - Wednesday, 21 <strong>March</strong><br />

<strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> 247 Ltd, Unit 8, Hewitt Business Park,<br />

Winstanley Road, Orrell, WN5 7XB<br />

Telephone: 01695 627 999<br />

Publisher: Chris<br />

Sales: Nicola<br />

<strong>Local</strong><strong>Life</strong><br />

chrisp@locallife247.co.uk<br />

sales@locallife247.co.uk<br />

Editorial: David, Niamh wigannews@locallife247.co.uk<br />

Design: Peter<br />

design@locallife247.co.uk<br />

Distribution: Sally<br />

sallyb@locallife247.co.uk<br />

Accounts: Sam<br />

accounts@locallife247.co.uk<br />

<strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> is published every month and distributed into<br />

the following areas on an alternate monthly basis.<br />

This issue is delivered to 13,034 private homes and<br />

businesses in Orrell, Billinge, Winstanley, Up Holland,<br />

Highfield, Marus Bridge, Roby Mill and Pemberton.<br />

The next issue is delivered to 13,039 private homes and<br />

businesses in Standish, Shevington, Whitley, Appley<br />

Bridge, Standish Lower Ground, Aspull and Haigh.<br />

You can also pick up a free copy of <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> at Sainsburys<br />

or Tesco Extra in <strong>Wigan</strong>.<br />

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither<br />

the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any<br />

party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or<br />

other cause. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced without the prior written<br />

consent of <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> 247 Ltd.<br />

locallifemagazine247 @locallifemedia events2go


6<br />

HARSWELL CLOSE, ORRELL £249,950<br />

Stunningly presented detached family home with<br />

modern conservatory & south facing aspect.<br />

WHITECROFT RD, HAWKLEY HALL £239,995<br />

Exceptionally presented & impressively sized detached<br />

true bungalow in highly prized setting.<br />

PARK CRESCENT, WIGAN £230,000<br />

A traditional Victorian semi-detached family home in an<br />

outstanding location.<br />

HEYES ROAD, ORRELL £230,000<br />

Traditional, bay fronted three bedroom semi detached<br />

house with extension to the rear.<br />

NEW<br />

NEW<br />

NEW<br />

NEW<br />

NEW<br />

NEW<br />

MEADOW VIEW, ORRELL £199,950<br />

Highly impressive three storey home providing 1460<br />

SQFT of light, contemporary living space.<br />

GREENSLATE ROAD, BILLINGE £164,950<br />

A very spacious two bed semi-detached house in<br />

prestigious location by Orrell Water Park.<br />

www.reganandhallworth.com <strong>Wigan</strong> town centre showroom 01942 205555


7<br />

NEW NEW<br />

NEW<br />

GREENFORD CLOSE, ORRELL £155,000<br />

Impeccably presented semi-detached home located in<br />

one of Orrell’s most popular settings.<br />

COBMOOR AVENUE, BILLINGE £135,000<br />

Impressive 3 bed home providing a generous 938 SQFT<br />

of light, modern living space.<br />

NEW<br />

SILVERDALE, SWINLEY £149,995<br />

Superb semi-detached home tucked away in a highly<br />

prized cul-de-sac.<br />

NEW<br />

OXHOUSE ROAD, ORRELL £134,950<br />

Large 2 bed terrace with stylish, contemporary<br />

presentation & separate garden available to rent.<br />

NEW<br />

MAYFAIR DRIVE, HAWKLEY HALL £130,000<br />

Superb semi-detached true bungalow with southwesterly<br />

facing plot & detached garage.<br />

WARRINGTON RD, MARUS BRIDGE £115,000<br />

Newly renovated two bed semi-detached home located<br />

close to town centre and transport links.


8<br />

Glimmer of hope?<br />

<strong>Local</strong>s left shocked following the<br />

closure of Shopmobility <strong>Wigan</strong> and<br />

Leigh have been given a glimmer of<br />

hope.<br />

The service, which started in 1986, closed last<br />

month. However, <strong>Wigan</strong> Council said it is looking<br />

whether a similar service could be provided.<br />

Shopmobility <strong>Wigan</strong> & Leigh had been through a<br />

tough time since <strong>Wigan</strong> Council cut its £100,000 a<br />

year support package to the charity in 2011.<br />

And despite staff agreeing to take a pay cut,<br />

Shopmobility was running at a loss and bosses have<br />

now “reluctantly” decided to close for good.<br />

Focus Insolvency Group, based in Appley Bridge,<br />

has asked to manage the closure of the charity.<br />

A statement from Shopmobility <strong>Wigan</strong> and Leigh<br />

said: “The Trustees of Shopmobility have reluctantly<br />

decided that the service will have to cease trading<br />

in <strong>Wigan</strong> and Leigh as the funding available to<br />

secure its continuation no longer exists.<br />

“Since 2011, dedicated staff and volunteers have<br />

worked to raise additional funds by means of<br />

operating two retail outlets, establishing cafes<br />

in their offices, using eBay to sell specific items,<br />

marketing more aids and adaptations to the public<br />

and working long hours in the two offices. Staff<br />

have also worked for lower rates of pay than when<br />

£10 OFF*<br />

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* On production of this advert; offer expires 17/03/<strong>2018</strong><br />

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Children & pets welcome<br />

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E-mail janemillthrop@yahoo.co.uk<br />

www.millthropcottage.co.uk


9<br />

the council operated the scheme in order to assist<br />

in the financing of the charity.<br />

“However, despite these efforts the dropping off<br />

of sales through the shops, inflation applying to<br />

utility costs and prospective increases in salary and<br />

pension costs this Spring means that expenditure is<br />

exceeding income, with no realistic prospect of this<br />

trend reversing.<br />

“While the directors regret the need for closure, the<br />

requirement on them to trade responsibly under<br />

company and charity law means that there is no<br />

alternative to this course of action. The remaining<br />

funds in the charity should enable it to close via a<br />

Creditors Voluntary Liquidation, which will ensure<br />

that staff salaries, notice and redundancy monies<br />

are paid out.<br />

“With the realisation of the assets of the company<br />

along with remaining funds all outstanding debts<br />

should be cleared.”<br />

Cllr David Molyneux said the council is now looking<br />

at whether a similar service could be provided in<br />

the wake of Shopmobility’s demise.<br />

“Although the provision of mobility scooters is not<br />

a service the council are required to provide, we do<br />

recognise its importance in helping to make our<br />

centres accessible for all.<br />

“We are working with mobility scooter providers in<br />

both <strong>Wigan</strong> and Leigh to see whether this service<br />

can be provided in a different way.<br />

“We will ensure our residents are notified once<br />

arrangements are confirmed. “


10<br />

Tributes to ‘inspirational’ Alan<br />

Warm tributes have been paid to a<br />

Billinge man.<br />

Alan Swift, who grew up on Claremont Road, died<br />

last month, and was known to many for his active<br />

involvement in community life.<br />

Born and raised in Billinge, he lived on Crank Road<br />

and enjoyed sport, was involved in his local church<br />

and also in the University of the Third Age. An ex-Up<br />

Holland Grammar School pupil, he helped organise<br />

reunions.<br />

Alan (left) promoting the 2014 grammar school<br />

reunion with David<br />

Earn extra<br />

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Highfield<br />

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<strong>Local</strong><strong>Life</strong><br />

His former school friend, David Robinson, told <strong>Local</strong><br />

<strong>Life</strong>: “Alan was in the year above me, but we only<br />

became good friends after he offered to help me<br />

organise our big 2014 reunion which was attended<br />

by over 300 ex-pupils. Through this we raised<br />

over £1300 for the cancer charity at Clatterbridge<br />

Hospital, where Alan was receiving treatment. After<br />

that we organised several afternoon reunions at<br />

Gathurst Golf Club, helped Winstanley College with<br />

their Jubilee celebrations, and both of us became<br />

trustees on the UpHolland Grammar School<br />

Education Foundation at Winstanley College, with<br />

Alan taking on the job of treasurer.<br />

“Alan was an inspiration; always wanting to help,<br />

always jovial, and had a really positive attitude to<br />

life. He loved all sports, supported Everton Football<br />

Club and loved watching horse racing. He enjoyed<br />

travelling and spent many breaks visiting different<br />

places in Europe and the UK. It was a mark of the<br />

esteem in which Alan was held locally in that at<br />

his funeral on January 25, at St Aidan’s Billinge the<br />

church was full to overflowing with people standing<br />

in the aisles and rear of the church. Alan’s jovial<br />

nature, helpfullness, and love of life will always be<br />

an inspiration to me.<br />

“I will greatly miss his help and friendship.”


11<br />

Buy two Clarins products<br />

and choose four of these seven items,<br />

plus the beauty bag, absolutely free!<br />

Which four will you choose?<br />

Whilst stocks last, terms & conditions apply.<br />

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Sign up for our latest offers on our website<br />

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01744 894 214<br />

www.expressionsofbeauty.co.uk<br />

161, Main Street, Billinge, WN5 7PA


12<br />

Joanne’s marathon efforts<br />

A loving daughter has taken on<br />

numerous fitness challenges in aid of<br />

The Christie Foundation.<br />

Joanne Platt, 36, from Pemberton, decided to take<br />

on 16 fitness challenges to raise money for the<br />

Christie after the help they gave her dad.<br />

Joanne said: “My dad was diagnosed with terminal<br />

cancer over six years ago and he was told he<br />

wouldn’t reach 60, and last year he had his 61st<br />

birthday.<br />

“He had a heart attack in October last year, but he<br />

is well and he has itchy feet to get back to work.<br />

People are amazed at how he is.<br />

“That keeps me going really because he is keeping<br />

active.<br />

The chemo is more a stabiliser, to keep him as he is.<br />

“This wasn’t just down to my dad’s determination<br />

and positive mind but from the support and work<br />

the Christie do on a daily basis!”<br />

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13<br />

Joanne has already taken on a year’s worth of<br />

challenges, but her final showdown? The London<br />

Marathon in April.<br />

She said: “I felt strained towards the end of last year.<br />

I said to my husband ‘What should I do next? And he<br />

said I think you need a break.’<br />

“My last event was in November, and my next one is<br />

the St Helens 10K on Sunday, <strong>March</strong> 4.<br />

“Dad is a big supporter so he is always on the side<br />

lines and where possible gets involved.<br />

“But with the fact he had a heart attack, we tell him<br />

to take it easy.<br />

If you’d like to donate to Joanne’s fundraising<br />

page, please visit www.justgiving.com/<br />

fundraising/joanne-platt2017<br />

Tell Us Your Story!<br />

<strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> is always on<br />

the look out for news<br />

stories from the local<br />

communities we serve.<br />

Are you raising money<br />

for charity? Are you a<br />

member of a community<br />

group with something<br />

to shout about? Maybe<br />

you’ve got an unusual talent, or have a claim to<br />

fame? If so, let us know and you could be appearing<br />

in the next edition!<br />

Simply email us at wigannews@locallife247.co.uk<br />

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14<br />

ADVERTISEMENT<br />

I’m yourVenus<br />

Venus Beauty Studio has recently<br />

undergone a rather impressive<br />

renovation. More than doubling in size, the<br />

Orrell-based salon is bigger and better than<br />

ever before and mother daughter duo, Donna<br />

and Clare Roughley are excited to invite<br />

customers to enjoy quality treatments in their<br />

newly refurbished salon.<br />

Donna and Clare took over Venus Beauty<br />

Studio more than six years ago. The salon has<br />

always offered the latest innovations when it<br />

comes to beauty but the expansion means<br />

this will now extend to a full menu of spa<br />

treatments.<br />

Included in the modern and stylish refurb, is<br />

a large comfy seating area, a spray tan room,<br />

a separate treatment room for Microblading/<br />

Aesthetics, and three extra treatment rooms<br />

which can be used as a dual or triple treatment<br />

room.<br />

With the extra space upstairs,mini pamper<br />

days will be on offer so clients can relax,<br />

unwind and forget all of their troubles.<br />

The salon is based within GYM ETC at Abbey<br />

Lakes, meaning that clients can make full use<br />

of the spa facilities including the steam room,<br />

sauna and jacuzzi, when booking a spa day.<br />

Robes, slippers and towels are included to<br />

ensure you have a relaxing and comfortable<br />

experience.<br />

Don’t miss out on the Holistic treatments,<br />

Reflexology and Crystal Healing available<br />

at the salon. And for all your intimate<br />

waxing needs, Donna and Clare will have<br />

you swimsuit ready using the techniques<br />

perfected by waxing specialist Kim Lawless<br />

“The Wax Queen”.<br />

As we edge towards the summer months,<br />

some of us are conscious of our lumps<br />

and bumps and so why not get a little help<br />

courtesy of Bioslimming? A Bioslimming body<br />

wrap is £59, a course of 3 is £160, or a course<br />

of six is £295.


