A TEAM of pupils from Kirkham Grammar School made sure their voices were heard loud and clear in a public speaking competition held recently. Sixth formers Clare Chadwick, Joanne Dudgeon and Gemma White, won the sixth form round of the Business and Professional
FINNAIR MANCHESTER LEAGUE Premier Division PRESTWICH HEYS 1 WYTHENSHAWE AMATUEURS 1 SUBSTITUTE Anthony Jackson came off the bench to clinch a point for Prestwich Heys with a late equaliser against league leaders Wythenshawe Amateurs. In a hard-fought,
Drylsden 2 Radcliffe Borough 2 IF this had been a boxing match it would have been stopped long before the end in Boro's favour. As it was, Droylsden landed a knockout blow in injury time of each half to earn an undeserved point in this first round group
MANCHESTER COUNTY CUP Stand Athletic...7 Willows...2 STAND made quick and easy progress into the quarter-finals after this much-awaited replay with a slick and convincing exhibition of pass and move football on Manchester City's Platt Lane all-weather
1652: Cromwell's Parliament decided to sell Hyde Park. 1935: Director, writer and film star Woody Allen was born on this day. 1895: The first credit card was issued in Britain. It was called The Golden Promise and Guarantee of Honour and was limited to
I HAVE lived in Australia for 13 years and in that time I have twice visited Blackburn, where I was born in 1984. Although I enjoyed my recent visit and enjoyed seeing my relatives, I was disappointed by one thing -- the rubbish scattered around Blackburn
L LAWES (Letters, December 5) rightly asks what the Tories did with the money from North Sea oil and all the privatisations. The answer, I suggest, is unemployment. When Mrs Thatcher won the 1979 election, unemployment was about one million. This was
I HAVE just had my second near-death encounter with an elderly motorist in as many days. The first one was an elderly chap who shot out at a junction without so much as a glance to see if it was safe to do so, causing us to brake heavily to avoid a collision
AN Atherton toddler was fighting for his life today after suffering serious head injuries in a collision with a car. A police spokesman said Daniel Gregory aged two, had been with his sister and was crossing the road. When they reached the other side,
A THIEF changed a twenty pound note for £100 when he conned a Radcliffe pensioner. He called at the Saville Road home of a 93-year-old woman and asked her for change. While she was distracted the thief entered the house and grabbed a purse containing
A 4.8 per cent rise in the Government grant for Greater Manchester Police has sold the public short, claims prospective Tory parliamentary candidate John Walsh. Mr Walsh, who will vie for the Bury North seat, claimed the allocation was lower than the
LITTLE Bailey Hughes desperately needs a special bed to make life more bearable. The two-year-old has cystic fibrosis, a life-limiting condition for which there is no cure. Mum Naomi (32), of Wood Hey Close, Radcliffe, explained: "The special physiotherapy
READY to "sleigh" them in the aisles! That's performing arts students from Bury College who are set to stage their "Santa in Space" Christmas pantomime. The 15-strong cast comprises 14 second year students with their first year colleagues making up the
BOSSES at East Lancashire employer Time Group today announced major job cuts in its computer business following a slump in the home PC market. The company said it hoped to re-employ the workers in its mobile telephone business as part of a massive internal
FARMERS are being "hung out to dry" over crops contaminated by genetically modified seeds, says MP David Chaytor. He is demanding new laws designed to make seed companies face up to their responsibilities. The Bury North MP complained that farmers were
CHRISTMAS came early for around 30 housebound pensioners last Thursday (Nov 30) in the shape of a party laid on for them by Bury Rotary Club. Rotarians organised a door-to-door taxi service to transport the pensioners to the event at Walshaw Sports Club
VETERAN keeper Dave Felgate's has been told his Leigh RMI days are numbered. Manager Steve Waywell has confirmed that the ex-Wanderers and Wales stopper is no longer first choice at Hilton Park and is free to find another club. Young Craig Dootson, 21
EMERGENCY services are appealing for the public's help in finding their way through the maze of Bury street names and numbers by "making it big". Householders are being urged to improve the visibility of their house numbers and names to help them respond
READING have not followed up an initial inquiry to take Rovers' Simon Grayson on loan.
