Archive

  • Floods cause cellar damage

    THREE Hindley Green pubs had their cellars flooded during last night's heavy rain storms. The Spinners Arms, The Plough Inn and The Dog and Partridge, all on Atherton Road, were hit by floods between 6pm and 7pm. Firefighters were called to all three

  • MP demands regular bus services for all estates

    THE Government is being asked to provide money to ensure that the Leigh area has regular, reliable bus services. MP Andy Burnham raised in Parliament the case of the resurrected 595 bus service to highlight the need for reliable bus services to all housing

  • Shopping centre investment pledge

    THE new owners of Burnley's flagship shopping centre today pledged an exciting development in the town after earmarking it for investment. But King Sturge said it could not reveal how much money it would put into Charter Walk and said: "It could be anything

  • Crook Foxley's home threatened

    A CROOKED civil servant blamed for the loss of hundreds of ROF jobs in Blackburn is facing legal action to seize his £1million country home. Solicitors acting for the Ministry of Defence have targeted Gordon Foxley's Oxfordshire house after he failed

  • Messy Business

    THE front page of 'The Mirror' today reads " ORPHANED - Afghan families wiped out as US bomber hits wedding" (July 2nd 2002). It goes on to detail how up to 250 people mainly women and children, at a family wedding were killed in Uruzgan province, north

  • Animals green with envy

    Cllr Barry is obviously learning the political game as played by all lunatic fringe movements, playing the man and not the ball. I asked one simple question: could he or any other Green councillor deny the fact that there was less recycling now than there

  • Pike to quiz Blair at TV 'grilling' session

    BURNLEY MP Peter Pike is to get the chance to quiz Tony Blair in-depth later this month in a televised cross-examination of the Prime Minister at Westminster. He is one of 34 senior Parliamentarians who will line up opposite the Prime Minister for a special

  • School's homework does the business

    A HIGH school was celebrating today after being named one of the first specialist business and enterprise colleges in the country. Ivy Bank High School, Burnley, will receive £600,000 of extra Government funding over the next three years for more staff

  • Ex-councillor produces catalogue of criticism

    A FORMER councillor who promised to print his own account of trouble leading up to the Burnley riots has unveiled his report. Former independent member of Burnley Borough Council Harry Brooks launched the report entitled A Town Betrayed almost exactly

  • Remanded on rape charge

    ERIC Dale, 48, of Claremont Street, Brierfield, was bailed until July 23 by Burnley Magistrates, charged with rape. He is due to face committal to Burnley crown court.

  • 'Joke' burglary ends in court

    A YOUNG dad who went into his neighbour's home at the dead of night and helped himself to speakers could have ended up in jail. Burnley Magistrates Court heard the raid was so serious it should be dealt with at Crown Court -- but the bench told defendant

  • £9,000 aid for charity

    A LOCAL charity that relocates furniture from landfill sites to needy causes has been given a cash boost. Colne-based Open Door Furniture Recycling specialise in re-directing furniture which is no longer needed to disadvantaged homes. And the charity

  • Police officer hit in face

    A DRIVER ended up in the cells after a Christening led to a bus station rumpus, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how Stephen King, 28, thumped a police officer in the face and had to be restrained with the help of the custody sergeant. King

  • Bike man grabs phone from belt

    POLICE have issued crime prevention advice to mobile phone owners after a man had his snatched from a belt clip. The 33-year-old was walking his dog between Henry Street and Countess Street, Accrington, when a man on a bicycle snatched the telephone.

