25 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 18, 1971

BOLTON television engineer, Eric Knowles, who spent two months awaiting trial in an Instanbul gaol, is back home again. And today he described how he escaped from Turkey with a forged passport that he bought for £60.

Twenty-four-years-old Mr Knowles, of Lynton Road, Bolton, flew out of Turkey just four weeks before he was due to face a court hearing. He was accused of forging passport details, contravening exchange control regulations, and smuggling a car into Turkey. If found guilty, he could have been gaoled for anything up to 10 years. He said: "I bought a forged passport for £60 and just prayed I'd get out of the country without being spotted. I flew from Izmir to Greece. The British Embassy in Athens gave me an emergency passport, and after that I had no trouble."

50 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 18, 1946

SIR,- The battle for Sunday cinemas is still going on, and in all cases the vote seems in favour of the cinemas. Why not Bolton? Police reports state that where there are Sunday cinemas there is more order and better personal behaviour. No-one is compelled to attend these shows; it is just a matter of preference, and no-one accuses cinemas of leading to drunkenness, quarrelling or misbehaviour in any form.

The cathedral city of Canterbury, with a vote of five to one, has decided for Sunday cinemas. Now then, Bolton, what about it? Ask your ward councillor to get a move on before winter comes. - Yours etc., F. Maughan, Faraday-st., Bolton.

125 YEARS AGO

From the Evening News, September 18, 1871

THE first report of the committee formed about three years ago in the South-west Lancashire colliery district for the purpose of administering relief to the sufferers by colliery accidents, gives some details as to the loss of life through the nine great explosions which have occurred since November, 1868.

Place, Hindley Green, Nov. 26, 1868, 62 deaths; Norley, Dec. 21, 1868, 7 deaths; Haydock, Dec. 30, 1868, 26 deaths; Haydock second explosion, July 21, 1869, 59 deaths; Rainford, Jan. 8 & 10, 1869, 9 deaths; Park Lane, April 1, 1869, 31 deaths; Low Hall, Nov. 15, 1869, 25 deaths; Brynn Hall, Aug. 19, 1870, 20 deaths; Moss Pits, Feb. 4, 1871, 70 deaths.

The number of widows left are 149, and surviving children of those killed 349.

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