A witness who saw three men stealing coping stones from a wall at Gisburne Park Hospital was able to give police the registration number of the van the thieves were using.

Blackburn magistrates was told that Shaun Morrisey accepted stealing stones worth £450, but the court heard the hospital had actually been subjected to theft on a massive scale, costing nearly £10,000.

“Gisburne Park Hospital has been a repeat victim of what is a prevalent offence in the Ribble Valley,” said Miss Catherine Allan (prosecuting).

“This kind of offence causes many problems,“

Morrisey (25), of Hazelwood Road, Nelson, pleaded guilty to theft. He was fined £190 with £105 costs and ordered to pay £450 compensation.

Miss Allan said a large quantity of stone had been stolen from the hospital grounds, although it could not all be blamed on Morrissey.

Damian Pickup (defending) said despite being employed as a welder Morrisey had got himself into significant debt.

“Also, at the time, he was associating with a couple of unsavoury characters and they came up with the plan to raise some money,” said Mr Pickup.

When first interviewed by police Morrissey had admitted nothing, but later he had requested another interview and gave police full details of what had happened.

Clarets boss Sean Dyche isn’t taking derby rivals Preston North End lightly ahead of tonight’s Capital One Cup clash at Turf Moor.

North End travel down the M65 for the second round encounter, two and a half years after the sides’ last meeting, following relation to League 1.

But Simon Grayson’s side knocked out old enemy Blackpool in the previous round, and Dyche feels the Lilywhites are well equipped for a return to the Championship.

Burnley’s unbeaten start to the season ended in controversial circumstances at Brighton on Saturday, and while tonight represents an immediate opportunity to bounce back, Dyche is wary of Preston’s threat: “There’s no such thing as a banana skin in my opinion. I think it’s disrespectful to other teams. People said it about Yeovil in fact.

“I’m not keen on the expression. We know the terminology exists, I’m not going overboard with it, but I just think it’s a disrespectful term to most teams.

“You have to be about your business in the right manner.

“You look at the players you’ve got and it’s fair to say Preston have got one of the better groups, on paper that is, in the division.

“They want to go up and contest at the top of the league and I’m sure want to try to go through in the cup, so make no mistakes we’ll be ready.”

He added: “It’s a great game for fans and players alike, a cup game with both parties wanting to go through so it makes for a good tie.

“I was there for their game against Blackpool in the last round, it was a good game and a really good atmosphere.”

Dyche was at Sixfields to see their 4-4 draw against Coventry City on Sunday, and he is well aware of North End’s striking threat, having played alongside Kevin Davies and signed Whalley’s Joe Garner at Watford: “I know Kev. I know a couple of their players, Joe and Iain Hume who’s a very good player.

“They’ve got attacking options. Simon will have them ready, make no mistake.”

Asked how close Davies was to signing for Burnley in the summer, he smiled: “I’ve known him since he was 16, you see him in a supermarket and everyone decides he was coming!”

Alex Cisak hopes to give manager Sean Dyche food for thought tonight if selected to start against Preston.

The Australian keeper came off the bench for his Burnley debut in the 2-0 defeat at Brighton on Saturday, after Tom Heaton was sent off.

And the former Oldham man is in line for his full debut against North End, as Heaton

serves a one-match suspension.

It wasn’t the ideal scenario for his first appearance at the weekend, coming into the game cold, but Cisak said: “I’m not complaining when chances come.

“I’m buzzing to come on and get a game but obviously I’d like to start.

“It’s a tough one. You’ve just got to concentrate when you come on and make sure you’re focused and ready if you do get the opportunity.

“Sometimes you don’t get on the whole season and sometimes you do.

“That’s football and hopefully I can start against Preston.”

Asked whether the battle for the gloves starts now, he smiled: “Let’s hope so.

“But hopefully we can just get through to the next round of the cup.

“It will be a tough game because they had a good result in the last game.

“It’s a derby as well.

“It’s a big game for the fans and all the players want to win anyway so you don’t need any other incentive.

“We’re just going to work as hard as we can.”

Cisak, like many at Brighton, was puzzled by Heaton’s sending off, for a second yellow card picked up for handling the ball after releasing it: “It was a strange one, I didn’t really see what actually happened with Tom, I just saw he got sent off so I got ready and came on.

