Archive

  • Minister jailed for indecent assault

    A FORMER Morecambe Pentecostal minister will spend the next nine months in prison after being found guilty of indecent assault. Raymond Lloyd, of Fulwood Drive in Bare, admitted indecently assaulting three girls when he appeared at Warwick Crown Court

  • Brothers of invention

    TOP marks have been awarded by the Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Society for the Blind to two primary schoolboy boffins for their invention of an ingenious weighing machine. Ten-year-olds Chris Walker and Adam Bolton-Heaton, of Norbeck Primary School in Thornton

  • Percy's portrait

    BRITAIN'S grumpiest soap star Percy Sugden is set to help Victoria Hospital's MRI scanner appeal with a rare act of kindness. Coronation Street's po-faced pensioner, alias actor Bill Waddington (pictured), is offering his famous flat cap and autographed

  • Party tribute to brave Daniel

    BIG-HEARTED night club staff have organised a charity fun night in Blackpool on Sunday (July 21). The Palace discotheque will host the event to raise cash for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and managers and staff from 100 night clubs in the North West have

  • Sky's the limit!

    SUNSEEKERS will be able to jet off to the Costa del Sol direct from Blackpool next summer. Sunstyle, based in Manchester, will run flights to Malaga from May, and if successful it will mean Blackpool Airport becoming a major player in the international

  • Good heavens above, it's Pope Gregory!

    GREG Pope reckons his religious connections will give him a head start in the next general election. The Hyndburn MP's name will appear on the ballot paper surname first, with the Labour man therefore known as - Pope Gregory! And the MP thinks that his

  • Best free seats in the house

    MEMBERS of Ansdell Institute are enjoying the best free seats on the course for the Open Championships. The balcony of the Woodlands Road club overlooks the 9th green and marks the turning point of the world famous Royal Lytham course. And word about

  • Dave's on a roll...

    DEDICATED roller hockey player David Wright is putting his skates on to raise cash for the trip of a lifetime. The 21-year-old, of Inverness Road, Darwen, has been called up to play for Great Britain in the world championships in Italy later this year

  • Local team flies flag in junior World Cup

    WE MAY have been a penalty kick away from Euro 96 glory, but the three lions on three local teams' shirts are still roaring. And football may still be coming home when the teams from Blackburn Celtic Club compete in the 1996 Youth World Cup in Sweden

  • Runners' hopes dashed over safety fears

    DARWEN Dashers' annual Roller Coaster half-marathon has hit the buffers - because of safety fears. Traffic police have refused to give permission for the run through the heart of Darwen because the route includes a one-and-a-half mile stretch along the

  • Demolition marks the end of an era

    THE FORMER Huncoat Power Station will come to an explosive end this Monday when experts demolish its 350-foot chimney. Weighing in at 5,900 tonnes, the chimney became redundant when the power station - then owned by the former Central Electricity Generating

  • 'Championship' stalls available

    CHARITY stalls are now available for Stubbins 'World Famous Black Pudding Lobbing Championships', where contestants from all over the country travel to the Corner Pin pub to try to knock Yorkshire puddings off shelves on the pub's walls with the black

  • County slammed after vandals raid listed building

    A CAMPAIGNING councillor has hit out at Lancashire County Council after vandals raided a listed building in Darwen town centre conservation area. Derek Brindle - who helped save the former Darwen Technical School from the bulldozers - is questioning the

  • Council act to clean-up play areas after survey

    HYNDBURN Council is to fence off a children's play area - at a cost of £10,000 - as part of a clampdown on dog fouling. The dog-free zone around children's play equipment in Cut Wood Park, Rishton, is a bid to reduce health risks. The scheme follows a

  • Deadlocked: footpath row goes on

    AFTER a 90-minute meeting residents of Heathfield Drive and Sale Lane in Tyldesley are still deadlocked in their footpath battle. But the meeting, under the watchful eye of mediator Cllr Stephen Hellier, wa s a step in the right direction. The battle

  • Surfer's search for slice of the past

    AN AMERICAN woman has been surfing the Internet in a search for her Darwen roots. Now Judi Sample hopes readers of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph may be able to help further her search for any surviving relatives and family friends. She made contact

  • Centre forward!

