Archive

  • Squash update

    BURY Sports Club recorded their first victory of the new campaign at their second attempt in a hard-fought match at Reedley. That one of their starting five was missing as well entitles Bury to additional plaudits. With Paul Harrison sunning himself in

  • Tribute to Gordon 'Mr Development' Harrison

    ONE of the best known and popular faces around Bury Football Club throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Gordon Harrison, died on Saturday after a battle against cancer. He was 61. The man known as 'Mr Development' was a tireless fundraiser for the Shakers in

  • Boro rue those missed chances

    ILKESTON TOWN 3, RADCLIFFE BORO 1: Creating chances was not Borough's problem, converting them into goals unfortunately was. A first minute opener looked on the cards when Steve Foster latched on to a glorious Matty O'Neil through-ball, with Town goalkeeper

  • Delpeted Vale rout Milton

    ELTON VALE 6, MILTON1: The attractions of a stag party in Nottingham left the Elton squad with a major hole to fill, with five players missing for this MFL Division One fixture. However, this presented the remainder of the squad, plus a few reserve team

  • Lauren's canal side tribute defaced

    A CANAL bridge mural done in memory of 10 year-old Lauren Pilkington-Smith, who was found dead in July in Leigh, has been vandalised. Talented graffiti artist Gecko completed the waterside tribute near the scene where Lauren's body was discovered in undergrowth

  • Channel hero Chris takes to two wheels

    CHANNEL swimmer Chris Hulme is already planning his next extreme adventure. This time he is starting training for an Indian cycling challenge. Last month Chris, 33, of Polegate Drive, Hindley Green, was part of a successful Channel crossing relay team

  • Digging for health

    A GOOD Life project promoting exercise and healthier eating throughout the region's schools and communities has been launched. Healthy Places Healthy Lives is funding 13 innovative schemes from food-growing to green space activities and healthy lifestyle

  • Bonfire night warning for flytippers

    FLY-TIPPERS who are thinking about making a Bonfire Night mess may get their fingers burnt, warn council chiefs. Each year traditional bonfires are plagued by the menace of fly-tippers who see the celebration as a cynical opportunity to dangerously dump

  • Appeal brings new leads in kidnap case

    DETECTIVES are following up new leads following a fresh appeal for information about the abduction of a bank manager and his family. Manager Jonathan Diggle, aged 45, his wife Lynne and their teenage daughters were kidnapped from their home in Leigh 12

  • Chance to have your say on local health care

    PEOPLE are being encouraged to take part in a major public consultation about health care. The "Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" project is underway looking at things such as GP services, family planning, home care and meals on wheels. Thousands of people

  • Mum's fear for son in three million

    A MUM who has spent seven years battling for the best for her child in three million son is now fighting to save his life - from traffic. Gill Bannister, of Chinnor Close, Atherleigh, claims she and her son Jack take their lives in their hands twice a

  • Thumbs up for hitching from Coliseum to Coliseum

    GLOBETROTTING hitchhiker Darren Bates is back from his Coliseum to Coliseum fund raising trek - but he's keeping his time of arrival a secret for another week. The 34-years-old welder, who hitched from Rome's ancient Coliseum to Leigh Centurions' Coliseum

  • Goalkeeper coaching sessions

    THE Simon Marsh Goalkeeping Academy will be running weekly sessions at Walshaw Sports Club synthetic pitch throughout the football season. Simon, or Marshy as he is best known, is well known in local football circles. He started his career at Blackpool

  • Smart knee injury blow

    SHAKERS' striker Allan Smart could be out for at least six weeks after suffering a knee injury at Rushden and Diamonds last week. The much-travelled Scottish frontman was stretchered off midway through the second half at Nene Park and he is to have an

  • Carry on Casper - for now!

    IT'S business as usual for Bury FC caretaker-boss Chris Casper this weekend as he goes into his fifth match in charge of the first team. It was widely expected that a new manager would be announced on Wednesday but at the eleventh hour the Shakers' board

  • Now there's something to remember Fred by

    I AM so glad to read that there will soon be a headstone for Fred Dibnah's grave. I regularly go to pay my respects to Fred and have often wondered why there was no visual sign to help us remember him. Fred seemed to be a genuine down to earth bloke who

  • Bolton's really in great shape

    BOLTON has been named as one of the fittest towns and cities in Britain. It came third in a poll behind Swansea and Bristol - while London languishes at the bottom of a league table as the least fit. Bolton scored particularly highly for the number of

  • Why Stevenage still gives me nightmares

    by Jimmy Bell THE only message we wrote on the board in the dressing room on Friday was "Just win for Cav". Our captain has been through a terrible time following the death of his brother, and that made the lads even more determined to go out and get

  • Choice of games on old tennis courts

    PLANS to create a new games area at a Bolton school could mean game, set and match for disused tennis courts. The courts form part of the Harper Green School playing fields complex, but they have not been used for more than three years. It would cost

  • Residents slam police over yobs

    TENSIONS ran high on Wednesday night as residents in Kearsley voiced their frustrations at a meeting held to discuss growing levels of anti-social behaviour. Church officials at St Stephen's Church, Manchester Road, who called the meeting with police,

  • Ideas to come rolling in

    YOUNG people in Blackrod are being consulted over proposals to build a new skateboard park or create a youth zone in the village. A new sub-committee of Blackrod Town Council has been set up to investigate the options. The committee, along with Blackrod's

  • Football cup for the young

    A FOOTBALL tournament is being used to develop relations between young people in Bolton. The Bolton Community Challenge Shield is being held at the Bolton Lads and Girls Club, Spa Road, Bolton, on Sunday November 6. It has been organised by Greater Manchester

  • Firms can take place in spotlight

    AN amateur theatre society has called on local businesses to take advantage of a unique advertising opportunity next week. Bolton Catholics Musical and Choral Society, which won this year's Best Musical award for Oklahoma in the Bolton Evening News Amateur

  • Time for Tigers to turn it around?

