Archive
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Expansion is only marginal
THE latest PMI North-west Report shows that the overall level of business activity in the region expanded marginally in October. But weak growth in demand restricted efforts to stimulate output expansion. The survey saw further pressure on profit margins
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Mum's the word for Victoria
THIS time last year Victoria Rose was an unemployed single mum wondering what to do with her future. Victoria, aged 19, was forced to drop out of college when she was 17 after becoming pregnant and was living on benefits in Little Hulton. But she wanted
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How the town centre has changed over the years
STREET SCENE: This view of Great Moor Street, taken in 1959, is barely recognisable these days. In fact the only part of it still standing (I think!) is the George Hotel in the foreground. Note the horse and cart with its massive load! To view the photo
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Leading the field
TWO successful Bolton companies have been named in a list of the fastest growth businesses in inner city Britain. Walsh Sports Ltd in Daubhill and the MMM Group Ltd in Lower Bridgeman Street are both in the second annual Inner City 100 -- the prestigious
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Traffic changes
Recent changes in the streets of Bolton in 1951 included parking spaces for cars on the south side of Victoria Square. Click HERE to view photo. And bollards were placed at the Trinity Street-Bradshawgate junction (with the Queen's Cinema on the corner
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One penny paid for potato peelings
WHEN I wrote about abattoirs in Bolton recently, it brought a letter from Mrs Lilian Kearnes, of Lightbounds Road, Bolton, who says that there was one I did not mention, in Scholey Street, off Manchester Road, where pigs were killed "When I was a child
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Moses Gate in 1938
Moses Gate in 1938, where Bolton Corporation trams worked through to Farnworth (left) and Walkden (right). To view the photo, click HERE in our Looking Back Photogallery. The photo will open in a separate browser window. This screen will remain open at
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Extensions to Moor Lane bus station
Preparations were well under way for an extension to the covered waiting accommodation at Bolton's Moor Lane bus station when this picture was taken in August, 1951. The excavations were for concrete foundations To view the photo, click HERE in our Looking
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Wartime poems and sketches to go on web
AFTER I did an article on Stephen Blair and the money he left for a hospital in Bolton (Blair Hospital in Bromley Cross), I received a message from Sean Baggaley, Keeper of Social History at Bolton Museum and Art Gallery. In the article I mentioned that
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Piece of history found in loft
IT'S amazing what we find when clearing out the loft... When Frank Gerrard, of Smith Lane, Egerton, was doing that long overdue task (his words, not mine!), he came across this picture of Cox Green Quarry in its heyday. "As to the date, I can only guess
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View from Merehall Park
This view from Merehall Park, Bolton, looked over Brownlow Fold towards Astley Bridge, was taken in the mid-1950s. Since then some of the well-known landmarks such as the Back-o'th'-Bank cooling tower and several mill chimneys have disappeared. To view
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Character study of Bury Road
A character study of Bury Road, Bolton, taken in the spring of 1949, complete with cobble-stones, gas lamps, and even a trusty horse providing a sedate form of transport. Nowadays, only the solid outline of Bolton Parish Church remains. To view the photo
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Can you help with new book?
DO you know anything about the Campbell Street/Cawdor Street area of Moses Gate? If so, your contribution could appear in a new book which is being prepared. Mr Stephen Cork, chairman of the Campbell Community Group, who lives in Victoria Street, Farnworth
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Long Gallery to be uncovered
ANCIENT parts of a historic hall will be revealed at Astley's Dam House. Partitions put up in the 19th century at the former hospital and manorial home will be removed to uncover the Long Gallery. Further work planned includes timber frame wall restoration
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Tram tracks led to pit and pub
THE caption on the back of this picture, taken in October, 1955, says simply: "Tram tracks at Wigan Road." Perhaps interesting enough in itself, but fascinating for other things it shows, such as the Victoria Colliery (Deane Pit) on the right (where the
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Camp stands test of time
OVER the years I have written quite a lot about Somerford Hall camp, where Bolton children used to go for a break in the years following the the Second World War. It was mentioned again in the 50 Years Ago section on July 16, when I said that the camp
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Tram tracks were down for 80 years
LAST Saturday I printed a picture of Wigan Road, Bolton, taken in 1955, and showing the Victoria Colliery (Deane Pit) and the Three Pigeons pub. Mr Geoff Gubbin now tells me that "at this point the Westhoughton/Bolton boundary zig-zagged across the road
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Cinema staff take time out for bowling
BEFORE Sunday cinema shows started in Bolton, cinema staff worked a six-day week," writes Mr Jim McCann, of Cameron Street, Bolton. "Sunday was the one day in the week when all the family could spend the whole day together. Sunday cinema stopped all that
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Connie would like to hear from more Etchells
ON Saturday, 10 August, (with a picture the previous Tuesday), I told you about Etchell's shop on Bradshawgate which stood on the site where the Lido cinema opened in 1937. "I am the great great grandson of Henry Etchells who had the shop," writes Trevor
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Hello and goodbye to two of Bolton's chimneys
Factory chimneys have long been on the skyline of Bolton (thankfully, nowadays few and far between). The picture, left, taken in 1937, was captioned: "Work in progress at the new De Havilland airscrew factory near Lostock." The fascinating thing about
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Writer looks at Leigh down the years
LOCAL history writer Peter Riley has captured 100 years of history. In an ingenious new book Then and Now Peter has taken a photographic look at the changing faces of 11 towns incuding Leigh, Atherton, Tyldesley, Golborne, Astley, Glazebury, Lowton and
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Where is Lostock Junction Lane?
I would love to be able to tell you all about this photograph, but I can't, simply because I cannot work out where it is. To be fair, I do know where it is, but I can't recognise it! The aerial picture - which you can view by clicking HERE - was taken
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Moorland walks with bread and dripping
Dennis Allcock writes: "Hello from the balmy (or barmy!) south coast." "I have just discovered your website and my fond memories of 'Bowton' have prompted me to contact you. I was born in 1927 at the Haslam Maternity Hospital, and lived at 54 Crumpsall
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Baths were a splash
WHEN reader Mrs Christine Bullough saw a paragraph in the paper about Atherton baths recently, the memories started flowing back. "Between 1950 and 1961 I was a pupil at Lee Street School, Atherton," writes Mrs Bullough, of Burnside Road, Smithills. "
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Cinema stood on site of old shop
ON TUESDAY, I printed a picture of Etchell's shop, on Bradshawgate, as you see from the photo (see instructions on how to view below), an old-fashioned building. By co-incidence, I have just come upon more details, in an article in the Evening News about
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Burnden Park lives on
THE Reebok may be the home of the Wanderers nowadays, but Burnden Park will live in the hearts of many supporters as long as they live. Most of us remember it simply as a football ground, of course, but at one stage athletic and cycle meetings were also
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On this day - November 12
1035: Death of Canute, Danish king of England. 1660: John Bunyan, author of A Pilgrim's Progress, was jailed for preaching without a licence. 1840: Sculptor Auguste Rodin was born in Paris. 1859: The man who invented the leotard - Jules Leotard - gave
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A mystery solved
MY "mystery" picture of Lostock on Saturday certainly created a lot of interest, so much so that I cannot possibly name everyone who contacted me, so please forgive me if I don't - I am grateful for your help. You may recall that I told how the picture
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Changing face of football on show
MOMENTS from the history of Bolton Wanderers feature in a new exhibition coming to town. Photographs ranging from the stunning architecture of the Reebok Stadium to fans enjoying the atmosphere of the old Burnden Park ground are among more than 100 images
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Remember the slaughterhouses?
