IN the last two years, 25 people in England and Wales have lost their lives as a result of flooding, and thousands more have suffered traumatic and devastating damage to their homes. The risk of flooding is faced by some five million people, including
I SEE there will be no Boot, sorry, Bull Hill cemetery at Moses Gate if Bolton's councillors have their way. (BEN August 31). They say it would detract from the Croal/Irwell Valley's natural glory after years of tipping. What rubbish. To cap it all, the
BOLTON Council WILL open up its secret Cabinet meetings to the public. In a dramatic U-turn, councillors have vowed to end their "behind closed doors" policy and allow the BEN to cover their meetings and tell council tax payers about the decisions they
AS the Wanderers say 'Happy 75th Birthday' to the their greatest ever centre-forward, Nat Lofthouse, the Reebok hails two new goalscoring heroes in the 2-0 derby triumph over Preston. Loan star Isaiah Rankin, valued at £1.3 million by Bradford City chairman
NICHOLAS Hay has joined the Manchester office of national accountancy group Hacker Young. In his new role as IT Manager, he will oversee its internal information systems and be available to advise clients on programming and technical issues. Before joining
APPLE Mortgages Direct is opening a call centre in the Acorn Business Centre in Leigh. It becomes fully operational on Monday, will handle phone enquires from all over the UK and be manned from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. The independent mortgage broker
A £1.5 million development scheme aims to solve an accommodation headache for small and medium-sized businesses. Businesslodge, which is due to open in Barcroft Street, Bury, next month, expects to support more than 100 new jobs when it becomes fully
WORKERS arriving at Churchgate this morning were greeted by the sight of a homeless family of three camping in the grounds of Bolton Parish Church. Husband and wife William and Kathleen Cameron, 56 and 50, and their 28-year-old nephew Andy Stewart spent
THE excitement over the capture of Italian starlet Emanuele Morini heightened today after the 18-year-old striker impressed on his long-awaited Wanderers' debut. Morini, who has been on the Reebok scene since an impressive pre-season trial, only received
WAR veterans taking part in Blackrod's Remembrance Sunday Parade this year will have to gather at the war memorial instead of their traditional meeting place -- after police fears over safety. Chief Insp Peter Holden has written to several organisations
Bolton's helpful CAB team, from left: Matthew Wright, Tricia Euston, Peter Sillitoe, Graham Yates and Salim Musaji LAST year 11,000 people in Bolton were desperate for help -- debt, divorce, job loss, home repossessions -- problems that can make lives
A BOLTON councillor, whose son was stabbed to death at London's Notting Hill carnival, has attacked the policing of the festival. Dr Nicholas Hanscomb, the scientist son of former Bolton Tory leader John Hanscomb, died in 1991 after being knifed in the
MAY I answer Haroon Rashid (BEN August 23) and put him right on one or two points, as it appears he has been misinformed by someone. He said he had visited the grave in Farnworth Park of Thomas Barnes. If my mind serves me right, he is not buried there
KING Street residents in Westhoughton can celebrate a victory . . . in silence. Neighbours were featured in Down Your Way campaigning for a barrier to be put up at the entrance to the Central Park car park leading off their road. Complaints surrounded
ORGANISERS of Blackrod Carnival have also received a similar safety warning from the police, despite changing the route two years ago. The carnival committee was asked to alter the route after police fears over the increase in traffic in the town. The
ABOUT 1,200 North-west textile workers face an uncertain future following the decision by Coats Viyella to put parts of its business up for sale. The troubled giant is to divest itself of its Contract Clothing, Home Furnishings and Branded Clothing businesses
SAM Allardyce finally received some good news on the injury front today when he learned that Mark Fish could be back in harness within a week! "Mark's problem isn't as bad as we first thought," the Wanderers' boss confirmed after checks on the defender's
