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Moves are underway to transform part of Padiham Town Hall into a business hub as part of wider proposals to improve the town centre. More than £330,000 of Growth Deal funding has been secured from the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to cover the cost of the programme of refurbishment work to the first floor of the Grade II listed building.

The £331,379 funding, which has been approved subject to contract, will see 3,000 sq ft of office space which has been unused since the 2015 floods transformed into high-quality office and co-working space to meet the needs of small businesses. Councillor Gordon Birtwistle, Burnley Council’s executive member for economy and growth, said:

“This is good news for Padiham. The LEP funding will help breathe new life into this historic building in the heart of the town and support new and growing businesses. “It is part of the council’s wider plans to improve Padiham town centre.

The re-development of the first floor of the town hall to create a business hub which will provide a modern and flexible working space that caters for a wide range of businesses. “The proposals will bring new businesses and visitors to the town’s main street, supporting existing businesses and building on other activity to regenerate the historic centre through the £1.3m Townscape Heritage Initiative”. The funding is in addition to the £10.9m already secured by the Council from the LEP and the Environment Agency for public realm improvements and flood defense works.

Chairman of the LEP Steve Fogg said: “This project, which is subject to contracting, is a great example of how the LEP uses Growth Deal funds to support economic growth and job creation. In this case this will be achieved by funding improved infrastructure to support business growth in the Padiham area and, at the same time, boosting the vitality of the town centre by putting empty space to good use. “This initiative is part of an overall investment by the LEP in this part of Burnley borough totalling £4.9m so far and which aims to regenerate and protect Padiham town centre and the local area and unlock land for development.

“The LEP’s £320m Growth Deal programme is supporting strategically important projects like this all across Lancashire which, combined, will lay the foundation for significant growth in the county’s economy for years to come.”

Anyone interested in taking space in the new business hub can contact Martyn Hardacre in the council’s economy and growth unit on 01282 477213 or email mhardacre@burnley.gov.uk

About Lancashire’s Growth Deal Programme:
In the last three years the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has successfully secured £320 million of Growth Deal investment from the Government’s Local Growth Fund.

This funding, one of the largest Growth Deal settlements to be allocated to a Local Enterprise Partnership, is designed to help improve and upgrade existing commercial infrastructure, kickstart new economic initiatives, and unlock additional private investment to drive further growth across the county.

More than 50 projects have directly benefitted from the LEP’s Growth Deal Programme. These include:
• New and improved transport connections including the Blackburn-Bolton Rail Corridor; the Broughton bypass; the Centenary Way viaduct; and the Hyndburn-Burnley-Pendle Growth Corridor;
• World-class higher education, research and vocational skills provision and facilities including UCLan’s flagship Engineering and Innovation Centre; the national Energy HQ in Blackpool; Lancaster’s Health Innovation Campus; and Myerscough College’s Food & Farming Innovation Centre;
• A wide-ranging package of regeneration programmes specifically for Blackpool including a new international conference centre at the Winter Gardens complex; the development of Blackpool town centre ‘Green Corridors’; traffic management, bridge and road improvements and an extension of Blackpool’s tram network.

The Growth Deal programme will help to generate up to 11,000 new jobs, create 3,900 new homes and attract £1.2 billion of additional public and private investment for Lancashire. Lancashire’s Growth Deal programme is also fully aligned to other major economic initiatives such as the £450 million Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal, the £20 million Growing Places Investment Fund, and the Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Energy Enterprise Zone Cluster.
For more information visit www.lancashirelep.co.uk

East Lancs News

The borough’s first digital health and wellbeing learning centre is now open in Blackburn Library. Also known as a digital health hub, the centre is a place where staff and volunteers can help people to improve their digital skills and confidence, so they can use online health services more confidently.

There are more and more opportunities for people to use digital services to manage their own health. People can already book online GP appointments, repeat medications and view GP records online or through an app or websites. As the technology improves across public services, people will in future be able to view their own detailed care plans and interact with NHS and care services through new digital channels, with an aim of improving lives and experiences.

The digital health hub, located in the library’s breakout space on the ground floor opposite the main entrance, aims to help the people who need technology the most to embrace the opportunities offered.
The hub, a concept which has been successfully piloted elsewhere, will provide coaching, education and showcase digital devices and apps to help local people learn and use these new tools to manage their health and wellness.

