Archive
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Reality of our town at night
OUR chief reporter is no stranger to East Lancashire's nightlife but some of what he saw in Blackburn on Saturday did surprise him. Many of the thousands of youngsters out on the town were in a party mood and just enjoying themselves - and that's made
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Fright on the tiles
NIGHTCLUB supremo Margo Grimshaw claims the boozy culture in Blackburn makes her want to shut up shop, while middle-aged people say they avoid the town centre at night. But police believe folk have nothing to be afraid of. Chief reporter DAVID HIGGERSON
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Line-up for new season of plays revealed
THE Rossendale Players have announced the line-up for their 69th season. It opens on September 25, at the New Millennium Theatre, Waterfoot, with a week-long performance of The Ghost Train, a classic comedy thriller. Between November 16 and Saturday 20
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Prestwich remain top despite defeats
A DOUBLE defeat left leaders Prestwich in the doldrums - until they learned the chasing pack had failed to cash in. The Heys side is still eight points clear at the top of the Lancashire County League, despite being on the wrong end of two nail-biting
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Let's have places for decent people
IAM writing in response to Margo Grimshaw's assessment of the drinking culture in Blackburn. The town centre is quite mild now to how it used to be and I can go back quite a lot of years. Although I haven't been in town for over 12 months now, due to
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Inquiry must sustain poll standards
FOR the moment the dust appears to be settling on the recent political turmoil created by the deplorable actions of the six reneging newly-elected councillors. Importantly to follow will be the internal party inquiry brought about by a motion tabled by
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Murder charge after hostel body find
A 22-YEAR-OLD man was today charged with murder following the discovery of a body at a Darwen hostel. David Smith, who had been staying at the Police Street hostel in the town, was due to appear at Blackburn magistrates today after being formally charged
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Three-try Percival makes happy return
Leigh Centurions 36 Oldham 12 by Mike Hulme: CHRIS Percival's first game in over two months brought him a hat-trick and put paid to some stout resistance from Oldham. Percival returned after a nine-week lay off with a knee injury to score the tries that
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Emerton hails Spanish winger
BLACKBURN Rovers midfielder Brett Emerton believes the arrival of Spanish winger Javier De Pedro will give the team a whole new dimension next season. Emerton got his first real glimpse of the former Real Sociedad star during Friday night's friendly with
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Mum's degree of success
A COMPANY director from Burnley has scooped a prestigious prize for outstanding performance while studying. Mum-of-one Chantelle I'Anson-Sparks, 34, has graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a 2.1 law degree. And she was the toast of
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Hospital workers plan dive for lives
TWO Burnley hospital workers will face their fears later this year - with a skydive to raise vital funds for a children's cancer charity. Paula Grange, 21, and Melissa Hawke, 24, who both work as clerical officers at Burnley General Hospital, have already
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Name in the frame for Co-op site job
THE name of the developer chosen to transform the former Co-op Pioneer site in Burnley into a multi-million pound development will be announced tomorrow. Five "big-hitting" firms have been competing for the chance to build a major new retail development
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Homes approval causes uproar
A BRIERFIELD councillor has slammed Pendle Council's decision to approve plans to build 27 new homes on the site of a 19th-century mill. The proposals were initially blocked by members of the Brierfield and Reedley Committee, who felt Lob Lane Mill in
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Phoenix rises from setback
A HUGE scheme to demolish and rebuild properties in some of Accrington's most run-down areas will not be defeated by cash problems, Hyndburn Council has promised. Project Phoenix will see properties bought up and replaced by the council over the coming
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Making the most of your rubbish
NEXT time you sit down on a bench, take a closer look - you could be sitting on your own rubbish. That's the hope of an Accrington firm which was set up four years ago by a community group and is now on the way to becoming one of East Lancashire's most
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Police alert after spate of shop break-ins
POLICE in Accrington are hunting a gang of burglars who are targeting town-centre shops. And officers investigating the thieves have urged shop owners to ensure they do not leave cash on the premises following another spate of town-centre break-ins at
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Judge condemns couple's 'appalling' attack
A JUDGE has condemned a young couple for an "appalling" attack on a 21-year-old. Bolton Crown Court heard that Gary Crawford, aged 20, of Stirling Grove, Whitefield, repeatedly kicked Andrew Randalls in the head outside the Church Inn Pub, Bury New Road
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Fairfax Road plans U-turn
PEOPLE power has forced developers to do a U-turn on plans to make Fairfax Road in Prestwich a one-way route. Town Hall bosses have refused the request from Carillion to close part of the road for 18 months while it built the Radius apartments complex
