WIT and wisdom from people young, old and even from beyond the grave is to be immortalised in the pavement of Churchgate after its renovation.

Boltonians were invited to nominate sayings, catchphrases or even write poems themselves to be carved into granite plaques which will be dotted along the town centre pavement as a centrepiece of the £700,000 new look historic street.

Bolton Council's competition Bolton In Its Own Words attracted a total of 83 nominations after entries were invited from schools, businesses, celebrities linked to the town, poetry societies, university students and the public.

A special selection panel, chaired by Cllr Sufrana Bashir-Ismail, and comprising representatives from the Council, young people, the University of Bolton and the Bolton Evening News, had the tough task of choosing seven winners.

Cllr Bashir-Ismail said: "We were extremely impressed by the quality of the entries received and it was a very hard decision for the panel to make.

"Special mention must go to the primary school children who took part in the consultation and submitted some wonderful entries.

"We hope that the people of Bolton and visitors to the town will be able to enjoy reading these inscriptions for many years to come."

Fred Dibnah's famous "Did you like that?" will be placed near Ye Olde Man & Scythe pub, and the council is hoping to get permission from the BBC to use the late commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous 1966 World Cup remark "They think it's all over . . . it is now" outside the Bolton Evening News offices.

There was no place for "Garlic Bread" the catchphrase of comedian Peter Kay.

But his fellow Phoenix Nights star Dave Spikey will have his words carved in stone.

Comedian Mr Spikey opted for inspirational words, which will be placed outside the tax office, rather than a comedy one-liner.

"I am thrilled to bits to have been chosen because I love Bolton. I am passionate about it," he said.

The much-loved and missed Fred Dibnah was almost guaranteed a quotation on the pavement and his widow, Sheila, says he would have been delighted to be given a spot near Ye Olde Man and Scythe, a hostelry in which he was known to visit.

"He would see the irony of it being near the pub. People staggering out over Fred's saying, Did you like that?' after having a few is a fitting tribute," said Mrs Dibnah.

The youngest to earn a place on the walkway are 10-year-old Callum Hodson, of Chelsea Road, Daubhill, and 14-year-old Muryum Khan, of Rishton Lane, Great Lever, who both entered the competition through their schools.

Callum, a pupil at St William's RC School, took the letters that spell Bolton and used them to create six words describing the town.

Muryum, who is studying for GCSEs at Hayward School, wrote a poem describing why he loves living in Bolton.

Other work chosen is a piece describing the town hall lions by Halliwell man Alan Markland, and in the spot nearest Bolton Parish Church where inventor Samuel Crompton is buried, will be a poem about the creator of the Spinning Mule by Boltonian Sheila Stephens Orrell.

The plaques will be installed in November.

The words on the street

The following quotations will be placed in the positions marked on the artist's impression here:

1 Beautiful, Old, Lovely, Town, Outstanding, Naturally
Callum Hodson, aged 10

2 I like Bolton because it's my home,
Whenever I'm here I never feel alone.
My only wish is that everyone could see,
Bolton the same way as me.
Muryum Khan, aged 14

3 "Did you like that?"
Fred Dibnah 1938-2004

4 You all have a talent. You just need to discover it and then have the courage and self belief to bring it through. It may mean taking risks but remember if you don't risk anything you risk even more.
Dave Spikey

5 They have cleaned the lions on Town Hall square, tough a persistent stain is remaining. They were polished black by the bottoms of boys and ages of soot and fine rain.
Alan Markland

6 "They think it's all over
. . . it is now"
Kenneth Wolstenholme 1921-2002

7 The Spinning Mule 1779
Samuel Crompton
1753-1827

So proud of this your township He helped put on the map.

This child whose name was Samuel, Who became a gradely chap.

Shelia Stephens Orrell