Frodsham Life Discussion Forum
WHY not join our Discussion Forum and start having your say on
local issues, appeal for old friends and relatives to get in touch -
or just talk about old times with other visitors.
Simply register to be able to post, choose to remain anonymous or
allow other visitors to e-mail you.
The Frodsham Life Discussion Forum -Click Here!
The Bard
of Frodsham
by Gary Skentelbery
FRODSHAM's Andrew Rudd has been given the prestigious title of Cheshire Poet Laureate for 2006.
Although Andrew has always written poetry he has only recently submitted poems for publication and competitions,
with immediate success, winning the first prize in the 2004 Cheshire Prize for Literature, judged by Andrew Motion
who described his work as ‘seriously good poems’.
During his year in office Andrew will champion the written word through poetry readings, workshops and his
website BLOG. He is particularly interested in the connection between the arts and new technology.
His first Laureate project, is titled ‘Lines on the Map’ a website map of Cheshire with
pop-up poems linked to different locations. If you would like to submit a poem for the map,
visit www.cheshirepoetlaureate.blogspot.com for more details.
Special meeting for
Frodsham Carnival
by Gary Skentelbery
THE annual Frodsham Carnival will take place from Sunday September 3 - Saturday September 9 and a special meeting
is being held this week for anyone interested in helping out or taking part.
The Meeting has been arranged this Thursday (March 23) at 7.30pm at The Community Centre and
anyone wishing to be involved in the organisation of or helping with Frodsham Carnival 2006 is invited to attend.
Those unable to attend but would still like to be involved in Carnival 2006 please leave your name and contact details
at The Community Centre or telephone 01928 732222.
Meanwhile a rrovisional programme has been drawn up:
Sunday 3rd September - Carnival Sunday
Downhill Run from the Monument to the Centre
Six-a-Side Football Tournament
Sideshows and stands provided by local groups and clubs
Refreshments
Street Theatre
Monday 4th September
Carnival Bingo or Beetle Drive
Tuesday 5th September
Carnival Quiz
Wednesday 6th September
Carnival Concert featuring local choral, musical
and dramatic talent.
Thursday 7th - Saturday 9th September
Silcock's Fair
Saturday 7th September
'Frodsham Games'
'Keeping up with Paula' - a continuous relay for teams of 10 children under 11 years, over 2000 mtrs.
Over the Bales - 3 x 600 mtr Steeplechase relay for
Under 13 Boys, Under 13 Girls, Under 15 Boys, Under 15 Girls
Highland games Event - Soft Hammer (Scottish Style) + Weight for Height + Caber. Under 11 and Under 13 Age Groups.
The Scottish Highland Games Champion, Graeme Allan, hopes to attend.
Masked gunman grabs
cash from store
by staff reporter
A MASKED man wielding what is believed to have been a handgun got away with cash from a Frodsham convenience store after threatening a terrified woman assistant.
The robbery was at the Spar shop in St Hilda’s Drive, Frodsham at about 9.15pm on Sunday, March 5.
Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who saw anything suspicious near the shop to come forward.
The man, wearing a black balaclava entered the shop and threatened the woman assistant with what appeared to be a silver handgun.
He ordered her to place cash in a carrier back and then left the shop, walking along St Hilda’s Drive away from High Street.
The man is believed to have been in his 20s, about 5ft 11 tall and was wearing a green coat, blue jeans and white trainers.
His face was concealed by the balaclava.
Anyone who can help police is asked to call 01244 613174 or the confidential Crimestoppers hotline, 0800 555111.
Police are also interested in talking to anyone who has found discarded clothing in the area.
Medical centre: Town
Council runs out of time
by David Skentelbery
THE vexed question of where Frodsham's desperately needed new medical centre should be built remains unanswered - after members of the Town Council ran out of time.
Councillors were debating the issue at their monthly meeting and were about to take a vote when someone noticed it was 10.08pm - eight minutes after the council's standing orders specify that meetings should end.
As no-one had suggested suspending standing orders, the meeting had to be suspended.
Coun Maureen Turner observed: "We cannot take a vote - we are in effect holding an illegal meeting."
The council had been debating a response to a letter from Vale Royal Council asking them to reaffirm an earlier commitment to locating the medical centre on the Top Field at Frodsham Community Centre.
But the council was divided.
