Orford Hall THIS week in Yester Years, we look back to when Orford Hall was one of the most important buildings in Warrington. The residence of John Blackburne esquire, on present-day Battersby Lane provided a grand southern approach to the hall, which was home to the Blackburne family. The story of the hall and surrounding parkland, now known as Orford Park was told in a book The A-Z of Warrington penned by Warrington historian Janice Hayes. The hall itself was largely rebuilt around 1716 while John Blackburne (1693 to 1786) created its magnificent park lands. Janice said: “The Blackburne family had prospered by their indirect involvement in the notorious slave trade with John Blackburne’s son investing in Salt House Dock at Liverpool, a major port for slavery.
Open wrestling tournament to be three days of drama
Dave Frederick
Gosia, left, and Carrie Magathan with Einstein. DAVE FREDERICK PHOTOS
Dirty dogging - A collie named Einstein was one of several canines at Sandhill Fields in Georgetown Feb. 21 for the Freeze the Day 5K. Can you name me a sport besides ultimate Frisbee where your dog can compete alongside you? I guess hunting and ducking are sports, but they are breed specific. I don t know if Lassie ever chilled in a blind waiting for a mallard to drop from the sky. I congratulated Einstein s human companions
Gosia Magathan and
Air Commodore Tom Bennett, pilot who gathered air samples following Pacific nuclear tests – obituary
After his Pacific duties he flew helicopters in Malaya, evacuating casualties, and Ulster, where he supported the security services
Tom Bennett with Prince Charles
Air Commodore Tom Bennett, who has died aged 91, flew in support of an RAF detachment gathering air samples over the Pacific. He later served in helicopters during the Malayan Emergency, in Northern Ireland and in Hong Kong.
In the early 1950s, the UK joined the US in a secret intelligence programme to collect samples from the atmosphere following a nuclear explosion.
In January 1954, a high-priority requirement arose to support a US nuclear test programme at the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific. Two Canberra aircraft equipped to gather air samples flew to Kwajalein Island in the Marshall Islands, situated 200 miles south of the test site. To support these two aircraft, and carry ground personnel and spares, three Hasting
Council Leader s good wishes I WOULD like to extend my sincere thanks to Hampshire residents for their fortitude and resilience during what has been an extraordinarily difficult year – on so many levels. We have seen our way of life change in ways that we could not have imagined as the COVID pandemic has taken its toll on the way we live and work – as well as on individual lives and those of families throughout our communities. While we assimilate the difficult news from the weekend – with tighter restrictions and growing viral infection rates - we must also take hope that the advent of the vaccine offers promise for a happier and healthier 2021. For the time being though, it remains critical that we continue to abide by the rules for our respective areas and do all we can to look after ourselves, our loved ones and to keep Hampshire safe.