Archive
-
Date
East Lancashire events Thurs, January 4
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Charter Theatre, Preston, 7pm. Parents and Toddlers, Daisyfield Centre, Blackburn, 10am-noon. Line Dancing, Come and Welcome Club, Clayton le Moors, 7-11pm. Free Computer Training, Daisyfield Centre, Blackburn. Details
-
Date
Wet year awash with memories
Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy AS we said goodbye to the year 2000, I sat down over Christmas to make my list of my own favourite memories. I remember one of the few hot days of June when I visited Scotland to enjoy the sights and sounds of a seabird
-
Date
Rail 'lottery'
ONCE Sir Richard Branson has got over his disappointment of being denied the chance to run the lottery, is it too much to hope that he invests more into Virgin Trains and gives passengers in Lancashire the service they deserve? D PEARSON (Mr), Rawstorne
-
Date
Celebration silenced
WHATEVER happened to Christmas in Blackburn? All the main town centre pubs were shut, but for The Blob Shop, which, I may say, had good prices plus a disco But everywhere else was shut. It was like a ghost town. One doorman I passed suggested I try Blakey
-
Date
Two versions: one language
REGARDING your article on the Queen's English (LET, December 29), was it written to curry favour with the unwashed masses, or just as copy filler? If, seriously, not either, then what is really disturbing is the attempt to propagate corruption of the
-
Date
End of the nightmare
A HAULAGE boss cleared after a high-profile smuggling trial today spoke of the moment charges against him were dropped and said: "My family has been to hell and back." Customs and Excise bosses yesterday withdrew the case against four men, including former
-
Date
Sledge horror crash
A HEARTBROKEN mother feared her daughter would be paralysed for life after an horrific sledging accident. Gabrielle Tattersall could only look on in horror as her 21-year-old daughter Lisa lay motionless in the snow at Holden Vale, Helmshore, with a fractured
-
Date
Egil set for Spanish loan
SPANISH giants Las Palmas are interested in prising Egil Ostenstad away from Ewood Park. The injury-hit outfit, currently 11th in La Liga, want the Norwegian striker on loan to provide immediate fire-power having only scored 20 goals in 16 games. But
-
Date
Ticket blues on Chalon Way
I AM writing about Chalon Way West near Safeway. There is a taxi rank there which is not in use and hasn't been for some while. As an Orange Badge holder I parked there on December 13 and got a ticket to pay £30. There are loads of people who park along
-
Date
What a foul business
EVERY time I take my child to Willow Tree School in Clock Face, there is ample evidence of irresponsible dog owners allowing their pets to foul the pathway leading to the school entrance. No doubt, parents across the borough experience the same problem
-
Date
Baby Fern beats killer bug
BABY Fern Twist is back home this week - now mercifully recovering from a potentially fatal strain of meningitis. And Fern has her quick-thinking parents and an observant doctor to thank for saving her life. Now her mum is calling on all parents to ensure
-
Date
Ordered off green belt
THE owners of a caravan and shed are to be told to remove them from green belt land. Councillors are being asked to instigate legal action for the removal of the caravan and shed from a field off Barden Lane, Reedley. A report to a meeting of Pendle Council's
-
Date
Soap star turns on charm
DISHY ex-Eastenders bad guy Dan Sullivan won over another mother and daughter team when he presented awards at Slimming World. Dan, alias Craig Fairbrass, met Joan Downey, from Waterfoot, and Angela Fielden, from Burnley, and presented them with bronze
-
Date
Bulldogs book semi spot
Parkside Golborne U/18s 9 Blackbrook Bulldogs 19 BROOK finally overcame the challenge of Golborne, following extra time to progress to the Lancashire Cup semi-finals at Crosfields this Sunday (kick-off 11.30am). With the heavy conditions and narrow pitch
-
Date
Ordered off green belt
THE owners of a caravan and shed are to be told to remove them from green belt land. Councillors are being asked to instigate legal action for the removal of the caravan and shed from a field off Barden Lane, Reedley. A report to a meeting of Pendle Council's
-
Date
Residents seek private parking
HOUSEHOLDERS in Rutland Street, Colne, are campaigning for a residents' only parking scheme. They have sent a petition to Pendle Council complaining of parking difficulties because of vehicles belonging to staff and customers of businesses in Keighley
-
Date
