Archive

  • Farewell to firefighters Colin and Leslie

    From the Guide files of Friday, November 2, 1979: WHITEFIELD Ambulance Station bade farewell to two senior ambulance officers with a total of 60 years service. Colin Heath and Leslie Roberts retired after a long and dedicated service. FIRE crews rescued

  • Motorway dozes spell disaster

    THERE cannot be many drivers who can honestly claim they have never found themselves fighting the urge to doze momentarily while driving on a motorway. The experience, and the thought of what might have happened, is frightening as is the sensation of

  • Players wanted

    GOLBORNE Cricket Club are looking for new players to improve the overall standard of the teams for next season. Interested players should contact either Denis Ormshaw (chairman) on 07970 678 562 or Dale Tyrer (first team captain) on 0773 222 9381.

  • Open House with Bill Jacobs

    JANET Anderson has confessed Labour colleague Peter Pike was not the only East Lancashire MP to employ a family member as a personal assistant at Westminster. Burnley backbencher Mr Pike came under fire for the fact his daughter Jane was paid out of his

  • Spot king Bushell earns Heys a point

    WITH the first team's Lancashire Cup tie against BAE Systems Barrow was called off early Saturday morning due to a waterlogged Sandgate Road pitch, the attention was switched to Liam Byrne's reserve team who were away to Wythenshawe Amateurs, who boasted

  • Damage not an isolated case

    REGARDING your story (LET, October 18), about the damage done to the house in Whitehall Terrace, Darwen, would you please note that this is not the only damage done to houses in this district. Other houses have been targeted with windows being broken

  • Council is going for the easy targets

    LAST month I, like most in Blackburn, got a notice that the council was taking over responsibility for policing parking. It promised to focus on illegal parking, especially those who park on double yellow lines, pavements and at corners. All these are

  • Search begins for Young Citizen

    THE search is back on for the area's top young citizen. The Journal is looking for youngsters up to the age of 18 who have made an impact in their local community. Charity work, the field of education, environment, sport are all areas where the Young

  • Elderly must stay on their guard

    WE at Help the Aged were concerned to read in your recent report that bogus callers have been targeting older people in Darwen and would like to offer some advice to your older readers on how to ensure they do not become a victim. When dealing with an

  • Residents to fight homes bid

    RESIDENTS are fighting to save a former social club from the developers. They claim the Hindley Green club in Atherton Road was left to the people of the area by a deed covenant in 1904 by mill owner Henry Kirkpatrick and should not be sold. Families

  • Blood sister

    NO DANGER of empty seats at Blackpool's Grand Theatre next week. Not content with offering up one of Britain's best-loved musicals, the theatre also provides a homecoming for the resort's favourite daughter, Linda Nolan. And, as Linda explained to the

  • It's time to get back to basics

    The Andy Lochhead column SUBTLETY is maybe not Steve Cotterill's best attribute. And it was hard not to chuckle at the final whistle last Tuesday when Aston Villa trudged off the pitch defeated and the beaming Burnley manager looked up at his chairman

  • Charity night to go with a bang

    SPARKS are set to fly at Burrs Country Park on Saturday night for a spectacular firework display. The event, to raise money for Pendlebury Childrens Hospital, gets underway at 6pm with entertainment, and a mini-funfair, followed by the firework and light

  • New church team takes over

    A NEW clergy team has been established for Ramsbottom and Edenfield, following the retirement of the Rev Gerald Higham. Mr Higham was the last dedicated vicar for Edenfield Parish Church and St Philips Church, Stubbins. The churches will now become part

  • Diamond day for couple

    AFTER 60 sparkling years of marriage, Ronald and Eunice May Taylor have celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary. Ronald and Eunice, of Byrom Street, Woolford, first met at the Palais in Bury, after Eunice was evacuated from Kent during the war. The

  • Road rage gun terror

    AN ex-company director turned into a "raging" gunman and brought terror to a quiet beauty spot after he believed a car had tried to run his wife off the road, a jury heard. The court was told David Gawthorpe, 60, allegedly got a double-barrelled shotgun

  • M65 wake-up call

    DRIVERS who get stressed out and exhausted by modern life are causing an alarming number of serious accidents across East Lancashire. Police revealed that there have been 33 crashes caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel on the M65 in the last

  • Rowetta aims for TV X Factor

    TV X FACTOR contestant Rowetta Satchell is hoping to be on form for this weekend's show after nursing a sore throat. The former Bury Grammar School and Unsworth Comprehensive pupil has been resting her voice in preparation for the live programme on Saturday

  • RMI boss hits out over his sick list

    PHIL Starbuck has slammed the Nationwide Conference after they forced Leigh RMI to play at Canvey Island on Saturday with only SEVEN fit players. Mumps and flu left the club collecting doctors' notes towards the end of the week to comply with Conference

  • Options open for Hughes

    MARK Hughes is hoping David Thompson and Javier De Pedro can be the creative forces behind a Blackburn Rovers revival. Thompson has been given the all-clear to resume training after recovering from a serious knee injury that has so far limited his season

  • Hughes looks to hit back

    THE wounds are starting to heal for Mark Hughes. The Blackburn boss admitted he and his squad were hurting following their second successive 4-0 flop at Chelsea last Saturday. It has left Rovers propping up the Premiership and everybody in the club feeling

  • Charity benefits from new store

    A CHARITY for deaf people helped launch a new supermarket this week after it had been nominated to cut the ribbon by a Citizen reader. Claire Downican, youth development officer for Deafway, based in Brockles Brow, Preston officially cut the ribbon on

  • Record bid takes a dive

    A SCUBA diver's third attempt to beat the world record for the longest time spent underwater came to a dramatic end following problems with his wet suit. Mark Webber, 35, was dragged from his giant red and blue water tank by safety divers at Farington

  • Area board meeting

    PHILIPS High School in Whitefield will be the venue for the next meeting of Whitefield and Unsworth area board. The meeting will take place on November 24 at 7pm.

