Archive

  • Cash theft from wife’s boss

    A MAN who helped himself to £740 cash from his wife's bosses is awaiting sentence by Burnley magistrates. The court was told how Martin Geoffrey Matthews, 45, was captured on CCTV taking the money from the safe at Tom Wilson's newsagents in Market Street

  • Wembley link may hit centre

    BURNLEY'S Charter Walk shopping centre is among assets being considered for a possible sale by the Australian firm behind the new Wembley Stadium. Multiplex which owns a stake in the shopping centre's parent company Stannifer revealed last week that

  • Youngsters’ goal is a better life

    A DRIVE to get potential criminals and unemployed youngsters in Burnley back to work will reach its climax later this week. Strike for Life is a sports project aimed at helping young people in the borough get qualifications through football. Organisers

  • Jobs loss ‘major blow’ for town

    STAFF at a Nelson factory which will close with the loss of more than 150 jobs today said they were dismayed by the decision to shut the site. And a leading councillor in the town and former employee said he was devastated Smurfit was closing ending

  • Valley ringtones to be heard in US

    RAWTENSTALL commun-ication firm 2ergo is to see its products used in California and Arizona after signing a new deal. The firm, which provides services using mobile phone technology, such as news and entertainment services on text message, has signed

  • Sewage works bid

    AN abattoir in Colne has once again put forward plans to build a new sewage works at its site. Woodhead Bros Ltd has applied to Pendle Council for planning permission to build the new plant at its Junction Street base. Earlier this month the authority's

  • Scoring a goal for fair trade

    YOUNGSTERS in Pendle will be showing off their soccer skills while promoting fair trade. As part of Fairtrade Fortnight Pendle Council is running a football competition at Marsden Community School Sports Centre, Nelson. The event also backed by Pendle

  • ‘Think again’ library plea

    ROSSENDALE'S MP is asking her own her own party to give a closure-threatened borough library a six-month reprieve. Waterfoot Library, alongside two others, has been earmarked for closure under cost-saving plans by Lancashire County Council. Labour's

  • Sensory garden final joy

    A NEW sensory garden in Nelson for disabled and terminally ill children will be open by May. Final plans for the garden have been revealed by Brierfield charity Caring Today, which is building the special feature in Victoria Park. It will include two

  • Schools revamp contract won by builders

    THE £250 million overhaul of education in Burnley and Pendle took a major step forward today after a developer was chosen to build new schools. Education chiefs have chosen Catalyst Lend Lease to build the first phase of the Building Schools for the

  • Night in memory of ‘angel’ Levi sells out

    A CHARITY night to raise money for the hospitals which battled to save the life of tragic toddler Levi Bleasdale has sold out. The youngster's cousin, David White, has organised the do' at Daneshouse Working Men's Club, Nicholas Street, Burnley. All

  • ‘Sick arsonists’ kill seven dogs at farm

    A FARMER today blasted sick' arsonists who set fire to kennels killing seven dogs and said: "I can't understand why anyone would do this." Tearful James Blake, 38, said he was devastated by the deaths of the five border terriers and two sheepdogs who

  • Blankety blank

    TRADERS today slammed new interactive parking signs for Burnley town centre as a complete waste of time.' Lancashire County Council's £360,000 Intelligent Transport System was supposed to come on-line a year ago. But now they have confirmed they are

  • Hawks get cup tonic

    Blackburn Hawks picked themselves up with a comfortable victory over rivals Flintshire Freeze to help erase memories of narrowly missing out on the English National Ice Hockey League title. The 7-3 fine win at the Arena in the M65 Cup was the perfect

  • We have to be realistic

    BURNLEY this week took the bold step of releasing all six second and third year apprentices. The shock decision appears to fly in the face of the great strides being made at youth level but as the Telegraph Sports team discovered, those making the big

  • Up to players to prove club wrong

    AS A young footballer, there can be nothing more devastating than someone saying you are not good enough. I know. I've been there. And the only thing you can do is find the belief within yourself to prove them wrong. That is the challenge now facing

  • Bentley at double

    England Under-21 coach Peter Taylor backed David Bentley to provide the solution to England's problem position on the left side of midfield. The Blackburn player capped a fine individual performance with two goals to help England Under-21s to a 3-1 win

