Archive

  • Will this be a real saving?

    WE all know that the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust is in serious financial trouble and has to make savings to sort out £5.5million worth of debts. In such a complex organisation employing so many people in such a variety of literally life-saving roles

  • Bridge host Supercup tie at Blundells

    THE past week has brought difficult conditions on many angling venues, especially the local canals. On Sunday the Rochdale Canal was the venue for the Hebden Bridge teams of four, round four. Top weight fell to Paul Cryer (Profish Black) peg 390 at Luddendon

  • Rams edge nearer that crown

    RAMSBOTTOM A look to have regained the championship of the Bury Table Tennis League Division One, even though they didn't play last week. They are now 27 points ahead of second placed Little Lever with a match in hand. Paul Cichelli returned this week

  • Back to business for Vale

    TINTWISTLE VILLA 1, ELTON VALE 3: Elton's eagerness to get back into action showed in that the team got to the venue to find they were the first to arrive! On inspection it became obvious why the previous two attempts to stage this fixture had failed,

  • Post box is target for fire bugs

    A QUANTITY of mail was destroyed after a post box was targeted by firebugs. It is believed burning paper was pushed into the mail box located at Market Street, Bury, near Parkhills Road. The arson attack happened at 8.20pm on Tuesday. Letters inside the

  • Cavalier blaze

    A SUSPECTED stolen Vauxhall Cavalier car was extensively damaged after being set ablaze in Mount Sion Road, Radcliffe, on Wednesday evening. A fire crew extinguished the blaze which happened at 9.15pm. Officers were at the scene for 20 minutes.

  • Required oxygen

    A BURY man was given oxygen after a television caught fire at his home on Monday morning. The blaze at the house in Whitefield Road is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault. The blaze caused extensive damage to the lounge and the remainder

  • Queue for new Tottington toilet

    PART of Market Street in Tottington will be closed on Sunday, April 17 while a new automatic public toilet is put in position. The work will last from 9am to noon between numbers 64 and 72. Southbound traffic will be diverted via Chapel Street. Northbound

  • Help the Aged volunteer plea

    HELP the Aged is appealing for volunteers to help out in its charity shop in Bury. The shop, based in The Rock, is struggling to recruit volunteers to work a few hours each week and manager Julia McLoughlin is inviting people to give it a try for a morning

  • Tai Chi master shows his art

    THE ancient art of Tai Chi will be performed by a Chinese master at a special martial arts exhibition On Saturday afternoon. The exhibition will take place at the Mosses Centre, Cecil Street, from 3pm to 5.30pm, and include demonstrations of Tai Chi by

  • Graham's Shelter run

    GRAHAM Smallman, whose main work is with Bury's Bethany project run by the Adullum Housing Association, is going the extra mile for a housing and homelessness charity. He will be pounding the pavements of London for Shelter in his first London Marathon

  • Fayre will support appeal

    A BRIDAL Fayre is due to take place at the Elizabethan Suite next month in aid of the Kirsty Appeal Fund. The event will take place on April 10, between 12pm and 4pm, with more than 25 exhibitors on hand to offer their advice for the perfect wedding day

  • Shake-up for energy bills?

    GAS and electricity bills could be cut if the European Commission forces member states to make their energy markets more competitive. Radcliffe-based MEP Gary Titley, Labour leader in Europe, says monopolies are driving up prices in Britain, as we have

  • French-style Easter service

    A special church service will mark the start of Holy Week. The combined churches of Ramsbottom will be staging a Taize Contemplative Worship on the evening of Palm Sunday, this weekend. The service, which originates in France, will involve the playing

  • Castle not worthy of a statue

    THREE simple questions regarding the issue of statues. 1. Who has done more for the prosperity and well being of Blackburn in recent times - Barbara Castle or the Walker Brothers? 2. Is there a list of main donators to the Barbara Castle Trust? 3. Shouldn't

  • Camera decision

    AN APPLICATION for a speed camera on Bolton Road, Radcliffe has been submitted to Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership. The borough engineer for Bury Council has written to the partnership to request that an application be submitted to the

  • Lomax brace keeps Heys on track

    OLD ALTS 1, PRESTWICH HEYS 4: Heys' attempt to finish top of the Air Miles Manchester League Premier Division and win the championship was given a boost after taking all three points from a difficult game at Old Alts. Other results went their way too,

  • Cinema helps schools

    VUE Cinema is helping schools raise up to £30,000 by giving free tickets for a preview screening of the latest animated movie. Vue Cinema, based at Park 66 in Pilsworth, has offered Our Lady and St John School in Blackburn the chance to see Valiant, starring

  • A Chip off the Old Block

    A man bought a chip shop and started doing very well, After a few months he started to get a very good clientele, Other things he sold were fish, sausages, curries, pies and peas, The food and shop were spotless for the customers he aimed to please. He

  • House to go in new plan

    A HOUSE in Ramsbottom Conservation Area is to be demolished to make way for three new houses. Plans have been passed to demolish the detached property, in Crow Lane, as it is in poor structural condition. Bury Council's planning department passed the

  • Police to build bridges

    POLICE will be building bridges with the community during a special event to be staged at Philips High School in Whitefield on Tuesday. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is holding the family fun day between 1.30pm and 3.30pm to inform residents how they

  • Scandal of Leigh's public transport

    LEIGH has the worst public transport system in Greater Manchester, according to a report published in the Leigh Journal on Thursday. A survey into the public transport provision in the county's 16 biggest towns found that Leigh was the worst-served town

  • Warrant out on no-show man

    MAGISTRATES at Rochdale have issued a warrant for the arrest of a Bury man who failed to attend court to answer accusations of taking a vehicle without consent. Lee Makin (30), of Rochdale Road, Bury, faces charges of taking a vehicle without consent

