NEWLYWEDS celebrated their reception with hundreds of uninvited sports fans. Emma Riley and Simon Bibby had planned a small, intimate ceremony with 47 guests and an evening party for 120 people. However, the couple experienced a late change
A MAN was assaulted in an Accrington pub in a case of mistaken identity. Blackburn magistrates heard Graham Soloniewicz punched his victim twice in the face after wrongly identifying him as the person who had jostled him. And the court was
A HOT air balloon crash-landed in a farmer's field, throwing a passenger out of the basket. The man, in his 50s, was travelling with two other men when it hit the ground at Scarfoot Farm, Crawshawbooth. The balloon had travelled from Walkden
A ‘VERY drunk’ driver who brought terror to a petrol station was spared jail. Burnley Crown Court heard Imran Hussain, 22, smashed into a parked car before pulling on to the Colne garage forecourt and dragging his equally inebriated passenger from
Rossendale Raptors represented Blackburn Rovers at the National Premier League for Sport 3 on 3 tournament held at the Ameachi Basketball Centre in Manchester. Boys teams competed in the U14s and U16s competition, while two teams from Raptors hub
ST BEDE’S are celebrating another successful year proving yet again they are the real all-rounders. The Blackburn school triumphed in a wide range of sports – the most recent coming in volleyball. Over the course of the school year, the super
Chris Garrity confirmed his reputation as one of the best young kick boxers around after winning his second national title of the year. The 10-year-old from Ramsey’s Kick Boxing Club, won the English 40kg title after beating local rival Hargreaves
FULLEDGE Colts U13s produced a ‘Dutch of class’ to win the JVC Cuijk Tournament in Holland. The Colts, the only team from Lancashire to enter the competition, beat SC Dynamo 1-0 in the final to win the silverware. It was a fantastic performance
TWO people fled their Blackburn home after a bin caught fire indoors. Two crews were called to Bunkers Hill Close at around 8.20am on Sunday after reports of smoke coming from a bathroom. Crew manager Martin Counsell said his team spent around
ALAN Dewhurst is the winner of the Great Harwood and District Bowling League’s President’s Silver Salva after dashing hopes of a home club winner. Played in glorious sunshine at Hurst Green Bowling Club, the Ribblesdale A player fought off a brave
BRIAN Collinge and Jonny Clark are the first to book their places in the semi finals of the Golden Cue competition. Collinge of Briercliffe is through to the last four on the small table after a narrow victory over Steve Almond of Clitheroe RBL
A SCHEME hatched in East Lancashire that uses snooker as an educational tool is set to be rolled out across the country. Chris Lovell’s idea to use the game he loves to help children improve their English and mathematical skills has been taken
GREENHILL Bowling Club is to host its first major finals day in three years when the Young’s Brewery Open Doubles competition concludes on Saturday. Some of the area’s finest bowlers will be at the Burnley club with pairs battling it out for the
Burnley’s Sandygate Amateur Boxing Club and Clayton Amateur Boxing Club made the long journey to Tipperary – but it was a trip worth making. The two club sent a 12-man squad to take on an Irish Select at Thurles Boxing Club. First up was unbeaten
EAST Lancashire teams starred in the new look SPAR Lancashire Summer School Games after returning home with a healthy haul of 25 medals between them. More than 2,000 primary and secondary schools from across the county heading down the M55 for
QEGS are the inaugural winners of the under 15s Blackburn with Darwen U15 Cricket Festival. On a beautiful day made for cricket, QEGS joined teams from across the borough to compete in the first festival which was held at Lammack Playing Fields
As a warm up to the main event starting at Trent Bridge this week, the Clitheroe Cobras held their own version of an Ashes Test Match – with full size replica urn included! Two days of time cricket, following the timings of a Test match day was
MILL Hill Diversity Football Club is celebrating the greatest victory of its short career. The Blackburn club, formed just 18 months ago, has won the LFA Ability Counts grand final. Diversity, set up and run by John Walsh, beat AFC Masters
