Archive
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Ainsworth pace ace Kirby strikes again
FAST bowler Steven Kirby has struck again with a match-winning performance against the county which released him two years ago. The 6ft 5in quickie from Ainsworth grabbed match figures of 12 for 72 at the weekend as his new club Yorkshire cemented their
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Radcliffe book cup final place
A HUGE, noisy crowd watched a sensational game on Sunday when Radcliffe stormed into the Wood Cup final with a brilliant win over Walsden. Radcliffe had won the toss and put Walsden in to bat. A very slow start by Walsden put them in danger as tight bowling
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Why i had to go - Daws
BURY skipper Nick Daws today tells why he decided to end his nine year career at Gigg Lane. The ever-reliable midfielder signed for newly-promoted First Division side Rotherham United yesterday to become the second Shakers player to join the Millers on
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Today's the day
1553: Mary I became Queen of England. She was the first Queen to rule England in her own right. 1892: Britain's first non-white MP was elected. Dadabhai Naoraji became MP for Central Finsbury in London. 1957: Anthea Gibson of America became the first
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Man punched ex-fiancee in eye
A 27-year-old man who attacked his former fiancee is in custody awaiting sentence. John Howe, of Westwood Road, Blackburn, was found guilty of one count of assault causing actual bodily harm, after a two day trial at Burnley Crown Court. He was cleared
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Child sex man faces jail
A FORMER press photographer will be face jail next Friday, after admitting a string of child sex offences. Arthur Motley Page, 69, formerly of Blackburn, but now of Preston Prison, pleaded guilty to six counts of indecency with a child and three of indecent
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Building up funds
STAFF at the Bury branch of the Skipton Building Society in Market Street are certainly in a charitable mood. Throughout July, they will be stocking NSPCC Full Stop badges. For the last two years, Skipton has drawn on the support of its customers to help
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Some school meals up
PARENTS of primary school children are to get a tasty school meals treat with the news there will be no price rise for the next 12 months. The cost of a mid-day meal in primary schools is to remain at £1.38 for the coming year. Councillor Steve Perkins
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Hunt goes on for knife thug
POLICE are still hunting a robber who slashed his victim with a knife during a struggle on a Radcliffe footbridge. Caroline Mahon later required stitches to her injured wrist as a result of a fight with her attacker, who wore just a white T-shirt and
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Shedding light on new NHS changes
A GAME of "disease bingo" was just one of the activities which helped demystify the sometimes complicated world of the health service. More than 20 local voluntary groups attended Radcliffe Civic Suite last week for a "Cracking the Code" event organised
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Thieves put heat on home owners
THE warm weather is leaving residents wide open to crime. That is the message from local police bosses who have issued a timely reminder to the public to ensure doors and windows are left shut or locked. Sergeant Bruce Howard of Bury's Operational Police
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Queen Jamie and the queen's mum!
JAMIE Leach is following in her mum's footsteps by achieving her own crowning glory. The ten-year-old is the current Unsworth Charity Junior Queen and is representing the area at carnivals and events throughout the North West. And mum Michaela is delighted
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Crash dad in fight for life
A FATHER of four was fighting for his life today after suffering serious head injuries when his car left a motorway and plunged down an embankment. Grocer Afiz Ali, 33, of Manchester Road, Haslingden, is in the Royal Preston Hospital where his condition
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Calderstones probe call
BOSSES at Calderstones Hospital today faced calls for an urgent security review after MPs, unions and health watchdogs expressed concern about a series of incidents involving patients. Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans and Hyndburn Labour MP Greg Pope
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Seven school clubs celebrate first birthday
SEVEN of Bury's Breakfast and After School Clubs have celebrated their first birthday. The groups were established with £110,000 obtained by Bury Council through the Government's New Opportunities Fund, backed by the Lottery Commission. The seven clubs
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Leigh on the edge
THE dream Grand Final between Leigh and Widnes is a non-starter. Leigh's shock home defeat in yesterday's Preliminary Semi-Final means that the two NFP heavyweights can now only meet in the Major Semi. The Centurions must now overcome Featherstone Rovers
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LOCAL CRICKET: League Table
SENIOR LEAGUE P W L Nr Bp Pd Ttl Bacup... 14 11 3 0 20 0 130 East Lancs... 14 10 2 2 14 2 118 Rishton... 14 8 4 2 15 0 101 Todmorden... 14 8 6 0 20 1 99 Rawtenstall... 14 6 5 3 28 0 97 Enfield... 14 7 6 1 12 0 85 Colne... 14 7 6 1 10 0 83 Lowerhouse..
