Get fit at the park

Forgot to post this last week! As well as the new kids' play area, a selection of exercise equipment has been installed at Queens Park, behind the bowling green area. Oh, and the new cafe pavilion framework is going up... 

Raven open again

We've tracked the decline of pubs in and around Crewe over the last few years here on Crewe TV, but one piece of good news is that the Raven on Brookhouse Drive has reopened last week. It always surprised me that such a big estate, plus recent new housing and the Gresty Road area couldn't support a pub, but then the same could be said of The George and the Cross Keys I suppose. So good luck to the new management team. We try to keep the Crewe Pubs site updated with the frequent changes...

What's On Crewe & Nantwich?

Not off to Stevenage and sick of shopping? The Crewe & Nantwich What's On guide and the Crewe Gig Guide have been updated...

Bradfield Road made safer

Anyone living in or around the Coppenhall/Leighton end of town will know how busy Bradfield Road can be, especially by the petrol station at the top of Mablins Lane. A new crossing (photo shows work ongoing, although it is now complete) is now up and running in time for the start of the new school term. The crossing was installed following a petition, signed by over 450 local residents, that was organised by local Councillor Derek Bebbington. Many people were finding it difficult to cross Bradfield Road from the nearby housing estate to the shops and garage on the other side of the road. The crossing has cost approximately £30,000 and it has recently been completed after work began in early August. The only issue now is that it stops cars pulling out of the petrol station if the crossing is in use, a bit like the zebra by the roundabout on Vernon Way. Awkward, but a decent traffic calming device?

Load of old cobbles!

An email from Gareth this morning alerted me to the fact that the cobbles were being removed by the Lyceum Theatre and Market Hall. A quick chat to the fellas working on the site, plus a chinwag with former mayor Howard Curran, and it became clear that not all of the Hill Street cobbles were being removed. As the new square is higher than before it's necessary to link the two surfaces, and they are doing this over two or three metres. There will be a steady slope. My question is where do the old cobbles go? How about taking them over to Goddard Street to repair the awful patches that have been filled with Tarmac!

Shavington wind turbine rejected

Conservative Councillors Margaret Simon (*see comments) and Brian Silvester have welcomed the overwhelming rejection of a proposed wind turbine in Shavington. Cllr Simon said: "Thursday's planning outcome was the right one. I am grateful to those members of the Planning Committee who took the opportunity to visit the site for the wind turbine last Friday. They saw for themselves the proposed location not only from Blakelow Business Park but also from the perspective of the homes of residents who would be most affected by their decision. I had a gut feeling that once they saw the area they would realise that the proposed site was totally inappropriate and unacceptable.”

Scholars receive former mayor's bursary award to study at MMU

Four local people have successfully won through to be awarded bursaries at MMU Cheshire worth between £5000 and £7200 toward their university tuition fees. The bursaries were provided jointly by the Lifelong Learning Fund (set up by former Crewe & Nantwich Mayor Cllr Brian Silvester) together with partners Wulvern Housing and MMU. The award winners are Katrina Morrell, Gareth Griffith, Christine Miller and Simon Swift who will each start their degree programmes in September. The judging panel of Cllr Brian Silvester, Rob Allen (Wulvern Director) and Dennis Dunn MBE (Dean MMU) issued a joint statement: “We were tremendously encouraged by a large number of applications for the bursaries and the four successful candidates were outstanding and very worthy of the award, which covers half of their tuition fees. We are confident that the bursary will make a substantial difference to their time at MMU and that their success will inspire others." 

Councillor Silvester went on to say: “The theme of my Crewe and Nantwich Mayoral Year during 2008/9 was Lifelong Learning, a cause close to my heart. Education can change lives for the better and I chose to launch the Scholarship Fund because I wanted as many as possible to have that opportunity. This financial assistance offers people of all ages the opportunity to realise their ambitions and fulfill their learning potential – it really is the chance of a lifetime. The Bursary allows local people who have left full time education and started their working life to return to full time education and make their dreams come true. I am very pleased the three of the successful candidates are in this category. I would like to thank all those who worked so hard to raise funds for this very worthwhile cause. With the match funding from partners over £60,000 was raised and that is a remarkable achievement.”

