EVEN though, lamentably, the times we live in all too often reveal the selfish and brutal streak in our society, there are nevertheless deeds that still shock and disgust decent people no matter how inured they may believe they have become to wickedness
1890: The massacre of Wounded Knee in South Dakota left between 150 and 300 Indian men, women and children dead, with the loss of some 25 US Government soldiers killed and 39 wounded, mostly by their own stray bullets and shrapnel. 1170: St Thomas A Becket
NOT INSURED: A woman lost all of her front room furniture when a fire broke out at her uninsured Craven Street home in Bury. The fire was started when Mrs Phyllis Corn's 13-year-old daughter tried to light a gas fire with a piece of paper. Mrs Corns told
L LAWES' comments (Letters, December 19) about Blackburn Council being power crazy were spot on. The suggestion that councillors should not be allowed to serve more than two consecutive terms of office is so sensible that I can only think of 62 people
WHEN I read your article 'Burnley fans smash up shopping centre after derby defeat' (LET, December 18), I was quite insulted as I am a season ticket holder and have been for many years. I was at the match. Inside the ground, there was no real trouble
'BLACKBURN -- a proud town' is the title of the latest and most pleasing offering to hit the bookshelves in time for Christmas. It is a nostalgic look at a town in transition as Blackburn underwent a period of rapid redevelopment. A book like this makes
AGEISM is alive and definitely well in East Lancashire. After reading Linda Preston's remarks about older drivers (Letters, December 19), I have to wonder whether she is joining the rather alarming and deeply disturbing trend currently that: young is
EXTEND a Christmas gift into the new year. For blood donors are being asked to give their time and donations during two sessions to be held in Bury and Prestwich. Bury Town Hall will be the venue for blood donor sessions on Monday, January 8, between
THE blisters may have gone but members of St Mary's RC Church's St Vincent de Paul Society (SVP) recently received a welcome reminder of what their pavement-pounding efforts were for. A ceremony was held at which the NSPCC was presented with the £322
TWO Bury colleges have been given the green light to create more room to learn. A three storey classroom block at Holy Cross College is to be constructed on the site of the convent wing and chapel which will now be demolished. And, a two storey teaching
IT was hats on rather than hats off when nursery children in Bury welcomed a VIP. And this festive engagement undertaken by Bury North MP David Chaytor proved to be just child's play. Mr Chaytor was the guest of staff and youngsters at the popular Hoyle
DISABLED Kathleen O'Donnell was left a prisoner in her own home when thieves stole her wheelchair on Christmas Day. Stroke victim Kathleen, 46, of Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, had hoped to get out and about over the festive period but was stuck in her flat
WHEN vandals struck at a Scout lodge back in September, leaders were appalled at the damage. But now Martins Lodge at the Giants Seat Radcliffe District Scout Camp looks as good as new thanks to Asda. The Radcliffe store ran a "Get Involved" campaign,
POLICE have issued a warning to motorcyclists and quad bikers to keep off local parkland following a series of complaints. More than 19 telephone calls were received on Wednesday (Dec 27) from residents in Prestwich after they spotted people riding around
LEIGH Centurions are expecting another festive derby cracker when Mike Gregory's unbeaten Swinton Lions come to town on New Years' Day. Leigh's head coach Paul Terzis is predicting another tough battle with local pride at stake to follow the Centurions
A Radcliffe mother claims the bedroom of her 12-year-old son has become a deathtrap. Miss Brenda Crolla (33) fears exposed electrical wires could put son David's life at risk. "There is a hole next to the plug socket where the plaster has crumbled to
SOCCER: Rovers are appealing for volunteers to turn up at Ewood Park today armed with a spade or shovel to help clear the stadium of snow ahead of tomorrow's game against Crewe. Helpers should report at the Blackburn End reception. The playing surface
BIG MONEY MAN: Rodney Jack: Livewire striker Rodney Jack cost a club record £650,000 from Torquay in 1998. However, that figure could be eclipsed by centre back Dave Walton who signed from Shrewsbury for £500,000 and could eventually rise to £700,000,
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness was today reeling from the news that Garry Flitcroft could be ruled out for up to a month. X-rays have revealed the influential midfielder fractured his big toe during the Boxing Day victory over Birmingham. And that means
A NIGHTCLUB deputy manager was stabbed in the stomach after a row with customers who had been thrown out of the building. Andrew McCamon, of Genesis nightclub, Burnley, was taken to hospital and had the wound "glued" together after the incident, in the
FORMER dairy farmer Steven Whittaker has moved to pastures new with a career in mental health nursing. Steven, 31, from Colne, qualified as a mental health nurse earlier this year and was recently awarded the Lancashire Priory Nursing Award in recognition
