A new online tool has been launched to help report power cuts in Lancashire.
The region’s network operator, Electricity North West, has launched a log a fault’ tool on its website. The information provided will automatically log the fault and engineers will be dispatched to site to restore the power as quickly as possible.
Stephanie Trubshaw of Electricity North West, said: “Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for our five million customers across the North West to contact us if they experience a power outage in their home or business.
“Thankfully for most people power cuts are very rare, but they can have a big impact. We invest millions in upgrading and maintaining the power network to prevent any unexpected outages, but it’s important for our customers to be able to easily contact us if they do experience any issues and the new online tool will help make that possible.”
Visit: www.enwl.co.uk/contact/log-a-fault or search for any faults in your area here. Alternatively call on 0800 195 4141.
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A new online tool has been launched to help report power cuts in Lancashire.


The family of a man who was killed in a crash outside Preston have spoken out about their ‘tragic loss’.
The 35-year-old man, named as Nick Farrimond, was stood by the road in Whitestake in the early hours of Monday, when he was hit by a car.
Police said Nick, from Bamber Bridge, suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene. It is believed he had been waiting for a taxi.
His family Lynne, Terry Tom released a tribute to announce the ‘very tragic and untimely death of their most loved son and brother’.
It says: “Nick was a wonderfully caring, kind and most especially funny young man.
“His loss will be deeply felt by all his family and huge circle of friends.
“There is a void in all our lives that will never be filled.”
Messages of love and support also flooded in on social media, paying tribute to Nick.
A 32-year-old man from Preston was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and drink-driving, and was in custody.
Police are continuing to appeal for witnesses for the incident, which is believed to have involved a red Peugeot 106 near to Pope Lane Close and Green Lane at around 12.50am.
Sgt Tracey Ward, of the Lancashire Police Roads Policing Team, said: “These are tragic circumstances and my thoughts remain with this man’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
“We are appealing for information and would ask anyone who can help to come forward and contact police.”
Contact police on 101, quoting log reference 0067 of August 29.

Family pays tribute to ‘caring, kind and funny’ man killed in crash


The family of a man who was killed in a crash outside Preston have spoken out about their ‘tragic loss’.


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
The M6 southbound was blocked in Lancashire this afternoon after a “serious” traffic accident in which a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle.
The North West air ambulance was called to the scene between junction 28 at Leyland and junction 27 at Standish
Picture and video supplied by Jack
Police closed all three lanes.
The road was blocked and queuing traffic was reported at 2pm.
Motorists have been warned to expect delays on the M6 and on surrounding routes.
Police said this afternoon the motorway would remain closed for “several hours”.
The northbound carriageway was briefly closed but was reopened about 2.30pm.
Lancashire police said: “The M6 has been closed southbound at J28 following an incident.
“We are advising motorists to avoid the area and use alternative routes.”
The “serious” incident happened on the M6 southbound close to Charnock Richard Services.
Police were called at approximately 1.45pm to reports a pedestrian had been involved in a collision with a vehicle. The pedestrian is critically injured.
Chief Insp Damian Kitchen, of Lancashire Police, said: “We recognise the disruption this is causing and are working hard to re-open the road as soon as possible.
“However, at this time of day, delays through rush hour and beyond are inevitable.
“Please plan either alternate routes or delay your journey. Surrounding roads and towns are also likely to become congested.
“We will release further information when we are able.”

UPDATED: M6 blocked in Lancashire after pedestrian hit by vehicle


The M6 southbound was blocked in Lancashire this afternoon after a “serious” traffic accident in which a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle.


A band nominated for Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards are the special guests at St Annes Folk Club on Saturday.
Jaywalkers are a three-piece consisting from Lancashire, who play guitar, double bass and violin and who have been described as the rising stars of the folk world.
Regular performers at the Cambridge Folk Festival and Sidmouth Folk Week, they have released three successful albums and are heading to St Annes after a summer spent touring the UK.
“It’s pretty exciting to have a band of this calibre coming to play St Annes,” said Steve Canavan, who runs the folk club and is also a Gazette columnist.
“They are a really talented group who have become pretty successful in the last few years.
“I like them because not only are they great musicians and sound terrific – I defy anyone not to tap their feet along to the tunes – but they stay true to their Lancashire roots and a lot of their songs are about the north west.
“It should be a really good night.”
The folk club takes place at the Pavilion Café in Ashton Gardens, St Annes, and tickets for the concert are £7 – available by emailing lsafolkclub@hotmail.com or by buying direct from the venue.
Doors open at 7.15pm on Saturday September 3, the music starts at 8pm.

You’ll want to cross the road to watch this folk band


A band nominated for Best Group at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards are the special guests at St Annes Folk Club on Saturday.


It has been a record-breaking year for GCSE results at Holy Cross Catholic High School where 76 per cent of pupils achieved five or more passes at A* to C.
This was an 11 per cent increase on last year for the Chorley school which achieved also saw an 80 per cent pass rate (A*-C) in English and maths.
Twins Mairead and Ciara Kavanagh
There was also a 94 per cent A*-C pass rate in history, 91 per cent in Spanish and 80 per cent in Religious Studies.
Proud headteacher Ivan Gaughan said: “We are up 11 per cent, which is a significant improvement from last year – and we felt we did well last year. It’s testament to the dedication and hard work of staff and pupils alike.
“The school is expanding from September, taking on an extra 30 pupils in Year Seven, and it shows Holy Cross is moving forward all the time.
“Twenty-four of our students achieved between seven and 11 A*/A grades which are exceptional results.”
Kelly Roscoe, Patrick Kiley, Tameila Russell, Adam Cox, Fionnuala McBride and James Morrissey
One of their star performers was referee Katherine Ormerod who is determined not to give her hobby the red card despite excelling in her GCSEs.
Katherine is a referee at Under 15 level and is also a goalkeeper, currently hoping to break into Accrington Stanley Ladies’ first team.
With nine A*s and two As, she is also using her love of science as back-up if she doesn’t make it in the footballing world.
She said: “That’s what I really want to do but I enjoy science and will take physics, chemistry, maths and further maths in my A-Levels at Runshaw College.
“I hope to do physics at university but football still comes first.”
Pianist Jasin Philip Kanacherill is in tune with his future after achieving eight A*s, two As and one B in his GCSEs.
Jasin, 16, plays the piano in his spare time but is concentrating on a career in science and will now will take Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths A Levels at Runshaw College.
He said: “I enjoy science, I like finding out how things work and why and I want to take a science career path although I am not sure which my favourite science is so that’s for me to find out.”
Head Boy Daryll Hobin has bowled them over with his GCSE results as he aims to go into cyber-security.
In his spare time the 16-year-old plays bowls for Lancashire Youth but has also hit the mark in his exams after achieving one A*, nine As and one B.
“I want to go onto Cardinal Newman and study computing, maths and physics among my A-Levels. I love computers and have built my own at home.”
Fionnuala MacBride dreams of singing her way to success – but with three A*s and eight As and wants to go on to Runshaw College to study A levels.
Kane Dervan will take his six A*s, three As and two Bs to his coveted apprenticeship at United Utilities in Bolton after a tough interview process.

GCSE RESULTS: Holy Cross’s success ahead of its expansion


It has been a record-breaking year for GCSE results at Holy Cross Catholic High School where 76 per cent of pupils achieved five or more passes at A* to C.


The Bay City Rollers, starring Les McKeown are coming to Marine Hall, Fleetwood next month as part of a UK tour.
Arriving at the Marine Hall on Friday September 9 at 7.30pm the concert will perform all the massive hits such as Bye Bye Baby, Shang a Lang, Summer Love Sensation and Give a Little Love.
The music of the Bay City Rollers became the soundtrack for a generation of teenagers growing up in the mid 1970s.
Front man Les McKeown was the voice of the Bay City Rollers as they were propelled to superstardom. The current line up brings a new energy and excitement to all the original hits.
The Bay City Rollers Story is a celebration of those hectic days of Hit songs, touring, TV Shows and the behind the scenes pandemonium that followed the band everywhere they went.
Renewed Les McKeown has come through the extreme highs and lows of life’s great road and he is here to tell all.
All the hits songs are there and audiences are promised a fantastic night of fun and nostalgia as they take a trip back to those innocent days of growing up to the sounds of The Bay City Rollers.
Tickets are £17. To purchase contact the box office on 01253 887693.


The Bay City Rollers, starring Les McKeown are coming to Marine Hall, Fleetwood next month as part of a UK tour.


Vue Cleveleys has been chosen as one of 150 cinemas across UK and Ireland showing new film, One More Time With Feeling, for one night only to help promote a new Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album.
Despite flirting with acting, appearing in films such as ‘Ghosts...of the Civil Dead’ and ‘Johnny Suede’, Nick Cave is predominantly known for his music, in a career spanning more than four decades.
In that time, he’s released 21 albums with three different bands and his latest offering ‘Skeleton Tree’ will become number 22 when it’s released on Friday, September 9.
The first chance to hear any music from the album will be in the film ‘One More Time With Feeling’ with the songs acting as the movie’s soundtrack.
The film is the latest offering of Andrew Dominik, director of ‘Chopper’, ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ and ‘Killing Them Softly’.
Interwoven throughout the Bad Seeds’ filmed performance of the new album are interviews and footage shot by Dominik, accompanied by Cave’s intermittent narration and improvised rumination.
Filmed in black-and-white and colour, in both 3D and 2D, the result is described as “stark, fragile and raw”.
Director Andrew Dominik said that the story is of how the film came about actually quite tragic, saying: “I’d been seeing quite a lot of him as we rallied around him and his family at the time of his son’s death.
“Nick told me that he had some things he needed to say, but he didn’t know who to say them to.
“I took the record away and listened to it trying to work out a way into the whole thing. In the end I agreed to do it if I could shoot it in black-and-white and 3D.
“No one has ever seen a 3D black-and-white non-animated feature film in modern times - for as far as I know, no such thing exists. It is both modern and from a distant age – much like the Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ new record, Skeleton Tree, actually.”
The film’s only showing at Vue Cleveleys is at 9pm, on Thursday, September 8. The showing is in 3D and tickets are available from http://www.onemoretimewithfeeling.film/

Cave’s the top Seed for musical showcase


Vue Cleveleys has been chosen as one of 150 cinemas across UK and Ireland showing new film, One More Time With Feeling, for one night only to help promote a new Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album.


