A CONVICTED gunman has been found guilty of shooting two men outside a Bolton nightclub more than 10 years ago. After a trial at Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, Wayne McDonald, aged 49, of HMP Manchester was found guilty of two counts of attempted
CAST members from the Octagon’s current production of David Copperfield will be helping Bolton get into the Christmas spirit with a free storytelling event this weekend. The actors will be reading extracts from traditional festive stories including
CONGRATULATIONS to the All Gates brewery in Wigan for creating a special Pretoria beer in memory of the 344 men and boys who died in the Westhoughton pit disaster 100 years ago this month. The anniversary golden beer be on sale in the brewery
THIS is definitely the time of year for families and, love them or hate them, most of us will try to get together with at least some family members. For hundreds of couples throughout the country, though, in towns like Bolton, it is also a time
VERY quietly, Lostock actor Andrew Buchan has been carving out a remarkable career for himself over the past few years. He’s now 31 and just finished a regular Sunday evening slot on our TV screens in the central role in “Garrow’s Law”. But previously
IN their school uniforms and with years of classroom fun ahead of them are these children in the First Class section of The Bolton News. Over the school year, we will be publishing pictures of reception classes from schools across Bolton as
BOLTON trade unions and anti cuts campaigners are preparing to lobby a Bolton Council’s executive meeting today. The lobby will coincide with the announcement of the financial settlement for Bolton Council. Unions lobbied the council on November
BOLTON MP David Crausby has questioned the Government’s decision to cancel the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people in residential care. The mobility component of DLA is intended to provide people with a measure of
DRUNKEN louts who cause trouble on Bolton trains are being targeted by police in a Christmas crackdown. British Transport Police have launched Operation Christmas Spirit to help make trains safer for people travelling during the festive period
PEOPLE got into the festive spirit as dozens of trees were on display in a Christmas Tree Festival. Around 30 decorated trees were on display at Birtenshaw Methodist Church in Bromley Cross. As well as the beautiful fir trees, visitors were also
YOU may not have had your office party yet but if you haven’t please be careful. They are meant to be enjoyable festive social occasions. But all too often they involve an alcohol-fuelled rant against a colleague or, worse, your boss which can
IF you’re going to see your child or grandchild in a school or nursery Nativity play this week don’t be afraid to take your camera. Schools which stop parents taking photographs of their children are wrong and the Information Commissioner Christopher
THE temperatures might have been warmer for the past few days but Bolton will soon be in the grip of another frozen spell, experts have warned. Temperatures picked up on Friday after an area of high pressure moved over the North West, spelling
HUNDREDS of people enjoyed face painting, dancing, games and theatre at a spectacular Hindu celebration. More than 250 guests called into a temple to enjoy the fun day. Staff and volunteers from the Veda Mandir temple in Thomas Holden
ABANDONED animals at a Bolton shelter are facing a merrier Christmas thanks to The Bolton News readers and the former organisers of a dog training club. Readers have donated £1,000 to the Destitute Animal Shelter after an appeal in The Bolton
THE leader of a rambling group is to visit Bolton to see how the town’s public rights of way will be affected by the council budget cuts. Tom Franklin, chief executive of the Ramblers’ Association will join Bolton ramblers in Moses Gate Country
SPEED limits will be reduced at two accident blackspots in Westhoughton following a series of fatal and lifethreatening crashes. For years, campaigners have been fighting for a scheme to slow down speeding drivers in Wigan Road, Hart Common,
VETERAN theatre director David Thacker has said people in Bolton have “a lot to be proud of”. Adding his support to The Bolton News’ We’re Backing Bolton campaign, Olivier award winner Mr Thacker, artistic director of the Octagon Theatre, said
ACCOUNTANT Mike Haywood could be said to have his head in the clouds — but it is all in the name of better business. For he wants to introduce the concept of “cloud computing” for small to medium businesses as part of an online-based accountancy
Following two television broadcasts, Still Folk Dancing and Come Clog Dancing', shown on Friday and Saturday evening respectively, I wonder if any of your readers who may have seen these programmes feel inspired to try their hand at clog dancing
WITH winter driving conditions now well and truly with us, may I offer a simple yet very effective tip which goes a long way towards solving the overlooked problem of dried salt on a windscreen. I see all, too often, drivers attempting to peer
WHAT is this tirade of sour grapes that was developed because England have not won the right to stage the 2018 football World Cup. Just because we had been informed that we had presented the most attractive packaged does not mean that we have
WHILST reading The Bolton News, I noticed the still from the film Blade Trinity, in the television section. In this picture you will note the female vampire’s fangs are where our canine teeth are. This is the same in every modern Vampire movie
MAY I, through your newspaper, say what a privilege it was for me to listen the Smithills School Band play outside Marks and Spencer on Saturday. My mum who is 86-years-old and, because of the recent bad weather, had not been out for over a
I AM sick and tired of hearing Coalition politicians saying that they are acting in the nation’s interest. How can it be in the national interest to scrap the Ark Royal and the Harrier aircraft that she carried and leave the nation with no carriers
I WAS incensed after reading the report with the headline, “NHS Bolton to halt homeopathy treatments”. The article goes on to say that the NHS has been advised by the government's Science and Technology Committee to stop funding as there is no
A NEW outdoor play area for children has been unveiled. The facility at the Crompton Children’s Centre, specially designed for youngsters under five, was officially opened on Monday. It can be used throughout the year after a stack of outdoor
I CANNOT believe how badly customers are treated nowadays. On Friday I rushed to my local bank and arrived at 3.10pm to pay a cheque into my account. However, I then discovered my bank had closed its doors for the weekend at 1pm. Apparently, this
