24th Febraury 2000 News from Wigan

News Report Archive 24th February 2000

OLD WATERFALL UNCOVERED IN MESNES PARK

One of Wigan's best kept secrets has been revealed thanks to a host of volunteers. They got to work at the weekend to reveal Mesnes Park's almost forgotten waterfall.
Because of the problems with water leaking through the bottom of the lake, the one-time cataract, which ran attractively over an artificial crag, has not been in operation for generations. A newspaper cutting from 1878 describes the rockery and it's waterfall as "ingenius" and Mesnes Park enthusiasts would love to get it working again. Through disuse though, it had become hidden by scrub and the stones have become covered with ivy and mosses.
Now as part of a major initiative at the civic amenity by both The Friends of Mesnes Park and the Metro's rangers, the area of the old waterfall is to be cleared to find out if it will be posible, in time, to get it going again.
Newly appointed parks manager Dominic Clarke said, "In the first instance this is going to be an investigation. The growth that has sprung up by itself in that area is such that at this stage we have no idea whether it will be feasible to bring the old waterfall back into use. But we wil never know unless we take a good look. However, so much progress has been made by renovating the lake walls and solving the problem of the leak that we are very confident that something can be done.
"Even if, in the end, the water cannot run over the fall, the whole area will be much improved by a clean up ."
Norma Swarbrick, chairwoman of the Friends of Mesnes Park, said, "We have had a very positive year generating local interest in Mesnes Park. Lots of people have expressed their delight at the improvements that have taken place."
The waterfall would have been about 15ft high and the crag is made out of some kind of manufactured rock called Pulhamite, named after it's Victorian inventor.

DRIVER CRASHES THROUGH NEIGHBOUR'S BEDROOM

A pensioner smashed his brand new car through a neighbour's garage door, demolishing part of a bedroom wall, just a few hours after collecting it from the showroom.
Maurice Smith of Braemore Close, Winstanley, drove the V-reg Rover 200 into the garage while attempting to reverse the car onto his own driveway after a mix-up with it's automatic gears.
Invalid neighbour Margaret Taberner, 75, was in the house she shares with her sister Kathleen, 70, at the time. She was badly shaken up but not injured. She said, "I had just come out of the kitchen into the hallway when I heard an almighty bang. I wondered what on earth had happened. I could see all my clothes hanging and everything was falling down. I thought at first that Kathleen had had an accident and gone through the garage door. I managed to get outside and saw two of my neighbours trying to move the car. I was just shocked, but I am alright."
Next door neighbour Ken Kay said, "Mr Smith was badly shaken up and he had a cut on his mouth. He managed to get out of the car and we held open the garage door so that he could get out."
Mr Smith sustained a facial injury, but was not though to have been seriously hurt, and was taken by ambulance to Wigan Infirmary.

GROUP'S ANGER OVER SENTENCE

Shocked members of Wigan Play Association are trying to pick up the pieces after their former treasurer was jailed for stealing from the group.
Julie Rutter who has previous convictions for stealing from an employer and for shoplifting, siphoned off �20,000, depriving thousands of children aged from 5 to 14, across the borough of places on play schemes. See original report.
The affected groups were
Appley Bridge
Ashton YMCA
Atherton
Bamfurlong
Billinge
Butts Bridge Leigh
Common Lane
Plank Lane
Golborne
Higher Folds
Highfield Grange
Marsh Green
New Meadows Lowton
Norley hall
Kingsdown High Pemberton
Perry Brook Landgate
Platt Bridge
Poolstock Comet
Rose Bridge
Shakerley Tyldesley
Voice 2000 Scholes
Worsley Hall
and Worsley Mesnes.
Association secretary, Christine Bryan said, "When we found out the extent of her thefts and deception, we were devastated. Julie Rutter was in a position of trust. She has not only betrayed her fellow officers and volunteers of Wigan Play Association but also every parent and worst of all every child who has ever attended a playscheme in the borough. The loss of �20,000 is devastating- it's the loss of sports equipment, outings for the children and essential training for volunteers. We rely on grants and donations, but now believe that our applicatons for future grants will be greatly affected.
"We wanted Julie Rutter to be punished but a four month prison sentence does not reflect the betrayal."

FACELIFT FOR WALLGATE BRIDGE

The long-awaited transformation of a Wigan bridge began this week.
Wallgate Bridge is to be spruced up with new cladding as part of an imaginative �250,000 project. The bridge's dingy yellow walls are to be hidden for good behind colourful brick 'slips' created to a design by artist Abigail Downer.
In addition, pavements will be upgraded and new lighting and pigeon netting installed, bringing to fruition a scheme first planned during the City Challenge initiative.
The council has secured most of the money needed for the project from outside sources, with the biggest share from European funding and with smaller contributions from Railtrack, Landfill Tax, Wigan Council and funds originally earmarked by City Challenge. Work started on February 21st for a period of four months and some traffic delays are expected as the carriageway will be reduced to a single lane. To prevent the single lane under the bridge being blocked, only buses and taxis will be allowed to enter the town centre along Wallgate. All other traffic will be diverted via Queen Street and Chapel Lane. The only access to the railway stations will be from King Street and people travelling by train are advised to allow extra time.