THE seaside has always had a special place in the hearts of the good folk of Bolton.

The annual wakes weeks when the mills would shut down saw the town become almost deserted as thousands made their annual pilgrimage to the coast - usually to Blackpool.

Special trains were laid on to cope with the demand and convoys of coaches would leave Moor Lane from early morning until late at night on the first Saturday of the wakes weeks holidays.

Whole families would travel en masse, often staying at the same boarding house year after year.

It was a chance for folk to let their hair down, to dress up and generally forget about the daily grind for a while.

Foreign holidays have become more popular now but for many, those wakes weeks in Blackpool will always be special.