BEFORE arriving in Bolton, The Queen made a visit to the Heinz Beans factory in Wigan to mark the anniversary of the official opening of the plant 50 years ago.
The number 57 was also being celebrated — having special significance for Heinz, and also being the exact number of years since the Queen's accession to the throne was proclaimed.
She was given a tour of the canned food factory at Kitt Green, where she opened a new packaging operation and started production lines rolling.
The visit held a touch of nostalgia too, as the royal couple were shown a film and photographic display of a visit to the factory by the Queen Mother a few weeks after it opened in 1959.
Later, the Queen received a warm Leigh welcome as she visited the town for the first time in 32 years.
Her Majesty and Prince Philip declared the £83 million Leigh Sports Village open to applause from hundreds of schoolchildren.
The royal party arrived at the venue, home to Leigh Centurions Rugby League Club and Leigh Genesis FC, to warm applause.
The Queen was met by Lord Peter Smith, leader of Wigan Council, and Leigh MP Andy Burnham, before she toured the complex, which caters for 22 different sports and was built to serve the community.
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