BOLTON has celebrated its links with a legendary American poet through the annual Walt Whitman walk.

Professor Michael Robertson from the College of New Jersey was the guest of honour and gave a reading from Whitman's "Song of the Open Road".

He also enjoyed a communal toast from a Loving Cup that has been passed down from Bolton's original Whitman followers.

During his stay, Prof Robertson used the town's Central Library to conduct research for his new book on Whitman because he intends to devote chapters to some of the town's most historic followers of the poet, JW Wallace and Dr J Johnston.