A PROBE has been launched after a blaze in an arson hotspot in Burnley. Firefighters were called to tackle the fire, which took hold in an outhouse in St Cuthbert Street, at around midnight yesterday. It was the second blaze at the address
ALL schools strive to stimulate youngsters and meet their physical and mental needs as they grow and learn. But in East Lancashire’s special schools, successfully achieving this goal comes with extra challenges due to the learning difficulties
THE best headteachers are those who make a difference to a school. That doesn’t merely mean they are able to keep an already successful school firmly on the same path. Actually improving the performance of pupils and staff at a place that is
LAST year the government named an East Lancashire high school as a national leader for improving outcomes for students with the lowest achievement at primary level, for the second successive year. Then last September national tables ranked it as
AFTER taking some time off to bring up the five children in her own family, Frances Clements decided to return to teaching. Although she had originally worked as a secondary school pottery and art teacher Mrs Clements turned her attention to primary
SEVEN years ago when teaching assistant Simon Grime was just 21 he joined the staff of a Burnley primary with the title ‘school sports co-ordinator’. Since then he made it his mission, according to chairman of governors Rachael White, ‘to engage
THE headteacher sets the tone of every school and a whole lot more besides. Effective leadership and popularity don’t always go hand in hand, but there are exceptions and the winner of the Primary Headteacher of the Year, sponsored by Key Stage
IT’S no easy task these days for any teenager to ignore distractions and concentrate on studying for school exams. But Sonny Ashworth has just finished sitting his GCSEs despite a year of pain and trauma that would have caused lesser youngsters
THERE are nearly 600 children on the roll at Accrington’s Peel Park Primary School and that makes it the largest in the county. Now it has another claim to fame as the first to win the Primary School of the Year title in the Lancashire Telegraph
DENISE Easton’s ‘classroom’ is quite different to that of any other teacher in East Lancashire. She’s employed by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and spends most mornings teaching children from the age of four through to GCSE and even A-level
TODAY we reveal the people and places that have come top of the class in the first Lancashire Telegraph Schools Awards. More than 350 entries were received from all over East Lancashire putting forward heads, teachers, pupils, schools and other
DOCTORS have reported a ‘huge spike’ in the number of patients seeking treatments for hayfever in East Lancashire. The increase mirrors a national trend, which has seen a five-fold increase in the number of people seeing their GP for hayfever symptoms
BY the time they get into secondary school, many youngsters have grown old enough to shoulder a measure of responsibility and help those around them. It’s rare that primary pupils show such attributes – and it’s one of the reasons why Joseph Pim
BOSSES at Thwaites have announced the firm will move to a new site four miles from its current Blackburn town centre base. The 200-year-old brewery will relocate to Sykes Holt at Mellor Brook, just off the A59. It comes two and a half years
ACCRINGTON Stanley defender Dean Winnard has penned a new contract committing him to the Reds until the summer of 2016. The 24-year-old, who joined the club in 2009, becomes the third Stanley player to commit his future to the club this week.
HIGHWAYS engineers from Lancashire County Council are warning of travel delays on the B62321 Grane Road due to a possible sewer collapse. One lane has been closed near to the Duke of Wellington pub in Haslingden and temporary traffic lights are
EAST Lancashire students are set to become the future generation of archaeologists. A new A level at Blackburn College will teach students to dig up the secrets of the world’s most significant historical sites. Students who take on the
ONE of the last sailors from Blackburn to serve in the Second World War — and survive a number of close shaves — has died aged 89. Rowland Cort served on minesweepers in the Royal Naval Patrol Service after volunteering in 1942 at the tender age
SAMLESBURY Memorial Hall, has received a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a project, Samlesbury Soldiers from the Great War. The aim is to preserve the memories and heritage of the soldiers from the community, who lost their lives in WWI
A ‘SADISTIC’ Burnley dad who beat his terrified daughter ‘up to 40 times’ with a ladle for not reading the holy book, has been spared jail. The 46-year-old man had told the girl to bend over before ordering her brother to hit her 120 times with
ARSONISTS have torched benches at a popular historic beauty spot in a ‘disgraceful act of wanton vandalism’. It is suspected youths set fire to the picnic table and benches in Ashleigh Barrow, Darwen, in the early hours of yesterday morning.
