WHEN are the electors of Bolton going to wake up? The Socialist Council has been in control for more than 20 years and, since 1997, the council tax has gone up more than 40 per cent. What do we get for this increase? Do we have cleaner streets, better
Hurray for hero Jay-Jay! MAYBE it is just bad timing that your correspondent D Holden asked how being multicultural benefits this country (Letters, April 7), the night your sports page carried a report of how Nigerian footballing genius Jay-Jay Okocha
FOR the past 18 or so days, I have admired the acclaimed accuracy of our fire power on selective targets in Basra and Baghdad. Night after night on our TVs we have watched the miracle of this fire power as selective buildings, political establishments
I TOTALLY agree with the recent letters from L Bradburn and Robert Anderson. I know Mr Anderson has rightly mentioned the old chestnut, America only came into the Second World War after our two years of standing alone. Furthermore, on a TV programme about
HAPPY holiday memories were recalled in November, 1970, when 700 local pensioners attended a reunion dance given by a local coach firm. The pensioners, members of clubs that had travelled with Smiths Travel Agency and Hargreaves Coaches, were given free
WALSHAW Cricketers have been training hard during the close season in the hope of regaining the Bolton Association title which they lost, after three successful years, by just a point on the last day of last season. They begin their 2003 season with two
GREEN-FINGERED pupils at Heskin Pemberton's CE Primary School have gone back to nature with the creation of a sensory garden. The green-fingered project began on Friday with the construction of the garden and a wild flower meadow. Headteacher Susanne
A MAN has been banned from using Chorley's new bus station for assaulting passengers and being a nuisance. Lancashire County Council has issued the banning order -- the first they have used on a bus station -- to stop the man using the facility. A spokesman
CROWN green bowlers in Clayton-le-Woods may not have to travel so far to get to the nearest bowling green if plans for a new facility get the go-ahead. The parish council is looking into the possibility of laying a green on land at Manor Road County Primary
A NEW mother, whose partner is serving in Iraq, was finally able to give him first-hand details about their new baby when she got a surprise call. Ann Smith, from Openshaw, gave birth last week but had to rely on the Army to get the news to her partner
WANDERERS star Stig Tofting is mourning the death of his 20-day-old baby son from meningitis. The baby, named Jon, was born on March 12, but died after contracting the deadly illness. The funeral was held in the family's hometown in Denmark and was attended
LYNX were dominant from the start and took a third minute lead with a Mark McCully penalty after a high tackle. They continued to press hard with some flowing rugby and strong defence keeping Leigh pinned back in their own half. Lynx increased their lead
ADLINGTON MP Lindsay Hoyle is objecting to EU proposals which he says could cost Britain's sheep industry £100 million a year. Sheep would have to have tags in each ear, compared to one at present. The Government has also raised objections to the plan
MEMBERS of the British Medical Association have expressed their "dismay" that tax on cigarettes was increased in line with inflation in this week's Budget announcement. BMA chairman, Dr Ian Bogle, said: "Every year 120,000 people die from tobacco-related
A RARE Bolton Wanderers Wembley Cup Final ticket from 1923 has been sold for £3,760 -- three times more than expected. Before the sale, at Bonhams in Chester, experts predicted that the ticket might fetch up to £1,250. The game, which saw Bolton win 2
FIREFIGHTERS prevented a car fire spreading to a haulage contractor's building last night. The Peugeot 405 is thought to have been driven into the building in Roxalina Street, Great Lever, which has recently changed hands and is now called W A Steel Haulage
MEMBERS of Radcliffe Athletics Club were pleased as punch and not a little impressed by the performances of three of their juniors in the English Fell Championships. Lindsay Agg, Dawn Warriner and Rebecca Howard entered the Erkin Hill Races, run in conjunction
THE Poytress Cup Final, the last final of Bury Table Tennis League the season, was between Division Three's Unsworth CC, who had already won League Cup, and Maccabi E from Division Five. Unsworth are a strong Division Three team and although they had
