Archive

  • Out-of-favour Borgetti will not leave in January sales

    JARED Borgetti has been assured he still has a future at the Reebok, despite dropping down the pecking order. The Mexican striker has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of opportunities since joining Wanderers from Pachuca, in August and has

  • Sam's Euro warning to stars

    SAM Allardyce has issued another of his reality checks by warning that Wanderers could self-destruct if they qualify for the Champions League. Two days after seeing his dream of Carling Cup glory shattered by local rivals, Wigan Athletic, the Reebok

  • Listen to singing sheep head for Number 1

    A FLOCK of real singing sheep from the Lake District are taking on the Crazy Frog this Christmas in the battle to become the novelty song of 2005 - and you can listen to them here! The single and a hilarious sheep pop video can be downloaded free from

  • Museum of laughter plan for town

    A MUSEUM of comedy could be opened in Bolton as part of a range of new plans for a cultural quarter in the heart of the town. Council bosses want an attraction of national significance to be the focal point of a multi-million pound development planned

  • Lisa takes a shine to childcare

    TRAINING as an apprentice has certainly brightened the prospects of Lisa Barrington. The 26-year-old has used an apprenticeship with Horwich training specialist Alliance Learning to earn a senior position at a flourishing nursery centre. Lisa, from Leigh

  • Staff agency open all hours

    A RETAIL recruitment specialist from Bolton has launched Britain's first open-all-hours recruitment operation. Discover Retail Limited, based at Endeavour House in Water's Meeting Road, invested thousands of pounds to adopt state of the art web-based

  • Bury Clarion

    THE Manchester Time Trials Association Christmas 10-mile time trial attracted more than 80 entrants. Some riders take it seriously but many treat it as a festive season reunion of racing cyclist and ride in fancy dress. Charles Jepson, Clarion national

  • Carden strikes again: HOLKER 0, FC UNITED 2

    NW Counties Division 2 FORMER Radcliffe Boro midfielder Simon Carden was back in the goals at the weekend with another strike in his side's 2-0 disposal of Holker Old Boys. Carden, who scored five in last week's 10-2 demolition of Castleton Gabriels,

  • St Mary's A soothing their relegation fears

    BOTH St Mary's teams had convincing wins in the Bath Shoppe B Section this week. Best performance came from the A team who are at the wrong end of the table but came away from their match with fellow strugglers Tottington C with a 7-2 result. A 5-0 win

  • Put bus lanes in the frame

    WHAT great news to hear from our head of parking services Ian Taylor that the responsibility to enforce the correct use of bus lanes has passed to our local authority. Cameras on poles will be used to provide evidence of car drivers misuse to enforce

  • A bad service is better than none at all

    I FEEL I must disagree with Cllr Johnston (December 15) regarding the buses. If the buses are dirty, then that is the fault of the travelling public. The buses don't get dirty by themselves. As for the services, I speak for Great Lever, not one of the

  • Farnworth pies are beyond compare

    I NOTE in the media that Wiganers are "up in arms" because the pies supplied for a pie eating contest at Harry's Bar in Wigan were produced in Farnworth. One report stated "needless to say the town of Farnworth is not renowned for its pie production"

  • Town no place for white elephants

    I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with Tony Backhouse (Bolton Evening News, December 5) over Europe, and the most recent letter by Barry Sansome. The Newport Street bridge is, as one correspondent described, "a huge white elephant". I was recently in that area,

  • Raffle raises £653

    THE committee of the Bury and District Cystic Fibrosis Trust raised a total of £653 through their Christmas raffle draw and thanked everyone who supported the event, held at the Waterloo Hotel, in Manchester Road, Bury.

  • Camera helping in fight against crime

    MANY people complain that surveillance cameras restrict their liberty, but these days it seems they are needed almost everywhere. Rarely is a serious crime committed without some image being captured on CCTV. Originally they were placed on industrial

  • No shortfalls in a sound economy

    I REFER to both the levels of Government funding for the Town, and GM Police service for 2006/7, reported in Bolton Evening News, December 9. In respect of council tax levels with OAP pensions rising by 2.7 per cent(RPI increase for September 2005) in

  • Homes too pricey

    FIRST-time buyers and the low paid are being priced out of the housing market in the North West, according to the GMB union. In Bury, the average salary is around £23,528, with the average house price at 5.8 times more than that at £137,285. For England

  • Fire in flat

    A MAN was treated by paramedics after being overcome by smoke after a fire at his flat. The 25-year-old was given oxygen but declined hospital treatment following the blaze on Sunday morning in Abingdon Close, Whitefield. Firefighters were alerted by

  • TV clean-up

    Does your house resemble a pig sty? If so, expert grimebusters Kim and Aggie could be interested in coming into your Bury home. Channel 4 show How Clean Is Your House? would like to hear from anyone who would be interested in seeing their hovel become

  • Tributes to murdered Lauren

    A MOSAIC will be built as lasting reminder of murdered schoolgirl Lauren Pilkington-Smith. A site has been earmarked at the top of Sanderson Street, Leigh, just yards from where Lauren's body was found last July. The tribute has been designed by a local

  • St Anne's Tottington MU

    St Anne's, Tottington, Mothers' Union held its annual Christmas party on December 13. Eighty members and friends gathered in the church hall to enjoy a meal and a concert, the latter presented by our own concert group led by Mrs Pauline Cartridge. The

  • Plainclothes stint halves market theft

    MORE "bobbies on the beat" have halved theft on Bury Market in the last year. A recent plainclothes operation by the council's security personnel proved a great success with no crime reported on the market site itself. Staff helped arrest two shoplifters

  • Armed raid terror

    MASKED robbers armed with guns threatened staff at a fast food restaurant during an early morning raid. The gang burst into the kitchen area of McDonald's, in Chorley Old Road, Doffcocker, Bolton, at 7.10am on Thursday. They demanded cash from terrified

