"The Girl Who Cut Flowers," Foulridge Village Hall, 8pm. Inner Wheel Club, Charity Shop, Lord Street West, Blackburn, 9.30am-4pm. Organ Recital -- Ronald Frost, King George's Hall, Blackburn, 12.45-1.30pm. Jack Straw MP Advice Surgery, Ivy Street Community
ANYONE who has followed the story of East Lancashire transplant-operation teenager Faizan Awan, who has been given one of his father's kidneys, will be awed by the courage of someone so young -- and now heartened that he is home from hospital as hopes
TERRITORIAL Army members were decorated with honours for their long service to the regiment. In front of 40 of their colleagues. three soldiers from the 93rd Signal Squadron received awards in a medal presentation at their Canterbury Street Barracks,
PUPILS from a Blackburn school enjoyed art recently after taking time out from end of year lessons. Year 8 students at Our Lady and St John RC High School spent a day creating banners for the Arts in the Park extravaganza. The banners will represent people
EAST Lancashire 60s lovers are facing disappointment after hit band Freddie and the Dreamers were forced to pull out of a 60s bonanza. The Summer 60s Show, which was due to start this Sunday at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool, has had to be changed to
INSTEAD of slagging off the English, Home Secretary Jack Straw wants to get a grip of the real world, admit he messed it up over football hooligans, like everything else he touches -- General Pinochet, passports and asylum seekers. Although a disturbance
IN reply to Councillor Russ Davies (Letters, July 10), I would like to make three points: 1. I attended the meeting he refers to and I did not leave early. The purported quotation from County Councillor Richard Toon is inaccurate -- he did not say it
THE 2nd Lowton group retained the top award at the Leigh and District Scouts' "Oscars" awards. At the annual meeting representatives were presented once again with the John Alderman Trophy. Second place went to the 4th Leigh and third to Astley 3rd. The
A COMPANY boss behind a string of failed businesses which cost him his £5.5million fortune has been banned from being a director and running companies for seven years. And it has been revealed that the collapse of the firms reduced the businessman and
FORMER Blackburn Rovers boss Don MacKay was tipped for a return to management today with Scottish League outfit Airdrie. The financially-stricken Scots sacked manager Gary Mackay last night, paving the way for ex-Ewood chief Mackay. Former Rovers striker
ROVERS boss Souness today quashed speculation that he is poised to move for Rangers striker Jonatan Johansson. A story in one of the nationals claimed Rovers were ready to offer £2.25 million for the speedy Finnish frontman. But, although Souness confirmed
BLACKBURN Rovers have agreed to sell out-of-favour midfielder Per Frandsen back to Bolton. The two clubs thrashed out a £1.625 deal for the Dane yesterday, who only joined Rovers in a £1.75 million deal 10 months ago. And the 30-year-old should complete
A PRESTON schoolgirl has written her way to winning a top award in the North West section of Royal Mail's Young Letter Writers' Competition. Six-years-old Lauren Dawson (pictured), from Cottam, Preston, scooped second prize in her age group of the regional
LIBERAL Democrat councillor Alan Valentine has had his proposals for a town youth council welcomed. The scheme has won backing from the British Council as well as a number of local schools. If successful, the youth council would serve as a direct link
WILL it be fourth time lucky for Lancashire County Council? This year's Royal Lancashire Show at Chorley's Astley Park will see the county council defending its title for the show's best marquee, so the pressure is on following its three-year winning
A TEAM of sporting fundraisers had a real hair-raising experience at the weekend when they all had their heads shaved for charity. The Leyland Warriors U14 rugby squad decided to go 'hairless' to raise funds for the Rosemere Cancer Foundation - the charity
MORE than 100 new jobs look set to be created as a major textile retailer rolls into town. Dunelm, the UK's largest independent fabric chain, has announced plans to open a new store in the Capitol Centre, Walton-le-Dale, taking the 22,000 sq ft vacated
WHEN brave Donna Murphy takes to the stage with her new country rock band, she is hiding a secret behind her smile. For ten years ago, Donna, of Manor House Lane, Deepdale, was diagnosed as having Turner's Syndrome, a potentially fatal condition which
SOAP actress June Brown, Dot Cotton in Eastenders, will open this year's Barnoldswick Gala. June will take time out from Albert Square to travel north to East Lancashire on August 5. The TV star will travel through Barnoldswick in the traditional procession
