From the Evening News, September 12, 1903: THE fund opened by the Mayor of Bury to alleviate the distress prevailing in the town owing to the depression in the cotton trade now amounts to £580, and includes subscriptions of £50 from the Mayor, £25 from Colonel Wike, £10 from Mr James Kenyon, £10 from Mr George Toulmin, MP, £25 from the Bury Co-operative Society, and £20 from Bury Football Club.

Up to last night some 1,500 persons had been served at the soup kitchens established at the Salvation Army Barracks.

From the Evening News, September 12, 1953: THERE were two causes for satisfaction at the Westhoughton Agricultural Show at White Horse today - the fact that the storm clouds which had been hanging around all morning kept blowing away, and that advance financial support for the event was much better than last year. In addition to the ordinary attractions in the big rings, the horses and cattle, there were many attractive subsidiary features in the marquees.

There were about 500 entries in the women's handicraft section, the best-ever show of flowers and vegetables, 230 pigeon entries and 290 rabbit entries, whilst in a special ring were about 30 Morris dancing teams.

From the Evening News, September 12, 1978: CRIME in Greater Manchester is on the way down, says a report. The number of crimes reported in the first half of 1978 was 700 fewer than the same period last year. The drop is about one per cent.

One crime showing an increase was the number of hit-and-run drivers. Chief Constable James Anderton blamed this on the fact that the penalty for failing to stop after an accident was less than for drinking and driving.

BOLTON Lads' Club has a new leader, Mr Jeremy Glover, a 25-years-old graduate in business studies.

From the Evening News, September 11, 1993: BOLTON'S historic Ashburner Street Market has gone for good. And the newly revamped Covent Garden-style shopping centre will simply be known as Bolton Market.

Councillors say the change of name is not about the fruit and veg market ditching its Lancashire image and going up-market after the £2.2 million facelift. "We are only bringing the name into line with what many people know it as," said a spokesman

Traders are unhappy about plans to open on Fridays, but councillors insist that they need the cash from the extra day's trading to pay for the facelift.