Archive

OVER the hill, past it and ready for the knacker's yard are just some of the phrases often used to describe pensioners. Well, one Cleveleys man who has taken early retirement is sick to the back teeth with being treated like a second-class citizen and

The familiar, sorry tale of non-promotion due to lack of facilities is something UniBond League Radcliffe Boro are determined to avoid. First Division Boro are already doing all they can to gain elevation to the Premier Divison the hard way - on the field

AS the temperatures get lower and the frost sets in, most of us throughout the Fylde will be thinking of summer holidays and warmer climes. However, many people may not be able to afford the luxury of foreign destinations. One group in particular is single-parent

COME on board and get rid of your old jewellery at the same time! That's the official message from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. In our special tribute edition, the Citizen recognised the important work the lifeboats play in a seaside town

CHAMPION swordsman Neil Ross was shattered when thieves swiped £3,000 of fencing equipment from his home. Disabled Neil, 24, lost a leg as a teenager but battled bravely to become one of Britain's top wheelchair athletes. Seven swords and special protective

KIND-HEARTED Fylde pensioner Jim McLellan really is a dog's best friend. In an emotional letter to the editor, Jim asked your caring Citizen to publicise the urgent need for loving homes for several lost and abandoned dogs along with launching an appeal

FRIENDS and family packed St Cuthbert's Church in Darwen to say their last goodbyes to one of the town's most well-loved characters - and "the last English gentleman".Artist Albert Hurst died last week, aged 91, at Thorncliffe Nursing Home, Darwen, after

BIRDWATCHERS flocked to Cut Wood Park to see a rare duck dance across the ice. To the delight of local twitchers the Mandarin duck, which originates in Asia and rarely seen in Britain, had decided to take a rest on Rishton reservoir. Binoculars were honed

ALAN Shearer got what he deserved on Boxing Day - how can HE of all people quote "loyalty" after the way he left Rovers last year, spoiling our chances. Blackburn fans loved him, he shone at Ewood Park and was given every chance to shine, helped by team-mates

A BOOKLET revealing the fascinating history of Darwen Tower has been published to celebrate the centenary of the famous landmark. Author Alan Duckworth - an adopted Darwener since moving to the town from his native Halifax 22 years ago - put the booklet

TRANSPORT police have nipped in the bud a dangerous new craze of train-surfing following reports of youngsters dicing with death at a local railway station. Officers have stepped up patrols at Huncoat railway station after teenagers were seen leaping

BEING one of the 7,000 Burnley fans in the Anfield crowd last Saturday, I take exception to William Johnson's match report in the Daily Telegraph on January 6. David Pleat was recently hailed as a "tactical genius" in some quarters for the way his team

A GRIEVING mother relived the death of her teenage daughter - almost 12 months to the day that she died. A coroner's court heard on Tuesday how Melanie Ellison, 15, died when a fast-burning padded shirt caught fire. Melanie died at Booth Hall Children's

A PUBLICAN who died on Christmas Eve, was laid to rest on Friday last week following a packed requiem mass at St Wilfrid's Church in Chapel Street. George Sumners, former landlord of Lou's Long Bar (now Maddison's) in Main Sprit Weind, Preston, died two

I WAS pleased to read of Pendle MP Gordon Prentice appealing to the government to bring tighter restrictions on the availability of airguns. As he says, it is absurd that children from the age of 14 have legal access to such weapons, which can cause dreadful

A FORMER Bamber Bridge teacher was given a grilling by TV detective Hetty Wainthrop when he had a star role in a BBC series. You may have seen Gordon Rowe, now of Queen's Road, Chorley, behind the bar in Hetty Wainthrop Investigates last Friday (January

ANXIOUS staff and visitors have been warned to be on their guard for symptoms of the deadly brain disease meningitis after a female employee at Blackburn Town Hall was struck down by the illness. The woman was taken ill while working at Blackburn Council

SCHOOLCHILDREN could get a ticket to ride from a coach operator who has pledged to set up a service campaigners have wanted for months. Residents on Longsands estate and Councillors have battled for a service for Broughton High School students as they