    ACCRINGTON Stanley are not the only team with big aspirations in Hyndburn. The recent development of Accrington's shopping facilities has been rewarded with a huge jump up the league table of a national shopping centre survey. Conducted by Manchester-based

  • Barbara's a 'Devil Woman'

    BARBARA Byrne admits to being a bit of a 'Devil Woman'! But Sir Cliff Richard's 'girlfriend' who now weighs-in at a trim 16 stone after losing over five stones in 12 months hasn't been stopped from globe-trotting after her pop hero. Arthritis in her feet

  • I've no fears says Donis

    GREEK flyer George Donis linked up with his new Blackburn Rovers team-mates at Brockhall this week and vowed he's ready for anything. The former Panathinaikos winger, who was tracked by both Manchester United and Arsenal but opted for Ewood, has been

  • Reward offered for return of jeans haul

    A LOCAL laundry is appealing for information after the theft of £20,000 worth of designer jeans. Over 500 garments including Wrangler, Lee and Next jeans - due to be exported to Germany - were stolen from premises on Campbell Street, Preston, at about

  • Love match at the games

    A COUPLE from Preston are out in sunny Atlanta coaching England's Olympic table tennis hopes. Preston lad Donald Parker, a former England player and now coach of the English men's team and his wife Jill, a former European champion who coaches the women

  • MPs divided over pay rise

    LOCAL MPs are divided as to whether they should accept the £9,000 pay rise they have awarded themselves. South Ribble MP Robert Atkins, who voted for the 26 per cent increase, has opted not to take it himself. He already earns more than £10,000 in addition

  • It's a sorry record

    WITH reference to the letter from Mr Price in The Journal Mailbox (July 4). My little girl was admitted to Wigan Infirmary's children's ward on June 30, starved and put on a drip, as she had suspected appendicitis. I was told late Sunday that if she was

  • Christian Aid workers go to Uganda

    THREE Christian Aid supporters are off on the trip of a lifetime to find out how the fruits of their fund-raising are being put to use. Cath Greenlees from Longton, Shirley Farrier of Farington Moss and Trevor Cook from Walton-le-Dale will travel to Uganda

  • Wonderkid Craig makes dad's day

    'THE proudest day of my career' was the way Church's longest serving player Ken Ferguson described the moment when his 14-year-old son Craig opened the batting on Sunday. But reflecting on Craig's cool unbeaten 17 runs against Colne, Ken admitted that

  • Deathly silence on Wesley Guild

    A DEATHLY silence has descended over Wesley Guild field at Pennington. When people question a bad decision, the usual trick is for local councillors to retire to a safe distance and appoint an 'independent' body (in this case one packed with fellow Labour

  • Lee serves up fast food for athletes

    LEE Rogers has jetted out to work in Atlanta - serving Big Macs and fries all round! Lee, 19, who works in McDonalds at Riversway, is one of only 14 restaurant employees chosen to go to the Games from than 30,000 young hopefuls. He will be working behind

  • Hawks future in turmoil

    BLACKBURN Hawks' future has been thrown into turmoil after news the planned Northern League they were due to be competing in next season is on the verge of collapse. Two of the nine teams - Durham and Billingham - have already withdrawn while Northern

  • Maria joins tockholes housing protest

    A GERMAN student has joined the campaign to prevent a high density housing estate being built in the centre of Tockholes. Maria Goldbach, 22, from Kassel, was horrified to hear about the proposed development during a holiday in the village earlier this

  • Video surveillance used for first time

    A POLICE spy camera was used for the first time to help break up crowds of town centre revellers last weekend. A group of around 150-200 people dispersed as soon as they realised they were being filmed on the new mobile surveillance unit in Church Street

  • 'Kidnap'school reviews security

    THE Leyland school at the centre of an attempted kidnapping is having a new security system fitted to stop it happening again. Last week the Citizen reported that three youngsters from the Seven Stars Primary managed to fend off a violent attacker. As

  • Darren's date with destiny

    POCKET rocket Darren Barton hopes to turn his season around at Sunday's British Motorcycle Grand Prix. The pint-sized Aprillia rider from Hoddlesden had a miserable first half to his year with crack German 125cc outfit Ditter Plastic; his best result

  • Money down the pan

    A PRESTON student has produced a 'bold' statement on the subject of masculinity - a urinal full of hair. Martin Harris, 25, of Walmer Bridge, who has just completed a sculpture and fine arts degree at the University of Central Lancashire, spent £800 on

  • LETTERS:Stop bleating, do something!

