Archive

  • Magpies looking for boost

    MARK Molyneaux's new-look Chorley side kick off their season with a home clash against last season's strugglers Lincoln United. The Magpies are looking for a vast improvement on last season's 13th spot after finishing with one loss in their final nine

  • Time to move on

    RE: Saturday, July 6, Try moving into the 21st century, Mr R Slater. I find it rather ironic that, in criticising religion, Mr Slater thanks God that he wasn't around in former times. It's almost as bad as the person who said "Thank God I'm an atheist

  • Thanks for a great night out

    MAY I say a big Thank You to the Phil Collins & Genesis Tribute Band, "Face Value". On Saturday, July 6, after seeing an advert for this band in the What's On section in the Bolton Evening News, I went along to Horwich Leisure Centre to see what turned

  • Park is not fit for a queen

    WOULDN'T you think the "council" would make a special effort to spruce up Queens Park as this is the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The flower beds should be blooming just now -- instead what do you see at the entrance on Chorley New Road -- dead plants -- an

  • Taxis give us the pip

    IN reply to the letters about noisy taxis, alarms and loud music from cars. Where we live, we get different taxis at regular intervals pipping their horns all over the estate from first thing in the morning to late into the night. This is annoying to

  • Is society coming to a sticky end?

    REGARDING the "chewing gum menace" (July 5). I suggest this is just part of an ever growing problem in our society today. Thankfully, this anti-social behaviour seems to be indulged in by a small minority of the population, but is nonetheless unacceptable

  • Varying health cash is sick

    I HAVE recently had the misfortune/fortune to be an inpatient at two hospitals -- one here in the North-west and the other in East Anglia. The care was good at both hospitals and, fortunately, I made a good recovery on both occasions. However, I was somewhat

  • Fundraising campaign that's full of beans

    HELP me break a world record! On September 27, join me and hundreds of thousands of other people around the UK for Macmillan Cancer Relief's World's Biggest Coffee Morning. We've all had our lives touched by cancer in some way. Macmillan's coffee morning

  • Have we the right to life?

    I WISH to comment on Malcolm Pittock's letter of July 6. He is still as blinkered as in previous letters. He quotes Article 3 of the UN Declaration on Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person." He then makes the error

  • Lads' Army way to better men

    I HAVE been watching and enjoying the series "Lads' Army" that was recently broadcast on ITV and think I have just seen the cure for youth crime. Giving the offender 52 cautions a year does not work. Sending the baseball cap-wearing, shell-suited, spotty-faced

  • Don't knock the work of this local developer

    +WITH reference to the letter in the Bolton Evening News (July 4) regarding the closure of the alleyway at Thomas Court, Bromley Cross, Bolton. As a resident of Thomas Court, and Bromley Cross for the past 20 years, I would like to make the following

  • Cathy's column

    BOLTON Town Centre Manager Cathy Savage with her fortnightly briefing from the Town Centre Company HELLO and welcome to the first of my columns in my new role as Bolton's Town Centre Manager. First, may I say how delighted I am as someone born in the

  • Listen all views on road menace

    I HAVE just read your article about the closure of Rumworth Bridge and Andrew Morgan's letter (July 1). As a resident of Lostock, I believe not all views are being considered. At the moment it appears that only a few are being heard and not everyone has

  • "I'd rather watch football!"

    Letter From Europe by Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat MEP for the North WestNO sooner was England knocked out of the World Cup, than Tony Blair was off to Spain to talk with other EU Prime Ministers. Their agenda was difficult. How to develop a common

  • Club Champion Smashes Best Time

    LANCASHIRE Road Club's reigning club champion, Mike Smith, smashed his long standing personal best time for a 30 mile time trial. Personal best times are usually broken by a matter of seconds but Mike managed to reduce his best time by over six and a

  • No ticket to ride for mum

    A GRANDMOTHER has slammed a bus driver for not allowing her daughter-in-law and her two-week-old baby on a bus. Suzanne Hall, 20, of Longfield Avenue, Coppull, tried to catch an Arriva bus at Clancutt Lane to take her into Chorley on Thursday morning.

