Archive

  • Big Dipper-thon!

    TAXI driver Gary Grant had never been on the Big Dipper before when he volunteered to spend 100 hours on the white knuckle ride! Gary, of Shenstone Avenue, Blackpool, is taking part in the charity ride with 11 other brave souls who applied for the roller

  • MOTOR SPORT: Chris is a class act at Oulton

    CHRIS Ward, sponsored by Newman's Footwear of Blackburn, was third fastest in Class B in the sixth round of the Formula Vauxhall Championship, part of the British Touring Car Championship, at Oulton Park on Bank Holiday Monday. In the10-lap race, Ward

  • Technically, he's a success

    GEOFFREY Smith is on the road to career success after completing a training course. Geoffrey, 21, joined the XTEND programme for school-leavers and became a technical apprentice with Lucas Automotive in Burnley. He spent a year completing a foundation

  • Let's rock!

    FYLDE crowds braved bad weather yesterday (May 29) in true Blackpool style to support GMTV's Get up and Give charity event. Stars from the morning show visited the resort's World of Coronation Street in a party atmosphere as part of a national tour to

  • Leading light in safety awards

    ELECTRICITY worker Stephen Dean has picked up a safety award. Stephen, of Clockhouse Grove, Burnley, is one of 40 employees around the country to receive Diplomas in Safety Management. The Norweb worker studied fire protection, occupational health and

  • Allardyce sacked

    BLACKPOOL Football Club's manager Sam Allardyce was sensationally sacked yesterday (May 29), exactly one week after the club's chairman, Owen Oyston (pictured), was jailed. The sacking was the first dramatic move of the club's new regime under Vicki Oyston

  • Heidi's new Ginger group

    A SELF-HELP group for single parents is starting on Atherton's Hag Fold estate. Mother-of-two Heidi Davenport aims to set-up a Gingerbread group at the Dorset Road community centre and has organised starter meetings on Monday, June 3, 6-8 and Wednesday

  • Brave David's dream comes true

    BRAVE David Astbury's dream came true - thanks to a nationl charity for sick children. For the desperately ill nine-year-old received a Cocker Spaniel puppy during a surprise trip to the Moscow State Circus, at Southport. His devoted family arranged the

  • Photographic competition is streets ahead

    WEIRD and wonderful snapshots of street furniture flooded into Darwen Civic Society during their most successful photographic competition yet. More than 100 people sent in visions of Darwen's bus shelters, bollards, litter bins and other items dotted

  • Canadian Bill's milk Pudding

    BILL FROGGATT has fond memories of Dick and Pudding. They were the horses which, at various times, helped pull his milk cart when he worked for Rigby's of Leigh. But that was a long time and many miles ago. Now Bill, who served his apprenticeship at Ward

  • Ex-RAF patient made infirmary bomb

    ARMY explosive experts were called to Leigh Infirmary after a psychiatric patient made a home-made bomb. The bomb, made out of a medicine bottle packed with chemicals, wired up to a battery to act as a detonator, was assembled by former RAF man and customs

  • Military Medal turns up at car boot sale

    A WAR medal dating back to 1918, awarded to a soldier who saved the life of one of his comrades, has been unearthed at a car boot sale. The medal belonged to a Private Bolton (39532) of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. It was discovered by Jim Dyer

  • Is your conscience pricking?

    ONE thing intrigues me about Mr Roy Brooks' letter 'Old jobs, more pay' (Journal Mailbox). He says that his income now is very little different than if he had remained employed. If this is so, he can't have helped Margaret Murdin save that much of the

  • Wok have we here?

    A CHINESE Cookery Wokshop is taking place at the Harris Library on May 31 starting at 11am. It's part of the library's Fiction Promotion Programme which concentrates on the Mystic East and includes artistic wonders in the form of Chinese calligraphy sessions

  • It's an olde worlde million!

