THE sun beats down on a hot beach and it's not an uncommon sight these days to spot some dedicated sunbathers getting an "all over tan". But nudism in East Lancashire where there isn't a beach in sight and baking sunshine is a rare thing? Surely not!
EAST Lancashire is still one of the worst drought-hit areas in the North West, according to latest figures. Hyndburn is the most badly affected area with reservoir stocks standing at just 24 per cent, followed by Blackburn with 46 per cent and Rossendale
YOUNG Enterprise team members from the Ribble Valley are preparing to pit their business wits against junior entrepreneurs from all over Europe in an international competition. The Milieu chime making company from Longridge High School, has already won
DANCE students will have to be on their toes when the teachers from the world-famous Kirov Ballet Company come to East Lancashire next month. The Kirov, one of the most famous Russian ballet companies, will be sending a team of teachers to Britain in
ROLLER skating king Craig Williams hopes to play in the World Junior Inline Hockey Championships in Chicago at the end of the month - after being selected for the Great Britain squad. But the team's participation is in doubt due to lack of a main sponsor
HAVE you ever wondered where television audiences come from, and why programmes need them? The answer is, they are actually people just like you and me, and they are important to programmes like quiz and chat shows, which need the atmosphere a live audience
THERE'S no going back to the past - radical reforms are needed to bring local government closer to the people, including the possibility of elected mayors. So said Blackburn councillor Peter Greenwood at the Association of District Councils' annual conference
THERE was bad news for East Lancashire's struggling economic revival today. Bureaucrats at the Government Office of the North West have told local councils that they will not be getting a £50 million slice of the latest financial cake being offered by
IT seems to me that the current Labour policy of allowing the people of Scotland and Wales to decide whether or not to have independent governing bodies is totally unfair to the people of England. It is English taxpayers' money which supports these countries
DESPITE the fact that all East Lancashire hospitals got a good showing in the recent Government "league tables" there remain lingering doubts about the quality of care in the NHS. The Government is constantly telling us how well its reforms are working
TRAVELLING by bus from Accrington to Blackburn on a recent Saturday night, at Church we stopped to pick up three young ladies who, from their hair, clothes and make-up, had spared no expense to make themselves attractive. The turnout was, as in a teenager's
A FORMER Rossendale man is asking for people to buy up shares in a new film venture, but a film industry spokeswoman warned the investment may just be an expensive hobby. Jonathan Piers Linney, 25, was brought up in Bacup and attended Fearns High School
WHEELER-DEALERS Burnley are ready turn their sights on big Vince Overson after the capture of Nigel Gleghorn from Stoke City today. Attacking midfielder Gleghorn was due to sign a two-year deal following a Turf Moor medical. Now Heath could follow his
A NEW era is about to dawn for East Lancashire's business community. The East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for a major relaunch in the early Autumn. In recent years the range of services offered by the chamber to members has increased
WATER bosses should look elsewhere for savings rather than targeting pensioners, claims charity Age Concern. Alan Richardson, Burnley outreach officer, expressed concern over North West Water's proposals to introduce Smart Card prepayment water meters
A MAN has appeared in court today accused of murdering nightclubber Kevin Sudall. Anthony Thomas Aspinall, 24, of Windermere Close, Blackburn, was remanded in custody until Friday by Blackburn magistrates. He is alleged to have murdered Kevin outside
TWO insurance firms in East Lancashire have joined forces. Thomas Sagar Insurances, of Accrington, and John Meadows Insurance Brokers, of Clitheroe, have merged. "The aim is to establish the joint operation as the major specialist insurance brokers in
AN employee with Manchester United's travel company was suspended today after Alan Shearer's name was included on a list of 30 people booked on the club's trip to Milan for a pre-season friendly at the end of the month. Shortly after United had categorically
A HEADMASTER says plans to allow advertising in schools will lead to pressure on parents to buy designer goods for their kids. The Department of Education has given the go-ahead for schools to use advertising as a source of gaining extra cash. But Michael
UNIONS accused a textile giant of betraying it's workers after the shock announcement that a mill was to close with the loss of 230 jobs. The decision by Coats Viyella, Europe's largest textile company, to axe India Mills in Darwen, was condemned from
A LINK between drug addiction and unemployment was established for the first time by North West researchers.. Project boss Dr Michael Donmall, of Prestwich Hospital said: "Hitherto, the Government line has always been that there is no relationship between
SWAN At Whalley was yesterday beaten a length into second place by 2-1 favourite Silk Cottage in the Le Garcon D'Or Handicap at Musselburgh. It's been a hectic week for 'Swan', owned by Capt Harry Barlow, landlord of the Swan Hotel, Whalley. The four-year-old
JOHN CRAWLEY is back in the running for the Benson and Hedges Cup Final. Lancashire's England batsman came through his school exam yesterday at St Ambrose College Altrincham with flying colours, hitting a half century in his first innings after a month
A TERRIFIED woman has told how her house shuddered when it was hit by a car which hurtled out-of-control for 75 yards down a hill. Ann Kernot said she thought there had been a gas explosion when the vehicle crashed into her home. But when she looked out
CAN you ring me back in 15 minutes? I'm feeding a baby monkey." Parting a rottweiler from its bone would have been less daunting than trying to track down the daughter of famous circus performer Mary Chipperfield. After days of hunting I finally located
SURVIVORS from World War Two battleship HMS Mohawk have been sharing their wartime memories with young sea cadets. The modern day HMS Mohawk is the adopted ship of the Blackburn sea cadets and this week they have been presented with mementoes from the
A NEW McDonald's drive-through restaurant will open in Rising Bridge in October, creating up to 60 jobs. The £820,000 investment will see the conversion of Mister Taylor's fish and chip restaurant, formerly Don Gennaros, into a restaurant and drive-through
TREVOR Foster the Accrington GC green keeper kept his Open Championship hopes alive when he finished third in the regional qualifiers at Wilmslow. Foster, who fired an impressive 70, will now feature in the pre-qualifiers at St Anne's Old Links next week
IAM researching a television programme on the memories of those who did not conform to the strict teachings of the church on sexual behaviour in Ireland during the first half of the century. Sex before marriage was taboo and those who stepped out of line
IT'S hardly the South of France but it seems sun worshippers are flocking to the Ribble Valley.... to strip off! As we uncover in today's paper, the valley is the setting for the Ribble Valley Club, a thriving community of all types of people who see
COUNCILLORS vowed to fight on today after Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale missed out on a £29m Government cash package. Rossendale Council bid for £15m which could have led to a cable car being installed to lead from Rawtenstall town centre to Ski Rossendale
CASH-strapped East Lancashire has missed out on more than £50 million of Government money in favour of towns like Skelmersdale and Fleetwood. Town hall bosses found out by fax that they had all missed the Single Regeneration Budget cash which would have
A SHOCK survey has revealed that one in seven patients believe they are discharged from hospital too early. The finding was today being discussed by senior managers at Queen's Park Hospital and Blackburn Royal Infirmary who said they were taking the statistic