NO doubt many of you remember when there were slaughterhouses in the middle of Bolton, and when, as a 1951 report in the Evening News said: "Each week 100 pigs can be seen trotting across Deansgate in the direction of a Bolton grocery store. They go up
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November 12-13
From the Evening News, November 12, 1992 - BOLTON cake firm manageress Nicola Hodgson has won a Granada Television Flying Start special achievement award - and £10,000 cash. Nicola, aged 25, from Atherton, started work as a cake decorator at Occasion
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Tributes pour in for Hospice charity worker
TRIBUTES have been paid to a sadly missed volunteer who collected thousands of pounds for Wigan and Leigh Hospice. Described as a big man with a big heart, Arthur Campbell Emmett, of Stretton Road, Lowton, died recently in Whiston Hospital. He was 83
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November 11
From the Evening News, 1992 - TWO in three family doctors in the North-west have been attacked or verbally abused on home visits. And in some cases patients have become so aggressive, the doctor has ended up needing a doctor. The shock new slant on violent
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November 11-12
From the Evening News, November 12, 1992 - THE Church of England was today facing the possibility of a break-up in its ranks after the historic decision to allow women priests. Yesterday's decision, in which 400 years of tradition were overturned by just
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Dancing feet
At a Lancashire Evening for parents at the Hayward Schools, Bolton, in 1967, Mr Henry Whitaker, of Nelson, demonstrated the almost forgotten art of clog dancing.
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Chamber ladies set their stalls out
Ladies from the Bolton Chamber of Trade did a spot of fund raising back in 1938. Some of them are pictured near one of the stalls, selling everything from tiddlywinks to motor racing toys.
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Taking time to chat
These two veterans pictured in Riding Gate, Harwood, in 1930, obviously enjoyed a chat in this favourite spot. To view the photo, click HERE in our Looking Back Photogallery. The photo will open in a separate browser window.
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Mystery of Snofecta soap solved
A LAST word on Snofecta. You may recall that Mrs Judith Prentice, of Stockport, asked through this column whether anyone recalled the firm - I could not find out anything about it, although following the story a couple of readers called to give some details
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Omega Trio - the missing link
On Tuesday I told you about the Omega Trio, a local balancing act in the days of variety. The last remaining member is Mr Bert Yates, of Cromer Avenue, Tonge Moor, and as I said in the story, after the group had broken up, he took evening classes in physical
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Society saves a piece of history
SWITCHED-ON volunteers dedicated to rescuing Bolton's industrial heritage are saving a rare piece of equipment from the former Hick Hargreaves works. The electrical switchgear which stands in the now abandoned Soho foundry dates back to 1915. Amazingly
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Stanley's house had to go
DEMOLITION work had to be done on the gable end house of Mr Stanley Crompton, in Church Street, Little Lever, which was badly damaged when part of the road caved in during January, 1976. Workmen salvaged the last of 62-year-old Mr Crompton's belongings
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Don't let this name die BY DR PILLING
Asense of finality is evident to anyone who lingers for long at Hick Hargreaves. Over recent weeks I have been helping to identify those business records that should be preserved in the local archive some 16 years after I submitted my history of the Soho
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Pity we didn't put this car parking on film
REGARDING the article on page 7 in the Bolton Evening News on Tuesday, November 5, 'Candid camera warning to careless parkers'. Well, Mr Allcroft, your parking was nothing after what my wife and I witnessed on Tuesday afternoon. We were going to Bolton
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Snowfecta - no wild goose chase
JUST an update on a couple of subjects which appeared in this column last Friday. You may recall that Mrs Judith Prentice of Stockport asked if anyone had information about a Bolton firm called Snowfecta. I had asked around and no-one seemed to know of
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Does anyone recognise familiar faces?
WHEN Lucy Holland retired as Welfare Officer at Harwood Mill (date unknown), this photograph of her appeared in the paper It was found by Beverley E. Holland, of Torrington Avenue, Halliwell, in her aunt's effects, and Beverley wonders if anyone recognises
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Apron is in museum
WHEN I printed a photograph of 15-years-old Betty Yates, of Holmes Cottages, Halliwell, displaying an apron on which she had embroidered signatures of local people, I wondered what had happened to the apron. She had charged 6d (2p) each signature, to
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Cambrian, not Swan Lane, says Annie
On Wednesday, I printed a picture from Mr Charles Sharp of Harwood, saying that it showed girls from the Swan Lane Mill, Bolton, in 1964 of on a picnic to Blackpool. I have now had a call from Mrs Annie Cull, of Bushell Street, off Willows Lane, Bolton
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Lanky dialect gone? No way, says Ernie
AFTER I mentioned in the 10 Years Ago section of Looking Back on August 15 that the Lancashire Dialect Society had "popped its clogs", I received a note from reader Ernest Ford telling me that it is up and running again under the guidance of folk singer
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Tree planting
IN December, 1938, the Minister of Transport, Mr Leslie Burgin, planted a tree at Temple Bridge on the Moss Bank Way part of Bolton's new ring road, to commemorate the opening. The Town Clerk, Sir John Haslam, MP, and Ald. Knott, were also in the picture
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Relay radio man worked at power station
OVER the past couple of weeks or so I have printed quite a lot about the Relay Radio in Horwich. I have now heard from Derek Shepherd, of Grove Street, Bolton, who tells me that the son of the owner, Arthur Hallows, had his main job at Back o'th' Bank
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Edith was on way to see aunt
THE photograph of Little Edith is still bringing a response. To view the photo, click HERE in our Looking Back Photogallery. The photo will open in a separate browser window. This screen will remain open at the same time. Those who read this column regularly
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Snofecta soap puzzle solved
A LAST word on Snofecta. You may recall that Mrs Judith Prentice, of Stockport, asked through this column whether anyone recalled the firm - I could not find out anything about it, although following the story a couple of readers called to give some details
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A touch of magic on Christmas Eve 1953
JUST a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner; and here is a Christmas picture to prove it! I can hear you asking: "Has he finally flipped? Has Gent gone daft?" Perhaps it would be better if you didn't answer, especially the second question
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Arm injury halted trial for Wanderers
MRS Kathleen Deakin, of Westbank Road, Lostock, tells me that her father, Douglas Jones, of The Walkway, Ladybridge, Bolton, died in August at the age of 82 from bowel cancer - the last big setback of his life. "The first was when he was 20 years old
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'Amazing' Ethel's 103rd birthday
HAILED as "amazing" by carers, 103--year-old Ethel Hunsworth continues to astound everyone with her astute memory and intelligence. Born in Leigh in 1899, Ethel grew up in Leigh Road with her brother Fred and sister Doris. After teaching French and Latin
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On this day - November 13
1312: Edward III, King of England from 1327, was born. 1460: Prince Henry of Portugal - Henry the Navigator - died aged 66. 1687: Nell Gwynn died, aged 37. The mistress of King Charles II, she was the best-known orange seller of all time. 1850: Robert
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People playing 'piggy'
THESE two pictures have been sent to me by Mrs Anita Forth, of Hardmans, Higher Ridings, Bromley Cross, who tells me that in the picture of people playing "piggy", her father Bert Griffiths is "the one in the middle, making faces." To view the photo,
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More memories of mystery group
A COUPLE of weeks ago I printed a "mystery" group picture, with the only indication of what it was being that it was sent from 27 Westland Avenue, and was inscribed: "Just to say that we are all set and happy at Delph Hill. Would you like to have this
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Family history of Little Edith
NO doubt you recall the picture of Little Edith I printed recently -- a midget lady sitting on the knee of a sailor. It had been sent to me by Mr John Watson, of Thornton Cleveleys, who did not have any information about it. Last Friday I told you of
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Can you shed light on bible mystery?
"SOME years ago, my late father, Tom Marbeck, bought at a car boot sale a 'family' type bible," writes Mrs Joan Mather, of Tynesbank, Worsley. "It has leather covers and brass corners, and my family decided to restore it for my mother's 91st birthday
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Tiny Edith makes a big impression
WHEN I first saw this photograph, I thought it was of a doll on the knee of a sailor. How wrong could I be! To view the photo, click HERE in our Looking Back Photogallery. The photo will open in a separate browser window. This screen will remain open
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Prize night
BOLTON League side Westhoughton Cricket Club are holding their annual presentation evening at their club on Friday at 8pm.