    THE answer to the above question is, in a word, a resounding - yes! The Tigers' management team have got their heads together to come up with a way forward, and player-coach Tim Fourie, for one, is convinced they will do it. At the moment the statistics

  • 'Do-gooders' think more of the criminals

    I READ in last week's edition of the Bury Times, two stories of escaped prisoners from HMP Kirkham open prison. The first is that of a 21-year-old man described as a 'violent offender' who walked out of this open prison after being sentenced to five years

  • House owners should pay the clean-up bill

    DO others, like me, find the staining of highways and footpaths by building materials an eyesore? In the Whittingham Drive area, where I live in Ramsbottom, some of our roads and pavements are permanently stained by the depositing and mixing of building

  • Cross country event caused litter problems

    THIS letter is directed at the organisers of the cross country event held on Walker's Fields, Chesham Road, on Saturday. While this was a worthy event, it would have been nice for consideration to have been shown to the local residents - and the field

  • Blaming the many for the sins of the few

    ONCE again the car driver should be demonised if correspondent Jason Boyd is to be believed ('Small difference, huge impact', Letters, October 6). I wholeheartedly agree that inappropriate speed is an issue in road safety, however like so many other speed

  • CCTV's vital role

    THERE'S some things you can't seem to get away from. While on holiday last month a Mayfield Street, Atherton, resident tells me she opened her copy of the Malaysian New Straits Times and found a story telling readers of the rape case trial of a neighbour

  • Help needed once more in fight to save baby unit

    SUPPORT is needed from everyone to help, once more, in the battle to save the Special Care Baby Unit, paediatric unit and maternity services at Fairfield Hospital. We have heard rumours that the new proposals will say exactly the same as last year (the

  • Bid to bridge the gap

    COMPANIES who complain that they "can't get the staff" are being asked what they really want from new recruits. Greater Manchester Chamber and the University of Bolton have launched a survey of firms to find out what skills and qualities are most desirable

  • Share in the new China

    COMPANIES should take advantage of unparalleled opportunities in the expanding economy of China, according to one of Bolton's business leaders. Paul Norris, the managing director of PNC Business Development Consultants and president of the Greater Manchester

  • Losing run goes on

    RADCLIFFE BOROUGH1 WITTON ALBION 3: These are worrying times down at the Inn 2ogether Stadium. A well organised Albion inflicted this 3-1 reverse without having to seriously break sweat, and manager Kevin Glendon's problems were compounded with further

  • Rams draw yet again

    SALFORD CITY1, RAMSBOTTOM UNITED1: The Rams once again failed to end their run of consecutive draws with another inconsistent display on their travels in NWCL Division One. The match epitomised a game of two halves. The Rams dominated the opening period

  • Rams hit the top after narrow win

    TEAMS at the top of Division One of the Bury Table Tennis League all played each other this week and, predictably there were some close results. Ramsbottom A went to the top of the table by one point after their 6-4 victory over second placed Radcliffe

  • Champs off to a flyer

    THE new season in the Bury Open Snooker League got off to a good start in the Irwell Street Metals A Section when the match between last season's third and fourth placed teams, Elton Fold and Elton Lib B, got under way at the Liberal Club. James Kay took

  • More openness needed in EU decisions

    LAWS should not be made behind closed doors, but that is what our ministers do when they get together in Brussels. Draft EU legislation has to be approved or amended both by the European Parliament and by the Council of Ministers. While MEPs meet in public

  • Object to masts and show you care

    DESPITE the objections of the limited number of residents of Over Hulton made privy to their plans, T-Mobile have submitted an application to erect a 50 foot mast on the green belt fields of Umberton Farm, Over Hulton. (Bolton Evening News, Saturday,

  • The only way is up!

    NEWBURY 38, SEDGLEY PARK 14: DEFEAT at Monk's Lane on Sunday leaves Park second from bottom of the league table, not a position they will be happy with. Up against a confident Newbury side, who throw the ball around the field for fun, Sedgley were dogged

  • Full steam ahead for sports complex

    WORK will start next month on Leigh's long-awaited new sporting and leisure complex. After seven years of planning, it is full steam ahead for the £75 million Leigh Sports Village after the developers, Greenbank Partnerships, last week signed the legal

  • Bury Parish MU

    MEMBERS of Bury Parish Mothers' Union held their monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 4. Rita Whitaker introduced the speaker, Rev. Hugh Bearn, whose subject was Goodbye to Arcadia, referring to the six months he spent in the Falklands in 1944 as chaplain

  • Yellow to green to raise the reddies

    PUPILS can cash in with a competition to recycle Yellow Pages directories and help the environment. The Bury Challenge starts tomorrow when the new edition of Yellow Pages is delivered to homes and businesses, and will run until December 2. The books

