Archive

  • EVENTS taking place in East Lancashire on Monday, December 9

    A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. MONDAY East Lancs Hospice Light Up A Life Service, Blackburn Cathedral, 7.30pm. Christmas Domino Drive, Knowle Green Village Hall, 7.30pm. Christmas Carols with The Salvation

  • Gas leak shuts busy main road

    A SUSPECTED gas leak forced the closure of one of the main roads into Blackburn over the weekend. The A677 Preston New Road was closed from the Windmill pub to the turning for Mellor from Saturday lunchtime until Sunday morning after the suspected leak

  • Go-ahead for school nativity plays cameras

    EDUCATION chiefs in Blackburn have said they will not be urging schools to ban video cameras from Christmas nativity performances. Their pledge came despite headteachers in Bedfordshire banning parents from filming Christmas shows on the grounds they

  • Polecat pines for home

    BOB the unwanted polecat is in need of a new home. Polecats may have a reputation for being ferocious -- but Bob is shy and quiet, his temporary owners at the RSPCA Animal Home and Shelter in Huncoat explained. He is, however, very friendly with people

  • Sister seared in my memory

    IN your article 'Back on road to Nab End' (Let, December 2), you say author William Woodruff was terrorised by the fearsome Sister Layola at St. Peter's RC School in Mill Hill, Blackburn. Her name is seared in my brain. I will never forget it for the

  • Residents have been stitched up

    REGARDING your story 'Councillors won over in health base row' (LET, December 3), it would appear that 12 of Darwen's finest, those elected to represent the population of our town, have stitched up Darwen residents. At a meeting with the Primary Care

  • Mill Hill has had more than its share

    I SUPPOSE if you repeat a myth often enough then some people will start to believe it... "all the improvement cash goes to mainly Asian areas" -- Michael Fox (Letters, December 2). Mr Fox conveniently forgets the millions of pounds pumped into Mill Hill

  • 88,000 days off sick at council

    STRESS and long-term sickness are keeping Bury at the bottom of the absence rate league. In the last year, the council lost the equivalent of 88,413 full working days through staff being off sick. This averages out at 15.47 days for each employee, only

  • Youth held after tragic death

    A 19-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested by police investigating the murder of a teenage soccer fan in Burnley town centre. The move came as Clarets boss Stan Ternent and police appealed for fans and hooligans to come forward with information about the incident

  • Centurions' £500,000 debt shock

    CASH-strapped Leigh Centurions are likely to go into financial administration and lose chairman Mike Nolan this week. With debts reported to be over £500,000, Leigh directors have moved to safeguard the club's immediate future. But there is no question

  • Souness tracking Argentinian

    BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is weighing up a move for Argentinian defender Gabriel Milito. After scouring the world in his search for a new left-back, the Rovers chief has identified two targets he would be keen on landing when the Premiership transfer

  • Souey happy with late point

    ROVERS boss Graeme Souness was delighted with Saturday's dramatic 1-1 draw against Bolton at the Reebok. Rovers appeared to be heading for a 1-0 defeat until Craig Short popped up with a 95th minute equaliser to rescue a point which Souness felt was fully

  • Fact file...

    A LOOK at the key moments from the game against Bolton Wanderers. ROVERS: BRAD FRIEDEL: Another impeccable performance from the big American who made a number of vital saves...7 LUCAS NEILL: Better defensively than he has been for a while but some of

  • Website is focus of police probe

    POLICE were today probing a soccer thugs website as part of the hunt for Nathan Shaw's killer. And hooligans from Nottingham Forest also flooded the Burnley Lads website, warning Clarets to stay away from the city when Burnley play there next April. The

  • Park gets a festive makeover

    SCHOOLS, churches and community groups got into the festive spirit to decorate Christmas trees and help spruce up Burnley's Thompson Park. The Christmas in the Park spectacular was a competition for the best decorated Christmas tree and was organised

  • The roof falls in as cover costs rise

    HUNDREDS of tradesmen in East Lancashire face going to the wall because of crippling rises in insurance costs. The hike in premiums, some by as much as 400 per cent, means many companies can no longer afford to pay for insurance cover and have no choice