YOUNG environmentalists will be hunting for bugs, creating creatures and finding out all about pond life during a busy summer programme. Burnley Wildlife Watch is back for the summer from July 25 to August 3. The scheme, organised by the sustainability
CHURCH leaders in Burnley have united to ban the British National Party from using their premises. The decision follows an attempt by the BNP to hold a pre-election meeting in a Burnley church hall after booking the accommodation claiming to be a cycling
A FILAKER from East Lancashire who invited pop star Shaun Ryder into his family home to quit hard drugs today said he would help him stay off heroin for good -- and said he'd take him in again tomorrow. Former Accrington and Rossendale College lecturer
FIREFIGHTERS helped a Ryeland's youngster down from a tree after he got stuck. Young Kieran clambered up the tree last week, and the fire brigade spent over an hour trying to coax him down from the branches before he was taken to hospital. A crowd of
A COMPANY boss behind a string of failed businesses which cost him his £5.5million fortune has been banned from being a director and running companies for seven years. And it has been revealed that the collapse of the firms reduced the businessman and
RESIDENTS and tenants on Ryelands have been asking "What now?" after multi-million pound redevelopment plans were rejected last week. Rumours are rife on the estate as the tenants group, residents and the council begin to consider the future. The Green
LANCASTER'S own Nigel Hodgson has beaten off fish fryers from across the country to become the first local winner of a coveted national title. Nigel was last week voted the Drywite Young Fish Fryer of the Year, beating off finalists from across the country
MORECAMBE Bay Health Authority has admitted it has no clear idea how to tackle one of the worst suicide rates in the country. Authority bosses say they do not know why suicide rates, revealed in a Government report last week, are so high. There were 12.2
LANCASHIRE has the best crime fighting force in the country - and that's official. Local bobbies were celebrating this week after Government statistics revealed that while crime has risen across the country in Lancashire it has fallen by 7.8 per cent.
YOUNG girls in Pendle are being given the chance to become "royalty" for a year. A princess to represent the Admiral's Market Place beneath the Admiral Centre, Nelson, will be chosen next month. The annual contest is open to girls aged between eight and
AN officer was injured after his car was rammed by a man who accused police of taking his wife, a court was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how David Beecroft, 51, had a golf club in the front of his car when PC Michael Duerden went to ask him what was
A JUDGE has ruled in favour of traditionalists at a Pendle church in a row over the future of ornate carved wooden choir stalls. A rare consistory Church court hearing was held at St Anne's Church, Fence, near Nelson, a month ago over a controversial
Results Slater Cup. Blackpool 118-1 v Lancaster 116-9, *Leyland 153 v Chorley 155-5, *Darwen 235-7 v Preston 137, Leyland Daf 113 v Netherfield 207-2, *Fleetwood 163-6 v Kendal 164-1, St Annes 158-7 v *Morecambe 157-9. LATUS TROPHY: *Lancaster 167-6 v
A PRESTON tennis centre has hit back over this week's national newspaper reports about the current state of British tennis. Last weekend's humiliating Davis Cup defeat against Ecuador relegated Britain to the tennis wilderness and meant the Lawn Tennis
HUNDREDS of women who claimed their lives were ruined by high-dosage cancer treatment received the backing of Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson. Mrs Anderson tabled a Commons motion urging ministers to launch a top-level NHS investigation after
THREE youths have been charged with wounding with intent after a man was blinded in one eye. Robert Whelan, 18, of Sydney Street, Clayton-le-Moors, Sean O'Sullivan, 18, of Cardigan Avenue, Oswaldtwistle and a 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal
A NEW supermarket is due to open in Great Harwood town centre by mid March next year. Developers aim to start building the Co-op Supermarket on land at Queen Street at the end of this month. Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe today said: "I welcome
RIBBLE Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans has backed supermarket chain Tesco in its decision to bring back pounds and ounces in defiance of a European Union directive to use kilograms and grams. After a visit to the chain's Clitheroe store Mr Evans congratulated
GOOD Samaritan Harold Howorth is the first person in Lancashire to receive a certificate marking 50 years of service to St John Ambulance. Mr Howorth followed in his father, Albert's, footsteps by joining the brigade. His father served almost 50 years
