Local Life - Wigan - December 2019

LocalLife
Wigan Edition December 2019
Santa Experiences
Pages 38-41
Styling Your Home This Christmas
Page 48-51
WIN a Luxury Christmas Hamper
Pages 14-15
Local News Motoring Jack’s Tracks Health Events2Go Home Services

IMPROVE YOUR MATHS AND ENGLISH
There are lots of benefits to improving
your life through English and maths.
Each year we transform the lives of hundreds of
adults by helping them gain essential skills and
qualifications.
Most of the time we don’t think about English and
maths, but we use these skills all the time:
• At home - paying for bills, reading letters, or
recipes, or even booking holidays.
• At work - communicating with colleagues,
customers or calculating wages.
• In our social life - paying for shopping or petrol,
sharing a bill in a restaurant, or reading a menu.
With a range of courses, including Entry Level,
Level 1 and Level 2 Functional Skills and GCSE,
we can offer the right pathway for you to improve
your skills.
FREE GCSE Maths and English
You may be eligible for full funding if you do not
already have GCSE Maths and English at A* - C grade,
regardless of the level of other qualifications you may
hold.
If you would like to enrol for GCSE English to improve
on your current grade, book an assessment and
enrolment appointment to find out your options.
Bring the certificates you already hold, so that our
staff can help you towards the right pathway.
ESOL
Enjoy learning the English language at our
successful and popular ESOL department. We
will help you to improve your English reading,
writing, speaking and listening skills, in classes
with students from all over the world. Become
more confident in English and use your language
skills to integrate into life in the UK. Our classes
are fun, interesting and our experienced teachers
will help and support you as you learn, meet new
people and gain skills which will help you in your
work place.
ESOL students must bring the following to enrolment:
• Home office documentation or endorsed passport
(also marriage/civil certificate/birth certificate if a
dependant).
• ARC Card or Local Authority confirmation (for
learners aged 16-18 or 19+ if in care of local
authority).
• ARC Card dated within six months and post office
receipt of support, dated within the month (19+).
To book your assessment and enrolment appointment email:
applications@wigan-leigh.ac.uk or call 01942 761 111
ADULT COLLEGE COURSES
STARTING IN JANUARY 2020
ART & DESIGN, PHOTOGRAPHY & FASHION
BEAUTY THERAPY & HAIRDRESSING
BAKERY, CATERING & HOSPITALITY
COMPUTING & IT
CONSTRUCTION & CIVIL ENGINEERING
MANAGEMENT & PROFESSIONAL
TEACHING ASSISTANTS
TEACHER EDUCATION

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4 Local Life
So Here It Is…
It’s seemed a long time coming, but the big day is
just around the corner. Of course I’m referring to
the general election but once that is out of the way,
we can stick Noddy & Co. on loop and get on with
enjoying Christmas.
Why is it so difficult for a morally upstanding,
vigorous and dynamic leader, ideally with a bit of
life experience, to rise to the top job in this country?
Did you know that in Bhutan, Dr Lotay Tshering,
one of the most accomplished surgeons in this
Himalayan country only practices on a Saturday, as
he is busy during the week running the country? So
that’s a bit of an extreme example, but you get my
point surely?
We’ll put politics to bed now and get on with
sending you into December with a cracker of a
Christmas issue. Don’t miss the Santa Experience
feature on pages 38-41, the definitive guide to
enhance your children’s/grandchildren’s Christmas,
we’ve got a comprehensive festive Events2Go
guide on pages 74-77, ideas for Christmas presents,
festive recipes and much more.
And to thank you readers for allowing us into your
homes for another year, we’ve been shopping
and pulled together an amazing luxury Christmas
Hamper for one lucky reader! Check out the
hamper competition on pages 14-15 and don’t
forget to enter online by midnight on Monday 16th
December.
And my wish for Christmas?
That whatever the outcome of the election is, that
we all accept it with good grace, embrace the
belated season of goodwill, and resolve not to
mention politics again until the New Year hangover
recedes!
All the very best,
Chris Pearce, Publisher
chrisp@locallife247.co.uk

Local Life 5
In this issue
Happy Hens
12
WIN a Luxury
Christmas
Hamper
14
Santa
Experiences
38
Decorate Your
Christmas Tree
50
Small Business
Saturday
Regulars
62 Puzzle Pages
74 Events2Go
21 Jack’s Tracks
Sections
36 Food
68 Business View
70 Health
74 Leisure
14 Competition
79 Garden Diary
82 Motoring
79 Gardening
85 Home Services
Next issue - January 2020
Advertising deadline - Friday, 6th December
Published - Thursday, 2nd January
LocalLife
Local Life 247 Ltd, Unit 8, Hewitt Business Park,
Winstanley Road, Orrell, WN5 7XB
Telephone: 01695 627 999
Publisher: Chris
chrisp@locallife247.co.uk
Sales: Nicola
sales@locallife247.co.uk
Editorial: Jesswigannews@locallife247.co.uk
Design: Mary Anne
design@locallife247.co.uk
Distribution: Sally
sallyb@locallife247.co.uk
Accounts: Christina accounts@locallife247.co.uk
Local Life is published every month and distributed into
the following areas on an alternate monthly basis.
This issue is delivered to 13,025 private homes and
businesses in Standish, Shevington, Whitley, Appley
Bridge, Standish Lower Ground, Aspull and Haigh.
The next issue is delivered to 13,299 private homes and
businesses in Orrell, Billinge, Winstanley, Up Holland,
Highfield, Marus Bridge, Roby Mill and Pemberton.
You can also pick up a free copy of Local Life at Sainsburys
or Tesco Extra in Wigan.
66
Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither
the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any
party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or
other cause. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced without the prior written
consent of Local Life 247 Ltd.
locallifemagazine247
@locallifemedia

6
Standish Cards
Fancy sending Christmas cards with a local twist this
December? Greetings cards designed by Standish
residents and businesses are on sale at Standish
Library for just £5 per pack, which will help fundraise
for the Friends of Standish Library.
Orders must be made before Sunday, December 1 at
the library.
Winter Warmers
Help keep homeless people warm this winter by
donating knitted or crocheted squares, helping to
sew them together, or providing hats, scarves, gloves
and socks.
The BFTH Wigan Pod are looking for anyone to assist
in making winter woollies for local homeless people,
along with any supplies that might help craft them.
They meet on the second Saturday of the month
at Orrell Book-Cycle – for more information, email
Hazel at knit_natter@yahoo.co.uk
Over 25 years of local advice
High Street, Standish
Mortgages, Re-mortgages,
First Time Buyers,
Buy To Let, Equity Release *
Wigan, Standish
& surrounding areas
Free home visits any time to 8.00pm or visit us in Standish.
*Referred to specialist
01257 424 999
www.mortgage-clinic.co.uk
In Bloom
This year’s RHS Britain In Bloom Awards have been
announced: and the Wigan borough was bloomin’
brilliant.
Shevington Memorial Park was awarded the Gold
Award in the National Distinction for Parks, while
organisation Edible Appley Bridge was awarded a
Level 4 (Thriving) award.
Meanwhile, Wigan & Leigh Hospice’s garden
achieved a Level 5 (Outstanding), and Orrell Station
was awarded the much-coveted Best Railway Station
in the North West award after putting in more
than 1,600 hours of work. Haigh Woodland Park
also achieved a Silver Gilt Award for Large Tourist
Attraction.
Earn extra
cash!
Local Life require distributors
for the following areas;
Standish
Trevore Drive estate
Standish Centre
School Lane, Arbour Lane area
Preston Road, Kenyon Road estate
Bentham Rd/Pl area
Shevington
Elnup , Elmfield & Christleton
Appley Bridge
Back Ln, Miles Ln & Finch Mill Ave
Haigh
Toddington Ln, Haigh Road area
Interested?
Please email your name, address,
landline number and date of birth to
sallyb@locallife247.co.uk
LocalLife

7

8
Tell Us Your Story!
Local Life is always on
the look out for news
stories from the local
communities we serve.
Are you raising money
for charity? Are you a
member of a community
group with something
to shout about?
Maybe
you’ve got an unusual
talent, or have a claim to fame? If so, let us know
and you could be appearing in the next edition!
Simply contact us on wigannews@locallife247.
co.uk or call us on 01695 627999.
Licensing Act 2003
Notice of Application
to Wigan Council
An application for a New Premises Licence has
been made by H & H Properties (Standish) Ltd
t/as Dish for the premises known as /situated at
232 Almond Brook Road, Standish WN6 0SS.
The application seeks to Sell alcohol between the
hours of 09.00 and 22.30 Monday – Friday and
09.00 and 19.30 on Sunday and play recorded
music between the hours of 09.00 and 23.00
Monday – Friday and 09.00 – 20.00 on Sunday.
The application may be inspected at the
Licensing Section, Wigan Life Centre, College
Avenue, Wigan, WN1 1NJ between the hours
of 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday inclusive.
Brief details can also be obtained from the
Council’s website www.wigan.gov.uk.
Any person or responsible authority may make
representations about the application no later
than 4th December 2019. All representations
must be made in writing by the above date.
Representations should be sent to the
Licensing section, PO BOX 100, Wigan WN1 3DS
or can be emailed to licensing@wigan.gov.uk
It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false
statement in connection with an application the maximum
fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for
making a false statement is a Level 5 fine on the standard scale.
Galleries Update
The Galleries shopping centre is set to benefit from
renovation efforts from Wigan Council. Potential
plans for the site, though still at an early stage,
may include an upmarket cinema, bowling alley,
restaurants, bars and apartments in the space, along
with office spaces for start-ups.
Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but the future of
the struggling shopping centre looks bright, with
more people expected to move to the town centre
in coming years.
Friendship Club
There’s no need to be lonely this Christmas, as the
Ladies Don’t Be Lonely Friendship Club have plenty
going on to keep you entertained.
The group meet on Thursday afternoons (barring
the first Thursday of the month) at Penson Street
Community Centre for talks, presentations, quizzes
and games. Meetings run from 1:30pm-3:30pm.
November 28th will see the group meet to enjoy
Christmas organ music, while a one-off meeting
on December 5th introduces members to festive
flower decorations. Finally, on December 12th, the
Friendship Club will enjoy a Christmas lunch out.
For more information about the group, call Margaret
on 01942 247403 or Nancy on 01942 497108.
Standish United
First established in the 17th century, the Standish
United Charity works to give help and assistance
to those in need in the local area. What began as a
group of several charities was amalgamated into one
in 1907, and set up by affluent residents wanting to
help relieve poverty locally.
What began as an initiative to hand out cloth and
bread has evolved into offering financial grants,
providing facilities, services or goods.
Anyone who might benefit from the help of the
charity can submit an application to the Trustees at
Standish Community Centre on Moody Street, or by
email to standish.charity@mail.com

9
All I want for
gorgeous unique gifts (and great food too!)
Love It Gallery, Winstanley Road, Billinge WN5 7XG
Open: 9.30am-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday; 10am-4pm, Sunday
Telephone:
01695 622 332
christmas gifts | light lunches | jewellery | afternoon tea | bespoke glass | coffee & cake

10
Standish Live
Standish Live Festival is back on Friday, November
29 and Saturday, November 30.
For updates on performance times and artists, keep
an eye on the Standish Live Festival Facebook page.
The festival brings live music from
local artists and bands to various
pubs around the village, with free
entry to all venues.
This year, the festival will be taking
place at The Black Bull, The Globe,
Albion Ale House, The Lychgate,
The Charnley Arms, Alberts of
Standish and Potters Bar.
Each venue will boast at least 4
artists, with maximum capacity
estimated to be reached early on!
All donations received from this
year’s event go towards Macmillan
Cancer Support.
the auction centre
The leading Auctioneers and Valuers
• Modern saleroom at Manor Park, Runcorn
• RICS and NAVA registered auctioneers and specialist consultants
• Probate and Insurance valuation reports undertaken
• Full house clearance service available
• Regional valuations centres around the north-west
St Helens Valuation Days
4th Wednesday of Every Month
St Thomas Church, Peter Street, WA10 2EB
9.30 – 12 noon
Check website for Details
Call 01744 881 477 for more information
Wigan Valuation Days
2nd Tuesday Of Every Month
Purposed Life Church, Greenhough Street, WN1 3SU
9.30 – 12 noon
Check website for Details
Call 01942 299 057 for more information
9 Berkeley Court, Manor Park, Runcorn, WA7 1TQ
Telephone: 01928 579796 Email: enquiries@theauctioncentre.co.uk
www.theauctioncentre.co.uk

11
Santa Sprints
What better way to get in the Christmas spirit than
one of the Santa Dashes taking place around the
Wigan borough this festive season? We promise,
the run will leave you ruddy-cheeked and yearning
for a mince pie at the finish line.
The Wigan Christmas Dash is a 5K Santa Fun Run
and 1K family fun run taking place in Mesnes Park
on Sunday, December 8 from 11am. Don your Santa
suit and head off around the park! Entry costs £20
per adult, £15 per U16 and £8 per U10, bookable at
www.christmasdash.co.uk
Meanwhile, the Wigan Samaritans Santa Stroll offers
a more leisurely pace around Haigh Plantations
from 10am the same day. Entry costs £10 including
a Santa suit, and is bookable on Eventbrite.
Finally, Beacon Country Park’s Santa Dash takes
place from 10am-1pm - entry costs £5 per person
or £10 per family of four, including some festive
refreshments at the finish! To enter, visit www.
discoverormskirk.com/events/
Jewels May is a wonderful independent
jewellers. The shop has recently expanded
so as to offer customers more on site
specialist services, one-to-one consultation,
specialist design and re-modelling advice and
manufacturing.
Their jewellery range is extensive from antique
and vintage to modern and one-off bespoke
luxury pieces, set with diamonds and precious
stones. They also boast an impressive range of
engagement and wedding rings as well as preowned
luxury watches.
Repairs & Alterations
Rhodium Plating
Cleaning & Polishing
Design & Manufacturing
Engagement & Wedding Ring Specialists
Insurance Valuations
Watch Servicing, Repairs, Refurbishing
& Batteries
Beautifully furnished
Stone Cottage
Holiday Let
– sleeps up to 4
Situated near Sedbergh,
in the Yorkshire Dales,
and also within easy
reach of the Lake District
Children & pets welcome
Call 01942 216 058 / 07792445257
E-mail janemillthrop@yahoo.co.uk
www.millthropcottage.co.uk
“Now offering on-site rhodium plating within an hour,
Wednesday to Sunday.
SPECIAL READER OFFER
Rhodium plating of 2 rings for £50 (normally £60),
just quote Local Life 247”
Heskin Hall Shopping Village,
Wood Lane, Heskin, PR7 5PA
Tel: 01257 450448 Etsy: Jewelsmayuk
www.jewelsmay.com

12
Happy hens
LuckyHens Rescue on Manchester
Road in Hindley has released a
2020 calendar celebrating its rescue
efforts over the past year, and to
encourage more people to rescue
ex-battery hens in the area.
Though steps have been taken to
improve the quality of life for battery
hens, LuckyHens worker Clare says all
is not rosy in the egg industry. So-called
‘battery cages’ are banned in the UK, but
have been replaced with ‘enriched cages’
which still afford little room to move around and no
access to sunlight. Even ‘free-range’ hens are often
kept in barns their whole lives, without ever seeing
the sun. These hens are then slaughtered at 72
weeks old, when egg production slows down.
LuckyHens is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming
as many of these hens as possible. Their centre
can hold up to 450 hens at a time, which are then
given space to roam and live freely before going to
a loving home.
The newly released 2020 calendars will go towards
the centre’s efforts, with proceeds going into
rescuing as many hens as possible in the coming
year. Fans of the centre sent in photographs of their
own rescued hens to feature, making the perfect
Christmas gift for any animal lover. Calendars are
priced at £9.50 and are available from the LuckyHens
website at https://luckyhensrescuenorthwest.
weebly.com/
LuckyHens is also hosting two rescue days in
December and January –
the first of these takes place
on Saturday, December
14, and the second on
Saturday, January 25.
Rescue days give people
the opportunity to collect
up to 20 hens at a time from
the centre. A minimum
donation of £4 per hen is
requested, and a minimum
of 3 hens should be
collected on the day.
For more information about LuckyHens or its rescue days, call 01942 233375.

