This week, with the Rev Kevin Logan, Christ Church, Accrington I WENT in for a new hip and came out with a bonus -- a broken arm. I could have got £250 for a You've Been Framed snippet of me juggling crutches with a shattered wrist. More! A nice lass
THIS week, Martyn Halsall, Communications Officer for the Blackburn Diocese, is lyrical in his love of Lancashire... "Once the Bronte sisters walked to church at Tunstall, crossing the fields each Sunday for Matins from their clergy daughters' school
THIS week, with John Thomas, chief executive of Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care Trust... HOLIDAY: In the UK -- Butlin's holiday camp at Pwllheli, North Wales, in the early 60s. It was very Hi-DeHi. Abroad -- Malta in the 80s. We flew
I RECENTLY visited Kent to write an article about windmills. This county has made just as much effort to preserve its windmills as some counties have put into saving churches. Quite right too, as windmills are an important part of our countryside's history
A TOUGH new test for learner drivers has been welcomed by Lancashire County Council road safety chiefs. The Hazard Perception Test, introduced yesterday, uses computer technology to check drivers' reactions to danger on the roads. The county has already
CHRISTMAS is coming -- and that means lots of greetings cards will be sent through the post. So, as always at this time, please can I remind readers to send me their used postage stamps, as this will help raise funds for the East Lancashire Hospice? Thank
I WOULD like to thank the doctor and nursing staff who were on duty on Sunday night, November 3, at the Accident and Emergency Department and Blackburn Royal Infirmary. I am sure their quickness and attention saved me from losing the sight of one eye.
IF, as is claimed, the speed cameras, which are mushrooming everywhere, are to prevent accidents, that is good. But if it is to hoodwink the public and is an extra source of revenue, then that motive is questionable. Why has it taken the authorities so
DEREK Behan (Letters, November 4) should take note where many speed cameras are placed. In Burnley, the speed limit on the road from the traffic lights at the start of Belvedere Road up to the roundabout at Casterton Avenue, for as far back as I can recall
AS a resident of Mill Hill, Blackburn, I find it sad that the area should be attracting so much attention from outside organisations concerning the local election which is to be held later this month. Firstly, we have the Bishop of Burnley saying which
PADIHAM'S first town council in more than 30 years is to be visited by a team of local government troubleshooters just seven months after it was elected. The Lancashire Association of Parish and Town Councils is to meet with the town's mayor, Coun Granville
Weekly round-up from the Rovers end. Just like watching Brazil REMEMBER the World Cup final between France and Brazil in 1998 when John Motson got in a lather about whether or not Ronaldo would start the game? One minute he was on the team-sheet, the
A TRIP back to Ewood Park always appeals to ex-Rovers defender Mick 'Baz' Rathbone - but this time he is coming back in real style. The defender, who enjoyed eight seasons with Rovers during the 1980s returns to the ground tomorrow in his capacity as
ACADEMY starlet Ciaran Donnelly will be given the chance to show what he can do in the reserves following his amazing exploits with England's Under 19s last week. The Rovers youngster stole the show with four goals in the space of 18 minutes as England
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today put his defenders on red alert as the Wayne Rooney roadshow prepares to roll into Ewood. Rovers are set to come face-to-face with the Premiership's latest goalscoring phenomenon in tomorrow afternoon's showdown with
A YOUNG mum who flouted a drug treatment and testing order has been given a second chance. Laura Anne Stevenson, 24, had earlier asked to be remanded in custody in a bid to kick her habit and was now ready to work with another order, Burnley Magistrates
A SOLDIER manning the Green Goddesses while crews are out on strike has the inside track on how to do the job -- his dad is a firefighter. Royal Engineer Mark Ahmed is among the 18 members of the 21 Engineer Regiment who are on duty in Burnley. Mark,
PADIHAM'S first town council in more than 30 years is to be visited by a team of local government troubleshooters just seven months after it was elected. The Lancashire Association of Parish and Town Councils (LAPTC) is to meet with the town's mayor,
FIVE soccer thugs were today banned for life from Turf Moor, as police launched a hunt for 12 people suspected of causing trouble at an away match. Nathan Barras, 27, of Burnley, Peter Dyer, 43, of Howarth, Daniel Allot, 21, of Burnley, Andrew McNee,
