Archive
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'Best friend' driver was banned
THE ALLEGED driver of a car in which two young men were killed in the early hours of last Saturday had only been banned from driving 48 hours earlier, it was revealed on Monday. Craig Meadows, aged 20, of Oxford Road, Atherton, appeared before Bolton
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Your support invaluable
BECAUSE of your support we have been able to help thousands of children and adults in 10 different countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Albania and Romania. Our volunteers have been able to build a hospice/summer camp near the Black Sea in Odessa
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Traders team-up with new manager
TRADERS throughout Leigh will have the chance to meet the new Town Centre Manager at a special meeting next week. The meeting is at Leigh Liberal Club on Thursday night when shopkeepers and other local business owners will have the chance to chat to John
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Tourism: the great debate
BLACKPOOL council is cutting the town's lifeline by merging its tourism department, say business leaders. The tourism department is being promoted and will continue to be given top priority in Blackpool, say council leaders. The argument hinges on the
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Police to get heart resuscitators
LANCASHIRE Constabulary is set to become the first police force in the north to be equipped with heart resuscitators. Proposals are in place to provide the force with six heart defibrillators to be located at strategic points within the county. The machines
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New chain of charity shops for sanctuary
INSPIRED by its namesake, the Only Foals and Horses Sanctuary is branching out with a business sideline. In true Del Boy style, the Oswaldtwistle animal charity, off Haslingden Old Road, has decided to go into trading with a chain of bric-a-brac shops
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Thieves take caravan on tour!
A CASH reward is waiting for any Journal reader who can put a name to thieves who made off with a touring caravan from outside a Glazebury home at the weekend. The 1991 H-registered ABI Jubilee Courier four-berth caravan was taken between midnight on
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Eco cleaners set to tidy up river valley
THERE'S spring cleaning...and then there's proper spring cleaning, as environmentally friendly volunteers will tell yu as they continue the fight to clean up the Darwen River Valley. Volunteers are being urged to team up with members of the Darwen River
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Safe raves for youngsters
A PRESTON promoter is urging youngsters to go along to a drink and drug free rave - one of the first of its kind in the area. David Hyde, who runs Willy Banjo's record shop on Lowthian Street, Preston has got together with one of the town's top clubs,
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Crackdown cuts crime
A CRACKDOWN on burglars has cut break-ins by 60 per cent and resulted in around 20 arrests in a week. And the operation, which included raids on 40 addresses in one day, has also resulted in £10,000-worth of property being recovered. The crackdown in
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Panthers baseball from April 12
PRESTON PANTHERS U16s 14 - CARTMEL VALLEY LIONS 11 PANTHERS opened the new NW Pony League baseball season with a good win at Moor Park. Home pitcher Alex McDonald gave his side an 8-4 lead in four innings before handing over to Chris Addison who got two
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Crowning glory for carnival queen Michelle
HER ambition is to take to the skies but Michelle Kehoe is already on cloud nine. The 20-year-old sales assistant this week won the title of Accrington Carnival Queen and is busily preparing for a year of personal appearances. Michelle, of Spring Street
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Sigh and dry at pub with no water
THE pub with no beer is a landlord's worst nightmare. But a pub with no water is almost as bad. That's what landlord Colin Ruleman, of the Robin Hood Inn, Helmshore, discovered when workmen began renewing pipes near his pub in Holcombe Road. For almost
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Opencast track link-up
BICKERSHAW could soon be back on track on the coal field map. Coal mining specialists Rackwood Colliery Company Limited want to dig-on 46 hectares (113.6 acres) of land off Bickershaw Lane and reinstate the railway sidings. The company, currently opencasting
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Crash survivor told two friends dead
TWO ATHERTON men died and a third is fighting for his life after a late-night car crash. The Vauxhall Astra left the road and smashed into the wall close to the Atherton/Bolton border. It went out of control on Newbrook Road close to the junction with
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Baby joy dream come true for mum-to-be
LUPUS forced Sally Wilcock to retire at the tender age of 33. The disease is little heard of, yet worldwide it is more common than leukaemia, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis. Lupus is an auto-immune disease, or a type of self allergy, where
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Is our MP alive....?
...OR is he, like Deng Xiaoping, Brezhnev and TV's Mister Dead, simply being propped up until the election? He has not been seen since Michael Foot bought his duffle coat. He is simply biding time until he becomes Lord Do-Little of Wigan. To coin the
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Bamber Bridge match on April 12
Bamber Bridge 0 Runcorn 5 JUST two weeks ago Brig looked to have left the threat of relegation behind them, but Saturday's 5-0 drubbing by Runcorn not only served up Brig's heaviest loss of the year, but made it four consecutive defeats for David May's
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Lynx lead the way
LANCASHIRE LYNX 26 YORK WASPS 23 LANCASHIRE Lynx made club history last Friday night (April 11) as they moved into joint first position of the second division. Nearly ten minutes had elapsed before Lancashire made their first impression on their visitors
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Hoppers too hot for visitors
PRESTON GRASSHOPPERS 41 STOURBRIDGE 21 FOUR first tries effectively decided this match. Steve Kerry, playing at centre, regularly created the opportunities as the visitors struggled to come to terms with his weaving runs. Although Stourbridge opened the
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Our true identity
THE restoration of Rutland, the smallest county in England, at the beginning of this month, sees another part of the local government cock-up reversed. Most of the historic counties whose identities were spoiled at that time have now been restored, as
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Comedy club takes off
WHAT a transformation! Preston's new comedy club went down a storm at Glovers Cafe Bar following a faltering start a fortnight ago. Teething problems of dodgy microphones and noisy drinkers were banished as no less than five acts slickly delivered a relentless
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It's an ill wind...