A MAN is set to walk the distance of two marathons in the Sahara to help support disabled and terminally ill children in Lancashire.
Mick Ainscow, from Chorley, will take on the 84km Sahara Challenge through the Draa Valley in Morocco on October 21-22.
The Ribble Valley Council auditor from Gillibrand South is doing the challenge to fundraise for Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children to help under-19s in the county.
Mick, 53, said: “I enjoy walking and recently completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks in just over ten hours.
“However, I don’t think that is really going to prepare me for this next challenge.
“The distance isn’t an issue – it’s the extreme temperatures and 90 per cent humidity, and the need to keep hydrated, that will be the real problem.”
Mick is training for the event by walking part of the way home from work in Clitheroe once a week, gradually increasing the distance.
He will also be fitting in ‘sand walks’ along the coast around Fleetwood and long weekend rambles with his dog Bailey.
He is hoping to raise more than £1,000 for the charity, which has provided specialist equipment for 428 children in Lancashire and is currently working with a further 16 families in the county.
For more information about the charity, visit www.newlifecharity.co.uk/lancashire.

Chorley man to walk two marathons in Sahara for disabled children


A MAN is set to walk the distance of two marathons in the Sahara to help support disabled and terminally ill children in Lancashire.


A recruitment firm has been named the best company in the UK for work-life balance.
Financial recruiter Goodman Masson took first place in the list by jobs site Glassdoor, based on reviews submitted to its website by current and former staff.
The company, which is based in London and also has offices in Dusseldorf, was praised by staff for its “huge investment” in staff benefits and “great” parties twice a year.
“The attention paid to the wellbeing of staff is at a level rarely matched elsewhere,” said an anonymous employee working in the London office.
In second place was technology firm Cisco Systems, and in third place was insurer HomeServe.
West Midlands-based HomeServe, which employs 1,200 people at its headquarters in Walsall and has 2.1 million customers in the UK, was commended for its attitude towards the treatment of its staff.
“The salary is very competitive and you are rewarded very generously for your hard work and just for carrying out your role. The company has a great framework for career progression and is always looking to promote people internally for job roles,” said a water supply engineer working at the firm.
Greg Reed, chief marketing officer at HomeServe, said: “We believe if you take care of your people, they will take care of your customers. This means creating a culture where people genuinely enjoy coming to work every day because they feel what they do really makes a difference in our customers’ lives.”
Temping firm LOLA and Screwfix completed the top five. Other companies in the top 20 included Apple, American Express Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever and John Lewis.
Google is known for its plush offices, but doesn’t make the top 20 companies for work-life balance. Its new London office has sleep pods so workers can take a nap, although perhaps this is an indication of long hours.
For a company to have been considered, at least 50 work-life balance ratings must have been submitted by UK-based employees in the past year.
The top 20 companies for work-life balance:
1. Goodman Masson
2. Cisco Systems
3. HomeServe UK
4. LOLA Staffing
5. Screwfix
6. American Express
7. BP
8. Peninsula Business Services
9. ARM Holdings
10. Unilever
11.Thomson Reuters
12. Kantar Worldpanel
13. Atkins
14. Téléfonica
15. Credit Suisse
16. Rolls-Royce
17. John Lewis
18. Waitrose
19. Lloyds Banking Group
20. Apple
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A recruitment firm has been named the best company in the UK for work-life balance.


Revealed: The top UK companies for work-life balance


Sorry, we're having problems with our video player at the moment, but are working to fix it as soon as we can
The M6 southbound was blocked in Lancashire this afternoon after a “serious” traffic accident in which a teenage male was hit by a vehicle.
The North West air ambulance was called to the scene between junction 28 at Leyland and junction 27 at Standish
Picture and video supplied by Jack
Police closed all three lanes.
The road was blocked and queuing traffic was reported at 2pm.
Motorists were warned to expect delays on the M6 and on surrounding routes.
Police said this afternoon the motorway would remain closed for “several hours”.
The northbound carriageway was briefly closed but was reopened about 2.30pm.
Lancashire police said: “The M6 has been closed southbound at J28 following an incident.
“We are advising motorists to avoid the area and use alternative routes.”
The “serious” incident happened on the M6 southbound close to Charnock Richard Services.
Police were called at approximately 1.45pm to reports a pedestrian had been involved in a collision with a vehicle. The pedestrian is critically injured.
Chief Insp Damian Kitchen, of Lancashire Police, said: “We recognise the disruption this is causing and are working hard to re-open the road as soon as possible.
“However, at this time of day, delays through rush hour and beyond are inevitable.
“Please plan either alternate routes or delay your journey. Surrounding roads and towns are also likely to become congested.”
The motorway was finally reopened at about 5.30pm.

UPDATED: M6 reopens in Lancashire after pedestrian hit by vehicle


The M6 southbound was blocked in Lancashire this afternoon after a “serious” traffic accident in which a teenage male was hit by a vehicle.


We’ve teamed up with Nickelodeon to give you the chance to attend the first-ever UK SLIMEFEST in Blackpool on Saturday September 3rd.
Featuring performances from Alesha Dixon, Conor Maynard, Diversity, The Tide and appearances from Nickelodeon stars Jack Griffo and Kira Kosarin, it’s set to be the slimiest music concert of the Summer.
Slimefest 2016
We’re giving away a VIP family prize package which includes:
4 x General Admission Switch On wristbands on Friday 2nd September 2016
4 x Tickets for the 11am SLIMEFEST concert on Saturday 3rd September 2016
4 x Wristbands for Blackpool Pleasure Beach for Saturday 3rd September 2016
2 x Exclusive official SLIMEFEST Hype® Bag (kids only)
1 x Apple iPad mini 2 7.9” 16gb
Or if you want to guarantee your ticket to the coolest kids’ event of the year, we have an exclusive 2for1 SLIMEFEST ticket offer for you. Just visit nick.co.uk/slimefest and enter FEST02 to get your exclusive 2for1 discount.
All you have to do to have the chance to win this fantastic prize is answer the following question:
Q: Which Britain’s Got Talent judge is performing at Nickelodeon’s SLIMEFEST?
Email your answer with Slimefest in the subject field, adding your name, address and daytime telephone number to competitions@lep.co.uk to arrive by midnight August 31st. Standard competition rules apply, entries merged across JP north west titles.
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We’ve teamed up with Nickelodeon to give you the chance to attend the first-ever UK SLIMEFEST in Blackpool on Saturday  September 3rd.


Win tickets to Nickelodeon's Slimefest and Illuminations Switch On


ABSENT, Winter Gardens, Blackpool
Blackpool once prospered by blurring reality and fantasy.
In its 1950s heyday it managed to perform such seaside magic in tiny promenade sideshows along the Golden Mile.
Taking its lead from that period, and expanding the format to fill vast areas of the resort’s Winter Gardens complex, this intriguing and charming production/installation/artwork – or even fairground attraction – invites ‘guests’ to check into an imaginary hotel and immerse themselves in the story of one of its most colourful residents.
Maggie Morgan was a Premium Bond winner who checked in back in 1957. Fast forward to the future and she’s reluctant to check out now that the owners are intent on converting the building into the purple-clad interior of a more contemporary, and eerily-familiar establishment.
It helps if you’ve read the special edition of The Gazette, available in the foyer and detailing her fall from grace, before you begin your walking tour of the bedrooms, corridors and public spaces.
There’s a voyeuristic glimpse of Maggie through a two-way mirror, before you head on into an Alice Through A Digital Looking Glass world – and via a Narnian wardrobe door – into a realm of diminishing images, intricate model designs, and beautifully-crafted optical and perspective illusions.
You can even smell the perfume of the woman, as you relax in the hotel’s grand lounge area.
Children will love it, while older imaginations will unravel their own fragments of story. The final ‘ballroom blitz’ is a visual showstopper, even if you think you’ve seen all the Winter Gardens has to offer.
Production company dreamthinkspeak have effectively re-modelled a ‘show’ they created in London last year, but which based its story on the indisputably larger-than- life Duchess of Argyll. But in its seaside setting this Absent perhaps becomes an elegant and elegiac homage to another dowager from a golden age – Blackpool itself?
It’s performed here until August 25, then w/c September 12 and September 25.
DAVID UPTON

Play which puts YOU at centre of the action


Year 11 pupils at St Michael’s CE Academy gave retiring headteacher Julie Heaton the best possible send-off with a set of record-breaking results.
The impressive performance saw 88 per cent of Year 11 collect at least five or more A* to C grade passes including English and mathematics.
Notable performances included twins Anna and Rebecca Lackey who each gained 14 passes at A* and A; Megan Ireland who achieved 11 A* and two A grades; Emma Dixon gaining nine A* and four A grades; Rebecca Everiss picking up nine A* and three A grades and a delighted Melissa Joy with nine A* and two A grades.
Mrs Heaton, who will retire on August 31, after 33 years , said: “I am very proud of each student’s performance as these results are truly transformational and willl provide them with an excellent foundation for a successful future.
“Although the focus is on the celebration of students’ GCSE results, it is important to remember that St Michael’s has a commitment to developing the whole person within a Christian ethos, which underpins these remarkable achievements.
“I congratulate them all for their outstanding achievements not only in their examinations but also in the fine young people they have all developed into”.
Jayne Jenks, who will take up the reins as headteacher for the new term echoed Mrs Heaton’s sentiments.
She added: “I am certain that their approach to their studies and the way in which they have embraced all that school life has to offer will inspire and challenge our current pupils to have equally high expectations.”
and aspirations.”

GCSE RESULTS: Results give happy farewell at St Michaels CE Academy


Year 11 pupils at St Michael’s CE Academy gave retiring headteacher Julie Heaton the best possible send-off with a set of record-breaking results.


