IT'S no secret that most things to do with the National Health Service could do with more cash. Money is tight throughout the country and competition for any extra cash that the government might put into the system is intense because of the wide variety
RECENTLY Westminster whispers have suggested that David Blunkett is keen to shaft Blackburn MP Jack Straw for a second time. In the post 2001 election reshuffle the Sheffield MP unexpectedly pinched Mr Straw's job as Home Secretary. Since then he has
THIS week Blackburn with Darwen Council announced they are to reconsider plans for two park and ride schemes to provide cheaper parking for and alleviate town centre traffic problems. ANDREW TAYLOR examines the possible implications of the proposals being
SEDGLEY PARK 36-19 OLDERSHAW Lancashire & Cheshire Colts League Cup Under 17 Semi-final WITH probably the best performance of the season, Sedgley Park Junior Colts cruised into the League Cup final on Sunday. There they will go head-to-head with reigning
JUNIOR football team from Whitefield has been crippled by a bizarre series of injuries where five players have suffered broken bones. Members of Stand Athletic U-16s have been hit with a catalogue of unfortunate mishaps on the pitch including two broken
I AM pleased to read that there is so much talk these days regarding litter in and around Blackburn. Wherever I drive in the area, I seem to be faced with take-away cartons which have been thrown from car windows, particularly those familiar red boxes
SWINTON LIONS...6 WHITEHAVEN...34 Arriva Trains Cup Qualifying Group: FOR 71 minutes Lions looked quite capable of an upset. Whitehaven, who had starred on national television in the Challenge Cup against Warrington, two days earlier, were hanging on
IN response to H Hamer re "Idle women should be forced to work" and Mrs G C Cooper re "Do parents still care about kids?" I am a young, able bodied stay at home mum who lives in the 21st century. (Not your "era" whatever that was). I have chosen to stay
A BURY man is battling for his life more than a week after he was knocked down outside a local pub. The victim has not yet regained consciousness and is being treated in Fairfield General Hospital's intensive care unit. The 50-year-old suffered serious
THE PRESTWICH Guide has live in cycberspace with its very own dedicated website. The site www.thisisprestwich.co.uk will be highlight what's going on in the Prestwich and Whitefield area. It will feature all the up-to-date news, views, sport and advertisements
FLOURISHING Bury Market is being used as a showcase to the rest of the region. A delegation of officers will arrive from Chorley Borough Council next week to find out the secrets of its success. With markets up and down the country shrinking in the face
AROUND 15 homes were flooded when a water main burst under a Rossendale street last night. Firefighters battled to pump water out of the homes in Haslingden Road, between Haslingden and Rawtenstall, after the pipe burst around 5.30pm. The cellar of Spring
VIOLENT Mark Elliott was caught on CCTV cameras with his home-made gun seconds before shooting an innocent father-of-four -- an act which finally ended his reign of terror in Blackburn. Today, Elliott, 41, of Stonehill Drive, Blackburn, was beginning
TALES that help to break down the language barrier have won Europe-wide recognition for two schools in Bury. Pupils from the Derby and Broad Oak High were the only English winners in an awards initiative to bridge the linguistic divide. Professional storyteller
RADNEY Bowker could make the starting line-up for Leigh Centurions at Chorley on Sunday as stand-off John Duffy nursing a thumb injury. Andrew Isherwood (calf), Dave Larder (Achilles) and Simon Knox (bruising) have all been under treatment in the wake
A YEAR on from the Gulf War in Iraq, the parents of one soldier have spoken about how they felt as their son went into battle. Reverend David Griffiths and his wife Brenda were glued to the television when their son John (30), a captain in the Royal Signals
BLACKBURN Rovers' Academy starlets must overhaul a two-goal deficit against Aston Villa tomorrow if they plan to keep their FA Youth Cup hopes alive. Rob Kelly's young guns lost 2-0 in the first leg of their semi-final at Villa Park three weeks ago. But
WITH Passover approaching, children at King David Infant School learned how to make their own festival snack. Under the guidance of Rabbi Levi Wineberg from the Jewish Lubavitch organisation, the youngsters made Matzos to replace regular bread during
AN Easter eggstravaganza is heading for Whitefield on Good Friday. Bury Council's Countryside Ranger Service is organising an activity-filled day to celebrate Easter with egg decorating, Easter Bunny hunts and lots of chocolate. The events take place
PRESIDENT of Padiham Football Club, Tommy Helm, has died, aged 86. The Second World War veteran, who watched his side play the previous on Tuesday night, died suddenly the following day. Padiham-born and bred, Tommy, of Shakespeare Street, had a lifelong
A MAN smashed up a landlady's car after he had been refused a drink at her pub, a court heard. Burnley Magistrates heard how former student Daniel Tempest, 20, was banned from bars in the town centre under a voluntary scheme after his friend killed a
