THE ever-popular East Lancashire Railway Santa Steam Special trains will run every weekend until December 21, beginning this Saturday. This Saturday and Sunday, visitors will get a fare reduction of £2. The service will also be extended to run on the
A NEW TV advertising campaign could help reduce Bury’s alarming toll of six deaths a week from smoking-releated diseases. Timed to air in the early evening when both parents and their children are most likely to be watching together, the adverts will
THE borough’s environmental champions have been honoured in Bury’s premier awards event. More than 250 guests packed the Longfield Suite in Prestwich to herald the 11th annual Groundwork Environmental and Community Awards and dinner. The awards covered
RESIDENTS in Seddon Avenue will start their Christmas celebrations with a party on Saturday. Homes have been decorated with festive lights, which will be officially switched on at 6pm followed by the party.
A FESTIVE day with a variety of entertainment will mark the start of Christmas in Radcliffe town centre. The fun day starts at 12.45pm on Saturday when Radcliffe Brass Band perform in the band stand on the piazza. They will be followed with performances
IT’S the perfect ten for a thriving Bury recruitment company as it celebrates its first decade in business. HC Recruitment bosses say their strict customer-focused approach and concentration on exceeding their clients’ expectations are the hallmarks
BURY have swooped to sign Aldershot defender Dean Howell on a one-month loan deal. Howell, who has been playing at left-back this season, will go straight into the squad for Saturday's clash with Accrington Stanley. Full story to follow
ELDERLY residents are set for a special treat thanks to children on the Springs estate. For members of the kids clubs at the New Springs Activity Centre will hold a clothes sale and coffee morning from 10am to 2pm at the centre in Dorset Drive, Bury,
ELDERLY residents are set for a special treat thanks to children on the Springs estate. For members of the kids clubs at the New Springs Activity Centre will hold a clothes sale and coffee morning from 10am to 2pm at the centre in Dorset Drive, Bury,
ALAN Knill has challenged his players to cement their places in the starting line-up by winning games and firing a promotion push. Glynn Hurst, with two goals, and Ben Futcher impressed when restored to the starting 11 in the 4-0 defeat of Gillingham
A BURY headteacher has spoken about the exciting challenge and the opportunity ahead to create a new Derby High School as it approaches its 50th anniversary. At the school’s presentation evening held at Bury Town Hall, Mrs Alyson Byrne spoke in detail
A LIFELONG member of the Scout movement in Radcliffe has died at the age of 78. John Crossley, who lived in Radcliffe, became a well-known face in the town when he re-started the 10th Radcliffe (New Jerusalem) Cub pack in the 1940s. He died at Fairfield
TWO elderly people foiled bogus workmen who tried to claim money for work they had not done. An 85-year-old woman was approached by a man on Monday, November 17 claiming he had completed work on the guttering of her home in Grindsbrook Road, Radcliffe
TOMORROW’S lunchtime concert at Bury Parish Church features Jeremy Plummer accompanying Debby Plummer and Hayley Jackson in a feast of arias and songs. Composers include Handel, Gounod and Mozart plus folk songs by Peter Warlock and songs from
CHRIST Church Ainsworth Primary School, in Tommy Lane, will hold its Christmas fair from 11am to 2pm on Saturday.
