Archive
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Those days of Lamp Oil Men
DOES anyone remember the Lamp Oil Men of the 1940s and 50s that peddled hardware, such as brushes, soap, pegs, parafin and lamp oil etc in open-sided vans? Has anyone got a photograph I can show to my children? Ruby Conneley Over Hulton Rubiconn@talk21
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Driver killed a lovely dog
I WOULD like to say, to the low-life who was speeding up Mackenzie Street in his red car on Thursday night, November 1, and never stopped after knocking my daughter's dog down, you killed him, you broke his spine. My daughter lived for her dog Jack, she
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Brussels and our city hopes
ON Wednesday, October 31, the BEN carried an article regarding the city bid, to which the Leader of the Council replied that he wasn't upset at the fact that Bolton was very low in the betting odds. They were keeping in with the powers that be -- sounds
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Putting the record straight on national issues...
I AM asking you please to give me the opportunity to set the record straight. I find myself publicly embarrassed, having been serially misquoted and accused by Mr Peter Greenhalgh (BEN: October 31) of holding opinions which I do not hold and of making
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Wanderers spellbound by Gascoigne magic - again
WANDERERS Reserves went down 2-1to a Paul Gascoigne-inspired Everton at Widnes last night despite holding the lead for a long period. Gascoigne gave a great display at the Reebok last Saturday for the first team and was in form again. Fielding only keeper
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Banks: I'm not going anywhere!
STEVE Banks' frustration after being dropped down the Reebok pecking order has not prompted the goalkeeper to ask for a transfer. The Wanderers' number two was unhappy when he was told on Friday that he had lost his place as understudy to Jussi Jaaskelainen
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REVIEW A fly-on-wall drama of town
One Hundred Years in Worktown. Bill Naughton Studio, Octagon Theatre, Bolton. ORDINARY lives make extraordinary theatre in this collection of compelling monologues performed by local amateur actors. This "documentary drama" is part of a community arts
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Carols for the German wounded
IRENE McVITTIE (b 1920): ONE Christmas Eve, we went around the wards with lanterns. Those of us who wanted to. To sing carols, you know? We had two wards of German wounded, as well as wards of English casualties, and we thought it was the kindest thing
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When cotton was the king
CLIVE WALSH (b 1935): WHEN I was 15, I left school. I left on a Friday -- Christmas, 1950 -- and mum had me working in a cotton mill the next Monday morning. In the end, it got so the fluff was damaging my health, so I took myself off to the Labour Exchange
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Day dreaming my life away at the mill
ALICE URMSTON (b 1921): MY parents were an ill-matched pair, God love them. My mother with her broad Bolton accent, my dad with his more cultured pedigree -- educated, rather refined. They'd met up, somehow, this odd couple. My mother had been jilted
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The day war ended
GORDON CRAIG (b 1905): I'D only been at Hick Hargreaves a few weeks when the war come to an end, an' the day it ended, I got picked to carry the Union Jack in celebration. I had to follow this older bloke up these ladders -- just me and him clambering
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The Bolton I can truly call my home
UTTAMBHAI MISTRY (b 1948): MAYBE you were passing through Queen's Park, some time in the late 1960s? Maybe you have seen me there, sitting on a bench in the evening? I used to walk in that park when I first came to Bolton. And sometimes I would sit there
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Reebok crowd trouble in the spotlight
A RETIRED headteacher and his two sons who were assaulted as they left a Bolton Wanderers match have slammed police actions. And other Wanderers fans have blamed the club for selling tickets in the home section of the Reebok Stadium to fans from Everton
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Big Sam and Reidy ready with all the answers
BOLTON Wanderers may be on to a winner in the Premiership at the moment. And manager Sam Allardyce is hoping his luck will continue when he stars on BBC1's Question of Sport tonight. He will be pitting his wits alongside his close pal and football rival
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Lever's runaway success
A TERRIFIC start by Great Lever and Farnworth ensured the Jack Taylor Trophy would be heading back down Plodder Lane. The 1999 winners clinched the final BGA competition of the year by taking the first three games and although holders Dunscar salvaged
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North West water passes the test
NEARLY all the North West's bathing waters now meet EU standards, says the Environment Agency. For the first time 33 of the region's bathing waters passed the cleanliness test. Those that failed were Ainsdale in Merseyside and Bardsea, Walney and Askam-in-Furness
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The day Wanderers went to war
ON April 10, 1939, Bolton Wanderers went to war. Read all about the Wartime Wanderers on this site on Friday - and you could win a copy of the book which tells their story.
