CONFUSED cocker spaniel Twixy is having a hard time coming to terms with the recent unveiling of its embarrassing secret. Tony and Sally-Ann Wilding of Newton Drive, Blackpool, were shocked when faced with the staggering news surrounding their son Matthew's
OPEN letter to Charles Wilson, Director of Development - Lancaster council. It has recently come to my notice that Mr Pearson and yourself were approached several years ago with the proposal to build 'Freeport' in Morecambe before the Fleetwood centre
IT was a secret which Preston cashier Karen Noblet found almost impossible to keep. Her stunning performance on ITV's Stars in their Eyes programme won her a coveted place in the final to be screened live this Saturday (June 13). The mum-of-two from Walton-Le-Dale
LORD Street in Fleetwood is the latest area to be targeted and revamped by the multi-million pound regeneration project which is sweeping through the town. The latest scheme - "It's the Business" - was launched this week, offering to pay up to half the
THE bizarre beliefs of Mormon founder Joseph Smith are that people lived on the moon for nearly 1,000 years and that they also dressed like Quakers. And another Mormon claim is that great portions of the earth were torn apart and carried away into space
BLACKPOOL'S donkeys are the best in Britain - and that's official! More than 150 animals passed their annual 'MOT' with flying colours when inspectors trotted them through their paces. The four-legged children's favourites - a feature of the resort's
VICKY CURRAN'S golden trumpet is taking her to a musical meridian. The talented teenager has been accepted at the world-famous Chetham's School of Music. She becomes the first pupil from Fred Longworth High to be so honoured. Sixteen-year-old Vicky -
CORONATION Street's Derek Wilton is back from the dead - to star in Blackpool's summer season smash, Summer Holiday. The soap's biggest moaner, killed off a year ago in the nation's favourite television soap, is alive and well and chasing a big red bus
TWO East Lancashire firms have received a pat on the back for "blowing their own trumpet." ELTEC chief executive Mark Price praised Ultraframe plc and Airtours after they won Duke of Westminster Awards for 1998. Outside the area, there is still a lingering
A CENTURY of St John's will be celebrated on Sunday with anniversary services and a walking day in Hindley Green. On St Barnabas' Day, June 11, 1898, J.C. Eckersley laid the foundation stone for the church of St John the Evangelist and in October the
A LEIGH man was lucky to be alive this week after firefighters rescued him from his blazing home on Saturday. Charles Balmer, 40, of York Street, was pulled unconscious from the bed in his first floor flat after a fire crew smashed down the door to reach
THE University of Central Lancashire has been awarded £900,000 to create a top class training centre. The cash, from the Department for Education and Employment, is in response to Secretary of State David Blunkett's call for Centres of Excellence. The
THEY may have been wringing wet but nothing could dampen the spirits of a gang of charity raft racers. And the hardy bunch - who battled it out on the River Ribble - are hoping to attract more dare-devils to take part in next year's watery antics. The
A LEIGH church has launched an urgent appeal for more cash from parishioners and friends. The need to maintain a Grade 2 listed church building is creating difficulties at St Joseph's RC Church in Bedford (pictured). Last year bits began to fall from
A FORMER Pretoria pit brow lass, put into the job because she was "delicate", celebrates her 100th birthday on Sunday. Lively Mrs Frances Butler (pictured), who still does her own shopping each Monday, has loved all her life in Atherton. She married miner
RAILWAY expert and author Dennis Sweeney reckons busway plans are misguided. And he believes it would be wiser to give the public what they really want and reconnect Leigh and Tyldesley to the rail network. Transport planners want to convert part of the
FOR many years I have enjoyed the area known as The Valley. On good sunny days in the summer, the hundreds of butterflies fluttering around you, basking in the sunshine on the footpath as you walk through, grass hoppers and crickets all around you in
MOTORIST Vicky Evans stared death in the face when her car turned into a raging fireball. The medical secretary was driving through Fulwood, on her way home from the Royal Preston Hospital, when flames shot out from under the bonnet of her Volkswagon
RUGBY boss Mick Higgins has promised to meet a four-man deputation of dissident supporters. The move comes after a group of 40 fans staged an organised boycott of Leigh's 48-16 defeat by Featherstone on Sunday afternoon - the 14th of the season. And they
STARS of the small screen attracted thousands to line the streets of Leyland for the town's 105th festival. The Teletubbies and Batman were just a couple of the television characters who brought a splash of colour to the floats as they dodged the wet
A RESIDENTIAL and day care centre in Blackburn has been presented with the Investors in People award. Richardson House in Billenge End Road is the first division of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People to receive the award. The team, which was
AS spectators have given up with Leigh RL in their thousands, I and a few hundred more have foolishly allowed Mr Higgins to retain control over the club by paying our entrance money and Lifeline fees. I now plead with those people to withdraw that support
A GROUP of swimmers swept the board at an inter-schools competition at Darwen swimming baths, winning five trophies. Year Five and Six pupils at Holy Trinity CE, Bank Top, competed against 11 other schools in the Darwen Primary Schools' Swimming Gala.
