From the Evening News, October 29, 1992 - A SMALL Bolton congregation has raised £78,000 in just five months for their new church building.

The Bolton Pentecostal Church is currently trying to sell its Crawford Street premises to help pay towards the new Church and Christian Centre rapidly taking shape on land off Bury Road. In fact, the 170 or so adult members of the church have, with previous savings and cash gifts, so far raised a total of £210,000 towards the £425,000 final bill.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

October 28, 1977

THEY'LL be shouting "House!" for the last time at Bolton's Rialto Bingo and Social Club tonight. The St George's Road premises will close down at the end of the evening's games. But as the town loses one bingo club, it gains another.

Tomorrow night the Capitol Bingo and Social Club, formerly the ABC Cinema in Churchgate, opens after a £128,000 alteration scheme.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

October 29, 1952

A NORTH-west "miracle mathematician" - a mechanical brain developed at Manchester University - is gaining attention and orders from all over the world. In his annual report today, Sir Vincent de Ferranti, chairman of the North-west engineering firm of Ferranti, which is producing the instrument, announces that orders for a further six have been received. Another instrument - known as an electronic digital computer - has already been supplied to the University of Toronto.

One claim for the "brain" is that it can perform all arithmetical operations so fast that the average day's work of a girl on a standard desk calculating machine can be done in two seconds.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

October 28, 1902

THE workroom of Mr H. Etchells, dyer and cleaner, etc., Bradshawgate, was this morning the scene of an alarming and rather serious fire, by which considerable damage was done to the premises, and an employee - Mrs Smith (26), Sliverwell-lane - was injured. Shortly before eleven o'clock a number of workpeople were engaged in the workroom behind the shop, using benzine for cleaning articles of clothing. It is supposed that one of the garments hanging on a line fell and dropped onto the heated stove, with the result that it ignited, and the benzine vapours flashed into flame and almost enveloped the occupants of the room. Mrs Smith was burned about the face, and removed to the Infirmary on the horse ambulance. The building, being an old one and somewhat low in construction, was soon damaged by the fierce tongues of fire. The staircase was destroyed and part of the floor was burnt, as were also a quantity of goods. The occurrence created much excitement in the neighbourhood.