RAMSBOTTOM professional Chris Harris's undoubted all-round class came to the fore once again at the weekend as the the Acre Bottom side crushed Colne in the LANCASHIRE LEAGUE. The talented Kiwi took 4 for 41 in a miserly 22 over spell and, aided by youngster
Bury Times Sports Editor Chris Bailey looks forward to Bury in the big time at the top of the Nationwide League. Twenty-eight years of waiting and wondering are almost over. The Shakers are back in the First Division and raring to go. Fans and pundits
LONG-serving Tory councillor and residential home boss Gordon Henry has died. He was 60. Hyndburn councillors at the economic development board meeting sent their sympathy and best wishes to the family of their former committee chairman. Doctors had told
RESIDENTS of 30 houses were evacuated in the early hours yesterday because of a major gas leak in Rochdale Road, Todmorden. People were taken to the homes of family and friends with about 20 spending the rest of the night at Todmorden fire station. A
AN end could be in sight to the five-year battle of the bulge fought by residents of Hightown in Rossendale. But the solution could mean the council breaking its own rules to repair the danger of the wall in Whitewell Bottom. The 20ft retaining wall was
THE tannoy message early in the game, requiring Nigel Kennedy's chauffeur to return to his car immediately, raised a few smiles, writes PETER WHITE. But for Aston Villa, it perhaps had more sombre undertones. For, once Blackburn Rovers had opened the
A LOCAL landmark has been saved for future generations by a National Lottery grant of more than £300,000. The Parish Church of St Thomas and St John in the centre of Radcliffe is riddled with rot and needs major repair work. Without refurbishments the
A MERCY mission from Bury to Poland urgently needs your help. Thousands of people have lost their homes after more than a third of the country was hit by serious floods. Supplies are needed to stop the spread of disease and help the Poles start to rebuild
HOW far away from Bury could you get without a penny to your name? Well, that's the question being asked by Cancer Research Campaign organisers who are looking for teams of four to help boost funds by taking part in The Great Escape Challenge planned
IT'S goodbye to Bury for the borough's director of leisure services. Dr Graham Nicholson is off for two years to work with Marketing Manchester - motto "We're up and going!" - as new director of corporate resources. While he has has only been seconded
NEW council house tenants are to be put on 12 months probation to see if they are good neighbours. The introductory tenancies are part of an overall strategy to deal with nuisance neighbours who affect the quality of life of the majority of good tenants
A SHOP-to-shop radio scheme is to be introduced in Bacup, to clamp down on shoplifting and juvenile nuisance. Police distributed a questionnaire to traders asking them to put in order of priority what they considered to be the major problems in the town
CAMPAIGNERS in Bury are stepping up their bid to improve shopping and parking facilities in Bolton Street. Ambitious plans have been drawn up for the transformation of the former Top Rank bingo club. If Bury councillors approve the plans next month, the
URGENT action was demanded as Blackburn's jobless figures edged above the 10 per cent mark. Council leader Peter Greenwood described the shock figures as a disaster for the town's economy, which relies on manufacturing and engineering. He said: "This
OVER the last few months, metal fencing has been erected around the perimeter of the North Wing of Witton Park High School in Blackburn. Now, metal fencing is being erected along Buncer Lane, which will impede access to the public right of way to Buncer
THE mother of a woman with learning disabilities is claiming Lancashire social services is deliberately stopping her daughter from receiving what she considers to be the best care available. Ellen Birnie claims the department is intentionally holding
A NEW rail timetable should be good news for East Lancashire commuters to and from Manchester. The new timetable will come into effect from next May and generally means that commuters can get an earlier start if they work in the city. Although the total
POLICE were alerted when a 25-year-old woman was seen attempting to slash her throat with a shard of glass. The incident happened close to Darwen Railway Station at lunch time yesterday. The distraught woman suffered slight injuries and was taken to Blackburn
A DOSSER literally loitered within-tent after breaking into a garden shed in Bury. To keep out the night chill, he put up a tent he found in the hut in Dale Street. For an unknown number of nights, he is thought to have snuggled up in the tent to keep
