THE only flat thing at the champagne evening in Padiham Town Hall was the 30-year-old bottle which was opened with a whimper, not a bang. It did not, however, stop the evening from being a sparkling occasion. Hosted by Padiham Mayoress Hazel Rushton, more than 70 people packed the town hall foyer. All funds raised will go into Padiham Community Chest.

THE first-ever Magic Lantern Procession will take place on Saturday night, ending with a firework display in Memorial Park.

Schoolchildren have been busy making lanterns, encouraged by the event's co-ordinator Paula Smith, project manager of Padiham Life.

PADIHAM'S medical centre is issuing invitations to Padiham and district's vulnerable people to have vaccinations against flu this autumn. These are available to all those over 65 and anyone with a chronic, or serious, medical condition. Posters will be displayed at the medical centre when the vaccine is available. Times will also be published in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

HAPTON parish councillors and the environment committee are annoyed at the latest spate of vandalism in the village. Safety matting, which was under the children's swings in the park, has been ripped into pieces and thrown around the park.

A window and several trees were broken in Water Street, a large concrete planter near the railway station was overturned, and the newly-constructed wall at the school was daubed with paint even before the concrete was dry.

However, the most serious piece of vandalism was the four-feet long, two-inch diameter iron hoop which was removed from the recreation ground, where it is used to stop vehicles crossing the ground, and thrown onto the railway track.