BRAVE Lauren Richmond is looking forward to a healthier new year now her leukaemia is in remission -- and can't wait for her hair to grow back. She was able to take part in her school's Christmas production when she sang in the choir and played the recorder
JEWELLERY retailers Goldsmiths, which has a shop in Bury's Union Arcade, has announced an upsurge in Christmas sales. Figures for the four weeks up to Christmas Eve show sales nationally were up 13.6 per cent in total and 11.5 per cent on a like for like
SUPPORT from a Bury-based telecommunications specialist is music to the ears of a prestigious college. Pennine Telecom is helping the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester cut its telephone and maintenance costs by 50 per cent. This is
SUCCESS by design! That's Bolton and Bury Chamber, which has opened a new design centre to help local companies boost their image. The centre, based at Link House in Bury, is being run by design adviser Nikki Starkie who has been seconded part-time to
THEY'RE the talk of the town nd much further beyond. For Ramsbottom-based Northern Parrots has negotiated the first exclusive UK distribution deal to supply a range of brightly coloured acrylic bird toys. This is in order for the mail order specialists
BIG MONEY MAN: John Hartson: In Wimbledon's record buy at £7.5 million from West Ham in January, 1999. Following on-off moves to Spurs and Rangers the Welsh international remains at Selhurst Park and could return against the Clarets after missing out
CLARETS chief Stan Ternent will order his players to bust a gut to break Burnley's losing sequence at Wimbledon tomorrow. Ternent's men have just lost four games on the spin for the first time since they were fighting to avoid relegation to Division Three
SO how was it for you? Christmas I mean. The festivities 2000. Went fairly quickly in my house I must admit. Makes you wonder why you spent three months preparing and organising with military precision really doesn't it? I was up and about before Santa
LEIGH RMI brought Northwich Victoria back down town to earth in their Boxing Day clash at the Drill Field stadium, as a 1-1 draw maintained ninth spot for the local side. However, it was far from plain sailing for the Railwaymen as the Cheshire side took
A £20,000 grant will help a Radcliffe church hit the right note. St Thomas and St John's Church got the money off Pilsworth Environmental Company (PEC) to help save its historic organ. The church, on Blackburn Street, has been suffering from a variety
A LANDLADY has accused Whitbread bosses of unfair treatment in the wake of a shock sell-off announcement. And Gina Hamer of the Jolly Waggoners and other Whitbread pub tenants throughout the Bury area face an anxious wait until their futures are clarified
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness was today reeling from the news that Garry Flitcroft could be ruled out for up to a month. X-rays have revealed the influential midfielder fractured his big toe during the Boxing Day victory over Birmingham. And that means
RESIDENTS are being urged to think of the environment and recycle their Christmas trees after Twelfth Night. Every year, Blackburn with Darwen Council chops up Christmas trees for compost and this year is no different. Shops selling Christmas trees have
A BUDDING entrepreneur is 'on-line' for business success thanks to advice and support from an East Lancashire business start-up programme. Mark Elliott sought advice from the East Lancashire Training and Enterprise Council (ELTEC)nearly two years ago
A HEADTEACHER whose primary school was criticised for failing major parts of an Ofsted inspection has been suspended. An investigation has been launched into concerns regarding the leadership of Mr Chris Marston, of Rossendale, who heads Crompton Fold
IF ONE of your many New Year's resolutions this time includes getting rid of that extra Christmas flab then you are in luck! Now that the Christmas holiday is over the West Pennine Moors countryside events programme is back -- with plenty of walking around
A MULTI- million pound retail operator is urging the public to back the pound and save the British economy. David Briggs, chairman of Business for Sterling North West, said the latest investment figures showed record-breaking foreign confidence in the
WOMEN will now have to wait until after the New Year before they can get over-the-counter emergency contraception in East Lancashire -- due to a supply shortage. The morning after pill was supposed to be available without prescription from pharmacies
NEWS that a suicide bomber who killed eight people in Kashmir on Christmas Day was a British student has been received with dismay by Kashmiris in East Lancashire. Mohammed Aslam, a spokesman for the Pendle Kashmir Welfare Association, said: "I am not
HIGHWAYS bosses today claimed round the clock gritting had failed to keep parts of East Lancashire on the move -- because there weren't enough cars on the roads. Snow falls stretched council resources to the limit yesterday as staff worked around the
SOCCER: All games scheduled for grass pitches in Blackburn for the weekend have been postponed due to the snow.
