Archive

  • Speed limit signs vandalised in Rossendale

    SIGNS imposing a controversial speed limit in Rossendale have been vandalised. A number of signs in Broadway, Helmshore, have been sprayed with silver paint, causing confusion for motorists. The signs were put up in October and November

  • FULL TIME: Blackburn Rovers Youth 1 Burnley Youth 0

    TEN man Blackburn Rovers beat Burnley 1-0 in this evening's FA Youth Cup semi final first leg at Ewood Park. Raheem Hanley's first half header was enough to give Rovers the initiative going into Wednesday night's second leg at Turf Moor, but Burnley's

  • Traders count the cost after Burnley arson attack

    A SUSPECTED arson attack behind a parade of shops in Burnley has left nearby traders counting the cost as the building is demolished. Fire ripped through the building, which contained Union Cabs and the Delicious Pizzas takeaway, at the corner of Plumbe

  • TEAM NEWS: Blackburn Rovers under 18s v Burnley under 18s

    A BUMPER Ewood Park crowd is expected for tonight's FA Youth Cup semi final first leg between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley. Burnley impressively saw off Fulham in the quarter final at Craven Cottage while Rovers won at Newcastle on penalties. The second

  • Burnley defender Amougou joins Bristol City on loan

    BURNLEY defender Andre Amougou has signed for Bristol City on a month's loan. Amougou will move to Ashton Gate until April 21, with his current loan deal due to expire before Burnley face Bristol City on the last day of the season on April

  • Hyndburn MP Graham Jones calls for controls on letting

    AN MP says measures must be put in place to prevent ‘amateur landlords’ owning too many properties in the area. Hyndburn MP Graham Jones says recent figures show four out of ten rented properties were purchased on buy-to-let mortgages, raising concerns

  • Yobs attempt to mug Blackburn woman

    TWO yobs are being hunted after they tried to mug a woman in Blackburn town centre. Police said the 57-year-old was walking in Astley Gate at 8.15pm on Tuesday when she was bumped into by one teenager, before another tried to steal her handbag.

  • Names plea over Darwen war memorial

    HELP is needed tracing names which belong on a recently-found First World War memorial. Members of the Friends of Darwen Cemetery uncovered the stone plaque in the town’s Old Cemetery, but only part of it has survived. Tony Foster has

  • North takes brunt of thefts

    MORE historic buildings were hit by crimes ranging from vandalism to metal theft in the North of England than in the rest of the country last year, English Heritage has said. The first comprehensive survey of the impact of crime on England’s historic

  • Walk: West Bradford and Brungerley

    Between March and mid April is the best time to find one of Lancashire’s rarest plants, which comes into flower early. The plant is butterbur and normally the flowers are pink but there is a variety where the flowers are white. One of the few places

  • Review: East and West in perfect harmony

    Why does tiny Estonia always do so well in the Eurovision song contest? Only when I went to Tallinn, its capital, did I realise the significance of music in the history of this brave little country. In the Eighties, as the Soviet occupation dragged

  • There's no place like home for Wayne Hemingway

    YOU can take the boy out of Blackburn but you can’t take Blackburn out of the boy, Wayne Hemingway assures me. “I’m a Lancastrian, I married a Lancastrian and all our families live there still.” Recent trips back to Lancashire have included

  • Review: Caliterra Tributo Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

    Caliterra Tributo Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, £10.99, www.slurp.co.uk Grapes from the Caliterra estate in the Colchagua valley between the Chilean Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean make this Cabernet Sauvignon something special. Lovely cherry and

  • Review: Simply Sauvignon Blanc

    Simply Sauvignon Blanc, £6.23, Tesco. This New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is not as subtle as some but it has got a good crisp taste, pleasant gooseberry flavour and a sensible 12 per cent alcohol level. There’s also of course a price which is simply

  • Review: Brew Room, Blackburn

    CHOOSING a venue in central Blackburn to meet a friend and her baby twins for lunch was a challenge. The bustle of the market’s food hall would have impeded the chat, and the seating area would be tricky with a double buggy. So we tried the Brew

  • Lancashire County Cricketer swaps bat for bones

    LANCASHIRE County Cricket star Gary Keedy is preparing for life after his playing career by studying to become a physiotherapist. The 37-year-old has spent twelve weeks working in the physiotherapy department at the Royal Blackburn Hospital as part

  • Blackburn Rovers loan out young duo

    BLACKBURN Rovers have loaned out Josh Morris and Zac Aley for the rest of the season. Morris has moved to League One side Yeovil, while Aley has joined League Two outfit Macclesfield.