IN times gone by the area had a myriad of small brewers, which one by one were taken over and amalgamated with bigger names, and so the cycle went on. Massey, Duttons, Lion are all names from the past, while Thwaites can boast more than 200 years
A NEW website, which looks at life in the little village of Salterforth through the years is causing quite a stir. For villagers old and new are looking back at people they once knew, things they used to do and places they once went. The Facebook
JUST like Cinderella's glass slippers, high heels can be subject of great magic. But let's not forget, they can also cause much pain and discomfort! Rona Berg once wrote in Vogue “Shoes are a paradox, they can make a woman appear more — or less
PLANS have been submitted to make alterations to the former Red Lion Hotel in Blacksnape Road, Darwen. Owner Eileen Pickles has submitted a planning application to Blackburn with Darwen Council, requesting permission to demolish a rear extension
VISITORS to Hoddlesden’s annual picnic event on Millennium Green helped raise funds for charity. Among those to benefit was cancer battler Sam Shaw, who was recently given the all-clear after a long fight against neuroblastoma. Mum Christine
DARWEN Brass will perform at the town’s main venue ahead of representing Darwen at the National Brass Band Championships in September. The band, which has qualified for the finals of the competition in Cheltenham for the second time, will perform
LOCAL singer Matt Walsh will perform at The Crown pub in Redearth Road, Darwen, from 8.30pm on Sunday. Entry is free.
TWO Gates Bowling and Social Club in Anyon Street, Darwen, will host a race night on Friday, from 9pm. Entry is free.
THERE will be an afternoon of northern soul on Sunday, July 6, at Hollins Grove Conservative Club in Blackburn Road, Darwen, with sounds from Wigan Casino playing from 4pm. Over 18s only. Entry is free.
STAFF at Sainsbury’s in Darwen handed over a cheque for £2,300 to local charity Reachout after spending a year fundraising. The charity which supports young people in the town is based in Ash Grove.
UNSIGNED and independent band The Broux will perform their unusual jazz rock sound in Darwen for the first time tomorrow when they appear at Number 39 Hopstar Brewery Tap in Bridget Street. Twisted Spires will open for them in the free gig which
MARSH House and Whitehall neighbourhood policing teams will host street PACT meetings on Wednesday, July 2. Officers will meet residents outside Mayfield Flats in Bolton Road from 2pm to 2.30pm, and then outside Starkie Street Stores from 3pm to 3.30pm
A PRIMARY school in Accrington has warned parents not to upload sports day snaps of other children to social networking sites. Peel Park Primary School, in Alice Street, issued the notice in its latest newsletter, with a spokeswoman saying it was
OSWALDTWISTLE police have reissued an appeal to catch nuisance mini motor and quad bike riders in Foxhill Nature Reserve. A spokesman said: “We need descriptions and, if possible, names of these individuals.” Call the neighbourhood policing
MR Sarwar Khan has applied for planning permission to build one double and one single storey extension at his home in Coniston Avenue, Accrington. His application will be considered by planning officers at Hyndburn Council.
ENGINEERS from United Utilities are working on a section of Fern Avenue, Oswaldtwistle. They will carry out a defect repair, with work due to be completed by Thursday, the county council said. Traffic will be affected.
A FOOTPATH off Newhouse Road in Huncoat has been blocked by bushes and a small tree, it has been reported. An anonymous user on problem-reporting website FixMyStreet, which sends reports on to the council, said the foliage was preventing prams or bikes
RIBBLE Valley residents going on ‘staycation’ this summer have been asked to keep an eye on food safety when eating out in the UK. The borough council has advised residents holidaying in the UK to eat in establishments with a food hygiene rating
AN interactive training seminar aimed at helping East Lancashire companies to consider expansion, diversification or new product is to be held in Clitheroe tomorrow. Vision Into Action will take place at The Inn at the Station and has been organised
LONGRIDGE care homes are set to hold a World Cup Carnival on Saturday, July 5. The event will be staged at Belmont Care Home in Inglewhite Road, Longridge Hall and Longridge Lodge in Barnacre Road, from 10.30am to 3pm. There will be stalls
THE June Baker Singers will perform ‘Songs for a Summer Solstice’ on Friday in Hurst Green. The show will be held from 7.30pm at St. John’s Church. Entry is £5 and includes refreshments. Proceeds from the event will be donated to The Legacy
LONGRIDGE Band’s Midsummer proms concert will be staged next month. The event on Saturday, July 5, will feature guest soprano Louise Coupe, and will be held at the Civic Hall in Calder Avenue from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8, £7 for concessions
VOLUNTEERS are wanted to work on the Coppice, in Accrington, on Friday. Community group Woody will be doing the work. For more information about helping between 10am and 4pm, call 01254 230348.