FOOTBALL fanatic John King made sure his special mascot - a can of baked beans - had a front seat when he took a limo to Blackburn Rovers' match of the day. John's famous tin - which he takes to every home game - might have seen better days but loyally
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Prowling beast spotted again
THE "Beast of Ramsbottom" is still on the prowl! Two more witnesses have had close shaves with the creature which is striking fear into local residents. As reported in last week's Bury Times, there has been a spate of sightings since Good Friday. The
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Our true identity
THE restoration of Rutland, the smallest county in England, at the beginning of this month, sees another part of the local government cock-up reversed. Most of the historic counties whose identities were spoiled at that time have now been restored, as
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New sport for disabled
DISABLED people in Preston are warming up to take part in the first ever Boccia tournament - a new sport set to take the country by storm. The game pioneered by Preston Council's Sports Development Unit, is designed for disabled people and involves throwing
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Amputee prepares for canoe expedition
A FORMER paratrooper who lost his legs in an IRA bomb blast, was pampered by pensioners raising funds for an amazing expedition. Alistair Hodgson, from Leyland, Preston will battle through the Arctic wilderness in an incredible 370-mile canoe journey
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Busway is Forward to the Past!
WITH reference to 'potential Leigh busway and new Labour party pledges', in The Journal (April 3 ,1997). Who are the brainless halfwits who have concocted this stupid scheme? Are they the same mob who before the 1968 General Election opposed the Tory
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Intrepid Blackburn duo's trek for Alzheimer's sufferers
TACKLING a 24-kilometre walk over 3,000 feet of Welsh mountain is enough to dampen anyone's enthusiasm. But for one Blackburn duo it's a challenge to relish - and record on canvas. An unlikely combination of ex-Army physical training instructor Dave Bowman
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LETTER:18 years of hell
EIGHTEEN years of Tory rule says it all! Never in the channels of human conflict have so many people suffered for so long - true words indeed as the Tories live up to there reputation. Building new job centres without any jobs to go with them. Allowing
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Pensioner chokes after swallowing false teeth
HERO Barry Radcliffe saved a pensioner's life when she choked on her dinner and almost swallowed her false teeth. The 49-year-old hotel chef leapt into action when the woman began coughing as she tucked into her turkey. Mr Radcliffe dropped his mixing
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Radcliffe firm set a shining example
THE Sunshine State is certainly shining for Radcliffe firm Trumeter who have opened a new office in Florida - and seen exports treble. Managing director Mr Peter Weidenbaum shared the secrets of his success with colleagues from local businesses at a special
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Young trombonist wins regional title
A PRESTON musician didn't exactly blow his own trumpet when he won a major jazz competition - he was playing the trombone. Alistair White won the regional Young Jazz Musician of the Year title and now will play in the grand finals - where he could win
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LETTER:This could just change your life
MULTIPLE Sclerosis is one of the most arbitrary diseases known, but there is one "curse" which all sufferers have in common - the most extreme and indescribable fatigue. It is one of the most frustrating effects of the disease which really gets you down
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Heart transplant patient is fighting fit
EVERY day is a bonus to Margaret Barnes of Ashton Close, Preston who almost died six years ago when a virus attacked her heart. The 53-year-old mother-of-two suffered cardiomyopathy, and in a short space of time was reduced from an energetic home help
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Ribblesdale cricket league new season special
YOUNG skipper Daniel Cheesbrough believes that this is the year that Great Harwood lose their nearly-men tag and turn into a championship-winning team. The Cliffe Park side last lifted the title in 1900 but over recent years have proved they are the Ribblesdale
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PNE can't handle Posh power
PETERBOROUGH UNITED 2 PNE 0 THIS performance was totally unacceptable to anyone who has the interests of Preston North End at heart and, in particular, the travelling army of support which witnessed a 17th away defeat of the season. When you consider
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Paramedics chase Commonwealth Games contract
PARAMEDICS in East Lancashire could be hired by the Malaysian government to provide their expertise at next year's Commonwealth Games, it was revealed today. They are at the centre of a multi-million pound bid to supply an ambulance and paramedic service
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5 YEARS AGO: Tyre dump blazes
A HERD of cows escaped thick toxic fumes after 3,000 tyres were torched by an arsonist. The tyre dump was destroyed along with a 300-year-old oak tree at Salesbury Hall Farm, Salesbury. Firefighters and a farmer struggled with the blaze for almost three
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Extra cash to co-operate
DOCTORS at Bury and Rochdale's hospitals have been given a £250,000 incentive to work together. The cash indicates a move to combine services between the two towns to make the most of resources. It will be used to look at various medical specialties and
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Force to be proud of
THE file finally closed on the murder of East Lancashire accountant David Wilson with the jailing for life yesterday of two contract killers. It completes a case in which, at the end of five trials and four people being sent to prison for life, five years
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Answer's in own hands
IAN Parker makes a very interesting point regarding stress in life, work etc (Letters, April 12), but is it really the responsibility of the rest of the community to pay for the cure? Really, Ian, if life is serving you badly, it's really up to you to
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Shaw Cup in peril
THE Shaw Cup is in danger of being scrapped, writes DAVID HODGKINSON. Incredibly, Rugby League's oldest amateur knockout competition has attracted just TWO entries. And anxious officials are frantically looking around for the missing teams as tomorrow's
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Clean sweep for speedy Moreton
THERE was an impressive start to the 1997 season for Astley & Tyldesley Cycle Speedway. Racing in the Northern Senior Fours League, A & T pushed champs Stockport all the way with triple British champ Phil Moreton winning all his races. Final score
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Saints marching back to Knowsley Road
SAINTS are to break with tradition on the return from next month's Wembley Final and stage the popular homecoming at Knowsley Road rather than the town hall. Club and council officials have met with the police and health and safety staff and agreed that
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Euro con-men on prowl
CON men masquerading as business advisers are offering a chance of European Business Development Grants to cash-strapped local firms. Their latest attempted prey was on an office in Carr Road, Nelson, where election candidate Gordon Prentice was working
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Spot of bother for Rovers
UGLY scenes marred the end of Atherton LR's UniBond Division One clash with Droylsden. It followed a dramatic 3-3 draw - Rovers snatching a point with a last-minute penalty. A Droylsden defender handled and the referee pointed to the spot. But a player
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Double mugging ordeal for old folk
POLICE are searching for witnesses after two elderly women were mugged in separate incidents as they walked home from Clock Face Labour Club. In the first incident at about 10.40pm on Thursday, April 10, a 67-year-old woman was taking a shortcut home
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Gunning for the top with Leigh
JOHN GUNNING'S second homecoming could not have been better scripted had he penned it himself. Back at Hilton Park for a second stint, the stand-off stepped off the bench to transform a sluggish Leigh and mastermind their most comprehensive league victory
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Attack victim's first words after year in coma
A NEWTON-le-Willows man has spoken his first words a year after a brutal attack that left him in a coma for 12 months. Kevin Morris (38) was kicked unconscious as he walked through Earlestown in the early hours of March 10, 1996, and has remained in a
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ROVERS: 'I'd like to play for Hodgson again' - Chapuisat
STEPHANE Chapuisat today told of his dream to play in the English Premiership under Roy Hodgson, writes BRIAN DOOGAN. The 27-year-old Swiss centre forward, who played for Hodgson while he was coach of Switzerland, helped Borussia Dortmund into the Champions
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Leigh pass the B-Test
LEIGH are back on promotion course - following a double helping of Yorkshire pud! Keith Latham's battlers, bruised and battered following their Silk Cut sorrow, finally got the shock out of their system with a pair of b-b-b-belting wins. First came Bramley
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Health chief John signs off
THE man who has overseen the borough's health for the last two decades is stepping down. Dr John Hunt is retiring after a medical career culminating in 21 years as head of St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority. But far from sitting back and taking it
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£1m Millennium 'timebomb' for hospitals
THE COST of upgrading health computers as the clock counts down towards the Millennium could run to a staggering £1 million locally. St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority could face a massive financial headache as we head for the 21st century. Officials
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Who was the forgotten hero?
