From the Evening News, February 7, 1992

PLUCKY Brownie Kimberley Hart will get a bravery medal for helping her family flee to safety from a blaze at their Edgworth home. The courageous eight-year-old, daughter of the village bobby, remembered her Brownie training when she awoke to find her bedroom filled with smoke one night last June. She dashed into her parents' room at the village police station and raised the alarm, then made sure all the doors were shut behind them as the family fled downstairs. Kimberley's pack leader Susan Wilson was so impressed by the youngster's bravery that she recommended her for the Girl Guides Gallantry Medal.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, February 7, 1977

A NUN from Leigh was among seven missionary workers massacred by black nationalist guerrillas near Salisbury, Rhodesia, last night. Sister Mary Joseph Wilkinson, aged about 50, was one of four Dominican nuns and three Jesuit priests who were shot dead at the mission.

SPAIN is hoping that its more liberal policies at home will woo Britain into restoring Gibraltar to Spanish rule. Successive British governments have said they will not transfer sovereignty over Gibraltar without the consent of its 30,000 people, but a Spanish spokesman said it should be possible to reach an understanding with Britain, and claimed the inhabitants would live with even greater freedom than they now enjoy, under the sovereignty of Spain.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, February 7, 1952

Kearsley Council, which originally opposed the Bolton application for Ringley Fold as the site of a sewage disposal plant under a Regional scheme, has now approved it in principle.

But at this week's Council meeting, a protest was made by Counc. T. Fielding, who said: "Whatever financial considerations there are, it is very small compensation to the unfortunate people who live there. I believe they have enough to contend against already, with atmospheric pollution from Kearsley power station.

Counc. R. Crowther commented: "I suggest that only when the wind is in one direction can there be any possibility of unpleasant smells, and modern methods of treating sewage are claimed to reduce this nuisance to a minimum."

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, February 7, 1902

A SERIES of cases in which great interest was manifested, and which were not without humorous side, were heard by the Borough Justices this morning., when a number of defendants were summoned for a breach of a local bye-law which stipulates: "That every occupier of premises within the district shall sweep and clean the footpath adjoining such premises, and shall cause all snow to be removed from such footway." Is the bye-law valid? was the question.

A solicitor for one of the accused pointed out that the Corporation had not complied with the bye-law, for the Town Hall square was not swept, and neither was Marsden-rd., because he tumbled there himself (Laughter) He described the practice as harassing to respectable ratepayers, and asked what the people paid rates for.

As a result, many of the prosecutions were dismissed, but the Chief Constable refused to withdraw the case on one application.