  • Hair pledge raises comic wedge

    RED Nose Day turned into a Red Hair Day for one employee at Barclays Bank in Bury. Chris Lees, one of the branch's Small Business Managers, was persuaded to have his hair dyed red to raise money. Other members of staff joined in the fund-raising by holding

  • Once upon a time in St Mary's Hawkshaw

    PUPILS at a village primary school were encouraged to tell plenty of tales last week to mark National Book Week. And Bury-based children's author David Webb spent last Thursday at St Mary's RC Primary School in Hawkshaw reading to youngsters and holding

  • Quality counts for the sport planning team

    STAFF in Bury Council's sports development team have achieved Quest status following assessment by independent inspectors. This is a national "kite mark" scheme for the sport and leisure industry. Examiners looked at the team's strategy, people management

  • Frankie and Benny's Pudsey performence

    A BURY restaurant has pledged to help raise £150,000 for Children in Need this November. Frankie and Benny's, at Park 66 in Pilsworth, held a charity fun day on March 6, helping the nationwide restaurant group raise up to £30,000 of their £150,000 target

  • Scouts map out walk

    A SERIES of evening walks by local Scouts has been mapped out and put into a special showcase. The summer strolls were undertaken by Scouts from Greenmount Fellowship as part of their Environment Award last year and were so popular that it was decided

  • Elite college places for Holy Cross magnificents

    MEET Holy Cross College's "magnificent seven" who have been offered provisional places at Oxford and Cambridge. Nuala Tumelty is lined up for Downing College, Cambride, to study natural sciences, while Charlotte McIntyre has been offered a place at St

  • Easter animal roadshow rolls into Mill Gate

    BURY'S popular Mill Gate shopping centre is on a roll with a programme of events and attractions to celebrate Easter. Themed entertainment runs throughout the Easter school holidays until March 31 and includes Easter card workshops, face-painting and

  • Taking strides towards better health for men

    BURY'S men are being urged to take a Big Step Forward and walk their way to health. A programme of walks have been arranged by Bury Council and Bury Men's Group at various locations in the borough over the next three months. The first takes place on Sunday

  • Death of president

    WELL-known former teacher Mr Reg Joynson, who was the president of Unsworth Cricket Club, has died at the age of 72. Mr Joynson, who lived in Hathaway Road, Sunnybank, collapsed and died last Friday (11). He leaves a wife, Jean, sons David and Mark, and

  • Rowetta at home raising centre funds

    X-FACTOR favourite Rowetta returned to her roots for an exclusive fundraising evening in Whitefield. A former Bury Grammar school pupil, the talented singer performed for many years as a backing singer for Manchester band The Happy Mondays before entering

  • Daughters pen their mums a beauty prize

    PRIMARY school youngsters showed their mums just how much they care by putting their thoughts into verse for a poetry competition. More than 20 schools from across the borough invited pupils to express their feelings for their mums by entering the Mill

  • Thousands are now due to get the blues

    THOUSANDS more residents are to get the blues as town hall bosses try to improve the borough's recycling rate. Over the next few weeks, a further 21,000 households - on top of the first 28,000 - will receive a blue wheelie bin in which to place glass,

  • Sifting the trash to trace the criminals

    BAGS of rubbish found dumped in the streets of Bury are being searched in a bid to trace the culprits. Bury Council's environmental health officers joined members of the Bury East street cleaning team in Kershaw Street and Tinline Street to remove a pile

  • Terrier is savaged by four lurchers

    A FAMILY is appealing for information after their West Highland terrier was savagely attacked by four lurchers on Wednesday. Michael Jones, of Mosley Avenue in Bury, was walking two-year-old Millie across fields near Walmersley Golf Club when two white

  • School drugs: Two held

    TWO men were today being quizzed by police after four schoolgirls were taken to hospital suspected of taking dance-drug ecstasy. The four teenage girls from Primet High School, Colne, were taken to hospital after taking pills which police believe to be

  • Hospital nursery bombshell

    STAFF at Queen's Park Hospital have threatened to quit after it was announced the on-site nursery faces closure to help stem multi-million pound debts. Parents dropping their children off were told health bosses could no longer afford to subsidise the

  • Record help with guide dog stamps

    A FIRM'S fundraising efforts have earned them the stamp of approval. Staff at TNT Express Services, Ramsbottom, joined colleagues across the UK in collecting more than 75,000 postage stamps for the Guide Dogs charity. For the past five years, staff at

  • Business steps in to help

    A BUSINESS has stepped in at the eleventh hour to give a much needed boost to a high school's bid for specialist status. Global Telecom Partnerships have donated £20,000 to fund Woodhey High's bid. Together with donations from two other businesses and

  • Centurions on derby warpath

    LEIGH Centurions aim to turn the form book upside down in Friday's Super League derby clash at Wigan. Leigh are the only team yet to win a Super League point this season and they face a huge test in the first league meeting between the two sides for 12

  • Come on you fans!

    COUNTING the coppers for cash-strapped Bury Football Club! That is Shakers mascot Robbie the Bobby who is rallying youngsters in the town to support the club after a big drop in numbers watching home games. Thanks to his efforts, the campaign has raised

  • Rovers receive 30,000 tickets

    BLACKBURN Rovers and Arsenal will face each other in a high noon showdown at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium next month. Rovers' FA Cup semi-final with the Gunners will take place on Saturday April 16, with a 12.15pm kick off, and the club have been allocated

  • I don't fear the Gunners

    BLACKBURN Rovers' new defensive king-pin Ryan Nelsen will face Arsenal's intimidating strikeforce twice within the next four weeks but he insists the prospect of playing against the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires does not scare

  • Maps reveal Leyland 'boom town' of 1909

    EVER wondered what Leyland looked like nearly a century ago? Well now you can find out , thanks to a local historian who has helped draw up maps showing what parts of South Ribble looked like nearly 100 years ago. David Hunt, curator of South Ribble Museum

