Blackburn and District Probus Club meet St Silas' Parish Hall, Preston New Road, Blackburn, 10.30am. 'Autumn Glory' by Mr N Thompson. Parkinson's Disease Society meet Temple Street Resource Centre, Burnley, 7.30pm. Queen's Lancashire Regimental Association
After so many recent sporting disappointments, we at last have something to cheer about. The gold medal-winning performance of Jonathan Edwards made it six of the best for Britain -- our best Olympic performance since 1956. So why have we done so well
FA CARLSBERG VASE Second qualifying round Ramsbottom United 4 Thackley 3 (after extra time: 90 mins score 2-2) A GRIPPING, end-to-end cup-tie that had the fans on the edge of their seats, but also saw manager Ken Bridge almost tearing his hair out. While
PUPILS, staff and parents took part in a sponsored walk to raise money for a new minibus for Broadlands Special School, Roman Road, Blackburn. The walk started at the Calf Hey Reservoir, off Haslingden Old Road. Pictured are teacher Beth Johnson (left
THANK you to all who supported the charity dance held in St Francis Parish Hall, Feniscliffe, Blackburn, September 8. The amount raised was £350 for the Liver Transplant Unit at St. James's Hospital, Leeds. HILDA PARKER, St. Francis Road, Feniscliffe,
THE government appears to have missed the whole point of the recent fuel protests -- that the playing field is far from level in terms of fuel taxes. Granted, Britain has a different taxation system in terms of no road tolls, etc. If the Government wish
ISN'T it a question of morality -- or rather, the immorality -- of one tenth of the Earth's population devouring nine-tenths of the planet's resources? And so we should be taxed -- to curb our benzine-guzzling addictions. Otherwise, car tax is increased
A DATE has been set for the public inquiry into a village green plan for the proposed Xanadu site. And members of the 'No Xanadu Campaign' have called a public meeting to discuss how best to present their case. The inquiry will take place at Leigh Town
A GANG of youths was being hunted by police today amid claims that they chased a 16-year-old seconds before he was injured plunging through a factory roof. Police were today planning to visit the youngster on a ward at Burnley General Hospital to ask
A PENSIONER who suffered these sickening injuries after being attacked outside his home today appealed: "Help catch the animal who did this before he kills someone." John Wolfenden, 72, who lives with his wife Verda, 71, in Meadow Court, Oswaldtwistle
NEW play and park facilities have put the finishing touches to a new community centre in Burnley. The Vanguard Centre on Bevington Close is at the heart of the open space on the site of the former Trafalgar flats. The project aims to provide a floodlit
BLACKBURN Rovers Academy Under 17s chalked up their fourth victory in five games with an impressive win over Liverpool thanks to Jonathan Walters' decisive strike. The Under 19s drew 1-1 with Derby at Brockhall courtesy of a Ben Burgess goal.
