From the Evening News, April 10, 1992

JUBILANT John Major today led the Tories to a sensational record-breaking fourth General Election victory.

He returned to 10 Downing Street and declared simply: "It's nice to be back." The Prime Minister confounded pollsters who predicted a hung Parliament by sweeping to a totally unpredicted win for the Conservatives. Bolton and the marginal seats in Bury failed to live up to the pundits' promises of a Labour landslide.

Tom Sackville was returned in Bolton West with a majority of 1,079, Peter Thurnham in Bolton North East with a majority of 185, and in Bolton South East, Labour's David Young held on to Bolton South East by increasing his majority to 12,691.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 9, 1977

A TRADE union leader today called on teachers to change a society in which, he says, violence is a cult, and people are "killing for the sake of killing." Mr Bernard Farrell, president of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers said: "Most parents, I am sure, are well aware of the present-day decline in values, and would eagerly support the teachers of their children in raising not only standards of learning, but also standards of discipline and behaviour."

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 10, 1952

SIR,- As a youth club leader, I have been noticing lately the tendency for boys of 11 and 12 to change into long trousers (often even younger).

I cannot understand the mentality of any mother who allows her son to walk about looking like street-corner loafers. You'll see the type of boy I mean, strutting round town, cigarette stuck in one corner of the mouth, hands in pocket.

A short time ago there was an accident at the club, and one boy hurt his leg (the boy was in long trousers). He pulled up his trouser leg to let me see the injury. I was disgusted at the dirty condition of his leg.

He told me that he hadn't washed his legs for three weeks - "I don't have to, no one can see them," he said. That boy was 11 years old.

Other reasons for wearing long trousers are a) to get into the cinema to see an "A" picture, b) to smoke in the street, and c) to look like American kids and look tough.

From the point of view of hygiene alone, shorts are the correct dress for boys up to 13 at least, and they allow more freedom of movement. Yours, British Blue.

100 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, April 9, 1902

THE attention of the Borough Coroner (Mr Rowland Taylor) and a jury was directed at the Town Hall this morning to the circumstances surrounding the death of James Holding (15), a plaiter down, residing with his parents at 2, Pool Terrace, which took place on Monday as the result of being scalded on March 25th through falling into a kier at the Temple Bleachworks, belonging to Messrs Ainsworth and Company.

Walter Duxbury, 15, Keighley-st., Halliwell, machine minder, said he saw deceased sitting on a window sill which was about four feet above the kier containing boiling water. There was a pipe running midway between the kier and the window-still, and when witness again saw deceased he was in the act of coming down with his back towards the window.

He put his foot onto the pipe, and then onto the kier, but as he brought down his other foot he slipped and fell into the water. One hand caught the rim of the kier, and by that means deceased saved himself from going in altogether, but his legs were scalded. Witness promptly pulled deceased out, and he walked to the chemical cistern, where Mr Cooper held him in. He was then removed to the Infirmary. Witness had heard Mr Mullineaux, the temporary foreman, tell the employees not to sit on the sill. The Coroner remarked that there was no doubt that the accident was due to the lad's pure folly and senselessness. A verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned.