CALLS to improve Christmas celebrations in Darwen are being made after it was announced a 100ft wheel would be erected in Blackburn. Traders and councillors say that last year’s efforts need to be improved. Sunnyhurst councillor Dave
ACCRINGTON STANLEY shareholder Ilyas Khan has donated his stake in the club to fans in tribute to their ongoing support. Khan, who owns 12 per cent of the club, said he was offering the shares to Accrington Stanley Supporters’ Fund as a gift
BOSSES behind the multi-million pound regeneration of East Lancashire’s housing market insist they will press on despite the threat of funding cutbacks. The Housing Market Renewal Programme was given more than £50million by the government this year but
GRAHAM Alexander hasn’t yet featured in a Burnley-Blackburn encounter – but the veteran performer is well aware of the rivalry between the two clubs having spent over a decade plying his trade in Lancashire. The 38-year-old is relishing the Ewood Park
WELL, this is it. My last column as Miss Caroline Dutton. Soon she will be gone, destined to become a distant memory, and I will become Mrs Caroline Taylor. Life as a Dutton has been pretty good, all in all. As with anything it’s had its ups and its
I have always loved this walk from the day I was asked to open the Feardean Way some ways ago. I do the walk at least twice a year, once in the autumn and the other in spring. From the car park follow the footpath, keeping Colne Water on the right
PREPARING to interview Peter Salmon is quite an intimidating experience. The new BBC Director North's CV runs to three pages and there seems to be nothing he hasn't done. He used to be the boss of EastEnders, for goodness sake!
RESIDENTS from a small Rossendale village are urging the council to restore a bridge which has been deemed “an accident waiting to happen”. Residents in Cowpe, near Waterfoot, contacted their local councillor Jim Pilling, after growing fears that a well-used
RESIDENTS in two ‘hotspot’ areas have been banned from having bonfires this year in a bid to cut yobbish behaviour. The no-bonfire zones in Accrington are as a result of a series of problems in the Scaitcliffe and West Accrington areas in recent
DIANA Vickers’s debut performance on the West End stage must have been a nerve-racking experience for the Huncoat teenager. Taking on the lead role in Little Voice at London’s Vaudeville Theatre, the 18-year-old said she was determined to do her best
NELSON is under assault from droppings left by pigeons made homeless by the demolition of a landmark building, it has been claimed. Since the Printworks building was razed to the ground some of the town’s pigeons have nowhere to roost. But Coun Mohammed
YOUNG people have been putting their gardening skills to good use as part of a community project. Youngsters from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Prince’s Trust team have transformed the garden at Blackburn’s Salvation Army base in Bramwell House
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to get people to have their seasonal flu jabs. People are being reminded about the importance of the shots amid fears that the high-profile of swine flu may lead people to forget. The campaign will encourage
THE leader of an armed robbery gang who targeted a security van at a village store has been jailed for seven years. Sledgehammer-wielding thugs tried to hold up a Group 4 van outside the Select Convenience store in Whalley Road, Simonstone, in July
AN APPEAL has been made for the owner of a brave pooch to come forward after the dog was involved in an accident. The male black and tan German shepherd is being treated for a broken leg at the Myerscough Veterinary Surgery, Longsight Road, Clayton-le-Dale
PERFECTLY preserved wartime memorabilia found in a corner shop has been donated to a museum and a drama group by the developer who made the discovery. Alan Duffy stepped back in time when he opened the front door to the shop, in Burnley Road, Accrington
You create a planet and people to populate it. You hand everything over to them and tell them to enjoy every incredible thing you’ve lovingly designed. Just one thing you ask of them: that they manage it ‘all’ on your behalf and keep your wishes in
A CYCLE lane that has been painted on a busy Accrington road has been branded ‘dangerous’ and ‘ridiculous.’ Lancashire County Council workmen have painted the lane in Blackburn Road between Scaitcliffe Street and Brunswick Walk. Residents
BLACKBURN Rovers South African star Benni McCarthy is donating a pair of his boots to Shoe Aid. He is joining a host of other football stars to support the cause, which sees shoes being sent to Africa to help youngsters on the continent. McCarthy
RAIN WILL not stop play at a Blackburn theatre, bosses have vowed. Staff at the Thwaites Empire Theatre are trying to raise £100,000 to repair a leaky roof which is damaging costumes. Michael Berry, the fund-raising director at the venue
A DARWEN mother and son who ran a taxi firm have had their fines for cheating the taxman dramatically reduced by top judges on appeal. Norma Astley, 65, and her son Nicholas Astley, 43, received respective suspended sentences of nine months and six months
TRIBUTES HAVE been paid to a 15-year-old Accrington schoolgirl who has been killed in a car accident in Poland. It is understood Beata Borjorek was on her way to the funeral of a grandparent when the car she was travelling in was involved in
TWO Blackburn men who groomed underage girls for sex have been jailed for a total of almost five years. Kamran Rashid was jailed for more than two-and-a-half years after he persisted in his illegal behaviour, even after police served him with a notice
