IT'S 10,000 steps to happiness and fitness co-ordinator Andrea Madden reckons walking is the easy way to a healthy lifestyle. Walking has become fashionable again and local councils are urging people to rediscover their feet. Local health experts are
A BLACKBURN council worker who broke her leg during a parachute accident is still recovering in a Nottingham hospital. Sarah McEwan, an experienced skydiver, was part of a UK record breaking attempt on Friday when she had a crash landing. The British
AS a mother with a son serving in the Queen's Lancashire Regiment I feel it would be inappropriate to change its name. My son was in Basra for five months last year. He as on peace-keeping duties but still had to endure extreme temperatures and some hair-raising
TWO people died after a lorry lost control and smashed through the central reservation on the M6 motorway on Monday. The 44-ton Renault wagon, being driven by a 51-year-old man from the Wigan area, lost control while travelling northbound near to junction
MOTORISTS are to be given 150,000 parking tickets in the next 12 months by Lancashire's new army of traffic wardens. The five-fold increase, which is the equivalent of 413 fines a day, has prompted critics to accuse the county council of using staff who
TRANSPORT chiefs have backed a study aimed at toughening up bus shelters in the borough. The move comes as a programme to install up to 2,000 new shelters in Greater Manchester over the next five years kicks off this month. Greater Manchester Passenger
DWIGHT Yorke has warned Newcastle's players: "Don't take any liberties with Graeme Souness". The former Blackburn striker, who joined Birmingham last week, had a high profile fall-out with Souness during his time at Ewood Park. And he believes the likes
THE Football Association of Wales today insisted they are confident of hanging on to Mark Hughes. Wales boss Hughes has emerged as one of the early favourites to replace Graeme Souness at Ewood Park. But Welsh officials believe the lure of beating England
GRAEME Souness feared he would have regretted it for the rest of his life had he turned down the chance to become the new manager of Newcastle United. Souness's four-year reign at Ewood Park officially came to a sudden end yesterday when he quit his post
SPECULATION regarding the appointment of Graeme Souness's successor began in earnest today. Former Blackburn player and current Wales manager MARK HUGHES would get the full backing of the players and the fans following his time at Ewood. And Hughes has
BURY boss Graham Barrow believes a lack of discipline cost his side their second league defeat of the season. Saturday's disappointing 1-0 reverse at the hands of struggling Lincoln City scuppered any chance of the Shakers moving into the early promotion
A TOTAL ban on dogs in Pendle's cemeteries could be imposed to stop them fouling on graves. Last night councillors on the Nelson Committee decided to refer a decision to the authority's overview and scrutiny committee to discuss the possibility on imposing
MORE than four out of five cars are hurtling past a Barrowford primary school at more than 10mph over the speed limit. Today motorists were accused of putting children's lives at risk and the situation branded "an accident waiting to happen". A traffic
I PAY to drive on the road not under it, but with the hole on Bridge Street, Bury, near the Star pub, getting bigger by the day, it won't be long before the road gives way totally. It seems that there are more big cracks appearing daily. There will be
HAS anyone else noticed that a section of pavement on Rochdale Road, Bury is being used as a car park-cum-garage? Mums with prams are having to skirt around cars -- predominantly black cabs -- which are having running repairs done to them. Double yellow
PENDLE'S first walking festival has been hailed a success by organisers. Tourism officer Mike Williams wanted the event to put Pendle on the map with the Lake District, Peak District and Yorkshire Dales as a haven for walkers. Volunteers led more than
The JASON WHALLEY column WHEN I was asked to undertake the task of writing this piece, the one thing that concerned me was what to write about during internationals week. Well there's no need to scratch around for any made up rumours this week is there
HYNDBURN strongman Mark Felix failed to take the title of Britain's Strongest Man. Mark, 38, joined some of the country's best-known strongmen for a tough competition in Somerset. Despite a confident start in the qualifying stages, the Great Harwood dad-of-two
BIDS for a unique piece of Accrington Stanley memorabilia placed on an internet auction site have doubled over the weekend. A fax sent to Stanley bosses from St Kitts-Nevis, asking for striker Lutel James to play for his home team in a World Cup qualifying
A UNIQUE meeting place for Accrington residents could soon be opened in the town's railway station. The county council's transport boss has revealed that a community facility could be installed as part of a planned overhaul of the railway station. Local
A SHUTTLEWORTH chef is enjoying "success on a plate" after earning yet another culinary honour. For Daniel Kirkpatrick, 21, of the Eagle and Child, came a worthy second in the North West Young Chef of the Year competition held at Nelson and Colne College
FAMILIES claiming tax credits risk losing money if they ignore renewal forms sent out by the Inland Revenue. Chartered accountants warn that those receiving more than the basic family element credit must complete and return an annual declaration by the
TUC Learning Services North West has welcomed apprenticeship reforms announced by the Government. The TUC says it supports the new initiative to increase the number of apprenticeships available to young people across the region. And they believe the change
THE search is on for Greater Manchester's enterprise champions. A new Queen's Award will recognise those who play a significant role in encouraging or developing entrepreneurial skills and attitudes in others, to benefit the UK economy. The Award will
A TOURING exhibition of newly commissioned work, including shoes made from human hair and glass, is to appear at the Platform Gallery in Clitheroe. 'Footsteps', which opens on September 18, is an exhibition of mixed media and textiles that demonstrates
IT IS high time that Lancashire's players proved they are a class act. The side have just two matches left to beat the drop to the county championship's second division - this after being tipped to be the title winners in the early part of the season.