  • Drug police call on community help

    POLICE in Chorley are urging residents to be their "eyes and ears" to help them tackle the problem of drugs. Inspector Andy Maughan wants members of the public to work with the police to drive the criminal element from the town and send a clear message

  • High flyer Daniel's hawk-tion success

    A CHORLEY youngster stepped up the bidding at a charity auction for the opportunity of a lifetime -- learning to train a hawk so that the Red Arrows could land safely. Daniel Roberts, ten, of Merefield, Astley Village, paid a whopping £100 for the day

  • Chorley teacher joins pay rally

    A LOCAL teacher joined members of three national unions to lobby MPs in Parliament. Judith Mills, Chorley's secretary of the National Association of School Masters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), gathered with hundreds of teachers for the rally in London

  • Just a word in your ear

    A PET owner called in a Chorley 'dog whisperer' to help calm her nervous animals. Former primary school headteacher Patsy Nickson became the proud owner of Grumps and Chuckles, two tiny border collies, last year, but the pair soon became too much of a

  • Churchman's outrage over Pot Noodle ad

    A LEADING churchman has joined the outrage over an advertising poster on a busy Chorley road. Reverend Dr John Cree, rector of Chorley, said he is "appalled" at the ad for the latest range of the Pot Noodle snack which reads "Hurt Me You Slag". Reverend

  • General to steam into show

    THIS year's Royal Lancashire Show in Chorley will receive a real blast from the past. A traction engine which made its debut at the show exactly 100 years ago is now set to return to celebrate its centenary. The engine, named General Buller after a famous

  • Sue's aiming for a trio

    SPORTY Sue Jones is to pack her sombrero and head to sunny Mexico to put her skills at swimming, running and cycling to the toughest of tests. The Horwich woman has been picked to represent Britain in the World Triathlon Championships -- despite being

  • Youri in talks

    WANDERERS are hoping to begin talks with Youri Djorkaeff this week to try and extend his stay at the Reebok. The French ace has been linked with a move to United Arab Emirates side Al Ain, but he denies speaking with representatives from the Middle East

  • West to liven up Reebok

    WANDERERS can expect Taribo West to liven up the Reebok, according to his former boss Jim Smith. The ex-Derby County manager took the Nigerian international to Pride Park two seasons ago for a memorable six-month stint. The 28-year-old was on loan from

  • Whites hit by Facey fee row

    HUDDERSFIELD are threatening to take Wanderers to a tribunal over Delroy Facey's transfer fee. The Second Division club's chairman David Taylor insists Wanderers' offer remains well below their valuation of the 22-year-old striker. The two clubs have

  • Man charged with £10m VAT fraud

    A RADCLIFFE man was one of five people accused at Manchester City Magistrates Court of a £10 million mobile phone VAT fraud. Michael McNeil, aged 31, of Chapeltown Road, was remanded on bail until July 16 on his own security of £50,000, and two sureties

  • Panto' finally taken seriously

    TYLDESLEY'S Paul Ward has shown even the most fun of pantomimes can be taken seriously. The actor, who had to be persuaded to take on his role as Gregory Gobsmack in Tyldesley Little Theatre's pantomime Beauty and the Beast, has won the best supporting

  • Prize night success ... but for Phoenix the drama goes on

    PHOENIX Theatre Company scooped the top prizes at a Greater Manchester awards evening -- yet still faces the prospect of homelessness. The group celebrated winning the title for best production and best director for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, but

  • New high-tech school centre kicks in

    A HI-TECH media and computer centre which boasts some of the most impressive equipment in the country has been unveiled to the public. VIP guests, parents, former pupils and local residents were invited to view the £1.8m media and information technology

  • Parents to get truancy text alert

    SCHOOLS in Bolton will be among the first in the country to send mobile telephone text messages to parents whose children are absent in a bid to combat truancy . The schools will use a company which automatically sends text messages to the mobile phones

  • Youth denies burglary

    A YOUTH has pleaded not guilty to a burglary charge. The 16-year-old appeared before Bolton Youth Court and denied entering a building as a trespasser to steal £500 worth of electrical equipment. The case was adjourned until August 6 and the youth was

  • Teenagers admit burglary

    TWO juveniles facing burglary charges have appeared before Bolton Youth Court. A 14-year-old and a 17-year-old have pleaded guilty to committing burglary with intent on June 17 and committing burglary on June 26. Sentencing was adjourned for two weeks

  • Man is bound over after row

    A MAN arrested after an early morning row with his former girlfriend has been bound over to keep the peace for the next 12 months. Callum Balderstone, aged 21, was held overnight in police cells after officers were called to an address in Whitefield.