15<br />

The salon still has two treatment rooms<br />

downstairs, as well as a double nail station,<br />

and pedicure station, so it’s safe to say all your<br />

beauty needs will be fulfilled at Venus.<br />

Venus offers the original HD BROWS to<br />

customers too. The unique treatment<br />

will ensure you leave the salon with wellgroomed,<br />

HD eyebrows. HD Brows are £25<br />

and maintenance is £20 (up to five weeks<br />

between treatments).<br />

To celebrate the salon’s expansion, Donna<br />

and Clare would like to invite both new and<br />

existing customers to their open day/evening<br />

on Thursday, <strong>March</strong> 1 between 11am-8pm.<br />

So why not pop along and see the improved<br />

salon and take advantage of some of the<br />

great offers which will be available, including<br />

10% off all treatments and huge savings on all<br />

courses. But don’t worry if you can’t make it, as<br />

offers will be running until the end of <strong>March</strong>.<br />

There will be huge savings on a range of<br />

treatments such as the CACI non-surgical<br />

courses, Dermaplaning, LVL Lashes and much<br />

more.<br />

Customers who attend the open day will<br />

be entered into Venus’ prize draw to win a<br />

pamper day for two people with Cream Tea,<br />

and who doesn’t love a prize? Staff will be on<br />

hand to answer any questions you may have<br />

and carry out free consultations or just come<br />

and enjoy a glass off bubbly.<br />

gymetc, Abbey Lakes, Orrell Road,<br />

Orrell, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN5 8QZ<br />

Tel: 01695 624 623<br />

www.venusbeautystudio.co.uk<br />

Emal: venusbeautysalon@talktalk.net


16<br />

Win a Pamper<br />

Package for two<br />

at Venus Beauty Studio<br />

To celebrate the expansion of the<br />

Salon, Venus Beauty Studio are<br />

giving you the chance to a win a<br />

pamper package for two people<br />

just in time for Mother’s Day!<br />

The winner and their guest will receive a 1/2 hour<br />

treatment, with a choice of mini manicure, mini<br />

pedicure, facial, neck & back massage, back scrub<br />

or scalp massage. Tea, coffee, juice & nibbles will be<br />

available and all pamper packages include the use<br />

of GYM ETC facilities, slippers, robes & towels.<br />

To enter the competition, visit www.locallife247/<br />

freestuff and click on competitions and just<br />

answer this question: When is the official opening<br />

of the expanded salon?<br />

The entrant must also follow one of Venus Beauty<br />

Studio’s social media platforms, i.e. Facebook,<br />

Twitter or Instagram and then share the competition<br />

post. Closing date: Monday, 12 <strong>March</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

Employees of families of <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> 247 Ltd or Venus<br />

Beauty Studio are not allowed to enter this competition.<br />

gymetc, Abbey Lakes, Orrell Road,<br />

Orrell, <strong>Wigan</strong> WN5 8QZ.<br />

Tel: 01695 624 623<br />

www.venusbeautystudio.co.uk<br />

Emal: venusbeautysalon@talktalk.net<br />

Time for Mum<br />

Choose from some of our sumptuous<br />

pamper packages and really spoil her<br />

this Mother’s Day<br />

Pamper package 1:<br />

Choice of one 1/2-hour treatment<br />

Mini Manicure, Mini Pedi,<br />

Facial, Neck & Back Massage,<br />

Back Scrub or Scalp Massage,<br />

Tea/Coffee/Juice & Nibbles<br />

£39 per person<br />

Pamper package 2:<br />

Choice of one 1-hour treatment<br />

or 2 1/2-hour treatments<br />

Choose 1 of the following<br />

Full Body Massage, 1-hour Facial,<br />

Full Body Scrub or Luxury Manicure/Pedicure<br />

Or 2 of the following<br />

1/2-hour Facial,<br />

Mini Manicure/Pedicure,<br />

Neck & Back Massage,<br />

Back Scrub or Scalp Massage<br />

Cream Tea<br />

£54 per person<br />

All pamper packages include use of GYM ETC<br />

Facilities*, Slippers, Robes & Towels<br />

<strong>March</strong> Offers:<br />

Caci - 50% of ALL Courses<br />

Crystal Clear Luxury Facial - 30% off course of 10<br />

Fantastic 5D Facial from Paris - 25% off<br />

Dermaplaning from £35.00<br />

Award winning Bioslimming Wrap for inch loss,<br />

detox & cellulite - Buy one get one half price<br />

LVL Lashes - £35<br />

Full set individual Lashes - £30


17<br />

It’s <strong>Wigan</strong> Pier -the musical!<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>’s answer to the Road to <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Pier will be hitting the stage this April.<br />

The new musical ‘Beyond <strong>Wigan</strong> Pier’ is written,<br />

produced and performed by <strong>Wigan</strong>ers showing<br />

that the town has come a long way since Orwell’s<br />

seminal book.<br />

‘The Road to <strong>Wigan</strong> Pier’ celebrates its 80th<br />

anniversary in <strong>2018</strong>, and the upcoming musical<br />

hopes to put <strong>Wigan</strong> on the map and show the town<br />

is a cultural force to be reckoned with.<br />

‘Beyond <strong>Wigan</strong> Pier’ is written by Alan Gregory,<br />

a local music teacher and composer who is chief<br />

executive of Pianos, Pies and Pirouettes. And the<br />

concert debut on Friday, April 27, 7pm will feature<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Jazz Youth Orchestra and a number of well-<br />

known <strong>Wigan</strong> performers, including Olivia Garcia,<br />

Scott Chapman, Chonkinfeckle and Janette Monroe.<br />

George Orwell’s adopted son Richard Blair will<br />

also perform as the narrator in the community<br />

musical at The Edge, <strong>Wigan</strong>. But for the show and<br />

its initiative to be a success, organisers need help<br />

from the public. By supporting the appeal, donors<br />

will see the exclusive concert debut of the musical<br />

at The Edge, a stone’s throw away from <strong>Wigan</strong> Pier. If<br />

the £25,000 target is reached, the full production of<br />

the musical will be staged in 2020. The Arts Council<br />

needs to see that organisers can raise 10% of the<br />

£250,000 funding required for the much bigger<br />

project.<br />

Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/beyond-wiganpier-1


18<br />

ADVERTISEMENT<br />

Loving it!<br />

In this day and age, when all retailers seem to be<br />

generic and faceless, it’s great find somewhere<br />

a little bit different, and Love It Gallery in Billinge is a<br />

unique jewel in the seas of globalisation.<br />

In 2015 Winstanley couple Stephanie O’Brien and<br />

Ian O’Brien moved their thriving Morpheus Glass<br />

business onto the derelict Billinge Garden Centre<br />

site and opened the Love It Gallery and Bag & Bean<br />

café to complement it on the site. A brave move<br />

indeed, and for those well versed in film, it was a<br />

real ‘build it and they will come’ moment. <strong>Local</strong><br />

residents quickly supported the venture and three<br />

years on, the couple now employ 15 staff from the<br />

local area to help them manage the site.<br />

Love It gallery displays a plethora of original<br />

giftware and hand-crafted pieces from designers<br />

and craftspeople, and much of the merchandise<br />

is exclusive to Love It. Visually, the gallery is<br />

extraordinary; high ceilings, original timber frames<br />

and exquisite lighting that shows off the attractive<br />

merchandise perfectly.<br />

The pride of place in the gallery goes to glass<br />

art, handcrafted by Morpheus Glass in an on-site<br />

workshop, from wall panels and splashbacks to


19<br />

bowls, coaster sets and mirrors. Using pieces of<br />

art such as wall panels and/or splashbacks is an<br />

innovative way of creating an interior focal point,<br />

and if the pieces on show don’t quite fit the bill,<br />

you can also commission a piece specially for your<br />

home. See www.morpheusglass.co.uk for details or<br />

ask in-store.<br />

And to round off your visit, why not pop into Bag &<br />

Bean café which has quickly established itself as the<br />

most popular meeting place for miles around, with<br />

its friendly warm welcome and a good selection of<br />

handmade sandwiches and soups, accompanied<br />

by delicious homemade cakes. For those special<br />

occasions, Bag & Bean will serve you a most<br />

indulgent afternoon tea! See www.facebook.com/<br />

BagandBean/ for more details.<br />

Whether you’re looking for imaginative gifts for<br />

Mother’s Day, a unique signature piece for your<br />

home décor plan or an enjoyable get together with<br />

friends or family, do take a trip out to Love It Gallery<br />

in Billinge – a unique destination for all the family<br />

to enjoy.<br />

Love It Gallery<br />

Open: 9.30am-5pm Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm Sunday<br />

Winstanley Road, Billinge, WN5 7XG<br />

Telephone: 01695 622 332


20


21<br />

Security call for St Joseph’s<br />

Insurers for the derelict St Joseph’s<br />

College in Up Holland have<br />

demanded that security is beefed up.<br />

Episodes of vandalism and trespass have caused<br />

“significant” cost and damage to the Grade II listed<br />

building. A retrospective planning application<br />

has now been submitted to West Lancs Borough<br />

Council for extra security fencing at the College<br />

Road site, which has been vacant for 16 years.<br />

Papers submitted on behalf of the site owners,<br />

Anglo International Upholland Ltd also reveal that<br />

talks are underway over possibly bringing the site<br />

back into use: “The applicant is seeking to work with<br />

the council to agree an active use of the building<br />

with associated development, and views this<br />

fencing as effectively an interim measure until that<br />

process has been progressed.<br />

“It is not concluded by the applicant to be a<br />

permanent addition but is essentially a ‘meanwhile’<br />

addition to preserve the building while those more<br />

substantive matters are resolved.”<br />

Sheds<br />

Log Cabins<br />

Workshops<br />

Wendy Houses<br />

Summer Houses<br />

Garden Offices<br />

Free 100% pressure treated<br />

Free erection Free delivery<br />

Up to 48 months low cost finance available<br />

See our show sites at;<br />

Trebaron Garden Centre<br />

Southworth Road, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 0BS<br />

Telephone: 01695 589 207<br />

Avant Garden Centre<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Road, Leyland PR25 5XU<br />

Telephone: 01772 433777<br />

www.solidsheds.com<br />

DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER


22<br />

Debra to help<br />

others<br />

A Winstanley resident is setting up a<br />

peer support group for the disabled<br />

people of <strong>Wigan</strong>.<br />

Debra Baxter, 52, has lived with cerebral palsy all<br />

her life. The peer support group, which will meet at<br />

Debra’s home, is aimed at sharing knowledge with<br />

disabled people, their carers and anyone who is<br />

struggling.<br />

She said: “It’s a life-long<br />

condition that has got<br />

worse with age. But I’ve<br />

had a real life out there;<br />

quite an extraordinary<br />

life. I just want to spread<br />

my knowledge and help<br />

people out.<br />

“Our remit is wide as we<br />

find that people that<br />

struggle the most don’t fit other organizations<br />

criteria and can’t get the help and support they<br />

need. That’s where we step in. We have someone<br />

on the team who understands mental health issues,<br />

and we have knowledge of other organisations too.<br />

“All of us are volunteers and do this because we<br />

want others to have the same opportunities we<br />

have. If someone has a meeting with social services,<br />

they don’t have to be on their own.<br />

“It’s all about living the life we want to live. A lot of<br />

people want to live independently but don’t know<br />

how, and that’s where I want to help.<br />

“We don’t have any premises, but everyone is<br />

welcome in my home for a chat and a cuppa.”<br />

If interested, please contact Debra on 01942<br />

735962; 07834 597302; or email baxterdebra65@<br />

gmail.com


23


24<br />

Class from the past<br />

This month’s Class from the Past is from Abraham<br />

Guest. It’s believed the photo was taken in the early<br />

1960s. Maybe you can spot a familiar face?<br />

Do you have an old class photo you’d like to<br />

share? If so, why not email it to us on wigannews@<br />

locallife247.co.uk


25<br />

£10k for mining statue<br />

A local history group passionate<br />

about commemorating <strong>Wigan</strong>’s<br />

mining heritage with a statue have<br />

been given a £10,000 cash boost.<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Council presented <strong>Wigan</strong> Heritage and<br />

Mining Monument (WHAMM) with the cheque,<br />

bringing them one step closer to their £150,000<br />

target. The money will fund a statue featuring a<br />

miner, pit brow lass and a child, which will sit near<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Town Hall, which was the old mining college.<br />

The group needs to raise £40,000 more to turn its<br />

dream into a reality. If you’d like to donate to the<br />

page, visit www.wiganminingstatue.org.uk where<br />

you will find a link to the group’s JustGiving page.


26<br />

Funding available<br />

Funding for projects or community groups in Orrell<br />

and Billinge is now available from the Saturday<br />

Breakfast Community Fundraisers organisation. The<br />

group, who have donated over £7,000 since <strong>March</strong><br />

2016, now have £1,500 available. Applications for<br />

the funding must be received by 28th February and<br />

you can pick up application form from the <strong>Local</strong><br />

<strong>Life</strong> offices on Hewitt Business Park on Winstanley<br />

Road in Orrell or email Michael Winstanley on<br />

mwinstanleym@aol.com.<br />

Saturday Breakfast is now open every Saturday<br />

until the end of June, and is served at the Straw<br />

Bale Café at Greenslate Farm on Greenslate Road in<br />

Billinge between 9-11.30am. The Saturday Breakfast<br />

operation is run wholly by volunteers and the group<br />

is always looking for willing additions so if you think<br />

that you would like to get involved, email Alison<br />

Butlin on alisonbutlin@me.com or call in to the café<br />

between 9-11.30am on Saturday.<br />

Summer sport<br />

The YMCA Community Bowling Green, located just<br />

off Winstanley Road, opens on April 1, and will be<br />

then open throughout the summer until the first<br />

week in October. The cost for the entire season<br />

is £22 and everyone is welcome to join. For more<br />

details please call Brian Atherton on 01695 622138.<br />

More parking<br />

An extra 92 parking spaces will be made available<br />

from this May at <strong>Wigan</strong> Infirmary. Some concessions<br />

will be available, including to those who are visiting<br />

patients who have been in for more than 14 days.<br />

Looking to target<br />

new customers<br />

in <strong>2018</strong>?<br />

Leaflets delivered from only £24.50 per 1,000<br />

Delivered to areas throughout<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>, Chorley, St Helens & Leigh<br />

Design, print & distribution packages<br />

also available<br />

Call Sally on 01695 627 999 for details<br />

or email sallyb@locallife247.co.uk


27


28


29


30<br />

Property<br />

Now it’s certain the <strong>Wigan</strong> housing market<br />

in 2017 was a little more subdued than<br />

2016 and that will continue into <strong>2018</strong>. Property<br />

ownership is a medium to<br />

long-term investment so<br />

looking at that long-term time<br />

frame; the average <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

homeowner who bought their<br />

property 20 years ago has seen<br />

its value rise by a staggering<br />

197%. In monetary value that<br />

means that the profit made by<br />

the average <strong>Wigan</strong> property<br />

owner over the last 20 years is<br />

£380.78 per month!<br />

This is important, as house<br />

prices are a national obsession<br />

and tied into the health of<br />

the UK economy as a whole. The majority of that<br />

historic gain in <strong>Wigan</strong> property values has come<br />

from property market growth, although some of that<br />

will have been added by homeowners modernising,<br />

extending or developing their <strong>Wigan</strong> home.<br />

Alan Batt<br />

Alan Batt is a member of The Royal Institution of<br />

Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and has worked within<br />

the <strong>Wigan</strong> property market for over 30 years.<br />

Long term bet<br />

by Alan Batt<br />

Taking a look at the different property types in<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> and the profit made by each type, it makes<br />

interesting reading.<br />

If you’re looking at this as a potential first time buyer,<br />

you may be in wondering what your chances are of<br />

ever becoming a home owner. There is hope on the<br />

horizon though, with a number of factors making it<br />

easier for first time buyers to get onto the housing<br />

ladder.<br />

One important factor has to be the building of new<br />

homes both locally and in the country as a whole.<br />

This has picked up in 2017 with 217,350 homes<br />

coming on to the UK housing ladder in the last year<br />

(a 15% increase on the previous year’s figures of<br />

189,690). However, Philip Hammond has set a target<br />

of 300,000 a year, so as housing supply goes up,<br />

demand should ease and house price increases will<br />

probably be tempered too.


