Local Life - Wigan - September 2021

LocalLife 

Wigan Edition 

September 2021 

Museums 

6 of the best 

Pages 70-73 

Past Forward - The Rewind 

Pages 37-40 

Education Special 

Pages 23-27 

A Guide to Wooden Floors 

Pages 28-29 

Cash for Clutter Ideas 

Pages 46-47 

Jack’s Tracks to Frodsham 

Pages 59-62 

Hybrid SUV’s - What’s Available? 

Pages 74-77 

LOCAL NEWS | EVENTS2GO | FOOD | HEALTH | WALKS | COMPETITIONS | HOME & GARDEN SERVICES

2 

Goodyear 

Furniture Centre 

One of the most 

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in the North West! 

We have over 20’000 sq.ft of 

showrooms, displaying some 

of the finest furniture. 

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Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm / Sat 10am - 4pm / Sun 11am - 4pm 

Choice, quality, service 

and value for money 

Wide selection of quality lounge suites 

in fabric or leather, dining furniture, 

free standing bedroom furniture and 

cane conservatory furniture. 

Large selection of occasional furniture, 

mirrors, pictures, lamps, rugs and other 

accessories. 

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01704 821577 

A highly recommended family name established in 1982 

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3 

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4 

This summer has felt more like being out on 

parole rather than the promised get-out-of-jailfree 

status. 

If you ‘staycationed’, you were rewarded with 

quintessentially British weather which remained reliably 

unreliable, whilst those who went overseas faced holiday 

planning tasks that turned out to be as difficult as nailing 

jelly to the wall. 

Whilst I was sheltering from the rain in Northumberland, 

I didn’t really appreciate Facebook reminding me where I 

was holidaying on that date in previous years! 

Let’s hope that September marks a big step forward in 

getting back to some sort of normality, especially for 

the travel and hospitality sectors. As you can see in this 

magazine, there’s lots going on this month. 

Remember, if you’re part of a local community group and 

you want free publicity for an event, then just send details 

involved to editorial@locallife247.co.uk. 

See you next time 

Chris Pearce, Publisher 

chrisp@locallife247.co.uk 

Keep in touch with the 

LocalLife Team! 


Telephone: 01695 627 999 

info@locallife247.co.uk 

locallifemagazine247@locallifemedia 

Local Life 247 Ltd, PO Box 779, Wigan WN1 9UB 

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

publisher or its editorial contributors can accept, and hereby disclaim, any liability to any party to loss 

or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or other cause. No part of 

this publication may be copied or reproduced without the prior written consent of Local Life 247 Ltd.

5 

This month’s highlights 

70. Six of the Best Museums 

Contents 

14. Beauty 

Tailor your beauty products. 

26. Food 

Cooking with the kids. 

31. Home 

A rug for every room. 

32. Health 

Don’t suffer in silence. 

20. Paprika Chicken 28. Wooden Floors Guide 

46. Finance 

Cash for clutter. 

63. Parenting 

Teaching kids to be savvy with money. 

68. Puzzle Pages 

Try these brainteasers for size! 

59. Jack’s Tracks to Frodsham & Helsby 

74. Motoring 

Hybrid SUV’s. 

79. Home & Garden Services 

Find the best local traders for you. 

37. Past Forward 80. Garden Trends 

Want to 

promote your 

business in 

LocalLife? 

Next Issue - October 

Advertising deadline - 15th September 

Published - 29th September 

01695 627 999 

www.locallife247.co.uk

6 

Bubble Festival 

Fun for all the family is promised at a festival with a 

difference; the Haigh Bubble Festival, which takes place 

on Saturday 11th September. Hosted at Haigh Woodland 

Park in the Walled Gardens and Walker Gardens by Haigh 

Parish Council, the Festival runs from 11am to 4pm. 

Come as a family, watch the show and join in making your 

own bubbles. Experience the biggest bubbles you have 

ever seen from some of the finest bubble performers in 

England, and just maybe you’ll decide to unleash your 

inner child and run through and pop them. 

Or you can act your age and simply browse through 

the stalls instead. The stalls will include makers, bakers, 

vintage, craft and local community groups. 

This is a not-for-profit event with any money raised going 

toward the Haigh Parish Council’s nominated good 

causes. The suggested donation is £1 per person and you 

can pay the friendly bucket collectors at the entrance to 

the Walled Gardens. 

If you’d like a stall at the event then please email Haigh 

Parish Council at clerk.haighpc@gmail.com for full details. 

Big Gig 

Upholland’s Big Gig is back this weekend. The Victoria 

pub, on Ormskirk Road in the village, will host the twoday 

festival on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th August. A 

total of 16 bands and artists will be performing over the 

two days including Kinky Oyster, Hyena, Crimson Image, 

Rivers of Rome, Richard Hart and The Figments. 

The festival will be raising funds for Stable Lives, a Parboldbased 

charity that uses horses and ponies that have 

been exposed to mental and physical trauma, to help 

individuals or children struggling with low self-esteem, 

anxiety and depression. For more up to date details about 

Upholland’s Big Gig, visit the venue’s Facebook page @ 

thevictoriapub12. 

Bargain Grab 

Don’t miss the Nearly New sale being held at the Bispham 

Methodist Church this Saturday (28th August). The sale 

runs from 10am-12 noon at the church on Crank Road in 

Billinge. You can grab a bargain or two on the day and 

indulge in a few refreshments too. Stalls include nearly 

new clothes, toys, books jewellery and lots more. 

Chance to Dance 

Lovers of sequence dancing will be pleased to hear that 

two fortnightly tea dance events have re-opened. 

The tea dance at Our Lady’s Social Centre in Downall 

Green Road in Bryn, which has been running for over 

twenty years, re-started this month and the next date for 

this event is Bank Holiday Monday 30th August and every 

second Monday thereafter. 

Tuesday 

shevington 

Shevington Methodist Church, 1 Gathurst Road, WN6 8HA 

9am, 3.30pm, 5.00pm & 6.30pm 

Wednesday 

Billinge 

Bispham Methodist Church Hall, Crank Rd, WN5 7DT 

8.30am & 10.00am 

Wednesday 

Pemberton 

Lamberhead Green WM Club, White St 

(Behind White Swan) 

3.30pm, 5.00pm & 6.30pm 

For further details 

call Karen on 

07789 227 871 

The event is mostly sequence dancing with a bit of line 

dancing, it runs from 1-4pm, and the admittance cost of 

£2 includes tea and biscuits. 

The second tea dance takes place a short distance away at 

the Methodist Church Hall in Victoria Road in Garswood. 

This event, which offers strictly sequence dancing, 

resumed at the end of July and the next date for this event 

is Friday 27th August and every second Friday thereafter. 

Admittance to the tea dance, which runs from 1.30pm- 

4pm is again £2 and that includes tea and biscuits. 

For more information, call Pat Chisnall on 01942 717883.

7 

Volunteers Wanted 

The Wigan Diggers Festival Committee are looking for 

volunteers to help at this year’s festival. 

The Wigan Diggers Festival takes place from 11am to 

9.30pm on Saturday 11th September in the Gerrard 

Winstanley Garden’s near the Wiend, and celebrates 

the life, ideas and influence of Wigan-born Gerrard 

Winstanley. 

Festival organisers need people to help build the festival 

site on the Friday and help to take it all down again on 

the Sunday. 

On the day of the festival, volunteers are needed for 

various jobs, including working behind the bar, help with 

stewarding the festival site, collecting rubbish throughout 

the day and helping behind the stage. 

Any help would be appreciated, and volunteers can get in 

touch with their full name and contact details by emailing 

wigandiggers@gmail.com 

Open 

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• Extra wide fittings available 

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• Home visits available 

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8 

A 58-year-old businesswoman 

is undertaking the Great North 

Run to raise funds for a charity 

that supports families grieving 

the loss of a child, stillbirth and 

miscarriage. 

Debbie Beardsmore, owner of 

Debbie’s Tan & Nail Salon on 

Ormskirk Road in Pemberton, 

was inspired to enter the Great 

North Run to raise funds for the 

4Louis charity after the loss of 

her grand-daughter Scarlett 

Dawber, who was stillborn just 

before Christmas. 

Debbie explained how she and 

the rest of the family felt helpless 

to support her daughter Fran and husband Aaron through 

the traumatic later stages of Fran’s pregnancy and the 

period following Scarlett’s birth. 

“The twelve-week scan came back fine; it was only later 

that the bloodwork showed up some abnormalities and it 

was clear that Scarlett wasn’t going to survive”. 

Debbie was informed in June that she had a place in the 

September half-marathon and has spent every spare 

minute since then building her fitness levels. 

After initially setting a fundraising target of £250, Debbie’s 

Just Giving account now stands at an amazing £1,307 

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Running 4louis 

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still to go. 

The 4louis charity provides 

useful tools, equipment and 

training to hospital units, 

hospices and other professionals 

who have the job of comforting 

grieving families who suffer a 

miscarriage, stillbirth or child 

death. 

Debbie described how 

overwhelmed she has been with 

the response from her customers 

and other visitors to her salon. 

“I’ve felt humbled and honoured 

by the response, one lady 

brought in an album consisting 

of the keepsakes from her stillborn granddaughter and 

we’ve had lots of donations from customers”. 

Debbie’s other daughter Sarah, who runs The Sanctuary 

beauty salon, which is based within Debbie’s business, 

has organised a grand raffle for 4louis and is supporting 

her mum’s fitness drive by joining Ladybird Gym where 

her mum is preparing for the run. 

If you would like to make a contribution to Debbie’s 

and Sarah’s fundraising efforts for the 4louis charity, 

visit; 

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9 

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11

12 

Standish Show 

Wigan Rotary 

Club are hosting 

‘A Night at The 

Theatre’, a musical 

show starring 

Victor Michael and 

the Two Sopranos 

(Lisa Davis and 

Hayley Bowen), at 

the Standish Unity 

Club on Saturday 

9th October. Their 

show includes 

classics such as 

Nessun Dorma and Time to Say Goodbye, alongside 

songs from famous musicals such as Les Misérables and 

Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. 

One of the performing trio, Lisa Davis, won’t have far to 

travel on the night. Wiganer Lisa (pictured) told Local Life 

that she is “delighted to be singing in her hometown for 

all her family and friends”. Lisa studied Opera at Chetham’s 

School of Music in Manchester, before going on to 

perform in Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s ‘Hey Mr Producer’ 

amongst other shows. She’s spent much of singing career 

at sea, performing on cruise ships throughout the world. 

Tickets for the show are priced at £12 and can be booked 

via the Rotary Club’s website www.wiganrotary.co.uk 

Anyone for Tennis? 

Get your rackets at the ready and head down to Winstanley 

Tennis Club on Hall Lane, off Winstanley Road in Orrell to 

take advantage of a wide range of memberships, with all 

ages and abilities welcome to join. 

The club has six newly refurbished courts, and they are 

free to hire for members. The club has private and group 

coaching sessions available, with regular mini social 

tournaments throughout the year. 

Kids can rally their way through a Friday evening at the 

family fun night. These sessions take place between 

5-8pm and are free to club members. 

To take advantage of their reduced membership rates 

and coaching, please email winstanleytenniscontact@ 

gmail.com. 

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13 

Healthwatch 

Are you worried about how to access your GP? How easy 

is it to get an appointment? Has your interaction with 

primary care changed because of the pandemic? If you 

want to share your views on the above questions, then 

Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh want to hear from you. 

The purpose of Healthwatch Wigan and Leigh is to 

represent local people who use health and social care 

services and to make sure that those running services put 

people at the heart of care. They want to know the needs, 

experiences and concerns of people who use local health 

and social care services and to speak out on their behalf. 

All the information you provide will be heard 

confidentially and recorded anonymously to contribute 

to a report published later in the year. 

To contribute to that report you can either call Lisa 

Armstrong on 01942 834666 or text ‘GP’ to this number 

07939 061 872 and someone will call you back. You can 

also email Lisa.Armstrong@healthwatchwiganandleigh. 

co.uk or you can complete a short survey online by 

30/09/21 at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HWWLGPAccess. 

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14 

Bespoke 

Beauty 

Seven ways to tailor your beauty products so they work for you 

1. Get your glow back. Missing 

your summer tan? Add a few selftanning 

drops to your favourite 

body lotion and face moisturiser to 

build up a natural-looking tan over 

a few days. The more drops you add, 

the deeper the tan. 

2. Become your own mixologist. 

Brands like The Inkey List and The 

Ordinary have made it easier to 

buy skincare ingredients without 

breaking the bank. You can buy 

everything from retinol to collagen 

and Q10. Do be careful what you 

add together though. Retinol should 

never be mixed with vitamin C, for 

example, as the 

pairing is likely 

to 

cause 

irritation. 

So, do your 

homework 

and 

then 

have fun! 

3. Create your own tinted 

moisturiser. During the summer, 

I couldn’t find a decent tinted 

moisturiser with SPF, so I made my 

own. Even now it’s autumn, it’s still 

my daily face cream. Squeeze a little 

moisturiser into the palm of your 

hand. Add a dash of foundation 

and mix it together. I also add a few 

drops of hyaluronic acid to boost 

moisture. Play around with what 

works for you. 

4. Boost your face mask. I’m a big 

fan of Perl Cosmetics’ British Pink 

Clay Mask & Illuminating Oil (£29.50 

from perlcosmetics.com). Make a 

paste with the powdered clay and 

water, and then add a few drops of 

the oil to suit your skin type (up to 

ten drops for oily skin or twenty for 

dry skin). Unlike some clay masks I’ve 

tried, this one won’t dry your skin. 

Instead, it leaves it soft, glowing and 

healthy-looking. 

5. Mix up your skincare routine. 

While brands design their products 

to work in harmony, that doesn’t 

mean you can’t pick and choose 

or mix things up depending on 

the season. For example, if your 

skin is dry, you might want to go 

for a cleaning balm, followed by 

a gentle toner and moisturiser – 

all from different brands. At the 

moment, I’m loving the Caring Face 

Toner by Studio Botanic (£35, www. 

level7beautyhall.com). It’s rich in 

plant extracts and hyaluronic acid, 

very refreshing and really boosts 

hydration. When it’s time to put the 

central heating on, I’ll likely use it 

twice a day, rather than once, and 

follow with a serum. 

6. Try DIY. It’s pretty easy to make 

your own body oil, bath salts, body 

scrub and other goodies. For a bath 

and body oil, you just need a carrier 

oil (like sweet almond, grapeseed or 

even just sunflower), along with a 

few drops of aromatherapy essential 

oil. Want to make things even easier? 

Check out Neal’s Yard Remedies’ 

Create Your Own range. 

7. Or leave it to the professionals. 

More brands are realising that their 

customers want bespoke beauty 

products. For one, SkinCeuticals 

has launched Custom D.O.S.E – an 

in-store service where an expert 

blends a serum to address your own 

individual skin concerns. Visit www. 

skinceuticals.co.uk to find out more.

15 

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16 

Exhibition at ex-M&S 

Members of Ashton Art Group have a new home for this 

year’s exhibition, and it’s somewhere close to the heart of 

Wigan shoppers – the old Marks and Spencers store. 

The group usually hold their annual exhibition at 

St. Thomas’ Church Hall in Ashton, but the church is 

undergoing construction work, so the group is moving 

temporarily for 2021 to a huge space in the Grand Arcade 

in Wigan that was part of the former Marks and Spencer 

shop. 