England U19 @ Gresty Road

Late shout if you didn't know about the U19 international footy that's taking place at Gresty Road on Thursday evening. England U19 take on Slovakia's U19 lads, kick-off 7.30pm. Adults £3, concessions £1. Ticket hotline 01270-252610. UPDATE: England won 2-0 with a crowd of over 3,000 at Gresty Road. Full details on the Alex website HERE...

Queens Park play area

I covered the new play kit at Queens Park extensively last week, but for those who like the official press releases here you go..

* A new playground has been unveiled at Queen’s Park – with youngsters queueing up in excitement to have a go on the new equipment. A total of £165,400 has been invested in the Crewe project by Cheshire East Council and partners including the Heritage Lottery Fund, WREN and private fundraisers. Nineteen new pieces of equipment were selected after consultation and market research driven by Sir William Stanier School in Coppenhall. Pupils wanted the equipment to be as inclusive as possible, exciting and stretch all abilities and youngsters confidence. Boulders and tree logs have been incorporated into the design to integrate as many different ways to play as possible.

Councillor Andrew Knowles, Cabinet member with responsibility for health and wellbeing, said: “This partnership has enabled us to provide an exciting facility for the users of Queen’s Park with new equipment to suit all ages and abilities. When the fencing came down there was a great deal of excitement among the young people visiting the park to play for the first time on the new equipment.”

And that’s not all, in the autumn there will be a further addition to the play area. A six metre tall ‘Buccaneer Tower’ – a metal climbing structure with multi-level platforms, ladders and ropes – will be the signature piece for the park. Then, to complete the project, the existing ornate shelter will be refurbished and repositioned to provide cover and a meeting point for families. 

For more information about Queen’s Park, or details of the next stakeholders’ meeting scheduled for Septemeber 8, please contact the Queen’s Park manager on 01270-537896 *

Iconic tower set to tumble

South Cheshire College is set to say a fond farewell to its old Dane Bank Avenue campus which has served generations of students for over 40 years. As staff move into their brand new state-of-the-art campus on the same site, the curtain is about to close on the seven storey tower block and outbuildings which were officially opened by the Queen Mother in 1968. The water and electrical supplies are being shut down in the old campus this week and the first demolition stage of the tower block will begin later this month.

Peter Swift, South Cheshire College Principal, said: “It will be sad to say goodbye to our old campus which has served South Cheshire extremely well since the 1960s. However, this is the right time to move on and we have now moved into an iconic new campus with outstanding facilities. There is no doubt that the new building will enhance the quality of education we provide for our students for many years to come.”

Great Result for Sandbach United

A new £2.2m home for Sandbach United FC has moved a step closer after Cheshire East Council secured an £825,500 grant from Sport England and the Football Foundation. The FA has granted a further £200,000 under Sport England’s Whole Sport Plan. The combined total grant of just over £1m will be match funded by the Council and supported by the club’s own fundraising. The development, off Hind Heath Road, will include a new changing-room pavilion, grass pitches, all-weather pitches and floodlights. Work is expected to start later in the year and it is hoped to be completed by next August. The facilities will be available to other sports club and organisations across Cheshire East.

Great news, but the "match funded" bit surprises me in the current climate. Sure the facilities will be open to other organisations, but this seems a tad lavish when other services face cuts.

Malpas Yesteryear Rally

If you're looking for something to do next weekend and fancy a trip across Cheshire, you could try the Malpas Yesteryear Rally. Blog reader Grumpy D told me about it and until I saw his aerial snaps I had no idea what a big event it is.

There's masses to see and do, with an old-time fairground complete with organ sounds, shire horses, around 25 steam engines, military vehicles, a craft and model tent, heavy haulage displays and motorcycles. Camping is available if you fancy making a weekend of it. Date: 11th and 12th September, 2010. You can get a family ticket for £20. Call 01978-780749 or visit www.malpas-yesteryear-rally.co.uk for more information.

Crewe Photographic Society open day

If you enjoy a bit of snapping, then Crewe Photographic Society will be holding a Photo Open Day on Saturday 4th September at the Lyceum Theatre, between 10am and 3pm. Entry is free.

Crewe Carnival 2010

Update: back to the top because there have been some decent comments and I think it's important that people say what they'd like to see at the carnival. Money is a big issue, and for such events to succeed it really will need considerable community involvement coupled with private sponsorship in the future. So post your ideas or email creweblog@hotmail.co.uk with any suggestions for the council.