Coun Tom Reynolds believed they should be looking for a more suitable site that would not involve the loss of green, open space. Coun Graham Bondi favoured the Bottom Field at the Community Centre.
Coun Tony Hinkins believed the council should await further news on the possible availability of land at Frodsham High School, in the event of a decision to close the school by 2011.
Coun Brian Lloyd said while he would prefer not to use the Top Field there was no alternative.
He warned there was a danger of Frodsham losing the medical centre altogether if the issue of a site was not settled. It was possible it would be built at Helsby, where a "brownfield" site was available.
While Helsby was not far away, it would be very inconvenient for many Frodsham people.
Coun Christine Lloyd believed the decision would be the most important the council had ever made and she could not believe some members were holding up progress.
Coun Colin Pritchard said he remained committed to the Top Field site. He believed a lot of opposition to siting the centre there was from people who were saying "not in my backyard."
The council was told that the District Valuer had still not valued the Top Field site, despite being asked to do so by the Town Council.
Members agreed to again ask the District Valuer to value the site but if he failed to do so to engage another suitably qualified valuer.
But when it came to the vote on reaffirming a commitment to building on the Top Field it was discovered time had run out and the meeting was suspended.
The mystery man
of Harmers Wood
by David Skentelbery
POLICE have been asked to investigate the activities of a mystery man who has been harassing members of the group campaigning to save Helsby's Harmers Wood.
The man - who has used a variety of names - has made repeated telephone calls to Audrey Davies and Maureen Parker, chairman and secretary of The Friends of Harmers Wood, seeking information about the progress of their fund-raising.
He has also telephoned Vale Royal Council, giving the impression that he is a member of The Friends, and has repeatedly telephoned Frodsham Life, asking for information.
Mrs Davies and Mrs Parker say he has adopted an aggressive attitude on the telephone - and on occasions lost his temper and slammed the telephone down.
When asked for his number so they can call him back, he has again put the telephone down.
They believe he is the same man they have seen walking in Harmers Wood, claiming to represent a pistol shooting club interested in buying the wood.
The man claims to have raised a sum of money among friends which he wishes to donate to the Friends to help them purchase the wood on behalf of the local community.
He says he wants to know the progress of various applications for grants before he commits his own donation.
But the Friends believe his actually has an ulterior motive - probably to try and scupper their plans to save the wood.
On one occasion he used the name of an official of Cholmondeley Estates, present owners of the wood, who have put it on the market with a £30,000 price tag.
The Friends - a registered charity - have already won one £5,000 grant and have reached an advanced stage with an application for a grant from Vale Royal Council's Rural Recovery Fund.
They have also applied for a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
In addition, numerous local people have pledged donations - some of them substantial.
Police crackdown
on train gangs
by David Skentelbery
POLICE and railway authorities are clamping down on gangs of youths travelling to Frodsham and Helsby by train to cause trouble.
Cheshire Police, British Transport Police and Arriva Trains have joined forces to tackle the problem caused by unruly youths from Runcorn looking for fights with local youngsters.
Insp Phil Hodgson, who is charge of policing in Frodsham and Helsby, said: "It seems a number of young people are coming to the villages, particularly at the weekends, with the sole purpose of getting involved in fights with the local teenagers. We believe in some cases, these meetings are arranged beforehand in internet chat rooms and alcohol is a factor.
"This type of behaviour is not acceptable and we're working with partner agencies to stop young people who we believe are travelling here for the wrong reasons. We're also dealing with the local children who we believe are getting involved in this undesirable behaviour."
Officers are boarding trains, checking passengers for valid tickets. Those without a ticket are ordered off the train and travellers who are too young to drink must hand over any alcohol in their possession.
PC Phil Meredith, one of the officers who covers Frodsham and Helsby, said: "This technique is proving effective and the handful of young people involved in these issues are getting the message they cannot come to Frodsham and Helsby to cause trouble.
"Here in the community, we're identifying the young people who getting involved in these problems and are working towards getting their parents and schools involved in addressing their behaviour.
"We are confident we know who the main troublemakers are and they can expect to be hearing from us. We don't want to go down the route of arrests and applying for Anti-social Behaviour Orders, however we are ruling nothing out."
The work at railway stations is being supported by increased high-visibility patrols at key times in both Helsby and Frodsham by police and council Community Safety Wardens.
Insp Hodgson said: "It's a shame we have to use these type of operations because the majority of the young people in the area are a credit to the community.