“It was a very hard game for us, very hard conditions, and unfortunately we didn’t get the result.”

Burnley’s unbeaten start came to an end, but Cisak added: “It’s how we bounce back now.

“A win against Preston is vital for us.

“We need a good performance as well for the fans and be in the hat for the next round.

“We were on a good run before Saturday so I’m sure we can bounce back and perform

well.

“There’s a great team spirit at the moment, everyone believes we can win every game.”

Is the Capital One Cup still an inconvenient hindrance in an already hectic domestic schedule? Or is the FA Cup’s smaller sibling becoming the country’s most eminent competition?

Five years ago my views would have been blinkered in favour of the latter following the Clarets’ remarkable journey as Owen Coyle’s side knocked out Bury, Oldham Athletic, Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal before losing out to Spurs over two legs in the semi-final.

And Bradford City’s heroics last term endeared the population as the underdog overcame Notts County, Watford, Burton Albion, Wigan Athletic, Arsenal and Aston Villa en route to their final defeat against Swansea City at Wembley.

That term also sparked resurgence in the competition’s incandescence with the goal fest between Reading and Arsenal at the Madejski Stadium, a tie that finished 7-5 to the Gunners after extra-time.

Arsene Wenger – in a desperate search for silverware – manifested the tournament’s competitiveness when naming a similar starting XI against the Bantams in the quarter-final to that which faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The Swans also rested key personnel in a Premier League encounter against Liverpool in readiness for the final.

However, there is an aphoristic lack of attentiveness in the early rounds and that’s something for the Football League to consider when modelling the competition.

During the 2010/11 campaign, Burnley’s second round tie with rivals Bolton Wanderers attracted a crowd of more than 17,000 at Turf Moor. Compare that to home ties with Burton Albion and Barnet the following season and Plymouth Argyle during the 2012/13 campaign when less than 5,000 spectators attended each.

Locality breeds rivalry and competition which in turn ignites interest and atmosphere. Yes, the club may be closing the upper tiers of the Jimmy McIlroy and James Hargreaves stands for this evening’s visit of Preston North End but the attendance is still expected to near five figures.

If a Champions League qualification place can’t be handed to the victors in a bid to heighten the cup’s competitive edge, then let’s enhance rivalries within the earlier stanzas.

The tournament needs to be regionalised in a group format. Burnley, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton, Preston, Blackpool, Accrington Stanley and Morecambe could all be placed in the same pot. Even the likes of Liverpool, Everton, Wigan, Manchester United and Manchester City could be included if exempt from European involvement.

There would be 21 groups, each comprising four clubs, where the winner of each along with the three best runners up would progress to the final 32 alongside eight Premier League clubs – seven of which would have been involved in Champions League and Europa League encounters throughout August.

This format would also see 12 clubs from the Premier League involved at an earlier stage, and with no relegation battles to prioritise or titles races to focus on at that stage then there’d be less risk of clubs and managers fielding weakened teams. The hierarchical set-up would also see rivals fight for superiority and local bragging rights, while giving lower league clubs a better opportunity to face local Premier League opposition in an equation which ultimately results in a financial windfall.

Fans are already enticed through affordable ticket prices in a competition that brings us a plethora of goals, drama, upsets and fairy tales.

A total of 335 goals were scored in the competition last year, significantly more than the FA Cup, and should Brentford draw 2-2 with Chelsea or were Oldham to register a stalemate against Everton – as they did in the FA Cup – then they’d earn a point instead of forcing extra-time or being thrashed in replays.

The Capital One Cup tour passed by the Burnley Express office last week and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the silverware. Hopefully more of the country’s elite bosses will soon become more inclined to get their hands on the trophy as well.

Business leaders, politicians and prominent figures associated with Burnley have been queueing up to sing the town’s praises after it was named “The Most Enterprising Area in the UK”.

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle, Burnley Express editor Chris Daggett and Tony Blair’s former director of communications Alastair Campbell all agreed it was a fitting recognition.

Mr Birtwistle said: “This is great news. Over the last few years investment in the town has blossomed beyond all belief.

