Archive

  • Extra hours need met

    A PRE-SCHOOL group is extending its opening hours to cater for an increased demand for its services. Mellor Pre-School was set up because none of the three village schools in the area had nursery provision. A survey carried out last summer, however, revealed

  • School group extends opening hours

    A PRE-SCHOOL group is extending its opening hours to cater for an increased demand for its services. Mellor Pre-School was set up because none of the three village schools in the area had nursery provision. A survey carried out last summer, however, revealed

  • Historians look to next century

    LOCAL historians in Pendle are already looking ahead to the 22nd century. Earby and District Local History Society has put together a millennium edition of its newsletter so that people living in the town in 100 years will be able to get a glimpse of

  • Lottery millions for communities

    EAST Lancashire communities could benefit from £20 million in grants being offered by the Millennium Commission. Small lottery grants are being offered to help with projects to benefit their local communities. The grants, of £2,000 or more, aim to help

  • 999 calls cost night in cells

    SHAUN Stephenson's Christmas night out in Blackburn left him with a sour taste in his mouth. Blackburn magistrates heard that he was abandoned by a taxi driver, whom he had paid up front, after leaving the car to be sick. And he eventually spent the night

  • Nasser should ignore the critics

    IT was during the first innings of the third Test in Durban when it all started becoming bizarre. In his role as a TV pundit, David Lloyd, the England coach not too long ago, was lecturing Nasser Hussain for not scoring quickly enough. His theory for

  • Ron goes to gym...and finds ideal bride

    RON Sangster was sent to a gym just to get fit - but now he's about to marry his instructor. Romance blossomed after Ron joined the gym at the Regency Fitness Suite in Blackburn, on doctor's orders. He met fitness instructor Gwen Bone and something clicked

  • Job fears at Crown wallpaper factories

    JOB fears were sparked today as the parent firm of one of Darwen's biggest employers was hit by a multi million dollar financial crisis. The American-based Imperial Home Decor group - the biggest wallpaper maker in the world - has filed for court protection

  • £2.2 million complex will bring hope for young in despair

    A HUGE £2.2million complex, aimed at putting young people on the right track in life, looks set to be built in Blackburn. The Blackburn Foyer project, which is currently seeking planning permission from Blackburn with Darwen Council, will transform a

  • Liverpool reject Kidd link

    BRIAN Kidd will not be making a shock return to football with Rovers' FA Cup rivals Liverpool. The former Ewood chief has been strongly linked with a coaching role at Anfield according to fresh speculation in the national tabloids. But sources on Merseyside

  • Garage man Terry clocks up 40 years

    WHEN Terry Gavigan started working for the A and J White car dealership, a new car cost around £300. Forty years on, the business sells vehicles costing 100 times that much. Terry, of Kentmere Drive, Cherry Tree, Blackburn, has just celebrated 40 years

  • Volunteers needed

    COMMUNITY groups want people to mark the millennium by offering some of their free time to help others. Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) is looking for volunteers to help with one-off community events. The group is also on

  • Variety in volunteer jobs

    VOLUNTEERS are needed to take on new roles in the Ribble Valley. The Volunteer Development Project is on the lookout for people to fill vacancies for musicians, dysphasia support and youth workers, sign language helpers, horse riding assistants, drivers

  • Let's get ready to barter

    A NEW scheme to enable Ribble Valley residents to barter with each other is set to be launched. Local Exchange and Trade Schemes (LETS) are already up and running in Burnley and other towns in the North West. They work on a barter systems where people

  • Cement firm pulls out of Cemfuel appeal

    CASTLE Cement has withdrawn an appeal against an Environment Agency notice restricting Cemfuel trials. Ribble Valley community committee agreed on Tuesday to write to the Government opposing the appeal, and just hours later, the Clitheroe-based firm announced

  • ICE HOCKEY: Downie boost for Hawks

    HAWKS star Colin Downie could be back in action sooner than expected after linking up with Blackburn Rovers' medical staff. The netminder was expected to miss this weekend's ice hockey action after pulling a hamstring in Hawks' 4-3 win over Sunderland

