CLEVELEYS primary school teacher Ruth Calderbank was not content to go the extra mile for charity. She went the extra 26 -- and together with her pupils at Manor Beach primary on Manor Drive, raised £500 for Blackpool Victoria Hospital's Macmillan Windmill
A BLACKPOOL school marked its 40th anniversary this week with a special day of celebrations. Park School on Whitegate Drive held an assembly, attended by Blackpool Mayor Councillor Sue Wright and her consort Stan Wright, comparing educational and community
RAMSBOTTOM pipped their great rivals, Pioneer, by one point in a keenly fought top of the table clash on Monday. The spirited Rascals won 60-59 against the Accrington-based team, in the North East Lancs Friendly league home fixture. It was quite a contrast
Jamie Diffley looks at life's trials and tribulations IT LANDED with a thud that shook the very foundations of the One Bedroomed Flat. I had managed to ignore it for more than 18 months but there was no escape this time. There it lay, menacing, almost
SOCCER playing pupils at King David Junior School, Prestwich have re-written the record books as part of a triple celebration. At the end of a memorable season they won the Manchester Schools Football Association Ted Wetton Memorial Trophy for the first
DIG DEEP FOR FUINDS; An extra £2,200 was needed by Bury Council to meet the increased cost of filling in graves in the churchyard at St Paul's in the town. More graves were discovered by workmen preparing the cemetery for landscaping as part of improvement
I OBJECT to the town centre by-pass planned for our area of Blackburn. Its construction will mean dirt and noise for two years, then traffic noise and pollution. We do not need a by-pass through a quiet neighbourhood. Why not use the money to regenerate
ON Thursday June 14, on the very sad occasion of my brother's funeral, a little ray of sunshine peeped through the gloom that my family were all feeling. It was provided by the drivers on the road between Darwen and Pleasington between 11.30am and noon
REGARDING the closure of Church Street in Blackburn to traffic, as a senior citizen who needs transport to the door of a bank there, I find the closure completely unacceptable. I was informed that when the alterations are complete, there will be short-stay
A DISTRAUGHT father is pleading with heartless grave robbers to let his son rest in peace. Toddler Reece Jones died tragically in August 1994 in Leigh -- aged just 22 months -- but mindless vandals continue to desecrate his burial place. Little Reece's
EXERCISE on prescription is about to become just what the doctor ordered in Bury. At least 800 people could benefit from the borough-wide Exercise Referral Scheme which is launched on Tuesday (June 19). Local GPs, practice managers and nurses are expected
FOUR local schools have brought home the beacon. Heaton Park Primary School and St Michael's RC Primary School in Whitefield, Parrenthorn High School and St Monica's RC High School in Prestwich have all been designated as Beacon Schools. These are schools
PARTYING was not the only reason why hundreds of Bury College students danced the night away at the Sol Viva nightclub. More than £1,000 was raised for the Christies Against Cancer appeal as a result of an end of year party planned and hosted by second
COUNCIL and health bosses have launched a ground-breaking legal attempt to ban a man entering any medical facilities in an East Lancashire borough. Legal representatives from Hyndburn Council want to see Razwan Sarwar, of Willows Lane, Accrington, banned
A NEW strategy to tackle "problem pupils" is being officially launched in Bury. A range of agencies has contributed to Bury Council's new Behaviour Support Plan to support children with social, behavioural and emotional difficulties. The plan will be
A BURY schoolboy had his little toe stitched back on after his foot was crushed by a hit-and-run motorist. Adam Squires (13) was sitting on the kerb of Ringley Road at 5.20pm on Saturday (June 16) when a blue Vauxhall Nova, heading towards Radcliffe,
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is likely to receive a sharp rebuff from Sunderland counterpart Peter Reid if he tries to line up Michael Gray as a summer recruit. The Rovers chief is keen to strengthen the left side of his defence and was today linked
THE German trucker who missed his destination by 300 miles finally turned up at the right location yesterday -- 48 hours late. Bernd Baltes, 39, was supposed to arrive in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on Tuesday after landing at Dover with a load for shipping
EAST Lancashire Labour MPs Peter Pike and Gordon Prentice have warned Tony Blair against backing US President George Bush on his National Missile Defence Shield. The two backbenchers are alarmed at his plan to rip up existing anti-nuclear weapon treaties
A MODEL giving a bird's eye view of the Accrington Road Area of Burnley will be on show at an event to encourage residents to suggest ways to develop their area. Burnley's Community Alliance is organising the local planning in action event in a marquee
A "DEVOUT and strict" Muslim is in custody facing a jail term for molesting a Burnley schoolgirl. Muhammed Shahid, 44, was found guilty of incitement to commit indecency with a child after a three day trial at Burnley Crown Court. He was remanded in custody
A TERRIFIED 87-year-old woman was cited in the House of Commons as an example of the need to spend millions revamping East Lancashire's Housing. Burnley Labour MP Peter Pike who said that in East Lancashire there were 225,000 privately owner properties
TWENTY Year 6 pupils at Coates Lane county primary school, Barnoldswick, created their own Barlick Bugs for gala day. They spent a day working with community artist Joy Evans who helped them to create four large bug flags. Headteacher Sue Holloway said
JAILED Baxenden pensioner Harry Cunliffe was to be released from prison after an anonymous donor paid his poll tax. Mr Cunliffe, 73, was serving a 30-day sentence for refusing to pay his poll tax "on principle".