  • Battle goes on for drug

    CAMPAIGNERS from the Alzheimer's Society in Preston travelled to London yesterday (Wednesday) to protest against the lack of NHS support for the cost of care and drugs for people with dementia. About 20 people from the Central Lancashire and Fylde branch

  • Bury CE top of the form

    NEW league tables show that local pupils are still above the national average at the half-way point in their secondary school career. Their achievements have put Bury in the top 20 per cent of local education authorities for English and maths, and the

  • Battle to save 6th form

    PLANS for a radical £250million shake-up of secondary education in Burnley and Nelson have been given the go-ahead - spelling doom for the area's only Catholic sixth form. However, campaigners fighting to save St Theodore's sixth form have vowed not to

  • Art of the matter

    THE panopticons are splitting communities. The designs for six pieces of 'public art' to be placed around East Lancashire have been welcomed by some as a tourist draw, while others have laughed them out of town halls and public meetings. Reporter BEN

  • Porter targets goal record

    ONE player who will be keen to get on the scoresheet Saturday is striker Chris Porter who, due to injury, has just one goal to his credit in 2005. He was the subject of an audacious bid to lure him away from Gigg Lane by Oldham Athletic boss Ronnie Moore

  • Shakers ready for leading challenge

    BURY'S first team squad had a day out at the Cheltenham Festival on Tuesday and they will need to be at the races again Saturday! That's when they come face to face with League Two leaders Yeovil Town who will be smarting from last weekend's 2-1 defeat

  • Marathon man runs in memory of dad

    A BARNOLDSWICK man is putting on his running shoes in memory of his father who died from cancer. Oliver Robinson, is running the London Marathon to raise money for Leukaemia Research. The 29-year-old, an IT technician at Weston EU Ltd, Foulridge, his

  • Battle to save 6th form

    PLANS for a radical £250million shake-up of secondary education in Burnley and Nelson have been given the go-ahead - spelling doom for the area's only Catholic sixth form. However, campaigners fighting to save St Theodore's sixth form have vowed not to

  • 'Beat bobbies' scare baddies!

    IN their recent Focus leaflet the Lib Dems complain that "much more should be invested in CCTV and community policing". Have they failed to notice the CCTV cameras, the new police station, and the extra police officers in Prestwich? Whereas the Lib Dems

  • Greenbelt law is not written in stone

    THE Jubilee Centre in Bury provides facilities for older people in order to keep them fit in mind and body for as long as possible. I am one of several hundred people using this centre every week, and like many others I travel by public transport. Additionally

  • Market theft cost my mum £300

    I AM writing to warn visitors to Bury Market to beware of thieves. On Saturday, March 5, my family and I took my mother to the market. My mother is 69 years old. We were all looking forward to a day out. However, that was short lived. Whilst my mother

  • By-election won by student, 21

    HYNDBURN was today home to the youngest councillor in Britain after a 21-year-old university student was elected to represent Rishton in a by-election. Claire Hamilton, who lives in Clayton-le-Moors with her mum and dad, joined the local Labour party

  • Getting creative to clock up a top award

    RAMSBOTTO,ased Clock Creative has scooped a top industry accolade at The Big Chip Awards - region's annual awards for companies excelling in the use of IT and digital technology. The multi-service agency beat off stiff competition from across the north

  • Corrie's Kevin joins the celebration

    ACTOR Michael Le Vell swapped the cobbles of Coronation Street for the land of conservatories when he officially launched a Bury company's new look. Michael, who plays mechanic Kevin Webster, joined employees, key supplier partners and affiliates of CenturySEAL

  • Grease was the word at joint school musical

    BURY Grammar School (Boys) was transformed into Rydell High School for three sell-out performances of the popular musical Grease. The cast, drawn from both the boys and girls grammar schools, transported the audiences back to the rock and roll days of

  • A welcome home for Joshua

    A FOUR-year-old toddler who has spent the last seven months undergoing intense therapy at a specialist neuro-rehabilitation centre for a rare brain condition has finally come home. Joshua Wilson was diagnosed with a tumour on his brain stem one year ago

  • £600,000 redesign puts people first

    A HOUSING estate has received a £600,000 revamp to become the borough's first Home Zone. The streets on Victoria Estate in Whitefield have been redesigned, giving priority to residents over motorists, to create a safer environment for pedestrians and

  • Budget is 'good news' for three groups

    BURY'S two MPs have hailed Gordon Brown's Budget as "good news" for children, families and pensioners. But the reaction from other parties was less welcoming, although local business experts have broadly welcomed the Chancellor's corporate measures. In

  • BNP man quits family firm

    A SUMMERSEAT businessman has quit his family firm because of his links with the far right British National Party. Stewart Clough, who stood as a BNP candidate in Tottington in last year's local elections, resigned from Clough's Opticians in Bolton where

  • NCH pulls plug on 30 years of help for families

    BURY Family Centre is finally closing its doors after more than 30 years of offering support and care for parents and children. To celebrate this end of an era, the centre, run by leading children's charity NCH, is holding an open day inviting parents

  • Woolfold Darts League

    RESULTS round-up DARTS Elton CCB 5(0), Swan 16(3); Fold B 8(0), Black Bull 13(3); Tott Con 16(3), Globe 5(0); W Horse 10(0), Elton CCA 11(3). DOMINOES Elton CCB 350(2), Swan 315(1); Fold B 340(4), Black Bull 337(1); Tott Con 355(4), Globe 318(1); W Horse

  • Depleted town team so close

    BLACKPOOL BOYS U-15 1, BURY BOYS U-15 0: Bury Boys put in a tremendous Alder/Owen Trophy Round Three performance against a strong Blackpool side, who had lost only once all season. The late withdrawal of leading striker, Adam Edwards (Prestwich), with

