Archive

  • New bid to curb phone pests

    CRUEL hoax telephone callers make thousands of innocent peoples lives a misery each year. But now, in a bid to help combat the menace, British Telecom will be setting up a special advice and information desk in St Anne's Library, Clifton Drive South,

  • Riddle of pub ghost

    GHOSTLY goings-on in a Fylde pub have revealed a mysterious history behind the building. Landlord Sam Betts of the Railway Inn in Kirkham has found a network of tunnels behind the cellars of the 150-year old pub, but on the day one tunnel was opened,

  • Guild field decision soon

    THE fate of Leigh's Wesley Guild field will be decided at the end of October. Wesley Guild Preservation Group organiser Stephen Sargent met Wigan Metro representatives at Wigan Town Hall to set a date for the hearing to decide on whether the Beech Walk

  • Blooming Blackpool

    BLACKPOOL is blooming - and that's official! The town has beaten off some fierce competition to take the title of best large town in this year's North West In Bloom. And what better way for the Citizen to say congratulations than to arrange for a huge

  • Kamilia's a 'polish-ed' star

    TOP ten GCSE student' Kamila Kubryn's success was a real polished performance. Atherton 16 year-old Kamila, who aims to become a doctor, achieved six A* and four A grades when she sat exams at St Mary's RC High. Yet all the questions she answered were

  • Darweners step out on historic trek

    PUT your best foot forward and join in an historic walk to celebrate a special moment in time. Darweners will be slipping into their walking boots this Sunday, ready to march across Darwen Moor to mark the centenary of public access to the local beauty

  • Gym evacuated as blaze rips through school

    A PRESTON High School lost hundreds of pounds worth of sports equipment after vandals set fire to an outside store room. Visitors to Fulwood Leisure Centre spotted smoke coming from the hut in the grounds of Fulwood High School on Black Bull Lane. They

  • Youngsters heed mum's helmet plea

    HORDES of teenage scramblers have heeded a grief-stricken mum's crash helmet plea. Last week The Journal related the tragic tale of how 15 year-old Atherton teenager Eamonn Duffy died from serious head injuries when the field-bike he was on crashed. Fred

  • Police boss in gun robbery drama

    A SENIOR Blackburn police officer today told how he was robbed at gunpoint by policemen during a fact-finding trip to India. Ethnic liaison inspector Andy Pratt paid his own way in a bid to learn about the cultural background and family ties of the people

  • Gypsy 'super camp' fears

    PENNINGTON protesters fear a full scale gipsy camp could be set-up near their homes. And next week Wigan planners will meet to consider their views before commenting on a planning application which has gone before Warrington Council. Motorway contractor

  • Pub couple in franchise final

    A MARRIED couple who run a local pub have reached the finals of a national business competition which aims to find Britain's top franchisee. John and Jean Taylor,landlord and landlady of The Derby Arms, Carrs Green, Inskip, - a Greenalls Inn franchise

  • New office idea sparks bitter row

    HYNDBURN COUNCIL is to sell its freehold of Accrington's Arndale Centre and Broadway to pay for a switch to new offices in 1998. But the idea has provoked an angry response from Tory councillors, who claim the decision has been made in haste. Now a leading

  • £500,000 infirmary booster

    HOSPITAL improvements costing well over £ million are scheduled at Leigh Infirmary. Wigan and Leigh Health Sevices NHS is expected to approve recommendations to redevelop key areas at Leigh. It would mean a total investment of £500,000 - plus equipment

  • Rita's rap for bigger fees

    SENIOR citizens throughout Leigh, Tyldesley and Atherton are up in arms about plans to increase the fee for part-time courses at Wigan and Leigh College. Under new rules the former £6 concessionary fee will be scrapped when evening and day classes start

  • Ghostly goings-on

    GHOSTLY goings-on in a Kirkham pub have been captured on the building's security cameras. Sam Betts of the Railway Inn dicovered a network of tunnels behind the cellars of the 150-year old pub after he knocked down a separating wall. On the same day he

  • A-level results

    WIGAN and Leigh College full time students A Level passes. Natalie Allen 2, Sharlene Allred 1, P.Altham 3, M.Anderton 2, Anna Angelovskaya 3, M.Ashcroft 1, Kate Atherton 1, Seema Babaladi 4, Lorraine Bailey 1, Suzanne Bamber 3, Louisa Banks 2, M.Bannister

  • Plugging the gap!

