25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, June 12, 1976

THE inclusion of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise in the Birthday Honours represents "a mockery of our system of society", a Lancashire MP said today. Now Mr Doug Hoyle (Labour, Nelson and Colne) - one of several MPs to protest about the comedian's names being in the list - said he is to renew his demand to the Prime Minister for the formation of a select committee to look into the honours system. Mr Hoyle, who lives in Ashfield Road, Anderton, said: "It really is time we re-organised it in a way so that the recipients are people who have performed a service for the country - that is, if we need honours at all."

A GOVERNMENT Minister has emphatically denied that the addition of fluoride to water supplies could cause a thalidomide-type tragedy. And despite the recent Bolton Evening News' referendum in which readers voted overwhelmingly against using fluoride, Health Junior Minister Mr Eric Deakins makes it clear the Government intends to press ahead with its fluoridation programme.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

June 13, 1951

Horwich Parish Church, which provided the first centre of education in Horwich over 150 years ago, is to remain in control of its two day schools. The decision was made last night at a public meeting of church members, who were faced with the alternatives of applying for aided status to continue church management over the schools or of asking for controlled status, as a result of which the schools would go under the control of the education authority. The old boys' school, one of two controlled by the Church, was erected in 1793, and was responsible for the start of the annual church sermons, which were held to pay the salary of the schoolmaster. The girls' school was built in 1833.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

June 13, 1876

ON Sunday morning last, another attempt was made to upset a mail train between the Tyldesley and Ellenbrook stations. As in the latter end of last January, when the mail train from the North had a marvellous escape, a steel rail was placed across the down line, and when the 12.25am mail from Manchester to the North came up, fortunately, instead of being thrown off the line and precipitated down an embankment, the engine wheels cut through the obstruction and kept the rails. The engine was damaged so as to be deemed unsafe to run the train further, and the train was joined to the 1am mail train from Manchester, at Tyldesley. As showing the deliberate intention of the perpetrators to upset the mail, a Bellevue excursion train passed the spot in safety a few minutes before the mail was due.

AT Blackburn on Monday, George Brown, a tallow chandler from Liverpool, and some others, were allowed by a publican to drain the dregs of a whisky cask. Brown afterwards proceeded to his lodgings, where, on reaching the doorway, he fell and became insensible. Medical assistance was procured, but he died a few hours afterwards.