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Cotterill joy as Chaplow commits his Clarets future
STEVE Cotterill today revealed his delight after Richard Chaplow signed a new-four-year deal. Clarets midfielder Chaplow, who still had two years remaining on his first professional contract signed just last year, has put pen to paper on new terms that
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All set for a sober stay
DARREN BENTLEY reports from Austria. . . AS Steve Cotterill continues to make those all-important decisions early into his reign, he appears to have come up trumps again! Burnley's training base here in Obertraun, some 40 kilometres east of Salzburg,
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Steve makes sure it's all mapped out
DARREN BENTLEY reports from Austria. . . IF Steve Cotterill ever decides to give up on football management, a career as a travel agent is assured! A meticulous attention to detail means that absolutely nothing here in Obertraun is left to chance. Training
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John leaves Saints reeling
A DEVASTATING display of swing bowling by professional Stephen John brought Chorley success in the Northern Premier League. John claimed seven wickets for eight runs in 11 overs as St Annes were dismissed for just 35 as Chorley wrapped up a maximum 15
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Alahi takes lead for Cherry Tree
Veka Ribblesdale League. . . CLITHEROE and Cherry Tree met in the Veka Ribblesdale League with the shadow of a ball-tampering scandal hanging over both clubs. After bowlers from the teams were reported to the league's disciplinary committee the clubs
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Magpies miss out
CHORLEY were beaten 3-1 by a strong Altrincham side in their second pre-season friendly at Victory Park. After a disappointing first half performance in which they conceded two soft goals, the Magpies improved considerably in the second period and Neil
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'Face-lift' grants for business
BUSINESSES in Nelson town centre are being offered grants from Pendle Council to improve their premises. Grants of up to £3,000 are being offered to help businesses improve the external appearance of their properties, or to help pay for internal structural
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Hubby's having an affair with the garden
HARRY! Harry! Throughout my childhood and beyond -- as recently as last weekend in fact -- I have witnessed my mum standing calling my dad. For dinner, for tea, to come to the phone, or simply to sit with her in the sun with a newspaper -- the reasons
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Borough make their mark on Gascoigne
Radcliffe Borough 1 Man United Reserves 2 by Mike Whalley: PAUL Gascoigne played a full 90 minutes for Radcliffe Borough on Saturday -- and then tipped them for the Unibond Premier Division title. Gascoigne and former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe
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Five in knife attacks quiz
FOUR men were taken to hospital after two separate violent incidents involving knives in Darwen and Blackburn. Police were today appealing for witnesses to both attacks . Five people were taken into custody. Two men in their early 20s suffered serious
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Murder charge after hostel body find
A 22-YEAR-OLD man was today charged with murder following the discovery of a body at a Darwen hostel. David Smith, who had been staying at the Police Street hostel in the town, was due to appear at Blackburn magistrates today after being formally charged
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Museum doors open to new look
ROSSENDALE Museum, which was saved from the axe last year, has re-opened to the public after a major revamp. The museum was saved thanks to a partnership between Lancashire County Council and Rossendale Borough Council, but has been closed since November
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Pub noise will be measured
A PUB has been granted a public entertainment licence - but told to keep noise levels down. Despite a flurry of protests from residents surrounding the Beehive pub, in Preston Old Road, Blackburn, landlord Barry Brooks was granted the licence by councillors
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Service starts pager system
LANCASHIRE Ambulance Services are to provide a new paging system for vehicles that are left with them for servicing. For over 10 years the ambulance service has provided servicing and maintenance to businesses and the public from its four vehicle service
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'Danger man' snared in swoop
A "DANGEROUS" escaped prisoner who spent three months on the run has been snared by police in Blackburn. Raymond Marsden, who escaped from jail while serving a sentence for stabbing a man, was caught in the early hours of Saturday morning in the Higher
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Payback time in lines row
MOTORISTS are set to bombard police and council officials with demands to pay back parking fines which could have been taken illegally, it was claimed today. A bureaucratic loophole has meant many of Blackburn's single yellow lines were invalid because
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Speare says farewell
Accrington Stanley 4 Jamie Speare XI 0. . . GOALKEEPER Jamie Speare bade an emotional farewell to Accrington Stanley after his six years of service were acknowledged with a testimonial. And the fans' favourite thanked the supporters and players who turned
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Bulb still going strong
HINDLEY pensioner Stan Dawber could make his name in the Guinness Book of Records -- with a light bulb bought in 1938. Stan, 82, inherited the bulb when his mother died and it's still going strong on top of a bedside clock. I hear the cry, any bulb would
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Just my luck...