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Little Edith was in the Guinness Book of Records
LITTLE Edith may have been only small in stature, but as far as this column is concerned, she has had a major impact! For those of you who are not regular readers of this column (if not, why not?), some time ago I printed a picture of a sailor with a
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Flintoff relief for England
LANCASHIRE all-rounder Andrew Flintoff's hopes of featuring in the remainder of the Ashes series are still alive after being given the all-clear following a scan today. The Lancashire vice-captain was sent for an MRI scan today, his second this week,
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Speedway finals
TWO Astley & Tyldesley Miners Welfare/CTA Direct had two members reach the final of the British Indoor Individual Cycle Speedway Championships at Cheslyn Hay, near Cannock. Becky Heslop turned in an impressive showing to total 12 points, including
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More memories in the Norton's pie debate
WHEN I printed a photograph of Cheadle Square on March 14, it was of particular interest to reader Marie Boardman, because, she writes "it is a wonderful portrait of my mother Annie Russell (nee Hanley) and her sister Mary on one of their regular shopping
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Time travellers
This group was pictured at a buffet dance organised by the Bolton Ancient and Modern Travel Club at Rivington Barn in February, 1971
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Tragedy of World War One soldier shot through heart
SCORCH marks on a poetry book are Mary Appleton's poignant reminder of the tragedy of war. The marks were caused by the bullet which skimmed pages before plunging into the heart of a Bolton First World War soldier -- her uncle, Harry McLinden. Harry was
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Guards get lesson in how to handle automatic rifle
MEMBERS of the Bolton, Bury and Manchester branches of the Coldstream Guards Association were shown an automatic rifle during their meeting at Fletcher Street Barracks, Bolton, in June, 1967. They were to use this rifle on camp later that year.
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Coronation celebrations at Walker's Tannery
This picture taken at Walker's Tannery for the Coronation in 1953 has been sent to me by Mrs Elaine Cardwell, of Halton Street, the Haulgh, Bolton, who tells me that her father, Albert Quick is on the photograph, and that her mother Alice also worked
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Weapons hope
After the First World War, some tanks were put into Queen's Park, Bolton, presumably for show and to persuade people that such weapons should never be used again (if that was the case, it didn't work!). In November, 1931, though, the rusted war relics
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Butcher Jack's best skirt!
WITH the early spring making the grass grow, Bolton and District Butchers' Association president, Jack Morris, thought a bit of tasteful snipping might help revive the mini when these three luscious lovelies appeared in grass skirts at the association's
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Those games people played
THIS interior view of the Farnworth and Kearsley Labour Club was taken in 1955 as part of a series looking at different clubs throughout the Bolton area, and the caption simply read "Games and relaxation inside the club." The premises had originally been
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Memories of Matron from local nurses
WITH all the stories about the National Health these days, and many people calling for the old-style Matron to be re-instated, a new book may be of interest to anyone who is working, or worked, in any capacity in hospitals over the years. It is called
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In a real lather over Snowfecta soap
HAVE you ever heard of a Bolton firm called Snowfecta? No, neither have I! But according to Mrs Judith Prentice it existed in the 1920s/1930s. Mrs Prentice has written to me saying that her great-grandmother, Isabella Vipond, left her native Cumberland
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Four hours later she was dead
THE last photograph of murdered prostitute Danielle Moorcroft, right -- a picture captured just four hours before her battered body was disovered - has been released Detectives trawling through hours of CCTV security camera footage came across this image
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The story of Bolton
WHEN the Romans pulled out of this country, the natives were left to fend for themselves. Then came the Saxons -- and everything changed forever. Simon Topliss continues the story of Bolton. TAKE a stroll down Churchgate and you are in the heart of old
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'Brick field gang' ruled playing area
ARNOLD HARRISON, of Little Hulton, recalls more stories from his childhood in Bolton . . . ONCE again I travel back to the 1940s -- my period of hardship with happiness. Shearer's pig farm stood on the site that is now the tennis courts of St Ethelbert's
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What the Romans did for us
IN the second part of our fascinating series tracing Bolton's history, Simon Topliss looks at a time when Bolton was part of the Roman Empire -- and at what the Romans did for us. THE NEXT time you visit Bolton Museum, take a moment to examine two unobtrusive
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A miracle of administration
WAS Bolton mentioned in the Domesday Book? And how did the Norman invaders divide the land here? A further chapter in this fascinating history of Bolton reveals the ancient names of landowners that live on today. DOMESDAY was a national audit, dreamed
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Statue unveling
One of Bolton's oldest photographs, taken in September, 1862, showing huge crowds at the unveiling of the statue of Samuel Crompton. The fine figure in a top hat at the front is a policeman.
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Happy dancers lead a merry dance
Back to the "Roaring Twenties" . . . these happy dancers in 1972, at an event organised by Horwich Chamber of Trade, and held at Brookfield, Westhoughton, were showing that the evening was a roaring success
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Railway wonder
Children watch the trains go by at the Sharples summer fair which was held at the school in Hill Cot Road, Astley Bridge, in June 1980. Peter Norris, aged 12, right, of Ramworth Close, Sharples, was a member of Sharples Model Railway Club
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Fountain friends
THOSE were the days when we all went away to the seaside for Bolton Holidays. This picture, taken at Pwllheli Holiday Camp in 1963, sent to me by Mrs P Stokes, of Ramwell's Brow, Bromley Cross, Bolton, who tells me that her daughter Julie was the girl
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Silver Jubilee celebrations
Lots of happy children from the area of Bradford Park Drive, Radcliffe Road, the Haulgh, as they celebrated the Silver Jubilee in 1977 with a party at the Ukrainian Club, Castle Street. The picture has been sent to me by Mrs Pauline Armstrong, of Manor
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Town Hall rally
In 1880, the Town Hall Square was filled with Boltonians celebrating the centenary of the Nonconformist Sunday Schools in the town. The importance of Sunday Schools had been educational as well as religious, and most adult Boltonians who could read had
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Mile long line of books raised money for war effort
WHEN Mrs Laura Melling (married to Geoff of the bakery family) died recently, her neighbour in Plodder Lane, Farnworth - Mr Raymond Smith - cleared out her effects, and among them he found this photograph of a mile of books which was laid along the streets
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Fun at the Cavalcade
"I read with interest the articles regarding the Cavalcade of Bolton in 1938," writes Miss G. Mort, of Stanley Road, Bolton. "I was 17 at the time and in the ladies' section. Eva Callebaut was an extremely good producer and we all enjoyed ourselves very
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Hymns from lion-hearted headmaster
WHEN Miss I. Fogarty read Derek Birch's memories of the bygone Trinity Walks in Bolton last Friday in this column, it also brought back memories to her. Miss Fogarty, of Greenmount Court, Greenmount Lane, writes: "I remember Mr Smith, headmaster of St
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Not an election photo
YOU may recall that last Thursday, I printed a "mystery" picture of a group of men with rosettes on and asked if anyone could date the photograph. I also wondered if it could have been taken at an election. The answer seems not. Mr William McCarthy of
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Turton's warship week for £55,000 corvette
AFTER printing a verse about the warship called the "Heather", for which the people of Horwich had raised money during the Second World War, Mr B.W. Tyas Cooper, of Breckland Drive, Heaton, wrote to tell me that Turton also held a "Warship Week" with
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Memories of pageant and ... sewing
THE story of a pageant on Burnden Park for the Coronation of George V1 in 1937 brought back memories to Mrs Auriol Robertson (nee Helsby) of Newbrook Road, Bolton. "I was 13 years old, and our school, Sharples Bank Top were joined with Holy Infants pupils
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Taking time out from haymaking
