BUSINESS Advantage is organising a Valentine's Day Networking lunch at the Last Drop Hotel, Bromley Cross on Thursday. The scheme, which is run by Bolton and Bury Chamber of Commerce, acts as a sophisticated dating agency for companies which want to sell
AT Bolton Business Information Service (BBiS) in Bolton Town Hall we are often asked to source reliable market data in the form of statistics for business. In the past few years what may have taken up yards of space on a library shelf and could be costly
I WAS saddened and bewildered by Stuart Lever's attempt to besmirch the reputation and motivation of Dr Robert Aston with regard to his commitment to the MMR vaccination (BEN: February 7). As a recently retired health professional and an ex-colleague
PARKING is currently the most emotive motoring issue in Bolton, far surpassing such other traffic hot-spots as bus and cycle lanes, speed cameras and bridge repairs. As our in-depth reports today confirm, the parking scene in Bolton is almost a war of
A MURDER inquiry has been launched after a man was stabbed to death and another was seriously injured in a frenzied attack at a shop in Daubhill. Police were called to Khawaja Halal Meat and Chicken Centre in St Helens Road, shortly after 6pm yesterday
COLIN Hendry is expected to return from injury for Wanderers Reserves against Manchester United at the Reebok Stadium on Wednesday night (7pm.) The second-string, who are top of FA Premier Reserve league table, hope to repeat their 4-2 victory at Bury's
FRENCH international Youri Djorkaeff was today given permission by Kaiserslautern president Juergen Friedrich, to complete a transfer to Wanderers. Djorkaeff said earlier: "I am organising this press conference at 3.30pm (2.30pm GMT) to announce my imminent
FRENCH international Youri Djorkaeff has had his contract cancelled by Kaiserslautern president Juergen Friedrich and is now free to complete a transfer to Wanderers. Djorkaeff had showdown talks last month with FCK president Jurgen Friedrich, who later
MICHAEL Yates who has been at the helm of the Bolton Golf Association for the past eight years, is stepping down as secretary. Yates, who is also the Lancashire Junior chairman and captain, will be replaced by Glynn Evans, the secretary of the Past Captains
VIOLENT thieves left a man for dead after a horrific machete attack. Jason Gould was dumped in the River Irwell by his assailants and there are fears he may now be permanently brain damaged. The victim's family said he almost lost an eye and his tongue
ELIZABETH Balshaw has spent more time in the Tower of London than almost any of history's notorious criminals . . . And the actress is to make yet another appearance in the Tower when Gilbert and Sullivan's The Yeoman of the Guard comes to Bolton's Albert
A REPORT published by Barclays backs-up the efforts of enterprise agencies such as Bolton Business Ventures. A study showed that firms which had been advised by agencies had a higher chance of survival in the first two years of trading and demonstrated
SOLICITOR Anne Smith has been awarded a Post Graduate Diploma in Family Law from Manchester Metropolitan University. Anne, who has worked in solicitors' offices since she was 19, always regretted never attempting to gain a university degree. Nine years
A TEAM of artists are appealing for people with interesting memories of bus travel to contact them. Travellers' Tales is a project based at Bolton Museum and Art Gallery this week aimed at promoting buses to young people. The artists Mary Rudkin, Suzanne
TWO action adventures are up for grabs for cancer and leukaemia research fundraisers, the first of which is the three volcanoes challenge - a six day hike in Europe. A cycling challenge in Kenya is also being held to raise funds for CLIC -- the charity
A CHARITY abseil will bring in much-needed cash for north west people suffering lung problems. Volunteers are needed to plunge 100 ft down Manchester Town Hall on May 11 and May 12. The event is being staged by a number of charities, with the British
MPs and peers today took part in the year's most battering political duel - the annual parliamentary pancake race. The 50-yard dash across College Green in front of the Houses of Parliament saw the politicians shed their usual levels of dignity and party
A MAN accused of stealing from his employers told magistrates he had been forced to commit the offence by a co-worker who had broken his nose and slapped him around the face. Rafaqat Ali aged 21, of Heywood Street, Bury, pleaded not guilty to stealing
