THERE was quite a fuss when the council announced plans to bring a genuine French market to town as part of their effort to make the centre of Blackburn a more attractive place. Stallholders from Blackburn's three and five day markets complained angrily
This week, with PETER VICKERAGE, 32, entertainments manager at Jumpin' Jak's, Blackburn MEMORY: Being lost on the beach in Laboule, Brittany, when I was five. It was my fault. I wandered off towards the trampolines and, having no sense of direction, couldn't
One Fort in the Grave, with KEITH FORT IT HAS become important to remember to include one essential when you fill your cases for the holidays: a pen. This has nothing to do with writing home. It's to fill in all those questionnaires. These days a 14-day
PUNK band The Sex Pistols and a book about a cuddly cat's adventures have something in common -- Accrington author Mick O'Shea. PAULINE HAWKINS finds out how he switched from writing about furious anarchists to furry animals. MICK O'Shea is a married
CAN any local historian help me discover what my London-born great (x4) grandfather, Joseph Lardner, was doing performing as a comedian in Lytham, Colne and Clitheroe during the period 1820-25? Was this part of a well-known circuit? Any help will be gratefully
IT does not surprise me, or, I'm sure, lots of other people in Lancashire that the market traders in Blackburn are up in arms about the decision of he council to let French traders set up stalls in Church Street rent-free. From what I have read and what
I RECENTLY went shopping to Preston and Bolton and was very impressed. There were well-known shops stocking everything one wants, attractive markets with few empty stalls, well-designed, very clean shopping malls and, in Bolton, a large fish market selling
MORE than £300,000 in being spent on making journeys to school safer for pupils following several accidents at two hotspots in Leigh. In the last three years 55 pedestrians have been involved in accidents in Westleigh and Hindsford -- including one fatal
A PILOT project encouraging more people to get involved in crime prevention has resulted in 55 new Homewatch schemes being set up in Leigh. The police got funding in April 2000 to try to increase the number of schemes in Wigan's Coalfield Challenge area
FAMILIES were today placed on red alert after asbestos was discovered in a disused building where children play. Environmental Health bosses have fenced off the site of the former bleach works, off Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, and put up warning signs telling
THREE teenage tearaways responsible for more than 60 incidents between them have been banned from Bacup town centre in the evening and overnight. Magistrates granted Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) on Gary Herbert, 15, of Clough Road, Bacup, Patrick
A DRINK driver told a court he was dying and begged magistrates not to jail him. Paul Stanley Brown, 53, who told the court he is a former solicitor, said he had been given just a few weeks to live. Brown, of Heatherbank, Burnley, had given a breath test
A SERIAL thief who pinched to feed his heroin addiction now wanted to give up and get a job, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how Kevin Andrew Ross, 37, had normally supported his habit by busking - but when times were hard he turned to shoplifting
MYSTERY surrounds the death of a baby boy who fell asleep with his mother in her bed, an inquest heard. The hearing at Burnley Magistrates' Court was told how the healthy three-month-old infant, Matthew Mark Howorth, appeared lifeless and floppy when
A LANDMARK Burnley hotel is undergoing a £300,000 refurbishment to take it back to the 'good old days'. The Keirby Hotel's new owners - Crown Properties - started the refurbishment three months ago after buying it from the Friendly Group in April last
A DRUG addict who subjected his girlfriend to a night-long beating which left her face unrecognisable turned up the next morning and posted some pain killers through her door. Burnley Crown Court heard how Peter Thornton, 35, attacked who was left bruised
A TEENAGER was due to undergo surgery after he was slashed seven times early today. The 18-year-old, who has not been named, received chest, leg and arm injuries in an incident in Barnoldswick at 12.15am. The incident took place near to the post office
A BID for £100,000 has been made to English Heritage to set up a Stream 'n' Steam water-power heritage trail in Barnoldswick to help regenerate the town. The cash is being sought from the Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme (HERS) for three years and
A BABYSITTER in charge of five children called out the fire brigade after water started dripping from a living room light fitting. The incident occurred at a house in Whalley Road, Clayton-le-Moors at 11.15pm yesterday. John Pinner, station officer at
THE family of tragic attack victim Christine Moore today said they were outraged after the man accused of killing her was released on bail as they laid her to rest. David Osbaldeston, 29, of Prospect Street, Great Harwood, was charged with murder after
Friday, July 5 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
Monday, July 1 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: Moss Pharmacy, 314 Bolton Road; The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst
CLITHEROE Town Band raised £160 for their funds thanks to a coffee morning at the Town Hall. The 40-strong concert band organise concerts throughout the year and held the morning -- attended by local dignitaries -- to increase awareness. Band treasurer
BARNOLDSWICK skipper Mike Scothern today insisted his Jennings Ribblesdale League table-toppers have what it takes to 'go the distance' in the fight for the title. Barlick are currently sitting pretty at the top of the table thanks to an impressive haul