JUST typical. I returned to my desk on Monday after a two week break in unsettled weather and what happens? The sun shines that's what. I feared for the carnival on Saturday when the rain teemed down most of the day, but thankfully fortunes were reversed
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Holiday classes ease switch
DRESSED in jeans and tracksuits, you might expect children to be relaxing in parks or shopping centres after breaking up from school. But a dedicated few have returned to their desks for summer school and are learning a range of subjects to prepare for
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Campaigners battle to save ancient footpath
FOOTPATH users who say an ancient right of way in Goshen is under threat have voiced their arguments at a public inquiry. Bury Council want the footpath, adjacent to Bury Cemetery, to be re-routed to make way for a new housing development. The current
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Time's running out for grave concern
BRITAIN'S graveyards are filling up and time is running out for authorities to find a solution. With just 10 years' worth of burial plots left in some cemeteries, the Government and local councils are urgently seeking to address the space shortages. The
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Hospital staff were first class
ON July 14 I was admitted to Blackburn Infirmary to have my veins done. The staff were top class from the consultants to the cleaners. The friendliness and efficiency made the stay like two nights at a five-star hotel. Good food as well. T DOHERTY, Whalley
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More food for thought
I HAVE been cooking for almost 70 years and I have seen many changes in the way we eat and how we buy our food. I love the enthusiasm we are beginning to show for locally produced food. But I do believe we should all think carefully about the welfare
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Arson hunt after mill blaze
POLICE were today hunting arsonists who put firefighters' lives in danger after they torched a former wall coverings factory in Nelson. Around 40 firefighters took 24 hours to put out the blaze at John Wilman's mill, in Reedyford Road, after the fire
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Rovers rule out Fowler
BLACKBURN Rovers have quashed reports linking Graeme Souness with a surprise move for Robbie Fowler. Several sources have claimed that a deal to bring the Manchester City striker to Ewood Park is 'imminent.' But as I understand it, Souness is NOT interested
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Festival has fringe benefits for bands
VENUES across Burnley are gearing up for this year's Reach 2 Fringe Festival. The event, which takes place in the run up to the main festival in Queen's Park on Sunday, August 22, proved so successful last year that organisers decided to run it again
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'Block the mast' call
PLANS for a mobile phone mast on a mill in Briercliffe look set to be approved despite objections from local residents. A petition signed by 490 people living near King's Mill, in Queen Street, has been handed to Burnley Council ahead of a meeting of
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Balloon fliers put on a brave face
FEISTY folk from across the region did their best to remain cheerful as rain and chilly temperatures threatened to deflate this year's balloon festival. Hundreds of people visited Burnley's Towneley Park over the weekend hoping to get a glimpse of hot
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Judge 'never too busy to listen'
TRIBUTES flowed as Judge Raymond Bennett sat for the last time as Honorary Recorder of Burnley. His retirement brings to an end not only a 43-year career in the law, but an era for the town, as it loses its own judge. Judge Bennett, 65, was Burnley's
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Barrow unhappy with Shakers
Bury 0 Wigan Athletic 4: BURY manager Graham Barrow is looking for a major improvement from his team after they crashed to a pre-season defeat against their neighbours. Two goals each from Jason Roberts and Nathan Ellington ensured a comfortable win for
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Fun for the all family in the 'great outdoors'
A FAMILY fun day will be held at Marsden Park in Nelson next week. Visitors to The Great Outdoors Day, on Saturday, August 7, will be able to enjoy face painting, owl and hawk displays and fairground rides. They will also have the chance to have a go
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Arson hunt after mill blaze
POLICE were today hunting arsonists who put firefighters' lives in danger after they torched a former wall coverings factory in Nelson. Around 40 firefighters took 24 hours to put out the blaze at John Wilman's mill, in Reedyford Road, after the fire
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Down the years
10 years ago A FRIGHTENED cow drowned when it leaped into a well during a thunder storm. The animal jumped through the wooden well cover and into the deep drinking water at the bottom. It was discovered by landowners Peter and Linda Bateman at their Higher