THE year starts here for our local non-league sides after the festive football programme was frozen off. Only Accrington Stanley, who beat Bamber Bridge 4-1 on Boxing Day, have played since Christmas. Accrington, 13th in the Unibond Premier Division,

THREE foreign students due to stay in Preston for a year, may have to cut short their visit because they can't find any where to live. The youngsters, aged 17 and 18, are from Ecuador, Germany and France, and came to Britain in September to study and

HOUSEHOLDERS in Preston are risking their lives living in homes that are firetraps. Nearly 90 per cent of people in Houses in Multiple Occupation - premises mostly owned and rented by private landlords and containing more than one person - have inadequate

FIRE chiefs have welcomed a drop in the number of people killed in house fires. Preliminary figures released this week by the Greater Manchester Fire Service reveal a drop of more than 35 five per cent in deaths . A total of 19 people died in the county

I READ in The Journal from time to time about local brass bands appealing for players to join their ranks and the latest one being the Ellenbrook and Boothstown Band. The local brass band scene is appealing for players to fill the vacant chairs around

A CHILDREN'S charity is appealing for local help after being overlooked for national cash grant hand-outs. Blackburn Child Care Society has sent out an SOS to individuals, organisations and businesses because the National Lottery and Children In Need

A HEADTEACHER worried about the safety of youngsters crossing a busy main road said he would help them cross the street himself if it meant lives being saved. Brookfield County Primary School's Head Chris Sharples said that if no permanent patrol was

A NATIONWIDE scheme to pinpoint the needs of the disabled in hospital has been launched thanks to a local group. Bury North MP Alistair Burt says it was the Bury and District Disabled Advisory Council (Baddac) that prompted health chiefs to meet at a

PRAYER is the soul's sincere desire, uttered or inexpressed. Many, many people from all walks of life have been, and still are, thinking of the Wells family and Paul's girlfriend. I feel sure no one will forget about him and we will help in any way we

WHAT on earth is John Farrer talking about? Now, I know that it can't be easy for him to have to play the (ever so secret) 'behind the scenes' Tory mouthpiece, but judging by the evidence of his latest stream of letters to this paper it is difficult to

SCORES of Preston drivers ignored the police warnings not to drink and drive over the festive break. Grim figures released by Lancashire police show more drivers were caught over the limit on the county's roads this Christmas than last, even though the

BLACKBURN ROVERS look set to join the transfer merry-go-round after months of inactivity. Fit again Paul Warhurst is being chased by a string of clubs while young keeper Shay Given has eventually handed in a transfer request after months of speculation

A TRAGIC family's vigil to their baby's grave turned to horror when they discovered the inscr ibed headstone had been taken and replaced by a heap of concrete. The headstone at the grave of little Hayley Rowley - who died from pneumonia at just 12-weeks-old

SPORTING superstars of tomorrow have been given a leg-up to international fame by council bosses. Preston Council is dishing up £1,500 in grants to 15 sports-mad young people in a bid to help them achieve top ranking in a whole host of sports. Iain Mathews

ST WILFRID'S C of E High has been given a £100,000 boost as it searches for a site to locate a new £10 million building. The grant-maintained Blackburn school has been awarded technology college status - meaning £100,000 extra government funding. It also

THE funeral takes place today (Friday, December 10) of well-known Moorside Labour councillor Sean Cassidy. He died at the weekend, aged 63, after a long battle against illness. A member of the council since May, 1990, was a well-known community campaigner

'A GOOD Samaritan motorist from Bury who rescued a man being attacked by two muggers was thanked and praised at Bolton Crown Court. Recorder Geoffrey Tattersall asked Mr James Holden to step up to the bench to receive his commendation in person. "You

ANGRY Ainsworth residents are outraged at plans to build a huge sports club in their village. Shocked villagers are furious at being kept in the dark about the development deal which was struck between Bolton Road Methodist Church and Bolton Road Sports

MANUFACTURER Jones Stroud Insulations have become the latest employer to pick up a training and staff development award. The Longridge firm, which manufactures electrical insulation materials, has collected the Investors in People award. Staff at the

