From the Bury Times, September 17, 1974

FARMERS: Traffic ground to a halt when 72 farm vehicles drove into Bury to protest against the low prices of farm products. National Farmers Union members handed a petition to Michael Fidler MP and branch chairman Roy Jones claimed that farming costs had gone up 20 per cent in the past year. Diesel had gone up 250 per cent in 18 months, he said.

STRIKE: The pay dispute by 37 engineering workers at Joseph Webb's boiler works entered its second week. Semi-skilled men were asking for 91 per cent of the skilled rate. Meanwhile, 80 workers at Bury & Masco Industries, Hudcar Mills, went back after an unofficial stoppage about pay.

BIRD: A baby owl, rescued by the Strachan family of Central Avenue, Bury, was still living in a tree in the garden six months later. It was catching its own food at nights, but son Ian, 14, was feeding it daily with bits of liver as a treat. EEC: Speaking in Bury, Labour's Stan Orme said that if Labour lost the general election next month, Britain's last chance of getting out of the European Common Market would be gone. Labour was the only party prepared to offer the people a referendum.

ELECTION: With the general election set for Oct 10, Labour prime minister Harold Wilson was booked to speak at the Derby school. The three candidates were: Michael Fidler (Tory), Frank White (Labour) and Anthony Benson (Liberal). Meanwhile, shadow environment minister Margaret Thatcher, speaking in Radcliffe, said there was no such thing as a moderate socialist.

DEATH: Bury's oldest resident Mrs Clara Leah, 104, died after a short illness.

ART: Walter Kershaw and his volunteers, who had been brightening up Bury by painting bridges in bright colours, were told to stop doing it by Greater Manchester Council, even though they had an Arts Council grant. Meanwhile, the four-year-old Bury Art Gallery picture hire scheme was doing brisk business.

NUISANCE: After complaints about noise and litter, the council was looking at two schemes for keeping caravans off land near the bottom of Walmersley Road. One plan was to dig a trench on land bounded by Park Road, Harper Street and Fern Street, costing £412; the other was to put in concrete bollards at a cost of £2,850.

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