Wendy came to the rescue of Marbella’s thirsty animals
●●10 YEARS AGO:
AN animal lover was distraught when she discovered the plight of a sanctuary while on holiday in Marbella.
Wendy Owen, aged 45, of Broadley, said: “I thought about the sanctuary all night and on the way back to the airport we heard on the radio it was in real trouble and the well had run dry.
“There were over 200 animals on site.
“They weren’t asking for funds but were desperate for people to send water.”
She couldn’t get the sanctuary off her mind when back in Rochdale so she got in touch with volunteers there via the internet offered to send a water bowser.
Mrs Owen, who owns Main Ltd in Shawclough, rang around her clients to see who could help her get it out to Marbella.
Eventually they found help from a man at Central FM Marbella, the radio station that originally broadcast problems at the sanctuary.
Mrs Owen said: “The sanctuary is up in the hills, far away from all the tourists places. After an epic journey involving driving a couple of miles through a dry river bed, we found the sanctuary.”
Once there they came across a group of volunteer Swedish girls who were not bathing because they wanted to save water for the animals.
The Rochdale couple were amazed at the kindness ●●Jimmy Cricket helps Ann Hoyle (chariman) and Ena Lattimer (social secretary) cut the cake at Bamford an Norden Women’s Club 43rd birthday celebrations they stumbled across.
Mrs Owen added: “Throughout the trip I was astonished at how good some people are.” MUSIC and laughter were the key ingredients for a special anniversary celebration.
Members of the Bamford and Norden Women’s Club welcomed comedian Jimmy Cricket and his wife, singer May Marion, to their meeting.
Jimmy had the women in fits of laughter with a selection of hilarious jokes and his wife belted out hit songs by Dusty Springfield and other favourites.
The women, who have enjoyed social gatherings and outings for more than 45 years, tucked into a delicious potato pie supper with red cabbage and picked beetroot, provided by the Millcroft Tea Gardens in Norden.
This was followed by fancy cakes and slices of birthday cake baked by club members. It was hailed as the best birthday celebration of the club’s history.
A club spokesman said: “We really appreciated the performances. It was a very polished show and very funny.
“Jimmy did sketches which included phone calls to his ‘mammy.’
“And it was lovely to meet his wife, who he said he met in the 1970s in Ireland.” THE old proverb says ‘you reap what you sow’ and that was certainly the case at Alice Ingham RC Primary School.
Green-fingered pupils spent months transforming part of their playing field into an eco-garden and then enjoyed the fruits and vegetables of their labour with a bumper harvest.
The youngsters started working on the patch at the Millgate school the previous term and were aided by teaching assistant Mrs Duckworth, lunch time organiser Mrs Rawstron and workers from Groundwork in Rochdale.
Briege Sivills, headteacher, said: “The children have worked exceptionally hard and everyone is delighted with their achievements.
“The garden is now a beautiful and quiet place to go and all of our pupils should feel very proud of their produce.
“They’ve grown everything from potatoes to strawberries and it’s great that they’re learning skills for life.” DESPITE a quiet turnout the Three Owls autumn fair made almost £500 for the running of the sanctuary.
In the region of 350 people visited the Norden bird sanctuary over the weekend.
Manager Nigel Fowler says this is fewer than the usual number of visitors to the fair, which includes a tombola, good-as-new goods and bric-a-brac.
But he was pleased with the amount raised, which helped to keep Three Owls afloat. LITTLEBOROUGH Lacemakers displayed a selection of their work at the annual exhibition held at the Coach house.
The exhibition showcased the skills of bobbin lacemaking.
The group enjoyed the very old tradition, which saw its heyday in the 15001700s, before the manufacturer of textile machinery.
The group concentrates on a theme every year, with that year’s focus on Christenings. The exhibition displayed a varied selection of the members’ hard work.
Chairwoman, Jean Malone, said: “People are always fascinated by the complexity of the work.” LONG-SERVING staff members at the Norton Grange enjoyed a trip to Haydock Races as a special reward for their dedicated service.
Nine employees, who had worked at the hotel for a combined total of 80 years, were transported by Limousine and given the VIP treatment, including complimentary food and drink, to celebrate their commitment.
The trip was organised by Nielsen Stead, the general manager of the hotel and the deputy general manager, Emma Underwood, who wanted to thank the workers for their efforts.
Mr Stead said: “I saw this day as a great chance for me and the company to give something back to the staff and recognise the long service each of these staff have given the business over the years.”
He added: “The group had a fantastic day but had mixed blessings in terms of luck.”