HERE comes the bride - not 40 inches wide - but in the cab of a 38-tonne truck instead! When long-distance lorry driver Barry Scott and Joanne Gilham, of St Annes, decided to get wed, they wanted to make their special day that little bit different. So
A PLAY to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Laurel and Hardy's first performance together is to be staged at Blackburn Technical College Theatre next Wednesday. Performed by Blackpool-based Tivoli Productions, Steve King plays the role of Oliver Hardy
A 44-year-old woman was knocked to the ground after a thief snatched her handbag and fled at Westgate Caravan Park on Tuesday afternoon. The thief grabbed the bag, which contained £60 and prescribed drugs, but the woman fought back and fell over in the
HAYDOCK produced a fine display at Croston to keep up their title challenge in their first season in the Southport League. It was another great day for Aussie import Adrian Barr who smashed the Croston attack to all parts of the ground for a magnificent
A TYLDESLEY couple are stretching their legs for Chernobyl over the next couple of weeks - walking 100 miles through Scotland and climbing Ben Nevis. And they are taking their four-year-old son, seven-year-old nephew - and a dog! The walk is the brainchild
A FOOTBALL club aimed at keeping Lancashire youngsters off the streets and out of trouble is starting the new season in style - by signing up Blackburn Rovers' player Colin Hendry as their president. Lancon Juniors, run from the Lancashire Constabulary
CARL Fogarty climbed off is sick bed to pick up two vital second places as he saw his lead at the top of the World Superbike Championship slashed to four points. The double world champion, suffering from a mystery virus, battled on to twice finish behind
YOU could say it was an unusual step to move away from the traditional variety show usually associated with a long-running summer season in Blackpool. But whoever made the decision to bring Spirit of the Dance to the Grand Theatre deserves a pat on the
LOCAL aircraft workers are celebrating after the future of the Eurofighter project was secured. Germany's commitment to the four nation £40 billion project means job security at BAe's Warton and Samlesbury plants - and could lead to extra jobs. And although
CITIZEN readers could help solve a family mystery which spans across the Atlantic. The photograph above was taken in Darwen and dates back to about 1956. It shows the distant relatives of American woman Charlene Roy, from Massachusetts, who contacted
FORMER mill worker and barmaid Martha Hatton of Atherton celebrated her 95th birthday in style on Wednesday - by going for a quick dip! For Martha, who once worked in the spinning mills of the town before joining the staff at the old Queen's Arms in Atherton
BROOKFIELD residents joined forces for a summer fun day to raise community spirits. The fete was organised by Brookfield Action in the Community, Preston which wants to unite the estate's residents and provide a weekly programme of events in a central
LEIGH Festival and Canal Rally is going from strength to strength! The local Business Partnership has just welcomed more sponsors for the September event. Waterfields bakers and Asda have joined the growing list of local businesses to support the festival
AN INFORMATION centre to explain plans for the Stoneyholme and Daneshouse areas to residents will be officially opened tomorrow (Friday). Daneshouse and Stoneyholme Area Renewal Information centre at 51 Daneshouse Road will have details of improvements
ACCRINGTON need one more Lancashire League win to equal last season's haul of five victories with nine games still to go. Despite the problems of losing professional Nathan Astle and using a host of sub pros before Peter Sleep stepped in, the club are
WESLEY Guild residents are being urged to be vigilant to make sure trees in the area are not cut down or pruned. The appeal comes from Wesley Guild Preservation Group which is continuing its three-year campaign to have the former green site made an official
YOUNG skaters who have been raising funds for their own rollerblade hockey rink netted third prize in a regional contest. The Lea Ducks have to play in the streets of the Ashton estate, Preston and have been campaigning for a purpose-built rink on a nearby
CHRIS SUTTON today poured cold water on continuing speculation that he is about to pack his bags and head elsewhere, writes PETER WHITE. Liverpool and other clubs, including Newcastle and Bolton, have been linked with Blackburn Rovers' £5 million striker
RESIDENTS living near a local prison are continuing to form a 'human barricade' in a bid to stop speeding traffic using an access road. After waiting for 18 months for council and prison action, they took to the streets in a peaceful protest claiming
SUPER transplant athlete Malvern Dyer is all set to jet out to Australia to go for a hat-trick of gold medals. At the end of September sporty Malvern, who lives with his wife and 18-year-old daughter in Fulwood, Preston, will take part in the international
CLASSIC car and bike enthusiasts from all over the country will be rolling into Lancashire this weekend for the county's biggest classic motor show. The 6th Lancashire Classic Event, incorporating Bike and Rider Day and Northern Rover Day, will be held
AN armistice has been reached in Tyldesley's 'battle of Mort Lane' between Best Friends Nursery and Wainhomes. A compromise deal has been struck after it was revealed that Best Friends Nursery, owned by Vince and Carol Reilly, had been given its marching
THE Superscan Appeal has reached the magic halfway mark. More than £500,000 has now been raised towards the scanner - and appeal organisers hope to hit £600,000 soon. The chairman of the appeal, Mike Trickett, said: "It is a great deal of money. I would
THE search is on for relatives of two influential figures in the history of the University of Central Lancashire. As part of the centenary celebrations for the opening of the Harris Building on Corporation Street, Preston, University researchers are hoping
AMATEUR David Brookes and club professional Michael Hadfield from Fishwick Hall Golf Club will be bidding for glory and a place in the sun in the North West regional final the Lombard Top Club Trophy on August 1 at Hesketh Golf Club. David Brookes, the
A CLUB owner is preparing to call time on Accrington nightlife after council chiefs turned down an application for an entertainments licence extension. Anne Miller, who opened Afrika's nightclub in 1981, says she will now sell up or shut down the club
AGRICULTURE meets Ascot as the cream of the county's crop prepare to converge on Chorley's Astley Park. Next weekend the best in agriculture, horticulture and crafts will be looking to the skies and praying for sunshine at the Royal Lancashire Show gets
WHAT with the holiday season upon us, I've discovered the latest sunbathing craze. It's the designer thong which can cost you about £90. (You can of course make your own from an old hankie and some string and then get a felt tip and put some fancy foreign
SHOCKED council officials on the Fylde are to investigate after a wad of unused ballot papers were discovered - in Preston! Hundreds of voting slips from the General Election were blowing in the wind on a car-park close to St James Church in Avenham.
