10 YEARS AGO From the Evening News April 18, 1995: HUNDREDS of screaming fans packed into Bolton Market Place yesterday to see Aussie TV heart-throb Dan Falzon.

But many of the youngsters clamouring for autographs were disappointed when plans to meet fans and sign pictures were scrapped for safety reasons.

Dan, who plays barman Rick in the hit show Neighbours, was in town to draw the winning ticket in the Market Place Win a Car Competition - held by Roy and Hilda Wroot of Hough Fold Way, Harwood.

THE race for the Premiership is wide open again, and, with just four games to play, the battling Burnden boys are back in second place.

Wanderers know that if they win their final four games they will secure the championship and the automatic promotion place.

25 YEARS AGO From the Evening News April 18, 1980

THE problem of the overcrowded Westhoughton Comprehensive High School should be solved next year.

Nearly 1,200 pupils attend a school designed for 960.

The chairman of the school governors, Cllr Geoffrey Smith, said today that money would be made available next year to build another two-form entry at the Alma Road school in order to add another six to eight classrooms.

ZIMBABWE became the world's newest independent nation today.

Britain's last colony in Africa became the black-ruled republic of Zimbabwe, the African name for an ancient kingdom in what was formerly called Rhodesia.

The new Prime Minister, Mr Robert Mugabe, told whites in a nationwide address: "If yesterday you hated me, today you cannot avoid the love that binds me to you."

50 YEARS AGO From the Evening News April 18, 1955

DR Albert Einstein, the famous scientist who was renowned for his theory of relativity and whose formulas helped to harness atomic energy, died at Princeton, New Jersey, today at the age of 76.

FOOTBALLERS Ken Grieves (Bolton Wanderers), Jack Dyson (Manchester City) and Fred Goodwin (Manchester United) missed this morning's call-up of Lancashire County cricketers at Old Trafford when coach Stan Worthington took advantage of the spring-like conditions to give 22 professionals a good spell of net practice.

Roy Tattersall, Malcolm Hilton, Tommy Greenhough and Alan Wharton all had bowling spells and skipper Cyril Washbrook made good use of the opportunity to get in some batting practice.

100 YEARS AGO From the Evening News April 18, 1905

PLEADING guilty to attempting to drown herself in the River Tonge, Elizabeth Fagan (30), factory hand, was committed to prison for six months, the Recorder remarking, after hearing her life's history, that he adopted such a course in her own interest.

PC Clegg said the woman's husband left her on account of her drinking habits and then she commenced to lead an unchaste life.

When she was dragged out of the river she pleaded to her rescuer to push her in to the water again.