    ANTIQUES collected by a couple who met while working in Preston have fetched a cool £1 million - twice the sum predicted by experts. Husband and wife Alan and Edna Austin, who met while working at Loxhams Garages in Preston, had been buying antiques since

  • LETTER: Miners know the meaning of Gobbin Land

    AFTER many years observing the Gobbin Saga I now wish to participate. Gobbin, as can be verified by reference to the Oswaldtwistle English Dictionary, (does Bob Dobson possess a copy or was it sadly only a plug?) is the waste rock generated in coal mining

  • Charity cash bonanza in annual awards

    CASH strapped local charity groups could soon be sharing a £4,000 cash bonanza! The call is going out local organisations to apply for a share of the Citizen/Crown Paints Community Awards, now in its 17th year. The grants will be awarded on merit - with

  • Thank you all

    WE would like to thank all the organisations and individuals in Blackburn and Darwen for their help and kindness shown to us during our year as Mayor and Mayoress. We have been proud to witness some excellent work going on in the Borough, especially that

  • Professionals square up

    THERE will be no love lost between two Springboks when they step out to face each other in a crucial top versus bottom clash at Thorneyholme Road this Sunday. Marsden Lancashire League pros, Billy Stelling of East Lancs and Chad Grainger of Accrington

  • Police hunt tiny terrors

    TWO tiny terrors snatched a pensioner's purse from right under the nose of the police. One, a girl no older than nine, told an elderly woman she was lost and, while she was distracted, a 12-year-old boy snatched her purse. The brazen thieves struck outside

  • Campaigners get bypass blues

    CAMPAIGNERS trying to block the construction of a bypass through their villages are calling for a public inquiry after Lancashire County Council gave it the all-clear. The modified blue route for the planned Penwortham Bypass extension, which campaigners

  • Teenager scarred for life in attack

    A TEENAGER whose face was slashed in a vicious attack was told by the knifeman's friend: 'Stand back or he'll kill you'. Zafar Iqbal, aged 18, was one of three victims stabbed in the space of half an hour on Monday by a boy of about the same age. He was

  • It's obscene, says Labour MP

    ANGRY Labour MPs today accused water bosses of "coining it in" at the expense of the public. Although North West Water said it expected water supplies would be maintained this summer despite the drought, Hyndburn's Greg Pope said the public was not getting

  • Stone find spells God for Muslims

    A SMALL grey stone picked up near Britain's highest mountain, has created a peak of excitement among Burnley Muslims. The stone, found on a riverside below Ben Nevis by Burnley day-trippers has markings which clearly spell out Allah in Arabic. Now Asians

  • 10 YEARS AGO: Mission impossible

    A NUCLEAR disaster would leave East Lancashire with 'nowhere to run,' was the warning from Lancashire County Councillor Louise Ellman. Lancashire is ringed by nuclear power stations and Mrs Ellman said that protection for the public was 'woefully inadequate

  • CRICKET: Hegg is on the brink

    WARREN Hegg stood on the brink of his 500th first class victim at Old Trafford today, writes ANDY WILSON. The Lancashire wicket keeper went into the Championship game against Gloucestershire with 499 dismissals in his gloves in 183 matches since his debut

  • Much ado about nothing

    REGARDING the Muffin the Mule stamps, why is Barbara Castle making a fuss about them (LET, May 25)? When she was a Cabinet Minister, she showed no equivalent concern for the demise of Blackburn's textile industry. She had her priorities wrong and is too

  • New cement plant fears

    THE spectre of a cement works coming back to life has re-awakened campaigners determined to keep it closed. The works, at the top of Knotts Lane, Colne, is owned by Tarmac. The firm's parent company, Tarmac Quarry Products has filed a planning application

  • Samaritan driver stabbed at roadside

    A GOOD Samaritan who stopped to help a teenager, ended up with stab wounds in the stomach and chest. The incident occurred at about 6.30pm on Sunday, when a 21-year-old man driving to the Late Shop in Bowness Avenue, Clinkham Wood, spotted the young lad

