The Bury Times - Keeping you up-to-date with the latest news, sport and video reports

Stories for 28 December 1999

Accrington News

Hoax ambulance calls 'put lives at risk'

ACCRINGTON ambulance chiefs today blasted hoax callers after receiving two malicious 999 calls.  more...

Hunt for petrol thief driving Jaguar

DETECTIVES investigating two thefts from service stations by a man in a Jaguar believe they are connected.  more...

Blackburn Leisure

FIVE YEARS AGO: Holiday bargains

A HOLIDAY price war was expected to spell thousands of bargains for East Lancashire sun-seekers.  more...

10 YEARS AGO: Danger dolls seized

KILLER dolls were handed out to more than 120 children by an unsuspecting Santa.  more...

Events in East Lancashire on Wednesday, December 29th

Dance Night Out Millennium Party Night, King George's Hall, Blackburn.  more...

Blackburn News

Seminar bridges community cash gap

WAYS of funding community environmental projects will be discussed at a seminar in Lancashire next month.  more...

Treasured memories

BACK in the summer, a group of schools accepted our invitation to write their own articles reflecting life in school at the end of the 20th century.  more...

PULSE SPECIAL: Angry amateurs who left a lasting impression

PUNK took a generation of East Lancashire youngsters by the scruff of the neck - and although they may now have nine to five jobs and families, there are still enough fanatical ex-punk followers to fill East Lancashire venues when cult acts hit the comeback trail. ACCRINGTON band SCHOOLGIRL BITCH were typical of the working-class youths who voiced their disillusionment with society through the rough and ready medium of punk rock.  more...

Fight for the pound may save Tories

POOR William Hague. Having had his Christmas spoiled by the defection to Labour of former front-bencher Shaun Woodward and the scab being picked off the Tories' sleaze sore by Lord Archer and the Neil Hamilton libel case, he now heads to the New Year with the party facing a new battle in its civil war over Europe.  more...

Shoppers defy logic

AS the Millennium approaches and experts predict big changes in the way we live, the holiday rush to the sales shows old habits die hard.  more...

Woman faints in crush as sales begin

A WOMAN was taken to hospital after fainting as the traditional sales rush got under way at major stores in East Lancashire.  more...

Meningitis kills labourer, 30

A FAMILY have spent the festive season in mourning after a loved one was struck down by the killer bug meningitis.  more...

Gold stars all round for 'good' school

STAFF at a primary school in Blackburn enjoyed an even happier Christmas after being told by independent inspectors that they are running a "good school."  more...

Christmas calls for help rise

VOLUNTEERS for the Samaritans were kept busy over Christmas providing a listening ear for people with problems.  more...

Robber threatens grocer with axe

AN armed robber made off with cash from the till of a grocery store after threatening the 41-year-old shop assistant with an axe.  more...

Armed arrest ends family visit

A VISIT to see his estranged wife and four children ended with George Toomey being arrested by armed police.  more...

Forgotten fund boosts charities

A TEAM of toolmakers have made a couple of grand presentations.  more...

Blackburn Sport

Davis in clear for Clarets cup showdown

CLARETS defensive lynchpin Steve Davis will be in the clear to face Coventry City in the fourth-round of the FA Cup - just.  more...

NON-LEAGUE SOCCER: Accrington Stanley 1 Radcliffe Borough 3

STANLEY crashed to defeat at home to third-placed Radcliffe Borough in a match which saw them hit the woodwork six times.  more...

SNOOKER: Justin's ton-up.

THERE'S just no stopping 16-year-old whiz kid Justin Astley in the Darwen Hotels Snooker League. He followed up league breaks of 96 and 94 with a spectacular 104 in the 7-1 win over Uncle Jack's. It was the highest break ever in the Darwen League, pipping his practice partner and mentor Dave Houghton's 103.  more...

NON-LEAGUE SOCCER: Darwen 0 Bacup Boro 3

STEVE Wilkes' pacesetters had their unbeaten home league record snatched away by a buoyant Borough whose victory hauled them back into the promotion picture.  more...

NON-LEAGUE SOCCER: Chorley 3 Farsley Celtic 0

TWO second half strikes from former Blackpool front man Neil Mitchell clinched Chorley's first league double of the season.  more...

NON-LEAGUE SOCCER: Nelson 1 Colne 0

IT TOOK a Mark Robinson special to brighten up this festive local derby in front of a bumper crowd of 180 spectators at Victoria Park on Bank Holiday Monday.  more...

SOCCER: Bury preview

ANDY Preece's revived Bury were looking to make it three straight wins when they visited bottom of the table Chesterfield today.  more...

LOCAL CRICKET: Harper poser

CLIVE Lloyd's decision to step down as West Indies manager could pose professional problems for Lancashire League champions Nelson.  more...

HORSE RACING: Stable Whispers with Captain Harry Barlow

RIBBLE Assembly ran a good race at Wetherby yesterday coming fourth in the opening novice hurdle.  more...

