26.5.2000 News from Wigan

News Report Archive 26th May 2000

MAN CHARGED WITH CAFE MURDER

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a 27 year-old Wigan man.
Paul James Murphy, 21, a Wigan man of no fixed abode, was arrested last Wednesday evening at a caravan park in Towyn, North Wales, in connection with the death of father-of-one Francis Gallear.
Murphy was brought back to the borough for questioning before being charged at Wigan police station on Saturday morning.
He spoke in the dock at Wigan magistrate's court only to give his name and date of birth.
Murphy is charged with murdering Mr Gallear on March 18th this year and with unlawfully wounding James and Clare Cummings and John Caterall. He was further charged with damaging handcuffs costing Ł40 and belonging to Greater Manchester Police Authority.
The case was adjourned until Monday June 26th when commital hearings will take place. He was remanded in custody.
Mr Gallear, from Belle Vue Street Scholes, was knifed in the chest during an incident at the Last Supper Eating House in Rodney Street Wigan during the early hours of March 18th. He later died at Wigan Infirmary.

FIVE IN NATIONAL SPORT CONTEST

Five sports-mad Wigan pupils have beaten off competition from 3,000 other students to reach the second round of a national tournament.
The group will battle against nearly 500 other entrants for the BBC's Passion for Sport Award 2000. Four of the five, John Howarth, Rachel Baker, Craig Charnock and Zara Webster attend Abraham Guest High School in Orrell. The other competitor Anna Dempster, goes to Standish Community High School.
Roy Caslake, head teacher of Abraham Guest High School said, "we are delighted because the pupils didn't have to enter the competition, they did it on their own through the PE staff and the school."
Geoff Ashton, headteacher of Standish High School said, "We are delighted when people enter competitions and even more so when they get short-listed from such a large number of people put forward. Anna is an extremely talented pupil academically and in sport."

MAYOR JOAN MAKES BOROUGH HISTORY

This is the new Mayor of Wigan.
Councillor Mrs Joan Hurst made town hall history when she became the first consecutive lady Mayor in the history of the borough. Her daughter, Mrs Kath Taylor, will be Mayoress.
Mayor Hurst's chosen charities for her Mayoral year will be Wigan and Leigh Blind Society, Wigan Wheelchair Fund and "Butterflies".
Mayor-elect will be popular, long serving planning chairman Councillor John Edward Hilton(Golborne) with his wife Nora, Mayoress-elect.
Councillors saluted retiring Mayor Councillor Mrs Evelyne Smith for the hugely entusiastic way she had 'leapt into the breach' in agreeing to change from Mayoress of Wigan to Mayor after the death of her husband the Mayor- the late Councillor Bill Smith- while in office.

WIGAN NURSE GETS OBE

A Wigan nurse mingled with the stars when she went to Buckingham Palace to collect her OBE from the Queen.
Elizabeth Powell of Elm Drive, Billinge, travelled down to London with her family to collect her gong, and met Julie Andrews and saw Elizabeth Taylor.
Elizabeth was nominated for an OBE in the New Year's Honours list for her service to primary health care after she was appointed chairperson of St Helens North Primary Care Group-one of only two nurses in the country to achieve such a role.
Elizabeth said, "It was a wonderful and exciting day and certainly one to remember. The Queen was just as you would expect her to be. She was really nice, she said congratulations and then asked me what I did and what I had done to get the award.
"I told her I was a nurse and explained I was trying to improve health care, and then she shook my hand and I went on my way."

WIGAN GIRL GORED TO DEATH BY ELEPHANT MAKES FINAL JOURNEY

Hundreds of mourners have paid their last respects to the young Wigan woman killed in a freak elephant attack in Thailand.
Andrea Taylor, 20, was gored to death and her 23 year-old sister Helen seriously injured when they were attacked during a performing animal show in Pattaya last month.
Their father Geoff, who was also wounded in the attack, followed Andrea's coffin into St Aidan's Church, Billinge on Friday, while Helen, who was on crutches and supported by a friend, walked behind.
So many flowers were there that a second hearse was needed to display them.
And the church was packed with a congregation of 250 for the half-hour service which included a moving tribute from her friend Danny Sinclair.Some of the mourners had been at the same church four years ago for the funeral of Andrea's mum Jackie who died from cancer.
A floral tribute from Mr Taylor and Helen read: "Your beautiful face we see in our eyes, the pain for you in our hearts. Look after mum and give our love from us."
Another from an Aunt and Uncle read: "Gone from our sight, but never our memories. Gone from our touch but never our hearts. Andrea we loved you so much."
Leading the service the vicar of St Aidan's Rev Denis Lyon said, "It is hard to believe we are in this church at Andrea's funeral. A few weeks ago she was on holiday with dad and sister and visiting an animal park in Pattaya in Thailand when the disaster struck. Why did Andrea have to die in this way? Why should Andrea have to die when she was only 20?
"So Andrea's family, friends and neighbours gather here shattered, devastated at Andrea's death. Even a clergyman finds it difficult to find the words to speak on an occasion such as this.
"But today we give thanks for Andrea- her vitality, her love of music, her sense of fun. We give thanks for all that she has meant to her family and her friends."
The church stands just a few hundred yards from the Taylor family home in School Brow Billinge, into which Geoff and Helen have yet to move back since the trragedy. They have been staying with relatives who are nursing them through their convalescence.
The congregation sang the hymns Morning Has Broken and How Great Thou Art and further music performed by the St Helens Youth Band and the Golborne Band.