SUPERMARKET employees put on their betting hats for the night to make money for charity. A race night was held at the Eagle and Child pub, in Higher Lane, Whitefield organised by Tesco in Prestwich. Around 60 employees took part in the event, where they
UNION leaders have lost their fight to overturn the decision to close the Philips TV glass factory at Simonstone with the loss of 400 jobs, it was revealed today. They had pledged to try to persuade bosses at LG Philips Displays to reverse their plans
A BUZZ of excitement filled the air at Lancaster's benefits agency this week - after 24 colleagues scooped £4.3 million on Saturday's Lotto. Each syndicate member walks off with around £180,000 as their share of the £8.6 million jackpot. The other half
A CYCLING pervert who preyed on children in Burnley's parks has been jailed for 15 months. Roy Ingham, 45, used a map with local parks highlighted to help him target youngsters, a court heard yesterday. Preston Crown Court was told that Ingham was trapped
FIERCE bidding between parents and pupils raised £3,300 in an auction of promises for a local school's drive to secure specialist science status. Within two hours of deputy head Peter Evans taking the stand as auctioneer, 180 lots had gone under the hammer
INSPIRING letters home have put foreign students at Lancaster University in line for a major prize The letters about daily life at the university, describing everything from fashion to fish and chips, were submitted to the British Council International
EMERGENCY staff at Burnley General Hospital have been given alarms following a spate of attacks on nurses. Accident and Emergency staff are to be given key-fob style alarms when they report for duty and hand it in before they clock off. The decision to
A BARKING mad pooch has tapped into fame with his ability to turn on the waterworks. Shadow, a rough-haired Jack Russell, has become the main attraction in a Lancaster neighbourhood after appearing on national television with his trick of turning taps
A CAMPAIGN to get people out of cars and onto their bikes stepped up a gear this week with the opening of a new stretch of cycle path. Platform one at Lancaster Railway Station was the stage for the official unveiling of the Marsh safe cycle and walking
A LANCASTER vet will be swapping his white coat for a tuxedo and black tie tonight (Thursday) - after being short-listed as one of the best in the country. James Glass, from Lancaster Veterinary Centre, has been nominated for the award for the third year
LATE night eateries will have to secure a license before dishing up hot food to hungry revellers as part of a major shake-up of licensing laws. Changes are afoot for licensed premises in a move expected to give local residents and businesses more say
CRIMINALS using Lancaster's roads for their rich pickings and other disruptive troublemakers had better beware... The new superintendent of police in Lancaster has vowed to make them the target of a major clampdown. Mick Marren has been appointed to pole
A BABY whale washed up on the beach at Heysham was incinerated by Lancaster City Council - causing experts to lose vital research information. The body of the Northern Bottle-nose Whale, an endangered species, was stranded close to Sandylands promenade
SHAKERS fans are being urged to buy season tickets early to help ease the club's finances throughout the summer months. And there are attractive discounts for supporters who dip their hands into their pockets early . With prices due to rise after next
BURY FC's board of directors see the appointment of Graham Barrow and Kelham O'Hanlon as a positive move, as the Shakers aim to go forward to a brighter future. The manager and his assistant put pen to paper on rolling contracts this week after stabilising
A PACKAGING company in Nelson is set for a £4million expansion after attracting extra investment. Decorpart Ltd, based in Edward Street, announced today it had secured an extra £2million from its main investors and hoped a new spcialist pharmaceutical
CAMPAIGNING East Lancashire Peer Lord Greaves has lost his battle to prevent all-postal voting in the North West for June's local council and European elections. Last night the House of Lords caved in and accepted that the region would join the East Midlands
A CAMPAIGN group aiming to restore a rail link between Colne and Yorkshire has celebrated a "remarkable" year. The Skipton - East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership (SELRAP) held its annual general meeting in Colne to celebrate a string of successes in
AN award winning band which has just finished a nationwide tour with the Fun Lovin' Criminals, is heading to Preston next week. The loveGods, which recently picked up two gongs at the Brighton Music Awards, will be playing upstairs at the Adelphi pub
DARWEN Brass Band competed in the regional finals of the National Brass Band Championships and won a place in the finals held in London. Blackburn Council also announced a ramp was to be built connecting Blackburn's shopping centre with Church Street.
