This might just be the most important piece of social history Bolton has. Whoever filmed it could never have known that 20+ years later, so many people would be so grateful for a glimpse of how Bolton used to look, prior to its decline. An astonishing piece of work, and not bad image quality either.
When I think of Bolton this is what I imagine in my minds eye... Im 40 now haven't lived there for over 20 years but Bolton and the people will always have a special place in my heart
I set up my business in Bolton in 1992, still going in Dec 2023. A car repair garage in Gilnow Mill, we are the last company in the mill now, most of it is abandoned and derelict. I was repairing the cars in this video and im still repairing them today. Watched the Bolton revisited, the demographic has changed massively in just the last 9 years, i would say well over 50% of my customers now are Somalian and i love them all to bits, they have become friends as much as customers. Now every traffic light has a resident beggar with his hand out, there is litter everywhere, shops boarded up and obvious crippling poverty but i do think Boltons future is bright, the new demographic in the area are ambitious, setting up new businesses and bringing back a vibrant smile to the area, there are shoots of life but business is being stifled by derelict mills, overpriced commercial units and very few places for new businesses to establish themselves and i may be forced to close my business down due to there being nowhere to move to. But Boltons not a lost cause.
Bolton had a large South Asian community dating back to the 50s who came to work in the cotton mills. In the last 20 years people from various nations and cross continents have settled in the town.
Sitting here in Dallas and looking back at an old passport I can't believe I was actually there in August of 1992. Thanks for the look back . I need to check my old video's.
I moved from Bolton in 1984 and never had the opportunity to go back up until recently. I was shocked just how much the demographic had changed over the years.
@@cnachopchopnewsagency expensive parking and buisness rates along with massive immigrant numbers...I was actually suprised how few foriegners are in this vid
@@mao_gwam The foreign population didn't start to explode until around the early to mid 00s. It's a complete mess. Vast areas of Bolton now look and sound like Pakistan. A farce that should never have been allowed!
This has brought back a lot of memories. Born in Bolton in 1989 so I do remember a lot of this. The fountains, the strong smell of chlorine at the water place :). Great video. I moved away from Bolton as it was changing, I miss how it used to be.
The roads and streets are less crowded and people appear to be more in tune with their surroundings not all waliking around like zombies staring at screens :-)
The swimming baths next door to Morrisons supermarket were demolished some years ago and the site is now an extra Morrison's car park and petrol station. Hick, Hargreaves and Co was demolished in about 2001 and the site is now a Sainsbury's supermarket, car park and petrol station.
The good old days, a walk around Bolton town centre now is like entering a third world country. Seeing how good it was then compounds how bad it has become.
" EEvening News " This is unreal footage, thanks for posting. I was 17 back then and I used to think that Bolton had taken a dive since the 80's, I take that back. Burnden Park, Water Place, the fountains on the Square, its all gone now, Jesus.
When Bolton was a nice place to live - before the weeds and derelict buildings where everywhere- now it's all charity shops, Pound shops and fat people in cheap clothes eating junk food - R.I.P. Bolton
It was nice to see the shops i remembered back then and the old fountains before they removed them and put those crap ones in at the sides of the town hall steps. I was 23 in 1992.
I left Bolton in 1992. My trips back have always been sporadic, to visit friends and family etc and I never really got to wander the town much, until last year that is. This video is how I remember it. All the old familiar landmarks are there. The shock I felt last year was unreal. Clearly a victim of the demise of the high street. Bolton's sprawling size hasn't helped. Is there a fix? I doubt it... The world moves on.
Likewise, I left in 1975 and had short and rare returns in recent years. When I had to be there unexpectedly for an extended period it wasn't just shocking to see, it was depressing to be there. It was like a twilight experience I couldn't escape, I could remember how it was, see what it became and at the same time unable to return home because of the Covid Pandemic. With no obligation or reason to return again I am somewhat relieved.
I have one vague memory of burnden park as it used to be. Seeing the outside of the stadium when my mum drove past. But seeing it here is surreal. Amazing how things used to look before. And the water place!! My childhood right there.
I wish more people would have done this, it is absolutely amazing looking back. I would have been 6 back then but a lot of it does look familiar. Notice the old normid shopping centre on manchester road which is now asda. And texas that was replaced by homebase. Excellent videos!
