ENGLAND’S national selector Geoff Miller says Sajid Mahmood was close to a call-up for the opening Test match against the West Indies at Lord’s next week. And the former Derbyshire spinner also believes the Lancashire bowler is in better form than he
AN ELDERLY woman died after suffering two falls at her home in the space of two months, an inquest heard yesterday. Dorothy Baldwin broke her right hip when she fell in August last year. The 87-year-old had surgery and made a good recovery and returned
I REFER to the letter from Rachel, who, living in Radcliffe, wishes she had a BL postcode (Letters, April 20). Well, Rachel, I actually live in Bolton and have a Manchester address. My home is in Stoneclough, Kearsley, which has been in Bolton since
I AM a 62-year-old male, worked all my life, paid into the system with taxes, including council taxes, for 47 years. I believe that I have paid my way in this country. I have been off work since July, 2008, and at the moment I am waiting for an operation
A MOTHER has told of her anger after her 13-year-old daughter was left stranded by a bus driver. Katie Churches, along with around 15 other passengers, was ordered off the vehicle in Breightmet after a brick was thrown, smashing one of the windows.
STEVE Priestley caused a splash when he netted a 21 pound 12 ounce pike. The Deane fisherman, who fishes all over the country for big carp or pike, landed the catch of the day at Borrick Fishery in Morcambe. In other angling news, a barrier has been
I WAS saddened to read about Fred’s statue being vandalised once again. This mindless attack was not only another insult to Fred’s family, but also the sculptress and the many thousands of people who donated as well, including myself. The statue must
I WONDER if anyone could help. I am trying to trace a photography shop in Deane Road in Bolton in the 1960s. If anyone could help me with a name etc I would be most grateful. Miss Hodgkiss Bolton nelly1938@hotmail.co.uk
BOLTON enjoyed a well-deserved win at Bamber Bridge in their final game of the season. The Mets were on fire in the opening quarter as they stormed into a three-try lead. Centre Neil Walsh opened Bolton’s account when he broke out of a tackle and raced
I CALLED at the local chip shop in Lever Street. The chippy was extremely busy, but with four people serving I was soon out. Within five minutes people were rolling up, mostly workers, and within seconds wardens on scooters were booking them. The street
FORMER Tonge bowler Lee Daggett is hoping his winter move to Northants can be his key to success. The Bury-born 25-year-old, who won the Lancashire League’s Worsley Cup with Ramsbottom in 2001, 2002 and 2005, has joined the Wantage Road club after dropping
CAMERA crews filming for a new Crimewatch series have spent a day at a disabled riding school which was ransacked by thieves. Miller’s Nook Riding School in Lostock Lane, Westhoughton, had thousands of pounds worth of specialist equipment for disabled
AN HISTORIC Bolton building will soon be gone forever. The demolition of Clarence Street Centre is well under way, with only half of the former Bolton Community College site remaining. Work to knock down the landmark started in December last year but
THE court case about the Bolton gardener who swindled £22,000 from a 92 year-old woman over six years leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. After befriending her and gaining her trust, he coerced her into signing blank cheques in return for work at her
IT is so encouraging to note that there are many objectors to the proposed racecourse near to Bolton. (Public enquiry into plan for race course — April 23). Let men and women race, they have freedom to choose.They don’t get shot when their racing life
DETECTIVES are examining fresh leads in the hunt for a mugger whose attack on a grandmother led to her death. Mary Porter, aged 80, was thrown to the ground by a cyclist who stole her handbag containing £30 worth of bingo winnings. The incident happened
THERE has been much talk about cobbled streets. Although they may be a tougher wearing surface, spare a thought for people who have to walk across cobbles. Walking on cobbles is really difficult and I, for one, am very concerned about cobbled pavements
BUSINESS leaders have a chance to shine by entering a prestigious award aimed at company directors. The Institute of Directors (IoD), North West, says nominations are now open for the North West Director of the Year Awards 2009. Winners of last year’
A PRISON officer who beat his girlfriend to death has been jailed for life. Lee Shaun Lucas, aged 36, of Park Road, Golborne, claimed he had found his 45-year-old girlfriend, Helen Lucas, collapsed in their house the morning after a night out. Police
IN yet another “friendly” fixture in the run up to their first season of competitive rugby at this level, Westhoughton Lions romped to a 52-22 victory against a strong Wigan side. Despite having only one substitute, Wigan brought seven, the Lions ran
Farnworth teenager Sahir Iqbal landed a gold medal at the Three Nations Championships in Swansea. Iqbal beat Alan Goss (Scotland) 9-0 in the semi-final before disposing of Joseph Smith (England) 8-3 in the final. The victory over the previously unbeaten
THE news that the number of mixed-sex wards at the Royal Bolton Hospital is to be reduced, is very welcome. As part of a national “Dignity in Care” campaign, Age Concern with others — including The Bolton News — has been determined to highlight the distress
OH dear! More brawling parents turn a children’s sport event into a free-for-all and you can bet they think they’re just being loyal. This time it was an under-16s football final in Hertfordshire when, unwisely, the clubhouse bar opened for a brisk trade
