MATT Wood enjoyed the experience of a lifetime when he appeared at a unique meeting on the 50th Anniversary of Roger Bannister's first sub four minute mile last Thursday. The venue was the same Iffley Road track in Oxford, still much as it was all those
TOM Cornthwaite of Blackburn Harriers won the 24th Pinhaw Moor Multi-Terain Race at Earby as the 2004 Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix got underway. The 19-year-old completed the five miles in 29:49 ahead of Clayton veterans Mark Brown and six times Grand
EVERY parent knows how most children are attracted by the sight of water and find it difficult to ignore the temptation to get wet. The dangers are obvious and during the summer months every year youngsters across East Lancashire find themselves in trouble
ASTLEY and Tyldesley Road Runners Club will be staging their first major event later this month - the Gin Pit 5. Runners are invited to enter the race on May 26 at 7pm and which starts from A&T Miners Welfare Club and covers a five mile, well-marshalled
I WOULD like to reply to the letter (LET, May 10) about child safety. I have a great concern about children going on to railway lines near where I live. I have been out numerous times and told them off and warned them that it isn't safe to go onto the
AS a former full-time Labour Party agent to the late Baroness Castle I take strong exception to the snide remarks of D Smalley regarding the contribution made by "Battling Barbara" to the people of Blackburn over a period of more than 30 years. 'Our Barbara
A 15-year-old girl who was missing from her home in Leigh for a week has been found safe and well. Stacey McHugh, of Regina Crescent, had not been seen since Wednesday, May 5 when her parents dropped her off at school. An appeal for information about
RECENT revelations from Iraq expose the death and torture carried out in our name so do the politicians responsible deserve our support? All wars and conflicts are messy affairs but Tony Blair and the Conservatives wanted this unnecessary war against
FOUR generations of the same family gathered at Bury Town Hall to celebrate the reuniting of a brother and sister after 74 years. The Radcliffe Times revealed in March how a chance remark brought together 81-year-old Albert Holt and his younger sister
COUNTY hall bosses were today coming under fire after the cost of a Nelson one-stop shop spiralled to £283,000 over budget. A report into the circumstances surrounding the purchase and renovation of a shop in Nelson town centre found that building costs
SCHOOLS are being forced to slash the number of children's swimming lessons because of massive transport price rises. At least nine Blackburn primary schools have already cut the amount of lessons because of extra budget pressures. Now swimming instructors
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness may have to fight off competition from Manchester United if he wants to press ahead with a move for Norwegian winger Morten Pedersen. Souness is keen on the Tromso wide-man and has been to watch him play on three separate
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is believed to be weighing up a summer move for Rangers forward Peter Lovenkrands. As I understand it, Lovenkrands is one of several names currently under consideration as Souness starts planning for next season. The Danish
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Andy Todd last night admitted he wants to stay at Ewood Park and see out the remaining year of his contract. The former Bolton Wanderers and Charlton defender was recently slapped on the transfer list by manager Graeme Souness
A MAN who has sniffed glue for 20 years told a judge he wants to give it up. Allan Mark Murgatroyd, 35, had flouted an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) 10 times in a year, Burnley Magistrates had earlier been told. He would buy a tube of glue from a
A CONSTRUCTION firm manager involved in the Nelson town centre development has admitted the job will be completed later than planned. Contracts manager Glen Wilson, who took over the job at Christmas, was invited to a meeting of the Nelson Committee to
POLICE in Pendle have launched an intiative to combat thefts from vehicles as part of major crime crackdown in the borough. The Vulnerable Vehicle scheme, part of the forces Operation Fix, will see the owners of vehicles who leave items on display receive
A PEER who spoke against all-postal elections has been accused of political opportunism by Labour Party chairman Ian McCartney. Mr McCartney wrote to Lord Tony Greaves to ask him why he spoke against all-postal ballots in the House of Lords without declaring
A WEBSITE is being developed to provide the 140 Rossendale workers facing redundancy with support and advice. In a bid to help employees at Bacup's E Sutton & Son Ltd get to grips with the potential job losses, footwear chiefs are joining forces with
