IRECENTLY drove through Belgium, Germany, Austria and a good part of Italy without seeing a single speed camera, Gatso or otherwise. Petrol cost me 60p per gallon less than what was exacted from me on my return. How backward these continental countries
REGARDING 'Walk through Boulevard a nightmare' (Letters, August 22), Blackburn Cathedral's grounds are as bad. A lovely lady, aged 70, was going to work ('work' I emphasise) at Mecca Bingo on Sunday, August 26, when she was set upon by these -- I daren't
IENJOYED the recent open day of Blackburn Town Hall and took the opportunity to chat with the Mayor and his deputy about the refurbishment in Church Street, which is taking shape nicely. But I just can't understand why the buildings lower down from Debenham's
LEIGH Centurions' bid to take over the London Broncos will be discussed by the board of Super League Europe in Huddersfield today. But all the signs are that there is growing opposition to the proposed merger which would see Leigh buying out the Broncos
REGARDING your article headed 'Terror of victims woken by house raider' (LET, August 27), which gave details of a man imprisoned for burglary. It is not so much the act of burglary itself which gives me cause to write -- sadly, such cases are rife in
MOTORISTS are being warned to avoid the M62 at night over the next three months as giant signs are put up. On nearly 30 evenings until December the busy motorway will be closed as huge electronic gantries are fitted. The work will take place between junction
FIVE men from East Lancashire were prevented from travelling to see England's glory night in Munich by a police anti-hooligan operation. The suspects were stopped at Manchester Airport as they made their way to the World Cup qualifier, which the visitors
Radcliffe Boro 3 Atherton LR 3 HAVING conceded just one goal in the four opening Unibond Division One games to top the early season listing, Boro go and concede three to NWCL Division One LR. More than that they can count themselves extremely fortunate
Telford United 3 Leigh RMI 1 RMI old boy Mark Quayle put his old club to the sword at the Bucks Head as Leigh crashed to their second defeat in five days. Quayle, in his first game after joining United on a month's loan from Morecambe, was credited with
A WOMAN was pushed into bushes and sexually assaulting in an early morning attack in Burnley. The 36-year-old victim was making her way home from a night out when she was assaulted. The attack happened at 2.15am yesterday in Harold Street. Det Sgt Peter
A PRODUCTION line for IT boffins has been given a welcome boost thanks to a leading East Lancashire company. Burnley-based P3 Computers have completed a sponsorship deal for a training package which aims to give firms their own in-house computer experts
IT may have been the beginning of a new school year for thousands of East Lancashire youngsters 44 years ago, but for hundreds of them it was also time for an enforced holiday -- at home in bed with a raging temperature. For just as the summer of 1957
VILLAGERS in Trawden are busy raising money for a life saving defibrillator which can be used by anyone to help heart attack victims. The £3,000 machine "speaks" to the user giving instructions on how to operate it and it will be kept in local shops,
GOLFERS in Colne have given almost £700 to the Pendleside Hospice, Reedley, fund-raising appeal. Colne Golf Club raised the cash throughout the year with a number of events including a competition day, president's, captain's and lady captain's days. Raffles
PUB cleaner Christine Hindle should have no problem with her shopping bill -- for she's won a year's supply of food and drink! Competition fanatic Christine, of Riverbank Terrace, Altham, entered a competition in a national magazine where she had to write
IT is 56 years since Joan Clarke and Arthur Stott, pictured, met on a day trip to Blackpool. Now they are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. Joan, of Leigh, met Arthur, of Hindley Green, when she was 15 and he was 18, as they searched for the
ONE thousand tonnes of asbestos-contaminated rubble has been cleared from a housing development site. Waste experts wearing protective gear started removing the hardcore from the Chelford Homes plot, in Princess Street, Hindley, on Tuesday, and work was
CAR owners are being warned to take measures to secure alloy wheels after a spate of robberies in the area. Six sets of alloys have been stolen from the Astley area over the past four weeks, and someone has been arrested in conjunction with further incidents
THE following people have been in contact with us through our www.thisisleigh.co.uk website, looking for old friends: Peter Johnson (Peter. Johnson2000@btinternet.com) of Hexham, Northumberland is looking for Malcolm Tomblin, formerly of the Plank Lane
