Archive
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Album review: Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental (Parlophone)
REUNITED with producer Trevor Horn, you'd hope for a return to the glory days for the electro duo. Fans may argue that this is indeed what it is but to me it sounds much like more of the same old stuff. The single I'm With Stupid is on a par with
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High flyer ‘freebies’ for Straw
JACK Straw today admitted he had taken advantage of a new type of "freebie" for MPs. The Leader of the Commons and Blackburn MP, received a free upgrade on three international British Airways flights for himself and his family. The growing trend for
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Mayor’s ‘rain’ begins
BLACKBURN with Darwen's new mayor Coun Dorothy Walsh celebrated her appointment with a civic service and parade. The parade on Sunday morning was blighted by poor weather but the rain didn't put off more than 200 people from taking part. It began at
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Learn all about teaching
WANNABE teachers are being encouraged to go back to school to learn more about the profession. Alder Grange High School in Rawtenstall is hosting an open evening aimed at students looking to pursue a career in teaching. The two-hour event takes place
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My goal is to avoid World Cup mayhem
I'm not looking forward to summer. I thought I would try and struggle through the coming season with my head inside a paper bag, but a trip to my local Asda at the weekend convinced me that you can run but you cannot hide. There it all was, laid out
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Witness plea after muggings
A ROBBER who mugged a pensioner and failed in another bag snatch attempt was today being hunted by police. Officers appealed for witnesses in a bid to help catch the mugger who struck in Audley, Blackburn. On Thursday afternoon the robber approached
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Armed robber in double raid
AN ARMED robber has targeted two off- licences in Blackburn for the second time in a week. Police said the hooded raider made off with cash from Booze Buster in Wendsley Road and Bargain Booze in Livesey Branch Road last night. Both shops were the victims
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’Copter dash
A woman with multiple injuries was from a car wreckage and flown to hospital by air ambulance after a collision on a notorious stretch of road last night. Fire crews were called to the crash, involving two vehicles, in an area known locally as Devils
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Wardens to travel 'shotgun'
PARKING attendants in Rossendale are boarding buses in a bid to crackdown on motorists parking illegally at bus stops. The campaign has been launched by Rossendale Council to help to speed up buses and make life easier for people with restricted mobility
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Incompetence permeates the home office
THE highlight of last week was the moving appeal by Crystal Karim, the 13-year-old Fisher More school girl who along with her mother, father and younger brother is facing deportation to Pakistan where as a Christian convert her father's life is under
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Don’t try to fool police – warning
A MOTORIST tried to get out of a parking ticket by reporting to police that her car number plates had been stolen. Officers today warned people not to falsely report crime after the woman, 37, of Brierfield, was arrested and received a caution for the
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‘This BNP racist should go now’
A BURNLEY British National Party councillor today faced calls to resign after being convicted of racially abusing a group of Asian men. On Saturday, Coun Brian Turner, 43, declared that he would be carrying on as a councillor because he had been "found
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New centre allows parents to drop and shop
CHILDREN at a new shopping centre play area will be electronically tagged to ensure their safety. And as part of the unique security measures at the drop and shop' centre in Burnley, photos will be taken of parents so that staff know they are letting
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Energy cuts praised
PENDLE Council has been commended for its drive to reduce energy use in the borough. The authority received a glowing report from Government Office North West for the work it is doing to make homes in the borough more energy efficient to help reduce
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Mum carrying baby attacked by sex fiend
A MOTHER was indecently assaulted in a motorway underpass while carrying her baby in her arms. The woman, who was also holding the hand of her young daughter at the time, told how the attack, in Gannow Top underpass, Burnley, had left her terrified
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New £30m project at Burnley General
A NEW £30million development at Burnley General Hospital has opened, replacing an outdated Victorian wing. The last patients from seven wards were moved in at the weekend and they said they were delighted to be heading into a more comfortable environment
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Pedal power to push tourism
THOUSANDS of tourists are set to flock to Pendle this summer as the borough gears up for the annual cycle festival. This year's Pendle Cycle Festival is set to attract hordes of visitors, swelling the coffers of the local economy. In previous years
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Church nursery to close
A CHURCH nursery in Nelson has been axed because of a major shortfall in funding. The Church of England, which provides subsidised childcare at the former St Philip's Church in Leeds Road, Nelson, has been forced to withdraw the service, despite desperate
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New radio station plans are unveiled
BURNLEY could soon have its own community radio station with the launch of a new project at the town's youth theatre. Burnley Community Radio is an initiative set up by the Burnley Community Network a group of 260 organisations throughout Burnley and
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No sound barrier to 'tree' sculpture
A SINGING' sculpture for the hills above Burnley looks set for the go-ahead. The plans for the Ringing, Singing Tree Panopticon have been altered following fears it could scare animals. And these changes have prompted planning officers to recommend
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Arson boy, 12 strikes again time
AN arsonist, thought to be aged just 12, has struck for the sixth time. A fire at a house in Grindleton Grove, Burnley, on Saturday at 10.30am was today being linked with four blazes at a garage complex in Thursfield Road and another blaze in Coleshill
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Kyle takes international bow
Burnley's teenage striker Kyle Lafferty won his first senior international cap when he played for Northern Ireland in their 1-0 defeat against Uruguay at Giants Stadium, New Jersey, yesterday. Lafferty played the last 15 minutes of the game, which was
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Elliot and Stanley play waiting game
PROMOTION hero Rob Elliot says his future with Accrington Stanley is uncertain. It was hoped the Charlton Athletic goalkeeper would have a second loan spell with the Reds next term this time for a full season. However, Stanley boss John Coleman must
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TV review: Coronation Street, ITV1
SO AFTER weeks of waiting and wondering, we finally discovered it was none other than David Platt responsible for terrorising his mother with nasty notes in last night's Corrie... der der derrrrr! "I've brought home violent man after violent man,"
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Retired doctor fills in as civic leader
HYNDBURN Council has appointed a temporary mayor to carry out duties until the mayor-in-waiting, Coun Edith Dunston, recovers from illness. Dr Mohammed Rahman, 72, who has represented Great Harwood's Netherton ward for ten years, was unanimously voted
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Coach builder’s big firm link-up
BLACKBURN bus manufacturer East Lancashire Coachbuilders Ltd has been chosen to supply the bodies for buses to Stagecoach Group plc. The Euro 4 buses will be fitted with state-of-the-art exhaust gas re-circulation engines and will be among the most environmentally
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Water shortgage? What water shortage...