MUSIC site MP3.com has reached the milestone of 500,000 songs and audio files uploaded. For the record, "Self-Respect" by Buckley V Valeo was the 500,000th song uploaded. The site has developed into a bit of an Aladdin's cave for music lovers - a quick
THE internet is, unsurprisingly, something of a hotbed for computer games, but one site has been set apart by actually being named the top British website this year by the people at Yell! Now, we were nominated (and came absolutely nowhere), so I though
THE growing schools place crisis in the Ribble Valley will be discussed by councillors tonight. Borough councillors will face a list of holes picked in a Lancashire County Council report into the future of high school education in the area. Last week,
THE start of that Big Brother programme on Channel 4 this week has sparked another furious debate about voyeurism v legitimate public interest. As a journalist and webhead, I like a bit of both, and intend to keep abreast of all things happening in the
ST ANNES 158-7 MORECAMBE 157-9 A NAIL-BITING finish at Vernon Road saw St Annes beat Morecambe in the Slater Cup by three wickets with only one ball remaining in the match. Morecambe, batting first, lost opener, Karl Hanson with 17 on the board when he
AN epic battle at Grantham saw Carnforth's Steve Head fight his way from the back of the field win the British Rally Championship for production cars up to 1600cc. Head and 52 other drivers made it over the start ramp to tackle 15 short, sharp, special
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent today insisted he has not given up hope of signing Ian Wright -- despite the recent capture of new striker Phil Gray. Turf Moor chief Ternent bolstered his strike-force earlier in the week with the capture of Northern Ireland
LANCASTER return to league action with a home game against Fleetwood at Lune Road this Saturday. The visitors are fifth in the league, nine points in front of Lancaster, but the Lancaster batsmen will have to perform reasonably well if they are going
THE first round of the Slater Cup brought a respite from the League Championship. Nevertheless, Preston were easily beaten by 98 runs at Birch Hall by current league champions, Darwen. After winning the toss, and electing to bat, Mark Hadfield and Keith
MOST medium-sized firms are optimistic about business prospects for the next year despite being "over-burdened" by regulations and threatened by competition, according to a new report. Research among 200 company executives showed that most felt the Government
PACKAGING group RPC has hit the overseas acquisition trail. The firm, which has a major plant at Guide, has snapped up the Wiko Group of companies in Germany in a £25million deal. Wiko is one of Germany's leading manufacturers of rigid plastic packaging
THE second leg of Boro's pre-season feast at Stainton Park takes place tonight (THURSDAY July 20) when a Manchester United side rides into town. Following on from Tuesday night's game against Bury, which the Shakers won 3-0, the Red Devils' reserves may
A FORMER businessman and musician from East Lancashire died after suffering a heart attack while on holiday in Spain with friends. Gary Grimshaw, 57 collapsed in his apartment as he enjoyed a sunshine break in Torremolinos. Bob Kilpatrick of Springfield
SERVES TWO Two lean pork, lamb or beef steaks 2 tbsp red or green Thai curry paste 150g dried egg noodles 25g block creamed coconut, grated 150ml hot water 1 tsp lemon grass puree, or fresh, thinly sliced 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped COOK steaks under
SERVES FOUR 450g fresh turkey mince 1 medium onion, peeled and grated 2-4 garlic cloves, crushed 1.5 tsp ground coriander 1.5 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp chopped coriander Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1-2 tbsp olive oil 8 wooden kebab skewers (soaked
SERVES FOUR 8 slices genuine Parma ham 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts 20 basil leaves and extra to garnish 4 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese 25g butter 2 tbsp olive oil Salt and freshly-ground black pepper PREHEAT oven to 200c/400f/gas mark
SOCIAL Security Minister Angela Eagle visited Blackpool this week to field questions from a variety of representatives from welfare rights groups. Ms Eagle took part in a question and answer session at the Citizens Advice Bureau on Whitegate Drive, Blackpool
WHEN Sixties star Freddie Garrity failed to appear on July 16 at Blackpool Grand Theatre there were many disappointed fans. But Freddie, pictured here, had a pretty good reason for not turning up -- he'd had a heart attack. This week, however, doctor's
