25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 23, 1971

A FIERCE blaze gutted a derelict Bolton town centre church last night. Only the shell of St John's Church in Folds Road survived the fire. The last service at the church was held in May, 1970. Before that, the building had been in continuous use for 121 years.

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 24, 1946

ALTHOUGH the YMCA Hostel for Forces has closed down, some West Indians, for long the most regular users of the Hostel, still select Bolton for their leave and consequently still make the Deansgate building their club. With them it remains a matter for sorrow that they cannot sleep there as well, but they get over this by sleeping in Manchester and travelling to Bolton to spend the day here. A whisper has it that shortly there will be a happy little ceremony at which a representative of the Jamaican RAF community will hand over to the local officials of the YMCA an illuminated address expressing their appreciation of the treatment accorded to them, especially by the YMCA and Hostel staffs.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 23, 1871

JOHN Knowland, a labourer, of Bradshaw, died on Thursday from injuries received on the 11th inst. at the Wayoh Waterworks. A quantity of earth, weighing about a ton, fell upon deceased and completely buried him, with the exception of his head. He was released in five minutes, and has been attended by Mr Horrocks, surgeon, of Edgworth. Deceased had no bones broken, but had received such internal injuries that death resulted. He was a single man, 42 years of age.

JOHN Adlington, a journeyman printer, formerly of Leigh, was apprehended a few days ago and brought to Leigh on a charge of absconding from his family, whereby they became chargeable to the Leigh Union. The offence was committed some years ago, and the prisoner has managed to elude the police until now. He was taken before Mr Kirkpatrick, and committed to prison for two months.

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