Monday 27 October 2008

Recycling news - Slag Lane centre open again

The council's household waste recycling centre (HWRC) on Slag Lane between Leigh and Lowton is now open again.

The busy site has undergone a month long upgrade to ensure facilities for the public and recycling operatives were up to standard. Residents will see a more efficient process and the staff on site will be able to process waste much more effectively.

Slag Lane HWRC is open daily from 8am to 9pm, and residents with cars can visit it to recycle a wide variety of domestic materials:

Facilities on site allow for the recycling of paper, cardboard, books, directories, shoes, plastic bottles, glass bottles/jars, cans/foil, metals, textiles, electrical items, 'TetraPak' drinks cartons, engine oil, car batteries, timber, garden waste, bricks, rubble and soil.

I have received this invitation to the Three Sisters Reserve Celebration on 30th October. All are welcome but make sure you are wearing wellies - at least.

For more information contact : Graham Workman Wildlife & Countryside Development Manager Wigan Leisure & Culture Trust

Ashton Heath - an update



Using monies from last year's Township Forum grant BTCV have completed work on the hill at the south end of Ashton Heath, cutting back, making up the pathway and surfacing with wood chippings. The next tasks will be to improve
the pathway through the woodland and to install a bench by the main path.

Cleaning up Ashton

The Brighter Borough team is in Ashton again from the 3rd to the 7th November. If you know of any areas in Ashton that need cleaning up please contact me and I will pass them on to the Council

Thursday 9 October 2008

60 today

I can't believe it but I am 60 today. (How did that happen?) So I thought I would look at what happened in the year of my birth 1948.

I found that there were a lot of events that occurred in 1948 that have shaped our present day. The National Health was created and the railways were nationalised. The first supermarket in Britain was opened and world's first computer ran its first programme. The treaty of Brussels was signed and the first comprehensive school was opened. ( see full list of events below)

Things that I have not had time to find out are as follows and I would like help with are:

1. The average cost of a house

2. The average wage

3. What it would cost to feed a family of four.

4. How much it would cost to buy a car

5. How much it would cost to travel to Wigan or Manchester from Ashton

And anything else. Please feel free to contribute any fact about that year.

1948


• 1 January - British Rail created when the government nationalises the railway industry.[1]
• 4 January - Burma gains its independence from the United Kingdom.[2]
• 12 January - The London Co-operative Society opens Britain's first supermarket, in Manor Park, London.[3]
• 30 January–8 February - Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and win 2 bronze medals.
• 4 February - Ceylon (later renamed Sri Lanka) becomes independent within the British Commonwealth.[4] King George VI becomes King of Ceylon.
• 17 March - Britain signs the Treaty of Brussels with Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.[5]
• 14 May - The murder of a three-year-old girl in Blackburn leads to the fingerprinting of more than 40,000 men in the city in an attempt to find the murderer.
• 21 June - Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine, the world's first stored-program computer, ran its first program.[5]
• 22 June
o the ship Empire Windrush arrives in Britain with 500 Jamaican immigrants.[1]
o An order in council removes the title of Emperor of India from the Royal Style and Titles, recognising the independence of India in 1947.
• 5 July - The National Health Service is founded, giving Britons the right to universal healthcare, free at point of use.[1]
• 15 July - First London chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous.[5]
• 25 July - End of Post-War bread rationing.[3]
• 29 July–14 August
o 1948 Summer Olympics held in London.[1]
o Great Britain and Northern Ireland win 3 gold, 14 silver and 6 bronze medals at the London Olympics.
• 30 July - Gas Boards created as the government nationalises the gas industry.[3]
• 18 August - Jockey Lester Piggott, aged 12, wins his first race at Haydock Park Racecourse.[5]
• September - The first comprehensive schools open in Potters Bar and Hillingdon.[3]
• 6 September - Flying the de Havilland DH 108, John Derry becomes the first British pilot to break the sound barrier.[5]
• October - The Morris Minor and Land Rover both go on sale.[3]
• 8 November- The King issues Letters Patent granting the title of Prince or Princess of the United Kingdom, with the style Royal Highness, to the children of The Duke of Edinburgh and The Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh.
• December - Patrick Blackett wins the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his development of the Wilson cloud chamber method, and his discoveries therewith in the fields of nuclear physics and cosmic radiation".[6]
• 10 December - T. S. Eliot wins the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his outstanding, pioneer contribution to present-day poetry".[7]

Monday 6 October 2008

RareTara - Residents and Tenants group


Another group which seems to be flourishing is RareTara and whose monthly meeting I attended recently.

