Archive

  • You can't beat Blackpool

    BLACKPOOL is simply the best for loyal holidaymaker Ann Holt who has visited the resort some 62 times! Ann, 87, from Rochdale comes to Blackpool as often as she can, sometimes making it three times a year, with whoever she can. She said: "I used to come

  • Paving the way

    TRANSFORMING Birley Street into a continental-style zone has paved the way to a national award. Judges in the Street Design 1997 competition, run by Local Government News, were highly impressed that such a small scheme had achieved so much and have awarded

  • Cricket: local league action

    BURY cantered into the HC Smith Cup final with an emphatic victory over Winton on Sunday. Like other local sides they kicked their heels in frustration when the rain washed out most of the scheduled games on Saturday, but they were clearly champing at

  • Letter: Only foals and horses

    WE work at great pleasure on a national level rehabilitating over 150 foals, horses and ponies, 25 goats, 14 pigs, 4 sheep, 8 cockerels, 28 rabbits and 6 guinea pigs. All the above animals are available for adoption which is from £10 yearly (lifetime

  • Numbers game for Midland!

    PLANS to furnish Morecambe's world famous Midland Hotel with a casino were unveiled this week. The north eastern wing of the art deco masterpiece is set to be extended to make way for the casino along with plans for a new restaurant and hotel entrance

  • Sisson's slim lead

    LAST weekend the Arnside Motorsport team of Wayne and Neill Sisson maintained their slim lead in the under 25 section of the Mobil 1 British Championship Series. The Ulster International was the fourth round in the series and the first of the tarmac events

  • Good golly Miss Molly!

    MINDLESS thugs shot a pet cat FOUR times! But 'Molly' really must have had nine lives. She survived the onslaught and is now hobbling around with three of the pellets still inside her. Owner Vivienne Duerden, 32, said: "Molly was shot in the abdomen,

  • Extra, extra, read all about it ...

    BLACKPOOL'S amateur dramatics met the crazy world of rock and roll when a pop video was shot in the town starring five local thespians. Doreen Harberon from South Shore was asked to gather together a group of extras for the day, to appear in a video for

  • Buried at sea

    GREEN campaigners fear they will never uncover the whole truth about radioactive waste dumped in Morecambe Bay during the 1970s. The National Radiological Protection Board is to review information that radioactive liquid sludge was dispersed from boats

  • Crowning glory

    IT may have have been a big surprise when the Magic of Coronation Street was crowned king of the tourist attractions. But according to head of operations Sue Grindrod it was no more than the Blackpool complex deserved. After two years of operation and

  • Quango tango

    SO London is having a referendum on whether its people want a Mayor. Little old Blackburn couldn't have one on unitary status. The only people to get a vote were Big Brother Coun Malcolm Doherty and his orchestra. Talking of orchestras, I don't think

  • Town feeling confident

    WITH confidence sky-high, St Helens Town continue their pre-season preparations with a home friendly against former Football League outfit Barrow on Saturday (3pm). Chairman Jim Barrett commented: "Our preparations have gone well so far and everyone at

  • 'Good night' nurse: new GPs plan

    A NIGHT-time doctors' centre is planned to cover a Leigh Infirmary accident curfew. Wigan and Bolton Health Authority wants to set-up out of hours GP centres - with one in Leigh - so locals can see a doctor at any time during the night. The news coincides

  • Tower cut!

    NEWS that Blackpool Tower will not shine out when the rest of the town gets all lit up has been labelled as tragic by a Blackpool holiday chief. A hitch in gaining planning permission means the Tower lighting tableau will not be ready in time for the

  • It could be you!

    DARWEN town centre traders are hoping to attract more shoppers with their own dream lottery. More than 40 shops, many of which belong to the Darwen Town Centre Association, have clubbed together to entice shoppers with a chance of winning the £1,000 prize

  • Grasshoppers join in new knockout

    PRESTON Grasshoppers Colts, winners of the Lancashire Cup for the last three seasons, will aim for national honours by joining more than 90 clubs in the quest for a new trophy. The National Colts Knockout competition, which is being run for the first

  • Welshmen stun St Helens

    ST HELENS CC crashed to a surprise defeat at the hands of Marchweil on Saturday. They seemed to have done the hard work when they dismissed the Welshmen for 134 in 47 overs thanks to fine bowling from Mark Wells (4-35), Adam Friar (4-39) and Phil Roughley

  • Head points finger of blame at village kids

    A HEADTEACHER has pointed the finger of blame for two arson attacks on his school at local youngsters. And Mr John Howarth at Lowton Junior and Infants School says they are hitting a 'most important part of their own community'. In the latest incident

  • Appeal organisers set up Christmas cracker

    ORGANISERS of the Darwen Superscan Appeal have launched a grand prize draw aiming to make it the biggest the town has ever seen. Chairman Ian Ashton is calling on local businesses, shopkeepers and members of the public to rally together to help raise

  • Former MP to be knighted

    ARISE Sir Robert - cricket-mad former South Ribble MP Robert Atkins is to be knighted. The 51-year-old former minister, ousted in May's General Election by new MP David Borrow, has been honoured in departed Prime Minister John Major's resignation list

  • Teenager wows talent judges with songs

    WHEN Sandra Blakelidge went into Accrington town centre last week, little did she know she was taking her first steps on the road to stardom. The 13-year-old, who lives on Clayton Street, Great Harwood, took part in a karaoke contest at Accrington town

  • PNE fixtures

    August 9 Gillingham (A) 16 Millwall (H) 23 Chesterfield (A) 30 Watford (H) September 2 Grimsby (H) 6 Oldham (A) 13 Walsall (H) 20 Burnley (A) 27 Wycombe (A) October 4 Brentford (H) 11 Bournemouth (H) 18 Carlisle (A) 21 Bristol City (A) 25 Wrexham (H)

  • Council defies flower tribute vandals

    COUNCIL workers have defiantly reconstructed a floral tribute to a loyal gardener after the original was wrecked by cruel vandals. Hyndburn Council staff had spent weeks preparing the special flower bed for Maurice McNamara, who recently retired after

  • Ole! Bethany's off for Spanish cure

    TINY TOT Bethany Shuttleworth is most DEFINITELY going to Spain. And it's all down to marathon man Gary Whitworth - and The Journal. Gary, 36, has been raising money for the Eczema Society with his sixth 26.2-miler at this year's Flora London Marathon

  • CLARETS: Roker ace talks over £200,000 move

    CHRIS Waddle was holding talks today with Sunderland's Lee Howey with a view to making the defender his FIFTH Turf Moor signing. And the converted striker could be in Burnley's travelling party to Watford on Saturday if the £200,000 deal is completed.