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Big Sam and Reidy ready with all the answers
BOLTON Wanderers may be on to a winner in the Premiership at the moment. And manager Sam Allardyce is hoping his luck will continue when he stars on BBC1's Question of Sport tonight. He will be pitting his wits alongside his close pal and football rival
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Yes to new homes
A RESIDENTIAL development has been given the go-ahead by Bolton Council planners. An apartment block and eight houses will be built by developers Adamson Building Contractors, at Capitol Close, off Moss Lane, to add to those homes already built. The application
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Boy hurt as he went for bus
A 12-YEAR-OLD boy was airlifted to hospital when he was in collision with a van as he went to catch a bus to Turton High School. Christopher Davies, of Wood Lea Chase, Bull Hill, Darwen, suffered a broken arm, as well as cuts and bruises, after the accident
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Attempted murder charge
A BOLTON bakery worker appeared in court charged with attempting to kill his wife by throwing petrol at her while she was holding a lighted cigarette. Mark John Foley, 43, of the Old Lodge, Cemetery Lane, Burnley, spent nearly an hour in the dock at Burnley
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Victoria's spitting image up for sale
A SPITTING Image puppet of Bury-born comedienne Victoria Wood is expected to fetch up to £400 in a memorabilia auction. The spoof puppet of the former Bury Grammar School pupil will go under the hammer in a specialist lot at London auction house Sotheby's
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Bailed thief's action replay
JUST four days after being arrested and bailed for the theft of a DVD player, Glen Worthington staged a virtual action reply. Bury magistrates were told the 24-year-old was first caught after he entered the Asda store in Radcliffe accompanied by a woman
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Iddon wants rescue plan
BOLTON South East MP Dr Brian Iddon is calling for an emergency package to bail out Bolton's cash-strapped hospital. The Labour MP is arranging urgent talks with board members from the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust to thrash out details of a rescue plan.
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Survival pledge on cash crisis hospital
BOSSES from the Wigan and Bolton Health Authority have given assurances that Bolton's cash-hit hospital will continue "to remain in operation". The authority, which holds the purse-strings for the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust, admitted that until reading
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Nurses 'in tears' at beds crisis hospital
A WHISTLE-BLOWING nurse on the front line at the Royal Bolton Hospital's accident and emergency department claims staff are reduced to tears as they struggle to find beds for sick patients. The nurse, who refuses to be named for fear of losing her job
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£3m debts crisis at hospital
THE Royal Bolton Hospital is in severe financial crisis facing debts of up to £3 million. And the hospital's Director of Finance, Beverly Peacock, fears the Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust could be declared financially insolvent if current spending levels
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Were you at the game?
