Ten Questions with… Martin Henfield.

What attracts you to Ramsbottom as a place to live?

I came to Ramsbottom in 1976. I was driving around and came across this unusual place, which in those days shut at midday on a Saturday and didn’t open again until Monday morning; it was quite run down then. But it has surpassed itself and grown into a tremendous community. Its vitality is unique and it has huge character. It has re-invented itself with independent shops, festivals theatres, restaurants, it really is I an amazing place, I could take friends to any of half a dozen or so places to eat and they’d be glowing with praise.

You are involved in fund raising for the Theatre, what is so unique about it?

The theatre is one of the finest amateur theatres in the North of England . The energy behind the scenes is so impressive and they have raised so much money to turn it into a Theatre from an old cinema and snooker hall. They’ve now converted upstairs to a studio rehearsal space for the youth theatre. It’s really important to attract new people and not just your average middle class ‘luvvies’. We have had famous faces start their careers here. Ralph Little who found fame as the youngest beleaguered son Anthony in the Royle Family TV series came to the youth theatre here as a young lad.

Are you theatrical yourself?

I’m not theatrical at all. I was in one production called Celebration when I was 18 and on the second night there was more in the cast than the audience , so I decided there and then it wasn’t for me. TV is very different, it requires more discipline, is less expressive and I feel, less skilful than Theatre.

What was it like being one of the most well known faces on TV in the Region?

You have to ask whether you really are well known. People thought they knew you but never where from. They know they’ve seen you but they can never remember your name. They also always expect you to be bigger I am five foot eight, they expect a Schwarzenegger type figure I think!

I was once in Alderly Edge and saw this woman staring at me from the other side of the road. As I moved along, so did she. I moved, she moved. Eventually she crossed the road, weaving through the traffic and says to me. “It is you isn’t it” I was just about to confirm her suspicions of me being ‘that man off the telly’ when she added “You know it must be 2 years now since you put our dog down” She thought I was the family vet!

I did feel a responsibility being invited into people’s living rooms, you are a friend to many people and I always tried to remember that.

Have you interviewed many well known people?

I have interviewed four prime ministers: Callahan, Thatcher, Major and Blair.

Thatcher’s Head of Press was the notorious Bernard Ingham, who was renowned for being a bully.
I interviewed Major at Old Trafford and he was really preoccupied and distracted . I put it down to him being a huge cricket fan, but later of course I discovered that the interview was right in the middle of his affair with Edwina Curry, so it appears he may have had illicit romance on his mind!

When I interviewed Blair I remember Alastair Campbell standing behind me and Blair clearly taking signals from Campbell. He was being advised silently in the interview.

What was the most memorable interview you’ve done?

I think my most memorable experience was interviewing Sophia Loren. She was in Manchester promoting her new perfume. My bosses didn’t want to hear about the perfume of course, just about her well documented problems with the tax man and her impending divorce. Before she arrived two hefty bouncer type fellas made it clear I would not be allowed to ask any personal questions at all. When Sophia arrived, a vision of loveliness, she sat on a plush settee in front of me. She had huge rose tinted glasses and a bouffant hair style. I knew I had to get something other than talk about her perfume, so careful to avoid any reference to her age, I asked her what her secret was. She said “Secret, what do you mean secret?” I finally blurted out “How do you look so good for your age?” She paused, looked straight at me and asked “How old are you?” I said 38. She replied “ You really should look after yourself more “ and with that she flounced out!

You’ve also worked with comedy radio stars Mark and Lard on Radio1, how was that?

We did the Vague news together and it came to have a real cult following. It involved me reading a news bulletin in the old 1950’s BBC Pathe news style and the joke was that the bulleting contained no news what so ever! We recorded five bulletins after their show on a Friday afternoon. It was very popular with university students and it brought me national fame with a whole new younger audience overnight.

If you were to do a news feature on Ramsbottom what would be the main things you’d cover?

I love the vitality of the place and I think it would be good to show how the town has grown and evolved over the years without being spoiled and becoming one of those generic places where all the shops are the same.

You ran your own Media training business for many years and advised many well known figures on how to deal with the Media. What sort of tips did you give people?

Don’t be over awed and rushed into saying something you don’t want to.