SWINE flu cases in the north west have gone up for the fourth week in a row. The number of people treated in hospital is 62 up from 54 a week ago, while the number of anti-virals collected in the region has increased from 1,306 on September 29, to 1,501
A MAN falsely labelled a paedophile says the ongoing battle to clear his name could kill him. Bryan Davies, 63, has just returned from a two-week holiday after hitting the headlines last month. Mr Davies, of Emma Street, Accrington,
AN ENERGY watchdog has called on United Utilities to solve a power problem that is affecting dozens of Darwen residents “as a matter of urgency”. Homes in Westwell Street in the Birch Hall area have been blighted with power cuts since May, and as winter
POLICE are hunting a vandal who daubed Rishton railway station with racist graffiti. The unknown culprit is believed to have struck in the early hours of September 22 when offensive graffiti, aimed at the Asian community, was sprayed onto the shelter
A COMPANY started 25 years ago has vowed to keep on growing for another quarter of a century. System Hygiene was founded “from scratch” in 1984 as a cleaning and maintenance supply service. Now the company employs 52 people at its base at Altham Business
EAST Lancashire brewery Daniel Thwaites has invested £700,000 in an upgrade of its bottling operation. Bosses at the Blackburn brewery have modernised the existing bottling line at their site in Eanam. The move has already doubled productivity and
ONE of the brains behind the world's largest online retailer has set up his own web-based gaming business – from an East Lancashire industrial unit. Businessman John Pollard was finance director at Amazon.com in the United States when the company’s founder
A HYNDBURN based digital marketing specialist has created more than 20 new jobs with the help of a £29,928 financial boost from the council’s No Limits Finance for Growth programme. Church company Reach Global Ltd was founded in 2002 by brothers Sohail
A PLANNING application for a multi-million pound link road in Blackburn which has been beset by delays is set to be submitted later this month. The move follows a public consultation about the road, which would connect Freckleton Street to Montague Street
THE AWARD-winning Cross Gaits pub, in Beverley Road, Blacko, has notched up another accolade through the pumps. The Marstons pub has been included in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 2010. Andrew and Andrea Duxbury, licensees of the pub, will add the
Address: Grey Mare Inn. Grane Road, Belthorn, BB1 2PG. Phone number: 01254 53308 Lancashire Telegraph review by Jemma Humphreys from October 4, 2009. LAST time we went to The Grey Mare we couldn’t stop talking about the place.
There is no doubt the jay is one of the most beautiful of the crow family and it is a pleasure to see it in our woodlands. Until the 1950s it was a rare bird and for some time perhaps into the 1990s it was, if not quite extinct, very rare. It all began
BACUP Borough were held to a 0-0 draw by last year’s FA Vase heroes Glossop North End at West View. There were few chances in the Vodkat League Premier Division clash as Brent Peters Borough bounced back from their midweek derby defeat against Padiham
Barnoldswick Town’s League Challenge Cup tie at Ashton started 12 minutes late due to an assistant referee not turning up. It started off with both teams sparring with each other although clear chances were few and far between. It was Ashton who broke
AS a regular rail traveller between Bolton and Blackburn, I can’t help but notice how many passengers from Darwen get a free ride. Whichever morning train I catch, it always fills at Darwen, yet very rarely do I see the guard pass through to
I think it is wrong for Bonfire Night event organisers to outlaw and ban the use of private sparklers because they are being health and safety killjoys who are basically denying children the only bit of fun they are able to have under supervision with
I ask the question, is a mitre a symbol of Christ? I believe a crucifix at the top of the Cathedral flag would be more in keeping with the Christian faith. Since Jesus has never been depicted with a mitre on his head, I fail to see what connection this
Most law-abiding folk welcomed the ban on mobile phone use by drivers as a case of common sense prevailing. Perhaps now we could have a campaign to ban the use of mobile phones in the street, for similar health and safety reasons. I have lost count
AS I am writing this letter, I find myself in a flurry of emotions ranging from utter disbelief, outrage and absolute disgust with the lack of bus service in Blackburn. When I moved to Blackburn in March 2006, I found the public transportation adequate
NEW and improved stores are needed to encourage ‘top of the town’ shoppers to the centre of Brierfield, councillors have said. People living in the higher part of Brierfield rarely visit retailers in Colne Road and surrounding streets, an investigation
A MOTORCYCLIST was smashed around the head with an iron bar by two men trying to steal his vehicle. Police have launched an investigation to find two men linked with the violent encounter in Hargher Street, Burnley, on Thursday night. A 24-year-old
I ALWAYS believed that Cougars were a rugby team league. But following a popular TV series in the USA, the word has taken on a new meaning — older women who date younger men. There’s also a series, Pumas, about thirty-something Cougars in waiting.