  • Sherryl shows the way

    CHORLEY and District Sea Anglers fished for flounder and eels at Preston Trax Centre on the Ribble in overcast conditions with rain and a southerly breeze throughout. Matchwinner Sherryl Bellfield showed the lads how to do it by bagging up with 12 flounder

  • Airlift patient had immune system problems

    A MAN who had to be airlifted from Bolton to a hospital in Leicester is believed to have been suffering from severe problems with his immune system. As reported in the Bolton Evening News firefighters were called to the Royal Bolton Hospital to help paramedics

  • Helen is new co-ordinator

    LEIGH, Golborne and Platt Bridge have a new champion -- town centre co-ordinator Helen Stalker. Leeds Metropolitan University graduate Helen, aged 24, replaces Laurie Barton, who left in March. Helen's background is in business and commercial property

  • Police in hunt for ginnel sex attacker

    A YOUNG woman was dragged backwards into a ginnel in Atherton and indecently assaulted, police have revealed. The 21-year-old was pulled into the passageway as she walked along Market Street shortly after midnight last Friday. She was indecently assualted

  • Arty children invite town to exhibition

    CREATIVE children in Bury are inviting the whole town along to see what they have been doing. Over the last school term, pupils in the Redvales area, the majority aged between three and five years old, have been working with professional artists to create

  • Lofty at fair

    LOFTY the Lion will be at the Rughill Fair in Breightmet on Saturday. It will be held on the playing fields at Top o' th' Brow Primary School, Greenroyd Avenue, between noon and 4pm and activities include lantern making, face painting and live music.

  • Co-op staff muck in to help woodland clean-up

    VOLUNTEERS swapped business suits for grafters' gear to help create community woodland. More than 60 Co-operative Insurance Society staff from Manchester gathered on the outskirts of Leigh and mucked in with Forestry Commission workers and conservationists

  • Bug-free water now tastes better than ever

    THE quality of drinking water in Bolton is the best it has ever been, according to new figures. In the North-west, 99.8 per cent of supplies tested met the standards set by the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Dr John Gray, from the watchdog, said the town

  • Golfers in charity drive for hospice

    IT'S green for go for a golf tournament that is set to boost charity funds. Bolton Hospice's seventh annual golf day is being held on Thursday, July 11, at Bolton Golf Club when teams of four players will play for prizes presented later at an evening

  • Classical concert

    HORWICH Arts Festival Association is presenting a guitar recital by the town's classical guitarist Neil Smith. The show, which will contain a selection of music from Spain, Italy, Latin America and the East, will take place at St Catherine's Church, Richmond

  • 'Beware of bogus Games illnesses'

    BOSSES are being warned that hundreds of workers may be tempted to "take a sickie" during the Commonwealth Games. Many sports fans will have already approached employers about taking time off work. But it is believed many others could be seduced by good

  • Tours are unveiled to celebrate town's past

    WITH thousands of visitors expected to come to Bolton for the Commonwealth Games, the council has unveiled a new programme of Heritage Tours. A series of daily walks celebrating Bolton's past and present have been organised to coincide with the Games.

  • Stop the Sky-bashing

    INSTEAD of always knocking it football should thank their lucky stars for Sky TV. We all get fed up of Sky dictating kick-off times to suit themselves but it is times like these that make us realise that if it was not for Sky, English football would be

  • Reality check for Chambers

    DWAIN Chambers is gearing up to proving himself an exception to the English sporting rule. While our footballers, cricketers and tennis players fall short of ultimate success, the sprinter is in grave danger of proving himself a winner. But his lightning

  • Sport's greatest drug

    THEY moan and groan about the job but football managers just cannot leave it alone. Terry Venables' return to a life he previously insisted he had left behind is just the latest evidence that once a manager always a manager. Those who run major clubs

  • £5m student village plan

    From the Evening News, June 20, 1992 - A MASSIVE £5 million student village is set to be built close to Bolton town centre. Developers William Hargreaves are working with Bolton Institute of Higher Education on the 576-bedroomed scheme. It would be on

  • Rain threatens Silver Jubilee street parties

    From the Evening News, June 6, 1992 - THE battle of the fish fryers has ended . . . without a courtroom battle. For a new Bolton-based company's plan to name its business after the world-famous Harry Ramsden's fish and chip company has had its chips.

