American Line Dancing, King George's Hall, Blackburn, 7.30pm. Cheethams for Children Concert, Blackburn Cathedral, 7.30pm. New Voluntary "Drop In," New Era, Paradise Street (CAB entrance), Accrington, 10.30am-2pm. "Bouncers," Charter Theatre, Preston,
Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy SALFORD Quays were thrust into the national spotlight when The Queen officially opened the Lowry Centre. Not many people realise that this site a few years ago was derelict and something of a health risk. The waters of the
THE best way to spend some of the £8,670,000 of our money which is being returned to the people of Blackburn and Darwen (LET, October 11) would be to employ some good business efficiency experts in order to reduce the extortionately high rates charged
PLEASE, let us have more Bleakburn Bugle editions. As an expatriate Bleakburnian on a recent visit, I was given a copy of this superbly-crafted satirical retrospective. It more than compensated for the traditional wet and windy welcome home. The Bugle
THE Old Clitheronians Association is holding its annual dinner on November 10 at the Stirk House Hotel in Gisburn. John Wilkinson and I are arranging a reunion inside the gathering for those who first attended Clitheroe Royal Grammar School 50 years ago
HOSPITAL waiting lists in the NHS are always an issue reported in the press. But what is equally worrying is the shortage of NHS dentists. There are now very few dentists who will take on new patients at all -- because they are all going private? -- another
BUS access to an Astley school is to be made safer for pupils. Students at St Mary's RC High School will benefit from plans to widen the school gates. The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority's Policy Committee's agreement to fund the alterations
TEARFUL parents today paid tribute to the baby they nicknamed Mighty Joe because of his gutsy battle for life after being born 14 weeks premature. And the Blackburn family of Joe Kenneth Adams-Grant spoke of how their little angel survived for 15 days
A TEENAGER has died after a firework exploded in his face -- prompting an urgent warning about highly explosive devices believed to be responsible for a series of incidents throughout East Lancashire. The death comes a day after Trading Standards officers
COMPOSTING and recycling "green" household leftovers could go a long way to helping Blackburn with Darwen Council tackle waste disposal and care for the environment. It is estimated that 25% of household waste is "green" and that all residents in the
CRAIG Hignett will definitely start his first game for Rovers since his £2.25 million summer signing at Wimbledon tonight. Despite just 45 minutes of first-team action since an Achilles tendon injury, Hignett will be pitched into the fray at Selhurst
Wimbledon v Blackburn Rovers - Andy Neild's match preview THE famous Crazy Gang spirit responsible for sustaining Wimbledon's top-flight status appeared to have died a slow and painful death at the back-end of last season. But new boss Terry Burton is
MY father's parents,John Gardner and Margaret Dillaway moved from St Helen's to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada in the early 1900s. Their parents were Reuben Gardner and wife Martha Knowles; and Samuel Dillaway and wife Mary Hinde. I know a little about
THE only times I have ever written to you before is to send one or two of my poems, but I'm afraid I am not feeling very poetic at the moment. No, I am just very angry. Last week in the jobs section of your paper, I noticed two vacancies for dinner ladies
FOR ex-Great Britain player and Saints favourite Roy Haggerty and his partner, Wendy Smith, the first birthday of their son, Leon Roy was a date they feared they might never see, let alone celebrate. Baby Leon was born with just half a heart and other
FIREFIGHTERS who rescued a boy who had fallen through the roof of a derelict mill are warning other youngsters to stay clear. The boy, believed to be aged about 11, had got on to the roof of the former Lodge Mill, Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, and had fallen
HOUSING minister Nick Raynsford saw for himself the pressing need to tackle East Lancashire's poor housing and told council bosses: "There is hope." The minister spoke of the "spiral of decline" he had witnessed in Burnley and Pendle's problem areas,
A TEENAGER has died after a firework exploded in his face -- prompting an urgent warning about highly explosive devices believed to be responsible for a series of incidents throughout East Lancashire. The death comes a day after Trading Standards officers
A CHURCH congregation is hoping to move to larger premises in a more prominent spot to help spread its Christian message. The Full Gospel Mission church has applied to Pendle Council for planning permission to convert a former snooker hall in Halifax
GRAND Final winners Saints could entertain Brisbane Broncos in a World Club championship showdown on Saturday, January 27. But nothing has yet been finalised. With Knowsley Road not having under-soil heating, Wigan's JJB stadium - where Saints played
