Archive

DUE to the difficulties at the Royal Bolton Hospital, I think there is a clear case for a new Royal Infirmary to be built on Queens Park. H Bocock Rushey Fold Lane Bolton

IN reply to Peter D Morgan "When it gets to greed and hate bit" in the BEN on September 27. Mr Morgan writes 'Don't go believing you're quoting the actual words or, in some cases, reading about actual historical events, or do you?' Well, this is not the

I HAVE read all the letters and articles regarding the state of the A&E Department at the Royal Bolton Hospital, and consider the letter from Mrs Jean Bates puts the case fair and square. And I would like to enlarge on her comments as follows -- 1

A BOLTON doctor whose surgery is "under siege" by vandals has vowed to chase and catch the young thugs himself. Marathon-runner Dr Stuart Shaw now comes to work in his tracksuit and trainers so he can chase and catch the yobs who make life at Tonge Moor

COLIN Hendry will be let off the leash on Monday when Wanderers ring the changes for their Worthington Cup clash with Nottingham Forest. Hendry, a major player in the promotion success last season, has not had a sniff of Premiership action because of

SATURDAY PER Frandsen's penalty miss - or rather Thomas Sorensen's save - proves the turning point as Wanderers are beaten 2-0 by Sunderland at the Reebok - their second successive home Premiership defeat. Kevin Phillips scores his 100th League goal for

IF YOU have a wedding in the offing in your family, two events this weekend are certainly worth a visit. The National Wedding Show returns to the NEC at Birmingham today until Sunday. And on Sunday only, from 11am, the BEN is running its own Autumn Bridal

WANDERERS booked themselves a nice little earner when they agreed to switch the Worthington Cup clash with Nottingham Forest to Monday night. The third round tie, originally scheduled for Tuesday, was brought forward 24 hours for live screening on ITV

JACK and the Beanstalk is being performed by Christ Church, Mytham Road, Little Lever, and MDM Entertainments on January 18 and 19.

WHEN writer Josephine Cox comes to Bolton next Friday she will delight many local fans of her Northern sagas. But, not all will realise that her own early life was as dramatic as any of her novels. In fact, her story is now told in her latest book "Child

THE Salvation Army will be holding its fourth annual motorbike toy drive on Saturday, November 24, starting at 11am from Wilmott Street, Manchester. Any bikers interested can call Chris on 0161 743 3909.

A CHARITY night will be held at Blackrod Conservative Club on October 24. An Evening with Madge offers a chance to meet a clairvoyant at the same time as raising money for the mayor's charity, which is Derian House Children's Hospice. The event starts

THE panto Jack and the Beanstalk is being staged by Christ Church, Mytham Road, Little Lever, and MDM Entertainments on January 18 and 19, 2002. The organisers would like to thank everyone who has auditioned for the chorus and Princess Jill, and advise

STAFF at a Horwich supermarket were donning fancy dress to cheer on England today. Customers visiting Asda at Middlebrook were being greeted by staff wearing 60s and 70s outfits and can join in a karaoke competition. Children will also be entertained

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an accident on Tuesday afternoon. A 49-year-old pedestrian needed hospital treatment after he was involved in a collision with a black car at the junction of Wilton Road and Belmont Road in Astley Bridge at 4.40pm

THE anniversary of the execution of the Earl of Derby in Bolton after the English Civil War will be re-enacted next weekend. The Earl was beheaded in Churchgate for his part in the Bolton Massacre -- one of the incidents in the conflict where up to 1,700

A MUSIC shop is offering people free piano lessons throughout October. Harker and Howarth on Folds Road is making the offer as part of a 90th birthday promotion of the Kemble Piano Company. Shop manager Charles Harker said: "It couldn't be easier, this

A LEADING rotarian praised the Westhoughton branch of the organisation for raising £10,000 for charity over the past 12 months. District governor Gerald Higham made a visit to the town as part of his programme of keeping in touch with clubs across the

