Archive

  • £154 worse off

    LOCAL workers earning £20,000 a year will be £154 a year worse off when increased National Insurance contributions are introduced next month. Accountants and business advisers KPMG calculate that this will be the effect of the additional one per cent

  • Industry leaders are doubtful on assembly

    BUSINESS leaders at the CBI are sceptical about the need for an elected North-west assembly or "parliament." The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill is going through Westminster and it could result in a regional referendum in Autumn, 2004 to see whether

  • Lament for town's Wakes Weeks

    WE couldn't wait to get rid of Bolton's Wakes Weeks, could we? Well, how wrong we were. The warnings were always there, mostly from those at the sharp end in local schools who had spotted that losing the Bolton Holiday Fortnight would mean more expensive

  • Work ethic is lost on young

    AT last .... someone has finally admitted what many people have suspected for years: young people simply do not understand the work ethic. Business leader Margaret Michell, chairman of a new skills task force set up by the British Chambers of Commerce

  • Puzzle over road picture

    AMONG the pictures of Bolton (but sent from America) I used on Tuesday, was one with the caption "Deane Road". A reader has taken me to task, claiming that the picture was of Wigan Road, Deane. The reader may well be correct, but what didn't appear in

  • Puzzle over road picture

    AMONG the pictures of Bolton (but sent from America) I used on Tuesday, was one with the caption "Deane Road". A reader has taken me to task, claiming that the picture was of Wigan Road, Deane. The reader may well be correct, but what didn't appear in

  • Pictures from America. but they're of Bolton!

    THESE pictures have been sent to Bolton from Michigan, USA - but some are of Bolton in the past. They have been lent to me by Mrs Mary Foley, of Chorley Old Road, who tells me that her mother had two sisters, Minnie and Alice, and one brother, Jim. The

  • Government doing its bit to reverse trend

    PHIL Ashcroft, the aspirant Tory candidate for Hulton Park, accuses the present Government of transferring resources from Tory-voting authorities to Labour ones (Letters, March 10). A gift for mild hypocrisy is a necessary skill for any budding politician

  • Naturalist's bird lecture

    BOLTON Field Naturalists' last lecture of the season -- "Sea Bird Summer and Birds of a Pennine Forest" an audio-visual talk by Gordon Yates -- will be held on Monday, April 7, at 7.30pm, in the Lecture Theatre of Bolton Central Library. Framed bird photographs

  • These birds are such a huge menace to the fish

    THERE is at the moment a great deal of controversy centred around the love affairs of a bird. This duck over-winters in this country before migrating to Spain, where its amorous attention to the native White Headed Duck is causing international concern

  • Why Britain's war moves are such folly

    AS we head inexorably towards war with Iraq, I wish to explain why I believe that British participation on a conflict inspired by Washington would be folly. The case for war has not yet been made, and the more the Government has sought to justify its

  • Reunion for ex-staff of Bolton Gate Company

    STAND by, all you former employees of Bolton Gate Company. A reunion has been arranged for March 21, and you are all invited. Mr Hindle Gregory, of 5 Arran Close, Ladybridge, Bolton, tells me that along with Derek Smith and Ken Hart, he is organising

  • Museum tokens tell a piece of Bolton history

    I AM always amazed what transpires from my stories in Looking Back. A couple of weeks or so ago, I wrote about the Star Museum on Churchgate, which was on the site of where the Theatre Royal later stood. I have now received an e-mail from Mr George Keech

  • Wildlife filming secrets revealed

    BUDDING David Attenboroughs are to be given the chance to see behind the scenes of BBC wildlife filming. A free exhibition based on Attenborough's 'The Life of Mammals' television series is coming to The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester until

  • Splash out for charity

    LOCAL swimmers and charity fundraisers are urged to make waves and sign up for Butlins Swimathon 2003 as soon as possible, or risk missing the boat. Horwich Leisure Centre is one of more than 550 pools participating in the event across the UK from March

  • On this day - MARCH 14

    1804 Johann Strauss the Elder, composer of waltzes, was born in Vienna. 1836 IsabelIa Mary Mayson, who became Mrs Beeton of cookery book fame, was born in Heidelberg. 1879 Albert Einstein, physicist and mathematician, was born in Ulm, Bavaria. 1883 Death

  • Walkden's national bid

    BOLTON Cricket League side Walkden bid to become the national six-a-side indoor cricket champions on Sunday when they comepete in the last four at Lord's. They won the Bolton title and went on to win the Lancashire and Northern championships to earn a

  • Kitting out our boys in Gulf

    A CHORLEY firm is helping keep troops well hidden from the enemy by providing the camouflage material for army uniforms. Pincroft's Printing and Dyeing Works on Market Street, Adlington, produces three different types of camouflage material including

  • Who wants an old moggy?