“Companies are expanding which are on the leading edge of aerospace, oil and nuclear technologies.

“The Burnley Bondholders have done a fantastic job in promoting the town and I know that Business Secretary Vince Cable was very impressed by what he has seen and heard from them on numerous visits to the town.

“He came away convinced that Burnley was a place that would take great advantage of any investment.

“There has been a great deal of private investment too. You only have to look at some of the projects being worked on at the moment to see that the town has a bright future.”

Mr Birtwistle highlighted the restoration of the Todmorden Curve rail link, which will cut journey times to Manchester.

The chief executive of Burnley Council, Steve Rumbelow, agreed that “connectivity” had been an issue in the past, but added the new link would generate an extra £8m. a year in income for the Burnley economy.”

The new French managing director of Burnley’s biggest private sector employer Aircelle also added his voice of congratulations.

Stéphane Cueille said: “When I arrived in Burnley I was very impressed by the breadth of the manufacturing – there’s a vibrant aerospace and automotive sector, which is supported by many service businesses and an excellent property market.

“I’m also very impressed by the way Burnley’s private and public sectors work together for the greater good, which is demonstrated by the work of the Bondholder Network.

“Burnley Council is very business friendly – we’re working closely with them on the Supplier Village and they’ve also helped secure huge inward investment on projects like the rail link to Manchester and Weavers’ Triangle.”

Alastair Campbell has long spoken publicly of his support not only of Burnley Football Club, but the town as a whole.

He said: “I think this is fantastic news. It is a shot in the arm for the local economy.

“I know that the UCFB College of Football Business has a great national profile, but many other businesses in the town are doing well.”

Respected BBC television producer Peter Salmon said: “I am proud and happy that my home town Burnley has won such an accolade.

“It is a place rich in stories and storytellers, characters and colour. It has a wonderful history, a cracking football team and a promising future – thanks to work like this.

“The BBC is lucky to have a new, state-of-the-art digital broadcasting hub just 30 miles away at Salford Quays working for the whole region and we have already benefitted from the skills and training that the town is promoting.

“Several of my colleagues at Media City are already from Burnley and I am sure going forward there will be even more.”

Burnley Express editor Chris Daggett said the award was just recognition for years of hard work.

“Burnley businesses, agencies and the council have worked together with the common goal of creating a better town for everyone to live in.

“We are changing perceptions of Burnley and that will help attract more invesment which in turn will create skilled and better-paid jobs for our young people.

“The award is fantastic news for all of Burnley.”

Following on from its successful event with poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Colne Library is set to organise another night of culture next month.

An evening of music and poetry featuring string ensemble the Allegra Quartet, will be hosted at the Market Street site on September 5th between 7 and 9pm. It has been sponsored by the Colne Co-operative store.

The event will also feature original poetry from Mervyn Hadfield, as well as a classical Spanish guitar duet and performances from local thespians, including Marilyn Crowther, Yvonne Bolton, John Cummings, and Eleanor Jolley.

Tickets are priced at £5 and include refreshments. Ring 871155 or drop into the library.

There has been a drop in the proportion of GCSE exam entries awarded top grades, for the second year in a row.

About two-thirds of exam entries were graded between an A* and a C - a fall on last year. And the proportion getting an A* or an A fell from 22.4% to 21.3%. The overall pass rate also fell marginally, for the first time in the exam’s 25-year history.

The results have been released by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) showing, in English, the proportion of entries awarded A*s to Cs fell by 0.5 percentage points, to 63.6%. In maths, the fall was 0.8 percentage points. There was a big fall in pupils getting top grades in all the sciences, following the introduction of new syllabuses and exams.

This year 53.1% of science entries were awarded between an A* and a C, down from 60.7% last year. That drop - of 7.6 percentage points - was the biggest fall in top results across all the subjects.

The results also show an increase in those taking foreign languages and humanities at GCSE level.

A Pendle man has been jailed for 12 months after what the judge sentencing him described as “unprovoked” attack on his own mother.

Jonathan Procter (26), of no fixed address, attacked his mother twice in March this year and was sent to prison for assault causing actual bodily harm.

