CONCERNS have been voiced that a raft of new academies could affect Blackburn’s educational structure. Five Blackburn with Darwen primaries are set to become Church of England academies, leaving the control of the borough council. The move
THE Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals have admitted that patients and families have not always been involved in important discussions about ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ orders. As a result some patients have received CPR, which is used to restore
YOUNGSTERS who want to learn to sail this summer could be left disappointed after the theft of a safety boat from an East Lancashire club. The rib boat, which is launched while lessons are taking place on the Rishton reservoir to make sure learners
A WALKING group in Hyndburn led by volunteers is thanking those that take part. Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust’s ‘Stepping Out’ provides a series of walks of varying lengths and fitness levels. Jean Crook has been a volunteer within the
CHARITY Age UK will host a free complementary therapy taster day for the over-50s in Darwen on Tuesday. The event is from 10am to 4pm at Central United Reformed Church in Duckworth Street where there will be the opportunity to try a range of activities
LOCAL history group Darwen Days is recruiting more volunteers, in particular people who can help organise and run Darwen’s events. Darwen Days has been saving photographs that show the history and heritage of Darwen and its people for the past
A NEW lunch club has been launched in Accrington. The county council will run the club at the Woodhaven Community Centre in Thorneyholme Road. Centre manager Sue Dreslin said each sessions costs £4.60. To book a place, or for more information
INSPECTORS have raised a minor concern about the management of medicines at Church View Nursing Home in Princess Street, Accrington. The Care Quality Commission, which visited the home last month, said: “People were not fully protected against
STAFF at an Accrington care home paid an emotional farewell to a ‘faithful and devoted member’ of the team, who has retired. Residents joined staff at Springhill Care Home to mark Susan Royle’s last day on the job. Susan has worked at the home
A SLIMMER from Church came up with a unique way of being sponsored for charity. Marie Wright, from Kingways, collected money for every stone she lost after setting herself a target of three. And after losing a stone already, she donated £156
THE Salvation Army Trading Company charity shop in Darwen has launched its new ‘Open your hearts and wardrobes’ campaign with an appeal to local people to donate their unwanted clothes, shoes and accessories. The new campaign will run for six weeks
AGE UK Blackburn with Darwen is appealing for donations of small electrical items as stocks are running low. The charity shop on Market Street in Darwen sells a wide range of quality second hand goods to support the services it provides for local
GOOD on Gary Bowyer for hitting back at Doncaster owner John Ryan over his comments that Chris Brown has penned a £10,000 per week deal at Blackburn Rovers. Not only are the comments, to quote Bowyer, ‘unwelcome and inaccurate’, they are also unhelpful
RESIDENTS are invited to take part in a final consultation on the borough’s core strategy after modifications were made to initial plans. The strategy sets out development in the borough until 2028, including how many new houses the area needs
THE organisers of the annual Whalley Pickwick Festival have announced the date of this year’s event. The Victorian-themed event will be staged on December 4 from 6pm to 9pm. Bosses of the festival promised last year to revamp the annual event
A FAMILY fun day is set to be held next month. The Paper Cup Company in Clitheroe will host the event in aid of Crossroads Care and Royal Blackburn Hospital. The event will staged at the company’s site in Taylor Street on Saturday, July 12.