  • Warning on replacement glazing

    RESIDENTS in Pendle are being urged by the council to use registered double glazers or risk not selling their houses. Since April 2002, all replacement glazing has come within the scope of the Building Regulations, so anyone who installs replacement windows

  • Big Freeze plan to cut out crime

    OFFENDERS are being promised a frosty reception by police in Nelson, Brierfield and Barrowford during a pre-Christmas crime blitz. Operation Freeze will be unveiled at a meeting between police, traders and other invited parties at Nelson Town Hall tomorrow

  • Where to go this year

    THERE'S nothing like a dame -- particularly if that dame has a gruff voice, a bristly chin and an indelicate air. Yes, it's panto season again when boys will be girls and girls will be boys, all in the interests of a good storyline. Meanwhile, right across

  • Record fundraiser

    A SPORTSMAN'S dinner organised by Leigh-based Avonside Plumbing and Heating North West at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton raised a record £9,500 for MacMillan Cancer Relief. It was attended by 300 customers, suppliers, manufacturers and employees.

  • Five years ago

    A VILLAGE pub pulled off a major coup when it netted a football star to kick off its festive celebrations. England and Rovers ace Stuart Ripley was the main attraction when the Waddington Arms, Waddington, officially unveiled its decorations.

  • Ten years ago

    PARENTS of 66 babies born during a special environment week planted a tree to brighten up hospital grounds. Each of the new trees, planted at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, carried a name plaque for a baby born during Blackburn Council's Green Week

  • We've marked your card!

    POLICE have launched an initiative to warn people of the dangers to their homes and cars this Christmas. Residents in Great Harwood and Rishton could soon find postcards behind their doors from officers outlining thief-friendly faults with their property

  • How we filled Dyson vacuum

    WHEN James Dyson decided to move production of his revolutionary vacuum cleaner to Malaysia, it had a traumatic impact on one of East Lancashire's oldest companies. The Accrington Brush Company supplied key components for the machine that came from nowhere

  • Man who can have his cake and eat it

    ALWYN Thompson is passionate about cakes and pastries. As chief executive of Blackburn-based Inter Link Foods, he bakes hundreds of millions of them every year. But outside of the baking industry, few will have heard of the company which is now in the

  • Time's running out, so use it carefully!

    WHEN Tom Hanks starred in Cast Away, it brought back childhood memories of Robinson Crusoe. But most people don't realise that he had fantastic time-management skills. After all, apart from Robinson Crusoe, who else do you know who gets all his work done

  • Hampers fit for a prince

    HRH The Prince of Wales's organic food company, Duchy Originals, has chosen Lancashire firm Hamperstop to produce an exclusive range of hampers for Christmas. And the limited edition hampers are already going fast! The Burnley-based gourmet food company

  • Release the entrepreneur within

    What are the qualities you need to set up your own business and succeed? We find out - from the people who have done it entrepreneur n. a person who undertakes a (financial) enterprise, esp. one with an element of risk. 19C French, from entreprendre to

  • Young Bransons show enterprise

    MULTI-MILLIONAIRE Richard Branson set out in business selling second-hand records. And the humble surroundings of a Clitheroe car park showed that a new generation of entrepreneurs are gearing up to follow in his wake. Pupils from six Hyndburn and Ribble

  • Fact file...

    A LOOK at the key moments from the game against Nottingham Forest. CLARETS: MARLON BERESFORD: Did not have a serious save to make before the break but made two good stops to deny Riccardo Scimeca after...7 DEAN WEST: Had to be aware of the mobile David

  • Paul cooks up a treat for Lee

    LEE Briscoe used his head to give the Clarets a deserved victory against Nottingham Forest and after the game he was left scratching it. "I think that must be the first header I have ever scored," admitted the versatile player who popped up to glance

  • Calm before the storm

    BURNLEY Football Club was close to balancing its books in the last financial year as losses were cut to £159,000 compared to £2.1million in the previous year. That was thanks to a record turnover of £11.1 million, announced in the annual report published

  • Dad's shock at roof fall tragedy

    THE father of a BT engineer found in the car park of the company's Blackburn telephone exchange today said he did not know how his son had died. Stephen Ainslie, 44, of Darwen, is believed to have either jumped or fallen from the roof of the building

