A CHRISTMAS party was held for the East Lancashire Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group, where members enjoyed a supper and were brought up to date with the latest developments by the group's leader, Mrs Audrey Atwood. Rossendale
CRICHTON: Made an important save from Derek Lilley in the first half, but a question mark over Oxford's second goal...6 WEST: Joined in the Clarets attack to good effect in the first half before being sacrificed for another striker after an hour...7 BRANCH
NEW staff have been recruited by Blackburn with Darwen Council to improve services for people who need support for mental health problems. The improvements are being made so the council can better place itself to meet the demands of the recently published
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent will demand the same again from his players in the second half of the season to guarantee a tilt at promotion. The Clarets wrapped up the first half of their campaign - and the last century of football at Turf Moor - by beating
TONY Parkes is considering a swoop in the January sales in order to solve his side's goalkeeping crisis. Rovers' battling 2-1 victory at Portsmouth yesterday was marred by an injury to Alan Kelly, which is likely to rule the Republic of Ireland international
East Lancashire school is going up in the world! Work has been carried out at Salesbury CE Primary to add a mezzanine floor above one of the existing classrooms - giving pupils a new space to work in. From next year the mezzanine level will become a permanent
FRAIL elderly people were to be moved from a hospital ward as staff shortages and the flu epidemic forced managers to take action. A total of 14 old people were to be transferred as Ward L3 at Blackburn's Queen's Park Hospital was closed. About half of
BLACKBURN Under-15s will be hoping for a change of fortune in the New Year. The local youngsters have had a torrid time so far this season, winning just two of their eight games. Blackburn beat Leeds 4-3 in a Northern Merit League match after opening
H AND S Plumbers, with Keith Jackson in unbeatable form, continue to dominate Division One after their convincing 7-3 away victory over Unison. Although Unison had their chances, with Ian Haworth putting on a magnificent performance to beat Phil Blake
LANCASHIRE Lynx's season got off to a losing start when they went down 33-20 to the re-formed Sheffield Eagles. Lynx held a two point advantage at half time, but the Eagles turned on the style in the second half to run out worthy winners. On the evidence
STUDENT Marie McAlary is glad she read the new XTEND prospectus. Not only is the St Augustine's RC High School, Billington, pupil more clued up about the training and high level qualifications available - she is also the winner of the prospectus free
BURNLEY will lose a massive £1.1 million this year on rent lost from empty council houses - a further £18,000 more than expected. The town now has nearly 600 empty council homes - more than 10 per cent of the entire stock - and the weekly rent loss is
A RELAXATION course for women starts at the Youth and Community Centre in Moor Street, Clayton-le-Moors on January 13. The six-week course is the first to be run in Hyndburn by The Women's Centre, Blackburn. There is a one-off registration fee of £3 for
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent will demand the same again from his players in the second half of the season to guarantee a tilt at promotion. The Clarets wrapped up the first half of their campaign - and the last century of football at Turf Moor - by beating
A SALESMAN was in hospital today after he was crushed between his car and a van following a series of collisions in an icy Church side-street. The man's Peugeot 106 had been involved in a minor accident and he was standing by his car exchanging details
WORKERS at a pie factory are being urged to put on their thinking caps to earn cash. Employees at Hollands Pies will pick up a £1 voucher for each idea they have to improve the company - even if they aren't used. And there will be bigger prizes for the
SEVERAL communities across East Lancashire are looking forward to a Green new millennium. Withnell Fold, Lumb, Hoddlesden and Waterside at Colne are among 250 places nationwide developing Millennium Greens - areas of open space for local people to enjoy
JIMMY McILROY rolled back the years and brought on the tears as Burnley Football Club paid tribute to its finest to bring down the curtain on a century of football at Turf Moor. McIlroy, the Clarets' greatest ever player, officially opened the stand named
SUPERMARKET staff checked out their bosses' new haircuts - and had their best laugh of the year! Senior managers Richard Surr and John Muncaster agreed to have their heads shaved as part of a number of fund-raising events staged by Tesco, at Hill Street
PEOPLE in East Lancashire are looking forward to a high-tech future, according to a new survey. The survey, commissioned by online loyalty company Netcentives, asked what Christmas will be like in 2010. More than half - 58 per cent - said that while there
REVELLERS were today warned that they could risk serious injury if they fail to play safe during the millennium bonfire celebrations. Fireworks are expected to be the highlight of scores of end-of-year parties in East Lancashire. Research by the fire
IT was a nearly a case of "Oh no it isn't" when the pantomime season kicked off in Blackburn. Half the staff at King George's Hall were at home with flu when Cinderella On Ice started on Monday. But the show went on - just - and the eight members of staff
KELLY: Coped admirably against the aerial bombardment of Darren Moore before getting injured landing awkwardly. 7 KENNA: Up against the dangerous Sammy Igoe but stuck to the task apart from the odd moment of uncertainty. 7 DAVIDSON: Made a couple of good
