BOLTON'S barbershop singers -- The Cottontown Chorus -- celebrated their 25th anniversary with a singing, swinging evening, at Rivington Barn.

Four hundred and fifty people enjoyed the event and among them were the two Bolton Mayoresses, Elaine Howarth and Lesley Lyons, as well as Tom and Sylvia Ashton who came over from the Isle of Man.

Tom bought the chorus members their first uniform.

Nine other barbershop clubs were there including Preston's Red Rose Chorus who entertained and the ladies chorus Cheshire Chords.

The latter are British and European Ladies Chorus Champions.

Other entertainers were the national champion male quartet Part Exchange, the bronze medallist quartet High Spirits and the jazz group Bourbon Street Roof Raisers.

Five members of the Bolton group received gold pins to commemorate a quarter of a century of barbershopping from the British Association of Barbershop Singers.

They were Terry Smith, Peter Carolan, Keith Northrop, David Jones and George Denton. The presentation was made by the president of the British Association of Barbershop Singers, Wilf Patterson.

The chorus, which is heavily committed to raising funds for charities, made a £750 donation to the Jenny Ruth Workshops for the Disabled, Bolton Hospice and the Hyde Lea Rest Home for Spastics.