TALKS between union officials and management were being held today at BAE Systems at Samlesbury after a walkout of manual workers following the death of a colleague. Hundreds of shop floor staff walked out yesterday in support of the worker who died earlier
BLACKBURN Infirmary and Technical College joined forces in a "catch 'em young" cadet scheme set up to train teenage nursing students. The first 12 nursing cadets took up their new roles at the infirmary after the scheme abolished the gap between 15- and
FAMILY fun will be the theme of a street arts extravaganza being held in Atherton town centre this weekend. Hot in Atherton, held on Saturday, will be the first day of Atherton Community festival which runs through all of next week. Organised by Wigan
POLICE are warning young thugs believed to be using pet cats for target practice that they will be caught. The hard-line message came after distraught Jane Outterside reported that her cat, Buster, had been shot by youngsters in Accrington. It is believed
A MAN given a two-year anti-social behaviour order after being found guilty of harassing neighbours is to quit East Lancashire. Self-employed builder Graham Pye, 50, of Harlech Drive, Oswaldtwistle, plans to go and live with relatives in the Wirral as
WENDY Lewis, one of Westleigh High School's adult education heroes has been named Adult Learner of the Year for the North West and Merseyside. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education award means Wendy will be off to London for the national
A MAN who left 50 bin bags of household waste rotting in his back yard has been fined as part of a clampdown on rubbish and fly-tipping in Hyndburn. Ahmed Al-Ghouf, of Beech Street, Accrington, was found guilty in his absence of failing to comply with
TWO newly-created township groups have worked together for the first time to create a landmark gateway between both towns. Atherton Greener Cleaner Community members, asked Leigh to join them in their vision to improve a reclaimed pit site, the 'green
IT'S official, postal voting will soon be normal practice in the Leigh area. No longer will people have to go to polling stations to cast their vote, instead they can choose a candidate in the comfort of their own homes. On June 10 there are combined
CANDIDATES for wards in the Leigh area are: ASTLEY MOSLEY COMMON: Ian Michael Davies (Green Party), Joseph Haley (Liberal Democrat), Glynnis Rhian Hogg (Lib-Dem), John Lea (Labour), John Keith Stackhouse (Lib-Dem), Alan Stephenson (Lab), Brian Malcolm
POLICE have promised to step up patrols following reports that gangs of rampaging teenagers are causing havoc. Residents in The Avenue, Leigh, claim that for 18 months they have had to endure nuisance from marauding gangs of girls and boys who are causing
POLICE have promised to step up patrols following reports that gangs of rampaging teenagers are causing havoc. Residents in The Avenue, Leigh, claim that for 18 months they have had to endure nuisance from marauding gangs of girls and boys who are causing
YOUNG Burnley entrepreneur Katherine Gasse has traded a career in engineering to start her own business making cushions. Kat first hit on the idea to make floor cushions at the end of last year when she made her friend a leather cushion for her birthday
WHEN Steve Ashcroft worked as a director of the Northwest Development Agency, he worked to stimulate entrepreneurship and help small businesses to grow. Today, as a self-employed businessman based in the Ribble Valley, he finds himself putting into practice
A BLACKBURN company is bucking the trend in the footwear industry with the launch of its own brand of British-made shoes. With the once-mighty industry all but wiped out in East Lancashire, Joan Cope has unveiled its spring and summer collection of comfort
YOU would be forgiven for thinking there is no possible connection between Todmorden and the fashion catwalks of Milan. But from its humble factory on the fringe of East Lancashire, fabric company Brisbane Moss provides that very link. Brisbane Moss exports
CARJACKERS who attacked a police van in Whitefield then stole a van with an 82-year-old woman in the passenger seat. Police began following the gang's white Ford Escort on Wednesday after spotting it in Park Lane. The men threw a wheel brace at the patrol
A GARAGE proprietor was one of about 12 men involved in a mass brawl in Clitheroe town centre after the pubs had shut. Blackburn magistrates heard that police came upon the disturbance in Lowergate and witnessed one man being kicked on the floor and another
THIS has been a grim week. The evidence of appalling and degrading abuses of Iraqi prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad is there for all to see. It is dreadful for those who were the victims of this abuse but it has also unquestionably been damaging
SCHOOLS throughout the Leigh area are blossoming with nearly 200 trees planted around boundaries and entrances. Wigan Council's Street Scene' action team has led the way in a super effort run by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). The
