A SPECIAL event in Horwich this weekend will help bring to life some of the town’s lost businesses.

Horwich Heritage will be holding an open day and exhibition on Saturday, from 10am to 1pm. It will feature the culmination of six months of research to find out about the industries, shops, farms and other enterprises that have operated in Horwich since its formation 240 years ago.

It was the arrival of the Railway Works that gave a massive boost to the local economy and hundreds of small shops and businesses sprung up almost overnight, explains chairman of Horwich Heritage, Stuart Whittle. “There used to be 17 butchers in Horwich and now there is only one.

“In addition, there were several smithies, wheelwrights, clog, boot and shoe makers and a whole variety of grocery, confectionary, clothing and fancy goods shops,” he says.

The biggest of all the shops was the Co-operative Society Ltd which promised everything “from cradle to grave”.

It was in Lee Lane and had a dozen branches around the town.

“Horwich town centre still retains much of the identity created when the Loco Works arrived more than 130 years ago,” says Stuart.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the lost businesses of Horwich can do so on Saturday.