  • Toys for us, plea

    PEOPLE with toys or nursery equipment going spare can benefit a charity supporting parents and parents-to-be. The Bury, Rossendale and North Manchester branch of the National Childbirth Trust is holding a nearly new sale on Saturday November 6 at St Veronicas

  • Danger by name, danger by nature

    THE wartime experiences of a former SAS soldier from Preston have been captured in text. David Danger, 81, of Fulwood, is just one of 60 SAS soldiers whose exploits are depicted in Gavin Mortimer's new book, Stirling's Men: the inside history of the SAS

  • Motorists praised for patience

    MOTORISTS across Preston have been praised for their patience in helping with a traffic survey that could pave the way for Fishergate to be pedestrianised. Drivers were quizzed on their travel habits from October 12 to 21 for Lancashire County Council

  • Coffee morning bonus

    A COFFEE morning and open day is being held at the Nicky Alliance Day Centre on Sunday. The event is not just aimed at raising funds for the centre where Manchester Jewish Community Care is based, but to interest people who have relatives, friends, or

  • Tributes to trust head

    TRIBUTES have been paid to the chairman of Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Brian Booth, who died this week. Mr Booth collapsed at home in Fulwood, Preston, on Sunday evening after a heart attack. Tony Curtis, chief executive of the trust, which

  • First step for new development

    DEVELOPERS have unveiled the first blueprints for a multi-million pound retail park that could create more than 350 jobs in Leyland. The £15million development, by Watson Batty Architects Ltd, will see Bradford-based Morrisons, and catalogue giant Argos

  • Business forum date

    PRESTWICH Business Forum will hold its annual general meeting at the start of its monthly get-together next Tuesday. Nominations have been sought by the forum for officers to serve for the next 12 months. These are chairman, deputy chairman, secretary

  • Man jailed after 'appalling' street robbery

    A MAN who subjected a woman to an "appalling" street robbery in Burnley has been sent to prison for over three and a half years. A court heard that Paul Hudson's victim was left shocked, stunned and in tears by her ordeal. Afterwards she was unable to

  • Rosegrove bulletin

    LOWERHOUSE Bowling Green, Lowerhouse Lane, will be open as usual until further notice, weather permitting. The cost is £1 for non members except for Sunday bowls drives, which start at 1pm, where an extra fee is charged. The bowls presentation night is

  • Teacher tells of mix-up horror at awards night

    THE headteacher of Gawthorpe High School has called for better exam assessment after pupils taking GCSE English were given the wrong marks by the exam board. Andrew Mackenzie told the audience at the school's annual prize night he was "horrified by the

  • Cheeky chappies back

    FULL MONTY recycling depot workers who stripped naked for a controversial calendar have bared their all again. The cheeky chappies from Sita have gone down to their birthday suits for a 2005 version of the charity calendar. And their story is being featured

  • Prestwich and Whitefield Afternoon TWG

    SPEAKERS at the October meetings of Prestwich and Whitefield Afternoon TWG took members from South Africa to Eden. Mr Tom Fish told of a visit he made to the former and of how, on one of his first days there, a stranger asked him if he was from Manchester

  • Early diagnosis call

    BURNLEY MP Peter Pike is backing a new campaign by the UK's leading breast cancer charity, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, to highlight the need for women in the area aged 50 and over to attend their breast screening appointments when invited. The call comes

  • Road rage gun terror

    AN ex-company director turned into a "raging" gunman and brought terror to a quiet beauty spot after he believed a car had tried to run his wife off the road, a jury heard. The court was told David Gawthorpe, 60, allegedly got a double-barrelled shotgun

  • Colleagues pay tribute to holiday-death man

    COLLEAGUES today paid tribute to a company secretary who has died at the age of 44 after being struck down by a sudden illness while on holiday in Turkey. Peter Charles Leach, who was raised in the Pike Hill area of Burnley but also lived in Colne, Foulridge

  • Ryelands Dark

    LANCASTER'S Ryelands Park is about to be illuminated - nearly six months after smart new lights were put in place. It was back in May that Lancaster City Council placed new lamp stands complete with energy-efficient bulbs around the perimeter of the park

  • Search to end barren run

    BURY go into Saturday's Coca Cola League Two clash at Mansfield looking to end October unbeaten. A point, or preferably three, from Field Mill would be just what the doctor ordered for boss Graham Barrow, after a miserable previous month. Barrow has been

  • Peer hits out over 'tin can trains' franchise

    PENDLE peer Lord Tony Greaves has called on the Government to scrap "tin can trains" that run throughout East Lancashire. Lord Greaves, who lives in Colne - at the end of the East Lancashire line from Preston - said there was concern in the North West

  • 'Who sits where' row is resolved

    PARTY leaders settled their differences last night after a Lancashire Evening Telegraph article called on them to stop behaving like children. Pendle Council's Labour leader Frank Clifford realised something needed to be done after reading yesterday's

  • Charity night to go with a bang

    SPARKS are set to fly at Burrs Country Park on Saturday night for a spectacular firework display. The event, to raise money for Pendlebury Childrens Hospital, gets underway at 6pm with entertainment, and a mini-funfair, followed by the firework and light

  • Festive market

    A CHRISTMAS craft and gift market in aid of Derian House Children's Hospice will be open between 11am and 4pm on Saturday in Newchurch Parish Hall at Culcheth. Admission is 50p.

  • 25 years ago:

    A BLACKBURN girl narrowly escaped death after her horse walked through an electrically "live" puddle of water in Pendlebury near Manchester. The horse died but the girl was saved by her leather saddle and riding boots and was thrown just inches clear

  • 50 years ago:

    A DARWEN animal lover called on the community to help her raise the money to buy a retiring horse. Thirteen year-old Bobby had served British Railways for eight years, but was being replaced by machinery. Joan Hamilton of Eccleshill Cottages, vowed to

  • Players look out for new blood

    THEATRE company St Joseph's Players is casting its net far and wide for a new generation of amdram stars. A number of new, younger players are already deep in rehearsals with the regulars for the pantomime Beauty and the Beast, being staged from January

  • Cash bid to save wardens

    A PLAN of action has been drawn up to save Hyndburn's threatened neighbourhood wardens. At a private meeting yesterday in Accrington, the council offered to put £50,000 into a fund, leaving about £110,000 left to be found. The council met with representatives

