December 28, 1968

BIG-spend shoppers had a record "big buy" Christmas with sales nearing boom proportions in many of the town's shops.

As the spending reached its peak, thousands invaded the town centre on Saturday in the biggest shopping jam the town centre has seen for years.

Many shops and stores reported an unprecedented rush, with sell-outs in many popular lines.

Next to toys and the usual seasonal presents food was high on the priority shopping list.

By the day before Christmas Eve one town centre baker had sold 10,000 mince pies and their stocks of Christmas cakes had be entirely "gobbled up".

Off-licence shops were "swimming" through a flood of customers, who were rapidly drying up the wine cellars.

At at Sam Taylor's sports and toyshop in Silver Street, more than 6,000 children had paid to visit Father Christmas before Christmas Eve.

A NEW Christmas Crib was erected in the grounds of Bury Parish Church this year inspired by the Catholic Knights of St Columbia, who approached the rector. Costing £165 the crib includes a stable made by church members and 32 inch high figures bought from a Midlands firm.

FAIRFIELD hospital is set to become the hub of health provision in the area as part of plans to streamline the hospital service.

Changes will take place at all three Bury hospitals, including Bury General and Florence Nightingale, however the major re-organisation is the centralisation of all medical cases at the 600-bed Fairfield General Hospital.

The plans have been drawn up by Bury and Rossendale Hospital Management Committee to improve arrangements and to ease overburdened sections.

However to allocate additional medical beds at Fairfield would involve some sacrifices, including day rooms and a staff sick-bay.

MORE than 10,000 fish were saved by members of Bury and District Angling Club from the Hampson Mills lodges, which are set to be demolished.

The fish were netted during an intensive three-hour operation and later transferred to waters belonging to the club. The lodges are due to be filled in for building purposes and if no club had volunteered to net the waters it is likely all the fish would have died.