garstang focus - february 2016

Garstang FOCUSYour Free Monthly Magazine

Scorton - Cabus - Garstang - Bonds - BowgreaveCatterall - Churchtown - St Michaels

February 2016 Issue 185

What’s on in GarstangFebruaryMonday 1st Bridge - Arts Centre (also 15th, 22nd & 29th) 8 Songbirds - Singing for Pleasure - Arts Centre 9 Scottish Country Dance Group - Garstang URC 33Tuesday 2nd Bridge - Arts Centre (also 9th & 23rd Feb & 1st March) 8 Coffee Stop - Inglewhite Church Hall (also 16th) 27Wednesday 3rd Meat Bingo - Winmarleigh Village Hall 6 Croston House Bereavement Group 6 Cabus WI - Cabus Village Hall 17 Sequence Dancing - Claughton Memorial Hall (also 16th) 17 Memory Cafe - Garstang Library (also 15th) 48Thursday 4th Charity Coffee Morning - Garstang URC - Galloway’s 4 Stamp Auction - Garstang Stamp Club - Garstang Library 27 Garstang Lunch Club - RVS - Garstang Community Centre 51Friday 5th ‘Food & Diabetes as I See It’ - Garstang 3Ls 17Saturday 6th Sequence Steppers Charity Dance Group (every Saturday) 4 Coffee Morning - Calder Vale Methodist Church 4 Art Exhibition - Arts Centre (until Sat 5th March) 8 Cardiac Screening for Young People - Garstang Academy 41 Town Council Surgery - Garstang Library 48Sunday 7th Heritage Open Afternoon - Bleasdale Parish Hall 5 Ramble Local Footpaths - Garstang Ramblers 6 Garstang Ukelele Group - Arts Centre (weekly) 8 Cardiac Screening for Young People - Garstang Academy 41Monday 8th ‘Growing Vegetables for Growing & Eating’ Gardening Club 10 Out Rawcliffe Bowling Club AGM 31 Tuesday 9th ‘Tiger Muffin Handmade Soaps’ - Scorton WI 22 Prize Bingo - Friends of Trinity Hospice - St Oswald’s Parish Hall 27

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Wednesday 10th Bowland Choir - Garstang Library (also 24th) 49Thursday 11th ‘Stay Safe Theatre Show’ - St Michael’s Ladies Social Club 31 Charity Lunch - Ferrari’s Hotel in aid of Cancer Help Preston 39 Reading Group - Garstang Library (also 16th) 49Monday 15th Songbirds Open Afternoon - Garstang Arts Centre 7 ‘Biodynamic Wines’ - Gartsang Wine Circle 22 Houghton Weavers in Concert - Cockerham Village Hall 22Tuesday 16th Garstang Floral Art Group - Arts Centre 9Wednesday 17th Bridging the Gap - Hearing Aid Advice - Garstang Library 48Thursday 18th ‘Forensice Science’ - Forton WI 5 Stamp Competitions - Garstang Stamp Club - Garstang Library 27 ‘The Jaywalkers’ - Garstang Unplugged 35Saturday 20th Beetham Ramble - Garstang Ramblers 6 Craft & Collector’s Fair - Arts Centre 9 Quiz Night - Inner Wheel - Garstang URC 25Monday 22nd ‘In William Tell Country’ - Slide Show - Garstang Library 4Tuesday 23rd Catterall Youth Club - Catteral Village Hall 5 Fylde Bird Club - River Wyre Hotel 5 Coffee Stop - Catterall Village Hall 27Wednesday 24th ‘Two Different Mediums’ - Garstang Painting Group 19 Singer’s Night - Garstang Unplugged 35 Games Evening - Cherestanc WI 51Thursday 25th ‘Killing Time’ - Meet the Author - Garstang Library 48Friday 26th Poetry Appreciation Group - Arts Centre 9 Time for a Chat - Garstang Library 48Saturday 27th Jumble Sale - Kepple Lane Scout Hut 27MarchWednesday 2nd ‘Convict Transportation to Australia’ - Garstang URC 52

What’s on in Garstang

March 2016 deadline for editorial and adverts is Monday 15th February

March deliveries commence 25th February 2016While every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine to ensure accuracy, Focus Magazines

cannot be held responsible for editorial content supplied by contributors. Our acceptance of an editorial item or an advertisement does not necessarily indicate our endorsement

of the products, services or views contained within it.

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Garstang URC, Croston Rd, Garstang

First Thursday of each month at Garstang United Reformed Church, Croston Road, 10:00am - 12 noon.Thurs 4th Feb: Galloway’s Society For The Blind.

Thurs 3rd March: ‘CRY’ The Matthew Hesmondhalgh Memorial Fund.

Hilary Ralphs (01995) 603056 Email [email protected]

SEQUENCE STEPPERS Charity Dance Group

We meet at Barton Village Hall every Saturday night, 7:45pm to 11:15pm. Music by Alan Cookson. All profits to local charities.Tea and biscuits.

Barbara Holden (01772) 612311

In William Tell CountryMon 22nd Feb & Mon 7th Mar - 2:00pmGarstang LibraryAfter visiting Lucerne’s famous bridge, decorated buildings, the Lion Monument and Glacier Gardens, the show continues with a tour of Lake Lucerne including the railways up Mount Pilatus and the Rigi. It also tells the story of William Tell, Switzerland’s national hero, who according to legend lived in the area. Places, limited to 20, can be reserved at the Library (01995) 604052. Dennis Jones

CALDER VALE METHODIST CHURCHCoffee Morning Sat 6th Feb 10:00am - 12 noonProceeds divided between the Chapel and a Charity.Edith Gorst (01995) 602078

LAKE LUCERNE SLIDE SHOWSGARSTANG URC COFFEE MORNING

5Tell them you saw it in the Green Book

FORTON WICome along to the new Catterall Youth Club for primary-school-aged children. Tues 23rd Feb 5:30pm - 6:45pm in the village hall.Games, Craft, Bible Stories, Puppets and lots of fun. We hope to see you there. Further information from Inglewhite Church Office. (01995) 641175.Lesley Hardman

FYLDE BIRD CLUBWe are a small friendly bird watching club meeting on the 4th Tuesday each month. We have speakers and other events throughout the year. For £3.00 you can attend one of our meetings to show you what we do as a club or join as a member - £14 for a single member, £10 for a senior, juniors £5 or for a family £22 each year [email protected]

Thurs 18th Feb ‘Forensic Science’ - Caroline Eames. Competition: draw round a hand and decorate it.All meetings are at Forton Village Hall and start at 7:30pm. New members and guests are always welcome (our members come from Lancaster, Cabus, Garstang, Catterall and Winmarleigh so don’t think because you don’t live in Forton you can’t come!)Further details from Christine Smith on (01524) 793549

HERITAGE OPEN AFTERNOONBleasdale Parish Hall Sun 7th Feb 2:00pm - 4:00pm

A new venture: an afternoon of family history research with help from experienced researchers. Investigate your family history. Tea and homemade cakes served.Sue McDade

CATTERALL YOUTH CLUB


Winmarleigh Village Hall Wed 3rd Feb First Wednesday of the month September - May. 7:30pm prompt.Refreshments served at half time. All welcome! For more information contact (01995) 600715

CROSTON HOUSECancer Help’s Base in GarstangYoga Groupimprove your health and wellbeing with gentle yoga for people living with cancer. Our eight week gentle yoga course is specifically designed for people living with cancer. Sessions will run from Mid-February to end of April at Croston House in Garstang. This is a donation-funded course (suggested donation £5 per session) which is also open to anyone bereaved due to cancer.

If you are interested in attending, please register with Ruth (01995) 606469.Bereavement GroupWed 3rd Feb - 2:00pmOur Wyre funded Bereavement Group continues to run the first Wednesday of every month and is for anyone (not just cancer related) who is struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. For more information ring (01995) 606469.

GARSTANG RAMBLERSSun 7th Feb at 1:30pm - Local FootpathsSat 20th Feb at 9:00am - BeethamAll walks start from the Community Centre car park in Garstang and are subject to weather and the leader’s discretion. If you want to know more about the group or individual walks please give me a ring.Carol Stenning (01995) 601478

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Garstang Art CentreMon 15th Feb Following the success of our Open Afternoon last year, we are inviting you to join us on Mon 15th Feb from 1:30pm - 3:30pm to enjoy having a good sing. This is half term week so children and gentlemen are also very welcome. We simply sing for pleasure and hope to raise some money towards Cancer Care.

Admission is £1 and children are free. The admission charge includes refreshments.

You will be given a very warm welcome so come and join us and hopefully together we can donate to Cancer Care.

Avril Bevan (01995) 602904

GARSTANG 3FSGarstang Methodist ChurchPark Hill Road

If you have lost a loved one, or are caring for someone special, then pop along to Forget-me-Nots.

