RAMSBOTTOM company Micro Ventilation Ltd has been awarded a DTI Research and Development Micro Project grant. The firm has been awarded £4,600 to develop one central extractor fan for use in small domestic properties. The project involves developing a
WHEN sports minister Richard Caborn urged politicians to keep fit in Westminster's gym, he expected MPs to rush to the treadmill. But Bolton Labour MP Dr Brian Iddon will not be among those trying out the rowing machines or lifting the weights. While
WHILE walking around Smithills Country Park, I noticed churned-up paths and scattered bulbs, etc. Idiots on motorbikes again? Not this time - a promotion of quadbikes sanctioned by Bolton MBC! Surely we do not want to encourage quadbikes, motorbikes etc
I SEE we will now have a team of litter wardens (Environmental Enforcement officers), backed by police officers, from next month patrolling the towns of the borough. Are the ratepayers paying for these new jobs and the police salaries? Also, it is an
I AM pleased to see that the Bolton Evening News has introduced a campaign to address the appalling litter problem in Bolton. I live in Chorley, close to the border with Horwich and Blackrod, and I drive through Bolton every day on my way to work in north
THE BOLTON Evening News "Bin it for Bolton" campaign seems to have got the whole town talking. Its launch, instigated by businessman Andrew Dickson, ties in with Bolton Council's launch of a major litter enforcement campaign. In Bolton last year, approximately
1682: The Chelsea Hospital for old soldiers (Chelsea Pensioners), also venue for the world-famous flower show, was founded. 1702: The first successful English daily newspaper, a single broadsheet called the Daily Courant, was published. 1819: Sir Henry
From the Evening News, March 11, 1904: THIS afternoon, in the vault in the churchyard of St Peter's Smithills containing the remains of her husband, Sir Benjamin Alfred Dobson, who was interred on March 7, all that is mortal of Lady Dobson, of Doffcockers
A POLICE officer was dragged more than 50 yards along a road by a car after he tried to arrest a suspected burglar. The 35-year-old officer was trapped in the car door as the driver accelerated away. He suffered leg and back injuries as he fell to the
THE PICTURES I used recently showing soup kitchens and other events at Harvey Street Methodist Church in Halliwell prompted a life-long member, Mrs Rene Easterbrook, to send me this picture from the front cover of the church magazine, Focus. The old building
RESULTS, attendances - and how the league position has changed 16/08/03 Manchester United, away; Lost: 0-4; League position: 20; Attendance: 67,647 23/08/03 Blackburn Rovers, home; Drew: 2-2; Position: 16; 27,423 26/08/03 Portsmouth, away; Lost: 0-4;
DYNAMIC, adventurous people are being sought to take part in a trek through the desert. The British Lung Foundation wants people to take part in its Sahara Trek, Morocco challenge, from November 6 to 14. It would mean making the 100km journey from the
PUPILS from a Bolton school proved they have the gift of the gab when they won a public speaking competition. An all-girl team from St Joseph's RC High School, Horwich, won the Rotary Club District Youth Speaks' Final at the Forest Hills Hotel in Frodsham
ANYONE visiting Bolton's Tourist Information Centre can do more than just pick up information about local attractions and facilities. The centre, based in the entrance foyer of Bolton Central Library, now offers a holiday booking service for national
A BOLTON author has been shortlisted for four top prizes at this year's British Book Awards. Monica Ali is nominated for Book of the Year for her novel, Brick Lane, and goes head to head with David Beckham's autobiography, My Side, as well as the likes
A 25-YEAR-OLD woman was pushed to the ground by a robber who stole her handbag. She was walking along Bell Lane, Bury, on Tuesday at about 9am when a man grabbed it off her shoulder.