  • Festive fare at church concert

    A festive Christmas extravaganza will be given by the choir of Bury Parish Church during the lunchtime concert on Friday. Light-hearted seasonal music and readings, traditional carols and some jazz carols interpreted for the piano will lift the spirits

  • Museum of laughter plan for town

    A MUSEUM of comedy could be opened in Bolton as part of a range of new plans for a cultural quarter in the heart of the town. Council bosses want an attraction of national significance to be the focal point of a multi-million pound development planned

  • Centre is a sure thing

    A NEW era for families has dawned with the opening of the £1.1 million Redvales Children's Centre. The purpose-built centre represents four years of work by staff and parents of the local Sure Start programme, which has been temporarily based in Heywood

  • 14-year-old picks up an 'Olympic' title at event

    TOTTINGTON High School pupil Hannah Gayne swapped academic success for Olympic glory as she earned a gold medal in Boccia. Hannah (14) travelled to Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool to join a record number of competitors at the National Boccia Championships

  • Man denies breaking into house and destroying tyres

    A man is to face two trials for charges of offences of violent entry to a house and criminal damage. Gareth Delaney (28), of Pear Avenue, Bury, faces one charge of using violence to secure entry to a house in Middleton against the wishes of the occupant

  • David sets sail for glory

    A TALENTED young sailor is on a quest for Olympic glory as he continues to make waves in the sport. David Carpenter, from Greenmount, took up sailing seriously just four years ago and regularly trains at the Castle Leisure Centre in Bury. The 13-year-old

  • Angels put on starry show

    A NATIVITY with a difference was performed at Lowercroft Primary School in Bury. Whoops-A-Daisy Angel combined the traditional Christmas story with that of a hapless angel who is rewarded with a place at the Christmas stable scene. The play was performed

  • Recorded Music circle

    IT was members evening at the Bury and District Music Circle on the last meeting before Christmas. Mr George Cruice opened with three songs, Countdown to Christmas 1-2-3. First a solo My Hero from the Chocolate Soldier, a duet the Barcarolle from the

  • Clifford loses cancer fight

    THE landlord and customers of a popular pub did not hesitate to help out a terminally-ill friend. When Clifford Howard was told he had cancer in his pelvis six months ago, regulars from the Swan and Cemetery in Manchester Road, Bury, decided to hold a

  • Bury Emeritus Group

    AT the latest meeting on December 1st, the speaker was Ron Graham to talk about 'The Gurkha Welfare Trust'. Most of us had heard of the Gurkhas but were unaware of their background. Ron gave us a brief history. Round about 1787 the Gurkha people in Nepal

  • Rotting sheep farmer fined £4,000

    A FARMER has been fined £4,000 for leaving dead sheep to rot on his land. Bury magistrates told Stephen Oriel Watkinson that the offences posed a risk to animal and human health. Watkinson (63), who farms Three Acre Farm in Hawkshaw Lane, Hawkshaw, had

  • Recorded Music Society

    THE December meeting of Holcombe Brook Recorded Music Society was a celebration of music for the Christmas season, chosen and introduced by members of the Society. We heard a variety of music, from very early carols and composers, to the 20th century.

  • Festive programme will be a stern test

    FOUR games in eight frantic days is the daunting schedule for the Shakers over the Christmas period. But it's a programme that, if all goes well, could see Chris Casper's men catapult themselves onto the edge of the promotion play-off places. A Boxing

  • Demolition is a job well done

    TRADERS at Radcliffe's market hall have expressed their thanks to demolition squads who have been razing the nearby Kwik Save store to the ground. Work on the town centre building is nearing completion and stallholders at the market say disruption to

  • Flat destroyed

    AN unoccupied flat was destroyed in a fire. Fire crews were called to Blackleach Drive, Walkden, where the fire had gutted one flat and damaged five others. Firefighters used an aerial ladder and were at the scene for 90 minutes.

  • Neighbours raise the alarm over cooker fire

    A SMOKE alarm prevented a kitchen fire from causing extensive damage to a flat in Manchester Road, Little Hulton. Crews from Farnworth were called to the apartment at 8pm on Wednesday after being alerted by neighbours who heard the alarm.

  • Our Nativity play - down on the farm

    WHEN Bolton schoolchildren put on their Nativity play, they made it as authentic as possible - by staging it in a barn. Not only that, they decided against using stage prop animals by bringing in a real donkey for Mary to ride on. The cast of 24 pupils

  • Gas main damaged

    A HOUSE had to be evacuated after a car fire led to a gas main rupturing. Arsonists deliberately set the Ford Transit Van alight on land off Ladies Lane, Hindley, near Wigan, at around 7pm . Firefighters alerted Transco who were called in to repair the

  • Robber's £30,000 cigarette haul

    A ROBBER who threatened a delivery driver with a knife escaped with cigarettes worth £30,000. The driver was loading a van with cigarettes at Turner and Wright cash and carry in Lynstock Way, Lostock, at 8.30am yesterday when he was threatened by a man

  • Gang threatened teenagers with metal pole

    TWO 15-year-old boys were threatened with a three foot metal pole and ordered to hand over money. The teenagers were at Bury Interchange in Haymarket Street, Bury, on Sunday, around 6pm when a gang of four older youths started chatting to them. Two of

  • Woman threatened in off-licence raid

    A MAN wielding a carving knife threatened a shop asssistant before fleeing with cash and cigarettes. The man burst in to Booze Buster on Elliott Street, Tyldesley, at 6.20pm on Tuesday and ordered a woman working behind the counter to fill a plastic bag

  • Crisp firm in search for famous names

    A WELSH crisps company is looking for Bolton folk with famous names. The Real Crisps company is planning an online advertising campaign in 2006 and want to feature people who share a famous name. So if there are any Tony Blairs or Robbie Williams in town