  • Two cars written off in as many months

    A WOMAN who has had two cars written off outside her home in two months has called for traffic calming measures on her street. Barbara Iveson said she was fed up of motorists speeding in Dill Hall Lane, Church, and would like to see speed humps or cameras

  • Expert on trail of top teachers

    EDUCATION bosses in the borough have recruited an expert to attract and keep quality teachers in the borough. Former headteacher Christine Abbott has been appointed as the councils first recruitment and retention strategy officer. Her job will include

  • Hesitancy over animal fur ban

    CAT and dog fur is being shipped into Britain on a record scale for use as trimming on clothes, hats and children's toys. Undercover investigators in China and the Philippines report that cats, many of them pets, are rounded up, crammed into tiny cages

  • Her dog knocked me to the ground

    THIS letter is directed at the dog-owner who was in St. Mary's Park, Prestwich, on Thursday, October 21, and who took great delight in letting her huge chocolate-coloured doberman repeatedly run and jump up at me and my hysterical seven-year olddaughter

  • The BNP 'already has a voice'

    IN her recent reply to Mr Kaiserman's exposure of the British National Party's prejudice and aggression, correspondent Mrs D. Crompton says the BNP has "no voice." What do their speeches, letters to the press and leaflets constitute? I don't know why

  • Coroner's warning over smoke alarms

    A CORONER is demanding Bury social services fit smoke alarms in the homes of all of its vulnerable and disadvantaged clients, after a fatal house fire in Whitefield. Mr Simon Nelson said it was "incredible" that Bury Council did not take advantage of

  • You need glasses

    SO readers L Ingham, W Bingley and K Roberts think the Midland Hotel is of outstanding beauty in its present state and must be preserved for the future well-being of Morecambe (Letters, October 21). I can tell them of another oustanding building in the

  • Great tip idea

    AS a resident of Morecambe for more than 50 years I would like to ask why would anyone with an ounce of common sense wish to refurbish the derelict relic of the former Midland Hotel? And who would patronise it if they did? We are going to be short of

  • We'll fight for resort

    SO NOW Lancaster's Labour led cabinet has pulled the plug on the Festival of Light and Water. This comes just a few weeks after it axed weather station reports at 5pm, resulting in no mention of Morecambe in the national press. Next in line could be public

  • Where is forward planning?

    THE city council has refurbished a building opposite Sainsbury for extra offices. Qualified artisans re-pointed the wall facing the fire station with great skill. However, at evening overtime rates this week, BT engineers placed black boxes and cables

  • We can all do more for diversity

    IT IS encouraging to see the success of the Diversity Festival now taking place in Lancaster, even though it is possible to think 'better late than never' if you are a member of the trade union movement which has been fighting against the areas of prejudice

  • City men stay on top

    LANCASTER sit six points clear at the top of the National Water Polo League table after over-coming a battling Bristol side for the second time this season. The city swimmers earned an 11-7 verdict in a hard fought match at Salt Ayre on Saturday. Tom

  • Atoms draw another blank

    Heysham Atoms' game against Waterhead (Oldham) was called off on Friday due to a waterlogged pitch - giving the locals their second free Saturday in succession. This was more than a little frustrating as the Atoms have built up some real momentum by winning

  • Cup draw takes place on Saturday

    Blackpool wll find out who they will face in the First Round of the FA Cup on Saturday, when the draw takes place. The Seasiders will be number 3 for the draw which can be seen on BBC One and Sky Sports Saturday at 5.15pm. The ties will take place on

  • Cotterill joy at TV cash

    BURNLEY could pocket as much as £175,000 from their televised Carling Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur next month. Both the Clarets and Spurs receive a whopping £100,000 from Sky from broadcasting rights. And with both teams getting 45 per cent of the

  • Killer instinct is still missing

    IT'S not quite the irresistible force against the immovable object. But when Burnley, the division's draw specialists, travel to meet a side with four straight home wins behind them, then something clearly has to give. And if Steve Cotterill was a betting

  • Birthday man's fight caught on CCTV

    AFTER seeing his lifelong friend knocked unconscious in Bury town centre, airport electrician Alexander Skelly got involved in a running battle, a court heard. Described as a model citizen and a man of previous good character, Skelly, of Frankton Road

  • Green revolution continues

    ALMOST every household in the borough is to receive a full complement of recycling bins in a bid to meet Government targets. Another 14,000 homes will be sent boxes and bags to recycle glass, plastics and textiles from January 1, with a further 7,000

  • Prestwich and Whitefield Probus Club

    IN a happy opening to the October 21 meeting of Prestwich and Whitefield Probus Club, Eric Wilson was welcomed as a new member. Jack Shaw then gave an hour-long talk and slide show on The Cities of London and Westminster, which he did without any notes.London

  • Prestwich Camera Club

    ON Tuesday, members of Prestwich Co-op Camera Club were treated to a visit from Alan Barber from Oldham. He is not in any club but has been taking pictures for almost 50 years. As he is a keen walker, he has taken pictures in many different localities

  • Message from Europe by Gary Titley

    LATE last month, my wife and I took a weekend off to visit friends in Spain. We flew with a cheap airline from Manchester. Scores of other families were doing the same, and there was not a spare seat to be had either going out or coming back. Sitting

  • Stick with Stead to score the goals

    The Simon Garner column IT doesn't matter who plays up front for Blackburn Rovers - because at the moment they're not getting the chances to score anyway. It's unfortunate that all the forwards are going through bad spells at the moment but it's hard

  • Cheer us to glory

    LANCASTER City boss Phil Wilson is calling on his troops to fire their way into the first round of the FA Cup in front of a bumper crowd as they face Scar-borough on Saturday. The Dolly Blues have been handed a plum home draw against the Nationwide Conference

  • Seconds push rivals close

    NO quarter was asked, or given when Lancastrian RK Fitness First squash team played the Second team. It was a predictable win for the first team, but they weren't allowed all their own way. Jim Toole took the first point off Mark Taylor in a fast-paced

  • Ladies go on a try spree

    Heaton Moor Ladies 0 Leigh RU Ladies 64: ANOTHER good performance from the Leigh RU Ladies team produced a superb results. Good interlinking work between the forwards and the backs was the secret of their success with Abi Kay, Dianne Westwell and Helen