  • Taking the plunge for work chum

    EIGHT work colleagues are preparing to take the plunge in a bid to raise money for a fellow employee suffering from cancer. The daredevil group, who all work at Fine Foods in Sutton, plan to undertake a sponsored parachute jump in Northumbria next month

  • Police welcome amnesty on firearms

    MERSEYSIDE Police have welcomed the announcement that a national firearms amnesty will come into effect from Monday, June 3 to Sunday, June 30, inclusively. A spokesman for the force said: "We feel that the amnesty will assist in our determination to

  • GOLF: Top Turnberry trio

    THE 101st Amateur Championship tees off at Turnberry next Monday with 288 competitors seeking to achieve the ultimate in amateur golf. Last year's winner, Gordon Sherry from Scotland, embarked on a professional career immediately after playing this year's

  • Chance to get scores of weapons off the streets

    A NATIONAL gun amnesty is giving people the chance to take scores of potentially lethal weapons off the streets of Blackburn. But police have admitted that there is a hard core of local criminals who will ignore the chance to escape prosecution. The first

  • Troops hope for 'freedom' march

    A REGIMENT returning from Bosnia wants to exercise its freedom of the borough of Blackburn with a march through the town. The 1st Battalion the Queen's Lancashire Regiment will return from peacekeeping duties in late August or early September and wants

  • Denis Whittle talks with Shaun McRae

    HAPPY with points glut, but not with the old chestnuts of handling errors and leaky defence. That was the considered view of Saints' boss Shaun McRae on his side's victory over Castleford. WHITTLE: Overall most fans were pleased with the showing on Monday

  • LETTER: Burnley needs a new club

    WHY is the old Ritzy's site in Burnley not being maintained to accommodate another nightclub. This must surely be a profitable venture, which in turn benefits all the taxi companies and late night food establishments of the surrounding area. Burnley is

  • Equality for all call

    TOO few women and too few white people are on the Racial Equality Council, according to its secretary. Pendle councillor Azhar Ali says problems facing the Burnley and Pendle REC are based around its membership, and he has issued a strong warning to its

  • Tibetans welcome in the hillsides

    A GROUP of Tibetan folk dancers and musicians were so impressed with their last visit to Burnley that they're making a return journey. The Spirit of Tibet have performed all over the world, but they say they received their warmest ever welcome when they

  • Getting into gear

    Wayne and Neil Sisson from Arnside Ford in their Miller Oils Vauxhall Astra GSi are now contesting the International Mobil/Top Gear Rally Championship after their success at regional and national level. The brothers came second in the Welsh event and

  • Selective slaughter 'not the solution'

    A FARMING boss is urging the Government to give more help to farmers caught up in the beef crisis. Sir David Naish, president of the National Farmers' Union, said farmers currently selling cattle under 30 months old needed realistic help in severely depressed

  • Heath set to play the transfer market

    FOOTBALL'S summer transfer market could be about to take off - and Adrian Heath is all set to make the moves necessary to strengthen his squad. The Burnley manager has kept quiet about his intentions amid all the speculation which has been going on since

  • Doctors' 24-hour deal

    ON-CALL family doctors in Burnley are starting morning surgery exhausted after being kept awake at night by 'emergencies' such as itchy bottoms, sore throats and earache. They are fed up with being called out to deal with relatively minor ailments in

  • Transport group slates council decision

    UPROAR greeted a decision to turn part of Lancaster's bus station into a car park this week. Lancaster City councillors voted unanimously to forge ahead with plans to use land on Damside Street as a short stay car park for the next two years. But members

  • Join in the Citizen fight against cancer

    THE appeal to raise enough cash to create Lancaster's very own specialist cancer unit is up and running. And the first day of the Macmillan Appeal to build the £850,000 centre at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary got off to a bumper start last week after