BALLOONS will fill the Bolton sky when Bolton Hospice launches its 10th anniversary celebrations. Hospice staff are hoping to release more than 1,000 balloons from Victoria Square on Saturday, March 2. And nine-year-old Bolton girl Rebecca Flatter is
A BROMLEY Cross man has just been awarded a PhD from University College London. Dominic Walker, aged 26, a former pupil of Our Lady of Lourdes Primary, Farnworth; St John's Primary in Bromley Cross, and Thornleigh College went on to complete a Masters
THE Bram Taylor Band will be the guests of Leigh Folk Club at the Conservative Club, Railway Road, on Friday February 22. The Band is the successful collaboration of folk singer and entertainer Bram Taylor alongside North-East folk stalwarts Dave Hutchinson
A MAN who had been away for several days returned home to find a burglar in his flat. David Meehan called police on his mobile phone and they found John Lambert hiding in a shower cubicle, a court heard yesterday. The defendant claimed that a credit card
A SCHOOL in Sussex wants to link up with its 'twins' in Horwich on the internet. The towns of Horwich and Crowborough in East Sussex were twinned back in 1990 in an effort to break down the north-south divide. Now Sir Hugh Fermone School in Crowborough
CHART topping band Blue are backing a schools fund-raising programme, available to Bolton schools. The NSPCC has teamed up with Scottish and Southern Energy to help raise money for the Charity's Schools Fund-raising Programme and Antony, Duncan, Lee and
FIRE crews were called to PPG Industries on Leigh Road, Hindley Green, just before 9pm last night when a light fitting in the suspended ceiling had exploded. The factory, which produces glass fibres, was in use at the time and workers had to be evacuated
SPRING is nearly with us so why not put a spring in your step and head for the glorious outdoors and visit historic Tatton Park, Knutsford. This time of the year the park is starting to come alive after the cold winter months and this famous National
FORMER England Under-21 defender Jamie Stuart is the latest Shakers player to put pen to paper on a new contract. The former Charlton Athletic and Millwall full back signed a new two-and-a-half year deal last week. Stuart, who initially joined the club
CHESHIRE residents are likely to benefit from the lowest tax rise of any of the shires, council leaders claim. The Conservative-run administration aims to deliver a council tax rise of about five per cent for its first budget. Bosses said 31 out of the
A MAN has died after chasing youngsters who had been causing a nuisance outside his home. It is thought the man, aged 32, may have suffered a heart attack. Merseyside Police say the man and his wife chased after a group of boys who had climbed over a
A MAN who had been away for several days returned home to find a burglar in his flat. David Meehan called police on his mobile phone and they found John Lambert hiding in a shower cubicle, a court heard yesterday. The defendant claimed that a credit card
A 78-year-old opera fan from Manchester was today given an early Valentine's treat as she celebrated scooping nearly £3 million on the National Lottery. Kate Buckley was singing from the rooftops on Saturday night when she realised she and her family
AN MP is calling for unscrupulous pub landlords to be forced to serve a full pint. Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly says drinkers deserve a full measure. Research by trading standards officers has found that many pubs are getting the most they can from the barrel
POLICE have vowed to increase patrols in rural Bolton after a spate of car crime. Property has been stolen from six cars across Edgworth over the last two weekends. Many cars have also been badly damaged. A thief stole a blue van, registration N137 AVU
REPUTATIONS count for little in modern day soccer. Yesterday's hero can be cast aside without mercy writes Chris Sudlow Witness Jaap Stam's abrupt departure from Old Trafford. Sold "like a piece of meat" he claimed, by Sir Alex Ferguson. But ruthless
Chesterfield 2 Bury 0 by Phil Thorp: AS an example of just how cruel a game soccer can be the closing minutes of this relegation battle should be recorded for posterity. One minute the Shakers were on their way back to the centre circle celebrating a
