February 2017 www.ollertonwithmarthall.org.uk

Adoration of the Magi by El Greco, left, 1568.Adoration of the Magi by El Greco, left, 1568.( Credit Museo Soumaya, Mexico City ).( Credit Museo Soumaya, Mexico City ).(See article on page 22)(See article on page 22)

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The Parish Church of All Saints, serving the villages ofMarthall, Ollerton & Little Warford

ChurchwardensVicar-in-Charge Rev’d Gerri Tetzlaff. 01625 861231

Mr Tony Walley Tel: 01625 861361Mrs Rosemary Kellett Tel: 01625 861428

PCC Secretary Mrs Elizabeth Davison Tel: 01565 633377Treasurer Mrs Carol Mason Tel: 01565 633458Acting Editor Alan Street Tel: 01565 633820

Assistant Editor Peter Ruff Tel: 01565 652378The Parish Post is published 10 times a year and distributed

by volunteers to those living in and supporting thecommunities of Ollerton, Marthall and Little Warford.

Subscriptions cost only £6 per year and can be paid to your localdistributor. If you would like to subscribe and don’t know who to

contact, please email: cmason18@hotmail.com or ringCarol Mason on 01565 633458.

Items for the next edition should be submitted NO LATER than 20th of monthprior to publication but submissions as early as possible would be appreciated:-

Email:- ollertonwithmarthallparishpost@gmail.comOr call: 01565 652378, (Mobile: 07530 153809)

or sent to the Hall at Marthall.Sandlebridge Lane, Marthall, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 7SB

Tel: 01625 890652. (0900-11.00Mondays) (Answering machine other times)

INFORMATIONwww.ollertonwithmarthall.org.uk

CHURCHESAll Saints’ MarthallSunday Worship (See page 4)Snelson Methodist ChapelSunday Worship 10-45amSt. Vincent’s R.C. Church Father J. JoyceSunday Mass 9-00am, 11-00am, 5-30pmGt. Warford Baptist ChurchSunday Worship 10-00am, 6-00pmThursday Bible Study 7-30pm

01625 86123101565 872957

01565 22894801565 873132

DOCTORSChelford Elmstead Road SurgeryKnutsford Toft Road SurgeryKnutsford Manchester Road SurgeryKnutsford Annandale Medical Centre Mobberley Road

01625 86131601565 63268101565 63310101565 755222

SCHOOLSOver Peover Primary SchoolLower Peover Primary SchoolChelford C of E Primary SchoolKnutsford AcademyHolmes Chapel Comprehensive School

01625 86138401625 38329201625 86135101565 63227701477 689500

TRANSPORT No 27, 27A, 27B Bus Knutsford/ Macclesfi eldGHA Coaches (Operated by Vale of Llangollen)Village Rider Service to Knutsford Mon - Fri 09.30 - 14.30and 16.15 - 17.30Also to Northwich ( Tues only) andto Wilmslow and Handforth Dean ( Wed only) Pre- registration required THE HALL AT MARTHALLBooking Secretary for parties, dances etc. (Mon-Fri)Womens Institute First Tuesday in month

01625 89065201565 652448

CHELFORD VILLAGE HALLGirl Guides, Brownies, Boy Scouts, Cubs

01625 861815

KNUTSFORD Town CouncilCHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL Cllr George M Walton

01565 65392901565 651507

PARISH COUNCIL The ClerkE-mail: clerkatollertonwithmarthallpc@gmail.com

01477 571444

KNUTSFORD Citizen’s Advice BureauKNUTSFORD Heritage Centre & tourist information

01565 65131001565 650506

SAMARITANS 0845 790 9090

ALCOHOL DRINKSLINE 0800 917 8282POLICE The new number for non emergencies:-

Dial 101

01978 820820

01606 786 833

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CHURCH SERVICES FEBRUARY 20179.30am 5th10.00am 12th

9.30am 19th9.30am 26th

TBA 1st

9.30am 5th

When there is a 5th Sunday in the month there will be a Joint All-Age Service which will rotate around the three churches.Please note the new times for our church services at Marthall.Rev. Gerri Tetzlaff is prepared to swap services around to accommodate any special services.

Holy Communion led by Rev. Gerri TetzlaffPlough Service led by Rev. Gerri TetzlaffHoly Communion led by Rev. Gerri TetzlafFamily Service (Lay Led)Holy Communion led by Rev. Gerri Tetzlaff

Ash Wednesday Joint Lent Service of Evensong (venue to be advised)Holy Communion led by Rev. Gerri Tetzlaff

CHURCH CLEANING ROTATBA

BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES

MARCH 2017

February 18th -Elaine / TriciaMarch18th - Margaret W / Carol

April 15th - Rosemary / LyndaMay 13th - Barbara / Margaret F.

July 8th - Margaret W / CarolAugust 5th - Rosemary / Lynda

September 2nd - Barbara / Margaret FOctober 7th - Elaine / Tricia

November 4th - Rosemary / LyndaDecember 16th - Margaret W / Carol.

BAPTISMSLola Olivia Baines baptised15th January daughter of Dan and Lauren Baines.William John Mason baptised 22nd January son of John and Victoria Mason.

