Archive

  • Loo blues

    Come and shop in Bolton, From all the towns around. The sales are always on in Bolton, More to get for your pound. Make sure your bladder's empty, I advise you all to do. For when you shop in Bolton, You've a job to find a loo. D Charnock Atherton Road

  • Culprits noted

    I WOULD appreciate the opportunity, through your newspaper, to thank the kind person who witnessed our car being smashed into, then the culprit(s) drove off. This angel then left a note on our windscreen with the car registration number and make. If they

  • Vandalism in society that's sick

    IN answer to D Jones' letter about the vandalism in Astley Bridge Cemetery. I have written many letters on this subject, but your letter will fall on deaf ears. We know the yobs have no respect -- that's our sick society today. It is a disgrace, but the

  • Calling time on carnival

    I AM sorry, but I must have seen a different Westhoughton carnival to the one reported in the Bolton Evening News on Monday. Only in Britain could we continue with a parade when clearly neither the participants nor the spectators were prepared for the

  • Help us to stamp out this torture

    IT is Amnesty International's 40th anniversary year and in this year we are running our worldwide campaign to "Stamp Out Torture". Torture is still committed in two-thirds of the world's countries today. Often people are tortured because of who they are

  • Ignorance can be so deadly

    MAY I take this opportunity to bring to your readers' attention one or two seasonal problems we are encountering, all of which result from ignorance, rather than wilful cruelty. 1. We are disappointed that schools/organisations (even charities) are holding

  • Why Socialism is only hope for better future

    I NOTICE that Robert Harrison has once again got his facts wrong! (BEN: Saturday, July 7). FACT: The Bolton Socialist Labour Party did not have any posters printed for the General Election in June. Fly posting is illegal, we want to gain people's vote

  • Readers 'name' youth seen near car

    THE Bolton Evening News today passed on new information to police after a teenager was pictured looking on as another youth crawled into a car not belonging to either of them. Yesterday a series of photographs were published, including the one above,

  • Appeal boost

    THE Men of Christ Church Group, Heaton, have donated £400 to the Archbishop of Canterbury's appeal fund.

  • Majorettes

    A NEW majorettes troop is starting tomorrow from 6-7.30pm at the City Hotel on Eskrick Street, Halliwell. The troop can be joined by 6-12-year- olds. More details from Philippa on 01204 465677 or Alison 01204 497502.

  • Pensioner badly hurt

    A PENSIONER was seriously injured in an accident at Hunger Hill today. The 69-year-old woman was in collision with a silver Peugeot car as she attempted to cross Wigan Road close to the Three Pigeons pub. She suffered severe head injuries and was taken

  • Actor warns of taking on meaty roles at Octagon

    HE IS well-known as a solid figure of authority, a lean, mean often military machine -- but actor Edward Peel beefed up all over when he was an actor at Bolton's Octagon! The 57-year-old, who plays Station Commander John Coleman in ITV's London's Burning

  • Play time

    VOLUNTEERS are needed to help out at Horwich Resource Centre Playscheme. The scheme, which starts on August 13, offers places for youngsters aged from five to 11, including some with special needs. Part and full time help is required to assist with the

  • Handy pupils get a taste of DIY

    YOUNGSTERS in Bolton have been given a taste of DIY skills. Pupils from Mount St Joseph School, in Farnworth, were given the opportunity to sample the DIY experience. Bolton Council's housing direct labour organisation staff helped the children with joinery

  • Death of village stalwart

    A STALWART of Blackrod politics has died after serving people in the village for 31 years. Cllr Lance Watkinson, of Manchester Road, who died of cancer, was first elected as an urban district councillor in 1961. He represented Blackrod's Central Ward

  • Sale on

    A coffee morning and bring and buy sale for Romania is being held on Saturday from 10am-12.30pm at 1 Wythburn Avenue, Bolton.