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD WHO was the heroic little St Helens soldier decorated for defusing a bomb which threatened to blow up St Paul's Cathedral during the London Blitz? This particular blast from the past is raised by my old chum Gus Atkins of Haresfinch
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A 'jet setters' day to cherish
I THANK all who attended the wonderful diamond jubilee celebration of the first run of Sir Frank Whittle's jet engine, held at the Stirk House Hotel, Gisburn on April 12. They made it a memorable day, bringing together those of us who worked on the first
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Grass fires warning
FARMERS and countryside visitors are being warned about the danger of grass fires, following the driest spring for 200 years. The National Farmers Union Mutual are urging day trippers to be extra careful in the tinder-dry conditions. Loss control manager
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Check out our poll in the 'key' marginals
THE battle for Bury is closer than the main opinion polls suggest - according to Timpson's key cutters. The company is offering customers a chance to put their voting intentions by fitting a colour-coded key cap to keys they are having cut. Conservative
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Bonnie and Clyde survive raid
BONNIE and Clyde are "buck" in Bury after being rabbit-napped. The two bunnies were stolen from hutches at the rear of Crabtree Street. Mother-of-three Mrs Cavelle Riley was upset by their disappearance but decided not to report the theft to police in
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Gallery in the frame for top award
MORE than a few brush strokes and a lick of paint were used when Richard and Penny Ellison carried out a refurbishment of their Howarth Gallery in St James Street, Burnley. The work put the town centre premises in the frame for the Mayor of Burnley's
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Laws of the land need a rethink
MY heart goes out to Patricia McBride and her husband. It is every parent's instinct to protect their offspring and guard them from danger and the McBrides know all too well how easy it is for that instinct to be impeded. When the couple and their precious
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How's this for starters?
THE development of women's cricket is to be given a major boost in the borough. For as well as plans to set up a team in Newton-le-Willows a beninners course is also starting. Women and girls (minimum age 12) who are interested in learning to play cricket
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Old site gets a new look
A MAJOR face-lift of one of Bury's earliest industrial sites gets the official seal of approval next month. The Mayor and Mayoress of Bury are to attend the official opening of the recently refurbished Burrs Activity Centre which includes a cafe, an indoor
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Sunlight put up the shutters
RAINHILL CC opened the new season with a draw at home to Port Sunlight. Captain Paul Ford won the toss and elected to bat on a firm, flat wicket in warm sunshine. Openers Peter Mercer and Paul Ford (Jnr) made a steady start with a 50 partnership in the
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LSH have the class
LiverpoolSt Helens 30 Wharfedale 25 LSH gained an important win on Saturday and a try count of five to three fairly reflected the difference between the sides. Wharfedale, like LSH, do not have an enormous pack of forwards, but they are mobile and possess
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Youths mug woman going to bingo
POLICE are hunting a teenage mugger who snatched a woman's handbag as she made her way to the Mecca bingo hall in Kirkland Street, St Helens, on Sunday, April 13. The woman, from Haydock, was walking along Burnell Close, off Peter Street at about 6.10pm
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Burglars make getaway in victim's car
CHEEKY burglars swapped their getaway car for the owner's own vehicle after breaking into a house in Rainford! The thieves struck at the house in Moss Nook Lane between 10.20am and 5.45pm on Monday, April 14. After smashing a rear kitchen window to get
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Questions for Cash
JOHN CASH is set for a double dash of drama. The busy actor is rehearsing two plays - for different companies. But he must also ask questions of himself as he remembers his lines for Dennis Potter's "Blue Remembered Hills", to be staged by Culcheth Players
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Saints pipped at the post
Leeds Rhinos 13 Saints 12 SO often the hero in epic team performances, skipper Bobbie Goulding was fated to experience both ecstasy and agony as Saints' eight-match unbeaten record ended at Headingley. For, after Saints had subjected the Rhinos' line
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That's fine for book worms
A WEEK-long fines amnesty for overdue library books is being offered to bibliophiles in the Leigh, Tyldesley and Atherton areas. It is part of a 'Fine Free Week' which will take place between April 21 and 25, and ties in with a World Book Day initiative
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Fresh hope
NEGATIVE reports about one-parent families and unemployed people living on housing estates angered Karen Martyniuk. So, to help redress the balance and rekindle community spirit, single mum Karen and other residents on the Clayton Brook housing estate
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Your link with the environment
BUSINESS Link St Helens is offering local businesses concerned with environmental issues the chance to attend a unique one-day conference on April 22. Five short presentations on issues such as Landfill Tax, packaging waste regulations, waste minimisation
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Saints scrape home
Saints 19 Salford Reds 12 SUPER League champions they may be, but slipshod Saints were scarcely worthy of that high-flying rating in this scrappy, untidy clash at Knowsley Road on Tuesday night. Faced with a Salford side hell-bent on containment after
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Gull piece a puzzler
IT was fascinating to read in Ron Freethy's column (LET, April 16) that he was able to deduce that a Lesser Black Backed Gull seen in Rishton Reservoir was probably migrating from Portugal to its breeding grounds at Walney Island. To be able to make such
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Best in North West
ANYONE who deserves to be considered for the title of the North West Woman of Achievement could win an award. It will go to a woman who, in the view of the judges, has gone that 'extra mile'. The panel is looking for a woman of spirit and integrity who
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Hunt for laughing sex attackers
A YOUNG woman escaped from a terrifying night-time attack in which two men tried to rip her clothes off. The 25-year-old fought off the attackers after they ambushed her on spare land near Leaver Street, Rose Grove, about 11pm on Saturday night. The woman
