BOLTON has such a rich and vibrant history and it is thanks to our dedicated Looking Back readers that e are able to learn more about his wonderful town each week.

This week Frank Massey has take the time to recall Great Lever Conservative Club and the Saddle Inn Pub in Farnworth — both holding treasured memories for him and no doubt set to jog the memories of other readers.

His grandparents, Tom and Sarah Grundy, ran a millinery shop in Fylde Street in Moses Gate (the scene of the Fylde Street disaster some years after they moved out and recently featured in Looking Back).

“People made their own clothes in those days and they sold material and things like that,” he explains. Sadly, they suffered a fire at the shop and 70-year-old Frank is unsure if it was the fire that helped them make the decision to leave but leave they did and around 1930 they moved to take over the running of Great Lever Conservative Club in the Great Lever Old Hall.

Many readers may be surprised to know there was such a thing as Great Lever Old Hall — equally there may well be many readers well aware of it and happy to regale their own stories of its existence and we would love to hear them. Great Lever Old Hall was abandoned in 1933 when Frank’s grandparents moved to become stewards at the “new” club in across the road.

“It wasn’t a new building, but was new to the club,” he says. The old hall was finally demolished in 1939 — a rather sad end for a building that had spanned the centuries. Frank has studied the hall because of his family connections and this is what he has discovered. It started life in the early part of the 17th century — 1629 to be exact — when a piece of land was boughtby Bishop Bridgeman (surely it would be Bishop Bridgeman who gave his name to so many landmarks in the area?) and he built a hall and a chapel. The hall would be his summer retreat. Remarkably Samuel Peyps – famed for his diary – visited the chapel and was, apparently, very impressed by it, explains Frank.

“The history of this land goes back to the 1400s during the War of the Roses when the ownership of the land was disputed between the Lever family and the Ashton family.

“The King decided that the Ashtons were the legal owners. It is also documented that Prince Rupert, who lead the attack on Bolton known as the “Massacre of Bolton” during the Civil War, slept in the hall on the eve of the battle,” says Frank. Was the King in question Henry Tudor, ponders Frank. Perhaps a Looking Back history buff may be able to shed some light on the subject?

“Perhaps the Ashtons were supporting the Lancasters and the Levers backed the Yorkists,” comments Frank.Of course, this was all many hundreds of years before Frank’s family moved into the historic building. Tom and Sarah would live there with their three daughters, Joan,Marion and Frank’s mother, Edith, who told him the hall “was the draughtiest place she had ever lived”. They would live in the second hall until July 1,1940 – “I know the date because it was the day my older brother, Raymond, was born” – and moved to theSaddle Pub in KingStreet, Farnworth.

Here the family would gather even more fond memories, which Frank still holds dear today.

They would live at the pub until 1955, by which time Frank was aged 11. “It was an incredible place. When grandad moved in there would be no women in the pub. It wasn’t because they weren’t allowed in, just that they wouldn’t want to be there.“It was war time and the pub was popular with miners and mill workers. Women used to go in the kitchen and they enjoyed that,” he says. Frank recalls a large mirror over a fireplace– “there was a fireplace in every room” – which was painted on every Christmas by local artist Tommy Black.“I remember feeling a bit sad every year when the Christmas scene on the mirror was wiped off.”

Frank, who is a retired engineer – he also ran a newsagent’s shop near his home in Sharples – recalls pub outings. “I remember a man called Percy Hatton, who lived with his granddaughter in a cottage next door to the pub, but I can’t remember her name,” says Frank, who has a photograph in which Percy and the little girl appear. No spirits were sold in the pub and the only beer available was dark mild.Pints would be lined up on the bar ready for the customers to arrive. There was a parlour where businessmen would sit. “There were bells all round the wall and it was only room in the pub where there was waiter service and they paid extra for the beer.” Frank has fond memories of his family’s connections with both Great Lever and Farnworth. Do any of our readers share his memories or have any of their own they would like to share with us? If so get in touch with Gayle McBain on 01204 537269 or email gmcbain@theboltonnews.co.uk