A CAMPAIGN was launched today to bring paving slabs up to scratch. Hyndburn Conservative council leader Peter Britcliffe has ordered an audit into the state of the borough's paving slabs. Coun Britcliffe told a meeting of the Accrington Town Centre Regeneration
AN MAN was today continuing to fight for his life after colliding with a bus. David Mellelieu, 31, of Persia Street, Accrington , collided with a Blackburn Transport single-decker bus after he stepped out from the kerb on Blackburn Road, Accrington, early
THERE must be something good about the air around here judging by the number of people who reach the ripe old age of 100 years or more. This week we congratulate 103-year-old Frances Butler. Well done and many more happy returns. Some people have no shame
SERIAL shoplifter Christopher Hindle was jailed for six months by Blackburn magistrates after throwing away the "last chance" he had been given on a previous occasion. The court heard that Hindle had been remanded to the Accrington bail hostel for assessment
SO much has been written about the general election in recent weeks that I thought it time to take a completely different tack. Read no further if you are offended by any mention of sex. Britain is becoming a more European nation, or at least, it is so
EDUCATION chiefs bogged themselves down with off-target initiatives that failed to raise school standards, according to an Ofsted report in Leigh. People working for the Leigh Education Action Zone flooded schools with too many schemes, too few of which
VILLAGERS were reduced to tears 40 years ago this week when the centrepiece of their community went up in smoke. Within hours of Astleyites celebrating walking day on June 18, 1961, 200-year-old St Stephen's church -- which stood opposite the Vicarage
EAST Lancashire property tycoon Gerald Hitman wants to build a country mansion costing more than £2 million. He has applied for planning permission to construct the isolated property -- to be called New Lawsonsteads -- near Wiswell, in the Ribble Valley
TINY dancer Brittany-Grace Briscoe is causing her mum a giant amount of housework. Every week the mini-marvel brings home another trophy and handful of medals to add to her growing collection. So far Brittany-Grace has amassed an amazing 106 medals and
Leyland 119 alI out St Annes 121-0 IT was back to winning ways for St Annes in the Northern Premier League as they totally demolished a weakened Leyland side which showed several changes from the previous week. Only opener Bavla and lower order batsman
LOCAL companies are being urged to mirror the success of Bury-based Chadwick's and W.H. Tracey by capturing a Queen's Award for Enterprise. The 2002 awards, the UK's highest accolade for outstanding business success, are open to top performing companies
BURY business leaders have backed a report highlighting how overworked managers are struggling to strike the right balance between work and life. For according to The "i" in Business Survey, half of the nation's business owners and managers are working
BURY businesses faced with the endless task of making consumers sit up and listen shouldn't underestimate the value of TV advertising. A study commissioned by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) has disclosed North West consumers are influenced
FUN is on the agenda for South Fylde this weekend -- it's Lytham Club Day on Saturday (June 23). A full timetable of events is planned for the day, including a vintage and classic car parade, family barn dancing, procession of floats, Punch and Judy and
POTENTIAL Clarets transfer target Stuart McCall looks set to stay at Bradford City. Burnley were thought to be waiting in the wings, along with First Division rivals Barnsley, to make a move for the former Scottish international midfielder, whose current
DOUBLE-CHASING Bacup go into a crucial weekend looking to recover from the surprise result of the season. The defending Transco Lancashire League champions were knocked off the top of the table last Saturday by bottom club Church. That allowed Rishton
CHURCH skipper Alec Holt talks about an upturn in fortunes for his side last weekend -- and the prospect of some silverware coming to Blackburn Road. IT had been a disappointing season up until last weekend where, when we could finally put our strongest
GLEN CHAPPLE made a timely point to Essex as Lancashire escaped a pitch penalty at Old Trafford. Tony Brown, the former Gloucestershire captain who is now an official pitch liaison officer, was summoned by the umpires after Essex complaints about playing
A DISTRICT judge has dismissed a Blackpool Pleasure Beach visitor's claim against the amusement park for an injury sustained while riding on the Big One rollercoaster in July 1995. District Judge Jones said that the rider, Ruth Fawcett, was extremely
BIG-HEARTED walkers can join The Citizen in supporting the British Heart Foundation's sponsored walk to raise funds in its 40th anniversary year. The annual Walkabout UK -- the fundraising walk held by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) -- will take place
A 17-YEAR-OLD Gloucester youth has been charged with the murder of a man in Blackpool whose body was discovered wrapped in bin bags in the boot of a car in Gloucester last week. The body of 36-year-old David Staunton -- who died from multiple head injuries
DRAMA awaits a Lytham St Annes girl in July -- because she hopes to be joining the National Youth Theatre! Chloe Postlethwaite, a Year 11 student at Lytham St Annes High Technology College, is one of just 180 pupils picked from 4,000 applicants to join
THE battle of the Redmayne Bentley Bolton Association title contenders ended in a narrow defeat for Atherton on Saturday when they lost by two wickets at Walshaw. Skipper Steve Walsh's bad luck with the toss continued and the visitors found themselves
LEIGH CC had a successful weekend with victories both in the league and Lancashire Cup competitions. New Brighton were the visitors for an important league clash on Saturday as Leigh aimed to make up ground on the leading pack. Having been asked to bat
WHAT better way to celebrate a silver jubilee in teaching than by winning a top educational award? That was the reward awaiting Sharron Hardman on Monday (June 18) when she received the Award for Excellence in Special Needs Teaching at the North West
ALTHOUGH Marilyn Monroe famously declared "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend," the actress icon was apparently fonder of non-precious stones. And Bury jeweller Stewart Sivvery can certainly testify to that. For he has just delicately fitted a stone, which
THE cream of Bury's young musical talent will display their prowess during a series of concerts to be staged next week. Whitefield-based Bury Music Centre is holding its three-day Festival 2001 featuring around 250 musical-minded youngsters, including
OPPONENTS of a planned £1.5 million crematorium at Radcliffe Cemetery face a further delay before a decision is made on the controversial project. Planning bosses were expected to approve the scheme at a meeting of the planning control committee last
BRAVE tot Lucy Howarth has lost her fight for life just two days before she was due to go on a dream holiday to EuroDisney. The poorly three-year-old, who died at home in Hardmans Road, Whitefield, early on Monday (June 18) was awaiting the go-ahead for
MANAGER Sam Allardyce has promised a full strength Bolton Wanderers when his Premier League newcomers visit Stainton Park. Big Sam has delighted Boro officials with his early pledge of all available players for it means a bumper pay-day for the club.
