From the Bury Times, August 13, 1974

DUCK: The Townson family of Openshaw Street, Bury, adopted an orphan duckling which was freezing to death after vandals drove its mother away. They revived it with a hot water bottle. Within days the duckling, Dilys, was feeding on boiled egg, bread and cereal, walking round the house and swimming in the sink. Dilys was also fond of car rides and had been with the family on a caravan holiday.

PLAN: A £3 million development was granted outline planning permission. The 2.3 acre site bordering Angouleme Way, Bury, was earmarked for an 80-bedroom hotel, theatre club, 50,000 sq ft of offices, 30 flats and a 260-space underground car park.

PETITION: A petition to bring back hanging was got up by some Bury housewives. It drew 3,000 signatures. The organisers were aiming for 10,000 - and planned to send it to local MP Michael "bring back the rope" Fidler.

WATER: Residents of Holden Avenue, Jericho, complained that their water had been rusty for ten years, but nobody did anything about it. RACE: Radcliffe greyhound owner Harry Leech scored his greatest success when his dog "Brother Orchid" won the £1,000 Blackpool Derby.

PANTS: Clothing firm Bentwood of Church Street, Bury, installed a £10,000 trouser press capable of doing the work of three ordinary machines. After pressing, the machine folded the garments onto hangers.

FAST: 100 Bury Ukrainians were poised to go on hunger strike to show solidarity with their countrymen who were being oppressed by the Russians, they said.

TRAFFIC: 600 sets of computerised traffic lights were planned to come into operation in 1977, reported the BT. Operated from a central police control room, they were expected to cut journey times in Greater Manchester.

BOAT: Mrs Margery Collings of Arley Avenue, Bury, who managed a Walmersley Road wine shop, won a sailing dinghy in a Bulmer's contest for employees and retailers. She christened the boat with a bottle of cider and named it , but confessed that she suffered from sea sickness. "But my three sons are pleased with the prize", she said.

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