DID you see any problems at the Reebok on Saturday? E-mail Internet Editor Chris Sudlow on csudlow@lancashire.newsquest.co.uk with your views. And if you have a solution to the problem, then let us know. Some clubs make fans answer questions about their
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Nat Lofthouse Stand fan writes in
HAVING attended the game on Saturday, and sitting in the East Stand Upper, I became aware of around 15 Everton fans in front of us in the Nat Lofthouse Stand. When Everton scored they went beserk, and began taunting the fans around them. This is certainly
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Whites admit problems keeping rival fans apart
COMPLETE segregation of rival fans at the Reebok is impossible. That admission came from Bolton Wanderers today in response to a range of complaints following disturbances during Saturday's Premiership game against Everton. Scores of visiting supporters
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Jennie's picture back in the news
From the Evening News, November 7, 1976 25 YEARS AGO BOLTON-born opera singer Jennie Bleasdale's face was blurred and shadowy, and at times the tiny flickering image was blotted out by "snowstorms" . . . but nobody cared about these imperfections. For
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Hospital chiefs' action on beds shortage
BOSSES at the crisis hit Royal Bolton Hospital are setting up a package of measures to combat the beds shortage. A team of bed managers is being set up to provide 24-hour cover following this week's damning government report. Other measures include switching
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Pensioners' free TV licence demand
ANGRY pensioners gathered in Bolton town centre to demand free health care and television licences. Protesters from across the country joined elderly residents yesterday in the demonstration. The protest was held in Victoria Square as members of the National
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Jobs boost on way with new complex
AN AMBITIOUS plan to create a £100 million premier entertainment and retail complex in the heart of Bolton looks set to move a step closer early next year. A shortlist of three developers has been drawn up to transform Victoria Hall into the envy of the
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Crash horror lorry driver goes on trial
A YOUNG father suffered appalling head injuries after a lorry swerved across six lanes of a busy motorway and ploughed into his car. Simon Pennington, a 27-year-old father of one, died in hospital three days after the crash on the M60 at Barton Bridge
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Special service for road victims
VICTIMS of road accidents will be remembered at a special church service in rural Bolton. The Rev David Jones, vicar of Belmont, will preside over the memorial service at St Peter's Church in Belmont Road, one of Bolton's most notorious roads. The service
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Don't miss out on Commonwealth cash
A EURO MP has warned that Bolton and other towns around Manchester could miss out on exploiting the full potential of the Commonwealth Games. Sir Robert Atkins warned that tourism chiefs would never be forgiven if Manchester was allowed to bag the majority
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Simmo's agonising wait after debut
By David Prentice, Liverpool Echo Click HERE for stories about Liverpool and Everton from the Daily Post/Liverpool Echo web site STEVE SIMONSEN waited three years for his full Premiership debut. Now he must wait a further frustrating fortnight to find
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Keeper's delight at suprise return to top flight
KKEVIN Poole has no idea what is round the corner after making a shock Premiership comeback at the age of 38. The veteran keeper answered Wanderers' SOS on Saturday when he stood in at the last minute after Jussi Jaaskelainen dramatically pulled out of
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Daisy comeback boost for boss
SECOND Division Daisy Hill were beaten 6-3 by Darwen in an entertaining game. Daisy were 4-0 down shortly after the break but after that there was plenty to take heart from for new manager Terry Gaskell. Neil Melling (two) and Steve Harris scored but
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How the action unfolded on a dramatic afternoon at the Reebok
Gordon Sharrock's live reports from the Reebok reveal just what happened. Click HERE every match day to catch up with all the action from our man on the spot WANDERERS v EVERTON JUSSI Jaaskelainen and Mike Whitlow, available again after suspension, and
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Chorley throw away one-goal lead
THESE two teams with proud traditions but currently making few headlines shared the spoils in a low-key UniBond First Division encounter in which most of the action was reserved for the late stages. It was Chorley's third consecutive draw in league games
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America's bin Laden battle
WHY do we have to join in with the USA straight away, the Americans didn't join us in the Second World War until the Pearl Harbour bombing? It was America who was attacked, not us, and now we have joined we will be attacked, possibly like the Americans
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Society where everyone sues
I READ in your column a story whereby a family felt that the council should be able to be sued if they don't meet certain deadlines. While I agree to a system to cover the tenant's requirements, I feel suing isn't the answer. If and when the funds dry
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What's happening with subway work?