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01942 722 766
Haydock Open 10am – 4.30pm (closed Wednesday & Sunday)
282 Church Rd, Haydock, St Helens WA11 0LF
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u Airport Transfers
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Phone: 07729 994 117
All our staff are fully Police and DBS checkedE-
Email: david@arley.biz Web: www.arley.biz

14
Win a
Christmas Hamper!
To thank our readers for allowing us into your
homes for another year, we’ve been shopping
and we’ve pulled together four amazing luxury
Christmas Hampers for our latest competition! A
lucky reader in each of our magazine areas (Wigan,
Chorley, St Helens and West Lancs & Coast) will win
a luxury hamper. Just read the blurb below and
answer the question online.
Launched back in 2008, the Wigan edition of Local
Life is now delivered to over 26,000 Wigan homes
on a regular basis, and readers are also able to pick
up a copy each month from Sainsbury’s in Marus
Bridge and at Tesco Extra in Wigan.
In addition to our Wigan magazine, we also publish
A5-sized magazines each month for St Helens
and Chorley, and we also produce a premium B5-
sized monthly magazine for the West Lancashire,
Southport and Formby area. In addition to our
magazines, we also design, print and deliver leaflets
alongside our magazines too.
All this is pulled together by a small team of lovely
people (see below) who are based at our offices and
distribution unit at Hewitt Business Park in Orrell,
with assistance from our amazing distribution team.
In 2019 alone, 483 local businesses and
organisations, big and small, advertised their
services and products in Local Life.
We know that many of these businesses do not
advertise anywhere else than in the pages of Local
Life, and we are grateful to them for their support.
Without them, we wouldn’t be able to produce your
magazine, so if you value Local Life then do keep
a hold of your copy when you have read it, and
please do make a conscious effort to call Local Life
advertisers should you require their products or
services.
That’s enough of the blurb! To enter the competition
to win a luxury Christmas hamper, simply visit our
website, www.locallife247.co.uk, click on ‘free stuff’
and then on ‘competitions’ and then answer the
following question;
In 2019, how many businesses and
organisations advertised with Local Life?
The expiry date for the competition is midnight on
Monday 16th December 2019 and the winners will
be notified within five working days. Entrants must be
over 16 years of age. Only one entry per household –
any multiple entries will be void. Local Life 247 cannot
accept responsibility for entries that do not reach us.
Employees of Local Life 247 Ltd and their families are
not eligible to enter this competition.
Hamper
Contents
Prosecco, Mulled wine, Black Sheep real ale, gin, Booth’s Christmas pudding, brandy butter, mince pies,
shortbread, tin of Whittard’s biscuits, fudge, Lancashire Bomb cheese, Carrs crackers, selection of chutneys,
tub of smoked salmon pate, box of Beech’s chocolates, tin of Uncle Joe’s, Whittard’s luxury drinking

15
WIN
a
Christmas
Hamper
chocolate, and a luxury Christmas cake – all contained with a Hobbycraft wooden crate that you can use again and again.
Good luck, and a very merry Christmas from all at LocalLife

16
See Santa
The bells really are ringing out for Christmas, as
Wigan Rotary Club invites you to follow their festive
float for Christmas 2019! Santa will make his rounds
in the borough each evening from 5pm
during the week and 6pm at weekends,
as well as heading to Tesco, ASDA and
Orrell Water Park during the day.
Dec 4 - Standish Central: Cranleigh, Silsbury
Dec 7 - Appley Bridge: Post Office, Miles Lane & Mill
Lane
Here’s when you can expect to see Santa
in your area:
Nov 30 - Shevington South: Vicarage
Lane, off Gathurst Lane, Oak Meadow
Estate
Dec 1 - Standish East: Copeland Ave &
Rectory Lane
Dec 2 - Shevington South: Harrington
Park
Dec 3 - Shevington North: Old Lane,
Elnup Ave

17
Dec 9 - Springfield: St. Andrews Crescent, Norfolk
Street, Sacred Heart Church
Dec 10 - Swinley: Mesnes Road, Danesway, Swinley
Lane, Holme Ave
Dec 11 - Standish North: Zoe’s Beauty Parlour,
Preston Road, Bloor Homes Primrose Lane
Dec 12 - Almond Brook: Wain Homes Estate, Old
Pepper Lane
Dec 13 - Standish West: Almond Brook Road,
Woodhouse Drive
Dec 14 - Standish South: Boars Head Ave,
Hartingdon Drive
Dec 21 - Whitley: Walter Scott Ave, Hazelwood Road
Dec 22 - Whitley Crescent: Spencer Road, St. Malo
Road, Romney Way
The Rotary Choir will also be performing carols in
the Grand Arcade on Saturday, December 7 from
10:30am-2:30pm!
Rotary Club President Mervyn Reeves said: ‘This is a
special time of year leading up to the ‘big day’ and
we enjoy seeing the happy faces on children and
adults alike as Santa travels around.
‘All the money raised goes to Rotary Charities, with
over 40 different organisations benefitting last year
alone from the money the people of Wigan donated.’
For more information about this year’s float,
and to find out where it will be during the day,
call 07813 471000
or email wiganrotary1924@virginmedia.com

18
The Best Beauty
Gift Sets
Beauty gift sets are not all created equal. There are the ones you buy in a panic on Christmas Eve – guaranteed
to either end up in a charity shop or forgotten in a cupboard somewhere – and then there’s this little lot…
Chocolate lovers will rejoice with
this Nature’s Kitchen Double
Indulgence Chocolate Gift Box
(£24.99, www.lovelula.com).
It features the Dark Chocolate
Cleansing Butter Fudge.
Mask and Chocolate Mocha
Polishing Scrub, both of which
are packed with nourishing
natural ingredients, such as raw
organic cacao, organic Italian
roasted coffee beans and organic
avocado, and smell delicious.
Fragrance fans will enjoy
creating their own perfumed
body oil with this Neal’s Yard
Remedies Aromatherapy
Bespoke Blending Kit (£32, www.
nealsyardremedies.com). There
are three organic essential oils to
choose from – orange, lavender
and palmarosa, along with a
base oil, mixing bottle and the
Little Book of Essential Oils.
Know someone who could
do with a bit of a break over
Christmas? Treat them to
the Fearne Cotton Calming
Collection (£18, Boots). They’ll
get a body wash, body mist, bath
bomb, body lotion and candle –
all with a fragrance designed to
calm the mind and soothe the
senses. And, as a bonus, there’s a
rather pretty gift bag.
It can be tricky to choose skincare
or make-up for someone. If in
doubt, stick to a pretty new
cosmetics bag or a new brush
set. The No7 Ultimate Brush
Collection (£27, Boots) is a good
bet. There’s an uber-soft brush
for every makeup requirement,
and a pot to keep them all in.
Lip gloss fans will love Bobbi
Brown’s Glossy Lip Duo (£16,
www.bobbibrown.co.uk).
Choose from Rosy and Pastel
shades, or
Bellini and
Buff. Or buy
both sets to
get all four
shades, and
keep three for yourself!
Frequent travellers will welcome
Green People’s Skin Retreat –
Comfort & Clarity Collection.
There’s a 30ml Neutral Scent-Free
Cleanser & Make-up Remover,
a 30ml Neutral Scent-Free Light
Day Moisturiser and a 10ml
Neutral Scent-Free Anti-Ageing
24 Hour Cream. All for the bargain
price of £15 (www.greenpeople.
co.uk). The products are aimed
at people with sensitive skin,
but they’re great all-rounders
that will suit most skin types. The
50ml version of the moisturiser is
usually £19.50, so you’re pretty
much getting the cleanser and
24-hour cream for free.
Need some small gifts for
teachers, colleagues or friends?
The Champneys Bubble Heaven
Gift Set (from £16 at Boots)
contains three of its bestselling
bath soaks. It’s ideal for splitting
up into three smaller gifts.
Looking for a male grooming gift
set? The Mr Festive Gift Set at
White Stuff features a Christmasthemed
body wash and soap for
just £12.50…

19
Pick a Panto
There are plenty of pantomimes going on in the
area to keep the whole family booing, hissing and
cheering all winter long. Not sure which to go for?
Try these for size:
The Old Courts present the age-old tale of Dick
Whittington and His Cat from Wednesday, December
18 until Monday, December 23. Join Dick and his cat
as they unite forces against the wicked King Rat!
Tickets cost £16 per adult and £12 per child on 01942
834747.
Jack & the Beanstalk heads to Wigan Little Theatre
from Thursday, January 9 until Saturday, January 25.
Join Jack as he sells his cow in exchange for magic
beans, and evokes the wrath of a terrifying giant.
Tickets cost £10/£12 on 01942 242561.
Finally, why not take the family off to enjoy Beauty
& the Beast, which heads to Leigh Cricket Club for
one day only on Saturday, January 11? The show
runs from 1:30pm-3pm and brings romance to life
as Beauty is imprisoned in the castle of a mysterious
Beast, who might not be what he seems... Tickets
cost £7.50 per adult and £5 per child at www.leighcc.
org
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20

21
Worsaw Hill
by Chris Pearce
Distance: 3½ miles Difficulty: Easy/Medium
One of the biggest frustrations walkers face is the
erratic quality of the weather forecasts and this trek
up to the Ribble Valley some weeks back was a case in
point. After a favourable forecast the night before the
walk, I packed my hat and sun cream before setting
off at 7am. Sadly, the early morning mist stubbornly
refused to shift, but don’t let the gloomy pictures put
you off tackling this lovely walk.
The walk starts at the Assheton Arms pub (BB7
4BJ) in olde-worlde Downham, where you take the
footpath down the left of the pub until you reach
Croft Cottage. Go through the gate at the side of the
cottage and head uphill. Once you’ve gone though
another gate further on, you’ll drop downhill to
another gate after which you’ll cross Green Lane.
Go through the green metal gate situated opposite
and follow the path to the left-hand side of the field
until you reach a very small enclosure with footpath
sign – go through the enclosure and carry on in
the same direction, through a gate and down an
overgrown track until you reach the railway bridge.
Go under the bridge and carry on in the same
direction until you reach a stone building.
Bear left in front of the stone building, following
the track right through to the next field. Go into the

22
enclosed pathway on the left-hand side of the field,
and the path eventually crosses the railway line
and you follow the path through woodland on the
opposite side of the track.
After reaching a gate go in the field beyond, up
the hill and through the log stacks. Once you
reach the road, turn right over the A59 and into
Chatburn. Once you reach the mailbox on the left
turn into Kayley Lane and follow the path all the
way downhill.
When you can see the wooden bridge, take a
90-degree right turn and then, at the end of the
path, hop over the stile set into the stone wall.
Follow this path until you reach the busy A59.
Take care crossing the A59, and when you have
safely crossed, go though the gate and head uphill
through the field.
Pass through the small gate set into a stone wall
and carry on up a steep rocky path. Visibility was
down to around 40 yards at this stage, otherwise I’d
have clambered up the Worsaw Hill for some better
pics, but things being what they were, I stuck to the
path which wound its way between the hill and its
smaller sibling Warren Hill.
After a slow descent, the path works its way round
the back of Worsaw Hill. Worsaw End House comes
into view, but stay on this side of the stone wall and
follow the clearly defined path as it winds its way
though the next four fields, passing by Longlands
Wood en-route.
Once you emerge from the final field and can see
the teashop on the right, take a 90-degree turn
and go though the car park, across Downham Beck
and onto Main Street. Turn left uphill towards your
starting point at Assheton Arms.

23
For those with the OS Maps
app on your desktop, mobile
or tablet, this walk is named:
JT-Worsaw-Hill
Track
Green Lane
Farm
A59
Sawley Road
Green Lane
Chatburn Road
Downham
Assheton Arms
Chatburn
Heys Brook
Lower Hall Farm
Downham
Beck
West Lane Farm
White Croft Wood
Cat Gallows Wood
A59
Longlands
Wood
West Lane
Worsaw
Hill
Track
Worsaw
End House
Please ensure you wear appropriate clothing and footwear whilst walking. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure
that the walk is accurate, neither the publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability
to any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or other cause.

24
Cathedral Classics
Manchester Cathedral will be hosting beautiful
candlelit performances of classical scores this
winter. Whether you’re looking for a romantic
evening in a beautiful setting, or just want to relax
with some classics, concertos from The London
Concertante of Bach, Haydn, Vivaldi and more
will have you moved by spectacular playing and
gasping at virtuosity. The next concerts take place
on Sunday, November 24 and Friday, January 3 from
7:30pm.
Ticket prices range from £19-£32, and can be
booked on 0333 666 3366.
Meanwhile, pianist Daniel Grimwood will bring
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, along with selected
pieces from from Henselt, Chopin and Liszt to life
on Saturday, December 28 with a stunningly gentle
candlelit backdrop. Tickets cost £19-£29 and are
available at feverup.com or on 02036 086975
A Hand Up
Wigan-based homeless charity The Brick is looking
for volunteers to help run group sessions, serve
lunch and evening meals, help out with the night
shelter and provide mentoring and listening
sessions for vulnerable people.
Just sparing a few hours a week can really help the
charity, which provides support for anyone facing
homelessness, poverty or debt crisis.
If you’re interested in helping out, call 01942 417290
or email fiona@thebrick.org.uk
Care Costs Seminar
We are local and friendly, and specialise in the following
• Inheritance Tax • Lasting Powers Of Attorney • Trusts • Wills • Probate • Care Fee Advice • Funeral Plans
FREE SEMINAR Protecting Against Care Costs
Wednesday 8th January at 10.30am - 12.30pm
at Albert’s Standish, School Lane, Standish, WN6 0TD
Ring us to book your place 01257 463672
We offer office or home visit appointments.
You can find us at:
Northern Diver Building, Appley Lane North, Appley Bridge, WN6 9AE
www.mchalebaker.co.uk

25
Specialists in:
• Family Law • Personal Injury
• Wills & Probate
Call us today to arrange a
free 30 minute consultation
Rachel Jane Taylor
Solicitor & Director
RJT Solicitors
44 High Street,
Standish,
Wigan,
WN6 0HF
Donna Gamble
Solicitor
01257 228027 / 01942 409154
www.rjtsolicitors.co.uk
Helping you prepare for your families future
YOUR WILL
The most important document you will ever possess
Without a Will, the law, not you, decides who gets your
money and possessions and who will look after your children.
You may lose your family home if you have to go into
care and your family may be subject to an inheritance tax liability.
Contact Alexander Ross Wills & Trusts
email admin@arwt.co.uk
www.arwt.co.uk
Suite 2D, Blackthorn House, Skull House Lane,
Appley Bridge, Wigan WN6 9DB
Call now to organise a free home visit
Phone now 01257 444120
Alexander Ross Wills & Trusts on behalf of APS Legal & Associates Ltd
APS Legal & Associates is a Member if the
Institute of Professional Willwriters and complies
with the TSI Approved IPW Code of Practice

26
‘Tis the season
Join us this December for delicious food,
lots of fizz & bubbles.
Set in the heart of Shevington village with a cosy and relaxed atmosphere,
Juniper Bar and Kitchen is the perfect place to eat, drink & socialise.
Festive Menu
Our festive menu is available from the 27th of November through to
Christmas Eve. Our festive menu has lots of delicious festive dishes,
made with fresh local produce.
Party Menu
Our party menu has been specifically designed with large groups and
parties in mind. With a range of options from sit-down, canapé and
finger food, we can help you create the perfect catered event with us.
New Year’s Eve
Bring in the New Year early with our New Year’s Eve pre party.
Arrive from 3.30pm with our celebrations finishing at 8.00pm.
Be welcomed with a complimentary drink on arrival. Enjoy a delicious
hot and cold buffet, lots of fizz and bubbles, mocktails and drinks offers.
Tickets - adults £19.95 children £5.95 under 5s free.
To book your place call 01257 253979
or email info@juniperbarandkitchen.com
For more information visit our website
www.juniperbarandkitchen.com
To make a reservation call
01942 253979
or email
info@juniperbarandkitchen.com
@juniperbarandkitchen
@juniperbarandk
@juniperbarandkitchen
7 Church Lane
Shevington
Wigan
WN6 8BD

27

28 Food & Drink
Sally’s Specials
by Marti of The Star Inn
The Star Inn
Sally’s
Cracked
Peppercorn
and Brandy
Cream
The perfect
accompaniment to
almost any meal
and one of my
personal favourites
Method
Grab a thick bottomed pan or pot and start by warming up a little pomace oil.
Once the oil is warm (not roasting) add the whole black peppercorns, lightly
softening them in the warm oil.
Now add a sprinkling of the cracked black pepper, a tablespoon will be enough.
Make sure you are stirring all the time to stop them sticking.
The pan should be warm enough now to add the brandy to flambé, a generous
splash of Brandy is ok. Be careful and watch your eyebrows!
Ingredients
Pomace Oil
10-15 whole black
peppercorns
Cracked black pepper
Brandy
1 pint of double cream
1 pint of beef stock
Once the flame has gone the alcohol has cooked out and you can now add the
pint of double cream. Bring this to the boil but pay attention as the cream will
rise and boil over if not supervised.
Once the cream reaches boiling point, turn the heat down and add a good pint
of beef stock (this is where Sally’s secret ingredient takes place, but I’m keeping
that under lock and key I’m afraid)
Reduce for 20 minutes until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency, gradually
add more cracked black pepper to taste and salt and pepper to finish it off.
This sauce is amazing and will go with almost any dish you are making. It can
also be frozen in batches for the cold winter nights.