IT was the 21st hole of a gruelling stroke play final and Natalee Evans decided she'd had enough. So the Pleasington golfer went for broke, lifting her weary limbs to hammer an all-or-nothing 30-yard putt for Lancashire Championship glory. "If it hadn't
ASTLEY & Tyldesley's West Indian professional Andrew Richardson hit the heights on Sunday with a Cross Cup century -- only to see his side dumped out in the first round. Chasing an impressive Standish total of 204, Richardson hit 109 while Rob Bennett
GOLBORNE Parkside RL entertained the crew from the Royal Navy's biggest ship HMS Sultan on Saturday and made new friends as the young Golborne side turned on another display of their skills and talents to run out winners by 68-14. The Navy team had taken
LEIGH Harriers scored a victory double in their first track league match. Competing in division four of the Northern Track and Field League in Blackpool, the senior men and women gave good all-round performances to take top spots. If they can keep up
ASTLEY & Tyldesley Miners' Welfare CTA Direct were in action at Bury, competing in the Northern Cycle Speedway Cup Finals. Spearheaded by Polish stars, Tomasz Wlodarczyk and Przemek Binkowski, A & T fancied their chances of victory in the one-off
RADCLIFFE' S planned state-of-the-art school will be named Radcliffe Riverside School. The governors made their decision at the end of last week after two students from Coney Green suggested the name. Year Seven pupils Demi Langton and Sophie Gaffney
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Andy Todd last night admitted he wants to stay at Ewood Park and see out the remaining year of his contract. The former Bolton Wanderers and Charlton defender was recently slapped on the transfer list by manager Graeme Souness
LAST Wednesday Radcliffe Probus Club held its annual summer lunch which was attended by members, friends and guests. The venue was Unsworth Cricket Club, which was indeed an excellent choice by secretary Joe Sowden, and the steward and his wife are to
YEARS of fundraising by a Darwen woman will live on after she left almost £17,000 in her will to two local charities. Jenny Whalley was heavily involved in both the Darwen Macmillan Cancer Relief group and Derwent Hall. And her bequest, divided equally
A WOMAN was taken to hospital with a head injury today after being hit by a double decker bus in Darwen. The female, whose identity has not been revealed by police, was in collision with the Blackburn Transport Darwen Circus No 1 bus at around 9am. Police
A FATHER and son from East Lancashire arrested in South America for alleged drugs trafficking offences could remain in cells for a further five months. James Thomas, 56, and his son Lee, 23, both from Rawtenstall, face the prospect of being held for a
THE recently closed 'Toffs' night spot is to reopen under a new name. Deejays in West Bridgewater Street, Leigh has been granted a six month license and membership will be restricted to over 25 year-olds. The club will be monitored by licensing authorities
A FORMER Rossendale man who moved to the Gulf with his family has told how his dream came true when he played alongside an England rugby hero. Sean McShea, who used to live in Stacksteads, moved to Kuwait eight years ago with his wife, Sharon, to start
SCHOOL pupils were sent home from Hesketh Fletcher High school in Atherton on Friday morning after a water main burst in Atherton town centre. The town's main street was flooded when a pipe burst beneath Market Street. Supplies to homes were hit and water
LOCAL dancer Kylie Jones is set to star in a new programme on BBC1 hosted by Bruce Forsyth. 'Strictly Come Dancing' will be broadcast this Saturday at 6.25pm and will run for eight weeks. Eight celebrities will be paired off with eight professional ballroom
STACEY Tuckwell has been waiting four years to launch her attack on the boxing world. The 12-year-old Fred Longworth High pupil will make her boxing debut on Thursday night after four year's patiently sparring with the Tyldesley-based Centurions' Amateur
FOLLOWING the death of a motorcyclist in an alleged hit and run accident, two youths appeared at Liverpool Crown Court. Shaun Unsworth, 19, of Aneline Street, Chorley, is charged with the manslaughter of 38-year-old Phil Taylor, of Alt Close, Leigh. He
THE long-running saga over Bengal Street toilets has taken another twist. The Leigh town centre loos are closed again and might not re-open. Back in use just a few weeks ago after being closed for roof repairs and renovations, the public loos are shut
SCHOOLS throughout the Leigh area are blossoming with nearly 200 trees planted around boundaries and entrances. Wigan Council's Street Scene' action team has led the way in a super effort run by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). The
A NEW £370,000 floodlit, all-weather pitch will be officially opened on Friday when MP Andy Burnham's Celebrity Xl takes on a Westleigh High School XI. Over 10 years ago Mr Burnham wrote a policy document to Tony Blair suggesting schools could host community
