IN the first of his exclusive diaries, Foreign Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw gives a fascinating insight into his crucial role in the first week of the war in Iraq... LAST week was one of the tensest weeks in politics for me ever and for the country
IT'S good to hear that Lancashire County Council is going to research into alternative energy resources (LET, March 6). Personally, I find wind turbines fascinating and a joy to watch. The educational benefits of having them on school land is another
THE proposal to close Rossendale Council's one remaining payment office, surely overlooks the alternative costs of collecting payments. Although it is claimed (LET, March 14) that 55 per cent of Council Tax payers pay by direct debit, in fact the 13,500
ARTIST Elizabeth Fryer puts others in the shade when it comes to depicting sunny scenes on canvas. In fact, the professional painter enjoyed the prestige of a national display with the British Society of Painters last week. Elizabeth, of Haslam Hey Close
VOLUNTARY groups supporting blind people across Lancashire are celebrating a victory after successfully campaigning against half fare travel concessions. Up until two years ago certain groups, including blind, deaf and severely disabled people, could
WHAT was arguably the greatest day in Bury FC's proud 118-year history is to be recreated next month with a celebration of the team's 6-0 FA Cup win over Derby County in 1903. Now, we are appealing for memories and memorabilia of that record-breaking
GRAEME Souness believes two of Rovers' stars could upset England's plans in the 2004 European championship qualifiers. Tugay is expected to start next week's game between England and Turkey at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, while Hakan Sukur could be
A DRIVER who got behind the wheel while banned ran off when stopped by police, Burnley Magistrates heard. The court was told how Robert Proctor, 19, struggled with an officer but ended up being arrested. The defendant, of Athol Street South, Burnley,
A MAN who suffered an "horrendous" year got behind the wheel while almost twice the drink-drive limit. Burnley Magistrates heard that Ian Broadley, 47, had turned to drink for solace after a series of personal setbacks. He had since been to see his doctor
THE heartbroken mother of a 29-year-old mechanic who suffered brain damage in an alleged assault today said her nightmare was finally over. Pauline Box spoke out after East Lancashire coroner Michael Singleton returned an open verdict on her son Jason
ANDY Preece is closing in on a deal for teenage goalkeeper Lewis Solly. The 19-year-old Wolves shot stopper is deemed surplus to requirements at Molineux despite being highly regarded by manager Dave Jones. And Shakers boss Preece is set to offer him
WHAT was arguably the greatest day in Bury FC's proud 118-year history is to be recreated next month with a celebration of the team's 6-0 FA Cup win over Derby County in 1903. Now, we are appealing for memories and memorabilia of that record-breaking
A PIONEERING centre dedicated to helping victims of cancer will open next month. Bury Cancer Support Centre will be the only centre in North Manchester to offer complementary treatments as well as advice to cancer sufferers to try to bridge the gap between
THE Skipton to Colne railway trackbed is to remain in railway ownership after a comprehensive review of all land owned in the country by British Rail. The Strategic Rail Authority said the news of the two-mile section, which is not used, has been warmly
A DERELICT property which has been at the centre of community concerns could become the first to be rescued under a new council scheme. Pendle Council is looking to give empty and rundown properties a new lease of life by buying them under a compulsory
THE Library Theatre brings a sparkling show of Stephen Sondheim's music to the stage with panache, dash and verve. Putting it Together is a sequence of songs from Sondheim's shows set against the backdrop of a Manhattan cocktail party. Through the songs
SOPRANO Gina Cole, 16, landed the lead role in the Bacup Amateurs' production of West Side Story. The talented teenager from Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, had also just won the most outstanding performer award at the Burnley Music Festival.