QUEENS Park Rangers boss Gerry Francis could be forgiven for twitching nervously at the club's recent AGM. With accounts for the last financial year showing losses of £5.3 million and Rangers deep in the mire at the foot of the First Division, chairman
PRESTON North End have this week launched a 'Quid-a-kid' scheme for the home game against Grimsby on Saturday December 23. The initiative will enable any child under 16 to buy a ticket in advance for just £1. This price applies to all areas of the ground
WHEN Preston's Brookfield Estate was built shortly after the Second World War plans were put in place for a community centre. Yet, for the last 50 years nothing was done about it -- that is, until now, after years of hard work by dedicated residents.
PRESTON Council has come up with an innovative scheme to sell off 12 empty properties -- by letting them go for just £1 each! The dozen houses -- in the Central, Deepdale, Fishwick and St Mathews areas of town -- are deemed unfit for human habitation
THE Reverend Canon John Goddard, Team Rector of Ribbleton, in Preston, will be consecrated by the Archbishop of York today as the new Bishop of Burnley, in East Lancashire. The service will take place at York Minster at 11am when he will be presented
A TWELVE-year-old Fulwood pupil has had her idea for helping this year's BBC Blue Peter Appeal rubber-stamped by council bosses. Charlotte Davis, from Our Lady's High School, has designed and made her own collection boxes and posters to collect old stamps
TWO Penwortham school pupils are set to make a real impact on the lives of visually impaired people thanks to a unique grant funded by the Millennium Commission. Hutton Grammar School's Daryl Scott and Faheem Shakur, both 17, who both have given up their
MOST cats spend their time chasing mice and birds except, that is, for Eric the ginger tomcat who has scooped the 'purrfect' reward for his dedication to public transport! For Eric has earned the nickname 'Bus Cat' after spending the last 11 years --
TIME Computers dropped a jobs bombshell today by announcing it is axing staff. The company confirmed it is making job cuts but declined to comment on how many people were going. The shock news came as the Simonstone-based group, which employs 1000 at
BURNLEY'S Habergham High has been praised by Ofsted inspectors as a "very successful" school providing good and improving value for money. Their glowing report on the 1,200 pupil centre highlights the fact that GCSE results were last year in the top five
BOSSES at East Lancashire employer Time Group today announced major job cuts in its computer business following a slump in the home PC market. The company said it hoped to re-employ the workers in its mobile telephone business as part of a massive internal
A CHEMICAL incident unit rushed to Lancaster University on Tuesday morning following an acid leak in a biology lab. The fumes from the spilled acid sparked a major alert and students in nearby buildings were evacuated. Fire crews in protective suits arrived
THE proposed Western Bypass has topped a league of environmentally destructive road schemes which will ruin the countryside. The Council for the Protection of Rural England, a charity which campaigns to protect what's left of the countryside, says it's
TICKET details have been released for Preston's trip to Wolves on Tuesday December 26 kicking off at 3pm. North End fans have been allocated 2,789 reserved seats in the John Ireland lower tier. Prices are £15 for adults and £9.50 for concessions. In addition
PRESTON College's Sqush Club is celebrating its inclusion in the North West Counties League -- the largest and oldest league in the UK -- after gaining valuable sponsorship from Preston sports retailer Monkhouse Intersport. The league is made up of more
PRESTON GRASSHOPPERS 17 FYLDE 9 Having established a comfortable lead at the break, Hoppers spent the second half on the defensive. Another sound tackling performance kept Fylde out to make it two consecutive wins in local derbies. The early stages were
FLYING scooterman Matheu Parry has had to put the brakes on his world speed record attempt -- because he may cross the thin blue line! Today Matheu should have been psyching himself up for the daredevil feat of a lifetime thundering down one of East Lancashire's
A COUNTY councillor has publicly apologised to residents in Oswaldtwistle for the problems caused by a new bus system. County Councillor Dorothy Westell apologised during a meeting of the Oswaldtwistle Area Council. Residents slammed Lancashire County
A HOME shopping group which employs hundreds of people in East Lancashire revealed a sparkling set of sales figures ahead of the traditionally busy Christmas period. The Yorkshire-based group Findel, which has Express Gifts in Clayton-le-Moors and Church
A LEIGH supermarket is to close in the New Year with the loss of 63 jobs, it has been revealed. But some staff at the Pioneer Co-op store may be redeployed to other local branches. The Co-op announced yesterday that the Ellesmere Street store will close
