Stories for 10 October 1996

Blackburn News

Job-seekers:A waste of bosses' time

I'M NOT surprised that unemployment continues to rise. Yes, I know the Government say it's falling but no one believes that do they?  more...

Getting hitched for a snip

IT'S wedding bells at Christmas time for Beverley McAulay and Billy Lynn - and it won't be costing them a fortune!  more...

Animal magic?

NOAH'S ARK has nothing on the Only Foals and Horses animal sanctuary on the outskirts of Oswaldtwistle. It really is bursting at the seams.  more...

Cash injection for drugs fight

THE government are pouring money into a drugs education scheme backed by campaigning mum Niamh Astles-Noone.  more...

Traders' fury at £1500 market rent rise

MARKET stallholders have slammed their council landlords for increasing their rents by an annual average of £1,500 - a rise which could send some traders to the wall.  more...

Donors are drying up

BLOOD donors in Blackburn are drying up at such an alarming rate that figures have reached a critical low.  more...

Homes sell-off plan could force residents out

RESIDENTS who feel they have been "stabbed in the back" by Hyndburn Council are planning to retaliate.  more...

Outdoor theatre part of £500,000 lottery bid

DETAILED plans to put the heart back into a popular Hyndburn park - including a new outdoor theatre - have been submitted as part of a £½m Lottery bid.  more...

Blackpool News

A long walk to victory

WALKING up to the famous Mastermind black chair was the longest stroll of one brainy Blackpool woman's life.  more...

Future plans for town centre

AMBITIOUS plans to jet Blackpool town centre into the next century are being laid before residents so they can give their views.  more...

Sky high success

LOTTERY cash is helping to make a grand difference to a Blackpool theatre.  more...

Stars shine for Julie

COURAGEOUS Julie Montgomery is thanking her lucky stars after cheating a premature death.  more...

Zena fought cancer ... and won

GETTING checked every three years was more or less routine for Zena Bagby, so after her regular breast examination in January the last thing she expected was to be recalled.  more...

Our own hall of fame

LEGENDARY performers George Formby, Charlie Cairoli and Les Dawson are all stars of yesteryear who have helped make Blackpool the entertainment capital of the UK.  more...

Stepping stone for job hunters

BLACKPOOL'S young homeless are to be given a launchpad out of the poverty trap.  more...

Get in line ... it's dance time

LINE dance fever has hit Blackpool, so dig out your spurs and brush off your ten gallon hats!  more...

Shy Mike's stage dream

STATESIDE stardom is set to ensure a former Blackpool man can fulfil his acting dream in his old home town.  more...

He dresses to impress!

GLAMOUR galore complete with sequins and feather boas - that's what is on offer in the Blackpool heat of the first ever national drag queen contest.  more...

Bolton Business

Green, green crafts of old . . .

"GREEN" businesses are being invited to take part in a business development scheme for wood-based crafts.  more...

Look after your staff!

A ROVING exhibition unit is promoting European Safety Week throughout Bolton this week.  more...

Bolton News

From the BEN files:

25 YEARS AGO  more...

Crucial inquiry

THE top-level inquiry into mental health services at Bolton General Hospital, announced in the wake of the court case involving a psychiatric nurse, is essential if public confidence is to be restored.  more...

Healthy bonus

BOLTON Council employees working for the housing direct labour organisation repairing council houses are to have a cash incentive to keep fit and healthy.  more...

Violent prisoners overpowered woman cell guard

TWO violent prisoners locked a female Group 4 security officer in a cell and escaped, a court heard yesterday.  more...

Our man in Havana takes on the drug barons

BOLTON had its own "man in Havana" when MP Tom Sackville visited the Cuban capital.  more...

Why Tories raised £600 for Party

THE Tory candidate for Bolton North-east has explained why his constituency party gave just £600 instead of its target of more than £4,000 to the Central Tory Election Fighting Fund.  more...

Ballet high! By ANGELA KELLY

BALLET is on a real high . . .  more...

Poor pupils 'face top school ban'

BOLTON parents were today warned that voting Labour could cost their children an education at the town's top school. Tory candidate Robert Wilson backed today's Bournemouth launch of a campaign by the Friends of Independent Schools to defend the assisted places scheme from Labour. They are to hold a series of meetings and advertise in national and local papers, claimimg that a Labour vote could end the scheme and deprive thousands of bright young people from less well off backgrounds the benefits of an independent education .  more...

