From the Evening News, January 1, 1904: The closing hour of 1903 was watched in various ways by Boltonians according to their bent. Some spent the time at watch night services which were held at both churches and chapels, and at the various Wesleyan places
IN reference to Ian Brown's letter, December 31, and him being fed up of fatty cuts of meat, there is good news -- Australian beef. Although it may cost you a little more, the extra cost is worth it and you will find it in some supermarkets. Look up '
IWONDER if one of the "half-truths, distortions and downright lies, that get propagated as fact by opponents" of the E.U., that Mr Meagher, is referring to, are such items as E.U Council Regulation 2257/94, which lays down that bananas must be at least
WE have had numerous enquiries regarding the article "Sick Pets Christmas Cash" in the Bolton Evening News, on Monday, December 22. We would like to clarify one or two points, "Pets in Need" your local animal charity has no connection with the PDSA shop
I FIND it ever infuriating reading the letters page, that the residents, or should I say voters of the Bolton area, continue to put up with the three monkeys attitude of the so called elected local members of government with regards to matters of health
REGARDING the polarised situation of those for and against the move of Westhoughton Cricket Club, and the precipitous nature of the Rugby Club, it would seem that some local government intervention should be forthcoming. It is obvious that most residents
PSMITH of Horwich (Letters, December 23) objects to our protest against the hare hunt at Rivington on Boxing Day and even drops in several hunting terms in order to impress us with his undoubted expertise on the subject. He mocks the terrorising and killing
I REFER to the many recent letters concerning the proposed new clubhouse and facilities for Westhoughton Cricket Club. As Chairman of Westhoughton Lions Rugby League Club, the only junior rugby league club in Bolton, I openly declare a vested interest
THESE serious-looking gentlemen were pictured in 1950 making sure that there was no unscheduled drama in the Grand Theatre, Bolton. Representatives from Bolton Borough Fire Brigade and Bolton Borough Police timed the dropping of the safety curtain. The
Reader Charles Steels of Fairhurst Drive, Walkden, popped into the office with a number of items which he found some years ago after the death of his mother, Ethel Crook. Celebrated thespian couple Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge were at the Theatre
Youthful high spirits were in evidence in April, 1971 when three 17-year-old Farnworth girls, Maureen McGuinness, Stephanie Hughes and Teresa Heathcote, climbed to the top of Rivington Pike.
MY item about the Co-op Santa before Christmas brought back happy memories for Mr Frank Green of Boscow Road, Little Lever. Santa's arrival was different every year. Frank writes: "The two that I can distinctly recall is his arrival in a covered wagon
1789 The first national US elections were held: George Washington became the first president. 1844 Saint Bernadette of Lourdes (Marie-Bernarde Soubirous) was born. She was an asthmatic French girl who claimed to see vision of the Virgin Mary at a spring
From the Evening News, January 7, 1904: JOHN Alfred Grime, landlord of the Railway Inn, Great Moor Street, was summoned at the Borough Court his morning for selling intoxicating liquor to a drunken person. Mr Hall prosecuted and the evidence was to the
From the Evening News, January 6, 1904: THE Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the Borough of Wigan were held on Tuesday before Mr Lancelot Sanderson KC. The Clerk of the Peace, Mrs Arthur Smith, stated that they were met without any business to transact
A COLLEAGUE wanted to know if I fancied popping out for a spot of lunch, how could I refuse? There's nothing like a pleasant meal and a chat in the middle of the day to set you up perfectly for an afternoon of work. We opted for the ever-popular town
ANYONE who visited the big, rambling Victory pub on Chorley Old Road in Bolton will feel vaguely disorientated by wandering into Mr G's Restaurant now. A major and sympathetic renovation has turned the former into the latter, and the transformation from
THE Rose and Crown has recently become well known, at least locally, for the quality and value of its special meal deals. For some years it has had a bistro-type restaurant attached to the pub. Refurbishment and the arrival of a popular local chef have
EXTRA police were drafted into Bolton on Wednesday for increased security for Wanderers' clash with Manchester United which the champions won 2-1. More than 400 officers were on duty for the derby game -- significantly higher than for most other Premiership