PORTSMOUTH boss Tony Pulis is beginning to feel the heat on the South Coast as his side prepare for tonight's Worthington Cup clash with Rovers at Fratton Park. Pre-season optimism has been punctured by a poor start to the season which has seen Pompey
BIG MONEY MAN: Lee Mills: Tony Pulis has not reached for the chequebook since last week's first leg at Ewood so striker Lee Mills remains his current most expensive signing. Snapped up from Bradford City for £1.2 million at the start of the season. LAST
BLACKBURN Rovers defender Jeff Kenna can expect to face a torrent of abuse tonight as he steps out at Fratton Park. But the Republic of Ireland international is looking forward with relish to the clash as he attempts to take another major step on the
FINE footwork was to the fore as Burnley's prestigious Dance Festival provided a weekend of artistry and innovation. Many East Lancashire competitors were among the scores of dancers who converged on Burnley Mechanics for three days of dance. The wealth
A GANG of youths was being hunted by police today amid claims that they chased a 16-year-old seconds before he was injured plunging through a factory roof. Police were today planning to visit the youngster on a ward at Burnley General Hospital to ask
PARENTS were warned to launch "needle searches" before letting their children into play areas. Blackburn GP and local councillor Dr Tony Leak warned that drug addicts' needles were being dumped on playgrounds. He also called on drug addicts to dispose
AN 82-year-old terrified woman woke today to find a knifeman looming over her bed. The frightened pensioner was threatened by the robber who demanded she tell him where she kept her money and jewellery. Throughout her ordeal he brandished a long bladed
TERRIFIED postmistress feared for her life as a robber dressed all in black threatened her with a sawn-off shotgun. Elizabeth Skupski dived for cover as the armed raider smashed a reinforced glass security screen before stealing cash. The man walked into
CUMMINGS AND GOINGS with Stephen Cummings HEROES, they reckon, can emerge from the most unusual sets of circumstances. On Saturday, that adage was proved correct. Because whilst Paul Crichton was caught in traffic, Nikolaos Michopoulos was catching everything
IAN Cox hasn't been a Crystal Palace player for five years but can't avoid the place at the moment. The Croydon-born Clarets defender, who launched his professional career at Palace in 1994 following a £35,000 move from Carshalton Athletic, is preparing
ARSONISTS are being blamed for starting a blaze in a derelict Radcliffe factory. Flames tore through a portable cabin unit inside the former Radcliffe Paper Mill in the town's James Street. The cabin, located in the top floor of the old building, was
A FRIGHTENED robbery victim had a knife held against his face as four thugs rifled his pockets. Seconds before, the 37-year-old man had been punched in the face before one of the four thieves produced a knife. The robbers left after stealing £63 from
CHARITY shops in Bury could be forced out of business by a new law the European Commission hope will be passed. Under the General Product Safety Directive retailers will be required to provide information to help trace and recall dangerous goods. According
A BUSINESSMAN has been banned from acting as a company director for five years after his company collapsed with debts of £335,000. The disqualification against Martin Glick of Butterstile Lane, Prestwich, was imposed at Manchester County Court and was
TEENAGER Gary Matheson staggered into his home covered in blood after a brutal unprovoked attack which could have been racially motivated. Gary, 18, sustained serious head injuries after being attacked by three Asian youths while out riding his bike.
STOCKPORT County want £2 million for Burnley transfer target Ian Moore. And that appears to have forced the Clarets out of the chase for the 24-year-old striker. Burnley have had a club record £1 million bid rejected by their First Division rivals, who
AN internet boss told East Lancashire business bosses how to make money online. Chris Hodgson of internet retailer jungle.com told guests at the Business Link East Lancashire dinner how the firm had grown into one of the biggest online businesses. Mr
COMPUTER firm Readstone is set to more than double in size in the next year by taking on extra programmers after clinching a major contract. The Clitheroe-based intranet and website design and programming company will develop and design an intranet system
BURY boss Andy Preece reckons his side fully deserve to be in the top three of the Second Division table - even if the so-called experts find it hard to accept! The Shakers were among the bookmakers and pundits favourites for relegation before a ball
ROSSENDALE'S new theatre is opens Saturday after ten years of fund-raising. The New Millennium Theatre, Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, will open with Rossendale Players performing Somerset Maugham's comedy, "The Circle" -- the same show they produced 64
YOUNGSTERS at a Blackburn school turned the clock back 100 years to get a taste of life in a Victorian classroom. Children at St Anthony's Primary School, Shadsworth Road, dressed up in period costume and were given a taste of old fashioned classroom
A SENIOR Lancashire politician will this week press Tony Blair at the Labour Party Conference to give the North West greater powers. Deputy leader of Lancashire County Council and leader of the North West Assembly, County Coun Frank McKenna will be sharing