CLITHEROE and Chorley go into tonight's showdown at Shawbridge on the back of FA Cup successes. And both managers are hoping that their cup fortune will rub off on their league form. But something may have to give tonight, in what has the potential to
"i'll be back with the gold next time." That was the pledge from Bury's sporting wonderkid Amir Khan as more than 2,000 people turned out to cheer his Olympic feat on Saturday. The 17-year-old boxing hero travelled on an open-top bus from his home in
BLACKBURN Rovers today began the search for a new manager - and more than 20 have already applied for the post. News of Graeme Souness's shock departure to Newcastle is still sinking in at Ewood Park, but the race to succeed him has already begun in earnest
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED...3, EVENWOOD TOWN...0 FA Cup Preliminary Round: THIS season's tilt at FA Cup glory was ushered in with a convincing win over Northern League outfit, Evenwood Town, struggling in the lower reaches of the Northern League Division Two
A NEW flagship school could be built on the site of demolished homes whose owners are fighting to keep the bulldozers at bay. Council bosses have admitted that the Redearth Street area of Darwen would be first choice for the location of a new £20million
A FATHER who sparked a police investigation into a stunt website has spoken of the effect the move has had on his family. Robert Brown complained to police after a photo of his 11-year-old son having his head pushed on to a bed of nails by older boys
A COFFEE shop in Rawtenstall was gutted by fire in the early hours of today. Fire crews were called to the Studio in Bank Street at about 3.15am to reports of a serious blaze in the kitchen. Firefighters tackled the fire, which destroyed much of the kitchen
Unibond League - Gateshead 0 Radcliffe 1: LEE Duffy's first-half winner answered Radcliffe manager Kevin Glendon's call for an improvement following his side's slow start to the season. Duffy found the net six minutes before half-time in this Unibond
A TEENAGER today spoke of the moment he cheated death after falling 25ft from a tree. Fraser Lucas, of Cecilia Road, Cherry Tree, Blackburn, was found unconscious after the accident in Pleasington playing fields. The 14-year-old was collecting conkers
ANGRY residents whose homes were flooded in freak storms have forked out hundreds of pounds to protect their properties. Householders and business owners in Whalley New Road, Blackburn, have been in desperate need of a better drainage system following
A NEW £2million train station is to help workers and shoppers get to the heart of Blackburn's growing business district. The station, to be funded by European cash, should enable thousands of people to commute to jobs at Whitebirk, Greenbank and nearby
ACCRINGTON Stanley defender Steve Halford could be out for six weeks after sustaining a broken leg. The centre half picked up what was initially thought to be a knock in the Reds' 4-0 win over Crawley Town and missed subsequent games against York City
A JILTED woman wearing a "Scream" mask brought Hallowe'en horror to a street when she gunned down the neighbour of a love rival she had planned to assassinate, a court was told. Psychotherapist and Hell's Angel biker Heather Stephenson-Snell went to great
EAST Lancashire doesn't have the commuter problems of cities like London and Manchester but that doesn't mean traffic always flows freely. Morning and evening rush hours bring hold-ups on a number of roads and workers who need to park in and around town
Lancashire's new council-employed traffic wardens hit the streets for the first time yesterday. But how will the scheme be operated and do residents think the 90 parking enforcers will solve the county's problems? DAVID HIGGERSON and IAN SINGLETON report
HAVE you ever wondered goes on behind the scenes of East Lancashire's top amateur dramatic productions? JENNY SCOTT joins the Oswaldtwistle Players in the build-up to their performance of their latest comedy A Night On The Tiles. . . THE Oswaldtwistle
MY late husband's grandparents lost five out of six sons in the 1914-18 conflict serving in the East Lancs Regiment. It is not good enough to brush it away as of no consequence. The regiment has meant a great deal to this part of Lancashire for close
ONCE again there is conjecture on the return to Parliament of a Hunting Bill. What is this ridiculous obsession with hunting? Do back-bench politicians not have anything better to worry about? To waste government time on this issue is absurd in view of
