WHO does Tony Blair think he is? A film star? I think not! The countryside is going through its worst nightmare, and he's just been on the television with that infuriating smirk, telling us all he is "coming out of the closet", and with that whips a pair
SO Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs has decided that it is time for him to come home and face-the-music. Could it be that his stolen cash has run-out, or is on the point of doing so? He knows that there is no health service in Brazil, and he also knows
YOUR headline 'Lollipop Lunacy' does not surprise me. I travel to Bolton once a week and am constantly shocked at the level of selfish driving I see regularly. On more than one occasion I have seen not only one car go through the lights at amber -- few
IT IS all too easy for us to bemoan the place in which we live. Why can there not be more green, open spaces? Why are we not blessed with a sunnier climate? How can it be fair that our neighbourhood does not resemble St Tropez a little more? We then dream
IS it the case that the strict parking regime in Bolton town centre is designed to allow more motorists access? If so, your letters column has shown for weeks that it is a failure, as correspondent after correspondent 'queues up' to explain why they are
THE Bolton Evening News has recently published articles and letters concerning asylum seekers and I suspect there has been a tendency to hype and distort the actual facts. It is a fact that the vast majority of asylum seekers are law abiding. Reported
ELECTION mayhem came to the streets of Horwich today as Shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe toured the town. The Tory-big hitter, in town to back the party's Bolton West candidate James Stevens, was interupted by Labour supporters wearing William Hague
BOLTON prostitutes in the town's "red light" district are risking their lives offering unprotected sex -- for just £5. A special BEN investigation has revealed that some girls offering sex on the streets are undercutting rivals and risking catching AIDS
BOLTON Methodist Mission at Victoria Hall, Knowsley Street, has become only the second church in the country to be given the prestigious Investors in People award.
CHILDREN can enjoy a disco dancing session in aid of a good cause on Sunday. The kiddies disco at Club Mezzo in Bolton will raise money for research into the rare illness Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva which makes muscles turn to bone. Astley Bridge
AN armed robber fled empty-handed after an alert post master bolted a door so he could not break in. The masked gunman struck just after 3pm yesterday trying to force his way into the Daisy Hill post office in Leigh Road, Westhoughton. But his efforts
BOLTON West MP Ruth Kelly is calling for organisations to nominate their "heroes" of local volunteering. Those identified will be presented with a certificate at the House of Commons to mark International Volunteer Year. The awards are being organised
FAMILIES in Bury are celebrating a £120,000 cash boost. Bury Family Centre, run by the National Children's Home charity, will fund a babysitting service, a parents' support group and a creche over the next three years with the money. The cash comes from
NEIGHBOURS saw a man receiving stolen diesel fuel which had been siphoned off from two parked lorries in a Farnworth street, a court was told. The drivers had left their lorries parked near Campbell Court but when they returned they discovered fuel worth
CUSTOMERS at a Bolton florist's had a lucky escape when a car mounted the pavement and smashed into the door. Browsers at Eileen's in Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge, were shocked as the female driver of the F-Reg Austin Montego lost control after braking
A NEIGHBOUR caused more than £600 worth of damage to a door when he went next door to complain about noise. A court at Bury heard how several years of animosity between father-of-four Kin Chan and his next door neighbour in Horne Street, Bury, Deborah
WHEN Sam Allardyce was asked to give his vote for Player of the Year he had no hesitation - "Gareth Farrelly!" he barked out. It was not, all due respect to the Irish midfielder, a nomination that met with universal approval. But, while he has been delighted
LIKE the intrepid Canadian Mounties, Sam Allardyce has developed an uncanny knack of always getting his man. Three times during the course of the season, the Wanderers boss failed in initial approaches for players he'd set his heart on signing and three
MARCH 28 1964. Bolton versus Aston Villa. My first Wanderers match. We were relegated that year and ever since, watching the Wanderers has been akin to a roller coaster ride writes Steven Battersby Back in July last year, a second play-off failure still
IT'S unlike Wanderers to fail to provide many memorable moments in the cup. But that has been the case during a season in which the league campaign has been very much the focus of attention and concentration. Wanderers have a proud tradition in the knockout
CROWD figures at home games turned into the Great Reebok Debate by the end of the season. From the chairman down to the fans, everyone had something to say about the size of Wanderers' attendances. A familiar sentiment was that Wanderers deserved better
JANUARY 13 could be looked on as the date when Wanderers fortunes took a turn for the worse writes Sports Editor Peter Mensforth Second in the table after a run that had seen them win six league games out of seven, the only reverse coming in a 1-0 home
LEADING Tory Francis Maude arrived in Bolton less than two hours after the General Election campaign to deliver the message: "Don't write us off." Mr Maude, shadow foreign secretary, joined the party's Bolton North-east candidate Michael Winstanley and
