WE'RE such a friendly bunch in Lancashire ...well most of the time anyway. Last week at Pleasington I was truly honoured to have got a helping hand from Eric the referee because I had no idea how to put the new nets up...and that's from a man who never
IN today's competitive world, people in business can never afford to stand still. As well as sound economic sense, a constant flow of ideas and innovation is needed to keep firms on top in their field. And as East Lancashire has adapted to cope with the
RIBBLE Valley Tory Nigel Evans and his Chorley Labour colleague Lindsay Hoyle were this week spotted in a London casino. Mr Evans said: "We weren't there to gamble. "We were going as part of an all-party group to see how the casino works and how it will
TRAINS and boats and planes -- not a track Stacey Kent has recorded yet, but she's certainly getting to know such means of transport very well. "We do 250 concerts a year," says the 35-year-old jazz singer as she and her husband Jim Tomlinson cruise up
SHAKERS' boss Graham Barrow reckoned his side would have been hard done by not to have taken anything from Tuesday night's game. And he believes that Gareth Seddon's late, late equaliser could have earned his side a crucial point come the end of the season
HIGHFIELD UTD...3 MONTON AMS...1 Air Miles Manchester League Premier Division FRESH from their 4-0 hammering of Wilmslow last week Highfield were thirsty for blood from the off against third-placed Monton Amateurs on Saturday. And once again it was Tom
HEATON MOOR...17 BURY...7 RFU North Lancs 1 "REVENGE is a dish best eaten cold." So it was when the host team repaid the visitors for defeat at their hands when they visited Bury before Christmas. Bury could have been three points down after five minutes
AIR MILES Manchester League Premier Division DUKINFIELD TOWN...5 ELTON VALE...1 VALE dropped down a couple of places to second-from-bottom of the table, following this desperately disappointing defeat at Blocksages Park against a side just two positions
LATEST details Premier Division: LLWMC 3 Derby Ht A 4; R & Crown Rams 5 Summerseat A 2; Roach Ht A 5 Rileys A 2; S of Life B 4 Swan Ht 3; Rileys B 2 Welcome A 5; Masons Arms A 4 Hamers Arms 3. First Division: New Inn Rad 4 Bridge Tav A 3; Shirt Club
EAST Lancashire was bracing itself for more snow today -- and wintry weather was expected to continue into the weekend. After scattered snow showers yesterday afternoon, a more sustained snowfall set in across the area around 10pm. Today, motorists were
BLACKBURN and Darwen councillors are due to set the borough's new council tax levels which will fund a £183 million spending programme. The council's ruling Labour group are proposing an increase of 2.9 per cent but overall bills are set to increase by
CAPITA, the group which manages many of the council services in Blackburn and Darwen, has announced a record profit of £121million for 2003. The company, which has a 15-year partnership deal with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council worth £200million
BLACKBURN skaters are set to take on the world next week after being chosen to represent Great Britain at the World Junior Championships in Holland. Michelle Royds, 17, from Lammack, is one of four youngsters from the Blackburn Arena Skating School chosen
REGARDING the letter from Mr F Crompton (LET, February 19), would he rather live in a 'concrete jungle' with the money now spent on the flowers being used for clearing litter instead? Surely the people who dump this rubbish should be brought to task whenever
ON most streets in Blackburn and Hyndburn notices are displayed warning dog owners to clean up after their dogs. I agree with this wholeheartedly, but why single out just dogs? Surely these notices should say 'all animals.' Take horses, I have yet to
WHAT was the lady who wanted the pink wedding trying to prove in bringing her story to the newspaper? As described in your article (LET, February 20) the hotel gave her back the full deposit, which they had no obligation to do at all, yet they did. Perhaps
A MOTORBIKE rider killed after a collision with a car has been named as 38-year-old Philip Taylor. Mr Taylor, from Alt Close, Leigh, was riding his Kawasaki motorbike in Wigan when he was involved in a collision with a stolen Rover 115 at the junction
The Andy Lochhead column IF EVER there was a right time to play Millwall, then it's now. The FA Cup defeat will still be smarting and there's nothing motivates you more than coming up against a side again that has just turned you over. But more than that
GEORGE VI was on the throne and the Second World War was yet to break out when Vincent Howard first started to drink in the Old Cross pub in Radcliffe. And now, at 90 years old, the father of two still pops in for a jar most nights, 66 years on. He even
YOUNG composer Nichola Holt scored a success when members of a prestigious army band played her composition. Sixteen-year-old Nichola heard her A-Level brass quartet piece played by the King's Division Normandy Band as part of their concert at Bury Grammar