POLICE are asking the public for help in catching a sex pest after an increasing number of incidents in Padiham. The warning comes after police revealed they are searching for a man they believe could have been involved in two incidents of in decent exposure
A SHOPLIFTER was trying to raise cash after he had spent up on gas and electricity following a house flood. Burnley Magistrates heard how Axis Robertson, 27, of Poplar Street, Nelson, had an extensive record of previous convictions, including many for
A NELSON apprentice who had no idea what she wanted to do when she left school has been awarded the Business Administration Trainee of the Year Award at this year's Pendle Training awards evening. Laura Casey, 19, left school in 1999 after taking her
AN inquest has opened in to the death of a man who was found in a hotel room. Andrew Purdie, who was aged 38, was found dead in bed at the Hendley Hotel in Queen Street, Colne, at 11.47am on Monday. His father William Purdie identified him. A post mortem
A TELESALES worker from Baxenden will take a giant leap tomorrow when she takes part in a charity parachute jump. Emma Protano is raising funds for Parents For Parents, a newly-established charity and support group for parents who have children with disabilities
HYNDBURN and Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) has appointed a new small groups development officer with responsibility for ethnic minority groups. Jemshad Ahmed, who was born and bred in Accrington, has worked in the Community Advice
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17 BLACKBURN: 10am-1pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road; noon-1pm: Athertons Chemists, 37 Granville Road. DARWEN: noon-1pm: Boots Chemist, 8 Market Street. ACCRINGTON: noon-1pm: Bentleys Chemist, 42 Avenue Parade, Accrington; noon-
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohens Chemist, 63 Whalley Range; To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 6.30pm: Donald Wood Ltd, 53 Fishmoor Drive
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; The Surgery (Chiropody), 132 Lammack Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The
A COUNCIL leader today warned that people in the Ribble Valley will die unless more fire-strike cover is provided in the borough. Coun Chris Holtom called on the Government to dispatch soldiers trained in how to use regular fire engines to Clitheroe Fire
YOUNG Clarets striker Anthony Shandran has spoken about his relief at getting back on to the training ground after four months in the treatment room. He admitted: "I have been out on the pitches running for the first time and I can't wait to start kicking
BURNLEY'S Worthington Cup clash with Manchester United is certain to break the club's record for gate receipts. Ticket office staff have been working flat-out since the tickets went on sale on Wednesday morning with queues stretching out along Bob Lord
A MAN recently released from prison threatened to firebomb his former partner's home in one of a series of chilling messages left on her answer machine. Blackburn magistrates also heard that Michael John Dunbar appeared in Rose Williams' garden, frightening
AN eight months pregnant woman today told of her "humiliation and anger" at being frogmarched from her home by police and strip searched during a five-hour period of detention at Blackburn police station. Joanne Hibbert claims she was taken from her home
A WOMAN who would rush about though unsteady on her feet suffered a fatal fall at her home. Nora Holt, aged 78, died at New Church Road, Rawtenstall, on September 29. An inquest heard how a next-door neighbour saw Mrs Holt through the downstairs window
A DETECTIVE in Rossendale is warning car thieves that he is getting tough on criminals who plague the area. This comes after police raided the premises of Royal Taxis in Waterfoot yesterday afternoon after they launched a campaign to crack down on auto-crime
THE sounds of the East Lancashire Youth Orchestra will proudly point the way to the Friends of Bocholt's German Christmas market when it returns to Rawtenstall next week. The venue has become so popular that organisers have now extended the event to cover
TROUBLED East Lancashire holiday giant MyTravel today moved to quash rumours that customers were pulling out of booking made during a recent promotion. The group, which employs hundreds of people at call centres in Accrington's Globe Centre and at the
A SOLDIER manning the Green Goddesses while crews are out on strike has the inside track on how to do the job -- his dad is a firefighter. Royal Engineer Mark Ahmed is among the 18 members of the 21 Engineer Regiment who are on duty in Burnley. Mark,
COUNCIL workers have been banned from making toast in a bid to prevent false alarms during the firefighters strike. Blackburn with Darwen Council made the decision to minimise the risk of Green Goddess crews being called to its Town Hall tower block.
