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BABY BORN IN PASSENGER SEAT
A Standish mother gave birth in the passenger seat without telling her husband as he drove her to Billinge hospital.
35 year-old Pauline Towers did not admit to her husband John that the baby had arrived because she did not want him to panic and crash. John managed to avoid veering off the road, despite his wife giving birth as they sped along to Billinge Hospital.
Pauline told how she was so focused on her breathing exercises that she did not let on, even when the baby's head appeared somewhere near Orrell.
Now fully recovered from the dramatic delivery, Pauline says she had no time to tell hubby what was going on. She said, "We'd only been in the car about ten minutes when I could feel her starting to come through the birth canal. I didn't fight the contractions, and about a minute later, the head popped out. I held her head in my hands and looked at John, but I didn't say anything- I wanted him to concentrate on driving. If I had said something, he would have probably pulled over and I just wanted to get to the hospital. I was completely focused on giving birth. Then the baby came out and I just caught her. I just said to him "The baby's been born." And he said, "Oh my God!" so I told him to calm down."
Five minutes later John's Rover 214 pulled up outside Billinge hospital, where the couple told disbelieving medics what had happened.
The drama started on November 7th when she went into labour in the early hours. The couple called on Pauline's mother to look after their four-year-old son, Daniel, and then set off to hospital. Pauline was in the passenger seat, kneeling down and holding on to the head rest and 15 minutes later a 7lbs 4oz healthy baby made a dramatic entrance. She said that there was a brief moment of panic after the birth when she thought the umbilical cord had hooked itself around the baby's neck, but when it let out it's first scream she knew it was fine.
In the gloom of the car, she couldn't even tell what sex the baby was, but at the hospital, staff were delighted to inform her she was the proud mother of a baby girl, who has been named Jasmine Rose.
Pauline added, "It was all over so quickly that I didn't have time to think. One minute I was in bed, the next I was giving birth in the car. Doctors told me that your second baby is often quicker than the first, but I didn't expect it to be that quick!"
PROBE INTO DAY AT THE RACES
Two Wigan Metro officials have been suspended following allegations surrounding a corporate hospitality trip paid for by
a company bidding for a council contract.
An investigation has been launched by the council into allegations that the two men, who both work for the
borough engineer's department, went on a day trip to the races courtesy of an Astley-based firm of contractors.
It is thought that the investigation will also cover
expense claims submitted by the two men following the trip. Niether the two men involved nor the contractors have been named by the council.
Peter Taylor, Wigan Metro's
deputy borough engineer, confirmed that an investigation had been launched. He said, "Two employees of the borough engineer's department are currently suspended on full pay,
pending a full investigation. No details will be released until a full investigation has been completed, but it should be noted that suspension is a neutral act that does
not imply guilt or innocence-it allows investigations to proceed without preconceptions."
Mr Taylor added, "If disciplinary action is warranted, then matters will proceed
to a disciplinary hearing."
The contractors involved in the allegations said they did not want to comment on the matter.
CHILD SHAMES POPPY THIEF
Ten year-old Caroline Harrison has donated months of her savings to the Royal British Legion after hearing that thieves had stolen a poppy appeal collection box.Caroline felt so sorry for the war veterans who would have lost out she handed over her collection of loose change, totalling around £12.
Members of the British Legion in Standish were so touched by the Shevington Vale Primary School pupil's generosity they awarded her a special certificate.
The youngster, from Back Lane, read in the Wigan Evening Post two weeks ago about thieves who stole a poppy collection box from a fish and chip shop on Church Street in Standish. Her mother Catherine said, "She said to me 'isn't that awful' and told me that she was going to give her savings to the appeal."
Instead of travelling to the fish and chip shop in Standish, Caroline went to her local newsagent's, Spendlove's on Woodnook Road, and emptied the coppers into the collection box.
Proud mother Catherine said, "That's just Caroline, she's naturally generous and kind. Her Grandfather and Great Grandfather were in the second world war and she knows all about the history of it. Every year since she was small, she has given money to the Poppy Appeal. She had been collecting the money in her vanity case forever. I don't know what she was going to buy with it."
Bill Spendlove, the newsagent, gave Caroline a goody-bag of sweets as a reward and the Royal British Legion held a presentation and handed her a box of chocolates. Poppy Appeal Organiser for Standish, George Richards said the whole organisation was delighted to hear about Caroline's donation.
DYING MAN TURNED AWAY FROM HOSPICE (BECAUSE IT WAS SATURDAY)
A dying man was refused admission to Wigan and Leigh Hospice to "die with dignity" - because it was Saturday.Graham Mitchell, 53,
of St Mark's Avenue, Newtown, was coming to the end of a 12 month battle against pancreatic cancer when his family tried to get him admitted to the hospice.
He had already spent a week at the hospice earlier
in the year when staff had been able to control his agonising pain. But when doctors at Wigan Infirmary telephoned the hospice to get Graham re-admitted on November 6th they were told that patients were only
accepted between Mondays and Fridays.
Now his brother Ken Mitchell, of Bowness Place Higher Ince, has called for a change in policy to allow cancer patients to be treated by experts
when they most need them. Ken said, "On the day before he died, Graham was in absolute agony from 6am. An ambulance was called and he was taken into hospital at just after 3pm. His wife Linda rang us at 4.15pm
to say he was in agony. When we arrived he was almost screaming with pain, even though he had been given a dangerously high level of morphine.
"The doctor phoned the hospice but was told they only take people
Monday to Friday and the hospital arranged for him to have a side room on one of the wards. Staff had to take instructions from the hospice. They managed to sedate him on Sunday morning but he died just after 11am.
He was literally screaming with pain. I just feel that the expertise the hospice has in dealing with terminally ill patients could have made all the difference."
A spokesman for Wigan
and Leigh Hospice admitted that patients are not admitted at weekends because of limited resources. He said, "We are concerned and sorry that Mr Mitchell feels that the hospice did not meet his expectations
in the care of his brother. We try to provide the best possible care within the scope of our limited resources. It is therefore essential that we work within our established policies. At the present time we are unable
to offer an 'emergency response' and see our role as complimentary to the primary care and hospital services. Although urgent transfer to the hospice was not possible, advise was provided to the hospital team
involved."
DETONATORS STOLEN FROM CAR
Police in Wigan are appealing for help in finding a haul of railway detonators which were taken from a stolen car abandoned in Worsley Mesnes.
The car, a Vauxhall
Belmont, belonging to a railway employee, was stolen from the Gidlow area of Wigan last Thursday November 18th and recovered the following night at about 8.30pm in Snowden Avenue, Worsley Mesnes.
Twelve detonators,
described as being about the size of a watch face, were found to be missing from the car.
The detonators are used by railway staff as a warning device. They are easy to detonate and could cause minor injuries if
set off.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester police said; "There are obviously potential dangers involved if these detonators are exploded and we are appealing for anyone who knows of their whereabouts to to
contact the relevant services for them to be collected."
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