TWO men grabbed a teenager, searched his pockets and stole his mobile phone. The 19-year-old victim was walking in Butterstile Lane, Prestwich, at 10pm on Tuesday, when he was approached by the robbers. They threatened him, demanded his mobile phone and
A CHARITY for children and adults with a learning disability is looking for runners to take part in the New York City Marathon in November. Mencap is looking for volunteers and once they have paid the £300 registration fee and raised the minimum sponsorship
DRINKING in the street is being banned in parts of Tyldesley, Hindley and Golborne. It is part of the plans to tackle alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour, crime and violence. Police are now authorised to seize bottles or cans from anyone drinking in
A 33-YEAR-OLD man who has pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining benefits by deception will be sentenced in two weeks. Ross Davies, of Hinkler Avenue, Great Lever, was brought before Bolton magistrates. He pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier
A NEW state-of-the-art dining and shopping complex is to be built at the Birch services area on the M62. The multi-million pound building on the westbound carriageway, will replace the structure destroyed by fire five months ago. Work on the new Moto
THE BBC is looking for couples who would love the chance to nose around the homes of others in a new TV programme. The show called "Who Lives Where" will feature a number of couples rooting around the homes of others to see if they can work out who is
A 21-YEAR-OLD woman in Bury was threatened with a knife by a female robber and forced to hand over her mobile phone. The victim was walking along Porritt Street at around 12.30pm yesterday when a woman of a similar age approached her and asked to borrow
PEOPLE are being encouraged to take advantage of European links and visit Bolton's continental twin towns. Bolton's twinning association plans to send a coach party from the town to its French twin, Le Mans, for a five-day visit in September. It wants
HORWICH is set to become a hub of sporting activity in June when the carnival races take over the town. A day of top-class running and cycling events will be held again this year, following the success of the 2002 Commonwealth Games cycling events and
THREE children from a Bolton primary school were appearing on a TV quiz show today. The youngsters, from Church Road Primary School, Captains Clough Road, Smithills, were hoping to walk away with a prize of a dream holiday to Disneyland. Year Six pupils
THEATRE-GOERS can demand their money back if they don't like the Octogon's latest play - but on one night only. The show's director doubts that will happen, though, as so far his play - which opened last week - has been well received. That is why, on
FURIOUS park users claim that a popular beauty spot has been churned up by speeding quad bikes - because the council wanted to swell its coffers. They say that for three days last week, the tranquillity of Smithills Hall and its grounds were shattered
A NEW £6 million bus depot in Bolton has been hailed as a "great boost" to the region's public transport services. First Manchester's state-of-the-art Weston Street depot provides space for 200 buses with custom designed engineering bays and a body repair
SAM Allardyce is ready to put contract talks on hold in an effort to get Wanderers back into their Premiership stride. The Reebok boss is anxious to avoid distractions as he strives to get his players back on track after their Carling Cup anti-climax
THREE teams are in the hat for the semi-final of the Warburton Cup. Mosses A made good their three-point start to beat fellow Premier Division team Little Lever A 6-3. The Mosses team had four wins on the board before Little Lever won their first set,
P W D L F A GD Disc Pt AK's Wrexham... 13 12 0 1 178 48 130 0 36 Radcliffe Ams... 13 11 0 2 177 53 124 3 33 Daniel Scott... 13 7 0 6 122 131 -9 0 21 NVG... 13 6 1 6 129 118 11 6 19 ?b... 13 5 1 7 123 120 3 2 16 Cressway... 13 4 1 8 102 136 -34 0 13 McCormack
RESIDENTS who have transformed a crime-plagued council estate in Darcy Lever have given their backing to our Bin It For Bolton campaign. The 50-strong group - called the Wacky Cleaners - have cleaned up the neighbourhood around Beechcroft Avenue which
THE M61 could be turned into a lethal playground by youngsters in Farnworth because there is nothing for them to do at night, a school's head boy claims. Oliver Smith, head boy at Harper Green School, gave his warning after the death of 13-year-old Cheslea
A BAN on smoking in Bolton's oldest pub received a mixed response after its landlord joined national No Smoking Day. The Man and Scythe, in Churchgate, which dates back to 1636, was deserted yesterday lunchtime a time when the pub would normally be full
A NEW spirit of enterprise is boosting business in Bolton with four new firms being set up every week. An emerging culture of innovation saw 15 times as many companies formed last year than in 1997. Almost 210 new companies opened their doors in 2003,
SHE may have lost her Radio 1 breakfast show to her main rival, but Sara Cox is still one of the nation's favourites - according to a poll of teenagers. Pregnant Sara, who now presents the BBC station's afternoon show, is named as Britain's third favourite
A POTATO pie lunch and bring and buy sale is being held on Saturday, at Tottington Road Methodist Church, Harwood, from 11am to 1pm.
JIM Francis will be giving a local history talk about Riding Gate at Tottington Road Methodist Church, Harwood, tomorrow from 11am to 1pm. Admission is £3.
