BLACKBURN Harriers Senior Road Relay team produced the best performance by an East Lancashire club for over 20 years in the Northern 12 stage road relay championships held at Manchester's Heaton Park on Saturday. Besides being the top Lancashire club
A LOT effort has gone into persuading dentists to come to East Lancashire to ease the chronic shortage of NHS places. The need is urgent because we desperately need more NHS practitioners to help combat unenviable figures for tooth decay especially amongst
I WOULD like to pay tribute through your letters page to his holiness Pope John Paul II. He really was a well-liked and well-loved Pope, who travelled the length and breadth of the globe to unite religions and to promote peace in troubled countries. Pope
I AM writing with concern about the Helen Mead column (March 21). Firstly, I would like to say how appalled I was with her opinion on junk food. I find it quite unbelievable that Helen can claim ".... it hasn't done my children any harm." can Helen see
FOLLOWING your letters, it would appear that the only simple solution for pensioner problems is to reintroduce pension books for those that need them. I know of only two people who actually like their money paid into their bank account because their local
A 10-year-old boy has been hailed a hero after his quick thinking actions helped to save a pensioner from her burning home. Phillip Murray-Turner raised the alarm when he spotted smoke billowing from his next door neighbour's home on Bonnywell Road, Leigh
STARS of TV soap Hollyoaks are urging women to put their best foot forward to help fight cancer. The women-only Race for Life events will be held all over the country this summer to raise vital funds for the Cancer Research UK research. Race for Life,
BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes will open talks with Ryan Nelsen about a new contract in the summer. The New Zealand international has been a revelation since he joined Blackburn on a free transfer in January and Hughes is ready to rip up his existing deal
LEE Bowyer is a nasty piece of work. Newcastle have already fined him six weeks' wages for his brawl with team-mate Kieron Dyer, and the Football Association should follow that punishment up by suspending him for at least a half-dozen games on top of
ENGLAND international darts player and 2004 Professional Darts Council World Championship finalist Kevin Painter will be helping to raise money in Radcliffe for two special causes. The Lord Raglan pub will be hosting a darts night in aid of RoadPeace
ACE of bass trombonist Simon Minshall has scooped the National Children's Orchestra's prestigious Liz Rorison prize for the second year in a row. The 13-years-old Astley bandsman was presented with the prize at the orchestra's Christmas concert at the
A TEENAGER who was slashed across the neck by a knifeman as he closed his family's off-licence today revealed: "I could have died." Khayam Raja, 16, was locking up the shop in Bury Road, Haslingden, with his brother Khuram when he was pounced on and stabbed
A CROSSING in Padiham near to where a grandfather of five died after being hit by a car has been switched back on after angry residents bombarded the town council with complaints. Dougie Wilkinson, a 77-year-old father of three, of Hapton Street, was
THE DEATH of a Burnley teenager today sparked a call from a national campaign group for an end to penal custody for children. Pressure group Inquest is calling on Parliamentary candidates standing in the General Election to commit themselves to ending
WORRIED residents have launched a campaign to save their buses following fears services could be axed. But today bus company chiefs said nothing had been set in stone - although they said parked cars along Chapelhouse Road and Sackville Street, Nelson
FIFTY of Burnley's worst behaved youngsters could be sent on anger management courses as part a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. A list of the youths will be drawn up as part of a scheme to tackle juvenile nuisance in the town's highest crime areas
WORRIED residents have launched a campaign to save their buses following fears services could be axed. But today bus company chiefs said nothing had been set in stone - although they said parked cars along Chapelhouse Road and Sackville Street, Nelson
A MUM suffering from a broken leg is at loggerheads with United Utilities after she claimed her water supply has been unusable for nearly a month. Workers began repairs on underground pipes near to Mrs Janice McCardell's home in Stand Rise, Radcliffe,
THE traffic lights at the bottom of Peel Way, Bury, are an absolute joke! While there is invariably stationary traffic on Peel Way, heading in the Bolton direction, the approaching right-turn filter towards the town centre remains on green for ages. yet