  • Golborne's fightback stuns the high-flyers

    GOLBORNE Parkside's first team fixture against bottom placed Waterhead was called off because of a waterlogged pitch. The second team visited high-flying Widnes St Maries and gave a good account of themselves despite unluckily going down 14-6. The young

  • Happy Miners back on top

    Leigh Miners Rangers 48 West Hull 16: LEIGH Miners Rangers re-wrote the record books with their biggest-ever win over the team that everyone wants to beat. The Miners rattled up eight tries as they swept back to the top of the National Conference Premier

  • Top mum's shy pride

    MOTHER-OF-SIX Sylvia Taylor is still coming to terms with her new title of Bury Woman of the Year 2004. The modest mum, from Ramsbottom, said: "I don't know why I was even nominated, and I never thought I would be chosen. There are many other people who

  • Twin's anger over fireman's lodge death

    THE introduction of water rescue guidelines after the death of a Ramsbottom firefighter more than four years ago was "too little, too late", his twin brother said. Paul Metcalf (40) died in September 1999 in Simons Lodge at Holcombe Brook when a rope

  • Options open for Hughes

    MARK Hughes is hoping David Thompson and Javier De Pedro can be the creative forces behind a Blackburn Rovers revival. Thompson has been given the all-clear to resume training after recovering from a serious knee injury that has so far limited his season

  • Railway memories

    PHOTOGRAPHS or information about a miniature railway at the BICC Sports Ground in Leigh in 1943 are being sought by author Derek Smith, who can be contacted at dereksmith@whitstablepier.com

  • Festive market

    A CHRISTMAS craft and gift market in aid of Derian House Children's Hospice will be open between 11am and 4pm on Saturday in Newchurch Parish Hall at Culcheth. Admission is 50p.

  • Danger road weight curb welcomed

    A PROPOSED weight restriction on East Lancashire's notorious Grane Road has been welcomed by residents and councillors at a meeting. Around 50 residents gathered at Rawtenstall's St Mary's Chambers for the Lancashire Local meeting. An experimental lorry

  • Fundraisers say thanks

    LEIGH Townswomen's Guild is thanking everyone who helped raise £511.65 from a charity evening for leukaemia research. On Tuesday, the group's social studies evening will feature Maureen Leach, who will speak on "The Lancashire Dialect". The following

  • People power wins the day!

    RESIDENTS in two parts of Rossendale were celebrating today after controversial development plans were scrapped. People-power paid off in Helmshore when the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister dismissed plans to develop the former Airtours site for housing

  • Dalmation rescued by family

    A DOTTY Dalmation with a loving nature has been rescued from the busy streets of Hindley. Now Sandra Pearson and her teenage children, Kirsti, 14 and Dean, aged 13, are hoping they can reunite the young, spotted bitch with its real owner. Sandra's son

  • Christmas comes early at Bents

    CHRISTMAS celebrations began early in Glazebury when the Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Ted Lafferty, kicked off the festivities and launched Bents Garden Centre's commitment to the Kirsty Millennium Appeal. All fund-raising events held at the centre next

  • Police issue trio with footy bans

    THREE Fylde troublemakers have been issued with Football Banning Orders as part of a record-breaking drive to end hooliganism in the sport by Lancashire police. The three were among 93 people in Blackpool, Preston, Burnley and Blackburn who were made

  • Poulton chippy best in the country

    THE CHIPS are down for a Poulton-le-Fylde fish and chip shop as it fries to establish itself as the best in the country. Seniors will go through to a national final in January against 10 other regional winners from across the UK after beating rivals from

  • Gas plan under fire

    AN AMERICAN firm is stepping up its bid for permission to store potentially hazardous natural gas under the Wyre area. Canatxx Gas Storage Ltd has now applied for Hazardous Substances Consent for a natural gas store beneath the area - and it will come

  • Vincent resigns with 'clear conscience'

    ALAN VINCENT'S controversial reign as leader of Wyre Borough Council is over. The banned Conservative councillor stood down last week after coming under pressure following his six-month suspension from duties for breaches of the councillors' code of conduct

  • Punishment for council

    A JUDGE has ruled that Blackpool Council must pay more than £120,000 for its part in the tragic drowning of Fylde schoolgirl - four-year-old Emma Jane Farrar. The council - which pleaded guilty to offences under the Health and Safety Act earlier this

  • Plan to ban smoking from parts of centre

    THE city centre could soon become a no-go area for smokers if health chiefs get their way. Councillors are to be given a presentation by Preston Primary Care Trust (PCT) on the effects of smoking, before considering the possibility of creating smoke-free

  • Housing market confidence grows

    NORTH West consumers' confidence in the housing market dropped six per cent in August from 64 per cent to 58 per cent. It was the third month in a row that confidence has fallen. This confirms the Woolwich's earlier prediction that confidence would continue

  • Boyfriend waved knives above his head

    POLICE called to a disturbance in a Blackburn pub were flagged down by a hysterical female. Blackburn magistrates heard that as the officers were dealing with the woman, a man ran round the corner brandishing two kitchen knives. Campbell James Lebeau,

  • Extra patrols as gang strikes again

    EXTRA police are being drafted in after a gang of violent street robbers is believed to have struck for the eighth time. Men walking alone in the early hours have been advised to either stick to main roads or get a taxi. The latest incident happened at

  • Quack to the future

    BIG-HEARTED company bosses have come to the rescue after vandals destroyed children's talking litter bins. A duck-shaped bin in Blackburn's Queen's Park playground had its beak melted and voicebox stolen just two days after it was installed in August.

  • Undercover kids in cigarette operation

    AN UNDERCOVER army of 13-year-olds has been recruited by trading standards officers as part of a clampdown on cigarette vending machines. The investigation will be conducted across East Lancashire after a survey revealed that children were buying cigarettes

  • Horror of bike crash victim

    THE girlfriend of a man who lost his foot in a horrific motorbike crash says the thought of him lying in the road screaming in pain will never go away. Richard Sholl's motorbike was in collision with a Volvo estate car in Yew Tree Drive, Blackburn, last

  • M65 wake-up call

    DRIVERS who get stressed out and exhausted by modern life are causing an alarming number of serious accidents across East Lancashire. Police revealed that there have been 33 crashes caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel on the M65 in the last

  • Con-gratulations!

