Archive
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City plans for the future
A MAJOR publicity drive is under way to encourage people to air their views as a definitive Local Plan for Lancaster and Morecambe is put together. The chief aims of the blueprint are to build 6,200 new homes to meet the rising population, create more
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Taste of the Emerald Isle
TO be sure, to be sure - a little bit of Ireland is coming to town! The Irish theme has become increasingly popular over the past few years, with a swell in traditional style pubs, music and dancing. O'Neills Irish theme pub in Blackpool is one of many
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Cruel sea!
NEXT time you take Rover for walkies along the beach or a ramble among the sand dunes - be warned! With the bleak winter weather looming on the horizon walking your dog along the Fylde's seashore is not such a clever idea. Diving in head-first to rescue
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Leigh feel the lottery pinch
LEIGH is firmly at the bottom of the Great Divide. When it comes to cash hand-outs Leigh is rock bottom of the National League in 647th place having netted just £27,225 in grants from the Lotteries Board. Now Leigh MP Lawrence Cunliffe is blazing after
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A dream is born
BRITAIN'S favourite seaside resort is set for a massive face-lift to turn bright and breezy Blackpool into a beautiful town. Top public figures and companies are working together as the Blackpool Town Centre Forum to rid the resort of the problems which
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Bid for medic firm from US
A MEDICAL firm looks set to be taken over in a multi million pound deal. American firm Furon has made an offer for Medex, which employs 270 at its site in Haslingden. And Nigel Perry, European Vice President Operations, based at the St Crispen Way site
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Pub's pulling power
FRIENDLY staff are celebrating success at a Preston pub. The Derby Arms on Church Road at Treales has won a coveted Team Hospitality award for customer service. Licensee, Ann Stapleton, collected the plaque last week from Whitbread Inns managing director
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Success for Route 34 travellers
CITY commuters have successfully won their campaign for more buses on the Leigh/Manchester route. Hundreds of travellers complained when First Bus-GM Buses slashed the route 34 service making many late for work when their normal half-hour journey to Manchester
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Miracle of little girl's love
ANGELIC little Charlotte's love for her granddad finally shone through when he miraculously regained consciousness and opened his eyes. Tragedy struck Charlotte's family three years ago when her grandfather Stan Barclay - whom she affectionately calls
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Nine lives for lucky family!
A SENIOR fire officer told how a family was lucky to be alive after a blaze started by children wrecked a bathroom and severely damaged bedrooms. Six children and three adults who were staying in the terraced house on May Street, Leigh, on Saturday morning
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Murder team track youths
MURDER team investigators are hunting two youths who tried to con an 82-year-old woman at her town centre home. And Leigh Police have now alerted detectives investigating the death of 92-year-old spinster Ellen Bootle after Monday's incident. Around midday
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Head's death probe delay
A RETIRED head teacher died of multiple injuries after a car accident last week. At the opening of the inquest into the death of Edna Anforth, 87, her son Philip, of Chestnut Cottage, Grindleton, said she was frail but mentally very alert. She had lived
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It could be you!
PENNY CONSCIOUS shoppers can pull a real cracker this Christmas thanks to an alternative lottery and win themselves £500 without even having to buy a ticket! Darwen Town Centre Association are hoping to cash in on lottery fever by introducing their unique
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School friends remember brave Rachael
SCHOOL pals of tragic Rachael Barlow will have a permanent reminder of their brave little friend. One of cancer victim Racheal's favourite trees - a cherry - will be planted on December 5 - the day she should have celebrated her sixth bithday. Her sister
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Snubbed high school makes the grade
A HIGH school at the centre of a row over pupil places has fared better in exam league tables than the school that parents preferred. Parents from Briercliffe formed an action group when their children were not given places at Mansfield High School, Brierfield
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Conman tricks OAP out of £100
A BOGUS official tricked an elderly woman into letting him into her home where he stole her purse. He struck on Exe Street, Preston, at 11am on November 4, claiming that he had to check the tap water for discoloration. Police are appealing for neighbours
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Campaign to be launched in Leigh
LOCAL people will find out more about HIV and Aids when a campaign is launched next week. Chief officers of Wigan Council Social Services department, the local Health Authority and the NHS Trust will sign the United Kingdom Declaration of the Rights of
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ROVERS: King Kenny set the standard
THE next manager of Blackburn Rovers, whoever it might be, has a tough act to match up to the most successful boss in Ewood history - Kenny Dalglish. Or even to better the record of Tony Parkes, albeit over three brief periods as "caretaker". Our exclusive
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Leigh get the OK from top brass
RUGBY LEAGUE top brass have given Leigh and chairman Mick Higgins a clean bill of financial health. Chief Executive Maurice Lindsay and RL Auditor Tony Gale have both returned glowing reports after the club called in an independent auditor to examine
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Leigh set for the 21st century
BOOSTER blueprints for 21st century Leigh have been revealed following a survey of urban problems. Research consultants Gerald Eve, commissioned by The Coalfield Challenge urban regeneration project, drew-up a 13-page document aimed at setting Leigh,
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Extra cuddles for our celebrity cat
CUDDLES the cat is now enjoying the life of a celebrity after he appeared in the Citizen. Cuddles, 16, collapsed at a garden in Fulwood and was sent to the Lancashire Cat Rescue where she was diagnosed as having epilepsy. Now, having recovered, she has
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Boy racers go for it
THREE BLACKBURN Rovers stars were taking different types of corners when they tried their hands at racing Scalextric cars round a special track in Blackburn Shopping Centre. Boy racers Colin Hendry, Billy McKinlay and Jeff Kenna put their fingers down
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Guiseley 5 Bamber Bridge 0
Following his side's 5-0 defeat at the hands of Knowsley, new Bamber Bridge manager David May must of been hopeful of a better scoreline away against Guiseley. However, it was not to be. With six of his first team players out of action through injury
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Nice one, my Rob-son!
