Latest news with #Silsden
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Superstar Silsden racer and mother admits UK triumph 'still feels very surreal'
HAVING not long given birth to her first child Harry, it is no surprise that Silsden stock car superstar Phoebe Wainman-Hawkins did not really believe she stood a chance of winning the UK Open last month. But she held her nerve in Skegness to claim the first F1 final win of her career, a moment she will treasure, given she knows racing will never quite be the same again for her. The 29-year-old told the Keighley News: 'I've had a very long career, I've been racing for about 15 years, so when I fell pregnant, I expected that my best years were behind me. 'So, to then go out and race for the first time after having Harry and win a championship, it still feels very surreal. 'I never thought I'd be able to do that after having him.' Asked if she had made peace with that prospect in her head before Skegness, she said: 'It was a little hard to accept. 'But my husband (fellow racer Karl Hawkins) and I were planning on having Harry last year anyway, so he was definitely wanted. 'But it was tough for me to come to terms with putting that huge part of my life on pause, and I don't think I'll ever get back the way I was before I gave birth, because you don't have the time. 'Before I had Harry, I'd be in the garage most nights until late working on the car, and you obviously can't do that with a young baby. Phoebe Wainman-Hawkins is having to get used her racing career looking different now she has baby Harry, who she took with her to Skegness. (Image: Colin Casserley) 'It's not possible for me to go back to racing full-time, so it has all been a little bittersweet.' Harry has very much been his mum's priority since she gave birth to him eight months ago, so she was not expecting to be competing for the UK Open title at all on May 11. Asked when she felt she could be a genuine contender for the crown, she said: 'There definitely wasn't any moment I believed that before I went to Skegness. 'I probably only had the realisation that it was my race to lose when the board came out telling me there were five laps to go. 'That was the moment where I thought, 'oh my god, I could possibly win this', because even when I took the halfway flag, I just felt something was going to happen, someone was going to catch me. 'Never in a million years did I think I was going to be leading for the duration of the race.' Phoebe Wainman-Hawkins (car 211) was in command during the UK Open final at Skegness, but she still didn't believe she could win it for much of the race. (Image: Colin Casserley) Wainman-Hawkins has long been used to being the lone female competitor in a field of men, but being a new mother as well makes this achievement even more remarkable. Asked if her success could give other talented sportswomen hope that a great sporting career can still lie ahead after becoming a mum, she said: 'I don't think anyone expected me to do what I did in Skegness, even before having Harry. 'But it's something women and mothers can look at and realise their whole life doesn't have to change just because they've had a baby. 'It's fantastic because I remember I had those little doubts about my racing career never being the same after I had Harry, but me going and winning the UK Open when he was just seven months old kind of proved I can still do what I did before he was born.' The stock car season is relentless, with events most weekends between March and November, with the odd marquee one like the UK Open a few weeks ago, then the European Championship and British Championship later this month. Wainman-Hawkins admitted: 'It's probably going to be picky and choosy for me, as I don't have my own car at the moment. 'When I won the UK Open, I was racing my husband's car, and obviously he's generally using that and he's doing really well this year too. 'Because I've got Harry now too, I just don't have the time to get the car ready like I used to, which means I have to rely on Karl's help for that. 'I feel a bit guilty about that, even though I know he's over the moon for me.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Bradford Council set to green-light roadworks worth £143m
Better bus infrastructure and a long-awaited footbridge are among several major road schemes across Bradford which are expected to get the green light will approve £143m-worth of work, with projects including major changes to Kings Road, a new footbridge linking Steeton to Silsden, and new bus lanes on Leeds Road and money is part of a £5.7bn government pot of cash distributed to councils for transport projects.A report being discussed by Bradford Council's decision-making executive says the works will contribute to a "safer" and "sustainable" transport network - but also warns there will be "temporary disruptions" from each phase of work. Projects getting the go-ahead include the long-planned footbridge over the busy A629, linking Steeton and bridge has been in the planning stages for well over a decade, and will get £12.9m funding from the programme. However, this will only be for Phase 1 – the actual eventual plan is for new pedestrian and cycle paths linking the two villages. However, the report going to the executive stresses no funding has so far been allocated for that phase, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Council said around £35m of the funding would also go towards extensive improvement works on Kings Road, which runs from Wrose to Bradford city centre. 