Latest news with #Horwich
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Utterly breathtaking' - community spirited woman's royal invite
A right royal day out was enjoyed by a Horwich woman who started a vital community support network during the 2020 Covid lockdown. Denise Silcock, from Lend a Hand in Horwich, was invited to a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace. Denise said: "The weather was glorious the sun was shining so brightly it lit up the golden statue at the front of the Palace, as myself and my husband Vic, headed towards the iconic gates to join a most colourful queue. (Image: Denise Silcock) "After security checks we stepped into the palace grounds, it felt very surreal. "Walking through the archway entrance to the Royal Garden my heart literally missed a beat, it was the most amazing sight and utterly breathtaking." Read more: Read more: Read more: She added: "Five years ago when I started Lend a Hand in Horwich and surrounding areas Community Support during Lockdown in March 2020, I could have never dreamt I would actually be stood in the garden at Buckingham Palace listening our national anthem played and seeing Prince William and Princess Kate there to host the event on behalf of the HM King Charles III." (Image: Denise Silcock) Other members of royalty present included, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Eugenie and Zara Tindall, and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. All the royals walked through the crowds of people who have made a positive contribution to their communities. (Image: Denise Silcock) Denise added: "I'm extremely honoured and very proud to have been part of such a marvellous event and given such a wonderful invitation to the Royal Garden Party. "I am honestly so thrilled it's absolutely unbelievable and I'm so immensely lucky to be invited It's truly incredible and to be in the company of Prince William and Princess Kate, who were both spectacular, is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience I know I will never forget."
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Pupils are proud to attend this warm and welcoming school
A school which "pupils are proud to attend" is also proving a first class education. St Mary's RC Primary School, Victoria Road, Horwich, was ranked as good in all five areas following an Ofsted inspection, which found that "the school encourages pupils to aim high and to give their best". The school was given an overall ranking of 'good' in March 2020, its most recent inspection before the most recent one. Headteacher Dominique Hayes, said: "We are delighted with the outcome of our recent Ofsted inspection. (Image: Supplied) "The report is a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and care shown by our staff, pupils, and wider school community. We are incredibly proud of our children who continue to shine brightly every day." The report reads: "Pupils are proud to attend this happy school. Read more: Read more: Read more: "The warm and welcoming culture helps children in the early years to settle in and quickly make new friends. Older pupils value 'bubble time' sessions, where they talk to trusted adults if they have any worries or problems. "Pupils across the school flourish and grow in confidence." Early reading, writing, and mathematics were praised as priorities by the regulator building a solid "foundation" for the school. Although in 2024, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was significantly below the national average, the school has taken action on this. The report says: "The school has analysed carefully the Inspection report: St Mary's RC Primary School 11 and 12 March 2025, 2 reasons for this dip and has taken effective action to address this drop in outcomes. "As a result, current pupils are now making strong progress through the school's early reading programme. Early readers receive effective support. "They read new books, which are well matched to their reading abilities, with growing fluency. Developing a love of reading is at the heart of the school." Pupils at the school can benefit from a 'year of live' art and music programmes, where they enjoy visits to the Hallé and Philharmonic orchestra and attend local art galleries and museums. Governors perform their roles very effectively, Ofsted also noted. They added: "Pupils fulfil their many leadership roles with great diligence and pride. They make an exceptional contribution to their school and the wider community. "For instance, pupils regularly lead assemblies and organise many fundraising activities. They enjoy helping other pupils learn about issues such as road safety and the importance of looking after the environment."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fire station to hold its annual family fun open day - and everyone is invited
Horwich Fire Station will be opening its doors to the community next month. The fire station will be holding its annual open day where local people can meet their local firefighters and pick-up advice to keep them safe. Plenty of fun for all the family is guaranteed, with attractions including fairground rides and stalls. READ MORE: Bolton Fire Station open day raises thousands of pounds Fire station open day is a great hit (Image: GMFRS) Other emergency services will also be represented on the day, including police, ambulance and Bolton Mountain Rescue Team. Horwich fire station is on Chorley New Road. The open day runs from 10am to 3pm. It is the latest in a series of open days held by Bolton's fire stations, which are hugely popular with the whole community.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dancing troupe with over 100 years of history dances for the final time TODAY