THE Countryside Alliance claims in recent letters to the press that '....Hunting is fully open and accountable....' As a hunt monitor working with Protect our Wild Animals, I can tell your readers that hunters and their supporters make it as difficult
IT can be too easy to lambast local government bodies because of a failure to act on a controversy outside their remit, but not dubious unexplained moves which are far more than just passing matters and need to be met head on. Blackburn with Darwen Council's
THE old school bell was ringing once more for ex-Hear'say band member Suzanne Shaw. The 22-year-old star and girlfriend of Darren Day, with whom she is expecting a baby on Christmas Day, visited St Gabriel's RC High on Thursday, taking time out to chat
WALMERSLEY Road in Bury was closed on Monday afternoon after a head-on collision involving a bus. The crash between a car and the single-decker happened near the old Bury General Hospital site at around 2.45pm. The women driver of the car and a male passenger
A MASSIVE search was launched by police in Brandlesholme on Sunday for a missing four year old boy. The force helicopter was called out in the afternoon and used its loud-hailer system to appeal for help in finding the toddler. Meanwhile, police foot
A COFFEE shop in Rawtenstall was gutted by fire in the early hours of today. Fire crews were called to the Studio in Bank Street at about 3.15am to reports of a serious blaze in the kitchen. Firefighters tackled the fire, which destroyed much of the kitchen
GRAEME Souness will take two of his most trusted lieutenants with him to Newcastle United, writes ANDY NEILD. Alan Murray, who was Souness's assistant at Blackburn, and Phil Boersma, Rovers' assistant first team coach, have both been lined up for top
BLACKBURN Rovers have turned to the most famous caretaker in the business to keep things ticking over until a new manager is appointed. Tony Parkes has agreed to step in as caretaker boss for the SIXTH time in his Blackburn career following Graeme Souness's
BRAD Friedel has backed Graeme Souness to turn the tide on Tyneside. The giant American goalkeeper, who was brought to Blackburn by Souness in 2000, believes his former boss will be a success at Newcastle. But Friedel has already put the Scot's departure
Comment, by ANDY NEILD. . . GRAEME Souness's decision to quit Blackburn Rovers for Newcastle United came like a bolt out of the blue yesterday morning. But for those who really know him, it's been obvious for some time that Souness was beginning to get
BLACKBURN Rovers today began the search for a new manager - and more than 20 have already applied for the post. News of Graeme Souness's shock departure to Newcastle is still sinking in at Ewood Park, but the race to succeed him has already begun in earnest
A SCHOOL is reaching for the stars as part of its bid to become a specialist school in Burnley. Habergham High School, Kiddrow Lane, is aiming for specialist college status in science and engineering, a status which would bring with it an extra £650,000
A POLICE raid at a house in Burnley has uncovered a cannabis 'farm'. The address off Accrington Road was searched after a huge plantation of cannabis was discovered in Clayton-le-Moors on Friday. At the address in Accrington a professional set up was
A GOVERNMENT minister visited Burnley to find out more about the work being done in the borough to encourage youngsters into sport. Sports boss Richard Caborn paid a flying visit yesterday to see the work the council and Burnley Football Club are doing
A DRINK-driver who hit a road sign and abandoned his car in the early hours later owned up to police. Burnley Magistrates heard how Paul McCaffrey, 25, was almost twice the limit an hour and a half after the accident. McCaffrey, of Rossendale Road, Burnley
PLANS to provide Radcliffe with a new bus station have received a boost, after Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority's Policy Committee agreed to allocate £50,000 toward the initial costs of developing a new facility. Radcliffe's existing bus
I THOUGHT your article regarding the situation facing the immigrant Aftab family (August 27) was superficial in the extreme. The general tone seemed more about "cheerleading" than presenting any balanced account of the facts. The piece merely reiterated
RECENTLY I went to my local post office to pick up my pension, only to be told that "the system has crashed". Apparently post offices across Britain experienced severe problems, leaving staff unable to authorise payments on the busiest day of the week
FURIOUS residents in Earby are to write to the Government Ombudsman demanding an investigation into plans to build 50 homes in the town. The group, led by ex-councillor Alison Brewer, are angry at the decision by councillors to grant permission to build
