Thousands has been spent to repair damage caused by vandals and clear up fly-tipped waste dumped on the tracks of one of the region’s most iconic rail routes.
East Lancashire Railway has warned that preparations for the reopening of the popular tourist attraction next month are sadly being hampered by continuing instances of fly-tipping and vandalism along the track, with the company revealing it has had to run regular clean up patrols over the past few weeks.
Volunteers have removed extensive amounts of rubbish dumped along the heritage railway’s twelve miles of tracks that stretch from Heywood in Greater Manchester to Rawtenstall in Lancashire.
The patrols have already collected six wagon loads of rubbish, which have included items as large as sofas and dining chairs.
The clean up patrol missions have unfortunately also had the knock-on effect of preventing the East Lancashire Railway’s army of dedicated volunteers from focusing on their main priority of preparing the railway for its planned reopening on 1st May.
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“It’s really frustrating to see rubbish casually dumped on the railway like this,” said Mike Kelly, Chairman of the East Lancashire Railway.
“The upsurge in anti-social behaviour has put further strain on our already fragile finances, as we have been forced to collect and remove all this waste we have to run special services and hire skips, which costs the railway several thousands of pounds we cannot afford to spend”.
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East Lancashire Railway
He continued: “As well as the litter, we’ve also suffered extensive vandalism to fences from the individuals who have been using the railway tracks as a dumping ground during lockdown”.
That’s not all either, as with safety trains running during the latest lockdown to maintain the line and prepare for reopening, East Lancashire Railway has also crucially warned that anyone trespassing on the railway is putting themselves in danger too.
“I would like to call on the help of the public,” Mike added.
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“And I would ask people to be vigilant and report any instances of trespass they may witness [as] stamping out on anti-social behaviour on the railway will help to keep the public safe and allow us all to focus on our top priority – the re-opening of an attraction that brings joy to so many”.
He also thanked the “fantastic volunteers” who are working to get the railway ready.
The ELR is back! 🚂🚆😊
Standard services will be running from 1st May onwards and Dining Services from 21st May. Pubs and the café will also be opening soon! Find out more here: https://t.co/LxIt6YTd8R
— East Lancashire Railway (@eastlancsrly) March 5, 2021
Since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the heritage railway has been fighting for its survival as it has been deprived of vital visitor income for the majority of the past twelve months.
It has only been kept afloat only through its extensive fundraising efforts, loans and grants.
The railway is scheduled to reopen to the public with a number of COVID safety measures in place from 1st May 1st, alongside welcoming visitors to the two station pubs, and the Trackside at Bury and Buffer Stops at Rawtenstall, which will open on the 12th April for outside service.
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To support the railway as it prepares to reopen, you can donate to the East Lancashire Railway Support Fund, or grab yourself an advance booking ticket for a journey from 1st May.
You can also purchase gift vouchers and book tickets online here.
Featured Image – East Lancashire Railway
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Britain’s least favourite chores have been revealed according to new survey
Emily Sergeant
Washing up, dusting, taking the bins out – we’re really not short of household chores to dislike, let’s be honest.
Doing the chores is, well, a chore… or is it? Surprisingly though, a new YouGov poll says different, as it’s been revealed that there are only a few household tasks that large numbers of Britons actively loathe, with many more liked that disliked, in fact.
While it probably has to be said that most chores and household tasks are not exactly what we’d choose to spend our time doing, the reality is they have to be done whether we like it or not.
The new survey, however, has revealed the some of us do actually ‘like’ it though.
YouGov asked a total of 2287 British adults for their opinions on a selection of chores in a bid to find out what the best and worst household task is.
/ Credit: Pixahive | Haberdoedas II (via Unsplash)
Cooking came out on top as the most popular chore of those polled, with a clear majority of Brits (57%) saying they like rustling up a meal, alongside a further 21% who neither like nor dislike it, and only 18% saying it’s a task they openly dislike.
