GOOD luck to Nichola Holt in her new-found career. She brightened the TV with her antics on 'Big Brother'! The letter you published on Friday reads like sour grapes. I have personally met Nichola and found her a charming person with her warm smile and
REGARDING the demonstration by 1,500 or so Muslims on Saturday, October 21, and their march to Victoria Square, Bolton. If these people are so oncerned about the Palestinians, wouldn't it have been better to have marched to Liverpool Docks and boarded
REMEMBRANCE Day is always a day we should never forget. It is a day when families, friends and old comrades can think and remember old friends and family members, who gave their lives to give us our freedom that we have today. I think also we should remember
I AM grateful to Mr Gornall (Your Views: October 24), for providing a very accurate sketch of some contemporary attitudes towards religion. He is absolutely right, that for some people religion is about hope, comfort and self improvement. The problem
THE MEDIA seems to have been obsessed with the subject of toilets recently. We had the lack of toilets in Farnworth, the closure or not of those at Barrow Bridge, the people demanding extra upstairs toilets to be put in their homes, the strange new urinals
EX-RAF fighter pilot Ian Ferguson is coming to Chorley to tell his incredible survival story. Ian -- who claims he was just five seconds from death when he ejected from his crashing plane -- has been invited to town by Chorley's Chapel House Christian
A TALENTED photographer is getting plenty of exposure in Chorley! It's a double take for Mawdesley-based Phillipa Halliwell -- with two local exhibitions running at the same time. Her portrait and wedding work is on show until November 10 at Cedar Farm
AS MPs deliberated over a new Speaker for the House of Commons, the political spotlight fell on Chorley where an election took place to another parliament -- personally endorsed by the Prime Minister. The Woodlands Centre, Southport Road, was the venue
THE Chorley area took a battering from the weather -- with forecasters predicting perhaps more to come. When the heavens opened, widespread chaos ensued, with roads, homes and railway lines being flooded, and many rivers bursting their banks. Even the
EDUCATION Secretary David Blunkett heralded a new era for teacher training in Lancashire this week when he visited Croston's Bishop Rawstorne CE Language College. After officially opening the college's Training School he moved on to Sacred Heart Primary
THERE were no games in the Chorley and District Faulkner Motors Alliance Football League at the weekend due to waterlogged pitches. Fixtures, November 4: Chorley Social Club v George; Clayton Brook v White Horse; Euxton Saints v Ley Inn; Gregson Lane
Northern Counties Youth Cup Durham County FA 3, Lancashire County FA 4 THIS Northern Counties Youth Cup game proved a tale of two halves as Durham County FA opened the scoring on five minutes. Lancashire replied on 12 minutes when Beavers, of Blackpool
A CHORLEY village was the venue at the weekend when South Ribble Orienteering Club held its latest competition. Orienteering is a sport in which contestants race on foot over a cross-country course consisting of checkpoints found with the aid of a map
THE Regeneration Department of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council is backing the Innovate 2000 International Trade Exhibition and Conference at Ewood Park, Blackburn on November 9. Details on website www.innovate2000.co.uk
BLACKROD-based construction services group Allen has made another acquisition. It has used Speedy Hire Centres (Northern) Ltd to acquire the assets of New Mills Tool Hire Company Ltd for £200,000 in cash. This takes the outlets trading under the Speedy
THE Posthouse Hotel in Beaumont Road, Bolton is taking part in a national "Win a Million" scratch card promotion for guests. It will run at Posthouse hotels nationwide until December 10. Six lucky winners -- who are guaranteed to leave with at least £3,000
THE American-owned company which publishes the Bolton Evening News, Bury Times and other newspapers throughout the country is at the centre of a major acquisition move. Gannett (UK) Ltd is one of three companies - the others are Johnston Press plc and
THE first comprehensive report on the Environmental Economy of an English region has been launched at the Lowry Centre in Manchester. A detailed look at the North-west includes references to the successful transformation of Manchester City Centre and
CALLS for a referendum asking Bolton council taxpayers whether they would pay more in exchange for improved services have been voted down. A motion tabled by Liberal Democrats at last night's meeting of Bolton Council demanded full consultation ahead
HAROLD and Freda Isherwood celebrated their fifty years of marriage with a holiday in Blackpool. Married on the November 4, 1950 at St. Edmund's R.C. Church, Little Hulton. They have five children Kathleen, Barbara, Elaine, Anita and Ian, along with six
A VOLUNTARY organisation has been awarded thousands of pounds in Lottery cash, it was announced today. Bolton District Council for Voluntary Service, which offers support and advice to local groups, has received £195,843 from the National Lottery Charities
