THOUGH thrift should always be a watchword for town hall spenders, there is disturbing short-sightedness in the cuts Blackburn with Darwen Council is poised to impose on dozens of school bus services. And the timing of this proposal -- revealed on the
STAND Athletic went back home to appoint their new boss following the departure of management team Nick Davis and Nick Woods. The Latics have turned to former Prestwich Heys manager Joe Murty to pull things together after the close season upheaval at
ON THE day temperatures soared, part of flood-plagued East Lancashire was under water again. A burst water main in the road outside the Postal Order, Darwen Street, hindered traffic battling through Blackburn town centre. Work was being carried out to
I AM writing to say how grateful I am to the driver of No 2 bus on Thursday July 4 at 9.55am. I was in Lynwood Avenue and the bus stopped and I stepped back and overbalanced and fell on my back. The driver and a Miss Tasker, who was also on the bus, helped
I NOTE that the Labour county councillors have changed the emblem, thus ignoring the tradition and history of our county. This has been done against the wishes of the majority of the people, which smacks of dictatorship not democracy. The cost of this
HAVING just returned from a wonderful holiday by the Norfolk Fens, I feel obliged to compliment the county on the clear way that the road speed was controlled. In hamlets a light came on as you entered saying 20mph only. In towns similar to Accrington
THE vestry of a church was destroyed after being set alight by arsonists. The building, which is connected to St Stephen's Church in Astley, was gutted by the blaze which happened at 2.30am on Sunday. The rest of the church in Manchester Road was smoke-logged
POPS group Hear'Say fled a motorway service station after a man brandished an imitation gun, police confirmed today. The band -- including Bury-born Suzanne Shaw -- were recognised by a group of youths at a service station off the M1. One of the men waved
CREWE boss Dario Gradi is lining up a possible swoop for Scottish midfielder Burton O'Brien. Rovers have given Alex permission to take the 21-year-old on a pre-season tour to Malta. And, if the former St Mirren starlet makes enough of an impression, then
ROVERS' Academy are celebrating lifting their first trophy of the new season after winning the Foyle Cup in Ireland. The team, run by Academy coach Steve Nickson, won the Under 14 tournament after beating Shelbourne Red Devils 4-1 on penalties in the
STORIES in the national Press suggesting Rovers have been in touch with Coventry about a possible swap deal for David Thompson have also been flatly denied. As we revealed earlier in the summer, Thompson remains a transfer target for manager Graeme Souness
AN elderly woman was attacked at knifepoint for her shopping bag as she walked home on Friday night. The victim, 72, who does not wish to be named, was approached by a man yielding a knife who demanded her shopping bag as she made her way home along Waterbarn
MANAGERS wanting to get the best from their staff are being urged to take an innovative course. The 'coaching' course is being offered by a Northern Technologies in Netherfield, Nelson. Tutor Allan Clarke said that although the subject was more associated
YELLOW ribbons were tied round the old beech tree when Kim Haworth returned from her trip of a lifetime to Australia. Kim, 26, of Blackburn, a physiotherapist, had caught the travel bug and was planning a trek in America.
A FASHION-conscious thief stole a dress from a washing line - and left their own outfit behind. Yvonne Kinlan, 23, found her new evening dress missing from her garden in Belper Street, Blackburn, and replaced by another.