I grew up in 1950s and 60s Bolton. My last visit to Bolton was around four or five years ago, and I almost cried to see the complete ruination of what was a town with character. Temples everywhere, The pubs along Derby street, formally the lifeblood of the workers of Bolton, all closed and boarded up. Entire blocks of housing demolished and replaced with either nothing or monstrous entities. We had a magnificent building that housed the fire brigade, which was torn down to be replaced with an ugly building which is apparently (I am told) student housing accommodation. A fantastic railway station, torn down and rebuilt, why? who knows. A fantastic hotel across from the station called "the Railway Hotel" which was torn down to accommodate the building of a new bus depot, why? Moor Lane was home to a fabulous bus station. Newport street is straddled with a hideous archway, meant to symbolise something, but what, I have no idea, and I don't want to know. I now hate what Bolton has become. I hate the people who have perpetrated this evil nonsensical and systematic destruction of a town of memories. I plant to visit England in August for my daughter's wedding in Leeds. A short drive from my home-town, but I won't go near the place, far too upsetting. Just as a postscript, I wonder how long before Bolton's magnificent town hall has to give way to a multi-story car park or a shopping complex. I know someone has an eye on it.
I’d of been 7 then, second year at primary school, wish someone would of filmed around Horwich in the early 90’s, remember going into bolton as a kid back then, very nostalgic
Very few pound bakeries/greggs ect... saw just one betting shop.. nobody walking with their eyes glued to their phone screens. Not a foreign face in sight. How times have changed (for the worse)
This was when Bolton was amazing I don't think I am old enough to remember the water slide near Morrisons but i defiantly remember when the Big inside market place near Debenhams was on
Excellent stuff, while I'm sure you thought it was mundane at the time these videos suddenly become relevant and important after 20 years or so. I'd love to see what you filmed it on!
Lived in Bolton eight years, and I know the town centre so well, so it's really strange to see you looking like this where things are, is the same but not quite
Was the town hall clock stuck at eight minutes past three ? No matter when you see it, it always showed the same time...even in another video of Bolton filmed several years earlier !
Bolton was such a thriving town when i was growing up so sad to see its decline as the years have gone on. Especially the market hall i loved the old market hall now it just looks horrible
Wow brings back so many memories I learnt to swim in the water place the mirrored corner on trinity street, Olympus chippy still going strong the elephants have all gone now so many memories I think the thing that most people don’t realise today is that this was made by camcorder and good old fashioned vhs that’s the beauty back then thing where memories unless you carried a camcorder
AW man water place, that was awesome. Can't believe it got knocked down. Bolton town center is pretty crap to visit now, nothing to do there anymore. There used to be a cinema too.
Yes, they've scrapped the number 9 service now.. basically it went the same route as the number 8 (which still runs to this day), but with limited stops.
just think when this was recorded i was only a few months old i dont even remember some stuff on this video and ive lived in bolton all my life...and 20 years later im a rapper and was performing on the same town steps in this video only today!!!
Nice to look back to our once nice town, burnden park, water place & market hall, trees on newport st, nice variety of shops🐶❤☺👯♀️2018 now...no further comment💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Anybody remember the hot fresh sugary donuts made in a box next to water place .never could afford them as i had bus fare and admission to water place only
There's another clip on here filmed around Bolton centre in the 1980s, called "Extended D*cking about about in 1980s Bolton" - Check it out ! The newspaper vendor gets a bit miffed when the guy filming shoves the camera in his face ! :D
I watched it ! It's good. Looks like a would be 80s band shooting a potential music video. Love the old characters of Bolton - sadly most have died I feel
There is another very good video on here, Bolton in the 80s, just random shots in and around the town centre, including an annoyed newspaper seller who didn't want to be filmed !
I moved to Bolton in this year and had my son. We used to walk into Bolton town centre on a Sunday when everything was closed - and had to remember to take a couple of pounds for the homeless who would approach us for cash! -
@psychodamned that bar was surendipitys and we got barred from there for somking a joint inside - we were young but to think we had the audacity to fire one up in a pulic bar and pass it under the table so no one would see! not sure we knew what planet we were on. im not fat though
Bustling with shoppers, major retailers in view. Diverse and prosperous. Now its a shit hole, full of charity shops and down and outs.. the council have a lot to answer for. They've ruined a once great town centre.
i was 4 back then it makes me feel sick thinking thats what it was like and now look what ive got 2 live amoung brings a tear to my eye thinking of what it was and still could have been like if wanker politicians and left wing hippy do gooders hadnt got there way
This might just be the most important piece of social history Bolton has. Whoever filmed it could never have known that 20+ years later, so many people would be so grateful for a glimpse of how Bolton used to look, prior to its decline. An astonishing piece of work, and not bad image quality either.
When I think of Bolton this is what I imagine in my minds eye... Im 40 now haven't lived there for over 20 years but Bolton and the people will always have a special place in my heart
This is the Bolton I remember. Brought back a lot of good memories. Thank you.