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Kelly's eye on Spurs move
ROVERS keeper Alan Kelly could be on his way to Spurs as transfer activity begins to hot up at Ewood Park. Tottenham want the Republic of Ireland international to replace Ian Walker, who is set to leave White Hart Lane this summer. Glen Hoddle sees Kelly
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Turf Moor in line for Royal visit
THE Duke of York will be in the town tomorrow. Prince Andrew will visit the ICT Learning Centre at Burnley Football Club. Part of a partnership between the club and Burnley College, the centre has become a major facility for the local community with more
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Burglar behind bars for two years
A MAN with half a dozen burglary convictions has been given a two-year jail term for a similar crime. Paul Ashworth was told by a Preston Crown Court judge that under new legislation the penalty in future would be three years for a single burglary. Judge
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Fire chiefs warn: put fags out when in bed
FIRE officers have warned the public not to smoke in bed after a fire in Sackville Street, Brierfield, is believed to have been started from a discarded cigarette. The fire started in a bed settee in the living room of the terraced house at around 9.30am
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Sex probe ex-mayor fights for reinstatement
A MAYOR who quit following a police sex investigation wants to return to the post -- and will take legal action to get there. Pendle Coun Fred Hartley will face no charges following an investigation last month. Coun Hartley, 35, resigned after just one
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Schoolday memories
SO big -- 30 inches wide, in fact -- was the original of a photograph sent to Looking Back by reader Mr Zafar Iqbal that there is only space to show a third of the staff and pupils of the old Blackburn High School who were captured by the panoramic camera
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Pop fans went wild over a hanky!
HOW sought-after a 1960s rock star's handkerchief would be nowadays is something that perhaps only an auction of pop memorabilia might decide. But when a red one belonging to a teenagers' heart-throb suddenly came up for grabs in East Lancashire 40 years
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Andrew's a bright spark
BRIGHT spark Andrew Boff has won a prestigious award while on secondment to a Barrowford company. Andrew, 19, of Bacup, developed programming to reduce wastage during lighting manufacture while he was on a work placement with AC/DC Lighting Systems. It
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County council brought into parking row
RESIDENTS who have regularly complained about not being able to park outside their own houses in Colne have reached the final hurdle in their wish for a residents-only parking scheme. Members of the Colne and District Committee approved the idea and will
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Ten years ago
PLANS for a £40 million redevelopment of Blackburn's Boulevard were set for a green light. A new leisure complex and offices on the fringe of town, including a sports hall and ten pin bowling alley, were also being recommended for approval.
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Five years ago
YOUNG Enterprise team members from the Ribble Valley were preparing to pit their business wits against junior entrepreneurs from all over Europe in an international competition. The 12-strong team from Longridge High School, jetted off to Israel for the
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Car escape drama
THREE men had a lucky escape early today when the car in which they were travelling went out of control on a bend on the Grane Road. The car spun round, rolled down a banking and endedup on its side. It was trapped between a wall and fence half a mile
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Crash dad in fight for life
A FATHER of four was fighting for his life today after suffering serious head injuries when his car left a motorway and plunged down an embankment. Grocer Afiz Ali, 33, of Manchester Road, Haslingden, is in the Royal Preston Hospital where his condition
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Leader's pledge to 'bring council closer'
THE new leader of Lancashire County Council today vowed to bring the authority closer to the people. Hazel Harding said she wanted people to go into the council's district offices with the problems and not leave feeling they have been "shunted off". Coun
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Tailor-made schools mean lessons for life
THE rooms which are the centre of attention at Hollins High School don't look much like classrooms. They are literally empty shells. But come September, when youngsters return from their long summer break, these classrooms will be brimming with technological
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A Yappy Birthday!