A DISABLED man has not had a bath in four months because he cannot get upstairs to the bathroom. Wheelchair-bound Paul Sanderson, who has cerebral palsy, has to be stripped and washed down daily by his disabled mother in the kitchen. He also has to use
IT'S your last chance to join the fight for a slice of the £4,000 bounty up for grabs in the Citizen/Crown Paints Community Awards. Since this year's scheme was launched back on June 13, there has been an unprecedented amount of interest from Blackburn
I WOULD like to comment on a Terry Wynn article printed in The Journal - which I found to say the least a little bit disconcerting. First of all two-thirds of the first column were devoted to self-congratulations of New Labour. You're in now Mr. Wynn,
KIND-hearted runner Mick Hadfield will be running for his girlfriend's life on August 31. He'll be taking part in the three peaks challenge to raise money for the kidney dialysis unit she depends on. Mick, of Greenhill, Great Harwood, is attempting the
A BLACKBURN businessman is warning others to be wary of a company who claimed to help him bid for Euro cash. He contacted the Citizen after Manchester-based advisers Tyler Barratt and Co said they could help him claim £50,000 in European grants for a
REMEMBER the days when cotton was king and thousands of workers flocked to the steamy mills to earn their daily crust? That's when textiles was the leading trade and 'England's bread hung on Lancashire's thread' as the old saying goes. One former mill
ARCHITECT drawings have revealed how Blackburn's run down Pavilions could be transformed into exciting retail outlets. As part of on on-going drive to find a buyer for the listed buildings, Manchester-based property agents Grimley, and architects Campbell
HAVE you given in to temptation? Is resisting temptation a constant struggle in your life? Have you found a way to control your urges? What's the key to your willpower - if you've got it? Or, maybe, you spend your life trying to tempt others? The producers
A RAMSBOTTOM couple have given up a free dream holiday - because they can't afford it! Mr Raymond Scott and Mrs Anita Whittaker learned at Christmas they were the lucky winners of a free holiday in a competition run by local radio station Tower FM. But
GREG Pope has joined the fight to have the railings of a busy motorway bridge made higher before a child is seriously injured or killed. Children have been using the bridge which spans a stretch of the new M65 motorway extension as a 'climbing frame'
PRESTON have still to register their first win of the season after losing again on Saturday (July 12). They were easily beaten by current league champions St Annes at Vernon Road by seven wickets. This was St Annes' first victory of the season. For the
A FURTHER £12 million is to be pumped into the East Lancashire Paper Mill. The multi-million pound investment represents a massive boost for the town, but some Radcliffe residents are not celebrating. They claim that noise, pollution, and increased traffic
BURY'S First Citizen has paid tribute to former mayor Bernard Forkin who died on Sunday at the age of 66. Mayor of Bury Coun Roy Walker was glowing in praise of Mr Forkin who served the council for a quarter of a century. Coun Walker represents Church
A DISC-JOCKEY today revealed how he was looking forward to providing musical entertainment - on a motorway. Chris Knagg and his AC Roadshow crew have given up their day of rest to appear at the Motorway Superwalk '97 on Sunday August 31. The event will
A BRAVE mother whose son died from an overdose of the heroin substitute methadone says he would be alive today if addicts had not abused the system. Niamh Astles-Noone, a Lancashire Constabulary solicitor who lives at Langho, lost her 16-year-old son
IT has a delicious aroma of stonefruit, melon and toasty oak. According to the label, its concentrated fruit flavours come from fermentation and ageing in French oak barrels. It's a delicious white wine from the Chardonnay grape. And it comes from Rossendale
HOLIDAY gloom hit Haslingden with the shock news that 125 jobs would go at Holden Vale Manufacturing Company when it closed the following November. Workers were stunned at news of the closure of the American-owned factory on Holcombe Road, which had provided
BURY'S hospitals put in another five-star performance in new government league tables. The Bury Health Care NHS Trust scored 25 of the top ratings out of a possible 40. Grades are given to monitor hospitals' performance against Patients' Charter Standards
FORMER Preston North End star Greg Challender is Tony Greenwood's latest recruit at Accrington Stanley. And the Crown Ground boss declared there are more on the way as he strengthens his squad ahead of the UniBond Premier League campaign. "I have a few
IN A WEEK when Lancashire's coroners graphically spelled out the toll of death and misery caused by the country's biggest social evil, drug abuse, Home Secretary Jack Straw's pledge in response is encouraging. For he detailed his determination - and that
PENDLE Liberal Democrats say they will not fight the council by-election in Marsden because they cannot mount a campaign strong enough to win it. They blame Labour for calling the election at the beginning of August, a time when many Liberal activists
A NATIONAL report has confirmed fears that schools across Lancashire are falling into ruin because of lack of funding. The shock report claims 200 Victorian-built primary schools are crumbling and £75 million is needed to fund the repair bill. According
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD ANYONE remember a 'nil-octane' brew known as Sheffield Porter? That's the intriguing memory-tweaker set by Ged Ashall (67) of Cherry Tree Lane, Moss Bank. He recalls that, as a lad, he used to pop-up to a temperance bar at Park Road
ATHERTON finally hit the top of the Bolton Association thanks to a last-ditch batting assault from tail-enders Ian Nuttall and Steve Dixon. Victory looked a forlorn hope for a side which had spurned chance after chance of going into pole position. But
