TWO major North West cricket leagues are to merge in the year 2000. Officials of the Manchester and District Association and the North West Counties League have agreed plans to amalgamate to form a new league structure of 28 clubs. The merger is somewhat
I am writing an article about Lostock Open Air School 1947 to 1953. If you were a pupil or a member of staff at this time, you may have photos of the Christmas parties or the classrooms, for which I would be willing to pay for copies to be made. Also,
NO doubt many will feel a great sadness at the recent death of Alfred Thompson Denning, Lord Denning, aged 100, England's finest and most considerate judge - a legendary judge indeed, who became involved in the Battle of Birtenshaw Common, which so very
COLWYN Jones, Dental Officer for A.H.A., seems to be possessed of some extra special knowledge about the effects of fluoride, denied to those who have spent years researching its effects upon both mankind, animals, and plant life. His bland assertion
MEMBERS of Smithills Chapel can key into the Internet today - but within minutes of tuning in, several of their pages will be out of date! The official switch-on date coincides with the congregation's annual meeting, which means details of committee members
THE home of one of Bolton's oldest schools may be on its way out, but the memories will always remain. As it faces a new chapter in its history, Pikes Lane Junior School is opening its doors for one last time to past pupils on Saturday. The special day
TEN victims of Golborne's 1979 pit disaster are still remembered - 20 years on. And next week, the tragic anniversary will be a time of reflection and memories in the pit village. Former NUM branch president Eric Foster and Rita Williams are finalising
A SERVICE that has given some of the most needy and isolated people in Greater Manchester a social life for the past three and a half years is facing the axe. The Ticket and Escort Service, which has been used by many people in the Bolton, Bury and Leigh
CELLNET has acquired the mobile telecommunications arm of Warrington-based Martin Dawes. The new owners say they will manage Martin Dawes Telecommunications as a separate business unit retaining the management team and the existing workforce of around
A HORWICH firm engraved the specially decorated crystal flute glasses presented to the Queen during a recent tour of London's theatre scene. The work was carried out by Glastex Manufacturing Ltd of Chorley New Road, whose brand name is Lancashire Crystal
FORMER Wanderers star striker John McGinlay's heroics as a substitute goalkeeper have earned schoolgirl Leah Kemp the chance to meet the Prime Minister. Leah, aged 10, was in the crowd the night John replaced Keith Branagan in the Wanderers goal in that
BOLTON'S top dogs hit the Cruft's trail this week. And the contingent of 12 dogs, six puppies and 15 humans from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Training Centre in Lowndes Street should prove fascinating to the thousands of visitors at the country's most
LEADER of Westhoughton's Liberal Democrats, David Wilkinson, has backed a Tory councillor's claims that Labour councillors are talking about closing schools - but leaving parents in the dark. As reported in the BEN, 10 Bolton primary schools are under
MANY Bolton smokers pledged to try to break the habit during yesterday's National No Smoking Day. A borough-wide smoking cessation programme is set to get underway which will target the thousands of people in Bolton and Wigan addicted to tobacco. Cash
FORT James, sponsors of the Bolton League, are funding a three day school of excellence for talented, young cricketers. It follows last year's successful weekend when 18 promising players underwent specialist training at Rivington and Blackrod High School
I came across her in '83. Did I make a good choice? Will have to wait and see. She looked so immaculate, and so clean.. More to the point "Pristine". Will she do for me, time will tell. In my own mind, I know very well. I signed on the dotted line, and
A BOLTON MP is backing moves to give Romanian mums the best Mother's Day present ever .... a life with their babies. David Crausby is supporting a campaign to help poverty stricken mums forced to abandon their babies in orphanages. He has joined other
WE fervently hope that the local delegation in London today to argue for Bolton to retain its assisted area status is successful. This status has helped to generate more than £50 million worth of private investment in local employment over the last three
BOLTON is set to play a major part in the Manchester Commonwealth Games 2002. Talks are in the final stages for the badminton competition to be held at the new £14.8 million tennis centre which is currently under construction at Middlebrook near the Reebok
IT was with particular interest that I read of the plight of Bolton's Sea Cadets in Monday's edition of the BEN. Our society has already taken up the challenge by working alongside the cadets to raise much needed money. Bolton's award winning Sea Cadets
A FORMER Bolton nurse has been appointed second in command of the new NHS Direct, 24-hour health helpline. Kathy Agrebi joins the service from her former post as Operations Manager of the BUPA 24-hour helpline - HealthLine. Kathy has been appointed assistant
MEMBERS of a Bolton rugby team say their playing fields are in such a bad condition that they are more suitable for motor cycle scrambling than rugger. Mr John Gould, vice-captain of the Bolton Institute of Technology first XV, said today that the team's
POCKET Central are 12 professional musicians who all love good music. They met in the early 90s at college in Manchester where they were all studying music. And as students, under the guidance of Heaton based Neil Fairclough, the lads put together a big
I REFER to the story regarding the use of council property in Harwood for a base for disadvantaged children. A statement is attributed to Cllr Prentice Howarth, accusing the Tory councillors of ...... mischief-making ....." and " ...... stirring up opposition
A MULTI-million pound vision to transform the East side of Bury is becoming a reality. A preliminary consultative conference attracted more than 100 representatives from community and statutory groups, as well as housing, tenants' and residents' associations