FLY-TIPPING travellers are turning Bamber Bridge into a giant junkyard, according to a local councillor. Tom Hanson, a Bamber Bridge councillor, has urged people to keep the town tidy after a spate of visits from gipsies, who spend a few days on a site
IF 'The Progressive' feels so badly about his countrymen and the town he lives in, then he should go and live in Japan and take his boss with him. And I strongly object to the reference of our ex-service men as "old fools". They were young men when they
A WAR veteran has defended Britain's legendary Dad's Army after claims on national television that the home guard was a national laughing stock. Furious Edward Walters was left seething after a Channel Four documentary called Secret History: Dad's Army
A LINK between poor housing and ill health among the Asian community in Hyndburn has been revealed in a survey. Now the findings could lead to an improvement in standards of houses used by Asians. The council and the Hyndurn Asian Housing Forum appointed
BRIAN SMITH has been appointed as joint manager at Atherton Colls. The former professional with Bolton, Blackpool and Bournemouth, will work alongside Tommy Harrison. He recently stepped down as Pennington FC chairman and has been looking at players for
A PRESTON mother who tried to stop her husband divorcing her has failed in a 'hopeless' Appeal Court bid. The court heard how Mary Wood, 39, of Bridgeway, Lostock Hall, had 'taken advantage' of a clerical error to obstruct her husband John from divorcing
ON my way to Hilton Park on Sunday I was asked to support a boycott of the game by disgruntled fans; instead I paid my £7 to watch the game. In hindsight I wish I had been persuaded because those who didn't see the game were the lucky ones - and £7 better
SOUTH Ribble MP David Borrow is preparing to deal with criticisms from small-minded locals after publicly announcing his homosexuality. Mr Borrow, who lives with his partner John, also revealed that he revealed he was gay without consulting Labour party
PUPILS from a local high school have been getting down to work for their summer term project. For youngsters from Darwen Moorland High have been spending time working with mentors from Darwen-based Wolstenholme International. The Year 8 pupils aged 12
DISABLED shoppers in Preston have blasted a leading retailer for treating them 'like second class citizens'. Wheelchair-bound customers say they have been left out in the cold when they try to take a break at Woolworths' cafe, in Fishergate. They claim
SO 'The Progressive' has a problem with the British war veterans' attitude to Japan's Emperor Akihito, does he? May I tentatively suggest that but for these same veterans fighting and winning a war to preserve the future and freedom of following generations
CHEMISTS on duty on Sunday, June 14, are: Hills Pharmacy, 103 Blackburn Road, Darwen, noon to 1pm; Nash Chemists, 198 Blackburn Road, Accrington, 11am to 1pm; Cohens Chemist, 53 High Street, Rishton, noon to 1pm; Peel Street Pharmacy, 8 Bentham Road,
HETTY Wainthropp could return to Preston for an encore - in a bid to calm locals who are angry at the way their area has been portrayed on TV. Tenants living in Avenham flats, where BBC film crews were this week shooting scenes for the popular television
MY Japanese problem is I am an 88 years-old ex-Far East POW who was forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway from 1942-1945. I am not proud of it and would like to reply to the arrogant, insulting "Jap happy gentleman' who hides behind the nom de plume
A SEAFARER sailor was left grounded after someone stole his 16ft triple hull yacht from outside a house in Church Brow, Walton-le-Dale. The boat, a Sea Hog Hunter named Black Pig, was wheeled away on a Snipe trailer some time between 2-8.30am on May 22
A SERIES of chain letters has been sent to our offices recently and Carter's taken to ripping them up on air. He reckons his luck can't possibly get any worse. So if you get any at home or work, or your friends are troubled by them, just drop them off
A NEW broom will be sweeping through Preston's CVS to prepare it for the new Millennium. Joan Burrows, who this month took over as chief officer for the Preston Council for Voluntary Services, promises to give the organisation a fresh new image. The former
WHEN it comes to competitions, your community-conscious Citizen Newspaper is leading the pack. And our latest contest is the best so far. We are giving you the chance to prove that your garden grows better than the rest - and scoop great cash prize. It's
THE Second World War had been over for five years and across Europe cities and buildings were being rebuilt after the horrendous bombings. People were getting their lives back together, trying to pick up the pieces fragmented by the war years. The people
A WORKMAN who suffered serious head injuries after falling 20 feet from a ladder was in a poorly but stable condition in the intensive care unit at Burnley General Hospital today. Paul Fraser, 50, of Cross Lane, Salterforth, was working at Weston Electrical
TWO East Lancashire men were honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Labour councillor Jack Grime, who had represented his home town of Church for 18 years, was awarded the MBE. And the same award went to Foulridge man David Tinniswood, who established
A RUNAWAY car pinned a young woman to a wall and caused hundreds of pounds worth of damage when it smashed into the side of a house. Ambulance workers and fire fighters had to rescue Andrea Wood after she got trapped between her Land Rover Discovery and
HUNDREDS of residents were evacuated after a hoaxer started an IRA bomb alert at a Pendle gasworks. A man with an Irish accent rang textile giants Smith and Nephew warning of a device at the neighbouring gasometer in Brierfield. Police cordoned off the