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All Saints’ Church

Vicar’s Letterfrom

Revd.Gerri Tetzlaff

Dear FriendsAlready the nights are getting a little shorter and we are enjoying just a bit

more light each day.This time of year can be difficult for some people who suffer from lack of light and often most of us generally would appreciate more time in daylight hours. I find myself a little more reluctant to go out in the evenings, par-ticularly to somewhere new which involves searching for a road or a house

and not being able to see the numbers on the doors! Looking for light is something that Christians find help with in scripture. God’s word that ‘enlightens’ our hearts and minds to see a way through what might seem like dark times. Psalm 119 v 105 says: ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.’ Indeed one of the names of Jesus Christ

is ‘the Word of God’. Yet it isn’t all about words either. We know Jesus as being God in human form – showing us how to live, how to relate to one another. To be people who care for others, help the lost and broken in society and reach out to those who are lonely, sad or frightened. People who look outwards more than inwards – yes, I mean that! That isn’t always easy and of course any of us can go through hard times and need support – it’s a bit of a circle re-ally. We give to others and when we are in need, others give to us. Not a ‘payback’ system; more than that – a life that enables us to receive as well as

give. Often it’s the receiving that we find hardest of all. As this year moves on let’s look to what we might do for others and allow

ourselves to receive too.Blessings in Christ Revd Gerri Tetzlaff

Lent Courseat Snelson Methodist Chapel

7.30pm to 9.30pm on the following Tuesdays7th March, 14th March, 21st March, 28th March, 4th April

The course will follow a familiar pattern with some input from either Revd Scott Manning or Revd Gerri Tetzlaff followed by questions and discussion.

Refreshments will be served during the evening.

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“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our

God; to comfort all who mourn.” Isaiah 61: 1- 2. As we begin this year, my prayer is that for you it is a year of “the Lord’s fa-vour”. Every year has its celebrations and its difficult moments, but I firmly believe that the Lord loves us and wants to see our lives blessed. As we be-gin the year, we often set ourselves goals for things like our health or our finances and sometimes we set a goal of giving up a bad habit. I once heard a great saying that I can’t give anyone credit for as I do not know who said it but it went like this: “If you want to see something different, do something different.” This reminds us that to achieve our goals we need to change something that will help us live differently. For me, the most important place to start is spiritually. As you begin this year, how would you describe your relationship with God? if you are like me, you know that it really could be

better and to achieve this you often need to do something different like: Going to church

Reading the BibleJoining a Bible study

or setting aside time daily for prayer and meditating on the word of God

SCRIPTURE REMINDS US THAT:“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me, says the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes.“ Jeremiah 29: 11 - 14

I can testify that this is true and have personally found such meaning in inviting Jesus into my life.

Have a blessed year. Rev Scott Manning

FromRevd. Scott Manning

Resident ministerMobberley,

Snelson, andOver Peover

Methodist Church.

• • ••

NEWSLETTER

7

O

February 2017

Our meeting took place on 6th December. In a break from tradition the Christmas Lunch was held at Cranage, at The Woodside Golf Club where 32 members enjoyed a choice of turkey or beef with all the trim-

mings making a lovely start to the Christmas season.On 3rd of January we held our first meeting of the year when Mrs Shirley welcomed and wished everyone a Happy New Year. Members were handed a copy of the programme for the coming year. We will have many varied and interesting speakers as well as a Bring and Taste Evening and in August we will hold an Auction meeting. Our outings secretary has planned a trip to Bakewell Market then on to Chats-worth Farm Shop with lunch included. A meal at Styal Prison plus a

garden outing has also been suggested.Arrangements have been made to hold our Jumble Sale on 25th March from 11-00am until 1-00pm in The Hall. Please come along and sup-

port us by grabbing a bargain or a Home Made WI Style Cake.We then enjoyed a welcome cup of tea and delicious home made cake and time for chatting. The raffle was won by Jane McKenna. The next

meeting is on Tuesday 7th February 2017 at 2-00pm in The HallEveryone welcome to join us!

Elaine Boyling

Hello Peter, Happy New Year. I know this is an early addition for the P.P. and quite different, but I think we can go without so much gloom etc! This is sure to put a smile on faces for 2017.

It was New Year’s Day in Pwllheli North Wales, when one of your church wardens, which could only be Rosemary was mad enough to do it. But the experience was great when, four of us went for a midday dip, to raise money for the RNLI. The total so far raised is £200 and still more is coming in for such a worthy cause, as they rely on donations. So that was a complete first for me and as I thought what a start for 2017, my motto just have ago.Because yes we can do such challenges and enjoy them, and it was such an on the spot decision maybe they are the best!! May I take this opportunity on behalf of Tony and myself to wish you all A very Happy Healthy New Year, also for your continued support for us we so appreciate it. Love from Church Wardens.

Thank you Peter,Kind regards Rosemary.