PAMPERED pooches celebrated their first birthday in style when the rovers returned to East Lancashire. Dog lovers wanted to mark their pets' first 12 months by doing something different -- so booked a pub to hold a birthday bash. Landlady of the Park
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Hotel sales staff check in
ON your marks, get set. Go! That was the message from sales manager Linda O'Connor to the newly-appointed sales team at the Village Hotel, Bury, as they celebrated the opening of its new sales cabin. The hotel, on the Waterfold Business Park, Heap Bridge
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Businesses broadening horizons
MORE North West businesses are broadening their horizons and focusing on overseas markets. And the region's companies are enjoying healthy increases in export orders, according to the latest Lloyds TSB Commercial survey. Forty-two per cent of exporters
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LOCAL CRICKET: Scorecard - NELSON v BACUP
NELSON 120-8 BACUP 121-6 Bacup 10pts, Nelson 2pts NELSON C Pemberton b Young...11 J Finch ct Farragher b Young...21 P Garraghty run out...22 Wingfield lbw Young...0 M Phelan ct Chapman b Young...0 M Bradley b Ormerod...29 D Kegg not out...28 M Khan c
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LOCAL CRICKET: Scorecard - TODMORDEN v RISHTON
TODMORDEN 129-9 RISHTON 132-4 TODMORDEN R Baigent c Bartley b Perren ... 21 S Priestley c Dobson b Janjua ... 6 C Dearden c Bartley b Seedle ... 20 M Nicholson b Seedle ... 4 N Hunter c Whalley b Perren ... 0 B Heywood not out ... 23 M Brierley c Bartley
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LOCAL CRICKET: Lancashire Leagues Scorecards
BURNLEY 173-9 ENFIELD 213-4 Burnley 2 pts, Enfield 10 pts ENFIELD L Jackson c Benkenstein b Brown...16 R Edmonds c Benkenstein b Anderson...1 Van Jaarsveld not out...132 S Reidy c McCleod b Brown...3 A Bracewell lbw b Benkenstein...25 M Greenhalgh not
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LOCAL CRICKET: Dirty business as Bacup race clear
IT was dirty business at Nelson for Bacup yesterday -- but they have shown both their opponents a clean pair of heels this weekend to put them in pole position to reclaim the Transco Lancashire League title. Persistent drizzle meant diving in the outfield
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LOCAL CRICKET: Lancashire Leagues Scorecards
BACUP 197-8 EAST LANCS 91 Bacup 12pts, East Lancs 0pts BACUP P Thompson c Egan b Iqbal...18 D Ayres c Cooper b Young...7 Young c Mercer b Kelly...109 M O'Connor lbw Young...2 T Farragher lbw Iqbal...0 T Lord c Cooper b Iqbal...6 A Spencer c Kelly b Young
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LOCAL CRICKET: Darwen suffer Cup ko after late collapse
DARWEN were knocked out of the Lancashire Cup by Leigh on Sunday as a result of a late collapse in the batting. The game had started promisingly for Darwen as the Leigh innings was put under pressure from a tight Darwen bowling attack led by Semple and
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Race chief cash call to Home Office
THE director of Bury Racial Equality Council (BREC) has met the new Home Secretary to press for extra funding. Mr Khalid Hussain held talks with David Blunkett in Sheffield to discuss direct Home Office funding for BREC. And he also underlined what he
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Hockey teenagers roar to success
A GROUP of teenagers who started to play roller hockey on Prestwich waste ground have roared to success by winning the Bury Metro Roller Hockey League. After playing the game for four years, members of Prestwich Lions Roller Hockey Team finally got their
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Environment company keeps money flowing
ENVIRONMENTALLY-friendly to the tune of £1.7 million! That's the amount of cash distributed by Pilsworth Environment Company (PEC) to help fund large and small projects in Radcliffe and the rest of the Bury area. The £1.7 million has been given in grants
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Boost for town centre
THREE leading high street stores are being lined up to come to Prestwich in a bid to breathe new life into its main shopping centre. Plans have been submitted to Bury Council for a small development of shops on a prime site on the corner of Bury New Road
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Family lose court battle
A FIVE-year-old boy stricken by a mysterious inability to speak has failed in a legal bid to force Bury Council to meet the full cost of a sign language tutor despite winning a High Court judge's sympathy. Connor Freeman, of George Road, Ramsbottom, has
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Residents celebrate bench victory
A GROUP of elderly residents threatened with the loss of two wooden benches have dug in their heels to win their reprieve. Tenants in blocks of flats in Fountain Place, Whitefield, were outraged when community housing officer Alan Maguire wrote to them
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High court ends power struggle over mosque
