december 2012 wn4 local link

Your guide to local Businesses, Events and News in WN4.WN4.

December 2012WN4WN4 Local LinkLocal Link

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Hello and welcome to the Christmas edition of the

WN4 Local Link.

With every room fi lled with fairy lights and the scent of cinnamon in the air, Christmas has defi nitely arrived

in our house. There’s nothing better than closing the doors on the world and indulging in a cosy night complete with movies, which helps reserve energy for those festive impromptu 6 o’clock cocktails. I have just about perfected my mulled wine recipe ready for the masses, who every year insist on just “popping in” knowing they will be treated to carefully planned culinary delights.

Once all the Christmas chaos is over I will be jetting off for my annual pre New Yearholiday to the fantastic city of Amsterdam in order to get pampered and refreshed for the New Year ahead...

We have lots of nice local events, shows and festive interests for you to have a nosey at, as keeping it local is defi nitely the key to a stress free Christmas.

If you have something of interest or a passion that you would like to share then please get in touch as we are always looking for local interest stories to pass onto our readers. Why not have a look at page 6 and the see what the Town Green Residents are up to with their fantastic garden. Don’t forget to check out Park Life on page 22 with all proceeds going to Children in Need. If you play rugby, or are interested in starting to play then Orrell on page 8 might be of interest to you.

Thanks to all my customers and delivery helpers for all their support over the last year. Have a great Christmas and I will see you all in 2013…

Sarah.Sarah.WN4WN4 Local Link Editor. Local Link Editor.

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December 2012 toJanuary 2013Delivered to around 5,000 homes in the WN4 postcode area.

The WN4 Local Link is produced by the WN Link.

Please note that every care has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information within the WN4 Local Link. The WN Link assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions orconsequences of any information contained within the WN4 Local link.

Reproduction of this magazine, in whole or part, is forbidden without prior written permission of the WN Link.

© Copyright WN Link. All rights reserved.

Please recycle this magazine once you have fi nished with it.

contents Page 6

Page 8 Page 10

Page 12Page 16Page 24Page 28Page 30

[email protected]: 07866 389 948

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offersJust a sample of our many offersJust a sample of our many offers

Free Hot Drink See Page 6

£15 Off Whey ProteinSee Page 18

Driving Lessons OfferSee Page 18

Slimming World Membership OfferSee Page 20

£25 Chiropody Consultation OfferSee Page 21

10% OFF SpectaclesSee Page 23

£29.95 MOT OfferSee Page 29

Town Green R.A.Orrell R.U.F.C.

Auntie Gels RecipeDay Tripping

What’s on GuideBexbella

Useful Numbers Index of Advertisers

Please note that our next CopyDeadline is the 21st January

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Town Green Gardens, Bolton Road, Ashton-in-Makerfi eld, are always looking for volunteers to help with the maintenance and upkeep of this RHS award winning garden. This is a purely voluntary run garden and self funding.

No garden knowledge necessary, sense of humour and willingness to participate is a must! An hour a month or whatever you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Most tools supplied but feel free to bring your own. We have no set times of work just give us a ring if you’re interested.

We are always looking for new ideas and would welcome people, who are generally interested in the garden, to join us as committee members and be infl uential in the decision making process. We are a constituted democratic committee who all live very local to Town Green.

Any one joining the committee would also be expected to live in the very near vicinity.

Contact Ruth on 01942 718 648or Ann on 01942 730 794.

Email: [email protected]

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Orrell Rugby Union club was founded in 1927, but it was the move to its Edge Hall Road (now Wigan Warriors training ground) after the second world war that established the stable base for our subsequent successes on and off the fi eld.

The club has always been at the heart of the community and we continue working hard to strengthen our local links. We run 2 open age teams and have a thriving junior section. We have a blossoming community partnership with Upholland High School and play and train at Saint John Rigby sixth form college, Orrell.

Our aim is to get as many local young people as possible playing the game of rugby on a regular basis. Rugby offers a great way to have a lot of fun, make friends and opens up doors to the wider rugby community.

