From the Evening News, August 27, 1976

25 YEARS AGO

IT looks as though Stuart Hall, of "Look North" and "It's a Knockout" fame, is nearly everyone's favourite for "Sunniest Character on Telly" title following a poll by the BEN. One reader writes of him: "I love him . . . I've never come across another personality so like my late husband with his jokes, facial expressions and hearty laugh."

But you have lots of other "sunny" nominees - among them Shirley Bassey, Alan Whicker, Jimmy Savile, "all the stars of Coronation Street, and even the tea advert monkeys!

MOVES to bring "on the spot" fines for litter louts are to be pursued by Bolton Council, following the Evening News' "Don't Drop Litter" campaign.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, August 28, 1951

ABOUT 20 years ago, two Bolton naturalists, Messrs T. Greenlees and T.K. Holden, conducted a careful census of plant life in Bolton, and published their findings under the title "The Flora of Bolton".

Nearly 2,000 examples (500 species, 390 genera and 85 natural orders) are recorded as being found in Bolton and district and while the countrified part of this area has the majority, not a few come from Middlebrook, Bradford Park tip, Burnden canal bank, Hacken, Raikes Clough, and quite industrialized parts.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, August 28, 1876

YESTERDAY morning an accident happened at the Ashton Field Colliery, Farnworth, whereby one man was killed and a youth seriously injured. From enquiries we learn that William Welsby, aged 28 years, Old Pool, Little Hulton, went to his work at six o'clock yesterday morning in the Trencherbone Mine of the above colliery, along with his drawer, James Johnson, aged 16 years, who also lived with him.

In about an hour after commencing work the two, who worked along were surprised by a large quantity of dirt falling from the roof. Welsby was completely buried by the debris, but the youth was not, though he was fastened, and it was by cries from him, heard by Peter Shaw, that the accident was discovered.

Shaw gave an alarm to Abraham Isherwood, Joseph Heathcote and Richard Watt, colliers working in the immediate neighbourhood of the fall, and they at once set about removing the fallen dirt. Johnson was released from his perilous position and conveyed to the Infirmary, and Welsby was found dead and conveyed to his house.