TITANIC expert Steve Rigby nearly joined 1,500 lost souls in a watery grave after two submarines collided two and a half miles beneath the Atlantic. The Lowton postman's brush with death happened during a six-hour underwater inspection of the famous wreck
WIGAN and Leigh Hospice Council have acknowledged gifts totalling more than £20,000. Donations ranging from £1.50 to £2,500 were made between July 5 and August 14. They included: IMO Elizabeth Boland from John Arrowsmith £29.81; IMO Michael Walford from
Dear Sir, Congratulations to the people of Leigh etc, for getting the Xanadu complex scrapped. Let's hope we can do the same for the stupid busway they want to make and destroy the remaining countryside though our town, Tyldesley. Mrs B Jones, Johnson
COTTON is not what it used to be, neither are my eyes. Threading a needle becomes more and more frustrating. The older I get, the more it becomes a mammoth task -- and modern cotton doesn't help. It ends up in knots and breaks, so the needle needs more
THE Bank Holiday got off to a rubbish start for train passengers using the NW line. They were delayed for hours after an accident in Buckinghamshire, in which a lorry driver crashed on to the line after trying to avoid a fox. Twenty five trains were affected
JIM Jefferies view on his sides defeat at the hands of Burnley. On Glen Little: "We didn't handle him at all well. "He is big and awkward and he seemed to be getting through not just one defender but two and three whenever he ran at us. "But we were sitting
BURNLEY sit proudly at the top of the first division after a late Claret's strike bagged them three points at Valley Parade. The Clarets notched a 3-2 win over Bradford City in dramatic fashion as substitute Tony Ellis, dubbed Elvis by Clarets boss Stan
WONDER winger Glen Little lifted Burnley to the top of the first division with a stunning display. He scored two goals, probably had a third, and created so much havoc in Bradford's rearguard that the Clarets always looked likely to score. But this was
LANCASHIRE are confident that Chris Schofield will sign a new contract to stay with the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. Mike Atherton and Ian Austin have already announced their retirement, Neil Fairbrother is considering his
EAST Lancs cut the gap at the top of the Transco Lancashire League table to two points with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Accrington. The victory was never in doubt with East Lancs bowlers Nasser Iqbal and Ian Howarth in scintillating form, taking
CONCERN is growing for a Fleetwood man who went missing on Friday. A Lancashire Police spokesman said 24-year-old Mark Keith Gamble of Oxford Road, Fleetwood, was last seen in the area at 8am on August 31. He is thought to be driving a blue Ford Escort
BURNLEY sit proudly at the top of the first division after a late Claret's strike bagged them three points at Valley Parade. The Clarets notched a 3-2 win over Bradford City in dramatic fashion as substitute Tony Ellis, dubbed Elvis by Clarets boss Stan
FORMER miner John Dawson suffered a number of chest complaints, including one related to his time in the pits around Accrington. But a pathologist said prolonged smoking was probably a more important factor in the death, at the age of 90, of the retired
KEITH McCarren was pick of the crop at Rawtenstall, Edgeside and District Amateur Gardeners' Society 86th annual show. Keith, who last year missed out by a single point, this time took the William Birtwistle silver cup for most points in the combined
LEIGH Salvation Army is organising a western-style harvest celebration on Saturday, September 8, in the Cook Street citadel. The events starts with a festival tea at 5pm and will be followed by cowboy-style entertainment.
THE opening event for the Leigh Parish Church's tower appeal was a world record-breaking success. Now the organisers wish to thank everyone who contributed to the Guinness Book of Record candle lighting challenge, and who helped raise £3,000 towards the
BRITAIN'S fastest skydivers reached new heights this weekend, and are hot on the tails of the world record holder. Mark Callard, of Alfred Road, Lowton, is officially the second-fastest skydiver in the UK, thanks to his 280mph jump at the British Speed
INITIAL plans for a new Higher Folds woodland have been drawn up and are awaiting residents' approval. Plans for the new 131-hectare community woodland on a former colliery spoil tip will be on display at a series of drop-in meetings throughout the area
CONSTANT vandalism has led the owner of Shakerley Lane to consider closing the road to the public for security. Ray Williams' farm, situated on the private track in Tyldesley, has been subject to vandalism for some time and he is now at his wits end.
