Archive

WHATEVER happened to Sawley Abbey? "Rambles by the Ribble" was written by William Dobson in the 1860s and in one ramble he describes how he walked from Chatburn railway station along the Ribble to Sawley (or Salley) Abbey. He mentioned the ruin and

IN a number of occasions in this column I have mentioned the famous wells of Lancashire. There is Whalley, Wiswell and Clitheroe. But what about Blackburn's well? If it had not been for the Industrial Revolution, Blackburn might well have made its

I parked my car close to West Bradford Bridge and followed the Ribble Way footpath upstream. This is excellent rambling country set close to the Castle Cement Works. The works is screened by trees and the river hereabouts is crystal clear. This

THE more I explore East Lancashire the more the area amazes me. This week I found examples of Victorian Lancashire's philosophy of "waste nowt." Next time you drive on the road from Blackburn to Preston, just before the Windmill Inn at Mellor, look

I DON'T think that we in East Lancashire realise what a treasure the Leeds to Liverpool Canal is. We often travel miles to sing the praises of other Inland Waterways and we tend to forget what a tourist asset our own "cut" is. Over the last few

I CONTINUED my stroll along the River Ribble with a chilly January wind finding its way through three layers of clothing. My first port of call was in Whalley which, although it does not lie directly on the Ribble, is important because the ancient

APRIL is the month when Going for Green, British Waterways and the Mersey Basin Campaign are combining their efforts to try to prevent litter being thrown into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It is right that we should attack litter and also celebrate

TURTON is one of those interesting places within easy reach of East Lancashire. Take the A666 from Blackburn through Darwen to Egerton, turn off for Bromley Cross and head up Chapeltown Road. At the Tower there is plenty of parking and from this

THESE days we take our transport for granted. We grumble at traffic jams, complain during road repairs and moan about public transport. This week I took a canal trip along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, covering the section from Barden Mill to Brierfield

"THERE is nothing to see at Ribchester except a few old stones from Roman times," I once heard somebody say. I have two things to say in defence of this excellent village. Firstly the Roman "stones" and the associated museum which was purpose-built

LUCKILY I have been tackling a route close to home and for those of you with a bit of spare petrol in your tank Whalley is one of those places which always provides something of interest. And this week I am in search of industrial history along the

ALTHOUGH it is an inconvenience, I am always delighted when I see our ancient churches being lovingly restored. All Hallows at Great Mitton has looked a bit "time worn" in recent years and it is now undergoing a restoration. Here is one of Lancashire's

RECENTLY I enjoyed a footpath following the River Ribble and I followed this up by exploring the River Calder. This was once one of the most polluted rivers in the world but, following the closure of many coal mines and textile mills and factories,

TO many people the idea of a walk in and around Haslingden might not seem to be all that appealing. Don't be put off, however, because there is plenty of history and natural history on offer. I started off in the graveyard of St James Church (pictured

SO, we did get a white Christmas after all, even only a few flakes actually fell on Christmas morning. Boxing Day, however, dawned bright and clear -- a perfect winter's morning and so what better incentive could I have than to stroll around a perfect

WATCHING the film Titanic on Christmas Day helped me to plan this walk. I began in Colne and the climbed steeply up to the old Iron Age Fort at Castercliffe before descending once more to Bonnie Colne up the Hill with Pendle nestling at its feet.

WINTER is an ideal time of year to explore the hidden corners of Lancashire towns and villages. This is particularly true on Sundays when the traffic is not so busy. Last Saturday and Sunday I strolled around Trawden, Burnley and Whalley. After

ALMOST every guide book to Lancashire points out that Clitheroe is the second oldest town in the county -- with Wigan being the first. Most, however, miss the point that this age is based on the granting of a market charter. So when did the town

As I drove towards Ribchester on the back road from Whalley I could smell the ramsons, also known as wild garlic or stinking onions. Also growing in the woodlands alongside the road where wood anemone, lords and ladies and primroses. I saw a jay

CHARLOTTE Hartley is on course for a Commonwealth Games medal after the England hockey team secured their place in the semi-finals today. England doubled their tournament goal tally with a 10-0 win against Barbados at the State Hockey Centre in Melbourne

