WINCHESTER Way shelters and those on New Lane, Breightmet, are always being vandalised. First the glass is smashed, then the new plastic panels are burnt, ripped off and graffiti covers all. The top of Winchester is the worst effected with graffiti. If
REGARDING Bolton Wanderers' Promotion to the Premier League! As a fan of Bolton Wanderers, I was pleased about the victory at Cardiff over Preston North End. However, as a resident of Horwich, who is located very close to the ground, I am concerned about
WE have all been shocked by the recent racial disturbances in Oldham. The scenes that we have witnessed on our television screens have been the worst in this country for some 15 years. Let us hope and pray that the people of Oldham will be able to overcome
I AM unsure as to quite what the priorities of 'Bus Lane Buster' (BEN, May 18) are when (s)he calls for us to "bring this bus lane madness to a halt." On the one hand (s)he is hypercritical of the bus priority measures that have been introduced in an
A CONTROVERSIAL railway footpath is to stay open despite efforts by Railtrack to have it closed. The company failed again with a bid to get the crossing axed when a request went before Chorley Borough Council's traffic regulation committee recently. The
CHORLEY folk are being given plenty of food for thought as National Food Safety Week approaches. Organisers of the campaign, which runs from June 11 - 17, have revealed some startling facts about people in the North West. They say half of them do not
A MOTORCYCLIST was fighting for his life today after being thrown from his high-powered machine into a concrete post. David Walton, 36, of Plodder Lane, Farnworth, suffered multiple injuries to his head and chest in the accident in Farnworth at 2.40pm
A WHEELCHAIR-bound pensioner died in a fierce blaze at his Halliwell home despite the frantic rescue efforts of his neighbours. Fred Turner, aged 86, was trapped in the inferno as smoke and flames quickly engulfed the ground floor of his terraced house
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 28, 1976 OPPOSITION leader Margaret Thatcher today demanded talks with the Prime Minister over last night's voting row in the Commons which ended with MPs fighting in the aisles. There were scuffles and blows in
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 21, 1976 BOLTON'S Civic Trust is fighting to keep Bradshaw's last big open space free from housing development. The Trust is also adding its weight to a campaign to protect local beauty spot Rumworth Lodge. Two
ST ANDREW and St George United Reformed Church resumes its series of lunchtime concerts for those with a taste for good music . . . A mouthwatering line-up features a number of artists, including The Bleasdale-Heywood Guitar Duo, mezzo soprano Helen Francis
HOW would you gauge how fit another person is? Perhaps by how slender someone's thighs are or how much iron they can pump at the gym? Yes, fit people are strong and toned but a truly fit person makes it a priority to eat well, relax, have satisfaction
A HOME will come under the TV spotlight tonight. Carol Vorderman and the Better Homes team will weave their make-over magic at the homes of Cheryl and Anthony Stevenson and of Paul and Ginny Hogan. The Stevensons wanted a conservatory because their current
A SUPPORT group which helps victims of the rare Myasthenia Gravis disease -- which cut short ex-world champion snooker player, John Spencer's career -- has received a welcome £1,500 boost. PC World Business, who recently expanded from Heywood to Bury,
ELDERLY people could get a rebate on their Income Tax if they attend an information day in Bolton next week. The town's branch of Age Concern is hosting the event at its Ashburner Street centre, on Wednesday. Specialist advisers from the Inland Revenue
FORGET talk about giving a dog a bone -- when Billy Lomax went to sleep, his furry best friend ate his TEETH. Mr Lomax had popped to the butcher's to buy his dog, Patch, a bone and had left him in the downstairs lounge to eat it while he went to bed.
A MAN who taught English in Nepal met the King just weeks before he was allegedly assassinated by his son. Fred Eckersley, aged 68, of Cheriton Drive, Breightmet, hit the headlines in the BEN in July when he married a Thai bride after paying £5,000. He
THE well-known minister of the Bolton West Group of United Reformed Churches, the Rev Richard Hambly, has retired after eight years' service. Mr Hambly's pastorate has included URC churches at Adlington, Leigh Lane, Horwich, New Chapel, Horwich and Somerset
TWIN sisters have been reunited with their favourite cuddly toy -- thanks to a helping hand from the BEN. Little Katie and Lydia Murphy from Sharples are regular visitors to Bolton Central Library and Museum with their parents Eileen and Cliff. The two-year-olds
WANDERERS look favourites to have Robbie Elliott's services in the Premiership next season. Elliott's former club Newcastle have been strongly linked with taking him back to the North East but Wanderers will get first crack at persuading him to stay.