AFTER The Citizen published my article on Buckshaw Hall some weeks ago I am pleased to say that I received some replies, including one from Marie Hayes, who used to live in England and now lives in Buffalo in the USA and received the cutting from her
AFTER 38 games and eight months of the Nationwide Conference season, the destiny of Leigh RMI lies in the next 360 minutes of football. But anything other than victory against fellow strugglers Gravesend and Northfleet at Hilton Park on Saturday will
THE HARRIS MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY, PRESTON Rites of Passage Using the costume collection the gallery explores christening, weddings and mourning dress in the Victoria Era. Until Oct 18, Mon to sat 10am to 5pm, closed Sun, free TATE GALLERY, LIVERPOOL
A CHARITY which provides help for prostitutes is celebrating after scooping a £10,000 grant. Manchester Action on Street Health works to provide health facilities such as clinics and needle exchanges. The grant was awarded by the Lloyds TSB Foundation
TWO people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a Greater Manchester man in North Wales. Michael Christopher Sheridan, aged 41, originally came from Sale but was living in Holyhead, Anglesey, when he was found dead last month. North Wales
PUPILS from three schools in the region have taken part in what has been billed as the "world's biggest lesson". Children from Moorside Primary School in Manchester, Pleckgate School in Blackburn and St Benedict's Catholic Primary in Cheshire took part
BOLTON LITTLE THEATRE, BOLTON Betrayal A love triangle has repercussions in this classic Harold Pinter play. Until Sat, £5.50 to £6.50 ALBERT HALLS, BOLTON The Pajama Game Farnworth Performing Arts present this musical revolving around an industrial dispute
THE Next meeting of the league will be held at Bury Sports Club on Thursday April 17. Management at 7pm, general 8.15pm. WEEK TWO "ONES TO WATCH" Monday: St Mary's A v Radcliffe CC (Radcliffes big two sides go "head to head". Tuesday: ETF V Tottington
LOUDSPEAKERS were installed in Victoria Square to broadcast Bolton Wanderers' Welcome Home speeches after returning from the 1953 Wembley Cup Final. As any football fan must know, the Wanderers were leading Blackpool 3-1 with only 20 minutes to go, but
MANCHESTER United and Wales midfielder Ryan Giggs has become a father for the first time after his girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl. Stacey Cooke gave birth seven weeks prematurely and the baby is now being cared for in hospital.
A YOUNG rugby league player, Chris Baines, has been selected to represent Great Britain amateurs. Chris, 18, of Netherly Road, Coppull, was chosen to be a part of the BARLA (British Amateur Rugby League Association) squad for a tour of New Zealand and
GAMES between Preston and Chorley are always highly charged encounters, and this one proved no exception, with an incident packed match full of crunching tackles and dramatic twists and turns. Preston are pushing for promotion and looked strong in midfield
CHORLEY manager Mark Molyneaux is urging his side to treat their last four games as cup ties. The Magpies are still in with a chance of sneaking into the play-off places as sixth-placed Matlock and fifth-placed Belper, who are four points ahead of Chorley
HINDUS will be celebrating a festival in style thanks to authentic and stunning centrepieces created in Bolton. The works of art will be a focus of Ramnomvi Hindu celebrations not only in Bolton but also in Delhi, London and Chicago. Nautic Engineering
Crying in their real beer MEMBERS of the beer consumers group, The Campaign For Real Ale, have hit out at the penny increase in excise duty on a pint of beer, announced in this week's Budget. Mike Benner, head of campaigns, described the increase as "
MAJOR route between Leigh and Wigan will be closed to traffic from Saturday for six to eight weeks because of sewer work. Wigan Road and Leigh Road at Tamar will be closed between Smiths Lane and Ashby Grove. The junction with Nel Pan Lane will also be
A PROPOSED major reform of GCSEs which would see the exam becoming entirely modular, could bring greater cohesion between A levels and GCSEs, according to local headteachers. Under proposals put forward by Ken Boston, chief executive of the Qualifications
THE Co-operative Bank says it has the "formula for financial success" after posting record pre-tax profits. The Manchester-based bank reported a 14 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £122.5m in the year to January 11. The bank, which employs 4,000 people
