January
WE
SNAPPED future Prime Minister
David Cameron reading the Formby Times.
He told
his audience the Sefton Central constituency would “make a difference”
at the election. Our readers also proved that they were bringing the
Christmas spirit into the New Year by donating thousands of pounds to
help victims of the Haitian Earthquake. Churchgoers, Rotarians and
shoppers all dug deep to aid the disaster-stricken island.
Sisters
Lorna and Emily Richardson saved a woman who fell onto the railway
tracks at Ainsdale station. The Formby High girls were on their way to
school when they saw the woman in trouble.
February
WE
REPORTED how grandparents of missing
Madeleine
McCann came to Formby FC.
Susan and Brian
Healy arrived in the village to help light lanterns to mark
1,000 days since Maddy’s disappearance.
Much-loved Formby shopkeeper Brenda Maclean sadly passed away in
February from cancer. The 57-year-old who worked in Cassidy’s for 12
years was described as ‘the most popular shop girl in the village’.
March
WE
RELEASED CCTV images capturing the moment knife-wielding robbers raided
Thomson’s travel agents and took £25,000.
Formby
was hit hard by the cold snap and one family-run gym blamed its closure
on the freezing weather. Formby Gym, which was owned by the Dickson
family said fuel bills, the credit crunch and unhelpful landlords had
taken their toll.
Politics
was increasingly on the agenda in the run up to national and local
elections and in March veteran councillor Eric Storey was deselected by
the Conservative Party after 52 years in politics.
April
MAJOR
MARK STANSFIELD announced he would run five marathons in five days for
fallen comrades.
The
Afghanistan war veteran raised money for Help for Heroes and the British
Legion in an incredible feat of endurance.
A
milkman lost his job after being caught three-and-a-half times over the
legal drink drive limit on Wrigley’s Lane.
Thomas
McGreevey, a milkman for 30 years, was banned from driving for 30
months.
May
IT WAS
election month and Labour candidate Bill Esterson swept home with a
majority of 3,862.
He told
the Times he would make children and schools his two priorities.
We also
reported a second attempt by the criminal underworld to destroy a police
helicopter at RAF Woodvale. The £2.9m chopper was targeted for the
second time in seven months.
June
OPERATION BEACHSAFE was criticised by the Spar owner on Harrington Road
who was targeted by beer-swilling thugs.
In June
World Cup fever took over the village as fans flocked to pubs to watch
England’s brief sojourn in South Africa.
With the
sun shining Formby also launched its Neighbourhood in Bloom bid.
Dedicated volunteers spruced up the village ahead of the judges’
arrival.
At the
end of June we also honoured the true heroes of our town at the
Community Heroes awards.
July
TRIBUTES
were paid to Formby born author Dame Beryl Bainbridge who died aged 77
after a short illness.
Formby,
backed by this newspaper, claimed victory in a battle to drive down
“rip-off” fuel prices at Tesco. After concerned readers contacted us
about petrol prices we put pressure on Tesco who dropped their price to
112.9p from a high of 119.9p.
James
Thompson was given a minimum of ten years in prison for the murder of
Tony Johnson in Southport town centre
The
victim’s dad described the killing as “futile”.
August
A FORMBY
mansion became the glamorous backdrop for Hollyoaks’ raunchy spin-off
show Hollyoaks Later.
At the
end of August GCSE and A-Level students celebrated excellent results.
September
A FORMBY
policeman escaped jail after accidentally killing the son of former pop
star, Searcher Mike Pender. PC Stephen Hulse hit Nathan Prendergast’s
motorbike on the Rainford bypass.
The hunt
began for Formby’s finest pets. Our Pet Idol competition had a fantastic
response.
Business
and shoppers backed a campaign to get a bus linking Hightown to Formby.
The campaign continues.
October
BAGPIPER
Hugh MacDonald appealed for help in finding somewhere warmer to
rehearse. The ‘red-hot chilly piper’ said his current rehearsal barn was
too cold to practise in.
An
86-year-old pensioner was killed on Formby bypass. Alec Atherton died as
he pulled out of North End Lane.
The
Thornton Relief Road was finally given the green light. The Government
pledged its support to the long-awaited link road.
November
THE
VILLAGE celebrated Red Squirrel Week at a National Trust fun day. Over
200 visitors came to support the Trust with its red squirrel
conservation.
Silence
also fell across Formby as people paid their respects to our fallen war
heroes. Veterans and cadets paraded through the village on Remembrance
Day.
Stormy
weather in mid-November washed up hundreds of giant jellyfish weighing
up to 40kg on Formby beach.
December
CHRISTMAS was just around the corner but bad news about Government cuts
continued.
Public
loos, school uniform grants and waste recycling were all set to suffer.
Village
schools celebrated their last week of term with a series of nativities,
concerts and plays.
Formby
was gripped by record low temperatures of minus 11 and 10 inches of snow
fall. Shoppers and workers all struggled to get about as roads turned
into ice rinks. |