DOZENS of buses will disappear from the streets of Burnley and Pendle in the coming weeks. But public transport bosses have said it will not lead to job cuts or huge changes to the boroughs’ bus network. Management at Transdev Burnley and Pendle are
As we prepared to see thirteen couples become twelve, I wondered if thirteen was going to be an unlucky number for anyone, especially after all the hype in the press this week over Anton and his antics. I wondered whether he would be dancing
THE destruction of a sensory garden dedicated to disabled and terminally ill children is naturally an extremely emotive issue. Charity Caring Today handed over the garden in a Nelson park to Pendle Council two years ago thinking it would be safe in the
PRECIOUS memories of dead and terminally-ill children have ended up on a rubbish tip after a sensory garden was demolished. Distraught supporters of Caring Today, based in Brierfield, are furious that within two years of handing over their green haven
A ROMAN Catholic church in Pendle has revealed its own ‘relics’ of a famous saint, as a nationwide tour of the revered French nun’s remains is undertaken. A casket containing the thigh and foot bones of St Thérèse of Lisieux, who died in 1897, is visiting
BROTHERLY love was cast aside when Alan and Michael Croascale held their own football derby. Ian, a staunch Burnley fan, and his friends took on his younger brother’s Blackburn team in an 11-a-side prelude to the Premier League clash. In a hard-fought
A MAJOR marketing campaign has been launched to inject life into a Rossendale leisure hall. Bacup residents are working to keep their community hall open after a bid for Lotto cash failed earlier this year. Hundreds of posters, big banners, a new website
After the disappointment at being dumped out of the FA Vase, manager Nigel Coates shuffled the pack for Colne’s visit to New Mills. And he was more than delighted with his team’s performance. After falling behind to an early goal on 10 minutes when
HUNDREDS of people attended a memorial football match to celebrate the lives of three friends who were killed in a car crash. Friends and family of Tom Petty and Phillip Wright, both 25, and Tom’s girlfriend Jessica Foxley, 21, united at the charity
Nelson made it three wins in a row with a seven-goal thriller against Atherton LR. The Blues took the lead after 28 minutes with a 30 yard free kick that Luke Hargreaves blasted into the net. Four minutes later, Nelson doubled their lead when Lance
RAMSBOTTOM United went goal crazy on Merseyside as they thrashed a Bootle side who had only conceded four goals at home all season prior to Saturday. In a helter-skelter of a first-half, some superb build-up play allowed defender George Bowyer to line-up
Danny Williams made his Clitheroe debut as a substitute – but couldn’t inspire the Blues to a win as their game with Mossley finished 0-0. The 21-year-old striker, snapped up from FC United of Manchester in midweek, looked impressive after
Chorley’s already-profitable FA Cup run was emphatically ended by Blue Square North hot-shots Northwich who stamped their authority on proceedings from the start and did not allow the Magpies a look-in until the tie was effectively sealed on the
Rossendale United earned a point from a drab Lancashire derby at Bamber Bridge as they thwarted a strikeforce led by their former boss Phil Eastwood, pictured. There was little goalmouth action of note - but after losing six of their first eight UniBond
MANCHESTER and Merseyside derbies are famous among football fans the world over. And having spent 10 years with Chelsea, progressing from apprentice to first team regular, Frank Sinclair has experienced the many pockets of London that come together numerous
EX-Claret David Hamilton reckons the East Lancashire derby is as big as any game in football - and admits the battles of local pride were the best matches to play in during his time at bitter rivals Rovers. Hamilton was involved in two epic
KEVIN Ball has made millions of tackles in a 21-year career. But the uncompromising defensive midfielder is famous for only one, especially in these parts. Type the ex-Clarets’ name into YouTube and you will be offered clips entitled ‘Kevin
DELIGHTED Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman has compared Bobby Grant’s sublime chip in Saturday’s 4-0 home win over Cheltenham to the sort of goal Eric Cantona once scored for Manchester United. Coleman will be able to celebrate his 47th
TERRY Gennoe believes the East Lancashire derby is the ‘biggest in Britain’ - claiming even Scotland’s old firm clash plays second fiddle to Blackburn against Burnley encounters. The former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper helped his side to a first
A GIANT ‘Blackburn Eye’ will be the dramatic centrepiece of the town’s Christmas decorations, the Lancashire Telegraph can reveal. Standing at more than 100ft high, the largest portable wheel in the country will be hoisted into place in the town centre
COMMUTERS suffered delays after an accident involving a car and a motorbike led to Whalley Road in Read being closed in both directions between George Lane and Straits Lane. The collision, between a red Nissan Sunny and a black Honda motorcycle, blocked
TRAVELLERS are to be evicted after setting up camp on land earmarked for Elevate housing. Hyndburn Borough Council has told the travellers to move on after caravans began to appear on land off Blackburn Road, Accrington. The land is set to be used
CONTROVERSIAL plans for an addict rehabilitation centre in Whitehall have been dropped. Hundreds of people objected to Reto UK’s bid to to change The Woodlands, Holly Trees Close, into a centre to help up to 40 men recover from drink and drug problems
