Faster train on Pennine line: The week that was August 1 to 7, 2003

A consortium of British-based transport giant First-Group and France’s largest private transport operator Keolis was confirmed as the preferred bidder for the new Trans-Pennine franchise.

The consortium, which was
 to run the franchise from early
2004, immediately unveiled
plans for a new timetable, faster trains and renovations of all 30 stations to be managed under the deal.

The key services currently run by Arriva Trains Northern and First North Western, included busy routes to major cities including Leeds, York, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.

A husband-and-wife research team in Yorkshire had reached a scientific breakthrough in pinpointing a gene which greatly increased the risk of skin cancer.

In a newly published study, Professor Tim Bishop and Dr Julia Newton-Bishop, based at Cancer Research UK’s clinical centre at St James’s Hospital in Leeds, and working with other scientists worldwide, described how those born with a faulty version of the newly discovered gene were much more likely to suffer malignant melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer, and the most common in the UK. The disease killed 1,600 people a year in this country.

The discovery would provide an insight into the disease’s development and help doctors in future to identify, monitor and treat it, as well as advising those at increased risk.

Up to 30,000 hunt supporters were set to flout the law and continue hunting if their sport was banned, the Government was warned this week. Nearly 3,000 had already pledged to take part in illegal hunts, risking fines or jail in defence of their way of life. Thousands more were expected to follow.

The warning came as crowds of hunt supporters gathered at Harewood House, near Leeds, 
for the first day of the annual Game Fair, the leading national event
for field sports organised by the Country Land and Business Association.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott spoke for the first time of his relief that his wife Pauline’s 40-year-old secret of having had to give up a baby born when she was a teenager was now out in the open.

He also described his wife’s joy at being reunited with the son she had never forgotten, and how the Prescott family felt “more complete and stronger” now that they had welcomed Paul Watton into their lives.

Mr Prescott said Paul was now a regular visitor to their home and a firm friendship had developed between himself and his stepson – despite Mr Watton being a Conservative and a supporter of fox hunting.

Mr Watton, 47, lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Military Police, had said he had no idea that his birth mother was famous until he was contacted by a newspaper. He was reportedly “overwhelmed” at being reunited with the mother he had always yearned to meet.

Nearly half of couples getting married in 2003 paid for their own wedding, spending an average of £14,000 on the big day.

According to research carried out by Abbey National, around 49 per cent paid for their own wedding, while a similar number said “the bride’s father” paid the bill. Nearly four in 10 couples were engaged for 18 months before the wedding, and for 11 per cent the engagement lasted five or more years.