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Blitz spirit against blight
NEIGHBOURS on a housing estate are demanding an action blitz on abandoned ex-council houses which they say are blighting the area. The chairman of the Colne area committee, Councillor Tony Greaves now wants Pendle to take the empty houses under its wing
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Killer blow kills off Carnforth
Carnforth 11 Furness 44 ON a day more suited to lounging round the pool, Carnforth entertained league champions Furness. The game flowed at a frenetic pace from 22 to 22 with no side able to break each others armour plated defence. Carnforth fired the
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Prestige workers and creditors to get 32p in £
PRESTIGE creditors - including hundreds of sacked Burnley workers - can expect a 32p in the £ payout on the money owed them by the stricken company. A creditors' meeting heard the once-great housewares group had a deficiency of nearly £55 million after
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Vigilante villagers
VILLAGERS in Heysham have threatened to take the law into their own hands if the police fail to stop another traveller invasion. The threat of vigilante action was made at a Police & Community Forum on Tuesday, where angry villagers accused police
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Taste ofParis
A THEATRE group is bringing a taste of Paris to Burnley - in more ways than one. The Gilbert and Sullivan Society is toasting the success of its next show, Offenbach's The Parisian Life, with champagne sent from across the Channel. The French company
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Question time - get your answers from the political big guns
QUESTION Time comes to the Lancaster and Morecambe Citizen this week with a rare chance for our readers to quiz the big guns in the election battle - John Major, Tony Blair and Paddy Ashdown. With the General Election campaign in full flow we are offering
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Going green to save the world
A NATIONAL environment conference next week will put the spotlight on efforts by Burnley people to help save the planet and overcome poverty. Local schemes to create sustainable lifestyles will be highlighted as the best way to avoid environmental disaster
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Lights out forever!
THE end is nigh for Happy Mount Park illuminations the Citizen can exclusively reveal. Cash-strapped councillors have pulled the plug on the historic lights after it was rumoured they were not prepared to foot the £500,000 bill to bring them up to scratch
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Clarets heads' ache as team crashes
CLARETS boss Adrian Heath blamed his team's "mental attitude" for humiliating defeat in midweek - but then claimed promotion was still in their grasp. The boss said he was unhappy with every player in the 5-0 thrashing at Wycombe, which leaves Burnley
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Crossing point
A DRAMATIC pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Lune is set to be the main feature of the city's millennium celebrations. Six teams of architects from across the country have been invited to draw up detailed plans for a bridge which will follow
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Home sweet home!
Bury 1 Crewe 0 HOME-SWEET-HOME . . . there is nothing Bury's Bash Street Kids like better than duffing up the opposition at Gigg Lane. The Shakers are undisputed kings of their own backyard and even the arrival of Crewe's Quality Street gang, complete
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Deadlock
BLACKPOOL'S first goalless draw at Bloomfield Road since last August practically ended their play-off hopes on Tuesday night (April 15). With just four games left to play the Seasiders are six points adrift of sixth-placed Watford and in need of a miracle
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Do I not like to be beside the seaside!
Blackpool 2, Bury 0 IF a team is going to subject its fans to an end of season roller-coaster ride then Blackpool would seem to be the obvious place to start. Two thousand Bury followers, high on the adrenaline of being top of the league, saw their side
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Cameras to spy on late night thugs
TWO CCTV cameras are to be installed in Morecambe to keep an eye on late night revellers. Cameras will be installed later this year on the corner of the promenade and Albert Road and at the junction of Regent Road and Yorkshire Street. The closed circuit
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Seaside 'Tigers' on tee
FORGET Masters champion Tiger Woods - Blackpool's own golfing superstars have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to take part in a charity tournament. Every one of the players teeing off at the crazy golf tournament on Blackpool prom was blind or
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Over the moon - club plans get the green light
CLUB officials at Morecambe FC were 'over the moon' this week after their ambitious plans for a spectacular new stand was given the go-ahead by city planners. The new all seater stand will be built at the northern end of the ground with a public bar,
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Snodgrass - bit of a bobby dazzler!
POLICE horse Snodgrass is an animal who puts all others in the shade . . . Because, when the sun comes out, the stallion's sunglasses go on. And although Snodgrass is making a spectacle of himself, police insist he is not horsing around as he walks his
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Champions Bury-ed!
BLACKPOOL took all three points from their game with division leaders Bury in style on Saturday (April 12), adding a glimmer of hope to their own fading promotion chance. The Seasiders' fans must have been wondering what they were up against then their
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Blues run ragged
Knowlsey Utd 3 Lancaster City 1 DESPITE playing against 10 men throughout the entire second half Lancaster failed to take advantage in yet another poor performance on Saturday. Luckily, City have bagged enough points to ensure they are safe from the relegation
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School's out for Vicky
A FRUSTRATED mum is threatening to take her epileptic daughter out of school claiming they have become victims of empty promises by staff Maxine Atkinson, whose daughter Victoria, goes to Christ Church primary school, feels let down by teachers who she
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Stan full of praise for unsung Shakers
BURY boss Stan Ternent (pictured)looked down on the rest of Division Two, took a long drag on a calming cigarette and waxed lyrical about his players. "We often get overlooked when it comes to publicity but I know just how good these lads are," he proclaimed
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Streets ahead!