  • Oyston in -Allardyce out

    Blackpool Football Club's manager Sam Allardyce was sensationally sacked yesterday, exactly one week after the club's chairman, Owen Oyston (pictured), was jailed. The sacking was the first dramatic move of the club's new regime under Vicki Oyston who

  • Oyston's legal fees reach record levels

    OWEN OYSTON's defence against SIX rape allegations has cost him upwards of TWO MILLION POUNDS, we can reveal. It has proved to be the most costly defence against sex charges in the history of British justice. And even after that vast expense, most of

  • Sixty jobs lost at British Gas

    SIXTY people will lose their jobs next week when British Gas closes its district office in Marton. Around 65 people currently work at the offices on Clifton Road - some will be relocated to Stockport, some will work from home and 41 will take voluntary

  • Billy whizzes his way to prize

    ENTREPRENEUR Billy Gleave, who founded Burnley-based Northern Textiles in 1989, was one of seven finalists for the 1996 Hanson Management Award. He collected a trophy and cheque for £1,000 from Lord Palumbo at a ceremony in London. Billy launched Northern

  • Common as muck

    FILMING has begun in Fleetwood for the new series of the hit BBC comedy series Common As Muck. Actors Edward Woodward, Neil Dudgeon, Anthony Barclay, Stephen Lord and Roy Hudd are among cast members who will be visiting the town over the next few weeks

  • Mule-tide greetings

    MUFFIN the Mule (LET, May 25) was my delight when I was a little girl and, one Christmas, my only desire was to have Muffin. You can imagine my delight when Christmas came and a big box was there for me to open. On opening it, I found it was a walkie-talkie

  • Street songs

    BEGGAR'S might not be able to be choosers but it seems they can be buskers. That's one man's view about a Leigh town centre street musician. "What's the difference between a beggar and a busker?" he asked at a Leigh Police and Community Consultative meeting

  • Musical boost for church brigade

    AN AMBITIOUS band is marching to its own tune by creating a unique youth orchestra. And the 18-strong St James' Church Lads and Girls Brigade from Darwen has received a cash boost and some musical instruments to help realise its dream. Delighted band

  • Worshippers plea for cash

    WET worshippers at a Great Harwood church have issued a plea for cash to pay for vital roof repairs. Thousand's of pounds of work is needed to patch holes in the roof of Our Lady and St Hubert's RC Church. Not only that but a large section of the building's

  • Gym club plans new centre of excellence

    AN INTERNATIONAL centre of excellence for gymnasts could soon be opened in Darwen. Darwen Gym Club says its current base in Percival Street is sub-standard and unless it finds new premises, the talented young gymnasts will not stay in the top flight of

  • School's town centre oasis

    ST John's Infants School in Leigh has school grounds to be proud of, thanks to a joint initiative by Asda and Groundwork Wigan and Chorley. For an environment learning area has been built in the grounds as part of BT Environment Week. Volunteers worked

  • Double op boy sitting up at bedside

    CYSTIC fibrosis sufferer Robert Daly is making a remarkable recovery from his double-lung transplant operation, according to family and friends. Robert, who celebrates his 15th birthday next week, was taken off his ventilator machine yesterday afternoon

  • Traffic calming plans anger cyclists

    THE COUNTY Council has given a £50,000 traffic calming scheme the green light in a bid to cut accidents on a busy Rishton road. Between January 1990 and August 1995 there were 49 accidents between Station Road and the paper mill, near Tottleworth Road

  • Patrick's patient trust role

    ATHERTON born Patrick Gormley has been appointed the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust's General Manager for Service Development. Patrick, 31, has been promoted from General Manager for the service's emergency control centre, and will assume

  • Marathon swim at the double

    SUPER swimmers Dorothy Smith and Carol Wilkinson have completed a mother and daughter double - by swimming the length of the Colne boundary. The two Colne women were the first people to complete 1,168 lengths of the pool, the equivalent of 18.25 miles

