Archive

  • Cupid comes to Crompton Place

    LOVE is in the air in the most surprising places this Valentine's day. Customers at Crompton Place Shopping Centre will receive a pleasant surprise on Saturday when they are given a red rose along with their car park ticket. The Shopping Centre is celebrating

  • Parents furious over school placings

    PARENTS throughout Bolton are bombarding the town hall with protests over school places. Bolton Council sent out letters at the end of last week offering parents a secondary school place for their child from September. But for many parents the offers

  • Dogs get their teeth into fluoride row

    AS controversy rages in Bolton over whether fluoride should be added to tapwater for humans, the town's dogs are having their day. For Bolton company Superior Pet Products, in Nelson Street, has perfected a doggie chew that coats a dog's teeth in protective

  • Fire crews save blaze house

    ARSONISTS are believed to have started a fire last night which badly damaged a detached house in Horwich. Fire crews were called to the large home in Ridgmont Close after blazes broke out in several rooms. The lounge, hall, bedroom and loft were all left

  • Review: Music Centre Present. Albert Halls, Bolton

    BOLTON Music Centre last night presented the last of three concerts by its various ensembles, illustrating above all the versatility and discipline of its young musicians. Bolton Youth Stage Band, under conductor Mr S Grills, showed good ensemble work

  • American appeals for help with family tree

    AN American is appealing for help from Chorley people after tracing his family history to the town. Dave Morris has discovered that ancestors Thomas Tootell and Susanna Dakin were married in Chorley before emigrating to the USA in 1863. Both had fathers

  • Soccer fan who saved river plunge Lee

    Modest hero Roy Middleton rescued little Bolton boy Lee Mitchell from a raging river. Roy, who has been recovering from the nightmare during a holiday in France, turned from soccer spectator into life-saver in seconds when he plunged into the River Croal

  • Be a brick and help hospice

    CHORLEY folk have helped to swell the coffers of St Catherine's Hospice - but the appeals team still needs your help. The Brick By Brick Appeal, which is part of a huge fund-raising effort to fund the hospice's extension, has now reached the sum of £13,000

  • Charity must make most of Noddy

    NODDY has had a make-over in an effort to make people sit up and notice of an arthritis charity. For over 30 years the smiling face of Noddy has graced the collection boxes and badges of the Arthritis Research charity which has a shop in Bolton's Great

  • Protesters dig in for quarry battle

    VILLAGERS fighting a proposed gravel quarry have drawn up their battle plans ahead of a public inquiry. Euxton residents are campaigning against the county council and constructors Tarmac to prevent the massive site off Runshaw Lane. Legal experts have

  • All systems go to stop Millennium bug

    WITH the year 2000 set to arrive with a bang, work has begun to make Chorley 'bomb' proof. Businesses around the world face meltdown on the first stroke of the 21st century as the notorious 'Millennium bomb' defuses. Billions of pounds could be lost as

  • Turntable team...

    BOLTON-based British Turntable has recruited a new young team. Stephen Aspinall of Ramsbottom has joined the company from British Gas Trading as Sales Co-ordinator. In the Export Division Debbie Harrison has replaced Shirley Gill as Export Sales Co-ordinator

  • X-cellent news for disabled voters

    CHORLEY'S polling stations are to be improved - making it easier for disabled voters to place their 'Xs' in future. Following a review of the schools and halls used on polling day, cash is being made available to provide temporary ramps and improved access

  • Crowning glory for three-points Magpies

    Accrington Stanley 0 Chorley 3 A FINE performance by Chorley earned them a convincing three points at the Crown Ground. Despite the paucity of the opposition, this was a tremendously committed display by the Magpies who defended solidly and attacked with

  • School land

    SIR: Bolton councillors would not allow planning permission for houses to be built on Deane Golf Club, but now they want to build houses on Deane School land, just to raise money for school repairs. If they had passed Deane Golf Clubs plans to build a

  • Westhead on top form in rugby battle

    Lostock 10 Chorley 24 SATURDAY afternoon saw Chorley return to rugby league action against local rivals Lostock. Against the impressive backdrop of the Reebok stadium, Chorley struggled to assert themselves in an error strewn first half, but ran out worthy

