From the Bury Times, October 8, 1974

WORK: A survey put out by the Manpower employment agency revealed that fewer than one employer in four was planning to hire new people in the next three months - an eight per cent fall over last quarter. This could mean a million unemployed, said Manpower.

CARD: Artist L.S. Lowry gave one of his drawings to the Federation of Local History Societies to use on their Christmas card.

POOL: Ramsbottom swimming pool, closed for the third time in 12 months because of tiles lifting off the bottom, was nearly ready to re-open.

NIMBY: After residents in Bent Fold Drive complained that new council houses would overshadow their homes, the council decided to lower the foundations two feet and screen the new dwellings with trees.

DANCE: The Mosses Centre raised nearly £100 for the War On Want charity with an all-night dance marathon. Ten dancers were still on their feet at the end: the marathon had started with 25. HERO: Postmaster John Walton, 51, of Huntley Brook post office in Bell Lane foiled an armed raid. Two masked men with Irish accents and armed with a pistol fled when he sounded the alarm bell. Meanwhile, a man who tried on a leather jacket in a shop on The Rock walked out wearing it. When challenged. he drew a knife and threatened staff.

STRIKE: Just hours after 37 engineering workers went back to work at Joseph Webb, Bury Bridge, 30 boilermakers downed tools in a claim for more money. Webb's was thus in its fifth week of strikes.

SLUMS: The charity Shelter reported there was no hope of clearing the UK's 1,380.000 slum dwellings by 1980. Meanwhile, some residents of condemned Salford Street, Bury, complained about slum conditions. The council, awaiting Whitehall's OK for demolition, had bought some of the houses. These empty dwellings had then been targeted by vandals and squatters, said residents.

ELECTION: Labour scored a hat-trick at the polls. Frank White squeaked in at Bury/Radckiffe with a 442 majority, as did Mike Noble in Rossendale with 203. Jim Callaghan increased his majority in Prestwich/Whitefield.

WIN: Four-year-old Melanie Ann Ward, of Waddington Close, Bury, won a fancy dress contest at Butlin's dressed as an elephant.

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