THIRTY years ago next month Jim Smith, then manager of Blackburn Rovers, signed Gordon Taylor and David Wagstaffe from Birmingham for a combined fee of £22,000.
East Lancashire was in the midst of a debate about the route of a new motorway.
The big blockbuster showing at the local cinema was The Towering Inferno.
And the first edition of the Blackburn and District Talking Newspaper was sent out to listeners throughout the town. It started as an idea from a blind woman, but 30 years on the pages of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph are still being delivered to blind, and partially-sighted people across the borough.
Blackburn hairdresser Lillian Johnson lost her sight in an accident and was desperate to hear about what was going on in the town.
As a result, the charity newspaper first went to "press" on March 11, 1976 thanks to £500 donations from Blackburn Rotary Club and Blackburn Lions Club.
The money helped buy a master recorder and duplicating machine, and Philips kindly donated 100 cassettes.
Back then they catered for 44 people, sending out the tapes every week with news from the Telegraph and Blackburn Times.
These days they have one master recorder, six high- speed duplicators, and two playback recorders, which can produce 24 90-minute tapes in just four minutes.
And they have more than 100 people relying on them for their weekly update of news from Blackburn and Darwen.
Chairman Trevor Proctor said: "I was a member of Blackburn Rotary Club and Lillian contacted me as she was interested in the possibility of forming a talking newspaper to service Blackburn and the surrounding district.
"After many meetings and discussions, a committee was formed and a public meeting was then held on Wednesday, December 3, 1975 in the Council Chamber at Blackburn Town Hall under the auspices of the mayor.
"There were some 30 people present and an outline of the proposed scheme was presented, following which it was decided that the Blackburn and District Talking Newspaper would be formed.
"Our first edition was produced on March 11, 1976
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