TRAFFIC on a notorious stretch of road was restricted for almost three hours yesterday after a lorry ran into an antiques shop wall. The articulated lorry hit the boundary wall outside Holden Wood Antiques, in Grane Road, Haslingden, at 9.30am. The vehicle
RESIDENTS in Church are hoping a new scheme allowing them to meet their new neighbours before they move in will lead to better community relations. From April members of the Church Central Residents' Association will be allowed to meet prospective new
A WOMAN and her dog were today happily reunited thanks to a kind-hearted animal lover. Barbara McVety was left dumbfounded when terrier Matty disappeared after being tethered outside Accrington Library, as highlighted in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph
WORK has started to create a £2.8million building for 420 children at a school which dates back to the 1800s. Spring Hill Community School's new site in Exchange Street, Accrington, will replace its buildings on the same street and one and a half miles
ANXIOUS protesters are fighting to preserve their schools as they brace themselves for a massive shake-up in special needs education. Up to ten Lancashire County Council-run schools in East Lancashire could be affected by the far-reaching changes, with
A FINANCIAL adviser has hit out at "soap colleague" Richard Hillman, claiming his murderous antics on Coronation Street have tainted the profession. Nick Thompson, of Bury-based DTE Financial Services, believes financial adviser Richard has made life
VOLUNTEERS are being sought to work in one of the area's most popular historic halls. Samlesbury Hall is urging people to come forward and help man the antiques stalls at the hall, which are visited by hundreds of people every day. Jean Fenton, volunteer
ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners are preparing to do battle against plans by Castle Cement in Clitheroe to burn waste meat and bones as an alternative fuel. Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Friends of the Earth, which has 20 members, held a meeting to discuss moves
A POLICE operation to curb football hooliganism in Burnley has been hailed as a success, with more than 100 arrests since its launch in December. Since its inception Operation Fixture has seen 104 people arrested, match bans imposed, and 12 people barred
BIG hitting South African Johann Louw has joined East Lancashire CC as their 2003 professional. The 23-year-old all rounder played for East Lancs in 2001, the year when he also scored 1,026 runs and took 75 wickets playing for Heywood in the Central Lancashire
THE King's Arms, Clitheroe, will be going back in time when 1960's band The Animals play at the Bawdlands pub on Friday April 4 from 9pm.
PUB regulars and staff celebrated as their dedicated charitable efforts came to fruition. The group from The Office pub in Holden Fold, Darwen, held a number of charity events including a fancy dress pub crawl and leg waxing sessions to raise cash to
A PIONEERING centre dedicated to helping victims of cancer will open next month. Bury Cancer Support Centre will be the only centre in North Manchester to offer complementary treatments as well as advice to cancer sufferers to try to bridge the gap between
A SECOND half fightback was not enough to save the Clarets from a fifth defeat in six games as the match ended in misery. Arthur Gonhere was dismissed in the 89th minnute for a second booking and seconds later Andy Gray clinched the win with a goal as
GRAEME Souness believes two of Rovers' stars could upset England's plans in the 2004 European championship qualifiers. Tugay is expected to start next week's game between England and Turkey at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, while Hakan Sukur could be
POLICE and council officers will meet next month to discuss the 'ins and outs' of traffic-calming measures along Greens Arms Road, Chapeltown. North Turton Parish Council will meet Jim Wood, police representative from Edgworth, to discuss whether a 20mph
A DRAMA company has been nominated for top awards after its first performance at the Library Theatre. Pepperpot Hill's production, Calamity Jane, sold out on three nights last month and now bosses are celebrating another momentous achievement. The Darwen-based
A TENANTS' association is to disband in protest after a Queen's Jubilee picnic area was trashed by vandals. Group members were furious to find that the £1,000 picnic area on the corner of Elm Grove and Hazel Avenue, Darwen, featuring two benches, a picnic
HEADTEACHERS of small schools across East Lancashire put on their thinking caps for their annual strategy conference. A group of 56 headteachers attended the annual Small Schools Conference organised by Lancashire County Council under the theme of Thinking
A DISQUALIFIED driver was arrested after a high speed police chase involving the police helicopter. Blackburn magistrates heard that the stolen car driven by Sean Andrew Cumberland reached speeds of over 60 mph during the chase across Blackburn which
A POST Office worker who stole more than £20,000 from his place of work has been jailed for nine months. A judge handing down the prison term on Majid Hussain told him he had carried out a breach of trust at a time when such businesses were at risk of
A STUDENT nurse has hit out at a council after a petition she organised to save public swimming sessions was "confiscated". Janet Drinkwater, 32, organised the petition after Blackburn with Darwen Council announced cuts affecting the pool at Shadsworth