    HUMAN beings are living longer than ever before thanks to a varied diet, better medical care and strict hygiene regulations. But similar improvements in the feline world are causing major problems for a local cat charity. 'Claws,' which finds homes for

  • When Steve Gets All Fired Up

    WHEN he's not arguing the case for fire-fighters across Lancashire he's fighting the corner of prisoners across the world. Steve Harman is Lancashire Fire and Rescue's full time union representative and has been involved in top-level negotiations during

  • Rail Pass Cost Outrage

    A CHORLEY pensioner says she is 'devastated' that the cost of a concessionary rail pass has risen by almost 750 per cent. Until this week, the council-issued passes were priced at just £2 and allowed pensioners a third off train fares. But the price has

  • Residents left in dark

    AN UNHOLY row has erupted after a church submitted plans for a two storey extension which local residents say will leave them shrouded in darkness. Homeowners on Weldbank Lane say the extension to the Chapel House Christian Fellowship, Moor Road, at the

  • All radio roads lead to Bolton

    WITH two Bolton-born DJs on the payroll it couldn't be long before Radio 1 had to admit that Bolton is capable of creating much more than just a damn fine pasty. And so Radio 1 is going On The Road from March 28 to 30, with a weekend of free events and

  • Everything you need to know about Sopranos

    MUCH has been written about the number of high quality dramas invading these shores from across the Atlantic. The likes of Sex and the City, CSI, NYPD Blue, 24 and Boomtown have proved that the Yanks can indeed, when they put their minds to it, output

  • When did you last go clubbing?

    HOW long is it since you went clubbing in Manchester? Answer honestly now. And I mean CLUBBING, not just hopping from bar to bar on the Locks before hoofing back to the safe and familiar confines of Bolton for last orders? Ages isn't it? I thought so.

  • Nolan's plea to support England

    WANDERERS midfielder Kevin Nolan is calling on fans to support England U17s team when they take on Slovakia at the Reebok Stadium on Friday, kick off 7pm. This match is part of the UEFA U17s Championship second qualifying round with the winners progressing

  • Jason warns Whites of tough task ahead

    JASON McAteer has warned Wanderers that they will have their work cut out to avoid being swept aside by Sunderland's new broom at the Stadium of Light. The arrival of new manager Mick McCarthy has generated a new mood of optimism on Wearside and with

  • How vital win fired Black Cats' survival

    MEMORIES of a previous Sunderland survival success flooded back as Sam Allardyce admitted the "new manager" syndrome could have a major bearing on Saturday's relegation duel at the Stadium of Light. The Wanderers' boss recalled how eight years ago he

  • Pupils walk the talk for charity

    CARING pupils from Canon Slade School are hoping to raise £1,000 for charity by completing a two-hour walk before school every day for a week. Seven pupils are walking to Canon Slade, in Bradshaw Brow, Bolton, from Ramsbottom to raise money for Christian

  • Truancy campaign to go on

    TRUANCY crackdowns are to continue in Bolton although a national survey has revealed they have had no impact nationally on the number of children turning up at school. Local education officials believe the truancy sweeps -- when children are stopped during

  • Mason aims to shoot for the top

    CHORLEY striker Andy Mason plans to fire the Magpies into the play-offs after ditching his super-sub tag. The former Bolton and Macclesfield man was left out of manager Mark Molyneaux's starting lune-up earlier this season. But the 28-year-old was reinstated

  • Yeomanry to hold reunion

    THE Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (DLOY) will hold its annual reunion at the Territorial Army centre, in Wigan, on April 5, at 7.30pm. All ex-DLOY are welcome to the buffet, bar and an evening of reminiscences. The Regimental Association is open to

  • Another stop attack demo

    ANOTHER anti-war demonstration will held in front of the town hall on Saturday. Members of Bolton Stop The War Coalition, the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, the Muslim Youth Federation and others will be meeting at 1pm and handing out flyers in their