A BUMPER procession is planned for this year’s Bacup and Stacksteads Carnival after organisers revealed more details for the event. The parade will leave Burnley Road, Bacup, at 11.15am on Sunday and snake through the town centre and down Market
NELSON and Colne College Sixth Form has retained its ‘excellence’ Charter Status for NHS Workplace Wellbeing. The judging panel said: “After having looked through all of your evidence and been present at your presentation, the panel have unanimously
A PLAN to erect a wooden shed to be used as a beauty salon in Ribchester has been approved by Ribble Valley Borough Council. Applicant John Darbyshire from The Beauty Shed, Great Harwood, submitted the application to the council which also includes
THOUSANDS of poppies will be sown in Ribble Valley to commemorate the fallen of the First World War. The Mayor of the Ribble Valley, Coun Michael Ranson, has presented schools and parishes in the borough with poppy seeds for commemorative gardens
SOUL II Soul, the British R&B group most famous for their early ‘90s hit ‘Back To Life’, will be bringing their mix of reggae, blues and dance to this year’s Ramsbottom Festival. The band will perform on Sunday, September 21, the final day
A COMMUNITY group is organising a family fun event to be held at Rawtenstall town square. The event on July 5 will raise cash for PAPYRUS, a charity that aims to support young people having suicidal thoughts. The group has so far received prize
COMMUNITY groups in the Bradley area of Nelson have just 24 hours left to apply for a grant of between £100 and £500. It’s part of the Big Local programme – a Big Lottery funded initiative, which Bradley received funding from in 2012. A total
COMMUNITY minded pupils have taken part in a day of action to help improve their neighbourhood. The students from year eight at Park High School, Colne, took part in ‘Park Action Day’ which saw the youngsters litter picking and packing bags at
A PACKED programme has been drawn up for Nelson Royal Britiish Legion’s armed forces weekend celebrations. The venue for the gathering, this Saturday and Sunday, will once again be Holmefield House, in Gisburn Road, Barrowford. The opening
JOFF Oddie is cooking up a tasty treat with BBC Radio One favourites Wolf Alice. Joff’s uncle Bill and cousin Lara run Lancashire bakers, Oddie’s, based in Nelson, and are famous for their pies and fondant fancies. Now Joff is hoping the rip
LUIS Suarez has been given a nine-game international ban and a four-month suspension from all football for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. The Uruguay forward will play no further part in the World Cup in Brazil after his attack on Chiellini
HEALTH chiefs have reversed a controversial decision to invite companies to bid for the GP out-of-hours contract in East Lancashire. The news has been welcomed by campaigners, who feared a tender process would result in a ‘profit-seeking’ firm
AFTER a 10-year lay off from DJing, inspirational British broadcaster Andy Kershaw is getting back into the spin with a new Global Dance Night in Darwen on July 4. As an events promoter in the 70s, TV presenter in the 80s, radio DJ and later BBC
CELEBRATING 50 years of UK number one hit singles, the Magic of Motown brings its new Reach Out Tour to Blackpool Grand Theatre in August. Songs like Dancing In The Street, My Girl, Where Did Our Love Go, My Guy and Baby Love rocketed Motown to
ADELPHI Residential Care Home in Queen’s Road, Chorley, met all the essential standards that were examined during a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
BLACKBURN Cathedral’s Young People’s Choir is looking for new members. Shaun Turnbull, assistant director of Music at Blackburn Cathedral, is recruiting for the choir which is open to teenagers and young adults. The choir rehearse on a Thursday
A DIABETES support group is set to be revived after a decade. Members of the Ribble Valley Diabetes UK Group are to hold one of their meetings in Burnley on July 14 in a bid to reignite a group in the town. The group, which meets monthly at
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help with a collection for Blackburn Foodbank. It is set to take place at the Tesco stores in Great Harwood and Blackburn and July 4 and 5. A spokesman for the organisation said: “All we ask is for a few hours of your
AFTER the departure of the vicar at St John’s Church, Read, the church warden is the sole point of contact. He can be contacted on 07517 806076.
ADAM John Bleasdale, 22, of no fixed address, was given a conditional discharge for six months by Blackburn magistrates after pleading guilty to stealing six pies and four cans of Carlsberg Special Brew worth £14 from Spar in Oswaldtwistle.
A HIGH school is offering a cut price sale on new school uniforms. Sir John Thursby Community College in Burnley has a limited stock of uniform available for sale. The school is offering the items to parents at greatly reduced prices next month
WATER bosses are warning elderly customers that criminals posing as water board officials are operating in the North West. United Utilities is urging people to be on the lookout against bogus callers and opportunist burglars. A spokesman said
Mark Briggs has been a real ale connoisseur for over 35 years. A self-professed ‘beer geek’, Mark visits East Lancashire’s pubs for his weekly column. Read of Mark’s adventures in ale at his blog www.realaleupnorth.com or follow him on Twitter @realaleupnorth
‘THE best kept secret in Clayton-le-Moors’ will remain open to the public. The owners of Clayton Hall, off Clayton Hall Drive, had sought permission from the council to prevent the public from accessing a museum there, as well as an historic Grade
A VINTAGE craft weekend is set to be staged in Great Harwood next week. The event will be held at Churchfield House in Church Street, from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6.