ROB MAIN won't have time to worry about defending his Bury and District Golf Association title...he's first out at eight o'clock in the morning! He pairs up with Andrew Siddle (Rossendale) in Sunday's 36-hole qualifier at Harwood with their second 18
POTENTIAL Clarets transfer target Stuart McCall looks set to stay at Bradford City. Burnley were thought to be waiting in the wings, along with First Division rivals Barnsley, to make a move for the former Scottish international midfielder, whose current
NORTH End have lined-up an exciting pre-season fixture list as they look to continue their success in Division One next season. The pick of these games are against Champions League semi-finalists Leeds and Italy Serie A side Verona. The match against
A SMALL company run from the home of businesswoman Sylvia Hopwood is in line for a top internet award. Recycleworks -- which sells compost equipment -- has been shortlisted for the North West E-Commerce Awards which carries a £5,000 first prize. Sylvia
A SMALL company run from the home of businesswoman Sylvia Hopwood is in line for a top internet award. Recycleworks -- which sells compost equipment -- has been shortlisted for the North West E-Commerce Awards which carries a £5,000 first prize. Sylvia
A TEAM of BAE Systems workers at Samlesbury has won a top award from US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin for its contribution towards the multi-billion-dollar Joint Strike Fighter project. The high-flying employees have collected a prestigious Aerostar
A GARDEN shed and its contents were destroyed in the early hours of last Wednesday at Maple Crescent, Leigh in a fire believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.
LEIGH Salvation Army members celebrate the corp's 110th anniversary this weekend. Guests will enjoy a strawberry tea at 5pm tomorrow, followed by an evening of music. On Sunday, the Cook Street hall will be open to everyone for services at 10.30am and
THE Village Inn in Leigh is set to close next month. But punters need not fear -- for the pub is being refurbished. Landlady Lee Hayes, 46, is closing the pub from July 1 to 21, after admitting the place had gone "from rack to ruin." She said: "We've
ALBINO ferrets don't have good eyesight or inbuilt road sense, so it was fortunate a good Samaritan came along to help Horace the hob cross a busy main road. The escapee couldn't have picked a better spot to cross Elliott Street in Tyldesley, right outside
A CONFERENCE and a community discussion is planned next week at Atherton's Dorset Road community centre on the Hag Fold estate. The community mapping team and delegates from local organisations will discuss local happenings at the 9am-3.30pm conference
A LEADING politician has backed a European drive to oversee the continent's food safety. Terry Wynn, North-west MEP, believes a body which can protect the health and safety of food consumers in the region would reduce the risk of BSE, salmonella, and
ELEVENTH-hour efforts to save a 66-year-old printing firm have failed and from Monday its 160 staff will receive redundancy notices. Walsden Printing Company, Todmorden, will begin winding up from Monday with most production being completed by July 13
PUPILS at seven schools within the Leigh Education Action Zone have been involved in an innovative arts and literacy project. And their work can be seen in a major exhibition in the Derby Rooms at Leigh Library from July 4 to 11. The arts exhibition features
MONDAY is national Home Birth Day, when mums across the country spread the word about how giving birth at home was a better experience for them and their families. Home Birth Group member, Julie Abbott, said: "Home birth is an option open to all women
FIRST steps in a consultation exercise to give locals a say in how a multi-million pound forest project is developed have proved successful. They met woodland reserve promoters at Astley and Tyldesley Miners Welfare Club to walk the 323-acre site bordered
POPULAR Leigh magistrate and Golborne councillor Arthur Johnson has died, aged 73. The former engineer fell ill last October and spent the last few months of his life under the care of Macmillan nurses. Mr Johnson, who served as a magistrate for 23 years
LIFE is grand for Frances Butler -- and at 103, it could not be anything else. She has just notched up another year of her impressive life with a big family bash at the Atherton care home where she now lives. The 103-year-old was joined by friends and
The Bible calls Jesus the Captain see Hebrews 2:10 and because of His experience at the crease, He can guarantee victory! Jesus has completed His innings and is now out of sight in the pavilion (heaven). But He's not just a spectator, He lives in the
STANLEY Park is set to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its opening this year by planting commemorative trees -- and is appealing for sponsors for the project. The plan to plant 50 common lime trees will also mark the 50th anniversary of the Festival
IT WAS a towering achievement for one Blackpool couple as they celebrated 5O fabulous years of marriage on Sunday. Twenty five friends and family members were in the Renaissance Room at Blackpool's famous Tower to see history repeat itself. Former sailor
TWO British Home Store workers from Blackpool are set to leave behind their normal routine and don their walking boots as they bravely venture to the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu to raise funds for sick children in the North West. Colleagues Diana Lilley
FUN is on the agenda for South Fylde this weekend -- it's Lytham Club Day on Saturday (June 23). A full timetable of events is planned for the day, including a vintage and classic car parade, family barn dancing, procession of floats, Punch and Judy and
A 93-YEAR-OLD man was pushed against the wall of his flat and robbed of £70 by a callous thief in Blackpool. The thief approached the man from behind in the doorway of his flat in Argosy Court, Argosy Avenue, at 2.55pm on June 8 and pushed him to the
BLACKBURN with Darwen's new mayor took office last night with a pledge to keep the vibrant heart of the borough beating. Councillor John Williams, a former headteacher, said the best of the community did not revolve around money but came from the people
STEVEN John Sharratt panicked when he saw a police car behind him just days after he had been charged with motoring document offences. Blackburn magistrates heard that he ran a red light and sped off in an attempt to get away from the officer who, until
NEARLY 500 former council properties face demolition in Blackburn and Darwen in the next two years. Twin Valley Homes -- which took over the council's housing stock earlier this year -- has sent details of its plans to tenant associations, who will be
YOUNGSTERS in East Lancashire will soon be going to lessons in their new Beacon Schools. St Mary and St Joseph Catholic Primary, Bennington Street, Blackburn; Our Lady and St John RC High, North Road, Blackburn; and Turton and Edgworth CE Primary are
YOUNGSTERS in East Lancashire will soon be going to lessons in their new Beacon Schools. St Mary and St Joseph Catholic Primary, Bennington Street, Blackburn; Our Lady and St John RC High, North Road, Blackburn; and Turton and Edgworth CE Primary are