  • Blue Cross days to help charity

    TWO days of fun and games will be held at a Bolton veterinary surgery this weekend to raise funds for a leading animal charity. Tombolas, face painting, lucky dips and refreshments will be on offer at Companion Care, based at the Middlebrook Retail Park

  • Motorists sent round the bend

    DRIVERS could be forgiven for thinking they were going round the bend in Manchester Road, Westhoughton. The problem was caused by council workmen responsible for erecting a bollard and a sign in the road -- one directing road users to go left and the

  • Farmer's fair trade finale

    A GHANAIAN farmer whose village has benefited from the sale of fair trade products will bring a fortnight of events to a close in Bolton on Saturday. Cocoa-bean grower Comfort Kwaasiba will be welcomed by African drummers as she arrives to spell out the

  • Another stop attack demo

    ANOTHER anti-war demonstration will held in front of the town hall on Saturday. Members of Bolton Stop The War Coalition, the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, the Muslim Youth Federation and others will be meeting at 1pm and handing out flyers in their

  • Man on trial after neighbour dispute

    A MAN has gone on trial accused of hurling racial abuse at a 14 year-old boy and smashing a window. Jason McGarry, aged 33, of Dunkirk Road, Whitefield, is alleged to have racially threatened the teenager and then hurled a brick through the lounge window

  • Rivals united for Wanderers clash

    WANDERERS will face a united front from Sunderland on Saturday as players and fans join forces to answer new manager Mick McCarthy's call for the start of a sensational revival. McCarthy plans to walk out on to the turf at the Stadium of Light to greet

  • 'Own the club offer' to ice hockey fans

    BOLTON'S ice hockey fans have been given the choice of becoming owners of their own top-flight club - or see the sport disappear forever in the region. An ambitious business plan drawn up by the Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey (FOMIH)will see an 'investment

  • Bars and clubbing

    ATLANTIS, The Valley, Eagley Brook Way, Bolton Pop, chart and commercial dance with older classics (that's the songs not the clinetele!) in Club Class Tonight, 9.30pm to 2.30am Popular weekend clubnight with dance tunes galore Saturday, 9.30pm to 3am,

  • Sheep trials of the Lakes BY ALAN CALVERT

    YOU cannot beat a sheep and fiddles weekend if you want to get away from it all. A trip to the Lake District to stay with my sister provided a pleasant change of scenery and a welcome brush with rural life. There were lots of sheep to be seen as farming

  • Atherton derby clash

    LOCAL rivals Atherton Collieries and Atherton LR, both in relegation trouble in the North West Counties League, go head to head at Alder House on Saturday (ko 3pm).

  • Five-a-side league

    THE Horwich Five-a-Side League is looking for teams in Horwich and Bolton for the new season, which starts in mid-March. There are Sunday and Wednesday leagues and matches will be played at Horwich Sports Centre with FA qualified referees. It is open

  • Schools' cup action

    BURY U15s try for the second time to stage their Greater Manchester Schools' County Cup semi final clash against Wigan at the Derby School on Saturday (10.30am). Bolton U5s are also in action against Blackpool in a Northern Merit League match at Sharples

  • Hurst returns as Boro look for a lift

    RADCLIFFE Borough will have Danny Hurst back in goal after suspension when they travel to lowly Kidsgrove on Saturday. Borough are looking to bounce back after dropping to fourth following defeats against Alfreton and Matlock. David Bean is doubtful with

  • RMI stars to go shopping for supporters

    LEIGH RMI's latest attempt to raise the club's profile in the town will see first team players out and about on Saturday afternoon. Players and officials will be in the town centre to meet their fans and sign autographs. There will also be a free raffle

  • Fledgling city's first birthday

    THE youngest city in the region is celebrating the first anniversary of receiving city status on Friday. Preston beat 26 other towns in England -- including Blackburn and Blackpool -- to win the title last year. The contest was drawn up as part of the

  • Straw to meet Muslim chiefs

    FOREIGN Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw is to meet with Muslim leaders from his constituency later over concerns about a war with Iraq. The meeting comes after angry demonstrations last month when Mr Straw cancelled one of his weekly surgeries over

  • Eight years for man who picked on pensioners

    A MAN who targeted the elderly in a series of robberies and burglaries has been jailed for eight years. James Evans, aged 35, had deliberately picked on pensioners throughout Lancashire and Greater Manchester. One elderly couple in Bury invited him in