  • Advice group calls for more volunteers

    AN advice service in Bury is appealing for more volunteers. Bury District Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB) is looking for new advisers and members to join its board. Following a national audit of its working practices, current volunteers, paid staff and

  • Carla mum in grave row

    A GRIEVING mum has been ordered to remove toys and other tributes from her daughter's grave because they are "over the top". Now she says she may exhume the ashes of her daughter and bury them elsewhere. Michaela Bate, aged 39, of Primrose Avenue, Farnworth

  • Shoppers get health MOTat Mill Gate

    SHOPPERS at Bury's Mill Gate Centre had the chance to get a 'health MOT' in between browsing for bargains. Specialist nurses from Bury Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Pennine Acute Trust marked Stroke Awareness Week with the launch of a new campaign, Stroke

  • Andy's warning over computer lottery win scam

    ANDY Wright was over the moon when he learned by e-mail he had won $250,000 in a European lottery draw. Eagerly he began corresponding with the lottery organisers based in the Netherlands. All he had to do was confirm his prizewinning e-mail address and

  • Bury and District Recorded music

    THE Bury and District Recorded Music Circle were entertained with a programme presented by member Mr. Brian Natton entitled "Still Sounds Familiar", a sequel to his programme of last year "Sounds Familiar". Brian joined the "Boys" section of the Royal

  • Blondie backs town hall band

    A POP band formed by Bury Council staff won personal approval from Blondie for turning one of their hit records into a Manchester City anthem. Ray Godwin, singer of the six-piece The Sounds Alliance, has re-worked the classic Union City Blue into a terrace

  • Writer who saved nursery from axe never lost the plot!

    A CHILDREN'S author who stopped Radcliffe Day Nursery from closing in 1976 has released a new book inspired by her struggle to save the building. Jo Marsden, who moved to Radcliffe in the early 1970s, set the template for Hoo Ha House more than 20 year

  • Friends of Burrs country park

    On the evening of Wednesday, September 28, 45 Friends of Burrs Country Park and members of the public enjoyed an illustrated slide talk on the Industrial Heritage of Burrs Country Park. The event took place at Burrs Activity Centre, Burrs Country Park

  • Machete threat to terrified robbery victim

    A TERRIFIED woman driver was forced to hand over the keys to her car by a masked man brandishing a large machete. The 38-year-old had just parked her sporty Audi A3 Quattro in Whitefield at 3.50pm on Friday when the man pounced. As the raider drove off

  • Stand open

    SHAKERS supporters are reminded that home fans can use the Manchester Road End for Saturday's game against Darlington.

  • Smart knee injury blow

    SHAKERS' striker Allan Smart could be out for at least six weeks after suffering a knee injury at Rushden and Diamonds last week. The much-travelled Scottish frontman was stretchered off midway through the second half at Nene Park and he is to have an

  • Returning to her roots with her own comedy

    A BURY Grammar 'old girl' returns with a new comedy which plays The Met arts centre on Thursday night. Carole Simpson Solazzo has written Bite Me!, all about a girl with a phobia of food trying to make a success of her late father's Italian restaurant

  • Pedestrians afraid to use the precinct

    WHILE I agree with Peter Billington ('Footpath cyclists are afraid to use the road, Letters October 6), I would like to say that pedestrians are afraid to use the precincts on most days. I have been run into once, and frightened badly by cyclists five

  • Town meeting

    A MEETING of Adlington Town Council takes place next Monday at the Community Centre, in Railway Road, Adlington, starting at 7.15pm.

  • Football cup for the young

    A FOOTBALL tournament is being used to develop relations between young people in Bolton. The Bolton Community Challenge Shield is being held at the Bolton Lads and Girls Club, Spa Road, Bolton, on Sunday November 6. It has been organised by Greater Manchester

  • Pupils win art set each

    TWO budding artists from a Bury school have been rewarded for their creative efforts in promoting the message "why trees are important to the environment". Twelve-year-olds Amy Warburton and Sophia Diabella from Bury CE High were singled out for special

  • Keep wildlife out of fires

    HEDGEHOGS and other wildlife can be saved from appaling suffering this bonfire night, according to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS). The society is urging people not to build their bonfires until the day they are going to be lit, to limit

  • Jump to it for charity

    THRILL seekers are being asked to take part in a charity abseil in aid of The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign The 90-foot abseil will take place in the Manchester Velodrome on November 26 and 27 and all participants are asked to do is raise the minimum sponsorship

  • Animated stars in town

    ANIMATED film stars Wallace and Gromit will be bringing their "Anti Pesto" van to Bolton for a special guest appearance. The duo will be at the Bradford & Bingley Bolton branch at the Victoria Plaza at 4pm on October 24. Children are invited to go

  • Carers' support meeting

    BOLTON Carers Support is holding its annual general meeting on Wednesday. The charity supports people caring for a family member or a friend who has an illness, disability or who is elderly. The meeting is on Wednesday at 10.45am to noon at the Friends

  • Fresh appeal for crash witnessess

    WITNESSES to a horrific crash on the Blackrod by-pass in which a 51-year-old woman died are being urged to come forward. The cause of the accident on Monday evening near to the Ridgeway Arms pub is being investigated by traffic police. Eileen Ruxton of