From Saturday 2nd October until Saturday 9th October, 

the exhibition will be open each day between 10am and 

4pm and entry, as usual, is free. 

Members of the group are looking forward to welcoming 

their friends and supporters from Ashton whilst hoping 

to attract new interest from Wigan and the surrounding 

area. 

Paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolour, drawing, mixed 

media and print will all be represented. Subjects include 

landscape and local views, portrait, still life, figure study 

and animals and may be figurative or abstract. Don’t 

miss the chance to drop in to view the exhibition, chat 

with members about their work and find out more about 

joining in! 

Most of the work will be for sale, so it’s a good chance 

to pick up an early Christmas present for your family or 

friends. 

Ashton Art Group meets in the Childcare and Community 

Centre (formerly YMCA) in Hilton Street, Ashton in 

Makerfield on Tuesday evenings at 8pm. There is a varied 

programme of portrait, figure and life study, still life, 

outdoor sketching, demonstrations and workshops and 

some lively social occasions. 

New members are always welcome to join this friendly 

group and there is always somebody willing to help 

newer artists to develop their talents. 

For more details about the group, visit their website www. 

ashtonartgroup.co.uk or search for @AshtonArtGroup on 

Facebook. 

WE ARE NOW OPEN 

AGAIN... 

7 DAYS A WEEK!!!

17 

Opening Times: 

Monday 8am - 5pm 

Tuesday 8am - 5pm 

Wednesday 8am - 5pm 

Thursday 8am - 5pm 

Friday 8am - 5pm 

Weekend: 

Saturday 10am - 3pm 

Sunday 11am - 3pm

18 

Ashton Art Group 

proudly present their 

Annual 

Exhibition 

2021 

at the 

ex-Marks & spencer store 

in the Grand Arcade, Wigan 

Open 10am-4pm every day from 

Saturday 2nd to Saturday 9th October 

Wide range of artwork available. 

Most pieces are also for sale – 

Come along and pick up an early 

Christmas present or two! 

For more details visit 

www.ashtonartgroup.co.uk 

or search for @AshtonArtGroup 

on Facebook. 

U3A Relaunch 

Upholland and District U3A is having a relaunch event 

between 10am-2pm Thursday 2nd September at St 

Teresa’s Hall, College Road, Upholland. 

If you’re no longer in full time work and you’d like to 

explore new interests, skills and ideas then come along 

for a coffee and find out more. 

Current members will be in attendance, along with group 

leaders, to discuss the many activities that you can get 

involved with. With thousands of local members, the U3A 

can give you a chance to stretch your mind and extend 

your social life while you take part in some enjoyable 

activities. 

For more details about the activities on offer, visit the 

website www.uphollandu3a.org. 

Revival Course 

If you’re looking to revive a tired piece of furniture and 

don’t know where to begin then have a look at the 

Boho Shed’s one day workshop! Joanna will be running 

a workshop on Saturday September 18th from 10am to 

3pm at The Boho Shed’s Workshop on Newton Road in 

Billinge. 

You can take your own small piece of furniture and 

transform it into a fresh, elegant and creative piece in 

a friendly and fun workshop using some beautiful ‘Re- 

Colour’ chalk paint and accessories. 

You will learn about different paint types and a variety 

of techniques including preparation, painting, crackling, 

waxing, dry brushing, stencilling and distressing. 

For prices and more information please contact Joanne 

on 07595 433259 or email hello@thebohoshed.co.uk 

Comp Winners 

Beautifully furnished 

Stone Cottage 

Holiday Let 

– sleeps up to 4 

Situated near Sedbergh, 

in the Yorkshire Dales, 

and also within easy 

reach of the Lake District 

Children & pets welcome 

Call 01942 216 058 

www.millthropcottage.co.uk 

The winners of the Local Life competition in our July and 

August issues have been confirmed as Megan Gallagher 

from Standish, Melvin Levick, also from Standish, 

Samantha Clinton from Highfield and Angela Fletcher 

from Billinge. 

The winners all received a pair of tickets for the recent 

Tom Jones concert at Haydock Park. 

Thank you to all those who entered.

19 

Young Achiever Award 

Wigan Soroptimists are seeking a girl or young woman 

who is worthy of their Young Achiever award for 2021. 

Soroptimist International of Wigan is part of a worldwide 

organisation of women who work via projects, fundraising, 

and advocacy to advance the status of women and girls at 

national and international level. 

The Young Achiever award was launched in 2012 and 

anyone can make a nomination. The nominees will be 

judged on individual achievements such as service to the 

community, acts of bravery, overcoming life’s difficulties, 

young carer, business skills, outstanding performance at 

school or college, or in the fields of sport or entertainment. 

The winner will have her name engraved on the Club’s 

large trophy. She will receive an engraved miniature 

trophy, presented by the Mayor of Wigan, together with 

a cash prize of £100. The age range for nominees is 11-19 

years and they must come from the catchment area of the 

Club, which is essentially the Wigan Borough excluding 

the Leigh, Tyldesley and Atherton districts. 

The nomination form can be obtained on request from 

secretary.siwigan@gmail.com or can be downloaded 

from the website www.sigbi.org/wigan. The deadline for 

applications is 30th October 2021. 

Business Breakfast 

Wigan Athletic’s Chief Executive Mal Brannigan is the 

guest speaker at Wigan Youth Zone’s Business Breakfast 

event on Friday 3rd September. 

This popular monthly networking event is being held 

‘in person’ for the first time in 2021, and hot drinks will 

be available from 7am, with breakfast barms following 

shortly afterwards. The event finishes at 9am/9.15am and 

is sponsored by rijo42 and Kings Fine Cooked Meats. 

Entrance to the meeting is £10 per person to support the 

ongoing work at Wigan Youth Zone. To book your place 

please email sharon.mclaren@wiganyouthzone.org. 

The deadline for bookings is 5.00pm on Wednesday 1st 

September, so please book as early as you can. 

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20 

Slow-roasted paprika chicken 

with lemon and artichokes 

Serves 6 

Prep time: 10 minutes 

Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes 

Ingredients 

1 tbsp smoked paprika 

1 tsp sumac 

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 organic chicken, jointed 

1 bulb of garlic (separated into unpeeled 

cloves) 

Sprig of thyme 

2 unwaxed lemons, cut into quarters 

150 ml chicken stock 

Black pepper 

1 x 400g can artichoke hearts 

This is such an easy recipe. Everything is simply placed in a roasting dish 

and slow-cooked in the oven, creating an amazing spicy lemony flavour. 

Serve leftovers for lunch the following day cold with salad. 

Method 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3. 

2. Mix together the paprika, sumac and olive oil. Put the chicken pieces 

into a roasting tin and add the garlic cloves, thyme and lemon 

quarters. Pour over the paprika oil and rub all over the chicken pieces. 

3. Drizzle over the stock and season with black pepper. Cover the dish 

with foil and cook in the oven for 2 hours. 

4. Remove the foil from the roasting tin, add the artichoke hearts and 

turn the oven up to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Cook for another 30 

minutes or until the chicken is golden. 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING: 387kcal, fat 27.8g (of which saturates 7g), carbohydrate 1.4g 

(of which sugars 0.6g), protein 33.2g.

Quinoa and Feta Burgers 

with Tomato Relish 

21 

Makes 6 burgers 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cook time: 40 minutes 

A vegetarian burger packed 

with flavour and topped with 

a simple tomato relish. 

Ingredients 

80g / scant ½ cup quinoa 

2 tsp bouillon vegetable stock 

powder or a vegetable stock 


½ red onion, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 x 400g can kidney beans drained 

115g / 4oz feta cheese, crumbled 

1 tbsp parsley, chopped 

1 tbsp mint, chopped 

2 tbsp cornflour 

Salt and pepper 

Tomato Relish 

4 tomatoes, quartered 

1 red onion, quartered 


½ small chipotle chilli, soaked in 

warm water for 20 minutes 

1 tbsp fresh coriander 

2 tsp xylitol 

2 tsp balsamic vinegar 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER 

BURGER WITH RELISH (NO BUN): 

215kcal, protein 8.5g, carbohydrates 24g 

(of which sugars 6.2g), fat 9.7g (of which 

saturates 3.4g) 

Method 

1. Add the quinoa to 250ml water with the bouillon powder or stock 

cube and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer with the lid on 

for 15 minutes until cooked. Keep the lid on and let the quinoa sit in 

the pan for another 10 minutes. Place in a bowl. 

2. For the relish, preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4 and place 

the tomatoes and onion on a baking tray. Drizzle over the oil and cook 

in the oven for 15 minutes until soft. Place in a food processor with the 

remaining ingredients and pulse to form a thick and chunky puree. 

Allow to cool. 

3. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and 

cumin. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and 

pepper. Add the beans, feta and cooked quinoa. Stir in the herbs and 

cornflour and mash with potato masher to break up the beans. When 

cool enough to handle, divide into 6 portions and shape into burgers. 

4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add 

the burgers and cook until browned on each side, about 5-6 minutes. 

5. To serve, place the burgers into burger buns and arrange over the 

toppings of your choice.

22 

Golf Fundraiser 

It’s almost time to tee off for the Annual Golf Day to raise 

funds for Wigan Youth Zone. 

Listed below are the titles of ten films released 

in the given years, where the first names of any 

characters from these films have been replaced by 

their surnames, and where only the initial letters of 

all other words are given. 

Can you give the correct titles of 

these films? 

1. T. S. A. Jensen (1998) 

2. M. C. Gambini (1992) 

3. M. Rockatansky (1979) 

4. Heslop’s W. (1994) 

5. Campbell’s W. (1992) 

6. W. N. T. T. A. Khatchadourian (2011) 

7. W. Burns M. Albright (1989) 

8. Preston A. Logan’s E. A. (1989) 

9. T. Burbank. S. (1998) 

10. W. A. Lomax’s (1989) 

Quiz 

Names in 

Film Titles 

This year’s event, which is in being held in collaboration 

with Clarkes’ Golf, is taking place on Friday 10th 

September at Dean Wood Golf Club in Up Holland. 

The cost is £200 for a team of four, and teams can be 

gents or ladies or a mix of both. Tee times are staggered 

and will be available from 9.00am to 3.15pm. Prizes will 

be given for the best team score and for those who place 

nearest the pin at all Par 3 holes. 

Tee/Green sponsorship is also available at £50 per hole. If 

you’d like to book a team or place sponsorship, and raise 

money for Wigan Youth Zone contact David via email at 

davidclarkegolf@hotmail.co.uk 

Fubhub Meet Up 

The ladies from the Wigan branch of Females Uniting in 

Business would like to invite you to their next event on 

Wednesday 8th September. 

The ladies share ideas, help take the pressure off any 

business issues and help each other secure business sales. 

The cost of the meeting is £5 per person and all proceeds 

go back into the group so that they can hold events and 

raise money for local charities. 

For more information about the next meeting or to join 

the group please email enquiries@fubhub.co.uk 

Shout Out 

Charities such as the Samaritans have helped thousands 

of people through the difficulties of the past eighteen 

months, particularly those without family and friends. 

The services that the Samaritans provide are funded by 

retail shops throughout the UK and the local Wigan retail 

shop is desperately short of volunteers. 

Can you spare any time, even just a couple of hours a 

week, to help at the Wigan shop, which is located at 39 

Hallgate? If so, the Shop Manager Jean Ashby would love 

to hear from you. Please give Jean a call on 01744 894122 

or 0742 566 842. 

Quiz solutions can be found on page 88 of this magazine

23

24 

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26 

Cooking with the Kids 

Top tips before you start 

This is a great time to start teaching your child about food hygiene and safety. Even toddlers can 

quickly learn that they need to wash their hands before cooking and not to touch the hob when 

it’s on. Older children can learn how to use an oven glove and knife, why it’s important to clean 

surfaces and so on. Do always supervise kids when they’re cooking though. 

All the recipes should feed four people for lunch or dinner. 

Pepper and 

tomato pasta 

Bored of baking fairy cakes? 

Help your kids’ cooking skills reach 

the next level with our easy recipes. 

Ingredients 

• Half an onion 

• Three large red or yellow salad 

peppers 

• Two cloves of garlic 

• One tablespoon of olive oil 

• One carton of passata 

• One tin of chopped tomatoes 

• A pinch of dried basil 

• Approx. 400g of dried wholemeal 

spaghetti 

• Cheese to sprinkle on top 

Method 

• Chop the onion, peppers and 

garlic. Warm the olive oil on a 

medium heat in a large saucepan. 

Add the chopped vegetables and 

lightly sauté for a few minutes. 

Add the passata, tinned tomatoes 

and dried basil. Pop the lid on and 

leave to simmer on a low heat for 

15 minutes. 

• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in 

a large pan of boiling water for 10 

minutes (or as long as it says on 

the packet). 

• Blend the sauce until smooth and 

spoon it over the cooked pasta. 

Add grated cheese if required. If 

there’s any sauce left, freeze it for 

another day. 

Cheesy egg 

muffins 

Ingredients 

• 8 eggs 

• 100ml of milk 

• 1-2 slices of ham 

• A handful of vegetables, e.g. 

sliced mushrooms, chopped 

tomatoes, tinned sweetcorn 

• Approx. 120g of cheddar cheese 

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C 

fan/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a 

muffin tin with butter. 

• Whisk the eggs and milk together. 

• Tear the ham into small pieces. Add 

the vegetables and ham to each 

individual muffin cup. Pour in the 

eggs and top with grated cheese. 

• Bake in the oven for 20-25 

minutes. (Use a skewer or sharp 

knife to check they’re cooked.) 

• Eat hot with fries or cold with salad. 

Cheat’s pizza 

Ingredients 

• 2 part-baked baguettes 

• 4-5 tablespoons of passata (or 

just use ketchup mixed with a 

dollop of tomato puree) 

• Toppings, e.g. shredded ham, 

cooked sweetcorn, pineapple 

chunks, pepperoni 

• Approx. 250g of grated 

mozzarella or cheddar 

Method 

• Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/ 

gas mark 6. 

• Cut each baguette in half 

lengthways. Spread passata on 

the long cut sides. 

• Add your toppings, followed by 

cheese, and pop the pizzas in the 

oven for 10 minutes.

27 

Give Your Daughter 

the Very Best Start in Life 

At our Junior Girls’ School (ages 7-11) your daughter will benefit from: 

● A purposeful atmosphere which supports academic and extra-curricular success 

● Specialist teaching in languages, science, music and sport 

● Excellent facilities, including a laboratory, art studio, computer suite and library 

and access to the campus swimming pool, theatre and sports fields 

● A school which mixes tradition and innovation – pupils have made excellent 

use of their iPads during the pandemic 

● Outstanding extra-curricular opportunities in sport, music and drama 

● Exciting trips and visits, including to Patterdale Hall, our own outdoor centre 

in the Lake District 

● Excellent preparation for Senior School 

TASTER MORNING FOR Y2-Y5 GIRLS 

Saturday 25 September, 9.30am-12.00 noon 

Email us to register: juniorgirls@boltonschool.org 

BOLTON SCHOOL 

WHOLE SCHOOL OPEN MORNING 

Saturday 9 October, 9.30am-1.00pm 

T: 01204 434761 www.boltonschool.org/juniorgirls tw: @BoltonJnrGirls

28 

A Guide to 

Wooden 

Floors 

Laminate or solid, engineered or 

reclaimed, timber flooring is a classic 

choice that works in every room of 

the house. It’s less cold and hard on 

the feet than stone or tiles, better at 

repelling stains than carpet and is 

endlessly good-looking, whether in a 

period property or a new home. 