The rain tried its best to ruin this year's carnival, but plenty of people enjoyed a wide range of events, shows and displays. The day was opened by the Mayor of Crewe, Cllr Jacquie Weatherill, with help from the Marshfield Bank Community Centre. They were joined by some kids from Underwood West for a Fancy Dress competition just as the skies threatened an afternoon of showers. Maddie Gibson, Liam Brock and  Lucy Vickers accompanied the mayor to accept their prizes.

Thankfully, it was a brief downpour and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Crewe's Missiles mini team rolled up, always a popular bunch, and it was good to see plenty of local organisations taking up stalls to promote their services and fundraising efforts. It's these people that make a carnival, as they put in hundreds of hours of preparation ahead of the day.

The Tipkinder fair was, IMO, improved courtesy of a professional security team that ensured that the local idiots were kept away, and across the road loads of families enjoyed the new play area in Queens Park. I took a wander around the fair mid-afternoon and bumped in young Jack Taso and Ashley Clark (second image below) who were happy to wave and smile as they enjoyed one of the rides.

Back in the arena there was dancing, gymnastics, motorbike stunts and the army, birds of prey and song and dance. They had a few family-based fairground rides on the main site to compliment the big stuff over at Tipkinder, plus a load of bouncy castles and stalls suitable for younger children. Alesha and Brandon Cooper provided the essential ice-cream shot.

There was the obligatory dog show, a fruit and veg competition in one of the main tents (impressive carrots) and even an archery set where you could have a go with the bow and arrorws! Sadly, it lashed it down around 6.45pm as the crowd gathered for the live music. I put my camera away in the early evening when the Mrs and kids joined me, but I'll post some of Darius et al from the excellent Simon J Newbury later. Here's a few more snaps from across the day...

Crewe's Young Apprenticeship Ambassador

Politicians regularly talk about the importance of Apprenticeships; both for the employer and the apprentices themselves. Employers even set up their own ambassador’s network to talk to other employers about the business benefits they could enjoy by setting up a programme. But for too long there has been a gap where we have not been able to hear directly from the apprentices themselves: the real stars of the Apprenticeships.

To fill this gap the Young Apprenticeship Ambassador’s network has been created. The group of 25 ambassadors have been picked for their expertise, ambition and success. Crewe is lucky enough to have 21 year old Louis Warburton to represent them. The Young Ambassadors will be asked to advise the National Apprenticeship Service on the services provided to apprentices and on how they market to and communicate with current and potential apprentices. The network will be asked to provide insight into their experiences of being an apprentice, help develop future Apprenticeship policy decisions and to offer their perspective of what future apprentices may be looking for to aid their decision making. The Young Ambassadors are all being mentored by Claire Young (of The Apprentice) and she is already driving them hard to get out and about and sell the benefits of Apprenticeship to other young people.

Louis recently completed a four year craft and technical Apprenticeship with Bentley Motors in Crewe, Cheshire. Since being an apprentice Louis has undertaken an NVQ Level 2 in Performing Engineering Operations, an NVQ Level 3 in Engineering Leadership and a Level 3 National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently studying towards a Foundation Degree in Mechanical Engineering with the aim of one day achieving a full honours degree.

To find out how Apprenticeships can be good for your business visit http://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ or call 08000-150600. 

God @ the Dog

Quick mention for the sofachurch folk who will be discussing a range of spiritual experiences at their meeting this month. What are we to make of spiritual experiences? Latest meeting is on Thursday 2nd September at the Duke of Gloucester pub, Crewe, from 8pm. Also visit http://www.sofachurch.com/ for more info...

Let’s Party! Council chops red tape...

Not something that has affected our neighbourhood, as we have often organised cul-de-sac parties without the need to worry about officialdom, but for anyone where traffic might be an issue Cheshire East Council has wholeheartedly backed a government decision to axe red tape that gets in the way of communities organising street parties and other celebrations. It follows news that Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles has succeeded in his quest to ban the reams of forms, high costs and bureaucracy surrounding community-organised events. From now on, instead of organisers being met with endless, confusing guidelines on food licences, road closures and insurance, councils can ask street party organisers to complete one simple form. Previously, some small community groups were asked to apply for up to five separate licences and found it tricky to get upfront advice on what to do. They also found out about hidden costs right at the last minute, causing delays or cancellations to community events.

