50 years ago

TOMATOES were in short supply. Local growers reported an unusual amount of inquiries from as far away as Birmingham and one farmer said even though he had turned the heating on in his greenhouse in July for the first time ever, his plants had only produced half the usual yield.

25 years ago

A four-minute early warning civil defence siren blasted across Huncoat, heralding the latest delivery of beer to the Black Bull Inn pub in Lowergate Road. Landlord Trevor Coggins was using the siren as an alarm to wake him up at 7.15am to supervise the latest delivery.

10 years ago

Police were on the look-out for a trendy thief who stole the clothes off two washing lines in Haslingden.

The fashion-conscious fiend stole a pair of Levi jeans and Adidas pumps worth £95 from a garden in Manchester Road. He then went on to Helmshore Road and stole two T-shirts and some sports socks worth £45.