WANDERERS were today hoping for a squad boost in both the short and long terms. Sam Allardyce is looking for good news on the injury front ahead of Saturday's trip to fellow promotion hopefuls Birmingham City. And the Reebok boss is also keeping a close
CHORLEY will get a taste of the Last of the Summer Wine later this month with the opening of a new charity shop. Actress Jean Alexander -- who plays Auntie Wainwright in the BBC's hit comedy series -- will open the RSPCA shop at 66 Market Street. Jean
TWO pensioners nearly got in a flap when they almost ran over an escaped budgie in Euxton. Bill and Doreen Stott were amazed when the bird flew in front of their car at Saddle Bridge last Thursday. Bill chased the bird over a hedge before catching the
CHORLEY'S green gurus had a fruitful time when they picked up special Green Apple awards at County Hall. John West, leader of Lancashire County Council, presented the awards to eight bodies -- including Chorley Borough Council and North West Water --
A NATIONWIDE wrestling tour which comes to Chorley later this month will still go ahead despite the sudden death of one its stars. Forty two stone Yokozuna, aged 34, was found dead of a suspected heart attack in a Liverpool hotel room last week. Commonly
WILL someone please put the BEN sportsdesk out of its misery and give us the answer to the following soccer quiz question. Q: Which two players have appeared in Manchester, Merseyside and Glasgow derby games? We know one of them but the identity of the
STEVE Redgrave has made a lot of right decisions during 16 gold medal-laden years of Olympic rowing. And he has finished with the best of the lot with his announcement that he is giving up the sport. His victory in Sydney took his tally to five golds
WHAT is it about Bolton Wanderers players when they leave the club? John McGinlay, the Beast of Burnden, a legend in his own adopted town, could hardly kick straight let alone find the net when he left Wanderers. But it's what happens to the big money
AFTER five straight defeats Shakers boss Andy Preece has admitted confidence at Gigg Lane has nosedived. But, he reckons, it's nothing that a thumping win on Saturday wouldn't put right. Preece is still in upbeat mood despite Bury's glorious start to
WHITEHEADS, Bolton's last family department store will close its doors in January -- the latest casualty of competition from out-of-town retail parks. The news, reported in later editions of last night's Evening News, follows the announcement that another
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, November 2, 1975 WHEN an intruder came crashing through the door of Donald Bates' home in Des Moines, Iowa, the family pet, Zaki, sprang on him and held him to the floor while Mr Bates got a gun. Zaki, a 14-months-old
ALBERT HALLS, Victoria Square, Bolton. Thursday November 2, Steeleye Span, tickets £12, concessions available. Tribute band, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, Sunday November 12, 7.30pm. Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Thursday November 9, 7.30pm. Ring Bolton 334400.
HILLTOPS SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB, Hill Lane, Blackrod. Budding musicians come and play your own arrangements and compositions, Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm. For more details ring Bolton 692702. THE WATERMILLOCK, Crompton Way, Bolton. Live music every
"THEY can take me to court -- I am not paying it!" Those are the defiant words of a furious disabled woman after getting a parking ticket in Chorley town centre this week. Disabled snooker champ Joan Cummings -- known locally for her work promoting sports
THE warnings on the television and radio all said the same. Don't go outside unless you have to. But granny Margaret Gillard just had to fight her way through the rain, wind, sleet and snow of Monday morning to pick-up her eight-year-old grandson Marly
WE all know the saying -- "A dog is for life, not just for Christmas", it's one we hear every single year. But, for some, there's still nothing more appealing than your own puppy. And, for those who still want one for Christmas, why not get a "pretend
with pic EVERYONE'S aware of how bonfire night affects cats and dogs, but what about your poor rabbit who usually lives in a hutch in the garden? All too often they can be forgotten about by owners but they can become just as scared as any other animal
BOLTON MP David Crausby stepped up his battle to tighten fireworks legislation today by accepting a petition of nearly 30,000 signatures on the issue at the House of Commons. He received the petition from the Director of the National Campaign for Fireworks
ANNIE Lennox, Barbara Windsor, Alan Tichmarsh, Pam Ferris and Philip Schofield are among the dozens of celebrities who have decorated their own "designer" dog collars to be auctioned on behalf of two animal welfare charities. The collars have been created
A BOLTON youngster is could be named Greater Manchester Police's Citizen of the Year tomorrow. Sarah Rothwell, of New Church Road, Smithills, was nominated for the award thanks to her many years of fund-raising with the "Starlight Cabaret" group which
