Archive

THREE widows visit their husbands' graves to gossip --The Cemetery Club -- between September 13-20. Call Farnworth Little Theatre on 01204 303808.

THE Darwen Library Players will dedicate their forthcoming 'The Odd Couple' to one of its stars, June Slater, who died aged 63 last month. June was due to appear in the production, having previously spent 30 years acting in, directing and publicising

FROM last Sunday the directory inquiry service number 192 is to be replaced by 118 with a choice of 14 numbers. It will no doubt be more expensive, my daily paper tells me. In one week recently I made a 192 call and a call to America's West Coast. When

A CASH-strapped animal sanctuary has issued an appeal for East Lancashire residents to make giving part of their daily lives. The Only Foals and Horses Sanctuary, in Redshell Lane, Oswaldtwistle, needs to raise £5,000 a week to care for more than 100

WE recently went on holiday to Skiathos, flying from Manchester. My husband, a born and bred Manchester City supporter, was wearing his City shirt and our daughters were in their England shirts (they are Rovers supporters, despite my husband doing his

REGARDING your article (LET August 15) where you asked for views on the merits of A level standards and attainments. One of the people quoted was the newly-appointed School Standards Minister David Milliband. Not only was he rude to John Humphrys on Radio

MR Cave, in his letter of August 21, objects to the teaching of different faiths in schools. He says that children should not learn about different religions until "they have thoroughly ingested our own religion of Christianity." Well, my children are

A YOUNG mum was held prisoner and 'treated like an animal' during a terror ordeal at the Nelson house of a man she had been staying with, a jury was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how sobbing Rebecca Collier was repeatedly threatened with death and told

BLACKBURN today hit a brick wall after Rangers rejected a second bid for Barry Ferguson, but Rovers have added Liverpool's German defender Markus Babbel on a season-long loan. Rovers predictably upped the ante in a bid to land Scottish captain Ferguson

HOSPICE officials are warning people living in the Daneshouse area of Burnley about bogus collectors believed to be operating in the town. Pendleside Hospice for Burnley and Pendle has received several reports that people have been knocking on doors in

THE countdown to the first East Lancashire Bike Festival in Nelson has started. Visitors to the free show in Victoria Park, on Saturday, will be able to enjoy lots of displays and activities, and will have the chance to win a mountain bike. Fox's Cycles

IT was a war that raged for 12 years but is now almost forgotten, except by those who fought in it. The Malayan War has been all but erased from British history, but for soldiers like Keith Swift it was a formative experience. "Today people don't know

A TEENAGE meat packer who flouted three court orders has been given a curfew. Lee Anthony Watterson, 19, was given a six month community rehabilitation order and curfew order for the same length of time. He was ordered to stay indoors between 9pm and

BABE the Pig is trotting along nicely -- a year after sanctuary staff saved his bacon. The piglet was found on a motorway slip road nearly 12 months ago, but after months of TLC by staff at Only Foals and Horses animal sanctuary the plucky porker is piling

A £119,000 project to upgrade a school playing field has been delayed after air raid shelters containing asbestos were found at the site. The two World War Two shelters were uncovered at Mount Pleasant Primary School, Clayton-le-Moors during exploratory

A FATHER of two died just 24 hours after admitting himself to hospital with stomach pains. Today the family of Dean Rogers, 31, of Glebe Street, Great Harwood, said they feared stress may have cost the well-known painter and decorator his life. They said

A MAN who went missing from secure accommodation in Langho has turned up safe and well. John Hill, 30, who was considered dangerous because of his mental state, disappeared from his room at Kemple View, Langho, early yesterday, without taking his prescribed

BURNLEY'S youth team are finally up and running after chalking up a comprehensive 4-0 win over Lancashire neighbours Blackpool. New second year scholar Alex Taylor scored twice, with Rhys Carpenter and Tom Ince also on target in the Gawthorpe rout. And

GARETH Taylor was today packing his bags after completing his £500,000 move from Burnley to Nottingham Forest. The former Clarets striker has signed a three-year deal at the City Ground after frustratingly failing to agree terms over an improved Turf

HAVE we bred a society of vandals? Is there something in the gene pool which has mutated and made a certain section of the community unable to resist trashing areas of civic pride? In recent days we have reported on a series of acts of wanton vandalism

