BOLTON has been chosen as one of three towns in the UK to feature in a landmark documentary to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The Queen’s People will look at the remarkable period of change in the town which has coincided with the Queen’s 70 year reign. It will be shown on Sky Documentaries and Sky Arts.

Producer Toby Sculthorp is hoping that Looking Back readers will play a key role in the documentary.

“Bolton has undergone a massive period of change since the 1950s and we are hoping to feature people who have lived through that and to record their experiences,” he said.

“From the days of Worktown and when the mills dominated the local economy, Bolton has had to adapt and meet the challenges of a changing world.

Workers at Swan Lane Spinning Mill, Bolton, in the 1950s

Workers at Swan Lane Spinning Mill, Bolton, in the 1950s

“It’s a very positive story and we want to capture that in the documentary.”

Bolton has been chosen along with Bury St Edmonds and Brixton.

“Brixton has seen major changes, primarily through the Windrush generation who settled there whereas Bury St Edmonds has actually changed very little over the past 70 years,” said Toby.

“Bolton is a town where so much has changed in a relatively short period of time.

“There must be a number of people out there who have lived through those changes and we would love to talk to them.

“Having visited Bolton for the documentary I have been struck by the strong sense of community that still exists in the town.”

The Queen’s People will be presented by Sir Trevor Phillips who will be visiting Bolton for filming.

“At the start of the Queen’s reign Bolton was very much reliant on the mills and heavy industry and was enjoying almost full employment.

“We would like to talk to people who worked in the mills at the time and to find out what it was like - the noise, the sense of camaraderie among the workers.

“Then with the textile industry in decline, the town saw a major growth in service industries; it has become an increasingly important centre for education first with the development of the Technical College and subsequently the University and organisations such as the NHS are now among the major employers.

Dean Mills, Bolton

Dean Mills, Bolton

“It is remarkable to think that all these changes have occurred with the Queen on the throne throughout the entire period.

“We hope to capture that period through the eyes of real people, working people from Bolton.”

Anyone who would like to share their memories of working in Bolton through the Fifties and the changes they have seen and experienced, or their relatives, can get in touch by emailing toby.sculthorp@sky.uk