  • Houses plan turned down

    PLANS to build 150 houses on a former tip site have been turned down. It was decided at a meeting of Westhoughton Town Council that the planned development to the south of Cherwell Road was too close to a wildlife corridor and would swallow up one of

  • Extra date for play inspired by memories of local pensioners

    A COMMUNITY play created by a Bolton team of writers and researchers, using the memories of the town's pensioners and the talents of local actors, has had to extend its run due to popular demand. Tickets for One Hundred Years in Work Town have proved

  • Japanese art in town

    BOLTON Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium hosts a symposium to discuss the disability arts in Japan on Saturday from 10am to 2pm. The event, organised by the Tanpopo No Ye Foundation, is part of Japan 2001, a year long celebration of Japanese culture in

  • School places record demand

    BOLTON School is increasing the number of places it offers in response to record-breaking demand. The prestigious Chorley New Road independent school is currently facing a demand for places which is at an all time high. As a result, it will add a more

  • Mountains no obstacle for cyclists

    "NO valley too deep, no mountain too high" could be a Bolton teenager's slogan after he cycled the length of the Pyrenees mountain range in just five days. Mark Flitcroft, aged 16, and his dad Dave, from Astley Bridge, pedalled the 440 miles route from

  • Reunion for former junior school pupils

    THERE is to be a reunion of all past pupils who attended Colliers Row Road Junior School on Saturday, July 21, followed by lunch at Smithills Coaching House. More than 50 people have already booked, but the group would love to hear from past pupils or

  • History in the making as Tim weds his fair Tudor rose

    ENGINEER Tim Nightingale's marriage has earned its place in the history books. For Tim married bride Liz Laycock in a castle which last hosted a wedding more than 350 years ago. The couple, dressed in costumes from the Tudor era, said "I do" in the romantic

  • Flintoff leads way as Lancashire have a ball

    LANCASHIRE pushed open the door to the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy with a superb bowling performance against Sussex. Then today they followed that by reaching the century mark for the loss off just two wickets - openers Atherton, today named as stand-in

  • Bikers praise course

    BOLTON racing cyclists who use the lanes of the Rivington area as their training ground say they are relishing the prospect of seeing Commonwealth Games stars on the course. They are breathing a sigh of relief that difficulties in plotting a road race

  • Run for it

    RUNNERS of all abilities have the chance to compete on the fantastic new all- weather track at the Bolton Arena this weekend. As part of the weekend-long celebrations to mark the official opening of the £15 million multi-sports development, Horwich RMI

  • Plan to put a shine on your car

    A CAR wash and valet service will open in land south of Haslam Street, off Derby Street, if councillors approve. Cambrian Property Investments of Derby Street has applied for planning permission to open the facility, which includes an office and waiting

  • RMI snap up ex-Bolton duo

    TWO ex-Wanderers stars have joined Leigh RMI to boost their bid to continue their Nationwide Conference success story. Midfielder Steve Thompson and winger Neil Fisher have been recruited from Halifax and Chester to boost the Hilton Park midfield. Thompson

  • A Harry Potter Hymn

    This children's hymn was inspired by J K Rowling's best-selling fantasy series. As any youngster will tell you, a Muggle is someone without magic powers (like you and me). Magic! Magic! Jesus Christ is magic! His birth was a miracle angel-led, He was

  • Looking at the life and times of an artist

    I AM researching the life and work of the artist Featherstone Robson. He was born in Northumberland, England, in 1880, and he died in Toronto, Canada, in 1936. He usually signed his work 'F.Robson', and prints of his work were sold by most of the large

  • These fountains are superb

    THERE have been letters in the BEN lately criticising Victoria Square, but I must say I take the opposite view. I think the fountains are superb, and a great improvement on the old ones, and certainly more in keeping with the stone Town Hall. The old

  • Spain does it better

    I'VE read a number of items in the Bolton Evening News about the Town Hall Square and the so-called fountains. Which mogul in their ivory tower thought of that idea? The fountains look like they are unfinished pyramids. Whoever thought of the fountains

  • THE BEN SAYS: Long road to a parking answer

    A HERE we go again! A town centre trader tells us that Bolton is in danger of becoming a "customer free zone" due to parking restrictions, while a spokesman for the town centre replies that things are getting better. Has there ever been a time when this

  • Farnworth isn't forgotten

    NOTE that Tory supporter Christine Adams is sniping away at me again (BEN: July 5), alleging, as usual, that I do nothing for Farnworth and its people in my capacity as the Member of Parliament for Bolton SE. The policies of this Government benefit Farnworthians

  • We should follow Singapore's example on law

    MR J M Hampson is another reader concerned about law and order in this country. "Your Views" on July 4. This anomalous situation was highlighted in the BEN earlier in the year, with your front page headline "The law is an ass". These do-gooders Mr Hampson

  • Institute welcomes Royle-ty to awards ceremony

    BOLTON Institute welcomed a member of Royle-ty to its fold today when it bestowed an honorary award on screen actress Sue Johnston. The Merseyside actress -- best known as Barbara, the long-suffering wife of Jim Royle in BBC's The Royle Family -- was

  • 200 lose jobs as firm folds

    TWO hundred workers are to lose their jobs with the closure of a Bolton plastics factory. Staff at Lorival Plastics in William Street, Little Lever, will be made redundant by mid-August because of mounting debts and a slump in demand for the company's

  • Summer concerts

    MUSEUM chiefs are holding a series of lunchtime concerts throughout August and September to coincide with the Bolton Festival. Details can be obtained by phoning Bolton 332211.