I HAVE enjoyed many an evening in the River Bar at the Lowry Hotel but had yet to sample the food in the River Room Marco Pierre White (MPW) restaurant. My birthday seemed to be the perfect excuse and I mentioned it in passing to my husband who, in turn
THIS is the return to form Andy McNab needed after a couple of indifferent novels in the life and times of Nick Stone. The sixth instalment in the Stone saga is arguably the most gripping so far, and returns to the seat-of-pants formula we were first
ONE of the best days of jump racing in years is expected at Haydock Park on Saturday. The second favourite for the Cheltenham Gold Cup is certain to appear - and the current Champion Hurdler has been entered in Haydock's major Cheltenham trial over hurdles
IF you love Catherine Cookson then you should find Nora Kay's family-based novels equally entertaining and Cuckoo in the Nest is no exception. In it we meet Jennifer, a precocious 15-year-old with the world on her shoulders -- her mother has died and
WORLD War Two offers a new life for a repressed young woman keen to escape from the daily drudge of her family's Blackpool guesthouse. And just what happens to Eunice Morton when she joins the Women's Land Army forms a heartwarming story by North-west
PETER Robinson's Inspector Banks classic whodunnit Caedmon's Song was first published in Canada in1990 and due to increased demand it is now available in the UK. On a balmy June night, Kirsten, a young university student, strolls home through a silent
VERNON Little is foul-mouthed, dirty-minded and contemptuous of the adult world. A regular Texan teenager, in other words, but one who has the ill-fortune to have befriended another boy who goes on a Columbine-style rampage through his school. When the
THIS is Danielle Steel's 59th novel. It sees 11-year-old Pip spending her summer alone on the beach, until she strikes up a friendship with artist, Matt Bowles, who begins to bring a little joy into the lives of Pip and her lonely, beautiful mother. Pip
IS it me or does the latest reality TV show on Channel 4 really take the biscuit for bad taste? Shattered started on Sunday involving a motley crew of 12 people who battle against each other for a potential prize pot of £100,000 by staying awake. Each
PLACING a Liverpool-born black Detective Inspector into a small police district in Devon smacks of contrivance. However Kate Ellis then proceeds to turn her detective, Wesley Peterson, into just a normal bobby -- with a wife and one small child and another
THIS is the perfect Christmas gift for any crime fiction fan. Critic Jakubowski offers up a page-turning compendium of British talent that has captured the imagination of readers around the world. Contributors include: Ian Rankin, Martina Cole, Peter
LYNNE Truss is a fanatic. Not one of those with a religious cause, although if you read her brilliant book you might think so. Her concern is punctuation, using it, putting it in the right places, caring for it. And the most remarkable thing of all is
It's Not a Rehearsal: Amanda Barrie the Autobiography SHE needs no introduction and was perhaps best known as Alma in Coronation Street. However Amanda Barrie's personal life is possibly more entertaining than life on the Street ever was for Alma Baldwin
Janey and Me, Growing Up With My Mother by Virginia Ironside £16.99 (hardback) Fourth Estate Books IS it every woman's fate to turn into her mother? Writer and journalist, Virginia Ironside still gets mistaken for hers, and she has been dead for years
SAM Allardyce has urged his happy Wanderers to prove that they are not a one-man-band. Skipper and playmaker Jay-Jay Okocha leaves for the African Nations Cup later this month and, although he will be sorely missed, the manager says his departure opens
GARY Neville says United face their toughest-ever Reebok challenge. The Bury-born England full-back believes it will be more than just the "derby" factor that makes them a force to be reckoned with. "Bolton will be difficult opponents," he said. "It's
EXTRA police have been drafted into Bolton on Wednesday for increased security for Wanderers' clash with Manchester United. More than 400 officers are on duty for the derby game, which kicks off at the Reebok Stadium at 8pm. And police chiefs warned fans
SAM Allardyce believes his side needs a mean streak to get the results their performances deserve. Wanderers have received widespread praise for the quality of their play this season, but the manager is disappointed with their position in the Premiership
SAM Allardyce believes Javi Moreno could have as big an impact as Youri Djorkaeff at Wanderers writes Neil Bonnar The 29-year-old striker arrived on loan from Atletico Madrid on Monday and immediately impressed the Reebok boss with his fitness levels.