  • 60-mile trek for Christie's

    TEN-year-old John Gaskell brought tears to his dad's eyes when he crossed the finish line to take gold in the Manchester-to-Blackpool bike ride. The Tyldesley Primary School pupil did his sponsors proud, completing the full 60 miles, accompanied by dad

  • Council man's invite to No10

    FRONT-LINE staff at Hyndburn Borough Council have been given recognition for their work from the highest level at a special reception held by Prime Minister Tony Blair. David Allenby, Hyndburn's works manager, attended the event at 10 Downing Street after

  • Town has its time

    ATHERTONIANS can keep track of the time using clocks designed for the town. Belgium-based firm Decor Art Creations is producing a limited edition of handmade clocks with 18 carat gold features, depicting Atherton church, pub and street scenes. The Market

  • Crash victim's fightback

    A TEENAGER who was injured in a car crash is to attempt to walk again for the first time. Andrew McMinn, 19, of Blake Gardens, Great Harwood, suffered head injuries when the 4x4 vehicle he was a passenger in left a road in Clayton-le-Moors. For nine weeks

  • Key move in decision processes

    THE details of key decisions about to be taken by Hyndburn Borough Council are to be made available to the public. Under the council's new political management system, details will be set out in a forward plan published every month. Key decisions are

  • Use-it-or-lose-it warning on buses

    THE Government is being asked to provide money to ensure the Leigh area has regular, reliable bus services. MP Andy Burnham this week in Parliament raised the case of the resurrected 595 bus service to highlight the need for reliable bus services to all

  • Prison term stands as appeal fails

    A VICAR who kept a loaded gun should not have been sent to prison, according to a leading clergyman. That is the view of Archdeacon of Manchester the Venerable Alan Wolstencroft commenting after a four-month jail sentence had been passed on former Tyldesley

  • Journal keeps diamond couple up to date

    ALTHOUGH diamond duo Eric and Beth Seddon left Astley 20 years ago, they still keep up with all the local news -- thanks to the Journal. This week, the Lincoln-based couple, who are celebrating a sparkling 60 years together, hit the headlines themselves

  • Under-threat school had new nursery

    IN a dramatic reversal of fortune, Shakerley Primary School is celebrating a £64,000 award for a new nursery. Despite being earmarked for possible closure last week, spirits are high at the Tyldesley community school as they prepare to use the grant -

  • Safety moves

    New traffic-calming measures are to be introduced in part of Clitheroe in a bid to make the roads safer. Waterloo Road, Peel Street and Queensway will all get various new measures aimed at reducing traffic speed. And nearby Queens Road will also get a

  • Air quality facts at finger tips

    AIR quality statistics in the Ribble Valley are to be published on a dedicated web site in a ground-breaking initiative The Ribble Valley Council is establishing the site to publish daily findings from its air quality monitoring stations at Waddington

  • Target heads to Carrow Road

    DEFENDER Paul Heckingbottom, who Burnley were said to be keeping an eye on, has signed for Norwich on a free transfer from Darlington. The 24-year-old left-sided player began his career at Sunderland and had loan spells with Scarborough and Hartlepool

  • Last rites of passage

    THIS weekend is the last chance to see David Nobbs' moving and hilarious novel about a boy's passage from childhood to man come to life at Bolton's Octagon. Second From Last in the Sack Race runs at the theatre until Saturday. The story, set in the northern

  • Singers find the right note for charity

    THE exceptional tones of Bolton's Brixi Singers will be showcasing in a charity concert in Lowton. The 20 choristers formed their group in 1994 and have never looked back. Over the past six years, they have toured Britain and last summer sang in the beautiful

  • Former fireman pioneers warden scheme

    A FORMER fire-fighter is at the helm of a very new kind of brigade. Lancaster City Council has appointed Alan Winters as the boss of its new Poulton and West End Street Wardens Scheme, the aim of which is to help make the West End neighbourhood a cleaner

  • Farmers Market returns to Lancaster

    THE popular farmers market is set to make a regular return to Lancaster. The farmers market, which will be held on the second Wednesday in the month with the next one taking place on July 10. It will be based in Market Square. Organised by Lancaster City

  • Free fair

    A CRAFT and gift fair open 10am to 3.30pm on Saturday, July 27, at Leigh Library is in aid of Derian House children's hospice. Admission is free.

