Archive

THE Railway pub in Golborne will be the venue for a meeting of the South East Lancashire branch of the Campaign For Real Ale. The meeting takes place tonight at 8pm. More details from Mike Thomas on 01942 817335.

MANCHESTER Poetry Festival has introduced new initiatives to welcome visually and hearing impaired communities. The festival runs from October 4 to 13, and will feature audio-cassettes, Braille and large print copies of the programme, a fully accessible

A BALL will be held at the Reebok Stadium to support the Help a Local Child charity. The ball, on May 18, will raise funds for children. Vitec is the main sponsor of the event, organised by the East Lancs Chamber of Commerce with the Bolton and Bury Chamber

SHOPPERS will have the chance to win a million pounds thanks to their soccer skills -- and meet some famous football players into the bargain. Asda at Horwich will play host to former Bury manager and ex-England player Martin Dobson on Saturday, May 12

FIREFIGHTERS were called to a car blaze in Johnson Fold in the early hours of this morning. The Vauxhall Nova in Whalley Avenue was destroyed in the blaze at 2.15am.

A SECOND patient has died after being found hanged at Leigh Infirmary. John David Gowan, aged 48, of Kane Court, Lowton, died in Wigan Infirmary. He had been taken there after an incident in the psychiatric unit at Leigh. An inquiry was launched at Wrightington

DOCTORS in Bolton are being asked to resign due to "catastrophic under-funding" of the NHS. The British Medical Council has sent out voting papers to GPs today asking them if they are prepared to resign from their NHS contract. Bolton doctors will be

TURNPIKE Gallery in Leigh is inviting the public to take part in a number of events as part of national Museums and Galleries Month. Open House will welcome visitors to the centre with a live guide for the exhibition of paintings by Masakatsu Kondo. Local

MUGGERS grabbed an expensive lap top computer in a street robbery last night. The victim, who has not been identified, was attacked by two men as he walked along Kingsway, Walkden, just before 7pm. A Dell computer worth £2,000 was stolen. The first robber

A MAN from Swinton has appeared in court charged with the murder of a young father in Salford. Paul Higginson, 23, of Sevenoaks Drive, and Stuart Grainger of Thanet Close, Salford, both deny the murder of Derek Ianson. A jury at Manchester Crown Court

SUMMER is set to be fun in Ramsbottom with a new playscheme set to bring smiles to youngsters in the town. Arrangements for the recently-launched Ramsbottom Summer Playscheme are now being detailed following the latest meeting of the voluntary management

WIGAN Workspace, the commercial property arm of Wigan Metropolitan Development Company, has announced a major investment and regeneration project on the site of the former Golborne Colliery. The 5.5 acre site is to be redeveloped initially to provide

GROUNDWORK Business Environment Association hosts a Greening the Supply Chain event at Bury Town Hall on June 20. It is hoped that a senior Ministerial figure will attend. Mr Dennis Taylor, Chief Executive of Bury Council, is one of the speakers. He said

FOUR Bolton hairdressers are off to France to compete in a major competition. Training for Today is taking on rivals from France, Germany, Romania and Japan at the International Hairdressing Championships to be held in Le Mans -- one of Bolton's twin

THE Big Garden Birdwatch, launched by celebrity gardener Charlie Dimmock has revealed house sparrows are the number one bird in Lancashire gardens. The world's biggest and longest running garden bird survey, shows that an average of 4.1 house sparrows

AN illuminated sculpture is set to shine out for the first time in Radcliffe tonight. Radcliffe Area Board chairman, Cllr Barry Briggs and the Deputy Chief Executive of Irwell Valley Housing Association, Phil Summers, will officially switch on "In the

SURPRISES just kept coming for birthday girl Esther Dobson. The amazing 90-year-old topped her ride in a Rolls Royce with VIP treatment from Wingates Band and concertgoers at a local club followed by a party at her Westleigh home. Esther travelled in

A NURSERY plan has been turned down following complaints from neighbours. Seven objections were sent in to Wigan Council regarding plans to convert the first floor of Romford Avenue, Leigh, for nursery use. People living in Romford Avenue and Sandgate

THE two Bolton Association clubs to suffer ground problems could play a game of cricket tomorrow. Lostock should have played two weeks ago when the new season made a prompt start but were forced to cancel that because of a problem damp area close to the

OCTAGON THEATRE, Bolton. All Of You Mine. For the Cade family there is a guilty secret dating back to 1984. Runs to Saturday May 26. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £11.75, £10.50, £8, Monday to Thursday and £13.75, £12.50 and £10 Friday and Saturday. Concessions