I was 10 at the time and living a few miles from Bolton, makes me nostalgic for those times.
I set up my business in Bolton in 1992, still going in Dec 2023. A car repair garage in Gilnow Mill, we are the last company in the mill now, most of it is abandoned and derelict. I was repairing the cars in this video and im still repairing them today. Watched the Bolton revisited, the demographic has changed massively in just the last 9 years, i would say well over 50% of my customers now are Somalian and i love them all to bits, they have become friends as much as customers.
Now every traffic light has a resident beggar with his hand out, there is litter everywhere, shops boarded up and obvious crippling poverty but i do think Boltons future is bright, the new demographic in the area are ambitious, setting up new businesses and bringing back a vibrant smile to the area, there are shoots of life but business is being stifled by derelict mills, overpriced commercial units and very few places for new businesses to establish themselves and i may be forced to close my business down due to there being nowhere to move to. But Boltons not a lost cause.
Bolton had a large South Asian community dating back to the 50s who came to work in the cotton mills. In the last 20 years people from various nations and cross continents have settled in the town.
Comment of the year !
That middle aged couple you can see walking together from around 6:57 to 7:01 are my grandparents.
Awww
It's lovely that you spotted them
Sitting here in Dallas and looking back at an old passport I can't believe I was actually there in August of 1992. Thanks for the look back . I need to check my old video's.
+Stuart Berwick Thanks Stuart, yeah look back at the old videos you never know what might be there that people might love to see
Was born in 1996, interesting to see how much nicer and different it was back then
I moved from Bolton in 1984 and never had the opportunity to go back up until recently. I was shocked just how much the demographic had changed over the years.
What happened at Bolton?
Its a shithole
@@cnachopchopnewsagency expensive parking and buisness rates along with massive immigrant numbers...I was actually suprised how few foriegners are in this vid
@@mao_gwam The foreign population didn't start to explode until around the early to mid 00s. It's a complete mess. Vast areas of Bolton now look and sound like Pakistan. A farce that should never have been allowed!
This has brought back a lot of memories. Born in Bolton in 1989 so I do remember a lot of this. The fountains, the strong smell of chlorine at the water place :). Great video. I moved away from Bolton as it was changing, I miss how it used to be.
One thing hit more more than anything else. People smiling & looking happy. Not anymore 😪
Brings back a lot of memories since I moved away....it seemed so much cleaner and less crowded then, looks so much different now.
The roads and streets are less crowded and people appear to be more in tune with their surroundings not all waliking around like zombies staring at screens :-)
The swimming baths next door to Morrisons supermarket were demolished some years ago and the site is now an extra Morrison's car park and petrol station. Hick, Hargreaves and Co was demolished in about 2001 and the site is now a Sainsbury's supermarket, car park and petrol station.
The good old days, a walk around Bolton town centre now is like entering a third world country. Seeing how good it was then compounds how bad it has become.
Thanks Tom, your comments are just what i wanted, in fact perhaps more interesting than the video itself, so glad i put it on
Memories!! the water place, the fountains, the fashion lol
" EEvening News " This is unreal footage, thanks for posting. I was 17 back then and I used to think that Bolton had taken a dive since the 80's, I take that back. Burnden Park, Water Place, the fountains on the Square, its all gone now, Jesus.
always would climb on the 3 elephants on the highstreet. I was 10 in 1992
When Bolton was a nice place to live - before the weeds and derelict buildings where everywhere- now it's all charity shops, Pound shops and fat people in cheap clothes eating junk food - R.I.P. Bolton
Wow this is incredible! Strange to see a time without the ubiquity of mobile phones! Bolton town hall looks stunning as always.
God, it looked better then!
It was nice to see the shops i remembered back then and the old fountains before they removed them and put those crap ones in at the sides of the town hall steps. I was 23 in 1992.
I left Bolton in 1992. My trips back have always been sporadic, to visit friends and family etc and I never really got to wander the town much, until last year that is.
This video is how I remember it. All the old familiar landmarks are there. The shock I felt last year was unreal. Clearly a victim of the demise of the high street. Bolton's sprawling size hasn't helped.
Is there a fix? I doubt it... The world moves on.
Likewise, I left in 1975 and had short and rare returns in recent years. When I had to be there unexpectedly for an extended period it wasn't just shocking to see, it was depressing to be there. It was like a twilight experience I couldn't escape, I could remember how it was, see what it became and at the same time unable to return home because of the Covid Pandemic. With no obligation or reason to return again I am somewhat relieved.
Those were the days when we weren't invaded by bakeries, pound shops and crappy shops. I do like the vaults now though.