LEIGH head into the final weekend of the league season on a wing and a prayer. They are battering at the promotion door, keeping in touch with Rochdale and Hunslet with a hard-earned 21-16 win at York. But, with an inferior points record, they need a
THE search for a former Eccleston man who went missing from a Southport nursing home three weeks ago is being stepped up, thanks to a unique campaign. As part of an initiative devised by the National Missing Persons Helpline in conjunction with superstore
STEVE CAMERON is the new boss at Manchester League Division One outfit Pennington FC. He follows hot on the heels of Mattie Waldrop, who sensationally quit to move to Daisy Hill. One time Walkers AFC boss Cameron was reserve team manager at Atherton Colls
A COUNCIL tenant says joyriders and illegal tippers using a nearby field are making her life a misery. Karen Davies, who lives in Colne Drive, Sutton, part of the New Street estate, claims youths regularly use nearby open land as an unofficial race track
THE parents of brave little cancer sufferer Jade Case are full of admiration for their blue-eyed blonde. For the four-year-old has demonstrated a will to live and understanding beyond her years since she was diagnosed as having neuroblastoma (stomach
NEIL FAIRBROTHER today reflected on his first century of the season - and labelled John Crawley "the best batsman in England". Fairbrother made up for his near-miss in Lancashire's last championship game against Middlesex at Uxbridge, when he scored 97
I WAS most interested by your feature (LET, July 9) on 'The Marjorie' at Whalley. My great aunt lived there for some years - certainly throughout my childhood and until my late teens. Her husband farmed the land there. After he died, she moved to Billington
FEAR of burglary was the biggest crime worry for residents in the central areas of Burnley, according to a council survey. More than 80 per cent of those asked were either fairly or very worried about being burgled and those who were most concerned called
ON the spur of the moment some friends of mine visited Wales last weekend, and spent Saturday night in a village pub with a Geordie country-singing duo providing the entertainment. Imagine their surprise when the pair stopped the proceedings and said:
A HEADTEACHER from Prestwich is being helped to come to terms with the Bolton school coach tragedy. Mr David Bowes is the head of St James CE Secondary Modern School in Farnworth. Three of the school's pupils were killed when a coach plunged down a ravine
WE'VE a real treat in store for crown green fans. For Star Masters finals night, this Saturday (July 19) has thrown up some cracking matches. With a vast array of talent in action, home grown stars take on tough opposition from out of town. And there's
SO Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are said to be in danger of losing their home as they can't keep their spending under control. They have a £2.3 million overdraft and interest repayments of £40,250 a month to Royal bankers Coutts, who should have
RAINFORD committed cricketing suicide when they allowed bottom-of-the-table Aughton their first victory of the season on Saturday. Batting first, Aughton rattled up 180-6 despite the tireless efforts of a variety of bowlers. Schofield bowled fast and
A BIRD enthusiast from Whalley is part of a crack wildlife team manning a 24-hour vigil on four fledgling hen harriers in Derbyshire moorland. Bird 'minder' Simon Travis, 28, of Sydney Avenue, is part of a three-man team giving the chicks round-the-clock
A SUMMIT meeting to get hundreds of local young people back into jobs is being held in Bury. The borough's two MPs, David Chaytor and Ivan Lewis , want to make sure Bury is among the first to implement Labour's Welfare to Work scheme once money becomes
NURSE Julie Stokes is leaving the subdued atmosphere of Fairfield's special care baby unit for one rather less peaceful. For the staff nurse from Watling Street, Bury, is one of only 16 women contestants to be chosen out of 23,000 applicants for the TV
PUB landlords are warning colleagues in other areas to beware of a salesman offering "too-good-to be-true" satellite TV deals. A spokesman for Tyldesley Pub Watch scheme said a man has been offering equipment which he claims is capable of receiving live
BURY police are hunting a Fagin's gang of mini-muggers led by a four-foot tall ringleader. The gang, who took orders from a nine-year-old "boss", mugged the same teenager twice in broad daylight outside Castle Leisure Centre. Now police are warning people
VETERAN campaigner Eunice Gray is appealing for local people to use the newly installed zebra crossing at Twist Lane, Leigh. Eunice, who lives on Twist Lane, fought to have the crossing installed before work started on changing the congested crossroads
FURIOUS Atherton residents are demanding the removal of 40 gypsy caravans which illegally parked on land belonging to Lodge Farm on Monday night. And they've collected £220 to pay for a court injunction to order them out. The gypsies, unable to get onto
A LEIGH pastor is appealing for young people in Leigh to find a group of yobs who stole expensive musical instruments belonging to a group of visiting American musicians. The visitors - a choir and orchestra all aged between 16 and 20 - had visited Kings
THE National Performance Tables for hospital trusts and community NHS Trusts have been released. St Helens and Knowsley Community NHS Trust gained 5-star rankings in three categories out of a possible four, while St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD DO any Parr greybeards remember Jimmy Hall the blacksmith? If so, a descendant who is attempting to build-up his family history would be grateful for any details (apparently a rather shy student of family-tree matters, he asks me
AN influx of premiership-quality players to Burnley began this week as new boss Chris Waddle displayed his pulling power in the transfer market. Leeds United midfielder Mark Ford signed for £275,000 after ex-England goalkeeper Chris Woods and Michael