New 'blue moon' theory erupts
YET another theory, regarding the 'blue moon' yedscratter posed earlier by the Greenalls Club's veteran bitter-garglers, has floated in from the Lancashire coast. Eric Dever, who lives in the intriguing-named Bare district of Morecambe, trawls up an exotic
-
Date
Two Bobs enlivened town scene
DOES anyone remember Bob Lester, known as the richest rag-and-bone man in town? The question springs from a note forwarded by veteran reader Jack Pennington who also picks up on our on-running Cockney Bob theme. Says Jack, of Malvern Road, Parr: "The
-
Date
Five years ago: Good Samaritan sought
DETECTIVES investigating a bag snatch incident were trying to contact a good samaritan who came to the aid of a theft victim. The mystery man tackled a thief after he snatched a handbag from a woman in her 40s on New Year's Eve at about 9pm in Jacobs
-
Date
Cash will make schools safer
SCHOOLS in Lancashire are to benefit from more than £600,000 of security improvements as part of a government campaign to improve safety. Personal security training for teachers, better CCTV and state-of-the-art security devices are part of a £22million
-
Date
Door-to-door bus service for villagers
A NEW door-to-door minibus service around Chatburn and Gisburn, which will make the outside world more accessible to many people, is launched tomorrow. Several residents living within the area, such as the disabled, mums with pushchairs or people with
-
Date
Mullin it over
Cummings and Goings with Stephen Cummings I THINK it's fair to say that anyone asking Burnley supporters whether or not they had a good Christmas, should brace themselves and prepare to face the (possibly violent) consequences. The last few weeks have
-
Date
Leftovers get the bird
LEFT over from the seasonal slaughter of the thousands of turkeys bred by farmer John Atkinson, three of his birds are now gobbling up the good life. The lucky trio are at the Only Foals and Horses Animal Sanctuary in Oswaldtwistle after children from
-
Date
Crime stand not tough enough
PAINFUL though it may be for him, I am sure that genial Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans will nonetheless manage an ironic smile. For soon after his pledging in this newspaper to get fit and become a 'leaner, meaner machine' he was walloped by a thief who
-
Date
Costa del prescription!
WHAT a wonderful ray of sunshine is the theory by heart specialist Dr David Grimes that what makes East Lancashire folk so prone to heart attacks is not their diet, but a lack of sunshine. If nothing else, it enables us to cock a snook at those health
-
Date
Please! No Moore!
EXTRA! Eric Leaver presents his almanac of irreverent predictions for 2001... SOOTH, I say. Fear not what this New Year has in store. Do not let the Dismal Jimmies put the wind up you with their predictions of a severe economic slump, global warming and
-
Date
Stan defies boo boys
STRAIGHT-TALKING Clarets boss Stan Ternent won't be driven away from Burnley by the Turf Moor boo-boys. Ternent has urged the supporters to lay off his players on the back of a five-match losing streak. And if the critics direct their frustration at Ternent
-
Date
£50 million meter deal
ONE of the world's leading technology companies has signed a £50 million deal to collect electricity and water meter readings from 2.2 million homes and businesses in the North West. Invensys Measurement Services (IMServ) will collect more than four million
-
Date
Group puts best foot forward
A FOOTWEAR group has put its best foot forward by committing itself to high standards of training by achieving the Investors in People (IIP) skills standard. The Footwear and Leather National Training Organisation (FLNTO), which represents the footwear
-
Date
Outdoor firm is a real sport
A SPORTS trust launched in East Lancashire by one of the area's leading companies will be rolled out nationwide next year. Accrington-based Karrimor International, one of the world's leading manufacturers of outdoor clothing and equipment, has launched
-
Date
Liam aids drugs fight
TELEVISION and radio presenter Liam Fogarty completed a sponsored hike from Southport to Liverpool's Pier Head to raise money for Footsteps, a Newton and Warrington-based support service for families of drug users. Liam, a journalist for Radio Merseyside
-
Date
Trade hots up in Big Chill...
THE Big Freeze which blanketed St Helens in a thick carpet of snow got townsfolk's teeth chattering in the arctic conditions... but for some shops, business was really hot. The St Helens branch of Millet's, The Outdoor Store, in Cotham Street, recorded
-
Date
It's in the bag!