  • Council under fire for environmental blunder

    RISHTON folk are furious that a tree which has stood for generations has got the chop - in the middle of Environment Week! They are appalled Hyndburn Council did not consult residents before felling the ancient sycamore to make way for a paved area with

  • Gardeners tell Cable: 'Stop it'

    CABLE layers aren't welcome on an open plan estate. The majority of people with homes in Ashling Court, Tyldesley say the rush to install the latest communication technology is no excuse for marching roughshod over people's property. Anti-cable campaigner

  • Tartan trouble

    EWOOD'S tartan trio, Kevin Gallacher, Colin Hendry and Billy McKinlay, are battling against an injury-dogged build-up to Euro 96. And, although Kevin Gallacher made a welcome comeback as a second-half substitute in Miami last night, Colin Hendry had to

  • Village fight goes to 'five just men'

    YELLOW ribbons might signal the sell-off blues for family silver traders in a village green fight. Sunday's peaceful protest aims to block plans to build on the Wesley Guild field at Pennington, Leigh. And Wigan Council - which wants to dispose of the

  • LETTER: Councillor is wrong again

    I REALLY do have to smile every time I hear about Bill Goldsmith - for it seems he can never get anything right. He was quite rightly put in his place by your two correspondents in last week's Citizen with regards to his remarks over Oswaldtwistle and

  • Headmaster's counter attack

    A HEADMASTER has hit back at the author of an anonymous letter which attacked teaching standards at his school. Ron Browell, head of Queen's Drive County Primary School in Fulwood, was amazed by the claims sent in a letter to this newspaper. It suggested

  • Donald in contract wrangle - claim

    RISHTON'S troubled season continued with their match against Burnley rained off and a possible contract wrangle looming with star pro Allan Donald. A source close to Donald told the Citizen this week, the 29-year-old South African pace bowler was unhappy

  • Caribbean fun in the sun

    AS the sun burst out from behind the clouds, hundreds of colourful faces sprang to life, dancing through the streets for the annual Caribbean Carnival. People of all races travelled from across the country for the 22th carnival in Preston, which was blessed

  • LETTER: Thanks to you all

    WE would like to thank all the organisations and individuals throughout Blackburn and Darwen for their help and kindness shown to us during our year of office as Mayor and Mayoress of the Borough. The year was a memorable one for us both. We have been

  • In the swim but not in Leigh

    I WAS not surprised to read in The Journal last week the advert for Wigan M.B.C. Leisure Department. It seems the electorate of Leigh have to leave our town to take part in these activities, as the nearest one is Howe Bridge. Others include Atherton baths

  • Thieves threaten Dylan's lifeline

    CALLOUS thieves are threatening to cut the lifeline of a young leukaemia victim. During the last year two cars have been stolen from outside the home of Citizen-appeal boy Dylan Wildman. In the latest attack vandals smashed windows of the family's Vauxhall

  • Laurie leathers 'em

    PRESTON had a disastrous Spring Bank Holiday, suffering two defeats within 48 hours. On Saturday they were beaten by Lancaster at Lune Road by eight wickets. Put into bat they were dismissed for 137, with Lancaster's West Indian one day International

  • Residents right to fight school plan-LETTER

    I WRITE with reference to recent news articles concerning the re-location of St Wilfrid's High School from its two sites near Blackburn town centre. I do agree that the school needs relocating but to move it to that green stretch between Feniscliffe and

  • We're here to talk on meningitis

    WITH Spring upon us, the subject of meningitis has, predictably, largely disappeared from the national headlines. Those cases which do occur, however, continue to arouse interest and concern locally. While the number of the dangerous bacterial meningitis

  • Brigade's Bosnia mission

    LANCASHIRE firefighters went to Bosnia this week taking with them 100 sets of breathing apparatus and six fire engines. The two-week exercise is part of Operation Florian 1996, an aid mission by the UK Fire Service Search and Rescue Team, which besides

