Tories Gain Lancaster and Morecambe - eventually.

The Conservative Party has gained the parliamentary seats of Lancaster & Fleetwood and Morecambe & Lunesdale with majorities over Labour of 333 and 866 votes respectively.
With the counts only beginning at 9am the following day the national election result had been called as a 'hung' parliament hours before the local results were in.

David Morris gained Morecambe & Lunesdale for the Conservatives with 18,035 votes, a 6.9% swing from Labour. Morecambe & Lunesdale had been held by Labour MP Geraldine Smith since 1997 when she took it from Conservative Mark Lennox Boyd in what had been a traditionally safe Tory seat.

Eric Ollerenshaw gained the new constituency Lancaster & Fleetwood for the Conservatives with 15,404 votes, a notional swing from Labour of 4.8%.

There was some consolation for Labour in the Skerton West by-election, which John Harrison held for Labour with a 43.7% majority.

LANCASTER & WYRE
Name	Party	Votes	%	+/- %
Eric Ollerenshaw	Conservative	15,404	36.1	+2.5
Clive Grunshaw	Labour	15,071	35.3	-7.1
Stuart Langhorn	Liberal Democrat	8,167	19.1	+3.5
Gina Dowding	Green	1,888	4.4	-1.4
Fred McGlade	UKIP	1,020	2.4	-0.1
Debra Kent	BNP	938	2.2	+2.2
Keith Riley	Independent	213	0.5	+0.5
	Majority	333	0.8
	Turnout	42,701	61.1	+1.6
MORECAMBE & LUNESDALE
David Morris	Conservative	18,035	41.5	+4.2
Geraldine Smith	Labour	17,169	39.5	-9.5
Leslie Jones	Liberal Democrat	5,791	13.3	-0.3
Mark Knight	UKIP	1,843	4.2	+4.2
Chris Coates	Green	598	1.4	+1.4
	Majority	866	2.0
	Turnout	43,436	62.1	+0.5

SKERTON WEST BY-ELECTION
John Harrison	Labour	1127	43.7%
Richard William Rollins	Conservative	731	28.4%
David William Blenkarn Taylor	Lib Dem	535	20.8%
Paul Andrews	Green	184	7.1%
	Turnout

See full results at
http://www.virtual-lancaster.net/news/features/politics/10elections.htm

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New fresh tasty look for Williamson Park Café

The Pavilion Cafe at Williamson Park, Lancaster is to be given a new fresh tasty look in preparation for another busy summer season.

This means that the café will need to be closed for refurbishment from Monday, 10th May for a period of approximately two weeks.

An alternative refreshment area is being provided at the park whilst the work is being carried out.

The re-opening of the café on Saturday 22nd May at 10am will see the launch of a brand new menu of delicious food and drink using locally sourced products. A variety of entertainment and activities will be taking place throughout the day to mark the event.

Keep an eye out for more information nearer the time by visiting www.lancaster.gov.uk/williamsonpark or by contacting the park tel. 01524 33318.

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Author Scarlett Thomas presents new novel at Lancaster LitFest

Lancaster LitFest has added an extra event to its Spring season, with novelist Scarlett Thomas, who teaches creative writing at the University of Kent, booked for a special reading in May.

Her last novel, The End of Mr Y, was an international bestseller, selling 150,000 copies and long-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2008. She'll be bringing her new novel, Our Tragic Universe, to the Storey Auditorium, The Storey, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster on Tuesday 25th May at 7.45 pm.

In this new novel, if Kelsey Newman's theory about the end of time is true, we are all going to live forever. But for Meg - locked in a dead-end relationship and with a deadline long-gone for a book that she can't write - this thought fills her with dread.

Lost in a labyrinth of her own devising, could there be an important connection between a wild beast living on Dartmoor, a ship in a bottle, the science of time, a knitting pattern for the shape of the universe and the Cottingley Fairies?

"Smart, entrancing and buzzing with big ideas, Our Tragic Universe is a book about how relationships are created and destroyed," says Scarlett of the novel on her web site, "and how a story might just save your life."

Scarlett Thomas's other novels include Bright Young Things, Going Out and The End of Mr Y, described by the author Philip Pullman as "Ingenious and original. A cracking good yarn, fizzing with intelligence".