'Temporary disruptions' Another £20m will be used to create a "sustainable transport corridor" on Wakefield Road, and £4.2m will improve "bus hotspots" at Westgate and near the Thornbury Gyratory close to Leeds £57m of the cash, all of which will be distributed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, would be spent on general highways repairs, the council report being presented to the executive says: "Safer, well-designed transport networks can help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour by increasing the presence of people in public areas."By providing and promoting sustainable travel options, the programme also offers alternatives to private car use, potentially improving community safety by mitigating issues around driver behaviour, such as speeding or congestion."However the report warns the extensive round of works "may bring temporary disruptions".The council said it would "seek to mitigate risks to community safety" by managing the works and pedestrian next major phase of roadworks for Bradford comes after the recent completion of regeneration works in the city centre which caused significant disruption for more than a year, with many businesses expressing traders have been more hopeful since the works were completed. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Sun
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major charity shop with 262 branches to close site in DAYS as huge clearance sale launched
A MAJOR charity shop with over 250 branches is set to close a key high street store in days - leaving locals gutted. Age UK will close its Silsden store in West Yorkshire at the end of the week, bringing an end to 32 years of trading in the town. 1 The owner posted on the Facebook group Silsden Gossip last week: "Just a reminder that the Age UK closing down sale (50%) off starts tomorrow. "17th of May is our last trading day and we are not accepting further donations from today as we have plenty of stock to still get out. "It's very sad and the end of an era for our community but let's go out with a bang." In a separate post on the group Silsden Buzz, the owner thanked locals for their support and donations, adding that they "are no longer accepting donations". charity shop's closure. One shopper wrote: "I always loved this shop, both as a customer, and donated, really sad you are closing, such a shame, you will be missed." Another commented: "It's very sad to see you all go, love a little rummage once a week! "A town without a charity shop is just wrong. "Thank you for all your hard work over the years and take care." A third shopper wrote: "Thank you for taking my donations over the years, you will be sadly missed." I spotted a huge Jellycat bunny in my local charity shop and knew I'd hit the jackpot when I discovered how rare he is Age UK is a leading charity dedicated to supporting older people. It runs a nationwide chain of charity shops to raise funds for its services for older adults. These stores sell a variety of donated items, including clothing, books, homeware and accessories, with all proceeds going towards the charity's work. It comes as Age UK closed its shop in West Bridgford at the end of August. A post on the branch's Facebook page reads: "The last day of trading for our West Bridgford shop will be August 30. "We want to take this opportunity to thank our staff, volunteers, customers for their support and donations." We've contacted Age UK to confirm the closure. Reacting to the news on social media, one shopper said: "Have had many a bargain from there, will miss it, its the best one around." Another said: "I always love the window displays. They really brighten my day." "The best charity shop in West Bridgford! "Spotlessly clean, lovely staff and great window displays. Sorry to see it go," said a third shopper. Age UK also closed one of its charity shops in Dereham's Yaxham Road back in February. Why are retailers closing shops? EMPTY shops have become an eyesore on many British high streets and are often symbolic of a town centre's decline. The Sun's business editor Ashley Armstrong explains why so many retailers are shutting their doors. In many cases, retailers are shutting stores because they are no longer the money-makers they once were because of the rise of online shopping. Falling store sales and rising staff costs have made it even more expensive for shops to stay open. In some cases, retailers are shutting a store and reopening a new shop at the other end of a high street to reflect how a town has changed. The problem is that when a big shop closes, footfall falls across the local high street, which puts more shops at risk of closing. Retail parks are increasingly popular with shoppers, who want to be able to get easy, free parking at a time when local councils have hiked parking charges in towns. Many retailers including Next and Marks & Spencer have been shutting stores on the high street and taking bigger stores in better-performing retail parks instead. Boss Stuart Machin recently said that when it relocated a tired store in Chesterfield to a new big store in a retail park half a mile away, its sales in the area rose by 103 per cent. In some cases, stores have been shut when a retailer goes bust, as in the case of Wilko, Debenhams Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Paperchase to name a few. What's increasingly common is when a chain goes bust a rival retailer or private equity firm snaps up the intellectual property rights so they can own the brand and sell it online. They may go on to open a handful of stores if there is customer demand, but there are rarely ever as many stores or in the same places.