With regard to your article on the poor state of All Souls Cemetery in Wheatley Lane. I was sorry to read your story as I have something of an interest in it due to the fact that my father was buried there seven years ago. I am unable to visit it regularly
BURNLEY council is advertising for a town centre manager to help the main shopping area compete with other towns. The Challenge Fund for urban regeneration will pay a salary of £24,000 to £30,000 for a 'high-flyer with a proven track record to act as
LANCASTER City manager Gordon Raynor is looking forward to seeing his new signings in action as the pre-season friendlies kick off this week. New boys Charlie Boyd, Gary Worthington and Ian Dring are settling into the squad and Raynor is tinkering with
REPRESENTATIVES from Huncoat Forum and Baxenden Community Forum are off to Nottingham on Saturday to view a community centre. But this is no ordinary centre. It is the first of many in a nationwide project which brings local people, architects and council
CHILDREN at Townhouse School, Nelson, are sharing a piece of good fortune to help other disabled people. The school was picked out by the Transco gas company in recognition for its links with the community and offered £1,000 to help pay for a project.
RYELANDS shopkeeper Mal Hussain lost his battle against the council at the High Court in London this week. His claim for compensation from the council for its alleged failure to take steps to control nuisance, harassment, vandalism and acts of violence
COLNE scored two wins out of two at the weekend in the EW Cartons Lancashire League. Ben Johnson starred with 105 to open their innings against Church, who fell 80 short of Colne's 210-5. Against Haslingden he made 74 as they reached their reduced target
A YOUNGSTER who was attacked with a knife as he played in the playground of his trouble-plagued school has spoken about his ordeal. Nathan MacNeal of Tarbert Crescent, Blackburn, was assaulted as he played with friends at Shadsworth Junior School, Blackburn
THE 'virtual job centre' could be the answer to school-leavers' worries about finding work. Teachers from Burnley and Pendle are reporting great success in a new scheme to use the latest technology to match teenagers with vacancies. Pupils are finding
HUNDREDS of patients in Burnley and Pendle are missing out on vital operations because of cheats who evade prescription charges for medicine. Prescription fraud costs East Lancashire Health Authority £1 million a year - enough to pay for 65 kidney transplants
"I'm mad, you're mad, we're all mad!" says the Cheshire Cat and after watching the Duke's superb production of Alice in Wonderland there's no doubting that Lewis Carroll must have been absolutely bonkers. For the first ten minutes of the latest promenade
MORE than £16,000 of public cash has gone down the drain following the council's failure to fix a leaking shower. A judge has rapped the local authority for wasting public funds in a county court battle against a tenant on the Newton estate. And, after
MUM-of-two Beverly Calvert has been appointed marketing manager at accountants PM&M. Beverly has previously held marketing support and administration posts in the area, including a spell at Blackburn College. Previous news story Converted for the
Breaking point . . . Shakers stars Lenny Johnrose (left) and Andy Woodward take a well-earned breather during last Monday's opening training session of the new season. Temperatures soaring well into the 70s at Goshen ensured that any excess poundage put
COUNCILLORS have voiced their intention to ban the controversial movie Crash from local cinema screens. But the licensing group must first view the 'sexual fetish' film at an exclusive preview before making a final decision. At a meeting last week, the
IF the people can't get to the shops, the shops will come to the people. That's the philosophy of a new scheme set up in two Bispham day centres which is inviting traders to sell their wares on the premises. From Monday (July 21), local residents will
FORMER England international Andy Gray has signed for Bury on a free transfer. He has joined the Shakers from Falkirk on a one-year contract after helping them to last season's Scottish Cup final. Gray's capture is a coup for boss Stan Ternent who made
Last week Cllr Stanley Henig was reported as saying that when the public don't trust their council leader there is only one solution. He added that he didn't think he was in such a position... well having heard and read the vast number of complaints about
A SWOOP down from Blackpool Tower in the arms of a marine left Angela Latham sky high. For the brave leukaemia sufferer, of Bathurst Avenue, Blackpool, was helping to raise thousands of pounds for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust. Angela, 35, joined
DRAMATIC last ball exploits brought mixed emotions for two local cricket teams. Stand's players were celebrating in front of their own supporters when a catch close to the boundary rope brought them a thrilling win in the Central Lancashire League. But
PORTICO Panthers won the annual Haresfinch seven-a-side competition beating Blackbrook 16-8 in a close-fought final. Earlier, the Panthers had beaten the host club in the semi-final after a preliminary section win over Brook and a drawn game against Bold
ONE of the Fylde's biggest taxi firms has launched a fight for survival and for people's freedom of choice. Whiteside Taxis is trying to reverse a council decision which means that, in future, passengers would only be able to ride in a London-style black
THE Radio I Roadshow descends on Morecambe this Tuesday with pop band North and South heading the line up. North and South will be performing their hit I'm a Man not a Boy along with up and coming Bradford band Monorail who appeared on the midweek Lottery