  • The kids are coming!

    TEN years after the horrific Chernobyl disaster, the true effects of the world's worst peacetime nuclear blast are striking home in Journal-land. On Saturday a party of a dozen Ukrainian children arrive in Britain on a month's recuperation stay with families

  • 'Razor' drugs swoop praised

    A DRUGS swoop earned community cheers signalling the start of a crime crackdown. "Operation Razor" on Atherton's Hag Fold housing estate involved a high tech underworld intelligence operation aimed at slashing the line of supply between known distributors

  • Disqualified drivers

    DRIVERS banned from driving by Preston magistrates between July 25-31 were: Daniel Littlechild, 31, of Frenchwood Street, Preston; was banned for five years. MIchael Wareing, 25, of Village Green Lane, Tanterton; Gulam Mogra, 45, of Ashworth Street, Preston

  • LETTER: Pagan psychics should be stopped

    I WAS shocked to read that charlatans professing to be psychics are practising in the Hyndburn area. As usual it is Christianity that is left to deal with the fall-out of this pagan practice. How councils can condone these 'magic shows' is beyond me.

  • Foggy wants to stay with Ducati

    CARL FOGARTY wants to pledge his future to Ducati and end his glittering career with another World Superbike title. The Tockholes rider, who thrilled 70,000 fanatical followers with a win at Brands Hatch on Sunday (August 3), hinted that next season could

  • Understaffed advice centre leaves phones ringing

    TELEPHONES at the Citizen's Advice Bureau are ringing off the wall - because there are not enough staff to answer them. Employees are so busy helping clients who call into the Blackburn office they have been forced to put telephone queries on hold. Citizen's

  • LETTER: Proud to be a fuddy duddy

    IF trying to stop spec builders and "tart-up" merchants from ruining a grand old moorland village is being a "fuddy duddy", then I'm proud to be one of Carl Fogarty's "fuddy duddies." Many of our villagers have been forced to bite the bullet when their

  • Elms owners wanted at public meeting

    A WHITEFIELD councillor wants the owners of the Elms Shopping Precinct to appear at a public meeting. Coun Warren Flood has issued the invitation to Anglo International Holdings to present their redevelopment or refurbishment proposals to the people of

  • Don't tempt car thieves!

    A BLACKBURN mother was left penniless after cruel thieves stole her handbag while she was treating her two children to a day out at the park. Louise Dean was distraught after returning to her car on West Park Road to find thieves had broken in and stolen

  • Golden mum!

    JUBILATION followed tragedy for Bury mum Danielle Nadler when she helped Great Britain lift the gold medal during the recent Jewish Olympics. Following the death of two Australian athletes when a bridge collapsed during the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah

  • Sinking feeling

    WHY is it whenever Wigan & Leigh Health Trust tell us not to worry about proposed changes by saying "no patients will suffer" I get this sinking feeling. They said it when they closed Leigh's accident/emergency unit, but we are now told they have

  • Riddle of street sign spelling

    SIMPLY crossing the road reveals a confusing riddle for a few Fulwood residents. For a small street with just three houses features signs showing two different spellings of its name, despite being only 50 yards apart! And Preston's A-Z Street Atlas lists

  • Mucky pups set to cost owners dear

    MUCKY pups are about to meet their match in a council crackdown on dog fouling. Conspicuous sign-posting, special dog waste bins and free poop scoops are all part of Blackburn with Darwen Council's campaign. New legislation also means the council can

  • New campaign to thwart bogus officials

    POLICE and North West Water have joined forces to launch a campaign to banish bogus officials from East Lancashire. Criminals posing as employers of the major utilities continue to target the homes of the elderly and vulnerable - and offences are being

  • Baby boom at chocolate factory

    IF CHOCOLATE be the food of love, then it could explain a baby boom at Beeches confectioners in Deepdale, Preston. Over the past year, no fewer than 14 bouncing babies have been born to staff from the fancy packing department - and four more are on the

  • Scott's eyes on county prize

    SCOTT PEARCE is a man on a double mission - to help guide Great Harwood to third spot in the table and carve out a county league career for himself. The talented Australian has waited patiently to serve his time in local league cricket but now is preparing

  • PNE flashback to the 1980s

    PRESTON'S managerial merry-go-round went into overdrive in the 1980s with a succession of big names in the Deepdale hot seat. Ex-World Cup star Nobby Stiles was manager at the start of the decade, but at the end of the 1980/81 season North End were relegated

  • 'Funding fiddle' will be tackled

    THE battle for Bury's financial future started in earnest this week. Bury's two new MPs, Ivan Lewis and David Chaytor, have persuaded government ministers to consider the borough's cash crisis. Mr Lewis, who represents Bury South, managed to secure a

  • Preston golfer joins junior championship

    YOUNG golfer Mark Worden has joined the race for a place in the final of the 1997 Daily Telegraph/Center Parcs Junior Golf Championship. The 17-year-old Preston golfer shot a 76 to win his qualifying round at Bolton Old Links GC and must now wait until

  • Trendy teenagers are heading for a fall

    TRENDY teenagers know what they want, what they really, really want - they're head over heels about perilous platforms. Despite warnings from health chiefs, the shops are soled out of the Spice Girl-style shoes and schoolgirls have vowed to stay head

  • Thieves steal church deaf aids

    A CHURCH leader has hit out at thoughtless thieves who stole expensive equipment used by deaf members of his congregation. Hard of hearing churchgoers will now struggle to hear Father Keith Henshall's Sunday sermons after burglars got away with £3,000

  • TIME OUT: Take a walk on the wide side

    DADDY'S gonna take us to the zoo tomorrow - well, not quite, but I'll tell you what, a visit to Knowsley Safari Park beats a zoo hands down in my opinion. One minute you feel like an extra from Daktari as a baboon leaps onto your car bonnet and considers

  • 'Don't put our kids in danger'

    LIMEFIELD residents are accusing Bury council of placing their children in danger. They are furious that council chiefs want to sell off land - including a play area - for housing. A hefty petition and many letters of opposition are about to be delivered

  • Solicitor ran 'den of thieves'

    A SOLICITOR from Prestwich and one of his employees have been convicted of systematically defrauding the Legal Aid Board out of more than £1 million. Gary Grosberg (44) of Barnhill Avenue, Prestwich, and Francis Jones (61) of Orchard Lane, Leigh, looked

  • Margaret 'made' the news

    BRIERFIELD "newsgirl" Margaret Bentham retired after working 19 years in the same newsagent's shop. Margaret had seen five different owners come and go at the Burnley Road shop, and big changes in the newspaper world. Shop owner Don Hudson said: "She

  • CRICKET: Darwen sack Greenbank

    DARWEN have cancelled the contract of their Australian professional Keith Greenbank for "disciplinary reasons" and have started the search for substitutes with seven games still to go in the Vaux Northern League. Peter Lamster, chairman of the Birch Hall

  • Think again on benefits Mr Field

    SOCIAL Services minister Frank Field has a brief to "think the unthinkable" on reform of the welfare state. But, surely, it is unthinkable that benefits claimants might in future might be turned down simply because of where they live rather than for what

  • Does this late rush spell future trouble?