A COUPLE of months ago, the BEN highlighted the fact that the subway situated between Castle Street/Dorset Street and Churchbank, Bolton, was being refurbished, with improvements to the approaches by means of a road for cyclists, mobile scooters and also
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Hospital security boost after attacks
A MINI police station could be set up in the Royal Bolton Hospital to tackle the number of violent attacks. Calls for extra security have been made by the independent inspectors from CHI -- the Commission for Health Improvement -- who have identified
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End of the road
DEMOLITION work is due to start this week on an estate which has been troubled by crime and drugs in recent years. Bolton Council has fenced off De Lacy Drive in Tonge Moor and is moving bulldozers and digging equipment into the area. The last few tenants
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Rail cash crisis could hit vital bridge work
COUNCILLORS fear Railtrack's financial crisis could delay vital work on key Bolton bridges until at least 2004. The Railtrack-owned road bridges are not strong enough to cope with potential traffic, especially heavier lorries now allowed on the road.
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Keeper is top priority
SAM Allardyce has conceded that he has two weeks to put an end to Wanderers' goalkeeping nightmares once and for all. The Reebok boss has acknowledged that there is a jinx on the position. "There's a bit of a witch flying round us in that department at
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Winter and war in the 40s
DOROTHY SHARPLES (b 1919): THE thing about the 40s was the snow. The terrible snow. January 1940 it started. Friday night. An' it carried on snowin' all weekend an' it never stopped. That Friday, a friend had come home with me from the mill, an' she had
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My window on the world
EDITH IBBOTSON (b 1932) Edith Ibbotson explains how she coped with her job as a telephonist in the 1960s -- in spite of her blindness. I'd never really much wanted to be a switchboard operator. If we're talking about burning ambitions -- an opera singer
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When Asian children came to Edith's school
EDITH TAYLOR (born 1919): SOMETIMES I turn around in the street to watch a girl passing -- she may be pushing a pram -- and I wonder: "Was she one of mine?" It's years now since I retired, but I still see a face sometimes I recognise. They'll be older
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Miner turned goalkeeper
ARTHUR BARNARD (b1932): I WENT working down the pit for a bit after leaving school. Worked underground on the haulage -- putting clips on the tubs. But I could never settle to a job cooped up. You'd be locked away in lovely summer weather, so I left that
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Marshall happy to be playing again
IAN Marshall made his debut for Blackpool last night just hours after joining the Seasiders on a month's loan. The veteran Wanderer joined Steve McMahon's ranks to cover for the absence of injured strikers John Murphy and Graham Fenton. And, after starting
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Table top sale
A TABLE top sale is being held by Thornleigh School on November 25 from noon to 3pm. To book a table contact the school on 301351.
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Veterans pay respect
WAR veterans from Kearsley will pay their respects to the fallen as part of Remembrance Day on Sunday. The Kearsley branch of the Royal British Legion will parade from their club on Springfield Road to the Bolton Road war memorial starting at 9.50am.
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Caring for carers
A DAY trip has been organised to give Bolton carers a well earned rest. The trip, to Bents Garden Centre, Leigh, will take place on December 13. A coach will collect those wanting to go to see the Christmas displays at 10am from Deansgate Post Office,
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Life is just plain abseiling
A DARING 90ft abseil down Manchester's velodrome is being staged to bring in cash for the Bolton and Bury branch of a medical charity, Myasthenia Gravis. The event, on November 25, is expected to attract more than 150 people to abseil. Myasthenia Gravis
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Attempted murder charge
A BOLTON bakery worker appeared in court charged with attempting to kill his wife by throwing petrol at her while she was holding a lighted cigarette. Mark John Foley, aged 43, of the Old Lodge, Cemetery Lane, Burnley, spent nearly an hour in the dock
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Firework terror
YOUTHS threw a large firework through the window of a frightened pensioner's home. Betty Wood found a six inch firework in her hallway which was littered with fragments of broken glass. She believed it had been thrown through the window the night before
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Thief ends family's bike fun