THE axe is set to fall on jobs at Blackburn-based TDS Circuits after it revealed its biggest customer was cutting orders. The firm saw its shares dramatically collapse on the stock market - at one point yesterday afternoon more than halving - after making
STAFF at Pendle's biggest high school have given a vote of no confidence in its governors. A poll of teaching and non-teaching staff was taken at Mansfield High, Brierfield, after the shock news that the school is to lose its prestigious technology college
ENERGY minister John Battle has given his backing to the fight to save 70 Lucas jobs in Burnley. He has promised to hold talks with deputy prime minister John Prescott and other top ministers to see if Government help can prevent the closure of the gas
A 97-YEAR-OLD man said to have had a 'love affair' with hospitals during the last years of his life has left the East Lancashire SuperScan Appeal £50,000 in his will and pushed the fund over the magic £1 million mark. Widower Albert Riley, who lived in
LEIGH RMI's bid for Vauxhall Conference football is still gathering pace with three more players pledging their futures to the club. With top UniBond Premier Division clubs thought to be on the verge of tempting players away from Hilton Park, RMI have
THE 10-strong darts team at the Hindley Ellesmere has won the Burtonwood Brewery Richard Forshaw Memorial Rose Bowl. They picked up £1,000 in prize money and will be spending a sporty night with World No 1 Phil Taylor. After a final win against Farnworth
I FEEL that I ought to express the immense pleasure the writings of Ron Freethy give me, and have given me over the years. May he write in your newspaper for many years to come. I am a house-bound Lancashire octogenarian who has always loved our wonderful
TOP Leigh motormen Hoopers are looking for sponsorship. But they want to give the money - not take it! For two years the garage on Wigan Road, Leigh, sponsored Leigh Rugby League. "They were struggling at the time," explained Chris Manning. "They were
BRITISH beef farmers had their first bit of good news in years when the European Commission, in a unanimous vote, declared British beef safe. This is not the end of the battle but it is certainly akin to clearing the main hurdle. The two-year export ban
I AM sure Duncan McVee (Letters, June 2) must be aware that the Labour Party would not even exist today if the leaders of the trade unions (whom he so despises), had not created it in the first place to serve their interests in Parliament, early in this
RIDERS from Astley & Tyldesley Miners Welfare scored a fine win in their Manchester League Division Two campaign. They notched 70 points at Bury, beating the home side and Denton (both tied on 63) with Sheffield well back on 15. Scorers: Damien Hack
TWO thieves tricked their way into a pensioner's house and stole her purse. They told the 61-year-old woman, from Silkstone Close, Eccleston, that they had come to collect a car part left in the back garden by the house's previous occupier. The woman
BAD weather washed out Astley & Tyldesley's moment of glory on Saturday. In 10 years they have never beaten Golborne. But that looked set to change when they dismissed the leaders for a modest 107. Star of the show was Paul Bennett, the third member
NATURE lovers in St Helens are being urged to take part in an unusual hunt - to track down the country's largest insect, the stag beetle. To give it its proper title, Lucanus cervus, the stag beetle is scarce and numbers are declining fast. Sightings
SOLDIER Ben Reiper is Cram-ful of energy. He pounded into the Olympic Stadium in Sarajevo to complete a demanding double-marathon - urged on by Olympic hero Steve Cram. Airtrooper Ben is based in the Bosnian town of Gornji Vakuf, serving a six-month tour
FORMULA ONE it wasn't; a formula for thrills it most certainly was, writes DAVID HODGKINSON. A whirlwind opportunity to take the co-driver's seat as Tony Jardine thrust his fierce Ford around the thrilling, twisting track of Three Sisters. On a steaming
A FORMER Olympic athelete has swopped running spikes and track suit for rompers and nappies - and she couldn't be happier! For bubbly Ann Griffiths (nee Williams) has presented husband John with bouncing bundle of joy William Matthew who weighed in at
THE costs of sweeping cutbacks, redundancies and closures which Pilkington Group chief executive Paolo Scaroni was brought in to push through a year ago, have been much higher than earlier forecast. These 'exceptional items' costing £225 million have
It's such a small world! MY particular world seems to be ever-shrinking - and especially since these nostalgic jottings have started being dished up regularly on the Internet. As further proof of its globe-spanning influence, this old cobwebby column
LEADING by example - that was the philosophy of new Burnley Council leader Stuart Caddy when he got on his bike as part of National Bike Week. A host of activities were planned for national cycle day starting with breakfast outside the central library
RAINHILL CC's home fixture to Buckley became a victim of the heavy rain with the game very much in the balance. Acting captain Nick Chapman won the toss and inserted the visitors on a greenish, firm track. Lively bowling from Chapman and Paul Ford was
RAINFORD Cricket Club's first and second teams' games both fell victim to the weather on Saturday. But it wasn't before they had the chance to put themselves in powerful positions. The first XI visited Aughton where the home side won the toss and decided
A SAINTS legend is set to re-launch one of the most famous names in the amateur game. Ex-full back Frankie Barrow (seen right) was enjoying a quiet pint with fellow oval-ball buffs in Thatto Heath Labour Club when the memory-jerking idea was mooted to