  • Savage in role reversal

    ROBBIE Savage admits he's having to pinch himself when he looks at the league table following Blackburn Rovers' remarkable surge into the Premiership's top five. In the past, the fiery Welshman has spent large parts of his career having to look nervously

  • Accrington Stanley 2 Southport 4

    LANCASHIRE Cup holders Accrington Stanley surrendered their chance to retain the trophy against Conference rivals Southport last night. But, while the Reds had already made it to the semi-final stage, if it means one less distraction on their road to

  • Clarets target return to winning ways

    Burnley are looking to get back to winning ways, starting with Saturday's Turf Moor clash against runaway leaders Reading. Both sides have injury doubts ahead of the Turf Moor clash, with Clarets duo Garreth O'Connor and Graham Branch cause for concern

  • Cotterill deal a step closer

    BURNLEY today moved a step closer to agreeing a new long term deal for manager Steve Cotterill. The Clarets boss, whose current contract runs until the summer of 2007, held his latest round of constructive talks with chairman Barry Kilby earlier this

  • Dickov to snub four clubs

    PAUL Dickov is ready to snub interest from a posse of Premiership suitors and put pen to paper on a new deal with Blackburn Rovers. The 33-year-old striker, who is in contention for a first team recall after recovering from a shoulder injury, is wanted

  • Opticians burglar jailed

    A 33-YEAR-OLD man who broke into a Darwen opticians and stole a cabinet full of designer glasses has been jailed for 90 days. Blackburn magistrates heard that, after his arrest, Peter Walsh had admitted trying to steal a car and now wanted all matters

  • Postal votes ‘still not safe’

    NEW laws on postal voting will not prevent fraudsters following in the footsteps of a disgraced Blackburn councillor, campaign-ers claimed today. Falsely applying for a postal vote, providing false information to an electoral registration officer and

  • First event for new army cadets

    A NEW army cadet force planned for Rishton is to hold its first meeting in an effort to attract interest. The nearest detachment of the cadets is based in Accrington, and about 50 places will be made available for young people in Rishton. The Scout

  • Son Kyle’s a snip off the old lock!

    A FATHER and son combination from Blackburn have proved to be a cut above the rest in Lancashire. But even though Eric Brotherton's family are "Cutting it" in the world of hairdressing, he has insisted it is nothing like it is portrayed on the BBC 1

  • Theatre death ‘natural causes’

    A POST mortem examination has revealed a man who collapsed in a theatre bar minutes before TV's Tony Robinson came on stage died of natural causes. John Chapman, 48, of Union Street, Clitheroe, fell to the ground in the bar of Burnley Mechanics Theatre

  • Cafe will help deaf

    A NEW cafe is to open in Blackburn aimed at helping young deaf people communicate with hearing customers. The cafe, in the former Acme Tool Hire shop in King Street, is expected to open this month. It is the latest project by East Lancashire Deaf Society

  • £3m bus station plan slammed by traders

    A NEW £3million bus station could be opened in Rawtenstall within two years but it has already been attacked by traders. The Local Transport Plan set to be submitted to the Government next month, identified Rawtenstall's bus station as a top-five priority

  • TV review: Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Channel 4

    ANYONE who watched last week's first instalment of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares may have been lulled into a sense of false security. The kitchen guru clearly toned down his act after discovering the chef at the restaurant he was called in to had a drink

  • Libraries closure is madness

    IT is very disappointing that Lancashire County Council has decided to close nine branch libraries to save money, it says. A paltry sum if you consider all the money gathered in huge taxes. The council says it wishes to concentrate funds on older people

  • Nursery is worth fighting for

    REGARDING the article (LET, February 11). I would like to thank the Telegraph for covering the story on Kelsall Avenue Nursery School. We had a great turnout and a lot of concerns and questions were raised at the meeting. After the article was printed

  • Don’t stigmatise ADHD children

    I WOULD like to respond to the article (LET, February 14) "School kids in virtual drugs comas" by Oliver Evans. I have a son with Attention Deficiency Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). He is not allowed to run wild, he is not allowed to do what he wants,

  • Twelve weeks not enough for a life

    RE Family disgust at sentence' (LET, February 18). I strongly agree that the law should be changed, as anyone who does not stop after an accident that involves a death as a result cannot be prosecuted for murder. I cannot understand why the law has not

  • Honours sham: True heroes need not apply

    I HAVE long thought that the Honours system has become so debased by spivvery and cynical opportunism that it is time it was scrapped altogether. I was reinforced in my belief when the request by Greater Manchester Chief Constable Michael Todd for DC

  • College a-tracks top name artists

    BIG-name musicians are shunning Manchester and London in favour of Blackburn to lay down their tracks. Blackburn College which believes its media centre, now doubling as a professional recording studio, is helping put the town on "the musical map."