GARETH Taylor was today packing his bags after completing his £500,000 move from Burnley to Nottingham Forest. The former Clarets striker has signed a three-year deal at the City Ground after frustratingly failing to agree terms over an improved Turf

BLACKBURN today hit a brick wall after Rangers rejected a second bid for Barry Ferguson, but Rovers have added Liverpool's German defender Markus Babbel on a season-long loan. Rovers predictably upped the ante in a bid to land Scottish captain Ferguson

FRIENDS of a Darwen beauty spot are urging residents to put their backs into planting this autumn. Friends of Bold Venture Park recently received £2,500 from the Neighbourhood Renewal Community Chest to buy bulbs and native woodland plants for the area

INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed Rossendale artist John Hyatt, has a new exhibition coming up at Rossendale Museum, Whitaker Park, Rawtenstall. Betty Treacle: The Homecoming, has been inspired by a small portrait of a local woman, Betty Treacle, in the museum

AN initiative is to be launched to improve the street scene in parts of Rossendale. Residents in Ramsbottom will be able to see the difference with the council's drive to encourage residents, visitors and businesspeople to report problems and any concerns

UFO sightings are expected to reach a peak tonight as Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. The red planet will have a close encounter when it comes to within a mere 36,000,000 miles of Earth. The last time Mars came close to our planet

PARENTS are being urged to take advantage of free eye tests for children during the summer holidays at Specsavers Opticians in Blackburn. Some 436 free tests have been made available this week at the stores in King William Street and Morrisons, in Railway

A 73-YEAR-OLD lorry driver suffered heart failure, collapsed and died at work, an inquest was told. Herbert Bibby, of St Michael's Court, Daisyfield, Blackburn, collapsed at CSH Transport, in Whitebirk, on May 13. The inquest at Blackburn Registrar's

AMBULANCE staff in Lancashire reported a busy bank holiday weekend with a surge of calls, particularly on Sunday. They took 469 calls on Saturday, 543 calls on Sunday and 416 on Monday, more than the usual average of between 350 and 400 calls on a weekend

THE Green Party has condemned North West MPs who they say are ignoring human rights by voting for water fluoridation. Now the party is urging members of the public to write to their MPs urging them to uphold people's rights to refuse unwanted medication

ELDERLY people across East Lancashire have been warned to be alert for a firm of 'cowboy' damp-proof salesmen. The county's trading standards officers said the firm targets the old and vulnerable and offers a free damp check over the telephone before

AFTER dominating the opening 45 minutes and taking the lead through a penalty, Padiham suddenly found themselves on the backfoot as Blackpool Mechanics took control after the break. Anthony McCluskey fired the Storks in front with his 24th minute spot

ROSSENDALE fell to a last gasp strike from Josh Ford as Leek recorded their first win of the season. Dale were in complete control throughout the first half and led at the interval through Chris Brooks 32nd minute opener. It was a different story after

A FUSSY referee prevented any flowing football in this hard fought local derby, which Clitheroe probably just deserved to win. With the man in the middle happy to blow his whistle for any minor infringements, neither side was able to establish any sort

THE family of a 20-year-old man who was stabbed to death in Ramsbottom have paid tribute to him. Father-of-one Richard Meakin was found lying in the back garden of a house in Rostron Road on Friday night. He had suffered stab wounds and was taken to Fairfield

WE all know that motorways and main roads throughout the country are being choked by traffic. But today we hear that motorists are not the only ones to suffer because of the rising amount of traffic. Pedestrians and those who live and work near clogged

WHEN is a bullrush not a bullrush? The answer is when it is a reed mace. With the hot summer the seeds of the reed mace have burst early. The black seed heads are starting to crack and the white cotton-like seeds float in the air. Even the gentlest of

NATURALISTS young and old should spend lots of time in the countryside but there are some occasions when country parks and stately homes have lots to offer. I visited Haigh Hall at Wigan, which is signed off the M6 at Junction 27, or from the M61 at Junction

THE first wave of new doctors are set to start work in East Lancashire in the next few weeks as part of a massive scheme to improve patient care. After a successful bid by health chiefs, ten new specialist registrars have been appointed to various departments

ROSSENDALE Players are casting for their latest production - an Agatha Christie spoof called Murdered To Death. Readings take place tomorrow at 7.30pm. For more information phone Stanley Whittaker on (01706) 216185.