UNDER-fire Saints' directors have defended their decision to reject a massive take-over bid by a London finance house. Their move comes in the wake of a report in a Rugby League publication this week that offers by two multi-billion dollar companies had
HAYDOCKS luck seems to be taking a turn for the better as all three teams enjoyed good results over the weekend. On Saturday the first team travelled to Hesketh Bank in the Southport and District League, and came away with a good result. Having been put
MORE than 50,000 used books will be on offer at bargain prices this weekend ... and every buyer will be helping wage Lancashire's war against the drugs menace. Charity workers have spent months gathering old books, records, cassettes and CDs from donors
WITH the first XI having a weekend off it was time for St Helens Recs second XI to take the limelight. On Sunday the second team visited Wigan CC for the quarter final of the Chester Cup. Asked to bat first, Recs produced a dismal batting performance
THORNTON residents and shopkeepers have won their campaign to prevent a supermarket chain from opening a new store on Fleetwood Road. Healds wanted to build one of their late-opening shops underneath a housing development on the site of the old police
BLACKPOOL South MP Gordon Marsden has announced his homosexuality on the eve of the Government's debate on the age of consent issue. The announcement will be no surprise to many, said the 44-year-old, but putting it on record is timely as a House of Commons
WITH reference to the 'road rage attack' article printed on page 8 of last week's Citizen, my comments are as follows. As a biker myself I can tell you that there is nothing more annoying and extremely dangerous than a self-righteous pensioner swerving
SAINTS are on the mend, but not yet out of danger! That was the verdict from Shaun McRae after Saints' emphatic win at Castleford on Sunday. WHITTLE: Supporters - and they were there in force at Wheldon Road _ were in happy mood travelling back along
MEMBERS of St Helens Youth Brass Band are celebrating a national Lottery 'win' after being awarded a grant for £32,102 by the Arts Council's charities board. Recent winners of the advanced section of the National Youth Brass Band Championships, the band
SATURDAY night will be one of the biggest nights of the year at Lancaster Psychic and Spiritual Centre - and it could also dramatically improve one little boy's life. Six-year-old, Tom Green, could walk again if the spiritualist group can raise enough
IT'S a case of 'Cheers' for regulars at a Warton pub which has been renamed after the first American president - George Washington. Formerly the Black Bull, The George Washington pub has recently been refurbished by local brewers, Mitchell's. The name
WHY is Lancaster's MP Hilton Dawson not campaigning harder against plans to burn BSE at Nightingale Hall Farm. Why is he not: a. putting the residents' views to John Prescott who has the final say in the current planning enquiry into the smell and what
A YOUTH was pushed into Lancaster canal by thugs and when he tried to pull himself out he was punched back into the water in the early hours of Sunday morning. The 17-year-old eventually made his way to the RLI where he was diagnosed with as having a
POLICE are searching for a man who committed the "particularly despicable" crime of conning an 89-year-old woman out of her cash in Morecambe. A man in his late teens knocked on the woman's door on Cordson Road, Morecambe dressed in official garb, and
MR Queen's latest letter (Citizen June 4 ) undermines its owns arguments. It declares that we live in a "thriving economy" and yet in the same issue of the Citizen we discover the abysmal rates of pay that predominate in Lancaster. If the economy is thriving
A MOTHER and her baby were left without adequate heating or hot water for four days in their council house in Lancaster this week. Paula Hough, 20, of Sycamore Grove on the Marsh estate, became alarmed when her daughter, Georgia fell ill. Then she noticed
WORKERS at Lancaster factory were left reeling this week after bosses laid off 70 staff. Standfast on Caton Road, a printers and dryers of furnishing fabrics, said that "extremely tough trading conditions" were to blame for the job cuts. The latest blow
BURNLEY'S training ground will not be a closed shop under the new Clarets regime of Stan Ternent and Sam Ellis. On the day the duo were appointed, Ternent told fans that the Gawthorpe training complex would not be open house for spectators to watch coaching
A JURY has failed to reach a verdict in the case of a boy accused of raping a teenager in Morecambe. The 16-year-old, from Morecambe, was alleged to have forced the girl to have sex on a mattress in the back of transit van after she and a friend accepted
LANCASTER university will surely be inundated with applications to join this year after an independent poll of 12,000 students voted it top for totty. Men and women in the university are top of the good looking league out of more than 100 universities
TWO homes for the elderly are due to close in Lytham after serving the community for a combined total of more than 40 years. Lancashire County Council is to close Clifton House after a working group assessed its size, location, facilities, occupancy and
A BIKER was in a very serious condition with head injuries after an accident on St George's Quay, Lancaster yesterday afternoon. The 30-year-old man was rushed to the RLI before being transferred to a specialist unit at Preston Royal. He was apparently