  • TEN YEARS AGO: Police 'screening'

    YOUNGSTERS at an East Lancashire school got the chance to become policemen - by computer. Pupils at Our Lady and St John High School, Blackburn, acted as "guinea pigs" for a new hi-tech game which was launched by Shadow Education Minister Jack Straw,

  • ATHLETICS: Auld and young show bottle

    THERE was Millennium mayhem at Haworth as the Auld Lang Syne Fell Race on New Year's Eve attracted 537 athletes. Twice the usual number of runners were drawn to the last race of the millennium, and each competitor was presented with a unique souvenir,

  • SWIMMING: Class Masters

    THE fastest 25-yard sprint performances overall in the Darwen Masters Swimming Club Gala came from defending champions Jonathon Smith and Emily Kinnery. Both retained their titles with Jonathon taking just 11.21 seconds to cover the one-length dash, while

  • Calling coach couple

    IN July last year, my Dad, Bob Taylor, and sister Heather, went on a coach trip to Scotland. On it, they met a couple called Nellie and John who run a farm near the Myerscough Hotel at Samlesbury and had a great time in their company. Dad was hoping to

  • Councillor should face his critics

    IN another episode of the upheaval that surrounds Hyndburn Council's lone independent and balance-of-power holder, Councillor Adrian Shurmer, we find him today refusing to appear before a panel which will examine his links with a bogus solicitor on the

  • Home alone at Christmas

    I AM a 66-year-old disabled pensioner and for six days at Christmas and four days at New Year, I was left on my own. I know I had frozen food from Meals on Wheels which I could heat to make hot meals, but I had a heating breakdown. I had only a two-bar

  • ATHLETICS: First footing

    HOSTS Blackburn Harriers scooped the major prizes at the Ribble Valley 10K on the penultimate day of last century. Michael Green and Pauline Powell were the race winners at Clitheroe, while a strong supporting cast of Scott Monk, Michael Hammer, Nikki

  • Council takes on new finance chief

    COUNCIL chiefs in Burnley have finally got their man with the appointment of Nick Aves as director of finance - five years after they first offered him the job. At that time Mr Aves, 47, a senior accountant with the council for 20 years, turned down the

  • ATHLETICS: Victory for Hill junior

    "IT'S good to be back on my dad's old stamping ground" smiled Graham Hill after the Europrint 10K. Hill knows by now that whatever he achieves, he will always be first and foremost Ron Hill's son. But his victory and course record in Blackburn Road Runners

  • Shame about the pubs

    DOESN'T Blackburn pub and club owner Margo Grimshaw love publicity? How many times has her photograph appeared in your newspaper concerning her wooden carving of Christ and the different TV programmes she has appeared in? And how many times have we had

  • Bull terrier attacked three children, court told

    A STAFFORDSHIRE bull terrier attacked three children after being left to roam in an alleyway, a court heard. Burnley magistrates were told how the dog's latest victim was a five-year-old boy. The dog, which had also bitten a seven year old boy and a girl

  • Equality forgotten

    AS we enter into the third millennium, no doubt we all celebrated in style. Then on reflection, what have we learned? We have learned skills beyond our forefathers' belief, discoveries in science, medicine and technology, even to the peak of sending craft

  • Railway death inquest adjourned

    A MAN found dead next to a railway line was probably killed by a glancing blow from a train, an inquest was told. David Howarth of Palmerston Street, Padiham, was found on the Huncoat side of Hapton station on Sunday. Michael John Fort of Lower Dimpenley

  • Laws strictest in the world

    JAN Creamer of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (Letters, December 16) is unaware that British regulations on animal research are regarded as the strictest laws in the world. As the patient's voice in this debate, we published a leaflet which clarifies

  • Cabbie in knife robbery ordeal

    A MINICAB driver was subjected to a terrifying ordeal at the hands of two men who robbed him at knifepoint. The driver picked up two men in their 20s from Blackburn centre at 1.45am today and drove them to Roe Greave Road, Oswaldtwistle. When the car