IRISH singing star Martin Branigan will be the cabaret performer at Preston Grasshoppers' Rugby Club, Lightfoot Lane, Fulwood, on Friday, February 13, from 7.45pm-midnight. The charity event, in aid of Fulwood and Cadley County Primary School Parent Teacher
CONSERVATIVES are spending more cash in wealthy Hyndburn areas, full of Tory voters, instead of more deprived Labour heartlands, furious rival councillors have claimed. The Labour councillors' claim is based on area council capital grant allocations from
I WRITE with regard to the recent town hall meeting about the redevelopment of Whitefield centre. The majority of us who attended, and many who were unable to, or couldn't get into the meeting, favour the Dransfield proposals for a Morrisons supermarket
I AM putting the local authority forward for "Polluter of the Year". I refer in particular to the new traffic lights all around Prestwich Village and the dangerous traffic lights at St Ann's Road, where two sets 20 yards from each other utterly confuse
I MUST disagree with the letter from Cllr Jon Barry (Citizen, last week) about a planned road bridge across Morecambe Bay. The bridge will not create extra traffic - only vehicles can do that - but it will shorten the journey between Heysham and Barrow
A SOLDIER has won an award after only 20 weeks in the army. Private Adam Mossop, 17, a former pupil of St Augustines, Billington, was presented with a trophy for best endeavour in his training platoon. Adam joined the army in September 2003 and completed
IT IS ironic that while one group of local councillors are tackling trouble at Lancaster bus station (Citizen, last week), others are busy creating it. I refer, of course, to the county council decision to shut the bus station information centre within
TOURISM officers from Lancashire are in Birmingham this week at the NEC to promote the Red Rose County at this year's Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show. The event, which runs until Sunday is an opportunity to showcase the variety of opportunities Lancashire
MAY I reply to the letter from Cllr Ravetz in Citizen last week. First, he goes on about a former KKK leader, but he fails to point out that David Duke quit that silly organisation more than 20 years ago and has been one of its firmest critics ever since
SPEEDS cameras, humps, pedestrian crossings, 20 mph zones and colourful road markings... all over Lancaster efforts are being made to improve road safety. It's great news for anyone lucky enough to live in these areas. But one road has been overlooked
VALE of Lune produced another dramatic fightback against West Park St Helens to book their place in the final of the Thwaites Lancashire Cup. After an hour of this pulsating semi final Vale trailed 16-3 - before stand off James Moore led an outstanding
A KEIRAN Walmsley goal just after half time gave an unfamiliar looking More-cambe side a surprise away win at Broadhall Way. Walmlsey slotted home from just inside the penalty area following a run and pass from David Perkins on 49 minutes. It may be too
FORMER Welsh international Iwan Roberts has his sights set on a double celebration this summer. The veteran Norwich striker, 35, is set to make his 300th appearance for the club at Turf Moor tomorrow. And Roberts, an £850,000 signing from Wolves in 1997
HERE'S a date for your diary - Saturday, April 24. That's the day Derby County come to town in what I reckon could well be the game to decide Burnley's First Division fate. Amid the euphoria of last Saturday's win at Bradford, it's hard not to see many
LUXURY flats are being snapped up, even before work has started on the site. As Countryside Properties started construction on the former Sainsbury's site in Prestwich, they announced that more than one-third of apartments on the Fairfax Road site have
DOBCROSS Silver Band is on the march and heading for the Longfield Suite in Prestwich. The band first performed at the venue in 1997, and has become such an attraction, it pays a visit twice yearly. Under the musical direction of Denis Hadfield, a "St
A TRIPLE helping of business advice and a generous amount of wine will be served up at the next meeting of Prestwich Business Forum. Three speakers have been lined up to address the meeting on Tuesday, April 6 at the Village Hotel and Squash Club in George
STAY safe and protect your property is the message to residents from Thatch Leach Lane Homewatch. The group has teamed up with Bury Council's trading standards, Whitefield Wardens and the police to deliver crime prevention advice right on people's doorsteps
A WATCHDOG group has lodged a formal objection against the proposal to close some post offices in Prestwich and Whitefield. The public consultation period for the closures came to an end on Tuesday (March 30). And now Postwatch has opposed shutting down