A TEENAGER burgled his grandmother’s home — after living with her for most of his life. Wesleigh Russell got hold of a key to the house and looked through wardrobes and drawers, a court heard. He told police he had been looking to use a laptop
BLUE eye-shadow and lashings of hairspray will fill the dressing rooms at Chorley Little Theatre next week. Chorley Youth Theatre are going back to the decade taste forgot, and a time before the teenage cast was born, to stage Back To The 80s from
PENDLE Hippodrome Theatre Company has announced its plans for the next two years. Launching the 2014 season will be musical Hello Dolly from March 18 to 22, followed in June by play ‘Allo ‘Allo. Licence confirmation is being waited on for September
MORE than 100 unemployed young people will show prospective employers what they can do at an event next week. The event, on Thursday, July 18, will allow youngsters aged between 16 and 24 to showcase their talent and to speak to prospective employers
A restorative justice programme has been nominated for a prestigious award by the Howard League for Penal Reform. Child Action Northwest’s Triage and Reparation programme, which diverts young offenders away from a life of crime, was founded in
A WOMEN-ONLY tennis morning has been launched in Blackburn. Women can play on the private outdoor courts, at Crosshill Tennis Club, Corporation Park, every Tuesday, at 10.30am. The privacy of the courts makes them suitable for Muslim women,
POLICE cadets from across the country met in Lancashire for the first National Volunteer Police Cadet Conference. Representatives from more than 20 forces visited Lancashire Police HQ at the weekend, along with members of their police cadet groups
ANDY Murray’s magnificent win at Wimbledon might cure the long-term decline in tennis’ popularity, said top coaches in East Lancashire. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), financed by Sport England, had its funding cut by £530,000 last year after
BUS fares across East Lancashire have been increased by an average 3.3per cent by Lancashire County Council. The price hike, affecting 103 routes, was introduced on Saturday on all county council-subsidised bus services as part of an annual fares
BLACKBURN’S new £13.5million sports and swimming complex will ‘regenerate the area and boost the night-time economy’, say councillors. An application for planning permission has been submitted to the council, bringing the realisation of the ambitious
STALWARTS of grassroots sport were honoured at a glittering ceremony in Burnley. The 2013 Burnley Community Sports Awards saw hundreds of coaches, players and administrators pack out Burnley Mechanics Theatre. Lowerhouse Cricket Club president
BRAVE teenager Eleanor Driver said farewell to her lovely locks after her dad was diagnosed with cancer. The 15-year-old, from Rising Bridge, raised more than £2,000 for Cancer Research UK when she had her shoulder-length brunette hair cut at the
JAKE Berry MP is jumping out of an aeroplane for the newly-formed Kids in Rossendale charity. The Rossendale MP has linked up with Paula Riley, of Riley’s Butchers in Crawshawbooth, to raise money for the charity, which is aimed at children aged
HOMETOWN entrant Steve Houghton-Burnett stole the show at the first Ramsbottom PieFest. He won the eating contest by downing eight Screaming Chickpea pies in five minutes at St Paul’s Church gardens, on Sunday.
ORGANISERS of the Boograss music festival held in Stacksteads last month have set up a new sub-committee to take the event forward. More than 600 people attended this year’s two-day show, which raised more than £1,500.
ROSSENDALE Rubicon is looking for new members. Everyone aged 17 or over is welcome to join the mental health support group, but if the new member has learning difficulties, they must always be joined by a carer. To find out more, call 07954 240033
RAMSBOTTOM Recorded Music Society will hold its next meeting on Thursday. It meets at Christ Church Neighbourhood Centre, in Great Eaves Road, from 7.30pm, where the topic of discussion will be Not Just Dots on a Washing Line.
A HOMEOWNER in Reedsholme has applied for permission to erect a single storey rear extension. N Pritchard, of Woodcroft Avenue, also wants to construct a new hipped roof over an existing garage and utility room.
SCOUTS in Stubbins picked litter up around the village as part of the organisation’s Community Week. 9th Ramsbottom St Philip’s Scout group also weeded areas around St Philip’s Church and repainted a handrail.