  • No cup fears, says Clarets star

    CLARETS schemer Paul Cook insists it will take a decent performance from his former club to end Burnley's FA Cup dream at the fourth-round stage. Cook, who played for Coventry in the Premiership for a full season in 1994/95, accepts that Burnley are underdogs

  • 'Witch hunt' claim over council's standards panel

    AN Independent councillor is refusing to answer to a scrutiny panel examining his connections with a fugitive accused of being a bogus solicitor. Ex-policeman Adrian Shurmer claimed he was the victim of a "witch hunt" and said he would have nothing to

  • Failures by firms 'may get worse'

    BUSINESS failures in the North West rocketed by 18 per cent in 1999, according to latest figures. Failures rose from 4,024 in 1998 to 4,749 in 1999. Company liquidations rose by 16.1 per cent to 2,105 and bankruptcies by 19.6 per cent to 2,644. And Dun

  • Estate speed cuts plan

    PART of the Hodge House housing estate at Nelson could be made into a 20 mph zone. The estate's existing scheme of road humps to encourage drivers to slow down could also be extended to cover Rakeshouse Road, according to a report to be presented to Pendle

  • Dome debut puts Emma on a high

    MILLENNIUM Dome performer Emma Lewis mixed work with pleasure as she celebrated the New Year. Emma, 17, of Barley, joined 10,000 revellers to see in the millennium at the dome alongside the Queen and Prime Minister Tony Blair. She is part of the Millennium

  • Ear-biting man gets 12 months

    A MAN will need plastic surgery after having part of his ear bitten off in a struggle at his home, a court heard. Preston Crown Court was told that Mark Queen was injured by his sister's boyfriend. The man responsible was jailed for 12 months when he

  • Turn trees into chips

    ROSSENDALE residents can do their bit for the environment by taking Christmas trees to Groundwork Rossendale to be turned into wood chips. The chips will be used for mulching community landscape projects or they can be bagged and taken home. Chipping

  • Home movies for posterity

    A UNIQUE social history project for the Millennium year has been launched by a group of amateur movie makers in Pendle. Local people have been asked to video events during the coming 12 months and allow the tapes to be copied and kept for posterity to

  • Sponsors sought as Marie prepares for trip of a lifetime

    MARIE White has a real taste for adventure and is gearing up for a trip of a lifetime to Uganda. Marie, of Edale Avenue, Haslingden, is taking a year out before going to university to take part in a five-month environmental trip with a group of 10 people

  • Public to have say on £30m road plan

    A £30million scheme to end years of traffic congestion in Colne will go out to consultation in a series of community exhibitions next month. The Colne/Thornton-in-Craven by-pass proposals have already sparked controversy. People appealing for relief from

  • Hilder howler gives Clarets the points

    Burnley Reserves 1 Birmingham City Reserves 0 BURNLEY continued their climb up the Pontins League Premier Division thanks to a spectacular own-goal from Birmingham substitute Alan Hilder at Turf Moor last night. The youngster had only been on the pitch

  • There's no cup fear factor, says Cook

    CLARETS schemer Paul Cook insists it will take a decent performance from his former club to end Burnley's FA Cup dream at the fourth-round stage. Cook, who played for Coventry in the Premiership for a full season in 1994/95, accepts that Burnley are underdogs

  • Headteachers at breaking point

    THE Bishop of Blackburn today claimed that many headteachers were at breaking point as he launched a scathing attack on the Government for putting too much pressure on schools. The Rt Rev Alan Chesters also fired a fierce broadside at the House of Lords

  • Keeper is Keane for Highfield challenge

    PAUL CRICHTON will face one of the Premiership's in-form strikeforces when he stares down the barrel at Robbie Keane and Cedric Roussel in the FA Cup fourth-round at Highfield Road on Saturday. But the Coventry City whizz-kids, who each pierced Chelsea's

  • Tears for dad crushed by lorry's load

    A GRIEF-stricken mother has spoken about the loss of her 22-year-old husband, who died after being crushed when a 32-tonne lorry toppled onto the pavement. Khalil Khan, of Moorgate Street, Blackburn, died yesterday in Blackburn Royal Infirmary - two days