    SO now the authorities are saying that overcrowding in prisons will lead to a revolt. When this happened in Strangeways it cost the tax payers millions of pounds because the so-called authorities were not doing their job. The answer is simple. Whenever

  • Geeta Sidhu's goal

    IT IS not just the local Conservative party which has called upon the talents of an Asian solicitor to lead them to glory at the next general election - even the Prime Minister has enlisted her help. Stunning Geeta Sidhu (pictured) - who has attracted

  • Tabloid is the pits

    IF I was to write what I thought about the Sunday and Daily Mirror you wouldn't be able to print my letter. The Mirror is at the very bottom end of the tabloid market and it seems that its writers are also at the bottom end of their trade. They fabricate

  • Watch this space!

    BUSINESS chiefs are rubbing their hands together in anticipation at the news that Blackburn is set to become the next boom shopping town in the North West. A survey of the top 100 shopping centres in England does not include Blackburn - but experts still

  • Police band makes return visit

    ONE of Canada's top police bands is making a rare visit to England and is playing three special concerts in Lancashire. The 70-strong Waterloo Regional Police Band will be appearing at the Marine Hall, Fleetwood, Ashton Hall, Lancaster and St Walburge's

  • Rovers' bid £4m for Eric Cantona

    ALAN Shearer could yet be lining up alongside Eric Cantona next season - but it will be in a Rovers' shirt rather than the red of Manchester United! That was the sensational news from Rovers training headquarters, where Ewood number two Tony Parkes confirmed

  • Charity pedal push

    TWO bike riders are planning a marathon money-spinner to help send the family of a young cancer sufferer on a dream holiday. Stephen Birtwistle and Arthur Mayor will be cycling from Great Harwood to Scarborough and back in aid of the Ragen Lonsdale appeal

  • PNE soccer museum's Lottery cash at risk

    THE opening of the National Football Museum at Preston North End has gone into extra time - after the National Lottery moved the goalposts. Bosses at the club boasted the museum - to host the prestigious FIFA collection and PNE's own extensive archives

  • Dad's advice beats sex pest

    A SEX pest got more than he bargained for when he attacked a woman near a footbridge close to River Drive, Padiham. As he tried to rip off her top, the spirited 46-year-old kneed him in the groin - after remembering her father's advice. As he dropped

  • Hospital in crisis

    SICK children were turned away from Burnley General Hospital because of a doctor crisis on the wards. Young patients had to be sent to Blackburn Infirmary because the Burnley hospital could not get temporary 'locum' cover for junior doctors. Other departments

  • Bug hits factory workers

    WORKERS at one of East Lancashire's biggest factories were told not to panic about a mystery stomach bug that hit more than 20 employees. Greetings card makers Joseph Arnold, who employ more than 1,000 at Church, closed the canteen after the workers reported

  • The TV set does have an "off" switch

    MILLIONS of TV viewers are up in arms, it seems, over the BBC being set to saturate them with sport. For after gluing the nation to their sets with Euro 96 and Wimbledon, the Beeb now has more than 300 hours of the Olympics scheduled in the coming fortnight

  • Hectic times ahead

    A HECTIC 15 days of activity have been organised in and around Burnley. Out of a potential 981 places, 660 have been sold already for workshops and activity classes. The 49 different events include drama, dance, music, video, various crafts, murder mysteries

  • Beware of invited guests

    CONSUMER watchdogs have issued a warning about inviting salesmen into the home after a Colne couple were pressurized into buying double glazing they didn't want. The Citizen came to the rescue of Wayne and Melanie Gowen when they found themselves stuck

  • Salute for our burns 'Angels'

    NURSES from the new burns and plastics unit at Whiston hospital scooped the prizes for an NHS staff Carers Award. The competition, organised by St Helens and Knowsley Community Health Council, asked patients in both hospital and community trusts, to submit

  • Drive to prevent women being abused

    VIOLENCE and abuse against women and children in the home will come under the spotlight at a special conference in Burnley next week. The aim of the council-sponsored anti-violence campaign will be to highlight the problem on a region-wide basis. 'Taking

  • Hot August for Miners

    AUGUST should be hot for amateur Rugby League. And the hottest spot will be Twist Lane - the home of Leigh Miners. Their popular pre-season Champions Challenge is now set for its 16th year with some classic clashes in Round 1 over the weekend of August

  • The Civil War rages on . .