  • Armed raid terror at McDonald's

    MASKED robbers armed with guns threatened staff at a fast food restaurant during an early morning raid. The gang burst into the kitchen area of McDonald's, in Chorley Old Road, Doffcocker, Bolton, at 7.10am on Thursday. They demanded cash from terrified

  • Demolition is a job well done

    TRADERS at Radcliffe's market hall have expressed their thanks to demolition squads who have been razing the nearby Kwik Save store to the ground. Work on the town centre building is nearing completion and stallholders at the market say disruption to

  • This decision lacked goodwill

    I COULDN'T believe my eyes, when I read the story about Mr Barnes being forced to leave his home after nearly 50 years (Bolton Evening News, December 14). To have some stupid rule about inheritance rights that means a person must leave a family home,

  • Shayne launches bid for Christmas No 1

    CHEERING crowds greeted X-Factor winner Shayne Ward at the Manchester Arndale Centre on Wednesday. The 21-year-old from Clayton has launched his bid for the Christmas Number One slot, with bookies making him overwhelming favourite. More than 750,000 copies

  • The magic of the wardrobe

    CHILDREN in Bolton are flocking to snap up copies of the Narnia series of books. Bookshops in the town have seen an influx of people asking for the CS Lewis classics. And although many want a copy of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - which has been

  • Clarkson gets gift of a bicycle

    TV motormouth Jeremy Clarkson has received an early, if unlikely, Christmas present - a bicycle from the Liberal Democrats. The Top Gear presenter and newspaper columnist - who once told cyclists 'do not cruise through red lights because if I'm coming

  • Pensioner jailed for 1980s sex attacks on young girls

    A PENSIONER has been jailed for sex crimes he committed on young girls in the 1980s. Kenneth Shackman, aged 65, of Manchester Road, Bury, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years after being found guilty of 10 charges of indecent assault. He was given a

  • Threat of strike by taxi drivers is lifted

    THE threat of a taxi strike over the Christmas period has been averted after council bosses agreed to consider drivers' demands for an end to the council monopoly on vehicles testing. Many hackney and private hire drivers in Bolton had threatened to take

  • MP launches military campaign for veterans

    LEIGH MP Andy Burnham has launched a military campaign. He hopes to raise awareness of a lapel badge to which WW1 and 2 veterans are entitled in recognition of the sacrifice they made. He said: "Sixty years on from the end of VE Day, it's right that we

  • Cocaine addict 'minded' drugs, firearms

    A MAN twice caught minding drugs and prohibited weapons has been jailed for five years. Police raided Steven Beatty's home on April 29 and found cocaine with a street value of £16,500 and 11,000 ecstasy tablets worth up to £111,000. They also found a

  • It's the end for women's group

    A VILLAGE women's group has been forced to call it a day after 53 years. The last surviving members of Astley Women's Institute are saddened that the December meeting was their last. The demise has been attributed to falling membership and the increasing

  • Flores makes a bid for CD success

    A STUDENT threatened with deportation to a war torn country has released a CD to bring a festive cheer to campaigners battling to keep her in the country. Flores Sukula, aged 19, has compiled a CD called Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord, featuring gospel

  • Loner who became a killer

    WHY teenage loner Kieron Smith turned child killer remains a mystery. But at his trial at Liverpool Crown Court it was suggested that his background may point to why he brutally murdered and defiled the body of Lauren Pilkington-Smith - a girl he had

  • Stricter parking the answer to school road fears

    SPEED cushion plans have brought protests from residents who claim stricter parking controls would be more useful near a primary school. Highways and road safety leaders say traffic calming measures, including a 20 miles per hour speed limit and road

  • PR World Travel launch new 'book online' service

    PR World Travel, with branches in Radcliffe and Prestwich, has become the first independent travel company in the area to launch a fully bookable website. The website, which goes under the name of www.beachbargains.com, searches through over 2.5 million

  • Website credit for ex-Bury pupil

    A FORMER Bury student is one of the two founders of the credit information website checkmyfile.com, which has made it into the pages of the latest edition of the prestigious Good Website Guide 2006. The checkmyfile.com website, which rubs shoulders in

  • Textile firm announces 39 jobs to be axed

    A TEXTILE factory is set to make 39 redundancies following a company shake-up. Bosses of Voith Paper Fabrics, based at Stubbins Vale Mill in Ramsbottom have begun talks with trades union representatives in a bid to achieve job losses through volunteers

  • Gridlocked

    CHRISTMAS shoppers contributed towards a gridlock around Bury town centre on Wednesday. Visitors packing into Bury Market and the shopping centres and workers heading home, resulted in traffic jams throughout the afternoon. The main feeder roads into

  • A Christmas dream

    TODDLER Joshua Wilson saw his dream come true when he travelled to Lapland to meet the real Father Christmas. The five-year-old joined 100 children with life-threatening and long-term illnesses on a trip to the heartland of Christmas, courtesy of the

  • Radcliffe Probus Club

    ON Wednesday, December 14, we received a visit from Terry Ashworth and Ray Turner who has visited us in the past. Both these gentlemen are specialists in Cine Photography and the film they had put together was interesting and informative - The History

  • Latest phase in litter battle

    LITTER louts have been warned - you're 'bin' watched! The next phase of Bury's "No Excuses" campaign starts in January with a "carrot and stick" approach to educating people. The council's Bin Watch scheme will target specific bins in each ward. Residents

  • Ex-boxerJimmy dies at 94

    A former professional boxer has died in a fall at his home in Bury. It is believed Mr Jimmy Ford was attempting to fix a loose slate on the roof of his house in Horne Street on Friday when he fell from the ladder. He managed to crawl into the kitchen

  • Panel rules in favour of nursery nurse

    A NURSERY nurse who was accused of hurting young children in her care during an incident at work has been cleared of any wrong-doing by an employment tribunal. Miss Melanie Potts (24) had worked at Educare for Early Years nursery in Walshaw Road, Bury

  • Can't be Brad

    FORMER Ramsbottom Cricket Club professional Brad Hodge hit an unbeaten 203 in the drawn First Test between Australia and South Africa at Perth on Monday, to record his maiden Test century in his third Test match.