TWO Bury police officers battled in vain to save the life of a motorist who had collapsed at the wheel of his car. Traffic officer Nigel Everett and PC Becky Gore pulled Mr James Green from the driver's seat of his Fiat Tipo and performed mouth-to-mouth
THE popularity of digital cameras has helped seal the fate of a Bury photo lab which could close in May with the loss of more than 100 jobs. Colourcare, in Tile Street, is likely to shut its doors due to "economic reasons", say owners Kodak Processing
A ROADSHOW aimed at recruiting more foster carers for local children heads for Bury's Castle Leisure Centre this weekend. Staff from Bury Council's family placement team will be at the centre on Saturday (Feb 28) between 10am and noon in order to promote
SWEETS factory worker Mike Bell used his head when managemenet ribbed him about his shoulder-length hair. After repeated light-hearted requests to get it cut, he chewed over the idea before agreeing to do just that and raise money for Bury Hospice at
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has underlined the importance of beating Southampton tomorrow by describing the clash as Rovers' 'biggest game of the season'. With just five points currently separating Rovers from the bottom three, Souness knows a victory
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after an attempted robbery at Merton Street Post Office in Stoneyholme, Burnley. The incident happened around 9am yesterday as the postmaster Yunis Adam opened the shop. As he walked in, he was followed by a man wearing
STAFF at TGI Friday's in Prestwich were celebrating the news that its UK chain had won an international award for the second successive year. TGI Friday's UK was named international franchise group of the year by its brand owner Carlson Resturants, beating
A PART-time taxi driver claimed more than £3,000 in benefits he wasn't entitled to, a court was told. Burnley Magistrates heard how father-of-four Ajmal Hussain, 46, was getting housing and council tax benefits, but didn't declare he was receiving working
A FULL-scale alert was launched by the emergency services in response to reports of a strange smell in Padiham. But an hour after the first 999 call, emergency services followed their noses and found the source of the problem - pig muck in a farmer's
PLANS to turn a Grade II listed building in Nelson into a £6.3million state-of-the-art health centre will be officially launched today. Health officials from Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust and their project partners will attend a special
A UNIVERSITY, new rail station and a major programme of public art could help Burnley's regeneration over the next 20 years, according to a new report. The study, commissioned by the Town Centre Partnership, sets out ideas for how the town centre could
CLAIMS the Gaul trawler was sunk by a submarine have been dismissed as "absurd". Nigel Meeson QC, barrister to the public inquiry into the sinking of the Hull vessel 30 years ago, said the allegation was "far-fetched and absurd". Sheila Doone, of Sackville
YORKSHIRE and England cricket legend Fred Trueman worked up a bit too much pace as he drove home from a charity function. Blackburn magistrates heard that 73-year-old 'Fiery Fred', as he was nicknamed, was clocked doing 74mph in a 60mph zone on the A59
STRIKING Allied Brewery workers threatened to halt production at Blackburn's Thwaites Brewery. Angry workers from Warrington claimed they had the backing of transport unions and would stop deliveries of sugar and malt unless wholesalers were restircted
A CAT used one of it's nine lives when it decided to take a nap under the bonnet of a Burnley man's car. When Michael Brown, of Briercliffe Road, unwittingly started the engine the frightened feline got trapped in the fan belt. It took firemen 40 minutes
FIREFIGHTERS saved the former Palladium cinema in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, after a suspected arson attack threatened to destroy the building. A blaze broke out in the building - which is currently for sale - at 5.15pm yesterday and the fire spread rapidly
LITTER, dog fouling, and noisy neighbours are some of the examples of anti-social behaviour being highlighted by Hyndburn Community Safety Partnership in a new publicity leaflet. The group defines anti-social behaviour as any persistent behaviour that
PASSENGERS at a railway station could soon be protected from the elements by wind and solar-powered shelters. Two prototype shelters, said to be the first of their kind in the UK and costing around £13,000 each, will be sited at Church and Oswaldtwistle
MP DAVID Chaytor is seeking a meeting with Westfield bosses over their £150 million redevelopment plans for Bury town centre. And the Bury North MP feels that a definitive case to move the market, an important element of the plans, has not been made.