    WHILE Rovers enjoy a break due to international duty this weekend, Ray Harford can look back at Sunday's sterling performance at Manchester United with immense pleasure. For after drawing blanks in defeats against Spurs and Aston Villa, Rovers' front

  • Gladiator set to take on Citizen's best

    THE stars are coming out to face the might of A Citizen football team! Champion charity event organiser Tony Cartwright has once again rallied a feast of TV and sporting celebrities to entertain local folk. The guest list so far includes Warrior from

  • Pollution plan too little too late, raps Ellman

    THE Government has been attacked for doing "too little to late" after it announced its first National Air Quality Strategy. Louise Ellman, leader of Lancashire County Council said: "Although this gives local councils greater powers to combat air pollution

  • Remembering Ghandi

    WERE you one of the lucky few to meet one of the most famous spiritual leaders of all time? A film company from Manchester is appealing for anyone who may have met or seen the late, great Mahatma Gandhi during his historic visit to Darwen more than 60

  • Welcome to a world of music and dance

    THE World Of Music And Dance 1996 descends on near neighbours Morecambe this weekend and promises the best in live entertainment from all over the world. The resort's festival, billed as one of the most relaxing weekends in the calendar, is a chance to

  • Fire alarm at blaze-hit house was switched off

    A BLAZE which destroyed most of a council house kitchen could have been avoided if residents hadn't disconnected their smoke alarm, according to Fulwood firemen. A chip pan fire at the address in Whitby Road, Ingol, burned unnoticed until smoke started

  • Cash crisis in the classroom

    SCHOOLS in Lancashire are likely to loose more teachers because they can't afford to pay their wages. According to the latest report by the county council, £6 million is expected to be spent on support staff by primary and secondary schools in the coming

  • It's the end of the line

    LATEST figures show that three-quarters of the callers handled by Blackburn malicious calls bureau are male. And of the bureau's 573 cases received each week, two-thirds of the victims are women. The statistics, gathered last month, also revealed that

  • College gets £3.85m building boost

    SUCCESS of the students and staff at Runshaw College is paying off. The latest news from the college, which has just reported record pass rates, is that it is to have a new, three-storey building to enable students to enjoy even more facilities. The new

  • Mark set for tough task on China trip

    LEYLAND Martial Arts Academy boss Mark Strange has stepped up his training in preparation for two important Chinese martial arts tournaments. The first takes place on Sunday September 1 on the Wirral, where Mark will compete for yet another British title

  • Harwood fire warning shot at title boys

    EARBY and Read look out - Great Harwood are still gunning for that title! The Cliffe Park side's push for Ribblesdale League honours has been overshadowed by the exploits of the two sides from across the county. But crocked skipper Geoff Allen sent a

  • Exams were a real pain for Stephen

    SLEDGE accident victim Stephen Lightbown was among the teenagers celebrating exam success at Darwen Moorland High School. The brave 16-year-old was forced to take his GCSEs at Southport Hospital's spinal unit after the freak crash in Bold Venture Park

  • Butterfly bonanza

    RON Freethy's mention of butterflies (LET, August 21) prompts me to write of several hundreds of butterflies my wife and I saw the previous Sunday when visiting friends at a farm at Summerbridge, near Harrogate. Three overgrown buddleia bushes at the

  • Crews back from international rally

    THREE intrepid crews from the Garstang and Preston Motor Club have returned from competing in the Stenna Line, Ulster International Rally. The teams from Preston made up a quarter of the field in the Formula 1300 Mobil 1 class where they competed alongside

  • Open house at local landmarks

    LOCAL landmarks across Blackburn and Hyndburn - including the Citizen offices - will open their doors for an intriguing look behind the scenes. As part of National Heritage Open Days, six buildings in Blackburn and Accrington Town Hall will unveil a hidden

  • Stanley boss in sacking mystery

    MYSTERY surrounds the sensational sacking of Accrington Stanley manager Stan Allan after just two games of the new season. The club called an emergency board meeting after Monday night's 2-1 home defeat against Barrow and Allan and coach Jimmy Coffey

  • Preston robbed of third victory by rain

    RAIN was only the winner at the weekend as there were no results in any of the three divisions - but Division 1 leaders St Annes became the new champions after rain stopped the Morecambe v Chorley match on Monday. Preston were robbed of the opportunity

