ALTHOUGH things have changed so much in Bolton and its surrounding districts our readers are still, rightly, proud of what our town has to offer.

But that does not stop them reminiscing about their childhoods and how things were in bygone Bolton.

From the many cinemas that lined the streets and the shops and stores in Bolton Town Centre that offered so much in retail experience there is no doubt that times have changed.

Today we have the multiplex cinemas with several films showing in each venue and shops and stores are closing at a rate of knots because, in many cases, online shopping is taking over for many busy families.

Perhaps if we all took some time out to enjoy what Bolton does have to offer it would help to negate some of the less attractive things that are happening to our town.

Our parks, including Moss Bank, Queens Park, Farnworth and Westhoughton Parks and Haslam Park have been a fixture in the town for, in some cases, more than a century.

Clearly they have changed over this time and adapted to suit the time we are living in.

More emphasis has been put on children’s play equipment and the green spaces have become used for very different sports than they were at the turn of the 20th century.

But they are still a very important fixture that we must not lose.