ALL hope has been lost in the battle to save the care homes, according to Stephen Bate from CARE (The Caring Alliance for the Rest home Elderly). Most of the residents at Warren Manor have agreed to leave their council-owned accommodation and move into
AFTER 25 years of driving HGV lorries out of Heysham Harbour I can say (unlike the Green campaigners) that if a bypass were to be built the congestion along Morecambe Rd and over Skerton Bridge into the one-way system would be greatly reduced because
RECENT comments regarding the cost of the District Auditor's inquiry into the Crinkley Bottom affair from one of my fellow councillors, Mark Turner, seemed to spark some fuss among the various political factions on Lancaster City Council. I have not spoken
POOL manager Steve McMahon officially opened the Blackpool and the Fylde College Sports Science Laboratory. The state of the art facility will allow students to perform fitness assessments and design training programmes for clients. Players from Blackpool
LYTHAM turned in their best performance of the year beating the second team in the league. Kim Sharples scored a hat-trick one of which was a masterpiece of skill. Breaking through on the right she fired in a reverse stick shot from the edge of the circle
Dooley! reviewed by Gerry Wolstenholme "TOUGH luck, Allan. Congratulations on the goal. Hope you will be up and about soon." That was the message Derek Dooley sent to Blackpool's Allan Brown after he broke his leg scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 FA
Blackpool Scorpions 42 Widnes Tigers 18 THE SCORPIONS had thrashed their opponents 50-0 on the opening day of the season, but were made to fight all the way in this encounter. Scorpions scored first when full-back Simon Pritchard finished off a strong
Home side squander host of chances TWO of the Nationwide Conference's in-form sides shared the spoils in a tight encounter at Christie Park. But Morecambe must really be wondering how they did not manage to take all three points in a game where they produced
A BURY company has been selected to market a new business park. Paul Nolan and Company, the only specialist industrial business based north of Manchester, have been retained by Hurstwood Developments. They will assist in dealing with the Three Point Business
BURY is included in a major expansion programme by a family-run motor dealership which is bucking the trend of slumping car sales. Pennine Honda North West, based in Rochdale, has announced plans to open two further Honda specialist dealerships in Bury
IN the market for a worldwide customer base! That's Bury's world-famous market which has harnessed the global power and potential of the Internet. And a North West Development Agency chief has praised the initiative of the traders in launching what is
ST Annes Square was left in darkness at Saturday night's Christmas illuminations switch-on as organisers had no lights to switch on! Despite the pressing of a giant button, onlookers were surprised to see just 50 or so lights on the nearby Christmas tree
CLARETS boss Stan Ternent may be forced to turn his sights elsewhere for a new striker with Birmingham City showing no signs of dropping the asking price for Dele Adebola. Ternent has lodged a £700,000 bid for the powerful Blues front man but Burnley's
ALMOST £2,000 was stolen in a raid on Barclays Bank, Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, by a robber who may well have been armed. The raid happened the afternoon of December 6. Andrew McDougall from Barclays Bank confirmed a white male entered the bank and handed
I HAVE come to the conclusion that whatever can go wrong will go wrong and I'm trying to live with it as best I can. But it is hard, I must admit. In fact it's a nightmare. And, not only that, it's one of those recurring nightmares that never seems to
A TOTTINGTON animal lover who is pressing for a restriction on the sale and use of fireworks will see her campaign get off with a bang next week. Mother-of-two Mrs Marlene Healey is presenting a 9,000-name petition supporting her objectives to Bury North
A RAMSBOTTOM canal enthusiast has failed in his legal bid to strip a local society of its charity status or to have its trustees sacked. And this week the hard-up charity made a stinging attack on critic Alan Taylor, saying they had wasted valuable time
CLARETS boss Stan Ternent may be forced to turn his sights elsewhere for a new striker with Birmingham City showing no signs of dropping the asking price for Dele Adebola. Ternent has lodged a £700,000 bid for the powerful Blues front man but Burnley's
PROPERTY management group Mentmore Abbey, which has a regional office in Blackburn, raised almost £16 million in a share issue to help pay for a new acquisition and future growth. The Birmingham-based group supplies serviced business space at sites such
PUPILS from Cardinal Allen High School, Fleetwood, got the chance to see the inner workings of Wyre Borough Council recently when they were given a special tour of the Civic Centre. Coun Pat Catlow, leader of the council (pictured far left) showed the
EXPERTS have yet to attempt to right the Spanish trawler which ran aground off Fleetwood early last week. A second vessel, a P&O passenger ferry, also got stuck on sandbanks early last Friday morning. Investigations into how both the incidents happened