SPRING is nearly with us so why not put a spring in your step and head for the glorious outdoors and visit historic Tatton Park, Knutsford. This time of the year the park is starting to come alive after the cold winter months and this famous National
THE weather took its heavy toll yet again with only one game going ahead in the Bolton Sunday League. Division One leaders Griffin were glad of the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table to six points with a 6-2 away win at New Edition
Winsford 2 Ramsbottom Utd 0: RAMSBOTTOM, with four players out through suspension and missing full back Mike Langhorn allowed Winsford comfortable revenge for an earlier 6-0 drubbing at the Riverside Ground. The home side took the lead after only five
DIVISION Two table-toppers Howe Bridge Mills came within a hairsbreadth of a giant-killing act in the quarter final of the Redwaters Coronation Cup. Two goals in five minutes around the half hour mark for Division One outfit Leigh Avenue proved to be
MEMBERS of SS Simons and Jude's Amateur Dramatic Society promise to take audiences back to their childhood with their pantomime Jack and Jill. The production runs from tomorrow to Saturday night at the SS Simons and Jude's School, Newport Road, Bolton
THERE will be no sibling rivalry when brother and sister Murray and Delaney Brindle take to the stage in St Philips Amateur Operatic Dramatic Society latest production. The pair appear together in the musical Oklahoma . . . as each other's love interest
THE final lunchtime concert at St Andrew and St George United Reformed Church takes place this Thursday featuring organist and pianist, Jeremy Plummer, director of music at the Victoria Hall, Bolton. Jeremy was organ scholar at Brasenose College, Oxford
BRITAIN'S leading rail freight operator is worried about the future of the upgraded West Coast Main Line. EWS (English Welsh & Scottish Railway) moves over 100 million tonnes of freight each year and runs more than 7,000 trains each week. Planning
THE Business Express customer service centre in Lester Road, Little Hulton has achieved the prestigious Investor in People standard. It has been recognised for its ongoing commitment to the training and development of 50 employees. Business Express is
WEBSHAK Ltd -- the Horwich internet company founded by entrepreneur Boyd Lee -- is hitting the heights with a ground-breaking software solution. The Winter Hey Lane outfit estimates that worldwide companies which use their pronto system have now pulled
BETHELL Group -- the current Bolton and Bury Company of the Year -- has won a £15 million electrical cable installation contract from United Utilities. It will create 100 new jobs. The contract comes just months after Bethell won a £25 million five-year
BOLTON's Remploy factory in Manchester Road has changed direction. Over the years since it opened in May, 1950, disabled people have stitched everything from surgical boots, casualty bags, army trousers, soft furnishings and overalls to leather car seat
DAVID Blunkett has announced new measures for immigrants. They have to speak English and swear on the union flag. In Gibraltar 99.9 per cent of the people speak English and consider themselves to be British and Britain is the Mother Country. Tony Blair
I WAS reading the Letters page a week or two ago and I would just like to say that the letter I read had me and my boyfriend in hysterics. It was the one about chewing gum on the town centre pavements. Yes, it does not look nice, but, still, this letter
I NOTED with interest the letter from A C Crompton headed "MP's silence on the fate of the school", accusing Bolton North-east MP David Crausby of staying silent over the closure of Longsight School. A C Crompton has obviously not written to David Crausby
IN reply to Mrs Maher, who thinks that parents should not be allowed to refuse the MMR vaccination for their child, I feel that she, like many others, is completely missing the point. The issue of immunisation is not in contention. It can be a serious
A 30-YEAR-OLD man has been remanded in custody by Bolton magistrates after being charged with attempting to take a child against his will. John Foley, of Blackshaw House, Deane, is accused of trying to take the 10-year-old boy on February 10. The boy
BOLTON Youth Jazz Orchestra will be part of Wigan Jazz Club's second Salute To Youth Jazz Orchestras, where they will be joined by orchestras from Leeds, Salford, Scarborough, Sefton and Wigan. The three-day event takes place at the Mill At The Pier from