"Sadly, there are a few who don't fall into this category and we will use all the powers at our disposal to address the behaviour of both the locals and young people from other areas who are causing concern."
Opposition to waste
plant is growing
by David Skentelbery
RESIDENTS Against Incineration (RAIN) – the action group launched in Helsby to fight the plan for a giant waste plant on Ince Marches – has set up a number of satellite groups.
One has been launched in Frodsham, another in Kelsall and one at Ince in Elton.
A meeting is being held at the Beechwood Hotel on February 24 to establish another group at Runcorn.
Spokesman Lance Yates says the campaign against Peel Holdings’ proposals for the waste plant has now reached a crucial stage.
Peel Holdings have now submitted their proposals to Cheshire County Council and opponents have three weeks to lodge their objections with the county council.
RAIN is distributing leaflets in the Frodsham and Helsby areas, urging people to write individual letters of objection to the county council.
The leaflets give advice on how to write objection letters and stress the importance of them being individual letters.
Mr Yates said: “A duplicated letter is of very little value. What is needed is an individual objection, clearly setting out your own objections”.
If the waste plant is built it would include the biggest incinerator in the country and it would deal with waste not only from Cheshire but also from Liverpool and Manchester.
Up to 500 heavy lorries would visit the site every day – and leave again. In addition, waste would be brought in by rail and via the Manchester Ship Canal.
Mr Yates said it was vital that as many people as possible wrote objection letters.
“This incinerator would have a big impact on both Helsby and Frodsham and other surrounding villages,” he said.
What children really
think about Frodsham
by staff reporter
AN opportunity to find out what children and young people really think at Frodsham will come at Vale Royal Council’s Frodsham Area Meeting this Wednesday (February 15).
The council will be announcing the results of a series of consultation exercises it conducted with local children and young people at the meeting, which begins at 7pm, at Frodsham Community Centre in Fluin Lane.
In addition to revealing the results of the consultations, the council's role in children and young people's services will also be discussed.
There will also be an opportunity for residents to comment on how they think the council should respond to the priorities identified by children and young people.
At 6.30pm, before the start of the meeting, officers, including the police, will be available to discuss with residents any individual local community safety issues.
Coun Alan Mckie, chairman of the Frodsham Area Meeting said: "I hope local residents will join me to hear the views of the younger members of our community. This council believes that every child matters and is keen to work to provide all of them with the very best start in life".
At the meeting residents will also be given the opportunity to address questions to councillors and council officers. Questions can be about any issue that has an impact on them, their family or the local community and no issue is too small or too big to discuss.
To ensure answers are available to people on the night, residents are advised to register their question before the meeting. These can be registered in a number of ways:
Online at www.valeroyal.gov.uk
Ringing David Jones, Senior Committee Manager, on 01606 867622.
Writing to Committee Administration, Wyvern House, The Drumber, Winsford CW7 1AH.
Castle Park House
emerges from time warp
by Mark Vallely
THE transformation of Frodsham’s Castle Park House from 1950s time warp back to Edwardian Glory is almost complete - and councillors were given a preview tour of the refurbished house led project manager Rod Willet.
The differences are immediately apparent as one enters through the front door to find the staircase and central lightwell now made a feature of the entrance lobby.
To the right, what used to be a jumble of offices and small interview rooms has now been opened up to create a large well lit open space for the new Vale Royal Borough Council one-stop information shop which will house 13 partners offering services to the local community including the Job Centre, Connexions, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Age Concern and Weaver Vale Housing.
Upstairs on the first and second floors are meeting rooms and offices for small and medium sized businesses to rent, with currently 8 out of a total of 16 vacancies having already been filled.
One of the show areas will be a new state-of-the-art Cyber Café housed in the basement.
Frodsham Town council will return to Castle Park in the ground floor of the adjoining Footman’s Cottage refurbished alongside the main building.
After closing in January 2005, the house has been renovated over the last 12 months at a cost of £2.1 million, on time and with only a £40k overspend. Money for the project was given by Vale Royal Borough Council and Frodsham Forward secured match funding by the North West Development Agency and European Rural Development Fund.
Scaffolding and barriers should disappear on February 28 when the building is taken over from the contractors and, after a further month of fitting, will re-open to the public on April 3.
The initial scheme included regenerating the whole park and consultants are now working up a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to secure more money to revitalize the gardens for future generations to enjoy.
