A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Accrington Camera Club meet Primetime Centre, Stourton Street, Rishton, 7.45pm. Colne Camera Club, Peter Birtwistle Community Centre, Keighley Road, Colne, 7.30pm. Craft
FOR years and years many people in Darwen feel they have been losing out. First the town ceased to have its own MP when it became part of the larger Rossendale and Darwen constituency. This slight (and that's how many Darwen people viewed it) was recognised
STOCKPORT GEORGIANS...3 ELTON VALE...0 ELTON started the second half of the season in the same fashion they started the first -- with a heavy defeat, this time against a team they had beaten just three weeks previously. Missing key players led to a lack
THOUSANDS of children across East Lancashire are getting ready for a new school term -- but what about those who find accessing education more difficult? Chief Reporter MICHELLE FIDDLER spoke to a family of travellers to see how they are helped by the
LAST minute entry to the league - Elton Lib A - go into 2004 with an eight-point lead at the top of the B & G Engineering C Section. Their latest success, a 7-2 win at Seedfield, was started by Les Ward in frame two before a strong finish in the last
CHILDREN are being blamed for a fire at one of Bury's listed buildings. A motorist pulled up outside a disused shoe factory in Prospect Terrace and saw a number of teenagers running from the premises. Within seconds, smoke and flames began pouring from
RAMSBOTTOM Working Men's Club is featured in a spoof movie capturing spine chilling events at a Christmas party. The Ramsbottom Witch Project records Clock Creative Communication team's last steps as they prepare to party at the abandoned premises in
FORMER Blackburn favourite David Dunn has revealed how a quick pep-talk from Graeme Souness helped to ease the pain following Rovers' 4-0 thumping of Birmingham last month. Souness went into the Birmingham dressing room to offer Dunn a few words of comfort
BURNLEY Council has announced plans aimed at keeping old people warm during the winter months. The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme has been running since 1998. Owner-occupiers and tenants in privately rented homes who are over 60 or claiming benefit can
BOUNCING bundles of joy welcomed the New Year in with a gurgle as the first babies of 2004 arrived in the early hours. Staff on the maternity wards at Burnley General Hospital reported a busy night as the new arrivals were born. The New Year brought a
A THERAPEUTIC Tai Chi class for people suffering from rheumatic and muscular conditions has proved so successful that organisers are planning to set up a second session. Burnley Council's Tai Chi classes started in September and since then attendance
THE recent Christmas Fair at St Mark's Church was another brilliant success. A great deal of hard work was done by a few dedicated people to organise the work. The church hall was a hive of activity with stalls doing a roaring trade. A grand total of
A DISUSED mill in Padiham has been sealed off after becoming infested with pigeons. Windows in the building in Wyre Street were smashed by vandals, which allowed the birds to get in and roost. But Padiham Town Council sprang into action after receiving
MORE than 8,000 Padiham people have joined a campaign to ensure the town has a swimming pool -- and they have been backed by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. The future of the facilities came into question following a review of all the leisure centres
SAFE and easy guided cycle rides are to continue through the winter after proving popular with Pendle residents. Pendle Forest Cycling Club will lead rides on the third Saturday of each month after being impressed with the friendly atmosphere created
COUNCILLORS have called for a mobile speed camera to be installed on a Barrowford road to trap speeding motorists. Residents have raised concerns about the speed of vehicles using the stretch of Wheatley Lane Road, between the junction of Carr Hall Road
WINTERY weather left a few feathers ruffled at Ramsbottom's annual gamecock show. The Holcombe Old English Game Fowl Club say the snow meant the numbers of birds entered for the 161st annual show were down on previous years. And judge Fred Haworth described
AFTER 14 years of helping youngsters cross the road safely outside Wesley Methodist Primary School in Radcliffe, Irene Council is hanging up her lollipop. As she prepares to move to her new home in Morecambe with husband Ron, Irene's only wish is that
FORMER police officer for Blackburn and Accrington, Chief Superintendent William Abbey Watkinson, was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the New Year Honours. And Andrea Graham, weighing 6lb 4oz, whose mother lived in Mitchell Street, Clitheroe, was
THE worst fog and frost of the winter created chaos among traffic, blocked out the January sales and washed out important sport fixtures. The fog was worst in Accrington where people on their way home from parties could not drive across the town and had
THE FIRST baby of the New Year at Queens Park Hospital in Blackburn certainly made a real Splash. Madison, whose name was influenced by the 1984 film about a mermaid who falls in love with a businessman, was born at 2.59am yesterday weighing 7lb 14oz.