DISRUPTIVE teenagers excluded from Bolton schools are being given new roles -- teaching younger pupils. Three youngsters are being allowed back into the classroom in an innovative scheme to teach basic maths to eight-year-old children at a primary school
A SLIDE lecture by Chris Schofield, "Indian Ocean Odyssey", about the Aldabra Islands of the Seychelles will be held by the Bolton Field Naturalists' Society in the Lancaster Suite at Bolton Town Hall at 7.30pm on Monday, January 12. Entrance by the ramped
BOLTON Stalls for Animals' canopy sale, held in Victoria Square, on December 9 raised £569 which will be shared among several animal charities.
REVELLER Michael Costello, aged 30, of Renshaw Drive, Bury, spent the first hours of 2004 in a police cell after shouting abuse at nightclub doormen in Bury on New Year's Eve. Magistrates fined him £80 with £68 costs for being drunk and disorderly. Costello
A WOMAN psychotherapist denied shooting a Radcliffe man when she appeared in court. Heather Stephenson-Snell, aged 45, of Crombie Avenue, York, is charged with the murder of 43-year-old Robert Wilkie. He died from a single gunshot wound outside his girlfriend's
POLICE are warning people in Adlington to be vigilant after reports of a possible bogus caller in the area. The man, described as white, in his 50s, with grey hair and wearing a brown raincoat and waterproof hat, has been calling on houses claiming to
TWO benefit cheats who claimed thousands of pounds in benefits have been given prison sentences by Bolton magistrates. Debra Shuttleworth, aged 43, of Ashworth Lane, Bolton, was jailed for four months, and Yvonne Scholes, aged 34, of Louisa Street, Bolton
CHIEF Soccer Writer Gordon Sharrock will be reporting exclusively for this web site from the Reebok on Wednesday. He will be filing team news shortly before the kick off, a half-time report and a full-time match report from the Reebok. Reaction and The
THE league re-started on Wednesday with the first round of the pairs knockout. All results must be in the box at the Sharman Arms no later than 8pm the Sunday. PREMIER DIVISION Crofters Nomads... 9 7 2 44 19 58 Staff of Life... 9 7 2 41 24 49 Brown Cow
HOLDING back the years is something which many people worry about these days. Dr Miriam Stoppard, with her enduringly youthful looks, does not appear to be one of them. So, she is probably an excellent choice to write this book. It's a clever book because
BEST-selling novellist Ruth Hamilton is unashamedly Boltonian through and through. She may have lived on Merseyside for many years, but her heart belongs here. And her powerful writing skill keeps her home town alive in her copious imagination. Through
THE name's Joules. Olivia Joules, the latest ass-kicking, fast-living action hero. Except that where James Bond leaves swooning women and smoking guns this girl leaves a trail of panting men and perfume. And the differences don't stop there. Where Q kits
IF ever a man looked like the face of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll it is Keith Richards. The Rolling Stones' lead guitarist has the ravaged appearance of a man who has worn out a couple of bodies. His excesses and eccentricities prompted confident prediction
Squires Gate 1 Leigh RMI 3:THREE first-half goals saw Leigh RMI ease through their second round Lancashire Marsden Trophy tie at Squires Gate on Tuesday night. David McNiven gave RMI the lead in the opening seconds, before Damien Whitehead converted a
IT'S great to be back! Heart transplant schoolgirl Amy Morris settled back behind her desk on Tuesday just three months after undergoing life-saving surgery. Her delighted friends at Washacre Primary School, Westhoughton, gave her a warm welcome and then
ELDERLY widow Doris Brown, aged 87, has been left heartbroken after thieves stole war medals belonging to her husband and father. The thieves struck when Doris left her Oldham house unoccupied after moving into a care home. Doris's father Stanley Beaumont
FAMILY and friends of a Bolton athlete who died in a jet ski accident paid a fitting tribute after they took part in a charity run in Spain. Fourteen family members and friends ran the Benidorm Half Marathon in memory of father-of-five Ian Hales. He died
A FILM premier of a different kind takes place in Bolton on Wednesday. Young people let the cameras do the talking when they were asked to give their views on the Farnworth area. The project was aimed at encouraging children to become involved in local
DISRUPTIVE teenagers excluded from Bolton schools are being given new roles -- teaching younger pupils. Three youngsters are being allowed back into the classroom in an innovative scheme to teach basic maths to eight-year-old children at a primary school