We meet every week on Tuesdays from 1:00pm to 2.30pm for a chat and a cuppa.

Also, don’t forget that Wesleys is now open on Thursdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00am to 6:00pm where you can enjoy a coffee or a light snack or a tasty lunch.

At present there is a lovely display of hand-felted needlework, with all profits going to charity, so do come along.

The Mustard Seed is open each week on Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

We look forward to seeing you.

Margaret Abbott

SONGBIRDS OPEN AFTERNOON

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February Art Exhibition.Sat 6th Feb - Sat 5th March by Kevan Thompson. After 35 years, Kevan recently retired from teaching. He is a self taught artist using different mediums including water colour and pen and ink; capturing moments from walks in the mountains of the British Isles. He started using oils only recently where he prefers to paint large. His work is a mixture of modern and contemporary quality. Landscapes are his favourite subject, especially scenes local to where he lives in the Ribble Valley. Sheila Tearle - Exhibition Co-ordinator

The Garstang Ukulele Group will be meeting at the Arts Centre every Sunday afternoon from 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Tuition from Mike Gradwell. If you are interested in joining contact Bob Sapey (01995) 604621.

200 Club: The new year has arrived and Hilary Burns, the Arts Centre Curator, would be pleased to receive this year’s subscriptions for the 200 Club as soon as possible. The annual subscription for the two draws remains at £13. Cash or cheques can be left at the Arts Centre. For anyone who currently does not hold a number we still have a few spare. Contact Hilary at the Arts Centre or on (01995) 603524. The first draw is on Sat 2nd April. Thank you all for your support.

The Tuesday Bridge Group will meet at 1:30pm in the Arts Centre on Tues 2nd, 9th & 23rd Feb and again on Tues 1st March. Any enquiries ring Mary (01995) 605210. The Monday evening sessions will take place at 7:00pm on Mon 1st, 15th, 22nd & 29th Feb. More details from Bob (01995) 603524. New members are always very welcome at both sessions.

Garstang Floral Art. When giving a friend a gift of flowers from your own garden have you ever wished they could look more

GARSTANG ARTS CENTRE


professional? If so, come along to the Floral Art meeting on Tues 16th Feb where Brenda Newhouse will show us how to make a hand tied bouquet. The meeting starts at 2:00pm in the Arts Centre and will be followed with light refreshments. Old and new members are made very welcome at this friendly group. For details of what to bring for the workshop contact June Gornall (01995) 602505 or Mary Thornber (01995) 605210.

Craft and Collectors Fairs. The first of our popular Craft and Collectors Fairs will begin on Sat 20th Feb from 10:30am until 3:30pm and follow on April 16th, June 18th and at the end of the Arts Festival on August 27th. Stalls remain at £9 for a single booking and £8 each for two or more. If you would like to book a stall please contact Marie Whalley (01995) 603605. We have lovely handmade jewellery, wooden objects, cushions, bags, cards, decorated eggs, knitwear and scarves; also photographs, paintings, small antiques, clocks and bric-a-brac. Entry is free.

Poetry Appreciation Fri 26th Feb from 2:00pm until 4:00pm. This month’s session is poems by poets that begin with D E or F, so there is plenty of scope! We look forward to a most varied and enjoyable afternoon! Visitors are most welcome. Come and bring along your favourite poems or just sit and enjoy the performance. Contact Marie Whalley (01995) 603605. This year’s programme is available on the Arts Centre Website, Garstangartssociety.org.uk Click on Arts Society Groups, choose Poetry Appreciation.

Songbirds - Singing for Pleasure - Mondays 1:30pm - 3:30pmIf you enjoy singing just for pleasure come along and join us. Very relaxed atmosphere, no auditions. We are not a choir, just the joy of singing, good company, a natter and a brew. What could be better. For more information call Avril (01995) 602904.Pat Hansell (01995) 600397

GARSTANG ARTS CENTRE (cont)

10 Did you know that you can read the “Green Book” on line?

GARSTANG GARDENING CLUBbeing the AGM (boring!) but also the Annual Spring Bulb Show.The AGM is more important this year than ever as the club is desperate to find more than one person to put in that special bit of extra time to help in those little bits of simple admin without which the club may well collapse. We are sincerely hoping that at least two, preferably three volunteers can be recruited for what are not demanding purposes, of which none require ‘A‘ levels or degrees though minor writing ability helps. We are counting on you! The second part of the evening is of course our Annual Members Spring Show when the emphasis is on bulbs and in particular those three unnamed daffodils, growing happily in a 7” pot , un-staked and ready in full bloom on Mon March 14th - show day. Time to go out, yes even in the snow, and bring them into a milder climate, a cool sunny conservatory or unheated greenhouse are ideal so you can control the opening of the buds easily.There are classes for other bulbs and cut blooms, Hellebore flower heads and some flower arranging classes for the more talented where Spring Flowers must dominate.On a sadder note most of our members will know the popular speaker and judge, Les Foden, who was taken ill back in the Autumn last year. His heaIth has deteriorated further and I know all members will want to join me in wishing him back to health again soon. His witty talks and cheerful chatter will be missed. To add to the families sadness his son-in-law, Charlie, has very recently died. Once again I know you would wish to join us all in forwarding our sincere condolences. As always, when the rain and snow has stopped, good luck in the gardens. I still have not raked up all the soggy leaves but my daffs are in!Ben Andrews.

After a pleasant dinner and social evening in January, the club is getting back to basics for the first talk of 2016. We kick-off as usual at the Crofters Hotel and Restaurant on the A6 at Cabus just North of the traffic lights on Mon 8th Feb with a 7:30pm start. Be there early for the best seats.The topic is ‘Growing Vegetables for Showing and Eating’. Our speaker, Margaret Robinson, from the Home of the Mammoth Onion, and her sister Susan are well known at our club and several members buy their young plants from them. Over the years the family have raised several of their own specific varieties and seeds which can be purchased at their nursery shop and I expect Margaret will bring some along with her, though it is a bit early yet for vegetable plants.The March meeting is one of the two most important meetings in the club year, this one

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12

We had hoped to bring you more information about Secretary of State, Amber Rudd’s announcement that she wants companies to build many more gas plants in the UK to plug

the gap between renewables and nuclear as coal power is phased out. Neither is there an update on the talk of these gas plants being subsidised with grants and the industry being reported as appearing cautious and suspicious following the unexpected cutting of renewable subsidies which potentially increases the risk of investment and leaves developers out of pocket should the same happen.There is however an ongoing update on the uncontrolled gas leak at Porter Ranch in Los Angeles. Those of you with access to Google will be able to read a daily account of the trials

and tribulations of the population there and the current inability of the company to stem the flow of methane from the ruptured well.Natural gas is 80 percent methane and the compound is dozens of times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after it is released.Because methane is a health hazard, more than 2,000 families have been relocated and another 2,600 families are awaiting relocation assistance from Southern California Gas Company, which owns the storage facility.The gas first started escaping on 23rd October 2015 and at its peak in late November, the leak was reportedly releasing 58 metric tons of methane an hour. The effect of the leak, which is still loading the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, is comparable to adding 7 million cars to the road. The leak is now down to 36 metric tons an hour, but it’s not expected to be fixed for another two months. An estimated $13 million of gas has been lost to the atmosphere as of mid-January and to stop the leak, the company is drilling a relief well to the giant natural storage area about 8,500 feet beneath the surface but this could be well into February before it is completed.Officials, looking for more immediate relief, came up with the plan to burn the gas but concern was expressed that the damaged well could be vulnerable to a blowout, which would allow an even greater release of environmentally damaging gases or potentially cause an explosion.However as mentioned last month, the storage in Los Angeles differs to that proposed at Preesall as Porter Ranch is an old sandstone oil field whilst the Preesall proposal is to store gas in new caverns solution mined out of layered salt which may well prove problematical if undetected cracks, faults and fissures are found to be present.Having said its different there are always lessons to be learned from these mishaps

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and outages. Underground gas storage isn’t new and the solution mining and storage technology will be improving year upon year but what won’t be improving is the geology, if anything it can only get worse. The geology will move when it decides to do so!We are witnessing the massive relocation of residents from their homes and children from their schools in the US and they are saying now that Porter Ranch should have never been built near to this massive underground gas storage scheme which was there first and people and escaping gas don’t mix.But isn’t the converse equally true that an underground gas storage scheme shouldn’t be built in the midst of 80,000 to 100,000 people which is exactly what’s proposed at Preesall? The residents were here first!Another difference is the way in which the Porter Ranch gas outage was discovered.