ST HELENS Councils 'blue bag' waste paper kerbside collections are proving a big hit with residents. Launched in March, the recycling initiative currently extends to half of the borough and will reach the remainder in the next few months. Councillor Terry
-
Date
Teens blamed for wrecking spree
TEENAGERS are being blamed by police for a wrecking spree in which 28 cars had their windows smashed in just one night. Residents in and around Harwood Street, in Darwen, awoke on New Year's Day to discover the trail of destruction after cars the whole
-
Date
Beanstalk Jack to walk tall
JACK'S preparing to battle with a giant at the Royal Court Theatre, Bacup, on Saturday. Bacup Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society's pantomime stars Elizabeth Haworth as Jack and Kenneth Marshall as Dame Trot. The giant, played by Jason Sharp, is learning
-
Date
£5,000 to find hit and run trucker
A NATIONAL motorcycle group has offered a reward of £5,000 to catch the trucker who left Rossendale man Ron Cobbledick to die on the motorway. MAG, the national Motorcycle Action Group, heard about the appeal for witnesses after details of the hit and
-
Date
Barry's Cock of the North
POULTRY breeder Barry Smithson had plenty to crow about when he took top local trophy at the 158th annual Holcombe Old English Gamecock Show. Exhibitors from all over the country, including Plymouth, Durham, Cumbria, Wales, Stoke, Wirral and Oswestry,
-
Date
Sledge horror crash
A HEARTBROKEN mother feared her daughter would be paralysed for life after an horrific sledging accident. Gabrielle Tattersall could only look on in horror as her 21-year-old daughter Lisa lay motionless in the snow at Holden Vale, Helmshore, with a fractured
-
Date
Murder charge 10 years on
TWO people will appear in court next month charged with the murder of disabled horse dealer Leslie Jackson nearly ten years ago. Robert Peter Atkinson, 36, formerly of Chester Close, Blackburn, now of Manchester, and Bernadette Meadowcroft, 30, of Haworth
-
Date
A £10,000 Christmas present
LOCAL people gave almost £10,000 in Christmas gifts to the East Lancashire Hospice Appeal. In the fortnight before Christmas, £9,917 was given to help build an extension to the Park Lee building, Blackburn. Street collections raised £905 in Blackburn,
-
Date
United should help Bury
IF Manchester United are the biggest and richest football club in the land, why can't they help out their friends down the road at Bury FC until things get better for them? If not, then the word 'BIG' applies to Accrington Stanley. What does everyone
-
Date
End of the nightmare
A HAULAGE boss cleared after a high-profile smuggling trial today spoke of the moment charges against him were dropped and said: "My family has been to hell and back." Customs and Excise bosses yesterday withdrew the case against four men, including former
-
Date
Ternent deserves credit
I FEEL Stan Ternent deserves a lot of credit for his services to the game of football. Not only will this man go down in Burnley folklore for his single-minded efforts to put our football team back on the map, but he worked so hard to make the Blackburn
-
Date
Cash boost for truancy blitz
SCHOOLS across Lancashire will benefit from a £4million cash injection aimed at tackling bad behaviour and pupils skipping class. And truancy sweeps piloted in East Lancashire are to be expanded throughout the country -- after the idea was championed
-
Date
Special tribute to Neil Hawke
I WISH to record a personal tribute to my dear friend, Neil Hawke, whose tough fight for life over the past 20 years ended on Christmas Day. Neil will be remembered throughout the world with deep affection by a great number of people as a sociable man
-
Date
Non-league: Storks sink at seaside
Blackpool Mechanics 4 Padiham 1 PADIHAM got off to the worst possible start to the new year when they were beaten 4-1 away at Blackpool Mechanics last night. Trailing 1-0 to a 38th minute goal by John Oliver, the Storks lost any chance of getting back
-
Date
St Helens McDonald's JOL round-up
THE St Helens McDonalds JOL's under 16s and under 12s representative teams are in action on Sunday, January 7 in the Inter-League LCFA Cup. The under 16s entertain West Derby at Platt Fields, Eltonhead Road and the under 12s face Wigan at Merton Bank.
-
Date
Kitchen fire on Christmas Eve
FLAMES from a grill pan caused a fire to break out in the kitchen of a house in Parbold Avenue, Blackbrook, at about 3.40pm on Christmas Eve. No one was injured but the fire caused severe heat and smoke damage.
