HOTEL worker Tracey Hye was given the VIP treatment when she visited East Lancashire. Tracey was the winner of a new competition sponsored by Hilden Manufacturing, of Oswaldtwistle, to find the best assistant head housekeeper at Hilton National hotels
COUN Jim Hirst (Conservative, Billinge Ward, Blackburn) states that UK unemployment is "the lowest of any major European country" (Letters, December 9). Oh really? What Coun Hirst fails to mention is that, since 1979, the Tories have changed the way unemployment
A DAIRY at the centre of the E-coli food bug investigation was due to be given a clean bill of health today after a trial run with new pasteurising equipment. Tests have been carried out on milk from the new plant at Frankland's dairy in Gisburn and if
SHOPPERS are being warned to look out for potentially lethal toys and festive decorations in the run-up to Christmas. Lancashire County Council's trading standards office has issued the warning after a "Flying Angels" toy was found to be potentially dangerous
STEVE Parry's men go in search of their 10th straight league win when HASLINGDEN travel to Garswood. "We've been going well but we have some real tough games coming up over the next month," said Parry. "It will be a real test of our credentials. "Garswood
CHRISTMAS Day will mark the 50th anniversary of the most memorable festive season in a town's history. In December 1946, families in Oswaldtwistle shared their Christmas meal with men who had been their sworn enemies for more than five years. The tale
IN reply to V Booth (Letters, June 6, 1995) who was bemused by the call by B Tattersall (Letters, June 1, 1995) for an end to the breeding of birds of prey in captivity and their release into the wild, I am a pigeon fancier and the reason I have waited
MORE and more desperate debtors were turning to East Lancashire Citizen Advice Bureau as a last hope. A grim report revealed a staggering rise in the numbers of cries for help, with Lancashire alone dealing with more than 173,000 cases - almost ten per
TONY Parkes takes Blackburn Rovers to high-flying Wimbledon tomorrow knowing Sven Goran Eriksson is taking a keen interest on the club's continuing progress up the Premiership. The Selhurst Park scoreline will be closely monitored by Sampdoria coach Eriksson
RISHTON and Accrington have sparked fury in Lancashire League ranks by expressing a formal interest in the new county Super League. The deadline for an initial approach to the Lancashire Cricket Board expired this week. Burnley are also believed to be
ENGLAND's clash with Australia next July could be Lancashire's biggest money-spinning Test of all time. The Old Trafford showdown on July 3-8 is the third match of the Ashes series and even though it is eight months away, the club's box-office has been
JIM PENNYCOOK is promising changes...definitely to playing personnel and, hopefully, to results! Blackburn Hawks' player coach takes his confidence-shattered squad for a double "Scotch" this weekend desperately seeking some pre-Christmas cheer. "We have
THE touching story is told tonight of how, at Christmas 50 years ago, East Lancashire folk set aside the bitterness of war and made friends with their former enemies as they invited German prisoners into their homes. It was a gesture that spoke not just
FOUL! Labour activists are nabbed trying to rig the Today radio programme's Personality of the Year award in favour of Tony Blair, forcing the BBC to block all further nominations for him. The Tories are in high dudgeon. Labour has been caught red-handed
THE family of captive Paul Wells today welcomed an Indian Government million rupee cash reward for information leading to the "whereabouts of the hostages". The news came as the campaign to secure the release of Paul, 25, and three other Westerners was
CORONATION Street star Sally Webster visited Burnley to open a new shop to help disabled people shop in the town. Sally, actress Sally Whittaker, cut the ribbon and unveiled a commemorative plaque on Burnley ShopMobility at St James Street. The shop is
Wimbledon v Blackburn Rovers - Peter White assesses the Dons' fighting spirit BELIEVE it or not, Wimbledon are heading for Europe - and that doesn't just mean through winning the Coca-Cola Cup. Though at odds of 5-1 and a quarter-final tie at Bolton coming
EMPLOYEES at Akzo Nobel are helping raise cash to help build a school in India. For the second year running, employees at the firm took part in a company-wide competition to design the firm's corporate Christmas card. The overall winner was Tahir Khan
Ron Freethy's Britain: North Wales LAST week I travelled into North Wales to do a spot of winter birdwatching, writes RON FREETHY. Little did I expect to discover more than a touch of Lancashire's history. I spent the morning watching birds feeding on
CAN you clarify the situation regarding the car park at Eanam Wharf, Blackburn? I visit Blackburn regularly and find this car park very handy. I have used the area from the time when a scrap merchant was located there and recall that when it was made
Burnley v Brentford - Tony Dewhurst previews the visit of the Division Two leaders I CAN still picture him now, standing there, frozen in time, on the centre circle at the Goldstone Ground. Arms aloft, biceps which would crush a mini, a torso that would
A GIANT crane has been installed as part of the latest stage in a £30 million investment at a paper mill. The 69ft wide overhead crane has been installed at Sappi Europe's Feniscowles Mill to handle extra large paper reels. The crane, which will lift
A SAFETY-conscious firm has won a top award. Smurfit Corrugated of Nelson was one of 20 firms to be awarded a commendation by the Health & Safety Commission. The Commission hopes Smurfit and the 19 other winners in England and Wales will provide a
A SCHOOL headteacher today defended his decision to send two friends home when they arrived for classes sporting similar hairstyles. Michael Humphreys of Our Lady and St John RC High School, Blackburn, said he had no choice but to take the action to halt
A YOUNG couple were blasted out of their beds and into the street when a gas explosion ripped through their home. Kevin and Karen Heseltine were covered in rubble after the walls collapsed around them in Parkinson Street, Burnley. Emergency crews evacuated
ON TO the tightrope goes John Major, as Labour's expected by-election victory at Barnsley East last night wiped out the government's Commons majority. It is a grim situation for the Tories - after so long in power and with the days of the parliamentary
Friday Folk MANY of the soldiers who escaped from the beaches of Dunkirk in the summer of 1940 owe their lives to a handful of men from the East Lancashire Regiment. One of them, Frank Curry, has written a book with the help of Blackburn publisher Raymond
REGARDING Maurice McHugh's remarks (Letters, December 9) on Britain's membership in the European Community, I still recall the referendum on our being in the Common market. I have spoken to many people on how they voted and very few admitted to voting
TWO MEN behind a leaflet asking for money to protect homes came forward today to apologise for any worry they have caused. The pair, who call themselves Threat Management Security, were shocked to read reaction to their new venture in the Lancashire Evening
Political Focus, with Bill Jacobs THE LAST two weeks have seen the insoluble Tory Civil War on Europe descend to new depths. It is quite clear it is no longer about joining a single currency, as it looks increasingly likely that there may be no first
CHRIS Sutton will wear the coveted number nine shirt at Selhurst Park tomorrow, with Blackburn Rovers winning their battle with the Premier League to make the switch. Jack Walker was the man who instigated the club's bid to hand top scorer Sutton the
HOT-SHOT Paul Barnes is shining his shooting boots for tomorrow's match of the day against Division Two leaders Brentford at Turf Moor. Burnley's record signing has recovered from the Achilles injury which has ruled him out of the last four league and
THE government has been urged to make a full Commons statement on the East Lancashire E.coli outbreak along the lines of that made by Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth about a similar epidemic in Lanarkshire. Pendle MP Gordon Prentice has called on Health