This reclaimed teak, available in random-width planks, has been 

repaired and stained. 

Woodworks by Ted Todd Rare Finds Dark Colonial Teak, £POA, 

Ted Todd: 01925 284 496; tedtodd.co.uk. 

Preparing for a new timber floor 

Timber floors can be fitted anywhere in the house, on solid 

or suspended floors, although – because wood expands 

and contracts according to humidity – they’re often not 

advised for bathrooms or other wet areas. In this case, it’s 

best to stick to high-quality engineered wood. Insulate 

the sub-floor before you start, and consider what effect 

the new flooring will have on your final floor level – which 

may affect thresholds and require doors to be cut across 

the bottom so they will open and close. When fixing the 

boards down, make sure to avoid any pipes and wires 

that run beneath the existing floor. To keep your final 

floorcovering pristine, avoid fitting it until all the ‘wet’ or 

dirty building work is complete. 

What type of timber floor? 

Floorboards laid in a chevron pattern create a stylish base for a 

sophisticated room scheme. 

Lottie grand sofa in Isla Kingfisher with darkened oak legs, £2,425; 

Brompton reading floor lamp in brass, £350; Matilda armchair in 

Imogen Holkham Sand with pale oak legs, £795; Keswick square 

coffee table, £500; all Neptune: www.neptune.com. 

Laminate floorboards are usually made from a resinimpregnated 

decorative paper surface layer (with 

photographs of real wood), bonded to a thin MDF or 

chipboard core. With cheap versions it can be easy to spot 

the pattern repeat , and they’re not especially durable, 

but more expensive brands are very tough and come with 

long guarantees.

29 

Solid wood is exactly that – whatever type of wood it is 

composed of goes all the way through the board, so it 

looks and feels entirely natural and can be sanded again 

and again. 

Engineered wood (sometimes called multi-layer or, 

confusingly, laminated) is made from layers of solid 

timber or a veneer of solid timber on top of MDF, plywood, 

chipboard or softwood, with a balancing veneer beneath. 

Most are made up of either three or five layers, crossbonded 

for greater stability. A top layer of at least 5mm 

allows for limited sanding if necessary. The advantage of 

engineered boards over solid ones is that they shouldn’t 

warp, gap, cup or bow. 

Reclaimed boards have a beautiful patina that simply 

can’t be replicated, and are the environmentally friendly 

option. They don’t come cheap, as they often require 

work to remedy problems such as woodworm, ingrained 

dirt and stains, dents and splits, variations in thickness 

or colour, broken tongue and groove, and lots of old 

nails. When buying, always ask where the wood came 

from and how it’s been stored since it was reclaimed 

– timber that has stood outside for any length of time 

may be useless, and would need to dry out considerably 

before it could be used again. As a rule of thumb, pine 

is cheaper than oak, and narrower boards are cheaper 

than wider ones. 

Style and finish 

Most timber floors sold in the UK are made from 

European oak, which has a lovely grain and is very longlasting. 

There are, however, many other choices, including 

beech, maple, ash, walnut, merbau, cherry and, of course, 

pine. As for finishes, options include stains, waxes, oils, 

varnishes and limewashes, each of which can subtly 

change the appearance of the final floor. 

An important consideration is the form and laying 

pattern of the boards. Both solid and engineered wood 

flooring is available as boards (in varying widths), strips 

(less than 10cm wide), smallish blocks (extremely strong) 

and parquet (like blocks, but thinner). While boards 

are traditionally laid parallel to one another, designers 

are increasingly turning to the contemporary effect 

of chevron and herringbone styles, while parquet has 

had something of a renaissance in recent years, with 

intricately patterned squares that look glamorous and 

dramatic. 

A white-oil finish creates a clean, fresh look in this bright entrance hall. 

Oak White oiled brushed wood flooring, £72 per square metre, The 

Natural Wood Floor Company: 020 8871 9771; naturalwoodfloor.co.uk. 

LOOKING AFTER A WOODEN FLOOR 

Wood floors don’t need a great deal of special 

treatment. The main thing to remember is not to 

let them get too wet, to install a good doormat 

and take off stilettos, which will punch small holes 

everywhere. Remove dust and grit regularly by 

vacuuming or cleaning with a soft broom. Mop 

occasionally, but don’t soak the wood or leave 

water sitting on it – wring the mop head as much 

as possible, then wipe over again with a dry mop. 

Using a proprietary cleaning product will make your 

floor look better and last longer – ask your retailer 

for advice. And don’t forget that a new wooden 

floor will naturally become darker or lighter as it 

matures.

30 

Open for Everyone 

Open Water Swimming has come to Wigan and you can 

join this invigorating form of exercise at Three Sisters 

Water-Ski Club, based on Landgate Lane in Bryn. 

Swimming sessions take place every Wednesday 

between 7-8.30pm and are hosted by the Endurance 

Store in Wrightington. There are coached sessions every 

week and are suitable for complete novices right through 

to advanced swimmers. 

Every third week is race night and there are a range of 

distances to choose from, if you don’t fancy racing then 

you can still attend and swim at your own pace. The 

swims are limited to 120 people, wetsuits are compulsory 

and under 16’s must have a swim float. 

Places are £6 per session, so to book your slot or find 

out more go online to https://theendurancecoach.com/ 

open-water-swimming. 

Foodie Fridays 

Foodie Fridays have returned to Haigh for the first time 

since September 2019. The event, which takes place 

within the Courtyard at Haigh Country Park, runs on the 

last Friday of every month until 29th October. 

Visitors can sample street food from different corners of 

the globe and there’s music too. Foodie Fridays is a family 

friendly event and dogs are also welcome. The events run 

from 6pm-10pm and car parking is free. 

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A rug for 

every room 

31 

It’s quick and easy to add softness 

underfoot while introducing a stylish 

element of colour and pattern. 

Add bohemian style 

to your living room, 

dining room or bedroom 

with this hand-tufted, 

unusual wool/cotton 

rug. 

Dutchbone round pix 

rug with tassels, £389, 

Cuckooland. 

Get cosy with a 

cream, textural rug 

that’s perfect for 

enjoying a fireside 

mug of hot chocolate 

while wrapped in a 

blanket. 

Teddy rug, £395, Loaf. 

Spark a little one’s 

imagination with a softer 

take on the popular 

rainbow motif, complete 

with boho tassels. 

Earth Rainbow rug with 

tassels, £13, Sass & Belle. 

Tap into the trend for 

geometric statement 

rugs with this 

fashionable pure wool 

rug, available in three 

colours and two sizes. 

Hackney handwoven 

rug, wool/cotton blend, 

Yellow Diamond, £159, 

Cult Furniture. 

Handwoven by Berbers in the Atlas Mountains, this soft and luxurious 

rug is fully customisable to create your dream design. 

Lozenge rug, jet black on natural wool, £899, Cosy Coco. 

THE LOWDOWN ON RUGS 

• Rugs look beautiful on wooden, stone and tiled 

floors (always use an underlay to keep them safely 

in place) and add welcome softness. Texture is 

important, in terms of both material and weave – 

piled wool or flat-woven cotton (which is thinner 

but more easily put through the washing machine), 

or perhaps nubby jute or sisal, tougher on the toes, 

but durable and with a certain rugged charm. 

• Gone are the days of choosing between only 

rectangular or circular rugs. These days, anything 

goes, from oval to rainbow-shaped and even 

irregular outlines. Tufted rugs, too, play with 

different heights of pile to introduce an intriguing 

textural element. 

• Add extra interest with some boho tassels (very 

on trend) or a more restrained finishing edge. 

This works well with a neutral rug that picks up a 

contrast border colour from elsewhere in the room. 

• Don’t make the mistake of buying a rug that is too 

small for a room. In general, it is best to go as big as 

possible, so that all the furniture (or at least its front 

legs) can sit on the rug. 

• For global glamour, look no further than a rug. 

From Indian dhurries and Greek flokatis to Middle 

Eastern kilims and French Aubussons, they each 

provide wonderful style, colour, pattern and texture.

32 

Don’t Suffer in Silence 

The ability to hear is one of our most important senses. 

Hearing enables us to connect to and make sense of 

the world. It’s the brain’s main connection to what’s 

happening around us and our hearing is always on duty, 

24 hours a day, every day. 

How do we hear? 

Hearing is complex and requires a series of actions and 

reactions in order to work. The process involves many 

parts of the ear working together to convert soundwaves 

into information that your brain understands and 

interprets as sounds. 

Being able to hear well enables us to enjoy life to the 

fullest. We’re adept at being able to quickly differentiate 

between myriad sounds, what they represent and how 

we should respond. Your sense of hearing also helps to 

keep you safe and alert to possible dangers. 

Hearing problems 

Being able to hear well is something we tend to take for 

granted, yet ear problems can develop at any time due to 

blockages or infections. You might also find your balance 

is affected. The good news is most ear conditions can 

usually be treated and don’t lead to long-term problems. 

Here are some of the common causes of ear discomfort. 

Earwax build-up 

Earwax is produced inside your ears to keep them clean 

and free of germs. This usually passes out of the ear 

harmlessly but sometimes too much wax can build up 

and lead to blocked ears. It’s a very common problem 

and can often be treated with over-the-counter (OTC) 

ear drops. There are several types you can use, including 

drops containing sodium bicarbonate, olive oil or almond 

oil. 

Some people naturally produce a lot of earwax leading to 

regularly blocked ears. Other factors that can increase the 

risk of too much wax building up include: 

• Producing naturally hard or dry earwax 

• Having narrow or hairy ear canals (this is the tube 

between the opening of the ear and the eardrum) 

• Getting older, as earwax becomes drier with age 

• Bony growths in the outer part of the ear canal 

• Frequently inserting objects into your ear canal, such 

as cotton buds or ear plugs 

If you have a build-up of earwax, you may experience 

symptoms such as earache, hearing loss, tinnitus,

33 

itchiness, vertigo or develop an infection. Symptoms will 

usually improve once the excess wax has been removed 

but for this you may need to see a specialist. 

Pressure in your ears 

Your sinuses and ears are closely connected so when 

you have sinus congestion, this can lead to pressure 

in your ears. Having clogged sinuses can lead to pain, 

dizziness, and a muffled sensation in your ears. Treating 

the congestion in your sinuses is the first step. Try using 

a nasal saline decongestant spray or hold a warm, moist 

muslin cloth to your face – this can help to ease the 

pressure and discomfort. Drink plenty of fluids too, as 

staying hydrated can help to keep nasal mucus thin. 

Swimmer’s ear 

Despite the name, you don’t need to have been in the 

pool to get this! It has the medical name otitis externa 

and is an infection of the ear canal. Swimmer’s ear differs 

from common ear infections that can occur in young 

children after they have had a cold, such as middle-ear 

infections. The condition is usually caused by bacteria, 

although it can sometimes be brought on by a virus or 

fungus. Symptoms include itching in the ear, pain, and 

trouble hearing (sound may seem muffled as your ear 

canal swells). You might also experience fluid draining out 

of the ear. Prescription ear drops are the most common 

treatment for this condition. 

Hearing loss 

This is a common problem that often develops gradually 

with age, although it can also be caused by repeated 

exposure to loud noises. Hearing loss affects around 

12 million people in the UK. General signs of hearing 

loss include difficulty hearing other people clearly or 

misunderstanding what they say, asking people to repeat 

themselves or regularly watching TV with the volume 

turned up higher. There are a number of treatment 

options for hearing loss. What’s recommended will 

depend on the cause of your hearing problems. 

Who to ask for help? 

A sudden change to your hearing is likely to need an 

appointment with your GP. But if you have ongoing 

problems such as regular earwax build-up, or you have 

gradual age-related hearing loss, then it’s worth visiting 

a specialist. 

Always Listening 

• Micro-Suction Wax Removal 

• FREE Hearing Tests 

• Claim your FREE trial of the latest digital 

hearing aids – technology that can’t be 

bought on the high street 

• Hearing Aids & Repairs 

Rest assured you are in safe hands in our 

family owned, state of the art clinic. 

Voted Wigan’s audiologist of the year 2019 

Call now to make an appointment 

01942 215 391 

Email - info@wiganhearing.co.uk 

8-10 Gathurst Road, Orrell, WN5 8QH

34

35 

Your home is where you feel the 

most comfortable and the happiest. 

It is the place you know the best. If 

you want to stay living comfortably 

at home, Home Instead ® can help 

make that possible. 

Home Help 

Companionship 

Personal Care 

Dementia Care 

01942 914 409 

homeinstead.co.uk/wigan 

Each Home Instead franchise is independently owned and operated. 

Copyright © Home Instead® 2021.

36

37 

Past Forward - 

The Rewind 

1991 will go down in history as a remarkable year. The World 

Wide Web was rolled out to the public, the USSR ceased to 

exist, the first Gulf War began and so did the Balkan war. And 

in other 1991 news, Wigan Council launched Past Forward, 

a magazine aimed at providing local history information for 

residents of the Borough. 

This year Past Forward celebrated its 30th birthday, and so 

impressed were we with this achievement that we decided 

to go behind the scenes at the magazine and highlight just 

a few of the people behind the success story of Past Forward. 

Alastair Gillies 

Alastair was the first Editor of Past Forward and he 

worked on the magazine from its first issue in 1991. Not 

only was he instrumental in running the magazine, but 

the magazine was also his idea! Alastair told me, “At the 

time the heritage service was very new, and we had just 

amalgamated the museum, archives and history shop into 

one complete service. I thought it would be a good idea 

to have a vehicle 

whereby we could 

pass on information 

about the service to 

staff and the local 

community alike.” 

Alastair went on to 

explain that editing 

a magazine and 

writing articles are 

two very different 

things, and it wasn’t 

his intention to 

Alastair Gillies 

write the magazine, 

he needed contributions. Alastair continued, “The first 

edition was very well received, lots of lovely comments 

and after that I was inundated with ideas and stories, so 

my job was really to piece it altogether. 

“The support for the magazine was huge, the leisure 

department really got behind it even though it was a 

very new thing, and the readers have always been very 

complimentary – all in all it was a success.” 

Alastair retired in 2005 and is now living 

in Formby. He likes to keep himself busy 

with daily dog walks on the beach, church 

activities, playing the organ, meeting up 

with his local branch of the U3A and he 

is even researching and compiling a local 

family history book! Alastair clearly has a 

passion for history and when I asked if he still 

read the magazine, he told me that he had a 

study full of back issues. 

Alex Miller 

The current Editor of Past Forward is Alex Miller, 

the Lead Officer - Archives & Local Studies, 

who is based at the recently renovated Leigh 

Town Hall, a building that has recently been

38 

Alex Miller with the first copy of Past Forward

39 

transformed into a hugely impressive, state-of-the-art, 

archive facility for the entire Borough. Alex joined Wigan 

Council in 2007 from the archives at Unilever, which are 

based at the multinational company’s historical home at 

Port Sunlight on the Wirral. 