BOLTON RSPB Group will leave winter far behind for their first slide show of the year, when Adam Davison features birdwatching in Kenya. It is at Smithills School, Smithills Dean Road on Thursday, January 8, at 7.30pm and non-members are welcome. On Saturday
THE sales of Peter Kay's live DVD recorded at the Bolton Albert Halls have passed the million mark. This is no surprise to anyone who, like us, bought a copy. We took it to our daughter in New Zealand for Christmas (we were over visiting our new twin
IT must have seemed like drunken fun at the time. Popster Britney Spears married childhood pal Jason Alexander at the Little White Wedding chapel in Las Vegas. Apparently, it was at 5am after a boozy night out and the bride wore torn jeans, bare midriff
WELL done to all involved in the record-breaking panto at Bolton's Albert Halls. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs is the highest ever grossing panto in the town with 30,000 theatregoers expected to attend by the time the run ends. It's a wonderfully traditional
MANCHESTER Phoenix head coach Rick Brebant reflected upon results last weekend and the part played so far this season by his locally trained players. "You know what," he said, "right now, I can"t praise these guys too highly. The Elite League mandate
IHAVE been asked by my grand-daughter time and time again what was on the site before The Water Place was built? I can't remember, and every person I have asked doesn't know either. Surely someone out there must know. Can anyone help? Mrs A Halstead Luton
CONGRATULATIONS to the photographer who took the Snow Party picture on the front page of the Bolton Evening News on Thursday, January 1. It certainly captured the spirit of New Year's Eve, plus weather. You have published many excellent pictures over
NO, Alan, you are not alone in your revulsion (no doubt tinged with sadness) to the cheating opportunists of Tottington (Calvert's Diary, December 29). Whatever happened to that little man known as "conscience" -- does he not sit on shoulders any more
TWO days before Christmas I decided to go to the local gym to get fit. I was looking forward to a stress-free hour or so. Hopes of relaxation turned to trauma. I carefully locked my personal belongings in the lockers provided by the sports centre, and
I WOULD like to support the views of J L Young (Bolton Evening News, December 30) as I feel that Christmas is meaningless to many people today, especially children. A minister friend of mine, when he goes into a local primary school to give an RE lesson
FARNWORTH Social Circle and Horwich got off to impressive starts in the Bolton Cricket League's Anthony Axford Indoor Trophy -- but the competition has been diluted by two withdrawals. Little Lever failed to appear for last Sunday's opening first round
A VISIT to Pizza Express pretty much lives up to its name: a wide range of pizzas served swiftly and efficiently. But that's doing the Bolton branch of this national chain a disservice, as there is a lot more on the menu than pizzas and service throughout
ANNA Jacobs grew up in Lancashire before emigrating to Australia and the influence of this early heritage shows in her books. Her latest Our Mary Ann (Hodder & Stoughton £18.99) chronicles the hard life of a young illegitimate lass. Abused by her
ROBIN Cook must rate as one of the few authors whose capacity to come up with a gripping story is as strong today as it was when he wrote the famous Coma -- which later became an equally famous film. His latest thriller sees a top American politician
THE TEN Word Game is the latest Lovejoy novel by Bolton-born author Jonathan Gash. After stealing one of his own forgeries from the Marquis of Gotham, antiques dealer Lovejoy is on the run. With the bounty hunter David Buddy hot on his trail, Lovejoy
BOLTON'S libraries are extending their opening hours, all libraries will open at 9am. Farnworth, Little Lever, Harwood, Horwich, Westhoughton and High Street will be open on Saturday, until 5pm. Blackrod, Halliwell, Heaton, Astley Bridge, Marsh Lane and
SCHOOLS have my sympathy on the junk food dilemma. Vending machines mean much-needed revenue for them. Yet, obesity levels in children are appalling. Now, with the latest news that one in 12 children will be obese by the age of six, some schools are considering
SCANDINAVIAN style is something so familiar and so pervasive that you may not even realise how much of the world we live in has been shaped by its influence. Leading Scandinavian designers such as Alvar Alto, Arne Jacobsen and Eero Saarinnen have been