WHEN Whitefield youngster Jordan Belston met sporting legend Sir Geoff Hurst it was a fantastic honour. But his grandad Ken Mansfield was even more impressed! Mr Mansfield vividly remembers Sir Geoff's hat-trick for England in the 1966 World Cup Final
PATIENTS in Prestwich and Whitefield with minor ailments or in need of medical advice will be able to make use of a new nursing service. In the run-up to the opening of the new NHS Walk-in-Centre in Prestwich, a nurse practitioner will be working from
ON Mother's Day, I visited St Mary's graveyard in Prestwich where a group of men were working very hard, clearing brambles and shrubs from some rough ground. Buried in the ground being cleared are hundreds of patients from the former Prestwich "Asylum
WE write this as a tribute to Ruth Shapiro, who died so tragically in a fire at her home in Dalton Avenue, Whitefield. She was a much-loved person with a heart of gold. We are close friends and feel we need to say a few things about Ruth and her life.
NELSON boss Mick Molloy is looking to give the home fans a rousing send-off for the season tomorrow. Oldham Town's visit to Victoria Park in NWCL Division Two is Nelson's last home game of the campaign, with only two fixtures at Colne and Leek CSOB to
JOHN Hughes hopes is threadbare Great Harwood squad will still be capable of earning a promotion position. The Robins chief has faced a continued battle to get a team together in recent weeks due to injuries and suspensions. And he is without star striker
CHORLEY have missed out on bringing Radcliffe Borough's James Price to Victory Park ahead of the transfer deadline. Magpies manager Mark Patterson was foiled in his bid to sign the central defender, who played at Victory Park in the mid-1990s, ahead of
A CAMPAIGN to cool down arson hot spots in Morecambe has won an extra £44,456. The boost comes from Poulton Neighbour-hood Management following news in January of a £133,400 Government grant. The cash will go to the Poulton and West End Arson Reduction
A £4 MILLION army cadet training centre is to be built at Holcombe Army Training Camp. Subject to no objections from the local planning authority, work on Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force's new HQ and weekend training centre would start in September
ANGRY women left out of pocket by the sudden closure of a health gym have won the backing of Bury North MP David Chaytor. He says he is determined to support their fight to be re-imbursed following the shutdown last month of the Classic World of Fitness
THERE were mixed results for Shakers fans when it came to a showdown against TV fantasy football actors. A fans' eleven took on the might of Sky One's Harchester United at Gigg Lane on Sunday (March 28). But while thousands were raised in cash for the
RESIDENTS eager to close a passageway used by thieves and vandals may find their path barred by footpath campaigners. Householders in Old Hall, Brandlesholme, want the fenced footway between Brandlesholme Road and Westerham Close closed to stop anti-social
RADCLIFFE Civic Suite was opened in 1974 during an official ceremony by Prime Minister Harold Wilson. And at the 30th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday (March 30), there was no shortage of dignitaries, with the Mayor and Mayoress of Bury, Coun Wilf
A RADCLIFFE father acting as peacemaker died after being repeatedly kicked and punched by a gang of men outside a karaoke bar, an inquest heard. Shane Eckersley was attacked as he left the restaurant at the Saigon Oriental in Pendleton, Salford, nearly
STAN Ternent is praying Lady Luck continues to shine on Burnley over the closing weeks of the season. The Clarets chief knows his side have enjoyed some long-overdue fortune in recent games following countless hammer blows over the course of a turbulent
RESIDENTS in Tockholes may have missed out on vital cash to renovate their village hall after a bid for government funding hit a stumbling block. An action plan was submitted to the Countryside Agency's Vital Villages scheme at the end of January in a
A FORMER school caretaker accused of repeatedly molesting a girl in a two-year campaign of abuse was working at a Darwen primary school part of the time, a jury heard. Burnley Crown Court was told that divorced Graham Walsh, 34, worked at St Peter's CE
CHRISTMAS seems to start earlier every year and, in Bacup, a meeting has been called to start planning local festivities eight months ahead. Planning for Christmas celebrations will be taking place at an event at the St James' Centre on Tuesday, from