A HIGH Court ruling has paved the way for peace to be restored to a divided Bury mosque at the centre of a three-year power struggle. And the two factions involved in the lengthy court battle over who should run the town's Parker Street mosque now face
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Burnley ready to spend
AMBITIOUS Burnley are ready to spend as the count-down to the big kick-off begins in ernest this week. But with the Clarets due back for the start of pre-season training tomorrow, chairman Barry Kilby insists that boss Stan Ternent won't splash the cash
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Kelly's eye on Spurs move
ROVERS keeper Alan Kelly could be on his way to Spurs as transfer activity begins to hot up at Ewood Park. Tottenham want the Republic of Ireland international to replace Ian Walker, who is set to leave White Hart Lane this summer. Glen Hoddle sees Kelly
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True blend for success
RIBBLE VALLEY entrepreneur Michael Green is launching a new High Street tea-bar concept that will challenge the spread of the ubiquitous coffee shop. Manchester will be the first venue for the 'Mumbo' chain of fresh and contemporary tea outlets which
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Fall in for a season of change
BURY'S first teamers arrived back at Gigg Lane in preparation for what could be a momentus season of change. With an expected boardroom takeover only weeks away there was an unusual air of confidence and uncertainty to greet Andy Preece's squad. The confidence
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Heroin addict'sfresh start bid
A 24-year-old man battling against heroin addiction moved to a Darwen hostel with his wife and their two children in an attempt to escape from his drug connections in Preston. Blackburn magistrates heard that Darren Robinson was making good progress under
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Popular cop Phil puts his feet up
A WELL-KNOWN Darwen policeman retired from the force today, 30 years after he joined at the age of just 16. Colleagues will be saying their last goodbyes to Sergeant Phil Nowland because he will be wearing his uniform for the last time on his final day
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Bishop calls for foot and mouth inquiry
THE Bishop of Blackburn is leading calls for a comprehensive Government inquiry into the foot and mouth crisis. The Rt Rev Alan Chesters prompted the General Synod, the Church of England's "parliament," to vote for a public inquiry into the outbreak which
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Seminar bid to stop school bullying
A CONFERENCE on school bullying was due to take place in Lancashire today. The County Council says it will tackle the issues of bullying in schools with interested parties in an attempt to prevent the problem blighting the lives of young people. More
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Beware of 'free' holidays, warn council
LANCASHIRE County Council's trading standards department has warned people to be on their guard against companies offering "free" holidays. Flyers sent by UK Consumer Competitions on behalf of Holidays Direct say you can get a holiday for two people for
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Pronto service set for roaring success
AN innovative 'speaking eye' has been made available for blind people thanks to a £1,000 donation by Blackburn Lions. The device, known as Pronto, scans documents and reads them out loud giving blind people the chance to deal with their own correspondence
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Calderstones probe call
BOSSES at Calderstones Hospital today faced calls for an urgent security review after MPs, unions and health watchdogs expressed concern about a series of incidents involving patients. Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans and Hyndburn Labour MP Greg Pope
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MOTORSPORT: Lampkin on top
TRIALS: Dougie Lampkin, who rides for Burnley-based Sandiford Motorcycles team, took a significant step towards winning his fifth consecutive World Outdoor title when he secured an important victory on the second day of the French event. Edging another
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GOLF: Flanagan turns on style to take the Trophy
TONY Flanagan from Nelson Golf Club won the Wilpshire Trophy on Saturday to follow up his victory in the Revidge Cannon at Blackburn GC the previous week. Record books are being scoured to ascertain whether his achievement is unique. Tony's score was
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More to come says Stanley boss
ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman hasn't ruled out adding another striker to his squad -- despite having at least four at the Crown Ground. The Reds chief already has Paul Mullin, Mark Shirley and Gary Williams up front and also added Tom Beech
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MP should live in the town