THE battle to transform Whitefield town centre has turned into a "store wars" after developers David McLean Homes TREBLED the size of their proposed supermarket. The company has submitted a planning application to Bury Council for a 36,000 sq ft Tesco
CHARITY cyclists from Malta honoured Stonyhurst College, in the Ribble Valley, when the headmaster visited the island. Adrian Aylward was presented with a commemorative certificate by Alan Curry, the organiser of the Braveheart Life Cycle Challenge fund
RURAL Ribble Valley Council has put its best foot forward by appointing a 'Stepping Out' walking project co-ordinator. Learning disabilities nurse and business studies graduate Kath Mitchell, 36, from Clitheroe, is the first walking project co-ordinator
A GENESIS exodus has brought numbers to Bury! For 300 jobs have come to the town's Waterfold Park with a further 100 to be created by Genesis Communications in the next 18 months. The company, which is the UK's leading business mobile service provider
IF THE rabid atmosphere inside the New Den is a little calmer tomorrow, it's thanks to Tony Grant. Two weeks ago, the Clarets midfielder took the bait laid by Dennis Wise to earn a fifth booking and rule himself out of any revenge mission. And Grant is
BURNLEY players have been warned to keep their cool in the heat of the Lions Den. The Clarets head back to Millwall tomorrow just two weeks after a fiery FA Cup meeting between the two sides, culminating in Paul Weller's red card for a push on chief aggressor
BURY South MP Ivan Lewis is to address a meeting of the Prestwich Business Forum on Monday (March 1). And the event, to be held in the town's Village Hotel, is open to all businesses throughout the Bury South area. Mr Lewis, Minister for Education, Young
PRESTWICH carnival crown is up for grabs as organisers look for this year's royal representative. With the town's biggest event of the year planned for Sunday June 20, in St Mary's Park, the missing jewel is a new Carnival Queen. As well as a leading
SUPERBIKE legend Carl Fogarty insists it's crunch time for the Foggy FP1 as the countdown to the new racing season begins in earnest. After a difficult debut year, Foggy Petronas Racing are hoping to strike upon a winning formula when the revamped World
SHAKERS' boss Graham Barrow reckoned his side would have been hard done by not to have taken anything from Tuesday night's game. And he believes that Gareth Seddon's late, late equaliser could have earned his side a crucial point come the end of the season
BRIGHT sparks are being urged to see the light! Residents are invited to swap old fashioned, energy-sapping filament light bulbs with brand new, state-of-the-art energy efficient ones. For Bury Council is giving them away for free! A similar 2-4-1 event
SCHOOLCHILDREN aged 12 and 13 will be offered a free blood test to check for the potentially serious condition of thalassaemia. Schools taking part in next month's screening programme include Prestwich High School, Broad Oak High School, Derby High School
A CALL has gone out to recruit more befrienders to support young people with autism. Bury Council is looking for people who can make a difference to the life of a family affected by the condition. Volunteers can spend a few hours a week supporting young
"OUR workrate was different class, so losing was very disappointing. They didn't really create that many chances in either half," was Radcliffe Boro manager Kevin Glendon's post-match take on his side's 2-1 home defeat to Runcorn "I think we've defended
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness has underlined the importance of beating Southampton tomorrow by describing the clash as Rovers' 'biggest game of the season'. With just five points currently separating Rovers from the bottom three, Souness knows a victory
Ace guitarist Steve Hackett has played all over the world but Blackburn has escaped his attention --until now. He spoke to JOHN ANSON. . . HE has travelled the world and played at major venues throughout his career -- but next Sunday will be a special
BLACKBURN fashion designer Gary Aspden has been ranked above Victoria Beckham in a poll of fashion's most powerful figures. The Face magazine's 'Haute 100' lists Darwen-born Gary at number 75, up from last year's 89. Gary, 33, has recently been promoted