  • 'Hit and run' driver causes collision chaos

    POLICE want to trace the driver of a Toyota Corolla who didn't stop after colliding with a Peugeot 309 and damaging four parked cars in Accrington Road, Blackburn, at 6.30pm yesterday. Police said the driver struck a Peugeot 309 which was turning right

  • Events in East/West Lancashire on Friday, January 7th

    Cinderella On Ice, King George's Hall, Blackburn, 1pm and 7pm. "Sleeping Beauty" pantomime, Haslingden Public Hall, Regent Street. Jazz Evening, The Holden Arms, Grane Road, Haslingden, 9pm. Learn to Jive, Mellor Brook District Community Centre, Mellor

  • Castle Museum hours cut for winter

    THE closure of Clitheroe Castle Museum on winter weekdays has been blasted by a Ribble Valley councillor. Coun Graham Sowter said there was little point in asking staff to market the landmark, only for visitors to find it closed. "It's a misdirection

  • Hoax virus alerts really do bug me

    Valerie Cowan's Web World SO it would appear the millennium bug failed to bite anywhere very hard. But that doesn't mean computer-related paranoia is over. Warnings of a new virus land in my e-mail inbox every couple of weeks and most people on e-mail

  • ATHLETICS: Lee chosen to face Portugal

    LEE McCash has received an invitation to run cross country for the Great Britain Under 20 team in Portugal on January 22. His latest honour follows his fine second place when running for England Under 20s in the Belgian Cross Cup in November. Meanwhile

  • FIVE YEARS AGO: Cutbacks warning

    SWINGEING cuts in council services were set to make it a miserable New Year for thousands of Lancashire's most vulnerable people, finance bosses warned. A massive £71.5 million programme of cutbacks under consideration included closure of fire stations

  • Response to panto - icy

    I WISH Blackburn would go back to the traditional pantomime instead of panto-on-ice. We took our two young grandchildren to the 1998 panto-on-ice, and we found it too sophisticated. It was spectacular, but young children want slapstick. They want to boo

  • ATHLETICS: Runaround Sue

    SUE Becconsall, of Todmorden Harriers, became the first woman in the country to complete a marathon this century when she won the British Millennium Marathon at Leyland by a 10-minute margin. Clitheroe athlete Jennifer Adams, in fourth place, was the

  • Indian action smacks of corrupt racism

    THERE is a rank stench of deceit and hypocrisy arising from the Indian government's announcement that the body exhumed from a grave in northern Kashmir is that of Blackburn student Paul Wells, who was kidnapped by Islamic militants five years ago. This

  • JUNIOR SOCCER: Amazing Akzo rally nets point

    AKZO Juniors found themselves trailing by three goals with only 15 minutes left of their Under-12s match with Barrowford Celtic in the Hyndburn and District Boys' League. But a late rally earned them a point as they clawed their way back to a credit-

  • Thanks from Cat Rescue

    ON behalf of Blackburn Cat Rescue, I wish to thank the many people who have contributed in a variety of ways to help us care for the local needy and abandoned cats over the last year. We are very grateful to Morrison's who allowed us to collect in their

  • Roadside 'angels'

    AT 4.30pm on Tuesday, December 21, my daughter and I were driving along the A59 on the busy stretch past the British Aerospace works at Samlesbury when we had a puncture. As neither of us could change the wheel, we were in trouble. So my daughter stood

  • Tough remedy for health trust's ills

    A RECOVERY plan to treat Burnley Health Trust's ailing finances will be presented to directors next month. But staff have been warned there is no simple panacea for the financial ills and the remedy could be painful. In a letter to staff, chief executive

  • Brian's licensed to fly at just 19

    HIGH flyer Ian Walker has gained his commercial airline pilot's licence at the age of 19. Thanks to £50,000 sponsorship from his grandparents, Roy and Erimina Ian has spent the past year at the British Aerospace flight training school in Adelaide, Australia