-
Date
Hannah has designs on teddy
HANNAH Barton from Carr Mill Crescent, Billinge was the winner of a Christmas card design competition organised by Debenhams in Wigan. As part of the prize the store agreed to turn her designs into cards, while Hannah also won a free meal for four and
-
Date
£1m boost for crime war
MERSEYSIDE Police Force is celebrating a cash boost of more than £1million to fund initiatives to target serious and organised crime. The funding, awarded as part of the Government's targeted policing initiative, will enable innovative methods of tackling
-
Date
Kick off for disabled sports
MULTI-sports sessions for disabled people, friends and carers, are to start at Queens Park Leisure Centre, Boundary Road. The weekly sessions will be run by qualified coaches and will feature wheelchair basketball, boccia, cricket, badminton and football
-
Date
Human cloning on agenda
MEMBERS of the St Helens branch of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) held their annual general meeting at the Ormskirk Street United Reform Church. The meeting was attended by John Smeaton, the national director of SPUC and Father
-
Date
Winning prize idea for Tony
SUPERVISOR Anthony Horsley has won £1,600 in shopping vouchers after putting forward an idea in the United Co-op's staff suggestion scheme. The 32-year-old, who works at the Co-op Late Shop in Elephant Lane, Thatto Heath, came up with the idea of producing
-
Date
Caring employers collect rewards
FIVE St Helens employers have been rewarded for their commitment to disabled employees. St Helens Council, St Helens and District Women's Aid, Grosvenor Housing Association, St Helens and Knowsley Community Health Trust and St Helens and Knowsley Area
-
Date
Big boost for kids' health
AN initiative aimed at working towards improving children's health and well-being has been launched at schools in St Helens. The St Helens Healthy Schools Standards is based on a partnership between the health and education authorities and its main aim
-
Date
Delay in new pill sale
CO-OP Pharmacy branches in Rainford will not be selling the new morning-after contraceptive pill, Levonel, when it becomes generally available this month. Superintendent Pharmacist John Nuttall, said: "Although the product will be available in January
-
Date
Praise for fresh ideas on religion
NO doubt among the nation's churchgoers there are many who prefer their worship to remain within the conventional confines of a consecrated building and a long-established liturgy. "Modernising" clergy may risk considerable disapproval among their flocks
-
Date
Knee-deep in litter
AS I write, we enter a new year in Blackburn, which failed to get city status by a mile, up to our knees in uncollected rubbish. I find it disgusting that despite the fact the past week is the busiest of the year for rubbish, no attempt has been made
-
Date
Warming to our wide boy
Down by the Riverside with Phil Lloyd I HAVEN'T gone back and checked so you'll have to take my word for it. I reckon Jason McAteer has featured in this column more often than any other Rovers player this season. Why? Possibly because Riversiders like
-
Date
Who are mystery decorators?
A MYSTERY couple have decorated a town centre tree in Burnley complete with tinsel, baubles and bells. The Christmas tree, at the end of Active Way, Burnley, near to the roundabout with Princess Way and Brown Street has been decorated for the last two
-
Date
Local rivals in final showdown
THE BARLA Lancashire Cup Final will be staged at Knowsley Road on Wednesday, January 10 and for the second year running it will be an all-St Helens affair with last season's runners-up, Haydock facing Portico Panthers. The two sides are also rivals in
-
Date
Those carefree kite-flying days
KITE flying and flirting were among the major preoccupations of the young men about town when old-timer Norman Thomas was a lad. Kitted out in Sunday best, the young bucks and teenaged lasses used to parade up and down a number of stretches in and around
-
Date
Ten years ago: City match
FOOTBALL fans going to the FA Cup clash between Burnley and Manchester City were asked to turn up early by Burnley police. A full house of just under 21,000 was anticipated for the all ticket match which was due to kick off at 12.15pm
-
Date
Fears after knife threat
NEIGHBOURING shop workers today spoke of their safety fears after an armed raid at an off-licence. Staff reopened Booze Buster in Blackburn Road, Accrington, yesterday -- a day after two people were held at knifepoint by a raider. They told the Lancashire
-
Date
Branch: We need to get fans behind us
CLARETS wingman Graham Branch insists that the Burnley players are doing everything possible to bring the club out of its current slump. Monday's 2-1 defeat to Wolves brought rumblings of discontent from supporters who haven't seen their side win since
-
Date
Egil set for Spanish loan
