25 YEARS AGO

f=helveticaBRADFORD Ward, Bolton, can be a bad place in which to live. Slum clearance has destroyed its identity and community spirit, and has left large, depressing tracts of derelict land. The situation can be described as vague. To some extent development plans seem to depend on a new motorway link road, but construction may not start for many years, and the cleared land may languish as temporary car parks.

BEGINNING on February 7th, the Bolton Theatre Royal will present a series of musical shows which the management predicts will be the best seen in Bolton for many years. The prices for seats at the shows at 7s 6d, 6s 9d, 5s 3d, 4s 6d, and 3s. 'The Bolton public has shown that it does not want straight plays, and we cannot go on losing money,' said manager, Mr W.L. Huish. 'Unless there is a bigger demand it is doubtful whether straight theatre will ever return.'

125 YEARS AGO

A STRANGE affair occurred at Barnoldswick on Sunday. A corpse was brought for burial to Gill churchyard on Saturday, but the vicar, the Rev H.S. Ireson, refused to perform the funeral service unless fees at a higher rate than previously charged were paid, and the corpse had to be taken into the church and left there unburied. A great crowd of people assembled at the church on Sunday, and the vicar promised to bury the corpse on Monday if the fees he demanded were paid. On hearing this announcement, the people got enraged, and, in spite of the efforts of the police to protect the rev. gentleman, pursued the vicar to his home, a mile distant, pelting him with dirt all the way. On arriving at the vicarage, he presented a revolver at his pursuers, but did not fire it. The coffin remained unburied on Monday night. A strong determination is expressed in the village to make the points at issue the subject of legal proceedings.

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