NO biography of a leading political figure, least of all one who towered on the parliamentary and government stage for a quarter of a century, would be complete if it failed to tell the whole story. And so it is that, with the publication today of her
BARBARA Castle played a leading role in British politics for more than 50 years. As the first authorised biography chronicling her life is published today. DAVID HIGGERSON and BILL JACOBS take a closer look at the woman dubbed The Red Queen. . . IT was
Riders from near and far rose to the challenge to take part in this first ever mountain bike event. A total of 286 riders -- mainly from East Lancashire but as far as Wales and Hampshire -- took part in the challenge held on the Mary Towneley Loop. The
St Peter's Primary School are the inaugural Sports Hall Athletics champions after running and leaping to glory. The Darwen school clocked up a mighty 646 points in the first ever indoor track and field contest to beat St James by just three points. The
Holy Souls Primary School is going to the Lancashire Youth Games after a dramatic last minute win against Ashleigh. The final of the Blackburn and Darwen Tag Rugby Festival appeared to be going into extra time until Jake Ansbro weaved his way through
A man who helped shape local football in Burnley has been honoured with two trophies in his name. The Burnley Sunday League and the Warburton Youth League have donated trophies which will be awarded each year in memory of Ray Cooper -- who sadly passed
BRUNSHAW Action Group will give audiences an evening to remember this week with a special Stars In their Eyes performance. The event takes place at Brunshaw Youth Centre on Friday and Saturday. Young people from the Brunshaw area have been tuning up their
PEPPERPOT Hill Theatre group is performing two Medieval nights on Friday, at The Olde England Kiosk, Darwen, and Saturday at Craiglands, Darwen. The evening will feature much hilarity and music as Prince John, The Sheriff of Nottingham and the rest of
IT sounds like handyman Mr Alfred Scott had a tough time of it, what with being accused of child molestation and spending time in a jail cell (LET, May 24). Now that we know he was not guilty, that means that the two girl accusers were not telling the
REGARDING your report about Blackburn with Darwen Council's blitz on rubbish (LET, May 21), I have rung them on a number of occasions to try and get the land at the side of my house cleared of rubbish. It must be two to three months ago now that I reported
WHEN is the Government going to wake up to why the BNP is gaining seats at this time? The people of this country have suddenly realised that we have too many asylum seekers who are immigrants illegally being allowed into the country. People are suffering
IN response to Julie Warburton's remarks (Letters, May 20) yes, the Anti Nazi League has been known to call members of the BNP racist scum. Perhaps it has something to do with the policy of forced repatriation of ethnic minorities the BNP, until recently
VANDALS wrecked a green oasis created by mentally-ill volunteers - just hours before they were due to display their work at an open day. The vandals threw flowers, sprayed the garden, benches and plants with paint and stabbed holes in the sealed polytunnel
LOCAL Euro MP Gary Titley is furious that his "gravy train" image is set to continue. Despite his opposition, MEPs have voted to pay themselves a common salary of £73,000 a year and pay a special EU income tax rather than the one their constituents do
THE cream of Britain's young rugby league talent will be on show at Leigh's Hilton Park on Tuesday night. Super League U21s take on a National League U21s side as the first of a two-match series with places in the England 'A' squad up for grabs. The Super
TWO men have been remanded on bail after an alleged drive-by shooting in Carlton Street, Burnley. Samuel John Watson, 20, and Stephen Forsyth, 24, both of Grindleton Grove, Burnley, were conditionally bailed to appear at Preston Crown Court on July 2.
A SHOP assistant today told how he feared for his life after coming face-to-face with a knife-wielding robber who demanded cash from his till. Saleem Urrehman, 19, was working in the newsagent section of his brother's sub post office, in Hebrew Road,
NEW community gardens and an enclosed children's play area at St Philips Family Centre, in Nelson, are a step closer, after Pendle Council gave planning permission for the project. Funding for the development has already been agreed by Pendle Partnership
A FORMER health supremo today paid tribute to the children of courage who filled him with admiration during his 19 years in the hot seat. As part of our Pride of East Lancashire Campaign we are searching for the area's most courageous child. The winner
RESTAURANT owner Ray Peake froze the prices of all his meals until England won at cricket or football. Ray, of Callums Bistro, Accrington, said prices would not rise until England claimed a victory.
A HEALTH visitor from Blackburn who saved a baby's life won an award after being nominated by the child's parents. Julie Hoyle won the 'Community Nurse of the Year' after being nominated by Kirsty Bury's parents.