A NETBALL squad have thrown down the gauntlet: "Play us if you dare." The challenge comes from staff at Queens Park Leisure Centre, who recently took part in a "mixed netball" competition involving nine other teams from across the North West. The team
JEWELLER Roy Perrett knows he works for a gem of a firm! He manages Prestons shop in Bradshawgate, Leigh, and the company was presented with the Independent Retailer of the Year Award at a glittering ceremony in London. The honour came at the annual UK
A BLACKPOOL nurse was killed and her friends injured when their car was crushed under a lamp post on their way home from a workmate's wedding. Staff nurse Deborah Hencher, 22, of Mansfield Road, Blackpool, died from multiple injuries after being thrown
My heart goes out to Carol Ellson and her family, who were left in the lurch by an immature, irresponsible man. Neil Ellson used his home computer to have chats with a Texan woman over the Internet. Like a little boy playing with his Nintendo, the seriousness
THERE is no doubt that the vast majority of people in Britain now have a higher standard of living. People have more choice of food and consumer goods, better health care, are better educated and more informed by the media, travel more and have greater
COWLEY clinched the Merseyside Schools Senior Cup with two stirring performances at the county ground, Aigburth. In the semi-final they defeated St Margaret's HS, Aigburth. The suffered the early loss of opener Ian Orford but valuable contributions from
THE song "California Here I Come!" is likely to be sung by teacher Helen Murphy next month, when she joins a team of scientific researchers for a two-week trip to America's West Coast. For Helen, 36, a geography teacher at St Mary's High School, Astley
POOR batting cost Rainhill victory when they faced Welsh opposition for the second week running in the shape of Prestatyn. A depleted Rainhill team elected to bat first and the low bounce saw them stutter to 7-2. However, worse was to follow as they stumbled
The settlement reached between sacked lecturer Pat Walsh and Accrington and Rossendale College raises serious questions. Is it acceptable that a publicly-funded college is run by a principal who is not prepared to submit his actions to public scrutiny
HOME SECRETARY Jack Straw today promised a combination of national and local measures to drive down Lancashire's sky-high rate of drug-related crime - the worst in the country. He told the Evening Telegraph that he had been in discussions with local police
SOUTH Ribble's singing mayor teams up with fellow councillors when they stage a concert to raise cash for charity. Mayor Councillor Brenda Wilson and Councillors David and Carol Wooldridge are putting on the concert and takings will go to the Citizen
SCHOOLGIRL Amy Bunting, has been short-listed for supermodel stardom. Amy, 16, who has just taken her GCSE exams at Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School, has been selected from thousands of hopefuls as a regional finalist in the UK's biggest model search
CRIME-FIGHTERS are heralding their success in crime being reduced on a Leigh estate. And next week they want to encourage other worried local residents to tackle crime on the streets where they live. Westleigh Community Safety Group have arranged a safety
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a bouncer was viciously stabbed as he walked to meet girlfriend. Anthony Peters, a doorman at Squires nightclub in Preston, was off work but was on his way to the club when the gang struck at around 1.15am last
PROUD musicians from the Darwen District Scout and Guide Band have scooped top awards in their first competition - and celebrated with a barbecue! Members of the band lived up to the challenge to come runners-up in the Manchester Counties Scout Band Championships
FIREFIGHTERS throughout Greater Manchester are threatening strike action after they failed to halt planned cuts. Crews lobbied a meeting of the county's Fire Authority at Swinton in protest at sweeping changes planned for the service which they claim
THEY may go down as the countries finest middle-of-the-road band but The Beautiful South continually prove they are in the fast lane when it comes to performing live. Headlining the North meets South all-dayer at Huddersfield's space-age McAlpine Stadium
PRESTON Borough Council and Preston District Council have officially gone green and been selected for a national environmental award. The Green Apple Award is given to local authorities who demonstrate an active support of environmental issues. The awards
A WATERING can which held treasured memories of a mother's love has been stolen by heartless thieves just days after her death. Now, distraught daughter Pam Allott is appealing for the person who took the garden ornament - painted by her mother four years
THANK you for printing my letter (Journal Mailbox June 26). Contact with Mr Roy Chadwick was established and he is visiting me in Norwich next week. Letters were received from other people offering to assist or tell me about the changing face of Leigh
RESIDENTS are preparing to go to war with cable giants Nynex to keep the peace on their streets. Home owners in the Anglia Drive area of Oswaldtwistle are opposed to the company laying cables they do not want - and fear their children's safety could be
A DARWEN couple are in training for a trip Down Under to compete in the world's most gruelling sport. For Cheryl and Paul Cook have qualified to represent Great Britain in the World Triathlon Championships in Perth, Australia, later this year. But while
ASTHMATIC children living close to the site of a planned asphalt plant could suffer worsening medical problems if the plans go ahead residents fear. Thousands of homeowners living in the Brownedge Road area of Bamber Bridge, Preston are concerned about
WITH regards the article in The Journal on June 26 'Bloomin Blow'. I have recently returned from a holiday in the Black Forest region of Germany - my seventh visit in fact, where vandalism such as we experience in Leigh is practically unknown. What sheer