RONNIE Baxter has tipped debutant Mervyn King to win the Embassy World Championship. The unseeded King clawed his way back from 2-1 down against Accrington's seventh seed to win 3-2. King, who has beaten Baxter only once in five meetings, threw six 180s

LANCASHIRE grabbed a sensational win over India A today to give English cricket a much-needed boost. 40,000 fans in Calcutta's Eden Gardens were stunned when Warren Hegg made the winning hit with two balls left. It took Lancashire to 232-8, Hegg finishing

Sir William Pickles Hartley, the founder of Hartleys Jam, was my great, great grandfather, and I would be very interested to hear from anyone who can tell me more about him, his family and the business that he started. I am also interested in finding

BURNLEY Sea Cadets are ringing the changes in a big recruitment drive. The group have changed their name to Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Sea Cadets to widen their catchment area, and are holding an open day for anyone who is interested in joining. Treasurer

AS any politician will tell you, timing in an election campaign is everything. So Labour leader Tony Blair will be cursing his luck at choosing yesterday to launch his party's pre-election campaign. He must have thought he was in the middle of a ghastly

A SOCCER pitch which was once graced by by pre-war Football League stars could vanish if the go-ahead is given to a planning application submitted by builders Alfred McAlpine. The builders have applied to build 69 houses on the Vista Park ground at Newton-le-Willows

PENSIONERS Tommy and Clara Pountney shivered for five weeks and spent Christmas day wrapped in overcoats after their gas fire broke. The couple, both in their 90s, endured the freezing-cold festive period while they waited for the fire to be fixed. Pendle

THE St Helens branch of Mothercare is joining forces with a local health group to hit home the message to their customers that smoking can kill. The National Smoking Education Campaign was launched by the Health Education Authority to try and get people

THE first NHS in-patient clinic for people with eating disorders is set to open in Reedley in April. Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust already operates an out-patient service at Brierfield Health Centre and is in the process of converting a house on Colne

BURNLEY have begun contract talks with fans' favourite David Eyres. I can reveal tonight that Eyres has had talks with manager Adrian Heath about signing a fresh deal, believed to be a two-and-a-half year contract.That would keep the 32-year-old Eyres

NEIL MEASURES could be ready to resurrect his Leigh career after a round-the-world sporting sabbatical. The prop, a £6,000 buy from St Helens in 1994, walked out of Hilton Park and eventually went to Australia to try his luck. Once back in Britain, and

ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD DID the Roundheads ever reach the Blackbrook area of St Helens? That's the mystifying question raised by a Rainhill reader with a thirst for local history. And W. Fletcher of St David Close also provides an interesting clue. Having

A BOOMING order book is proving a major boost to Lancashire's aerospace industry. Work on the Airbus range of commercial aircraft has soared in recent years and now represents more than half the turnover at British Aerospace's Samlesbury site. And the

CHRISTMAS Day was a sparkling occasion in more ways than one for devoted duo Frank and Ada Penketh . . . for they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. But the couple, from Swinburne Road, Dentons Green, who first met as five-year-olds in a school

ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD AN amazing Dad's Army masterplan, designed to trip up the German air force, is recounted for us by reader John Foxton whose dad was wartime signals officer with the St Helens Home Guard. John, of Laurel Road, West Park, picks up on

Here are the answers to last week's Internet Cinema Quiz! B - Name the film: 1 On The Waterfront; 2 Grapes of Wrath; 3 White Heat; 4 All Quiet on the Western Front; 5 Shane; 6 Some Like it Hot; 7 Gone with the Wind; 8 Sunset Boulevard; 9 Rebecca; 10 King

A TRAGEDY has prompted Bury's hospitals to open up their scanning services round-the-clock. Stockport youngster Nicholas Geldard died two years ago because there were no CT scanners in South Manchester open at night. His death has been investigated by

PUPILS at Bury's Broad Oak High will be among the first of their age in the country to study for vocational qualification. For the Hazel Avenue school is the only one in the borough to be picked to pilot GNVQ courses from next September. The school has