ENGINEERS from BT will dig up a section of footpath in Norfolk Close, Clayton-le-Moors tomorrow. They will be installing two metres of poly duct in work due to last for four days, the county council said.
A RURAL Ribble Valley village hall is working on a new three-year business plan to improve the services it offers to local residents. The Gisburn Festival Hall committee want to consult as many local people as possible and will hold a series of
A ‘MUSIC in the Garden’ event is set to be held in Chipping on Sunday. It will be staged in the grounds of St Mary’s RC Church from noon. There will be a selection of music and songs from local performers. Admission is £3 for adults and
SCARECROWS will once again decorate the streets of Whitworth for the town’s annual festival from Saturday. Schools, community groups and families have created entries based on their favourite fictional characters that will be scattered across the
PLANS for a two-storey rear extension and the demolition of a single-storey conservatory have been lodged with Rossendale Council for a property in Heyscroft View, Edenfield, by Paul Kenyon.
A FORMER restaurant and dance studio in Rawtenstall look set to be transformed into a store and apartments. Plans have been drawn up by Andrew Robinshaw to convert the vacant former eaterie The Dining Room, and the old Sparkle Dance Academy premises
STAN the Van, Rossendale Council’s travelling customer services vehicle, will be parked at Whitworth Civic Centre from 9.30am to 12.30pm, and in Wallbank Drive, Whitworth, from 1.30pm to 4pm on Wednesday, July 2.
INCREDIBLE Edible Rossendale, a sustainable food-growing and gardening group, are inviting Crawshawbooth residents in joining them in looking after an area of Hill Street playground. Get in touch with them by emailing the address ierossendale@gmail.com
EIGHT students and the headteacher of a Stacksteads school rolled up their sleeves to help clear out a blocked ditch. The members of the Pupil Voice Interact Club at Fearns Community Sports College, and its head, Nigel Dawson joined Stacksteads
A COFFEE morning takes place today at Nelson Independent Methodist Church, in Netherfield Road, from 10am until noon. Free coffee will be served at the event.
THE next Community Cinema event at the Royal Court Theatre in Bacup will be a showing of the animated favourite Rio 2, on Saturday, July 12, with doors open at 1.45pm for a 2.30pm showing. Refreshments are available and a family ticket will be £10.
PLANS have been announced for an ‘open gardens’ event at School Court, Stubbins, on Sunday, August 10, from noon until 5pm, hosted by Lavinia Tod, in aid of Rossendale Hospice, with a £3 entry being charged.
A BUMPER procession is planned for Bacup and Stacksteads Carnival and the stage in the park will see the return of ‘Gangnam Gran’. The parade on Sunday will leave from Burnley Road, Bacup, at 11.15am, will go through the town centre and down Market
THE new mayor of Brierfield, Coun Rizwan Asghar, has raised around £200 for Macmillan Cancer Support after taking part in a charity run. Coun Asghar completed the 10k run in Manchester to raise the funds for the charity. He chose Macmillan
A NELSON spa is marking its seventh anniversary by raising funds for Pendleside Hospice through a charity evening of entertainment, activities and exclusive discounts. Inside Spa opened in Leeds Road in July 2007 and after early success it expanded
ICT students from Nelson and Colne College Sixth Form visited the Coca Cola Enterprises factory in Wakefield. The students taking the BTEC Extended Diploma in Games Programming and Software Development visited the factory for their organisational
YOGA classes for the over 50s take place at the ACE Centre, in Nelson, from 10.30am to 11.30am tomorrow. The classes are run by Age UK Lancashire.
BRIERFIELD and Reedley Senior Citizens Club is open to new members over the age of 50. The group hold regular social activities. Membership is £5 a year. To join call 01282 447970.