  • Cycling hero Reg dies at 72

    From the Evening News, June 23, 1992 - BURY-born Reg. Harris, who died suddenly in hospital yesterday at the age of 72, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the greatest sprint-cycling stars in the world. He won five World Professional Sprint

  • Bowls club bonanza

    From the Evening News, June 13, 1992 - MEMBERS of a Farnworth bowling club are enjoying a bonanza with the opening of a new £95,000 pavilion. They had lobbied Bolton Council to refurbish the Doe Hey bowling clubhouse after vandalism which resulted in

  • Bolton soccer thugs in Europe

    From the Evening News, June 17, 1992 - BOLTON soccer thugs are feared to be at the forefront of the European football violence which has shamed Britain. Several fans have been identified from photographs in the national press and on television. Police

  • United boss to hold charity golf day

    MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to hold a golf day to raise money for a cancer charity. The boss, whose parents Lizzie and Alex both died of lung cancer, has long been a fund-raiser for Christie Hospital. And he is hoping the Sir Alex

  • Snatch terror for girl, 12

    A 12-YEAR-OLD girl screamed in terror as she was grabbed by a man who tried to abduct her in Leigh. The youngster was playing on her scooter with friends in Chaddock Lane, Astley, when she strayed onto a dirt track behind the Mosley Common housing estate

  • A point to prove

    HAVE Chorley and Coppull been moved? Is it a way of keeping strangers out of Coppull and Chorley, or is it a new method of reducing traffic? What do your readers think? The sign (Chorley, Coppull) has been showing the wrong direction for many months.

  • Gas showroom to close

    From the Evening News, June 4, 1992 - BRITISH Gas is to close its showroom in Market Street, Farnworth - because it is not making enough money. A spokesman said: "Since it is within two miles of Walkden and three miles of Bolton, it is surplus to requirements

  • Orange badge cheats clampdown

    From the Evening News, June 8, 1992 - TOUGH new rules have brought about a dramatic drop in Bolton's orange badge cheats. The crackdown has resulted in the number of parking tickets handed out for abuse of the disabled parking system being cut by half

  • Todd joins Rioch in 'dream team'

    From the Evening News, June 17, 1992 - COLIN Todd has finally teamed up with Bruce Rioch again to give Bolton Wanderers the "dream ticket" to what fans hope will be a bright new future. Todd, who quit as coach at Bradford City last week, becomes Rioch's

  • Lifesaver from BEN appeal

    From the Evening News, June 11, 1992 - A BEN campaign which attracted thousands of pounds from readers last year has helped give Bolton a new life-saver. A remarkable total of £15,466 was raised in a matter of months to buy equipment to tackle the town's

  • Violent storm rocks town

    From the Evening News, June 10, 1992 - ONE of the most violent thunderstorms to hit Bolton in years left behind a trail of destruction and chaos last night. Lightning struck buildings, and blacked out homes and a hotel. Houses, a hospital ward and roads

  • City clash could shape Shakers' season

    CASH-strapped Bury FC's chances of an immediate return to Division Two could hinge on one fixture - the pre-season friendly against Manchester City. Manager Andy Preece reckons his limited squad, decimated by desperate cost cutting measures at the end

  • Precision chipping

    1 WHEN faced with a chip shot around the green, your first priority is to get the ball rolling as soon as possible when it hits the putting surface, so select a club with the least amount of loft possible. Never take the aerial route unless you are forced

  • Bid to save Angus

    A MERSEYSIDE fire station has been split in a row over the station pet, which was rescued from a fire in 1986. One of the watches at the Birkenhead station wants to get rid of ginger tom Angus on health and safety grounds. But two other watches have entered

  • Sue's aiming for a trio

    SPORTY Sue Jones is to pack her sombrero and head to sunny Mexico to put her skills at swimming, running and cycling to the toughest of tests. The Horwich woman has been picked to represent Britain in the World Triathlon Championships -- despite being

  • 'Drug deals' seen by police team

    UNDERCOVER police drugs officers told how they watched three men suspected of dealing in crack cocaine. They were seen making a number of short visits to a back street behind where they lived, allegedly to make drug deals. When officers finally raided

  • Player search

    ATHERTON Colls under-11s football team are on the lookout for new players to play in the Bolton Boys Federation. Contact Stuart Dingley on 01942 892490 or 077901 09632.

