1903:A dreadful railway fatality occurred at Bromley Cross last night, the victim being Mr T.B. Dealey, a well-known solicitor of Bolton and Southport.

The deceased left Bolton yesterday afternoon to see Mr James Whalley, provision dealer and beerseller, 8, Hough-lane, who is disposing of his business.

After the interview he went to Bromley Cross Station intending to catch a train leaving for Bolton about just after eight o'clock.

At 9.15 the stationmaster's son and another boy were on the Bolton departure platform when they noticed something in the four-foot way about 22 yards from the south end of the platform.

They gave the alarm, and the body of Mr Dealey was found terribly mutilated between the metals. His head was practically severed from his body, only hanging by a shred of skin; one of his hands was cut off, also a foot, and in other respects he showed evidences of having been fearfully mangled. The remains were conveyed to the Railway Hotel near the station, where they now await an inquest.

1953: A CORRESPONDENT asks about Bolton churches whose stone-laying ceremony was carried out with Masonic ceremonial. There seem to be records of three - two, Holy Trinity and St Augustine's, Tonge Moor, in Bolton, and a third, the Farnworth Parish Church. St Augustine's corner-stone was laid on June 9th, 1883, by Col. Le Gendre N. Starkie, RWP, Grand Master of East Lancashire, with full Masonic honours.

It was then pointed out that 60 years had elapsed since a similar ceremony had been performed in Bolton, at Holy Trinity. It may be recalled that Holy Trinity and St John's, Farnworth, like Stand Church, Radcliffe, were built out of a sum of £2,000,000 granted by Parliament in 1822 for the provision of new churches in rapidly growing industrial areas. These churches were opened about 1827.

1978: DETERMINED raiders smashed their way through two brick walls before stealing leather coats and jackets worth more than £8,000 from a Bolton firm. The thieves carefully avoided alarms at the AMC factory and shop in Waterloo Street. Today the owner, Mr Michael Pukiello, said 253 garments, more than half of his stock, were missing.

1993:PUBLIC pressure has forced Bolton Council to give three old people's homes an 11th hour reprieve. Councillors have bowed to demands from the 89 elderly people and their relatives and embarked on a consultation period set to last months before a final decision it taken. It means that Wilfred Geere, on Highfield Road, Farnworth, being able to stay open until at least July, and Manor Court, at Hough Fold Way, Harwood, having a pardon until December at least. However, social service chiefs still want to turn Thicketford House, Thicketford Road, into a community drop-in-home.