25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, March 5, 1976

NO £4.80 suits from East Germany will be allowed into this country, and steps are being taken to limit the import of cheap wool suits which sell at about £12. These assurances came today from Mr Eric Deakins, Under-Secretary at the Department of Trade.

VANDALS bombarded cars and a bus with "water bombs" in Chorley Old Road, Bolton, last night. A group of 14 boys and girls, aged about 14, took disposable containers from a mill yard before peppering passing vehicles. But their "fun" ran out when one of the bombs hit a 519 bus. The bus driver and a passer-by chased the gang and caught two of the youths. A police spokesman said: "The two who were caught were taken home to their parents and given a real roasting."

50 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, March 6, 1951

GAY songs, and sad, lilting melodies from half a dozen musical plays, are the world's memory of Ivor Novello, brilliant actor-manager and composer, who died suddenly in London early today. He was 58. He was in the theatre until the last, having played as usual in "King's Rhapsody" at the Palace Theatre last night.

125 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, March 5, 1876

A LADY in this town who should this morning have entered the bonds of matrimony with a stalwart son of Vulcan, gave birth yesterday to three fine boys. The marriage ceremony has of course to be postponed in consequence, but we are informed that the putative father and prospective husband is in no way disconcerted by the event, but is, on the contrary, rather proud of the opportunity of not only taking until himself a wife, but a young family ready to hand as well. The little strangers have unfortunately by their precipitancy and anxiety to make their debut on this worldly stage, just missed, by twenty-four hours, the usual Queen's Bounty of three pounds.