25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, October 25, 1975

BOLTON gentlemen still prefer blondes, a snap survey in the town centre has revealed. And they delivered a wigging to a leading London hairdresser whose survey found that single men get hot under the collar about redheads.

The London survey showed that 62 per cent of bachelors went for the redheads, while only 28 per cent voted for blondes. But the Bolton survey showed that over half of local men preferred blondes, and just two per cent raved over redheads.

50 YEARS AGO

WITH solemn ceremonial, Members of the House of Commons met for the first time in their new Chamber today. Then when prayers had been offered and the Speaker had welcomed the Speakers and Presiding Officers of 29 Commonwealth countries seated in the galleries, they walked in procession to ancient Westminster Hall. There, the opening ceremony by the King took place.

HOW some once-familiar names fade away into limbo was illustrated today in Bradshawgate as a man who has recently moved into Bolton was walking along with his daughter. As they were strolling past the offices of Bolton Corporation Transport undertaking, but on the opposite side of the road, the girl, who is keen on spelling, looked up at the wording above the office windows and said: 'Dad, what does T-R-A-M mean?' Father had quite a time in describing that particular vehicle.

125 YEARS AGO

A DISASTROUS railway collision occurred on Thursday night at Roe Green Junction, near Worsley. A luggage train left Worsley for Bolton, and stopped at Mr Gibson's siding, near Little Hulton Station, on the London and North-Western Railway, to dispose of some wagons. One portion of the wagons was accidentally disjoined, and ran towards Roe Green Junction, acquiring speed as it proceeded down the gradient. The 8.30 passenger train from Manchester to Bolton was standing at Roe Green Junction, waiting for the signal 'line clear', and the driver of the passenger train (Wilcock) seeing the 'run away' train approaching, reversed the motion of the engine towards Worsley, but was not able to escape collision.

The shock of the collision was felt severely throughout the whole length of the passenger train, but fortunately there were only a few passengers and they nearly all escaped. No injury to speak of was sustained by the passenger train, but the wagons which came into contact with it suffered considerable damage. Nearly all the wagons, about 15 in number, were thrown off the line, and several were almost demolished. It took some hours to get the line clear. The daughter of the postmaster at Little Hulton, Miss Chapman, received such injuries as to necessitate her immediate removal home in a cab, a medical gentleman being called in to attend to her, and Mr Adam Walkden, furniture remover, Newport-street, Bolton, had his leg bruised.