From the Evening News, January 4, 1977

25 YEARS AGO

WHEN they're walking in the rain, he carries the umbrella and stays dry . . . while she gets soaked. Most of his time is spent in the pub with his mates, but once a week he lapses and takes his long-suffering girlfriend out for a drink.

That's 25-years-old Frank McGilligan, of Longfield Road, Daubhill - Bolton's biggest chauvinist pig. Frank's title is official.

He has just been named as one of the winners of a special Male Chauvinist Pig competition in a national newspaper.

He said: "As far as I am concerned men should do the drinking and women should look after the house."

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

January 4, 1952

IT was practically five o'clock, too late for the page of the Evening News' last edition, when Mr Bill Ridding telephoned to Mealhouse-lane from Huddersfield with the news we had been waiting for throughout the afternoon.

The "story" was already typed. All that was needed to speed it to the presses was the word from Huddersfield, and as so often happens on such occasions the word was delayed until it was too late for the evening newspapers to announce in full.

"He's signed", was Bill Ridding's terse message.

"When?" we asked.

"Now, this minute, two at the outside," he replied. Well, that was quick enough, not much time in letting us know, as promised.

Staff at Burnden Park did not know until we told them that Harold Hassall had signed for the Wanderers.

Let us not underestimate the importance of this transfer. In Hassall, the Wanderers have acquired a young player hailed only a season ago as the No. 1 international discovery of the post-war period.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

January 4, 1877

THE gunboat Goshawk, which sailed for Gibraltar about a month ago, in obedience to an order purporting to come from the Admiralty, has returned to Queenstown having been intercepted at Vigo and recalled. It has since transpired that the telegraphic message by which she was sent to see by the admiral at Cork was fictitious. The Goshawk was stationed at Blackrock at the beginning of December to watch the water and salmon fisheries in that district.

On the receipt of the message, which was framed in the regular official style, the Goshawk was got ready for sea with the utmost despatch, and was at sea in less than twenty four hours. After her departure, the admiral received a second message, asking if she had left.

This led to communication with the authorities, and to the discovery that both messages were fictitious. Steps were taken without delay to recall the gunboat, which fortunately put in at Vigo, one of the ports where the order of the recall was waiting.

Steps are being taken to discover the authors of the hoax. Orders have been given that for the futures, Admiralty messages shall be transmitted for verification.