SOOTY, the famous glove puppet, is to feature in a new 26-part series on ITV later this year.

THERE was yet another letter in the Bolton News last week complaining about the physical state of Bolton.

The writer, Robert M.

Goodman, told us that when he and his wife arrived in town 22 years ago it was “a beautiful town with plenty of good shops and friendly people”.

He went on: “Alas, in 2011, Bolton is a poorer, rundown town where people and shops are disappearing by the day, mainly due to a Labourrun council that has been in office far too long, some 30 years, and must be held fully responsible for the awful state of Bolton today”.

The council does not get everything right — town centre parking policies are an example — but I walked through Victoria Square in the sunshine the other day and I could not help thinking a town maligned by correspondents such as Mr Goodman looked extremely attractive.

I should imagine most of the visitors who arrive as a result of the latest coach party initiative might think the same.

People from outside the town — no doubt some of them getting on a bit — are likely to have a good time in Bolton on “Football, Fred and Fish and Chips” tours.

They will get to see Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok Stadium, the Fred Dibnah Heritage Museum and enjoy a meal at the Olympus fish and chip restaurant. There will also be time on some trips to enjoy Bolton Market and the Last Drop Village.

Representatives from hotel and coach tour groups around the region came to Bolton for the recent launch.

This kind of promotion is a great idea and I think it has genuine potential.

But, with a nod towards Mr Goodman and fellow critics, I think it would be a good idea if somebody from the council took note of likely coach routes in to Bolton and did something to collect distracting roadside litter.

For what it is worth, I thought Bolton was pretty grotty when I first came here in 1966 and it seems considerably better now — even though the effects of the recession and changes in shopping habits are all too evident.

THERE is a very old song that refers to “an apple for the teacher”.

I was vaguely aware of it during my barelyremembered school days, but it never occurred to any of us that there was any need to be so ridiculously generous.

Even though the primary school was in a thriving horticultural district, our parents never thought to provide us with lettuce, tomatoes, spuds or the odd marrow to say “thank you” for effective instruction during the previous term.

Teachers were expected to get on with the job without such rewards.

That does not seem to be the case these days now that yet another American import has taken hold.

The provision of suitable gifts has developed in to big business — various websites offer a wide range of ideas “guaranteed to make your teacher smile”.

One of them refers to “teachers gifts” and “youre a star teacher gifts”.

Those of us who still care about apostrophes see the irony in this.

I suspect this subject is of great interest to thousands of parents, children and teachers across Bolton as they approach the end of the summer term.

The BBC, investigating claims that this area of school life has become “competitive and commercialised”, reported in March last year that 93 per cent of teachers quizzed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers had received gifts.

Chocolate was the main present, but others included opera tickets, champagne, a Tiffany bracelet and Test Match tickets. I can see that this is a tricky area for kids, parents and the teachers themselves.

No doubt individual schools have their own rules for this situation that accommodates a genuine wish to thank members of staff without causing them embarrassment.

A discussion in my Sunday newspaper featured letters from teachers who had received a great many gifts over the years — chocolates, wine, flowers and books among them.

The consensus seemed to be that these were welcome, but did not mean as much as a special card made by a pupil or a handwritten letter from parents.

One writer appreciated “lovely gestures” even though she preferred it if parents gave a donation to a children’s charity instead.

This sort of thing was never an issue in the olden days.

Modern parents do not seem to be able to avoid it.

He and his chums Soo and Sweep will have laptops and iPods and play computer games.

The star’s other hobbies will include working out, football, high diving and gokart racing.

Izzy wizzy, let’s keep him busy — that must be the idea. Is that any way to treat an old chap bought on a stall in Blackpool in 1948?