LANCASHIRE police launched their annual Christmas drink-driving crackdown this week with a range of measures to stop festive boozing turning into a death on the roads. The force is working in conjunction with Lancashire County Council's Road Safety team
FOURTEEN years after regular disco nights for under-18s came to an end on the Fylde coast, the owner of a Blackpool night club has teamed up with The Citizen to resurrect them. Mark Bowden, general manager of Fuzion nightclub, is staging the Heaven-Teen
A PILOT scheme to bring local government to older people is to be spread throughout the county. Focusing on people over 50 years of age, the scheme aims to make the most of their skills and experience and the contributions they can make to their community
GREEN-THINKING householders from East Lancashire have backed a countywide recycling and composting strategy. The Lancashire Waste Management Steering Group is trying to formulate a plan of action for the future of waste disposal across the county and
HOSPITALS throughout East Lancashire are celebrating hitting a new target for helping women with suspected breast cancer. Specialists at Burnley NHS Trust and Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust saw every woman urgently referred to them by
DRINKERS at a traditional working men's club mixed pints with portables as they enjoyed a taste of high-tech learning with their favourite tipple. Members of Railway WMC, Blackburn, have been just as likely to order a laptop as a lager top at the bar
SHAKERS boss Andy Preece has evidently lost patience with his senior squad, following a run of eight league games without a win and being dumped out of the FA Cup by non-League Northwich. Preece has promised that he will bring in members of his successful
DANNY Goodall has bounced back after rejection from Blackburn Rovers and hopes to enjoy new highs with Ramsbottom United. The utility man went straight to Ewood Park from school but, after two years as an apprentice and two years as a professional, then
GRAHAM Hicks has regained his confidence -- and it's thanks to UniBond First Division side Chorley. The 19-year-old had been making a bid for a starting place at Third Division Rochdale after coming through the ranks there. He had turned out for the Spotland
PRESTON'S failure to join the world of the big spenders was a disappointment but not a disaster for boss David Moyes. The North End club made a bid of £2million for a player yesterday which was rejected. One name in the frame has been Celtic forward Mark
YET again, the falling leaves of autumn are with us and, yet again, our council is taken totally by surprise. Local streets are covered in rotting leaves and to even walk along Wellington Road and Market Street is a most dangerous undertaking. Manchester
WOULD "25 Years Loyal Fan" (Your Letters, Nov 28) be the same individual who, with his band of merry followers,about four, was seen waving an anti-Robinson banner at Northwich? A pathetic display of anything but loyalty! Would it also be the same person
ON Thursday, November 30, I was attending a family funeral leaving from a house in Hazel Avenue, Bury, where quite a group of friends and relatives were present. As people boarded the cars, it was obviously a sombre moment and everyone was very quiet
AS the election draws ever closer one issue, that of immigration, appears at last to be moving up the political agenda. I say "at last" not because of some right-wing ideological urge to resurrect the days of Enoch Powell, but to ensure that the country
ON October 20 at 4.10am a remarkable man died. His name was Dominick. He was 66-years-old and he was my father. Exactly 12 months earlier he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Unfortunately, the cancer had by then spread to his bones. If the prostate
Christmas Fete, St Barnabas Church Community Centre, Johnson Street, Blackburn, 11am-3pm. Jack Straw MP Advice Surgery, Bangor Street Community Centre, Blackburn, 9am-10am. Christmas Tree Sale, Groundwork Countryside Centre, New Hall hey Road, Rawtenstall
AT a time when the pressurised NHS is predicted to be facing another winter crisis, there comes heartening news of how hospitals in East Lancashire are achieving success in the fight against one of the biggest killers of all -- breast cancer. It is a
WHEN two pupils from Blackpool's Revoe School came home one day and told their mum they needed old stamps for the Blue Peter appeal, little did they know they would be handing over four tonnes worth! Paul and Caroline Hagen, aged seven and nine respectively
Drive and Stroll with Ron Freethy ANYONE who loves walking uphill all the time must have, as they say in Lancashire, "a slate loose." I'm always happy to stroll uphill slowly so long as I know that its downhill all the way home. This is why I love the
MAYORS across East Lancashire have ditched the tradition of featuring local scenes on their Christmas cards to save cash. The first citizens in Blackburn and Darwen, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Rossendale and Burnley have shunned the area in favour of images