A woman has appeared before Blackburn magistrates after a knife was brandished during an incident in Bunkers Hill Close. Theresa Dennison, 41, of Drumore Road, Glasgow, was sent on bail to Preston Crown Court after pleading not guilty to possessing
THE leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Kate Hollern has been accused of breaking a promise to hold two executive meetings a year in Darwen. Liberal Democrat councillors David Foster and Paul Browne claimed this showed her and the council’
WILDLIFE living in the Forest of Bowland will be at the centre of a ‘discovery day’. The RSPB and Lancashire County Council have teamed up to host the day on Saturday, June 28, with a series of nature activities held at the Beacon Fell Country
AN application to construct four houses in a Ribble Valley village has been submitted to the borough council. The plan, which also includes the change of use of a building, relates to land in Longsight Road in Copster Green. If approved by the borough
STEVE Hardstaff, album cover artist, poster designer and cartoonist, and who worked with The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Half Man Half Biscuit, makes a special guest appearance at the launch of The Whitaker’s summer exhibition in Rossendale on Saturday
COLLABRO – the group who stormed to success in the Britain’s Got Talent finals – are visiting Lytham Hall as part of Lytham Live! on August 23. They will be performing with support from Lucy Kay, the show’s second placed opera sensation. A
BADLY Drawn Boy has been added to the line-up for this year’s Beat-Herder in the Ribble Valley next month. Singer-songwriter Damon Gough, pictured, will be performing on the Saturday afternoon at the festival near Sawley. Festival co-founder
DANCE and R&B pioneers Soul II Soul have been announced as the Sunday night headliners for this year’s Ramsbottom Festival. The group who shot to fame with the single Back to Life will close the festival in style on Sunday, September 21.
EAST Lancashire residents who decline to shop in Blackburn are being offered a £50 reward to visit and explain why they don’t. Researchers are looking for people from neighbouring towns to explain what they want in a retail centre. It’s part
STRETCH ‘party’ limousines could be licensed and checked as taxis under a new shake-up of cab regulations in Blackburn with Darwen. Councillors are looking at bringing ‘novelty vehicles’ into the system after agreeing a compromise on new bodywork
A WAR memorial damaged by ‘mindless’ vandals has been repaired. Two concrete posts which surround the cenotaph in Darwen’s Bold Venture Park were pushed over last week, causing outrage. Vandals also sprayed blue paint on memorial benches, obscuring
AN open mic night will be held at the Civic Arts Centre, in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, from 7pm on Saturday, July 12. Entry is free, free snacks will be on offer, and performers will be given free drinks. For more information, call 01254 398319
THE memorial service celebrating the life of former council boss Steve Weaver will take place at Blackburn Cathedral on Monday. The father-of-three, who was instrumental in creating the all-purpose authority of Blackburn with Darwen, was killed
THERE will be a blood donation session at Hippings Vale Community Centre in Harvey Street, Oswaldtwistle, on Thursday, July 31, from 1.15 to 3.30pm and 5.15 to 7.30pm.
SHERWOOD care home in Clifton Street, Rishton, met all the essential standards that were examined during a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
WINGER Junior Stanislas has signed for AFC Bournemouth on a three-year deal, after turning down the chance of Premier League football with Burnley. The 24-year-old was offered new terms at Turf Moor after helping the Clarets secure automatic promotion
IT was once ‘Football’s Coming Home’. Now England are coming home, with the tails of the Three Lions between their legs. Although events of 1966 were mirrored this year (Austria winning Eurovision, Real winning the European Cup, Atletico winning La
PLANNING permission has been granted for a rear extension at a home in Crown Gardens, Edgworth, after a proposal was submitted by Trevor Waters.