  • Body not identified

    A MAN whose body was found badly decomposed at his home in Horwich has still not been formally identified. Police discovered the man at the house in St Brides Close just after midnight last Friday.

  • Post office axe raid drama

    TWO axe-wielding raiders escaped with cash after smashing a post office security screen. The men burst into the Wigan Road Post Office in Leigh at 10.50am yesterday using the axes to attack the screen. They escaped with a substantial amount of money before

  • Summer event

    ST Joseph's Summer Fayre is being held on Sunday at St Joseph's Car Park on Hobart Street, off Halliwell Road, from 11.30am. There will be a tombola, games, cakes, plants, BBQ, face painting, refreshments, toys, books, music, crafts and fancy goods. Admission

  • On the hunt for night creatures

    A TALK about bats will be followed by a hunt to find the nocturnal creatures at Hall i'th' Wood Museum, off Crompton Way, on Wednesday, August 29, from 7.30pm. 'Bat Walk' will explain how bats fly, see, and communicate with each other. Visitors can then

  • Find out more about health

    OLDER people are being given a chance next week to find out more about how health services are being improved for them. To link in with the introduction of the National Service Framework (NSF), which aims to set out national standards of care for older

  • Park convention could be just the job for emergencies

    A CAREERS convention is being staged next weekend for those wanting a job in the emergency services. The Uniform in the Park event, at Manchester Velodrome and Philips Park, is being staged for the second year by the North Manchester Crime Prevention

  • Thunderbirds are go

    THUNDERBIRDS fans can join Captain Scarlet as he battles with Lady Penelope at Manchester's Opera House from August 13 to 18. The Thunderbirds FAB tour will cost £9 for adults and £8 for children. Telephone 0161 245 2509 for more details.

  • Palais night

    THE Sutton Community Centre holds the second of its monthly "Palais night" dances tomorrow. Local band Jeriatric Jazz will be playing ballroom, old time and jive in the centre at the junction of Addington Road/Sutton Road off Wigan Road in Bolton. It

  • Open verdict on heavy drinker

    A HEAVY drinker was found dead at his Harwood home by his partner. An inquest was told Malcolm Sutcliffe, of Seaford Road, had been on a night out with colleagues on October 21 last year. The 58-year-old was found slumped next to the bed by Shirley Wrigley

  • Team in line for another prestige prize

    BOLTON Council's Ethnic Minorities Business Service has been shortlisted for the regional final of the One 2 One Best for Business award. EMBS, which is part of the Bolton Economic and Physical Development Unit, will compete against two other projects

  • Audition call for junior showtime

    A JUNIOR Showtime is being staged at the Albert Halls on February 23, 2002. The event will be held in aid of charity, and any youngsters interested in taking part can attend the auditions at the City pub, Eskrick Street, Halliwell, on July 21, 2pm. Youngsters

  • Facing a test of time

    THESE are "testing times" for businesses in the North West according to a new survey. Research by the North West Chambers of Commerce in conjunction with the Royal Bank of Scotland reveals sales and orders in the region's service sector fell sharply during

  • Services struggle

    THESE are "testing times" for businesses in the North West according to a new survey. Research by the North West Chambers of Commerce in conjunction with the Royal Bank of Scotland reveals sales and orders in the region's service sector fell sharply during

  • Pair acquitted over £6.6m cash robbery

    TWO Londoners accused of involvement in Britain's biggest ever cash robbery were acquitted by a jury yesterday. But the jury was still deliberating on the case against two defendants from Bury and Whitefield. William Goulden, aged 46, of Trinity Gardens

  • D-Day veterans pay their respects

    MEMBERS of the Normandy Veterans Association have paid tribute to their fallen colleagues in France. The Bolton branch laid wreaths at cemeteries where some of the thousands of Allied troops killed in the D-Day landings are buried. The group also went