Boro originally rejected an offer from the Crown Ground club for Carden before last Saturday's FA Umbro Trophy clash between the two sides. "We wanted to make sure there was a 50 per cent sell-on clause included in the deal and now we have done that it's
RADCLIFFE BORO...0 ACCRINGTON STANLEY...3 A RADCLIFFE Boro side looking jaded after their recent cup exploits had no answer to Lancashire rivals Stanley. Kevin Glendon's men made a bright start, but failed to carve out any clear cut chances and Stanley
Sedgley Park...59pts Whitchurch...3pts THIS was rugby with a sparkle, eighty minutes of pace, skill and invention. Wonderful entertainment. For one young man it was a day to remember too. Winger Mike Wilcock scored four tries, equalling the club record
FOR SALE: Bury Council decided tenants should have the opportunity to buy their council homes at a discount of up to 20 per cent. Labour councillors on the housing services committee came out strongly against the move while Conservatives were for the
DETAILS of recent happenings reported in your newspaper and in the media must be really reassuring for the criminals of our land. Armed with the knowledge that our police force is once again about to stop 13,000 motorists in the hope of finding more than
ONCE again, one finds your newspaper running headlines that purport to be a major concern (LET, December 5 and 6) -- the appearance on a small-time TV quiz show of a convicted sex criminal who has served his time, which manages to engage the attention
HAD I not been present at the magistrates' court hearing into the appeal by Mrs Mary Stanton against the refusal of Blackburn with Darwen Council's to renew her licence to keep Joe, her pet Capuchin monkey, I would not have believed it possible that evidence
A NAKED man was seen stroking ponies in a field in Simister yesterday (Thurs Dec 7). Police officers were alerted to the bizarre behaviour of the man, aged in his 40s, by a woman who was walking along a bridle path between the field and Parrenthorn High
REDUNDANCIES have been made at the Radcliffe firm Trumeter. Eight members of the production staff are the casualties of the high rate of sterling abroad. Owner, Mr Peter Weidenbaum, said: "Exports make up about 70 per cent of everything we make and there
CONTROVERSIAL plans to set up a youth shelter in Tottington have been abandoned. Members of the Ramsbottom and Tottington area board failed to agree on a site for the shelter. A recommendation from the board's youth issues working group for it to be situated
RESCUERS plucked a stranded sheep called Lulu to safety after it fell down a quarry banking. Firefighters from Bury lowered a colleague on the end of a rope to reach the stricken animal which was stranded on a ledge 30ft down the cliff-side, near to Springside
GREEN-FINGERED MP David Chaytor took part in a record breaking tree planting attempt, giving a home to Bury North's "Constituency Oak" on Friday (Dec 1). Witnesses were present to help validate the claim, for the Guinness Book of Records, to plant the
SHOPPERS in Bury will be able to find it easier to spend a penny. Planning chiefs have approved two schemes to install Automatic Public Toilets (APTs) at Kay Gardens and Market Place. The loos, maintained from income from new advertisement sites throughout
BURY Health Care NHS Trust has achieved a 100 per cent success rate for ensuring women with suspected breast cancer were seen swiftly by a specialist. In the quarter up to September, all 77 patients whose urgent referrals from their GPs were received
ADDICTS who turn public toilets into drug-taking dens are being targeted by a new scheme which uses ultra-violet lights to prevent them "shooting up." Police have advised shops and pubs to install the system, which uses fluorescent strips to create a
SIXTHFORMERS from Bury Grammar School (Boys) were given the chance to put Tory leader William Hague under the spotlight. The "A" level politics students quizzed him as the leader of the Opposition opened new business premises in Manchester. They questioned
BURY householders could benefit from a new safety device which will revolutionise how deadly carbon monoxide gas is tackled this winter. The device is fitted to household fires and is aimed at eradicating deadly carbon monoxide fumes which kills 50 people
A NEW sports programme in Bury is already scoring its first successes and more youngsters will soon be able to join in. The Active Sports programme encourages young people to take part in a range of nine different sports. Local development groups including
SCROOGE thieves took the shine out of the Christmas season for children at a day nursery when they stole their festive lights. The cruel-hearted crooks struck at Rookwood Nursery in Hilton Lane, Prestwich, and left staff and parents astounded. Owner Christine
BUS chiefs have vowed to meet with residents of Tottington and Ramsbottom who claim they have been left in isolation. News that the 508 bus is due to be axed in January, following on from the scrapping of the 560, was condemned at a meeting the Ramsbottom
CLOSED circuit television cameras could soon be scanning the streets of Radcliffe town centre. Later this month the Community Safety Partnership will submit an outline bid for a slice of the £153 million the Government has made available. A local working
