From the Evening News, January 19, 1993

POLICE were this afternoon treating as arson a rooftop blaze which swept through three Westhoughton shops. The fire started in Shaun Howarth Quality Butcher's in Market Street early today. Flames quickly spread to an electrical goods shop and children's clothes shop on either side, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. Luckily, the downstairs areas of each premises escaped relatively unscathed, although severe damage was caused to the roofs.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, January 19, 1978

BRITAIN'S inflation took another tumble in December to the lowest point for four years. The annual rise in the cost of living was just 12 per cent -- a fall of nearly one per cent -- compared to November.

A NEW computer dating firm is aiming to provide something for everyone with a service for heterosexual, homosexual, lesbian and bi-sexual clients. Database, the first computer dating service in the North-west, is being launched today in the premises of a sewing thread mill on the canalside at Water Lane, Radcliffe.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, January 19, 1953

UNDETERRED by the fog, seven members of the Civic Affairs Committee of the Bolton Junior Chamber of Commerce set off yesterday morning from Church Wharf to walk along the site of the old canal to see whether the route is suitable for the building of a by-pass road. Its members believe that an arterial motor-road along the old canal route, leaving Manchester-rd. at Moses Gate and linking up with the proposed new road from Bury New-rd. to Kay-st. would do a great deal to relieve congestion in the town centre caused by through traffic.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, January 20, 1903

THE sudden break-up of the severe weather caused a painful fatality at Rumworth on Saturday. A boy named Cecil Rostron, 14, of 473, Leigh-rd., Daisy Hill, Westhoughton, son of Mr J, Rostron, schoolmaster, was with a companion named William Parkinson, of Gipsy Nook, Lostock Junction, sliding on Rumworth Lodge, near Lostock Junction end. When opposite the Boat House, Parkinson stopped sliding, remarking to his companion that he thought it was unsafe. Rostron said it was all right. After sliding a few yards further, Rostron fell through the ice into deep water. Parkinson gave an alarm, and Rostron clutched at the edges of the ice for a few minutes, but then sank only a few yards from the side.

A Corporation waterman, named Bert Hesketh, of Markland Hill, obtained grappling irons, and the body of Rostron was recovered, but life was quite extinct. Dr Tyndall was summoned, and artificial respiration was attempted, but unavailingly. The medical opinion is that death resulted from the shock of the immersion.

The body was conveyed to the Junction Hotel, Lostock, to await an inquest.