IT'S haymaking time, so two pictures -- sent to me by Mrs Margaret Standish (nee Scowcroft), of Thornton Avenue, Bolton -- are well timed. To view the photos, click HERE and HERE in our Looking Back Photogallery. The photo will open in a separate browser
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Lovers didn't like new street lights
THE other day I received a letter from Mr M F Bennett, who sent me two stories from the "archives of memory". He cannot remember how he came to know of them, "although they could well have come from the Town Topics column of the Evening News many years
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Wake up! Hols were great fun
WHEN the plans were made to scrap the traditional Wakes Weeks holidays in Bolton there was a large measure of agreement about throwing off the past. Children, went the argument, did not benefit from having a fortnight's break in the summer term before
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Jay Jay honoured
JAY Jay Okocha is one of three Premiership footballers who are to receive Nigeria's top civilian honour. The Wanderers' star, who captained the Super Eagles in last summer World Cup finals, has been named along with his international team-mates - Arsenal's
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Nobody turns up for Leeds
A VIRTUALLY empty Stadio Artemio Franchi greeted Leeds boss Terry Venables and his players for the return leg of their UEFA Cup second-round tie against Hapoel Tel-Aviv. A crowd of no more than 3,000 turned out for this clash in Florence - the former
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Christie move held up by new cash demands
SAM Allardyce's hopes of picking up Derby striker Malcolm Christie on the cheap have suffered a setback. The cash-strapped Rams have been told by their bankers to raise £10 million in the January sales and 23-year-old Christie - a target the Wanderers
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Final curtain falls on tales of Little Edith
WELL, Little Edith may have been dead for some years, but her story in this column has certainly created some interest over the past few weeks. I think that perhaps it is time to bring the subject to a halt, but before I do so I will give you details
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Final curtain falls on tales of Little Edith
WELL, Little Edith may have been dead for some years, but her story in this column has certainly created some interest over the past few weeks. I think that perhaps it is time to bring the subject to a halt, but before I do so I will give you details
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Ernie's a cyberspace hit
ERNEST "Ernie" Ford is a world-famous Lancashire writer. The Westhoughton man with poems, short stories, plays, musicals and songs to his credit has been "discovered" by the Internet and a growing band of Lancashire ex-patriots are spreading the words
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Oil painting reminds me of the happy times in Bolton
JUST an update on some of the recent stories in this column. First, I have heard from Mike Gibson, in Sydney, Australia, who tells me that a friend sent him a cutting on William Edge & Sons article (Dolly Blue and Drummer dyes. Remember?), which appeared
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Bolton men arrested as Boer spies
WHEN I mentioned Mick Buck's bridge the other week, and showed you these old pictures of it standing over the River Croal in the centre of Bolton, little did I realise that it would lead to a story of alleged spying in the Boer War, involving the Buck
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My amazing blind aunt brought up two families
Do you recall that an article in Looking Back a few weeks ago mentioned cinder tea? It certainly started memories going again for Mrs Joan Foster, of Jubilee House, Moor Lane. "I was reminded of my childhood days in the 1920s when I was cared for along
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From Bolton mills to the London Palladium
WHEN 14-years-old Bert Yates started work in a Bolton mill as a side piecer in 1928, little did he realise that within a few short years he would be appearing at the most famous theatre in the land, and in front of the King and Queen. And the same could
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Lancashire 2003 Fixtures
(Match type in brackets) April 18 Surrey, The AMP Oval (FCC1) 23 Nottinghamshire, Old Trafford (FCC1) 27 Northamptonshire, Old Trafford (NCL2) May 5 Durham, Riverside (NCL2) 7 Devon, Exmouth (C&G) 9 Middlesex, Lord's (FCC1) 14 Essex, Old Trafford
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Wartime bomb killed Walmsley School headmaster
THIS picture of pupils and teachers at Walmsley CE School in 1927, has been sent to me by Mrs Dorothy Scott (nee Mayoh) of Longworth Road, Egerton, who tells me that she is the little girl - aged 6 - in a check dress at the end of the middle row. She
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Off to Somerford Hall Camp
Somerford Hall Camp, in Congleton, Cheshire, received its first intake of Bolton pupils in July, 1945. They are pictured arriving from Castle Hill School, Tonge Moor. The party was led by their teacher Mr Hardman, and the photograph was sent to the paper
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Skip and Auntie gave 88 years to Scouting
SCOUTS and Cubs of the 6th Horwich Parish Church raised a cheer for their group Scoutmaster and Cubmaster in October, 1969. Between them Mr George Wilkinson, aged 69, and his wife Emily, aged 66 - better known locally as "Skip" and "Auntie" - had given
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Labour names NW team for Europe
THE Labour North West Euro team has been announced following a ballot of all Labour Party Members in the North West. Leading the team and as Leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party, Gary Titley said: "I am delighted that Labour Party members
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Tootal girls show three legs are better than two
AT Tootals School Sports Day (Continuation School) in 1948, Pauline Birchall and Betty Fretwell won the three-legged race. Pauline, now Pauline Ridyard, has just moved to live near her daughter Virginia and Virginia's husb and, the Rev John Corbyn, newly-appointed
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Wesleyan pupils didn't miss a day
The children on two photographs taken at Blackrod Wesleyan School in the 1920s were being honoured because they had not been absent from school over the previous 12 months. The pictures have been sent to me by Mr Joe Randell, of Ridgeway, Blackrod, who
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Signatures of the past
PUPILS have had the chance to travel back in time more than half a century, thanks to an exciting discovery at their school. Youngsters at St Osmund's RC Primary School have found a tiny piece of history in their classroom. The Breightmet primary school
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The Boss is back for a sell-out spring concert
THE Boss will return to Manchester next summer for what is sure to be a rock extravaganza -- the first of three gigs in the city by rock legends. Bruce Springsteen, the legendary US rocker, still one of the greatest live performers, will play one night
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'Drink more' children can win water competition
CHILDREN in the North-west are being urged to drink more water in a new campaign. Pupils from Chetham's School of Music in Manchester today joined United Utilities mascot Wilbur to mark the launch of a competition aimed at encouraging young people to
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Top piano man visitsmusic shop
A MUSIC shop owner was lucky enough to meet the current head of a piano-making company which has supplied instruments to the likes of Richard Clayderman. Chris Harker, of Harker and Howarth, on Folds Road, met Zuzanah Petrof as she visited music shops
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No driving licence man jailed
A MAN who never had a driving licence nor held insurance cover has been jailed after being caught behind the wheel of a car. Andrew Logan was seen by police driving his Alfa Romeo 164 in Bradshawgate in Bolton together with three passengers. He refused
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What to do in Bolton on Friday
BOLTON MUSEUM, ART GALLERY & AQUARIUM, Le Mans Crescent, Bolton. Tel: 332211. www.boltonmuseums.org.uk Open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Admission free. Wildlife Attractions Bolton Aquarium For unique views into the aquatic world visit Bolton
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Firms on high alert
SHOPS and businesses in Bolton have placed themselves on alert in response to the firefighters' 48 hour strike. Offices, supermarkets and shopping centres have warned their staff to be extra vigilant and reviewed their normal procedures. Morrisons, in
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'The Government has betrayed us'
HOWARD Denton loves being a fireman, but he often has to work extra hours as a courier to supplement his £21,300 per year wage. The 29-year-old, who has three children, is married to a creche worker from Manchester College, who was only recently on strike
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Second victim of Porsche fireball crash is named
A SECOND man who died when a sports car crashed into an electricity sub station has been named. Craig Dawson, aged 20, from Hill View Court, in Astley Bridge, was a passenger in the red soft-top Porsche 944 when it crashed and burst into flames in Blackburn
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Can you recognise where this 1964 picture was taken?
Were you right? It is an aerial view of Astley Bridge.
