Archive

  • EVENTS taking place in East Lancashire on Tuesday, September 9

    A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. "In and Around theLake District," with Chris Astin, Alston Hall College, Longridge, 10am-4pm. Charter Wine Tasting, Coronation Hall, Ulverston, 7.30pm. Line Dancing,

  • Getting stuck in to gum menace

    A LOOK along the pavements in the streets of most of our town centres reveals unsightly patches where chewing gum has been dropped and trodden into the ground. The anti-social substance is also to be found stuck to the backs of seats in trains and buses

  • How I zero in for 'kill' on my target

    IN the following weeks the first squadron of top gun RAF pilots will be arriving at BAE Systems in Lancashire, to train on the Eurofighter Typhoon -- an aircraft which East Lancashire workers have helped build. Reporter Simon Haworth was given exclusive

  • Praying against a regional assembly

    I AM definitely against a regional assembly. If this happens the small towns will be left to rot. As for joining Burnley or Blackburn with Darwen, heaven forbid. You only have to take a look at what the council has done to Blackburn. The shopping centre

  • Pensioner down and out in street

    I CONSIDER myself a tough-looking character because of the tattoos on my arms, hands and neck. The other Wednesday I was sitting on a bench in the three-day market in Blackburn when a little old lady in her late seventies sat next to me and asked me for

  • Speed is a factor in road casualties

    WHEN we talk about speed being a significant contributory factor in accident casualty rates that is exactly what we mean. We are not saying or trying to suggest for a moment that all accidents, or even the majority of accidents, are caused directly by

  • Teenager's body found

    THE body of a Leigh teenager who went missing after a boating accident in which his father and brother died, has been found. Steven Ridley, 15, of Abbey Lane, Westleigh, had been missing since the motorboat capsized on Loch Ryan, Dumfries and Galloway

  • Traffic chaos

    A BUSY road between Bolton and Bury closed for 15 hours after a blaze at a timber yard was finally reopened . The closure of Bolton Road brought misery to thousands of commuters. The fire was spotted at 9.30pm on Thursday night and the surrounding area

  • Whistle-stop visit by NHS boss

    AN NHS modernisation chief was due to visit Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust today as part of a whistle stop tour of PCTs in the North West. David Fillingham, chief executive of the Modernisation Agency, was scheduled to meet PCT chief

  • History -- and where to find it

    HISTORY enthusiasts are being given the chance to hone their skills. Expert advice will be on offer on how to write parish history from the diocesan archives, based at St. Mary's Parish Rooms, in Yorkshire Street, Burnley. The workshops on September 24

  • Town leaders hail world number one

    BURNLEY MP Peter Pike hailed champion superbiker Neil Hodgson and said it was good to see the town in the news for the right reasons. Mr Pike, alluding to the negative publicity surrounding 2001's riots and the election of BNP councillors, spoke out after

  • Blind can inspect the gadgets

    A MOBILE unit packed with the latest aids for blind and partially-sighted people is visiting Nelson later this month. Action for Blind People in the North West has organised the unit to be at Nelson Library, in the Market Square, from 10am until 4pm,

  • Police 'belt up' drive goes on

    POLICE are promising to continue a crackdown on those who fail to wear seat belts, after issuing 65 people with fixed penalty tickets in one day. Officers said they were disappointed with the number of drivers and passengers flouting the law after the

  • Balloon festival hailed a success

    MORE than a thousand visitors flocked to Barnoldswick to see an air show get up, up and away, despite thunder and rain leaving many of the balloons grounded. The North West and Pennine Balloon associations were hampered by the weather on Saturday with

  • Beverley's driven by ambition

    DRIVING instructor Beverley Robinson is really motoring -- after becoming one of the youngest qualified instructors in the country. Beverley, who turned 23 in May, passed three instructor tests -- theory, advanced driving and teaching skills -- after

  • Supermum wins local hero award

    A MOTHER-OF-EIGHT has won a national competition following her tireless work to combat anti-social behaviour. Anne-Marie Smith,41, of Adelaide Street, Blackburn, scooped the Hi-Q Local Heroes award after she got together with other parents in the Bank

  • Five years ago

    HIGH Street clothing and household goods retailer Mackay's announced plans to create new jobs by setting up shop in Clitheroe.

  • Ten years ago

    STARSTRUCK songwriters from St Andrew's CE Primary School, Blackburn, were on top note after winning through to the finals of the British Youth Rock and Pop Awards.