HACK GREEN SECRET NUCLEAR BUNKER, off the A530 Whitchurch road, Nantwich. Discover the secret world of nuclear government by enterting the massive blast doors into the 35,000 sq ft complex where you will be transported into the chilling world of the Cold

OSWALDTWISTLE MILLS, Collier Street, Accrington. An Aladdin's Cave of crafts, gifts and fabric. Also, an opportunity to learn about the history of the mill and its owners, the Hargreaves family in the Textile Time Tunnel. Children can enjoy the adventure

ARC GALLERY STORE, Oldham Street, Manchester. Lucy McLauchlan and Steffa Plaetz featuring drawings, paintings and computer generated imagery. Also, Heads. An exhibition of haircuts, characters and letterforms coinciding with the launch of the beaufonts

THE library in Prestwich will be part of the fun as the town's Longfield Precinct stages its May Day celebrations. To tie in with events over the Bank Holiday weekend, staff at the local library have put together a varied programme for Saturday. From

IT might have sounded like a wheely bizarre idea. But rickshaws to ferry around weary shoppers, which made their debut in Bolton town centre last summer, are here to stay. The novelty transport proved a big hit during a trial run in August, using colourful

TALKS will be held this month in a bid to save a popular Farnworth children's nursery. Parents of children at Jelly Tots private pre-school nursery at Highfield Hall Community Centre will meet bosses from the nursery's management committee on May 23.

A MAN denied he tried to set his cross breed bull terrier on police officers who had attempted to arrest him and a friend. Rafike Riaz said the dog, a cross between a labrador and a Staffordshire bull terrier, was friendly and playful and did not even

WALTON HALL AND GARDENS, Warrington. Esso Walk in the Woods taking in Blues and Views. Sunday May 6. Ring 01925 444400. THE DINGLE, Appleton. Esso Walk in the Woods taking in The Dingle and Beyond. Sunday May 6. Ring 01925 444400. RISLEY MOSS LOCAL NATURE

BAND ON THE WALL, Swan Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester. Ring 0161 237 5554. ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, Manchester. Ring 0161 907 5279. BAR COAST, St Mary's Street, Manchester. Live Jazz duo. Every Wednesday. Starts 7pm. BOLTON CRICKET CLUB,

ANIMAL WORLD, Moss Bank Park, Moss Bank Way, Bolton. Enter the fascinating world of nature touring the enclosures suited to each individual animal's own natural habitat from farmyard animals to chipmunks and wildfowl to tropical birds and experience the

VICTORIAN LIVING HISTORY WEEKEND, Bramhall Hall, Bramhall Park, Stockport. Step back in time and experience Victorian life at Bramhall Hall through the eyes of the family and their servants. Saturday May 5 and Sunday May 6. Ring 0161 485 3708. GETTING

CENTRAL LIBRARY, Nelson. Ring 01282 692511. THACKRAY MEDICAL MUSEUM, Beckett Street, Leeds. Experience the drama of life and medicine through the ages with interactive galleries and exhibitions. Travel through a reconstruction of the slums of Victorian

BOLTON Under 15s failed to improve their position in the Greater Manchester Schools' League when they held Manchester to a 1-1 draw at Belle Vue. Sam Garner (Canon Slade) gave his side the lead with a shot from the edge of the area. Bolton hope to pick

THE English are a most unusual breed, are they not? And I can write that in the sure and certain knowledge that I am among their number. We have wildly conflicting opinions, especially about race relations. The question of colour and the emotions it can

A UK city has just given its freedom to Nelson Mandella -- revolutionary inspirer, world statesman, national leader and an icon of the 20th century. Bolton is giving its freedom to Mr Howarth -- time serving local politician who does not even merit a

AFTER reading the letter in the Bolton Evening News about bringing some discipline and pride back into Bolton, I think we have a long way to go before that happens. What about the rubbish that is all round the town centre, and bins not being used. Last

I FULLY accept Susan Wardle's answer 'True refugee status'. She put across a reasonable argument, but there are still grey areas. For instance, should Hitler have invaded this country, anyone escaping would be true refugees as I see it. On the other hand

I AM still constantly appalled at the apparent lack of proof-reading at the BEN. One reporter on the sports page -- I think it was last Saturday -- wrote of football teams having to join "a cue" to sign some player or other. And very few reporters seem

