Archive
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Events in East/Central Lancashire on Thursday, May 4th
Blackburn Drama Club present "Shakers," College Theatre, Blackburn, 7.30pm. Civil Service Retirement Fellowship, Feilden Room, Blackburn Central Library, 2pm. Speaker: Keith Harwood "Relexology. "Spot's Birthday Party," Charter Theatre, Preston, 10am
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Search for relative
I AM trying to trace a relative, James Donald Durkin, who was born on February 11, 1923. His parents, Francis and Mary, lived at 42 Robinson Street, Burnley. He had a brother called Frank, who I know is now deceased. Frank had a son, Geoffrey, who, I
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Sticklers for duty
A WOMAN walking her dog in a country park in Devon, takes home a stick her dog has been playing with during their walk. But she is spotted by the park ranger, her vehicle's registration is taken and within a short time the police are at her husband's
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No doubt about village green
I AM amazed that some folk actually claim that the plot of land situated near Irwell Vale Methodist Chapel has not always been a village green. Being a village resident for many years, I can state such information is far from the truth. Annual galas took
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Chaos as wagon blocks road
A BUSY road was blocked for five hours causing traffic chaos after a skip wagon containing tons of rubbish overturned, demolishing a garden wall. A motorcyclist travelling down Todmorden Road, Burnley, was forced on to the pavement to avoid the falling
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Nightmare of lost cousins
TWO families today spoke of "every parent's worst nightmare" after a couple of young cousins sparked a major search when they vanished on Darwen Moors. And the mystery Good Samaritans who led the children to safety were today being sought so they could
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Carsley says sorry to fans
BLACKBURN Rovers skipper Lee Carsley today apologised to supporters for his sending off against Crystal Palace at the weekend. The midfield hard-man was red carded in the 67th minute after lashing out at Palace midfielder Stephen Thomson. His dismissal
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Trades union banner display
HISTORIC banners are being used to help publicise the modern trades union movement in a display in the foyer at Burnley Thompson Leisure Centre. The exhibition which was held on two days last week and again yesterday and today has attracted a great deal
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Kiddies keep May Day tradition alive
OLD traditions were re-lived in Burnley when children from Christ the King Primary School danced around the maypole at the Weavers' Triangle Visitor Centre. The girls performed traditional maypole dances while the boys pretended to be dancing bears --
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Police racial attack witness appeal
THREE young men were beaten and one had his arm broken after they were chased and assaulted by a mob of 40 men in what Burnley police say was a racially motivated attack. A number of the gang who carried out the attack were said to be skinheads. The incident
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Chaos as wagon blocks road
A BUSY road was blocked for five hours causing traffic chaos after a skip wagon containing tons of rubbish overturned, demolishing a garden wall. A motorcyclist travelling down Todmorden Road, Burnley, was forced on to the pavement to avoid the falling
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Nose broken in 'cowardly' attack
A BRIDEGROOM-to-be suffered smashed bones in his neck and a broken nose after a "cowardly and unprovoked" attack in a Burnley pub, a jury was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how John Barker was kicked from behind and headbutted by John McRandle, 39, who
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Banned driver escapes jail term
A BANNED driver who got behind the wheel escaped custody -- and magistrates told him that prison would have had a "dire" effect on him and his employment. The Burnley bench had heard how Darren Lea Johnson, 30, was spotted by police driving a vehicle
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Riddle as landlord quits village pub
MYSTERY surrounds the future of one of Pendle's longest-serving landlords after bailiffs stripped furniture and kitchen equipment from the village pub he had been running. The doors of the Emmott Arms, Laneshawbridge, are expected to remain locked for
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Civic duo stride out
MAYOR of Hyndburn Councillor Bernard Dawson and Mayoress Frances Molloy are pictured (front, centre), studying their map before taking part in a sponsored walk around Accrington Coppice. The walkers set off from the Peel Park Hotel, Turkey Street, Accrington