Saints 29 Wigan Warriors 16 MAGNIFICENT match! Pulsating performance! Resounding result! Just a few of the joyous reasons why stupendous Saints and their fanatical fans were partying after Grand Final glory at Manchester's 'Theatre of Dreams' on Saturday
HOW did Bobbies Lane at Eccleston come by its name? By pure coincidence, several readers from various parts of town have fired this query at me. Was the lane perhaps named after a person whose Christian name was Bobbie; or did it once form part of a policeman's
Uniforms of another kind THERE wasn't a cloud in their sky when these immaculately turned-out lads of Sutton Boys Brigade posed for a celebration photograph during their annual summer camp at Skegness. But a tragic shadow was to be cast across their young
Anyone know 'em? DOES anyone recognise this sporting line-up? That's the plea from one-time Earlestown FC ace, Jim McKiernan, an avid collector of pictorial memorabilia, especially of the local soccer kind. Jim, once of Haydock but now living at Bradwell
THE Romany descendants of the pristine Sherdley Park caravan site have been avidly following my recent pieces about old-time gipsy life. This is the feedback I've had from Phil Hurst, their site manager for the past 14 years, who also assures me that
THE subject of old-time alehouses invariably commands centre stage wherever local history societies, discussion groups or quiz teams gather to indulge in nostalgic probings. It's the same story whenever gaggles of veteran froth-blowers huddle around their
HIGH school pupils have been asked if they know anything about an arson attack. And the acting head said children connected with the school could not be ruled out as culprits. Investigations were today continuing into the blaze at Moorhead High School's
THE wrecked car in the picture looks like it was torn apart by a bomb -- but an ordinary firework did this. Police and fire officers were appalled when they saw the result of the latest prank by youngsters and they have warned someone could soon be killed
POOL players across the Ribble Valley are asked to line up their top shots to raise money during Breast Cancer Awareness month. A "Lasses versus Lads" tournament arranged for the end of the month has been designed to give a good evening's entertainment
COLNE Clarets' transport for Burnley's game at QPR on Saturday leaves the Morris Dancers, Colne and the Cafe Claret, Turf Moor at 6.30am. Burnley Supporters Club kick off their weekend trip from Colne bus station at 6am, Nelson bus station at 6.10, Queensgate
WAS it with a brave smile or with gritted teeth that the Mayor of Ribble Valley, Chris Holtom, was pictured unveiling a plaque at the new occupational therapy unit for patients at the Kemple View secure psychiatric hospital at Langho? For when he did
THE aim of the new Quality Bus Route in Hyndburn, of providing a quicker and better service is being stymied, we are told, by the layout of a single road junction in Accrington town centre that causes buses to be queued for a long time while other traffic
IS it not typical of New Labour's disregard for our heritage that the party in charge of Blackburn with Darwen Council should boot the organisers of this year's Poppy Appeal out of the room they have had in the town hall for the past 10 years to one in
CRAIG Hignett will definitely start his first game for Rovers since his £2.25 million summer signing at Wimbledon tonight. Despite just 45 minutes of first-team action since an Achilles tendon injury, Hignett will be pitched into the fray at Selhurst
LEVEL-HEADED Burnley boss Stan Ternent has set his Clarets a 10-win target to achieve their number one goal this season -- safety. And only when that's achieved will Ternent contemplate anything else from a season that is threatening to outstrips expectations
BLACKBURN Rovers have teamed up with TV broadcaster Alistair Macdonald to teach firms how to deal with the media. Drumhawk Communications, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the soccer club, has put together a series of business and corporate courses which
AN ESTIMATED three-quarters of small and medium-sized firms in the North West could be footing huge bills because they are not protected from the escalating threat of cyber-vandalism. Risk managers Smithson Mason group say that while most companies hold
STAFF at the Parents' Information Centre in Newton-le-Willows Library are on hand to help members of the public tackle one of the most challenging, unpaid jobs, in the world -- being a parent. And during National Parenting Week (October 23 to October
TOWNSFOLK and their organisations are being invited to take part in this year's Royal British Legion Ceremony of Remembrance. The ceremony will take place at the war memorial in Victoria Square on Sunday, November 12 and will be attended by Mayor of St
REGULARS at the Sutton Oak pub can enjoy a byte and a pint thanks to the introduction of a computer learning resource centre in the pub lounge. Saint's rugby legend Alex Murphy launched the innovative project at the pub in Bold Road, Sutton, in front