BLACKBURN centre back Marlon Broomes today warned his Rovers team-mates not to take relegation-haunted QPR for granted at Ewood tomorrow. Broomes has just returned from a one month loan spell with Rangers at Loftus Road. And, though Gerry Francis's men
BIG MONEY MAN: Former Newcastle favourite Gavin Peacock cost a cool £1 million when he returned to the club from Chelsea in November 1996. Peacock (pictured) might be classed in the veteran bracket now but he still remains a key part of Rangers' plans
POLICE are trying to track down an attacker who abducted a girl on Daisy Meadow, Bamber Bridge. At 6.15pm on Tuesday November 28, a 16-year-old girl was in a cul-de-sac on Daisy Meadow when she was approached from behind by a pale blue Vauxhall with a
AN action group spearheaded by a group of worried residents has been launched in Leyland in a bid to halt controversial plans for an incinerator. SWIPE -- Stop Waste Incinerators Polluting Our Environment -- was organised to stop waste being burnt in
FANS are being urged to use a freephone number to help stamp out football disorder in Burnley. Burnley FC has linked with police Crimestoppers to launch the first scheme of its kind in the county -- to encourage genuine supporters to report incidents
BURNLEY'S Co-op Pioneer supermarket is to close next month -- with the loss of up to 60 jobs. The shut-down on January 13 follows months of unsuccessful attempts by owners Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS) to sell the 40,000sq ft town centre supermarket
PLANS to build a golf driving range on green belt land look set to be driven out of town by Pendle councillors. Sanderson Building Services want a 15-bay range, shop and compound in two Reedley fields, close to the Burnley boundary, behind Barden Mill
WHAT a wonderful idea our Government has come up with. They propose that if fox hunting is outlawed, anyone caught fox hunting will be fined heavily and, this is the stupid part, their hounds will be destroyed. In other words, "killing animals is wrong
I READ the story (Dec 1) about the boy who was allegedly being bullied at St John's Primary School in Radcliffe and how, after initial investigations by the education authorities, no grounds could be found to substantiate the claims. My grandson is a
A COLLEGE lecturer arrived back home in East Lancashire after a daring Gulf War escape from Kuwait. Andrew Whitcombe, 24, of Chapel Street, Rishton, was working in the Middle East on a short teaching contract when Iraqi troops invaded.
A COMPANY in Blackburn was accused of 'slave labour' after paying two workers less than 60 pence an hour - because they worked too slow. The two women from Darwen, who were paid £25 for a 42 hour week and were forced to pay £1.60 a day in bus fares, had
COUNCILLORS have pleaded with troublemakers to behave after giving the go-ahead for two more "rings of steel" to protect local buildings. Hyndburn Council's development services committee reluctantly gave permission for a two-metre high metal fence around
ONE of the more bizarre aspects of political activity is that people like John Lodge take such a keen interest in someone he has never met (Citizen Letters: 30 November). Using his logic the suffragettes would have given up at the first setback. The Labour
A NURSING assistant at Calderstones Hospital failed to tell bosses about his criminal record when he applied for the job, a court heard. Had a management team known about Ian Whittaker's drug conviction for possessing amphetamine, he would not have got
REPORTS in national newspapers that the Countryside Alliance is ready to accept the abolition of hunting with dogs as a trade off for help with the wider problems currently experienced by rural Britain couldn't be further from the truth. It is however
In Division B Blackpool Charity FC hang on to the lead with a better goal difference after a 3-1 win against Spartak Viagra while close behind in second place are Thompson Tornados who beat bottom club Fylde United 3-0. ROSSALL Thursday Sixes -- No games
ST ANNES policeman Wayne Howard has won a bronze medal in the world's biggest ever indoor rowing competition. Wayne -- racing for the Lancashire Police -- won bronze at the annual PPP Healthcare British Indoor Rowing Championship at Reading in the mens
By Charle Batho Lytham 1st XI 4 Didsbury 2 LYTHAM started this match superbly, dominating early on with lots of passing and movement, which made hockey seem easy. Early on they were awarded a penalty corner, and the move worked perfectly, with Tom Atkinson's
I'VE alluded before to the scariness of a meeting with Lancaster City's mascot Dolly the Blue - and I know I'm not the only one who finds the big blue creature completely terrifying. I'm still suffering from a regular nightmare which involves being chased
A BURY express parcel carriers hope to be first past the post in offering a new solution to business mailing requirements. ANC Business Services Group has launched its "Easimail" bag to help local companies avoid the inconvenience of stamping, franking
