TODAY, children, we will be talking about why kids returning to school is great for everyone. I kind of get the feeling though that children today don't have the same vigour as we did. That excitement of returning to school has gone. Maybe it's just me
THERE'S no doubt that Hyndburn Council has the best of intentions in trying to enable its refuse collectors to identify the homes of elderly and disabled people. It's quite laudable that they want the collectors to be able to recognise households where
GOLBORNE CC is looking for new players to improve the overall standard of their teams for the 2005 season. Anyone interested in playing for this friendly club should contact Denis Ormshaw on 07970 678562.
1st XV: Broughton Park at home, meet at 12.30 pm. 2nd XV: Tyldesley away, meet at 1.00 pm. 3rd XV: Kendal at home, meet at 1.45 pm. Tofts: Broughton OB away, meet at 1.00 pm. Vets: Sedgley Park at home, meet at 1.45 pm.
PAUL Butler clocked a respectable 21mins 28 secs on hisdebut for Astley & Tyldesley Road Runners in the Radcliffe 5k. The rest of the runners competed in the Birchwood 10k. Anthony Battersby ran a personal best of 36:18, Mike Entwistle won the V55
Open House, with BILL JACOBS BLACKBURN Rovers fans, including Jack Straw, were breathing a sigh of relief today after Ian McCartney kept his job as Chairman of the Labour Party. The diminutive Makerfield MP had joked before the Cabinet reshuffle that
ONCE a year, Hyndburn Council invites residents to help shape the future of Accrington. The Town Centre Walk, now in its fifth year, sees locals and councillors tour the town centre, pointing out ways to make improvements. BEN HEWES joined them. . . "
MOVES to encourage more people to use our railways have culminated in plans for a new station in Blackburn and a makeover for Burnley Central. But do improvements need to be made to the services and the lines before we let the train take the strain? Chief
ELTON VALE... 8 PENNINGTON...1: ELTON Vale recorded their biggest win for many a year on Saturday. Against, admittedly, poor opposition, their first half display was backed up with some quality football and they raced to the turn 7-0 in front. The first
DESPITE a magnificent performance with both bat and ball from their Indian professional, Ramsbottom still remain in third position in the Lancashire League with only one match remaining and their chances of winning the championship appear remote. At the
A FULL-BLOODED cry of 'champions!' reverberated around Elton Cricket Club on Sunday night as players, committee members and supporters rejoiced in the club's first Bolton Association title since they joined the league 10 years ago. And no-one could say
WYTHENSHAWE TOWN...3 STAND ATHLETIC...3: THIS was not so much a game of two halves as one of three thirds: the first delineated by Stand's assumption of control, the second by a tackle. An hour had gone when Latics' defender Kluj collided with Furniss
I'D like to say a big thank you to the alert driver of the car which avoided crashing into the driver's side of the taxi that I was a front seat passenger in. The incident was at about 4pm on Thursday, September 2 at Intack traffic lights, Blackburn.
LIONS...32, SHEFFIELD EAGLES...24: THE Lions pulled back from an horrific start to snatch the points and complete the double over the Eagles. But they didn't have it all their own way. "We got out of jail today and I think if my side threw away a 16 point
STAND made the trip to the team directly above them in the league, Royton, and on a glorious afternoon the home side won the toss and elected to bat. They made a decent start to their innings, hitting 20 runs off the first five overs and Stand had to
I HAVE just received my canal zone medal. It is great and I am very proud to have served in the 1st Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment from 1952-4. From Kabrit Point we used to do route marches in the heat. At the bottom of the road leading to
COUNCIL finance bosses have saved £330,000 in interest charges by paying off loans early. During the last financial year, they reduced Bury's long-term debt from £92 million to £78.1 million. The authority's investments, meanwhile, stood at £23.9 million
PEOPLE aged from 16 to 25 can become "Dramatically Fitter" and lose weight by taking up free sessions. The ten-week course includes exercises and advice about diet and lifestyle, and participants will also receive a pass to use at Bury's Castle Leisure
WARD 12 at Fairfield General Hospital has received a cash injection of more than £5,000, thanks to the Women's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS). The money will purchase two much-needed Dinamaps -- medical equipment used to measure a patient's blood pressure
COUNCIL bosses spent £26,000 on consultants in drawing up a walking strategy, it was revealed at Wednesday's executive. Mr Arthur Withington, during public questions, said he had failed to discover how much Bury spent in total on consultants because it
A PADIHAM man has become the first person in the country to be prosecuted by health bosses for allegedly attacking a member of staff. The private prosecution is being brought by a new NHS agency set up following an alarming rise in the number of assaults
GRAVES dating back to the 18th century may have to be disturbed in the wake of new plans to develop a house on former church land. Mrs Sheila Barnes, who lives in a manse on Dundee Lane, Ramsbottom, has received permission to build another house in the
COUNCILLORS have handed themselves free passes for a town centre car park-- just over a year after telling shoppers they had to pay for on-street parking. Furious traders and shoppers today said the decision to give the 64 members of Blackburn with Darwen