Tribute to Fred

There's a mon who lives eawt Bowton way, he's a chap of great renown  more...

Hall of fame beckons local artistes

TWO Bolton entertainers performed live on Stuart Hall's new TV series "Hall of Fame". George Burton and Gerald Carter gave knock-out performances when they appeared in the show, broadcast on the new Granada Plus cable and satellite channel.  more...

New season dawns for English ballet

By Doreen Crowther, Showbusiness Correspondent ENGLISH National Ballet brings its new season's repertoire to Manchester"s Place Theatre later this month.  more...

'Cancer' op man to sue hospital

YOUNG Bolton man is taking hospital chiefs to court claiming doctors removed a testicle when they did not need to.  more...

Good old days?

Do we really remember the way things were In the 'good old days' of yore?  more...

Swan brake! Bird lands on m-way

A SWAN'S feathers were ruffled when it mistook a wet motorway for a stretch of water.  more...

Burnden goes

Burnden goes with many a tear  more...

Curtains up on rare film show

RARE archive film of Bolton and the surrounding area from years gone by will be screened at Bolton Library on Monday, October 14, 7pm.  more...

When Autumn comes

The leaves are slowly turning from green to golden brown,  more...

Hi-tech clean-up campaign

BURY is cleaning-up it act with new hi-tech anti-litter machines.  more...

Till's Oldham adventure

LAWRENCE Till, Artistic Director of the Octagon Theatre, is directing the hit West End comedy A Passionate Woman at the Oldham Coliseum Theatre later this month.  more...

You never hear me

Although you may not speak,  more...

In praise of poetry

Hey, well I never, it's real great to read  more...

Brussels

Has Brussels forgotten we liberated them?  more...

My special company

I got out of bed one morning, not feeling well that day,  more...

Cleared nurse's family talk of their relief at jury's verdict

SHAUN Darrock's family spoke of their "immense relief" as their son enjoyed his first day of freedom for six months. His father Philip said: "We are absolutely ecstatic. It's been absolute hell and horror being locked up for something he had not done. "We don't know what he's going to do now. He's just overjoyed to be free." Mr Darrock added: "I cannot thank all the people who have supported us and Shaun through this enough. It's wonderful to have him home."  more...

Court calls time on new bar plans

A NEW £5.5 million continental style bar development is in jeopardy after a court ruling stamped the end for new public houses in the Bradshawgate area of the town centre. The decision by Bolton licensing justices yesterday to turn down an application for a £850,000 pub in Nelson Square not only throws plans for future new pubs into doubt, but threatens the multi million pound proposals, even before the scheme gets off the ground. J D Wetherspoon, the company whose application was turned down by the magistrates, is one of three firms who had hoped to move into Nelson Square as part of the ambitious project proposed by developers Cathco Properties Ltd.  more...

Spy camera plans need united front

THE race is on to draw up a joint bid for CCTV funding for Horwich and Westhoughton.  more...

Darrock: How could it happen?

A TOP-LEVEL investigation is to be held into mental health services at Bolton General Hospital.  more...

Gym's taking pounds off us!

KEEP-FIT enthusiasts have accused a Bolton gym of breach of contract after introducing charges for aerobics classes after enticing them to join with special offers.  more...

Nurse 'unfit to care for the elderly'

A PSYCHIATRIC nurse cleared of trying to kill a terminally ill patient was branded "totally unfit" to care for the elderly by a judge yesterday.  more...

Mercy mission for sick kids

REDUNDANT medical equipment worth tens of thousands of pounds at buy-new prices will soon be winging its way from Bolton to a 600-bed Romanian children's hospital.  more...

Tear comes the bride: Kind BEN readers make dream come true

A HARD-up bride-to-be, who feared she would never be able to afford the wedding dress of her dreams, is now looking forward to a traditional white wedding thanks to kind-hearted BEN readers.  more...

Take your partners girls, the sailors are in town!

COME on down..the Navy's in town!  more...

Please support us ever more!

A LOCAL community is in danger of losing its battling residents' association because of a lack of interest.  more...