TODMORDEN AODS is looking for an energetiic crew for Return To The Forbidden Planet. This lively musical features rock 'n' roll hits and is in April 2004, with auditions at 7.30 pm on Thursday and Friday, September 4 and 5, at the Hippodrome Theatre,

SO Greg Pope has confidence in Chief Superintendent David Mallaby that he will investigate properly apparent behaviour of a number of Lancashire police highlighted by District Judge Paul Firth. Well, time and again criminal activity by the police has

REGARDING Multicultural Faith teaching in schools. The right to choose is and should be the basic right of our society. It no longer seems that children, of whatever religion or belief, are being given the choice to be taught about their own religions

MANCHESTER Dogs' Home is actively searching for a loving home for Dylan and Ben. The two are brothers who were admitted to the home on the 22nd July 2003. They are male, tan coloured, medium sized dogs, approximately 18 months to two years old. They were

SPEED restrictions could be introduced on a rural road where a 22-year-old Leigh man crashed a high powered sports car, killing his best friend. Bolton Council and the police are in discussions about how the road can be made safer. Richard Bourke, of

FIRE ripped through a warehousing and delivery company early today, causing £500,000 of damage. At the height of the blaze nearly 100 firefighters from across Lancashire were fighting the flames, at the East Lancashire Warehousing depot on Blackburn's

IF you are seeking the best in health you are being urged to come forward! Local people are now being asked to represent their area in a national network of independent local health forums. These new bodies will be up-and-running towards the end of the

LEIGH'S groundsman faced an earbashing from RMI boss Mark Patterson over the state of the Hilton Park playing surface. Since the Railwaymen moved to Leigh, the pitch has come in for severe criticism from managers and players alike and Patterson was unhappy

BLACKBURN Rovers' Academy sides got the new season off to a flying start by recording a thumping double-win over Birmingham City in the Midlands. Rob Kelly's Under 19s picked up where they left off last season with a 2-0 victory over the Blues. But the

TOWN Hall bosses are still waiting for official confirmation BNP councillor Luke Smith has resigned as a councillor so they can announce a by-election. Smith, 21, was suspended from the British National Party after fighting at its annual Red White and

A BURNLEY businessman was caught up in a web of international affairs when he took his wife to the opera for a birthday break. Graham Knott, of Blackburn Road, Cliviger, whisked his wife Carole away for a weekend in Verona, including a trip to see Bizet's

A FORMER mayor has accused county hall bosses of accepting "blood money" over plans to sell off care homes for housing development. Coun Gordon Birtwistle said it was deplorable that old people had lost their homes when the properties were to be sold

I FOUND a stand of the Giant Hogweed growing on the riverbank near Ribchester. I looked closely at the stem and in the heat of the day it looked to be sweating. The plants were around 10 feet high and the flower head makes it look like a giant umbrella

BILLY Pearce insists he wears many different hats. Naturally, the headwear he's referring to is purely metaphorical, you get the distinct impression Billy would be loath to hide the trademark blonde spikes of his carefully highlighted hair. Reluctant

ON a hot summer morning I followed the road to the sands at Pilling, passing a number of welcoming seats. These overlook the coastal fields full of cattle, sheep and fascinating flowers. When I reached the sands car park the tide was out and the shore

BUSY mum Louise Roche managed to escape the chaos of home life long enough to write a play - and now it's a hit, she tells Jenny Scott. . . THEY'RE four friends and an angel off for a night of karaoke fun. That's the premise of Girls' Night, a play by

Dr Chris Mortimer has spent over 20 years turning his garden into a beautiful haven, and now the public can take a look. Chris spoke to Jenny Scott... IN the summer of 1971 Dr Chris Mortimer and his family arrived at their new home, a dilapidated mill

FLOODING in the Stoneybank Road area of Earby will be discussed at the West Craven Committee next Tuesday. A petition was sent to the council from residents about water on the road from a nearby field and their fears of flooding. Maintenance works have

POSSIBLE solutions to the parking problems in Salterforth which can lead to gridlock on the main roads will be discussed at a meeting next Tuesday. Residents and councillors have both expressed concerns over the lack of public parking areas in the village

A YOUNG mum was held prisoner and 'treated like an animal' during a terror ordeal at the Nelson house of a man she had been staying with, a jury was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how sobbing Rebecca Collier was repeatedly threatened with death and told

PHOTOGRAPHER Reg Whittam, of Garth Dawson Studio, Accrington, went along to a wedding for the usual batch of posed pictures. But his superb shot of bridesmaid Emma Stinson won a top wedding portrait award.

