ARTIST Bill Greenhalgh has always enjoyed working with a paint brush in his hand.

He has always enjoyed creating beautiful paintings of his favourite town — his home town of Bolton.

Now Looking Back readers have the opportunity to see the lovely works of art Bill has created that provide a snap shot of Bolton from a time long gone.

Bill, aged 74, is a former architect who designed the prestigious Last Drop Village but he has always had a keen interest in art and painting.

These particular paintings will, no doubt, ring bells with many of our readers who may well remember them from their own childhoods — particularly the one of Bill's primary school.

Bill was a pupil at Ridgway's Endowed Church of England School at The Haulgh in Bury Road, Bolton.

The school was built in 1903 and closed in 1959 and judging by the Bill's painting was a large school attended by a large number of children.

At the time of his attending Ridgway's Bill was living with his parents, Dorothy and Jack Greenhalgh.

His father was, at one time, the manager of the grocers shop Hanburys in Tonge Fold — that was in the 1920s says Bill.

During World War Two his mother joined the war effort and was welding at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Manchester Road. "She was welding tanks," explains Bill.

Another of Bill's fascinating paintings shows his mother hard at work at their front door. "She is donkey stoning the step," he remarks.

There is another nod at the social history side of Bill's art work when you see a woman — although a fictitious character and not his mother he says — hanging out the weekly wash in the back street.

"It was something that was always done every Monday. The women would do the washing on a Monday and you didn't dare ride your bike down the back street on a that day," he recalls with a smile.

There are other familiar places in Bolton depicted in Bill's paintings and some less so.

Chancery Lane in Bolton town centre is recorded in a scene from the early 1960s.

This particular corner used to be home to Gallagher Wine Merchants — which can be seen on the right hand side of one of Bill's paintings — and it later became Eileen Holden's estate agency, explains Bill.

Perhaps some readers will be unfamiliar with the spot but for those of us old enough to remember Bolton in years gone by the opposite corner once housed Tommy Ball's shoe shop and this lane runs parallel with Mawdsley Street.

Other paintings are more easily recognisable and will not pose problems for most readers including that of Hall i'th' Wood seen in all its glory in a wonderfully atmospheric scene.

But what about the lovely little row of cottages that can be seen on another rather striking canvas?

It is, in fact, Firwood Fold where pioneer of the spinning industry and inventor of the Spinning Mule Samuel Crompton once lived.

Of course this part of Bolton is still very much in existence and, to this day, attracts visitors who are keen to envelop themselves in its history. Just off Crompton Way the little hamlet is a haven of tranquility and Bill's image shows that to excellent effect.

Bill now lives in Horwich and has also painted Bottom O'th' Moor which is close to his home. The little chapel that can be seen in his painting is, of course, still in situ.

The photographs provide a snapshot of a life in Bolton that for many has long gone.

But what they will do it, no doubt, bring back many memories for our readers and if you do have memories you wish to share about any of the areas Bill has painted do get in touch.

Ring Gayle McBain on 01204 537269 or email gayle.mcbain@nqnw.co.uk to share your memories.