The Council successfully bid for money from NHS Digital and the Good Things Foundation to develop a hub and has been working with local NHS partners and other organisations to get it up and running.
Councillor Damian Talbot, Executive Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said:

I am really pleased we have developed such an innovative service here in Blackburn with Darwen. Technology can be a vital tool in helping give people more control over their health and care but they need the skills to make the most of these opportunities. This hub can teach residents those skills they are able to enjoy the benefits digital can provide.

Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Executive Member for Digital and Customer Services, said: I am really excited to see how this project develops. It would be great to see more of these hubs around the borough at trusted public places people regularly visit. While digital won’t work for everyone, I believe the more we can show how it can make things easier and more convenient and give people greater control, the more people may consider doing things online. The Council is working with other local public service partners in the region to change health and care services for the better.
Together A Healthier Future, the programme driving the change, has big focus on digital health in its Pennine Plan.

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In May 1989, Mary Lee founded a small company dedicated to providing a personal and person-centred care service in Alcester, enabling its customers to remain in the comfort of their own home while still receiving the support that they needed.

Since then, Helping Hands has opened 97 branches across the UK alongside a dedicated Support Centre in the small Warwickshire town it was founded. With an exceptional level of carer training and a team of dedicated clinical nurses and dementia specialists, Helping Hands is the only homecare provider that has been endorsed as a Centre of Excellence by Skills for Care, as well as being fully licensed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Whether you need a 30-minute drop-in to help you prepare your meal, or more complex and intensive support that involves overnight or live-in care, the Helping Hands team will provide you with a dedicated support plan that is tailored to you and your individual needs. Regardless of your requirements, the carers at Helping Hands are fully trained and experienced in supporting a range of conditions including cerebral palsy, ADHD and neurological conditions such as MS and motor neurone disease.

Helping Hands is also one of the UK’s leading dementia care specialists, offering extensive knowledge in dementia care and fully-trained carers to support you and your loved ones while enabling you to remain comfortable in the familiarities of your own home.

Since it was founded 30 years ago, Helping Hands remains a family-run business that is now managed by Mary’s sons, Tim and Ben. When asked about the progress of Helping Hands in the industry, Mary said: “I started Helping Hands as I believed there was a gap in care for the community that social services could not provide. I had no idea we would grow to such a large caring family.”

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Born out of a passion for hospitality and fantastic customer service, Martin and Rachel decided it was time for them to bite the bullet and “Go for it”!
Both Martin & Rachel started their careers in hospitality, Martin as a chef and Rachel front of house supervisor, in the restaurant and on the bar.

Their careers were leading to running their own business, when, whilst pregnant, complications occurred and their eldest Jake, was born 13 weeks early. Rachel decided to give up her career, as Jake was later diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy and left confined to a wheelchair. The couple put their plans for a business on hold, and 2 more children later, Martin and Rachel have a fantastic family with 3 amazing children, Jake, Olivia and Isaac. Martin moved into Hospitality training and Rachel brought up the children and became Jakes full time carer.

Then, in the autumn of 2018, things were about to take a turn…………… After watching a section on “This Morning” Rachel came up with an idea to convert a vintage horsebox into a bar that specialises in Gin. With Martin still heavily involved in the hospitality industry as a hospitality trainer, he was up to date with current trends, legislation and with a backlog of contacts in the industry, the idea quickly developed into a passion and so Hilda was born! With their colossal knowledge of Gin, they decided this was the area they would like to specialise in.

After getting in touch with a few conversion companies, they decided to go with “Bespoke Conversions” in Widnes and after meeting Paula and Mark, they knew they had made the right choice. Bespoke Conversions sourced us a vintage “Rice Beaufort” horsebox, she was rescued from a field and at over 55 years old, she needed a little TLC. Rachel designed the trailer, from the colour, the layout, fixtures and fittings, wallpaper and accessories, Paula and Mark got to it and 5 months later, she was ready to roll. They decided to focus on local producers and suppliers, “We love the Ribble Valley” said the couple, “and being from Clitheroe, we have the best suppliers on our doorstep”.

