A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. "The Accrington Pals," presented by Blackburn Arts Club, The Club Theatre, Gibraltar Street, Blackburn, 7.30pm. "Oliver," presented by The Basics Junior Theatre, Mechanics
AMAZING! The Magic Eye Appeal to buy life-saving cancer smashes the target yet again! Generous East Lancashire folk have reached the appeal's new goal of £270,000 in just three months. Now, they are on course to make the final total a staggering £300,000
LOYALTY, is it important? Yes, very much so. Blind loyalty? We hope not. At the moment I'm thinking about the predicament that a lot of people will be finding themselves in. Is there anybody out there that really thinks that armed warfare is the answer
LATEST tables PREMIER DIVISION P W D L F A Pts GD Wythenshawe... 27 15 6 6 48 32 51 16 Mitchell Shackleton... 22 12 4 6 44 34 40 10 Leigh Athletic... 27 11 6 10 65 45 39 20 Dukinfield Town... 24 11 4 9 41 36 37 5 Stockport Georgians... 22 11 2 9 53 47
TONIGHT'S vote on military action in Iraq is set to split East Lancashire MPs down the middle. Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson, her Hyndburn Labour colleague Greg Pope and Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans will join Blackburn's Jack Straw in backing
CONSIDER yourself at home at Burnley Mechanics this week as BASICS Junior Theatre present the popular musical Oliver! The show opens tonight and runs until Saturday with performances at 7.30pm nightly and a Saturday matinee at noon. Details from the box
BLACKBURN Arts Club will be bringing to life the tragic story of the Accrington Pals which opens tonight at the club's theatre in Gibraltar Street. Peter Whelan's play looks at life in Accrington as the First World War breaks out and men who enlist to
THE families of people killed on the roads are sometimes told that if the vehicle had been travelling five mph slower their loved one's injuries would not have been fatal. This is not helpful, either to the bereaved, who may have been left with a brain-damaged
IT is not surprising Tom Fell, of the Countryside Alliance (Letters, February 11), objects to hunting being tested against 'utility,' as it would mean bloodsporters having to prove that killing animals is necessary. The CA's objections simply show that
OVER the past months I have read with great interest the various comments regarding the abundant use of speed cameras in our area. I now feel I have the proof we all need -- they are there not to save lives, as the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety
FIREFIGHTERS in Bury will take part in national strike action planned for this Thursday (March 20). Crews based at stations in Bury, Whitefield and Ramsbottom will walk out at 6pm for the first 24-hour strike in nearly two months. The action follows the
BURY SOUTH MP Ivan Lewis has enabled union members to improve their skills and develop new interests with £9 million government money for the new Union Learning Fund projects. The fund enables unions to help workers from all sectors of the economy benefit
ARMED robbers held up a bank in Leyland, firing shots and escaping with cash. Police are appealing for witnesses to the robbery to come forward after the raid on the Lloyds TSB bank, Chapel Brow. Two men walked into the bank carrying firearms at around
A NEW project to help promote the achievements of Afro Caribbean people in Bury will be launched with a special event this week. The Afro Caribbean Opportunities Initiative event will take place at the Village Hotel on Friday (March 21) and will involve
FOUR teenagers have been robbed in the street in separate incidents. The first happened on Thursday evening (March 13) in Victoria Street, Radcliffe, when a 15-year-old boy was approached by two old teenagers who demanded property. Their victim was then
POLICE today revealed armed robbers who kidnapped a postmaster and his wife could have been watching their post office for weeks before they struck. Roger and Marilyn Clarkson, of Newchurch-in-Pendle, returned to work yesterday after their traumatic ordeal
A BUDDING DJ has been given a once in a lifetime opportunity -- to play a set at the Miami Winter Music Conference. John McKinlay, 22, of Tattersall Street, Padiham, will be pumping-up the volume to thousands of spectators at the annual music conference
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former mayor who has been described as a "perfect gentleman." James Heyes, 81, died on Friday after battling a long-term illness. The former JP was well known in the town for his quiet but sincere nature that brought him immense
THE parents behind Burnley's DIY school are today preparing to lodge their fourth appeal to get their children back into main stream education. The group set up makeshift classrooms at the Enterprise Centre, Rossendale Road, earlier this year after they
THE final rounds of the Brains of Cliviger quiz were held at the Village Hall with the Church, Home and School Association emerging the winners by one point in front of the Red Lees team. CLIVIGER Recreation and Community Association is planning two '
LOVERS of real ale could get another venue in Burnley town centre if plans for a Continental-style bar get the go-ahead from planners. Plans for the bar, which will serve real ale and Belgian and German beers, have been submitted to the council and are
HUNDREDS of Burnley landlords and tenants are facing an uncertain future after a company which manages more than 1,300 houses in the town went into liquidation. But those linked to the homes in the Accrington Road and Burnley Wood areas of the town were
PRESTON striker Pawel Abbott is back in the Gigg Lane fold -- albeit for a fortnight writes Phil Thorp The Polish under-21 international has sensationally returned to the Shakers to complete his three-month loan spell that ended in mid-October. The talented
MIDWAY through the second half, with the Clarets in disarray and trailing 3-0 to Walsall, I turned to a fellow sufferer. "I'm not even sure what formation they're playing," I moaned. "It's the Easter Egg formation," came the reply, before adding by way
STAFF at a Romanian hospital were given a smart look thanks to their counterparts in Blackburn. Nursing staff at the Beardwood Hospital, Preston New Road, passed on their old uniforms to the spinal trauma unit in Bucharest.