THE Leverhulme Trust has awarded £1.2 million to The Natural History Museum for a five year study of the earliest Britons. Scientists from The Natural History Museum, The British Museum, Royal Holloway and other institutes will work together to investigate

HARD working fundraisers wish to say a big thank you to all those who supported them on a cycling marathon. An eight-strong team of fitness fanatics from Lostock Leisure Club clocked-up 646 miles during a non-stop sponsored exercise bike ride earlier

A MAN suffered a head injury after he was involved in a road accident in Darcy Lever early today. Jonathon Hull, aged 21, was walking across Radcliffe Road, near its junction with Lever Bridge Place, when he was in collision with with a car. The victim

THE 27th annual Bolton Football Programme and Memoreabilia Fair will take place at the Excel Leisure Centre in Lower Bridgeman Street on Sunday, October 7 (11am to 3pm).

THERE will be a huge family get together in Bolton when children and their parents are urged to attend a host of free events and learn together. As part of national Family Learning Weekend which runs from Friday October 12 to Sunday October 14, Bolton's

THE call has gone out for big-hearted pupils to come forward for recognition as part of a national award presentation. The annual 'Tesco Our School Awards' will be held at the London Aquarium on Monday, November 29. The awards aim to recognise outstanding

BOLTON Council has responded to complaints from traders saying Ashburner Street market is in decline. Stall holders have said their livelihoods are under threat because of strict parking regulations and crippling rent. A spokesman for the council said

COMPUTER whizz-kids can now take an even bigger byte at their favourite subject thanks to a surprise present from a hi-tech firm. Sharples School has just become the proud owner of a state-of-the-art £700 computer thanks to a donation from a Leigh-based

BOLTON Hospice hopes to attract a host of festive fund-raisers this Christmas with a dinner dance. It has recruited Bolton band Brassed Off to provide the entertainment at the Westhoughton Masonic Hall. The event takes place on Friday, December 14 and

A BANNED driver thought he could evade arrest by giving his brother's name -- but was arrested anyway because his brother had also been disqualified from driving. Mark Patterson had been banned from driving at Bolton Crown Court in 1999 and was caught

A SIGN warning people not to abuse staff working at public tips has been stolen less than 24 hours after it was erected. The notice was removed from the civic amenity site at Clifton where a Bolton man was almost beaten to death six months ago. Richard

IF you've ever fancied putting one in the net then Bolton Wanderers' Reekbok home is the place to go. As the Whites prepare for one of their biggest home games of the season against Newcastle on Saturday, families from across the town will be invited

DETAILS about exactly how many people failed to return their census forms in Bolton will not be made public until June next year. The process of collating the data from the millions of forms across the country will continue for 10 months and exact figures

A MAN fears a rain-filled hole in Bolton could lead to another tragedy if it is not filled in. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted the BEN after reading about the case of Martin Hartigan, who drowned when he fell down a water-filled hole

THE Road to the Premiership, detailed player profiles and a lowdown on the backroom staff are among the features in the Bolton Wanderers Handbook 2001-2. The publication is on sale at £5 but Bolton Evening News fans can win theirs free in our latest reader

A NEWLY-qualified lawyer from Horwich, Matthew Bennett is one of four new recruits at Manchester-based legal firm James Chapman & Co. Matthew, aged 24, has joined the firm's commercial department as a solicitor after a two-year training contract with

CRIME hit businesses in Bolton could be handed Government cash in a bid to improve security in the town. Bolton Council has been handed £18,509 by the Home Office to fund crime-busting schemes. And among the ideas under consideration is giving grants

By Rob Arkwright, Hargreave Hale Ltd AS expected, the Bank of England cut interest rates by a further 0.25 per cent, taking the figure down to 4.5 per cent -- a 38-year low. There are mixed forecasts over the direction of the economy with retail sales