  • Cash boost for rock school

    ASPIRING musicians can learn the tools of their trade at a rock school in Halliwell. The school, run by the Harmony Youth Project in Wordsworth Street, is offering free music tuition to young people, aged ten to 21, who could not otherwise afford to learn

  • Carers' support meeting

    BOLTON Carers Support is holding its annual general meeting on Wednesday. The charity supports people caring for a family member or a friend who has an illness, disability or who is elderly. The meeting is on Wednesday at 10.45am to noon at the Friends

  • Coroner's call over death of prisoner

    A CORONER has called for more medical training for prison staff in recognising a potentially fatal heart condition which resulted in the death of a young inmate. Mark Hardman, aged 22, from Laurel Court, Bolton, died on April 19, 2003, after suffering

  • Animal rights circus protest

    ANIMAL rights activists staged a protest outside a circus near Farnworth on Wednesday night. Campaigners from Manchester Animal Protection and the Captive Animals' Protection Society stood at the entrance of the Bobby Roberts Circus at New Hill Farm,

  • Amir backs Pakistan earthquake appeal

    BOXING hero Amir Khan is throwing his weight behind efforts to raise cash for the Asian earthquake disaster appeal. The 18-year-old, who is preparing to make sparks fly in his next fight on November 5 in Glasgow, is taking time out to promote the appeals

  • Decisions from Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' courts

    Carole Lesley Southern, Darby Lane, Hindley. False benefit claim. Community Punishment Order for 80 hours, costs £200. Sharon Lorraine Collier, aged 35, Ratcliffe Street, Leigh. Failure to send child to school. Community Order for 12 months, costs £75

  • Joan's head for business brings Hall of Fame honour

    A US businesswoman whose first job was selling 'pillings' and 'crusses' to a Westleigh pigman is to be installed into an American business hall of fame. Chicago-born Joan Zimmermann (nee Hunt), a former pupil of the XII Apostles and Leigh Technical College

  • Inspector backs most of plans drawn up to improve borough

    INDUSTRIAL estate plans for farmland should be included in a development blueprint, recommends a planning inspector. But land put on hold because of the A5225 Hindley by-pass "Blue Route" plans should no longer be safeguarded is his conclusion following

  • Rachael heads for artistic role

    RETURNING to her roots in Bury has brought hairstylist Rachael Kennedy a rich reward. Rachael (pictured) has been promoted to artistic director at the Antony for Hair salon in Tithebarn Street. She always wanted to be a hairdresser and went to college

  • Nominate a firm for an Oscar

    THE borough's premier corporate awards event is back - with a new name. Bury's Environmental Oscars and Dinner, organised by Groundwork Bury, is to be staged once again at the Longfield Suite in Prestwich on Thursday, December 1. This will be the eighth

  • Railway revamp signals success

    A LANDMARK Ramsbottom pub is back on track after a year of hard work and determination saved it from going off the rails. Just 12 months ago, The Railway pub in Bridge Street was struggling to survive and in desperate need of attention, but new licensees

  • Get on Wanderers at Chelsea says our betting man

    WEBSITE betting guru Gerry McDonnell is tipping Wanderers for a result at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. This is what he writes in his latest weekly column: "Nothing lasts forever, with the possible exception of a conversation about cushions between the

  • Web pictures shock of Wanderers attack victim

    THE sickening moment when a Bolton Wanderers fan was kicked in the street by a gang of football hooligans in Bulgaria is being displayed on the internet Up to 20 Locomotiv Plovdiv fans attacked Martin Duggan before Wanderers' UEFA clash in Bulgaria last

  • Emilia, 17, fights her way to the top

    A BOLTON student has kicked and punched her way to a martial arts title. Emilia Pinto Pedro, aged 17, was crowned the Scottish Open National Tae-Kwan-Do 58kg Heavyweight Champion in Glasgow. Emilia, who has been practising the sport for just a year, came

  • Zacc gets TV role

    FIRE-EATING muscleman, stripper and screen star Zacc Harvey and his solicitor girlfriend Alicia, will feature in a television programme about unlikely lovers. The relationship between former Mr Great Britain Zacc, from Golborne, and legal eagle Alicia

  • Pink party for charity

    A Stars in Your Eyes pink party is being held at Bickershaw Labour Club to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Research. The event which starts at 7.30pm on Friday, October 21, will feature a disco, karaoke, tombola, a raffle and bingo in aid of the charity

  • Bus driver faked crash to net cash

    A BUS driver faked a road accident and then four of his friends submitted insurance claims for whiplash injuries, a court heard. If undetected, the fraud could have netted £20,000 in insurance payouts, Bolton Crown Court was told. Sajid Iqbal (25), of

  • World championship blow for kickboxer

    TEENAGER Daniel Openshaw, who finished eighth in last year's Amateur Kickboxing World Championships at under-18 level, has been told he will not be able to take part this year. Daniel (14) had been busy training for the competition when he found out three

  • £14,000 for aid fund and more on the way

    BURY'S Muslim community is united in helping provide vital aid and funds in the wake of the devastating South Asian earthquake which it is feared has claimed more than 40,000 lives. And many have been anxiously trying to determine the fate of relatives

  • Bury Clarion

    PHIL Albiez posted an excellent 22 mins 37 secs time in the V C Chesterfield 10 mile TT on Saturday despite wet and windy weather. As the event got underway conditions became progressively worse with visibility down to 200 yards. Meanwhile Bob Duckworth

  • Duo in the pink

    THE final of the Ken Parkinson Pairs tournament, sponsored by Neville Spivey of Bury Snooker Club, took place at Walshaw Conservative Club. The protagonists were Simon Fitzsimmons and Lee Cockcroft of Elton Fold, and James Kay and Tony Adams of Elton

  • BURY CTC

    MEMBERS of the A Section have completed rides of moe than 100 miles, and in some cases well over that distance, every Sunday for the past ten weeks. This shows not only the fitness of the riders, but also favourable weather conditions and only once did

  • Firms can take place in spotlight

    AN amateur theatre society has called on local businesses to take advantage of a unique advertising opportunity next week. Bolton Catholics Musical and Choral Society, which won this year's Best Musical award for Oklahoma in the Bolton Evening News Amateur

  • Angling notes by Bill Turner

    THE recent colder autumnal conditions have affected catches on local venues due to a big influx of cold water. On Sunday, Scapa Porritt AC Fished the George Lomax Trophy on Parkers bottom lodge. Top weight fell to Tony Thorpe, fishing tip to take skimmers

  • Amir backs Pakistan earthquake appeal

    BURY boxing hero Amir Khan is throwing his weight behind efforts to raise cash for the Asian earthquake disaster appeal. The 18-year-old for Bury Amateur Boxing Club star, who is preparing to make sparks fly in his next fight on November 5 in Glasgow,

  • Campaign to restore Lancashire boundaries

    A GROUP of campaigners who are fighting for traditional Lancashire boundaries to be restored are bringing their battle to Bolton. CountyWatch is threatening to take down signs that say "Welcome to Lancashire" as drivers leave the town. They plan to target

  • 30% cheaper homes go on the market

    RESIDENTS struggling to get onto the property ladder are being urged to investigate "affordable houses" which are being built in the borough. The first of these homes, part of a Bellway development at Alfred Street in Bury, are now up for sale at a 30

  • Carry on Casper - for now!

    IT'S business as usual for Bury FC caretaker-boss Chris Casper this weekend as he goes into his fifth match in charge of the first team. It was widely expected that a new manager would be announced on Wednesday but at the eleventh hour the Shakers' board

  • Cash for club

    CHARTERED accountants and business advisers Unity, of Bolton, made £1,000 for Bolton Lads and Girls Club. The Clive Street firm raised the money with a quiz night.

  • Sex offender returned to jail

    A DANGEROUS sex offender who went on the run in Lancashire has been found. Michael Wilson, aged 44, was released from prison on licence last Friday but failed to return to his accommodation in Blackburn on Monday evening. In 2003, Wilson was made the

  • Takeaway man fined over waste

    A FAST food shop owner who repeatedly dumped commercial waste on public land has been fined £3,450. And Xiang-Fa Zhou, aged 33, who runs the Dragon and Phoenix Chinese Takeaway in Water Street, Radcliffe, was also ordered by magistrates in Bury to pay

  • Web pictures shock of Wanderers attack victim

    THE sickening moment when a Bolton Wanderers fan was kicked in the street by a gang of football hooligans in Bulgaria is being displayed on the internet Up to 20 Locomotiv Plovdiv fans attacked Martin Duggan before Wanderers' UEFA clash in Bulgaria last

  • Retail and homes plan for ex-cinema

    A BUILDING which was once a town centre cinema and bingo hall could be demolished and replaced with a ground floor retail unit with residential accommodation above. Plans to knock-down Carlton House in Johnson Street, Tyldesley - once the New Carlton

  • Town Hall square grotto

    BOLTON'S Victoria Square will once again be the venue for the much loved Santa's Grotto. Last year's "magical ice" themed grotto, featuring animatronic eskimos, penguins and seals, proved very popular with the public. The theme for this year's grotto

  • Animated stars in town

    ANIMATED film stars Wallace and Gromit will be bringing their "Anti Pesto" van to Bolton for a special guest appearance. The duo will be at the Bradford & Bingley Bolton branch at the Victoria Plaza at 4pm on October 24. Children are invited to go

  • 'Our street is ruined by stinking pit'

    AN elderly couple say their lives are being made unbearable by a foul smelling, water-logged man-made hole next to their home. Marjorie and Warren Heyes, of Vickerman Street, Halliwell, say the hole, which is 6ft long, 4ft wide and 3ft deep, was dug by

  • Deportation threat student in Commons campaign

    A STUDENT threatened with deportation is to address a cross-party group of MPs about the devastating effect the Government's "get tough" policy on immigration is having on people like her. Flores Sukula, who lives with her family in Great Lever, has been

  • Stars come out for charity

    TOP tribute artists rocked 500 revellers at the Monaco Ballroom to boost Wigan and Leigh Hospice funds by an amazing £6,000. Six of Europe's finest artists strutted their stuff in Hindley last Wednesday at the Stars in Your Eyes event in aid of the Mayor's

  • Pigsty or palace?