A 20-YEAR-OLD girl drifted into the world of drugs after falling under the Svengali-like influence of a man 10 years older than her, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard the situation was every parent's worst nightmare. And the nightmare became
A GROUP which fought against the closure of the county's care homes is sending a battle pack to the rest of the country. Hyndburn Action Committee will send a tape to every radio and television station in Britain to motivate others and raise awareness
A HOUSEBUILDER specialising in prestigious homes has been rapped after falsely saying some of its houses were made entirely from brick. Cheltenham-based property developer, Westbury Homes (Holdings) Limited, appeared before Accrington magistrates following
BARNOLDSWICK-BASED company, which supplies garment labels, tickets and packaging to the clothing industry, is vying for a top national business prize. Sue Rushton and Clare Heppenstall, from Labelistic Ltd, join a host of firms less than two years old
NETLON is one of the most outstanding inventions to have come out of East Lancashire. The revolutionary plastic mesh developed in Blackburn made its founder Dr Brian Mercer a multi-millionaire and created a company which is still a world leader in its
TWO drivers had to be cut out of their cars after a head-on smash in Clitheroe. A Volvo 940, driven by David Cougill, of Bashall Eaves and a Ford Mondeo estate, driven by Peter Holman, of Oswaldtwistle, collided on the A671 about half a mile outside Clitheroe
PUPILS at Barrow Primary School in Ribble Valley have won a certificate of achievement from the Green Partnership for planting 15 trees, including weeping willow and cherry blossom, in their school grounds. The partnership, comprising United Utilities
LANCASHIRE hope that Peter Martin will be fit to return for tomorrow's C&G Trophy quarter final against Middlesex at Old Trafford. But Andrew Flintoff's shoulder injury is still preventing him from bowling, meaning he will again play as a specialist
DJ Johnny Magee is now doing regular nights at a number of Blackburn pubs. He can be found every other Saturday at North Bar, Town Hall Street, from 10pm - 1am; and every Friday and Saturday at The Lounge and Cubes, Duke Street, from 10pm - 2am.
A WHOLE new pub experience is set to open in East Lancs following £750,000 investment and the creation of 20 jobs. The Boddington Arms on Myerscough Road, near Balderstone, is due to re-open its doors next week and new managers Chris and Barbara Monaghan
AN investigation has been launched into the actions of Greater Manchester Fire Service's top officer over the death of a Ramsbottom firefighter four years ago. Solicitors acting on behalf of Paul Metcalf's family allege County Fire Officer Mr Barry Dixon
WEST HAM youngster Stephen Bywater has emerged as a realistic target as Burnley boss Stan Ternent looks to fill his goalkeeping void. Bywater, an England U21 regular, has been unable to force his way into the first team picture at Upton Park for over
DARWEN children will be putting their best foot forward to raise money for Barnardo's children's charity. St Cuthbert's toddlers have joined in the nationwide 'Foresters Big Toddle' to help the charity raise more than £700,000 to be used for disadvantaged
A WOMAN who has endured her own struggle with a controversial anti-depressant is to set-up a support group for other users. Lynne Bradley, 52, wants to more to be done to educate people about Seroxat and hopes East Lancashire people will get together
THOUSANDS of pounds in fake notes are circulating in Blackburn and Darwen after a teenager found £50,000 in counterfeit cash dumped near his home. An investigation was launched when another teenager was arrested after attempting to use bogus Scottish
A LEADING headteacher today warned that education standards would slip unless more money was pumped into the coffers of cash-strapped schools. Nigel Jepson, chairman of the Lancashire Association of Secondary School Headteachers, spoke out after a meeting
A SURVEY of local councils has revealed regional government is more popular in the North West than in many other parts of the country. The survey, by the Local Government Association, comes just days before an announcement on whether a referendum will
AN IRAQI asylum seeker plunged a kitchen knife into the head and heart of a fellow countryman after attacking him in a Blackburn street, a jury was told. Mokhler Mostafa's left lung was also punctured as Samsuddin Farhan Hamad, 20, buried the weapon up
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. The Rossendale Players present "Confusions," New Millennium Theatre, Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, 7.30pm. The Royal British Legion's Presentation Evening, Longshaw Unity
Burnley Community team had two reasons to celebrate although success on the pitch was not one of them. For the club was victorious off the pitch following the success of its fourth annual event and also obtaining £5,000 Lottery funding for the second
As back-handed compliments go, I think I have found the best one yet! For I was looking at the list of names for Sunday's Farleys Fun Fives Football Festival and what should I come across -- a team called Tinniswood Who? Naturally, it got me thinking
READINGS for Blackburn Art Club's forthcoming productions take place over the next two weeks. Tonight readings for The Small Hours will take place while on June 17 potential cast members can read for Inspector Drake and the Perfekt Crime. All readings
I WOULD like to give a special mention to all of the local musicians, volunteers and traders who contributed to this year's 'Darwen 2003' music festival. Much has been said about the headline acts, but it is the involvement of the 'Darreners' themselves
