Greenway celebration

A FUN day is coming to Bacup to celebrate the opening of the Britannia Greenway - a major new Valley cycling and walking route.

The Greenway Explorers free family event will be held at the New Line Picnic Site in Bacup on Saturday, July 7, from 1pm to 4pm.

Visitors can decorate their bike, scooter, dog lead, or themselves, before walking the route after the official opening at 2pm.

Organisers Mid Pennine Arts have also arranged strolling performers, Explorers’ activities, horses and storytelling, and music from Whitworth and Healey Brass Band. THE East Lancashire Railway has cancelled all steam services due to the risk of fires in the hot weather.

All services running along the heritage railway from Rawtenstall will be diesel-hauled until further notice, bosses have announced.

Bosses said ‘safety must come first’ due to a high level of fire risk caused by the tinder dry conditions and heat and a risk of trackside fires.

General manager Tracey Parkinson said: “Our teams are currently working very hard to ensure the swift return of steam hauled services by fitting ashpan sprinklers and mesh guards to locomotives to control the embers.

“However, due to fire crews being busy tackling the two local moorland fires, we need to act responsibly and have therefore taken the decision to run diesel hauled services for the time being.

“We understand this may come as a disappointment but safety must come first and we’ll be reviewing our decision early next week and will ●» East Lancashire Railway has suspended its steam locos because embers risk starting fires be sure to update our visitors again then.

“This will have no effect on special events at the moment as we’ll still be running our Summer Diesel Spectacular this weekend.” A CLOTHES swap event will help families ahead of the school holidays.

The event is on Saturday, July 7 at Kay Street Baptist church in Rawtenstall from 10am until 11.30am.

All families are welcome, regardless of whether they bring something to swap. The church is accepting donations from those who cannot make it on the day.

Contact organiser Jess Goldie on 07564 842026 or email fcw@kaystreet.co. uk. The swap is for clothes from newborn to age 11.