WHEN Alan Simpson wrote his book about a “matchstick’s journey” little did he realise just how popular it would prove.

The book is a “journey through time by river and canal” by local amateur historian Alan who is a member of Halliwell Local History Society.

Alan who, along with the society was instrumental in reviving the Doffcocker Model Village for everyone to enjoy is also a prolific writer of local history.

He writes about what he knows and this book takes people on a fascinating journey through the town and surrounding towns as if following a matchstick in the water ways.

He includes in his book fascinating bits of history that many local people may not already know.

Watermillock, for instance, is now a public house and restaurant but during the Spanish Civil War, explains Alan, it was used as a sanctuary for refugee children and it was occupied by 50 refugee children from the war torn Basque province of Spain, most of them from the Bilbao area.

A quote from the Bolton Journal and Guardian on Friday June 11, 1937 reads: “Fifty weary children fell asleep almost before they reached Watermillock on Wednesday night the 9th June 1937, after their long journey from Southampton.

“The children came from San Sebastian, Tilosa and Bilbao. Three or four are Roman Catholics the rest being Protestant and various denominations and school lessons are to begin soon.”

It seems, according to Alan’s research, that Bolton has seen its fair share of murder and crime.

“Most crime in the area was fuelled by drink, as was the case of Patrick McKenna and his wife Ann,” explains Alan.

He says she was murdered at their home in Kestor Street, Mill Hill on Monday September 30, 1901 after a violent domestic argument, a common occurrence in the household “often caused by McKenna’s addiction to drink”.

McKenna was tried and convicted and then executed at Strangeways Prison on December 3, 1901.

James Billington, the hangman, died just 10 days after executing Paddy McKenna, Alan explains.

He talks about Little Bolton Town Hall which was in Bolton Town Centre and reputed to have been built in the 1300s.

“In the 1700s this part of the Tonge Valley would have been very picturesque with the Tudor style hall standing on the banks of the river, flowing on to Mill Hill, one of the oldest parts of Bolton.”

He talks about Tonge Cemetery and Thomas Maccarte who is buried there.

“Maccarte was a thirty four year old lion tamer who in 1872 arrived in Bolton as part of Manders Travelling Menagerie a travelling circus company which moved from town to town.”

Apparently it was during a visit to Bolton that Maccarte was attacked by his lions and died. The date was January 3, 1872 when the circus was performing on Bolton Town Hall square.