I WRITE in response to the letter (June 15) from D. E. Armsbey suggesting that David Chaytor MP might now consider moving into the constituency. I was an undecided voter in this year's election, but when it came to voting day and only one of the three
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Let's build on 1945 victory
IN reply to Mrs J. Allison's letter (June 19), we must all respect the supreme sacrifice made by many British people to beat the Nazis and fascism in the 1940s. That was done to defend European democracy. Economically, geographically and historically,
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We are letting Europe dictate
THE Republic of Ireland voted overwhelmingly against the Treaty of Nice. According to EU rules on unanimity this treaty should now be dead in the water. The EU say that this cannot be allowed to happen as EU enlargement depends upon it. This is totally
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Tobacco ads: government all talk and no action
AS a doctor who has all too often seen wholly preventable suffering and premature deaths caused by smoking, I am dismayed by the Government's failure to introduce a bill to ban tobacco advertising in this session of parliament. This means that a manifesto
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Unfair to say that we don't care
AS chairman of Bury East Area Board and, until recently, chairman of the East Bury Initiative, I felt that I had to respond to the inaccuracies and issues raised by Ms Ivanoff's letter headed "Bury East: suffering and isolated" (June 29). The overwhelming
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Teenage girl killed in head-on crash
A TEENAGER from Radcliffe died after the car she was travelling in was involved in a head-on collision. Lindsey Gunning, aged 17, of Bolton Road, was a passenger in a Vauxhall Cavalier which crashed on Saturday night. The driver of the Cavalier and his
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EVENTS taling place in East lancashire on Tuesday, July 10:
Pendle District Citizens Advice Bureau, Earby Surgery, Edward Street, Earby, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Short Tennis Coaching, Darwen Leisure Centre, 10am-noon. Friends in Bereavement, Pendle Community Hospital, Leeds Road, Nelson, 7pm. Speaker: Lynne Chadwick. Exhibition
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Boro juniors tournament goes large
RADCLIFFE Borough Junior Football Club are to host what is believed to be the North West's biggest junior football tournament later this month. More than 170 teams of youngsters aged from nine to 14 years have registered to take part in competitions arranged
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This week in 1976 25 years ago
HEATWAVE: Bury sweltered in the high 80s as a heatwave hit Britain. As temperatures soared outside it went even higher inside, forcing a walkout by production workers at Warth paintmakers Donald Macpherson and Co. A number of other local companies were
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Cadets on target to gain badge
AIR Cadets from the 1262 Blackburn Squadron have attended their annual camp at RAF Brampton. And nine out of the 11 Blackburn cadets were right on target at the camp when they achieved their marksmanship badge on the shooting range. In addition, the cadets
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Can you help the children?
A CHARITY for people who are both deaf and blind has turned to East Lancashire in its search for volunteers to help give children the holiday of a lifetime. Every year Sense organises around 25 summer holidays for more than 120 deaf and blind children
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Farm son gun tragedy
A FARMER'S son has been found dead with gunshot wounds to his head. Mr Carl Shepherd's body was discovered last night in a bedroom at the family home at Plane Tree Farm, off Bradley Fold Road, Ainsworth. The 41-year-old is believed to have had an argument
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Scouts defend camp title
A BURY Scout troop were in-tent on defending their championship title. Following tough guidelines, the six-strong team from the 9th Bury (Walmersley) Scout Group were poles apart from the opposition and retained the annual Camping Competition shield.
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Station gets a facelift
WHITEFIELD bus station is in the fast lane for a facelift. But passengers are warned that during the six-week refurbishment, beginning on July 30, they could face minor disruption. Work to the bus station in Stanley Road will involve dismantling existing
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Police to investigate after car crash
AN investigation has been launched by police after one of their vehicles was involved in an accident. PC Geoff Lyons suffered minor whiplash injuries and shock when his marked Astra car was in collision with a silver BMW. The accident happened shortly
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Good sports!