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CHAPTER 1Idris Bains drove eastward along the M56 towards Havenford. His mind was be-fuddled as a result of being woken at an unearthly hour by a phone call summon-ing him to a crime scene. This was confounded by a barrage from his wife about

“not being dragged into that sort of thing again.”It had been two years since he had resigned from the International Tech Crimes Agency to set up his own detective agency; the Idris Bains Agency for Rural De-tections – IBARD. Security tagging sheep had been a radical change from the jet setting demands of the Tech Crimes Agency. A quiet life had been what he wanted – and what his beloved wife Leora had demanded. She was right; how could he be

a father to their two daughters if he spent most of his time abroad. But the unexpected call from the deputy Commissioner, Belinda Ballistrut, had

intrigued him. She had demanded his presence as a matter of urgency.As he crossed the River Bollin he realised two things. The first was that it was misty down by the water in the early morning light. The second was that he had missed

his turn off. He reached his destination nearly thirty minutes late. As he drove into the car park of the Laughing Luncher he saw a group of people outside the cafe with cameras.

Reporters of course; but what were they doing here? He had barely time to take two steps towards the cafe before the tall figure of Belinda Ballistrut burst through the reporters closely followed by an even taller

young man. “Get back in the car Bains,” she said and jumped in the passenger seat. The young

man leapt into the back.“Does this mean I’m going to miss breakfast,” said Idris.

“Drive, drive,” she shouted.Idris did his best to leave the car park without running over any of the reporters as

camera flashes blinded him.“Oh B….,” said Ballistrut.

“I didn’t quite get that,” said Idris but was silenced by a glare from Ballistrut. “Pull over in that lay-by and reverse in front of that HGV; with any luck the vul-

tures will fly by us,” she said.Idris did as commanded and then turned to Deputy Commissioner Ballistrut, “I expect you have a few things you want to tell me; like why I had to leave my nice warm bed at this unearthly hour? And why would you want the services of a rural detective when you have the entire resources of the police force at your disposal?”

“My thoughts exactly,” said the young man.“Idris Bains, this is Detective Inspector Tom Walright,” said DC Ballistrut.

“And what were those reporters after anyway? What could be so news worthy to tempt them out this early?” said Idris.

“Show him the pictures,” she said.Walright produced a tablet computer and handed it to Idris.

The Mystery of

FrankieDrooge

BY MICHAEL TETZLAFF

9

Walright produced a tablet computer and handed it to Idris.“You flip through the pictures and I’ll explain,” he said.

Idris viewed the picture of a man in his sixties lying face up in a muddy field. He was wearing a Barbour jacket and walking boots. A flat cap lay nearby. There was

blood on the front of his head.Walright said, “Frankie Drooge – successful businessman. Bought the mansion at Landshigh Grange and then moved here from down south. He was a very big do-nor to a certain political party. Found dead yesterday morning at seven by a dog

walker.”“Since he is lying on his back in a field with blood on his forehead I gather you

suspect foul play,” said Idris.“Blunt force trauma; and he didn’t trip and bang his head,” said Walright.

Idris swiped through the next few shots which displayed the same scene from vari-ous angles. One showed that the body lay within thirty feet of a standing stone.

Walright said, “It’s known locally as the dog stone.”Idris said, “Something to do with Celtic legend I expect - a ghostly hound guarding

the way to the underworld or something like that?”“Yes, some such twoddle,” said Ballistrut, “but the point is that Mr Drooge is the only person who entered the field. Only his foot prints are evident in the mud – we’ve accounted for all the ‘SOCOs’ and ambulance men. And there’s no sign of

anyone covering their tracks – the dogs would have picked that up.” Idris scratched his head, “What about the person who found the body, surely their

foot prints would be there somewhere?”Walright leant over and changed the screen to the next picture, “We got a helicop-ter out yesterday afternoon and took these aerial shots. You can see that only Frank Drooge came anywhere near the dog stone – the dog walker who found the body did not leave the path; she called the police and then ran for help. We got here first

and managed to secure the scene.”“Well if you can go up in a helicopter then someone else could too – and drop

something very heavy on top of Mr Frank Drooge,” said Idris.Belinda Ballistrut shook her head, “Believe it or not we did think of that and no, there were no aircraft in the vicinity yesterday morning. And before you ask about unscheduled flights we checked with nearly every resident in the immediate area

and nobody heard a helicopter yesterday – except ours in the afternoon.”“I suppose if something had been dropped on the victim it would be still lying in the mud. There’s more isn’t there; I can tell you are dying to tell me something else

just to make the crime unsolvable,” said Idris.Tom Walright changed to the next picture, “yes there’s more; here have a look at

the top of the stone.”Idris didn’t have to look too closely, “It appears to be blood. Whose is it, or need I

ask?”Ballistrut said, “Its Frankie Drooge’s blood – the lab confirmed it last night.”

“But he is a good thirty feet from the stone and there are no prints in the mud between it and the body.”

“Exactly, that’s why we’ve decided to get you involved – by the way your name has gone all the way to the top and I mean the top. Don’t let me down Idris and don’t

take too long to solve this little problem,” she said.Idris couldn’t say anything. He felt his voice might squeak if he did. What he want-

ed to blurt out was “Why me?”Tom Walright was smiling.

To be continued!