    LANCASHIRE is said to be 'awash' with scams as new technology gives fresh opportunities to fraudsters. This week a Blackburn con victim sent off £25,000 after being told he had won 505,000 euros in a Spanish lottery. Crime reporter IAN SINGLETON reports

  • J

    CAST your mind back about a year - 355 days to be precise. Former Accrington Stanley midfielder Andy Gouck set the club on a remarkable journey with one of the goals of the entire FA Cup campaign. His sweet left foot volley in the last minute of their

  • Cabbie is a genuine gent

    I WOULD like to express my thanks to a taxi driver from Progress Taxis, Mr Newman who is a credit to his employer. On October 15, driving to Blackpool, I realised my car was having problems. The honking of other drivers did not help, and as it was raining

  • MP ends hunt for answers on voting

    I AM disappointed and saddened to read in the Citizen, October 15, 2004, that Josephine Harwood accused me of 'choosing not to vote' on the Hunting Bill, without making any effort to find out the facts, especially as she knows my overwhelming opposition

  • Healy heading to Leeds

    Preston have finally agreed a fee with Leeds over the transfer of striker David Healy. The transfer saga, which has seen North End reject three bids, now finally looks set to end with Healy in Leeds today to discuss personal terms. Chairman Derek Shaw

  • 5,000 more fans required

    NORTH End need an extra 5,000 fans to show up at Deepdale for every home game if the club is to stem £25,000-a-week losses. For club chairman Derek Shaw, it is the second rallying cry in as many months for stay-away fans to return to Deepdale. While gates

  • Just give us a break

    AFTER Saturday's close 13-8 defeat away to Bedford Blues, Sedgley player-coach Tim Fourie didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "On the coach coming home I didn't know whether to laugh, because Bedford were not that good, or cry, because we didn't take

  • Our MP earns his money

    MPs were open to question when their huge expenses claims were revealed to constituents for the first time this week. The subject caused a furore with the nation up in arms over their costs to taxpayers. But Leigh MP Andy Burnham, who claimed £123,248

  • Under-13s collapse

    BOOTHSTOWN under-13s went down 5-1 to Hale Barns A in the Timperley and District Junior Football League. Boothstown collapsed after Andy Woodhouse scored a second half equaliser.

  • Legion success

    JUST one game survived the weekend's bad weather in the Leigh Amateur Soccer League. Leigh Legion picked up only their second win of the season with a 3-1 success over Atherton Liberal Club. France, Smith and Hardman all found the net for the Legion with

  • Ryan's rocket seals derby

    Hindsford 2 Pennington 1: AFTER an early pitch inspection Hindsford's Air Miles Manchester League First Division local derby with Pennington was given the go-ahead after some good work by the ground staff. Hindsford started well and took an early lead

  • Hendry is ready to declare War!

    COLIN HENDRY is seeking to strengthen his Seasiders squad ahead of a visit by high-flying Huddersfield on Saturday. The Blackpool boss is stepping up his search for new blood and hopes to have two deals finalised this week. His former Blackburn Rovers

  • A fancy executive title will help me cash in

    I THINK I need some funding. It will be for a new project about nothing and it aims to achieve nothing. Maybe I'll even have a launch event some time in the future where everyone is given a chance to speak. I hear a free buffet is good for business so

  • Leigh East plea

    LEIGH East ARLFC Under 12s need new players to cover all positions. Contact Dave on 01942 738815 or 07969657064

  • Players wanted

    LEIGH East U12s are seeking new players to cover all positions. Anyone interested in joining the squad can contact Dave on 01942 738815 or 079 696 57064.

  • Mustangs in late charge

    AN improved Leigh East Mustangs came back strongly in the second half to beat Widnes Moor Storm. Nathan Gaskell took the man of the match award after a great tackling game. The most improved player was Kyle McDonough, top try scorer Adam Ridge, top tackler

  • Britain aims to rob Iraqi people

    IN reply to Brenda Anthony (LET, October 20), Iraq had no biological weapons. What it had, it destroyed years ago after the first Gulf War. This was verified by UN weapons inspectors before the illegal invasion. The woman to whom she refers is a real

  • Alisdair's charity push - at the double

    BURY runner Alisdair Templeton does nothing by half. For two events helped the auxiliary Fairfield Hospital nurse raise £1,000 for the hospital's wards eight and nine in the orthopaedic unit where he works. Before a half marathon in Amsterdam, 53-year-old

  • Green deal at show house

    VISITORS to Bury's Energy Show House can win a £600 wood-burning stove which will help them save money and the environment. The virtues of using alternative fuels have been extolled by Andrew Hunt, energy efficiency officer for the East Bury Initiative

  • Polish cycle star champ joins local riders

    ASTLEY & Tyldesley Cycle Speedway Club have signed up a European champion. Twenty-one-year-old Polish star Damian Zareba has agreed to race for A & T full time throughout the 2005 season. Zareba has arrived in England and has already had two training

  • Starmaker's pride over TV award Chesney

    BURY'S very own starmaker, Carol Godby, watched with pride when her latest prodigy, Sam Aston, became the youngest person ever to receive a National Television Award. The 11-year-old, known as little Chesney Brown in Coronation Street, is a member of

  • Gran grabs for appeal

    A GREAT-grandmother has come up trumps for the Citizen's third annual Tins and Toys Christmas appeal in support of Preston and South Ribble's women's refuges. Phyllis Redmond, 70, of Hawkins Close, Preston, has given dozens of cuddly toys which she won

  • Top marks for school

    A SCHOOL that raised £20,000 towards a building extension in one term is aiming to do it again, this time to help pay for improvements to playgrounds. The money raised by teachers, children, and parents of St Aidan's CE Primary, Larch Grove, Bamber Bridge

  • Delay to library re-opening

    BOOKWORMS who use Prestwich Library are being told that refurbishment work will take longer than planned. The library will not re-open until November 25, rather than on November 8 as first thought. Books can still be returned to the temporary library

  • Don't duck our cash plea

    A CARE home in Bamber Bridge is going quackers to raise money for a new bath and shower room for its residents. Sue Ryder Care at Cuerden Hall, Shady Lane, has launched an appeal to raise £3,000 needed to renovate an old bathroom. More than 3,000 cuddly

  • The best - bar none?