JAY-JAY Okocha moved quickly to head off any suggestion of a rift with Sam Allardyce by admitting he deserved to be hauled off in Saturday's miserable 2-0 defeat at Birmingham. The disconsolate Wanderers' skipper refused a seat in the dug-out and walked
WITH just seven months to go, businesses in Bolton are being urged to take notice of changes to the Disability Discrimination Act. From October 1, every High Street shop, shopping mall, health club, library, cinema, private office and government building
BRYAN McFadden from mega-popular band Westlife is quitting to spend more time with his wife Kerry. She, you will recall, won the latest "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!" prompting a host of work offers. The couple, who have two young children,
POP star Lulu is coming to the Reebok next month. An Evening With Lulu will include the enduring star talking about her life as well as singing her many hits. Tickets for the black tie event will be in the £99 to £199 range, including a four-course dinner
WELL done local taxi driver David Collinson. He has created a clever electronic device that lets people know when their car has arrived. David worked on the illuminated sign for four years, and it is likely to prove a boon in pubs and clubs and well worth
ACTOR Jonathan Wrather was excellent as evil but charismatic Joe Carter in Coronation Street. At the height of his TV fame, he opened a summer event at Bolton Hospice and proved to be a major draw, pledging long-term support to the charity. He was another
I HAVE to agree with the resident of Murton Terrace, Astley Bridge, (Bolton Evening News, February 27) who tells of horror of all the litter accompanied by food, cans and bottles that is dropped by school children in her back street. Not only is it in
I REFER to the letter in Monday night's Bolton Evening News from Craig Maher, and indeed the hundreds of letters which have appeared in the paper and also sent directly to St Andrews Travel. He is indeed correct in drawing everyone's attention to the
I WAS delighted to see in your edition of February 26, one of the town's leading businessmen making a strong statement about the unkempt streets in the borough. I applaud him, as I do the headmaster of the Bromley Cross secondary school who intends to
LOCAL historian Denis O'Connor sent me this picture because he thought it would bring a smile to the faces of Looking Back readers. Denis, who lives in Forton Avenue, Breightmet, tells me that the print was on the back of an envelope which he received
APPRENTICESHIP indentures from the 1880s make interesting reading. Mr A Dawson of The Pewfist, Westhoughton, has sent me a copy of his grandfather in family papers. Mr Dawson says his grandfather, who died in 1944, was an apprentice skip maker who started
BRITISH Gas is offering new "family-friendly" appointment times. Parents dropping off or picking up their children from school often find it difficult to be in for traditional morning or afternoon appointments. The company is now offering customers a
MARATHON man John Francis hopes to be a knight in shining armour by raising £10,000 for the Whizz-Kidz disabled children's charity. He will be running the Flora London Marathon with a friend wearing 55lb suits of armour. John, aged 40, of Bury, had the
LOW fares airline V Bird has cut the cost of flying to Germany to just £19. Bosses say the new service from Manchester will lead to a surge in German shopping trips. V BIRD chief executive Roberto Stinga said: "It will also make a shopping trip to Germany
AIRLINE bmi is to start new services from Manchester to the Caribbean this autumn. Formerly British Midland Airways, bmi is to launch flights from Manchester to Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia. The twice-weekly service to Barbados will start on November
PUPILS from two Bolton schools were having their say about how schools should be run at a national conference today. Youngsters from Rivington and Blackrod High School, Horwich, and Canon Slade School, Bradshaw Brow, were joining with pupils and teachers
BOLTON Council is the first local authority in the North-west to be given the stamp of approval for its housing blueprint. The Government Office North West assesses housing strategies on 10 criteria and councils must achieve the goal before they can move
MEMORABILIA and autographs from stars including Muhammad Ali, John Travolta, Robert De Niro and Liz Taylor are up for auction in a charity bash at The Brook, on Bolton Road West, Ramsbottom, on Thursday, March 18, at 8.30pm. The auction will be hosted
ADLINGTON Town Council is urging villagers to keep the village looking its best in the run-up to the Best Kept Village Competition. Residents and businesses are being asked to brighten up their premises and gardens before judging begins in June. Last
POLICE and council chiefs in Bolton have been awarded nearly £500,000 to tackle crime and drug problems. The money will be aimed at areas considered to be most in need of help. Chief Superintendent Dave Lea, who is chairman of the Crime and Disorder Reduction
THE funeral of a Bolton father-of-two who died while walking in the Lake District will be held next Thursday. David O'Callaghan, aged 44, plunged 300 feet to his death from Striding Edge on Helvellyn last Friday. Company director Mr O'Callaghan of Havisham
A LABOUR MP has criticised plans by fire bosses to move one fire engine away from Leigh fire station. Leigh MP Andy Burnham believes the town would not have adequate fire cover if the proposals by Greater Manchester Fire Authority are approved. Leigh