Local residents fell ill due to the noxious effects of the gas additive which as well as creating an unpleasant smell caused nausea, headaches, nosebleeds and vomiting.If a similar outrage happened here, it wouldn’t be as easy to detect because the additives are only added to the stored gas when it is processed prior to entering the National Transmission System. Until then it could roam underground as a silent killer just waiting to be ignited. If this sounds too far fetched then remember Hutchinson, Kansas in 2001 where gas escaped from an underground gas storage facility and travelled 8 miles underground before surfacing and igniting.On a slightly brighter note, an extension to an existing gas storage scheme near Middlewich in Cheshire is going to be scrutinised by the Planning Inspectorate because it is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project and it requires a Development Consent Order from the Secretary of State.This is the same format as the Inquiries held here and the public there are being invited to register as interested parties prior to the 6 month Examination. The scheme is for 19 cavities to store up to 500 million cubic metres of gas and there are plans to hold the displaced brine in tanks until used by local industries which differs from Halite’s plans to dump the millions of tonnes of super saturated brine into the sea off Rossall.The cynic in us says public opinion won’t be considered but if it is then we have a case to be re-examined. If it isn’t and the scheme goes ahead then surely it makes the Preesall scheme even more marginal and less attractive to would be investors.Ian Mulroy - Chair PWG www.pwgroup.org.uk

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Garstang Community Centre & Car ParkGarstang Community Centre and car park could be saved after the Town Council decided it will consider a bid for the site.After being listed as community assets earlier this month, the Town Council now has six weeks to inform Wyre Council if it wants to be considered a serious bidder for the site.Garstang Town Council’s decision means once Wyre Council is informed, it will trigger a six-month window in which they must raise funds to buy the Centre and its riverside car park.This period will end on 6th July and, although Keyworker Homes were believed to be offering upwards of £1m for the site, Wyre Council says it will consider less due to the bid coming from a local group.A Wyre Council spokesman said: ‘There isn’t a specific figure we would sell the

Community Centre and car park for. It is up to any interested parties to seek independent advice and put forward a bid. It will then be considered by the Council.’Action Garstang and the Town Council, together with the Town Trust and Independent Garstang Traders met on the 21st January and we expect things to move quickly from now on.Information will be published as widely as we can, in the Courier, the Focus magazine, on our website at www.garstangunderthreat.org and on our Facebook page Action Garstang.If you want the Community Centre and car park to be saved for the community we will need your support, otherwise the town will lose its assets.Mary Randles

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17Tell them you saw it in the “Green Book”

Cabus WI will meet on Wed 3rd Feb at 7:30pm at Cabus Village Hall.

This month’s speaker will be Emma Baille, from Aged In Oak, who will talk to us about wine. The competition will be an unusual Corkscrew.

We would love to welcome new ladies to join our friendly WI group. Come and give us a try. You can come as a visitor for three visits, then hopefully you will like us enough to join.

Margaret Swift (01995) 606676

SEQUENCE DANCES - CLAUGHTONClaughton Memorial Hall Wed 3rd Feb & Tues 16th FebWed 2nd March

£3.00 per person. Regular dances arranged so why not come and join us?

Nancy Cowell (01995) 605803?

CABUS WILife Long LearningOur next meeting is on Fri 5th Feb at the United Reformed Church, Croston Road, Garstang at 2:00 p.m. This is our AGM. In addition group member, Mrs Brenda Jones will speak on the subject of ‘Food and Diabetes as I see it.’ As always we welcome all visitors and members.Frank Jones

GARSTANG LAKELAND CLUBGarstang Lakeland Club is a friendly group of walkers who enjoy guided walks in some of the most lovely countryside in the North West. If you would like a ‘taster’ walk or more details, please contact Michael (01995) 604358, Gwyn (01995) 604538 or Kate 07759 659 004.Michael Collins

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from the Open Exhibition on Sat 6th Feb and the settling down to serious new work for the next big exhibition, the Jean Grange Exhibition in April or simply for personal pleasure.

On Wed 24th Feb we are to have a demonstration by Alyson Telfer entitled ‘Two Different Mediums’. We will have to wait to see what they are!

And so the year progresses with the usual enthusiasm and assorted colourful talent, looking forward to more varied events each month.

For more information, why not pop in to the Garstang Arts Centre any Wednesday afternoon between 1:15pm and 4:00pm and see it for yourself. Remember there is a painter in everyone of you trying to escape, honest!

Bill Barnes

CATTERALL GARDENING CLUB

Welcome back to all past friends and a warm invitation to new members in 2016.

The second season of this small and friendly gardening club begins in March and you are all welcome to join us on Tues 15th March.

Our club is for gardening enthusiasts and anyone who takes pleasure in seeing plants grow and thrive. Some gardeners will have greener fingers than others but you don’t have to be an Alan Titchmarch to join!

We meet on the third Tuesday of the month from 7:00pm - 9:00pm at Catterall Village Hall. The annual membership fee is £15 or just pay £3 at the door per meeting.

There will be eight monthly meetings from March to October, with refreshments included, so it is very good value for money!

There is a Raffle and a Plants for Sale table so bring along any unwanted gifts or a plant to sell which will all help club funds.

We are delighted to have Matthew Smith as our first speaker, with his most appropriate talk on ‘Weeds...to love or to loathe’.

After our successful first season last year, we know that you will enjoy being in good company and hearing interesting speakers.

For further details contact Jan (01995) 604771 or Netta (01995) 605385 Netta Parker

GARSTANG PAINTING GROUPFollowing an excellent start to the New Year with the Open Exhibition at the Garstang Arts Centre and a very good turn out of members despite coughs and colds and inclement weather, the Group looked set for the interesting months ahead. January’s ‘Still Life Challenge’ confirmed that! The imaginative theme ‘An Artists Studio’ brought out some fascinating illustrations!

February sees the collection of the paintings


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out of the way and can focus on it.’We hypnotise ourselves into waiting for a magic moment to get started.

Yet there is a simple way to throw this out and begin to make long lasting changes to benefit your life and that way is through discipline NOT motivation.

By this I mean that if you have joined the gym you set yourself a time or times each week and you go…regardless of how you are feeling!

By doing this you remove the emotion from your decision and it becomes automatic. This can be applied to a diet too or any other lifestyle change you make…ignore your old ego wittering away at you and stick to a decision. Stop treating exercise as something to do when it’s convenient and start setting a schedule for yourself to follow.

January has rapidly zipped by and we’re storming through February….so I thought I would ask a question: Has your ‘New year, New You’ zipped by and faded away too?

We often start the year with the best of intentions and then old habits return and we are back to square one again. Therefore, in a bid to help you maintain and improve your health I thought I would dip into the world of motivation. Or rather, I have decided to get you away from the idea of motivation as the starting factor for good health, getting fit or for any other aspect of your life.

Motivation is great but it tends to wane quickly. We humans require short term stimuli or motivation fades away. Of course, we also use motivation as a way of doing nothing… ‘I’ll start exercising when I feel a bit more energetic, or at the start of the next month when I’m ready, or when I’ve got this weekend

KEEP ON GOING…


KEEP ON GOING… (cont)

Another common mistake is to start exercising too much too soon. This leads to aches and pains and an excuse to stop. Start slowly and build up…the key to success is not your speed but your consistency…think tortoise rather than hare!

If you maintain better exercise habits you will feel some positive changes in a month and

begin to see changes in two months. Believe me, if you maintain your discipline you will make lifelong improvements to how you feel, what you can do and how you look.

Do not forget that your body is very clever and after about six weeks it will become very efficient at whatever exercise you are doing, thus, improvements start to slow down or plateau. Make sure you change your routine every 6 to 8 weeks to challenge your body to adapt again, therefore, generating more improvements. You must regularly take your body by surprise.

Sadly many of us give up quickly because it is an effort….but the effort gets easier and exercising is a way of nourishing your body to thrive. Hold that line people and maintain your discipline!

Nick Tofalos

GARSTANG WINE CIRCLE


The Piedmont is an area in the Northwest of Italy with the Alps on three sides forming the borders with other Italian States as well as with France and Switzerland.

The area is well known for its gastronomic delights such as its cheeses, truffles and chocolate, as well as its wines.

Our visitor and presenter Bruno Rafala brought a selection of wines from the region for the tasting on Mon 18th Jan. Bruno is a regular visitor to the circle, and his expertise with Italian Wine is much appreciated.

Two delicious whites started the proceedings. Both the Cortese and the Gavi are probably more suited to a warm summer evening, but the quality of the wines shone through on a cold January evening and they were much appreciated by those present.

In terms of reds, we had a selection of the

classic wines from the area, Barbera d’Asti, Nebiolo d’Alba, Barbaresco, and two Barolos. The second Barolo was a reserva from the 1974 vintage and was indeed a very special wine. We finished with a sweet sparkling wine, a Brochetto.