POLICE investigating the murder of a schoolgirl 27 years ago are following new leads as a result of a television appeal. Lesley Molseed, aged 11, was stabbed 12 times and sexually assaulted after leaving her Rochdale home on Sunday, October 5, 1975, on
A PUBLICAN from Bolton has been given a "pay-up or shut-up" ultimatum by one of the country's top judges. And he has also been left facing a legal costs bill of more than £1,000. Mr B J Winnard, of The Gilnow Arms, Deane Road, had a case brought before
A HUGE thank you to the members of Radcliffe Rotary Club, for their display of daffodils on the main Bolton/Bury Road. Well worth a trip to see them. Mrs P M Allen Stanton Avenue Bolton
MAY I through your Letter's Page, express my thanks to the honest and very kind lady who found and handed in my handbag, which I left behind in the ladies toilets in Marks and Spencer on March 21. Many, many thanks. You are one of the best. A very grateful
SOME weeks ago I wrote to BWFC for two tickets for the game against Manchester City. Receiving no reply and hearing on the radio that the game was a sell-out, we assumed that our application was unsuccessful. On Friday morning, April 4, I received a telephone
I FEEL after watching the news all day (April 9) that I have to write and express how proud I feel to be British in helping the Iraqi people to be free from such an evil dictator. Can I stress that I am not a warmonger but that I felt that this conflict
AS an avid reader of your Letters page for numerous years, I find myself agreeing with Brian Derbyshire (for once!) (Wed, April 9), in reference to the issue of CCTV cameras at Hall i'th Wood. I have relatives who live on the estate, and have done for
IFEEL I must respond to Mr Malcolm Pittock's letter of April 7. There quite definitely is a distinction between war, terrorism and murder. Even though all three result in death, that is the only common factor. War is an armed conflict between nations,
LOUDSPEAKERS were installed in Victoria Square to broadcast Bolton Wanderers' Welcome Home speeches after returning from the 1953 Wembley Cup Final. As any football fan must know, the Wanderers were leading Blackpool 3-1 with only 20 minutes to go, but
CHORLEYScouts and Girl Guides are putting on a show featuring songs, sketches, laughs and music. The 'Chorley Capers' variety performance runs from tonight (Wednesday April 9) until Saturday, April 12, every evening at Parklands High School, Chorley,
CHORLEY Film Society's current season draws to a close this Sunday, April 13, with the gangster drama 'Road to Perdition' showing at the Chorley Little Theatre. It's a powerful drama of revenge and family ties starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude
UNLESS you're an avid clubber it's unlikely you've heard of the AudioWhores. But if you are into house music you'll be pleased to hear they are paying a one-off visit to Chorley. Manchester producing duo the AudioWhores are the latest in a long line of
A FRENCH horn player whose life as a musician ended when his jaw locked during a performance is carving out a new career as a conductor. Dougie Scarfe, musical director of the Chorley-based Lancashire Schools Training Orchestra, made his debut as guest
A REPORT that put Chorley Hospital at the bottom of a league table may have been based on the wrong figures, the publishers have admitted. The latest Good Hospital Guide, printed in the Sunday Times at the weekend, says the hospital is one of the worst
COUNCIL leaders have blasted post office bosses for failing to turn up to a vital meeting over their plans for the future of local branches. Representatives have twice cancelled a presentation about their urban network reinvention programme, leading councillors
AN Iraqi medic based in Chorley this week spoke exclusively to The Citizen about his fears for his family in Baghdad. The man, who has asked not be identified for family reasons, has up to 40 direct relatives living in the Iraqi capital. "We are in a
FIRE crews came under a hail of bottles and bricks after they were deliberately lured to a Little Hulton estate by a gang of teenagers.4 The firefighters were called out to the same rubbish blaze twice -- and believe youths who were waiting for them at
MARK Banks has been watching the conflict in Iraq with mixed feelings. Mark, from Kearsley, who took part in the first Gulf War, has old comrades out there and is worried for them and the young soldiers battling with the desert conditions as well as the
THE transfer of Michael Ricketts has been the catalyst for an upturn in fortunes for Wanderers and one player in particular. Henrik Pedersen played second fiddle in the striker pecking order before Michael Ricketts' £2.5 million move to Middlesbrough.