CRIME and disorder in Parr, Hardshaw and Broad Oak wards has seen a substantial reduction in the last couple of months. The Community Action Team - which is tackling crime through a united effort, involving St Helens Police and the Council working together
JENNIFER Entwisle went to church -- and came face-to-face with a python. Members of the congregation at St James' Church in Darwen were treated to an appearance by Christian snakeman David Bolton. He brought along his reptiles for the church's annual
THE smallest miscalculation cost Russell Hollings his driving licence and £315 in fines and costs. Blackburn magistrates heard that Hollings was only marginally over the breath alcohol limit when stopped by police and was offered a second sample of either
AN inquest heard how a woman found her teenage son hanging at her home after a split with his girlfriend. The coroner said there was no alternative but to say that Richard Walker took his own life. The 18-year-old died while staying at his mother's home
STUDENTS in Blackburn are being urged to apply for part of a £1 million boost for their local communities. The money is to encourage young people to develop skills by working for their local community, and is run with the help of the Community Service
TEARFUL parents today paid tribute to the baby they nicknamed Mighty Joe because of his gutsy battle for life after being born 14 weeks premature. And the Blackburn family of Joe Kenneth Adams-Grant spoke of how their little angel survived for 15 days
YOUNG vandals have returned to a local green haven, sparking a call for the site to be destroyed. Fed-up Sean Plant, 38, who lives in St Mary's Wharf, Blackburn, said the 'Stone Circle' site opposite his home has become a meeting place for youths causing
AS THE wife of a former World Superbike champion, Michaela Fogarty admits that she rarely has to dip into in her Versace jeans pocket. But now Michaela, who met race ace Carl more than 13 years ago, is earning in her own right -- which means the 33-year-old
Clitheroe 4 Atherton LR 1 CLITHEROE booked a place in the second round of the North West Counties League Floodlit Trophy with a comprehensive win last night. And their reward is a short trip to local rivals Darwen. All the goals came in the first half
BIG-hearted soccer players are putting their best foot forward to help boost the funds of a caring haven for the sick. For St Helens Town have teamed up with Willowbrook Hospice to hold a Sportsman's Dinner at Saints on Friday, November 3, when the ball
WHISTON under 12s are in unbeatable form. They have won all eight matches in the St Helens McDonald's JOL. RESULTS Under 16s: Blackbrook 2 St Annes Rovers 0, Penlake 1 Blackleyhurst 4. Under 14s: Blackleyhurst 2 Pilkington 4, Knowsley South 3 Alder Athletic
ST HELENS Schools under 15s started their challenge for the Heinz sponsored National Knock-out Cup with a fine 2-0 victory at Chester. It puts them into the next round against Burnley this weekend. St.Helens' finest moment in this competition came 11
A FEW more games got off the ground last weekend in the St Helens Combination. But the Liverpool County FA Cup games suffered badly, with just a single game on each day being played. On Saturday, saw St Helens Star Premier Division side Gerard Arms claimed
St Helens Town 4 Great Harwood Town 0 TOWN go into Saturday's Carlsberg FA Vase tie on Humberside in upbeat mood after erasing the memory of their first league defeat in the best possible way - with an emphatic victory. Friday night's success over Great
Prescot Cables 6 Curzon Ashton 0 PRESCOT went top of the North West Counties First Division with this emphatic victory. Steve O'Neill headed against the bar and he and Kevin Garforth had chances cleared off the line before Gary Jensen headed Prescot into
TRAIN services on the Liverpool to Wigan North Western line were disrupted after a lorry struck the rail bridge in Laffak Road, Laffak, on Monday, October 16, at 4pm. Some services were diverted via Earlestown and a total of 30 trains were delayed. The
ST HELENS Central Library is hosting a Reminiscence Photographs exhibition which has been put together by the council's Library and Information Service and Age Concern. To celebrate the St Helens Local History Festival, two reminiscence sessions were
A BURY Radio DJ who was at the centre of a nationwide search after his girlfriend was strangled at her Bolton home, has been arrested and was today being interviewed by police. Mother-of-one Sarah Widdup's body was found at her home in Deepdale Road,
LANCASHIRE County Council's trading standards department (LET, October 16) is jumping to conclusions and wanting a kneejerk reaction to ban Airbomb fireworks. The true facts are that Airbombs have been out for many years and are not new at all. They only
WHEN Eric Leaver highlighted the ridiculous sign at Queen's Park Hospital in Blackburn (LET, September 27), he did so in the name of common sense. Everyone I have spoken to who saw Eric's article either laughed at the absurdity of a 'Health Promoting
