Archive
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Football for FREE!
PARENTS and youngsters fighting to protect their sports pitches from property developers, claim the land under threat was offered FREE of charge to the council. Campaigners in Westhoughton fear they face the loss of the pitches on Chew Moor Lane, on the
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Builders accused over 'swamp' estate road
A MAN in Bury claims he has been living in a swamp because workmen took almost nine months to lay the road outside his front door. Anthony Marshall and his family moved into their dream house on Fairclough Homes' new development in Tottington 12 months
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Sorry saga
SIR: The Boar's Head Inn, Churchgate, has been vacant for a number of years, but what passers-by did not know, but the council presumably did, was that part of the premises in this conservation area had been shored up internally. Why was nothing done
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Taxing query
SIR: Leader of the Labour Council Bob Howarth, is an advocate of regional government. He has to say how regional government will be funded, to pay for the usual army (with indexed pensions) of Empire builders within such an organisation. Tell us, Mr Howarth
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Health help is on the line
CHORLEY residents are just a fingertip away from vital health information following the launch of a new 24-hour advice helpline piloted in Lancashire. Lancashire Ambulance Service started 'live trials' of the helpline this week. Called NHS Direct, it
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Keys handed over for hospice extension
THE keys to a brand new extension at St Catherine's Hospice were handed over to smiling staff this week. Work on the new wing will soon be completed - and the caring St Cath's team has already started moving in furniture. Appeals manager, John Nickson
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Stephen's a one man barricade
A DISABLED driver handcuffed himself to the doors of Bury Magistrates Court after he claimed the law treated disabled people like "second class citizens". Wheelchair-bound Stephen Bridge, who has been a bilateral paraplegic since he was young, was involved
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Axed TV comedian keeps on smiling
TV chiefs have denied dropping a Worsley comic because he was at the centre of a storm about a fake fly on the wall documentary. Granada pulled the plug on two parts of a light-hearted series by stand-up comedian Alan Birkin days after his involvement
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Council warns firm over work area
A CONTROVERSIAL Chorley quarry scheme has come under fire from county officials after a series of residents' complaints. Councillors have warned contractors Clive Hurt Ltd, of Leyland, about their future work at Great Knowley Quarry after a number of
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Hockey star socks it to Canadians
CHORLEY'S rising ice hockey star Lance Derbyshire has returned from a triumphant two-week tour of Canada. Now the 12-year-old whizz-kid is preparing to help his team Blackburn Kestrels win promotion to the junior game's top flight. Lance, of Mendip Road
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Town is a focal point for UFOs
CENTURIES of supernatural sightings in Chorley will be the subject of a discussion on the paranormal next week. The Lancashire UFO Society will be talking about everything from flying triangles to alien contact at Union Street Library on Monday, March
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Internet appeal is Judy's last hope
A FAR-flung Citizen reader is hoping Chorley folk can help trace her family before she makes an emotional journey across the Atlantic. Relatives of American Judy Gowland, from Pharr, Texas, lived in the area more than a century ago. Now Judy plans to
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It's just rubbish
SIR: The Angel of the North at Gateshead is an insult to God and those who care for the sick and suffering. To spend £800,000 on such rubbish is a sin. The money should have gone to a deserving cause - our hospitals and nurses. Mrs A Roscoe Dean Church
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New 999 idea will save lives
INVENTOR Tom Bennett's time-saving '999' cards could save lives. Tom hit on a simple, foolproof method of pinpointing emergencies while recovering from a stroke. While travelling in a friend's car he got stuck behind a vehicle with a green light on top
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Students face bus fare hike
STUNNED Chorley sixth formers are facing massive increases in transport costs to colleges outside the borough. The hike in bus fares follows a decision by county education bosses to slash transport funding at the Government's request. And one college
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New role for Leigh old boy
FORMER Hilton Park favourite Mark Sheals is coming 'home.' Sheals, who confirmed his retirement as a player a month ago, is to join the Leigh Centurions coaching staff. A Welsh international and former Swinton and Oldham prop, Sheals played three successful
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Answers, please
