25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, November 29, 1975

A BAPTIST church in Florida has begun a campaign to burn records by Elton John, the Rolling Stones, and other stars, because of their 'appeal to the flesh'. Records worth more than £1,000 were tossed onto a bonfire this week after church officials called the music immoral. The Rev. Charles Boykin said he had seen statistics (he couldn't remember where) which showed that 'of 1,000 girls who became pregnant out of wedlock, 984 committed fornication while rock music was being played.'

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, November 30, 1950

ON Saturday afternoon, 274 needy families in Westhoughton will receive £1 from the second annual distribution of the Annie Rothwell Charity by the trustees of Westhoughton Congregational Church. It was in April, 1949, that this bequest was announced in the will of Mrs Rothwell, who died at Bispham in 1942. The greater part of her £13,000 estate has been put in trust 'to give to the poor £1 at each Christmas time'. Future distributions will be made in ample time to give the recipients the opportunity to purchase in comfort those extras so welcome at Christmas.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, November 30, 1875

WESTHOUGHTON is the only rural township in the Bolton Union where the Education Acthas been put into force to the extent of appointing a School Board, and little use has been made of the powers obtained. An Education Census of the District has, however, been taken, and the Board now knows more precisely the work there is to be done. The figures show that the accommodation is deficient, that a large number of children in the District go to no school whatever, and that those who do attend school do so very irregularly. In the School District, there are 2,094 children under thirteen years of age, but school accommodation for only 1,163. There are on the school registers 1,242, but an average attendance of only 804. Clearly the school Board has an important work before it, and should set about doing it.

AN ingenious contrivance to evade the liquor law in Maine has been discovered at Bangor. It consists of a barrel within a barrel, furnished with a faucet, which when turned one way supplies sweet cider, and when turned in the other supplies lager beer.