Currently working on her ninth novel, The Seed Collectors, her work has been translated into more than 20 languages, and along with the Orange Prize nomination, she's also been shortlisted for the South African Boeke Prize. In 2001 she was included in the Independent on Sunday's list of the UK's 20 best young writers, and in 2002 she won an Elle Style Award for the novel Going Out.

As well as her novels, she's written short fiction and articles for various anthologies and publications, including Nature Magazine, the Guardian and the Independent on Sunday, and had stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

• Tickets for the event are £7.50 / £6.00 concessions – with £3.00 off the price of the book on the night.

• Tickets for the reading can be bought online at www.litfest.org, in person at Lancaster’s Visitor Information Centre at the Storey Creative Industries Centre, or by calling 01524 582394.

• Scarlett Thomas Official web site: www.scarlettthomas.co.uk

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Appeal after cyclist knocked from bike in car park

Police are appealing for information after a young cyclist was knocked from his bike while in a Lancaster car park.

The 12-year-old boy had been on his bike in the PC World car park, off Caton Road, Lancaster, at around 8.30am on Monday 26th April when a vehicle reversed into him.

The driver failed to stop and the youngster was taken to hospital suffering from facial injuries.

"There would have been a queue of traffic on Back Caton Road at the time and apparently a motorist stopped to help," says PC Craig Irvine from the road policing unit. “I would appeal to anyone who information about this incident to get in touch."

• Contact police on 01524 63333, quoting log LC-20100426-0327.

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10-year-old Cycling Morecambe Prom for charity

Local Cub and Morecambe resident Lewis MacPherson has set himself a big challenge next month: cycling 25 miles to raise money for a new Scout Groups minibus... quite a challenge for a ten-year-old!

"I love cycling," explains Lewis, who is a cub scout in 16th Morecambe and Heysham Cubs "and we desperately need a new minibus as the one we have is falling to bits!"

Lewis plans to cycle 25 miles on Saturday 15th May to raise money for the cause, cycling the length of Morecambe Prom four times (one length being from where the cycle path starts at Heysham to VVV Sports) then home.


"If we don't get a new one, all the cubs will have to get very good at cycling," jokes Leiws, "as we'll have to cycle everywhere!"

• You can support Lewis by donating via justgiving.com/lewisbigcycle

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Saying No to Murdoch

This response to today's The Sun cover is being re-published across the Internet. Locally, many are infuriated at Sun owner Rupert Murdoch's continued belief that he can tell us what to think.

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TheyWorkForYou interviews local Election Candidates

Democracy site TheyWorkForYou has posted a Question and Answer feature with local candidates for the Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency, challenging them on their views on various local matters such as the building of a third nuclear power station at Heysham and the proposed Heysham M6 link road.

By indicating your views, the Quiz reveals which candidate most reflects your own on both local and national issues, which may help guide your voting choice later this week.

Gina Dowding (Green), Clive Grunshaw (Labour), Stuart Langhorn (Liberal Democrats) and Fred McGlade (UKIP) have responded, but Debra Kent (British National Party), Eric Ollerenshaw (Conservative Party) and Keith Riley (Independent) have yet to do so.

On the building of Heysham 3, only Clive Grunshaw supports the building of a third station, arguing "Nuclear energy is a relatively clean fuel with low carbon emissions. It also provides much needed local employment.”

"We support renewable energy technologies and nuclear is not renewable," counters Gina Dowding. "Uranium is a limited and fairly rare resource not found in Europe. It is therefore neither renewable or local. Heysham is [also] within five miles of a major housing conurbation."

Stuart Langhorn is the only supporter of the proposed M6 Link. "The reality is that the industry of this district lies on the Morecambe side of the Lune," he argues. "The route, whilst not perfect, is the only thing on offer to deal with this."

Langhorn also argues that those who have proposed a rail freight alternative have not answered where the districbution centre is, ignoring well documented Green and other proposals to revamp the existing Carnforth railyards.

“Lancaster's transport problems need a radical solution," feels Clive Grunshaw, who is neutral about the proposal. "This may help but I'm not entirely convinced that it will provide all the answers.”