Bolton Sport

Homeward bound

MARK Hughes has paved the way for a return to his "native" north-west with a firm hint that this is where he will end his playing days.  more...

Rams let it slip: Squires Gate 1, Ramsbottom United 1

RAMSBOTTOM United dropped two points in a game they should have wrapped up by half time at Squires Gate.  more...

Bolton turn on the style with try rout

BOLTON RUFC first team really got into top gear with an overpowering performance against visitors Colne and Nelson at Avenue Street in the Courage League.  more...

Tyldesley hit top

TYLDESLEY RUFC's perfect start to the league season continued with another comprehensive victory to put them top.  more...

Bream dream

WITH just seconds to go in last Wednesday's Open on Doffcocker Reservoir, Paul Swift had given up the match as lost, having caught just a few bits.  more...

Brave Wildcats miss out

BURY and Bolton Wildcats basketball team matched the near invincible Coventry Crusaders shot for shot right up the final few moments.  more...

Simms to the rescue

IN the second week of the Lace Mawer League hockey season Bolton First XI had to come from behind to share the spoils with Alderley Edge.  more...

Burnley News

FURY over slur on fund-raisers

FURIOUS fund-raisers have accused a killjoy of putting a dampener on a successful night's tour of the pubs.  more...

Carry on Barnes-storming

FIVE-star striker Paul Barnes opened his Burnley account in style - and now his manager hopes he can keep up the good work.  more...

It's D-Day for Ossie!

WORLD War Two veteran Ossie Wilkinson is preparing to "fight them on the beaches" to stop a D-Day landing vehicle from being scrapped.  more...

Tidy children win trophies

PUPILS and staff at St Mary's School, Newchurch, were in celebratory mood this week as they prepared to collect two trophies in Lancashire's Best Kept Village Competition.  more...

Band short of brass

A BURNLEY high school's brass band has launched an appeal for instruments after becoming a victim of its own amazing success  more...

Reunion for men of music

AN INTERNATIONAL opera star is about to meet the music teacher who helped set him on his career.  more...

Don't meter our water!

THE campaign to stop pre-payment water meters being put in Lancashire homes was stepped up this week, despite reassurances from North West Water (NWW) and a temporary halt on installing the devices.  more...

Whizzing round the Big Apple

RUNNERS Gillian and Stephen Geoghegan are off to tackle the New York Marathon to buy a young boy a special wheelchair.  more...

Head blasts education revamp

HEADMASTER David Farrant will tonight (Thursday October 10) launch an attack on plans to revamp secondary education when he speaks to parents.  more...

Beer we go

FOUR wacky friends are off on a 24-hour money-making fancy-dress trip to France this weekend (October 12-13).  more...

Bury News

Armed gang in £14,000 robbery

DETECTIVES are hunting three men after a £14,000 armed raid on a supermarket. The masked gang pounced after a security van drew up outside the Aldi store in Fountain Place, Whitefield.  more...

Terror gun raids

AN ARMED raid on a Prestwich building society last Friday brought the number of attacks on the branch to eleven in 18 months. But, after ten ram raids on the Halifax Building Society office in the Longfield Precinct, this latest attack, by three men armed with handguns and a machete, has brought a new and more dangerous threat.  more...

Full-time at Boro

A FULL-TIME manager at a semi-professional side is a rarity but Radcliffe Boro manager Kevin Glendon has taken the plunge.  more...

RADCLIFFE BORO have announced changes to their fixture list.

On Saturday, October12, Boro will be at home to Netherfield KO 3pm in a Unibond League match. This has been brought forward from April 12, 1997.  more...

From the Bury Times archive

w/e October 5, 1946. MEN'S HOCKEY Although Preston defeated Bury 5-0 it perhaps may be considered that a five-goal margin was not quite representative of the play. For Bury, Turnbull and Roberts were very sound at the back and Skipp and Petrie were prominent in attack but there was no doubt as to Preston's superiority.  more...

Chorley News

Hic Bibi goes back to nature

AN HISTORIC village beauty spot which was bulldozed by developers several years ago looks set to be turned into a nature reserve.  more...

Family at war over stolen treasure

A HEARTBROKEN family are at war with the council over cherished keepsakes they kindly donated to Chorley's Astley Hall in the 70s.  more...