EX-SOLDIER Soldier star Robson Green - no 1 in the charts with pop duo Robson and Jerome - is set to be interrogated by fledgling DJs aiming for the big time. Robson's the first celebrity interviewee to feature on the Blackburn college's new in-house
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Devoted Peter picks up top charity honour
THIRTEEN is charity worker Peter Bullman's lucky number. He has spent that many years helping a tiny Preston charity - and now his dedication has earned him a top honour. Peter, from Fulwood, has been named Whitbread Volunteer Action Award for the North
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Merry kiss-mas everybody
IF SANTA kisses anyone under the mistletoe this Christmas his 'Ho Ho Ho' might turn into an 'Ooh La La!' thanks to a local flower shop. Great Harwood florist, Hilda Sharples, is making a 700-mile round trip by car to France in order to stock her shop
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Fined for the state of his sheep
A LIVESTOCK dealer who was caught taking sick sheep to a Preston abattoir has been fined £450 and ordered to pay £2,000 costs. David Ashley Holmes of Davies Drive, Wingerworth, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was found guilty at Chorley Magistrates' Court of
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Rally ace hopes for success
DESPITE not having finished in either of the their two Network Q RAC Rallies together, Nigel Worswick and navigator Clive Molyneux won't be cruising around this year just to get across the finishing line. For the Blackburn duo will be pushing their Ford
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Car chaos fears at hospital
IS Fulwood about to become a mini Los Angeles with more cars than people? That's what's worrying people who attended a meeting about the closure of Sharoe Green Hospital this week. The re-location of services to the Royal Preston is planned to go ahead
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Win tickets to the Uk Snooker Championship
WORLD snooker champion Stephen Hendry returns to the Guild Hall in Preston hoping to win his fifth national title at the twentieth UK Snooker Championship. The competition runs from November 15 to December 1 and 22 lucky Citizen readers could be there
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Rovers hit the net (at last)
BLACKBURN Rovers have teamed up with sponsors Co-Operative Insurance Society to launch the club worldwide - on the internet. CIS established its own site earlier this year and now they have helped Rovers land on the World Wide Web. The new service gives
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Katherine is Grt Mcr's model citizen.
TEENAGER Katherine Finney is the Greater Manchester Police Young Citizen of the Year. Katherine (16), of Hilton Lane, Prestwich, was presented with her award by Ch Con David Wilmot at a gala ceremony a week ago. She was nominated for the award by a teacher
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UCLa plans to merge with farm college
THE University of Central Lancashire could soon be branching out - offering courses in forestry and agriculture in Cumbria. UCLa bosses are in talks with Newton Rigg College in Penrith discussing a merger between the two. The specialist Cumbrian college
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Act against 'killer' cars
WHEN is the average motorist going to take heed that what he/she is doing is contributing to what almost certainly is an epidemic in asthma, bronchitis and other distressing lung diseases. We are long past the situation when we could expect our government
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Vouchers put nursery places at risk
CHILDREN could soon be thrown out of school unless they show a money-off voucher at the door. Under a new government scheme, parents of four-year-olds can buy their child a year's education using vouchers before compulsory schooling starts at five. Despite
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Court bid tohalt pre-pay water meters
WATER watchdogs OFWAT are set to be challenged by Lancashire County Council in a row over controversial pre-payment meters. The High Court has given Lancashire County Council permission to take action against water regulator OFWAT. The county council
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Chesterfield 2 North End 1
JUST up the road from Chesterfield's Saltergate Stadium, Sherwood Forest, the legendary home of Robin Hood, stands in majestic winter glory. Yet this wasn't so much a robbery, more an early Christmas gift of three points to a struggling Chesterfield side
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Diabetes: Taking one day at a time
DIABETES occurs when the body can't control the level of glucose in the blood. Too much leaves the sufferer thirsty and feeling weak while too little can cause shakiness, sweating and irritability. At worst patients suffer convulsions, foot problems which
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Cut duty call to stop bootlegging
MPs are calling for a cut in the duty on beer in the Budget next week to stop North West drug barons using bootlegging to finance their evil trade. Members of the Parliamentary Beer Club, including Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans, are alarmed that organised
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5 YEARS AGO: Blast probe at 'Heights'
POLICE were probing a mystery explosion and blaze which badly damaged a showpiece nightclub. An estimated £50,000 damaged was caused at Manhattan Heights in Ciceley Lane, Blackburn. A young mother and her toddler fled their blazing house in Arran Avenue
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Workers celebrate 48-hour Euro week
CHRISTMAS has come early for thousands forced to work long hours and without paid holidays. That's the verdict of local Euro MP Gary Titley to this week's landmark judgement which sets a maximum 48-hour working week and gives workers guaranteed leave