I start by asking Alex how difficult it is to select what 

content to use in Past Forward. “There’s a groundswell 

of interest in Past Forward and we usually have plenty of 

content to choose from, but the hard part is balancing 

the content so that the content is from as many different 

parts of the Borough and also making sure that we don’t 

focus too much on a single subject, such as mining or 

rugby, in one single issue”. 

Alex goes on to explain how an annual history essay 

competition, (sponsored for the past decade or so by 

former Shevington Councillor John O’Neill and his late 

wife Barbara), produces a flow of contributors to Past 

Forward, “We have around a dozen regular contributors 

and the content that they send us is supplemented by 

those who enter the competition. 

“Often the people who enter the competition go on to 

produce other content for Past Forward on a regular 

basis”. 

I asked Alex whether there were any issues from his 

time as Editor which he was particularly proud of and he 

immediately highlighted the Women’s History issue and 

the World War 1 issue. 

“I worked with my colleague Hannah Turner on both of 

these issues, and they stand out for different reasons”, 

said Alex. “So much of history is written by men, from a

40 

male perspective, and the articles in that particular issue 

were uniquely female-led and we received a lot of very 

positive feedback. 

“The WW1 issue carried so many powerful and emotive 

pieces, and we had quite a few readers who, after reading 

the issue, were able to jump into their own family histories”. 

Before shooting off to avoid a parking ticket, I asked Alex 

why he thought Past Forward had been so successful over 

thirty years. 

“We are 100% reliant on the passion of our volunteers and 

the knowledge of our contributors” concludes Alex, “Past 

Forward just wouldn’t exist without their contributions”. 

Yvonne Eckersley 

One of the volunteers at Archives: Wigan & Leigh and 

an enthusiastic contributor to Past Forward is Yvonne 

Eckersley. 

Leyther Yvonne retired in 2008 as a primary school teacher 

and wanted to ‘give something back’ to the community. 

Yvonne told me that she has a lifetime interest in history 

and that the Archives was a natural choice when she was 

on the lookout for post-retirement activities. 

“I felt the skills I had developed whilst studying for my 

history degree would be useful to the Archives. 

“I was specifically interested in ordinary people’s history, 

the type of people whose lives weren’t accurately 

represented in history books. The experience of writing 

my dissertation on the rise of the Labour Movement in 

Leigh convinced me of the need to research and reveal 

the rich nature of our local history”. 

A few years ago, the Archives service published an 

anthology of all the pieces Yvonne has contributed to the 

magazine and she is currently researching the life and times 

of Helen Fairhurst (nee Silcock) who lived between 1865- 

1951, in the Pemberton and Goose Green area of Wigan. 

But Yvonne has not-so-fond memories of the first task 

she was asked to complete at the Archives. She confesses 

“My first job was cataloguing wills written in the 1600’s 

which was very complicated and cumbersome, and I did 

think that I was given that job to test out whether I had 

‘stickability’, but I survived and lived to tell the tale!”. 

The latest issue of Past Forward is available at the Borough’s libraries at a cost of £2, or you can buy an annual 

subscription to Past Forward for £6 plus P&P via the Council’s website here; 

www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Subscribe-to-Past-Forward-Magazine.aspx 

Archived issues of Past Forward are available online here; 

www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Past-Forward.aspx

41 

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42 

4 Reasons 

The 

why your home hasn’t sold 

In a perfect world, you’d list your home for sale, schedule 

viewings, receive multiple offers, and sell your home fast 

and above list price. Unfortunately, selling your house 

isn’t always that simple and your home could end up 

sitting on the market longer than you anticipated. 

Let’s dive in and discuss four likely reasons your home 

hasn’t sold and what you can do to fix the problems. 

Your home needs improvements 

Being a homeowner means keeping your home and 

property in good condition. You may need to put a little 

time and money into your home so you can receive more 

offers and sell your house quickly. Furthermore, if you’ve 

had buyers interested in your home, but maintenance 

problems are encountered during the home survey, you 

could end up losing the sale. 

The solution? 

Before listing your home for sale, start researching what 

other similar homes are being sold for. If other sellers (in 

close proximity) and in your price range have a recently 

remodelled kitchen or bathroom, or new flooring 

throughout, they’ll likely outshine your listing. Research 

your options on which home upgrades will give you the 

most ‘bang for your buck’ in your market. If you know there 

are issues that will be highlighted in a survey, make sure to 

address these before putting your home on the market. 

Your home is priced too high 

Pricing a house too high happens more often than you 

might think. The longer your over-priced home stays on 

the market, the more likely it is that you’ll need to drop 

the asking price. Typically, if a home sits on the market for 

a long time, buyers will assume it’s because something is 

wrong with it. 

solution? 

Check what similar homes in your area are listed (and 

have sold for) and use an online calculator for a home 

value estimate. Your agent will also be able to work with 

you to price your home competitively with an expertise 

that can’t be matched with online tools. Don’t be tempted 

to go with the highest offer, but rather the one that’s well 

researched out – you can ask your agent how they arrived 

at a certain price. 

Your home is cluttered and dirty 

It happens to all of us. Your daily mess just becomes junk 

that you overlook day-by-day. But trust me – the piles of 

paper, boxes of toys, and mounds of clothes will definitely 

be noticed by potential buyers. Clutter will distract buyers 

from your home’s best features and will make the space 

appear smaller. 

The solution? 

As you’re decluttering, be sure to pack away family 

photos, excess books and clothes. Instead of stashing 

your stuff in closets, box up what you don’t need and store 

it elsewhere. Then clean your house from top to bottom. 

Wipe and dust every surface, decoration, and window 

inside and out. Mop and vacuum carpets and floors. 

Your kerb appeal isn’t appealing 

Take a walk around your street – why do some homes 

appear inviting and others less so? Is it the green lawn and 

the neatly cut hedges? The fresh coat of paint? Now, walk 

past your home and try to picture yourself as a potential 

buyer. What needs work? 

The solution? 

Many buyers won’t even visit your home if it doesn’t 

look nice from the outside. Your lawn, hedges and trees 

should be neat and there shouldn’t be any visible weeds. 

Have your windows washed and hire a power washing 

company to clean driveways. 

The longer your home sits on the market, the less appealing 

it will become to buyers. Identify what is preventing potential 

buyers from making any offers and fix the issues as soon as 

possible. This way, you can sell your house quickly. 

Alan Batt is a member of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and has 

worked within the Wigan property market for over 30 years. 

Alan Batt 

For more of Alan’s tips, guidance and analysis on the Wigan property market, check out his blog at 

www.alanbatt.co.uk

Selling in Wigan? 

43 

We are achieving better prices and quicker 

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44 

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We also provide advice on making sure that you and 

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45 

Pem Family Funday 

Pemberton Community Association, with help from 

Wigan Council, are holding a family fun day on Saturday 

September 4. 

The fun day will take place between 11am-5pm and 

promises to be packed full of music, entertainment and 

family fun; including Kevin the Klown, the Luna Lush fun 

bus, a crepe stall, food stall, funfair rides and more! 

The event is taking place as part of the Council’s ‘Our Town 

LIVE’ initiative to welcome people back to shopping on 

their high street. For more information about Our Town 

LIVE and to see other areas and dates for events please go 

online at www.wigan.gov.uk/OurTown. 

Mums’ Fitness 

Trying to keep fit as a new mum can be hard, but these 

fitness classes in Garswood may help to change that 

situation. 

Sweaty Mama is the fun, effective and interactive workout 

with your child and babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. 

The class is suitable for mums with children aged 6 weeks 

to four-years-old. 

The six-week courses costs £35 and classes take place 

every Friday at 10-11am in the Parish Hall on Montrey 

Crescent. For more information or to book your place 

please go online at https://smwigansouth.sweatymama. 

com

46 

Cash for Clutter 

eBay once dominated the online selling market, but 

nowadays you’re spoilt for choice on where to sell your 

unwanted clothes, furniture and homeware. 

Whether you’re moving house, redecorating or just trying 

to live more minimally, we’ve gathered together some of 

the best websites and ways to rehome your clutter. 

From sofas and desks to cars, pets and even rooms to rent, 

Gumtree has it all. 

Gumtree is used to look for items locally, so putting your 

postcode in the listing is paramount. If you want your ad 

to get some extra attention, you can put some money 

behind it, but other than that it’s free. 

Shpock sells itself as an online car boot sale: cheap, 

local and full of surprises. It’s your place to get rid of 

those smaller items that won’t get much attention on 

bigger sites like Gumtree or eBay, from cushions to 

children’s clothes and everything in between. 

It’s completely free to list, unless you want to promote 

an item. Shpock doesn’t get involved in the payment 

process either. Once a price has been negotiated, it’s up 

to the buyer and seller to arrange delivery and payment. 

A must-download if you’re into vintage fashion, Depop 

is a great place to sell homemade or vintage clothes, 

shoes and accessories – the quirkier, the better. 

Listing your items is free, but once an item sells, Depop 

will charge a 10% fee on the sale price. Then there’s 

also a small PayPal transaction fee to be aware of. 

However, Depop can fetch you a high price and with 

over 18 million users, and it’s very popular right now.

47 

Marketplace 

Facebook Marketplace is hot on eBay’s heels as the best 

place to swap your clutter for cash. The best part is there 

are no fees, so the profit is all yours. 

Like Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace is used to sell locally. 

It’s a platform many of us are already familiar with too, which 

means you can keep up to date with friends and family, and 

clear some space in your house, all from one website. 

Similar to Depop, but with a slightly older target 

audience, Vinted is a huge online marketplace for 

selling clothes, with millions of users. Upmarket high 

street brands tend to do better. Bagged a popular Zara 

handbag that sold out within days? You can probably 

sell it for twice the price on Vinted. 

There are no fees for uploading or selling your items 

on Vinted, but there is a small fee to the buyer. 

Top tips 

for selling 

Spend time taking good pictures 

Photograph your items in a well-lit area of your 

house or garden, and from multiple angles. 

The more descriptive, the better 

Pad out your listing with as much information as 

you can, including dimensions, condition and your 

reason for selling. 

Be honest 

Reviews are key to building your online selling 

profile, so avoid the temptation to skim over any 

defects in your listing. 

Think seasonally 

Certain items, like garden furniture, will fetch a 

higher price in the summer, while warm woolly 

jumpers will do better in the winter. 

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48 

Heritage Open Days 

Organised by volunteers every September, Heritage 

Open Days is one of England’s biggest voluntary cultural 

events. It attracts some 800,000 people every year and 

allows people free access to historical landmarks, many of 

which are either not usually open to the public or would 

normally charge an entrance fee. 

It’s your chance to find hidden places and try out new 

experiences – all of which are free. 

Heritage Open Days were established in 1994 as England’s 

contribution to European Heritage Days, in which 49 

countries now participate. 

Amongst the events taking place locally is the King Street 

Tour in Wigan. Billed as The Street That Was, this event 

includes a tour around the King Street Heritage Action 

Zone, explaining how the street has developed over the 

centuries. 

Tales of the lost buildings of King Street will be told enroute 

to a number of stops at buildings and areas of 

special interest including; Grimes Arcade, The Royal Court 

Theatre, Timberlakes and Rowbottom Square. 

This tour is available on Sunday 12 September (2pm), 

Tuesday 14 September (10.30am), Thursday 16 September 

(10.30am) and Sunday 19 September (2pm). No booking 

is required. The tour starts at the Wigan Miners Memorial 

outside the front door of the Life Centre South. 

Two Heritage Open Day events are also scheduled to 

take place in nearby Lathom. Dating back to 1500, the 

beautiful Lathom Park Chapel will be opening its doors 

to the general public on Sunday 12 September between 

2pm-4pm. 

And at the nearby Scout HQ on Hall Lane, there will be 

an Outdoor Medieval banquet with living history and 

historical displays based on medieval Lathom Park. 

This event will take place on Saturday 11th September 

between 12pm-6pm. Pre-booking is required for this 

event so please email secretary-lathomparktrust@ 

outlook.com by 1st September. 

To search for more events, check out the website at www. 

heritageopendays.org.uk

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49 

Give your home the 

Timber treatment 

Wood has always been a reliable, durable and 

functional choice for home furnishings, and recently 

it has had a bit of a design rejuvenation; forget dated 

and drab flatpack furniture, modern timber is all 

about showcasing its many other features, including 

style and versatility. 

Local business, Funky Timber, based in Wharton 

Street in St Helens, is a perfect example of how 

sleek, neat, timber finishes can add a warming earthy 

tone to your home. And with over 50 years of trade 

experience under their belts, you’re in safe hands! 

Funky Timber is a family run business, established 

in July 2019 by Daniel Slater and partner Lauren 

Wareing. Since then, the business has continued to 

grow and they now employ a team of dedicated staff, 

including joiners and fabricators, to offer customers 

the finest bespoke furniture, timber cladding and 

home accessories. 

Daniel told Local Life, “We offer our clients a wide 

range of products from internal and external timber 

cladding with various colour and design options, 

to bespoke Funky Timber branded furniture and a 

fabrication unit where all aspects of steelwork can 

be offered. Every piece of furniture is handcrafted 

in house meaning each single item is individual to 

that customer.” 

Mismatched cladding may sound like a questionable 

style for a feature wall, but as this portfolio shows, 

it’s certainly effective. The selection or new timber 

or reclaimed timber creates an eye-catching 

update, brimming with coolness and character, it 

even caught the eye of designers from DIY SOS and 

the Funky Timber team were called in to help on a 

recent project. 

Daniel has over 18 years of carpentry experience, 

and he prides himself on being able to offer quality 

products to transform any room at competitive 

prices. Daniel added, “We source top quality 

materials with wood and steel, and every item 

is prepared in our warehouse. We also offer a full 

fitting service for all our products and all our work 

is carried out to the highest standards. We offer all 

aspects of joinery for home and commercial jobs 

including shop fitting. 

“We will provide a free quote on request, all you 

need to do is send over your measurements, address 

and what colours you are thinking of, and our team 

will send over your quote as soon as possible.” 

Alternatively, customers can come to our unit and 

go through their designs or bespoke requests. 

Funky Timber is a vibrant company serving all 

corners of the UK with their stunning designs; so, 

whether you’re looking to revamp your home, garden 

or business premises with a stunning wooden wall or 

bespoke furniture, you can rest assured that Funky 

Timber will offer that to you and much more! Pop 

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50 

Places for Everyone 

Wigan Council are working in partnership with the Greater 

Manchester Combined Authority and all other Greater 

Manchester districts (except Stockport) to prepare a joint 

development plan called Places for Everyone. 

This plan replaces the Greater Manchester Spatial 

Framework which is no longer being taken forward 

following the withdrawal of Stockport Council from the 

joint plan in December 2020. 

Places for Everyone is a long-term plan for jobs, new 

homes, and sustainable growth and will help meet the 

city-region’s needs up until 2037. 

For further information on the Plan and the supporting 

evidence, and to submit comments, please visit the 

allocations, including the land at M6 Junction 25. 

Land at M6 Junction 25 is proposed to consist of around 

140,000 square metres of employment floorspace. 

Planning permission for employment development was 

granted on this site in July 2021. Delivery in accordance 

with this planning approval is not dependent on the site’s 

allocation in the Places for Everyone Plan. Its allocation 

in the new plan will remove the site from the Green Belt. 