AT LAST the big day finally arrives this Sunday (April 20) when the Derian House charity street market opens in Blackpool. Lining the cobbles of the newly-renamed Magic of Coronation Street, next to South Pier, will be dozens of stalls as the venue opens
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Tony wants to stay
INSTANT hit Tony Battersby has expressed his desire to stay at Gigg Lane . . . whatever the outcome of the promotion battle. The 21-year-old striker has scored twice in five starts since his temporary move from Notts County and has impressed everyone
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Charity aces raise £17,000
AN ENTERPRISING Blackpool trio have topped the £17,000 mark in their fundraising efforts for a Fylde hospice. Hairdresser Carol Grant, together with her friend Kate Westhead and assistant Beryl Demmison, have been fundraising for the Trinity Hospice for
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Shrimps turn on the style
Kettering 0 Morecambe 2 AFTER three successive defeats Morecambe got back to winning ways on Saturday with a great victory over Kettering Town. Within minutes of the kick-off the Shrimps had missed a penalty and hit the woodwork and for while it looked
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Top-gear grab
RAIDERS stripped a designer clothes store in minutes, escaping with more than £45,000 worth of goods. Workshop on Clifton Street, Lytham, which has been open just ten weeks, is the site of the former Wild Child store which suffered two similar raids some
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The Man is set for resort!
IRISH music legend Van Morrison is pencilled in to headline this year's folklore fiesta on Morecambe prom. The Celtic Chords Festival will celebrate the music and myths of the Celtic people with the Irish rocker set to top the bill. Negotiations are still
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Gemma is on song
SUPERSTAR Gemma Craven is coming to Blackpool later this month with the hit Broadway musical 42nd Street. Gemma has been a household name since appearing alongside Richard Chamberlain in the Cinderella fantasy The Slipper and the Rose. Her extensive career
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PNE boss apologises
PRESTON North End boss Gary Peters has spoken out about his side's dismal away form this season and apologised to travelling fans for their wasted journeys. He said: "We're just not winning as many battles away from home as we win at home and it's not
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BSE dump shelved
PLANS to dump 45,000 tonnes of BSE infected meat at a site in Middleton have been shelved. Residents were outraged this week at a Government scheme to house 2,000 wagon loads of meat and bonemeal at the former ICI fertiliser store. But there are fears
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Royal secrets of gipsy life
GIPSIES have always been considered mystical characters veiled in a web of romance and passion. Now an unique pictorial record of the lives of Romany gipsies in Britain has just been completed by Blackpool photographer Robert McDougall. The lives of gipsies
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South Ribble Labour factfile
Full Name: David Stanley Borrow D.o.B.: 2/8/52 Birthplace: Huddersfield Home: Garstang Road, Preston Marital Status: Single Education: Mirfield Grammar School and Coventry University Career: Clerk to Merseyside Valuation Tribunal Political Background:
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Passport to health
IF you want to get fit but haven't got the money to spend on luxury gyms, then fear not because Hyndburn Borough Council has your passport to health. Local people - who are in receipt of benefit - can now apply for a Hyndburn Leisure Passport which will
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Biker killed in holiday crash
THE loving partner of a courier who was killed while riding his 'dream machine' revealed he wouldn't have wanted to go any other way. Gentle giant David Thomas, 42, died instantly when his beloved Triumph Tiger crashed head-on with a car as he headed
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School time swap fears
SHORTER breaks should cut schoolyard problems and improve sport at a Leigh junior school. But worried parents fear alterations to Leigh CE Juniors' timetable could prove chaotic for those who have to collect children from other schools. An autumn switch
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The medicine man
DARWENER Peter Yates has returned home for the first time in 25 years with an Eastern promise - to spread the word of the healing powers of Oriental medicine. Globetrotting Peter has been studying and teaching the ancient art in Australia, Japan and China
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Spicey menu!
IF anything was destined to add a bit of spice to the menu at Ronato's restaurant in Culcheth it was the hot gossip that the tasty Spice Girls were in town! For after a group of flamboyantly dressed girls and escorts turned up at the restaurant in Common
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South Ribble Conservative factfile
Full Name: Robert Atkins. D.o.B.: 05/02/1946. Birthplace: Hampstead, London. Home: Garstang. Marital Status: Married with two children. Education: Highgate School, North London. Career: Insurance Broker, then with IBM and Rank Xerox. Political Background
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Local college top of the form
ACCRINGTON and Rossendale College are hailing the past few months as one of their most successful periods ever. Exam results are the best in Lancashire and an inspectors report has placed them in the top six per cent of the country's 222 further education
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Bank man's kidnapper is jailed
A LEIGH man who kidnapped a bank manager at knife point - because he wanted a lift home - has been jailed for four years. Andrew Horrocks was high on drink and drugs, he went the wrong way on the M6 motorway, heading for Birmingham instead of Wigan. And
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PNE profits
PRESTON North End may not be performing wonders on the football pitch - but off the field business is booming. Latest results reveal a half-yearly profit of £21,000 for PNE plc - keeping the club in the black - despite spending over £1 million on new
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CLARETS: Gleghorn is on comeback trail
BURNLEY skipper Nigel Gleghorn hits the comeback trail tonight, more than two months since a knee injury counted him out of the Second Division promotion race, writes PETER WHITE. The midfielder, who suffered ligament damage in a collision during the
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South Ribble Lib Dem candidate factfile
Full Name: Timothy James Farron. D.o.B.: 27/05/1970. Birthplace: Preston. Home: Preston Road, Leyland. Marital Status: Single. Education: Lostock Hall High School; Runshaw College; Newcastle University. Career: Special Needs and Mature Students' Officer
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Is this party policy?