Trapped in a marriage to an abusive, violent police officer, battered wife Joanna West has no one to turn to… until a stranger offering help walks into her life.
For the first time in years, Joanna and her young daughter have the chance to flee, but can you ever really escape from a brutal, vengeful husband?
Moved and inspired by the testaments of abused wives, former journalist Tamara Dietrich tackles the scourge of domestic violence head on in a highly original and powerfully imagined debut novel which melds menace with paranormal magic.
The Hummingbird’s Cage, a hard-hitting, page-turning thriller with an intriguingly soft middle, almost defies genre as Dietrich weaves seamlessly between gut-wrenching cruelty and spiritual sublimity in a tale of hope, despair and redemption.
Everyone in Wheeler, New Mexico, thinks that Joanna West leads the perfect life. She is married to Jim, the dashing deputy sheriff of McGill County, and has a beautiful seven-year-old daughter, Laurel.
But the truth is that Joanna is married to a monster who regularly beats her, subjects her to verbal and mental abuse and has isolated her from the people who live around her. Once upon a time she would have challenged him but now every time Joanna cries, ‘more of me washes away.’
Ten years ago, Joanna was swept off her feet by handsome Jim, her head turned by his uniform and ‘bad-boy grin’ but now she is trapped in a violent marriage and, with a young child to care for, escape seems impossible.
But then Bernadette, Jim’s feisty biker chick ex-girlfriend, turns up with an escape route. On the run, Joanna and Laurel stumble upon Morro, a charming and magical village that seems to exist out of time and place.
Farmer Olin Farnsworth and his wife Jessie offer her sanctuary and soon, between the comfort of her new home and blossoming friendships, Joanna’s soul begins to heal, easing the wounds of a decade of abuse.
But her past – and her husband – aren’t so easy to escape. Unwilling to live in fear any longer, Joanna must summon a strength she never knew she had to fight back and forge a new life for her daughter and herself....
Dietrich delivers a clever and compelling first novel, conjuring up a mysterious but idyllic town suspended somewhere between reality and fantasy, and juxtaposing this haven of peace with the terrifying threats that lie behind and beyond.
To read The Hummingbird’s Cage is to experience high emotion and high drama and to understand the visceral realities of domestic violence, but there is also the opportunity to marvel at the power of love and hope, and to rejoice at the human capacity to reach out and find redemption.
A heartbreaking tale written with insight, beauty and honesty…
(Orion, paperback, £7.99)

Book review: The Hummingbird’s Cage by Tamara Dietrich


Trapped in a marriage to an abusive, violent police officer, battered wife Joanna West has no one to turn to… until a stranger offering help walks into her life.


Here is a list of five popular bookshops in the county
Ebb & Flo, Chorley
Broadhurst's in Southport
Ebb & Flo bookshop is an independent bookshop in Gillibrand Street, Chorley.
Alongside more recognisable titles, its book selection offers something quirky to customers. With a children’s den area, there are activities and sessions for young learners.
The store stocks a wide range of French Djeco crafts, as well as handmade crafts by Darcey Fleur.
The shop also boasts an upstairs gallery, where local artists and photographers can exhibit their work. Prints and artwork are often for sale. The room is also available for hire.
Broadhurst’s Bookshop, Southport
Broadhurst’s Bookshop in Market Street, Southport has four floors of hidden treasures.
The ground floor houses the new bookshop, with fiction and non-fiction. Other floors include an extensive new children’s book department, two rare book rooms specialising in 19th and 20th century literature, modern first editions, private press books and a wide and interesting selection of antiquarian titles. There is also eight second-hand book rooms containing upwards of 50,000 titles on all subjects and a varied selection of 18th, 19th and 20th century prints and maps.
Halewood and Sons, Preston
Halewood and Sons is a family business established in 1867 by William Halewood. It has a vast stock of rare, interesting and collectable books, maps and prints in all subject areas.
Located in 37 Friargate, there is ample choice to browse around for the perfect second hand and antiquarian book. The five-generational store is particularly strong in travel, exploration, local history, Arthur Conan Doyle, and natural history.
For more information and a book search, email dhalewood@aol.com
Book, Bean and Ice Cream, Kirkham
Book, Bean and Ice Cream, run by Elaine Silverwood, is at the site of the former SilverDell bookshop, in Poulton Street, Kirkham. The shop relaunched with a new name, linking with Silverwood Events, to provide cultural and literary activities in a cafe and book shop setting.
Carnforth Bookshop, Carnforth
Carnforth Bookshop, in Market Street, is an independent, family run bookshop, established in 1977.
Situated over three floors, it stocks a wide variety of products, including new, second hand and antiquarian books, as well as a large selection of maps, gifts, cards, toys, stationery and art materials.


Here is a list of five popular bookshops in the county


After months of rumours, Apple has all but confirmed that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be officially unveiled on 7 September.
The tech giant has confirmed plans for a major media event in San Francisco next Wednesday where it is expected to take the wraps off the newest version of its groundbreaking mobile.
A second-generation iWatch is also expected to be revealed at the event.
Rumours around the iPhone 7’s specifications have been flying around for months. It is expected to be slimmer and lighter than the current iPhone 6S and there is a suggestion it could be waterproof.
Leaked photos also suggest it could do away completely with a headphone jack, replacing the traditional tangle of white wires with wireless Bluetooth-connected headphones.
There is also speculation that the larger 7 Plus will come with a dual-camera system.
It is likely to get a full HD 1080p edge-to-edge screen and a larger battery to keep users online for longer and address criticisms about the longevity of the iPhone 6.
Speculation about processing power has ranged from a dual-core processor like the 6S up to an unlikely hex-core but RAM is expected to remain at 2GB. Whatever the hardware, it’s likely to come with iOS 10 and the variety of functionality upgrades that brings with it.
Pricing is expected to follow Apple’s trend of keeping the cost of new handsets stable so the iPhone 7 will cost around £539 but that’s likely to come with 32GB of storage, a jump over its predecessor’s 16GB.

iPhone 7 launch date confirmed - and it’s soon


After months of rumours, Apple has all but confirmed that the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will be officially unveiled on 7 September.


Children, teenagers and young adults are set to be ‘inspired’ at the new youth zone heading to Chorley in 2017.
The £4.3m project was given the green light in July, with youngsters deciding is would be called Inspire.
The team behind Chorley's Inspire Youth Zone
It is set to be built on Railway Street, where The Arts Partnership and Leigh Arms currently stand, and will be a place for young people to ‘reach their full potential, grow their dreams and achieve their goals’.
Inspire will be built upon an existing model that has been established by the OnSide charity for other youth zones around the country.
Inspire will offer up to 20 activities every evening for young people aged between eight and 19 and up to 25 for those with a disability.
This will include activities such as dance, sport, art, music and media, costing
Michelle Graham who will bwe working at Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley
young people just 50p per visit.
But what exactly does this mean for the young people of Chorley?
Michelle Graham, who works for Inspire in youth and community engagement in Chorley, has been meeting as many young people as possible by visiting youth groups, scouts and brownies.
She has also been in touch with other community groups to explain to them how the youth zone can benefit everyone - especially through the use of volunteers at the centres.
Michelle joined the new youth zone from the The Arts Partnership, one of the original project champions, whose youth offer will be merged with the new Youth Zone.
She said: “It’s important that young people feel comfortable when you go in to talk to them as you will get more out of them in terms of what they would like to see and how they can get involved so it often means visiting them each week and developing a relationship.”
Michelle meets with a group of young people from Chorley every two weeks to influence the development of the Youth Zone.
Amongst the discussion topics are transport links to and from the Youth Zone and art work to decorate its exterior to let people know what is in store.
OnSide has a network of Youth Zones including ones in Wigan, Blackburn, Manchester, Bolton, Wolverhampton and Oldham with then next one opening in Wirral.
Michelle added: “Working with OnSide has given young people the opportunity to see what a working Youth Zone will look like and how they can implement the things they would like to see.
“They have met other young people and seen how beneficial having such a fantastic building can be, not only for a place to go and try new things but can also provide work opportunities for them as well.”
For more information about Inspire Youth Zone or to find out how you can get involved, visit www.inspireyouthzone.org.

FEATURE: What does the new youth zone mean for Chorley?


Children, teenagers and young adults are set to be ‘inspired’ at the new youth zone heading to Chorley in 2017.


Plans to bring a six-screen cinema, restaurants and big name retailers to Chorley will be decided next month.
Councillors will determine whether to progress an extension on the Market Walk shopping centre in the town, which could start early in 2017.
Chorley Council, which bought the shopping centre in 2013, has been working on plans to extend the facility with a seven-unit development on the Flat Iron car park.
The authority pledged to have 75 per cent of the potential new units filled before work could begin, and it claims that there is now interest in 85 per cent of the space.
Councillor Alistair Bradley, leader of the council, said: “To ensure our town centre has a future we have to improve the offer for visitors and developing the Market Walk extension is a key part of that.
“Whenever we ask people what would encourage them to visit the town centre people always mention bigger name retailers to complement the fantastic independent stores we already have and a better leisure offer.
“We’ve been working hard to attract new businesses to take units in the proposed extension and we are now in a position where we can put a detailed proposal to councillors so they can take a decision as to whether we progress the extension.”
The plans were supported by many when they were given planning approval last year.
The council also says that if the plans go ahead, hundreds of new jobs would be created.
“Other than Reel Cinemas, who are already committed to the scheme, we can’t reveal which businesses would be part of the proposed development at this stage as we are still in final negotiations,” aded Coun Bradley.
“We have put a lot of time and effort into securing the best possible deal for residents and it is important that the council considers this carefully.
“If it is approved and everything goes to plan then we could see work starting in the town centre as early as the New Year.
“We know parking is a major concern for residents and businesses so this would be the first element to be sorted out before any work starts on site.”
The proposals will go before councillors at a full council meeting on Tuesday, September 20.
It will also include proposals for improvements to the wider public realm across the town centre.

Plans to extend Market Walk nears decision


Plans to bring a six-screen cinema, restaurants and big name retailers to Chorley will be decided next month.