  • Bombshell as pub chain pulls plan

    PUB chain Wetherspoon's have pulled out of plans to open in Darwen in a bombshell described as a "major disappointment" for the town. The national group, which owns Blackburn's Postal Order and The Brun Lea, Burnley, submitted a planning application to

  • Needy will benefit from charity fair

    MONEY raised at a Christmas fair in Waterfoot this weekend will be sent to help the needy at home and overseas. Staff at the British Red Cross in Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, organised a visit from Santa, a raffle, mince pies, coffee and a toy sale to

  • Pupils will take part in Christingle

    PUPILS at Crawshawbooth Primary School will be involved in a Christingle at St John's Church. Originally a Swedish tradition, the service is supported by the Children's Society, which will be collecting on the day. Each pupil from year three and four

  • Police hail success of crime purge

    POLICE in Rossendale are putting a "significant" drop in crime in Haslingden and Rawtenstall down to a series of arrests made in recent weeks. A total of 16 people, mostly juveniles, have been arrested for offences relating to burglary in the past week

  • Biker crash appeal

    A 30-YEAR-OLD man from Atherton suffered a foot injury after his motorbike was involved in a collision with a van. He was riding his Suzuki towards St Helens Road along Atherleigh Way, Leigh, when he was in collision with the Transit van, which drove

  • Pedestrian schoolgirl hurt in crash

    A SCHOOLGIRL aged nine suffered a fractured skull after an accident with a car. The young girl was involved in an accident with a Ford Escort -- driven by a 19-year-old man from Hindley -- as she crossed Moss Lane in Platt Bridge at 5.30pm on Friday.

  • Police appeal over good samaritan

    POLICE are trying to trace a good samaritan who came to the aid of a girl involved in an "altercation" with a stranger. The man got out of his car shouting and intervened in the incident in Lammack Road at the junction of Revidge Road, Blackburn, causing

  • Bank your glass, don't bin it

    FOLK in Lancashire have been asked to recycle their festive food jars this Christmas as part of a national campaign. The campaign by Glasspac was launched by celebrity chef Kevin Woodford of TVs 'Ready, Steady Cook' fame. Glasspac, the promotions arm

  • Dean's 'people's cathedral' aim

    THE Dean of Blackburn Cathedral today revealed he wants the place of worship to become "the people's cathedral" over the next few years. The Very Rev Christopher Armstrong plans to visit all 14 deaneries in the next few years to get in better touch with

  • Dad's shock at roof fall tragedy

    THE father of a BT engineer found in the car park of the company's Blackburn telephone exchange today said he did not know how his son had died. Stephen Ainslie, 44, of Darwen, is believed to have either jumped or fallen from the roof of the building

  • Ovens trade is hotting up

    A BLACKBURN engineering company is bucking the trend of the downturn in manufacturing by breaking into new international markets. Greenbank Engineering has just completed an order worth more than £2million to supply industrial ovens to Spain. The last

  • Success of arson-bust team

    A FIREFIGHTER and a police officer today spoke of their hopes for the future after a pioneering year working together to tackle arson. DC Graham Jones and Station Officer Rick Percival have big plans for the second year of their ground-breaking union.

  • Storks triumph

    PADIHAM won their NWCL Division Two top of the table clash against leaders Maine Road to move within two points of the Manchester side with five games in hand. The Storks' 3-2 win was their 11th league victory of the season and by far their most important

  • We're through!

    CLITHEROE moved into the last 32 of the Carlsberg FA Vase with a convincing win at home to Midland Alliance team Studley. Despite going behind after just four minutes to a well-taken shot from Crisp, the home team kept their nerve and replied with an

  • Rams get first win under new managers

    BOTTOM side Ramsbottom finally won their first match under new managers Andy Grimshaw and Jimmy Clarke - their first in 12 games - and they deserved it against fourth-in-the-table Skelmersdale. The Rams made a lively start to the NWCL Division One game

  • The no argument...

    HEADTEACHERS and education officials have objected to the publication of league tables from their inception. Even though this year's primary league tables show East Lancashire, as whole, is on target, it has not stopped the criticism. Councillor Alan

  • Yes argument...