David Macro (prosecuting) said on the night of the first attack Procter was at his brother’s house in Bracewell Street, Barnoldswick, and had been drinking.

His mother came around at around 8pm and Procter began verbally abusing her, Mr Macro told Burnley Crown Court, before he punched her in the arm while she was sat in a chair and then got her arm in an arm lock behind her back. She called out for his brother and he intervened.

After his brother had left the house, Mr Macro said Procter started punching his mother “really hard” on her arms.

As she pushed him away, Procter fell to the floor and she sat on him “to stop further attacking” said Mr Macro, but Procter bit her finger causing it to bleed.

His brother intervened again and the police were called. In interview, Mr Macro said Procter said his mother had been attacking him and he was acting in self defence.

He was charged and pleaded not guilty at Magistrates Court and was bailed.

The second offence occurred at his mother’s house in Lonsdale Street, Nelson. Mr Macro said Procter had been drinking heavily and punched his mother hard on her left arm and also her leg.

He also twisted her arm. Mr Macro said Procter’s mother had “really bad bruises all over her body”.

Robert Elias (defending) described it as a “tragic” and “serious state of affairs” and added Procter accepted he would be getting a custodial sentence.

Mr Elias asked the judge to factor in Procter’s age and the fact he is still in contact with his mother.

Recorder Simon Medland QC said Procter’s actions had left his mother with “multiple” bruises on her arms and legs. He added that Procter had refused to engage with the probation service and had refused to acknowledge his mother was the victim.

Preston’s Kerry Wilkinson may have started his writing career as an ‘accidental author’ but there is nothing random about the runaway success of his Detective Jessica Daniel crime series.

Wilkinson’s debut Locked In, the first title in these hard-nosed crime stories set in the heart of Manchester, was written as a challenge to himself but, after self-publishing as an ebook, it became a UK number one bestseller within three months of release.

And now he and his detective are becoming a popular double act with a publishing deal, successive books riding high in the Amazon charts and brash, chippy Jessica evolving into a complex and fully-rounded personality.

Plotting, high drama and characterisation are becoming the hallmarks of the Lancashire sports journalist’s thrillers which juggle crime mysteries with the very personal fortunes and misfortunes of the ebullient DS Daniel.

Playing with Fire is the fifth book in the series and is a multi-stranded page-turner which was inspired by Wilkinson’s personal experiences of being caught up in a house fire.

Jessica Daniels certainly has her work cut out in her latest case. Seven years ago a very drunk Martin Chadwick set fire to a Manchester pub which he thought was empty. What he didn’t know was that 21-year-old Alfie Thompson was sleeping inside and was burned to death.

Chadwick, who admitted manslaughter even though he couldn’t remember setting fire to the pub, is now due to be released from prison and predatory journalists are gearing up for a good old-fashioned media lynching.

The victim’s volatile father is also telling the papers he is out for revenge and Jessica has been assigned the job of keeping a watchful eye on Chadwick and his fiery eighteen-year-old son Ryan.

And if that wasn’t not enough to keep her occupied, private investigator Andrew Hunter is doing a fine job of interfering, it looks like a schoolgirl suicide ring is in operation and the endless rain continues to pound her northern home.

There is also the not insignificant problem that her engagement to live-in boyfriend Adam, who is keen to set a wedding date, is not working out as she had hoped.

And while Jessica’s personal life and professional life are increasingly in the balance, she has less and less time to focus on the shadowy figure who seems intent on burning everything to the ground…

Clever, intriguing and full of dramatic but believable twists and turns, Playing with Fire certainly turns up the heat in this best-selling series.

(Pan, paperback, £6.99)

Burnley Football Club experienced several issues ahead of and during last night’s Capital One Cup second round tie v Preston North End at Turf Moor.

In addition to the Bob Lord Stand, the club elected to open only the lower tiers of the James Hargreaves and Jimmy McIlroy Stands in order to provide the best possible atmosphere for the players on the night.

To a large degree we believe this was beneficial, and the feedback from manager Sean Dyche and the players was very positive.

However, the closure of the two upper tiers did present challenges for everyone.