NOW that the Olympics are over, the eyes of the sporting world will be fixed on Ramsbottom as the town prepares to hold its own world championships -- in black pudding throwing. To be held at the Royal Oak pub on Sunday, starting at noon, the World Black
A record number of nurses are applying for paediatric posts at Fairfield Hospital, despite the uncertainty over the future of women and children's services. Under controversial proposals, the special care baby unit could close and overnight stays for
LEIGH Centurions' points ace Neil Turley has broken one club record and is closing in on another that's stood for almost 20 years. Full-back Turley needs five goals to equal the club record of 173, including two drop goals, in a season by Chris Johnson
MARK Hughes is the firm favourite with supporters to take over as the new Blackburn Rovers manager. The current Wales boss polled a massive 59 per cent of the vote in our exclusive telephone poll to discover who you want to replace Graeme Souness. Firebrand
BLACKBURN Rovers were today closing in on the man they want to succeed Graeme Souness as the club's new manager. John Williams and the Rovers board met yesterday to discuss the merits of all the leading candidates. And they have now drawn up a short-list
HE'S been there. He's done it. And now he's got the t-shirt! But irrespective of the slogan that was emblazoned across his chest yesterday, Blackburn Rovers' latest signing Jay Bothroyd insists his 'bad boy' image is now firmly behind him. In fact, the
LIARS are being invited to come clean about mobile thefts in a ground-breaking amnesty. Under new laws, police can issue anyone who makes a false crime report with £80 fines. But Bury police are inviting bogus victims of mobile phone thefts to come forward
HEATON Park is the venue for The World Famous Moscow State Circus next week. The big top will be in the park from Tuesday, September 14 to Sunday, September 19. Shows are held at 5pm and 8pm from Tuesday to Friday, and at 2pm and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday
WORKMEN have been putting poetry in motion on the water feature in Prestwich. The contractors put the finishing touches to the glass and granite structure by engraving students' poetry into the stone. The granite and glass structure in the Longfield Centre
THREE ladies who devoted most of their adult life to the Mothers' Union have been rewarded for their dedication and commitment. Vera Goddard, Dorothy Hartley and Jean Tipper have each been a member of Stand All Saints MU in Whitefield for 50 years. At
FILMING for a special video takes place today (Fri Sept 10) at the home of Metrolink campaigner Maria Fuller. Mrs Fuller has been asked by Metrolink to feature in a video to campaign against the government decision not to expand or invest in the system
BURNLEY police won the football community cup competition they organised to foster links within the town. Their final match against Jinnah in the over-17s competition went to sudden death during the contest at Towneley. A total of 26 teams took part in
A PADIHAM man has become the first person in the country to be prosecuted by health bosses for allegedly attacking a member of staff. The private prosecution is being brought by a new NHS agency set up following an alarming rise in the number of assaults
DAVE Flitcroft is set for a quick return to the Bury starting eleven for Saturday's clash at Shrewsbury Town. The combative midfielder is available again following his one-match suspension picked up for a red card awarded against Kidderminster on Bank
PEOPLE aged from 16 to 25 can become "Dramatically Fitter" and lose weight by taking up free sessions. The ten-week course includes exercises and advice about diet and lifestyle, and participants will also receive a pass to use at Bury's Castle Leisure
NOW that the Olympics are over, the eyes of the sporting world will be fixed on Ramsbottom as the town prepares to hold its own world championships -- in black pudding throwing. To be held at the Royal Oak pub on Sunday, starting at noon, the World Black
I WAS waiting for a lift to work the other day when I noticed a rather soaked cat making its way across the road. Suddenly, out of the blue, it was struck by a speeding car. Did the driver not see it as it hit his bumper, rolled up the bonnet of his car
COLNE'S new children's centre and dental surgery has been sent back to the drawing board. Residents, traders and members of St Bartholomew's Church objected to the loss of Walton Street car park where the complex will be built and last night handed Pendle
10 years ago A TINY bat captured the hearts of animal workers after it was found hanging in a clump of nettles. The pipistrelle bat was taken to the wildlife warden at Witton Country Park, Blackburn after it was found with a dislocated jaw and unable
A BODYBUILDER, who turned to the sport after his dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer, is set to appear in a BBC documentary about what happens in country pubs. Thirty-three-years-old muscleman, fire-eater and stripper Zacc Harvey will feature in the
HOW best to create a learning climate and the right culture for businesses will be highlighted at the latest PACE network seminar. The event will take place at Business Solutions at Link House, Bury, on Tuesday, September 21, between 3pm and 5pm. Many
FURTHER to the excellent letter from Ray Honeyford (September 2) I would like to point out that the British National Party is not, unlike the Socialist Workers Party, a party of "extremism". The core aims and objectives of the BNP are to preserve the