31


32<br />

The Council of Mortgage Lenders expects the<br />

number of buy to let mortgages to drop by 34%<br />

from levels seen in 2015. This is because of taxes<br />

being increased recently on buy-to-let and harder<br />

lending criteria for buy-to-let mortgages, which<br />

means I foresee a gradual move in the balance of<br />

power in favour of first-time buyers rather than buyto-let<br />

landlords.<br />

First time buyers will also be helped by The<br />

Chancellor eradicating Stamp Duty for all properties<br />

up to £300,000 bought by first-time buyers in the<br />

recent budget.<br />

Put all these factors together and <strong>2018</strong> could be a<br />

good year for first time buyers to take their first step<br />

on the housing ladder.<br />

The year ahead...<br />

It shouldn’t surprise you that <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

property values are 3.2% higher than a<br />

year ago. Mortgages are cheap, <strong>Wigan</strong> has a low<br />

unemployment rate of 4.4% and the number of<br />

properties for sale in the town has remained limited.<br />

However, moving into <strong>2018</strong>, there will be greater<br />

pressures on people’s incomes as inflation starts<br />

to eat into real wage packet growth, which will be<br />

a strain on consumer confidence. In terms of what<br />

will happen to <strong>Wigan</strong> property values in the next<br />

12 months, a lot will be contingent on the type of<br />

Brexit we have and the impact on the whole of the<br />

UK economy.<br />

The Central London property market will be under<br />

scrutiny in the coming year, and if the banking and<br />

finance sectors are negatively affected with a poor<br />

Brexit deal, then the London market is likely to see<br />

more of an impact.<br />

Over the last 8 years, the Central London property<br />

market has been in a world of its own with an<br />

89.6% increase, so we might see a heavy correction<br />

in house prices in that area. Although <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

homeowners and <strong>Wigan</strong> landlords should be<br />

aware of what happens in the rollercoaster housing<br />

market of Central London, they shouldn’t panic if<br />

prices drop suddenly there in <strong>2018</strong>.<br />

At least we have the Brexit divorce settlement<br />

sorted and, as the UK economy and the UK housing<br />

market are intertwined, it all depends on how we<br />

deal as a country with the Brexit issue. However, we<br />

have been through the global financial crisis and<br />

emerged reasonably intact ... I am sure we can get<br />

through this together as well.<br />

Oh, and house prices in <strong>Wigan</strong> over the next 12<br />

months? I believe they will end up between 0.5%<br />

lower and 1% higher, although it will probably be a<br />

bumpy ride to get to those sorts of figures.<br />

For more of Alan’s tips, guidance and analysis<br />

on the <strong>Wigan</strong> property market, check out<br />

www.wiganpropertynews.blogspot.co.uk


33


34<br />

Czech out Zoe’s challenge<br />

University student Zoe Ball is getting<br />

ready for her biggest sporting<br />

challenge yet.<br />

Zoe, from Orrell, will be taking on the Pedal to<br />

Prague challenge alongside her team to reach<br />

their whopping £12,000 goal. The Pedal to Prague<br />

Challenge is a 700 mile bike ride from Leeds to<br />

Prague, organised by Leeds Raise and Give (RAG)<br />

Society.<br />

Zoe said: “We are cycling as part of Leeds RAG<br />

Society; raising money for Leeds University chosen<br />

charity Candlelighters – a Yorkshireman based<br />

charity who supports the families and children<br />

suffering from cancer. I did a degree in Leeds and<br />

I was a part of the Athletics Society. And I recently<br />

started university again in Sheffield and joined the<br />

cycling society.<br />

“I like taking on new<br />

challenges, I tend to do<br />

something new every<br />

year. I’ve done the Leeds<br />

Half Marathon, Tough<br />

Mudder, and the Leeds<br />

Triathlon, but in the<br />

past I have always raised<br />

money for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)<br />

Association, due to family connections.”<br />

Zoe needs help to reach her £400 fundraising goal<br />

to contribute to her team’s £12,000 target, to help<br />

make a difference to many people’s lives.<br />

Please visit https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/<br />

zoeball1 to help Zoe reach her target.<br />

The unthinkable does<br />

need thinking about<br />

Make sure your wishes are carried out in the<br />

event of your death.<br />

Writing a will ensures that your loved ones are<br />

cared for in the way that you want.<br />

Wills<br />

start from<br />

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Specialists in:<br />

• Wills & Probate • Family Law<br />

• Personal Injury<br />

Call us today to arrange a free<br />

30 minute consultation<br />

Call us on 01942 554 080<br />

or visit www.personalwillservices.co.uk<br />

RJT Solicitors, 117 Atlas House,<br />

Caxton Close, Marus Bridge WN3 6XU<br />

01942 409154<br />

www.rjtsolicitors.co.uk


35<br />

Home improvements<br />

Repay debts/loans<br />

Help your family<br />

Paying for holidays<br />

Top up income<br />

Clear outstanding mortgages<br />

If you are over 55 call David Griffin<br />

for a FREE inital consultation<br />

01204 88 45 45<br />

w: www.release-my-equity.co.uk<br />

e: david@release-my-equity.co.uk


36


37<br />

Water great<br />

legacy<br />

David Sudworth meets the man who helped erase the scars of<br />

industrialisation from <strong>Wigan</strong>’s landscape...<br />

John Harris remembers the day he knew<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> had to shake itself out of its postindustrial<br />

slumber.<br />

“I was travelling home on a train and the chap<br />

behind me told his girlfriend that it was apparent we<br />

were approaching <strong>Wigan</strong> because of the slag heaps<br />

and dereliction – it was hurtful yet truthful.”<br />

This was the reality of everyday life for thousands<br />

in the 1970s. While TV channels beamed out<br />

images in glorious technicolor for the first<br />

time, <strong>Wigan</strong>’s landscape was decidedly<br />

monochrome by comparison. Hundreds<br />

of years of heavy industrialisation had<br />

made the town a thriving centre for<br />

coal production, but at the same time<br />

it had severely scarred its landscape.


38<br />

Orrell resident John, now 64, was one of those<br />

tasked with beautifying the borough.<br />

Originally Pemberton, John grew up on Ridyard<br />

Street and later moved to Marsh Green. He attended<br />

Scot Lane Primary before moving to Gidlow<br />

Secondary Modern, which he left aged 15 without<br />

any qualifications. After four years working at a Lord<br />

& Sharman Ross Works shoemaker’s in Campbell<br />

Street, Pemberton, he got a job with <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Corporation’s Parks Department.<br />

“The double digging was<br />

relentless”<br />

The initiation was a baptism of fire: “I was sent to<br />

Haigh Hall to do ‘double digging’. It was relentless,<br />

no wonder it was actually known as ‘b*****d<br />

trenching’ but I liked being outdoors.<br />

“I started with two guys who had been in prison and<br />

one old seasoned navvy from the building trade. I<br />

was only 19 at the time so it was all a bit intimidating.<br />

“We were among the very first members of the<br />

newly-formed landscape section of the council and<br />

we were the pioneers who transformed that bleak<br />

and often ridiculed<br />

landscape into a<br />

garden city, because<br />

that’s how I saw it<br />

after we became a<br />

huge Metropolitan<br />

Borough.<br />

“In those days, the<br />

parks teams had an<br />

John in the ‘70s<br />

incredible number of<br />

employees; money was literally thrown at us.<br />

“The spoil heaps looked like scenes from a distant<br />

barren planet and could have been ideal settings for<br />

sci-fi films.<br />

“When you look at old pictures, the public parks<br />

looked great, and they were. But they were patches<br />

of brightness on a very grey landscape. It was our<br />

job to ‘colour’ those patches in.”<br />

One of the first projects he was involved with was<br />

the regeneration of the Wallgate and Scholes areas:<br />

“It was around 1975 when we started ‘greening up’<br />

the borough. There were a lot of new communities<br />

being built. Scholes was like a new garden city and<br />

we’d move in once the building works had finished.<br />

It was almost like we were following the builders<br />

Spoil heaps, such as this one in Southern Street, Pemberton, were commonplace in 1970s <strong>Wigan</strong>


39<br />

around the area. There was also a heck of a lot of<br />

tree planting. It’s something we take for granted<br />

now but there are many more trees now than there<br />

used to be. We used to get whips for a few pence<br />

each so if any were pulled up - and there was a lot<br />

of vandalism around at that time - we’d simply plant<br />

another one.”<br />

“It was pure slack... with<br />

clay underneath”<br />

The programme of regeneration was painstaking<br />

work, done over a number of years. In the late 1980s,<br />

attentions turned to making Orrell reservoirs into an<br />

attraction. But the geology of the land, coupled with<br />

its industrial use in the past, proved challenging: “All<br />

the area was mostly spoil; you’d dig into and it was<br />

pure slack. And then underneath it, there’s naturally<br />

occurring builders’ clay. That makes it even more<br />

challenging.<br />

“The streams had to be cleaned and we put in three<br />

control flow dams which are still there to this day.<br />

“The wetlands were really welcomed by the<br />

community and we had a lot of help from local<br />

During the demolition of Scholes in the 1970s<br />

The creation of the wetlands at Orrell Water Park in the late 1980s


40<br />

initial task was to find a ‘Pulham’ expert. However,<br />

this proved futile so I ultimately assembled a small<br />

team to research the work of the Pulhams.<br />

volunteers. The good thing for us was that once we’d<br />

done the basic work, nature took over very quickly.<br />

Within 12 months, wildlife had been attracted to<br />

the area and there were even nests filled with egs. It<br />

was a remarkable transformation.”<br />

These days, John, of Parkside Crescent, runs his<br />

own consultancy business; using his considerable<br />

expertise on projects right across the UK. Thanks to<br />

his work in <strong>Wigan</strong>’s Mesnes Park, John is a respected<br />

authority on Pulham, who are best remembered for<br />

the picturesque rock gardens, ferneries, follies and<br />

grottoes they constructed during the Victorian era.<br />

“Some years earlier I had investigated a ‘lost garden’<br />

of rock scenery and cascades at the edge of the<br />

lake in Mesnes Park. This area had been enveloped<br />

by ivy for many years, but the initial clearance work<br />

by volunteers revealed not only a recognisable<br />

‘Pulham’ rockwork but one of real significance with<br />

noteworthy trademarks. I then worked with a small<br />

team to decide on the best practice for returning<br />

this rock scenery to its former splendour and the<br />

“It was strange to suddenly be in the position of<br />

having to make crucial decisions, but it forced me<br />

to step out of my comfort zone. Before long I had<br />

gathered enough evidence to confidently inform<br />

the restoration of the rock scenery at Mesnes Park<br />

- and true to the style and methods of the Pulhams.”<br />

“It’s a legacy for the<br />

people of <strong>Wigan</strong>”<br />

It’s clear that, even after six years since he retired<br />

from the council, John still gets a massive sense of<br />

pride for helping the area become well-known for<br />

more than positive things than grime and misery:<br />

“There’s a whole generation of people now who<br />

don’t realise what <strong>Wigan</strong> was like at one time. We’ve<br />

got parks and public open spaces which are the<br />

envy of many.<br />

“I travel all around Britain with my work and people<br />

often remind me of how great our Borough is –<br />

particularly the wildlife around the <strong>Wigan</strong> Flashes,<br />

Pennington Flash and Orrell Water Park. It’s a legacy<br />

for the people of <strong>Wigan</strong>. Nowadays, nobody on a<br />

train to <strong>Wigan</strong> talks about slagheaps and dereliction.<br />

It’s all about the sport or going shopping.


41


42<br />

Fundraising event<br />

Regular readers will need no introduction to Kath<br />

Maguire, Edith Berry and Anne Hurst, who have<br />

raised tens of thousands of pounds by hosting<br />

fundraisers for the Macmillan charity.<br />

This fundraiser however, is looking to raise funds<br />

for their church, St Thomas the Martyr in Church<br />

Street, Up Holland. Promising an evening of song<br />

and fashion, the event is held on Friday, <strong>March</strong> 23, at<br />

the church, starting at 7pm. Stalls will also be selling<br />

fancy goods, cakes and vegetables.<br />

To buy tickets, or for further information, please call<br />

Kath on 01695 721038.<br />

Saturday church<br />

St Luke’s Church on Lodge Road, Orrell, is now<br />

open every Saturday, from 10am-noon, to provide<br />

a quiet place for people to go and pray or just sit<br />

quietly. As well as space for private prayer, there will<br />

be information about the church and its activities,<br />

access to the church library where anyone can<br />

borrow books, access to the church book and card<br />

stall, and refreshments. There is parking available<br />

and the event is dog-friendly.<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> bucks the trend<br />

Fly tipping in <strong>Wigan</strong> have bucked the national<br />

trend, new stats reveal. Latest figures from <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Council show a 35% reduction in fly tipping reports.<br />

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46<br />

Billinge<br />

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1 Park Road: To convert garage into a small cattery<br />

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Pemberton<br />

White Lion, 736 Ormskirk Road: Change of use<br />

from Public House to Children’s Day Nursery (ref:<br />

A/18/85049/CU).<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Central<br />

2 Bishopgate: Change of Use of premises to<br />

authentic Thai massage use (ref: A/17/84997/CU).<br />

57 Kenyon Road: Change of use from A3 Restaurant<br />

and Cafes to A4 Drinking Establishment, to include<br />

glazed extension to front and side (ref: A/17/84872/<br />

CU).<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> West<br />

Unit 1, 263 Woodhouse Lane: Change of use to car<br />

dealership, together with the installation of new bifold<br />

door to front elevation (ref: A/18/85013/CU).<br />

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48<br />

Travel<br />

NYC’s the place to be<br />

New York, New York... so good they named<br />

it twice.<br />

Of course, that’s not strictly correct. One refers<br />

to the city, and the other refers to the state, but<br />

nevertheless it’s a place where you can double up<br />

on everything. From the food portions to sheer size<br />

of the buildings, NYC likes to go big.<br />

From its earliest days, New York was linked with<br />

power and fame. It was named after the then Duke<br />

of York, who later became King James II.<br />

It became the gateway to immigrants seeking a<br />

better life in the New World. Today, it’s a city of 8.5m<br />

people. Some experts believe there’s about 800<br />

different languages spoken in the city. Spend even<br />

an hour in New York and you’d swear they were all<br />

being spoken at once. It wasn’t dubbed by the city’s<br />

best-known crooner, Frank Sinatra, as “the city that<br />

doesn’t sleep” for nothing...<br />

As for places to visit, New York leaves you spoilt for<br />

choice. ‘Friends’ enthusiasts from across the globe<br />

can re-enact the TV shows opening credits and frolic<br />

in the fountain found in Central Park. And while<br />

we’re on the subject of the enormous man-made<br />

open space running through Manhattan almost<br />

cutting the city in two, Central Park offers locals and<br />

tourists alike a place to get away from the hustle<br />

and bustle of the big city. Whether picnicking in the<br />

summer, or enjoying a horse-drawn carriage ride<br />

through the snow in the winter.