STAN Ternent was delighted that his side extended the celebrations at Turf Moor yesterday by coming from behind to clinch a thrilling 3-2 victory over Oxford United. After the pre-match parade of Burnley's legends of the past and the official opening
ROVERS boss Tony Parkes praised Egil Ostenstad for the way he responded to the challenge of leading the attack on his own against Portsmouth at Fratton Park. The former Southampton striker has struggled to get back into the side since suffering a deadleg
EAST Lancashire hospitals were today under pressure after running out of intensive care beds. Yesterday there was only one intensive care bed available in the whole of the North West and that was in Stockport Yvonne Jump, nurse manager at Blackburn Royal
Division Two: Burnley 3 Oxford United 2 - Pete Oliver's match verdict ANDY Payton may be no Jimmy McIlroy. But as modern-day favourites go, he ranks pretty highly at Turf Moor. And his second hat-trick of the season, including a last-minute winner, crowned
THE father of Blackburn hostage Paul Wells today warned that innocent people will continue to suffer in the battle over Kashmir until the cleric at the centre of the Indian Airlines hijacking is given a fair trial. The hijackers, who seized the plane
Division One: Portsmouth 1 Blackburn Rovers 2 - Andy Neild's match verdict PORTSMOUTH should know how to handle foreign invasions by now. But struggling Pompey were powerless to prevent viking raider Egil Ostenstad from disappearing with the loot on his
American Line Dancing Millennium Party Night, King George's Hall, Blackburn, 7.30pm. Masonic Millennium Service, Blackburn Cathedral, 7.30pm. Cinderella On Ice, King George's Hall, Blackburn, 2pm and 7pm. Sequence dancing, St Paul's Church, Audley, Blackburn
AN almost unused East Lancashire railway line will become England's main line to Scotland on eight Saturdays in the New Year. The line between Clitheroe and Hellifield will be pressed into service for Virgin services between London, Birmingham and Scotland
How century's end was marked 100 years ago WHERE is everybody? It is a question that might well be asked by a time-traveller coming to East Lancashire from a century earlier to see the arrival of the year 2000. For back in 1900, it was forecast that Blackburn's
TEXTILE giant Coats Viyella agreed in principle to sell its Carpet Division to an American company. But the future remained uncertain for hundreds of East Lancashire workers. Coats, the UK's largest remaining textiles company, announced in November that
Division One: Bolton Wanderers 1 West Bromwich Albion 1 BOLTON's boo boys were silenced by a Claus Jensen stunner. Jensen blasted home a spectacular free kick just nine minutes from time just as Albion looked set for a shock win. Jensen's gem came as
LAUNCHING a £10 million drive today to reduce the number of teenage mothers and encourage those who do become pregnant to stay on at school, the government confronts a daunting and tangled problem. It is right to do so since Britain has the highest teenage
Division Two: Preston North End 2 Bristol Rovers 1 PRESTON enter the new Millennium in an automatic promotion place in Division Two after a fine revival enabled them to leapfrog Bristol Rovers. Another bumper Deepdale crowd - just short of 17,000 - watched
PUBLICANS and hoteliers in Burnley have won their battle to retain the town's National Blues Festival. The 12th annual event will go ahead from April 21 to 24, bringing thousands of visitors to the borough. Earlier this year, the large-scale event seemed
BURNLEY Youth Theatre has shelved plans to build a £3 million arts centre - and will now press ahead with a more modest £500,000 scheme. The news comes as council chief executive Roger Ellis told councillors the theatre had been extremely badly treated
JIMMY McIlroy rolled back the years and brought on the tears as Burnley Football Club paid tribute to its finest to bring down the curtain on a century of football at Turf Moor. McIlroy, the Clarets' greatest ever player, officially opened the stand named
A HOUSEBUILDING firm has announced a major management change. Gleeson Homes has split its Northern area division into a North West area based in Blackburn and a North East area in Sheffield. The Blackburn office will come under the control of area managing
A MOTHER-of-four says her sick three-year-old daughter has been left without any heat since Sunday because they have no gas supply. And Susan Pickavance, 38, of Warwick Street, Church, Accrington, claims an error by British Gas has left them worried that
PULSE SPECIAL: Pop down the decades - today: The 1980s EIGHTIES pop star Neil Arthur may have moved out of East Lancashire but you could never accuse him of dessert-ing his Darwen roots. The man who fronted pop duo Blancmange now makes music in London
A SERIES of seminars to help small businesses grow is being staged in the New Year. Accountants BDO Stoy Hayward, which have offices in Burnley, are staging the 'Grow How' seminars in Blackburn on January 19 and February 16. Speakers will cover areas
MANUFACTURING in the region is on the way back from the brink of recession, according to a report. Average profitability in the sector which dominates East Lancashire's economy is rising. Engineering in particular is improving with average company profitability
The opinions expressed by John Blunt are not necessarily those of this newspaper THOUGH it was somewhat wrapped up in pious platitudes - such as this belief in the need for the church to follow the cry of young people and 'get real' - the Bishop of Blackburn's
THE father of Blackburn hostage Paul Wells today warned that innocent people will continue to suffer in the battle over Kashmir until the cleric at the centre of the Indian Airlines hijacking is given a fair trial. The hijackers, who seized the plane