  • Trust unveils hospital schemes costing £15m

    WORK on the £15 million phase four development taking Burnley General Hospital into the next millennium could start in October and already Health Trust bosses are making plans for phase five. Details of the long-awaited phase four scheme were unveiled

  • Meg's stars still shine

    STARGAZER Mystic Meg is NOT leaving the National Lottery Live show - the Lancashire Evening Telegraph can reveal. A daily tabloid today predicted that the fortune-teller, from Accrington, was facing the axe from the BBC show because she "had reached the

  • BURN-xmasshow

    Tall tales ahead! AUTUMN may be barely with us, but Burnley Youth Theatre are already looking ahead to Christmas! The young thespians will be wishing upon a star this Yuletide with a production of the classic Pinocchio. And they are looking for youngsters

  • SNOOKER: Big-shot Shokat

    SNOOKER talent Shokat Ali is one match away from an appearance in the UK professional championship at Preston. The Blackburn player meets Jimmy Mickie, who qualified for this year's world championship in Sheffield, at the Norbreck Castle Hotel in Blackpool

  • Anti-drug message from kids

    FRONT-LINE professionals in the war against drugs said have thank you to teenagers in Nelson. The youngsters, all students at Edge End High School, worked through the summer holidays to create a play to help Asian parents prevent their children from becoming

  • ATHLETICS: Thompson's record

    PAUL THOMPSON of Blackburn Harriers took an amazing 37 seconds off last year's record time to establish a new record of 14.25 for the challenging 2.25 mile Darwen Tower race at the town's gala. Last year's winner Brian Cole came home 26 seconds behind

  • Speed riders on a high

    RECORD busters! That's Astley & Tyldesley Miners Welfare Cycle Speedway. They notched a massive 138 points, a record for the Northern Junior League, in their match at Stockport. Phil Moreton and Martin Phillips, showing his best form of the season

  • Feel good for a real fight?

    BOUGHT any fancy tiles lately? Traded in your dull grey car for a red one? Been to the pictures for the first time in ages? Dined out for a change? Odd questions, they may be. But they are the sort the political mood-watchers ask when taking the nation's

  • Parents vow to carry on school fight

    PARENTS who have set up their own school in their battle with education chiefs today vowed to keep on fighting to get their children into the high school of their choice. They have started up a class for six 11-year-olds in a chapel in Briercliffe while

  • Golborne fasten grip on title

    GOLBORNE strengthened their grip at the top of the Bolton Association as the weather washed away Clifton's challenge. While Golborne were picking up their expected derby win over Astley & Tyldesley, their title rivals were left frustrated as the rain

  • On Song for Canada

    YOUNGSTERS from Pendle Junior Civic Choir have been on a marathon training weekend to rehearse for the Great Singers Series. They are taking part in concerts which five of the world's greatest opera singers are to give in Colne, to support the choir's

  • Blood, sweat and tears for Higgins

    MICK HIGGINS this week stood resolute and defiant. The man who has sweat blood for his beloved Leigh looked back on a season of disaster and debacle, frustration seeping from every agonised pore. "I want success for this club and for this town," he said

  • Woman dies in holiday horror

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a fatal accident on Bank Holiday Monday. Disabled pensioner, Mrs Marion Dolan of Bidston Avenue, Blackbrook, died when the blue Peugeot 106 in which she was a passenger, was in collision with a 17-ton lorry at the

  • RMI have promotion class says rival

    ATHERTON LR manager Dave Morris predicts derby rivals Leigh RMI will be in the promotion frame at the end of the season. His comments came after his side had been dumped 2-0 at home by RMI - LR's second loss in three days. And, but for a brilliant goalkeeping

  • Big crackdown on car crime

    IN an attempt to combat the recent increase in car crime around St Helens town centre, police will be carrying out a car window etching service between 10am and 4pm at TS Scimitar, tomorrow (Friday, August 30). The window etching, which is free of charge

  • Walter makes a bigger splash

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD WALTER Dennett once laid claim to the 'biggest bathroom in the world.' For the mild-mannered bachelor carried out his daily ablutions, summer and winter, from a secluded little sandy bay at the edge of the huge Carr Mill Dam. After

  • Speed road path is death trap

    PEOPLE are wise to walk in single file along the busy footpath between the Holden Arms and the Duke of Wellington, heading over Grane towards Blackburn, due to the terribly neglected state of the path. Anyone attempting to push a pram or wheelchair along