  • Great Harwood skipper calls for big push

    THERE are not many people who can remember the last time Great Harwood won the Ribblesdale Cricket League. But if there are any centenarians who support the Cliffe Park side, they would agree a title win is long overdue - 95 years to be exact! Following

  • Women in race against time

    THE tragic loss of two of her closest relatives has left Marcia Steele in no doubt about just how vital research into cancers which affect women really is. The Clayton-le-Woods woman lost her mother to breast cancer in 1979. Then her daughter was diagnosed

  • Bobcats keep on bobbin'

    BOBCATS took the first game of this double-header but not as easily as might have been expected. In their rookie season Lions are improving rapidly and proving to be worthy opponents. Both teams played enthusiastically in really awful weather. The second

  • Leyland's festival to remember

    IT'S party time in Leyland this weekend and with so much to celebrate, it's sure to be a festival to remember. On Saturday the town will become a dazzling array of colour as local clubs, firms and organisations take to the streets on 100 floats in a two-mile

  • Party in the Park goes on

    PRESTON'S free music festival is set to go ahead July 6-7 despite Heineken, the sponsors of previous events, pulling out. This year's Party in the Park is the result of a partnership between the local council and radio stations Red Rose Gold and Rock

  • Hand over your firearms

    FINAL arrangements are now being made by police for the forthcoming firearms amnesty which begins next week. Lancashire Constabulary's Chief Assistant Constable John Vine welcomed the amnesty which will run from Monday, June 3 until Sunday, June 30. He

  • Stay calm, say asthma group

    ASTHMA campaigners have called for calm following the shocking death of a Blackburn teenager. Ann Wainwright, of the Blackburn Area Junior Asthma Club, said that she had already received calls from concerned parents in response to the death of 14-year-old

  • Wilcox England agony

    THERE were mixed emotions at Ewood Park this week with the start of one promising relationship and the end of another. Terry Venables' Euro-axe landed on the unfortunate Rovers' midfielder, Jason Wilcox, while the board rubbed their hands at the launch

  • 5 YEARS AGO: Chippendale mania

    CARPENTERS had to carry out emergency repairs on scores of chairs damaged by women overcome by Chippendale mania at Blackburn's King George's Hall. By the end of the concerts, almost 14,000 East Lancashire women were set to have broken all records at

  • Army volunteers go to work

    SALVATION Army volunteers are rolling up their sleeves to renovate the Citadel in Nelson. One of their first projects to raise cash is a craft fair on Saturday (June l). Organisers gathered a wide variety of stalls for the event and hope the sale will

  • Consumers' dilemma - use it or lose it

    DOZENS of chemists' shops in our region face closure, we are warned, if resale price maintenance on non-prescription medicines is scrapped. But, for customers, this threat - which stems from a challenge to the price-fix system by supermarkets chain ASDA

  • When will this obscene soaking end?

    ON AND on goes the North West Water profits gusher. For the results released today by United Utilities - the mega-corporation created by last year's £1.8billion merger of the region's power and water companies - show water making £1million-a-day profits

  • Gushing profits!

    PROFITS at North West Water rose to almost a million pounds a day despite last summer's drought, it was revealed today. And the company warned the hosepipe ban will remain in force unless this year's shortages improve significantly. Although some areas

  • Meningitis girl on mend in Majorca

    DOCTORS in Majorca hope five-year-old meningitis victim, Michaela Leyland, will make a full recovery. Michaela, struck down with the illness whilst holidaying at apartments with her family in Magaluf, was able to sit up and play with her dolls while her

  • A season of also-rans

    FINAL tables in the Burtonwood Brewery NWC ARL show a season of what-might-have beens for local sides. Parkside Golborne were bottom of Division One with just two wins. Leigh Miners finished fourth in Division Two on seven wins. Leigh East were bottom

