I WOULD like to say a big thank you to all the staff and pupils of Lever Edge Lane Primary School for a most enjoyable evening watching their show, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The hard work that must have gone into the show to make it
The Market Place fountain: A shoppers' favourite I AM absolutely aghast! To remove the fountain from the Market Place will rob it of its most attractive feature. Henceforth it will be just another shopping mall. Why do we want another coffee shop? The
I AM compiling a book about working life on Britain's railways. I would like to hear from former rail workers, male and female, with stories, memories or anecdotes about the "good old days". The book is intended to be a tribute to all those men and women
I recently missed an NHS Podiatry appointment -- an action condemned by B W Tyas Cooper in "Your Views" recently. This was not because I forgot my appointment, or could not be bothered to turn up, but because a scheduled bus which would have got me there
GEOFF Hurst's goal in the 1966 World Cup and the commentator's well-known assessment, "They think it's all over, it is now", was always destined to be the outcome of England's bid to stage the next tournament. More so after the invading lunatic fringe
I WAS saddened by your recent correspondent, Ian Gerrard, who questioned my attendance at the recent residents' meeting on Johnson Fold called to discuss the proposals that McDonald's erect a "drive-thru" restaurant on the site of the former Jolly Miller
CHORLEY MP Lindsay Hoyle has backed 'Operation Nevada' -- Lancashire Police's inquiry into sex abuse allegations throughout the county. Mr Hoyle said he hoped the inquiry would not find evidence of abuse of local children, but thought the investigation
MANAGER Sam Allardyce has revealed why Dean Holdsworth hasn't made the Danish trip. "Dean broke his toe in the last game of the season at Ipswich," explained Allardyce. "It was one of those injuries we thought would have healed up by now but it hasn't
WANDERERS' players who are fans of Oasis are sick as parrots -- because they will be on the other side of Europe when the band take to the stage. The soccer stars left for Denmark earlier this week to begin a pre-season tour, designed to get them in tip-top
IAN Woan is a man on a mission when Bolton embark on the second leg of their Danish pre-season tour tomorrow afternoon. The Nottingham Forest star is desperate to impress Wanderers chief Sam Allardyce in the hope of securing a permanent contract. Woan
Nicholas Rimmer: Amazing talent LIGHT and dark musical moods predominated throughout this concert programme. But both provided this teenager with the opportunity to showcase his amazing talent. The 18-year-old Standish organist, who is bound for Cambridge
Leland Chen: Rapport with audience NOT all brilliant musicians are accomplished performers. Violinist Leland Chen is. Last night he displayed a rapport with his audience which was appreciated by everyone in the Albert Halls. Not that there were very many
A MAN from Bolton was due to appear before magistrates at Rochdale today charged with attempted murder. Peter Derbyshire, aged 37, of Claremount Court, Halliwell, was charged by police after an attack on a 74-year-old pensioner in Park Road, Middleton
EX-Greater Manchester fire officer George David Heyes has appearad at Rochdale magistrates before committal to the Crown Court on allegations of rape and indecent assault. The 43-year-old former acting divisional officer at Swinton is charged with two
IT was busniess as usual when barber Dean Cocozza opened his new shop in Deansgate, Bolton, on Monday. First customer arrived shortly after 6.30am and a steady stream after that. For Dean the early start was nothing new -- he's been doing it for years
COLLEGE students have been brushing up their painting skills to add a splash of colour to a children's ward at the Royal Bolton Hospital. Bolton Sixth Form College students joined forces with local artist Howard Fisher to produce a mural screen to decorate
IF anybody has been on a desert island since last November, they might be forgiven for thinking that nothing much has happened in the technology sector over the last eight months. For example, Freeserve is now at around the 320p level, as it was at the