DRUNKEN teenagers rampaged through Westhoughton last night breaking windows in a stone-throwing wrecking spree. Youngsters ran through the town centre breaking six windows and throwing bricks and coins at police. It is the latest in a spate of incidents

GRAEME Souness paid tribute to Sam Allardyce for giving Blackburn a run for their money in the race for the Premiership. "I didn't believe Bolton would push us to the end of the season," the Rovers' boss said after seeing his side secure the second automatic

CONGRATULATIONS to Denise Morgan, the co-ordinator of the Bolton Busting Breast Cancer Appeal. Denise has won a national award for her work, specifically for the pioneering breast cancer awareness project The Wall of Hope. This was a whole wall of inspiring

CHILDREN have always scrawled derogatory remarks on school walls etc. I remember 'Proddy Dogs' was a favourite slogan on Canon Slade walls.Today we see everything from 'Lisa is Fit' to 'Gas is a puff' (and worse). For heaven's sake let us get things in

WELL known Conservative, Dorothy Waters, says that people should vote Conservative at the next election to bring firm leadership -- a contradiction if ever I heard one. Take the race issue to use as an example. At the weekend, William Hague changed his

I WAS absolutely disgusted to receive my parking ticket on April 18. I parked opposite the Town Hall West on Le Mans Crescent. Apparently the reason was (23G wrong class of vehicle). The sign I parked next to informed me of the pay and display machine

HOME Secretary Jack Straw's latest asylum plans have been denounced as a stunt to cover up shock new figures. The Home Secretary outlined proposals to tackle those who disappear while their asylum applications are being considered, and to examine fingerprint

ANYTHING relating to transport is a contentious issue in the Bolton borough. While problems with buses and trains manage to fill the columns of this newspaper on a regular basis, mention the words parking, bus lanes and wardens and the reaction is equally

TWO pensioners who died in a Bolton hotel blaze perished in a smoke-filled corridor as temperatures soared to a staggering 800 degrees, fire investigators have revealed. The couple were overcome by fumes as flames and smoke swept through a section of

ROCK stars Robbie Williams and U2 are among a host of famous names who are raising funds for leukaemia sufferer Elizabeth Morris. The chart-toppers are supporting the five-year-old from Prestolee by signing guitars to be auctioned off in Bolton next month

THE first leg of the play-off semi-finals will be played on Sunday week, May 13, with the second leg the following Wednesday, May 16 or Thursday, May 17. The final will be at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Monday, May 28.

CHESHIRE Building Society has established a new account which gives fans the chance to support Bolton Wanderers financially. Those who open a Wanderers Savers account with the Cheshire can invest from as little as £1. The Society will pay one per cent

Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside talks exclusively to BEN Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock Q: LATEST figures show the club to be around £30 million in debt - that's a lot. How are you dealing with it? A: It's true that we have debts of around £30 million

HORWICH Heritage Group holds its next meeting on Tuesday at the Resource Centre in Beaumont Road. Carole Banks will give a talk on "Haigh Hall and its People" at 7.30pm. Entrance costs 30p for members and 60p for non-members.

AN EXHIBITION of art work from a selection of North West High Schools featured in the OFSTED publication The Arts Inspected, is on display in Wigan. The Visual Arts Inspected runs until June 20 at Drumcroon, Wigan Education Art Centre, 2 Parsons Walk,

REAL ale fans will be interested in an outing by the Bolton branch of CAMRA on Saturday, May 12. They're off to Southport for a visit to the Second Sandgrounder Beer Festival. Meeting point is Trinity Street train station at 10.35am on the day.

DARREN Proctor, BEN columnist and Key 103 presenter Darren Proctor won a prestigious prize at the Radio 'Oscars' -- but still managed to return home empty-handed. Darren, who presents the Smash Hits show every Sunday, won a gold award at the Sony Awards

IT may be 40 years ago but memories of the Top Storey Club inferno were fresh in many people's minds this week. Certainly, for Mrs Jackie Webb from Harwood, the years rolled back as she read the BEN special series of commemorative features about the inferno

FIREFIGHTERS came to the rescue when a dog became trapped in railings yesterday morning. The German Shepherd cross had managed to get its head and front paws through metal railings leading onto a piece of land off Elsie Street in Farnworth. The fire crew

TWO men accused of racially aggravated offences have appeared before magistrates in Bury. Christopher Garside, aged 24, from Bury Old Road, Heywood and John Farrelly, also 24, from Sutherland Road, Heywood, were both charged following an incident which

THE impact of Stakeholder Pensions on small businesses was the subject of a seminar organised by Bolton Council's Ethnic Minorities Business Service. The programme -- aimed at the local ethnic minority business community -- was part-funded by the European