Cummings and Goings, with STEPHEN CUMMINGS. . . BLANK weekends during the football season? Frankly, I'm not a fan. Like all Burnley supporters, I need my weekly dose of all things Claret and Blue and last weekend we were denied. The alternative came in
10 years ago BURNLEY Ladies Inter-Town Bowling Team won the countywide league title for the first time in 27 years of trying. The team were presented the award by Mayor of Burnley Councillor Les Harrison. In return they gave with their £50 winnings for
A NEW dance studio and cafe have been opened at a Hyndburn leisure centre as part of a £300,000 make-over. The cafe at Mercer Hall, in Queen Street, Great Harwood, has been moved downstairs and is now open for business. Regulars at the leisure centre's
THE flag over Accrington Town Hall was due to fly at half mast today as mark of respect for people killed in the siege at a school in the southern Russian town of Beslan. People in Hyndburn are also being invited to sign a book of condolence, which was
THE RSPCA has slammed thieves who stole a 12-week-old kitten from their shelter in Altham. Shell is very small and between a tabby and a tortoiseshell in colour. She was taken on Sunday afternoon. The kitten was being kept in an isolation booth, marked
A NEW dance studio and cafe have been opened at a Hyndburn leisure centre as part of a £300,000 make-over. The cafe at Mercer Hall, in Queen Street, Great Harwood, has been moved downstairs and is now open for business. Regulars at the leisure centre's
GROUNDWORK Bury is staging a risk assessment workshop aimed at management, engineering or safety professionals. The event will take place at its Link House headquarters on Tuesday between 9am and 1pm. Delegates attending the workshop will be introduced
MANUFACTURING output growth slowed in the three months to July after a surprisingly strong upturn in the previous six months. But the encouraging news is that the overall position continues to improve in most regions. That's according to the latest regional
METROLINK noise victim Maria Fuller has been asked by transport bosses to back their "Get Our Metrolink On Track" campaign. After years of suffering the effects of trams passing by her house in Cedar Grove, Prestwich, ironically, Mrs Fuller has been invited
STEVE Cotterill reckons the 12-day break will put a spring back in Burnley's step. Cotterill's tight-knit squad should benefit from the breather between league games, which will allow injuries to clear up before another gruelling seven games in three
LANCASHIRE'S plight in the relegation zone in the county championship's top flight took a turn for the worse as Warwickshire claimed the title last night. Warwickshire were confirmed as champions for the first time in nine years yesterday as Sussex, the
CHRIS Lowe reckons that Darwen's Thwaite's Smooth Bitter Cup victory makes up for missing out on hat-trick of league titles. Darwen won their first cup final for 10 years with a 120-run victory over Leyland and Farington at Birch Hall on Sunday, and captain
BURY FC is to offer football coaching to pupils at every one of the borough's 72 schools. The club hopes to forge closer links with the community and spot talented youngsters to whom they can provide further specialist training and even offer them trials
DAVE Bradford feels he is getting a settled squad together as he prepares for tonight's trip to Glossop North End. The NWCL Division One fixture gives the Great Harwood Town manager a chance to recover from Saturday's FA Cup preliminary round exit at
STAFF at Red Rose Brewery, Station Road, Great Harwood are preparing to join millions of beer drinkers across the UK in celebrating Cask Beer Week, which runs from September 17 - 26. The brewery, which began producing its own range of ales 2002, is run
DEREK Egan has warned his Ramsbottom United side to be faster out of the blocks when they take on the table toppers for the second time in a week. Tonight's visit to Fleetwood Town sees Egan pit his players against the Division One leaders for the second
TRAFFIC calming measures on Lowercroft Road in Bury are still a long way from reality after almost half of nearby residents objected. A consultation with people living in and around the road revealed that there was a significant opposition to plans for
GATESHEAD 0, RADCLIFFE BORO 1: BORO returned from the grand but soulless International Stadium with all three points in the bag - but they made hard work of it. The home side mounted a grandstand finish but Boro should have been home and dry long before