For most small organised street parties that don't affect the wider road network, there is no requirement in law for local authorities to advertise proposed closures or carry out consultations. Neither are specific signs or other traffic management equipment required. Some easy, good practice guidance has been agreed in a new leaflet which will be published by the government in September and be made available online and from town halls. Chris Gittins, director of street party campaign group Streets Alive, said: “At last the red tape is being cut on road closures and the bunting can go up on building community spirit through street parties. After years of campaigning on this the government is listening to us. Though there is more to do, it is a great step for common sense and a chance to open up the country to the simple pleasure of meeting your neighbours in your traffic-free street.”

September Comedy

After a well earned summer break, The Very Best in Stand Up returns to Nantwich Civic Hall this Friday, 3rd September, with yet another amazing line up of top comedy talent.

Patrick Monahan, an Irish/Iranian/Geordie comedian, is a regular on the UK comedy circuit, playing at the Comedy Store, the Glee Club and Jongleurs to name but a few. He has also worked as the warm up act for many top comedy programmes including Friday Night with Jonathon Ross and The IT Crowd as well as appearing on the BBC’s Destination Unknown and Channel 5’s That’s So last week.

Patrick Monahan will be joined by Smug Roberts, Gary Delaney and Jason John Whitehead. Tickets are available from Nantwich Civic Hall, Nantwich Tourist Information Centre on 01270-537359, the Lyceum Theatre Box Office on 01270-537333 or by visiting the website www.civiccomedy.co.uk

Darius @ Crewe Carnival

Darius Campbell topped the bill on Saturday night on the big stage rigged up on the King George V playing fields. Photos from local snapper Simon J Newbury who has a great offer on portraits, an amazing £20 for kids. Do check his website out HERE and support a local business. He's also got a great offer on prints of Darius in action HERE...

While Darius was the main act (before the fireworks - anyone take any good snaps?) there was plenty going on from 6pm. We'd wandered over to the fair and missed the local Star Search winner, but Simon tells me that Gabrielle Smith was poorly so her younger sister stepped in (Charmaine Smith, right). Good effort, email the blog if you know her name and I'll update this entry. Anyway, she was on stage first with local DJ Paul Senior  (from The Cat, amongst other fine performances locally) working the stage alongside a guy from Silk FM. As well as linking the acts, they kept things going with music quizzes, dedications and plenty of audience interaction...

Then, the soggy crowd was treated to some great sounds from Over The Rainbow's Dani Rider (left), Tom Seals and his band (above), the impressive Retrospective, Vavoom (you gotta love them), some dancers (sorry, no idea who they were) and also Profound Legacy (all below). It's easy to moan, but the CEC guys/girls and Volume PR put in plenty of work to get a diverse bunch of musicians on stage (FREE) so cut them a little slack. If you have any ideas about next year then drop the blog an email or contact the council direct. Loads of people have ideas, but it takes time, money and effort to deliver them. If you don't make suggestions or step forward then nothing will change...

Political farce

I didn't cover Cllr Robert Parker's deselection from the local Conservative Party as, to be honest, it's no big shock. He's the guy, you might recall, who hasn't attended too many council meetings on our behalf. Well, he's come out all anti-Tory and has hinted that he'll team up with other local parties. Unbelievable. Now I have no problem with people changing their mind, making informed decisions etc, but this is a guy who has been 100% blue for 30 years. In this week's Chron he's even saying sorry to local Labour and Liberal supporters for the "derogatory comments" he has made over the years. According to our occasional councillor, he's going to oppose the Tory Party now! And people wonder why so many see them as a fickle bunch!

LEPs the way forward

South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce is working hard to ensure that business is at the forefront of a new Local Enterprise Partnership which is planned for the Cheshire and Warrington sub-region. Local Enterprise Partnerships are to be introduced by the coalition Government to replace Regional Development Agencies and are designed to be a genuine partnership between business and local authorities which will be led and driven by the private sector and their objective will be to promote economic growth.