THE axe has fallen on Chapelfield Post Office in Radcliffe. It will shut on June 15 and follows an announcement that Radcliffe Hall Post Office, in Cross Lane, will close on May 22. Chapelfield, on Stand Lane, is one of six branches to close in Bury South
LEIGH Centurions U21s made it four wins from four with a runaway 42-10 win over previously unbeaten Salford. Livewire hooker Keiron Maddocks set the ball rolling with the first of his hat-trick as Leigh proved superior all across the park. Darren Woods
A LOCAL opticians is setting its sights on fundraising next week as it launches a Sponsor a Guide Dog Puppy Appeal. Blackburn's two Specsavers stores, in King William Street and in Morrison's superstore, are looking to raise the £5,000 needed to sponsor
A VICAR is set to make history in Blackburn Cathedral tomorrow by becoming the first woman priest to celebrate the Eucharist there. The Rev Rachel Simper, Vicar of St Luke, Slyne with Hest, near Lancaster, and Dean of Women's Ministry in the diocese,
WHAT is it that drives a football club's fortune? While most people would say money or management, one Blackburn pensioner believes that the fortunes of his beloved home town club are all down to a lucky teddy bear. Harold Ashworth, 74, of Showley Court
ACCRINGTON Stanley chairman Eric Whalley has slammed non-league rivals Altrincham after a failed bid to land midfielder Ian Craney. The Reds today learned their bid to land the £50,000-rated Robins star was thrown out by the UniBond League outfit. And
A LEADING Leigh teacher is leaving at the end of term to take up a new challenge. After eight years at Westleigh High, head John Pout will take the helm at the 1,400 pupil Rainhill High - twice the size of Westleigh. Science specialist and Westleigh High
AS one of thousands of Leigh area Corrie fans I really looked forward to comedian Peter Kay's magic cameo role. I can't say I feel the same about the planned appearance of veteran comic Sir Norman Wisdom in the street. The predictable 89-years-old star
A BURST flooded Market Street, Atherton, on Friday - and left homes, businesses and schools without water all day. Hesketh Fletcher High shut up shop and so did Boots and a nearby bank after employees and pupils turned up for work to find the street had
LEIGH'S not a bad place. It can't be when there are so many good samaritans about. Mrs Betty Leeney, of Lowton, wants to thank the kind people who came to the rescue when her 80-years-old husband had a nasty fall in Doctors Nook car park -- one of them
LEIGH'S Bengal Street toilets have been closed only weeks after being re-opened - and again their future is in doubt. Mindless vandals, who just can't leave anything alone, have once more put paid to a vital commodity. How long for this time? The fact
THE British National Party, and a Bury Market campaigner, are among the candidates seeking votes in the coming local elections. Nominations closed on Tuesday for the June 10 poll which, for the first time, will be conducted entirely by post. Every seat
ATHERTON Town lifted the Atherton Charity Cup with a 3-1 win over old rivals Atherton Collieries. Colls had much of the early play and created several chances but only managed to convert one when Walker intercepted a poor goal kick and crossed for Nelson
LEIGH RMI's hopes of escaping relegation from the Nationwide Conference have received a massive boost after Margate's application to play next seasons' home games at Dover was rejected. Leigh will play in Conference North if Margate are handed a reprieve
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Line Dance Social, St Edward's Church Hall, Blackburn Road, Darwen, 7.30pm. Bring your own drinks. Jim Heinze (American gospel singer), Barden Community Centre, Barden
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Blackburn with Darwen Music and Dance Festival, King George's Hall, Northgate, Blackburn, 7pm. Royal British Legion Charity Shop, Lord Street West, Blackburn, 9am-4pm
PENDLE Athletic Club made home advantage tell at the opening Young Athletes meeting at Seedhill on Sunday winning their Division Two match by 197 points. Luke Simpson was voted Boy Track Athlete of the Match for his Grade One 11.3 seconds in the under
ONE of the auction items coming up at the Leigh CC sportsman's dinner on Friday, June 18 is a framed Leigh 150th anniversary shirt signed by Aussie legend Shane Warne. For those not attending the evening, or wishing to make a bid now, you can bid by e-mailing
IN the second part of our exclusive interview with Lancashire Chief Constable Paul Stephenson, he outlines to Crime Reporter IAN SINGLETON his plans to tackle anti-social behaviour, drug dealing and the rising fear of crime. . . IT is a conundrum -- crime
THE days when charabancs maintained a stately presence on our roads are well behind us -- but at least some tales about them remain. Mr Terry Atherton, of Sherwood Avenue in Radcliffe wrote to inform us that we pictured his mother in a photograph of a