NEW research shows that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of profit warnings issued by North-west quoted companies in the first quarter of the year. There were 21 compared with seven in the previous quarter. Twelve months ago there was

CHESHIRE Building Society has established a new account which gives fans the chance to support Bolton Wanderers financially. Those who open a Wanderers Savers account with the Cheshire can invest from as little as £1. The Society will pay one per cent

By Rob Arkwright Hargreave Hale Ltd THE MARKET has been treading water this week, still unsure which way to go. After all the recent pessimism, there have been some upbeat analyst statements and hopes that the worst may be over. Technology stocks have

A HAULAGE contractor was due to be sentenced today after pleading guilty to evading excise duty of £100,000. Stanley Fernyhough, of Hilly Lees Farm, Macclesfield, was stopped in Leigh using red diesel in one of his nine lorries. The 54-year-old was charged

LITTLE Lever is to host a clean-up and mural painting project under the title of The Noise. The project is being co-ordinated by PFJ Ministries in conjunction with the Churches of Little Lever and Bolton Council. The project has also received the support

A WOMAN was arrested after she shouted and swore at police and paramedics and began to throw furniture around. Magistrates at Bury heard that officers and an ambulance crew went to the home of Deborah Blease following a 999 call. When they arrived they

TELEVISION'S gardening guru Mr Rotavator got his hands dirty in Bolton -- when he passed on his horticultural expertise to school pupils. Mr Rotavator -- aka Steve Brookes -- spent a day discussing nature and the environment with pupils at Edgworth Primary

A WOMAN who walked out of a store with a trolley full of groceries without paying and then came back a week later and tried to steal exactly the same amount was made subject to a community rehabilitation order by Rochdale magistrates. Mother-of-seven

A 'GRAND Day Out' can be enjoyed at Mere Hall on Sunday. Guests can attend a Victorian wedding, be classmates in a Victorian School, listen to ghost stories, watch a magic lantern show, play some old fashioned games and enjoy a cup of tea in the Victorian

PHIL Gartside today spoke exclusively to the BEN of the riches awaiting Wanderers if they can make it third time lucky in the end of season play-offs. The Wanderers' chairman described the Premiership as a 'golden vision' offering a wealth of financial

PRESTWICH boxer Chris P Bacon could be in line for a world title shot, writes STEVE BOTT. The Tasmanian terror is well on the way to a shot at South African Sebastian Rothmann's WBU cruiserweight title. Bacon's connections have held talks with Rothmann's

MARK CHILTON was called into the Lancashire squad for today's latest Benson and Hedges Cup tie against Derbyshire at Liverpool. The 24-year-old, who scored a half century in the opening Championship game against Somerset two years ago, was covering for

THE Warburton's Bolton League will make another bid to get their cricket campaign started tomorrow. After postponing the first set of fixtures a fortnight ago, only three games were able to start last week and of those, only Greenmount were able to complete

ASTLEY and Tyldesley cycle speedway team lost to Sheffield Stars in the first round of the British Team Championships. Skipper Damien Hack was in great form, losing only once to former Great Britain captain Martin Gamble in his last race, after heading

TRACEY Newman is the fourth best female showjumper in Britain - and she's aiming for the number one spot. But the talented 33-year-old needs your help to get there. Such is the limited prize money on offer in showjumping, Tracey struggles to keep her

RUMOURS that Leigh Centurions are in talks with Wales Rugby Union star centre Scott Gibbs are untrue. Head coach Paul Terzis has dismissed the stories as 'speculation and fantasy.' "No way are we interested in Gibbs or have had any discussion with him

MAY DAY REVELS. Dance around a May pole and help decorate the Green Man. Hall i'th'Wood Museum, off Crompton Way, Bolton. Monday May 7. Starts 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm. Ring 332245 or 332250. A DAY OUT WITH THOMAS, East Lancashire Railway, Bolton Street

LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL, Liverpool. Liverpool Cathedral Summer Music 2001. Runs to Thursday May 31. Ring 0151 708 8471. BRITISH BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS - THE GRAND SHIELD, Empress Ballroom, Blackpool. Saturday May 5. Ring 01253 629653. LINE DANCE SOCIAL

FARMERS ARMS, Chorley Street, Bolton. Bungalow Ponies, local rock band. Saturday May 5. Starts 9pm. LIFE CAFE, Peter Street, Manchester. Ring 0161 832 1111. PIGEON CLUB, Bridgeman Street, off Manchester Road, Bolton. Starts 8pm. Tickets £4. Ring 528323

