Archive

  • Hot ideas for sunny season

    SUMMER'S here (well, almost) and the living is easy -- especially if you're seven-years-old and the days of ice cream and water fights seem to go on forever. We haven't had many good summers in recent years but the Year Two pupils at Gilnow CP School

  • Mobile phone mast row

    CHORLEY Borough Council should be given more power to deal with 'monster masts'. That's the view of councillor Helen Sutton following the publication of the Stewart Report this week. She said: "All over Chorley, there is a growing proliferation of mobile

  • Tesco puts on new bus service

    PEOPLE power is behind a decision by Tesco bosses to provide a new free bus service to its Chorley store from Leyland. The move comes after the store received a flood of phone calls from concerned Leyland residents, backed up with a letter from local

  • Swan's nest is torched

    VISITORS to a popular Chorley beauty spot have been left outraged by a heartless attack on a swan's nest. The nest was torched and its six eggs -- due to hatch any time now -- stolen. The shocking incident took place at Healy Nab, behind the Thomas Witters

  • Mayor today gone tomorrow

    THE robes were off for councillor Florence Molyneaux as Chorley welcomed its new mayor this week. Chorley south west ward councillor, Thomas McGowan, took up the chains on Tuesday evening during a full council meeting at the town hall. Florence stepped

  • Sam has a point

    Comment: By Gordon Sharrock IN 21 years of following the Wanderers for this newspaper, I have heard countless managers and players rant and rage over bad refereeing. I have winced at accusations of bias, sympathising with the men whose emotions were fired

  • 'We've only got ourselves to blame' - says Bergsson

    GUDNI Bergsson admitted today that Wanderers must take their share of the blame for failing in their promotion bid. The club captain was critical of referee Barry Knight after last night's 5-3 defeat at Ipswich but insisted: "We should have shown a bit

  • GOLF: Lora towers above 'em

    A GOLFER from Adlington near Chorley struck it lucky this week after one of the country's most famous landmarks said it would continue to sponsor her. Lora Fairclough, 30, rated as one of England's most talented golfers is delighted that Blackpool Tower

  • Man in hospital

    A MAN was taken to hospital suffering smoke inhalation after a fire badly damaged his council house in Horwich. Police are treating the blaze at Fearnhead Avenue as suspicious.

  • Shed set ablaze

    A SHED was set on fire at the back of a terraced house in Leigh yesterday, with the flames spreading to the fences of neighbouring houses. Firefighters spent an hour at the scene on Winward Street, Leigh, at 6.15pm. The shed was destroyed.

  • Gladys celebrates half-century at conference

    PROFESSIONAL business women from Bolton attended their annual conference in Cardiff alongside their longest serving member, Gladys Cumner. Members of the Bolton branch of the Business and Professional Women seconded a motion urging the Government to issue

  • Top award for Army man Philip

    PROUD soldier Lieutenant Philip Mark Naylor collected an OBE at a glittering ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Lt Naylor, originally from Blackrod, is based at Salisbury with the Corps of Royal Engineers. He attended the ceremony with his wife, Christine

  • Chip pan fires

    A BOLTON man suffered breathing problems from thick smoke after flames from a chip pan fire spread to his cooker causing a blaze in his kitchen last night. The man from Rishton Lane, Great Lever, was treated by emergency staff outside his home. And firefighters

  • Police probe party

    A LATE night student party was broken up by a fire which left one young man needing hospital treatment. More than a dozen Bolton Institute students were in the terraced house in Park Road, Heaton, when the blaze started in the bathroom at 3am today. Some

  • Keeing quiet for Africa

    THE 54th Bolton Christ Church brownie pack did a sponsored silence for 45 minutes, which raised £182.19 which will go towards developing health care in Kenya. Keeping quiet with the brownies are, at the front, from left, Louise Hind, Brown Owl; the Rev

  • Passengers will suffer

    A BUS Company has announced that a Bolton service will be affected during Friday's one day strike by drivers. It will be a second strike by Stagecoach Ribble drivers who are fighting for an increased wage claim. Friday's strike will affect Service 125

  • School's debut at marching contests

    SMITHILLS School is to make its 'debut' this year at the traditionally held Whit Friday march contests staged in and around the villages of Oldham at the start of a hectic few weeks. Led by award-winning Principal Cornet player Lynsey Hayes aged 17, the

  • Father and son attacked court told

    A FATHER and son fell victim to weapon-wielding thug Jonathan Carroll. Using an iron bar or baseball bat, the 19-year-old caused more than £1,000 worth of damage to two cars belonging to Athaur Rehman and his son, Aqueel Ur-Rehman, in a terrifying incident

  • Fund-raiser Marie in plea for sponsors

    A SUPERFIT pensioner has appealed for sponsors to make her energy sapping mammoth run a fund-raising success. Marie Caldwell, aged 62, battled through the sun, heat and traffic in a tough road run from Blackpool to Bury. But her efforts on Sunday in aid