STEVE Cotterill reckons the 12-day break will put a spring back in Burnley's step. Cotterill's tight-knit squad should benefit from the breather between league games, which will allow injuries to clear up before another gruelling seven games in three
IT was a case of so near yet so far for Holcombe Brook Sports Club ladies tennis team when they appeared in the finals of the KIA National Clubs League at the weekend. The Longsight Road side were beaten 4-2 by holders Edgbaston Priory of Warwickshire
A ROSSENDALE company is sponsoring a sports team with a difference. McNulty Antiques, which is based at Holden Wood Antique Centre, Haslingden, has funded a new team strip for Bury Schools' Goalball Team. Goalball is an indoor game which enables people
A YOUNG actor from Rossendale has added to his growing reputation after winning the title of Best Newcomer at the TV Quick Awards. Sam Aston, 11, from Bacup, who plays cheeky Chesney Brown in Coronation Street, scooped the prestigious prize at the glittering
A LEARNING disability nurse accused of failing to properly care for patients may have his disciplinary case adjourned for the third time. Kenneth Hilton, 47, of Ramsbottom, has applied for the adjournment before the Nursing and Midwifery Council's (NMC
HUNDREDS of residents in Ramsbottom have been targeted by bogus officials who are making cash by selling personal details to solicitors driven by compensation culture. The fear is this could lead to the local authority being sued over housing repairs.
A GROUP of Ewood mothers have launched a fundraising frenzy to buy a football pitch for their soccer-mad kids. Although Hollingbank Community Association has only six members it has raised £1,300 through boot sales, sponsored walks, fun days, raffles
THE long-term Cabinet future of Jack Straw was being questioned at Westminster today as MPs prepared for an early government reshuffle. The shock resignation last night of Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith means that Tony Blair will have to reshape
A MOTHER and her three children were rescued by firefighters after being trapped upstairs in their home. The fire was sparked by a faulty adaptor in the utility room, at 6pm yesterday. The mother had been putting her children, aged three years, two years
EDUCATION bosses have moved to reassure parents and children after the controversial move to ban Islamic headscarves in France. As of this term it is illegal to wear Islamic headscarves or crosses in French schools. It is illegal for schoolchildren to
TWO people were killed when a lorry careered across the central reservation of the M6 and into oncoming rush-hour traffic. The accident, in which a Darwen motorist was also injured, caused tailbacks of more than 20 miles as emergency services dealt with
STEPPING into Graeme Souness's shoes as manager of Blackburn Rovers will be a daunting task -- not least because the Scot is among the best dressed managers around. Tracksuit bosses are a dying breed as foreign coaches, like new Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho
MOTORISTS are to be given 150,000 parking tickets in the next 12 months by Lancashire's new army of traffic wardens. The five-fold increase, which is the equivalent of 413 fines a day, has prompted critics to accuse the county council of using staff who
Sedgley Park 21, Plymouth Albion 32: WELCOMING the Tigers to National One were Albion's team of expensive full-time professionals who, with relegated Rotherham facing an uncertain future, are regarded as strong contenders for the National One title and
HOW heartening it was to read the Bury Times (August 20) and to see a Labour councillor, Gordon Sharkey, supporting those of his constituents who are campaigning to prevent approval being given for yet another 3G telecommunications mast. He is obviously
BURY FC is to offer football coaching to pupils at every one of the borough's 72 schools. The club hopes to forge closer links with the community and spot talented youngsters to whom they can provide further specialist training and even offer them trials
I HAVE resisted getting involved in the proposed closure of the baby unit at Fairfield Hospital but Councillor John Byrne's letter (August 27) has prompted me to respond. If the Government want to close the baby unit then the thought of Coun Byrne leading
A WELL-known music shop owner has died. He is Keith Hand, known to many as Doctor Rock, the name of the shop in Bolton Road, Bury, he owned for many years. He died on Saturday at Fairfield General Hospital after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest. Mr