LEISURE, SPORT AND KEEP FIT BOLTON Excel, Lower Bridgeman Street, tel: 334456: 50+ badminton, table tennis, squash and gym, 1pm-3pm; body conditioning, 2pm-3pm. DEANE Leisure Centre, Junction Road, Deane, tel: 334432: aerobics, 8pm-9pm; swim lessons,

GOING to the dentist should become much more pleasant for patients in Bolton thanks to a half a million pound grant. NHS surgeries in the town will be able to bid for a slice of the £508,556 available locally to refurbish their buildings or buy new equipment

BUSES have been forced off the road by stone throwing yobs. The vandals have struck on estates in Tyldesley and Platt Bridge forcing bus operators to withdraw services affecting routes through Leigh, Tyldesley, Westleigh, Astley and Platt Bridge. The

A SECOND patient from Lowton has died after being found hanging at Leigh Infirmary. John David Gowan, 48, of Kane Court, Lowton died in Wigan Infirmary where he been taken following an incident in the psychiatric unit at Leigh. An inquiry is already underway

HMS BRONINGTON, Quay West, Trafford Warf Road, Wharfside, Trafford Park. HMS Bronington is preserved to illustrate a way of life and work and to commemorate generations of ships and men in the minesweeping service of the Royal Navy. A VIP commentary is

GREAT LEVER COMMUNITY CENTRE, Bradford Road, Bolton. Thai Boxing Tuesday eves 7pm-8pm. Thai Boxing for children Saturdays, noon to 1pm. Ring Bolton 522568. CLUB MISTRY, 187 Derby Street, Bolton. 5 full sized snooker tables. Open daily. Ring 524695. BEESLEY

FILMS for the week until Thursday May 10. UGC CINEMA, The Valley, Centertainment, Bolton. Captain Corelli's Mandolin (15); Along Came A Spider (15); Rahul (PG); Antitrust (12); Bridget Jones's Diary (15); Exit Wounds (18); The Mexican (15); Spy KIds (

MEN ARENA, Manchester. The Best Disco in Town featuring Tavares, The Stylistics, The Gibson Brothers, Edwin Starr, The Real Thing, Dr Hook, Baccara, Odyssey, George McCrae and Tina Charles. Wednesday, May 23. Tickets £25. Also, S Club 7. Saturday June

HALLIWELL REFORM CLUB, Bolton. Members notice. Entertaiment every Friday and Saturday. Open from 7pm each evening. Ring 528323. WALKDEN LABOUR CLUB, Bolton Road, Walkden. Members notice. Live Cabaret. Every Saturday and Sunday. Dancing. Every Monday.

ALBERT HALLS, Bolton. Bolton. Opera 74 presents Eugene Onegin by Piotr Tchaikovsky. Runs from Wednesday May 9 to Saturday May 12. Starts 7.15pm. Tickets £10, £9, £8 and £7. Ring 592064 or 3the Town Hall on 334400. THE MET, Market Street, Bury. Ring 0161

REEBOK STADIUM AND TOUR CENTRE, Middlebrook Leisure and Retail Park, Bolton. Take a look behind the scenes at the home of Bolton Wanderers. The tour begins at the new interactive Museum and Tour Centre and includes a visit to the players' dressing and

The final, provisionally scheduled for Monday, May 21, will see two local amateur teams battle it out on the pitch that most could only dream of playing on. Keith Whittaker, organiser of the Hospital Saturday Cup, commented: "We are delighted that Bolton

ALBERT HALLS, Bolton. Ring 334400. QUAYS THEATRE, The Lowry, Salford Quays. Ring 0161 876 2000. 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, Manchester. 0161

STREET LIFE FESTIVAL, Bolton Town Centre. A mixture of street entertainment including music, stunning theatre, comedy. Events include: Victoria Square, Faateleku, noon; Caucasic Circus, 1pm and 2.30pm; Bollywood Band, 1.30pm; Street Beast, 3pm. On Deansgate

ANDY Preece has revealed his blueprint for next season - 25 goals from Jon Newby and a young team challenging for promotion. And the Bury boss admitted he would be desperately disappointed if he wasn't the man in charge to reap the rewards of this season's

LEIGH RMI wind up a gruelling debut season in the Nationwide Conference tomorrow with a final day visit to Morecambe. Leigh's first-ever League visit to Christie Park is a significant one for RMI who need to pick up at least a point to guarantee a top