KIND-HEARTED animal lovers have stepped in to answer our appeal and find homes for the 12 strays of Christmas. The Evening Telegraph featured a dozen cases of abandoned and unwanted pets in the week before Christmas in a bid to ease the pressure on the
METRO systems as far away as China and the USA are up to "speed" thanks to an innovative Bury engineering company. For Rowe Hankins Components are winning friends around the world with their speed monitoring products which are also used on French freight
AN award-winning chef has brought a touch of culinary class to a new-look Shuttleworth pub. Twenty-year-old Daniel Kirkpatrick, a former De Vere Hotels Young Chef of the Year, is the new man in the kitchen at the Eagle and Child in Whalley Road. Along
MEDIUized building and construction firms could face ruin as the result of a tough policy being imposed by the Inland Revenue. That is the verdict from Mr Alan McCann, tax director at Bury-based business advisers DTE. He says many companies are at risk
STAGS boss Keith Curle expects Burnley to be nervous about becoming FA Cup fall guys. Town are riding the crest of a wave at present and believe they can pull off a giant-killing to dump the Clarets out of the cup at the first hurdle and Curle insisted
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent has sounded the rallying call ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Mansfield. The Clarets boss rang in the New Year by insisting his side knuckle down to avoid an embarrassing defeat away to the Third Division promotion-chasers.
NEW Year and a new start. At least that's what we're all hoping. I think it's fair to say there's only one man who will be happier then me to see the end of 2003 from a footballing point of view - and that's Stan Ternent. But he is the one now charged
RESIDENTS are urged to take a "bough" for the environment by recycling their Christmas trees. Bury Council is asking residents to take trees to any of the borough's civic amenity sites or chopped up and put into brown garden waste bins. Christmas cards
YOUNGSTERS in Walmersley are to net a new ball zone aimed at curbing anti-social behaviour. Plans for the multi-use games area on open land to the rear of Ribble Drive and Palatine Drive will include measures to screen it from homes. Included in the proposals
IT was bargain bonanza time in Bury town centre on Saturday (Dec 27) as shoppers headed for the sales. Despite the frosty weather, early morning shoppers queued in their hundreds to bag the best deals. Next, in Union Arcade, had a successful opening day
SCHOOLCHILDREN will start the New Year with a sobering message for motorists about road accident casualties. Pupils from St Peter's Primary School will march into nearby Gigg Lane stadium with their hard-hitting message during the Shakers' fixture with
WHEN cancer victim Tony Rutherford's life was saved 15 years ago, he vowed to help others by raising money for Christie Hospital. Now the boss of the Asda superstore in Pilsworth has raised £22,222 with the help of his work colleagues. This is the second
HOLA! Traders in Radcliffe are looking forward to a prosperous new year after Seville was named as their Spanish partner for an exclusive retail twinning project. The town is one of 14 in Britain selected to join a project that forges links between matched
PARENTS wishing to return to further education are invited to visit the Darwen Access Point. Darwen Adult Education Centre will be running a 15-week Access to Further Education course there, starting this month. The course is aimed at adults who would
RESIDENTS of Darwen today claimed their town was being shortchanged after a council audit revealed people in Blackburn had more cash spent on them last year. The exercise launched by Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Sir Bill Taylor showed a shortfall
LEADING students from Kingfisher's Learndirect Centre have picked up awards celebrating their skills, determination and courage. "We see a lot of mature students who have had little or no experience of IT before they come here and it is a real challenge
RADCLIFFE Borough are hoping to sign former Manchester United man Ben Thornley in time for Saturday's visit of Bradford Park Avenue. Borough boss Kevin Glendon has contacted the 28-year-old Bury-born winger, recently released by Stalybridge Celtic, with
A SPECIAL constable who has retired after 31 years has been given a police commendation. Bob Ormerod, 56, who works in Blackburn, joined up when his wife Susan was a civilian worker for the Lancashire constabulary. Since then he has risen in the ranks
UNWANTED Christmas presents could still be used to help bring joy to hundreds of hospice patients. For fundraisers at East Lancashire Hospice are appealing for any unwanted presents to be donated to their funds. Head of fundraising, Harry Grayson, said