  • Reds get band aid on internet auction

    CHART-TOPPING band the Arctic Monkeys have donated a signed drumhead to help boost the coffers of league-topping Accrington Stanley. Now the club is hoping that fans of the club and the band will think the item would "look good on their lounge wall"

  • Prophet cartoon posted to homes by BNP

    RESIDENTS across East Lancashire are being warned to expect a leaflet containing the controversial cartoon of the prophet Muhammad to be delivered to their homes. Lancashire police's hate crime unit has launched an investigation after residents in Colne

  • Son moves in to grant dad a dying wish

    A DYING father who faced losing his children to social services has had a last-minute reprieve after his eldest son moved back home to help. Single parent James Gibbons, 62, of Windermere Avenue, Huncoat, was told by social service bosses that he was

  • Valley voice to return?

    EAST Lancashire's first community radio station could be back on the air by summer if it can raise £6,000. Broadcasting from St Mary's Parish Hall, Church Street, Clitheroe, Ribble Valley Radio proved an instant hit with listeners in a month's trial

  • Labour lose man to Tories

    A FORMER Hyndburn Labour councillor Claims "civil war" in the local Labour Party has forced him to defect to the Conservatives. Dennis Baron, 44, of Ribble Avenue, Great Harwood, has said he will stand for the Tories against Labour in the Netherton ward

  • Picture yourself a young photo champ

    SCHOOLCHILDREN in Darwen are being encouraged to get involved in photography by the Darwen Civic Society. There will be a special prize as part of the society's 18th annual photographic exhibition for youngsters who undertake a project entry through

  • Moorland wind farm battle on

    RESIDENTS fighting plans to site two wind turbines above Edgworth have launched their battle to save the open moorland from development. Legal representatives for Edgworth Against Turbines, a group of local residents, joined cousel for Blackburn with

  • Danger fears over cash-in-transit robberies

    LANCASHIRE had the ninth highest number of cash-in-transit robberies out of the country's 43 forces last year, it has been revealed. The GMB released the figures in the wake of last week's £50million raid on a Securitas depot in Kent. Paul Kenny, the

  • ASBO man seen punching lamp-post

    A 22-year-old Clitheroe man banned from his home town under the terms of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order was found drunk outside his new home in Blackburn. The town's magistrates heard that Robert Edward Bibby was abusive to a police officer who stopped

  • A wash and bust-up for doctors

    DOCTORS have been rapped by a hospital boss for not washing their hands to combat the threat of superbug MRSA. Jo Cubbon, chief executive of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said "a number of reports" she had received about staff ignoring hygiene

  • Fire crew staffing strike averted

    A FORMAL agreement has been reached in the dispute over fire service crewing levels in Lancashire. After weeks of talks between the chief fire officer and Fire Brigades Union officials, a way forward to avoid strike action has been agreed. Bosses wanted

  • MP – get over 18s to vote

    NIGEL Evans has said the government must ensure more over-18s vote before it cuts the age to take part in general elections to 16. The Ribble Valley Tory MP spoke out after a government inquiry called for the voting age to be slashed. The Power Inquiry

  • Charity train hits buffers

    A CHARITY train which has raised more than £100,000 has reached the end of the line. Organisers of the St James' Day Tripper, which has run up to three times a year for nearly 20 years, have confirmed this September's trip will be their last. They say

  • Blaze man ‘very lucky to be alive’

    A man who awoke to find his bedroom on fire was "lucky to be alive" according to firefighters who spent over three hours tackling the blaze. The bedroom, of a three-storey house in Bury Fold Lane in Darwen, was destroyed by fire at around 3am today.