AN 87-year-old motorist was banned after admitting his fourth speeding offence in three years. Blackburn magistrates rejected submissions that a disqualification would cause exceptional hardship for William Thornton, ruling that an ambulance could be
WHITEFIELD-based Academy Fleet Services is using its head for a speedy recovery. The company, based at the town's Albert Close trading estate, has taken a step forward in customer service excellence. For Adrian Tolan has been appointed as the new facilitator
WHEN Stephen Knight's wife lost her hair after chemotherapy, the primary school headteacher promised her he would one day shave his hair off to raise money for cancer relief. Now, three years after his wife, Claire, 34, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer
MORRISONS supermarket is going ahead with its plans to introduce pay and display parking at its Blackburn town centre store, despite opposition from traders. Supermarket bosses had been reviewing parking arrangements at the store's 700 space, three storey
THE headteacher of a failing Blackburn school today said he was not given enough time to make a difference before being judged by the education watchdog. And Ian Bott expressed "disappointment" that the criticisms of Queens Park Technology College came
THAI boxing instructor Richard Lewis was spotted on the 'Reverend Bob's Modified Car Show,' on Satellite TV's 'Men and Motors' channel, and it has led to a Channel 4 documentary being made on the 30-year-old Whitefield man and the sport he loves. The
SO, the Education Bill has scraped through Parliament, and the main reason given, according to Ivan Lewis MP, is that it will provide £1 billion additional income for higher education. As if there were no better ways to fund education. Since Labour came
READING the front page headline about post office closures I thought I was back in 1984 when two local post offices were threatened with closure. At the time Bury Pensioners Association, which had just been founded, took up the case in conjunction with
I DO not understand why the proposed closure of 13 post offices across the borough is such a shock to Labour MP Mr Ivan Lewis and our local councillors. After all, Bury Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on this issue for the past two years. In fact
SCHOOLCHILDREN aged 12 and 13 will be offered a free blood test to check for the potentially serious condition of thalassaemia. Schools taking part in next month's screening programme include Prestwich High School, Broad Oak High School, Derby High School
PLANS to hit council taxpayers with a five per cent rise have been dramatically ditched. Householders will instead pay an increase of 3.1 per cent, after councillors gave their backing to last-minute alterations. The rise means bills for people living
SATURDAY Brass Fusion, King George's Hall, Northgate, Blackburn, 7.30pm. Dick Gaughan, Padiham Town Hall. Circus Hilarious, Municipal Hall, Albert Road, Colne, 2.30pm. Clitheroe Parish Church Organ Society's Coffee Morning, Ribble Valley Mayor's, Clitheroe
Richard Dormer was able to call on childhood memories when he decided to write and stage a play about rebellious snooker star Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins. He spoke to JENNY SCOTT. . . AS a child of 10 Richard Dormer watched his parents weep with emotion
THE call from Burnley MP Peter Pike for members to get Fridays off from Westminster to spend more time in their constituencies has raised a few eyebrows. It has split East Lancashire MPs worried that voters might think they are skiving and caused at least
RAMSBOTTOM United manager Vince Overson could be forgiven for feeling rather smug after Tuesday night's win, given the criticism aimed at him and his underacheiving squad from some quarters. But in keeping with the honest and consistent way he has conducted
Redrow Lancashire Amateur League BURY GSOB...2 PRAIRIE UNITED...1 BURY continued their climb up the table by posting another three points at the expense of struggling Prairie, in an instantly forgettable game at Buckley Wells. Yet the Old Boys got away
SHAKERS' manager Graham Barrow reckons the state of the Gigg Lane pitch is a big reason why his side are saving their best displays for their travels. Speaking after Tuesday night's home 1-1 draw with struggling Southend United, the Bury boss was critical