She has reigned supreme for six weeks now in our Smash Hits Chart -- the longest running Number One since we launched the new chart. There could be some very interesting happenings with that original master of music and pop, Michael Jackson. I'm betting

By David Crookes dcrookes@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk TKO's new band member Helen Jones has vowed to take the group to number one in the charts within a year. The blonde 22-year-old, who was drafted in to replace Katy Malloy, was in confident mood as she

MARKLAND Hill A currently top the A Section but the former Leigh BC members who now make up most of the team have their sights set on long-term success. Last season, the team, in its first year as an amalgamated side at the Heaton tennis club, finished

From the Evening News, October 5, 1976 25 YEARS AGO BOLTON'S Eagley Band has certainly "blown it". Blown themselves straight into the record books, that is. For the 26 members of the band are the new world record holders - for non-stop brass blowing.

THE Bolton Evening News has given its backing to the town's ambitious bid to become a city. Council leaders are putting the finishing touches to the bid to rise in status from one of the country's biggest and best towns to a city. It could be a case of

FOLLOWING Horwich RMI Harriers' final fixture in this season's Cheshire League, their Under 11s were crowned champions in their first season in this league. With 18 clubs in the league, the Horwich Juniors have won all four of their matches, with the

From the Evening News, October 6, 1976 25 YEARS AGO FULHAM'S former England skipper, Bobby Moore, was sent off in extraordinary scenes at the end of "normal" time in last night's League Cup third round replay against Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park.

One Hundred Years of Worktown is a play staged recently in the Bill Naughton Studio at the Octagon Theatre. It is a dramatised documentary, produced by Stephen Fielding and based on a number of taped interviews with people from the Bolton area, reproduced

WORKMEN are targeting businesses by carrying out car park repairs without permission then threatening violence to get paid. In one incident, a social club president feared for his life after one of the gang turned up on his doorstep demanding cash. Detectives

A FILM by acclaimed director Ken Loach looks set to make a star of stalwart Bolton comic Venn Tracey. The 59-year-old stand-up comedian is taking a leading role in Loach's latest big-screen drama, 'The Navigators'. And it could now catapult the relatively

WHEN ABC cast David Cassidy in 70s teen series, The Partridge Family, it launched one of the most spectacular careers in the entertainment industry. The baby-faced actor soon proved he could also sing and play guitar and was quickly catapulted to the

A TAI Chi teacher with nearly a quarter of a century of experience is making his way to Bolton. Manik Nicholson, who was a personal student of master K H Chu and was given permission to teach by him in 1977, is setting up classes in the town centre. The

A GROUP of youngsters who had become a nuisance to residents have turned over a new leaf and taken part in a major clean up operation of their estate. The gangs of children admitted they had caused problems for people living on the Milner Estate in Derby

EFFORTS to build a new national football stadium have been surrounded by controversy and heavy criticism. A project that began life as a symbol of England's bright new future is gradually sinking into a mess of arguments, financial troubles and embarrassment

INDIAN international Baichung Bhutia could give Andy Preece his second boost in as many days writes Steve Canavan As we revealed on Friday, defender Michael Nelson announced he had recovered from a horror injury - when he suffered a collapsed lung and

FURTHER to my article last Saturday night testing the pulse of the Bolton amateur soccer scene I received a letter from Gordon Fielding detailing the demise of LAL side Smithills writes John Bullen In it Gordon says: "Friday, September 21, 2001 saw the

One Hundred Years of Worktown is a play staged recently in the Bill Naughton Studio at the Octagon Theatre. It is a dramatised documentary, produced by Stephen Fielding and based on a number of taped interviews with people from the Bolton area, reproduced

Chris Sudlow's United scene A CERTAIN Scotsman will be watching this afternoon's World Cup clash at Old Trafford with more regard than he generally gives England. For Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping there are no injuries to the United contingent ahead

Neil Bonnar's Maine Road scene FORGOTTEN man Paul Ritchie has the perfect incentive to get fit - a regular first team place. Blues coach Kevin Keegan has seen enough of the former Bolton loan star who impressed in City's Premiership season before the