BRITAIN’s battered manufacturing sector is set for a mini-revival when the economy recovers, a leading City economist has forecast. Roger Bootle, economic adviser to Deloitte and managing director of Capital Economics, set out a vision for the UK economy
MORE than 500 people have been diagnosed with bowel cancer in its early stages thanks to a new screening programme in Bolton. The Royal Bolton Hospital was one of the first places in the country to embark on a scheme to screen every resident aged 60
A PARTNER in a Bolton accountancy firm has won the prestigious Young Accountant of the Year award. Stuart Stead, of Cowgill Holloway, received the award at the North West Insider Young Professionals Awards. A partner in audit and compliance, Mr Stead
A BANK Holiday charity event will raise money to repair a church roof. The Unity Brook Inn in Manchester Road, Kearsley, is holding a fun day on Monday in aid of the nearby St Stephen’s Church. Local businesses will have stalls, offering services and
CASH and credit cards were stolen when a thief sneaked into a house through an unlocked front door. The burglars struck in Bury Road, Breightmet, between 12.40am and 9am on Sunday. The thief went upstairs and stole a wallet containing cash and credit
Bolton student James Mullineux has been voted Chorley’s player of the year for 2008-9. The central defender, who turned 21 last week, has played more than 150 games for the UniBond Division One North side. In the four years since joining Chorley as
TOWN councillors in Blackrod want to meet with highways experts over traffic problems. Concerns have been raised about problems at the junction with Scot Lane and Manchester Road. Councillors say that if two lorries meet at the junction
THE healthcare sector is bucking the downward trend in the jobs market, with a shortage of applicants to fill a wealth of vacancies, according to an employment specialist. Jobs website Gumtree.com posted more than 1,500 healthcare vacancies in recent
SOAP baddie Cain Dingle is back in Emmerdale and I bet there are plenty of female viewers happy about that. Actor Jeff Hordley has been absent for the last year or two as the wicked one, for large portions of that time playing at Bolton’s Octagon theatre
SADLY, P H Hayworth’s view of God doesn’t quite correlate with my own experience of our loving Father. (Letters, April 23, “We must mend our bridges with God”). God is not a stern father whose only desire is to punish us for our wrongs. I can imagine
THE verdict against the Gurkhas for domicile in this country is an act of treason. If anybody has earned the right to live here, they come top of the list. Wherever they fought, their battles have always been at the sharp end. If ever there
I HAVE read recently various comments on the Green Lane/ Crescent Road mini roundabout and thought I would add to them. Living very close to the junction, I had the rare occasion to sit outside my house watching my young children play last weekend.
A FAMILY who subjected their neighbours to two years of abuse, intimidation and vandalism have been evicted. Susan Arnold and her family were ordered out of their terraced house in Newby Road, Breightmet, after neighbours reported a catalogue
HOUSE prices fell at their slowest rate for more than a year during April as potential buyers continued to return to the market. The average cost of a home in England and Wales dropped by 0.3 per cent, with only 32 per cent of postcode districts reporting
A millionaire businessman from Bolton, accused of attempted rape, watched a nightclub boss have rough sex and play out fantasies with his alleged victim, a jury heard. David Atherton, aged 51, is charged with attempting to rape the 49-year-old
FIXTURES - Chadwick Cup First Round: Tue: 24-7easyweb v Trafford Ehs (Dennis Foulkes), Bradbury Ladie v Walkden Cricket Club B (Mick Draper), Horwich RMI v Highfield (Michelle Mcclean), Little Lever v The Flag (Jean Anderton), St Josephs Sports College
PAUL Shield’s last-gasp winner kept alive Dobbies B’s double hopes as they defeated Walkden 2-1 to lift The Sam Ashworth Trophy at Eagley. Walkden dominated the first half and the only surprise at the interval was that they only had one well-taken Tony
BURY striker Andy Bishop believes his team-mates have to take many of the plaudits following his inclusion in the PFA League Two team of the year. Bury’s 17-goal leading scorer is the only member of Alan Knill’s promotion-chasing team to have been given
JOHN Edwards (Letters,April 24, “Ripped off by the budget once again). Of course you are being ripped off, that’s the name of the game. You are a stupid, tax-paying Brit. Had you been a politician, you could have charged the “idiot taxpayer” £12 for
GOOD luck to Carl Hartley who is forging a successful radio career. The 26 year-old former Canon Slade pupil is now at Bolton FM, which launches on June 20, after honing his undoubted skills on various radio stations. Strong local media is important
You can leave your tributes to Shaun in the comment facility below. AN 11-year-old football fan was killed in a motorway pile-up as he made his way to watch Bolton Wanderers. Shaun Bates died after the car he was travelling in was involved
THREE men and a woman have been re-bailed by police after being arrested in connection with an armed robbery during which a man was hit over the head with a gun. A 42-year-old man was assaulted after three men burst into his home in Amblethorn Drive,