I REFER to your front page story 'Poppy Day Appeal Despair' on Saturday October 14. The general impression given is that we are an uncaring and high-handed council not interested in the concerns of the British Legion. Nothing could be further from the
WITH Guy Fawkes night just a couple of weeks away, Lord MacLaurin has duly lit the blue touch paper and walked away. The chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board certainly stirred it up ahead of England's first tour of Pakistan since the Mike Gatting
Northwich Vics 3 Leigh RMI 3 A SPARSELY populated Drill Field played host to a night of sheer frustration for both sides as Northwich Victoria and Leigh RMI failed to resolve their Nationwide Trophy game at the second attempt on Tuesday. Last weeks' effort
FORMER Blackburn Rovers apprentice Gareth Ainsworth will again miss out on the chance of facing his former club at Selhurst Park tonight. Rovers fan Ainsworth is desperate to face his home-town club for the first time since he was released from his contract
EVERYWHERE we look we are encouraged to recycle -- glass, paper, metal, plastic etc. I am glad to do my bit. But the nearest plastic bottle bank used to be in Warrington, even that has now disappeared! I have contacted the council and the Environment
ALL my working life I have been handicapped because of a poor education. At work I was always overlooked when it came to promotion. Then in the early 70s I enrolled for what was then called Adult Literacy Evening Classes, I enjoyed it but shift work soon
WE have read Councillor Keith Deakin's reply to our previous letter regarding the delay in a council decision on our proposals that St Helens should appoint several 'Freemen' of the borough for our Millennium. He did not even pretend to address himself
THE jury in an East Lancashire drugs trial has been hearing how police kept a watch on the movements of a Burnley man. A log was taken of various sightings of a blue van and the man -- Azizul Wahab -- during observations carried out in May 1998. Details
AMATEUR Rugby League clubs Vine and West Sutton have merged and will now play under the banner of St. Helens Vine West. The move comes as a result of approaches to West Sutton coach Willie Johnson by Vine official Frankie Barrow. West Sutton were members
SEAN Long, Tommy Martyn and Paul Wellens were already celebrating before the Grand Final victory. For Sean became the first Saints' player since George Nicholls in 1978 to be chosen Man of Steel, while Tommy picked up the Player of the Year accolade,
Parr Hare & Hounds 12 Salem Hornets 12 HOUNDS finally broke their duck for the season with this hard-fought draw against fellow strugglers Salem but they will regard this as a point lost rather than a point won. Once again let down by a number of
Thatto Heath Crusaders 21 Crosfields 8 THE scoreline was a little flattering, but Heath were worthy winners of this bruising National Conference top-of-the-table clash. Defences were on top for the first 30 minutesand the only scores came from stand-off
COLNE shoppers will be able to buy all their dairy products straight from the farmer this weekend when the first Pendle farmers' market is launched in the town. The market will take place on Saturday at Colne outdoor market -- next to Colne Market Hall
THE old Limerick pub, of fond memory to many of our older generation, is back in focus, thanks to Peter Haselden of Newton-le-Willows. Several readers have responded to the theme over recent weeks, supplying happy, though distant, recollections of the
AINTREE was open to the public as mourning fans of Red Rum flocked to pay tributes at his grave in the shadow of the winning post. The legendary three-times Grand National champion was buried on the winning line at Aintree.
A BOY of about 12 stole a mobile phone from another child. Police want information about the theft which happened on Saturday, October 7 in Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle. The thief approached his victim on a chrome BMX bike, distracted him and stole the
AN appeal by Chipping Local History Society for information about servicemen who died in two world wars has brought new information. It has emerged that James Irving was a private in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment during the First World War but the Society
PHILOSOPHICAL Sheffield Wednesday boss Paul Jewell admitted that a goalless draw was the best his shot-shy side could have hoped for at Turf Moor last night. But even that prospect was taken away from them by Steve Davis's 74th-minute header which sentenced
LEVEL-HEADED Burnley boss Stan Ternent has set his Clarets a 10-win target to achieve their number one goal this season -- safety. And only when that's achieved will Ternent contemplate anything else from a season that is threatening to outstrips expectations
Burnley 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0 - Pete Oliver's match verdict IT will take more than a howling gale to knock Burnley out of their stride at the moment as they overcame a buffeting by the elements to continue their love affair with the First Division.