A POPULAR antiques shop run by the wife of a well-known Radcliffe businessman is closing after a quarter of a century. The shutdown marks the end of an era and a new challenge for Village Antiques owner Mrs Ruth Weidenbaum. For she is set to trade from
TONY Barlow, chairman of Bury South Conservatives claims that their newly-selected General Election candidate is ideal because of his political experience (Guide, September 3). Trafford Council's website shows he was elected only last year so his Altrincham
THE BNP attacks people for genetic flukes of skin colour and for family history of migration and creed. They are attacking "faults" that are not within the individual's political sovereignty. The Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and Leon Trotsky might be
IF there is a better concert group in the whole country than the Garrett Theatre group I would be surprised. Congratulations and thanks to everyone involved for giving us 10 years of superb entertainment-- long may they continue. James Bridge Ambergate
RESIDENTS claim they have suffered a summer of discontent and disruption because of work on a new school in Prestwich. Construction of the new Manchester Jewish Grammar School in Charlton Avenue is in full flow after the old building was demolished earlier
RESIDENTS on a busy side street claim they have the worst "rat run" in Prestwich after counting 700 vehicles in the space of six hours. Householders in Dashwood Road are now demanding action from Bury Council to curb the number of cars and vans using
A PRESTWICH antiques shop which has become a valuable hunting ground for foreign dealers and the public is closing after 25 years. The shutdown marks the end of an era for Village Antiques owner Mrs Ruth Weidenbaum and the heralding of a new challenge
TOP doctors at Fairfield Hospital have hit out at plans to axe women and children's services which could mark the end of its special care baby unit. In a damning letter to health chiefs just days before a mass public meeting on Monday (Sept 13), Dr Anton
BURY South MP Ivan Lewis has thrown his weight behind a campaign to get Metrolink back on track for expansion. At a summit meeting held in Manchester last Friday (Sept 3), Mr Lewis joined other MPs, senior councillors and Greater Manchester Transport
ATTRACTIVE football wasn't high on Ramsbottom United's agenda in midweek. But manager Derek Egan will be happy to witness repeat performances if it leads to the same results. The Rams chief was delighted to celebrate a 1-0 win over high flying Fleetwood
CHORLEY assistant manager Mickey Graham believes the Magpies' luck is about to turn. Graham felt the UniBond First Division side deserved at least a point from a promising performance in their derby with Clitheroe. Instead they were beaten 3-1 after being
JUST when Ashley Hoskin thought things couldn't get any worse, he takes his Rossendale United side to Ilkeston Town tomorrow - to take on a player who earns more money than the whole of his squad put together. Former Nottingham Forest striker Nigel Jemson
INJURY ruled me out of the match on Saturday, so Steve Mullaney had the opportunity to take charge of the team which faced Ormskirk. Watching from the sidelines, I was delighted with the positive way which we went about our batting, however, despite scoring
West Hull 40, Leigh East 12 LEIGH East continued their erratic start to the season with a disappointing National Conference League defeat at West Hull. Only the bravest would predict a victory for any side at West Hull but Easts were expected to put up
GOLBORNE Parkside started life in NWC Division Three and learned a few tough lessons as they edged a tight game at Bamber Bridge. Golborne missed one good chance before conceding a converted try. After 17 minutes they were 10-0 down as they struggled
AN ALL too familiar middle order batting collapse effectively cost Leigh CC their chance of winning their game at Brook Lane against Ormskirk. The Leigh batsmen found it difficult to cope with the pace of West Indian test player Adam Sanford and they
A TWO-year plan to improve services for asylum seekers has been approved by council leaders. The strategy, outlined in a document titled "Bury Welcomes Asylum Seekers and Refugees", aims to promote settlement and integration, and encourage those who remain
A TEACHER faces the sack after he was found guilty of making unwanted approaches to two schoolgirls. Ian Hamilton (40), appeared in court on Tuesday to be sentenced on two separate charges of harassment. In June last year, Hamilton, a teacher at Radcliffe
BRITISH tourists on holiday in Cuba battled in vain to save the life of a Bury Council boss, an inquest heard on Thursday. John Ball, who worked as a procurement manager in the environmental services department, suffered a sudden and lethal heart attack
MENTAL health bosses have denied that Ramsbottom Cottage Hospital will close -- despite a leaked report to the Bury Times proposing it should shut. The document details a planned shake-up of older people's mental health services in the borough, which
BURY'S top Tory has told the Government its shock decision to reject Metrolink's expansion was seen as "an act of betrayal" in neighbouring communities. Councillor Roy Walker also said the Government now stood accused of "a very short-sighted approach
BURY Women's Cricket Club take on Burnley in the final of the Lancashire League's Plate Trophy at Padiham CC this Sunday at 2pm. The selected team is: K. Ingham, C. Dorey, K. Mayo, J. Burton, K. Clegg, L. Colbeck, G. Pooler, C. Pietralska, D. Hurd, C.