Prepare and anticipate what you are going to be asked and think about what you are going to say in advance. But don’t have words put in your mouth, don’t be hassled don’t be pushed. No comment is not an option in today’s cut throat media. I am retired now but still involved with the Media and use my contacts to help with fundraising. I’ve just compared a big charity concert at the Bridgewater Hall which raised £31,000 for Christies Hospital.

If you could change one thing about Ramsbottom what would it be?

I feel the River should be tidied up especially by the Wharf area, that could really be improved. There are filthy plastic bags and cans everywhere. If that was cleaned up it could be real haven for wildlife and an added attraction for the town.

Article written by Emma Speed

So Wayne Rooney is now sunning himself in Barbados and he booked his holiday two days before England went out of the World Cup, if the Daily Mail is to be believed. It`s a good story and whether or not it is actually true it underlines just how important travel is to us all.

Within hours of the England football squad arriving back in the UK, the newspapers told us how the players were jetting off to foreign climates to get away from it all. How dare they go off and enjoy themselves after letting the nation down…

But the fact is that he England team are just a small fraction of the huge numbers of people now booking holidays following the World Cup exit. At such a busy time of the year in the travel industry of course plenty of customers are looking to get away for a last minute deal and there are plenty of deals at the moment to be had.

Contact Designer Travel Team to book your summer holiday now on 01706 770150 or www.designertravel.co.uk

Mike Kelly is a photographer based in Ramsbottom who works across the North West, the UK and sometimes overseas. He specialises in weddings but covers other areas as well – including quite a few of the photos you may have seen on our site. Mike’s work’s been published worldwide, including the Guardian newspaper and Closer magazine here in the UK (he was also caught on camera working backstage for the BBC recently!).

Mike’s in huge demand at this time of year for his relaxed and fresh approach to wedding photography – check out his site at mikekellyphotography.co.uk. We finally pinned him down to answer some questions for us as part of our ’10 Questions With…’ series:

1. Why Ramsbottom?
It’s the perfect location – hills all around us, great motorway access, small enough to feel cosy but big enough to keep some great restaurants, bars and shops in business. Plus it’s two hours from here to the Lake District, North Wales, Yorkshire Dales, Peak District. We just need a beach.

2. What is your favourite local place to take photos?
I’d have to say all along the river valley really, whether you walk down towards Burrs or up to Helmshore it’s just beautiful in the evenings.

3. Any secret gems you can let us in on?
Not especially – just get the OS map out and go exploring. There are hundreds of little paths criss crossing the area with some really interesting routes. Try walking up and around Muswell Tor then across to Grane Road.

4. What’s the most exotic place photography has taken you…apart from Ramsbottom?
I’ve been out to Austin Texas a few times now for the South by South West music festival. It’s a fantastic event – hundreds of bands playing in tiny bars. An exhibition of some of my photos from Austin has just opened at the new Manchester Photographic Gallery (manchesterphotographicgallery.co.uk).

5. As an old campaigner in the industry what would your advice be to anyone considering starting photography?
I can’t really claim to be an old campaigner! I’ve only been photographing seriously for about 5 years myself. There’s an enormous amount of information on the internet and I spent years learning from sites like photo.net and some of the flickr groups. If you can find a group that’s right for you you’ll find that the global network of photographers is really supportive and helpful. Oh, and ditch the zoom lens that came with your camera and swap it for a 50mm 1.8 lens. It will cost you about £80. Leave that on your camera for a few months and learn to zoom with your feet. It will make a huge difference.

6. Would it cost a lot to get started?
It will cost you about £350 for a decent entry level DSLR and of course £80 for that 50mm lens.

7. What kind of work do you do?
I mostly do wedding photography which I love, but also portraits and some commercial work – I do freelance photography for the BBC which means I get to run around backstage at places like the Albert Hall from time to time. That’s a real treat.

8. Why wedding photography?
It’s the most stressful but also the most rewarding area to work in. I love the challenge of organising everything in advance and also trying to keep things fresh on the day. It’s an amazing privilege to be with a couple on such an important day in their lives.

9. What should people be looking for in a wedding photographer?
I think the most important thing is that you can build a good relationship with your photographer. The better you get on, and the more chances you’ve had to meet beforehand then the more relaxed you’ll be and the more natural the photos will be. Of course it’s also important that you like the style of photography – when a client calls because they love the style of my pictures then I know it is going to work out well.