It's like Beirut now in more ways than one.
@@margaretwaite7226 why would you said Bolton is like Beirut now?
I have one vague memory of burnden park as it used to be. Seeing the outside of the stadium when my mum drove past. But seeing it here is surreal. Amazing how things used to look before. And the water place!! My childhood right there.
I used to almost drown every Wednesday evening in the waves... Strangely enough it was the best bit
@Januarychic i wonder what it was that made it so much better in those days ?
I wish more people would have done this, it is absolutely amazing looking back. I would have been 6 back then but a lot of it does look familiar. Notice the old normid shopping centre on manchester road which is now asda. And texas that was replaced by homebase. Excellent videos!
thank u very much for these videos m8..it brings bak soo many great memories!!
I grew up in 1950s and 60s Bolton. My last visit to Bolton was around four or five years ago, and I almost cried to see the complete ruination of what was a town with character. Temples everywhere, The pubs along Derby street, formally the lifeblood of the workers of Bolton, all closed and boarded up. Entire blocks of housing demolished and replaced with either nothing or monstrous entities. We had a magnificent building that housed the fire brigade, which was torn down to be replaced with an ugly building which is apparently (I am told) student housing accommodation. A fantastic railway station, torn down and rebuilt, why? who knows. A fantastic hotel across from the station called "the Railway Hotel" which was torn down to accommodate the building of a new bus depot, why? Moor Lane was home to a fabulous bus station. Newport street is straddled with a hideous archway, meant to symbolise something, but what, I have no idea, and I don't want to know. I now hate what Bolton has become. I hate the people who have perpetrated this evil nonsensical and systematic destruction of a town of memories. I plant to visit England in August for my daughter's wedding in Leeds. A short drive from my home-town, but I won't go near the place, far too upsetting. Just as a postscript, I wonder how long before Bolton's magnificent town hall has to give way to a multi-story car park or a shopping complex. I know someone has an eye on it.
The Town Hall and old fountain was featured in a film about two newly-weds entitled 'The Family Way' with Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett
Yeah actually mate I 'think' it's her eon UA-cam...
The water place! What a great swimming baths
Matthew C amazing how many people miss that place Matthew
i live in huddersfield now but bolton born and bred well moses gate this vid is amazing i was 10 in 1992 and what memories i have
I remember those little booths ! They sold scratch cards.
@tatty16 yeah , there's "Bolton 1988" drving towards Breightmet xD
Not one person staring at a phone!
Bonesofinsanity I wonder why that is 🤔
My god it was so clean back then. The pride has been ripped from the centre and it shows.
Thanks Andy mate, wish I'd taken more film and earlier too. Also wish I'd gone into some of the shops and filmed inside.
@6:52 - DF ? The guy in the background is pushing a lawnmower ??
Great BankScam, glad u want to use it! Hoped people would find it interesting.
I’d of been 7 then, second year at primary school, wish someone would of filmed around Horwich in the early 90’s, remember going into bolton as a kid back then, very nostalgic
Very few pound bakeries/greggs ect... saw just one betting shop.. nobody walking with their eyes glued to their phone screens. Not a foreign face in sight. How times have changed (for the worse)
@sandrabatten66 yeah i remember them too Sandra - especially in that passageway leading into Newport street
What a fantastic video!
This was when Bolton was amazing I don't think I am old enough to remember the water slide near Morrisons but i defiantly remember when the Big inside market place near Debenhams was on
Excellent stuff, while I'm sure you thought it was mundane at the time these videos suddenly become relevant and important after 20 years or so.
I'd love to see what you filmed it on!
Me too Farnworth lass! Wish I'd filmed more now - gone into a few shops. I took a couple of minutes of Farnworth too on another video. x
Lived in Bolton eight years, and I know the town centre so well, so it's really strange to see you looking like this where things are, is the same but not quite
0.42 burnden park .....bloody hellfire !
I like all the old cars, interesting.
Was the town hall clock stuck at eight minutes past three ? No matter when you see it, it always showed the same time...even in another video of Bolton filmed several years earlier !
I think they were trying to fix it for years. I seem to remember Fred Dibnah even went up it once to try to get it going !
I dont remember it *not* working . Always chimed every quarter of an hour. Up until 2002 anyway .
You're right Spammy! Just think if we could see video of places 100 years ago! Wonder if this will survive that long???
The council have made some bad choices since then. Have you got any videos from inside the crompton place?
Morrisons its actually still there and it’s opened
Does anyone know what the price of a litre of petrol was back in 1992? Around 50p?
@JonnyBach12 did you ever visit great lever?
Is that Bernard shouting "Bolton Evening News"?
