THE saga of the Union Flag created at Burnden Park by school children is becoming increasingly bewildering.

You may remember that I suggested the old postcard depicted a scene at Burnden Park during the Samuel Crompton centenary celebrations in 1927.

Various people have been in touch to say they think it was in 1935 during events to mark the silver jubilee of King George V.

This week Mrs Auriol Robertson from Newbrook Road, Bolton, wrote to say that it WAS for the Silver Jubilee and she thinks all the children got a tin of chocolates.

But Flo Hall of Keilder Mews, Heaton, Bolton, says I was right - it was the Crompton centenary in 1927.

She knows because she was there - 10 years old at the time and a pupil at Brandwood Street School.

This version of the truth is supported in an e-mail from Ronald Smith.

He says the Union Flag pageant must have been earlier than 1928 because the photograph shows the old "Darcy Lever" stand which was demolished in that year and replaced by the new Burnden Stand, completed in August, 1929.

Ron says: "Your photo shows two of the eight stanchions of the old stand, whereas the new stand had fewer stanchions more widely spaced apart."

Unfortunately, the water is muddied further by other communications, including one from Frank Worsley of Longfield Road, Bolton.

Mr Worsley says: "My own experience of constructing the Union Flag at Burnden Park was for the Coronation of George VI and Elizabeth and was part of a pageant held on the actual day."

That was in 1937.

I confess to being somewhat baffled by all this - could it be that the Union Flag was created on all three occasions?