SIR: A short time ago I protested through these columns about two separate issues. The first issue was that, incredibly, in a town the size of Bolton, there is only one public toilet facility open after 6 pm in the whole of Bolton town centre and this
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Factory protest takes to the air
OBJECTORS could be heading for a clash with the law this weekend as they vent their anger over a proposed steel plant with a mass protest on the site. They will descend on Gale Moss, next to junction 8 of the M61 in Chorley, where Bolton steel firm William
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Youth team are five goal winners
MEMBERS of Wally's Youth Club, Deane, were the winners of the Bolton Council Leisure Services, Withins Sports Centre, eight-a-side football league. They took the title after a nail-biting last match when they needed to win by five clear goals. Wally's
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Weekend go slow on East Lancs road
NEW roadworks along the East Lancs Road at Walkden will take place over the next four weekends to avoid rush hour disruptions. Resurfacing work to be carried out this Saturday and Sunday will mean road closures between Ellenbrook and the junction with
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Lib Dems 'trying to split Labour'
LIBERAL Democrats have been accused of trying to "drive a wedge" between Bolton Council and the town's Labour MPs. They called on councillors at a management and finance committee yesterday to "applaud" Bolton South-east MP Brian Iddon for opposing the
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Karen praises the kindhearts
A BOLTON woman left stranded by heartless thieves who snatched a baby seat from her car has praised local people for offers of help. The thieves were nominated last week by Karen Rodely for the Rat of the Week title. Karen, of Langholm Drive, Bolton,
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Yaseer points the way!
A YOUNG Bolton businessman was a hit when he spoke at the Reebok Stadium. Yaseer Ahmed, aged 20, addressed an ethnic minorities youth enterprise conference on "Youth In To Business". The event was organised by the town's Ethnic Minorities Business Service
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Pupils book their favourite reading
BOOKS, books and more books are flooding in to Westhoughton High School. As part of the National Year of Reading and the Government's drive to boost literacy standards across the country, the school has let the children take the leading roles. Julia Whatmough
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Baseball bat gang raid post office
DETECTIVES are hunting a gang of baseball wielding thugs who raided a post office. Three masked men struck as security men delivered cash to Higher Fold post office, on Richmond Drive, Leigh yesterday morning. They escaped with cash, but police are not
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Catrina's advice to Street pair
A TRANSSEXUAL from Bury has offered heartfelt advice to Coronation Street's Roy Cropper - "pull your socks up and get on with it!" Male-born Catrina Day, who undergoes a "gender reassignment" operation this month, says she understands how Roy feels. But
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From the BEN files
25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News, March 5, 1973 THE terraced homes of 'Coronation Street' seem to be a magnet for disaster and tragedy. During the years of the Granada serial, accidents and sudden death have occurred with unfair regularity. But the
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Daft idea
SIR: On reading a recent edition of the BEN, I was amazed at the ridiculous suggestion that the new apartments to be built in the Silverwell Street area would only be for people who do not own a car. This area is on the very fringe of town and is easily
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Our drive is driving us crazy!
A FURIOUS Bolton couple are locked in a bitter dispute with builders who dug up part of their driveway. Chris Cox and his wife Karen moved into their £100,000 home in Crowborough Close, Lostock, nearly three years ago. But on Monday workmen arrived at
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Forced in the road
SIR: Recently I had good reason to call upon the Dog Warden, to erect 'No Dog Fouling' signs in the immediate area of my home. I had noticed on several occasions while out walking with my two children, that because of irresponsible dog owners, we were
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More council plans to make town walker-friendly
BOLTON Council chiefs are set to step up their campaign to urge people to do more walking. A national survey reveals today that only a few local councils are taking steps to promote walking. Nearly half of all town halls have no local walking strategy
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Todd aims to ease tension
COLIN Todd is aiming to take the pressure off his relegation-haunted Wanderers as they fight for their Premiership lives. The Bolton boss has urged his players to ignore the league table when they go to Liverpool on Saturday. "We know the situation we
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It's all systems Euro!