SUBSTANTIAL discounts are on offer for Leigh Centurions fans who buy their season tickets early. To qualify for the knockdown prices, fans must order and purchase their tickets before November 25. After that date they revert to the full prices. And another
BOLTON Rugby Union Club began their league campaign with a 15-9 defeat at Bedians in Manchester. Bolton had a flying start when Mike Ince, on his return from Eccles, confidently struck the ball through the posts for a three point lead. But the game changed
SOURAV Ganguly scored his third one-day century of the season for Lancashire to set up an exciting 10-run victory over Somerset at Old Trafford last night. The Indian left-hander hit 102 out of a total of 236 for four, easily Lightning's best of the season
Astley & Tyldesley visited Sheffield for the 6th Round of the Northern Fours League and Junior League series. A&T just miss out to finish last Cycle speedway IN the Northern Fours League match A & T were neck and neck with the home team for
So what's a decent bloke like him doing in the seedy, greedy world of soccer agents? I know it's wrong to pigeon-hole people but the image of soccer's agents is one of scum of the earth, get-rich quick opportunists who would be willing to kill the game
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, September 7, 1975 SOME beauty queens in this week's Miss Great Britain contest looked like 'haggard old women', a local hairdresser said today. So incensed is he at the old-fashioned back-combed and lacquered locks
LEISURE, SPORT AND KEEP FIT BOLTON Excel, Lower Bridgeman Street, tel: 334456: 7.30am-10.30pm. DEANE Leisure Centre, Junction Road, Deane, tel: 334432: swimming lessons, 5.30pm-7.30pm; basketball drop-in coaching, 5.30pm-6.30pm. FARNWORTH Leisure Centre
LEISURE, SPORT & KEEP FIT SUNDAY DEANE Leisure Centre, Junction Road, Deane, tel: 334432: public swim, 9.30am-1pm; fun swim, 1pm-3pm; ladies only swim, 5pm-6pm; men only swim, 6.05pm-7pm; aerobics, 4pm-5pm. FARNWORTH Leisure Centre, Brackley Street
EVERYTHING in the garden is bloomin' lovely for a green-fingered Bolton family. The Ward family of Green Way, Hall i' th' Wood now have officially the best garden on Bolton's council estates. It is the second award that the family has won in as many months
A HEARTBROKEN mum lost a bracelet bought for her in memory of her late son while she was swimming in the sea on holiday in Spain. But Mrs Joyce Farrimond now has it back after a Good Samaritan with a metal detector found it -- and tracked her down using
GOVERNMENT agencies are powerless to act over potential lethal disused lodges, claiming that any moves to improve their safety must come from those who own the land. As revealed on Monday, Bolton North-east MP David Crausby is taking the BEN's campaign
Mrs E felt the benefit MRS E is just one of the many clients to have enjoyed the practical benefits of the HVS's advice and support. I HADN'T thought of contacting the CAB, I just didn't think that I would be eligible for any extra help. I already had
A TRIO of soap stars raised a cup of cheer as they visited St Ann's Hospice. Recently-departed Coronation Street favourite Jane Danson and newcomer Charles Dale caught up on all the news from Weatherfield yesterday -- at the Little Hulton hospice. They
A MAJOR festival started in Bolton town centre today which plans to draw in crowds of thousands -- 24 hours a day. Commissioned by Bolton Town Centre Company Limited, Bolton Daytime-Night Time! offers an exciting line-up of events and entertainment and
SECRECY stinks has been the BEN's opinion on Bolton Council's steadfast refusal to hold its Cabinet meetings in public. Last night, councillors at last voted to allow the press and public into the meetings of ten Labour "super councillors" who are responsible
BOLTON hospital chiefs want to boost kidney services after a new report listed them as the top priority for improvements. The Greater Manchester Renal Strategy believes that a new satellite clinic in Bolton is urgently required because of health needs
A SERIES of public meetings to decide the future of the proposed Daisy Hill By-pass are expected to be held in the coming weeks. Six ward councillors from Westhoughton and Over Hulton are forming a working party to discuss whether the controversial scheme