CHORLEY is putting itself on the tourist trail map with the publication of a guide for visitors. Chorley - Make the Discovery has details of a range of attractions including Hoghton Tower, the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the town's markets. The brochure
OUR moving story last week on the plight of Aimee Read, who needs a life-saving bone marrow transplant, provoked an overwhelming response from concerned readers. Helpers were swamped with telephone calls after the appeal for blood-donors to help Aimee
DAVID Lee Nield (22) of Walmersley Road, Bury, is understood to be one of the first people in the area to be charged under new "stalking" laws. Nield was yesterday charged with offences under the 1997 Protection From Harassment Act at Bury Magistrates
HEATON Park is to play host to the biggest-ever fun-filled, action-packed show Manchester has ever seen. The Manchester Show is back in town and no expense will be spared in transforming Europe's largest municipal park for a three-day star-studded extravaganza
THIEVES have ram-raided an Unsworth store for the second time in less than a year. Raiders smashed their way into the Healds Fourways store, on Sunnybank Road on Wednesday (August 6) night grabbing £4,500 worth of cigarettes. Owner Mr Peter Heald, who
THE lone piper of Heaton Park is not the ghost of a long-dead clansman - he's very real. Adrian Goodman, pictured, a student at Manchester University, has not been banished to the park to practise his bagpipes by his wife, Julie. "That is the story that
A BAD-tempered swimmer sent emergency rescue services racing into action. Despite police warnings, John Davis insisted on swimming out to sea, off the Lancashire coast. The jobless 39-year-old, of Crossfield Drive, Radcliffe, admitted a breach of the
TOP quality building and design in Bury could be rewarded with a top prize. Residents are asked to nominate local projects for the 1998 Civic Trust awards. Awards for metropolitan boroughs are given every two years and Bury will be hoping to emulate its
FEWER books are being borrowed from libraries in Pendle, according to figures just released. District librarian John Hodgkinson said users were telling staff the two things they most wanted to see improved were opening hours and the range of books on
A GROUND-BREAKING deal between the Shakers and Premiership champions Manchester United will mean Alex Ferguson's stars 'playing' home games at Gigg Lane. Before Red's fans begin to get worried, that doesn't mean Giggs, Beckham, Neville, Neville et al
A TWO-MONTH chase came to an end yesterday morning (August 7) when Bury agreed terms with Burnley's Peter Swan. The 30-year-old has cost the Shakers £50,000 and will sign a two-year contract, subject to a medical, sometime today. Ternent has spent much
THE National Health Service will be 50 years old on July 5, 1998. Many individuals and organisations have volunteered to help mark this anniversary both nationally and locally. I am writing as chairman of the UK group supporting the anniversary, which
GREATER Manchester Police's crack "X-Cars" squad, featured in BBC popular television series, is to be headed by a Bury officer, Insp John Higson. The 45 year-old father-of-four is leaving his role as head of Bury police divisional traffic unit to take
HAS Bill Jacobs had a sudden attack of shyness? I had to look through quite a bit of my Telegraph before finding his article (LET, August 9) on the first 100 days of Blair's rule, tucked away on an inside page as it was. Can't blame him, I suppose, because
PLAIN English campaigners have dubbed a senior borough councillor the King of Gobbledygook. They stormed into an official meeting to present Coun Richard Fletcher with their Golden Bull award. They were unimpressed by a consultation document produced
VILLAGERS are threatening to stage a 'Swampy-style' sit-in to protect the last bit of green in Hawkshaw. Plans to develop the former Croich Hey elderly persons' home site have been given the go-ahead by council bosses, but residents fear any development
AN ELDERLY nursing home resident who became well known for her night-time "wanderings" died after falling at the entrance to her room, an inquest heared. Alzheimer's sufferer Isobel Taylor, 71, was found on the floor at Mapleford Nursing Home, Bolton
RED-FACED health bosses have been forced to cut their budget after a £1.2 million book-keeping blunder. Bury and Rochdale Health Authority spent the cash but finance staff failed to notice until they were alerted by regional health chiefs. Those responsible
A YOUNG father was electrocuted as he replaced a broken shower unit on Tuesday. Mr Ben Newman (pictured) died instantly at his parents' home in Orange Hill Road, Prestwich. It is believed he touched live wires, despite having turned off the electricity
A COUNCILLOR urged parents to take stronger action as part of a campaign to crush the growing gaming machine "epidemic". Blackburn councillor David Belton wanted parents to write to MPs and organise petitions to try to help youngsters kick the habit.