A WARDEN who rescued a pensioner from his smoke-filled flat at a sheltered housing scheme has been praised for her quick-thinking actions. Percy Lambert, 72, was asleep in bed when a cigarette left burning in an ashtray fell on to an armchair in his flat

CYCLISTS can now bike into Bury without being bothered by cars, thanks to the borough's first major off-road cycleway. The route leads from Holcombe Brook and Brandlesholme, avoiding the congested and, for cyclists, potentially perilous Bury Bridge junction

ALMOST £1 million was raised from the sale of blight homes but campaigners say money was wasted as the Highways Agency rushed to get out of Whitefield. Some 35 homes blighted by the scrapped M62 relief road were auctioned last year to try and recoup money

FOXDENTON special school, which teaches nearly 50 children from Bury borough, has been praised by government inspectors. Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education concluded that Foxdenton was a very good school with a very good and distinctive

ANGRY Bury residents are slamming plans to sell off local parkland, saying they need more, not less. Bury Council want to sell off a sliver of Hoyle Park to nearby firm Miller's Bakery Equipment, who need the land to create an access route for their expanded

NINETEEN people have been arrested during a month-long drink-drive crackdown in Bury - seven more than last year. Police say the appalling results, which cover the whole of the borough, show a blatant disregard of some drivers for the safety of others

Food News, with Deborah Yewdall LOSING the Daily Mail Cook of the Year Competition was probably the best thing that could have happened to East Lancashire chef Andrew Nutter. Andrew, who owns Nutter's Restaurant, in Edenfield, exploded on to our TV screens

SAINTS have transfer-listed Great Britain tourist full-back Steve Prescott for what the club described as the "very realistic" figure of £200,000. Prescott (23) "reluctantly" asked for a move after failing to negotiate an improved contract. Chief executive

HAVING played more matches than any other club in the North West Counties League Division One, Prescot Cables had no qualms about having four successive fixtures postponed over the Christmas period but for making a futile journey to Chadderton on December

YOUNGSTERS are being warned to be extra wary of strangers following the attempted abduction of an 11-year-old boy. The boy was walking to school along Palmwood Avenue, Rainhill, at about 8.35am on Monday, January 6, when the driver of a dark, medium-sized

THE headteacher of Briercliffe County Primary School spoke about the hard work of teachers, pupils and parents after the school was praised by inspectors. John Whitham said the report from the Office for Standards in Education was a tribute to all his

A COMPUTER workshop exclusively for girls has opened in Nelson. The £12,000 workshop at the Pendle Pakistan Welfare Association was paid for by Children in Need. It is the third time the charity has backed the PPWA's project to assist Asian children with

I WRITE regarding your report on epilepsy with the headline "MP moves in to help Maxine". This will not be the first epilepsy group in Lancaster, the last group closed in December 1995. I was the chairperson of the group which met at Signposts in Morecambe

PUPILS at Mansfield High School, Brierfield, will have the world of technology at their fingertips within the next few months. A package worth £500,000 will help them make the most of their lessons in the sciences, maths and computer studies in fields

CLARETS fans told Adrian Heath "Don't go - Burnley needs you" after it was revealed yesterday (Wednesday) that he was being lined up for a job abroad. Spain's Espanol, where Heath spent a year as player, are said to have put his name on the short-list

THE number of motorists caught drink-driving in and around Lancaster and Morecambe this Christmas increased with 'disappointing' results according to police in the area. Figures released this week show that 353 motorists were caught over the limit across

£5m for hospital LESS than a year after the opening of the Royal Lancaster Infirmary's £27 million Centenary Building, almost £5 million more has been granted to the hospital. Last week, bosses at the Lancaster Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the

ENTERTAINMENT in Blackpool is set for a massive boost thanks to a £2.25 million investment by a leading brewery. Bass Taverns is to introduce a new venue to the town which will see more than 60 new jobs created in the resort. The Citizen has discovered