  • Bury CTC

    SUNDAY morning followed a similar pattern to the last month, a cold and frosty start with a northerly wind which we rode into hoping for a tailwind on the way home. The usual route was followed through Accrington to Whalley where members took to quiet

  • Brierley doubles up as Walshaw shine

    MOSTONIANS 1, WALSHAW 3: Walshaw went into their top of the table Lancashire Amateur League Division One clash at Moston knowing only a win would keep their title chances alive. On a bumpy pitch and with a swirling gale pretty football was never going

  • Hughes reveals his secret

    BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes has revealed the secret behind his team's new-found defensive resolve as they prepare to strike an early psychological blow against Arsenal tomorrow. Hughes has managed to transform Rovers into one of the meanest defensive units

  • Come and meet new coach Joe

    IT'S only weeks away from the new season and newly-appointed community cricket coach Joe Scuderi has hit the ground running. Based at the Bury Metro Sports Development offices at the Castle Leisure Centre, the 36-year-old all-rounder is relishing his

  • Khan to attend ABA finals after all

    AMIR Khan WILL be ringside on Friday night for the Amateur Boxing Association finals at ExCel in London's Docklands. The Olympic silver medallist had been expected to emulate previous light-welterweight winners like John H Stracey and Ricky Hatton to

  • Memorial for a park champion

    A MEMORIAL is being planned for a woman who helped create Darwen's Ashton Park. Valerie Hull, 60, of Ashton Road, died on Monday after suffering heart failure at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn. But her family want her memory and the work she did to

  • Plan to bring town together

    A DUAL carriageway which cuts Rawtenstall in two could become a thing of the past under new plans for the town centre. As part of the proposed town centre masterplan the current "gyratory" system, which involves one-way traffic being directed in a loop

  • School star Ellen dies at 84

    A MUCH-loved former cook from a Radcliffe primary school has died, aged 84. Mrs Ellen Mills, who was the first cook at Cams Lane Primary School when it opened in 1976, died suddenly on Tuesday, March 8, in Red Bank House, in Lowe Street. The mother of

  • Music man objects to Julio's latest venture

    A BLACKPOOL man has accused legendary crooner - Julio Iglesias - of exploiting Spanish landgrab laws to build a £370m leisure complex. Former music industry manager, Kenneth McNeil, 58, from Blackpool, is among a group of 120 British ex-pats and dozens

  • Father of ten's tragic tale

    THE story of how tragedy stalked a family of 10 unfurled at court when he appeared before magistrates for failing to send his children to school. Dad-of-eight, Shaun Rhodes, had brought his children up alone after his wife died of heart failure. One of

  • Robber held knife to newsagent's chin

    A HEROIN addict robbed £170 from a newsagents by threatening a man with a carving knife. Paul Ellison held the point of the "fearsome" weapon under his victim's chin before raiding the till of notes and coins, a court heard. At the time he was on prison

  • Curfew order for shed burglar

    A BURGLAR has been given a "Cinderella" curfew for two and a half years to stop him from committing crime at night. Magistrates made the Anti-social Behaviour Order against Nathan Redmond, 31, after hearing police repeatedly found him wandering the streets

  • Spice! hotspots sized up

    SEVERAL sites across East Lancashire have been identified as potential sites for an £18million tourist attraction. The East Lancashire Partnership -- representing the area's six borough councils -- has drawn up a hitlist of possible sites for the Spice

  • Pupils tuck in to fruit

    THEY are the traditional home of crisps, chocolate bars and fizzy pop. But a Blackburn school is pioneering a tuck shop with a difference to tackle fears over child obesity. The initiative is to combat East Lancashire's high levels of heart disease, diabetes

  • Car driver must stay in prison

    A MOTORIST who drove off after a car accident with a foot lodged in his bumper has failed in his bid to have his sentence reduced. Peter John Dearing, 23, of Read Old Bridge, Read, was jailed for two months at Blackburn magistrates earlier this month

  • Ex-labour leader defects to LibDem

    ONE of East Lancashire's longest-serving Labour councillors has defected to the Lib Dems just days after being told he had been de-selected for election. Today, Great Harwood county councillor George Slynn slammed regional Labour Party bosses for dumping

  • 'Pupils were left to rot'

    EDUCATION bosses were today accused of leaving pupils and staff at a failing high school 'to rot' for six months after announcing it was to close. Opposition councillors, parents and union officials rounded on Blackburn with Darwen Council after the Lancashire

  • Hospital nursery bombshell

    STAFF at Queen's Park Hospital have threatened to quit after it was announced the on-site nursery faces closure to help stem multi-million pound debts. Parents dropping their children off were told health bosses could no longer afford to subsidise the

  • We have the bottle to make play-offs

    RORY Prendergast's prized Leeds United poster could look a little worse for wear after tomorrow. The Accrington Stanley winger has few pre-match superstitions, but akin to the Liverpool players slapping the "This is Anfield" sign on their way down the

  • She won't be joining you

    MARIE CALDWELL (Letters, March 11) has put her little trainered foot right in it! I was surprised to read her criticism of Audrey Schofield and her attempt to defend the indefensible. Actually, she entirely missed the point. First, the residents of Mosley

  • Pensions prompt ballot of teachers

    LOCAL teachers are to be balloted for strike action over Government plans to cut their pension entitlements. Leaders of the largest teachers' union, the NUT, are asking staff to support a one-day stoppage in April in protest at moves to raise their normal

  • Fixtures this weekend

    FRIDAY Super League: Bradford v Hull (8pm); Salford v Leeds (8pm); Wigan v Leigh (8pm). SATURDAY Super League: St Helens v Wakefield (6.05pm). Northern Rail National League Cup Central: London Skolars v Keighley. National Conference League Premier Division

  • Good work hours attract good staff

    I AM very happy to answer points raised in Dawn Robinson-Walsh's recent letter about the "Have Your Say" NHS supplement published in the Bury Times. "Have Your Say" gives people the chance to influence the development of formal options for future NHS

  • BLACKBURN

    Coffee Morning, Church of the Saviour, Sunnybank Road, 10am-noon. "Fused" Textile Exhibition, by Action Factory, Lewis Textile Museum, Museum Street. Until April 9. The "X Factor" (music, singing, dance and drama), with professional tutors, Ivy Street

  • It could be Bleak for Walmersley D!