RADCLIFFE BORO...1 BAMBER BRIDGE...2: COMING back from two goals down proved too big a hurdle for Boro, who slipped to a disappointing defeat against their Preston rivals and two places down the Unibond Premier League table to ninth. Kevin Glendon's men
GATESHEAD...0 RADCLIFFE BOROUGH...1: BORO returned from the grand but soulless International Stadium with all three Unibond League Premier Division points in the bag - but they made hard work of it. The home side mounted a grandstand finish but Boro should
BURNLEY goalkeeper Danny Coyne has been confined to an oxygen chamber in a drastic bid to be fit to face Crewe. Coyne is struggling with a hamstring injury that forced him to withdraw from both of Wales' World Cup qualifying games in the past week. And
BLACKBURN Rovers were today closing in on the man they want to succeed Graeme Souness as the club's new manager. John Williams and the Rovers board met yesterday to discuss the merits of all the leading candidates. And they have now drawn up a short-list
OLYMPIC hero Amir Khan is set to become the face of British boxing writes David Magilton The 17-year-old Bury Amateur Boxing Club fighter could feature in four amateur boxing shows to be shown by the BBC -- the only domestic boxing on terrestrial TV after
A SPATE of vandalism in a Tockholes wildlife area has led to a call for the public to report anything suspicious to police. The grassland, next to the brook, opposite the Victoria Hotel, has numerous trees and shrubs. It is described as a "haven for birds
FIRST it was athletes, then footballers - now it seems even the pigeons are cheating! But enthusiasts from across East Lancashire today insisted none of the region's birds take steroids to get them past the post first. With prize money in excess of £20,000
THE FIRST thing Selina Warrington did when she was presented with the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award, was stand up and thank everyone. A few years ago, the 16-year-old would never have contemplated addressing a room full of people but the confidence
RESIDENTS claim they have suffered a summer of discontent and disruption because of work on a new school in Prestwich. Construction of the new Manchester Jewish Grammar School in Charlton Avenue is in full flow after the old building was demolished earlier
ROSSENDALE'S black pudding king Andrew Holt has launched a race against time to find a mystery customer ahead of Sunday's International Black Pudding Festival. The customer, who is believed to be from the Burnley area, was caught on camera when a film
WHITEFIELD Horticultural Society's 84th autumn show takes place on Saturday at Whitefield Methodist Church. The event opens to the public at 2pm and will feature flowers, vegetables, children's classes, fruit, handicrafts and cookery. Anyone wishing to
HEATON Park is the venue for The World Famous Moscow State Circus next week. The big top will be in the park from Tuesday, September 14 to Sunday, September 19. Shows are held at 5pm and 8pm from Tuesday to Friday, and at 2pm and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday
RADCLIFFE Athletic Club's fell runners have been busy recently. Three of the club's members made the long journey to Fort William last weekend to have a crack at the Ben Nevis Fell Race. This is becoming an annual jaunt for the lads, and they managed
DESPITE only claiming two wins from six games, no-one at Stainton Park is remotely in the vicinity of the panic button. However, things are not all they should be. "I'm not happy, said Boro boss Kevin Glendon after seeing his side lose at home again,
A MAN suffered serious head injuries after an assault in Blackburn last night. Police were today appealing for information to help identify the man, who is believed to be around 50. He was taken to Blackburn Infirmary shortly after 6.40pm after being
A MOVE to turn rural post offices into makeshift police stations will not be getting the stamp of approval in Lancashire. A six-month pilot scheme operating in Norfolk is allowing residents to report crimes, produce driving documents or pay fines whilst
COUNCILLORS have handed themselves free passes for a town centre car park-- just over a year after telling shoppers they had to pay for on-street parking. Furious traders and shoppers today said the decision to give the 64 members of Blackburn with Darwen
PRESTWICH golden girl Ruth Smith proved she is a born fighter after winning two sporting medals just eight weeks after major spine surgery. Thirteen-year-old Ruth competed in the Dwarf Athletic Association Games in Birmingham last weekend and won two
I WRITE with regard to the planning application for flats on Mill Road, Walmersley, Bury, and the comments made by Councillor Yvonne Wright at the recent planning meeting. It was small-minded of her to use the particular views of two or three local residents
I THANK Councillor Ken Audin (Letters, August 13) for his acknowledgement of the care provided by the staff at Warthfield Elderly Persons Home for many years. However, I do not agree that the social services department appreciated the work. Also, only
I ATTENDED a site meeting and council planning meeting regarding the application for a two-storey, 12-flat development and car parking at Mill Road, Walmersley, Bury. It was quite clear from the start of both meetings that the application had already
Rochdale Hornets 24 Leigh Centurions 74: IT'S an indication of just how high Leigh's standards are these days that even a near-record away win isn't good enough. Although Leigh breezed to top spot, scoring 13 tries against a poor Rochdale side that is
Halifax 16 Leigh Centurions 27 by Mike Hulme: CONFIRMATION that Halifax are no Salford or Huddersfield undeniably came at the Shay on Sunday afternoon. Leigh's first-ever win over a side relegated from Super League gives the Centurions a huge psychological
SO, its all over bar the shouting. Plans have been published, objections have been lodged, letters have been written, meetings have been held, site visits have been made, the planning committee has been convened and surprise, surprise -- guess what? -
TOP doctors at Fairfield Hospital have spoken out against plans to axe women's and children's services which could mark the end of its special care baby unit. A damning letter sent on behalf of hospital consultants to health chiefs has been obtained by
A JEALOUS Hell's Angel honed her shooting skills on a range just two days before she gunned down a man in the street, a court heard. Heather Stephenson-Snell was said to have visited a shooting club four times over a six month period to learn how to fire
HINDSFORD FC had a convincing 5-1 away win at Swinton Town. Hindsford started well and played some excellent football on a difficult pitch, taking an early lead when Paul Cunliffe sent Neil Critchley clear on the right and his cross was finished by Matt
Leigh RMI 2 Forest Green 0: THERE was an almighty sigh of relief around Hilton Park after Leigh notched up their first win of the season. They were more than happy to inflict more suffering on struggling Forest Green as just one point from their five
DATEN Hockey Club are starting their winter training at Padgate High School, astro pitch each Thursday from 7pm to 8pm. New and old players are always welcome.