Top picture is an artist's impression of the cybercafe. Lower picture shows the one-stop-shop.
"Prince of the people"
welcomed on hospice visit
by Mark Vallely
PRINCE Edward’s visit to Halton Haven Hospice proved to be a tremendous success as he toured the buildings before finally cutting the jubilee cake to inaugurate the landmark year ahead.
The Prince was greeted at a reception and toured the hospice, meeting both patients and their families, and the staff / volunteers. Some patients were met on a personal basis in the private rooms and in the complimentary therapy rooms.
Ram Pal Sahi, a day care patient said “It was quite nice for him to come in like that and he’s very easy to talk to – not snobbish at all. He talks to you on the same level and if he asks a question then he wants to listen to the answer. He’s not asking just for the sake of asking.
Carole Clare, also a patient remarked “He liked it here – he said. I said yeah we’re all happy here. I think really he is the people’s man. I think he’s the Queen’s youngest son and she gave him to us. He is the Prince of the people and was a lot more outgoing than I thought he’d be. I think it’s a shame he’s not recognised – he does a lot that people don’t know.”
Shaun Pollard, funding manager for the hospice enthused: “It was a fantastic day, a brilliant day. The priority was the patients, the staff that work with them and the volunteers who make the hospice run.. But it was also a fantastic opportunity to launch our 25 years of service to the community, kept open by the community”.
The hospice currently has 15 in-patient beds and treats up to 10 patients per day in day-care. Shaun added: “We do have a wish list for the coming year – we’re going to refurbish all the patient bedrooms, we’re now going to refurbish the Widnes shop, we need to put central heating into day-care, and we’re hoping for enough support this year to end up with a fighting fund towards a brand new hospice”.
Carole summed up by saying “This is only my third week so it has been an experience! But I should have been coming from the beginning. This is what I needed. These people give you spiritual help – I don’t mean religion but the staff give you a bond and you’re not frightened anymore. You’re not on your own.”
Picture shows Prince Edward chatting to patient Lilian Grafham.
Luke picks up gold
in indoor rowing
by staff reporter
FRODSHAM College student Luke Kelbrick picked up a gold medal in the English Indoor Rowing champships at the Velodrome in Manchester.
The college tgeam – staff and students – produced a host of fantastic results as they reaped their rewards for a lot of hard work and training for the event.
Luke (Year 8) produced a fantastic result by finishing first and winning the gold medal in the J13 category. His category had to row for 3 minutes and cover the greatest distance to win.
Spectators watched in awe as Luke sped off to start the race and many thought he wouldn’t be able to keep up the pace. But his first split time showed him to be on great form. He continued his great pace throughout the 834 metre race.
Other students from the college also enjoyed success including; Mike Hulme and Anthony Hulme of Year 8; Sam Edwards, Andy Holt and Amy Grieve of Year 9 and Paul Snelson and Carl Hawkes in Year 10. All students who took part achieved great results, some with the added bonus of getting personal best times and distances.
Pre-school opens
its doors to public
by David Skentelbery
NEWLY re-named Preston Brook Pre-School – which caters for children from the Frodsham area - is to hold an open day on Wednesday, February 15 from 10am to 11.30am.
The idea is to give parents looking for a pre-school setting, the chance to take a closer look at how this pre-school operates and provides a fun and stimulating environment for children from the age of two and-a-half to school age.
Parents and children will be able to see a typical daily session, with “play and learn” activities going on.
Preston Brook Pre-School was formerly known as a “Playgroup” and has changed its name to give a better impression of the quality of care and education provided.
A rewarding Ofsted report was received last July, reflecting the efforts of the staff, Lynn King, Debbie Tamber and Juliette Adams.
Supervisor Lynn King said: “There are more places available and a waiting list for those not yet two and-a-half.”
The pre-school has an option uniform with its own logo to make children feel part of something special. Sessions are held Monday to Friday, 9.30am – 12 noon in term time. More details are available from Lynn King on 07946 175690.
Terri's art success
TERRI Bartlett, a student from Frodsham Science and Technology College, won a top prize in the Aimhigher art competition staged at Mid-Cheshire College.
Her work is now to be exhibited at Frodsham’s Castle Park Arts Centre.
Terri, who said she was “delighted” with her achievement, received a letter of congratulations from Weaver Vale MP Mike Hall.
|