We are calling all aspiring rugby players over the

age of 18 to come and join us. We welcome any age or skill level, former players, beginners, or rugby league players who just like to keep fi t over the winter.

The club has a tremendous legacy and is supported by over 300 members, sadly not all players these days. Whilst history is important we don’t dwell there but it does give us knowledge, experience and the strength to go forward with exciting plans for developing the game in the area and getting the club right back to the heart of the community. More details will be forthcoming soon.

We need more open age players now! Contact: Tony Havlin

[email protected]@btinternet.com

ORRELLRugby Union Club

Keith Roberts07732 482 [email protected]@orrelljuniors.co.uk

www.orrellrugby.co.uk

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Are you having problems fi nding just the right gift?

Have you ever looked for something completely unique, but never quite found anything suitable?

You may have even seen and admired framed mementos in hotels, sports clubs, theatres and entertainment establishments, but never thought them available as personal gifts.

ARTISAN offers a bespoke framing service and will frame almost any item. They manufacture a variety of 3D style frames. These can include sports memorabilia like, shirts, footballs or boxing gloves.

Wedding souvenirs, all varieties of medals, or even baby items like a fi rst shoe or bootees. The list is as endless as your imagination and ARTISAN are happy to take on any challenge.

Sue Heaps the proprietor has been with ARTISAN for 11 years, the framing work is carried out in their Bryn workshop, situated on Wigan Road behind GFS World of Furniture.

ARTISANS technicians are able to help and advise before designing your bespoke work of art. The quality of work is exceptional and the pricing is competitive.

This combined with the comprehensive range of designs and materials available make it easy to see why ARTISAN attracts business clients such as Haydock Park and Aintree Racecourses. The company also attracts custom from local art clubs and regular clients.

So before spending money on a present that is not exactly right why not give ARTISAN a try and see what they can do for you.

01942 718 602info@artisanframingservices.co.ukwww.artisanframingservices.co.uk

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untie Gels Christmas Treat

Christmas Cake

Ingredients

1 jar of luxury mincemeat 250g (8oz) self raising fl our 150g (5oz) softened butter 150g (5oz) dark brown soft sugar 2 eggs beaten 100g (4oz) sultanas 50g (2oz) glace cherries - chopped 100g (4oz) mixed chopped nuts

Method

1. Lightly oil and line with silicone paper (baking parchment) a 8inch (20cm) round cake tin.2. Pre-heat oven to Gas 3, Elec 160C, Fan 140C.3. Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together thoroughly with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer.4. Place mixture into the cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 90 to 120 minutes, or until the centre of cake springs back when touched.N.B. If the cake is cooking too quickly cover the top of cake with a piece of parchment or foil.5. Leave to cool in the cake tin.6. Once cooled remove the parchment paper and store in an airtight tin.

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There’s no better way to spend the winter months than on the piste, where the promise of heavy snow fall is welcomed. Heading out into the crisp cold air all wrapped up spending your days looking out over breath taking views and enjoying the odd cheeky bombardino at lunch time with the promise of a hearty meal at the end of the day is hard to beat.

If you have never skied before and fancy something different, it’s highly recommended and you could end up sacrifi cing your summer holiday for this fantastic winter getaway. Most resorts offer ski schools which allows you to ski while you learn and can be done as a group or private lessons. It is highly recommended if you have never skied as you will be guaranteed to get more out of your holiday.

Most resorts offer ski chalets that can be shared with people you know, or people that you don’t. Making for an interesting holiday, just be sure to pack your PJ’s. Many chalets offer full board so you can really relax and not have to worry about cooking after a day on the slopes and the best bit is you have already burnt off all the calories you will eat and drink!

Choose a location that has a chocolate box picturesque village, where browsing the festive streets gives a warm feeling inside. Enjoy people watching in one of the many cosy café bars whilst resting your ski legs, or make reservations for spa treatments.

