Archive

  • Inspired by beauty of Lancashire countryside

    SCHOLARS have long believed that Professor JRR Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, regularly visited Stonyhurst College in the Ribble Valley. They knew that one of his sons, Michael, taught classics at Stonyhurst and St Mary's Hall in

  • New boy's

    Gigg aim BURY'S new boy Marc Whiteman has revealed an ambition that will delight the Gigg Lane faithful ... he wants to be the next David Johnson, writes STEVE CANAVAN. Like Johnson did, Whiteman has arrived on a free transfer from Manchester United.

  • Recycling of refuse praise

    THE recycling of newspapers, etc. by Blackburn with Darwen Council is a great idea and will benefit charities. At last, our refuse bin will not be filled so quickly. A strong bag is provided for householders, plus a useful calendar with dates for collection

  • When hygiene was bottom of the list

    IAGREE with your columnist Helen Mead (LET, July 17) -- there is too much said about hygiene. When we were little, we sat on the kerbside popping bubbles in the tar on the road and made mud pies in Moss Street 'rec.' Children miss all this nowadays. And

  • Replacing doors sheer vandalism

    I WAS both angry and dismayed to read (LET, July 19) that the refurbishment of Darwen Library includes replacing the front doors. They are lovely doors and it is sheer vandalism to replace them with automatic ones, which will be totally out of keeping

  • Land reclaimed

    DERELICT land in Leigh will be reclaimed by the council after it received £2.5 million extra funding. The North-west Development Agency has come up with the funds because it says Wigan borough has so much derelict land it is a special case. A number of

  • Facilities are there, don't spoil them

    LODGESIDE Trust would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the campaign to provide the recreational area at Watery Lane, Darwen (LET, July 18). A lot of time and effort has gone into this project in order for residents of all ages to enjoy

  • One man cleared of club assault

    A JURY at Bolton Crown Court has cleared one man of unlawful wounding but was sent home to consider its verdict on two other men. Victim Neil Yates was attacked and allegedly beaten by his former wife's new partner and the boyfriends of his two daughters

  • Kabaddi capers thrill all comers

    BLACKBURN underlined its place as one of the main centres for Kabaddi in this country when thousands of fans flocked to Witton Park for the annual tournament. And while it didn't turn out to be a winning day for Blackburn an Accrington dumb-bell lifting

  • Safe sex blitz

    CONDOMS are to be made available in surgeries across Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley in a new initiative aimed at slashing the number of teenage pregnancies. East Lancashire has among the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in the country with 61.4 under

  • Kelly wants to sort out future

    ROVERS outcast keeper Alan Kelly also revealed last night that he expects to join Tottenham by the weekend. The former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper said: "I've had two encouraging conversations with Glenn Hoddle in the past 48 hours and he's assured

  • Souey happy with Crailsham draw

    SOUNESS today declared himself satisfied with last night's scrappy 2-2 draw against Crailsheim, despite watching his side throw away a 2-0 lead. Goals from David Dunn and Martin Taylor had put Rovers firmly in the driving seat against the plucky part-timers

  • No smash 'n' Grabbi!

    ITALIAN goal-ace Corrado Grabbi was upstaged on his Rovers debut last night by a Ghanaian striker plucked from football's bargain basement. Graeme Souness's new £6.75 million capture from Ternana finally got his first taste of action as a second half

  • Halton Mill development gets another airing

    A DECISION on the controversial Halton Mills development on the picturesque banks of the River Lune has been deferred for further consultation. Planners decided on Monday that further negotiations between the interested parties are needed before a decision

  • Trust to discuss serious cash crisis

    A SPECIAL meeting of the Burnley Health Care Trust board will be held at the end of next month to discuss serious overspending. Board members were told yesterday that hospital budgets had plunged £600,000 into the red after only three months of the financial

  • Woman assualted on bridge

    A HUNT has been launched for a man who indecently assaulted a woman on Lancaster's new Millennium bridge . The 24-year-old victim was returning from a night out in the city centre, heading towards Skerton when she heard footsteps on the bridge and speeded

  • Ambitious plans for the future

    AN ambitious vision for the district is being drawn up by the city council and everyone will be invited to have their say. The council will spend the summer consulting on its Draft Strategy, which outlines a vision for the district for the next 10 years

  • Resort back in the frame

    POOL might be a game associated with smoke-filled pubs, but for Morecambe, it's big business. Around 800 players have flocked to the town this week and organisers say they are delighted to be back in the resort. "We were in Bridlington last year," explains

