Wayne Rooney, football legend and former Manchester United player, has become the latest famous face to visit Partridge Lakes in Culcheth, proving once again that our village can quietly out-celebrity half of Cheshire when it feels like it.
On Thursday, Rooney popped into the fishery shop to buy a ticket before heading out to fish on Ribbon Lake. No entourage nonsense, no dramatic arrival, just a man after a peg and presumably a bit of peace. Frankly, good on him.
Partridge Lakes is not exactly a puddle with ambitions. It is a 70-acre fishery with 394 pegs across 15 waters, and it has become one of those local places that people from outside Warrington suddenly discover and then behave as though they found Narnia.
Staff were understandably surprised when Rooney walked in, especially Barbara, the fishery owner, and Neil, the fishery bailiff. Both are lifelong Manchester United fans, which must have made the moment feel less like a normal Thursday and more like the football gods had popped in for bait.
Barbara used to watch Rooney play every week, while Neil even has Manchester United memorabilia in his office. So yes, there may have been a little internal screaming, but by all accounts everyone held it together with admirable Culcheth composure.
Staff told the Warrington Guardian that Rooney was a 'really genuine guy', describing him as down to earth, kind and chatty. He used the facilities, bought from the cafe, and chatted with staff. Basically, he behaved like a normal customer, which in celebrity terms practically qualifies as a public service.
The original article also notes it came through an exclusive subscriber partnership with sister title USA Today and does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. A rather grand bit of transatlantic paperwork for the news that Wayne Rooney went fishing in Culcheth, but there we are.
Rooney now joins a growing list of celebrities who have visited Partridge Lakes, including Phil Foden, Ricky Hatton and Max George. Not bad for a local fishery, really. Some places get blue plaques, Culcheth gets Premier League players quietly eyeing up the Ribbon Lake.
The positive here is obvious: Partridge Lakes is getting the attention it deserves, and it is lovely to see well-known names enjoying a proper local business without fuss. The slight grumble, because this is still Warrington and we are allowed one, is that it takes a celebrity visit for some people to notice what has been sitting right here all along.