A WORLD Cup charity raffle, in aid of Pendleside Hospice, is being staged by staff at Hair Associates, in Albert Road, Colne, with a range of prizes on offer. Tickets can be picked up at the salon.
OFFICERS believe pieces of valuable jewellery they have found could have been stolen from Lancashire. West Yorkshire Police is renewing its appeal to try and find the owners of the four rings, an ornate jewellery box and a locket containing two
THE Lancashire Huntington’s Disease Support Group celebrated its first anniversary with drinks and a buffet. The informal group meets every month at St Peter’s Church in Darwen and provides support to individuals, families and friends affected
BLACKBURN Cathedral has hosted a debate on ‘Is Britain Really a Christian Country?’ The discussion followed David Cameron’s statement that ‘Britain should be more confident about our status as a Christian country’. It prompted 50 writers, scientists
BRIERFIELD Methodist Church, in Colne Road, underwent a clean-up operation last night. Volunteers helped tidy the inside of the church and the area outside and church grounds.
AFTERNOON tea will be served at St Joseph’s Community Centre, in Bolland Street, Barnoldswick, from 2.30pm on Sunday, July 6. There will be entertainment on the day from a comedy duo. Tickets are £5 from 01282 842963.
MORE than 300 Beavers, Cubs and Scouts from East Lancashire took part in a camp marking the centenary of scouting in Clitheroe. Around 80 adult volunteers also took part in the three-day camp at Waddow Hall. The youngsters took part in activities
AN archery contest organised by Clitheroe Round Table will take place at Samlesbury Hall on Monday, July 14.
STYDD Gardens will host ‘An Afternoon With Carl Wilde’ today. The Stoneygate Lane centre in Ribchester will stage the talk from 2pm to 5pm. For more information, call 01772 729227.
THE annual Clitheroe District WI Show is set to be staged next month. The event will be held at Edisford Primary School on Saturday, July 26. It will feature a wide range of classes from all 12 local WIs. The event will be open to the public
THE Ribble Valley Visually Impaired Group meets every Monday evening. The group holds its sessions at the St Michael and St John’s Parish Centre, Lowergate, Clitheroe. For more information, call 01200 426822.
A YOB who led a gang of Burnley fans as they tried to storm a pub after the Clarets played Huddersfield has been jailed and banned from all matches. Richard Devlin, 56, armed himself with a metal bar, an advertising hoarding and an umbrella during
SMALL and medium sized firms pursuing innovation and quality across Burnley have earned the borough a top 10 placing in a new think-tank report. Centre for Cities has rated Burnley above industrial powerhouses like Hull and Warrington after examining
POLICE are to look into complaints of anti-social behaviour in the Duke Bar area of Burnley after the issue was raised at a recent meeting with residents.
PLANS to build a single storey extension at Holy Trinity Primary School, in Halifax Road, Brierfield, have been submitted to Pendle Council.
AN East Lancashire nature reserve has been given an award by a popular travel website. Brockholes Nature Reserve in Samlesbury has received a Certificate of Excellence for the second year running from Trip Advisor. The reserve scored an average
WORKERS at BAE Systems are set to turn out in force this week to show their appreciation for military personnel during Armed Forces Week. More than 100 people from its Military Air and Information business at Warton and Samlesbury, have signed
PEOPLE have been advised to plan ahead if they want to watch the Tour de France which gets under way in just under two weeks time. Lancashire County Council has made the warning ahead of the start of the first two stages of the world's most famous
AN investigation is still ongoing into the cause of a huge blaze at Wheeldon Brothers recycling plant in Ramsbottom. The fire started early on Sunday and was tackled by 40 firefighters at its height, said the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue
THE leader of a Clitheroe housing action group has hit out at a proposed development scheme for the town. Steve Rush, from the Clitheroe Residents Action Group, said that the plan for 275 houses off Waddington Road will ‘not benefit’ the town.
INTERIOR designers Live Like The Boy have opened premises up in the former Pendle chiropody clinic, Market Street, Colne, between La Villa restaurant and Entwistle Green estate agents.
ACTORS from Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company in Colne have announced that their autumn production at the New Market Street venue, from October 8 to 11, will be Jesus Christ Superstar.