FIREFIGHTERS across East Lancashire returned to work at 6pm yesterday and declared "It's good to be back." And hopes of averting a further eight-day stoppage, scheduled to start on Friday, have risen after Fire Brigade Union leader Andy Gilchrist hinted
FIREFIGHTERS who spent a second night picketing outside fire stations across East Lancashire said they were overwhelmed with public support. Food, drink, money and even wood for bonfires have been dropped off at fire stations by dozens of well-wishers
A MAN who harassed his former partner has been ordered to undergo a domestic violence programme as part of his sentence. Leo Finn went round to her address in Montrose Street five times and caused problems. It led to his arrest and an appearance at Preston
FIREFIGHTERS across East Lancashire returned to work at 6pm yesterday and declared "It's good to be back." And hopes of averting a further eight-day stoppage, scheduled to start on Friday, have risen after Fire Brigade Union leader Andy Gilchrist hinted
BURNLEY came up trumps in a hilarious battle of the mascots race around Blackburn Cathedral yesterday. The event, held in the cathedral grounds off Darwen Street, was organised to mark Children In Need and raise money for the BBC's annual appeal. Blackburn
COUNCIL tax queries and payments are being dealt with by a Coventry call centre as Blackburn with Darwen's officers battle to sort out a benefits backlog. Capita, the private firm which runs many of Blackburn with Darwen's administrative services, today
IN ACTION: Soldiers from a Green Goddess crew tackle a car fire on Barbara Castle Way, Blackburn 'Good to be back' - fire crews FIREFIGHTERS across East Lancashire returned to work at 6pm yesterday and declared "It's good to be back." And hopes of averting
PLANS to revolutionise pre-school provision were unveiled in Blackburn and Darwen yesterday. It will lead to hundreds of extra places becoming available for youngsters and easier access to services for parents. Local Government reporter DAVID HIGGERSON
with KINGFISHER CATCHES everywhere have been more typical of the time of year, but there are still plenty of fish ready to have a go. On all venues there are hotspots to be found, as fish shoal tightly, but prospects generally are reasonable. Blackburn
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. SUNDAY Christmas Lights Switch-On and Family Fun Day, Blackburn Town Centre. Christmas Fair, Belgarth Road, Accrington, 11am. A Look at Ethiopia, The Accrington Naturalists
IT is apparently only by coincidence -- emerging from a chance remark to a woman client who thought she was ringing the town hall -- that it emerges that East Lancashire council tax queries and payments are being dealt with in the Midlands. The farming
THE wrong place at the wrong time.... I suppose, following all the recent warnings of terrorist threats, even from the Prime Minister himself, that many more people have been pondering just how to avoid being in that very place. At the same time as trying
JENNIFER Worth looks back at her career and reckons she had the best job in the world. It was, literally, a labour of love. "What could be more fulfilling than bringing a new life into the world," she said. Now, there's another new arrival on the scene
A 24-YEAR-OLD man bought heroin because he wanted to fit in with fellow residents at the salvation Army Hostel in Blackburn. And the 'wannabe' drug user was given a public warning by his solicitor that the course on which he had taken the first steps
IN reply to Mrs Barbara Clarke (Letters, November 6), there have been 15 cinemas in Blackburn. The three 'missing' ones were the Kings Hall on Bank Top, opened in 1909 and closed in 1958, The Palladium, in Mill Hill -- the only cinema in Blackburn with
A BLACKBURN millionaire who scooped £2.3million on the National Lottery is living on just £50 a week after losing her fortune in just seven years. Kath Brindle, 36, was unemployed and living in a modest terraced house with her three-year-old daughter
Blackburn Rovers v Everton - Andy Neild's Premiership preview ROVERS defender Craig Short knows that the club has no time to lick its wounds following the disappointing UEFA Cup exit at the hands of Celtic. And there is no better way to get the result
ACADEMY starlet Ciaran Donnelly will be given the chance to show what he can do in the reserves following his amazing exploits with England's Under 19s last week. The Rovers youngster stole the show with four goals in the space of 18 minutes as England
PEOPLE working for Burnley Council tend to stick with their job, according to a report which said its turnover rate was one of the lowest in Lancashire. A report was prepared to provide details of recent recruitment and retention experiences, to highlight