The group was set up at the end of May 2008 The committee members are as follows:

Chairperson (Mr Julian Sorfleet)

Secretary (Mr David Brown)

Treasurer (Miss Judith Jones)

Vice Chair (Mr Ian Brown)

Vice Secretary ( Mrs Julie Deluce)

Vice Treasurer (Mrs Sheila Brown)



They are looking forward to improving both Riding Lane Estate & Recreation Avenue Estate, working alongside Stubshaw Cross Residents Group and Wigan & Leigh Housing. Their aims are to promote the spirit of the community and to help tackle antisocial problems by encouraging youngsters/teenagers to partake in sporting and leisure activities, hosting fun days along with events for the elderly tenants and residents on both estates.

I was very impressed at the meeting with the progress they had made especially to help young people, some of whom were present a the meeting.

In the picture above (taken from the raretara website - I hope there are no copyright issues) are residents, Councillors and representatives of Wigan and Leigh Housing who were present at the monthly meeting.

You can contact Raretara on www.raretara.co.uk

Ashton Seagulls - doing Ashton proud

As part of Ashton festival last week I went to see a display of dance and gymnastics by the boys and girls at Ashton Seagulls. Once again I was mightily impressed by the standard achieved in the show. I would advise anyone who has not seen one of their displays to do so - they are really breathtaking at times. It is also worth noting that it is the young people themselves who arrange all the dance and movement.

I would like to highlight the work this group is doing for young people in the Ashton area. The club is run by volunteers and around 500 young people attend it during the week. It has known nationally and as a consequence young people from all over the North West come to Ashton to train there. On the night of the display I was talking to parents who had come from Preston and the Wirral. The club also competes and wins awards and medals both in the UK and abroad.


So well done to the adults who give up so much of their time for the club and to all the young people who put on such a fantastic display that night.

If anyone reading this from the Seagulls has photos I can publish on this blog I will be happy to do so.

Extra time for Carers - a Wigan Athletic initiative

I thought this was a refreshing change from the stories you usually hear about Premier League football clubs and their players

Wigan’s army of unpaid carers can now find some ‘extra time’ for themselves watching Premiership football at the JJB – for free.

‘Extra time for carers’ is a joint Wigan Council/Wigan Athletic scheme to give council-registered unpaid carers – hard-pressed people who look after friends and family members – an afternoon out at the big match.

Carers Development Officer, Steven Hill, explains:
“We have hundreds of people on our books who dedicate themselves to supporting others – now they can support the Latics too.

“Being a carer can be incredibly rewarding, but the stress, anxiety and sacrifice can take its toll. If you’re looking after people who, for example, might be frail, disabled or chronically-ill, you’re going to need a break now and again.

“So, if you’re a registered unpaid carer and you fancy an afternoon at the football, find out more about ‘Extra time for carers’.”

Wigan Athletic’s Manager, Steve Bruce, adds:
“'Extra time for carers’ is a great idea and we are delighted to be involved in the scheme. Anybody taking up the offer can be sure of a warm welcome here at the JJB Stadium and we look forward to even more supporters getting behind our team.”

About 1,400 unpaid carers are currently registered with the council’s Carer Support Team. Anybody interested in the ‘Extra time for carers’ scheme, which kicks-off this Saturday (4th October) when Latics entertain Middlesbrough, should contact the team on 01942 705967.

If the scheme proves successful, it could be extended to include summer rugby next year.

Saturday 4 October 2008

620 - the campaign begins


Now that Arriva has decided to continue with the 620 service our Use it or Lose it campaign will continue with Labour Councillors over the next few months making people and agencies in Ashton, Abram and Hindley aware of the situation regarding this service

For the photo( see above)it was pleasing that myself and the two Labour councillors from Hindley, Jim Talbot and Jim Churton, were joined by members of the public and representatives of the local Hospice and a representative and service users of Amberswood wanting to play an active role in our campaign. In the coming months we are looking forward to working with them and other groups who want to help in our campaign.


Please contact me if you want a copy of the new timetable in operation from 13th October.