From the Evening News, September 13, 1976

25 YEARS AGO

BOLTON'S drought crisis got little relief at the weekend as only .79 inches of rain fell on the town. With clearing skies diminishing the chance of substantial rain during the next week, the North West Water Authority has warned that rationing in Bolton and other parts of Manchester was still a real possibility.

THE world's largest black pudding, specially cooked to promote tourism in the North-west, has ended up in an Edinburgh dustbin. The 6ft. long pudding, prepared by a Bury Market stallholder, was the centrepiece of the North West Tourist Board's stand at a conference in Edinburgh this week. First it sprung a leak because of heavy handling and had to be bandaged. Then a tourist official from Holland who won it in a competition refused it because he did not want to take it through Dutch customs. So it was decided to get rid of it by putting it in a dustbin.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 13, 1951

RANDOLPH Turpin, of Britain, was shorn of his world middleweight title after only two months by Sugar Ray Robinson, of the United States, in New York last night. It was from Robinson that Turpin had won the crown at Earl's Court in July.

SIR,- May I comment on the proposal to bring Maltese girls into our mills? Surely we have had enough of these people invading our town, eating our rations, getting the best jobs, and buying their own houses with Government grants.

What with this invasion and the loss of Somerford Hall, I don't know what Bolton is coming to. And another point. The Council spends money on making the town centre like a park, while just a stone's throw away there are rows and rows of slums. Could not the money be put to better use, such as the buying of land on which to build houses? The way things are going, we shall have flood-lighting in Cheadle Square next. Yours, Worried Boltonian.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 13, 1876

AT the County Sessions on Thursday, John Ellison was charged with trespassing in search of game at Lostock, on the 2nd inst. Alfred Whitehead, watcher, in the service of R.H. Ainsworth, Esq., of Smithills Hall, Halliwell, said that on the day in question he saw the defendant at a farm occupied by Mr Thomas Howarth, farmer, in Lostock. He was in company with two other men. Ellison ran three dogs into a turnip field, and ranged about the field for game.

He then went to some rabbit burrows in Chorley New-road.

Peter Lawson, gamekeeper to Mr Ainsworth, said that his employer had the right to shoot the game on the grounds occupied by Mr Howarth. On account of information given to him by two lads, he proceeded to the Chorley New-road end of the turnip field referred to, and saw defendant endeavouring to catch game. On seeing witness, defendant and his companions endeavoured to escape, but witness succeeded in apprehending defendant, who had in his possession a live rabbit, a ferret, and eight nets. Defendant, who had been previously convicted for a similar offence, was fined 30s and costs, in default one month's imprisonment with hard labour.