Bruno had brought some delicious cold meats, cheese and olives to accompany the wines. Anne Whitehead brought some sweetmeats to accompany the sweet wine and Freda Goodier and Ann Harrison provided the sandwiches. Jennifer McNamee gave the official vote of thanks on behalf of the circle whose members went home feeling replete after a very satisfying evening.

The next meeting is at 7:30pm on Mon 15th Feb at the Arts Centre when the presenter will be Jennifer McNamee on the subject of ‘Biodynamic Wines’. Details from Don Goodier (01995) 603720.

Mervyn Stokes

HOUGHTON WEAVERS IN CONCERTCockerham Village HallMon 15th Feb - 8:00pm

Proceeds for the reconstruction of Pilling Memorial Hall. Bar and raffle. Tickets £9 from (01253) 790615 or (01253) 790739.Jacky Gaunt

SCORTON WI What have Tigers to do with soap? Or muffins for that matter? Scorton WI will find out at their meeting on Tues 9th Feb when Matthew Lepp will give a talk and demonstration on ‘Tiger Muffin Handmade Soaps’.

We meet in Scorton C E School at 7.30 pm and new members are always made welcome so why not give it a try?

Mary Hodges (01995) 604755


Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty2016 is set to be a Year of Discovery in Bowland. Dark Sky Discovery Sites; family-friendly activities; local producers and over 80 Festival Bowland events are just a few of the things featured in the Discover Bowland brochure.Local businesses, tourism staff, event organisers and councillors were all invited to celebrate the release of the brand new guide, launched in January. The publication aims to showcase the landscape, wildlife, people and places of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which covers 312 square miles of rural Lancashire and North Yorkshire.The Forest of Bowland is a fantastic spot for walking and offers many opportunities for wildlife-spotting. It’s also home to an enviable range of cafes, pubs and restaurants, many

FOREST OF BOWLAND

of which champion local food and drink.The guide has been written with both residents and visitors in mind, providing ‘cut out and keep’ walk pages, ideas for family activities, Festival Bowland events, spots for star gazing and seasonal wildlife highlights.A special ‘Produce with Personality’ feature delves behind the scenes of four Bowland businesses. From ice-cream made in what was an eighteenth century toll house, to a successful business which started out making sausages at the kitchen table, there are some fascinating stories behind this local produce.Keen photographers have the chance to get one of their pictures chosen for the 2017 Bowland calendar, whilst youngsters can have fun coming up with ideas for a new ice-cream flavour, or working out the subjects in the Bowland Picture Puzzle Competition.Hetty Byrne, Sustainable Tourism Officer


with the AONB said, “So many people work hard to look after the area and, through sustainable tourism, we want to support local communities whilst safeguarding Bowland’s landscape, wildlife and tranquility.”The free guide is available from Visitor Information Centres in and around the AONB and also from a range of local venues, businesses and accommodation providers. An on-line version is available on the Forest of Bowland AONB website along with a full calendar of Festival Bowland events at www.forestofbowland.com

FOREST OF BOWLAND (cont)

Not much happened in the last month due to Christmas and New Year. No meetings were held after the Christmas party, and our first one was in mid-January where we started in earnest organising our fund-raising for the last six months of Charmaine’s PresidencyBefore Christmas, Charmaine sent a parcel to Lucky, the little boy that we are sponsoring in the ‘Happy House’.On Sat 20th Feb we are having a Quiz night, to be held at the United Reformed Church Garstang, 6:30 for 7:00pm. There will be a Hot Pot supper with desert. The price is £8 and if anyone is interested could you contact our President, Charmaine Wilkinson, on 07833 992 003 before the 15th Feb. We will be very pleased to see you.A usual if anyone is interested in joining our little group please give me a ring. Maureen Garstang (01995) 604336 .

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Jumble Sale Scout Hut, Kepple Lane, Garstang Sat 27th Feb - 1:00pm

Admission 50p. For collection of jumble please phone Kay Clark (01995) 604569 or Joan Wearden (01253) 790705

GARSTANG STAMP CLUBThurs 4th Feb - AuctionThurs 18th Feb One-sheet competitions:3. A cover 1880 - 18904. Free choicePlus sale of stampsThurs 3rd March ‘Germany’ - D. BurtonMeetings are in the Meeting Room of the Public Library, Windsor Road, Garstang. PR3 1ED from 7:30pm - 9:30pm.Subscriptions Adults £10 Under 18 £1D. Jones (01995) 602665

GOLDEN BALL SOCIAL CLUB PILLING

Inglewhite Church invite you to our community cafe events.We are open in Inglewhite Church Hall on Tues 2nd & 16th Feb and in Catterall Village Hall on Tues 23rd Feb.Call in anytime between 10:00am and 12 noon, bring your friends or come and make new ones.Free parking and disabled access is available at both venues.We look forward to welcoming you soon. Lesley Hardman

FRIENDS OF TRINITY HOSPICETues 9th FebThe monthly Prize Bingo session will be at St Oswald’s Parish Hall, Preesall at 8:00pm on the second Tuesday of every month from Tues 12th Jan. Please come and join us. Helen Lomax

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SOROPTIMISTSWomen inspiring action, transforming lives.

Back Pack 2016

Soroptimists achieve great things - with the support of strangers, and the kindness of friends.

Our Back Pack project goes along apace thanks to the support of people like you and your friends and families.

We continue to collect your donations from the Mustard Seed and Wesley’s Cafe. Thank you.

We are currently looking for shorts and tee shirts or dresses for ages three - five years to complete our next batch of packs. Please think about us during your Spring clear-out.

One of our most difficult items to source, especially out of season, are flip flops. Imagine our delight when friends of one of our members managed to find 20 pairs! Not only that, but they refused to take payment and donated them to us as a Christmas charity gift.

We also found a generous gentleman in a caravan site shop who donated end of

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season tennis balls for our packs (these are the only toys that we are allowed to include).

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2016 - A Good Start

Garstang members had a busy first meeting, presenting a cheque to the Girl Guide Association to help with their summer project.

Afterwards we all handed in our contributions for the Salvation Army Food Bank ready for delivery to their Preston centre.

See photos and comments on www.facebook.com/SoroptimistGarstang www.sigarstang.org.uk or follow us on www.twitter.com/GarstangSorop

We just had time to organise our trip to the theatre (social meeting) for next month before heading home.

Nepal

Soroptimists here in the UK, in Kathmandu, Bangladesh, India and Europe continue to help this devastated country trying to rebuild its homes and schools.

We have pictures of children in areas, cleared of rubble, where large tented classrooms have been erected to enable them to carry on with their education. Why not come and join us and be part of the repair and rebuild now?

Meetings are the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Garstang Golf and Country Club at 7:30pm. Minutes and project info available to members via email. Enquires via website or (01995) 606604

Muriel Burnham-Airey

SOROPTIMISTS (cont)


Would you like to help train the next generation of doctors?Lancaster University Medical School is looking for volunteer patients to help with clinical teaching and assessment of students. Students need to see patients living with conditions such as heart/circulation problems, cancer, kidney problems, diabetes, gastro-intestinal problems, neurological problems, arthritis, breathing problems, and musculo-skeletal problems. To find out more contact the Clinical Skills team (01524) 516044 or [email protected] Alternatively please ask our reception team who will arrange for one of our GP’s to contact you. Friends and Family TestDuring December 98% of our patients said they were either ‘extremely likely’ or ‘likely’ to recommend us. When asked ‘What are the best and worst things about Windsor Surgery’, responses included:‘I have always found all the staff efficient, friendly and kind. No problems.‘The best thing about the surgery is Dr Rabbet. The receptionists are very helpful and friendly too. There’s nothing ‘worst’ about the surgery, everything is good. Thankyou’‘I am always treated with respect and feel valued as an individual. Not one negative.’Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback. For further details please visit www.windsorsurgery.nhs.ukFind us on FacebookSee www.facebook.com/WindsorSurgery for the quickest way to receive the Surgery news. Your support is appreciated. We are always happy to welcome new patients within the practice boundary. Please pop into reception for advice/a registration form.The Windsor Surgery Team

Personal Advisor ServiceWe now have a representative from Age UK offering personal advice appointments at the Garstang Medical Centre on a Thursday morning. Our advisor can help those aged 50 or over, or working as a carer, who require help, information or just someone to talk to e.g. with regards to benefit advice, bereavement support, community links, home help service, and much more. To book an appointment or for further details please contact (01524) 387 843 or 03003 031 234.