  • Museum to shut four years after being saved

    A MUSEUM heralded as a vital part of Blackburn's heritage is to close so council bosses can save just £23,000 a year. The move, just four years after councillors re-launched the Lewis Textile Museum in a blaze of publicity, has been attacked as a "sad

  • Sat nav hazard for drivers

    In-car navigation equipment could be proving to be more of a hindrance than a help to drivers, according to research by Privilege Insurance. As satellite navigation systems become as common as CD players research reveals that over one in ten drivers

  • Euro safety law en route to UK

    British drivers often fail to comply with the law in European countries by not carrying road safety products when driving. They risk an on-the-spot fine or even worse, a serious accident. Drivers in some countries need to carry a warning triangle, spare

  • Royal flush for Mechanics

    Ricky Tomlinson, star of The Royle Family, Mike Bassett, Down to Earth and Brookside is hosting a night of comedy in Burnley on March 21. Before becoming an actor, he was a trades unionist. In 1973 he was imprisoned for 15 months for organising

  • Lucky Number Slevin (18)

    LIFE isn't going well for Slevin (Josh Hartnett) - his apartment building has been condemned, he lost his ID to a mugger, and he just caught his girlfriend cheating on him. He borrows his friend Nick Fisher's New York apartment to get away from Los

  • Casanova (12A)

    OUT of 201 seats, seven were occupied at a showing of Casanova. The 194 people had it right. Lead Heath Ledger may be basking in Golden Globe glory for his performance in Brokeback Mountain, but he evidently had no acting tips here. It was dismal

  • Hawks get cup tonic

    Blackburn Hawks picked themselves up with a comfortable victory over rivals Flintshire Freeze to help erase memories of narrowly missing out on the English National Ice Hockey League title. The 7-3 fine win at the Arena in the M65 Cup was the perfect

  • Libraries closure is madness

    IT is very disappointing that Lancashire County Council has decided to close nine branch libraries to save money, it says. A paltry sum if you consider all the money gathered in huge taxes. The council says it wishes to concentrate funds on older people

  • Honours sham: True heroes need not apply

    I HAVE long thought that the Honours system has become so debased by spivvery and cynical opportunism that it is time it was scrapped altogether. I was reinforced in my belief when the request by Greater Manchester Chief Constable Michael Todd for DC

  • Blankety blank

    TRADERS today slammed new interactive parking signs for Burnley town centre as a complete waste of time.' Lancashire County Council's £360,000 Intelligent Transport System was supposed to come on-line a year ago. But now they have confirmed they are working

  • Bentley at double

    England Under-21 coach Peter Taylor backed David Bentley to provide the solution to England's problem position on the left side of midfield. The Blackburn player capped a fine individual performance with two goals to help England Under-21s to a 3-1 win

  • Savage in role reversal

    ROBBIE Savage admits he's having to pinch himself when he looks at the league table following Blackburn Rovers' remarkable surge into the Premiership's top five. In the past, the fiery Welshman has spent large parts of his career having to look nervously

  • Dickov to snub four clubs

    PAUL Dickov is ready to snub interest from a posse of Premiership suitors and put pen to paper on a new deal with Blackburn Rovers. The 33-year-old striker, who is in contention for a first team recall after recovering from a shoulder injury, is wanted

  • Wembley link may hit centre

    BURNLEY'S Charter Walk shopping centre is among assets being considered for a possible sale by the Australian firm behind the new Wembley Stadium. Multiplex which owns a stake in the shopping centre's parent company Stannifer revealed last week that losses

  • Youngsters' goal is a better life

    A DRIVE to get potential criminals and unemployed youngsters in Burnley back to work will reach its climax later this week. Strike for Life is a sports project aimed at helping young people in the borough get qualifications through football. Organisers

  • Jobs loss 'major blow' for town

    STAFF at a Nelson factory which will close with the loss of more than 150 jobs today said they were dismayed by the decision to shut the site. And a leading councillor in the town and former employee said he was devastated Smurfit was closing ending its

  • Sewage works bid

    AN abattoir in Colne has once again put forward plans to build a new sewage works at its site. Woodhead Bros Ltd has applied to Pendle Council for planning permission to build the new plant at its Junction Street base. Earlier this month the authority's