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THE Cromwellian issue rages on . . . Opinion has clashed over whether the Roundheads and their Lord Protector leader ever marched through the Thatto Heath district. One reader had earlier suggested that the name Thatto Heath may have

  • Jersey uniform deal

    A THREE-YEAR contract with a Swiss firm has rolled into uniform specialists Simon Jersey. The Altham-based firm won the contract to supply a range of uniforms to supermarket chain Migros-Geneve. Around 3,500 staff members in the firm's 100 stores will

  • Traders' fury over new market

    COUNCIL plans for the the redevelopment of the St Mary's and Tontine market arcades in St Helens town centre have left hundreds of market traders fearing for their livelihood. A number of traders contacted the Star following last week's report of the

  • The story of Mr Nobody

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THOUGH a man of great wealth and influence, Peter Legh the Younger was virtually a 'nobody' as far the pages of history were concerned. Which has provided just the sort of challenge that local historian Geoff Simm relishes! Geoff,

  • Adrienne in the swim at 61

    RETIRED lifeguard Adrienne Haythornwhite, 61, has been clocking up 22 miles in the pool to raise cash for charity. Mrs Haythornwhite, of East Crescent, Accrington, was taking part in a national Channel Challenge spearheaded by sports celebrities Sharron

  • Nightclub killing: Funeral delayed for experts

    GRIEVING parents of Kevin Sudall, who died after a nightclub incident, will have to wait until almost three weeks after his death before his body can be released for burial. Kevin, 22, of View Road, Darwen, died after an incident outside the Club Euro

  • Denis Whittle talks with Shaun McRae

    HAPPY to be back as Super League top dogs - and intend to stay there! That was the message from Saints' boss Shaun McRae (PICTURED) after the win over Halifax which restored the side to pole position. WHITTLE: Some of the points I raised last week bore

  • Olympic dream comes true

    AN OLYMPIC dream has come true for a Fylde physiotherapist who has set off for Atlanta. Lytham's Luke Smith, 32, jetted out on Saturday (July 13) to the American city for the most prestigious sports event of his life - the Olympic Games. Luke (pictured

  • Chance to join league

    THE East Lancashire Snooker League is preparing for its third season, and following the success of the first two seasons is looking to expand with new teams. The league is open to all players, with amateurs playing off scratch and professionals handicapped

  • Wilder days for actor Joe

    AMERICAN film star Gene Wilder is to make his stage debut in Britain alongside a rising star from Accrington. Wilder, star of such classic comedies as The Producers and Blazing Saddles, is to play American comic Sid Caesar in the Neil Simon comedy 'Laughter

  • On-line for Africa

    A BURNLEY man wants Citizen readers to help with his campaign to teach African school pupils about technology David Dugdale wants to send computers to a high school in Zimbabwe, and he's asking firms to donate any unwanted equipment. It's part of a big

  • Hitting home on domestic violence

    BURNLEY will be thrust to the forefront of a national campaign next week when it hosts a big conference on violence in the home. Delegates will be in town on Wednesday (July 24) to send a clear message to the whole of the country. "The message is that

  • Firefighters fear for 'idiotic' kids

    YOUNGSTERS in the Daneshouse area are causing a major headache for Burnley fire brigade. Firefighters were called to the area several times last night including two incidents in which fires started in rubbish in back yards spread to the houses. They also

  • All aboard for playschool

    PLAYGROUPS in Burnley and Pendle are being asked to support development boards which could hold the key to pre-school education in the area. The idea of the boards has come in the wake of proposed controversial government legislation for nursery vouchers

  • Deputy post for Furey

    ACCOUNTANT Colin Furey has been appointed deputy president of the North West Society of Chartered Accountants. Colin, 52, is a partner in the Accrington firm of Furey Grange Chartered Accountants and a fellow of the Institute of Management. A former pupil

  • Hanging in the balance

    Jury split as lesbian murder trial enters second week THE jury considering the fate of alleged Lancaster murderess Maureen Booth still hasn't come to a verdict despite five hours of debate. Deputy High Court Judge David Clarke QC sent the jury at Liverpool

  • Syd and Eddie in Paradise!

