RATES: Lucky Bury householders would have a rate rise of no more than six per cent , and some might get away with less, revealed the BT. Staffing economies and streamlined management methods helped cut the budget, it was reported. Later it emerged that the highest rise would only be 3.5 pence in the £.

TRUCKS: Residents of Lowes Road, Walmersley, refused to pay their rates because they said streams of lorries were churning the road up and endangering children. The trucks were loading earth and rubble at Halsall's brickworks and taking it to the M66 construction site at Heap Bridge.

MAYOR: Councillor Richard Fletcher of Radcliffe was confirmed as Bury's next mayor. Outgoing mayor Coun A.L. Collinson would be deputy mayor.

RENTS: Council rents were set to rise 50p a week. Otherwise, said housing committee chairman Coun G. Kershaw, the rent deficit next year would be £550,740.

JOBS: Unemployment in Bury and Ramsbottom was still below the national average at 2.2 per cent, against 4.4 per cent nationally.

OUT: A branch of the Get Britain out of the Common Market Campaign was formed at the Royal Hotel, but not until the anti-marketeers had expelled local National Front leader Mr J.H. Steel, when two members refused to serve on a committee with him.

TRADITION: Five local children announced they would re-enact the St George and the Dragon story in Ramsbottom and Bury on March 22. As well as this "pace-egging" custom, they had already revived "The Cockey Moor Snake" and the old tradition of "Rushbearing". MASSACRE: Holcombe Moor was a scene of carnage for the second time in a fortnight after dogs killed 28 sheep. A further 21 were so badly mauled they had to be killed.

PARKING: A 68-year-old Whitefielld man who did not like anyone parking outside his house died of a heart attack a few minutes after an argument with a driver.

MEMBER: Bury MP Frank White joined Westminster Wanderers, the Commons soccer team poised to play a charity match against the Showbiz Eleven.

CARS: A Bolton dealer advertised Opel Manta prices frozen, from £1,887 for a 1600 DL.

CHAT: Bury's voluntary scheme for teaching English conversation to Asian wives in their own homes received a £604 p.a. grant, to run three years.

SHUT: The firm that built Bury library, the George and Knowsley pubs, the old fire station and the market hall, Thompson & Brierley Ltd finally closed down. It was established 1874. Directors Herbert Morris and Norman Ward had both started in the office and had 117 years' service between them.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.