SAM Allardyce admits Jay-Jay Okocha has surpassed all his expectations. The Wanderers manager believed the Nigerian World Cup star would bring individual brilliance to his side. What he did not expect was the huge effectiveness and responsibility he has
WHITE Coppice Cricket Club have been bowled over with a £1,000 grant from The Lancashire Cricket Board. The board awarded the club the cash to help fund the refurbishment of the pavilion. The grant was obtained through the Lancashire County Cricket Club
A PLACE in the play-offs is still in Chorley's sights as North Ferriby United visit Victory Park on Saturday. Unfortunately for the Magpies all the other leading teams, with the exception of Alfreton, also won at the weekend. But, in the Magpies' favour
AFTER early pressure Rangers were awarded a penalty and Carl Parker duly obliging for a two point lead. Some poor Rangers defence saw Shaw in for a try to take the lead. Rangers came back and a neat chip to the corner was snapped up by wingman Paul Dootson
THE spring like sunny conditions of the past week have been marred by overnight frosts. Despite this, catches have been improved on the Island Lodge from the previous week. Parkers is looking well mainly for skimmers and perch. The small Carcass and Field
A FAMILY from Bromley Cross family could hardly believe their eyes when an uninvited guest arrived for breakfast. For the guest in question was a large, speckled black and white bird which started feeding in their back garden. The bird was so tame it
SAM Allardyce will send Wanderers out at Chelsea with orders to earn a point and make a point. The Reebok boss knows a draw at Stamford Bridge would represent a triumph for two reasons. Not only would it help towards Allardyce's safety target of 40 points
Futter's flutter cost me £125,000 LAST weekend was up and down for me writes Fred Done I laid £3,000 each way on Monty's Pass at 33/1 for the Grand National when the weights were published to flamboyant owner Mike Futter, and that cost me the best part
A GERMAN magazine reporter contacted me earlier this week regarding an interview. I understand that it is a "late teens" publication. The interview is to take place today (Friday) I was hoping that it was to be "Hello" magazine or "Der Spiegel" but I
1644: Sir Thomas Fairfax was victorious at the Battle of Selby in the English Civil War. 1689 William III and Mary II were crowned joint monarchs. 1713 Gibraltar and Newfoundland were ceded to Britain by France in theTreaty of Utrecht. 1814 Napoleon was
THE pettiness of sports fans is always a great source of amusement to me writes Chris Hall I'm always amazed by the sacrifices they will endure to back 'their' club and how easily they sense an injustice over the most trivial matters. And believe me,
I KNOW that it was April Fools' Day, but I really must object to MP George Galloway, who was trying to incite armies of other nations to take up arms and join the Iraqi army against our own troops. I trust he will be removed from his Parliamentary seat
I HAVE been giving some thought as to how the annoying buzzing sound of model aircraft can be, to other listeners, a mere gentle drone? My guess is that perhaps they live two kilomatres away from the flight path, while others might live say 200 metres
From the Evening News, April 11, 1903: APRIL is here, and yesterday for pleasure seekers the weather fanned the spirit of enjoyment - wild, natural enjoyment, the type beloved of the hardy Lancashire stock whence the present generation of the industrial
THE Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which governs Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, has met Government waiting time targets, according to new figures. But the Trust, which is also responsible for Tameside, Oldham and Rochdale hospitals, was found
A SERIAL car thief from Manchester has been banned from every car park in England and Wales, Manchester City Council has said. The step was taken by a district judge after the council brought an anti-social behaviour order against Geoffrey Hampshire,
CREDIT card fraud in Manchester topped the £6m mark in 2002, according to figures released by The Association of Payment Clearing Services (APCS). The city comes in behind London and Birmingham in the UK league for fraud. The figures have come in as APCS
BLACKPOOL Pleasure Beach has been ranked first in Lancashire's list of the top 15 tourist attractions, junior culture minister Kim Howells revealed. The town's Tower came second, with the Winter Gardens in third place and the Beacon Fell Country Park
THE late Sir Matt Busby is still the top FA Cup coach of the modern era, according to a study. The Old Trafford legend steered United to 61 wins in the FA Cup. Former Liverpool boss Bill Shankley is second with 49 wins. Current United boss Sir Alex Ferguson
RESIDENTS are being urged to "shop" the vandals who went on a wrecking spree in a Bolton village. The teenagers have brought misery and heartbreak to residents in Edgworth causing damage estimated at many thousands of pounds. Police are now urging residents
BOLTON social worker Paula Wilkinson plans to shed her locks in preparation for a Chinese charity adventure. Later this year Paula plans to join a team of women walking part of the Great Wall of China in aid of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.
A MEDIA studies teacher has been picked for a starring film role in America this summer. The British Film Industry has selected Jane Sweetlove, a teacher at Turton High School Media Arts College to travel to Baltimore in July to address an international
WANDERERS star Stig Tofting is mourning the death of his 20-day-old baby son from meningitis. The baby, named Jon, was born on March 12, but died after contracting the deadly illness. The funeral was held in the family's hometown in Denmark and was attended
A MAN has been jailed for stealing hundreds of eggs from the nests of some of Wales' rarest birds. Anthony Higham, from Runcorn, Cheshire, was jailed for four months at Northwich Magistrates Court, after he admitted owning a collection of more than 800
IN the Under 11 Maher Cup, Swinton suffered their first defeat at the hands of Boothstown. Boothstown put in a splendid first half display to put Swinton Boys on the backfoot, with goals from Andy Woodhouse and another Beckham style free kick from Josh