MIDDLETON residents have branded the cost of converting the former Pontin's Holiday camp into a prison as "criminal." This week Morecambe's MP, Geraldine Smith (pictured), learned proposals to turn Middleton Sands into a category C prison could cost more
YOU hardly need to call in Sherlock Holmes to discover that Tony Weymouth and I were colleagues over many years at the University of Central Lancashire. Perhaps we should all congratulate Alecto on being told that Tony is a 'friend, political ally and
THEY have a grace that the musclebound big blokes of the rugby world could never attain. And it is that grace which helped make the women of the Vale of Lune ladies rugby team champions for the second season running this year. It also adds to their beauty
AN alcoholic who killed another woman with an axe in a drink and drug fuelled attack has been jailed for six years. Beverley Burrow (pictured) inflicted 38 wounds to the head and neck of Senga Kelly with the axe during the frenzied attack. Minutes later
BLACKPOOL, the only town in Britain to have kept its trams since Victorian times, prepares to celebrate a tramway centenary this summer. From June 28 to July 19 a host of events will commemorate the first ever tram journey from Blackpool to Fleetwood
OF what are Christian clergymen so afraid? That somehow the Mormons are going to bewitch them? Who is more Christian, someone who joins a religion because of a testimony they have about the doctrines of that religion or someone who criticises others for
THERE was praise indeed for Morecambe FC at the recent Football Conference AGM in Bristol. Chairman Mr Bill King said about Morecambe in his report that: "The year has also been of note for Morecambe who lifted the Spalding Cup, opened a welcome partnership
LES Dawson's beloved red 1968 E-type Jaguar is to take pride of place in the Blackpool car run that had a special place in his heart for 25 years. Comic Les never got the chance to show off his classic Jaguar in the Promenade event which, until recent
A FAMILY were saved by Morecambe firefighters after their boat was cast adrift and heading for the rocks in Morecambe Bay this week. The family of two adults two children, aged eight and twelve, were trying to berth their 18ft cabin cruiser at the jetty
ONE thing that probably annoys most people more than anything else is having other people's views forced upon them. The thing that has brought this comment on is the chaos created last week in Dalton Square in Lancaster. What I want to know is: What right
A LEIGH couple were lucky to escape with cuts and bruises from a holiday bus crash shortly after arriving in Turkey. Harold and Muriel Baskeyfield, from Kenhall Road, were the only remaining passengers on a mini-bus which crashed into a coach as it was
Division A: *Fylde 69, ZB Patel 5-20 - Springfields 70-2; *Garstang 160-3, C Wellings 58 (nt) - Norcross 162-5, J Booth 73 (nt); Harris Park 125, P Collinson 71 - *Thornton Cleveleys 181-8, D Horn 100; Penwortham 181-5, M Hughes - *Vernon Carus 179-7;
LANCASHIRE Constabulary has put local youngsters on its 'most wanted' list in a bid to find the area's top young citizens. The search is now on for boys and girls aged 11-17 to be recognised for their achievements in crime prevention or community safety
A COMMUNITY has turned detective after a family of swans vanished without a trace. Farington residents began vigilantly watched the close-knit clan, nested beside a pond in Stanisfield Lane, when their cygnets were hatching last month. But now, after
IT'S back! After a year's absence the Griffin Grind five-mile fun run is under starter's orders again. Now in its 14th year, this year's event takes place on Friday, July 3 (7.30). And it follows the usual course, starting and finishing close to the Griffin
RAIN fell in torrents at Lune Road on Saturday (June 6) both before Blackpool's game with Lancaster started and soon after the Lancaster reply had begun. In between, Blackpool wickets fell with monotonous regularity and their reduced innings ended at
MORE than 50 new jobs have been created and 70 more safeguarded through a training programme for the aerospace industry. A total of £240,000 has been used over the past year to help members of the Consortium of Lancashire Aerospace improve the skills
SIR, There are several doctrines which are unChristian with the Mormon religion: They believe there are millions of gods. God the Father was a man from an unknown planet named Kolob, became a God, and has a body now. God is the Father of the spirit children
THE weather was the only winner in St Helens CC's weekend games against Bolton. In the first team game at home Bolton declared at tea with a score of 163-6. Paul Tatton was the top scorer with 74 not out and former St Helens skipper Geoff Cropper defied
VILLAGERS fear ancient Britons may have been uprooted along with prison screening trees. Bickershaw people fear tree felling has upset badgers as well as putting Hindley Prison in full view. Bickershaw Residents' Action Group member and Liberal Democrat
Division One: *Darwen 151-7, D Young 57 - Kendal 53-1, rsp; Fleetwood 176, M Clinning 74, M Wilkinson 42, E Baptiste 5-55, G Evans 4-49 - *St Annes 226-3, C Harrison 80 (nt), R Bradley 59 (nt), A Darlington 42; *Blackpool 125-9, P Dennison 4-9, rsp; Leyland
TALENTED eight-years-old Ruth Harrop is on the road to TV stardom. She has won a leading part in an ITV thriller after taking just a few drama classes at the Dimples Model and Casting Agency. Ruth (pictured), of Plank Lane, Leigh, started attending Sunday
MEET God's gift to women - or is he? Preston pub-goer Des Woodcock is set to star on national television in a programme which uncovers the people who love to break the seven deadly sins. And, as customers at Preston's The Varsity pub discovered, Des'