SPANISH giants Las Palmas are interested in prising Egil Ostenstad away from Ewood Park. The injury-hit outfit, currently 11th in La Liga, want the Norwegian striker on loan to provide immediate fire-power having only scored 20 goals in 16 games. But
-
Date
Planning is key to success
LACK of proper grassroots business planning may be to blame for the fact half of small businesses close within three years of trading, according to Barclays Bank. Less than two thirds of businesses (57 per cent) prepare business plans prior to starting
-
Date
Pillar of strength for community
ST LUKE'S Primary School, Prescot has been given a glowing report by Government inspectors, Ofsted. The inspectors commented favourably on the dedication of the teaching staff whose determination to raise standards and provide pupils with a high-quality
-
Date
Claire gains top award
A CARING young woman has become the first person in St Helens to receive a Millennium Volunteers Certificate of Excellence, signed by Secretary of State, David Blunkett, for her work within her local community. Claire Anders, from Thackray Road, Grange
-
Date
Shakers new formula pays dividends
THE Conservatives might have tried it first but the Shakers "Back to Basics" campaign is working a treat. Boss Andy Preece has come up with the idea in a bid to shore up a leaky defence and start winning matches again. And so far it seems to be working
-
Date
£10,000 booster for youth
A CHARITY offering opportunities to young people in Parr has been awarded a Lloyds TSB Foundation grant of £10,000. C.A.S.M. (Community Awareness of Self Motivation) is a volunteer-run detached youth project and is based in Derbyshire Hill Family Centre
-
Date
Reward for Alfie's return
THE owner of a cat which has been missing for more than a month is offering a reward for the safe return of her beloved pet. Alfie, a black, short-haired cat aged about two-and-a-half years, went missing from his home in Bold Road, Sutton Village at the
-
Date
Jabs fight 'killer' flu
MORE people than ever have been protected against flu this winter. This year, for the first time, flu vaccinations are available free to everyone 65 years or older and St Helens and Knowsley Health Authority has already surpassed the government's target
-
Date
New year... new job for Carol
IT'S a case of new year, new start for mother-of-two Carol Gornall who has just landed her first job for two years under a new job scheme set up by the Employment Service. The 44-year-old from Parr is the first person to be helped into work through the
-
Date
Future's bright for town centre
ST HELENS town centre has been given a major boost by a report which predicts it is set to extend its position as one of the major shopping destinations in the region. Town Centres 2000, by international property advisers GVA Grimley in conjunction with
-
Date
Art takes on festive look
A MYSTERY Christmas decorator has brightened up one of Rawtenstall's landmarks for the festive season. The metal tree, part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail, has been festooned with tinsel, foil and a smiley-face star since Christmas Day. The sculpture (
-
Date
Drivers trapped after crash
TWO drivers were trapped and one had to be cut free by firefighters after a 10-tonne lorry skidded on black ice into a bus. The accident, near to Shaw Garage, in Market Street, Shawforth, blocked the busy main road between Bacup and Rochdale for three
-
Date
Charity thriller
THE Royal National Institute for the Blind is looking for daring volunteers to take part in a sponsored 'thrill slide' at Hoghton Tower. The event is on Sunday, March 4 and all money raised will be donated to the RNIB Sunshine House School, Southport,
-
Date
Nephew hears cries on phone
A NEPHEW listened helplessly on the phone as his elderly aunt and uncle were attacked in their home 250 miles away. Nicholas Gannaway, of Carlton Avenue, Clayton-Le-Woods, near Chorley, had phoned his aunt Gladys and uncle Walter to wish them happy new
-
Date
Hospitals braced for epidemic
THE worst may be yet to come for East Lancashire folk who are facing more colds, flu and viruses. Top scientist Professor Qutub Syed has warned Lancashire medics that the area, which already has higher flu levels than the rest of the North West, could
-
Date
Hospitals braced for epidemic
THE worst may be yet to come for East Lancashire folk who are facing more colds, flu and viruses. Top scientist Professor Qutub Syed has warned Lancashire medics that the area, which already has higher flu levels than the rest of the North West, could
-
Date
Cummings has rose-tinted view
STEPHEN Cummings is once again viewing the world through green-tinted glasses. Could he please tell us where the supporters from his "football town" were during the glorious season 1986-87? The bumper gate for the last home game, when the Orient took
-
Date
Non league: Accy action
ACCRINGTON Stanley play Winsford United tonight at the Crown Ground in the Unibond Challenge Cup Group match (7.45pm start). Chorley are at Stalybridge.