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10 YEARS AGO: De-regulation protests
TELEPHONE switchboards were jammed with more than 12,000 calls about bus de-regulation. In the Burnley and Nelson areas, the number of inquires about buses was so heavy staff did not have time to fill in complaint forms. Lancashire County Council introduced
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Skaters' huge medal haul
BLACKBURN Arena have the British National Championships to thank for their bulging trophy cabinet. Every Blackburn student entered in the Championship came away with medals - including two golds. The four day event saw seven Blackburn skaters win some
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SNOOKER: Shokat made me battle admits Davis
SHOKAT Ali narrowly failed to produce another shock at the UK snooker championship in Preston, losing 9-7 in the second round to six-times world champion Steve Davis. But the 26-year-old Pakistan captain, based in Accrington, pushed Davis every step of
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Spy camera fight goes on
LABOUR councillors in Nelson have vowed they will not give up on getting spy cameras for the town centre. Their ideas on financing the 22-camera scheme were rejected by the estimates committee. Spokesman Councillor Roger Abbiss said: "We were asked to
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Bicycle haul hits £35,000
CRIME prevention officers are enlisting the help of cycle shop owners in the battle against cycle thefts. So far this year 197 bikes - worth more than £35,000 - have been stolen around Pendle. Nelson PC Peter Bartnik wants customers to use a new leaflet
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From hard hat to soft heart
BUILDER Michael Richards traded in his hard hat for a soft heart - and became a care assistant. Michael, from Colne, decided to swop professions when he found himself on the dole in his mid 40s. He took a course in counselling and psychology and then
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Month of success
I would like to thank those who helped to make Older People in Europe Month such a success during October. The result was an extraordinary variety of events, some with a strong European theme, others putting older people in the spotlight. Among the highlights
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Evans right to fight to stamp out bootleggers
WE have known for years that Britain loses millions of pounds in revenue to illegal imports of cheap foreign alcohol. Now there is a more sinister aspect to the trade. Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Valley and a member of the executive of the House of Commons
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Greens want shops plan dropped
CAMPAIGNERS fighting to stop a controversial business and shopping park have come up with their own ideas for fields at the end of the motorway in Colne. They have already got the backing of the Woodland Trust for a project to turn the land, the oldest
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Keep it green please folks
FACTORIES, offices, homes and motorists in the town are being urged to help keep the air 'green' this winter by helping to cut down pollution levels particularly on cold, frosty mornings. St Helens Council's Environmental Health Officers say pollution
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Tony's pin number
SOCCER fan Tony Richardson is pinning his hopes on a world record. He hopes to knock down 5,000 pins in an arm-wrenching three hour marathon of 10-pin bowling. And it's all to add new life to Leigh RMI. Tony, 44, wants to launch an RMI Supporters Club
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CLARETS: Heath: 'I may have to sell Kurt Nogan'
BURNLEY chief Adrian Heath admitted today: "I may have to sell Kurt Nogan." But the Clarets boss has vowed to do "everything in his power'' to keep the £1 million-rated striker at Turf Moor. Speculation has increased this week that Nogan could be on his
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Leigh bank on backyard boy
LEIGH'S new coach is a home-grown product from their own backyard. The Division Two club appointed Keith Latham as the successor to Eric Hughes who quit Hilton Park last month to take a youth development job with Wigan. The 41-year-old, who has held Academy
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Keith's key to success
KEITH LATHAM'S coaching philosophy is refreshingly uncomplicated. The new man in charge at Leigh will base his rebuilding programme around three key words - pride, passion and patience. "Rugby League is basically a simple game," says Hilton Park's latest
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Happy days for double miracles
THE premature birth of a baby is a traumatic event for any young couple, but Jayne and Steve Geldard from Billinge have faced more agony than most. For both their children, Robyn and Byron, were born prematurely and doctors held out little hope of their
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Band call unfair
AS a parent associated with the Burnley Scout and Guide Band for a number of years, I feel that your lead story about 'outrage' over them playing a pop tune at Clitheroe's Remembrance Day parade (LET, November 11) was very unfair to members of the band
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Disabled fans snub Rovers' pricey caterers for Christmas party
SOCCER club caterers have been dubbed Scrooges after quoting disabled supporters £5.95 for a potato pie supper at their Christmas party. Blackburn Rovers Disabled Supporters Club treasurer David Holmes said the price - which would have led to tickets
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The Mad Hatter's Tea Party!
