A MUSEUM of comedy could be opened in Bolton as part of a range of new plans for a cultural quarter in the heart of the town.

Council bosses want an attraction of national significance to be the focal point of a multi-million pound development planned for the area around Le Mans Crescent.

Town hall bosses are considering plans to open either a comedy museum, which would tie in with the borough's reputation for producing popular comedians such as Peter Kay and Hylda Baker, or a textiles museum linking with the town's industrial heritage.

They have unveiled plans for a series of multi-million developments which could transform the area, including: l A multi-million pound museum celebrating either comedy or textiles.

l A new £16 million arts centre at an unidentified site near Le Mans Crescent.

l A revamp of Le Mans Crescent to improve its library, museum and arts facilities.

Phoenix Nights star Dave Spikey has added his weight behind plans for a comedy museum.

He said: "Bolton has had its fair share of comedy talent and it would be fabulous to have a museum like this here.

"Comedy has taken its place alongside the theatre and other forms of entertainment in popular culture and I believe a museum like this would be very popular."

Members of the public are now being called on to help the council secure funding for plans for a new arts centre by signing and returning postcards showing their support.

It is hoped that if thousands of people respond to the plea it will help to convince Lottery bosses to grant the £16 million needed for the new centre, which would feature exhibition and gallery space, purpose-built performance and live music areas and a cafe and bar.

The council has not revealed which sites are being considered for the new arts centre but an early forerunner could be Cheadle Square, immediately behind the Crescent, which was tipped to be the home of the town's new magistrates court building before council bosses finally plumped for the former site of the Water Place's swimming pools.

Leader of the council, Cllr Barbara Ronson, said support for a comedy museum had grown following the success of the travelling Lancashire Grin Up North exhibition in Bolton.

She said: "I think the idea for a comedy museum with a national profile is a wonderful one as there is a huge amount of interest in Bolton's entertainment scene.

"We want people to get behind this scheme to help us secure funding for this project by showing the depth of support there is in Bolton for a cultural quarter."

Keith Davies, director of regeneration and development at Bolton Council, said: "We have great ambitions for this area of the town centre and a facility like a new arts centre will act as a catalyst for substantial regeneration and can provide a major attraction for visitors and local residents.

"If we are successful in this initial submission then we will be working on a detailed business case during 2006."

Local comedians Ted Lune: Ainsworth-born comedian Ted Lune. Better known locally by his real name, Harold Garnett, Ted became famous in the 1950s with his own radio show, "Get Lune" and "The Army Game" on television. He died in 1968 after a long illness, aged 46.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ken Platt: One of the best-loved radio comics of the 1950s. Leigh-born Ken, who also starred in television sitcoms and on stage, was famed for the catchphrase "I won't take me coat off, I'm not stopping" He died in 1998.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victoria Wood: Bury-raised comedienne who shot to fame after winning TV talent show "New Faces" at just 20 years old. Her TV show "Victoria Wood - As Seen on TV" landed her two BAFTA awards. This year, she was named as Britain's funniest woman.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bernard Wrigley: Sometimes known by his nickname, the "Bolton Bullfrog", Bernard's skills as a folk singer, comedian and actor landed him a loyal fan base and role in TV programmes such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Coogan's Run and many of Alan Bennett's films.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peter Kay: Probably the king of Bolton comedy. Peter has enjoyed major success on the stand-up scene with his well-observed and affectionate send-ups of his home town and scored TV hits with Phoenix Nights and Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave Spikey: Dave landed his big-break playing put-upon compere Jerry St Clair in Phoenix Nights, after years of supplying material for TV shows, such as The Grumbleweeds and the Russ Abbot Show. Since then he has written and starred in his own TV show "Dead Man Weds" and enjoyed a sell-out solo tour.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HYLDA BAKER: The diminutive star, brought up in Plodder Lane, Farnworth, became Britain's favourite comedienne in the 1950s playing a fast talking gossip in TV and stage shows.

Hylda's career took off after appearing as Nellie Pledge, one of the squabbling siblings who ran the pickle factory in Nearest and Dearest.

She hit the limelight in 1955, after her appearance in The Good Old Days and is best remembered for the catchphrase "She knows, y'know".

Her comic timing and flair for the double entendre made her one of TV's most distinctive comic stars. She died in 1986.