John Dunning, Chief Executive of the South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is clear that economic recovery will have to be led by the private sector and there is no doubt that businesses will be instrumental in delivering economic growth. It is imperative therefore that the private sector is at the heart of setting the agenda and priorities for this new organisation. The Local Enterprise Partnership itself must be strategic and delivery of business support must be undertaken by organisations at the local level with activity focused on enterprise, innovation, business start ups and job creation. The Chamber of Commerce will play a leading role in this new initiative and local businesses can be assured that their interests will be our top priority.”

Crewe Kings Speedway plaque unveiling

The Crewe Kings speedway team is to be finally commemorated in the town after 35 years, with a plaque unveiling on Friday 17th September at 6.30pm at the Kings Arms pub on Earle Street. On hand to perform the honours all the way from New Zealand will be Colin Tucker, the Kings’ first captain and the man instrumental in converting the old Earle Street Athletics Stadium into the biggest, fastest and most feared speedway track in the country – a track that was a whopping 470 yards long, where Crewe were virtually unbeatable.

Andy Scoffin who helped write the book When They Were Kings – The Crewe Speedway Story along with Mark Potts, Kevin Tew and Tony Marks summed up what Crewe Speedway was all about: “What is now the Grand Junction Retail Park was once the sacred place that every Monday night I, and many others, religiously visited for seven years. Managing my pocket money so I could go to both Crewe Alexandra and Crewe Speedway was nothing short of a financial miracle for a ten-to-fifteen year old, but rarely did I miss either. Earle Street Stadium was home to the Crewe Kings speedway team. My recollections of accessing the track was down Rainbow Street by the Kings Arms public house, although there was another access down Priscilla Street. In terms of a racing track, it was the biggest at 470 yards and fastest. Often criticised by rival promoters and riders alike because of the unusually high banked corners, it was labelled "the Devil’s Bowl" and "the Wall of Death." In terms of a stadium, well, it never was! Facilities were sparse with a few refreshment kiosks, while the cricket pavilion housed the souvenir shop. Programmes were a must-have to score the meeting, and of course to get riders signatures on. Back in 1969, the first season, they were 1/-.

The track was built, in the main, by one of the early Crewe riders - Colin Tucker. He was a Kiwi and spent hours getting the track ready for racing. Thousands of railway sleepers were obtained for the perimeter and safety fence, and gallons of white wash and red paint were used. The first ever meeting was on 19th May 1969 when around 6,000 turned up to see The Kings lose 33-45 to Raleigh Rockets. That was to become a very rare loss, as home form would be invincible in the seasons to come. The first season produced nothing special in terms of silverware but several notable riders donned the Crewe Kings bib, namely Aussie Geoff Curtis and New Zealander Paul O’Neil. Sixteen teams competed in the Second Division that year and Crewe finished in seventh place in the league table. The club's home record was outstanding with wins in 14 of their 15 matches. The problem was with their away record: 1 win and 14 losses! The 1969 Knockout Cup Final saw Crewe take on Belle Vue in the final. Victory went to Belle Vue 91-65 on aggregate. In Crewe's home leg, Curtis top-scored for his club with 10 points. In the away match, a 9-point return saw him second top performer for Crewe. Over the two legs, Curtis was top scorer for his club. Sadly, Geoff was killed racing at the Sydney Show Ground in December 1973. Second season and déjà vu, 7th again, but unbeaten at home all season but again only one away win. When John Jackson arrived as a youngster he was soon among the points and he would go on to be another Kings legend, other chief scorers were Paul O’Neil and Barry Meeks (who was once recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for the fastest speed on a speedway circuit). 1971, yes, we finished 7th again in League Two! KO Cup finalist again, losing out to Ipswich over two legs and unbeaten at home yet again.