IT BEGGARS belief the Blackburn Rovers manager can call his players naive after the performance at Sheffield United. Surely, they play to the plan he sets out for them. It must have been him who told them to play up the middle time and again and, when
HAVING watched Rovers' attempt to play football against Sheffield United, the thing that disturbed me most was the re-emergence of the "Rubber Dinghy Men". Luckily we have been spared the pain of watching Kaba Diawara perform so poorly again. Also, what
THE Manx government has joined the plea for Blackburn with Darwen Council to make superbike hero and TT legend Carl Fogarty a freeman of the borough. David Cretney, tourism minister for the Isle of Man where Fogarty is still regarded as one of the sport's
I DON't think Graeme Souness has anything to answer the FA for over his comments about the officials at the Watford game. He's quite entitled to air his views about a referee and his officials on the touch line. It should be the officials who should be
I FEAR the alarm bells are ringing early for Graeme Souness. The Nottingham Forest game apart, Rovers have not been impressive. They did just enough to defeat Crystal Palace and Norwich at home, were awful at Crewe and lucky not to lose at Sheffield Wednesday
I FEEL the need to complain about the fans treatment of Nathan Blake. The stick he receives from various sections of the crowd is completely misguided and unjust. Even before he has kicked a ball there are mumbles and grumbles of discontent all around
COLNE boxer Shaun Horsfall won his welterweight clash against Ernie 'Gypsie Boy' Smith on points. The referee awarded the fight to Horsfall, scoring it 59-57 at Tara Sports and Leisure Hall in Shaw. Horsfall is trained by former undefeated British and
NEIL Hodgson is gearing up for a World Superbike hat-trick. The 26-year-old Ducati racer, wild card winner at Brands Hatch and Donington this year, will be back at the Kent track to ride in the final round of the series next month. He said: "I'm delighted
BOLTON Wanderers boss Sam Allardyce is in talks over a new 10-year deal. Allardyce was given a four-and-a-half year deal when he joined the Reebok club last October and following Wanderers' excellent start to the season negotiations have started in a
PAUL Dwyer is one step closer to his first ever European tour card. The 27-year-old from Simonstone gets his chance to progress to the final stage of the European Tour School at the end of this month. He is through to the second stage, due to start on
THREE Bury police officers are fighting to be re-instated after being forced to resign after claims they falsified evidence. PCs Matt Percival, Paul Preston and John Davies quit after being told to resign or face dismissal. Now they are launching an appeal
EVEN in this day and age, the attack on John Wolfenden comes as an affront to human decency. Seventy-two-year-old John was beaten up very badly after taking it upon himself to challenge a stone-thrower who was causing mayhem outside his home. John's only
FANS of TV's Casualty think they know all about the dramas and crises of the nation's accident and emergency wards. But what's it really like for the men and women responsible for clearing up the problems on a busy Friday night after closing time? Reporter
SWINTON Lions hooker Chris Highton has been forced to quit the game after breaking a leg in the penultimate game of the season against York. The injury was complicated after a plate was inserted and an infection set in. The Wigan-based player has now
WHILE Bury celebrated victory at the weekend, boss Andy Preece was sparing a thought for young full back Matt Barrass, who underwent an operation on his damaged cartilage on Saturday morning. Barrass is expected to be out for at least six weeks with the
UNIBOND LEAGUE DIVISION ONE Radcliffe Boro...4 North Ferriby Utd... 0 BORO welcomed Tony Whealing back after injury and his return, together with the reintroduction of Levi Edwards, gave them a more balanced look as they registered their first home league
THE Dean of Blackburn celebrated a very special occasion on Sunday - and for once, he didn't have to officiate! For the Very Rev David Frayne, 66, celebrated 40 years in the ministry by receiving a cake from his colleagues at Blackburn Cathedral. Originally
I FEEL disheartened by the return of all the noise and pollution from traffic. The quietness and the freedom to walk across the roads was great. And how shocked I am at the government's reaction -- so insensitive and ruthless towards honest working class
FURTHER to your article 'cadet nurses back on wards' (letters September 2), I am writing to let you know my experience of having a child totally dedicated to becoming a nurse and trying to obtain an apprenticeship with the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble
LEIGH Centurions' World Cup contingent has been increased to three following the selection of Chris Morley and Dave Whittle in the Wales squad. Second rower Morley, signed from Sheffield last month, has previous international experience with Wales but
A DRIVER sustained a serious injury to his arm when his BWM car overturned. The car flipped over on to its roof while travelling along Bolton Road, Hawkshaw, on Sunday night (Sept 24) at 10.50pm. Robert Ellis, of Ripon Hall Avenue, Bury, was trapped by
Blackburn Rovers' First Division clash with Barnsley at Oakwell has now been re-arranged for Wednesday November 8 at 7.45pm. The original game should have gone ahead on Saturday September 2 but had to be re-arranged due to international fixtures.