ON a sunny morning at the Market Street track in Bury, children from 32 junior schools from around the borough competed in the annual athletics event. The young athletes ran the 60m, 100m, 800m and relay events and competed in the long jump. In front
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School's push for £50,000 sponsorship
RADCLIFFE High School is to bid for Specialist Technology College (STC) status, but needs to raise £50,000 in sponsorship. The Abden Street school is hoping that local businesses will help in its aim to finalise its application by March next year. If
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New tenants organisation is launched
A NEW umbrella organisation to represent tenants and residents across the borough has been launched. The new body is called the Tenants' and Residents' Association Consultative Committee (TRACC), set up following the demise of the former Tenants' and
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Pop's relief as group hit top
THE father of pop star Suzanne Shaw spoke of his relief after her band Hear'Say found their way to the top of the charts for a second time, with the smash hit The Way To Your Love. Suzanne and fellow band members had pinned high hopes on their second
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Pupils show their passion for fashion
PROBLEolving pupils from Prestwich Community High School showed they meant business, by teaming up with local firms for two "industry days". The world of fashion was just one of the areas explored, with pupils designing a whole range of wacky attire,
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Feeling sick at the council
TOWN Hall bosses have been given £35,000 to tackle staff sickness levels which are going from bad to worse. The money, a Government grant, will be spent on a range of action plans to stem the tide of absence. The total number of days lost through sickness
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Hospice celebrates ten years
A DECADE after Bury Hospice admitted its first patient, the Dumers Lane centre for care held a garden party to mark ten successful years. The event was a way of saying thank you to all those selfless people who, through the years, have worked so hard
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Teens team are to guide the way
TEENAGERS have been playing their part in ensuring that their needs are met by social services. The youngsters worked with council officers to produce user-friendly leaflets which explain how they are to be assessed. They were asked to give their views
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Modernisation review of NHS
USERS of the local health service will celebrate NHS week by injecting their views into how it is run. Bury and Rochdale Health Authority is using NHS Week to launch a modernisation review which will enable staff and patients to have their say on the
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Closure, but no consultation
ACCORDING to Bury MBC's own "Best Value" policy, service users and the wider local community can expect: More involvement, for example through consultation, user surveys, discussion groups; Better services, that is services that better meet the needs
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School minibus fund gets fun day boost
STAFF at Woolworths in Burnley are hoping that a charity fun day held at the weekend will have taken them one step nearer their fundraising target of £2,500. The store has chosen Westway School, in March Street, as their charity for the year and is hoping
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Village hit by mini crime wave
POLICE are warning Cliviger residents to be vigilant after four houses and two cars were broken into over the past week. Police were today preparing to put out patrols in the area but have also asked for residents to write down any information on any
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Two in court over knife 'attack'
A MAN is recovering in hospital after suffering a punctured lung in an alleged knife attack in Nelson. John Brown, 25, suffered a knife wound to the left shoulder blade in the incident in Bankhouse Road on Saturday afternoon. He was admitted to Burnley
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Move your buses, owner told
PLANS to take legal action against the owner of land in Blacko which is cluttered with buses have been put on hold by the council. The owner of Peel House Farm, in Gisburn Old Road, has five buses parked around the farm which can be seen from Gisburn
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Sainst back on track after romp
SAINTS put their Super League title defence back on track in a 70-16 derby romp over arch rivals Warrington at Knowsley Road. Sainst are now third with 25 points from 18 games. Leaders Bradford beat Hull 40-0 on Friday night to make it 29 points from
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Petrol bomb attacks: man in court
A MAN has been charged with carrying out two racially motivated petrol bomb attacks in Accrington 12 days ago. Rajab Ali, 20, of Empress Street, Accrington, is due to appear before Hyndburn Magistrates today charged in connection with a fire to a Ford
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Driver 'stable' after smash
A DRIVER suffered serious head injuries when his car left the motorway, plunged down and embankment, crashed through a fence and possibly somersaulted before ending up on its wheels in a field. Afiz Ali, 33, of Manchester Road, Haslingden, is in the Royal
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Record breaking Cooper crush
A 500-strong crowd watched as a group of supermarket staff became unconfirmed record breakers when 20 of them squeezed into a Mini Cooper. Brave volunteers from Asda's Accrington store in Hyndburn Road, packed into the tiny vehicle to raise cash for charity
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Woodland grows from factory plan
PLANS to screen an Oswaldtwistle factory from nearby residents have developed into the beginnings of a new 90-acre forest. The site was set to be officially opened today by Hyndburn MP Greg Pope . Fields beside the M65 motorway are now filled with more
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Nine months for man chased with drug haul
A 31-YEAR-OLD man who collected drugs for a friend and threw the haul over a wall, has been jailed for nine months. Burnley Crown Court heard how Masood Acthar, drove the wrong way down a one way street, causing other vehicles to swerve, instead of pulling
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Missing man safe and well
A DEPRESSED elderly man sparked a police hunt over the weekend when he vanished from his home indicating he was going to commit suicide. Mr John Whittaker, 76, returned to Cockerill Terrace, Barrow, safe and well late on Saturday night after going missing
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Prepare for pension change
BOLTON and Bury Chamber is urging local employers to shake off their apathy to the Government's new stakeholder pensions and start preparing now. And Radcliffe business bosses are invited to attend a briefing on the issue next Tuesday. (July 10). Mr Andrew
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Champagne all round
THRIVING Bury Business Environment Association (BEA) has achieved a major milestone. For in just three years, it has recruited 150 members from companies throughout the borough wishing to take advantages of BEA's range of environment-related services.