10. Any wedding nightmares you can tell us about?
The worst one was a wedding where I was a guest at a remote village in Yorkshire. There was only one hotel nearby so all the guests were booked in there. On the way over in the morning I got a call from the groom saying forget the hotel, it had set on fire the night before and was still blazing. The bride’s family knew everyone in the area though, and by the time we arrived they’d arranged for all of the guests to stay in spare rooms in the village. It made it a really special day.

Denise Smith is a prominent personality in Ramsbottom and has lived here for more than 40 years. She has run her lighting and interior design business for 32 of those, seeing big changes and surviving recession and more recently a flood. Before becoming a business woman she enjoyed a brief but fascinating career as a model in the 60’s.

In the first of a new monthly feature where we speak to local personalities in Ramsbottom, we put our ten questions to her…

1. What is so good about Ramsbottom?

The good thing about Ramsbottom is that it is full of small independent shops and businesses which is a change from most town’s these days, as they all look the same. You get better one to one service from independent shops, which is really important.

I can remember the day I opened and even my first customer. It was a Mrs Taylor and she bought a centre light and two wall lights, brass ones and she’s still a customer! In those days there was a lot more greenery and where the urn is now in front of the Grant Arms, was all grass and roses, it was lovely. But I suppose the most important thing is to be practical nowadays.
I was confident that we would last as it’s what I know and am passionate about.

2. Was interior design your first career?

No my first career believe it or not, was as a model, even though I’m a lot smaller than the models were in those days. But I modelled for clothing which was for people five foot two and under.
It was an interesting and exciting time for a young girl. I’ve always had a passion for clothes and designers so it was great for me; it wasn’t like working at all! In those days you had to have good deportment and posture from being a small girl…my mother always thought it was important that girls walked well and I benefitted from that. It wasn’t as glamorous as people think, it was really hard work. I had 6 pairs on every shoot so that my feet never ached, you couldn’t afford to complain or be a diva.

3. What’s the best part of your job …

I love the design side of my job…going along to a house and seeing it as a new and exciting challenge. I try to feel the house and the atmosphere in it and have a good think and usually the house helps me decide what sort of design would bring out the best in it.
and the worst part of your job?
I don’t really have a worst part – I just enjoy all sides of it, I love meeting people and my clients are lovely people, who always come back to me and that’s important.

4. What are the most unusual customers you’ve had?

I’ve met a lot of actors and actresses from Coronation Street…in particular the actress who played Bette Lynch – Julie Goodyear. She’s a really lovely person and a character. She once switched on Blackpool Illuminations and I believe she spent her fee from that here in the shop, which is quite appropriate really, it being a lighting shop. Bobby Charelton’s Wife – Lady Charleton also used to pop in a lot, but I love talking to all my customers no matter who they are.

5. What has been your most unusual Request?

Well I had an American chap come in and he asked for a huge crystal chandelier and he insisted he wanted it to be sent all the way to America, which I thought was a bit strange and it cost him an absolute fortune. I hope it got there in one piece!

6. Most unusual House Design

Probably one of the nicest jobs I have ever done is taking a really really old 16th century barn and my brief was to make the interior very very modern. I found the mixture of old and new fascinating. Also I did the Bridge Hotel at Prestbury. It was a beautiful 19th century building and they wanted me to design the interior in keeping with its age. I chose fabulous colours like black and gold. I was only supposed to be doing the entrance room and I ended up doing about a hundred chairs for the dining room, then I made over the conference room, the bridal suite and even the owner’s home.

7. Do you have any time left for hobbies?

I enjoy reading and eating out with friends, I like good food and enjoy jazz music as well. I am just about to start Salsa classes at the Civic Hall, as I’ve always loved dancing, but we’ll see if I’m any good.

8. What tips do you have for small businesses surviving in a recession?

You have to be dedicated prepared to give a lot of your time and pay a lot of attention to detail and really enjoy what you do, as it comes across if you don’t and it’s very important that you like people.

9. Who is your role model when it comes to business?

My father was my role model really, he had his own radio, television and lighting shop and we were very close. He loved selling and dealing with the public and I think that was passed onto me. He was also prepared to work really hard and I saw that was a way to be successful.

10. If you could change one thing about Ramsbottom what would it be?

I suppose the only thing I’d change is Friday nights in Ramsbottom. It’s a shame we don’t have more wine bars and places like that. It can get a bit too rowdy at kicking out time when youngsters have been on a big pub crawl. But apart from that it really is hard to think of anything else, it really is a lovely place to live and have my business.