HOW touching it is to see that the joy of Christ's birth is celebrated so eagerly by local shops and stores, and so early too -- September in some cases. Bless. Ding dong merrily on high. (Name and address supplied)

THE MEDIA, including the BEN always seem to use the same photos in the news -- "The Royal Bolton Hospital A & E". I'm sure the population of Great Britain think that Bolton has a new hospital! Why doesn't the media show it as it is. Show the original

I HAD to read John Rentoul's toadying feature on 'Superman' Blair to the end to assure myself that irony was not his intention. While I personally agree wholeheartedly with our PM's stance on this issue, I would like to offer a different perspective than

I SEE the veggies are revolting again! Where did "veggie" Tony find the physical strength to type in "miss miss miss" so many times? Impressive. So let us cut through the usual diatribe of endless, non-saturated veggie waffle --with a vegetable knife,

A FARNWORTH machine operator who was killed when his car collided head-on with a lorry had been on his way home to visit family in Ireland. The 35-year-old motorist, Paraic John Ryan, of Trafford Street, died instantly following the collision two miles

IF you've ever fancied putting one in the net then Bolton Wanderers' Reekbok home is the place to go. As the Whites prepare for one of their biggest home games of the season against Newcastle on Saturday, families from across the town will be invited

IN reply to your article in the BEN on September 29 regarding amateur soccer. On Sunday, September 23, I went to Harper Green playing fields. The first thing to hit me was the silence, only one game was taking place three weeks into the season and the

HEARD the one about the soccer underdogs who defied the bookies' odds and embarrassed the pundits by shooting to the top of the league? Of course you have. Wanderers have been the talk of the football world after their flying start in the Premiership.

WATCH out in Marks & Spencer's in Deansgate, Bolton for a new range of make-up with a professional look. Perfect Cosmetics has been designed by TV celebrity make-up artist John Gustafson for the store's new beauty shop. The collection includes 15

IF YOU feel that technology is leaving you behind, or you are returning to work after a baby-break, an event on Wednesday might help. The Pitman Training Centre in Knowsley Street, Bolton is holding a coffee morning from 9.30am to 12.30pm to offer career

HERE is the hottest accessory for the new party season -- and it doesn't cost a fortune! Skin Jewellery by Eylure comes in six dazzling designs, to ensure you make a head-turning entrance wherever you go. Show off a flower on your shoulder, bare a butterfly

TWO masked men burst into a shop and threatened staff with a wrench before taking cash. The pair struck at the Lidl store on Bury New Road, Sedgley Park, at 8pm yesterday.

CHRISTIANS will combine for an evening of song featuring Parkside Colliery Male Voice Choir and a local schoolchildren's choir on Friday, October 12 at Lowton St Catherine's Catholic Church. Proceeds from the concert at the Lane Head church will go towards

A NORTH West Labour MEP has flown to Canada for top level NATO talks on the war against terrorism. Labour MEP Gary Titley won backing from the European Parliament for his plan to strengthen the EU code of Conduct on Arms Exports. MEPs voted 440-43 in

YOUNGSTERS in Westhoughton are raising cash for children in Belarus. Bands will take to the stage of the sports and social club on Park Road, between 12.30pm and 6pm on Sunday, and there will also be a disco. Admission is £1 on the door and all proceeds

THE Queen has an historical link with Bolton which could boost the town's chance of becoming a city next year. There is extensive evidence proving Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendant of William de Radcliffe, a past owner of the historic Smithills

BUDDING young architects are being offered the chance to design a house for Bob the Builder. Children are invited to the Bolton-branch of the Early Learning Centre in Deansgate every Tuesday for special playtime sessions between 9.30am and 10am. A host

VOLUNTEERS are urgently needed in Little Lever, Farnworth and Kearsley for the Visiting and Befriending Service organised by Age Concern Bolton. The service provides visitors for the over-50s who live on their own or in a nursing or residential home.