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Jim and Emma kept apart by red tape
INTERNATIONAL red tape is keeping octogenarian newly-weds Jim and Emma Russell (pictured) from starting a new life together in America. Emma was 86 when she was married for the first time at Accrington Register Officer in January to former American golf
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Killing charge decision
MANSLAUGHTER charges will not be brought against representatives of two East Lancashire companies following the death of a young labourer who was unlawfully killed at a Hyndburn factory. But it is understood that the decision will clear the way for charges
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Boss returns with new bike
A BUSINESSMAN from the Ribble Valley rode away from a conference with a new bike. Nick Reeves, a management accountant at Preston-based AF plc, pedalled away from a Business Travelwise conference with a new mountain bike. He said: "AF plc is a manufacturing
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MP's fury over demonstrators' 'mindless violence'
RIBBLE Valley MP Nigel Evans has condemned the "mindless violence" and "anarchy" perpetrated by anti-capitalist demonstrators in London. More than 3,000 protesters turned the streets of Westminster into a battlefield, vandalising statues, smashing windows
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Rovers skipper says sorry to fans
BLACKBURN Rovers skipper Lee Carsley today apologised to supporters for his sending off against Crystal Palace at the weekend. The midfield hard-man was red carded in the 67th minute after lashing out at Palace midfielder Stephen Thomson. His dismissal
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Rovers help in goal for young
BLACKBURN Rovers are adding their support to a project to help young poeple. The club is taking part in the Prince's Trust mentoring project which is aimed at 16 to 18-year-olds, many of whom are young offenders. Club secretary Tom Finn is one of the
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Caring eight get award
A GROUP of childcare assistants are celebrating after chalking up an award. The eight, who all work at nurseries and primary schools in Nelson, Colne and Reedley, have achieved level three NVQs in Early Years Care and Education. The course, funded through
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Sharp decline in export orders
EXPORTERS in the North West took another pounding from the high value of sterling last month, according to figures released today. The monthly survey of manufacturing industry -- which employs tens of thousands in East Lancashire -- by the Chartered Institute
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£5,000 shelter for teenagers
A PURPOSE built 'teenage village' shelter has been erected in a bid to cut complaints about juvenile nuisance in a troubled Darwen community. The £5,000 facility at the rear of Turncroft Nursery has been designed to provide a safe place for up to 15 young
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Walkies for charity
A DOZEN dogs were treated to a sponsored two-and-a-half-mile walk in Rossendale (see picture). The event, along a bridleway from Marl Pits, Rawtenstall, raised £148 for Pets As Therapy, an organisation which helps fund hospital treatment for animals.
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Nearly new designer line-up
STAFF and volunteers from the Help the Aged will grace the catwalk in Haslingden tomorrow. Designer labels and well-known high street names will be among the nearly new clothing featured in the show, which will be held at Help the Aged, 25 Deardengate
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Generation fame of youth leader
WHEN youth leader Margaret Smith (pictured) retires at the end of this month it will be the end of a remarkable double, unlikely to be repeated in any other part of the Lancashire youth service. For Mrs Smith and her husband, John, have clocked up an
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Farm folk tell of their woes
FARMERS from Chorley met with agriculture minister Nick Brown to tell him about the burden of red tape and financial pressure they face. They were joined by farmers from Bolton and south west Lancashire to discuss a range of key issues with the minister
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Health trust praised
A HEALTH trust has been praised for the way it organises its services. Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care NHS Trust has achieved re-accreditation from the Health Quality Service Organisational Audit Standards. The accreditation programme
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Sensitive rival supporters