  • Rampaging horses causes road chaos

    A HORSE went on the rampage through busy city centre traffic during Monday's rush hour. Nobody was hurt, but two cars were damaged as the startled animal bucked on Barley Cop Lane and Slyne Road. It was last seen running at high speed towards Skerton

  • Going to the dogs

    DOG racing enthusiasts hold regular evening practice sessions on Wednesdays from 6.30pm at Astley and Tyldesley Miners' Welfare Club, off Meanley Road, Gin Pit village, Tyldesley.

  • Police link series of sex crimes

    POLICE believe a man who exposed himself to a student on the university cycle path is also behind two recent indecent assaults in the same area. The man walked up behind the 22-year-old local woman and, walking past her, shouted indecent comments and

  • Council to vet plans for strip shows

    LICENSED premises looking to stage strip shows will have to apply to the City Council for permission if councillors agree new rules this week. The local authority plan to regulate striptease and nudity performances as local pubs and clubs look to bring

  • Conman hits two pensioners in 10 minutes

    A THIEF conned his way into an elderly lady' s home, then shut her in the bathroom so he could steal £20. It was the first of two 'bogus caller' style burglaries at similar times within yards of each other. The man called at the 94-year-old woman's home

  • She's a little bit country ...

    AMERICAN singing sensation Scooter Lee will be appearing at Lowton Civic Hall for the final night of her UK tour. Scooter Lee is one of the biggest-selling country artists in the UK and Europe and will perform live from 7pm on Wednesday. She is only part

  • 'I'd like Yorke' says Souness

    BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has been told by the board that his plan to lure Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke to Ewood Park does not hinge on the sale of Ciccio Grabbi. Ewood chief Souness has already admitted in an exclusive interview with the

  • Shaw blasts West Brom move

    OPEN warfare has been declared on West Bromwich Albion - with PNE offering £200,000 for the newly promoted side's stars Scott Dobie and Neil Clement. The ridiculous offer was made by North End chairman Derek Shaw in response to the £1million bid made

  • Play to spark conflict

    A PLAY to get audiences arguing like the characters is coming to Darwen Library Theatre. Oleanna, previously seen on Broadway and in the West End, follows a confused student who challenges her university tutor to explain his ideas. An argument erupts

  • Bar's yard of ale contest

    BAR Java in Wellington Fold, Darwen, is staging a knockout drinking tournament to win a trip to Amsterdam this Friday. Contestants will attempt to 'down' a yard of ale to progress through to the next stage. The competition will run for the next four weeks

  • Hi! You're tuned to Radio Vale

    A GROUP of students will be local radio stars when their school's summer station goes on air. Darwen Vale High School has obtained a special licence from the Radio Authority to broadcast on 106 FM from this Sunday for three days. Listeners up to four

  • Kingsway site is on the road to riches

    A LONG standing scheme for a new road in the centre of Lancaster could finally go ahead - but it all hinges on the developers proving the need for a supermarket at Kingsway. Developers CR Chelverton last week announced a multi-million pound scheme covering

  • New man at the helm

    TYLDESLEY Rotary Club retiring president John Goldsworthy (left) congratulates his successor, John Leach, at Monday night's changeover ceremony. NON

  • Plea for help

    HOSPICE helpers are needed desperately for collections which this year take place between August 3 and September 1. In 2001, more than £23,000 was donated to Wigan and Leigh Hospice by generous and supportive people but this year, organisers find themselves

  • Valley gets its own top detective

    ROSSENDALE CID today welcomed a new Detective Inspector, the first time an officer of the rank has been stationed in the Valley since Pennine Division was created by Lancashire Police. DI Tony Ronnan, former head of CID at Burnley, will be stationed at

  • A Kwik fix

    KWIKSAVE customers in Hindley can look forward to a more varied shopping experience on their next visit to the store. More than £116,000 has been spent refurbishing the Atherton Road supermarket, which re-opened yesterday. Improvements include a non-food