TOP business honours have been won by Bolton and Bury Chamber in the North West Excellence Awards. The competition recognises quality and excellence in business and are open to organisations pursuing the Business Excellence Model of continuous improvement
BIG MONEY MAN: Midfielder Michael Appleton cost Preston a club record £500,000 when he was one of three players signed from Manchester United in August, 1997. This summer the record was equalled when former Dundee winger Iain Anderson arrived from from
GRAHAM Branch misses tomorrow's derby clash at Preston through suspension, along with Kevin Ball, while Lee Briscoe is ruled out with injury. However, there could be a quicker-than-expected return for wingman Glen Little. "I'll leave that til the last
DRINKERS at a traditional working men's club mixed pints with portables as they enjoyed a taste of high-tech learning with their favourite tipple. Members of Railway WMC, Blackburn, have been just as likely to order a laptop as a lager top at the bar
A WIDOW will have to wait until the New Year to find out if her 52-year-old husband died from exposure to asbestos. Manchester coroner Leonard Gorodkin halted an inquest on cancer victim John Higham to get more information after clashing with a pathologist
A WHITEFIELD school has been held up as a shining example to the rest of the country for its exceptional standards in writing. Higher Lane Infant School, in Egerton Road, is one of 38 new Beacon schools that were announced by education and employment
MONEY has come rolling into Radcliffe and the biggest beneficiaries will be young skaters. Radcliffe Area Board has come up with a list of organisations it has agreed to support financially with money from its Kickstart grant allocation. And the Radcliffe
A STUBBINS headteacher hopes to prove himself a class act in the literary world. And Nigel Jepson has drawn on his knowledge of the education system to write a compelling story about what he describes as the modern day threat which inspection brings to
BELEAGUERED residents are sending out an SOS after regular bouts of flooding have left them feeling bogged down. Back gardens on Lichfield Drive, Bury, have been regularly submerged, with inches of water covering lawns and pathways, reaching right up
BURY'S unsung heroes have finally been recognised for their unstinting work and devotion to others. And Melvin Magnall, the architect of this year's successful Bury-Woodbury "Sailing Into the New Millennium" project, has been crowned Bury Voluntary Worker
RADCLIFFE High School is moving steadily towards its goals, despite the hardships it faces. Their latest Ofsted inspection has revealed that a high number of pupils are on the Special Educational Needs register, they enter the school with a below average
BURY'S primary schools are the second best in the North West and among the top ten nationally. The league tables published on Thursday (Dec 7) are based on how well 11-year-old pupils performed in the summer Standard Attainment Task (SATs) tests. They
MARLON Broomes' hopes of an escape route out of Ewood were today dealt another hammer-blow by Barnsley boss Dave Bassett. The former England Under 21 international, who is back at Rovers after a one month loan spell with tomorrow's opponents QPR, has
By Charle Batho Lytham 1st XI 4 Didsbury 2 LYTHAM started this match superbly, dominating early on with lots of passing and movement, which made hockey seem easy. Early on they were awarded a penalty corner, and the move worked perfectly, with Tom Atkinson's
FANS of hot chocolate -- the drink not the pop group -- have a Blackburn company to thank for feeding their 'choccy habit.' Plastics packaging firm RPC Containers, of Haslingden Road, Guide, is supplying jars for Cadbury Land Yowie hot chocolate drink
SIXTY staff at Holland's Pies were celebrating a 'tasty' achievement after being presented with NVQ certificates. The NVQ course, which involved the manufacturing department's day and intermediate shifts, was run in conjunction with Telford College, Shropshire
TRAVEL centre staff were told to pack their bags to win the chance of a mystery prize. Staff at Ayscough Travel, Burnley, took on colleagues from their own office and nine other branches across the country in a contest to see how quickly and effectively
BURY boss Andy Preece has issued a heartfelt plea for fans to rally behind the players who are the club's future. The Shakers take on Mansfield Town in the LDV Vans Trophy at Gigg Lane on Saturday afternoon and will field the youngest first team seen
JACK Lee drove 1.4 miles at night through the streets of Darwen without any lights on, "pursued" by a police car with its sirens on and blue flashing lights displayed. Blackburn magistrates heard that 58-year-old Lee appeared totally unaware of the police
JANET Anderson is urging East Lancashire councillors to ignore the advice of experts and approve a controversial supermarket scheme. On Monday, Rossendale Council planning committee will consider the application by Hurstwood Developments to site a food
A WOMAN walking home from a party was attacked and indecently assaulted as she walked along Harcourt Road in Blackpool. It was about 1am on November 26 when a man, who had followed the woman, grabbed her and pushed her against a wall covering her mouth