RAMSBOTTOM UTD...5 ATHERTON LR...2 NWCFL First Division IT'S a pity Atherton Town don't play in the NWCFL, because then Rammy would have the opportunity to beat all three Atherton teams, after this victory over Laburnum Rovers followed hot on the heels
STEVEN James Lomax, 46, of Rewe Close, Blackburn, was made subject to an immediate disqualification when he appeared before Blackburn magistrates and pleaded guilty to driving while more than three times the legal alcohol limit. Scott Ainge, prosecuting
EAST Lancashire Hospice is appealing for support during their 'Coffee Morning Week.' The Blackburn-based charity is inviting community organisations, schools, hairdressers, businesses, friends and supporters to hold get-togethers from March 22 to the
I AM in total agreement with Mr Charles Warkman and Brian Race (LET, February 6/9) regarding the merger of Ribble Valley with Blackburn. The thought of this fills us with horror. No-one in Mellor Village seems to have been asked, or has given an opinion
SEDGLEY PARK...5 HARROGATE...17 NCA 2nd XV Championship WITH the first team enjoying a break from their race for promotion, the attention turned to the second team, also chasing championship glory. Sedgley began brightly and attacked, forcing Harrogate
PRESTWICH HEYS...3 IRLAM MS...2: THERE are times when playing with a strong following wind can be a disadvantage, but on this occasion Heys made full use of it in the first period. Early pressure was put on the Irlam defence and Heys were rewarded when
I AM afraid to say that the Pat Jones letter made me burst out laughing, because nothing could be further from the truth in 'Adoption move blatantly obvious' (LET, February 20). It was the individual members of Burnley Labour Party who decided democratically
SWINTON LIONS...18 OLDHAM...30 Arriva Trains Cup, West Qualifying Group LIONS scored a try within 56 seconds of the kick-off, but then surrendered the rest of the first half. However, after the break it was a different story, as despite two sin binnings
THE people of North West England have had enough of the constant meddling of the borough and county boundaries over the past 30 years, and I believe they should be left well alone. However, regional government is a different matter altogether and I do
I RECENTLY re-read a project I did for a History A-level which focused on the origins of a local textile employers association. My research highlighted, among other things, the practice of 'slating' in weaving sheds during the 19th century. When employees
BURY Market is due to gain more national recognition because of its courteous nature. A BBC crew, compiling a light-hearted look into customer services, spent time filming at the market for a programme called Bee In My Bonnet, scheduled to be screened
TAKING over the hot seat as the boss of Bury Fire Station is Helmshore father-of-two, Peter Brandon. Assistant Divisional Officer Brandon succeeds ADO John Beryl who retired recently after more than 30 years service. Mr Brandon will be responsible for
JUSTICE campaigners today called for a frail grandfather, jailed for 11 years for drugs offences in India, to be freed after claiming he is innocent. Ismail Adam Mitha, 69, is seriously ill with heart trouble and his relatives fear he will die before
A COUNCILLOR who quit the British National Party after becoming disillusioned today said its leadership pleaded with her not to leave. Maureen Stowe, 65, of Athens View, Burnley, said she had been thinking about leaving the far right party for some time
IT WAS back to school for a group of Bury parents. A group of seven mums joined children at St Paul's Primary School to witness first-hand how their children learn maths. And as well as the children being rewarded at the end of the six-week course, the
TESCO stores in the borough are hoping to till up a healthy total for Bury Hospice. The supermarket chain has launched its Time To Care appeal by naming the "Help the Hospices" movement as its charity of the year. This will mean the proceeds of staff
CONTACT, a group for people with learning disabilities, is looking for volunteers in the borough to support their befriending service. People with learning disabilities often find it harder thanother people do, to develop friends of their own and often
BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness today backed Gordon Strachan to make a successful return to management as he prepares to face his friend's former club this weekend. Strachan recently quit his post as manager of Southampton following a successful spell with