WINDSOR ROAD SURGERY


We would like to invite you to our AGM on Mon 8th Feb at 7:30pm at Out Rawcliffe Bowling Green, Chapel Lane, Out Rawcliffe. We are looking for new team members both in the afternoon and evening leagues, you will be most welcome regardless of your experience. or just come and join as a social member. We look forward to seeing you! Chris Creer (01253) 700461

ST. MICHAEL’S LADIES SOCIAL CLUBA very convivial evening was spent by members at the Grapes Inn; sincere thanks were given to Gary and Michelle for their hospitality and nibbles. The problems of future venues was, hopefully, solved as it will be several months before the village hall will be usable, due to floods.On Thurs 11th Feb the ‘Stay Safe Theatre Show’ will be held at the WI Hall in Great Eccleston from 1:00pm - 4:00pm, with their kind permission. Membership fees of £18 will be collected at this event. Do come along. You will be welcome. Judith Hunter

FORTON BOWLING CLUBForton Bowling Club are finding it difficult for the coming season to find enough persons to fill their team. Anyone who fancies a game with us will be most welcome. You don’t have to be a star or have had any previous experience to come along and enjoy the game. The teams play on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Wednesday afternoons and you would be very welcome if you came along to any of these sessions.Contact Jim Rogerson (01524) 791723 for a friendly chat if you are interested or would like to know more.Robin Marsden

OUT RAWCLIFFE BOWLING CLUB


further 15 prizes of £10. In a secondary draw, for the introduction of new members to the 200 Club, a bottle of wine was won by Charmaine Wilkinson.The President of the Rotary Club of Garstang and Over Wyre, Terry Gerrard, thanked the organisers of the draw and stated ‘the draw has raised £530, which will go towards the Rotary Charity Account to assist us with the support a number Rotary specified local and worldwide Charities’.Further information and full details of all the winning numbers are available from the Rotary Club.Garstang Rotary Santa SleighAgain we have to say ‘A Very Big Thank You’ to the residents and visitors to Garstang for their support and generosity in respect of our Santa Christmas Appeal.We are indebted to Booths Supermarket for

ROTARY£530 Raised in Dec 200 Club DrawThe Rotary Club held their twice yearly ‘200 Club Draw’ on Wed 16th Dec.Rotarians and guests marked the event with

an excellent Christmas Dinner at the Garstang Country Hotel & Golf Club. The guest of honour for the evening was the President of the Inner Wheel Club of Garstang & Over Wyre, Mrs Charmaine Wilkinson.The draw was made by President Charmaine on behalf of the members of the 200 Club. In thanking Charmaine, Mike Bradley made the presentation of a bouquet of flowers.Ticket number 195 was the winning number for the first prize of £500. In addition there were two other prizes of £25 each and a

32

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33Tell them you saw it in the Garstang Focus

The waters may have subsided outside the building but there is still a lot of work to be done inside our meeting venue. Once this is completed and the room ready for use then I will notify all our members as to when we will be meeting once again.

if you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact me. Hope to see you all soon.

Lorna Musgrave (01995) 471319

SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE GROUPGarstang Scottish Country Dance Group classes on Mondays in the United Reformed Church Hall at 7:30pm.

New members will be made most welcome, no previous dancing experience necessary!

Cost (including tea and biscuits) £2. Just come along or for further information contact Pam (01995) 603536 or Ian (01995) 603998

allowing us to collect in store due to the very bad weather. Fortunately Santa, his Sleigh and his Elves were able to make their usual evening tours of Catterall and the northern part of Garstang.Our President is pleased to report that the total collection raised the magnificent sum of £1900.A large portion of the above sum will be used by the Club to provide support in respect of the devastating floods in our area. We will also be donating to the Children’s Festivals in our area. We will use any balance to support Charities which are approved by Rotary.The Rotary Club of Garstang & Over Wyre meets Wednesday evenings at the Best Western Garstang Country Hotel & Golf Club, at 7:00 pm for 7:30 pm. Don Goodier (01995) 603720 [email protected]

ROTARY (cont) GALLOWAYS

33

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extra security products recommended by your bank, eg. Rapport which locks down the connection between your machine and your online bank system, checks the bank website you use is genuine, and stops your data going to counterfeit sites.Try to type the shop or bank website address (URL) directly, eg. www.amazon.co.uk or www.halifax.co.uk, rather than finding them through a search engine or clicking on links in an email. Take care when typing the URL, it needs to be correct as even a small spelling mistake could take you to a dodgy site. If using a new retailer, make sure they are reputable – ask your family or friends and do a search online to see if there are any complaints. Double-check all details of your purchase before confirming payment, and never enter any payment details without checking that the link is secure – the web address should normally begin with ‘https://’; a padlock symbol should appear in the browser window frame (not on the page itself); and with some browsers the address bar or the name of the site owner will turn green.Paying by credit card offers greater protection eg. if the retailer goes bust before your goods arrive, but doesn’t always help in cases of fraud it the bank thinks that you haven’t taken enough precautions.If you want to give your credit card details to as few sites as possible, or if you are buying from online auction sites such as eBay, then consider setting up a PayPal account - this allows anyone with an email address to make (and receive) payments online, and is especially recommended if you are buying from an individual rather than an established business.When shopping online, you will probably be offered the opportunity to register for an account “to make it easier in future”. If registration is optional, think carefully about

[email protected] www.ladybirdcomputing.co.uk

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Websites ~ PC help and advice ~ Bug fixes

Friendly & Accessible Yoga Classes in Garstang & Lancaster

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Tuesdays Cabus Village Hall - 6pm to 7.30pm

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Saturday Lancaster Central Library - 10am to 11am

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07927690256 [email protected]

Last month we started looking at the topic of safe shopping and banking online, and specifically about being careful when using external wifi or public computers.Whether you are shopping and banking in public or in the comfort of your own home, there are a number of precautions to take. As always you should make sure that your computer is fully updated with all security patches etc (Article 3, July 2015), and protected by a firewall and updated anti-virus software (Article 5, Sept). If you use online banking, make sure you have installed any

COMPUTER SAFETY


whether you are likely to use the site again and maybe leave it until next time. Whenever supplying details to a shopping site, only give information which is reasonable to complete the purchase. If a website asks for more details than necessary then stop and think – it could be a bogus site. Even on a genuine site don’t give away more than the minimum needed. On the internet, information is a valuable commodity and every bit of data about you and your online habits could be worth something to a person or business.Next month – social media.As ever if you have any questions or concerns about security, then please do give me a ring for a quick chat.Joan Bailey 07528 173 891

GARSTANG UNPLUGGEDThurs 18th Feb - 8:30pmSince reaching the finals of the BBC Young Folk Awards in 2008, The Jaywalkers have cemented their place as one of the most exciting and entertaining young bands working on the British Folk scene. Effortlessly creating a unique sound based on their individual musical backgrounds, the band takes influence from Folk, Bluegrass, Country and Western Swing. Add good humour, tasteful arrangements and exceptional musicianship to the mix and they are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The music Jaywalkers create is innovative, exhilarating and rooted deeply in tradition. Most of their set consists of original songs inspired by stories and poetry from Lancashire, so there are strong themes about the trials of life in industrial Lancashire. But it’s not all doom and gloom! The band litters their set with blistering, foot-stomping, up-tempo instrumentals and

COMPUTER SAFETY (cont)

35

more cheerful traditional songs to entertain the soul and cheer the heart.And they’re with us at Garstang Unplugged, The Kenlis Arms, Ray Lane, Barnacre, Garstang, PR3 1GD. Tickets are £10 on the door, through the website or on (01995) 602795.Our monthly singers’ night will be on Wed 24th Feb from 8:00pm and, as usual, it’s free and all are welcome.www.jaywalkers.co.uk www.garstangunplugged.com Don Moore

BRIC-A-BRAC AND TABLE TOP SALEGarstang URC Church Hall Sat 19th March from 10:00am - 1:00pmTo reserve tables at £6 each, please contact Margaret (01995) 604066 or Bev (01995) 671512.

more ambitious you might try your hand at a modest rock garden.Alpines originate from high altitude rocky regions above the tree line. Because they’re so small the wind barely touches them and they’re able to carry the weight of heavy snow without being damaged. In hot sun their small hairy or leathery leaves protect them from losing water.The most fabulous thing about alpines is their colour and their ability to transform a drab or difficult area of the garden – some like Lewisia barely need any soil to grow in and can thrive in small crevices. Now is a good time to start planning your display as all the nurseries in our area will soon be starting to stock many varieties ready for spring planting.Any container will do to create an alpine display (‘trough’ or ‘sink’ style are the best) but


DOWN TO EARTH

This month we’re not going to discuss preparing vegetable seed beds, chitting potato tubers, protecting blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches or pruning winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering.Oh no! We’re going to shake things up a bit and enter the heady world of alpine plants. For many of us, gardening can be a bewildering prospect that can overwhelm to such a degree that we end up doing nothing at all. So start small and consider creating an alpine display in a trough or pot – or for the