  • Four-by-four skids into wall after downpour

    A LAND Rover Discovery ploughed into a garden wall after sliding off a slippy road in Leigh. The vehicle was travelling along Wigan Road towards Hindley just after 7am on Tuesday, when it skidded on the wet surface on a bend opposite Marsh Playing Fields

  • All revved up for 'grim' event

    WHATEVER the weather, rallyists who gather at the weekend in Atherton for the Fenrir Motorcycle Brotherhood It's Grim Up North event are in for a great time. The seventh annual rally in aid of animal charity Petsearch UK is being staged tomorrow, Saturday

  • Firm support

    A GOLBORNE company is playing a part in helping food production in the developing world. The Phropines Group, which has engineering facilities in the village, is hoping to expand its trading base after exhibiting at the Royal Show last week. The group

  • Number 6 is on his way, aged only 7

    LITTLE Daniel Brown is already making a name for himself in the hectic world of dirt-bike racing. At the age of seven, the motocross Cock of the North star has been sponsored by SCL Racing, of Hindley. Owner Stephen Davies approached Daniel's father,

  • Arts status for school

    HINDLEY Mornington High has reaped a creativity reward by being made a Specialist Arts College. Today, staff and pupils at the Mornington Road school were celebrating the honour announced by Secretary of State for Education Estelle Morris. Headteacher

  • Simon has all the right moves

    CHESS club chairman Simon Woodcock achieved a perfect six out of six score to win the annual Warrington League Lightning open competition. In a fast, fun competition where a buzzer every 10 seconds signalled each players' next move, Simon beat Atherton

  • Garden opens for children's charity

    THIS weekend, the gates are open at one of the area's most beautiful gardens. Weeping Ash, the private garden of master horticulturist John Bent, will be open to the public in aid of the children's charity, NSPCC. Situated adjacent to Bents Garden Centre

  • Woman punched as conmen prey on villagers

    ELDERLY people are urged to be on their guard after a spate of burglaries. Police have issued a warning after a number of bogus official burglaries on the homes of elderly people. Last week there were six incidents in the Atherton area when pensioners

  • Protect your heritage

    HERITAGE bosses are being urged to do more to protect the buildings and industrial heritage of Leigh and neighbouring towns. Figures show that, to date, Leigh has received two grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund worth a total of £149,050 -- one of the

  • Keeping your cool

    WE'RE now approaching the height of summer and many sunseekers will be jetting abroad to hotter climes now the school holidays are almost here. But how many of us drink enough water, especially while we are soaking up the sun on the beach or sight-seeing

  • Natalie Vanish-ing act!

    FOR most people watching their favourite programmes on television, the adverts are the worst part. But the Richards family will be glued to the set during the break of the new ITV programme Home On Their Own on Saturday waiting for a glimpse of daughter

  • Crook Foxley's home threatened

    A CROOKED civil servant blamed for the loss of hundreds of ROF jobs in Blackburn is facing legal action to seize his £1million country home. Solicitors acting for the Ministry of Defence have targeted Gordon Foxley's Oxfordshire house after he failed

  • Fair pay if only Kournikova could play

    AN annual chestnut at Wimbledon seems to have taken on a more prominent position in this year's competition, but I can't help feeling women's tennis is still stuck with a dilemma it cannot solve - Anna Kournikova. Every year without fail the argument

  • Another Maine man

    CRAIG BROWN has made his second signing of the summer by adding young Manchester City full-back Tyrone Mears to his squad. Mears, a 19-year-old Stockport-born right-back, has a agreed a three-year-deal at Deepdale and will provide the cover for North

  • Not too fussy

    GLANCING through the lonely hearts ads (for no reason other than curiosity), I stumbled upon one purporting to be from a very fit, solvent businessman looking for a mate. He was seeking "an attractive lady, dark or fair, slim or cuddly with warmth and

  • Price of fashion

    I WAS standing at a checkout behind a young girl with a newborn baby. I felt sorry for the little thing. Trendy it might have been, but the poor mite was wearing a stiff denim jacket, complete with studs. Why? The tiny thing's movement was constrained

  • If the shoe fits ...