To view the proposed policy, the site allocation boundary, 

and a Topic Paper providing an overview of the J25 site 

and a summary of the evidence supporting its allocation 

in the new plan you can visit www.gmconsult.org or on 

Wigan Council’s website. 

consultation website of the Greater Manchester The other three proposed allocations affect Pocket Nook 

Combined Authority www.gmconsult.org. 

A hard copy of the Places for Everyone Plan can be viewed 

at both Wigan Library and Leigh Library. This consultation 

closes on the 3rd October 2021. 

In relation to jobs and housing specifically within the 

in Lowton, land north of Mosley Common and land west 

of Gibfield in Atherton. 

Place for Everyone also proposes to add six tracts of land 

to the area’s existing Green Belt, the largest of which is the 

Hope Carr Nature Reserve in Leigh. 

Wigan Borough, the plan proposes following four site 

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51 

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52 

Schoolboy pens War Novel 

An Orrell schoolboy 

wrote a war book during 

lockdown and says he 

has several more in the 

pipeline. 

Fourteen-year-old 

George Birch from 

Sandford Road in Tontine, 

a pupil at St Peter’s High 

School, wrote ‘Allies and 

Axis’ in just 2½ months 

last summer, and the 

book was published this 

summer by AuthorHouse 

UK. 

The story follows the 

tragic lives of Edward, 

Matthew and George 

as they experience two 

world wars and nuclear 

annihilation. The story 

was inspired by George’s 

great-grandad Edward 

Taylor, who died shortly after the second World War, and 

was fuelled by watching historic war programmes on TV 

and on DVDS. 

George’s Grandad, Bernard Birch, who financed the 

publication of Allies and 

Axis, takes up the story. 

“George came to me 

one day and just told me 

he was going to write a 

book and the next thing 

I know, he had finished 

it”. 

George adds “The story 

started off on a single 

piece of paper and the 

storyline developed 

from there. I just put 

a plan of the story on 

paper and then worked 

on it day and night until 

it was finished”. 

George, whose spare 

time is usually spent 

playing X-Box and PC 

games, says that he put 

his hobbies to one side 

whilst he finished the 

book. “I’m a doer”, says history buff George, “I would like 

to turn this story into a six-part sequel”. 

‘Allies and Axis’ is on sale now via Amazon, available on 

Kindle, and in softback and hardback. 

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53 

Helpers Needed 

A Winstanley-based charity shop is looking for volunteers. 

The DEBRA shop on Winstanley Precinct helps fund 

research into Epidermolysis Bullosa, a group of painful 

genetic skin conditions that cause the skin to tear and 

blister at the slightest touch. People with EB have a faulty 

gene, which means the skin cannot bind together, so any 

trauma or friction can cause painful blisters. 

Volunteers are expected to sort through donations, stock 

shelves and serve customers. The shop opens from 9am- 

4.30pm six days a week, but any time you can donate 

would be appreciated. For more information, call 01942 

211278 or just call in and speak to Sharon or Colin. 

Sling Library 

If you have a new baby and you want help with how to 

wear a sling, or to hire one, pop down to Pipsqueaks Play 

Café in Orrell on Tuesday August 31 and get help from The 

Orrell Sling Library. 

Staff from the Warrington, Wigan and St Helens Sling 

Library will be at the playcentre from 10am-12pm with 

more than 200 slings and carriers to choose from. Booking 

is free for the general appointment slots but essential to 

ensure that they keep within occupancy figures. 

Booking closes 24 hours before the session, so to secure 

your place please go online at https://wawishlibrary. 

as.me/librarysessions 

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Telephone Bernard: 01942 323980 

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We specialise in: Traditional Timber • Toughened Glass Panels • Chrome or Brushed Nickel fittings

54 

COVID Funding 

Wigan Borough businesses working in the wedding, 

events and entertainment sector will benefit from a 

financial boost to help them recover from the pandemic. 

Wigan Council will be distributing £1.5million of 

government funding in three phases over the coming 

months. 

Phase one is now live and will target businesses working 

in or supporting the wedding, events and entertainment 

sectors who may have been ineligible for national 

schemes or have not received grants since early 2020. 

The council recently asked borough businesses to 

complete a survey to understand how they had been 

impacted by Covid-19, if they had received funding 

previously and what future support they needed. 

The Leader of Wigan Council, David Molyneux said: 

“The survey was a vital exercise to highlight the barriers 

businesses have experienced over the last 18 months. 

“It was clear from the responses we received, as well as 

conversations nationally, that the wedding, events and 

entertainment sector felt forgotten, which is why we have 

prioritised them with this first round of funding.” 

Councillor Nazia Rehman, the local authority’s cabinet 

member for transformation and finance added “We’ve 

made a strategic decision to stagger the funds over three 

rounds in the coming months, each of which will target 

different businesses and will have different allocation 

processes. 

“Phase one has now opened, meaning that eligible 

businesses will benefit from a fixed payment of £1,000 

and the following two phases are expected to open later 

this year after our teams finalise the allocation processes.” 

Phase two will have two strands. The first will focus on 

larger, established businesses in the borough with high 

employment numbers and the second will be directed 

at businesses who can demonstrate a future growth 

opportunity. Further eligibility criteria applies. 

Businesses eligible for funding in phase one are asked 

to apply now via the council’s website. www.wigan.gov. 

uk/Business/Business-Support/Additional-Restrictions- 

Grants.aspx

55

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59 

by Chris Pearce 

Distance: 6¼ Difficulty: Medium Plus 

Frodsham 

& Helsby 

Occasionally when I collate a walk for Local Life, I get a 

suspicion that there’s room for improvement. The Sandstone 

Trail in spring 2020 was a case in point; the first half of the 

walk was a cracker, the back half just ok, so I popped over 

the Mersey again recently to scratch that itch. This wellsignposted 

6¼ mile walk centres around two prehistoric 

hilltops enclosures; Helsby Hill and Woodhouse Hill. There 

are lots of climbs and some sheer cliffs on this walk, so 

I would recommend that you leave the kids at home and 

make sure you wear suitable footwear. 

Start the walk at the car park for Frodsham’s 

war memorial (WA6 6BG) and take the 

steep road downhill. Turn left at the 

Belle Monte Hotel and look for a 

footpath on your right which 

plunges you into 

the woods. After a few short steps, the path forks so take 

the left fork uphill. 

After a few minutes walking – follow the yellow ‘S’ sign 

and go up the sandstone steps and you’ll arrive at the war 

memorial, the first of many impressive viewpoints on the 

walk. Carry on in the same direction past the war memorial 

and ease downhill for 200 yards – then take the lower path. 

The track continues, hugging the side of the hill in the 

shadow of sandstone cliffs until you ascend once more, 

briefly arriving at an open area at the top and then again 

sinking into the woods. You’ll soon arrive at a crossroad 

of paths by some wooden steps, turn right here following 

the NCW sign and you’ll arrive at multiple flights of steep 

steel steps, Take the steps carefully to the bottom of the 

sandstone valley and you arrive at a fingerpost – turn 

right to Carriage Drive.

60 

Continue on the path downhill until you reach a 

distinctive wall; turn left here and take the steps down 

the steep hill. When you arrive at the foot of the 

hill where all the ferns are, there’s two options; 

turn right at this point. 

Follow the path through the woods, close to 

its perimeter with farmland for just under ¾ 

mile until you reach an exit marked Tarvin 

Road. Take this exit and walk down to the 

road; turn left and then first right into the 

single-track Chestnut Lane. 

At its conclusion Chestnut Lane 

narrows to a footpath: take the 

bridge across the stream and head 

in the same direction up the 

concrete steps. Follow this evernarrowing 

footpath until you 

arrive out in the open by a 

house called Tong Dean. Go 

through the gate opposite 

and follow the clearly 

defined footpath until 

you arrive in Helsby on 

Bates Lane. 

Turn right and then 

turn left at the 

crossroads on the 

Old Chester Road. 

Look out for a 

footpath sign 

for ‘Helsby Hill’ on your left about 50 yards up that road. 

Turn up the narrow footpath for a short steep climb 

to an opening with three paths and a fingerpost. 

Take the second path marked ‘Hill Top’ and 

take a gentle enough climb, passing a cliff 

top viewpoint on the way, until you reach 

the summit of Helsby Hill, which is marked 

by a trig point. 

The views from the top of this hillfort are 

pretty impressive, 360-degree views of the 

Mersey Estuary and Liverpool, the mountains 

of North Wales and also the Shropshire Hills 

to the south. 

Exit the summit via the path directly opposite 

the path you took to arrive at the summit and 

follow that path downhill for approximately 

150 yards. Take a left turn at a fingerpost (partly 

hidden on the left) towards ‘Harmers Lake’. 350 

yards later, you’ll have passed the lake on the left 

and arrived at the single-track lane. Turn right 

downhill and once you’ve passed a secondary and 

the primary entrance to Harmers Wood on the left, 

there’s a signpost on the left to Tarvin Road. 

Follow this path for 400 yards to Tarvin Road and 

then turn left for 200 yards. Look for a signpost on 

your right (Alvaney/Burrows Lane), which is partly 

hidden behind a tree and take that path. Once you’ve 

crossed a bridge, turn left along the field’s perimeter 

in the direction of Woodhouse Hill. 

Once you reach Burrows Lane turn left and, at the 

T-junction, turn right and 350 yards later, take the left 

fork down a footpath/bridle path. Follow this long 

gentle incline for just under ¾ mile, ignoring 

the turn offs to Snidey Moor on the 

right and to Woodhouse Hill on the 

left. Once you reach the T-junction

61 

For those with the OS Maps 

app on your desktop, mobile 

or tablet, this walk is named: 

JT-Frodsham-Helsby 

Hatley Lane 

Netherton 

M56 

A56 

B5393 

Sandstone Trail 

Beacon 

Hill 

A56 

The Coppice 

Helsby 

Bates Lane 

Hawthorn 

Farm 

Tarvin Road 

North Cheshire Way 

Woodhouse 

Hill 

Higher Mickledale 

Farm 

Helsby 

Hill 

Bates Lane 

Arboretum 

Manley Road 

Harmers 

Wood 

Foxhill 

Farm 

Foxhill 

Wood 

Tower 

Snidley 

Moor 

Burrows Lane 

Home Farm 

Elevation 

100m 

50m 

0.0km 5.0km 10km 

Lowest 23m 

Highest 141m 

Total ascent 425m

62 

with bench on the right and the fingerpost on the 

left, turn left and then bear right at the next fork 

taking the path round the edge of the woodlands. 

Look for the path encased by a low sandstone 

wall on your left and follow this path to the top of 

Woodhouse Hill before sharply dropping down steps 

to a bench and an info board ‘Ice and Sea’. 

Turn right and follow the path gradually downhill, 

parallel to the golf course. Just past the tee for the 

10th hole, take care when climbing down some steep 

sandstone steps. At the base, turn left, walk over the 

wooden bridge and you arrive at the fingerpost from 

earlier. 

Tackle the flights of steel stairs once again and 

retrace your steps for 100 yards or so until you 

see a turn to the right which takes you through 

undergrowth and onto the golf course. You need 

to look hard to see a slight dip running diagonally 

across the fairway heading to the left of the masts 

in the distance. As you cross the fairways, you’ll see 

a very apparent footpath in the distance that runs 

firstly through undergrowth and then runs onto a 

dirt track heading up to Simons Lane. 

Turn left when you reach Simons Lane and follow 

the road round a right-hand bend that runs downhill 

past the Forest Hills hotel back to the starting point. 

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Money 

Matters 

TEACHING KIDS TO 

BE SAVVY SAVERS 

Most of us have made mistakes with 

money at some point. Help your 

children to avoid the same financial 

pitfalls by giving them the knowledge 

and skills to build on in the future. 

Teach them the value of money 

Rather than buying your children sweets each week, give 

them pocket money, some of which they can use to buy 

sweets and some of which they can save for a bigger 

treat. It’s good for children to earn at least part of their 

pocket money by doing chores. They’ll learn that money 

doesn’t come for nothing and be less likely to waste it. To 

make life easier, you could use an app and debit card like 

RoosterMoney or Go Henry, which were created to help 

children get to grips with their finances and earn money 

through chores. 

Help them to budget 

Encourage children to save up for something they really 

want rather than just waiting for Christmas or their 

birthday. You could start by explaining how much they’d 

need to save each week to achieve their goal. Younger 

children tend to need quicker results, so start with a small 

goal that can be achieved in a few weeks rather than 

months. 

63 

Give them responsibility 

Part of appreciating the value of 

money is learning through mistakes. 

It’s tempting to step in and stop your 

child from spending their pocket 

money on things that you know they 

will quickly discard. Offer advice but 

let them make their own decisions on 

low-value items. They may well then think 

twice next time they want to buy a blind bag or an 

expensive T-shirt. When older children are ready, you 

could give them more responsibility for budgeting for the 

things they need by giving them an allowance for clothes, 

school dinners, travel expenses, toiletries, days out and 

so on, and helping them to work out a monthly budget. 

Again, they can earn more through chores if they want to 

save up for high-value items. 

Discuss money 

Don’t be afraid to talk about money with your children. 

You could share how much you’re setting aside each 

month for next year’s holiday for example, and talk about 

your own experiences with money. You can also help 

your child to see that, while it’s good to shop around for 

the best price, cheap doesn’t always mean best value. 

However, try not to make your child worried about family 

finances. It’s fine to talk about not being able to afford 

something or how you’re saving up for a big purchase, 

but you don’t want your child to lose sleep worrying that 

you won’t be able to pay the bills. 

Learn from the experts 

Make the most of children’s love for online games. MyBnk 

is a UK charity on a mission to help children build good 

money habits. It has created a series of fun online courses 

for ages 5 to 21. You can access them for free at learning. 

mybnk.org/our-courses.

64 

Bouncing Back 

Local Life recently caught up with David 

Barton, Chief Executive Officer of Prosper 

Wealth Management in Standish to ask 

him about how the Covid pandemic 

affected his business. 

David, talk us through those first 

few weeks when Covid hit; 

“We secured new investment to grow 

the business in January 2020, and 

within a few weeks of that happening, 

we were forced to close the doors and 

rethink our working practices. 

“Despite the early challenges from 

a tech perspective of engaging with 

new and existing clients via Zoom etc, and setting our 

staff up to work from home, we did manage to operate 

reasonably efficiently, and everyone did a fantastic job of 

adapting to the challenges”. 

And how has it changed since restrictions have 

eased? 

“It’s been great welcoming staff and customers back 

through the doors, and I can honestly say that it’s been 

a real tonic hearing laughter and general office banter 

around the place. 

“There are customers who are still shielding and others 

who are understandably nervous about being out 

and about, so it’s handy that many people have now 

experienced communicating via Zoom etc, because we 

can offer video conferencing and a telephone service for 

those clients”. 

Did Covid impact on your staffing levels? 

“We actually managed to take on two new administrative 

staff in February/March of 2020 at the height of the crisis, 

and although it was very difficult to bed them in, they 

adapted to their new roles well and are now valuable 

members of the team. 

“More recently, we have strengthened our advisory team 

within the last couple of weeks with the appointment of 

David Wilson (pictured with David Barton above) who had 

previously worked for Standard Life in a senior role for the 

last 20 years. 