EXECUTIVE headteacher Diana Morton has spoken for the first time about the future of Radcliffe Riverside High School. Speaking exclusively to the Radcliffe Times, she welcomed proposals to form a partnership with Derby High School. But she had ‘serious
The Radcliffe Times put these questions to Bury Council. Here are their answers: What will happen to pupils at Radcliffe Riverside High School if it does close in 2010? There are plans for the Derby and Radcliffe Riverside to work together to ensure
A TAXI driver was attacked and robbed after picking up passengers from a house in Radcliffe. Paul Nkunzimana was working for United Private Hire when he collected two men and a woman from School Street at around 4.40am on Saturday. The three people
SARAH Sargent is the new head at the Dumers Lane base of Bury’s biggest private employer, O2 Customer Service Centre. She has a strong background in customer service in banking and financial services. Hailing from Northumbria, she joined the Bank of
A FURIOUS cab driver is demanding an apology after being handed a parking fine while helping a disabled passenger. Afzal Hussain parked up on Tithebarn Street around midday last Friday to assist a wheelchair passenger who wanted to use the cash machine
TOMORROW’S lunchtime concert at Bury Parish Church features Jeremy Plummer accompanying Debby Plummer and Hayley Jackson in a feast of arias and songs. Composers include Handel, Gounod and Mozart plus folk songs by Peter Warlock and songs from musicals
A STOLEN van crashed into a garden fence in Bury after being pursued by police. The white Ford Transit van was stolen from Hanson Close Industrial Estate in Middleton at 1.15pm on Friday. A tracker was fitted to the van and police started
HAVING lived in the local area for 80 years, I would point out to those objecting to the relocation of Holcombe Brooks Sports Club that when they moved into this area they did so into houses built on our green fields. Even the green has gone out of
An Englishman’s home was once his castle and perceived problems were met with offers of help. Why then do your correspondents (‘Hall in a sorry state’, Letters, November 13) think that it is acceptable to peer through the windows of my home and pass judgement
With reference to the readers letter in the Bury Times edition of November 20 regarding Moorgate Primary Care Centre, we welcome the feedback provided. Moorgate Primary Care Centre is a flagship development and the first of a number of state of the
EFE Sodje says it is imperative that the Shakers stay injury-free if they want to maintain their promotion push. Bury are just one point from a play-off place in League Two, but Sodje knows that the squad will be pushed to the limit if injuries or suspensions
I am sure I must have been one of the last people to ask an open question from the council chamber’s public gallery. I am therefore very disappointed at the current ruling administration’s attempt to dilute democracy by ensuring you can only submit written
Passing through Tottington on November 11, I paused by the war memorial and was shocked and saddened to see that Bury Council had not seen fit to take down their Green Parks flag and raise the Union Jack. This seems to actively demonstrate the lack of
For Matthew Fitton and Sophie Mason, both aged 15, have been chosen to represent Great Britain in a contest this weekend. They will don their protective clothing and compete against hundreds of other youngsters from around the world in Cabries
IT was ‘back to school’ for Greenmount Evening WI at our November meeting when we enjoyed a talk by Mr David Cook entitled Humour in Education. He regaled us with tales of his own schooldays and also his experiences as a schoolteacher in Stretford.
BROAD Oak pupils were shown the Olympian spirit when Ed Clancy presented them with prizes. The Beijing gold medal cyclist attracted an audience of more than 200 at the Elizabethan Suite in Bury Town Hall. Ed, a member of Great Britain’s team pursuit
AT the recent meeting of the Bury branch of the Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society members heard a talk entitled Parish Records at Manchester Central Library given by the principle archivist, Kevin Bolton. We learned that the Manchester archives
SATURDAY walk (six miles). Meet Tenters Street car park (law courts) at 1pm for Crawshawbooth. Sunday walk, meet Belle Vue Terrace car park at 10am for Rivington. Bring lunch and flask. Tuesday walk: Met B & Q car park, Crostons Retail Park for one
In the next few days all Bury voters will have the right to their say in the referendum as to whether a new local tax is to be introduced. The proposed congestion charge will be a tax on travelling to work, taking your children to school or just early
Bury Friends of the Earth is supporting the Transport Innovation Fund proposal as we need better public transport in Greater Manchester. The plans will lead to a reduction in pollution and better health for all. This is why we urge the residents of
I refer to your correspondent (‘Anything good to say about Radcliffe?’, November 20). Nobody could disagree with the sentiments expressed by your reader and it is the case that Radcliffe has suffered over two decades of underinvestment and neglect in
CARING staff at a Radcliffe nursing home are putting their best feet forward to raise money for their residents. About ten workers at Rose Court will walk from the home in Water Street to Bury town centre. The staff, who include carers