YOUNGSTERS from Rosegrove were treated to a day out at Coldwell Activity Centre, on the moors above Nelson, as a reward for their enthusiasm over the last few weeks. They have been involved in workshops and last week they ventured out into Rosegrove to
RACEHORSE owner Darren Mercer, from Prestwich, is to face a Jockey Club inquiry over accusations he laid his own horse to lose. The horse Joss Naylor was due to run in the Welsh National at Chepstow in December, but was withdrawn prior to the race because
A CALL has gone out to recruit more befrienders to support young people with autism. Bury Council is looking for people who can make a difference to the life of a family affected by the condition. Volunteers can spend a few hours a week supporting young
A COUNCILLOR who quit the British National Party after becoming disillusioned today said its leadership pleaded with her not to leave. Maureen Stowe, 65, of Athens View, Burnley, said she had been thinking about leaving the far right party for some time
SHAKERS fans are hoping to deal their opponents a real blow from the terraces at Gigg Lane on Saturday. For members of the Forever Bury Trust are hoping that a new consignment of "Woofer" horns will add extra atmosphere to Bury FC home matches. Another
MP Gordon Prentice is giving his full support to a special promotion weekend aimed at raising the profile of volunteer police officers in East Lancashire. This weekend has been declared National Specials Weekend by all 43 police forces in England and
A CONFERENCE will be held in Pendle on Monday to celebrate the success of a funding initiative which has boosted small community groups. Presentations will be made by groups who have benefited from European funding through the borough's Community Chest
A DRIVER more than three times the drink limit appeared slumped in his seat when spotted by police in the early hours. Burnley magistrates heard Dennis Williams, 22, smelled strongly of drink and told officers he would be over the limit. Williams, of
BURY Market is due to gain more national recognition because of its courteous nature. A BBC crew, compiling a light-hearted look into customer services, spent time filming at the market for a programme called Bee In My Bonnet, scheduled to be screened
A PROJECT will be launched tomorrow aimed at reducing the above-average rate of child deaths in Pendle. The Health Awareness Project for Pendle Infants has attracted £45,000 of European cash following research by police officers and the Foundation for
THOUSANDS of gallons of water a minute flooded into St James' churchyard, Blackamoor, Lower Darwen, when Newfield Brook overflowed, causing £2,000 of damage. Meanwhile, Blackburn police were frantically trying to trace a small metal container which went
A JOURNALIST'S successful campaign to overturn a murder conviction will be featured in a major two-part TV drama which begins this weekend. Don Hale's relentless and painstaking investigation which ultimately resulted in Stephen Downing's murder conviction
A WOMAN who drove 102mph in a 60mph limit was allowed to keep her licence after magistrates heard it was her first speeding offence in a driving career that covered more than a quarter of a million miles. Diane Young, 32, of Birdybrow, Chaigley, near
A KNIGHT, a police chief and a council boss rolled up their sleeves during an election count. Sir Bill Taylor, manager of the Ribble Valley Youth and Community Service, Inspector Bob Ford, of Clitheroe Police, and Dave Morris, Ribble Valley Council chief
A GENESIS exodus has brought numbers to Bury! For 300 jobs have come to the town's Waterfold Park with a further 100 to be created by Genesis Communications in the next 18 months. The company, which is the UK's leading business mobile service provider
IT WAS back to school for a group of Bury parents. A group of seven mums joined children at St Paul's Primary School to witness first-hand how their children learn maths. And as well as the children being rewarded at the end of the six-week course, the
RUBBLE and ash is all that remains of Claremont Elderly Persons Home in Prestwich as bulldozers clear the site for a new development. The former Bury Council-run home was controversially closed two years ago and planning permission for residential accommodation