49<br />

And Christmas in NYC is one like no other. Picture<br />

ice skating at the Rockefeller Centre around the<br />

beautifully dressed Christmas tree worthy of giants,<br />

window shopping (or blowing your dollars) along<br />

Fifth Avenue, scaling the heights of the Empire State<br />

Building and seeing the concrete jungle twinkling<br />

below. You never know, you may have your very<br />

own ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ moment.<br />

More than 15 years have now passed since the<br />

devastating terror attacks of 9/11 but Ground Zero<br />

still remains a place of reflection. The new World<br />

Trade Centre and 9/11 Memorial are living tributes<br />

that honour the lives lost and celebrate New York<br />

City’s resilience.<br />

Travel back in time on Ellis Island and put yourself<br />

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Lovers of the arts must make a stop on Broadway,<br />

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50<br />

And if it’s culture you’re after, put the Metropolitan<br />

Opera House, Radio City Music Hall and the Museum<br />

of Modern Art on your to-do list.<br />

Big kids must make a stop at FAO Schwarz – one of<br />

the oldest and most iconic toy stores in the world –<br />

where a visit feels like a trip to the theatre. And let’s<br />

not forget about the M&M’s and Hershey stores for<br />

all your candy needs.<br />

Why not walk the steps of the Metropolitan Museum<br />

of Art and imagine what your life would be like if you<br />

had a golden ticket to the annual Met Gala rubbing<br />

elbows with artists, fashionistas, and musicians alike.<br />

Language: English<br />

Currency: Dollar<br />

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Beer: $7.00<br />

Cappuccino : $4.19<br />

3 Course Meal: $38.75<br />

NYC Checklist<br />

There are many landmarks in New York that are<br />

beloved not for their exterior, but what they hold<br />

inside. Take Grand Central Terminal for example,<br />

used in many films and TV shows when a dramatic<br />

exit from the city is needed, but there’s so much<br />

more to the beautiful train station. You can eat some<br />

lunch or shop till you drop, but many travellers go to<br />

take in the scenery.<br />

In a city as vast as New York, there are different things<br />

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52<br />

All the puzzle solutions are on page 80 of this magazine<br />

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54<br />

Race against time for centre<br />

Campaigners are in a race against<br />

time to secure a brand new health<br />

centre for Orrell.<br />

Orrell Methodist Church - the preferred site for a<br />

new centre - is set to close on the final Sunday in<br />

May.<br />

<strong>Local</strong> church leaders are now hoping that, before<br />

responsibility for the site transfers back to the<br />

national Methodist Church body, they can present<br />

a case for using the land at Church Drive as a health<br />

centre.<br />

However, <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> understands that the project’s<br />

viability rests on whether local GPs at Orrell Surgery<br />

are willing to move.<br />

If they don’t, it’s been suggested that any funding<br />

set aside for the building would be lost and the site<br />

would be put up for sale on the open market. The<br />

site is widely seen as the only viable location for a<br />

health centre in this part of Orrell.<br />

A meeting between the key players was scheduled<br />

to take place as <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> went to press.<br />

Keith Trencher, of<br />

Orrell Methodist<br />

Church, told <strong>Local</strong><br />

<strong>Life</strong>: “After the end of<br />

May, responsibility<br />

for the church falls<br />

back to the national<br />

Methodist Church<br />

organisation. So we<br />

have until then to<br />

put together a plan<br />

to present to the<br />

national body who can then take it forward. After<br />

May, it would be out of our hands locally.<br />

“Orrell has needed a health centre for 40 years, and<br />

we hope this site can provide it.”<br />

MP Yvonne Fovargue confirmed that she’s held<br />

talks with a representative from the surgery, and<br />

reiterated her call for the doctors to sign up.<br />

As <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> went to press, Orrell Surgery had not<br />

responded to our request for a comment.


55


56<br />

Health & Fitness<br />

Prostate cancer<br />

by Niamh Ollerton<br />

New figures released by Prostate Cancer UK in<br />

early February <strong>2018</strong> found prostate cancer is now a<br />

bigger killer than breast cancer – about one in eight<br />

men in the UK will get prostate cancer at some<br />

point in their lives – meaning the male-only disease<br />

is now the third most common cancer to die from,<br />

after lung and bowel cancer, with one man dying<br />

every 45 minutes.<br />

The research from Prostate Cancer UK revealed that<br />

11,819 men now die from prostate cancer every<br />

year in the UK, compared to 11,442 women dying<br />

from breast cancer.<br />

The prostate gland sits underneath the bladder and<br />

surrounds the urethra, the tube men urinate and<br />

ejaculate through. It is usually the size and shape of<br />

a walnut and grows bigger as you get older.<br />

When cells in the prostate begin to grow in an<br />

uncontrolled way, prostate cancer can develop. The<br />

cancer often grows slowly to start with and may<br />

not cause problems, but in some cases the cancer<br />

is more likely to spread and treatment is necessary<br />

to stop it spreading outside the prostate.<br />

If contained within the prostate (localised prostate<br />

cancer or early prostate cancer) there usually are no<br />

symptoms, but some men may suffer from urinary<br />

problems. These can be mild and happen over<br />

many years and may be a sign of a benign prostate<br />

problem, rather than prostate cancer.<br />

The risk<br />

Prostate cancer mainly affects men over 50, and<br />

the risk increases with age, and the average age for<br />

diagnosis is between 65 and 69 years. Men under<br />

50 can get it, but it isn’t common. But, you may also<br />

have a high risk if you’re over 45 and have a family<br />

history of prostate cancer or are a black man. If<br />

you’re worried about your risk, do speak to your GP.<br />

<strong>March</strong> for Men<br />

Official fundraising events will be held across<br />

the summer months in aid of Prostate Cancer UK<br />

known as ‘<strong>March</strong> for Men.’<br />

On Sunday, June 10, <strong>March</strong> for Men will be making<br />

its way to Wythenshawe Park, Manchester. Walkers<br />

of all abilities are invited to take park in the short<br />

(2k), medium (5k) or long (10k) walk through one<br />

of Manchester’s finest parks. The event site opens<br />

at 10am and the walk starts at 11am. It’s £10 to<br />

register with a £50 suggested fundraising target.<br />

There’s also the Liverpool <strong>March</strong> for Men taking<br />

place on the same day at Croxteth Hall and Country<br />

Park. Again you can take on either the short,<br />

medium or long, walk making your way around one<br />

of Liverpool’s most important heritage sites.<br />

The short route on both walks are fully accessible<br />

for wheelchairs and pushchairs. So round up your<br />

loved ones and register now to help stop prostate<br />

cancer being a killer.<br />

For more details and to register for either walk visit<br />

prostatecanceruk.org<br />

Prostate Cancer UK is the largest men’s health<br />

charity and they aim to help more men survive<br />

prostate cancer and enjoy a better quality of life.


57


58<br />

Financial Planning<br />

Putting the time in<br />

Triggers for market volatility can come in<br />

many different forms - Donald Trump saying<br />

something he shouldn’t, policy uncertainty,<br />

earnings reports, geopolitical unrest. I fully<br />

understand that market swings can rattle even the<br />

most seasoned investors however it is just part and<br />

parcel of stock market investing.<br />

The best time to invest in recent years was 2009,<br />

just after the financial crisis giving a return of 110%<br />

by the start of 2017. But investing before the crisis<br />

in 2006 was not bad either; the road may have been<br />

rougher, but investors still doubled their money*.<br />

Instead of being worried by volatility, be prepared.<br />

A well-defined investment plan tailored to your<br />

goals can help you be ready for the ups and downs<br />

of the market, and take advantage of opportunities<br />

as they arise.<br />

by David K Barton<br />

APFS Cert CII(MP),<br />

Chartered Financial Planner<br />

and Managing Director<br />

Market volatility should be a reminder to review<br />

your investments regularly and make sure you<br />

consider an investment strategy with exposure to<br />

different areas of the markets to ensure that you<br />

match the overall risk in your portfolio to your<br />

personality and goals. Your time horizon, goals,<br />

and tolerance for risk are key factors in helping to<br />

ensure that you have an investing strategy that<br />

works for you.<br />

It’s time in the market, not timing the<br />

market which creates wealth.<br />

Market downturns may be upsetting, but history<br />

shows that the stock markets has been able to<br />

recover from declines and can still provide investors<br />

with positive long-term returns. Take 2015/16 in<br />

the U.S. stock market as an example; U.S. stocks<br />

experienced sharp drops in August 2015 when<br />

China devalued its currency; in January 2016, as oil<br />

prices dropped; in June of 2016, after the “Brexit”<br />

vote; and in the run up to the 2016 U.S. presidential<br />

election. Still, during the 2-year period, the market<br />

was up close to 8% cumulatively.<br />

Attempting to move in and out of the market can<br />

be costly. Studies from independent research firm<br />

Morningstar show that the decisions investors<br />

make about when to buy and sell funds cause those<br />

investors to perform worse than they would have<br />

had the investors simply bought and held the same<br />

funds. It is impossible to consistently predict when<br />

those good and bad days will happen.<br />

The adage goes it’s time in the market not timing<br />

the market which creates wealth. We’re here to<br />

make it as comfortable as possible but the market’s<br />

gains are only there for those who can ride out a<br />

few bumps on the way.<br />

* FTSE UK Private Investor Balanced Index<br />

The value of investments can fall as well as rise<br />

and you may get back less than you invested


59


60<br />

Eggs-cellent gesture<br />

A Pemberton retailer has<br />

pledged to gift a chocolate<br />

egg to every child attending<br />

Pemberton Community<br />

Association’s Easter party this<br />

year.<br />

Land of Beds responded to the not-for-profit<br />

group’s Facebook appeal for donations<br />

towards their Easter celebrations, where 80<br />

local children are expected to attend.<br />

The news was welcomed by Helen<br />

Arrowsmith, chairman of the association,<br />

who said: “Funding is always a challenge, so<br />

we really appreciate every single donation<br />

we receive throughout the year. Our<br />

children’s party is set to be another great<br />

family occasion within the local community,<br />

and Land of Beds’ Easter eggs are sure to go<br />

down a treat!<br />

‘On behalf of the association, I would like<br />

to thank Land of Beds’ managing director<br />

Mike Murray and all the team at Ellesmere<br />

Road, who have only recently moved into<br />

Pemberton.”<br />

The children’s party is set to take place at the<br />

Pemberton Masonic Hall on Chapel Street from<br />

1pm-3pm on Easter Monday (April 2). Admission<br />

to the event is by ticket only; these are available to<br />

purchase from Pemberton Lighting at a cost of £4<br />

per child.<br />

An entertainer and spot prizes will be provided, as<br />

well as lunch for every child with a ticket.<br />

Recently voted Britain’s ‘Retail Family Business of<br />

the Year’, Land of Beds invited junior members<br />

of Pemberton Old <strong>Wigan</strong> DW Band to play at the<br />

grand opening of their store, which is located at the<br />

former Abbott & Smith premises.<br />

Discussing his latest community contribution,<br />

father-of-two Mike said: “My children, who are aged<br />

eight and four, absolutely love Easter, so when we<br />

heard about Pemberton Community Association’s<br />

appeal, my wife and I instantly knew that we<br />

wanted to get involved.<br />

‘Family values are at the heart of everything we<br />

do at Land of Beds, so we are delighted to be<br />

contributing to a local event that we know will<br />

bring a lot of happiness to families in Pemberton.”<br />

Sponsorship opportunities and donations<br />

continue to be welcomed by Pemberton<br />

Community Association. To express an interest or<br />

pledge support, contact Helen on 07925 867070.


61<br />

Nursery plan for former Pemberton pub<br />

A former pub in Pemberton is set to be given a new<br />

lease of life if planning permission goes ahead.<br />

Proposals have been made to change the use of The<br />

White Lion pub to a children’s day nursery, which<br />

will be open from 7am-6pm, Monday to Friday for<br />

51 weeks of the year.<br />

Papers submitted to <strong>Wigan</strong> Council say children will<br />

have access to the ground and first floor and walled<br />

outdoor area to the rear. But the changeover to a<br />

nursery will also provide job opportunities for the<br />

equivalent of 13 full-time staff. Four full time staff<br />

will have access to the secure car park on Major between 7am-8.30am on the large car park to the<br />

Street, Pemberton, and parking is available for 15 left of the building, with short stay drop off and<br />

staff on Church Street car park. But car sharing will pick-ups on Major Street and Worsley Street.<br />

be promoted among staff.<br />

For more information on this planning application,<br />

Parents/carers will be able to use drop off parking please visit https://apps.wigan.gov.uk/planapps/<br />

Out of sight<br />

An Orrell student<br />

has been named<br />

as the UK’s top day<br />

release student by<br />

the Association of<br />

British Dispensing<br />

Opticians.<br />

Rachel Millbank (pictured) from Church Street, has<br />

combined working at Hepworth and Hall opticians<br />

on Ormskirk Road in Pemberton with studying one<br />

day a week at Bradford College. Rachel, who is 28,<br />

recently graduated with a degree in Ophthalmic<br />

Dispensing and was shocked to hear that she had<br />

won the national award, “I was shocked to learn<br />

about the national award but I was very proud of<br />

myself. The course has been hard work but the<br />

achievement makes it all worth it”.<br />

No so sweet charity<br />

Growth in the number of charity shops is hurting<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Council’s coffers. A report to councillors<br />

outlined the numerous issues facing the authority’s<br />

ability to raise revenue.<br />

And although Business Rates collected local can<br />

now be retained by Greater Manchester councils,<br />

rather than going back to the government, the<br />

amount raised is affected by the amount of charities<br />

operating in the borough.<br />

The report said: “An implication for the council is the<br />

increasing number of businesses being classified<br />

as charitable organisations. This classification is<br />

subject to an automatic 80% relief on business<br />

rates with the remaining 20% being subject to local<br />

discretion.”<br />

The report also warned again of the number of<br />

successful appeals against Business Rates, and<br />

warned that was likely to remain the case for<br />

some time: “The council has lost in excess of £5.5m<br />

business rates income since 2010 as a result of<br />

successful appeals.”