  • Local men witness G8 mayhem

    TWO Lancaster men have given their first hand accounts of the rioting which engulfed the summit of world leaders in Genoa this weekend. The Bishop of Lancaster, Patrick O' Donoghue, was there as a representative of CAFOD, campaigning to 'drop the debt

  • Group all set to find out shelter decision

    MEMBERS of Earby Youth Club will find out early next week whether or not they will be getting a new youth shelter. The club has applied for planning permission to build a shelter on land next to the Council Office and public car park in Victoria Road,

  • 'Confused' man died on tracks

    A 20-YEAR-OLD Nelson man decapitated by a train had talked about ending his life on the railway tracks on several occasions, a jury inquest heard. The body of electrician Dale Turton, of Hibson Road, was discovered near Nelson Station on April 4 by a

  • Committee to consider storey plan

    MEMBERS of the West Craven Committee will be asked on Tuesdayto consider an application to build a single storey extension for use as a lounge at 2 Oakfield Avenue, Barnoldswick. Planners have recommended it for refusal stating that it would have an overbearing

  • Globe-trotters get a taste of Pendle

    YOUNG people from across the world descended on Pendle this week to take part in a ten-day international cultural exchange event. The group from Hungary, China, Israel and Turkey, as well as from Pendle's linked towns of Marl in Germany and Creil in France

  • Five years ago

    VILLAGERS were close to tears after discovering that vandals had destroyed a war memorial which had stood in Mellor for 70 years. The tall granite cross had been pushed off its stand and smashed to pieces.

  • Ten years ago

    AN off-duty doctor dragged two men to safety after their car crashed into a lamp-post in Blackburn and burst into flames. The doctor suffered injuries after rescuing the two men from the blazing hatchback in Haslingden Road. Both men suffered serious

  • Special needs centre calling for volunteers

    A RISHTON special needs centre has appealed for would-be volunteers to attend an open day next month to see what the centre offers and if they can help. Lord's House Farm, in Wilpshire Road, began in 1993 as a riding therapy centre aimed at physiotherapy

  • Bouncer chased clubbers with cosh

    A BOUNCER seen on CCTV chasing nightclubbers down the street with an extending metal cosh has walked free from court -- but paid the price with his job. Burnley Crown Court had heard how Fiaz Mohammed, 25, then working on the doors at Lar de Dars in Accrington

  • Outrage at homes plan

    OUTRAGED conservationists have slammed proposals to flatten an historic architectural feature in the heart of St Annes to make way for new homes. The Victorian pavilion in Ashton Garden, which overlooks the park's bowling green, could be demolished to

  • Kids learn joy of junk

    CHILDREN from schools in Clitheroe made Iron Men during a summer workshop at the Grand Cinema on York Street. The "junk sculpture" class was followed by a screening of the film The Iron Giant. Workshops, followed by a film in the afternoon, are running

  • Department doesn't operate for my benefit

    HOORAY for Terry Turner, the Morecambe businessman who is taking Lancaster City Council to the European court. After reading the report in the Citizen, I felt compelled to write and offer my support to Terry Turner, as I have never come across an establishment

  • Rotary chief's praise for club efforts

    CLITHEROE Rotary Club entertained national president of Rotary International in Britain and Ireland at a meeting in Waddington. David Liddiatt, from Clifton Rotary Club, Bristol, thanked the club for its hospitality and praised their work raising money

  • Kylie is still hip

    ALTHOUGH I am not a drooling chap, I have always enjoyed watching Kylie Minogue perform. I used to have all her videos -- and Jason Donnovan's for that fact. Kylie is still as hip and as gorgeous as she was back in the 80s, which is one of the reasons

  • Road's future is orange

    DIDN'T our council disagree with the public's choice of a 'northern' link when last consulted in 1997? Why do some councillors persist in a policy which yields nothing from governments of left or right? Is there intent to mislead in labelling a central

  • Reflecting on plants

    A LIVING theatre for plants and people, the Eden Project has just opened near St Austell in Cornwall. It describes itself as a gateway into the world of plants and people and is a centre for communication. The 21st century scientific institute and forum

  • Labour is not being childish

    GREEN Cllr Jon Barry's silly invective and allegations of 'childish behaviour' by the Labour group who he says only seek 'to cause trouble' by not joining as all-party council cabinet can be contemptuously ignored, as can his references to 'Green West

  • Check out the sites for stars

    WITH so many channels to choose from in the average home these days, it seems more important than ever to plan viewing carefully, so as not to miss anything truly outstanding. That is where this site comes in handy, informing you of notable events coming