29
Sally’s at The Star Inn was launched in 2007 in homage to landlord and chef Marti’s mother
Sally, who passed away in 1996. A great cook herself, it was Sally’s lifelong dream to have a
restaurant in her name, and Marti wanted to honour that promise when he took the reins of
The Star Inn at Roby Mill.
Hogmanay
Raspberry
Cranachan
Serves 2
Ingredients
Handful of oats
1 pint of double cream
100g castor sugar
Vanilla extract
Clear honey
1 orange
Whisky
1 punnet of raspberries
This is a very simple but effective dessert, traditionally using oats, cream and whisky
Method
Start by lightly toasting a handful of oats under a hot grill. When golden brown remove from under the grill
and leave to one side.
Whip together the double cream, adding the castor sugar to taste, a splash of vanilla extract, a capful of clear
honey, a little grated orange peel and a dash of whiskey.
Beat the ingredients together until just about whipped, add in the raspberries and the toasted oats and
continue to fold it through until stiff peaks form. A word of warning; be careful not to overwhip or the mixture
will curdle, and you’ll have to start again!
The raspberries will turn the mixture a light pink, so don’t worry here.
Put the mixture into a piping bag and pipe into suitable glasses and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Garnish with fresh raspberries, and shortbread for dipping.
Heavenly!

30

31

www.welovefrugi.com
32
Christmas Eve Boxes
Planning a Christmas Eve box this year, but can’t decide
what to put in it? Maybe we can help…
Pyjamas
Many of us give out the
Christmas PJs right at the
start of the month – to get
as much wear out of them as
possible. If you haven’t, then
you may well be able to pick
up a bargain in the days leading up to the 25th, as
retailers often reduce their Christmas stock.
Slippers
Cosy slippers will prove popular long after Boxing
Day. If you’re splashing out, Moccis are a good
choice. These hand-sewn moccasin slippers are
ethically made in Sweden and available for babies
right up to adults.
A Christmas Day outift
If you’re planning a special Christmas Day outfit
for your child, add it to their Christmas Eve box. Try
supermarkets, as they’ve really upped their game in
recent years.
A sweet treat
Whether you go for a packet of sweets, a
gingerbread figure or a sachet of hot chocolate,
a sweet treat is likely to prove the most popular
gift. And let’s face it, your child isn’t going to get to
sleep early anyway, so a bit of sugar won’t make too
much difference.
A book
George at ASDA, £2
There are numerous Christmas tales to choose from.
‘The Jolly Christmas Postman’ is usually a winner
with children under six, as it comes complete with
extra mini-gifts, including
a game and jigsaw. Then
there’s ‘The Girl Who Saved
Christmas’ and ‘A Boy
Called Christmas’ for older
children.
A small toy, game or activity
£12.99
Choose a game you can all play together as a family,
such as Dobble, or an activity to keep them quiet
for five minutes while you prepare for the big day.
A memento
Why not add a Christmas-themed memento to be
brought out again year after year? This could be
a small decoration to hang on the tree, a
mug to drink that hot chocolate from, or a
plate for Santa’s mince pie.
Other little gifts
If your Christmas Eve box is still looking
a bit empty, you could pop in some
trinkets, stationery or accessories.
We love the notebooks and
badges from The Kindness Co-op.
Left to right: F&F cardigan, Tesco. Moccis, from £25, www.moccis.co.uk.com. Santa dress up mug, £8. River Island. Badge, £2, www.thekindnessco-op.
Gingerbread man, £9.95, www.biscuiteers.com. Notebook, £4, www.thekindnessco-op.com, Father Christmas decoration, £5, www.nationaltrust.org.uk

33
Road Renovations
A number of Wigan roads are set to benefit from
renovation work from November and branching into
2020.
Upcoming improvement schemes include:
• Central Drive in Shevington
• A49 Wallgate
• A577 Darlington Street
• Scot Lane in Aspull
• Smethurst Lane in Pemberton
• Warrington Road in Ince
• Wigan Road in Billinge
For updates on expected roadworks, visit www.
wigan.gov.uk/Residents/Parking-Roads-Travel/
UP TO 40% OFF EX-DISPLAY SALE
Sheds
Log Cabins
Workshops
Wendy Houses
Summer Houses
Garden Offices
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Up to 48 months low cost finance available
See our show sites at;
Trebaron Garden Centre
Southworth Road, Newton-le-Willows, WA12 0BS
Telephone: 01695 589 207
Avant Garden Centre
Wigan Road, Leyland PR25 5XU
Telephone: 01772 432 450
www.solidsheds.com
DIRECT FROM THE MANUFACTURER
A Nightingale Sang
The Douglas Drama Group will perform wartime
drama ‘And A Nightingale Sang’ from Thursday,
November 28 until Saturday, November 30 at
Parbold WI Hall.
Follow one family’s relationships, troubles and joys
along the course of WWII in a story about human
resilience in the face of adversity. The stoic Helen
tells as her grandfather Andie recruits mourners to
attend the burial of his dog; her father serenades the
audience with songs of the period; her younger sister
Joyce can’t decide whether to accept a marriage
proposal from a man about to be deployed.
Tickets cost £7.50 and are available from DIY Centre
in Parbold. Doors open at 7pm on the night of each
performance.
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to schools, hospitals, health & sports centres, farms, industrial units, private /stately homes and more

34
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35

36
Beat the
Burglar!
The nights are drawing in, and that brings the burglars
out.
Burglaries rise in the autumn months as the
extended periods of darkness give criminals more
cover to carry out their crimes, but there is plenty
you can do to protect your home, your belongings
and your loved ones.
Security consultant Michael Fraser, host of TV’s Beat
The Burglar, is well placed to offer advice as he used
to be a burglar before turning straight.
Here Michael shares seven tips on how to keep your
home safe this winter.
Watch Your Back
Burglars love dark back gardens as they provide
them with plenty of cover. Install a motion-sensitive
outdoor light to send out a clear security signal.
Love your Loft
Burglars hate lofts. Most won’t venture up there
for fear of being trapped if someone returns
unexpectedly. So, lofts are the ideal place to store
precious items you don’t need to display.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Burglars will often peep through letterboxes to scope
a property. Don’t leave anything on display that can
be seen through yours, especially keys! Better still,
get a grill or cover for your internal letterbox.
Lock the Shed
If you have a shed – lock it. Burglars dislike coming
armed with tools to a property because it raises the
risks of being stopped by Police. Sheds often have a
range of things criminals can use to break into your
home, so keep it locked.
Beware of the Pets
Do you have a sign up saying ‘beware of the dog’?
Bad move. As burglars will know this means you
are unlikely to have a movement-sensitive alarm as
pets trigger these.
Make it Hard Work
Burglars want an easy life, and many are callous
opportunists, so don’t make their lives easy. By
having an alarm on show, window locks in place and
signs saying you are part of a Neighbourhood Watch
or that you have your property security marked, you
are signalling your property isn’t an easy touch.
Shut Up
In the nicest possible way of course. Always ensure
your front gate and back gate are closed. This is a
small but significant psychological thing. Burglars
are hard-wired to look for the easiest option.
The good news is by following these, and the many
other security tips available online you dramatically
reduce the risk of your home being targeted.
This blog is sponsored by Alan Batt.
For more of Alan’s tips and guidance on your home,
visit www.alanbatt.co.uk/blog/
or check out his analysis on the Wigan Property
market here;
www.wiganpropertynews.blogspot.co.uk
Alan Batt is a member of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and has
worked within the Wigan property market for over 30 years.
Alan Batt
For more of Alan’s tips, guidance and analysis on the Wigan property market, check out
www.wiganpropertynews.blogspot.co.uk

37
We bring you the latest trends
in the UK’s housing market, with a
detailed focus on WN6 area.
House prices
The average price of a home rose by 1.2% in
August compared to a year ago, according to
the official UK house price index. This is the
highest level of annual growth recorded since
April.
Economy
At 0.3% growth in the UK economy in the
three months to August was slightly higher
than expected. Analysts expect growth of
0.5% over quarter 3, and 1.3% over 2019,
down slightly from 1.4% in 2018 and 1.9% in
2017.
Transactions
Sales level in September were at their highest
monthly level since August 2017 according
to the HMRC. 101,740 sales completed, up
2.3% year on year. Quarter on quarter sales
volumes rose 1.8%.

38
Santa Experiences
Manchester’s Ice Village
Knowsley Safari Park
www.icevillage.co.uk
Until December 24
Grotto tickets £7.50 per child
Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG
Get in the festive mood this season with
Manchester’s Ice Village! Not only can the kids go
and meet Santa, but grown-ups can head to the
unmissable Ice Tiki Bar, while families show off their
skills at the ice skating rink. Meet a giant ice dragon
in the Ice Cavern, sit in a regal ice carriage, see if you
can escape a giant ice block
and get a real frozen
experience! There’ll
also be festive
market stalls to
browse and
delicious food
on offer.
www.knowsleysafariexperience.co.uk/whatson/events/enchanted-christmas-event/
Selected dates until December 23
Tickets £7.50 (under-3s go free). Santa’s Grotto
must be booked separately at £7.50 per child.
Prescot, L34 4AN
Get Enchanted at Knowsley Safari Park after
dark! Your path will be lit with magical lights and
illuminated animals as you traverse the foot safari
– plus, enjoy festive food, music and meet Santa at
his grotto!
You’re really in for an enchanting experience
with charming animals, and the chance to make
wonderful memories in time for Christmas.
Santa’s Enchanted Forest
Until December 21
Tickets £10 per child, £3
per adult (under-1s go free)
Shorrocks Hill, Formby, L37 2EB
www.santasenchantedforest.co.uk
On cold, crisp winter nights, you’ll find Santa and
his elves tucked away in the enchanted forest.
Explore the Formby woodlands, discover a
giant candy house, and a mini locomotive
travelling through Santa’s mini village.
Families can try dancing with Dancing
Davina in a purpose-built studio, write
letters to Santa at elf writing school, and
visit Father Christmas himself in his log
cabin. Finally, capture beautiful pictures in
a giant human snow globe!

39
Tatton Park
www.tattonpark.org.uk
Dates until December 22
Grotto tickets £6.50 per child, £7 per adult
(admission to Christmas Mansion £10 per adult,
£7 per child)
Mereheath Drive, Knutsford, WA16 6SG
The fairy godmother is waiting to lead you on an
enchanting journey through magical woodlands to
Tatton Park’s Christmas Mansion. Follow the sweetie
trail through the forest and to the servants’ quarters,
where you’ll enter the Witch’s gingerbread house.
Meander through grand staterooms in the mansion
itself, see Cinderella’s magnificent pumpkin coach
and beautiful Christmas trees bedecked in lights!
Children can meet Santa Claus and make reindeer
food at the farm, and there’ll be festive brass, choral
concerts and delicious seasonal food available, as
well as plenty of opportunities to stock up on stocking
fillers! Pose
for a selfie on
Santa’s sleigh, enjoy
storytellers, face painters and
a traditional live nativity – the magic really does
come alive for the festive season at Tatton.

40
Farmer Teds
Dunham Massey
www.farmerteds.com/farmerchristmas
Dates until December 23
Tickets £20 per child, £9.75 per adult, £7.50 per
under-1
Flatman’s Ln, Ormskirk, L39 7HW
Farmer Ted’s is transformed into a winter
wonderland each December – visitors can stroll
down magical high street Candy Cane Lane to
discover an animated reindeer and donkey show
or enjoy a performance from the resident elf band.
Nearby, the Reindeer Food Factory will help you
make the perfect treat to leave on your lawn for
Santa’s reindeers.
Later, meet Santa in his workshop, write a postcard
with your festive wishes on at Elf School, build a
snowman and post for a picture in the Christmas
carriage! A 4D cinema will show Boris’s Christmas
Adventure, there’ll be real reindeer for you to meet,
and so many photo opportunities along the way.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/dunham-massey/
Until December 30
Tickets £17.50 per adult, £11 per child (under-3s go
free)
Altrincham, WA14 4SJ
Dunham Massey’s winter trail is one of the most
anticipated family attractions of the season. The
grand avenue will be replanted with gigantic
flowers, brought to life with light projections. Head
through vortex tunnels, see reflections made by
fire on water, and watch in awe as lights tumble
from the undergrowth in a spectacular show of
illuminations.
Your walk under the stars will be finished off with
spiced cider, mulled wine or hot chocolate as you
gather around the fire-pit to toast marshmallows.
For the little ones, a traditional funfair with a helter
skelter, Victorian carousel and more awaits; if you’re
lucky, you might even spot Santa and his helpers.
Wayfarers Arcade
www.wayfarersarcade.co.uk
Dates until December 24
Tickets £5 per child (£14 x 3, £18 x 4)
Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1NY
Make Christmas truly magical in the traditional
Victorian shopping arcade at Wayfarers, Southport.
Santa will be in residence to hand out gifts to the
children in the stunning setting of the arcade.

41
Traf ord Cenrte
www.intu.co.uk/traffordcentre/events/
peter-rabbits-christmas-grotto
Until December 24
Tickets £8.50 per child, £5.50 per adult
Stretford, Manchester, M17 8AA
The wonderful world of Beatrix Potter comes to
Manchester this Christmas with the immersive
Peter Rabbit Grotto.
Meet Squirrel Nutkin, decorate elf biscuits with Mrs
Tiggy-Winkle, and keep your eyes peeled for the
sneaky Mr Tod in his lair. Actors bring the world of
Beatrix Potter to life as you travel to meet Santa and
receive a special Christmas gift.
Holland Hall
Delamere Forest
www.forestryengland.uk/forest-event/eventsdelamere-forest/santas-grotto
Until December 15
Grotto tickets £8 per child, £2 per adult
Whitefield Car Park, Oakmere, Frodsham, WA6 8LH
Feel the crunch of winter leaves under your wellies
as you follow the Christmas trails at Delamere Forest!
Whether you’re picking up your real Christmas tree,
enjoying steaming cups of hot chocolate, or visiting
Santa in his woodland grotto, there’s something
for everyone this Christmas. Children will receive a
baby tree to take home and a small gift from Santa.
Ellamora
www.ellamora.co.uk
Dates between December 7 & 24
Tickets £12 per child
Church Road, Rainford, WA11 8HD
Ellamora is bringing back the magic of the Tyrers
Grotto this Christmas! Featuring the original Santa
Claus from St. Helens’ most famous department store,
children can visit the man himself in his traditional
annexe and receive a magical Christmas gift.
www.hollandhall.co.uk
December 15, 12:30pm-3:30pm
Tickets £12 per child, £18 per adult
Lafford Ln, Up Holland, WN8 0QZ
Don’t forget your letters to Santa, because he’s
appearing at Holland Hall for a Family Santa Carvery
this month! Children can meet the man himself to
receive a gift, play games with the elves, and enjoy a
delicious 2-course carvery and music from resident
DJ Col.
The Star Inn
www.thestarinnrobymill.co.uk
December 24
Roby Mill, WN8 0QQ
Enjoy a delicious
festive lunch with
Santa and his
elves! Families can
sample some of
Marti Cameron’s
star dishes before
paying a personalised
visit to Santa and
receive a gift in the Stables
Bar - book on 01257 253355.