This was the first season at Earle Street for the young Aussie Phil Crump. He averaged 8.98 points and was well supported by John Jackson. 1972 was the year that Crewe Kings really made it, Division II Champions, KO Cup Winners (third time lucky) and Phil Crump won the Division II Riders Championship at Plough Lane, Wimbledon. A truly amazing season, Phil Crump was virtually unbeatable, with only engine failure seeing him drop points. His average for the season was an amazing 11.13 points, fully supported again by John Jackson, with new boy Gary Flood and Captain Dai Evans weighing in with good averages. 1973 saw the departure of Phil Crump and Gary Flood, the loss of the magnificent Crump was mainly down to an unsuccessful bid to get into Division 1, as there was no automatic promotion. Phil went on to ride for King’s Lynn. Another unbeaten home record with John Jackson top of the averages, supported well by Geoff Ambrose and Dave Morton, but only 8th place in the league - the Kings had lost their crown. The track was altered for the '73 season, shortened by 40 yards, but it still offered little help to visiting teams. 1974 saw a better effort in the league a 5th place finish. A rare home defeat near the end of the season to Workington, but 5 away wins meant the stats were a little better. John Jackson now a fully fledged King of Kings was again top of the averages with Dave Morton now becoming a very accomplished rider giving good support. 1975 was the final season and was nothing short of a disaster in terms of results, 6 home defeats and only one away win meant Kings finished 16th. It was somewhat fitting that the only local rider to don the Kings colours, Chris Turner, was to win the final race at Earle Street before closure. That was it; Crewe Kings never officially raced again in the British Speedway League, but left a lot of people with some very happy memories. Notable names not mentioned were Promoter Maurice Littlechild who brought speedway to Crewe in 1969 and sadly died months before the double win of 1972. Ken Adams team manager from 1969 to 1972; Dave Parry, who rode, managed and promoted the Kings, all names to go with the legends Geoff Curtis, Phil Crump, John Jackson and Dave Morton."

The unveiling is to be attended by several ex-riders, including two men who appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest men in speedway – Barry Meeks and Dave Morton. Also attending will be local rider Chris Turner and Dai Evans – captain of the 1972 winning team. All supporters and track staff are welcome to attend and enjoy a few drinks at the Kings Arms and Borough Arms afterwards. 

Whitby Morrison on the One Show

Great feature about local firm Whitby Morrison on the BBC's One Show on Bank Holiday Monday night. Well done to all connected with the ice-cream van manufacturer based in Crewe. They even let reporter John Sergeant drive a van around Queens Park! plenty of scene-setting clips depicting the town. Here's the BBC iPlayer link that remains in place for a few days. The Whitby Morrison item starts around 21 minutes into the show...

Council backs clamp down on litter lout motorists

Millions of pounds of council taxpayers’ money is being wasted dealing with the problem nationwide because of a loophole in the law, council leaders warn. Town halls across Britain want to be able to take action against the registered owner of a vehicle from which rubbish is thrown – even if no one will admit to it – as they can with offences of speeding and fly-tipping. Currently, if a council officer reports litter being dumped from a moving vehicle, a fine can be posted to the owner but, if they deny the offence and no one else comes forward, the authority must prove in court who littered.

A Keep Britain Tidy study found roads and verges are some of the most littered parts of the country. The research showed 22 per cent of lorry drivers and 20 per cent of all motorists admitted to throwing rubbish from their vehicles in the previous six months. Offenders are generally only fined if the vehicle is stationary and the littering is seen by a council officer who immediately issues a fine, or if they admit to it on receiving a fixed penalty notice by post. More than 100 councils have told the LGA, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, they want a change in the law. The most appropriate legislation would be to make the owner or keeper of the vehicle responsible for littering offences, unless they can prove it was someone else. 

Class 55 from Crewe

I'd be doing the railway fraternity a disservice if Crewe TV didn't carry the odd snap of locos old and new passing through Crewe. Thankfully, the likes of Cliff Gallimore is a keen observer and he captured this fella last Friday. Here's what he had to say: "I saw this Class 55 Deltic locomotive, number 55022, ROYAL SCOTS GREY, during its crew training exercise from Crewe to Carnforth, seen here at Coppenhall Moss. It was using all of its 3,000 HP, also thowing out huge plums of exhaust from leaving the station.This locomotive will hopefully be used on forthcomming railtours. They used to operate between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh on the East Coast Main Line on fast express turns until 1982 when they were all withdrawn and replaced by High Speed Trains prior to East Coast Electricfacation scheme completed in 1987."  

Street light covers continue to be stolen

Scores of small metal doors, used to gain access to street lights have been stolen in Crewe, Nantwich and Shavington. The stainless steel doors cover the base of a street light, allowing an electrician to repair a light and providing protection for the public from the potentially lethal 240 volt electric cables contained within. Last week, 30 doors were stolen from lights on Ashcroft Avenue and Lordsmill Road, in Shavington. A total of 195 have been stolen in the Crewe and Nantwich area since May. Cheshire East Council has now taken urgent action, providing temporary doors until replacements are delivered at a cost to the taxpayer of more than £11,500. 