THE groundsman of Walshaw Cricket Club collapsed and died on the field he looked after for years. Bob Pilkington aged 63, of Byron Road, Greenmount, had been working on the cricket ground on Sycamore Road when he suffered a heart attack. Bob was married
Chris Bayley receives his award from Science Minister Lord Sainsbury and Dame Bridget Ogilvey, chairman of Astra Zeneca Sciences Teaching Trust A BOLTON teenager has proved to be a budding Einstein after scooping the Young Life Scientist of the Year award
RESIDENTS in Bolton have been complaining about eyesore properties blighting their neighbourhoods across the borough. As previously reported in the BEN, neighbours in one Breightmet cul-de-sac were furious that council officials said a run down bungalow
THE driver of this car escaped with his life after plunging 60 metres down a hillside at a notorious crash spot. The P-reg Audi A4 careered off Scout Road, near Belmont Road, as it rounded a corner and rolled over several times before remarkably landing
RESIDENTS of Lever Edge Lane have had to put up with a grot spot house on their doorstep for more than 10 years... They claim the privately owned semi-detached house is not only an eyesore, but dangerous and on the verge of collapse. Problems started
ARSONISTS are said to be behind a stable blaze which almost claimed the life of a horse. Farm owner Ian Fishwick was alerted to the near-tragedy by two youngsters who rescued the animal from the burning building. The horse, named Dino, was unhurt, but
ASSOCIATION inter-league captain Tony Kelly, pictured here in typical attacking pose, reckons that batting places are up for grabs in the side that will meet the League in the Trinity Cup at Adlington in a fortnight. Kelly, who took over as captain of
Teach-in success BOLTON Bailiffs AC have once again underlined the positive aspects of angling helping the community in a double success story. The latest 'Angling Teach-in' aimed at adults with learning difficulties was full to overflowing and such is
SUPERGROUP Oasis are at Bolton Wanderers' magnificent Reebok stadium this weekend. And the print version of the Bolton Evening News will be providing exclusive, and comprehensive, picture and words coverage. A team of reporters and photographers will
WANDERERS' players who are fans of Oasis are sick as parrots -- because they will be on the other side of Europe when the band take to the stage. The soccer stars left for Denmark earlier this week to begin a pre-season tour, designed to get them in tip-top
BOLTON can become the rock capital of Britain -- and Oasis is just the start. Thanks to the efforts of Bolton Wanderers Football Club, the Reebok Stadium is set to rival Wembley and Cardiff's state-of-the-art Millennium Stadium. Because the Reebok is
THESE pictures of Darcy Lever were taken in 1939, and show 'the road to Gorses Mount, and one of the village's oldest buildings, formerly Batten-st.' The paper commented: 'Time is playing a curious trick on this little community. Originally it was attractively
LEISURE, SPORT & KEEP FIT BOLTON Excel, Lower Bridgeman Street, tel: 334456: junior fitness, 10am-11am, 11am-12 noon and 12 noon-1pm; basketball drop in, 10am-12 noon. DEANE Leisure Centre, Junction Road, Deane, tel: 334432: trampoline, 10.15am-1.30pm
POLITICIANS have been warned they might have to face up to the possibility of handing over council owned leisure centres as early as this autumn to one or a number of trusts. Lack of investment in recent years has made it difficult for the leisure centres
WESTHOUGHTON councillors are campaigning for three sites to become classified as Green Belt - to protect them from housing developers for ever more. Lee Hall, Ditchers Farm and Bowlands Hey are all protected from being built on in the Unitary Development
RESIDENTS who bought new luxury homes at Daisy Hill have discovered plans to turn the road in and out of the estate into a "by-pass". They want to find out why plans for the extended road, which would by-pass Daisy Hill, were not revealed to them before
INSTITUTE chief Mollie Temple has challenged the Government to stick to its pledge of wiping out elitism by making Bolton a university town. The Principal joined the row over university admissions ignited by Chancellor Gordon Brown at the college's annual
AN unlikely pair of 'old friends' have been reunited as part of a youth achievement award scheme in Westhoughton. About two years ago Georgina Sharples, 15, put her skates on to undertake a newspaper round and as a result, a friendship developed . . .