I SPENT two whole days wandering around the recent Darwen Music Festival. From the main stage to the smallest venue, my wife and I were amazed at the variety of types of music we heard. Granted, not all was to our taste, but all were excellent in their
IF absentee Blackburn councillor Graham Pound (LET, May 29) has an ounce of honour he will resign today. I could not justify taking taxpayers' money and not doing what I was elected to do. So for Blackburn Conservative members to allow this shows that
ONCE again, the self-styled 'liberator of Darwen,' Roy Davies, persists in perpetuating the myth that the town has been neglected by councillors (Letters, May 22). Yet again, he trots out the millions spent in Blackburn. But, yet again, he fails to mention
THE Accrington Road area of Burnley is like a war zone. We live, eat and very rarely sleep, anti-social behaviour 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Most of the residents feel no-one is doing anything about it or even cares. We hear that money is being
A MAN hanged himself in his garage with an electric cable after a 10-month battle with depression, an inquest heard. Terry Graham, aged 54, became depressed last year after he lost his job as an engineer. Mr Graham, of Hendon Street, Leigh, hanged himself
TRAVELLERS have illegally set up camp in Summerseat. About seven caravans moved on to playing fields in Waterside Road on Sunday evening, alarming nearby residents. One villager, whose house overlooks the camp, told the Bury Times: "They started moving
A GLOBE-trotting Bury student is to jet off on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to Costa Rica this summer thanks to Lancashire brewers Daniel Thwaites. Teenager Robert Steers, a student at Holy Cross Sixth Form College, will head off to Central America in
THIRTEEN fire crews tackled a huge blaze at a Radcliffe garden centre which devastated its summer stock. And police have not ruled out arson as the cause of the fire, which left hundreds of thousands of pounds of damage, at Newbank Garden Centre in the
AN IRAQI asylum seeker plunged a kitchen knife into the head and heart of a fellow countryman after attacking him in a Blackburn street, a jury was told. Mokhler Mostafa's left lung was also punctured as Samsuddin Farhan Hamad, 20, buried the weapon up
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness will make his first signing of the summer by landing highly-rated young keeper David Yelldell. Rovers have agreed an undisclosed fee with German outfit Stuttgart Kickers for the 21-year-old shot-stopper. And his transfer
A BURNLEY journalist died after suffering a heart attack early today. Barry Ayrton, 51, of Glusburn, Yorkshire, formerly worked for the Lancashire Evening Telegraph in Burnley and Nelson. He was laterly known for his weekly 'Straight Talking' column in
WORK has started on measures which will prevent skateboarders using a town centre bandstand for their fancy wheel tricks. Councillors agreed last September to put up a fence around the bandstand, in St James' Street, Burnley, to deter skaters. However
BURNLEY is leading the way for sports in the community according to a top government minister. Burnley Football Club played host to its second minister in the space of three weeks when Sports Minister Richard Caborn came to the town. Clarets chairman
A CONFERENCE on social integration in schools is due to be held in Nelson next week. The Building Bridges Interfaith Community Project will hold the conference on June 20. The aim of the conference is to examine social inclusion strategies for year six
A DRIVER asked her name by police after a road smash told officers she was Priscilla Presley, a court was told. Burnley magistrates heard how depressed former medical secretary Lynn Stevens, 55, was abusive and aggressive and had to lean on a wall. She
VANDALS wrecked a green oasis created by mentally-ill volunteers - just hours before they were due to display their work at an open day. The vandals threw flowers, sprayed the garden, benches and plants with paint and stabbed holes in the sealed polytunnel
MISSION week began on Sunday when Atherton churches, schools and the Church Army combined with visitors from Africa in a week of events. Organiser the Rev Keith Baines has thrown out an open invitation to Athertonians to join in and support the events
CELEBRATING landing a job at a brewery came full circle for Damien McKenna, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates heard he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and during his arrest injured a shoulder. Police also discovered he was wanted on a warrant
RICHARD BAKER used to be a 'big cheese' in the Falklands. Now, he's small beer in the Ribble Valley - and proud as punch about it. Richard, 39-year-old brewmaster at the recently-established Bowland Beer Company at Bashall Barn, was the general manager
AN old weaving mill in the heart of the picturesque village of Fence is the unlikely setting for a company that furnishes some of the world's finest hotels and cruise ships. The list of exclusive hotels that feature fabrics designed and manufactured by
STEPHEN GREENHALGH was always destined to join the family business of J&J Ormerod. From the age of 10, he spent his Saturday and Sunday mornings working at the Bacup company and, by the time he left the London School of Economics, he had done most
CHEESE-MAKING is more than a tradition for the Butler family - it is big business. From humble beginnings in 1932 when just a handful of Lancashire cheeses were produced, the Butlers now produce 1,200 tons of farmhouse cheeses every year. Their hand-made
PEOPLE of a certain age have a habit of observing that policemen, doctors, pilots and other professionals are looking younger. At the Horizons Hotel and Restaurant at Accrington's Globe Centre, the staff really are much younger than you would expect.