    AN ALMIGHTY last-minute rush is underway for places at colleges and universities this year - a development that poses a worrying question for the future. A major reason for this sudden scramble is that, in a bid to avoid next year's introduction of tuition

  • Problem houses will be flattened

    VANDALISED derelict houses and homes unfit to live in are among a terrace block of properties to be demolished. Hyndburn councillors at a housing services committee meeting agreed that odd numbered homes between 1 and 39 Lower Antley Street, Accrington

  • Richard's a splash hit

    SWIM star Richard Hampson hit 'em for six in Malta. The 16-year-old ex-St Mary's RC student scooped six gold medals on his great Britain debut on the Mediterranean sunshine island. Richard, who swims for the Tyldesley club, made his British international

  • Youngsters 'barging' way to Leeds

    SIX young people from St Helens will enjoy an exchange visit with a difference next week when they change places with a group from Leeds. For the six are taking part in the St Helens Community Awareness and Self Motivation initiative (CASM) and will tackle

  • Just the ticket at Hilton Park

    PROMOTED Leigh RMI have come up with a novel season ticket share scheme for soccer and Rugby League fans at Hilton Park. Season tickets for RMI's challenge in the UniBond Premier Division are now on sale. And RMI officials have struck a deal with Leigh

  • Vandalism spree

    A TEACHER'S car had every window and light smashed after it was left outside Fisher More High School, Colne. Elizabeth Byrne returned to her L-registered Fiat Cinquecento to find £1,500 worth of damage. The vandals had also poured oil inside the car.

  • Wedding guests get warm reception

    JETTING off to somewhere exotic to take your wedding vows is getting to be the norm for many couples these days, but when Jason Hunter and Nicole Pearce decided to tie the knot in sunny Spain they went one step further - by flying out their entire 70-

  • New home for newts - at the sewage works!

    A RARE breed of newts is being introduced into a marshland sanctuary - created on the site of a former sewage works and next to an industrial estate! Environmentalists hope the colony of Palmate newts will thrive on Lomeshaye Marsh, Nelson, and they are

  • Miners set for derby challenge

    LEIGH MR are on course for another Champions Challenge Trophy. The holders despatched a stubborn Simms Cross with some style and now await a meaty semi-final clash with Wigan rivals - but not St Pat's. The Pie-Eating giants stumbled to a shock defeat

  • Plea to save old council office

    PARISH councillors in Billinge have accused St Helens Council of destroying the borough's heritage. The claim follows a decision by the borough council to demolish the original offices of the Billinge and Winstanley Urban District Council in Main Street

  • Grieving dad slams grave ghouls

    A FATHER-of-four has hit out at "graveyard ghouls" who, he says, regularly steal treasured mementos left by the family on his stillborn daughter's grave. Tracey Leanne Jackson was buried in Newton Cemetery in October last year and dad Stephen visits the

  • Blast back to wartime raids

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD GET out your tin hats, because we're flying back to the dark days of the wartime bombing raids. Former local copper Ray Douglas first set the scene for us by describing how, as an eight-year-old living at Haresfinch, he spotted a

  • Beating those doggy travel blues

    WALLY ASHCROFT'S Wonder of Pets WE ARE now well into the annual summer holiday and the roads are becoming overcrowded. Weekend travelling usually means long periods stuck in traffic jams on the motorway. This is bad enough, but when your dog is being

  • CRICKET: Martin shines in bid to earn recall

    LANCASHIRE have the England selectors to thank for the best run of Peter Martin's career. That was the verdict of skipper Mike Watkinson today after another sensational six wicket performance from Martin against Warwickshire at Blackpool. It follows his

  • It's elementary my dear Jane!

    FORMER Rainford High pupil Jane Kilshaw has received a BA Honours Degree in Criminology from Middlesex University. The 22-year-old from Crawford, is currently working as a pensions administrator, but she hopes that her degree will eventually allow her

  • Puffers' plaudits for Shakers

    BURY FC are already top of Division One - and the season hasn't even started yet! The team are not being measured for performance: it's how fair the club are to smokers. Forest, the action group for equal rights for smokers, asked every league club about

  • Pilot scheme to chop court delays

    A PILOT scheme aimed at reducing waiting times at St Helens Magistrates' Court begins later this year. Representatives of the professional court users, including the Crown Prosecution Service, police, probation, defence solicitors, youth justice team,

  • Service for air crash cadets

    A SPECIAL service of remembrance is to be held later this month by Bury's Air Training Corps in memory of three cadets killed in a helicopter accident in Wales four years ago. The 1036 squadron padre, Canon John Reginald Smith, will dedicate a seat in

  • Rallying cry in Battle against Evil

    PARENTS face a frightening task bringing up children in today's drug-riddled society. Far from being critical of their efforts I want to sound the rallying cry in this Battle against Evil. Drugs are a mainstream problem. Recent apathy has allowed drugs

  • Six-year-old's success at World Games

    A LOCAL schoolgirl has bagged a golden haul of medals at the World Restricted Growth Games. Six-year-old Ruth Smith of Shire Hills, Prestwich, has achondraplasia - or "dwarfism" - and she will probably never grow beyond 4ft 2in. It also means she was

  • Haydock held to draw

    HAYDOCK CC were held to a draw by fellow title contenders Litherland at Lyme Park on Saturday. After winning the toss, Litherland surprisingly asked Haydock to take first knock. This looked to be a good decision as the Yickers lost opener Brookhouse early

  • Slippery road led to crash

    THREE people were taken to hospital with slight injuries following a road accident in Islands Brow on Thursday, July 31. Three cars were involved in the accident at about 7.50am, which police believe may have been caused by a slippery substance seeping