IF it's April it must be time for cricket! This Saturday Radcliffe Cricket Club get their season under way when they host Lancashire League side Ramsbottom at the Racecourse in the year's first friendly, wickets pitched 1pm. The following Saturday, (April
WHEN Tony Matthias fulfilled a South Pacific dream to visit the place where the sun rises first in the world he fell in love with the place. Sixteen years on he has fallen for a Tongan native, but his plans to marry there last month hit a hitch. Now one
AN anti social behaviour hotspot needs an alleygate installed to deter offenders from terrorising a Hindley Green estate. That is the view of Hindley Green councillor Barry Fagan and residents living around the alleyway which runs from Ludlow Avenue to
ATHERTON'S Mayfield Street pool closed for good on April Fools Day despite a last ditch SOB, Save Our Baths, protest by demonstrators. On the same day Freestyle, the first free swimming scheme in the North West was launched for U16s, paid for by the £100,000
Damien John Ingram, aged 21, Chapel Green Lane, Hindley. Assault on police. Community Punishment Order for 180 hours, costs £75, compensation £50. Alan David Ward, aged 24, Telford Crescent, Leigh. Excess alcohol, failing to stop after accident, failing
BEFORE Leigh Casino joins the legendary Wigan Casino in the annals of history, nostalgic fans have recalled memories of the top nightspot. Former Beat Boy Ronnie Carr recaptured the heady atmosphere of the days from 1954 when the ballroom was owned by
PASSENGERS on an under-threat rural bus service have been told to use it or lose it by transport bosses. The flagship Bowland Transit service, which was opened by Prince Charles in 2003, is facing a funding crisis. Lancashire County Council, which runs
From the Radcliffe Times, April 7, 1955: The Belles of St Trinians was being enjoyed by cinema-goers at the Odeon in Radcliffe, while Burt Lancaster wowed the ladies in His Majesty OKeefe at the Picturedrome. The 155th anniversary of the Radcliffe Close
BRIAN Jensen is happy to fight for the number one shirt with Danny Coyne after signing a new three-year deal with Burnley. The delighted Dane was handed the new long-term contract as reward for a string of fine displays in goal for the Clarets this season
LATEST details LADIES INDIVIDUAL KNOCK-OUT QUARTER & SEMI FINALS WILL all ladies please be at their respective venues no later than 8.30pm. All monies and referees will be provided for by the Committee. All matches to be played on Monday, April 11
Yes, it's the one where I make my predictions for the forthcoming season, but on past form, I can say that we tend to get more right than wrong, and that if your team disagree with me, then please get out on the fields and prove me wrong. Let's start
LATEST details BURY & RADCLIFFE JUNIOR LEAGUE THERE will be a manager's meeting at Bury FC social club on Thursday, April 14, 8pm. RESULTS LEAGUE U13 DIVISION ONE Avro Jnrs 6, Boundary Park 2; Radcliffe Boro 1, Roach Dy 3. DIVISION TWO Peel Utd 4,
CORONATION Street star Jodie Hamblet has become the first-ever Red Rose Festival Princess to help raise money for Bury Hospice. The month-long festival was launched in the Mill Gate shopping centre in Bury by Jodie, who plays Gemma Davenport in the soap
THE AGM of Radcliffe Townswomen's Guild went smoothly as officers were nominated and accepted. Federation representative, Miss Broadbent, explained the forms required for headquarters and helped with the nomination process. The accounts for the year to
A TV company is looking for bizarre and unusual gardens for a forthcoming TV programme. Hat Trick North Productions also wants to find people whose garden may be in need of a makeover. Anyone who wishes to take part should telephone 0161 233 1867 or 1868
A LEIGH store is selling exclusively designed T-shirts to support a charity week. George at Asda has combined this season's fashion for flowers with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's 65 roses strapline to produce two different shirts selling at £6 each from
AN appeal has been launched for people to donate items for a fundraising auction in aid of a church. Glazebury Methodist Church have organised the auction which takes place on Saturday, and need as many items as possible for the event. People can view
LEIGH resident Ken Naughton is looking for old photographs of Leigh during the last 100 years for his American relatives. Mr Naughton found some of his long lost relatives in the USA and they desperately want to see specific places where their ancestors
A FLORIST in Leigh was left terrified when she was threatened with a knife during an armed robbery at the shop on Monday. The woman was alone in Jacaranda Designer Florist, Warrington Road at 4.55pm when two men burst into the shop and demanded cash.
