Archive

  • £150m cost of work-related illness

    WORK-related illnesses are costing North-west employers around £150m a year. The Health and Safety Executive estimates that 300,000 annual cases lead to lost working days and additional recruitment, administration and insurance costs. Musculoskeletal

  • Inflation is just the job for Julie

    BUSINESSWOMAN Julie Barnes has no doubts - inflation is a good thing. Balloon Decor, which showcases her talents for balloon decorating and sculptures, has been on the up since its inception in October. Julie, who lives in Rutherford Drive, Over Hulton

  • Ostrich farm's up and running

    By ALAN CALVERT, Industrial Editor OSBERT the Ostrich looks an alarming sort of investment. He is about nine foot tall with a bad temper not helped by sexual frustration. But owner Gary Hall believes he is a big bird with a big future - and NatWest bank

  • Into the next century!

    THE final touches are being put to a £20 million project to take Bolton into the 21st century. Council chiefs are hoping that a bid for half the cost of the ambitious scheme can be made to the Millennium Commission in the next few weeks. A huge "Central

  • Parents of sick baby may sue doctors

    A YOUNG Bolton couple are planning legal action after claiming doctors failed to spot a serious blockage which had been in their baby son's digestive system since birth. Jordan Jones spent two weeks at Bolton's special care baby unit after suffering from

  • Brad hit!

    BRAD Hodge, Farnworth's Aussie pro, produced a devasting batting performance yesterday as Eagley were consigned to a 158 run defeat. Hodge hit 174 not out in an innings that brought a list of outstanding statistics. He hit 13 sixes and eight fours, his

  • Eagley surprise

    KEARSLEY continued their unbeaten record at the top of the Bolton League but the performance of the day was achieved by Eagley. Last year's wooden spoonists went to Walkden, where they recovered from 3-2 to pull off a shock 65 run win. The Smith brothers

  • Petition paves for Nynex bosses

    A PETITION of almost 1,000 names, each complaining about the state of the pavements left behind by cable work, will be submitted to Nynex bosses this week. Bill Collison is spearheading the campaign to make the cable company put excavated pavements back

  • Vicar's wife robbed in terror raid

    A BOLTON vicar has hit out after his wife was threatened and robbed in their own home . . . the fifth attack the family has suffered in less than five months. The Rev Andie Brown, Vicar of St Luke's Church on Chorley Old Road, spoke out after a raider

  • Let's keep Stoneclough

    SIR: Whilst reading the BEN Property Guide, I couldn't help noticing how often estate agents referred to Stoneclough, Radcliffe. Could you or any of your readers tell me if the boundaries have changed. Only having been born and bred in Kearsley, I always

  • Sex fiend may kill - police

    A VICIOUS pervert almost strangled a Bolton prostitute after wrapping a nylon stocking around her neck. The 35-year-old woman fought desperately for her life in a remote lay-by but the fiend only broke off his attack when a passing motorist spotted the

  • Wigan magnificent in sevens

    WIGAN must return to the bread and butter of Super League rugby at unfashionable Halifax tomorrow after shining on the big stages of Maine Road and Twickenham. The country's leading rugby league power switched codes with startling effect to drub Bath

  • Worth the money

    SIR: May I congratulate Bolton Pentecostal Church for their devotion to setting up their religious radio station. The cost of £6,500 to broadcast monthly can be more than justified especially when considering the listeners who are unable to attend church

  • Most costly in the country?

    SIR: A five per cent fare rise by GM Buses North was reported in the BEN (May 7). Rodney Dickinson, director and general manager thinks people will be prepared to pay a little extra. From Tonge Moor to Bolton return has increased from 87p to £1. Is that

  • Restaurant serves a treat for band

    A BRASS band really got their wind up before a top ranking competition . . . inside a Bolton fish and chip restaurant. Grateful members of the 28-strong Dodworth Colliery Band tucked into beans on toast and cooked breakfasts at the Ridgway Gate Fish and

  • Mum may have clue to robbery

    By JOHN HORNE POLICE believe a young mum may have vital information which could help track down a gang of cash snatchers. The three men grabbed more than £3,000 from two women who were delivering the takings to an Astley Bridge bank on Thursday afternoon

  • Catalogue of crime

    WE do not believe that there is more crime in Bolton than anywhere else. In fact recent crime figures showed that local incidences of burglary and violent crime were down on previous years. But the experiences suffered by the Rev Andie Brown, Vicar of

  • Tunnel vision sees firms miss out

    TUNNEL vision could be hindering the future growth of many British businesses, it is claimed. A research report by Barclays reveals that more than eight of ten businesses have never even considered exporting. It means they may be missing out on their