BOLTON Wanderers are understandably buoyant ahead of tomorrow's visit to the Reebok Stadium by promotion rivals West Bromwich Albion. The Trotters were boosted by a fifth successive League win, at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day, as the Midlands
HOW wonderful it was to see a young girl standing up for her father, in this case Katie Robinson, daughter of Bury FC chief, Terry Robinson (Yours Truly, Nov 30). As a long-standing Shakers fan, I can remember Katie coming to Gigg Lane from her infancy
I WOULD like to reply to Mrs B. Lynch "Abortion doctors getting away with murder" (Yours Truly, Dec 14). As a healthcare professional I would like to point out that, firstly, recruiting doctors from abroad is not new now, under the Labour government,
AT this time last year most of us were preparing for the Millennium celebrations (even though some people believe the country is really 12 months in front of itself and the Millennium will not arrive until this January 1). Be that as it may, what we could
MRS Helen Navarro asks: "What is happening to our children?" (Yours Truly, Dec 7). No doubt there are many different answers to this question. My own hunch is that most are being raised in traditional families, with both parents present in loving, disciplined
PAUL Terzis isn't getting carried away by the Centurions Boxing Day victory over Widnes Vikings. Instead the Hilton Park head coach will be working overtime on ironing out the problems that surfaced during the second half as the Vikings came back from
Widnes Vikings...20 Leigh Centurions...25 SHHH...Can you hear that noise? It's the sound of the Centurions' NFP championship odds dropping quicker than a panto dame's drawers! There'll be bookies everywhere hastily re-assessing their prices for Leigh
NINE taxi firms have formed a cartel to fight their corner for more money, better safety and less town hall interference. And the first act of the new Bury Private Hire Association, which comprises most of the private town centre trade, has been to put
SMOKERS are being urged by campaigners not to be pressured into giving up the habit as a New Year resolution. The message from smokers' rights group comes days after a government funded survey in America revealed a 15-year educational programme to persuade
POLICE have issued an appeal to Asian communities all over East Lancashire after the discovery of a woman's partially-clothed body. The body, believed to be about 40 years old was found by a couple walking their dog close to the village of Treales, near
LIKE others, I am disgusted by the arson attack on St Anne's Church in Blackburn (LET, December 21). There have been attempts on other churches in Blackburn and East Lancashire. The statement 'Peace on Earth and goodwill to all men' sounds very trite
NOW that it has been decided that Blackburn with Darwen is not going to be a city and that the possibilities of that happening in the near future would appear to be very remote, is it not possible that central government would allow Darwen to be independent
AT last, the government are to make a special payment of £10,000 to ex-Far East prisoners of war, merchant seamen and civilian internees imprisoned by the Japanese during World War Two, or surviving spouses of any of the above. Successive governments
A TODDLER brought back from the brink of death after falling into a pond is home and looking forward to the New Year. Nik Belcher was saved after his father gave him the kiss of life. The boy, who celebrated his second birthday last week, was in hospital
BURY'S thin blue line will get a whole lot thicker in the New Year. According to a new report, police recruitment in December was at an all-time high with around 60 new bobbies offered a new career within Greater Manchester Police. By the end of March