TWO UK soldiers from the Queen's Royal Lancers were killed when their Challenger 2 tank was accidentally attacked by another British Challenger. The 'friendly fire' incident occurred on March 25 during a period of multiple engagements with Iraqi enemy
THE borough is to get £162,000 to enable at least one of its schools to serve the community better. It is part of a £8.55 million government handout to North West education authorities over the next three years. The "extended" schools will provide childcare
A LONG running fight to save a village school is finally over. Defeated campaigners conceded this week that Affetside Primary will close at the end of the school year. But parents, who have been battling for more than a year to keep their children's school
AN amateur carpenter saw his hobby go up in flames after arsonists raided his workshed and then set it ablaze. Mr Brian Barrett watched helpless from his home in Truro Close, Woodhill, as the outbuilding was torched in the early hours of Friday morning
A 20-YEAR-OLD man has died a week after suffering head injuries in a three car crash. Andrew Metcalf, of St Peters Close, Salesbury, was injured in the collision on Pendle Road, Clitheroe, on March 13. Police today renewed an appeal for witnesses to the
A NEW website has been set up to help reunite past workers at Calderstones in Whalley. Taking its cue from the tremendously successful Friends Reunited website which has put thousands of old school friends back in touch, Calderstones Reunited aims to
NICKY Law will bring his patched-up squad to Turf Moor tonight knowing that a win will take them above the Clarets. The Bantams have flirted with the foot of the table for much of this season but they now look safe from relegation for the second time
STAN Ternent has insisted his Burnley players produce the goods tonight when they welcome Bradford City to Turf Moor in search of a first win in seven games. "We owe it to ourselves and we owe it to our fans," he said ahead of the match that will end
ROBBIE Blake is hoping to have the chance to take on his old Bradford City team mates and score against them for the second time this season. And he is hoping to help the Clarets bounce back to winning ways again after a depressing run of form this month
A DARWEN club has put on a new entertainment line-up and improved its beer in an attempt to get more non-members. Darwen Catholic Club, on Wellington Fold, will show live acts every Saturday and serve pints of John Smith bitter through its new filter
A BLACKBURN landlord and landlady have invested thousands of pounds of their own money to give their pub a new look. Howard and Sue Cooke, of the Hole House pub, on Burnley Road, have spent £15,000 renovating the pub's function room and kitchen. They
A LONG running fight to save a village school is finally over. Defeated campaigners conceded this week that Affetside Primary will close at the end of the school year. But parents, who have been battling for more than a year to keep their children's school
JUNKIES could be given free heroin in a radical £2 million bid to cut drug-related crime. Bury is asking the Government for money to set up the scheme, under which drug users would take prescribed diamorphine in a town centre building. Health chiefs hope
OUTLINE planning permission has been granted for the new health centre to be built behind the Darwen Leisure Centre. Health bosses met with council chiefs on two separate occasions last week to discuss the ins and outs of the new centre. The first stage
AN extra-special prize will be up for grabs at the Mayor's ball on Friday . An anonymous businessman has donated a Blackburn Rovers shirt signed by the Ewood Park club's late benefactor Jack Walker. Rossendale Mayor Councillor Jimmy Eaton said he has
A NEW facility aimed at making life easier for job hunters opened in Rawtenstall yesterday. The latest Jobcentre Plus office based in Bacup Road was opened by Andrew Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The opening marked an important milestone
A COUNCILLOR whose 42-year-old son survived a heart attack today spoke of his relief and thanked paramedics for saving his life. Ronnie O'Keeffe, the vice-president of the Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade, had complained of chest pains for a week
EMPLOYEES at a Blackburn factory increased productivity by £2.4million after a series of masterclasses to improve the way they worked. Workers from the LG Philips Display plant, Philips Road, even videoed themselves working in a bid to save the firm money
VOLUNTARY groups supporting blind people across Lancashire are celebrating a victory after successfully campaigning against half fare travel concessions. Up until two years ago certain groups, including blind, deaf and severely disabled people, could
THE British military have said that Iraqi forces are firing on the local population in Basra following an uprising. Reports claim that British troops are attempting to protect the local population and that there is mortar fire in the city. Major General
TEACHERS have been given a quick lesson in the efforts to tackle crime. Eight tutors from schools across the borough were given placements at Bury Police for four days. During that time, they were introduced to various aspects of police work including
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Clitheroe Ramblers, Chester Avenue car park, Clitheroe, 1pm. Worston. Whist and Domino Drive, Bolton-by-Bowland Village Hall, 7.30pm. Diabetes UK, Larkhill Health Centre
A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Community Information Event, Longshaw Community Centre, off Manxman Road, Blackburn 5pm-8pm. Readers Group, Livesey Library, Cherry Tree Lane, Blackburn, 1.30pm-3pm.