42
Serves
4
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup
Ingredients Method
750g large ripe
1 Preheat the oven to 200C, 180C fan, gas mark 6. Score a cross in the top and base
tomatoes
of each tomato and place in the roasting tin with the peppers, shallots, garlic
4 red peppers
cloves, olive oil and Italian herbs. Season with salt and freshly ground black
pepper and roast for 25-30 minutes until the tomatoes are soft with charred,
4 shallots, peeled and
peeling skins and the peppers have blistered and blackened skins.
halved
2 Carefully place the hot peppers in a large freezer bag and leave until cool enough
2 garlic cloves
to handle (this will help to make peeling them easier). Leave the tomatoes and
2 tbsp virgin olive oil
shallots to cool in the roasting tin.
1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
3 Peel the peppers, discarding the seeds and pith, and remove the skins and any
Salt and freshly ground tough core from the tomatoes. Place both in a food processor or blender with
black pepper
the shallots and any juices from the roasting tin. Process until very smooth – you
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato may need to do this in two batches.
puree
4 Transfer the pepper and tomato mixture to a large pan and stir in the sun-dried
400ml vegetable stock tomato puree, vegetable stock and sugar. Slowly bring to the boil then simmer
for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
1 tsp sugar
5 Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, top with a swirl of crème fraiche and some
Crème fraiche, roasted
pumpkin seeds and basil.
pumpkin seeds and
shredded fresh basil
leaves, to serve

43
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44
Winter reads
Whether you’re buying for someone else, looking for ideas for yourself, or plan to buy a book,
read it and then wrap it up (we won’t tell), there’s plenty to choose from this month.
Banksy You Are an Acceptable
Level of Threat
Gary Shove & Patrick Potter
This is so much more than
just a coffee-table-worthy
photography collection. For a
start, it’s snort-out-loud funny.
It’s been updated for 2019 and now spans Banky’s
career, from the early 90s to 2018. There are
anecdotes, irreverent biographical references and a
few hundred photos to pore over.
The Testaments
Margaret Atwood
The Testaments picks up a few
years after The Handmaid’s Tale
ended. It weaves together the
stories of three women – Daisy,
born in Gilead but raised in
Canada; Agnes Jemima, who’s
desperate to escape the life set out for her by her
step-parents; and the infamous Aunt Lydia. Perfect
for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale (book or TV series).
The Corset
Laura Purcell
Ruth Butterham is on trial for
murdering her mistress. She
confessed to the crime, but is
she guilty or delusional? The
more that wealthy prison visitor
Dorothea Truelove hears of the
beaten and broken Ruth’s tale, the less sure she is of
who the real villain is in the story. Is Ruth the killer,
is there another murderer at large or, as Ruth seems
to believe, is the real culprit something far more
unlikely? Gripping historical crime fiction sure to
appeal to fans of Sarah Waters.
Little Robin Red Vest
Jan Fearnley
This classic picture book is
now 20 years old. It tells the
story of how the robin got
his red vest. (Spoiler: Father
Christmas gave it to him as
a reward for the robin giving away his own woolly
vests.) A great story, beautiful illustrations and a
feel-good message. What more could a young child
want from a book on Christmas morning?
Burn After Writing (Teen Edition)
Rhiannon Shove
A journal with a difference,
Burn after Writing invites teens
to answer a series of questions
to paint a picture of who they
are, from ‘The song that makes
me want to dance’ to ‘If I had
a brainwashing machine, I would use it to’ and
‘Something I do that makes me feel proud of
myself’. Perfect for 11 to 14 year olds.
Veg
Jamie Oliver
Buying for a vegetarian? Or
just someone who enjoys
healthy food that tastes
great and doesn’t take hours
to prepare? This book is for
them. There are twists on
new classics, such as Veggie Moussaka and Vegan
Lasagne, and plenty of more inspired dishes,
like Masala Stuffed Peppers, Pulled Mushroom
Sandwich and Crispy Cauliflower Katsu. Some take
a few minutes to make from scratch, while others
are more suitable for chilled-out Sunday brunches.

45
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46 Legal & Finance
Pregnant Employees:
A Practical Approach
Pregnancy and Maternity Leave can be
a difficult variable for both employer
and employee to consider and so it is
important that all parties know where
they stand, legally speaking.
One of the core issues to be aware of
is that of discrimination. It should be
understood that under the Equality
Act 2010, Pregnancy/Maternity is
one of the 9 protected characteristics
(others include race and sexual
orientation by way of example). Any
discrimination on this ground is strictly prohibited.
An Employer must not: -
1. Discriminate by treating a pregnant woman
unfavourably because of the pregnancy or
a consequential illness (so this would cover
‘morning sickness’);
2. Discriminate by treating a woman unfavourably
because she is on compulsory maternity leave or
because she is exercising her right to additional
or ordinary maternity leave.
Following Notification of the pregnancy to an
employer, the expectant mother is within a
‘protected period’ for the purposes of employment
law. As soon as the employer becomes aware of
the pregnancy, they are bound by strict Health and
Safety requirements. These include the carrying out
of risk assessments as well as altering the working
conditions and hours of work of the woman in
question.
The latter is a cause for countless claims to the
Employment Tribunal, where employers have failed
to alter the working conditions to a point where
a risk is posed to the health of the mother or the
baby. This can be problematic in high-pressure
or fast-paced jobs, and so is an aspect that needs
to be handled with care to avoid the issuance of
proceedings. In these situations, employers must
take care to offer suitable alternative work.
It may come as a surprise that if this is not possible,
the employee should be suspended on full pay.
On return to work, the question of whether the
employee is entitled to return to the same job,
or simply a suitable alternative is complex and
specialist advice should be sought.
Many issues can arise on return to work, including
the recent rights to flexible working (for any
reason), which must be considered by an employer,
and questions over whether a refusal to allow
breastfeeding or time off to breastfeed could
constitute indirect sex discrimination.
Our employment team are on hand and readily
available to assist you should you have issues
relating to pregnancy in the workplace or
employment matters more generally. We can advise
on Employment Tribunal proceedings, appeals
to the EAT as well as the navigation of Settlement
Agreements. Please call us on 01942 246 241 to
discuss further.
James Ford, Solicitor & STEP Affiliate

47
Our lawyers are familiar with the needs
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making the correct choice of legal advisor is crucial
Make the right choice – choose Alker Ball Healds!
To find out how we can help you
Contact us today on:
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A1 SOVEREIGN BUSINESS PARK, KINGS CROFT COURT, WIGAN, WN1 3AP

48
Style your home this Christmas
Our top tips will help you create a warm and welcoming look.
A wreath on the front door
A front-door wreath provides a wonderful festive
welcome. There is an enormous variety of readymade
wreaths to choose from, or make your own,
using leaves, flowers and seed heads from the garden.
An impressive tree
Britain’s most popular Christmas tree is the
Nordmann fir, while the Norway spruce is cheaper
but drops needles unless watered frequently. When
buying a cut tree, sawing half an inch off the trunk
will help it absorb water. Remove unneeded lowdown
or interior branches, and position your tree
away from sunny windows and radiators. Wind with
an even distribution of lights and garlands and add
ornaments, hanging them in the centre of branches
and at the tips to create depth and interest.
Mantelpieces, balustrades and pictures
Drape fir, ivy, holly and lush green foliage along
mantelpieces and the tops of pictures, and
wind among balustrades. Add pine
cones, baubles, strings of LED lights
and battery-operated candles for a
gorgeous display.
Candles everywhere
Nothing says Christmas like
warm, flickering candlelight,
but keep them away from
decorations and extinguish
them before going to bed
or leaving the house. Better
still, use battery-operated
LED candles in the form of
tea lights, pillars or bridge
decorations.
Piles of presents
Presents look better when
colour-coordinated and criss-
crossed with
ribbons
and bows.
Inexpensive
paper looks
lovely with a
hand crafted
label, or why
not consider
wrapping in fabric
or employing a
reusable box. Finish with
a tiny pine cone, small bauble
or home-made iced biscuit.
Setting the table
Set out a special runner and your best crockery,
perhaps with plates that layer in colour or have gold
edging. Add glassware and cutlery then finish with
greenery, pine cones, candles, baubles and other
small-scale decorations, plus hand-written place
settings.
Hang up stockings
Both children and adults can hang stockings, and if
you don’t have a handy mantelpiece try a peg rail,
branch, coat hooks or stocking hooks.
Card arrangements
Christmas cards are a lovely way to decorate
your home. Display them in neat rows on a shelf
or mantelpiece, tucked into mirrors and picture
frames, stapled to ribbons and hung alongside the
staircase (weighted with a bauble or pine cone) or
from rows of string using mini wooden pegs.
Decorative displays
Use illuminated ornaments or a few poinsettias in
pots, some bowls of clove-studded oranges and a
few baubles or fairy lights in a glass bowl or vase for
a sparkly effect.

49

50
A bit more than a
bauble, this pineapple
decoration is made
from hand-blown glass.
Pineapple bauble, £16,
The Shop Floor Project.
Decorate your
Christmas
Tree
A three-in-one
treat, this 19cm
glass bauble offers
elegant impact.
Genielle ornament,
£18.75, The Taylor.
Who doesn’t love hanging the baubles
on their festive tree? Choose an array of
the most glamorous and eye-catching
ones around and the scene will be set for
festive sparkles and joy.
This decorative
glass bauble is also
illuminated.
It costs £11.99 from
Lights4fun.co.uk.
Photograph: Oliver Perrott

Beautiful Baubles
51
Chic and sophisticated,
this etched glass
bauble gives an
iridescent rainbow of
colours.
Hanging iridescent
feather glass bauble,
£4.50, The Farthing.
This acorn made
from sequins and
pearls is both cute
and glamorous.
Acorn Bauble, £4.95,
Annabel James.
Go for gold with this
80mm clear bauble
with gold ball
garland filling,
£2, B&Q.
• Tempting though it is to throw everything at the
tree, an elegant, unified look is best achieved by
limiting your colour palette to just a few different,
but co-ordinating, shades. The rest can go back in
the box for use in future years.
• Hang your nicest baubles around the middle of the
tree where they can be seen most easily. If you need
to pad them out with cheaper or less interesting
ones, hide these at the bottom or at the sides.
• Larger baubles are best placed at the centre of
branches, where they will add depth, and lower
down on the tree. Smaller baubles can go on the
ends of branches and at the top.
• While you are hanging, stand back regularly and
assess how the tree as a whole is looking. The aim is
to spread your baubles evenly around, from top to
bottom, with a pleasing variety of shapes and sizes.
Traditional
yet glitzy.
Set of four
nutcracker
decorations
£25, Marquis
& Dawe.
Stick to a simple colour scheme and add a variety of
shapes and sizes, as demonstrated by this selection
of Lene Bjerre ornaments, from The Taylor.
You can’t get more
decadent than a
glass chandelier
bauble,
£6.99 each, Dobbies
Garden Centres.

52

53
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54
Broken Plan
Despite the allure of large, bright spaces, it is not necessarily convenient to live in an
open-plan home all the time. Hence the development of ‘broken plan’ design.
Although everyone loves open-plan living,
sometimes we need a quiet, separate space. Huge
open spaces can be difficult to heat, too, and
noise can sometimes be an issue. ‘Broken plan’ is
a practical evolution of open plan, retaining the
elements we love, particularly good light and a
feeling of openness, but with subtle elements to
divide large spaces into more manageable ones,
with different zones for different activities. Spaces
may even be opened up or closed off as desired.
Broken plan aims to be the best of both worlds.
One way to achieve the broken-plan effect is with
differences in floor levels, perhaps with a step
between the sitting room and the dining room. A
ceiling can be lowered in one area of a large, open
room to enhance a sense of intimacy. And in homes
with very high ceilings, a mezzanine level, perhaps
chaplins.co.uk
as an office, snug or guest bedroom, combines
open-plan feel with practicality. Other solutions
include internal glass walls or floor-to-ceiling steelframed
windows to subdivide a space.
More typically, especially where two ground-floor
reception rooms have been knocked through, a
great way to add flexibility is to add glazed or timber
iqglassuk.com
double doors. Ideally the doors would slide and fold
away, or else be hinged so that they fit against the
walls when open. Alternatively, connect/separate
two rooms with pocket doors, which slide into the
slim walls on each side – great for, say, a dressing
room off a bedroom.
Temporary dividers are convenient and less
expensive: a screen, for example, a large floorstanding
bookcase, or even simply a slender
console table. They can be relatively easily moved
around or removed as necessary.
An open-plan space can be divided visually, using
simple tricks such as changes in paint colour or
floor finish and mini ‘rooms’ are easily created by
grounding furniture arrangements on a rug or on
an area of contrast flooring. Finally, employ lighting
as a powerful tool to delineate space. Form zones
of different lighting types, including pendants
and wall lights, and carefully position floor and
table lamps. If possible, install different circuits
(controlled by switches or dimmers) to break down
the spaces and illuminate different parts to suit
your needs, whether it be a living area or bedroom,
a kitchen or a dining area.
By Katherine Sorrell

55

56
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57
Appley Bridge Remembers
More than 300 people turned out for Appley
Bridge’s annual Remembrance Service at the war
memorial on Sunday, November 10.
attendees observed a minute’s silence at 11am in
memory of the sacrifices made for our freedom.
Residents visited the war memorial outside
the village community centre on Appley
Lane, with families, uniformed organisations
and the Police Force paying tribute to those
who lost their lives during the Great War.
The service was led by local ministers Fr
Phillip Tuite from St. Joseph’s RC Church
in Wrightington, Rev John Hilton from
The Vale Methodist Church, and Rev John
Mountain and Reader Diane Green from All
Saints Appley Bridge. After Bible readings,
prayers, and the laying of the wreath,
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58
A decorative lamp can come in all
shapes, sizes, materials and colours.
This is a selection from Woods Furniture.
An on-trend, metallic cagelike
base is teamed with a
pretty cotton shade, making
this distinctive lamp ideal for
classic, contemporary and
industrial-inspired interiors.
Maui LED table lamp, £79, Atkin
and Thyme.
Brighten Up
Your Evenings
Adding some
good-looking
illumination is a great
way to introduce both
a decorative focal
point and increase
atmosphere in any
room.
Bring on some Hollywood glamour with a gold and feather
lamp (the feathers are ethically sourced, by the way).
Mini feather lamp by A Modern Grand Tour, £1,900, Sweetpea
& Willow.