CASES of domestic violence rose as families stayed in on New Year's Eve to avoid the bad weather. Police in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley were called to more than 200 incidents on the busiest evenings of 2003. They ranged from public order
AROUND 600 homes in East Lancashire greeted the New Year in darkness after bad weather caused a series of power cuts. 50,000 houses across Lancashire, Cumbria and Scotland were affected but in East Lancashire the majority of problems were in Gisburn,
BACUP manager Brent Peters got a belated Christmas present when Chorley defender Billy McCartney agreed non-contract terms with the North West Counties Division One club. However, the silver lining is marred by a cloud as McCartney is still keen to see
CHORLEY and Rossendale United go head to head tomorrow in a game that has all the ingredients for a New Year derby thriller. And both sides will be seeking to put their resolutions for 2004 into immediate action. Rossendale manager Paul Lynch is encouraging
IN response to correspondent Mr P. Morland (Letters, December 12), I have to say that councillors have always sought to protect our corporate assets and most would agree that the market is now a better place to work and to shop than just a few years ago
COUNCILLOR Derek Boden (Letters, December 5) had asked if the new supermarket would, or could, accommodate a library, yet he must be aware that we have a perfectly good library on Pinfold Lane, Whitefield, on a prime site for redevelopment! Is this why
I WRITE in response to your article headed: Damp blights life for family (December 16). How can the council say that this family are not a priority when they are living in mouldy, musty, damp conditions with a two-week old baby and a son who has asthma
SCHOOLCHILDREN will start the New Year with a sobering message for motorists about road accident casualties. Pupils from St Peter's Primary School will march into nearby Gigg Lane stadium with their hard-hitting message during the Shakers' fixture with
I know everyone likes a good bargain but do we have to take it so seriously? There is more to life than the Next sale isn't there? (Yeah the Matalan one!) There are those who go to the sales wanting to buy something and there are others, like myself,
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Bacup Naturalists Society, Natural History Museum, Yorkshire Street, Bacup, 7pm. "The Workers' Educational Association and Bacup," by John Dunleavy. "Jack and the Beanstalk
WE are repeatedly told by politicians that the nation is becoming more unhealthy and urged to exercise more. Yet often the sort of publicly-funded leisure facilities that have enabled us to stay fit are cut back in the name of financial economy. The strength
ASHTON UNITED...3 RADCLIFFE BORO...3 IF familiarity breeds contempt then unfamiliarity must foster hope, because Radcliffe halted a four-game league losing streak to steady the good ship Boro in this Christmas cracker of a game. With Kevin Glendon's fabulous
BUSINESSES in the Atherton and Leigh area are being warned not to fall for fraudsters claiming to offer data protection services. So many complaints about the con, which demands a fee for do-it-yourself services, have been made that the town's Trading
RESIDENTS of Darwen today claimed their town was being shortchanged after a council audit revealed people in Blackburn had more cash spent on them last year. The exercise launched by Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Sir Bill Taylor showed a shortfall
PURE and simple delight came to St Gabriel's RC High when former Hear'Say star Suzanne Shaw popped by. Twenty-two-year-old Suzanne was back at her old school in Bury to see a performance of a Christmas Carol and sign autographs afterwards. Suzanne, who
MORE than 8,000 Padiham people have joined a campaign to ensure the town has a swimming pool -- and they have been backed by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. The future of the facilities came into question following a review of all the leisure centres
A MAN working at a car wash in Bury was robbed by two robbers armed with a knife. Two men wearing balaclavas threatened him at the Arc Car Wash in Bolton Road on New Year's Eve shortly before 5.30pm. He was forced to hand over the takings and the robbers
METHODISTS in Summerseat are to have their prayers answered with a church building of their own. A new single-storey hall on land adjacent to Summerseat Methodist Primary, off Rowlands Road, will replace the former church which was demolished around 30
UNITED Utilities has been granted a drought order to help safeguard water supplies and protect the environment in the north west. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has given the go-ahead to build a temporary weir at Ullswater to allow
MP DAVID Chaytor has welcomed the latest figures showing how many people have taken up the Government's new Pension Credit. The Labour backbencher said the credit guarantees all OAPs a minimum income, and also rewards those who have saved for their retirement