  • Cash theft from wife's boss

    A MAN who helped himself to £740 cash from his wife's bosses is awaiting sentence by Burnley magistrates. The court was told how Martin Geoffrey Matthews, 45, was captured on CCTV taking the money from the safe at Tom Wilson's newsagents in Market Street

  • ASBO man seen punching lamp-post

    A 22-year-old Clitheroe man banned from his home town under the terms of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order was found drunk outside his new home in Blackburn. The town's magistrates heard that Robert Edward Bibby was abusive to a police officer who stopped

  • Clarets target return to winning ways

    Burnley are looking to get back to winning ways, starting with Saturday's Turf Moor clash against runaway leaders Reading. Both sides have injury doubts ahead of the Turf Moor clash, with Clarets duo Garreth O'Connor and Graham Branch cause for concern

  • We have to be realistic

    BURNLEY this week took the bold step of releasing all six second and third year apprentices. The shock decision appears to fly in the face of the great strides being made at youth level but as the Telegraph Sports team discovered, those making the big

  • An intimate Embrace

    Yorkshire's premier epic indie rockers Embrace are back, playing a handful low-key shows in support of their new album and single. And one of those shows is at Preston's Guildhall on April 15. Before then the band, who've had two number albums to date

  • Wishing the night away

    Progressive 70s rock band Wishbone Ash are on the way to Burnley on March 22. Back in the early 70s, founding members Andy Powell and Ted Turner became renowned for their distinctive twin guitar style. The British press crowned Wishbone Ash as both 'brightest

  • Cotterill deal a step closer

    BURNLEY today moved a step closer to agreeing a new long term deal for manager Steve Cotterill. The Clarets boss, whose current contract runs until the summer of 2007, held his latest round of constructive talks with chairman Barry Kilby earlier this

  • Dickov to snub four clubs

    PAUL Dickov is ready to snub interest from a posse of Premiership suitors and put pen to paper on a new deal with Blackburn Rovers. The 33-year-old striker, who is in contention for a first team recall after recovering from a shoulder injury, is wanted

  • Album review: Skye - Mind How You Go (Atlantic)

    DESPITE being the voice of Morcheeba, we never knew much of the real Skye until now, with her debut album Mind How You Go. The beguiling quality of her voice and the potent melodies are still the same, and the material isn't too different from what we

  • Criminals in the city

    Sharp-suited rapping rockers Fun Lovin' Criminals return to the UK for a handful of tour dates in March including a show in Preston on March 4. We spoke to main man Huey. The gangster chic band, famous for tracks like Scooby Snacks, Loco and King Of New

  • Single review: Humanzi - Long Time Coming (Fiction)

    If you think Irish music is just fiddles, harps and acoustic guitars, Humanzi are set to pogo all over your preconceptions. The Dublin upstarts are the embodiment of indignation on their first full release, mixing sharply delivered gang choruses with

  • Single review: The KBC - Pride Before The Fall (High Voltage)

    Consistently ace Preston trio The KBC are back, armed with another couple of indie dancefloor classics deserving a wide audience. First there's the measured electro punk-funk of Pride Before The Fall, where James Mulholland's pleading vocals sound even

  • Lancashire gig guide

    Your diary of the big gigs coming to Lancashire soon, including the likes of Morrissey, G4, The Strokes, Australian Pink Floyd, The Magic Numbers, The Levellers and Fun Lovin' Criminals. MARCH 2 Larrikin Love, 53 Degrees, Preston MARCH 3 The Futureheads

  • Valley ringtones to be heard in US

    RAWTENSTALL communication firm 2ergo is to see its products used in California and Arizona after signing a new deal. The firm, which provides services using mobile phone technology, such as news and entertainment services on text message, has signed a

  • Moorland wind farm battle on

    RESIDENTS fighting plans to site two wind turbines above Edgworth have launched their battle to save the open moorland from development. Legal representatives for Edgworth Against Turbines, a group of local residents, joined cousel for Blackburn with

  • Valley ringtones to be heard in US

    RAWTENSTALL communication firm 2ergo is to see its products used in California and Arizona after signing a new deal. The firm, which provides services using mobile phone technology, such as news and entertainment services on text message, has signed a

  • 'Think again' library plea

    ROSSENDALE'S MP is asking her own her own party to give a closure-threatened borough library a six-month reprieve. Waterfoot Library, alongside two others, has been earmarked for closure under cost-saving plans by Lancashire County Council. Labour's Janet