  • Jailed man brought back to court

    A MAN already in jail for burglary was brought before a court to be sentenced for a break-in he committed 2 years ago. A judge sent him to jail for 10 months but because Keith Gildart is already serving a two-year sentence for burglary imposed in March

  • Snakes in the class

    A SCHOOL has scaled up its operation by finding a home for a collection of rare snakes. The Deane School's farm has one of the most impressive selection of the reptiles anywhere, including one on the endangered list. The school was approached by the family

  • Pair acquitted over £6.6m cash robbery

    TWO Londoners accused of involvement in Britain's biggest ever cash robbery were acquitted by a jury yesterday. But the jury was still deliberating on the case against two defendants from Bury and Whitefield. William Goulden, aged 46, of Trinity Gardens

  • Minister's pledge on rail bridge

    A GOVERNMENT minister has assured residents that a rotting wooden footbridge over a railway line in Bromley Cross will be regularly maintained in future. Steven Byers told fellow MPs that Railtrack would work to keep the bridge, linking Hillside Avenue

  • Demolition team move in at eyesore ex-club

    A FORMER British Legion club is finally being demolished, years after having become an eyesore. Workmen have moved into the building in Railway Road, Adlington, to begin the task of stripping asbestos before the former club is pulled down. Chorley Council

  • Swimmer denies indecent assault

    THREE friends swimming in the pool at the Water Place in Bolton alleged they were touched indecently by a male swimmer, a court was told. Ashfaq Ahmed claimed he may have accidentally touched the ankle of one of the girls but denied indecently assaulting

  • It's showtime at the local library

    YOU might expect staff to frown on visitors making a song and dance in the library. But at Breightmet they thought it was just the ticket when a group of drama pupils wanted to perform numbers from two Willy Russell musicals. Library users looked on surprised

  • Minister's pledge on rail bridge

    A GOVERNMENT minister has assured residents that a rotting wooden footbridge over a railway line in Bromley Cross will be regularly maintained in future. Steven Byers told fellow MPs that Railtrack would work to keep the bridge, linking Hillside Avenue

  • £90,000 to pay for new classroom

    PRIMARY school has been awarded £90,000 to build an extra classroom in a bid to combat overcrowding. The move comes as part of a national £30m Government spending spree which will see 283 new junior classrooms built at 216 schools across the country.

  • Graduates enjoy first-time pay boost

    GRADUATES in the North-west have enjoyed the highest salary increases in England, it is reported. According to the latest Graduate Market Trends Salary and Vacancy Survey, starting salaries for graduates in the region now average £17,982 - an increase

  • Wanderers Saudi tour shock

    BOLTON Wanderers' pre-season preparations were thrown into chaos today when their trip to Saudi Arabia was cancelled. Wanderers were due to take part in the King Fahd Cup in three weeks but they have been forced to change their plans after the plug was

  • Flintoff half-century clinches Lancs trophy win

    ANDY Flintoff hit an unbeaten 65 as Lancashire comfortably beat Sussex by seven wickets in their Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy clash at Old Trafford today. Chasing 152 for victory and a home game against Durham, Lancs reached the century mark for the

  • Town centre shopping decay warning

    A TOWN centre trader has complained that Bolton is in danger of becoming a customer free zone. Peter Green, who runs The Sandwich Inn on Churchgate said he believes poor trading and parking conditions mean the centre is now teetering on the brink of decay

  • History in the making as Tim weds his fair Tudor rose

    ENGINEER Tim Nightingale's marriage has earned its place in the history books. For Tim married bride Liz Laycock in a castle which last hosted a wedding more than 350 years ago. The couple, dressed in costumes from the Tudor era, said "I do" in the romantic

  • Depressed ex-student bled to death

    A ONCE promising student, who became anxious about his future and had turned to drink and self-mutilation, was found dead in a Walkden park. An inquest heard how Wesley Alldred, of Greymar Road, Little Hulton, was found dead at Blackleach Country Park

  • You have let James down

    ROBERT and Catherine Barrett believe their son has been let down by his school after not recognising he had dyslexia. They claim their repeated calls for specialist help from staff at the Oaks Primary School fell on deaf ears. The couple, from Turton

  • Soccer tournament

    THE third annual FA National Mini Soccer Festival takes place on Sunday at the Ron Tucker Sports Ground at Darcy Lever involving 64 teams from all around the country, 10am start. The national tournament is sponsored as part of their support of Mini Soccer