FANS go to watch a competitive team. If you get it right on the pitch, everything else a club needs to survive will follow. That means a larger support, which means increased turnstile revenue, greater marketing opportunities and merchandising plus a
A TALENTED teenager's dream of acting fame could be scuppered by a funding fiasco. Katherine Baines, 16, from Ingol, has been offered a rare place at the Arts Education School in Tring. But although Katherine - the star of scores of local plays - has
JUNIOR footballers with police team Lancon FC will be watching the World Cup with added interest this year. That's because their honorary president Colin Hendry will lead the Scottish team into the world's greatest footballing spectacle - as captain of
GLAZEBURY shared the points with Eccleston as the rains came. Good scores from Simon Green 40, John Acton 35 and Andy Durrington 34 helped Glazebury to 166 after losing early wickets cheaply. Eccleston managed 107-7, Gareth Banks picking up 3-18. The
THERE'LL be no more bricks in the wall for St Catherine's Hospice fund-raisers - the Brick By Brick appeal has hit its target. And jubilant staff at the Lostock Hall hospice expressed their thanks to our readers - who have helped raise cash since the
LANCASHIRE road safety officers are claiming another success following their latest traffic crackdown. Almost 80 vehicles were stopped and examined by officers as part of Operation Mermaid. They joined forces with the Benefits Agency, the Department of
A DARE-devil adventurer who took part in a sponsored abseil down the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, has raised £150 for the Marie Curie Foundation. Giles Denn, 20 of Reservoir Street, Darwen, (pictured) works at Outdoor Action in King Street, Blackburn,
TOWN hall chiefs are keeping their fingers crossed as they bid for a share of a £13 million European handout. The money has been allocated to the North West aimed at helping people in the region to adapt to the challenges of new technology and to re-train
HIDDEN away inside the Sir Tom Finney stand at Deepdale is one of the best equipped banqueting kitchens football can offer. The man behind it all is Chef Director of Heathcotes Outside Ltd, Gary Bates, who in the past year has helped transform Deepdale
PRESTON'S famous Fulwood Barracks is ready to throw open its gates to the public for a spectacular military open day. The event, which kicks off at 11.30am on Saturday, June 27, has been arranged to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Fulwood Barracks
DARWEN Lions will be holding a Vintage Vehicle Road Run as part of their grand annual gala this Sunday. A convoy of about 60 vehicles, including cars, tractors, lorries and motorbikes, will set off from Darwen Football Ground at 11am and drive up the
THE Bishop of Blackburn has criticised the Mormons, stating they are not a part of the Christian church. The Rt Rev Alan Chesters was speaking just weeks after the Mormons opened a multi-million pound temple and training centre just outside Chorley. He
THIS shocking picture reveals how close 21-year-old Zoe McGovern came to losing her life. It shows how an airgun pellet - fired from just 150 yards - missed a vital artery in Zoe's neck. But the most frightening thing is that the sniper is still at large
A MOTHER of five who has worked hard to look after her children through various illnesses has been nominated for our Citizen of the Year title. Margaret Taylor, 61, of Fawcett Close in Blackburn, has been put forward by her daughter Debbie Farrell, for
THIS was a truly professional performance by the Lancashire side whose determined hard work resulted in a well earned victory. However, playing against the wind the Lynx started poorly and were soon trailing when Barrow's star player Dean Marwood kicked
A GROUP of angry residents are demanding action to reduce non-stop traffic noise from the M65 which runs behind their homes. The busy road is just 150 yards from the back gardens of the protesters' homes in Blackburn Road, Darwen, who claim they are suffering
AN environmental group busy w orking on projects throughout the Blackburn, Darwen and Hyndburn districts has hit back at a new report highlighting the area as the region's 'dirty water' blackspot. The Environment Agency report highlights Lancashire as
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a mosque in a residential street are set to be refused by Ribble Valley Council's planning committee next week. Applicant Arshad Mohammed wants to build the mosque next to an Islamic Education Centre in Holden Street, Clitheroe
A BATTLE is looming over plans by Lancashire County Council to build a new primary school in a Bacup park. The county council has earmarked two sites - Rose Mill and Moorlands Park - as possible locations for a new school for St Saviour's but has come
A SHOP worker who disarmed a knife-wielding thief today said: "I am not a hero". Stuart Hoyle, 31, a warehouse manager at Whitehead's store, Haslingden, said he reacted instinctively when the man produced the knife. He grabbed the thief's arm and disarmed
JUBILANT health chiefs and organisers of the East Lancashire SuperScan Appeal today told thousands of fund-raisers "Thanks a million!" as they smashed their target after just two-and-a-half years. The heartfelt appreciation came from chairman of Blackburn
LANCASHIRE are set to play in front of an Edgbaston full house for their floodlit AXA League match against Warwickshire at the end of the month. The Bears, who attracted a big crowd for their first-ever floodlit game against Somerset last summer, have
LEIGH got it only half right in their basement battle at Widnes. A second-half transformation followed a first-half mauling, giving new coach Norman Turley some reason for optimism. Leigh showed something like their true character after the interval.