    COMIC couple Little and Large are looking forward to taking the Blackpool stage by storm this year following their hit season in 1995. The dynamic duo returned to the Paradise Room on Saturday (July 13) for their summer season, but took time out of their

  • Blackpool wins unitary status

    TRIUMPHANT Blackpool Borough Council has finally won its four-year battle for independence, after having the issue for gaining unitary status put before and being granted by the House of Lords yesterday (July 17). This will now mean services such as education

  • Ban the klan call

    HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope has called on the Home Office to prevent the spread of the extremist group Ku Klux Klan. Mr Pope raised the issue in a Commons debate after a Sunday tabloid newspaper article described how the racist society from America was trying

  • Cath applauds united stand

    THE fight to overcome Westleigh problems will continue. Residents voted to continue trying to make their community a better place and stay united in their battle against crime. But they'll carry on without their leader and group founder Cath McGregor

  • End of garage town links

    LEIGH'S longest established car company has gone to Wigan! Timms and Co, main Ford dealers in the town for the past 89 years, failed to find a suitable premises in Leigh for selling second hand cars. The decision comes after selling their Leigh business

  • Hospital £70,000 pay lure knocks out policy

    HEAD-hunting health bosses in Burnley have been condemned for offering £70,000 pay bait to lure consultant anaesthetists from other hospitals. They have abandoned their stand not to be held to ransom by medics demanding over-the-rate salaries during the

  • Parking case is 'up the pole'(Xnunscar)

    DISABLED drivers saw a court case thrown out because of an 'up-the-pole' ruling. Campaigners for better Leigh town parking facilities were at the town's magistrates court where orange badge-holding nun Sister Josefa escaped a parking fine. She picked-up

  • MP's £9,000 hospital giveaway

    BENEVOLENT politician Lawrence Cunliffe is spending his bumper pay rise on a bid to boost Leigh Infirmary services. Leigh MP Mr Cunliffe has pledged to use his extra £9,000 a year to back the campaign to reintroduce full accident and emergency facilities

  • Murder men-hunt appeal

    THE detective leading the hunt for the vicious killer of divorcee Shirley Brown is appealing for two men seen just 200 yards away from her home to come forward. Det Supt John Waterworth wants to interview the men, seen at around 4.30am on Saturday, June

  • Never again - this is the last straw!

    I HAVE been voting for over 30 years and I have never known one Labour person to knock at my door and ask my views. I am appalled at the new pay rise they have voted for themselves, when millions of people are out of work, sick and elderly people are

  • Stepping up the fight

    CLEVELEYS Park residents are stepping up their campaign to save land threatened by Wyre's Local Plan proposals. Objections to the plan, which sets out land use proposals for the next ten years, have to be submitted to Wyre Civic Centre by August 5. And

  • Cherry Tree ready to blossom

    IT hasn't been the most successful season for Cherry Tree's Australian professional Scott Pearce. He's lost his league record of 186 runs, is nowhere near topping the 1,200 runs he made last year - and Cherry Tree's early season look of championship contenders

  • IRA bombers' car found in town centre

    A COUPLE who live near where the Manchester bombers' car was found say they are astounded police took almost four weeks to pick the vehicle up. The red Ford Granada was taken for forensic tests on July 10 after it had been abandoned on Mount Street 25

  • Ginny's hunt for Nanny Sixsmith

    IN the early 60s my friend went to California to work as a nanny, and although we kept in touch for many years, we gradually lost contact. Her name was Margaret Sixsmith, she will now be about 56 years old. I seem to remember she had a younger brother

  • Flower power rules

    PUPILS and staff joined together this week to honour a headteacher whose boundless enthusiasm will be remembered for a long time to come. And the opening of the Hilary Gemmell Memorial Garden at Meadowhead Infant School has been a personal triumph for

  • Panthers pipped

    FOR the last North West league game of the season, Cartmel made this their President's day a great day to remeber. There was a large number of spectators and guests - and a cracking good atmosphere. In persistent Lakeland drizzle the Panthers clung on

  • LETTER:Hot stuff

    WESTERN nations are breaking a promise to control pollutions that cause global warming. But the horse has already bolted so it is pointless to close the stable now as man-made global warming is already taking place. Mr J Billington East Crescent Accrington