BLACKBURN'S very own 'millennium dome' has been completed. Contractors have spent the past two months gingerly lowering glass panels into the steel 'spider's web' which supports the eye-catching roof over the town's railway station as part of its £8 million
A HEADTEACHER has slammed what he calls "the present ramshackle system" of school examinations. Speaking to a gathered prize evening audience of pupils, staff, parents and guests at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn, Dr David Hempsall said he
ADDICTS who turn public toilets into drug-taking dens are being targeted by a new scheme which uses ultra-violet lights to prevent them "shooting up." Police have advised shops and pubs to install the system, which uses fluorescent strips to create a
BACUP manager Brent Peters is hoping his side don't play Santa Claus when Alsager visit West View on Saturday in the NWCL Division Two. "We turn into Father Christmas around this time and start giving goals away," joked Peters. Striker Scott Gilchrist
STANLEY strikers Paul Mullin and Gary Williams are hoping to keep their place against Colywn Bay tomorrow after Paddi Wilson and Mark Ceraolo scored a brace each midweek. Boss John Coleman played a 'reserve' line up against First Division Trafford in
NOTHING less than three points against Crewe at the Reebok tomorrow will satisfy Bolton manager Sam Allardyce as he prepares the team for action. After overhauling Watford in last Sunday's televised game, Big Sam is keen to maintain the winning momentum
I AM trying to trace a relative who I understand was living in Blackpool 20 years ago. His name is Ian Hamilton, only son of Gavin and Phyllis Hamilton. I wonder whether any of your readers could help me in my search? Anne Gallichan, 65 Ambleside Avenue
HAS this council lost the plot, or do they not know what tourism means? Firstly we have the ridiculous suggestion of moving the Illuminations to Stanley Park. Whatever next? Move the Tower to Mereside? There are plenty of businesses on the Prom who rely
What a marvellous idea our ruling-councillors have come up with! They've decided in their infinite wisdom, that the two town hall departments, Environmental Health and Social Care, are to be brought together to operate as one. This means the same person
THE Peers have rejected Jack Straw's Bill to restrict trial by jury and we may thank our lucky stars that Tony's spiteful attempt to emasculate the Upper House by ejecting life peers and substituting his cronies has signally failed. The Upper House remains
I AM in the process of compiling a book on the history of Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb BM597 and the people who were involved with her. She served with 315 and 317 Polish Squadrons at Woodvale, near Southport, from May 1942 till February 1943. After she
PLENTY of letters have appeared over the months from supporters of the Independence Party sounding off their prejudices and calling for Britain to pull out of the European Union. Quite often their target is Chris Davies, the North West's Liberal Democratic
Mr ROSCOE'S suggestion (The Citizen, Nov 23) that tourists do not know Blackpool is totally wrong! Most families are regular visitors and many are interested in other things as well as the holiday scene. They also know what is happening in the care industry
G. SHAW (Your Letters, Nov 28) refers to the Arab attacks on the new state of Israel in 1948 but carefully avoids mentioning the attacks by Jewish terrorists on British personnel who were trying to hold the line between Jews and Arabs. As J. Hebden pointed
THE people of this country built railroads in many countries, through jungles and across deserts and swamps. Many are still functioning more than 100 years later. Yet here in the UK, with all the technology we have, we can't keep our trains running because
IT was with some relief that I read (Your Letters, Nov 24) the comment of Terry Robinson that no decision has been made by the council in respect of a possible loan to Bury FC. No one doubts that the club could do with the money and it is to be hoped
THE tragic and wasteful death of ten-year-old Damilola Taylor makes me ask: "What is happening to our children?" No matter whether it was intended that this innocent young boy should die or not, many would see what happened as being the ultimate taboo
FOR several years I have worked hard to resolve the scandal of the Elms precinct in Whitefield. And in view of widespread concern and confusion I feel local people are entitled to an update of what has actually happened. I visited the precinct's owners
A MAJOR operation to crack down on unruly mobs in Walmersley has been launched by police. And parents of youngsters who are caught causing criminal damage and public order offences are being warned that their children will be prosecuted. Those involved
POOL go in search of cup glory on December 10 when they face Yeovil in the second round of the FA Cup. Victory will give the Tangerines a chance of a lucrative third round tie against a Premiership team. But Steve McMahon's boys are under no illusions