THE people of East Lancashire should be feeling very proud of themselves today after the announcement that the East Lancashire SuperScan Appeal has reached its £1 million target. It was apt that a £50,000 legacy from a 97-year-old Blackburn man should
REGARDING Mr Blakes comments (LET June 3), he assumes people concerned for animal welfare are activists. Human life will always supersede that of animals. No one will dispute the fact. Mr Blake views his fellow man as inconsiderate to his own because
KO king Kane Kersnovske smashed Leigh to victory in the Lancashire Knockout. His knock of 59, including 10 fours, put the side in winning position at 105-1 as they chased Kearsley's 167-9. Rain led to reduced overs and a new target of 143. But a middle-order
Sporty yedscratter solved - after 19 years! IT might take a little time, but customers of this ancient page can usually be relied upon to produce the goods. For instance, Mike McLoughlin of Eccleston has come up with the answer to one of my sporty yedscratters
ST HELENS is one of only nine areas in the country chosen to pilot a new initiative aimed at stamping out youth crime. It will see the establishment of youth offender teams bringing together social workers, police and probation officers as well as education
LEIGH fans who boycotted Sunday's match missed nothing . . . and probably achieved nothing. The tiny group of frustrated supporters who stood outside in protest might have made their point. But the only ones to really suffer are the players who are going
Rallying call to Jowett owners I WAS once the proud owner of an old van made by the unique Jowett car company from Yorkshire. It was the second vehicle I had ever driven (first was a 1934 baby-sized Austin 7 Ruby). Eventually, I sold that totally-dependable
Gradely folk from historic town A COUPLE, newly-moved into the Earlestown district, have quickly discovered something that I have always known - that the folks from that neck of the woods are a right gradely lot! Yvonne Charlton and her partner, Rob Mattocks
"I'M counting the days until I can come home." Those were the heartfelt words of Luke Bryan after being told he may finally be able to leave the Spinal Unit of Southport Hospital next month. The courageous 18-year-old, from Haydock, has been a patient
FIREFIGHTERS were called to a bed and breakfast hostel in Blackburn town centre last night when a blaze broke out in a ground-floor bedroom. The Devonshire Hotel in Bridge Street was evacuated while the fire brigade tackled the blaze at 6pm, but nobody
A QUICK thinking neighbour grabbed an extinguisher and put out a chip pan fire at a house in Berry Street, Burnley. The fire started at about 11.30pm yesterday when Sharon Lord put the chip pan on and then answered a phone call. But the neighbour ran
Food News, with Christine Rutter WHO said women don't like football? One out of every four ladies will be spending more time tuning into the World Cup football feast than slaving in the kitchen, according to new research. And sales of convenience foods
LOCAL organisations in Burnley will learn how to get their message across at a one-day media workshop. The June 22 council-organised event gives groups the chance to meet the local media, tackle writing press releases and learn how to effectively communicate
RUNNER Sandra Snape raised £2,530 for a children's charity thanks to her efforts in the London Marathon. Sandra, of Preston New Road, Mellor, raised the cash for the Starlight Foundation which makes the wishes for terminally and seriously ill children
SUTTON'S batsmen found some of their form on Saturday. But their hopes of victory were ended by the weather. Entertaining Runcorn, they recorded 162-7. Dave Hodgson battled for 20 overs against the Aussie professional, Harrison, with solid support from
A TEAM of fund-raisers are preparing to become saddle-sore cyclists as they tackle the 127-mile length of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal this weekend in aid of an East Lancs hospice. Five staff from Padiham firm Samuel Cooke Fuels were putting the final touches
SWAPPING a dog collar for a workout kit has proved a healthy formula for a Blackpool vicar and his new heart. Reverend John Dennett, who underwent a lifesaving heart transplant, is enjoying life to the full with the help of a fitness programme developed
BURGLARY victims are being urged to help themselves in an innovative scheme to be launched on Monday (June 15). A crime file is being sent to 3,000 break-in targets in a bid to persuade them to protect their property against future attack. The pack is
ST ANNES enjoyed a comfortable 50 runs victory over Fleetwood at Broadwater. Put in to bat, Adrian Darlington and Eldine Baptiste put on 36 runs for the first wicket before the latter was bowled by Fleetwood's opening pace bowler Tony Poxon for 20. Darlington