  • Burnley winger Treacy moves to Sheffield Wednesday

    BURNLEY winger Keith Treacy has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan until the end of the season. Treacy is the second Clarets player to go out on loan before tonight's transfer deadline, with Zavon Hines joining Bournemouth earlier in the day.

  • Longridge set for super-fast broadband

    A NEW expansion of super-fast broadband in Lancashire is coming to Longridge. Around 3,200 homes in the village will be included in the latest roll-out of BT’s rural scheme. Mike Blackburn, BT’s North West regional director, said: “This is a further

  • Clarets Blog: Don't let the derby clash boil over

    DERBIES stir the senses, no matter what the level of competition. Since Burnley’s season started to dip below expectations, focus has turned to the youth team to give them something to shout about. The spotlight is well and truly on the young Clarets

  • Blackburn Rovers Blog: Is this the start of Kean’s recovery?

    A strong month does not make a summer but the tide certainly seems to be turning after Rovers’ back-to-back wins. Steve Kean is getting a lot of plaudits, particularly from inside the game, for recent results and no-one is more delighted than this newspaper

  • Burnley football freestyler to showcase talent in America

    A FOOTBALL freestyler from Burnley is set to cross the Atlantic to give America a taste of his tricks. Chris Draper, 19, will perform at half-time during two Fort Lauderdale Strikers games in May and June. The Miami side play at the 20,450 capacity

  • Review: The Sound Of Music, Pendle Hippodrome, Colne

    COME on, hands up: Who hasn’t spent a Sunday afternoon in front of the box watching Julie Andrews gallivant over the Austrian hills? Those sweeping iconic film shots and soaring notes which open The Sound Of Music are etched in so many people’s minds

  • Burnley loan out Hines to Bournemouth

    BURNLEY have allowed Zavon Hines to join Bournemouth on loan until the end of the season. Hines has not started a league game for the Clarets since joining the club from West Ham in August, and will now drop down to League One in a bid to get match time

  • Blind man’s aide attacked Blackburn driver

    A 27-YEAR-OLD man who took up the cause of a blind man who was struggling to pass a delivery wagon ended up assaulting the driver. Blackburn magistrates heard Michael John Slater and the driver had a row which ended with Slater head-butting the man

  • LETTER: A fair nightmare for residents

    REGARDING the ‘sprawling fair’ on the Cloverbrook site in Gannow Lane, Burnley, (LT, March 17) – what a complete nightmare of ten days for the residents who live nearby. Yet again, Burnley Council has only itself to blame for being slapped in the

  • COMMENT: Music fans rewarded for passion

    EAST Lancashire has for many years been able to attract some of the top musical talent from across the world. And after many years in the wilderness, there is now a serious bid to bring the focus back on the area. Bosses at Level One nightclub

  • Explosive device found in Nelson Street

    Police have launched an investigation after a small explosive device was found on a street in Nelson last night. Officers were called to Pinfold Place at about 8.10pm on Wednesday, March 21, after neighbours reported hearing a loud bang. On arrival

  • Darwen takeaway boss fined for rules breach

    THE owner of a Darwen takeaway has been told to pay almost £2,000 for three separate offences. Qumar Akhtar, who owns Rooster Chicken and Pizza, in Borough Road, was found guilty in his absence by Blackburn magistrates of twice failing to provide information

  • Former Colne councillor in bar flood shame

    A FORMER councillor flooded the bar of a Colne hotel with Guinness in a midnight break-in, a court was told. Pensioner Ian Jeffrey had been staying at the Commercial Hotel when the manager found he had forced his way into the bar after closing time

  • Piecing together the life of James

    PAPERS, artefacts, photographs and letters have helped piece together the picture of James Dixon, who founded Blackburn Orphanage more than 120 years ago. They help tell the story of the man of enormous Christian faith, who was also a philanthropist

  • Prices on the up

    WHOLESALERS, grocers and shoppers were all complaining one day in 1965, when the price of 35 products went up. Stanley Astley, from one cash and carry in East Lancashire, said notification of the rises had arrived in the post that morning. “Since

  • Goodbye to Tom, aged 90

    RAWTENSTALL’S oldest resident in 1961, William Albert Lord, who was known as Tom, died at the age of 90. A native of Burnley, he spent 53 years in the cotton trade, working in mills throughout the area and as a cotton salesman. He had a long connection

  • A four-star career choice for Vicky!