LIBRARY users can now renew their borrowed books 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the touch of a button. Bolton libraries have introduced a new system where borrowers use the keys on their touchtone telephones. By dialling 01204 332384 and then selecting
WHEN will Government finally acknowledge that the British people are deeply unhappy with laws that seem to take away householders' rights and give them to criminals? A Radio 4 poll asking which single change in the UK law people would like to see on the
IN a world where the majority of programmes are recorded and perfected before they reach us, it is hard to imagine an era when every radio and TV programme went out live. Yet this was the situation as late as the 1950s. If a show was repeated, the cast
HERE'S the story of how one of the world's bestselling suspense authors realised her dream of becoming a writer. Even as a young girl, growing up in the Bronx, Mary Higgins Clark knew she wanted to be a writer. The gift of storytelling was a part of her
EVERYONE has got their favourite Blue member and whether it's Antony, Duncan, Lee or Simon, there are lots of super pictures and behind-the-scenes interviews in this book to keep everyone happy. For the first time, Blue are letting their fans share their
THE Boxer rebellion in China was a fearsome bloodbath. I have missionary friends whose families escaped by the skin of their teeth. So this book, which deals with the background to the rebellion, is a fascinating glimpse of how those non-nationals in
AT FIRST sight Hard Rain by Barry Eisler did not strike me as the type of novel I would enjoy. With a plot that centred around the shadowy exploits of a freelance assassin, John Rain, who is attempting to retire to a more conventional life in Japan, I
EXTRA police will be drafted into Bolton on Wednesday for increased security for Wanderers' clash with Manchester United. More than 400 officers will be on duty for the derby game, which kicks off at the Reebok Stadium at 8pm. And police chiefs warned
HAVING scored vital goals to set up two successive mind-blowing victories at Old Trafford, it is hardly surprising that a derby duel with Manchester United holds no fears for Kevin Nolan. Most 21-year-olds might quake at the prospect of facing one of
LEIGH people interested in a career in childcare have the opportunity to find out more at a training a careers fair at Leigh Library on January 15. The event runs between 10am and 3pm and professional people in the early years and childcare services will
AGE Concern is to hold an advice session on issues relating to gas and electricity at its Ashburner Street centre in Bolton on Thursday, January 24, between 10am and noon. Specialist advisers from "Energywatch", the gas and electricity watchdog will answer
A FAMILY pet prevented thieves from burgling a house in Adlington. The attempted break-ins took place in The Avenue area of the village between 6.30pm on Friday, December 12, and noon on Saturday, December 13. Thieves tried to get into the semi-detached
A TEENAGER has been charged with the murder of a 20-year-old man in Eccles. Jamie Roscoe, aged 19, of Cliftonville Drive, Swinton, was appearing before Salford magistrates today accused of killing Simon David Bateman. Police were called to Mr Bateman's
PUB landlord Carl Andrew Burgess appeared in court after a row with his partner. Burgess, aged 35, of the Market Street Tavern, Stoneclough, appeared before Bolton magistrates and admitted a breach of the peace. The court was told that police were called
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a thief reached over a pensioner's shoulder and grabbed her purse from her handbag. The 66-year-old woman was approached from behind by the man as she walked along Crompton Way, near Bolton North fire station,
(Serves 4) 800-900g small clams, mussels or cockles 3 tablespoons corn or peanut oil 210g onions, peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon very finely grated, fresh peeled ginger 7 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed to a pulp 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1
(Serves 4) 4 partridges 250g sweet grapes, halved and deseeded if necessary 45g butter 4 squares of pork back fat, or 4-6 rashers of streaky bacon 150ml Madeira, or a medium-sweet white wine 100ml game or chicken stock 85g walnut halves Salt and pepper
EVAN Hunter is a man of many personalities. He has written books under seven different aliases, not including his given name. Best known for his 87th Precinct police procedural novels -- written as Ed McBain -- Barking at Butterflies and Other Stories