MP Andy Burnham has praised the work of a community group. Mr Burnham described Leigh Ethnic Elders as a valuable service, at the second anniversary celebration of the group's drop-in centre, in Church Street. The community group has worked with the local
TWO East Lancashire men were due to appear in court today charged in connection with an alleged plot to produce £20,000-worth of counterfeit coins. Yasim Patel, 35, of Glenfield Close and Eric Wong, 42, of Woodstock Crescent, both Blackburn, were arrested
DANIEL Murray admitted to police called to a disturbance in Dickinson Close that he had thrown a sheath knife into a nearby garden. Blackburn magistrates heard that Murray had not brandished the knife and if he had not told police where it was he would
A FORMER East Lancashire church minister was seriously injured after allegedly being attacked in a vicarage by his son. The Rev Kenneth Dagger, 52, was curate at St James' Church, St James' Road, off Shear Brow, Blackburn, before moving as curate to St
A PROJECT to get 2,500 homes in an area of Blackburn switched on to the internet has gone on-line. Councillors have agreed to spend more than £100,000 of Single Regeneration Bid cash -- money provided to improve areas of Blackburn -- to help meet the
A REFUGEE turned to crime in East Lancashire after fleeing from Zaire and Rwanda, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that Mbuta Sakubo was a vulnerable individual who had been targeted by organised crime and drawn into a sophisticated and systematic
THE Nelson goal machine clicked into gear against a Daisy Hill side who were made to pay for their tough uncompromising approach in the best possible way. Scott Gilchrist opened the scoring when he skilfully lobbed the keeper after only four minutes and
TWO goals in two minutes late in the game looked to have saved a point for Stanley but a late winner from Vauxhall's Nicky Young stole it back again. Paul Mullin's late brace levelled the scores at the Crown Ground but Young's injury time goal bagged
ALSAGER Town had their goalkeeper Rob Powner to thank for their 1-0 win at Padiham on Saturday because quite simply he single handedly saved the day for the Cheshire based side with a string of saves late in the second half that totally frustrated the
ROSSENDALE cruised into the first qualifying round of the FA Cup thanks to a comprehensive victory over NCEL Premier Division side Garforth Town. Dale were too strong for their lower league opposition and it took just ten minutes for them to get going
LEEDS United star Alan Smith is planning a trip to Darwen's Anchor Ground tomorrow night to watch his brother Gavin in FA Cup action for Liversedge. Alan watched as Gavin scored the second goal in Liversedge's Preliminary Round tie against Darwen on Saturday
OVER-ZEALOUS refereeing meant Colne were chasing this one from as early as the second minute. And despite a battling performance, John Lister's men slipped to a disappointing third league defeat. Striker Matt Aspinall was red-carded after just 90 seconds
AFTER the Lord Mayor's Show in Munich, Neil Hodgson was always struggling to match his compatriots' sporting achievements on German territory this weekend. But he would not have been prepared for the scale of the disappointment, as the Burnley rider came
THE use of teachers from abroad has been praised by Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw. He, like other cabinet ministers, supports the use of European resources to benefit British public services. Already, Spanish nurses are being used in Lancashire's
I WATCHED the repeat of a Westhoughton mother and daughter who trusted the BBC's Changing Rooms team to give their homes a new look last year. They wanted their old-fashioned rooms brought into the new century -- and boy did they get them. I must say
THE Comedians' Weakest Link, which whopped footy again on Saturday night, thank goodness, showed them up to be a right load of thickos. And it wasn't very funny either. Only veteran Barry Took and eventual winner, St Helens' Johnny Vegas, showed any humour
ROBERTSONS have ditched their Golly logo -- after 91 years. The little black figures, which a lot of us at St Paul's School collected off jam pots when we were small, are to be replaced by characters from Roald Dahl books. Race relations groups hailed
POGO sticks are set to bounce to the top of the Christmas toy list after appearing on Big Brother. Well, after the craze for those silly little scooters last year, I can believe anything. However, I don't advise using a pogo stick in non-stretch clothing
LEIGH market traders have been moved from pillar to post since the start of building extensions to the Spinning Gate centre. They recently declared the new Albion Street site a disaster, with lots of stalls empty and casual traders being able to turn
I WAS astounded that a 34-year-old breast cancer patient, Susan Jones, from the Manchester area, was preparing to pay for life-saving drugs herself, after the area health authority refused to cough up. It was to cost her £1,200 for her first infusion
