rom the Evening News, August 26, 1904: PARTICULARS which were furnished to members of the Lancashire Asylums Board yesterday show that the ratepayers of the county are maintaining 134 alien lunatics in the various county institutions.

Mr Shelmerdine (Liverpool) urged that these undesirable aliens should be shipped back to their native countries as they were costing the county nearly £7,000 annually. Dr Rhodes, however, pointed out that a great many alien lunatics had homes and families living in England. A great many Englishmen also were being maintained in foreign asylums, especially in America, and returning them was a game at which two could play.

THE village of Shepston, Devonshire is for some unknown reason the only place in England shunned by sparrows. Life, it is said, is very pleasant in Shepston.

From the Evening News, August 26, 1954: SATURDAY evening will become another milestone in the long sequence of charitable efforts which have been organised at Raikes Park by the Bolton Greyhound Racing Co Ltd since it first introduced greyhound racing to Bolton 28 years ago. Throughout this period efforts have been held for the benefit of national and local charities, war charities, appeals for local emergencies and - until 1947 - on a very large scale for the local Infirmary. Since the taking over of the voluntary hospitals by the National Health Service, the efforts have been directed to establishing a fund to provide a new ward at Bolton Royal Infirmary, to be named Churchill Ward. This fund now stands at over £23,000. This year, to meet the ever-growing need of local charitable organisations, the proceeds are to be divided between the Churchill Ward Fund and 15 other local charities nominated by the Mayor.

From the Evening News, August 25, 1979: FORMER Ramsbottom councillor Mr Dale Campbell-Savours has arrived back in this country after more than a week in an Italian hospital. The Labour MP for Workington became dangerously ill with bronchial pneumonia as he travelled across Europe in a constituent's lorry. The purpose of his "undercover" journey was to see at first hand the alleged corruption at border posts which Continental lorry drivers have to endure.

PLANS to set up a Depressives Anonymous group in Bolton have been met with an encouraging response. More than 20 people have contacted a Farnworth woman who wants to launch a local branch of the nationwide organisation.

From the Evening News, August 26, 1994: BOLTON'S library staff are being urged to adopt American-style friendliness when dealing with customers. Tory councillor Colin Higson, speaking at an arts sub-committee meeting, said: "There's no doubt, speaking from my own experience in the Central Library, that staff who have been there some time are always very kind and cheerful. But it has to be said new members of staff are less so."

NORTH west Labour MPs have reacted furiously to Norweb's announcement that it is to axe 1,200 jobs over the next five years as part of a cost-cutting drive. They have accused the electricity company of profiteering.

Worsley MP Terry Lewis said: "This is a disgrace when the shareholders and directors have already lined their pockets very nicely, thank you, out of the privatisation of Norweb."