  • Cafe will help deaf

    A NEW cafe is to open in Blackburn aimed at helping young deaf people communicate with hearing customers. The cafe, in the former Acme Tool Hire shop in King Street, is expected to open this month. It is the latest project by East Lancashire Deaf Society

  • Charity train hits buffers

    A CHARITY train which has raised more than £100,000 has reached the end of the line. Organisers of the St James' Day Tripper, which has run up to three times a year for nearly 20 years, have confirmed this September's trip will be their last. They say

  • Family should stay together

    IT would have been a great shame if 62-year-old James Gibbons and his children had been split up because he was deemed to be too sick to look after them. And it was not a situation social workers could easily solve because they have a legal obligation

  • Twelve weeks not enough for a life

    RE Family disgust at sentence' (LET, February 18). I strongly agree that the law should be changed, as anyone who does not stop after an accident that involves a death as a result cannot be prosecuted for murder. I cannot understand why the law has not

  • Don't stigmatise ADHD children

    I WOULD like to respond to the article (LET, February 14) "School kids in virtual drugs comas" by Oliver Evans. I have a son with Attention Deficiency Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). He is not allowed to run wild, he is not allowed to do what he wants, with

  • Museum to shut four years after being saved

    A MUSEUM heralded as a vital part of Blackburn's heritage is to close so council bosses can save just £23,000 a year. The move, just four years after councillors re-launched the Lewis Textile Museum in a blaze of publicity, has been attacked as a "sad

  • 'Sick arsonists' kill seven dogs at farm

    A FARMER today blasted sick' arsonists who set fire to kennels killing seven dogs and said: "I can't understand why anyone would do this." Tearful James Blake, 38, said he was devastated by the deaths of the five border terriers and two sheepdogs who

  • Blankety blank

    TRADERS today slammed new interactive parking signs for Burnley town centre as a complete waste of time.' Lancashire County Council's £360,000 Intelligent Transport System was supposed to come on-line a year ago. But now they have confirmed they are working

  • Sensory garden final joy

    A NEW sensory garden in Nelson for disabled and terminally ill children will be open by May. Final plans for the garden have been revealed by Brierfield charity Caring Today, which is building the special feature in Victoria Park. It will include two

  • Album review: DJ Kicks - The Exclusives (!K7)

    The joy of a post-club electronic mix album is found in slapping it on, kicking back, and letting the music surprise and delight at every twist and turn of the selection. !K7's DJ Kicks discs have been the finest series of such mixes for over ten years

  • Jason Whalley column: Dreams are made of this

    ON Sunday I found myself in the unusual position of actually wanting Manchester United to win a football match. It's not something I'm going to make a habit of but there was good reason for it. Now that the UEFA cup place for winning the Carling Cup has

  • Labour lose man to Tories

    A FORMER Hyndburn Labour councillor Claims "civil war" in the local Labour Party has forced him to defect to the Conservatives. Dennis Baron, 44, of Ribble Avenue, Great Harwood, has said he will stand for the Tories against Labour in the Netherton ward

  • First event for new army cadets

    A NEW army cadet force planned for Rishton is to hold its first meeting in an effort to attract interest. The nearest detachment of the cadets is based in Accrington, and about 50 places will be made available for young people in Rishton. The Scout hut

  • Son moves in to grant dad a dying wish

    A DYING father who faced losing his children to social services has had a last-minute reprieve after his eldest son moved back home to help. Single parent James Gibbons, 62, of Windermere Avenue, Huncoat, was told by social service bosses that he was

  • Theatre death 'natural causes'

    A POST mortem examination has revealed a man who collapsed in a theatre bar minutes before TV's Tony Robinson came on stage died of natural causes. John Chapman, 48, of Union Street, Clitheroe, fell to the ground in the bar of Burnley Mechanics Theatre

  • Valley voice to return?