10

YOURMOBILE LIBRARY

SERVICEMobile libraries in Cheshire East operate on a three week cycle in line with the three week loan period at their static libraries. If a book is not on re-quest by another member, it can be renewed up to four times. There are no stops by mobile libraries at weekends, and no service on Bank Holidays.

Marthall, Great Warford, and Ollertonare scheduled on week 2 at the following times :-

Marthall, The Hall, Sandlebridge Lane 2.25 -2.35Great Warford, Warford Park 2.50 -3.15Ollerton, Chapel Road 3.45 -4.20

The dates when the library serves our parishes for the next 6 months are :-February. Friday 17th • March 10th and 31st • April 21st

May 12th • June 2nd and 23rd • July 14thJoining the library is free to everyone. You will need an item of identification showing your name and address … driving licence, Council Tax or electric-ity bill for instance. Your Library Card can also be used in all Cheshire East libraries. Knutsford library is open from 9.00, Monday to Saturday, with advertised closing times between 13.00 and19.00. A charge of £1.60 is made for the replacement of lost adult Library Cards.

Thank to Heather Jones of Audlem Parish Council for bringing this consul-tation to our attention. (info from The Times 12/12/16)

There is apparently a review of the rules that have so far protected Post Of-fice branches which are outlined in an Entrustment Letter dated 23 January 2015. These currently ensure that 95% of people are within 3 miles of their nearest branch. The consultation, which closes next week (21 December), questions whether the criterion remains relevant and asks if alternatives should be considered. The government provides a £80m a year subsidy for branches until 2018 and there are concerns that this is the first step towards cutting the subsidy, which could then lead to closures in the 3000 remaining

rural Post OfficesThe link to the document, which is 17 pages long, is below. Responses may

be done on line or by post.’https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-office-network

Hazel Merrill ChALCPark View Business Centre Combermere Whitchurch Shropshire SY13 4AL

Tel; 01948 871314 • hazelmerrill@chalc.org.uk

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FORJANUARY 2017

This term we welcome 2 new starters to Pre-school which means we are pretty much full until the end of the academic year. We are now taking book-

ings for September. We have been exploring lots of winter activities in pre-school – winter sports in the hall, learning about hibernating animals and the changes that happen in the environment with the changing seasons. The weatherman says it will

snow tomorrow so we are all hoping that he’s right!We would like to say a big thank you to Danielle Broadhurst and her helpers for all their fundraising efforts at Christmas. They managed to raise £200 at

Christmas which is brilliant.

*Note - Toddler Group meets each Wednesday morning in the school hall at 10-00am until 11-45am.

£1 includes tea, juice and biscuitsThe Pre-school join them at the end of the

session for “Singing time”

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On behalf of all the carol singers, a big thank you to all who supported us with invitations to sing and giving so generously. The suppers were delicious and very welcome. The amount raised at time of writing is over £800.00. We had between 12 and 15 carolers on each of the six nights we went out including many of our young people, invites came from the Egerton Arms, The Dun Cow and The Dog Inn.The festive spirit in all three Inns was wonderful. This year was especially poignant when, on the Thursday evening we went to Nancy’s and sang Silent Night, outside her home. There was not a dry eye among us. The amount raised will be divided

between the Church Hall and East Cheshire Hospice.The atmosphere is always friendly and festive, and perhaps next year you may con-

sider joining in - it really sets the scene for the real meaning of Christmas.Elaine Boyling

CAROL SINGING

East Cheshire Hospice • Millbank Drive • Macclesfi eld Cheshire • SK10 3DRTel 01625 610 364 • Fax 01625 612 611

VIRTUALBALLOON RACE

www.rabr.co/echLaunches 27th March 2017

Each balloon costs just £3 and through our special website you can choose the design, size, shape and thickness of your balloon. Over the week of the race, our system will cleverly track where each balloon would have flown to according to the

Yahoo weather for the week. Will it fly far and wide?Or will it crash into the nearest hill?

Throughout the race you can track your balloon’s progress online bysigning into your account.

Will you be the lucky winner of over £100 worth of family vouchers?

Buy you balloon today at http://www.rabr.co/ech

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Uncertain future for public parksLiving as we do in very pleasing rural surroundings, and with one of the most attractive parks in the U.K. almost on our doorsteps at Tatton, I can imagine readers are not anything like as conscious of the contribution to the quality of life which can be made by open public spaces, as are people living

in urban areas.Which made me stop and think about a recent comment by the Royal Hor-ticultural Society about a survey which has just been publicised by the Herit-age Lottery Fund , warning of the difficulties being faced by local authori-ties in maintaining public parks in demanding financial times when budgets are shrinking and more and more responsibilities are being devolved from

national to local levels.The Heritage Fund reports that parks are becoming increasingly popular places to visit, but that park managers are having to work with budgets cut by anything up to 20%. The survey revealed that in these circumstances many parks are increasingly turning to commercial opportunities for fund raising .... particularly with charities devoted to health sustaining outdoor

activities.But outstanding news to the contrary for garden lovers in the north west

The only major Royal Horticultural Society event in the region is the splen-didly popular Flower Show at Tatton Park. ( This year it will be held from the 19th to the 23rd July ). But in the not too distant future this will be

increasingly supplemented.The Society has announced a proposal to create a new FIFTH RHS GAR-DEN in Worsley, to the north of Salford, by bringing back to life the lost historic estate at the former Worsley New Hall. It is planned to create a stun-ning 156 acre garden, and has appointed a world-class landscape architect

to create the master plan – Tom Stuart-Smith.The garden is to be named ‘RHS Garden Bridgewater’ ( the canal of the same name runs alongside the site ) and phase 1 is planned to be opened in 2019. The restoration will include the 11 acre walled kitchen garden, one of the largest in the United Kingdom. It is also hoped to offset some of the decline in the number of skilled young horticulturists by including a Schools Learning Centre. The Society also anticipates attracting a cohort of garden-ing volunteers, and members are already expressing interest in so doing.