-
Date
Non league: Brent's appeal
BACUP manager Brent Peters is to appeal to the FA to restore home advantage for their Marsden Trophy cup clash with Skelmersdale after last night's fifth postponement. The game was called off 15 minutes before kick-off after the FA ruled that the game
-
Date
Non league: Denis unlucky
Curzon Ashton 3 Great Harwood 0 DENIS Underwood's hopes that the new year would bring a change of luck for his struggling side were crushed as Great Harwood crashed at Curzon Ashton. Curzon went ahead through Craig Fleury who curled a shot into the top
-
Date
Non league: Dale out of Vase
Rossendale 2 Brigg Town 3 ROSSENDALE crashed out of the FA Vase in a five-goal thriller which saw three players sent off. In a game which wasn't bad-tempered, both teams produced commendable football in the horrendous conditions. The action started as
-
Date
David strides to title triumph
AN intrepid local youngster put his best foot forward to lift a unique title in an off-beat sport which is rapidly gaining a toe-hold nationwide. For long-striding David Bolton certainly knew where he was going in winning the 14-age group Northern orienteering
-
Date
Rainhill Junior Football League
RESULTS Wednesday, December 27 Under 15s: Bleak Hill Rovers 2 Eccleston United 3. Under 13s: Knowsley South 10 St Annes Rovers 5. Under 11s: Rainhill United 1 Whiston Juniors 4, St Annes Rovers 3 Bleak Hill Rovers 1. FIXTURES Sunday, January 7 Under 15s
-
Date
Tony leads way in gruelling contest
ST HELENS Sutton AC members completed a full set of turn-outs in this year's Merseyside Cross Country League when they took part in the last fixture held at Arrowe Park on the Wirral. The grassland of the park is always prone to hold water and after the
-
Date
Town's fivre-pronged challenge
Bacup Borough 2 St Helens Town 3 TOWN enter the New Year in great shape and are still blazing away on no less than five fronts, with the North West Counites League title and Carlsberg FA Vase the top priorities. Christmas was to have had a significant
-
Date
Mystery blaze hits shed
FIREFIGHTERS are investigating a blaze which broke out at a shed at the back of a house in Virgil Street, Newtown, at about 4.40pm on Christmas Eve. The fire severely damaged the shed and its contents but no one was injured.
-
Date
£2m waterworks for Windlehurst
NORTH West Water has started work on a £2million project to replace 27 kilometres of old cast-iron water mains in Windlehurst. The first phase, which began this week, will involve 300 customers whose mains will be replaced with modern plastic materials
-
Date
Shop raid by knifeman
A TERRIFIED newsagent was threatened with a knife by a robber who stole £100. The incident happened at about 4.30pm on Saturday, December 23 in K & K News in Wargrave Road, Newton-le-Willows when the masked robber, who was about 5ft 8ins tall, burst
-
Date
Pilks set up Polish deal
PILKINGTON and French company St Gobain are to form a joint venture to build a float glass plant in Poland, The jointly-owned plant will incorporate the latest technology in float glass production. Initially, it is expected to employ 130 people and will
-
Date
Sharing secrets of success
BOSSES from Haydock company, Nichols Foods, were able to share some of the secrets of their success with other UK businesses when they attended a special seminar in County Durham, hosted by Glaxo Wellcome. The DTI-funded event was arranged exclusively
-
Date
Don't be a mobile menace
A CAMPAIGN is being launched throughout Greater Manchester this month to ensure mobile phones don't become a menace on the roads. And police chiefs are warning that drivers using such devices, and whose driving suffers as a result, could be facing a two-year
-
Date
Colourful and hardy family
Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy GORSE is one of those wonderful plants which is in flower during every month of the year. In fact, there are two very similar species which have overlapping flowering periods. There are the western gorse and the common gorse
-
Date
Refugees vote with their feet
THERE is an old saying that an army votes with its feet. What this means is, if the ordinary soldiers are not satisfied with their lot, they will simply desert. Now, a growing number of people from places like Africa, Asia, the Middle East and eastern
-
Date
Satisfied with safe driving
REGARDING Linda Preston's comments about older drivers (Letters, December 19), yes, in my previous response to her earlier remarks, I did say age does slow you down as a driver. Not because of an inability to cope, but due to recognition, gathered by
-
Date
Bus service withdrawn after stone attack on driver
A BUS service through a Tyldesley housing estate has been withdrawn after a brick was thrown at a windscreen. Driver Michael Timpson had a narrow escape when half a brick was thrown at his bus as he was driving through Shakerley estate on Saturday evening
-
Date
God bless you all...