Get behind our champ

I SINCERELY hope that R Jeeves (Sports Letters, December 21) is prepared for the onslaught of hate mail he will have no doubt generated in decrying one of the world's greatest-ever sportsmen.  more...

Boss has given me lift says Duff

FLYING winger Damien Duff believes Tony Parkes is responsible for putting the fizz firmly back into Blackburn Rovers promotion campaign.  more...

Big Col has role to play

HAVING witnessed Rovers' 2-1 defeat at Sheffield United, it is now more apparent than ever that Colin Hendry is desperately needed at Blackburn Rovers.  more...

Davis in clear for FA Cup showdown

CLARETS defensive lynchpin Steve Davis will be in the clear to face Coventry City in the fourth-round of the FA Cup - just.  more...

Down by the Riverside

A fan's-eye view from Ewood Park, with Phil Lloyd  more...

Hat's off to Stan's men

I AM writing to congratulate Stan Ternent and his players for the excellent display at Derby.  more...

Cummings and Goings

A fan's-eye view from Turf Moor, with Stephen Cummings  more...

Bolton Leisure

What's on in and around Bolton,Wednesday, 28.12.99

LEISURE, SPORT & KEEP FIT BOLTON Excel, Lower Bridgeman Street, tel: 334456: ladies only, 1.30pm-3pm; aerobics, 6pm-7pm; yoga, 7.30pm-9pm.  more...

REVIEW: Singin' in the Rain. West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds

Runs until February 5 DON'T miss this.  more...

Bolton News

From the BEN files

25 YEARS AGO  more...

Thousands go to 'half-price' sales

TILLS jingled as thousands of bargain hunters swarmed on Bolton town centre yesterday to make the most of the last sale of the century.  more...

'Safe school route' decision slammed

AN angry parent has blasted education chiefs for declaring a busy lane as a safe walking route to school for children. Tom Heath is angry because councillors made their decision after taking a mini-bus along the lane mid morning. He says they should be forced to walk the full length of the lane at the same time as the children go to and from school.  more...

Make the effort to help the elderly

BOLTON people are being urged to make a special New Year resolution - to help lonely local pensioners.  more...

A New Year of hope for Kosovan family

AS the world prepares for a new Millennium there are still hundreds of thousands of displaced people who have had to flee their native homelands. Reporter DAVID CROOKES spoke to a family of Kosovan refugees who are making a new life in Bolton. THE middle-aged man peered cautiously around the door of his home and stared into the grey weather of the icy cold street. Wearing a jumper and jeans and with his hair neatly combed, Ajet Zhitia flung the door wide open and extended his welcome. There were no obvious clues, except perhaps for his muffled, foreign-sounding voice, to show that the man perched anxiously in his hallway with one half of his body feeling the biting cold and the other enjoying the warmth of central heating had literally escaped from a man-made hell just six months ago.  more...

Firework warning for New Year

HEALTH bosses are issuing a stern warning to revellers expected to bring in the Millennium with a bang.  more...

Why Paul's swingin' in the rain!

By Doreen Crowther, Showbusiness Correspondent THE star of a top, smash-hit musical is from Bolton.  more...

Residents bay for new spaces

FED up residents from St Helens Road have taken their fight for parking bays to the top.  more...

OPINION: Kicking the habit

NOW that the first part of this year's special festive celebrations are over, thoughts will be turning to the New Year.  more...

Jill's dream comes true as she becomes Big Top boss

FAMILY ties with Chorley Old Road Methodists go back along way for Jill Standish and her family, but she never dreamed she would be running the place.  more...

THE DAILY POEM: Christmas Day

There was a census, through that land,  more...

The big jet away

PEOPLE have been flocking to Bolton's travel agents in a last minute bid to get away for the Millennium.  more...

THE DAILY POEM:Cool Yule

CHRISTMAS time is nearly here  more...

Areas set to get it together

LITTLE Hulton and Walkden could be joined together under a shake-up in the number of community committees operating throughout Salford.  more...

THE DAILY POEM

We have cause to remember at Christmas,  more...

Bid to clean up water ways

WATER watchdogs are hoping for a green new year in the hope that Bolton people will resist dumping their unwanted Christmas items in the town's rivers.  more...

Education action man is picked

SCHOOLS and community leaders have chosen the man they want to spearhead the new education action zone in Bolton next year.  more...

A new face for the New Year

CHILDREN at a Bolton primary school will be ringing in the Millennium in style.  more...

Vicar prepares for African mission

A VICAR is preparing himself for a change of scenery - from Little Lever to Africa.  more...

Save the hedgehogs

THE RUBBISH collection after Christmas always seems massive but, what looks to us like the debris at the end of a feast, is the ideal spot for a Christmas dinner to many a small mammal. Bin bags are easily torn and, once inside, a little hedgehog in search of a snack can have a wonderful time. Unfortunately it can also find itself in a whole heap of trouble.  more...

