ARTWORK celebrating Bolton bus station has gone on show to take visitors on a nostalgic journey ahead of the opening of the new bus and rail interchange.

The exhibition features a mural depicting the town centre's iconic buildings as seen from a bus, together with sound bites and pictures capturing people’s memories of the station and catching buses.

The public artwork was developed by University of Bolton fine art graduates Steph Shipley and Andy Smith to celebrate the history of the station.

The evocative installation of mural paintings, film, sound recordings and photographs was inspired by a public art event in May when visitors were invited to hop on board two vintage double-decker buses at the bus station and share their memories of travelling in and around Bolton in the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Steph said: “This is a celebration, commemoration of Bolton bus station, and all the people who have used it, the drivers, conductors.

“So many people came to the event in May and we had an enormous selection of material.

“We have had positive reaction from people; the artwork reflects their feelings, memories and their connections with Bolton bus station.”

The project has been sponsored by Transport for Greater Manchester and funded by Arts Council England.

Andy is in the process of starting the second half of the mural, a more contemporary piece inspired by Bolton scientist Sir Harry Kroto who shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the buckminsterfullerene.

He said: “I am a bus passenger myself and the mural is the view looking out of a bus window.

“The buildings I have chosen are unique to Bolton.”

The second part of the mural should be unveiled next month.

Catherine Leach, assistant project manager of interchange schemes, said: “Public art alongside a development is so important.

"It gives the local community an opportunity to get involved in the project, share their ideas through art and given them ownership of the development.

She added: “I am blown away with the artwork."

Among the visitors who came to the opening was George Turnball from the Museum of Transport Greater Manchester.

He said: “I am very impressed with it. I came to support it and pleased to see it come to fruition.”