TOCKHOLES United Reformed Church will host a 352nd birthday special concert on Sunday from 2pm. Music will be provided by Darwen-based Unity Choir who will be conducted by Andrew Mudharara.
AN original Vanity Fair lithograph of William Balle Huntington has been presented to Brambles East School by local historian and author Anne Hull. The picture was a gift from the Friends of Darwen Library after a visit to the school, based in the former
ANTI-social behaviour in the Belfield Road and Spindleberry Court areas of Woodnook, and the William Street area in Accrington, have been reported to police. Youths are believed to have been playing football in the street on nights and weekends
NEIGHBOURHOOD police have launched a crackdown on anti-social motorbike riding around Jacks Key reservoir. Anyone who sees people riding in the area is asked to call 01254 222135.
DARWEN town centre neighbourhood police officers will be on hand for a Police And Communities Together meeting at the leisure centre cafe in Green Street from 7.30pm next Tuesday.
A RIBBLE Valley woman will fulfil a lifetime’s dream when she flies the flag for East Lancashire and competes at the Horse of the Year Show. Claire Crutchley, from Ribchester, said she was ‘over the moon’ after qualifying from the regional heats
A NEEDLEWORK project helped children from a Rawtenstall school secure first prize in a national competition. Youngsters from St Mary’s CE Primary School, in Haslingden Old Road, learnt to sew while creating a woodland tapestry as part of their
THE YMCA shop in Longridge is appealing for volunteers. The shop is asking for residents to spare a few hours a week to help in the store. For more information talk to a member of staff at the Berry Lane shop.
A RIBBLE Valley village’s annual garden show is set to return on August 3. The event has been organised by Chatburn and District Garden Produce Association and will be staged in the village school’s hall. Proceeds will go to Pendleside Hospice.
TICKETS are available for the black tie Rossendale Hospice 007 annual dinner and ball. The event includes an auction, DJ and live entertainment. Tickets are £70 for the event on September 13 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.
‘Pardon. The BBC has removed Blackburn from the weather map, and put Burnley on the map instead? Is that what you’re saying?”, Mumtaz, one of my staff in my Blackburn office replied to a constituent who’d phoned, as I was working at another desk
SCENES of East Lancashire have helped talented painter Keith Melling raise £84,000 for Pendleside Hospice. Cards and calendars featuring images of Pendle and other stunning local scenes have been sold to raise money for the charity which helps
A CHARITY worker from the Ribble Valley has received an invitation to travel to Downing Street for a reception to mark the centenary of the First World War. Harriet Roberts, who works with Child Action Northwest, has been invited by the Prime Minister
A CHURCH in Whalley is appealing for more volunteers to welcome people on Thursdays and Sundays. St Mary and All Saints Church is seeking congregation members who can spare one hour a month.
THE Mellor Snow Angels are appealing for volunteers to get involved in preparation for next winter. The team exists to help clear snow in the village from ‘priority areas’ when the need arises. For more information call Bernard Murtagh on 07738
LANCASHIRE will remember those lost during World War One during a special service at Blackburn Cathedral. People from parishes right across the county are invited to attend on August 3 and each parish will receive a candle. The following evening
AN open day takes place at the New Road Community Centre, in Earby, on Saturday. Local community groups can take a table to promote activities they have on. To reserve a table call in to the community centre.
NEW members will be made welcome at a book club which has been established at the Bookshop, in Church Street, Colne, which meets on the first Wednesday of every month from 6.30pm.
A SINGING and dancing event for children up to five years old takes place at Colne Children’s Centre, in Walton Street, every Thursday. The event runs from 1.30pm to 3pm with the cost of £1 per family.
YOUNG entrepreneurs have been encouraging shoppers to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ when it comes to Fair Trade. Padiham Green Primary School has forged links with Uganda and is now selling ground coffee on their behalf after learning about the
A FRIENDS group is aiming to take on charitable status in order to aid the development of Rowley Lake. Burnley Council has been trying to develop the area around the lake, Brun Valley Forest Park, for some time, to boost tourism in the area.