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Doomed homes off Waterloo Street
The area round Waterloo Street, Bolton, is now industrial, but there was a time, not all that long ago, when it was full of streets where people lived. This picture, taken in August, 1968, when a lot of demolition was taking place, showed "Old doors of
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Whites' Akin fee riddle
WANDERERS are planning to vigorously contest Galatasaray's plan to sue for compensation over the Akin Bulent transfer. Lawyers for the Turkish club are preparing to go to the newly-established Tribunal for Arbitration in Football (TAF) with a claim for
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Midge, the smoking chimp
I KNEW as soon as I asked the question in last Friday's paper that I was in for a bit of fun. The question: "Does anyone remember the cigar-smoking chimp in a van with a straw boater?" Yes, I know what you are thinking, and I also thought it sounded daft
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Smoking monkey was butt of jokes
YESTERDAY I told you about Mr James Urmston's memories of Midge the "human" chimp, and showed you some of the photographs he lent me. He was not the only person to contact me after reader Mrs J. Smith brought up the subject, and it wasn't long after last
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Here comes Midge the bridesmaid chimp
STORIES about Midge the smoking chimp continue to flow in. As you will recall, last week I showed you photographs of Midge, and then, on Friday, some memories from readers on this "human" chimp, which used to smoke, drink, and liked dressing up. She belonged
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Pedigree studies pay off for Booth's Steel
EIGHTY-year-old James Niblett's love of horses has given him a lifelong love affair with racing. He has spent hours poring over the pedigrees and breeding lines of all types of horses and it paid off handsomely this week as his Booth's Steel team raced
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Annual swimming gala
Children from Sunninghill Primary School, Bolton, taking part in the school's annual swimming gala in June, 1974, at the High Street Baths, Bolton.
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Getting to the art of the matter
ART tutor Mr Russell Young (left) talks to pupils in the painting and drawing evening classes at the Bolton College of Adult Education in August, 1981
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Pupils smile for the camera
This picture of pupils at Fourgates School in about 1956 has been sent to me by Mr Philip Page, of Church Street, Westhoughton, who can be seen second from the right on the bottom row.
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Pupils see spots before their eyes
Pupils from Bolton's Castle Hill School took part in the 1937 Coronation celebrations which were held at Burnden Park. They performed an "Abakweta" dance clad only in grass skirts and hats with spotted tights and pullovers.
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Food hygiene on menu for cadets
HORWICH St John Ambulance Cadets who had passed examinations in hygienic food handling received certificates to prove it in November, 1970. The boys were seen with Dr K K Panja, the Divisional Surgeon, who instructed the boys, and Divisional Supt E Cooke
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Youth club disco
Members of Blackrod Youth Club enjoying a disco at their first barbecue, in 1978. With them were Ernie Tickle (third left, standing), leader, and Trudy Nicholls (left, standing), deputy leader. To view the photo, click HERE in our Looking Back Photogallery
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Big day for Boys Brigade battalion
IMPORTANT VISITOR: Mr I G Nielson, national secretary of the Boys' Brigade, on a tour of the North-west, pictured with members of the Bolton Battalion at Wesley Church, Castle Street, Bolton, in November, 1969. To view the photo, click HERE in our Looking
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Can you spot Barbara?
This picture of the Blackrod Wesleyan School has been sent to me by Mrs Barbara Foster (nee Buckle), of Station Road, Blackrod. She tells me that in the 1940 class picture - click HERE - she is the girl in a blazer on the left of the middle row. The teacher
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Flying high at school field day display
AIRCRAFT MEMORIES: Tony Langford, of Roseneath Road, Bolton, chairman of Leigh Flying Club, showed his model of an American second world war Tomahawk to a group of children watching a display at a field day held at Gaskell primary school, Bolton in 1979
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School days
This photograph of the Edgworth Methodist School in either 1952 or 1953 has been sent to me by Mrs Marlene Bickerdike (nee Roberts), of Barnacre, Whalley Road, Langho, Blackburn, who can be seen fourth from the left on the second row. She tells me that
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Dancers celebrate youth club birthday
BIRTHDAY JOY: Dancers at St. James's in Waterloo Street were pictured celebrating the third birthday of their youth club, part of the Anglican Young People's Association. It was founded by the vicar, the Rev. M. Sutcliffe, back in 1950. And they invited
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Book plea over D-Day
PERSONAL stories of D-Day and the Normandy Campaign are being sought from surviving veterans in the Bolton area to be included in "The Normandy Veterans", a book which has so far taken four years to research and plan. Contact Trevor D Betts on 01482 216732
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James was in big front line battle of Great War
YOU may recall that on October 22, Bolton-born actor Roger Morlidge told of how hundreds of Bolton soldiers were killed at the 1917 Battle of Passchendaele. Mr Harry Price, of Hillbank Close, Bolton, tells me that his father James Albert Price (1899-1960
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Last letter from the trenches
A LETTER from the trenches tells the poignant story of a First World War soldier who was all too aware of his likely fate. Private Thomas Hubbard wrote a letter to his father two weeks before an allied attack on Montauban, Flanders. Aged 24, he was fatally
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Boyhood memories of Rivington in the 30s
WHEN I printed a story about the Bolton Gliding Club and mentioned Herr Magersuppe's visit here in 1931 to give a demonstration of gliding, I did not expect to hear from someone who was actually there! But Mr Albert Winstanley, of Bradshaw Brow, Bradshaw
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Battle of El Alamein
OCTOBER 23 is the 60th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein, one of the most significant events of the Second World War. Here is Part 1 of an examination of the battle by Frank Elson -- and the part played in it by three Bolton men. "BEFORE Alamein
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It's time cricket substituted the rules
CRICKET wants to get into the 21st century and allow substitutes to be used when players get injured. Cricket is the only sport in which a team have no option but to play with one short when a player cannot continue through injury. It happened when Simon
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Top sides retain unbeaten record
IT was back to the Arena for the BSF winter tennis league after the national championships, when only a handful of shots matched normal Friday night fare. When the dust had settled, there were still two teams unbeaten -- Walmersley A and David Lloyd A
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Delph Sailing Club
THE first two races of the Frostbite Series were held on Sunday. Results - Race One: 1. L Moulden/Rachael Cocking (Enterprise), 2. Tony Wright (Laser), 3 Mark Starbuck (Solo), 4. Claire Charnock (Solo), 5. Andy Taylor/Catherine Hayfield (Enterprise),
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Times may change, but Halloween fun remains
YES, it's that night again, when the witches are out again in force. I'll tell you what, if I open the front door tonight and Ann Robinson is standing there, I'll be out of the back door in double quick time! This picture was taken on this date some years
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Horses and dogs draw in crowds at Harwood Show
When I recently printed in the 50 Years Ago section a story about Harwood Show, it brought from Turton historian Jim Francis, of Old Ned's Farm, Bradshaw, these pictures taken many years ago. One of them shows the sheepdog trials in 1936, another the
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Celebrating end of war with bonfire
HARRY Johnson's first childhood memory is of a fireworks display in Queen's Park to celebrate the end of the Second World War. "I have vivid memories of crowds crossing Mayor Street railway bridge," he writes. "At the time we lived in Gilbert Street,
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Celebrating end of war with bonfire
HARRY Johnson's first childhood memory is of a fireworks display in Queen's Park to celebrate the end of the Second World War. "I have vivid memories of crowds crossing Mayor Street railway bridge," he writes. "At the time we lived in Gilbert Street,
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On this day - November 6
2948 BC: Said to be Noah's birthday. 1429: Henry VI was crowned King of England. Two years later he was also crowned King of France, in Paris. 1814: Adolphe Sax, instrument inventor who gave his name to the saxophone, was born in Dinant, Belgium. 1893
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On this day - October 25
1340: Geoffrey Chaucer, author of Canterbury Tales, was born. He died on his birthday in 1400. 1415: The Battle of Agincourt took place at which the heavily-outnumbered English Army of Henry V defeated the French. 1825: Johann Strauss the Younger, Austrian
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On this day - September 14
1741 A weary Handel finished his Messiah, 24 days after he had started it. 1812 Napoleon entered Moscow, which had been abandoned by the Russians and their scorched earth policy. 1852 The Duke of Wellington, English military commander, the "Iron Duke"
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On this day - October 31
1517: Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenburg, inadvertently sparking the Reformation which split the Church. 1828: Edinburgh bodysnatchers Burke and Hare claimed their last victim -- a beggarwoman named Docherty. 1795: Lyric