  • Council pays £38,000 for plans error

    HOMEOWNERS who found themselves shuttered in by a huge steel factory wall after a council planning error are on the verge of a cash victory. Blackburn Borough Council has offered 10 residents ex-gratia payments totalling £38,000 for the bungle which allowed

  • Worth £43,000? I disagree

    CONGRATULATIONS to our local MP Lawrence Cunliffe for voting himself (with help from his 'New' Labour MP colleagues), a massive £9,000 a year rise (26% despite inflation falling to 2.1%). I'm sure he thinks he's worth it, his constituents, however, are

  • Teenager is riding high

    HORSE-mad Preston teenager, Antonia Pickles, is riding high in Atlanta, after her dreams of attending this year's Olympics have been turned into reality. Antonia, 17, has jetted overseas to the Games, as groom for renowned British Equestrian Dressage

  • LETTER:How about a maximum wage?

    THE RECENTLY published Labour Party manifesto in preparation for the forthcoming General Election states their intention to introduce a minimum wage if elected. Even the annual increase in old age pensions is worthless if prices continue to rise, therefore

  • Councillor queries repair bill

    COUNCIL Tax payers are to foot the bill for pavement repairs - much to the disgust of one Preston councillor who claims the improvements are to cover up the mess left by private firms. Councillor Terry Cartwright who represents Deepdale, said plans for

  • Novelty of it all!

    MY wife has just read to me the reply from Mrs Howcroft in The Journal Mailbox (July 11). What a surprise! What a novelty! To hear that the Conservatives believe in the democratic process. Was it not her party, when in government, who took us out of Lancashire

  • LETTER:Pie in the sky

    AFTER reading Betty's Kitchen (Citizen, July 11) I could not resist writing this letter to say that a traditional Holland's pie would be one of the things I would want with me if I was stranded on a desert island. I think Holland's pies are delicious

  • Downpour lifts Preston off bottom rung

    RAIN helped Preston move to equal joint bottom of the league with Leyland. Batting first at West Cliff, the home side were dismissed for 143. Only professional Manej Parekh and captain Graham Standring, with 25 and 24 respectively, had any answer to Chorley's

  • Debbie is swept off her feet

    DEBBIE Kellett has been swept of her feet by her new fiancee, but just one year ago she would never have thought that possible. Now, six and a half stones lighter and a shadow of her former self, Debbie, 28, is busy making plans for her engagement party

  • Running for Olympic gold

    A PRESTON runner is to achieve a lifelong ambition when he jets out to Atlanta to go for Olympic gold. John Nuttall, aged 29, from Frenchwood, has dreamed of Olympic competition since catching the athletics bug at the age of 13. Now he's Britain's great

  • Foreign students need homes

    FOREIGN students set to arrive in Preston next month could find themselves homeless if no families come forward to offer them a bed. More than a hundred teenagers look set to be stranded when they arrive in England at the end of August. Now, Preston organiser

  • Mars a day for new vicar, Anne

    FORGET the biscuits when you invite the new vicar from Saint James' in Preston for tea - offer her a Mars Bar instead! As sweet-toothed Reverend Anne Brookfield confessed: "I'm renowned for my love of classical music, cats and Mars Bars!" Kind-hearted

  • Winners toast Citizen/Crown cash awards

    A HOST of worthwhile causes are celebrating a cash windfall thanks to the annual £4,000 Citizen/Crown Paints Community Awards. A record number of organisations applied for help and 18 were successful. Volunteers working to create a community fishing club

  • 'North West post' proposal

    THE North West could have its own separate postage rates in plans to sell off and break up the Post Office being worked on for the Tory manifesto. President of the Board of Trade Ian Lang is understood to be preparing proposals to break up the postal

  • Cheers will drown out the bang

    AT last the rotten tooth in East Lancashire's fair face is set to be pulled. For the eyesore of the derelict 350ft-high chimney of the former Huncoat power station is to be blasted away next week after scarring the skyline and marring the landscape for

  • A game two can play

    BLACKBURN Rovers' bold £4million bid for Manchester United hero Eric Cantona was deadly serious, swears owner Jack Walker. Yet, even if it was promptly turned down with scorn at Old Trafford and is seen as more impish than in earnest, Rovers' fans won't

  • Vicar warns church may close

    AN ANGLICAN church is teetering on the brink of extinction for want of support, according to its vicar. The Rev. George Senior, Vicar at St Michael and All Angels Church, Foulridge, has sent a begging envelope to houses in the village with the latest

  • Scandal of school 'left rotting'

    A CAMPAIGNER fighting to protect an historic school building has slammed county council chiefs for turning their backs on the building. Coun Derek Brindle, says Lancashire County Council has left the former Moorland Lower School in Darwen to rot away.