  • High-flyer Debbie wins a plane for the day

    A TRAVEL agent will be taking members of her family and friends for a day out on Saturday after winning first prize in a national competition . . . a plane for the day. Debbie Firkin, aged 27, will fly to Vienna with 39 friends after winning the star

  • Vandals putting 'lives at risk'

    FIREMEN responding to 999 calls in Little Hulton are to double-up crews on all call-outs from today after a spate of attacks by stone throwing vandals. The decision came after vandals threw a brick at the windscreen of a fire engine from Farnworth Fire

  • Blind OAP's crossing plea

    A BLIND woman who is campaigning for a pedestrian crossing near her home says her life is at risk every time she tries to cross a busy main road. Doreen Higson, aged 69, has struggled to cross Belmont Road, Astley Bridge, for years and began her campaign

  • RMI Final date

    LEIGH RMI's Lancashire Cup final against Kendall Town will take place on April 16 at Accrington Stanley's Crown ground, kick 7.45pm. The result will be decided on the night by extra-time and penalties if necessary.

  • Sunderland FactFile

    LATEST results and form report Ground: Stadium of Light Nickname: Black Cats Manager: Mick McCarthy Current position: 20th Top scorer: Kevin Phillips - 9 (5 Premiership) Last six Premiership: Fulham (away) lost 1-0; Middlesbrough (home) lost 3-1; Spurs

  • Open bowling

    THE Allens Green Bowling Club, Radcliffe, RRG of Bury Open takes place on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27, Saturday and Sunday May 3 and 4; Last 16 Sunday, May 11. All starting 1pm. Entry £7, prize money £1,200: Winner £400, runner up £200, semi

  • PREVIEW: We're not dead yet, raps Super Kev

    WANDERERS know all about struggling in front of goal writes Richard Mulligan. According to Sam Allardyce it is "the over-riding difference" between the Premiership's elite and those at the wrong end of the table. Nowhere is the gulf more in evidence than

  • Kurds to march in favour of war

    ABOUT 1,000 Kurdish protesters will join a march today to show their support for a war with Iraq. They say every day innocent people are killed under Saddam Hussein's regime and that international intervention is necessary if he is to be overthrown. The

  • Phoenix gang rise again

    THE gang from Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights will be doing their bit for Comic Relief tonight -- live and on the big screen! Fans of the Bolton-based series have paid £10 each to see their three favourite episodes from the first series of the popular Channel

  • Red nose alert

    FRIDAY is officially Red Nose Day and at 7pm tonight, Red Nose fever takes over your TV for a night of comedy led by some of the biggest names in the business. Nicola Mostyn gives you the lowdown on the highlights from this year's Red Nose Day, looks

  • Dance back in time

    A CHARITY dance night in aid of Bury Hospice is set to bring back musical memories of the 1940s. The 1940s dance night will feature the Tommy Lowe Big Band playing music of the era, and will be held in the Elizabethan Suite, at Bury town hall, on Saturday

  • Injured striker back in the frame

    HENRIK Pedersen, who sustained ligament damage in his shoulder in the derby duel with Manchester United and was only expecting to be considered for the Spurs game on Monday week, suddenly has an outside chance of returning to boost Allardyce's attacking

  • Sunderland v Wanderers: Everything you need to know

    FOLLOW Wanderers' big clash with Sunderland at the Theatre of Light on Saturday with links here. Chief Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock will be filing team news, half-time report and a full-time match report from the stadium. All the preview reports, plus

  • 'Retired' Gudni set for Hampden dream return

    GUDNI Bergsson is set for a shock return to international football at the age of 37. The Wanderers' skipper, who has not played for Iceland for five and a half years and is due to retire from professional football in May, has been named in the squad for

  • RMI Final date

    LEIGH RMI's Lancashire Cup final against Kendall Town will take place on April 16 at Accrington Stanley's Crown ground, kick 7.45pm. The result will be decided on the night by extra-time and penalties if necessary.