COULD you please help me trace a relative (a cousin)? His name is Mr Harold Morton and he left Halifax in about 1950 and settled in Blackburn with his wife and family (three daughters I think). His trade was upholstery but he served in the army during
THE controversial British National Party is to field a candidate in Leigh at the local elections for the first time. Richard Close is to stand in the Leigh West ward against six other candidates on June 10. Mr Close, of Gidlow Lane, Wigan, is one of three
MICKEY Higham expects to shed a tear or two at 2.30pm on Saturday. The Leigh-based hooker should have been part of the St Helens team preparing for the rugby league Powergen Challenge Cup final against Wigan. Instead of proudly walking out alongside the
BURNLEY Alliance Junior Band jazzed up their image following a donation from a local firm. When they performed at the Browhead Court sheltered housing complex recently, they wore eye-catching yellow T-shirts bought with a donation from Fireplace Warehouse
TWO men were due to appear before magistrates in Burnley today after being charged as part of a police operation into the alleged exploitation of the Data Protection Act. Mohammed Khatana, 43, of Nelson, is charged with conspiracy to obtain money by deception
WORK has begun on a technology centre on the former Michelin site in Burnley following a £2million boost from the North West Development Agency. The building, which will accommodate up to 20 small and medium-sized enterprises specialising in technology
MANY local people attended the annual town meeting at Padiham Town Hall, among them residents of Stonemoor Bottom which became part of Padiham on April 1. Prior to that it was in Hapton. Karin Wilson, head of the Padiham Life initiative gave a presentation
A PUBLIC meeting has been planned to respond to youngsters' concerns about a playground in Nelson which has fallen into disrepair. More than 100 residents around the play area, at the top of Vernon Street, have backed a campaign to improve it. Campaigner
COUNTY hall bosses were today coming under fire after the cost of a Nelson one-stop shop spiralled to £283,000 over budget. A report into the circumstances surrounding the purchase and renovation of a shop in Nelson town centre found that building costs
DOZENS of floral tributes have been laid at the scene of a fatal crash in Radcliffe which claimed the life of a 24-year-old motorcyclist. Joiner Darren Clancy was killed when he was in collision with a car in Radcliffe New Road on Saturday afternoon.
THESE youngsters pictured enjoying themselves at a Christmas party at King George's Hall in Blackburn in 1959 were all children of officers serving with the old Blackburn Borough Police Force. It has been sent in by Mr Norman Forrest and his wife Jean
YOUNG Carl Lomax was counting himself lucky to be alive for a second time in the space of eight months after being rescued from the canal at Clayton-le-Moors by a teenage canoeist. Non-swimmer Carl, eight, had slipped in and was seconds away from drowning
BLACKBURN MP Jack Straw was one of the names being mentioned for the role of deputy leader of the Labour Party as a list of contenders was drawn up for the vacant Labour Party leader position following the death of John Smith MP. Meanwhile, more talks
HYNDBURN, Rossendale and South Ribble councils have agreed to take part in a devolution experiment with county hall. Lancashire County Council has agreed to a programme which is believed to be a trial run for regional government. If voters opt for a regional
TWO men who carried out what a judge called an "act of retaliation" have avoided being sent to prison. A man visiting his sister's home in Padiham ended up with injuries that included three fractured ribs. But the men accused of the assault believed he
A GROUP of young people have designed and painted 12 pieces of graffiti art for shelters in Astley Street Park, Tyldesley. Each of the 4ft square murals is based around the theme of fun, music, and enjoyment. Nine young people aged between 12 and 16 carried
HE has transformed recycling in Hyndburn, now David Allonby has been voted one of the nation's greatest public servants. David, who is Hyndburn Council's environmental maintenance manager in charge of recycling, has slashed the amount of waste heading
A LEADING Leigh teacher is leaving at the end of term to take up a new challenge. After eight years at Westleigh High, head John Pout will take the helm at the 1,400 pupil Rainhill High - twice the size of Westleigh. Science specialist and Westleigh High
HIS name was Turner, Eric Turner - and today the pensioner has revealed secrets of the double life he led after working in a nuclear bunker during the height of the Cold War. Latter-day "spy" Mr Turner worked for nearly 30 years in the Royal Observer
IT may be a while before motorbike racing becomes an Olympic event, but that hasn't stopped CCM Motorcycles taking advantage of the games in Athens this year. The Blackburn manufacturer has just opened a new sales office in the Greek capital, and, according