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On this day - September 28
490BC: The original Marathon was won by a breathless messenger who ran 24 miles from the scene of the Battle of Marathon to the city of Athens. "Rejoice, we conquer," he gasped - then dropped dead. 23 King Wenceslaus of Bohemia, Good King Wenceslas of
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On this day - October 24
1648: The Treaty of Westphalia was signed, ending the Thirty Years War. 1857: The first football club was formed by a group of Cambridge University old boys meeting in Sheffield. 1882: Actress Dame Sybil Thorndike was born in Gainsborough, Lincs. 1924
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On this day - August 7
1711 Ascot became "Royal" with the attendance of Queen Anne at the horse races. 1840 Parliament passed an Act prohibiting the employment of climbing boys as chimney sweeps. 1858 Ottawa was chosen by Queen Victoria to be the capital of Canada. 1876 Mata
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Fun by the buckjet full at Bradshaw Scouts
JUNE 1972, was a wet month, and you would think that after all the rain, everyone would have had enough water! But Cubs and Scouts at Bradshaw still took turns to sit under the cold water bucket as visitors to the church garden party paid to throw at
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On this day - October 23
4004 BC: According to a 17th century vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, Archbishop James Usher, this is the day God created the world. Although there are 140 conflicting versions of the date, Usher's is the only one that matches the chronology of
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Happy hours spent at school
I LEFT the Bolton area 22 years ago to live in Blackpool, but still regularly visit my family still there," writes Mrs Vera Craig (nee Morris). "My mouth dropped when I was handed a Bolton Evening News dated October 28 by my brother, containing a photograph
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On this day - September 19
1356: The English, led by Edward, the Black Prince, defeated the French at the Battle of Poitiers in the Hundred Years' War. 1839: George Cadbury was born. He expanded his father's chocolate business and established a model village for his workers at
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On this day - November 5
Guy Fawkes Night: The law compelling people to celebrate this day was repealed in 1859. 1637: The Ancient Society of College Youths was founded to ring the City of London bells. College youths have rung Bow Bells since 1637 and also ring St Paul's Bells
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On this day - November 2
1734: American frontiersman Daniel Boone was born in Philadelphia. 1755: Marie Antoinette, Queen Consort of Louis XVI of France, whose extravagant behaviour helped fuel unrest that led to the Revolution, was born in Vienna. Of the poor, she said: "If
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Harriers still look in good shape
LEIGH Harriers continued their good start to the cross country season at Rochdale's Springfield Park. Lauren Howarth had one of her best runs, winning the Under 13s race in the second South East Lancs League meeting of the season. She made light of the
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Oon this day - October 7
1571: The Battle of Lepanto was fought, when Christian allied naval forces defeated the Ottoman Turks. 1799: The bell was salvaged from the Lutine, which sank off the coast of Holland. It was presented to Lloyd's of London. Known as the Lutine Bell, it
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On this day - Wednesday, October 9
1470: Henry VI was restored to the English throne, having been deposed nine years earlier. 1701: Yale College in the United States received its charter. 1779: The first Luddite riots broke out in a lace factory in Loughborough when workers protested against
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On this day - July 27
1694: The Bank of England was founded with government backing. 1866: The Great Eastern arrived at Heart's Content in Newfoundland, having successfully laid the transatlantic telegraph cable. 1890: Artist Vincent Van Gogh went to the spot where he had
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On this day - November 7
NATIONAL DAY OF RUSSIA 1783: The last public hanging took place at Tyburn - forger John Austin was the last to die there. 1867: Scientific genius Marie Curie was born in Warsaw. She and her husband, Pierre, shared the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903 and
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On this day - August 24
SAINT BARTHOLOMEW'S DAY -- patron saint of bee-keepers, also of leatherworkers. 79 Vesuvius erupted, destroying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killing 2,000 people. Paradoxically, the eruption not only destroyed Pompeii but also preserved it
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Juniors progress
Woolston 0 Leigh MR 20 - LEIGH Miners Rangers under-12's marched into the quarter final of the Barla Lancashire Rugby League Cup with an away victory over Woolston. Their defence held solid again to keep a clean sheet. At half time they led 16-0, tries
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On this day - October 1
NATIONAL DAYS OF NIGERIA AND CHINA 1843: The News of the World was first published. 1869: The Midland Railway opened St Pancras station in London. 1870: The first British halfpenny postage stamp, in lilac, was issued for the introduction of pre-paid postcards
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September 3
From the Evening News 1992 - A GROUP of Bolton workers are celebrating the first phase of an unusual £1 million investment that's licensed to thrill. Members of the sports and social club at British Aerospace at Lostock have embarked on a venture that
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On this day - September 2
1666: The Great Fire of London began in Pudding Lane. It ended on September 6 at Pye Corner, when it rained. Although an enormous amount of property was burned (13,000 buildings were destroyed), only six people died. 1726: English prison reformer John
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On this day - July 29
1588: The Spanish Armada, sent by Philip II in an attempt to invade England, was sighted off Cornwall. It was defeated by the English fleet under Howard and Drake, the battle beginning off Plymouth. 1565: Mary Queen of Scots married her cousin, Lord Darnley
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October 20-21
From the Evening News, October 20, 1992 - FIREMEN have spent more than 12 hours fighting another major blaze at the derelict Atlas Mill in Chorley Old Road, Bolton. Local residents claim that their lives are being made a misery by frequent fires, which
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Fine bowls were made from the 'wood of life'
MY article on when bowls were made in Bolton seems to have created quite a lot of interest. Someone who says "my name is irrelevant" writes: "In the 1920s, as a boy, I lived at the bottom of Flitcroft Street, and Peter Boardman's "works" was in the backyard
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July 18-19
From the Evening News, July 19, 1992 - BOLTON viewers have backed the critics in their near unanimous verdict that the BBC's new soap Eldorado is a flop. A mini-survey in the town centre showed that viewers thought the show "over-hyped" and a waste of
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October 29-30
From the Evening News, October 30, 1992 - BOLTON detectives have helped smash a massive fraud to obtain costumes from some of Britain's best known theatres. The fraud involved hiring costumes worth many thousands of pounds, using fake names and addresses
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On this day - October 11
1399: The Order of the Bath was constituted. 1521: Pope Leo X conferred the title of Defender of the Faith on Henry VIII. Twelve years later Henry broke with Rome to marry Anne Boleyn. 1821: Sir George Williams, founder of the YMCA, was born in Dulverton
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October 11-12
From the Evening News, October 12, 1992 - TWENTY-one schoolchildren were among an astonishing 84 people arrested in a major crackdown on shoplifters in Bolton town centre. Three schoolboy thieves aged nine were also detained in the operation, the first
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On this day - September 24
1776: The oldest of the classic horse races, the St Leger, was first run at Doncaster. 1842: Bramwell Bronte, brother of the Bronte sisters, died of drugs and drink. He was the role model for the drunkard Hindley Earnshaw in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
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On this day - August 29
30AD: The date on which dancing girl Salome was said to have been presented with the head of John the Baptist on a plate by King Herod. 1831: Faraday demonstrated the production of electricity from magnetism with the first transformer. 1882: England cricketers
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August 15-16
From the Evening News, August 16, 1992 - GENEROUS readers are helping the Bolton Evening News to train guide dog number three. Already, with readers' help, this newspaper has collected enough used stamps to train guide dogs Ben and Star. We are now only
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On this day - October 16
1555: Bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley were burnt at the stake for heresy. 1793: Marie Antoinette, Queen of France as wife of Louis XVI, was convicted of treason and guillotined in Paris. 1846: An anaesthetic was successfully used for the first
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July 26-27
From the Evening News, July 27, 1992 - HORWICH councillors have thrown out a bid to open an amusement arcade in the town following opposition from local traders. Planners received eight letters of objection to the plan to convert the ground floor of a
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One this day - August 27
1859: The world's first oil well was drilled in Titusville, Pennsylvania, by Edwin Drake. 1882: Hollywood film producer Sam Goldwyn was born - his original name was Goldfish. He helped found MGM but as an independent producer was responsible for films
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Manager wanted
A LOCAL team of 16-20 year-olds want a committed manager to run their side. The team is already established and hope to play in a league next season. Anyone interested contact Mark on 07719635651.