    SOCCER favourite David Ginola revealed that as a lad, he went to bed in his new football boots. I'm glad I'm not the only little one who was besotted by footwear. When I was four or five, my parents couldn't find my new, rubber red wellies anywhere --

  • Hospital and hospice wonderful

    I HAVE just spent a fortnight in Burnley General Hospital and Pendleside Hospice. Please, don't shut them or run them down. The doctors and nurses were marvellous and never stopped wanting to help. These are the places that need all the money going spare

  • Spider-Man debate

    REGARDING your story (LET, June 27) about Ribble Valley Council leader Chris Holtom using his emergency powers to upgrade the 12 certificate given to Superman. Is this man for real? By changing the film to a PG rating he has actually downgraded the certificate

  • Tax cheats should not be ignored

    REGARDING 'No urgency over untaxed vehicles' (Letters, June 26) I was intrigued by the response from an experienced police officer that "Unfortunately the police don't have the resources to employ officers just to report people for not having road tax

  • Response not good enough

    IN reply to Sergeant Stuart Isherwood's response to my complaint about lack of DVLA and police action over reports about untaxed vehicles (Letters, June 27), I would question why I was told action would be taken (sending a patrol car up) when, from his

  • Euro playing field is level

    IT'S wrong to gloat, but I confess to enjoying the fact that no-one these days seriously claims that the euro is a 'weak' currency. two years ago it was a different story. In these columns, I was having a hard time defending the euro against hostile letter-writers

  • Injuries pile up for Centurions as Oldham lie in wait

    LEIGH Centurions have major pack problems ahead of Sunday's awkward trip to Oldham. In the space of just two games, Leigh have lost three hookers and a prop forward and will go into this weekend's clash without a recognised number nine. Regular hookers

  • Souey keeping an eye open

    SOUNESS is continuing to monitor David Thompson's situation at Coventry as he looks to beef up his attacking midfield options ahead of the new season. As we revealed at the start of the summer, Souness had identified the former Liverpool wide-man as a

  • 'I'd like Yorke' says Souness

    BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has been told by the board that his plan to lure Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke to Ewood Park does not hinge on the sale of Ciccio Grabbi. Ewood chief Souness has already admitted in an exclusive interview with the

  • Exploding the population

    I WOULD once again like to thank Cllr Jon Barry for mentioning me in Citizen letters (June 20). Again Cllr Barry seems to share the rest of the Green Party's inability to grasp simple concepts. Yes Cllr Barry I am a member of the Labour Party but no,

  • Computer firm drops takeover bid

    SIMONSTONE-BASED Time Computers has pulled out of its takeover bid for its troubled French rival Continental Edison. But the company has confirmed it remains keen to expand into Continental Europe and said it is talking to a number of prospective targets

  • Shopping centre investment pledge

    THE new owners of Burnley's flagship shopping centre today pledged an exciting development in the town after earmarking it for investment. But King Sturge said it could not reveal how much money it would put into Charter Walk and said: "It could be anything

  • Literacy and numeracy skills lacking

    NEARLY a fifth of adults in East Lancashire are lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills, a new report has revealed. The Trades Union Congress said a total of 93,822 people in the area aged between 16-60 suffered from poor literacy out of an adult population

  • Fringe set to flourish

    FESTIVALS abound in Edinburgh but the Fringe is the most colourful and attracts the most attention. The fun starts on August 4 and with 20,342 performances you are sure to find something that will keep you entertained for an hour or two. The Fringe site

  • Top mark for arts

    AN Atherton school has become the first primary school in the borough to be awarded the Artsmark, the Arts Council's seal of approval for educational commitment to the subject. Yesterday, representatives from Hindsford CE Primary School were at a ceremony