  • Gunman foiled

    DETECTIVES are hunting a gunman who tried to rob a post office in Prestwich. The man, wearing a stocking over his head, burst into the Heaton Park Post Office in Bury Old Road at 9.30am yesterday. He threatened the 29-year-old cashier with a gun, but

  • Virus girl recovers

    A TWELVE-year-old girl who was admitted to hospital with meningitis almost a week ago is continuing to make steady progress. The girl, a pupil at St Joseph's RC Secondary School, Horwich, is being treated in Booth Hall Children's Hospital and is said

  • Making the most of the Internet

    LOCAL companies have been urged to exploit the potential of the Internet. On-line help for businesses - the Enterprise Zone - has been developed by Business Links up and down the country, the DTI and Microsoft. It is part of the Government's manifesto

  • Daily poem

    Democracy has such a heavy price to pay, So many steal and rob each day, Some to pay for drugs they say. Then demand justice as victims of their time, No thought for others in their life of crime. Self responsibility is unheard, As others with blame are

  • Stalwarts of the amateur stage are rewarded

    SEVEN members of St Paul's AOS (Astley Bridge) have received long-service medals from the National Operatic and Dramatic Association. Their service records total 30 years of involvement with the amateur stage. The 15-year recipients are: Tom Keefe, Paul

  • More health checks

    NO wonder town hall chiefs are worried about a couple of incidents where they discovered Bolton taxi drivers had health problems. Anyone using a taxi would like to think his driver is in the best of health. The fact that one driver had collapsed three

  • Burgled traders feel like giving up

    BURGLARS are wrecking efforts to turn Westhoughton town centre into a thriving shopping area, a furious trader claims. Shop owner Andrea Lee hit out after determined thieves foiled extensive security measures to plunder her sports store for the third

  • Wrench-wielding gang terrorise garage staff

    RAIDERS wielding a wrench and wooden staves robbed a petrol station in Atherton last night. The three balaclava-clad men forced two terrified women workers to hand over cash at the District Garage, Wigan Road, at 9.15pm. The assistants were unhurt but

  • Tina's a knockout!

    A BOLTON woman has become the force behind a British boxing champ seeking world glory. Tina Handley holds regular hypnotherapy sessions with fighter Ensley Bingham to help boost his confidence before big fights. And since her knockout intervention, the

  • From the BEN files:

    25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, February 12, 1973 BOLTON is in danger of losing one of its best known health clubs., unless alternative accommodation can be found. Spa Health Club, a non-profit making organisation that has earned almost £1,000 for

  • Jobs a-plenty if land swap deal goes ahead

    A CONTROVERSIAL land-swap deal which would include a new Tesco superstore in Horwich was set to finally be given the go-ahead today. Councillors were deciding late this afternoon whether to give paper makers Fort James and Tesco permission for the plan

  • BOC promote welding safety campaign

    BOC Gases has launched a North-west campaign aimed at raising safety standards in welding and reducing industrial accidents. Each year around 1,500 people in the region report they are hurt in a variety of welding and cutting-related accidents. Mr Pete

  • Losing this church

    SIR: To close St Gregory's Church without every effort being made first to preserve this fine building, is criminal. Years of neglect have brought about the state of the building today. From the time the church was erected collectors went round the Parish

  • Celebrity hedgehogs!

    TWO Bolton hedgehogs will receive all the creature comforts they need when they get to stay overnight in a London hotel . . . courtesy of the BBC! The prickly pair are due to get the VIP treatment this weekend as guest stars of a Rolf Harris television

  • Holdsworth boost

    Wanderers Res 2, Leicester City 2 THE Reebok Stadium witnessed it's first Pontins League game last night with the Wanderers sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw with promotion chasing Leicester City. Dean Holdsworth got in his first full 90 minutes since

  • We need space

    SIR: I refer to the story: Playing fields are not for sale (January 27). Head teacher, Mr Buckley, reveals he and the governors had met developers on three occasions and peripheral scrub land and one corner of a football pitch were under negotiations.