HE is only four feet tall. So it came as a surprise to seven-year-old Joshua Evans when a sunflower he planted two months ago started to overshadow him. Currently it is nearing 12 feet -- THREE times his height. And according to mum Melissa, it looks

A MYSTERY donor has delighted staff at the ToyBox playgroup in Harwood. An envelope containing a sizeable amount of cash was anonymously hand delivered to the playgroup at Tottington Road Methodist Church in an envelope marked with the message "God Bless

THE 27th annual Bolton Football Programme and Memorabilia Fair will take place at the Excel Leisure Centre in Lower Bridgeman Street tomorrow (11am to 3pm).

A BRITISH high jump star has congratulated the successful Passport 2K programme for disadvantaged young people in Bolton. Steve Smith told organisers that youngsters who took part were not only being given a chance to have a go at new activities, but

THE next event on the Bolton Wanderers Supporters Association calendar is the annual meeting, which will be held in the Lion of Vienna Club at the Reebok Stadium on Wednesday, October 24 (7.45pm).

HALF brother and sister Damien Stephenson and Gemma Redford came up with a bogus crime to try get them money. The pair walked into Radcliffe police station and claimed that Redford, aged 20, had been the victim of robbery. Bury magistrates heard how she

A HOMEOWNER has accused Bolton Council of double standards after it banned him from chopping down a troublesome tree -- before felling 18 others only yards away. Stephen Walsh had to pull down his garage when the roots of a large beech tree grew beneath

DERIAN House Children's Hospice is a charity close to Wanderers' training headquarters at Euxton and even closer to the hearts of the players. Mike Whitlow, who on a visit last year was overwhelmed by the hospice's care for terminally ill youngsters and

SYLVAIN Distin - "the one that got away" - could be in line for his first Premiership start for Newcastle at the Reebok next Saturday. The defender from Paris St Germain, who upset Sam Allardyce when he broke off from transfer talks with Wanderers to

A GRANDAD has had his unique Norwegian camper stolen from outside his home - much to the dismay of his six grandsons. Robert Grant, aged 79, said the 40-year-old folding Chateaux camping trailer was usually kept in his garage at Bury New Road, Breightmet

A 27-year-old murder looks set to remain a mystery after a fresh appeal failed to produce substantial new leads. Tom Hewitt was hit across the head with an iron bar on September 7, 1974, but no one has ever been brought to court for his murder. Granada

THEY proudly trundled up and down the streets of Bolton in the days before the car reigned supreme. But their unstable nature and tendency to lean around corners led to them being scrapped. Now, 100 years after they first arrived, the town's famous trams

A FORMER Bolton man's "fight for justice" after being excluded from out-of-court payments made to men convicted for gay group sex has been given a boost by a national group. Norman Williams, aged 52, one of the "Bolton Seven" involved in the high profile

SCHOOL'S out for a major educational event which will see teachers from all over the North-west converge on Bolton. The North West Education Exhibition and Conference 2000 takes place at the Reebok Stadium's Premier Suite on Thursday, October 18 and Friday

SMALL and medium-sized enterprises in Bolton and Bury are being invited to attend a health and safety training programme which has already helped 120 local firms to raise their performance and boost profitability. A nationally-recognised programme pioneered

TENNIS fever is about to hit Bolton when the town stages the prestigious National Championships. The cream of the country's top tennis stars will be on show at Bolton's £15m Arena and tickets prices will be slashed to allow everyone to watch the action

by Steve Canavan ALBUMS Starsailor -- Love Is Here After hearing this album once I thought it was pretty ordinary. Why is it then that for the next four days I could not stop singing different songs? The album starts with Tie Up My Hands. It uses just

PAUL Stevens was the winner last week, he beat Ste Brewis 3-1 in the final. The semi finalists were Russ Marsh and Dave Fletcher. Week eight tomorrow night names in by 8pm, phone 524540. Players table -- Paul Stevens 36; Russ Marsh, Ste Riley 31; Keith