  • Growing bright ideas for jobs

    BRIGHT ideas are needed to help Bolton and the North-west build jobs and prosperity for the future. The £1.5 million i-zone at Bolton Institute -- incubator units which provide help and support for technology-based entrepreneurs -- is a significant new

  • Lenny's the new voice of the clock

    RED Nose Day has become a bit like student Rag Weeks used to be -- lots of people doing delightfully outrageous things for good causes. TV highlights include Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders acting out a new Harry Potter story with Dawn as Harry and

  • Putting the record right on bungalows

    WE are writing in response to the feature that appeared in the March 5 edition of the Bolton Evening News, relating to the redevelopment of the former De Lacy Drive site in Tonge Moor. The article itself was extremely positive and well written, and we

  • Making point over motoring

    REGARDING the letter by Allan Ramsay about ever complaining motorists "Paying the price of car society". I don't know if he is a driver himself, but he has a point. As a boy in the 1960s, I saw the writing on the wall and, luckily, passed my test first

  • Yeomanry to hold reunion

    THE Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (DLOY) will hold its annual reunion at the Territorial Army centre, in Wigan, on April 5, at 7.30pm. All ex-DLOY are welcome to the buffet, bar and an evening of reminiscences. The Regimental Association is open to

  • Cotton and textile products in the lime-light

    From the Evening News, March 14, 1903: MR WW Midgley of Bolton paid a visit to the quaint little village of Rivington on Wednesday, and gave an interesting lecture on Hall-i'th'-Wood, of which he is curator. Mr WH Lever, who presented the house to Bolton

  • Workers vow to fight on

    EMPLOYEES of BAE Systems have vowed to continue fighting a decision to sell off Aerostructures. BAE Systems announced last year that it planned to sell the branch of the company which makes components for the Airbus passenger jet. But the engineering

  • Ellen's son on murder charge

    A SON charged with the murder of his elderly mother has been committed to the Crown Court for trial. Stanley Crank, aged 45, of Cross Street, Bolton is charged with stabbing to death Ellen Crank at her home in Brownlow Fold between February 21 and 23.

  • Weblinks to media around the world

    AS the world waits newspapers around the world report the news . . . Here are some varied weblinks so you can see the news from differing perspectives. From America there's The Washington Post, CNN, NBC News, Time Magazine, USA Today From Britain BBC

  • Straight from the Horse's Mouth by Fred Done

    Back resurgent United to slam the Villains WHO would have believed it? Just about everybody agrees that the gulf between Premiership football and the First Division is bigger than ever. So how come the final stages of the FA Cup have been equally divided

  • Two good reasons to hit the clubs

    HOW long is it since you went clubbing in Manchester? Answer honestly now. And I mean CLUBBING, not just hopping from bar to bar on the Locks before hoofing back to the safe and familiar confines of Bolton for last orders? Ages isn't it? I thought so.

  • Ace nightspot

    THE newest clubnight to come to Bolton has its roots firmly in house music history. Ace of Clubs organisers Brendan and Gareth were both part of the scene in the early Nineties, creating a clubbing magazine, mainly, they admit, because they wanted to

  • Sam feared for his safety in Greek riots

    SAM Allardyce spoke today of how he feared for his safety when he was caught up in crowd riots on a scouting trip to Greece last weekend. The Wanderers' boss was unharmed but fled the ground early after witnessing scenes of violence he described as "a

  • Faith was full of charisma

    WHEN Adam Faith died at the weekend memories of a much more innocent time died with him. In the late Fifties, the two big, home-grown pop idols were Cliff Richard and Adam Faith and youngsters tended to be in one camp or the other. Cliff was Britain's

  • Guild meeting

    MEMBERS of Westhoughton Townswomen's Guild will hold their annual meeting in the Assembly Rooms, Tithe Barn Street, on Monday March 17, starting at 7.30pm. and will be followed by a good-as-new rail-sale.

  • Life's sweet for Honey

    THE name may not be as internationally well-known as a Hollywood star like Nicole Kidman -- but Bollywood's Honey Kalaria is undoubtedly a big star in her own right. She has been in countless films, appeared in numerous pop videos, founded Indian dance

  • Naturalist's bird lecture

    BOLTON Field Naturalists' last lecture of the season -- "Sea Bird Summer and Birds of a Pennine Forest" an audio-visual talk by Gordon Yates -- will be held on Monday, April 7, at 7.30pm, in the Lecture Theatre of Bolton Central Library. Framed bird photographs

  • Another stop attack demo

    ANOTHER anti-war demonstration will held in front of the town hall on Saturday. Members of Bolton Stop The War Coalition, the Muslim Public Affairs Committee, the Muslim Youth Federation and others will be meeting at 1pm and handing out flyers in their

  • Pupils walk the talk for charity

    CARING pupils from Canon Slade School are hoping to raise £1,000 for charity by completing a two-hour walk before school every day for a week. Seven pupils are walking to Canon Slade, in Bradshaw Brow, Bolton, from Ramsbottom to raise money for Christian

  • Cheers to life before television

    HORWICH is taking a step back in time to celebrate life before television. For many the thought would be too horrible to bear, but an exhibition starting tomorrow at Horwich Heritage Centre, Longworth Road, Horwich, aims to celebrate the pastimes, leisure

  • Glamour day in at the races!