Article written by Emma Speed

Ramsbottom-based blogger Andy Walker (http://walkersrambles.wordpress.com) previews The Big Debate . . .

Ramsbottom’s Theatre Royal has had its fair share of must-see shows over the years and it’s hosting another one at 7pm on Friday 9 April, 2010, when the three main candidates for the Bury North seat in the forthcoming general election face off in The Big Debate ‘LIVE’.

Bury North is a key target constituency for the Tories. Their candidate, local solicitor David Nuttall who stood in Bury North at the last general election, would take the seat on a 3.4% swing from Labour. At the last election the seat was a straight two-way fight between Labour and Tory. This time around though, things could be very different and that’s arguably down to the current MP for Bury North, David Chaytor, who will be a pivotal figure in this election despite the fact that he’s not even standing.

Chaytor, who took the seat in the Blairite landslide of 1997, has of course been barred from standing following allegations about his expenses claims. He is alleged to have dishonestly obtained more than £20,000 on his Parliamentary expenses and is currently facing charges in court. Not the best of backdrops for Labour to be defending the seat and there’s no doubt that their candidate, Manchester City councillor Maryam Khan, will have her work cut out if she is to win a seat which is Labour’s third most vulnerable in the North West.

The other main party candidate fighting the seat is the Liberal Democrat and Bury councillor, Richard Baum. The Lib Dems came a distant third in the general election of 2005 and realistically they should be out of the running this time round. They could however still help decide who wins the seat, as if their vote holds up or if they take votes from the Tories, that could boost Labour’s chances.

So, what of the three candidates fighting Bury North? Who are they and what do they stand for?

Maryam Khan for Labour represents the Longsight ward on Manchester City Council. She won the seat in 2006 to become the youngest councillor on the council. Khan, 27, says she was inspired to go into politics by her father, a Labour Party activist and councillor.

Khan went to school in Bury and is keen to represent a town that she has many ties to. She has given up her job as a solicitor to concentrate on her campaign, has also moved into the constituency and is spending a great deal of time pounding the streets. A prolific ‘tweeter’, @maryam4burynth wears her heart on her sleeve and you could never accuse her of a lack of passion. While up against it because of the Chaytor factor, Khan is keen to be portrayed as a strong, new voice for Bury North and should not be discounted come polling day.

David Nuttall for the Conservatives fought the seat at the last general election, losing out by just under 3,000 votes to Chaytor. A solicitor who now practises as a notary, Nuttall lives in Tottington but originally grew up in Rotherham, south Yorkshire. The son of a steelworker, he says his earliest political memories were of his father complaining about being forced to join a trade union and the lights going out as a result of the miners’ strike in the 1970s.

A well-known face in the constituency having stood last time round, Nuttall is a traditional Tory who joined the Young Conservatives at 18. Apart from standing in Bury North in 2005, he was also an unsuccessful general election candidate for the Tories in 1997 in Sheffield Hillsborough and again in 2001 in Morecambe and Lunesdale. He lists his role model and political hero as Margaret Thatcher and is currently the even-money favourite with the bookies Betfair to win the seat.

Richard Baum for the Liberal Democrats is 28, a business planning manager for a local NHS mental health trust and he also represents one of the three Prestwich wards on Bury Council. Born in Bury he has lived in the town for most of his life and is clearly proud to be standing for parliament in the town of his birth.

A prolific blogger, Baum is a trenchant critic of the Conservatives’ record on Bury Council, which they regained from Labour in 2007. Keen to highlight the Tories’ council tax rises in Bury while simultaneously cutting services, Baum will inevitably use the election campaign to equate ‘Tory misrule’ in Bury with what voters can expect should they form a government.

At the turn of the year, with the Tories riding high in the opinion polls, it seemed a racing certainty that Bury North would turn blue at the general election. Now, with the opinion polls narrowing and a hung parliament looking ever more likely, this seat is starting to look a lot closer. Some soundings from local campaigning to date suggest that the seat is too close to call. Against this background, hearing what the candidates have to say first hand could be a deciding factor in making a lot of people’s minds up.