ON BEHALF of the Trustees of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust I wish to thank all the Servicemen and women involved in the recent, outstanding concert at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, performed by the Central Band of the RAF, the Band of the
KATE Challender was correct to highlight the social benefit of our public libraries and how local library services across the country are under threat due to cuts by the Coalition government. Hundreds of authors, illustrators, poets, publishers
A PENSIONER says he is lucky to be alive after he was involved in a crash with a coach. Roy Gray, aged 72, survived the accident in Folds Road, in the town centre, with cuts and bruises, and is now looking for the Good Samaritan who helped
A WOMAN who is accused of posing as a florist to con her way into a pensioner’s home has appeared in court. Juliet Vern McCann, aged 44, of Pedder Street, Halliwell, has been charged with burglary after the alleged incident at 3pm on Thursday
RICHARD Bevan, the chief executive of the League Managers Association, spoke of the irony of Sam Allardyce being sacked by Blackburn while being touted as the next manager of England. But for me the ironical aspect of Big Sam’s shock departure came on
BOLTON North East MP David Crausby has signed a petition calling on the Government to drop plans to scrap the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) at the end of the academic year. EMA is a weekly payment of £10 to £30 for 16- to 19-year-olds
IT may be almost 70 years ago but Bolton News readers caught up in one of the town’s biggest tragedies of the Second World War can still vividly recall their miraculous escapes. Tom Hampson, from Hulton was just seven when the back wall of
THESE little cuties are already football super fans. And now they have been chosen out of hundreds of tots to star as part of the Manchester City Cutie Squad for the season. A competition was launched across the region by the football
BUSINESS leaders in Manchester have cautiously welcomed a review of business rates and how they are spent. Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told Parliament on Monday that a review of business rates would be carried out, with the emphasis placed
HEALTH chiefs have issued an urgent warning for people to have their flu jab, after it was revealed a Bolton patient has died from swine flu. It was confirmed yesterday that one person in the town has died from the condition so far this winter
PASSENGERS can now pick up a handy guide to public transport over the festive season to help them plan their journeys. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, with bus and rail operators, have produced 40,000 of the annual guides to
FIREFIGHTERS were called to an industrial estate after a coffee roasting machine caught fire. A crew from Bolton North fire station went to Garraways at Bradley Fold Trading Estate, Radcliffe Moor Road, Bolton, at 10.30am yesterday. Watch manager
STAFF at Bolton Drain Services were stunned when they arrived at work to discover more than 300 tyres blocking their way in. Hundreds of tyres had been delivered to the wrong address. The incident left workers at the industrial unit,
TOWN Hall chiefs have warned nothing is safe from the axe after revealing they are now being forced to find £36 million of cuts and savings before April. Originally Bolton Council was expected to find £15 million of cuts from next year’s budget
A MUM-of-three got a little help from her friends on a sponsored walk for charity. Carol Deary, aged 33, persuaded pals to walk four-and-a-half miles from the Reebok Stadium to Butterflies Cafe in Higher Bridge Street, Bolton, in aid of
A MAN accused of shooting at a crowd of revellers outside a Bolton nightclub later phoned his exgirlfriend to say that “something bad has happened”, a court heard. Manchester Crown Court heard that Wayne McDonald called his former partner
A RECYCLING company has appeared in court accused of breaching an environmental permit. Armstrongs Environmental Services in Chorley New Road, Horwich, is alleged to have stored waste on its land in a way which it could pollute water or cause
OFFICERS investigating the murder of Paul Begley have made two further arrests. A 17-year-old boy and 39-year-old woman from Hyde have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and remain in police custody for questioning. Detectives
POLICE have launched a spoof website to warn people against getting drunk and misbehaving at Christmas. People can log on to drunkendisorderlyinn.com and see a hotel-chain style website that features tongue-in-cheek videos, photographs and
IT was an early ‘Whites’ Christmas for poorly youngsters, when stars from Bolton Wanderers visited them in hospital. Players spent time on wards at the Royal Bolton Hospital to spread some festive cheer. They met children and gave out
A MAN has been charged with the murder of Farnworth dad Paul Begley. Mario Simpson, aged 38, of Somerford Road, Reddish has been charged with murder and is due before Stockport Magistrates today, Wednesday, December 15. A 31-year-old woman arrested
PAUL Robinson believes qualifying for Europe with Wanderers would be his greatest achievement. Owen Coyle’s sixth-placed side go into Saturday’s clash with rivals Sunderland just one point off the European places. Dreams of Europe have been played down
THE more serious topic of business was put aside in favour of comedy at the last meeting of the year of the Bolton professionals’ curry club. As a Christmas special instead of the usual business oriented speaker, two comedians took the microphone to
LITTLE Alfie Lord — the baby who battled cancer for almost all of his short life — has lost his fight against the disease. His devastated parents, Jennifer Grimshaw and Sam Lord, took the decision to turn off his life support machine on December
TOWN Hall chiefs face a race against time to slash £36 million from the council budget by next April. In June, Bolton Council’s powerful executive authorised £15 million of cuts, a figure which rose to £22 million following the Comprehensive
Wanderers are steeling themselves for a January auction, as clubs line up to bid for goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi. Rumours coming out of the DW Stadium indicate that Latics boss Roberto Martinez is poised to make the 28-year-old’s loan move permanent
Cost-saving measures alongwith changes in the practice of care delivery are not new ; and have always been an integral part of the Health and Social-care Services. I have no problem with that; a service mostly funded by Tax or Rate payers MUST
GARY Speed admitted the opportunity to manage Wales was too good to turn down after being unveiled as John Toshack’s successor. The 41-year-old former Wanderers midfielder was given permission by Sheffield United to speak to the Football Association