CHILDREN and staff at St Mary’s RC Primary School in Chipping have organised a storytelling festival. It takes place on Sunday and is the sixth celebration of its kind in the village. The streets will be filled with fairytale characters, clowns
PERFORMING Arts students have been getting tips from the professionals in a series of master classes held at Accrington and Rossendale College. The workshops allowed the youngsters to question those in the trade and consider whether they would
FOUNDATION diploma students studying art, design and media at Blackburn College have achieved the highest distinction rate in the country. Forty three per cent of those graduating this summer will receive the top grade, compared to a national benchmark
THE primary school curriculum announced by the government yesterday will lead to ‘chaos’, a teaching union has warned. New guidelines will see children as young as five write essays, programme computers and complete problem-solving tasks. Education
Good heavens, isn’t it hot! Cold! Wet, windy! I can’t think what on earth we would start our conversations with if we didn’t have the weather. It’s the one subject that we can talk to anyone about and one that we always agree on. Oh, yes, we might
WE know a dog is a man’s (and woman’s) best friend and it must have been heartbreaking for Joanne Nelson and her three children to have had to watch helplessly as their pet Foxy struggled to stay afloat in Entwistle Reservoir. They had walked their
I disagree with your Comment (LT, July 4) on Reservists deserving their reward. Why should we be making full-time, highly trained soldiers redundant and be replacing them with part- time reservists? Surely these people should be stood down
I AM researching my family tree. My grandfather Edward Girdlestone died in Blackburn in 1960 had a ‘second’ family there. I would like to get in contact with his descendants if possible. Could anyone help please? David Girdlestone, 55 Maclean
RE: Fears over fairground ‘hooligans’ at Colne R&B Festival, the local residents were written to and advised that a funfair was being considered for the bank holiday weekend. The fair will run Saturday, Sunday and Monday between 12 and 6, extra
EAST Lancashire provides just some of the 49,000 amateur theatre groups in the UK where an astounding 10million people actively taking part. Annual income through ticket sales amounts to about £543m. Some of the larger theatre groups require a
I HAVE great sympathy for the striking teachers who only get, on average, a £34k salary, can retire at 60 with a taxpayer-boosted “golden” pension scheme, work, sometimes more than the 30 hours spent at school, have 13 weeks holiday and are almost
I USED to think that institutions such as the NHS, Parliament and local government were run by people of integrity. Then came NHS blunders, cash for questions and the expenses scam, councils paying for gold lessons for their staff and the fiasco
MPs should have a pay rise? What for? They obviously don’t need it to live off, what with their expenses and jobs on the side. It would probably end up sitting in their bank accounts while the rest of us struggled on, trying to pay ever-increasing
CAMPAIGNERS who want to see the railway line between Colne and Skipton re-instated welcomed a high-profile new patron. Richard Faulkner – Baron Faulkner of Worcester – met executive committee members of Skipton East Lancs Railway Action Partnership
BARROWFORD Primary School pupils are having a safety focus week. Activities include Right Start Pedestrian training, a safety talk by police and first-aid basics as part of the school’s HeartStart training programme.
WEST Craven High Tecnology College’s year nine and ten awards evening saw 102 awards presented for distinction in terms of attainment, effort and attendance. There were also special awards in English, maths and science, and the night featured music
ST Paul’s CE Primary School in Nelson has appointed a new headteacher. Stephen Crook will join the Hibson Road school in September when he replaces the outgoing Barbara Dewar. A school spokesman said: “Everyone is looking forward to welcoming Mr
A FOUR to five mile walk around Castercliffe takes place on Friday as part of the Colne Walkers and Welcome weekend. Anybody wanting to take part should meet at Colne Railway Station at 2pm.
A LIVE music documentary based on the work of a renowned folk musician is to be shown at a Colne deli. The Woody Guthrie documentary, entitled ‘Hard Times and Hard Travelin’, is being staged by New Jersey-born singer and instrumentalist Will Kaufman
A SCHOOL sports coach was remanded in custody on child sex charges. Glyn Thompson faces allegations of five offences under the Sexual Offences Act, including assault with penetration and sexual activity with a child. The allegations date back
A JURY is set to retire to consider verdicts on two officers accused of being behind a ‘flawed’ police training exercise which led to the death of a Burnley constable. Two firearms specialists, who cannot be identified, are facing a Health and
HEALTHWATCH Lancashire, the new health and social care watchdog for residents in the county council area, was launched yesterday. It has independent statutory powers to ensure that the consumer voice is heard, and best practice delivered in health
GROUPS in need of a funding boost have been urged to apply to the Lancashire Telegraph Community Cash Awards. The Telegraph has teamed up with the Big Lottery Fund to offer £250,000 to community groups across East Lancashire. Grants of between
PARENTS have been warned about the dangers of children finding friends on internet forums after a man was jailed for inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity. Francis McGuigan, 68, of Back Lane, Chorley, was sent to prison for three
A nine-minute film has been made about an iconic Burnley mill. ‘Queen Street Mill’ is an observational documentary directed by David N Pilling. The mill, built in 1894, is now the last remaining working steam powered mill in the world.