TWO wheeled fun with mum has ended for Bolton twins after a thief snatched their unusual mode of transport. For the last two years Jayne Harrop has taken sons Aaron and Jacob everywhere in their special bicycle trailer. The single mum, who does not drive
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Motorbike race pal on death charge
jA MOTORBIKE race between two friends ended in tragedy when one of the pals died after hitting a tree at high speed. Wayne Newham lost control of his bike on Gladstone Road in Farnworth last year. His friend, Timothy Fylan, is accused of causing his death
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Don't miss out on Commonwealth cash
A EURO MP has warned that Bolton and other towns around Manchester could miss out on exploiting the full potential of the Commonwealth Games. Sir Robert Atkins warned that tourism chiefs would never be forgiven if Manchester was allowed to bag the majority
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Write to the BEN, doctor told heart victim, 74
A 74-YEAR-OLD pensioner was kept waiting more than 13 hours on a trolley after collapsing with an irregular heartbeat and taken into the Royal Bolton Hospital. The pensioner, who stresses that she has nothing but praise for the nurses and doctors in the
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£110m for second biggest employer
The Royal Bolton Hospital overspent on nurses in June by £356,000, compared to a May overspend of £56,000; The overall budget for the Royal Bolton Hospital this year is £110 million, mainly given by the Wigan and Bolton Health Authority who are allocated
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Callers reveal their own horror stories
The BEN has been flooded by callers ringing in to reveal their own hospital horror stories. Many simply wanted to let off steam after having operations cancelled. One man was waiting for his FOURTH operation date. He admitted that the operation, to remove
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Nurses struggle to cope with beds shortage
UNRELENTING pressures on "exhausted and frustrated" nurses are forcing the closure of beds at the Royal Bolton Hospital. The strain of Bolton's bed shortage is taking its toll on the town's accident and emergency unit -- with an 84 per cent rise in the
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Give South Stand to away fans
WHY is all the South Stand not given to the fans of the opposing teams? It is a reflection on the current game that fans do not sit easily with the opposition. It hardly took highly paid executives to realise the Everton allocation would be over-subscribed
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Cameras should be used to highlight trouble
I AM a season ticket holder at Bolton, and was at the game on Saturday and much to my disappointment witnessed the trouble that occured outside the ground behind Tesco. There were a group of about five Everton fans swearing at the Bolton fan walking past
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Fan's four-point plan to solve problem
LOOKING at fans comments re segregation it is obvious that the Everton game brought things to a head. I live down in Kent now so was not at the Liverpool game but I imagine there were a lot of away fans scattered around the ground. Let us put it into
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Sad reflection on modern game
STEPHEN Crow e-mailed to complain that the need for segregation was a sad reflection on the modern game: "Last Saturday I organised a party of 10 to watch the Bolton-Everton game. Three of the party including a young boy were Everton supporters but we
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Father slams police after match attack
A RETIRED headteacher and his two sons who were assaulted as they left a Bolton Wanderers match have slammed police actions. Andrew Smith, aged 57 and his sons William, aged 21 and Andrew, aged 24 were making their way from the match against Everton on
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Parkinson inspiring
Westhoughton Lions U10s 12 Ince St Williams U10s 6 MAN of the match David Parkinson linked up with scrum half Ben Fairhurst to move the ball well and run in two fine tries. Centres and Wingers, Sam Dale, Chris Harrison, Mark Scoles, Jack Beck and Michael
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Waiting list cut as hospital project breaks new ground
NURSES are now carrying out work usually earmarked for consultants in a pioneering project at the Royal Bolton Hospital. Experienced nurses at the hospital have been trained to carry out camera-investigations called endoscopies in a bid to cut down on
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999 bosses in Royal A&E talks
AMBULANCE bosses are to meet with Royal Bolton Hospital chiefs next week in an attempt to ease the burden of patients cramming into the town's accident and emergency department. The Greater Manchester Ambulance Service (GMAS) admits many patients have
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Santa cycle theft man jailed
A MAN with an appalling record of stealing stole a girl's bike two days after she received it as a Christmas present. Sean Jackson saw the girl leave the bike outside a shop and then snatched it while she was buying sweets inside. Jackson, aged 21, of