    TWO Prestwich restaurant workers are aiming to be the best - bar none. Jahn Hanson (29) is aiming to become the best bartender in the national final of the TGI Friday's bar team challenge on Monday. Jahn works at the restaurant in Bury New Road, where

  • Friends of Heaton Hall

    A MEETING to extend the Friends of Heaton Hall group will be held on Sunday. The group was formed almost a year ago and has more than 60 members, all interested in the fascinating history of the hall and Heaton estate in Heaton Park. The enthusiastic

  • No nightmares for these two!

    TWO youngsters won't be having nightmares on Friday night after building a 12ft dreamcatcher. Terri Prime (9), of Hodder Way, and her auntie Hayley Beardmore (10) are both pupils at Ribble Drive County Primary School and decided to make the traditional

  • Players look out for new blood

    THEATRE company St Joseph's Players is casting its net far and wide for a new generation of amdram stars. A number of new, younger players are already deep in rehearsals with the regulars for the pantomime Beauty and the Beast, being staged from January

  • Air ambulance cash plea

    NORTH West Air Ambulance is calling on all former patients to get in touch and help raise both cash and the charitys profile. With no mainstream funding, the regional medical air emergency service requires £75,000 per month to maintain its operations.

  • Riddle of the woods

    THE mystery as to why a patch of woodland in Whitefield suddenly disappeared has been solved. The land, at the junction of Nursery Road and Bury Old Road, is owned by the Joseph Holt brewery and was previously home to dozens of trees. But the trees were

  • Pizza place appeal after man's assault

    POLICE are trying to trace four people following an assault in Burnley which left a man seriously ill in hospital. The victim was left with 'substantial head injuries' following the alleged attack in Planet Pizza, Croft Street, at 1.45am on Saturday.

  • Wood attack man ordeal

    POLICE are hunting a street robber who attacked a man with a plank of wood. The 58-year-old victim suffered a suspected broken knuckle and bruising to the back of his head during the frenzied assault which happened shortly after 8pm on Friday in Tewkesbury

  • Race abuse woman's ASBO

    A PRESTWICH woman has been made the subject of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) after hurling racist abuse at shopworkers. Alison Elizabeth May Thompson (42), of Roman Road, Rainsough, appeared at Bury Magistrates Court on Tuesday where she was issued

  • Life of luxury mum may be sent to jail

    A WOMAN whose family "lived in style" while on benefits could be sent to jail after being convicted of money laundering. Jobless mother-of-seven Janis Gabriel, 49, had more than £18,000 cash, raised by crime, hidden away at her Padiham council semi when

  • Heys in cup action

    PRESTWICH Heys are at home again on Saturday in the delayed Lancashire Cup game against BAE Systems Barrow, kick-off 1.45pm. Manager Adie Moran will have a full squad to choose from, with Carl Lomax fit. The second team have a free week due to the above

  • Turned Tory hits back at calls to resign

    PENDLE councillor Gary Rowland has hit back after calls for his resignation after he switched from Labour to the Tories. The Marsden councillor said he had 'lost faith in Labour' when he resigned from the party last week. But former colleague and Pendle

  • Graham's quickfire double success

    WHITEFIELD bowler Graham Keating broke the mould this year when he became the first man to win the Evans Cup for the second year in succession. It's an amazing fact considering the prestigious local authority-run competition has been going since 1922.

  • Barry to coach GB taekwondo team

    A PRESTON taekwondo instructor has been selected to be the technical coach for the British Taekwondo Alliance team. Barry Peake, a 3rd Dan Black Belt instructor, holds classes in the Korean martial art in Preston and the 34-year-old has many medals to

  • Cup hopes shattered at Goodison

    ONE time Preston target James McFadden terrorised a sturdy North End defence as they started about trying to claim a Premiership scalp in this Carling Cup clash. But it was Lee Carsley who stunned North End with free kick to put the home side ahead in

  • Council's lesson in school's use

    BARNOLDSWICK'S former Rainhall Road School will be turned into a community centre, three years after it closed its doors to pupils. The town council has signed a 99-year lease from Lancashire County Council for the building which will be part of a £1.4million

  • Fined for buying booze for kids

    A PRESTON man has become the first to be banned from off-licences in Lostock Hall and Middleforth under the Off Watch Scheme for selling alcohol to three underage people. The 18-year-old was issued with a £40 fixed penalty notice by police after buying

  • New name put forward for QLR

    THE Royal Lancashire Regiment could be the new name for the Queen's Lancashire Regiment (QLR) if proposals to merge it with two other regiments are given the go-ahead. Regiment chiefs of the King's Own Royal Borders Regiment based in Cumbria and The King's

  • Christmas comes early at Bents

    CHRISTMAS celebrations began early in Glazebury when the Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Ted Lafferty, kicked off the festivities and launched Bents Garden Centre's commitment to the Kirsty Millennium Appeal. All fund-raising events held at the centre next

  • 10 years ago:

    A BURNLEY couple who fell in love with a cat and her four kittens on a Spanish holiday were facing financial ruin after bringing them back home on the plane. Roofer Pat Feeney and his wife Alex took pity on the cats in Lanzarote. But the couple were found

  • Thought for the Week

    IN the old Celtic calendar, the last night of October was Old Year's Night, or The Night of All Witches. Because this was being used as an excuse for degrading orgies, the church transformed it into All-Hallow-Even, meaning The Eve of All Saints. The

  • Business forum date

    PRESTWICH Business Forum will hold its annual general meeting at the start of its monthly get-together next Tuesday. Nominations have been sought by the forum for officers to serve for the next 12 months. These are chairman, deputy chairman, secretary

  • Deadline day for green champs

    NOMINATIONS to reward "environmental champions" throughout the borough will close this weekend. October 31 is the official expiry for nominations ahead of Groundwork Burys seventh annual dinner and awards event to be staged at the Longfield Suite, Prestwich

  • Did you work on the railway

    I AM writing a book about women's labour and would be grateful if readers who worked on the railways during the last war, or since, would contact me with their recollections at: PO Box 96, Hastings TN34 1GQ or by email at hastings.press@virgin.net HELENA

