From the Evening News, August 17, 1904: A RADCLIFFE youth, James Birtwistle of Henry Street, was drawn into the machinery at Crow Oaks Works, New Road, Radcliffe on Tuesday and his skull was fractured.

Death was almost instantaneous.

AN accident which might easily have resulted fatally occurred in Horwich on Tuesday evening to a young fellow named Fred Grice, resident in Abbott Street, consequent upon having lost control of his machine whilst riding down the hill past the Parish Church. The unfortunate young man, it is stated, had not a brake to his machine and he dashed into the iron railings at the opposite side of the road to the chapel with terrific force. The impact caused him to fly forward and one of the sharp iron spikes caught his neck, inflicting a nasty wound which bled profusely. Fortunately, PC Cuerdon was near at hand and the officer promptly conveyed the injured man to the surgery of Dr Kerr and after being attended to, he was taken home.

From the Evening News, August 17, 1954: BOLTON Children's Committee - discussing a Government leaflet on juvenile delinquency - was told today by Cllr Marshall that gangs of youths went to Queen's Park for "organised fights" late at night. He said that anyone who stood on Spa Road from 11pm to midnight would see groups of young fellows - aged between 15 and 18 - making for the park for a "free brawl".

THE famous Red Berets invaded Bolton's housing estates today. They were worn not by the war-time paratroopers, but by the Liverpool National Savings Commando group who visited the estates to recruit new secretaries for the National Savings Movement.

From the Evening News, August 17, 1979: THE largest exhibition of the life and work of Samuel Crompton ever staged in Bolton opens at the Bolton Museum and Art Gallery tomorrow morning. It centres around Crompton's revolutionary invention, the Spinning Mule, and celebrates the bi-centenary of the machine's invention in 1779.

BRITAIN'S inflation rate took its biggest ever single leap in July - by 4.3 per cent to 15.6 per cent. The violent jerk to prices came almost entirely from the Chancellor's Budget increases. But Financial Secretary Nigel Lawson insisted: "The tax cuts in the Budget wholly offset the combined effect of the increase in VAT and the underlying rate of inflation."

From the Evening News, August 17, 1994: THERE are 4,500 homes in Bolton lying empty - while more than 2,000 people in the town are registered as not having anywhere to live. Council officials are now in talks with housing associations which are hoping to buy up some homes, renovate them and rent them out. Cllr Brian Iddon, housing committee chairman, said: "We feel that we must try to marry up the people who need homes with the empty properties."

FURIOUS town centre traders claim that the Kelloggs Tour of Britain cycle race cost them hundreds of pounds in lost business. Twenty-four traders have sent a petition to Chief Executive Brian Collinge protesting about the closure of the town centre last Wednesday morning.