Kids in chemical spill alert

TWO youngsters were lucky to escape death after opening drums of powerful acid at a Chorley industrial unit.  more...

Magpies get a lift

BLYTH SPARTANS 1 - CHORLEY 3  more...

Residents protest after chainsaw massacre!

RAILWAY Road residents are fuming after the council ordered the destruction of shrubbery behind their homes.  more...

More traders to quit centre

MORE town centre traders have announced they are leaving the town due to low profits.  more...

Sour note over last post

A CAMPAIGNING councillor is stamping his feet because residents of Chorley's largest villages are missing out on a late postal collection.  more...

Ex-builder loses council court battle

A FORMER building contractor lost a nine-year battle with the council on Tuesday over a £631 housing rates debt.  more...

Plug pulled on noisy neighbour

A RAVER who made his neighbours' lives a misery for a year with loud, thudding music has been fined £500 by magistrates.  more...

Cinema plan moves a step nearer

A NEW four-screen cinema, 12-lane bowling alley, pub, nightclub and restaurant planned for Chorley was set to move nearer to reality on Tuesday night.  more...

Pioneering op gives mum new lease of life

A CHORLEY mum-of-two is fighting fit for the first time in 15 years following pioneering keyhole surgery.  more...

Drunk college student sparks warning

A DRUNKEN student has sparked a warning from a local college chief.  more...

Darwen News

Theatre group scoop second award

DARWEN Youth Theatre are celebrating a second victory in as many years.  more...

New life for 'toxic' site

BUILDING work has started on a site which was recently cleared of a toxic cocktail of chemicals left by a former gas works.  more...

Lancashire Business

No need for rural firms to be isolated

RURAL businesses in Lancashire will be given an insight into the latest communications technology at a series of workshops and seminars.  more...

Return of confidence, but skills still lacking

A MARKED increase in confidence has been revealed by the latest survey of North West businesses.  more...

Lancashire Leisure

5 YEARS AGO: Fire hero saves children

FIRE hero Ronnie Townson rescued two screaming children from the balcony of a blazing pub. The builder was one of the first people on the scene when The Buck Inn, Clitheroe, went up in flames.  more...

10 YEARS AGO: Pupils suspended

ABOUT 40 pupils were suspended from St Wilfred's C of E High School, Blackburn, after they threatened residents on a housing estate with logs and pieces of metal during school hours.  more...

Lancashire News

Milkman celebrates 35 years on the doorstep

MILKMAN Peter Simpson had a shock awaiting him on the doorstep today.  more...

Labour gives last chance to carpeted councillor

A COUNCILLOR who faces disciplinary action is being given a last chance to explain his actions during the Accrington Arndale Centre sell-off.  more...

Lorry bridge mis-hap

AN embarrassed driver was left waiting for a salvage company to rescue his vehicle after he tried to drive a 13ft lorry under a 12ft bridge.  more...

Food News: A master class

MANY top chefs would run a mile rather than start cooking school dinners.  more...

Blaze firm boss's pledge

A MARQUEE hire firm devastated in a suspected £200,000 arson attack will continue business as usual, its boss has pledged.  more...

Civic service puts focus on togetherness

PEOPLE of different creeds, colour and age will parade through Accrington town centre on Sunday for the first multi-denominational civic service.  more...

Augustinian celebration

A CHURCH started by a Belgian priest in a cottage in Burnley has celebrated its centenary.  more...

United front in war on poverty

EXPERTS and helpers are banding together to fight poverty in Burnley.  more...

Cracking boost for children

A SUPERMARKET in Clitheroe is going crackers to raise money for Children In Need.  more...

Villagers get together to fight nursery plan

VILLAGERS have united to thwart an unwanted garden nursery plan with their own bid for millennium cash to create a village green.  more...

Rich richer and poor poorer

THE Thatcher policy of money above all things, has, in the opinion of many, made the rich richer and the poor poorer.  more...

Rodney needs help to shoot the rapids!

A DISABLED man is hoping to ride the River Ribble rapids to raise money for charity!  more...

Cool hand John plays the 'ordinary' card

ON THE eve of this week's Conservative Party conference, we suggested John Major needed to launch some blockbusters - dramatic and imagination-grabbing policies that pulled the fat out of the fire for the way-behind Tories. And perhaps he still does.  more...