    WHEN the chips are down and you are looking for a captain's performance in the Bury Snooker League , get yourselves off to Heywood. Yet again, another great display from Danny Bleakley, 107-37, finishing off what Messrs Noon, Brown and Preston started

  • Helping young

    CHILDREN from Wesley Methodist Primary School in Radcliffe have raised £1,239.72 for the National Children's Home charity. Youngsters from the school took part in quizzes and spot the difference competitions. They also tried to fit as many items as possible

  • Worms warning

    A TOTTINGTON vet has launched a campaign warning pet owners of the danger of not worming their animals correctly. Pennine Vets, in Bury Road, is advising people to have animals that are regularly around children to be wormed every four weeks and pets

  • Asda clean grot spot

    ASDA has started to clean up a grot spot behind its store in Radcliffe. Environmentalists in the town criticised businesses and litter louts for turning the banks of the Irwell behind the Pilkington Way store into a tip. But now Asda has arranged for

  • 14 days in jail for ASBO-breach man

    A BURY man who breached a four-year anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) has been jailed for 14 days. David Billington (31), of Windermere Drive, was arrested in the towns Walmersley Road on Saturday, when he was seen drinking from a can of alcohol. Under

  • Pace-eggers are in town

    FOLK players Bury Pace-eggers will be in town this weekend. On Saturday the group, which is said to have its origins in medieval times, will be visiting pubs in Bury and Ramsbottom town centre, to perform their traditional Ancient Luck Bringing Ceremony

  • Disabled woman had choked to death on meat

    A DISABLED Oswaldtwistle woman dragged from her smoke-logged home had already choked to death on a piece of meat. An inquest heard that wheelchair-bound Gabrielle Kroger had a high blood alcohol content at the time of death, which a Home Office pathologist

  • Walk in park to get you fit!

    A WALK in Close Park can now help people get fitter and healthier. The remarkable transformation of the park in Radcliffe into Bury's Green Flag Park continues this month - when a new health walk footpath is unveiled. Groundwork Bury has been working

  • Push over for charity

    PUB regulars and staff have helped raise £1,050 for the Francis House Children's Hospice in Manchester. And the fundraising came to an end when a 2ft high pile of 10p pieces was pushed over at the Swan and Cemetery pub in Manchester Road, Bury. Fund raising

  • The beautiful game that lasts 720 minutes!

    AMATEUR footballers are kicking off a 12-hour football marathon in Bury on Saturday to raise money for Comic and Sport Relief. The marathon, at Castle Leisure Centre in Bolton Street, will start at 5am and finish at 5pm. Staff from Bury Council's Sports

  • Seal bloodbath still continues

    THIRTY-six years ago IFAW was founded to help stop Canadian hunters from the unregulated slaughter of seal pups for their fur. Last year over 353,000 seals were clubbed and shot, most of them days or weeks old. Pelts from seal pups between 12 days and

  • Revamp will cause pollution

    THANK you for publishing my letter about the Whitebirk traffic chaos (LET, March 15). In your photograph, it would be interesting to see the tailback further up the hill, showing the standing traffic on the inside lane of the M65. This is the effect that

  • Transport system needs sorting out

    IT seems strange that it has taken five years of talk and the expenditure of £1,000,000 of public money to decide that the area is too hilly for a tramway system. One look at it might have sufficed to reach this conclusion. On the other hand, the decision

  • Downing street date

    A KEEN interest in politics took two Bury students all the way to Number 10. Stephen Kaye and Ben McCabe managed to shake hands with Tony Blair - twice! - when they attended a young people's community reception at Downing Street. Both of them have worked

  • Ban damaging shooting industry

    MINISTER Ben Bradshaw's unusual but welcome U-turn on 'Open General Licences' for shooting pigeons and crows obscures a more worrying approach by this government towards shooting. In its 2001 manifesto, Labour promised that it had "no intention whatsoever

  • Driver's miraculous escape

    A TEENAGER escaped serious injury when his car careered across a road and into a garden fence and wall before bursting into flames. It is understood the youth, believed to be aged 17, may have blacked out at the wheel of his Renault Clio seconds before

  • Cheque shows care for the carers

    CARING for the carers! That's the Bolton Street Business Club in Bury which has closed its bank account and presented the £200 residue to the Bury Carers Group (Mental Health). The cheque presentation coincided with the fact that Councillor Yvonne Wright

  • Experts step in to help students

    DANCE students were well and truly kept on their toes this week when Bury's Holy Cross College hosted a special workshop. Representatives of the Richard Alston Dance Company took time out from their national tour to pass on their expertise during the

  • Thug took car keys

    A THUG carrying a knife forced a driver to hand over the keys to his car. The 38-year-old, from Radcliffe, had just parked his black Honda Civic Type R in North Street, Radcliffe, and was getting out when the thief wearing a ski mask and brandishing a

  • Goalie catches vision of charity marathon

    GOALIE Simon Yates is running the London Marathon to raise more than £1,000 for a charity that funds and organises special days out for seriously ill young adults. Simon (33), of Pickering Close, Woolfold, is goalie for Thornleigh FC in Bolton and works