Alison Mills floats on her back and performs exercises that would be impossible out of the water GOOD old Adam's Ale is proving to be the elixir of life for hundreds of people -- and they don't have to drink a drop. The magic medicine is a stress free
GASKELL County Primary School's curriculum is closely linked to the world of work. Pupils benefit from good contacts with local industries and businessmen, which help to equip them with the skills that they will need for adult life. Local businesses recently
INSTITUTE chief Mollie Temple has challenged the Government to stick to its pledge of wiping out elitism by making Bolton a university town. The Principal joined the row over university admissions ignited by Chancellor Gordon Brown at the college's annual
THE BEN has launched a campaign to explain in plain English reports from Bolton Council's behind-closed-doors meetings. We have called it "Jargon Buster" and the aim is to decode the bureaucratic language and explain to our readers what is going on. Last
MAY we, through your columns, thank the young jogger called Layton who came to our rescue on Wednesday evening, July 6, when I developed a puncture on Chorley New Road. Nothing was to much trouble for this young man. Thanks also to the lady who allowed
JIM Wallwork, a Boltonian living in Canada, would like to thank all who assisted him in his quest to find his old friends. Alf Close and Jimmy Entwistle are once again in touch. As an added bonus, other people who knew me in days of old (1930-1957) have
ON June 30, I was in Bolton for my granddaughter's 21st birthday party when I had an accident on a bus, which resulted in me being admitted to E3 ward via A&E at the Royal Bolton Hospital. The NHS are continually criticised but, having had first hand
ALTHOUGH it is great to hear that Rob Hodgkiss is up and running again -- an amazing feat after heart lung transplantation -- I think that this is an excellent time for BEN to re-advise all athletes of the dangers of strenuous exercise whilst suffering
Stephen Szabo, of 20-79 31st Street, Astoria, NY 11105, writes: My name is Stephen Szabo. I have a sister, Magda. I am looking for the Flitcroft family who lived on Bernice Street in Bolton during the 1950s. The parents were Bill and Emily Flitcroft.
EXCITED organisers of Adlington Carnival have delved into the past as they make final preparations for their first show of the new millennium. For they have broken with tradition in re-signing one of their two celebrities for this year's August carnival
A MOTHER left 'traumatised' by a road accident is helping to lead a campaign for urgent safety improvements -- fearing someone could soon be killed at the danger spot. Jospehine Allsop witnessed the accident with her young son. An 11-year-old boy was
A two-page report in the print version of tonight's Bolton Evening News reveals the full background to the shock news SHOCK figures released today brand Bolton as one of the worst places in the country for heart attack deaths in hospital. According to
BOLTON can become the rock capital of Britain -- and Oasis is just the start. Thanks to the efforts of Bolton Wanderers Football Club, the Reebok Stadium is set to rival Wembley and Cardiff's state-of-the-art Millennium Stadium. Because the Reebok is
Minnie Lythgoe, of Arlington Street, Great Lever, celebrated her 90th birthday yesterday. She was born in South Africa but has spent most of her life living in various districts around the borough. She is seen here with her great-great granddaughter Natasha
A RADCLIFFE man was due to appear at Bolton magistrates today on a gross indecency charge. Vincent Dring, aged 42, of King Street, Radcliffe, is charged with gross indecency towards a child under 14 years of age. He was arrested following an incident
FUNDING has been obtained to start a pilot scheme to support families taking up new council tenancy in Little Hulton. The scheme is an extension to the tenancy support project for single young people which has been running in the area for several years
TV presenter Claudia Winkleman is hosting an evening of fun and entertainment in Bolton. The star will take centre stage at local car dealership Perry's of Bolton on July 20 when it holds an event to celebrate its change of name. There will be dancers
WESTHOUGHTON Town Mayor Cllr Janet Halliwell was back among the pack when a group of youngsters close to her heart paid a visit to the council chambers. Cllr Halliwell and council leader, Cllr David Wilkinson, welcomed the 23rd Bolton St Bartholowmew's
HOUSES awaiting demolition on Little Hulton's Amblecote estate are attracting vandals, thieves and arsonists. The houses are being brought down as part of a regeneration scheme. Houses on Alderminster, Ayrton Grove and Haymill Avenue have already been
MRS HELEN Unsworth wishes she had never moved into Eden Street, Astley Bridge, nine years ago. The mum-of-two had no idea a squatter had been living next door, but she contacted the council and a solicitor when the neighbouring house fell into such a
OWNERS Kirit and Meena Pathak will create 100 new jobs when their new Indian food factory opens in Leigh. Mr and Mrs Pathak, who run the Patak's company, intend to open the premises later this summer. The new factory will eventually create more than 100