  • Contact among performers

    BOLTON is among six theatres from across the country to be twinned with an international Commonwealth partner with the aim to devise new pieces of drama. Up to 200 people from the theatre companies have created new plays as part of the Contacting the

  • Reunion date

    THE search is on for classmates who left Bolton's Whitecroft Road High School in 1984 to take part in a fun-filled reunion. The class of '84 reunion will be held at the Red Lion pub at Four Lane Ends, Bolton, on Friday, August 23. A free buffet and disco

  • Co-op staff muck in to help woodland clean-up

    VOLUNTEERS swapped business suits for grafters' gear to help create community woodland. More than 60 Co-operative Insurance Society staff from Manchester gathered on the outskirts of Leigh and mucked in with Forestry Commission workers and conservationists

  • Player search

    ATHERTON Colls under-11s football team are on the lookout for new players to play in the Bolton Boys Federation. Contact Stuart Dingley on 01942 892490 or 077901 09632.

  • What to do in Bolton on...

    Thursday BOLTON METRO COMMUNITY CENTRES For further information or to book a room please call 01204 334300 BLACKROD COMMUNITY CENTRE, Greenbarn Way, off Vicarage Road, Blackrod, BL6 5TA The centre houses a main hall with a stage and a side lounge. Other

  • Firm set to close after 129 years

    AN engineering firm founded by the inventor of free-wheel bicycles and the hand-held fire extinguisher is set to close next month after 129 years. About 25 jobs will go when Haslam's sheet metal works closes on August 31. A letter has been passed to workers

  • There's plenty to be proud of

    IT wouldn't have mattered if the sun hadn't put in its rare appearance -- the expressions on the children's faces would have lit up the whole of Greater Manchester. I refer, of course, to the filming of the Commonwealth Praise edition of Songs of Praise

  • A terrific team

    IWOULD like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the Mountain Rescue Team who were involved in helping find my husband on Belmont on Sunday, July 6. These fine people, who volunteer their time and effort for an extremely

  • Drive out these bad practices

    ON Sunday, July 7, I watched a double decker bus full of kids in Morris Dancing dresses, reverse on the wrong side of the road down Red Lane, Breightmet, from junction to junction. I couldn't believe my eyes! On the same day a car stopped and reversed

  • The most precious gift of all

    WHEN young mum Zoe Greenhalgh looks at her lively two-year-old son Alex, she has high hopes for his future. But she knows it will be a future without her. At just 25, Zoe has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and has less than a year to live

  • Pay and display is here to stay

    PAY and Display parking is unpopular with shoppers. They invariably end up paying for more parking time than they need lest they overstay their welcome and collect the inevitable ticket. It is, I suspect, equally unpopular with shopkeepers; people shopping

  • Dealing with young tyrants

    IT APPEARS to me that B Edelbrink (June 21) believes in sparing the rod and spoiling the child. Well, I have met a lot of these young tyrants, but none so bad as the one I encounter on a daily basis. I look after a blind man who, unfortunately, has one

  • Not really our 'kinda town' . . .

    MAY I make a serious comment to the rather large headline which appeared in Saturday's Bolton Evening News. The comment was made by an American travel writer, Michael K Hayes, who apparently once lived in Bolton. His comment that Bolton is his "kinda

  • Zero tolerance doesn't work

    FURTHER to your article "Noise tests on Reebok bikers" (June 28). We live next to an all-weather sports pitch which is allowed to have activities until 8pm every day, which means that we and our neighbours have sometimes to put up with loud shouting and

  • Success stories

    ROD/VIC of 411 Ediths Hall, Salesbury, Nr Toronto, Canada, writes: "Bolton Old Pals is an excellent finder of lost friends, old loves -- it led to me finding both. Her nephew had seen my Old Pals message in the BEN, and within the month she had contacted

  • They're my heroes

    TODDLER Siobhan Walker managed to win the hearts of a whole fire station -- by getting her head stuck in a garden gate. The accident-prone two-year-old was playing in her mum's back garden when she suddenly became trapped. And no matter how she tried,

  • Europe lorry driver tailed by drugs team

    A CUSTOMS officer told a court how he followed a lorry driver suspected of smuggling drugs worth more than £1 million. Nicholas Cookson said he had seen Michael Hatton, accompanied by a young man with blond hair, at Dover ferry terminal. He watched the

  • James takes a walk on the wild side

    YOUNG wildlife champion James Hulme will join other countryside lovers for a walk around Unsworth's Goshen Woods this weekend. The eight-year-old, who recently won the BBC Wildlife Young Environmental Champions Award for a project on the local woodland

  • Tours are unveiled to celebrate town's past

    WITH thousands of visitors expected to come to Bolton for the Commonwealth Games, the council has unveiled a new programme of Heritage Tours. A series of daily walks celebrating Bolton's past and present have been organised to coincide with the Games.