62<br />

Business View<br />

can help<br />

How we<br />

by Chris Alcock - CMA Accountancy<br />

CMA provide dynamic, value for money<br />

accountancy services and work alongside<br />

business owners to implement cloud based<br />

solutions that enables them to work efficiently and<br />

achieve their personal and business goals.<br />

Despite all the uncertainties of Brexit, <strong>2018</strong> presents<br />

opportunities for company owners to build their<br />

business and for individuals to improve their<br />

financial position. Here at CMA we can help make<br />

the coming year more successful for you.<br />

For Business Owners we can:<br />

• Streamline your bookkeeping records by<br />

introducing you to cloud based software that will<br />

save you both time and money.<br />

• Show you how to conveniently manage your<br />

finances at push of a button by using your camera<br />

on a smartphone and send receipts directly to<br />

your accounting software<br />

• If you want to focus on growing your business<br />

then why not outsource your bookkeeping to us.<br />

You’ll be surprised how much extra time this will<br />

free up.<br />

• Provide management accounts which will allow<br />

you to plan for your tax payments and see how<br />

you are performing before your year end.<br />

• Help you plan for the upcoming changes being<br />

introduced under Making Tax Digital and the<br />

General Data Protection Regulations.<br />

• Advise business on how pension auto enrolment<br />

will impact their business.<br />

• Act as a sounding board for business owners to<br />

bounce ideas off.<br />

For Individuals we can:<br />

• Ensure that you have fully utilised your tax<br />

allowances for 2017-18 particular in regards to<br />

capital gains tax and pensions contributions.<br />

• Look at salary sacrifice opportunities for high<br />

income individuals<br />

• Advise property owners with buy to let properties<br />

on the impact of the changes being introduced<br />

for interest charges and other deductible<br />

expenses.<br />

Please contact us if you would like to discuss<br />

anything in this article. We don’t make a charge for<br />

an initial meeting and it is a good way to see how<br />

we can work together. So drop by the office on Skull<br />

House Lane in Appley Bridge and we can discuss<br />

these further over a coffee.<br />

Contact Details<br />

Chris Alcock ACMA<br />

CMA Accountancy 39 Skull House Lane, Appley<br />

Bridge, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN6 9DR<br />

Tel: 01257 255521<br />

Email info@handsonaccounting.co.uk<br />

web www.handsonaccounting.co.uk


63<br />

SA deadline<br />

Benefits<br />

AE<br />

VAT<br />

Do you need<br />

help and<br />

guidance with;<br />

SA<br />

Company Accounts?<br />

Auto Enrolment?<br />

Self Assessment?<br />

Cloud-based Software?<br />

Payroll Services?<br />

Call CMA Accountancy today<br />

www.cma-accountancy.com<br />

info@cma-accountancy.com<br />

Skull House Lane, Appley Bridge. 01257 255521


64<br />

Food & Drink<br />

FODMAP diet<br />

By Gemma Dunn<br />

FODMAPs - fermentable, oligosaccharides,<br />

disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols<br />

- are types of short-chain carbohydrates that can<br />

be tricky to digest, and they can wreak havoc for<br />

some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),<br />

a common condition associated with digestive<br />

symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, constipation<br />

and cramps.<br />

They can be found in a wide range of foods, including<br />

certain fruits, veggies, grains and nuts - onions,<br />

garlic and apples are prime examples (though not<br />

everybody with IBS is affected by the same foods<br />

in the same ways). But cutting out, or cutting down<br />

on key culprits can help - and if anyone can vouch<br />

for the effective of a low FODMAP diet it’s Hatcher, a<br />

long-term sufferer of IBS and a sensitive gut.<br />

“It was a light bulb moment of, ‘Oh my God, this<br />

could actually really help’,” the 23-year-old recalls of<br />

her dietician’s suggestion to try the plan, following<br />

years of cutting out various foods to no effect.<br />

“You don’t realise quite how much it affects your<br />

life until after your symptoms have gone, and you<br />

think, ‘Wow, I’m not thinking about when I’m next<br />

going to need the bathroom, or what I’m going to<br />

eat on my work lunch break today’.<br />

Discovering that the information available was<br />

minimal - she recalls initially being handed “a very<br />

uninspiring, four-page leaflet with a big long list of<br />

foods to cut out” - the forward-thinking millennial<br />

embarked on a one-woman<br />

mission to show that the diet<br />

needn’t be restrictive.<br />

She’s since been a pillar of support<br />

for countless others in a similar position, via her<br />

brilliantly titled lifestyle blog, She Can’t Eat What?!<br />

Now, Hatcher’s sharing her insights in her debit<br />

cookbook, The FODMAP Friendly Kitchen.<br />

As well as avoiding processed foods and sugars,<br />

Hatcher devised a menu of simple, healthy and<br />

delicious dishes, that all require no unobtainable<br />

ingredients.<br />

“I’m not a chef, so if I can make them, anybody<br />

can,” she insists. “These 100 recipes were designed<br />

to be that foundation; they’re all completely low<br />

FODMAP, people can tailor them depending on<br />

their personal tolerances, and they’re all really easy.”<br />

A self-confessed chocolate lover, she adds: “It’s<br />

such a cliche, but it is all about balance and maybe<br />

eating healthier on a weeknight and then having<br />

that doughnut that you really want on a Friday or a<br />

weekend. “It’s not a sugar-free diet, it’s not a fat-free<br />

diet,” she concludes. “You can still eat the foods that<br />

you could eat before, you just have to make those<br />

simple swaps, which might actually be better for<br />

your gut in more ways than one.”<br />

Intrigued to give low Fodmap eating a go? Here are<br />

three tasty recipes from Hatcher’s new book to try<br />

at home...<br />

The FODMAP Friendly Kitchen by Emma Hatcher is published by Yellow Kite in hardback, £20.


65<br />

Lightened Up Lasagne<br />

Serves 6-8<br />

Ingredients<br />

1 parsnip, peeled and diced<br />

3 carrots, peeled and diced<br />

1 red pepper, diced<br />

2tbsp olive oil<br />

1kg minced beef<br />

2 tins (each 400g) chopped tomatoes<br />

120ml water<br />

2tsp dried oregano<br />

2 bay leaves<br />

20g basil<br />

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />

2 butternut squash<br />

200g spinach<br />

100g grated mozzarella<br />

Method<br />

In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon of the oil<br />

and saute the parsnip, carrot and pepper until soft.<br />

Add the mince and cook until browned.<br />

Pour in the tomatoes and water and stir in the<br />

oregano, bay leaves and basil. Simmer for roughly<br />

one hour until the meat is tender and saucy.<br />

Taste and season.<br />

Preheat the oven to 180C (gas 4). Peel and cut the<br />

squash into thin slices, as if lasagne sheets. Bake in<br />

the oven with a drizzle of olive oil for 15 minutes.<br />

Once tender, you can get to work on layering the<br />

lasagne, just quickly fish out your bay leaves from<br />

your meat first. In a baking dish, add one layer of the<br />

mince mixture, one layer of spinach and one layer<br />

of squash, repeating until all of the ingredients are<br />

used up. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake in the<br />

oven at the same temperature for 30 minutes, or<br />

until the top is crispy.


66<br />

Buckwheat Risotto<br />

with Macadamia Cream<br />

Serves 4<br />

Ingredients<br />

1 large aubergine, chopped into small chunks<br />

2tbsp garlic-infused oil<br />

255g buckwheat groats (available from good<br />

supermarkets)<br />

80ml dry white wine<br />

470ml vegetable stock or hot water<br />

150g spring greens<br />

Juice and zest of 1 lemon<br />

1/2 small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped<br />

Grated parmesan, to serve (optional)<br />

For the macadamia cream:<br />

40g macadamia nuts, soaked for 5 hours or<br />

overnight<br />

35g sunflower seeds<br />

160ml water<br />

1/2 tsp sea salt<br />

1tbsp lemon juice<br />

Method<br />

To make the macadamia cream, add all of the<br />

ingredients apart from the water into the bowl of<br />

a food processor and pulse to combine. While the<br />

processor is still running, pour in the water bit by bit,<br />

until you reach a thick, cream-like consistency. Leave<br />

to one side whilst preparing the rest of the dish.<br />

To make the risotto, heat the garlic-infused oil in a<br />

saucepan over a medium heat. Add the aubergine<br />

and saute for about 10 minutes or until softened<br />

and starting to brown. Add the buckwheat groats to<br />

the pan. Toss and let cook, ‘toasting’ the buckwheat,<br />

for one to two minutes.<br />

Add the wine, stir and let cook until completely<br />

absorbed. Ladle in the vegetable stock, a little bit at<br />

a time, keeping the mixture at a low simmer.<br />

Each time the liquid is absorbed by the buckwheat,<br />

add a bit more, until you’ve used up all the stock and<br />

it’s been absorbed fully by the buckwheat. Have a<br />

quick taste. The buckwheat should be tender at this<br />

point, but not mushy. Add in the spring greens and<br />

lemon juice and cook for another couple of minutes.<br />

Take the pan off the heat and stir the macadamia<br />

cream.<br />

Divide into bowls and serve topped with parsley,<br />

lemon zest, and a little parmesan, if you like.


67<br />

Mother’s Day<br />

at Holland Hall<br />

Sunday 11th <strong>March</strong> from 12 noon to 6pm<br />

3 course meal created by our Head Chef<br />

Set in our Newly Refurbished Garden Suite<br />

Adults £19.95, Children £9.95*<br />

*3 course half portion Mother’s Day Menu or children’s menu<br />

Every Mum receives a gift on the Day!<br />

Bookings now being taken - contact the Holland Hall Events Team<br />

T: 01695 624426 E: info@hollandhallhotel.co.uk<br />

Check out our Taste Test review by <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong><br />

in the West Lancashire, February edition<br />

www.locallife247.co.uk<br />

The Perfect Wedding Day<br />

Holland Hall Hotel is set in private grounds of the Historic Village of Upholland. The<br />

Original Manor House dates back to 1654 offering original features such as open<br />

fireplace and original beams.<br />

The Contemporary Garden & Terrace Wedding Suites offer a modern setting<br />

leading onto a private garden patio. The Suites are also licensed for Wedding<br />

Ceremonies including the Garden Pergoda.<br />

Perfect Wedding Day Package £5495<br />

Please contact Holland Hall Wedding Co-ordinator Karen Caddock<br />

to arrange an appointment to discuss your Perfect Day<br />

HOLLAND HALL<br />

HOTEL<br />

Holland Hall Hotel<br />

Lafford Lane, Up Holland,<br />

WN5 OQZ<br />

info@hollandhallhotel.co.uk<br />

01695 624426


68<br />

Upload your event for FREE at<br />

www.locallife247.co.uk/events<br />

Follow us on Facebook<br />

events2go<br />

Racing Scholarship Qualifier<br />

Sunday, February 25, 9am-7pm<br />

You could become a racing driver in <strong>2018</strong>. You’ll<br />

race a fully funded season in the National Formula<br />

Ford Championship plus a testing programme by<br />

driving on the simulators at Three Sisters Circuit,<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>. Book at www.jmrscholarship.co.uk to secure<br />

your place in advance.<br />

Three Sisters Circuit, Three Sisters Road, Ashton in<br />

Makerfield, WN4 8DD. Tel: 01942 719030<br />

Audience with Murder<br />

Wed Feb 28, 7.30pm to Sat, Mar 10, 7.30pm<br />

It’s been called ‘A Russian doll of a play’, as layer<br />

after layer, it moves from a seemingly innocuous<br />

domestic play, through a murder mystery, to an<br />

unexpected climax. Tickets and info from www.<br />

wiganlittletheatre.co.uk/performances/audiencewith-murder/<br />

*The play contains strong language.*<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Little Theatre, Crompton Street, <strong>Wigan</strong>,<br />

WN1 3SL. Tel: 01942 242561<br />

Tallula Vintage<br />

Thursday, <strong>March</strong> 1, 4pm-11pm<br />

Tallula Vintage specialises in one-off garments,<br />

accessories, retro style pieces and hand-made<br />

clothing. Tallula pride themselves on being unique<br />

with a collection of clothing from all over the globe.<br />

Free event, but register interest at www.eventbrite.<br />

co.uk/e/tallula-vintage-tickets-41943573357<br />

The Bailiff Bar, The Old Courts, Crawford Street,<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>, WN1 1NA. Tel: 01942 834747<br />

60’s Charity Night<br />

Friday, <strong>March</strong> 2, 7.30pm<br />

Enjoy a 60’s themed charity night with food, fun,<br />

a raffle and auction. <strong>Local</strong> band T’OTHERS will be<br />

performing all night. All proceeds will go to the<br />

Storehouse Project, a local charity helping the<br />

most vulnerable in our community. For tickets call<br />

07816623612<br />

St Judes Social Club, Poolstock Lane, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN3<br />

5JE. Tel: 01942 241401<br />

Pink Floydian<br />

Saturday, <strong>March</strong> 3, doors open 7pm, starts 9pm<br />

Pink Floydian is one of the most authentic Pink Floyd<br />

tribute bands playing their inconic songs including<br />

“Shine on you crazy diamond” and “A Great Gig in<br />

the Sky.” To book the band call Ian on 07427 611 957<br />

or email info@pinkfloydian.com Tickets are £8.80<br />

(incl. booking fee) www.seetickets.com<br />

The E Rooms, 14 Westgate, Skelmersdale, WN8<br />

8AZ. Tel: 01695 731016<br />

Junkhouse Dog Blues Band<br />

Saturday, <strong>March</strong> 3, 7.30pm-11.30pm<br />

The Manchester-based Blues Band was founded<br />

and fronted by British Blues Harmonica Champion<br />

Luke Shaw. Junkhouse Dog mixes shuffles and<br />

electric swing with vintage Chicago style grit.<br />

Tickets are £8 in advance www.eventbrite.co.uk or<br />

£10 on the door.<br />

The Bailiff Bar, The Old Courts, Crawford Street,<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>, WN1 1NA. Tel: 01942 834747