St Paul's 135, Lilford 172; Leigh Bowling 168, Atherton Park 'B' 128; Astley & Tyldesley 147, Botanical Gardens 152; Rugby Union 'A' 153, Butts Park 'B' 166; Butts Park 'A' 174, Rugby Union 'B' 131; Brunswick 142, Leigh CC 156; Atherton Park 'A' 154
September 2: Colliers 5, Peake Fitness 6; Waggon and Horses 5, Jolly Carter 6; Sportsman 3, Leigh Conservative Club 8; Railway 5, Fir Tree 6. League: Peake Fitness played 10, 69 points; Waggon and Horses 10, 57; Leigh Conservative Club 10, 57; Fir Tree
WALSHAW appear to have saved their best form for the final few games of the Bolton Association season. At the weekend they continued with two comprehensive victories over Atherton and Astley & Tyldesley. On Saturday, at Atherton, the home side ended
IN the middle of their worst run of results for some time, Brooksbottoms slumped to a sixth defeat in seven games at Deane & Derby. And a six wicket defeat was just about what they deserved from a miserable performance. Missing a number of regulars
WOODBANK'S Neil Ridehaugh had more than a victory to celebrate when his side defeated Lancashire County League champions-elect Prestwich on Sunday. His important innings of 51 saw him pass the 10,000 run milestone for the Kenyons' club. Ridehaugh, who
HEATON MOOR RUFC...8 BURY RUFC...22 RFU North Lancs One BURY started as they intend to continue and laid siege to the Moor try-line for the opening 10 minutes, with only indifferent refereeing denying them at least two scores. It was then a cruel injustice
HOLCOMBE Brook Sports Club captain Tony Lawson has spoken of his pride at his women's tennis team reaching the final of the Kia National Clubs' League tournament last weekend. The Longsight Road club's ladies went down 4-2 in the final to reigning champions
WHAT have Ramsbottom United and Michael Owen got in common? - Micky Saunders! The Rams' diminutive pocket exocet scored the goal that beat high-flying Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night, and manager Derek Egan agreed it was not dissimilar from the one scored
ACCUSATIONS and counter accusations will mount after the shocking scenes of brutality from Beslan. The enormity of it is unspeakable. Once again it is the Islamic world seen to be at the forefront of the atrocities. Is this to be Russia's '9/11'? The
SINCE he clearly has little grasp of history, it is doubtful that K Scott realises that his right to write such unmitigated drivel is because his hero Adolf Hitler was defeated. I was seven when the war started on this very day in 1939 -- I suspect Mr
I AM writing about the horrors that occurred involving the children and staff of Beslan School in Russia. I'm sure, like mysel,f the majority of people will be stunned into disbelief at man's dreadful inhumanity to man, manifesting itself once again.
A FRESH appeal for information has been made to identify a woman whose body was found in a canal at Leigh. Her body was discovered in West Bridgewater Canal on Wednesday morning near Mather Lane Bridge, Leigh. A handbag, believed to belong to the woman
KIND-hearted Bury Lions were certainly on their marks when they raised £1,000 to help towards the cost of the Junior Games for the Disabled. Members sold trolley-dash and tombola tickets over a five-day period at Asda Pilsworth to collect the cash. The
POLICE chiefs in Greater Manchester have enlisted the help of an army of public bodies in a new £2m-plus crimebusting project. Using state-of-the-art computer technology, the project Greater Manchester Against Crime (GMAC) will be able to access information
CONGESTION caused by the school run is to be tackled by a specialist Bury Council employee. Jayne Stuart has been recruited as the authority's first dedicated school travel plans co-ordinator in a scheme backed by the Government. Short, pollution-rich
BURY needs to improve its services for people with learning disabilities, say inspectors. They have given the council the equivalent of a "one star" rating (on a scale of zero to three), which means "that some people were being served well and that the
A NIGHT out with friends nearly ended in tragedy for teenager Dwayne Williams when he plunged 20ft from a culvert bridge into a stream. The 19-year-old narrowly missed rocks as he fell into the water, suffering a suspected spinal injury. Rescuers had
BURY Law Centre has spearheaded a successful case to stop a local tenant being evicted. Housing adviser Praful Kalyan represented the client who was threatened with eviction because of a delay in housing benefit. Mr Kalyan explained: "The landlord had
A HUGE range of activities has been organised to mark the seventh annual Bury Environment Week, which runs from September 19 to 26. Adults and children will be encouraged to save energy and money, cut waste, recycle, and even pick up some freebies. Among
TEENAGERS became "young doctors" for the week at Fairfield General Hospital. TV dramas such as Casualty have raised the profile of medical work, and Fairfield receives many requests for work placements from young people. Now, to meet demand, the hospital
DIABETICS and their carers are being invited to a special conference on the condition. The one-day exhibition and talks by diabetes specialists takes place on October 2. Although the conference falls under the umbrella of Diabetes Concern Greater Manchester
A MULTI-use games area is to be built on Boz Park, off Tonge Close, in Whitefield. The plan for the sports pitch were passed by Bury's planning committee.