HUNDREDS of residents have thrown their weight behind a campaign to stop a wave of post office closures. As reported last week, six post offices in Prestwich and Whitefield were facing the axe under a radical nationwide shake-up of services by Post Office
PRESTWICH residents are to become the first people in the borough to try out a new recycling and waste collection scheme. From Tuesday (March 2), starting in Sedgley Park, Bury Council will launch its new phase of doorstep recycling which involves collecting
PRESTWICH police station has been turned into an Aladdin's cave of treasures. The haul of stolen goods, amounting to items valued at about £15,000, was recently recovered by officers following a spate of burglaries in the area. Now officers are appealing
STAFF and students at St Monica's RC High School in Prestwich said "Hola" and "Bonjour" to new state-of-the-art language facilities. An official launch of the £400,000 language college and other new buildings at the Bury Old Road site was held with the
BURY South MP Ivan Lewis has supported controversial plans to pave the way for random drug testing in schools. And he said that if he was a parent with a child at school, he would want to know if the youngster was involved in drug taking. Mr Lewis's comments
The Simon Garner column YOU can't fail to marvel at the skills of the likes of Thierry Henry, Jay Jay Okocha and Paulo Di Canio but what really has impressed me is the emergence of Brett Ormerod as an established Premiership player. For Brett is the perfect
PEOPLE power has earned a top workplace award for a local authority unit. Bury Council's environment and development services department has achieved the Investor in People (IIP) status. The accolade recognises that the department has embraced a commitment
MP DAVID Chaytor is seeking a meeting with Westfield bosses over their £150 million redevelopment plans for Bury town centre. And the Bury North MP feels that a definitive case to move the market, an important element of the plans, has not been made.
STAFF at Fairfield Hospital's neo-natal unit got the chance to voice their concerns to David Chaytor MP over potential changes to the service. Mr Chaytor was invited to the special care baby unit last week, a day before the Bury Times revealed that controversial
SERVICES for the disabled in the borough have undergone a huge transformation with a massive reduction in waiting times. Bury Council say urgent cases are getting almost immediate staff attention with other people having to wait only a few weeks for help
BORO's attempts to sign Shrewsbury centre-half Greg Rioch, son of former Bolton boss Bruce Rioch, on loan, appear to have failed. The move came after news that Stalybridge Celtic had insisted upon the return of Terry Bowker, after his loan deal with Boro
BARROW...2 RADCLIFFE BORO...0: BORO boss Kevin Glendon was left to rue a highly controversial refereeing decision that contributed to his side's defeat up in Cumbria on Saturday. He was involved in a heated half-time exchange of words with the referee
BURNLEY players have been warned to keep their cool in the heat of the Lions Den. The Clarets head back to Millwall tomorrow just two weeks after a fiery FA Cup meeting between the two sides, culminating in Paul Weller's red card for a push on chief aggressor
THE trial of a Darwen man accused of murdering and raping his 14-year-old daughter is due to begin next week. Sean Brown, 35, of Huntington Drive, is due to appear before Preston Crown Court on Monday, charged with the murder and rape of Carry Ann Brown
TWIN sisters are hoping to bring the glory years of the 1950s back to Darwen. Former Blackburn cafe owners Jackie Barnes and Christine Pickup are to open a new cafe, CJ's Milk Bar, on Market Street, on Monday. And the cafe is on the exact site of a popular
COUNCILLORS in Ramsbottom are being invited to sign up to the national Organ Donation Register, as part of Bury Council's 'gift of life' campaign. There are 48 members of the council and any who have not yet joined UK Transplant's NHS register and agreed
ROSSENDALE Chartists have slammed the Valley's council for the way it has responded to the Boundary Committee's proposals. The pressure group -- set up to hold the council to account -- has sent a detailed response to the Boundary Committee for the Local
COUNCIL Tax payers in Rossendale will see a rise of under five per cent in their bills for the next financial year. Councillors set the rise at 4.95 per cent at a special budget meeting of the council last night. The rise means the Rossendale portion