RHS Vice President, Alan Titchmarsh, MBE said when the project was an-nounced “The development of the new garden will be the biggest garden project the charity will have undertaken in its 211 year history. Watching the

‘RHS Garden Bridgewater’ take shape is going to be fascinating”.Alan Street

DO WE VALUEOUR PUBLIC

PARKS ?

I WANTI WANTTO RIDETO RIDE

MY BICYCLE!MY BICYCLE!Last November I wrote about dangers we face on our local roads and focused on horse riders. This time I wish to talk a little about cyclists. As the volume of traffic increases so do the dangers. The numbers of people choosing to cycle for fun, fit-ness or to get to work has increased by more than a quarter in twenty years and an incredible 3.2 billion miles are cycled on our roads every year. However, 3,337 cyclist were killed or seriously injured on our roads in 2015. Rural roads carry 30% of cycle traffic but they accounted for 58% of pedal cyclist fatalities in 2013.

CYCLING ACCIDENTS FACTS & FIGURES -www.rospa.com/road-safety/advice/pedal-cyclists/facts-figures

• Around 75% of fatal or serious cyclist accidents occur in urban areas • Around half of cyclist fatalities occur on rural roads • 75% happen at, or near, a road

junction • 80% occur in daylight • 80% of cyclist casualties are male • Almost one quarter of the cyclists killed or injured are children • Around three quarters of

cyclists killed have major head injuries.Types of Accident

Human error is the main contributory factor involving cyclist collisions. Driver/rid-er error was the most frequently reported reasonfor the incident involving 73% of all reported accidents in 2014. Accidents involving child cyclists are often the result of the child playing, doing tricks, riding too fast or losing control. For teenage and adult cyclists, accidents are more likely to involve collisions with motor vehicles, but about 16% of fatal or serious cyclist accidents reported to the police do not involve a collision with another vehicle, but are caused by the rider losing control of their bicycle. In collisions involving a bicycle and another vehicle, the most common key contributory factor recorded by the police is ‘failed to look properly’ by either the driver or rider, especially at junctions. ‘Failed to look properly’ was attributed to the car driver in 57% of serious collisions and to the cyclist in 43% of serious col-lisions at junctions. Other common contributory factors attributed to drivers are ‘poor turn/manoeuvre’ (in 17% of serious accidents involving a cyclist) and ‘care-less, reckless, in a hurry (17%). Cyclists are more likely to suffer serious injuries when a driver is judged to be ‘impaired by alcohol’, exceeding the speed limit’ or ‘travelling too fast for the conditions’. The second most common contributory fac-tor attributed to cyclists was ‘cyclist entering the road from the pavement’ (includ-ing when a cyclist crosses the road at a pedestrian crossing), which was recorded in about 20% serious collisions (and over one third of serious collisions involving child cyclists). The most common vehicle involved in collisions with cyclists is a car or taxi, with the rider usually being hit by the front of the vehicle. In a quarter of fatal cyclist accidents, the front of the vehicle hit the rear of the bicycle.

Avoid riding into the sunset. Each day I gauge the wind and sunlight to

select as pleasant a route home as possible. This is about more than enjoyment: Riding into the sun makes you virtually invisible to motor-

ists. If you’re stuck heading west at the end of the day, try taking a meandering route. And

when the sun’s at your back, keep in mind that road users ahead will have a difficult time

seeing you.Watch for oncoming traffic.

Passing motorists often accelerate intothe opposite lane without looking for cyclists

in their path. Similarly, I shudder to think about how frequently I make fast right turns

onto two-lane roads without considering what might be might be fast approaching on the

wrong side. (We also have a few more point-ers on sharing the road that would be good to

keep in mind.)

Advice for motoristsWhen turning left watch for cyclists coming up on your near side and don’t cut them up; Give cyclists a wide berth when overtaking; At night, dip your headlights when approaching cyclists; In wet weather, allow cyclists extra room as surfaces may be slippery. Remember, cyclists and motorists are equally entitled to use and share the same road space. Respecting all road users helps everyone to benefit from travelling by road.

FIVE TIPS FOR RURAL ROAD CYCLINGDon’t expect motorists to see you.

In city traffic, dense streets and attentive driv-ers mean the key to safety is being assertive and using the rhythm of traffic to your advan-

tage. But as your bicycle carries you away from town, the safer place to be becomes

the side of the road. Likewise, plan to dodge cars in intersections even when you have the

right-of-way.Look behind you.