MEMBERS of Great Harwood District Women's Institute are bringing their branch into the 21st century by studying on a computer course. Tutored by Clint Ainsworth, the seven students are learning how to produce cards, posters and even calendars -- though
RESIDENTS are being asked to prepare for disruption to their refuse collections as Hyndburn's new recycling system launches. Yesterday the council switched from five collection rounds to six ,with every home in the borough having to put out a new blue
THIRTY extra jobs have been created at a new, multi-million pound bingo palace. A staff of 70 will be on hand at BJ's Luxury Bingo which later this month moves into the former Pioneer Store in Ellesmere Street, Leigh. The last house was called at Shipleys
BURY SOUTH MP Ivan Lewis has enabled union members to improve their skills and develop new interests with £9 million government money for the new Union Learning Fund projects. The fund enables unions to help workers from all sectors of the economy benefit
HORNBY Lodge, the former Prestwich Police Station, has been sold for £850,000. The new owners are Prestwich-based Loci Developments, of Venwood Road. Prior to putting up the Bury New Road building for sale, Greater Manchester Police Authority applied
A SCENES of crime officer has today appeared in court to deny seven charges of child abduction. Peter Sharples, aged 55, of Glenview Court, Preston, pleaded not guilty at Preston Crown Court to seven counts of abducting a girl under sixteen years. The
THE Clarets begin a run of five successive home games against Leicester City tonight and midfielder Paul Weller said: "Let's hope this is the launch-pad for the rest of the season. "We can't afford to let the season die." And Weller admitted that manager
ARMED robbers held up a bank in Leyland today, before escaping with cash. Police are appealing for witnesses to the robbery to come forward after the raid on the Lloyds TSB bank, Chapel Brow. Two men walked into the bank carrying firearms at around 12.30pm
HUNDREDS flocked to a Ramsbottom pub for the start of its bigger and better beer festival. The Hare and Hounds' beer festival started at the pub on Bolton Road West, Holcombe Brook, last Saturday but will run until Sunday March 23. Landlord Andy Grant
A BLACKBURN pub has been nominated as the town's best local community pub. The Hole House Inn, on Burnley Road, was put forward by its company Pub Estates to compete with other nominated pubs in the chain across the country. The were nominated for their
REGULARS at a pub in Oswaldtwistle will see a new face behind the bar when they order their regular tipple. John Bromage took over the White Bull, on New Lane, after spending eight years at the Salutation Inn, in Threlkeld, Cumbria. He moved from the
TRAVEL agent Debbie Firkin is flying high after a dream day trip to Vienna with a set of special passengers -- all her friends and family. Debbie, aged 27, was thrilled to be able to invite 39 people to join her on a private plane for a 12-hour visit
MP DAVID Chaytor has called for an end to aptitude selection of pupils in specialist schools. And he won an early Commons victory when his Bill calling for the repeal of the current law was accepted this week. The Labour backbencher suspects that some
THERE was another goal feast at Madley Park where Leigh Athletic and Stockport Georgians shared six goals in an entertaining Manchester League Premier Division encounter. Danny Wilson took his tally to 17 with another brace of goals while Steve Bevin
THE Clarets must be ruthless against Leicester City tonight if they are to keep their slim play-off hopes alive. That is the defiant message from manager Stan Ternent who admitted: "It's mathematically possible but we will have to buck up big style in
ROVERS winger Keith Gillespie hopes his star performance against Arsenal will help to persuade Graeme Souness to offer him a new deal. The Northern Ireland international's current contract is due to expire in the summer, and so far Rovers have yet to
DARWEN Cricket Club wants new young players and is staging a day-long event on Sunday. Girls and boys aged between seven and 14 are invited if interested in training with the club this season. Ian Cordingley, junior co-ordinator, said: "The day will feature
RESIDENTS on a Darwen street have set up a petition to rid their road of a run-down ginnel which they say attracts drunks and teenage yobs. Dennis Edwards, 55, is one of many residents on the road who is sick of the problems caused by a pathway connecting
A TEACHER spoke for the first time today about the pioneering transplant operation which saved his son's life. Adam Turner, head of history at Moorland High School, Darwen, became one of the first in the world to undergo the stem cell transplant operation
RESIDENTS in Bacup were evacuated yesterday after a wagon carrying lethal substances crashed in the town as part of a training exercise. The drill was set up by Lancashire County Council's emergency planning department. It was designed to test how different