MAKE a New Year's resolution to use your European rights, says MEP Gary Titley. "Whether it's a fair deal at work, consumer protection or a clean environment, people in Bury have clear rights under EU law," said the Radcliffe-based Labour MEP for the
Leigh RMI 2 Chester 6 by David Magilton: RMI manager Phil Starbuck criticised his players for switching off as his side were thumped by Conference leaders Chester for the second time in a week. Starbuck was annoyed with the way his team conceded three
F Graeme Souness does get the cheque book out during the January sales then he wouldn't go far wrong in signing Muzzy Izzet. In my opinion, Izzet would be a fine addition to the Rovers squad and a suitable replacement for the injured Barry Ferguson. The
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness could be given more leverage in the transfer market following the departure of Cicco Grabbi. Rovers finally off-loaded the Italian misfit last night after the 28-year-old agreed to sign for Serie A strugglers Ancona. And
ENOUGH is enough! That's the message coming out of the corridors of Gigg Lane loud and clear. A run of seven successive defeats has dented any hopes of a concerted charge on the play-off places and left the club looking nervously over their shoulders
COMMUNITIES in Pendle are being urged to make use of new computer centres. Four new centres have been created in Nelson, Colne and Brierfield, run by Northern Technologies and Pendle Community Network. The aim is to create a place where people can go
THE Bishop of Blackburn the Rt Rev Alan Chesters called for peace in Northern Ireland following the murder of Daniel Blinco by the IRA. The soldier's family lived in Oswaldtwistle. Just 40 seconds into 1994 Brandon Lee Morgan made sure his parents had
ACCRINGTON Stanley's 1-0 Conference defeat at Morecambe yesterday was marred by minor crowd trouble. A police spokesman said: "There was a minor dispute involving six men fighting which was dealt with by the stewards and there were no arrests." A spokesman
A TEENAGER who suffered head injuries when she fell from a tree could soon be going on her first ever holiday thanks to pub regulars. Vanessa Milek broke her wrist, and damaged her spleen and pancreas when she fell from a horse chestnut tree while collecting
TNT Express Services has earned its laurels for the fourth time. An exemplary commitment to staff training and development means the leading business to business express delivery company has achieved Investor in People (IIP) accreditation for the fourth
OVEN ready! That's Ramsbottom man Jonathan Fry whose local oven cleaning franchise celebrates a very successful first year of trading. Jonathan, a Ovenu franchisee who runs his very own oven cleaning and valeting franchise within Greater Manchester and
PURE and simple delight came to St Gabriel's RC High when former Hear'Say star Suzanne Shaw popped by. Twenty-two-year-old Suzanne was back at her old school in Bury to see a performance of a Christmas Carol and sign autographs afterwards. Suzanne, who
GRAHAM Branch is hoping the New Year heralds a "fresh start" for the Clarets. The Burnley skipper ended 2003 on a sour note with an icy blast at the Turf Moor boo-boys following his costly mistake against Stoke. But with a testing FA Cup third round tie
HUDDERSFIELD TOWN...1 BURY...0 BURY haven't won at Huddersfield for 40 years and Danny Swailes' own goal ensures it will be at least another 12 months before they have another chance to end their jinx. Certainly, Andy Preece's exit from Gigg Lane hasn't
PLANS to demolish the well-known "Dutch House" in Holcombe Road in Greenmount have been put on hold. An application to demolish the distinctively shaped building and replace it with a new house was deferred for a site visit following an appeal by villagers
TWO students latched on to the information superhighway and each won a raffle prize. Janette Stonefield won a computer after she joined a Learndirect course at Bury College's Radcliffe Link IT centre and her name was entered in a free draw. Betty Goldwater
A MINISTER who has taken his pulpit into the heart of the community to help the socially excluded has been awarded the MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. The Rev Raymond Williams is project manager of the Salford-based Bethel Community College
CRICKET? On Boxing Day? Peter Kay would no doubt be apoplectic. However, for the hardy sportsmen of Bury the annual Boxing Day cricketing clash was played as normal. This year the honours went to Summerseat village side Brooksbottoms, who avenged last
BURNLEY boss Stan Ternent has sounded the rallying call ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Mansfield. The Clarets boss rang in the New Year by insisting his side knuckle down to avoid an embarrassing defeat away to the Third Division promotion-chasers.