AN elderly woman had her savings stolen by a cruel conman claiming to be a voluntary worker. The thief called at the victim's home in Florence Street, Nutgrove, in the early evening of Thursday, June 4, saying he had been sent to carry out jobs in her
POLICE are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed a purse snatch from a woman's bag in the town centre. The 21-year-old shopper was walking with her boyfriend towards Lloyds Bank at about 4.30pm on Wednesday, June 3, when she was approached by a man
BOOSTED by Sunday's convincing win at Castleford, fifth-placed Saints could move up the table if they overcome London Broncos at Knowsley Road on Sunday, kick-off 6.35pm. For that to happen Wigan would also need to win at fourth-placed Bradford. But a
A TEENAGER making his way home after a night out required extensive dental treatment after being attacked by a man in the early hours of Saturday, June 6. The 17-year-old victim and a friend had just crossed over the roundabout at King Street/Kirkland
SCHOOL term timetables could soon be standardised. Education chiefs believe the current holiday pattern which differs in various parts of the borough may directly affect the quality of education and causes assessment problems and feedback to parents.
Castleford Tigers 12 Saints 34 WRITE us off at your peril! That was the strident warning from reborn Saints as they gave their waning Grand Final play-off hopes a timely boost with this six-try performance at Wheldon Road. While not totally convincing
LAST year St Helens Council received more than 700 complaints abut noisy neighbours, with barking dogs the most common cause of the problem. All complaints are dealt with by the council's Environmental Health Section using a defined procedure. Domestic
PROPERTY developer Dransfield has revealed that it will be showing off two new proposals for a Safeway superstore in the Fylde just weeks after being told Ashton Gardens is not for sale. And the Citizen can exclusively reveal that one of them will be
Seeking tales of Battling Ernie WHENEVER old-time pugilists gather to re-tell tales of fistic glory, the name of Ernie Proudlove often crops up. This despite the fact that it's now 70 years since this tough Sutton battler was in his prime. Accounts of
PASSERS-BY helped save a boy who was impaled on spike on a fence at Happy Mount Drive, Morecambe on Tuesday night. The 12-year-old boy had been trying to retrieve his football when his upper thigh became impaled on the spike. The passers-by helped the
YET another planning application has been received by the council to build houses on the historic Raynor's field at Heysham. And, again, the action group HELP are campaigning to stop the development of eight detached houses on the coastal strip once painted
A FULL industrial tribunal will hear the case of sacked Morecambe tourism chief, David Christley (pictured), on July 2. The tribunal in Manchester will hear Mr Christley claim that he was unfairly dismissed by Lancaster city council. Mr Christley, along
FAR be it for me to give Cllr Mrs Heath a history lesson but, at a meeting of the planning committee on February 16, 1998 (four months ago), the committee dealt with an application from Osprey Leisure. The planning application was for a change of use
I AM writing following your item on the latest meningitis outbreak on the university campus (Student poorly after disease strikes campus, May 28) This is the second time in just a few months that you have carried such a story. Both times the Bay Health
Bramwell Speaks Out CRAIG Brown paid the penalty for trying to fit square pegs into round holes. Or, more precisely, for trying to make peg-legged players into wing backs. And Glenn Hoddle should learn from that lesson. There is no point blindly sticking
ROVERS have won the race to sign Darren Peacock with a successful swoop to land the Newcastle United defender. Out-of-contract Peacock has signed a three-year deal following a free transfer under the Bosman ruling. But winger Stuart Ripley could be heading
I START with a call for a referendum. The question being: Do we, the residents of the district of Lancaster City, want the inner relief and town centre by pass road to be built? Here are the reasons I make this call: can the city council administration
MORECAMBE'S tourism industry leaders say they are angered by council calls for them to 'put up or shut up'. Economic Development and Tourism chairman, Cllr Jean Yates, last week issued an eight-point letter challenging the resort's private sector to put
RALPH Duxberry met up with an old friend at Thornton Operatics' version of The Pirates of Penzance - more than 50 years after they took part in the group's original version of the show. It was way back in Second World War that Ralph, now 82, played the
TWO giant underground storage tanks with a capacity equivalent to 20 Olympic swimming pools are to be constructed under a Blackpool car park. The project is part of a massive clean up operation of the resort's coastal waters - a final attempt to conform