A DRIVING school forced to shut up shop by mindless vandals is fighting back. Tutors with the Blackburn Area Road Safety Association fled their purpose-built Ewood base when wreckers destroyed the facilities in late-night sprees. Although the group ceased
A STUDENT who appeared on BBC's Driving School has revealed her love for one of the programme's learner drivers was a sham. Fed-up Gillian Leech, from Leyland, near Preston, had to pretend to be head over heels with her ex, even though she had given him
BURY'S Broad Oak High School has played its part in an award-winning teacher training scheme. The Open University initial teacher training programme received the award, the Queen's Academic Prize, from Her Majesty earlier this year. The scheme was launched
FOLLOW the seashells and starfish to the second floor of the Harris Museum, Preston for a fun new exhibition. Waverock is well worth the hike, for it features a feast of seaside amusement machines from the turn of the century. You are encouraged to look
THE owner of a top hotel, fined £24,000 for breaking food safety regulations, claimed this week he had "the cleanest kitchens in Bury." The fine was imposed by Bury magistrates after the Bolholt in Walshaw Road was taken to court by Bury Council after
I REFER to the letter from Mr Lowe of Hindley Green (Journal Mailbox, June 27 1997). The basis of the letter was to accuse Wigan MBC Environmental Health Department of doing nothing in response to noise complaints relating to Hindley Green Industrial
THE parents of a depressed man who has been missing for five weeks fear he could have committed suicide following a sinister telephone message. John Michael Fewery, aged 49, was in a very depressed state when he wandered off from his Holme Slack home
SLURRY which killed thousands of fish in Hyndburn Brook has been traced back to its source by the Environment Agency, - who are now set to prosecute the people responsible. The agency's press officer Steve Broughton told the Citizen: "We have found the
CHERRY Tree go into their top-of-the-table clash at Clitheroe on Saturday (July 19) looking to chop down their closest rivals and open a clearing at the peak of the Ribblesdale League. Just three points separate the sides in the two-horse race for the
TREATMENT comes in all forms at St Catherine's Hospice in Preston, with many diverse new approaches which are not necessarily medically based in the traditional sense. One alternative therapy that's proving a real hit is offered by fine arts graduate
GOSSIPING neighbours have been slammed by a woman whose grandson was savaged by the family pet. Robert Margieson's left arm was torn apart by Jake, a rottweiler-alsatian cross, at his home in Brierley Avenue, Whitefield He was taken to Bury General Hospital
PRESTON'S allotment workers are setting up a PlotWatch scheme to nip vandalism in the bud. The idea came after 180 panes of greenhouse glass on Deepdale plots were smashed in an early morning attack, causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage and much
DO you hanker after a ham sandwich with William Hague? Or would you like to share a long lunch with absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley? A nationwide survey by caterers Eurest has revealed who the nation would most like to share their sarnies with - and
A TOP policeman has backed Preston coroner Howard McCann's call for action against drugs. Lancashire's Assistant Chief Constable David Smith said more could be done to stop people turning to drugs. And he warned dealers and users the police would never
PENSIONERS will lose their treasured bingo hall to make way for a children's activity centre. The 65-year-old Carlton in Preston will close on July 27 and re-open in October as Tumble Jungle, featuring climbing frames, bouncy castles and wacky play equipment
A HEADTEACHER fears children's education could suffer because of a shortage of school places. Now David Fann, head at Kennington County Primary School in Fulwood, Preston, has joined forces with local councillors and residents and with nearby Sherwood
CHRIS COLEMAN has admitted that the biggest fight of his career lies ahead as he tries to win back his place in the heart of the Rovers defence. The classy Welsh international has slipped to the back of the queue in the fight to partner Colin Hendry since
LAST Saturday (July 12) saw Leyland achieve their first win for two years, when they beat previously unbeaten Morecambe by four wickets at Woodhill Lane. Morecambe batted first after being put in by Leyland captain and professional, Paul Tebay and lost
LEYLAND DAF were defeated by one wicket at Sandy Lane by Darwen in a pulsating finish, albeit with the last ball of the match. DAF were put in to bat and lost their first wicket at 29. Phil Iddon was second out with the score on 41 in the match on Saturday
BOXING champ Ady Lewis has been stitched up by Bury's judges. The flyweight supremo wants to defend his crown in his home town in what would be Bury's first British title fight. But despite promises to the contrary, he is being kept in the neutral corner
TRAFFIC police are winning the war against law breakers - thanks to the latest in hi-tech gadgetry. The number of traffic accidents in June was down by more than half on the same period last year: there were 47 crashes with 41 slight injuries and no fatalities
CIRCUS skills, puppet making and a basketball roadshow are just some of the activities lined up for children in Hyndburn this summer. The Council's Leisure Services department has teamed up with Hyndburn Sports Centre, Accrington and Rossendale College
BURY South MP celebrated the three diverse communities making up his constituency in his maiden speech on Monday, July 7. Speaking in the budget debate, Mr Lewis introduced his new colleagues to the towns of Prestwich, Whitefield and Radcliffe. "Bury
HUNDREDS of workers in East Lancashire were sending their boss a teabag in protest over a 4.3 per cent pay offer. The teabags, sent to £450,000-a-year British Gas chairman Bob Evans by Nalgo members, were to represent the value of their hourly rise offer
