25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 4, 1972

BRITAIN'S miners today launched a massive new demand for pay rises of up to £7 a week with cost-of-living increases on top. The package, which comes only five months after the pitmen won rises of £6 after a seven-week strike, is backed by another threat of industrial action.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 4, 1947

ONCE a year the Bolton office of the Ministry of Labour tackles its biggest task, that of the exchange of some 70,000 unemployment insurance books. It involves the engaging of special premises - the Walker Memorial School at the rear of the Victoria Hall - and the detailing of special staff which works at high pressure for several months. The extent of the work may be gauged from the fact that 525 local firms, each employing 25 or more people, cover 61,000 workers, and the remaining 9,000 books are issued to people who apply personally to exchange their books.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, July 4, 1872

ADVICES received in Liverpool on Wednesday by the West African mail steamer Biafra, give further particulars of the disasters caused by the terrific gale which swept along the West African coast on the 24th of May. The number of vessels disabled and totally wrecked was five, and amongst the latter was the barque Bentinck, which was driven ashore and became a total wreck, the crew having a very narrow escape. Finding that the vessel was going to pieces, the captain got out the boats, into which he, together with 12 of the crew, got, and succeeded in reaching the beach. The moment the crew landed, they were stripped by the natives. The unfortunate crew, after wandering along the coast for some time, reached Whydah in a most exhausted state, having been for some days without food or nourishment of any kind, besides being exposed to the inclemencies of the 'rainy season' - they were hardly able to walk.

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