TEACHING staff across the North West are more stressed than ever before, according to new research. A survey by a Leeds-based risk management group say one in six teachers were "dreading" the start of term. The research by the Smithson Mason Group showed
THE most basic playground games are being banned in schools because of the risk of children hurting themselves. Teacher Carol Midwood has listed the activites she has had to call to a halt -- activities which used to part of the process of growing up
UNEMPLOYED youngsters have logged on to hi-tech -- and repaired their chances of getting a job in a unique project. The IT Systems Support Technician Course at Training 2000 in Blackburn has equipped its students with the skills they need to maintain
ESSENTIAL facts on Blackburn College. COLLEGE REPORT Blackburn College exists to serve the educational, cultural, social and economic needs of the local community and to provide further and higher educational needs to a national and international clientele
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Blackburn Breast Care Support Group, Beardwood Hospital, Preston New Road, Blackburn, 7pm-9pm. Clarins Collections with Lindsay Higgins. Burnley and Padiham Community
widen the net TO give 2,500 homes in access to the internet is a wonderful idea -- but it should not stop there. Councillors have agreed to spend more than £100,000 of government cash to help meet the cost of the Wired Up Community project in Whitebirk
IWOULD like to say how much I enjoyed the Bank Holiday Fiesta held in Blackburn. Congratulations, too, must go to Councillor Ashley Whalley and his colleague, Pam Baxter, from the council's technical services department, for putting in many long hours
YOUR correspondent's description of the horrendous problems facing decent, hard-working tenants in the Livesey area of Blackburn (Letters, August 20), are mirrored in nearly all the other estates in the borough. The senior posts of the company now owning
A POLICE car under repair at a Bury garage was damaged by vandals early today. Three masked men climbed into a compound at the Walker Farrimond garage in Manchester Road, Bury, at 2.25am. They then attacked the "W" registered Volvo police car. The vandals
TWO teenage brothers were taken to hospital after being attacked in the street early today. The victims were walking home along Brook Street, Bury, just after midnight when they were approached by two youths, aged around 15-16, on cycles. A fight started
A FORMER East Lancashire church minister was seriously injured after allegedly being attacked in a vicarage by his son. The Rev Kenneth Dagger, 52, was curate at St James' Church, St James' Road, off Shear Brow, Blackburn, before moving as curate to St
Witton Albion 4 Atherton Colls 0 "WE just weren't at the races," admitted Atherton Colls press secretary Emile Anderson after his team's Friday night exit from the FA Cup Preliminary Round in a heavy defeat at the Unibond Division One opponents. "We played
ROVERS winger Keith Gillespie was also on song for Northern Ireland in Copenhagen, setting up a second half equaliser for Phil Mulryne. But Welsh boss Mark Hughes was left cursing his luck after his side failed to polish off Armenia after a 0-0 stalemate
EWOOD exile Jason McAteer today set his sights on a Rovers' recall after firing the Republic of Ireland towards next summer's World Cup. McAteer has not figured in the Rovers first-team since April after a bust-up with manager Graeme Souness. But, after
EMILY Cocker, eight, went to hospital for treatment to a bump on the head and grazed leg after being involved in an accident with a scooter. Emily, of Downham Grove, Burnley, was hurt when she was involved in the collision with a Suzuki Zillion 50cc machine
A MAN was taken to hospital after a crash on the M65 which caused a huge tailback. Firefighters assisted in removing the man from his car, but it is not thought he was trapped in the vehicle. Four cars, including a Nissan Sunny, were involved in the collision
FIVE men from East Lancashire were prevented from travelling to see England's glory night in Munich by a police anti-hooligan operation. The suspects were stopped at Manchester Airport as they made their way to the World Cup qualifier, which the visitors
THREE generations of the same family had a field day at Padiham flower show. Grandad John Greenwood and dad John Goodenough and his daughters Bethany, six, and Shauna, four, put in 93 entries and came away with a crop of awards. John and John put in 82
A COUPLE had to be cut free from the wreckage of their car after an accident in Nelson. Nissan Micra driver Wesley Southworth, 78, and a passenger, Marion Birtwell, 66, of the same address in Pendle Street East, Sabden, were rescued. Mr Southworth suffered
RAMSBOTTOM progresses to the first qualifying round of the FA Cup with a hard fought win over NWCL Division Two side Blackpool Mechanics. Blackpool hit the post through Denis Walsh in the opening minutes and had a goal disallowed. On 20 minutes United
GREAT Harwood are in action tonight when they welcome Fleetwood Freeport to the Showground in the NWCL Division One. Denis Underwood's side have only played two league games so far this season and are still on the hunt for their first league victory.