Need 'to go' thwarted

ON September 19, I was in the Arndale Centre in Nelson and had a need, not urgent, to go to the toilet.  more...

Beware of the lying rat

PITY poor pedestrian Barbara Beardsworth. For the motorist who knocked her over was not kindness itself, as it seemed, but a lying, cunning rat.  more...

Tory promises all moonshine

I WOULD like to inform Walt Meadows (Letters, September 28) that I conveniently forget nothing. Nor would I say he does, only that he appears not to have known the facts in the first place and any cocoon that's lived in is occupied by himself.  more...

Hedgehog numbers down

A HEDGEHOG is a very good friend to have in the garden, but, sadly, there seem to be fewer of them this year, probably because of the long winter.  more...

Poem laid to rest

THANKS to all the readers who responded to my query (Letters, September 20), I think the mystery over the poem, 'Mickey Plum,' has been laid to rest for ever. My friend, John Threlfall, is a happy man. His phone has been red-hot with calls and recitations of different versions of 'A' Thowt A Bit.' So, once again, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph has come up trumps..  more...

Milky's a marvel

MY wife and I took possession of our house in Langho on October 10, 1961. Dairyman Peter Simpson, of Langho, has been delivering our milk ever since.  more...

Speeding motorists set to get the hump

RESIDENTS are to be asked for their opinions on whether traffic calming measures should be installed on a Rishton road.  more...

Shame of 'forgotten' monuments to heritage

A ROW has erupted over the shabby state of three important monuments celebrating a town's industrial past.  more...

Food spices up life at school

TOP East Lancashire chef Nigel Haworth cooked up a tasty treat to raise funds for a special learning support unit.  more...

Courage of hero

A GALLANT nurse who came to the aid of a woman who had been shot in the stomach is to be rewarded for his heroics.  more...

New first aiders join team

TWELVE new junior members known as badgers were enrolled at the annual inspections and awards night for Padiham's St John Ambulance Brigade.  more...

Home wrangle

A RUN-DOWN terraced house earmarked for demolition as part of a plan to build houses on land behind has had a compulsory purchase order put on it by Pendle Council.  more...

Lancashire Sport

Beresford: 'I feel let down'

CONTRACT talks with Marlon Beresford have hit a fresh obstacle today.  more...

We are not a selling club defiant Harford tells fans

DEFIANT Ray Harford told Blackburn Rovers fans today: "We're not a selling club."  more...

Taylor saves Stanley blushes

Knowsley Utd 1 Accrington Stanley 1  more...

Clitheroe sneak an eight-goal thriller

Darwen 3 Clitheroe 5 IN a magnificent advert for non-league football, Clitheroe outslugged Darwen at The Anchor to establish a two-goal advantage in this Floodlit Trophy first round fixture.  more...

Bramwell Speaks Out: Jury out on Hoddle

THE jury is still out on Glenn Hoddle.  more...

Lancaster News

The right spirit

A Lancaster spiritualist's special gift is earning her hundreds of pounds for local children's charities. Medium Catherine Carlton is so successful that her customers from all over the country have started making donations to help local causes. Recently she received a £130 cheque from an 88-year-old woman in Runcorn and another £20 from a woman in southern Ireland.  more...

Power cut!

260 jobs to go at Heysham power plant WORKERS at Heysham's power stations were left shell shocked this week after hundreds of job cuts were announced. The first of the 260 job losses by Nuclear Electric are expected to go in the next few months just before Christmas. They will be phased out over a three-year period at both Heysham 1 and 2 in a major cost-cutting exercise which has hit workers across the country.  more...

Shrimps start October revolution

Slough Town 1 Morecambe 2 THE Shrimps should be in buoyant mood as they entertain Manchester-based Flixton at Christie Park in the third Qualifying round of the FA Cup this weekend. For Jim Harvey's men go into the tie on the back of cracking form which has helped them see off Slough and Northwich Victoria in their October fixtures.  more...

Award for RLI building

THE Royal Lancaster Infirmary's new Centenary Building is responsible for the destination of this year's prestigious Building Contractor of the Year award. National company Laing was named as this year's winner at a gala dinner held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London's posh Park Lane last week. And it was the construction of the striking Centenary Building, opened earlier this year, that was singled out as the main reason why Laing was presented with the trophy by Lord Tebbit.  more...