A MULTI-million pound vision to transform the East side of Bury is becoming a reality. A preliminary consultative conference attracted more than 100 representatives from community and statutory groups, as well as housing, tenants' and residents' associations
RACISM is rising across Europe, indeed Britain. Politicians eager for a cheap soundbite, and tabloids desperate for scare stories and moral panics, are helping this cancer to spread. Strict new laws are now in place denying refugees benefit payments -
THEATRE, MUSIC AND DANCE NEW Rosemere AOS present Gilbert and Sullivan's Trial By Jury and HMS Pinafore, Albert Halls, 7.30pm. Tickets £8 and £6 for concessions, tel: Patricia Killeen on 522048. BOLTON Autumn Choir require male and female members for
I FAIL to see why the three Kearsley councillors find it necessary to comment on a meeting held by the Kearsley Environmental Action Group which they did not attend (BEN, March 2). It was not a public meeting in the formal sense. I, too, was not at that
I AM a 72-year-old widow. I have all my own teeth and visit my dentist regularly and he tells me that my teeth are in very good condition and there is no reason why they shouldn't last me till the end of my days. The thing is, I hardly ever use toothpaste
A BOLTON organisation is looking for local folk who need a helping hand. And Bolton Round Table members aim to provide one - so long as people genuinely need help, and it doesn't cost a fortune. To highlight Round Table Day on Saturday, March 20, the
failed my son IT's heartening to know that something at long last is being done about the standard of literacy of our Bolton children, but it really annoys me that no one is prepared to look at the needs of our older children who are already at senior
A WORLD record breaking car, which was made in Bolton, is being brought back to life 70 years on - to help raise cash for Bolton Hospice. Motor enthusiasts are constructing a replica of the MEB three-wheeled car. And the part-built replica will be the
TWO 'likely lads' from Bolton were the stars of TV's travel show Doors To Manual last night. Best mates Dave Barker and Nick Ashworth, were flown to the 24-hour party city of Madrid by the show's makers to enjoy what was billed as an "adventurous" itinerary
IT IS difficult to believe that the reported comments of Beryl Bainbridge about regional accents, were made by somebody so involved with the English language. Languages are living, fluid entities, in a constant process of change. Every major European
ANGRY residents and shopkeepers today backed a judge who highlighted the vulnerability of Little Lever post office. They slammed it as being "unsafe" and nothing more than "a dark back alley". Some say they prefer to travel into Bolton town centre than
COUNCILLOR John Walsh says that a £2 charge on food outlets is too much to safeguard our health and unfair on food outlets. Well, I think it is more unfair that every family in Bolton is being asked to pay over £150 a year to clean up the BSE chaos. This
I AM writing this to let all your readers know about the TICKET & ESCORT service. This is quite the most wonderful discovery of my life since retirement. For £10 per year they will arrange to book me a seat, for which I pay the normal price, and provide
A BOLTON father fighting to see his snatched son is making a last desperate appeal. Ian Lomax, has to raise £6,500 to pay for a lawyer after his son Christopher was kidnapped by his Greek wife nearly 2,000 miles from their Alder Street home in Great Lever
EDUCATION chiefs in Bolton are confident for the future following publication of the latest education Performance Indicators covering 1997/98. Exam results are improving, Bolton has more children under five in school and adults are going back to school
THE Millennium Jobs Challenge aims to find at least 365 jobs until 2000. The BEN, the Employment Service, Bolton and Bury Chamber, Lifetime Careers and Bolton Metro have joined forces to reach this JOB A DAY target. It's a crusade to get Bolton people
RADCLIFFE Boro travel to Ashton United in the Unifilla First Division Cup semi final first leg tonight. The game should have been played at Stainton Park on Tuesday but the pitch was waterlogged and the first leg will now be played away. Boro manager
A LOSTOCK company has landed a £120,000 contract to supply custody gates and windows for a prison extension in the Bahamas. Cell Security Ltd developed a design using United Kingdom standards modified for tropical situations after being invited to do
WHEN most people relied on public transport to get about, town centres could depend on local people to do their shopping locally. Nowadays, when most families own a car, and with the upsurge of out of town shopping malls, it's a very different story.
BOLTON hospital bosses are continuing to press for more Government money to boost the accident and emergency unit. Last month Bolton Hospitals Trust failed to get any money from the NHS Modernisation Fund to extend A and E at the Royal Bolton Hospital
IT'S certainly ironic that on the day that Judge Gillian Ruaux, presiding over an armed robbery case, highlights the vulnerability of Little Lever Post Office, a further raid occurs there. Residents and local shopkeepers are bound to be very concerned
GOOD CHOICE? I came across her in '83. Did I make a good choice? Will have to wait and see. She looked so immaculate, and so clean.. More to the point "Pristine". Will she do for me, time will tell. In my own mind, I know very well. I signed on the dotted
ARSONISTS dumping and then torching cars at secluded beauty spots in the Rivington area are warned they will be spotted. North West Water, which owns most of the land around Rivington, is so concerned about the burgeoning problem it is staging a crackdown
WANDERERS fans will be outnumbered 20 to one at their Stadium of Light showdown with Sunderland. The Wearsiders have refused to increase their ticket allocation for the March 20 clash, leaving thousands of the most loyal and dedicated Bolton followers
BOLTON Council is to tell the Government that new guidelines have strengthened its case against a huge opencast mining plan. Local MPs and campaigners are calling for the re-opening of the inquiry into mining at Cutacre Tip after new tough Government