It has been another successful year for Leyland’s Worden Academy - where the proportion of pupils achieving five or more A*-C passes including English and maths has increased yet again.
English and maths results, once more, with the pass rate for English well above the national average at 85 per cent and the maths results showing 63 per cent A*-C.
Overall, 60 per cent of pupils passed both English and maths at the higher grades which is two per cent above last year’s national average.
Both English language and literature saw a 100 per cent pass rate.
Noteably 98 per cent of pupils gained five or more A*-G passes with just one pupil missing out on this achievement. The number of pupils making expected progress in English has increased by two percent to 86 percent, which is 16 per cent above last year’s national average. Indeed, overall progress across all subjects has improved significantly from 2015.
Students studying physics enjoyed a pass rate of 86 per cent and 100 per cent passed performing arts. Psychology at 83 per cent, PE at 67 per cent and RE at 69 per cent were also celebrating their successes.
Many pupils gained outstanding results: Holly Taylor gained an impressive three A*s, six As, and two Bs.
Head girl, Megan Bradshaw bagged an A*, two As, three Bs and four CS. Her brother and head boy, Sam, gained four As, four Bs and three Cs. Aaron Moore gained three As, four Bs and four Cs with Lucy Brown also achieving three As, a B and five Cs. Amy Nicholls achieved an A, four Bs and six Cs and Sophie Swarbrick also impressed with one A, three Bs and four Cs. Also doing very well was Jennifer Gray with one A, two Bs and five Cs.
Headteacher, Chris Catherall said: “The pupils worked extremely hard and with fantastic support from their teachers they have done really well.
“All the hard work and extra effort put in by staff and pupils alike has really paid off.
“We have improved pupil outcomes yet again and this trend is set to continue as standards continue to be driven up. We are determined to see Worden recognised by everyone for its outstanding work and the progress all our youngsters make while they are in our care.”

GCSE RESULTS: Successful year at Leyland’s Worden Academy


It has been another successful year for Leyland’s Worden Academy - where the proportion of pupils achieving five or more A*-C passes including English and maths has increased yet again.


The impressive performance saw 88 per cent of Year 11 collect at least five or more A* to C grade passes including english and mathematics.
Notable performances included twins Anna and Rebecca Lackey who each gained 14 passes at A* and A; Megan Ireland who achieved 11 A* and two A grades; Emma Dixon gaining nine A* and four A grades; Rebecca Everiss picking up nine A* and three A grades and a delighted Melissa Joy with nine A* and two A grades.
Mrs Heaton, who will retire on August 31, after 33 years , said: “I am very proud of each student’s performance as these results are truly transformational and willl provide them with an excellent foundation for a successful future.
“Although the focus is on the celebration of students’ GCSE results, it is important to remember that St Michael’s has a commitment to developing the whole person within a Christian ethos, which underpins these remarkable achievements.
“I congratulate them all for their outstanding achievements not only in their examinations but also in the fine young people they have all developed into”.
Jayne Jenks, who will take up the reins as headteacher for the new term echoed Mrs Heaton’s sentiments.
She added: “I am certain that their approach to their studies and the way in which they have embraced all that school life has to offer will inspire and challenge our current pupils to have equally high expectations.”
and aspirations.”
The Academy has enjoyed another exceptional year with outstanding individual performances at A* and A grade levels.
Mr Mayland praised staff and pupils for all their hard work.
Hesaid: “This year the education system is facing the first wave of significant changes to exams.
“Because of these changes, teachers and students have had to work incredibly hard and I am delighted that they have achieved excellent results across the school.
“Our students achieve on average half a grade higher than their peers and a quarter of our Year 11s leave with at least three A* or A grades.
“This is a school where everyone really does achieve together.
Jack Knott, who achieved one A*, eight As, a B and C, said of his grades: “I am really pleased with my results and particularly my A in Maths.
“The grades that I have achieved enable me to attend the professional honours programme at Wigan and Leigh College. I will study maths, chemistry, english and biology. I want to be a doctor when I complete my education.”
Charlotte Kier, who achieved two A*, six As and two B grades, added: “I am so happy with my results, especially my A* in history. They were far better than I expected.
“I would like to thank everyone at Albany for all their support over the last five years.”

GCSE RESULTS: An exceptional year at Albany Academy


The impressive performance saw 88 per cent of Year 11 collect at least five or more A* to C grade passes including english and mathematics.Notable performances included twins Anna and Rebecca Lackey who each gained 14 passes at A* and A; Megan Ireland who achieved 11 A* and two A grades; Emma Dixon gaining nine A* and four A grades; Rebecca Everiss picking up nine A* and three A grades and a delighted Melissa Joy with nine A* and two A grades.Mrs Heaton, who will retire on August 31, after 33 years , said: “I am very proud of each student’s performance as these results are truly transformational and willl provide them with an excellent foundation for a successful future. “Although the focus is on the celebration of students’ GCSE results, it is important to remember that St Michael’s has a commitment to developing the whole person within a Christian ethos, which underpins these remarkable achievements. “I congratulate them all for their outstanding achievements not only in their examinations but also in the fine young people they have all developed into”.Jayne Jenks, who will take up the reins as headteacher for the new term echoed Mrs Heaton’s sentiments.She added: “I am certain that their approach to their studies and the way in which they have embraced all that school life has to offer will inspire and challenge our current pupils to have equally high expectations.” and aspirations.”


AD/DC, Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac. What do all these bands have in common?
They’ve all played Reading Festival and now a young Blackpool band are going to be added to that list of legendary musicians this weekend.
Fans at the main stage at Leeds Festival
For a lot of bands, playing Reading (and now the twinned Leeds) Festival is the pinnacle of their career but for Fighting Caravans, this achievement has come in the group’s infant stages.
An alternative rock quintet, who describe their sound as “A tacky disco meets a last-mile wake”, Fighting Caravans won the annual Futuresound competition to get their slot at the festival. Josh Hogan, the band’s 21-year-old drummer, from South Shore, spoke about the band’s excitement.
He said: “It was nuts, it took a long time to actually sink in but its a great feeling, definitely a bucket-list level achievement.
“I’ve been a few times and to now be playing on one of those stages is just amazing,
It was nuts, it took a long time to actually sink in but its a great feeling, definitely a bucket-list level achievement
“Its come around so quickly and we are very excited, we can’t wait!”
Josh also talked about the competition and thanked everyone who voted for the band, adding: “We entered the Futuresound competition and were fortunate enough to get chosen to participate in the live heats along side 39 other bands, so to come out on top was just crazy.
“We are extremely grateful, firstly to Futuresound for the opportunity, but mainly to everyone who bought a ticket, came down, partied and voted for us, we wouldn’t be in the position without those guys!”
Joining Josh in the band are singer Daniel Clark, 28, guitarists Ross Day and Alex Fletcher, 22 and 20, and bassist Simeon Lees, 22.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The festival appearance marks a meteoric rise for the band, who have only been touring with their current line-up since July last year.
They’re influenced mainly by American Blues but also by contemporary rock music likening their sound to Queens of the Stone Age, Nick Cave and Radiohead, with subtle country, jazz and psychedelic overtones.
In 2015, Fighting Caravans released their debut EP, Beasts Of England and during September will be embarking on a tour of the UK and the rest of Europe with dates in The Netherlands, Germany and Czech Republic.
Speaking about the European tour, Josh said: “Having the chance to play our music in different countries is second to none.
“We went out to Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands last October and that was amazing, everyone was so welcoming and the hospitality we were shown was ace.”
Reading Festival is the oldest music festival still in existence and it’s best known for booking rock, indie, metal and punk bands. Since 1999, it has also run parallel in Leeds.
This year’s event will be headlined by Foals, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Biffy Clyro.


AD/DC, Metallica, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac. What do all these bands have in common?


It’s hard to believe it’s already four years since the triumph of the London Olympic Games but next week the 31st Olympiad will get under way in Rio de Janeiro.
Amid various controversies the Games still promise sun, sea and plenty of sporting spectacle as 10,500 athletes from 207 nations head to Brazil to compete across 28 sports. Among them will be dozens of British stars, including runner Mo Farah, heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, boxer Nicola Adams and Tour de France winning cyclist Chris Froome.
Ahead of this year’s event get yourself limbered up with our fiendishly tricky quick on the Olympics past and present.
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It’s hard to believe it’s already four years since the triumph of the London Olympic Games but next week the 31st Olympiad will get under way in Rio de Janeiro.


Gold medal or DNF, how will you fare in our Olympic quiz?