  • Anti-steel works campaign gathers spark

    A CAMPAIGN against a proposed new steel works in Chorley was launched with a packed public meeting. Organised by local Liberal Democrat parish councillor Janet Ross-Mills, it was held at the Howard Arms, Whittle Springs, on Friday night. More than 300

  • From pop stars to president

    A WOMAN who once taught the sons of pop legend John Lennon and 1970s heart-throb actor Patrick Mower has been appointed President of the Bolton branch of the National Association of Head Teachers. Valerie Skinner, head of St Peter's Smithills Dean CE

  • MP calls for gypsy fines

    GYPSIES could soon face heavy fines for invading empty land, if Chorley's MP Lindsay Hoyle has his way. Mr Hoyle plans to table a question to Home Secretary Jack Straw about the issue. The latest call for a hardline approach comes after a convoy of caravans

  • Boy's terror at hands of thug gang

    DETECTIVES are hunting a vicious gang who punched and kicked a terrified teenager. The 16-year-old was brutally beaten-up when he was confronted by five thugs in St Helens Road, Daubhill. He was walking along the pavement when he was stopped by the gang

  • Lord of the Dance star meets local youngsters backstage

    TWINKLE toed four-year-old Phillip Mills is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his high kicking hero Michael Flatley. The St Joseph's RC Primary School pupil has been so obsessed with "Lord of the Dance" since his mum, Lisa, bought the video a year

  • Blaze sparks electric blanket warning

    FIRE chiefs have re-affirmed their safety warnings about electric blankets following a blaze in which a 92-year-old woman was lucky to escape alive. Sarah Livesey suffered burns to her hands and legs in the fire at her Queen's Road home, Chorley. It is

  • Theatre group's plea to thieves

    A CHORLEY theatre group is appealing for help as it tries to track down expensive banners which were stolen before Christmas. Chorley Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society (CADOS), lost the publicity banners which were put up outside Albany and Parklands

  • Mormon temple opens its doors to public

    UP to 200,000 visitors are expected at Chorley's new multi-million pound Mormon temple when it throws its doors open to the public this spring. The complex - built on a 15-acre site at Hartwood Green, by junction 8 of the M61 - is the largest project

  • Tough match for Chorley Ladies

    Chorley Ladies 1 Bolton 2 CHORLEY will be disappointed at losing this game to Bolton after taking the lead after only three minutes. The move that led to the goal was typical Chorley as they passed the ball through midfield to Nicky Boyle who found Sarah

  • Driscoll set to get call

    NEW Aussie recruit Steve Driscoll is likely to be pressed into immediate service when injury-crippled Leigh Centurions meet Sheffield Eagles in a Silk Cut Challenge Cup fourth round tie on Sunday. Prop or second row Driscoll is pencilled in to replace

  • RO cash boost will create hundreds of jobs

    COUNCIL leaders are celebrating after finally securing European funding for a major development project at Euxton's Royal Ordnance site. Following a two year battle to win the cash, the Citizen can exclusively reveal that town hall bosses have been handed

  • Whelan's ultimatum

    MULTI-millionaire Dave Whelan may be trying to take over Wigan but chairman Mike Nolan insists he will still be running the show. "Mr Whelan wants to take control of the club but I will remain as chairman," he confirmed. Whelan, who has already injected

  • Firebugs set house ablaze

    FIREBUGS have been blamed for a blaze which swept through an empty home in Farnworth last night. The arsonists, believed to be youngsters, started the blaze at the house in Starcliffe Street, Moses Gate, by igniting a settee using paper and matches. The

  • School goes to top of the class

    A HIGH performing Chorley school has gone to the top of the class following a visit from government inspectors. And other local schools have been praised by the examiners from education watchdogs Ofsted. Parklands High, Southport Road, is identified in

  • Was there romance in store?