THE mother of a boy who was savagely bitten by a dog recently is warning other parents of the danger of children pushing leaflets through letterboxes. Six-year-old Anthony Howard, pictured here with his wound bandaged, was posting a leaflet advertising
OYEZ, Oyez, Oyez! There can't be many who would fail to hear the booming voice of a town crier, but one of the candidates in this year's town crier's championship in Blackpool took no chances! And despite not winning, Ian Todd, the crier for Barrow in
RESIDENTS are up in arms over plans by Blackpool Borough Council to give grants for home improvements -- but only for houses on one side of the street! The area in question is a rectangular grid of terrace housing in Talbot ward, enclosed by Grosvenor
HOUSEHOLDERS in Preston could be being slowly poisoned by lead, according to the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the government's quality regulator. Random tests have revealed that Fulwood has had more cases of unacceptible levels of the toxic substance
RESIDENTS in the shadow of three empty and decaying tower blocks today applauded an announcement that they would be demolished within nine months -- and said they would hold the council to its promise. The high-rise flats at Mill Hill, Blackburn, could
A KIDNEY transplant teenager is back home with his family as hopes rise that his body will not reject the organ donated to him by his father. Beardwood High School pupil Faizan Awan recently received the kidney from his father Khalid in a six-hour operation
ALMOST 200 children were stopped in a crackdown on truancy in Blackburn town centre, say police and education welfare officers. The operation on Wednesday and Thursday last week, stopped 122 children with a parent or carer and another 75 wandering on
A MILKMAN escaped with a fine and a conditional discharge after admitting assaulting two teenagers who helped him on his round. Alan Marshall Bretherton, who was sent to prison in 1991 for two years after being found guilty of two indecent assaults on
A MAGISTRATE who has retired after serving for 30 years today said that the only time he ever felt frightened on the bench was when he was threatened by the IRA. Roy Gaskell, 70, of Station Road, Rishton, told of the sinister side to life on the bench
GREAT Harwood striker Martin Aspinwall has quit The Showground to link up with Clitheroe. The pacy frontman made a big impact with the Reds last season after being plucked from amateur football. But, in a move which is sure to disappoint manager Denis
BOLTON Wanderers will play against John McGinlays' Cincinnati River Hawks on their pre-season tour to America. The squad will be in America from July 21 through to August 2 and will play three games. All three games will be played in Indianapolis. The
PAUL Dwyer launched his bid for Open glory today -- boosted by a personal good luck message from Tiger Woods. The former double-glazing salesman from Simonstone fulfilled the ambition of a life-time when he played a practice hole with his hero yesterday
Lancaster 116 - 9, Blackpool 118 -1 BLACKPOOL cruised through to the second round of Slater Cup with a nine wicket defeat at Stanley Park against Lancaster. Bowling first they made a wonderful start when Lancaster captain David Heywood was caught by Mark
FORMER Blackburn student Andrew Devine has gained an honours degree in contemporary music. Andrew, who studied A level music and history at Blackburn College, has now been accepted on a music technology masters course at York University. The pianist said
WE would like to thank the Sutcliff family -- Cherry, Martin and Alex -- who allowed us to stay in their home during our visit to Burnley last autumn. We are very grateful for their hospitality, but no longer have their address and wonder if any reader
AS one of the lead members for regeneration, I feel I must correct two false impressions contained in your letters page about the proposals for Blackburn town centre. Firstly, P Whitehead (Letters, July 4) implies that shoppers are not being consulted
REGARDING your article, 'Mast will save jobs, says boss' (LET, July 13) apparently, James Sprint, managing director of Cavalier Carpets in Blackburn, thinks there is such a thing as a 'safe aerial.' No-one can say if mobile phone masts/aerials are safe
CHURCH leaders in Burnley have united to ban the British National Party from using their premises. The decision follows an attempt by the BNP to hold a pre-election meeting in a Burnley church hall after booking the accommodation claiming to be a cycling
STEVE Jones has turned his back on offers of a bigger and better contract elsewhere to stay with Leigh RMI. The tricky winger was wanted by Morecambe, Altrincham and Southport but relieved RMI officials were delighted this week when he put pen to paper
BOROUGH councillors are to consider the future of the town's 7,800 remaining council homes at the next housing meeting in August. It comes after two stock transfers last year when the ownership of some homes on the Callon estate and all the housing in
