50 YEARS AGO

DESPITE a strong plea by Counc. Hawksworth (Lab) to 'stop for ever this nibbling away of our Sunday', Bolton Town Council today approved by 45 votes to 22 that for an experimental period of 12 months, indoor games should be allowed in park huts on Sundays. Counc. Hawksworth said he would rather see the youth in the Sunday schools training for the art of soul culture and character building, than playing dominoes or darts in huts in the park.

125 YEARS AGO

A SAD affair has occurred which may seriously affect the relations of Spain and the United States. The Virginius, a blockade runner, was captured by a Spanish gunboat, and had on board some of the leaders of the Cuban insurrection. These the Cuban Government shot. The United States Government remonstrated, and the Spanish Colonial Military ordered the Cuban authorities not to shoot any more. Nevertheless, according to advices received in New York, the Captain of the Virginius and thirty-six of the crew were executed on the 7th, and on the 8th twelve of the volunteers captured on board the steamer shared the same fate. Great excitement has been caused there by this news, and the general belief is that the United States must intervene.

BOLTON'S ambulancemen this afternoon brought a total shutdown of the town's ambulance service in what is believed to be the first strike of its kind in Britain. All emergency ambulance services to road accidents and fires, emergency admissions to hospitals and the transport of out-patients were expected to be hit. As the ambulancemen started their strike at 3pm, Health Service officials were trying to get voluntary organisations to operate an emergency service. The strike is over a £2 a week wage increase which the men accepted 10 days ago. But the ambulancemen claim that since then they have not heard whether or not they are going to get the increase. Mr Malcolm Higson, chairman of Bolton Federation of Ambulance Personnel, said the strike was the 'last stand' to get better wages. He said the ambulancemen in Bolton were getting a flat rate of £23.39 a week, with no bonus and only extra payments for weekends.

50 YEARS AGO

DESPITE a strong plea by Counc. Hawksworth (Lab) to 'stop for ever this nibbling away of our Sunday', Bolton Town Council today approved by 45 votes to 22 that for an experimental period of 12 months, indoor games should be allowed in park huts on Sundays. Counc. Hawksworth said he would rather see the youth in the Sunday schools training for the art of soul culture and character building, than playing dominoes or darts in huts in the park.

125 YEARS AGO

A SAD affair has occurred which may seriously affect the relations of Spain and the United States. The Virginius, a blockade runner, was captured by a Spanish gunboat, and had on board some of the leaders of the Cuban insurrection. These the Cuban Government shot. The United States Government remonstrated, and the Spanish Colonial Military ordered the Cuban authorities not to shoot any more. Nevertheless, according to advices received in New York, the Captain of the Virginius and thirty-six of the crew were executed on the 7th, and on the 8th twelve of the volunteers captured on board the steamer shared the same fate. Great excitement has been caused there by this news, and the general belief is that the United States must intervene.

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