  • Prisoner in his own home

    A PARAPLEGIC could become a prisoner in his own home after mean thieves stole his wheelchair. The chair was vital in allowing 40-year-old Mr Stephen Bridge to get access to his car and to travel into town. Although he is able to walk with the aid of crutches

  • Cables gear up for new season

    Rhyl 2 Prescot Cables 1 CABLES continued their warm-up approach to a new season with a visit to sunny Rhyl on Saturday last. And their performance against a League of Wales side could be described as 'encouraging' considering the absence of several of

  • Chance to see old chums

    IF you were a pupil at the former St Anselm's School, Boardmans Lane, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there's a chance to catch up with old pals at a renuion evening which is being staged on Friday, September 26. Organisers Deborah Corfield (nee Smith

  • End of the road for Catharine

    SCHOOLGIRL Jennifer Bates got 10 out of 10 in her spelling test. And a pat on the back from Mayor Cllr Ken Pye! Eleven year-old Jennifer (pictured) wrote to the Mayor asking for a ruling on the spelling of the name 'Catherine' after noticing different

  • Traders' last stand...

    REBEL traders are loading the ammunition for a last shot at stopping a £5 million revamp of Bury market. They are thinking of asking the High Court for a judicial review on the matter. Worried about their livelihoods, they have also resurrected the idea

  • Blooming good!

    A LOCAL garden centre is this week blossoming with pride. Bents Garden Centre beat competition from rivals in the North West to take the regional first prize title in the nationwide Ruxerly Rose competition. Staff at the centre in Warrington Road, Glazebury

  • Council loses latest BCCI case

    BURY'S latest bid for more cash out of the BCCI fiasco has failed. The council was claiming damages against the Bank of England, which, it says, was negligent in its regulation of BCCI. But a High Court judge this week threw out the claim which, had it

  • Martyn's Trojan effort

    AUSSIE ace Troy Martyn stole the Rainford CC headlines at the weekend. Saturday saw him accepting the first team captaincy following the shock resignation of vice-captain Anthony Poynton and skipper Phil Schofields absence due to holiday commitments.

  • Can you help Peter?

    A WHEELCHAIR-bound Parr man is trying to trace the adopted son he hasn't seen for more than 20 years. Peter Penketh (54) from Hammond Street, adopted Robert O'Neil back in the 1970s when he was 12 years old. The two lost contact when Robert went to live

  • Shops bid to beat criminals

    TRADERS are digging deep to keep crime at bay. And Atherton Traders' Association spokesman Cllr Mrs Sue Loudon is delighted with retailers' response to request for spy camera support. She said:"We have had different scales of support according to the

  • Teatime terror at post office

    THREE masked raiders burst into a St Helens post office on Tuesday afternoon getting away with a haul of cash. The robbery took place at Eccleston Hill Post Office on Prescot Road at 5.25pm on Tuesday, August 5 when the gang launched their raid. They

  • Museum's a hidden gem

    THE TREACLE miners of Sabden have become TV stars but the Earby lead miners are far less forthcoming. In fact, unless you live in the town or have a passion for lead, the chances are you would never have heard of the Museum of Yorkshire Dales Lead Mining

  • A-levels: here's help with results

    HELP is at hand for local students with A Level results queries. Students with queries can talk to staff at the new careers office, 116 Bradshawgate, Leigh. Rose Hughes, education service manager, said: "If pupils do not get the results they expect, either

  • Flying start for Heath

    Thatto Heath 37 Siddal 14 Champions' Challenge ALTHOUGH not present for this game new head coach Derek McVey's coaching methods were very apparent in both attack and defence as Heath cruised to victory against Pennine League Champions, Siddal from Halifax

  • Cherie salutes caring Ann

    A WOMAN who has devoted her life to the care of others was rewarded for her kindness when she got the chance to meet Prime Minister's wife Cherie Blair at a special reception at Number 10 Downing Street. Ann Andrews is the chair of the St Helens branch

  • Saints' lessons learned Down Under

    Denis Whittle talks to Saints' coach Shaun McRae SAVED by the bell! That, in boxing parlance, was how Shaun McRae summed up Saints' last-ditch survival act in the World Club Challenge tie against Penrith. WHITTLE: With feelings running high in town after

  • Boy (5) in dog attack

    A BOY of five was savaged by his uncle's pet lurcher as they played in a garden. Daniel Lord, of Moorland Road, Burnley, was rushed to hospital and needed stitches in his face and scalp after the attack. Initially, he was cared for in the children's ward

  • Safer roads from bottle necks

    DRIVERS have been forced to slow down through part of Nelson because of partial road blocks built by the council. Traffic engineers who wanted to improve road safety created throttles in four streets in the Southfield Street area, and now the average

  • Mixed reaction to hearing scheme card

    FOR the past two years, I have carried a Sympathetic Hearing Scheme card, which, when shown in banks, shops, etc, tells that the bearer is deaf or hearing impaired. Recently, I decided to try it out to see what reaction it got. In the bank, I handed it

  • LETTER: Don't swamp us out

    THE way to good race relations is to stop swamping the indigenous population with people from cultures that are incompatible with ours. None of the political parties has ever had permission from the electorate to allow mass immigration. They seem to have

  • Search for former pupils

    IF you went to the Gordon Boys' School, West End, Woking, Surrey - the famous boarding school, built in memory of General Gordon, now called Gordon's School - or if you know someone who did, please contact me as we are trying to bring all Old Gordon Boys

  • More time for letter writers

    LETTER writers in Burnley and Pendle are being given extra time to pen their prose before they have to catch the post. New local collection services announced by Royal Mail will extend the time first class mail can be posted and still arrive the following

  • Breathing new life into derelict church

    IS there anybody there? A group of spiritualists from Lancaster and Morecambe are looking for people to help them breathe new life into a derelict church. Built in 1931, the Bulk Road Spiritualist Church has been badly vandalised since closing its doors

  • Sally army's hostel bid

    THE Co-op building on Regent Road in the West End of Morecambe could become a hostel for young unemployed people. The Salvation Army Housing Association is looking for a suitable site to develop a hostel to house and train 25 unemployed people aged between

  • Bags of grief for mum

    AN airport baggage breakdown has left a furious mother of three without a vital suitcase for 13 days. Deborah Gorman, who flew from South Africa to visit her family in Accrington, is desperate for British Airways to reunite her with the luggage which

  • Murder won't halt Europe aid convoys

    VOLUNTEERS will continue their mercy missions abroad despite the murder of a British pastor in Hungary, an East Lancashire aid leader said today. Bernard Cocker, of the Withnell-based International Aid Trust, said he and others were prepared to take the

  • Railtrack rapid response - six day delay

    A HOLE in a wall that keeps children off a railway line was still not mended six days after Railtrack promised to mend it 'immediately.' The company said it was 'chasing up' contractors after a second intervention from the Citizen this week. The wall,

  • Residents pylon the pressure

    MORECAMBE'S MP has taken a 800-name petition to the Energy Minister in a bid to stop overhead cables crossing the Lune Valley. Geraldine Smith said she is going to take the matter up with John Battle but fears her case has already been 'substantially

  • The price of convalescence?