PUBLIC art is creating a Mad Hatter's Tea Party in Oswaldtwistle, claims local councillor Peter Britcliffe. Six stone sculptures of hats through the ages have been erected outside Oswaldtwistle youth and community centre, Harvey Street. But they have
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Honoured with new memorials
BURY Grammar School old boys who fell in the world wars have been honoured with new memorials. A special dedication ceremony on Armistice Day formally blessed the plaque which was recent installed in the Boys' Assembly Hall. The service was conducted
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Cunliffe wins health cash pledge
HEALTH Secretary Stephen Dorrell has pledged more money for effective care in Leigh. In the House of Commons Leigh MP Lawrence Cunliffe asked the Secretary of State for Health what he proposed to do to safeguard patients hit by health cuts. Mr Cunliffe
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Thugs attack and rob car pensioner
A 73-year-old woman was dragged behind a car after she was robbed on the M66 slip road at Ramsbottom.The pensioner, from Walton, Liverpool, was visiting her daughter in Bury when the incident happened at 9.40pm on Tuesday. As she drove towards the motorway
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Park home in on top spot
West Park 31 Netherhall 11 PARK moved nearer to the top spot in league North West One with this dominant display against luckless Netherhall currently bottom of the league after losing more than half of their senior squad to more prosperous clubs in Cumbria
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Norman takes heart from Close call
NORMAN Fletcher from Newton-le-Willows joined other heart attack victims from the North West to take part in 'Heart Check Action Week', an ongoing campaign to raise awareness of the causes of heart disease. And popular TV soap star Vince Earle - whose
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Our gallant bomb girls sought
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD CALLING all those gallant grannies who served their country as munitions workers during the 1939-45 world war. Celia Wilson of Dentons Green would love to have a word with you. She tells me: "I am currently studying a women's history
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Tuned in for talent
SEASIDE harmony is seeking a new wave of talent to help take it to the top. The Blackpool and Fylde Barbershop Harmony Club was founded in 1977 and there is nothing the members enjoy more than singing - and sneaking a little comedy into their performances
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DENIS WHITTLE on the Knowsley Road scene
SAINTS will head for the Antipodes for the first time since 1976 next season when they take on three top sides in the newly-launched Anglo-Australian competition. The Challenge Cup and Super League double winners will first meet Auckland Warriors, Cronulla
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Alert on glass in crisps
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers at St Helens Council are advising shoppers to take care after it was discovered that certain packets of Walkers Crisps had been found to contain fragments of glass. Food businesses are already being advised after news came
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Health chief in flu alert
DR JOHN Hunt, Director of Public Health for St Helens and Knowsley Health, is urging family doctors to offer flu jabs to vulnerable patients whose health could be seriously affected were they to contact influenza this winter. Sir Kenneth Calman, the Government's
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New 'pod' will fight pollution
OIL spills and pollution incidents in Lancashire are to be tackled by firefighters with a new 'environmental pod.' The £35,000 unit has an all-terrain quad-bike, a pump and equipment for sealing pipes. The Environment Agency helped to pay for it. Converted
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Boys did their best
I WOULD like to thank Royal British Legion spokesman Brin Joynson and the Clitheroe war veterans for their remarks in your front page report 'Veterans' fury over pop slur' (LET, November 11). "Inappropriate is too polite a word," "absolutely appalling
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Postcode birthday
POSTCODES are 30 years old this month - and Royal Mail is using the anniversary to highlight the vital role they play in delivering Britain's daily post of 70 million letters. North West postcodes manager Brian Davies said the unique sequences of letters
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Pensioners unite call
DO pensioners not realise the immense power they have? Formed into a union, they could negotiate for higher pensions, lower TV licences and telephone, electricity and water charges and have a stronger say at election times. The president of the National
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Norman bids for Scrabble champs
WORD-master Norman Smith will pit his wits against Britain's top Scrabble players when he competes in the board-game's national championship in two weeks. The Pendle pensioner is one of 70 contestants to qualify for the event's silver jubilee competition
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Up for t'cup?
FA CUP magic - or misery - comes to Turf Moor on Saturday when Burnley take on third division Lincoln City. If the Sincil Bank outfit reproduce the form they showed against Southampton on Tuesday, they could well upset the Clarets - especially as Adrian
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Blunder lands council with £500,000 bill
A COUNCIL which failed to set out its stall in a legal battle with market traders, has been given another chance. Judgment was awarded to tenants battling for compensation against their Burnley Council landlords last month, after the town hall failed
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Alan hailed as top wildlife buff
ELEVEN-year-old nature-lover Alan Bowers has won a top young environmentalists' award. Alan, from Burnley, impressed judges of a national competition with his study of limestone in the Yorkshire Dales. He will receive a trophy from the Young People's
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United will get through - Crerand
EUROPEAN Cup hero Paddy Crerand today insisted that Manchester United will reach the quarter finals of the Champions' League. The United stalwart, still a regular attendant at Reds' matches, described Juventus as "the best team to visit Old Trafford in
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Storm over complex plans
A MASSIVE campaign to stop a proposed industrial and leisure complex on green fields in Colne is to take to the streets this weekend. Opponents of Colne businessman Graham White's plans to build the complex, including a cinema, supermarket and business
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Lorry pull for lolly
SIX strong men from a Nelson warehouse will take the strain for charity when they pull a 17-tonne lorry 200 yards. The workmates are in training for the test of strength, which will raise money to help pay for a handicapped girl's course of treatment
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Vandals wreck cenotaph tributes
THOUSANDS of people across the area observed the two minutes' silence to mark Remembrance Day on Monday. But in Brierfield they were also thinking about the desecration at the war memorial caused when vandals wrecked poppy wreaths, snapped the flag pole
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Encore... uncle!