SPORTS shop chain JJB, headed by former Blackburn Rovers player David Whelan, cashed in on the Christmas spending spree. It had a 44 per cent improvement in sales for the 48 weeks to the end of December, compared with the previous year. Its Christmas

ONE of Blackpool's oldest and best loved attractions has just received a £10,000 contribution to fund a study on service improvements. Running from Fleetwood to Starr Gate at South Shore, the tramway has been the pride of Blackpool for many decades and

TOURISM bosses threw down the gauntlet to actress Dame Thora Hird this week in response to her derogatory remarks about Morecambe. They claim thousands of pounds spent on rejuvenating the town's image were wiped out in a matter of minutes when she claimed

THE thaw is on its way but it is unlikely to arrive in time to save Bury's scheduled home game with Walsall tomorrow, December 11. Forecasters say there will be big improvement in the weather this evening when snow flurries are expected to give way to

CITY slipped out of the Lancashire ATS Trophy on Tuesday night despite after determined performance in an incredible game at Conference side Southport. The Blues - still looking for a first win under new manager Gordon Raynor - coped well on the bone-hard

WILL the next chart-topping boy band hail from Blackpool? Local singing coach Tanya Lawrence has her doubts. With so many boy bands dominating the charts - Boyzone, Back Street Boys and Upside Down - and just Eternal and the Spice Girls striking a blow

IF you've got a real sense of adventure and are a fan of pedal power - then get on yer bike for charity! Regular exercise has always been the key to staying fit and healthy - and cycling is an activity that can be enjoyed by all, whatever their age or

BE breast aware is the message being given out to women on the Fylde. Becoming familiar with your body and noticing changes can be the difference between life and death and women - especially those aged over 50 - are being encouraged to examine themselves

THIEVES who broke into an Atherton doctor's surgery stole a £15,000 computer system detailing 1,200 patients' records. Now Dr Vinubhai Patel has the mammoth task of copying six years of filed medical information back onto computer after a holiday-time

A NATIONAL Lottery windfall of almost £90,000 has given a Darwen day care centre a huge boost creating new jobs and providing more care for the elderly. The grant has enabled Derwent Hall on George Street to start ambitious building work which will provide

FOUR is more for St Joseph's Players as 1997 heralds a big season for the Leigh company. Pantomime time will quickly be followed by the first of two dramatic double-headers. The Players will this year be producing a quartet of plays - a Spring selection

A MAN who admitted carrying out an armed robbery at a building society has been sent to a Young Offenders' Institution for six years. Christopher Rantell, aged 20, of Everest Road, Atherton, had recently completed one sentence for an unsuccessful armed

NORTH West Water has been slammed by councillors for refusing to reveal how many homes in Blackburn have had supplies cut off under a controversial scheme. And Labour leaders in Blackburn have called on the company to remove all pre-payment devices from

PUPILS and staff at a Leigh school had a New Year treat when they returned to the classroom on Monday. A 90-foot poplar tree which had been threatening to collapse has been cut down. The poplar, weighing around 16 tons was at the CE primary school gate

A COUPLE watched in horror as their business premises and stock went up in flames. Pat Ormerod and husband Tom Eastham were clearing out their furniture store at the Abbey Village antiques centre when it set on fire. The couple had been making space to

SACKED lecturer Pat Walsh has vowed to take troubled Accrington and Rossendale College to an industrial tribunal over his shock dismissal. The high-profile trade union activist was made redundant by college principal Mike Austin on the final day of term

A BOAT hire business at Boothstown Basin could boost canal development plans. But half the people living in a group of homes near the canal basin have told Salford Council they don't want it. Peel Investments (North) Ltd want a boat hire business - operated

LEIGH'S business community is launching an 'ideas bank' - to help raise £2 million for the new Hindley-based hospice. Work is well on with the renamed Wigan and Leigh Hospice and business leaders are now looking at linking with another group already set-up

WEST Ham have joined the queue of clubs showing an interest in Blackburn Rovers utility man Paul Warhurst. I understand the London club have already made an initial inquiry about Warhurst but have yet to take it any further. They are the first Premiership