Alex memories

I was checking out Whitby Morrison's Facebook page to check details about their One Show appearance when I stumbled across a post made by Ed, a good fella who helps to run the firm. He jogged my Alex memory with the following amazing video of our away win at Blackburn back in 2000, yes ten years ago! We got battered, but they couldn't beat Aussie 'keeper Jason Kearton. Then, after our trusty stopper had scooped one off the line, the Alex broke clear, Rivo clipped a lovely ball through to Colin Cramb and he controlled the ball with one touch and placed the ball into the corner of the net. Unbelievable. The video quality isn't brilliant, but it's worth a watch... 

Will the Limey shine again?

A few Crewe blog readers have emailed asking if I'd noticed that the Limelight building has been put up for sale. Yep, I have, but failed to take a snap on the occasions I waltzed past the place. So cheers to John who did take a photo of the former music venue on Hightown. I've heard that it's on the market for around £400,000 and I bet there's plenty of equipment that will need replacing or repairing since the building has been shut down. So that's a fair chunk of cash for someone to invest, should they want to revive the once-famous club. It would be good to see another music venue back on the scene, but for now I reckon having The Box and Dantes is about right for the current economic climate. I'd put money on the plot being used for something else...  

People of Crewe, to music...

This is the kinda stuff I love carrying on the blog. I had an email from Ant Campbell who has filmed people and places around the town and edited it all to music. Chosen track is the haunting Gong by Sigur Ros. See who you can recognise and where the clips were filmed.

Alex falter at Lincoln

Crewe Carnival meant that I missed another away game, but I'm really looking forward to Burton in a couple of weeks. Yesterday the Alex took the lead but couldn't stop the hosts grabbing a leveller just before the break. Alex PA man Andy Scoffin made the trip and sent us these words and pictures...

"Plenty of Crewe fans took advantage of the Sun newspaper's voucher offer which was £9.50 for two tickets on reciept of four tokens. However, there was an overall poor gate of just over 3,000 with around 250 Crewies making the five-hour plus round journey. Lincoln Cathedral can be viewed from the ground, as you can see on one of the pics. On the pitch we probably had enough chances to take all three points!"

Crewe Carnival fireworks

Taking pictures of fireworks is a nightmare, so top marks to Simon Avery who grabbed a few images and emailed them to Crewe TV...

Leighton helps visitors

Crewe's hospital is helping to make patients’ experiences less confusing by displaying a variety of the staff uniforms which they may encounter during their stay. The pictorial display, which is split across two walls of a busy corridor-crossroad at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, consists of 54 different staff uniforms in total, alongside a brief description of what duties each member of staff has. 

Tracy Bullock, Director of Nursing and Deputy Chief Executive at Mid Cheshire Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (MCHFT), said: “The display details all of the uniforms which a patient could see or come into contact with during their stay in hospital. As well as featuring all of the different nursing and therapists roles within the Trust, it also includes a wide range of support staff including receptionists, domestics and catering staff, all of which play a big part in a patient’s stay. We know that, for some people, coming into hospital can be quite stressful, therefore we want to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible. Information about the different staff they will come into contact with will help to empower our patients, ensuring they and their family or carer have a better understanding of what is happening during their time in hospital.” 

Queens Park play area open...

Great news ahead of Saturday's Crewe Carnival is that the new play area at Queens Park is now open. The final bits of paintwork was being finished this afternoon, but the equipment (for all ages) is definitely ready in time for the carnival. There's a 6m structure still awaiting planning permission, but Elaine Dodd (pictured, being a big kid on the swing) and the team associated with the park revamp have ensured that a great variety of kit has been installed to appeal to all age groups. Also great to see that the old horse has been restored and preserved for another generation. If you're heading down to the carnival on Saturday, make sure you walk through the park to check it out. There will be an official opening ceremony on Tuesday next week. They have also started erecting the new park cafe pavilion, the lake's full and the flower displays are stunning. The carnival is officially opened at 12.30pm on the King George V playing fields (remember, no parade through town this year), with a range of events taking place throughout the afternoon and a full programme of music and fireworks from 6pm (details on CEC website HERE). Free tickets for the music event can still be collected from the Lyceum theatre, The Box or Nantwich Customer Service Point. Support it and enjoy...