“I was delighted when David agreed 

to join us - his skill set will be hugely 

beneficial to the team and will enable 

us to broaden our advisory capacity” 

How has the pandemic affected 

your plans to expand Prosper 

Wealth Management? 

“As you can imagine, talking with 

business owners has been difficult over 

the past 16 months or so, but despite 

that, we have recently completed the 

purchase of another North-West based 

wealth management business which 

will be integrated into the Prosper Wealth Management 

Group, bringing our total funds under management to 

just over £435 million. 

“We are currently talking to other IFA’s, and I would 

anticipate that our growth will accelerate towards our 

objectives of achieving £1 billion under management 

within the next three years as restrictions continue to lift”. 

And finally, what are your wishes for the coming 12 

months? 

“My real hope is that everyone can start to live their lives 

again without the constant Covid shadow hanging over 

them. 

“The travel and hospitality sectors in particular have had 

a torrid time, and the sooner these sectors can start to 

function again properly, the sooner the smiles will appear 

on people’s faces and we can start to enjoy life again.” 

David Barton 

APFS Cert CII (MP) 

Chief Executive Officer 

If you would like more 

information, please feel free to 

get in touch on 01257 423800. 

Remember all investments can fall as well as rise in value so investors could get back less than they invest.

65

66 

CMA Accountancy 

The Benefits of Xero & Add-Ons By Kieran Fitzgerald AATQB 

We’re often asked by customers why we champion the 

popular accountancy software Xero so much. There are 

clear benefits to using Xero itself, but there are also a vast 

array of external 3rd party software and apps that can 

integrate effortlessly with Xero, ensuring that you have 

the tools to manage your entire businesses accounting 

and operations as efficiently as possible. 

Here is a selection of our favourite apps that our 

customers use, and we are always on the lookout for more 

on the Xero App Store! 

Bills and Expenses – Convert your receipts and 

invoices into Xero data seamlessly! 

• Dext Prepare: Scan, sort and publish 

paperwork directly into Xero, using the smart 

tools the software offers to analyse the tax, 

supplier details and payment timing. 

• Hubdoc: Reduce data entry by accurately 

capturing information from bills and 

receipts and publishing it to Xero making 

it easy to match transactions to your bank 

transactions. 

• AutoEntry: Automates data entry, analysis 

and document storage of all of your bills, 

receipts, sales invoices, bank and credit card 

statements. 

Invoicing and Jobs – Simplify managing your tasks, 

teams and invoicing! 

• ServiceM8: Ideal for trade contractors & 

service businesses. It streamlines the process 

from a client’s first call to scheduling, quoting, 

documenting and invoicing & payment, all 

whilst integrating with directly with Xero! 

• Tradify: The complete job management 

solution for tradesmen & contractors. Easy 

to learn, simple to use and accessible on site 

via a phone or desktop. Handles quoting, 

invoicing, job scheduling and tracking, 

timesheets & pushes all of this information to 

Xero automatically. 

Credit Control – Get paid on time without the headache! 

• Chaser: Automate invoice chasing, streamline 

your accounts receivable process and get paid 

faster, all whilst maintaining great customer 

relationships without losing the human-touch. 

• Fluidly: Fluidly gives you all things cash 

flow in one place and the tools to get cash in 

the bank. Build a forecast, estimate VAT, chase 

invoices, apply for a loan & more. 

Payments – Get paid quickly and easily, online! 

• GoCardless: End late payments. 

Automatically debit your customer’s bank 

account whenever your Xero invoices are 

due. Lower-cost alternative to card payments. 

• Stripe: Accept direct debit, credit card, and 

Apple Pay payments online and get paid up 

to twice as fast when using Stripe in Xero. 

Whenever you receive payments via Stripe, 

you’ll automatically see the transaction 

data flow into Xero and can reconcile each 

payment with one click. 

Moving your software package is a big step 

and that’s why we have an expert team of 

Xero advisors ready to help with converting your data 

from another product into Xero, and we can also advise 

you on the best apps to empower you to make the 

right decisions to take your business to the next level. 

Check out our website at www.cma-accountancy. 

com for more tips on Xero, and you might want to 

sign up to our weekly newsletters whilst you’re there! 

Give us a call now for a FREE consultation to discuss 

how we can help your company benefit from working 

with Xero. 

Kieran Fitzgerald – CMA Accountancy 

39 Skull House Lane, Appley Bridge, Wigan, WN6 9DR 

01257 255521 info@cma-accountancy.com 

www.cma-accountancy.com

67 

Do you need 

help and 

guidance with; 

Company Accounts? 

Auto Enrolment? 

Self Assessment? 

Cloud-based Software? 

Payroll Services? 

Making Tax Digital? 

AE 

SA deadline 

VAT 

Benefits 

SA 

FREE 

INITIAL 

CONSULTATION 

Call CMA Accountancy today 

www.cma-accountancy.com 

info@cma-accountancy.com 

Skull House Lane, Appley Bridge. 01257 255521

68 

Puzzle Pages 

CROSSWORD 

ACROSS 

1. Closed political meeting (6) 

7. Sweet almond paste used on Christmas cakes (8) 

8. Black marine bivalve with a brownishblack 

elongated oval shell (6) 

10. Case for a knife or a sword (6) 

11. Long oar mounted at the stern of a boat (5) 

13. Drink given to people who are ill (4,3) 

DOWN 

1. Universe seen as an ordered whole (6) 

2. Vehicles from outer space (inits) (4) 

3. Extract (metals) by heating (5) 

4. Light, plastic disc used as a plaything (TM) (7) 

5. Unit of length equal to 1760 yards (4) 

6. Large case of strong fabric for sleeping on (8) 

9. Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea (5) 

12. Heavy, woven fabric used in rugs and 

bedspreads (8) 

14. Apartments (5) 

15. Short preview of a film or TV programme (7) 

18. Capital of Zimbabwe (6) 

19. Analysis of a substance such as gold 

or silver, to determine its make-up (5) 

21. Chief port of Yemen (4) 

23. Friar associated with Robin Hood (4) 

16. Tall stand with a sloping top to hold a book or notes (7) 

17. Ngaio ___, writer of whodunnit stories (5) 

20. Hindu Festival of Lights (6) 

22. Title given to a nun (6) 

24. Plant with soothing juice used to treat burns (4,4) 

25. A bet on four or more horses in different races (6) 

WORDWHEEL 

Using only the letters in the Wordwheel, you have ten 

minutes to find as many words as possible, none of 

which may be plurals, foreign words or proper nouns. 

Each word must be of three letters or more, all must 

contain the central letter and letters can only be used 

once in every word. There is at least one word that uses 

all of the letters in the wheel. 

TARGET 

EXCELLENT: 8 or more words 

GOOD: 6 words 

B 

S 

E 

D 

I 

E 

FAIR: 4 words

69 

WORDSEARCH 

Car Parts 

AIR BAG 

AXLE 

BATTERY 

BODY 

BONNET 

BOOT 

BRAKE 

BUMPER 

CAR SEAT 

CARBURETTOR 

CHILD SEAT 

CLUTCH 

DOOR 

ENGINE 

FUSE 

HEATER 

HORN 

INDICATOR 

MIRROR 

RADIO 

ROOF 

SATNAV 

STARTER 

TYRES 

WHEEL RIM 

WHEELS 

SUDOKU 

WORD LADDER 

Change one letter at a time (but not the position 

of any letter) to make a new word - and move from 

the word at the top of the ladder to the word at the 

bottom, using the exact number of rungs provided. 

BEER 

WIGGLE WORDS 

CLUE: Full of big talk 

but lacking action! 

Trace a path through all 

the letters to find the 

word or phrase that fits 

the clue. 

K R A B 

A A L L 

N E T I 

D N O B 

WINE 

All the puzzle solutions can be found 

on page 88 of this magazine

70 

Six of the best 

MUSEUMS 

OF THE 

SIX 

B E S T 

SCIENCE 

AND INDUSTRY 

MUSEUM 

The Science and Industry Museum is devoted to inspiring visitors 

through ideas that change the world, from the Industrial Revolution 

to today and beyond. Located on the site of the oldest surviving 

passenger railway station, in the heart of the world’s first industrial 

city – today it is alive with innovative discoveries in science and 

technology. 

Highlights include; the Textiles Gallery charting the history of the 

cotton industry that fuelled the Industrial Revolution complete with working mill machines; a working replica of the 

“Manchester Baby” – the world’s first stored programme computer; the Experiment Gallery where families can get handson 

with experiments and puzzles; temporary exhibitions featuring everything from the early years of Factory Records to 

the major new Cancer Revolution exhibition due to open in October; as well as events throughout the year celebrating 

the science around us every day. 

The museum is currently undergoing a multi-million-pound restoration programme. As well as the now-complete Special 

Exhibitions Gallery, the much-loved Power Hall is being renovated, and improvement works are currently being made to 

the historic 1830s Station and Warehouse, the world’s first passenger railway station and the oldest existing railway goods 

warehouse respectively. 

FACTS 

Address: Liverpool Road, Manchester, 

M3 4FP 

Opening times: 10.00 - 17.00, Monday – 

Sunday (school holidays), 10.00 – 17.00, 

Wednesday to Sunday (term time) 

(Please check website for details) 

www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk

WORLD MUSEUM 

Experience the wonders of life and the universe at World Museum, where millions of years of the world’s history are revealed. 

Find out how humans have shaped the planet we inhabit, and how human behaviour is impacting our world today. 

We will take you to the farthest reaches of our spectacular world, diving down into underwater life in the newly refurbished 

Aquarium and blasting you off into the skies in the Space Gallery and our updated Planetarium. 

Visit the Ancient Egypt gallery, which displays items from one of the finest ancient Egyptian and Nubian collections in 

Europe, and immerse yourself in Sarah Howe’s magical poetry about survival and loss in the World Cultures Gallery. 

Get up close to leaf cutting ants and other animals in the Bug House. Go back in time to see fossil bones and footprints of 

animals that inhabited the earth millions of years ago. 

Don’t miss AI: More than human (until 31 October), which explores the fascinating world of artificial intelligence. Bursting with 

interactivity through immersive artworks and scientific developments, the exhibition gives visitors a thrilling vision of the future. 

71 

FACTS 

Address: World Museum, William Brown 

Street, Liverpool, L3 8EL 

Opening Times: Monday to Sunday 

10am–6pm 

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/worldmuseum 

www.facebook.com/worldmuseum 

THE MUSEUM OF 

LIVERPOOL 

The Museum of Liverpool explores the city’s contribution to the world 

through its unique geography, history and culture, with more than 6,000 

objects and interactives. In 2019 the Museum won a public vote in the Kids 

in Museums’ Family Friendly Awards in the large museum category. 

The Little Liverpool gallery is a hands-on fantasy world especially for children 

under the age of six to play and learn. Inside the gallery our youngest visitors 

can create their own Liverpool - a city where they are in charge. 

The museum opens its much-loved Wondrous Place gallery in November. 

The gallery explores the city’s roll call of entertainers, writers, poets, 

performers, musicians, visual artists, comedians and sports people through 

around 650 objects, interactives and immersive experiences. 

Visitors can also marvel at the land transport collection, which includes 

more than 200 vehicles ranging from Lion locomotive, built in 1838, to a 

Range Rover Evoque from 2011. 

No Liverpool museum would be complete without a nod to the Fab Four. 

Our collections includes material chronicling the band’s careers from the 

early days to solo projects after the band split up. 

FACTS 

Address: Museum of Liverpool, Pier Head, 

Waterfront, Liverpool, L3 1DG 

Opening Times: Tuesday - Sunday 

10am–6pm 

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ 

museum-of-liverpool 

www.facebook.com/museumofliverpool

72 

PEOPLE’S HISTORY MUSEUM 

The People’s History Museum’s (PHM) exhibitions, galleries and collections bring together stories of those that have 

campaigned for change, progress and equality; these ideas worth fighting for are the lifeblood of the museum. 

As the national museum of democracy, it’s no coincidence that PHM’s home is in Manchester. This radical city has always 

been led by its progressive spirit and this is seen in its role in campaigns such the right to vote, votes for women and LGBT+ 

rights – just some of the stories featured. 

PHM combines the historic with the contemporary. Recent issues explored include Black Lives Matter, women’s rights and 

migration, and it is renowned for its co-curation and the way in which it supports communities to use their voices to share 

their experiences. 

The museum is suitable and, as a holder of the Family Friendly Museum Award, this includes lots of family focused content. Two 

permanent galleries, an active events programme and regular changing exhibitions means there is always lots to do and see. 

And finally, look out for the brilliant museum shop and new cafe and bar serving a delicious, ethically sourced menu. 

MARITIME MUSEUM 

FACTS 

Address: Left Bank, Spinningfields, 

Manchester M3 2ER 

Opening Times: 10am-4pm Weds to Sun 

www.phm.org.uk 

www.facebook.com/PHMMcr/ 

Maritime Museum explores Liverpool’s maritime history through the ages. Collections consist of objects and archives 

connected to ships, boats, life at sea, the port of Liverpool and its connection to the world. Highlights include ship models, 

paintings, works on paper and boats, as well as the largest object in the collection, the Edmund Gardner pilot ship, moored 

at the dry dock opposite the museum 

Explore the moving and fascinating stories of Liverpool’s seafarers and passengers, at the Life on Board gallery and 

discover the history behind the tragic sinkings of Lusitania and Titanic. 

Enter the dark and unseen world of smuggling, intrigue and danger in Seized! the Border and Customs uncovered. One of the 

gallery’s key themes is anti-smuggling, which includes detective work, crime fighting, patrolling frontiers and investigation. 

Discover the origin of Liverpool’s fortune, buried underneath Liverpool ONE on an Old Dock Tour Revealed during 

excavations on the site in 2001, the story of the world’s first commercial enclosed wet dock is explored on this guided tour. 

You will discover how a brave idea and an innovative feat of engineering shaped Liverpool’s destiny forever. 

FACTS 

Address: Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, Liverpool 

Waterfront, Liverpool, L3 4AQ 

Opening Times: Tuesday to Sunday 10am–6pm 

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime 

www.facebook.com/merseysidemaritimemuseum

IWM NORTH 

73 

Since opening on 5 July 2002, IWM North has welcomed over 4 million visitors. It is the fifth branch of the national Imperial 

War Museums and the first outside SE England. IWM North tackles themes of war and conflict in innovative ways, using the 

sound, photography and film archives of IWM to great effect. 

It was the first building in the UK to be designed by Daniel Libeskind, the internationally renowned architect 

of the Jewish Museum, Berlin, and the masterplan for Ground Zero, New York. The Museum’s three 

interlocking shards are fragments of a shattered globe that signify conflict on land, water and in the air. 

IWM North is also a museum for the people of Manchester. The site that IWM North stands on 

today is where the Hovis Grain Silos once stood before they were bombed and burnt 

down in the Manchester Blitz during the Second World War. Objects unique to 

Manchester, such as a Manchester Blitz Fire Fighting Trailer Pump, are on 

display. The Big Picture Show “Mightier Than War” combines the 

powerful poetry of Mancunian Tony Walsh with poignant 

imagery from our collection. 