  • SWIMMING: Eight against best

    EIGHT swimmers from Fleetwood Swimming Club will be competing against the best later this week in the National Age Group Swimming Championships being staged at Pond's Forge, Sheffield, from July 27 to August 3. Heather Palfreyman, Rennie Whittaker, Justine

  • Martial Arts: Dale stretches unbeaten run

    EIGHT youngsters from Blackpool Budokan Martial Arts Academy had a successful day at the WKA professional league tournament in Manchester. The tournament attracts the best of Britain's competitors and provides their official British ranking in Sport Karate

  • Football: No bid for Brett

    SEASIDERS' supporters will be relieved to hear that Leicester City have denied any interest in Blackpool hotshot Brett Ormerod. The Blackpool striker has been the subject of speculation linking him with a switch to Filbert Street worth nearly £1million

  • Jodie's riding high

    GEE-GEE whizz -- An 18-year-old horse champ from Kirkham has won a chance to compete in the Horse of the Year Show. Jodie Stevens (above) of Thistleton Road, Thistleton, will take part in the prestigious annual competition at Wembley in September after

  • Tickets on sale

    TICKETS for Burnley's first home game of the season against Wimbledon are now on sale. They are priced £18-£13 for adults and £9-£6.50 for concessions. Tickets for the home game against Manchester City on Monday, August 27 (kick-off 6.15pm) go on sale

  • Looking forward to Manx final

    BURNLEY are through to the final of the Isle of Man tournament -- but had to survive a penalty shoot-out against Oldham before they confirmed their place in Saturday's clash. The Clarets drew 1-1 with the Latics at the Bowl last night -- but then lost

  • Spot kick shoot-out raises heat

    IT wasn't quite a penalty shoot-out of England proportions but it got quite heated at the Bowl as Burnley squared up for a spot kick decider against Oldham in their last game of the Isle of Man tournament qualifiers. The game had ended 1-1 after Gareth

  • LOCAL CRICKET: Darwen deliver Preston knockout

    PRESTON suffered a double blow on Saturday as Darwen knocked them out of the Slater Cup and their professional suffered a broken finger. Darwen chose to bat on a good track at Birch Hall and amassed 173 runs from the allotted 40 overs. Professional Keith

  • Indian summer for Muzumdar

    ANOTHER top quality batting performance from Morecambe professional Amol Muzumdar and captain Phil Thornton set their side up for Slater Cup victory. The Indian, who has produced a string of highly impressive Northern League performances, opened with

  • £6,810 daylight robbery

    A KING-sized bed, a leather suite and a fridge freezer were among the haul of items stolen -- in broad daylight -- from a Blackpool house. Burglars broke into the house on Marsden Road between 9.05am and 8.45pm on July 12. They forced the front door and

  • 'Dead baby' call mystery solved

    A CHILLING message left on a Blackpool health visitor's answer machine now appears to have been a hoax. The message sparked a police investigation to check up on the safety of hundreds of young children and babies in the Marton area. What appeared to

  • Market Gardens

    THE City Council and Barnfield Construction have agreed to a joint marketing exercise of the Winter Gardens building. The landmark theatre will now be marketed towards leisure operators to ascertain the level of interest in the building. The brief being

  • Calendar girl's rush to make date

    FORMER page three model and tabloid favourite Jordan will be try to rush back from Hugh Heffner's Los Angeles Mansion on Friday night to make a date with fans in Lancaster the Citizen can exclusively reveal. The busty model, whose hoping to make it as

  • Guitarist Peter's hoping to play it again

    A GUITARIST is trying to recreate one of the best periods of his life by re-forming a Darwen folk group that rocked the town in the 70s and 80s. Peter Wilcock's Wishing Well band played at the the Punch Hotel, Chapels, every week at what became know as

  • Order for car ban man

    A 21-year-old man suffering from "social and psychiatric problems" was given a 12 month community rehabilitation order and banned from driving for six months at Burnley Magistrates Court. Terry Lee Grimshaw, of Sunnybank Street, Haslingden, had admitted

  • Houseworker's asbestos death

    A FORMER houseworker for Blackburn Rovers legend Jack Walker has died from an illness connected to her wartime job as a gas mask inspector. A Burnley inquest was told a pathologist had reported that May Shanks had the most asbestos fibres in her lungs

  • Green approach to weed killing

    CONTRACTORS have started the annual blitz on street weeds -using environmentally friendly herbicides. But because the weedkiller destroys growth on contact and does not continue working in soil, a second spray will be carried out in September as the growing