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness could be given more leverage in the transfer market following the departure of Cicco Grabbi. Rovers finally off-loaded the Italian misfit last night after the 28-year-old agreed to sign for Serie A strugglers Ancona. And
A MOTHER and her two sons were taken to Blackburn Infirmary after a chip pan fire at their home on New Year's Day. Firefighters had to force the front door of the house in Olive Lane, Darwen, at 11pm to free Phillip Alderson, 17, after the property became
PEOPLE are being encouraged to work off the extra pounds and do more walking in 2004 - with the help of local artists. The artists, who are also keen walkers, are displaying their work at Sunnyhurst Wood Visitor Centre, Darwen, throughout January as part
BIRD fans from as far afield as Ireland, Wales and Staffordshire were flying high as an annual Gamecock Show in Ramsbottom got under way. Eighty-two birds were exhibited by 18 breeders at the show, the 161st, held at the Old Dun Horse Hotel on New Year's
ROSSENDALE could soon get its own state-of-the-art bus station. If proposals get the go-ahead, the new bus station will be built on the former site in Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, currently owned by Rossendale Borough Council. Lancashire County Council has
A DAD made a citizen's arrest after finding a Christmas Day burglar hiding under his daughter's bed. Blackburn magistrates heard that police had already searched the house and left and the burglar had to be detained by his intended victim. And the court
THE New Year got off to a "flat" start for a battery thief and his accomplice, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that Dale Bottomley stole camera and camcorder batteries worth £126 from Jessops on Christmas Eve and Kieran Chatburn helped him
A FORMER mayoress of Blackburn has died after losing her battle against cancer. Maisie Tarbuck, wife of veteran local councillor Jack, died on December 30 at Nazareth House residential care home, in Preston New Road. She lost her fight against cancer,
IF Steve Halford could be granted one New Year wish it would probably be the same as Cher's - to turn back time. For it was his second own goal of the season that denied Accrington Stanley the chance to earn a point at Morecambe. It was nothing short
STEVE, David and Garry have more in common than just Flitcroft blood pumping through their veins. Not only have the trio of footballing brothers all carved out careers for themselves as midfielders, they all play their part in building the Flitcroft empire
I RECENTLY visited a friend at Chapelfield, Radcliffe, and noticed that two wooden fence panels had been fitted to replace two that were stolen. Two days later they were also gone! Next day I noticed the panels waiting to be collected and reported it
MR Coupe (Letters, December 23) reasonably asks what would be the benefits to Bury of a merger with Rossendale. There are well-documented benefits for Rossendale which seem abundantly clear. For Bury, there are issues of economy of scale: it is cheaper
I WANT to reply to the letter (December 23) from Mr Bleese headed: Cenotaph is just for red poppies. I find his reason for removing my white dove and white poppy from the cenotaph "so that it would not be covered up" difficult to understand when he obviously
THE final curtain fell on Leigh Education Action Zone on New Year's Eve . . . its five-year mission fully accomplished. And the Zone ends with an impressive testament to the success of the Government-backed assignment. Independent education consultant
A PUB landlord is quitting the business, forced out by memories of a frenzied attack by an intruder who stabbed him eight times with a screwdriver. As serial burglar Jody Michael Allen was starting a six-year jail sentence, his victim Mike Shepherd is