  • Football: Bury Sunday League League Tables

    Premier Division PWDLPt Elton Vale Sports761019 Edenfield H&J861219 Waggonmakers1052317 Dragon651016 Plough FC842214 Huntley Mount932411 The Cave931510 Halfway House101093 Ainsworth Arms80080 DIVISION ONE PWDLPt Boar's Head880024 Hardboard Hardboard1060418

  • Snooker tables

    Irwell Street Metals A Section PWLDAgFWPt Tottington D8620153045 Elton Lib C7511132740 Bury Snooker C8521132538 Elton Fold7430112334 Elton Lib B844092332 Walshaw A734071926 Heywood Ref735-171926 Huntley C725052025 Salisbury B826052025 Huntley A725041620

  • Soccer Zone

    Bury Sunday Sixes, Division A PWDLPts Genuine Articles12100230 Fergies Fledglings1283127 Carlsberg United1281325 Ainsworth Arms1261519 Cobbetts FC1252517 Eton Hill FC1233612 Stella Fellas121295 The Arcadians1202102 DIVISION B PWDLPts Gigg Lane G12111034

  • Bury CTC

    The temperature in Bury at 9am on Sunday morning was -3C and it was the usual suspects who turned up in thermal gear up for the club run to Chipping. At Edenfield we met Bolton Clarion who were on their way to Towneley Hall and in Haslingden a Christmas

  • Bottomley victory is not enough: FAIRWAYS L 4, BURY 1

    SQUASH: From this lacklustre performance, in which Steve Bottomley was the only winner, it certainly looked like the Bury players had one eye on the turkey and mince pies. Bottomley was very much on top of his game and crushed Amena Helal in three sets

  • World is Shakers' oyster

    NO-ONE can accuse the new regime at Bury Football Club of not casting their net far and wide in the search for exciting new talent. In the near future, accents from the other side of the globe may be heard among the Lancashire, Yorkshire, Welsh, Scottish

  • Estate residents get fit and friendly

    RESIDENTS on an Atherton estate were invited to help improve the community spirit and get fit at a Saturday school sports day. Hag Fold families were offered the chance to improve their football skills, take part in pilates and street dance and try their

  • Dinner dance in memory of Danny

    THE sporting community came together to honour the tragically short life of footballer Danny Young. On what would have been the evening of his 17th birthday, players and parents from local soccer and rugby clubs attended the Danny Young Memorial Dinner

  • Art group founder Ron dies, aged 77

    ART group founder Ron Oldacre has died aged 77. Ron was for 28 years vice president of the Leigh-based Studio 77 Art Society which he and two friends started at Don Atherton's stationery shop in Railway Road. He served in the Royal Air Force where he

  • Players' have a wheel problem

    ST Joseph's Players are hoping to be on their bike come pantomime time. The Leigh Am Dram company are producing Dick Whittington as their first show of 2006, but writer-director Doreen Johnson is facing a wheel problem. She's looking for a bike, something

  • Pals' New York pact pays off for child charity

    A CHILDREN'S cancer charity is almost £4,000 richer, thanks to the efforts of a 21-year-old Bolton man and the promise he made to a friend. Phil Mather was able to send the donation to the CLIC Sargent charity after he ran the New York Marathon in memory

  • Jimmy Bell column: We're ready for the road

    IT'S a while since we jumped on that team coach. Grays Athletic was our last away game, and although that will be 45 days since our last game away from the Interlink Express Stadium, I'm sure no-one has forgotten what a fantastic day that was. We have

  • TV clean-up

    Does your house resemble a pig sty? If so, expert grimebusters Kim and Aggie could be interested in coming into your Bury home. Channel 4 show How Clean Is Your House? would like to hear from anyone who would be interested in seeing their hovel become

  • Festive fare at church concert

    A festive Christmas extravaganza will be given by the choir of Bury Parish Church during the lunchtime concert on Friday. Light-hearted seasonal music and readings, traditional carols and some jazz carols interpreted for the piano will lift the spirits

  • A gift for Pakistan

    BOLTON boxer Amir Khan saw first-hand the plight of earthquake survivors and handed out food parcels to children in a camp in northern Pakistan. The Olympic silver medalist, who turned professional in July, travelled to Pakistan with the Oxfam aid agency

  • Police spy team has bus louts in its sights

    SECRET surveillance cameras are being used to capture yobs who bombard buses with missiles and blight journeys for passengers. Police are shadowing First Bus services as they travel on their regular routes in and around Bolton in unmarked CCTV vans. They

  • Brick attack teenager jailed for four years

    A TEENAGER who hurled a brick through a car window leaving a passenger with life-threatening injuries, has been jailed for more than four years. Rizwan Atcha was so badly injured in the attack that doctors feared he would die. He has been left with permanent

  • What a nest egg

    A FAMILY has been given its best ever Christmas present - a £500,000 win on the National Lottery. Champion chicken breeder Andrew Waterworth, his wife Muriel and their three children watched in disbelief as their numbers came up in last Saturday's draw

  • Victims taken to lonely and sinister moors

    A "MERCILESS" sex attacker who bundled his victims into a van and raped them on Saddleworth Moor has been given nine life sentences. Charles Smith preyed on prostitutes in the Manchester area and took them to the "sinister, dark, barren location" where

  • Become an 'Extra' like Ricky Gervais

    IF you've been watching Ricky Gervais's award-winning TV series Extras and fancy having a go yourself, there's an opportunity right on your own doorstep. The Octagon Theatre in Bolton is looking for local budding thespians for a number of key walk-on

  • Disgusted by the plans for Fairfield

    I AM disgusted at the proposed closure of the maternity unit at Fairfield Hospital. Petitions have been sent against this and marches held, but once again Government do not want to listen. Money was spent extending the hospital to make it a main hospital

