From the Evening News, September 14, 1976

25 YEARS AGO

RETIRED Bolton schoolmaster John Blakey chalked up his 100th ascent of Scafell Pike to fulfil the dream of a lifetime. Mr Blakey, who retired 12 months ago as a principal maths teacher at Bolton School, made his first climb of the 3,206 feet-high pike in Ambleside in 1934 at the age of 24. His wife Edna has climbed with him 21 times.

THE Queen has joined the storm of protest against plans to make a sex film based on the life of Jesus. In reply to an 18-years-old theology student who wrote to the Queen as Defender of the Faith, Buckingham Palace said Her Majesty found the proposal "every bit as obnoxious as most of her subjects do."

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 14, 1951

"I UNDERSTAND that 500 acres of farm land have already been requisitioned for opencast mining with view of this farm. Think for yourselves what that means to you," said Mr W.I. Towers, vice-chairman of the Lancashire branch of the National Farmers' Union to nearly 50 Bolton leaders of industry, commerce, labour and local government at Mr Ralph Wood's Top-o'th'-Cow farm, Over Hulton, yesterday.

To show what that statement meant in terms of food, Mr Towers said one acre of land could produce 200 gallons of milk a year - enough for tan average family of six - and 40lb of cow beef and veal, half the meat a person ate a year before the war.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 14, 1876

A LARGE number of Irishmen assembled in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on Sunday afternoon, when Mr O'Connor Power, MP, was announced to deliver a lecture on "Irish wit and humour". Before the lecture commenced, however, a Mr Flesh, who was on the platform, asked to put a question to Mr Power. This led to much confusion.

At last the questioner asked if Mr Power held the views of Tone and Emmett with reference to Home Rule for Ireland. Mr Power said that he was not there to lecture on Home Rule.

Great disorder followed, a free fight taking place between the opposing factions.

Nationalists and Home Rulers made a rush to the platform, and in the midst of a general fight the leader of the Nationalist faction was expelled after being tossed about from hand to hand.

The Chairman, Mr Biggar, MP, seeing there was no hope of proceeding further with the meeting, entreated the mob to leave the room quietly, but the excitement only still further increased. Chairs were tossed about in all directions and broken into fragments, the legs being afterwards used as more convenient weapons of assault.

The fighting went on for some ten or fifteen minutes, when the excitement began to subside, and the roughs escaped into the street.

25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 14, 1976

RETIRED Bolton schoolmaster John Blakey chalked up his 100th ascent of Scafell Pike to fulfil the dream of a lifetime. Mr Blakey, who retired 12 months ago as a principal maths teacher at Bolton School, made his first climb of the 3,206 feet-high pike in Ambleside in 1934 at the age of 24. His wife Edna has climbed with him 21 times.

THE Queen has joined the storm of protest against plans to make a sex film based on the life of Jesus. In reply to an 18-years-old theology student who wrote to the Queen as Defender of the Faith, Buckingham Palace said Her Majesty found the proposal "every bit as obnoxious as most of her subjects do."

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 14, 1951

" I UNDERSTAND that 500 acres of farm land have already been requisitioned for opencast mining with view of this farm. Think for yourselves what that means to you," said Mr W.I. Towers, vice-chairman of the Lancashire branch of the National Farmers' Union to nearly 50 Bolton leaders of industry, commerce, labour and local government at Mr Ralph Wood's Top-o'th'-Cow farm, Over Hulton, yesterday.

To show what that statement meant in terms of food, Mr Towers said one acre of land could produce 200 gallons of milk a year - enough for tan average family of six - and 40lb of cow beef and veal, half the meat a person ate a year before the war.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 14, 1876

A LARGE number of Irishmen assembled in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on Sunday afternoon, when Mr O'Connor Power, MP, was announced to deliver a lecture on "Irish wit and humour". Before the lecture commenced, however, a Mr Flesh, who was on the platform, asked to put a question to Mr Power. This led to much confusion. At last the questioner asked if Mr Power held the views of Tone and Emmett with reference to Home Rule for Ireland. Mr Power said that he was not there to lecture on Home Rule.

Great disorder followed, a free fight taking place between the opposing factions. Nationalists and Home Rulers made a rush to the platform, and in the midst of a general fight the leader of the Nationalist faction was expelled after being tossed about from hand to hand.

The Chairman, Mr Biggar, MP, seeing there was no hope of proceeding further with the meeting, entreated the mob to leave the room quietly, but the excitement only still further increased. Chairs were tossed about in all directions and broken into fragments, the legs being afterwards used as more convenient weapons of assault.

The fighting went on for some ten or fifteen minutes, when the excitement began to subside, and the roughs escaped into the street.