WORDSMITHS young and old joined comedian Dave Spikey to officially celebrate their pearls of wisdom being immortalised in Bolton town centre.

Granite slabs bearing the words of Bolton celebrities - and others not so well known - have been laid among the paving stones in the revamped Churchgate.

Words of advice from Dave are included on one of the slabs and he said: "It was an honour to be chosen."

The Phoenix Nights star's paving stone quote reads: "You all have a talent, you just need to discover it, 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 said he was inspired by the wealth of talent that comes from the town.

He also said he had to put his foot down about where his stone would be placed.

"They were going to put me outside the tax office, but I said I would rather go outside the Pastie Shop or opposite the Man and Scythe because I spent most of my youth in there sampling the ciders," he said.

The seven granite paving stones include words of wisdom from steeplejack Fred Dibnah and football commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme.

They also include contributions from Bolton residents who took part in the Bolton In Its Own Words contest run by Bolton Council.

Included are the words of two schoolchildren, Callum Hodson, aged 11 of Daubhill, and Muryum Khan, aged 14, of Great Lever.

Callum, of Chelsea Road, Daubhill, took the letters in the word Bolton to describe his town: "Beautiful, Old, Lovely, Town, Outstanding, Naturally."

Also immortalised are the words of Alan Markland, aged 74, from Halliwell, who submitted the opening of one his short stories called Going Back, which reads: "They have cleaned the lions on Town Hall Square though a persistent stain is remaining. They were polished black by the bottoms of boys and ages of soot and fine rain."

Sheila Stephens Orrell, who also attended yesterday's celebration, contributed a poem about Boltonian inventor Samuel Crompton, who created the Spinning Mule. Her plaque has been placed in the spot nearest Bolton Parish Church where he is buried.