A NUMBER of sporting activities aimed at school children are to be held over the Easter period throughout Rossendale Valley. The events, aimed at five to 13 year olds, will give participants the opportunity to practise and improve their skills. From April
AROUND 15 homes were flooded when a water main burst under a Rossendale street last night. Firefighters battled to pump water out of the homes in Haslingden Road, between Haslingden and Rawtenstall, after the pipe burst around 5.30pm. The cellar of Spring
STANDARDS at a Whitefield primary school are rising fast, although there is still plenty of improvement to be made. Ofsted inspectors found Mersey Drive County Primary School was providing a satisfactory education, but standards were still below the national
CHEESE pie was on the menu when the Mayor of Bury joined the pupils of Heaton Park Primary School for lunch. The Mayor, Coun Wilf Davison and his wife Maureen, tucked into the snack before joining members of the school council for a meeting. The school
PRIVATE hire vehicles across East Lancashire will now be forced to carry dogs, trained to assist disabled people, for free. A new law, which came into force yesterday, means drivers are banned from making any additional charge for carrying a disabled
BIG-HEARTED Jasber Singh has always wanted to step forward and help poor people in the Third World. So it was an dream come true when he went on a sponsored trek for Oxfam in aid of poverty-stricken areas in Africa. Jasber, 40, from Billinge, Blackburn
ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman is calling on his leg-weary troops to prepare for one final battle. The Reds chief is desperate not to let a tremendous season, which has seen Stanley get to the FA Cup third round and still be in with an outside
ACCRINGTON Stanley and hard-up Hyndburn Council have ended a £45,000 three-year shirt sponsorship deal - after less than a year. But the club is expected to sign a larger deal with a retailer and talks with three firms are well under way. The club and
PAINTINGS by respected artists are expected to create interest at an auction of northern painters on Tuesday. The Northern School of Artists auction, being held by Capes Dunn and Co, at its Manchester galleries next week, will see the trio exhibited alongside
WHEN Whitefield youngster Jordan Belston met sporting legend Sir Geoff Hurst it was a fantastic honour. But his grandad Ken Mansfield was even more impressed! Mr Mansfield vividly remembers Sir Geoff's hat-trick for England in the 1966 World Cup Final
THE 'Best Decision of the Week Award' goes to the Muslim Council of Britain for writing to all the mosques in the UK and urging them to help in the war against terror. It was a wise decision and one we must applaud, but let's get some things into perspective
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Towneley Hall Art Gallery and Museums, Towneley Park, Burnley. 60s Music, Churchills, 58a Bank Street, Burnley. Formation Dancing, Brunshaw Youth Centre, Morse Street
From the Guide files of Friday, April 6, 1979: ANOTHER part of "old Whitefield Village" disappeared when "George's Shop" closed. The owner of the hardware shop, Mr George Shadick, had worked there for 45 years. The shop was to become solicitor's offices
SAINT Monica's RC High School are one step closer to a place in the ESFA Northern Schools Cup Final, at Middlesborough's Riverside Stadium. The GM Schools Under 13 Champions beat Cheshire Schools runners-up, Rudheath High School, 4-1 after extra-time
I HAVE recently had cause to be treated on the surgical wards at Blackburn Royal Infirmary. My treatment was first class. My grateful thanks to all the staff on Surgical Assessment, Surgical Intensive Care and Ward 5. In emergency, the National Health
IRLAM MS...2 PRESTWICH HEYS...0: THREE consecutive defeats have not put Heys out of the Air Miles Manchester League Premier Division title race. But with only four only games left, the chances of emerging champions have become increasingly remote. Despite
IT is obvious to me that for some people the grey wheelie bins are not big enough to put in two weeks of rubbish. If the householder takes the trouble to purchase black bin bags to put in the excess and neatly ties it up, how much trouble is it to throw
JUNIOR football team from Whitefield has been crippled by a bizarre series of injuries where five players have suffered broken bones. Members of Stand Athletic U-16s have been hit with a catalogue of unfortunate mishaps on the pitch including two broken
I AM 65 years old and for the last 10 years have been swimming twice weekly. While I can understand the ban on backstroke I find myself annoyed that nothing has been said about swimmers, swimming side by side causing others to have to swim round them.