OOCH - Mr C Pritchard! (Sport letters, April 26). I had forgotten what a sensitive bunch you Burnley fans are -- it's been such a long time since we played you. Must be all that vinegar you put on your tripe to make it palatable that makes you so sour
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Missing woman investigation brings French police to UK
FRENCH police stepped up their investigation into the disappearance of a former Darwen woman by sending officers to Britain. The team were assisted by Lancashire police as they toured East Lancashire gathering information about 53-year-old Evelyn Lund
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Fears of soccer thugs forces pubs to close
AN East Lancashire landlord whose pub was trashed by football hooligans less than six months ago today announced he was closing for Sunday's crunch tie between Blackburn and Manchester City and said: "God help us if City lose." Trevor Hannon, of Blackburn's
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Rovers need a change of tack
IT'S brilliant to see Rovers at last showing some inventiveness when taking corner kicks. This suggests some good work and thinking on the training ground. About time. If we are to get promotion next season then a lot more thinking has to be done. Like
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Flowers got it all wrong about title
AFTER reading Bramwell Speaks Out (LET, April 27), I found myself nodding to the way you summed the situation up about smaller clubs having a chance at the elusive Premiership crown and had to totally disagree with comments made from Tim Flowers. He left
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CRICKET: Great Harwood sweat over Indian's arrival
GREAT Harwood were today awaiting the arrival of professional Ashu Dani -- or facing the prospect of finding another paid man. Dani was due to fly into Manchester and make his first appearance at the Cliffe Park club tonight. Harwood were still hopeful
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CRICKET: Bhave rubbishes fix claims
SETTLE run-machine Surendra Bhave has jumped to the defence of fellow Indian professional Ajay Sharma in the wake of fresh allegations regarding match-fixing. The new Padiham professional Sharma has admitted strong links with former Indian captain Mohammed
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'Shove off' stance won't win votes
IN SOME ways, it is a pity that tomorrow's council elections will reflect voters' concerns on national issues -- in particular, their anger at the government's dismissal of their worries on crime, asylum seekers and gay propaganda -- when it would be
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Blunt's bullets
THE Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine, has ordered an inquiry into why road rage killer and notorious villain Kenneth Noye got £250,000-worth of legal aid for his recent trial for murder. It was no secret that this thug had made crime pay so handsomely he
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No justification for selfish strike
HERE we go again -- teachers threatening another strike. For hard on the heels of the strike ballot forced by Left-wing activists on the National Union of Teachers over the issue of pay being linked to pupils' exam results, the supposedly more moderate
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Ofsted is not there to spare blushes
THE blistering attack by an East Lancashire head teacher today on the Oftsed school inspection system may seem all the more credible because it comes just as his school receives a glowing report from the standards watchdog. But despite some validity in
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Election is your chance to make them listen
THE LEADER of Blackburn with Darwen council has said publicly that he has no faith in petitions, even those signed by 1,000 people. A telephone poll run by this newspaper was derided by his group as unrepresentative -- even though the vote went 331 to
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The gold standard
Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy A DRIVE of around one-and-a-half hours from East Lancashire takes us into the heart of the Lake District. And perhaps it gives us a glimpse of the benefits to be gained from ridding out area of industrial pollution. The
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Whose dad is fittest of all?
THE search is on to find East Lancashire's fittest dad. Any dad who is into fitness in a big way then he could be crowned as the UK's Fittest Dad and his family could win vouchers for a weekend break. William Jackson Bakery wants youngsters to tell them
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'Get tough' call
THE vandalism in schools makes me angry and sad. Bring back the birch. These idiots need a good hiding. I cannot understand their mentality. C BARTON (Mrs), Aberdeen Drive, Blackburn.