THE Croal-Irwell Group knows only too well about the problem of alien fresh water plants clogging British ponds and waterways. New Zealand stonecrop (Cassula Helmsii) has invaded a pond on our Summerseat Nature Reserve. In her talk Freshwater Flora
ON Wednesday, November 19 Radcliffe Probus Club, wives and friends held their Christmas lunch at Stand Golf Club. Joe Sowden, the club secretary, introduced club president Roger Heywood, who then introduced our guest of honour, the president of Radcliffe
REGARDING your letter (‘Teenage girls made bus journey very unpleasant’, November 20 edition). I am writing to apologise for my behaviour which made your ride unpleasant on the 510 bus. It was very unthoughtful of me and disrespectful. I did
This c-charge debate, which has dominated the letters pages, and appears rather like one group of people with their hands over their ears shouting ‘Nah-nah-nah-I’m-not-listening-I’m-not-listening’, having a go at another group of people with hands over
Anyone who believes the forthcoming referendum on congestion charging will settle the issue once and for all should think again. Congestion charging has been coming by design for the past ten years or more. Witness the gradual systematic narrowing of
Planning applications have been submitted to Bury MBC for the imminent removal of Sir Edwin Lutyens poignant statue, originally commemorating the fallen of the Great War, from its historic Bolton Road location to Silver Street’s Sparrow Park. Almost
Like many pensioners, my friend and I have the time and opportunity to research our background. In particular, we are interested in the stretch of the Irwell valley that runs from Blackford Bridge to the Bridge in Radcliffe. An important feature of
AT the beginning of the latest meeting of the club, members stood in silence in remembrance of committee member Don Hamer who has recently died. Vice-president Alex Wright introduced President Gerrard Firth as the speaker. Gerrard's subject was Wrinkly
Rimsky-Korsakov was the title of the programme presented to the Bury & District Recorded Music Circle by member Donald Gibson last Friday evening. Opening with movements from Symphonies No 1 & 2 followed by part of the Opera Sadko, a Piano Concerto and
Two very different works in different genres and written centuries apart were on the programme for the first concert of Bury Choral Society’s new season given in the hall of Bury Grammar School for Boys. So what was the connection between Henry Purcell
I am interested to see that GMPTE are offering to consult more with the public and wish them to have a say in future services, but my experience has led me to believe this may not be true. I have been involved in trying to get an extra bus stop nearer
The Bury first team played their first match after relegation to the Manchester B Division, and found the visitors less than friendly as Worsley’s first team raised their game despite being substantially outgraded. Although Bury’s John Grindrod took
I WOULD like to inform Mrs Betty Tebbs that many members of the BNP are ex-servicemen and women who have served their country with courage honour and distinction in many conflicts all over the world. If they were refused the right to lay a wreath in
The Poppy appeal 2008: This year it has been difficult to obtain a poppy in Radcliffe, with the Royal British Legion club being closed. The Cadet forces were only out on Saturday. However with a little bit of leg work there were some public houses where
The pensioner writing about the availability of Christmas stamps is quite right. Royal Mail has received the Church of England’s stamp of approval warmly welcoming the decision to again issue Christmas stamps with a Christian theme in parallel this year
LEAVING Garstang, we passed the ruins of Greenhalgh Castle. Little remains of this late 15th century structure, built by the 1st Earl of Derby soon after he became Lord of the Manor of our local area. Later we reached Calder Vale, an attractive former
Although he titled his talk Jazz Goes To College Peter Hardman could very well have could have chosen Jazz Comes Out of College for he explored two aspects of jazz on the campuses. He played tracks of professional outfits that visited USA colleges,
THE Met is hosting a free course in screenwriting for the short films. New Shorts is run by First Take, an award-winning independent production company, and is funded by North West Vision and Media and the UK Film Council along with Bury Council. The
AT the November meeting of the Emeritus Group, Mrs E Vigeon gave an informative talk with slides about the history of Agecroft Hall, Salford, from 1199 to demolition in 1926. A supposed curse on the family that only daughters would be born, meant that
AN ADMIN assistant swapped the office for an orphanage when she decided to become a volunteer. Erika Lowe took a break from her job at O2, in Dumers Lane, Bury, to spend six weeks working at an orphanage in east Africa. She raised £1,000 for the centre
AN investigation has been launched after an 81-year-old woman fell into a diabetic coma after a carer failed to visit her Radcliffe home. Great-gran Lily Dunthorne is supposed to be visited at 8am each day by a carer who will help her get dressed, feed
A BRAVE young woman is trading her life in Ramsbottom to help disadvantaged children in poverty-stricken Honduras. Hayley Hardman has always wanted to travel and after hearing about the devastating conditions in the South American nation, she decided
CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a third supermarket in Ramsbottom are being reconsidered by planning bosses. Aldi has submitted revised proposals to build a store on land in Railway Street after the original application was rejected by Bury Council’s planning
POLICE officers in Bury arrested eight people as part of a forcewide day of action to tackle vehicle crime. Operation Battenberg, which took place last Friday, saw officers seize three vehicles, conduct a search warrant and, in conjunction with partner
BURY’S police chief has spoken out after two of his officers were seriously injured in the line of duty. In the latest incident, 46-year-old PC Terry Dunning smashed his ankle in three places while attempting to restrain a thug at the weekend. And
A mischievous puppy had to be rescued by firefighters after getting a toy stuck round his neck. Patterdale terrier Eli, who is just eight weeks old, was playing with the chew toy on Friday afternoon with his owner, four-year-old Amelia Ryder. But the
THE vote is on a knife-edge, according to a new poll carried out for the Yes Campaign. Their survey asked 5,000 people across the region — including 500 in Bury — the same question that will be on the ballot papers. Some 51.4 per cent of voters who
BALLOT papers are now landing on doormats for the biggest referendum of its kind in Greater Manchester. Around 1.9 million packs have been posted to residents across the conurbation, asking if people support the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) bid and
WHEN Hilda Ratcliffe was born in 1908, Radcliffe was filled with cotton mills and green fields. And she reflected on the many changes in her home town as she celebrated her 100th birthday on Monday. Hilda, who lives at Abbeyfield House in Turks Road
A BURY woman fears there could be a sinister element to the disappearance of six neighbourhood cats within a short period. Michelle Barlow’s own pet, Pudding, went missing along with three other cats on the same day from Redvales. And a further two have
A Whitefield couple have well and truly caught the wedding bug thanks to some nifty detective work that bagged them £5,000. Sarah Priestner, aged 19, of Astley Mews, Whitefield, and fiance Jamie Eden, aged 20, of Walkden, won the star cash prize after
CONTROVERSY has been raging over publicity material in the run-up to the big vote. The Yes Campaign condemned an advert produced by supporters of the Greater Manchester Momentum Group, which portrays a young woman being assaulted because her
BURY Grammar Schools have visited a top American university for an historic induction ceremony. School staff joined visitors from around the world at Harvard University for the inauguration of the Henry Dunster society. The special occasion celebrated
‘TIS the season to be careful… That’s the advice from Bury police as they prepare to deal with an expected rise in the number of crimes such as burglaries, pickpocketing and thefts from vehicles over the Christmas period. In this special feature, the
TOWN centre pubs and clubs aim to keep out hooligans with the launch of a new Pub Watch scheme. Licensees from 25 venues have teamed up with the police and council to ensure Bury is a safer place to have a night out. The scheme aims to identify troublemakers
HISTORY came to life when staff and pupils at Bury Catholic Preparatory School mirrored characters and events from yesteryear. Activities during the special history day at the Manchester Road school included a Victorian classroom for Year 1 youngsters
One in 12 women will get breast cancer but most women who get breast cancer will not die from it. It is possible to increase the chances of surviving breast cancer. The older you are, the higher the risk. About 80 per cent of breast cancers occur
GORSEY Clough nursing home’s cabaret act, the Clougher Bluffers, are preparing for a fun-packed Christmas tour. Staff at the care home on Harwood Road in Tottington have been staging performances for residents there for seven years. Since embarking
WHEN a man was left dangling in mid-air after slipping off a 120ft crane in Bury town centre, emergency services dashed to the rescue. But this was no ordinary drama – because it had all been carefully pre-planned! The simulated training
A WHITEFIELD charity champion has just returned from a one-month mercy mission to aid a vital charity in the heart of Africa. And thanks to an earlier appeal in the Bury Times, 70-year-old Peter Walker arrived in Tanzania bearing gifts in the shape of
A BURY-born priest has died at the age of 63. Father Michael Walsh, parish priest at St Paul’s Church in Guide Bride, Ashton-under-Lyne, suffered a suspected heart attack earlier this month. A requiem mass took place at the same church last Wednesday
A CARING Prestwich housebuilding firm has been honoured for its corporate social responsibility. It took the corporate social responsibility prize at the annual Groundwork Environmental and Community awards. Through all their major construction projects
BURY MP David Chaytor will chair a public debate on the TIF bid on Saturday at The Met arts centre in Bury, at 10.30am. Speakers in the Yes corner are Roger Jones, former chairman of the GM Passenger Transport Authority, and Lib Dem councillor Vera Hobhouse
A BUSINESSMAN has been given a prestigious award for his services to the European construction industry. Professor Trevor Mole (57), of New Road, Radcliffe, received the 2008 Constructor’s Prize at the Danish Association of Constructing Architects awards
RETURNING hero Ben Futcher has called on Bury to build on Saturday’s 4-0 hammering of Gillingham when they visit Accrington Stanley on Saturday. The 27-year-old defender was restored to the starting line-up after a month on the sidelines, and he played