HIGHER Croft Community holds a Young People’s Job Club every Friday from 11.30am to 2.30pm at Kaleidoscope Youth Centre. The club offers fun activities including table tennis and mountain biking, and informal advice and support to get young people
BLACKBURN Children’s Libraries have launched a new Summer Reading Challenge called ‘Creepy House’. Children aged 4 to 12 years are challenged to read six books between July and September and will receive a special record card with goodies to collect
MP Jack Straw officially opened a new school. Witton Park High, Buncer Lane, Blackburn, was rebuilt as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Headteacher Dean Logan said: “The new school has
CANCER-stricken youngster Sam Shaw was in hospital today undergoing surgery to remove his tumour. The four-year-old from Hoddlesden could be in surgery for up to eight hours as the original tumour, in Sam’s adrenal gland, is removed. His mum
LANCASHIRE Fire and Rescue Service is recruiting retained firefighters at Great Harwood Fire Station. An event will be held on Wednesday, July 17 from 6pm to 8pm. Applicants must be 18 or over and live within five minutes of the station.
BLOOD donations are needed in Rishton. An NHS team will be visiting Norden High School, Stourton Street from 1.15pm-3pm and 5.15pm-7.30pm on Tuesday, August 13. New and regular donors can make an appointment, or find out more information about
A CHARITY race night will be held to raise money to replace laptops stolen from St Hubert’s RC Primary School in Great Harwood, will take place on Friday, July 26 at 7.30pm at Great Harwood Golf Club. Organisers are hoping to raise around £3,000
EVERY year six pupil leaving a Hyndburn school this month will be offered a free Accrington Stanley season ticket. Each headteacher has been asked to pass on a letter to parents. To claim a season ticket, parents should take their child and the
A PLAN to change derelict basements into town centre apartments has been approved. The application for Wellington Street properties to be turned into two-bedroom self-contained flats has been approved by Hyndburn Council planners.
ELDERLY residents have seen their bungalows brightened, thanks to hanging baskets delivered by the area council. Chairman of Oswaldtwistle Area Council, Peter Britcliffe, said some remaining baskets were on sale for area council funds. He added
RELAXATION group Mind, Body and Soul meets in Blackburn every Wednesday. For more information about the group which meets between 5.30pm and 7pm at 9a Town Hall Street, call 01254 292620.
A recital will be staged at Blackburn Cathedral tomorrow. Admission is free, although a donation of £3 is suggested, and the concert will start at 1pm.
BLACKBURN Rovers have confirmed the signing of Alex Marrow on a three-year contract. The 23-year-old returns to the club where he started his career, moving from Crystal Palace for an undisclosed fee.
A 62-YEAR-old taxi driver has appeared before Blackburn magistrates charged with indecently assaulting a 16-year-old girl. The court heard the alleged assault happened outside a house in Accrington. Talib Hussain, of Richmond Road, Accrington
LESS than half of registered gas engineers in Lancashire feel prepared to deal with the roll-out of smart metering, according to new research. Just 40 per cent of registered engineers questioned said they felt ready to deal with the impact the
PRESTON and Kirkham jails will be among the ‘resettlement prisons’ for Lancashire criminals awaiting release from later this year. Last week, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling announced offenders in England and Wales will be moved to prisons near
EAST Lancs School of Dance will perform a charity show for all the family at Burnley Mechanics on Sunday. ‘Showstoppers’ will feature music and dancing from Phantom of the Opera, Sound of Music, Bugsy Malone, and Thriller. Perfomances at noon
THERE’S a chance to find out more about your family tree with a visit to Gawthorpe Hall this week. The 17th-century country home will also allow visitors to discover a working Victorian kitchen for the normal admission price, on Friday. Lancashire
A WRITER and history expert was due to feature on a primetime ITV1 documentary tonight. Ron Freethy, who writes a weekly column for the Lancashire Telegraph, will be providing analysis on the county’s cotton industry heritage in How The North Was
RESIDENTS whose homes overlook a new development have demanded compensation after they were left out of a scheme which saw houses in the area given facelifts. Homes around the former Orchard Mill in Darwen were served compulsory purchase orders
AN RSPCA worker who saved the life of a drowning dog should be given a bravery award, its owner said. Joanne Dunleavy Nelson’s 14-year-old rescue dog Foxi got into difficulty when it went for a swim in Entwistle Reservoir, near Darwen. She
THERE will be a free micro-chipping event for dogs on Monday, August 12 between 11am and 3pm on Manxman Road, Shadsworth, Blackburn, opposite the Spar shop.
A DRUNK man fell into the canal at Appleby Street, Blackburn. Two engines from Blackburn were called at 4.15pm on Friday, as well as teams from Darwen and Preston, to help the man who had been in the water for 20 minutes. He eventually climbed
CHRISTINE Mary Almond, 48, of Witton Parade, Blackburn, was made subject to community supervision for six months and ordered to pay £145 costs by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to stealing a bottle of Pinot Grigio wine from Marks and Spencer
LANCASHIRE Fire and Rescue Service is offering a free home fire safety checks for tips on electrical safety. Contact 01772 862545 or your local fire station to book a visit.