I AM seeking ex-employees of Perseverance Mills Ltd, Moorgate Mill, Moorgate Street, Blackburn, who worked there between 1969 and 1990. G HARWOOD (Mrs), 39, Bentham Close, Blackburn. BB2 4RU. Previous news story Converted for the new archive on 14 July
MIKE ATHERTON takes a break from the controversy over his future as England captain to join Lancashire's championship bid at Derby tomorrow. Atherton, who has been fishing since the Fifth Test defeat at Trent Bridge, is set to return in place of young
MEGASTAR tenor Luciano Pavarotti finds himself out-sung today by Our Kath - legendary Blackburn contralto Kathleen Ferrier. For in the classics charts, her album has shot way above the opera giant's latest. That's some feat for a star who died more than
THE GOAL that the Government sets today of bringing Britain's so-called underclass back into mainstream society is that of an immense social revolution. And even though it is one that may be expected of a Labour administration - even one whose socialist
A BOOK based on the diaries of a cotton weaver in Barnoldswick in the 1870s has just been released by local historian Dennis Cairns. The book, "When Grandad was a lad", was compiled using diaries written by Richard Dugdale which were passed on to his
A BOOKIE has been granted consent to start a phone-only service for betting on English soccer on the Internet. Hyndburn licensing magistrates granted a new bookmaker's permit for the first floor of 46 Abbey Street, Accrington. Applicant Stephen Fowler
ROY Hodgson saw Blackburn Rovers go top of the Premiership last night with a remarkable 4-0 win at Aston Villa but warned: "It's a dream end you are looking for, not a dream start." The Rovers boss was playing it cool and quickly shot down suggestions
THE principle of Western democracy suggests that the majority of the population will rule, but that fair consideration will be given to the minority. Something is amiss. One particular minority is getting away with murder. I refer to a recent report that
A "NEW" album by legendary Blackburn singing star Kathleen Ferrier is outselling Pavarotti. "Blow The Wind Southerly (Art of Kathleen Ferrier)" has gone straight in at number seven in this week's Classical Cross Over Chart, well ahead of Luciano Pavarotti's
TALENTED organist Philip Johnson will soon be leaving home at the age of 14 - to become a boarder at one of the north's top music schools. Philip of Hook Lane, Blackburn, will be starting at Chetham's School of Music, Manchester, in September, after being
LOCAL solicitors have welcomed the jailing of "bad apple" Gary Grosberg. Grosberg (44), who lived in Prestwich but had his offices in Leigh and Bolton, was sentenced to 15 months after being convicted of a £1m Legal Aid fraud at Liverpool Crown Court
VETERAN car enthusiasts are getting a helping hand from the Territorial Army to keep in touch on the road after modern technology let them down. The Veteran Car Club of Great Britain's North West section discovered it had no way of raising the alarm if
THUGS who hurled missiles from a footbridge over the M62 in Bury are being hunted by police. In two separate incidents, the windscreen of a coach was smashed and a car window shattered. Remarkably, in both cases, each driver escaped injury. The first
BURY Hospice plans a £200,000 extension to its Dumers Lane premises to boost patient-care services. The work is a prelude to long-term proposals to double bed capacity at the site and create a separate day care centre. The hospice has applied to Bury
YOUR recent article and editorial (LET, August 5) referring to the activities of North West Water should be warmly welcomed. It becomes harder each day to justify the activities of this utility company. First, they announce levels of profit based on a
PEOPLE who live near and use Witton Park, Blackburn, are being denied access by fencing being erected on Buncer Lane. A residents' User Group has been set up and we urge people to write letters of objection to Blackburn Council. The User Group's main
POLLUTION experts are investigating the River Darwen at Blackburn after a chemical leak killed up to 200 fish. The fish are thought to have been killed by a detergent-type substance which left masses of foam on the water and affected a three-mile stretch
A GROUP dedicated to raising funds for the Christie cancer hospital is being set up in Blackburn and Darwen. Patient Mrs Margaret Massey of Rudyard Drive, Darwen, decided to help after receiving treatment for breast cancer at the Manchester centre. Her
CHURCHES, charities and voluntary bodies are being warned not to count on free use of public halls. They will be told there is no such thing as a 'freebie,' as the cost still has to be met by council taxpayers. And getting a concession for one year does
CHRIS Waddle has today thrown down the gauntlet to young gun Paul Weller. The Clarets player-manager has left Weller out of the start of Burnley's new Second Division campaign and instead relegated the midfielder to the second team. Waddle explained:
FORMER Bury midfielder Phil Parkinson is a major doubt for the injury-hit Royals trip to Gigg Lane. Parkinson (29) has an achilles injury which is almost certain to rule him out of a sentimental return to Bury. "My heart has been ruling my head and I