  • Blast of fun for Easter

    EASTER will be a blast for local youngsters who love sports, games and learning new skills. A fortnight of half-term holiday fun starts on Monday through Bury Council's BLAST project (Bury Leisure Activities outside School Term) for those aged eight to

  • Blow for Re:d Centre campaign

    CAMPAIGNERS for the Re:d Centre have been knocked back in their first legal bid to save the centre from budget cuts. A High Court judge has refused to allow them to seek a judicial review into Bury Council's decision to halve the Morley Street centre's

  • Christies receive golfers support

    GOLFERS from an Unsworth club swung into action to spend 2004 raising money for Christies. Members of the Pike Fold Golf Club, off Hills Lane, presented Cynthia Cutler from the cancer specialist hospital with £1,700 at a celebratory dinner following 12

  • Grease was the word at joint school musical

    BURY Grammar School (Boys) was transformed into Rydell High School for three sell-out performances of the popular musical Grease. The cast, drawn from both the boys and girls grammar schools, transported the audiences back to the rock and roll days of

  • Would 'ewe' believe it?

    THREE lost sheep are looking for their Little Bo Peep after seeking pastures new - on a housing estate. Residents of Douglas Walk in Whitefield were surprised to see the animals running loose on the streets. But thanks to a community policeman and neighbours

  • Pensions prompt ballot of teachers

    LOCAL teachers are to be balloted for strike action over Government plans to cut their pension entitlements. Leaders of the largest teachers' union, the NUT, are asking staff to support a one-day stoppage in April in protest at moves to raise their normal

  • Cowardly attack left man with broken nose

    A VICTIM of an attempted mugging sustained a broken nose, two black eyes and other injuries after being targeted by thugs. However, the 39-year-old male bravely fought off his attackers who at one point attempted to wrench a watch from his wrist. Now,

  • Frames firm lands award for fair play

    A RAMSBOTTOM company has been recognised for its commitment to dismantling barriers to mainstream employment faced by the disadvantaged. Future Frames received a special runners-up award after working in partnership with Bury Employment Training &

  • Journalist honoured at awards ceremony

    FORMER Prestwich journalist Don Hale was honoured at a recent awards ceremony in Manchester. Mr Hale, who used to be the editor of the Bury Messenger, was presented with the Lifetime Difference Award at the Big Difference Awards held at the Palace Hotel

  • Sisters in crime in benefit fiddle

    DATA matching led to a former employee of Manchester City Council being convicted of helping her sister steal council-administered benefits. Gail Aspinall, of Rectory Avenue, Prestwich, admitted two counts of theft in relation to housing benefit and council

  • Parking passes for Fairfield residents

    PEOPLE living in Fairfield could be given residents-only parking permits because of congestion near the hospital. Many householders in streets off Rochdale Old Road have complained that they cannot park near their homes since the hospital started charging

  • Problems as tyre fire is tackled

    FIREFIGHTERS faced access and water supply problems as they attempted to tackle a huge blaze involving a large quantity of tyres on farmland. Hundreds of tyres went up in smoke on a field at the rear of Castle Hill Farm on Castle Hill Road, Bury, and

  • Community pillars to run 26 miles

    RUNNING mates Reverend Hugh Bearn and Police Superintendent Mark Granby will again be tackling this year's London Marathon together. It will be the third time the vicar of St Anne's Church, Tottington, has taken part in the gruelling challenge and the

  • Mums fulfil their Rainbow promise

    THREE community spirited mums and a teenager have started up a Rainbows Group after finding out children were being forced to join a waiting list to enrol into one of the clubs. Alison Green from Tottington, with her teenager daughter Nicola (17) along

  • Three strikes and out for ASBO flounder

    A MAN who breached an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) for the third time by being in an area from which he had been banned was sent to prison for three months by magistrates. David Frank Kelly (23), formerly of Thrush Drive, Bury, but at present of

  • Giving the facts about prostate cancer

    MEN are being urged to use the coming week to find out more about a life-threatening cancer which affects one in 12 males in the United Kingdom. The local support group is using prostate awareness week, which starts on Monday, to encourage men to seek

  • Curtain up on bid to make teens behave

    YOUNG people across Bury are being shown a hard-hittng drama to educate them on the problems caused by anti-social behaviour. Already, a pilot performance of Acting Your Age has been staged at The Met in Bury with a repeat performance at Tottington High

  • Happy first birthday for SureStart nursery

    THERE were celebrations when Bury Council's SureStart nursery celebrated its first year. Tuesday's event allowed staff and children to share the occasion and the birthday cake! Children from three months to four years attend the nursery in Kershaw Street

  • Hughes reveals his secret

    BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes has revealed the secret behind his team's new-found defensive resolve as they prepare to strike an early psychological blow against Arsenal tomorrow. Hughes has managed to transform Rovers into one of the meanest defensive units

  • Fayre will support appeal

    A BRIDAL Fayre is due to take place at the Elizabethan Suite next month in aid of the Kirsty Appeal Fund. The event will take place on April 10, between 12pm and 4pm, with more than 25 exhibitors on hand to offer their advice for the perfect wedding day

  • Walk in park to get you fit!