RESIDENTS have called on a council to come up with an action plan to revamp their "forgotten" communities. They came together and quizzed a council official to work out a plan to counter what they see as neglect in their area. Residents of Knuzden and
ACCRINGTON Stanley boss John Coleman will take no nonsense when it comes to signing players. The Reds manager is getting tired of players who are expressing an interest in joining the Crown Ground side's charge for the Nationwide Conference -- only to
JU-JITSU champion Chris Jenkinson is desperate to defend his gold medal in South Africa in November -- but needs a helping hand. The 19-year-old is preparing for the biggest trip of his life in one of the top Ju-Jitsu competitions, the United Nations
NEIL Hodgson could not be better prepared to continue his climb up the World Superbike Standings writes Neil Bramwell. The Burnley rider has spent his week-long break in Italy, in the build-up to the eighth round at the Misano Circuit on the Adriatic
MR TURNER or anyone else who supports the Euro have forgotten what our forefathers and fathers fought for in the 1st and 2nd world wars -- to be free and free-thinking and not to be ruled by Germany, France or Brussels. Come on. Let's not be conned into
HANDS up all those folk who haven't heard the Frank Sinatra hit, Three Coins In The Fountain. Well, there is no need to go all the way to the Trevi fountain in Rome. We have our own wishing well right here in Cleveleys. It is an electrical-powered garden
I WISH to reply to Mr Omerod's letter (Citizen, May 24). Mr Farrer's letter believing that joining the Euro means giving up our gold reserves is not worth replying to. Joining the Merchant Navy in 1942, a fifth of the world's shipping flew the red duster
I HEAR that the American Veterans are coming to Blackpool in the last week of June to celebrate their war-time stay here. The majority of people will not be old enough to remember them. I myself was only a boy in my early teens, but I remember them well
NORTH End have lined-up an exciting pre-season fixture list as they look to continue their success in Division One next season. The pick of these games are against Champions League semi-finalists Leeds and Italy Serie A side Verona. The match against
SATs should not take place in our schools until arrangements are made for an independent body, which has no vested interest, to fully monitor all exams. Then every school can be sure that they would get marks appropriate to the hard work of the children
THE Republic of Ireland has voted no in their referendum on the Nice Treaty. I cannot imagine anyone is naive enough to believe the EU will let the matter rest at that. No doubt they will instruct the Irish Government to hold another referendum, in order
THE election is over: long live the referendum! It is time for the United Kingdom to look to the future, resolve to be a strong force in the shaping of the European Union, and join the single currency. I hope the campaign will begin sooner rather than
AGAIN it has been demonstrated that the land at Walkers Fields, Bury, is not suitable for a carnival, and that Chesham Road is not suitable as an access route. I am surprised that the council gave permission for the land to be used, especially as discussions
THE Centurions' proposed new stand is still on schedule for a start later in the summer. Hilton Park officials have now got the majority of funding in place for the £750,000 project at the Glebe Street end of the ground. Centurions' director Steve Grainey
LEIGH'S Alliance side continued its Division One play-off surge with a 34-24 victory over one of their main rivals, Rochdale, at Hilton Park. Rochdale made a whirlwind start to the game and inside 25 minute they had crossed three times for an 18-6 lead
THE Centurions won't be doing anything rash despite Sunday's heavy defeat at Rochdale. "There'll be no panic at Hilton Park," head coach Paul Terzis declared as he prepared his team for this week's testing home game with Featherstone. "The players know
Rochdale Hornets...36 Leigh Centurions...4 ARE chinks starting to appear in the Centurions' armour? Or should Sunday's second half mauling at Rochdale simply be put down as a bad day at the office? Either way, Leigh's dip in form over the last couple
A LOCAL footballing hero, who appeared in two Wembley cup finals in his younger days, died playing the game he loved. Former Coventry City player Ivan Crossley, aged 48, collapsed while playing five-a-side football with his son Paul at the JJB Indoor
LEIGH RMI boss Steve Waywell admits that although he needs a further three players for the new season his hands are tied until he knows where the future of star striker Steve Jones lies, last season's second top scorer in the Nationwide Conference. "I
St Michael, St John and Holy Trinity Gala Day at Holy Trinity Church, Larkhill, Blackburn, 12noon-3pm. Proceeds for Samaritans and church funds. Coffee evening, The Manse, Preston Old Road, Blackburn, 7pm. Proceeds for Hoghton Methodist Church organist
HOW right it was of Burnley MP Peter Pike to act swiftly as the government set out its Queen's Speech agenda and demand urgent and real action for East Lancashire's horrendous housing problem. It is, of course, not as if the scale of the problem is unknown
BURY are poised to snap up Stoke striker Dean Crowe as soon as the Gigg Lane take over is sorted out. Crowe became a hit with the fans when he spent two loan spells at the club last year. Not only did he score goals but his energetic performances lifted
RESULTS were as gloomy as the recent weather as Greenmount slumped to defeat in league and cup matches. On Saturday they couldn't come up with the goods in the Bolton League when chasing Egerton's modest 147 and their performance in the Thwaites Lancashire
RIDING a bike 476 miles through the Rockies in seven days ... that's what boozing does to you! For it was a chance remark over a pint in a Whitefield pub that led to pals Terry Finnegan and Eddie Fairclough embarking on one of the world's most demanding
Workington Town 34 - Swinton Lions 10 YOU can use all the old cliches in the world to describe Sunday's game. Jeckyll and Hyde, a game of two halves, or the Good the Bad and the Ugly. For the Lions it was definitely a case of the latter. The good was
FIRST match of the Bury Society's junior section took place on the Island Lodge on Wednesday evening in good weather. The event produced some excellent weights, led by Boyden Krupnyckyj jnr with a nice net of skimmer bream 6-8-0, closely followed in second
TOP of the table Walshaw entertained second place Atherton in what was billed as Match of the Day in the Bolton Association. Walshaw won the toss and invited Atherton to bat. Tight bowling allied to keen fielding restricted the visitors to 141 for 2 after
RAMSBOTTOM hit rock bottom of the Transco Lancashire League on Saturday but restored pride twenty-four hours later by reaching the semi-final of the Inter League Trophy. At the heart of Sunday's success story was professional Brad Hodge whose magnificent
