Council agree to Deepdale buy back to club and fans delight Preston North End were celebrating almost certain promotion - from council tenants to home owners - after a surprise Town Hall thumbs up for their bid to buy back Deepdale. The ruling Labour group voted unanimously to approve the sale in principle, subject to an independent valuation of the soccer ground. And, after hearing the verdict, delighted boss John Beck said: “That’s the best news this football club - and this town for that matter - has had for a long time. “We can go places now. Not owning the ground was the only thing stopping this place taking off.” The council’s 22-member Labour group listened to a passionate plea from fans before deciding to support the sale on a long lease. Officials of the Independent Supporters Association urged members to back the plan saying the club’s existence could be in doubt if it was thrown out. “We told them they were not just making a decision about whether to sell the ground back, but whether the football club would ultimately stay in business or shut down,” said secretary John Lee. “It came as something of a surprise.” Weather warnings and traffic jams for Bank Holiday trippers Bank Holiday trippers were today facing a nightmare weekend with rain, gales, high winds and even snow forecast for Lancashire. And as if that wasn’t enough motorists are also likely to hit the misery of traffic jams as they head to and from the coast, fun parks like Camelot, near Chorley, or the Lake District. The M6 between junction 32, Broughton, near Preston, and 33 is down to two lanes each way because of roadworks. The only respite has been the removal of cones at the junction of the M6 and M55. Forecasters at Manchester Weather Centre put out a weather warning and said there was more of the same to come. Elsewhere, gales lashed the country and storm-force winds of up to 75mph were recorded - and the advice was to stay indoors. A severe weather warning was issued for the south of England and two people were killed in Scotland and near Carlisle. A spokesman for the Manchester Weather Centre said: “There are more strong winds and showers to come.” Motorway police reported a typical Bank Holiday weekend with some tailbacks. A spokesman said: “We advise motorists to take care, especially drivers of high-sided vehicles.” Why teddies are a man’s best friend Boys who snuggle up to a teddy bear grow up to be much more confident men, according to experts. Psychologists say Lancashire lads who were inseparable from their teds turn into much more secure grown-ups and are less likely to suffer from depression. Lancashire teddy specialist Mrs Irene Thompson, at the Toy & Teddy Bear Museum in St Annes, agrees. She said: “It can only be good to have something to love, it is part of being a well-balanced human being.” The bear facts came to light on BBC Radio 4’s Families and How to Survive Them programme where Dr Robin Skynner said devotion to teddies helps make children grow into healthy adults. He added: “Teddy bears give us our confidence, make us feel better.” A message from the Editorial Director, Gillian Parkinson: Thank you for reading this story on our website. But I also have an urgent plea to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy when you pop out for your essential shop or subscribing for delivery. Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves. As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: "Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role." But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days. We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: You can subscribe for delivery by contacting us at subscriptions@jpimedia.co.uk or calling us on 0330 4033004 for details of a participating newsagent near you.