  • Gary's going up, up, up in world

    FIVE years ago Gary Elliott felt dizzy if he tried to stand on a bar stool. Now he feels perfectly at home clambering onto the roof of Leigh's town centre Spinning Jenny pub where he is assistant manager. And next month he'll set his sights even higher

  • Champs out to tame Broncos

    SUPER League title celebrations hopefully complete, Saints' take the penultimate step to the Premiership Final at Old Trafford when London Broncos come to Knowsley Road on Sunday, kick-off 7pm. Formed as Fulham in 1980, the visitors are still seeking

  • Denis Whittle talks with Shaun McRae

    MISSION accomplished and a very proud man! That was the reaction of Saints' boss Shaun McRae after his team lifted the Super League title in defeating Warrington. WHITTLE: A fitting reward both for a team in which consistency has been the hallmark, and

  • Saints are champions at last!

    Saints 66 Warrington 14 THE agonising 21-year wait is over for soaraway Saints, with the Super League Championship Trophy now a proud stablemate of the Challenge Cup on the Knowsley Road sideboard after this13-try demolition of play-off hopefuls Warrington

  • Caped crusaders

    MONTHS of planning and preparation for one of the craziest fund-raising ventures the area has ever seen came to fruition when four beefy men climbed into a borrowed car. The plan was simple - drive from the top of Norway to Gibralta through 14 countries

  • Research saved thousands

    IWOULD like to comment on the extreme, and some would say irresponsible, views put forward by Sylvia Noble in her attack on animal research (Letters, August 9). To suggest that vaccinations have killed and injured millions is clearly nonsense. No-one

  • Georgian Legacy Festival proves a hit

    LANCASTER was packed to the rafters this weekend as the city held its most successful Georgian Legacy Festival yet. Visitors from all over the country joined locals in enjoying the many themed attractions and events staged over the Bank Holiday weekend

  • Psoraisis sufferer has benefit books taken away

    AN UNEMPLOYED man suffering from a crippling skin complaint has blasted the benefits agency for refusing to accept he is unfit for work. Donald Andrew Taylor, a 32-year-old, has suffered severe psoriasis for over five years, and claims the condition makes

  • The road to ruin

    COUNTRY lanes in Burnley and Pendle are being ruined by a big rise in the number of cars and lorries using them, says the Council for the Protection of Rural England. Three local roads - Long Causeway and Buch Clough Lane, Burnley, and Barley Road, Pendleside

  • School dinner firm to carry on cooking

    A COUNCIL has withdrawn its threat to take away a £2 million school meals contract from a controversial catering firm. Lancashire County Council had warned BET Catering Services to improve standards or risk losing the valuable contract. The council said

  • Let us light up your life

    EVER since television celebrity Ken Morley - Reg Holdsworth to you and me - threw the switch last month, the Happy Mount Park illuminations have been thrilling people of all ages. This year's lights and attractions are better than ever with the enchanting

  • £15 million hospital plan

    AFTER months of painstaking planning, the wraps have finally come off the £15 million blueprint for Burnley General Hospital's new look. Hospital bosses had to chose whether to build an extension from scratch or to make the most of what the existing buildings

  • The power to help

    WORKERS from Heysham's Nuclear Power Stations have gone charitytastic, taking on incredible tasks in the name of various good causes. For example, Alan Thornton who works at Heysham Two is swapping his shirt and tie for shorts and a t-shirt as he takes

  • Yucky ... but you'll live!

    YOUR tap water might look like you've just washed the dog in it, but don't be a drip and stay dry. If you drink it you'll definitely live to tell the tail ... and that's official! Now, in a bid to clean up its act, North West Water is taking action to

  • Cup victory for Lancaster

    LANCASTER squeezed a victory to win the Vaux Bitter Cup against league Champions St Annes on Sunday. Lancaster were put in to bat and reached 150-9 off their 40 allotted overs. Former Cambridge University player Gavin Moffat top scored with 32. Sean Bickerdike

  • Key to success

    Guiseley 1 Lancaster City 1 CITY sprung back from their first day horror show to earn a difficult point against much fancied Yorkshire side Guiseley on Bank Holiday Monday. But they left it late to register their first Unibond Premier League goal, John