Ramsbottomonline.com should be congratulated for organising a good, old-fashioned political debate. It’s a throw-back to the good old days when politicians had to argue their ideas before the public and win people over with the force of their oratory and their passion. Will there be passion and oratory on show in Bury North? Get along to the Theatre Royal in Ramsbottom on 9 April to find out!

2005 General Election Result Votes %

David Chaytor (Lab) 19,130 43.0

David Nuttall (Con) 16,204 36.5

Wilf Davison (LD) 6,514 14.7

Stewart Clough (BNP) 1,790 4.0

Philip Silver (UKIP) 476 1.1

Ryan O’Neil (SLP) 172 0.4

Ian Upton (Ver) 153 0.3

Turnout 61.5

Majority for David Chaytor 2,926 6.6

Swing required in 2010 (Lab to Con) 3.4

Today I awoke and as usual came downstairs, put the kettle on and opened the blinds to let the early morning sunshine into my lounge. Whilst looking out onto the street I couldn’t help but notice that there was something missing from my recently landscaped front garden. To my shock and amazement, I realised the missing items were the new fern trees that had been recently planted.

We moved to Ramsbottom from deepest Salford nearly 3 years ago and up to now we have had no problems with vandalism or people stealing our belongings. Now I know we don’t live in a picture book society but I did think that people around these parts wouldn’t have the bare faced cheek to take something from your front garden on a Monday night, not only one item but 5 fern trees worth about £25!!

Having previously heard stories of car jackings and other incidents, I felt lucky I hadn’t been a victim of any local crime. This incident has jaded my outlook a little on my adopted home, which I would like to add looked in very poor repair up until just over 1 week ago! It also leaves me to make a decision on what I do with the garden:
A) Replant the trees for the 2nd time in the same month and leave myself open to be out of pocket again along with someone walking past my house and inadvertently sticking two fingers up to me?
B) Leave it as it is and let them win and have an unfinished and untidy garden?
C) Replant the trees and ensure they get a very nasty shock if they attempt to take them again?

Anybody who knows me will know the answer. Garden thief beware….

Is this a one off incident? Has anybody had anything like this happen to them before? There are so many more attractive plants nearby in pots, why take mine, which are small newly planted trees not really worth a great deal, which you could barely see from the street? Mmm…
I was born & bread in Salford and never had anything stolen, less than 3 years in Rammy and I’ve had PLANTS stolen on a main road on a Monday night.

That is one statement I didn’t think I’d be making when I moved up here.

Within the heart of the industrial north-west lie many towns founded and developed during the Industrial boom of the late eighteenth century onwards, including my home town Ramsbottom. I have lived here for the vast majority of my twenty-seven years and have witnessed its ever developing growth. However, as a passionate classicist, pre-historian and archaeologist, it is my intention to unearth and further understand the alternative history of Ramsbottom and its surroundings. This is the history not taught in our local primary and high schools, but rather a long forgotten period which I intend to highlight to you – the resident community and local readers. This is a period that harks back well over 2,000 years before the late eighteenth, early nineteenth centuries’ industrial recreation of Ramsbottom.

Those who dwell within this haven like valley are well aware of the towns foundations and its heritage; many a school-child are informed of the momentous exploits of the Peel and the Grant families to assure Ramsbottoms’ place as a successful industrial town rivalling any within the Irwell Valley basin. Such grand reminders pepper our landscape sporting the success and civil reforms of the Industrial era: monuments like Peel Tower (built in 1852), perched proudly astride Holcombe Hill – a landmark in its self; the less renowned but equally once prominent ruins that are Grants Tower (built in 1828), built to honour the valleys primary pioneers and benefactors, William, Daniel, John and Charles respectively.

This form of reinvention took place throughout many small scale farming communities and mill villages/towns and helped propel Britain to a status of world domination, heralding with it, as it did in many small north-western towns, a new era of identity, pride and heritage made within the very fabric of the Industrial Revolution. On several occasions I have found myself within one of the public houses scattered throughout Ramsbottom’s centre and beyond, gazing at a picture depicting the era of industry, that great time of ‘prosper’ for Ramsbottom and its town folk; those grainy black and white images recording the ever growing, grandiose exploits of land owners, town developers and factory owners that one could almost forget that this landscape holds a key to a more ancient, settled people, living in a time not often synonymous with Ramsbottom…the Stone Age!