A PATIENT at Prestwich Hospital has been found hanged. Mr Craig Haywood was discovered two days before Christmas on the Saturday evening (Dec 23) by staff in the toilets of the Edenfield Unit at the Bury New Road hospital. He was suspended by the neck
WHERE better to spend your honeymoon than Paris, the capital of romance. And because Cate Strachan (32) was not able to have a honeymoon when she married her husband, Graeme, last year she was understandably delighted to win a Parisian trip at work. Cate
STAFF at a Prestwich salon were put through a hair-raising ordeal by armed robbers. The masked raiders burst into The Edge hairdressers at 5.25pm on Saturday (Dec 23) and threatened several of the female employees before grabbing approximately £500 from
MORE and more days are lost through police officers falling ill. Figures released by the Greater Manchester Police Authority show that between October of last year and September of this, there were 23,454 days lost through officers going on sick leave
ONE of the most important events in the Muslim calendar was celebrated throughout Bury on Wednesday (Dec 27). Thousands of local Muslims marked the festival of Eid-Ul-Fitre, with many gathering at local mosques for occasion. At the Bury Islamic Centre
REVELLERS are urged to "think green" when taking down their tinsel in the New Year. Town hall bosses want people to take their Christmas trees to their nearest civic amenity site for recycling. Residents can take their trees to Fernhill in Bury, the Cemetery
A TOWN hall inquiry has been launched into hospitality given to council officers at this month's Burnley versus Blackburn Rovers derby clash. The investigation was called for by Independent Group leader Harry Brooks after at least three members of the
MOTORWAY smash survivor Debbie French is still recovering from her injuries in hospital. The 45-year-old prison officer, from Prestwich, is said to be in a "comfortable" condition at the Royal Preston Hospital following the crash on December 18. Ms French
CHRISTMAS Day brought the gift of life to a Bury couple. For Lee and Laura Petch received the best festive delivery of all... their first child Martin Curtis. He was born at Fairfield Hospital's maternity unit at 9.30am and weighed in at 8 lbs 3 ozs.
THE icy waters of Starmount Lodge will remain calm on New Year's Day for the first time since 1972. Radcliffe Swimming Club has announced that it will no longer be holding its traditional swim. The annual event was perhaps the most extreme way of ridding
"SAXONS" and "Normans" may both have won their battle with Bury Council. Householders on Normandy Crescent, Radcliffe, whose rear gardens back on to Saxon Street, objected to plans to charge them each more than £1,000 for improving Saxon Street. They
A WOMAN, knocked down in a hit and run accident, underwent an eight-hour operation yesterday (Thurs Dec 28) to save damaged leg muscles. Police have now renewed their appeal for witnesses to the the incident on December 15. Mrs Pamela Whittaker and her
GIANT centre back Martin Taylor wants to give Blackburn boss Graeme Souness a Hogmany headache with another towering performance at Ewood tomorrow. The 21-year-old defender has been outstanding during Rovers' last three games after being brought in from
CHRISTMAS is normally a time of peace and goodwill between all men. But tea and sympathy appear to be in dangerously short supply at Gresty Road at present as Crewe boss Dario Gradi gets tough with his relegation-haunted squad. Perennial strugglers Alex
A TOWN hall inquiry has been launched into hospitality given to council officers at this month's Burnley versus Blackburn Rovers derby clash. The investigation was called for by Independent Group leader Harry Brooks after at least three members of the
FIREFIGHTERS rescued a goose which had got stuck in the Leeds-Liverpool Canal at Reedyford Road, Nelson, shortly before 12.45pm yesterday. The goose was pulled out of the water soon and and left in the hands of the RSPCA officers.
