REGARDING Mr G. Wheatman's remarks (Letters, May 22) on our lack of foreign-language speakers compared to the Dutch, I can speak German and will be going on a refresher course this September, but with this knowledge I can only use it in Germany, which
FOR many months I have been trying to trace an old friend, Frank Turner, whom I met during World War Two. He and I met at Padgate RAF base in April, 1942, before going to Blackpool about a week later for training, being billeted in Waterloo Road and later
THE story that, to save money, sailors training at the Royal Navy's gunnery school have to shout "Bang!" instead of using live shells must make our military heroes of the past turn in their graves. It is false security. The safety of our country may rely
ACTIONAID'S national fund-raising week began today and, like many volunteers across the country, I will be visiting friends and neighbours to sell raffle tickets and ask for donations. ActionAid's work includes its 'better brighter education' campaign
WHEN I read your front-page lead, "Appeal to beat Straw" (LET, May 23), first of all, I had to check that this wasn't a late April Fool-type spoof. The Tories locally have no one willing or able to stand for them in the next General Election that they're
ON WEDNESDAY, the Home Office will receive a report from an allegedly 'independent' committee of inquiry set up by the Home Secretary to investigate hunting with hounds. We invite readers to protest against this blatant whitewash. Most animal welfare
A MOTORIST died early today when the car he was driving went out of control and collided with a wall. John Driver, 24, crashed on the A56 Colne Road at Kelbrook near to the roundabout with the Barnoldswick road at around 2.45am. PC Owen Johnson said police
LIFE in a Lancashire mill before the war was re-enacted for visitors at Queen Street Mill, Harle Syke. Social history from the 1930s was brought alive by four actors who wove a tale of toil and romance. It was a story with which some of the older visitors
A DRUNKEN man who swung a stick at a police officer and then headbutted him has been sent to jail for 18 weeks Burnley magistrates heard how Christopher Durkin, 31, who went on to get into more trouble while on bail, had taken to drink and did not remember
AN amateur inventor from Pendle says he has created a sandblasting unit that has sparked interest as far away as Canada. Ray Britner spent years developing the prototype in the garden workshop at his home in Beresford Street, Nelson. Now the unit, named
A MOTORIST died early today when the car he was driving went out of control and collided with a wall. John Driver, 24, crashed on the A56 Colne Road at Kelbrook near to the roundabout with the Barnoldswick road at around 2.45am. PC Owen Johnson said police
AN ANGRY newsagent claimed he was losing his livelihood because of tight-fisted county hall chiefs. Ebrahim Bhalyst was told to leave his shop in Preston New Road, Blackburn, before the demolition crews moved in to clear a path for the town's inner relief
POLICE have launched a fresh appeal as they step up their hunt to find the perpetrator of a slasher attack on a young woman. Two women on a night out in Accrington were attacked. A 19-year-old received lacerations to the face and chest after allegedly
A 63-YEAR-old Clitheroe woman bombarded her former friend with nuisance phone calls over an 18-month period. Blackburn magistrates heard that in one five-day period more than 120 calls were made and on another occasion the line was blocked by calls for
GRAHAM Branch is so convinced Burnley can prosper in the First Division that he has willingly accepted a contract geared towards success next season. The Clarets wideman has agreed an initial 12-month extension to his existing deal which expires this
BLACKBURN Rovers have emerged as the clear favourites in the race to sign Liverpool left-back Stig Inge Bjornebye. Ewood chief Graeme Souness has been battling with Brondby for the signature of the Norwegian international defender. But the Danish side
A PROJECT offering free training in computing and care skills has been launched in Nelson. The Faislabad Awareness Information Support and Learning Agency (FAISLA) is working in partnership with Nelson and Colne and Burnley colleges to encourage more
A TRAINING centre which has helped launch hundreds of engineering careers is set to close. The Lancashire Enterprises Training Centre -- which used to be the Lucas apprentice training centre -- is shutting down when the lease on the Billington Road site
DARWEN was alive with the sound of music, as the town played host to a three-day musical spectacular with a massive variety of bands, soloists, dancers and musicians playing live. There was music to suit everyone's taste from folk, rock and pop, to traditional
A DRINK driver who got behind the wheel and was caught again a month after being banned, has paid the price with 14 days in prison. A court heard how Paul Adrian Holt, 27, was nearly twice the legal limit -- and a stipendiary magistrate told him about
KEITH Crossley got the shock of his life when his Shitzu dog Harry came wandering into the house with a £20 note in his mouth. And when Keith went outside to investigate he found Harry in the garden surrounded by £80,000 of cash and cheques. It was only
A TODDLER was grabbed from a playground in Blackburn last night and assaulted before being dumped in the street. The 18-month-old-girl, who is not being named by police, was snatched from a playground in Croasdale Square near Audley shortly after 6.30pm
POLICE and the family of man who died after a motorbike accident today hit out at thieves after his house was broken into just hours after his death. Paul Hollyhead, 35, died in Blackburn Royal Infirmary last Tuesday after losing control of his 900cc
LANCASHIRE chairman Jack Simmons today insisted that Wasim Akram will still be welcome at Old Trafford. Wasim's future as a Channel 4 commentator is still up in the air after he was fined and banned from captaining Pakistan in the Qayyum Report into match-fixing
"DAD are you out already?" is not what you want to hear when your making your way back to the pavilion having given the scorers an easy day. But, as they say, out of the mouths of babes... To his credit, and through gritted teeth, the dad in question
Blackburn Home Organists' Club, St Stephens Conservative Club, Robinson Street, Little Harwood, 8pm. Keyboard Night. Springtime Fun -- children's activities, Rossall car park, Fleetwood, 11am-12.30pm. Folk Club with O'Mally, Coal Clough Pub, Coal Clough
