From the Bury Times, July 27, 1973

FONT: A stone font, dug up by building workers on a new housing estate at Woodbank, could be 600 years old, said experts. Elsewhere in the BT it was reported that the new houses would have PVC cladding.

POT: When campaigners for lawful cannabis contacted MP Michael Fidler for support, he said the drug was evil.

FIRE: A cigarette end was blamed for a fire in the Railwaymen's social club in Glenmore Street, Bury.

STREET: Joanna Lumley was playing Ken Barlow's new girlfriend in "Coronation Street".

BUSES: Mrs Edna Tonks, 43, of Brandlesholme made the news as Bury's only female bus driver.

SHOPS: As the precinct neared completion, traders applying for shops outnumbered available units six to one.

CLOSING: Robert Hall & Sons, textile machinery engineers, was set to close with the loss of 40 jobs.

ART: A Ramsbottom cafe run by Gordon Crawshaw and his wife had become a mecca for artists, who would gather on Saturdays. The cafe was even selling paints!

ANTLER: 60 workers walked out when a fitter was sacked after holding a meeting at the works during lunch.

CLOCK: A 17th-century clock that disappeared from the Drill Hall was recovered after an anonymous phone call.

MOGGY: A stray tabby at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary scooped top prizes at Manchester Cat Show.

CHESS: An outdoor chess match with human "pieces" ended in victory for the Bury club over Whitefield chess club.

50 years ago:

From the Bury Times, July 28, 1948

MARKET: Crewe Council's market committee visited Bury to see "one of the finest open markets in Lancashire".

BREAD: The end of bread rationing would save a lot of paperwork, said Mr N. Lund, secretary of the Bury master bakers. But he doubted if anyone would buy more bread - and there were not enough fats to bake more cakes.

BEER: Director of the Crown Brewery since 1906 and chairman since 1938, Mr J.E. Smith, 82, of Knowsley Street retired. A former licensee of the Knowsley, he stayed on the board of Bury Cinematograph Co, owners of the Art, Regal and Empire cinemas. With his brother, he formed Bury Carriage Co, which had 80 horses and was once responsible for carrying mail. The Co-op bought it in 1928.

GARDENS: After a letter to council tenants about untidy gardens, Mr J. Crowley, their spokesman, suggested there should be some houses built without gardens.

HOT: A mini heatwave hit Bury. Temperatures of 85deg F were recorded at the sewage works.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.