  • Rosy picture, but no 'human touch'

    WHAT a rosy picture Dr Jameson paints for future patients receiving treatment in the modernised NHS ('Fairfield: excellent reasons for change'. Letters,December 8). We all want to be seen by the surgeon who is best suited to carry out the operation we

  • Students' behaviour 'disgraceful'

    I HAVE lived in the Fishpool area of Bury for 30 years and until 18 months or so ago, always enjoyed walking into the town centre to the market. The behaviour of some of the students from Bury College is disgraceful. Their behaviour includes shouting,

  • Hospital gave such exceptional care

    A FULL scale search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday night after an elderly woman disappeared while walking her dogs on moorland above Nangreaves. Mrs Sylvia Rochford, aged 79, was eventually founded sheltering in a barn by a search dog as

  • School closures: we want answers

    PROTESTERS packed into Bury Town Hall to demand why their high schools are under threat. They peppered councillors with questions, demanding to know why popular and full schools might be closed or merged. At last week's meeting, some accused the council

  • Weather it snows or not have a happy Christmas

    CHRISTMAS Day last year was special - because it snowed. Unfortunately prospects are looking bleak for a repeat performance on Sunday. According to Dr Richard Wild, the weather services commercial manager and senior meteorologist for WeatherNet Ltd. (

  • Same-sex 'weddings' are a sensible step

    THE borough's first same-sex civil partnership ceremony took place on Wednesday between a council chief and his partner of over 30 years. Rodney Hill, 53, chief executive of Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust and Christopher Wright, 50, an equality and diversity

  • Don't blame Mike for early switch-off

    THERE'S one thing that can be said about Tyldesley businessman Mike Norris - he's a generous guy. For years he allowed the Salvation Army the use of his premises next to his business Frank's Cafe on Elliott Street to run as a charity shop, and now it

  • Mild-mannered residents bitter over new pub's name

    A BREWERY has caused a storm over the naming of its latest pub. Pathfinder Pub's super new hostelry at the entrance to the new Gadbury Fold housing development at the Atherton end of the Atherleigh by-pass has been named The Talbot - a label which residents

  • Council should offer taxpayers a first class service

    COUNCILLOR Connolly in last week's Bury Times ('We're doing all we can to balance the books', Letters, December 15) and at the last council meeting on December 14 infers that I am a shopkeeper and writes that 'running a council is not like running a shop

  • Caught by cats

    A CAT burglar thought he had made the purr-fect getaway after he raided a house in Bury. But Gary Sutcliffe has now started a four-and-a-half year prison sentence after he was foiled by three unlikely crimefighters - cats Max, Tigger and Thomas. Forensic

  • Power up with a plan

    BUSINESS advisory company Bibby Financial Services has urged small businesses across Greater Manchester to be prepared for disruption to energy supplies this winter. With the Met office predicting a colder than average winter and rising energy costs,

  • Pubs serve up a place in the final

    A GROUP of Bolton pubs have played a leading role to help their brewery achieve national recognition. The Publican Magazine has shortlisted Daniel Thwaites brewery, which owns 10 pubs in Bolton including The Grapes in Farnworth, the Starkie Arms on Tonge

  • Boots' health and beauty sales fall

    BOOTS lost further ground to supermarkets in 2005 as its share of the health and beauty market tumbled to its lowest level for eight years, according to research published today. The retailer lost 0.6 per cent of its market share after Tesco and rival

  • Snooker and Dominoes results: A Section

    Heywood Reform Club401 (7), Elton Lib B289 (1) R. Jackson 46, F. McDougal 65; J. Noon 59, J. Kay 56; P. Morley 75, . Rowland 26; T. Preston 82, I. Martin 63; D. Brown 52, T. Adams 39; D.G. Bleackley 88. R. Brooks 40. Dominoes: 1 - 4 HUNTLEY C269 (2) ELTON

  • Dreaming of a Whites Christmas!

    ENGLAND'S disappointing Test performances in Pakistan have been enough to dampen the enthusiasm of the keenest cricket aficionados but not the hardy players of Brooksbottoms and Elton Vale (formerly Bolton Road Methodists)! For the 43rd consecutive winter

  • Bowls: Prestwich & District League

    At the recent AGM, it was voted that teams will continue to consist of ten male players for the 2006 season. Hopwood Unionists had two teams accepted into the League, with Prestwich Liberal Club and Bailey Street entering additional teams, providing a

  • Dawson girls persuade dad to run in Christmas cracker

    Bury athletic club, Christmas handicap, Market Street track. The warmest place at the track was the clubhouse, where the drinks and mince pies seemed a much better attraction than outside. By the time of the first race, the youngsters had all been warmed

  • Credit to caring youngsters

    MAY I, through your newspaper and on behalf of the residents of Hulton Lane old people's complex, thank most sincerely the pupils and staff of Ladybridge High School for the superb party they gave us on Thursday, December 15. The buffet and entertainment

  • Recycle all your festive rubbish

    MIGHT I advise our Town Hall employee responsible that our green wheelie bins are not full most weeks during the winter. Many are not even put out. Might I suggest that, on the first collection after Christmas Day, our green wheelie bin is utilised to

  • Something to smile about

    IT is clear that Liberal Democrat councillors do not like to be opposed or even questioned. The latest example is Cllr Sylvester He takes exception because I question the quality of council services. He seems to believe that potholes in roads, a fortnightly

  • Poets can win a £1000

    A poem about life in Bury could put the writer in with a chance of a £1,000 prize. The competition is free to enter, and can be about something or someone from the poet's home area. Entries must be no more than 20 lines and 160 words each, and the closing

  • It's all the fun of the festive fair

    LOOKING for a new home is this giant polar bear who was the prize in the 'guess my name' competition, just one of the many attractions at the Edenfield Village Pre-School Christmas fair. Children and families packed into Edenfield Community Centre, off