WHATEVER the result at Liverpool today, Lancashire need to sort out their slip fielding. With Stuart Law unable to field after suffering a bruised thumb in dropping two chances in Kent's first innings in the see-saw Aigburth Championship clash, his replacement
MANY eyebrows have been raised at the current position of East Lancs in the Transco Lancashire League. The Alexandra Meadows side have finished runners-up for five out of the last six seasons and ended 2000 in third spot after a three-way battle for the
SOLDIERS from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment stopped Rawtenstall in its tracks when they exercised their new right to march their freedom of the borough. At a special meeting of the council the Mayor of Rossendale Coun Jimmy Eaton conferred the Freedom
FACILITIES in Rossendale will have to be cut after it was revealed council balances are set to drop to just £216,000. Accusations flew around the council chamber at the corporate policy committee when the deputy leader Councillor David Hancock branded
THREE teenage tearaways responsible for more than 60 incidents between them have been banned from Bacup town centre in the evening and overnight. Magistrates granted Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) on Gary Herbert, 15, of Clough Road, Bacup, Patrick
A MAN's efforts to escape the long arm of the law left him angry and exhausted. Blackburn magistrates heard that Robert Ginley was seen "pedalling furiously" as he made his getaway on a push bike after stealing a car CD player. A patrolling police officer
JACK Straw made a special visit to a flood-ravaged textile mill and praised staff for helping the business to an amazing recovery. Dutton Carpets' Griffin Mill in Mill Hill was submerged in 10 feet of water on Friday June 14 placing the jobs of the 130
A 20-YEAR-OLD who attacked a taxi driver and then drove off in his car has been jailed for 150 days. Blackburn magistrates heard that Warren Elliot Ivers crashed the vehicle into a garden wall a mile up the road, causing extensive damage. And a breathalyser
THE two sets of troops guarded their territory. Up the hill stood the legions of the French, their Tricolour flags fluttering in the breeze. Less than a hundred yards away camped the British, hardily going about their routines. The invasion of a French
A YOUNG mum who became pregnant at 15 has spearheaded the launch of an information pack aimed at offering support and advice to other mums-to-be in Blackburn. Lyndsey Cunliffe, of Lower Darwen, now has a seven-year-old daughter and is a teenage pregnancy
FAMILIES were today placed on red alert after asbestos was discovered in a disused building where children play. Environmental Health bosses have fenced off the site of the former bleach works, off Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, and put up warning signs telling
DARWEN official Tony Leake believes the process of selection for World Cup referees must be reviewed following a series of high profile blunders. The Football League official said that too many referees and referee's assistants have been 'out of their
PATRIOTIC pupils at Gorsefield Primary School in Radcliffe have received a letter of thanks from Buckingham Palace. And proudly displaying the missive from Her Majesty are Tyrone Crowther (7) and Danielle Jones (8). Year 3 youngsters at the school in
BROWNIES from Stand Church added a special souvenir of Manchester's summer sporting spectacular to their badge collection. Girls from the 5th Whitefield Brownies took part in the Commonwealth Games Challenge, a project dreamt up by their own Tawny Owl
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. SUNDAY St Joseph's Park Hill Family Barbecue, White Bull, Gisburn, 3.30pm. "Spud Pirate and the Very Hungry Crocodile," Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre, 2.30pm. Indoor Street
This week, FATHER JOE FEELEY reveals his love for Tolkien territory PARISH priest Father Joe Feeley has just celebrated half a century of service to God. Born in Ireland, the 74-year-old has been priest at St Mary's Church, Devonshire Drive, Clayton-le-Moors
Drive & Stroll, with Ron Freethy - this week, HAVERTHWAITE to LAKESIDE THE footpaths around the well-established Haverthwaite to Lakeside steam railway bring back memories of an idyllic childhood during and just after the war. This was the Furness
BLACKBURN Cathedral's famous organ will sound again on Sunday, almost a year after it was silenced. The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, will lead a special re-dedication service to mark its return after a £380,000 renovation. Director of
PATRIOTIC Billy Kelly's 'criminal career' came to an end after he cleaned away a cross of St George he painted on the road outside his house -- but not before a further brush with the law. Blackburn magistrates heard that the ex-guardsman was cleaning
IF anyone wants to sponsor an immigrant/'asylum-seeker' and be responsible for all their needs, I've no argument against that. But, let's be honest, the vast majority of so-called 'asylum-seekers' landing in the UK are nothing more than economic-migrants
SO Blackburn market traders are complaining again (LET, June 13). It's not long since they were moaning about the closure of Church Street, which is a boon for us older people, giving us somewhere to sit and enjoy the town. Now, it's the council giving
REGARDING the flooding on Friday June 14, Coun Bill Taylor said they spent hours on Friday and Saturday assessing the damage and giving out sandbags (LET, June 17). I live in Lower Darwen and my house was one of nine that had flood damage that night.