COUNCILLORS will be asked to throw out plans for major controversial changes at Colne's Old Grammar School parish rooms. St Bartholomew's Parish Church wants to build a two-storey extension and disabled access ramp at the 200-year-old building, across
TWO sports clubs were celebrating gramts from the North West Lottery Sports Fund. Blackburn Trampoline Club received £3,440 to help updating equipmentand Newrad Fisheries in Darwen, was allocated £7,639 to help reinstate a disused fishing lake off Watery
Picturesque villages in the Ribble Valley swept to victory in Lancashire's Best Kept Village competition. Chipping won the first place in the supreme champion clas and neighbour Bashall Eaves made it a double for the Ribble Valley by winning the hamlets
POLICE are concerned for the welfare of a Leigh man who has not been seen for more than a week. Mark Darwin, 30, has been missing from his home on Bond Street, Leigh, since Saturday August 18. Mark was last seen at 5pm by a warden at the sheltered accommodation
AN 80-year old town band is appealing for new members in a bid to prevent its closure. Leigh Silver Band, once the Leigh British Legion Band, was formed about 1920, between the First and Second World Wars, and is now struggling to survive. Cornet player
A WOMAN has hit out after her car was towed away on police instructions, minutes before the AA could reach her. Jane Priestley, 45, was travelling to Oswaldtwistle where she works for Communicare, when the windscreen wiper on her Vauxhall Cavalier stopped
A NEW campaign is being launched to clamp down on under-age drinking, following a rise of anti-social behaviour. Police are planning to focus the initiative on adults buying alcohol for minors. Licenced premises will also be targeted, to increase the
A FIFTEEN-year-old wakeboarder has secured the prestigious title of Open Men's' European Champion 2001. For three years, Robert Moyle, a Lowton High School pupil, has been practising the extreme sport, which is similar to snow-boarding and skate-boarding
Dear Sir, AS proof that Lord Smith and Coun Jarvis are acting in good faith when stating that we have lost thousands of jobs in scrapping Xanadu, may I ask how many Leigh contractors have been employed in the many jobs actually carried out in our town
I ALWAYS thought the photos snapped of tourists leaving their plane at their foreign airport were a waste of time, but I had to smile when I read that Brittany ferries is offering pictures of travellers' cars as they drive on to the ship -- from £3.95
A LOOK at the key moments and player performances from Burnley's win over Bradford City. REFEREE...Roy Pearson (Durham) ATTENDANCE...17,547 NIK MICHOPOULOS: Superb shot stops and looked confident throughout...7 DEAN WEST: Firm defensive work in the face
GREAT Harwood clinched the Ramsbottom Cup with professional Fahan Adil on top form. The Harwood professional batted through his side's innings to secure victory by six wickets. Earby had earlier struggled to 142 with professional Alex Scholefield scoring
BACUP held off the last-day challenge of East Lancashire to win the Transco Lancashire League title last summer and the two are set to slug it out in another nail-biting final weekend after the defending champions held their nerve to keep their noses
EWOOD exile Jason McAteer today set his sights on a Rovers' recall after firing the Republic of Ireland towards next summer's World Cup. McAteer has not figured in the Rovers first-team since April after a bust-up with manager Graeme Souness. But, after
TWO friends who lost contact 50 years ago have been reunited thanks to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph. And they only found out about each other as they celebrated their golden wedding anniversaries on the same day. Irene Taylor, 70, who lives in Barley
LITTLE Joshua Westwell will finally have his life-saving operation at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, tomorrow. Joshua, who will be two on Wednesday, will be in the intensive care unit immediately after his operation to remove a