    A WALK in Close Park can now help people get fitter and healthier. The remarkable transformation of the park in Radcliffe into Bury's Green Flag Park continues this month - when a new health walk footpath is unveiled. Groundwork Bury has been working

  • Police to build bridges

    POLICE will be building bridges with the community during a special event to be staged at Philips High School in Whitefield on Tuesday. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is holding the family fun day between 1.30pm and 3.30pm to inform residents how they

  • DIY firm's bid to fix up area

    DIY giants Homesbase has stepped up its bid to build a store in Burnley. The firm wants to build a base on derelict land off Caldervale Road and today received backing from business leaders and councillors who feel the development could kickstart the

  • Spice! hotspots sized up

    SEVERAL sites across East Lancashire have been identified as potential sites for an £18million tourist attraction. The East Lancashire Partnership -- representing the area's six borough councils -- has drawn up a hitlist of possible sites for the Spice

  • Call to delay funding cuts

    CAMPAIGNERS are set to lobby Burnley Council leader Stuart Caddy over plans to cut funding for elderly and vulnerable people in the borough. Opponents of the council's plans to cut more than £100,000 funding to over 50s clubs and community buildings say

  • Women get equality at Tory club

    A SOCIAL club has allowed women equal rights for the first time in its history. After 129 years of male supremacy, Fulledge Conservative Club, in Burnley, is allowing women to become full members instead of just associate members. The committee gave approval

  • School drugs: Two held

    TWO men were today being quizzed by police after four schoolgirls were taken to hospital suspected of taking dance-drug ecstasy. The four teenage girls from Primet High School, Colne, were taken to hospital after taking pills which police believe to be

  • Fancy being an international football mascot?

    THE Football Association have asked Bury FC to nominate one mascot for each country at the two Under-19 international matches taking place at Gigg Lane in two weeks time. The games are England v Sweden on Monday, March 28, kick-off 7.30pm, and Sweden

  • Come on you fans!

    COUNTING the coppers for cash-strapped Bury Football Club! That is Shakers mascot Robbie the Bobby who is rallying youngsters in the town to support the club after a big drop in numbers watching home games. Thanks to his efforts, the campaign has raised

  • Easter animal roadshow rolls into Mill Gate

    BURY'S popular Mill Gate shopping centre is on a roll with a programme of events and attractions to celebrate Easter. Themed entertainment runs throughout the Easter school holidays until March 31 and includes Easter card workshops, face-painting and

  • Try getting a job instead

    WELL done to the scumbags who ram-raided and robbed the Halifax Building Society office in Randale Drive, Unsworth, on February 25. Their actions resulted in a business closing down and people losing their livelihood. These yobs will now have to look

  • Well worth our 230-mile journey

    WE recently had the privilege of watching our grandson in the musical "Oz" performed, by 80 children at Elms Bank Specialist Art College in Whitefield. All the children were pupils at Elms Bank and all had disabilities or learning difficulties, but there

  • They deserved their ovation

    IT was heartwarming to see last Friday's double-page pictorial spread of the primary school children of Bury performing The Price of Coal . Organised by the Wigan-based Vivace Charitable Trust, the performance gave Burys junior-age children a chance to

  • Marathon man runs in memory of dad

    A BARNOLDSWICK man is putting on his running shoes in memory of his father who died from cancer. Oliver Robinson, is running the London Marathon to raise money for Leukaemia Research. The 29-year-old, an IT technician at Weston EU Ltd, Foulridge, his

  • PC World class winner

    BURY-based PC World Business (PCWB) is flying the flag for the town! The company, based at the Waterfold Business Park, is the first in the north west to go through the BTEC Career Path qualifications, designed to meet the specific needs of the contact

  • Tram death woman named

    THE 49-year-old woman killed by a tram on Friday evening has been named. Miss Linda Kaminsky, of Rectory Gardens, Prestwich, stepped in front of a tram travelling from Bury to Manchester, just 100 metres from Prestwich Metrolink Station in Rectory Lane

  • Elite college places for Holy Cross magnificents

    MEET Holy Cross College's "magnificent seven" who have been offered provisional places at Oxford and Cambridge. Nuala Tumelty is lined up for Downing College, Cambride, to study natural sciences, while Charlotte McIntyre has been offered a place at St

  • Business steps in to help

    A BUSINESS has stepped in at the eleventh hour to give a much needed boost to a high school's bid for specialist status. Global Telecom Partnerships have donated £20,000 to fund Woodhey High's bid. Together with donations from two other businesses and

  • Strike action Wednesday

    COUNCIL services face massive disruption on Wednesday as town hall staff go on strike over cuts in their pension entitlement. Everything from refuse collection, schools and offices, social services and leisure centres will be hit during the one-day action

  • Layton is learning way to stardom

    BURY boy Layton Williams has the world at his feet. For the bright lights of London's West End will beckon for the ten-year-old if he is successful in winning a part in Billy Elliot The Musical. The young dancer and drama student could be among eight

  • Bury CE top of the form

    NEW league tables show that local pupils are still above the national average at the half-way point in their secondary school career. Their achievements have put Bury in the top 20 per cent of local education authorities for English and maths, and the

  • Ladies Friendship Darts League

    RESULTS round-up Swan 6, Salisbury B 1; Salisbury C 5, Duck Club 2; Brown Cow F/F 4, St Bedes 3; Brandlesholme 6, Stanley Club 1; Royal (Tott) 3, Woolpack 4. HIGH SCORES: M. Hopkinson (140), K. Cosgrave (133), R. Mayor (171), M. Coates (140) (Swan); V

  • Racist taunt claims in soccer 'friendly'

    A SOCCER tournament organised to promote racial harmony ended with angry white players walking off claiming they had been racially taunted by Asian teams and their supporters. Forever Bury FC under-19s team stormed off mid-way through Sunday's tournament

  • Thwaites Ladies Dart League

    A LEAGUE INDIVIDUALS AT PLEASANT VIEW: Steward- J Buckley: N Coleman, A Catlow, J Buckley, Ann Hill, L Fitsimon, J Ryan, L Hill, A Zayne, T Swallow, S Butterworth. AT DUNGEON: Steward- T Harris: S Driffield, N Farrelly, T Harris, S Vadaz, C McDonald,

  • Thwaites Darts League

    THE White Boar A team have once again proved why they are regarded as the best darts team in the area, finishing champions for the fourth successive season. The challenge for existing teams, plus any teams playing in other leagues who wish to play at