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Invitation to all ranks
I AM trying to trace ex-members of No 11 Fighter Squadron for an all-ranks reunion. I would especially like to get in touch with anyone who served on the Squadron at RAF Leuchars and RAF Binbrook. IAN COATES, 19 Langridge Crescent, Berwick Hills, Middlesbrough
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Gopeds no go
I WAS surprised to read (LET, April 26) that two teenagers were upset because they were unable to obtain insurance for their gopeds (motorised foot cycles). Why don't they ride on the pavement? -- like the one who nearly bowled me over, hurtling up the
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School grants: area ignored
REGARDING grants for new buildings and upgrading the schools in East Lancashire (LET, April 12). As reported, this £5 million is in accordance with the Government's 'new deal for schools' plan. But the people living in Pendle are really disappointed that
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Blunt wide of mark
I REGULARLY read, and enjoy, the John Blunt column in your paper. It would be true to say that a lot of what he writes about strikes a chord with what a lot of people think about certain issues of the day, but, with that in mind, he surely has a duty
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Ewood tribute to Peter White
BLACKBURN Rovers are to wear black armbands for their game against Manchester City as a mark of respect for Peter White. The Ewood board considered holding a minute's silence before the game, which starts at 1.30pm on Sunday. But, in view of the highly-charged
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Tigger triggers fun day
A GROUP of 30 autistic youngsters from across East Lancashire were taken to see Tigger the Movie, at Hollywood Park, Burnley. And for many of them it was the first time they had been to a cinema. The youngsters, between the age of three and 13, were provided
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Art on the buses
BUS travellers in East Lancashire had better beware -- because soon they could be helping to create millennium masterpieces. Commuters who use Stagecoach Ribble bus routes will make up part of the Buslife exhibition from June until November. Buslife has
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Classics start new tradition
SOME classic "thoroughbreds" of the motor industry spent the day sunning themselves at a Pendle pub as a May Day classic car rally attracted hundreds of visitors. The rally in the sunshine in a field behind the Cross Gaits Inn, Blacko, was a great success
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Live grenade sparks railway drama
TRAINS were cancelled for several hours when Army bomb experts were called in to blow up a live hand grenade which had been flushed from a drain by workmen. Today it was revealed that the device, which still had its activation pin, may have come from
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TEN YEARS AGO; Hospitals 'left to rot'
DECAYING hospital buildings were being left to rot and essential repair jobs were being ignored as cash cuts forced health chiefs to use the money to pay nurses wages and save lives. County Coun Jack Bury predicted major problems with maintenance at hospitals
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FIVE YEARS AGO: Award-winners raided
A DYNAMIC up-and-coming company run by two award-winning businessmen was hit by raiders. Burglars cut the alarm and telephone wires at D & C Industrial NW Supplies, in Commerce Street, Haslingden, before kicking the front door off its hinges. Hours
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Siren warning system at Nipa
A SIREN warning system has been launched today at a controversial chemical factory in East Lancashire. Nipa Laboratories in Oswaldtwistle is hoping the new klaxon early-warning system will ensure residents have the chance to escape if there are any leaks
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Lunch date on Rotary journey
RIBBLE Valley Rotarians will welcome their fund-raising colleagues for lunch at Don Dino's restaurant in Clitheroe on May 18. Members of the Rotary Club of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, will stop in Clitheroe on their journey from Land's End to John
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Clarets sell 8,000 season tickets
THREE months before the start of the 2000/01 campaign and with the Clarets' end-of-season fate still undecided, Burnley have already sold over 8,000 new season tickets to set a club record. When the discount period for sales closed last weekend, Clarets
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Mellon: We've done great
BURNLEY'S promotion fate lies in the hands of others but midfield dynamo Micky Mellon believes the Clarets have performed superbly to still be in with a shout going into the final game of the season. Gillingham's 4-1 win over Cardiff City last night means
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Mellon: We've done great
BURNLEY'S promotion fate lies in the hands of others but midfield dynamo Micky Mellon believes the Clarets have performed superbly to still be in with a shout going into the final game of the season. Gillingham's 4-1 win over Cardiff City last night means
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We've done great, says Clarets midfielder
BURNLEY'S promotion fate lies in the hands of others but midfield dynamo Micky Mellon believes the Clarets have performed superbly to still be in with a shout going into the final game of the season. Gillingham's 4-1 win over Cardiff City last night means
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Face to face hope for new trade
FIRMS will get the chance to meet buyers responsible for million of pounds worth of business. The Meet the Buyer event -- which has already helped dozens of local firms win new business -- is again being staged by the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce
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Out of Darwen, into Africa
SUPERMARKET staff dressed up for an African Day to help raise cash for a Kenyan expedition in aid of the East Lancashire Hospice. Student nurse Vanessa Lockyer, 25, is leading the climb up Mount Kilimanjaro with five friends in memory of her boyfriend
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Nightmare of lost cousins
TWO families today spoke of "every parent's worst nightmare" after a couple of young cousins sparked a major search when they vanished on Darwen Moors. And the mystery Good Samaritans who led the children to safety were today being sought so they could
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Cash boost for road safety
TRANSPORT in Lancashire has been given a Government cash boost. Lancashire County Council has been given almost £500,000 by the Government to improve public transport, child safety and progress schemes central to its local transport plan. Lancashire's
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Netball ideas are forum's goal
NETBALL players are being asked for ideas on how to take their sport forward in Blackburn and Darwen. A forum has been set up to look at the development of netball and anyone connected with the game is invited to attend a meeting about funding and equipment
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Loafers must get transfers
AFTER such a dismal season, it galls me and other supporters that certain players at the club will be pleased that we have not been promoted. I am talking about the ones who know that reaching the Premiership would result in them being transferred. These
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Small town attitudes
THE Sports Editor has got it wrong again. Because of his (probable) congenital hatred of Manchester United, he still seems to think that minnows like Blackburn can be a force in the land. They cannot. Of course United's reign will come to an end one day
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Runaways warned of street dangers
CHILDREN from East Lancashire are among the 2,500 youngsters who made pleas for help through the Childline hot-line last year. The figures were released by the charity in its new report No Home and Alone which is being backed up by a poster campaign urging
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Memories of 1947
A CRICKET book I borrowed from a local library gives an almost day-to-day account of the 1947 English first-class season. The stars of that season were the Middlesex and England batsman Dennis Compton and Bill Edrich, each of whom scored more than 3,000
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Typical of Jack Walker
I WAS really pleased to hear, as were many other people, that Jack Walker is now on the mend after being diagnosed with what would be to most of us, our worst nightmare. Isn't it just typical of the man, though, to make it plain, and clear: "I'm sorry
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Top marks for tots' nursery
AN East Lancashire nursery which caters for more than 80 tots under the age of four has received a glowing report. Inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) praised almost every aspect of Albion Street Day Nursery, Blackburn, and
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Killing charge decision
MANSLAUGHTER charges will not be brought against representatives of two East Lancashire companies following the death of a young labourer who was unlawfully killed at a Hyndburn factory. But it is understood that the decision will clear the way for charges
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Provocation
IF PHIL Lloyd's column (LET, April 25) was intended to provoke a reaction, it worked! He thinks Graeme Souness is already 'getting it wrong'. Whilst I usually agree with most of his weekly comments, I feel Lloyd is a bit premature with his doubts. Graeme
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M-way family 'left stranded'
A FURIOUS father today accused the RAC of leaving him and his family stuck at a motorway service station with their broken-down car. But the roadside recovery organisation defended their decision and said they had warned the family against continuing
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Blackburn's image problem
DON'T BE fooled by my Canadian address. I have supported Blackburn, fervently, since 1938. Even though I came to this country in 1967, my support is still manic, even though I can no longer attend all the games. So it goes without saying I keep up to
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CRICKET: Board are bordering on success
THE Lancashire Cricket Board side, captained by Chorley's Roland Horridge, is just one win away from a home tie against Warwickshire in the NatWest Trophy after winning their first-round tie yesterday. Lancashire beat Suffolk by four wickets at Mildenhall
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CRICKET: Ganguly's chance to shine
SOURAV Ganguly gets his first real chance to shine for Lancashire in Old Trafford's opening championship game of the season today. It has been a stop-go start for the Indian star, who has had to cope with the worst of English conditions -- damp pitches
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Super-quick start to celebrations
PNE 3 MILLWALL 2 WITH the Championship already won, Preston North End supporters packed Deepdale in a massive celebration of a great season. They sang, they chanted, they waved their scarves and their banners, they drooled at it all as North End produced
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Show your hand, Jack
WHUMP! Down it goes, hard on to the table -- the race card is played by Home Secretary Jack Straw against Tory leader William Hague as the row over asylum seekers escalates. Having been brandished by others already -- to the extent that Labour politicians
