Hovis' legacy still lives on

1:48pm Thursday 27th March 2008

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IT is both inspiring and humbling to see the continued influence that Hovis Presley has on his fellow poets, writers and musicians.

Hovis In Wonderland, a play for voices adapted from Hovis' collection Poetic Off Licence by Write Out Loud's Dave Morgan, opens at Bolton Little Theatre tomorrow, and is a must-see.

Interest in Hovis, who died in 2005, never really seems to die down, but it has been particularly sparked of late by the recent Mark Radcliffe programme about the poet, which aired on Radio 4.

The show featured Johnny Vegas, Lucy Porter and Badly Drawn Boy, and goes to show just how well-loved Hovis was, and still is.

In an email about the show, Dave Morgan said: "I have had emails and phone calls from across the country. Motorists were literally pulling into lay byes and service stations to catch Mark Radcliffe's programme. From those who had never heard of Hovis before, to those who remembered his stage, radio or television appearances, interest has been enormous."

And as all this interest is one undoubted help to the Hovis Presley Memorial Fund - which has benefitted local charities including Derian House, Bolton Lads and Girls Club and Bolton Conservation Volunteers - it just goes to show how much difference one man from Bolton can really make.