CHILDHOOD best friends Mary Mellor and Edna Stackow became inseparable for the second time in 70 years. The pensioners, who met at Avondale School, Darwen, enjoyed an emotional reunion after losing contact for 53 years.

A COUNCIL's policy to freeze all home building was left in disarray after its planners recommended one housing development should be approved and another refused. Hyndburn Council's planning department recommended 13 homes should be built on Sunnydale

AN EAST Lancashire businessman will appear on a national TV programme about climbing the property ladder. Kevin Horkin, of opticians Spex, in Church Street, Accrington, can be seen on BBC2's How I Made My Property Fortune tonight at 8.30pm. The half-hour

AND so the debate rages once again following the release of this year's GCSE and A Level results. They're too easy, too hard, too wide ranging, too specific. You'll find every case being put forward with equal vehemence. The great exam issue has become

BOWEN technique therapy and yoga sessions are being held at Darwen Holistic Therapy centre. The technique, used on people of any age, involves delicate manipulation of muscles in order that the brain can help to heal specific parts of the body. Yoga beginners

LEGENDARY songwriters from The Sex Pistols and The Cult feature in the line-up for Darwen Library's Theatre's new season. Glen Matlock from The Pistols and Billy Duffy from The Cult are at the theatre on October 3, alongside Kirk Brandon from Spear of

PREPARATIONS are well under way for this year's bonfire organised by the Rotaract and Rotary clubs of Blackburn with Darwen. The fireworks costing £3,000 have been booked and organisers are promising the most spectacular showing yet with multiple displays

DARWEN councillors have united in their goal to attract greater security for parks after a spate of serious vandalism. Responses were spurred after hundreds of flowers were uprooted in Whitehall Park and twelve cars on neighbouring Ross Street had their

A ROSSENDALE bobby is calling on the generous people of the valley to dig deep into their pockets and help raise money for a cancer charity. Haslingden Community Beat Manager PC Gordon McGeechan has entered the Great North run alongside his brothers,

FED-UP businesses on a busy Blackburn town centre shopping street are demanding action on litter. Staff at shops on Railway Road say the pavements outside their premises and on Church Street are blighted by rubbish. They want the council to increase the

POLLUTION in parts of East Lancashire is exceeding Government health limits for the first time, a new study has revealed. Blackburn with Darwen Council has confirmed it is looking at a way of reducing pollution levels at five sites, all road junctions

FIRE ripped through a warehousing and delivery company early today, causing £500,000 of damage. At the height of the blaze nearly 100 firefighters from across Lancashire were fighting the flames, at the East Lancashire Warehousing depot on Blackburn's

A BLACKBURN mother says a new cash raising scheme means churchgoers are being asked to pay twice to send their children to Catholic schools. The Salford Diocese has asked parents for an £18 annual charge per pupil to make up a shortfall from declining

RAMSBOTTOM manager Andy Grimshaw again rang the changes after Saturday's indifferent display against Stone, with Iain Dyson replacing Chris Clarke and Ged Walsh in for Mark Brown. Fleetwood set the pace with numerous attacks and set pieces, but it was

JUST when everything seemed to be going Nelson's way after a five-goal win over Cheadle Town, disaster struck. Having made the 95-mile trip to Barrow, the Blues discovered they were forced to play without the services of goalkeeper Billy Carrington. Central

STAR stopper Jon Kennedy has revealed Accrington Stanley have offered him a footballing lifeline. The 22-year-old was thrust into the limelight much sooner than he anticipated after first-choice keeper Jamie Speare was sent off for handling the ball outside

POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a 34-year-old man was hit on the head with an axe by a masked gang who stole his car and then robbed a supermarket. He was attacked at his home in Hallswater Crescent, Unsworth, Bury, on Friday at 9pm by the men