    EAST Lancashire's first community radio station could be back on the air by summer if it can raise £6,000. Broadcasting from St Mary's Parish Hall, Church Street, Clitheroe, Ribble Valley Radio proved an instant hit with listeners in a month's trial last

  • Michael Short column: Hard-to-contact centre is a farce

    YOU'VE got to hand it to our elected officials. When they are given licence to represent us, they really don't hold back. In fact, they are so intent on "representing" us, warts and all, that it seems they even chuck in our foibles when making decisions

  • Cotterill deal a step closer

    BURNLEY today moved a step closer to agreeing a new long term deal for manager Steve Cotterill. The Clarets boss, whose current contract runs until the summer of 2007, held his latest round of constructive talks with chairman Barry Kilby earlier this

  • Lathe in Leyland

    Multi-talented singer/songwriter/ musician Abbie Lathe is coming to perform in Leyland on March 4. Abbie will be joined by Jane Griffiths, who recently accompanied Abbie at Worden Arts Centre, Worden Park, Leyland. Songs will include those from Abbie's

  • Muffin Men are no mules

    THE Muffin Men may nominally be a Frank Zappa 'tribute band', but they're so authentic they've had four members of Zappa's own bands in their line-up over the years. See them in Burnley on April 22. As well as Zappa and Mothers Of Invention tunes, they

  • Oh Geno

    ONE of the most popular 60s soul bands, Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band will be performing in Morecambe on March 12. Washington had two of the biggest selling UK albums of the 1960s - Hand Clappin, Foot Stompin and Funky Butt Live, which was in the

  • Album review: Barefoot - Barefoot (Onetwo)

    IT might be a covers album, but Barefoot's debut is probably the most original album you'll hear all year. Sam Obernik, the voice on the Tim Deluxe hit It Just Won't Do, and producer Tommy D have given 10 dance classics including Born Slippy, White Lines

  • Keeping up with Mr Jones

    Singer Paul Jones is hosting an "intimate evening" at the Burnley Mechanics on March 4. We found out what makes the musician tick. You've survived from Manfred Mann to Broadway what's the secret of your endurance? Keep moving; a moving target is much

  • Rock Out in aid of charity

    A CHARITY event called Rock-Out is being held on April 28 in Bacup to help claw back some of Rossendale Hospice's £100,000 debt. Rossendale Leisure Trust is organising the one-off event in April to raise money for the debt-ridden charity. The hospice,

  • Chance to see Saw Doctors

    The Saw Doctors, who came together in the small town of Tuam, in the west of Ireland, in 1987, play in Preston on April 23. We spoke to keyboardist and accordionist Derek Murray. The band's first hit, N17, paved the way for the band whose hit singles

  • Tull tales from a grumpy rock icon

    He became a rock icon by standing on one leg while playing the flute. Ian Anderson tells of his love/hate relationship with his home town of Blackpool, as his band prepare to play there on March 5. Interviewing Ian Anderson of rock band Jethro Tull is

  • Single review: Sparks - Perfume (Gut)

    Sparks' vital statistics speak for themselves - 36 years making music, 20 albums but only 3 top 10 singles. The Mael brothers have every right to feel aggrieved at their electro trailblazing being largely overlooked, but they don't show it on the chipper

  • Blaze man 'very lucky to be alive'

    A man who awoke to find his bedroom on fire was "lucky to be alive" according to firefighters who spent over three hours tackling the blaze. The bedroom, of a three-storey house in Bury Fold Lane in Darwen, was destroyed by fire at around 3am today. A

  • £3m bus station plan slammed by traders

    A NEW £3million bus station could be opened in Rawtenstall within two years but it has already been attacked by traders. The Local Transport Plan set to be submitted to the Government next month, identified Rawtenstall's bus station as a top-five priority

  • College a-tracks top name artists

    BIG-name musicians are shunning Manchester and London in favour of Blackburn to lay down their tracks. Blackburn College which believes its media centre, now doubling as a professional recording studio, is helping put the town on "the musical map." Today

  • Son Kyle's a snip off the old lock!

    A FATHER and son combination from Blackburn have proved to be a cut above the rest in Lancashire. But even though Eric Brotherton's family are "Cutting it" in the world of hairdressing, he has insisted it is nothing like it is portrayed on the BBC 1 drama

  • Museum to shut four years after being saved

    A MUSEUM heralded as a vital part of Blackburn's heritage is to close so council bosses can save just £23,000 a year. The move, just four years after councillors re-launched the Lewis Textile Museum in a blaze of publicity, has been attacked as a "sad

  • Muffin Men are no mules

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