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Bank card taken as man was attacked in house
A MAN was subjected to an hour-long ordeal during a visit to a friend's home in Accrington. Lee Grosvenor became the victim of violence, was searched and several hundred pounds withdrawn from his bank account after a bank card was seized from him. Two
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Tory's rap for new Euro job
NORTH West MPs have given a mixed reaction to the appointment of former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson as Britain's new European Commissioner. Ribble Valley Tory MP, Nigel Evans has branded the appointment 'dreadful' and attacked Tony Blair for his
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Leaders Church make the most of their chance
LEADERS Church made the most of the inactivity of others to stretch their lead at the top of the Musbury Fabrics Lancashire League. Of the other clubs who can challenge the Blackburn Road side only Nelson managed to play, though they too upped the ante
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Rovers rule out Fowler
BLACKBURN Rovers have quashed reports linking Graeme Souness with a surprise move for Robbie Fowler. Several sources have claimed that a deal to bring the Manchester City striker to Ewood Park is 'imminent.' But as I understand it, Souness is NOT interested
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Cotterill joy as Chaplow commits his Clarets future
STEVE Cotterill today revealed his delight after Richard Chaplow signed a new-four-year deal. Clarets midfielder Chaplow, who still had two years remaining on his first professional contract signed just last year, has put pen to paper on new terms that
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Toffee firm takeover is so sweet for Glisten
FAST-EXPANDING chocolates and sweets manufacturer Glisten has been on the takeover trail again with the purchase of House of York. The Blackburn-based company has bought the specialist toffee-maker in a £120,000 deal - its fourth acquisition in the past
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Firm bags sweet deal in buy out
STOCKLEYS, one of Hyndburn's oldest companies, has been bought in what its new owners described as a 'sweet' deal. The firm - famous for its traditional toffees, as well as sarsaparilla tablets, coltsfoot rock, humbugs and pear drops - has been taken
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It's go for Gala
ORGANISERS of the fourth annual Sunnyhurst Family Gala want people to make this year's event the best yet - so they can raise vital money for improvements to Sunnyhurst Wood, Darwen. The gala in the woods on Sunday, August 8, has again been organised
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Fat chance for TV wannabes
FANS of the TV programme Fat Friends are being offered the chance to meet the cast - and help a sick little girl. Two year-old Eva Heeks, who lives with her family at Blackamoor Road, Guide, caught meningitis as a baby which left her deaf and blind and
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Canal rescue is a birthday treat!
A WOMAN had to be rescued by firefighters after trying to pluck her dog from a canal. Julie Wade braved the murky waters near The Wharf, Blackburn, about 2pm on Saturday in a bid to save her alsatian Brambles. The 28-year-old was in the water for 20 minutes
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Calls for more mental health care cash
1MENTAL health bosses today revealed they were fighting for more resources after the quality of care offered to East Lancashire patients came under fire. Days after Lancashire Care NHS Trust, the agency in charge of the area's mental health care, was
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Crewe visit
ACCRINGTON Stanley take on Coca Cola Championship side Crewe Alexandra in their fifth pre-season friendly tonight. Boss Dario Gradi has vowed to bring a strong squad to the Interlink Express Stadium for the game (kick-off 7.45pm).
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All aboard the Metro
MOTORISTS will be enticed to take the tram with the news that Metrolink is to create park and ride sites at Besses and Whitefield at a cost of £590,000. The developments will allow drivers to park their cars and to board trams. Altogether, four park and
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Prestwich remain top despite defeats
A DOUBLE defeat left leaders Prestwich in the doldrums - until they learned the chasing pack had failed to cash in. The Heys side is still eight points clear at the top of the Lancashire County League, despite being on the wrong end of two nail-biting
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What a din
EVEN our emergency service vehicle sirens are becoming Americanised. They make an awful din as well as frightening drivers to death. I moved over for a police van on Atherleigh Way the other day that shot past sounding like a squealing pig. What was wrong
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For Wigan, read Leigh
WIGAN revellers were filmed as part of a "Saturday Night Britain" news feature to shock the country into accepting it has a big binge drinking problem. It could easily have been Leigh. The yobs have taken over and it's got to stop. Urgent action is needed