Nearly half of Brits (46%) say they enjoy decluttering or clearing out their house, alongside 24% who are not bothered either way. Similarly, 40% say they like tidying up, with nearly as many (35%) neither liking nor disliking it.
In both cases, only roughly a quarter (22-27%) actively dislike making things neat and tidy.
On the other end of the spectrum, the chore that takes the top spot for being the most disliked across the board is ironing.
Taking the bins out is the chore that most divides men and women, with women nearly twice as likely to dislike doing it
Cleaning bathroom: 49% women vs 42% men Ironing: 48% vs 37% Dusting: 43% vs 38% Taking bins out: 42% vs 22% Washing up: 38% vs 24% Cleaning kitchen: 32% vs 28%… pic.twitter.com/Obfk89yhqp
Four housework staples stand out as having the fewest outright fans – ironing, cleaning the bathroom, dusting, and taking the bins out, with just one in six Brits (16-18%) claiming to like doing any of them.
Although similar numbers of survey respondents dislike dusting, ironing, or cleaning the bathroom (41-45%), it’s ironing that has the strongest claim to being the most-hated chore overall, as not only do a higher proportion say they dislike it a lot (25% vs 16-18% for the other two chores), roughly three times as many Brits avoid doing the ironing altogether (20% vs 7%).
This makes it the only chore where the number of dislikers (43%) outnumber the combined total of those with a positive or neutral opinion of the chore (37%).
How does gender come into the conversation? Well, taking the bins out is the chore polled with the biggest gender divide.
According to YouGov, while men are equally likely to say they like (24%) and dislike taking the bins out (22%), only 9% of women say they relish the task, which is relative to 42% of them who dislike having to do it.
Featured Image – Pexels (@cottonbro studio)
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Salford Red Devils have been dropped from the Super League
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils RLFC have been officially relegated and dropped from the next Betfred Super League season following months of uncertainty both on and off the field.
It’s a nightmare scenario for supporters, but not entirely surprising given their struggles of late.
Revealing the decision this week, the Super League announced that Salford Red Devils will not be competing in the top tier next term, with the upcoming adjusted campaign getting underway in 2026.
Confirming that their IMG grading had been reduced as expected in the wake of recent events, the Greater Manchester side shared an official statement with the fans on Thursday morning, 16 October.
The reaction has obviously been one of deep frustration from a fan base that has been put through the ringer over the past year or so.
Die-hard Red Devil, Andy Roberts, commented in the numerous replies underneath Salford’s post on X: “I’m sorry, but this statement is a complete disgrace. Patronising fans, ignoring the huge elephant in the room. RELEGATION!”
Even neutrals got involved, with one person writing: “I hope someone comes in and saves you. No gloating here, we’re all part of the RL [rugby league] family, and I’ve lost my club before – wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Best of luck getting sorted.”
Another added that he believes this “Has to be the worst piece of comms from any club ever. Might have been better to start with a ‘really sorry we won’t be part of Super League next season’ line.”
Most notably, their dismissal from the division for now has also made way for the return of Bradford Bulls, who haven’t featured in the tournament since 2014, ultimately limping towards liquidation and eventual relegation themselves. Safe to say Salfordians fear the same.
It’s also worth noting that Salford Red Devils’ relegation also comes in tandem with the Super League actually expanding in terms of participants, with 14 teams set to face off in 2026; a dozen are automatically included via the aforementioned gradings system.
The Bulls were restored to the ranks after finishing 10th in the overall IMG rankings, while SRDLFC’s 0.25 point reduction to their total score proved enough to see the Yorkshiremen take their place after more than a decade.
Another two of clubs are still waiting to be named in the roster for next year, with an independent selection panel scheduled to verify their picks this Friday, 17 October.
You can see the club’s ‘divisive’ (to say the least) statement in full HERE and, in the meantime, find out more on the latest twist in this unfortunate tale that went on somewhat behind the scenes down below.
Emily Sergeant -
7th April 2021 