Blackburn Rovers Academy starlet Marc Richards has been called up to the England Under 18s squad for their forthcoming European Championship Preliminary round tie in Italy. And three of Rovers' up and coming Academy starlets featured in England Under
Down by the Riverside with Phil Lloyd IT WASN'T good, was it? A scrappy, niggly, long ball local derby, policed by incompetent officials. Teams like Bolton, and Watford before them, have worked out that flooding midfield, putting two men on Duff and getting
NEWLY-INSTALLED president of Burnley and District Chamber of Trade Neil Hartley met members and friends at the home of past president Audrey Hall and her husband David. An afternoon tea of strawberries and Bucks Fizz was served at the couple's home on
A HEART patient who collapsed was aggressive with paramedics because he had just come out of hospital and did not want to go back, a court was told. Burnley magistrates heard how depressed father-of-two, Damien Heyslop, 29, twice spat on the floor of
PENSIONERS are being urged to roll up their sleeves for the flu jab in a bid to prevent an epidemic this winter. Everyone over 65 and anyone with serious health problems is eligible for the free vaccination for the first time. In East Lancashire, about
BLACKBURN cleared the first hurdle in the race for independence. The borough was one out of 10 nationwide recommended for unitary authority status. Draft plans from local commissioners needed final approval before Blackburn could break away from county
A FINE collection of boats was on display at Oswaldtwistle Mills. And while the display may have been large, the boats weren't -- they all belonged to Blackburn Model Boat Club members, who were holding their monthly regatta. Pictured are chairman Peter
A PENSIONER who suffered these sickening injuries after being attacked outside his home today appealed: "Help catch the animal who did this before he kills someone." John Wolfenden, 72, who lives with his wife Verda, 71, in Meadow Court, Oswaldtwistle
CRYSTAL Palace coach Glenn Cockerill believes the Eagles should already have booked their place in the third round of the Worthington Cup. Palace were pegged back from a 2-0 lead at Turf Moor a week ago as Burnley struck through Andy Cooke and Andy Payton
BIG MONEY MAN: Jamie Pollock: Alan Smith may need to get the chequebook out to bolster Palace's fortunes and surpass the £750,000 he spent on Jamie Pollock in pre-season. LAST SIX RESULTS: Sheffi United (H) lost 0-1, Burnley (A) drew 2-2 (Forssell, Black
OFFICE workers and drinkers were evacuated as firefighters tried to pinpoint the source of a possible blaze in Bury town centre on Friday (Sept 22). Drinkers and staff at the Robert Peel pub in Market Place left the premises, as did staff at the nearby
FORMER Bury councillor Herbert Kay has died at Christie Hospital, aged 93. Mr Kay, of Lowton Street, Radcliffe, was chairman of the governors at Christ Church CE School, Ainsworth, at the time of his death. His late wife, Isabella, died two years ago.
