THURSDAY, 3rd FEBRUARY, 2011.

Pecks picks up award

Postcode lottery fear Readers'ViewsPages22-25& 51 Page 18

Page 56

What’s on... What’s gone...

Pages 19-21

MP's late mail battle

Page 7

Egypt turmoil witnessed by ex-councillorByChrisYoung

As Egypt stands on the verge of a revolution, a former town councillor has spoken exclusively to the “Chronicle” from her flat in Luxor to give a first hand account of Middle East history unfolding.

Jeanne Whitehurst moved from Congleton in November to spend her retirement in Egypt.

But in the past two weeks she has witnessed anti government riots and felt the effects of internet blackouts as President Hosni Mubarak attempts to cling on to power.

For a chance to win tickets to this year’s Ideal Home Show (11th-27th March at Earls Court, London) see next week’s “Chronicle”.

(Submitted photograph).

Yesterday (Wednesday) the “Chronicle” managed to contact her in Egypt by phone, as Mubarak supporters clashed with anti-government protestors in Cairo.

She said: “Luxor isn’t so bad but you have to be aware of where and when the demonstrations are.

The first few demonstrations were pretty horrific; there was a lot of vandalism. In Cairo I have heard it is a lot more drastic. I have friends there and they have to stick to curfews.”

She added: “I am alright, I haven’t felt threatened when I am out, but my landlady carries a knife with her whenever she goes out.

“I have been out on evenings, but you see people who have been hit with tear gas, so I realised it was probably better I stay in. Shortly after the protests began last weekend, Miss Whitehurst found that communications links were being cut. She said: “We had no warning whatsoever, everything just went down. I was going out into the streets to find out about what was going on. I think people had been calling for demonstrations of Facebook so the government just cut it out. We lost Facebook, then the internet, then phones.

• —Turn to page 28.

Dog loving duo are calling it a day at their sanctuary

Dog days are over: June and Sam Clowes will be spoiling their Jack Russell Ricky (pictured) and Border Collie Jill when they retire from running Stiles Meadow Dog Sanctuary this spring. Mr Clowes has been at Stiles Meadow for 30 years and the couple will be taking a well-earned rest once they rehouse the remaining dogs. For the story turn to page 5. (“Chronicle” photo. 520c/11).

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Anger mounts over six phone masts proposals

There have been angry reactions to more large phone masts earmarked for sites around Congleton, including one near a children’s play area.

Last week’s announcements take the number of masts proposed by WFS Telecommunications in the past month to six.

A town councillor claimed the company was adopting a “blunderbuss approach” while someone living near a possible site called the plans “ludicrous”.

councillors and households closest to the site, with some listing the areas in question as being located in “Congleton, Lancashire.”

WFS says the sites were chosen because they “strike the balance between operation requirements, all relevant planning policy and the minimisation of any visual/ environmental impact.”

Once the public consultation processes end, the company will have to submit planning applications to Cheshire East Council.

New mast proposals include one at Bromley Farm Community Park, another at the junction of Boundary Lane and Biddulph Road, one at the Berisfords factory site on Thomas Street and one at the Corner of Box Lane and Sandbach Road, near Congleton High School.

The “Chronicle” has previously reported on proposals for a phone mast at the corner of Congleton Cricket Club and one on Rood Hill.

But people living near the six sites have reacted angrily to the proposals, criticising both the location of the masts and WFS’s consultation process.

Kate Potts, who lives on Booth Street opposite the cricket club, said she had received no details of plans for the 52-foot mast, only finding out about them when she read the “Chronicle’s” story on 17th January.

Letters have been sent out to local • —Turn to back page.

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