BLACKBURN Rovers' fiery midfielder Robbie Savage last night pleaded his innocence in the wake of his controversial dismissal against Middlesbrough. A match that will long be remembered as a tale of two Welshmen suddenly exploded into life in the 54th

THE phrase better late than never could not have rung more true for Andy Todd. The on-loan winger didn't make it to the ground until five minutes before kick-off on Saturday, after horrendous traffic problems on the M6 led to a four-hour journey. It

BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes needed just one word to describe Craig Bellamy's matchwinning goal against Middlesbrough - magnificent! On an afternoon of high drama at Ewood, Hughes' Welsh wizard capped an outstanding individual performance when he scored

IT takes something special to upstage Robbie Savage. Controversy stalks the much-maligned Blackburn midfielder like a shadow, which is why the media takes great delight in depicting him as the pantomime villain football loves to hate. But, for once,

STEVE Cotterill hailed the performances of defensive duo Michael Duff and Wayne Thomas at Stoke as Burnley fans got a tantalising glimpse of the future. Calf injuries to John McGreal and skipper Frank Sinclair opened up the door for Duff and Thomas to

BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes hit out at referee Chris Foy after Robbie Savage was controversially sent off for the first time in his club career during Rovers' clash with Middlesbrough on Saturday. Savage saw red in the 54th minute when Foy booked the

Through the windows of Burnley's old Michelin factory you can see row upon row of abandoned production lines. The rest of the giant shopfloor is deserted and you can almost see the ghosts of former workers rolling tyre after tyre off the machines. Now

A RIBBLE Valley businessman is hoping his new firm's approach to the growing internet phone calls market can bring him success. Langho-based management and marketing consultant Steve Crossley is at the heart of new firm, VoIP in a box, which supplies

A firm which works behind the scenes with some of the best known brands on the high street has been recognised for its good treatment of staff. Granby Marketing Services, Stanley Street, Blackburn, runs competitions and promotions for companies as varied

CELEBRITY businessman Wayne Hemingway today welcomed plans to encourage a new generation of entrepreneurs and inventors in East Lancashire. Wayne, 44, the founder of the Red or Dead fashion house, today said the North West Inventors Expo would attract

A CAR salesman who stole almost £8,000 from his Blackburn employers has been jailed for four months. Louis Harriman, 41, of St Anthony's Road, Crosby, who was employed by Ciceley Commercials of Blackburn, admitted four charges of theft and four of

THE parent firm of Baxenden-based Hollands Pies has seen its shares fall to the lowest level in five and a half years. The news came as Northern Foods PLC issued its second profits warning in two months, and said it has begun a review that may lead to

FRIENDS and families of the men who died in the Hapton Valley Colliery disaster gathered to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the tragedy. More than 100 people attended services at St Mark's Church, Rossendale Road and the miners' memorial in Burnley

MENTAL health beds are facing the axe at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn just days after it was revealed major medical bed cuts are on the way. Beds at two mental health units could shut at the hospital and be replaced by one new building serving all

Cat rescuer Maureen Savage is urging people to bring their pets to her to be neutered before she is overrun with animals. Maureen, who runs Moggies cat rescue in Darwen, was inundated with pregnant cats last year. She said: "People aren't getting

METRE-WIDE sunken areas of pavement have formed "potholes" in a Darwen street, according to a councillor who has vowed to solve the problem. Sudell ward councillor Eileen Entwistle said the holes, on the pavement in Blackburn Road, were "an accident

A new-look Blackburn transport bus route has come under fire following claims it is missing a "key pick-up" after it was shortened. Just one month after it was introduced, the circular route around Blackburn, operated by re-branded vehicles, has been

WE welcome the arrival of spring but should we welcome BST (changing the clocks)? This was introduced during World War 1 to harvest fields denuded of manpower and termed "daylight saving." This is fallacious, since daylight cannot be lost or gained

WHERE will the scrounging under the blanket of need end? It is time the government looked at this country-wide problem of handing out money to people, mostly young, who think a job as unnecessary, whilst picking up cheques and having countless children