WHITEFIELD Horticultural Society's 84th autumn show takes place on Saturday at Whitefield Methodist Church. The event opens to the public at 2pm and will feature flowers, vegetables, children's classes, fruit, handicrafts and cookery. Anyone wishing to
A PRESTWICH-BASED charity has undergone a name change. Children's Hospitals Appeal Trust (CHAT) is now known as MedEquip4Kids and boasts a new logo. The well-established charity, situated in George Street, Prestwich, has raised more than £8 million since
ST MARY'S Church in Prestwich will combine a heritage day with their patronal festival this weekend. The church and grounds will be open to the public from 9.30am Saturday and there will be a variety of medieval events held throughout the two days. The
A VOLUNTARY worker from the Ribble Valley is to make an emotional trip to West Africa to see how Burnley FC has helped children start a new life. The Clarets donated football strips to help former child soldiers in Liberia regain their lost childhood
WELL-travelled Graeme Jones knows a thing or two about playing up front and he reckons Bury are holding onto a couple of diamonds. The 34-year-old Shakers striker, who is in his final year in the Football League, has missed the lion's share of games so
PLANS to surface over a cobbled street in Nelson have been delayed pending a report on the success of road repairs. Residents in Oak Street requested the surface be covered in Bitmac, and the case was taken up by Councillor Mohammed Munir. But councillors
RESIDENTS of Barrowford are breathing a sigh of relief after plans for a play area were thrown out. There was a 'heated discussion' at the Barrowford and Western Parishes Committee last night about the plans for a multi-use games area on a car park in
JAPAN, China, Spain, and Romania were among 15 countries represented on a Nelson school playground yesterday to recreate the Olympics. Youngsters at Marsden Community Primary School, in Percy Street, celebrated the official opening of their £1million
A HUGE range of activities has been organised to mark the seventh annual Bury Environment Week, which runs from September 19 to 26. Adults and children will be encouraged to save energy and money, cut waste, recycle, and even pick up some freebies. Among
IF you wondered what happened to the old Soviet Union Politburo it found a home in Bury's council chamber! The USSR was a repressive regime and everyone knew that, so no-one expressed their views publicly or made protests. Here we believe -- foolishly
PEOPLE are being asked to share their memories of Colne's Ballgrove Park. Friends of Ballgrove helps manage the park, which recently became a local nature reserve, and is documenting the history of the site for boards, leaflets, and exhibitions. Vicky
A DAREDEVIL who is 100 miles an hour quicker than F1 champion Michael Schumacher, is the new world champion. Mark Calland, who lives in Lowton but grew up in Atherton, is also the first person to have gone unbeaten through a season of speed skydiving
VULNERABLE elderly and disabled people could be at risk after a council began identifying homes that need help with their wheelie bin, it was claimed today. Hyndburn Council offers assistance to anyone who has difficulty putting their bin out for collection
A Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) essentials workshop is to be staged by Groundwork Bury at its Link House base on Tuesday, September 21. The event, to take place between 3.30pm and 6.30pm, is aimed at anyone with COSHH assessments and
SIR David Trippier, chairman of the North West Says No campaign, was the guest speaker at the latest Bury Industrial Society dinner. The former Rossendale MP and ex-boss of Marketing Manchester devoted much of his address to the Government's decision
BURY-based Microcare Systems are celebrating the success of their summer placement student Melissa Slaven under the Shell STEP programme. For she has won the most enterprising student award in the North Manchester heat of the scheme at the Ramada Jarvis
IF Mr Adam (Letters, September 3) re-reads my letter of August 6, he will see that it did not contain any political content. My criticism was directed at the postal service and would have been the same whatever government was in power. He can rest assured
IN reply to Mr Honeyford (Letters, September 3) I must say that the "respectable" mask was well and truly lifted off the BNP by the programme The Secret Agent, broadcast by the BBC recently. During the programme members of the BNP admitted carrying out
A TEACHER from Prestwich faces the sack after he was found guilty of making unwanted approaches to two schoolgirls. Ian Hamilton (40), of Oldfield Road, appeared in Bury court on Tuesday to be sentenced on two separate charges of harassment. In June last
I CAN'T accept the planned Sports Village is as good for the people of Leigh as Wigan Metro try to make out. Walking round the site I pictured what it will look like and the effect it will have on the nature reserve on the other side of the 'tarmac river
I UNDERSTAND the ridiculous humps and bumps on Windermere Road, Walmesley Road and Bengal Street in Leigh were installed as a safety measure for the protection of schoolchildren. Fair enough. But the measures are entirely out of proportion to the needs
BURNLEY goalkeeper Danny Coyne has been confined to an oxygen chamber in a drastic bid to be fit to face Crewe. Coyne is struggling with a hamstring injury that forced him to withdraw from both of Wales' World Cup qualifying games in the past week. And
FRANK Sinclair has been Burnley's very own 'Man in a Suitcase'. And while the Clarets defender may not yet hold the same cult status as the 1960s spy thriller, he hopes that ending a summer of commuting will finally allow him to make Turf Moor a home
THE power of the area board has been praised by Prestwich councillors. Often accused of being just a "talking shop", the area board recently secured a victory for the people of Prestwich after taking direct action. As reported in the Guide, Bury Council
PRESTWICH golden girl Ruth Smith proved she is a born fighter after winning two sporting medals just eight weeks after major spine surgery. Thirteen-year-old Ruth competed in the Dwarf Athletic Association Games in Birmingham last weekend and won two
AFTER travelling 800 miles in training without a hiccup, the last thing cyclist Kevin Cross expected during his 60-mile charity ride was a puncture. But sure enough, 17 miles into the course, he found himself on his hands and knees repairing the tyre.