ENJOYING a trip to the pub might be one of the most traditional and enjoyable of English pastimes. Some things never change, or do they? "Oh, it's a totally different world from when we started out almost 30 years ago," said Eric Hargreaves, who, along
THE troubled Clitheroe-based conservatory manufacturer Ultraframe today announced a massive fall in profits as it struggled to make new sales in the UK. The company said its profit before tax for the first six months of the year had fallen by 65 per cent
TALKS between union officials and management were being held today at BAE Systems at Samlesbury after a walkout of manual workers following the death of a colleague. Hundreds of shop floor staff walked out yesterday in support of the worker who died earlier
THE award-winning Northcote Manor has taken over The Three Fishes at Mitton and is planning a £500,000 redevelopment to restore it to its former glory. Owners of the Langho eatery, Craig Bancroft and Nigel Haworth, have taken out a 25-year lease on the
AS you might well know, this year brings the 100th anniversary of the founding of the most prestigious company in the history of the motor industry writes Roy Brooks This, of course, being none other than Rolls-Royce -- a name that quickly became synonymous
DEAN West admits he was expecting the Doomsday scenario of seeing contract talks with Burnley put on hold. The 31-year-old defender, a Stan Ternent signing from Bury five years ago, is one of four Burnley players who are facing an uncertain future until
PAUL WELLER is ready to accept his Burnley career is over after seeing his contract hopes suffer a blow. Weller is one of four established first team stars yesterday told they would not be offered new deals until a new manager is appointed. That decision
"GLEN Little is not fit to lace Chris Waddle's boots!" The now infamous quote Glenn Roeder used when explaining the reason why the fans' favourite had been bombed from the Burnley first team. Assistant boss Roeder was sat alongside Waddle at a fans' forum
CARL Fogarty will be looking for his Foggy Petronas Racing team to consolidate on its eye-opening start to the World Superbike championship when the fast straights of Monza pose a different challenge this weekend. Having already posted two podium finishes
WENDY Lewis, one of Westleigh High School's adult education heroes has been named Adult Learner of the Year for the North West and Merseyside. The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education award means Wendy will be off to London for the national
ATHERTON Community Festival is up and running with a variety of events lined up. The festival runs for two weeks to May 22 and includes anAtherton town trails with local history officer Tony Ashcroft on Monday May 17 at 6pm. Tickets cost £1 from the library
LEIGH Amateur Boxing Club's reputation was further enhanced last weekend with two of their boxers being chosen to represent Manchester against a team from Guernsey. Middleweight Rory Roberts beat defensive Gareth Hudson after losing the first round. Heavyweight
West Hull 38 Leigh East 12: LEIGH East's season ended with a whimper when an under-strength side was well beaten by West Hull in the play-off elimination semi-final. East, without their BARLA international pair of Danny Kilshaw and Lee Wingfield, were
GOLBORNE CC failed to get past the first hurdle in the Cross Cup, beaten by two wickets by Edgworth. The game started badly for Golborne with professional Shah being caught for 0. Cook soon followed bowled for 3 with the score on 20. This brought together
TEENAGE batsman Karl Brown continued his good early season form as Atherton CC knocked out league leaders Elton in the first round of the Cross Cup. It was a toss neither side wanted to win. Due to heavy overnight rain it was hard to predict how the wicket
LEIGH CC and Bootle managed to beat the weather at Wadham Road and play their opening league fixture of the season but a largely dour encounter left everyone wondering if the effort to get the game played was really worthwhile. The game eventually got
PAUL WELLER is ready to accept his Burnley career is over after seeing his contract hopes suffer a blow. Weller is one of four established first team stars yesterday told they would not be offered new deals until a new manager is appointed. That decision
THE troubled Clitheroe-based conservatory manufacturer Ultraframe today announced a massive fall in profits as it struggled to make new sales in the UK. The company said its profit before tax for the first six months of the year had fallen by 65 per cent
THE days when charabancs maintained a stately presence on our roads are well behind us -- but at least some tales about them remain. Mr Terry Atherton, of Sherwood Avenue in Radcliffe wrote to inform us that we pictured his mother in a photograph of a
A TOMBOLA evening will in aid of St Michael & All Angels, Howe Bridge begins at 7.30pm next Tuesday (May 18) in Howe Bridge school.