DEVELOPERS have scaled down plans to turn the former home of tragic farmer Arnold Davenport into a trendy mews-style community. The Harwood farmhouse would still be demolished under the new plans but the conversion of existing outbuildings would see one
A SECOND World War veteran has criticised the way Lottery funds are allocated after fellow old soldiers were refused a grant to honour their dead comrades. Bert Paxford from Leigh, who was in the Chindits jungle warfare group, said it was "an absolute
A WEBSITE has been launched which enables Bolton residents to look up local crime figures at the touch of a button. The site which can be accessed via the Home Office websitewww.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime also features crime prevention advice for residents
A YOUNG teenage mum who joined a Breightmet voluntary group for support has won an award for her work there. Lisa Dykins, from Beechroft Grove, was pregnant when she was referred to the young parents' support group, Bolton Realistic Advised Teenage Support
A police informant from Bolton who is giving evidence against an alleged major drugs importer has denied he was exaggerating his involvement with him. The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has told a court about the alleged movements of
GINNELS used for drug dealing, prostitution and as escape routes for criminals could soon be blocked off after the Government announced a £2.3m scheme to clean up communities. Home Office Minister and Salford MP Hazel Blears launched Operation Gate-it
A BOLTON student is set to go on a surprise safari in Kenya to meet orphaned elephants and rhinos after helping to raise money for their care. Canon Slade student Samantha Spence will visit a Kenyan charity conservation project that looks after orphaned
ONE of Wanderers' greatest footballing legends claims an incident such as that involving the three Leicester City players would never have happened during his day. Tommy Banks, a member of Bolton's 1958 FA Cup winning squad, said it was "a different game
UNEMPLOYMENT in Bolton has fallen by 10 per cent in the last year, according to latest figures. Although the unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent still leaves Bolton's jobless total as the fifth highest in Greater Manchester, only Oldham and Rochdale have
OWEN Hargreaves has hinted that his family connections could persuade him to sign for Wanderers. Bayern Munich's England international has ambitions to play in the Premiership and has not ruled out the possibility of coming to Bolton, where his father
THE Big Easter Egg Hunt is being held at Hall i' th' Wood Historic House and Museum, Green Way, from Saturday, April 3. Visitors will have the chance to explore the hall and find the hidden clues. If they complete the quiz, there are Easter eggs up for
Second Round Second Leg: ARSENAL...2 CELTA VIGO...0 Henry 14, 34 Att: 35,402 (Arsenal win 5-2 on aggregate) AC MILAN...4 SP PRAGUE...1 Inzaghi 45, Shevchenko 67, 79, Gattuso 85 Jun 59 Att: 50,000 (agg 4-1) MONACO...1 LOKO MOSCOW...0 Prso 60 Att: 16,500
SUNDERLAND...3 PRESTON...3 Mears 25 og, Thornton Healy 43, Mears 79, 70, Stewart 84 pen Lewis 90 Att: 27, 181 Norwich... 34 19 10 5 53 28 67 West Brom... 35 18 10 7 49 30 64 West Ham... 35 14 15 6 51 32 57 Wigan... 34 15 12 7 48 35 57 Sheff Utd... 34
DOCTORS have almost wiped out one of the most deadly strains of meningitis in Bolton. A major vaccination programme has seen cases of the meningococcal C-strain of the disease drop dramatically in the North-west over the past 15 months. Last year in Bolton
RADCLIFFE AC runners took part in the inaugural Pennine Bridleway Relay, otherwise known as the Mary Townley Loop. Carly Hancock and Gerry Dewhurst, took on the first leg out of Waterfoot and just over an hour later they brought Radcliffe AC home in 26th
MEN, women and children of letters were honoured last night at an awards' ceremony which highlighted some of Bolton's most literate volunteers. The Bolton Literacy Trust had its first annual celebration attended by around 100 people at The Watermillock
AN environmental disaster threatens to ruin the moors around Bolton unless walkers take more care, firefighters warned today. Fire chiefs have also said that a prolonged repeat of Tuesday afternoon's moor fires at Egerton could leave the fire service
TWO "partners in crime" have made amends with a bunch of flowers - 60 years later. Naughty Bolton schoolboys Arnold Harrison and Billy Allcock funded trips to the pictures when they were short of cash by handing empty beer bottles over the counter at
SUPERMARKET chains are moving in on the corner shops. The likes of Tesco and Sainsbury's are making inroads into suburban areas by buying up shops and opening their own convenience stores. They are moving in because the scope for expansion in the large
THE parents of a five-year-old girl with leukaemia have appealed for the return of videos stolen from their home. Harley Bacon's parents have been filming her progress since she was diagnosed with acute myloid leukaemia when she was just 22 months old
HOLY Infant and St Antony RC Church is holding a St Patrick's Day Celebration Social Dance on March 14, at Astley Bridge Conservative Club, from 7.30pm, with artist Peter Mylett. Tickets are £4.
BRIGHTON...3 TRANMERE...0 Hart 7, Benjamin 18, Knight 31 Att: 5,994 P W D L F A Pts Plymouth... 35 20 10 5 70 31 70 Bristol City... 35 18 11 6 48 27 65 QPR... 34 17 12 5 60 33 63 Swindon... 34 17 9 8 56 40 60 Brighton... 35 16 8 11 51 36 56 Hartlepool
A BOLTON author has been shortlisted for four top prizes at this year's British Book Awards. Monica Ali is nominated for Book of the Year for her novel, Brick Lane, and goes head to head with David Beckham's autobiography, My Side, as well as the likes