Ahead of kick off, a large, unquantifiable number of supporters arrived at the turnstiles in the 10 minutes leading up to kick off, particularly in the James Hargreaves Stand.

Supporters are always advised to arrive early, especially for cup ties and when paying at cash turnstiles, but with a high number of walk-ups and limited capacity, this is exacerbated.

All available turnstiles in the stands were initially open for a combination of tickets and cash.

At the point when cash turnstiles run out of tickets they are asked to close and cash-up, causing a short delay before re-opening for ‘tickets only’.

However, upon investigation, it appears that a number did not. The operational aspect of this is now being addressed internally.

In addition, there are only a finite number of tickets available on the turnstiles for vacant seats and these tickets do, often, need to be moved between turnstiles, causing further short delays.

Once inside the James Hargreaves Lower tier, there were major issues caused by some supporters migrating into blocks two and three, closest to the Preston North End supporters, despite holding tickets for seats elsewhere in the stand.

This caused potential overcrowding issues in those blocks, which unfortunately could not be dealt with until half time for safety reasons.

However, throughout the first half and at half time stewards offered transfers elsewhere as an option, and over 30 people accepted a move from the James Hargreaves Lower to Jimmy McIlroy lower tier as a direct result of what was encountered.

At half time, when many supporters transfer to the concourse, stewards also attempted to address this overcrowding with additional ticketing checks.

There was an additional problem of persistent standing in these areas. This is and was monitored, but does also rely on supporter understanding to help combat the problem.

Finally, we have received complaints from supporters wishing to use the vaping zone, located at one end of the James Hargreaves lower tier and having to traverse the whole stand to use this area.

Burnley Football Club will look to examine the feasibility of extending these areas for large attendances

In closing, we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused at last night’s game and we thank you for your patience, understanding and support.

Burnley opera singer Sean Ruane sang from the rooftops to proclaim the town’s award of “Most Enterprising Area in the UK”.

Scores of business leaders, politicians and media gathered outside the impressive Burnley College UCLan campus in Princess Way to celebrate the accolade bestowed by the Government.

And tenor Sean, who this summer has been inspiring the nation’s cricketers with renditions of “Jerusalem” before Ashes test matches, provided the rousing backdrop – from the college rooftop – to Burnley’s own success story.

The college itself was adorned with the huge logo proclaiming Burnley as the Most Enterprising Area.

The Burnley Express revealed on Tuesday that Burnley had been selected as the winner of the Enterprising Britain Awards, a competition organised by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Judges were impressed by the partnership work of Burnley Borough Council and Burnley Bondholders scheme of local business leaders who had helped to “successfully reframe perceptions” of the town.

Among the throng gathered at the Rainbow Gate sculpture outside the college were Tony Blair’s former director of communications Alastair Campbell and national broadcaster Tony Livesey.

Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle said: “This is brilliant news. We hear so much about Burnley’s industrial heritage and history but this is about the future.

“This is the Burnley I’ve been telling colleagues in Government about for the last three years.

“We have fantastic companies at the cutting edge in aerospace and engineering. I know the Business Secretary Vince Cable has been hugely impressed by what he has seen and heard of our businesses.”

Council leader Coun. Julie Cooper said: “It was a wonderful occasion to mark the wonderful news that Burnley is leading the way when it comes to enterprise, particularly when it comes to high-tech manufacturing and innovation.”

More on Burnley’s success in Friday’s Express ...

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‘Life is a journey, not a destination,’ declared the 19th century American thinker Ralph Waldo Emerson and what better way to ‘armchair travel’ than in the company of some of the UK’s finest women writers?

Virago Press and the Asham Award, the foremost prize for stories by women, have put together a dazzling and thought-provoking assortment of short travel tales which guarantee to send you to places you’ve never been before.

Asham House, the Sussex home of Virginia Woolf, one of England’s greatest writers, has been the source and support of the celebrated Asham Award since 1995.

The award, offered every two years, was set up by the Asham Literary Endowment trust in 1995 to encourage and promote new writing. It is open to women over 18 of any nationality, provided they are resident in the United Kingdom and have not previously had a novel or a book of short stories published.

