• Brindle St Joseph's R.C. Junior School is the safest around - and that's official! Four pupils - Laura Beeley, Sophie Claxton, and Kim and Amy Hartnett - won a quiz on safety in the home and on the roads at the Pines Hotel, Clayton- le-Woods, last month. A total of 14 schools competed in the quiz, sponsored by Asda and organised by the Lancashire Constabulary. Each of the victorious St Joseph's girls received a £10 Asda voucher and the school received four books and a trophy.

• Welcome! David Dickinson (second from left), chairman of Hoghton Parish Council, welcomes John Baldwin, who has been co-opted, in the presence of the council. Looking on are: (left to right) Eric Miller-Crook, Edmund Noblett (clerk0, Trevor Greenwood and Arthur Crook. Arthur's son, also called John, is a member of Brindle Parish Council.

• Frederick Johnson, of Hoghton Lane, Hoghton, was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours last month for services to the aerospace industry.

• The Houghton and Valentine Charity has presented £10 each to seven residents of Samlesbury and Cuerdale.

• Another Cannonball
  
  Carol Price, of Hoghton Bottoms, found a small cannonball - probably dating from the Civil War (1641-1649) - while digging in her garden last summer. It is similar to one of the two missiles from the vicinity of Hoghton Tower which, as the Idle Toad reported in December, were examined by Dr Stephen Bull, curator of military history at the Museum of Lancashire in Preston.

• The next meetings of local parish councils will be held at 7.30pm on these dates: Hoghton, Monday, July 16, at the Village Hall in Blackburn Old Road; Brindle, Wednesday, August 15, at the Village Hall in Water Street; Samlesbury & Cuerdale, Thursday, September 13, at the War Memorial Hall in Cuerdale Lane. Please come: you'll be most welcome.

• The Samlesbury & Higher Walton Area Committee of South Ribble Borough Council will meet at Gregson Lane Community Centre at 7pm on August 21. The Bamber Bridge & Walton- le-Dale Area Committee will meet at Walton-Ie-Dale County Primary School in Severn Drive at 7pm on August 13.

• Cashdance: A 12-hour line dancing marathon organised by Age Concern Preston & South Ribble volunteers at Sainsbury's, Bamber Bridge, raised £2,003 for roof repairs at the Haven, Walton-le-Dale, where the dancers meet every Tuesday.

• There will be no printed Idle Toad in August as Lord Toad is planning to creep away on holiday for a bit.

• A garden party in aid of St Catherine's Hospice at Lostock Hall will be held on August 4 at the home of Angela Fowler, 321 Gregson Lane. Organised by the Hoghton and Gregson Lane Hospice Support Group, it will open at 1.30pm; admission 50p; refreshments available; tombola, raffle, games for kiddies, and stalls for cakes, jewellery, bric-a- brac, and books. Full details: Joyce Heyes, 01772-322081.

• Ian Clarke, of Longton, raised £626 for cancer research with a 52-mile sponsored walk - in two stages - from Kendal to the Old Oak in Hoghton Lane. A big thank-you to everyone who contributed.

• Spring Lane in Samlesbury is to be closed from July 10to31 so that a fibre-optic cable can be installed.

• Samlesbury War Memorial Hall management committee is planning to hold a village quiz - complete with hotpot supper - at 7.30pm on September 14. It will be open to teams of up to six and entry forms will be available shortly. Full details: Brian and Teresa Taylor on 01772-877248.

• Glen Clayton, of Samlesbury, intends to bring the parish history up to date and seeks the recollections of local people from 1937 onwards. The original history, by Robert Baton, was published about 1936. Mrs Clayton lives at Ingledene, Preston New Road, Samlesbury BB2 7PU (01254- 813330).

• Join the BOFFs! A new group - Brindle Over- Fifty-Fives - meets at Brindle Village Hall on the second and last Mondays of every month, 2-4pm. The group is affiliated to Age Concern Lancashire and has quizzes and outings. Full details: Jenny Evans on 01254-852894 or Geoff Moore on 01254-852240. If you wish to attend, please ring Jenny first.

• Gregson Lane Cricket Club is on the lookout for players aged up to II for its new Junior section. Ring Stuart Cross on 0 1254- 853780 or Dave Barnes, the club chairman, on 01254- 852648.

• The gentleman in Walton- le-Dale who, we are told, is trying to contact this newsletter should be advised that he hasn't got the name right - not quite. No, Sir, it's not the Lazy Turd.

The Idle Toad was founded in 1981 as Labour News.

Banned by Labour Party bosses in 1996, it took its present title in 1997.

Three councillors are members of the Labour Philosophical and Recreational Teaching Institution:

The spirit of the community

Phew - glad that's over

Work on the new Trinity church starts next month

Call to curb vandals at recreation ground

What we need for sport around here

Tower Group Players seek top laurels

Three step down at Higher Walton Centre

Millennium teacher in Peru

Councillors vote to reopen paths in spite of FMD

Council has new leader

Youngsters want a new skate park

Choir scoops seven prizes

Archbishop's Visit