Top rating for housing

AS was widely reported last week, Bolton Council received an excellent housing capital settlement from Central Government which will enable us to make significant headway into improving the quality of Bolton's housing stock.  more...

Pensioners are seeking justice, not handouts

I WOULD like to reply to my and others' detractors who label us without any knowledge - always the tactic of the ignorant and biased! They don't know the meaning of objectivity. Has it occurred to these people, who criticise us for asking for justice for pensioners, that it isn't for ourselves?  more...

A chance to scan the scanner

THE FULL body scanner at Booth Hall Children's Hospital, provided by the generosity of the people of the North West, will be 10 years old at the beginning of January 2000.  more...

Boom town: 17,000 now employed in the leisure industry in

Bolton BOLTON is booming with hundreds of jobs created in the town's leisure and retail industry over the last 12 months.  more...

Support plea from club

I APPEAL to sports fans in general, rugby fans in particular and also ex-citizens of Hull.  more...

Madalina's Christmas trip is a capital idea

ROMANIAN youngster Madalina Zapodeanu's dream 'to see the Queen and Big Ben' was granted today - thanks to the kind-hearted boss of an international airline. The eight-year-old who has been staying in Bolton for the past two years with Kath and David Richardson while she undergoes medical treatment on her arm has always wanted to visit London. So after seeing the boss of easyJet - Stelios Haji-loannou - on the television, the couple contacted him.  more...

Thanks for the memory

IN your picture of the two little girls at the water pump, the girl with the bucket is me - Mary Varley, six years old. The girl with the pram is my sister, Ellen.  more...

Angry clash at Holcombe Hunt

FURIOUS huntsmen and anti-blood sport demonstrators exchanged angry words at the start of the annual Holcombe Hunt.  more...

We can't wait

RECENTLY, accompanied by four of my grandchildren, I visited the Octagon Theatre to see their production of Hansel and Gretel.  more...

Need for care puts service in crisis

AN alarming rise in the number of vulnerable youngsters needing care has pushed Salford City social services to "potential crisis".  more...

Shocked neighbour mourns death of car crash couple

A DEVASTATED pensioner has told how she wished her neighbours of 50 years a Merry Christmas and never saw them again.  more...

Town's sweet sound of musical success

MUSIC teachers in Bolton are celebrating an encore after winning a major cash boost for the second year running.  more...

Town faces 'healthy future'

A DECADE after inheriting a stagnant leisure industry, Peter Stybelski believes Bolton is now a "happening place."  more...

Stub it out now!

BOLTON South East MP Brian Iddon is urging smokers to make a millennium resolution to "snub-out" their cigarettes.  more...

School that did do better

STAFF at a Bolton primary school have taken the usual 'could do better' messages to heart and made good progress since their last inspection.  more...

Friends bring hospital cheer

THE plight of a Farnworth woman facing Christmas alone after her husband was rushed to hospital in Halifax has touched the hearts of local people.  more...

Bolton Sport

CROSS COUNTRY: Horwich take the honours

HORWICH completed the South East Lancs Cross Country League with the club's women dominating as a team and the men's U50 team also taking a series win.  more...

NON-LEAGUE SOCCER: Late goal blow for RMI

Marine 1, Leigh RMI 1 IT is as you were at the top of the UniBond Premier Division after a 1-1 draw at Rossett Park yesterday.  more...

Early workout for new boy

WANDERERS new boy Paul Ritchie experienced an unusual first day to his Wanderers career.  more...

Brown's early warning: Wanderers must watch for danger signs . . .

WANDERERS were today warned to be wary of the hidden dangers posed by crisis club West Brom.  more...

RUGBY LEAGUE: Leigh boss praises fans

LEIGH Centurions' fans have been publicly praised for their support during Boxing Day's Hilton Park thriller against Widnes Vikings.  more...

Burnley News

Flying start for 'poorest pupils'

CHILDREN who live in East Lancashire's poorest areas are to be given a flying start in their schooling, thanks to a £3million scheme pioneered in Darwen.  more...

Nightclub gutted in mystery blaze

FIREFIGHTERS are investigating the cause of a blaze which gutted a popular Padiham nightspot early today.  more...

Shoppers get cash boost from survey

THREE shoppers in Nelson received some unexpected extra Christmas spending money after they took part in a survey of shopping habits.  more...

Colne News

Decision soon on opposed pub plan

A DECISION on whether a former 'talking shop' can be converted into an eating house and pub is expected within a month.  more...

Nelson News

Marsden's marvels

STEVE Marsden, managing director of Nelson-based Marsden Engineering, has always maintained that it is the people within an organisation who make it successful.  more...

Rawtenstall News

One mad dash!

WACKY racers braved the wind and rain and made a Boxing Day dash up one of Rossendale's fells.  more...

  
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