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Marathon Man at the Lads' Club
In November 1980, Tommy Gilbert, Burnley's Marathon Man - who held several world records for feats of strength -- is pictured demonstrating some of the £3,000 worth of equipment which had been installed at Bolton Lads' Club. Also in the picture are young
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All smiles after Horwich swim
Judging by the expressions on these Horwich Swimming Club team members during an evening of inter-town aquatic sports at Horwich Pool in 1972, the event certainly was successful. Competing in the programme of games, based on the popular TV series "It's
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On this day - September 30
1791: The first performance of Mozart's The Magic Flute took place in Vienna. 1888: Jack the Ripper butchered two more women - Liz Stride, found behind 40 Berber Street, and Kate Eddowes, in Mitre Square, both in London. 1933: Franklin D Roosevelt announced
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October 24
From the Evening News 1992 - SHOTGUN raiders escaped with more than £50,000 after two Bolton bank robberies within four hours. Five terrified customers were threatened with a shotgun and machete in the biggest of the two National Westminster Bank raids
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Golden sailing for Bolton club
This year, Bolton Sailing Club is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. It was founded on December 14, 1952, with the inaugural meeting taking place at the Black Bull in Belmont, Dr Geoffrey G. Benson, the Secretary, tells me. These pictures (see final paragraph
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July 25-26
From the Evening News, July 25, 1992 - DEVASTATED Bolton holidaymakers heading for Euro Disney and Rome were reeling today after the shock news that a major coach company had gone bust. One Farnworth man could lose £7,500 on behalf of 124 people booked
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September 25-26
From the Evening News, September 26, 1992 - BOLTON Police's crime prevention department has been revamped - in a bid to reduce the town's crime epidemic. The fight against crime is being taken "to the community" in an effort to combat the rising tide
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Video memories of testimonial game
SOME time ago John Stott contacted me with a tale about his grandad having lifted the European Cup at Peter Thompson's testimonial game (Bolton v Liverpool) in 1978. He wondered if anyone had a photograph. He now writes: "I didn't hear anything for ages
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Choir rehearsal at Wolfenden
Built for 900 girls just before the First World War, the Wolfenden School at Halliwell had an enthusiastic choir, which is pictured here during a rehearsal in 1947. But when in the 1970s numbers dwindled to 150, it closed its doors and the remaining pupils
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On this day - September 3
1189: Richard the Lionheart was crowned King at Westminster after the death of his father, Henry II. 1651: Oliver Cromwell's army defeated Royalist forces at the Battle of Worcester. 1783: Britain finally recognised the United States of America by signing
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September 6-7
From the Evening News, September 7, 1992 - LEGAL moves were underway today to clear 500 New Age travellers from moorland around Bolton. And legal action was also starting to force out more than 30 caravan families camped on the former Edbro works site
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Band's smart uniforms hit right note
BRADSHAW Band was noted for its smart scarlet and blue uniforms when this picture was taken in 1935 -- but in the early days, when cash was short, they performed in grey flannel trousers and straw hats. Bradshaw had its own drum and fife band as far back
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On this day - November 9
1812: One of the worst winters on record began - and caused the defeat of the mighty Napoleon. During his retreat from Moscow, troops endured temperatures as low as minus 37 degrees C for 27 consecutive days. 1841: Edward VII, eldest son of Queen Victoria
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From the Evening News, September 19, 1992
A BOLTON driver fought for his life as his car careered out of control on the motorway - after hitting a full-sized bed. Sales representative Neville Alcock was still shaking from the accident as he told how he thought it was all a bad dream. Mr Alcock
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October 26
From the Evening News,1992 - GOING . . . going . . . gone! The very last mill chimney on Chorley Old Road was demolished by Bolton steeplejack Fred Dibnah yesterday. The huge chimney, at Atlas Mill, is the last of 14 which used to dominate the Chorley
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Soccer teams 1947 style
TWO football pictures today, the first, of SS Peter and Paul's, Pilkington Street, Bolton, school team in the 1946-47 season. It has been sent to me by Mr Bryan Conway, of Moss Shaw Way, Radcliffe, who can be seen on the front row, first on left. He mentions
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The beat goes on down south for David
FORMER Boltonian David Watkinson is currently working down south (poor fellow) but is working on a book project on the beat music scene in Lancashire. He writes: "I would like to hear from anyone who has any cuttings, pictures, memories, about any of
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Relay Radio cost 9d a week
AFEW more details about the Relay Radio query which I reported on earlier in the week after a request for memories of it by a reader. A Horwich correspondent who wishes to remain anonymous says that the firm referred to was Horton Relays, of Winter Hey
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Can you relay information?
HAVE you ever heard of a Relay radio? I ask because of a call from Mrs Margaret Mills, of Stamforth Avenue, Breightmet, who said that when she was a child her family lived in Iron Street, Horwich, and they had a Relay Radio - but how did it work? The
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September 30 - October 1
From the Evening News, October 1, 1992 - A NEW system of fines, based on ability to pay, begins in Bolton on Thursday. It means that two people up before the magistrates for exactly the same offence can be fined widely differing amounts. The severity
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Remembering the charity tennis tournament
WHEN members of the former Heaton Village Club had a reunion a few weeks ago (and a very good event it was too, I am told) among those who turned up was Ian Peters, who whilst clearing out his late mother's home came across a programme from 1950 for the
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On this day - October 10
1813: Italian composer Verdi was born in Roncole. 1877: Motoring pioneer William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield, was born in Worcester. 1881: The Savoy Theatre, first public building to be lit by electricity, opened. 1886: The dinner jacket made its first
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July 11-12
From the Evening News, July 11, 1992 - CAR boot sales are no longer confined to enterprising householders trying to make a few quid by selling off the contents of their loft. Today they are big business -- over the last few years they have become another
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August 4-5
From the Evening News, August 4, 1992 - BOLTON Institute has been given the go-ahead to complete its ambitious £9 million conversion of Eagle Mill into a modern education, administration and conference complex. Vice Principal Wilf Gardner said: "When
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Tony Carter the lifetime achiever
DOUGIE Tobutt continues his occasional series on some of Bolton's sporting greats. Here he looks at the achievements of Tony Carter, who became one of the leading figures in the development of squash in the North West. SOMETIMES being successful means
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Relay query brought a raft of responses
WHEN I printed a story last Monday asking about Relay radio -- a cardboard box with a piece of mesh at the top, but seemingly no radio workings inside -- I thought that Mrs Margaret Mills, of Stamforth Drive, Breightmet, who sent the query to me, was
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On this day - October 14
1066: The Battle of Hastings was fought at Senlac Hill, in Sussex, at which William of Normandy defeated Harold of England to claim the English throne. 1644: Quaker leader William Penn - founder of the state of Pennsylvania - was born in London. 1890:
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July 30
From the Evening News, July 30, 1992 - A MAJOR investigation began today into a fumes drama at a showpiece Bolton pool which left 23 bathers in hospital. About 200 swimmers - many in just bathing costumes - were evacuated from The Water Place. Busloads
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New Rosemere Operatic Society carries on the 75 year tradition
IN 1927, the works of Gilbert and Sullivan were as contemporary as those of Rice and Lloyd-Webber or Lennon and McCartney are today. And so, when Percival James and his friends, Robert and Euphemia Whitfield, decided to set up a musical society to present
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July 2
From the Evening News, July 2, 1992 - HOPE was growing this afternoon that the ordeal of Bolton holidaymakers, stranded on motorways throughout France because of a lorry drivers' dispute, may soon be over. Truckers in the Ury area, south of Paris, have
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On the buses