IT'S good news that all 25 governments of Europe now seem united in supporting the draft EU constitution. It's not a perfect document but its a great deal better than the existing treaties. The constitution will end the secrecy behind which key EU decisions
AN ex-headteacher of Radcliffe High School, alleged to have e-mailed nude images to his former colleagues, has resigned. Mr Graham Rollinson (51), a father of two, had earlier been suspended by Salford Council from his post as headmaster of Moorside High
THE CHURCHES in the centre and south of Bury will be holding a walk of Christian Witness on Good Friday. Anyone wishing to take part in the walk needs to meet at the United Reformed Church, in Rochdale Road at 11.45am. The walk will start at 12 noon to
A WOMAN needed hospital treatment for smoke inhalation after a kitchen fire at her home on Wednesday (March 31). Firefighters from Bury were called to the house in Topping Fold Road, Fairfield, shortly after 5pm. The woman (51) and a child had already
HARD-UP offenders who are unable to pay court fines could be allowed to work off their arrears by working in the community without being paid. That is one of the options open to Bury Magistrates as they join a national campaign to crackdown on fine defaulters
THE highest ranking black woman officer in Greater Manchester Police has accused the force of racial and sexual discrimination. Chief Inspector Karin Mulligan, who lives in Ramsbottom and is based at Sedgley Park Police Training College in Prestwich,
THIS year marks the tenth anniversary of the Holcombe Hill Challenge and organisers want to make it in something of a reunion. The challenge, to climb Holcombe Hill, is part of the Bury Red Rose Festival. And organisers are hoping those who have taken
THE GRIEVING parents of a teenager killed on a Radcliffe road have mounted a plaque at the scene as a tribute. Natalie Danielle Pickwick-Jones (15) died in February when she was in collision with a Toyota MR2 in Bolton Road. A mass of floral tributes
A VISIT to the Mayor's parlour in the town hall provided just one of many cross-Atlantic experiences for exchange teacher, Miss Barbara Miller. Miss Miller from Seattle, Washington, has spent the last three months working at Elms Bank High School. Under
BURY North MP David Chaytor has welcomed a range of new powers aimed at ridding communities of the scourge of graffiti. These include a ban on sales of aerosol paints to under-16s, new powers for local authorities to issue penalty notices for graffiti
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness will ditch Lucas Neill ahead of Sunday's potentially explosive clash with Liverpool at Anfield. As I understand it, Souness will drop Neill from his side to face the Reds in order to spare the Australian from the possibility
IT'S not so long ago that Michael Owen was widely revered as the golden boy of English football. From the moment he scored that breathtaking goal against Argentina at France 98, the Anfield ace became a national institution. But I've recently detected
HORSERIDERS, villagers and farmers in Simister will protest on Saturday against plans to build an industrial park nearby. Members of the Simister Village Community Association have launched a "Save Our Countryside" campaign amid fears they will lose green
BURNLEY could stand to lose some of its public toilets as part of a borough-wide review to save the council money. As part of the review, 40 toilets in the borough's parks, town centre and villages were monitored to see how many people use them. The council
PUPILS at St Monica's RC High School brought order to a mock trial competition and walked away with the top prize. The Year 9 youngsters had to prepare a case for the defence and the prosecution and take on the role of magistrates, lawyers, court staff
MAGISTRATES have expressed concern after a warehouse loader accused by a taxi driver of attacking him was said to have been arrested without questions being asked. The Burnley bench had been told Tyron Lee Parkinson, 29, claimed the cabbie had assaulted
BURNLEY Council has vowed to name and shame people who break the law by littering, fly-tipping or allowing their dog to foul public places. Graffiti and abandoned cars will also be targeted in Operation Red Card, a new blitz on the borough's grot spots
A DETERMINED drive to raise the curtain on the dilapidated Winter Gardens has stepped up a gear. Friends of Morecambe's favourite theatre have launched an appeal for help to raise enough cash to buy the building. Committee members chose the resort's Arndale
GRAHAM Barrow already has his eye on next season as the Shakers enter the final seven matches of this campaign. Barrow, and assistant boss Kelham O'Hanlon, signed new full-time 'rolling' contracts on Wednesday and both are wasting no time in planning
PUPILS at a Colne school have been given driving ambition to get to lessons - their very own go-kart. Pupils in Year 11 at Park High School built the machine themselves and are now getting behind the wheel as part of an incentive to boost school attendance