They have travelled the UK and seen many establishments, bars, restaurants, pubs, etc… all serving Gin is various ways, from the perfect serve to personal preference, at the end of the day, it’s down to the customers taste when it comes to mixers and garnish. So, the bar carries a wide selection of Gins, over 40 from around the UK and afar and every flavour of mixer you can think of to accompany your preferred Gin. “We will always give our opinion and personal taste to Gin, but we make sure we tailor it to the customers preference, after all, the customer is always right!”

The Tipsy Truck Co are also passionate about the environment, so all their accessories are recyclable and environmentally friendly, from their cups, straws and stirrers, to the cardboard they receive their deliveries in, it’s all handled and disposed of safely and responsibly. The Tipsy Truck has a 5-star rating for Food Safety and Martin has his personal licence for the sale of alcohol, so you’re in good hands!

They have fabulous family and friends who have helped them out, their cousins keep Hilda safe and sound on their farm, their parents help with the accounts and maintenance, their close friends who have a Clitheroe pub and keep us informed of new stock lines. “We have our fantastic kids who help with setting up and serving”.

Their daughter Olivia has worked in restaurants and hotels, so she helps them at busy events whilst taking time out from her studies at University at Chester, Isaac helps them to set up for events and Jake keeps things organised at home, he also helps Rachel write the menu boards and corrects any spelling mistakes (he takes absolute pleasure in correcting her!). Jake enjoys books and literature and is hoping to become a famous author one day……watch this space!

Below is “Our story” taken from the website – www.tipsytruck.co.uk.
“We are The Tipsy Truck Co, passionately known as “Hilda” She is a vintage Rice trailer, lovingly converted bespoke to our specification. We can provide all your beverage requirements, served by our professional and qualified team from Hilda whatever the occasion.

We are really happy to attend any event, weddings, festivals, Christmas markets, etc… anywhere we can park up, we will attend and provide and excellent service and quality beverages.

We are fully licensed and H&S/Food safety qualified and we have both worked in Hospitality for over 30 years combined. We are a husband and wife team, both passionate about the industry and providing excellent customer service and with a good dose of humour, you won’t be disappointed with our service and products. Our Hilda is stylish, trendy and will fit any occasion, whether it’s a large festival, or a family gathering, a wedding or a corporate event, we will tailor it to fit your preference.
We will even personalise Hilda with your colour scheme or we will add your favourite “Tipple” on our bar menu, we can be as bespoke as Hilda is, nothing is too much trouble!”

As a business, we can offer so much more than just a bar, our tariffs below can be made to suit your needs and whatever your budget, we can work around this o make your event magical!

The options are.
Cash Bar – We turn up fully stocked, staffed, and ready to go. Guests pay for their drinks as they would at any event or bar.

Dry Bar – Hire the “Tipsy Truck” and bar staff, fill her up with your drinks, accompaniments, etc… and we’ll do the rest! Or we can source the drink supplies for you, a small fee will be charged to cover this additional service.

Complimentary bar – We will serve your guests up to the arranged limit, once it’s gone, you can either top up the amount or we will revert to a cash bar where guests buy their own.

The couple have a wealth of contacts from the industry, from chefs to mixologists, wine experts to BBQ Kings (or Queens!), whatever you need, we can source it for you!

Additional services.
Glass hire
Arrival drinks for wedding receptions, etc…
Canape service
Food caterers sourced
Additional staff for your event.
Indoor “Pop-up-Bar” new for summer 2020!
Nothing is impossible………….

Their recent Christmas events have been amazing, “We have made some amazing trader friends and met some fantastic people along the way, plus a huge variety of dogs, so we are always on hand with a bowl of water and bucket full of doggy treats!” Their own special recipe for “Mulled Gin” was warmly received, with a choice of flavours, they can even “pimp” up your winter warmer to and kept the Christmas shoppers in the festive spirit. Rachel also developed the Tipsy “Gin-Secco” which has been very popular at their events.

So, what’s new for 2020! “We are gearing up to move into the wedding trade, we have already had interest from Marquee and Tipi wedding companies around the North West and will be involved with a local company with their marketing campaign, so that will be exciting”.
“We feel Hilda will be a fabulous addition to any wedding day, she can be decorated in the brides and grooms colour scheme, we can have arrival drinks and canapes, full bar option and we can even make up a drinks menu of all the happy couples favourite drinks, nothing is too much trouble for us to make their day that little bit more special.