DOWN TO EARTH (cont)make sure water can easily drain out – like Mary Berry, your plants will not like having a soggy bottom.Use a good quality multi-purpose compost and mix in a generous amount of horticultural grit – you can get this from DIY stores and nurseries.For interest, place small rocks in the container for your plants to grow in and around.Next, head off to your local nursery and don’t be shy in asking for help. You’ll want to choose plants that are compatible, where growth rates are similar and where they like the same soils.Look for varieties that will provide you with all year round colour and choose as many evergreens as you can. Follow the planting instructions on the plant label.Once you’ve planted up your container, top dress with some alpine gravel – you can buy this gravel in lots of different colours and it

transforms your display into a much more attractive feature!If possible place your container on ‘feet’ to aid with drainage and place it in a spot where ideally it would get sun in the morning and would be a little cooler in the afternoon.Water well when you first plant up and continue this for a few days to allow things to settle and starting growing. Once your plants have established, water in the coolest part of the day, early in the morning or later in the evening.Finally you shouldn’t need to feed your container for the first 18 months. After this, use a weak liquid fertiliser once a week.So go on, use a miserable February day to create a spring talking point.Happy Gardening!Alison Tarpey-Black 07738 515 846(01253) 810039


Garstang Academy 10k RunLions again supported the annual Garstang Academy 10k Run by providing free car parking which is our

contribution towards raising funds for the all-weather pitch.Garstang RVS Christmas LunchRoyal Voluntary Service is a volunteer organisation that enriches the lives of older people and their families across Britain and Lions are delighted to again sponsor this festive get together.Local FloodingFamilies whose houses were flooded were approached, initially with regard to replacing children’s damaged Christmas presents, but as these were all saved, it was suggested

that Lions replace any school items which were destroyed. Two families, who had re-located to living in hotels, were approached and school shoes, school uniform and other materials required for study, have been replaced by Club funds.The Club also helped a couple whose cottage was flooded and who had to re-locate to temporary accommodation, with limited facilities to enjoy their Christmas Dinner at the local hostelry. Marie CurieThe club will be selling daffodils at Booths supermarket on Fri 1st April to help Marie Curie nurses give care and support to people living with a terminal illness.Supporting the Environment The club has been recognised for its support of local projects including Kepple Lane Park, the Millennium Green, Catterall

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GARSTANG & DISTRICT LIONS (cont)Gardening Club and the Memorial Gardens on Hawthorne Avenue. Garstang ‘Gators’Lions agreed a three year £500 annual sponsorship of Garstang Swimming Club’s gala.Pippa ColePaula Boscott School of Dance held a charity event to raise funds for Pippa and Lions contributed £200. To donate to Pippa Cole’s proton beam therapy fund visit her Facebook page.As always the Lions welcome new members or anyone who is just interested in seeing what they do. Information is available on the web site or just speak to a member - or simply come along to a meeting, 3rd Tuesday of the month in the Royal Oak at 8:00pm. Look for anyone in a dark blue fleece or light blue polo shirt. (Don’t worry - it’s not compulsory to get

‘dressed up’ if you join!)Email: [email protected]: www.garstanglions.co.ukFacebook: Garstang LionsPeter Ryder (01995) 604688

CHARITY LUNCHThurs 11th Feb

You are invited to a Charity Lunch supporting Cancer Help Preston Ltd. (M O’D Bursary Fund Reg. Charity No.1032828) at Ferrari’s Hotel, Chipping Road, Thornley PR3 2TB

Stalls from 11:30am, lunch served 12:30pm (choice of menu on the day) followed by Angela Danby’s talk – ‘Tales of a Newspaper Reporter’ . Admission £25 by prior booking only. Information or tickets Tel. (01995) 640185/(01772) 864689.

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CARDIAC RISK IN THE YOUNG (CRY)Matthew Hesmondhalgh Memorial FundAlthough it may be difficult to believe that a young person may be at risk from heart problems, the sad fact is that every week in the UK at least 12 healthy people aged 35 and under die from undiagnosed heart conditions. As you may be aware, in 2011 we lost our beautiful 22 year old son, Matthew to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), and since then family and friends have been campaigning to raise awareness of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). A simple way to diagnose cardiac abnormalities is through a quick test called an ECG. A fund set up in Matt’s name has offered this kind of testing free of charge to 400 people. 12 young people were identified with potential heart conditions that can now be treated or managed.Over the past 3.5 years we have danced, bag-packed, completed a canal walk and treasure hunts, held race nights and market stalls, crafted and recycled! We have travelled LEJOG with a fantastic group of 13 young people and so much more. Many have contributed and supported us along the way, including many readers of Focus, so we would like to say a huge thank you to one and all. Sat 6th & Sun 7th Feb - Garstang Community AcademyOur work to spread the word and to screen more young people continues. In February we look forward to meeting some of the families who have booked places on our third screening event. If you would be interested in reading more about Matt’s story please go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/SomeoneSpecial/matthesmondhalghFor further info contact Paula 07785 106 976 or email [email protected] learn more about the work that CRY do go to www.c-r-y.org.ukPaula Hesmondhalgh


now, those of you who have been flooded should have received a £500 cheque from Wyre Council to help with emergency provisions and the clear up. If you have not then please contact Wyre Council on (01253) 891000. I am keen that as many as my constituents as possible access the Property Level Protection Scheme element of the Communities and Business Recovery scheme which is intended as a contribution towards making properties more resilient to future flooding.

This funding will allow affected households and small and medium-sized businesses to claim up to £5,000 per property flooded. If you would like to find out more please contact Wyre Council Business Support Team by email at [email protected] . The Team can offer advice and support.

I would also like to take this opportunity to

After a very mild Christmas, winter is finally upon us. The cold weather makes leaving Lancashire to catch the early train to London even more difficult!

Many of my constituents have been affected by the terrible weather over the festive season and are in the process of trying to get back to some sense of normality.

I have written to all residents in Wyre affected by the floods and I wanted to take the opportunity to repeat what assistance is available.

The Government has announced a £50 million Flood Fund for all those affected by the recent flooding. These funds have now been distributed to local authorities. Hopefully, by

BEN WALLACE MP

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BEN WALLACE MP (cont)thank the emergency services, the local Councils and all who helped during a very traumatic time for those affected. I worked very closely with representatives from the Parish Councils who did an outstanding job in passing on local information and knowledge.Special mention must go to Gary and Michelle, the landlords of The Grape’s at St Michaels. The team did a great job providing warm food and beer to locals, officials, media and even MPs throughout the flooding. I was also incredibly impressed by the efforts of Mrs Brough, Headteacher of St Michael’s Primary School, who along with her staff and volunteers have ensured local facilities for her pupils are provided. ‘The show must go on’ as they say! I was pleased to see that work is now underway on the Broughton By-Pass. Although it has been many years in the making, it is now finally becoming a reality. I

do believe that when completed, it will bring benefit to all road users in the area. We all know the frustration of being held up at the Broughton Cross Roads. I was pleased to play a part in helping direct Government funding to the Preston City Deal.I have been contacted by a number of a constituents in relation to Lancashire County Council’s decision to withdraw all subsidies and terminate all local bus service contracts from April. Like residents I am very concerned at these proposals and I am making my objections known to the County Council. I am also seeking advice from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the legality of these proposals. I was disappointed to learn that the County Council has reserves of over £300 million and a further £96 million in school reserves. It seems to me that the County Council is

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playing politics with people’s services. If I can be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can email me at [email protected] or write to me at: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA. I also hold regular surgeries. If you would like to book an appointment please call my Office at the House of Commons on 0207 219 5804. I can also be contacted at my Constituency Office on (01995) 672976.Ben Wallace MP

GARSTANG LADIES SPEAKERS CLUBDo you want the confidence to stand and speak in front of others? Do you have to speak at business meetings? Do you have a special occasion, perhaps a wedding coming up at which you will have to speak to an audience? Or maybe it’s that all important job interview?

BEN WALLACE MP (cont)

If you would like the opportunity to improve your speaking and listening skills and build your confidence, come along to Garstang Ladies Speakers Club. Put your resolution to work and see what can be achieved in this friendly supportive environment.

The Club meets in the comfortable surroundings of the Garstang Country Hotel & Golf Club on the first and third Tuesday of each month from September to May. The next meetings are on Tues 2nd & 16th Feb. Visitors are always very welcome. Come along and see what it’s all about.