For a more exclusive stay why not try a luxury chalet. See www.ski-boutique.co.ukfor the optimum in luxury chalets at a wide range of European locations. For self catering chalets try www.alpineelements.co.uk. Or for those who prefer hotels then try www.scottdunn.com where there is a extensive range of both hotels and chalets to suite the mid to high end budget.

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New Years Eve 2012The New Year BallFinishing off 2012 in true style. Wine reception and a 5-course dinner before welcoming in 2013 from the dance fl oor. Reception commences from 7:30pm.Strictly black tie - £49.95 per person.

Haigh Hall, Wigan, WN2 1PECall 01942 832 895 to book.

Family Night in The MarqueeAn evening of family fun. Including; Children’s and adult buffet, childrens entertainer, family quiz, games, disco & bar. Plus free kids cordials all night long. From 7pm to 1am.Booking essential - Children £15, Adults £30.

Dinner Dance with CaponeEnjoy a 4-course dinner followed by a great live band, disco and late bar. Capone cover all genres including; Rock n Roll, Mowtown, Soul, Disco and Pop.Booking essential - £45 per person.

Monday 31st December 2012

The DW Stadium, Robin Park, Wigan, WN5 0UH.Call 01942 774 000 to book.

The DW Stadium, Robin Park, Wigan, WN5 0UH.Call 01942 774 000 to book.

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Some dates for your diary this winter;

December 2012Baby RhymetimeTuesdays from 9:30am to 10:00amAshton Library.For more information call 01942 727 119

Under 5’s StorytimeWednesdays from 10:30am to 11:30amAshton Library.For more information call 01942 727 119

Santa’s GrottoSaturdays from 10:00am to 4pmWigan Market, Wigan.£3 per child (gift included).

Christmas Festive Inspiration Evening Wednesday 12th DecemberBents Garden Centre, WA3 5NT.Your chance to pick up some great tips and advice for ceating your own Christmas masterpieces. Entertainment and music, plus food & drink tasting.

Santa’s Tea Parties (4:15pm to 6:15pm)Weekdays from 3rd to 21st DecemberBents Garden Centre, WA3 5NT.Fabulous festive fun with Santa. Tea party includes food, balloons, crackers and fun & games. Present for each child. £11.50 per child (3 to 10 years old).To Book - 01942 266 300

Carols by CandlelightWednesday 12th December at 7:30pmHaigh Hall, Wigan, WN2 1PE (01942 832 895).An evening of Christmas cheer and carols. Enjoy the Wigan Community Choir in the candle lit Grand Ballroom. Mince pies & mulled wine on arrival.Adults £10, Children £5, Family (2+2) £25.

What’s onGuide

We have done our best to check out all the activities in our ‘What’s on Guide’. But you are always advised to phone and confi rm an event, before leaving home to attend.

This is just a snapshot of some of the many activities that are being run around your local area.

Why not check out www.wlct.org or visitwww.whatsoninsthelens.com for more winter activities.

If you would like us to publicise your event, or activity just let us know. Either phone, email, or visit our website and complete our event form;www.wnlink.co.uk

Farmers’ MarketSaturday 15th December, 9am to 1pmBents Garden Centre, WA3 5NT (01942 266 300).Discover real food, passionately produced right on your doorstep.

Real Reindeer & Santa VisitSaturday 15th DecemberChurch Square, St.Helens (01744 675 492).Santa arrives in St.Helens, along with his real reindeer and accompanied by his Christmas elves. Make sure Santa gets your letter by giving it to him yourself.

Family Christmas CarverySunday 16th December from 12pm to 4pmHaigh Hall, Wigan, WN2 1PE (01942 832 895).A Sunday treat for all the family. Festive celebrations with a Christmas Brass Band, a carol sing-along and a visit from Santa.Booking essential - Adults £17.50, Children £9.95.