A BOWLING duo are hoping to raise plenty of money for charity in a mega 50-hour bowlathon. Keith Tootle, 54, of Nairne Street, Burnley and his pal, Andy Constantine, of Regent Street, Nelson are attempting to break the world record for the tenpin bowling
RESIDENTS of a Burnley village are calling on the police and council to stop speeding drivers using their streets as a 'rat run'. People living in Worsthorne say that Ormerod Street, Ravenoak Lane and Wallhurst Road are being used as racetrack by young
A PROLIFIC thief who has almost 100 convictions behind him is awaiting sentence at Crown Court after magistrates said their powers of punishment were not sufficient. Liverpudlian Jason Ronald Miles, 31, had struck dozens of times in his home city and
A WOMAN who called police because four men were in her house saw then arrested -- but one of them was her husband. Burnley Magistrates heard how Patrick Lawrence, 24, swore and shouted abuse when police they turned up at Brierfield. Lawrence, of Claremont
THE achievements of pupils at Edge End High School, Nelson, were recognised at its annual presentation evening, attended by proud parents and official guests. The guest of honour for the evening, held on Thursday, was Nighat Awan, chief executive of the
EAST Lancashire MP Greg Pope has welcomed a crackdown on rogue landlords who were destroying areas of terraced housing in the area. He is delighted that local councils are to get the power to licence private landlords in areas of low housing demand such
A NEIGHBOURHOOD Watch scheme has been awarded almost £5,000 to spend on security and surveillance equipment to combat crime in Oswaldtwistle. Rhyddings Park Neighbourhood Watch was set up in March and has already distributed safety packs to 50 households
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst Road; Geloo Bros, Cleaver
FIVE soccer thugs were today banned for life from Turf Moor, as police launched a hunt for 12 people suspected of causing trouble at an away match. Nathan Barras, 27, of Burnley, Peter Dyer, 43, of Howarth, Daniel Allot, 21, of Burnley, Andrew McNee,
BURNLEY'S Worthington Cup clash with Manchester United is certain to break the club's record for gate receipts. Ticket office staff have been working flat-out since the tickets went on sale on Wednesday morning with queues stretching out along Bob Lord
Weekly round-up of all things Claret Smooth operators THE Turf Moor pitch was a cause for concern for much of last season but it is currently looking in great nick. With a team packed full of players who like to have the ball on the deck, having a smooth
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today put his defenders on red alert as the Wayne Rooney roadshow prepares to roll into Ewood. Rovers are set to come face-to-face with the Premiership's latest goalscoring phenomenon in tomorrow afternoon's showdown with
FOURTEEN finalists took to the stage at the Mason's Arms, Waterfoot, yesterday as the 'Pub Idol' competition reached an impressive climax. Singers battled it out for the title in a grand final. First prize was a karaoke machine and six-month gold membership
A MAN died after he gave himself his first ever injection of heroin. John Alexander Richardson aged 34, died on March 5 in Burnley General Hospital. A friend found Mr Richardson collapsed at his home in Greenfield Street, Haslingden, and took him to A
JUDGING by the conversation over the bonfire at Burnley Fire Station last night, it isn't hard to imagine what the fire crews picketing in the cold wished for when a shooting star went sailing overhead. "An end to the strike and some sensible talking
A COUNCIL leader today warned that people in the Ribble Valley will die unless more fire-strike cover is provided in the borough. Coun Chris Holtom called on the Government to dispatch soldiers trained in how to use regular fire engines to Clitheroe Fire
AN unwanted houseguest is making life a misery for a Blackburn couple. And today they held up their hands and admitted they are stumped as to how to give vigorous visitor the brush off. Pensioner George Brown and wife Sheila are being driven nuts by the
POLICE are conducting a fraud investigation after a company ran a series of adverts claiming to sell mobile phones and video games. Officers were called in from the West Midlands Major Fraud Unit after trading standards teams in Lancashire and Birmingham
A BLACKBURN millionaire who scooped £2.3million on the National Lottery is living on just £50 a week after losing her fortune in just seven years. Kath Brindle, 36, was unemployed and living in a modest terraced house with her three-year-old daughter
AN investigation has been launched at an East Lancashire council to decide if too many decisions are being taken behind closed doors. Councillors sitting on Blackburn with Darwen's policy and review committee launched the probe after it was claimed hardly