  • US trip student better by degree

    A FORMER Astley student has graduated from Christ College, Cambridge, and jetted off to the US to celebrate. Stuart Peter Benjamin, 21, of Thanet Grove, Leigh, has gained a BA (Hons) 2.1 in computer science and social political science. The former Leigh

  • Ice-cream treat

    IF the children are already complaining about being bored, cheer them up with a new treat from Nestle Ice Cream which is certain to be a summer hit. This innovative treat combines ice cream with crunchy Smarties -- they can devour the ice cream, then

  • First veggie cocktail sausages

    CAULDRON Foods, manufacturer of vegetarian and organic convenience foods, has produced the country's first vegetarian cocktail sausages. Onions, herbs and spices give them a full flavour with protein-rich tofu added, which is low in saturated fats and

  • Healthy to the core

    THOSE five portions of fruit and vegetables we are encouraged to eat daily can taste so much better mingled with other ingredients. The Bramley Apple Information service has produced a delicious pudding which is quick to make, contains lots of fruit and

  • Horror attack on cab woman

    A WOMAN taxi-driver is recovering from a terrifying ordeal after being dragged from her cab, punched in the face and robbed by two passengers. Sue Simpson,who works for Premier Cabs in Blackpool, was attacked after picking up the men from the Halfway

  • Palace on the Prom

    YOU could be forgiven for thinking you had walked into an Italian palace, but Dennis Nelems' magnificent baroque salon is actually the living room of his Cleveleys flat. Retired cabinet maker Mr Nelems spent 18 months painstakingly recreating a 16th century

  • £2.3m plan for church

    AMBITIOUS plans for a massive £2.3million facelift for Blackpool's parish church of St John's were presented to the town council. The plans envisage a new modern worship area retaining the most significant aspects of the current building. Additional floors

  • CRIMESTOPPERS: 'Neighbours' rob elderly man

    THE home of a 75-year-old man was raided by a couple claiming to be his new next door neighbours. The thieves struck in Troutbeck Crescent, Blackpool, at 10.50am on Monday, July 16. One distracted the pensioner by asking to see the water boiler while

  • WHAT'S ON: Down your street...

    A LOOK at local events around the area. BLACKPOOL NORTH Shore Methodist Church will play host to the talented choir group The Capricorn Singers on August 1. The evening of song commences at 7.30pm in the church on Dickson Road, Blackpool. Admission will

  • Traders' concern over dumped syringes

    SHOPKEEPERS on Pall Mall, in Chorley are alarmed after a bag of used syringes was found in the street. One trader said two young men were seen acting strangely going into the public toilets close to the Big Lamp Roundabout at the junction of Pall Mall

  • Extra eyes for 'Big Brother'

    EIGHT new CCTV cameras have been installed in Blackburn town centre in the latest round of Home Office cash grants for surveillance equipment. Blackburn with Darwen Crime and Disorder and Road Safety Partnership Group received £197,200 for its "Blackburn

  • A new post for top copper

    ONE of East Lancashire's most senior detectives has left the force to take up a post training the police officers of the future. Detective Chief Superintendent Graham Gooch, 51, has retired after 30 years service and will start a new job as a lecturer

  • Police 'swamped' by false 999 calls

    POLICE are urging mobile phone companies to redesign handsets after revealing local stations are being flooded with false 999 calls. The situation, which is already reaching epidemic proportions in Burnley, is set to get even worse next month when Blackburn

  • Pendle women prove success

    It's been one of the most successful weekends in their history for the women of Pendle AC who have been dubbed the Sunny Team. The seniors were competing in the Jubilee Cup Plate Final, the juniors won promotion in the McDonald Young Athletes League and

  • Morecambe Bay walk set for August

    THE British Heart Foundation are delighted to tell readers that their Morecambe Bay Walk, postponed in June because of the foot and mouth disease, will now take place on Bank Holiday Monday, August 27. To register, or for further details, readers should

  • Town has foul smell

    YOUR reporting brings a fresh atmosphere to the foul smell that is Blackpool. The town presents an ignorant image as seen with overgrown hedgerows, fouled footways with dog droppings and the germ-laden gum carpeting damaged pavements. The image of ignorance

  • Welcome to slummy Blackpool

    THERE are parts of Blackpool with which I am less than familiar. This week I was called upon to pick up my son and his wife from Rigby Road bus station. There are a couple of parking areas around the bus station and I was appalled at what I saw. Here

  • When will the penny drop?

