From the Evening News, May 1, 1992

THE cost of vandal damage in St Peter's graveyard at Halliwell has been put at more than £50,000. Over the weekend a gang of wreckers left a trail of destruction when 46 gravestones - many of them ornate and irreplaceable - were pushed over and some of the most intimate details smashed beyond repair.

A STORM has blown up over plans to transfer teenagers from Bolton's most controversial children's home to a former old folk's home. Residents are furious that children in care will be living next to their homes on Kearsley Drive, Great Lever. The row is over a decision to close the remote Burnthwaite home at Old Hall Lane, Lostock, which was at the centre of sex and crime scandals in the 1980s, and move the children to the former Woodlands old people's home on Manchester Road.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, May 2, 1977

MORE than 70 local applications have already been made for street parties during the Queen's Jubilee week in June.

A LABOUR MP has asked the chairman of the BBC to ban broadcasting of the David Frost interview with former U.S. President Richard Nixon because of the "unique disgrace" Mr Nixon brought on his country.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, May 2, 1952

TWENTY-two new streets have been named and developed in Bolton since 1947 - 20 on Corporation housing estates, and two by private development. All but four of these have been named since 1949. Among these, there is only one street - Bannister-st., off Roscoe-ave. The rest are roads, places, gardens, avenues, groves, or ways. Why is this?

As far as we can judge, the reason seems to be that streets have become more old-fashioned during recent years. In fact, Bannister-st. was given the name only because it was called that in some old deeds years before it was properly developed.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, May 2, 1902

THE new Co-operative reading-room in Charles-st., the gift of our generous townsman Mr J.P. Thomasson, has been opened for public use. The new building , which is situated in a thickly-populated district, has been erected from the designs of Messrs Bradshaw and Gass. On the ground floor is a reading room for men, with smoke and games rooms adjoining, and a separate staircase leads to the women's reading room on the first floor. Adjoining the latter is the caretaker's residence, from the kitchen of which refreshments and tea and coffee will be served to both the men's and women's rooms.

At the back and with separate entrance, two slipper baths are provided, and will be available for public use for a small payment. The buildings are well furnished and well adapted, externally local red bricks, with terra cotta and stone having been used.