We have plans for an indoor “Pop-up–Bar” option, this will mean that we can bring all our service indoors for smaller events or customers who are unable to have Hilda at their event. It will be the same service, same quality drinks, but all indoors, so the weather will have no effect on the event or special occasion. We can even place the bar under cover outdoors, this way we can supply a bar for any situation, occasion and event to our customers needs”.

They are also looking to expand to another horsebox bar, “We haven’t yet decided on the service we will provide yet, but I’m sure it will be fantastic and we can’t wait for what the future holds for the Tipsy Truck Co!”
If you would like “Hilda” to attend your event, help you to plan your big day and bring a little “Hilda magic” to your special occasion, then give us a call and we can create a bespoke package for you.

“We look forward to joining you on your special day or at your fabulous event!”
Martin & Rachel Houghton
The Tipsy Truck Co
Clitheroe
Lancashire
07368692633/07590477626
enquiries@tipsytruck.co.uk
www.tipsytruck.co.uk
Facebook – The Tipsy Truck Company
Instagram – tipsytruckco (#tipsytruck)
Twitter – @TruckTipsy

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Planning a day out? Discover incredible things to do in North Wales
But where to begin? Well, the north east of Wales has plenty of history and is home to North Wale’s only World Heritage Site. The coastal regions like Colwyn Bay and Conwy have excellent beaches and family attractions. You’ll find adventure in the mountains of Snowdonia & stunning locations along the Llyn Peninsula.

Picture this. An abandoned quarry, once the world’s largest, turned into the world’s fastest zip zone. Or how about the world’s first manmade surf lagoon delivering consistent two metre waves. You can even scale to Britain’s lowest point, deep beneath the mountain’s of Snowdonia. With all this, it’s no surprise that North Wales has a growing reputation as being the adventure capital of the UK. Underground, on ground or above ground, be prepared for an unforgettable adventure in North Wales.

But it’s not all about flying through the air. There are plenty of things to do in North Wales snd Betws-y-Coed for example that don’t require a helmet or wetsuit. The region has an incredibly rich and eventful history & heritage – which has to be explored. Medieval castles dominate historic towns, historical structures can be seen across the region & you can even explore a 4,000 year-old mine! For a comprehensive look at the regions history, be sure to visit North Wales’ intriguing museums.

For families, North Wales and Llandudno in particular has a great array of attractions. Adventure parks provide an array of things to do in North Wales including roller coasters, slides and experiences. For a day of discovery, head to one of the regions zoos & aquariums – here, the kids can be introduced to animals from all over the world. With so much going on, you might forget to take it all in so why not make your stay a bit longer? Whether you are looking for seaside hotels, traditional bed and breakfasts, quirky glamping and campsites, family friendly holiday and carvan parks or just basic self catering accommodation, all needs and tastes are catered for in North Wales!

And in terms of dining out, Don’t worry. With a wide variety of excellent restaurants, pubs and bars to choose from, you can be certain your stay in North Wales will be a fantastic one!

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Grab a cauldron and create the perfect spell! Young sorcerers are invited for a day of Magick and Mayhem at Selby library to help a trapped witch break free. Based on the bestselling children’s series, The Apprentice Witch by James Nicol, Selby library has created an escape room for budding witches and wizards aged seven to 11.

In teams of five, players will enter the world of Arianwyn, the apprentice witch, and try to save her from her nemesis, Gimma. By solving puzzles and quizzes read by James, they will need to find the right spell to release Arianwyn and escape from the room. James Nicol, author and library supervisor, said: “It’s very exciting to see my books being adapted into an escape room event. I’m a huge fan of board games and escape rooms, so this is a dream come true. I’m really excited to be involved with being a virtual presence dishing out helpful clues to the participants.”

The escape room is running on Monday, 17 February, with morning and afternoon slots. Tickets cost £2.50 and must be pre-booked. The Magick and Mayhem programme of activities is continuing on Friday, 21 February, from 10am to 4pm, when York Bird of Prey will bring owls to the library. At 4pm, James Nicol will talk about the world of The Apprentice Witch, sign books and host the game show Which Witch is Which?

Tickets for the talk (ages 6+) are £2.50 and must be pre-booked. Anybody who is taking part in the escape room will be able to buy tickets for £1. “If you’re looking for something to entertain the kids this half term I would urge you to support your local library and get involved in these unique events,” said County Councillor Greg White, Executive Member for Libraries. “We are very lucky to have James as a member of our library staff, willing to share his writing skills and helping to run the exciting escape room.

The game gives children the chance to socialise and test their problem-solving skills with a magical twist.” For more information and to book your tickets, contact Selby library.

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The winner of MasterChef 2019 has been confirmed as a special guest at the forthcoming Lakes Hospitality Show on 25 & 26 March 2020, where she will be creating special dishes made from nationally and internationally renowned local Cumbrian produce.

Irini Tzortzoglou hasn’t been wasting any time, having already highlighted local products including Kin Vodka, Hawkshead Relish, beverages from the Lakes Distillery, Claire’s Handmade and even Windermere Artisan ice cream as potential ingredients for her creations.

One of the region’s biggest trade events of 2020, the Lakes Hospitality Show is Cumbria’s longest-running show of its kind and is organised by The Lakes Hospitality Association (LHA) alongside Cumbria Tourism. Irini, who impressed MasterChef judges in early 2019 thanks to her ambitious cooking methods, says, “Coming from Crete, which is acknowledged by many as the European seat of eagerness to show hospitality – as well as a foodie island, I feel that I fit right in in Cumbria.

It is a wonderful county which welcomes millions of visitors every year and its tourism industry has such a strong culinary focus. “I have always considered myself extremely fortunate to have homes in two very different places, Cumbria and Crete, where nature is stunning, the people are warm and hospitable, and much time is taken by many to produce amazing culinary delights.

This is my hope for this year’s LHA show where I will create dishes that I love using great, world-famous local produce. “I was honoured to be asked to participate at the LHA show this year and I will very much enjoy bringing together the abundance of wonderful Cumbrian produce made by passionate artisans and elements of my culinary heritage, demonstrating what is possible with only a small amount of effort and time, along with a lot of enthusiasm.”

Cumbrian hotelier and Director of the Lakes Hospitality Trade, James Tasker, says, “We’re so pleased to announce Irini as one of our special guests, especially so soon after she brilliantly won such a prestigious TV cooking show.

We’re delighted and have no doubt that Irini will come-up with some amazing ideas and we’re all very excited that she’s planning on using local produce to come up with what are sure to be extremely tasty creations!” The 2020 event will celebrate the show’s 45th anniversary, at the Junction 36 Rural Auction Centre. Just a one minute drive from the M6 motorway, the show is not only one of the biggest in the north of England, but one of the most easily accessible.

More than 1,250 delegates from across Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and beyond were welcomed through the doors during last year’s two-day event, where the show hosted a record-breaking 136 stands for a wide range of hospitality businesses including tourist attractions, food and drink suppliers and support services such as IT technology and catering equipment. For 2020, even more exhibition stands have been made available, giving businesses from across Cumbria and the north of England the chance to showcase their products and services to hospitality industry businesses from all over Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool and the North East.

The 2020 Lakes Hospitality Trade Show will also include the introduction of ‘Level 1’; 17 new stands created for smaller or start-up businesses, for just £225+vat for both days. Also appearing at the Lakes Hospitality Show are wine expert Joe Wadsack, whose TV credentials include regular appearances on shows including Great Food Live, Saturday Kitchen, Ladette to Lady and Richard and Judy. A columnist for The Sunday Express, Joe also writes for magazines including ‘Waitrose Food Illustrated’, ‘Red’ and regular articles in the trade press. Joe also judges at various international wine competitions and acts as a consultant to numerous companies in the wine trade.

Meanwhile, Andrew Coy will bring his tales of his 50+ years working in the hospitality trade to the event, putting a focus on how to deliver the very best customer service.

Andrew is Proprietor at Simply Banqueting and undertakes consultancy contracts in Private Houses, Villas, Hotels and Venues. Andrew also manages VIP areas at major events, acts as a mentor for young managers, leads courses for those undertaking customer service training; and also trains and develops butlers in both private and corporate service.
To find out more about exhibiting at the Lakes Hospitality Trade Show, visit: www.lakeshospitalitytradeshow.co.uk

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Food lovers are in for a treat – tickets are now on sale for cookery demonstrations in the festival kitchen at Rochdale Food & Drink Festival, being staged on Saturday, 4 April 2020 in and around Rochdale Town Hall.
5 chefs will be cooking live during the event, staged in partnership with Premier Kia and new local Indian street food restaurant Bombay Brew, with 6 40-minute demos scheduled packed with tips, techniques and the opportunity to ask questions. Television presenter Chris Bavin will be hosting the day, introducing Rochdale’s Andrew Nutter, Tom McNeeney from The Oxford, Bombay Brew’s Austin Hopley, Adolfus Lewis from The Hare On The Hill in Littleborough and Noo Meenan from Thai food experts Issan Friends.

Chris, presenter of BBC1’s popular ‘Eat Well for Less?’ and currently starring in ‘Britain’s Best Home Cook’ alongside Mary Berry will be returning to town having appeared at Rochdale Feel Good Festival in 2016. His ‘Eat Well For Less?’ television series with ‘Masterchef’s’ Gregg Wallace sees them helping families, proving good food doesn’t have to cost the earth. As well as hosting the event, helping out the chefs in the festival kitchen he’ll be signing copies of his new book ‘Fakeaway’ that features simple healthy recipes for takeaway-inspired meals.

At 5pm he’ll also be talking part in a live interview, chatting about his career, love of good food and taking questions from the audience.
Andrew Nutter will be up first at 11:15am – he’s had an amazing career since coming runner-up in the National Junior Cook of the Year competition aged just 13-years-old. 7 years later, he launched ‘Nutters’ Restaurant, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019. He’s won multiple awards, including Lancashire Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, and ‘Rochdale Man of the Year.’

In 2016 he opened gastropub ‘The Bird At Birtle.’ At 12.15pm it’ll be time for rising star Austin Hopley from new Indian street food restaurant Bombay Brew. Expect culinary delights such as pakora and kofta, spiced potatoes, loaded poutine fries, sweet and savoury chaat, ‘bom-bae’ and tandoori chicken wings. Later in the afternoon it’s Tom McNeeney.
Head chef at The Oxford, catering lecturer and host of his own Youtube cookery channel, Tom cooked at the festival in 2018 and will be back for the 2nd time.

Adolfus Lewis, chef at the Hare on the Hill gastro pub in Littleborough will also be cooking live, then at 4.15pm it’s the turn of Noo Meenan, Thai chef from local street food specialists Issan Friends.

Over on the indoor Family Stage popular TV presenter and Gastronaut Stefan Gates will be performing 30 minute shows at 11.30am and 1.30pm. Expect an exciting blend of science and laughter, engaging and educating both children and adults with spectacular experiments, explosions, rockets and edible chemical reactions. Renowned for his quirky style and exciting live shows, Stefan has presented over 20 television series including the acclaimed CBBC series Incredible Edibles and Gastronauts. Children will also be able to get involved in some foodie fun, with cooking classes perfect for little chefs. Following sold out shows at the 2018 and 2019 festivals, Pat from Little Hens Early Years Activities in Milnrow will present more classes suitable for 2-10 year olds, giving you and your little ones a chance to make something nutritional and tasty.

There’ll be lots of fun and interaction along the way, promoting healthy eating, creativity and food awareness whilst building confidence and encouraging independence.

‘Spectacular entertainment’
The Festival Kitchen, sponsored by Bombay Brew, will be located inside the gothic splendour of Rochdale town hall along with plenty of stalls and activities. There’ll be an outside food and drink village, an indoor seating area to watch chef demonstrations on a big screen, themed foodie workshops plus live music and activities – with lots to offer from nearby local pubs, bars and restaurants. Councillor Janet Emsley, the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture, said she is pleased with the mix of local and national talent on the line-up:

“Our aim is always to celebrate the best in food and drink in Rochdale and I am pleased with the line-up so far. Hosting the day is Chris Bavin, one of the highest profile BBC food presenters and we are delighted to welcome him back to Rochdale. Headlining our family stage is Stefan Gates and his live shows are spectacular entertainment, mixing chemistry, physics and biology with food and nutrition in a really exciting and fun way.