  • Andy still heads the field

    ST HELENS Nissan dealer Andy Middlehurst claimed his third victory of the season at Cadwell Park, in his Nissan Skyline. The British Saloon Car Championship is now half way through and Andy has a 25-point overall lead in the championship. Andy was in

  • LR zero in on Wanderers

    IT'S the question on everyone's lips down at Crilly Park... Who will be the first Atherton LR player to score against Bolton Wanderers? For an answer, maybe, check in at Crilly Park tomorrow - if you can get a ticket! LR face Bolton in a pre-season friendly

  • RMI ready to make mark

    LEIGH RMI aim to make their mark in the Unibond League Division One in the coming season. And it all begins on Saturday with the first of four pre-season games - all at Hilton Park. Bolton Wanderers are this weekend's visitors. Then, on July 27, come

  • Shop woman in knife ordeal

    POLICE are hunting a man who threatened a female shop supervisor with a knife before stealing about £70 in cash. The robbery took place at United North West Co-op Late Shop in Church Road, Rainford, at about 9.15pm on Thursday, July 11. After wandering

  • Tough at the bottom for A & T

    LOWLY Astley & Tyldesley are heading for the clash of the season. This weekend they face bottom club Adlington, now on a bounce after recording their first win of the season in the Vimto Bolton Association. A & T will need to produce better than

  • MPs' pay rise under fire

    ST HELENS MPs, Gerry Bermingham and John Evans were among MPs in the Commons who voted for a 26% pay increase. St Helens South MP, Gerry Bermingham, has told why he took the decision to defy his party leader and vote for the rise, which will add £17,000

  • Ingram treble makes it nice 'n easy

    ERIC HUGHES shrugged off Sunday's 42-2 romp in philosophical fashion. "You don't get too many plaudits for winning at Prescot," said the Leigh coach. "But it still has to be earned. The Panthers aren't used to winning and you don't want to give them any

  • John's our miracle birthday

    PICTURED: BATTLING babe John Dooley celebrates his first birthday with proud parents Julia and Chris. BABY'S first birthday is always a special occasion for any family. But it was an extra-special milestone for little John Dooley and his loving parents

  • Magical milestone for Martha

    PICTURED: Martha Heyes QUEEN Victoria's reign had five years to run; there were rumbling of Boer unrest in South Africa and horse-drawn cabs were to be seen on London's streets when Martha Rone was born on July 10,1896. And the bouncing babe has not wandered

  • MPs deserve £43,000 to run country

    Do you agree with Citizen Smith? Let us know your views and we'll print the best. FEW issues in recent times have generated as much debate, and general hostility it has to be conceded, than the whopping 26 per cent pay rise for Members of Parliament.

  • Young Jodie spells out tribute

    BUDDING poet Jodie Johnson was so moved by television coverage of the deeds of Britain's second world war heroes she penned her own tributes to them - even though the war ended 40 years before she was born! The precocious 11-year-old from North Ashton

  • BRAMWELL SPEAKS OUT: Olympics - let them all take part!

    YOUR name doesn't have to be Spiros, Zorba or Aristotle to appreciate the foresight of that select band of Greeks who ran the first Olympic Games, writes NEIL BRAMWELL. Almost 3,000 years on, their creation has become the greatest global celebration of

  • New Labour, old tricks

    ONCE again now that the Labourites are thinking they might have a chance given them yet again to wreck the country, they are beginning to flex their muscles and rehearse their strategy, ready for the blurred administration that presents itself in the

  • MPs deserve £43,000 to run country

    FEW issues in recent times have generated as much debate, and general hostility it has to be conceded, than the whopping 26 per cent pay rise for Members of Parliament. I have to be absolutely honest at this stage and say that in my opinion, and in the

  • Vandals wreck beauty spot picnic site

    VANDALS used a car as a battering ram to wreck a popular picnic area. The destruction of the beauty spot at Haslingden Old Road, Oswaldtwistle, has disgusted and saddened ward councillor Bill Goldsmith. The stolen car was smashed into a picnic table and