AN armed forces day, featuring favourites from the First and Second World Wars by singer Maria Manchester, will take place at the Royal British Legion Club in Colne on Sunday, June 29, from 1.30pm.
MOHAMMED Afzal Hussain, 33, of Walton Lane, Nelson, has been fined £300 by Pennine magistrates, with £100 costs and had five penalty points imposed on his driving licence after he admitted driving without due care on the M65 near Brierfield on December
ABOUT 10,000 doses of medication are administered to inpatients at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust during the course of an average day, said chief nurse Christine Pearson.
A DANCE fitness and relaxation session for adults takes place on Thursday at Healey Wood Access Point in Burnley. The sessions run from 7pm to 8pm with entry £2 on the door.
DEPUTY headteacher James Stead, who admits he struggled to put on his shoes without struggling for breath, has lost six stone after joining a women’s running club. Former PE teacher James, 49, now deputy head at Marsden Heights High School, Nelson
SABDEN Badminton Club will close for the summer from next Monday to Monday, September 1. The club meets weekly in St Nicholas’ Church Hall.
DONATIONS of items the North West Air Ambulance can sell in its charity shops are urgently needed. Anybody wishing to offer any goods can call 0800 5874570 to arrange a collection.
EAST Lancashire people have been reminded to pay attention to their mental and emotional health as part of the county council’s ‘Bring Yourself Sunshine’ campaign. The advice drive, featuring comedy legends Morecambe and Wise, runs until the end
A RIBBLE Valley sports club’s annual golf day and dinner has been reinstated. Wilpshire Golf Club will host the event on September 12. It will feature speaker ex-soccer star Dean Saunders and comedian Billy Flywheel. For more information call Vivienne
AN interactive training seminar aimed at helping East Lancashire companies to consider expansion, diversification or a new product is set to be held. ‘Vision Into Action’ will take place at The Inn at the Station, Clitheroe, today. The seminar
THERE will be a blood donation session at Padiham Town Hall on Friday, July 4, from 1.15 to 3.30pm and 5.15 to 7.30pm. Both new and regular donors can make an appointment to donate, or find out more information about giving blood, by calling 0300
THE Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team is set to hold an abseil next month. The team will host the challenge on July 12 at Peel Tower in Holcombe. All proceeds from the event will go to the team. The minimum age to take part is 10-years-old
HEALTH bosses are looking to commission a new 35-bed unit for dementia patients within East Lancashire. The £2million-a-year service would offer assessment and rehabilitation beds, while preventing some patients from requiring specialist treatment
EVEN Lancastrians can be educated about Lancashire’s rich history of folk tales. And storyteller David England found exactly that when he embarked on a mission to re-tell some of the most interesting local stories. A chapter featuring the infamous
POLICE are to increase patrols around Herbert Street in Burnley, after complaints from local residents of anti-social behaviour in the area.
NEIGHBOURHOOD police covering the Daneshouse with Stoneyholme area of Burnley will be available to meet with residents at a PACT meeting on Wednesday, July 2, from 12.30pm, at the Chai Centre, in Hurtley Street.
COMPLAINTS of inconsiderate parking outside Rosewood Primary School, in Rosewood Avenue, Burnley, have been made to police.
