25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

October 25, 1976

CREDIT for the lack of racial tension in Bolton should go to the people of the town, the leader of the Hindu cultural organisation said at the weekend.

Mr Prithipal Singh, local branch chairman of the cultural organisation, was speaking at the formal opening of Bolton's new Hindu Community Centre in Chorley Old Road.

He said that Bolton had avoided the racial tension which had built up in surrounding towns because of the attitude of Boltonians themselves.

THE old police station at Bromley Cross, Bolton, derelict since it ceased to be used as a probation office, is to become a home for nuns.

Four members of the Salasian Order will move into the building when alterations are complete.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

October 25, 1951

THREE Lords Justices, in the Court of Appeal today, discussed nagging by wives, and disagreed over the judge's decision to grant a divorce decree to a husband whose chief complaint was that his wife's nagging was cruelty. Lord Justices Denning and Hodson thought the judge was wrong, but Lord Somervell agreed with him. The wife's appeal against the decree was accordingly allowed.

Lord Justice Denning said: "Nagging often does not contain any element of malevolence but only of jealousy, an emotion which is natural and excusable when there is any cause for it.

"If a husband behaves badly he cannot expect his wife to remain silent. The remedy is for him to mend his ways. If he pays marked attention to other women, he must expect his wife to be jealous. The more loving the wife is, the more jealous she will be. These reproaches are not cruelty unless they are carried out so unreasonably and so long as to be wholly out of proportion to the occasion."

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

October 25, 1876

A CONCERT party under the auspices of Mr Pyatt appeared last week in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester. Mr Reeves was in splendid voice, and he had gratified his admirers by singing "Tom Bowling", in addition to the songs on the programme; but the concert terminated in what can only be called a disgraceful riot.

Every corner of the hall was thronged, and the reception of the great singer was most enthusiastic. A new song "Only a face at the window" was his first song; this passed without any determined effort to re-call. After "My Pretty Jane", the excitement was very great, and in response to almost frantic re-calls, Mr Reeves returned and sang in his best and most brilliant manner, the always welcome "Tom Bowling". But after Mr Reeves had given "The Bay of Biscay", a song which everyone knows demands unusual energy, and tries the strength of the most robust singer, it was to be expected that the audience would have been content with the only recognition of their boisterous applause which could reasonably be offered. Unhappily, a noisy and ill-behaved section assumed a right to command; and, dissatisfied because Mr Reeves preferred to be prudent and declined to be coerced into repeating his song, they forgot the first elements of courtesy and politeness.

Madame Cave-Ashton, Madame Osborne-Williams, Mr Nicholson, and even Signor Foli, were refused a hearing, and for nearly a quarter of an hour such disturbance as was never heard in a Manchester concert room was continued. At length Mr Pyatt, the manager of the concert, came to the front of the orchestra, and announced that "in consequence of the disgraceful behaviour of the audience, the concert was at an end".