A FORMER soldier who asked Tony Blair to make a U-turn over pay cuts for Britain's overseas war grave gardeners has hit out at the Prime Minister's response. War hero Ernie Hamilton, aged 78, slammed the Labour leader for replying to his letter with a
MORE than 100 ethnic minority youngsters discovered what life is like in the Army -- when a Bolton sports hall was transformed into an action zone. Soldiers from many branches of the British Army were at Sharples Leisure Centre as teenagers with an eye
GREEN ROOM, Manchester. Kino Film Festival showing new short films featuring the work and lesbian and gays in the North West. Runs to Saturday November 4. Screenings at 5.15pm, 7.15pm and 9.15pm. Admission £3.50 and £2.50. THE MILLENNIUM FESTIVAL OF THE
BOLTON CHA RAMBLING CLUB, For more details ring Bolton 697610. MOSES GATE COUNTRY PARK, Farnworth. Ring Bolton 334343. TURTON TOWER, Chapeltown Road, Turton, For more details ring Bolton 852203. BOLTON DECORATIVE AND FINE ARTS SOCIETY, Lecture Theatre
Congleton Town FC 2 Chorley FC 4 A WELCOME win for Chorley at wet and windy Congleton with four cracking goals for their sodden fans to cheer. However, but for a superb display of goalkeeping from Simon Marsh, Chorley could quite easily have come away
ON Saturday, October 21, and Friday, October 27, the so-called hourly 9.55pm 507 bus service did not run. I understand that on Saturday a notice was displayed at Moor Lane, stating that due to operating difficulties the service was not available. What
SO Conservative supporter Albert Hornby thinks that this Government is the worst ever does he? This Government that has brought the first ever minimum wage, the Working Families Tax Credit for the less well off, the New Deal bringing hope for the unemployed
ON Friday evening, November 10, The Wood Street Socialist Club will hold a celebration of the Russian Revolution that gave birth to the world's first socialist state. The achievements of the Soviet Union have been largely hidden by the ownership of the
I HAVE not written to 'Your Views' for some time. But now I would like some answers from MPs etc. I live alone, but we are well looked after by our new warden, Julie, and I'd like her to know it. Also, I pay for Home Care and Careline. MPs keep saying
ECCLESTON children have been creating art that other people would just throw away! And the youngsters will be rushing to school post-haste -- because copies of a new postcard showing their artwork will be on display in their schools, libraries and other
DISAPPOINTED organisers have been forced to axe a village's youth council after just six months -- because of a lack of interest from young people. Coppull Youth Council was launched for the 12 to 19-year-olds so that they could have more say about what
A 'NEIGHBOUR from hell', who subjected Leyland residents to months of harassment, is believed to have moved to Adlington. Joseph Ragoncsa was told to pack up and leave his home on the Broadfield estate, Leyland. He appeared before South Ribble Magistrates
ELVIS may have sung about Heartbreak Hotel -- but you're more likely to meet his local fans in an Astley Village pub. The King's devotees gather from all over the North West at the Inn on the Park, Hallgate, for quarterly Lancashire branch sessions of
CHORLEY'S ex-servicemen are horrified at proposals to cut war graves funding. Local Royal British Legion members have branded the War Graves Commission decision 'deplorable'. The Commission has come under fire for wanting to cut back overseas allowances
HEALTH chiefs at the Royal Bolton Hospital have warned that operations could be cancelled over the winter if they face a similar influx of emergency cases as they did last year. But officials from the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust have pledged to pump in
ALL games in the Chorley Nissan Sunday Football League were forced to be postponed over the weekend due to the bad weather. Fixtures, due to be played Sunday, November 5: Mitre Trophy, first round: Adlington Rovers v Adlington Nomads; AFC Chisnell v Queens
CHORLEY'S Olympic cyclist Jason Queally failed in his bid to add the world title to his Sydney gold in Manchester. Making his British return at his home velodrome, Jason, who won the one kilometre time trial in Australia, could only manage a bronze medal
Adlington Rangers ARLFC 'A' 20 Widnes Bulldogs ARLFC 8 Despite dreadful conditions Adlington Rangers made the most of their chances to blast Widnes Bulldogs to defeat. In the early stages of the match, both teams managed to play good rugby-- with defences
Brookfields 3 Blackpool IV 0 LEAGUE leaders Blackpool were blown by storms on the way here and blown away on the pitch by the control and assertiveness of a composed Brookfields hockey squad. The rain swept across the pitch for most of the game, but this
WESTBURY plc, which has 23 sites in the North-west, has reported half year, pre-tax profits of £29 million -- up 18 per cent on the 1999 figure of £24.6 million. The company's building activities include the £80 million Spinningfields development in Manchester
A BURY company has achieved new certification to ensure its place as market leader for the food, water and dairy industries. Quality Management Ltd, based in Hornby Street, Bury, specialises in providing a performance assessment service to laboratories