    A LITTLE bird tells me that the CCTV film during a raid on the Leigh branch of B and Q last month exposed a wheelchair athlete. While watching the footage on TV news he spotted a chair-bound man in the picture leap up and make a dash for it. No doubt

  • Amir can be a legend - coach

    THE coach who helped guide Amir Khan to an Olympic silver medal says the Bolton teenager can become a boxing legend. Terry Edwards, who was in Khan's corner in Athens, says the 18-year-old has unlimited talent. "We cant replace him," Edwards said after

  • Forever Bury: Latest bulletin on October 13

    THREE valuable away points and a leap out of the relegation zone has created a new mood of optimism at Gigg Lane which will hopefully be reflected in the attendance on Saturday. The annual Supporters' Direct conference was held recently at the British

  • American jazz concert date

    THE Los Angeles based Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra were keen to return to the area after their amazing success at the boroughs International Jazz festival success in 2004. Now as part of a European tour to celebrate their 20th anniversary they will

  • Bury Jazz Society

    THE blues come in many forms, but in the end are simply chord structures. As they have evolved, decorated by musical colourings of the Mississippi Delta, the blues have been the source of a myriad of stories, of dirt farms, injustice, racism and hard

  • Back to the 'heart' beat

    BURY Police and the local authority are spearheading a massive push to make the streets of the borough safer. Aptly named 'Bury Safe', the aim of the project is to improve the quality of life for people living and working in the borough and to encourage

  • All cued up for a glittering career

    THE first time I met future world snooker champion John Spencer was in 1964. It was my first day as a cub reporter on my local paper in Radcliffe and obviously I had more reason to remember it than John. Meeting him again 41 years later I produced a newspaper

  • Rossendale Badminton League

    CHAMPIONS, Central, moved into second place after beating leaders Broadway 22-3. Fearns A climbed off the bottom with a 17-7 win over Badgercote B. In the Second Division, Fearns B look on course for a quick return to the First Division after their 22

  • Pals face to face at Under 21 level

    The UEFA Under-21 Championship clash between Cyprus and the Republic of Ireland that brought Bury FC players John Fitzgerald and Vassos Theophanous face to face ended all square at 1-1. Fitzgerald started for the Irish and earned a yellow card for his

  • Tickets for meningitis dinner are selling out

    TICKETS for a fundraising dinner to raise awareness of meningitis are selling fast, according to organisers. The event, organised by a mother whose daughter was struck down by meningococcal septicemia but thankfully survived, has sold more than two-thirds

  • Businesses raise charity cash

    BUSINESSMEN in Atherton have banded together to raise almost £6000 for the Christie Hospital, Europe's largest cancer treatment and research centre. The Atherton Business Charity Fund, an organisation set up to help local causes, has been raising money

  • Did you see attack on dad of four?

    A 37 years-old father-of-four is recovering after being hit from behind, beaten and stamped on by attackers who left him lying unconscious in an alley. Electrician Mark Wilde was walking home from a night out with friends at an Atherton club when he was

  • Jail for sword attacker

    A MAN from has been sentenced to a minimum of two and a half years in prison after attacking another man with a sword. At Liverpool Crown Court Paul Bentham, 20, of Bridgewater Street, Hindley pleaded guilty to section 18 assault following an incident

  • Young pupils going green to help planet

    ECO-conscious pupils at a local primary school are ready to do their all for the planet. Leigh CE Primary is going green after joining the national Healthy Schools Programme and the Eco-Schools Award scheme. The pupils are hoping to win a coveted green

  • Fans flock to Finals

    TICKETS for major rugby league occasions are becoming rare. The game is doing its bit to keep the flagging ticket-tout business going with the "house full" signs set to go up on Saturday for a fourth time this year. The engage Super League Grand Final

  • EU laws are made behind closed doors

    LAWS should not be made behind closed doors but that is what our ministers do when they get together in Brussels. Draft EU legislation has to be approved or amended both by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. While MEPs meet in public

  • Reckless boy racers spoil it for decent law abiding drivers

    WE are back to where this all started with the '30 means 30mph sermon' ('Put the pleasant back into our green land', Letters, September 29). Rather than go over old ground and explain why this is currently virtually unworkable I've decided to call it

  • Wall of memories

    THOUGH she left Leigh some time ago Alice Davies' heart is still in the town. That's obvious from this amazing embroidery she has done to hang on the wall at her Weeping Cross, Stafford, home. Alice, nee Bilsbury, tells me she enjoys reading my column

  • Amir backs Pakistan earthquake appeal

    BURY boxing hero Amir Khan is throwing his weight behind efforts to raise cash for the Asian earthquake disaster appeal. The 18-year-old for Bury Amateur Boxing Club star, who is preparing to make sparks fly in his next fight on November 5 in Glasgow,

  • 'Scared to death' by young yobs

    A PENSIONER collapsed and died as he was being terrorised by a gang of teenagers. Mr John Hare (80) keeled over on the living room floor of his warden-controlled bungalow in Lime Grove, Ramsbottom, as the mob pounded their fists on the front window. His

  • New partner at accountants

    SIMON Worswick has become a partner in chartered accountants R P Smith and Co. Mr Worswick joined R P Smith in 2001, having previously spent four years specialising in forensic accounting. R P Smith, with offices in Chorley New Road, Bolton, is active

  • Group raises cash and laughter

    BUSINESSMEN raised nearly £6,000 for the Christie Hospital in Manchester with an evening of food and comedy. The Atherton Business Charity Fund held a gentlemen's dinner, with comedian Jim Bowen and popular after dinner speaker Mike King as guests. The

  • Bury Netball League

    RESULTS at October 13 PREMIER DIVISION Brentwood 22, Blackburn Independents 20; Thorne Ladies 27, YWCA Bury 19; Delph 27, XYW 31; Holy Cross 25, Spotland Ladies 35; Farrars Arms 30, Charlestown 20; Convent 24, GPO 34. FIRST DIVISION TMF 13, Merlin 26;

  • Bury Snooker League results at October 13

    LATEST details from the Bury Times A SECTION ELTON LIB B511(5) ELTON FOLD392(3) J. Kay 90, M. Thornton 70; C. Steadman 124, A. Catlow 50; I. Martin 125, C. Holmes 57; R. Brooks 69, W. Goodwin 74; F. MacDougal 57, L. Cockcroft 69; M. Trueman 46, S. Fitzsimmons

  • North of England Young Athletes Road Relays

    THERE were 38 teams on the starting line for this event which was held at Liverpool's Sefton Park. UNDER 13 GIRLS: Andrea Baker was first away and she quickly settled down not far behind the leading pack coming through strongly to finish 13th in 13.35

  • The only way is up!

    NEWBURY 38, SEDGLEY PARK 14: DEFEAT at Monk's Lane on Sunday leaves Park second from bottom of the league table, not a position they will be happy with. Up against a confident Newbury side, who throw the ball around the field for fun, Sedgley were dogged

  • Why seasonal change on recycling

    FOLLOWING enquries, we have been informed by the recycling department at the Town Hall that green bin collection will stop for the winter in November. This means that vast amount of compostable material from the autumn and winter clear-up in the gardens

  • Bushs revelation puts Moses in the shade

    I READ in the Bolton Evening News (October 7) that at a meeting in June 2003 with the then Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas, George Bush told him that he had been instructed by God to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, and to create a Palestinian state

  • Skip to it for school

    GREENMOUNT residents are invited to do their bit for the environment and community by recycling paper waste. The Greenmount paper skip collection will take place on Saturday, from 9am to 11.45am, in the car park at Greenmount Primary School in Holhouse

  • Bury Young Farmers

    THIS week Bury young farmers went to Rob Mackenzie's and judged lambs, ewes and horses. There was an excellent turnout from all Bury's members and a good night was had by all. The judges were: lambs (Richard Fitton); ewes(Angela Nairy); horses (Sarah

  • Opening up the world of literature even wider

    EVERY pre-school child in Bury will receive free books as the borough's Bookstart programme enters a new chapter. Until now, only babies between six and nine months old have been given a Bookstart bag by their health visitor containing books to get them

  • Co-operavtve club

    The inaugural George Hamer memorial bowling pairs competition that was organised by Hughie Blenkharn on behalf of our group and the Manchester Road Bowling club was a memorable event. Bill Hoult, president of United Co-operatives presented the trophy

  • Radcliffe Probus Club

    THE guest speaker at Radcliffe Probus Club last Wednesday was local man, Tony Leach. Born in Bury, Tony attended school in Whitefield and has lived in Radcliffe for 40 years. As a young boy, Tony had a bad accident when he fell off a table, and spent

  • Baker's loyalties are put to the test!

    MONOPOLY chiefs wanted to have their cake and eat it when they approached Radcliffe bakery Newmans. Confectionery couple Gary and Val Newman, who have been running their business from the Turks Road shop for eight years, were asked to bake celebration

  • Festive fair

    A CHRISTMAS fair will be held at St James Parish Church in Woolfold at noon on Saturday November 19.

  • Spooky fun

    A WEEKEND of fun and frights is being planned by a Pilsworth restaurant. Frankie & Benny's, located at Park 66, will stage a Hallowe'en extravaganza from Friday October 28, culminating with a fancy dress day on the Sunday and a free prize draw. All

  • Lunchtime recital

    SISTERS Isabel and Emily Chaplais will perform works by Debussy, Beethoven, Vivaldi and Liszt when they appear at Bury Parish Churchs latest lunchtime recital on Friday. Pianist Isabel is currently studying at the Royal Northern College of Music and recently

  • Nothing but praise for supportive NHS

    WITH all the bad publicity we hear about the NHS, I am writing a nice letter on their behalf. I worked in the NHS before I retired with arthritis, and have been with my doctor and his wife for at least 30 years. I couldn't have been treated any better

  • Quake rescuers flee gunmen

    HERO firefighters were airlifted to safety when gunfire broke out as they tried to free trapped survivors of Saturday's earthquake in Kashmir. The firemen, including two from Bolton, were searching for signs of life among the rubble of tremor-stricken

  • 'Desperate housewives' revealed

    A SURVEY about housewives has indicated that 95 per cent of women home alone in Bolton may have turned to "desperate acts" including drinking, gambling and infidelity. The research - commissioned to mark the release of hit show Desperate Housewives on

  • Crushing blow for a motorist?

