A LOOK back at some of the articles published in The Radcliffe Times 50 years ago includes a dog saved from drowning and an annual display of Christian unity.

A 16-YEAR-OLD Radcliffe youth jumped almost fully clothed into the Bury Bolton Canal at the Water Street Bridge on Sunday afternoon to rescue a drowning dog which was unable to climb out of the water.

John Harvey, who lives in Lord Street, was walking towards Bolton Street with a friend, soon after the annual procession of witness had finished, when they noticed a crowd of people watching a dog in the canal.

"At first I thought it was just swimming about", said John.

Then realising that the animal was in difficulties, he took off his shoes, jacket and pullover and jumped in to rescue the dog.

Once in the water John sought the reason the dog was floundering about.

"I thought it must have become tangled up in a submerged wire or something", he said.

Discovering that the dog was not trapped, he assumed the animal was unable to scramble up the concrete sides of the canal, causing it to panic.

It could also have been in the water some time.

John said it was quite a simple matter to push the dog, which he described as an all white terrier-type mongrel, up to the waiting people on the bank.

When safely back on solid ground, the animal immediately staggered away.

John said later: "I am not sure who owns the dog. If it were to happen again I would probably do the same."

GLORIOUS sunshine and clear skies greeted the thousands of Radcliffe people who turned out on Sunday for the annual procession of witness, some to walk with the church contingents and many more to line the route as spectators of one of the town's most important annual events.

Down the years the walks have provided a unique opportunity for the Protestant churches of the town to demonstrate their unity.

BY a majority of nine votes to four, members of the Radcliffe Public Library Committee on Monday night, elected Councillor Jack Franks as their chairman for the eighth successive year.

They did so in the face of opposition from the council Labour group who at a recent caucus meeting had declined to recommend Cllr Franks for the position.

Cllr Franks has since resigned from the group and to form an Independent Labour group.

He was returned to the chair at the committee's first meeting of the year.