I NOTE that our Liberal Democrat candidate claims the Wesley Guild campaign is in line with his party's policies on the environment. Does this mean he supports their practice of advertising by fly posting, which is both unsightly and an invasion of others
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Kev Seed's column
*You've got to laugh, haven't you? What about the naked man who robbed a bank in Miami and was caught by the police. I would have loved to have seen his face when they shouted "Stick 'em up". Isn't it a good job they didn't have an identity parade! *I
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Police crackdown on unsafe lorries
HAULAGE bosses are putting lives in danger by sending their drivers out in unsafe trucks. The accusation was made after a police crackdown on unroadworthy lorries using Lancashire's roads. They swooped last Wednesday (April 9) - pulling over 121 lorries
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Long live our 'wakes'
MAY I add a word of support for Tyldesley Wakes. There's always someone ready to spoil a bit of pleasure for others. It's only on a few days, surely they can manage that. And before anyone writes in and says you don't know what it's like, well I do. Years
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Young rollerbladers need rink
FED-UP rollerbladers forever in trouble for skating on the streets have come up with a cool idea to build a special rink. The skating-mad squad - known as The Ducks - have nowhere else to play rollerblade hockey other than on the roads of Lea in Ashton
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Ladies' football team reunites
A SOCCER-mad pensioner will be pulling on her jersey and boots for a reunion match - EIGHTY years after the team's first game! Frances Appleby will be teaming up with the world champion Dick Kerr's ladies football team for a friendly game in the Lancashire
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Non-league soccer
A SELECTION headache is Tony Greenwood's problem for Tuesday night's ATS Cup final with Southport at Deepdale. Skipper Jez Baldwin is out through suspension while Les Thompson and Stuart Gelling are cup-tied. With Darren Quick and Neil Edmonds injured
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Ram raiders strike in different raids
STRONG-arm raiders smashed their way into a town centre building society using sledgehammers. The thieves drove up to the Halifax Building Society in Market Street at 10.30pm on Tuesday (April 15) night. After battering their way into the premises, they
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Opera fan becomes tenorgram
PAVAROTTI is bursting out on the Preston party scene! Wacky David Slater is tearing a strip off saucy strip-a-grams - with his singing TENORgram! The opera nut hit on the idea after dressing up as the three tenors star at a fancy dress party. He said:
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Hotel mix-up leaves guests in lurch
BIG hearted hotel bosses came to the rescue of distraught bride Jane Simpson when 40 of her wedding guests were left in the lurch! Relatives and friends from all over the country were let down when she was told just two weeks before the ceremony a guest
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Sumberg joins ranks of Tory Euro rebels
DAVID Sumberg is in the middle of the row over Europe that this week threatened to split the Tory Party. Mr Sumberg has been named as one of the Euro-rebels who opposes a single European currency in the week the Prime Minister recorded an eleventh-hour
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Drugs and growing equipment seized
DRUGS with a street value of £2,000 were seized when police smashed their way into a town centre house after a tip-off. Police raided the house at Old Mill Stones, off Fishergate Hill, Preston on Monday (April 14) and impounded more than 100 cannabis
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Painting is disturbing
WITH reference to the most irreverent painting likening Eric Cantona to Christ, I am left wondering how far down the road to idolatry football has gone. The remarks of manager Alex Ferguson, though, are the most disturbing. "It's a fantastic painting,
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Tough tackling can't beat fatigue
ROYTON TIGERS 40 WARRIORS U8s 30 WARRIORS U8s produced top class tackling to lead 12-6 at half-time. In the second half with a few injuries and no reserve to help out the game began to slip away from them. With seven tries on both sides this was an evenly
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Gallipoli: VCs go on show at museum
ON April 25, 1915, one of the First World War's bloodiest battles took place. The morning assault was carried out by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, the French Corps Expeditionaire D'Orient and the 1st Battalion XXth, the Lancashire Fusiliers
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Policemen send aid to Bosnia
A BRAVE bobby is giving up booking lorries ... to drive a truckload of beans to Romania! Mick Harrison, a HGV Enforcement Officer based at Lancashire Police's Hutton headquarters, is leading the 14-strong police team on a two week mercy mission to the
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Parkes urges fans not to panic
TONY Parkes has urged fans not to panic as they may have to wait a little longer to see Rovers pull away from the relegation trap door. With the prospect of coming away from Saturday's trip to title contenders Arsenal empty handed, Parkes is looking further
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Police plea in hunt for rapist
POLICE have launched a second appeal in a bid to catch a vicious rapist who attacked a 15-year-old school girl. The fiend struck as the teenager approached the subway at Pyramid Park in Bury, between 5.40pm and 5.55pm on March 12. The girl had been in
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Angry Tory brands council 'Old Labour'
JOBLESS people have been give a slap in the face by "Old Labour" Bury councillors. Alistair Burt is furious that town hall bosses are boycotting his Government's Project Work scheme. The controversial policy has been described by its opponents as slave
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Bank calls in administrators to award winning firm
ADMINISTRATORS have been called in at Bury's multi-award-winning Nationwide Telephone Company. The Midland Bank called for administrative receivers to be brought in, and Mr Michael Horrocks, a partner with Coopers and Lybrand in Manchester, was appointed
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Pub's bowling hut gets green vote
VILLAGE voters will place their crosses next week...in a pub's bowling green hut! The hut at the Railway Hotel, Pleasington, is usually a store for lawn mowers and bowling woods, but it will be converted into a polling station in time for next Thursday
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Hospital bedtime blues
OLD people have been stuck on hospital wards for the equivalent of seven years waiting for a nursing home place. So says Tory group leader David Higgin, who accused Labour of mismanagement which has condemned vulnerable people to a life on the wards.
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10 YEARS AGO: Millionaire sells out
MILLIONAIRE Lancashire businessman Owen Oyston sold his 96 branch estate agency chain to Royal Insurance. The chain, founded by the former TV and stage actor Mr Oyston 26 years earlier, was sold for an undisclosed sum. County transport chiefs and Ribble
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CRICKET: Search on for subs!