I HAVE been a patient at the 'Stewart Day Hospital' in St Helens and I want to say a big thank-you for the wonderful care and dedication of the entire staff who gave patients so much help to get back their confidence to face the world again. I cannot
-
Date
Missing the point about alcohol
I WRITE in reply to 'confused motorist' (Dear Star, December 21) regarding the ability to purchase alcohol from a petrol filling station in West End Road, Haydock. I cannot see what difference it makes where alcohol is purchased as long as it is not consumed
-
Date
Woman arrested after fracas
A MIDDLE-AGED woman, who had never been in trouble in her life, was arrested after a drunken fracas with police on New Year's Day. Valerie Fairhurst, 55, of Wordsworth Avenue, Padiham, admitted breach of the peace and was bound over in the sum of £200
-
Date
Disc jockey 'cut to the bone'
A CLUB disc jockey was left with bone exposed in the palm of his hand after he was gashed by a staggering knifeman, a jury was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how John Jenson had tried to grab the weapon from Shiraz Khan, who was in his DJ's booth and
-
Date
Aussie duo to face Reds
AUSSIE forwards David Fairleigh and Peter Shiels are set to make their debuts when Saints entertain Salford Reds in a friendly on Friday, kick-off 7.30pm. Both formerly played for Newcastle Knights and Fairleigh, who stands 6ft 4in and tips the scale
-
Date
Decision time in roads wrangle
CONTROVERSIAL plans for the pedestrianisation of Colne centre will be the focus of attention for councillors early this year. The long-awaited plans to cut out the traffic bottleneck through Market Street were expected to be welcomed when Lancashire County
-
Date
Billy the fresh-air fanatic
NATURE lover Billy Woods dug his toes in when the man from the council arrived to inform him that his old countryside cottage was to be demolished and that he would be re-housed on a local council estate. Billy made it clear to the official that he had
-
Date
Would-be fraudster caught
A WOULD-BE fraudster was arrested after a police officer hidden in the back of a van watched him sign for delivery of computer equipment bought using another person's credit card details. Blackburn magistrates heard Ian Michael Ryan was on the periphery
-
Date
Knife attack on pals
TWO friends were slashed with a knife when they were attacked by strangers as they left a nightclub in the early hours, a court was told. Burnley Crown Court heard how Kevin Graves and Michael Clitheroe were set upon without warning by attackers they
-
Date
Helping hand for talented teenagers
FIVE talented young sportsmen and women from St Helens have won national SportsAid awards for their achievements. The youngsters, all aged under 18, received their accolades at a ceremony at Sutton Leisure Centre hosted by St Helens Council. Norman Wilkinson
-
Date
Combination kids hit rivals for six
THE St Helens Combination's under 18s squad grabbed a Lancashire County FA semi-final spot when the youngsters slammed the Bolton Boys Federation outfit 6-1 at Ruskin Drive. The game attracted a fair share of spectators who enjoyed some great football
-
Date
Gifts will aid special care
A CANCER charity is appealing for gifts of unwanted Christmas presents to help raise money for more specialist nursing treatment. Marie Curie Cancer Care would particularly welcome gifts of clothing, accessories, books, CDs, children's wear, pictures,
-
Date
New boss for care team
A LEADING Merseyside charity has appointed a new head of fund-raising for a project that supports young carers in St Helens. June Valentine has taken on the role of Funding Liaison Officer with Liverpool-based PSS, which provides a wide range of health