TEENAGE singer Emma Latham has an opera star for an uncle... and soon he will be her choir's favourite uncle, too. Keith Latham, from Burnley, has sung leading operatic roles all over the world and is taking time off from his busy schedule to sing in
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CLARETS: Serie A star Bissani on trial
ITALIAN Alfredo Bissani arrived at Turf Moor on trial today. The Serie A defender played 15 games for Cremonese last season and joined Burnley's first team squad at Gawthorpe this morning. "He's a very rugged defender and we've brought him with a view
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For the love of Lucy
LITTLE Lucy Lewis is a real fighter despite being left with brain damage after almost drowning in a swimming pool. Doctors feared the two-year-old tot would not live after the accident last June. She was rushed to intensive care at Liverpool's Alder Hey
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Cheers for Gilda
AN AMERICAN dream has come true for showgirl Gilda Kristian, who has every reason to give three cheers. For the Blackpool beauty, aged 20, has landed a job with England's only American football team - the London Monarchs. She is one of just 20 girls from
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Rolf rides into town
THE man behind Jake the Peg, the Cartoon Club and Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport is coming to town. Rolf Harris the man of a thousand talents is heading for Morecambe with an entourage of acts to delight his fans young and old. Citizen reporter Julie Seddon
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Take me to my Rummy
WITH the never-ending hoofbeats of a legendary racehorse still thundering in his heart, Red Rum's former stable lad Billy Ellison has made a heartfelt plea to the Citizen. In a pained letter to the Editor - which also contained a completed entry form
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Sky at night for Bury
BURY make their debut on Sky Sports tomorrow (Sat) when the satellite company show a recording of the FA Cup tie against Chesterfield at Saltergate. The Shakers will also appear on the live Friday Match on January 17 when they face Burnley at Turf Moor
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Another opening of another show
THEATRE in Blackpool has seen quite a turnaround in the past decade. It wasn't that long ago when the beautiful Grand Theatre was threatened with closure, bringing the end of another dramatic era. Thankfully, it was saved and given chance to blossom into
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Bury demolish York
Bury 4 York City 1 DEAN West and David Pugh eloquently delivered the case for the defence and left York with a heightened sense of injustice. Bury's 4-1 margin of victory provided yet more evidence of what a powerful side the Shakers have become under
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Safety in mind
A HEALTH, safety and environmental law seminar is being staged next Wednesday, at Ewood Park. Organised by the Business Environment Association, it will include speakers from Blackburn's environmental health department, the Environment Agency and North
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Five tuck in for a feast
FIVE-STAR meals were served up this week in Golborne. To mark National Meals on Wheels Week five elderly diners enjoyed a special meal at the the Learning Disability Centre in Golborne. The lucky five were treated to wholsome, milestone meals taking the
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Pudsey's off to a cracker
IT'S that time of year again! The time of year when we think of crazy ideas and put our hands in our pockets for the BBC's Children in Need. This year got off to a cracking start when Diane Louise Jordan visited Blackpool as part of the Cracker Tour of
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Steve heads team to look after customers
STEVE Lunt is BT's new head of customer service in Lancashire. Steve, 43, is responsible for the telephone services for 2.5 million customers in a four thousand square mile area west of the Pennines stretching from Carlisle to Bolton. He joined BT 18
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Excuse for hunting
P NEWTON'S letter (Letters, November 14), is one of many I have read by this person. I for one tire at reading his every excuse why blood sports are to be justified. As far as fox hunting is concerned, the fact that Reynard can run fast and has learned
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Poisonous fumes fear
RIBBLETON Lane residents were told to stay in their houses at 3am on Wednesday after a fire tore through Nordek's in Longworth Street. Police warned over a tannoy there could be a danger of toxic fumes emerging from the blaze at the garage. Firefighters
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Drop-in centre for victims of violence
VICTIMS of domestic violence can now attend drop-in sessions at Yewlands day nursery, in Leyland, every Friday 9-10am from November 1. The sessions are being run by PC Caroline Turley and offer confidential advice and support, as well as free creche facilities
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Salvation Army faces tide of human misery
IMPOVERISHED East Lancashire families are increasingly turning to the Salvation Army for simple necessities like food and clothing, it was revealed today. The number of calls for assistance from the Christian soldiers has more than doubled in the last
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Your Citizen gets things moving
CITIZEN power saved a sick boy from another day without heating in his freezing home. Last week we told how asthmatic Daniel Dawson, 11, who could die from a dose of the 'flu, had no heating in his council home. His mum's only gas fire in their Ashton
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Kendal 13 Preston Grasshoppers 19
HOPPERS promotion drive regained its momentum, beating Kendal 13-19. Steve Kerry kicked his usual early penalty before a brawl erupted in the 12th minute. Kendal were the initial offenders but no cards were deemed necessary. A Hudson penalty for Kendal
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Michael kicks off with a new life
WHEN it comes to bravery, seven-year-old Michael Gillespie could show 'Richard the Lionheart' a thing or two! For Michael, of Beech Drive, Leigh, has had to endure a life-time of heart problems. Born with his heart the wrong way round, he has just endured
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Radio ready cash dash
SIX lucky people walked away from Blackpool Tower with pockets bulging ....full of £5 notes! The lucky six were finalists at Rock FM's Dash for Cash Bash - the climax to a month in which Rock FM had given 97 people VIP tickets and a chance to win their
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Lager & Bestie
PRESTON'S Whittle Robinson FC is one step closer to realising a life-time's ambition and playing soccer against the legendary George Best. The five-a-side fanatics are celebrating having won through to the next round of the Carling Cup - the country's
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PNE's Peters gets £1M vote of confidence
BELEAGUERED North End manager Gary Peters got a whopping vote of confidence yesterday - £1 million to spend on his injury-hit squad. Peters, under-fire from fans after a string of bad results, remained tight-lipped about possible new signings, but is
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Dirty thief steals washing machine
A THIEF tried to steal a washing machine from the show house on the Four Fields Estate in Bamber Bridge. Police want to speak to a stocky man, 5ft 9ins tall, with short brown hair who was seen in the area at the time. He was driving a red E-registered
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No "X"tra help from the Halifax
A CUB leader was left feeling "humiliated and afraid" after being turned away from a building society with £600 in cash. Mrs Denise Bigg, of the 18th (St Mary's) Radcliffe Cubs and Brownies, said: "I was treated like dirt and was left feeling very vulnerable
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Benefits bust-up as minister walks into row
SOCIAL security minister Oliver Heald was in town this week to take the 100,000th call to the benefits fraud hot-line - and ran into an almighty row. Preston Council has accused the government of neglecting genuine claimants by axing vital help-lines
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"Sorry," says gunman in armed raid
A POLITE gunman who apologised to staff at a Radcliffe building society office after robbing them of £1,600 was jailed for six years at Bolton Crown Court on Thursday. "I'm sorry, I don't usually do things like this," Anthony White (28), of Butterstile
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Tragic pupil dies in school
THE funeral of a tragic teenager who collapsed and died in school takes place on Thursday. Mark Wright, 14, a year 10 student at St Michael's CE High, Astley Road, suffered a heart attack, a post mortem revealed. Despite desperate attempts by staff and
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Going...going, saved!