ON top of now rationing householders to just two bin bags, Pendle Council is chary of declaring as a success the scheme that expects 3,000 householders -- old folks included -- to cart their smelly refuse through their houses to deposit it outside their
AN adult education project has "educated" its own staff and developed improvements among its workforce while progressing towards the Investors in People standard. Clitheroe-based Skill Share helps people develop skills to send them back into the workplace
TWO nurses from Whiston Hospital are hoping to tackle a gruelling challenge to raise money for a children's hospice -- with a little help from local people and companies. Pals, Tricia Turton (42) and 44-year-old Linda Reid aim to head out to the Far East
A WOMAN was indecently assaulted as she waited at a bus stop in St Helens town centre in broad daylight. The woman, aged in her early 40s, was alone, waiting by one of the stops at the bus station on Corporation Street between 12.30pm and 1pm on Wednesday
PATIENTS and staff at Whiston Hospital's Accident and Emergency Department were evacuated for more than two hours last week following a bomb scare. Police were alerted at 5pm on Wednesday, October 11 after a small bag was left unattended in the department's
NATIONAL pub chain Wetherspoon has been given the green light for a new pub, which will open its doors in St Helens next April. The company will be spending more than £1 million developing the new pub in Market Street, which will create 30 new full and
A HUGE array of stalls, activities and fun things to do greeted visitors to the latest new millennium celebration in Blackburn. The Groundwork Trust had planned to hold its year 2000 festival earlier but had to postpone it due to the petrol crisis. The
POLICE are anxious to trace two boxes of highly-explosive display fireworks stolen from a van in the early hours of Wednesday, October 11. The Mercedes van was parked in the Forte Travel Lodge car park in Piele Road, Haydock, and it is believed the thieves
KNOWSLEY Road was a venue fit for heroes on Sunday when Super League champs Saints came marching home - complete with the Grand Final Trophy! The atmosphere was one of carnival on a sunny afternoon as the Saints' 'family' bedecked in red-and-white, and
A TWELVE-HOUR spectacular of workshops were organised inside Blackburn Cathedral by the Mothers' Union. Arts events included stained-glass window workshops. In the evening, a Christian dance and drama programme was laid on. Picture: Talented schoolgirl
A SPANISH government minister who befriended a retired Blackburn couple on holiday ten years ago dropped into town to catch up on old times -- and to sample some of Lancashire's traditional cuisine. Javier Hernandez Gonzalez met Edna and Harold Ashworth
A WOMAN died after suffering an epileptic fit while on holiday with her family. Helen Marie Coverley, of Pleckgate Road, Blackburn, choked to death while staying at the Grand Ideal Hotel, in Marmaris, with her mum Eileen Coverley and partner. A spokesman
AROUND 500 people are expected to attend the funeral of Ken Charnley, who was Lancashire's longest serving head when he retired after 36 years in charge of Meadowhead Junior School, Blackburn. He died at his home in Riley Green, near Hoghton, aged 75.
Bolton Wanderers 0, Nottingham Forest 0 BOLTON suffered from a distinct lack of punch as they failed to capitalise on chances created in a rain-lashed goalless draw at the Reebok Stadium. Wave upon wave of Bolton attacks faltered as their front men were
SIDAC represent the Warrington League in the Champion of Champions Competition this Saturday. They take on Blackburn League winners Ewood Amateurs at the Vulcan Sportsfield, Newton-le-Willows. Kick-off is at 2.30. RESULTS Guardian Cup: Blackbrook 3 Halton
West Park 15 Blackburn 12 STRUGGLERS Blackburn presented a below-par West Park with far more problems than expected in this North Two West league game at Red Rocks on Saturday. A tremendous defensive effort in the closing stages just about kept Park in
MP DAVE Watts has called for working parents in the town to make sure they claim their share of extra funds being made availablein the North West region through the Children's Tax Credit. It will be worth up to £442 a year when it comes into force in
CONCERNED horse riders are saddling up in support of a campaign to reduce the number of accidents involving horses and riders on the roads. This Saturday (October 21) has been designated National Horse Road Safety Day and about 30 people from Marleston's
ALTHOUGH it is barely a week since fireworks went on legal sale, already an East Lancashire teenager lies dead -- killed by one that blew up in his face. And this comes after fire chiefs had compiled a catalogue of incidents in which they have been dangerously