MEMBERS of the public with concerns about policing can have their questions answered at a meeting on Friday. Greater Manchester Police Authority's community engagement committee will meet in Bury Town Hall's Peel room at 10am. The public will be able
UNDERSTANDING antiques and floral arts are just some of the summer courses available at Lowton Community College. The courses run from April to July and are aimed at parents who wish to keep their children physically active this summer through to language
BURY Council is backing new protection for tourists buying "tailor-made or "dynamic package holidays. The guidelines are aimed at travel agents who assemble holidays from various sources to suit a customer's requirements. Angela Lomax, the council's principal
POLICE are warning pensioners to be on their guard following a theft by bogus charity collectors on Saturday. An elderly couple living in Holden Road, Leigh, opened their door at 5.15pm to a couple claiming to be from the hospital community centre. They
A NEW bus service will operate from Newton-le-Willows train station to Golborne to entice more rail users into the village. The service has been set up to encourage train users to travel to Golborne as the village steps up its bid to have its own railway
HARD-WORKING families have become poorer under Labour, says Tory election hopeful Alex Williams. He quotes new figures from the Institute for Fiscal Studies which show that take-home pay has fallen due to higher income tax, National Insurance and council
A FORMER toffee works factory in Lowton is the inspiration behind a fictional novel penned by a Cheshire author. Ron Derbyshire has written a novel called "Charlie's Girls" based on the Sovereign Toffee Works. The factory near Church Lane opened in 1915
HEALTH walks are set to boost the fitness levels of the people of Radcliffe with the opening of a new pathway. The new path was opened in Close Park last month and dozens of people joined Sports Development staff from Bury Council to walk the route, which
A RADCLIFFE man was seen by two young children sexually misbehaving in his car, a court was told. Manchester magistrates heard that 31-year-old Jonathon Leach had parked up near a playground in Hulme after buying a pornographic magazine. Leach (31), of
COMMUNITY groups are still being invited to help organise an exhibition of activities for young people in Radcliffe. Greater Manchester Police is asking groups who could involve youngsters to get in touch, so that a directory of schemes can be created
RESIDENTS are being clobbered by ever-increasing council tax bills, says Tory election hopeful Alex Williams. He says that Bury households are paying 65 per cent more in council tax than when Labour came to power: the current Band D rate is £1,172. Mr
CONSUMERS have won new rights over extended warranties on domestic electrical goods. The rules cover everything from kettles and hairdryers to TVs, computers, mobile phones, lawn mowers and sun beds. Trading standards officers in Bury say retailers will
COUNCILLORS have ordered a mobile phone giant to repaint a mast grey ... because it better suits the colour of the clouds across their town centre. Blackburn with Darwen Council approved the new mast, which will sit on top of Biffs Snooker Club, Lord
A UNION is taking Blackburn education chiefs to court, claiming its suspension policy for teachers is a breach of human rights. The NASUWT has lodged papers with the High Court in London in a bid to force Blackburn with Darwen Council to alter its rules
ALMOST 200 jobs at a beleaguered East Lancashire carpet firm have been saved after three of its four divisions were sold. But union bosses still fear for a number of jobs at Gaskell Plc, in Clayton-le-Moors and Rishton, especially as the firm which has
I AM writing to thank you and your reporter Peter Doherty for the article on my standing as an Independent in Bury South in the forthcoming general election. It has brought forward offers of help. These are all most welcome particularly bearing in mind
I AM really pleased to see that Yvonne Hossack is standing for Parliament in Bury as an Independent candidate. She is a woman of enormous skill, courage and integrity and will, I am sure, work very hard to represent the interests of the constituents of
I WAS astounded to read the comment attributed to Yvonne Hossack in her justification for standing against Ivan Lewis MP in the forthcoming General Election (March 31). She clearly has done no research into Ivan Lewis's reputation or track record in standing
GOLBORNE High School's newly laid astroturf pitch and Fairdeal Footballs were put to the test at a successful six-a-side soccer tournament. Around 50 youngsters aged 10-14 gathered to play in mini matches organised by Wigan Borough Co-op Members Fairtrade