RISHTON have signed young Lancashire all-rounder Darren Shadford as substitute professional for Saturday's game at Colne. And Read pro Shahid Nawaz will deputise against Ramsbottom on Sunday. The champions' new professional Meryck Pringle, along with
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School's basket bonanza
THE Year-9 basketball youngsters of Hesketh Fletcher are champions of Wigan Schools. There was no one to touch them as, led by skipper John Blakemore, they romped away with the title at Hawkley Hall. Heats earlier in the year had seen the Atherton school
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Grand stuff from Blakeley
FORMER Leigh Rangers star Steve Blakeley is making his mark in the Super League. The stand-off passed the 1,000 points mark for Salford with four goals and a try in the 17-16 defeat of Sheffield. His 1,005 points come from 46 tries and 413 goals, including
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Care should begin at home
THAT another country might want to buy the skills of Lancashire's ambulance paramedics says a lot for their expertise. But there is another side to the Lancashire Ambulance NHS Trust being part of a consortium in the running to provide cover at next year's
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Sex line hang-up
YET another case arises of someone getting a bumper phone bill for calls to international sex chatline numbers which they say they have never made. This time, a Darwen women pensioner claims she is a victim of a phantom phoner. BT insists the calls must
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Otter stolen
A HUGE stone otter which has graced the archway to Marsden Park, Nelson, for more than 150 years has been stolen. The otter, worth £1,000, was perched above the Walton Lane entrance to the courtyard at Marsden Hall. It vanished over the weekend. Parks
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Gibbo jets into Hilton Park
STEVE GIBSON has finally arrived at Hilton Park - five months later than he had anticipated. But it's Gibson the player not Gibson the coach who made his Leigh bow last week. The dashing Aussie full-back, who was pipped to the Hilton Park coaching role
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Ice-cool hero saves woman
A HEROIC Colne soldier braved icy waters in the dead of night to rescue a young woman from drowning. Lance Corporal Michael Bowen, serving in Northern Ireland, dived into Belfast Lough and dragged the woman to safety. The rescue happened off the east
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House move horror makes a TV drama
FLITTING from East Lancashire to Scotland with three dogs, three cats, a goldfish, and towing a boat, was a nightmare for line dancing duo Mike and Ann Kenyon. But their breakdown disaster was a dream drama for a TV cameraman shadowing the couple for
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Shaw shoots to top
CHRIS SHAW shot Leigh RMI to the top of Unibond Division One. But he left it late. His 27th strike of the season came five minutes from time, leaving Curzon Ashton on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline. The goal also spared the blushes of boss Steve Waywell
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'Come and join us' plea
MEMBERS of the local branch of a national animal charity are on the lookout for more volunteers to help them establish a permanent base in St Helens. The Cats Protection League celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, and although the St Helens and
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Damages row over Turf Moor stand
BURNLEY Football Club is being taken to court by the contractors who carried out work on the multi-million pound redevelopment of Turf Moor. Linpave Holdings Limited are challenging damages of tens of thousands of pounds levied on them for allegedly not
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Parent partners in better education
A UNIQUE education scheme involving a partnership between children and their parents is to be officially launched on Monday, April 21 in Newton-le-Willows library, where it will be based. Retiring St Helens North MP John Evans is to open the information
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Injury shaker rocks ragged Leigh
INJURIES to five key players left Leigh RU in disarray as they crashed 41-7 at Ashton on Mersey. By the break they were 27-0 down, extended to 41-7 at the finish. Leigh's only reward for much effort came from a Dave Bullough try, converted by Mark Hudspith
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Girlie ghost and a glass coffin
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD THINGS macabre and tales from 'the other side' obviously fascinate reader N. Smith who chimes in this week with some weird and wonderful recollections. He claims a ghost sighting in St Helens, wonders what happened to a glass coffin
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Pit-grimed battling legend Mick
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD WHENEVER old pugs gather to reminisce, one name is bound to break through the surface of boxing memories - that of Mick Gordon, the battling collier of Sutton who took on all-comers, from fairground-booth bruisers to pedigree champions
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CRICKET: Tail-end heroics after Lloyd smashes 78-ball ton
LANCASHIRE captain Mike Watkinson today praised Glen Chapple and Peter Martin for their last wicket heroics - and told them: "Now the real job starts." Chapple and Martin destroyed Durham with an unbroken partnership of 134 in 19 overs, the highest ever
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Caring pupils dig deep to help needy in Romania
IT'S been a case of children helping children, with Whitefield pupils digging deep into their pockets, cupboards and wardrobes. Over six weeks youngsters at Elms Bank High School in Ripon Avenue have been collecting a wide range of medical, edible and
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Nominations close for May 1's big vote
NOMINATIONS for the General Election closed at 4pm on Wednesday with no last-minute surprises. Each Bury constituency will see a four-way fight between Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Referendum Party candidates. The full list is as follows
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Head is dismissed after hearing
DAVID West, headteacher of Sutton Manor County Primary School has been sacked after failing to appear at a disciplinary hearing called by the Governors following an investigation into alleged misuse of resources and an audit of school accounts by St Helens
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Helen bids for European glory
A ST HELENS swimmer is steering a course to the European Champions. Helen Don-Duncan was one of three St Helens Swim Scheme members in action at the European swimming trials in Sheffield at the weekend. Helen, the junior European 200 metre backstroke
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Bury in ITV 500 debate
THE eyes of the nation will be on Bury on Monday, April 21, when the ITV 500 live TV debate will be broadcast from the town. A hand-picked audience of 125 people, chosen by pollsters MORI, will quiz top politicians on education. Secretary of State Gillian
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Little teasers for town experts
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD HERE are a couple of additions to our regular 'yedscratter corner' which seems to be such a big hit among regular customers of this column. They're both geographical teasers: Reader Roy Harrison ventures: "There is still an air-raid
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Hospital pledge man is fined
ST HELENS Council has successfully prosecuted a man who was conducting an illegal house-to-house collection throughout the area last autumn. The man, who operates a second-hand goods shop in the Bolton area, invited residents to put unwanted household
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Lip severed in noisy neighbour feud
A NOISY neighbour feud led to a scuffle in a Bury town centre pub toilet in which a man's lip was severed. A specialist surgeon had to sew the lip back on, magistrates were told in a one-day trial at Rochdale. David Paul Barton (32), of Doctors Lane,
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It's the big drive on golf
ST HELENS Council is doing its bit'for PGA National Golf Week (April 21 to 27) by providing bargain-price golf at its Sherdley Park golf driving range. There will be a range of special introductory offers and promotions, and resident golf professional
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Ethel reaches for the sky - on her 100th birthday!