Oyston faces court again!

Rape victim to claim damages from tycoon JAILED businessman Owen Oyston is facing another High Court hearing. The girl whom he was found guilty of raping at his mansion near Lancaster has issued a writ for damages for personal injury and other losses arising from the rape and also alleged false imprisonment. There is no limit to the amount of damages that could be awarded if she is successful in the action.  more...

Woman robbed in spray attack

POLICE have issued photographs of two bags similar to the ones stolen in a vicious spray attack on a 32-year-old woman in Lancaster this week. Two attackers sprayed a substance, believed to be CS gas, into the woman's face and grabbed her bag with a substantial amount of cash near the Nat West bank. Police said the the woman was carrying takings to the bank at about 2.40pm on Monday when the robbers struck in the nearby car park off New Road.  more...

We are not alone!

UFOs are real and that's official. Government UFO researcher Nick Pope will put the rubber stamp on the phenomenon - which have been reported across Morecambe Bay - at a special meeting in Lancaster this Saturday. The Lancashire UFO Society claim the meeting will also include footage of exclusive and remarkable video and photographic evidence of real life sightings.  more...

Shrimps are victorious

Morecambe 2 Northwich Vic 0 The early exchanges in the first half saw Morecambe creating many chances with Leaver and Jackson beating several players before forcing action from the keeper the third and sixth minutes.  more...

Just the job!

I'M not surprised that unemployment continues to rise. Yes, I know the Government say it's falling but no one believes that do they?  more...

The stage is set

MORECAMBE'S famous landmark the Winter Gardens is set to become a multi-purpose theatre to hold concerts, conferences and banquets. The 19th Century theatre which has stood derelict for nearly two decades is set to be restored to its former glory in a two phase set of plans totalling £3 million. And in spite of a number of false starts, work on the new project is expected to get under way next week.  more...

Teenager in pub raid ordeal

TWO women were subjected to a horrifying ordeal this week by a masked gangster trio who hid in an attic for more than two hours before they robbed a Lancaster pub. The thieves laid low in the attic of the Sun Hotel on Church Street in the early hours of Monday morning before they raided nearly £2,000 of cash and £1,000 worth of jewellery. Sixteen-year-old Amanda Bowes, who was staying at the pub that night, disturbed the thieves while she was locking up for the night.  more...

Leigh News

Big store bid for mill site

TOWN centre superstore plans could revitalise Tyldesley.  more...

Maureen's in a spin

PART-TIME deejay Maureen Young's first taste of the stage left her yearning for more. She appeared as a slave girl in the panto 'Sinbad the Sailor' with Leigh's St Joseph's Players earlier this year.  more...

Diane's outrage at CSA post plan

PLANS for postal workers to intercept and open Child Support Agency mail to cut the CSA workload have been slammed as "outrageous".  more...

Fighting care battle for 12 months: for what?

TO all Borough Care Service staff. It will soon be our anniversary. This month we will have been fighting the council for one whole year. What has our efforts achieved?  more...

Walking the dog

I OFTEN walk in to Leigh town centre to do my shopping, it saves using the car and I enjoy the walk. I could easily go to Wigan, Bolton etc. in the car, but I prefer to support our local shops if I can.  more...

Bryn's plane crash plea

COULD any of your readers help me with the following information.  more...

Commuters blow-up over buses

ASTLEY commuters are fuming over changes in the number 34 bus service to Manchester.  more...

Dancer dies in blaze

A HORSE was killed when a fire, thought to have been started by arsonists, swept through a stable in Tyldesley.  more...

Plugged-in for fun

LIVEWIRE workers enjoyed learning how to stay healthy in a safer environment.  more...

Tricks are no treat

LEIGH'S police chief has issued a Hallowe'en 'trick or treat' warning.  more...

Gypsy protestors hope for second success

GYPSY site objectors successfully bombarded planners with a 1,150 name petition.  more...

What a mooo-ving sermon!

PARISHIONERS at St Stephen's in Astley had to take an 'udder' look on Sunday after a cow walked into church!  more...