FACTS 

Address: IWM North, The Quays, Trafford 

Wharf Road, Manchester M17 1TZ 

Opening times: 10am – 5pm. Open daily 

from Monday 5 July – Sunday 5 September. 

From 6 September IWM North will be closed 

on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

www.iwm.org.uk 

www.facebook.com/iwm.north 

OF THE 

SIX 

B E S T

74 

Hybrid SUVs: what’s available? 

If you fancy a hybrid with more space there are plenty of options 

The SUV lends itself perfectly to a hybrid powertrain. With 

more space, it means there’s a little more wiggle room for 

the batteries and, as a result, it allows for a better boot. 

Needless to say, many manufacturers have clocked onto 

this, which is why there are so many hybrid SUV offerings 

available today. 

With such a congested market it can be tricky to find out 

which is right for you. Fortunately, we’ve picked out some 

of the best options available today. 

Kia Sorento PHEV 

Kia is on a bit of a roll with its electrified powertrains, so 

it came as little surprise when a plug-in hybrid version of 

its latest Sorento SUV was announced. It uses a 1.6-litre 

petrol engine linked to an electric motor and batteries, 

and Kia claims you’ll get around 35 miles of electric-only 

driving. 

As well as a striking exterior design, the Sorento boasts 

a well-made cabin that is fitted with a healthy level of 

standard equipment. 

BMW X5 xDrive45e 

BMW’s X5 has been a core part of the SUV segment for 

decades, but more recently it has been added to with 

the introduction of a plug-in hybrid variant – badged 

X5 xDrive45e. Where this car majors, though, is electric 

range; at up to 54 miles, it far exceeds the vast majority of 

other hybrids and allows for decent-length journeys to be 

completed on battery power alone. 

Plus, you still get the premium cabin and sharp looks that 

you’d associate with the standard X5.

75 

DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 

As it’s part of the wider PSA Group, DS can take advantage 

of all manner of hybrid powertrains. It’s why the 3008 and 

the DS 7 Crossback E-Tense appear so similar – they’re 

essentially the same underneath. However, that efficient 

hybrid setup is contained within a slightly more dramatic, 

eye-catching exterior with the DS, while the interior is 

flamboyant too. 

Mercedes-Benz GLE350de 

In a break from the norm, the GLE350de arrives as a dieselpowered 

hybrid. Mercedes has a few in its line-up, but 

across the wider segment, a hybrid paired with a diesel 

engine isn’t a regular occurrence. Mercedes claims you’ll 

get up to 256.8 mpg combined, too, which will certainly 

help with the fuel bills. 

Plus, when you’ve run out of electricity – which should 

still give you a decent 54 miles between charges – you’re 

left with a smooth and refined 2.0-litre diesel engine. 

Call Chris on 01942 215 111 or 07969 357 751 

www.cosmeticar.co.uk 

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76 

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid 

Peugeot’s range of electrified vehicles is expanding at an 

ever-quickening rate and the 3008 plug-in hybrid is one of 

its latest. It uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine hooked up to two 

electric motors for a combined power output of 296bhp. 

Four-wheel-drive means it’s got plenty of traction, too. 

Peugeot claims an electric-only range of up to 36 miles. 

On top of this, you get loads of standard equipment and 

one of the sharpest exterior designs around. 

Volkswagen Touareg R 

A hybrid setup can be used for performance, as 

demonstrated by the new Volkswagen Touareg R. It takes 

the title of Volkswagen’s most powerful production car 

to date, thanks to its V6 petrol engine and electric motor 

combination producing 456bhp and 700Nm of torque. 

But it remains a practical and well-sized option, while a 

claimed fuel economy figure of 94.2mpg should make it 

a little cheaper to run than a conventional Touareg, too. 

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Car Paintwork Repairs

77 

“ Do they make 

shopping trolleys 

out of magnets?” 

We don’t judge, we just fix it. 

Audi Q5 TFSI e 

Audi’s Q5 has proved to be a popular choice in the SUV segment thanks to 

its premium interior and good level of standard equipment. A plug-in hybrid 

version has recently been added to its list of powertrains, mirroring other 

cars in Audi’s line-up. 

You should get 26 miles of electric-only range in the Q5 too, allowing for 

plenty of driving without having to trouble the petrol engine. 

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78 

Award Winner 

Thinking outside 

the Box 

by Angie Barker 

I have always been a fan of Buxus 

sempervirens (Box). You know 

that evergreen plant with tightly 

packed small oval leaves that can 

be clipped into any topiary shape 

you can think of. It has always 

been a stalwart of grand country 

gardens as well as small cottage 

gardens as it brings interest and 

structure throughout the year. I 

have a lot of Box in my own garden 

and I love the contrast it brings to 

softer planting of grasses, Acers 

and sprawling hardy Geraniums. 

However the spread of box 

blight and box tree caterpillar 

has focussed my attention on 

looking at alternative evergreen plants which are suitable 

for topiary. Box blight is a fungal disease which causes 

die back in plants and is most prevalent in warm, wet 

conditions. So if you already have Box plants it is always 

best not to trim them when the leaves are wet or rain is 

expected, keep good air circulation around the plants 

and when watering always aim for the base of the plant 

and not the leaves. Box tree caterpillars can completely 

defoliate a plant and whilst sightings are still rare in the 

north west, they are on the increase. There are ways 

of tackling both of these problems if they develop but 

they entail a lot of effort and even Monty Don and Alan 

Titchmarsh have given up and 

removed their Box plants. 

So in new planting schemes 

I have started thinking about 

alternatives to planting Box and 

surprisingly there are several 

good options. These include: 

• Lonicera nitida has very similar 

leaf to Box but more vigorous (ie. 

will need pruning more often) 

• Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean 

Hugues’ makes a good alternative 

hedging plant 

• Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly) 

has small glossy leaves and takes 

shade well like Box 

• Taxus baccata (Yew) can be used successfully to create 

larger topiary shapes and hedging 

• Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ is a shrub which 

naturally forms a neat rounded mound which requires 

minimal pruning so is the perfect answer for a low 

maintenance scheme 

So box clever (excuse the pun) and before automatically 

buying Box as your go to plant for evergreen structure 

and topiary consider the alternatives. With our weather 

pattern becoming warmer and wetter it is probably the 

wise thing to do. 

Angie is a qualified awardwinning 

garden designer 

who will plan your garden 

to your needs from start to 

finish, supplying reputable 

contractors and the ideal 

plants. 

Call Angie now for your free consultation! 

Angie Barker Dip GD (Inst GD) BA (Hons) 

Garden Design For All Seasons 

Tel: 01942 522 405 

Mob: 07857 008 383 

www.angiebarker.co.uk 

Award Winner

for 

as 

SMN 

Tree and Landscape Management 

www.treetechsolutions.co.uk 

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Tree Felling & Pruning 

Site Clearance 

Tree Surveys and Reports 

Invasive Weed Control 

Ground Maintenance 

Agricultural & Domestic Fencing 

Firewood & Woodchip 

Woodland Maintenance 

24 Hour Emergency Tree Work 

West Lancashire Borough Council 

approved contractor 

Wigan Council approved contractor 

Day: 07970 521 692 

Eve: 01942 214 121 

www.smntrees.co.uk 

steve@smntrees.co.uk 


Walks 




• All tree work 

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80 

Inside outside decor 

Garden Trends 

WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT 

Passion for gardens has probably never been greater. Thanks to the Covid-19 

pandemic and the restrictions that we were all obliged to follow, outside spaces 

have taken on a whole new vibe. The trend for utilising even the tiniest of outdoor 

areas is probably here to stay – at least for the next few years. 

This fact is borne out by estate agents who have noticed that at least a quarter of potential property buyers are seeking 

more green space. Flats with gardens are now hugely popular, whereas a few years ago most people purchasing an 

apartment weren’t interested in owning outdoor space. Working from home has encouraged people to use every room in 

their house and to value their garden equally. Many will continue to use their home office rather than commute, because 

it makes perfect sense.

81 

In line with our new appreciation for gardens, many of us 

have created garden ‘rooms’, where the inside flows into 

an outdoor kitchen and dining area. The lines between 

indoors and out have been blurred. It is no longer unusual 

for people to install outdoor fridges, cookers, storage, 

food-preparation surfaces and, of course, seating. The 

latter will probably include a dining table with chairs 

but also an outdoor lounge with comfortable furniture. 

Sometimes this can take up most of the garden, but 

hopefully there will be some attractive planting to 

provide screening, perhaps a soothing water feature 

and definitely a firepit so that everyone can stay outside 

during the evening. 

Gardens need life 

Treating a garden as an extension to the home is a 

developing trend for those who can afford this impressive 

display of luxury. But is it good for gardens? Paving over 

lawns and restricting planting to very limited zones isn’t 

great for biodiversity. Beware of creating a desolate, 

cheerless space with little life to be found. Most people 

love the softness that plants bring to hard landscaping, 

therefore every opportunity should be taken for 

prioritising plants over paving. Aim to develop a passion 

for the right plants in the right places. 

We can all learn from the experts. The re-scheduling of 

RHS Chelsea Flower Show invigorated people at a time of 

year when interest is generally waning. We were wowed 

by the array of plants that look stunning, even though 

summer had passed. The show exemplifies the very best 

combination of hard and soft landscaping and this is 

what we should aspire to. A garden can, indeed, perform 

many functions and a seating place amongst the planting 

enables us to enjoy it to the full. Above all else we should 

make provision for wonderful plants that will attract 

pollinators, provide structure, movement, scent, colour 

and soak up the excesses that the sky deposits. Plants 

absorb pollution, they clean the air and produce oxygen. 

Just relax by some lush planting and see how it makes 

you feel – plants really are good for us. 

The greatest garden trends 

during the last two years 

• Al fresco dining, often with built-in appliances and 

heating and even a retractable canopy. 

• Extending interior decor into the garden. People now 

decorate gardens with lanterns, ornaments, colourful 

accessories, rugs and cushions. Some even sacrifice 

kitchen dressers, sofas and throws in a bid to make a 

bold outdoor statement that creates a cosy space. 

• Grow-your-own is a growing trend. At least fourteen 

per cent of adults in the UK are following a meat-free 

diet. Almost half the population now grows fruit and 

vegetables at home. Not only is it fun and rewarding, 

but it can be completely chemical-free too. 

• Dry stone walling, gabion walls using wire baskets 

filled with stones, and rocks, boulders and pebbles 

are all increasing in popularity. These contemporary 

features combine style with function and they 

provide wonderful nooks and crannies that are 

valuable for wildlife. 

• Porcelain garden paving is the surface of choice for a 

growing number of householders. It’s a rapidly rising 

trend. Porcelain can look like stone but is less porous, 

therefore it doesn’t turn green quite so easily. It’s 

long-lasting, tough, slip-resistant and contemporary. 

• Sowing seeds and planting for wildlife. There has 

been a record demand for wildflower and other seeds 

over the last eighteen months, with sales increasing 

more than 600 per cent. 

Allow a little rewilding in your garden and consider it a 

compliment when spiders and insects populate your 

space. Don’t be tempted to prune your hedge every 

time it grows beyond the picture-book rectangle. Try to 

change the way you see things and avoid the concept 

of a tidy garden. These can be hostile places in terms of 

nature. 

Immerse your seating area within planting

82 

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for 

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Walks 




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87 

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Puzzle Solutions 

CROSSWORD 

WORDWHEEL 

ACROSS: 1. Caucus, 7. Marzipan, 8. Mussel, 10. Sheath, 11. Scull, 13. Beef tea, 16. Lectern, 

17. Marsh, 20. Diwali, 22. Sister, 24. Aloe vera, 25. Yankee. 

DOWN: 1. Cosmos, 2. UFOs, 3. Smelt, 4. Frisbee, 5. Mile, 6. Mattress, 9. Split, 12. Chenille, 

14. Flats, 15. Trailer, 18. Harare, 19. Assay, 21. Aden, 23. Tuck. 

ANSWER: 

BESIDE 

S I 

B E 

E 

D 

WORDSEARCH SUDOKU WIGGLE 

WORDS 

All Bark and No Bite 

WORD 

LADDER 

Here is one possible 

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BEER 

peer 

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5. Wayne’s World 

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7. When Harry Met Sally 

8. Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure 

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• Quality workmanship 

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work 

• No job too 

big or too 

small 

01942 392398 

or 07707 321383 







01942 215 391 



10% off 

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NUrSErY 

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J&P 

MOORCROFT 

LTD 

Professional Painting 

and Decorating 

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Work 

• Interior & Exterior work 

welcomed 

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speciality 

Call us today for a free quotation 

Home Service available 

Choose from 1000s of paint & 

paper samples in the comfort of 

our own home 

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07831 102 511 

www.jpmoorcroft.com 


4 Exterior & Interior 

Decorating 

4 Domestic & 

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undertaken 

4 Competitive rate 

Award Winner 

Contact Graham now 

free estimate provided 

01257 426234 

07954 139069 

graham@topcoatdecoratingservices.co.uk 

www.topcoatdecoratingservices.co.uk 

Need a new 

look for your 

home? 

Skilled interior and 

exterior work undertaken 

at reasonable prices! 

Chris Smith - Painter and 

Decorator 

01257 415388 

or 07545 065119 

Shevington based business 

Arley Cabinet 

Company Ltd 

• Kitchens & Bedrooms since 1952 • 

We Measure ~ We Make ~ We Fit 

Drop into our 

showroom or call us 

for a free estimate 

214a Gidlow Lane, Wigan, WN6 7BN 

01942 246 190 

www.arleycabinets.com 

We repair: 

4 Phones & Tablets 

4 Laptops & PC’s 

4 Gaming Consoles 

4 Apple Watches 

We also build 

gaming PC’s to all 

specifications. 

If we 

can’t fix it, 

no one 

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QUALITY service 

FREE estimates 

FAST turnaround 

Call the Tech Guys on 01744 410554 

or email info@techguys360.co.uk 

www.techguys360.co.uk 

1st Floor, Rainford Parish Council Offices, 

Church Rd, Rainford, St. Helens WA11 8HB

90 

• TV Aerials Installed 

• TV Wall Mounting 

• Telephone Lines 

• Setup Service 

Ring Paul on 

01942 514 532 

07709 490 095 

Aerial & Sky 

Services 

RX-12 Digital TV Aerials 

£75 supplied & fitted 

Aerial Multi-room System 

at £45 per room 

TV Wall Mounting Service 

Level 5 in Signal Path & Fault 

Diagnostics 

Domestic 

& Commercial 

work welcomed 

30+ years 

experience 

01942 257804 

07966 488585 

Call anytime for a quote or email: 

andy@aerialandskyservices.co.uk 

TT20778 

• Business Telephone 

Systems 

• Voip & Structured Cabling 

• Residential Extensions 

• Faults & Gen Enq 

Tel: 01942 441221 

Askus@LJTelecomServices.co.uk 

www.LJTelecomServices.com 

www.aerialandskyservices.co.uk 

LeafLet 

Distribution 

service 

Your leaflets delivered alongside 

this magazine to up to 39,000 

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Flexible service for all 

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Prices from £27.50 per 

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GPs 

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& Print 

services 



then simply chose the postcode areas you 

want to target 

Call us on 01695 627999 



LocalLife


rural Vi lage 

NUrSErY 

FUNDED LANgUAgE 

A l sta f 

PLACES & SPortS 

paediatric 

Available for LESSoNS 

& first aid 

2/3/4 

for 

QUALIFIED 

year olds pre-schoolers 

oPEN 

Large 

£37.50 

Mon-Fri 

outdoor 

per day 

8AM-6PM 

PLAY ArEA 


rated by 

oFStED 

as 

oUtStANDINg 

We cater for 

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3 months 

- 4 years 

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or 07801 295483 

www.clbathrooms.co.uk 

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Call 01695 627 999 



Des Pilling 

Plastering 

• Plastering 

• Skimming 

• Artexing 

Coving & Cornice work 

also welcomed 

Orrell based – Established 1986 

Call Des on 

07787 513 235 

www.lakelandplastering.co.uk 

www.despilling.org.uk 

Convert your bath to a 

Walk-In Shower 

AJC 

WALK IN SHOWERS 

Typical price 

£1800 

Fully guaranteed 

One day installation 

No mess - no fuss 

Easy to clean & maintain 

Call Anthony on 

07919 876 825 

Workshop address: Bulldog Tools Ind. Est. 

