Archive

  • Why it's highway robbery

    WITH regard to the letter from K Francis printed in the BEN. I had no idea that Tony Blair had a new spin doctor living in Bolton. It was an excellent doctrinated letter from a clone. I see that the extra monies collected from the extortionate fuel prices

  • Coping with a cunning animal...

    WE ALL live in a world of hypocrisy, and this country isn't an exemption. Here we have the group protesting about local hunts, where horses and hounds are used to flush out the fox, then give chase, with horse and rider jumping hedges and fences and risking

  • Wasn't much to celebrate at Biggest Birthday Party

    All smiles at party? Not quite AFTER all the publicity on TV and radio regarding the Bolton Millennium Biggest Birthday Party on Sunday, July 2, my sister and I (both senior citizens) were looking forward to an afternoon of GOOD entertainment. No such

  • Historic medical milestone

    READERS will want to join us in celebrating the Government's announcement of a pilot screening programme later this year to detect deafness in all babies within hours of birth. This is an historic milestone and marks a welcome leap forward in our campaign

  • WEEK IN WESTMINSTER BY RUTH KELLY MP

    LAST week, I spoke at a conference organised by Bolton Institute to discuss social inclusion. I spoke about the policies the government is introducing to create a more inclusive society. A key strategy to achieving this goal has been the New Deal for

  • £4m Jensen on his way

    CLAUS Jensen looks set to be on his way to the Premiership in a £4 million transfer. The Wanderers' midfield ace, wanted by both Ipswich and Charlton, flew home early from the club's Denmark tour yesterday to start the talks that will decide where his

  • Pictures by Phil Taylor

    By Doreen Crowther dcrowther@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk Last Night of the Proms Victoria Hall Bolton WHAT a terrific finish to this year's Bolton Proms. This sell-out concert by the Halle Orchestra, conducted in style by Paul Payton, was a huge success

  • Business hopes are dashed

    BOLTON'S Ismail Seedat's hopes of being given a one million pound boost to his new Internet business were dashed yesterday when he failed to gain enough votes from television viewers. As previously reported in the BEN, Ismail of Derby Street, Bolton,

  • Job just the tonic for Brent

    BOLTON man, Brent Knowles is pleased to be back at work. After been in the motor trade for 39 years Brent found himself unable to work after he underwent joint replacement surgery. He spent two years on Incapacity Benefit Brent but has now been able to

  • Kitchen firm to create 100 jobs

    A WESTHOUGHTON firm will create 100 new jobs in a major expansion plan. The Bernstein Group Plc, which makes and supplies kitchens and bedrooms, currently employ more than 1,100 people at its factory on the Wingates industrial estate. With business booming

  • Firefighter in mission abroad

    BOLTON firefighter Graham Smith was travelling to Romania this week to show firefighters how to use lifesaving equipment donated by local people. Graham will be teaching his friend and fellow firefighter Costel Florea how to employ cutting gear. As reported

  • Green for go in allotments law campaign

    BOLTON MP David Crausby has launched a campaign to change the law to protect allotments from housing development. He has put down a Commons motion calling for the overhaul of the complex legislation governing the little patches of green to be found all

  • Police praise 'well behaved' Oasis fans

    BOLTON Wanderers and police have hailed this weekend's Oasis concerts as a resounding success. The concerts passed off without trouble and organisers say the months of planning which went into staging the stadium's first major rock concert were vindicated

  • Residents want traffic calmed

    RESIDENTS living on a notorious stretch of road have stepped up their campaign for the installation of traffic calming measures As revealed in the BEN, a survey carried out by residents showed that one person had been killed and someone was injured at

  • Cash aid for richer but not for poorer

    TOWN Hall chiefs are still waiting to hear why vital cash aid to create jobs will go to two of Bolton's most upmarket areas. There was uproar earlier this year when it was revealed that Farnworth and Kearsley -- two of the borough's most deprived areas

  • Arsonists cause triple fire chaos

    ARSONISTS poured petrol onto the roof of a Bolton mill to start a fire last night. Twenty firefighters tackled the blaze at Nortex Mill, Chorley Old Road. The fire was relatively small, but it triggered the unit's sprinkler system and caused substantial

  • CRICKET: Hall inspires Atherton to final place

    PROFESSIONAL Andy Hall produced a superb innings to ensure Atherton reached their second successive Cross Cup final. Hall remained unbeaten on 92 as Atherton overcame Elton by seven wickets to set up a final showdown with Adlington on August 20. In reply