ALARMED officials at a community project had to take restraining action when a woman kicked, punched and dragged another woman to the floor, a court heard. Amanda Carroll, 32, also known as Amanda Grainger, of Cobden Street, Britannia, Bacup, was before
RAMSBOTTOM'S third Beer Festival is taking place this week with help from a traditional bus. The Bombardier Bus, a double decker London routemaster is currently parked in the car park of the the Hare and Hounds, Holcombe Brook. A bar has been installed
A LEADING animal welfare group claims it has received 'hundreds of complaints' about the company set to take over Blackpool Zoo. The Born Free Foundation is to oppose the handing over of Blackpool Council's zoo operating licence to Grant Leisure Group
TRAVEL agents are being warned they face prosecution if they mislead customers with window display advertisements. In a crackdown by trading standards officers in towns across the North West, 70 per cent of travel agent window cards were found to contain
MP DAVID Chaytor has called for an end to aptitude selection of pupils in specialist schools. And he won an early Commons victory when his Bill calling for the repeal of the current law was accepted this week. The Labour backbencher suspects that some
LATEST tables PREMIER DIVISION P W D L F A Pts GD Wythenshawe... 27 15 6 6 48 32 51 16 Mitchell Shackleton... 22 12 4 6 44 34 40 10 Leigh Athletic... 27 11 6 10 65 45 39 20 Dukinfield Town... 24 11 4 9 41 36 37 5 Stockport Georgians... 22 11 2 9 53 47
YOU'VE done it again! Delighted Magic Eye appeal organisers are celebrating after generous East Lancashire folk smashed the final target of £270,000. There is now enough cash to buy not one or two, but three life-saving endoscopic ultrasound scanners
LATEST tables U7 SECTION A P W D L Pt Aspull Jnrs... 14 13 1 0 40 B/holme Warriors A... 14 9 4 1 31 Ladybridge Ath... 12 9 1 2 28 AFC Hindley Jnrs... 13 8 3 2 27 Eagley Rgrs... 13 6 2 5 20 Horwich SM Apaches... 15 4 6 5 18 Boothstown JFC... 15 4 5 6 17
SOLDIERS of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment expect to be putting out fires in Liverpool this week instead of taking on Iraq. But the situation could change quickly, as they are on 10 days' notice to be sent anywhere in the world. The 550 soldiers, 99
HOWEVER objectionable we may find the BNP, they have the right to free speech providing they operate within the framework of society's rules. If the Labour Party wish to spend money on 'correcting misinformation' they also have that right. It would, however
PRESIDENT Bush, speaking live on TV at 1am, gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to quit Iraq or the country wil face a US-led invasion. He warned war will come "at a time of our choosing." Find out all the latest news from Iraq, Britain and America with our
PATIENTS and visitors to Fairfield General Hospital are now having to pay up. Car parking charges were finally introduced at the beginning of the month despite widespread opposition and threats of legal action by the Community Health Council. The health
BAE Systems today announced 164 redundancies at one of its two Lancashire plants. The jobs, part of a national BAE redundancy programme involving 1,005 workers, will go at the Warton factory because of major problems with the Nimrod maritime patrol planes
RSPCA'S latest recruit is hoping for purrfect start to her new role. Mrs Mandy Tierney has become Bury's branch administrator for the national charity. And her first job is to house a number of cats which have been cruelly abandoned. She said: "I only
A FOOTBALL boss and his players took to the streets on a shopping expedition...for supporters. Manager Mark Patterson and his Leigh RMI players mingled with shoppers in the centre of the town in a bid to encourage more people to watch their team. They
ROVERS winger Keith Gillespie hopes his star performance against Arsenal will help to persuade Graeme Souness to offer him a new deal. The Northern Ireland international's current contract is due to expire in the summer, and so far Rovers have yet to
FIREFIGHTERS in Burnley spent 15 minutes bringing a fire under control yesterday at an empty house in Elmwood Street. They were called out at 12.50pm after reports of flames coming out of the windows. Station officer Neil Ashworth said: "When we got there
A FREAK gardening accident to his wife spoiled a surprise dinner on Sunday to celebrate East Lancashire MP Peter Pike's 20 years in Parliament. His daughters Jane and Carol has organised the the event at the Alexandra Hotel on Todmorden Road, Burnley,
EAST Lancashire has received a £300,000 government cash boost to bring communities closer together. The cash, from Home Office funding, was secured by a joint partnership bid by Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Rossendale Councils along with Lancashire County