Meet a witch on a dangerous mission, a fabulous fantasy queen and a cast of colourful picture book stars in a glittering array of new titles from Macmillan Children’s Books.
Age 9 plus:
Fire Witch by Matt Ralphs
English history, thrilling adventure and a bewitching heroine…
Matt Ralphs is back with Fire Witch, the red-hot sequel to Fire Girl, and our fiery, fearless witch Hazel must gather her wits and steel her nerves to join her enemies and try to save her mother.
Packed with intrigue, danger, nail-biting tension and flashes of rib-tickling humour, these page-turning stories featuring an extraordinary girl are addictive reading for young fans of fantasy, drama and… witches!
The Civil War in England is over, Oliver Cromwell rules the land and a new battle is raging… between the people and the witches. Twelve-year-old HazelHooper is no ordinary girl. She is a Fire Witch, she can wield and manipulate flame and she is getting stronger all the time. But she is also angry because her mother Hecate had to sacrifice herself to the demon world in order to stop a demonic invasion. Hazel must fight on alone and she is determined to get her back, whatever the cost.
Her only chance to find Hecate is to seek advice from brilliant demonologist Nicolas Murrell, the Order of Witch Hunters’ most prized prisoner, and the man who summoned the demon responsible for Hecate’s fate. With only Bramley, her grumpy dormouse familiar for company, Hazel must disguise herself as a boy and infiltrate the black heart of the Order of Witch Hunters to speak to Murrell before he is executed. But can he be trusted? Will Murrell reveal to his captors that their newest apprentice is actually… a witch?
Ralphs has always been fascinated by witches, ghosts and anything that sends a shiver down his spine and this magical series is the perfect creation of his high-flying, super scary imagination.
A world of supernatural in the midst of terrifying real history…
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 10 plus:
The Hunting of the Princes by Peter F. Hamilton
Also dabbling in the wondrous world of fantasy is Peter F.Hamilton, the UK’s bestselling adult science fiction author, who was inspired to write for a younger audience by his own two children.
The Hunting of the Princes is the second book in his original and gripping Queen of Dreams trilogy which began with The Secret Throne and has all the hallmarks of a memorable modern classic.
Sprinkled with atmospheric black and white illustrations by Rohan Eason, this gorgeous fantasy series is a vivid, magical adventure featuring amazing kingdoms, daring quests and deadly menace.
Taggie Paganuzzi has had a busy year in the beautiful old market town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. Her mum was a Third Realm sorceress and now Taggie has inherited her family’s magical powers. From finding out she is the queen-to-be of a magical realm to learning to use her magic skills and discovering that the King of Night wants her dead, there have been a lot of ‘firsts.’
Assassins have been targeting royal heirs throughout the magical realms and now someone has tried to kill Taggie whilst she was cycling back to her home. Everyone thinks the King of Night’s army, the Karrak invaders, are responsible and that war is inevitable. But Taggie has found out two very interesting facts. Firstly, that the Karraks come from a cold, dark universe and cannot abide warmth and light. And secondly, that there was once a gate to this universe, now lost in the mists of time. If Taggie and her friends can find the gate, perhaps they can also stop the war? But to do that, they need to find a Karrak willing to take their side…
Hamilton conjures up a thrilling alternative world in which good must overcome evil, children are pitted against powerful enemies and a fantastic cast of amazing animal characters add to all the fun and fantasy. Don’t miss it!
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
Flying Lemurs by Zehra Hicks
This funny, reassuring story about overcoming fears and discovering hidden talents is the latest inspirational book from Macmillan’s new imprint for young children, Two Hoots.
A zingy, zany tale bursting with high-octane energy and an adorable cast of high-flying animals, this gorgeous circus-themed odyssey comes from talented author and illustrator Zehra Hicks whose speciality is telling stories through pictures.
Everyone in the lemur family is good at jumping, a talent which comes in handy as they are all circus performers. Mum is a brilliant trapeze artist, Dad’s trampoline routine is absolutely huge and Grandma’s speciality is being shot from a cannon.
Unfortunately little Lemur is not so good at jumping… in fact, he’s not even a fan of heights. He just can’t jump, no matter how hard he tries. But there are other things that Lemur is good at – throwing custard pies, skateboarding and playing the tambourine – so maybe with a bit of practice, he can become the best circus performer of them all!
Hicks ramps up the visual and verbal drama of this fun and warm-hearted story with her multi-textured illustrations, painted here by using bamboo and a bold palette of colours. Having fun, accepting life’s triumphs and disasters, and discovering the importance of family love all come under the spotlight in a sparkling and inspirational picture book.
(Two Hoots, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
More People to Love Me by Mo O’Hara and Ada Grey
Modern families come in all shapes and sizes… and sometimes they are extra super-sized!
Mo O’Hara, author of the popular My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish series, delivers the perfect picture book for the step family generation in this moving story about a little girl with so many branches to her family tree that she runs out of space to draw them all.
Asked by her teacher to draw her family tree, the little girl just doesn’t know where to start. She’s got her mum and dad, her sister Cee Cee, her stepdad David and her stepmum Sharon. And then there are her mum’s new baby twins, her step brother Michael and no one must forget about Happy the tortoise. But the tree is starting to get rather crowded because there are all the grandparents to fit in as well. There’s only one thing for it, the family tree is going to have to grow!O’Hara was inspired to write by her own children’s positive experiences of being part of an extended family and felt that this was
rarely depicted in picture books. The result is a warm and moving tale about one little girl and her family that keeps on growing.
The gentle, reassuring and playful story is complemented by Ada Grey’s charming illustrations, reinforcing the message that every family is different and the bigger the family, the more people there are to love… and to love you back!
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
The Hippopandamouse by Jools Bentley
Nobody’s perfect… and sometimes being imperfectly different makes you special!
Author and illustrator Jools Bentley plays with traditional expectations in this cute and clever story about a little princess who falls for the only toy in the shop that doesn’t have a name.
Princess Flo has pocket money to spend so she heads off to Fluffley’s Fine Toys, the best toy shop in town. Everybody there has been working very hard to prepare for her visit – so hard, in fact, that one of the cuddly toys has ended up as a strange mix of a hippo, panda and mouse. The shop’s owner Miss Fluffey is eager to show Princess Flo the cuddly teddies, cute kittens and perky penguins, all perfect for a royal princess. But to everyone’s horror, Princess Flo spots the strange looking toy. The part hippo, part panda and part mouse is a total and utter mistake! But Flo loves this toy being different, seeing something unique and special in the strange animal. All he needs now is a name… Hippopandamouse!
Wise, witty and wonderfully warm-hearted, the tale of The Hippopandamouse is a beautiful, big-hearted story, gorgeously illustrated and simply perfect for little princesses everywhere.
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
Prince Ribbit by Jonathan Emmett and Poly Bernatene
Hop, skip and jump into this brilliant new picture book from top team Jonathan Emmett and Poly Bernatene.
Well-loved fairy tale, The Frog Prince, gets a dashing, daring makeover as ever popular author Emmett and talented illustrator Bernatene put a devilishly clever twist in the not-so-handsome frog’s tail.
One day, Princess Martha and her sisters, Princess Lucinda and Princess Arabella, are listening to the story of The Frog Prince. Lucinda and Arabella love romantic tales and their happily-ever-after endings, but Martha isn’t so sure. She prefers facts to fairy tales, and likes real frogs more than enchanted ones, and besides, clever Martha knows that not everything written in books is true.
Unknown to the sisters, a clever little frog is listening to the story and it sparks a bright idea. If he can convince the gullible princesses that he is actually a prince, perhaps he could start getting some royal treatment of his own. So is Prince Ribbit really a handsome prince, or just a plain, ordinary frog?
There’s only one way to find out… pucker up princesses, it’s time for true love’s kiss!
Emmett works his own brand of fairy tale magic as he transforms a classic tale into a feast of smiles and smoochy surprises while Bernatene’s stunning and superbly detailed illustrations provide a feast of colour and fun.
A picture book that all the family can enjoy…
(Macmillan, paperback, £6.99)
Age 3 plus:
Dear Zoo Drawing and Colouring Book by Rod Campbell
Rod Campbell, creator of the classic, much-loved Dear Zoo books, has been a trusted name in early learning for over 30 years and he’s back with this inspirational first drawing and colouring book.
Dear Zoo, an ingeniously simple, lift-the-flap book with touches of gentle humour, introduces pre-school children to the wonder and variety of wild animals, and now a new generation can join in all the fun and draw their very own zoo full of amazing creatures.
There are 32 pages of drawing, colouring and doodling featuring all the animals from the original story. At the top of each page, little ones are told what to draw and given a helping hand with many of the pictures already started.
Packed full of simple activities that are perfectly pitched for pre-schoolers, the book’s large, square, extra thick pages can be peeled off the pad, stuck to walls at home or even put in a frame if they are special mini-masterpieces.
Draw bananas for the naughty monkey, give the fierce lion big sharp teeth, design a bowl for a frisky puppy or give a camel a big smile. The Dear ZooDrawing and Colouring Book is the ideal first lesson for budding young artists and dedicated toddler doodlers.
(Macmillan, paperback, £5.99)

Book reviews: History, fantasy and animal magic with Macmillan


Meet a witch on a dangerous mission, a fabulous fantasy queen and a cast of colourful picture book stars in a glittering array of new titles from Macmillan Children’s Books.


Pier Jam will make its long awaited return to North Pier this Saturday, just so long as the weather stays calm.
Part two of the four-part series was called off on Saturday, August 20 due to “unprecedented weather”, in line with advice from the Authorities, Local Licensing & Pier Safety Officers.
Duke Dumont, Tchami, Philip George and Son of 8 had been due to perform at the house music event but the adverse weather conditions made this impossible.
However ticket holders for Pier Jam 2 were offered a refund or the chance to transfer their ticket over to this weekend’s event.
Part three on Saturday is headlined by Hannah Wants, with performances from Shadowchild, Shiba San, Tough Love and Monki also scheduled.
Hannah Wants headlines the event on the back of being voted Best Bass DJ at the Pacha Music Awards and Best DJ at the BMA’s in 2015.
Over the last few years her hard-hitting style has made her world-renowned and a must for any festival organisers.
Shadowchild is the alias of Simon Neale, somewhat of a veteran of the electronic music scene.
Also joining them is WMC Award winner Shiba San, BBC Radio 1’s Monki and Tough Love, best known for their top 20 single ‘So Freakin’ Tight’.
Tickets are on sale from £20 and are available at http://www.pierjam.com/tickets.


Pier Jam will make its long awaited return to North Pier this Saturday, just so long as the weather stays calm.


A county folk band has suffered its own Olympic disqualification.
As well as dealing with doping scandals and worry over Paralympic funding, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) has been scrutinising the 2008 song The Beer Olympics, by The Lancashire Hotpots.
Members of the band say they have been issued a ‘cease and desist’ notice by the IOC, claiming they have infringed copyright on the Olympic name.
A statement released on the band’s website said: “It’s nice to see them finally catch up with a song that we first released in 2008, I’m guessing the Olympic breakfast at the Little Chef is next, get one while you can.
“So, not wishing to get into any massive legal trouble (we can’t pay for that and the ale) we have decided to re-title the song to see if that gets the legal bigwigs off our backs.”
The new title has been announced as The Beer International Non-Profit Non-Governmental Sporting Quad Yearly Event.
“It’s a strange thing that they’re coming after an entity as small and daft as ours,” said Dickie Ticker the percussionist who wrote the song.
“Under something called Article 40, it seems that you can’t use the word Olympics in any business capacity. People would probably use a lot of words to describe our band, but business wouldn’t be one of them.”
He added: “The re-titling has made the song funnier than it was and I hope it’s enough to put them off.
“But we still sing the word in the song, so are we going to have to change that too? We’re testing the waters to see if that pleases the Olympic Gods, but if not, we’ll have to erase it from our catalogues.”
The IOC issued a statement saying it was the exclusive owner of the rights to the Olympic Games and associated symbols and emblems.
It said: “The IOC is particularly attentive to the protection of its intellectual properties rights and assets. As such, the IOC asks that all non-authorized uses of the Olympic Properties, in particular, for commercial purposes, be ceased accordingly.”
In 2012, The British Sugarcraft Guild was told it could face court proceedings if Olympic logos were reproduced on cakes at a show.