MARK Lawrenson was accused of picking on Wanderers today after claiming Michael Ricketts has no chance of going to the World Cup. Bolton fans have been outraged by the controversial pundit's suggestion that Ricketts and Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell
ROBBIE Williams and Kylie Minogue are the celebrities that Northerners would most like to rescue them from a disastrous Valentine date. That is according to a survey of people in the North West carried out by ICM Research for Wrigley's Extra sugar free
A TOP worker has won a holiday for two to take anywhere in Europe. Lynne Pryzsieniak, Senior Key Account Manager CEM, based in Bolton, was judged Employee of the Year in the annual staff awards competition organised by Eurodis Electronics UK. The awards
A CHARITY abseil will bring in much-needed cash for north west people suffering lung problems. Volunteers are needed to plunge 100 ft down Manchester Town Hall on May 11 and May 12. The event is being staged by a number of charities, with the British
A MEETING to discuss the Queen's Golden Jubilee will be held in Adlington this evening. Members of the town council are hoping that local businesses and organisations will offer their support for a Victorian street fair to be held in Railway Road on June
BLOOD found inside a car which had been stolen and another which had been damaged linked a young man to the crime. Magistrates at Bury heard how DNA testing had led officers to question 20-year-old Lee Platt, who pleaded guilty to taking a vehicle without
THE Lord Lieutenant of the Royal British Legion will personally present the awards at the Cadet Poppy Appeal Competition. Colonel John Timmins will meet the highest achieving Cadets and Cadet Units from the Navy, Army and Air Force Detachments from all
THE Salvation Army on King Street, Farnworth, will hold its annual missionary weekend this Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 10.30am. Guest speakers will be Colonel and Mrs John Hassard, who have, until recently, served as Salvation Army leaders in Africa
A REUNION has been organised for the fifth form leavers of Smithills Grammar School -- the class of 1982. The event will be held at Club Mistry, Derby Street, on May 25 at 7.30pm. Partners and former teachers are welcome. Guests are asked to bring a school
A REUNION has been organised for the fifth form leavers of Smithills Grammar School -- the class of 1982. The event will be held at Club Mistry, Derby Street, on May 25 at 7.30pm. Partners and former teachers are welcome. Guests are asked to bring a school
BALLOONS will fill the Bolton sky when Bolton Hospice launches its 10th anniversary celebrations. Hospice staff are hoping to release more than 1,000 balloons from Victoria Square on Saturday, March 2. And nine-year-old Bolton girl Rebecca Flatter is
A MAN accused of harassing a young neighbour has been convicted by a jury. Christopher Harrison has been remanded in custody while a pre-sentence report is prepared. Harrison began a campaign of harassment against nursery nurse Heidi King after his partner
HINDLEY boxer Mark Paxford added another win to his professional boxing record with a points victory over Nottingham's Richard Inqueti at the Preston Guild Hall. Mark is now unbeaten in five contests -- with just a controversial draw on his debut spoiling
LEIGH Centurions may be 100-1 outsiders to win Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup, but they have been given a great chance of reaching the quarter-finals after earning a fifth round home draw against Whitehaven. Only half the 12 Super League clubs are
MEET Alan the wedding planner. He may be a burly 6ft 1in ex-footballer, but he knows how to talk seating plans and flower arrangements. And when it comes to the peal of wedding bells, Alan Lewis-Unsworth from Bolton is an expert at sparing the bride's
SAND martins whose nesting sites have been torn apart by the Millennium Ribble Link canal network in Lancashire are being given new homes. The birds, who spend the winter in Africa, will fly back to nest in habitats lining the Preston canal. Ecologist
AN MP is appealing for people to nominate community heroes for an award scheme. David Crausby, Bolton North East, is supporting the Oyster awards for people who have spoken up for the benefit of their community. The new citizenship initiative has been