SHELLSHOCKED Bolton soldiers suffering from the stresses of frontline action are being refused treatment by the NHS. Their cases have been highlighted in a Westminster debate when Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly urged the Ministry of Defence to do more to help
BOLTON prostitutes in the town's "red light" district are risking their lives offering unprotected sex -- for just £5. A special BEN investigation has revealed that some girls offering sex on the streets are undercutting rivals and risking catching AIDS
CHILDREN born near the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster will enjoy a holiday in Little Hulton this summer -- if £5,500 can be raised. The trip aims to help youngsters aged nine to 11 boost their immune systems after years of exposure to radiation
At the peak of his form, Sam Allardyce was teased into slapping an £8 million valuation on Michael Ricketts. He'd scored in five successive games - four as a member of the starting line-up - and finally seemed to have shaken off that "super-sub" label
ANTHONY Barness did enough in the first six weeks of the season to suggest that, despite being bought as a full-back, he'd become a versatile addition to the Wanderers' squad. But, after featuring in the first 11 games in a variety of positions, the former
WANDERERS find themselves consigned to the play-offs for the third successive season after their hopes of automatic promotion were dashed by Blackburn's victory at Preston writes Adrian Ford But whatever fate awaits them in football's equivalent of Russian
A FINE second half display by Ramsbottom United took the three points from their visit to Woodley Sports. Woodley took the lead on 21 minutes, Steve Blow scoring from the penalty spot. Steve Orrell equalised on 35 minutes. In the second half Russell Brierley
IT IS good to see a variety of ideas being put forward to boost Bolton's markets. Ideas include a farmers' market, street trading and the installation of CCTV cameras. Anything that benefits the town's markets has to be supported. We need thriving markets
WHEN is something going to be done about the toilets at Bolton's Shipgates Shopping Centre? Twice recently I have gone into the cubicle to answer a call of nature, but privacy leaves much to be desired as when I was in someone entered and blatantly stared
REPORTS that Michael Portillo's Press Secretary is already briefing journalists against William Hague and urging them to ridicule him show that the Conservative Party is no longer interested in Britain but now focused entirely on the post election leadership
I AM sorry to disappoint your correspondent A Moore (BEN, May 3), but the trains I travel on are without exception peak trains -- normally nothing earlier than the 7.23am to Manchester Airport, or later than the 7.56am to Greenbank. I travelled on the
THE latest press reports suggesting some of William Hague's advisers are urging him to sack Michael Portillo show the only election William Hague is interested in is the post General Election Tory leadership contest. Not a day goes by without further
FORMER Royle Family star Andrew Whyment is set to become a familiar face in Britain's top soap -- Coronation Street. The 19-year-old Bolton actor will appear in nine episodes over the next three weeks, starting on Sunday. Granada bosses say they are ready
BOLTON is still at the centre of an investigation to catch a stalker who has targeted more than 70 famous female actresses with obscene letters. The man, who has used envelopes with Bolton and Bury postmarks, has bombarded celebrities including ex-Avengers
SAM Allardyce is not expecting to enjoy the play-off experience - whatever the outcome. "If any manager tells you he enjoys the play-offs, he's lying," the Wanderers' boss said as preparations began in earnest for Sunday's game at the Hawthorns - the
A GOLF trip of a lifetime awaits amateur Simon Roocroft and Bolton pro Bob Longworth and Jim O'Gara and Douglas Valley pro Mark Sanders if they can come through the next stage of Europe's biggest pro-am competition, the Lombard Trophy. Roocroft, 39, a
AN introduction to Indian Culture and Hindi Language is to take place in Bolton on Saturday. Adult learners are invited to sample the delights of Indian food, learn basic Hindi phrases and see a film and dance performance. It takes place at the West Indian
LEADING charity Sargent Cancer Care for Children is inviting people to run the New York Marathon on November 4. More than 30,000 runners will descend on Manhattan, where marathon fever builds up to create a carnival atmosphere. Runners at all levels are
LANCASHIRE County Cricket Club Development Association is organising a company golf day at De Vere Mottram Hall on Monday, August 6. It will feature teams of three players and a celebrity from the world of sport. Details are available from Promotions
WITHIN two weeks of being asked for their support, more than 150 MPs have offered practical help for Carers Week from June 11 to 17. MPs, including Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South East, are planning to take part in local activities in their constituency
JOB losses and the threat of more to come could lead to an adverse effect on the current "feel good factor" in the North-west. Consumer Futures, the consumer research arm of economic analyst Business Strategies, says that in the run-up to the General
YOU can be part of the biggest sporting pageant in the world in 2002 in the XVII Commonwealth Games. If you live in a Bolton SRB area, apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help in the Games. There will be a Pre Volunteer Programme, enabling
LOCAL travel agent St Andrews Travel has been nominated in three categories in this year's annual Agent Achievement Awards. The Bolton company was in competition with more than 8,000 agents nationally to reach the finals. Managing Director Andrew Dickson
BOLTON North-east MP David Crausby opened a new office for a Swinton-based recruitment business. Linda Taylor Associates, an independent consultancy established in 1987, has opened additional premises in Bark Street East, Bolton to add to those in Swinton