SCHOOLGIRL Colleen Flynn is a knockout in the boxing world -- to the delight of her coach John Hart. The 16 year-old Thornleigh School pupil started to box just 12 months ago at Bolton Lads' and Girls' Club, and hasn't looked back since. The pretty teenager
WESTHOUGHTON continued their recnt good form with a comfortable eight wicket win at Heaton. The home side were all out for 129 with Gareth Carson top scoring on 31. In reply South African pro Brad White ensured victory for Westhoughton with an unbeaten
POLLING booths will be busy from dawn to dusk on Thursday when the nation goes to the vote. Leigh will definitely have a new representative in Parliament, with Labour MP Lawrence Cunliffe retiring after a remarkable 22 years in office. Also affecting
A DAREDEVIL dad has promised to streak through the streets of Bolton in exchange for the holiday of a lifetime to Australia. When a radio station presenter asked Ian Peers, of Knightswood, Beaumont, live on air what he would do to win the holiday for
THERE is something distinctly fishy going on at Bolton Library. A new recruit has established himself with staff and visitors, with, they claim, more than a passing resemblance to a popular television comedy character. Picture the large drooping mouth
A CYBERSQUATTER from Horwich could make thousands of pounds after cheekily registering website names British Telecom may want to use in the future. When Matthew Hatton heard the company was splitting into divisions, he quickly snapped up the copyrights
PARISHIONERS at Deane Church have said a fond farewell to Bolton's longest serving vicar, Canon Roger Jackson. The Canon, 69 who has served the church for more than 26 years is well known beyond his parish because of the large number of weddings and funerals
PUPILS at a Bolton primary school are jumping for joy as they get ready for a long-overdue facelift to their 100 year-old school. And council chiefs say the £500,000 boost should reap benefits for the community surrounding the Tonge Moor school. Work
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 29, 1976 MOST traders at Bolton's Ashburner Street market have accepted rent increases of up to a staggering 250 per cent. In some cases they are the first for 14 years, and only two stallholders have objected.
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 24, 1976 WHEN 36 dishevelled, mud-splattered figures crowd into the corridors at Lever Edge Junior School, teachers smile and turn a blind eye. For the dirt has all been acquired in a good cause as part of their
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 30, 1976 KATHLEEN Kavanagh, Bolton's first full-time postwoman, has quit her job after 10 days of pounding her delivery route. "It was my legs," she said today. "All my working life I have been sitting down. In
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 20, 1976 SEX symbol Fiona Richmond today denied that her nude bath with Crystal Palace footballers had caused the departure of manager Malcolm Allison. The much-photographed communal dip sparked off a row in the
THE angling youngsters of Farnworth are set for a treat following a successful bid by Farnworth Anglers Association to secure sponsorship for the forthcoming Junior Match. British Telecom, British Aquatic Superstores and Highfield Tackle have all agreed
HEALTH -- as the current Election dialogue shows -- is a major concern for everyone in this country today. So, plans to improve the health and welfare of local people via a coalition between local government and the NHS is bound to be a welcome step.
IT was with a wry smile that I read your article entitled 'Labour candidate absentee row' (BEN, May 22). Smiling, because I have seen the leaflet in question and smiled at how unprofessional the Labour campaign across the country appears to run. To me
THE Government has long been trying to encourage motorists to get out of their cars and onto public transport. Understandably, drivers have been reluctant to do so, citing an absence of reliable services as the main reason. Now, the situation is, hopefully
CHORLEY'S chain gang should put the wheels in motion and get down to the bookshop for a new cycling publication. On Your Bike in Lancashire, written by biking enthusiast Mike Hutchinson, features 20 circular rides covering some of the most beautiful parts
CHORLEY landlord Martin Lingard got so brassed off about not having time to indulge in his hobby of playing in a band he took matters into his own hands. Not one to blow his own trumpet, Martin, who manages The Minstrel pub, Eaves Green Road, Chorley,
THE worldwide web lived up to its name when Bolton man Alan Crowther chipped into the BEN's internet election debate - while sitting in Hong Kong. Mr Crowther, who is working in the Far East, managed to ask Bolton West candidates their views on how positive
SAM Allardyce and Wanderers' chairman Phil Gartside has issued a big thank-you to the Reebok fans for cheering them into the Premiership. "They've been magnificent and especially those who made the trip to Cardiff. They helped to make it a very special
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 25, 1976 RICHARD Dunn, the British and European champion, last night became the latest in the long list of heavyweight hopefuls who have succumbed to the magic of world champion Muhammed Ali. Bradford's Dunn lasted
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 22, 1976 SHOPKEEPERS and garage owners in Bolton are threatening to refuse to serve Inland Revenue officials in protest against proposed new legislation. They plan to take photographs of all the taxmen in the town
