Lancashire nostalgia in 1978: Preston North End promoted, false teeth mishap and the not so law-abiding book thief

Civic reception for promoted North End

Jubilant Preston is to make its soccer heroes the toast of the town.

As a wave of euphoria swept the town at the news of North End’s promotion to Division Two plans were announced for a massive civic reception.

And a plea has gone out for the public to give the players and officials an end-of-season tribute in a planned town centre “thank you”.

Preston’s Mayor Coun Joe Hood, a life-long Preston fan has arranged the reception and the players and officials will appear on the balcony of the Harris Art Gallery in front of the flag market.

Manager Nobby Stiles said that for him gaining promotion was “even better than being in the England team which won the World Cup in 1966.”

He said: “I would like to thank all our supporters who have been terrific this year.”

Club chairman Mr Alan Jones said that he was very grateful and that everyone at the club could now take a short breather after all the hard work put in during the last few seasons.

Preston are promoted in third place from Division Three, after four seasons in the division.

The mystery of the missing gnashers has Bob coughing

Eva Marsden couldn’t understand it when her husband Bob lost his appetite. For Bob, 68, normally ate like a horse.

But as the months went by he couldn’t face a thing. And Eva began to despair as bedridden Bob lost weight.

Then as he prepared to face a drink he gave a cough and splutter.

And up came... his bottom set of false teeth!

Without anyone knowing, least of all Bob, they’d been lodged in his throat for some eight months!

The full plate of 14-teeth went missing last August as about the time Bob had a seizure during a meal at his home in Chorley Road, Withnell.

Eva noticed he only had his top set during his three week spell in hospital and thought the mystery was solved when staff at Preston Royal Infirmary discovered a bottom set among the laundry.

“Bit it was obvious they weren’t his,” said Eva, “they just didn’t fit.”

As the months went on Eva forgot about the mystery of the missing gnashers and got on with the job of caring for Bob, who has a history of heart trouble.

And it was only after his coughing fit that the mystery was solved.

“It was amazing. He just sat there grinning when they reappeared,” said 72-year-old Eva. “He’s a changed man”.

Book thief had a liking for the law

A Preston man’s “appetite” for books had more than an element of crime about it, a court heard.

For an “Introduction to Criminal Law” and an “Illustrated Story of Crime” were just two of the books that were found at the home of Edward Dawson.

Dawson, 48, of Tennyson Road, said later in a statement that after joining the Harris Library four years ago he began taking the books and got carried away.

But at Preston Crown Court he denied stealing 26 books from the library between 1976 and 1978 and pleaded not guilty to handing stolen property.

Mr David Summer, prosecuting, said that Dawson’s appetite for books was such that he would take out four books legitimately in addition to others he concealed in a bag.