  • Re-think over air medics money

    AIR ambulance bosses are celebrating after the Government signalled a possible U-turn which could see it receive vital extra cash. The North West's Air Ambulance Service has had to rely on local fundraisers to keep the Blackpool-based mercy helicopter

  • Two in terror raid on pensioner

    A 95-YEAR-OLD woman was left terrified after two women robbers forced their way into her home. Today police labelled the thieves 'cowardly' for picking on their elderly victim and leaving her badly shaken. Police said two women in their 20s banged loudly

  • 'Spot fines' call for gum spitters

    RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has called for people who spit chewing gum in the street to be slapped with on-the-spot fines. He spoke out after councillors in Clitheroe wrote to the heads of schools in the town asking for a ban on bubble gum in the playground

  • Driving forward with new car

    TOYOTA have taken the pain out of parallel parking and developed a car that parks itself. The Prius is a world first because it uses electronic sensors to avoid obstacles and guide it into spaces. Drivers don't even need to touch anything as the car will

  • Music price cut

    THE world's largest record company has announced plans to cut the price of albums by up to 30 per cent. Universal (new.umusic.com), who have artists like U2 and Sir Elton John will reduce the "suggested" price for most CDs to $13 (£8.25) -- down from

  • Fact file...

    A LOOK at the key moments from the game against Stoke City. CLARETS: BRIAN JENSEN: Made two important one-on-one saves from Gifton Noel-Williams and is starting to command his area in a manner that befits his frame... 8 DEAN WEST: A solid display at right

  • Re-born Branch rules Britannia

    AFTER leading his team-mates to their third straight win, Clarets captain Graham Branch should have had only one thing on his mind - jumping on the next plane to Macedonia. Okay, he might not have made it across Europe in time for England's Euro 2004

  • Paul 'Turns' on style for champs

    EAST Lancs beat the weather and the chasing pack to lift the Lancashire League title for the first time since 1990. The leaders had just five minutes to spare when the rain left off to allow Saturday's game against Enfield to go ahead. And that proved

  • Super youth? It's now all alien to me

    SUPER Youth. I'd like to think those words described me. After all I don't feel a day over 15. But sadly it doesn't. It's a term that is used for those aged 25 to 39, who researchers claim are "forever young." These include people who, despite being the

  • Home sale starts battle of the bills

    AN electrical engineer is locked in a compensation battle over a 12-month council tax row. And after answering his third court summons and seeing it withdrawn at Blackburn magistrates by council officials, Graham Marsh said he felt like he was "banging

  • Troupe marks a century of dance

    THE Britannia Coconut Dancers celebrated 100 years of their traditional folk dancing troupe. The dancers, named after the miners who put coconuts on their knees to crawl through the mines, performed their famous 'Tip Toe Polka' for an audience of 300

  • Persistent offenders receiving quick justice

    PERSISTENT young offenders are being brought to justice more quickly than ever, police said today. In 1997, the Government announced it was asking police forces to halve the 144 days it took from arrest to sentence within five years. In Lancashire, this

  • Fun gets thousands glad all Rover

    THOUSANDS of people from across the North West were given the chance to meet their footballing heroes at a Blackburn Rovers open weekend. And at the Ewood Park event the doors were even thrown open to the Jack Walker Stand so fans had the rare opportunity

  • Council 'sorry' for benefits backlog

    COUNCIL bosses have drawn up a rescue plan to salvage a beleaguered benefits service -- and apologised to thousands of people affected by backlogs. Blackburn with Darwen councillors drew up a Benefits Service Development Plan after a review in June and

  • Rams take cup win

    AFTER an emphatic 3-0 win in midweek, the Rams went into this FA Vase game confident they could come away with a victory, and their optimism wasn't mis-placed Iain Dyson volleyed over the bar for the Rams after the ball was cleared from a corner on 10

  • First league defeat for Colne

    INJURY-HIT Colne went down to their first league defeat of the season when they were beaten 3-1 by Maine Road at Holt House. Without Jason Heffernen, James Webster, Ian Simpson and captain Gary Rishton the Red's never looked like extending their run in

  • Peters suffers at hands of old club

    BACUP'S self-destruct button was pressed yet again as they suffered from a host of missed chances and two gifted goals. Glossop took the lead a quarter of the way into the first half when Bacup's skipper Lee Anderson's short back header was seized upon

  • Ref hands Stanley boss headache

    STANLEY boss John Coleman felt his side could have taken all three points after watching his enterprising team claim a draw at Underhill on Saturday. Referee Miller turned down Stanley's appeals for a penalty seconds before the final whistle after Bees

  • Abacus may be out of date?

    MR F Cross (Letters, September 2) who was caught driving at 35mph by a speed camera, says he was taught by an abacus. May I suggest the buys another abacus. And watches his speed in future. D MIDGLEY, Oak Avenue, Todmorden.

  • Research on Arnhem battle

    FOR some time I have been doing research about the Battle of Arnhem in September, 1944 and would be pleased if readers could provide information about 13 Platoon, B Company, of the 1st Battalion the Border Regiment. This battalion was glider-borne and

  • Guard's knife threat terror

    A SECURITY guard was threatened by a masked knifeman and held captive in a room for eight hours during a £50,000 raid. Thomas Kelly, 51, endured the terrifying ordeal in only his third shift at Power House electrical retailers, Peel Retail Park, Whitebirk

  • Hodgson blasts to world title

    BURNLEY bullet Neil Hodgson today said he was on top of the world after clinching the World Superbike Championship days after the birth of his first child. An ecstatic Neil, 29, was given a "Who's the Daddy" T-shirt by a fan in Assen, Holland, as he celebrated

  • Barry has no doubt

    EWOOD new-boy Barry Ferguson has hit back at the critics who have questioned his move to Blackburn Rovers by insisting 'I will be a success in England.' Some people have already raised doubts about the Scotland captain's ability to cut it in the Premiership

  • Dealers help in crime crackdown

    SECOND-HAND dealers are being enlisted by police in a bid to stop thieves selling them stolen property. As part of a crackdown launched last week, all 60 dealers in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale will be asked to sign a 'code of trading' for Operation

  • Full house hopes for bingo caller

    BINGO-calling champion Brian Gillatt is going for a full house this year. In 2002, he scooped the North of England title to pass to the national final, but he just missed out on winning the coveted trophy. On October 2, Brian, 42, again goes into the

  • Crowds reach out for festival of fun

    FESTIVAL goers enjoyed a real song and dance as Burnley's Reach 1 Festival was declared a resounding success. Organisers estimate around 8,000 people lapped up the sunshine at the event in Queen's Park yesterday. As well as music, the festival, organised

  • Parents urged to help stop youth nuisance

    POLICE have called on parents to help them win the battle against teenage tearaways. Young people causing trouble in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale are being targeted as part of an initiative by Pennine Police. Officers have been drafted in from the Special

  • Hodgson blasts to world title

    BURNLEY bullet Neil Hodgson today said he was on top of the world after clinching the World Superbike Championship days after the birth of his first child. An ecstatic Neil, 29, was given a "Who's the Daddy" T-shirt by a fan in Assen, Holland, as he celebrated

  • New era starts at school

    THE start of the new school term saw the dawn of a new era in Radcliffe. Radcliffe Primary School opened its door for the first time on Tuesday, following the amalgamation of Radcliffe Infant and Radcliffe Junior schools. The two schools have been merged

  • Make up a face

    THIS is the kind of website that will keep you entertained for ages. The Protozoo Mutant (www.protozoo.com/mutant) digital toy lets you muck about with the faces of famous people such as George W Bush, John Lennon and Andy Warhol. You play a virtual Frankenstein

  • Title hopes dshed by weather

    NELSON'S hopes of pipping East Lancs to the title were dashed on Saturday, as rain meant their match at home to TODMORDEN was abandoned. Paul Beech hit 59, helping the Seedhill side to make 145-7 before players went off for rain nine overs into the Todmorden

  • Bat's the way to do it

    FITTINGLY in a remarkable summer of batting in the Lancashire League, new champions East Lancs and runners-up Haslingden signed off with another glut of runs at Alexandra Meadows yesterday. The potential title decider didn't materialise as East Lancs

  • Barry has no doubt

    EWOOD new-boy Barry Ferguson has hit back at the critics who have questioned his move to Blackburn Rovers by insisting 'I will be a success in England.' Some people have already raised doubts about the Scotland captain's ability to cut it in the Premiership

  • Luke's goal pledge

    LUKE Chadwick has declared there will be 'more where that came from' after hitting Burnley's winner in their victory at Stoke on Saturday. The on-loan Manchester United winger scored his first goal for the Clarets as they cancelled out their three successive

  • Jobs boost rumour quashed

    BAE Systems has dismissed reports of a massive boost for its Lancashire plant at Warton as "fanciful speculation". Reports claim Warton could be in line to take an even bigger role in the construction of the multi-billion-dollar, American-led Joint Strike

  • Brothers injured in wine bar brawl

    POLICE have appealed for witnesses to a fight in a Darwen wine bar in which a man was stabbed and another suffered a broken nose. DC Scott Waddington, of Darwen CID, said two brothers were escorted out of Marley's Wine Bar, in Belgrave Road, after a brawl

  • Pals attacked by car gang

    A DARWEN teenager has told how his friends were attacked by a group of men who followed them in a car from the town centre. Damien Farrimond, 19, was punched to the back of his head after he got out of the blue Citroen Saxo, driven by his friend Chris

  • Councils to get say on wind farms

    PLANS to build a £50m windfarm are to be presented to councillors. United Utilities will present detailed proposals for the Scout Moor site at a meeting of the Ramsbottom Area Board tomorrow. The scheme will consist of 26 100metre-high turbines, supplying

  • Valley rail link could be dream come true

    THE re-opening of a four-mile rail link from Bury to Heywood at the weekend could lead to the return of full-scale passenger trains in Rawtenstall, it is hoped. The Heywood connection now means the East Lancashire Railway can be linked to the national

  • Jobs boost rumour quashed

    BAE Systems has dismissed reports of a massive boost for its Lancashire plant at Warton as "fanciful speculation". Reports claim Warton could be in line to take an even bigger role in the construction of the multi-billion-dollar, American-led Joint Strike

  • Bid to cut education red tape

    BLACKBURN with Darwen Council may take part in a pilot project to cut education red tape. Councillors will decide this week whether or not to adopt the new plan. Blackburn with Darwen is one of several councils selected for the pilot project which will

  • Women's top tips for business

    COFFEE Republic entrepreneur Sahar Hashemi is the headline speaker at the first annual Unique conference organised for East Lancashire's businesswomen. Unique is a women's network, set up by the Chamber of Commerce, which gives them the opportunity to

  • Rats invade park

    PICNICKERS dumping rubbish have been blamed for attracting rats to a Blackburn park. Scores of rats have been spotted near Corporation Park's main pond, which is just off the East Park Road entrance. Visitors have described rats becoming increasingly

  • Guard's knife threat terror

    A SECURITY guard was threatened by a masked knifeman and held captive in a room for eight hours during a £50,000 raid. Thomas Kelly, 51, endured the terrifying ordeal in only his third shift at Power House electrical retailers, Peel Retail Park, Whitebirk

  • Faring well

    PADIHAM earned themselves an extended run in this season's FA Vase competition with a 2-1 home win over Northern Counties East Premier Division side Armthorpe Welfare on Saturday. Trailing 1-0 to an eighth minute strike by Armthorpe's Paul Bradley, Padiham

  • Nelson held at Eccleshall

    NELSON created enough goalscoring opportunities to have comfortably taken all three points in this NWCL Second Division fixture at Eccleshall but were denied by an excellent goalkeeping display by home keeper Richard Johnson. The Blues might have taken

  • School Head

    DAVID Hinks wanted to be an archaeologist. He planned on finding fame and fortune with the discovery of a lost temple. Luckily for the teaching profession, he realised his destiny lay elsewhere. Now Mr Hinks who has been a teacher since 1964, a head since

  • Solve this problem: Find male teachers

    RECRUITING male teachers, especially for primary schools, is proving a headache for head teachers. Overall, only 21 per cent of teachers employed by Blackburn with Darwen education authority are men, compared to a national average of 32 per cent. And

  • Leigh bounce back in style

    Leigh Centurions 68 Rochdale Hornets 16. The business as usual signs were up at Hilton Park yesterday. Despite a week of backroom upheaval the players did their talking out on the pitch as they demolished third placed Rochdale in the final league game

  • MP backs bid for wind farm

    BURY MP David Chaytor has come down in favour of the controversial wind farm plans for Scout Moor. His stance is at odds with his Labour colleague and Rossendale MP Janet Anderson, who said there was so much local opposition that it was inconceivable