Have Hotpots fallen foul of the Olympic bosses?


A county folk band has suffered its own Olympic disqualification.


Here is a list of highly rated coffee shops in the county.
Dahlia's Kitchen, Blackpool
Woodchats
Dahlia’s Kitchen, in Cropper Road, is a coffee shop, ice cream parlour, licenced restaurant and farm shop all rolled into one.
It has a big range of home made cakes, snacks and local produce. It also provides outside catering for weddings, birthdays and corporate events.
Dahlia’s is renowned for its themed entertainment evenings, where diners can enjoy a three-course meal.
There is outdoor seating and a small play area for the children.
Open seven days a week.
Woodchats Coffee Shop, Chorley
Located in Clifford Street, Woodchats Coffee Shop is a popular haunt, with a large selection of home made cakes, soups, sandwiches and snacks.
It also sells unique home made gifts and provides outside catering for parties and events.
Exchange Coffee Company, Clitheroe and Blackburn
Exchange Coffee Company is a coffee roaster and tea merchant, with branches in Clitheroe and Blackburn, in Lancashire, as well as Skipton and Todmorden in Yorkshire.
It has a wholesale roasting warehouse in Blackburn, supplying coffees, teas and all associated products across the country.
The coffee shops also have a daily specials menu, serving hot and cold food. Other drinks on offer include milkshakes and juices.
The company also sells homewares and quirky gifts.
The View, Morecambe
The View, in Marine Road Central, is a cafe with a musical twist. It has a cult following for music enthusiasts, as diners can enjoy a cup of coffee and snacks, whilst browsing through its eclectic range of vintage records, CDs and vinyls.
It also stocks a variety of memorabilia, including clothes, retro gifts and souvenirs.
Not forgetting its status as a cafe and coffee shop, it also has a changing daily specials menu, as well as hot drinks and soft beverages.
How The Other Half Live, Preston
Moved from its original location in Blackpool Road to Winckley Street, Preston, How the Other Half Live is a small coffee shop with a boutique gift store.
The shop has a small selection of coffee and cakes on offer whilst customers browse around the shop.


Here is a list of highly rated coffee shops in the county.


A firm which supplies highways maintenance support vehicles has loaned one of its units to support fund-raisers cycling from London to Fez in aid of children’s hospitals.
Chorley-based Blakedale Limited, which supplies self-drive hire Traffic Management and Highway Maintenance Support Vehicles, will provide James Leahy, Joey Healy, Jamie Pownceby and Bradley Smith, all from Hertfordshire, with a welfare vehicle with some welcome home comforts, cooking and sanitation facilities as they cycle across Europe and cross continents into Africa.
All funds raised will go towards Great Ormond Street and Evelina London Children’s Hospitals, which has supported James Leahy’s daughter Amelia, and Joey Healy’s son George, who have heart defects.
Their experiences inspired the friends to raise funds for both charities to support its lifesaving research and care.
Carmen Bowley, joint managing director of Blakedale, said: “We’re all very excited that one of our Welfare Vehicles will be supporting the team as they cycle to raise money for a great cause. We’ll be sharing photos and updates of their progress both on our website and via social media over the coming weeks.
“With the names George & Amelia and the words Helping Save Lives. Big Hearts, Little Children emblazoned on their cycling shirts, it is clear that this incredible cycle ride has a very special purpose that is indeed close to the hearts of the families of the four men taking part.”
To find out more, or to make a donation, visit the team’s fundraising page at http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/challengeafrica.


A firm which supplies highways maintenance support vehicles has loaned one of its units to support fund-raisers cycling from London to Fez in aid of children’s hospitals.


It was only appropriate that I rocked up to Manchester’s Opera House on a classic English sunny afternoon, the city almost horizontal in the longed-for heat.
Within sight of the theatre was mayhem as theatre-goers and a smattering of celebrities packed into the press night showing of multiple Olivier award-winning Sunny Afternoon, the latest musical to land in the city and one with a buzz we haven’t seen in a while.
This is a very British musical, but is much more than a showcase for 60s legends The Kinks and a celebration of Britishness, it is a reminder of how stupendous their musical, societal and political legacy actually is - and what’s more it’s a great night out.
If you think you are not really a fan of the Kinks, you probably are really.
The band’s raw, powerful and riotous sounds and lyrics are the backdrop to more than one generation and though germinated in the 60s moved across the 70s, 80s, 90s and are just as resonant now.
This genius of this production, already a hit in London and now on tour, is that Kinks frontman Ray Davies and his team, who created the story, have sought out some extraordinarily talented musicians to recreate that authentic Kinks sounds and tell the tale of the band’s explosion on to the music scene.
The cast play and sing their own music with remarkable power, with only a few supporting musicians on stage.
Hits such as ‘You’ve really got me’, ‘Dedicated follower of fashion’, ‘Waterloo Sunset’ and the eponymous ‘Sunny Afternoon’ are belted out by the remarkable former Jethro Tull band member Ryan O’Donnell (as Ray Davies) Mark Newnham (Dave Davies), Garmon Rhys (bassist Pete Quaife) and Andrew Gall (as drummer Mick Avory), with the support of a small powerful cast with a special mention for talented Lisa Wright, as Ray’s wife Rasa.
It’s also easy to forget Davies penned tunes for other artists and elements of this discography are included in this show, namely ‘Stop your sobbing’ and ‘I go to sleep’ which were both recorded by Davies’ one time squeeze Chrissie Hynde (of Pretenders fame).
Also on the playlist is my favourite ‘Lola’ which has been recorded since by multiple artists - it is also a little known fact that Davies had to alter the song from Coca Cola to Cherry Cola in the British version of the song to appease the staid BBC re a commercial reference.
The scene where the band stab holes in their amplifiers to crate their unique sounds, explains why it is quite so loud.
Signs stuck to theatre walls to warn of this fact in advance.
But the show starts low-key as it introduces the Davies brothers and their family and the early development of The Kinks, the storylines focusing on emotional highs and lows with the constant battle between artists and management.
More importantly it chronicles the socialist-leaning Kinks v. the system, their battles with the taxman and the rude and unfair realities of the music business and 60s exploitative business in general.
It was also fantastic to see the man himself Ray Davies not just in attendance on this special night but making an appearance on stage with his guitar at the age of 72. A real honour to be there.
A fantastic and entertaining night exploring the euphoric highs and lows of a band and of Britain in the grip of rapid change. It resonates and not just amongst the Kinks’ most loyal fan base.
As I made my way out of the historic theatre, I could hear a deep choral bass emanating from the confines of the men’s bathroom, which was quickly accompanied by a sing along from the queue.
I will now be humming it ‘All day and all of the night’..
*Runs until August 27

Review: Sunny Afternoon at Manchester Opera House


It was only appropriate that I rocked up to Manchester’s Opera House on a classic English sunny afternoon, the city almost horizontal in the longed-for heat.


From poet John Keats to Prince Charles, and from life-changing scientists to prize-winning authors, some of the world’s most famous people have relied on ‘bedders’ to see them through their toughest student days at Cambridge.
In her fascinating account of just some of the hundreds of working-class women who have looked after the students of Cambridge University, Catherine Seymour, whose grandmother and great-grandmother were bedders, reveals their secret lives, heartaches and joy.
For centuries, the university’s bedders – the equivalent at Oxford is a ‘scout’ – have cleaned, tidied, made beds, dispensed advice and physical aid, and offered a reassuring maternal presence to generations of nervous, lonely students.
Bedders still look after today’s Cambridge students but the work they do, and the young people they care for, have changed over the last decades.
Until the 1980s, bedders carried buckets of coal up the stairs to light fires in the rooms of the fellows as well as dusting, tidying, taking away rubbish and, in some colleges, making the students’ breakfasts.
It was hard work but it came with privileges and offered an experience unlike other jobs available to working-class women. Some of the bedders had previously worked in shops or as waitresses, cleaners, factory hands and other low-paid manual jobs.
The college offered them family-friendly hours, starting work early but allowing them to get home in time for lunch and to make an evening meal for their children. Often bedders would pay neighbours to look after their pre-school youngsters.
In the first half of the 20th century, some of the upper class (male) students saw their bedders as simply servants but for many others, these women who instructed them on everything from dressing properly to combing their hair, were the only warm, motherly presence in an otherwise cold, paternalistic environment.
In turn, many bedders enjoyed their glimpse into a world they knew little about and during her research Seymour discovered that the women appreciated the genuine return of affection from students who often left gifts for them at Christmas, term ends and after graduation.
And for some of the bedders who got to know their students well, graduation was almost like watching their own children leave home.
In these unique, vivid and often moving stories, inspired by the accounts of bedders from the 1920s to the 1960s, we meet women who endured the Second World War and then had to contend with poverty, ill health and bereavement.
For 16-year-old Joyce, who lived in one of the poorest streets in Cambridge, the college building where she was about to start work represented privilege, wealth, a life she would never live. What she never expected was to find herself mothering, chastising and sometimes even covering up for ‘her boys.’
These hard-working women loved, lost and loved again. But their friendships gave them strength, and their work gave them happiness, and even a lasting connection with their charges, some of whom would go on to run the country.
As much a social history as the individual stories of the bedders, The Staircase Girls is a memorable and eye-opening glimpse into the remarkable lives of a very special group of women.
(Pan, paperback, £7.99)

Book review: The Staircase Girls by Catherine Seymour


From poet John Keats to Prince Charles, and from life-changing scientists to prize-winning authors, some of the world’s most famous people have relied on ‘bedders’ to see them through their toughest student days at Cambridge.


