A LOOK back at some of the articles published in The Radcliffe Times 50 years ago includes a fire at Radcliffe Motor Cycles, a Sunday school trip to Cleveleys and the first Saturday trading at the Market.

A MOTOR cycle racing sidecar outfit which took its owner two to three years to build was badly damaged by fire at a motor cycle shop in Church Street, Radcliffe, late on Friday afternoon.

It means the end of competitive racing for this season for John Lawton, the 26-year-old manager of Radcliffe Motor Cycles.

Mr Lawton, who lives on the premises, said: "I shall be able to repair the machine in time for next season."

He had competed in only two races — at Aintree and Silloth, Cumberland — since completing the sidecar at the beginning of July.

Mr Lawton was making a slight modification to the sidecar outfit ready to race again at Silloth on Sunday when a spark from an acetylene welder ignited petrol vapour.

He and mechanic Clifford Hawkins, of Sion Street, Radcliffe, attacked the blaze with three fire extinguishers while waiting for the Fire Brigade to arrive, an dragged other motor cycles and equipment out of the shop in case the flames spread.

Firefighters raced to the shop but by the time they arrived, the fire was beginning to die down.

Only the sidecar outfit was damaged in the blaze.

VICTIMS may have to pay for work to prevent future flooding.

Angry residents at Withins who are campaigning for action to prevent a nearby watercourse overflowing and flooding their homes may themselves be faced with a demand to undertake prevention works.

Radcliffe Council came under heavy fire from the residents when roads, gardens and house foundations were flooded in heavy storms in July, but the streets and plans committee has been told by officials that the owners of the houses on the estate are responsible to the Earl of Wilton as the land freeholder, for flood prevention works.

And the committee is recommending Radcliffe Council to ask the Earl of Wilton to enforce the lessees' covenants to carry out certain flood prevention works.

MORE than 100 Sunday school pupils from St Andrew's Church, Radcliffe, filled two double-decker buses when the school held their annual trip on Saturday.

This year's destination was Cleveleys. The party left the town after lunch and arrived at the season on a fine, fresh day.

The outing had been postponed from May because the weather was so bad on that day.

SATURDAY trading at Radcliffe Market made a successful start at the weekend. Open on a Saturday for the first time in its long history the market attracted not only its full quota of traders but "an extremely satisfying" turn up of shoppers, according to Market Inspector David McCheyne.

Officials, councillors and traders hope it will become a popular shopping venue.