LANCASHIRE'S railway staff were told to watch out for rowdy football fans travelling on the Colne to Preston line to the Blackburn Rovers v Manchester United match. Meanwhile, a former leader of Blackburn Council criticised plans to give the town's market
A BURNLEY textile boss described Lancashire cotton workers' demands for a 40-hour week as "frivolous". Sir John Grey, president of the Cotton Manufacturer's Association, said Lancashire needed all the workers it could get and that he hoped factory owners
A NEW scheme aimed at ensuring vulnerable people get the right treatment in an emergency has been launched in Hyndburn. Anybody who may need help or special attention in an emergency can join the scheme, which supplies them with a plastic container to
A TROUBLED East Lancashire carpets company, which almost went out of business last year, has announced annual losses of £6.4million. Gaskell plc, which employs more than 400 people in Clayton-le-Moors and Rishton, announced the losses as part of its results
ACCRINGTON Stanley and hard-up Hyndburn Council have ended a £45,000 three-year shirt sponsorship deal - after less than a year. But the club is expected to sign a larger deal with a retailer and talks with three firms are well under way. The club and
THE Documento Nacional de Identidad is the Spanish ID card. All those who tell us that terrorism will be halted by the use of ID cards here might care to explain why it didn't succeed there. JEANETTE JENKINSON
WHAT a wimp! "Overjoyed" of Simister (Letters, March 5) blanches at the thought of having to wash, sort and carry to his front gate the bottles and cans he presumably carried home before emptying. Apparently he would like them to disappear into a black
SO the Government have at last announced measures to curb alcohol-related crime and unsociable behaviour. And it has taken only six years to put it together from their original announcement in 1998. While we have been waiting, we have had endure drunken
A JUNIOR soccer team from Whitefield has been crippled by a bizarre series of injuries where five players have suffered broken bones. Members of Stand Athletic U-16s have been hit with a catalogue of unfortunate mishaps on the pitch including two broken
NORTH Lancashire Friends of the Earth Real Food Group wishes to thank everyone who signed its citizen's objection to the World Trade Organisation in Lancaster at the weekend. It refers to the USA, Argentina and Canada having filed a legal dispute with
A RURAL post office has been singled out for praise in Parliament after hitting on an inspirational survival plan. Bolton-by-Bowland Post Office opened a tearoom as a sideline to subsidise the existing operation. But Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans warned
AS A white Protestant, I was concerned by the letter from Cllr Ravetz (Citizen, last week). I certainly do not believe in the 'Protestant ascendancy' to which he refers. Nor, am I sure he quotes David Duke fairly. On the web site to which he refers, I
Morecambe have rejected a transfer deadline day offer for club captain Stewart Drummond from Chester City. The faxed offer from the Conference leaders involved a swap deal - with a Chester player coming to Christie Park plus a fee of £5,000 for the influential
SCRAMBLING makes a return to the area this weekend - when the new Lancashire Twinshock Club promotes its inaugural event at Manor Farm, Hornby. Racing this Sunday will be different than before in that it is predominantly for twinshock machines from the
SECOND half strikes from Peter Thomson and Tony Sullivan lifted City into dreamland at Giant Axe on Tuesday night. The goals ensured victory over hard-working Worksop Town - and lifted the Dolly Blues to manager Phil Wilson's fabled 60-point target. City
A GOAL from second half substitute Danny Carlton was enough to give Morecambe the edge in the Lancashire FA Marsden Cup final at Accrington Stanley's Interlink Express Stadium on Tuesday night. A long ball over the top saw Shrimps' top scorer Carlton
STAN Ternent is praying Lady Luck continues to shine on Burnley over the closing weeks of the season. The Clarets chief knows his side have enjoyed some long-overdue fortune in recent games following countless hammer blows over the course of a turbulent
THEY say schooldays are the best days of your life. A heady concoction of education and that youthful joie de vivre that maketh the man. But you are never too old to learn. And despite his classroom days being well behind him, David May is the first to
THE highest ranking black woman officer in Greater Manchester Police has accused the force of racial and sexual discrimination. Chief Inspector Karin Mulligan, who lives in Ramsbottom and is based at Sedgley Park Police Training College in Prestwich,