  • Barry proves the Star Master

    PICTURED: THE moment of triumph for bowler Barry Simm as he receives the Star Masters Trophy from St Helens Mayor Alex Worth. Also pictured are Mayoress Esther Worth, runner-up Graham Glover and organiser Terry Kelly. A DREAM came true for crown green

  • Saints rule out bid for Harris

    SUPER League leaders Saints have dismissed reports that they are poised to sign Warrington's Welsh international stand-off Iestyn Harris as being 'absolutely without foundation.' The speculation was fuelled by national media reports that Saints had offered

  • Fast food for Olympic stars

    BREAD may not be the most glamorous of foods but it is what the likes of Linford Christie and Sally Gunnell will be tucking into at this summer's 0lympic Games. Forget old-fashioned steaks - the British Olympic team is more likely to be feasting on carbohydrate-rich

  • Saints hit Sox for six

    Saints 58 Halifax Blue Sox 20 PICTURED: CHRIS Joynt in typical barnstorming action slices through the Halifax defence. THROWN a lifeline by Bradford's victory over Wigan, Saints re-discovered much of their irresistible handling flair to regain top spot

  • Out in the cold

    A JET-SETTING student from St Annes is spending her summer holidays on an expedition to the Arctic. Sarah Robinson, 18, will join around 80 other teenagers on the six-week experience in Svalbard, which is midway between Norway and the North Pole. While

  • Pilks gang line up on the prom

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THERE were workmen galore - some estimate between 20 and 25,000 in St Helens alone! - at the labour-intensive Pilkington glass company of pre-war times. And here's just a representative cross-section, the Pilks 'top works' joiner

  • An eye for an eye

    THE increasing use of violence in society is now truly frightening and we have to consider the options open to us if we wish to put an end to it. The arguments both for and against corporal and capital punishment are numerous and usually inconclusive.

  • In loving memory ...

    LITTLE Robert Ashwin's favourite toy when he was dying of leukaemia was an extra special motorised car. His heartbroken parents watched as their little boy drove the vehicle playfully around Derian House children's hospice, where he spent many of his

  • Tumour husband dies, 33

    A YOUNG husband diagnosed with a brain tumour only weeks after his wedding has lost his courageous battle for life. Geoff Duckworth, 33, started to suffer severe headaches on honeymoon last October. His wife, Mandy, 30, was with him when he died on Tuesday

  • Moulden hopes to chip in

    PAUL Moulden signed on the dotted line for Accrington Stanley and admitted the non-League club had revived his appetite for football. The much-travelled 28-year-old striker has scored goals at all levels in the League but admits he had become disenchanted

  • Clarets boss ready to sign new player

    CLARETS manager Adrian Heath is today (Thursday) set to announce his second new signing A first-division midfielder will soon be arriving at Turf Moor, where he will line up alongside last week's new arrival, Nigel Gleghorn. Meanwhile, Portuguese striker

  • Heath hoping for double boost

    BURNLEY boss Heath's pre-season planning looks set for a huge double boost over the next 24 hours. Boavista striker Bambo is expected to jet in from Portugal this evening and he could well be joined at training tomorrow by another new addition to the

  • Monks nothing to do with us, say Methodists

    ONE of the area's leading Methodist ministers has issued an apology over an obscure religious group who are holding a festival in his church. The Rev Keith Richardson was forced to distance the church from the Hare-Krishna-style 'gouranga' festival on

  • Schoolgirl was struck by rare disease

    THE parents of Morecambe girl Nicola Pace have expressed relief after test results finally revealed the cause of their daughter's death this week. The Citizen has learned that Nicola, of Lordsome Road in the resort's West End, died of a rare and undetectable

  • Canadian band hit Britain

    ONE of Canada's top police bands is making a rare visit to England and is playing three special concerts in Lancashire. The 70-strong Waterloo Regional Police Band will be appearing at the Marine Hall, Fleetwood, the Ashton Hall, Lancaster and St Walburge's

  • Shine a light it's Reg!

    Celebrate 60 years of illuminations in Happy Mount Park THERE promises to be quite a party in Morecambe next month as the town celebrates 60 years of illuminations in Happy Mount Park. And, thanks to the Citizen, you can be there at the very start, hobnob