COUNCIL chiefs are celebrating jobs-boosting news this week after landing a £1.1m Euro grant for Adlington. The cash from the European Regional Development Fund has brought the new £4m Adlington Business Space development for offices and industrial units
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Up to our necks in debt
BOLTON people are buckling under the burden of debt. Hundreds of residents with serious money worries are contacting the town's Citizens' Advice Bureau with pleas for help. And the problem has got so bad the CAB has been given a £50,000 grant to fund
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From checkout to passing out
SUPERMARKET worker Teresa Cunliffe has fulfilled a lifetime's ambition - after deciding to check out the Open University. Grandmother Teresa, aged 48, left school at 15 without any qualifications. But now the mum-grandmother is the proud owner of a BA
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Couple take offence over their back wall
AN angry couple have accused Bolton Council of leaving their home an easy target for thieves. Barbara and Gordon Evans, of Grierson Street, Astley Bridge, claim that despite the fact they own their home, they were given no warning when council workmen
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Top planner endorses RO scheme
AN AMBITIOUS scheme to redevelop Euxton's Royal Ordnance site into an industrial and housing complex has been given a top planner's seal of approval. Trevor Roberts, President of the Royal Town Planning Institute - which liaises with the Government on
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Boyd back in action
NICK Boyd, a convincing winner on his long-awaited return to the ring in January, will be back in action later this month. The Bolton boxer, now trimmed down to the lightweight division at which he made his name in his early years, is on the bill at a
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Help make Samantha's dreams come true
THE family of a Chorley girl who is suffering from a rare disease are appealing to kind-hearted Citizen readers to help make her dreams come true. Little Samantha Bates, just three years old, was recently diagnosed with Ushers Syndrome, a genetic disorder
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Titanic display puts Magpies in the semis
Alfreton Town 1 Chorley 1 CHORLEY'S season could not have been summed up better than in their two games against Alfreton and Winsford. Last week's trip to Winsford for the League Cup replay appeared to be mission impossible, but a titanic display earned
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Swinton stunner
Swinton Lions 27, Whitehaven Warriors 6 UNFANCIED Swinton upset the odds, wrecked Whitehaven's previous 100 per cent record and stopped the Warriors taking joint leadership of Division One. The enterprising Lions, belying their pre-season odds of 25-1
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Chorley sentence Nene to exile
Chorley RUFC 36 Nene Exiles RUFC 12 ON a wintry Saturday afternoon, Chorley played host to Nene Exiles who were on tour from Northampton University. In spite of the cold conditions, Chorley gave the visitors a warm welcome. With the wind on their backs
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Cash speeds up help for addicts
DRUG addicts hoping to kick their habit are getting faster help with Bolton's Community Drugs Team slashing waiting lists. Last year people were having to wait up to 16 weeks to be seen. But following a cash injection from Wigan and Bolton Health Authority
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Professor Bob calls it a day
THE head of Bolton Institute is to step down - but before he goes he's building up for one final attempt at gaining university status. Professor Bob Oxtoby, aged 58, has been principal of Bolton Institute since 1984 and in that time has seen it double
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Soccer ace Giggs to be a dad
SOCCER idol Ryan Giggs is to become a dad. It was reported today that the Manchester United superstar's girlfriend Emma Gardner, who lives in Worsley, is pregnant and the pair will become parents in September. And, as already revealed in the BEN, millionaire
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REVIEW: Hello Dolly, St Paul's Players, Adlington Community Centre. Runs until March 7.