I glance over my shoulder as I approach everydriveway, intersection, and road hazard. Yes,

every single one. A common car-on-bike incident is the right hook. This is when a car

passes a cyclist, slows to turn right, and obliviously crosses the cyclist’s path on the

edge of the street.

Rest in high-visibility places. I usually don’t stop to change clothes, eat food, or even answer the call of nature (an essential skill for road racing, and practice makes perfect). But I do wait until I’m a safe distance from

blind corners or hillcrests before doing anything that compromises my focus.Useful References: Rules for cyclists (rules: 59 to 82 - www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code rules-

for-cyclists-59-to-82) The Highway Code rules for cyclists, including an overview, roadjunctions, roundabouts and crossing the road. Road users requiring extra care (rules: 204 to 225 -

www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/road-users-requiring-extra-care-204-to-225). The Highway Code rules for road users requiring extra care, including pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists,

other road users and other vehicles.Councillor Sassan Baghai

16

17

HOMEWATCH ALERTLloyds customers should be on the lookout for a new sophisticated fraud that

involves fraudsters sending fake bank letters.

The convincing letters being sent are a replica template from Lloyds and in-clude their logo, address and signature from a customer service representa-

tive. The letter tells recipients that there have been some “unusual transactions” on their personal account and asks them to call a number highlighted in bold

to confirm they are genuine. When victims call the number, an automated welcome message is played and the caller is asked to enter their card number, account number and sort code followed by their date of birth.Victims are then instructed to enter the first

and last digit of their security number.The fraud was spotted by the Daily Telegraph who was alerted to it by a read-er who had three identical letters sent to an office address. On separate occa-sions the Daily Telegraph ran some tests using fake details and were passed to fraudsters who claimed to be from a Lloyds contact centre. The bank has

confirmed that the phone number and letters are fake. The letters are essentially a sophisticated phishing attempt and serves as a warning to consumers to question written correspondence from their banks.

If you are ever suspicious about correspondence from your bank you should call the customer serviced number on the back of their card.

To report a fraud and cyber crime, call us on 0300 123 2040 or visit http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud

Action Fraud has received several reports from victims who have been sent convincing looking emails claiming to be from Amazon. The spoofed emails from “service@amazon.co.uk” claim recipients have made an order online

and mimic an automatic customer email notification. The scam email claims recipients have ordered an expensive vintage chan-delier. Other reported examples include: Bose stereos, iPhone’s and luxury

watches.

The emails cleverly state that if recipients haven’t authorised the transaction they can click on the help centre link to receive a full refund. The link leads to an authentic-looking website, which asks victims to confirm their name,

address, and bank card information.

Amazon says that suspicious e-mails will often contain:Links to websites that look like Amazon.co.uk, but aren’t Amazon.co.uk.

Attachments or prompts to install software on your computer.Typos or grammatical errors.

Forged (or spoofed) e-mail addresses to make it look like the e-mail is coming from Amazon.co.uk.

Amazon will never ask for personal information to be supplied by e-mail.

You can read more about identifying suspicious emails claiming to be from Amazon by visiting https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.

html?nodeId=201489210

To report a fraud or cyber crime, call us on 0300 123 2040.

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HOMEWATCH ALERTPOLICE Knutsford Crime Update - November 2016

03/11 22.45 hours, man arrested at Chelford railway station for assault.06/11 Street cannabis warning issued to male on Tabley Rd in the early hours.

06/11 Vehicle keyed (nearside) between 10.30 – 17.00 hours parked on Pickmere Ln,Pickmere.

06/11 Criminal damage to fencing. Possibly youths, seen damaging a fence at St Johns Vale, Knutsford.

07/11 Attempted theft of quad bike from a farm on Benteyhurst Ln, Mere. 2 males were seen around 13.00 hours with a white transit van trying to lift the quad bike into the van.

08/11 Stables, Congleton Rd – Alderley Edge has been broken into, offenders have broken off padlock and stolen a strimmer.

08/11 Power tools stolen from van around 10.30 hours, offenders have damaged lock to pas-senger side door parked on Warrington Rd, Mere.

09/11 Theft of 2 chainsaws from an insecure log storage building, on a farm, on Marthall Ln, Marthall.

11/11 Vehicle keyed down passenger side on Princess St between 17.30 and 18.00 hours.11/11 Petrol station broken into at Chelford. Offenders have gained access via roof and

stolen £15,000 from ATM machine.12/11 Theft of 2 x oval road signs outside an address on Reddy Ln, Millington.

14/11 Criminal damage to motor vehicle on Manor Cres, Knutsford. Front and rear nearside tyres slashed overnight.

15/11 Theft of Green Landrover discovery. Man stolen the vehicle from the Alderley Park, Alderley Edge around 11.30 hours. Keys were inside the vehicle.

16/11 Theft of front and rear vehicle registration plates, Plumley Moor Rd, Plumley.25/11 Theft from mail box to property - Chelford.

26/11 Burglary at a property on Lindop Cl, Knutsford – offenders forced rear door to gain access. Personal items stolen.