CHANGING rooms in Bullough Park, Accrington, were set on fire last night, destroying part of the building on Willows Lane. Fire crews were called at 8pm and had to sledge hammer a hole in a wall to tackle the blaze. Sub Officer Mark Egan said: "The building
POLICE have named two men who died after their motorbike crashed into a lamp post in Blackpool on Friday. William Knox Noble, 22, of Sherbourne Road, North Shore died at the scene after the Honda 400cc motorbike he was driving collided with a lamp post
BREWERY worker Bill Sledden raised a glass to his workmates on his retirement after 17 years of getting the beers in. Bill, born and bred in Church, worked primarily as a drayman for Blackburn brewers Daniel Thwaites, distributing around the North and
IT'S goodbye Hello Dolly's and time to start making whole new ConnXtions at Blackpool's latest disco bar. In the running for the resort's most frequently re-named venue (try The Grosvenor, Bodgers and Cow Bar for starters), the Cookson Street pub has
SHAKERS are seeking corporate sponsors for their first game of the season against Cambridge United on Tuesday, August 13. The superb package, for 10 persons, includes car parking, Bucks Fizz reception, match programme, superb four course pre-match meal
UNUSUAL items including autographs by pop idols Robbie Williams and David Bowie and even a cigarette packet signed by bad boy brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher are among the stock at a Rossendale's new Celebrity Gallery. The shop, formerly Pride Records
A GO-KARTING track owner today stressed his business was still open, even though the site was next to a proposed cinema. Blackburn Indoor Karting, at East Lancashire Warehouse, in Bridge Street, close to where Peel Holdings are planning the development
A UNIQUE roll of carpet designed for a London hotel was among a £40,000 haul taken from a Blackburn factory. Raiders hacked the locks off shutter doors at Carpet Link Ltd, in Sett End Road, and made off with 112 rolls of carpet last weekend. Two £25,000
A SCHOOLGIRL today told how she thought she was going to sink to her death after tumbling 30ft into a muddy, drained and disused canal. The accident sparked a major rescue operation involving police, fire crews, paramedics and mountain rescue teams who
ELEVEN youngsters from Blackburn will set sail from northern Spain in front of 500,000 people as part of a five-month challenge. The teenagers from schools and colleges in the Blackburn area will set sail from La Coruna on July 29 to take part in the
A POLICEMAN has spoken of the moment he braved the icy waters of a lake to rescue a Blackburn man who had been lying unconscious at the bottom for 15 minutes. The 27-year-old man, who has not been named, is in intensive care in a Cumbria hospital after
COUNCIL bosses have taken over the multi-million pound revamp of Blackburn's Pavilions amid concern the scheme would not get off the ground. Blackburn with Darwen Council today confirmed the Cathedral's development scheme for the site had been abandoned
ACCRINGTON Stanley will be holding a soccer school under the watchful eye of boss John Coleman from Monday 5 to Friday 9 August. Girls and boys aged between six and 12-years-old will be taught football skills, they will take part in a penalty shoot out
THE BBC are making a drama out of Bury General Hospital. Film crews spent three days at the former hospital as part of a forthcoming new drama. Burn It is described as a brand new fast, funny and original drama for BBC Choice. Its stars including Band
Running with the Queen's Jubilee Baton is said to be a once in a life time experience. But not for Prestwich's Michael Price who has just run TWO legs with the baton through Market Rasen, Lincolnshire. The 23-year-old, of Butterstile Lane, has overcome
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness could be poised to make his third signing of the summer after handing a trial to French wonderkid Abdoulay Konko. As we revealed earlier in the summer, the Genoa youngster has already spent one spell on trial with Rovers
A TRIP organiser today spoke of his sorrow at the death of a 15-year-old girl who fell from a ride during a day out at a theme park. The girl, who has not been named by police, died after visiting Gulliver's World in Warrington with a number of other
EAST Lancashire Tory MP Nigel Evans has attacked proposals by the House of Commons Education Select Committee to introduce higher tuition fees and charges for students from middle-class backgrounds. Speaking at a seminar on ethics in politics at Clitheroe
BURNLEY fans were left disappointed when the much-hyped protest over the collapse of ITV Digital outside the Carlton and Granada offices last week failed to live up to expectations. Ten members of the London Clarets - and around 20 other fans from Cambridge
THE Railway Hotel in Darwen opened yesterday after six months with a new landlady and a new look. Julie Court from Darwen moved into the pub in Railway Road after she got the good news on Friday. The former Moorland High School pupil and barmaid at the
A WHITEFIELD GP is stepping up his campaign for improved access to his surgery in the Elms Precinct after being given the brush-off by developers, North Western Properties. Almost 300 patients have signed a petition claiming they have used a particular
WELCOME to 3Sixty magazine and Blackpool, the Gay Capital of the North, where anything and everything can and does happen! We're excited about the launch of our new bi-monthly publication for the gay community. Our aim is to keep your finger on the pink