A NEW 69-bedroom hotel and conference centre is on the cards for Colne -- the biggest development of its kind in the history of the town. The plan has come from Greenfield Park Ltd, a company based at the Foulridge home of local businessman Graham White
FIREFIGHTERS were flooded with emergency calls after a barrage of burst pipes caused havoc at dozens of homes. Fire officers spent most of the weekend helping householders and businesses mop up after they had fallen victim to the bursts rather than the
FIREFIGHTERS were called out to deal with two separate incidents at a elderly person's home in the early hours of this morning. In the first incident at Addison Court, off Addison Street, Accrington, the insulation inside a heater began melting, causing
DISABLED Kathleen O'Donnell was left a prisoner in her own home when thieves stole her wheelchair on Christmas Day. Stroke victim Kathleen, 46, of Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, had hoped to get out and about over the festive period but was stuck in her flat
LANDSCAPE, building and drainage materials manufacturer Marshalls, which has a site at Fletcher Bank, Ramsbottom, has achieved a coveted hat-trick. The company has won the Buiding of the Year award at the Brick Awards 2000 for the third time running.
CLARETS defender Ian Cox is expecting a positive response from the Burnley squad after their Boxing Day roasting from boss Stan Ternent. The manager was critical of his team's lack of killer instinct at Barnsley and wants more out of his players at Wimbledon
UPBEAT Wimbledon boss Terry Burton is confident his homesick side can end their Selhurst Park hoodoo against Burnley tomorrow. The Dons have the third worst home record in the country behind Bristol Rovers and Carlisle United having picked up three points
CLARETS boss Stan Ternent expects to have to break the million-pound barrier again to strengthen his hand at Turf Moor. Ternent will not be making a move for Tranmere Rovers captain Wayne Allison after cooling his interest in the 32-year-old striker.
THE turn of the year holds plenty of promise for local sides in the Manchester League. Atherton Town, with manager Shaun Lynch recently stating they have '26 players of first team quality' on the club's books, have more than matched the best in the Premier
STATE and church schools can look forward to £1.8 million of building work next year, with more to come. The Government has announced its first allocation of money to pay for capital works in the borough's schools. Local authority schools will receive
A RADCLIFFE man has been named as the chairman of a new national campaign group that plans to keep developers in their place. Mr Chris Maile (52) of Outwood Road is a founder member of the Campaign for Planning Sanity (CfPS). An environmental campaigner
RADCLIFFE'S main post office has finally re-opened after 11 weeks. The West Street service opened its doors on Friday (Dec 22) following weeks of negotiations. And the chairman of Radcliffe Area Board, Councillor Barry Briggs, has revealed that he will
A PUB landlady has slammed heartless thieves who stole a charity collection box containing an estimated £800. The theft was discovered yesterday (Thurs Dec 28) morning by Mrs Doreen MacGillivray who runs the Sir Robert Peel Hotel in Sunny Bank Road, Unsworth
RADCLIFFE swimmers may not have webbed feet but they can dip into a new website. The 400 members of Radcliffe Swimming Club, and anyone else who is interested, can now click onto www.radcliffesc.org.uk to get all the latest news about club activities.
IT was fun for some but snow joke for others as winter tightened its grip on the borough yesterday (Thurs Dec 28). People throughout Bury awoke to discover heavy overnight snowfalls had brought a timely wintry dimension to Christmas. But while children
POLICE are set to drastically reduce their presence on the streets of Sedgley Park but it's good news for long suffering residents. After years of parking problems caused by the sheer number of visitors to Sedgley Park Police Training College and inconsiderate
A DISABLED man claims he has become a virtual prisoner in his own home because he has to conquer a flight of stairs every time he tries to go out. Fifty-five-year-old David Eisner, of Wenning Close, Whitefield, has the benefit of a purpose-built wheelchair
FABRIC suppliers Morada International have announced two new senior appointments to boost sales and customer service. The multi-million pound company comprises of Morada Linings, suppliers of fashion linings and Morada Home Division, suppliers of soft
"WANTED: Fans with wellies and a shovel" ... that's the plea from Bury chairman Terry Robinson. Heavy snow has put the Shakers New Year's Day clash with Rotherham in doubt - but with the Shakers in desperate need of gate receipts it would be a disaster