SOME 12 months ago I was diagnosed as having cataracts in both eyes. However, things began to improve when I was referred to the out-patients department at Blackburn Royal Infirmary and later on to Ward 12 day care ward. In both departments I was treated

HAS the world gone mad? First the Labour group on Blackburn with Darwen Council announce they are closing the Lewis Textile Museum and then the Conservative group announce they will close Waves if they get in! Why does anything need to close? To keep

A "DANGEROUS" middle-aged man who had sex with a woman who had the mental age of a child was today behind bars. Wayne Robert Bauser's victim had severe learning difficulties, played happily with seven and eight year olds and did not have the full functioning

A MEETING to discuss this year's plans for Whalley's Pickwick Night is due to take place tonight. Pickwick Night is an annual event which transforms Whalley into a Victorian Christmas scene for one night. Local shops stay open until 9pm and traders

A HOSPITAL chief has apologised to the heartbroken boss of a patients' watchdog after a "misunderstanding" left him unable to see his dead mother for 48 hours. Jo Cubbon, chief executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, spoke after Mel Diack,

POLICE are hunting a hit-and-run motorcyclist after a six-year-old girl was knocked down as she tried to cross a street in Accrington. The youngster was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary by ambulance after the incident but was released after examination

TWO men have been arrested after a gun was fired outside a Blackburn pub. The incident happened in the car park of Leo's Carpets in Preston Old Road, Cherry Tree, just after 11.30pm last night. Police said a blank firing pistol was fired after a disturbance

ACTOR turned writer Carl Rice has been made an honorary member of Accrington Stanley. Rice, who starred in the 1980s milk advert that porpelled Stanley back into the media spotlight, was guest of honour at Saturday's 1-1 draw with Stevenage Borough.

BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill believes £750,000 striker Andy Gray will be worth his weight in goals at Burnley. Gray, who has initially joined the Clarets on loan from Sunderland before signing a three-year deal in the summer, made his debut in Saturday's

ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman has a stern message for his league leaders: We haven't won anything yet!' Despite being 11 points clear at the top of the Nationwide Conference table with only eight games to go, the Reds boss insists they cannot

NEW faces, same end result! However, on a freezing cold afternoon in the Potteries, the shoots of a Spring recovery were at last in evidence to give Burnley supporters something to cling on to. Granted, this is a results orientated business and right

ANALYSTS are predicting Blackburn confectionery firm Glisten will deliver on its strategy for growth over the next six months. The company, headed by chief executive Paul Simmonds, has announced its preliminary results for the last half, and revealed

RESIDENTS are invited to have their say on municipal matters at Ribble Valley Borough Council's annual public meeting. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 11, at Read CE Primary School, Straits Lane, at 7pm. Items for discussion will include

AN appeal has been launched to help with the day-to-day running costs of an ancient village church. Whalley Parish Church faces financial problems and parishioners are being urged help cover running costs. The vicar, the Rev Chris Sterry, said: "Over

RESIDENTS in Huncoat are being urged help make the village look its best as it enters the Britain in Bloom competition. Huncoat is the first place in Hyndburn to enter the contest for many years. Councillor Brendan Shiel, who has been the driving force

THE weird and wacky world of The Mighty Boosh turned Blackburn into a surreal wonderland full of break-dancing Yetis and a gorilla doing a stand-up routine. For anyone who may have doubted that Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt could not take their cult

A MAN who stabbed his girlfriend as their five year relationship ended and then turned up at the hospital with flowers has been jailed for two years. Burnley Crown Court heard how Stephen Astbury, 21, had exploded' after the victim popped the tyres

MP Lindsay Hoyle has made a last-ditch attempt to persuade Defence Secretary John Reid to block BAE Systems' closure of the Royal Ordnance Factory in his Chorley constituency. And he has won a promise from the minister that he will look into the decision

It's got to be the easiest money I've ever made. A telephone call, a form to fill in. And Bob's your (very rich) uncle. That's a bit of an exaggeration but the sum got my car through its MOT (a staggering £586, I'm still reeling), paid a few bills