PAV Abbott's arrival could give Colin Cramb the chance to re-charge his batteries after a run of eight consecutive matches. The Scot had been thrown in at the deep end by Preece after being out of action for months with knee ligament damage. But in that
CENTENARIAN Thomas Pountney celebrated his birthday yesterday surrounded by his friends and family and with a visit from the Mayor of Pendle Coun Pauline McCormick. Thomas, of Cravendale Avenue, Nelson has spent most of his life in the area after meeting
POLICE Sergeant Russ Gregory has become president of the East Lancashire Group of the Institute of Advanced Motorists. Sgt Gregory, an officer with the Lancashire Road Safety Policing Unit, accepted the position at the group's annual general meeting at
SAFE moving and handling of people will be the theme of a briefing event at Pendle Training, in Netherfield Road, Nelson on Tuesday, April 8. The Moving and Handling Facilitators Seminar, which will start at 11am, will provide a taster of a new course
GORDON Prentice has highlighted the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home -- the silent killer which claimed a young Nelson married couple's lives in 1998. The Pendle Labour MP is backing a British Gas campaign to make people more aware of
A NEW development control manager could be employed in Pendle as part of a programme to improve the planning service. The move follows a report from by the Audit Commission earlier this year which said the development control service provided by Pendle
TWO of the biggest entertainers in snooker are set to do battle in Bury on Thursday. Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan and Jimmy "Whirlwind" White are lined up for what's sure to be a night not to be missed for fans of the green baize. The superstars will
A PSYCHIC came to a Burnley hotel to help a lost ghost find its way to the spirit world. Staff at the Friendly Hotel invited medium Denis Barnes after the ghost, believed to be a worker who died when the hotel was built, made its presence felt for two
THE Prospects Foundation is launching a newsletter to keep Hyndburn residents informed and raise awareness of its work. The registered charity has seven panels in the borough, made up of people who want to improve their environment. The newsletter, launched
BRICK workers are fighting against an "archaic" company pay structure which means employees don't get paid when they are on holiday. Employees at Marshalls Clay Products, in Accrington, have already taken the company to an employment tribunal which ruled
A CONTROVERSIAL plan to build a mosque in the centre of Clitheroe came up before a government inspector today. A three-year bid by Clitheroe's Muslim community to build the mosque at the back of an Islamic Education Centre in Holden Street came to a halt
THE British National Party has announced its fifth and final candidate to stand for Ribble Valley Council elections in May. The far-right party has now lined up a candidate for each of the five wards to be contested in Clitheroe. The latest candidate,
THE largest league crowd of the Bloomfield Road season saw the Seasiders' play-off hopes slip further away than ever, Despite being six points behind the sixth place club, QPR, a very good run could potentially throw Blackpool back into contention. Unfortunately
THE Clarets must be ruthless against Leicester City tonight if they are to keep their slim play-off hopes alive. That is the defiant message from manager Stan Ternent who admitted: "It's mathematically possible but we will have to buck up big style in
SPECIAL crime-busting officers, who have now been pounding the beat in Leyland for about a month, say their presence has gone down a storm. Police community support officers were drafted in to the town in February to patrol troublespots including the
WOULD-be councillors in South Ribble are getting the chance to find out what life is like under the glare of the public eye. All 55 of the borough's council seats are up for grabs in the local elections, and almost anybody can stand. But one councillor
WHEN he's not arguing the case for fire-fighters across Lancashire he's fighting the corner of prisoners across the world. Steve Harman is Lancashire Fire and Rescue's full-time union representative and has been involved in top-level negotiations during
A MOTHER who tried for 10 years to have children is urging the Earl and Countess of Wessex to go for it following reports that the couple were considering IVF treatment. It comes as Prince Edward and his wife Sophie visited Preston on Wednesday, March
BAE Systems today announced 164 redundancies at one of its two Lancashire plants. The jobs, part of a national BAE redundancy programme involving 1,005 workers, will go at the Warton factory because of major problems with the Nimrod maritime patrol planes
DIGNITARIES mixed with school children and staff at Park View Primary School as they celebrated the official opening of a new extension. From plans which were drawn up more than 15 years ago, the Prestwich school finally saw their ideas come to fruition