A dancing troupe more than a century old – keeping alive a centuries-old English tradition – dance for their final time today. Horwich Prize Medal Morris announced they would be disbanding late last year with their final dance today, Saturday, May 10. The group – announcing the retirement on December 1 – said the decision came as they couldn't find new people to take up the traditional dance. They couldn't get enough dancers to perform on St George's Day – with this year being the first time in half a century that there was no Morris dancing in Horwich on that day. Tom Besford, former leader of the group, said: 'I'm really proud of Horwich and I hope that Horwich is proud of us. 'It was always lovely to see people cheering us on – especially some of the older ladies who will have seen the team dancing for decades in Horwich. 'It will be noticeable when we've gone.' Although sad to see the group go – Mr Besford said that the final dance has brought dancers from all over to perform in the send off. He said that dancers have been coming from as far as Wales, Northallerton and Selby. It has also given Mr Besford to perform alongside his dad, Ian, and son, Ned – three generations of Morris dancers. Tom Besford (right) with dad Ian (left) and son Ned (centre) (Image: Tom Besford) Mr Besford said: 'It's the first time I've ever seen it! 'I started dancing in Horwich when I was 16, and it's really sad that we've had to call it a day – I've spent my entire life dancing, and hoped my little boy would too. 'Horwich Morris in its current form has been going for 59 years and we all were hoping that we would go for 60.' Have a story? Get in touch at However, the group dates back even further than its current form – over 100 years – and they've even been contacted by a relative of the prize-winning team of 1901. Mr Besford said: 'In fact, we've been contacted on Facebook by a relative of someone in the original prize-winning team in 1901. 'They said 'I've still got my grandad's medal if you want to see it'.' READ MORE: Bacup Coconut Dancers enthral crowds for Easter parade READ MORE: Best pubs for a Sunday roast in Bolton according to locals READ MORE: Westhoughton Amico Stars Morris Dancers need your help He said that with less-and-less people joining Morris groups it's sad to see the tradition go – but that traditions only stay alive if people keep them alive. Mr Besford said: 'Ultimately we're dressed up in stupid clothing in the middle of Horwich drinking in loads of bars and having a great time in the sunshine. 'I thought that would be enough to persuade people to dance but sadly not.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
School pupil collapsed and stopped breathing after smoking vape before class
A headteacher has revealed the shocking effect that vaping has had on pupils at his school after one collapsed and stopped breathing before class. Tony McCabe, headteacher at St Joseph's RC High School in Horwich, Greater Manchester, shared how the young person had used a vape in the morning before school and fell ill during registration. He was sharing details of the incident on ITV's Good Morning Britain, whose investigation has found 'a massive rise in the number of ambulances called out to schools to attend vape-related incidents' - many of them requiring hospital treatment. Mr McCabe said: "They were taken aside and the young person then collapsed and at one point stopped breathing, we had the defib on standby and that was I think potentially the scariest day of my role as a teacher." He also described vapes as the "biggest threat to young people's safety." Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here . READ MORE: Child 'seriously injured' after falling from theme park ride READ MORE: Two-metre long shark spotted in shallow waters at Welsh beach Mr McCabe said the school was all too aware of the prevalence of vaping among young people, with more than 100 kids turning up with them during one first day back. The numbers of children bringing vapes to school got so high that a couple of years ago, the school had vape sensors fitted to detect them being smoked in the toilets. "We'd never really seen young people walking around with a vape in their hand, it's always something that's done covertly, done behind closed doors," he told the presenters, "and that's the dangerous thing about it." Headteacher Tony McCabe on Good Morning Britain He said because you can't smell vape fumes on people in the same way you can smell cigarette smoke, it was difficult to convince some parents that their child had been caught with one. "Parents and carers quite often didn't know that their young person was vaping and questioned whether our sensors were actually telling the truth and whether they were reliable," he said. As well as the pupil collapsing from the unregulated vape that was found to have contained the drug nicknamed Spice, there have been two other incidents at the school when they've needed to call an ambulance. When pupils returned after the pandemic, staff noticed some of them 'were struggling to last an hour and having to go to the toilet during a lesson'. The sensors then proved they were going there to vape because they were so addicted. Paediatrician Dr Jayesh Bhatt, respiratory consultant at Nottingham Children's Hospital, was also on the programme and said that his profession is "treating a growing number of lung injuries caused by vaping." He first became aware of the problem in 2016, when a young person ended up needing an artificial lung to survive. "I have been extremely worried from the beginning when this all came in and we are seeing lots of examples of children having immediate catastrophic lung injury, but also more symptoms in the medium term," he said. Dr Bhatt said he's never seen similar side effects in children that have smoked cigarettes and fears too many people think vapes are harmless when in fact they 'cause significant problems'.
