25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

April 24, 1976

KING Coal has his eye on the 21st century - and sees the threat of a massive energy gap that must be filled by coal. Revealing this in London today, the National Coal Board Chief, Sir Derek Ezra, predicted: "We believe by round about the 1990s there is going to be a real shortage of energy. The only way of filing the gap will be nuclear power or coal.

THE Bank of England today moved in to help the sinking £ by hoisting its minimum lending rate - the key to the nation's interest rate structure - by 1 per cent to 10 per cent.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

April 24, 1951

1851 saw, in Bolton, the creation of a Chemist and Druggist business. This was the business of Willian Blain, who, born in 1828, was schooled in Bank-street, trained professionally in Preston, gained further experience in Guernsey under Thomas Milais, cousin of the famous artist, finally returning to Bolton to start his own business in Deansgate. He later moved to Newport-street, and then in 1853 to 25 Market-street, where the business still continues - growing and progressing with the times.

"Mr Blain has ever led in his particular line. He is a man of undoubted integrity, his business qualities have been proved to be the very best," (Bolton Weekly Chronicle, 1905), and the business, now celebrating its centenary, stands as a monument to those qualities, and continues in that tradition.

125 YEARS AGO

A MEETING of the colliers in the Farnworth and Worsley district was held in the Co-operative Hall, Little Lever, this morning. About 600 colliers were present. Mr Halliday showed that the men on strike had little chance of success, whilst there were 5,500 non-union men in the district working at the reduced rate, and only 2,500 in the Union. This ought to teach them the importance of union.

THE occupier of the Jolly Crofters, St. George's-road, was this morning fined 40s and costs for selling intoxicating liquor to a drunken man.