    HEALTH bosses have responded to Press revelations that day hospital facilities at Burnley could be axed. Burnley health care NHS trust chiefs say changes may be needed to improve services, but people will be asked for their views before a decision is

  • Left on the shelf?

    LOVELORN women console themselves by popping out to the shops, new research from Lancaster University has revealed. The findings of Helen Woodruffe, a lecturer in consumer behaviour, was the talk of the tabloids this week after she claimed that sexually

  • Letter: It's time to pulp fiction

    I WOULD like to say a big thank you to the Citizen for not toeing the council line on local issues. What you read in some of the other local papers is quite astonishing. They would have you believe that everything in the district is all sweetness and

  • Meet Bury's new Mascot

    BURY Football Club's latest recruit may not be involved on the field of play but he's sure to bring smiles to the faces of the Gigg Lane faithful. He's Robbie the Bobby, the Shakers' new mascot, unveiled this week and set to make his home debut in next

  • Letter: Nothing appears to ever get done

    I HAVE written to the Citizen criticising the £36,000 Cllr Stanley Henig wants in extra expenses for the council. I did suggest that this money would be better spent on extra staff to clean up the filthy streets in Bare. However, they are still the same

  • Grove in fight to clear name

    A LANCASTER man jailed for running a brothel has been released from prison claiming that new evidence will prove his innocence and seriously embarrass the police. Brian Grove of Ryelands Road is to seek a judicial review in a bid to clear his name and

  • Trotters scrape lucky win

    Bury 1 - Bolton Wanderers 2 DEFEAT against the 'old enemy' wouldn't be many Shakers fans' idea of a dream curtain-raiser to the new campaign but there was plenty of cause for optimism from this highly competitive derby encounter. None more so than the

  • Eric's memory brings a ray of sunshine

    THERE will be a 'ray of sunshine' in Morecambe this week as the resort's favourite son is remembered. A plaque to honour Eric Morecambe is to be unveiled at the house where he was born in Buxton Street. Members of the Morecambe and Wise Fan Club and Eric's

  • Waterstone's novel ideas

    DISCOVERING a good book is a delight I never get tired of. I remember coming top in a school book review with a novel called Goodnight Mister Tom and everyone was pestering me for a copy. So, this week sees the start of a regular reading column in your

  • Golden day for winners

    EIGHT young people from the Fylde struck gold when they visited Buckingham Palace. They were all winners of the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, the top honour for achievement in community service, expeditions, skills and physical recreation. Blackpool Sixth

  • Tuning in ...

    YOUNG people in Grange Park, Blackpool, are on track to be DJs of the future. They have received a grant from the Arts Council and the National Lottery to develop a school radio network and a pilot DJ training scheme. The project, which will initially

  • Badminton stars scoop trophies

    BUDDING badminton stars returned from the Lancashire Badminton Youth Games with an armful of trophies. In the U13s Rachel Singlton (Walton-le-Dale) won gold with Ian Dockray, also Walton-le-Dale, taking top prize. At U16s Catherine Brown (Walton-le-Dale

  • Preston snooker results

    JUSTIN SMALLEY fell by the wayside as Wayne Cooper won the latest pro-am tournament at Rileys Snooker, Preston. The Bradford ace beat Hull's James McGowan 3-1. Cooper's opener was tight, just scraping through against Adam Jackson from Manchester in the

  • Turnpike's a BIG winner

    TURNPIKE Community Theatre has received a £4,500 grant from the Art's Council's second and final round of Lottery awards. The grant, awarded under the Arts for Everyone Express Scheme, is to fund a commissioned play and workshops from writer/director

  • BNFL funds sports kits

    BUDDING sports stars of Ashton-on-Ribble High, Preston have received some energetic support from BNFL. The company's fuel business group at Springfields, near Preston, donated sport kits to the school's football, hockey and basketball teams. The up-and-coming

  • Guns flood in after change in law

    POLICE have collected a vast arsenal of weapons following changes in gun law. The Firearms Amendment Act 1997 came into force at the end of July, banning all high calibre weapons and leaving Lancashire Constabulary with the task of bringing in more than

  • Kevin swaps coats for cassock

    HEAVEN'S angels whisked Father Kevin McLoughlin out of Burtons' shop window. The 41 years-old Atherton priest (pictured) was flying high as northern manager for the clothing store chain when he decided to trade-in his flash car for life in a cassock.

  • Blackburn boy is shots victim

    THE five-year-old child gunned down in a Bolton street was a Blackburn schoolboy until a few months ago. And today heartbroken relatives of shooting victim Dillon Hull spoke of their grief and disbelief at the death of "a little angel". Dillon, who was

  • Council red tape means carnival is postponed

    HUNDREDS of Darwen residents have been left disappointed because council red tape has prevented a new carnival from going ahead. The Ashton Park Community Park Watch had spent months preparing the event, scheduled to take place over the August bank holiday

  • Monster project angers City crowd

    CITY dwellers fear more funerals would spoil their semi-rural existence. New Manchester residents - who live in "The City" area between Mosley Common and Worsley - are up in arms about crematorium plans at the existing green field cemetery. They say life

  • No-nonsense vet John Tindall dies at 60

    RETIRED East Lancashire veterinary surgeon John Richard Tindall has died at the age of 60 after a long illness. Mr Tindall, who was well known across the area, built up the thriving five-man practice of J.R. Tindall and Partners in Clitheroe and Accrington

  • Children's committee carries out zoo survey

    ACCORDING to a survey at London Zoo, 95 per cent of us are totally confused about our wildlife. The report conducted by Longridge schoolboy Toby Hyde found out from a survey at London Zoo that 95 per cent of those questioned are totally confused about

  • Store's 180 jobs boost

    NEARLY 200 jobs will be created with the opening of new foodstore in Tyldesley. Somerfield has announced it will operate the proposed store, off Shuttle Street. The store will be constructed in partnership with Cheshire-based joint developers Bushwing