Women taking 'time off'

A TIME off for Women Festival which is to take place in Leigh and other parts of the borough later this month has received the blessing of the council's Leisure Services Department.  more...

Gary's the 'mane man'

GARY Yates proved to be the 'mane' man on Monday.  more...

Mugged - for £2 of food!

AN elderly man was mugged and thrown to the ground by a teenage thug...for the £2 worth of food he had just bought.  more...

Jackie 'hits the booze' for charity

JACKIE Greaves reckons Guinness is good for you!  more...

Leigh Sport

Coach Hughes quits to join rivals

LEIGH coach Eric Hughes has sensationally joined Wigan.  more...

New-look Miners eat 'em up

HUMBUG! That's the new war cry down at Leigh Miners.  more...

Horror injury shocks colls

STEVE COFFEY suffered a horror injury at the weekend.  more...

Wheeler's late saver for RMI

LEIGH RMI extended their unbeaten run to 11 games with a battling 2-2 draw at Worksop. They had the luxury of taking a fifth minute lead before defensive mistakes allowed Worksop to go in front.  more...

Man always on a sticky wicket

EXPLANATION of an umpire...  more...

Super centre Swanton on song

TOP-of-the-League Tyldesley RU romped to a comfortable 48-8 triumph against Trafford MV. They had a dream start for a fourth straight win with impressive centre Mark Swanton interception and racing 70 yards for the score, Tim Brown goaling.  more...

Sand stormer for top Mark

QUICKFIRE centre Mark Hudspith was in sparkling form as Leigh RU socked Sandbach 35-16.  more...

East make 'em saddle sore!

LEIGH EAST produced the first major shock of the amateur Rugby League season.  more...

Super hack leads record-busters

JUST champion! That's Astley & Tyldesley Cycle Speedway.  more...

Leyland News

Short-changed

SMALL charities say they are losing out on thousands of pounds - because of a decision by Leyland market to stop them trading.  more...

Telly trolley dash

SHOP workers Wendy Hill and Sharon Southcombe thought their expertise would see them ringing up the prizes on TV's Supermarket Sweep.  more...

Preston News

Getting to grips with asthma

ASTHMA can be deadly, it can ruin your life, prevent you from working, getting a job, it can even leave you housebound.  more...

Neighbourhood in mourning

A BEDROOM blaze claimed the lives of two young Preston brothers who firemen believe were playing with a cigarette lighter.  more...

Three Musketeers at the Charter

THIS brilliantly funny show went down a storm - despite the company having to replace its star, Brian Glover, due to his sudden illness.  more...

Guide leader falls from cliff

A PRESTON woman plunged 70 feet to her death from a cliff top in North Yorkshire on Saturday.  more...

Theatre face lift

A LEYLAND theatre is to undergo a spectacular extension after South Ribble Borough Council was awarded almost £200,000 lottery cash.  more...

Self help is the best help

A TROUBLED estate in Preston is receiving a face-lift thanks to a newly-formed action group run by residents themselves.  more...

Hobby cops get the 'big stick'

SPECIALS in Preston have been armed with batons in the battle against crime.  more...

Charles backs fashion mill

PRINCE Charles is about to give Preston's Centenary Mill the Royal Seal of Approval.  more...

Cup of cheer

NORTH End's new £300,000 signing David Reeves partnered Gary Bennett in attack as Preston picked up the elegant Marsden Cup silverware at this week's match against Blackpool which ended 2:1.  more...

My amazing Amy

TINY Amy Priestly saved her mother's life after she suffered an epileptic fit.  more...

Ladywell shrine to keep its shine

A BATTLE to stop the opening of a quiet country path leading to a religious shrine has been won.  more...

Ticket to ride

CAR dismantler Ian Wilson spent the last two years doing the opposite of what he's trained to do.  more...

Cup clash

BAMBER BRIDGE face a crucial FA Cup clash on Saturday with boss Mick Holgate saying: "If we want it enough we will win."  more...

Knowledge Park makes jobs

AN ambitious project to develop the county as an international business centre is being set up in Preston.  more...

Bos boss the show

BAMBER BRIDGE sank deeper into trouble at the foot of the Unibond Premier Division as they crashed 2-0 to Boston United. But it was a case of what might have been for the Irongate side, who spurned five clear-cut chances.  more...