    BACK in 1964, teenager Vicky Simpson was the only girl learning motor vehicle technology and electrical installation at Burnley Municipal College. And when her classroom studies with the boys were ended for the day, she went off to work as a petrol

  • Search is on for Rossendale Woman of the Year

    NOMINATIONS are being sought for the 2012 Rossendale Woman of the Year award. Rossendale Hospice is delighted to announce the launch of Rossendale Woman of the Year 2012 and is calling for Valley residents to nominate someone who they feel is an inspirational

  • Rawtenstall nightspot ‘will be town boost’

    A MAJOR new town centre nightspot will aid regeneration efforts in Rawtenstall, according to the bar’s supporters. Work is ongoing to convert the sprawling former Domus store, in Bacup Road, into ‘Vogue Bar’, ahead of an anticipated opening on April

  • Backstreet Boys are coming to Accrington

    AN East Lancashire nightclub is celebrating netting another global superstar act in the shape of the Backstreet Boys. Accrington club Level One has announced the band will perform next month, the latest of a long line of major acts to come to the town

  • Blackburn man's £5,000 wrecking rampage

    A 30-YEAR-OLD Blackburn man went on a £5,000 wrecking spree after a row with his girlfriend. Blackburn magistrates heard Joseph Smith used a hammer to smash every window in her house before turning his attention to pictures, furniture and fittings.

  • Barnoldswick Tesco store decision is deferred

    A DECISION on whether to approve plans for a Tesco superstore in Barnoldswick has been deferred by councillors. Tesco want to build a 35.000 sq ft supermarket at the junction of Wellhouse Road and Skipton Road, creating 175 jobs. Councillors on

  • Taxi driver robbed at knifepoint in Blackburn

    A TAXI driver was robbed at knife-point after picking up three men from outside a pub. Asad Raza, 32, said he was now set to quit his job after being left ‘terrified’ by the incident. Police are hunting three men who got away with £80

  • Nelson jewellers hit for £10,000 in raid

    RAIDERS got away with £10,000 of necklaces after smashing their way into a Nelson jewellers. The four-strong gang were chased off by the owner of the shop in Every Street after they broke in through shu-tters early yesterday morning.

  • Bullying not a factor in East Lancashire schoolboy's death

    AN investigation has ruled that bullying was not a factor in the death of a schoolboy found hanged in his bedroom. The body of Michael Raven, a 12-year-old pupil at St Wilfrid’s CE High in Blackburn, was found at his Burnley home last November

  • Review: Chicago @ Palace Theatre, Manchester

    THE animated conversation between two delighted members of the audience as they filed out of the opening night of the musical Chicago, said it all. As the last chords of the orchestra accompanied us out of the doors, one woman turned to her friend

  • COMMENT: The cost of lifting Sunday trade curbs

    Have I missed something? Last weekend the news bulletins were peppered by interviews with excited executives from some of the major retail chains, salivating at the prospect of an end to restrictions on Sunday trading. It looks as though for certain

  • Budget 2012: East Lancashire's reaction

    THE 2012 budget received a mixed reaction in East Lancashire. Chancellor George Osborne said the decisions on tax would “reward hard work”, and benefit families, as “Britain earns its way in the world”. Burnley’s Liberal Democrat

  • Cannabis worth £500K seized by Lancashire Police

    CANNABIS worth almost £500,000 has been seized by police in Lancashire in a drugs crackdown. Operation Broadley, which will run throughout March, is a regional campaign involving officers executing search warrants at homes across Lancashire as well

  • Season ticket prices frozen at Blackburn Rovers

    Blackburn Rovers have once again left Premier League rivals trailing in their wake in terms of offering their fans value for money - with the Ewood faithful able to watch football next season for less than £12 per game. Rovers will today