A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," presented by Punchinello's Puppets, Library Theatre, Knott Street, Darwen, 2pm. Royal Lancashire Show, Salesbury Hall Farm, Ribchester,
AT present, I'm serving with the Army in Iraq for eight months and would be grateful for pen pals. MARK HOULDSWORTH, RLC Stores Troop, 5 Bn REME, Op Telic 2, BFPO 645.
HOW long will the English people have to put up with non-English MPs voting on purely English matters? Isn't it a scandal that Welsh and Scottish MPs who rejected foundation hospitals for their own countries imposed them on the English? How long will
WHERE do they come from? To which planet do they belong? Why do they seem to take positions that affect our lives? I refer to the man who is of the opinion that most people, when confronted with a signpost for Darwen, would be confused enough to think
POLICE were today hunting a gang of four thugs who launched a savage attack on a 42-year-old man. The victim, from Leigh, was repeatedly punched and kicked as he made his way home from a night out. They then stole his wallet and watch as he lay injured
A BUMPER crowd welcomed back Leigh Carnival after a 19-year break The two-day event held on Saturday and Sunday at Bedford High School was a roaring success, attracting 10,000 people. Aided by a £40,800 jackpot from the Lottery Heritage Fund, organisers
THE wife of a pensioner found stabbed to death earlier this month has died. Muriel Hodgson died on Sunday and Lancashire Police have said they would carry out a post-mortem to establish the cause of her death. Her husband, Richard, was found in the back
A YOUNG Blackpool woman was violently attacked by a man with a brick and left for dead near Stanley Park at the weekend. Blackpool Police are hunting for the man who attacked the 22-year-old woman and left her "unrecogniseable" in an apparently motiveless
FIRE chiefs have slammed arsonists after a firefighter was injured trying to fight a blaze in an empty house. Fire crews from Burnley's Red Watch were called to the derelict house in Angle Street shortly after 7pm, where they found a front upstairs bedroom
PATIENTS and carers are invited to a meeting which will discuss latest developments for mental health service improvements in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale. The user and carer forum is being held before the board meeting of Lancashire Care NHS Trust
PLANS to convert a former private nursing home for the elderly into flats are set to get the go-ahead, despite concerns over traffic problems. A nearby primary school and local residents fear that developing the former Treetops Residential Care Home,
COUNTRYSIDE campaigners have won their battle to stop green belt land in Colne being given up for industrial development. In Pendle Council's draft Local Plan, the blueprint for future development in the borough, land in Barrowford Road previously protected
STUART Williams-Morrison has only lived in East Lancashire for three months but it has made such an impression on him that he wants to make it his home. Born in Aberdeen, he took over as relief manager of the Albion pub, in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors
A PAINTING of a Ribble Valley beauty spot by Prince Charles was unveiled for the first time. The scene depicts the Duke of Westminster's Abbeystead Estate in the Trough of Bowland.
PLANS TO put a block on house-building in Hyndburn have come under fire from a councillor. The council announced last week that it would be refusing planning applications for housing developments because of over-development in the borough. But Coun Tim
ACCRINGTON'S answer to Abba have been rehearsing hard in preparation for an appearance at the Royal Lancashire Show. The two girls and two boys of Graphite will perform four live slots to thousands of showgoers on the opening day tomorrow. Holly Young
A JUDGE has commended the bravery of two police officers who cornered a banned drink driver on a dark farm track late at night. Judge Lesley Newton made her comments about the Accrington officers after she had jailed roofer Keith Glover, 35, for a year
A COUNCILLOR has urged people to follow his lead and go green after buying an LPG car. Hyndburn councillor David Myles bought a second-hand converted Ford Mondeo and said: "I should have done it years ago." The self-confessed green buff said that although
MICROSOFT have issued a warning about a security flaw in part of its Windows software. The problem exists in the DirectX part of the program and if exploited by a hacker would allow access to the computer. Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) has given the flaw
ROAST BEEF is the traditional fare for Sunday lunch. However, Burnley seem to be on a staple diet of raw meat, judging by the way they stood toe-to-toe with Peter Reid's Yorkshire puddings. Leeds boss Reid launched a pretty scathing attack at his side