A TEENAGER was today beginning a two-and-a-half-year jail term after an iron bar attack at a working men's club. Rachel Quigley, 19, sobbed in the dock as Burnley Crown Court was told how she struck Gail Green at least three times about the head and body
A COFFIN containing a petition bearing 35,000 names was due to be 'laid to rest' outside County Hall today as protesters planned one final rally against moves to shut care homes. Hundreds of people from East Lancashire were expected to travel to Preston
A PRIEST celebrating his golden jubilee has been honoured with a special award for his service to Clayton-le-Moors and Altham. Father Joe Feeley, 74, who joined St Mary's, Clayton-le-Moors, eight years ago has been presented with the Clayton and Altham
Sunday, June 30 BLACKBURN: 10am-1pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road; noon-1pm: Shadsworth Pharmacy, 221 Shadsworth Road. DARWEN: noon-1pm: Boots Chemists, 8 Market Street. ACCRINGTON: noon-1pm: Boots Chemists, Broadway; noon-1pm: Rishton Pharmacy,
Thursday, July 4 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohens Chemist, 63 Whalley Range; To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 6.30pm: Donald Wood Ltd, 53 Fishmoor Drive; Healthbook
Wednesday, July 3 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; The Surgery (Chiropody), 132 Lammack Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy
Tuesday, July 2 BLACKBURN: To 9pm: Lloyds Pharmacy, 4-6 Railway Road; Cohen, 63 Whalley Range. To 8pm: Johnston Pharmacy, 50-52 Johnston Street. To 7.30pm: Aston Pharmacy, 95 Accrington Road. To 7pm: The Pharmacy, Oakenhurst Road; Geloo Bros, Cleaver
A WORLD expert in aqua tai-chi is to host a weekend workshop at Waddow Hall, Clitheroe, on September 21 and 22. Tai-chi master Peter Chin Kean Choy, author of two successful books, has been invited to the area by local tai-chi enthusiasts. Workshop organiser
BOSSES at JJB Sports saw their pay packages rise last year. Chief executive Duncan Sharpe, 42, who lives in the Ribble Valley and who was promoted from managing director to his new post last February, received a £337,000 salary as part of a total pay
SCHOOL governors today defended the controversial sale of historic school masonry on the internet. Whalley Primary School is undergoing a £400,000 rebuild after the original buildings were condemned by inspectors. But Whalley resident Molly Barnes, who
LANCASHIRE's current Championship match against Kent at Liverpool has offered a timely reminder of what a superb servant of the club Peter Martin has been. Martin claimed his first five-wicket haul of the season in Kent's first innings, firing out the
EVERYONE will be hoping that the World Cup will have a memorable finale to cap a thrilling event - but I fear we will again be disappointed. In truth, like the FA Cup Final, it is hard to remember the last really good one and I have got a feeling that
WHATEVER the result at Liverpool today, Lancashire need to sort out their slip fielding. With Stuart Law unable to field after suffering a bruised thumb in dropping two chances in Kent's first innings in the see-saw Aigburth Championship clash, his replacement
A FATHER who repeatedly stabbed a man who had left his home and family to investigate noises was jailed for five years. Burnley Crown Court heard Gary Turner launched a "vicious and unprovoked" attack on Mark Winstanley. Mr Winstanley had to have surgery
HAIRDRESSER Tony Winder is celebrating 40 years in the business but he still remembers his first day -- honing cut throat razors wearing women's overalls! His first job in 1962 was as an apprentice in Les Howarth's barbers in Lower Deardengate, Haslingden
A PROJECT which will rid Blackburn town centre of a rundown block of shops to make way for a major clothes store is a step closer to reality. A planning application has been submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council on behalf of the new clothes store
IT WAS 'Herr' we go for German exiles in East Lancashire today as they got ready to roar their team on to World Cup glory. But scores of England fans heading down to their local at 12.30pm tomorrow will be cheering on Brazil to prevent further World Cup
YOUNGSTERS and teenagers from across East Lancashire today welcomed the news that Blackburn was to catch up with neighbouring towns with a cinema multiplex and agreed more was needed to stop them travelling elsewhere for a good time. But some school pupils
THERE is more than a touch of irony in the fact that the World Cup that has produced the most shocks ever will end with a final between the two most successful teams in its 72-year history. The "minnows" have certainly had their day and the likes of Senegal