  • On this day December 22

    TODAY: Witnesses claim that at 2.45pm every year, the ghost of a hanged man appears to swing from a tree at Stocken House, Stretton, Rutland. 1715: James Stuart, the Old Pretender', landed at Peterhead to lead a Jacobite rebellion. It failed. 1716: Lincoln's

  • Move or we use force: gypsies warned

    GYPSIES have promised to obey an order to leave a Bolton car park they invaded yesterday. For the third year running, caravans assembled on the pay and display area at the bottom of Breightmet Street and Bolton Council issued an ultimatum for them to

  • Lottery win family so egg-static

    IT will be a cracking Christmas for a champion hen breeder and his family who scooped more than £500,000 on the National Lottery. The Waterworths from Leigh came up with the winning combination of six numbers - 7,11,15, 21, 35 and 47 - in Saturday's draw

  • Check out taxi warning for Christmas

    REVELLERS are urged to take care when catching a taxi at the end of a Christmas night's partying. Licensing officers have issued a checklist to help people make sure that their taxi and driver are bona fide. If the vehicle has an illuminated sign it is

  • Appeal to clubbers to help kids

    REVELLERS at Bury's Sol and Viva could find themselves being entertained by Radio One star Sara Cox During the festive period, the nightclub bosses will be asking thousands of clubbers to dig deep in support of the Give a Kid a Quid appeal run by the

  • Nightclub row fine

    A 20-year-old man was fined £70 after a commotion with nightclub bouncers in Bury. James Terence Heapy, of Kingfisher Drive, Bury, admitted a charge of public disorder for which he was also ordered to pay £45 court costs. Mrs Anna Morris, prosecuting,

  • It's child's play for mayor at nursery

    TWO-year-old Matthew Porter teaches the Mayor of Bury a thing or two about building blocks at Fairfield Hospital's transformed day nursery. The youngster is just one of many children being cared for at the nursery while their parents go to work at the

  • Post office to shut temporarily

    STUBBINS Post Office is set to close temporarily when the sub-postmaster retires in February. The office in Bolton Road North will close on February 22, and customers are advised to use either Ramsbottom Post Office in King Street, or Edenfield Post Office

  • Science lecture went with a bang at school

    FIREWORKS flew at Woodhey High School as the pupils enjoyed an explosive Christmas science lecture. Up to 175 pupils from the Bolton Road West school and Tottington High School packed into the Frank Bennett Hall with their parents to learn about the chemistry

  • Ramsbottom Tottington Probus

    WITH Christmas being only a few days away our meeting took on a slightly different flavour. To begin with we were all treated to warm mince pies with our usual cup of tea. Then we all moved in to the worship part of the hall with the kind permission of

  • Alpine Garden Society

    THE December meeting of the East Lancs Alpine Garden Society meeting, held at Ramsbottom Civic Hall, was a busy evening which included a talk with slides by Gordon Fowler on 'The Plants of California'. A short AGM and a feast of mince pies welcomed the

  • Search operation finds OAP in barn

    A FULL scale search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday night after an elderly woman disappeared while walking her dogs on moorland above Nangreaves. Mrs Sylvia Rochford, aged 79, was eventually founded sheltering in a barn by a search dog as

  • 'Slow down message up in lights'

    SIX solar-powered road signs are "going live" this week in a bid to cut road casualties and speeding drivers. Bury Council is spending £170,000 to install 24 signs across the borough at spots where traffic speeds have been partially to blame for accidents

  • l-A survivor watches the Army mission

    SAPPER John Howarth is helping to build winter shelters to provide health and education for survivors of the Pakistan earthquake. John is based in the town of Bagh in the Kashmir province alongside colleagues from the 59 Independent Commando Squadron

  • 14-year-old picks up an 'Olympic' title at event

    TOTTINGTON High School pupil Hannah Gayne swapped academic success for Olympic glory as she earned a gold medal in Boccia. Hannah (14) travelled to Greenbank Sports Academy in Liverpool to join a record number of competitors at the National Boccia Championships

  • Science lecture went with a bang at school

    FIREWORKS flew at Woodhey High School as the pupils enjoyed an explosive Christmas science lecture. Up to 175 pupils from the Bolton Road West school and Tottington High School packed into the Frank Bennett Hall with their parents to learn about the chemistry

  • Museum of laughter plan for town

    A MUSEUM of comedy could be opened in Bolton as part of a range of new plans for a cultural quarter in the heart of the town. Council bosses want an attraction of national significance to be the focal point of a multi-million pound development planned

  • Fancy dress day

    THE CHILDREN and staff at Rosehill Nursery, Manchester Road, Bolton, raised a grand total of £643.13 for Children In Need from their fancy dress day held on November 18, and activities held during their fun week.

  • Thieves set light to stolen car

    ARSONISTS set fire to a stolen car which spread to a parked car and fencing. Firefighters were called to Hindley Road, Atherton, at 6pm on Wednesday after the Mini Cooper crashed into fencing and was set alight. Fire spread to a Vauxhall Astra suffered

  • Armed robbers hold up Late Shop

    TWO masked men threatened shop staff with a fake gun during a robbery at a convenience store. Staff at the Late Shop in Market Street, Tottington, were confronted by two men wielding a knife and gun at 10.30pm on Tuesday. The men took the contents of

  • Women's Institute calls it a day

    A VILLAGE women's group has been forced to call it a day after 53 years. The last surviving members of Astley Women's Institute were saddened that their December meeting was the last. The demise has been attributed to falling membership and the increasing

  • Pit disaster is remembered

    DESCENDANTS of the victims were among more than 100 people who paid tribute to the victims on the 95th anniversary of the Pretoria Pit Disaster in Westhoughton. Pupils from Westhoughton High School, who have staged a play about the disaster, took part