MARK Thomas Jackson, 45, a Padiham man of no fixed address, has been sent for crown court trial in custody by Burnley magistrates, accused of committing arson at a property in Ingham Street on June 14.
ALAN Pickard, 43, of Casterton Avenue, Burnley, has been given 60 hours’ community service by Pennine magistrates, with a £60 victim surcharge, after he admitted interfering with a Ford Focus on May 25.
SHAUN Robert Taheny, 31, of Howsin Street, Burnley, has been remanded on bail for pre-sentence reports by Pennine magistrates until Thursday after he admitted to breaking into the Oriental Takeaway, Bethesda Street, on June 16, with intent to steal
VISITORS to Darwen Cemetery have hit out after they were unable to tend to a relative’s grave because of overgrown grass. Elaine Duckworth said grass around her grandmother’s grave, in the old part of the cemetery, was about four-feet high, making
THE future of Thwaites’ Star Brewery site in the centre of Blackburn remains uncertain after yesterday’s announcement. Chief executive Rick Bailey admitted there were no plans for the 7.4 acres after the borough council sank their proposal to bring
THE proposed move of Thwaites from its central Blackburn site brings to an end centuries of brewing history in the town. By 1875, it had the basis of its three flagship three breweries with Duttons founded in 1799 and Matthew Brown. In 1807
FIVE generations of women were able to come together for the first time on a recent family visit. Blackburn woman Frances Ellen Thomson welcomed a very special guest into her Little Harwood home this weeked. The 91-year-old former factory worker
A WAR memorial in Accrington could be set to undergo a £50,000 renovation, it was revealed. The cenotaph, in Oakhill Park, Manchester Road, will be repointed and have its slate name plaques replaced if, as expected, planners agree. A new flagged
A POT of £25,000 raised by the Mayor of Clitheroe over the last 12 months has started to be distributed to community groups and projects across the Ribble Valley. Coun Kevin Horkin, who was mayor of the town from May 2013, raised the money for
A FOR sale sign has been erected outside Haslingden Pool - seven months since the 78-year-old venue was controversially closed down. New operators could still consider the East Bank Avenue building for leisure use - from a gym to a dance studio
A NATIONAL pizza delivery chain will create 30 jobs in Colne when it opens a new store in August. The Domino’s Pizza shop will be located in Market Street, in the former Ethel Austin's premises, and will feature a mix of full-time and part-time
THE stories of women who worked in East Lancashire’s mills are set to be told in a new book. ‘The Mill Girls’ is set to be published on Thursday, July 3, and is the first book from Clitheroe author Tracy Johnson. Tracy, 39, a freelance journalist
PROPOSALS to double the size of Scout Moor wind farm were unveiled at the first public consultation event in East Lancashire at Riverside Civic Hall yesterday. The first of several drop-in sessions allowed Whitworth residents to speak to developers
SIX more adult bones have been found as workmen continue to excavate the grounds of Blackburn Cathedral. Pipe layer Karl Grant and digger driver Paul Coulson, both from Padiham, discovered half a skull, two infant coffins and three adult caskets
AN ex-SAS personal trainer and TV personality is calling on parents across East Lancashire to become great role models for their children. Rob Edmonds, 39, is best known for his role as a no-nonsense personal trainer on the popular Biggest Loser
I have a great deal of respect for Jeanette Winterson. Not only is the author of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit a wonderful writer, but her undulating thought pattern (check out her quotes at www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/9399.Jeanette_Winterson?
A DIY store in Burnley, which employs around 45 retail staff, looks set to change hands, it has been confirmed. Homebase was heralded as a major addition to the outskirts of the town centre when it opened at a newly-developed location in Calder
A FACEBOOK group paying tribute to Colne teenager James Goodship now has more than 3,700 likes. The 17-year-old died after a group of seven teenagers got into trouble while floating on a ‘raft’ on Lake Burwain, in Foulridge, on Sunday night.