  • Gray day for sad Shrimps

    Morecambe 0 Telford Utd 1 MORECAMBE'S form took a dramatic dip on Bank Holiday Monday as they were beaten at Christie Park by a workmanlike Telford Utd team. After a good start, nothing ran for the Shrimps in a game they were expected to win easily especially

  • Riding high for £14 million

    BLACKPOOL Pleasure Beach has revealed plans for a £14 million spending spree to coincide with its centenary celebrations. The money has been earmarked for the building of two exciting new rides at the country's top fun park and both have been specially

  • Get a look-in at party time

    WINDOW specialists Sureseal UK is holding a party to celebrate the grand opening of a new showroom and everyone is invited. On August 31, Radio Wave will be broadcasting live from the company's showroom on Blackpool Old Road from 10am to 1pm and there

  • Keeping it clean for visitors

    VOLUNTEERS are needed to help spruce up the canalside for next week's Leigh waterworld canal rally. Clean up campaigners say hundreds of visitors are likely to descend on the town between September 1-8 and they want to ensure that the stretch of canal

  • Resort bites back

    MAJOR tourism figures have criticised a TV show which they feel showed Blackpool in a bad light. Holiday Watch was broadcast during the bank holiday weekend (August 25), showing the resort warts and all, and now holiday chiefs have hit back to stand up

  • Ahead of their time

    STAR pupils at one of the Fylde's smallest schools are ahead of their time. Five students from St Annes College Grammar School have passed their English GCSEs TWO YEARS early. Year 9 pupils, 13-year-olds Louise Benoliel and Carla Rushton, both from St

  • Rubber firm in stretch for award

    A NEW process which has improved an engineering firm's performance has been put forward for an award. Silicone Engineering of Blackburn, which manufactures silicone rubber products, was looking to speed up the curing stage of its process of making rubber

  • Four is more for drama group

    THERE will be more drama from St Joseph's Players in the New Year. Instead of the traditional four-production formula, the Leigh company will add an extra play to their 1997 season. Mary Sutton, in her final year as chairman, announced the ambitious new

  • Ancient ritual is blooming at flower festival

    THE ancient Mediaeval ritual of well dressing returns to Tockholes this week to celebrate the village's first ever flower festival of life. The art was revived in the picturesque village during the late 1980s following an archaeological dig at Hollins

  • Video will ease scanner nerves

    CLAUSTROPHIC patients worried about undergoing a scan will soon have help available to them at the touch of a button. Thanks to Royal Preston Hospital's Senior Radiographer Jane Kilkenny, patients will be able to watch a video preparing them for the process

  • New era plans big lottery launch

    A STRING of events has been planned for the spectacular launch Accrington's New Era Centre lottery bid. The bid, to transform the centre into a large venue for public performances, Asian events, education and training, is being submitted to the Lottery

  • Mercy plan goes nationwide

    HEALTH bosses today welcomed plans to create a national intensive care bed bureau based on a pioneering system in the North West. The impressive regional bureau, which covers East Lancashire hospitals, has persuaded the Government to extend it nationwide

  • Wash-out spells Shield success for Longridge

    RAIN ruined almost all the games on Saturday, but brought joy to one club - Longridge. The three points they got in their washed-out game at Thornton Cleveleys means that they cannot now be caught and are champions of the Moore & Smalley Palace Shield

  • Cable route work warning

    JUST as the furore has died down after thousands of pavements were ripped apart , a new round of disruption is expected in Leigh and Atherton. Householders face two months of frustration and anger as a subsidiary of the Nation Grid, called Energis, starts

  • ROVERS: So far, so good for Graeme

    BLACKBURN Rovers' England defender Graeme Le Saux could be back in action by November. Le Saux is bang on schedule for a Premiership comeback and this week he stepped up his recovery at England's Bisham Abbey HQ after new England chief Glenn Hoddle invited

  • Initiative to develop soccer skills

    PLAYERS in the region are being urged to sign up for their local BT Football initiative. The nationwide scheme, designed for players with learning disabilities, is organising 13 regional leagues and events, including one covering the North West. Patron

  • Eddie gets fruity with PNE

    GREENGROCER Eddie Holmes once played football for Preston North End - now he's getting fruity with the club! Eddie, a lifelong PNE fan, started out by supplying the players with their half time fruit. Now he rates the club as one of his biggest customers