  • Lloyd the pony is a Christmas cracker

    CHRISTMAS came a step closer this weekend for a group of youngsters when Lloyd the pony trotted into Rudolph's role and brought them festive cheer. Lloyd, owned by teenager Charlotte Brookes, pulled a cart decorated as a sleigh complete with its own Santa

  • Three extra sacks for Christmas rubbish

    HOUSEHOLDERS in Bolton are to be given extra sacks to help them cope with their refuse over Christmas. Orange sacks for regular rubbish and clear sacks for recycling will be issued to all houses to help people dispose of the larger amounts of rubbish

  • Road deaths fall by half

    THE number of people killed on Bolton's roads this year has fallen by almost 50 per cent, police have revealed. Since January, eight people have died in accidents on roads across the borough, compared with 14 last year. Police chiefs welcomed the news

  • Shops plan 'will not affect town centre'

    BOSSES at Middlebrook retail park say new plans to expand will have no effect on Bolton town centre. Orbit Developments want to build three more retail units in part of the car park opposite Asda. To compensate for the loss of parking spaces, plans have

  • Tory 'Come and join us' letter to the Lib Dems

    A letter has been sent to all Liberal Democrat councillors in Bolton asking them to defect to the Conservative Party. Tory councillor Andy Morgan has invited his Lib Dem colleagues on the council to join the David Cameron-led revolution in his party.

  • Grant means drama workshops continue

    DRAMA workshops and theatre performances involving residents on the Higher Folds estate will continue. Wigan Pier Theatre Company has been given the green light to continue its excellent work in the community following the award of a £34,000 grant from

  • Lottery win family so egg-static

    IT will be a cracking Christmas for a champion hen breeder and his family who scooped more than £500,000 on the National Lottery. The Waterworths from Leigh came up with the winning combination of six numbers - 7,11,15, 21, 35 and 47 - in Saturday's draw

  • Butchers shop refit

    A POPULAR Ramsbottom butchers has undergone a refit. The work to the Walmsley's shop in Bridge Street involved the installation of humidified counters and more display space for the butcher's award-winning products. Mr Jonathan Wallwork is the owner of

  • Takeaway success

    THE opening of a new pizza store in Bury has created 25 new jobs with additional vacancies for drivers currently being filled. And on its first day, the Domino's Pizza outlet in Bolton Road enjoyed a bumper trade, selling 120 made-to-order pizzas. Franchisee

  • Before the courts

    DECISIONS from Wigan and Leigh Magistrates Duane Fahy, aged 18, Shelley Street, Leigh. Defective rear light, failure to produce licence, insurance and test certificate. Fined £35, costs £30. Albert Gornall, aged 73, Ingham Street, Leigh. Failure to comply

  • Pets dine on time with clock designs

    AUTOMATIC pet feeders for cats and dogs have been propelled into the digital age, thanks to a Ramsbottom design agency. Clock Creative Communications have devised a hi-tech image for the latest generation of pet feeders made in Preston. Their makers,

  • Cedilla wins contract with steel company

    A BURY company specialising in the development and implementation of tailored business software solutions has announced an important contract with European Tubes. Cedilla Systems Ltd says that its client is investing in the Bury firm's METalchemist solution

  • A premier party for young fans

    HUNDREDS of excited youngsters and their parents partied the night away at the Junior Whites' Christmas Party held in the Premier Suite at the Reebok Stadium. Wanderers manager, Sam Allardyce, and coach Sammy Lee made a special appearance - along with

  • Borgetti will not leave in January sales

    JARED Borgetti has been assured he still has a future at the Reebok, despite dropping down the pecking order. The Mexican striker has become increasingly frustrated at the lack of opportunities since joining Wanderers from Pachuca, in August and has recently

  • Sam's warning to Euro stars

    SAM Allardyce has issued another of his reality checks by warning that Wanderers could self-destruct if they qualify for the Champions League. After seeing his dream of Carling Cup glory shattered by local rivals, Wigan Athletic, the Reebok boss has turned

  • It's all the fun of the festive fair

    LOOKING for a new home is this giant polar bear who was the prize in the 'guess my name' competition, just one of the many attractions at the Edenfield Village Pre-School Christmas fair. Children and families packed into Edenfield Community Centre, off

  • Casper calls it

    I THOUGHT we thoroughly deserved to win and I told the lads in the dressing room how proud I was of them and the way they went about their work. In the first half hour we showed them too much respect and stood off them a bit too much, but they are a good

  • Players' have a wheel problem

    ST Joseph's Players are hoping to be on their bike come pantomime time. The Leigh Am Dram company are producing Dick Whittington as their first show of 2006, but writer-director Doreen Johnson is facing a wheel problem. She's looking for a bike, something

  • Grant means drama workshops continue

    DRAMA workshops and theatre performances involving residents on the Higher Folds estate will continue. Wigan Pier Theatre Company has been given the green light to continue its excellent work in the community following the award of a £34,000 grant from

  • Town hall back baby unit fight

    BURY'S political leaders have thrown their combined weight behind the campaign to save Fairfield Hospital's maternity services. And they cheered when residents handed over a mammoth petition of 38,000 signatures before the last council meeting. All three

  • Bury Jazz Society

    A FEW weeks ago the society's president, Mr. Jim Rimmer, gave a talk on jazz in Nazi occupied Europe. On Monday he followed this up with a look at jazz behind the Iron Curtain and punningly titled his recital 'Red Hot Jazz'. The supplier of the music

  • Tennis club plan refused

    THE future of Holcombe Brook Sports Club has been thrown into doubt by planning chiefs who ruled it cannot relocate to green belt land. The tennis club, which has one of the highest reputations in the country, was hoping to move from its existing site

  • Netball results

    Premier division: Farrar's Arms 22, Delph 34; YWCA Bury 8, GPO 42; Charlestown 37, Thorn Ladies 27. FIRST DIVISION Supertots 24, RDES 19; TMF 22, O2 32; YWCA Bury A v Rossendale Ladies: points YWCA Bury A. SECOND DIVISION Isaacson's 29, YWCA Bury B 22