LEIGH Miners Rangers held their awards evening and celebrated one of their best seasons for a number of years. The only predictable award for the night - the Peter Bell Trophy for the top try scorer - was presented by Leigh Centurions' coach Paul Terzis
DOESN'T Lee Holden (Letters, June 11) realise, after all, that horse manure makes a brilliant fertiliser for anybody's garden. And just think, Mr Holden, if there's such a large amount of it, as you suggest, why not start off a roaring trade, shovel it
I WONDER if anybody in Blackburn's Bank Top-Wensley Fold area would be interested in the setting up of a residents committee, with the goal of obtaining funds for our needs -- everything from play areas for toddlers to football grounds for older children
IT was a local show, for local people...the stage tour of hit TV comedy trio The League of Gentlemen arrived to a rapturous welcome at Blackpool's Opera House on June 18. Expectations were running high and the house was full, but the boys did not disappoint
IT must be fantastic to be in Amanda Thompson's imagination. Because if it's anything like the wonderful world of Eclipse, it's a place of fairy tales. The Stageworks Worldwide producer and director has renamed the show at the Pleasure Beach's Globe Theatre
IT'S going to be a lovely week in Blackpool next week -- at least that's what one famous actress is hoping. Stephanie Beacham, well known for her role as the powerful Sable Colby in Dynasty, is coming to Blackpool for the first time to star in a romantic
SUNSHINE and fresh air is on the menu for patrons of Bury's oldest hostelry. The Two Tubs public house in The Wylde has been granted planning permission to create a beer garden on land currently used as a car park. The area will be flagged with natural
BURY Hospice has launched an appeal for current and pre-decimal coins and notes, along with any foreign currency. Organisers believe there could be thousands of such items lying unwanted or forgotten in local homes and they could be of great value to
PRIZED watercolours from the Wrigley collection are now on show at Bury Art Gallery. A showing earlier this year called Wriggly 2001 proved so popular that gallery bosses are giving visitors another chance to see them. Ian Le-luan, a history of art student
TWO would-be robbers got the fright of their lives when their intended victim pulled a gun on them. But the 18-year-old victim was later arrested by police and cautioned for a firearms offence. The incident happened on Saturday evening (June 16) when
A MYSTERIOUS bottle has got the landlord and customers at the Turf Hotel scratching their heads in puzzlement. The bottle was found by the friend of a customer whose hobby is digging for unusual artefacts. "It's a glass gin type bottle with 'Thomas Gee
TWO youths were being quizzed by detectives today after a man was left for dead in an alleyway following a vicious attack. The pair, thought to be aged 16, were arrested after witnesses contacted police following the assault on Andrew Myerscough, 32,
PARTYING was not the only reason why hundreds of Bury College students danced the night away at the Sol Viva nightclub. More than £1,000 was raised for the Christies Against Cancer appeal as a result of an end of year party planned and hosted by second
EIGHT Bury firefighters have got on their bikes for charity. The lads from Bury Fire Station's Green Watch are currently taking part in a marathon 300-mile bicycle ride to Bury's French twin town of Angouleme. It is hoped that the epic journey, which
A BUSINESSMAN'S livelihood was dealt a bitter blow when his 26-ton truck was stolen from Radcliffe. Mr Phil Swire has offered a substantial reward for the return of the £12,500 Leyland Daf lorry which went missing from his father's farm on June 13. The
BURY has played host to a group of Czech mates keen to see how derelict sites are transformed into leisure areas. The borough's reputation for restoring old industrial land such as Burrs Country Park in Bury and Outwood Forest Park in Radcliffe has spread
PARENTS in Ramsbottom are being warned to be on their guard after the attempted abduction of an eight-year-old girl. A man in his 40s is being hunted by police after he chased the terrified girl through woodland close to her home in Whittingham Drive
JOHN Duffy fears his season may be in ruins - but has got his fingers crossed that he's wrong! The hooker-cum-half-back who has figured in virtually every game this season, damaged knee ligaments in the defeat at Rochdale last Sunday and the prognosis
IT was a tough task, but it looks like Radcliffe's brand new public space has finally got a name. The site of the former One Stop shopping centre on Stand Lane has been transformed into a landscaped area that will link Stand Lane to Pilkington Way via
MEDICAL services provided in the Preston and South Ribble area are set to receive a check-up. The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) have earmarked Chorley and South Ribble and Preston Acute Hospitals as two of the first NHS trusts to be inspected
PRESTON'S National Football Museum is to received the royal treatment when it was officially opened by the Duke of Kent. A host of sporting greats are expected to attend the grand occasion at the museum at the Deepdale ground including legendary PNE player
ONE hundred school children from St Catherine's RC Primary, in Moss Lane, Leyland, are galloping ahead in the art of horseback riding thanks to trusty Trigger, the mechanical horse. As part of the Jeep National Riding Festival, the youngsters were taught
TWO thieves, claiming to be from the water board, entered the home of an 88-year-old woman in Belton Hill, Fulwood. The bogus officials, who struck at 10.10am on Wednesday, June 13, stole cash while pretending to carry out tests. They were both white,
AFTER more than a century of offering emergency treatment to people in need, the Leyland division of the St John Ambulance is facing closure. Members of the Leyland Quad Division, based in Leyland Lane, could fold by the end of October unless new premises
EAST Lancashire MPs Gordon Prentice and Peter Pike have urged the government to bring in a new Bill to ban hunting with dogs. They are dismayed that while the Queen's Speech outlining the government legislative programme for the next 18 months promises
POLICE are investigating claims that the drinks of a man who died may have been "doctored." James Edward Pickford, 29, was found dead at his girlfriend's home in South View, Nelson, on Friday. An inquest at Burnley was told yesterday that a post mortem
THE sister of a man found hanged at his home in Colne found a note on the sideboard and another on the cellar door saying: "Call the police." Kathleen Livesey of Skipton Road, Colne, told an inquest at Burnley that her brother David Bainbridge was found
ONE hundred local youngsters are expected to take part in a sponsored trials cycle ride in Victory Park, Barnoldswick, on Sunday. The youngsters, who have organised the event themselves, are trying to raise money to provide a permanent wheels park. It
FARMER Edmund Barnes, of Altham Hall Farm, Burnley Road, Altham, was the victim of wreckers who caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to milking machinery and threw a drum of washing up detergent into a 400-gallon milk storage tank.