AFTER occupying "pride of place" in Whitefield's main shopping street for the past 27 years, shopowner Frank Chapman is ready to take a back seat. Mr Chapman (61) will close down his cane furniture shop "In Pride Of Place" on Bury New Road, at the end
THE FIRST thing Selina Warrington did when she was presented with the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award, was stand up and thank everyone. A few years ago, the 16-year-old would never have contemplated addressing a room full of people but the confidence
RAY Honeyford (Letters, September 3) defends the right of the police to join fascist organisations such as the BNP. He bases his claim on one argument: that in a democracy people should have the right to join whatever legal organisation they choose. It's
CLITHEROE could still be without Kris Richens and Lee Cryer for tomorrow's UniBoInd Division One trip to Rocester. Goalkeeper Richens has a hand injury and strike Cryer a calf strain, but CliItheroe still managed a 3-1 win over Chorley in midweek despite
GREAT Harwood Town have snapped up John Paul Fagan from Clitheroe on a month's loan. The midfielder has been brought in as manager Dave Bradford tries to halt a run of three consecutive defeats, the latest being 2-0 at Glossop North End on Tuesday. Bradford
PADIHAM'S hasty exit from the FA Cup might not be a bad thing, according to manager Steve Wilkes. The Storks were thumped 5-1 at home to Billingham Synthonia last weekend but Wilkes is hoping last week's showdown has provided a vital lesson for tomorrow's
MANAGER Steve Mullen is picking up the pieces of Darwen's FA Cup exit after they conceded three extra time goals against Brandon United on Wednesday. As well as missing out on a home tie with Liversedge, Mullen's side also suffered a couple of untimely
A SOUND batting performance by Glazebury earned them a five-wicket victory over league leaders Wistatson at Hurst Lane. The visitors batted first and reached 181-8 before making an early and, as it turned out, ill-judged declaration. Ray Potts and david
LEIGH Golf Club won the Wigan and District Junior Victory Trophy to add to the male equivalent they won in June. The club picked up the Jack Case Cup for the lowest aggregate team gross score of all the seven teams that entered. Their score of 397 was
LEIGH CC capped a final first season in the Leigh Pub Cricket League by becoming the first side to beat the Three Crowns in FOUR years. After losing the toss and been forced to bat, Leigh were the clear underdogs. Mark Hudsmith wasted no time in playing
Leigh 1st XV 57 Wirral 27: LEIGH RU opened their league programme with a convincing 57-27 win against Wirral. A fine run by Lester allowed Wilcox to open the scoring, and a midfield break by Sinclair saw the same player finish off the move. Lester was
Leigh Miners Rangers 10 Hull Dockers 25 by Craig Wall : THE Miners went down to their first defeat of the season against newly-promoted Hull Dockers who look quite at home in their debut season. Dockers opened their account with a ninth minute penalty
THE match between Leigh's Thirds and Fourths had been awaited with great anticipation. Phil Edwards, the Fourth XI captain, won the toss and asked the Third XI to bat. The Third's had been getting off to poor starts in recent weeks but not on this occasion
A GIFTED Bury family facing deportation next week staged a last-ditch plea on Thursday for the Government to let them stay. The Aftab family must report to immigration staff at Manchester Airport on Monday, or face forcible removal from the country. Around
MANCHESTER City FC will be restarting it's popular and well attended 'City in the Community' football courses for youngsters aged 6-11yrs on Radcliffe Borough's astro turf facility on Thursday Sept 23 from 4-5pm. The courses (lasting five weeks) run throughout
WALKDEN'S Australian professional Peter Roach was in top form with the bat when Greenmount slid to their latest defeat at Brandlesholme Road. Roach smashed an unbeaten 119 as the reigning Bolton League champions blasted 255 for 2 from their 50 overs in
A RECURRENCE of a calf injury for Graeme Jones was the downside of Bury reserves' 2-0 victory over their Macclesfield Town counterparts on Wednesday afternoon. The experienced striker limped off in the first half to be replaced by Daniel Douglas-Pringle
AEROSPACE giant BAE Systems today announced improved profits for the first six months of the year. But the company admitted it still did not have confirmation of the vital second order for the Eurofighter Typhoon. BAE announced interim profits of £486million
AN in-demand dental practice in Rossendale is to get a new waiting room in a bid to ensure it complies with new disability legislation. The Dental Health Centre in Burnley Road, Rawtenstall, has been given planning permission to transform an empty house