Here is a list of fun events coming up this weekend.
FREE AND PAID: Blackpool Illuminations Switch On and Slimefest, September 2 to 4
Dame Barbara Windsor will switch the lights on at the Tower Festival Headland on Friday, following a party led by Ashley Banjo, and dance group Diversity. Other stars include The Vamps, Fleur East, Fatman Scoop and Club MTV. Free entry by wristband only. Celebrations continue across the weekend, as Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely host Nickelodeon’s first UK Slimfest at the Empress Ballroom. Tickets, at £27.50, available from http://www.visitblackpool.com/slime. Slimfest also features a free outdoor experience including character appearances and family activities on the Tower Festival Headland.
PAID: Survival Skills and Crafty Creative, Preston, September 2 to 4
As part of Brockholes Nature Reserve’s Wild Families series, it hosts Survival Skills on Friday September 2, from 2pm until 4pm. Participants will camouflage up before heading out to follow a tracking trail and have a go at shelter building, fire lighting and cooking. Tickets are from £5. Family ticket is £18. On Saturday and Sunday, there are drop-in craft sessions from 10am until 4pm. Entry is £3.Located off M6, junction 31.
FREE AND PAID: Morecambe Vintage By the Sea Festival, September 3 and 4
A celebration of 20th century design, fashion, vehicles and entertainment on the Prom, with a flypast by a Lancaster Bomber; a Spitfire; and a Hurricane as part of an RAF Battle of Britain Memorial. There will be a Routemaster Bus Bar and vintage car show, a Vintage Roadshow, live music, wandering street performance, and workshops. Visit http://www.vintagefestival.co.uk.
FREE AND PAID: Tractor Road Run, Chipping, Sunday September 4
Families are invited to gather around Chipping to watch as an entourage of tractors drive around the village.
Tractors will set off from Green Lane Showground at 10am.
It costs £15 to enter a tractor, including a two-course lunch.
Spectators can stand and watch for free.
All money raised will go towards Rosemere Cancer Foundation.
PAID: Blackburn and East Lancs Model Railway Exhibition, September 3 and 4
A Model Railway Exhibition will be held at Hyndburn Leisure Centre, Henry Street, Accrington, from 10am until 5pm.
There will be layouts in various scales, specialist traders and demonstrators from across the UK and refreshments are available. Adult entry is £7, with children free. Parking is also free. The exhibition is organised by Blackburn and East Lancs Model Railway Society.
FREE AND PAID: Wigan 10k, September 4
Wigan’s annual 10k race, organised by charity Joining Jack, starts at 10am at the town centre. There will be live entertainment, a European Market, and a fun fair. Starsailor frontman James Walsh will close the music festival. Meanwhile, the day before, there is a Fun Run for children at Robin Park, from 11am until 5pm. Free entry. For registration times visit http://www.wiganeventsguide.com/event/wigan-fun-runs/
PAID: Proms in the Park, Wigan, Saturday September 3
Families are invited to bring a picnic and something to sit on whilst enjoying an evening with music at Mesnes Park, Wigan.
Gates open at 6pm and the musical concert starts at 7.45pm.
The event ends at 10pm.
Tickets are £10 for adults, £7 for children and concessions.
A family ticket is £28.
PAID: HAPPA Grand Open Day, Saturday September 3
Families are invited to Horse and Pony Protection Association’s annual open day extravaganza at Shores Hey Farm, off Halifax Road, Briercliffe, Burnley, from noon until 4pm.
There will be stalls, games, cake, scarecrow and produce competitions, horse riding displays and live music. There will also be handling sessions from Cooper’s Critters. Admission is £1 per person.
FREE: Parbold Street Festival, September 3 to 4
A total of 14 venues throughout the village offer a showcase in arts, education, entertainment and music, from noon on Saturday. There will be music from local bands and singers on the Big Stage by the Railway pub; a market place with more than 40 stalls; barges dressed in lights for the Festival of Light; a duck race; theatre; fairground; Kids Zone; workshops; horse demonstrations; and family fun.
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Here is a list of fun events coming up this weekend.


Top 10 things to do in Lancashire at the weekend


Heavy metal group Metallica have announced they are releasing their first album in eight years.
The veteran US rockers, who have won multiple Grammys and sold tens of millions of records around the world, revealed details of Hardwired ... To Self-Destruct, the long-awaited follow-up to 2008’s Death Magnetic.
In a statement on their website, the group said their 11th studio album - which will contain two discs and nearly 80 minutes of music - was “a long time coming” and is set for release on November 18.
The music video for the album’s first track, Hardwired, was also posted on YouTube.
It is the longest period fans have had to wait for a new Metallica album since the group formed in 1981.
The band’s current line-up includes singer-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo.

Re-Enter sandman - Metallica return with new album


Heavy metal group Metallica have announced they are releasing their first album in eight years.


Not many pubs can attract number one charting recording artists to perform but that’s exactly what The Duke of York have done, with 2013 X Factor winner Sam Bailey coming to perform at their reopening on Thursday.
Bailey, whose debut single ‘Skyscraper’ and album ‘The Power of Love’ both hit the top of the charts, is headlining a special gala reopening night alongside Miss Rory and the Liverbirds.
The free, invite-only party is to mark the reopening of the pub, on Dickson Road, following a £50,000 investment.
Matthew Armstrong, who runs the pub alongside the designer Kevin Barnard said: “It’s fabulous. The customers love it - people can’t believe it’s the same pub.
“Inside has a contemporary feel, with modern light fittings and vibrant colours so it looks much airier. It was only right to relaunch in style, so we’ve got a great night planned.”
This is the latest show of a busy schedule for X Factor winner, Sam Bailey, who has just finished playing Mama Morton in a UK tour of the musical ‘Chicago’, she said: “I’m now doing a Butlins tour, I’ve got a single that’s just come out two weeks ago and an album which is coming out on the 16th September.”
Bailey says that her new album ‘Sing My Heart Out’, recorded in LA with Steve Dorff, and being released on her own label Tiger Drum is very personal: “I’ve put my heart and soul into it.
“It was written about experiences that I’ve learnt and every single song has some sort of story behind it.
Bailey’s looking forward to performing in Blackpool after her enjoying first visit with the resort “open” earlier this year, and despite the lower profile these days, the singer says it’s not too different from when she was on the X Factor three years ago. She added: “The pop tour’s great, I’m top of the bill and there’s sometimes 5,000 people there to see me so it’s great. It’s like being on the X Factor again.
“I’m always excited to do new things and perform and it’s always good to be part of something great and I thought that this was a great opportunity for me.”
The show starts at 9pm on Thursday. It’s a free event. For more information or invites, call into the pub.

Sam gives refurbished pub the X Factor magic


Not many pubs can attract number one charting recording artists to perform but that’s exactly what The Duke of York have done, with 2013 X Factor winner Sam Bailey coming to perform at their reopening on Thursday.


Comic Bobby Ball is to open a new ‘Christian Chillout Lounge’ at Blackpool Music Academy, September 18.
The comedian, best known for his work with Tommy Cannon has been a born-again Christian since 1986 and often does shows at churches around the country.
The new cafe is being opened in association with the ‘Christian Chillout Lounge’ – a three-hour radio show presented by Matthew Branson on online station Fylde Coast Radio between 5 and 8pm on Sunday evenings.
The show offers a mix of Ibiza chillout music and classical, alongisde Christian music and chat.
The cafe, along with offering low-priced meals and offering a “very friendly atmosphere”, will also play the show out every Sunday and is said to be for people who can’t afford the internet so that they can still hear the show.
To celebrate the opening of the cafe, Bobby Ball will also be doing a live interview on the Christian Chillout Lounge between 5.15-5.30pm on Sunday, September 18. If you’d like to listen you can tune in on http://www.fyldecoastradio.org

Have a Ball with Bobby at Christian chill-out


Comic Bobby Ball is to open a new ‘Christian Chillout Lounge’ at Blackpool Music Academy, September 18.


Casdh for floating support, sheltered accommodation, and a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments axed
Funding for women’s refuges in Lancashire will be cut – and funding for ‘floating’ support, sheltered accommodation, and to a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments axed in cost-cutting proposals.
Lancashire County Council has announced proposals to use its new Prevention and Early Help Fund to provide £1.25m funding for domestic abuse services in the county, allowing for the continuation of Lancashire’s nine women’s refuges.
We’re pleased to provide £800,000 to women’s refuges, which is only a slight reduction from the previous budget County Coun Tony Martin
The fund will also be used to provide annual funding of £1.25m for services for homeless people with complex needs, and £500,000 for crisis support.
However, the announcement has been made in light of savage cuts to services.
Alongside extensive consultation, a cross-party cabinet working group was set up to consider the impact of ceasing to fund the non-statutory elements of Supporting People services, as well as looking at how best to use the new annual £3m Prevention and Early Help Fund.
Under the proposals, £800,000 of the £1.25m budget for domestic violence services would fund support within the nine women’s refuges in the county.
The council is proposing that £1.25m will be made available to support homeless households with complex needs. £500,000 transitional funding is also being allocated whilst supported accommodation services are redesigned.
The county council is continuing to invest £1.35m funding to meet the housing and support needs of 16 and 17 year olds. £500,000 transitional funding is also being allocated whilst supported accommodation services for young people who are homeless, or leaving care, are redesigned.
And £500,000 proposed for crisis support will be used to provide people with furniture, food or fuel to help meet their needs during crisis situations.
Funding for the floating support service; the support funded within sheltered accommodation; and the support provided within a sheltered scheme for elderly people with hearing impairments are proposed to cease from 1 April 2017.
Where people meet the statutory threshold they will receive appropriate support and services. For those who are not eligible for statutory services then the county council will be working with people to ensure that they are made aware of other services that are available in the community.
County Coun Tony Martin, cabinet member for adult and community services, said: “The county council faces an unprecedented financial challenge meaning it must make savings of £200m by 2020/21. This has been caused by cuts in government funding and rising demand for our services.
“We’ve had to make some very tough decisions as part of the budget to ensure we have enough money to deliver the statutory services which must be provided by law.
“One of the proposals that formed part of the council’s budget was to reduce the non-statutory part of the Supporting People service.
“We want to replace this with the Prevention and Early Help Fund. With less money than was previously available, we set up a cabinet working group and ran a consultation to see which priority areas the fund should focus on.
“We’re pleased to provide £800,000 to women’s refuges, which is only a slight reduction from the previous budget. We’re confident that by delivering the service more efficiently we won’t need to reduce the services provided by the refuges.
“We’re also able to carry on supporting homeless people with complex needs and young people who are either homeless or leaving care.
“There is also funding available for those who suffer a crisis, including help to buy furniture, gas and electricity, or food, and to receive support to help them avoid similar situations in the future.
“However, we’ve had no option but to cut some services such as the floating support, sheltered accommodation, and our support to a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments. We hope that many people will still be able to get support through services such as the wellbeing scheme and social care.
“These are still only proposals and have to be considered by the council’s cabinet.”