ANYONE with a sporting soul should salute Kevin Poole, the evergreen goalkeeper who has just won his first league title at the age of 46. The Brummie, who enjoyed what everyone thought was the twilight of his career with Wanderers, will be
WE used to hear of players “working their socks off” or “pulling their tripe out”. Now, it seems the description of a hard-working footballer is one who “puts in a shift”. Tony Pulis used the phrase in support of Richard Cresswell after the striker
THERE is a well-known saying of “having your bread buttered on both sides” — well, it works for Bolton Council. For example, if you live in an unadopted street, or one runs along the back or sides of your property, and something goes wrong with the road
TRY getting this sofa through your front door and into your front room! It would be almost impossible as it is a staggering 39 feet (12 metres) in length. The 25-seater sofa was made in three sections by framemaker Mick Dalewood at Saxon Leather and
THE next time an English manager complains about not getting a fair crack of the whip from an impatient chairman, he might just spare a thought for Jurgen Klinsmann. The legendary former German international was sacked by Bayern Munich on Monday
Leigh Centurions head coach, Neil Kelly, has been appointed director of rugby. Former England hooker Paul Rowley, who has been Kelly’s assistant at the Co-operative Championship club, will take over as first-team coach as part of the reshuffle
FOUR in 10 Britons could catch the deadly swine flu virus within the next six months, leading health officials have warned. Professor Neil Ferguson, a member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) taskforce, which raised the alert over the
Results - Section A: St Joseph s Sports College 114 Darcy Lever C&SC A 136 (I); Walkden Cricket Club A 55 Rupert Ladies A 77 (I); Daisy Hill Rounders Club 60 Little Lever XI 157 (I); Rupert Ladies B 87 Bradbury Ladies 127; Aspull Ladies XI 148 Darcy Lever
CHILDHOOD sweethearts David Haslam and Caroline James had saved £14,000 for their dream wedding in Mexico. But plans for their big day have been shattered by the outbreak of swine flu, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s advice not to
BOLTON’S director of public health, Jan Hutchinson, has offered further advice to residents who are concerned about contracting swine flu. Symptoms of swine flu include a fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, chills and fatigue. Some people
A SEAT of learning will occupy a prominent position at this year’s prestigious Bolton and Bury Business Awards. Bury College is to sponsor the innovation, technology and design award, one of 10 categories to be featured in the event, which is organised
IF you’re out and about in Bolton town centre spare a few minutes to nip up Knowsley Street to Bath Street. This historic little street boasts a group of traders who not only deserve your custom but much more besides. They have banded together to help
HOW can this Government treat with contempt the exceptionally brave Gurkhas who have fought for hundreds of years alongside our own brave troops? The soldiers have won many medals, including the Victoria Cross, lost their lives, and been maimed, for
A MAN accused of robbing a prostitute told a jury he punched her because she was trying to steal his money. Steven Strong, aged 43, told Bolton Crown Court he approached the woman because he wanted her to help him buy drugs. He claimed
They were one of the top bands of the seventies after each member had served a musical apprenticeship during the sixties, and legend has it that they were named by Jonathan King (the legend goes on to say that the average amount of male ejaculate is 9cc
A NEIGHBOUR has told how she heard a woman screaming on the day a mum-of-two was stabbed to death. Diane Brindle told Manchester Crown Court yesterday how she heard a woman’s voice shouting, “What do you think you are doing?”, coming from Sarah Melia
RYAN Giggs’ contribution to Manchester United’s enduring success is immeasurable. As a confident, gifted, young player, he was one of the most exciting talents in world football. Over the years he has matured into one of the most influential
BOLTON racer Tim Sanlam has begun his assault on the national VW Racing Championship, finishing a creditable 11th and ninth in the two races at Oulton Park, improving his grid position by two places on both occasions. The 50-year-old owner of Bolton
I FEEL that I must express my absolute disgust at the way this Government is treating the Gurkhas. These brave men have fought shoulder-to-shoulder with our soldiers. These fearsome fighters were prepared even to lay down their lives for our country
JAMES Anderson has backed Lancashire to mount a challenge for the County Championship title after he got them off to a winning start against Sussex at Hove last week. The England pace bowler made the most of what was almost certainly his only four-day
ADA Shepherd was an ordinary woman with an extraordinary talent. She was a highly skilled darts player with the bottle and talent to beat all comers, men and women. She never made a fuss of her skills, turning them instead to raising thousands of pounds
BURY Under-15s are through to the North West Alder Owen Trophy semi-final following a tense 6-5 penalty shootout win after a 3-3 extra-time stalemate against Manchester at the Derby School. The local lads trailed 2-0 after 15 minutes but hit back after
GARY Megson is confident he will be able to strengthen his Wanderers squad in the summer transfer market. With just 18 first teamers at his disposal, Megson has used fewer players than any other top flight manager. “We have got the number of pros down