CONSTRUCTION work has started on a £60 million public transport interchange at Manchester Airport. Contracts have been exchanged between the airport, Manchester City Council and Railtrack for the development, which centres on the existing rail station
PUPILS from Bolton School provided a top-notch evening of entertainment to raise money for two worthwhile charities. All types of music and dance were on offer at last night's 'Performing Arts Concert' including modern dance, Greek tragedy, classical
VOLUNTARY groups in Farnworth are being offered a free computer. The Little Hulton and Farnworth Partnership's Youth and Family Support Group has three upgraded computers to give away. They were donated by the Manchester-based Collingwood Housing Association
MEMBERS of Bolton Little Theatre are Broadway Bound on Saturday when they perform the third play in Neil Simon's autobiographical trilogy. His character, named Eugene Jerome, is now a "grown boy". He has finished his army service and he and brother, Stanley
TICKETS for Wanderers fans for Sunday's play-off first leg at the Hawthorns were sold out within three hours today. Long queues formed outside the Reebok with just 2,300 available. The limit on the Wanderers ticket allocation was imposed because of building
LITTLE Lever have cancelled the contract of their new cricket professional Kashif Raza. The Pakistan player has still not arrived in this country but the club were told at the weekend that he was due to arrive tomorrow. Yet they were also informed that
NEW pro Raj Javhad stepped off the plane from India at lunchtime and an hour later was helping Astley Bridge to their first win in over a year. The Bolton League side never won a game last term and their plans for this season were thrown into chaos when
BOLTON Triathlon Club members took part in the first triathlon of the season at Wrexham where father and son Tony and John Cumming represented the club. The race consisted of a 400m poolswim, 20k cycle and 5k run. The race was won in 54mins 55secs. Tony
RICARDO Gardner's amazing powers of recovery have made him the miracle man. In February last year his playing career came to a halt when he damaged cruciate and medial knee ligaments in Wanderers' game at Barnsley. It's the injury that players fear, knowing
MUCH praise has been heaped on the impact the old guard has had on Wanderers' impressive campaign this season. But at the other end of the age range the vibrancy of youth has also played a huge part in getting Wanderers where they are today. Players making
When Eidur Gudjohnsen made it 2-0 inside 28 minutes of the first leg of last season's play-of semi-final against Ipswich, the young Icelander and Wanderers had the Premiership in their sights. What followed in that Reebok game and in the return leg at
SAM Allardyce has a powerful motivation for leading his team and the town to success in the promotion play-offs. The Reebok boss has looked into the future and he does not like what he sees. For while a return to the promised land will see Wanderers feeding
THERE was election mayhem on the streets of Horwich today as Shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe toured the town. The Tory-big hitter, in town to back the party's Bolton West candidate James Stevens, was interupted by Labour supporters wearing William
BOLTON West MP Ruth Kelly turned 33 today, but as the General Election campaign swung into action, celebrations were definitely not on the cards. Ms Kelly, who defends a slender majority of 7,072, was already too busy trying to snuff out the challenge
A FARMERS market, CCTV cameras and street trading are part of a plan to boost Bolton. The plans have been sent to market traders and councillors for consultation and are intended to provide a "healthy fIn Bolton town centre, CCTV cameras could be installed
THE Bank Holiday sunshine brought an unusual visitor out to play in Bolton town centre. A wild deer was spotted dashing around by surprised passers-by. The animal was discovered among the trees and gravestones at Bolton Parish Church. And BEN photographer
BOLTON'S war veterans brought Victoria Square to a standstill as they held a service of remembrance to mark Victory in Europe day. Shoppers joined former soldiers in a two minute silence outside the Town Hall to remember the borough's war dead. They also
LEADERS Handicap Four and the Happy Vicars are pulling clear at the top of the BEN Naps table The Vicars really hit the jackpot when they put their £1 imaginary bet on Rushcutter Bay at Newmarket, which romped home at 20-1 to lift them into second place
CHRIS Billy proved he has finally won over the fans who used to boo him by picking up the Bury FC player of the year award - then saying Chris Swailes ought to have won writes Steve Canavan The hard-working midfielder couldn't hide his delight at scooping
WHATEVER league Bolton Wanderers line up in next August, this season has been a magnificent achievement writes Alex Sankey When the accolades are handed out to the most successful managers, Alex Ferguson, Jean Tigana and George Burley will no doubt all
AT the beginning of this season I couldn't see the Super Whites stretching themselves further than mid-table at best, but as all Wanderers fans know, league stability isn't an option here writes Steve Abbott There is little doubt that the last two inches
RECENTLY a club director, engaged in a debate with some fans about the way the season was unfolding, enquired: "Do you see your glass as being half full or half empty?" writes Phil Parker For me, it was most definitely half empty after the Ipswich play-off
BOLTON Schools made a successful start to the season with a convincing 79-run victory over Bury and Kearsley Cricket Club. Electing to bat, Bolton made a slow start against tight bowling. Jonathan Shaw was the first to be out with the score on 19. Richard
