GENEROSITY was the watchword in October as the month started with more than 150 riders setting off from Chester on Sunday in support of men’s health charities.

The riders joined more than 100,000 people taking part in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) around the world to raise more than £4 million.

And Chester Racecourse became a blanket of colour when more than 1,300 people took part in the Hospice of the Good Shepherd’s Foamtatstic Colourblast.

The following week more than 5,000 runners took park in the ninth MBNA Chester Marathon and Metric Marathon. Thousands of spectators watched the runners pass through Chester city centre and parts of North Wales on a particularly chilly October day.

First place winner Mohammed Abu-Rezeq of Altrincham & District AC

We were also thrilled to report how Chester Market had been transformed into a hub for foodies. It was in October that the market started late night opening to bring flavours of the world, such as pizza, and Thai and Caribbean cuisie, to Chester.

We reported on more unsavoury matters during the month, including the story who was so peed off with revellers urinating outside his home on Chester’s historic Rows that he’s started photographing them.

And, in Lache, we heard from owner of an animal sanctuary Archie Clive, 77, who said it was “beyond a joke” how many times the site had been hit by thieves taking generators and tools during the month on October.

The shock of the month was that long-awaited plans for the new £2.4 million neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital were derailed by a single resident’s objection.

Finally, there were a few raised eyebrows when we reported that Cheshire West and Chester residents are officially served by the best council in the UK.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) won two awards at the Association of Public Service Excellence Awards 2018 (APSE), including the prestigious Overall Council of the Year Award.