Crowds flock to canalside café as dogs and runners spark bumper turnout
A lockside café hit by the collapse of a canal has enjoyed a huge shot in the arm as it fights off the threat of closure.
The Lockside Café at Grindley Brook, near Whitchurch, said the combination of a running club event the café helped to save and a massively popular dog show saw more than 250 people visit the site on May 10.
Jane Beaumont, who runs the café with her daughter Rachel and son Chris, said she was delighted by the success of the day.
“It was wonderful to see so many people here and for the café to be right at the heart of community life again.
“We had hundreds of runners for Helsby Running Club’s annual Sandstone Trail event, which started from the café this year with Whitchurch mayor Councillor Rose Hall joining us to get the event under way.
“The ultramarathon event was under threat after the breach on the Llangollen Canal blocked its route, but we offered to host the start of the race and helped make sure it went ahead as normal this year.
“The runners had to complete a 32-mile course to Frodsham through ancient woodland, open ridgelines and across the Cheshire plain, with the winner completing the course in just four hours.
“Shortly after that, we had our own fun dog show which brought people in from far and wide and was a really fantastic success.
“I’d like to say a special thank you to staff from The Market Town Vet, who very kindly gave up their time to come and judge the dogs. Paul and Kitty Flaherty, their children Doris, Enid and Austin, head nurse Tom and senior nurse Beth were an amazing help – as was Basil the bassett.
“The winner was an 11-year-old dog called Boss who stole all our hearts. He was picked up as a stray nine years ago and has had a number of health issues including the removal of his spleen and a liver tumour but remains a very happy boy and keeps bouncing back.
“We had the best day of the year so far and it has put a real spring in everyone’s step. We’re now counting down the days to Whitchurch Food Festival this weekend and hope the weather is just as kind as it was on Sunday.”
A spokesman for Helsby Running Club said: "The local community has truly saved this event, and the support we received has been nothing short of incredible.
"Huge thanks go to Lockside Café and the various local groups who stepped up to ensure this decades-long tradition could continue. It is a privilege to support the local businesses that make this region so special."
The café’s future was itself thrown into doubt when the Llangollen Canal collapsed at Whitchurch just before Christmas, wiping out the majority of its passing trade overnight. The canal is expected to remain closed for much of the year.
Jane said it was bouncing back thanks to the support of all the community and a calendar of special events planned throughout the year.
“Days like Sunday make everything we have gone through worthwhile and underline our commitment to keeping the café open in spite of the canal collapse. The support we have received from so many people has been nothing short of remarkable.”
The Lockside Café sits alongside the A41 just outside Whitchurch and is open daily from 9am to 3pm.