SELINA Warrington is a model student. The Year 11 pupil at St Monica's RC High School in Prestwich is a prefect who carries out her duties with a fair but firm hand, has made excellent progress in her studies and gives 100 per cent to everything she does
ST MARY'S Church in Prestwich will combine a heritage day with their patronal festival this weekend. The church and grounds will be open to the public from 9.30am Saturday and there will be a variety of medieval events held throughout the two days. The
A BLACKBURN student accused of plotting terrorist attacks with shoe bomber Richard Reid is trying to have the charges against him dismissed. Sajid Badat, who studied at the Jamiatulilmwalhuda UK (college of knowledge) in Moss Street, Blackburn, will make
A HEADTEACHER has warned parents not to expect a solution to the problem of easy A-grades in the near future. Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School's Dr David Hempsall, said he had no faith that the current review of higher education would resolve the problem
CHILDREN were today accused of motorway madness after police revealed they were investigating 70 incidents of youngsters playing on the M65 in under two months. Officers said youths were endangering their lives and those of motorists, despite repeated
A MOTHER whose son was shot dead by a mentally-ill friend today welcomed new moves to protect the public. But Carole Rigby, of Corwen Close, Blackburn, said revised proposals in the draft Mental Health Bill had come too late to ease any of her grief.
ROBBIE Williams is almost certain to miss tomorrow's Nationwide Conference clash at Dagenham and Redbridge. That means Accrington Stanley will travel to East London without their first choice central defenders, with Steve Halford sidelined for at least
THE biggest game in Prestwich Cricket Club's history beckons on Saturday. They will attempt to win the Lancashire County League for the first time. League championship glory last came to the Heys Road club in the 1890s when they won the Middleton League
AS one of the organisers of the car boot sales at Bury Sports Club, I am sorry to hear of the problems caused by inconsiderate parking, described by "Brassed-off Resident" (Letters, August 27). I can assure the writer that we do everything to meet our
HE public of Bury should now all be aware of the plans to close the special care baby unit (SCBU) and reduce children's services and maternity services at Fairfield and the subsequent campaign led by Fairfield Baby Lifeline Society (FBLS) against these
I WOULD like to state for the record that it is very much "business as usual" at Fairfield's maternity unit (Mums will choose to go elsewhere, Letters, September 3). Certainly some mums from the Bury area will choose to have their babies in Bolton; they
CONGESTION caused by the school run is to be tackled by a specialist Bury Council employee. Jayne Stuart has been recruited as the authority's first dedicated school travel plans co-ordinator in a scheme backed by the Government. Short, pollution-rich
Leigh Centurions 36 Oldham 12 by Mike Hulme: DARREN Abram had every right to be in good humour after seeing his side consolidate their position at the head of the table with an eighth straight win. Only at full time was it revealed the misfortune Abram
Featherstone Rovers 20 Leigh Centurions 75 by Mike Hulme: WOW! Rarely do you see perfection on a rugby league field and even more rarely are you there to see it in the flesh. Awesome, magnificent, sensational. Use any of the adjectives you like - they
Leigh Centurions 42 Hull KR 14: IF history repeats itself Leigh will be in Super League next season. Huddersfield and Salford have set the precedent in the past two seasons with the Arriva Trains Cup winners going on to win the Grand Final to join the
Leigh Centurions 43, Halifax 25 by Mike Hulme: THE old sporting cliche of a game of two halves was never more apt than it was at Hilton Park last Sunday. For almost the entire opening 40 minutes, the Centurions' unbeaten home league record was in jeopardy
Leigh Centurions 21 Whitehaven 14 by Mike Hulme: ANOTHER game and another classic. Leigh and Whitehaven just can't stop producing nerve-shredding finishes. First there was the opening league game at the Rec which 'Haven just edged; then there was the
LEIGH Athletic progressed through the first round of the Lancashire County Cup with an easy 4-0 win over Lancashire Amateur side Little Lever. After indifferent early season form the management team have turned to youth and in the last two games have
LEIGH & District Soccer League championship favourites Asda Golborne kicked off the new campagin with a resounding 7-0 thrashing of Atherton Liberal Club. Hill led the rout with a hat-trick and there were other goals from Munro (2), Flannery and Millard
Hindley Youth 2 Ringley Rangers 5 HINDLEY struck first when Kieran Bamber chipped the keeper but Kevin Hanley hit back. Hindley regained the lead through Scott Rothwell but after the break goals from Aaron Monks (2), Nial Callaghan and Dean Quinn clinched