The Snow BallFriday 21st DecemberHaigh Hall, Wigan, WN2 1PE (01942 832 895).The premium Christmas Party Night. Warm mulled wine served on arrival in front of the fi re. Followed by a 4-course Christmas Dinner in the Grand Ballroom. Music and dancing ‘till late.Strictly black tie - £35 per person.

January 2013Spanish Wine Tasting EveningSaturday 26th JanuaryHaigh Hall, Wigan, WN2 1PE.Viva Espana! A wonderful Spanish 4-course dinner accompanied by delicious Spanish wines and expert tasting advice. Dinner server from 8pm. £29 per person.To Book - 01942 832 895.

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Honestly the only kind of fur I feel affection for is the kind that can still purr. The fact remains if fur wasn’t forbidden, I would undoubtedly be prêt-a-porter. Damn my conscience, fur is so beautiful and primeval to boot. We were designed to wear it weren’t we?

I haven’t seen PETA banging on any igloo doors recently. But I guess Eskimos get brownie points for their eco-sustainable lifestyle? Nope, no amount of rationalising will allow a furry skin to touch my animal-adoring torso. But how can I be so hypocritical?

After all I am a meat munching, leather lover. Is it just that we associate fur with cute, fl uffy creatures or does our confused conscience not allow us to ask certain more probing questions?

How is it that certain animal products and practices are a social no-no, and others slip silently under the radar? Whale hunting –a barbarous big no, salmon eating - a yummy yes. Big hypocrisy?

Please don’t misconstrue my sentiments, I am horrifi ed by the cruelty of man but I am also intrigued to understand why certain things are deemed socially acceptable and others a deplorable felony. How can we say hunting with dogs is wrong when the French eat horses? Foie gras is ripped from the fat body of a force fed goose and yet Westerners frown at Shark fi n delicacies – how phoney.

How can we go fi shing in the Whitsunday’s and condone whale hunting? Why is Spanish bull fi ghting so abhorred, yet we are happy to nourish our offspring with fatty cow burgers? Arguably the manner of death is a factor, but ultimately the bloody line seems blurred to me.

Any fashion follower can see that fur is skulking back into the arena with its tailbetween its legs. It’s tiptoed onto totes and crept quietly onto collars and slept there for a few seasons. Now the hibernation is over, it is ready to reemerge, fatter and furrier than before. Fur is creeping back in, on trims and accessories with many major designers restyling fur into fashions latest trends. With-out wanting this post to become a political broadcast: I urge people not to respond to a trend, these are real creatures that should be respected, not cruelly tortured.

Fashion has a notoriously fi ckle relationship with animal rights depending on the season, which seems complicated and immoral. The fi ckle eighties heavyweights with their infamous “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign: shelved, along with eighties neon, shoulder pads and Lycra clad aerobics instructors.

I salute Stella for her continued anti-fur campaign “There’s nothing fashionable about a dead animal that has been cruelly killed just because some people think it looks cool to wear”. Maybe she ought to have a stern word with her mates?

Read more fashion tips and articles at: www.bexbella.blogspot.com

“fi ckle eightiesheavyweightswith their...”

Ladiesof Ashton.

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he stress has already started and the phrase “if you are not good, then Santa will not be coming” makes its way into our discussions on a daily basis (actually since June). Pre-children our home was decorated to perfection and usually resembled a John Lewis advert, now it’s decorated with Bailey’s paper chains and an angel that wouldn’t look out of place in a Grim Reaper fi lm.

Bailey takes after me and has a real passion for baking, he must be the only 3 year old who actually appreciates “The Great British Bake Off” as much as I do. So this year we have been baking Christmas treats in bulk. These homemade delights have slowly replaced the gift offering of champagne when invited to our friends, food and fi zz parties...and everyone loves them, Result!

We made a rule when we had children that Christmas dinner would always be spent at home, as the stress of making any journey complete with dinosaurs, toys, bikes and babies would be overpowering to the most accommodating of family members. So, each year we open our doors to every man and his dog, but then promptly close them again at 2pm when it’s just our family time, usually accompanied by the Grandparents (they are great at washing up).

