ONE of the biggest shocks for some of Bolton's recent immigrants, especially those from warmer climes, has been the cold and damp weather.

The weather is a recurring theme at the Home From Home exhibition which is being held in the Natural History section of Bolton's Museum and Art Gallery.

The exhibition features life stories, photographs, and video interviews, of people from far and wide who have made Bolton their home.

The stories are sometimes happy, often shocking, and they chart the often unusual ways people have ended up living in the town.

Immigrants from Kenya and the Caribbean were the most shocked by the abrupt change of temperature. But even those from places nearer to England were dismayed by the damp and the rain.

One shameful relic of our recent past was the level of racism experienced by people with "dark" skins, such as Jamaicans and Asians.

This is revealed in a video interview with a Jamaican woman, who said racism was endemic when she arrived in Bolton. She remembers that lodging houses used to have signs up saying no Irish, no blacks and no dogs, and white people would avoid touching black people wherever possible.

The first wave of Asians also reported widespread racism. However, many later made friends with those who had taunted them.

But what is remarkable is how these immigrants shrugged off early problems and persevered, got jobs, got married, made friends, put down roots and, over the years, came to enjoy living in the town - despite the weather.

The 2001 Census shows that people from 70 nationalities, speaking as many languages, have now made Bolton their home.

The exhibition details the lives of 80 people from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North and South America - and even one man from Wales! It uses photos and video interviews to outline the life experiences and background cultures of those taking part.

They reveal memories they have of their home countries, where they came from, how they came to live in Bolton and the problems they had in adapting to life here.

Stephen Fielding, Home From Home project manager, said it took the team of volunteers, who had been trained as interviewers, in oral history techniques and in using a camera, from 2004 until late last year to compile the interviews.

"I found the stories I heard very moving - many people have escaped danger and violence," he said.

"On the whole, people have very positive things to say about living in Bolton and are very happy living here."

The exhibition, organised by Bolton Museum and Archive Service, Bolton Literacy Trust and Bolton Community Video, runs next week.