  • CRICKET: A & T force tie

    Under 13s A & T 68-9, Adlington 6 -5 ADLINGTON batted first scoring very slowly to reach a modest total of 68, thanks mainly to D Walmsley with 25 runs. A & T's reply was equally slow but with every batter scoring a few runs they managed to achieve

  • An ocean of difference between top two

    IT SHOULD have been the game that had everything. The two top sides in a head-of-table showdown -- a dozen of the League's star players on display -- even a Granada TV camera to record one aspect of it for posterity! And yet when the end came with just

  • It's a real work of art

    A HUGE crowd of more than 6,000 wellwishers are expected to attend the grand opening of a Bolton Hindu temple which has been transformed into an Arts and Cultural Centre. For the last two years five artists from India have been working on a 2,400 square

  • Jeep terror at top night spot

    CUSTOMERS and bouncers ran for their lives as a stolen Jeep was driven through the main doors of a Bolton nightclub. The 4x4 vehicle was then reversed towards the doormen on the concourse outside Atlantis. A 24-year-old bouncer managed to escape by jumping

  • 'As well as being my son, he was my best friend'

    FOR teenager Gary Odlum life could not have been better. He was out celebrating his nineteenth birthday with close friends, had a job he loved, was about to buy a car and had finally plucked up the courage to ask out the girl of his dreams. But his life

  • Father's fury at 'lenient' sentence

    THE angry father of Gary Odlum has slammed the "lenient" sentence given to his son's killer. Laszlo Hamar was today beginning a four and a half year jail term for the manslaughter of Gary Odlum. As reported in later editions of last night's BEN, Hamar

  • Brothers in harmony as Oasis rock the Reebok

    OASIS silenced the critics in Bolton last night as a united Liam and Noel rocked the Reebok without a sign of their reputed rivalry. The death of a fan, who died on Saturday night after apparently thumbing a lift home on the motorway, was announced to

  • CRICKET: Lever go clear at the top

    League under 18s LITTLE Lever U15's moved three points clear at the top of the under 15s after a win over Kearsley. Kearsley batted first scoring 46 all out, the league leaders knocked them off for the loss of two wickets with plenty of over to spare.

  • CRICKET: Edwards shines with bat and ball Bolton league seconds

    FARNWORTH Social Circle beat Bradshaw by six wickets in a match they totally dominated. Bradshaw batted first and were bowled out for 106. Nigel Duxbury top scored with 71 but the Bradshaw innings included seven ducks and that proved decisive. Tony Bradley

  • CRICKET: Clifton are held up

    Association under 15s LEAGUE Leaders Clifton were heading for their first defeat of the season when bad-light ended the game. Clifton scored 91 for 6 (A Walsh 50) and Elton were 79 for 3 when the match was abandoned. The result, however, did lose Clifton

  • Sunshine smiles on Merseyside trials

    LANCASHIRE Road Club time trialists ventured into Merseyside for two events this weekend and were rewarded with fine times and for probably the first time this season, fine weather. Saturday saw a 10 mile race on the Rainford bypass near Skelmsersdale

  • Our prayer for villains

    TO the individuals who broke into our car on Monday, July 3. We rebuke in Jesus's name the evil that you have done. Yet we pray for you as human beings that you might know the power of God upon your life and that He will bring you to salvation. We ask

  • Happy 100 to her

    WHAT a monumental chip Mr Corns has on his shoulder; what a depressing letter! And he is only in his 40's. What will he be like in his 60's, I ask! Of course, there are some better off than others, eg, The Queen Mother; there always have been and there

  • Where were town's music-loving public for this concert?

    YOUR correspondent Doreen Crowther rightly commented on the low attendance at the recent violin recital by Leland Chen in the Albert Halls. Oh, Bolton music-loving public, how could you have missed this one? This brilliant violinist has more musical talent

  • Time to move Town Hall to Middlebrook?

    AFTER reading the story "Arena roof is the tops" in the BEN on Friday, July 7, with our leader, Cllr Bob Howarth, yet again taking centre stage, it struck me that the next time our "super cabinet councillors" meet in private, perhaps instead of trying

  • Do-gooders are just prats!