PLEASINGTON'S magnificent new three-storey clubhouse will be opened to members at the end of the month. And the official opening - due to be performed by honorary Pleasington member and Blackburn Rovers owner Jack Walker - has been set for September 14
CONTRARY to your report (LET, July 12) the Bill to ban fox hunting is anything but doomed. For there are far many more than 100,000 people who will urge politicians to use their free vote against the hunt in the House of Commons on November 28. It is
THE GOVERNMENT'S "Welfare to Work" drive to get youngsters off the dole comes to East Lancashire with a "green" initiative that offers hope to 250 young people - by giving them not just a temporary make-work job, but a chance of gaining valuable skills
YOUNG wildlife enthusiast Toby Hyde knows all about monkey business and the bear necessities of working with animals - after making a name for himself at London Zoo. The Knowle Green 12-year-old has come to the end of his two-year stint on the zoo's children's
IF you have views on community care services in Pendle, Lancashire County Council is inviting you to speak up. The council has just published its plans for community care in the borough for 1997-8 and any comments received before August 20 will be taken
AN INTREPID health chief is hoping that thousands of people follow his example and enter a once-in-a-lifetime walk. And Ian Woolley is urging East Lancashire companies to dig deep and sponsor him. Mr Woolley, chairman of the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble
COLNE'S population will be doubled for three days next month when 25,000 people arrive for The Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival. More than 650 artists, including some legendary names, will perform at the Municipal Hall and other venues around Colne
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD CALLING that old Cowley leavers class of 1948! David Johnson, an old boy of the famous St Helens seat of learning during its grammar school days, is keen to gather together what remains of the old clan. The idea is to stage a 50th
PROTESTERS are to take the streets for a second march to object to plans for a proposed care home. About 60 cars and more than 250 people joined in a cavalcade to Burnley to protest about the planned children's home at former home for the elderly Moorland
LIVERPOOL fan Allistair Lindsay is following in his dad's illustrious footsteps. But not at Anfield! The 14-year-old has just signed schoolboy forms with Bolton Wanderers - and is now a confirmed Super White. Allistair's soccer pedigree is impeccable.
ST HELENS Council's Trading Standards Section is advising motorists to steer clear of so-called 'anti-flash' registration plates following the prosecution of a local trader for offences under the Trades Description Act 1968. Joseph Critchley, trading
RESIDENTS in Sutton are claiming a 'victory' after an application to build a soil waste transfer site in the area was withdrawn. The original proposal, put forward by Kevin Grundy Ltd., had prompted opposition from residents living in Lancots Lane who
NEW Burnley capture Steve Blatherwick took one look around Turf Moor today and declared: "I can't believe it - now I know I've made the right decision" writes BRIAN DOOGAN. The 23-year-old defender from Nottingham Forest was delighted to become Burnley
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THE song may be ended . . . but the memories linger on for Sammy Wright of Haydock who got a mention in my picture-piece a couple of weeks ago. The flashback photo featured pre-war Gilbert & Sullivan performers on stage at the
A BUSINESS green group is £5,000 better off - thanks to support from local bankers. The Business Environment Association, which now has more than 240 members, was presented with a cheque as part of a three-year support package from NatWest Corporate Banking
ST HELENS Council is bidding for more Government funding which would be used to help private tenants living in converted flats to conserve energy and increase their food safety in the home. If successful, the council plan to replace any old, inefficient
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD BRIEF mention last week about the ancient Earlestown market obelisk - an imposing 18-ton finger of un-lettered stone with steps at its base - has attracted an unexpected avalanche of response. Historical facts have come thick and
HOLIDAYMAKERS returning from abroad are being asked to donate leftover foreign coins or notes to help fund eye camps in third world countries. Accrington Lions have been collecting currency to pay for surgeons and nurses to carry out the vital sight-saving
A 22-YEAR-OLD student needed hospital treatment after a "road rage" attack on Saturday evening. The young man was walking along Ainsworth Road in Radcliffe shortly before midnight when his rucksack accidentally brushed against a white Mercedes convertible
WHATEVER happened to Public Service Broadcasts? Do you remember the days when you were told to "think once, think twice, think bike?" Since their disappearance we have had a massive upsurge in sloppy driving - people who don't dip their headlights, who
A NATIONAL Hunt jockey is suing a Whitefield racehorse owner for a total of £28,500. The jockey, David Bridgewater of Broadway, Worcestershire, claims horse owner Darren Mercer, of Ringley Chase, Whitefield, owes him the money for allegedly pulling out
A ROW over Colditz-style fencing around a development site in a scenic Ribble Valley village has been settled by inspectors. Barrow residents complained that proposed steel fencing around the village's former printworks would make the site look like a
AMBULANCES are getting to emergencies faster than ever, but bosses fear overwhelming demand could slow down their success without extra cash. New government league tables show the Greater Manchester Ambulance Service NHS Trust (GMAS) is reaching 63 per