DENNIS Taylor is a man with a mission -- to put the pride back into East Lancashire and make it a centre of excellence for business and industry, education and leisure. Andrew Calvert speaks to the man who has been appointed as the first full-time chief
A 19-YEAR-OLD man has appeared in court charged in connection with an incident on Saturday night when a man was attacked outside Bargain Booze on Blackburn Road, Darwen, and left with a broken jaw, broken nose and extensive bruising. Jordan Williams,
COMMUNITIES in Darwen are invited to meet asylum seekers at a special event tonight. Organised by Coun Karimeh Foster and Darwen Rotary Club, the meeting is at 7pm at Central United Reformed Church, Duckworth Street. Coun Foster said: "A lot of the time
A SOCIAL Services boss today said it was too early to say whether the results of an inquiry into the death of a teenage care home resident would be made public. Shane Cook, 13, died in the early hours of Sunday after the Ford Orion he was travelling in
COUNCILLORS will consider £200,000 plans to breathe new life into Rawtenstall's celebrated Astoria Ballroom. The project is due to be discussed at a meeting of Rossendale Council's corporate policy committee tomorrow. The new scheme will mean the council
RESIDENTS in Oswaldtwistle have been urged by the police to band together to form neighbourhood watch groups. PC Tracey Finn, the town's Community Beat Manager, said they wanted residents to look out for each other, and help themselves and the police
FYLDE parents could be forced to sign a declaration before taking pictures of their own children at local leisure centres - and councillors are to even consider banning photography completely. Fylde Borough Councillors were due to meet on Wednesday (March
SOLDIERS of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment expect to be putting out fires in Liverpool this week instead of taking on Iraq. But the situation could change quickly, as they are on 10 days' notice to be sent anywhere in the world. The 550 soldiers, 99
A BUDDING musician hit the high notes by landing a place at the world-famous Chetham's Music School in Manchester. Gifted nine-year-old Alexandra Young, who plays cornet and piano, found out about her place when dad Colin rushed to Holy Souls' Primary
WORK to revitalise East Lancashire's most deprived neighbourhoods has been boosted by £8.9million. The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund money has been given to Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn and Pendle, among the most deprived local authority areas
YOU'VE done it again! Delighted Magic Eye appeal organisers are celebrating after generous East Lancashire folk smashed the final target of £270,000. There is now enough cash to buy not one or two, but three life-saving endoscopic ultrasound scanners
COLNE player chairman James Webster wants his side to be playing Division One football in the North West Counties League next season. Webster, who this week appointed Paul Lynch as a joint player-manager after Andy Lawson was forced to step down due to
LEICESTER manager Micky Adams reckons the landmark 2-1 victory over Preston North End is good enough to secure his promotion-chasing Foxes a place in the First Division play-offs. Adams' second-placed Leicester are favourites for automatic promotion to
DIGNITARIES mixed with school children and staff at Park View Primary School as they celebrated the official opening of a new extension. From plans which were drawn up more than 15 years ago, the Prestwich school finally saw their ideas come to fruition
IT MAY not have been Cape Canaveral, but it was one giant step for a group of teenagers. Five home-made rockets, built by pupils at schools in Bolton and Bury, were all put to the test when they were launched into the sky above Lincolnshire. The teams
A VICTIM of domestic violence is starting a new life in Bury after a landmark victory that saw the Home Office drop moves to deport her. Now the woman, originally from Pakistan, has been granted permanent residency in the UK, to lead her life free from
LASTEST details Division Two Howe Bridge Mills Res...3 Atherton Royals...2 DIVISION ONE P W L D F A Pt Kersal Vale AFC... 17 14 2 1 76 28 43 Higher Fold LC... 15 9 5 1 38 32 25 Colliers Rest... 16 6 7 3 40 33 21 Rope & Anchor... 16 4 7 5 31 41 17
THERE was another goal feast at Madley Park where Leigh Athletic and Stockport Georgians shared six goals in an entertaining Manchester League Premier Division encounter. Danny Wilson took his tally to 17 with another brace of goals while Steve Bevin
LATEST results Davenport Cup Round Two THREE CROWNS A...3 ATHERTON ROYALS...0 FIR TREE RANGERS...2 KERSAL VALE AFC...3 Carl Brown Cup Semi Final HIGHER FOLD...2 COLLIERS REST...1 Division Two AFC TYLDESLEY...2 ASDA GOLBORNE...1 LEIGH LEGION...0 THREE