  • Face of the future in starring TV role

    BURNLEY actress Julia Haworth has her sights firmly set on the future in her latest screen role on ITV next week. Julia, 20, plays a leading role in Life Force, a 13-part sci-fi thriller set in the Year 2025, after global warning has melted the ice caps

  • Pathetic plight of wedding horses

    TWO grey horses used to pull wedding carriages were found to be emaciated when they were seized by a horse protection society from a field in Mellor, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates were told that the two Hungarian trotting horses and a third horse

  • Wheelchair man's protest over social services snub

    A DISABLED man who claimed social services staff were more interested in partying than sorting out his problems sat in the middle of the road in protest, a court was told. Wheelchair-bound Neil Dunne, 38, spent Christmas without gas and electricity after

  • Paul Wells: New claims

    THE parents of hostage Paul Wells were today awaiting details of new Indian claims that a body exhumed three years ago in Kashmir is that of their son. Indian police yesterday said new DNA tests confirmed the body was student Paul, kidnapped by Kashmiri

  • Rugged charm earns village awards

    THE rugged charm of Hyndburn's villages has helped the borough clinch an environmental award. The village of Green Haworth, on the moors above Accrington, and the hamlet of Tottleworth, near Rishton, were singled out by Hyndburn Council when it entered

  • Liverpool reject link with ex-Rovers boss

    BRIAN Kidd will not be making a shock return to football with Rovers' FA Cup rivals Liverpool. The former Ewood chief has been strongly linked with a coaching role at Anfield according to fresh speculation in the national tabloids. But sources on Merseyside

  • Just pie and chips for Christmas dinner

    A MOTHER-of-two claims she had to serve pie and chips for Christmas dinner because police have not paid compensation for battering down her front door. Carli Flanagan, 23, of Birtwistle Street, Accrington, claims she could not afford to buy her children

  • Fun-filled day to mark millennium

    ICE skating, fairground rides, music, dance and fireworks will fill Accrington town centre on Sunday. The millennium extravaganza starts at noon and ends at 5.15pm with a fireworks display. The council is holding its millennium events a week later than

  • Textiles make a double swoop

    A TEXTILE firm has made a double transfer swoop. Gaskell Textiles of Accrington has signed up rugby scrum half Neil O'Rourke and football club chairman Danny Besley for their sales team from a rival East Lancshire firm. Neil and Danny, 35, will head up

  • Still a smokeless zone

    Reporter Mike Ribbeck's daily diary as he attempts to give up smoking STILL going after 48 hours and I haven't yet succumbed to temptation, although I have found myself walking towards people who are holding burning cigarettes. People say the worst part

  • 3M is the A1 firm

    ONE of Clitheroe's biggest employers has been singled out as the best in the world. In a survey by the Financial Times, 3M was voted the world's most respected consumer goods company. The survey was carried out among 4,400 bosses from 75 countries. 3M

  • Chamois adds to the shine

    A CAR care products firm is hoping to clean up with its latest acquisition. Burnley-based Brencliffe has bought chamois leather producer County Chamois and transferred production from Tamworth to East Lancashire. The move is expected to see a small number

  • Green light for offices into pub plan

    A PUB company has cut the number of bedrooms in its plans to convert its head offices into an hotel. Devonshire Pub Company is set to get the green light on Monday for its scheme to convert its offices in Surrey Road, Nelson, into a hotel with conference

  • Offices into pub plan to get go-ahead

    A PUB company has cut the number of bedrooms in its plans to convert its head offices into an hotel. Devonshire Pub Company is set to get the green light on Monday for its scheme to convert its offices in Surrey Road, Nelson, into a hotel with conference

  • Judgment day for green awards

    THE winners in East Lancashire's premier green awards will be chosen on Tuesday. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph's Grimewatch Awards have attracted more than 130 entries from right across the region. Any kind of project which has helped to improve the

  • Book sale boost

    A RELIGIOUS book shop has been opened at the rear of Benedictine Brindle St Joseph's Roman Catholic Church, Hoghton. Previously, books and religious items were sold after Masses on an informal basis, but sales have increased dramatically since the shop