PORTSMOUTH boss Harry Redknapp was today trying to hijack Steven Reid's move to Blackburn. The Premiership newcomers lodged an official bid with Millwall for the player at the weekend. But Rovers remain the favourites to land the 22-year-old amid claims
BURNLEY have turned down a £300,000 bid from Norwich for star striker Gareth Taylor. But the Clarets still look like being without the Welsh international for the start of the new season after Taylor suffered a nasty head injury in yesterday's morale-boosting
CROWN Wallcoverings emergency fundraisers today sent a huge thank you to people for helping them raise around £1,500 to take children on holiday. Tracy Jones, 40, of Somerset Avenue, started the campaign three weeks ago when her husband, Nigel, lost his
HEALTH bosses will wait until all women involved in a doctor's surgery scare have been told their test results before releasing any information to the public. They expect to be able to say in two weeks whether any of the women who were given intimate
A BOGUS antiques dealer has struck for the second time in a month and conned an 86-year-old woman out of £300 in her own home. Darwen Police are urging people to open their doors only when they know who is calling. DC Mussarat Khan of Darwen CID, said
PET-OWNERS, whose animals have gone missing, are to get a measure of relief, thanks to Rossendale Council and the Yorkshire Building Society. The building society has bought the council a £400 scanner which detects a microchip implanted under the animals
A 64-YEAR-OLD Rossendale man who spent most of his working life mining has died after collapsing in the street. Eric Holt, of Tunstead Crescent, Stacksteads, suffered a heart attack last Wednesday and banged his head on the pavement as he fell. He was
ROSSENDALE Civic Society has welcomed news that a derelict mill could receive a new lease of life in a bid to boost Rawtenstall town centre. Plans to transform Ilex Mill, in Bacup Road, into 94 apartments have been approved by Rossendale Council, a move
A MOTHER today spoke of her heartache after experts revealed her son died from the rare condition linked to the death of international footballer Marc Vivien Foe. Former male model Adam Maden, 32, was found dead at his home in May by a friend who climbed
POLICE are hunting for an arrogant sex beast who targeted a 16-year-old girl in full view of Blackpool town centre CCTV cameras. The attack happened as the teenager was walking along Church Street with a group of friends after an evening in local nightclubs
BLACKPOOL'S top police officer says there is still much work to be done despite new statistics showing a reduction in crime in the area. Chief Superintendent Mike Cunningham, head of Lancashire Police's Western Division, says reductions in burglary, robbery
TRACY Rostron attacked a man who claimed they had had a relationship -- smashing him in the face with a glass ashtray, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard she left the scene of the attack, went home and returned after arming herself with a bread
THE parishes of Saint Luke with Saint Philip, Blackburn, and St Mark, Witton, are to have a new priest-in-charge. The Rev Fleur Green, currently assistant curate at St Mary's, The Priory, in Lancaster has been appointed to the double-parish role. She
ONE in ten families in Blackburn and Darwen suffer food poisoning as a result of a barbecue which goes wrong, new figures have revealed. Now Blackburn with Darwen Council's food safety team -- which has compiled the figures -- is urging caution when people
A BRIDE-to-be has vowed to go ahead with her wedding after her dad died of motor neurone disease just days before he was due to give her away. Michael Dolphin, 58, from Primrose Terrace, Langho, lost his fight for life on Wednesday, four years after being
GREAT Harwood Town continue to limber up for the new season with three friendlies this week. The North West Counties Division Two team take on Rossendale United at home tomorrow night (7.30pm). Then on Saturday John Hughes's team are at home to Silsden
A CHRIS Whittingham goal after 48 minutes was enough to give Clitheroe victory in this entertaining pre-season local derby. Early on it was the visitors who dominated and Nelson keeper Billy Carrington kept them at bay with some good saves, but as the
DALE finally managed to break their goalscoring duck at Booth Street, but two late goals put paid to any chance of them recording their first victory at Congleton. Injuries are already playing their part with both Callum Dempsey and Jordan Rispin missing
EVERTON striker Wayne Rooney is set to miss next weekend's pre-season friendly at Deepdale after suffering an ankle injury at the weekend. Hopes had been high at North End that David Moyes' star youngster would play in what will be North End's final pre-season
CRAIG Brown today hinted that Lee Briscoe may not be the last signing he makes before the new season campaign starts next month. Brown spoke as his side settled into their West Country pre-season tour base, which Briscoe was due to arrive at today following
ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman hailed his side's improving fitness ahead of a hectic week of pre-season friendlies. The Reds play four games in as many days, starting at Alsager tonight then on to Fleetwood tomorrow night before entertaining
KEEPING children from yelling "I'm bored" is no mean feat when the summer holidays start ticking along. Children may be ready to enjoy the summer holidays but you are probably not feeling the same way. So what can you do with your offspring? If you have
THIEVES stole a 45-year-old man's Vauxhall Cavalier from the drive of his Bury home. Police said the raiders broke into his house during the early hours of Sunday in Kensington Close, Greemount, found his keys then stole the car, worth £500. Police today
STANDING empty and derelict for years, the huge, unlovely and soot-stained Ilex Mill in Rawtenstall has long been an incongruous symbol of its listed status as a building of historical merit. It has become such a monumental eyesore and an awful advertisement
REGARDING the apparent disbelief of Margaret Johnson (Letters, July 11) that a football club should ask as to the sexuality of potential players prior to signing them up, if one was to be found homosexual, then presumably this would create potential problems
THE proposals to return traffic wardens to the streets of Blackburn and Darwen and the disclosure that they will have to issue more than 100 tickets a day to cover the cost of the service (LET, July 7) is short-sighted and, in my opinion, beyond belief
REGARDING Councillor Robin Evans' comments (Letters, July 17) on traffic calming measures in Tockholes, it is a pity that he is not aware of council protocol not to get involved in issues in other members' wards. The traffic calming measures were brought
Leigh Centurions 54, Batley Bulldogs 30 by Martyn Hindley: PAUL Terzis launched a blistering tirade on the attitude of his Leigh Centurions side after they failed to impress despite hitting lowly Batley for half a century. There was a carnival atmosphere
OUT of favour Rovers striker Ciccio Grabbi could be given an escape route out of Ewood by a club in Russia. Agents working on behalf of Grabbi have contacted Rovers to say there's interest from a Russian club, believed to be Torpedo Moscow. "His agent
PORTSMOUTH boss Harry Redknapp was today trying to hijack Steven Reid's move to Blackburn. The Premiership newcomers lodged an official bid with Millwall for the player at the weekend. But Rovers remain the favourites to land the 22-year-old amid claims
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness will call on his players to crank up their pre-season preparations a further gear at Oldham Athletic tonight. Rovers will swap the searing heat of Washington DC for the less salubrious surroundings of Boundary Park after
NEW signs have gone up in Padiham town centre thanks to funding from Lancashire County Council and Burnley Community Safety Partnership. The bid for funding, which was also used to revamp existing signs, was put together by the Padiham Life steering group
THE agent of controversial comic Bernard Manning has accused Burnley Council of denying him a living after he was banned from a Burnley theatre. And now Chris Graham said they would consider taking legal action against the council. Town Hall chiefs said
A MULTI-cultural mix of live music, arts and crafts and street entertainment wowed the crowds at this year's Pendle Festival. The event, previously called Nelson Mela, was bigger and better than ever this year according to organisers, and was attended
A RETIRED teacher has taken up a new career, after penning a book about village life in Barrowford. Betty Stew, 81, was head of St Thomas' Primary School for more than 30 years between 1949 and 1982 when she left the chalk face. But far from resting on
A FREE Party in the Park is being held in Bury on Sunday August 3 to promote the benefits of healthy living. Music, sports and a host of carnival events will fill Openshaw Park in Rochdale Road from noon to 4.30pm. The aim is to increase awareness of
A THIEF used a knife to cut the straps of a 32-year-old woman's handbag then stole it off her shoulder as she walked in Sefton Street, Radcliffe. Police say the mugging, which happened at 2.30pm on Friday, left the woman shaken but unhurt. The raiders
VILLAGERS in the Ribble Valley were setting their sights on glory. Grindleton, Bashall Eaves and Hurst Green were in the final ten, out of 110 entries, in the national Best Kept Village competition.
A THIRD Government minister has lined up to praise Bury, this time for its work in attracting inward investment. Ian McCartney was speaking at the launch of Sharing the Vision, the Greater Manchester councils' long-term strategy for boosting the region's
A SHOP assistant was threatened with a screwdriver during a robbery at an off-licence. The 28-year-old woman, a member of staff at Bargain Booze, Bury New Road, Prestwich, was on duty on Saturday night when a man wearing a face mask entered the shop.
