Thursday 22nd January 2026

Thursday 22nd January 2026 – Guardian Review

Rugby countdown, late trains, a village choir and a darts superstar’s birthday

Deputy Editor of the Warrington & Knutsford Guardian, Gareth Dunning, joins Paul Smith on Mix 56 for this week’s look at what’s making headlines across our area.

Wolves ready for Super League kick-off

Plenty for rugby league fans to get excited about as Warrington Wolves gear up for the new Super League season. There’s a friendly next week, the Challenge Cup a couple of weeks after, and then it all starts for real on 13th February with a huge opener against local rivals St Helens.

Coach Sam Burgess is into his second year in charge and has been chatting about his ambitions, how the squad is developing and why last season’s poor finish might actually help them this time around. There’s also speculation about his England future – could he be the next national coach?

Bank Quay station under fire

From the pitch to the platforms – Warrington Bank Quay has not covered itself in glory in the latest punctuality and reliability rankings. The figures cover all operators using the station, including Avanti West Coast, Northern and Transport for Wales.

Many of the worst-performing stations are here in the North West, with Warrington Central and Birchwood also struggling. With talk of new high-speed lines for the region, these numbers underline just how much improvement is needed on train times and service quality.

Appleton Thorn choir seeks new leader

Over to Appleton Thorn now, where a thriving community choir is on the lookout for a new musical director. The group has gone from strength to strength in recent years, but their current MD stepped down at Christmas so they’re searching for someone new to take up the baton.

If you can guide a friendly, enthusiastic group of singers, details are on the Guardian website. Choirs like this are brilliant for social connection and wellbeing, and Appleton Thorn is a fantastic village with plenty going on.

Could Lymm be a Town of Culture?

Lymm could soon be bidding to become a Town of Culture under a new government scheme starting in 2028. A meeting next week will decide whether to formally go for the title. (You can find out the details on our noticeboard).

Some might worry about losing the “village” tag, but the status wouldn’t change Lymm’s legal standing. With events like the festival at The Cross, Historic Transport Day, May Queen and Dickensian celebrations, it already punches well above its weight culturally – this would be a chance to shout about it to the whole country.

Happy 19th to Luke Littler

And finally, a birthday shoutout that’s hard to ignore – Warrington’s own darts sensation Luke Littler turns 19 and has added the Saudi Arabia title to his growing collection. After his world championship heroics, he’s finally grabbed a few days off to celebrate in Dubai with family and friends.

It won’t last long though – he’s straight back into Premier League action every Thursday night through until May. Not a bad way to spend your final year as a teenager.

That’s it for this week’s Warrington & Knutsford Guardian Review on Mix 56 – Gareth will be back with Paul at the same time next Thursday.