DISCOUNT hardware store Wilkinson has revealed plans to relocate its Preston branch to the former C&A building in Friargate. The move will provide a bigger outlet than the shop's current site in Church Street and is expected to double the workforce
PRESTON traders have slammed plans by the council to save their ailing businesses as a waste of time. Proposals by council officials to introduce free Saturday parking in the bus station car park have been rejected by shop owners in the Guild Hall Arcade
AS one of the area's main shopping towns, Preston is hardly the place you would expect to find a Mountain Rescue team. With the exception of Fishergate Hill there is hardly a steep terrain in sight and locals rarely have to pull on their hiking boots
A TOWN council could be set up in Padiham to give people more of a say about how their town is run in future. Three workshops were held at the Town Hall to discuss with local residents about a town council, how to spend £150,000, which Burnley Council
FOUR young Willow Lane schoolchildren are making their way in the world of pop music. Kara Sharpe, Carly Sunter and Sarah Johnston, all 11 and 10-year-old Scott Walker have already raised £200 by singing their own song, Dynamite, DJs and It's All About
THE BOSS of New Scotland Yard's anti-racism task force is to visit Ryelands to take a fresh look at the case of race-hate victim Mal Hussain. The move follows a top-level meeting between the Ryelands shopkeeper and Director of the Racial and Violent Crime
POLICE have appealed for witnesses after a vicious attack in Lancaster city centre left a man dead. A murder enquiry has now been launched and detectives are particularly keen to speak to a group of young men who were seen on closed circuit TV at Damside
BIG business is backing a controversial plan to build a 66-bedroom hotel and leisure complex in green belt land in Pendle -- by logging the number of times visiting clients have to stay outside the borough. The figures will be used by Clive Seedall to
BIG business is backing a controversial plan to build a 66-bedroom hotel and leisure complex in green belt land in Pendle -- by logging the number of times visiting clients have to stay outside the borough. The figures will be used by Clive Seedall to
A £3 BILLION rescue package for the controversial poll tax would not be enough to avoid a whacking £100 rise in Lancashire poll tax bills, local councils claimed. The Government sweetener, announced by Environment Minister Chris Patten, was too little
PUB regulars who were forced to raise cash all over again after the previous landlord ran off with the funds are handing over the cheque to charity this Sunday. Locals of the Commercial Hotel, in Great Harwood, were dismayed when Tony Knowles made off
SWIMMING sensation Jack Rawcliffe is aiming for the 2012 Olympics after learning to crawl as soon as he could walk. Five-year-old Jack is believed to be the youngest swimmer in East Lancashire to gain a silver personal survival award. And the youngster
A FARMERS' market boasting fresh, home-grown produce from across the North West will be staged in Longridge on Sunday. The day-long event is the first market of its kind in the area and boasts an array of produce from farmers from across the North West
POLICE today issued a stern warning to vandals who snatched a lifebelt from a beauty spot where two little girls almost drowned and said: "We will give this our highest priority." Asah Bibi, of Holden Street, and Zabina Kavsar, of Conway Avenue, both
ONLY Arthur, the once and future king of the Britons, could pull the fabled sword Excalibur (or Caledvwlch, as we Brythonic Celts call it) out of the stone and claim his destiny. Anyone with a computer and a credit card can snaffle a pair (yes, count
GOLF fans will need no reminding that the Open is upon is once more, and there are plenty of sites devoted to the tournament around and about the web. A quick search this week revealed more than 1,300 golf sites (including at least one gay and lesbian
IT'S always nice to get some recognition for your work, so imagine my delight this week when an email winged its way to my desk from the good old US of A. The message was from American Anita Healey taking me to task for the online movie guide that appears
LANCASTER'S Alan Warriner is on the oche again next Tuesday as he starts his bid for the Stan James World Matchplay in Blackpool. Warriner, 37, starts the competition against Reg Harding, 57, the world number 31 and is confident of success. He said: "
LANCASTER City boss Tony Hesketh hopes to land his first summer signings this week as he bids to strengthen his squad. Hesketh hopes to announce the signing of a new keeper today, having looked at four or five potential replacements for the departing
