From the Evening News, April 28, 1992

A BOLTON primary school has won its battle to go-it alone. Mrs Anne Hickson, Chairman of the governing body at Crompton Fold County Primary School, Breightmet, was told yesterday that the Government had approved its bid to become grant maintained.

From September 1, the school will no longer be under the control of the local education authority, but will be directly answerable to the Department of Education and Science, and will be in charge of its own finances.

The first local school to opt out of local control was St James' Secondary School, Farnworth, in 1989.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 28, 1977

BRITONS are unambitious, a national survey says, and Bolton's town centre shoppers agree. Very few, says the survey, sincerely want to be rich. Most do not want or expect a great deal more money - and even if they could get it, the vast majority do not seem prepared to work for it. When the Evening News asked shoppers what they thought, the general opinion was in agreement, but it also became plain that the young are now turning to foreign countries for any future fortune.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 29, 1952

AN appeal to the directors of Bolton Wanderers FC, police representatives and members of Bolton Transport Committee to get together this summer to devise a better scheme for taking people to Burnden Park next season was made by Ald. Booth at today's meeting of Bolton Town Council.

To illustrate his argument that arrangements this season had not been flexible and that people had found it quicker to walk to Bolton's football ground than to travel by bus, Ald Booth said that on the last Saturday in March receipts from 28 additional bus journeys from the King's Hall to Burnden were only £8 11s 9d, which worked out at just 6s a bus. Receipts from 27 additional journeys from Moor-lane to Burnden were £10 12s 3d and - "this is the best yet" - receipts from the 24 additional journeys from the football ground back to town after the match amounted to £6 14s 3d.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 29, 1902

THE Licensing Bill at last came before the Grand Committee of the house of Commons on Trade yesterday, and Mr Ritchie's plan for black-listing habitual drunkards came in for a bad time.

Mr Boscowen, evidently from hostile motives, moved that clubs, as well as publicans, should be forbidden to supply intoxicants to these people.

Like the original proposal, that is, in the abstract, a very plausible move, but the difficulty comes in on the question of how it is to be carried out. Mr Ritchie emphasised the difficulty, but the amendment was carried against him, as was another including off-licence holders in the provisions of the clause.

We imagine it will be useful, if the amendments are maintained, to have it laid down that such action on the part of an liquor dealers is illegal, because though the police may not be able to enforce it, it should give an added weapon to private citizens in their fight against ill-conducted houses of whatever description. But it must, of course, be made plain that off-licence holders, who are clearly unaware of the purpose for which they are asked for the liquor ultimately consumed by a black sheep shall be exempt from penalties.