Lancashire nostalgia in 1994: Deepdale buy back; Bank Holiday nightmare; and man's best friend

Council agree to Deepdale buy back to club and fans delight

Preston North End were celebrating almost certain promotion - from council tenants to home owners - after a surprise Town Hall thumbs up for their bid to buy back Deepdale.

The ruling Labour group voted unanimously to approve the sale in principle, subject to an independent valuation of the soccer ground.

And, after hearing the verdict, delighted boss John Beck said: “That’s the best news this football club - and this town for that matter - has had for a long time.

“We can go places now. Not owning the ground was the only thing stopping this place taking off.”

The council’s 22-member Labour group listened to a passionate plea from fans before deciding to support the sale on a long lease.

Officials of the Independent Supporters Association urged members to back the plan saying the club’s existence could be in doubt if it was thrown out.

“We told them they were not just making a decision about whether to sell the ground back, but whether the football club would ultimately stay in business or shut down,” said secretary John Lee.

“It came as something of a surprise.”

Weather warnings and traffic jams for Bank Holiday trippers

Bank Holiday trippers were today facing a nightmare weekend with rain, gales, high winds and even snow forecast for Lancashire.

And as if that wasn’t enough motorists are also likely to hit the misery of traffic jams as they head to and from the coast, fun parks like Camelot, near Chorley, or the Lake District.

The M6 between junction 32, Broughton, near Preston, and 33 is down to two lanes each way because of roadworks.

The only respite has been the removal of cones at the junction of the M6 and M55.

Forecasters at Manchester Weather Centre put out a weather warning and said there was more of the same to come.

Elsewhere, gales lashed the country and storm-force winds of up to 75mph were recorded - and the advice was to stay indoors.

A severe weather warning was issued for the south of England and two people were killed in Scotland and near Carlisle.

A spokesman for the Manchester Weather Centre said: “There are more strong winds and showers to come.”

Motorway police reported a typical Bank Holiday weekend with some tailbacks.

A spokesman said: “We advise motorists to take care, especially drivers of high-sided vehicles.”

Why teddies are a man’s best friend

Boys who snuggle up to a teddy bear grow up to be much more confident men, according to experts.

Psychologists say Lancashire lads who were inseparable from their teds turn into much more secure grown-ups and are less likely to suffer from depression.

Lancashire teddy specialist Mrs Irene Thompson, at the Toy & Teddy Bear Museum in St Annes, agrees.

She said: “It can only be good to have something to love, it is part of being a well-balanced human being.”

The bear facts came to light on BBC Radio 4’s Families and How to Survive Them programme where Dr Robin Skynner said devotion to teddies helps make children grow into healthy adults.

He added: “Teddy bears give us our confidence, make us feel better.”

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