    THE matter of our Labour Council being so incredibly skint that they are quite incapable of providing clean and sanitary toilets is just a symptom of their lack of knowledge and expertise in financial issues. It is quite impossible for a successful local

  • Children on bikes are a menace

    OF late there have been considerable numbers of articles in respect of cycle lanes. This has always been a bone of contention as genuine cyclists, of which there are few, think they are badly done to, yet increasing numbers seem to think they have the

  • Animal sanctuary desperate to find good homes for pets

    THE foot and mouth crisis has threatened the future of abandoned pets at Bleakholt animal sanctuary. The home has been forced to operate an "appointments only" procedure which has left it virtually visitor-free. Many cats and dogs which would normally

  • CRICKET: Too much for St Annes

    THE first round of the Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League Slater Cup produced a close-fought contest at Stanley Park on Saturday. Visitors St Annes lost the game by 15 runs after Blackpool had scored 178-6 in their 40 overs. The St Annes reply was never

  • Promoting

    promiscuity? DESPITE all the cogent reasons in its favour, many people will still be concerned at the plan to give away thousands of condoms to young people in East Lancashire in a bid to reduce teenage pregnancies. For the inescapable difficulty that

  • It's Taylor made!...

    LIFE as a council leader is all about attending meetings, enjoying lavish social functions and posing for pictures when things go well -- or going into hiding when they don't. Right? Er, wrong, if a week in the life of the newly-appointed leader of Blackburn

  • Junk unwelcome

    IAM sure many people will agree about the absurd behaviour of whoever is responsible for all the junk mail that keeps coming through the letter box. Surely, there must be some way to eradicate this situation. I am also thinking of the poor postmen who

  • Rev's message just about right

    IDON'T always agree with what the Rev Kevin Logan has to say, but I want to compliment him on his Saturday Message (LET, July 14). It was a superb, succinct analysis of one of the reasons for our nation's present malaise and why our traditional freedom

  • The marvel of communication

    IAM not a golfer, but for the first time I thoroughly enjoyed the Open on TV. I didn't know how many rounds they played so I sent a quick e-mail to my cousin who is a keen player and who, I know, would also be watching the match. "How many rounds do they

  • Search on for crew member

    IAM very interested in the wartime Royal Air Force and, in particular, 617 Squadron and the famous 'Dambuster' raid of May, 1943. For the past 18 years, I have been researching the men involved in this raid, but am now trying to find further information

  • NQ suffer more cup heartache

    FOLLOWING defeat by Brookhouse in the final of the 7-a-side tournament, NQ suffered further frustration by losing to Nabipur in the quarter finals of the Sports Council Trophy. NQ's strong batting line up will be disappointed not to have reached what

  • Audley Sport Centre 11-a-side Summer League

    FOR 45 minutes this game was finely in the balance and you could argue that Woodlands looked the better team. And had Asif Mahmood's early second half strike gone in and not rebounded off the crossbar then perhaps they could have gone on to win! But as

  • Pier show with plenty of punch

    BLACKPOOL North Pier's Diamond Jubilee Show is a little gem of a production. The show stars summer season perennials The Grumbleweeds supported by 70s and 80s rockers Alvin Stardust and The Heartbeats, stand-up comedian Johnnie Casson, The Bopettes singers

  • Broomes could be through door

    EWOOD exile Marlon Broomes was today being linked with a £1 million move to Preton North End. The former England Under 21 international has no future with Rovers after being left out of the tour of Austria and Germany. And North End boss David Moyes is

  • Mahon injury blow

    ROVERS boss Graeme Souness today revealed Alan Mahon's tour of Germany could be over as the former Tranmere star struggles to shake off a double injury blow. The Republic of Ireland midfielder has already missed both of Rovers' opening two games after

  • Ewood hosts Under 21 clash

    EWOOD PARK will play host to David Platt's U21 team on Friday, October 5, when England take on Greece in their final European Championship qualifier (8pm). New coach David Platt said: "This match could be crucial in terms of our qualification for next

  • New craft flat out for safety

    TESTS on a new life saving hovercraft in Morecambe are under way this week. The RNLI believe the new hovercraft could make the difference in rescue situations on the mud flats around Morecambe Bay and other coastal areas. Local volunteers are now being

  • OAP golfers feeling below par

    THE cost of a round of golf for pensioners soared by more than 200 per cent when Burnley Council chiefs decided to extend concessions to men aged 60 to bring them into line with women who reach pension age first. Council bosses made the swing to equal