ATTRACTIONS for all ages are promised at St Michael and All Angels' Church spring fair from 11am until 3pm on Saturday, May 22 at the Scout headquarters, Leigh Road, Howe Bridge.
A WOMAN who drove for five hours to her parent's house in Green Avenue, Astley, got a shock when her car set on fire because of electrical fault. A fire crew from Atherton dealt with the blaze.
A MAN facing a serious wounding charge has appeared at Liverpool Crown Court. Wayne Eckersley, aged 22, of Hag Fold, Atherton, pleaded not guilty during the hearing on Monday to wounding Ian Kitts with intent on February 3. He was remanded on bail to
THE sounds of brass will be heard at Tyldesley RU Club on Friday when Fred Longworth Bigger Band and the school's Community Brass Band will be giving a summer concert starting at 7.30pm at St George's Park, Astley Street. Tickets at £3 and £2 for OAPs
A GROUP of travellers who set up camp on the landscaped "green hill" site, opposite Kings Park Chrisitian Centre in Leigh Road several days ago have been told they have 10 days to get off. A council spokesman said: "The travellers have caused some enviromental
A MOTORBIKE-RIDING mayor is revving up his bid to become a Euro MP. Alan Neal, Whitworth's current mayor and an Independent councillor on Rossendale Borough Council, is spending £8,500 of his own money on his campaign. The baker has now launched his campaign
A PARTIALLY-sighted woman died after colliding with a car while walking to a takeaway, an inquest heard. Gillian Riley, 54, of Manchester Road, Haslingden, was crossing the road near her home at about 7.35pm on Thursday, October 9 when she was in an accident
A FAMOUS tai chi expert will make flying visits to teach in Tyldesley. One of the foremost authorities on the art, Master Liu Yong, leaves China to teach two thriving classes at the Han Shen Centre in Elliott Street, on Sundays May 16 and 23 and one at
A WEBSITE is being developed to provide the 140 Rossendale workers facing redundancy with support and advice. In a bid to help employees at Bacup's E Sutton & Son Ltd get to grips with the potential job losses, footwear chiefs are joining forces with
AMBITIOUS plans are being drawn up revive Bacup's dilapidated market hall building. Developers are hoping to restore the "forgotten jewel" back to its former glory and transform it into a 21st Century market hall. Bacup's Market Hall, situated next to
BLOOMING businesses have been offered the chance to scoop a £250 prize in a boroughwide cleaner greener competition. Ten township awards are up for grabs and judges will be touring the areas to pick out the winners in June. Businesses must have made an
ROSSENDALE'S MP is calling a public meeting to get to grips with problems caused by nuisance youngsters in Stacksteads. The move comes after juvenile thugs were moved on from the Toll Bar area and are now plaguing neighbouring estates including homes
UNDER-AGE drinking is no longer a problem, say consumer watchdogs. Trading Standards chiefs said they have seen huge improvements in the way off-licences are saying 'no' to children in the wake of an undercover operation which targeted stores in the Leigh
A MOTHER and daughter had a lucky escape after two wheelie bins were pushed alongside the back door of their home and set on fire. The blaze spread to the back door of the property on Sussex Place, Tyldesley in the early hours of last Thursday. The homeowner
CHARITY golfers are teeing off to help the borough's biggest school. Astley Rotary Club has organised a golf day in July on behalf of Leigh St Mary's RC High School, Astley, which was awarded specialist college status in computing and maths earlier this
CADETS from 316 Leigh Squadron went on parade - after being airlifted to camp by RAF helicopter. They were flown from fields close to Hesketh Fletcher High School to their third camp at the Sea Cadet Training Centre, Inskip. The camp started purely as
MILL owner Les Yates has been praised for his vision in transforming the Ena Mill site. The Atherton businessman, owner of the grade two listed mill and QS Fashions, has retained the lodge and brought the grounds back into use - in support of the town's
AN INDEPENDENT adjudicator is to make a decision on Special Education Needs in the Leigh area. Wigan's Independent School Organisation Committee (SOC) was asked to consider proposals to modernise and increase the effectiveness of SEN, but failed to reach
A RADCLIFFE mill is to be demolished to make way for apartment blocks. The single-storey building, by the canal on Water Street, is to be knocked down, and two blocks containing 38 apartments erected. The application was passed by Bury Council's planning
Labour gained a seat in local elections, narrowing the gap with their rivals, by ousting a Municipal Party councillor from Bridge ward. A fireman was lowered 30 ft into a disused flooded quarry at Church Street, Ainsworth, to rescue a stranded dog. For
A WOMAN is being re-housed after her flat was flooded in a freak thunderstorm while the roof was being replaced. Water cascaded into the living room and bedroom of Mrs Janet Brundrett's top-floor council-owned flat, knocking out the electrics and ruining
A TOMBOLA evening will in aid of St Michael & All Angels, Howe Bridge begins at 7.30pm next Tuesday (May 18) in Howe Bridge school.