    RACING fans packed into a Bolton pub to celebrate the Cheltenham Festival and raise cash for charity. Stewart and Lorraine Brookes, landlord and landlady of the Bob's Smithy Inn, in Chorley Old Road, held their annual Cheltenham Gold Cup Day races event

  • Euro-MP is backed for next elections

    BOLTON Euro-MP Chris Davies has won the backing of party members locally to fight next year's elections to the European Parliament. The Liberal Democrat MEP, who last year was fined for possession of cannabis after making a political protest calling for

  • Extra gigs for Peter Kay fans

    PETER Kay today announced the final 14 dates of his record-breaking UK tour. The Bolton comedian's My Mum Wants a Bungalow Tour is set to be the biggest comedy tour of the past year, with 120,000 tickets sold. Today Peter, who plays his home town at the

  • Glamour day in at the races!

    RACING fans packed into a Bolton pub to celebrate the Cheltenham Festival and raise cash for charity. Stewart and Lorraine Brookes, landlord and landlady of the Bob's Smithy Inn, in Chorley Old Road, held their annual Cheltenham Gold Cup Day races event

  • Air raid drill was a part of school day

    MY story about the 90th celebrations of Wolfenden School, Bolton (moves to a new building in The Valley this summer), brought a letter from Elsie Heveran, of Red Lane, Breightmet. "It was the only nursery school when I went there at three or four years

  • Hilton agree album details

    BOLTON indie rockers Hilton have agreed terms with Dave Maughan for final production of their debut album. It will be titled Not Afraid To Be Happy. Maughan is probably best known for his work with Kathryn Williams for her Little Black Numbers LP which

  • Chilis still red hot

    THEY'RE not quite in the Rolling Stones' league when it comes to ageing rockers, but the Red Hot Chili Peppers aren't exactly new kids on the block, either. Indeed, the fact that they are touching 40 makes their emergence as this season's hottest import

  • Teenage memories of theatre shows

    WHEN Muriel Blenkinsop saw a recent Bolton Evening News picture of the St Philip's Operatic Society production of "State Fair", it brought back memories of her teenage years (she is now 85), when she appeared in two of the society's shows. Mrs Blenkinsop

  • Aussies missing the point

    IT doesn't happen very often but when the Aussies get something hopelessly wrong it's always worth a gloat writes Chris Hall The NRL season kicks-off Down Under this weekend with yet another revolutionary rule change forced upon its clubs. From now on

  • Cup chance for Smith to shine

    WARRIORS' perennial understudy Mark Smith is hoping to exploit the club's injury problems and save his Wigan career writes Chris Hall Smith has demonstrated the patience of a saint during his long-five years at the club, restricted to the fringe of the

  • Fundraising drives helped cricket club

    IT wasn't cricket! That was the general opinion among officials of clubs in the Bolton and District Cricket League in 1958 about the rates they had to pay on their grounds being increased. To try to raise more money to pay the increases, many clubs organised

  • Musical youth

    THERE was a clear emphasis on youth in the Bolton Borough Band when pictured in 1974

  • Preece weighs up the options

    THE tension is rising at Gigg Lane as Bury's promotion charge heads into the final furlong at Macclesfield on Saturday writes Chris Hall. And it will be reassuring for Shakers fans to know that manager Andy Preece is sharing their nail-biting excitement

  • Health plan bears fruit for pupils

    PUPILS at a Breightmet school are being encouraged to eat healthier food. Every Friday at Withins School has been designated a no chocolate and pop day to make way for a healthy selection of food and drink. A selection of fruit is being sold in the school

  • Slip road shut

    A NORTHBOUND exit slip road on the M6 near Warrington will be closed on March 23 for repair work on the Thelwall viaduct. The slip road is at junction 21. A diversion is in operation via the A57 roundabout at Junction 22.