JUST as Tory leader William Hague pulls another surprise initiative out of his populist hat -- this time a £60million package of pledges to restore war widows' pensions to those who remarry, end mixed-sex hospital wards and extend breast cancer screening
WITH 47 per cent of his party ranged against him in its vote on returning to devolution and trusting the IRA's pledge to put its weapons "beyond use" rather than surrender them, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble and the Northern Ireland Assembly --
COPING with the pressures of being a parent can place a tremendous strain on families, especially if they feel isolated, stressed or their children are playing up. But a new Government-funded pilot scheme aims to let off some of that pressure and help
I AM privileged to have been working with the volunteers in our 26 Oxfam shops in the Lancashire area for the last 19 years. I have met hundreds of men and women who really enjoy mixing with people, serving customers and who have a real commitment to
A WILD West actor suffered horrific injuries in a freak accident in front of hundreds of girl guides who thought he was just 'playing dead'. Police said John Francis Carr, 51, could lose his arm after the explosives accident at Waddow Hall, Clitheroe,
PEOPLE of all ages enjoyed an outdoor play beside the River Darwen -- and were spurred on to keep improving their neighbourhood. Around 30 children and adults watched environmentally aware theatre group Talia Theatrum perform at a redeveloped piece of
BLACKBURN Rovers have emerged as the clear favourites in the race to sign Liverpool left-back Stig Inge Bjornebye. Ewood chief Graeme Souness has been battling with Brondby for the signature of the Norwegian international defender. But the Danish side
BURNLEY MP Peter Pike took on the role of television personality Chris Tarrant to chair a game of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire at the Woodtop sheltered housing scheme. Teams of five made up of residents, staff and friends took part with two "winning"
SIR Simon and Lady Mary Towneley opened their garden at Dyneley Hall, Cliviger, to visitors. The event was to raise money for the Lancashire branch of British Red Cross, of which keen gardener Lady Towneley is president. The sun shone for the 160 or so
A UFO landed to join ghosts, ghouls and witches at Todmorden Carnival. Organisers of the "Hallowe'en in May" event breathed sighs of relief as the skies cleared after rain and hail had threatened to ruin the day. The carnival parade featured all manner
THE civic rail excursion along the Ribble Valley Line yesterdayto celebrate 150 years of trains to Clitheroe may have been a shade premature -- the actually anniversary of the inaugural train being on June 20 -- but a close connection exists between then
A PRISONER who spat in the face of a custody officer after a blaze was started in his police station cell, was told by a magistrate he had the manners of an animal. William Alderson, 19, whose victim Group Four employee Helen Nelson felt sick after the
A TERRIFIED teenager escaped with just minor injuries after being hurled from a fairground ride at a weekend carnival. The incident occurred as 13-year-old Donna Proctor, of Oak Street, Todmorden, was enjoying a day out with friends at the Todmorden carnival
PUB regulars handed over a cheque to a children's charity in memory of a popular father-of-four who died suddenly. Raymond Guilfoyle, 40, of Clement Street, Accrington, died in the tap room of the Britannia Arms in Nuttall Street. Raymond had joined regulars
WHEN Anthony Pattison took delivery of a £700 television he did not realise that one of the delivery men was a police officer. And both Pattison and the man who called at his Great Harwood home an hour later to collect the set were arrested by police
THE jury in the trial of a 25-year-old man accused of murdering his brother-in-law has been told of his "devious actions" after the man's death. Clement Goldstone QC, prosecuting, said Mohammed Meherban, of Higher Antley Street, Accrington, had acted
A WILD West actor suffered horrific injuries in a freak accident in front of hundreds of girl guides who thought he was just 'playing dead'. Police said John Francis Carr, 51, could lose his arm after the explosives accident at Waddow Hall, Clitheroe,
GRAHAM Branch is so convinced Burnley can prosper in the First Division that he has willingly accepted a contract geared towards success next season. The Clarets wideman has agreed an initial 12-month extension to his existing deal which expires this
MORE than half of local businesses believe the local economy is stagnant or getting worse, according to a survey out today. Although most firms questioned in the South believed the economy was improving, in the North West firms were far more gloomy. The
TWO men were due to appear in court today charged in connection with an alleged attack and robbery on a woman outside a bank at Eanam, Blackburn on Friday afternoon. Terence Alderson, 38, of Bacup Road, Cliviger, and Nigel Peter Tomlinson, 30, of Fielden
A MAN turned to cannabis to help him with the stress of a bitter family break up, a court heard. But his solicitor, Basharat Ditta, conceded that Suhail Vohra would have to accept that using the drug is illegal and find an alternative method of stress
A FINAL round of 78 from Blackburn's Tony Jackson destroyed his chances of regaining the Lancashire Amateur Championship title at West Lancs yesterday. Defending champion Jackson had put himself back in the frame with a best score of 68 in the third round
DARWEN's worst enemy, the weather, came back to haunt them on Saturday as an isolated storm over Birch Hall which affected no other games in the area, wrecked their victory canter against St Annes. There was better news on Sunday as Darwen reached the
CHERRY Tree completed a miserable week for Blackburn Northern professional Ata-ur-Rehman with a controversial last over victory which secured top spot in the Jennings Ribblesdale League. Ata's Northern team-mates believed they had prevented a Cherry Tree
TRANSCO Lancashire League leaders Colne got their title push back on course and avenged their Worsley Cup defeat the same time as they beat Haslingden in an exciting run-chase at the Horsfield. In a match reduced to 42 overs a side, Haslingden reached