A FOOTBALL club for youngsters in Little Hulton will be kick-starting a bright new future for an empty block of flats. A block of four cottage flats on Greenheys Road was earmarked for demolition. But it has been saved by councillors pitching in to help
A PENSIONER has again fallen victim to thieves targeting his garden. But he has vowed to continue his surveillance campaign in a bid to trap them in action. Robert Hodgkinson has been plagued by attacks on his garden in Deepdale Road, Breightmet, for
THE second tallest man in Britain is making doubly sure he gets noticed on a visit to Atherton next week, for 7ft 3 ins tall John Le Bar will be dressed in a skin tight red lycra suit when he presents medals to staff at Ladbrokes for their charity fund-raising
MOUSE-mad young engineers from Bolton School Boys' Division have scampered to victory in a national robot competition. School pals Chris Chisnall and Peter Scott, both 15, have spent more than two years developing Blip Squeak, a clever electronic mouse
MORE than 250 names of loved ones have been received for inclusion in a 'memorial aisle' planned for the Atherton Flower Festival at St John The Baptist Church on August 11,12 and 13. With all the names now received, the mammoth task of inscribing them
A BELEAGUERED Westhoughton church, with a proud history dating back about 180 years, is in danger of closing. Falling membership and a series of vandal attacks threaten the future of Wingates Independent Methodist Church on Dixon Street. A meeting of
WANDERERS' players who are fans of Oasis are sick as parrots -- because they will be on the other side of Europe when the band take to the stage. The soccer stars left for Denmark earlier this week to begin a pre-season tour, designed to get them in tip-top
MORE than 250 schoolchildren joined together for one of Westhoughton's biggest ever birthday parties. The celebrations to mark a special 10 year anniversary were held in the playground of a *Westhoughton primary school - and were in a class of their own
CHAPEL-goers in Atherton are set to celebrate a decade of service by Reverend Peter Hughes. Rev Hughes, a father of two grown-up children, has been minister at Chowbent Unitarian Chapel for the last 10 years, and on July 30 he will host a celebration
Cross Guns, Blackburn Road, Egerton Star Rating XXX Menu XXX Quality of food XXX Service XXX Wheelchair Access XXX Atmosphere XXX Vegetarian Dishes XX Children's menu XXX Value for Money XXX THE Cross Guns is a familiar hostelry and landmark in North
A TOP international will use Wanderers' friendly at Lyngby tomorrow afternoon (ko 2pm) to revive his once flourishing career. We will reveal who he is on our Wanderers site at 11am tomorrow with full background details in tomorrow's print version of the
LOOKING back through the series of articles I've written this season, I'm a bit dismayed to find that 1 haven't enjoyed a good grumble in any of them. So let's put that right! One thing that has been annoying me for quite a while is something that neither
Musical nights THE WRIGHTS ARMS, Belmont Road, Bolton. Friday July 28, Stacey Grant, female vocalist. For details of all events ring Bolton 811206. BULLS HEAD PUB, (Bottom Bull), Bury Road, Bolton. Live bands Fridays and Saturdays, 9pm. Ring Bolton 523855
25 YEARS AGO A BABY escaped death when lightning hit a house at Harwood, Bolton, during violent storms today. Rubble crashed down on to the cot where 13-months-old Jacqueline Hilton would normally have been sleeping. Lightning also ripped through a house
I'VE found a new hero in Charlie Dempsey. The 78-year-old hit upon the best facility trip possible and milked it dry. While his fellow near-octogenarians are happy to still have full use of their mental and physical attributes, good time Charlie travelled
MOOKY the clown is celebrating his birthday and he's looking for two lucky BEN readers to join in the fun. The Blackpool Tower Circus clown wants to hear from youngsters, aged five to 12, who are celebrating their birthdays in September or October. The
LITTER bugs who are turning streets and open spaces all over Bolton into shameful eyesores could be hit by fines of up to £500. The people -- not always young -- who create the middens have been warned to expect zero tolerance, our story today reveals
LIVING legend Eric Delaney started it all when he came to Horwich to drum-in his 75th birthday with a huge jazz bash. But officials of the town's RMI -- Railway Mechanics Institute -- social club admit that they never dreamed what that astonishingly successful
A WOMAN says she has abandoned her home in Great Lever and has vowed never to return to the area after unsuccessfully trying to sell it -- for EIGHT years. And she has warned other people to think carefully before buying a house in that part of town.
BOLTON can become the rock capital of Britain -- and Oasis is just the start. Thanks to the efforts of Bolton Wanderers Football Club, the Reebok Stadium is set to rival Wembley and Cardiff's state-of-the-art Millennium Stadium. Because the Reebok is
