From the Evening News, July 19, 1904: UPON entering Peel Church, Little Hulton, on Monday, the sexton, Mr Howcroft, discovered the poor box broken open and its contents stolen.

A further inspection of the sacred building showed the thief to have obtained admittance through one of the windows of the vestry and egress through the adjacent door, which was loose. In cutting away the lead framework of the diamond panes in the window, so as to make a clear space to creep through, the marauder must have damaged himself, for there were traces of blood on his track through the church to the west end, where the poor box was kept. The police hope to trace the marauder by means of his wound.

THE Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry, of which His Majesty is the Colonel-in-Chief, mustered their forces, some 400 in number, to take part in welcoming the King to Liverpool today. The Bolton troop, which was reduced under the new Army scheme, paraded 42 men.

From the Evening News, July 19, 1954: THE annual contest for the Evening News Cup for rifle shooting, which took place on the Bolton Home Guard Rifle Club's range at Scout Road yesterday, was won by Mr J. R. Leigh. Handicap prizes were won by Messrs D. Barlow and E. Downes, who returned scores of 200 each.

THREE Bolton riders won the 42nd (Lancs) Infantry Division Challenge Cup for the 253 Regiment Royal Artillery (TA) in the North-west district army motor cycle trials at Holcombe Moor yesterday. The regiment has now won the cup three times in the past four years.

From the Evening News, July 19, 1979: BIG changes are planned to give a "bright new future" to Bolton's 17,000 secondary schoolchildren within the next five years. If the far-reaching £6 million Tory plan is adopted it will provide a grammar section and sixth form for each school in those areas which have not gone comprehensive. Five old schools will be phased out with the pupils being absorbed into extended "base" schools. They are Farnworth Grammar, Castle Hill (boys and girls), Tonge and Whitecroft.

POLICE are worried by the increase in break-ins and vandalism at Bolton's schools. And with the six-week summer break starting soon it is feared the problem could get worse. During the two recent weeks of Bolton Holidays, police dealt with 10 incidents at schools throughout the area.

From the Evening News, July 19, 1994: A £1 million town centre entertainment complex is planned for the building which has been dubbed Bolton's "white elephant." The owners of Kiss nightspot plan to convert the old Lion Oil Works on St George's Street into a nightclub, restaurant and function suite. GGM Enterprises have bought the building - previously earmarked for the ill-fated heritage centre project - and will apply to magistrates this week for a licence.

FIREMEN today issued a warning after an Astley Bridge couple's curtains were ignited by sunlight. It follows a similar incident recently when a living room of a home in Harwood was badly damaged after reflected light from a glass vase started a blaze.