28/11 Burglary dwelling to a property on Pedley House Ln, Great Warford. Offenders have entered front door by means unknown and stolen cash.

Positive outcomes: Male sentenced to 24 weeks in Prison for handling stolen goods from the Rostherne area.

Male sentenced to 15 years in Prison for a series of Travel Agents robberies, one in Knuts-ford town centre.

IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING ANY OF THE ABOVE INCI-DENTS PLEASE RING 101, QUOTING THE INCIDENT NUMBER.

We have had a few reports lately that mail has been stolen from outside mail boxes attached to gates etc. Please make sure your mailbox is secure and that thieves cannot gain access to it. Thieves know that

people receive credit cards through the post and will try to access if they can.

Lindsey Whitehead (Police, PCSO, Macclesfield LPU Knutsford PCSO)We have had a report of a burglary at a private address on Pedley house lane in Great Warford.Address is

temporary unoccupied. Offenders have entered through the front door and stolen cash.

On the 1st of this month, 2 males called at an elderly persons house in Wilmslow around 2.30pm. The males tried to sell the person some logs and kindle who wrote them a cheque for the value of £400. Thankfully the cheque was stopped. Please be aware that there are people out and about that will happily try and catch vulnerable people out in this despicable way. Cheshire Police have a nominated neighbour scheme which is

used for bogus callers. It is a card which is placed in the window of a vulnerable persons house.The card requests to callers, to either call at a nominated neighbours house on their behalf or call a number

to discuss something on their behalf. This is aimed to reduce the amount of bogus callers at our doors.If you would like one of these cards, please call in to Knutsford police station between the hours of 9am till

5pm - Monday to Friday They are free!

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Dan Hind (Police, Media, Chesh Engagement Unit) Officers are warning residents to be vigilant following an incident involving a bogus caller in Chester. During the incident, which occurred on Wednesday 11 January in the Hoole area of Chester, an elderly man was targeted by cold callers who claimed to be builders and told the man that his roof needed to be repaired. The builders then told the resident that he could do the repairs, but in order to do so he would need to be paid in advance. The resident handed over an initial deposit for the work, but was then asked to provide an additional £6,000, which had to be paid in cash. The victim then went to his local bank to withdraw the money, but thankfully the alarm was raised by a member of staff and the money was not passed over to the cold caller. Inspector Karen Jaundrill said: “Following this incident I would like to appeal to the local community to look out for elderly relatives, friends and neighbours to help reduce the likelihood of someone else becoming a victim. “I would also like to remind all residents about the importance of people not letting anyone into their home who calls unexpectedly and if you have a chain, always use it. Make sure you ask for identification and if they provide it, close the door and check the number, but most importantly, if you have any doubts about them being genuine, don’t let them in and ask them to come back later when

you are not alone. Any suspicious activity should be reported to police.”There are a number of simple steps that residents can take to protect themselves their families,

friends and neighbours, these include:• Check the identity of callers by calling the company they claim to be from. Use the telephone numbers listed in your local directory, online or provided independently by your service pro-

vider. Do not use any telephone numbers provided by the caller − they may be bogus.• Telephone a neighbour or friend nearby to come along and check out the caller before you open

the door to them. • The “Waterboard” has not existed for 28 years; turn away anyone purporting to be from it.

• Keep cash in the bank where it is secure.• Consider storing valuable jewellery in bank deposit box - contact your bank for details.

• Keep doors locked and windows secure at all times.• Ensure that if you do let somebody in to your home, that you close the door behind them − distraction burglars often work in teams, while you’re distracted another person may sneak in

through an open door.• If somebody asks for your help, needs to make a telephone call, needs a drink or wants direc-tions, don’t feel pressurised into letting them in. Help through a closed door; refer them to a

younger neighbour or call to ask someone to assist.• Not sure? Don’t open the door.

Residents are advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to Cheshire Police on 101. Information can also be reported anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Lindsey Whitehead (Police, PCSO, Macclesfield LPU Knutsford PCSO)Dear all. We had a report of a burglary at an address on Oakfield avenue Knutsford. Sometime over the last 2 days, offenders have gained entry via an insecure rear door and stolen fishing gear from

the lounge.

Today, we have had a report of a burglary at an address along Chel-ford road Knutsford. Offenders seen on CCTV to throw a large stone through glass patio doors around 18.30 hours last night. Entry has

been gained and jewellery has been stolen.

HOMEWATCH ALERT

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Ollerton and Marthall WI

Jumble Sale

atThe Hall at Marthall

onSaturday

25th March 2017

11am –1pmEntry £1 includes tea and biscuits

Please come along and join us to support your local WIWe would welcome any goods that are suitable for resale.

Goods can be left on the dayat The Hall from 8:30am.