    I READ with disdain that headmistress Marjorie Evans may be faced with a prison sentence in the near future. When is someone going to put their foot down, and explain to the do-gooders of this country just what prats they are, and what damage they are

  • Tories are at it again on taxes

    You couldn't believe what the Tories said in government. Now you can't believe what they say in opposition. The Tories have now admitted what Labour has said all along -- that their tax guarantee promises nothing more than spending cuts to health, education

  • Another wave of royal birthday hysteria begins

    ANOTHER wave of hysteria, so the media would have us think -- our sacred Royal Family is to hold another birthday party. So let the forelock touching, the servile flattering, the Fawsley fawning, the curtsy competition for who can bow lowest before their

  • What the minister didn't see

    THIS derelict mill in Bolton is one of the town's worst grot spots -- and it is one of the sites a top Government minister did not see on a tour of the area. Corporate bosses whose firms are just yards away from the decrepit building in Fletcher Street

  • Hit-and-run victim is recovering

    A TEENAGER is recovering in hospital after a hit-and-run accident last week. Stephen Johnson was knocked from his bike as he rode along York Street shortly before 7pm on Thursday. A car failed to stop after the collision. The 15-year-old of Walshaw Road

  • Quality schools are praised

    THE MAN in charge of making children and adults throughout the country are up to speed with their English and maths has praised a trio of Bolton schools for their commitment to the cause. Alan Wells, OBE, visited the three schools to award them a quality

  • Teenage girl is shot in face

    A TEENAGE girl was shot between the eyes with an air-rifle pellet during a weekend camping trip. The 14-year-old was taken to Bury General Hospital on Saturday night and transferred to Fairfield where surgeons removed the lead pellet from her forehead

  • School award hope for keeping the peace

    PEACEMAKERS at a Bolton high school are expected to be among the first in the country to earn a new award. A number of sixth formers at Turton High School are on course to officially become Millennium Volunteers. The award, similar to the Duke of Edinburgh

  • Readers identify mystery church

    TWO mystery photographs of a church and a priest published in the BEN have caused lots of interest. The black and white photographs were handed in at our offices after being found in the street. They showed the inside of a church and a separate portrait

  • GP surgeries team to help drug users

    A TEAM of community drug workers is to work in GP surgeries in Bolton to help provide expert care for substance misusers. Around 70 per cent of people with drug problems first seek help from their local GP. And to help provide expert on-the-spot care,

  • Alec lands scoop with 'Country Joe'

    LOCAL singer/songwriter Alec Martin is celebrating a scoop for his free music fanzine 'Busker'. Alec has secured an exclusive interview with Country Joe Macdonald, star of the 1969 Woodstock festival. And he now hopes he can persuade Country Joe to do

  • Disabled driver's clamping warning

    A DISABLED driver who had to pay a £100 release fee to a car clamper has warned other people to steer clear of a town centre car park. Angry Richard Dabbs, aged 63, from Horwich, was caught out when he left his car in a parking bay next to the council

  • Family's shock at 'prison' show

    RELATIVES of a Bolton woman who has become a "prisoner" for a wacky television show have spoken of their shock at her involvement. Nichola Holt was unveiled on Friday as one of 10 people who will have their lives put under the TV microscope for the next

  • CRICKET: Tonge get cup lift

    TONGE hope their Hamer Cup victory over rivals Westhoughton will kick-start their league title aspirations. The winners of the Bolton League for the last four years have been struggling of late but a five wicket win to reach the semi-final will boost

  • SOCCER: Preece hands out warning

    SHAKERS boss Andy Preece has given his troops a "must get better" warning after a 4-0 weekend hammering at Runcorn. And when Bury step out at Stainton Park tonight to take on Radcliffe Borough, the squad know that the boss will not be happy with another

  • RUGBY: Teatime start for Leigh semi-final

    LEIGH Centurions' Northern Ford Premiership major play-off semi-final with Oldham will kick-off at 5pm on Sunday. The start has been put back because the game will be televised on Granada. The other semi-final between Dewsbury Rams v Keighley Cougars

  • SOCCER: Island trip a winner for RMI

    LEIGH RMI have returned from a successful tour of the Isle Of Man and go straight into a pre-season friendly tonight when Oldham Athletic visit Hilton Park. The other Latics, Wigan, come to town, two days later, when new boss Bruce Rioch brings his side

  • FIVE-A-SIDE FOOTBALL: PSV rally is stunner for Madrid

    PATHETICO Madrid of the Monday Fifth Division were previously unbeaten in their promotion winning season until they met a PSV Hangover side that were hungry for victory. The game started at a rapid pace with both teams creating early chances to open the

