From the Evening News, July 1, 1992 - A BOLTON man is behind a multi-million pound plan to take some of Britain's motorway service stations into the 21st century.

The blueprint for the massive revamp of the much maligned service stations - including Anderton on the M61 near Horwich - was launched by entrepreneur Michael Guthrie today. The 51-year-old former Bolton hotel worker, chief executive of Mecca Leisure, has paid almost £100 million for eight prime motorway service areas and three trunk road stations - bought from Rank Organisation.

BRITISH Rail today announced it had plunged £144.7 into the red compared with a loss of just £10.9 million in the previous year.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, June 30, 1977

MANCHESTER United denied today that they had suspended manager Tommy Docherty. The London Evening Standard reported that Mr Docherty has been suspended on full pay because of his affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist. A statement issued by the club says: "It is not true that Mr Docherty has been suspended." Docherty, who recently negotiated a new contract worth £100,000 for four years, took United to an FA Cup Final triumph over Liverpool at Wembley in May.

VIRGINIA Wade recovered her nerve and composure to capture the Wimbledon women's single crown. She lost the first set 6-4 to Holland's Betty Stove, but fought back bravely to clinch the match.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 1, 1952

"DEAR Friend: Having a good time. The weather is fine." This is the cryptic message which Boltonians love to write when they go on holiday. It may be brief and may not show a great deal of original thought behind it, but at least it is to the point and it proves to those left behind in the town that they are not forgotten.

But Bolton folk have not written the message as often this year as last year. Yesterday the head post office on Deansgate distributed 28,000 cards as against 31,000 on the same day last year, and up to mid-day today 29,000 cards had come in - 10 per cent less than last year.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 1, 1902

THE accident at the Victoria Colliery, Ladyshore, Little Lever, which occurred on Wednesday and resulted in the death of a fireman named W. Stott (38), of Nun Brow, Nob End, Little Lever, was investigated at the Town Hall this morning by the borough Coroner, Mr Rowland Taylor.

Deceased's cousin, Henry Stott, Croft-street, Little Lever, said that between two o'clock and half-past on Wednesday, he was engaged in the Gingham mine along with the under manager Brown, pulling down the roof, so as to make it higher. Deceased was there to give them a lift, and had just driven an iron wedge into the roof to force it down when he went to sit down by the side of the brow. The bottom layer of the roof, about six inches thick, came down. They were all under the impression that the next layer above was sound, but that also fell and caught deceased. It was stated that if the deceased had stood a foot further away he would have escaped. A verdict of "Accidental Death" was recorded, with Mr Fletcher, proprietor of the colliery, expressing the firm's regret at the accident, and the loss of a "trusted and good servant."

10 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 1, 1992

A BOLTON man is behind a multi-million pound plan to take some of Britain's motorway service stations into the 21st century. The blueprint for the massive revamp of the much maligned service stations - including Anderton on the M61 near Horwich - was launched by entrepreneur Michael Guthrie today. The 51-year-old former Bolton hotel worker, chief executive of Mecca Leisure, has paid almost £100 million for eight prime motorway service areas and three trunk road stations - bought from Rank Organisation.

BRITISH Rail today announced it had plunged £144.7 into the red compared with a loss of just £10.9 million in the previous year.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, June 30, 1977

MANCHESTER United denied today that they had suspended manager Tommy Docherty. The London Evening Standard reported that Mr Docherty has been suspended on full pay because of his affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist. A statement issued by the club says: "It is not true that Mr Docherty has been suspended." Docherty, who recently negotiated a new contract worth £100,000 for four years, took United to an FA Cup Final triumph over Liverpool at Wembley in May.

VIRGINIA Wade recovered her nerve and composure to capture the Wimbledon women's single crown. She lost the first set 6-4 to Holland's Betty Stove, but fought back bravely to clinch the match.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 1, 1952

"DEAR Friend: Having a good time. The weather is fine." This is the cryptic message which Boltonians love to write when they go on holiday. It may be brief and may not show a great deal of original thought behind it, but at least it is to the point and it proves to those left behind in the town that they are not forgotten.

But Bolton folk have not written the message as often this year as last year. Yesterday the head post office on Deansgate distributed 28,000 cards as against 31,000 on the same day last year, and up to mid-day today 29,000 cards had come in - 10 per cent less than last year.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 1, 1902

THE accident at the Victoria Colliery, Ladyshore, Little Lever, which occurred on Wednesday and resulted in the death of a fireman named W. Stott (38), of Nun Brow, Nob End, Little Lever, was investigated at the Town Hall this morning by the borough Coroner, Mr Rowland Taylor.

Deceased's cousin, Henry Stott, Croft-street, Little Lever, said that between two o'clock and half-past on Wednesday, he was engaged in the Gingham mine along with the under manager Brown, pulling down the roof, so as to make it higher. Deceased was there to give them a lift, and had just driven an iron wedge into the roof to force it down when he went to sit down by the side of the brow. The bottom layer of the roof, about six inches thick, came down. They were all under the impression that the next layer above was sound, but that also fell and caught deceased. It was stated that if the deceased had stood a foot further away he would have escaped. A verdict of "Accidental Death" was recorded, with Mr Fletcher, proprietor of the colliery, expressing the firm's regret at the accident, and the loss of a "trusted and good servant."