THREE directors at home shopping and educational supplies group Findel plc, a major East Lancashire employer, shared bonuses of £328,000 last year, according to the company's annual report. Its Express Gifts arm employs more than 500 people in East Lancashire
THE Leigh Journal and its sister paper, the Bolton Evening News, have a new Editor-in-Chief - Stephen Hughes - who joins the company from the East Anglian Daily Times, where he was deputy editor. Steve began his career as a trainee reporter on the Hereford
PLANS for a new church hall in the heart of an East Lancashire town have been approved -- even though neighbours had objected. But now a former Mayor of Hyndburn has appealed for action to be taken to sort out traffic problems on New Lane, Oswaldtwistle
RESIDENTS have decisively rejected the idea of Wigan council being run by an elected mayor. The results of one of the biggest consultation exercises ever undertaken by the council show the political management option of a leader and cabinet was supported
THIEVES plundered a community gardeners' store, striking a harsh blow against a group of enterprising people with learning disabilities. On Saturday, a garage at Orchards Day Centre was targeted by thieves who stole powered lawnmowers, strimmers and a
Letter from Strasbourg IT was congratulations all around on Labour's election win, except that the hands being shaken were mainly from European Conservatives who can't stand the British Tory Eurosceptics. There were also congratulations from some pro-Euro
REDUNDANCY packages are being prepared for 250 workers at the area's biggest engineering firm. But as the results of a ballot for industrial action are awaited, the workforce at Ingersoll-Rand, in Hindley Green, have been told to sit tight by Leigh MP
AN ATHERTON couple have been asked to take a special bow -- for helping Christie's Hospital finally reach its £25 million target. Stalwart Christie campaigners, Lib Dem Councillor Bob Splaine and his wife Ilse,have raised thousands of pounds for the Christie's
A FYLDE animal lover has condemned cruel dog-owners, whom she believes used a Jack Russell for badger baiting before abandoning it. Mandy Leigh, of Easterleigh animal sanctuary in St Annes, who are now caring for the distressed dog, said she is disgusted
IT was supposed to be their big day -- the culmination of months of planning. But the very day 26-year-old Richard Thornber and his 29-year-old fiancee Liz Schofield should have been tying the knot at St Andrew's Church, Slaidburn, the couple were busy
STARTING a new rural business at the height of the foot and mouth crisis sweeping through the Ribble Valley does not show the best of timing. But for Simon Barnes, it is a gesture of faith in the future of rural life and a challenge to fulfil an ambition
DOMINO are the world's largest pizza delivery firm with 219 stores in the United Kingdom and they are hoping to open in Bury as part of a plan to set up more than 25 new outlets in the UK and Ireland by the end of the year. Domino franchises have been
A BURY fitness centre and leisure club is in great shape after winning the Investors in People (IIP) award. The Stables Fitness and Leisure Club, based at the Bolholt Hotel in Walshaw Road, has expanded in size and staff numbers in the five years since
STEVE McMahon has announced his first signing of the summer -- John O'Kane joins Blackpool from Lancashire neighbours Bolton Wanderers on a two-year contract. John is a former Manchester United trainee who arrived at the Reebok from Everton. He seemed
DELEGATES from the North West and further afield descended on Bury this week for a major conference. Around 120 guests attended the Greening the Supply Chain event held at Bury Town Hall on Wednesday (June 20). Organised by Bury Business Environment Association
BUGGED by the complexities of computers and irate over the Internet! Don't worry because help is on hand! For a computer users' question time will form the main theme of the latest meeting of the BURYBUSINESS.NETwork to be staged at the town's Bolholt
BLACKBURN Northern's healthy youth system combined with the skill of professional Ata-ur-Rehman has been the key to the club's recent revival. That is the verdict of captain Neil Weaver, whose side currently lie fourth in the Jennings Ribblesdale League
POTENTIALLY dangerous prescription drugs were stolen from a flat in Blackpool on Wednesday(June20). Blackpool Police have warned that the tablets - called Stellacene - could be very dangerous if taken in doses of more than four in a day. The tablets -
NOW then, now then! Sir Jimmy Savile OBE led the way to Blackpool Pleasure Beach this week for the 49th trip of the Manchester Taxi Driver's Organisation. The group take handicapped children from the Manchester area on a bumper day out each year and this
BRITISH Transport Police are appealing for information after a ticket officer was sprayed with petrol and robbed in a savage attack at St Annes railway station on June 14. At about 8.25am the robbers went into the ticket office on St Andrews Road North
EUROFIGHTER, currently being built and developed at BAE Systems, Warton, has just passed three major milestones in the flight test programme. Eurofighter DA7, one of the Italian-based development aircraft, has successfully undertaken the launch of three
GREG Dimery's prolific early season form as Atherton's professional has been rewarded with an invitation to play second Xl cricket for Essex against Middlesex at Chelmsford this week. So far this season the Aussie has scored 778 runs in all competitions
THE Bury Times has laid firm foundations for the future with the official opening of our new headquarters. Bury mayor Councillor Paul Nesbit, accompanied by his mayoress wife Mrs Shirley Nesbit, unveiled a plaque at yesterday's (Thurs June 21) ceremony
VICTORIOUS residents are celebrating winning the first battle in their war to stop a hostel for the homeless being built in their area. Dozens of residents, including parents and children, confronted planning bosses over the plans when they visited the
