Local Life

The character of Bolton revealed through its people, customs, rituals and pastimes. Among other stories you can find out about Samuel Crompton, inventor of the Spinning Mule, how the bicycle once influenced the social life of local youngsters and the curious tale of the Oak Apple Figure.

Also there is the lurid tale of Bolton's first museum and its odd ball collection.

Oak Apple Day

The Oak Apple figure was once the focus of a curious local ritual based around Oak Apple Day, a national celebration of King Charles II birthday.

Samuel Crompton

Samuel Crompton’s was the first public statue to be erected in Bolton. But the unassuming inventor of the spinning mule never earned the recognition he deserved during his lifetime.

The Clarion Cycle Club

From the 1890s onwards the bicycle provided young people with a cheap and accessible mode of transoport. The Clarion Cycle Club of Bolton was one of the many cycle groups formed in Britain, enhancing the social life of young people locally.

Sharples' Museum

One of the more memorable qualities of the Sharples' Museum was its fearsome stench generated by a bizarre menagerie of dead and dying animals. The collection ranged from  the sentimental to the freakish. Perhaps its patrons were able to dull their senses in the Star Inn downstairs before they encountered the ribald displays.