  • Games police go on line

    GREATER Manchester Police's new-look website www.gmp.police.uk is gearing up for the Commonwealth Games. The website was launched this week by police and actress Angela Lonsdale, Coronation Street's Sergeant Emma Watts. The site provides the latest police

  • Pupils clean up in the washing stakes

    PUPILS put on their white coats and became junior scientists when they designed the ideal washing tablet. The Year 5 youngsters from Devonshire Road Primary School, Heaton, won two new kits for sports teams after taking part in a science education programme

  • School opening was well worth waiting for

    STAFF and pupils at a new Bolton school celebrated the completion of its first year -- with a special opening ceremony. The 140 youngsters at Rumworth School played host to VIP guests and enjoyed a concert by the Bolton Youth brass ensemble. The pupils

  • Canopy total

    A CENTENARY Canopy Sale on the Town Hall Square, Bolton, on behalf of the St Columba's Cafod Group, raised £402.35.

  • Baby food theft denied

    A MAN has appeared before Bolton magistrates accused of stealing baby food and coffee. James Lawrence Midgley, aged 36, of Southfield Drive, Westhoughton, pleaded not guilty to stealing the items, worth £5.23. The case was adjourned until September 9

  • Cleared of sex assault

    A KEARSLEY man accused of indecent assault has been found not guilty. A jury at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, found Craig Davidson, aged 37, of Matthew's Avenue, Kearsley, not guilty of committing two acts of gross indecency and three offences

  • Bolton Matchscene

    LORD NELSON AC: Aggregate Match - River Weaver at Winsford. Those that framed either had a bonus bream or a few high weighing eels to boost their weight. The Weaver is a popular place for the winner as he won last years match on the venue as well. 1st

  • Teen ace Arron takes top prize

    BRADSHAW Hall Fisheries was the venue for the Broughton Anglers Junior match with 30 young stars of the future taking part. Arron Applegate is seen as one future big circuit contender and his past triumphs have brought him sponsorship by Trobuko Technique

  • Men in court over bag-snatch

    TWO men were due to appear in court today charged in connection with a bag-snatch on an 81-year-old pensioner. Jonathan Burbidge, aged 19, of Century Lodge, Farnworth and Mark Heathcoat, aged 22, of Ramsey Avenue, Farnworth, were both due to appear at

  • MEP backs anti-racism legislation

    LABOUR Euro MP Gary Titley has thrown his weight behind moves in Strasbourg to strengthen Europe's anti-racism laws. He voted in favour of proposals to extend the scope of current European anti-racism legislation to include behaviour that may be deemed

  • Bank Holiday bus services praised

    A MEETING of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority's Transport Network Committee has welcomed the increased number of spring and summer bank holiday services this year and agreed to continue encouraging operators to provide more services in

  • Birthday treat for Cissie, 101

    STAFF at a Great Lever residential home have held an extra special birthday party for one of their oldest residents. Because Mary Fisher has reached the grand old age of 101 today Friday, staff at Albion House, Mill View, Bridgeman Street, held a special

  • Ireland biker Barry raises £1,000 for gene boy Nathan

    A FITNESS fanatic has raised almost £1,000 for a seriously ill youngster after cycling 350 kilometres across Ireland. Barry Calvert regularly raises money for Nathan Howarth, aged four, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder called fanconi anaemia.

  • Firm set to close after 129 years

    AN engineering firm founded by the inventor of free-wheel bicycles and the hand-held fire extinguisher is set to close next month after 129 years. About 25 jobs will go when Haslam's sheet metal works closes on August 31. A letter has been passed to workers

  • Tours are unveiled to celebrate town's past

    WITH thousands of visitors expected to come to Bolton for the Commonwealth Games, the council has unveiled a new programme of Heritage Tours. A series of daily walks celebrating Bolton's past and present have been organised to coincide with the Games.

  • Search for food lovers

    THE BBC is looking for people who are mad about take-away food, to take part in a new 10 part series, The Nation's Favourite Foods. Anyone who is potty about pizzas or crazy about curries should call 0208 752 5794 or email sally-ann.ritchie@bbc.co.uk.