Home clash defeat

A SEVEN-GOAL thriller had both sets of fans riveted as we saw two amazing fightbacks.  more...

Spaced out in Preston

DIVERSE indie band Space landed in Preston to sign autographs for eager fans - before playing a one-off concert at the University of Central Lancashire.  more...

Gone to blazes

CASH shortages mean Preston firemen could soon be crawling to blazes in worn out fire engines.  more...

Tom lights up the world

FOOTBALL legend Tom Finney is being beamed into homes of people worldwide - after being immortalised on a computer cigarette card!  more...

The mighty Quinn

LEYLAND Warriors saw a depleted U8s while the U9s beat Rylands with top tackler Mark Quinn was one of the try scorers.  more...

Grasshoppers to go to the seaside

THE DRAW for the second round of Rugby Union's Pilkington Cup pits Preston Grasshoppers against North Division One side New Brighton. Preston may be apprehensive at the trip to New Brighton, who put out Division Four North side Hereford in the last round, but the Grasshoppers are undefeated in the league this season and should carry the day.  more...

St Helens News

Lottery cash boost for band

OFFICIALS of a long-established band are celebrating their latest piece of 'brass' - a £25,936 grant from the National Lottery!  more...

Fashion bonanza at Church Square

IF you want to stay ahead in the fashion stakes then make sure that you are at Church Square Shopping Centre on Friday and Saturday, October 25 and 26 for their Autumn Season Fashion Shows.  more...

Shake-up in surplus places

SURPLUS secondary school places in St Helens are costing the council around £400,000 each year. Now a big review is underway to resolve this problem in a bid to improve education services and meet Government guidelines.  more...

Teenagers arrested after superstore raid

QUICK-off-the-mark police officers foiled two would-be burglars who broke into Halfords Superstore on Friday, October 4.  more...

Road rage attack on Courtesy Day

POLICE are appealing for witnesses to an alleged 'road rage' assault which took place on National Road Courtesy Day, aimed at promoting calm, rational behaviour behind the wheel!  more...

The siege of Indian Village

ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD  more...

Big market plans on ice

PLANS to redevelop town centre markets and secure a big name department store have been delayed as a result of legal action being taken by a number of market traders, who say they were not consulted properly with regards to the plans.  more...

1,000 call helpline in HIV scare

NEARLY 1,000 people have called a special Whiston Hospital helpline after it was revealed that a surgeon had been diagnosed as having HIV, the AIDS virus, although officials stress he has not got AIDS.  more...

Iron-fisted Jimmy re-lives battles

ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD  more...

Tim on a creepy quest

ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD  more...

Trader fined for safety breach

A LANCASHIRE-based market trader and his supplier have been convicted of selling floor cushions which did not meet fire safety requirements after a prosecution brought by St Helens Council's Trading Standards section.  more...

Craig's classy act pays off

A FORMER Rainford High pupil is heading for the bright lights of London to tread the boards of one of the country's top drama schools after winning a prestigious scholarship award from a top West End impresario.  more...

Riddle of man who jumped on van

POLICE are trying to identify a young man who leapt on to the bonnet of a Ford Transit van while it was travelling round a roundabout in St Helens town centre.  more...

Special history lesson for pupils

PRESENT-day pupils at Lyme Infants School, Newton-le-Willows, were able to swap 'now-and-then' tales when old boy Cyril Holland paid them a visit.  more...

Greenalls buy Logwood Mill for £11 million

LOCAL businessman Peter Tyer has sold the Logwood Mill Hotel and Leisure Club and Derby Lodge Hotel to the Greenalls Group plc for £11 million.  more...

St Helens Sport

All square in derby clash

St Helens Town 1 Prescot Cables 1 AFTER just three minutes of Saturday's wind-affected derby at Hoghton Road, Town's Gary Bickerstaffe raced onto King's pass to shoot his side ahead.  more...

Saints fight for Big Mac

A COURT ruling on the other side of the world means Saints have a fight on their hands to retain the services on influential forward Derek McVey.  more...

More woe for LSH

Liverpool St Helens 12 Fylde 40 LSH suffered their heaviest defeat so far this term, and their third at home, against table leaders Fylde who overcame a poor first half, to run out easy winners.  more...

  
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