HISTORY lovers in Lancashire are now just a mouse-click away from more than 1,000 archive catalogues from Lancashire Record Office. The catalogues are in the process of being added to an online database at www.a2a.org.uk as part of a regional project
HE'S such a good customer his local named the beer after him! Great-grandad Jimmy Mitchell has earned the unique honour from the Postal Order in Blackburn town centre. Glaswegian Jimmy, 78, was a postman for 36 years in Blackburn and has been a much-loved
A LIFEGUARD at a Blackburn swimming pool who was found hanging from a tree in Witton Park had suffered a nervous breakdown four years earlier. An inquest heard that Lynne Clarke's mental health problems had returned in the months before her death, leading
EAST Lancashire MPs Peter Pike and Lindsay Hoyle have urged Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to do more to prevent the English cricket team touring Zimbabwe. They raised the issue in the House of Commons after Blackburn MP Mr Straw met officials from the
A HEARTBROKEN Blackburn man whose wife died after hospital neglect today said he was too upset to pursue legal action. Allan Leach, whose wife Doreen died at Queen's Park Hospital in January, spoke after an inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death
SCHOOLS are being forced to slash the number of children's swimming lessons because of massive transport price rises. At least nine Blackburn primary schools have already cut the amount of lessons because of extra budget pressures. Now swimming instructors
FIVE of the top eight placings in the Sporting Courses (SPOCO) qualifying event in Cumbria on Sunday were filled by East Lancashire racing cyclists which again demonstrated the dominance they hold in this competition. Forty plus veteran Billy Rodgers
I WAS delighted to pick up a cheap double Elvis tape for the car. Unfortunately I didn't notice that the All-time Greatest Hits albums were digitally remastered analogue recordings. Why can't they leave things alone? I came to work on Monday morning sounding
RADCLIFFE' S planned state-of-the-art school will be named Radcliffe Riverside School. The governors made their decision at the end of last week after two students from Coney Green suggested the name. Year Seven pupils Demi Langton and Sophie Gaffney
ATHERTON reader Arthur Westwood's no sports fan but despite that he's pleased that plans for the Leigh Sports Village are progressing. His attitude is that anything that benefits the area must be welcomed, and he would love to see a multiplex cinema somewhere
Rochdale Hornets 24 Leigh Centurions 74: IT'S an indication of just how high Leigh's standards are these days that even a near-record away win isn't good enough. Although Leigh breezed to top spot, scoring 13 tries against a poor Rochdale side that is
POLICE officers swooped on homes in Bury in a series of dawn raids early on Thursday. Eight properties in the north of the borough, together with four in Rochdale and one in Cheetham Hill, were raided by tactical aid unit officers at 6.40am and a number
BOOTHSTOWN U12s finally clinched second place and promotion in their final league match. The first half ended 0-0 but the deadlock was finally broken by Adam Harrison as the floodgates opened with more goals from Andy Woodhouse, a second from Harrison
HINDSFORD Sharks U13s football club flew the flag in the Bolton Boys Federation this season by securing a unique double, the league title and the Jubilee Cup. They won the cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Oxford Grove thanks to a Joshua Connolly