59
A minimal table lamp from Lene Bjerre
would make the perfect accent for a
contemporary home.
Metta table lamp, £90, Sweetpea & Willow.
This textural, informal
lantern would add
fashionable interest in
an understated, modern
space.
Antique brass knitted lantern,
large, £48, Rose & Grey.
Lined with a navy cotton
interior, this lampshade uses
nautical imagery from a series
of 18th century hand-coloured
prints, depicting ships in
dramatic ocean conditions.
Shipwreck lighthouse lampshade,
£58, Cream Cornwall.
Let there be light
• When you are seeking an inexpensive update, simply remove any
dull, old, less-than-stylish table lamps and plug in your new, on-trend,
up-to-the-minute choices and voila! an instant change of look.
• Use a table lamp to create a welcoming reading corner in a living
room, or simply to introduce a cosy pool of light in a dark area. They
look great on a hall console or a small table on a landing, and are,
of course, both practical and beautiful either side of a bed.
Sleek and sophisticated,
this large glass and metal
lamp would add a touch of
modern classic style to any
room.
Cranmer table lamp, £369,
Pepper Sq.
• Lanterns are even easier than lamps, as they don’t need
a nearby plug. If you are wary of using candles for safety
reasons, substitute battery-operated LED candles instead.
• Buying more than one lamp for a room? Identical pairs look
smart and traditional, but you don’t have to buy them all
the same. A range of styles can create interest and work
in different areas. It is, however, worth choosing styles
that have colour, pattern, material or shape in common,
in order to give the room a sense of overall cohesion
This sturdy modern lantern would be great inside or out.
Autumn wooden lantern, £24.99, Lights4fun.
Image: Simon Hylton

60
Wigan Rotary Club got involved with sponsoring
this year’s Junior Speaks competition: a chance for
primary school pupils to present informative and
engaging talks on various topics.
This year’s winners were students from St. Wilfrid’s
Primary School in Standish, who performed their
talk on Gender Equality in Sport to Rotarians and
guests. Five young people and their teachers
headed to the Rotary’s Thursday lunch at The Owls
in Standish to present the confident speech that
assured the Club the future is still in safe hands!
Judge Dianne Hawkins from the Bolton Speakers
Club was ‘delighted and encouraged’ by the
standards of public speaking the young students
had achieved.
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61
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62
Puzzle Pages
Sponsored by
CROSSWORD
DOWN
1. Expel from a community or group (9)
2. Liquid resulting from the thawing of ice
or snow (9)
4. Painting stand (5)
5. Spectacles (7)
6. Wheel shaft (4)
7. Archaic form of the word ‘you’ (4)
11. Inadequate in amount or degree (9)
12. Daily publication (9)
14. Public transport vehicle (3)
15. Persistently or morbidly thoughtful (7)
18. Public announcement of a proposed marriage (5)
19. Palm fruit (4)
20. Abstain from eating (4)
ACROSS
3. Large, old, luminous stars (3,6)
8. Prophet (4)
9. Adult male horse (8)
10. Baby’s toy (6)
13. Make sore by rubbing (5)
14. Put under a military blockade (7)
15. Suppuration (3)
16. On the Origin of ___, work by
Charles Darwin (7)
17. Sign of the zodiac, the Ram (5)
21. Medicinal tincture used for bruises (6)
22. Government levy (8)
23. On a single occasion (4)
24. The spirit characteristic of an
age or generation (9)

63
WORDSEARCH
THEME: Christmas Carols
Find the hidden words in the word search grid
Amid
Angels
Another
Away
Carol
Come
First
Good
Hark
Herald
Jolly
Just
Kings
Little
Manger
Merry
Nicholas
Night
Old
Rest
Royal
Saint
See
Silent
Sing
Snow
Star
Three
Town
Watched
Winters
Wish
SUDOKU
WIGGLE WORDS
CLUE: To begin from
nothing at all
Trace a path through
all the letters to find
the word or phrase
that fits the clue.
A R T F
T S O R
C H M S
T A R C
NUMBER BLOCK
The numbers in each row add up to totals to the
right. The numbers in each column add up to the
totals along the bottom.
The diagonal lines also add up
the totals to the right.
4
7 8
1 3
6 4
18 11 15 20
11
12
20
11
21
14
All the puzzle solutions can be found
on page 98 of this magazine

64
Crystal Ball
Required?
Most people’s hopes and expectations for retirement
nowadays are very different from those who were
retiring in the past. Retirees now have much grander
plans. Travelling the world, spending more time on
hobbies, spoiling the grandchildren or just plain taking
it easy.
In order to enjoy all the things on their wish list, they
need to have the income to afford them. For most
people, the state pension isn’t enough to allow them
to achieve their vision of a comfortable and active
retirement. And increasingly, income from other
pensions is not enough either.
Building (and keeping) your retirement pot
Recent advertising campaigns have focused
on encouraging people to save more for their
retirement. Whilst this is important, it’s equally
as vital to make those savings last throughout
retirement, both for those approaching retirement
and for those who have already retired.
Ever since the global financial crash in 2008, interest
rates on saving accounts have been low and standard
annuities have offered poor value. This has led to the
situation where, for many people, the state pension
and other individual pension arrangements that pay
a guaranteed income for life simply aren’t enough to
fund a comfortable retirement.
In order to achieve a comfortable retirement then,
people may have to depend to a large extent on
sources of income which are not guaranteed for life
in the way traditional pensions are.
When you’re saving for retirement, the objectives are
clear; to accumulate a large a pot as possible before
the day you retire. Managing that pot effectively
after you retire is far more problematic, because you
have no set end date; you could check out early or
you may join the increasing number of names on Her
Majesty’s birthday card list.
Key risks to your retirement pot
There are a number of specific risks that need to
considered when deciding how to generate an
income from retirement savings;
• Living longer than expected
• Inflation: rising prices will eat into the value of
savings
• Will the mix of investments be the right ones
• Withdrawal risk: taking too much, too soon
• Will you need long term care funding
Planning for retirement when considering all of the
above risks can be a daunting task. Sadly, the lack
of a crystal ball means that the future can be very
difficult to predict.
How can we help?
Whilst we do not have a crystal ball, we do have
many years’ experience of dealing with clients
approaching/or in retirement who require strategies
to enable them to achieve their retirement dreams.
If you find yourself in this position please do not
hesitate to give us a call on 01257 423800. The
initial meeting will be at our expense and of course
is without obligation.
David Barton APFS Cert CII (MP)
Managing Director &
Chartered Financial Planner

65
In these uncertain times,
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www.prosper-ifa.co.uk

66
Small Business
Saturday
Grassroots campaign Small Business Saturday
returns this month, uniting small businesses across
the UK and encouraging shoppers to support
independent traders in their local area.
On Saturday, December 7, the focus will be on
the successes and achievements of these local
companies. Not only do you help out the local
economy when you shop local, but you help to
create more jobs locally and are often getting
something more original than heading to the
high street. Shopping locally even helps the
environment, with products often locally sourced
and fewer miles travelled to the store for customers
too.
Last year, an estimated £812 million was spent in
small businesses across the UK on Small Business
Saturday.
In Haigh, sisters Angela Tickle and Julie Robinson
have been running their floristry business for 25
years. They opened up in the old tearooms at Haigh
Hall back in 1994, moving to the Courtyard 9 years
ago after the refurbishment took place.
The duo joined the Small Business Saturday group
three years ago, and say it has helped them gain
more hits online and boosted their social media
account.
Angela said: ‘We joined the group to gain some
support from like-minded businesses within the
area, and we haven’t been disappointed. It is a great
network of people and we are always in contact
with other businesses and the group themselves,
helping out and sharing resources.
to shout about what they have to offer. With an
independent business you are getting bespoke
services and personal customer care. The Small
Business Saturday group really tap into this and
help us to get the word out there.’
‘With the high street in decline I think it’s important
for small businesses to not only stick together, but

67
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68 Business View
Improving Cashflow-
There’s an App (or two) for that!
by Chris Alcock - CMA Accountancy
Cashflow is the lifeblood of any business. Many
seemingly profitable businesses go bust every
year simply because they are owed money. So,
well planned credit control practices must be put
in place before you start giving credit terms to
customers.
You’ll know by reading our previous articles that we
are a big advocate of online accounting solutions
such as Xero and Quickbooks. These programmes
allow you to focus on growing your business and
they also integrate with certain Apps which help
you keep cash flowing in.
Using these apps in conjunction with Xero or
Quickbooks, you’ll be able to;
• Set up customisable templates to automatically
send to customers
• Schedule these templates to be sent out at
different points before and after an invoice’s due
date
• Set the timing of when reminders are sent out
• Create multiple schedules with different chasing
approaches for different groups of customers
• Provide insights into your customers credit
history so that you make the best decisions
These apps work for any size of business, whether
you are a one-man band electrical or plumbing
company or a larger organisation employing 10’s of
staff, then the process can be adapted to suit your
requirements.
By using modern cloud-based software such as
Xero in conjunction with these apps, you can make
the whole accounting process for your company
as slick and efficient as possible. You can integrate
your online banking, send your sales invoices
electronically, scan your invoice and receipts via
your mobile phone and then let the software
automatically chase your outstanding invoices.
In addition to these features, Xero is fully compliant
with Making Tax Digital and therefore submitting
your VAT returns via the software ensures that you
are staying on top of the changes being introduced
by HMRC.
CMA can assist you in several ways;
• We can help you set up the software and train
you and your staff to get the most from it
• We can take a more active role, process your
bookkeeping and send you a report at the end of
each month so you can see how your business is
performing.
If you have any questions regarding Xero, Credit
Control, Making Tax Digital or switching to an
online accounting system please do get in touch.
Special Offer
For a limited period we are offering all
new clients Xero software free of charge
for 6 MONTHS if they sign up for our
services before the end of December.
Call us or pop into our office for a chat about your
requirements.
Chris Alcock ACMA - CMA Accountancy
39 Skull House Lane, Appley Bridge,
Wigan, WN6 9DR
Tel: 01257 255521
Email info@handsonaccounting.co.uk
web www.handsonaccounting.co.uk

69
Making Tax Digital
Do you have a business that’s
VAT-registered and has a
turnover of £85,000+?
Are you aware that the Making
Tax Digital changes are now
LIVE?
Would you like your business
to enjoy the benefits of online
accounting?
Call us today for a free
consultation.
Free software for 6
months when you use
CMA Accountancy.
Call CMA Accountancy today
www.cma-accountancy.com
info@cma-accountancy.com
Skull House Lane, Appley Bridge. 01257 255521

70 Health & Fitness
Six Tips for a
Healthy Winter
The shorter, darker, colder, wetter days of winter
can leave even the fittest and chirpiest of us feeling
mentally and physically run-down. To keep you feeling
better through the winter:
1: Reduce your infection risk
Colds and flu are rife at this time of year, and while
being cold cannot give you a cold (only a virus can
do that) it can stress your body and lower your
immunity. Take extra care with hygiene and take
antibacterial hand gel with you when you go out.
If you’re eligible for a free flu vaccine, or are in an atrisk
group for whom the vaccine’s recommended,
make sure you get it early, before flu season gets
underway. Ignore those who claim the vaccine
gives you flu; it can’t, as it contains no live viruses.
People who get flu after the vaccine may have a
rarer flu strain not covered by the vaccine or may
have already had a flu virus before their vaccination
became fully active (10-14 days after vaccination).
2: Keep exercising
Exercise can boost your immune system, release
endorphins that make you feel better and warm
you up, too. Bundle up and stay safe by avoiding
exercising when its icy and wearing bright,
reflective clothes if you’re out in the dark.
If the winter weather does put you off, consider
indoor alternatives: swimming, indoor climbing,
exercise classes, a local gym, a new exercise DVD or
some home gym equipment like an exercise bike.
The NHS has some great free exercise routines.
Check out www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise and
click on ‘fitness guides’ for a range of ten-minute
workouts and exercises, or www.nhs.uk/conditions/
nhs-fitness-studio for online exercise videos. The
range covers yoga, Pilates, strength exercises,
aerobic workouts and more, so there’s something
for everyone.
3: Get enough daylight, fresh air and
vitamin D supplements!
Tempting as it might be, hibernating indoors isn’t
great for your health. Your body uses sunlight to
regulate your body clock and create vitamin D, an
essential vitamin for building strong teeth, muscle
and bone. However, while daylight helps, between
October and early March in the UK there’s not
enough of it for you to make sufficient vitamin D,
even if you regularly spend time outdoors; nor can
you make up the deficit by eating vitamin D-rich
foods like oily fish (e.g. salmon, sardines, herring and
mackerel), red meat, liver, egg yolks and fortified
foods like fat spreads and breakfast cereals. So
while getting some winter sun and eating vitamin
D-rich foods can help, the NHS recommends that
everyone should top-up with a daily 10mcg vitamin
D supplement during the autumn and winter.
4: Stay warm
Being too cold puts stress on your body. When the
temperature drops below 8°C, some people are at
increased risk of mental or physical illness, especially
if they’re over 65, disabled, pregnant, have young
children (under school age), have a mental health
condition or have a long-term health condition.
Low temperatures increase vulnerability to heart
attacks, stroke, flu, pneumonia, hypothermia,
falls and injuries, and can worsen mental health
conditions like depression and dementia.
It also increases the symptoms of Raynaud’s Disease,
a relatively common condition that interrupts blood
supply to the extremities, causing symptoms such
as pain, numbness, stiffness and pins and needles.

71
It most commonly affects the fingers, and you may
notice them go white or even blue and then turn
red as blood flow returns.
Keep your home heated to at least 18°C and use
hot water bottles, heat packs or electric blankets.
Try a hot bath, have hot drinks and eat for warmth
(hot cereals, soups and stews). Pre-warm clothes
on a radiator or in your airing cupboard, and once
you’re outdoors try to breathe through your nose,
as this warms air before it reaches your lungs. Wear
layers, warm gloves and a hat. If you have Raynaud’s
Disease, use hand dryers for warmth, wear an extra
pair of gloves and socks, and avoid heavy carrier
bags that restrict blood flow to your fingers.
5: Eat healthy comfort food
Comfort food doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Stews
and soups are great winter foods, but watch your
fat and salt intake and include plenty of vegetables.
Homemade soups are easily made with a cheap,
simple blender, and cooked fruit with low-fat custard
makes a great winter pudding. The NHS website has
some healthy, warming recipes. Just visit www.nhs.
uk/live-well/eat-well and click on recipes.
6: Finally, look after your mental health
Stay active, warm and sociable: exercise, time spent
outdoors and the company of others can all help
stave off winter blues. However, if you think you may
have full-blown SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder),
see your GP for help. Don’t suffer in silence.
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72
Festive
Food Swaps
After weeks of festive foodie temptations, it’s easy to
start the New Year a few pounds heavier and feeling
far from fit. But the alternative isn’t avoiding treats
altogether: it’s choosing the swaps you can live with.
Start as You Mean to Go On
If you must have a starter, keep it small and light.
SWAP creamy soups or cheese laden dishes for:
• A small prawn cocktail with fresh lettuce and
a little low-fat dressing (if you must add bread,
stick to half a slice of wholemeal).
• A small fresh fruit cocktail.
• A small bowl of cream-free soup.
The Main Event
SWAP
• Duck or goose for turkey or a lean cut of red meat.
• Butter-basting your turkey for removing the skin
(reducing the calories by nearly a third and fat by
more than half).
• Sausage meat for vegetarian sausage mix in
stuffing.
• Goose fat or lard etc. for a low-fat vegetablebased
oil or spray oil.
• Some of your roast potatoes for crispy jacket
potatoes (not mash: the added milk and butter is
its downfall).
• Roasted vegetables for steamed ones.
Your Just Desserts
113g (a quarter) of a standard Christmas pud usually
has 375-400 calories and 40-50g of sugar, although
they are relatively low in fat. Fancy something
healthier? Try 113g of:
• Morrison’s Very Berry Strudel (287 calories, 18g
sugar, 13g fat)
• Sainsbury’s Mixed Berry Trifle Desert (171
calories, 21g sugar, 7g fat)
SWAP
• Elmlea double cream (351 calories, 4g sugar, 36g
fat per 100ml) for
• Sainsbury’s low-fat yogurt (62 calories, 7g of
sugar, 1g fat per 100g)
Raise Your Glass – Not Your Blood Pressure
Alcohol is usually high in sugar and calories:
consider swapping 175ml glasses of some alcoholic
drinks for these delicious alternatives.
Bollinger champagne (133 calories) for
• J2O Spritz watermelon (35 calories)
Dry River Pinot Grigio (158 calories) for:
• Welch’s White Grape, Pear and Apple Juice (35
calories)
Echo Falls Merlot (125 calories) for:
• Asda Grape, Apple and Raspberry Juice (100
calories)
Choose your swaps wisely and you
could save pounds of both kinds.
Merry Christmas!