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, June 3, 1976 IT had to be. Coronation Street, queen of soap operas has at last crowned the printed page. "Early Days", a paperback book stamped with the unforgettable picture of hair-netted Ena Sharples and her cronies
MEMBERS of Farnworth Little Theatre recreate a court room in immaculate style to present an Agatha Christie classic 'whodunnit'. Performances are polished as one would expect from this experienced company and it is easy to quickly become sucked into the
SPECULATION is rife that Watson Steel is to be taken over by another famous local steel fabrication company -- William Hare Ltd. The BEN revealed exclusively on Saturday that Lostock-based Watson was on the verge of a takeover by an unnamed company. William
A SHARP-eyed soldier was celebrating winning a coveted prize after completing his basic training at Winchester, in Hampshire. Private Steven Gallyer, from Bolton won 'best shot in his Platoon' . "I really enjoyed the course and gained some first-class
A BOLTON man is revving up for action after joining a crack Army motorcycle display team. Cpl Steve Girling is a member of the White Helmets motorcycle display team which performs daredevil stunts in front of huge crowds.Steve passed his selection test
ROGUE traders in Little Hulton and Walkden face a crackdown under new powers given to Salford Council. Rip-off merchants will be combated by new legislation which makes it easier to pursue dodgy traders through the courts and to seek injunctions preventing
OUTSTANDING wines sales earned Joau Rodrigues, pictured, a real taste of Spain. Joau, who works at the La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Bradshawgate, Bolton, won a weekend trip to Bilbao and the Campo Viejo vineyard in the Rioja region of
BUSINESSES can now take advantage of the new option to become a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) for a very reasonable cost, according to David Cowen, a partner at Lancashire-based chartered accountants Jackson Stephen. He claims that this status could
WARREN HEGG and Glen Chapple revived Lancashire's faltering Championship bid with a record-breaking partnership at Northampton on Saturday. Lancashire seemed to be heading for certain defeat when, needing 302 to win, they slumped to 68 for five and then
BLACKROD turned the formbook upside down on Saturday to show that this year's competition could turn out to be one of the closest in years. Going into the weekend, Atherton and leaders Clifton, had opened up a healthy gap at the top of the table and most
VANDALS smashed 15 windows at a primary school as they struck for the third time in weeks. The latest attack at Highfield CP school in Farnworth last night came days after yobs hurled stones through 14 windows during the half-term holiday. A few weeks
A GUNMAN who blasted two innocent Bolton nightclubbers is still on the run, six months after the shooting. A team of detectives is continuing their hunt for the thug who shot the men as they left the Atlantis nightclub in the early hours of November 24
PENSIONER Syd Lomax belted out a version of Tom Jones' Delilah to win first prize in the Bolton final of the Senior Citizens Talent Contest. The success marked a personal double for Syd, aged 66, of Holden Avenue, Sharples, who scooped top prize for the
SPACE is not the final frontier for a popular Bolton restaurant after a planning puzzle. It's business as usual at the Vettriano eaterie on Chorley New Road after council planners decided not to take action over concerns that the restaurant was bigger
EVER wondered what it would be like to walk with a guide dog? Well, now is your chance to try it out for yourself. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has an obstacle course which it uses to train its caring canines. At special events, sighted people
ACHILLES PARATENDONITIS WHAT IS IT? THERE is tissue that surrounds the achilles tendon called the paratenon. This tissue becomes inflamed. The inflammation that is formed around the tendon can cause the tendon to become stiff and thickened. HOW IT IS
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 26, 1976 COACH Jim Conway has been appointed Bolton Wanderers' chief scout to take charge of all the club's activities in this sphere. The Scot will also be responsible for the youth development programme. George
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, April 30, 1976 A TOTAL of 650 million beverage cans a year is the production target for the new Metal Box two-piece can factory at Westhoughton, now coming into production. With 900 people working in the existing open
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 17, 1976 TWO British soldiers, Cpl. "Bronco" Lane, aged 30, of Manchester, and Sgt. "Brummie" Stokes, 30, of Birmingham, of the Special Air Service unit, reached the summit of Everest yesterday. THE pound hit an
c25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 16, 1976 BOLTON'S first Asian licensee is doing his best to improve racial harmony over a pint. Mr Ishvar Patel, who has taken over the White House pub in Bridgeman Street, said today: "I believe I have created
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 31, 1976 A 17-years-old schoolboy rescued three young boys who were marooned on a cold lodge in Bolton at the weekend. Hero of the day was police chief inspector's son Timothy Ridyard, of Wigan Road, Bolton. He
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, May 18, 1976 THE British series "Upstairs, Downstairs" has won two top American Emmy TV awards. Actor Gordon Jackson, who plays Hudson, the butler, won his award for his performance in an episode called "The Beastly