KEY decisions could be made at a meeting on Thursday night when the Hilton Park board hold a meeting following the return from holiday of the only remaining executive director, Phil Coffey. A number of items will be up for discussion. One of those may
FAIRFIELD Baby Lifeline Society (FBLS) is deeply shocked by the news of the passing away of former Community Health Council chief executive Paul Reynolds. Paul was a staunch supporter of the society's "Babies First" campaign and attended our meetings
I WRITE with reference to recent letters published in the LET in connection with non-vocational classes at Blackburn College. Jack Straw, our local MP, is also a College Governor and has taken a special interest in students and their studies for many
ALMOST 200 jobs at a beleaguered East Lancashire carpet firm have been saved after three of its four divisions were sold. But union bosses still fear for a number of jobs at Gaskell Plc, in Clayton-le-Moors and Rishton, especially as the firm which has
FIFTY of Burnley's worst behaved youngsters could be sent on anger management courses as part a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. A list of the youths will be drawn up as part of a scheme to tackle juvenile nuisance in the town's highest crime areas
THE death of Pope John Paul II brought memories flooding back for a Leigh pensioner who was a security guard for the Holy Father's visit to Manchester more than 20 years ago. The Pope made a grand entrance in front of thousands of Catholics who had gathered
RADIO 2 presenter, and former assistant editor of the New Musical Express, Stuart Maconie, returned to his roots to open Golborne's new concept library. The Wigan-born broadcaster slotted in the extra appearance Saturday before he conducted his music
I WAS sitting in the Railway Road car park mourning the days when the shops weren't barricaded against vandals. The whole row opposite was shuttered and drab until on the stroke of 9am one was lifted to reveal what we used to see, the busy windows with
TWICE this year Jean Mountford has done her aging pensioner neighbour a favour by taking her shopping - and both times she has been stung with a parking ticket. I reported the first incident in Tyldesley last month when she was copped when she stopped
LEE Bowyer is a nasty piece of work. Newcastle have already fined him six weeks' wages for his brawl with team-mate Kieron Dyer, and the Football Association should follow that punishment up by suspending him for at least a half-dozen games on top of
LEIGH band Duffy will headline a gig in the town next Thursday. The band top the bill of three bands who will play at the Mick Martyn bar, Hilton Park, Leigh on Thursday April 14. The four-piece band, featuring brothers Conal and Kev Duffy, have just
RESIDENTS are invited to hike for health in Pennington Flash next Wednesday. The latest short walk in the council's Active Living Team's programme sets off at 10am at 1st Pennington Flash car park on the left hand side, St Helens Road. Walks for Health
ALL the latest details BRIGGS HOMES MIXED PAIRS COMPETITION THIS event will be held at Whitehead Park Bowling Club on Sunday, July 31, 2005, start time 10.30am. Entries are invited from mixed pairs, limited to 20 pairs. Guaranteed four games each pair
BLACKBURN boss Mark Hughes will open talks with Ryan Nelsen about a new contract in the summer. The New Zealand international has been a revelation since he joined Blackburn on a free transfer in January and Hughes is ready to rip up his existing deal
BRIAN Jensen is happy to fight for the number one shirt with Danny Coyne after signing a new three-year deal with Burnley. The delighted Dane was handed the new long-term contract as reward for a string of fine displays in goal for the Clarets this season
THE National Blood Service is appealing for donors to attend sessions in Atherton and Hindley this month. They are at The Formby Hall, Alder Street, Atherton, on April 27, and The Monaco Ballroom, Hindley, on April 28, between 1.30pm and 3.30pm and 5.30pm
A GROUP of businessmen have scored for a breast cancer charity. One hundred and eighty guests turned up at a Gentlemen's Evening at the Rendezvous, Astley, where the speaker was Ex-Comedians and Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen. The event, organised by Atherton
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a man was assaulted in Leigh in the early hours of last Saturday morning. A 19-year-old man from Wigan was found collapsed and suffering from a head injury on Wigan Road shortly after 4.20am. The man was taken
RESIDENTS are invited to hike for health in Pennington Flash next Wednesday. The latest short walk in the council's Active Living Team's programme sets off at 10am at 1st Pennington Flash car park on the left hand side, St Helens Road. Walks for Health
A LEIGH GP celebrated 10 years in his surgery "shed" with a charity bash. Dr Stephen Fox, furious that hi-tech new surgeries are opening around the borough while his 2,000 patients are forgotten, invited patients, members of the Ashton, Wigan and Leigh