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74 Leisure
Upload your event for FREE at
www.locallife247.co.uk/events
Standish Christmas Fayre
Sunday, November 24, 11:30am-1:30pm
Lots to buy and enjoy, including craft and gift stalls,
homemade cakes and bacon butties. Free entry.
St. Wilfrid’s Church, Rectory Lane, Standish, WN6
0XA
Haigh Lights Switch-On
Sunday, November 24, 12pm-4:45pm
See the Christmas lights switched on in the
Courtyard, with a festive firework finale! There’ll
be music from the Golborne Brass Band, family
entertainment and a visit from Santa. Free entry.
Haigh Woodland Park, Copperas Lane, Haigh,
WN2 1PE
Love Song
Weds, Nov 27 – Sat, Dec 7, 7:30pm
A look into the lives of a couple over their long
marriage, telling the story of growing old together.
Tickets £10-£12, bookable on 01942 242561.
Wigan Little Theatre, Crompton Street, Wigan,
WN1 3SL
Festive Extravaganza
Thursday, November 28, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Enjoy a festive shopping extravaganza with
exclusive offers and discounts, plus more than 13
local producers exhibiting food, wines, gins and
more!
Derby House, Mossy Lead Road, Wrightington,
WN6 9RE
And A Nightingale Sang
Thurs, Nov 28 – Sat, Nov 30, 7pm
Douglas Drama Group present CP Taylor’s play
set in WWII, which follows a family through the
heartbreak, nostalgia and surprising humour of the
era. Tickets £7.50 from DIY Centre Parbold.
Parbold WI Hall, Station Road, Parbold, WN8 7NU
Christmas Bingo
Friday, November 29, 5pm
Enjoy festive bingo games for the whole family!
Tickets £2 from the venue including refreshments,
then bingo books cost £1 each on the night.
St. James the Great Church, Church Ln,
Wrightington, WN6 9SP
Xmas Ceramics Workshop
Friday, November 29, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Create a set of personalised ceramic tree
decorations in time for Christmas. Tickets £10 on
Eventbrite, including a glass of fizz and mince pie.
Wigan STEAM, The Galleries, Wigan, WN1 1QF
Festival Fundraiser
Friday, November 29, 8pm
Singer/songwriter and guitarist Ken Nicol, with
Wigan duo Kim & Wayne perform blues and folk
songs to raise funds for Coppull Folk Festival.
Tickets £8 from Ken on 01942 732728 or Kevin on
01257 400650.
Standish Unity Club, Cross Street, Standish, WN6
0HQ

75
Tunley Christmas Fair
Saturday, November 30, 11am-1pm
Browse stalls offering homemade cakes, Christmas
gifts and toys, bric-a-brac and more. There’ll also be
plenty of competitions, raffles and games, plus a
Santa’s Grotto. Light lunches available.
Tunley URC Hall, Mossy Lea Road, Wrightington,
WN6 9RW
All Saints Xmas Fair
Saturday, November 30, 11am-2pm
Browse stalls offering everything from Christmas
plants to books and cards, visit Santa in his grotto,
submit a Christmas prayer request and enjoy tasty
refreshments.
All Saints Appley Bridge Church, Finch Ln, Appley
Bridge, WN6 9DT
Winter Makers Market
Saturday, November 30, 11am-3pm
Local artists and makers offer bespoke goods with
a festive theme, plus make your own Santa plate or
Christmas card.
Wigan STEAM, The Galleries, Wigan, WN1 1QF
Standish Christmas Market
Saturday, November 30, 11am-8pm
Festive fun across Standish, with plenty of stalls to
browse, a Santa’s Grotto, food, drink, dancing & more!
Standish Village Centre
Christmas Fayre
Saturday, November 30, 12pm-4pm
Wigan & Leigh Hospice are hosting a Christmas
fayre packed with stalls, raffles and tombolas, plus
a Santa’s Grotto for the little ones. Free admission.
The Monaco, Atherton Road, Hindley, WN2 3EU
Christmas in Standish
The ever-popular Standish Christmas
Market returns on Saturday, November 30,
and excitement is already mounting.
Featuring the usual wealth of stalls spread
across Market Place, Cross Street, St. Wilfrid’s
Church, Standish Methodist Church and
Standish Library. Expect tasty food offerings,
live music from local artists, and so many
stalls you won’t know where to head first!
Santa once again heads to his grotto in
Standish LIbrary to hand out gifts for the
little ones, with lots of festive activities
going on around him.
Hosted by Standish Voice, the market will
be great fun for all the family, and bring the festive
cheer to the village in full force.
For more information and updates about the market,
keep an eye on the Standish Christmas Market
Facebook page or visit www.standishvoice.co.uk

76
Prom Weekend
Sat, Nov 30, 10am-5pm & Sun, Dec 1, 10am-4pm
Hundreds of gowns to choose from for your Prom
Princess, including top brands like Morilee, To The
Nines and Gino Cerutti. Refreshments available.
Romancia, Main Street, Billinge, WN5 7PB
Mulled Wine Walk
Sunday, December 1, 12:30pm-2:30pm
Enjoy a free guided wintery walk around Haigh
Woodland Park and enjoy a glass of mulled wine!
Haigh Woodland Park, School Ln, Haigh, WN2 1PE
Pemberton Xmas Market
Sunday, December 1, 12:30pm-6:30pm
Browse stalls, meet and greet favourite characters,
see a birds of prey display, a giant snow globe,
delicious food and more! There’ll be a funfair and
visit from Santa for the children.
Pemberton Masonic Hall, Chapel St, WN5 8JP
Swing into Xmas
Sunday, December 1, 7:30pm
Join Andy Prior and the Swingtime Big Band for a
night of Christmas swing music! Tickets £20 from
Peter on 07848 818276.
Village on the Green, Woods Road, Aspull, WN2
1PJ
Light for a Life
Tuesday, December 3, 6:30pm
Join Wigan & Leigh Hospice as 5,000 Christmas
lights are switched on to celebrate special
occasions, loved ones and more. Show your love
with a light of your own on the tree, to be entered
into a Book of Dedications.
Wigan & Leigh Hospice, Kildare St, Hindley, WN2 3HZ
Carols around the Tree
Wednesday, December 4, 6:30pm
Join the Red Admiral Band, Sing4Fun and local
schools to sing Christmas carols around the
tree. Dress warmly and bring a torch! Traditional
refreshments available, more info on 01257 464431.
Parbold Village Hall, The Green, WN8 7DN
Xmas Wreath Workshop
Thursday, December 5, 6:30pm-9pm
Create a traditional foliage wreath with beautiful
flowers, with a delicious food spread and welcome
drinks. £45 including materials, bookable at www.
oliveowl.co.uk
Love It Gallery, Winstanley Rd, Billinge, WN8 0AA
Once upon a Pantomime
Thurs, Dec 5 - Sat, Dec 7, 7:30pm (2pm matinee
on Sat)
Mawdesley Amateur Dramatics present a family
pantomime written by Emma Meen. Tickets £8 per
adult or £4 per child at www.madsociety.co.uk or
SPAR.
Mawdesley Village Hall, Hurst Green, L40 2QT
Festive Wreath Workshop
Friday, December 6, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Impress friends and family with your own
handcrafted Christmas wreath. Tickets £10
including materials, bookable on Eventbrite.
Wigan STEAM, The Galleries, Wigan, WN1 1QF
Family Christmas Party
Friday, December 6, 7pm-midnight
Festive fun for all the family, featuring a disco, raffle,
buffet and visit from Santa himself! Tickets £3 per
adult or £2 per child from Shawna on 07962 321803.
Highfield Cricket Club, Billinge Rd, WN3 6BL

77
Christmas Fayre
Saturday, December 7, from 12pm
Book-Cycle is hosting a festive fayre complete with
craft and gift stalls, a Santa’s grotto and mulled
wine.
Book-Cycle Beech Hill, Buckley St, Wigan, WN6 7PQ
Reg Meuross
Saturday, December 7, doors at 7pm
Acoustic Roots welcomes master songwriter Reg
Meuross for a night of folk music – tickets £14 from
WeGotTickets, just search Acoustic Roots Wigan.
St. Michael & All Angels Church, Higher Lane,
Dalton, WN8 7RP
Nativity Festival
Sat, Dec 7 & Sun, Dec 8, 1pm-4pm
Enjoy a display of Nativity scenes old and new
donated by local families and churches, and tie a
knot in the Advent branch. Refreshments available.
St. Peter’s Church, High St, Mawdesley, L40 3TD
Aladdin
Saturday, Dec 7 – Sunday, Jan 12, various times
A larger than life family pantomime – join the hero
Aladdin as he battles the evil Abanazer and his
dastardly plan to rule the world, helped out by a
special genie. Tickets bookable on 01744 756000.
St. Helens Theatre Royal, Corporation Street, St.
Helens, WA10 1LQ
Santa Stroll
Sunday, December 8, 10am
Raise money for Wigan Samaritans with a 7K family
walk around Haigh Plantations. Entry £10 including
a Santa suit, under-3s free, bookable on Eventbrite.
Haigh Woodland Park, School Ln, Haigh, WN2 1PE
Beacon Santa Dash
Sunday, December 8, 10am-1pm
Take part in a 5K Santa Dash or a 1 mile family
fun run – entry £5 per person or £10 per family,
including a Santa hat, medal and post-race mince
pie. Prizes awarded for the best dressed Santa –
more info at www.discoverormskirk.com/events/
Beacon Country Park, Up Holland, WN8 7RU
5K Santa Dash
Sunday, December 8, 11am
Don your Santa suit and take off on a 5K route
around Mesnes Park. Entry £20 per adult, £15 per
U16 and £8 per U10 at www.christmasdash.co.uk
Mesnes Park, Wigan, WN1 1TU
Greenslate Christmas Fair
Sunday, December 8, 11am-3pm
Loads of fab Christmas activities to enjoy and
plenty of festive food, plus enough stalls to fill any
stocking! Kids can meet Santa and have a go on the
bouncy castle. Free entry.
Greenslate Farm, Greenslate Road, Billinge, WN5
7BG
Family Fun Day
Sunday, December 8, 12pm-4pm
A free Christmas fun day for all the family, with live
music, a pantomime, festive circus skills workshops,
a treasure trail, golf tasters and more. Little ones can
meet Santa or decorate festive lollies.
Haigh Woodland Park, School Ln, Haigh, WN2 1PE
Brass Concert
Sunday, December 8, 7pm-10pm
Join the Pemberton Old Wigan ‘B’ Band for a
Christmas concert under the direction of Alistair
Burrows. Tickets £6 on the door.
Pemberton Band Room, Enfield St, Wigan, WN5 8DZ

78
Kenyon’s Xmas Concert
Sunday, December 8, 6:30pm-9pm
Join the Pemberton Old Wigan DW Brass Band to
raise money for The Christies Charity. Tickets £10 in
advance or £12 on the door, including mulled wine
and mince pie, bookable on 01695 624426.
Holland Hall Hotel, Lafford Ln, Up Holland, WN8 0QZ
Intrada Brass
Friday, December 20, 7:30pm
The Music Continuum presents a night of festive
music with Intrada Brass. Tickets £10 from Peter on
07848 818276.
St. Michael & All Angels Church, Duke Street,
Swinley, WN1 2BJ
Christmas Concert
Friday, December 13, 7:30pm-9:30pm
An evening of festive music with the Coppull
and Standish Brass Band. Tickets £8 including
refreshments on 01257 463407/425330/426252.
Tunley URC, Mossy Lea Rd, Wrightington, WN6 9RW
Santa Hunt
Sunday, December 15, 10am-3pm
Santa has lost the password to his sleigh’s supercomputer
– can you find the clues hidden around
Beacon Country Park and piece it together? Trail
maps cost £2 from the Ranger Office, and prizes are
available!
Beacon Country Park, Up Holland, WN8 7RU
Jack & the Beanstalk
Thurs, Jan 9 – Sat, Jan 25, 7:30pm (2:15pm
matinees available)
Jack sells his cow in exchange for magic beans –
what happens when he attracts the wrath of a scary
giant? Tickets £10/£12 on 01942 242561.
Wigan Little Theatre, Crompton St, Wigan, WN1 3SL
Beauty & the Beast
Saturday, January 11, 1:30pm-3pm
A fun family pantomime comes to life as Beauty
is imprisoned in the castle of a mysterious Beast –
watch the tender romance unfold between them!
Tickets £5 per child/£7.50 per adult at leighcc.org
Leigh Cricket Club, Beech Walk, Leigh, WN7 3LH
Stockists of designer
prom gowns including
Jora & Mascara
• Bespoke styles available
• Excellent aftersales service
& full range of alteration
services for any occasion
• School exclusivity lists
• Late night appointments
Sample prom/occasion dresses
from £50-£80
To book your consultation contact Julie on:
01257 424 624
35 Preston Road, Standish, WN6 0JH
www.julesbridalboutique.co.uk

Gardening 79
Planning your
Christmas garden
Award Winner
by Angie Barker
photo: James H. Miller, Wikipedia
I had a strange
conversation with Hubby
the other day. I mentioned
I wanted to buy our grand
daughter the Twirlywoos
and their Big Red Boat
for Christmas. You can
probably imagine his
reaction – and if you don’t
have small children or
grand children, you too
are probably wondering
what on earth I’m talking
about! If Christmas shopping is making you feel
stressed, try escaping to the peace and quiet of your
garden for 5 minutes. Being outside in the fresh air
and close to nature is now recognised as a great
stress reliever. I often retreat to the garden at this
time of year with a cup of tea and a throw to keep me
warm – after all I’ve not even had the conversation
with Hubby yet about the Ninky Nonk!!
I know it sounds a strange thing to say when really
all you’ve got on your mind is your Christmas
shopping, gardens should still hold interest and
look good even in the depths of winter and the best
way to achieve this is to use plants for structure and
colour. Here are some good examples:
Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ grown as a half standard.
They bring height and evergreen structure and have
small white flowers in the winter months – and they
look great wrapped with fairy lights.
Bergenia ‘Bressingham Beauty’ or Elephants Ears. A
low growing evergreen with rounded leaves which
colour up red during the cold weather.
Sarcococca confusa or Christmas Box. A medium
sized evergreen shrub with highly scented white
flowers in winter.
Skimmia ‘Rubella’ is a hardy evergreen shrub with
reddish/pink bud like flowers around Christmas
time. They do prefer acidic compost so I’ve got mine
planted in a pot by my front door.
Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald ‘n’ Gold’. This small
shrub will brighten even the darkest winter border
If you are stuck for a gift idea, why not buy your
loved one a plant which is performing at its best at
this time of year and which will give them pleasure
for many years to come. After all, garden centres
aren’t just for Christmas decorations!
Have a very lovely Christmas everyone and see you
next year.
Angie is a qualified
award-winning garden
designer who will
plan your garden to
your needs from start
to finish, supplying
reputable contractors
and the ideal plants.
Call Angie now for your free consultation!
Angie Barker Dip GD
(Inst GD) BA (Hons)
Garden Design For All Seasons
Tel: 01942 522 405
Mob: 07857 008 383
Award Winner
www.angiebarker.co.uk
photo: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, Wikipedia

80
Garden Make-Overs
Before
After
•Landscaping
•Driveways
•Decking
•Design
Call for free estimate
Colin 07958 302 166
Brian 07760 160 988
Wilson Brothers
01695 633173
Wilson Brothers
www.wilson-bros.co.uk
Give your garden a makeover!
We offer high quality landscaping, garden
design and ground maintenance services
Quality work and reliability
at competitive prices
01942 510 986
07710 405 214
www.ashlandscapingandmaintenance.co.uk
Established 1994
Design with advice
Plants & Planting
(wide range of plants available
with advice and planting service)
Bareroot / Rootball hedges and trees
Supply only or supply and plant
Award-winning,
local family run
business offers:
Garden Maintenance
(weeding, mowing, trimming, hedges)
Regular or one off visits
Call now for a friendly, no obligation quote
01257 401193 / 0771 077 2732
www.newleafgardenservices.co.uk
WE WON’T BE BEATEN ON QUALITY OR PRICE
• Landscaping
• Driveways & Patios
• Block Paving
• Indian Stone
Tree Work
• Shaping & Pruning
• Felling & Topping
• Fencing & Decking
• Turfing & Artificial
Grass
UP TO 25% DISCOUNT
Call Al today for a free quote or advice
OFFICE
01942 396 818
MOBILE
07796 494 463
Semmens
Landscapes
Garden Design • Landscaping • Maintenance
Professional & reliable service
For a free quote, call Andy on
07814 133 690
• •
• Gates and railings
• Repairs and restorations
• Ironwork and welding
• Traditional forge work
25 years of expertise
Tel: 01695 721877 Mobile: 07951 764202
The Barn, 286 Ormskirk Road, Upholland