AN ARMY of Prestwich residents has stepped up the battle to stop city planners steamrolling plans through to build new car park entrances at Heaton Park. Around 30 people from the St Margaret's Road area besieged a meeting of the Prestwich Area Board
A DAZZLING display of colour swept through the streets of Prestwich on Sunday (June 17) as the biggest and best carnival procession in recent years marched its way through the village. Around 1,000 people, all dressed to impress in character costumes
A MAN who became a legend among local cyclists, has died after a short illness at the age of 77. Mr Charles (Charlie) Westlake passed away at his daughter's home in Glossop a week ago after a short illness. During his lifetime, it is reckoned he had ridden
UNSWORTH Cricket Club might not be able to play a single match this year at their new ground which was meant to be ready two months ago. The pavillion is almost complete but the wicket is far from playable It is frustrating for the club, who were looking
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is likely to receive a sharp rebuff from Sunderland counterpart Peter Reid if he tries to line up Michael Gray as a summer recruit. The Rovers chief is keen to strengthen the left side of his defence and was today linked
A TEAM of BAE SYSTEMS workers at Samlesbury has won a top award from US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin for its contribution towards the multi-billion-dollar Joint Strike Fighter project. The high-flying employees have collected a prestigious Aerostar
JUNIORS with petunias will feature in a schoolchildren's competition which is part of a two-day garden party being held this weekend at Bents Garden Centre, Warrington Road, Glazebury.
HOT shot Ian Lawson has issued a "come and get me" message to Bury - if he cannot force his way into the Stockport team. The former Shakers favourite is fully fit and raring to go after enduring 12 months of misery, during which he has undergone three
A NEW computer suite will be unveiled at Leigh CE Infants School on Tuesday. The suite, of ten new computers plus an interactive lightboard, has been funded by Leigh Education 7.7 Zone. Present at the opening will be Gareth Cheesman, chairman of Leigh
A CARAVAN abandoned at an empty house was destroyed by fire late on Sunday night in Devonshire Road, Atherton. Firefighters say the blaze was started deliberately, as were earlier fires which flared in quick succession in a rubbish skip and a workman's
A MEDICAL secretary is leaving her Leigh job after 20 years after gaining a promotion to the NHS Trust in Manchester. Joyce Barnes has worked at Heath Lodge, Plank Lane, Leigh, for two decades, as part of the medical health team. A bash is being held
EX-PUPILS and staff of Leigh Girls' Grammar School will next week be able to see how the Windermere Road building has changed over the years. They have been invited to take a look at what is now Leigh Central CE School by the headteacher, staff and pupils
A GROUP of talented youngsters are hoping kindhearted folk will come to their rescue as they put the finishing touches to their first open air performance. Actors and actresses at Darwen Library Theatre are due to stage J R R Tolkein's 'The Hobbit' next
GENEROUS customers supported a book sale at Asda's Golborne store to help raise £200 for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Appeal, and one of them celebrated with a raffle prize of a five kilo bar of chocolate. The store is also helping Golborne County Primary
A HEADTEACHER today warned parents they could be faced with hefty repair bills if their children are caught playing on a school roof. Geoff Tennant, of Avondale County Primary, in Durham Road, Darwen, has issued hundreds of letters to parents at the school
A WOMAN who rarely drank choked when she swallowed her own vomit after a night out with her husband, an inquest was told. Georgina Mifsud, aged 40, of Diamond Street, Leigh, had been out with her husband Dominic on December 28, but had not eaten much
ELLENBROOK and Boothstown Band travelled to East Lancashire to compete in the band march contests, which have been traditionally held for the past 125 years. Under musical director Mr Brian Peacock, they put forward five contests and were awarded third
lEMPLOYEES in Leigh who work in the local government and voluntary sectors are being offered the chance to study for a degree. A new course at Wigan and Leigh College -- the Foundation Degree in Community Governance -- aims to address issues facing those
WORKERS at a brassware company in Leigh are celebrating the firm's tenth anniversary. The Deva Tap Company has become the UK's largest company of its type over the past decade, and it now employs 120 staff in Leigh. Employees at the firm in Brooklands
WALKERS have been warned to avoid contact with the water at Pennington Flash. The lake is affected by blue-green algae which can cause eye irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rashes, muscular pains and fever. The algae is found naturally in many inland
AT YOUR SERVICE. Councillors serving on Wigan MBC will hold the following public surgeries: FRIDAY, June 22: Leigh Town Hall (6-6.30) K Anderson, Mrs L Liptrot (7-8) K Cunliffe; Tyldesley Town Hall (6.30-8) S Hellier. SATURDAY, June 23: Atherton Town
HEROES' souvenirs have been put on display to ensure they will never be forgotten. The servicemen's honours board, which for the best part of 30 years hung in Leigh Royal British Legion Club, has been refurbished and put up at Leigh Town Hall. This week
AGE Concern is appealing for help with repair bills, after vandals ruined its specially adapted minibus, leaving 100 housebound pensioners even more isolated. The minibus, funded through the National Lotteries Board, is used four days a week to take people
GARDENING novices and experts alike will enjoy an inspirational two-day party at Bents Garden Centre. Recent research has revealed 30 per cent of the British population are keen gardeners, and almost half the nation admit to doing some gardening and could