SCHOOLS, clubs and societies across the Ribble Valley are being urged to spruce up their neighbourhoods with the help of a grant. United Utilities, Lancashire County Council and Ribble Valley Borough Council are offering the green grants of up to £400
A STUDY which aims to work out how to regenerate a Ribble Valley town has been launched. Lancashire County Council has given the Longridge Partnership Action Group £20,000 to fund the study, which falls under the Countryside Agency's 'Market Towns Initiative
REBECCA Morton's partner in crime left her to face the music after they were caught stealing from a supermarket, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard he got to their car first and locked the doors, leaving her struggling with a security guard
KEEP on the look out for bogus email scams as they are on the rise. The messages are often disguised so that it appears they are coming from a reputable company and you are often directed to a look-a-like site. Once the information is gathered it is possible
A WHEELCHAIR that can be moved by brainpower could transform the lives of severely disabled people. Users wear an electrode-lined skullcap which reads minute electrical activity on the surface of the head. It works by recognising the desire to move in
LEEDS will not be making a move for talisman Burnley winger Glen Little. Speculation in one national newspaper over the weekend suggested United boss Peter Reid was ready to swoop for Little, who has one-year left on his current deal. But after yesterday's
BURNLEY have turned down a £300,000 bid from Norwich for star striker Gareth Taylor. But the Clarets still look like being without the Welsh international for the start of the new season after Taylor suffered a nasty head injury in yesterday's morale-boosting
WHAT on earth has happened to geography? I remember reading, a couple of years ago, how British youngsters were completely lost when it came to the subject. That less than half the 900 children aged eight to 16 who took part in a national survey could
A RESIDENT is living in fear because passing lorries are smashing against the side of his home and shaking it to the foundations. Mike Kisielewicz, 47, of Greenway Street, Darwen, says lorries using the Lloyd Street one-way system from Woodfold Mill,
RANCID food, swarms of flies and used toilet tissue... these were the sights awaiting council workers clearing a jailed Blackpool pensioner's home. As reported in The Citizen (July 17) court bailiffs arrested 66-year-old Dennis Bostock -- nicknamed The
CONFUSION surrounds the closure of doomed Fylde post offices after county councillors said they had agreed a two week stay of execution which was then denied by postal chiefs. Lancashire county councillors claim they were told by postal watchdog -- Postwatch
A YOUNG Blackpool woman was violently attacked by a man with a brick and left for dead near Stanley Park at the weekend. Blackpool Police are hunting for the man who attacked the 22-year-old woman and left her "unrecogniseable" in an apparently motiveless
JAMIL Ismail thought giving his ex-girlfriend two dud tenners to pay maintenance for their child was "a bit of a joke," a court was told But the girlfriend had the last laugh when she reported the matter to the police and Ismail was arrested and charged
A PENSIONER is rejoicing after the pavement outside his home was finally completed by builders -- two years after he moved in! Grandfather-of-three James Scanlon, 69, bought a home on Flowers Close, which he dubbed the 'forgotten cul-de-sac, on the Fernhurst
JOSHUA Fisher will finally have his Christmas wish come true when Wilpshire's telephone exchange is switched over to to the high-speed internet connection this week. The eleven-year-old began a campaign for action by BT bosses so he could use high-tech
RESIDENTS have launched a campaign to move a phone box on a children's play area which they say is being used as a "chemist shop" by drug dealers. The phone box in the Galligreaves estate, Mill Hill, Blackburn, is regularly used by dealers calling through
THE first ITU World Cup triathlon race to be held in the UK at Salford Quays was won by Britain's Andrew Johns. Johns completed the 1500m swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run in 1:53:50, just three seconds in front of Craig Watson of New Zealand. He ran
PLACES are still available on summer sports camps to be based at Blackburn's Westholme school and Clitheroe's Royal Grammar. Kings Sports Camps will offer a range of sporting activities for children aged 4-17 including flag football, uni-hoc and netball
FOOTBALL has become an official subject at the University of Central Lancashire thanks to the opening of a new department. East Lancashire humanity students will have access to new resources thanks to the facilities on the Preston campus. As of August
A MYSTERY teenager is behind the nomination of a Blackburn teacher in national excellence awards. Lesley Trevelyan has been nominated for Teacher of the Year in the Teaching Awards after lending emotional support to a youngster in one of her primary classes
SCHOOL MOTTO: The school is committed to ensuring that all pupils and other members of the school community develop their full academic, social and spiritual potential and so achieve excellence within the context of Christian family. Our children are
TEACHERS will be balloted on their return to school in autumn in a bid to release the "strait jacket" of national tests. Schools in East Lancashire will be contacted by the National Union of Teachers who want every teacher to fill in a questionnaire leading