MORE than 100 Bury council workers have issued a writ against the authority claiming they are owed £50,000 in underpaid car allowance and mileage. The High Court writ claims the council has breached the terms of an agreement with staff classed as "essential
DETECTIVES today said the death of a man, who drowned in a water-filled hole, was a tragic accident. Martin Hartigan's body was discovered in the six-foot deep excavation on Crompton Way, on Tuesday afternoon by two workmen who were due to complete water
YOUTH club members today officially marked the start of construction work on their new multi-million pound headquarters. Last December the BEN revealed that £3.7 million of Lottery cash had been awarded to Bolton Lads and Girls club. The huge cash injection
CHORLEY MP Lindsay Hoyle is continuing the campaign for compensation for World War Two Japanese prisoners of war. This follows reports that an announcement on the matter is to come in next week's pre-budget statement. Mr Hoyle, together with the Royal
TWO Chorley youngsters got on their bikes for charity. Dedicated fund-raisers Kelly Wilson and her friend Jenna Holland (pictured left), both 12, braved the cold for their sponsored cycle around Charnock Richard during half-term. The sporting pair raised
EUXTON schools got a cash boost after Lancashire County Council joined forces with woman power! St Mary's CE, Euxton CE, St Mary's RC and Primrose Hill County schools each received cheques at a ceremony to mark the completion of 21 environmental and community
IT could have been a damp squib -- but organisers of the fifth Chorley Cake Street Fair have denied it was a wash-out. Despite atrocious weather, Gore and de Koning's annual town centre attraction battled on -- and the company is already planning its
IF you'd have said in 1966 that England's national football team would have a foreign manager you'd have been strung up. What has happened in the intervening 34 years to make English football chiefs pick an overseas coach and the English press and public
THE outstanding Goldline Trophy in Association with the Bolton Evening News semi final, between Breightmet United and Charnock Richard will now be played on Sunday at Leigh Athletic's Holden Road ground (noon kick off). Hopes of playing it tonight at
WHITEHEADS, Bolton's last family-owned department store is to close its doors in January 2001. Yet its memory will linger on long after its last customer leaves the impressive landmark building on the corner of Crown Street and Deansgate. Tonight, BEN
OCTAGON THEATRE, Bolton. Ring Bolton 520661. OPERA HOUSE, Manchester. Runs until Saturday Nov 11, The Phantom of the Opera. Tel 0161 242 2524. LIBRARY THEATRE, Manchester. Ring 0161 236 7110. FORUM THEATRE, Wythenshawe. Ring 0161 445 3599. ROYAL EXCHANGE
LEISURE, SPORT AND KEEP FIT BOLTON Excel, Lower Bridgeman Street, tel: 334456: 7.30am-10.30pm. DEANE Leisure Centre, Junction Road, Deane, tel: 334432: swimming lessons, 5.30pm-7.30pm; basketball drop-in coaching, 5.30pm-6.30pm. FARNWORTH Leisure Centre
ARC GALLERY STORE, Oldham Street, Manchester. Mon to Sat 10am to 6pm. Sun noon to 5pm. Adm free. Ring 0161 831 7454. ASTLEY CHEETHAM ART GALLERY , Trinity Street, Stalybridge. Open Mon to Fri (not Thurs) 1pm to 7.30pm, Sat 9am to 4pm. Tel 0161 338 2708
RADIO One breakfast show host Sara Cox is to return to in front of the camera to present an edition of TV show TFI Friday. The 25-year-old from Bolton will present the Channel Four programme in four weeks' time. It follows Chris Evans' decision two weeks
TKO band member Joanne Leeton has sensationally quit the group ahead of its tour with pop sensation Steps. The 18-year-old is reported to have told the band she was fed up with touring the country. Her decision stunned her ex-colleagues Katie White and
EVERY day is another stuggle for 73 year-old Olive Lomas desperately trying to keep her beloved horses alive and well during the harsh winter months. The 73 ponies, horses and foals all live at an animal sanctuary called Only Foals and Horses in Oswaldtwistle
A COMMON misconception among animal owners is that flea control is a spring and summer issue, and many don't realise the importance of using flea prevention products during the colder, winter months. Our warm, cosy, centrally heated homes create the ideal
A CAMPAIGNING motorist is compiling a catalogue of crashes on one of Bolton's most notorious roads. And Mr Barney Wharton-Jones is planning to show his damning dossier to the executive director of Blackburn Council in his bid to sue them over a well-known
A BOLTON schoolboy has been expelled for allegedly dealing drugs to other pupils. The 15-year-old boy who attended Smithills High was thrown out of school after teachers heard claims that he had brought cannabis into school to sell to other youngsters
LOCAL actor Andrew Whyment -- known to millions as dodgy Darren on BBC's comedy The Royle Family -- is set for even greater stardom. Andrew Whyment, who plays Anthony's best mate in the cult series, is on the verge of gaining a permanent part in Coronation
THE MET, Market Street, Bury. Ring 0161 761 2216. BLUE CAT CAFE, Shaw Rd, Heaton Moor, Stockport, 0161 432 2117. FROG AND BUCKET, Oldham St, Mcr, 0161 236 9805. QUAY BAR, Deansgate Quay, Bridgewater Viaduct, Mcr. Ring 0161 839 8803. ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE
