YOUNG Joe Grainey was marvellous when Leigh Ospreys fished in the NJAA Knockout final at Lakeview Fisheries in Leicester. Fourteen years-old Joe demolished the rest with a 8.45 kilo net of carp, nearly two kilos ahead of the next man. The Ospreys team
TOP local amateur golfer Danny Belch has won his first major trophy. Danny, 22, of Bold Street, Leigh, won the Tillman Trophy from a strong field at Burnham & Berrow GC near Weston-super-Mare. He had first day rounds of 68 and 69 and backed it up
WHEN a politician stands for office he or she makes a fundamental pact with the voter: namely that they will stand by the manifesto on which they were elected. So what are Labour voters to make of the six councillors who this week quit the Labour Party
WHILE Leigh U15s collected their fourth league win and fitfth overall against Wigan, the result was not as convincing as the scoreline might suggest. Electing to field, Leigh's bowlers maintained a tight control from the start, to restrict their visitors
THIS year's local and European elections will always be remembered for the postal vote electoral experiment. Many were opposed to the plan and the trial did not pass without hitches. An inquiry has already begun to find out if traditional polls are to
SEDGLEY Park have dusted off the welcome mat for Superleague side Salford City Reds. The Reds are the latest rugby outfit to take advantage of the Tigers facilities. One of the benefits of being a full-time professional rugby club is that it can train
A VISIT to Denton St Lawrence proved the bogey ground yet again for table-topping Prestwich. Victories on DSL soil are like gold dust for the Heys outfit. And any chance of striking the jackpot against one of their closest challengers last Saturday were
FOLLOWING the report (LET, June 9) regarding prostitutes calling for a tolerance zone, I think it is high time the government created legalised brothels such as the ones in the Reperbahn area of Hamburg in Germany. They are medically examined on a regular
I REFER to the write up on "flies still buzzing" at body site. This made for some gruesome reading. I remember reading your article when the body of this 58-year-old man was discovered, together with that of his pet dog. What a very sad reflection on
A DIVISION BAY HORSE...187(12) BAILEY ST...126(1) E. Brown 21, M. Heaton 7; M. Manchester 21, P. Eves 14; J. Howarth 21, B. Murray 5; C. Bleakley 21, M. Thompson 10; J. Brooks 21, M. Gorman 19; J. Sidebottom 21, G. Hartley 15; P. McGuirk 21, J. Houghton
ONCE again the government through legislation have altered things, this time having your pension paid into a building society, bank or Post Office. This involves plenty of paperwork, telephoning, and certainly worries the older generation, with all the
A POLICE officer has been awarded a CBE. Detective Superintendent David Brown, who has worked at the police training college at Sedgley Park in Prestwich, has been recognised for his outstanding services to policing. Mr Brown joined Greater Manchester
A TEAM of experts were on hand at Tottington Library this week to help people "hear better". As part of a rolling programme throughout the borough, staff from the audiology department at Fairfield Hospital, library services, social services, British Telecom
RADCLIFFE councillors still dominate the top posts on Bury Council following the elections. Five of the eight members on the all-powerful executive represent local wards. In the reshuffle, Coun Steve Perkins goes to regeneration and housing, while Coun
BURY Juniors FC gave a helping hand to Sunday shoppers in a bid to raise some much-needed cash for their club. Thirty players from the Under-8s and Under-12 teams joined forces to pack customers' bags throughout the day at Bury's Spring Street Asda store
A NEW programme has been launched to change the way Greater Manchester Police deals with diversity in race, sexuality, disability and gender. The 'Respect Programme' extends the work of Operation Catalyst, GMP's response to the 1999 report into the death
HUNDREDS of Bury youngsters will learn "crucial" lessons in how to cope with dangerous daily situations. They will be dropping into the Crucial Crew venue in Bolton this month and discovering how to stay safe and help save lives. They will be presented
AROUND 50 volunteers mucked in to orchestrate a clean-up of Broadhey Estate in Ramsbottom. Residents of Broadhey Residents Action Group (BRAG), Bury Council's countryside service, the borough's cleaning division and some Army Cadets formed the working
A VIDEO has been produced to help young witnesses in the borough who may be called to give evidence in court. Bury's Victim Support and Witness Service has acknowledged that giving evidence in a court case can be a daunting prospect for any witness, and
A FORMER school caretaker has struck a blow for the common man by being awarded the MBE. The honour is in recognition of John Davenport's services to education and a fitting retirement gift for the 65-year-old. He has just finished as school caretaker
THERE was a happy homecoming for star trekker Andrew Monk at the end of a gruelling 1,000-mile walk to Germany. He was presented with a cheque for £500 by the Bury Lions to boost his sponsorship for two multiple sclerosis charities, the Myelin Trust and
RADCLIFFE-based James Halstead PLC knows what their good corporate name is worth -- about £10 million! For that's the value of its well-known Belstaff International Ltd brand and several others which have been sold for that amount. Until 1990, before
MUMS with children in school or nursery are being urged to help fight fires in their spare time! Fire chiefs are hoping to attract more women into the world of retained firefighting in a bid to help increase day-time cover provided by full-time crews
LABOUR leaders have offered joint-rule deals to at least one other party in a last-ditch bid to cling onto power at Blackburn with Darwen Council. The moves were revealed as talks over a three-way minority party takeover of the authority -- thrust into
"GET on your bike" was the clear message from an all-ladies cycle group who put their pedalling power to the test for National Bike Week. Fourteen cyclists from across Bury followed an 18-mile trek along Irwell Valley Trail earlier this week. One route
A WOMAN who is spearheading the national launch of Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) projects has been awarded the MBE. Mrs Charlotte Ann Piper, of Horncastle Close, Brandlesholme, Bury, has received the honour for services to pensions, just months
LEIGH Centurions have reacted angrily to a report that the club is in financial trouble. Leigh's response comes after a story appeared in Monday's Rugby League Weekly newspaper which infuriated Centurions' officials. In a statement, chief executive Allan
FOUR people who have served the community in Preston have been recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Brian Booth, chairman of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, was awarded an OBE and said: "To receive the award for services to the community
A FIRST-TIME father is helping dads-to-be with a new book which provides tips, hints and advice for men with a baby on the way. Andrew Hobbs, 43, of Broadgate, Preston, is one of 60 men in the city to contribute to the pocket sized booklet, The Book of
LABOUR party members were jubilant at the local elections in Preston after ousting a former member who had defected to the anti-war party Respect. The all-postal vote on June 10 saw former councillor and portfolio holder for housing, Elaine Abbot, lose
ROAD safety where speed cameras have been installed has improved more in Lancashire than almost anywhere else in the country, a new report has found. The county has come second in an independent study into the effects of cameras, beaten only by North
ON A whistlestop tour of the city, I learned of a wealth of hidden history, including a secret church with its entrance through a pub. The Catholic Preston tour is one of the most popular of the guided walks on offer by the city's tourism department,
A TEENAGE singer is taking a step back in time to become Dame Vera Lynn at a concert to celebrate the music of the Second World War. Katy McClelland, 19, of Hacklands Avenue, Lea, Preston, will wear a khaki, custom-made, service dress uniform, similar
BURNLEY residents took to the streets to cheer on England in their latest Euro 2004 match. People in Clifton Street decked out the houses with flags and bunting for the game against Switzerland and even set up a TV outside to watch the match. The party
A PENSIONER who stopped to help a fellow shopper in Burnley had her purse stolen by his accomplice. The 81-year-old woman was shopping in Marks and Spencer, in St James's Street, at 2.30pm on Tuesday when she was approached by a man who said he was having
A DRINK-driver who tried to steal a wheel for his car in the early hours told police he had about 14 pints of lager and five Jack Daniels. Burnley magistrates heard Michael Wayne Thorpe, 20, had been out, returned home and then, for some reason he could
THE battle is hotting up over who will take control of Burnley Council. Labour lost overall control of the authority in last week's local elections and meetings between the main parties have been going on behind the scenes to discuss how many places each
WHILE waiting to conclude new deals with Matty Barrass and Colin Woodthorpe, as well as chasing new and exisiting targets, Bury boss Graham Barrow has had time to reflect on how he will approach the new 'League Two' season writes Peter Collins Known to
A 20-YEAR-OLD man who subjected a victim to a late night beating was given a 12 months conditional discharge. Burnley Magistrates heard how Rizwan Asghar, 20, punched Vincent Creaney and the victim was then kicked while he was on the ground. Asghar, of
A MAN who caused a major bomb alert in Radcliffe will undergo psychiatric assessment. A security cordon was thrown up around the Royal Bank of Scotland in Blackburn Street on April 19, when staff found a device in the letterbox. Mark Andrew Whitworth
SOUTH Ribble Tennis Centre in Bamber Bridge has scooped a £5,000 grant to help develop the sport for people in wheelchairs. It received the cash from Awards For All, a lottery grants programme aimed at local communities, and the grant is being used to
A FORMER firefighter has been named as deputy chairman of Lancashire County Council. County Councillor Bob Wilkinson, 57, will work with chairman, Nora Ward, representing Lancashire at events and functions over the next 12 months. Coun Wilkinson, who
GREEN-FINGERED parks gardeners from Preston City Council are going for gold this year with their entry in a national flower bed competition. It will be the second time they have entered the Royal Horticultural Society Flower Show, at Tatton Park, Cheshire
YOUNG children are invited to take their daddies to Tyldesley Library between 10.30 and 11.30 on Saturday for a pre-Father's Day treat. As part of the SureStart (Shakerley/Tyldesley) project children aged four and younger will sit with them through story-time
THERE has been another shake-up in the boardroom at the troubled holiday company MyTravel with the resignation of chief operating officer Philip Jansen. He is leaving the company, formerly Airtours, in September to become chief executive in the UK and
PLANS to bring Accrington's old Conservative Club back to life as offices, apartments and a restaurant look set to be thrown out -- despite a council admitting they would improve the town centre. Members of Hyndburn Council's development control committee
LOWTON residents are furious after the unannounced closure of a public access footpath from St Helens Road, Leigh to Pennington Country Park. Last month a stile adjacent to the Moss Industrial Estate was demolished. Steel fencing was erected across the
to make the news PRIMARY pupils from Westleigh Methodist and Leigh Central schools are in the last four of a newspaper competition. The "Hold the Front Page"project is an innovative ICT competition being organised by Wigan Education Department's ICT Team
FOR over 30 years Iain Mutch battled through life with a bad stammer. Iain, once temporary archivist at Leigh Town Hall, tried to avoid answering the telephone and speaking to groups because of his affliction. But the Millennium brought a new start for
BARCLAYS has developed a brand new seminar for small businesses -- Bright Marketing for Smarter Businesses -- which will be unveiled at the Village Hotel, Bury, on Tuesday, June 29, between 9am and 2.30pm. Leading business and marketing "guru", Robert
EURO cash is up for grabs for Bury businesses wanting to expand. Bury Council said this week that more than £1 million of European funding is available to businesses in the borough. The cash can be secured through the Government Office for the North West
A VILLAGE appeal has begun to raise £170,000 to transform a rural park. Trustees from Ribchester's Playing Field Trust have secured planning permission to revamp their land, off Church Lane, from councillors. Now the local community is gearing up to raise
MUMS with children in school or nursery are being urged to help fight fires in their spare time! Fire chiefs are hoping to attract more women into the world of retained firefighting in a bid to help increase day-time cover provided by full-time crews
A WHITEFIELD woman who only found her feet in IT five years ago has seen her web site voted the second most read on-line podiatry journal in the world. The global accolade achieved by Karen Tenzer and business partner Jackie Sheridon for their on-line
BROWNIES and leaders had fun in the sun as they celebrated the national movement's 90th birthday. Girlguiding Bury South, including Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, enjoyed a day-long celebration at Giant's Seat Scout camp at Outwood. The 180 Brownies
ACCRINGTON and a place in the Inter League Challenge Trophy semi-finals tomorrow. But the prospect of facing him holds no fear for confident Accrington captain Matt Wilson. He said: "It should be good. We don't care who we play because in Tama Canning
THE Bolton Association hit a record score of 301-5 against the Saddleworth League in Sunday's MEN inter-league trophy first round at Clifton to set up a semi-final local showdown with holders, the Bolton League. Atherton batsmen Neil Bannister and Karl
SIX star athletes have won county vests following their performances in the Greater Manchester Schools' Athletics Championships. They are Leigh Harriers' sisters Lauren and Rebecca Howarth, Hannah Warburton, Tashon Galleger, Kellie Thornton and Amanda
LEIGH East ace John Woods is the Arriva Trains Conference League Player of The Year. He was presented with the Conference's most prestigious individual award before club delegates, league officials, RFL President Gary Hetherington and Sky TV at the League's
RAMSBOTTOM'S 34th Sports Festival kicked off on Sunday to bring to a close the town's annual sports week. And organisers could not have asked for better weather for the festival which this year placed more emphasis on sporting events than in previous
THE parents of a teenager who died after suffering an adverse reaction to a curry are urging other families to be wary of allergies affecting their children. Former Bury College student Phillip Heywood was diagnosed as having a mild nut allergy as a baby
A FAMILY'S dream move to France to open a holiday haven for the disabled was very nearly cancelled -- because of an old French maritime superstition. Dave and Anthea Killen have spent nearly 12 months preparing to leave behind their friends, family and
WAR veteran Neville Foote returned last week from an emotive trip to Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D-Day landings. Here we tell the Tottington soldier's story . . . LANCE Bombardier Neville Foote has the unique distinction of being one of the first
GOLBORNE High School have applied for planning permission to build a multi purpose all weather pitch. The new facility would include a new fencing provision of emergency access and gates and six 10m high floodlights. School bosses will find out in the
NEW signing John McGreal is convinced brighter times lie around the corner for Burnley. The former Ipswich Town defender yesterday walked away from the offer of a new 12-month contract at Portman Road to become Steve Cotterill's first major signing as
A PENSION surgery is held at Darwen Town Hall every Friday, from 1pm to 3.30pm. It gives people the opportunity to meet experienced staff face-to-face and receive advice and information on retirement pension, the pension credit and other related entitlements
THE main road through Darwen was closed to traffic for around an hour and a half yesterday afternoon after a cement mixer lorry overturned near to Darwen Vale High School. It is thought the vehicle, which was carrying a full load of cement, had been travelling
A GROUP of NHS workers are being filmed this week as part of their bid to win a health service "Oscar". The team of 12 were recently involved in piloting a multi-agency project in Darwen aiming to improve quality of life for elderly people. From this
THE 25th annual Haslingden Arts and Crafts Exhibition is taking place this weekend at the Manchester Road Methodist Church. More than 60 stalls will be displaying and selling various handmade goods. The exhibition runs until June 25. Admission is £1 which
AN emergency scenario will be staged next month to test how Rossendale Council deals with a major incident. Last year, a fake lorry crash was set up on Burnley Road, in Bacup, using actors. The event will trial measures already in place, with a major
A TOP wedding dress designer has established a new business in Rossendale. Novaks Shopping Experience's latest venture - Louise Greenwood Exclusive Bridal Wear - opened last weekend. The Rawtenstall store welcomed designers Amanda Wyatt and Charlotte
POLICE and town hall bosses are turning the tables on trouble-makers on a Haslingden housing estate. The ground-breaking Estate Agreement between agencies in Rossendale will be launched next Monday. Centred on the West View area, it has been drawn up
A MACHETE-wielding teenager who wrecked two rooms in a hostel has been jailed for four months. Anthony Colin Morgan, 19, had abused a staff member at Clare House, Rawtenstall, and then barricaded himself into his room during the £800 damage spree. Police
BURY and Whitefield Jewish Primary School could be rebuilt with a state-of-the-art school and leisure centre at a new location in Whitefield. The 200-pupil school, currently situated in Parr Lane, Unsworth, is in need of refurbishment but governors have
YOUNG children are invited to take their daddies to Tyldesley Library between 10.30 and 11.30 on Saturday for a pre-Father's Day treat. As part of the SureStart (Shakerley/Tyldesley) project children aged four and younger will sit with them through story-time
ALMOST 85,000 Wigan borough residents voted in the Euro elections -- a 36.25% turnout. otes cast in Wigan were: British National Party 7608, Conservatives 13449, English Democrats Party 1705, Green Party 4214, Liberal Democrats 8138, Liberal Party 3338
THIS is a simple thank you to all the readers who voted Liberal Democrat in the recent European elections. Over the past five years I have been a sometimes controversial and outspoken MEP, rarely short of critics in these columns. It feels good to have
BROWNIES and leaders had fun in the sun as they celebrated the national movement's 90th birthday. Girlguiding Bury South, including Radcliffe, Whitefield and Prestwich, enjoyed a day-long celebration at Giant's Seat Scout camp at Outwood. The 180 Brownies
A DOG has escaped the death penalty - but will become the first canine in the country to bue put on an anti-social behaviour order. Blackpool Magistrates ordered former prison drug sniffer dog Guinness to be muzzled when out in public, and he cannot be
BLACKPOOL Council has welcomed the latest proposals for an overhaul of gaming laws - despite warnings that major investors could take their money elsewhere. The Government will limit slot machine numbers and give councils the power to veto new casinos
POLICE in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley have praised football fans after a violence-free night. Inspector Andrea Bradbury said: "We would just like to thank everyone for how they behaved, we came across no problems as a consequence of
THERE were storm clouds over Blackburn in spite of the summer sunshine as the Illyria Theatre Company brought Shakespeare to town. Members of the award-winning professional theatre group staged a special open-air performance of The Tempest in Witton County
THE Bishop of Blackburn has called on leaders of the Church of England in Lancashire to plan for growth. He told clergy and parishioners in his first address at the Diocesan Synod that all 250 parishes should develop a Mission Action Plan so priorities
BLACKBURN'S drive to attract more tourists has received an unexpected boost -- after the town's orbital route was featured on a road enthusiast's website. Bryn Buck, 16, has spent almost two years creating the Lancashire Motorway and Roads website, and
HUNDREDS of mourners said a final goodbye to a Blackburn student who died after falling 150ft from a cliff during a college trip. Relatives and friends from the South and the Midlands joined Asif Bharucha's parents for formal and informal events in homes
COLNE BL did their near neighbours Colne Cricket a good turn by beating the Cricketers' joint rivals at the top of the Thwaites East Lancs Premier League, Bolton's Bar Lane, 10-4 in the shock result of the season. Marshall, 21-9, did the business for
GIVE Wayne Rooney some slack and he can lead England to the European Championship. The Everton striker became the youngest player to score in the history of the competition when he netted against Switzerland last night, and there's no reason why he can't
JAMES Ponton has left the Zurich Premiership's Leeds Tykes to join Sedgley Park's voyage of discovery into the waters of National One next season. "He's a cracking player, he's what we needed," said player-coach Tim Fourie who played with Ponton for two
ONCE again it appears that Coun Derek Boden and I use different dictionaries (Letters, June 11). Might I respectfully suggest that now he has been honoured by the Queen he treats himself to a copy of Chambers. This explains the links between the words
IT was interesting to read Councillor Sheila Magnall's comments that all councillors are responsible for decisions (Letters, June 4). It is a pity that she has not recently put her principles into practice. When her Tory colleagues attempted to make political
I WRITE regarding the regular abuse of people enjoying the sunshine in Bury's Kay Gardens. There is a hard-core of alcoholics in the gardens every day and the police seem unable, or unwilling, to deal with the problem. I often sit there to rest after
IN a recent local publication Ivan Lewis MP wrote: "The weekly collection of grey bins will begin on June 14 and, contrary to suggestions made by people who should know better, will not be reversed". A similar statement was made in the local press by
I AGREE with correspondent GB (June 11) that cyclists do have responsibilities. But then what follows from GB is the usual anti-cycling rhetoric that is misleading at best but, in my view, plain mischievous. Insurance for cyclists is not mandatory yet
WESTLEIGH High School teachers really are top of the class. Music department head Vanessa Hobart has been chosen for the North West Young Teacher of the Year Award after being nominated by pupils. This autumn she will be in the national awards ceremony
A CHINESE businessman has swatted eight million flies in a 10 year vendetta against the dirty little beasts. I can't be far behind.
LAST week I appealed on behalf of Anna Bate who sent a plea from Oz for help to find older sister, Valerie, so they could rekindle their relationship after a lost decade. I am delighted to report that the duo from opposite sides of the world are back
ITINERANT cowboys are back in town, door-knocking for work. The gangs of odd-jobbers who doorstep for business, then leave an appalling mess on green sites for the council to clear, are reported to have set up camp in Hesketh Meadow Lane at Lowton. Jubilant
LINDA and David Sykes decided to sell off some of their unwanted treasures to help pay for elder son Richard's double wedding. They called in TV's Cash in the Attic team to dig out valuables in the hope that they would raise £1,250 at auction to go towards
Halifax 16 Leigh Centurions 27 by Mike Hulme: CONFIRMATION that Halifax are no Salford or Huddersfield undeniably came at the Shay on Sunday afternoon. Leigh's first-ever win over a side relegated from Super League gives the Centurions a huge psychological
RADCLIFFE barber Darren Foster and his bride-to-be Sam Lilley are celebrating after being told on live TV that they have been chosen by viewers for GMTV's Wedding of the Year. TV star Keith Chegwin knocked at Sam's mother's door in Chatsworth Close, Hollins
HINDSFORD Sharks Juniors FC, operating next season in the Bolton Boys Federation at Under 14s age group, are on the look out for new players to join their successful double winning team of last season. In particular they are looking for forwards and defenders
THOSE TV people have really screwed up my evenings. Instead of working the schedule around my life they have given me the hour from hell. Between 6.45pm and 7.45pm every night there is no football on the box. And it is becoming harder to fill day by day
SUNDAY Hoddlesden Millennium Green Annual Grand Picnic, Millennium Green, Hoddlesden, 2pm-5pm. "Mr Jolly," children's entertainer and the Jim Wilks Jazz Band. Free admission. Service with Darwen and Blackburn Brass Band, Pickup Bank Chapel, 3.15pm. Pick
ATHERTON CC won a runs chase to take the Bolton Association top spot after previous leaders Elton were surprisingly beaten at Standish. On a day dominated by batsmen, Atherton topped Clifton's total of 206-8 to claim an impressive six-wicket win and take
ASTLEY & Tyldesley Miners' Welfare-CTA Direct had four cycle speedway riders competing in the Ken Graham Memorial Trophy meeting at Bury on Saturday. All four riders came through the 38 qualifying races to reach the quarter final stages. Both Frank
BLACKBURN with Darwen council is in talks with teachers about next year's school holiday pattern. Education bosses said it wanted to make slight adjustments to the current holiday time-table to bring the borough into line with holidays elsewhere.
PERENNIAL title challengers Rochdale avoided the banana skin that is Stand when the two teams clashed at the weekend. Stand won the toss and elected to bat but were soon under the cosh when Jon Henderson had removed Warren without troubling the scorers
SATURDAY STAND III V Middleton, away: G.Bond, C.Sutcliffe, M.Livesey, L.Chadwick, R.Staniland, D.Molyneaux, O.Beirne, C.Moorhead, A.Rowlinson, M.Curphey, T.Clements. Scorer: A.Capron. Meet at club 12.30pm. PRESTWICH v Glossop, home, meet 12.30pm: S Orrell
UNSWORTH have the perfect opportunity to challenge the leaders in the Central Lancashire League this weekend after another convincing win in the Central Lancashire League. A five-wicket victory over Werneth means the Pole-Laners stand just three points
A MAN was found hanged hours after his girlfriend had been discovered dead in a car in Leigh, detectives revealed on Friday. Police officers discovered the man at the home the couple shared in Warwick Street, Leigh. His 22-year-old girlfriend was found
ENGLAND'S heart-breaking defeat by France didn't leave all council staff with a Monday morning hangover. Employees took part in a rush-hour commuter challenge using bike, bus, tram, car and their feet to get from Radcliffe to Bury. And, as befits National
A NATION expected last night and thankfully England delivered. The 3-0 victory over Switzerland was a massive tonic given what had happened against France the previous Sunday. And although it wasn't exactly a vintage performance, it's results that count
LABOUR party members were jubilant at the local elections in Preston after ousting a former member who had defected to the anti-war party Respect. The all-postal vote on June 10 saw former councillor and portfolio holder for housing, Elaine Abbot, lose
AS YOU Like It might be one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, but it is Big Ears the sheep that is stealing the show at a production of the Baa-d's comedy classic. It is the eight-year-old ewe's first stab at acting after auditioning for the role for
A BURNLEY housing developer has applied to build a £10million housing scheme near where he used to play football as a child. Ken Slater, chief executive of Holme Park Developments, has submitted a planning application to transform a disused factory site
A PINT-sized politician has been praised by her local MP after arguing her way to victory in a contest. Aliya Iqbal, a pupil at Edge End High School in Nelson, was named the North West's top backbencher in a National Youth Parliament Competition. Two
DENTISTS in Bury are brushing up on their walking skills! Denise Matthews is among 13 staff from Bury's Bell Lane dental practice all set to take part in the seven-mile Devoted to Life walk at Tatton Park, Cheshire, on Sunday, June 27, in aid of Marie
A MAGNIFICENT century from Leyland professional Moin Ul Atiq was not enough to prevent a heavy defeat at St Annes. He scored 122 and came close to carrying his bat, but was bowled by the home side's professional Jimmy Adams off the last ball of the innings
A DRUNKEN man who assaulted his partner was given a two-year conditional discharge. Burnley magistrates heard how Thomas Frederick Spencer's victim wanted him to get help controlling his temper, and to stop him self-harming. Spencer, 22, of Bank Street
POLICE in South Ribble are urging people to be on their guard when using hole-in-the-wall cash machines. The warning comes after thieves installed camouflaged equipment on cash machines to steal card and pin numbers. They work by putting a 'card skimmer
A BUS driver involved in an accident in which an Accrington woman died will return to court on July 1. Roy Harris, 44, of Bolland Close, Clitheroe, appeared before Hyndburn Magistrates yesterday charged with driving without due care and attention. His
WESTLEIGH High School teachers really are top of the class. Music department head Vanessa Hobart has been chosen for the North West Young Teacher of the Year Award after being nominated by pupils. This autumn she will be in the national awards ceremony
GUIDANCE about the adoption of strategies to deal with "difficult people" will be underlined at the latest meeting of the PACE Network. The seminar, entitled Managing Difficult People, will take place on Wednesday, June 30, at Link House in Walmersley
PRESTWICH Carnival is all set to be "Ladies' Day" on Sunday with an all-male star line up! Organisers have turned up the heat on this year's live performances to woo the crowds at St Mary's Park. Girls should get ready to swoon at Robbie Williams look-a-like
RAMBLERS today accused county council bosses of 'dragging their heels' over plans to build a new bridge which would complete the Ribble Way walk. Dozens of walkers are holding a protest at the confluence of the rivers Ribble and Calder at Little Mitton
Leyland 211-6, St Annes 212-1 The St Annes pair of Charles Boucher and professional Jimmy Adams were in supreme form over the weekend and on successive days they won games for St Annes with relative ease. Between them they scored 316 runs as the Vernon
RADCLIFFE-based James Halstead PLC knows what their good corporate name is worth -- about £10 million! For that's the value of its well-known Belstaff International Ltd brand and several others which have been sold for that amount. Until 1990, before
CHORLEY made it two wins out of two in the Northern Premier League Twenty/Twenty Cup, defeating Leyland by four wickets in a surprisingly low-scoring match at Fox Lane. The home side were in early disarray at 6-3 but dug in to reach 113-8, young Chorley
DAVE Bradford is the new manager of Great Harwood Town. The ex-Blackburn Rovers player and former boss of West Lancashire League side BAE Canberra, fills the post vacated by John Hughes, who left for Chorley last week. Great Harwood chairman Bill Holden
FORMER Rossendale United manager Micky Graham is returning to the dugout - four years after quitting his post at Dark Lane. Graham, a well-known figure in north west non-league circles, has been appointed as the new assistant manager of UniBond League
AFTER recent disappointing results there was a welcome return to form for Leigh CC in both their weekend games at Beech Walk. They completely outplayed an in form Northern side to win by a massive 132-run margin and ran up a huge total in their Lancashire
WHEN three-year-old Joshua Wilson suffered a rare brain condition, his young friends wanted to do something to help. So classmates from the Park Nursery in Bury, took part in a fund-raising day with a Euro football flavour. Joshua is in a responsive coma
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today said he's relishing the start of pre-season training as he looks to banish the memories of the last 12 months. No-one was more disappointed by Rovers' performances in the Premiership last season than Souness after he
MOTORISTS will face road closures in Atherton as roadworks begin to construct a new roundabout. The A577 Wigan Road will be closed for a month between Lovers Lane and Atherleigh Way as work is carried out to install the roundabout at the junction of the
THE Blackpool tourist industry is this week mourning the death of one of its most determined and innovative leaders, Pleasure Beach supremo, Geoffrey Thompson OBE DL. Mr Thompson, the park's managing director for 27 years, was taken ill at a family function
PUDDIN' on the style! That is Radcliffe woman Debbie Pierce whose Bury Black Pudding Company has been crowned most successful new business. Debbie (34), scooped the award and £2,000 prize money at the inaugural North Manchester Business Awards held at
BLACKBURN with Darwen Racial Equality Council has elected its first female chairman. Edna Arnold's selection has been hailed by the council as a reason for celebration. REC director Abdul Choudry said: "We are delighted that all the board members and
TALKS have been continuing between the government's education bosses and the body responsible for funding all sixth form education to secure more money. Lancashire's Learning and Skills Council will share in £130million national cash boost from the Department
LABOUR leaders have offered joint-rule deals to at least one other party in a last-ditch bid to cling onto power at Blackburn with Darwen Council. The moves were revealed as talks over a three-way minority party takeover of the authority -- thrust into
A CANCER survivor ended the three-year wait to speak to the American stranger who saved his life by telling her: "You'll never know how much you mean to me." In an emotional transatlantic phone call, former Hyndburn policeman Mick Baines spoke to nurse
AS an ex-Royal Navy member who attended the commemorative D-Day service at the War Memorial on June 6, I was surprised by the lack of public interest. Council leaders didn't even acknowledge the event. Not even a wreath. None of the cadet forces attended
I HAD the great privilege of attending the D-Day commemoration in Normandy and it is to the eternal credit of the French that they have not forgotten the great sacrifice made by our forces on that crucial day 60 years ago. Parents and children waved and
THE result of the local elections, which kept Labour in control of the council, was as much a shock to me as France's late, late smash-and-grab act against England. What on earth was the electorate thinking last Thursday? Who would have believed that
I AM finding it more and more difficult to understand just exactly what I get for my £1,000 per year of council tax. After all, I've no children, so make no demands on the education system. If I have ever needed a police officer there has been none to
Victorian Industrial Landscape, The Weavers' Triangle, Burnley. Saturday Morning Club for five-14 year-olds, Vanguard Community Centre, 65 Bevington Close, Burnley, 10am-1pm. Ballet and Tap Dancing for children age two years upwards, Debra McLaren School
Friday 18th: Sportsmans Dinner - Special guest Sir Garfield Sobers. Saturday 19th: Summer Ball - Glamorous dinner & musical entertainment. Sunday 20th: Family Day - 12.30 - 6pm. President Ray Vaughan offers members & non members a warm invite:
SATURDAY BOLTON LEAGUE Greenmount v Heaton BOLTON ASSOCIATION Elton v Blackrod, Daisy Hill v Walshaw. MANCHESTER ASSOCIATION Bury v Bolton, Newton Heath v Brooksbottoms. LANCASHIRE COUNTY LEAGUE Prestwich v Glossop, Woodbank v Longsight. RIBBLESDALE LEAGUE
I AM a pensioner who would like to thank an unknown person for handing in my purse which was left on the cutlery section counter in T J Hughes coffee bar and restaurant on Wednesday, June 9. I cannot thank you enough, you saved me a lot of upset. God
RECENTLY there has been a great deal of debate regarding the age-old problem of prostitution in Blackburn and how the situation appears to be getting out of hand. Some people have called for the police to take stronger action against the prostitutes and
A FELL runner who died on Holcombe Moor suffered a massive heart attack, a post mortem has confirmed. The finding of natural causes means there will be no inquest held into the death of Mr Frank Whittaker, of Lumb Carr Avenue, Holcombe Brook. The 64-year-old
DENTISTS in Bury are brushing up on their walking skills! Denise Matthews is among 13 staff from Bury's Bell Lane dental practice all set to take part in the seven-mile Devoted to Life walk at Tatton Park, Cheshire, on Sunday, June 27, in aid of Marie
THE organiser of a popular Ramsbottom football tournament has blown the final whistle on his ten-year association with the competition. Steve Orr, who is a police officer based at Bury, has decided to step down from organising the Ramsbottom and District
A CHARITY fundraiser put the fun back into running on Sunday. Children and adults, with some in fancy dress, took to the roads in Bury to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. Organisers said the sixth annual five-mile run from the Bolholt
A DEGREE with a divine difference is being offered at Holy Cross College this September. The full-time Foundation Degree in Pastoral Leadership is the latest degree at the Manchester Road college and will provide a framework for the training of lay people
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today said he's relishing the start of pre-season training as he looks to banish the memories of the last 12 months. No-one was more disappointed by Rovers' performances in the Premiership last season than Souness after he
POLICE have renewed their appeal for information following the rape of a teenager in Moor Park, Preston, in May. The attack happened at 4pm on Sunday, May 30, when the 19-year-old man went into the public toilets, and was followed into a cubicle by two
COMEDIAN Peter Kay was behind bars at Preston prison this week, but all was not what it seemed. The TV star is spending two days at the Ribbleton Lane jail filming for his new series, Max and Paddy, a follow-up to his popular Channel 4 show, Phoenix Nights
A POLICE officer has been awarded a CBE. Detective Superintendent David Brown, who has worked at the police training college at Sedgley Park in Prestwich, has been recognised for his outstanding services to policing. Mr Brown joined Greater Manchester
BURNLEY FC is through to the final of a national knockout competition that rewards the work of companies in the community. The Turf Moor club is one of 11 North West companies to receive the Business in the Community Big Tick award for the way it has
A DRIVER had had such a cocktail of drugs before getting behind the wheel he was like a "zombie" and almost unconscious, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates Court heard how Mohammed Nawaz, 35, was found to have tomazepam, diazepam, ecstasy, MDA, GHB
A CENTRE to give young people advice on jobs, health and relationships is due to open in Nelson on Tuesday -- five months later than expected and £283,000 over budget. Lancashire County Council is still looking for funding to offset the expense of the
THE final arrangements have been made for this year's Powersound music competition in Radcliffe. The event, organised by Bury Venues and Bury's Youth and Community Service is for young people aged between 14 and 24, and the closing date for entries is
IN a tense final of the South Ribble Kwik Cricket finals St Mary Magdalene primary school beat Seven Stars by two runs. The school will now take part in the Lancashire finals at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester on June 30. A total of 27 schools
THE Warriors' attacking flair was too much for a spirited Culcheth side. Right from the first whistle, Leyland looked to offload in the tackle and move the ball wide. Peter Szwandt opened the scoring with a mazy run and this was soon followed by a trademark
A DESIGN manager almost three times the limit at midday had put the public's lives in danger, a court heard. Burnley Magistrates were told father-of-three Stuart Place, 41, told police the last drink he had was vodka the night before. Place, who now has
CAMPAIGNERS from Greater Manchester have reacted angrily to the news that Leigh MP Andy Burnham has accepted an invitation to become a vice-president of the British Fluoridation Society. Mr Burnham has led the campaign in the House of Commons to push
ACCRINGTON police are today looking into allegations of fraud made following the local election results. Hyndburn Council's Labour group made the allegations after former councillor for the Central ward Sardar Ali lost his seat to Conservative newcomer
ENGLAND World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst will be coaching soccer hopefuls in Leigh. Sporting Leigh MP Andy Burnham has arranged a September date with the 1966 hat-trick star through the FA Community Coaching Programme in partnership with McDonald's--a
FRED Norris doesn't envy the task Leigh's long distance athletics star Peter Riley has set himself to win an Olympic place. He's been there, done that, got the t-shirt. But then Tyldesley's greatest ever athlete is glad he is not running today with the
BURY man Mustafa Ilyas is not a businessman who does things by half. He's opened a new takeaway and diner in the town's Bolton Street -- next door to his own licensed restaurant! Now, 24-year-old Mustafa will be catering for all tastes. And he will also
A FAMILY business in Whalley is top of the shops after it was given a prestigious prize for its selling power. The Outdoor Shop, in King Street, has won the national award by Paramo, makers of outdoor clothing and equipment sold in 50 UK shops. It was
A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy died after choking on a grape the morning after he helped celebrate his sister's 13th birthday, an inquest was told. An inquest at Preston heard that the grape had totally restricted Oliver Shaw's breathing, and his parents had been
A 20-YEAR-OLD youth has been banned from driving just two hours after passing his test. A court heard that Justin Armitage had spent two years and "thousands of pounds" becoming a qualified driver. And his solicitor, Andrew Church-Taylor, said that his
I FEEL I must say a huge thank you for all the cards and well-wishes I've received in the past week. Many of you won't know that I suffered a heart attack - my third - form which I am thankfully recovering in hospital. I feel as fit as an ox again after
NEW signing John McGreal is convinced brighter times lie around the corner for Burnley. The former Ipswich Town defender yesterday walked away from the offer of a new 12-month contract at Portman Road to become Steve Cotterill's first major signing as
PAUL Horton is set for his Championship debut for Lancashire against Warwickshire at Stratford-upon-Avon today. The young middle-order batsmen, who was born in Australia, has been drafted into the Red Rose squad to replace the injured Carl Hooper. He
A WHITEFIELD woman who only found her feet in IT five years ago has seen her web site voted the second most read on-line podiatry journal in the world. The global accolade achieved by Karen Tenzer and business partner Jackie Sheridon for their on-line
A SECONDARY school teacher has died after he was struck by a car while cycling home. David Jonathan Kerslake (44), of Hackney Close, Radcliffe, was in collision with a blue Toyota Corolla, driven by a 78-year-old man, in Crompton Way, Bolton, on Monday
EVERY Year there's coverage of that popular water-based race...the Oxford versus Cambridge rowing finale. Now there is another competition muscling in on the action. Bury FC and its supporters' trust have been running a duck race for a few years now and
MEMBERS of Darwen Camera Club are getting out and about as part of their summer nights programme. This week the group took photographs of a three-quarter scale model of a German second world war tank at Pleasington playing fields, Blackburn. In the club's
THE final arrangements have been made for this year's Powersound music competition in Radcliffe. The event, organised by Bury Venues and Bury's Youth and Community Service is for young people aged between 14 and 24, and the closing date for entries is
READING a headline in one of the daily papers the other week it stated the total debt owed by everyone in this country now stands at one trillion. It doesn't surprise me in the least. We now live in a money/materialistic mad world, full of folk who must
ONE OF Cleveleys' last green spaces has been saved from controversial development plans. Part of Jubilee Gardens on Cleveleys seafront would have been built on if a leisure park planned by Manchester's Property Alliance Group had gone ahead. But the firm
SEVEN men were due to appear before Blackburn Magistrates today charged with money laundering offences after the seizure of 1.5kg of heroin. Ayub Khansia, 46, Yusuf Khansia, 77, Anisa Khansia, 21, Salim Holden, 26, and Imran Khansia, 23, all from Blackburn
ACCORDING to a recent memo, all milk, bread, drinks etc issued to wards at Fairfield Hospital are for the use of patients only. Visitors are to be directed to vending machines or the restaurant. So could Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust tell us what
PRIMARY pupils from Westleigh Methodist and Leigh Central schools are in the last four of a newspaper competition. The "Hold the Front Page"project is an innovative ICT competition being organised by Wigan Education Department's ICT Team. It involves
A LEIGH care worker is feeling the pinch after selfish morons stole two bikes -- in just three days. The poor girl had the first wheeled away while she was attending a client last week, and because it was her only means of transport she had to buy another
Chorley Lynx 10 Leigh Centurions 78 by Mike Hulme: NEIL Turley has wiped the name of John Woods from Leigh's record books. The Centurions' current scoring sensation replaced his childhood idol as the holder of the most points in a match record with an
Rochdale Hornets 24 Leigh Centurions 74: IT'S an indication of just how high Leigh's standards are these days that even a near-record away win isn't good enough. Although Leigh breezed to top spot, scoring 13 tries against a poor Rochdale side that is
Leigh Centurions 43, Halifax 25 by Mike Hulme: THE old sporting cliche of a game of two halves was never more apt than it was at Hilton Park last Sunday. For almost the entire opening 40 minutes, the Centurions' unbeaten home league record was in jeopardy