The kids are dressed up in their best Baby Boden festive outfi ts and me in my Xmas cashmere complete with festive pinny and French Martini, this is when the party starts and Christmas memories are made!

Merry Christmas.

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Why not keep me by the telephone?

Bryn WardCllr Gary Wilkes 01942 736 478Cllr John Hodgkinson 01942 776 252Cllr Margaret Rampling 01942 486 856Wigan Council01942 244 991St Helens Council01744 676 789

NHSLeigh Walk in Centre01942 264 000NHS DirectNational 0845 46 47

PharmacyMorris (Ashton)01942 727 498Boots (Bryn) 01942 727 176Billinge Rd (Garswood)01942 719 879

PoliceNon Emergency101

TransportArriva Buses0871 200 22 33National Rail Enquiries08457 484 950

UtilitiesGas Leaks 0800 111 999United Utilities (Water)0845 746 2200Electricity0800 404090

Other NumbersAshton Library01942 727 119Citizens Advice Bureau0870 1264 459Childline0800 1111

Useful Numbers

Children ServicesAshton Children’s Service01942 723 965YMCAAshton 01942 274 684

CouncillorsAshton WardCllr Nigel Dennis Ash 01942 736 216Cllr Anthony Haddley01942 487 689Cllr Bill Clarke 01942 487 673

Billinge & Seneley Green WardCllr Alison Bacon01744 895 319Cllr Joe Pearson01942 743 021Cllr Susan Murphy01942 743 098

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Hair & BeautyAdvanced Skin Care Page 25.Easy Tan Suncentre Page 10.Hamilton Hair Page 4.Indulge Hair Company Page 31.Lilly’s Nail and Tan Studio Page 1.Lilly’s Tan and Bodyworx Page 19.

Health & FitnessAshton Protein Page 18.Fabulous Feet Page 21.Hypnochi Page 28.Jeff Lloyd, Hypnotherapy Page 12.Slimming World Page 20.The Foot Clinic Page 18.The Makerfi eld Eye Centre Page 23.

Home ImprovementsGMH Heating Utilities Ltd Page 23.

Leisure & EntertainmentAshton-in-Makerfi eld Golf Club Page 11.Room Four Ltd Page 6.Sycamore Fisheries Page 17.Sycamores Golf Centre Page 17.

Locksmith & Shoe RepairAshton Lock and Key Page 14.

Mobility ServicesMillercare Page 27.

Motor ServicesRye Motors Page 29.

PhotographyStepping Stones Photography Page 32.

Plumbing, Heating & InsulationGMH Heating Utilities Ltd Page 23.

Web DesignKevin Hayden Web Design 07805 770 194.

OtherArtisan Framing Services Page 9.Instant Cash4Clothes Page 23.Totally Wicked ELiquid Page 29.

WN4 Index of Advertisers

AdvertisingKevin Hayden Web Design 07805 770 194.WN4 Local Link 07866 389 948.

Cleaning ServicesMaid2Clean Page 8.

Clothing and FashionElegance Page 15.Fabulous Fashion by Hanya Page 2.

Clothing, Alterations & RepairsTailor Maid Page 18.

Computer ServicesComputer and Laptop Repair Centre Page 26.

Dog GroomingScizzor Yappy Page 4.

Driving InstructorPass This Way Page 18.

Education ServicesCansfi eld Page 7.RJ Training Page 19.

Electrical ServicesCP Electrical Page 14.

Food & DrinkAshton-in-Makerfi eld Golf Club Page 11.Ashton Road Farm Page 17.Baraq Indian Restaurant Page 13.Lazy Daisy’s Milkshake Bar Page 4.The Willow Tea Rooms Page 6.

FloristsAshton Road Farm Page 17.Bouquets Page 28.

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december 2012 wn4 local link

Documents

spectaclessee page

contents page

wn4wn4 local link editor

local businesses

whey proteinsee page

copyright wn link

driving lessons offersee

nice local events