10 years ago from the Evening News March 18, 1995: A priest wept today as he surveyed the damage arsonists had caused to his Bolton church.

Father Andrew Chomar broke down as he sifted through the charred debris at the Ukrainian Church on All Saints Street.

But he did not feel any hatred towards the people who did it - "It is just the kind of Godless society we live in today," he said.

PUPILS at Turton High school are preparing to bury a time capsule in the structure of the new sports hall.

Their work, along with mementoes of the present day, is in a stainless steel container which is due to be opened half a century from now.

25 years ago from the Evening News March 18, 1980

A new "snack service" in Bolton schools gives pupils the choice of either a "maxi" or "mini" meal for 35p or 20p.

The new move is aimed at saving the local authority nearly £700,000 a year.

BOLTON'S big Raikes Lane refuse incinerator was back in action today when manual workers who had been on strike since Friday returned to work.

The incinerator, which handles 80 per cent of all Bolton's domestic rubbish, shut down at lunchtime on Friday when the 15 manual workers walked out in support of colleagues at another Greater Manchester Council refuse plant at Middleton.

50 years ago from the Evening News March 18, 1955

MEMBERS of the Bolton Dramatic Society have decided, though not by an overwhelming majority, that the society should go out of existence while its reputation still stands high rather than seek to survive in circumstances of ever-increasing difficulty which might eventually bring about a lowering of standards.

The Society rounded off its 46th season last April with the comedy "Lover's Leap."

THE well-known railway magazine "Trains Illustrated" has described Trinity Street station, Bolton, as "a typically outdated British station."

An article about the British Transport Commission's plan to spend £1,240,000,000 on modernising British Railways includes a description of Trinity Street's "drab buildings, dirt, dingy platform awning, grass-grown platform ends and other lack-lustre features."

100 years ago from the Evening News March 18, 1905

FULHAM'S visit to the Aston Villa ground will not be forgotten.

Not only was a great deal of counterfeit coin circulated among the large gathering of spectators, but pocket-picking was freely indulged in.

Yesterday at Aston, Arthur Riley of London, a billiard marker, and Joseph Ledger, a bookmaker's clerk of Chelsea, were charged with frequenting Villa Park on March 4 with intent to commit a felony.

Evidence given showed that Riley picked pockets and passed the purses to Ledger, who transferred them to another man.

One man found Riley's hand in his pocket.

Riley was sentenced to 12 months' hard labour and Ledger to three months.