ONE of Europe's top radio presenters has joined Red Rose 999 to host the station's award winning late night talk show. Tony Newman, a former Radio One presenter, comes to the Preston-based station with an impressive CV including being former host of Europe's

A LEIGH businessman is calling on the new CCTV 'eye in the sky' video cameras in the town centre to be manned by disabled people. The cameras, which have just been installed at major road junctions in Leigh, record everything going on and are available

SHOPWORKERS in Preston are at the bottom of the low-pay league, with one shop paying its youngest staff just £1.70 an hour. JJB Sports, which has stores on Fishergate, in the Guild Hall Shopping Centre and in Deepdale, pays its weekday staff just £1.70

A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy who can barely hold a pen, could soon be writing essays like his pals thanks to a windfall from the health authorities. Ben Shore who attends Lea Country Primary School, has cerebral palsy and needs physiotherapy and hand splints

FOLLOWING an extended Christmas break, Preston Grasshoppers' youngsters were toasting the new year in fine spirits. Although the U16's controversially crashed out of the Lancashire Cup at Orrell, the undefeated U14's team carry the flag this weekend at

BLACKBURN Hawks ice hockey team face a tough trip across the border to Scotland this weekend when they take on Northern League leaders Fife Flyers and second placed Dumfries Vikings. New recruit Todd Bidner is set to make his debut against the runaways

A FEW Chinese orphans could soon have families thanks to the generosity of Citizen readers. Four weeks ago when they read of the plight of the unwanted babies in their favourite weekly newspaper, many were so moved by the story, they wanted to find out

TWO Bury men who are said to have taken eggs from rare wild birds including a Golden Eagle and Roseate Tern, have appeared before a magistrates court. Alan Barrow, 34, of Sumner Avenue, Ainsworth, Bury, and 35-year-old Brian Mortimer, from Ribble Drive

HAVE you got what it takes to be the new Oasis or the next Spice Girls? Then the 1997 Battle of the Bands could be just for you. Launched this week the national competition offers up and coming pop stars a taste of the big time and winners could scoop

LOCAL parish councillors have won their fight to save a village toilet from closure. The public conveniences in Mellor were earmarked for closure because of their dilapidated state, lack of use and remote location. But at a Ribble Valley Borough Council

IT could be more than Wensleydale for tea if Preston's Prince of Plasticine gets given the freedom of the Borough! Preston's councillors are set to vote next month to decide give the town's very own Nick Park, who created dinky heroes Wallace and Gromit

A 21-year-old Downes Syndrome girl is a prisoner of the ground floor of her home because she's afraid to climb the stairs. Sarah Tyson of Hawkesbury Drive, Penwortham, has had to sleep downstairs since she became so unsteady on her feet a year ago, she

A SWEET ocean dream has been turned into reality for a local factory worker, thanks to the Freemasons. Chris Baker, who works at Warner Lambert Confectionery in Radcliffe, will be joining a crew of twelve for part of a voyage around the world with the

THE 17-year-old girl who died in an accident at Lea last Thursday, has been named as Kelly Kirkham of Carr Street, Preston. She was the front seat passenger of a red Triumph Acclaim which hit a lamppost on Blackpool Road. The car hit the post with such

BURY'S hospitals are bursting at the seams as a flu outbreak and Arctic temperatures grip the town. Bury General and Fairfield have been forced to close their doors on at least two occasions this week. Patients sent to the hospitals by their GPs had to

Tom Parker on PNE's half term report TO SOME North End fans, the first half of the season has been something of a disappointment and even Manager Gary Peters isn't happy with the haul of points so far. Having won the title with such conviction last season

A WOMAN who chaired a special committee safeguarding those taking part in medical research has been awarded the OBE in the New Year's Honours list. Mrs Jennifer Blunt, of Hawkstone Avenue, Whitefield, was chairman of the Salford Research Ethics committee

BLACKBURN is to have a new multi-million pound railway station by the year 2000. Railtrack has revealed that millions of pounds are to be spent upgrading it - or even demolishing the dilapidated station and replacing it with a modern train terminal. Rail