  • LETTER:Lessons to be learned

    REGARDING the tragic episode of David Kearney, who died after being mauled by Rottweilers (Citizen, August 15). While I have sympathy for the great loss and grief of the family, I am equally concerned about the distress caused to the dog owner and of

  • Climber survives Indian landslides

    A TEENAGER who survived a treacherous climb to conquer a 20,000ft Himalayan mountain narrowly escaped death on the bus home. Ben Swindlehurst, 18, from Preston, scaled the peak to virgin territory with a team of climbers. He caught a bus to Delhi, India

  • Victim's sister raises cash for killer disease

    A UNIVERSITY of Central Lancashire student whose sister tragically died from meningitis last year is to walk from Blackpool to Preston to raise funds to fight the killer disease. Catherine Riches, aged 21, will walk 18 miles of a coast to coast trek in

  • Showdown for big two

    IT'S championship showdown time in the Lancashire League with Rishton and East Lancashire coming face-to-face in a title decider on Sunday. And much could rely on the form of the South African professionals - Allan Donald and Billy Stelling - who have

  • LETTER:Goal-den praise

    IN the Citizen (August 22), I was surprised to see Fariha Qurashi with a football in her hand. I love her idea and I think that Lancashire should kick racism out of football. Very few people would have expressed their feelings as much as she did. It's

  • Hooked on success

    BLACKBURN foundry boss Danny McGuire and his Silstar Izaak Walton team-mate Alan Barnes, of Burnley, helped a crack Silstar UK team to second place in the John Smith's Bitter Team Angling Championship on the River Avon at Evesham. The team finished just

  • Thieves drop their loot

    THIEVES were spotted stealing a car stereo worth £100 from a car parked on a company car park in Ribbleton Lane, Preston. The two men dropped their booty as they were chased off by vigilant witnesses to the incident which happened on August 8, at around

  • Calling time on the drunks

    DRINKING in Preston's public places could be banned after a string of complaints about abusive and violent behaviour. Police were called to the Pot Fair on Preston Flag Market last week after complaints from traders about the behaviour of several people

  • Just the tonic!

    THE goal of achieving a single site district general hospital moves a step closer next week when a turf cutting ceremony will take place to celebrate a new £7.25 million development scheme . The development - Phase Four of an improvement strategy at Queen's

  • Action taken over speeding traffic

    SPEEDING cars have smashed through a Preston woman's garden wall eight times - yet councillors have only just decided to introduce traffic calming measures. Rita Collinge, who lives on Ronaldsway, feared for her safety after the last crash left her wall

  • Mum vows justice will be done

    THE funeral of murdered student Janet Murgatroyd is to take place next week - more than two months after she was killed. Preston Coroner Howard McCann gave Janet's family permission to go ahead with the funeral following an inquest into her death last

  • Mary finds TV's painted lady in her garden

    NATURE lover Mary Colburn of Clayton Brook enjoys nothing more than sitting in her conservatory watching the butterflies above. When she spotted the same species on the BBC's Country File on Sunday, she learned that her visitors fluttering about outside

  • Preston North End 0 Bristol Rovers 0

    A GLANCE at the scoreline suggests a miserable match, but it was wonderful entertainment for both sets of supporters and could have ended up 3-3. Preston brought in John Kay on the right side of the back four and David Moyes started the match alongside

  • Store pledge on terror

    THE NIGHTMARE abduction of a young mum and her 11-week-old baby daughter at the hands of a maniac - who threatened to infect the infant with AIDS - has sparked a security review by worried supermarket bosses. The kidnapper struck at Blackburn's Grimshaw

  • FIVE YEARS AGO: Garage hold-up

    A MASKED gunman escaped with £120 after raiding a petrol station in Burnley. A police search team was called in and house-to-house inquiries were today underway following the robbery at the Parkhill Petropoint, in Padiham Road. The robber, armed with

  • TEN YEARS AGO: Hopes fade for hospital

    HOPES of saving Hartley Hospital were fading despite a poster campaign to keep it open. Nearly every window on Colne's main street contained a notice as regional health chairman Sir John Page travelled through town to visit Hartley. But after talks with

  • MP backs old folk

    MP Gordon Prentice says old folk have a right to security and independence in later life - he was speaking during a visit to residents of St Clements Court in Barrowford. The MP also gave his backing to Anchor Trust's 'Manifesto for Older People' which

