From the Evening News, December 2, 1976

25 YEARS AGO

BILL Grundy, interviewer of Thames TV's Today programme, has been absolved from blame for the obscenities in the show last night which upset thousands of viewers. A spokesman said this afternoon that a further apology would be made to viewers who were offended by the four-letter words used by the Sex Pistols punk rock group.

HUNDREDS of cheering, flag-waving schoolchildren gave Princess Alexandra a tremendous send-off after she visited Warburton's bakery in Bolton today. The Princess had unveiled a plaque to commemorate the bakery's centenary year. She was on her way to revisit Bolton's Guide Dog Training Centre in Lowndes Street, which she opened 15 years ago.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, December 3, 1951

SIX people were made homeless when two houses collapsed in John-st., off Deane-rd., Bolton, about 7pm yesterday. No-one was injured, but a building inspector who went into the houses - Nos. 13 and 15 - to turn off electricity after the families had been evacuated had only just returned to the street when the houses collapsed in a pile of rubble and dust.

THE Egyptian Minister of the Interior announced today in Parliament that nine Egyptian policemen had been killed and 62 injured in a clash this afternoon with British troops in the Suez Canal Zone.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, December 2, 1876

SIR,- It may be in the memory of some of your readers that the late respected member for Bolton, Mr Stephen Blair, left a rather peculiar will, by which several of his nearest relatives were excluded from a share in his property, whilst a large sum - I think about £30,000 - was left to found a hospital to be called by his name.

Can you or any of your readers tell me what happened to this bequest?

Where and when is the new hospital to be built? What has been done with the money, and who enjoys the interest on it?

I ask these questions because in the past few days I have had the pain of seeing in the lists of bankrupts the name of a nephew who was next of kin to Mr Blair, and who during his lifetime was always regarded as his heir.

I have since been informed that his own sister is in a state of absolute destitution.

If this hospital is not to be built, it may possibly be for the executrix of Mr Blair's so-called "will" to pay the money, or the interest on it, to those who have so good a claim on it. - Your obedient servant, Inquirer.