Findlay Brown

Quernmore, a village near Lancaster in Lancashire, is pronounced “KWOR-mər.” The article outlines its Roman industrial origins, later links to a royal forest and local millstone grit, coal and charcoal production, and surviving landmarks including St Peter’s Church, Quernmore Park Hall and Jubilee Tower. It also describes the discovery of a Dark Age burial and notes the decline of village amenities, with a weekly outreach Post Office service now available. The surrounding Forest of Bowland landscape, Clougha Pike and Jubilee Tower are highlighted as attractions for walkers, while Lancaster provides nearby pubs and refreshments.

Residents in Lytham St Annes won £1,000 per valid ticket after postcode FY8 4DD was selected in the Postcode Lottery’s daily draw on August 13. The draw selected 20 winning postcodes, while the lottery says at least 33% of ticket sales supports charitable causes and that players have helped raise more than £1.7 billion for charities and good causes.

Lancashire County Council has put the 5.73-acre former Beacon School site at Holland Park, Skelmersdale, up for sale through a formal tender process. The site includes a former school building and playing fields, which can be purchased separately or as a whole. It has potential for redevelopment subject to planning permission, including possible housing or commercial use, but no planning application has yet been submitted. Formal tenders are being accepted during summer 2026.

Reform UK councillor Ella Worthington defended travelling from Skelmersdale to Clacton to support Nigel Farage during the Essex by-election campaign. After criticism on social media questioned why she was campaigning outside her local area and who funded the trip, Worthington said she used annual leave and paid her own travel costs. She argued the visit was part of supporting the wider Reform UK team and denied that it detracted from her local council work.

A woman in her 80s died after suffering serious injuries when a Lexus LBX crashed into a wall at the entrance to Rufford Old Hall on the A59 Liverpool Road in Rufford. The elderly male driver sustained less serious injuries. Lancashire Police are continuing their investigation and are seeking witnesses or dashcam footage.

Residents holding valid tickets in postcode areas LA1 4QR in Lancaster and OL7 9PH in Ashton-under-Lyne each won £1,000 in the Postcode Lottery’s August 11 daily draw. The lottery selected 20 winning postcodes and says at least 33% of ticket sales supports charities, with players having raised more than £1.7 billion for good causes to date.

Lee Mercer, 45, died at HMP Wymott while serving a four-year-and-seven-month sentence for strangling and assaulting his former partner, threatening to kill her and her children, and criminal damage. The attacks occurred over four days in October 2024 while Mercer had been drinking alcohol and using cocaine. The victim reported lasting psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder and continuing fears for her safety. The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has begun an independent investigation, with a final report due after the inquest.

Residents holding valid tickets in three Greater Manchester postcodes—M28 1FZ in Boothstown, M5 3NQ in Salford, and M9 8JF in Manchester—won £1,000 per ticket in the Postcode Lottery’s daily draw. The lottery selects 20 winning postcodes each day and says at least 33% of ticket sales supports charities and good causes, with more than £1.7 billion raised to date.

Plans by Wain Homes to build 96 homes and a new access road on 4.7 hectares of farmland east of Tears Lane in Newburgh have moved closer to a full planning application. West Lancashire Council ruled that a formal environmental impact statement is not required, although it identified issues including the loss of high-quality agricultural land, flood risk, traffic, biodiversity, heritage assets, noise, lighting and landscape effects. Officers said these impacts could be managed through drainage, landscaping, ecological enhancements and construction controls. The site is in the green belt, outside the settlement boundary, near a conservation area, listed buildings and protected habitats. The screening opinion does not grant planning permission; the full application must still be considered by the council.