Refuges’ cash cut - and support services axed


Funding for women’s refuges in Lancashire will be cut – and funding for ‘floating’ support, sheltered accommodation, and to a service providing help for elderly people with hearing impairments axed in cost-cutting proposals.


Chorley’s world No.2 Laura Massaro will line up against 18-year-old World Junior champion Nouran Gohar in the semi-finals of the 2016 Hong Kong Open today.
The 32-year-old compatriot Emily Whitlock 3-1 in her second round encounter, although it was from the perfect performance.
Massaro had stuttered in her first round match with Egyptian Hania El Hammamy – requiring five games to defeat the 15-year-old – and she mis-fired once again against 22-year-old Whitlock.
She dropped the second game in a performance that she admits saw her far from her best. I think I finished the match well but I was a little tentative at times,” said Massaro.
“I feel like mentally I’m still not really firing on all cylinders but I’m progressing each round.
“I was better than the first round and if I can move forward again for he semi-final then I should be in a good position for that match.
“Emily played well and put me under some good pressure and you have to deal with that. It was a cold court and she used height a lot to break up the rhythm, so it was important to stay calm and work the problem out.”
Massaro will face Gohar while Nicol David, who defeated Massaro in last year’s final, kept her defence alive with a 3-2 win over New Zealand’s Joelle King.


Chorley’s world No.2 Laura Massaro will line up against 18-year-old World Junior champion Nouran Gohar in the semi-finals of the 2016 Hong Kong Open today.


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Which of these TV game shows would you most like to see return?


The Crystal Maze is set to return to our TV screens and that got us thinking - which other game show would you like to see back on TV?


Police are appealing for witnesses after a fatal crash closed a large stretch of the motorway.
Emergency services were called at about 3.10am this morning after an HGV travelling north on the M61 motorway left the carriageway and collided with wooden fencing.
The incident happened about a mile north of the Rivington Services between junction 6, Horwich, and junction 8, Chorley,
The driver, the sole occupant of the HGV, was found by passing workmen. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The stretch was closed for almost six hours and accident investigation and recovery work is now complete.
Two lanes of the of the M61 northbound are now open although delays are still to be expected.
Anyone with information should contact police on 101 quoting log number 0172 of Friday, August 26.

Motorway reopens after fatal crash as police appeal for witnesses


Police are appealing for witnesses after a fatal crash closed a large stretch of the motorway.


STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — World Wrestling Entertainment says the former star wrestler and manager Harry Fujiwara, better known as Mr. Fuji, has died at age 82. An obituary posted on WWE’s website Sunday said Fujiwara died that morning. The obituary doesn’t say where he died or list a cause of death. The WWE hasn’t responded to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Fujiwara starred as a tag team champion in the ring before shifting into a bad guy manager role in the 1980s. “Magnificent” Don Muraco, Yokozuna and George “The Animal” Steele were among those he managed. He was known for his trademark tactic of throwing salt into the eyes of opponents.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.


PHOTOS: A an early look at photos from the 52nd Cider Keg game


Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!


MOUNT STERLING, Ky. (AP) — One person has died following a series of heroin overdoses that occurred within five hours of each other in Mount Sterling.
Montgomery County Coroner Jimmy Adams tells local news outlets that a 37-year-old man died following the 12 overdoses that occurred Wednesday night.
Battalion chief for the Montgomery County fire department Jeff Jackson says most of the victims were in their 30s and 40s. All reported cases happened in the city limits of Mount Sterling.
The Mount Sterling Police Department said in a statement that officers are investigating the cases.
The series of overdoses came after more than 50 other heroin overdoses were reported in Cincinnati from Tuesday morning to Wednesday night. One person died in those cases.

1 dead following 12 heroin overdoses in 5 hours


HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — An Ohio man has been charged with heroin distribution in connection to 27 drug overdoses in five hours in a single West Virginia city.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia announced Friday that 22-year-old Bruce Lamar Griggs from Akron, Ohio, was charged in federal court with drug distribution in connection to the Aug. 15 spate of overdoses in Huntington. One man died.
An affidavit filed in court alleges that one of the victims who survived identified Griggs as the dealer, and police corroborated it with other witnesses and video surveillance in the neighborhood where the overdoses occurred.
Griggs made an initial appearance Thursday in Ohio and will be transported to West Virginia. A message left with his public defender in Ohio was not immediately returned.

Man faces drug charges tied to 27 heroin overdoses


RIDGELAND, SC - Dr. Richard William “Rick” Hensley, DDS, 65, Ridgeland, SC, died unexpectedly Monday, August 22, 2016, at Coastal Carolina Medical Center, Hardeeville, SC.
Dr. Hensley was born November 28, 1950 in Johnson City, to Mary F. Hensley, Johnson City, and the late William “Mac” Hensley.
Rick was a 1968 graduate of University High School, received his B.S. Degree from Milligan College in 1971, his Masters Degree in Bio-Chemistry from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1975, worked in cancer research with St. Jude’s Hospital, Duke University from 1975-77, then finally received his Doctorate from The University of Tennessee Dental School, Memphis, in 1981.
Dr. Hensley opened his first dental office in Roan Mountain in 1981, then practiced briefly in Johnson City before moving and practicing dentistry in Beaufort, SC for 26 years. Rick served as a missionary, providing dental service in the Ivory Coast in Africa. After moving to Africa in 1998, Dr. Hensley provided dental service to needy patients until he returned to his dental practice in Beaufort in late 1999, where he continued working until the time of his death.
Rick was raised in Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church, where he was very active and as a youth, held several positions. He was a member of Compassion Christian Church, Savannah, GA, where he provided dental services for missionaries. He was a loving husband, loved his family, and could do or fix anything, which earned him the nickname “MacGyver”.
In addition to his father, Rick was preceded in death by his brother, Thomas Ronald “Ronnie” Hensley.
In addition to his mother, Dr. Hensley is survived by his wife, Linda R. Driggers Hensley, Ridgeland, SC; his sons, Richard McKinley “Mac” Hensley, CDT, Memphis, Dr. William Matthew Hensley and wife Rachel, Russellville, and Thomas Ronald Maxwell Hensley, Johnson City; his grandchildren, Hadley Brooke Hensley and William Clay Hensley.
The funeral service will be conducted Sunday, August 28, 2016, at 2:00 P.M., from the East Chapel of the Appalachian Funeral Home, with Reverend Michael Lester, officiating. Special music will be provided by Jane LaPella, organist.
The committal service and entombment will follow in the Mausoleum Chapel of Monte Vista Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:00-2:00 P.M. Sunday in the East Parlor of the funeral home.
Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.appfh.net.
Appalachian Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 800 E. Watauga Ave., Johnson City, is serving the Hensley family. (423)928-6111


“Ecclesiastes 3:1-12”
RIDGELAND, SC - Dr. Richard William “Rick” Hensley, DDS, 65, Ridgeland, SC, died unexpectedly Monday, August


In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Ken Franklin. Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Clinton Eugene Hubbard, of the home; brothers, Gary Nave and wife Miyoko, Sumter, SC and Larry Nave and wife Sara, Elizabethton, TN; sister, Barbara Smith and husband Paul, Banner Elk, NC; sisters-in-law, Jan Franklin, Palmer, TN and Kay Mason and husband Jim, Arkansas; brothers-in-law, Lee Hubbard and wife Terry, Elizabethton, TN and Mike Hubbard and wife Sue, Johnson City, TN; step-son, Chris Hubbard and wife Sheena, Texas and four step-grandchildren. Several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, special friends and neighbors also survive.
A service to honor the life of Patsy Nave-Hubbard will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, August 31, 2016 in Zion Baptist Church, Gap Creek with Dr. Alan King and Rev. Sherrel Nave officiating. Music will be under the direction of the Zion Baptist Church Choir and Jennifer Hughes, pianist. Graveside service and interment will follow the funeral service in Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Chris Nave, Jeremiah Nave, Jeff Smith, Joshua Hubbard, Lee Hubbard, Chris Hubbard and Mike Hubbard. Honorary pallbearers will be Jason Franklin, the men of Zion Baptist Church, brothers and sisters in Christ, cousins and friends.
The family will receive friends at Zion Baptist Church, Gap Creek on Tuesday, August 30, 2016 from 4:00 – 7:00 P.M. or at the residence at any time or at the residence of her brother, Larry Nave at any time.
The family would like to express a special thank you to Amedisys Hospice and her niece, Julie Brown for the loving care given to Patsy and to the members of Zion Baptist Church. In Patsy’s own words, she would like to “thank Katherine White, Yvonne Stegier, all my brothers and sisters in Christ, my fellow associate friends at Walmart and several special friends.”
Those who prefer memorials in lieu of flowers may make donations to Zion Baptist Church, Building Fund, 1982 Gap Creek Road, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Online condolences may be sent to the family and viewed by visiting our website at www.hathawaypercy.com. Hathaway-Percy Funeral and Cremation Services is serving the Nave-Hubbard family. Office: (423) 543-5544.


ELIZABETHTON - Patsy Nave-Hubbard, age 61, of Elizabethton, TN went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at her residence following an extended illness. A native of Carter


Trygve Olson cartoon: How to get a child care license in ND


The Minnesota Vikings waived tight end Brian Leonhardt among eight others on Tuesday afternoon as the team inches its way toward the 75-man roster limit.
Minnesota's roster, which currently resides at 80 players, must be reduced prior to the 4 p.m. deadline on Tuesday.
Quarterback Brad Sorensen, wide receivers Terrell Sinkfield and Marken Michel, defensive end Theiren Cockran, guard Sean Hickey, defensive end Claudell Louis, Linebacker Terrance Plummer and guard Austin Shepherd were also cut by the Vikings.
Leonardt had seven receptions for 39 yards and one touchdown in 16 games over two seasons with Oakland and San Francisco.
Sorensen was signed by Minnesota on Aug. 20 while starter Teddy Bridgewater and backup Shaun Hill sat out practice with respective injuries. Joel Stave is expected to serve as the team's third-string quarterback.

Vikings waive TE Leonhardt, eight others