OBITUARY
JOHN ANDERS aged 68 yrs
On June 9th 2001, in hospital and of Landgate, Bryn.
The beloved husband of Margaret (Biddy).
Dearly loved father of Carol, Janet, Susan and Shaun.
Loving father-in-law of Paul, John, Ken and Debbie.
Doting and adored Grandad of Kevin, Danny, Terry, Gemma, Claire, Sophie and Chloe.
Funeral service took place on Friday 15th June at St Peter's Church Bryn at 2.45pm. Followed by cremation at Wigan Crematorium.
John was an active member of The RAOB and a life-long supporter of Wigan RLFC.
STRIKE IN JOBS BATTLE
Leigh MP Andy Burnham has stepped in to try and resolve the dispute at the Hindley-based Ingersoll Rand, which has told more than half it's workforce they face redundancies.
The company, which
makes compressor products, is believed to be moving most of it's operation to the Czech Republic.
Of the 178 manufacturing staff balloted about industrial action all were expected to strike.
Some of them picketed outside the gates of the Swan Lane firm on Thursday morning to protest against the cuts.
Mr Burnham, on Wednesday, officially requested an early day motion to have the matter raised in
the Commons.
And he has written to Alan Johnson, the Minister of State for the Department of Trade and Industry, requesting a meeting to discuss a proposed rescue package.
Mr Burnham said , "The loss of
these jobs would be a bitter blow. While the outlook does not look promising I do not believe it is a lost cause."
The company's sales, marketing, distribution and after sales support looks set to remain in
the area.
Bosses have stressed that the redundancies have not been confirmed. A spokesman has said "Talks are continuing."
Shop Steward Ian Bryant said, "We want to save the jobs. The company is saying nothing
has been decided yet, in which case, we want more information about what is going on.
"There are 10 companies in Wigan which supply to us, so if our manufacturing side closes, it is not only us who will lose out."
Hindley Green councillor Stan Simmons has described the job losses as "disastrous".
OAP MISSING FOR SIX DAYS IS FOUND
A Wigan woman spoke yesterday of the "miracle" return of her 81 year old mum, who had been misiing for six nights.
May Kershaw disappeared last week, sparking a full scale police search and a series of media appeals by her desperate family.
Her daughter Christine Pilling said she was 'immensely relieved' when her mum, who appears to have slept rough was found alive. "It's a miracle, we're so lucky that the weather was good while she was away, otherwise, she probably wouldn't have survived.It is amazing that the minute she arrived at the hospital the skies opened up and it poured down. It is fate."
Suffering from little more than dehydration and sores from sleeping in the damp, Mrs Kershaw was admitted to Chorley hospital, on Friday afternoon where she has remained since.
It is believed that the pensioner was found after a farmer noticed her wet cardigan hanging to dry on his land. She was discovered on his field at the rear of the Time and Place pub on Chorley Road, Worthington near Standish.
Mrs Pilling believes her mum probably spent most of the time she was missing in the field.
She said, "My mum has dementia and sometimes people in her condition regress to the past. We were actually searching the Euxton area at the time because during the war mum worked there, maybe she had tried to return to where she used to work.
"Mum is not aware of what has happened to her and she can't seem to remember where she has been, so we'll probably never know for sure."
Mrs Kershaw, originally from Pemberton, disappeared from Broomfield House Care Home in Bradley Lane Standish, less than 24 hours after being admitted there.
Wigan police thanked the public for their co-operation in finding Mrs Kershaw and praised their vigilance.
LAURA'S STEPS TO STARDOM
Dance disappointment turned to joy for 14 year-old Laura Ingham when the top ballerina Darcey Bussell gave her a pair of autographed ballet
shoes at Covent Garden.
Laura, who has been a member of Tina's Dance Studio in Wigan since she was three, went to London to see Darcey dance in a production of Manon.
But days before arriving at Covent Garden, Laura and her
dance-mad grandma Enid martland, discovered that Darcey wasn't dancing that particular night.
They wrote off immediately saying they were gutted but all was not lost because Laura and Enid were told to call at the stage door.
Waiting for them was a pair of Darcey's dance shoes and a signed photo.
And now Laura, who dreams of being a ballerina, has won thropugh auditions to dance with the English Youth Ballet in a production of Coppelia in September
at Preston's Guild Hall.
Laura said, "Dance is my whole life, and being selected to dance in three productions of Coppelia means my dream is coming true. Getting a pair of Darcey Bussell's dance shoes was great. But dancing
with a professional company is even better."
Laura's parents Jane and Chris are 100% behind their daughter's ambitions, but it is grandma Enid, of Martland Avenue, Shevington, who has been her main inspiration.
She said,
"Laura may have caught the ballet bug from me. She is certainly a marvellous dancer and getting through her first professional audition is brilliant news."
Between now and September Laura, who admits her favourite ballet is
The Nutcracker, will undergo intense rehearsals
She recalled that after picking up her present from Darcey, she was given a backstage tour and was even allowed to do a few steps on the world famous stage.
Laura's ambition
now is to join the Northern Ballet Company's school
LESSONS IN LOVE
Love is definitely in the air at one Wigan school which will see four of it's staff members break for the summer as 'Miss' and return as 'Mrs'
Four teachers from Ince C of E Primary School's 23 staff are getting married during the holidays.
Emma Hall, 29, and Julie Farrimond, 31, both year six teachers, Catherine Dakin, 28, a year three teacher, and Shirley Adamson, 26, a nursery nurse, are all set to wed.
Headteacher Jillian Ramsbottom said, "It is wonderful and we wish them all the best.
"We have had a lot of good news this year with two of our teachers having given birth and another due in November. Everyone is looking forward to seeing the ladies get married, but no one is more excited than them!"
KILLER JAILED FOR FIVE YEARS
When a driver crashed his car in a quiet Aspull road, the noise was so loud, local residents thought there had been an explosion.
Driver John Halsall lost control of his car at a left hand bend on Bolton Road, Aspull mounted a pavement hitting the wall, vaulting the bricks and landing on a garden patio.
Passenger Jodie Webb and Joanne Greenwood, inseperable friends since childhood and who had been celebrating Jodie's 21st birthday in Wigan were killed in the high-speed crash.
Halsall's girlfriend Kerry Parkington, suffered a fractured pelvis, crushed vertebrae and ankle.
At Minshull Street Crown Court last week, Halsall, a 19 year-old soldier who was on the run from the armywas jailed for five years and banned from driving for ten years,
Halsall, of Tennyson Road, Borshaw, Middleton admitted two charges of causing death by dangerous driving.
Prosecuting, Stuart Neale said, "The force of the collision was such that nearby residents thought there had been an explosion. They came out to see the mangled remains of the car.
"None of the occupants could escape and fire fighters had to cut them free."
Jodie died in Wigan Infirmary an hour after the crash. Joanne died three hours after being freed from the wreckage. Police traced Halsall's name through vehicle records.
He was driving a banger estimated at being worth £30 with no licence MOT or insurance.
Jodie had just completed the first year of a textiles course at Manchester University, and was specialising in embroidery. Joanne, 22, was devoted to her son Dillon, now four.
The three girls had all got a taxi to Wigan Pier from their homes in Manchester for Jodie's 21st birthday celebrations in August last year.
Halsall demanded they leave and Joanne and Jodie wanted to keep an eye on her and they began travelling back to Manchester in a Ford escort at 3.40am.
Passing sentence Judge John Burke QC told Halsall, "You snuffed out the life of two well-loved young ladies."
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