25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

March 6, 1974

A PLAN to build 435 homes at Birtenshaw Farm, Turton Road, Bromley Cross, has been turned down by Turton Planning and Parks Committee. It said the scheme, for detached and semi-detached houses on 35 acres of open land, was not within a development area, and the housing plan 'would conflict with the general open character of this area and would encourage the spread of residential development.' It is the second time the plan has been rejected.

From the Evening News,

March 5, 1949

IT is surprising to find that many people are afraid to use a telephone. These fears are not confined to old people who still refer in awe to that 'new fangled idea', for even young men and women have been heard to ask: 'Will you ring up so-and-so for me. I don't like to use the phone'.

On the other hand, the telephone seems to hold no fears for the modern child. The other day a colleague had to ring up a prominent man in the town, and it was obviously a young child who answered "This is Bolton ----, who is that please?'. We learned later that the little girl is only two but delights in answering the telephone.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News,

March 6, 1874

AT the Liverpool County Court, on Wednesday, a case was heard which created much merriment, in which Mr Charles W. Elam, veterinary surgeon, brought an action against Mr William Redfern, plumber and painter, to recover £13 damages 'for loss sustained and expenses incurred in consequence of the defendant's negligence and improper conduct in causing large quantities of soot and smoke to be forced in certain rooms' in his house. As a result, a very valuable parquet, was killed, for which £10 was claimed. The magistrate decided that the defendant was not responsible for this occurrence, and a verdict was given for the defendant with costs.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.