For more information visit www.garstangladiesspeakersclub.org

We can also be found on Facebook. To contact a club member phone Hilary McGrath (01995) 606522 or e mail Sue Hubbard at [email protected]


1. Where would you find Sha-tin racecourse?

2. Which motorist’s aid was patented by Halifax inventor Percy Shaw?

3. A statue of which Hans Christian Anderson character is located in Copenhagen harbour?

4. South Australia’s Barossa Valley is famous for which main industry?

5. Who famously promised to ‘eat his hat’ if the exit polls from the last general election proved to be right?

6. Which town did the Pied Piper rid of rats?

7. Which famous woman is due to be honoured with a statue in Manchester?

8. Who married Linda Eastman in 1969?9. Who had a No 1 hit with the song

‘Sounds of Silence’ in 1966?10. Who was the heroine of the novel ‘Gone

with the Wind?’11. Moriarty was the arch enemy of whom?12. Which famous American city was

decimated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005?

13. Which musical instrument is associated with Antonio Stradivari?

14. Who killed Cock Robin?15. Who wrote ‘Treasure Island’?16. What is the name of the square behind

St Paul’s Cathedral?17. The atria are the two upper chambers of

which human organ?18. Which country invented fireworks?19. For what crime was infamous gangster,

Al Capone finally jailed?20. Who was the Roman God of Fire?

GREY MATTER TEST (ans page 75)


This was an amazing feat and people can still contribute to his fund raising effort by going to justgiving.com/BrettsMarathonSwimSporting SuccessAnother area in which our students participate and often excel is the sporting arena. Our boys have been taking on other schools recently in badminton with the senior team beating Hodgson whilst the junior team put on a good show and losing marginally to them. Our girls have also been playing netball and enjoying quite a bit of success with Year 9 winning recently against Hodgson.Archbishop of York Young Leaders AwardThis is a unique active citizenship programme which empowers young people to make a difference in their local community whilst growing in key leadership skills at the same time. All our Year 7 students and some Year 9s are involved in doing this. One aspect is volunteering in the community. If you have a project with which you need help and feel our students could help out please do let me know.Charity at Saint Aidan’sOur students take very seriously the Christian value of helping others. Money has been raised to support a host of charities some of which include Guide Dogs for the Blind, Cancer Research, RSPCA, Winston’s Wish, Operation Christmas Child and Cardiac Risk in the Young to name just a few.BBC School News Report 2016Students from all age groups will again be taking part in this event on 10th March broadcasting live nationwide. They will be tackling topical issues as well as local stories. If you have any items of news or some issue which you believe needs sharing please do contact us at school.Sue Marland - Assistant [email protected]

ST AIDAN’S NEWSStudent AchievementsWe are always proud of all our students but there are two who deserve a special mention.Lydia Devonport, who left two years ago, has been offered a place at Homerton College, Cambridge, to study Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic. This is such an achievement and reflects her hard work, dedication and commitment to her studies.Brett Newcombe in Year 7 raised over £900 for Macmillan Cancer Support by swimming a marathon: 26 miles! He was awarded a special certificate by Angie Hesketh who works for Macmillan. Brett said: ‘I swam a marathon! 26 miles or 42,195 metres for Macmillan Cancer Support because I wanted to help the people who helped my Grandad. Unfortunately my Grandad didn’t survive but the work that MacMillan do is so important!’

47Tell them you saw it in the Garstang Focus 47

GARSTANG HISTORICAL SOCIETYLancaster’s historic trading links with the West Indies will be the subject of the February meeting of Garstang Historical Society.

The talk, by Dr Mike Winstanley, a retired Lancaster University lecturer, will concentrate on the maritime links between the port of Lancaster and the Caribbean in the 100 years between 1750 and 1850.

Dr Winstanley, a well known speaker on a variety of historical subjects, is co-author of “The West Indies and the Arctic in the Age of Sail: The Voyages of Abram (1806-62).”

Following last month’s meeting, at which it proved impossible to accommodate all those wishing to attend, the February meeting will be held in Garstang United Reformed Church rather than the neighbouring church hall, which has been the organisation’s base for many years.

The meeting begins at 7.30pm on Wed 10th Feb. Refreshments will be available after the lecture. For more information visit www.garstanghistoricalsociety.org.uk or ring Peter Burrell (01995) 601054 (after 6pm).

The society’s committee apologises to those non-members/visitors unable to gain admission to the January meeting due to the legal restrictions on numbers allowed in the church hall. It is hoped to invite last month’s speaker, Mr David Ratledge, to revisit the society within the next 12 months to repeat his talk on the latest developments in tracing Roman roads in Lancashire.

Anthony Coppin

RSPCAAnimal UpdatesGreat news! The degus that have been with us for six months have found a new home.We want to encourage people to visit our centre. We would love to show you around and get your support!

RSPCA

AppealsDerek is still looking for a new home! He is a four year old, neutered Lurcher. He is very lovable but isn’t keen on other dogs, cats or small children. Jack the cat is still here after six months. He is looking for a stable house to live in as he is semi-feral.EventsThurs 11th Feb Fish and Chip Supper, Waterloo Road, Blackpool 7:30pm - 10:30pm at Harrold Rigby’s Chip Shop. Tea/coffee included. Quiz and raffle to be held on the night. £7.50 per ticket.Email [email protected] Henderson (01253) 703000RSPCA Blackpool & North Lancs BranchLongview Animal CentreOld Toms Lane, Stalmine FY6 0JR

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complicated! Author Ian McFadyen will be at Garstang Library on Thurs 25th Feb at 6:00pm to discuss his new crime thriller ‘Killing Time’. This is another free event but again tickets are required.

Memory Cafe – Wed 3rd Feb A Free drop-in cafe for carers and those living with dementia. All are welcome to come along to the Library meeting room on the first Wednesday of every month, for a chat and cup of tea. 10:00 am – 12 noon. Also every 3rd Monday between 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Mon 15th Feb. For further details ring Sandra Perkins (01995) 471236 or simply pop into the Library.

Town CouncilRepresentatives from Garstang Town Council will be present in the Library between 10:00am until 12 noon. If you have any issues which you would like to discuss with them please drop in and have a chat. No appointments are necessary. Next surgery Sat 6th Feb.

Bridging the Gap Wed 17th Feb A free local service offering practical advice and support every 3rd Wednesday 10:00am -12 noon.

Time for a Chat – Fri 26th FebWould you like someone with whom to talk over issues, make friends or just spend some time chatting? On the last Friday of every month Time for a Chat meet10:30am - 12:30pm in the Library meeting room.

Knit and NatterOur Knit and Natter group meet at the Library every Tuesday and Friday afternoon 2:00pm - 4:00pm. The group are always looking for new members so if you enjoy knitting or fancy starting up a new hobby just come along to

GARSTANG LIBRARY‘William Tell Country’ - Denis JonesMon 22nd Feb - 2:00pmCome and listen to Denis talk about the legend that was William Tell and describe the landscape and city history of Lucerne and its lake.This is a free event but numbers are limited to 20. Please contact the Library to book a place.Denis will be doing a second talk on the same subject on Mon 7th March at 2:00pm.

‘Killing Time’ - Ian McFadyen“When a local reporter receives a taunting text message claiming responsibility not just for one local murder but for two, Inspector Carmichael wonders whether the quiet Lancashire hamlet of Hasslebury has a serial killer on the loose – or perhaps just a very unpleasant hoaxer. But when a third body is discovered.... Well, things really start to get


the Library and join in with this friendly group. Refreshments are provided as well as expert help and advice.

Bowland ChoirThe Bowland Choir, led by Anni Tracy, meets in the Library every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 6:30pm.No experience of singing or reading music is necessary to join the group as they sing together for fun and friendship. So come along and give it a try. New members always welcome. Wed 10th & 24th Feb. For more information contact Anni (01524 831997)email [email protected]

Children’s ActivitiesBaby Bounce and Rhyme - Mon and Fri at 10:00amToddler Rhyme Time - Tues at 2:00pmStorytime for the under 5’s - Fri at 2:00pmAll these events are free so just come along and join in the fun.

Reading Groups Our reading groups will meet on Thurs 11th Feb at 2:00pm and Tues 16th Feb at 7:30pm. For more information or to book a place at any of the above Tel: 0300 1236703, email [email protected] or visit the website at www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries or just pop into the Library and speak to a member of staff.