I'LL definitely not be voting Conservative in the forthcoming local elections following their latest barmy plan. Their idea to close Waves, the second most successful venue in East Lancs, is one of their dottiest yet. My two sons love our weekly visit

HUNCOAT Area Council is to spend £4,000 replacing railings around the village stocks. The stocks were damaged by a car about a year ago, but the vehicle was never identified so the council could not pursue an insurance claim. Now, in conjunction with

PEOPLE passing through Blackburn Railway Station were stopped and searched for drugs as part of a police operation to crackdown on anti-social behaviour. Eight officers from the British Transport Police and six officers from Blackburn's town centre policing

THE DESIGNERS of one of East Lancashire's Panopticons, The Singing Ringing Tree, have revealed they want it to be a piece of subtle artwork that compliments its location. Anna Liu and Robert Urbanek-Zeller, of architects Tonkin Liu, visited Towneley

FAMOUS toy car makers Corgi are honouring an East Lancashire coach firm with a limited edition run of models. Corgi has produced 2,000 scale models of the distinctive Fraser Eagle Group's coaches, with green, white, blue and gold livery featuring an

A WOMAN caught driving while banned has avoided a jail sentence and had her outstanding court debts slashed by nearly a third by magistrates. Jobless mother-of-13 Ellen Morris, 40, who receives £25,000 a year in state handouts, owed £2,931 in unpaid

WORKERS in developing countries are set for a fairer deal following the launch of a campaign to make Lancashire a Fairtrade County. Lancashire County Council signed up to support the county's progress towards Fairtrade at an event in Garstang on Friday

BARROWFORD is one of those places not quite big enough to be a town but too big to be regarded as a beautiful village. It is, however, a fascinating place graced by having some wonderful old buildings. Barrowford is set astride the old Turnpike

The River Darwen rises on the West Pennine Moors, south of Darwen, and then flows onwards to Blackburn. The main river joins the Blakewater in Witton Park and then turns west to Feniscowles. On it goes, through the comparatively rural area of Hoghton

IT has just been announced that the marked footpaths around Turton and Entwistle Reservoir have been reopened. So on a dull damp Saturday I followed the circular route. Rain threatened all day but the strong cool wind may have pushed the clouds away

TWO or three times in recent months I have planned to start describing my local rambles through the East Lancashire countryside. Then the foot and mouth disease struck. More and more footpaths are now re-opening and so next week I am going to start

THERE'S nothing quite like a good pub and a good walk, unless perhaps it is two good pubs and two good walks. The importance of Mitton in the days when it was an important village along the Ribble can be best appreciated by standing on the bridge overlooking

THE all clear has been sounded to indicate that the countryside is now open for business and that the foot and mouth epidemic can now be consigned to history. Those of us who love the Ribble Valley are entitled to express concern as we are certainly

TOO few people, once they have seen the wonderful old church and abbey, think of Whalley itself or the splendid walks which surround it. While I love the religious history of Whalley I also enjoy closing my eyes as the modern day traffic threads its

WHEN many people are thinking of planning a walk around Foulridge, they think only of a stroll along the canal towpath towards Barnoldswick. There is, however, much more to the village than this. Take all day and explore three routes all from the

NOT long ago the Calder was one of the most polluted rivers in Europe, with the run-off from the coal mines and mills of East Lancashire polluting it -- not to mention the human sewage adding to the load. Even many locals do not realise how things

I EXPLORED this area on the Sunday that the clocks went back and after an early morning period of heavy rain the sun came out and made walking a pleasure. Edisford Bridge itself is a lesson in history because there are a dozen masons marks carved into

I BEGAN my walk on a mid-November morning with the warm almost spring-like sunshine quickly melting the light morning frost. I crossed the bridge and then followed the footpath past the chapel and headed for the reservoirs. On this walk I did not

WITH Downham to be featured in a major BBC television series Born and Bred, now is perhaps the best time to enjoy the delightful walks which surround one of Lancashire's unspoiled villages. I am certain that the television series will attract visitors

LAST week I explored the Darwen from its source down as far as Witton Park. This week I discovered the stretch from Pleasington through Hoghton Bottoms and around the splendid old tower. On I went to Walton le Dale, where the Darwen feeds into the