  • Snapping at leaders' heels

    EARBY and Read lookout - Great Harwood are still gunning for that title! The Cliffe Park side's push for Ribblesdale League honours have been overshadowed by the exploits of the two sides from across the county. But crocked skipper Geoff Allen sent a

  • CRICKET: Lancashire call on Hemmings

    MIKE Watkinson has called in former England off spinner Eddie Hemmings to help solve Lancashire's spinning problems. Both Watkinson and Gary Keedy have struggled for wickets and control this season, sharing a total of 41 wickets compared to 84 last year

  • Bailey cream in Leigh thriller

    LEIGH scored a thrilling six-wicket win against Sefton. On a good batting wicket Graham Duddle had the only success with the ball, taking 2-72 as Sefton totalled an impressive 194-2. Leigh replied in style with opener Steve Bailey scoring an amazing 72

  • Seeing sense

    TALKING at last...the leaders of breakaway Blackburn and Blackpool finally get round the table with County Council chief Louise Ellman to discuss the implementation of the local government shake-up in Lancashire which is giving the two districts full

  • Super Mike Locks 'em out!

    MIKE WARBURTON swooped for a try and snapped up two drop goals as Leigh Miners put a lock on Lock Lane. The rugged Castleford outfit never stopped battling. But Miners held strong in a gritty Yorkshire recovery to win 18-10. Warby, working well with half-back

  • Whiston CJD death is confirmed

    ST HELENS and Knowsley Health have confirmed that a Whiston man has died from Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease - often referred to as the human form of 'Mad Cow Disease.' Brian Davies died in Whiston Hospital on Wednesday, August 14. The 47-year-old father-of-four

  • Wandering pensioner is back safe

    A PENSIONER found wandering along the A6 near Chorley in the early hours of Saturday, August 17, is back home following an article in the Star. Sixty-five-year-old William Woods told Chorley police that he came from an address in Prescot Road, St Helens

  • Horse sense nets £6,000

    AFTER five out of six horses romped home as winners lucky punter Stephen Wade calculated he had turned his £11.45 bet into about £800. So he could not believe his ears when he was told by officials at Bradlows Racing, Rishton, that he had scooped more

  • Dawn and Diplomat drink to success

    DAWN HARTLEY was happy to hand the praise for Hickstead success to her horse. And Diplomat 11 duly licked his lips - and lapped up his pint of mild ale! "He usually has a Guinness but we'd run out," smiled Dawn. Success came in the prestigious Hickstead

  • Water 'con' warning from police

    POLICE are urging members of the public to beware of conmen posing as water board officials following a circular which has been issued to every home by North West Water. The leaflet describes how re-zoning of water will be taking place on September 23

  • Stanley boss sacked

    STAN Allan has sensationally been sacked as manager of Accrington Stanley only two games into the season. The Crown Ground boss was told there was a communication problem with players and that his position at the club was no longer tenable. A board meeting

  • Final match resembled a wake

    THE end of a season that promised so much has left Leigh with more questions than answers. How different it all should have been on Sunday. The match that many predicted would be a celebration of Leigh's promotion was more akin to a wake. Just 821 hardy

  • Reward for stolen rottweiler Bess

    A DOG-lover is offering a reward for any information leading to the return of his family's stolen pet Rottweiler, which was taken from a farm in Sutton Manor between 9.30pm on Wednesay, August 21, and 7.30am on August 22. Owner Alan Healy of Longview

  • Ollie's echoes ring down the centuries

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THE ghost of Oliver Cromwell still looms large over the Thatto Heath scene. A verbal battle has raged over whether the commander of the Roundheads paid a call on that 'Donkey Common' district during his Civil War skirmishes. And now

  • Rolls profit snag

    ROLLS-Royce today announced a jump in operating profits to £96 million. But the costs of the firm's decision to pull out of large steam power generation wiped out the gains and left it with £169 million losses in the six months to June 30. The firm, which

  • Lottery cash bid for park

    ST HELENS Council is putting together a £1 million bid for National Lottery money to restore Taylor Park to its former glory. Plans include new cafe facilities, a sun terrace, a larger variety of water-based sports on the boating lake and an urban outdoor

  • Council leader's red tape fury

    A STAGGERING 2,000 jobs are 'trapped' in the pipeline for another year until the Government's final ruling, for or against, the Ravenhead Retail Park is made public next year. St Helens Council has given consent for the retail park, which would create

  • Just blooming laugh at us now!