A DRUG addict broke in to his parents' home and stole goods when they refused to give him money to settle a debt. Dean Wilcock had asked his father to give him £150, but he refused. A later request for £60 also fell on deaf ears. Wilcock then raided his
FIREFIGHTERS will lead the bid for a candle-lit record on Sunday in a bid to boost the tower rebuilding fund at Leigh Parish Church. White Watch, from Leigh Fire Station, will bid for a place in the Guinness Book of Records by lighting 1,000 candles in
IF the baby is keeping you awake at night, spare a thought for Janis Dean. She is caring for five orphan babies which need bottle feeding every two hours -- 24 hours a day! But Janis has become accustomed to such things since her home became the Carleton
BLACKPOOL: Lancaster Castle will be the topic of a presentation at the meeting of the Fylde group of the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA) tomorrow (June 22) at 7.30pm in Blackpool Cricket Club, Stanley Park, Blackpool. ST MARY'S Church will hold
A FYLDE man who died nine days before he was to receive the MBE has been posthumously awarded the honour. Retired serviceman Stanley Evans, who lived in Pilling, knew he was getting the award but died before it could be announced in the Queen's Birthday
THE Princess Royal braved Blackpool storms to officially open a new horse rehabilitation centre. Princess Anne spent an hour touring Penny Farm, the new £1.1 million, 110-acre centre run by the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH)
BLACKPOOL'S seafront is set to shine brighter than ever before this autumn by premiering a stunning selection of innovative Illuminations to sit alongside family favourites. And topping the bill will be ten sensational spotlights from the Millennium Dome
A WOMAN dying from skin cancer is appealing to other sufferers to come forward to help investigate her claim that there is a link between her illness and radiation levels from BNFL. Lynn, who has asked just to be known by her first name, has lived close
A CHARITY which helps people to cope with the effects of crime visited 36, 000 homes in Lancashire last year. The Lancashire Victim Support group revealed the figure at its first annual general meeting at the Whitbread Brewery in Salmesbury. The volunteers
ANTHONY Eastwood lashed out at his drinking partner at the end of an all-day session. Blackburn magistrates heard that the blow caught Jason Allan on the ear ripping out an earring. Eastwood, 21, of Moss Lane, Knuzden, pleaded guilty to assault and was
A COMPLAINT against an East Lancashire doctor made after a woman died has been upheld by the Health Service Ombudsman. Michael Buckley today published his annual report in which he investigated 204 complaints in the UK, upholding 69 per cent of them.
WE'RE busy making a TV series called The Real... for prime time BBC1 that celebrates popular comedy TV characters such as Victor Meldrew, Gary or Tony (Men Behaving Badly), Patsy (Ab Fab), Alan Partridge (Knowing Me Knowing You) or Geraldine (Vicar of
I AGREE with Wilfred Smith about the EU being an authoritarian regime and the only reason for MPs wanting us to be part of Europe is to extend their work base. We can never be like America -- our cultures are too diverse, so I've put what I think in verse
THIS is what the people of Leyland have been waiting to hear -- Towngate WILL be redeveloped, Tesco is DEFINITELY coming, and work on the new store will start in Autumn this year. At a launch meeting at Lancashire Football Association in Thurston Road
A FYLDE animal lover has condemned cruel dog-owners, whom she believes used a Jack Russell for badger baiting before abandoning it. Mandy Leigh, of Easterleigh animal sanctuary in St Annes, who are now caring for the distressed dog, said she is disgusted
I WRITE regarding the suspension of the head teacher at Peel Brow School, Ramsbottom. I do not know the school involved, but I write as a parent of a child who has just gone through the agony of SATs year. It was the most difficult year of her life, the
ON Sunday afternoon I lost my purse in the Walmersley Road area of Bury. I was very upset because it contained the only money I had until pay day. To my amazement, when I got home, my son gave me back my purse. Apparently, someone had found it on Chesham
MOTOR Neurone Disease (MND) Awareness Week lasts until June 25. MND is a rapidly progressive fatal disease which robs people of two precious things, time to live and life itself. It races through the body, leaving people unable to walk, talk or feed themselves
AT a time when young people often feature in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons, it is fitting and appropriate to heap praise on a group of youngsters who met at the new Manchester swimming complex on Saturday to take part in the Greater Manchester
THERE is currently much media attention about testicular cancer, stressing the importance of checking yourself regularly. In April my partner noticed a lump in his testicles, which grew more painful. As it was a bank holiday we went to A & E where
CORRESPONDENT J. Holden (Your Letters, June 12) suggests that this country needs more European government rules and regulations, this due to Britain's 25 years of financial contributions. This is blatant nonsense! We in Britain over the last 25 years
LEIGH'S international brigade face a hectic few weeks as they fit in representative duty with their club commitments. Liam Bretherton and Dave Bradbury will be playing for Ireland against France in Alibi next Tuesday; Paul Anderson and John Duffy are
LEIGH'S proud unbeaten home record goes on the line on Sunday. It's 21 games and almost 15 months since the Centurions were last beaten at Hilton Park but top four contenders Featherstone Rovers will put that record to the test. While Leigh have quickly
BLACKPOOL moved comfortably into the third round of the Thwaites Lancashire Cricket Knockout on Sunday when they beat Ribblesdale Wanderers by 38 runs. There were only two blots on the Blackpool landscape, Richard Lamb, caught at slip by Davies off professional