  • Darts results: Ramsbottom League

    Grey Mare 8-1 Rose & Crown; Royal Oak 3-6 Masons; Good Sam 6-3 Brandlesholme; Legion 4-5 Buchanan. High score: Pail Oxton, 180. LEAGUE TABLE PWLPTS Good Sam1211122 Masons1210220 Brandlesholme129318 Royal Oak12 7514 Buchanan12488 Legion12396 Grey Mare12396

  • Bury boss slams Fergie's detractors

    MANAGER Chris Casper was guest columnist in last weekend's edition of the Football League Paper. In his piece he led on the scandalous amount of criticism that Sir Alex Ferguson has received in the media following Manchester United's elimination from

  • 'Golden' Greg loves his Gigg Lane visits

    ONE of the most popular players in the history of the club, Greg Farrell, made a welcome and rare visit to Gigg on Saturday. South African-based Greg was a massive cult hero in the late 1960s with his Georgie Best-type wing play and stories of his exploits

  • Mill reunion

    FIFTEEN years after the closure of J and J Hayes Mill, Victoria Street, the factory's camaraderie lives on. Over 50 former employees and bosses got together at Leigh Conservative Club on Friday for their annual Christmas reunion dinner and to relive bygone

  • Counterfeit goods warning

    TRADING in counterfeit goods can ruin your Christmas warn Wigan Council trading standards officers. A man was last week sentenced to 36 days imprisonment after pleading guilty to 10 offences under the Trademarks Act. When Wigan police stopped 33 year

  • Police hunt carving knife raider

    A MAN armed with a large carving knife held up an off licence in Tyldesley on Tuesday night. The robber threatened staff at Booze Buster on Elliott Street with an eight-inch carving knife and demanded that money and cigarettes be put in a black bin liner

  • Walking in a win to Sunderland

    OUR website betting guru Gerry McDonnell came up trumps with his accumulator last week. Here is this week's column . . . YOU've got to be tough with kids, my littlest one threw a strop last week when I didn't lavish enough praise on him after he sent

  • The Mayor's Christmas message

    THE past year has seen terrible natural disasters such as the tsunami in Asia and the Pakistani earthquake, which together with the acts of terrorism in London, could lead to a feeling of despair in every decent minded person. But the magnificent and

  • Health Trust scoops award

    IMPROVING the working environment for its staff has earned Bolton's local health authority a national award. Bolton Primary Care Trust received the highest level in the Department of Health's Working Lives standard which aims to encourage employers to

  • Tough action over young drinkers

    POLICE in Bolton and Bury are launching a crackdown on underage drinking as schools and colleges close for the Christmas holidays. Officers will be stepping up patrols in and around the town centre to curb anti-social behaviour over the festive period

  • Debts left from last Christmas

    THOUSANDS of families in Bolton have still not paid off debts from last Christmas. According to new figures from The Debt Council the average family did not pay off last year's festive spending spree until June, with many still in debt. Patricia Quinn

  • Listen to singing sheep head for Number 1

    A FLOCK of real singing sheep from the Lake District are taking on the Crazy Frog this Christmas in the battle to become the novelty song of 2005 - and you can listen to them here! The single and a hilarious sheep pop video can be downloaded free from

  • The Mighty Boosh take to the stage

    The Mighty Boosh, the latest kings of surreal comedy, have lined up a Warrington show for March. Having played the international comedy circuit and enjoyed TV and radio success, The Mighty Boosh are to hit the stage with their first live tour of the UK

  • Step up or ship out: Doncaster v Sedgley Park

    TIME for a reality check - as the halfway stage of the season approaches, Sedgley Park are bottom of the National One pile with relegation staring them in the face. Unless something is done, and done now, the Park Lane club could be about to do an 'Orrell

  • Disgusted by the state of Alfred Street

    I AM absolutely disgusted with the current state of Alfred Street in Bury. As a regular user of the walkways on this street I am finding it increasingly difficult to find a safe passage to work. The building work being undertaken near to Antler luggage

  • Speed camera for a gridlocked road

    BURY Council never ceases to amaze me. According to the news this week they have found £170,000 for speed warning signs. The position of one of them is at the bottom of Brandlesholme Road, not 50 yards from the traffic lights. Why do we need one there

  • League tables: we need to see the fuller picture

    I AM sure many parents were keen to read the primary league tables produced by the DFES, and published in the Bury Times ('Pupils outshine average score in national tests', December 8). As a parent governor at Greenmount Primary School, I obviously wish

  • Voice mail can't deal with our concerns

    WHAT is happening in the town hall since the introduction of the voice mail service? Ring any particular person, and the odds are that you will get an answering machine informing you that the person you want is unavailable and they will ring you back.

  • Road safety: it's all about saving lives

    WITH so many people having done so much for so long to improve road safety in the borough, it comes as a huge upset for us to see a local driver, four-and-a-half times over the limit, escape prosecution. It is surely an outcome that demands radical changes

  • Estate residents get fit and friendly

    RESIDENTS on an Atherton estate were invited to help improve the community spirit and get fit at a Saturday school sports day. Hag Fold families were offered the chance to improve their football skills, take part in pilates and street dance and try their

  • Dinner dance in memory of Danny

    THE sporting community came together to honour the tragically short life of footballer Danny Young. On what would have been the evening of his 17th birthday, players and parents from local soccer and rugby clubs attended the Danny Young Memorial Dinner

  • Staff lose out on holidays

    A third of UK workers will not take their full holiday entitlement in 2005, despite complaints of being overworked. This could mean more than £14.5 billion worth of unclaimed holidays are going to waste this year, according to employment law and HR advisors

  • Show for franchises

    THE British Franchise Exhibition, will be taking place at the G-Mex Centre in Manchester next month. The exhibition covers sectors ranging from management and business consultancy, recruitment, food and drink, health and fitness, cleaning and confectionery