  • Win a hi-tech prize for your school

    CALLING all Bolton schools. Time is running out for the chance to win a fantastic prize -- £1,000 worth of super computer software. With the school holidays almost here, this is the ideal competition to keep the children occupied and when they are back

  • Victorian fair will bring past to life

    TIMES past will come back to life in rural Bolton over the weekend with a Victorian fair. The two-day fair, to raise money for the Egerton and Eagley Heritage Society, will start at noon on Saturday at Egerton Park in Blackburn Road, Egerton. A Victorian

  • Youri keen on Reebok return

    YOURI Djorkaeff is keen to play at the Reebok Stadium next season. Wanderers' boss Sam Allardyce is hopeful he will have the French World Cup star on board next season after he opened negotiations yesterday. The 34-year-old, who was influential in keeping

  • Stig on assault charges

    BOLTON Wanderers star Stig Tofting will face trial in Denmark on assault charges during the new football season. The midfielder had hoped to avoid court action following an incident in which he allegedly assaulted two restaurant workers. Immediately after

  • Win tickets to the Games

    You can win tickets to the Hockey at the Commonwealth Games in our new competition. Click HERE to enter.

  • Princess of Wales ' took pills' in desperation

    From the Evening News, June 5, 1992 - THE Princess of Wales took an overdose of pills in a "desperate" attempt on her own life, according to a report today. The bid was "never intended to be more than an agonised cry for help in the depths of despair

  • Almost 1.5 million people on the dole

    From the Evening News, June 20, 1992 - AN historic hall and part of a golf course at the centre of a boundary row will stay in Bolton. The local government boundary commission has confirmed its decision to keep the first hole of Wigan golf course and

  • Vandals wreck 'safe' playground

    From the Evening News, June 6, 1992 - MINDLESS vandals have wrecked a £10,000 super safe children's playground. Bolton Council set up the play area at Bolton Road, Kearsley, just 18 months ago . . . now it is in ruins. It was one of only two in the town

  • Romania visit firemen in plea for help

    From the Evening News, June 13, 1992 - BIG-hearted firemen, back home from an emotional visit to Romania, say there is a "vast need" for help for the deprived orphanages. The Bolton firemen, who have returned from a 15-day mercy mission, have likened

  • Tribute to the Fallen - at last

    From the Evening News, June 2, 1992 - HORWICH is finally set to get a war memorial as a tribute to the dead of the Second World War. And the 123 names of Horwich Servicemen killed in the war are to be published to give people who know of any more local

  • 'Mad' Frankie comes to town

    LEIGH Miners Welfare Club is getting a visit from 'Mad' Frankie Fraser. Hard-man Frankie, billed as "One of the great continuing professional criminal links of the last century" spent 42 years in prison from the 1930s to the 1980s and was a cell-mate

  • United boss to hold charity golf day

    MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is set to hold a golf day to raise money for a cancer charity. The boss, whose parents Lizzie and Alex both died of lung cancer, has long been a fund-raiser for Christie Hospital. And he is hoping the Sir Alex

  • Betts says Lions are ready to roar again

    FORMER Wigan and Great Britain ace Denis Betts has rubbished Gary Schofield's gloomy Test match prediction for the Lions. Former national skipper Schofield expects a landslide win for the Kangaroos and has criticised the decision to fly half-way around

  • Chemists' Games appeal

    PHARMACISTS in Bolton are being urged to volunteer their services for the summer's Commonwealth Games being held in Manchester. Letters are going out from the Department of Health to pharmacists in the area to volunteer for work during July 25 to August

  • Cablevision up for sale

    From the Evening News, June 15, 1992 - BOLTON'S growing cable television network is up for sale. The San Francisco-based Pacific Telesis Group, which has so far invested £27 million in Bolton Cablevision, is pulling out of cable to concentrate on its

  • Ribena factory to close

    From the Evening News, June 19, 1992 - THE firm which makes the world-famous drinks Lucozade and Ribena is to close its Little Hulton factory and make almost 300 workers redundant. The 36-year-old SmithKline Beecham plant, on Manchester Road West, produces

  • Hindu carnival for High priest

    From the Evening News, June 22, 1992 - THOUSANDS of Hindus created a carnival atmosphere in Bolton over the weekend as they crowded the streets to welcome their High Priest. A colourful procession started the two days of celebrations to mark the blessing

  • Abortion pill trial not on in town

    BOLTON will not take part in a pilot scheme to allow family planning centres to offer the nine-week abortion pill. The town's director of public health, Jan Hutchinson, said the town is not scheduled to be part of the scheme, which has caused outrage