The winners and runners-up are published alongside some of the best known women writers of Virago Press anthologies. This year’s collection of debut authors, judged by Helen Dunmore, Sara Wheeler and Virago’s Lennie Goodings, also includes the work of the late English feminist author Angela Carter and a new story by established writer Susie Boyt.

And there is plenty of meat to feast on in this eclectic and highly original prize-winning assortment which takes us by plane, train, rail and even via a school run on some soul-searching journeys and to some unexpected destinations.

Whether it’s a white South African widow on a dry, sun-drenched road to a dark and devastating discovery, a woman’s airport meeting with US soldiers bound for Afghanistan or two eccentric actresses reunited in an old folks’ home, these are tales to shock, amaze and confound.

Some people are running away and some are coming home, there are three mischievous blind men on an outing to Coventry Cathedral, a young wife fleeing her foreign marriage, memories of childhood journeys and a mission to save a life.

Dolores Pinto’s Where Life Takes You, a tale of longing, loss and learning what home is, features a young woman who has somehow ended up in the Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby where she doesn’t belong and where she feels everyone is looking at her.

‘The light here is brutal,’ she finds. Cowed by radiance, she wants to travel back to the comfort of London ‘to walk unnoticed between tall buildings’ and wake up in her bedroom in Pimlico with ‘its sloping ceiling and dark corners.’

These are powerful, impressively crafted stories which use the theme of travel in a variety of imaginative, emotive and inventive ways, delivering serious messages about the all-too-often tragic unpredictability of life’s journey and helping us to see the world in a very different and surprising new light.

‘Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends,’ claims the wise American author and poet Maya Angelou.

(Virago, paperback, £8.99)

The much-loved novels of Georgette Heyer may now be a distant memory but Regency romance has never been more popular.

Across the Atlantic, writers like Mary Balogh, Eloisa James, Stephanie Laurens, Julia Quinn and Gaelen Foley have made this period of history their own with luscious, passion-filled tales of love and intrigue in the highest echelons of England’s misbehaving aristocratic society.

And on both sides of the pond, readers are lapping up the devilish antics of dastardly dukes and the heart-rending dilemmas of damsels in distress.

Mary Balogh, a former teacher who grew up in Wales and now lives in Canada, has over 25 novels under her belt and, to use a very English phrase, is currently knocking her readers for six with the poignant and piquant Survivors’ Club series.

The novels feature a group of young men, all injured in the long-running, early 19th century Napoleonic Wars and all helping each other to return to some sort of normal life.

In The Arrangement, an emotion-filled story of passionate awakening and redemption, we meet Vincent Hunt who has only recently inherited his title of Viscount Darleigh after being blinded by a cannon blast on the battlefield.

Desperate to escape his mother’s well-intentioned matchmaking and meddling, he flees to a remote country village but even there, another marital trap is sprung.

When he is rescued by a stranger called Sophia Fry, a young woman with a captivating voice, her intervention on his behalf has unfortunate consequences when she finds herself unceremoniously booted out of her guardian’s home.

Our hero is compelled to act. Vincent may have been blinded in battle but he can see a solution to both their problems… marriage. At first, quiet, unassuming Sophia rejects Vincent’s proposal but when such a gloriously handsome man persuades her that he needs a wife of his own choosing as much as she needs protection from destitution, she agrees.

But how can an all-consuming fire burn from such a cold arrangement? As friendship and camaraderie lead to sweet seduction and erotic pleasure, dare they believe that a bargain born from desperation might lead them both to true love?

Balogh turns up the heat in this captivating story which centres on the sizzling, slow-build romance between Vincent and Sophia whose personal chemistry certainly sets all the action on fire.

Add an eclectic cast of supporting characters and you have a wistful, enchanting tale that is perfect for all true romantics.

(Piatkus, paperback, £8.99)

Duchess in Love by Eloisa James

Surprisingly for a Shakespeare professor, New Yorker Eloisa James has made a reputation for herself as a writer of escapist Regency romps… with the emphasis very much on love, laughter and lust.

Duchess in Love, the first book in a new Duchess Quartet, has all those traditional ingredients of romance, adventure, heroics and humour but with a soulful twist which adds extra potency to the compelling mix.