  • Reservoir a suspect in water bug investigation

    MEDICAL experts are continuing investigations into cases of the tap water bug cryptosporidium in Bolton. Seven cases have been reported to health chiefs in the past two weeks. Most cases of the infection, which can lead to gastrointestinal illness with

  • Straw's bobby boost

    GREATER Manchester Police chiefs have been told they can recruit almost 400 new officers in the next two years -- instead of the three years originally planned. Home Secretary Jack Straw has found an extra £24 million to accelerate his proposal to add

  • 'Humiliation' of veggy mum

    A MOTHER of two said she felt humiliated when her request for a children's vegetarian meal at McDonald's was received with laughter. Vegetarian Claire Axon, 25, had taken her two children, Jordan, four, and Niam, two, to the fast food restaurant's branch

  • Village goes back in time

    YE OLDE days of yore were revived on Saturday when the Rivington Festival burst into action. The event, at Rivington Hall Barn, was the Rivington Millennium Festival which attracted huge crowds. The fun included a typical Saxon meal, a performance by

  • From the BEN files

    25 YEARS AGO LANCASHIRE'S 50,000 textile workers have won an immediate pay boost of 12 per cent, with another 3 per cent to follow in November. SOME cigarette prices are going up again, on top of the Budget increases, and it means that a packet of 20

  • EXCLUSIVE! Canal probe after blockage

    A MAJOR investigation is underway following the sensational blockage of the Leeds to Liverpool canal in Whittle-le-Woods which has left many families on holiday stranded in their boats. British Waterways inspectors have been at the scene since Monday

  • Can you help find Pepi?

    A cute little miniature Yorkshire Terrier is a much-loved family pet who has gone missing. Pepi, who is around eight months old, slipped out of his owner's car while she was loading wallpaper at Moses Gate in Farnworth last week. Mrs Anna Kinley, didn't

  • Art for art's sake all over the town

    MORE than £10,000 has been invested to bring three major art projects to Bolton. The North West Arts Board and the National Lottery is funding the schemes as part of Year of the Artist, which begins in June. The projects will take place at Bolton Institute

  • Sad tales have a happy ending for rescued dogs

    BEING a rescue dog would make any dog lose faith in humankind -- but not these two. Jack and Tango had a terrible start in life, but now they mean the world to their "humans". Jack's owner, Tracey Moores, and Tango's owner, Audrey McCann, both contacted

  • Top award fireman 'bullied' colleague

    AN award-winning Bolton fireman has been plunged into controversy amid allegations he intimidated a workmate. A formal grievance has been lodged with Bolton Central station chiefs against firefighter Graham Smith, who won the MBE after helping Romanian

  • Family's heartbreaking pilgrimage

    A FAMILY took Ipswich Town to their hearts last night -- despite Wanderers' defeat. A year ago, Martin Hunt, aged 28, and his six-year-old son Matthew were killed returning from the play-off second leg between Ipswich and Bolton. Last night, family members

  • Call for hard-hitting smoke signals

    SMOKERS in Bolton should be targeted with new hard-hitting health warnings, according to a Euro MP. The Bolton area has the third highest lung cancer death rate in the North-west and Liberal Democrat Euro MP Chris Davies is desperate to tackle the problem

  • Row mars Mayor making ceremony

    A POLITICAL row threatened to ruin the special Mayor making council meeting as tempers flared at the Town Hall. While Bromley Cross Cllr Alan Wilkinson was proudly being inaugurated as Bolton's new mayor, fellow Tory Cllr John Walsh blasted the council

  • Data call

    WHY don't the children don't get punished for what they get up to? I am fed up of having my property vandalised. I've had the police but it is still going on. (Name and address supplied)

  • Protect our data

    WOULDN'T it be easier, practical and economical to protect our data, plastic cards and signatures from abuse by others if we apply patented personalised security stickers PSS (stickers with photo & name) on every document we sign including goods received

  • Look right,look left,look up . . .

    THE moves afoot to sell off air control to private companies, even if in part, causes a certain amount of apprehension. We all know that when private operators take over cutting costs, reduction of staff levels and an all-out effort to make money will

  • The BEN's not what it used to be

    I'M responding to your invitation at the foot of the Leader column to let you have my opinion on the BEN. Clearly, it is not the local paper it used to be, or, more to the point, since Newsquest took over. There is considerable trivia, especially in the

  • Stark message about cheats

    CHORLEY fraudsters are being targeted by the Government's latest campaign in the war against benefit cheats. The £2m 'Targeting Fraud' campaign is being piloted in the North West and aims to challenge those who tolerate fraud and those who think they

  • New estimates for Little Theatre work

    CHORLEY Little Theatre will now remain open for the summer after it was revealed that it would cost more than originally thought to remove asbestos from the building. Essential work was due to begin on the site on June 10 for six weeks, but now the original

  • ADOPTION: Gay men and lesbians to get chance to adopt

    GAY men and lesbian women in the Bolton area will be considered as adoptive parents by a new project trying to find homes for hard-to-place children. And Cllr Cliff Morris, responsible for Bolton's Social Services, says that the official local view is