A 31-year-old biker had a lucky escape at weekend when he fell from his motorbike in Hawkshaw and slid into the path of a car. Nicholas Marshall (31), of Beaumont Chase, Bolton, suffered only an injured wrist and did not require hospital treatment. He
LIGHT has been shed on a big crime problem for residents on the "Dicky Bird" estate in Bury. For six years of lobbying has paid off with the provision of lamps to ward off villains. Open land along Gypsy Brook had proved a night-time haven for criminals
A 13-year-old boy had his £60 mobile phone stolen by three teenagers. The youngster was with two friends in Angouleme Way, Bury, awaiting to be collected by their parents at 7.25pm on Sunday evening (Sept 24) when the thugs approached. They engaged the
CRAIG Hignett has set his sights on a first team return in the next couple of weeks after receiving a major boost in his injury battle. The £2.25m signing has yet to kick a ball in competitive action for his new club after damaging his Achilles tendon
IT TAKES a certain kind of prestige to be invited to the captain's house for dinner -- and even more for a pig to be invited to live there. But Sherbert the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig does have that certain something. Since making his presence felt at
TV actress Liz Stooke opened Edenfield Horticultural Society's annual Autumn show and presented the prizes. Liz, who has made many appearances on Hollyoaks, lives locally and was playing her part as a member of the local gardening group. Ian Sutherland
A PATIENT watchdog has accused health chiefs of snubbing Rossendale residents by unveiling major plans for a new £14.5million hospital for the Valley in Nelson town hall. The long-awaited consultants' report on the future of Rossendale Hospital will be
THE grandparents of a teenage girl who died in a motorbike accident have given their heartfelt thanks to friends who gave them petrol to travel to Norfolk for her funeral. Katy Fox, 18, was killed after her Suzuki motorcycle collided with a Leyland Daf
ANTHONY McCombs was upset at being locked out of the house he shared with his estranged girlfriend. Blackburn magistrates heard that he eventually smashed a kitchen window to get into the house and then forced the door to her bedroom where he smashed
POLICE today vowed to banish racism from Ewood Park after a youth was cautioned for screaming abuse at a black player on Saturday. The youngster, whose details have not been released, was arrested during Saturday's clash between Blackburn Rovers and Bolton
AN East Lancashire jazz band are searching for a new "home" to entertain music fans. The Pendle Jazzmen had their appearances at the Holden Arms, Haslingden, cut from weekly to monthly after a change of landlord. The band, who regularly draw audiences
A BALMY night at Craven Cottage, a full moon, a calm river Thames, the world's airlines crossing the skies at two minute intervals and Alistair Campbell with open neck shirt and chocolate bar and pop bottle sticking out of his jacket pocket. Never mind
HE MAY have scooped Great Britain's first gold and single-handedly equalled the tally of winner's medals earned by our athletes at the last games, but Olympic hero Jason Queally still tasted disappointment at this year's sporting extravaganza. And on
VISITORS to Blackburn Library on Sunday gave the thumbs up to the facility's new hours, even though librarians claim they have been duped. A steady stream of bookworms poured through the Town Hall Street entrance of the library between 11am and 3pm on
ELDERLY people and Age Concern workers have criticised Chancellor Gordon Brown's plans for the future of pensions -- despite the warm response his speech received at the Labour Party Conference. Mr Brown, under fire for the 75p rise earlier this year,
NIGERIAN Mutiu Adepoju has rejected a move to Bolton Wanderers. Adepoju has decided on a move to Saudi Arabia instead. Bolton boss Sam Allardyce said: "A bigger and better offer has come in from Saudi Arabia, so we have lost out on the player."
ACCRINGTON Stanley travel to Burscough tonight hoping to get their promotion challenge back on track. And former Burscough midfielder Paul Burns has called for his team-mates to bounce back from Saturday's 4-1 home defeat against Stalybridge Celtic and
PUPILS across East Lancashire will find a new friend in the classroom from next week. Teachers have taken up our offer of free educational resources and at least 1,500 youngsters in 38 schools will start using our brand new worksheets and supplements