FEMALE lovers adore the island of Lesvos, where, apart from the obvious, there's plenty to do and see. Set like a sapphire in the glittering east Aegean sea, Lesvos is the birthplace of Sappho, the outspoken, erotic poetess of the ancient world whose
AN 85th minute goal from Mark Moran saved under-strength Premiership Wanderers' blushes as they drew 1-1 following Richard Landon's 53rd minute opener at Radcliffe Borough. Top keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen played in the first-half and Premiership hotshots
EIGHT families are demanding action to prevent dirty water flooding their cellars after claiming it has happened 16 times in four years. The neighbours, in a row of terraced houses in the Earcroft area of Blackburn Road, Darwen, said they were fed up
A FIBRE-glass pleasure cruiser sank after being set alight by arsonists on the Bridgewater Canal at 12.30am on Monday. Firefighters were forced to seek assistance from the water incident unit at Eccles in order to reach the burning boat, which was stranded
PARENTS across Blackburn and Darwen are rallying in a bid to prevent council bosses from axing their children's school buses. The council plans to chop the subsidy for 17 services which take youngsters less than three miles to school -- the distance at
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside.: Ramsbottom Heritage Society guided walk to Holcombe Hill. Meet Shoulder of Mutton car park 6.45pm. Burnley and Pendle Ramblers meet Foulridge Wharf, 7.15pm. Silent Auction
BLACKBURN with Darwen Council, with all the other awards, surely must win the gold award for gross crassness (LET, July 10). The regeneration supremo for the town states: "We have land next to Pleasington Cemetery ready to use if we want." Then why not
BURY Irwell Vale Rotary Club has a new president in Mr Chris Trees. Mr Trees (52), of Rowlands Road, Summerseat, has been a member of the organisation for seven years and says he is looking forward to helping the club raise £1,000 to help Rotary International
YOUNGSTERS at a Bury high school have been bridging the age gap to help them learn more about the town where they live. Eighteen pupils from Broad Oak High School have visited the residents of Chestnut Court Nursing Home. The visit was organised by the
UNION bosses have protested to Burnley College and lecturers have considered strike action over having to teach one of the town's BNP councillors. Officials from Natfhe (The National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education) wrote to principal
COUNCIL bosses have taken over the multi-million pound revamp of Blackburn's Pavilions amid concern the scheme would not get off the ground. Blackburn with Darwen Council today confirmed the Cathedral's development scheme for the site had been abandoned
CREATIVE industries in Bury have been given the European seal of approval. Local MEP Gary Titley dropped into Bury Arts and Crafts Centre to see the work done by Re:work. The group has just celebrated its first birthday, and has helped artists and fledgling
THERE'S not much you can teach Barrie Kelly about the Commonwealth Games and he knows a thing or two about good ale, as well! The former Bury & Radcliffe AC international sprint star is free trade sales manager for Manchester brewers Joseph Holt and
IAN Monk has signed a two-year deal to stay with Leigh RMI. The winger was far from his best during the last Conference campaign but the club say they are happy to draw on his experience for two further campaigns. It lays to rest the theory that there
TOWN Hall bosses say they are "pulling out all the stops" to help vulnerable people during tomorrow's (Wed July 17) strike. Bury Council workers are taking part in the first national one-day stoppage for more than a decade. Members of the trade unions
NEWCASTLE United today denied speculation linking them with a summer swoop for Blackburn midfielder David Dunn. A story in one of the weekend tabloids claimed United boss Bobby Robson was ready to test Rovers' determination to cling onto their England
PENNINE Police officer Bev Taylor and link worker Mussurut Zia are getting ready to travel to Pakistan to investigate forced marriages. They will complete a two-week trip in September which has been part funded by the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime
A WORKER helped himself to his boss's articulated tractor unit after his "employment was terminated," a court heard. Burnley magistrates were told how Carl Rivers, 33, was later found to be almost three times the limit when police stopped him in the vehicle
ARMY cadets teamed up with the Forest of Burnley to help clean up a local river. The young cadets were grafting in the heat on Sunday as they worked to remove litter and refuse from the Calder Park river's water course. This was done to help make the
UNION bosses have protested to Burnley College and lecturers have considered strike action over having to teach one of the town's BNP councillors. Officials from Natfhe (The National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education) wrote to principal
PENDLE'S District Youth Council has hit back at claims that a proposed information centre for youngsters in the area will be used as a drop-in for people with drug or alcohol problems. Earlier this year disgruntled traders in Nelson's Scotland Road opposed
A COUNCILLOR has called for a row of 'eyesore' disused garages to be pulled down. Councillor Malcolm Pritchard says the buildings, at the bottom of Owen Street, next to St Joseph's RC Church, Accrington, are a disgrace and unsightly for people attending