A CHANGE in the law is being considered to prevent criminals such as as the Moors Murderer, Ian Brady, cashing-in on their notoriety by writing books and memoirs. Brady is expected to earn up to £15,000 from his book, The Gates of Janus, which was published
THE father of a man who collapsed and died while chasing a gang of nuisance youths today paid tribute to "the best son anybody could ask for". Andrew Whitham, 32, died from a suspected heart attack after pursuing a small group of boys who had been trying
A GROUP of travellers have been evicted from a Bolton site after the counciL successfully applied for a court order to remove them. The 40-strong group had been given until 11am to leave the site near St Mark's Street and Sidney Street. They have been
BETHELL Group -- the current Bolton and Bury Company of the Year -- has won a £15 million electrical cable installation contract from United Utilities. It will create 100 new jobs. The contract comes just months after Bethell won a £25 million five-year
IT was Madi Richardson's big day and she was determined to enjoy it. The plucky youngster collected her Child of Achievement Award in London and declared the day "brilliant". Madi, aged 10, was at the London Hilton, one of 200 youngsters to be recognised
AN athletic gran who fills bin bags with rubbish from a park is Bolton's latest do-it-yourself litter picker. Tess Harrison, aged 63, goes to Farnworth Park with her dog Lucky every morning at 9am and picks up discarded bottles and litter from the night
A COUNCIL inquest into the state of Bolton's roads between Christmas and New Year has revealed that officials broke their own guidelines about the amount of grit to lay down. Angry drivers claimed some of the town's busiest roads were "atrocious", with
THE controversy over the MMR vaccine and its alleged link to autism and Crohn's disease in children continues to rage on, leaving many parents scared and confused. Dr Robert Aston, the communicable disease consultant for Wigan and Bolton Health Authority
MEMBERS of St Paul's (Astley Bridge) Operatic Society appear in Me and My Girl at the Astley Bridge Theatre Church on Seymour Road from tonight. The colourful musical runs until Saturday, 7.30pm each night. Tickets, £6 and £5.50 concessions, are from
THE long-running Bury Football Club takeover saga has taken another twist with the news that Alex Tarsus has distanced himself from proposed new owners Mansport Developments. The Yorkshire-based Turkish businessman, whose son Edward is a player at Gigg
CHRIS Tonge had a great day for Rivington scoring four goals in a 5-2 away Premier Division win over Bury GSOB. A hat-trick in the first 20 minutes and a goal from Richard Collier left the home side facing a mountainous task. Tonge curled in a free kick
BLACKROD Town proved beyond doubt that the previous weekend's 4-2 win over Norcross and Warbreck was no flash in the pan. That result ended a recent spell in the doldrums and a superb follow-up performance on Saturday earned a 0-0 draw at Premier Division
AFFETSIDE Choir appears at Tottington Road Methodist Church in Harwood on Friday, February 15, 7.30pm. Tickets are £3 including refreshments.
The BEN's Linda Hurst flew to Budapest courtesy of Malev Hungarian Airlines - which fly direct from Manchester Airport five times a week - and stayed in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. HUNGARY'S capital Budapest, known as the Pearl of the Danube, lies on and
THE question most asked of local travel agent Andrew Dickson of St Andrews Travel is "Where's the IN place this year?" Well, if growth in popularity is anything to go by then he doesn't need to think too long about it, the answer is quite definitely Dubai
LEIGH RMI manager Steve Waywell is hoping to keep hold of goalkeeper Mark Westhead for as long as possible to aid the Railwaymen's fight against the drop. The former Bolton and Wycombe Wanderers keeper was targeted by League of Wales side Barry Town as
MICHAEL Ricketts is not the only player with England on his mind. Teenager Alex Cunliffe also has the football world at his feet as he tours the USA with England Schools Under 18s squad. The 17-year-old student at Turton Sixth Form College was chosen
ELTON Fold crashed out of the Gilgryst Cup at the Round Two stage in a 1-0 defeat at Stockport Georgians with manager Guy Mallinson making no excuses. "I can't fault the lads for effort but being realistic we never really created anything," he says. "