  • Stab victim still poorly

    POLICE are still waiting to speak to a stabbing victim who was found unconscious in Avenham Park, Preston on July 24. Thomas Murray, 54, has only just come off a ventilator but is too poorly to be interviewed. Mystery surrounds the incident which left

  • Young UFO fans demand documents from Washington

    THE truth is out there - and five Penwortham youngsters are determined to find it! The UFO fanatics, all aged 11, have written to America's FBI, the CIA, and the British Ministry of Defence demanding documents on alien visits to our planet. Code-named

  • Citizen praised for banned-drivers initiative

    A POLICEMAN whose patch is hundreds of miles away has praised the Citizen's practice of publishing the names of banned drivers. PC Martin O'Neill, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, saw the articles in your favourite free newspaper when visiting his parents

  • LETTER: Let Le Saux go

    IT IS a great disappointment to see Graeme le Saux so desperate to leave Blackburn Rovers. What is even more disappointing is the fact an England International is being forced into the reserves by Jack Walker, the man who apparently has Rover's best interests

  • Cricket leagues scoreboard for August 2/3

    RESULTS from the Vaux Northern League. Division One - *Chorley 173-9, Netherfield 95; Kendal 135, *Preston 148-8; Lancaster 171-9, *Fleetwood 217-4; Leyland 101-8, *Blackpool 100; *Leyland Daf 209-5, St Annes 168-8; Morecambe 149-5, *Darwen 148-9. Division

  • University wins 'award' for animal tests

    THE University of Central Lancashire won an award this week - one of 10 institutes around the country to be singled out for their 'grotesque and pointless scientific research'. Their prize in the Mad Science Awards was for 'outstanding investigations

  • Teletubbies take over from Spice Girls

    THEY dress in garish rompersuits, spend the day eating toast and custard, have TV's in their bellies, and now they are taking Blackburn by storm. The Teletubbies have arrived with town-centre stores gearing up to meet what they believe will be a huge

  • Thieves posing as invalids target supermarkets

    SICK crooks posing as wheelchair-bound invalids are getting away with shoplifting by preying on the reluctance and sympathy of staff not willing to accuse disabled shoppers. Incidents have been reported across the county, with supermarkets throughout

  • Kev's back with his words of wisdom

    THE politically-correct term for a pet is now Companion Animal. Can't see many glamorous young women sending off their photos in the hope of becoming the Penthouse Companion Animal of the Month! They reckon that in five years time, we will be able to

  • Bill tells all about his owls

    REARING owls isn't a traditional Lancashire hobby but that's how nature-lover in Leyland spends his free time. Bill Higham, or Barn Owl Bill, has a thriving menagerie in the back garden of his small terraced home in Broadfield. The father-of-two started

  • Callers jam drugs hotline

    POLICE officers manning telephone lines set up through the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Drive Out Drugs campaign have been inundated with callers. The number to report information about drug dealing and abuse has been jammed with callers and police

  • Chernobyl children take tour with soldiers

    WE'RE in the army now! Russian youngsters from Chernobyl braved the rain to have lunch with soldiers and tour a regimental museum. The soggy trip to Fulwood Barracks, Preston was just one of many days out for the group of seven to 13-year-olds from Belarus

  • Killer hunters warning

    I WANT to warn residents of the Gilda Road and Glendale Road area of Mosley Common, who are owners of cats or other small pets, to be on the lookout for two dogs which hunt as a pair. Both these dogs are brown; the lighter of the two standing about 18

  • Touching tribute to young leukaemia victim

    MOURNERS packed into St Mary's Church in Leyland near Preston on Friday to bid their final farewell to tragic leukaemia victim Lianne Neilson. It was a highly charged service, with hardly a dry eye in the congregation as Lianne's favourite pop song, Missing

  • Accy all set for acid test

    REJUVENATED Accrington face the acid test on Saturday (August 9) when they travel to league leaders Haslingden. For the Thorneyholme Road side will be able to gauge just how far they have come in recent months against a side destined to win the Lancashire

  • Neighbours throw surprise wedding bash

    AN unexpected tax bill received days before their wedding spelled heartache for sweethearts David Ferguson and Debbie Birtwhistle. Their plans for a lavish wedding reception had to be scrapped when they realised finances wouldn't stretch to paying both

  • Nat West Meyler Cup Final report

    Results from Nat West Meyler Cup Final, Sunday 3 August 1997 Fulwood & Broughton - 159 for 9 Vernon Carus - 158 for 8 Fulwood & Broughton won by one run. FULWOOD & Broughton won their first Meyler Cup since 1971 in a nail-biting match at BAe's

  • Grenade find clears street

    A HARMLESS World War Two grenade sparked off a major alert at the weekend. The weapon was discovered during the clearance of a house in Parkhills Road, Bury. Because of fears the device was "live", neighbours in houses on either side of the property were

  • On your marks for a challenge!

    WHEN does age, status, sex or fitness mean nothing? When you're panting your way around a five-kilometre run. More than 400 runners and walkers, aged between 20 and 80, donned their trainers to meet the Corporate Challenge - and raise money for charity

  • Lottery grant puzzler

    MAY I suggest to anyone wishing to receive a Lottery grant that they do something grotesquely outlandish in order to increase their chances. Among recent recipients were gay and lesbian circus performers. Not that I dislike circus folk. Indeed, I find

  • Arson attack wrecks school

    A PRESTON headmistress watched in horror as fire wrecked her school. Flames tore through the roof of Deepdale County Primary's infant block on Tuesday afternoon (August 5). Around a dozen fire engines and 40 firefighters from across the county battled

  • Would-be student

    DOES anybody know if a martial art class, studying the Tegatani system of self-defence, is held in this area, as I am interested in becoming a student? J LOVEDER, Rhoden Road, Oswaldtwistle. (Tel 01254-235002). Previous news story Converted for the new

  • Coma youth loses his fight for life

    A TEENAGER died yesterday (July 31) as police began investigations into claims that he was killed by a lethal drink and drugs cocktail. Matthew Ramsbottom's life support machine was turned off at Bury General Hospital after doctors pronounced the 17-year-old

  • Reporter relaxes with reflexology

    LIE back, relax and think of nothing! That's all you need to do when you go for a course of reflexology - one of the latest ancient therapies resurfacing in holistic medicine. Citizen health reporter Gill Atherton visited reflexologist and former nurse

  • Duke congratulates charity's work

    A NATIONAL charity's new branch office in Bury, helping to break down the barriers between employers and disabled workers, has been given the royal seal of approval. Mr Phil Busby, who has been put at the helm of the three-week-old Bury branch of the

  • Would loo believe it?