ARTHRITIS affects some 2.35 million men, women and children in Britain. The main types are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, and chronic which affects 15,000 children. But the illness, like many medical conditions, is not easy to define, for example, there

HEALTH experts are advising the public not to panic after a town hall worker was rushed to hospital with meningitis. But doctors have advised Blackburn council staff and members of the public to be on the look out for symptoms of the disease. The woman

ANGRY teaching unions fear classroom disruption after a "secret" U-turn over Summerseat Special School. They are worried that new plans, discussed for the first time this week, could fail because of lack of cash, leaving schools without the extra help

SHOKAT Ali marched into the sixth round of the Embassy World Snooker Championship qualifiers at Blackpool with another convincing performance. The Accrington star beat Andy Neck 10-2 to claim a date with Alan Burnett on Saturday evening. Shokat, quietly

Neil Bramwell speaks out FROM the very top to the grassroots of every conceivable variety of grass, English cricket is withering. Precious few who would disagree with that statement. So the steps planned to rectify the situation are all the more alarming

FROM the icy seas between Australia and the Antarctic wastes comes a wonderful "good news" story. Round-the-world sailor Tony Bullimore was found alive in the survival capsule of his upturned yacht, even though he ran out of water two days ago. It is

THE walk-out by Kevin Keegan underlined the pressure-cooker atmosphere in which the modern football manager operates. His resignation plunged Tyneside into a state of near-mourning and brought back memories of Kenny Dalglish's walk-out at Liverpool. It

MYSTERY still surrounds the death of a Rossendale man nearly four years after his charred and battered body was found in the Ghanaian capital city of Accra. Accountant Stephen Nicholas, 43, of Lobden Crescent, Whitworth, had just arrived in Ghana in April

AN 84-Year-old man who opened his front door to a man claiming to be a church social worker later found that £150 in cash had gone missing. The caller, who claimed to be a representative from St Luke's Church, called at the pensioner's home in Prescot

A SUTTON school is the only one in St Helens selected to take part in a new national educational programme backed by the Government. Sutton Community High School is one of 33 North West schools and just 210 across the whole country whose pupils will be

Two well-respected giants of Rugby League died during the Christmas/New Year holidays...Bill Rigby and Bert Causey. Wembley linesman Bill, who was 83, was the first secretary of the Leigh & District RL Referees Society. He followed his father, Jonas

POLICE chiefs in Merseyside have praised drivers in the region for responding positively to the Christmas anti drink-drive campaign. Merseyside Police traffic department adopted a pro-active approach to the drink drive problem by introducing a road check

THE birth of her latest grandchild didn't come with the customary pacing of the hospital waiting room or waiting anxiously by the phone for grandmother Sheila Roscoe. For she delivered 8lb baby Amy herself after daughter Lisa went into labour unexpectedly

THE distraught family of Paddy McNicholas, who died of Legionnaires Disease in December last year, is demanding an inquiry into his treatment at Warrington General Hospital shortly before his death. Paddy became ill on Nov 23 the day after his 54th Birthday

BBC TV cameras will be focusing on Bury again next week as part of its occasional spotlight on the town's thriving business and commercial base. Bury is lined up to feature in two BBC programmes, "Business Breakfast" and "Working Lunch" all next week.

Comment by George Kirby RECENT reports of the affairs of our national ruling body, the British Athletics Federation, have been a seemingly endless tale of woe. There is alarm about cash losses of such proportions that no organisation with an effective

IT'S cold - and that's official. The Benefits Agency have decided that cold weather payments can now be paid. For the first time this winter the average temperature has been at an average of 0 degrees C for seven days of more, between December 2 and 9

BURY police are winning the war against drugs - by a nose! And that means a special pat on the back for the divisional plain clothes unit's latest and youngest recruit - ten month-old Labrador Ben. He sprung into action for the first time yesterday, December

A GENERAL election will be held this year. Most political pundits forecast the end of 18 years of Tory rule, with the charismatic (some might say smarmy) Tony Blair sweeping into Downing Street on a tidal wave of euphoric support for New Labour. I don't