  • War on conmen

    A NEW scheme is being launched to stop conmen who burgle the homes of older people in Merseyside. Age Concern is funding handymen and women to fit safety devices and carry out maintenance work for the elderly, deterring burglars. The charity's "Handyvan

  • Child sex charges

    A MANCHESTER man has pleaded not guilty in Thailand to charges that he molested children and distributed pornography over the Internet. Robert Errol Wood, aged 24, was arrested on January 14 after allegedly luring young boys to a Bangkok hotel room where

  • 630 held in

    burglary swoop HUNDREDS of wanted people have now been arrested in Greater Manchester as part of a crackdown on burglary and robbery, police have revealed. More than 630 arrests have been made, with over 450 of those charged, since Operation Cleanup began

  • Farmer's fair trade finale

    A GHANAIAN farmer whose village has benefited from the sale of fair trade products will bring a fortnight of events to a close in Bolton on Saturday. Cocoa-bean grower Comfort Kwaasiba will be welcomed by African drummers as she arrives to spell out the

  • Firefighters take up challenge to help Erin

    TWO firefighters are set to fly to Lanzarote this summer in a bid to raise money for a sick four-year-old girl. Station Officer Neil Mercer, from Farnworth fire station, and Station Officer Chris Rainford, from Broughton fire station, are set to brave

  • Golf club mourns death crash couple

    MEMBERS at a Worsley Golf Club have been stunned by the death of an elderly golfing couple who were killed in a crash in Cyprus. Dorina, aged 68, and Eric Drinnan, aged 74, of Roe Green in Worsley, were visiting British friends in Paphos when the VW Beetle

  • New fund to set up clubs for youngsters

    AN MP is urging clubs, schools and youth organisations in Bolton South-east to apply for grants of up to £15,000 from a new fund aimed at creating thousands of clubs for young people. Brian Iddon has backed the £1.2 million Make Space Development Fund

  • Plight of Gus touched so many hearts

    GENEROUS support from Bolton Evening News readers has overwhelmed the heartbroken owners of Gus the horse -- who is still fighting for life after being set alight by arsonists. Gus is still very ill and will possibly be blinded in his left eye after petrol

  • New fund to set up clubs for youngsters

    AN MP is urging clubs, schools and youth organisations in Bolton South-east to apply for grants of up to £15,000 from a new fund aimed at creating thousands of clubs for young people. Brian Iddon has backed the £1.2 million Make Space Development Fund

  • PREVIEW: Star trio have survival quality - Sam

    SAM Allardyce is determined to continue playing to the strengths of his big-name players as he bids to keep Wanderers clear of the Premiership drop zone. The Bolton boss believes Your Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha and Ivan Campo have the quality that will

  • PREVIEW: Wilko backs Black Cats against Wanderers

    SACKED Sunderland manager Howard Wilkinson believes the Black Cats are beginning to get it right - and predicts they will get a result against Wanderers on Saturday. Reflecting on his departure he said: "I am not surprised by anything that happens in

  • PREVIEW: Rivals united for Wanderers clash

    WANDERERS will face a united front from Sunderland on Saturday as players and fans join forces to answer new manager Mick McCarthy's call for the start of a sensational revival. McCarthy plans to walk out on to the turf at the Stadium of Light to greet

  • PREVIEW: How vital win fired Black Cats' survival

    MEMORIES of a previous Sunderland survival success flooded back as Sam Allardyce admitted the "new manager" syndrome could have a major bearing on Saturday's relegation duel at the Stadium of Light. The Wanderers' boss recalled how eight years ago he

  • PREVIEW: Mac takes on Black Cats job

    MICK McCarthy has been handed the task of saving Sunderland's Premiership skin, starting with Saturday's high-pressure relegation battle with Wanderers at the Stadium of Light writes Gordon Sharrock The appointment of the former Republic of Ireland manager

  • Youngsters to audition for Oliver

    MEMBERS of Bolton Premier Productions are inviting talented youngsters to "consider yourself one of us" when they hold auditions for Oliver on March 23, 2pm. The group, which won last year's Bolton Evening News' award for best musical will perform Oliver

  • Youngsters to audition for Oliver

    MEMBERS of Bolton Premier Productions are inviting talented youngsters to "consider yourself one of us" when they hold auditions for Oliver on March 23, 2pm. The group, which won last year's Bolton Evening News' award for best musical will perform Oliver

  • Fascinated by the cats

    Cats, Palace Theatre, Manchester. Until April 5 CATS has been capturing the imagination of theatre goers for more than two decades. And still people are unsure about what exactly is going on. The show's composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has waxed eloquent