RADCLIFFE Boro boss Kevin Glendon reflected on the goal-less draw with Frickley - then looked forward to a repeat on Saturday. H admitted: "It was not a good game to watch. They set their stall out and were very much 'Route 0ne' which really made it very
RADCLIFFE-based James Halstead PLC's financial buoyancy has been enhanced with its best-ever interim results. Figures for the half-year ending December 31 show the group, manufacturers and international distributors of flooring, achieved a 6.5 per cent
A MAN who cruised Britain's canals in the narrow boat he built himself, has died unexpectedly at the age of 77. Frederick Keith Thornton previously lived in Bolton Street, Radcliffe, but sold his home in the 1980s and moved in with his son Graham and
THE club welcomed our guest speaker, Frederic Hodson, whose subject was leather. Fred had brought numerous items of leather. To find out when leather was first discovered we went back 500,000 years, when our ancestors first used the skins of animals tied
A TEENAGER who was slashed across the neck by a knifeman as he closed his family's off-licence today revealed: "I could have died." Khayam Raja, 16, was locking up the shop in Bury Road, Haslingden, with his brother Khuram when he was pounced on and stabbed
ELDERS from an Oswaldtwistle church are set to build a new £500,000 church to make more room for their growing congregation. Melbourne Street Christian Institute said they are now in a position to build on land off Union Road, which they bought over eight
ASSISTANT headteacher Anne Haworth was one of only ten Queen's Park teachers to keep their jobs when the failing school was re-born yesterday. And as she watched pupils arriving for a welcome assembly and to collect their grant-funded uniforms -- aimed
THE main interest of Catherine Barry (Letters, March 17) appears to be getting from A to B as quickly as possible. She expresses her frustration and annoyance at speeds being reduced on certain roads, and tries to blame everybody but the speeding and
I HAVE spoken to Yvonne Hossack, the solicitor representing some of the Re:d Centre families who are requesting a judicial review of the council's decision to cut funding, and I have found that she is willing to stand up for all people, with or without
CORRESPONDENT Mr Slingsby (March 31) wants to vote for an MP who not only has aspirations for the future of his constituency, but has a record of having delivered. He is right to lay down high standards. I have always made it clear that I regard it as
NEW tipping rules which came into force this week are causing a fiasco according to a livid Leigh resident. Because he needs a van to carry his equipment in the course of his job a Leigh entertainer, who does not own a car, tells me he applied for a free
AFTER their welcome Challenge Cup victory over Batley last weekend, it's back to Super League action on Friday (8pm) when Centurions make the short trip down the East Lancs Road to St Helens where Ian Millward will coach against his old club for the first
"The Jam Restart," King George's Hall, Northgate. Blackburn Drama Club present "April in Paris," Thwaites Empire Theatre, Ewood. "Franklyn" (soul vocalist), The Moorings, Bolton Road, 8.30pm. Exhibition of Stitching Crafts, Samlesbury Hall. Until April
I REFER to the letter from Mr P Peel, of Sudell Road, Darwen (LET, April 2) and in particular criticism about information received from local councillors and the demolition area around the lower parts of Sudell Road and Redearth Road. Mr Peel states that
LEIGH Centurions are staying tight-lipped on reports that they are keen on Australian half-back Willie Peters. Some Sydney-based newspapers are linking the Centurions with a possible move for Peters as a replacement for Jason Ferris who packed his bags
THE HEAD of a landlords' association is threatening to take Burnley Council to court over multi-million pound plans to transform the town. Burnley Council's Executive has given the go-ahead for more than 100 houses to be bulldozed in Daneshouse as part
A TEENAGER who was slashed across the neck by a knifeman as he closed his family's off-licence today revealed: "I could have died." Khayam Raja, 16, was locking up the shop in Bury Road, Haslingden, with his brother Khuram when he was pounced on and stabbed
THE sounds of Leigh Parish Church's magnificent pipe organ will rattle the rafters for a double cause over the next five weeks. Five recitals have been organised to raise funds for Wigan and Leigh Hospice and for the restoration of the church's St Nicholas
LEIGH'S Prospective Conservative candidate is backing long suffering families affected by years of anti-social behaviour in Sandersons Croft. Laurance Wedderburn has promised to work with residents to resolve the issue of gangs wrecking neighbouring Bedford