  • Planners green light for development

    A CONTROVERSIAL housing development in Carnforth has been given the go ahead despite local protests. Lancaster councillors have overturned an earlier decision to block the Dixon Field development of 70 homes in the Crag Bank area, despite a petition from

  • Battle over mobile phone mast

    BANNER-waving residents will march on Burnley town hall tonight to demand council bosses pull the plug on plans for an even bigger mobile phone mast near their homes. Opposition to a move by phone operators Orange and BT Cellnet to replace a 46ft high

  • Teenage mugger jailed for ten months

    A MORECAMBE teenager who took part in a street robbery has been put behind bars for a total of 10 months. Judge Stuart Barker handed down the sentence on the 17 year old at Preston Crown Court after hearing how the youth had also burgled a home and placed

  • Top of the pots

    ANOTHER influential food and wine writer has given Morecambe's potted shrimps top billing in a national newspaper. In a full page illustrated article under the heading "You Must Go Down to the Sea Again..." expert foodie Christopher Hirst told readers

  • Town hall ceiling collapses

    STAFF at Morecambe Town Hall had a lucky escape when the ceiling in a committee room collapsed. Fortunately no one was in the room when the ceiling fell to the floor breaking furniture and damaging wall fittings. Structural engineers are now investigating

  • Meningitis warning after baby's death

    A FAMILY struck by tragedy for the second time laid their baby daughter to rest as medical chiefs issued a meningitis warning. Ten-month-old Chanelle Corbett-Barker, who died on Friday, July 13, at her home in Park Street, Tyldesley, is believed to have

  • Take a sporting chance

    HCATCH up on all the latest sports news online with thisislancashire. With the football season drawing closer, all sporting fans out there cannot afford to miss this invaluable information source that is on hand at the touch of a button. Have a look for

  • Views were not meant as slight

    I APOLOGISE to Cassie Northam if my letter read like a slight to the disabled. My sarcasm was not directed to the disabled. It was directed at the gross waste of public time by the police and Crown Prosecution Service, who turned my parking in a disabled

  • Action threat against 'fly-tipping' residents

    PEOPLE who leave piles of bin bags outside their homes face being prosecuted for fly-tipping, a council warned today. Officers at Ribble Valley Council said they would prosecute people who persistently leave 'excessive' numbers of bags outside their homes

  • Safe sex blitz

    CONDOMS are to be made available in surgeries across Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley in a new initiative aimed at slashing the number of teenage pregnancies. East Lancashire has among the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in the country with 61.4 under

  • Greens should be honest about cars

    I WOULD like to thank the Green Party's Cllr Jon Barry for clarifying the Green Party's views on the Western Bypass (or any bypass for that matter) and also for clearing up my misunderstanding of the Green Party's policy toward the motor vehicle. However

  • History really can be fun with the Tudors

    ONE thing I could not stand when I was at school was History, although I now find it fascinating to read about what went on in the years when people were ruled by royalty -- sounds like my mum! I especially enjoyed looking at a Tudor website that listed

  • Rugby Union: Kirkham players fly out

    FIVE Kirkham Grammar School players are in the England Under-18 Rugby Union squad which flew out to Canada last weekend. During a six-week, nine-game tour of Cananda, New Zealand and Australia the squad will be involved in two test matches against New

  • CRICKET: Tough test for Lytham boys

    DETERMINATION and skill were required in equal measure as young cricketers from a Lytham school made an eight-match tour of Sri Lanka. Temperatures of more than 100 degrees and talented opposition proved a tough test for the 19 players from King Edward

  • CRICKET: Blackpool lose their way

    BLACKPOOL'S interest in the Thwaites LCB Knock Out Cup was extinguished at the quarter-final stage at Stanley Park on Sunday. Liverpool Competition side Ormskirk took revenge for an earlier defeat in the National Knock Out by winning a tense tie by 12

  • Warming up

    LANCASTER City and Morecambe made good starts to their run of pre-season friendlies in the build up to the new season. Morecambe's first game brought Jim Harvey's old club, Tranmere Rovers, to Christie Park. Fielding a strong side, the newly relegated

  • Pressure tells on teen ace Boardman

    TOM Boardman's run of British Touring Car Championship bad luck continued at the weekend as the series' youngest ever competitor raced his Peugeot 306 GTi6 BTC Production car at the challenging Knockhill circuit in Fife, Scotland. The 17-year-old from