Residents are being urged to get involved in the Pendle Parkrun. The free event which brings together runners of all ages and abilities on a 5km route, takes places every Saturday. Anyone who wants to take part is asked to arrive at Alkincoats
A GROUP of tree-planting volunteers is appealing for more people to help them. The Trees for Burnley group works with the Forest of Burnley project and carries out tree planting, woodland management and rhododendron clearing in Towneley and other
A cerebral palsy sufferer found with cannabis at his home told a judge it eased his pain. Kevin Michael Whittaker, 25, had had a 13 gram tub of cannabis bush and told police it was for his own personal use. When he was questioned, he said he
A FRANTIC two-weeks’ hunt for a missing cat ended when a pensioner couple were reunited with their precious pet. So worried were they that the Persian cat had been stolen Harold and Cynthia Entwistle launched a massive poster campaign. They
PEPE Reina is expected to return to Liverpool after his loan spell at Napoli ended. The Spanish international has been linked with a move to ARSENAL. MANCHESTER United striker Javier Hernandez could be on his way out of Old Trafford with Europa
TWO children are being sought after Clitheroe police received three reports of counterfeit £20 notes being used in the town yesterday. Traders on Clitheroe Market and at the Oxfam charity shop in Market Place alerted the police after becoming suspicious
IT was great to see my Southampton team-mates Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw get a start for England in the final group game with Costa Rica. They are both really top quality players and it is no surprise to see them in a World Cup. I thought Adam
A NURSING home has been rapped by inspectors after failing to meet five essential standards of care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised several concerns about Peel Gardens, off Vivary Way in Colne, including staffing levels, the management
OVER three decades at the forefront of electronic sound, Gary Numan remains passionate and motivated to the musical cause, and is finally getting the recognition he deserves. His latest offering, Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind) is a characteristically
BURNLEY MP Gordon Birtwistle has welcomed the news that unemployment in the borough has fallen once again. New figures show that there are now 1,890 Jobseekers Allowance claimants in Burnley – down nearly 700 over the last year. “This is good
BLACKBURN have bitten the bullet with David Goodwillie – and they may have to do the same with two or three other players yet. Settling a player’s contract costs the club a lot of money. But sometimes you have to do it to help the club move
LIONEL Messi scored twice, including a sumptuous free-kick, to help Argentina beat Nigeria 3-2 and ensure qualification to the knockout stages as winners of Group F. Messi’s two goals were twice cancelled out by Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa but Marcos
A XHERDAN Shaqiri hat-trick fired Switzerland into the knock-out stages with a 3-0 victory over Honduras and set up a mouth-watering tie against Argentina in the first round of the knock-out stages. Shaqiri scored twice in a dominant first-half
FRANCE secured top spot in Group E and a last 16 showdown with Nigeria as Ecuador’s Manchester United midfielder Antonio Valencia saw red for a two-footed lunge in the Maracana. Valencia, also sent off for tangling with Raheem Sterling in the friendly
IRAN'S dreams of a place in the last 16 of the World Cup were ended by goals from Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic and Avdija Vrsajevic as Bosnia-Herzegovina’s tournament ended with a 3-1 win. The Europeans had already made history
AN ARMY of pink runners brought a massive splash of colour to Witton Park as they united in the fight against cancer. Hundreds of survivors, supporters and loved ones proudly raised thousands for Cancer Research UK at the Blackburn Race for Life
A BURGLAR who told an elderly pensioner ‘think yourself lucky, next time I will kill you’ after she caught him ransacking her home, is being hunted by police. Detectives said the brave 85-year-old victim was asleep in her bed when the burglar broke
CRAIG Short cannot wait to unleash Blackburn Rovers striker Rudy Gestede on Championship defences again. The 25-year-old finished last season in blistering form with nine goals in his final eight starts after making the permanent move from Cardiff
STRIKER Marvin Sordell admits he would love the chance to link up again with Sean Dyche should his move to Burnley go through. The Bolton Wanderers man is close to completing a move to Turf Moor for an initial £600,000 fee with add-ons. Sordell
A MOTHER and her son escaped unscathed from a blaze that tore through their mid-terraced property in Pendle. The house in Carlton Street, Brierfield, was completely gutted in the fire which is believed by the family to have been sparked by a faulty
BREWERS big and small have moved swiftly to head off fears that fracking could ruin the taste of East Lancashire drinkers’ pints. They are confident even if the controversial drilling for shale gas does come to the area, it will not leave a bitter
A FATHER-of-two allegedly sexually attacked a schoolboy after the man swam naked and showed him porn, a jury was told. Burnley Crown Court heard claims that Kevin O’Connell asked the alleged victim about his sexual experiences and exposed himself
