From the Evening News, July 24, 1992 - HARD-UP council chiefs have turned down another plea for help from an historic Bolton church.

Deane Parish Church - which dates back to 1452 - is facing a repair bill of £136,000. The church itself is having to raise £72,000 of this, so they asked the council's civic affairs committee for grant aid. But council chiefs, who are faced with making cuts of around £10 million next year, have said they cannot help out. Earlier this year, they gave Bolton Parish Church a grant of £5000 towards its repairs - even though the church asked for £50,000.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

July 23, 1977

LABOUR Party members in Bolton are calling on the Government to take direct control of building societies. They want fewer High Street branches of building societies, and want the offices used instead as housing advice centres. These views are set down in a resolution submitted by Bolton East constituency for debate at Labour's annual conference at Blackpool this autumn.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

July 24, 1952

This year is the centenary of Bolton's first telegram. Ald H.M. Richardson, in his book "Forty Years in Bolton", tells that the local papers announced that the Electric Telegraph Office would be open for the first time one Saturday morning, for the dispatch of messages.

Richardson, who was a solicitor, had been handling arbitration proceedings concerning the property at the Deansgate-Bridge-st. corner, later occupied by Constantine Bros.

The award was ready to be delivered on payment of £76 costs, and the first Bolton telegram read: "Please take up the award and wire on the contents; cheque for arbitrator's costs posted to you by tonight's post."

That first telegram brought to a conclusion notable litigation between the two trader-neighbours who occupied the premises in 1852 - Jonathon Hebden, draper and silk merchant, and James Morris, chemist.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

July 24, 1902

A CASE of attempted suicide was investigated by the county magistrates, Messrs J.P. Haslam and Harold Lee, this morning, in which a middle-aged man named Ambrose Perkins, Horwich, was charged with attempting to commit suicide at Aspull on the 21st. inst. by throwing himself into the canal. - William Williams, an iron-worker, residing at 59, Leach-st., Aspull, stated that he was standing on the Spring Bridge when prisoner came up and said: "Here goes for it". Prisoner then scrambled onto the wall and jumped down, alighting on the grass. He then jumped up, and threw himself into the canal. - Joseph Abbott said he was fishing in the canal when he heard a splash, and saw prisoner in the water. He asked witness to pull him out, and he did so with his fishing rod. - P.C. Pye said that prisoner, when taken into custody, said: "I wish I was dead; let me go; I will do it again. My two sisters-in-law have driven me to this. I am in debt and my wife is dead. I will do it again as soon as I get the chance." When charged with attempting to commit suicide, prisoner did not reply, but yesterday he stated that if he could get back to Horwich he would do something worse. Prisoner said his wife's family had driven him to the act. He was committed to the next Quarter Sessions.