“I encourage everyone to save the date so they can see our star chefs in action and enjoy great food, drink and entertainment. We’ll be announcing more attractions and stalls on the run up to the festival.” Rochdale Food & Drink Festival is open from 11am-6pm, Saturday, 4 April 2020.

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Rochdale’s new arrival Bombay Brew will be spicing up the 2020 Rochdale Food & Drink Festival. The Indian street food and craft ale restaurant is sponsoring the festival kitchen when the event returns to the town hall for its 3rd year on Saturday, 4 April 2020.

Bombay Brew will be trading at the festival itself, selling street food, hosting menu tastings and their head chef Austin Hopley will be showing off his culinary skills in the kitchen, revealing how a couple of their most popular dishes are created from scratch. The restaurant, based at 1 Drake Street in the town centre, will also stage festival warm up events in March during the run-up to the event.

Television presenter Chris Bavin will be hosting the festival, also introducing local favourite Andrew Nutter, Tom McNeeney from The Oxford, Adolfus Lewis from The Hare on the Hill in Littleborough and Noo Meenan from Rochdale’s Thai food experts Issan Friends. The Festival Kitchen will be located inside the gothic splendour of Rochdale town hall along with stalls and activities. There’ll be an outside food and drink village, an indoor seating area to watch chef demonstrations on a big screen plus a live music stage and lots of other activities. On the Family Stage popular TV presenter and Gastronaut Stefan Gates will be performing his shows – promising hilarious, mind-blowing edible adventures with food and science stunts including food rockets, edible chemical reactions, magical colour-changing cocktails and more.

‘A great addition’. Ben Boothman, owner of Bombay Brew said: “I have supported many local events over the years and this festival is a great opportunity for our latest new venture Bombay Brew. There is already a strong food and drink offer in the town centre and we need to keep on promoting it to as wide an audience as possible, which is why events like Rochdale Food & Drink Festival are so important. We’ve had a busy first couple of months at Bombay Brew and the team are really looking forward to being part of this festival.”

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, community and culture at the council, added: “Having one of our new restaurants on board is a great addition, adding value and expertise to the festival. We are grateful to businesses who support this event, who share our goal of celebrating Rochdale’s wonderful food and drink offer to visitors and locals all year round.”

Rochdale Food & Drink Festival is on from 11am-6pm, Saturday 4 April 2020.

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How long have you been in the Private Investigation Industry? I have been an investigator for over 40 years now. I was a detective at Scotland Yard for 16 years before transferring to the National Crime Squad where I conducted Investigations all over the world, working with many International Law Enforcement Agencies in the process.

After retiring from Law Enforcement in 2009, I worked in both a Retail and an Investment Bank, in various financial crime investigation roles and this really helped, seeing frauds operate from both sides of the fence. I set my own Fraud and Corruption Agency (Fedora) up in early 2019 and have been amazed at just how many investigations are out there that don’t get reported immediately or ever to the police. That was really an eye opener.

What made you get in to this line of work? From my first days in the police at the age of 18, I knew that I wanted to be a detective. The pride detectives put into their paperwork and the painstaking amount of work that was required to get to the finish line astounded me. For me the real police work starts after all of the excitement of the arrest has subsided. However, it always frustrated me, that the police as an institution were too fond of putting crimes and the police officers who investigate them into boxes.

I am afraid organised crime doesn’t work that way, it cuts across all areas of criminal activity. Organised fraud, usually involves some form of corruption and importantly is committed across numerous jurisdictions and involving a number of crime areas such as; cyber activity and money laundering. As a result, investigators need to be knowledgeable and proficient in all of these areas to take the crimes on otherwise the investigation that will follow will be too narrow and only progress within the comfort zone of the person investigating. Many times the investigator just doesn’t know where to start and so cases get left in the tray. Training is the key and that costs money.

In a crime survey for England and Wales there was an estimated 3,863,000 fraud offences against adults in England and Wales year ending 2019. What is the best way to protect ourselves? Unfortunately, individual greed and/or naivety lies at the root of many frauds that are perpetrated. The old adage that if somethings is too good to be true it probably isn’t, is so true yet so many members of the public don’t take heed and never think they will be scammed. However, nobody is safe from fraud and fraudulent approaches, all the fraudster needs is the key to open your door. Often this key can be obtained through cyber activity and it is more subtle than you would imagine.