To be more precise I refer to the era known as Prehistory – a time before the historical accounts and authors of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Many of us forget, or are simply unaware, that a whole nation of tribes and communities spread throughout Britain well before the ideal of ‘civilization’ was compelled upon this island by the Roman Empire after their invasion of AD 43. This was a land of well established cultures, traditions and spiritual belief that connected way back to a time before people dwelled in what we now understand to be towns or cities. Many of us are familiar with the physical mark left by these people on the landscape throughout Britain (one thinks of Stonehenge or Maiden Castle as good examples), but what of the prehistory of Ramsbottom, the Irwell-valley basin and its surrounding areas? Why would our humble valley not offer safety, comfort, and shelter from the world outside? Could such people have lived here and built wonders to rival Stonehenge? Surely not!

Throughout my forthcoming articles I aim to offer a series of facts, opinions, interpretations and concepts about prehistoric Ramsbottom and the surrounding areas. I would be most encouraged if this would spark a lively debate within the community in general and particularly, here online. Although I can offer a certain amount of information, it is always a pleasure to exchange knowledge and ideas with other local enthusiasts, so please, feel free to comment or get in touch. Part two coming soon…!

Article by Rob Greenhalgh

Yep it’s here once again and doesn’t it seem once Valentine’s Day draws near everywhere you turn all you see are a plethora of the ‘oh so cliché’ “single person survival guides.” As a single person, I find this to be a horrendous practice. A survival guide? Really, a “survival guide??” This is supposed to help? Survival guides are for desperate people lost in the wilderness, starving, freezing, and hunted by wild animals. Apparently that’s what I and my fellow singletons are to the non-single world: the metaphorical equivalent Bear Grylls!

I have no problem with Valentine’s Day. It is a fine day for people who love each other to take time out to celebrate that love. You may be one of those people who say, “You shouldn’t need one day to be romantic, you should do it every day of the year.” Ahem, sure thing. Every day, you should also show your Mum and Dad you love them, celebrate your religion and honour your Saints. But I don’t hear people rising up to stamp out Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas and St Georges/Patricks Day. Oh and as for you cynical lot sold on urban myths, Clinton Cards did not invent Valentine’s Day. They just took something someone else invented and turned it into a cash cow. Kind of like Amy Winehouse did when she “borrowed” the song “Valarie” from The Zutons. Yes, I just likened Clinton Cards to Amy Winehouse.

I digress…

Valentine’s Day is a fine way for couples to celebrate, but implying that single folk need a “survival guide” is just plain preposterous. It actually makes things worse. Rather than just happily going about our business around this time of year, we are constantly reminded of our singleness. It’s like someone who breaks your leg and then sells you crutches – solving a problem I didn’t have until you created it!

The sad thing is that singletons really get into this. I used to get down on the Valentine’s Days that I was single. “Why is everyone else in love but me?” I even used to throw “anti-Valentine’s Day” parties where single people (okay just me!) would get together and watch the most unromantic movies possible, like “Predator” and “Terminator 2” – Arnie and excessive explosions just seemed to make everything better.

Then there came a Valentine’s Day where all of my friends were either with their other halves ‘on dates’ or otherwise engaged. I felt a sense of dread creeping up, like the feeling you get when someone leaves you a voicemail that just says, “Give me a call, we need to talk.” I was going to be single and alone on Valentine’s Day! Oh no! Fortunately, I had a moment of clarity and thought back to the great words of Detective John Kimble (Kindergarten Cop), “Stop Whining.” By celebrating “Anti-Valentine’s Day” I was just giving power and significance to it. The better approach was to just ignore it. It’s similar to dealing with Katie Price; if we would all just stop paying attention, she would go away.

And that’s been the case ever since. No more parties. In this way, Valentine’s Day is like any other day. I plan to get up, do some work, make some people laugh, have fun, and go to sleep just over the moon with who I am and what I am up to (and yes, I realise the irony of telling you I am ignoring Valentine’s Day in an article written about Valentine’s Day!).

But just to keep this article well balanced and unbiased for those truly wishing to get into the spirit of Valentines, you really have only three main rules to adhere to:

Plan Ahead – Buy, book, make, or arrange your chosen gift well in advance. Don’t leave anything to the day before or on the day. You are only guaranteed to be met with disappointment and the prospect of a partner-less February 15th!

Don’t feel the need to ‘think big’ – Don’t fall into the trap that bigger and more expensive is better. It’s never a competition and generally it can be perceived as “buying your way out of something”.

