From the Evening News, January 1, 1904: The closing hour of 1903 was watched in various ways by Boltonians according to their bent.

Some spent the time at watch night services which were held at both churches and chapels, and at the various Wesleyan places of worship the old and favourite hymn so dear to all Methodists, "Come, Let Us Anew Our Journey Pursue", was sung with the usual heartiness, thus welcoming in the new year, 1904. Other persons more festively inclined saw the old year's passing by assembling in Victoria Square and listening to the strains of the band of Sedgwick's Menagerie playing Auld Lang Syne. Mutual congratulations between friends followed with the best of wishes for the year in which they had entered. In the early morning the visitors sought their homes, the late trams which had been put on doing a roaring trade. Today the operatives' New Year's holiday commenced, the mills and foundries being closed today and tomorrow.

From the Evening News, January 1, 1954: NEW Year celebrations started early in Bolton town centre last night. With more than three hours of 1953 left, partygoers wearing paper hats were seen in the streets, but there was no large gathering of people in Victoria Square to greet the beginning of 1954. Town centre dances, cinemas and theatres attracted many people. Dance halls were crowded in Horwich, but only a small number of people gathered at the junction of Winter Hey Lane and Lee Lane to celebrate in the traditional way with dancing and the singing of Auld Lang Syne.

ENTRIES for Bolton Cannine Society's New Year's Day dog show at the Silverwell Street Drill Hall, Bolton, were above those for last year. Among the 1,225 entries were 29 champions.

From the Evening News, January 2, 1994: THE government got the blame for the winter chaos today as Britain struggled back to work in the worst freeze-up for 15 years. Motorists fumed at the blocked roads, rail travellers found many services severely hit and the RAC demanded a public inquiry into the nation's resources for coping with emergency conditions.

JACK de Manio is returning to BBC radio for a series of interview on the long-running Woman's Hour programme. Mr de Manio will be presenting six fortnightly chats on the show when he re-interviews six of the personalities from his old BBC Radio series Jack de Manio Precisely.

From the Evening News, January 1, 1994: BOLTON enjoyed a peaceful start to 1994 as thousands of people took part in the traditional Victoria Square celebrations. For the fourth year running a massive security operation prevented any trouble with police reporting just a handful of arrests for minor public order offences. It was all a far cry from the scenes of mayhem which marred the celebrations in 1987.

ELEVEN stores were hit in a major fire bomb blitz in the greater Belfast area early today.

No organisation has claimed responsibility, but the IRA has been blamed.