    A VILLAGE has shed its industrial image to win three awards in a North West environmental competition. And the Parish Council of Hapton claims the win has stifled the laughter of other competitors who mocked members for entering the North West in Bloom

  • Getting away with Purdah? I think not

    IF the letters column of the Citizen can be taken as a reliable barometer, it would appear a right old storm is brewing over alleged Moslem censorship of a billboard advertisement in the Audley area of Blackburn. The giant poster, part of an effervescent

  • Molly's tribute

    PIONEERING education organiser Molly Hudson will long be remembered for her ground-breaking work. The former Marsland Green School head teacher, who died last February on the eve of her 80th birthday, was the country's first adult education centre head

  • Butty battle rages!

    WHETHER it's plain cheese and tomato, an old-fashioned jam or an exotic chicken tikka masala, most working folk munch on a sandwich at lunchtime. And whether you make up your own sarnies every morning or nip out to your local bakery during your lunch

  • Still time to exchange visitors

    WESTLEIGH High School is celebrating a 20 year partnership with friends from the Realschule Ludinghausen in Germany. On September 17 a party of 28 pupils will arrive for a 10 night stay with host families in Westleigh - and volunteers who have perhaps

  • Firm has got the X-factor

    BURNLEY-based Xavier Engineering is among the top newly established busineses in the North West, say the judges at the Princes Youth Business Trust. The panel voted to give the company second place in the regional finals of the Trust's business rewards

  • John's mystery bomber

    JOHN Coates and his family were plane amazed when a wrecked plane was pulled from the sea during their holiday in Crete. The World War Two Blenheim bomber, thought to have crashed into the water in 1942, was hauled out on to the beach near where the Burnley

  • On show for Royalty

    WHEN the Royal family unwrap their Christmas presents around the tree at Sandringham there is just a possibility that some of the special gifts will come from this area. Prince Charles has been known to do a spot of early festive shopping at the Prince's

  • 'Think again' pleads MP

    BURNLEY'S MP has advised parents who refuse to send their children to Edge End High School to have a rethink. Peter Pike was speaking after an education minister said that the government would not intervene in the Burnley high-school places crisis. And

  • 'Clarets can bounce back' says Kurt

    BURNLEY go into the Lions Den on Saturday with hitman Kurt Nogan vowing the Clarets can bounce back from Tuesday's shock 3-1 home defeat against Shrewsbury. The Welsh wizard - who had hit three goals in three games before the Shrews visit - says it is

  • Resort's attack on crime

    A PACKAGE of measures to combat crime in Morecambe are set to be in place during the next few weeks. £70,000 worth of Closed Circuit Television cameras are expected to be installed near Morrisons and the Superbowl as well as in the Arndale Centre and

  • Nine screen cinema for Burnley

    PLANS for a £6 million multiplex cinema on the edge of Burnley town centre have been unveiled by Apollo Leisure Group. Around 80 jobs will be created by the scheme to build a state-of-the-art, nine-screen, 1,800-seat complex on the site of Do It All on

  • Council heads for meadow mayhem

    CAMPAIGNERS for Central Park in Morecambe are at loggerheads with councillors over a bid to hold emergency summit talks to halt the controversial sale of Altham Road Meadow. About 11 councillors have rallied together amid calls for a special council meeting

  • Deal is struck with Stagecoach

    THE new face of public transport in Burnley and Pendle is now in the control of six men. Months of negotiations between Burnley Council and the Stagecoach bus company have ended with new rules governing the company. But Burnley has once again ruled out

  • CLARETS: Heath sets sights on First Division striker

    WHEELER-DEALER Adrian Heath was locked in talks with a First Division club today as he bids to bolster the Clarets front-line attack. The Turf Moor chief is keen to have at least one fresh face in his line-up in time for Saturday's mighty Division Two

  • All change for Colin!

    Businessman's splashing idea to help appeal! WHEN people throw money into the water at Morecambe's Never Never Land attraction this summer they'll be helping make a wish come true. It's not a superstition or a gimmick, all the money dredged out of the

  • Musical invasion

    THOUSANDS of people are expected to invade Fleetwood at the weekend for the Fylde Folk Festival (August 30 - September 1). The spectacular event, in its 24th year, is now the second biggest of its kind in the country and this year boasts more than 130