News

Project volunteers spent a fascinating and enjoyable day out at Port Sunlight in the Wirral, Cheshire - the model village built to house the workers of the Sunlight Soap factory by Lord Leverhulme, Mayor of Bolton 1918-19.

The party were met at the Sunlight Vision Museum by the new Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Tony and Maureen Connell who joined us for first part of the day.

Cllr Tony Connell, Mayor of Bolton presenting Lionel Bolland, Chief Executive of Port Sunlight Village Trust with bookmarks featuring Lord Leverhulme to publicise the Links in a Chain Project.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Tony and Maureen Connell with the Links in a Chain Project volunteers and guide Gavin Hunter outside the Sunlight Vision Museum.

After visiting the Museum the volunteers were taken on a guided tour of Port Sunlight by local historian Gavin Hunter.

Lunch at the Lady Lever Art Gallery was followed by the second part of Gavin's tour, driving through the vast Leverhulme estate and exploring the other Leverhulme-owned village of Thornton Hough and the beautiful grounds of Leverhulme's old house, Thornton Manor.

Project Volunteers were shown round the Mayor's Parlour and given an informative and entertaining guided tour of the Town Hall and Council Chamber by the Mayor, Cllr Barbara Ronson and her husband and Consort Cllr Robert Ronson.

Mayor of Bolton Barbara Ronson taking with volunteers and project worker Ken Beevers in the Mayor's Parlour.

At least 60 people attended our Information Morning and Launch Event in the Lancaster Suite at Bolton Town hall. A temporary display of archive photos was assembled in the room, covering visits by The Queen and other royals, a twinning ceremony and many other images of past Mayors at various events.

The Mayor, Cllr Barbara Ronson thanked the audience for coming and gave a short, informative and entertaining talk about the Mayor's Chain of Office. She also brought along several earlier badges which had been part of the Chain prior to the current version.

Ken Beevers went on to explain the scope and ambition of the Project. Brian Mills then demonstrated the new, live Project website.

Plodder Lane Primary School were visiting the Mayor during the event so they came along to the event with their teachers and were able to ask questions from the floor.

Around a dozen people present at the meeting came forward to offer assistance to the Project as volunteers or sources of information.

"It's tremendously ambitious and is something which I think will engage people. The office of Mayor, whether it's of Bolton, or one of the other towns, is central to civic history and Bolton and her seven sisters all have a common, and individual, civic pride. There's always been something special about the Mayor and he or she is warmly welcomed everywhere. Hopefully this project, as well as delving back into history, will have a contemporary spin-off with more people becoming interested in the role and in genealogy,"

Cllr Barbara Ronson, Mayor of Bolton

Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Barbara Ronson with Project workers Ken Beevers and Brian Mills beside the portrait of the First Mayor of Bolton, Charles James Darbishire.

Attending the launch of the Project in the Mayor's Parlour (left to right) Cllr Roger Hayes (Leader of the Liberal Democrat group); Brian Mills, Project worker; the Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Barbara Ronson; the Consort, Cllr Robert Ronson; Project worker Ken Beevers; Cllr Linda Thomas (Deputy Leader of Bolton Council and the Labour group) and Cllr John Walsh OBE (Leader of the Conservative group)