  • Closed road fails to spoil run cycle in the sunshine

    SUNDAY morning was like the dawning of a new era as the long awaited sunshine made it's appearance. Climbing out of Bolton over Bradshaw, the clean fresh air was like a tonic washing away the dark dismal days of the past couple of weeks. We seemed to

  • ROUNDERS: Comeback leaves LLSC relieved

    WHEN announcing the score after the first innings of the Section 'F' match between LLSC (Steve Eddowes) and Lower Pools last Tuesday. Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous line "They think it's all over" sprung to mind. With LLSC on 166 and Lower Pools well behind

  • Wednesday

    LEISURE, SPORT & KEEP FIT BOLTON Excel, Lower Bridgeman Street, tel: 334456: ladies only, 1.30pm-3pm; aerobics, 6pm-7pm; yoga, 7.30pm-9pm. DEANE Leisure Centre, Junction Road, Deane, tel: 334432: aerobics, 8pm-9pm; swim lessons, 5.30pm-6.30pm. FARNWORTH

  • CRICKET: Williamson is Atherton hero

    Association under 18s Match Results: Mon 10th July (League): Blackrod v Clifton (Postponed-match to be re-arranged), Bolton Indian 90-4 v Atherton 91-1 (Atherton won by 9 wkts), Darcy Lever v Golborne (Postponed-match to be played 31.07.00), Spring v

  • CRICKET: Daisy Hill in shock cup win

    Association second teams THE four semi-finalists in the Halliwell Shield were confirmed on Monday night. The semi-finals match Daisy Hill v Blackrod and Little Hulton v Clifton. The three remaining ties saw relatively easy victories for Daisy Hill, Blackrod

  • ROUNDERS: Little Lever lose race against time

    ADLINGTON CC entered the quarter finals of the Finestyle Windows Competition when they beat Little Lever XI 279-235. Adlington batted first and received 220 runs start, they were dismissed for 22 runs. Little Lever XI then batted and had a time limit

  • Enterprising pupils aim to Storm way to top

    A TEAM of young Bolton entrepreneurs have beaten off tough competition from more than 60 schools to represent the North-west in the national finals of Young Enterprise. The budding businessmen and women have already applied for their first patent and

  • Homes comfort!

    RESIDENTS in three areas of the borough are to be asked what housing improvements they want to see. Homes in the Tonge, Burnden and Farnworth wards are being targeted for a major revamp. They have been put forward by council chiefs for a Neighbourhood

  • Let's aim for best of both worlds

    WHEN is an eyesore not an eyesore? That is the question that has led to fierce controversy as the future of the former Marsden Road headquarters of the old Bolton Fire Brigade is debated. There is a great local fondness for the unusual building, which

  • Engineers need more volunteers to help disabled

    THREE engineering experts have been given a helping hand in their efforts to make life easier for disabled people in the Bolton area. The trio make special adaptations in their free time to help people in coping with their disability. Their voluntary

  • Youngsters on top of the world

    THREE swimmers represented Bolton Metro Swimming Squad at Oldham's Top of the World Gala last weekend. Hollie Harthern, Helen Pearson and Steven Kirwin joined competitors from as far afield as Bournmouth and the Isle of Man in this popular age on the

  • Len's 'golden hoop' seals exciting away-day victory

    ON Saturday, Bury Croquet Club had two teams on out of town lawns. The golf croquet squad visited Pendle who turned out a very strong team. In the three rounds of doubles only one game went to the visitors, Jean Hargreaves and Marie Robinson securing

  • Newcomer inspires judo club to bronze

    FRESH from its success at the Greater Manchester Youth Games, Tonge Judo Club scooped a clutch of medals at the UK Sambo Wrestling Championships held at the English Olympic Wrestling Club in Salford. Sambo is a Russian Military Combat Art that is a mixture

  • ROUNDERS: Withins are just champion

    THE Junior Millennium Rounders League is now coming to a close with all results now in for the year 9/10 group. The last matches from this group saw Withins play host to Smithills who, having not won a match, knew they would have to pull something special

  • Sad moaners

    WHAT sad moaners are 'Bravo' and Mrs Bailey. It is about time they left the Queen Mum alone and had a do about the real grabbers of the country -- the politicians and money-mad top businessmen who daily rip-off Joe Public dry to line their own pockets

  • Garden antics of Mrs Tinkywinkle

    READING A H Cole's letter on July 1, concerning hedgehogs, reminded me of a day I was in the garden collecting up all the cuttings. When I came to tie the bin bag up, I saw something move inside. Tucked in the side of the bag was a baby hedgehog wrapped