    WHEN jumbo toilet rolls brought complaints at Burnley hospitals, managers decided to investigate. The health trust set up a special working group of nurses and other "front line staff" to find out just why the tissue was too thin and the dispensers were

  • D-day for birthday boy Roy!

    D-DAY has arrived for Roy Hodgson as his plans to take Blackburn Rovers into a new era go under the spotlight on Saturday (August 9) when Derby County come to town. And the new boss will be looking to celebrate his 50th birthday in style with a convincing

  • Preston cricketers win first match of season

    Results from matches on weekend of August 2/3. BOWLER Jon Richardson swept to the fore on Preston's glory day. They won their first match of the season, beating Kendal at Shap Road by 13 runs in a pulsating finish. And Richardson's attack ensured the

  • Mystery of 'priest' in boy sex arrest

    CHURCH leaders were today trying to solve the riddle of how a Blackburn priest was linked with a man arrested in Romania on a child sex charge. A 34-year-old Briton was being held by detectives after being accused of having sex with an under-age boy.

  • Full steam ahead for ELR rail link

    IT'S full steam ahead for the East Lancs Railway's long-awaited Heywood link. This week the company finalised lengthy negotiations with Railtrack to take over the four-mile line, which will give them a gateway to the rest of the national rail network.

  • Problem for demolition workmen at a loo's end

    WORKMEN demolishing a village public toilets paid a quick visit to the nearby pub - to use the loo. Fortunately Barry Ricketts, landlord of the Rock Hotel, Trawden, saw the funny side but said the problem of people "spending a penny" in the pub toilets

  • Running out of time

    TIME is running out for leukaemia victim Aimee Read. The five-year-old urgently needs a bone marrow transplant to save her life. Aimee (pictured with Mum Wendy) has a rare bone marrow type and a check of 300,000 donor samples has so far failed to produce

  • Cat rescued from river

    FIREFIGHTERS rescued a black cat which was thrown off a bridge into the River Irwell. They clambered down a wall ladder to haul the tiny feline and her three new-born kittens to safety. The cat had given birth after managing to swim to an island of rocks

  • LETTER: Heroin dealers first, please

    REFERRING to your front-page article about drugs on July 24. Does nobody realise that it is now harder to obtain cannabis than heroin? Most of the cracking down on drug dealers appears to have been on cannabis dealers, which has left the door wide open

  • Hearts of gold

    I WOULD like to give special thanks to three very nice and helpful people who took great care of me after I fell in the Market in Blackburn on Tuesday, July 29. They are Janet, the nurse, and Margaret and also the young fellow whose name escapes me. But

  • Terry's plea on soccer task force

    MP Terry Lewis wants to give football back to the fans. And, in a motion in the House of Commons on Thursday, he backed the establishment of a "football task force". He noted that its aim was to give the senior game back to the supporters and recognized

  • Shoe job axe fear

    UP TO 200 workers were bracing themselves for a major redundancies blow today amid fears that scores of jobs could go at shoe makers Lambert Howarth. A sweeping review of activities could result in the withdrawal from footwear manufacture at the giant

  • Golborne fail to turn the screw

    GOLBORNE are kicking themselves this week after failing to polish off the likes of Standish. The defending Vimto Association champions had carved out a winning position - then did not turn the screw. Now the screw is being turned on them as second-placed

  • ROVERS: Leicester gazump Albion for Fenton

    LEICESTER City are set to pip West Bromwich Albion in the chase for Blackburn Rovers striker Graham Fenton, after agreeing a £1.1 million deal. The figure is £100,000 more than West Brom were going to pay for the out-of-favour striker whose projected

  • Rough justice for Latham's men

    LEIGH will maintain a diplomatic silence over what they see as a major injustice. Publicly, they are refusing to comment on the handling of their Divisional Play-Off derby defeat by Swinton. Privately they are seething. Leigh point the finger of blame

  • Leader Mike greets job pact

    LEADER of St Helens Council, Councillor Mike Doyle has welcomed news that the UK Government is nominating St Helens for a new pilot initiative set up by the European Commission. The initiative, known as a Territorial Employment Pact, is aimed at bringing

  • Leigh hit back - Wid interest

    LEIGH are emerging as the surprise package in the divisional play-offs. They have put behind them the disappointment of missing out on promotion and look like having a big say in who goes into the quarter-finals. And they are certainly not the easy beats

  • Cadets stride to blistering feat

    YOUNG Army Cadets from St Helens completed gruelling 30 and 40-mile expeditions on the wild Cumbrian Fells as part of a weekend exercise designed to challenge their self-reliance, tenacity and navigation skills. The 13 to 18-year-old cadets were among

  • Superfit Marc set for world challenge

    FITNESS fanatic Marc Laithwaite is shaping up for his biggest challenge to date - providing he can attract much-needed sponorship support. For the 24-year-old former Cowley pupil has been chosen to represent Great Britain in the World Quadrathlon Championships

  • The doomed airship of Earlestown

    ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD SO it wasn't a lot of hot air, after all! There is, indeed, a memorial to a first world war airship disaster to be found at Earlestown - a fact confirmed by a couple of fans of this page. Paul Twist and Bob Parry were quick off the

  • Are the children taught twice?

    MAY I thank Coun John Williams for putting us in the picture regarding the £25,000 council grant to mosques in Blackburn and Darwen to teach ethnic children to learn the language of their 'mother country.' What rubbish education vice-chairman Kathy Stephenson

  • Farm takes 'Green Tourism' title

    Boardman's Farm yesterday (July 31) won another prestigious tourism award. The family-run business in Hawkshaw beat off competition from Chester Zoo to take the Environmental Improvement Award in the United Utilities North West Tourism Awards. Run by

  • Man charged with nine robberies

    ALAN Francis Pybis (28) of no fixed abode appeared at St Helens Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 5, charged with nine robberies - five in St Helens, two in Rainhill and two in Southport. Pybis and co-accused William Jones, who was charged with four

  • Andy cycles to glory

    IT was the old one-two for St Helens racing cyclist Andy Tinsley, when after finishing second to his great rival Gary Adamson, Andy powered to victory in the main event on the Woodvale circuit at Formby on Saturday. And that win clinched the prestigious