69<br />

Stay & Play - <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Monday, <strong>March</strong> 5, 5pm-7pm<br />

Free Stay & Play for children with additional needs<br />

and their siblings. Come have a coffee and a chat<br />

while the kids play! No need to book. First Monday<br />

of the month (term time only).<br />

Hop, Skip & Jump, <strong>Wigan</strong> Youth Zone, Parsons<br />

Walk, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN1 1RU. Tel: 01942 807373<br />

Ladies Luncheon & Fashion<br />

Thursday, <strong>March</strong> 8, doors open from 11.30am<br />

Ladies luncheon with fashion show by Barbara’s of<br />

Standish. The event has been organised by <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Flower Club. Tickets are £28 each and can be<br />

purchased by calling Barbara’s of Standish on 01257<br />

425480.<br />

Ashfield House, Ashfield Park Drive, Standish,<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>, WN6 0EQ. Tel: 01257 473500<br />

Martin Taylor MBE<br />

Thursday, <strong>March</strong> 8, 7.30pm-11.30pm<br />

Solo Jazz guitarist, self-taught since the age<br />

of 4 Martin Taylor MBE has made a mark in the<br />

industry. The Grammy nominated, virtuoso player<br />

and composer, has a 50 year career with 14 British<br />

Jazz Awards and multiple collaborations including<br />

Jeff Beck, Tommy Emmanuel, George Harrison,<br />

and Dianne Schuur. Tickets are £20 on the door or<br />

£18.98 in advance www.eventbrite.co.uk Over 14’s<br />

by an adult.<br />

The Theatre, The Old Courts, Crawford Street,<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>, WN1 1NA. Tel: 01942 834747<br />

The GMP Band<br />

Friday, <strong>March</strong> 9, 7.30pm-11pm<br />

St John Rigby College is pleased to welcome back<br />

the GMP Band for the third year! It’ll be an evening<br />

filled with pop, soul and funk! Free entry.<br />

St John Rigby College, Gathurst Road, Orell, WN5<br />

0LJ. Tel: 01942 214797<br />

Pizza & Pint night<br />

Friday, <strong>March</strong> 9, 6pm-10pm<br />

An evening of artisan pizza and craft beers. Slow<br />

proved sourdough wood fired artisan pizza from<br />

the vintage horse trailer. The beer sommelier<br />

carefully pairs each menu with a selection of craft<br />

beer along with a selection of gins and fine wines.<br />

Two Left Feet Tap, Kitchen Courtyard, Haigh<br />

Woodland Park, WN2 1PE. Tel: 01942 828 280<br />

Night at the Races<br />

Saturday, <strong>March</strong> 10, 7pm-11.59pm<br />

Everyone’s a winner at this race night. You can<br />

buy horses with the owners of the winning horses<br />

winning prizes, have a bet and win pennies galore,<br />

as well as lots of fun and games.<br />

Honeysuckle Inn, 75 Pool Street, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN3 5BT.<br />

Tel: 01942 241551<br />

Artisan Market<br />

Saturday, <strong>March</strong> 10, 10am-4pm<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Auction House on Miry Lane <strong>Wigan</strong> has<br />

announced a new monthly market day on the<br />

second Saturday of each month. There’ll be stall<br />

holders selling organic meat and dairy, artisan<br />

pies and cakes, arts and crafts, bespoke children’s’<br />

clothes, vintage traders and more. Free entry.<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Auction House, Miry Lane, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN6<br />

7TG. Tel: 01942 230460<br />

Rio Carnival in Liverpool<br />

Friday, <strong>March</strong> 16, 10pm to Saturday, <strong>March</strong> 17, 4am<br />

There’ll be Latin parade performers, Carnival<br />

Samba with infamous Rio beats and rhythms and<br />

international DJ’s. As well as a range of South<br />

American Street food stalls, Brazilian beers, and a<br />

face paint artist. Find out all you need to know at<br />

www.facebook.com/events/510369545981463/<br />

Liverpool


70<br />

Competition<br />

The award-winning ‘The Beatles Story’ is the world’s largest permanent<br />

exhibition purely devoted to telling the story of The Beatles’ rise to fame and<br />

<strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> has three pairs of tickets for The Beatles Story to give away in our latest<br />

competition.<br />

Located in the Fab Four’s hometown of Liverpool on the stunning UNESCO World<br />

heritage waterfront at the Albert Dock, The Beatles Story takes visitors on an<br />

immersive journey through the lives, times, culture and music of the world’s greatest<br />

band.<br />

Join The Beatles on their journey; first conquering Liverpool, and then the world,<br />

through recreations of key locations from the band’s career including The Casbah<br />

Club, The Cavern Club, and Abbey Road Studios.<br />

Multi-media audio guides are available in ten different languages<br />

including Mandarin, Brazilian Portuguese, French and German, and<br />

are beautifully narrated by John Lennon’s sister, Julia. The FREE<br />

guide is packed with information, imagery, and features video


71<br />

interviews with Paul<br />

McCartney and Ringo<br />

Starr, giving visitors a<br />

unique insight into the<br />

story of the Fab Four.<br />

A must for any music<br />

fan, The Beatles Story<br />

features an impressive<br />

collection of fascinating<br />

memorabilia including<br />

the band’s original<br />

instruments, John<br />

Lennon’s New York<br />

piano, Ringo Starr’s drum kit, rare album sleeves,<br />

photography and original lyrics.<br />

New items recently introduced include the original<br />

Strawberry Field Gates, the ‘Holy Grail’ record that<br />

launched The Beatles, Brian Epstein’s Jacket and<br />

to mark 50 years since the release of Sgt Pepper,<br />

a range of new memorabilia including a full set of<br />

authentic replica suits.<br />

Finish your perfect historical experience in one of<br />

two Beatles-themed Fab4 Cafes or browse through<br />

a fantastic range of products available from one of<br />

the Fab4 Stores.<br />

Story, simply visit our website www.locallife247.<br />

co.uk, click on ‘free stuff’ and then on ‘competitions’.<br />

To enter the competition just input your answer to<br />

the following question;<br />

On which famous Liverpool dock is The Beatles<br />

Story located?<br />

The expiry date for the competition is Saturday 31st <strong>March</strong><br />

<strong>2018</strong>. Entrants must be over 16 years of age. Only one entry<br />

per household. <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> 247 cannot accept responsibility for<br />

entries that do not reach us. Employees of <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong> 247 Ltd<br />

and their families are not eligible to enter this competition.<br />

For more information and to buy tickets please<br />

visit beatlesstory.com<br />

In <strong>2018</strong>, The Beatles Story celebrates 50 years since<br />

The Beatles travelled to India with the launch of a<br />

special exhibition. ‘Beatles In India’ looks at this key<br />

period in time with new memorabilia, imagery and<br />

personal accounts from people who were there<br />

with them.<br />

To win one of three pairs of tickets for The Beatles


72<br />

Crazy Golf Re-Opening<br />

Saturday, <strong>March</strong> 17, 11am-4pm<br />

To celebrate St Patricks Day the Crazy Golf at Haigh<br />

will be open for the day. The Friends of Haigh<br />

Country Park built and manage an 18-hole course<br />

opposite the High Ropes adventure course in Haigh<br />

Woodland Park. A round of golf is £1 per player.<br />

Haigh Woodland Park, School Lane, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN2<br />

1PE. Tel: 01942 828280<br />

Family Charity Night<br />

Saturday, <strong>March</strong> 17, doors open at 6.30pm<br />

St Patrick’s Day Family Charity Night in aid of Little<br />

Angels Staffie Rescue. There’ll be bingo, a quiz,<br />

raffle, Irish games and a delicious hotpot. Tickets are<br />

£6 for adults and £3 for under 12s. Contact Susan<br />

Finch on 07944 084971 for more info and tickets.<br />

St James Social Centre, St James’ Road, Orrell,<br />

WN5 7AA. Tel: 01695 623902<br />

Run <strong>Wigan</strong> Festival 2<br />

Sunday, <strong>March</strong> 18, 9.30am-2pm<br />

Joining Jack has organised Half Marathon, 5k and<br />

Family Mile races all starting in Market Street for<br />

you to spectate or take part. There’ll be live music<br />

and entertainment and European food markets<br />

too. To register your place for any race visit http://<br />

runwiganfestivals.co.uk/<br />

Market Street, <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Artisan Market<br />

Sun, Mar 18, Sun, Apr 22, Sun, May 20, 10am-4pm<br />

Haigh’s monthly artisan market rocks back to the<br />

park and there are monthly dates available until<br />

December <strong>2018</strong>! There’ll be more than 80 art, food,<br />

craft, and drink artisans, as well as street food, live<br />

music and great community atmosphere.<br />

Haigh Woodland Park, Haigh, WN2 1PE. Tel: 07789<br />

181677<br />

1940s Night<br />

Friday, <strong>March</strong> 23, 7.30pm-11pm<br />

Helen Marie Charity presents a 1940s Night with<br />

Katz Korner. There’ll be a hotpot dinner and dessert,<br />

raffle and tombola. Tickets are £12 and all proceeds<br />

go towards sick and disabled children. Call 07724<br />

995298 for tickets.<br />

St Mary’s Club, Trent Road, Billinge, WN5 7QT. Tel:<br />

01744 892836<br />

Fundraising Event<br />

Friday, <strong>March</strong> 23, 7pm<br />

Enjoy an evening of song, fashion and much more<br />

including fancy goods, cake and veg stalls and<br />

an Easter Bonnet competition. Tickets are £5. For<br />

further information and tickets please contact Kath<br />

McGuire on 01695 721038.<br />

Church of St Thomas the Martyr, 7 Church St, Up<br />

Holland, WN8 0ND. Tel: 01695 728091<br />

Easter Weekend<br />

Friday, <strong>March</strong> 30, 3pm to Sunday, April 1, 3pm<br />

Join the Easter weekend celebrations at the<br />

Poacher, where there’ll be something for all ages,<br />

big kids included.<br />

The Poacher Winstanley, Holmes House Avenue,<br />

Winstanley, WN3 6JA. Tel: 01942 214648<br />

Build a Unicorn workshop<br />

Wednesday, April 4, 10.30am-11.30am<br />

Step into colourful Unicorn Land to build a 16”<br />

cuddly unicorn to take home, and design T-shirts for<br />

your little ones to wear! £15 per child suitable for 3+<br />

(inc drink and unicorn biscuit). Booking is required.<br />

Whittle Vintage Tea Room & Café, 34 Chorley Old<br />

Road, Whittle-Le-Woods, PR6 7LD. Tel: 01257<br />

367260


73<br />

Much Ado About Nothing<br />

Wednesday, April 11, 7.30pm to Saturday, April<br />

21, 7.30pm (7.30pm showings every day)<br />

Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing<br />

their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into<br />

rejecting Hero at the altar. The first Wednesday &<br />

Thursday are £10, Monday is £10, and other nights<br />

are £12. Online bookings subject to 60p per ticket<br />

www.wiganlittletheatre.co.uk<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> Little Theatre, 44 Crompton Street, <strong>Wigan</strong>,<br />

WN1 3SL. Box Office: 01942 242561.<br />

ST JAMES SOCIAL CENTRE<br />

St James Road, Orrell<br />

PRESENTS<br />

Star NIGHT<br />

Friday 6th April, <strong>2018</strong><br />

Doors open 7.00pm - starts 7.45pm<br />

In aid of<br />

Robinson OBE<br />

Thursday, April 12, 7.30pm-11.30pm<br />

Jason Robinson OBE will be speaking and taking<br />

part in a Q&A offering an insight into his career of<br />

rugby league and union. Compère for the night is<br />

comic John Lebbon. Tickets are £18(+£1.26 booking<br />

fee) via www.eventbrite.co.uk or £23 on the door.<br />

The Theatre, The Old Courts, Crawford Street,<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>, WN1 1NA. Tel: 01942 834747<br />

The Wizard of Oz<br />

Thursday, April 12, 6pm-8pm; Friday, April 13,<br />

2pm-4pm; Friday, April 13, 6pm-8pm<br />

This Easter treat is fun for all the family. Ticket prices<br />

vary from £12.50-£15 from www.quaytickets.com<br />

The Albert Halls, Victoria Square, Bolton, BL1 1RU.<br />

Tel: 01204 332157<br />

Capturing tender special moments to cherish and treasure<br />

Newborn<br />

Weddings<br />

Christenings<br />

Special Parties<br />

Please contact Eleanor T: 01257 792745 M: 07510 612926<br />

Featuring<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>’s own John Martin<br />

and 5 star Comedian Tony Roscoe,<br />

plus fantastic duo Crawford & Brown<br />

Tickets £10<br />

Available at the club - 01695 623 902<br />

or Frank 01744 345 073<br />

StJamesSocialCentreOrrell


74<br />

Being too young to appear on the TV show<br />

Krypton Factor, I always thought I’d missed<br />

the chance to tackle its famous assault course.<br />

Although I wouldn’t go as far as saying this walk<br />

resembled it, there are certainly some more<br />

‘challenging’ parts to it. Not that this should deter you.<br />

Simply think of it as ‘forewarned is forearmed’.<br />

We park up at Yarrow Valley Country Park at<br />

Birkacre. From the car park head out along Birkacre<br />

Road, crossing the B5251, and continuing along<br />

to Butterworth Brow. Here go right and then cross<br />

over the road to enter the field.<br />

This is where your wellies come in, as a large part<br />

of this section is very wet and extremely muddy in<br />

places. I don’t mind mud, but after a few miles it can<br />

get tedious. Pick a day when the ground is likely to<br />

be firm and you’ve got no worries.<br />

Chorley<br />

by David Sudworth<br />

Continue along the footpaths, heading north<br />

between the River Yarrow and the B5251. After<br />

about three quarters of a mile you should be<br />

walking around a large meadow area, and you need<br />

to head for the northwest corner, where there’s<br />

a footbridge to carry you over the river. It can be<br />

difficult to get your bearings here, so pay close<br />

attention and you will be fine.<br />

Follow the path up the hill, past Yarrow Farm and<br />

onto the lane. I always feel a sense of unease going<br />

through farms, mostly because it feels like you’re<br />

loitering in someone’s private space. However, we<br />

got a cheery hello from someone working close by<br />

so I imagine it’s something they’re used to!<br />

You pretty much cross straight over the lane and<br />

follow the path around the field. As you go from on<br />

field to the next, make sure you keep to the right


75<br />

of the tree line until you reach Parkers in the Fields<br />

Farm. Follow the track through the farmyard and<br />

once out and onto the lane, take the footpath on<br />

your left. Here, there’s a little more mud as you enter<br />

the field. Continue along the left of the field to the<br />

path that runs along the perimeter of Yarrow Valley<br />

9-Hole Golf Course. The path soon takes a sharp left,<br />

leading you down into a woods and down to the<br />

river. As you make your way along this section you’ll<br />

find a few fallen trees blocking your way, and again<br />

it can be muddy. As our fearless photographer<br />

Peter said at the time, it’s kind of bordering on<br />

an assault course at this point, but that’s what<br />

makes it fun, right? Eventually you’ll emerge on to<br />

Butterworth Brow, where you go right, up the hill.<br />

Just as you’re reaching the top of the hill, cross over<br />

and into Sharratts Path. Follow the lane down and<br />

into the path, that takes you down to the B5251<br />

and crossover the main road, going right a short<br />

distance, until you reach the footpath on your left.<br />

Take this path and follow it through the woods to<br />

Birkacre brow and back to the car park.