  • Put up a better argument

    CORRESPONDENT Phil Kaiserman is apparently forgetting what he and others fought the Second World War for "democratic freedom." Freedom of thought, freedom to speak those thoughts, freedom of religion - or not - as the case may be. Sometimes we do not

  • Blind library unit 'a shambles'

    DURING a visit to Whitefield Library with a blind neighbour I was surprised and a little shocked to discover that, whilst the main library is bright, clean and modern, the separate visual impairment unit is shabby and does not look like it has been decorated

  • More like yob culture

    STUART Edmondson raises some interesting points in his letter (October 15) headed: "We can't choose what is crime." As a priority, we need to clamp down harder on the anti-social behaviour that is evident in our town centres every weekend. An analysis

  • Calming is a waste of time

    I AGREE entirely with what Cllr Jon Barry said in his letter last week. Traffic calming measures are a complete waste of time because most cars just go astride road humps and don't slow down Barley cop Lane, Lancaster, is a perfect example - only about

  • Police road check was farcical

    I WONDER if any readers share my frustration over the farcical police operation which took place in Lancaster city centre last Thursday (October 21). I left my house in Morecambe to drive to Lancaster at 8.10am, a journey which normally takes 25 minutes

  • Our extra special day as TV 'stars'

    A COUPLE of antique dealers were transported back to the 1950s after providing props for a film set. Peter Crossley and his wife Mary, owners of Holden Wood Antiques, Grane Road, Haslingden, went to keep an eye on the property they loaned for the filming

  • An ideal time to put Morecambe back on the map

    BLACKPOOL is looking to casinos for its future and the Lake District is introducing speed restrictions on its waters - so surely there has never been a better time for Lancaster to move heaven and earth in a bid to attract visitors, particularly young

  • Number's up if bingo caller gets too loud

    A CLUB boss claims his number's up after a council clampdown on noise pollution left bingo players unable to hear winning lines. Regulars at St Wilfred's Catholic Club, Longridge, are outraged after Ribble Valley Council ordered them to install a new

  • Exercise your customer power

    THE letter from Michael Jackson asking who will pay for repairs to the Lancaster cycleway (Citizen, last week) was excellent. The past performance of both Lan-caster City Council and Lancashire County Council clearly demonstrates that the continued funding

  • Fylde maintain steady climb up league

    UPWARDLY mobile Fylde welcome Bedford Athletic on Saturday as they seek to sustain their climb up the league. The game kicks off at 2.15pm and the home side will seek to build on another impressive victory over Darlington Mowden Park. DMP took the lead

  • Chester add to Vale problems

    VALE of Lune crashed to their fifth League North One defeat of the season against a Chester side who are emerging as real promotion contenders. But the defeat means Vale, who failed to score in a league game for the first time in more than 10 years, now

  • Just one of those days

    LANCASTER City's six-match unbeaten run came to a sudden end on Tuesday evening as they were beaten 2-0 at Worksop. The Dolly Blues' second long trip in three days was always going to prove to be a tough test ahead of Saturday's FA Cup showdown - and

  • Practice crash ends Glyn's title race

    LOCAL rider Glyn Ormerod suffered a frustrating end to his New Era Super Club Championship season at Donington Park. The Morecambe ace has been contesting the leadership with keen rivals Rick Ellis and Steve Tomes all summer - but bad luck and a late

  • Hendry is ready to declare War!

    COLIN HENDRY is seeking to strengthen his Seasiders squad ahead of a visit by high-flying Huddersfield on Saturday. The Blackpool boss is stepping up his search for new blood and hopes to have two deals finalised this week. His former Blackburn Rovers

  • O'Connor seeks a starting role

    NEW loan signing James O'Connor is relishing the task of breaking into the Burnley side. The flame-haired West Bromwich Albion midfielder is set to play some part as the Clarets put their midweek cup exploits to one side and return to league action at

  • Oliver, 11, tries out top job

    A CAREER in local politics could be beckoning for 11-year-old Oliver Muir after he became Deputy Mayor of Bury for the day. The Prestwich Community High School pupil was handed the chains-of-office from Councillor Wilf Davison to get a taste of life in

  • Top artists at tribute night

    TWO top tribute artists will join the club's own star to perform at Golborne Parkside's grand cabaret night on November 6. Lee Michaels as Robby Williams and Jordan King as Elvis will star with Alan Clegg and the Concord Road Show - plus a comedian. Tickets

  • Players wanted

    CULCHETH Eagles rugby league club are continually looking to strengthen their squad. Under the guidance of Bob Eccles, who has recently joined the club, training is at the Shaw St ground from 7.30pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Anyone interested in joining

  • Cliff's final fling

    THE second winner at Atherton Park Winter Bowling is Cliff Berry who beat Alan Williams in the final, 21-19. The consolation final was won by John Cooke who beat Alan Hill in the final, 21-20. Results - Final: C. Berry 21 A. Williams 19. Semi-finals:

  • Percival stays with Centurions

    CHRIS Percival will be staying with Leigh Centurions after signing a new deal with the club following their promotion to rugby's Super League. The former Widnes winger, aged 24, scored 20 tries in 21 appearances for the club as they won promotion from

  • Centurions new kit deal

    LEIGH Centurions have signed a new three-year kit sponsorship deal with current suppliers Kukri. General Manager Mike Callaghan said: "The quality of product that they deliver is top drawer and we feel that the Centurions and Kukri in Super League will

  • Leigh edged out in top of table clash

    Leigh RU 20 Wilmslow 24: LEIGH RU lost their first league match of the season to undefeated table toppers Wilmslow on a heavy pitch saturated by overnight rain. Wilcox opened the scoring for Leigh with an early penalty before Wilmslow equalised with a

  • Triple the fun for Chapmans

    THEY are the triplets who survived against the odds. Now Chloe, Joshua and Sam Chapman have celebrated their first birthday in style. The tiny tots were born at Fairfield Hospital 14 weeks premature and spent the first three months fighting for their

  • Predator pervert is guilty

    A MIDDLE-aged man from Bury man has admitted "grooming" a 14-year-old Suffolk girl over the Internet and then sexually assaulting her in the first prosecutions of its kind under new legislation. Engineer John Mansfield, 42, admitted at Ipswich Crown Court

