From the Evening News, August 20, 1904: THE first supply of the town's electricity was turned on at Radcliffe on Friday evening.

The Market Hall was the first public building to be lighted from the electricity station and the ceremony of switching on the current was performed by Mr Lund, chairman of the new Electricity Committee.

BISHOP Thornton of Blackburn and his son, the Rev H. S. Thornton, with the object of training lads to swim when plunged into difficulties, have hit upon the idea of carrying out periodical contests for schoolboys at the local public baths in which prizes are offered for the best performance by competitors in ordinary attire.

From the Evening News, August 20, 1954: THE Rev Thomas Siddle, Vicar of St Mary's, Hawkshaw, has resigned as chairman of the village tennis club because members want to play tennis on Sundays. Today the vicar, who helped form the club two years ago, disagreed with members who point out that golf and cricket are played on Sundays. He said: "I am strongly opposed to all Sunday sport or entertainment and feel I could not continue as chairman after the tennis club decided by a large majority that it would ask Tottington Council, from which it rents courts, for use of these courts on Sundays."

A SCHEME to train youths who work in Bolton's parks to become skilled gardeners was accepted by Bolton Parks Committee yesterday. Under the scheme, prepared by Mr T. E. Clark, Parks Superintendent, boys leaving secondary modern school at 15 will be first engaged as garden youths. At 16, suitable youths will be examined and if they pass the test they will be indentured as apprentices.

From the Evening News, August 20, 1979: GRAZING sheep are nibbling away new plant life in Rivington's picturesque terraced gardens. Next weekend members of the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers are to erect a post and wire fence round the part of the garden where the sheep are getting in - to give plants a chance to establish themselves in areas where masses of rhododendrons have been cleared.

ACTRESS Julie Goodyear - Bet Lynch to Coronation Street enthusiasts - crowned 24-year-old Gwynneth Byrnes as Adlington's eighth carnival queen. Blonde Julie, in a blue dress for the ceremony at the Jubilee field on Saturday, told the crowd she was looking forward to being back on the screen when the technicians' strike was over.

From the Evening News, August 20, 1994: FLOWER power helped Bolton scoop the top North-west Britain in Bloom award for the second year running. The borough won three trophies - including Best Large City - which were presented in the magnificent setting of the Southport Flower Show. Leisure services chairman Cllr Gerald Riley said the success would be a major tourism boost for Bolton.

BOLTON West Indian Association is to stage a major exhibition on the black contribution to culture and civilisation. It will open at the Johnson Street Community Centre, off Great Moor Street, next Friday.

The exhibition will include photography, text, arts and crafts and artefacts spanning the period from 5,000BC to the present day.