Final whitewash LAST Monday, October 1, we had the final of the Pairs Knockout. The winners were Dave Eccleston and Paul Cain from Levers-Alone who beat Paul Stevens and Frank Brown from the Shakespeare 4-0 in the final. The quarter-finals of the champion

THE spirits of American blues legends Elmore James and Robert Johnson were invoked to some tune during this memorable evening. But the star of the show was a 55-year-old Londoner who was one of the 60s musicians who revived the music of America's poor

"YOUR article about Horwich Moor on September 25 was brought to my attention, and on reading it thought I could add points of interest, writes Christine M. Aplin, of 45 Siemens Street, Horwich. "I have been organist at the Chapel since the mid-1970s,

OVER the past few months much has appeared in this column about the Edwards Brothers, especially Maurice, and their early connection with with cars in Bolton before founding Edbros, still a big firm here. It seems that there may have been another string

One Hundred Years of Worktown is a play staged recently in the Bill Naughton Studio at the Octagon Theatre. It is a dramatised documentary, produced by Stephen Fielding and based on a number of taped interviews with people from the Bolton area, reproduced

THE Queen has an historical link with Bolton which could boost the town's chance of becoming a city next year. There is extensive evidence proving Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendant of William de Radcliffe, a past owner of the historic Smithills

We sometimes complain that traffic on our roads is heavy nowadays, but it seems that when this picture of Deansgate was taken in 1934, it might have been just as bad!

Snooker Assc SECTION ONE P Pts Rumworth D... 4 24.0 Deane C... 3 21.0 Over Hulton B... 3 19.0 Halliwell A... 4 18.0 Dunscar C... 4 16.5 Tongs Moor B... 2 13.5 Rumworth A... 4 13.0 Over Hulton C... 3 12.0 Plodder Lane B... 3 11.5 Tonge Moor A... 3 10.5

BBC Radio One star Sara Cox was due to have a huge wedding celebration in Ireland today following her marriage to DJ Jon Carter. The 26-year-old Breakfast Show presenter has headed for Macreddin in County Wicklow with her family and friends. And judging

A TERRIFIED teenager was stripped to his underwear and then had the tip of a finger chopped off with wire cutters by a man who thought he had stolen his motorbike. Derek Gaskell was dumped in a remote Westhoughton lane in just his boxer shorts with blood

THEY have been praised for pushing themselves to their utmost ability and 119 students at Harper Green have every reason to celebrate -- gaining GCSE's a year early. Staff are proud of the Year 10 pupils who have at least one GCSE under their belt before

From the Evening News, October 6, 1976 25 YEARS AGO FULHAM'S former England skipper, Bobby Moore, was sent off in extraordinary scenes at the end of "normal" time in last night's League Cup third round replay against Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park.

WANDERERS drew 1-1 away at Plymouth Argyle to stay third in the second division. It was an eventful match for Chorley-born Plymouth player Paul Mariner as he opened the scoring for Plymouth, only for him to divert a Sam Allardyce header into his own net

All players to meet at the Moonlight Club, St George's Road, Bolton, for 10.45am. Leave at 11am. Any players who cannot attend should contact Denesh Mistry tonight on 527351. Squad -- Alan Jones (capt), Steve Finch, Dee Mistry, Tim Pennington, Hitesh

THE MEN'S 180s competition was won on Monday night by Craig Daniels (Mosley Z). Wayne Merrick (The Lamb) was two legs up but Craig threw some good darts to win the game. David Raines (Double Trouble) and Phil Chadwick (Robin Crofters) were the semi finalists

Leigh RMI 0 Hereford Utd 1 WHAT a time to meet Hereford, supercharged and revitalised following the appointment of a new manager. Phil Robinson took the reins earlier in the week when Graham Turner was pushed upstairs as football director. Robinson has