A look back at 2019 in our review of the year
In this final Observer of the year, we look back at some of the stories and images that made the headlines in the first half of 2019. Our look back at July to December will feature in next week’s paper.
JANUARY
THERE was a tragic start to the year with the death of legendary rock n’ roll musician Tony Cooper.
Tony Cooper, from Baxenden, was part of the iconic Soundcasters group and performed with the likes of Status Quo, Ike and Tina Turner, The Hollies and Van Morrison.
A DIE-HARD Accrington Stanley fan was in ‘heaven’ after travelling 5,440 miles to watch his beloved team for the first time.
Jung Min Yoo, from South Korea, can lay claim as the club’s ‘most distant’ season ticket holder and had never watched a match until the Reds’ home game against Peterborough United.
MORE than 500 people braved the wind and rain to take part in the charity Great Harwood 10K.
The popular event attracted parents, children and running clubs from across the region in aid of East Lancashire Hospice.
FEBRUARY
SNOW returned to Hyndburn with a vengeance this month, causing school closures and disruption on the roads.
More than half a dozen primary and secondary schools were closed across the borough and Grane Road was ‘impassable’ due to snow.
A HIT and run victim who had to learn to walk again pledged to climb 40 peaks before her 40th birthday.
Diane Kennedy, 39, from Oswaldtwistle, was left with serious injuries after the crash in 2011 and had her car written off.
A MOTHER called for more awareness around a rare pregnancy complication which nearly killed both herself and her unborn child.
Frances Riley, from Accrington, said she was ‘a day away from death’ and completely unaware that she was suffering from a potentially life threatening clotting disorder called HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet count) which attacks the liver and kidneys.
MARCH
A ‘BUMPER turnout’ took part in the annual Ron Hill 10K and fun run.
The popular event attracted parents, children and running clubs from across the region and included a one-mile family fun run and a wheelchair race.
AFTER weeks of planning and preparation World Book Day 2019 was bigger and better than ever.
It was the day when thousands of children dressed up as their favourite book characters in a worldwide celebration of books and reading.
TRIBUTES were paid to a community stalwart and ‘true gentleman’ who died after battling a rare cancer.
Roy Chetham was chairman of the Huncoat Community Forum, played an active role in local environmental projects and served as the Observer’s weatherman for many years.
APRIL
AN estimated 1,000 visitors had a wheely good time at Hyndburn’s first ever Bike Fest.
The Property Shop Arena at Accrington Cricket Club hosted the event, aiming to encourage more people to get involved with sport, cycling and physical activity.
ONE of Accrington’s longest running shops and tea rooms sadly closed down after 45 years of trading.
The Victoriana Tea Rooms & Giftware shop had been a fixture of Abbey Street near the town centre and attracted generations of customers over the last four decades.
A GENEROUS couple who are always willing to go the extra mile were named a charity’s ‘supporters of the year’.
Bob and Trudy Tuffnell, from Clayton-le-Moors, have braved parachute jumps, organised sixties nights and regularly travelled all over the county to support events and collections in aid of Rosemere Cancer Foundation.
MAY
SHOP worker Craig Moody unveiled his stunning body transformation after dropping from 33 stone to 15 stone 12lbs and from a size 58-inch waist to a size 36.
Craig was told by doctors he was eating himself into an early grave after binging on an 8,000 calorie a day diet of takeaways and unhealthy foods with no exercise and could only fit into size UK 6XL shirts.
MUSIC lovers revelled in the Bank Holiday sunshine as they were entertained by Toploader
at a family music festival.
Around 7,000 people flocked to Accrington town centre on Saturday for the Amazing Accrington Live festival.
ALMOST 400 supporters joined a charity walk organised by Church and Oswaldtwistle Rotary, raising almost £15,000.
The sun shone for the 14th annual Walk 4 Your Charity event, in which groups of walkers took part to raise funds for their chosen charity or good cause.
JUNE
RECORD- BREAKING crowds descended on the new town square for the annual Food and Drink Festival.
Around 14,000 people enjoyed sampling continental and home grown food, watching a war reenactment in the grounds of St James Church and demonstrations from celebrity chef Richard Fox.
BUSINESSMAN Paul Breaks completed a gruelling 150-mile marathon in one of the world’s most inhospitable environments to raise money for Accrington charity Ynot Aspire.
He traversed the Sahara desert for the Marathon des Sables - a feat widely regarded as the “toughest foot race on earth” - and had to tackle white-hot salt plains and battle sand storms and 50 degree-plus temperatures, all while carrying his own food and equipment.
THOUSANDS of people descended on the town centre for a sun-soaked Accrington Carnival.
More than 20 walking groups took part in the music-themed parade, including the Hyndburn Comets, 10th Accrington URC Brownies, Accrington Wildcats, Jason’s Wheels and special guests Hyndburn Mayor June Harrison and Mayoress Joyce Plummer.
This year’s Carnival Royalty were King Adam Hartley, Queen Ellie Chamberlain, Prince Lucas Hardy, Princess Macey Culshaw and community champion Mo Collins.