81
Qualified Tree Surgeon NCA RFS NPTC
All types of Tree and Hedge Work
Fully Insured
Felling, Reducing, Pruning, Shaping
BILLINGE BASED
www.treetechsolutions.co.uk
• All tree work
• Hedge cutting
• Grounds maintenance
• Stump grinding
NO JOB
TOO SMALL
EMERGENCY CALL OUTS WELCOME
Call Wes for a free quote on
07713 121135 / 01695 322153
SMN
Tree and Landscape Management
Tree Felling & Pruning
Site Clearance
Tree Surveys and Reports
Invasive Weed Control
Ground Maintenance
Agricultural & Domestic Fencing
Firewood & Woodchip
Woodland Maintenance
24 Hour Emergency Tree Work
West Lancashire Borough Council approved contractor
Wigan Council approved contractor
Day: 07970 521 692 Eve: 01942 214 121
www.smntrees.co.uk steve@smntrees.co.uk
QUALIFIED & INSURED
FREE ESTIMATES
TELEPHONE:
01695 623 909
07903 290 878
www.gardenrescue-treeservices.com
Prices start from
£39+ VAT per issue
Free artwork
Monthly payments
We also sell hardwood seasoned logs
• Tree Dismantling, Felling & Pruning
• Crown Reduction, Thinning & Lifts
• Pollarding
• Removal of dead, dying & diseased trees
• Stump Grinding
• Hedge Trimming & Removal
Call today for your FREE quotation:
01257 435501 07805 325231 www.jjhtreesolutions.co.uk
FREE HandyContacts web listing
when you advertise in LocalLife magazine
Call us today on
01695 627999
www.locallife247.co.uk/handy-contacts/

82 Motoring
Lexus Luxury
The Lexus UX 250 will certainly turn heads, and not
from the noise. Its striking looks and angles make for
a distinctive and arresting aesthetic. Not everyone
will like it, but it’s far more interesting than a BMW
or Audi.
The rear lamps connect in a full-width strip, giving
it a hi-tech appearance. Triggered by ambient light
levels, the auto-illuminating front LED lights give the
aggressive front end a poised stance; then there’s
that huge front grille that almost wraps around the
front, unlike anything else on the market.
Interior
The front of the UX’s cabin is where Lexus excels.
The space feels generous and welcoming, material
quality is excellent, and features nice touches like
the optional dashboard covering that resembles
textured Japanese washi paper.
As usual, Lexus touts its superior craftsmanship
– called Takumi – and named the top-end trim
package after it. Takumi spec is equipped with a
larger 10.3in infotainment screen and DVD player,
an upgraded sound system, heads-up display,
leather upholstery and sunroof.
Below that sits F-Sport, which boasts features such
as sports suspension, sports seats and a black grille,
bumpers and side sills.
The Premium Plus Pack includes leather seats,
privacy glass, bigger 18in alloy wheels, a heated
steering wheel, heated front seats, keyless entry
and a powered tailgate. The Tech and Sound pack
includes the parking sensors, electric seats and
high-end hi-fi.
The seats are comfortable for short or long
rides, while rear space is slightly below average
for additional passengers. Passenger storage is
reasonable, but not superb. There’s a smallish
glovebox and front door bins, along with a decent
cubby under the central armrest and a couple of
cup holders. Rear-seat passengers are served with a
couple of map pockets but no door bins.
The Drive
On the open road the UX combines precise steering
with good body control and resilient grip to feel
quite keen in corners. It doesn’t flop around the way
a tall SUV might, due to its lightweight aluminium
and composite panels which give it a lower centre

83
of gravity. This combined with
a seating position lower than
other SUVs, the UX feels more
car-like to manoeuvre. While
unintended for off-roading,
an all-wheel-drive version with
a separate dedicated electric
motor generator integrated into the
rear differential offers more traction on
slippery surfaces.
The brake pedal can feel awkward, owing to the
hybrid system trying to balance regenerative
braking to charge the battery with conventional
deceleration.
Speaking of the hybrid system, it features a new
four-cylinder 176bhp 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid
powertrain with direct-shift continuously variable
transmission (CVT). It is self-charging and benefits
from regenerative braking, so there’s no plug to
worry about.
When there’s enough battery energy it’s possible
to pull away on electric only (EV) power. However,
at about 1,600kgs, pulling away on electric alone
means being very gentle with the pedal. Often
the engine will take over as is required for faster
acceleration. But in a car park, or heavy traffic, you
could easily stick to electric alone. All this results in
economy estimates of 68.9-65.7mpg and emissions
of 96-103g/km CO2 (for the 17- and 18-inch wheel
front-wheel drive models).
Infotainment System
Lexus prides itself on forging its own path, but in
some instances this hasn’t been successful. Take
the sat nav, for example, which is awkward and
notoriously fiddly. It’s an older postcode-based
system, which makes searching by house or road
number first impossible, and a limited database
prevents some destinations from being entered.
There’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto either,
despite there being two USB ports available.
The remote is a mousemat-like controller, which
is touch-sensitive and used to select options on
screen. Its high sensitivity makes using it, especially
while driving, a tricky proposition. Luckily, the UX’s
panel of physical buttons below the dash offer
more conventional controls for climate and more.
Overall, the Lexus UX doesn’t lack the tech itself, just
intuitive ways to interact with it.
In a tax (and social) environment increasingly
concerned with emissions, the UX hybrid offers
a unique solution and silhouette in a crowded
segment, but some of the creature comforts leave
something to be desired.and more.
Key Specs
• Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, twin electric motor
• Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel
drive
• Power: 179bhp
• 0-60mph: 8.5 seconds
• Top speed: 110mph
• Economy/CO2: 53.3mpg/97g/km
For
• Very comfortable seats make for great long
or short drives
• Hybrid powertrain helps keep tax cost and
emissions down
• Peppy drive from a CVT gearbox
• Low CO2 Emissions
Against
• Cramped rear seat and storage space
• Poor towing ability
• Difficult to use on-board tech
• No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto

AIR-CON SERVICING
84 Home Services
WE NOW OFFER HYBRID SERVICING
O MOT (Cars, Light Commercials & Motorcyles)
O Hybrid Servicing
O Service & Repairs (Petrol & Diesel)
O Air-Con Servicing
O Diagnostics
O Tyres
Car Paintwork Repairs
We’ll fix your;
Paintwork Scratches
Bumper Scuffs
Alloy Wheel Damage
Minor Dents
No VAT
charged!
Quality repairs with a lifetime guarantee.
Mobile Service – we come to you!
For your free estimate, call Dave on
07970 915 504
c/o JW Gaskell Garages,
Dingle Garage, Dingle Road, Up Holland, WN8 0EN
PCP or lease coming
to an end?
Call me now and save £000’s
SCUFFS/SCRATCHES MENDED
MINOR DENTS REPAIRED
ALLOY WHEEL REPAIRS
NO VAT CHARGED
We’ll beat any quote!
Call Chris on
01942 215 111 OR 07969 357 751
www.cosmeticar.co.uk

Home Services 85
Sponsored by
TV Aerials Installed
TV Wall Mounting
Telephone Lines
Setup Service
Ring Paul on
01942 514 532
07709 490 095
• Conservatory repairs
• Locks, handles and hinges
• Replacement glass
• Windows and doors installed
• Replacement conservatory roofs
Call MARK now on
01942 737 381 / 0776 315 1720
conservatoryrepairs@gmail.com
www.fixmyconservatory.com
Arley Cabinet Company Ltd
• Kitchens & Bedrooms since 1952 •
We Measure ~ We Make ~ We Fit
Drop into our showroom or call us
for a free estimate
214a Gidlow Lane, Wigan, WN6 7BN
01942 246 190
www.arleycabinets.com

Upvc Windows & Doors I Conservatories,
Soffits & Fascias I Composite Doors I Bi-Fold Doors
Established in 1984 as an emergency glazing service, today Dennis Goulding has grown and moved
forward to offer all you need to maintain, enhance and expand your home. We continually invest in and
embraced the latest changes in energy efficiency regulations, and still remain a local family business that
cares and takes pride in what we do. We don’t employ pushy salesmen, but pride ourselves on working
with and listening to our customers to give them exactly what they want. We will treat you with respect
every step of the way and on that you have my word! Stuart Goulding
Don’t forget, we also offer all of these services daily...
Glass Cut to size, Sealed Double Glazed Units Manufactured on site, Same Day Service, Safety
Glass, Toughened Glass, Mirrors, Greenhouse Glass, Glazing Service, Misted Units Replaced
Unit 16, Ainscough Business Park, Mossy Lea Road,
Wrightington, WN6 9RS
Dennis Goulding
(Drive onto ‘Ainscough Building Supplies’)
Telephone: 01257 427 000
Open Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm; Saturday: 9:00am - 12:00 noon
www.dglwindows.co.uk
A5209
Standish
Shevington
B5250
Open:
J27
A49
TwinLakesMotorEngin ers
Wind Turbines
Heat Pumps
LED Lighting
.and general
Energy Savings
and we’ l provide you with a
detailed report showing the
returns available from your
own solar panels
(10% typical return)
Visit our showroom at
Unit 4a,
Cricket Str et Busine s Park
o f Miry Lane,
Wigan.
WN6 7TP
or
Email: info@docsolarelectrical.co.uk
Website: www.docsolarelectrical.co.uk
86
let us clean your oven so you don’t have to!
professional oven cleaning
environmentally friendly
we’ll restore your oven to near showroom condition!
call Steven today on 07393 818 392
www.ovenrescue.co.uk/wigan
we do
oven
repairs
too!
prices start from £45
Design & Print
Flyers, postcards, brochures
and distribution service.
For more information call
01695 627 999
LocalLife
Gel
Nails
norma ly £20
now £15
Lashes
Spray Tan
Sunbeds
Acrylic & Gel Nails
Natalies @ Studio 84
84 Rainford Road, Bi linge WN5 7PG
Telephone: 07814 619 400
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10AM - 7PM, Saturday 10AM - 6PM
Closed Thursday & Sunday
Mo sy Lea Road
T
Y
R
E
S
Solar Thermal
& Solar PV
Book
your FREE
home survey
CAR & VAN SERVICING
FREE
Car Health Check
.and motorcycles too
for a l residents of Croston and Bretherton
Keep me until you need me!
Book your FREE Car Health Check
Ca l now on
01772 603923
REPAIR & WELDING
Saving money is
the clear benefit!
Slash your electricity and
water heating bill
Protect your household from
future energy price rises
E
X
H
A
U
S
T
S
Reduce your household’s
impact on the environment
Call us now
0843 224 9555
07595 420237
Want to promote your
company in Local Life?
Call Sally: 01695 627 999
locallife247.co.uk
LocalLife
T: 01942 409401
M: 07881 816839
• Professional Carpet - Rug - Upholstery Cleaning
• Leather Cleaning & Restoration
• FREE Pre-Inspection Visit & Quotation
helen@carrolls-cleaning.co.uk
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
• traditional service, state of the art results •
Wigan Good
Trader Of
The Year
2015
5 star rating with
Wigan Trading
Standards Good
Trader Scheme
• Carpets • Rugs
• Fabric & Leather Upholstery
Call today for a free consultation & no obligation quote
Call - 01257 251221
Mobile - 07908 770808
www.manorhousecleaning.co.uk
Providing professional carpet &
upholstery cleaning since 1993
Carpets Upholstery Curtains
Leather Oriental Rugs Hard Floors
For more information call:
01942 470 081
Visit our website and check out the testimonials.
www.alliancechemdry.co.uk

87
Wigan’s premier
domestic
cleaning service
Cleaning in the
Wigan area for
10+ years
We only use reliable, vetted staff
• £11.95 per hour - minimum 2 hrs
• Same cleaner each visit
• All domestic duties provided
Call or email Joanne 01942 203442
joanne@acleanbreak.co.uk / www.acleanbreak.co.uk/wigan
Power
Washing
PB
PROFESSIONAL EXTERNAL CLEANING
• Driveways
- Cleaning & Sealing
• Patios & Decking
• Walls & Brickwork
• Conservatories
- Internal & External
• Gutters, Fascias & Soffits
• Gutter Vacuuming
Call Paul today to arrange a free quote
01257 402 113 ~ 07736 396 374
www.pbpowerwashing.co.uk
UPVC CLEANING
• Windows, Fascias, Gutters etc.
CONSERVATORIES
• Exterior & Interior (Cleaning)
POWER WASHING
• Driveways & Patios etc.
ROOF CLEANING
• Moss Removal & Bio-Treatment
• Softwashing / Low Pressure
SPECIAL OFFER - 20% OFF
ALL CLEANING PACKAGES
Call Clint for a free no obligation quote.
01942 470 089 / 07834 241 642
www.conservatorycleaningwigan.com
Fires & Stoves Swept
Certificates Issued
HETAS Approved Sweep
Professional & Reliable
Over 60 walks
FREE to download at locallife247.co.uk

88
Whatever your electrical needs,
GHE have the answer!
Complete re-wires
New/moving sockets
All lighting needs
Burglar Alarm systems
CCTV systems
Security Light installations
PAT testing & inspections
No Job too Small
Domestic and commercial work welcomed
Suite 1A, Kirkless Industrial Estate
Cale Lane, Wigan, WN2 1HF
Electrical & Security Specialists
All aspects of electrical work plus;
CCTV Installation
Burglar Alarm Installation
Outdoor/Security Lighting
SMART systems Installation
Automated Gates
For a no-obligation quote call
07470 655 925
Call us today for friendly advice and a free quote.
01942 836 937 www.ghewigan.co.uk
EMERGENCY
ELECTRICIAN SERVICE
24 HOURS
NO CALL-OUT CHARGE
STANDISH
BASED
Email: E4S_enquiries@outlook.com
Website: www.E4Systems.co.uk
Facebook: StandishElectrician
a Installation & Maintenance
a Inspection & Testing
Tel: 07738 117712
Orrell
based
a CCTV & Alarms
a Nest Pro Installer
Having
computer
problems?
• We come to you!
• Computer repairs and upgrades
• Internet and wireless problems fixed
• Quality new systems built to specification
• Virus removal from £35
• Domestic and commercial work welcomed
Call us now for FREE computer advice.
Call - 01942 863448
www.expertcomputers.co.uk
‘Excellence in Customer Service’ – Winner
DF
No Fix? No Fee!
ALARMS
Installations, Upgrades & Repairs New systems
10 years experience from £350
For a friendly & reliable service call Dean on
07506 518 646
DF Alarms 58 Chapel St, Pemberton, Wigan

Jon Wright Electrical Ltd
All types of Domestic & Commercial work undertaken
• Inspection & Tests
• Repairs
Shevington
Electrical Services Ltd
NAPIT part ‘P’ registered
JIB Approved Technician
36 Years Experience
All electrical work
undertaken
• Friendly reliable service
• Mains board upgrades
• Extra sockets to full
rewires
Free quotations
Local. Honest & Reliable
Domestic
Industrial & Commercial
Covering all North West Areas.
Call: 0800 6446100 or 07904 127663
www.shevington-electrical-services.co.uk
• Solar PV
• Alarms
Call now on: 07983 387448
Email: jonwrightelec@live.co.uk
Certificate of excellence winner 2017 & 2018
A.J.S.
BAILEYS
ELECTRICAL
01942 215 769
07739 709 005
W.Hurst & Son Ltd
ELECTRIC CONTRACTOR
www.whurstandson.co.uk
• All types of electrical work
• 35+ years experience
• No job too small
• Friendly and reliable
J.Dillon
• All types of electrical work
• 30+ years experience
• Friendly, fast and reliable
• 24 hour call out service
89
For a free quote
& advice call Jeff
01695 622 191
07850 622 191
Electrical
Services Ltd
Call: 01257 424918 or 07821 139826
www.jdillonelectrical.co.uk
FREE HandyContacts web listing
when you advertise in LocalLife magazine
Prices start from
£39+ VAT per issue
Free artwork
Monthly payments
Call us today on
01695 627999
www.locallife247.co.uk/handy-contacts/

