WHATEVER you’re doing this weekend, please spare some time to visit Bolton town centre.

The annual, very popular Food and Drink Festival is filling the August Bank Holiday weekend with a four-day extravaganza of something for every taste. There will also be cookery demonstrations, famous chefs like John Torode, James Martin and Michael Caines and home-grown food gurus like Mike Harrison.

There are stalls of every type – from olives and cheeses to whisky and cupcakes. Apart from all that, plus plenty of musical entertainment, there is just the most fantastic buzz about the town centre.

This is the sound of success and the true essence of an entrepreneurial central venue that many thought had completely lost its way. I genuinely believe – and I know I sound like a total optimist - that this remarkable festival gives everybody a huge boost of confidence in our town centre, and a hopeful future.