NO sex please, it's Christmas! A bid to bring extra saucy festive fun to Bury residents has been foiled. Councillors have refused to allow the town's sex shop in Rochdale Road to open longer hours at Yuletide. Owners of the Private Shop wanted to stay
ST HELENS lost to Ormskirk on Saturday afte failing to cash in on a good start. Gareth Davies enjoyed his best innings of the season with an entertaining 65 which contained 10 fours and a six. Mark Wells (33) and Adam Friar (23) bolstered the middle order
SUTTON slumped further down the table when they were outplayed by champions Aigburth at New Street on Saturday. Batting first, Sutton lost a wicket in the first over. But Bowles and Hodgson took the score into the 30's with a good stand until Hodgson's
ST HELENS Town begin their 1997-98 campaign with a repeat of last season's opener when Salford City come to Hoghton Road. Again, as last year, luck has favoured Town as they set out for Wembley on two fronts -namely the Littlewoods FA Cup and Carlsberg
A WEEKEND of mixed fortune saw Owens Corning St Helens Recs reach the semi-finals of the Liverpool Echo KO after a riveting game at Bootle and then go down to Northern at Ruskin on Saturday. Having disposed of one of the Echo KO favourites Sefton, Friday
IN recent weeks Prescot and Odyssey have won some tense close finishes though many were as a result of opposition failings, a batting collapse here or inept bowling and fielding there. Saturday saw them hand a victory to the opposition after the win had
BEHAVE yourself! That's the message to local football clubs and their supporters. The warning was issued by St Helens Combination chairman Eric Bond at the organisation's annual meeting. Eric was one of several officials who reported concern at poor discipline
A 23-year-old man appeared at St Helens Magistrates Court on Wednesday, July 16, charged with the murder of a 19-month-old child on Sunday, July 13. Lee Carter, 23, from Gray Avenue, Haydock, was remanded in custody for three days. A post mortem revealed
Saints 38 Halifax Blue Sox 20 SAINTS finally put their dismal home form behind them just hours before stepping onto the plane for Australia. Victory ended one of the club's worst home sequences in living memory. It was their first success at Knowsley
EXCLUSIVE: Denis Whittle speaks to Saints' chief executive David Howes about the decline of the Saints DOUBLE winners last season with the Challenge Cup retained just two months ago, followed by a sackcloth and ashes saga of just a couple of wins in 11
COLLEAGUES and constituents are wishing St Helens South MP, Gerry Bermingham, a speedy recovery after he suffered a heart attack on Wednesday, July 9. The 56-year-old MP (pictured) is now out of danger and has left the Royal Free Hospital in London. Following
Mr Jay's letter about the able-bodied taking disabled parking places reminded me of a notice I saw on one in France. It said: "If you take my parking place, take my disablement too." I thought it might make people stop and think. Shirley R Holden Alma
REGARDING the closure of Chaigley Manor children's holiday home, though I am not from Hyndburn and have no political axe to grind, my deep concern is for the children of the area. Many children nowadays do not have the same opportunities we had when we
REGARDING Mrs V Wood's comments on Bonny Baby competitions (Letters, July 13), I understand her point of view, but I wonder what the babies think of it all. Do they feel that it's a great day out in the company of those of a similar age? Or is it all
A GRIEVING girlfriend has spoken of a conversation with her boyfriend, seconds before the horrific road accident which claimed his life. Elizabeth Susan Thompson, who was seriously injured in the accident, was giving evidence at an inquest into the death
The Vaux Northern League cricket programme is interrupted this Saturday for the Vaux Bitter cup. The first round matches see Lancaster away to bottom of the league club Preston, while Morecambe is at home, at Woodhill Lane, to Leyland DAF. Morecambe have
Clock, Odyssey, Jimmy Ruffin.....the list goes on as Morecambe gears up for this year's Summerbreeze at the weekend. It's a festival of jazz, soul and funk with 151 musicians in 23 acts and international headline names. Here's a brief itinerary of the
SOCIETY is in danger of losing the war against the drugs menace that is sweeping across Lancashire, leaving in its wake a trail of tragedy and lawlessness. The blunt warning was delivered by the county's coroners and police this week as they called for
HISTORIC stone troughs which Lancaster's ex-MP took as a souvenir of her time in the city have been ordered home. Dame Elaine Kellet Bowman caused a furore among local historians when she disappeared with the 300-year-old relics from her grade two listed
GLEN Little is out of Burnley's pre-season tour to Northern Ireland. The 22-year-old midfield player has a hamstring injury and Clarets manager Chris Waddle has been forced to scratch him from his Irish plans. It is a massive blow to the former Crystal
THE boss of Blackpool Pleasure Beach has slammed the Government for treating tourism as nothing more than a "candy floss industry". Managing director Geoffrey Thompson's outburst followed the renaming of the Department of National Heritage to the Department
A DECISION to blot the landscapes which once inspired Turner was denounced as 'disgraceful' by Lune Valley residents this week. Bosses at Norweb have won a battle against the council to erect overhead power cables in areas of outstanding natural beauty
THE parents of a depressed man who has been missing for five weeks fear he could have committed suicide following a sinister telephone message. John Michael Fewery, aged 49, was in a very depressed state when he wandered off from his Holme Slack home
A SOUTH Shore guide dog owner is heartbroken after her beloved pet was bitten and became too nervous to work. Pensioner Mrs Margaret Warren has had to let five-year-old Colonel go to friends while she waits for another dog to be trained at a cost of £2,500