    THIS year's performance tables show that since 1998, about 84,000 more 11 year olds are achieving the expected level of their age in maths and around 60,000 more are doing so in English. A spokesman for the Department for Education and Science said: "

  • Mum's the word for learning

    A DARWEN mum swapped card board boxes for Criminology when she packed in her factory job for study. Anne Marie Moore, a single parent to six-year-old Katie, left school with no qualifications. But six years ago she enrolled at Blackburn college to study

  • Parents' guide to... Cyber tuition

    PRIVATE tuition for primary school children has taken a cyber leap and is now available on-line thanks to a new service. The Virtual Classroom allows real-time, live tutoring, thanks to instant messaging and teaching which is only a mouse click away.

  • EVENTS taking place in East Lancashire on Tuesday, December 10

    A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Christmas Sale of Goods, Audley House Sports and Social Club, Blackburn, 8pm. Carol Concert with Feniscowles Primary School, Blackburn Cathedral, 1pm. Friends in Bereavement

  • Tradesmen need to be kept alive

    IS East Lancashire on the verge of seeing the death of the tradesman? With hundreds of plumbers, builders and roofers facing massive hikes in insurance premiums, many say they will have no option but to cease trading. Of course spiralling insurance costs

  • Help Lucky on road to recovery

    AN animal lover facing a £1,000 bill after rescuing a cat maimed by a firework is appealing for donations. Maureen Savage of Stansfield Street, Darwen, believes an explosive was strapped to the animal's back by youngsters. She was called to collect the

  • Old folk are not factory units

    I READ with interest your article (LET, November 21) about the legal action taken by the various groups -- one of which I am a member -- fighting the closure of care homes for the elderly run by Lancashire County Council. I was at once struck by some

  • Pensioner assaults girl, 17, on bus

    A PENSIONER who indecently assaulted a Leigh teenager on a bus was being hunted by detectives today. The 17-year-old girl, who has not been named, boarded the number 19 bus heading towards Warrington at Leigh bus station at 3pm on Friday. She sat at the

  • Dad's shock at roof fall tragedy

    THE father of a BT engineer found in the car park of the company's Blackburn telephone exchange today said he did not know how his son had died. Stephen Ainslie, 44, of Darwen, is believed to have either jumped or fallen from the roof of the building

  • Last-gasp goal was a triumph

    BLACKBURN Rovers showed perseverance and staying power to pinch a point off Bolton in a real marathon of a Lancashire derby at the Reebok. Wanderers, without a win on home soil in three months, looked to be heading for the victory they so desperately

  • Woman, 72, hurt in road accident

    A PENSIONER was taken to Burnley General Hospital with leg injuries after a car smash in Colne Road. The accident happened close to the junction with Disraeli Street on Saturday. Jean Robinson, 72, of Frances Street, Burnley, was taken to Burnley General

  • Police facing costs for riot claims

    LANCASHIRE Constabulary should underspend by £1.1 million this year, police authority members will be told this week. But the resources committee will also receive a warning that the force could incur unexpected costs from compensation claims made as

  • Rape was 'one-off' say taxi firm staff

    PEOPLE were today reassured about using town centre taxis in the run up to Christmas after a driver who raped an 18-year-old girl was jailed for six years. Arshad Mahmood, 31, of Grey Street, Burnley, worked for Hotline Taxis in Cow Lane, Burnley, when

  • Church and police join forces

    POLICE in Nelson have joined forces with the Vicar and parishioners at St Paul's Church in Halifax Road in a bid to help slash street crime. On Thursday December 12 local bobby PC Mark Craven will be visiting the church to give a talk on crime prevention

  • Fuller out for season

    STAR striker Ricardo Fuller will miss the rest of the season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury. The injury was discovered after exploratory surgery on his knee following a knock he received in the match against Coventry last weekend. He was expected

  • Tree's a crowd!

    THE jolly green giants are back in town -- and they're looking for good homes over the festive period. At Gordon Rigg's Garden Centre in Todmorden, staff will take delivery of 8,000 Christmas trees before the big day -- a pine-needle mountain! They arrive

  • The big cheese

    STILTON, often referred to as the king of English cheeses, is usually associated with the Christmas cheese board. Savoured over a glass of port, its mellow taste is the perfect accompaniment to a festive meal with friends and family. Stilton is a versatile

  • A dinner you can't refuse...