MORE than 10,000 people turned out to hear East Lancashire singer Diana Vickers perform at the free Festival Too music festival in King’s Lynn last weekend. Festival chairman Derek Harvey said: “It was unbelievable what we had in King’s Lynn. It
FULL listings for Darwen Jazz and Blues Festival have been released ahead of the event next month. Numerous free events will take place across the town from performers as diverse as brooding blues singer Ged Wilson, Kiki DeVille and the Cottonhouse
HAPPY Daze Play and Party Centre in Taylor Street, Darwen, will host a charity family fun night on Friday in aid of the Sam Shaw Appeal. The event, from 6pm to 8.30pm, will include use of the play frame and disco centre for the children, as well
THE Crown pub in Redearth Road, Darwen, will host a comedy night on Monday, August 5, from 7pm. The event is ticket only and entry costs £5. For tickets, call Zoe on 07900 577617. Supper will be provided.
POPULAR folk singer and songwriter John Conolly performs at The Barlow Institute, Edgworth, on July 19 at 8pm. He is best known for his early song ‘Fiddler’s Green’ and has a career spanning more than 40 years. Tickets cost £8 – call 01204 852217
DARWEN Committee of Cancer Research UK is holding an event with the Unity Choir performing songs from Singing In The Rain and other musicals, at St James’s Church, Winterton Road, on July 20 at 7.30pm. Tickets at £3 are available on the door, or
AFC Darwen has unveiled two more local sponsors at the Anchor Ground. Eden Lettings will sponsor the Blackburn End while skip hire firm Frank Barnes will sponsor the Darwen End for the coming season. It comes on the back of the announcement
A DARWEN decorator has won a place on the Prince’s Foundation Building Skill in Craft programme. Matthew McKeown, a level three NVQ painting and decorating student at Accrington and Rossendale College, was selected after a competitive application
In part two of our ‘20 is Plenty’ campaign to bring in a 20mph speed limit on Blackburn’s residential roads, local government reporter Bill Jacobs went to meet families who went through agony after their children were knocked down by vehicles.
A MAN dressed in a burkha robbed a bank in Bacup yesterday afternoon, fleeing with cash. The man walked into the Barclays bank, in Market Street, at around 3.10pm and demanded money from the cashier. The female cashier handed over an amount
THE hot weather could make a dip in a local reservoir, or other outdoor water, seem very tempting. But experts have warned people to be careful and not risk harming themselves by jumping into the water. After a scorching weekend, with
A YOUNG dad died after plunging down a 75ft sheer drop into a quarry. Police said Ian Thompson, 25, from Darwen, died in an accident at Yarnsdale Delf Quarry in Cadshaw, near Turton. It is understood Mr Thompson, a father-of-two, had been camping
A COMMUNITY is in shock after a 13-year-old boy was found hanged. Declan Gatenby, described as a real character who made everyone laugh, was discovered at his home in Stacksteads. Pupils at his school, Fearns Community College, were allowed
BLACKBURN Rovers have agreed a £1.75m fee with Liverpool for midfielder Jay Spearing. Spearing would follow defender Matthew Kilgallon into Ewood Park with Crystal Palace midfielder Alex Marrow, who has travelled with Rovers to Portugal, also expected
HOSPITAL bosses have been told to end the ‘unacceptable’ practice of discharging patients in the middle of the night. According to figures obtained by the Lancashire Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act, about 3,000 patients were discharged
HULL City manager Steve Bruce has confirmed this morning that Burnley striker Charlie Austin will not be joining the Premier League new boys. Both clubs had agreed a fee of £4.5million over the weekend, which would have made Austin Hull's second
A RIBBLE Valley charity has launched a ‘time bank’ scheme aimed at lending a helping hand to carers. Cross Roads Care, based in Clitheroe, hopes the project will attract more volunteers to do odd jobs for people who look after someone else full-time
A LANDLADY has vowed not to be beaten by thieves who broke into her pub and stole money raised for her daughter who is battling cancer. Karen Smalley’s pub was one of three licensed premises targeted during a spate of break-ins. Burglars got
HULL City are believed to have made a late U-turn on their bid to sign Charlie Austin from Burnley. The Clarets' top scorer travelled to Humberside yesterday for a medical and personal talks but Hull sources say the the newly promoted Tigers pulled out