I was asked to give a lecture in Goosnargh and what a joy I discovered. This is a haunting and historical village -- literally. The day dawned warm and bright with daisies, dandelions and celandines adding lots of wonderful colour. Common flowers look

OVER the years in writing this column I have visited Brungerley on several occasions. When it was decided to set artistic carvings along the route I was not too happy. I thought that Mother Nature was the best artist but now have to admit that I was wrong

IT is interesting to find that Waddington is split in two by a brook, on the banks of which are the Coronation Gardens, which celebrated Elizabeth II coming to the throne. These are so colourful that they have become famous. I wonder what can be done

GISBURN has always been one of my favourite places to stroll in the Ribble Valley, but I have been disappointed with it in recent years. Thankfully, however, it is coming back from the dead -- the splendid old parish church has been renovated and at

LAST week I explored Beacon Fell and in Jubilee year I thought that this week I would discover Pendle, East Lancashire's own bonfire hill. Many people enjoy climbing hills and I can well understand that but sometimes the views of the hill from the

I LOVE East Lancashire, the River Irwell, walking and steam railways, not necessarily in that order. In the area between Rawtenstall and Ramsbottom I discovered a fantastic quartet. I began early in the morning, starting off from Rawtenstall Station

IT was hard to realise when I strolled on the Grane moors above Haslingden that I was walking above rock called millstone grit which was laid down more than 300 million years ago. After the Ice Ages some 5,000 years ago, the area was covered in deciduous

I FOLLOWED my rule for pub walks by starting early and thus allowing time to enjoy a lunch at the end of my stroll. I can never visit Barrowford without thinking about a chap called Thimble Thung Thistlewaite, who was an eccentric walker in Victorian

DOWNHAM has become even more popular these days following the success of the TV series Born and Bred, which is filmed in the village. My Sunday stroll began on a dull, warm morning with some drizzle. It was more like autumn than August, apart from

IF you are looking for a combination of good food and old memories then the Black Bull at Rimington is the perfect choice. After my lunch, a wet morning had given way to bright sunshine. From Rimington I descended a narrow road with hedgerows almost

I FIRST began writing this column in 1971 and during the last 30 years I have got to know East Lancashire pretty well. However, I have just had a very pleasant surprise. I was asked to judge the finals of the Lancashire's Best Kept Village competition

FOLLOWING my description of what is left of Feniscowles Hall, I had a letter from 77-year-old Greta Finnigan, of Bombay Street, Blackburn. Greta told me of her childhood when she enjoyed visits to Feniscowles Hall, which then had pleasure gardens with

THIS stroll begins with a bit of pleasant controversy relating to the name of the White Bear, at Barrowford. Most think that it refers to the fact that an albino bear was baited here. Others, albeit a minority, think that it may have been named after

Frustrating. That's the word you'd use to sum up Morrissey's post-Smiths years. Sure, the dazzling brilliance of his former band raised expectations to a practically insatiable level, but his solo career has been characterised by inconsistency, bitterness

RENOWNED graphic novelist Alan Moore wrote V For Vendetta as a left-wing attack on the privations of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Government in the 1980s. The film version, released this week, arrives in a different time and the new screenplay,

THIS remake of Wes Craven's 1977 horror classic bursts onto the screen like a pickaxe through the back of the head and for the next two hours there's no let-up. To celebrate their silver wedding anniversary the Carters take their family on a road trip

Double albums of minimalist tech-house are unlikely to set many pulses racing, but this collection of rarities and remixes should set many finely tuned ears twitching with aural glee. Swayzak are James Taylor and David Brown, and their musical sensibilities

Martin Craft is quite literally too cool for school: he dropped out of his classical music education and spent his teenage years touring Australia in a rock band called Sidewinder with his older brother Nick. This single shows that Martin is a talented

THE popular French Market is set to return to Chorley next month with a vast array of treats for shoppers looking for a Continental flavour. The three-day event is due to take place over the weekend from Friday, April 7, until Sunday, April 9, with a