POLICE are appealing for information after a robbery in Chorley. The incident happened at shortly before 8.30pm on Friday, June 20th when a man called at a detached bungalow on Sutton Grove. He rang the doorbell and when the victim, a 57 year
COUNTY Council buildings are being put up for sale to save public cash. Council leader Jennifer Mein has signed off premises as “surplus to requirements” in Burnley, Rawtenstall, Accrington and Bamber Bridge. It has not been revealed which
A CAR repair boss set up a potential £24,000 cannabis farm in an old lift shaft at Vine Mill in Oswaldtwistle. Nicholas Whittaker, 50, had 44 mature plants growing in zipped-together tents in an underground service area, as well as 54 seedlings
Former BURNLEY striker Kyle Lafferty is on the brink of signing for Championship newcomers Norwich City. The Northern Ireland international is currently playing in Italy for Palermo. QUEENS PARK RANGERS are close to announcing the signing of former
BURNLEY FC have revealed their new home kit for the 2014/2015 Premier League season. The Clarets, back in the top flight for the first time since 2010, tackle Jose Mourinho’s big-spending Blues on the opening weekend of August 16. And life
BLACKBURN Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has challenged young defender Adam Henley to come back flying in pre-season. The 20-year-old, who missed the final six weeks of last season with an ankle injury, is currently Rovers’ only recognised right back.
MIDFIELDER James Rodriguez enhanced his growing reputation with an influential display as a second-half substitute as Colombia set up a mouthwatering clash with fellow South Americans Uruguay after victory over Japan in Cuiaba guaranteed them top spot
LUIS Suarez found himself at the centre of another biting storm shortly before Diego Godin's late goal sent Uruguay through to the World Cup knockout stages at the expense of 10-man Italy in Natal. Suarez, who served a 10-match ban for biting Chelsea
FORMER Celtic striker Georgios Samaras struck an injury-time penalty as Greece snatched a place in the World Cup last-16 with a dramatic 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. The African side had looked to be going through to the knockout stages as Group C
ENGLAND'S dismal World Cup campaign ended in a fittingly underwhelming fashion as Roy Hodgson's men laboured to a dull goalless draw against Costa Rica. Daniel Sturridge was guilty of missing three good chances, although he should have been awarded
FIREFIGHTERS were called to a house fire in Brierfield. When they arrived the ground floor front room of the property in Carlton Street was well alight. They then carried out a search of the property using thermal imaging equipment to make
THE Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals are among the worst in England for ‘open and honest reporting’ about mistakes, according to a new NHS website. The website has been launched as part of the Department of Health and NHS England’s
I WAS invited last week to Blackburn College's annual Art & Design exhibition. I Chair the College Board. The place was buzzing as the exhibition spread across most of the campus. Lots of students of all shapes, sizes & ages. Lots of proud
AN inquest into the sudden death of a three-month-old baby, who slept in the same bed as his mother, has failed to establish how he died. Timm Joel Phillips, who was born on June 18 last year, was a healthy baby that was growing and developing
BURNLEY are set to unveil Bolton Wanderers striker Marvin Sordell as their first pre-Premier League signing, while Derby County midfielder Craig Bryson may not be far behind. Scotland international Bryson was understood to be in talks with the
ENFIELD’S cricketers swapped their bats and whites for their running gear last Saturday and did their bit for the club...and I can’t praise them enough for their efforts. The lads from Dill Hall Lane took part in an adventurous sponsored relay
LANCASHIRE Women took a giant stride towards promotion into Division One of the ECB Women’s County Championship as they beat their main rivals Devon – but how they were made to work for their victory. So far this season Jasmine Titmuss’ troops
SKIPPER Paul Gaskell is delighted with the application shown by his top dogs Clitheroe as they returned to form with a bang at the weekend – and is now aiming for glory on two fronts. Gaskell’s Houldsworth Solicitors Ribblesdale League leaders
Johnno ran an excellent race in defeat last time and can emerge on top in another competitive renewal of the bookmakers.co.uk Carlisle Bell at the Cumbria venue on Wednesday. David Nicholls' charge probably did not find the tight turns at Chester
The Bibury Cup is the feature race at Salisbury this afternoon and Fun Mac’s win at Leicester back in April reads very well when you consider the fourth home was none other than Eagle Top who ran away with the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Every day we test your sporting knowledge with our just for fun 10 to tackle... 1 Where was British tennis player Laura Robson born? 2 Who is the captain of South Africa’s Test cricket team? 3 In which year did Tiger Woods win his last