ALMOST 100 workers will face the axe when slipper manufacturers Dunlop Footwear closes next month. Competition from low cost imports has forced the struggling Blackburn company into the red. A year ago the Water Street firm cut prices, substantially reorganised
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Council's poppy day 'shame'
A CHARGE of hypocrisy has been laid at the door of Preston Borough Council by war pensioners angry at their treatment. Council dignitaries lined up on Remembrance Sunday this week to honour those who gave their lives defending our country. Yet those ex-servicemen
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Kwik Save to axe jobs
KWIK Save supermarket staff are celebrating in Blackburn - while colleagues at the chain's Accrington store face the axe. This week it was revealed that Kwik Save's Bolton Road store, in Blackburn, would remain open but their Union Street supermarket,
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Fire bugs £1 million bill
ARSONISTS who set schools ablaze last year have hit tax payers with a £1 million bill for damage. The County Council has insurance - but the policy won't pay out for damage less than £250,000 and better cover is not cost effective. None of the damage
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Bid to save Hawkshaw home fails
AN eleventh hour attempt to derail plans to shut Croich Hey old folks home has failed. Tories and Liberals joined forces to suggest the Hawkshaw home be handed to the private sector instead. But Labour members defeated the move and will carry on down
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College efficiency impresses judges
RUNSHAW College has scooped an award dubbed the Oscars of the Workplace, on the strength of its 'focused' organisation. The college, on Langdale Road, Leyland, was presented with the North West Quality Award at a ceremony in Manchester last week. The
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No need to take of-fence!
COUNCIL planners are hoping to settle a bitter row over a fence which has quite literally divided a housing estate. Residents of Whinney Heights estate off Roman Road in Highercroft, Blackburn, have been arguing over a fence which was rapidly erected
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"Flying Start' winners on the up and up
BURY-based Nationwide Telephone Company has more than lived up to its name after clinching an audacious takeover deal. The acquisition of Granada Microcare now means the thriving Bury firm is the UK's largest independent provider of telecommunication
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RUUD awakening awaits Chelsea
RUUD GULLIT brings his star-studded Chelsea to Ewood Park on Saturday without a victory against Rovers in their last seven attempts - and Colin Hendry is out to make sure it is eight! Big Col, who led Scotland to a 1-0 World Cup victory against Sweden
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Turn off pre-payment water taps
RESIDENTS are being urged to turn off the tap on controversial pre-payment water devices. In a massive drive, council bosses want every householder in the borough to refuse to allow the devices into their homes. Some 70,000 "health warning" booklets are
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Rugby player cleared of breaking rival's jaw
A RUGBY match left a team's hooker with a broken jaw and minus a tooth, Burnley Crown Court heard. But the player alleged to be responsible, a prop from the rival team, walked free from court after a judge said there were conflicting accounts of what
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Terry Waite's words of comfort
ON THE 500th day since Blackburn student Paul Wells was kidnapped in Kashmir, his mother has revealed how former Beirut hostage, Terry Waite, has inspired the family with his simple message: "Don't give up." Dianne Wells told The Citizen that Mr Waite
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BURY major in marathon run
"A LOT of pride" was felt by Bury Army Officer Major Paul Pendlebury when he accomplished a gruelling 2,200 kilometre run from Bosnia to England last week. Paul,46, who organised the marathon, set off with a team from the camp at Tomislavgrad on October
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Bailiff's blunder over £58 arrears
A DEBT recovery firm has been forced to apologise to a Tottington couple after a blunder by one of its bailiffs. The man, seeking repayment for council tax arrears of £58, turned up at Stephen and Linda Kimber's house in Bury Road. However, it transpired
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Venue 'to blame' for halted inquest shock
AN INQUEST halted amid claims of jury intimidation would not have been stopped had it been held in a proper court room, a coroner has insisted. Andre Rebello made the claim after adjourning the hearing into the death of John Gardiner, 40, of Hozier Street
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MP's job fears over Euro hours ruling
WORKERS could find themselves out of a job because Europe is imposing a maximum 48-hour working week. Local MP Alistair Burt says the landmark ruling, which also gives people paid holidays and rest breaks, will harm the economy and is back-door law-making
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Brighton rocked
Sports Letter I WRITE as a Brighton fan initially to commiserate over Blackburn Rovers' current plight and secondly to inform spectators of Blackburn that living in your town is the man who most consider responsible for Brighton's problems. With one eye
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RALLYING: Nigel takes on the giants
RALLY stars from all over the world arrive in the North West this week for Britain's biggest motorsport event of the year, the Network Q RAC Rally. Nearly 200 competitors leave the Chester startline early on Saturday morning for three days and 256 miles
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Families shouldn't have to rely on Sally Army
A SALVATION Army captain has revealed that "starving" families in Blackburn have been approaching his centre to ask for food. It smacks of a scene from Dickensian Britain. Most of us associate Salvation Army "customers" with individuals who have hit on
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Heroes welcome at reunion
AERO-ENGINEERS whose skills saved families from the buzz-bombs of the blitz are getting together to mark the diamond jubilee of the jet engine. Organiser Douglas Daniels, one of the original design team, says the Rolls Royce men at Barnoldswick and engineers
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Surfing school
PUPILS at a Pendle secondary school can go surfing the Internet and make contact with people all over the world, thanks to the latest technology. Walton High, Nelson, also has its own world wide web site - which means that information about the school
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Toxic waste danger cause for concern
THE potential dangers of an empty factory containing more than 200 drums of toxic waste and chemicals has become a matter of grave concern, Hyndburn councillors were told last night. Urgent talks are being sought with the owners of the Richmond Hill Street