BRITISH officials have decided to target Basra; previously coalition commanders had said they would avoid urban combat in Iraq's second-largest city. Today UK troops turned back an attempted breakout by 50 Iraqi tanks near the city. "These things are
THE anxious family of a Rossendale soldier stationed in Iraq today revealed they pray each day and night for his safe return. Corporal Craig Payne, 21, of East Bank, Water, left home for the Gulf a month ago as the potential for war escalated and troops
IN your article on asylum seekers getting cookery lessons (LET, March 8), Mrs Miranda Carruthers-Watts said: "We are helping asylum seekers to understand what goes on in Britain." I suspect that the vast majority of them already know -- that is why they
I AM a bit puzzled by Darwen councillors Karimeh Foster's statement (LET, February 24) that, "Whitehall Park is a beautiful area, but it needs a lot of work and the only way this can be done is through a friends group." The question is; who originally
IS it not about time that Blackburn with Darwen Council stopped looking for more ways to waste money? The Church Street Pavilions don't justify having £2million or more spent on them. Even when that money has been spent on their restoration, then someone
TEACHERS have been given a quick lesson in the efforts to tackle crime. Eight tutors from schools across the borough were given placements at Bury Police for four days. During that time, they were introduced to various aspects of police work including
THE borough is to get £162,000 to enable at least one of its schools to serve the community better. It is part of a £8.55 million government handout to North West education authorities over the next three years. The "extended" schools will provide childcare
"OUR concern is that if the crowds are like Tuesday (14,554) we are going to be as much as £10,000 down in each of the last six games. All those factors come into play when we are sorting out deals." So said Burnley chairman Barry Kilby in Saturday's
DRIVERS in Bury town centre will have to fork out more to park their cars. New charges, introduced this week, mean that all tickets for both car park and on-street parking go up by 10p. A two-hour stay, for instance, will go up to 80p, while a 30-minute
ANXIOUS protesters are fighting to preserve their schools as they brace themselves for a massive shake-up in special needs education. Up to ten Lancashire County Council-run schools in East Lancashire could be affected by the far-reaching changes, with
A FINANCIAL adviser has hit out at "soap colleague" Richard Hillman, claiming his murderous antics on Coronation Street have tainted the profession. Nick Thompson, of Bury-based DTE Financial Services, believes financial adviser Richard has made life
EWOOD newcomer Vratislav Gresko is hoping that his move into the Preimership can rekindle his international career - but he isn't holding his breath. The former Parma and Internazionale defender had been part of his national side six months ago, but is
VILLAGERS held a Play Your Cards Right contest during Roger Davey's 60th birthday celebrations at the Gordon Lennox and raised £80 for Macmillan Cancer Relief. Prizes were donated by local hairdresser Claire Ogden and beautician Melanie Rance and from
A MAN on his fifteenth offence of driving while disqualified has been sentenced to four months imprisonment. Ronald Hosker was also banned from the road for three years by Blackpool magistrates. Hosker, 47, of Cambridge Drive, Padiham, pleaded guilty
A POLICE operation to curb football hooliganism in Burnley has been hailed as a success, with more than 100 arrests since its launch in December. Since its inception Operation Fixture has seen 104 people arrested, match bans imposed, and 12 people barred
KEEPER Glyn Garner has shaken off a hamstring strain in time for Tuesday night's crunch clash with eighth-placed Oxford United at Gigg Lane, kick-off 7.45pm. The only real question mark hangs over Preece himself, who has been struck down by the same sickness
A SCAFFOLDING firm driver has kept his licence, and his job, after being found over the drink-drive limit in a car. Burnley magistrates heard Stuart John Fitzgerald, 31, did not drive the vehicle an inch. The defendant, of Halifax Road, Brierfield, admitted
TAKE part in your doorstep paper collection and win £100 is the message from Pendle Council's recycling officer Denise Bell. Residents in Pendle are again being given the chance to win in the joint initiative with Lancashire Waste Partnerships. It aims
ACTRESS Patricia Routledge took to the streets of Darwen to film a top TV detective series. Patricia visited the town and other parts of East Lancs to film Hetty Wainthropp Investigates.
SATURDAY'S result was one of the strangest I can ever remember. Until the 85th minute I was checking my watch, wondering if we had time to equalise. Five or six minutes and three Newcastle strikes later I was scratching my head in bewilderment following
THE Salvation Army has held its last ever service in its Accrington church. The Charter Street building closed following the Sunday service. The church has served the community for 124 years but has been forced to shut down because of a dwindling congregation
A WORKING men's club that started in a tin hut will be given a £200,000 renovation as part of plans to bring it up to date. East Lancashire-based Red Leisure bought James Street Club, Oswaldtwistle, from Accrington's King Street Pub Company at the beginning