  • Bang, crash, wallop - it's the starling offensive

    A WINGED offensive to scare starlings out of two trees in Accrington town centre has got lift-off. Hyndburn councillors last night approved a combination of measures to oust the birds expected to begin roosting in two horse chestnut trees in front of

  • Cash to cut mixed ward indignities

    A MAJOR cash injection to cut out mixed sex wards has saved patients' blushes at Burnley hospitals. Now the health trust fully complies with Patient Charter standards, offering separate toilet and washing facilities for all. The local declaration came

  • 'Mighty Atom' may defend title at Gigg Lane

    FLYWEIGHT champ Ady Lewis may yet defend his British title locally despite a council ban on boxing. Bosses at Bury FC say they would be delighted to welcome the "Mighty Atom" to their Gigg Lane ground. The council ban, which was approved by 23-19 votes

  • Rainhill let visitors off the hook

    RAINHILL'S season of frustrating near misses continued with a home draw with Old Xaverians. Captain Paul Ford lost the toss and Rainhill were inserted on a damp green wicket. Batting as expected was not easy and the openers moved the score to 32 before

  • Woman trapped under reversing lorry

    A WOMAN sustained a broken pelvis after being trapped under a reversing HGV lorry. The 42-year-old victim, whose identity has not been released, was walking across the car park of the Wilkinson's superstore in Cotham Street, St Helens, at about 3.45pm

  • Double derby joy for Sutton

    SUTTON roared to a double success as both sides pulled off victory against Prescot Odyssey. The firsts were involved in a real cliff-hanger at Burrows Lane, winning with the last pair at the wicket. Prescot had batted first and thanks to a splendid 63

  • Warrior Mike set for court

    ST HELENS-born Mike Ahearne, Warrior in the popular Gladiators TV programme, was committed to Crown Court by magistrates at St Helens this week. Thirty-six-year-old Ahearne, senior detective Elmore Davies and Tony Bray, were charged with conspiring to

  • Saints face hectic schedule

    BOOSTED by their World Club Challenge reprieve at Penrith, Australia, on Monday, Saints now face the daunting challenge of three games in seven days. For they entertain Oldham Bears on Sunday, kick-off 6pm, followed by the visit of Paris St. Germain in

  • Roads night closing

    MAJOR road works to link-up the Parsonage retail park will force the overnight closure of part of Atherleigh Way. The stretch between Kirkhall Lane and St Helens Road - apart from access to Asda from Kirkhall Lane - will be closed from 4pm on Sunday,

  • Saints' passport to Visa success?

    Penrith Panthers 32 Saints 26 AGAINST all the odds Saints remain in contention for a Visa World Club Club Challenge quarter-final place after this cliff-hanger in the Blue Mountains on Monday. Behind that bald statement lies a tale of pride, passion and

  • Deaf teenager in bike ordeal

    POLICE are appealing for witnesses to a vicious attack in which a vulnerable deaf teenager was punched to the ground by a callous robber who then made off on his victim's bike. The incident occurred in the Sankey Valley area of Carr Mill Dam at about

  • Bus driver hit with iron bar

    A BUS driver from St Helens suffered a fractured cheekbone after being attacked by two men late on Friday evening, August 1. The attack took place at the Aigburth terminus at about 11.25pm as the 49-year-old driver was preparing for his final trip of

  • Pilks in big US licence deal

    ONE of the world's largest float glass manufacturers has agreed to a licence with Pilkington for the Pilkington-developed 3R pollution control process, which converts nitrogen oxides emissions from glass making furnaces into harmless nitrogen and water

  • Heading for the top

    PADIHAM have their sights set on a top-three place in the Ribblesdale League after a close victory over title contenders Clitheroe took them to within five points of Great Harwood in third spot, who they play on Saturday. Mark Harvey was unlucky not to

  • Green light for big cricket plan

    THE first phase of a multi-million pound redevelopment of Accrington Cricket Club has been granted outline planning permission by Hyndburn councillors. Lottery cash is now being sought to help fund the ambitious project at the Thorneyholme Road site.

  • Goodbye Jordaan

    LOWERHOUSE are to part company with their South African professional, spinner Corrie Jordaan, next season because they feel they need a batsman to make a stronger challenge for the Lancashire League title. Jordaan and the club agreed to cancel his contract

  • Take on godfathers of drugs crime - MP calls

    PETER Pike has called on the home secretary, neighbouring MP Jack Straw, to fight crime by taking on the illegal drugs trade. The Burnley MP used a House of Commons debate to highlight the true size of the drugs problem. He told Mr Straw: "The fear of

  • Shrimps cruise it

    A EASY victory against Burscough on Saturday ended a good week of pre-season friendlies for the Shrimps, which saw them compete well against league opposition. In a match which could have seen seven or eight goals, Morecambe ran out easy winners and were

  • October date for inquiry - prison project under scrutiny

    A PUBLIC inquiry into controversial plans to turn Middleton Towers into a prison has been fixed for October 28. A team of inspectors from the Department of Environment will meet at Morecambe Town Hall to thrash out the pros and cons of turning the former

  • End this evil of poverty says Bishop

    THE Bishop of Burnley is calling on people to help wipe out the evils of unemployment and poverty. The Rt Rev Martyn Jarrett says changes are needed to Britain's economy if social injustice is to be ended. And, he says, those who can afford it should

  • First impressions

    WANNABE TV presenter Lee Meakin is one step nearer his ambition after his impression of Jim Carrey earned him a place on the small screen. The eight-year-old does a mean impression of the Mask star and it was this which won over judges of a Children's

  • Artist paints his life story

    A BLACKPOOL grandfather has made his life-story into a work of art. For 73-year-old former colliery worker Joe McGinn has become a nationally renowned artist with 250 paintings to his credit. And this month Mr McGinn, of Walpole Avenue, has a solo exhibition

  • Careless blues on a learning curve

    CARELESS mistakes cost Lancaster City dear in a pre-season friendly against newly-promoted Bolton Wanderers last week after they had matched their illustrious neighbours for much of the game. The carelessness showed after just two minutes when Robbie

  • Picking a pocket or two

    POLICE are warning that teams of pickpockets may be at work in Blackpool town centre. Detective sergeant Steve Atkinson believes the thieves may have turned to pickpocketing after extra town centre security deterred them from shoplifting. The warning

  • Dale provide final test

    AS the final phase of Bury's pre-season campaign swings into action at Spotland tomorrow manager Stan Ternent has declared himself happy with his side's progress with the new season a week away. A narrow defeat in Tuesday evening's 2-1 'Clash of the Champions