Mobile LibrariesThe Mobile Library routes for February will be as follows:Scorton Wed am 3rd & 24th Feb Catterall & Churchtown Thurs am 18th Feb St Michaels - Rawcliffe Road Tues pm 16th Feb. Garstang Library 0300 123 6703 [email protected]

49

GARSTANG LIBRARY (cont)We are starting another fund raising year again. Last year we raised £5248. We would like to thank all those kind people who supported us.One of our members, Jennifer Cowell, is a well-known speaker on Lancashire dialect. She has won the Laycock prize for her work and has kindly offered to give talks on Lancaster Dialect, donating her fee to MNDA. If any group would like an interesting and entertaining speaker please contact Jennifer via the number below . We need help to man stalls or collect in shops. If you have the odd hour to spare and would like to help please contact us. All the money raised goes to fund research or to provide necessary equipment for those with Motor Neurone Disease. Watch this space for our fundraising events this year! Marie Whalley (01995) 603605

MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE ASSOC


discretionary money to spend, and the end result is that our communities lose services.I have an ongoing dialogue with LCC to express the concerns raised by residents and I am seeking meetings with the various bus operators to inquire about their planning to maintain vital transport links in our communities. In addition, I will also continue to raise the question of how much can be withdrawn from our local communities, before we can stretch no further, and things begin to break.LCC is currently seeking residents’ opinions on the proposal to remove bus subsidies and I would encourage you to share your concerns at: www.lancashire.gov.uk/council/get-involved/consultations/consultation-on-budget-proposals-for-2016-2021.aspxFloodingThe other big issue has been the floods. Since December I’ve been meeting with individuals, businesses and farmers affected by the floods, and what is clear is that as a country we must do a better job of responding to climate change, including supporting those affected by extreme weather events, and strengthening our flood prevention and mitigation strategies.While for some the flood was a temporary event that lead to a power cut, many farmers are still looking out over fields covered in water, and worrying about whether the fields will drain in time for summer crops, let alone spring crops. As I meet with groups concerned to see their land returned to productive use and their houses protected against flooding, it is disturbing to hear how much these groups feel that they have been sacrificed as accountants somewhere have decided that their homes and businesses are not worth protecting. As we look for long term solutions to the

CAT SMITH MPAs your local MP most of you contact me about national and international issues, but recently many of you have contacted me about two very local issues – flooding, and the proposed County

Council budget incorporating the cuts passed down from central government which will affect many local services. Buses, Libraries, Museums, and the Ferry The settlement given to Lancashire County Council (LCC) from the government means a huge reduction in their budget. They are now consulting on a number of proposals. Many of you have contacted me to raise your concerns about the LCC’s proposal to withdraw subsidies to buses and the Knott End to Fleetwood ferry, and to close libraries and museums across the county. I share your concerns. Maintaining public transport links is vital to our communities. Many travel to go to school or work, to access medical services or to see friends and families. If we lose these services people will have to leave the area and some are really not sure how they will manage. The facts are these: LCC has a statutory requirement to provide adult social care and child protection services, and with a high proportion of elderly residents it may be that in due course these essential services make up the entirety of the Council’s expenditure. The decision to allow Councils to keep business rates will not meet the staffing bill incurred by the Council when the rise in the Minimum Wage comes in. Yet, while the demand for the services that must be delivered grows, there is no commensurate growth in funding, indeed funding from the Government to Councils continues to be cut. This means the Council has less and less


GARSTANG PHOENIX WIThe ladies of Garstang Phoenix WI will be holding their next monthly meeting on Wed 10th Feb at 2:00pm when we will be hosting a Games Afternoon. Why not come along and join us and find out more about the WI?

New members and visitors are always welcome. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 2:00pm in Garstang United Reformed Church Hall.

We have a varied selection of speakers arranged for the coming months and various outings are being planned.

This could be the ideal opportunity to make new friends or re-acquaint with those you may have lost touch with.

We look forward to meeting those who may be interested.

Lesley Wilson (01995) 605274

CAT SMITH MP (cont)challenges of climate change, I’m keen to work with the local people who know their land best, and ensure that their voices are heard as plans are made. If you are part of a local group working on these issues, or have been affected by the flooding please feel welcome to get in touch, either to meet with me, or just to tell me about your experiences. Constituent? You’re welcome to get in touchIf you live in the Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency, which includes Knott End, Preesall, Pilling, Cockerham, Scorton and Forton, please always feel free to get in touch if you need to – either on email to [email protected] or you can telephone on (01524) 566 551. I am also regularly updating my Facebook page which is at www.facebook.com/catsmithmp and you can write to me at 47 Scotforth Road, Lancaster, LA1 4SA.Cat Smith MP

CHERESTANC WIThe February meeting of the Cherestanc WI will be on Wed 24th Feb in the United Reformed Church Hall Garstang. It will take the form of a games evening. New members are always welcome and if you would prefer to be met at the door by one of our members please telephone Ruby (01995) 604065. Girvan Airey

GARSTANG LUNCH CLUB (RVS)Are you aged 60+ and live alone in the Garstang area? If so you’d be welcome to join our Club. Get a 2-course meal and a cuppa for only £3.50 a week. We are a friendly group who meet on Thursdays at 12:00 noon in the basement of Garstang Community Centre (by High St. car park). Judith Lee (01253) 932271

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‘Convict Transportation To Australia’Dr Colin Penny MAWed 2nd March at 7.30pmURC Hall, Croston Road, Garstang

Garstang Millennium Green Trust are pleased to present a talk by Dr Colin Penny MA, Senior Museum Manager, Lancaster and West Lancashire on the subject of ‘Convict Transportation to Australia’.

Have you ever wondered what happened to people transported from Lancaster prison and elsewhere to Australia? Who were they? What crimes had they committed? What conditions did they have to endure on the journey and what happened to them if they survived their sentence?

Come along to the United Reformed Church Hall in Garstang for a very interesting evening on Wed 2nd March at 7:30pm.

Admission is £3.00, payable on entry and includes tea/coffee and biscuits. A raffle will also be held.

All proceeds will go towards the upkeep of Garstang Millennium Green (Registered Charity No. 1079032).

We are a small charity that owns and runs the 3.5ha of public open space alongside the River Wyre that comprises Garstang Millennium Green.

We are run and managed entirely by volunteers and receive no financial assistance from the Local Authority.

All the work carried out on the Green is carried out by dedicated volunteers, who give up a lot of their free time to maintain this area for you to enjoy. Please support us and come and enjoy an informative evening.

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We start the month off early on Wed 3rd Feb with a bit of an experiment. Two club members are to show their holiday snaps, but with a bit of a difference, in that Lewis Thompson went to Canada, with Rockies, Glaciers and bears and yours truly went to China, with Forbidden Cities, Great Walls, Terracotta Armies and of course, pandas.

Not sure how this will work as experts tell us to allow five seconds per picture, which over an hour means we have to find 720 different, sharp and correctly exposed images. We could be in for a long tea break.

Wed 10th Feb has another club member, Bill Hansell, telling us all about plug-ins, which are small computer programmes which plug in to the main picture processing programmes to make some things easier, and others which would not otherwise be possible.

Not sure if they could find 720 different, sharp and correctly exposed images from holiday snaps but if they can they will be too late. Ah well!

Then on Wed 17th Feb we select our pictures for our annual battle with Holme Camera Club. At this stage it is down to the whole club to make the choices, so we can no longer blame a committee for selecting those pictures that come in second. Still, they do all live near the Lake District, so their landscapes are always something special.

Derek Pratt

GARSTANG CAMERA CLUB

Garstang Library Meeting RoomWould you like someone to talk over issues with, to make friends or just spend some time chatting? Jenny Spencer and Netta Blundellwould like to invite you to join us. We will meet on the last Friday of every month and you would be most welcome.Supported by Garstang Free Methodist Church

KIRKLANDS WIWe meet the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:30pm at Kirkland & Catterall Memorial Hall, The Avenue, Churchtown, Nr. Garstang.New members and visitors always welcome. It’s a great way to meet neighbours and friends. For more information contact the secretary Dorothy Walmsley (01995) 602558


Italian Conversation Club - Catterall Calling all Italian language speakers (intermediate level or above) who are looking to practise their language skills! Would you like to be part of an Italian Conversation Club meeting monthly? Anyone interested, please email Jane at [email protected] Regan

FARMER’S MARKET Elswick Village HallThere is a variety of food, craft stalls and plant stalls. We also have a community café where you can enjoy a drink and bacon barm after your shopping!We welcome any new stall holders so if you produce local food or have a craft you want to share please do not hesitate to contact Stephanie on 07752 149 214 or email me at [email protected]

LA CHIACCHIERA TIME TO CHAT


GREY MATTER ANSWERS CROSSWORD ANSWERS1. Hong Kong2. Cat’s Eyes3. The Little Mermaid4. Wine Making5. Paddy Ashdown6. Hamelin7. Emelyn Pankhurst8. Paul McCartney9. Simon & Garfunkel10. Scarlett O’Hara11. Sherlock Holmes12. New Orleans13. Violin14. The Sparrow15. Robert Louis Stephenson16. Paternoster Square17. The Heart18. China19. Vulcan20. Tax evasion

Across4. Run6. Patience7. Fun9. Changed11. Ready12. Snags14. Eagerly15. Ash17. Allocate18. Key

Down1. Machines2. Signage3. Sneer4. Ref5. Nun8. Undulate10. Decency13. Sable15. Ark16. Hay

garstang focus - february 2016

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