RADCLIFFE AC runners turned out to an exciting tour of the local countryside recently when they took part in the inaugural Pennine Bridleway Relay. Otherwise known as the Mary Townley Loop, the bridleway follows a circuit extending between Bacup and Burnley
RADCLIFFE BORO...1 RUNCORN...2 KEVIN Glendon was on the verge of admitting his Boro side will have to enter next season's newly created Conference North league via the nerve jangling play-off route. With this latest defeat dropping Boro down to 15th in
VOLUNTARY-run childcare groups in Bury are to benefit from a new Sure Start training on managing information workshop. The Success for Childcare programme has embraced a new phase of training designed to benefit those involved in this sector. A free workshop
A MAN jailed for an alleged attack on an old acquaintance today had his conviction quashed because a key witness - unbeknown to the jury - had a "quite dreadful" criminal record for dishonesty. Sajid Sarwar, 29, of Audley Range, Blackburn, was jailed
VOLUNTARY-run childcare groups in Bury are to benefit from a new Sure Start training on managing information workshop. The Success for Childcare programme has embraced a new phase of training designed to benefit those involved in this sector. A free workshop
EAST Lancashire pupils wishing to wear a hijab are under no threat, despite moves by the French Government to ban the headscarves in schools, claims a prospective Euro-MP. Hijabs are headscarves worn by some Muslim women as a sign of their faith. The
AN investigation has been launched after a police car on the way to an emergency smashed into the wall of a restaurant while overtaking a lorry. Police said the officer swerved and crashed into a wall at Parmesan and Pepper, part of the Royal Hotel, on
ALMOST 60 football hooligans from East Lancashire have been banned from Euro 2004, it was revealed today. Nine thugs who claim to support Blackburn Rovers and 50 who follow Burnley have been given banning orders preventing them travelling to Portugal
BLACKBURN businessman Gary Davis has hit on a new venture thanks to TV comedy classic Only Fools and Horses - but he says he's no Del Boy. Gary has started bottling 'Peckam Springs' - pure mineral water pumped from 83 metres below the ground of his farm
JUSTICE campaigners today called for a frail grandfather, jailed for 11 years for drugs offences in India, to be freed after claiming he is innocent. Ismail Adam Mitha, 69, is seriously ill with heart trouble and his relatives fear he will die before
CONTACT, a group for people with learning disabilities, is looking for volunteers in the borough to support their befriending service. People with learning disabilities often find it harder thanother people do, to develop friends of their own and often
RACEHORSE owner Darren Mercer, from Prestwich, is to face a Jockey Club inquiry over accusations he laid his own horse to lose. The horse Joss Naylor was due to run in the Welsh National at Chepstow in December, but was withdrawn prior to the race because
SEDGLEY Park RUFC player coach Tim Fourie is glad his team is back in action, although he believes a free Saturday last weekend could stand them in good stead. "It seems to have provided the guys with a chance to re-focus," he said. "Our injuries seem
RESIDENTIAL care homes in Bury are continuing to close and beds are still being lost. How long will this continue before the council ends the uncertainty? I am aware that Bury Council are in the High Court over the matter of fees paid to the private homes
MESSRS Homewood, Wiseman and Ceeaitch, whilst continuing to attack Britain's membership of the European Union, all fail to put forward any credible alternative for dealing with decisions which need to be made at a level greater than that of the individual
HAS Bury's Labour Council developed a death wish? Following complaints about residents paying for congratulatory banners, electronic signs, calendars and free newspapers, now the job adverts are displaying the same slogans. It is again costing us money
YOUNG composer Nichola Holt scored a success when members of a prestigious army band played her composition. Sixteen-year-old Nichola heard her A-Level brass quartet piece played by the King's Division Normandy Band as part of their concert at Bury Grammar