  • Name your young hero

    THIS year's Soroptimist award is to be aimed at young people who have made a valuable contribution to their community. The Young People Serving the Community Soroptimist Award 2002 will be presented to the young person who a panel of judges consider the

  • Teen admits armed raids

    A 16-YEAR-old boy was part of a three-man gang that terrorised shop assistants with a gun, knives and an axe. But, encouraged by his father, teenager Peter Waring came clean about the raids at a Texaco garage and Cost Cutter and Cost Less stores in Leigh

  • Title gain after weight loss

    AFTER losing more than nine stone in weight in little over a year, Julie-Anne Prescott is feeling champion. Hindley Green mum Julie-Anne is ecstatic after beating 2,500 others to take the national Slimming World Consultant Slimmer of the Year title. Little

  • Fringe set to flourish

    FESTIVALS abound in Edinburgh but the Fringe is the most colourful and attracts the most attention. The fun starts on August 4 and with 20,342 performances you are sure to find something that will keep you entertained for an hour or two. The Fringe site

  • Take a look at WiFi

    COMMUNITY groups have taken advantage of the Internet by setting up virtual communities to share information and ideas. With wireless networks being the next great thing on the web horizon it is these kinds of organisations who could enjoy the biggest

  • Salt Ayre games go down a storm

    ORGANISERS of last weekend's Lancashire Youth Games have declared the event 'a huge success.' The competition at Salt Ayre Sports Centre attracted 1,500 young competitors from across Lancashire in a range of sports. City council sports development manager

  • New football course at college

    ST MARTIN'S College is the venue for a football course on July 24, 25 and 26. The course, run by Future Stars Soccer, sees coaching from FA qualified coaching as well as penalty shootouts and a 'world cup' competition. The course runs from 10am to 3pm

  • Right on time

    MORECAMBE promenade hosts the 10th annual 'Keep on Ticking' family fun run on Sunday. The run starts at 11am from the rear of the Midland Hotel and follows a flat, fast course of approximately 5km. Individual entry is £2.50 (50p extra on the day) while

  • Off the Ball by Steve Dunthorpe

    THEY think it's all over - yes, whatever, and the rest. The Brazilians were good, don't get me wrong - easily the best of a poor bunch. The Germans were typically dour and well organised, but don't have those three or four players of the highest quality

  • Places still available on PNE course

    THE next Preston North End youth development football course commences shortly and there are a number of places still available. Run in association with Lancaster City, the course lasts for nine weeks and covers most aspects of football coaching. At the

  • It's Hall in a day's work

    A LOCAL Keep Fit teacher has been honoured with the chance to choreograph a team demonstration item at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Alysia Gilda has been coaching the team at St, Martin's Sports Centre for the past few months ready for the show 'Moved

  • Famous five rally to cause

    HIGH-PROFILE Clarets fans have given the club's fight for ITV Digital cash a boost by urging the bosses of Carlton and Granada to pay up. Clarets chief executive Andrew Watson said the five famous fans had written to the two chairmen, Charles Allen of

  • Anderson looking to inspire Lancs

    LANCASHIRE were looking to the pace of Burnley's James Anderson to lift them out of their Championship slump at Leicester today. The 19-year-old was recalled to the team for his second appearance as part of a five-pronged seam attack, with spinner Gary

  • No more rain, please!