Try and make it personal – If you’re the type that believes nothing says “I love you” better than Boots vouchers then pay close attention. The chances are you know your partner better than most; hence you’re perfectly equipped to know exactly what would make for the perfect loving gesture. Re-visiting an old place of significance – where you had your first kiss, first restaurant… The list of possibilities is endless, but so long as it shows you’ve really given it some thought that’s all that counts.

Stay tuned for my next article… ”Oh how I cried over valentines with a bottle of Bombay Sapphire”

Enjoy all!

Now I know I’ll cause controversy with this article and it’s likely to split opinions like a hot knife through butter, but I’d like to hear your thoughts. I’ll divide the post into two sections; for and against. I’ll pop what I believe to be both sides of the argument, then please add your own comments so we can get a well balanced debate and ‘temperature check’ on this topic.

I was out of an evening in Ramsbottom over the weekend and come 11.30(ish) came the all too familiar ‘ring-a-ding-ding’ of the last orders bell. At this stage mobile phones appeared and taxis beckoned – destination Bury. Nothing new or unique with that, however a conversation began about why Ramsbottom doesn’t cater for the late night party goers or those wanting to keep the momentum of the evening’s merriment going? This got me thinking…

Good Idea?

Anybody that has had an evening out in Ramsbottom recently can confirm there’s no shortage of custom in our pubs and bars, and if we look a little closer at the demographic it predominantly consists of 18-35’s. Looking even closer still many chose to go to Bury or Manchester for their nights out – not necessarily for the bars or clubs but for the late licences.

So why are we turning away an opportunity to accommodate this obvious market and put more of the huge amount of money being spent back into our local economy? We could bring a new lease of life into Ramsbottom’s nightlife scene, not in the same way Bury does but perhaps as somewhere like Chorlton does – quirky, cool and in keeping.

On the back of this and looking further down the line could more people be drawn into moving to Ramsbottom? Would this help recover the housing market lull? An improved housing market generally has a beneficial impact on local school. Could we inject more overall into our economy supporting more of our local businesses? Surely everyone would benefit. Granted all of this talk is hypothetical, but could it contain potential. Are we in danger of missing the boat all because of our fear of change and the ‘what if’s?

Bad Idea?

In the past Ramsbottom did gain a reputation for having a few ‘hot spots’. There was a notorious pub that on a Friday or Saturday night you could depend on trouble being the evening’s live entertainment. We’ve just started to move away from that culture therefore would allowing people to drink later into the evening simply stoke the fire once again? Perhaps not, but we certainly shouldn’t rule out the possibility.

What is a certainty is the influx in those out for evenings and drinking for longer periods would warrant an increase of the police and community safety wardens’ presence patrolling at key times. Is this giving out the right message?

Yes, yes, it would bring more money into the Village this is true but the increased need for security, larger workforces and other additional resources could cancel out any real profiteering potential. Also with every ‘supply and demand’ situation will we see an addition of fast food vans/trailers further more degrading Ramsbottom’s character? Not to mention the desecration of the evenings tranquillity.

Well there it is – the two edges of the sword. Please do leave me your opinions; do you think Ramsbottom should consider late licences or are we right to keep the nightlife at arm’s length and leaving it to the big towns?

I’ll keep it short & sweet and this only directly applies if you live in the vicinity of Bolton Road West in Ramsbottom or have been stuck at the traffic lights there for the past 5 days!

Since Thursday night the water supply has been turned off, for at least three hours, four times. This, I have been told by United Utilities, is due to a broken water mains outside the Masons Arms. Now correct me if I’m wrong but I’ve passed the road works there a number of times during the day & evening and over the weekend and there’s been no workmen trying to fix it. So why oh why United Utilities must you turn off the water on a Monday evening when the majority of people are at home??

“We work around the clock, 365 days a year, to supply around 1.9 billion litres of water every day to approximately 3.2 million homes and businesses before removing it safely and treating it before returning it to the environment.” From http://www.unitedutilities.com/Ourstructure.htm

There has been no warning and no apology from United Utilities (and nothing on their website) although they do admit to having a number of complaints. I know its a very small inconvenience compared to some of the happenings around the world but I bet they’d soon be on my back if I start to cancel my direct debit randomly with no notice at all….

Rant over…..and I await an answer with a dry mouth….