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Joyce's heart-warming tale
WITH seven children and 19 grandchildren, Joyce Mansfield has to have her feet firmly on the ground - but her heart is in the country. Eight years ago this month, Joyce, now 64, had a life-saving heart transplant. It gave her a brand new start in life
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Simon Garner jailed
FORMER Blackburn Rovers star Simon Garner has been sent to prison for nine months following proceedings arising from the break-up of his marriage. Garner, Rovers' all-time record goal scorer and long-time crowd favourite, was sent to Preston Prison after
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Unit raid haul worth £31,000
RAIDERS who broke into a Ribble Valley industrial unit stole a van loaded with beds and some office equipment, worth a total of over £31,000. The raid took place at a unit on the Simonstone industrial park and police are appealing for help in their inquiries
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The great 'nit nurse' ordeal
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THERE was a rather uncomfortable little ritual to endure before little Annie Bracken and the rest of the chosen few were permitted to visit the great Wembley Exhibition of the 1920s. The local education authority had agreed to foot
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Mason's French adventue
LEIGH'S New Zealand stand-off Alan Mason has left for France - keen to make a new start after his Hilton Park career hit the rocks. Mason, a free agent since being released by Leigh at the end of the season, is to join Palau, a sister side of the world-famous
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Mum's cuts threat terror
A JILTED dad threatened to cut his ex-lover's face so nobody else would find her attractive. Paul Langtree had put a kitchen knife to the chin of the mother-of-six and left the woman hysterical, Burnley Crown Court heard. Langtree, who a day earlier had
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Police apologise after siren upset
MERSEYSIDE Police have issued an apology to anyone upset by the disturbance during the Remembrance Sunday service when a deafening police siren shattered the two minutes silence. Townsfolk paying silent respects to all those who lost their lives during
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RMI to the four!
LEIGH RMI moved into fourth place in the Unibond Division One after beating Gretna 2-1 - their fourth straight league win. Second-half goals from Chris Bermingham and Chris Shaw were enough to make it 12 points out of 12. "It was a good, even tussle in
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Glimpse of past for the kids
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD CONCERNED that our current generation of schoolkids might grow up with scant knowledge of their local heritage, close friends Jan Smee and Chris Bolton have put their heads together in an effort to enlighten the youngsters. The two
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Eileen back home from safari
A WOMAN who left her native Billinge for the plains of Tanzania two years ago has returned home for a holiday with a host of memories - and a brand new accent! It's just eight months since Eileen Moser last visited home and in that time she has managed
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Plea for return of lifeline bike
A SINGLE mum is appealing for the return of the bike which her teenage son saved up for over a year to buy. The 15-speed Raleigh Nitro Mountain Bike was stolen from the side of the house in Pilkington Street, Rainford, overnight on Tuesday, October 29
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New service aiming to make impact on firms
A NEW service for small and medium businesses in East Lancashire has been launched. The IMPACT programme has been developed by ELTEC together with Rawtenstall-based Kingfisher Consultants to help manufacturing firms employing between five and 75 people
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Tap ban blues for dancers
A TROUPE of teeny dancers are down in the dumps after being ordered to stop their tap dancing routines in the church hall where they practise because of damage allegedly caused to the floor. Under the guidance of teacher Nisha Srivastava, the young dancers
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Jimmy helped shape hundreds of careers
HIS many friends in teaching and soccer circles are mourning the death of a popular personality whose skill and dedication, both in the classroom and on the football field, helped shape the careers of a multitude of youngsters. Mr James 'Jimmy' Dewsnip
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What a cracking double teaser
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD IT'S absolutely amazing how the knowledgable customers of this old column keep coming up with answers to the most remote of brain-teasers! The most recent double yedscratter, about an old time beer house in St Helens town centre and
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Two-armed bandit steals one-armed bandit
A VINTAGE one-armed bandit has been stolen - by a two-armed bandit! The American-made machine, which dates back to the 1930s, was stolen from a house at Hardmans Road, Whitefield. The "Tictac Toe" one-armed bandit is distinctive - it is decorated with
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New man in charge of council
BURY Council has a new man in charge because of illness to chief executive David Burton. Dennis Taylor, director of competitive services, has been appointed as acting head of the authority. Mr Burton has been seriously ill for months and is not expected
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The 'achievers' praised
A CELEBRATION of achievement was held at a Pendle high school last night as parents, staff and former pupils gathered for their prize presentation. Peter Dixon, head of Primet High School, Colne, told his audience that initiatives to raise levels of achievement
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Back to school for Lisa
EMMERDALE star Lisa Riley went back to school last Friday to watch the new generation of drama students in action. Tottington-born Lisa, 20, who plays the bubbly Mandy Dingle in the top TV soap, visited St Gabriel's RC High School, Bury, to watch their
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£5,000 reward in murder hunt
DETECTIVES this week continued their hunt for the vicious killers of 92-year-old spinster Ellen Bootle. But, despite a £5,000 reward being offered by Greater Manchester Police, the case remains unsolved. The murder hunt centres around sighting of two
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Woman found dead in flat
A 56-YEAR-old Bury woman was found dead in bed by ambulance staff on Monday after they broke into her ground floor flat at Chesham Crescent. They also found unpaid bills going back two years, a Rochdale inquest heard. Mr Russell Holland of Woodhill Road
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Putting on the style!