  • FANS VIEW By Adrian Ford

    EVEN now, hours after the event, it's difficult to deliver a calm assessment of Wanderers' shattering play off defeat that brought down the curtain on their exciting season in the cruelest possible manner. With a minute of normal time remaining at Portman

  • CRICKET: Chorley come up trumps

    CHORLEY enjoyed an excellent weekend with a seaside cup double. Saturday's Nuffield Hospital Cup tie saw unbeaten Blackpool come to Windsor Park and in glorious sunshine the two teams produced an extremely entertaining match. Electing to bat first, Blackpool

  • Pension call

    BURY North MP David Chaytor is renewing his call to Chancellor Gordon Brown to do more for pensioners. He has joined nearly 70 other MPs urging Mr Brown to use some of the money from the recent auction of mobile phone licences to increase the basic state

  • Children's shop raid

    RAMRAIDERS smashed their way into a children's clothes shop, snatched stock and severely damaged the building. Police arrived at Kids Chaos on Manchester Road, Swinton, at 10.20pm just minutes after the masked gang had fled. Anyone with information can

  • Syringes found at burning house

    USED syringes were recovered from a burned-out Radcliffe drugs den. The discovery was made last night by firefighters who tackled the blaze at a derelict terraced house in Water Street. Bury's environmental health department will be contacted by fire

  • Mother and daughter make recovery

    A MUM and her four-year-old daughter have made a full recovery following a suspected double drugs overdose. The pair were rushed to the Royal Bolton Hospital after being found in a bedroom of a bungalow in Bramhall Avenue, Harwood, on Tuesday. They were

  • Class vroom

    PUPILS at Withins School enjoyed a different kind of lesson this week when they were taken for a ride -- without leaving the classroom. The youngsters at the Breightmet school were given the chance to put their motoring skills to the test by a new hi-tech

  • Millennium sport for all festival

    ONE of the biggest sporting events in Radcliffe's history is to take place this summer. The Radcliffe Festival of Sport 2000 will see teams of all ages competing in sports ranging from football to fishing and archery to rounders. The extravaganza has

  • Luke's trek to write his own success story

    BUDDING young journalist Luke Knowles is definitely going to be a success if commitment is anything to go by. For the 11-year-old is so keen to attend Newspaper in Education lessons run by the Bolton Evening News that he travels here every week ... from

  • Sam starts to count the cost

    SAM Allardyce admitted today that he might not be able to fend off the asset strippers now that Wanderers are resigned to another season of Division One football. As his Reebok chiefs counted the cost of last night's dramatic and controversial play-off

  • Children have their own animal club

    CHILDREN can ensure their pets are happy and healthy thanks to the veterinary charity the PDSA. The PDSA has its own young people's club called The Pet Protectors which began in 1993 and introduces youngsters to animals from all over the world. Membership

  • Moss and Jess pack their trunk and say goodbye to Bolton!

    TWO pals will soon be leaving Bolton for a new life in Surrey. Moss and Jess are border collies who have been living at the Destitute Animal Shelter in Northolt Drive. But they are heading for a border collie rescue association where they will get the

  • The evacuee who came to stay

    A PENSIONER is celebrating 60 years in England after being evacuated from Guernsey as an 11-year-old during the Second World War. Elizabeth Haworth, aged 71, came to England in June 1940 with her sister and cousin. Even though she spent her first three

  • Simple steps to help stop your pet straying

    VET Tony Regan has some advice for pet owners during the warm weather. Mr Regan, who has a number of surgeries throughout the Bolton and the North-west area, says straying is a year round problem but tends to increase dramatically during the warmer weather

  • ADOPTION: Three case histories

    THE case histories described here are the first three children for whom Families That Last are urgently seeking parents in the Bolton area. Local people who would like to find out more about being prospective adopters should contact the project on 0161

  • No real need to mine coal claim

    OPPONENTS of plans for a huge opencast mine on the Over Hulton and Little Hulton border claim there is no real need to extract the coal. The claim has been made by the Over Hulton Anti-Opencast Group as a second public inquiry into controversial plans

  • Meet Glenda, she's the make-up queen

    STARS In Their Eyes has moved into the new Millennium with 10 starry-eyed heat winners giving it their all for one last nerve-racking time on Saturday night. It's the eleventh year of the hugely popular "soundalike" show which plucks ordinary people from

  • MP warns against fluoride in water

    BOLTON MP David Crausby is warning Ministers against introducing compulsory fluoridation of water. And the MP wants a referendum in Bolton before any such move and has pointed out that some experts believe fluoride in water can cause illnesses such as

  • Car 'dump' angers estate residents

    RESIDENTS on a new luxury estate are so incensed about a "dump" of wrecked cars they have compiled a spoof home buyers' brochure. The new home owners in plush Belmont Park estate, Astley Bridge, are asking: "Would you want to buy our luxury homes -- views

  • TV licence dodgers shame the town

    MAGISTRATES held a special court to deal with television licence evasion in the Bolton, Horwich, Farnworth and Little Lever areas. And the court hearing came as it was revealed that Bolton is one of the worst towns in the North-west for TV licence dodging