From the Evening News, April 21, 1992

BOLTON MP David Young has hit out at district health authority plans to charge a fee for parking at hospitals in the borough.

And Mr Young, whose constituency includes Bolton and District General Hospital, fears a knock-on effect which could mean traffic chaos. He says that lives could be lost if routes for ambulances are blocked by drivers attempting to avoid the parking fees. Westhoughton Council have also said that fees could hit people visiting sick family or friends who may not be able to pay.

COMEDIANS Benny Hill and Frankie Howerd died at the weekend.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 21, 1977

HOUSEWIFE Irene Smith has a special reason for waving the flag during the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations. Her patriotic jubilee song - "The Union Jack" - has been accepted for publishing by the Manchester company, Wilson Editions. Mrs Smith, of Duxbury Avenue, Little Lever, said: "I would like the music to be a march for all time." The children at St Matthew's Junior School, where Mrs Smith's six-years-old daughter Karen, is a pupil, are to give the song its first airing at St Matthew's Church during a Sunday service.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 22, 1952

EIGHT joiners and their foremen, Mr. L. Whittle, stumbled out of the unfinished Great Lever three-base school at 8am today, almost falling asleep as they did so.

They had worked for 24 hours without a break, except an occasional half-hour for a meal, so that 380 children could attend lessons in their new school today. The all-night session during which the weary men finished classroom floors, fitted doors and drainers and erected hat and coat racks, was the next to the last lap of a race against time, which began when the first brick of the new school was laid on July 23rd last year. Eight electricians stayed until 9 o'clock last night so that the joiners would have light with which to work with during the night. Other employees of the chief contractor, Mr Stanley Porter, have worked today putting finishing touches to the last three classrooms.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 21, 1902

OF all the many purposes to which the camera is applied, that of providing a picture of loved ones, to be preserved after they have been removed by death, is amongst the most useful.

In this connection an interesting experience has been related by a Hull woman. She was considered so ill that her death was merely a question of time. In view of that fact, her friends persuaded her to have a photograph taken. She did so, but soon after she began to try Chas. Forde's Bile Beans, and in consequence she is today as healthy as ever in her life.

"You certainly don't look a woman who has been at death's door," said a reporter. "No", replied Mrs Tong, "perhaps I do not, but for this I have only Bile Beans to thank. I sent for a box one day just when I felt like dying. The first few doses seemed to have a wonderful effect on me, so I continued to take them. You may not believe me, but a few doses made me so well again that I went out and washed clothes in order to get more money to buy more Bile Beans. As I took the medicine my ailments vanished, and I got better and better until I am once again enjoying good health."