FOLLOWING the postponement of Saturday's scheduled local derby between Prescot Cables and St Helens Town due to frost at Hoghton Road, hopes rose that Town would get 1997 under way at Salford on Tuesday evening. But once again dipping temperatures after

HEALTH chiefs believe the people of St Helens and Knowsley have escaped the worst ravages of the flu epidemic which has swept the rest of the country. A spokesman for St Helens and Knowsley Health said that the area had managed to escape the epidemic

A ST HELENS woman has landed a major role with a new law company. Carolyn Roberson is to become the director of Marketing for Addleshaw Booth & Co., which will be formed on February 1 after the merger of Addleshaw Sons & Latham of Manchester and

MEMBERS of Burnley and Pendleside Business and Professional Women's Club are aiming for a glittering future as they celebrate a golden anniversary. The club, an amalgam of groups formerly based in Burnley, Nelson, and Clitheroe, plans to mark the formation

TRADING Standards Officers are issuing warnings over an anti-freeze solution. Auto Line Car Care Universal Anti Freeze, is sold at Carnography in the Hardshaw Centre, St Helens, and is packed in one-litre plastic bottles for £2.99. But there are has two

DO you remember the way children were brought up before the war? If so your memories could help a mother-of-two who is studying the lives of Burnley women in the years 1918-39 as part of her history degree. Lorraine Chapman is writing a dissertation on

IT looks set to be a year of dramatic success for booming Burnley Youth Theatre. The organisation's plans for a new building are in line for a £1.3 million lottery grant, and more money could be on the way from Europe, Burnley council and the Foundation

Could I please comment on the wonderful staircase and building of Waring and Gillow. The Roll of Honour half-way up the staircase was a wonderful gesture by the owners. I am a complete newcomer to Morecambe so I am interested in the history of Lancaster

BURNLEY meet Bristol City for the second time this season on Saturday (January 11), and they need to avoid defeat to prevent City doing the double on them. The teams met at Turf Moor in September and Bristol won 3-2 to add to Burnley's woes during one

BRAVE four-year-old Justine Friedrich fought back the tears as firemen struggled for almost half an hour to free her leg, trapped in the chassis of the bike she got for Christmas. Justine was showing her mum Anne how she could ride the bike in the kitchen

PENDLE and Burnley's jobless have been dealt a major blow with two of the area's biggest employers axing jobs Two thirds of the workforce at Prestige in Burnley and one in ten workers at Smith and Nephew in Brierfield will go. Talks about a possible rescue

I would Like to echo and endorse the comments made by Mrs Deane of Morecambe (Citizen Letters) regarding the high prices in some charity shops. In Lancaster there are many of these shops now and yet another one about to open on Penny Street. I have noticed

PUPILS at a Morecambe primary school start the New Year with four new stars in the classroom. Local mums Dawn Alson, Lorraine Campbell, Hilary Allinson and Christine Towsen begin 1997 as new star-qualified specialist teacher assistants at Westgate Primary

GOOD news for the Poulton Market site. Three experts are now interested in the heritage site and their independent views show that the whole of the site is important. The council's Ground Radar Survey confirms the report from international archaeologist

EXPERTS are being called in to assess the whole picture of traffic chaos in Colne before any major building sites are developed. Pendle councillors say they feel swamped at the prospect of more traffic on local roads and are currently being asked to give

GET your butter knifes at the ready - the search is on for the best butty maker in the Fylde. The British Sandwich Association (BSA), which promotes and monitors the standards of sandwich making in the UK, is sending its judges to munch their way through

WATER bosses are hitting back at bogus callers stealing from elderly people in and around Morecambe and Lancaster. North West Water has launched a new device called the ExtraCare security scheme to help prevent thieves from tricking their way into pensioners

A BUNCH of soccer-mad Aussies are set to test their skills against local teams on their New Year tour. Gold Coast United, an Under-16s soccer club from Queensland, begin their stay this weekend and will fit in a hat-trick of matches. Managed by exiled