HE'S a crawler who's spent most of his working life on his knees, grovelling at the behest of his customers - but that's exactly how he likes it! Carpet fitter turned company director Paul Harwood found that the more time he spent on all fours, the more
ILLEGAL taxi drivers are undercutting licensed operators and putting passengers' lives at risk, an irate Ribble Valley cabbie has claimed. But the police and borough council officials today said they were on top of the problem and most taxi drivers in
WEST HAM youngster Stephen Bywater has emerged as a realistic target as Burnley boss Stan Ternent looks to fill his goalkeeping void. Bywater, an England U21 regular, has been unable to force his way into the first team picture at Upton Park for over
DURHAM staging a Test match should have acted as a big wake up call to those running Old Trafford and Headingley. The Riverside did a good job of staging the second Test against Zimbabwe and it was justified reward for the hard work that has been put
WARearted members of a working men's club are the toast of Queen's Park Hospital's children's ward. Customers at Mill Hill Working Men's Club raised £1,000 by raffling off gifts through an auction organised by brewers Thwaites. The night involved punters
CENTRAL Lancashire League fixtures The full list of fixtures is: SUNDAY, APRIL 27 Norden v Walsden; Crompton v Milnrow; Middleton v Rochdale; Ashton v Oldham; Royton v Radcliffe; Littleborough v Werneth; Unsworth v Stand; Heywood - no game. SATURDAY,
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness will make his first signing of the summer by landing highly-rated young keeper David Yelldell. Rovers have agreed an undisclosed fee with German outfit Stuttgart Kickers for the 21-year-old shot-stopper. And his transfer
WORK has begun on the new Radcliffe Primary School. As decided last year, Radcliffe Infant School and Radcliffe Junior School will be unified to tackle the problem of falling pupil numbers. The two schools are located next to each other on Coronation
AN annual cardiac screening service will take place next month to detect heart abnormalities that endanger lives in young people. CRY, Cardiac Risk in the Young, will offer ECGs to young people aged between 14 and 35 at the Darwen Access Point on Duckworth
THE husband of a popular newsagent who lost her battle with cancer earlier this year has built a bench in her memory. Jim Watts, husband of Marjorie Olive Watts, 73, of Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, has placed the touching tribute in his garden for the
A MAN who was banned from communicating with his ex-wife included letters suggesting a reconciliation with money he sent for their children, a court heard. Blackburn magistrates heard it was the second time David Kealey had breached the order made to
CRIMEBUSTING grants could improve security at up to 500 homes in the Infirmary area of Blackburn. A fund of £30,000 is now available to help residents get better security measures, such as improved locks, spy-holes, doorchains and lighting. Properties
RESIDENTS are urged to attend a community meeting to discuss policing in Blackburn and Darwen on June 16 at 7pm. A wide range of county initiatives will be on the agenda with Lancashire's extended use of speed cameras also under discussion. The Lancashire
SOCCER-mad girls will be able to bend it like Beckham thanks to a £30,000 grant from the Football Foundation. The money will extend opportunities for girls aged ten to 14 and will target clubs and more than 140 schools across Lancashire. Lancashire Sports
THE generosity of comedian Peter Kay helped launch a Blackburn animator on the road to an award-winning career. The star of Channel 4's Phoenix Nights paid for half of his own plane fare to London to star in John Chorlton's animation - The Last Rhumba
FIREFIGHTERS swapped pumps for pedal power on Tuesday in their bid to raise £2,000 to help a cancer victim. Eight members of Bury fire station's Green Watch are starting an arduous 1,000km trek though the Andalucian mountains in southern Spain. The seven-day