YOUNG Coronation Street actress Emma Woodward has decided to quit the soap to concentrate on her school work. The 10-year-old, who plays Sophie Webster, moves up to high school in September and her family feel she is approaching an important period in
DARWEN will go into their first ever meeting with Eccleshall tomorrow knowing any more dropped points could hamper their promotion ambitions. Although how many NWCL Division One places will be up for grabs for second division clubs won't be clear until
NEW Rossendale United assistant manager Jamie Hoyland is looking forward to the challenge of helping the Dark Lane side achieve promotion from the UniBond First Division. Dale did their Premier Division ambitions a power of good with their 3-1 win at
COLNE took a major step towards promotion with a brilliant 10-man performance against Blackpool Mechanics at Holt House last night. As early as the third minute Colne's Ian Simpson was sent off for kicking aBlackpool player and the Reds had to dig deep
SHOPPERS are being warned to take extra care while browsing through stores after a spate of opportunist thefts. The latest victim was a 59-year-old Lancaster woman who had her purse snatched while shopping in Wilkinson's in the city centre last Saturday
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness will ditch Lucas Neill ahead of Sunday's potentially explosive clash with Liverpool at Anfield. As I understand it, Souness will drop Neill from his side to face the Reds in order to spare the Australian from the possibility
BURY's Andrea Holt hit out at the standard of women's table tennis after taking the English national title for the fifth time writes Neil Bonnar The experienced former England number one, who learned the game in Bury and Bolton and lives in Ramsbottom
WEEKS of preparation paid off for children at Ashleigh Primary School, Darwen, when they took an audience back to Tudor times during a school play. Their performance of 'Trouble at the Tudor Banquet' was the final result of a family learning project involving
RESIDENTS are being given a new service launched this month aimed at tackling burning issues in the community. People living in Ramsbottom and Tottington could have an extra spring in their step when Bury Council unveils the first of its new Council Information
A GROUP of eight councillors who will take charge in Rossendale as part of a 12-month pilot scheme have been named. A full council meeting unanimously approved plans to introduce a new executive, made up of equal numbers from the Labour and Conservative
AN Easter eggstravaganza is heading for Whitefield on Good Friday. Bury Council's Countryside Ranger Service is organising an activity-filled day to celebrate Easter with egg decorating, Easter Bunny hunts and lots of chocolate. The events take place
PAINTINGS by respected artists are expected to create interest at an auction of northern painters on Tuesday. The Northern School of Artists auction, being held by Capes Dunn and Co, at its Manchester galleries next week, will see the trio exhibited alongside
DOBCROSS Silver Band is on the march and heading for the Longfield Suite in Prestwich. The band first performed at the venue in 1997, and has become such an attraction, it pays a visit twice yearly. Under the musical direction of Denis Hadfield, a "St
PUPILS at St Monica's RC High School brought order to a mock trial competition and walked away with the top prize. The Year 9 youngsters had to prepare a case for the defence and the prosecution and take on the role of magistrates, lawyers, court staff
IDEAS are flowing more freely at a Whitefield primary school after staff introduced water drinking to the timetable. All 205 children at St Michael's RC Primary are encouraged to take sips of water during the school day to avoid them getting dehydrated
ROAD tax shirkers were targeted in a two-day clamping blitz which caught out 20 motorists. The purge on the cars parked on Blackburn's public roads without a valid tax disc was led by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and involved police.
VIOLENT Mark Elliott was caught on CCTV cameras with his home-made gun seconds before shooting an innocent father-of-four -- an act which finally ended his reign of terror in Blackburn. Today, Elliott, 41, of Stonehill Drive, Blackburn, was beginning
PATIENT care in East Lancashire could be seriously affected by a hospital trust's debt of £6.1million, a former health boss has said. Ian Woolley spent 19 years as chairman of the former Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care Trust. He retired
WITH just three games remaining, Sedgley Park aim to win all three, in order to guarantee not only promotion to National One, but promotion as champions. Saturday sees the Tigers travel to North Yorkshire to take on sixth-placed Harrogate. "We only just
A DRAMA studio in Bury is to be named in memory of a promising teenage actor found dead on Monday (March 29). Fifteen-year-old Dean Worswick, a member of Carol Godby's Theatre Workshop, had sent text messages to his friends shortly before he was found