Despite mixed views, all the candidates feel the County Council would do better to deal with Lancaster City Centre traffic congestion (new bridge to Luneside, park and ride, etc.) before building £140 million lorry link.

"“As part of an overall package to resolve Lancaster's transport issues the Park & Ride should be introduced as soon as possible," says Clive Grunshaw. Echoing the views of Morecambe and Lunesdale candidate Geraldine Smith, he also says a new bridge would also be beneficial.

This online feature echoes recent Q&As published by both the Lancaster Guardian and the Morecambe Visitor with local candidates; the Chamber of Commerce also published a business-oriented Q&A in its magazine, Business Matters, available from their offices on Fenton Street and the library.

• View the Lancaster and Fleetwood Quiz on TheyWorkForYou

• No candidates have yet responded to a similar appeal for views for Morecambe and Lunesdale, but perhaps if enough people send emails to them, even at this stage, by following this link on the Democracy Club web site, they might yet respond. The Democracy Club is part of a group of non-partisan organisations who are trying to better communication with MPs and the electorate using the web.

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Heysham High School students parade own designs

Budding fashionistas from Heysham High School gave the likes of Vivenne Westwood a run for her money last week as they paraded their designs inspired by the world of fiction, the school's Katherine Beaumont reports.

The GCSE and A level fashion show, Fashion Fiction, which took place at Morecambe Library on Wednesday, April, 21 was organised by Heysham High Design Technology teacher, Stephanie Williams and drew a crowd of over one hundred fashion fans.

As audience seats were filling up, it could have been Lily Cole and the gang loitering in the wings as mums, dads, friends and relatives snatched gleeful peeks the models waiting to hit the catwalk.

The lights dimmed and the two talented comic compares, James Shields and Joe Stanford, from Year 11, stepped on stage to introduce each design based on the theme of something fictitious.

First up in the show for the Year 11 GCSE group was a daring design styled on a toga from Olivia Rothwell which was modeled by Katherine Rhodes.

Next, Shannade Brockbank was wearing a high waisted mini skirt in this season’s essential cut “funked up” with a punky denim waistcoat.

Kirsty Davis next modeled Claire Canning’s corset and jaunty, drac-black skirt to emanate a gothic theme. Next, stepping up to that theme, was Melissa Denny modeling Pippa Coleman’s number based on the vampire film, Twilight.

Sarah Penman appeared in an uber modern ballet pastiche designed by Jody Drake followed by a sophisticated babydoll-cut dress designed by Madeline Lee.

Monika Lewoski modeled her own design based on the classic book The Secret Garden followed by Katherine Rhodes who modeled her bag based on The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

In the second half of the show, the spot light was on the Sixth Formers and we saw Amy model her long slinky gown inspired by romantic novels followed by Stacy Cookland modeling her take on the poem 'Tiger Tiger' by William Blake.

Hannah modeled Kelly Dakin’s design derived from Cinderella and Leyla Penman lent a feline edge to fashion in Laura Ham’s interpretation of Dr Seuss’s Cat in the Hat.

Madeline Lee modeled Nicole Knott’s neon pink nod to supreme mother of flowery romantic fiction, Dame Barbara Cartland, while Katy Breerly modeled Stephanie Maguire’s dramatic take on a war play.

The evening got curiouser as Adele appeared in a number inspired by Alice in Wonderland, by Becky Peacock and Samantha Smith closed the evening, as Cleopatra, looking spectacular in her own feature length purple gown.

The entertainment did not end there and members of the audience got up and danced to music from local bands, Poison Arrow, Duke Street and Fate Fell Short courtesy of More Music in Morecambe.

“What a fantastic night," commented organiser Mrs. Williams. "I’ve been so proud of our pupils exhibiting their designs with flair and confidence.

"Our collaboration with More Music and Morecambe Library has made this event exciting and memorable as well as giving the public the opportunity to see how great Heysham High School pupils are!"

“With 140 people there, it was really exciting and the marrying of the two themes, fashion and fiction, worked so well within the library," added Senior Assistant Librarian, Elaine Wilkinson.

“The Hesyham High students were amazing and they had worked so hard on their designs. The students really brought our books to life.”

• More about Heysham High School at www.heysham.lancs.sch.uk

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