  • Hotel future's back on hold

    THE saviours of Morecambe's Midland Hotel have been barred from being company directors - throwing the future of the art deco landmark into doubt once more. Only last month Lincoln Fraser and Jared Brook were unveiled as the new owners of the Midland

  • Sven tipped to open Blackpool stands

    ENGLAND soccer supremo Sven Goran Eriksson is being tipped to perform the official opening ceremony when Blackpool Football Club unveils its long awaited new stands. The club is remaining tight-lipped about any arrangements made for cutting the ribbon

  • Papadopoulos is set for Ewood date with Greece

    CLARETS new £500,000 signing Dimitri Papadopoulos is looking forward to a date at...Ewood Park! For Papadopoulos is set to play there when he leads the Greek Under 21 line against England Under 21s - captained by Blackburn Rovers' David Dunn - at Ewood

  • CRICKET: Freddie stars in Little and Large show

    ANDY FLINTOFF has his sights set on another Lord's final. The Lancashire all-rounder has had a thin season in the Championship, but he has saved his best form for the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy, and yesterday he entertained a sun-baked Blackpool

  • Sort it yourself

    RE the letter "Did anyone see accident?" -- I was also involved in an accident a few months ago in Luton Road. I informed the police ten minutes after the accident occurred. I was informed that if there is no-one hurt, sort it out yourselves. So much

  • Have you seen Scott?

    A 13-YEAR-OLD schoolboy went missing from his Bispham home this week and police are appealing for information. Scott Tribett was last seen on July 19 wearing wearing dirty white jogging pants and a dirty blue jumper. He is described as being white and

  • Honours for young artists

    BUDDING Picassos at St Mary's Catholic High School have won the top three prizes at Blackpool's Young Artist of the Year competition. Year 10 pupil Peter Houghton (centre) won first prize of £50 and received a commended mark for his work. Second prize

  • Looking forward to Manx final

    BURNLEY are through to the final of the Isle of Man tournament -- but had to survive a penalty shoot-out against Oldham before they confirmed their place in Saturday's clash. The Clarets drew 1-1 with the Latics at the Bowl last night -- but then lost

  • A tee-mendous thumbs up

    THE Open Golf Championship was given a tee-mendous thumbs up by Fylde folk as the tournament came to a close at the weekend. Police and councillors praised Fylde residents following the success of the championship at the Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf

  • 'Just clear up the mess or clear off'

    RESIDENTS have told foul mannered dog owners to clear up or clear off before the park they spent three years creating is spoiled. The Lodgeside Trust's volunteers feel all their work to transform derelict land into the £30,000 recreational area off Watery

  • And they call it puppy love

    KEEPING these star-crossed lovers apart is like trying to separate Romeo and Juliet. The affair began when stray dog 'Dangerous' lured pet pooch Pat away from the garden of her home at Lower Sunnyhurst Farm, Darwen, three weeks ago. The two terriers have

  • Store staff give nursery a facelift

    STAFF from Asda at Rawtenstall have given up scores of hours of their free time to help paint and decorate a nursery in the town. Store "handyman" Jim King even gave up a full week of his holidays to join in the work. About 10 members of staff, from the

  • Village folk put their pets on show

    PETS of all shapes and sizes, ages and species are invited to attend the annual Weir Pet Show on Sunday. It is the fifth time the show has been held at Julie Cunliffe's Old Clough Stables, off Burnley Road, and it will be the third time the event has

  • Valley goes streamlined

    A STREAMLINED committee system has been chosen for a new-look Rossendale Council which will come into being at the end of the year. Councillors have agreed that the proposed new structure is specifically geared to the needs of smaller authorities like

  • Beach's boredom beating plan

    BLACKPOOL Pleasure Beach has unveiled its boredom-busting summer activities for children. The park is promising free admission for children to shows, weekend wizard schools and UK Youth Day celebrations as part of its plans for the summer holidays. Starting

  • Gala beats the roadworks!