A THREE-YEAR strategy aimed at reducing crime, disorder and road casualties in the Ribble Valley has been launched. And the battle will be staged on six key fronts -- property crime, anti-social behaviour, violent crime, substance abuse, youth intervention
BURY Football Club are offering a special VIP package for their friendly with Burnley at Gigg Lane on Saturday, August 3 (ko 3pm). For £25 (£20 for juniors), the package includes a car park pass, a Bucks Fizz reception, a four course meal (served at 1pm
LANCASHIRE newcomer David Byas will be looking forward to facing his former employers - in great nick. Byas struck 78, including three sixes and nine fours, as Lancashire notched a last gasp Norwich Union league win over Derbyshire Scorpions at Blackpool
CUSTOMERS can now say they are going to the Office for a quick drink thanks to the renaming of a Darwen pub. The Office, Holden Fold, was named when Barry and Lynn Leigh opened the pub after a major refurbishment of the former Odd Fellows Arms. Lynn,
A REAL Ale that was brewed by Mitchells has been taken from the pump and put into bottles. Lancaster Bomber was first brewed by the Lancaster Brewer before Daniel Thwaites decided to re-launch the beer. Blackburn-based Daniel Thwaites was so overwhelmed
HISTORY and pageant, breathtaking, rolling countryside and buzzing, cosmopolitan seaside resorts -- this glorious country has it all. Savour the ambience of a bygone age in Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon. Visit villages and towns steeped in history
BAG a room at BAGS Blackpool hotel group, created by gays for gays. This small hotel cluster -- Blackpool Accommodation for Gays -- formed about six years ago and now comprises about 50 holiday establishments. The guest houses, hotels and holiday flats
BODY Positive Blackpool support centre is run by a team of volunteers who know what they're talking about. Eight years ago, a small group of HIV-positive men got together to be mutually supportive and to take as much control as possible of their destinies
BASIL NEWBY'S powerful pink empire has earned Blackpool the title of Gay Capital of the North. Basil's reputation for providing the gay community with top-class entertainment was founded on the success of the Flamingo Club, now the largest seven-days-a-week
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness could be poised to make his third signing of the summer after handing a trial to French wonderkid Abdoulay Konko. As we revealed earlier in the summer, the Genoa youngster has already spent one spell on trial with Rovers
BURNLEY fans were left disappointed when the much-hyped protest over the collapse of ITV Digital outside the Carlton and Granada offices last week failed to live up to expectations. Ten members of the London Clarets - and around 20 other fans from Cambridge
"I DON'T give a damn how much your house is worth." This message appeared in bold type across the front of a postcard sent by my sister back in 1989, when my husband and I bought our first home. She still doesn't, probably because she's made a telephone
BURY'S highly rated 'keeper Paddy Kenny has joined Sheffield United on a shock three-month loan deal with a view to a permanent signing writes Phil Thorp The Shakers custodian will be joining up with former boss Neil Warnock and goalkeeping coach Kevin
A MAN died after injecting himself with methadone which formed a lethal cocktail with alcohol, sleeping pills and anti-depressants, an inquest was told. And members of Simon Peter Hitchen's family told the inquest they believed it had been his way of
A LEADING councillor today moved to reassure parents that help was at hand for youngsters who get caught in the evil web of drug-taking. Sue Reid, who heads Blackburn with Darwen's social services team, spoke out after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph
A CRACKDOWN on car crime has been launched by police after figures revealed a "massive increase" in certain areas. Thefts of cars in Blackburn town centre are up 63 per cent in two months compared with the same period last year. Stealing from vehicles
CAROLE Davis tasted life as a superstar when she was randomly picked to sing in front of a 17,000-strong crowd in America with rocker Bryan Adams. The 39-year-old mother-of-two was sent to Arkansas by her employer Asda, for the annual Walmart shareholders
SOPHIE Hunter, of Golfer's Paradise, Portugal, won the Pleasington Putter. The professional picked up £300 in prize money after rounds of 70 and 77. Whitley Bay's Julie Ross finished second with scores of 71 and 77. Sara Garbutt of Ganton was third (79
AN old karate style will be resurrected tonight when it is taught at the opening of the Amayokai club in Clitheroe. The instructor is Diane Pate, who has been a black belt in the Amayo style for 16 years. Juniors aged five-16 are welcome from 6.30pm to
A TEAM of former Blackburn Rovers stars will face an Emlyn Hughes celebrity XI in a charity match at Clitheroe FC next month. The event takes place at Shawbridge on Sunday, August 11 and will involve players from the Hughes era at Liverpool plus Brookside
MIKE Marsh fulfilled his dad's dream by putting on the red of Liverpool and now Eric Whalley wants the midfielder to fulfill his dream in the red of Accrington Stanley. Crown Ground chairman Whalley is hoping summer signing Marsh will use all his experience
COUNCILLORS could be the new super-heroes for young children desperate to see the hit movie "Spider-Man". They will watch a special screening of the blockbuster and decide whether to reduce its classification from a 12 to a PG. Parents have asked the