Gina was forced into marriage with Camden, the Duke of Girton, at just eleven, an age when she would have been better off in a schoolroom than a ballroom.

Straight after the wedding ceremony, her handsome teenage husband promptly fled to the continent to pursue his studies as a sculptor, leaving the marriage unconsummated and Gina more than a little angry.

Twelve years later, she is one of the best known ladies in London, living on the edge of scandal, desired by many men but still resisting giving herself to anyone.

Finally, ‘Cam the man’ is preparing to return home to annul the marriage that never really was. Gina knows that meeting him again will be extremely difficult, particularly as she won’t ‘know him from Adam’ and has plans to marry another man.

Cam, meanwhile, discovers that his gauche, naïve bride has blossomed into a beautiful woman who is the toast of the town. Before long he finds himself in the most disconcerting position of resorting to the very bad manners of falling in love… with his own wife!

Fresh, witty and high-spirited, James’s light-hearted and entertaining Regency romance is a marvellous merry-go-round of misunderstandings, scandals, hot love and high drama.

Sex and the City with a 19th century twist…

(Piatkus, paperback, £7.99)

Organisers of Kelbrook’s annual art exhibition have hailed another successful event and are already planning ahead for next year.

There was plenty of interest across the Bank Holiday weekend as viewers flocked to Kelbrook and Sough Village Hall for the three day event which started on Saturday and finished on Monday.

Fifty-eight pictures from a grand total of 317 which went on display were sold, as money raised on the day hit the £1,000 mark again.

Of the £1,000 raised, £500 will go to the North West Air Ambulance and the other £500 to Cancer Research UK.

In 2012, £1,200 was raised of which £600 was donated to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the other half to Pendleside Hospice.

Jennifer Petty from Foulridge went home delighted as the winner of the raffle which won her a portrait of a farmyard scene by well-known local artist Alice Wood who had donated the prize.

Last weekend’s exhibition was the 15th of its type and in recent years has grown from strength to strength to become a firm favourite in Pendle’s art calendar in Pendle.

Josephine Robinson, from the exhibition’s organising committee, said: “We have raised slightly less money this year but it’s still jolly good.

“Last year, we sold 62 pieces so we are four fewer for this year but we are really pleased.

“We gave to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance last year so we thought we would give to the North West this time. I think everybody is affected by cancer in one way or another at some point which is why we chose Cancer Research. I’d like to say a big thank you to all on behalf of the committee.”

Organisers of Reedley Flower Show celebrated one of the best and most colourful events to date last weekend.

Scores of people descended on St Cuthbert’s Church hall for the annual show where classes included flowers, vegetables and confectionary.

Mr Darren Reynolds, who helped organise the event, said: “It went really well. It was one of the best turn-outs ever and entries were up on last year.

“The auction managed to raise £75 as well which was donated to Pendleside Hospice.”

Following the success of the 24th Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival, it is hoped more music lovers will come out in force to enjoy this year’s GreenRock Concert in Colne.

Taking place tomorrow, the free event will run between noon and 7pm on Colne’s Millenium Green, off Shaw Street.

As well as boasting a bumper schedule of acts, the concert, which has been organised by Colne Town Council, will also include refreshments, such as a hog roast and sandwiches, for those without picnics.

Acts Draks Drum, Third Thumb, LEN, Dirty Donnas, Bigbelly HiFi, Drum Machine, Walter Mitty’s Head and Rasta4Eyes will all be taking to the stage throughout the day.

And a face painting service is being organised for the children.

Committee Chairman Coun. Dorothy Lord said: “GreenRock is a great showcase for local bands, as well as those a little further afield.

“However, I believe it is the wonderful Colne atmosphere, generated by people of all ages that makes GreenRock such a vibrant, fun event.”

Anybody planning on going to GreenRock is reminded to turn up early, due to strict limitations on numbers.

The following Colne crimes have been reported to Lancashire Police:

• Joseph Farrelly Phillips (43), of West Street, Colne, has been charged with interfering with a vehicle by police.

He is currently on bail after a hearing at Blackburn Magistrates Court ahead of an appearance at Pennine Magistrates Court in Burnley on Friday, October 18th.