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Local history is secured with new deal
A FAMILY-OWNED rope and cordage manufacturer in Radcliffe has just tied up a new and significant deal to safeguard the firm's proud history. John H. Blakey Ltd, based at New Bridge Mill in Lord Street Industrial Estate, has been taken over by English
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Raise your glasses to Stuart!
EYEWEAR design guru Stuart Jones is to spearhead a styling revolution in high street opticians. The move by Whitefield man Stuart Jones follows a merger deal with Brosgill and Procter, possibly the north's fastest growing optical group. And the locally-born
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Burnley ready to spend
AMBITIOUS Burnley are ready to spend as the count-down to the big kick-off begins in ernest this week. But with the Clarets due back for the start of pre-season training tomorrow, chairman Barry Kilby insists that boss Stan Ternent won't splash the cash
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LOCAL CRICKET: Lancs thank the rain despite slip
LANCASHIRE have slipped to third in the Championship table -- although the rain did them a big favour in Northampton at the weekend. Somerset climbed above them by a point with their victory over Essex on Saturday. But Yorkshire, the runaway leaders,
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LOCAL CRICKET: Chorley continue their charge
AN emphatic victory by 104 runs over championship rivals St Annes at Vernon Road lifted unbeaten Chorley to second in the Northern Premier League, just six points behind Netherfield whose win at Darwen enabled them to regain first place. Another vintage
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LOCAL CRICKET: Scothern leads Ribblesdale League into final
MICHAEL Scothern led the Jennings Ribblesdale League to the final of the inter-league knockout competition yesterday. The league skipper bowled a tight six-over spell which cost just 10 runs to secure victory over the Lancashire County League. They now
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LOCAL CRICKET: Bacup deal their title rivals a major blow
DEFENDING Transco Lancashire League champions Bacup knocked East Lancs of the top of the table and regained pole position in the championship race thanks to a stunning all-round performance from professional Shaun Young. The big Tasmanian hit a magnificent
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Disappointment over scrapped hostel
RESIDENTS, whose protests forced plans for a homeless hostel in Bury to be ditched, have come under fire. Lee Rogers, the Outreach and resettlement co-ordinator for Bury Housing Concern, said that he had been working for three years to establish a hostel
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Blast destroys takeaway shop
MYSTERY surrounds the cause of a massive explosion which ripped through a kebab shop in Prestwich. Residents have told how they heard a bomb-like blast at 1am yesterday (Thurs July 5), seconds before the front and rear windows were blown out of the Kashmir
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Driver died after "mystery" crash
A RETIRED quality surveyor died after his car inexplicably veered into the path of an oncoming vehicle, an inquest heard. A combination of his crash injuries, including cracked ribs and bleeding lungs together with pre-existing heart disease, led to the
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Shortages in skills worry
DTI statistics show that 60 per cent of businesses in the region now have a website for marketing, yet just one in four are using the internet for on-line trading. Adair Turner, ex-Director General of the CBI and now a director of Netscalibur, argues
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Extension bid is put on hold
WOLSTENHOLME International's plans to build a 80,000 sq ft extension to its factory at Darwen have been put on hold because of environmental concerns. Blackburn with Darwen's Planning and Highways Committee has deferred a decision on the new building
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Child porn man awaits sentence
A FORMER Darwen man, who pleaded guilty to downloading child pornography from the internet, is to be assessed for suitability for the sex offenders programme run by the probation service. Christopher Paul Robert Hows, 22, now of Barking, Essex, had previously
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Light shed on story of Tommy
A PENSIONER who used to go to school with the infamous Tommy Thompson -- better known to locals as Val De Ree -- has shed a bit more light on the rag and bone man. Jimmy Sandam, 76, of Mayfield Flats, Darwen was educated at Sudell High School at the same
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Safety kids scoop top prize
CHILDREN at a Darwen primary school have scooped a top prize for safety after winning a safety competition following the re-opening of the school. Pupils at Holy Trinity CE, Darwen, had their school officially re-opened by local MP Janet Anderson last
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Royal honour for charity workers