    MANCHESTER's Opera House welcomes Jude Kelly's Olivier Award Winning musical, Singin' in the Rain. The popular production tells the tale of love and intrigue, set at the heart of the movie industry, and features memorable songs such as Be A Clown, Good

  • Premiere will be a culture shock

    WIGAN International Jazz Festival organisers are set for the world premiere of a new jazz suite entitled Cultureshock -- The Spirit of Friendship Suite. The suite will be performed by Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra, South African youth orchestra's Gauteng

  • Heysham High sets sites on the stars

    When astronauts at NASA put out a challenge to all school children across the globe pupils at Heysham High School were some of the first to respond. Ten pupils from the school joined in a 24-hour competition set by four astronauts from the Houston Space

  • Emergency numbers

    Environment Agency General Inquiry Line -- 0845 9 333 111 Environment Agency FLOODLINE -- 0845 988 1188 Environment Agency Emergency Hotline -- 0800 80 70 60

  • Plenty of fun at school

    A FAMILY fun day at Lowton St Catherine's Primary School runs from 1pm to 4pm on Sunday, with trampolines, stalls, a beer tent and sponsored fun run. Admission is 20p.

  • Charity concert

    A SUMMER supper concert on Saturday featuring Mavis Aldred and friends will raise funds for a ramp for the disabled at Bag Lane Methodist Church. The Atherton event starts at 7pm and costs £3 including supper.

  • Father pays ultimate price

    A FATHER whose young daughter died after he fell asleep leaving a chip pan unattended has spoken of paying the " ultimate price" for his mistake. Four-year-old Eden Lewis died as a result of smoke inhalation. Despite the efforts of alert neighbours who

  • Surgeries cancelled

    LIGHTSHAW councillors David Kelly and Brian Strett have cancelled surgeries during July because of holidays. Normal surgeries resume on August 1 but, in the interim, telephone inquiries can be made on 01942 713189.

  • New Jubilee footpath

    A NEW footpath to commemorate the Jubilee year was officially opened this week. The Jubilee route, at Hermitage Field, above the Crook O Lune, near Caton, has been constructed in partnership with Lancaster City Council, Lancashire CountyCouncil, The Ramblers

  • Play stops reign

    THE juggernaut (or in the words of skipper Phil Thornton 'the Travelling Circus') that is Morecambe Cricket Club came to a shuddering halt in the Northern Premier League game at Broadwater on Saturday thanks to some resolute batting by Fleetwood and some

  • Queen street mystery needs solving

    A DARK place where terrible things happened, ruled over with a rod of iron - illegitimate children torn from their mother's breast at barely six weeks old and heavily pregnant women sleeping in doorways in the street. It sounds like the stuff of middle

  • Midland still on track

    THE owners of Morecambe's Midland Hotel have issued a public statement to stress that the £10 million restoration of the hotel is going ahead as planned. Answering recent press speculation following the collapse of Imperial Consolidated - the business

  • Teamwork award for hotel staff

    MORECAMBE'S Auckland Hotel has won the Best Individual Hotel for Groups at a prestigious travel awards ceremony in London. Having been runners up for two years, proprietors Peter and Jason Bracken were delighted to receive the award with a kiss from BBC

  • Famous five rally to cause

    HIGH-PROFILE Clarets fans have given the club's fight for ITV Digital cash a boost by urging the bosses of Carlton and Granada to pay up. Clarets chief executive Andrew Watson said the five famous fans had written to the two chairmen, Charles Allen of

  • Preece eyes new blood

    SHAKERS boss Andy Preece has begun his recruitment drive for the new season armed by new Football League rules over loan signings. Preece has already made enquiries about several players and hopes to have at least one in harness for the opening fixture

  • Labour Party urged to bring in youth

    A FORMER Blackburn with Darwen councillor has told the Labour Party it needs to do more to bring younger people and those from more diverse backgrounds into the council chamber. Simon Danczuk, who was on the council for seven years and represented Earcroft

  • 'Ringo' stirs up beetle mania

    THERE was a time when the Beatles played on the wireless and fans would screech with appreciation. But when Ringo made a surprise appearance on the radio at an East Lancashire factory workers screamed with fear. Far from being the lovable mop-top of the

  • Serious fun

    A FUN-packed day with a serious message awaits visitors to Leigh town centre on Saturday. Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Police have teamed up to organise a community safety awareness event where residents can find out what is being done, and what