  • MPs cash claims answers

    BURY'S two MPs claimed nearly a quarter of a million pounds in expenses last year, according to new figures. Labour backbencher David Chaytor came in the top quarter of the allowances league, receiving £128,053 in 2003/04 - about £10,000 more than the

  • Sylvia drives off with woman title

    THE beauty, inspiration and the vision of the boroughs women was celebrated at the seventh Bury Woman of the Year luncheon. More than 150 women from varied walks of life attended the event at the Elizabethan Suite at Bury Town Hall to find out who would

  • O'Connor seeks a starting role

    NEW loan signing James O'Connor is relishing the task of breaking into the Burnley side. The flame-haired West Bromwich Albion midfielder is set to play some part as the Clarets put their midweek cup exploits to one side and return to league action at

  • 5,000 more fans required

    NORTH End need an extra 5,000 fans to show up at Deepdale for every home game if the club is to stem £25,000-a-week losses. For club chairman Derek Shaw, it is the second rallying cry in as many months for stay-away fans to return to Deepdale. While gates

  • Teens home row meeting

    RESIDENTS against a private children's home in Darwen are carrying out a leaflet drop after forming an action committee to oppose the plans. People living in streets around Whitehall Terrace believe the home -- which will cater for four teenage boys -

  • Oliver, 11, tries out top job

    A CAREER in local politics could be beckoning for 11-year-old Oliver Muir after he became Deputy Mayor of Bury for the day. The Prestwich Community High School pupil was handed the chains-of-office from Councillor Wilf Davison to get a taste of life in

  • Season tickets

    THE Centurions have announced season ticket prices for Super League X. Significant discounts can be had if tickets are paid for in full before December 1. Ground (To be paid in full by Dec 1) - Under 11s - £35; 11-6 - £50; Student (NUS card) - £90; Concessions

  • Tommy wins top award

    TOMMY Martyn was given a fitting send-off at the Leigh Centurions Superleigh and Lisa awards night. Martyn, who hung up his boots after Leigh's Grand Final win, was voted the first team player of the year. Other awards went to: Liam Coleman (Junior Academy

  • You need casinos!

    THE Prime Minister has been quizzed over massive new casino reforms - and cited Blackpool as an area that stands to benefit. Tony Blair was asked at his monthly press conference on Monday who 'wanted' new casinos, apart from US casino firms. He said:

  • Pair in bank scam

    FYLDE bank staff are on full alert after two women escaped with £900 in cash using a fake credit card and ID. The women - who are of foreign appearance with non-UK accents - approached staff in two separate incidents at the Lloyds TSB bank, Clifton Drive

  • It's civil unrest

    THE FYLDE'S civil servants are planning a bonfire night walk-out over planned nationwide job cuts. Up to 10,000 Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union members could down tools on the Fylde, protesting against Chancellor Gordon Brown's planned cull

  • Council on way up

    BURY Council is taking further steps to move it up the performance league. It has drawn up an improvement plan after an Audit Commission inspection which noted that Bury had come within a whisker of being a good council. Only 18 months ago, it was given

  • Firm moves to end 'stench' warfare

    A BATTLE to stem the stench from a Blackburn pet food factory may be over after the firm installed an odour control system. Blackburn with Darwen Council had taken Dugdale Davies Ltd to court after neighbours and businesses at Shadsworth Industrial Estate

  • £150,000 enterprise award for council

    announced for promoting enterprise AN East Lancashire council has been hailed as the North West's best at promoting enterprise within business. And now Blackburn with Darwen Council is to receive £150,000 from the North West Development Agency with a

  • QLR not going to Iraq: official

    THE Ministry of Defence has confirmed that there are no plans to deploy the Queen's Lancashire Regiment to Iraq. Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans had expressed fears that the QLR could be sent to the "Triangle of Death'' south of Baghdad when the Black Watch's

  • Wake up Blackpool!

    BLACKPOOL will probably continue to decline, despite any possible future multi-million pound casino developments. Mr Reg Haslam has to speak as he apparently does because his job dictates that he should. However, as in South Africa for instance, the casino

  • Ten-man Toffees sink Preston

    LEE Carsley saw red on a foul night at Goodison - but not before he'd effectively killed off Preston's Carling Cup dream. The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder curled a 51th minute free-kick from the edge of North End's penalty area around their wall

  • Preston ready for anything

    The Preston camp has one man who knows all about Cup upsets and has helped orchestrate many over the years, with another on his agenda tonight. Assistant manager David Kelly was an important part of the Tranmere Rovers side who made it to the final of

  • Moyes ready for North End return

    David Moyes faces an emotional match, as his Everton side look to avoid a potential banana skin at Goodison Park. Things have been going surprisingly well for the former Preston Boss and his new side, who currently sit third in the FA Barclaycard Premiership

  • Soldier's dad quizzes Hoon

    A BLACKPOOL father trying to find out how his son died at a notorious army barracks says defence secretary Geoff Hoon has told him his questions will be answered. Joseph McGregor, of King Edward Avenue, North Shore, said he 'bumped into Mr Hoon in a Commons

  • Dark nights spark blues

    A SEA of gloom will roll across my path this weekend with end of British Summertime. Both at home and in the office, I'll hear nothing but moans about the dark nights. He indoors and colleague Brian Gomm both suffer from the winter blues -- seasonal affective

  • Fairfield closure plan U-turn

    CONTROVERSIAL proposals to axe Fairfield's special care baby unit have been withdrawn - for now. In an astonishing U-turn, health chiefs scrapped the plans to cut women's and children's services, saying more work needed to be done and accepting that the

  • Luck returns for Colls

    North West Counties League Division One Atherton Colls 4 Abbey Hey (Manchester ) 2 AFTER a number of excellent performances against highly placed teams in recent weeks without having much luck, Colls entertained Abbey Hey last Saturday and deservedly

  • Same old story as RMI are made to suffer again

    Canvey Island 3 Leigh RMI 0: PHIL Starbuck will be the first to admit that Leigh RMI have struggled even with a full squad this season. Seeing it depleted by bouts of flu and mumps, and being forced to don the shirt himself, is hardly likely to induce