MAGNIFICENT costumes makes this a splendid adaptation of the hit musical Hello Dolly. St Paul's Amateur Players have made the most of the spectacle which a musical can be. The players have made impressive period costumes of the 1890s and the excellent
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Adrian is planning ahead for Millennium show
WITH the new Millennium fast approaching, plans are already being made to celebrate the year 2000 in style in Bury. Bury Council is starting to put together a diary of events in an effort to co-ordinate the celebrations. Millennium co-ordinator Adrian
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Caroline takes over the learning curve campaign
A FORMER pupil of Farnworth's Mount St Joseph School will make sure people don't lose their appetite for learning. For Caroline Rowley has just been appointed the Campaign for Learning's Regional Director in the North of England. The organisation works
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'Bolton Seven' in the world spotlight
SEVEN men prosecuted for making a gay sex video in Bolton are still attracting massive media attention.... from SOUTH AMERICA. The case of the "Bolton Seven" ended in a blaze of national publicity when the men were spared jail after being convicted of
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Why you are paying charities to collect paper
BOLTON people are helping to foot a huge bill . . . to pay for cash hand-outs to charities which recycle waste paper. Every tonne of old newspapers and magazines collected for good causes is rewarded with £20 of public cash - leaving an annual bill of
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Funding will help
WE wish Bolton's Citizens' Advice Bureau well in its attempt to find a full-time worker to advise people with money problems. With a grant of £50,000 to fund the job, we don't anticipate the Bureau will have too much of a problem attracting suitable applicants
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Daily poem
We wrote Two strangers You in service to the nation Patrolling Suez Me a slave To King Cotton Duty done we met You uniform handsome Browned by the sun Flashing eyes and smile Strutting like a peacock So sure of yourself I didn't like you. But you liked
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Our historic buildings
SIR: David Brinson (Your Views, February 20) is certainly not alone in caring about the old buildings of Churchgate. Many of my regular customers at Ye Olde Man and Scythe Inn also care. We had hoped that the Blue Boar would be restored, even if it had
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Sensible solution
IT'S a sorry state of affairs that 344 people in Bolton are waiting an average of 49 weeks for treatment of "sexual dysfunction problems", mainly impotence. The irony is that it generally needs only two appointments with Dr Eric Curless, Consultant in
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A luxury we can't afford
NOBODY wants any council workers to lose their jobs, so long as they are doing essential work. But at a time when council tax is increasing and libraries and homes for the elderly are closing, it comes of something of a shock to learn that a £3 million
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Rest in perfect woodland peace
O Death where is thy sting? O Grave thy victory? For too many bereaved families the sting comes with the bill for the funeral, and the victory of the grave is usually a pretty short tenure on a tiny plot of land with too many restrictions attached. But
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Give-it-a-try week for women only
INTERNATIONAL Women's Week arrives in Bury on Saturday, bringing seven days of activities for those who want to try something new. All next week a range of events have been organised to coincide with women's celebrations across the world. In Bury, a varied
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Daring duo do rally well!
BOLTON'S all-female rallying team have hot-wheeled it across the finishing line in their first competition. Daring duo Debbie Blackburn of Bradford Road, Great Lever, and new co-driver Gaynor Cheetham of Wimbledon Park, London, have teamed up to take
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Apology demand
SIR: We write in reply to B Collison (Your Views, February 25) and Mr Collison's demand for a public apology from us regarding our comments about his working at Kearsley Mill. May we refer readers to the Bolton Journal, February 26, 1998, page 40. This
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Worldwide drive by charity
A CHARITY founded in Bolton which has become a leading force in the fight against brain disease and spinal injury is backing an international public awareness campaign. BASIC - the Brain and Spinal Injuries Charity, founded by Bolton businessman Derek
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It's 'do or die' time for Bolton
A SPECIAL meeting of Bolton Council will be held to discuss the Government's radical plans for the future of local government. Prime Minister Tony Blair has warned local authorities that they must modernise or die. The ideas put forward include an American-style
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Police station fight
BATTLE lines are being drawn in the campaign to keep Horwich police station from closing. Horwich Heritage has declared it will fight any proposals to close the station. But town councillors said people shouldn't get "sentimental" about the Victorian