I remember W.H.Smith. Is it still there? I grew up in Bolton. emigrate in 1950. A long time ago.
It was there the last time I visited next to British Home Stores - but that has since gone
Yep wh Smith is still here with us
going back to bolton town centre now feels like being charlton heston in the omega man !
hahahahaha
Bolton was such a thriving town when i was growing up so sad to see its decline as the years have gone on. Especially the market hall i loved the old market hall now it just looks horrible
the shop built on the old embankment was Normid superstore
when bolton was bolton
Wow brings back so many memories I learnt to swim in the water place the mirrored corner on trinity street, Olympus chippy still going strong the elephants have all gone now so many memories
I think the thing that most people don’t realise today is that this was made by camcorder and good old fashioned vhs that’s the beauty back then thing where memories unless you carried a camcorder
Ah...Kingburger. Like Burger King, but shit.
Also, whatever happened to Hanburys?
AW man water place, that was awesome. Can't believe it got knocked down. Bolton town center is pretty crap to visit now, nothing to do there anymore. There used to be a cinema too.
New cinema in market place
I love the angry mum at 2:09... "Aaron! AARON!!"
Haha, was that the old number 9 Express bus early on?
Yes, they've scrapped the number 9 service now.. basically it went the same route as the number 8 (which still runs to this day), but with limited stops.
O my god so many things are the same the only main difference is that pool next to morrisons where the hell did that go?
I WAS IN CHESTERS ON BRADSHAW GATE AVIN A BEER WEN YOU FILMED THIS , i seen you walk past lol
Who is in Bolton BL1
just think when this was recorded i was only a few months old i dont even remember some stuff on this video and ive lived in bolton all my life...and 20 years later im a rapper and was performing on the same town steps in this video only today!!!
Nice to look back to our once nice town, burnden park, water place & market hall, trees on newport st, nice variety of shops🐶❤☺👯♀️2018 now...no further comment💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩
Eeeeevning News !!
Me and my Nan always use to go into Cassandra's Coffee House and Olympus
Not sure if the guy in black at 2.24 is me or not.
Bolton, looks alright, I must go there myself.
Anybody remember the hot fresh sugary donuts made in a box next to water place .never could afford them as i had bus fare and admission to water place only
There's another clip on here filmed around Bolton centre in the 1980s, called "Extended D*cking about about in 1980s Bolton" - Check it out ! The newspaper vendor gets a bit miffed when the guy filming shoves the camera in his face ! :D
I watched it ! It's good. Looks like a would be 80s band shooting a potential music video. Love the old characters of Bolton - sadly most have died I feel
No Litter on the streets Wow !
There is another very good video on here, Bolton in the 80s, just random shots in and around the town centre, including an annoyed newspaper seller who didn't want to be filmed !
Where is the swimming pool?
Long gone. Me and the wave machine didn’t get along.
I moved to Bolton in this year and had my son. We used to walk into Bolton town centre on a Sunday when everything was closed - and had to remember to take a couple of pounds for the homeless who would approach us for cash! -
Was trying to spot myself on here with my friends would of been about 15 at the time. It’s changed so much 😐
I'd of been 17. Good to look back.
I saw a No. 9 Express!
@tomharding no problem Tom, like most women she's been through about 20 hair styles and regrets most of them lol
Sooo cute… but at the same time, sooo sad!
Bolton before middlebrook
True mate, everyone prefer go to Middlebrook, cos Bolton getting worst.
RIP Bolton
What happened to Bolton?
So much better then
OMG the water place - used to love that place!! Oh and Burden Park Football stadium... thats going back some!!! Haha x
@psychodamned that bar was surendipitys and we got barred from there for somking a joint inside - we were young but to think we had the audacity to fire one up in a pulic bar and pass it under the table so no one would see! not sure we knew what planet we were on. im not fat though
Looks like it does now!!
Except there wasan indoor water park called the water place.
My town before the planners got involved .
@tomharding lol 4.12 that's no woman, that's my wife
Bustling with shoppers, major retailers in view. Diverse and prosperous. Now its a shit hole, full of charity shops and down and outs.. the council have a lot to answer for. They've ruined a once great town centre.
Absolutely destroyed it. Plenty of towns in the northwest have done much better
Was a great town but now I regret to say a great mess
It's barely even changed in the past 3 decades
i was 4 back then it makes me feel sick thinking thats what it was like and now look what ive got 2 live amoung brings a tear to my eye thinking of what it was and still could have been like if wanker politicians and left wing hippy do gooders hadnt got there way
It loked alot cleaner and all the people wern't fat or druggies etc. What the hell happened :(
@tatty16 normid