From the Evening News, April 16, 1904: A POORLY-attired charwoman, Sarah Baron, of St George's Court, was sent to gaol for 14 days with hard labour by the Borough Justices this morning for stealing a mackerel valued at 4d from the shop of Albert John Holloway, Deane Road, Bolton.

The prosecutor saw the woman take the fish from the board of his shop on the 15th. When he accused her of the theft she first said she had bought the fish from a shop, afterwards saying it had been given to her. She also tried to hit him with a bottle. Mr Holloway said he had seen her steal fish before. On receiving sentence the prisoner exclaimed: "I'll kill him when I come out."

A YOUNG woman who threw herself into the sea at Penarth and was drowned has been identified as a barmaid named Stephenson. She was 35 years of age and had been depressed by being told when she applied for situations that she was too old.

From the Evening News, April 15, 1954: MR Anthony Hurd (Con, Newbury) asked the Minister of Agriculture in the Commons if he would issue a weekly statement on the spread of myxomatosis among rabbits from now until the autumn. Mr GR Nugent, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry, said there were now 17 established centres of infection, five of which had been notified in the last month.

WORKING on the Owen Falls Dam, which is to be opened by the Queen on April 29, are three Boltonians - Mr Tom Eckersley, Mr Lindsay Williamson and Mr Marshall Baldwin. The station produces power from the Victoria Nile for consumption by the expanding industries of Uganda.

From the Evening News, April 16, 1979: THE talking newspaper for the blind will soon be on the air from its new headquarters in Bolton. A £2,000 scheme to convert rooms at the Blind Social Centre in Castle Street into a studio and control room is almost completed. For the last two-and-a-half years, the tape-recorded news magazine has been copied every fortnight at a private recording studio in the town.

THE Rev Reginald Ladds, Vicar of Holy Trinity Church, Prestolee, joined in the Easter spirit at an egg and spoon race marathon. The event was part of Good Friday celebrations at the church and attracted more than 30 contestants who were hoping to raise £200 for the church renovation fund.

From the Evening News, April 16, 1994: MUMS and dads of teenage thugs should be sentenced to parenting courses. The course would be paid for by a fine out of their pockets to ensure they brought up their children better, says Bolton North East Tory MP Peter Thurnham. He believes too many young adults drift into parenthood incapable of bringing up a child to behave properly. The idea was urged on the government by Mr Thurnham, who said law and order was the main concern on doorsteps in the town.

HORWICH Carnival will be an equal opportunities event this year as organisers plan to open up their tug-of-war competition to women and children. Organisers want to make the event next month more up-to-date and popular.