PEOPLE facing their largest-ever tax bill are invited to attend a special "Inheritance Tax - the Answers" seminar to be staged in Bury later this month. The free event is being organised by Radcliffe-based Wilds Chartered Accountants and Wilds Financial
RADCLIFFE-based James Halstead PLC's financial buoyancy has been enhanced with its best-ever interim results. Figures for the half-year ending December 31 show the group, manufacturers and international distributors of flooring, achieved a 6.5 per cent
TWO security guards refilling a cash machine on a petrol station forecourt in Bury were attacked by a gang of men armed with an axe. Police say two men pulled up at the Paddock Service Station on Bury New Road, Prestwich, Greater Manchester, just after
AS BRITAIN prepares itself for the General Election on May 5, the resignation of Winston Churchill 50 years ago was causing ructions within the Cabinet of the day. With the appointment of Anthony Eden on Tuesday, April 5, 1955, a General Election was
A CROWD of almost 50,000 people attended the Ainsworth "Grand National" at Nab Gate in 1955, but for the fourth year running, the rain turned the course into a quagmire. Hundreds arrived early with picnic hampers and blankets to make a day of it, but
ONLY a seriously committed rally driver would undertake a thousand-mile round trip in a weekend to compete in an event lasting just a tenth of that distance. But that's exactly what Blackburn businessman John Stone will be doing on Saturday when he launches
THE big event this week was the Darts Pairs, held at the Victoria last Thursday night. The first game was a bit scrappy (they always are, as nerves haven't settled). D. Fearns couldn't find his form and after scraping the first leg, he and his partner
HOPE you all enjoyed the Easter break and are refreshed for the summer term. On Sunday (April 2) we held the second Giant's Seat campsite meeting and have begun to look at improvements to the current running of the site. This will involve interested leaders
A PROJECT to entice youngsters off the streets has earned Joanne Pickering the title of community champion. The 22-year-old, from Outwood, saw a way of expanding the use of a small internet cafe in Radcliffe to benefit young people. Now the success of
A DARWEN man has launched a website to help patients who wish to lodge a complaint against their GP. Vic Shuttleworth, 60, of Redearth Road, believes he has reason to complain about advice given by his doctor, who is based outside the area, following
A 33-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the rape of a 17-year-girl in Tyldesley. Donovan James George, of Balmoral Drive, Swinton, is alleged to have raped the girl at the George and Dragon pub car park, Elliott Street, on the night of March
VOLUNTEERS need to find £20,000 to help keep a vital community service open, it was revealed today. Community Action in Rossendale (CAR), has already had to make both of its paid staff redundant and has now learned it may not get the funding it needs
KEEP fit runner Chris Ackers will compete in his second London marathon in a row next month. The 43-years-old Royal Mail worker will be stepping out to raise funds for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. And this year he is hoping to beat last year's
PEOPLE facing their largest-ever tax bill are invited to attend a special "Inheritance Tax - the Answers" seminar to be staged in Bury later this month. The free event is being organised by Radcliffe-based Wilds Chartered Accountants and Wilds Financial
AN EAST Lancashire businessman has defended his decision to profit from the charity wristband craze. Paul Jackson, 36, owner of a web-based wholesalers, says he firmly believes what he is doing is in the interest of the five charities whose bands he sells
ENGLAND women's goalkeeper Rachel Brown today issued a rallying call to local soccer fans to avert a European Championships attendance disaster. Ewood Park, home of Blackburn Rovers, will be hosting two of England's group matches -- against Denmark on
LEIGH Centurions have announced their 20-man squad for the Round 9 engage Super League clash against St Helens at Knowsley Road on Friday (8pm). The respective squads are: St Helens: Wellens, Hardman, Lyon, V. Anderson, Albert, Roby, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham
PROP Richard Moore has had his suspension cut from five games to four on appeal. Moore was handed the original ban based on video evidence from the win over London Broncos. He was alleged to have used his knees in a tackle and then used a forearm off
Housing minister Keith Hill has set the seal on an ambitious modernisation plan for Bury's 8,500 council homes. He formally launched Six Town Housing, which will take over daily management of the houses and could bring in £27 million for improvements.