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Pilgrims in meningitis warning
HUNDREDS of Bolton pilgrims planning to take part in the Muslim Hajj to Mecca next year are being urged to make sure they get meningitis jabs. Last year 10 people in England died from meningitis after coming back from pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia or being
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Fire ravaged homes a danger - residents
NEIGHBOURS of a pair of arson hit houses in Little Hulton are pleading with Salford Council to demolish them. On Saturday night a 13-year-old boy was injured after jumping from the first floor window of a derelict house on Ladywell Avenue to escape a
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Caught in a catch 22: homeless under 25s
JOHN Fowler, aged 22, found himself sleeping rough on the streets of Bolton. And now he is caught in a homelessness trap because of his age. Jane Bullock investigates how men aged under 25 are falling through the net when it comes to getting access to
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Leaders in a sweat over final day
BEN Naps leaders Handicap Four will be keeping everything crossed when the Anthony Axford sponsored competition goes into the final weekend. With £500 up for grabs to the winners the pacesetters will be praying that none of their rivals repeat this week's
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Hospital Fact File
Bolton was the only NHS Trust in the north west to get a one star rating with most hospitals gaining a two star, with Blackburn, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley Trust getting three stars. It is the first year that the government have assessed hospitals
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Hospital is a shining example
THE Royal Bolton Hospital has swept up in national spot check inspections -- being given its second green light for cleanliness. The hospital, which was last month rated just one-star in Government performance league tables, has been revealed as a shining
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Fighting qualities earn a point against the odds
FAN'S VIEWby Alex Sankey MICHAEL Ricketts' audacious backheel gave Wanderers a richly deserved last minute equaliser to earn a point against Everton in an incident-packed derby encounter. The match started well for Wanderers with Per Frandsen converting
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Stubbs backs his old club to prove the critics wrong
ALAN Stubbs added to the growing support for Wanderers' Premiership survival prospects when he praised his former club for proving the doubters wrong. "You only need to look at their results," the former Burnden star pointed out. "You don't look relegation
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SAM'S VIEW: Late point eases the pressure
SAM Allardyce admitted that Wanderers would have been "devastated" if Michael Ricketts' last gasp strike had not salvaged a point against Everton. "I'm disappointed that we ended up only drawing considering the amount of chances we created," the Reebok
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Rams fall to ninth defeat
RAMSBOTTOM United fell to a ninth NWCL Division One defeat losing 1-0 at home to Newcastle Town, Andy Bott getting the only goal on 29 minutes, writes John Bullen. The absence of 21-goal striker Russell Brierley through suspension deprived the Rams of
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Memory man rolls back the years
By Jonathan Mcevoy of the Daily Post Click HERE for stories about Liverpool and Everton from the Daily Post/Liverpool Echo web site PAUL Gascoigne could be excused a scratch of the head to remember his last goal. Trawling through the memory bank he put
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All the Match Stats with Gordon Sharrock
Wanderers 2, Everton 2 Wanderers (4-5-1) KEVIN POOLE ... 7 Surprise, surprise, you're playing! BRUNO N'GOTTY ... 7 Adjusting to the Premiership nicely GUDNI BERGSSON ... 8 Always around when and where it mattered MIKE WHITLOW ... 8 Centre-back, left-back
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Striker to the rescue as he repays Sam's faith
WANDERERS 2, EVERTON 2 IF faith can move mountains, what can it do for a club's Premiership prospects? When you are the team's spearhead striker and you have not had so much as a sight of goal, let alone a sniff of a chance, you couldn't argue if you
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Vets triumph in top table clash
MATCH of the day in the Bolton Pioneer Sunday League was the game between the top two teams in the Premier Division, Astley Miners and Farnworth Vets. Vets went into a 2-0 lead with goals from Raynor and Yates, before Fairhurst pulled one back for Miners
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Shakers warn off Newby admirers
BURY have issued a "hands-off" warning to club's chasing star striker Jon Newby. Ahead of tonight's home match against Cardiff City, chairman Terry Robinson has moved quickly to make it clear that Newby will not be sold. The chairman said that the sale