Or Contact Maddy on 01625 860764

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This is an extract from a letter received following the article we ran in the October issue about Marthall Brook, a feed to the River Bollin catchment area. If you are interested in this Sally Potts would be happy to hear from you ,and to let you know how new volunteers

can get involved.Alan Street

Dear Alan and Janet,Many thanks to Alan for writing the piece about the BEACON water pollution project. It is great to see the work that our volunteers do being discussed at a local level, and

also for your own observations on the matter.Also, just to let you know that the local angling association ( Birkin Fly Fishers ) , and the University of Manchester have worked together to carry out more in depth water sampling along Birkin Brook. Whilst this isn’t directly in your area of concern, Birkin Brook obviously receives inputs from Marthall and Pedley Brooks and so in time, with more volunteers and resources, we will duplicate this work on Marthall and Pedley Brooks to see what’s happening at the source, Thus far the samples taken by Manchester University have shown problems with high phosphates ( which can come from soil erosion ), high ammonia ( which may be from leaking septic tanks and sew-age works outfalls ) and high levels of suspended solids in some areas ( which could

be due to river bank erosion, cattle poaching and field runoff.Thanks again for publicising this work.

Kind regards, Sal Potts Volunteer Project OfficerBollin Environmental Action and Conservation

E.mail: sally.potts@nationaltrust.org.uk • Tel: 01625 415 199

MARTHALLMARTHALL

BEER FESTIVALBEER FESTIVALSaturday 3rd JuneSaturday 3rd June

Doors open at 2pm • More info to follow

MARTHALL

BEER FESTIVALSaturday 3rd June

Doors open at 2pm • More info to follow

LETTERS TOTHE EDITORHave Your Say!

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Epiphany, on the 12th day of Christmas, is usually celebrated on the Sunday closest to January 6th and is generally regarded as the end of the festive sea-son. (I was brought up believing Christmas decorations must be dismantled by the evening of that day, or one would attract some dire misfortune !). Some Protestant churches extend the season of Epiphany from January 6th until Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, which this year is on Wednesday,

March 1st.Epiphany denotes the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by.... the birth and the visit of the Magi... “ the three Wise Men, or Kings, as described in the Gospel of Matthew, who visited Jesus after his birth bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The ‘Adoration of the Magi’, and the shepherds, was interpreted by early Christians as the very first recognition

by the people of the earth of Jesus as ‘Christ the Redeemer’.Although the Magi are commonly referred to as ‘Kings’ there is nothing in the account from the Gospel of Matthew which implies they had the sta-tus of rulers. Their elevation is thought to have sprung from prophecies in the Old Testament which described the Messiah being worshiped by kings. Western Christian tradition is that all three are to be regarded as Saints and are identified as Melchior, a Persian scholar; Caspar, a scholar from India;

and Balthar, a Babylonian.When the purpose of their visit to Judea to pay homage to “the child who has been born King of the Jews” became known to Herod he was much afraid and bade the trio to report back to him “so that I may also go and pay him homage”, but having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own countries by a different path. As soon as the “Kings” had left Joseph also had a dream warning of Herod’s planned massacre of

the innocents, and immediately took his family to Egypt.The timing of the interval between the birth and the visit if the Magi is not specified in the Bible, and doubts have been expressed, fuelled to some extent by Herod’s command that the Massacre of the Innocents should in-clude all boy children up to two years old. Some Protestant churches extend the season of Epiphany from January 6th until Ash Wednesday and the start

of Lent, which this year is on Wednesday, March 1st.But early artistic depictions and the closeness of the long established tra-ditional dates of December 25th and January 6th supports the assumption

that the visit took place relatively soon after the birth.

We are indebted to Wikipedia for the extracts upon which this article is based, and for the cover illustration. The original bible description is to be found in Mathew 2:1

– 12. Alan Street

This year the Epiphany Family Service was celebrated at All Saints on Sunday, 8th January.

EPIPHANYA BRIEF HISTORY OF ‘THREE KINGS DAY’

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Cut down deciduous ornamental grasses left standing over winter,before fresh shoots appear.Divide large clumps of snowdrops and winter aconites after floweringand replant to start new colonies.Prune late summer-flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 30cm from base.Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free.Transplant deciduous shrubs growing in the wrong place, while they are dormant.Pot up containers with hardy spring bedding, such as primroses,wallflowers and forget-me-nots.Prune winter-blooming shrubs, such as mahonia, winter jasmine and heathers, once they’ve finished flowering.Cut back wisteria side shoots to three buds from the base of spur toencourage abundant flowers in spring.Give winter heathers a light trim after flowering, removing shoot tips but not cutting back into old wood,Prune buddleia and elder to the base to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size.Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers if they have outgrown their space, before birds start nesting.Cut away all the old foliage from epimediums with sheers, before the spring flowers start to develop.Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and otherflowering shrubs.Winter Pruning wisteria ...Timing? January or February, when the plant is dormant. Hard prune now so less of a check than pruning in active growth.Why Prune? A main reason is to create a well-spaced framework of branches so that flowers are shown to advantage.It is easy to see the structure of the plant in winter; particularly dead,diseased and crossing branches. Remove these, and old branch systems that have become worn out.You may need to cut back branches growing over windows or outwards from walls or supports.

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BonhamsThe Stables213 Ashley RoadHale, WA15 9TB

bonhams.com/manchester

ENQUIRIES0161 927 3822manchester@bonhams.com

YOUR LOCAL GATEWAY TO THE INTERNATIONAL FINE ART MARKET

With experienced regional specialists and regular sales in the UK and further

you are considering selling.

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