DESIGNER clothes will be on sale at a local charity shop on Saturday. Leigh's Help the Aged shop, 79 Bradshawgate is the venue for a 'designer clothing bargain bonanza day' from 10am. Shop manager Maureen Leech said: "We often receive donations of well-known
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Service is held at restored memorial
PRAYERS to mark those who fell in two world wars were said at a newly restored war memorial at St Mark's Square, Bury on Sunday. The memorial records the names of those from the old parish of St Mark who died in the wars but the names had become worn
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Jean's champion night for Andrew
GOLBORNE mum Jean Wood won a 'champion' night out - then gave her son a 'walk-on' part in a boxing night to remember. Jean won a competition in a national newspaper to escort 'Dark Destroyer' Nigel Benn to the ring for his world championship challenge
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New bus routes just the ticket
JAM beating busways could be the answer to nightmare travel between Leigh and neighbouring towns. In a bid to beat road chaos with efficient, on-time public transport, a Busway Transit Scheme is on line for introduction between Leigh and Bolton. The pioneer
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Wanted: Hard-working "green" volunteers
NATIONAL Tree Week will see the Bury Rochdale group of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) involving local people in environmental projects. The group is seeking volunteers for planting and caring for trees and woods throughout the area
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LSH languish in bottom spot
RUGBY UNION LIVERPOOL St Helens stay rooted to the bottom of National League Division Three following a 65-26 mauling at Reading on Saturday. Trailing 46-0 at one stage LSH scored consolation tries through Dave Faulkner (2) and Dave Lupton (2) with skipper
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High hopes for Thatto Heath
MEMBERS of a far-seeing amateur Rugby League club based in an area steeped in oval ball tradition are poised to set their sights even higher as they bid to own their own home. For after receiving planning permission from St Helens council to develop a
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Pushers wanted for shopping event
VOLUNTEERS are needed to help push wheelchairs and carry bags at the annual Christmas Shopping Event for elderly and disabled people. It will be held in the Hardshaw Centre, St Helens from 6.30 to 8.30pm on Tuesday, December 3. Free parking facilities
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Less work, more pay - Titley
CHRISTMAS has come a month early for workers in the Leigh area with folk forced to work excessive hours for low pay and few paid holidays. That was the view this week from local MEP Gary Titley who was commenting on the European Court ruling that Britain
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Treasure trove pay-out
COMMUNITY and sporting groups this week unearthed a £44,000 treasure chest. Grants for football kit, disco equipment, martial arts mats and building materials were dished-out on Monday night as Mayor Cllr Bernard Coyle revealed Community Chest award winners
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Teen stars to Cables' rescue
Prescot Cables 2 Mossley 2 CABLES staged a splendid recovery after going 2-0 down against formidable Mossley on a rain-soaked Hoghton Road pitch (writes BERT TAYLOR). Congratulations are due to Steven Gould on becoming a two-goal hero, and to fellow 19
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MP joins police cuts protest
KNOWSLEY North MP George Howarth and borough councillor Bill Wakeman, were among members of a Merseyside Police Authority delegation which travelled to London to protest over budget cuts within the force. The delegation, led by MPA chair, Councillor Carol
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Rainbows rescued
THANKS to the Citizen, 13 kindly volunteers with hearts of gold have been found to help lead Rainbow groups in the South Shore area. Now, little girls will get the chance to join in activities such as acting in plays and singing in carol concerts. Three
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Christmas cracker for Christopher
CHRISTOPHER CANAVAN is already in the Yuletide spirit. The Fred Longworth High pupil has won a Christmas Card competition held by Leigh Rotary Club - and it could bring untold riches to the school. His entry has now been produced at cost thanks to Walter
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Town let it slip away
Atherton 7 St Helens Town 4 BEHIND such an eccentric scoreline as this there has to be another ingredient involved other than the respective capabilities of both sides. In this case it was the considerable goal-to-goal slope of the Alder House pitch which
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League table of Rovers' managers
P W D L %wins C/P Rel Cups Kenny Dalglish (1991-1995) 161 88 36 37 54.66 2 0 FLC SF Johnny Carey (53-58, 70-71) 251 118 55 78 47.01 1 1 FAC SF Howard Kendall (79-81) 88 41 27 20 46.59 1 0 0 Ken Furphy (71-73) 110 48 27 35 43.64 0 0 0 Bob Crompton (26-
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New council powers to control traffic pollution
COUNCILS will have sweeping new powers to control fume emissions if a Government strategy on pollution is adopted. Rising concern about the air levels caused by car exhaust and industry has led to the major initiative. Town halls will be able to carry
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Vandals wreck trees
THE sickening trend of vandal attacks on schools continued this week as thugs felled more than 20 trees. Vandals used a saw to destroy a small wooded area in the grounds of Rosehill Junior School, Burnley. Staff discovered the weekend's wreckage when
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Fan-drastic action!
FRUSTRATED Blackpool fans called for manager Gary Megson's resignation following another lacklustre performance in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth at Bloomfield Road. Chants of "Megson Out" sounded around the ground as Pool could only manage a draw - their