Lancashire residents are at no risk of having any restrictions imposed on water use, United Utilities declared today. Much of the South is suffering a lack of water and one company has imposed a drought order for the first time in a decade. But United
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£2.2m hostel for homeless
PLANS for a £2.2million hostel for the homeless in Darwen have been unveiled. The 30-bed apartment development will replace the "outdated" Police Street hostel in Darwen. Twin Valley Homes has asked Blackburn with Darwen Council for permission to
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They’re simply the breast!
NEW mums flocked to Blackburn to promote breast feeding in public and create a new British record. The event, called the "Big Feed", was organised by a group based in Darwen and saw 700 women across the country taking part to score a new record for
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Clarets bid to follow Watford
Steve Davis believes Premiership new boys Watford can be Burnley's inspiration. The Hornets' 3-0 play-off final win over Leeds at the Millennium Stadium yesterday marks a remarkable turnaround in the Vicarage Road side's fortunes over the last couple
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Todd here to stay
BLACKBURN Rovers skipper Andy Todd has stated he has no intention of quitting the club this summer. Speculation in the national press claimed Todd had become unsettled' at Rovers following a bust-up with manager Mark Hughes during the closing weeks of
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Disgust over ‘river of sewage'
DISGUSTED residents were faced with the sight of raw sewage running through their gardens when drains overflowed in heavy rain. Gallons of sewage flowed down Wheat Street and on to Blackburn Road, Accrington, on Saturday morning. Wheat Street residents
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Death of a 'perfect' son, 12
A DISTRAUGHT family has been left searching for answers after their perfect' 12-year-old son collapsed and died. Today the parents of Niall Birtwell said that the death of the healthy, sport-loving youngster had left them in shock. Niall fell ill with
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Single review: Story One – Out Of Season (Shy)
For all the current burble about Story One's languid balladry', Out Of Season resembles a clinical splicing of Travis and Coldplay. This is sensitive, stadium-pitched songsmithery, with vocals so sulky you can almost hear the singer's lower lip wobbling
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Single review: Matthew Herbert – Harmonise / The Movers And The Shakers (!K7)
Instead of growing up dreaming of being a rock god, pop star or hip hopper, Matthew Herbert must have decided to create his own genre, his own sound and his own style. This double A-side release shows a diversity, creativity and freshness which will
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Album review: M Craft - Silver And Fire (679)
WHIMSICAL, late-night offering from Martin Craft. There's a distinctly jazzy feel to much of it mixed with Latin rhythms and acoustic guitars. Think Simon And Garfunkel on holiday in South America and you get the idea. Different enough to get
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Single review: Robots In Disguise – Turn It Up (President)
This limited edition, vinyl-only single is as exciting as being smeared with musical harmonies by two pretty girls pretending to be glam-robots. Actually it's exactly like that. Turn It Up is mightily catchy and sounds like a bouncy meeting of 90s
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Single review: Morning Runner – The Great Escape (EMI)
In simpler, rather more rural times this could well resemble a gentle rainy day at Ronnie Lane's farm. But the joy that the old Faces romantic could jolly into a tune is lost to Morning Runner's grating earnestness. Pastoral guitars and gravel-grey
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Single review: Mystery Jets – You Can’t Fool Me Dennis (679)
The latest in a line of whimsical, modish, merry music-makers, The Mystery Jets recall a time when it was the norm for indie acts to wear idiosyncrasies from their army-shirted sleeves. On the re-released You Can't Fool Me Dennis, they Squeeze together
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Single review: This Et Al – Sabbatical (Jealous)
The dizzyingly danceable Sabbatical mixes the glacial atmospherics of Chameleons and Puressence with song structures that switch moods faster than a straitjacketed inmate. It's a swooping, euphoric release with tremors of Queens Of The Stone Age and
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Album review: Boy Kill Boy – Civilian (Vertigo)
Thunderously good singles are an excellent way to start off a band's career, and Boy Kill Boy made a very good start to theirs with a trio of high-octane floorfillers: Back Again, Suzie and Civil Sin. A consistently good album is also pretty important