  • Leisuretime Darts League

    ROLL of honour WINNERS DARTS: Buchanan, runners-up: Old Cross. DOMINOES: Old Cross, runners-up White Boar. CRIB: White Boar, runners-up Dungeon. DON: Old Cross, runners-up New Inn. FUTURE DATES March 23, Darts and Don Pairs as follows: WHITE BOAR DARTS

  • How they stand

    Irwell Street Metals A SECTION SNOOKER P W L D Ag FW Pt Elton Lib C 17 13 4 0 33 59 92 Elton Fold 18 12 5 1 32 59 91 Elton Lib B 18 11 7 0 26 60 86 Heywood Ref 17 11 6 0 27 56 83 Walshaw A 17 9 7 1 21 54 75 Tottington D 17 9 8 0 23 52 75 Huntley A 17

  • Bury Clarion

    THURSDAY of last week saw the start of five days of activity with a three way challenge match between Bury, Bolton and Oakhill Clarion clubs. While Oakhill emerged clear winners there were some impressive performances by our trackmen which gave us one

  • Good start for speedway aces

    THE opening of the 2005 cycle speedway season provided Bury-Pedalsport with a double victory over Hull in their Midland North Regional League, combination and first division matches at the Goshen track. After recent worries over the shale surface the

  • Red-hot Rams rout rivals

    RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 4, BACUP BORO 0: An awesome display of attacking football from the Rams sent the home side on their way to a crushing victory over local rivals Bacup Borough. In truth the visitors produced a poor performance despite fielding a team

  • Asda tidies grot spot

    ASDA has started to clean up a grot spot behind its store in Radcliffe. Environmentalists in the town slammed businesses and litter louts for turning the banks of the Irwell behind the Pilkington Way store into a tip. But now Asda has arranged for supermarket

  • Half-term Easter action for kids

    ACTIVITIES galore have been planned for Easter in Radcliffe to keep youngsters occupied over the holidays. There will be a host of free multi-sport sessions at Bolton Road park, from Thursday, March 24, until Friday April 1, along with free football coaching

  • Group to help fight the flab

    A STEERING group has been formed to boost sporting facilities in Radcliffe and tackle obesity. A survey taken in 2002 revealed that more than one-third of the town's population was overweight. And the Active Radcliffe scheme aims to encourage more people

  • Civil unrest on pensions

    THOUSANDS of public sector workers are set to strike across the Fylde Coast next week in a dispute over pensions. Members of Unison, the Transport and General Workers Union, Amicus, Ucatt and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will take part

  • Gas protesters pave way to London

    WYRE residents fighting plans to store gas under a nearby river have had an 'extremely successful' meeting with government officials in London. Campaigners Ian Mulroy and Howard Phillips of Protect Wyre Group (PWG) met in Westminster on Friday with Blackpool

  • Dead soldier's dad has beef with the bullies

    A BLACKPOOL father, whose soldier son committed suicide at a notorious Army barracks, says this week's report into armed forces bullying 'doesn't go far enough'. Joseph McGregor, of King Edward Avenue, North Shore, believes recruits like his late son

  • Church revamp pledge by vicar

    A VICAR has vowed to continue the fight to give a popular but cash-strapped Blackpool church a facelift after councillors voted to block renovation plans. The Reverend Michael Manley, of St John's Church, Cedar Square in the resort, says he is already

  • Cress has sights on play-off final

    GOAL hero Richard Cresswell has kept North End's promotion push on track this week - and he believes Preston have what it takes to go all the way to the Premiership. North End's top scorer put Preston into the lead against Wolves at the weekend and secured

  • DTE in merger

    SOUTH Manchester accountancy firm Mokhtassi Williams is joining forces with Bury-based DTE Group. The new firm will be named DTE Mokthassi. Commenting on the venture Keith Train, managing director at DTE Group said: "This will enable us to better service

  • Kilroy in move to oust pal MP Jack

    REBORN politician Robert Kilroy-Silk today revealed his close friendship with Jack Straw wouldn't stop his new party trying to oust the Foreign Secretary at the General Election. The former daytime television host -- now an MEP -- plans to field a candidate

  • Art of the matter

    THE panopticons are splitting communities. The designs for six pieces of 'public art' to be placed around East Lancashire have been welcomed by some as a tourist draw, while others have laughed them out of town halls and public meetings. Reporter BEN

  • Firm to shut, 89 job losses

    NEARLY 90 people are to lose their jobs when a Leyland company closes. Prestolite Electric, based in Cleveland Road, which remanufactures and repairs alternators and starter motors for trucks and buses, is to close in June. Bosses at the company say the

  • Web of deceit snares resort woman

    "IF IT sounds too good to be true... then it probably is." This is the warning from Blackpool police after a Fylde woman was duped into handing over £3,000 by an online con-artist. The unnamed victim was targeted by tricksters after signing up to an online

  • Now bring on Orrell

    AFTER demolishing London Welsh, Sedgley player-coach Tim Fourie can't wait for the trip to Edge Hall Road to take on Lancashire rivals and relegation favourites, Orrell. However, he will have to wait another week, as the final weekend of the Six Nations

  • Eating lesson needs to start early

    OVER the past few weeks I have been watching a Channel 4 programme on Wednesday evenings, called "Jamie's School Dinners" which is looking in detail at the food provided in schools. Jamie Oliver is passionate about the standard and content of the canteen-style

  • School uniform verdict 'detremental'

    THE school uniform has long been an important element of British culture. Its purpose is to remove, as far as is possible, social differences from the classroom so that children can learn together as equals, regardless of their backgrounds, and so that

  • First home zone estate

    A BURY estate has received a £600,000 revamp to become the borough's first Home Zone. The streets on Victoria Estate, Whitefield, have been redesigned to create a safer environment for pedestrians and children - instead of giving priority to motorists