    IT WAS a lovely day for Bispham with Norbreck Children's Gala -- apart from the rain and the roadworks! A procession of colourful floats -- including entries from Moor Park and Bispham Endowed primary schools -- and visiting queens, set off from All Hallows

  • Closed care home 'sold'

    A COUNCIL-run care home that was closed amid a storm of protest earlier this year looks set to be sold -- for more than a quarter of a million pounds -- to buyers who are believed to be re-opening it as another old folks' home. The £255,000 bid for Warren

  • Royalty at the double

    BLACKPOOL and Lytham St Annes laid out the red carpet for a Royal visitor on Monday. The Duke of Kent visited the towns' RNLI stations to meet the staff, volunteers and their families who crew the lifeboats, administer the lifeboat stations and fundraise

  • Farewell to a selfless man

    HUNDREDS of mourners attended a memorial service for Blackpool Council leader George Bancroft. The funeral cortege set out from Blackpool Town Hall arriving at St John's Parish Church in the town centre just before 11.30am on Friday for the special service

  • Takeaway blast charge: Two bailed

    TWO men have appeared in court charged in connection with an explosion which destroyed an Indian takeaway in Blackburn. Majid Hussain, 23, of Montague Street, Blackburn, is charged with conspiring with Zaheer Iqbal Ali to commit arson at the Heena takeaway

  • Road dip could trigger danger bridge crashes

    COUNCIL bosses today admitted signs surrounding a notorious Ribble Valley bridge could be misleading drivers into thinking their lorries could fit underneath. Road engineers at Lancashire County Council believe a dip in the road under the Whalley Road

  • Task forces to oversee key environment issues

    THREE groups are to be set up to look at how to regenerate urban and rural areas and improve public transport. The decision to set up the task groups, each of which will take on one of the three themes, was made at the first meeting of Lancashire County

  • Road dip could trigger danger bridge crashes

    COUNCIL bosses today admitted signs surrounding a notorious Ribble Valley bridge could be misleading drivers into thinking their lorries could fit underneath. Road engineers at Lancashire County Council believe a dip in the road under the Whalley Road

  • Free show of talent marks council's anniversary

    BLACKBURN'S Corporation Park is set to come alive to the sound of music this weekend as the annual Arts in the Park event kicks off. Two days of events, including showcases of talent from the local music scene, are set to attract crowds from far and wide

  • Sleep leads

    by example RISHTON CC have a wonderful leader in Peter Sleep, he leads by example. The scene was set for a wonderful afternoon of cricket against visitors Nelson, with Sleep directing and plotting the downfall of the visitors, who were two wickets down

  • Nat won't let the 'rough' bother her

    IT is a well-known fact that mothers are always right, but if Natalie Evans had taken her mum's advice she wouldn't be the Northern Women's Champion today. The 24-year-old Pleasington player overcame illness to lift the Northern title at Caldy but has

  • Riders smash personal bests

    SEVERAL East Lancs time trialists took advantage of better weather conditions over the weekend to produce a crop of personal best performances. The fastest of these was Jonathan Boothman of Barnoldswick and the Pendle Forest Cycling Club who followed

  • Flat chance of making money

    MAY I make a suggestion to our cash strapped Preston Council. Why don't they make an offer to Grosvenor Estates that they can have the land on which the three condemned high rise flats stand on, if they will foot the bill for their demolition. Ron Yates

  • Left baffled by statement

    THERE have recently been comments in a local newspaper by a Rev Saturo Kato in which he says "in Buddhism love is nothing". I have been a Buddhist for many years and I am totally baffled at this statement. The love and compassion taught by the Buddha

  • Attractions should offer day for locals

    PERHAPS I could use your letters page to suggest the following to the local tourism barons. As a way of saying a big thank you to all local residents for their massive subsidies to the illuminations, Winter Gardens etc., not to mention the day-to-day

  • Life-long Labour voter stayed at home

    NO sooner is the non-event of the year done and dusted when up pops that bastion of New Labourism, spinning Jack Croysdill, back on to your letters page. I, of course, refer to the General Election, where I strongly believe that Jack has little to crow

  • One of dirtiest towns in Europe

    HAVING just received and read the Citizen I feel I must write to say that sadly I agree with P J Hayhurst in your letters section. I, too, am in my forties and my views are alike. I originate from Manchester and always viewed Blackpool as a boozing holiday

  • Smelling of roses at the show

    CLAIMS that Blackpool's image is going down the pan because of its poor public loos have been fuelled by a council decision to use toilets as the display centre piece at a prestigious flower show. Green-fingered workers at Blackpool Borough Council snubbed

  • Two badly burned in yard blast

    A BUSINESSMAN is recovering from burns suffered during an explosion at his car breakers' yard. Mr David Ormes (35) of Chapelfield, Radcliffe, suffered serious burns to his right arm, neck and face as a result of Tuesday's accident at International Breakers

  • Give us some hospice help!

    BURY Hospice needs your help! That's the call from the charity as it celebrates its tenth anniversary. The hospice in Dumers Lane, Radcliffe, is marking the milestone by launching a volunteer recruitment drive. Mr Mervyn Reeves, fund-raising manager,