THE FAMOUS Colonel Cody, alias Buffalo Bill' braught his Circus to Leigh on October 3 1904.
People where trampled underfoot in an attempt to see his spectacular show.

The show was presented on a field off St Helens Road and Col Cody's performers and staff,between 400 and 500 arrived from St Helens by three special trains early on Sunday Morning. On Monday morning a marquee to accommodate 12,000 people was put up.

There was a large crowd at the afternoon performance. special tramcars from Atherton,Tyldesley and surrounding districts were full with visitors. In the evening there was a tremendous crush and some disorderly scenes. Women and children were trampled on in the crowd round the ticket office but no one was seriously hurt.

MAN WHO INVENTED ROCK

At the turn of the century a young man by the name of Albert Steele left his native Salford to seek fame and, hopefully, fortune in the burgeoning resort of Blackpool. He had trained as a confectioner and he decided to make a different type of toffee then what was to be found locally. He came up with a recipe that had been handed down by his mother. Albert's main claim to fame, however was to invent a machine which pulled the boiled sugar which was used in the manifacture of Blackpool Rock.

JOE BATES

Joe Bates became the British speed skating champion in 1902. The Leigh born man;s career stretched from
1890 to 1908.

SUFFRAGETTES

Preston suffragette movement was set up by Edith Rigby of 28, Winckley square, in 1907. During her protest years, Edith spent much time in Walton Gaol or Strangeways for among other things, bombing the exchange building in Liverpool.

PINT OF POISON

The scandal of the "poisoned Pint" erupted in December 1900, when gallons of beer had to be poured down the drains of several North west towns after hundreds of people became ill with
PERIPHERAL NEURTIS,
symptoms of which were paralysis of the
hands and feet.

When it was discovered that many sufferers were regular beer drinkers, an investigation was set up which traced the outbreak to a company in Liverpool who had by error put ARSNIC in their brewing sugar. Nothing to serious then!
(could this be where the saying "what's your poison" orriginated from.)

BLACKPOOL PROM

The final stretch of blackpool promenade was officially opened by the Duke of Kent on October 23 1937.

TALKIES FROM ST HELENS

Young George Groves from St Helens felt his world had collapsed when he was jilted by a glamorous showbiz girlfriend. But to ease the heartache he threw himself into his work,and eventually became a Hollywood Legend whose technical wizardry launched the first talkies and later erned him a clutch of Oscars and nominations through 1950s and 60s

HUNT FOR CUP

Culcheth born Roger Hunt was in Sir Alf Ramsey's great side which beat west Germany 4-2 at Wembly to win the world cup.

ELTON BRINGS SUNSHINE

Rock star Elton John braught some sunshine into the lives of youngsters in Chorley when he arrived it Astley Park Special School in may 1979.

UP IN SMOKE

Nelson's imperial ballroom, which packed the stars and the fans, was burnt to the ground in a spectacular fire on March 18 1976. it took just 25 minutes, for the flames, which could be seen from the town centre of Burnly, to devistate the building in Carr Road.

LEIGH WON THE CUP

It took a half a century of patient waiting. But on May 15, 1971 Leigh Won the Rugby League challinge Cup at Wembly - and thhe following afternoon the town went cherry and white mad.

FOND FAREWELL

Blackpool said a fond farewell to one of the greatest TV battleaxes on Boxing day 1983.
Violet Carson who had played the indomitable Ena Sharples in Britain's favourite Tv series died at her Fleetwood Road Bungalow at the age of 85.

NOT MANY LEFT FRED

Fred Dibnah has been kept busy over the years dropping mill chimneys throughout Lancashire and even farther afield. in January 1983 3,000 people watched him at work on the 175ft Alder Mill off Chaple St Leigh built in 1907 it was demolished to make way for a housing development.

WALLACE AND GROMIT

Preston has never had a problem producing famous faces- yet another Prestonian was projected to superstardom during the 1990's Nick Park creator of Wallace and Gromit, scooped three Oscars for his animation movies starring the plasticine man and his roguish dog.