From the Evening News, May 21, 1904: IN a stable a hundred yards away from the mineral water works of Messrs Coulthard and Hardman, Radcliffe, was found on Friday morning a substantially-built iron safe, which had been carried off during the night by thieves.

The door and the window had been prised open and the safe opened by gunpowder. The amount stolen was £20.

JOSEPH Bennett, rural postman between Clitheroe and the village of Pendleton, has just retired on a well-earned pension.

Bennett is 54-years of age and has had 24 years' service. During the whole of that time he has been a postman for that district and he has paid two visits daily on week days to Pendleton, a total walk of about 18 miles and on alternate Sundays he had an extra two miles round. During his service Bennett has walked a distance of over 126,600 miles and he has very rarely been off duty for sickness or other causes.

From the Evening News, May 22, 1954: CORPORATION Street, Bolton, remained blocked to all traffic today following the collapse of the three-storey shop at the junction with Millwell Lane yesterday afternoon. The adjoining building, also belonging to Kenyons, women's outfitters, has been shored up because of a danger of further falls. Several people received slight injuries at the time of the collapse and during clearance and demolition operations.

WESTHOUGHTON Council last night unanimously appointed its second woman chairman, Cllr Miss McIntyre, a Labour representative for North Ward, who is now serving her sixth year on the council. She said it was satisfactory that there were no unemployment problems, but it was deplored that over 85 per cent of the workpeople had to travel out of town.

From the Evening News, May 22, 1979: THE new President of Bolton Chamber of Commerce and Industry is Mr Richard Hurst, chairman of Richard Threlfall, textile engineers. Mr Hurst, who is married to Cllr Mrs Barbara Hurst, made a plea for 400 chamber members to employ one extra school leaver each this year to help solve the youth unemployment problem. Mr Hurst said the technological revolution on its way was inevitably going to put people out of work in some large concerns and it would be up to the smaller firms to help find employment for these people.

POLICE and fire officers are investigating a £100,000 mystery blaze which wrecked Manor Carpets' warehouse in Bentinck Street, off Chorley Old Road, Bolton. The warehouse was used by the firm - which also has premises in Manor Street, Bolton - to store more than £40,000 worth of carpets and rug-making machinery.

From the Evening News, May 21, 1994: TV star Michael Barrymore says he feels "tremendous relief" after treatment for his addiction to drink and drugs. The 42-year-old entertainer has been staying at the Ashley Centre, run by Father Joseph Martin near Baltimore, Maryland. Barrymore, who had his wife Cheryl at his side, is due to return to Britain and sign a new two-year contract with London Weekend Television.

BOLTON'S oldest Catholic Church - SS Peter & Paul's - is helping to celebrate 200 years with go-karting and morris dancing.