76<br />

FB<br />

FB<br />

Yarrow<br />

Farm<br />

Parker’s i’ th’ Field’s<br />

Farm<br />

B5251<br />

Chorley<br />

Yarrow Valley<br />

Golf Club<br />

Butterworth Brow<br />

FB<br />

FB<br />

FB<br />

harnock<br />

Richard<br />

Dob Brow<br />

Sharratts Path<br />

B5251<br />

Birkacre Road<br />

Postcode:<br />

PR7 3QL<br />

P<br />

Coppull<br />

Yarrow Valley<br />

Country Park


77<br />

All in all, this is a short walk at just 3.25 miles but you<br />

do get a sense of having really explored the area.<br />

Some of these routes don’t seem particularly well<br />

used so there is a feeling of discovery as you literally<br />

beat a path through the landscape. Yarrow Valley is<br />

a beautiful part of Chorley, and even in the darkest<br />

of months, it brings enjoyment to many. So long as<br />

you’re prepared for the patches of mud, you’ll get as<br />

much enjoyment out of it as we did.<br />

Please ensure you wear appropriate clothing and<br />

footwear while walking. While every care has been<br />

taken to ensure that the walk is accurate, neither the<br />

publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and<br />

hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss or<br />

damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from<br />

negligence, accident or other cause.<br />

Length of walk: 3.25 miles<br />

Difficulty: Short but difficult in sections due to<br />

muddy sections and fallen trees.<br />

Accessibility: We did the walk after some prolonged<br />

rainfall and there was some very muddy sections.<br />

When can<br />

we go back to<br />

Dukes Barn<br />

Farm?<br />

Boarding kennels and cattery.<br />

Heated accommodation.<br />

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Closed to customer visits on Sunday<br />

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Animal care at its best<br />

Brook Lane, Pemberton, WN5 8JQ<br />

Call - 01942 217752


78<br />

Plan now for<br />

summer scent<br />

by Angie Barker<br />

Award Winner<br />

When I was a little girl (Hubby is chuckling<br />

to himself as he ponders just how long<br />

ago that was!) our garden had a large Lilac tree. The<br />

flowers were pale mauve with the most wonderful<br />

perfume and now that I have a Lilac growing in my<br />

garden, I look forward to every spring when I can<br />

breathe in its perfume and be transported back<br />

in time to my childhood. It’s funny how scent is so<br />

closely linked to memory.<br />

This is the perfect time of year to start planning for<br />

summer scent in your garden and I think these are<br />

some of the best plants:<br />

Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ is one<br />

of the nicest. They do like good drainage so if you<br />

garden on heavy clay, best to put them in pots with<br />

free draining compost. A line of them edging a path<br />

looks lovely and as you brush past you can take in<br />

the perfume.<br />

Sweet Peas – annuals have the best perfume and<br />

there are lots of colours to chose from. Remember<br />

with these that you can’t plant them out until the last<br />

frost has passed.<br />

Herbs – these are a wonderfully fragrant group<br />

of plants, Thyme. Mint and Rosemary being my<br />

favourites. A word of caution, don’t plant Mint in a<br />

border as it will completely take over – keep it in a<br />

pot.<br />

And of course you can’t mention perfume without<br />

thinking of Roses. You need to be careful when<br />

selecting your Rose because not all of them are<br />

scented and some more so than others. David<br />

Austin has a wonderful selection and the website is<br />

excellent, giving lots of detail of each one’s particular<br />

perfume. One of the best is Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’<br />

Pergolas and trellis will give you the opportunity<br />

of growing scented climbing plants. Jasminum<br />

officinale (needs a warm sheltered spot) and Lonicera<br />

periclymenum ‘Serotina’ (Honeysuckle) are fabulous.<br />

Place near a patio and before you know it you’ll be<br />

sitting in your garden on a warm summer’s evening,<br />

not only sipping a glass of wine but drinking in<br />

some heady perfume – life doesn’t get much better!<br />

(Hubby agrees).<br />

Angie is a qualified<br />

award-winning garden<br />

designer who will<br />

plan your garden to<br />

your needs from start<br />

to finish, supplying<br />

reputable contractors<br />

and the ideal plants.<br />

Call Angie now for your free consultation!<br />

Angie Barker Dip GD<br />

(Inst GD) BA (Hons)<br />

Garden Design For All Seasons<br />

Tel: 01942 522 405<br />

Mob: 07857 008 383<br />

Award Winner<br />

www.angiebarker.co.uk


79<br />

Garden maintenance ~ General tidy ups<br />

Hedge cutting ~ Pressure washing ~ Fencing<br />

Call - 01942 225711 or 07773 296880<br />

Complete Solution to all Garden & Tree Services<br />

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Tel: 01695 632773 Mob: 07724 298193<br />

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Garden Make-Overs<br />

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Our aim is to deliver a creative, personal<br />

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80<br />

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81<br />

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82<br />

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tree surgery<br />

one off jobs or regular<br />

maintenance<br />

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20 years experience. Billinge based.<br />

jmagardenservices.co.uk<br />

day: 07929 366769 eve: 01744 302793


83<br />

Test Drive<br />

Audi A4<br />

Avant 3.0 TDI quattro 218PS<br />

by Tim Barnes-Clay<br />

Fitted with a 3.0 litre V6 engine, the latest Audi<br />

A4 Avant becomes almost too powerful for<br />

its own good.<br />

Don’t get me wrong; the diesel lump is a real pearl,<br />

but there’s no way it returns the claimed 57.6mpg<br />

when riding on 19-inch wheels. I found the car<br />

thirsty, and mid-30s was more realistic for me<br />

when driving two-up, with no luggage, on a mix of<br />

motorways, A and B-roads.<br />

The A4 estate model that Audi sent me came in<br />

top S line trim, and starts at £38,895, but with a few<br />

thousand pounds of options thrown at it, my test<br />

car was waving a £46,395 price-tag.<br />

You get a lot of kit for the cash, though and Audi is<br />

well-known for its upmarket, understated interiors<br />

that are both perfectly finished and intuitive.<br />

This A4 doesn’t dissatisfy; it has upscale materials<br />

everywhere and a straightforward, intelligible<br />

dashboard arrangement. Technology is plentiful,<br />

too. It includes: a reversing camera, parking sensors,<br />

three-zone climate control, heated electric seats,<br />

and a powered, hands-free boot.<br />

The A4 Avant is among the best-looking estates on<br />

the market in Britain. It’s undeniably classy, and the<br />

large 3.0 litre diesel engine is so smooth that it feels<br />

more like a hard-hitting petrol unit.


84<br />

What’s more, indiscernible wind and road noise<br />

make the A4 the quietest cruiser in its class – by a<br />

long chalk. The ride is wonderful, and easily a match<br />

for BMW’s 3-series. The same goes for the car’s bobon<br />

handling.<br />

This practical five-up estate comes with Audi’s<br />

standard seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox.<br />

It changes slickly, keeping the revs low except when<br />

Dynamic mode is selected. A moderate push of your<br />

right foot is all that’s required to build momentum<br />

hastily; stamp down hard, though and you’ll get to<br />

62mph in just 6.4 seconds.<br />

Fast Facts<br />

• 0-62 mph: 6.4 secs<br />

• Combined mpg: 57.6<br />

• Engine layout: 2967cc, six-cylinder turbo diesel<br />

• Max. power (PS): 218<br />

• CO2: 126 g/km<br />

• Price: £38,895


JW Gaskell<br />

Garages<br />

NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS<br />

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85<br />

Car Paintwork Repairs<br />

PCP or lease coming to an end?<br />

Call me now and save £000’s<br />

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For your free estimate, call Dave on<br />

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c/o JW Gaskell Garages,<br />

Dingle Garage, Dingle Road, Up Holland, WN8 0EN


86<br />

Home Services<br />

- sponsored by<br />

Our engineers will rePAir yOur;<br />

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A friendly, efficient and reliable service<br />

Our mobile repair service works Mon-Sat<br />

CAll us tODAy On 01942 833 908<br />

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GARAGE DOOR<br />

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Doors of all ages repaired<br />

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• •<br />

• Gates and railings<br />

• Repairs and restorations<br />

• Ironwork and welding<br />

• Traditional forge work<br />

25 years of expertise<br />

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in matching styles<br />

Tel: 01695 721877 Mobile: 07951 764202<br />

The Barn, 286 Ormskirk Road, Upholland<br />

Is your<br />

garage door<br />

broken ?<br />

Call us today for a free estimate<br />

to Repair or Replace it<br />

CJM Garage Doors Ltd, Unit 10, Hewitt Business Park<br />

Winstanley Road, Orrell, <strong>Wigan</strong> WN5 7XB<br />

t: 01942 738347 w: www.cjmgaragedoors.co.uk


87<br />

• Conservatory repairs<br />

• Locks, handles and hinges<br />

• Replacement glass<br />

• Windows and doors installed<br />

• Replacement conservatory roofs<br />

Call MARK now on<br />

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TV Aerials installed & repaired<br />

Sky, Freesat, Talk Talk & BT<br />

Setup Service<br />

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Tv Wall mounting & CCTV<br />

www.expertcomputers.co.uk<br />

‘Excellence in Customer Service’ – Winner<br />

Ring Paul on www.wiganaerials.com<br />

01942 514532 - 07709 490095


88<br />

Providing professional carpet &<br />

upholstery cleaning since 1993<br />

Carpets Upholstery Curtains<br />

Leather Oriental Rugs Hard Floors<br />

For more information call:<br />

01942 470 081<br />

Visit our website and check out the testimonials.<br />

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Ovenclean will transform your oven and<br />

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• BBQ’s<br />

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• Hobs<br />

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Orrell Laundry<br />

11 Sefton Road, Orrell, WN5 8UP<br />

01695 623 796<br />

• Bedding & duvets • Domestic washes<br />

• Commercial washing • Ironing services<br />

• Dry cleaning • Team sports kits welcomed<br />

Open 7 days<br />

see website for<br />

opening times<br />

Free pick-up<br />

& drop off!<br />

Serving the<br />

community for<br />

over 50 years<br />

Free pICk-up & DrOp OFF<br />

service to/from Orrell, Billinge, Winstanley, Highfield, Marus Bridge,<br />

Kitt Green & Up Holland<br />

www.orrell-laundry.co.uk<br />

Arley Cabinet Company Ltd<br />

• Kitchens & Bedrooms since 1952 •<br />

We measure<br />

we make<br />

we fit<br />

and have done for 60 years.<br />

Visit our showroom or call us<br />

today for a FREE estimate<br />

www.arleycabinets.com<br />

Arley Cabinet Co. Ltd<br />

214a Gidlow Lane<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong><br />

WN6 7BN<br />

Mon-Fri: 8am - 4.30pm<br />

Sat: 9am - 12pm<br />

tel: 01942 246190


89<br />

PB<br />

Power<br />

Washing<br />

HOUSE CLEANING AT ITS BEST<br />

Driveways<br />

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Gutters & Fascias<br />

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BEFORE<br />

AFTER<br />

Call Paul today to arrange a free quote<br />

01257 402 113 ~ 07736 396 374<br />

www.pbpowerwashing.co.uk<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong>’s premier<br />

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cleaning service<br />

UPVC CLEANING<br />

• Windows, Fascias, Gutters etc.<br />

CONSERVATORIES<br />

• Exterior & Interior (Cleaning)<br />

• Glass roofs / Orangeries<br />

JETWASHING<br />

• Driveways & Patios etc.<br />

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• Moss Removal<br />

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• NEW Soft Wash Cleaning<br />

SPECIAL OFFER - 20% OFF<br />

ALL CLEANING PACKAGES<br />

Cleaning in the<br />

<strong>Wigan</strong> area for<br />

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Call Clint for a free no obligation quote.<br />

01942 470 089 / 07834 241 642<br />

www.conservatorycleaningwigan.com<br />

We only use reliable, vetted staff<br />

• £10.75 per hour - minimum 2 hrs<br />

• Same cleaner each visit<br />

• All domestic duties provided<br />

Call or email Joanne 01942 203442<br />

joanne@acleanbreak.co.uk / www.acleanbreak.co.uk/wigan<br />

Want to promote your<br />

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Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning<br />

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Call today for a free consultation & no obligation quote<br />