  • US holiday from Atherton to ... Atherton

    THERE'S no place like home, as Dorothy and Jim Hunt discovered when they left Atherton for a visit to . . . Atherton. The Lambeth Street couple have just returned from a trip to the United States to see their daughter, Yvonne, a computer executive and

  • Virtual tour becomes a reality for pupils

    CHILDREN at St Paul's CE Primary this week donned their waterproofs as they set sail from the safe harbour of virtual reality to experience the nautical know-how of the real thing. In a Leigh Education Action Zone project, they boarded the Kennet Floating

  • The perfect pate

    A RICH recipe for chicken liver pate is this week's culinary creation from Nigel Smith, manager and head chef of the Feilden's Arms, Mellor Brook. The dish is ideal as a first course at a dinner party or a summer snack when it's too hot to eat much --

  • Students surprise at college summer show

    FIVE hundred students have put the fruits of a year's labour on show at the Blackburn College Summer Exhibition. They filled 14 rooms in the art and design centre with work which covered art and design, music and media. Curriculum centre head Kath Brennand

  • Police plea on nurse's set attacker

    POLICE have released an artist's impression of the man they are hunting after a nurse was sexually assaulted. The 21-year-old victim was attacked in Shadsworth Road, Blackburn, close to the junction with Haslingden Road. She was making her way to Queens

  • Cafe society bid goes in

    CAFE society could finally arrive in Blackburn through a national chain. Puccino's, which owns a string of cafe bars and coffeeshops across London and is now expanding across the country, has applied for planning permission to convert a prime town centre

  • High school wins 'Fame' future

    A HIGH school was celebrating today after winning coveted arts college status. Our Lady and St John RC High School, Blackburn, will become the first focus for excellence in dance, drama and music in Blackburn and Darwen. Meanwhile, in Burnley, Ivy Bank

  • Bar plan has a bitter taste for neighbours

    ELDERLY residents are hopping mad after losing a courtroom battle against plans to reopen one of Blackburn's oldest workingmen's clubs as a trendy bar. A group of 12 residents from flats in St Michael's Court and Ambleside Close, Blackburn, attended a

  • Help from the Masons

    THE Magic Eye Scanner Appeal was one of 14 charities to receive an extra boost, thanks to charity donations from the Freemasons. Members from more than 20 masonic lodges in Blackburn and Darwen gathered at Darwen Masonic Lodge for the presentation evening

  • Caring workers send cash gifts

    WORKERS are pitching in to boost the Lancashire Evening Telegraph Magic Eye appeal. Three donations have been given this week from companies in Blackburn and more fundraising events are planned. The appeal aims to raise £200,000 for a state-of-the-art

  • Literacy and numeracy skills lacking

    NEARLY a fifth of adults in East Lancashire are lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills, a new report has revealed. The Trades Union Congress said a total of 93,822 people in the area aged between 16-60 suffered from poor literacy out of an adult population

  • PNE linked to USA World Cup star

    PRESTON North End's big money summer signing of Ricardo Fuller could open the flood gates for a series of high profile names to be linked with the Deepdale outfit. Most recently, Craig Brown has been linked with Fulham's American wide man Eddie Lewis.

  • Memorial is no more

    I AM really sad to see that Golborne's happiest little garden has vanished. The cheery plot at the front of a Lowton Road bungalow, which always made me smile when I passed, is no more. The brightly-coloured tubs and windows boxes have gone, the butterflies

  • Size does matter -- in the Army

    THE stunning TV documentary Lads' Army, which took 30 game volunteers back to the tough regime of National Service life in the '50s, struck a memorable note with Fred Lunn. The sergeant gunnery and ABC (that's atomic, biological and chemical welfare)

  • A town centre oasis

    ONE of Radcliffe's most controversial buildings is set to become an OASIS, a vibrant centre for young people and the community. The former Radcliffe Times building in Church Street was the source of countless complaints when it was used as a hostel for