A HIGH-flying pensioner has fulfilled her lifelong dream by taking to the air . . . on her 100th birthday! Helicopters had not even been invented when Miss Ethel Roos was born in Prestwich a century ago. But all her life she has harboured an ambition
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P&O becalmed . . .
PRESCOT and Odyssey CC's 1997 season kicked off with a visit to perennial high-flyers Caldy. Having won the toss, P&O skipper Tony Bonnor asked Caldy to bat but must have soon regretted the decision. Despite a nasty bounce in the first over from Ian
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Vandals tear up 9th green
TEENAGE vandals are costing a local golf club thousands of pounds. Youths have struck again at Stand Golf Club, which borders Radcliffe and Whitefield, damaging the ninth green. Since September directors at the club estimate the damage has cost them somewhere
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Town lack punch
St Helens Town 0 Newcastle Town 1 ON paper this looks a predictable result as mid table St Helens took on aspiring champions Newcastle. But the match facts tell a different story. For had Town not been impotent up front, Newcastle could have been made
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Christine pays cost of growing crime
AN angry businesswoman says thieves are forcing her to 'shut up shop' after seven years' successful trading. Christine McMullen, has run 'Sow and Grow' on Liverpool Road, Haydock, since 1990, but in recent weeks, she has had plants and flowers valued
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Saints look for pressure points
SECOND-PLACED Saints will be seeking to maintain the pressure on leaders Bradford Bulls when Warrington Wolves come to Knowsley Road on Sunday, kick-off 3pm. Warrington are experiencing a revival after a disastrous start to the season, which resulted
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Anyone shed light on old carnival?
ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD CAN anyone shed some light on the old Derbyshire Hill carnivals which, in decades past, were annual social highpoints in that corner of the Parr district? Seeking out the information is Paul Andrew Jennion of Greenbank who is putting
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Firms go for a top prize
LEIGH firms are gearing themselves up for the annual fight to gain recognition among their peers as this year's Wigan and Leigh Business Awards event gets under way. The winners of the awards will be presented at a special dinner on May 16 by sports presenter
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Denis Whittle talks Rugby League with Shaun McRae
THE result at Leeds was disappointing, but hopefully a mere blip from which Saints will quickly bounce back. And I do not question my players' commitment said Shaun McRae before Tuesday night's game with Salford. WHITTLE: A pity someone had to lose such
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Royal visit
PRINCE Andrew will be the guest of honour at a charity dinner to celebrate the acquisition of Lytham Hall by the town's trust. It will be the Duke of York's third visit to the resort since attending the British Open Gold Championship at Royal Lytham and
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Ace Andy motors to success
ANDY Middlehurst, St Helens Nissan dealer scored two victories at Silverstone's new International circuit on Saturday and Sunday, in the new Middlehurst Motorsport/NME run Primera GT. Andy was second on the grid for the first race, just over a 10th of
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Best chart sellers in Burnley
Top 5 singles 1 U2: Staring At The Sun 2 Robbie Williams: Old Before I Die 3 R Kelly: I Believe I Can Fly 4 Lightning Seeds: You Showed Me 5 DJ Quicksilver: Bellissima Top 5 albums 1 Cast: Mother Nature Calls 2 Depeche Mode: Ultra 3 Chemical Brothers:
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It's a gas for youngsters
YOUNGSTERS from Sutton Community High School got a taste of the world of work when they tackled a new computer role-play designed by British Gas. Pupils from the school in Elton Head Road, were among the first in the country to 'test-drive' the new CD
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Woman is first full-time hospital chaplain
Vicar Susan Turner has been inducted as the first full-time chaplain for local hospitals. She was welcomed by the Bishop of Blackburn, the Very Rev Allan Chesters and by hospital trust chairman Brian Foster. Mrs Turner is based at Burnley General and
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Cash aid for OAPs healthy eating club
THE Pakistan Welfare Association in Nelson has been given £5,000 from Help the Aged towards its work to encourage elderly people to eat healthily. The cash will be used to convert the upper floors of its new premises in Scotland Road into a lunch club
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You're just purr-fect!
KIND-HEARTED Citizen readers have inundated a Lancaster cat owner with offers of help after her pet was almost kicked to death by thugs. Three weeks ago the Citizen revealed how Mrs Doreen Mooney's two-year-old cat, Midge, had his back leg amputated after
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They would for the trees
KEITH Wilson and Richard Jones are the men who will create Burnley's Millennium Forest by overseeing the planting of a million new trees. The £3.5 million, lottery-funded project aims to double the size of the borough's woodland by the year 2001. Keith
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ROVERS: Stewart steals the show in shoot-out
Rovers Youth 1 Everton Youth 1 (aet) Rovers win 3-0 on pens GOALKEEPER Gareth Stewart has often had to settle for being part of the supporting cast, as Rovers' young attacking stars have spearheaded their tremendous cup exploits this season,writes PETER
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Hetty's latest case: A mystery banger!
CHOPS and changes in layout turned a butcher's shop into a banger business fit for the super sleuth series Hetty Wainthropp. The BBC television crew selected Paintin's Butcher's in Whalley Road, Accrington, as their next point of call for filming the
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Taxi service for pets
POORLY pets on the Fylde are being offered their own ambulance service. The Pet to your Vet service is aimed mainly at the elderly or disabled who find it difficult to get to their local clinic and offers to ferry customers to the Woodlands veterinary
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Tracey takes on 'boks
IT'S not just the British Lions who are searching for sporting glory in South Africa this season, for a dozen English Lionesses will be out there, too. And amongst the twelve will be Bury's Tracey Neville who, at the age of 20, has been selected for the