ROADS in East Lancashire were slowly getting back to normal today, despite freezing temperatures and lying snow. There were no reports of any accidents overnight, but with the weather forecast for the weekend predicting more freezing temperatures the
FORMER Westholme School student Lara Hewitt is swapping her comfortable home in Longridge for a house with no running water in a rural African village as part of an international charity mission. The 18-year-old from Alston Lane flies to Swaziland, via
DISABLED Kathleen O'Donnell was left a prisoner in her own home when thieves stole her wheelchair on Christmas Day. Stroke victim Kathleen, 46, of Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, had hoped to get out and about over the festive period but was stuck in her flat
BRITISH youngsters these days seem to want the earth for Christmas -- but for a victim of the Chernobyl disaster just being in England was enough to make her wish come true. Veronica Petrova, 16, of Belarus, where the biggest proportion of radioactive
A MUM who underwent the agony of watching her son battle against kidney failure for the third time today pleaded for people to carry a donor card. Parveen Awan feared she would have to spend Christmas and Eid without her son, Faizan, after he was rushed
NELSON boss John Bailey went on a spying mission to the seaside after his side's Boxing Day trip to Colne was postponed. The NWCL Division Two table toppers welcome fourth place Blackpool Mechanics to Victoria Park tomorrow and Bailey decided, with his
HAVING lost to Bristol City and beaten Swindon Town in recent weeks, Bury travel to Wrexham to take on the third set of "Robins", appropriately, in this festive season. But Bury boss and his new coach Billy Ayre will not be dispensing Yuletide charity
ACCRINGTON have moved swiftly to secure the services of New Zealander Tama Canning as their professional for next season after Nathan Astle was forced to pull out of a return to Thorneyholme Road. With New Zealand arranging a tour to Sri Lanka this coming
JIM McCluskie watched Rossendale slip to their first defeat under his managership -- but thinks it might have done his side some good. After 16 games without loss, the Dale lost 3-0 to local rivals Ramsbottom in the NWCL Division One on Boxing day. "It
CLITHEROE boss Dave Burgess has paid tribute to 13-goal top scorer Lee Cryer. The striker is set to lead the line for the Blues at Ramsbottom in the Worthington Challenge Trophy tomorrow. The former Leigh RMI striker signed for the Blues in the summer
STRIKER Jon Macken should ease Preston's striker worries and pull through for tomorrow's trip to Sheffield United. The 11-goal hitman took a knock in the Boxing Day 1-0 win over Wolves but boss David Moyes think Macken should be fit to start -- although
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman reckons his players will need no motivation against Gateshead in the UniBond Premier Division tomorrow. After two disappointing Christmas results against Emley on Saturday and Bamber Bridge on Boxing Day, Coleman is
IT is well known that some motorists simply do not see cyclists. What more proof do we need of this than the fact that M. Silver (Yours Truly, Dec 21) has evidently seen only two of the many cyclists using local roads each day. May I suggest a collection
M. SILVER (Yours Truly, Dec 21) refers to "Bury's two cyclists". This may be sarcasm, which is said to be the lowest form of wit, or maybe this person just suffers , like many other motorists, from failing eyesight. Most drivers involved in a collision
AS one of "Bury's two cyclists", I welcome M. Silver's idea of arranging a collection among the town's motorists to buy me a new car. (Yours Truly, Dec 21). Like most cyclists I am also a motorist and I really would appreciate a newer model of car. However
I WISH to draw to the attention of my fellow voters in Bury the old maxim: "The one who pays the piper should call the tune". I would suggest that we, the electorate have the right to ensure that the local council use our money to the benefit of the community
PRESTWICH & Whitefield campaigners for nuclear disarmament are continuing their work for peace throughout the festive period, which is a time accepted by most people as one of peace and goodwill to others. In today's political climate our work becomes
MAY I send thanks and best wishes to the generous people of Bury borough. It is a near miracle that we have kept going year after year. Certainly without the support of local businesses, organisations and people this would not have been possible. Only
HALIFAX appear on the verge of conceding defeat in their tug-of-war with St Helens for ex-Leigh hooker Mick Higham. The Blue Sox are expected to announce the signing of Johnny Lawless before the turn of the year, an indication that they've finally given
