FUN DOG SHOW AT THE RSPCA

ON September 26 there will be a FUN DOG SHOW at the RSPCA Animal Shelter, New Cut Lane, Birkdale starting at 12.00. This will be a fun packed day for all the family.

The West Lancs Dog Display Team will give one of their ever popular displays of dog agility and training. The Fun Dog Show will have 12 classes - best eyes, best six legs, best pup, best veteran and the most handsome dog etc etc. There will be prizes and rosettes to be won in each class and each winner will be entered into the "Best In Show" Class.

The entry fee to the Fun Dog Show is £1.00 for the first class and 50p for each of the other classes entered. There is no need to register for the competitions ahead of time - just turn up on the day. Registration for the Competitions will start at 12.00 noon, the dog Display Team will perform at approximately 1.00pm and the competitions will start at approximately 1.45pm.

'Heavy handed' Housing Law faces changes

PROPOSED new laws which threaten to force rents up and reduce the amount of rented property available may be revised after sustained pressure from the Residential Landlords Association.

The organisation, whose members are responsible for 80,000 properties nationwide, has persuaded a number of peers to table more than 20 amendments to the Housing Bill in the House of Lords next week.

The amendments follow meetings with Conservative housing spokesmen Baroness Hanham, Lord Hanningfield and Liberal Democrat Baroness Maddock along with senior officials at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Parts of the bill are criticised for setting unreasonable 'gold plated' standards, introducing draconian fines of up to £20,000 and threatening to engulf the private rented sector in bureaucracy.

RLA director Mark Butterworth said:- "We support the Government in wanting to stamp out rogue landlords. 

But it is important the problem is kept in its context and that everyone is not overburdened with regulations and the imposition of huge costs which will only drive rents up.

Many parents now invest in properties in student areas for their children. They would be surprised to discover that it could cost them up to £10,000 to make changes required to obtain a licence and a £20,000 fine for 'overcrowding' it by providing a double bed for a tenant enabling a guest to stay.

Clauses like this are heavy handed, and wrongly so. With this in mind, we are extremely pleased our amendments are to be tabled. 

We hope they produce an improved Housing Bill, which benefits landlords and tenants."

Coronation Street's Star's stop for tea!

BRUCE JONES and Wendi Peters, who play Les Battersby and Cilla Brown in the ITV soap Coronation Street, are encouraging as many people as possible to put the kettle on as part of Motability's 'Everything Stops For Tea' fundraising campaign.

The Coronation Street duo are two of many people throughout England who have contributed their time to Motability, a national charity that specialises in helping disabled people become more independently mobile. The campaign ran from late August till yesterday, and actors urged everyone to hold a tea party, inviting guests to attend and make a donation to the charity.

Last year's event, launched by Her Majesty The Queen, was the first to see people all over England putting the kettle on in the name of charity, raising crucial funds to benefit not only disabled drivers, but disabled passengers and their families.

In support of the event, actor Bruce Jones commented:- "We are delighted to launch Motability's Tea Party Week and we hope people up and down the country will enjoy a cuppa, and help transform the lives of many disabled people."

Today around 400,000 individuals benefit from the Motability Scheme, but the charity relies heavily upon the money raised through fundraising events to provide additional financial assistance to customers who would be unable to afford the type of car and any adaptations that they need. 

To help make the parties all the easier to arrange, Motability has put together a free pack, which provides organisers with invitations, cake recipes, a quiz and a guide to making your party a success. 

As an added incentive, the hosts, hostesses and guests of this year's parties will all be placed in a prize draw to win £1,000. Not a bad incentive to dig out the best china and spend a civilised afternoon playing to a great British tradition - drinking tea.

If you are interested in holding a tea party, or would like to know more about Motability, please visit www.motability.co.uk or contact Carolyn Benham on 01279 632258 for more information.