  • £1.2 million pool for West Craven

    AFTER waiting for generations, sports enthusiasts in West Craven will see the start of a new £1,200,000 pool and sports hall before the end of summer. The first concrete move in turning a long-held dream into reality came on Tuesday night when councillors

  • Marathon achievement

    A SUPERFIT runner raised a mountain of money for the SuperScan Appeal when she had her first stab at the London Marathon. And Blackburn chairman Terry Barber praised the individual achievement of Lisa Richardson, of Belper Street, Blackburn, who collected

  • Skipper Dove leads with a ton

    NO LONGER do they rave about the Beech Walk Shuffle. Now it's the Dove Shove! And it's paying handsome dividends as Leigh CC skipper David Dove leads from the front. Already this season he has produced some champagne batting - and there was no denying

  • Atherton's new Hall of fame

    ANDY HALL hit a terrific ton as Atherton swept to the top of Vimto Bolton Association in dramatic fashion. His unbeaten 102 took the side to a strong 185-9 at derby rivals Astley & Tyldesley. And that was a total A & T were never able to match

  • Lib Dem playground closure claim denied

    A LIBERAL Democrat has slammed what he claims is the council's "disgusting lack of interest" in a children's adventure playground. Marshalls Cross councillor John Beirne claims he has written letters urging action to re-open Gerrards Lane playground in

  • Lyon's roar sparks Leigh

    LEIGH'S roller-coaster ride through Summer Rugby has taken them on another upswing Coming just seven days after the horrors of Chorley, Leigh's third success of the season was more comprehensive than the 25-12 suggests. They had two tries disallowed and

  • Rescue bid for doomed jobs

    ST HELENS Council has joined forces with Lancashire Enterprises to try and secure the future of the seemingly-doomed Coats Viyella factory. Original plans to find a buyer for the site on Warrington Road, Rainhill, to maintain production, now seem unlikely

  • Firm is married to a Guardian Angel!

    'WHAT Blackburn does today, others follow tomorrow' was the message from the national Business in the Community leader. Julia Cleverdon told the audience at the second Guardian Angels scheme presentations that it was yet another example of the "doing"

  • Tricks are the trade for David

    A TRIP to America proved to be just the trick for David Illidge, enabling him to turn a fascinating hobby into a successful career. David had long had an interest in the world of magic, but it wasn't until his transatlantic holiday three years ago that

  • Peril of youngsters dumped in libraries

    ST HELENS Council is drawing up guidelines to help staff cope with the rising problem of youngsters - some as young as six - who are being dumped alone in libraries by parents. And the authority is launching a publicity drive to warn parents of the dangers

  • Rebecca's a regular little miracle

    THE miracle babe who was born so tiny that nurses dressed her in dolls outfits and whose tiny frame stunned Princess Diana into silence is now safely home. And for mum and dad, Amanda and Michael Bradshaw, of Crawford Street, Clock Face, it's the end

  • Neighbours' SOS on yellow lines

    NEIGHBOURS fear their local post office could be forced to close by council plans to stop customers from parking outside it. They are angry at moves to paint double yellow lines outside the Eccleston Lane Ends sub-post office in St Helens Road, which,

  • Truth will out

    EDUCATION Under-Secretary, Robin Squires (Letters, May 20) claims that Hyndburn MP Greg Pope is not telling the real story about the expenditure on the nursery voucher scheme. But when exactly has the Government ever been candid about anything? As recent

  • Veggie paradise

    RESTAURANTS and cafes in East Lancashire have been featured in a new vegetarian eating guide. The restaurants and cafes have been chosen for their impressive selection of vegetarian food but some also serve meat dishes. Jesters Restaurant, in Barnoldswick

  • Manners maketh the man, woman AND the child

    WELL-WRITTEN and researched article in one of the more responsible national tabloids sought to shed light on the alarming decline in social behaviour in this country of ours. Nowhere, it seems, is safe from random outbreaks of violence, domestic and public

  • Married to the job

    HUSBAND and wife chefs Paul and Lynne Barnard cook for hundreds of people every day - but at home it is often beans on toast on the menu. The culinary couple both work for Blackburn Council as chefs so there is never a problem finding anyone to do the

  • It's Allez Saints against Paris!