Preston's University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is set to launch Lancashire's first School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The UK's newest pharmacy school will be based within UCLan's Faculty of Science in a newly refurbished, custom-designed

PARENTS of children at Huncoat Primary School are to be warned by police not to block residents' drives on the school run. A Lynwood Road resident complained to Huncoat Area Council that at 9am and 3pm parents were parking across their driveways, blocking

A HAULAGE firm is celebrating after trading for 35 years. McMurrays Haulage, West End, Oswaldtwistle, was founded in 1971 and is still a family-run business, with director David McMurrary working alongside family members including sister Nicola. Originally

TOWN hall chiefs in Rossendale have been blasted for failing to address concerns that too many public matters are being decided behind closed doors. Labour leader David Hancock called for a review of how issues were dealt with in the council chambers

SWIMMERS in Rossendale will be making a splash for charity at this year's Swimathon 2006, the Nation's BIG Swim. Participants at Marl Pits in Rawtenstall and Haslingden swimming pools will be helping to raise £2 million for cildren's charity NCH to continue

TRIBUTES have been paid to a retired teacher who died after a car he was repairing fell on him and crushed his chest. Walter Greenfield, 80, was preparing his Vauxhall Omega car for an MOT outside his home in Highfield Avenue, Burnley, on Tuesday when

THE owners of a convenience store have been fined nearly £1,000 after selling fireworks illegally. The prosecution was brought by Lancashire trading standards officers after couple Syed and Kauser Waqar pleaded guilty to offences under the Fireworks

CALDER Valley MP Chris McCafferty has joined the growing campaign urging Calderdale Council to help Todmorden and Hebden Bridge pay for the CCTV system which the town councils are committed to. The MP, in her spring report to constituents, also pledges

A TEENAGER who supplied cannabis to a schoolboy in the pupil's lunch break has walked free from court. Adam Kelly, 19, had not targeted the 16-year-old but had met him by chance while smoking a joint in the street. The deal did not take place in the

A WELL-KNOWN retired pub landlord has hit out at the "disgraceful" state of a Padiham woodland. Peter Brandstatter, 69, discovered the litter-strewn wood, off Burnley Road, while out walking to recover from an operation to replace his right knee. The

YOUNGSTERS in Colne are being given the chance to have a say on what facilities they would like to see in the town. Pendle Council is organising Sort It to see what ideas young people have for a new youth building in Dam Side at the bottom of Colne Lane

A touch of the continent will be coming to Pendle next week as the town stages a French market. The renamed Barnoldswick and West Craven Chamber of Trade is bringing a touch of Gallic flair to the town at the three-day event. Stalls will be throughout

A PENDLE leisure centre is set to undergo a £2.3 million expansion in a bid to help further boost Nelson town centre. Leisure bosses want to extend Pendle Wavelengths as part of the drive to breathe new life into Nelson. Pendle Leisure Trust, which

A PROLIFIC raider whose targets included a Burnley school and several homes is behind bars for 29 months. Anthony Wills, 32, who struck to feed his 12-year drug habit, always burgled houses that he believed to be unoccupied, a court was told. He had

CCTV footage of Burnley Football Club fans fighting at football grounds across the country is being sold on the internet on compilation DVDs. Several different versions have been discovered for sale on websites with some sellers even throwing in footage

A HOMELESS man who laid down in the middle of a car park and stopped cars from entering after suffering a "breakdown" was bound over by magistrates yesterday. Nicholas Haworth, 35, of no fixed abode, appeared before Burnley magistrates after admitting

An investigation into the death of 73-year-old Charles Poore, of Laneshaw Close, Darwen, has revealed that the pensioner died of natural causes. Initial investigations were launched into whether Mr Poore was assaulted before his death, on Tuesday, January

DETECTIVES are appealing for witnesses after two masked men armed with machetes attacked Securicor staff in Darwen. The incident happened at 8am yesterday at the Bolton Road Service Station. Two men, wearing black balaclavas, failed in their attempt

A BLACKBURN mum who set fire to the home of a man who allegedly struck and killed her daughter in his van could be facing jail, a judge has warned. But the father of Michelle Hitchen's intended victim has pleaded for the courts to show her mercy. Now