THE Government has promised to close a loophole which a Citizen investigation recently revealed was starving poor people of vital cash. Morecambe MP Geraldine Smith raised the question of local authorities hoarding exceptional hardship payments with Social
Burnley FC are urging fans buying their season tickets by direct debit payments, to collect their tickets from the Ticket Office at Turf Moor as soon as possible. The club are also reminding supporters that concessionary tickets for the pre-season games
FUND-RAISING former cancer sufferers who now run their own charity raised £2,000 for Rossendale Hospice. The New Horizons Self Help Group was set up by Jean Hallsworth, from Haslingden, and Elizabeth Booth, from Bacup, with friends Ann Steele and Gwen
Food News with Amanda Killalea SUMMER is here and many East Lancashire folk are jetting off to exotic holiday hotspots right across the world. But those who have decided to enjoy the current hot spell and stay at home don't have to miss out on the spicy
EVER fancied yourself as a TV chef? Well here's your chance because TV's Ready Steady Cook is looking for contestants to join Ainsley Harriott and friends on the new series in August. Auditions will be held over the next two months, and you can get an
A BLAZE at flats on Dickson Road, Blackpool, this week brought traffic to a halt as smoke billowed out of the four-storey property. Police diverted teatime traffic as eight firemen wearing breathing apparatus took four hours to control the fire, pictured
IT was a beautiful day, the sun shone and the crowds turned out in their thousands. But there was one thing missing from Fleetwood's biggest festival of the year --and that was the trams. This year Tram Sunday was made tramless as Blackpool Transport
ANYTHING Goes this week for a talented group of St Annes performers as they take to the stage for their annual musical production. Having scooped the best overall production award for last year's show, Crazy for You, the St Annes Parish Operatic and Drama
PLANS to erect a mobile telephone mast near Carleton have met with anger from residents in the area. Mobile phone firm Orange are behind the plans to erect the mast near to Beverley Nurseries on Woodhouse Farm, Blackpool Road. But it is a company from
BRYAN Street Chippy in Blackburn will be frying high when they bid to become Chippy of the Year 2000. By nominating their take-away, customers have the chance to win free fish and chips for a year. Owner Tom Atkinson, who was also encouraged to enter
TRADING standards chiefs today issued a warning about self-styled horse racing tipsters who obtain people's credit card details then put bets on with their money. The ploy was revealed when a Blackburn businessman received a £566.50 bill for bets which
NOT only the children bid farewell on the last day of term this week -- half the staff at one school did so as well. There were plenty of tears as five members of staff from Shadsworth Infants School, on Rothesay Road, Blackburn, enjoyed their last day
AN anti-counterfeiting campaign is set to hit the streets of East Lancashire. Town centre events will take place in Burnley in August and will include a poster launch and "Spot the Fake" stand. The campaign will later move on to Blackburn, but detailed
THE Bishop of Blackburn has won his battle to ensure schools teach children about the nature of marriage and its importance for family life. The Rt Rev Alan Chesters defeated a House of Lords attempt by former Tory minister and family campaigner Lady
COLNE have made two new signings going into the new season. Lee Coldridge (midfield) from local football, and Jermaine Helliwell (midfield) from a local side, are both 19. Manager Denzil Hart said: "Pre-season training has gone well, the players we have
PLEASINGTON professional Ged Furey has vowed to bounce back after missing out on a place at the Open. The former European tour pro suffered heartache at Ladybank in final qualifying on Monday after a disappointing opening round 73 cost him his chance
TURKISH midfielder Servet Tasdemir could add an international flavour to Accrington Stanley if he and the club agree terms tonight. The 27-year-old, who played professional football in his homeland and turned down a £60,000 domestic transfer to be with
FURIOUS shop owners in St Annes have been left wondering when things will ever get back to normal after construction work on the remodelled Square failed to meet its deadline. The first phase of the Square's massive rejuvenation project should have been
LET us do the job we love! That's the plea from two popular post office workers who claim they are victims of circumstance. Mrs Ann Hodgson (52) and Mrs Frances Holding (51) have found themselves jobless and out of pocket through no fault of their own