  • BEN Opinion: The drink problem

    THE national debate is all about cannabis at the moment. But Bolton is suffering badly from the effects of another drug -- alcohol. Booze is so much a part of the culture for many adults that it is little wonder that children seek to follow their example

  • Carry a card, a life could depend on it

    Although 9.2 million people in this country carry organ donor cards, there are still more than 6,000 people waiting for transplants.This week is National Transplant Week and here Frank Elson examines the campaign to boost the number of donors. IN this

  • Protest over nursery school plan

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to set up a children's nursery near a busy main road looked set to be given the go-ahead despite mass objections and a petition. Residents living near the site in Spendmore Lane, Coppull, have sent 52 letters to the council complaining

  • Waterway transformation

    LITTLE LEVER will be at the centre of an ambitious scheme to transform Bolton's waterways. The £32 million investment programme involving British Waterways and the Waterways Trust will see vast tracts of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury canal restored.

  • Games sculpture unveiled at town hall

    THE finishing touches are being made to Manchester city centre in preparation of the start of the Commonwealth Games. A 27ft sculpture depicting the three figure emblem of the Games is being put into place on the own hall in Albert Square. Elsewhere there

  • Teenager terrorised by gang

    A TEENAGER kicked and battered about the head with a wooden fence post during a gang attack in Bolton has spoken of his terror. Christopher Diver, aged 17, suffered cuts, bruises and a broken nose after three teenagers pounced on him as he walked along

  • Man jailed for drunken attack on off-duty driver

    A DRUNKEN man has been jailed after he punched an off duty Asian bus driver in the face in an unprovoked attack. Christopher Kirfoot boarded the 571 bus and asked if Haroon Bhola, who was travelling as a passenger, was a Muslim. When he answered 'yes'

  • 'Beware of bogus Games illnesses'

    BOSSES are being warned that hundreds of workers may be tempted to "take a sickie" during the Commonwealth Games. Many sports fans will have already approached employers about taking time off work. But it is believed many others could be seduced by good

  • Welcome back Amanda

    A TEENAGER has surprised her fellow pupils by returning to school despite battling cancer. Amanda Gifford, aged 16, could not wait to return to Rumworth School to see her pals after her latest bout of illness, despite still feeling very weak. The teenager

  • Survey reveals fewer vice girls

    A SURVEY by residents in The Haulgh has shown a fall in the number of vice girls working the streets. Residents recorded sightings in the study for The Haulgh Community Partnership -- with many spotting fewer prostitutes in the area than 15 months ago

  • Mother praised for bravery in blaze tragedy

    A MOTHER who raced into a burning house several times to rescue her three children has been praised by a fire chief and coroner. An inquest heard that, despite his mother's frantic efforts to save him, Mobeen Ahmed, aged nine, died after the fire at his

  • In memory of the orphans

    IT IS just a small corner of a graveyard . . . virtually forgotten for 61 years There was no indication of the sad stories of the 48 children from the local orphanage who are buried there. Their final resting place was an unmarked grave. No-one would

  • Murder squad police to screen 90 men

    DETECTIVES investigating the 1985 murder of a nine-year-old boy were today starting to screen 90 men in a bid to catch his killer. Imraan Vohra was last seen near his home in Preston and his body was found in a local park a week later. Police said not

  • Exhibition tells story of swimming

    AN exhibition is being staged at Turton Tower to mark the start of the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games. Bradshaw swimmer, heart and lung transplant survivor, Robert Hodgkiss, is being featured in the display which tells the story of swimming over the

  • Classic contenders clash on Sunday best

    HAYDOCK Park is gearing up for its annual Sunday family funday - with the attraction of one of the highest-class horse races of the weekend. It follows the racecourse's highest attendance of the year so far last Saturday when almost 15,000 people came

  • Fun with a lack of sun

    Singing in the Rain, Opera House, Manchester YOU would think that people have had enough of rain and storms this summer, but last night the sun broke through the clouds -- for a few hours at least -- and lifted everyone's spirits in an absolute stormer

  • Orchestra's titanic effort

    BOLTON Symphony Orchestra celebrates the Commonwealth Games at the Albert Hall on Saturday night with what promises to be a "titanic" performance. The concert is part of the Spirit of Friendship Festival which intends to convey the international flavour

  • What to do in Bolton on...

    Friday MUSEUMS BOLTON MUSEUM, ART GALLERY & AQUARIUM, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton. Tel: 332211. Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Admission free. Bolton Aquarium For unique views into the aquatic world visit Bolton Aquarium, where there are fish