A NEW chapter has begun in the life of Harwood Library after it became the first in Bolton to open on a Sunday. Scores of people, young and old, turned up to take advantage of the extended opening hours. Bookworms scoured the shelves for a good read,
ANYONE who is not aware of Paul Burrell's book A Royal Duty (£17.99 Penguin hardback) about Princess Diana must either have been marooned on the Soyuz space station or in a cave in the Andes. The book has been the subject of so much hype with its "should
IN between coaching tennis, playing the odd round of golf and jetting between Florida and Devon, Gordon Lomax has found time to write his second book. His first, Musings Of A Black Pudding Man was a best seller at Sweetens Bookshop on Deansgate, Bolton
IT was at a school assembly shortly after Hillary and Tensing had conquered Mount Everest that the leader of the expedition, Sir John Hunt, was the speaker. He endeared himself to us by announcing he had persuaded the head to give us all an extra day
YOU'VE heard of coffee table books? Well, this massive tome is hefty enough to be a table in its own right. At the outset, author and Who buff Justin Richards stresses that the book is not an exhaustive dissection of the series and its impact on popular
MEMBERS of Bolton Conservation Volunteers have a packed programme of activities lined up for the New Year. On Wednesday and Thursday they will be at Doffcocker Lodge coppicing the causeway to make space for more reedbeds and then on January 14, 15, 21
SIXTIES soul legends the Drifters have announced they are to play the Albert Halls in Bolton as part of their tour of the UK. The superstar group -- which once featured the likes of Ben E. King, Clyde McPhatter and Johnny Moor -- enjoyed 29 top 40 singles
STEVE Foster hit a hat-trick for Radcliffe Borough as they beat Blackpool Mechanics 3-0 in their Lancashire Marsden Trophy tie on Tuesday night.
THE sinister, murky world of espionage is laid bare in this revised and updated edition of Philip Knightley's powerful book about spies and spying in the 20th century. The author is cynical about the intelligence business, not least about its efficacy
MORE than 80 people were injured in road accidents in Bolton over Christmas and New Year. Figures excluding the final week of this year's campaign have revealed that 72 people were injured. Police expect the number to have reached 84 by the time the final
A MAJOR search was sparked after an eight-year-old girl went missing from her Bolton school during lunchtime. Sophie Mann turned up at St Osmunds School in Blenheim Street, Breightmet, as usual on Tuesday morning but later disappeared. Sophie was last
WANDERERS legend Roy Hartle is selling his treasured football mementoes. The collection -- estimated to be worth £12,000 -- includes his 1958 FA Cup winner's medal which he won in Wanderers famous 2-0 victory over Manchester United. The footballer, nicknamed
RESIDENTS who have seen the felling of more than 20 large trees say they have witnessed environmental vandalism. A total of 23 mature trees -- including beech, horsechestnut, yew, oak and fir -- have been destroyed at a property on the edge of Jumbles
THE mother of a Bolton soldier found dead with a gunshot wound to the head is calling for an independent inquiry into his death. Sapper Philip Eden, a 25-year-old bomb disposal expert serving with the 33 Engineering Regiment EOD, was found dead at Carver
THE body of Manchester doctor Richard Stevens has been found by walkers in the Lake District - six months after he went missing. Dr Stevens, from Sale, was last seen on July 21 last year when he arrived for work at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital
A SLIDE lecture by Chris Schofield, "Indian Ocean Odyssey", about the Aldabra Islands of the Seychelles will be held by the Bolton Field Naturalists' Society in the Lancaster Suite at Bolton Town Hall at 7.30pm on Monday, January 12. Entrance by the ramped
LATEST details U12 PG Division: (Sunday, January 11) Bolton County Aces v Leigh RMI Jnrs. U11 JSB Division P W D L F A GD Pt Deans Youth... 10 9 1 0 59 7 52 28 Ramsbottom... 10 8 1 1 53 9 44 25 Rooftec Rangers... 12 8 0 4 41 24 17 24 Farnworth Boys...
IT is shameful for anyone to infer that the current row over a name change for Bolton to Bolton-le-Moors has any link at all with Council elections. This plan is, of course, a well-thought out, practical suggestion that has already met with complete accord
SIR Alex Fergsuon lightened the mood ahed of Wednesday's Reebok clash when he picked up on Okocha having delayed his departure for the Nations Cup Finals. Fergie is a huge fan of Allardyce and there was a broad smile across the Scot's face when he noted