90
Want to promote your
company in Local Life?
Garage and entrance doors
in matching styles
Is your
garage door
broken ?
Call us today for a free estimate
to Repair or Replace it
Call Sally: 01695 627 999
locallife247.co.uk
LocalLife
CALL PAUL
LOCKSMITHS
ESTABLISHED 2000
• UPVC & WOODEN DOOR SPECIALIST
• Emergency Door Opening
• UPVC Door Lock Repairs
• UPVC Door Lock Changes
• UPVC Door Lock Upgrades
• Wood Door Lock Changes
• All Work Guaranteed
A Registered Insured NCFE Certified Company
Call Paul for a
Fast, Reliable, Professional Service
CJM Garage Doors Ltd, Unit 10, Hewitt Business Park
Winstanley Road, Orrell, Wigan WN5 7XB
t: 01942 738347 w: www.cjmgaragedoors.co.uk
GARAGE DOOR
REPAIRS
ALL GARAGE DOORS REPAIRED :
Springs, Cables, Locks, Rollers etc.
Doors of all ages repaired
01744 894939 / 07891 330214 NO FIX, NO CHARGE!
www.garagedoorandlock.co.uk
Strawberry Cottage, Pimbo Lane, Upholland WN8 9QL
TELEPHONE
01942 901103
MOBILE
07932 718 362
WWW.CALLPAULLOCKSMITH.CO.UK

91
AGBathrooms.net
Quality bathrooms at reasonable prices
Complete bathroom installations
from design to completion.
For free quotes, call Adrian on 07816 394 292
Check out our work on www.AGBathrooms.net
Elite Bathrooms
& Wet Room Installation
• Bathrooms
• Wet Rooms
• Wall & Floor Tiling
Please call for a FREE Estimates
07703 448890 / 01942 208926
Bespoke Tiling
WALL & FLOORING SPECIALISTS
Top class work guaranteed
For a free quotation, call Oliver on
01942 741789
07387 376 530
Des Pilling Plastering
Plastering – Skimming – Artexing
Coving & Cornice work also welcomed
Orrell based – Established 1986
Call Des on 07787 513 235
www.lakelandplastering.co.uk
www.despilling.org.uk
Great Value Bathrooms!
Full Bathrooms & En-Suites
Showers, Trays & Cubicles
Relocation of Bathroom Suites
25 years bathroom experience
Call Chris now for a free quotation
C L Bathrooms
01942 749085
or 07801 295483
www.clbathrooms.co.uk

Upvc Windows & Doors I Conservatories,
Soffits & Fascias I Composite Doors I Bi-Fold Doors
Established in 1984 as an emergency glazing service, today Dennis Goulding has grown and moved
forward to offer all you need to maintain, enhance and expand your home. We continually invest in and
embraced the latest changes in energy efficiency regulations, and still remain a local family business that
cares and takes pride in what we do. We don’t employ pushy salesmen, but pride ourselves on working
with and listening to our customers to give them exactly what they want. We will treat you with respect
every step of the way and on that you have my word! Stuart Goulding
Don’t forget, we also offer all of these services daily...
Glass Cut to size, Sealed Double Glazed Units Manufactured on site, Same Day Service, Safety
Glass, Toughened Glass, Mirrors, Greenhouse Glass, Glazing Service, Misted Units Replaced
Unit 16, Ainscough Business Park, Mossy Lea Road,
Wrightington, WN6 9RS
Dennis Goulding
(Drive onto ‘Ainscough Building Supplies’)
Telephone: 01257 427 000
Open Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm; Saturday: 9:00am - 12:00 noon
www.dglwindows.co.uk
A5209
Standish
B5250
Open:
J27
Shevington
A49
TwinLakesMotorEngineers
Wind Turbines
Heat Pumps
LED Lighting
...and general
Energy Savings
and we’ l provide you with a
detailed report showing the
returns available from your
own solar panels
(10% typical return)
Visit our showr om at
Unit 4a,
Cricket Str et Busine s Park
o f Miry Lane,
Wigan.
WN6 7TP
or
Email: info@docsolarelectrical.co.uk
Website: www.docsolarelectrical.co.uk
92
• Central Heating Installations
• Boiler Installations
• Maintenance & Servicing
• Power Flushing
186237
Your one stop shop for central heating
434 Ormskirk Rd, Wigan, WN5 9DF
01942 221221
info@premiergas.com / www.premiergas.com
STOVES by Andy
Save £££’s on your install
INSTALLATIONS • MAINTENANCE • SERVICING
For a free quote and expert advice
call Andy on
01257 369 685
07899 752 225
stovesbyandy@gmail.com
C&
D
Plumbing and Heating
Heating & Bathroom Specialist
Chris Heaton M.I.P.H.E.R.P
07973714222
01695625171
Design & Print
Flyers, postcards, brochures
and distribution service.
For more information call
01695 627 999
LocalLife
Gel
Nails
norma ly £20
now £15
Lashes
Spray Tan
Sunbeds
Acrylic & Gel Nails
Natalies @ Studio 84
84 Rainford Road, Billinge WN5 7PG
Telephone: 07814 619 400
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10AM - 7PM, Saturday 10AM - 6PM
Closed Thursday & Sunday
• Bathroom Installation, Full Bathrooms & En-Suites
• Plumbing Services • Wall & Floor Tiling • Ceiling Panelling
01942 397173 / 07803 057940
Douglas Drive, Orrell, Wigan
www.ljplumbingandbathrooms.co.uk
Mo sy Lea Road
T
Y
R
E
S
Solar Thermal
& Solar PV
Book
your FREE
home survey
CAR & VAN SERVICING
FREE
Car Health Check
.and motorcycles too
for a l residents of Croston and Bretherton
Keep me until you need me!
Book your FREE Car Health Check
Ca l now on
01772 603923
REPAIR & WELDING
Saving money is
the clear benefit!
Slash your electricity and
water heating bi l
Protect your household from
future energy price rises
Reduce your household’s
E
X
H
A
U
S
T
S
impact on the environment
Call us now
0843 224 9555
07595 420237
A Genuine Family Run Business
With Friendly & Courteous Staff
SPECIALISTS IN CENTRAL
HEATING INSTALLATION, BOILER
REPLACEMENTS AND UPGRADES
Accredited Installer & Service Partner
• Annual Boiler Servicing
• Landlord & Home Owner
Gas Safety Checks
• Mechanical Power Flushing
• Thermostatic Valves/Radiators Fitted
• All-in-One Air Conditioning &
Heating Units for Home & Work
WE REPAIR ALL MAKES
OF BOILERS!
Registration No.
88604
Telephone:
01257 421 660
TEL: 01942 504 429
MOB: 07515 505 501
www.fgwelch.co.uk
Convert your bath to a
Walk-In Shower
AJC
WALK IN SHOWERS
Typical price
£1800
Fully guaranteed
One day installation
No mess - no fuss
Easy to clean & maintain
Call Anthony on
07919 876 825
Workshop address:
Bulldog Tools Ind. Est.
Darlington Street East
Wigan
WN1 3BT
We also fit full bathrooms!

SHOWROOM NOW OPEN at 19 Preston Road, Standish WN6 0HP
All plumbing services
including services & repairs
• Bathrooms/Wet Rooms designed and fitted
• Specialists in Disability
Installations & Conversions
• Emergency Call outs welcome
93
BOILER
SERVICING
FROM
£60
www.gphwigan.co.uk
No Obligation Quotes – Call Mark on
01257 473026
07515 894281
527090
No
call out
fee
Installation ~ Repairs ~ Service
Central Heating Systems
Boilers & Gas Appliances
General plumbing
Gas Safety Certificates
597379
Call Andy for a free quote on
01942 564 226
07397 391 935
acampbellheatingandgas
Plumbing & Heating Specialist
Complete Bathroom
& Tiling service
John Bailey - 01942 495785
or 07721 040620 & 07710 153238
Based in Kenyon Road, Wigan
Want to promote your
company in Local Life?
Call Sally: 01695 627 999
locallife247.co.uk
LocalLife
Brand New Bathrooms
Boiler + Central Heating
Installs, Servicing + Repairs
Extended warranties available
24 Hour Call-out
Domestic + Commercial
Freephone 0300 3030121
Dave 07769 942218 / Matt 07969 183809
21 Naburn Drive, Orrell, WN5 8SB
Email: info@orrellheating.co.uk
www.orrellheating.co.uk
FINANCE
OPTIONS
AVAILABLE
506515

94
Need a new look
for your home?
Skilled interior and exterior work
undertaken at reasonable prices!
Chris Smith - Painter and Decorator
01942 518126
or 07545 065119
Orrell based business
SG
PAINTING & DECORATING
Specialise in standard wall coverings, extra wide vinyl and
lincrusta. Free estimates. References available upon request
07714 363 377 / 01942 749 971
Sefton Road, Orrell, WN5 8UP
Award Winner
Exterior & Interior Decorating
Domestic & Commercial work undertaken
Competitive rate
Contact Graham now - free estimate provided
01257 426 234
graham@topcoatdecoratingservices.co.uk
www.topcoatdecoratingservices.co.uk
ALL JOBS
considered
Handy Andy
Building / Joinery
Plastering / Tiling
Plumbing / Roofing
Flatpack Assembly
Call Handy Andy on
01257 369 685
07899 752 225
tradesbyandy@gmail.com
AJH DECORATORS
Painting and Decorating
Quality work assured
Over 30 years experience
Free quotes
Mob: 07784 876 338
Email: ajhdecorators@sky.com
Quality work at a competitive price
J&P
MOORCROFT
LTD
Professional Painting and Decorating
• Domestic & Commercial Work
• Interior & Exterior work welcomed
• Old/listed buildings a speciality
Call us today for a free quotation
Home Service available
Choose from 1000s of paint & paper samples
in the comfort of our own home
01942 212096 07831 102 511
www.jpmoorcroft.com
01942 392398 or 07707 321383
HANDYMAN SERVICES
HOME IMPROVEMENTS & PROPERTY REPAIRS
ALL JOBS CONSIDERED
Fascias/Soffits/Gutters
Painting Inside & Out,
Plumbing, Joinery & Plastering
Gates, Fencing & Flagging
Complete Bathrooms & Kitchens - Fitted & Tiled
Competitive Prices, Local & Reliable
Call Martin 07812 810382 or 01942 392118

95
Home Improvements
• Fitted Kitchens & Bedrooms
• Garage & Loft Conversions
• Floors, Doors & Windows
• Garden Gates
For all your home improvement needs call David on...
01942 203 804
07851 225 876
DS Joinery
• Home improvements
• Loft conversions
• Garage conversions & Extensions
• Staircases
• Windows & Doors
Extensions & Refurbishments
Kitchens & Bathrooms
Conservatories & Orangeries
Windows & Doors
Roofs & Fascia Boards
Decking & Balustrading
28 Years Experience
All aspects of building works - No job too small
Call Peter for a free quotation
Day: 07961 516 677
Eve: 01942 745 428
Cambridge Road, Orrell
JJ Driveways
01257 422317 or 07852 202867
www.mtjoinery.co.uk
GDR Driveways
• Flagging • Block paving
• Indian Stone
www.gdrdriveways.com
Call Gareth for a FREE quotation
01942 217 113 | 07715 177 754
Promote your business
from just £6 a month
HandyContacts only £72+ VAT per annum in advance
Call us today on 01695 627999
www.locallife247.co.uk/handy-contacts/
Imprinted Concrete Specialists
Huge range of colours & patterns
• Resin Driveways • Block Paving
• Indian Stone • Flagging
We can also revive your old drive!
Ask about our sealing service
Call Joe for a free quotation on
01942 621 959 / 07867 697 972
www.jjdriveways.co.uk
LocalLife

96
PP
Building services
Joinery Specialists
Your Reliable, Friendly, Professional & Honest
Building & Joinery Specialists
• Conservatories & Orangeries • Garage & Loft Conversions
• Extensions
• Kitchens & Fitted Bedrooms
• Refurbishments & Alterations • Doors & Windows
• Fencing & Decking
• All aspects of joinery work
“Attention to detail is second to none. Can’t recommend Phil enough” Facebook Review, July 2018
ALPINE LTD
Roofing & Building Services
OAP
DISCOUNTS
SERVING
CHORLEY, WEST
LANCASHIRE &
WIGAN
Your local roofing company
from repairs to re-roofs,
fascia’s, soffits & gutters.
• Flat roof specialists
• Damp proof specialists
• Quality workmanship
• Affordable pricing
• Quick response to all repairs
FULLY INSURED
• All aspects of home improvements
• One stop for all the trades you require
• Joinery, Building, Kitchens & Bathrooms
WE DESIGN AND MANAGE
YOUR PROJECT FROM
START TO FINISH
Call Jonathan for a free quotation
TEL: 01257 401 243 / MOB: 0777 602 4045
SpeakmanpropertyServiceS.com
Tel: 01942 410989
Mob: 07730 351523
K Stone
Building Services
All types of building
work undertaken
25 years experience
• Brickwork
• Pointing
• Garden Walls
• Patios
• Roof Repairs
• Flagging
• Alterations
• Driveways
01942 495412 / 07974 496676

97
Facias, soffits, cladding,
dry verge and gutters - call us now
for all your roofline requirements!
We specialise in seamless aluminium gutters.
Clean, stylish and guaranteed for 25 years!
01942 735 515 / 07917 352 182 / 07917 352 183
www.orrellroofline.co.uk
First Class Workmanship
• All types of re-roofs
• Strip & re-slate or re-tile
• Built up felt/flat roofs, dormers etc.
• Insurance work undertaken
• Roofline uPVC fascias, soffits & guttering
W.Newman
ROOFING & REPAIRS
01695 627 212
MOBILE: 07774 943 706
52 HALLBRIDGE GARDENS, UP HOLLAND
Established Over 30 Years
B.A. Berry
Building & Roofing Specialists
•All building work undertaken.
• From a broken tile to a full re roof.
• Flat roofs renewed and repaired.
• Extensions, Alterations, Structural repairs
including Lintels.
Your local fully qualified tradesman with
30 years experience
Call us now for a free,
no obligation quote
01695 622 704 / 07968 652 320
www.baberry.co.uk
All aspects of roofing & roofline
NEW ROOFS REPAIRS
FASCIAS, SOFFITS & GUTTERS
Rubber Cover
Roofing Specialist
Guaranteed 50 years
• WILSON BROS •
Est. 1985
Roofing & Roofline Specialists
• All aspects of maintenance & repair
• Fascia & soffit installation
• Guttering and felting services
Call us now for a free estimate
01695 633173
Colin: 07958 302 166
Brian: 07760 160 988
www.wilson-bros.co.uk
Dormers
and
Garages
Call for free quote
M: 07894 687 384

98
Puzzle Solutions
CROSSWORD
ACROSS: 3. Red giants, 8. Seer, 9. Stallion, 10. Rattle, 13. Chafe, 14. Besiege, 15. Pus, 16. Species, 17. Aries,
21. Arnica, 22. Taxation, 23. Once, 24. Zeitgeist
DOWN: 1. Ostracise, 2. Meltwater, 4. Easel, 5. Glasses, 6. Axle, 7. Thou, 11. Deficient, 12. Newspaper, 14. Bus,
15. Pensive, 18. Banns, 19. Date, 20. Fast
WORDSEARCH SUDOKU WIGGLE
WORDS
Start from scratch
NUMBER
BLOCK
3 4 2 3
7 4 1 8
2 1 3 5
6 2 9 4
18 11 15 20
11
12
20
11
21
14
Keep in touch with the
LocalLife Team!
Want to
promote your
business in
LocalLife?
locallifemagazine247@locallifemedia
Read all our magazines online at
locallife247.co.uk
01695 627 999
www.locallife247.co.uk

99
Come and visit the largest
showroom in the North West
®
Quality installations of windows,
doors, fascias, soffits and gutters
First for quality • First for service • First for reliability
No contractors • No salesmen
Just a smile and a honest price from a family run business
NEW Generation
Rockdoor
now available
SISTER COMPANY OF FOXWELLS BUILDERS
Established since 1999
Call us for a Free Quote
Office Number: 01942 871 777
Victoria Industrial Estate, Victoria Street, Leigh, WN7 5SE
warmlightwindowsltd.co.uk • info@warmlightwindowsltd.co.uk
Conservatory Roof
Conversion System
Transform your conservatory
into a comfortable living space

100
Tomorrow’s Home Improvements Today!
Quality ~ Choice ~ Value
Windows
Bi-Fold Doors
Thermally-efficient conservatory roofs
expertly fitted by accredited installers
©
Orangeries
Don’t just lock it,
Rock it!
Conservatories
Manufacturers and installers since 2004
Contact us on 01744 891717 for a no obligation quote
Visit our showroom/factory at; Crows Nest, Ashton Road, Billinge, WN5 7XX (near Windy Arbour crossroads)
www.orrellwindows.co.uk
28544