    WHEN police stopped a driver with no road tax on his car, he had what he thought was the perfect excuse. He told the officers that he was just on his way to scrap the vehicle. The traffic officers were only too happy to help him. They made sure he kept

  • Clean-up group do their bit

    A COMMUNITY clean-up group has organised its fifth Environment Week to help make Howe Bridge a nicer place to live. The Bridgers work all year round but in October make a special effort with a week of events for everyone. On Tuesday the Atherton Green

  • Daylight for those in crisis because of pregnancy

    A NEW service which hopes to bring light at the end of the tunnel for pregnancy-crisis sufferers has been launched. The Daylight helpline and counselling service, which has been formed as a result of Leigh churches working together, opened on Tuesday

  • Making a stand against racism

    POLITICIANS and sports stars are joining forces this weekend in a united stance against racism. The Kick Racism out of Football campaign, co-ordinated by Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust, begins on Thursday with a string of football festivals, art workshops

  • Top ten scams used by conmen

    THE top 10 scams that could have conned local people out of thousands of pounds have been highlighted by community watchdogs. Trading Standards officers have compiled a list with telephone lottery cons right at the top with the crafty use of real lotteries

  • Sculpture reaches out to Palestine

    A SCULPTURE created by children from Manchester and Palestine in a project led by a Bolton lecturer is on display outside the Imperial War Museum North. The ceramic artwork in Salford Quays is the result of a year-long project led by Peter Lewis of the

  • Martyn takes over operations

    FORMER Bury man Martyn Davenport has been promoted to operations director by Humes Building Contracts Ltd. The 39-year-old joined the Liverpool-based company just over a year ago as commercial manager with more than 20 years experience in the construction

  • Amir's new car packs a punch

    WHILE most people learn to drive in old bangers, Bolton's boxing sensation Amir Khan will be doing his three-point turns and reverse parking in style. The 18-year-old from Heaton has just picked up the keys to his new car, a Range Rover Vogue - worth

  • Support meeting

    THE Bury/Bolton ME/CFS Support Group meet on Oct 20 (7.30pm-9pm) at Longsight Methodist Church Hall. Sufferers and carers welcome. A Welfare Rights advisor advise on form filling. Admission £1 including refreshments. Call Pam on 01204 793 846 or visit

  • Marlin man

    WHEN 74-year-old businessman Harry Marshall wants a break from turning the wheels of industry he packs his bags and goes off for a spot of fishing - for 800 lbs marlin! At an age when most men would be happy with a game of bowls down the local park, game

  • Goalkeeper coaching sessions

    THE Simon Marsh Goalkeeping Academy will be running weekly sessions at Walshaw Sports Club synthetic pitch throughout the football season. Simon, or Marshy as he is best known, is well known in local football circles. He started his career at Blackpool

  • Happy away day for Walshaw

    MANCHESTER JNRS 0, WALSHAW SC3: Walshaw travelled to Didsbury to take on a very youthful Manchester Juniors side in the MFL Division One , bolstered by new signing goalkeeper Marsh, who brings an imposing presence to the back four. A lunchtime deluge

  • Skipper Parish pumps it up!

    A HECTIC week of cycle speedway competition should have closed the 2005 racing season for the Bury riders but there is still one match remaining. The locals scored a good win on Wednesday under the portable floodlights when Hull came to Goshen for a Northern

  • Red card for racists

    A CAMPAIGN to keep racism out of football kicks off on Thursday. Events will be held across the country to mark the National Anti-Racism Week of Action in Football. For more information on events locally log on to: www.kickitout.org

  • Tribute to Gordon 'Mr Development' Harrison

    ONE of the best known and popular faces around Bury Football Club throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Gordon Harrison, died on Saturday after a battle against cancer. He was 61. The man known as 'Mr Development' was a tireless fundraiser for the Shakers in

  • Rams draw yet again

    SALFORD CITY1, RAMSBOTTOM UNITED1: The Rams once again failed to end their run of consecutive draws with another inconsistent display on their travels in NWCL Division One. The match epitomised a game of two halves. The Rams dominated the opening period

  • In the swing for charity

    TWO golfers have scored a hole-in-one by raising £695 for a local children's charity. Bolton Golf Club members, Mike Brewder and Mark Millhouse, took part in a sponsored 72-hole round of golf in aid of the Bolton Lads and Girls Club. Mike presented the

  • Heart help for Asians

    A NEW healthcare initiative for the Asian community has been launched with the introduction of new translated booklets. "Healthy Hearts" and "Living with Diabetes" have been translated into Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi and can be ordered free of charge from

  • Blood donors needed

    BLOOD donors are desperately needed in Bolton. The National Blood Service is appealing for people to go along to one of their remaining sessions. There is a desperate shortage of donors, with the NHS needing 800 a day from the North-west alone so all

  • 'Scared to death' by young yobs

    A PENSIONER collapsed and died as he was being terrorised by a gang of teenagers. Mr John Hare (80) keeled over on the living room floor of his warden-controlled bungalow in Lime Grove, Ramsbottom, as the mob pounded their fists on the front window. His

  • Jump to it for charity

    THRILL seekers are being asked to take part in a charity abseil in aid of The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign The 90-foot abseil will take place in the Manchester Velodrome on November 26 and 27 and all participants are asked to do is raise the minimum sponsorship

  • Tackling bullying will help to make Bury a safer place

    REASSURING and wide-ranging information about how to make Bury a safer place in which to live and work, was available at the launch of Bury Safe, the multi-agency project which aims "to improve the quality of life for people living and working in the

  • Medals should be presented in a better setting

    JOANNE Wilcock's comments ('We shouldn't have to pay to celebrate children's efforts', Letters, October 6) about the medal-giving ceremony for children achieving full attendance at school during the last academic year were a little generous. Certainly

  • Fans flock to Finals

    TICKETS for major rugby league occasions are becoming rare. The game is doing its bit to keep the flagging ticket-tout business going with the "house full" signs set to go up on Saturday for a fourth time this year. The engage Super League Grand Final