A FEW weeks ago, an album of photographs of buses over the years was handed in at the Bolton Evening News reception desk, addressed to me, but with no information of who had sent it. There was the indication that I could use some of the pictures in this
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June 30-July 1
From the Evening News, July 1, 1992 - A BOLTON man is behind a multi-million pound plan to take some of Britain's motorway service stations into the 21st century. The blueprint for the massive revamp of the much maligned service stations - including Anderton
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October 23
From the Evening News, 1992 - BOLTON Crown Court was entitled not to renew the licence of a Farnworth nightclub which attracted crowds of up to 2,000 young ravers where the drug Ecstasy was openly bought and sold, London's High Court has ruled. Mr Justice
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On this day - October 19
1781: The American War of Independence came to an end when Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. 1812: Napoleon's army began its retreat from Moscow. 1860: The first company to manufacture internal combustion engines
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July 2-3
From the Evening News, July 3, 1992 - OFFICIAL wheels are in motion to enforce a ban on cyclists in Bolton's pedestrian precincts. Councillors and police are preparing a joint clamp down after a mass of complaints from shoppers. Soon, cyclists who ignore
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On this day - October 30
1485: Henry VII established the Yeoman of the Guard. 1580: Sir Francis Drake (pictured) completed his circumnavigation of the world when he arrived at Plymouth in the Golden Hind. 1650: Quakers, the more common name for the religious Society of Friends
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On this day - September 12
1440: Eton College was founded by Henry VI for 25 poor and needy scholars. Prefects were warned to look out for "ill-kempt heads, unwashed faces, foul clothes". 1818: Richard Gatling, American inventor of the revolving battery gun, was born in North Carolina
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July 29
From the Evening News, July 29, 1992 - A HALLIWELL shopkeeper says wreckers have made her life a nightmare -- and left her with a £1,000 bill. Vandals have smashed the windows of Pam Burgess's wool shop three times already this year. Now she is calling
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On this day - September 27
1825: The Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world's first public passenger service - built by George Stephenson - was inaugurated. 1888: The Central News Agency in London received a letter which began "Dear Boss, I keep on hearing the police have caught
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On this day - September 18
1709: Samuel Johnson, poet and lexicographer, was born in Lichfield, Staffs, the son of a bookseller. His dictionary, which took him eight years to compile, contained some eccentric explanations, such as "Oats: a grain which in England is generally given
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September 1-2
From the Evening News, September 1, 1992 - POLICE are hunting an attacker who bit off his victim's ear then spat it on the ground outside a Bolton pub. Father-of-three Mr David Lilley was lunged at on the steps of the Ainsworth Arms on Halliwell Road,
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August 19-20
From the Evening News, August 20, 1992 - THE Queen today made known her consternation over the scandal surrounding publication of intimate pictures of the Duchess of York and American John Bryan. In some of the pictures, over several pages of a daily
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July 9-10
From the Evening News, July 10, 1992 - IT has the second worst crime rate in the whole of England and Wales. More than a third of all births are illegitimate, children and adults spend more on cigarettes and alcohol in as week than anywhere else in Britain
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November 9
From the Evening News,1992 - BRUCE Rioch has called on the business community to speed up his plans to turn the Wanderers into a promotion force. The Bolton manager admits he has a lot of work to do to create a successful team, and warns it could be a
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October 24-25
From the Evening News, October 24, 1992 - A LOW pay campaign group has revealed that Bolton youngsters are being paid as little as £1.08 an hour for a full week's work. The survey also shows that the number of jobs for young people in Greater Manchester
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July 16-17
From the Evening News, July 16, 1992 - JUBILANT Council chiefs are today celebrating a £37.5 million cash "win" for Bolton. A major business park will now be set up in the Tonge Valley, which is expected to bring between 3,000 to 5,000 new jobs to the
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November 8
From the Evening News, November 8, 1992 - EVEN children are feeling the recessionary squeeze as hard-up parents give them less pocket money, according to a survey. The average weekly amount received by teenagers fell to £4 this year, compared to £4.20
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October 5
From the Evening News,1992 - A PUB landlord is urging newly-divorced couples to get in touch . . . so he can arrange a celebration! John Boyle has set up a new line in knees-up at The Shakespeare in Farnworth - Divorce Parties. And since he advertised
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July 7-8
From the Evening News, July 8, 1992 - HUNDREDS of patients may soon be turned away from dental practices in Bolton because dentists can not afford to treat them. Dental treatment under the NHS is on the verge of chaos in the town as dentists refuse to
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August 30-31
From the Evening News, August 31, 1992 - SOCCER-MAD fans have been snapping up satellite systems to watch their favourite team in action. The armchair supporters, frustrated at the lack of live action on the public channels, are forking out for satellite
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August 3
From the Evening News, August 3, 1992 - GRIM statistics which show the "despair" of people in one of Bolton's most run-down areas have been released by the Council. More than one-in-four people in the Halliwell district are now out of work - and 28 per
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August 21-22
From the Evening News, August 22, 1992 - A FORMER Westhoughton councillor has hit out at the borough and town council's opposition to plans for major new housing developments. Terry Riley, who is now the town's representative on the Civic Trust, made
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From the Evening News, August 27, 1992
THE Royal Family must accept they have an obligation to the public and pull their weight, Prince Michael of Kent said today. HANDSOME bachelor James Gilbey was today named as the mystery man on the "Dianagate" love tapes. The Sun and other newspapers
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July 5-6
From the Evening News, July 6, 1992 - A MAN is seriously ill in hospital after clashes between hundreds of Asian and white youths at Halliwell yesterday. Within minutes of trouble flaring in Wolfenden Street, Halliwell, an estimated 300 Asians had poured
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September 25
From the Evening News,1992 - VOLUNTEER ushers at a Bolton theatre have lost their jobs after a management shake-up. Instead, in a letter telling them they had not been chosen to continue working at the Octagon theatre, the former ushers were offered complimentary
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August 18-19
From the Evening News, August 18, 1992 - HORWICH radio ham Jean Woodcock got the surprise of her life when two Polish cyclists turned up on her doorstep. Her surprise turned to delight, though, when she found out that the pair were the same people that
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August 30
From the Evening News,1992 - CRAMPED coppers at Farnworth police station will soon be able to breathe more easily. Bolton councillors have granted permission for a much-needed extension to the Victorian building, ending the need for filing cabinets to
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September 3-4
From the Evening News,1992 - PEOPLE will be feeling lighter in the pocket next month - when a new 10p coin goes into circulation. It is slightly larger than the old 5p piece and will replace the present 10p and "florin" currently in circulation, completing
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Henare, Munro are new Centurions
THE Centurions made a double transfer swoop this week as next season's squad starts to take shape. They have landed wide-running second rower Bryan Henare from Oldham and try poaching wingman Damien Munro from Widnes. Kiwi Henare, 28, will replace Chris
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October 13-14
From the Evening News, October 13, 1992 - A MASSIVE mystery blaze shut down a Bolton primary school today after totally destroying one classroom and severely damaging two others. Teachers stood on street corners surrounding St Maxentius School in Bradshaw
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Life-savers from Clarendon Street School
I imagine that when water got into these costumes they stretched considerably! It didn't seem to bother these boys and girls from Clarendon Street School, Bolton, members of the life-saving team in 1908.
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October 22
From the Evening News,1992 - A CASH-CUTTING package has saved more than 100 Bolton Council gardening jobs - but will cost workers up to £50 a week in their pay packets. Town Hall bosses have managed to fight off private competition and win a contract