Call - 01257 251221<br />

Mobile - 07908 770808<br />

www.manorhousecleaning.co.uk


90<br />

Plumbing & Heating Specialist<br />

Complete Bathroom<br />

& Tiling service<br />

John Bailey - 01942 495785<br />

or 07721 040620 & 07710 153238<br />

Based in Kenyon Road, <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

• Central Heating Installations<br />

• Boiler Installations<br />

• Maintenance & Servicing<br />

• Power Flushing<br />

186237<br />

Your one stop shop for central heating<br />

434 Ormskirk Rd, <strong>Wigan</strong>, WN5 9DF<br />

01942 221221<br />

info@premiergas.com / www.premiergas.com<br />

brand New bathrooms<br />

boiler + Central Heating<br />

Installs, servicing + Repairs<br />

Extended warranties available<br />

24 Hour Call-out<br />

Domestic + Commercial<br />

Freephone 0300 3030121<br />

Dave 07769 942218 / Matt 07969 183809<br />

21 Naburn Dr Orrell wN5 8sb<br />

Email: info@orrellheating.co.uk<br />

www.orrellheating.co.uk<br />

506515<br />

Specialists in boiler installations, repair & maintenance<br />

A Genuine Family Run Business<br />

With Friendly & Courteous Staff<br />

SPECIALISTS IN CENTRAL<br />

HEATING INSTALLATION, BOILER<br />

REPLACEMENTS AND UPGRADES<br />

All work fully warranted<br />

Email ops@hotmail.co.uk<br />

Book a boiler health check for £65<br />

& get a carbon monoxide<br />

alarm (RRP £29) FREE!<br />

Call the team on<br />

01744 892437<br />

Accredited Installer & Service Partner<br />

• Annual Boiler Servicing<br />

• Landlord & Home Owner<br />

Gas Safety Checks<br />

• Gas Fire & Cooker Installations<br />

• Under Floor Heating Specialists<br />

• Home Efficiency Control Upgrades<br />

10 YEARS<br />

EXTENDED<br />

WARRANTY<br />

ON SELECTED BOILER<br />

INSTALLATIONS<br />

Registration No.<br />

88604<br />

Telephone:<br />

WE REPAIR<br />

ALL MAKES<br />

OF BOILERS!<br />

01257 421 660<br />

TEL: 01942 504 429<br />

MOB: 07515 505 501<br />

www.fgwelch.co.uk<br />

• Bathroom Installation, Full Bathrooms & En-Suites<br />

• Plumbing Services • Wall & Floor Tiling • Ceiling Panelling<br />

01942 397173 / 07803 057940<br />

Douglas Drive, Orrell, <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

www.ljplumbingandbathrooms.co.uk<br />

No<br />

call out<br />

fee


91<br />

Great Value Bathrooms!<br />

Elite Bathrooms<br />

Installation & Tiling<br />

• Bathrooms<br />

• Wall Tiling<br />

• Floor Tiling 07703 448890<br />

FREE Estimates 01942 208926<br />

Free Nest with<br />

a new boiler!<br />

• Repairs • Installations • Services<br />

Smart control specialist – save £££’s<br />

www.wiganboilerrepair.co.uk<br />

01942 387006 / 07539 449 006<br />

IAIN LOWE<br />

01695 623236<br />

• Central Heating<br />

• Plumbing<br />

• Gas Appliances<br />

• Gas Safety Checks<br />

• Landlord’s Certificates<br />

• Maintenance/Breakdowns<br />

569287<br />

Full Bathrooms & En-Suites<br />

Showers, Trays & Cubicles<br />

Relocation of Bathroom Suites<br />

25 years bathroom experience<br />

Call Chris now for a free quotation<br />

C L Bathrooms<br />

01942 749085<br />

or 07801 295483<br />

www.clbathrooms.co.uk<br />

C&<br />

D<br />

Plumbing and Heating<br />

Heating & Bathroom Specialist<br />

Chris Heaton M.I.P.H.E.R.P<br />

07973714222<br />

01695625171<br />

• Repairs & installations<br />

• Maintenance & servicing<br />

• Power flushing<br />

• Mechanical Ventilation<br />

• Gas Safety Checks<br />

Boiler & Central<br />

Heating Experts<br />

For an effective and friendly<br />

service call Haigh Energy<br />

01257 424 166<br />

www.haighenergy.co.uk<br />

Unit S7, Standish Court , Bradley Lane Trading Estate, Standish, WN6 0XQ


Upvc Windows & Doors I Conservatories,<br />

Soffits & Fascias I Composite Doors I Bi-Fold Doors<br />

Established in 1984 as an emergency glazing service, today Dennis Goulding has grown and moved<br />

forward to offer all you need to maintain, enhance and expand your home. We continually invest in and<br />

embraced the latest changes in energy efficiency regulations, and still remain a local family business that<br />

cares and takes pride in what we do. We don’t employ pushy salesmen, but pride ourselves on working<br />

with and listening to our customers to give them exactly what they want. We will treat you with respect<br />

every step of the way and on that you have my word! Stuart Goulding<br />

Don’t forget, we also offer all of these services daily...<br />

Glass Cut to size, Sealed Double Glazed Units Manufactured on site, Same Day Service, Safety<br />

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Dennis Goulding<br />

J27<br />

Shevington<br />

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..and general<br />

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Wrightington, WN6 9RS<br />

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Telephone: 01257 427 000<br />

Open Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm; Saturday: 9:00am - 12:00 noon<br />

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TwinLakesMotorEngin ers<br />

and we’ l provide you with a<br />

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Visit our showr om at<br />

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o f Miry Lane,<br />

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WN6 7TP<br />

or<br />

Email: info@docsolarelectrical.co.uk<br />

Website: www.docsolarelectrical.co.uk<br />

92<br />

SG<br />

PAINTING & DECORATING<br />

Interior painting & decorating<br />

Specialise in standard wall coverings, extra wide vinyl, lincrusta & coving<br />

Free estimates. References available upon request<br />

07714 363 377 / 01942 749 971<br />

Sefton Road, Orrell, WN5 8UP<br />

J&P<br />

MOORCROFT<br />

LTD<br />

Professional Painting and Decorating<br />

• Domestic & Commercial Work<br />

• Interior & Exterior work welcomed<br />

• Old/listed buildings a speciality<br />

Call us today for a free quotation<br />

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in the comfort of our own home<br />

01942 212096 07831 102 511<br />

www.jpmoorcroft.com<br />

Need a new look<br />

for your home?<br />

Skilled interior and exterior work<br />

undertaken at reasonable prices!<br />

Chris Smith - Painter and Decorator<br />

01942 518126<br />

or 07545 065119<br />

Orrell based business<br />

Award Winner<br />

Exterior & Interior Decorating<br />

Domestic & Commercial work undertaken<br />

Competitive rate<br />

Contact Graham now - free estimate provided<br />

01257 426 234<br />

graham@topcoatdecoratingservices.co.uk<br />

www.topcoatdecoratingservices.co.uk<br />

Design & Print<br />

Flyers, postcards, brochures<br />

and distribution service.<br />

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01695 627 999<br />

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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10AM - 7PM, Saturday 10AM - 6PM<br />

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T<br />

Y<br />

R<br />

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your FREE<br />

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FREE<br />

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93<br />

24-Hour<br />

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Wireless Alarm System<br />

ONLY £349<br />

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1x Mains panel with battery back up<br />

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Domestic and commercial work welcomed ~ Call us today for friendly advice and a free quote<br />

Suite 1A Kirkless Ind. Est<br />

Cale Lane <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

01942 836 937 or 07557 914 788 www.ghewigan.co.uk<br />

Over 30 years electrical experience<br />

All aspects of electrical work undertaken inc;<br />

Installation, Maintenance and Repair<br />

Building regulations work<br />

CCTV and Security Alarms<br />

Inspections and PAT testing<br />

Call Andrew to discuss your requirements<br />

Office 01695 625669<br />

Mobile 07850 956229<br />

J.Dillon<br />

Call: 01257 424918 or 07821 139826<br />

www.jdillonelectrical.co.uk<br />

• All types of electrical work<br />

• 20+ years experience<br />

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07739 709 005


94<br />

Driveway Medic<br />

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Pattern Imprinted Concrete & Tarmac<br />

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Call us now to discuss how Driveway Medic can help you;<br />

our quotes are always friendly and Free.<br />

T: 01942 870 206 M: 07984 034 574<br />

driveway-medicnorthwest.co.uk<br />

DOWN TO EARTH SERVICE, ROCK SOLID RELIABILITY<br />

Driveways & Patios<br />

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01257 781 003 / 07967 539 919<br />

Email: glyn@downtoearthgroundworks.uk<br />

downtoearthgroundworks.uk<br />

PROFESSIONAL<br />

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SPECIAL OFFER<br />

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Call Gareth for a FREE quotation<br />

01942 217 113 | 07715 177 754<br />

Complete Driveways<br />

& Landscapes<br />

Landscapes<br />

Gardens designed. Paving laid, artificial turf<br />

fitted, garden walls built, all aspects of fencing.<br />

Driveways<br />

Block paving, flagging, printed concrete<br />

driveway specialist.<br />

‘the complete answer<br />

for driveways & landscapes’<br />

Call Gary for a free, no obligation quote;<br />

01942 355 993 07712 352 411


95<br />

Home Improvements<br />

• Fitted Kitchens & Bedrooms<br />

• Garage & Loft Conversions<br />

• Floors, Doors & Windows<br />

• Garden Gates<br />

For all your home improvement needs call David on...<br />

01942 203 804<br />

07851 225 876<br />

DS Joinery<br />

Easy Mix<br />

Easy Mix<br />

01257 422317 or 07852 202867<br />

www.mtjoinery.co.uk<br />

Ready Mixed Concrete<br />

• Delivered or Collected • Perfect for builders & DIY<br />

01942 224571 for advice<br />

Lamberhead Ind. Est., Pemberton<br />

JJ Driveways<br />

Imprinted Concrete Specialists<br />

Huge range of colours & patterns<br />

• Resin Driveways • Block Paving<br />

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We can also revive your old drive!<br />

Ask about our sealing service<br />

Call Joe for a free quotation on<br />

01942 621 959 / 07867 697 972<br />

www.jjdriveways.co.uk<br />

PLASTERER<br />

Re-skims Dot & dab Rendering<br />

2 coat work Unwanted artex<br />

For a free quote, call Ian Ridley on<br />

01942 218 160<br />

or 07958 695 116<br />

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Want to promote your<br />

company in <strong>Local</strong> <strong>Life</strong>?<br />

Call Sally: 01695 627 999<br />

locallife247.co.uk<br />

<strong>Local</strong><strong>Life</strong>


96<br />

• Brickwork,<br />

Extensions,<br />

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Ashurst Building &<br />

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All types of building and roofing<br />

work undertaken including;<br />

Brickwork, Joinery, Flagging<br />

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Call David today for a free quotation<br />

TELEPHONE: 01942 832747<br />

Mobile: 07747 725999<br />

All aspects of roofing & roofline<br />

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quote<br />

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•All building work undertaken.<br />

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including Lintels.<br />

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Call us now for a free,<br />

no obligation quote<br />

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K Stone<br />

Building Services<br />

All types of building<br />

work undertaken<br />

25 years experience<br />

• Brickwork<br />

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97<br />

Facias, soffits, cladding,<br />

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• WILSON BROS •<br />

Est. 1985<br />

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• All aspects of maintenance & repair<br />

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Call us now for a free estimate<br />

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• All types of re-roofs<br />

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98<br />

A View From<br />

The Lump<br />

<strong>Local</strong> gossip, gripes and goings-on<br />

Let’s skip that idea<br />

When the kids were little, they<br />

loved nothing more than an<br />

afternoon down the council tip.<br />

This was in a much less formal age<br />

when the lads minding the skips<br />

would happily turn a blind eye<br />

by going for a six hour tea break<br />

while a few of us ‘chosen ones’<br />

would have a good rummage for<br />

any discarded gems.<br />

Sadly, those days have long gone.<br />

Everyone’s an Environmental<br />

Advice Officer now and CCTV<br />

cameras watch your every move.<br />

So it’s hardly surprising that <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Council’s announcement that<br />

those of us with trailers or vans<br />

will soon be able to print our own<br />

permits off at home got a muted<br />

response. Granted, it’s better than<br />

having to wait for the creaking<br />

cogs of bureaucracy at <strong>Wigan</strong><br />

Council to spring into action, but<br />

to be honest I object to having to<br />

have a permit in the first place.<br />

It’s the kind of petty officialdom<br />

which grates on people. I accept<br />

that maybe the blatant pilfering of<br />

yesteryear may have had its day,<br />

but at least let’s put an end to this<br />

pen-pusher’s paradise. After all, so<br />

much waste paper isn’t good for<br />

the environment...<br />

Child’s play<br />

And so it looks like yet another<br />

former pub will be turned into a<br />

nursery. Yes, I hear there’s plans in<br />

the offing to convert the old White<br />

Lion in Pemberton. It’s recently<br />

become something of a trend<br />

of turning pubs into nurseries.<br />

Squires Bar in Billinge recently<br />

became a nursery, and my mate in<br />

Burscough laments the loss of one<br />

of his local boozers, The Junction,<br />

to the next generation.<br />

It always amuses me though the<br />

planning process classes such<br />

projects as a ‘change of use’.<br />

Swapping one lot of rowdy folk,<br />

desperate for their fix of sugarinfused<br />

beverages and the<br />

occasional scrap, for another?<br />

Doesn’t sound much like change<br />

to me...<br />

Up the junction<br />

Isn’t it about time there was a<br />

roundabout near Windy Arbour?<br />

The amount of crashes and<br />

near misses on that two mile<br />

stretch is getting beyond a joke.<br />

I know being so close to Skem,<br />

roundabouts have got a bad name<br />

in these parts, but surely if there<br />

were ever a place which merited<br />

one, it’s at the junction of Billinge<br />

Road and Winstanley Road? I’m<br />

hoping some eager-eyed local<br />

election candidate will spot this<br />

and run with the issue. At least<br />

until Friday, May 4...<br />

Here comes the sun<br />

I’m now counting down the days<br />

until the clocks go forward. As<br />

I’ve got older, I increasingly detest<br />

the short days. I’m not sure why<br />

because, as a child, it didn’t bother<br />

me in the slightest. Then again,<br />

we’d stay out playing football even<br />

in the dark, rain lashing down and<br />

ensuring a full linen basket for<br />

mother that evening (this was in<br />

an age before men could work<br />

a Hotpoint, and those who did<br />

were generally shunned by their<br />

mates). Maybe my decreasing<br />

levels of mobility since the age of<br />

17 - the precise time I passed my<br />

driving test - have something to<br />

do with it.<br />

But unfortunately, I’ve never been<br />

a morning person and there’s<br />

precious little point going out at<br />

1pm only for the sun to be beating<br />

a retreat 90 minutes later. You may<br />

think these are pitiful excuses, but<br />

I’m genuinely looking forward to<br />

getting a bit more Vitamin D into<br />

my bones. It’ll make a change from<br />

looking as pale as a rice pudding.


99<br />

Come and visit the largest<br />

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Office Number: 01942 871 777<br />

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warmlightwindowsltd.co.uk • info@warmlightwindowsltd.co.uk

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