TOWN centre residents in Haslingden are calling for a street ban on the drinking of alcohol. More than 100 have signed a petition asking Rossendale Council to enact a by-law to prevent the drinking of alcohol in public places. They say they want a cleaner
SOUTHPORT Air show is celebrating its 10th anniversary in spectacular style next weekend. The show, on Southport Beach, will include a 50-man parachute jump, a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring Spitfire, Hurricane and Dakota aircraft, and The
THE Samaritans are desperate -- for Leigh area volunteers. The caring group is launching a national recruitment drive on Monday and is especially seeking new listeners for the Manchester and Salford branch. The Oxford Street chapter is manned 24 hours
A LEIGH nursery is offering early morning help for working parents. The Stonehouse is launching a Rise and Shine Club for under 11s. Between 7am and 9am, staff will provide youngsters who attend with a breakfast of their choice -- then deliver them to
FOUR men who had been drinking at a man's home, later used it to store property they had stolen from a neighbour's house. Blackburn magistrates heard that Noel Martin Starkie initially told them to move the property but then let them leave it overnight
BACUP manager Brent Peters blasted his players for having England on their minds after a disappointing performance against Teeside's Guisborough in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. The NWCL Second Division side were knocked out of the competition
CHORLEY strolled into the first qualifying round of the FA Cup completely outclassing their Northern League Division Two opponents to win as they pleased. The Magpies took control of the tie right from the start and after going two up midway through the
THE misery continues for Clitheroe and their bewildered boss Dave Burgess. But Burgess believes the tide will turn soon - if only his NWCL Division One side can get in front! "We have played five competitive games this season and not been in the lead
THE Government needs to look sharp and start looking after Britain's teachers. So says the National Union of Teachers, which is concerned that the Government is now tapping into overseas resources because it has been too slow to sort things out over here
BLACKPOOL's night sky blazed into life for another year on Friday as pop stars STEPS became the 59th guests to flick the illuminations switch in the town's Talbot Square. And joining the famous five were Baby Spice Emma Bunton, former Wet Wet Wet frontman
THIEVES who rob from charities are the lowest of the low. A clothes collecting skip positioned by the Asda car park has become a regular target for theft. The wasteland alongside the park is littered with clothes and shoes that were meant for the poor
TRADE unions say workers should have more bank holidays to bring us into line with Europe. The TUC is pressing for three more throughout the year. And why not? Why shouldn't we have the same entitlements as our French and German counterparts, or even
ANOTHER self-styled champion of the bigger woman has succumbed to pressure to be thin. Titanic star Kate Winslet, like fulsome model Sophie Dahl, and presenter Vanessa Feltz, have shed stones to become sylphlike, compared to what they were as proud spokespeople
MASTERMIND'S coming back -- along with the big black chair. This time it will be on the Discovery Channel and will be presented by Clive Anderson, who will keep Magnus Magnusson's catchphrase, "I've started so I'll finish". The Beeb dropped the popular
STUDENTS at Westholme School in Blackburn are to return to school early to take part in a variety of unusual activties. Pupils were back at the school, in Preston New Road, on Friday for courses including car maintenance, cooking on a budget and domestic
A BLUEPRINT for a planned £275,000 extension and remodelling of Bury's only council-run nursery has won a major UK award. And the project earmarked for the Hoyle Nursery in Chesham Fold Road will be used as an inspiration for future, similar work throughout