FUND-raisers were awarded a prestigious award to recognise their continuous charity work over the past 10 years. Margaret Holden, of Cyprus Street, Darwen, and Brenda Donohue, of Brigsteer Close, Clayton-le-Moors received the President's Medal from the
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Youth charged with attack on paramedic
A TEENAGER has been charged with actually bodily harm after an incident which left a paramedic with facial injuries. James Tatino, 18, of Cavendish Street, Darwen, was due before Blackburn magistrates today after an incident in Greenway Street, Darwen
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Youth charged with attack on paramedic
A TEENAGER has been charged with actually bodily harm after an incident which left a paramedic with facial injuries. James Tatino, 18, of Cavendish Street, Darwen, was due before Blackburn magistrates today after an incident in Greenway Street, Darwen
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Water troubles back to plague residents
PROBLEMS with the water supply returned to a district of Bacup, bringing with it further disruption and inconvenience. Residents of Lee Road and Flag Street thought their mains had been fixed until a pipe burst and water poured down the road into the
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'Green means you can't build'
A HOUSING plan which is against both local and national planning policy is recommended for refusal by planners when they meet tomorrow. An outline application to build two semi-detached split level houses on land opposite St Saviour's Church, New Line
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Steering committee asks for volunteers
PEOPLE from Bacup and Stacksteads are invited to join a steering committee to ensure a community centre delivers courses and activities they want to see. Sunnycrest Community Centre, on the Pennine Road Estate in Bacup, has taken over a block of four
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Pub baptism for new vicar
THE Rev Neil Hepworth, new vicar of Weir Baptist Church, began his role in the village in an unusual way this weekend -- by taking his first service in a pub. Up to 45 adults and children packed into the Weir Hotel yesterday, where they will meet until
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Store thief caught with toys
A YOUNG man tried to walk out of Woolworths without paying for over £100 worth of cuddly toys he had placed in a bag, a court was told. Blackburn magistrates heard that Warren Melling, who had been watched by store detectives, was stopped and detained
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This street is for shops, not banks
COUNCILLORS have moved to prevent one of Blackburn's main shopping streets from becoming a target for re-locating banks and building societies. They have formally approved plans for the Halifax Building Society to move into the former Burton's menswear
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Birthday treat for Edna the super day tripper
A DAY tripper from Blackburn has been presented with a birthday treat by her favourite coachline. Edna Wyatt has travelled with Blackburn Coachlines three times a week for the last 22 years and visited every destination that the company visits at least
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Final whistle for loyal fan Nellie
A DEDICATED lifelong football supporter who was Blackburn Rovers' oldest fan has died, aged 101. Football fanatic Nellie Whitehead was watching games up until the last few months of her life. She has supported Rovers from childhood and was one of the
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GOLF: Open chance for Hunt
GIVE Michael Hunt the choice between a European Challenge Tour card for next season or a place at this year's Open and there is no contest. The 22-year-old amateur would go for the Open every time. The current ELGA champion today embarks on his first
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MOTORSPORT: Hodgson doubles up on the podium
NEIL Hodgson achieved his best results outside Britain with two podium finishes at Laguna Seca yesterday. The Burnley rider was second in the opening race of the American round of the World Superbike championship and third in the follow-up contest. Native
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Metrolink must end dogs "ban"
METROLINK apparently has a policy not to allow dogs to travel on the trams. I do not agree with this. Dogs are allowed to travel with their owners on buses and trains and, though I have written to Metrolink a number of times, they refuse to change their
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They won't get out of bed
I MUST say I agree with what "Nuff Respect" had to say (Your Letters, June 26)). There are lots of jobs that these scroungers could do, but these days they would rather draw benefit than get out of bed early and work for it. They should be given four
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Is Census a security risk?
IT is reported that up to 50 per cent of the UK's population will not be recorded in the Census. Many failed to return the form; others will have been lost in the post. Forget the effect it will have on the accuracy of the Census, what if some of these
