From the Evening News, August 20, 1976

25 YEARS AGO

HOUSEWIVES and children formed a bucket brigade to stop a grass fire spreading to old folk's flats at Steele Gardens, Darcy Lever, Bolton. The women, two of them over 70, helped form a chain of firefighters who flung hundreds of buckets of water on the fire. Two firemen arrived by car because all the local tenders were busy on grass fires elsewhere. They took command of "operation self-help" and finally beat down the blaze.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

August 21, 1951

MANY Bolton people have read with interest reports of television reception from the new transmitter at Holme Moss. From all accounts first impressions are that reception in Bolton and district when the new station opens on October 12th will be excellent. Certainly the number of viewers local will increase tremendously from then on.

An average price being paid for sets at the moment is about £70, prices ranging generally between £40 and rather more than £200.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

August 21, 1876

AN extraordinary scene took place on Sunday night, at Chorley., primarily caused by an escape of gas from the main. The smell of gas had been noticed in a stone-built cottage in Leigh-street; but there being no service of gas therein nothing further was thought about it, and at night some person went with a light into the back kitchen, when a volume of gas near the slopstone got ignited, and in a short time the whole of the building was a mass of flames, and the utmost excitement prevailed.

The fire engine was soon on the spot, but the water thrown on the flames had no effect, and loud explosions like the report of firearms followed in rapid succession. At length it was discovered that the only effectual way to extinguish the fire was to cut off the gas main, and this was done, when the fire ceased. The front of the building had to be propped up, as there was a fear that it would fall in.