  • Tonge in the groove

    TONGE'S superior bowling line-up put paid to Westhoughton's 100 per cent record on Saturday. The combination of Sikander, Guy Langmaid and Ian Taylor restricted the home side to 134-9, a total Tonge reached with only three wickets down. Sikander had 4

  • Death quiz pair face long wait on Tenerife

    TWO men from Bolton may not be allowed to leave Tenerife for two to three years pending the investigation into the death of Michael William Hulse, also from Bolton. The pair, Jimmy Brandwood and Richard Paul Fletcher, were arrested in Playa de Americas

  • Aero let it slip

    BRITISH Aero were left kicking themselves after failing by one run to beat Daisy Hill. Chasing the visitors'161-8, they looked out of it as Phil Hall and Graham Beswick wanted 13 off the last over to win. They rose to the task magnificently with nine

  • Masons reveal all at open day

    BOLTON Freemasons Hall was opened to the public for the first time yesterday in a bid to dispel the myths and rumours surrounding Freemasonry. Visitors were able to tour the building and ask the questions they'd always longed to, although when the BEN

  • Nuttall leads Clifton rout

    BRITISH Aerospace turned the Bolton Association on its head yesterday when they dismissed Clifton for only 35 in the first round of the Cross Cup. Aero pro John Nuttall and Ian Wainman wrapped up the innings in 20 overs as they had the Clifton batsmen

  • View under threat

    ANY thoughts that Spring View were pretenders to the Bolton Association's title challenge were quickly dispelled by their emphatic victory over current champions Little Hulton. But their place at the top of the table could face a threat from two other

  • Beat those noisy neighbours

    IT can unhinge people; it has been used as a refined instrument of torture; it has caused murder; it causes more neighbourhood trouble than anything else; it can force people out of their homes. IT IS NOISE. Now a crackdown on neighbour noise - on-the-spot

  • People who help beat noisy neighbours

    WHEN noise finally reduces a person to shreds, who can help? As awareness of environmental matters has increased, so too has the authority and workload of environmental health departments. Bolton's principal environmental health officer in pollution control

  • Football offence

    SIR: I was once told by a senior police officer that it was an offence to play football in the street. We have 'no ball game' signs on walls, which mean what they say, but still people - teenagers who have nothing to do - continue playing football in

  • Leigh bounce back

    Leigh Centurions 42 York 16 JUST a week after being booed off following a miserable home defeat by South Wales, Leigh were given a standing ovation to mark their seven-try demolition of York. It was a remarkable turnaround from the previous week. Leigh

  • Trees were like friends

    SIR: I refer to Mr Mills' letter concerning Ravenden Woods. We have used and loved these woods for more than 30 years and know each tree like a close friend and when we saw the damage done to these trees in the interest of our, "the public's", safety

  • Staff captured in cartoons

    SIR: Les Gent has published two extracts from the story of my childhood in 'Looking Back'. In view of the sad news of the passing of Mr Roger Hampson, former Principal of Bolton Art College,readers may be interested in an abridged version of another short

  • Intruder attacks schoolgirl

    A TEACHER chased off a man who assaulted a pupil in a classroom at Sharples High School today. The 21-year-old man is belived to have entered the school in Hill Cot Road, Bolton, shortly before 11am looking for a former girlfriend. He grabbed the girl

  • Planners block nursery school

    BOLTON School has had another setback in its bid to set up a nursery in its own grounds. Planning councillors have again refused permission for an 80-place unit for the under fives. The independent school wanted to put up a two-storey building on land

  • Lesley is m-way crash heroine

    A BOLTON nurse who halted motorway traffic after a horror crash has been praised by police for her bravery. Lesley Ivill, of Brookhouse Avenue, Farnworth, dashed to the rescue of the badly injured motorist seconds before his car became a fireball last

  • No visas

    AT last two top aides of President Clinton have warned that if Sinn Fein are not involved in next month's all-party talks on Ulster's future, then the blame will lie with the IRA. Nancy Soderberg, the White House's Northern Ireland policymaker and Senator

  • Gun laws

    WRITING in a national newspaper today Tony Blair reiterates what we have stated in these columns: no-one can legislate against madness or evil. But what we can do is make it as difficult as possible for unbalanced and evil people to get their hands on

  • Bury aiming high

    BURY have set the first division as their next target. The Shakers, celebrating their first promotion in 11 years, which took them into the second, believe they could hold their own one division behind the Premiership - if they can get there. Manager

  • Stubbs deal safe

    BOLTON Wanderers and Glasgow Celtic have been assured that the record-breaking Alan Stubbs transfer has not been compromised by a so-called "rogue" agent. The player's representative, who was involved in last Friday's £5.5 million deal, says there is