    'ENTENTE cordiale' will be placed on hold for 80 minutes when unbeaten Super League leaders Saints entertain newly-launched French side Paris St. Germain at Knowsley Road on Sunday, kick-off 6pm. This meeting will mark the first appearance of a French

  • Nawaz leads the field

    SHAHID Nawaz was again the difference between victory and defeat for Read in their Vaux Ribblesdale League home game with Oswaldtwistle. His knock of 68 helped the league leaders to set a total of 149, which proved too much for the visitors, who fell

  • Attack was unjustified

    I CANNOT understand your attack on Lancashire Police (LET, May 22) because they failed to renew only four firearms certificates out of the many thousands presently valid in the county. Presumably, if the police had failed to renew, say, 50 per cent of

  • Lowerhouse on top form

    CHRIS Blezard's half century and Matt Hope's five-wicket haul set Lowerhouse up for another four points with a win at Accrington on Monday. He hit 51 of the 123-8 total which proved one run too much for the home side. Hope took 5-17 as Accrington finished

  • A wing on a prayer

    TOWNELEY Hall could be celebrating the new millennium with a new £1.2 million extension housing a shop, library and education room. If a bid for National Lottery cash is successful, a new wing will be added to the museum, and as well as providing extra

  • What's up Doc?

    A COLOURFUL procession of floats, princesses and musicians took to the streets of Slyne outside Lancaster at the weekend to celebrate the annual gala. Children decked out as policemen, bunnies, Indians and Paddington Bear all joined in the village festivities

  • Post office row kicks off

    THE campaign to save Lancaster's main Post Office has only just kicked off claims Andy Tatchell of the Workers Communications Workers' Union (WCU). Postal chiefs decided this week that the Crown post office, on Market St, will be relocated to a more central

  • Fight on to stop quarry reopening

    CONTROVERSIAL plans to re-open a mothballed concrete works at the top of a steep hill have sparked renewed opposition from local residents and councillors. News that Tarmac Quarry Products has submitted a new planning application for the works, in Knotts

  • High school appeals row

    BURNLEY'S MP has vowed to continue the fight for parents who are trying to get their children into secondary schools of their choice. Peter Pike says he has held full and frank talks with Lancashire education chiefs in the run up to the start of the appeals

  • Reward offered following armed raid

    A £5,000 reward is on offer for anyone who can provide vital clues to track down three men who staged a vicious armed robbery at a Lancaster post office. The reward follows a brutal attack on postmaster John Higson, 60, and post office worker, Andrew

  • Clitheroe record deal

    CLITHEROE keeper Carlo Nash is set to sign for First Division Crystal Palace in a £35,000 move that will shatter the Shawbridge record. And Blues chairman Steve Rush has wisely ensured there are safeguards built in to bring Clitheroe more cash if the

  • Pressing problem of big proportion

    A GIANT machine is on its way to a Padiham factory today (Thursday) - but it could prove to be too big for the town's roads! The massive press, which is used to make garage forecourt signs, is due to arrive at Hepworth Building Products after a journey

  • On the road again

    DESPAIR turned to joy this week after the Citizen stepped in to help a 13-year-old Lancaster boy who's prize mountain bike was stolen by thieves. Louis Judson was left gutted after his mountain bike, which he won for coming first in a logo competition

  • Laurie knocks 'em for six!

    PRESTON had a disastrous Spring Bank Holiday, suffering two defeats within 48 hours. On Saturday they were beaten by Lancaster at Lune Road by eight wickets. Put into bat they were dismissed for 137, with Lancaster's West Indian one day International