    AS if they weren't already causing enough trouble on TV, now Mafiosi misfits The Sopranos could be cooking up a stir in our kitchens too. Fans can feel like part of the family by following The Sopranos Family Cookbook, which features Neapolitan recipes

  • Licensees of the Year

    DAVID Bulmer of the Waterside Inn, Canal Street, Leigh and David and Gillian Heyes of the Garsdale Country Inn and Restaurant, Woodhill Road, Bury are northern regional finalists in the 2003 Licensee of the Year competition. It is organised by the British

  • Chris is new tax partner

    JACKSON Stephen -- the accountancy firm based in Leigh and Bolton -- has appointed Chris Barrington, aged 39, as a new Tax Partner responsible for managing the tax advisory practice. He previously spent five years with North-west independents and 14 years

  • Contract for developer's new offices is awarded

    NEW offices are to be built at Leigh for Persimmon Homes. The contract has gone to Totty, the Bradford-based construction and development group. The deal follows the decision by Persimmon to award more than £22 million in contracts to Totty for construction

  • Retail park plan set to get the all-clear

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to develop a huge retail park on a 20-acre site off Vivary Way, in Colne, are set to get the green light, despite fierce opposition from environmental groups and residents. Barnfield Construction, based in Nelson, has submitted outline

  • Santa Claus is coming to town

    FATHER Christmas will hit the streets next week aboard Tyldesley Rotary Club's sleigh. Proposed routes are: December 10: Manchester Road, Cherington Drive, Wolford Drive, Ashton Grove, Radway, Tayton Close, Brimfield Avenue, Crawley Close, Hatford Close

  • Warning for drugs stash man

    A HOD carrier who bought cannabis in bulk and dealt to others escaped jail, but was warned there would be no second chance. Kelvin McWilliams, 23, had a stash of the drugs at his home and had probably been breaking the law for some time, Burnley Crown

  • McDonald's will close restaurant

    INTERNATIONAL fast food giant McDonald's today revealed it will close a restaurant just nine months after building a £1 million drive-thru less than a mile away. The American burger chain admitted Accrington could not sustain two outlets in such close

  • Jail for house raider

    A HOUSE breaker who targeted an elderly widower --and a second victim who was at a funeral -- was trapped by footprints of blood left at the scene. Andrew McKee, of Barnes Street, Clayton-le-Moors, was sentenced to 16 months in prison despite pleas from

  • Climber reaches a peak

    TURNING your hobby into a job is frequently recommended as one of the best ways of starting your own business. And when rock-climber Mark Credie returned to East Lancashire after travelling the world, he knew he wanted to do something based on his pastime

  • MyTravel crisis a test of nerves

    SHAREHOLDERS in troubled Lancashire tour operator MyTravel will have needed more than a complimentary drink to settle their nerves over the past few months. As the company lurched from one crisis to another, the value of their investment has shrunk by

  • All-rounder is key member of team

    SPORTING all-rounder Neil Cronshaw is fast becoming a key player in a Blackburn team of accountants which specialises in insolvency. For the 30-year-old insolvency adviser and administrator at White & Co. Chartered Certified Accountants, is proving

  • What's in store at old factory?

    GO into any of Britain's leading pub or restaurant chains and you can't fail to notice the eye-catching promotional material. There is sure to be a wide range of posters, beer-mats and offers to entice customers into trying something new. There may also

  • Tried and tested

    SAADAT KHAN's Rawtenstall-based First National Office Solutions offers impartial advice to help businesses find their way through the capital equipment purchasing maze. When it comes to stocking up on the latest must-have office equipment that helps to

  • Calm before the storm

    BURNLEY Football Club was close to balancing its books in the last financial year as losses were cut to £159,000 compared to £2.1million in the previous year. That was thanks to a record turnover of £11.1 million, announced in the annual report published

  • Clarets get past Forest

    LEE Briscoe's first half header was enough to give the Clarets a welcome win against Forest although they were grateful that former hero David Johnson had left his shooting boots at home Burnley had started brightly and could have led inside two minutes

  • Oh brother, we all tell those little white lies!