Darlington Street East, Wigan WN1 3BT 

Microshop address: Hardshaw Centre, 

Church Street, St. Helens WA10 1EB 

We also fit full bathrooms! 

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Elite 

Bathrooms 

& Wet Room Installation 

• Bathrooms • Wet Rooms 

• Wall & Floor Tiling 

Please call for a FREE Estimates 

07703 448890 

01942 208926 

Bathroom Installation, 

Full Bathrooms & 

En-Suites 

Plumbing Services 

Wall & Floor Tiling 

Ceiling Panelling 

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07803 057940 

Douglas Drive, Orrell, Wigan 

www.ljplumbingandbathrooms.co.uk 



Call 01695 627 999 





We operate a b oking system for the 


We deliver 30 hours fr e entitlement 

Flexible se sions available 


91 






We are big on the great outd ors & being down in the forest 

which is g od for your child’s health and we l-being 

A l Saints’ Primary Sch ol | Finch Lane | A pley Bridge | WN6 9DT 

Li tle Acorns Nursery 


01257 252647 


AGBathrooms.net 

Quality bathrooms at 

reasonable prices 

Complete bathroom 

installations from design 

to completion. 

For free quotes, call Adrian on 

07816 394 292 

Check out our work on 

www.AGBathrooms.net

92 

We’ve got you covered 

for all aspects of 

plumbing and heating 

Boilers Gas Heating Plumbing Drainage 

Installation • Maintenance • Repairs 

626792 

Want a new boiler with 

ZERO upfront cost? 

Pay monthly with servicing and warranty included. 

Call us now to find out how! 

01942 575730 

07565 060530 

166 Gidlow Lane • Wigan • WN6 7EA 

www.blueflameltd.co.uk 

craig@blueflameltd.co.uk 

Family run business with 20+ years experience. 

Check out our reviews: 

A Genuine Family Run Business 

With Friendly & Courteous Staff 

SPECIALISTS IN CENTRAL HEATING INSTALLATION, BOILER REPLACEMENTS AND UPGRADES 

• Annual Boiler Servicing 

• Landlord & Home Owner Gas Safety Checks 

• Mechanical Power Flushing 

• Thermostatic Valves Radiators Fitted 

• All-in-One Air Conditioning & Heating Units for Home & Work 

Telephone: 01942 504 429 

TEL: 01257 421 660 MOB: 07515 505 501 

Accredited Installer & Service Partner 

WE REPAIR ALL 

MAKES OF BOILERS! 

Registration No. 

88604 

www.fgwelch.co.uk 

ShOwROOM NOw OpEN at 19 Preston Road, Standish WN6 0HP 

All plumbing services 

including services & repairs 

• Bathrooms/Wet Rooms designed and fitted 

• Specialists in Disability 

Installations & Conversions 

• Emergency Call outs welcome 

BOILER 

SERVICING 

FROM 

£60 

www.gphwigan.co.uk 

No Obligation Quotes – Call Mark on 

01257 473026 

07515 894281 

527090

for 

as 

651511 

Boiler Installation 

Boiler Servicing & Repairs 

Boiler Finance Available 

Landlords Gas Safety Reports 

Experienced, Reliable & Friendly Service 

0% 

Finance 

available 

Credit Cards accepted 

01942 221 996 

07769 203 056 

hartheatingwigan@gmail.com 

Winstanley-based 

Installation ~ Repairs ~ Service 

Central Heating Systems 

Boilers & Gas Appliances 

General Plumbing 

Gas Safety Certificates 

Call Andy for a free quote on 

01942 564 226 

07397 391 935 

acampbellheatingandgas 

597379 

93 

EmErgEncy call outs 

wElcomEd 

4 Installations, Services 

& Repairs 

4 Boilers 

4 Central Heating 

Bathrooms 

4 573747 

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07818 335 441 

Promote your company 

in this space 

This advert will 

cost from 

£42 + VAT 

4 Free artwork 

4 Pay monthly 

Call 01695 627 999 

Promote your 



Call 01695 627 999 



• Brand New Bathrooms 

• Boiler + Central Heating 

Installs, Servicing + Repairs 

• Extended warranties 

available 

• 24 Hour Call-out 

• Domestic + Commercial 

Freephone: 

0300 3030121 

Dave: 07769 942218 

Matt: 07969 183809 

FINANCE 

OPTIONS 

AVAILABLE 

New showroom opening soon at: 

2a Gathurst Lane, Shevington WN6 8HA 

Email: info@orrellheating.co.uk 

www.orrellheating.co.uk 

Plumbing & Heating 

Specialist 

Complete Bathrooms 

John Bailey 

01942 495785 

or 07721 040620 

& 07710 153238 

Based in Kenyon Road, Wigan 







01942 215 391 



10% off 

Presen 



Put your 

hearing 

first with 





rural Vi lage 

NUrSErY 

A l staff 

paediatric 

& first aid 

QUALIFIED 

oPEN 

Mon-Fri 

8AM-6PM 

FUNDED 

PLACES 

Available for 

2/3/4 

year olds 

£37.50 

per day 

LANgUAgE 

& SPortS 

LESSoNS 

pre-schoolers 

Large 

outdoor 

PLAY ArEA 

rated by 

oFStED 

oUtStANDINg 

We cater for 

CHILDrEN 

3 months 

- 4 years 

NEWLY 

rEFUrBISHED 

in 2019 




Call 01695 627 999 

















01257 252647 




506515 



94 

All Electrical Installations, 

Maintenance & Repairs 

From full re-wires to 

outside lighting to socket 

replacements 

No job too sMAll 

24/7 emergency call-out 

with no call-out charges 

Over 30 years’ experience 

call steve on 

07874 352501 or 01744 368055 

www.billingeelctrical.co.uk 

JIB Approved Electrician 

All domestic electrical work 

24/7 call out service 

FrIEndly, rElIABlE & 

proFEssIonAl 

Call 07557 795 892 

www.johnboughey-electrical.com 

Parbold/Wigan Areas 

gArAge door 

repAirS 

All gArAge 

doorS 

repAired: 

Springs, Cables, 

Locks, Rollers etc. 

Doors of all ages 

repaired 

01744 894939 / 07891 330214 

NO FIX, NO CHARGE! 

Strawberry Cottage, 

Pimbo Lane, Upholland 

WN8 9QL 

www.garagedoorandlock.co.uk 

Jon Wright 

Electrical Ltd 

All types of 

Domestic & Commercial 

work undertaken 

• Inspection & Tests 

• Repairs 

• Solar PV 

• Alarms 

Call now on: 07983 387448 

Email: jonwrightelec@live.co.uk 

Certificate of excellence winner 

2017, 2018 & 2019 

A.J.S. 

BAILEYS 

ELECTRICAL 

All electrical work undertaken 

Free quotations 

• Friendly reliable service 

• Mains board upgrades 

• Extra sockets to full rewires 

01942 215 769 

07739 709 005 

Alarm installations, 

repairs & upgrades 

Domestic and commercial 

work welcome 

Free security assessment provided 

Emergency lock openings 

Lock changes 

No call-out charges 

24-hour service 

60 mins response 

Call 01942 669505 

www.uklocksandalarms.co.uk 

info@ianwalkerservices.co.uk 

a Installation & Maintenance 

a Inspection & Testing 

a Nest Pro Installer 

a CCTV & Alarms 

Tel: 07738 117712 

Orrell bAsed 

J.Dillon 

Electrical Services Ltd 

Electrician ~ Standish 

• All types of electrical work 

• 30+ years experience 

• Friendly, fast and reliable 

• 24 hour call out service 

Call: 01257 424918 

or 07821 139826 

www.jdillonelectrical.co.uk 

W.Hurst & Son Ltd 

ELECTRIC 

CONTRACTOR 

www.whurstandson.co.uk 

• All types of electrical work 

• 35+ years experience 

• No job too small 

• Friendly and reliable 

For a free quote 

& advice call Jeff 

01695 622 191 

07850 622 191

for 

as 

Handy 

Andy 

Building / Joinery 

Plastering / Tiling 

Plumbing / Roofing 

Flatpack Assembly 

Call Handy Andy on 

01257 369 685 

07899 752 225 

tradesbyandy@gmail.com 

HANDS ON 

Property Maintenance 

& Handyman Services 

3 Kitchens & Bathrooms 

3 Painting & Decorating 

3 Building & Joinery 

3 Electrical 

3 Paving, Decking 

& Fencing 

3 Tiling 

3 Plumbing 

Check out my work at 

keith.anderton 

Telephone Keith on 

All 

jobs 

considered 

07812 110476 







01942 215 391 



10% off 

Presen 



Put your 

hearing 

first with 






rural Vi lage 

NUrSErY 

A l staff 

paediatric 

& first aid 

QUALIFIED 

oPEN 

Mon-Fri 

8AM-6PM 

FUNDED 

PLACES 

Available for 

2/3/4 

year olds 

£37.50 

per day 

LANgUAgE 

& SPortS 

LESSoNS 

pre-schoolers 

Large 

outdoor 

PLAY ArEA 

rated by 

oFStED 

oUtStANDINg 

We cater for 

CHILDrEN 

3 months 

- 4 years 

NEWLY 

rEFUrBISHED 

in 2019 




Call 01695 627 999 

















01257 252647 



Prices include 

suPPly & fit 

Orrell 

based 

All aspects of joinery 

cAll Mike for A free quote 

01942 590514 • 07988 260621 

www.orrelljoinery.co.uk 

Promote your 



Call 01695 627 999 


6 Doors 

from 

£370 

Oak Door 

from 

£140 


Specialists in 

Replacement 

Double 

Glazed Units 

Ring with sizes for 

a FREE estimate 

Open 7 days 8am - 8pm 

Established Local Family Company 

01942 470 085 

0800 328 8573 

www.steamywindows.net 

Superior 

craftmanship at 

competitive rates 

• Home improvements 

• Loft conversions 

• Garage conversions 

& Extensions 

• Staircases 

• Windows & Doors 

95 

For all aspects of renovations 

and maintenance - 

no job too small! 

For a free quote, 

call MT Joinery now. 

01257 422317 

or 07852 202867 

www.mtjoinery.co.uk 

• Conservatory repairs 

• Locks, handles and hinges 

• Replacement glass 

• Windows and doors installed 

• Replacement conservatory 

roofs 

Call MARK now on 

01942 737 381 

0776 315 1720 

conservatoryrepairs@gmail.com 

www.fixmyconservatory.com

96 

First Class 

Workmanship 

4 All types of re-roofs 

4 Strip & re-slate or re-tile 

4 Built up felt/flat roofs, 

dormers etc. 

4 Insurance work undertaken 

4 Roofline uPVC 

fascias, soffits 

& guttering 

W.Newman 

ROOFING & REPAIRS 

01695 627 212 

MOBILE: 07774 943 706 

52 HALLBRIDGE GARDENS, 

UP HOLLAND 

Established Over 30 Years 

28 Years Experience 

Extensions & Refurbishments 

Kitchens & Bathrooms 

Conservatories & Orangeries 

Windows & Doors 

Roofs & Fascia Boards 

Decking & Balustrading 

All aspects of building works 

No job too small 

Call Peter for a free quotation 

Day: 07961 516 677 

Eve: 01942 745 428 

Cambridge Road, Orrell 

WILSON 

BROS 

• • 

Est. 1985 

Roofing & Roofline 

Specialists 

• All aspects of 

maintenance & repair 

• Fascia & soffit 

installation 

• Guttering and felting 

services 

Call us now for 

a free estimate 

01695 633173 

Colin: 07958 302 166 

Brian: 07760 160 988 

www.wilson-bros.co.uk 

StoveS 

by Andy 

Save £££’s on 

your install 

• InStallatIonS 

• MaIntenance 

• ServIcIng 

For a free quote and expert 

advice call Andy on 

01257 369 685 

07899 752 225 

stovesbyandy@gmail.com 

Promote your 



Call 01695 627 999 



All aspects of 

roofing & roofline 

NEW ROOFS 

REPAIRS 

FASCIAS, SOFFITS 

& GUTTERS 

Dormers and 

Garages 

Rubber Cover Roofing Specialist 

Guaranteed 50 years 

Call for free quote 

M: 07894 687 384 

B.A. 

Berry 

Building & Roofing 

Specialists 

• All building work undertaken. 

• From a broken tile to a full 

re roof. 

• Flat roofs renewed and 

repaired. 

• Extensions, Alterations, 

Structural repairs including 

Lintels. 

Your local fully 

qualified tradesman 

with 30 years experience 

Call us now for a free, 

no obligation quote 

01695 622 704 

07968 652 320 

www.baberry.co.uk

97 

K Stone 

Building Services 

All types of building 

work undertaken 

• Brickwork 

• Pointing 

• Garden Walls 

• Patios 

25 years 

experience 

• Roof Repairs 

• Flagging 

• Alterations 

• Driveways 

01942 495412 

07974 496676 

Call us now for ALL your roofline requirements! 

Facias, soffits, cladding, dry verge and gutters 

We specialise in seamless 

aluminium gutters. 

Clean, stylish and guaranteed 

for 25 years! 

Call: 07917 352 182 / 07917 352 183 

www.orrellroofline.co.uk 

ALPINE LTD 

Roofing & Building Services 

OAP 

DISCOUNTS 

SERVING 

CHORLEY, WEST 

LANCASHIRE & 

WIGAN 

Your local roofing company from repairs 

to re-roofs, fascia’s, soffits & gutters. 

• Flat roof specialists 

• Damp proof specialists 

• Quality workmanship 

• Affordable pricing 

• Quick response to all repairs 

FULLY INSURED 

Tel: 01942 410989 

Mob: 07730 351523 

www.alpineroofingandbuildingltd.co.uk

Cover photo © Ian Bonne l Photograpthy 

98 

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your 

business 

in 


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GPS 

tracking 

WIGAN NORTH 

WIGAN 

NEXT ISSuE 

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13,249 

ABC1 homes 

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Come and visit the largest 

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100 

Tomorrow’s Home Improvements Today! 

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Visit our showroom/factory at; Crows Nest, Ashton Road, Billinge, WN5 7XX (near Windy Arbour crossroads) 

www.orrellwindows.co.uk 

28544

Local Life - Wigan - September 2021

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