The fraudsters gain most of the information they need through phishing activity. Lots of people think they know what ’phishing is’ but if that was true why do so many fall for the scams?

The first stage of the attack is often through the random use of spamming. The cyber-crime world is a flat structure. Spammers are not fraudsters they do their thing and then sell on the product to others on the net. Millions of emails sent out to millions of people. The messages usually carry no threat, no malicious payload such as a virus or trojan, they just want to identify whether your email address is ‘live’ and that you are a potential ‘clicker’, someone who clicks on anything without too much thought. Great, you clicked, you’re on the list.

Once they have been identified your email address as ‘live’ the information will go on to a list that will be shared amongst internet spammers, hackers and fraudsters via password protected websites owned by cyber criminals. They are ready to take things to the next step.

Some cyber criminals will send out emails to your email address which contain malicious code hidden in a link or word document. These virus’ are designed to spider their way onto your machine in order to steal information or turn your machine into a zombie to be used in other cyber-attacks. Others will start to do some homework, some research and try to link your email address to social media activity. LinkedIn is very useful to cyber criminals. They want to see what makes you tick and most importantly what might make you click on a link. Once they have found the key, possibly a hobby or an interest of yours, you will be ready to be ‘spear phished’.

A spear phishing email is an email designed especially for you. It might purport to be from someone you know or about an interest you like. It might be a friend who is organising that golf trip later in the year or it might be an invitation to a special event with your idol. Whatever the email looks like it will be designed to make you click on that link or open up that word document. When you do, the fraud or malicious activity will execute and you will be hooked. In short you are just about to be defrauded. You are just about to send lots of hard earned money to the wrong account, a ‘mule account’.

What should people be looking out for? So, what do you do about it. Well, slow down and think! Does life really work that way? Why should you get that special email? What the hurry? Why the secrecy?

Fraudsters always want you to rush and its always a big secret! A deal that no one else knows about. Emails that urge to you do something urgently and secretly should be ‘red alerts’ to you.

Next, DON’T click on anything until you are sure who the email is from. Take a look at the email address of the sender and once you have taken a look, have three more looks. It might not actually say what you think it says.
Tiny changes to a name, changing the name ‘tommy’ to tomny’ is all that is needed. As a belt and braces, hover your cursor over the email address and see if the email actually resolves to a completely different email address. This is where any reply is really going to.

Lastly, if you are told by anyone that your account and money have been compromised and you need to place your life savings into a safe account DON’T DO IT.

Again, life doesn’t work like that and nor do banks or the police. Seek advice but don’t send that money. If you are reading this and are thinking I would never do that, I beg to differ. On a day when you are all over the place, rushing around and just not thinking straight, that email or phone call will catch you. On the end of that phone or email will be a fraudster so polished and convincing you will do whatever they say. When that day happens, remember this article and stop and think! Take a moment and remember, life doesn’t work this way.

What should the government be doing to prevent this? I don’t want to criticise the police as it is in my blood however, things have got disturbingly bad.

There just aren’t enough resources and nowhere near the right amount of training to cope with the onslaught of fraud activity that hits the UK. For this to happen there needs to be a sea change in the Government’s response and put fraud higher up the agenda.

Fraud isn’t committed by fraudsters and they don’t fit in a box called fraud. They are organised criminals and the money that is made from such activity is used to commit more crime and this includes terrorism.
It is interesting to note that the UK is targeted more than any other country on earth by fraudsters, because of our unique character.

We are in the main, very polite and trusting, especially of people we believe to be professionals, such as solicitors. Even the word commands respect for the typical Brit. All that a fraudster needs to do is raise his or her inclination and tone on the phone when you are hesitating, saying something like, “Don’t you trust me?” and the UK caller will back down and become totally subservient. I have listened to literally thousands of phone calls where it happens just like this.

We just don’t like saying no and we certainly don’t like slamming the phone down. However, on the end of that phone is a master at deception. Possibly with ‘call centre’ experience, they have a silky charm, are very used to talking to members of the public, sound like they know what they are talking about and are very, very persistent.

Take a deep breath and say No. Give yourself time, don’t be rushed or bullied. Put that phone down and DON’T apologise when you do it!