    AMOROUS shoppers failed to find love in the aisles at a supermarket singles night . . . but discovered "romance" when they checked out the cashiers! For members of staff manning the tills in fancy dress were the only ones to ring up any hearts and flowers

  • Death street was denied speed humps

    RESIDENTS are calling for measures to slow traffic following the tragic death of a three-year-old girl. Susan Edwards said she had asked for speed humps in the road five years ago when her daughter was knocked down in the same Tyldesley road. Now, following

  • Battling grandad's fight for set of traffic lights

    A CONCERNED grandad is making a last ditch appeal to councillors to rethink plans for a busy Bolton road junction. Vincent Wood said he believed Bolton Council was putting cost before lives by installing a roundabout instead of traffic lights at the Church

  • Survey could lead to greener travel

    A SURVEY will be carried out of thousands of council and health workers to see how they travel to work. Council chiefs are hoping to use the results of the questionnaire to make a new environmentally-friendly traffic policy. The survey will include 15,000

  • Car sale goes into extra time

    WANDERERS fans have so far shunned an opportunity to buy their dream car registration. Last week we told how a Somerset woman had decided to sell her motor, complete with a number plate - B253 WFC - that any loyal supporter would be proud to display.

  • Site 'polluting' garden

    A LITTLE Lever pensioner claims a neighbouring housing developer is polluting his garden. Richard Grundy says an oil-like substance is washing from the site in Settle Street being used by Heritage Homes to construct eight apartments. The 67-year-old retired

  • We're not scared of Kinky - Shakers

    BURY today insisted: "We're not scared of Georgi Kinkladze" writes Neil Bonnar. The £12million-rated Georgian genius is set to shake off a sore ankle to continue his central role for Manchester City in Saturday's Maine Road relegation clash. But battling

  • We're good collectors

    CONGRATULATIONS to Bolton Council for being among the best local authorities in the country for collection of council rents during 1996/7. Pity that Bolton's outstanding debts of £1.5 million over a number of years puts it about half way down the national

  • Get moving on reforms

    WHAT more will it take before the reform of the rightly maligned Child Support Agency is carried out? The latest horror story raised in the Commons by Bolton MP Brian Iddon concerns a local father who has been forced to pay maintenance for three years

  • Poor diet

    SIR: On the subject of fluoridation of the water supply, I wholeheartedly agree with the points made by Mr Alex Hastings in his letter of January 16. I cannot imagine why local authorities keep bringing this project back time and time again when the vast

  • Crackdown on unfit taxi drivers

    STRICT new health checks are to be brought in to make sure Bolton's taxi drivers are fit to drive. Town hall chiefs have been worried by two incidents where they have discovered drivers had health problems. One had collapsed three times and suffered epilepsy

  • Army dentist gets her teeth into sport

    IT was guns, not drills that British Army dentist Melanie Jones was wielding when she took part in winter sports championships in Germany recently. Former Bolton School pupil Melanie, aged 27, was selected for the Army Ladies Biathlon team at the British

  • Centre has room for you

    THREE separate areas at Bolton Enterprise Centre are being developed for use by cultural industries. They will be refurbished for artists and cultural businesses. People who think they could benefit from this Bolton Council strategy are being invited

  • Nick returns to play womanising rake

    By Nick Jackson, Entertaiment Editor BOLTON actor Nicholas Gleaves has turned into a self-centred womanising cad...but only in his latest TV role. Nick is one of the stars of a major new drama series Playing the Field, which starts on BBC1 next month.

  • Blame for crisis

    SIR:I refer to your article (BEN, January 29): Late Minister blamed for Birtenshaw crisis. Cllr Bob Howarth is incorrect. Nicholas Ridley did not grant planning permission as he states. It was the former Tory Environment minister, Nicholas Ridley, who

  • Fight to shrink classes founders

    BOLTON education bosses have missed out on a multi million pound Government cash handout to create smaller primary classes. In common with LEAs across the country, Bolton submitted a bid for extra cash to ensure no school had a class with more than 30

  • Mum thanks multi-storey mercy men

    CAR park attendants stunned a Bolton mum with their kindness when they clubbed-up their hard earned tips to help her after her purse was snatched. Grateful Sonya Zurkan has publicly thanked the attendants who came to her rescue at the weekend. Sonya was

  • not used

    Quest for best green windfall projects BOLTON has scooped a £120,000 green cash windfall ... and now council chiefs are trying to find the best way to spend it. The money is the town's share of the Government's Greater Manchester landfill tax rebate scheme

  • Top rent collectors

    f+bs=10os=9o But Bolton still has total outstanding debts of £1.5 million over a number of years, which puts it about half way down the national league table. Nationally rent arrears rose by 0.1pc in 1996-97 and Housing Minister Hilary Armstrong has urged