    JOAN Collins has done it. So has Helen Mirren, Joan Rivers and Coronation Street's Amanda Barrie. Most recently, GMTV presenter Penny Smith was found to have fibbed about her age. The 45-year-old claimed she was 39 and was humiliated when her co-star

  • Plan for 20 new homes

    DARWEN residents will have their say on proposals to build 20 new homes on Weavers Row, off Tockholes Road, in the coming weeks. A planning application was made public by Blackburn with Darwen Council on Thursday and a decision on whether to build the

  • Make an elderly person your friend

    AGE Concern in Darwen is in urgent need of volunteers to help provide a befriending service to lonely and socially isolated older people. The charity wants people who live in Darwen to visit someone at home and provide friendship. Christine Nuttall, volunteer

  • Help Lucky on road to recovery

    AN animal lover facing a £1,000 bill after rescuing a cat maimed by a firework is appealing for donations. Maureen Savage of Stansfield Street, Darwen, believes an explosive was strapped to the animal's back by youngsters. She was called to collect the

  • Visiting festival 'Mummers' will defy the devil

    BRITANNIA Coconutters will perform alongside the Bradshaw Mummers in a special 30th anniversary performance. The group, from Yorkshire, will be visiting Ramsbottom on Sunday. The Mummers, who dress up and blacken their faces similarly to the Coconutters

  • Arrests bring a drop in Valley crime

    POLICE in Rossendale are putting a 'significant' drop in crime in Haslingden and Rawtenstall down to a series of arrests that have been made in recent weeks. A total of 16 people, mostly juveniles, have been arrested for offences relating to burglary

  • Councils leading the way

    COUNCILS across Lancashire are leading the way in a government drive to reduce waste. The county has seen a substantial reduction in the amount of rubbish being sent to landfill sites in the past year alone, with an associated rise in recycling, composting

  • Museums take a wider view

    LANCASHIRE County Museums Service has been chosen to work as 'First Partner' in the new North West Regional Museum Hub. The partnership is aimed at developing and transforming museums across the region. The North West Hub is one of nine in a new national

  • Cosmic forces at work

    DARWEN scientist John Parker is playing a key role in keeping the world's satellite network in orbit. John is a director of Transfinite Systems which has developed specialist software that is used by all the leading satellite operators from NASA to BT

  • More beat bobbies but tax set to rise

    A POLICE chief says he is committed to getting more bobbies on the beat after an inflation-busting 4.9 per cent rise in government cash. Lancashire Constabulary's annual allocation from central government has risen from £168.8million to £177.1million

  • Vow of action against police

    A BLACKBURN businessman injured when arrested is taking legal action against the police. Speaking after criminal proceedings against him had been discharged at Blackburn magistrates, Garth Woods said he had endured 13 months of misery since he was first

  • MPs treated to free flights and tickets

    EAST Lancashire MPs enjoyed free tickets to international football matches and hospitality at the Brit Awards, according to the latest Register of Interests. Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw and student son Will, 21, enjoyed the England Italy

  • Harwood hammered by Stone

    GREAT Harwood Town suffered a disappointing NWCL Division Two defeat at the hands of Stone Dominoes, yet according to boss John Hughes his side could so easily have been the victors. "Particularly in the first half I thought we played our best football

  • Darwen survive late Cheadle fightback

    DARWEN survived a late Cheadle fightback to claim victory and continue their fine NWCL Division Two form. With recent wins against high-fliers Bacup Borough and Maine Road to their name the visitors looked high in confidence and took the lead as early

  • Reds fail to hit half-ton target

    A HARD-earned point away from home ensured Stanley kept their noses well in front in the race for the Conference. However, having taken their points tally to 50 for the season with their midweek win over Ashton, the Reds never looked like completing their

  • Shake-up welcomed

    A FAR-REACHING overhaul of the exams system has been recommended following an inquiry into the fiasco surrounding A-level results. And today the proposals were welcomed in East Lancashire as the struggle to restore confidence in the system goes on. The

  • Our School... Holy Trinity RC Primary School, Darwen

    SCHOOL REPORT: Our new school motto is Omnia Fiamus; this is Latin for All we may become. Our children, staff and all who are connected with the school are committed to striving to make the most of ourselves, our school and the lives which lay before