• Scott Parker (36), of Clayton Street, Colne, has been ordered to pay £100 in compensation for criminal damage caused to the Red Lion Pub in Colne after a hearing at Blackburn Magistrates Court.

Parker has been bailed and will appear at Pennine Magistrates Court in Burnley on Thursday, October 17th, charged with a dwelling burglary in Blucher Street, Colne, and a section 39 assault.

Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson has thrown his weight behind a grieving mum’s petition to make swimming and water safety lessons compulsory for school children.

Beckie Ramsay (33), from Chorley, had her life torn apart in 2011 when her son Dylan (13) drowned at Hill Top Quarry, in Whittle-le-Woods.

Since her son’s death, Beckie has been working tirelessly to raise awareness of the dangers of swimming in open water. She has launched the “Doing it for Dylan” campaign and visited schools with a Powerpoint presentation.

Now she aims to collect 100,000 signatures to make it compulsory for all primary school children to have had swimming lessons before starting high school. And she also hopes to see high school children taught about water safety every year.

Her work has recently been backed by Mr Stephenson, who is helping Beckie achieve her goals of getting the petition debated in Parliament.

Beckie, who has also helped produce a water safety DVD, said: “I am happy that Andrew is supporting the campaign. It would be really appreciated if any of the councillors in Pendle would be able to help Andrew, as it is not a one-man job to get it pushed through to Parliament.”

As well as working on her new venture, Beckie is happy to come and visit schools in Pendle to promote the importance of swimming safely.

She added: “I wish I had been more educated before Dylan died, and I wasn’t. Now I am, and I am trying to help other people. I wouldn’t wish this pain on my worst enemy.

“Outside swimming shouldn’t be done, full stop. But if it is going to be done, then it should be in a safe environment.”

And Mr Stephenson said: “In my mind both swim-safe education and competent swimming skills are important, but it needs everyone to pitch in and reinforce the message. Friends, parents, and neighbours, as well as teachers and campaigners, need to push the point that swimming in open waters can so easily, quickly, and surprisingly lead to a tragic death of someone close to you.”

Schools wanting Beckie to visit or send a water safety DVD can email beckieramsay@hotmail.com

To sign her petition go to epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/53219

An Earby girl has proved her credentials as a rising fencing star by battling to become a British champion.

Lucy-Belle Williamson (9), of Victoria Crescent, won gold at the Épée British Youth Championships on Saturday and needed all her skill, agility and concentration to win the competition at Under-10 level.

Earlier this year, Lucy-Belle secured a bronze medal in the foil category and her parents Jane and Ian say they are “very proud” of their daughter’s achievements.

This summer, the starlet stepped up to use an épée rather than the foil weapon on her way to victory.

The épée is heavier and less flexible than the foil weapon she is used to using and is a more realistic form of fencing as scoring can include all parts of the body and not just the torso.

Lucy-Belle bettered several opponents who she knocked out of the competition in Oundle near Peterborough along the way, causing quite a stir too, due to the fact that she was unknown and untested at Épée fencing prior to the tournament.

In the final, she beat her opponent by 10 points to four to win her gold medal and the title of British Youth Champion.

Lucy-Belle said: “I have worked really hard this summer and have been away on a training camp as well as long days training with my coach in Skipton. Winning gold is amazing but I had to keep very calm until I had won the last point.”

Her mother Jane added: “The training has been essential as Lucy-Belle began the summer with very little experience Épée fencing and the time has been spent learning to transfer her skills from one type of fencing to another.”

The youngster trains with Jim Lockyer at Skipton Fencing Club twice a week and uses West Craven Sports Centre in Barnoldswick when the hall is free.

This dedicated practice, up to 20 hours per week, often against others older than her, is why she has done so well according to her coach.

Mr Lockyer said: “Lucy-Belle is one of the most talented individuals I have had the pleasure of coaching in 13 years. This talent is coupled with an extremely high work ethic and a desire to improve; which has led to the incredible high level of success she has had over the past 18 months.

“Fencing is an incredibly challenging sport and the dedication that Lucy-Belle has shown so far has made her the star she is now.

“If she keeps up this level of focus then there is no doubt in my mind that she will represent Great Britain in the future.”