Potter's patch

Back in 1969 the big screen version of Bill Naughton's Spring and Port Wine brought the likes of James Mason, Diana Coupland and Rodney Bewes to shoot scenes on the canal at Nob End.

In the 1980s, Coronation Street used the parish church at nearby Prestolee for the marriages of Ken and Deirdre and Bet Lynch and Alec Gilroy. Then, in autumn 2000, filming began on the club car park of St Gregory's Social Club in Farnworth -- it became Brian Potter's "cracking little club", the legendary institution at the heart of Channel 4's Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights. Two series on and the show has achieved cult status.

This short walk heads for St Gregs where members now have "The Real Phoenix Club"' emblazoned upon their membership cards. The film crew even left the Phoenix Club sign hanging outside the exit door. Not surprisingly, this swiftly vanished and probably now hangs on some fan's bedroom wall. Along this walk, ardent fans can spot some of the locations used around and about the club. There's the phone box used by bouncers Max and Paddy to impersonate Mixu Paatelainen of the Bolton Coroner's Office, the street where lollipop man Kenny (Dalglish Senior!) got a call from Chuck Norris for some woodchip, and the playing field where Jerry St Clair hijacked a game of soccer to celebrate his all clear from hospital! Are you 'aving that?

DISTANCE: mile

START: Farnworth train station, Bridge Street.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Numerous bus services along Market Street. Or train to Farnworth.

Start at Bridge Street next to the train station ticket office and walk past the road bridge over the railway on your left. Do not cross it but continue straight ahead along Bridge Street until the terraced rows of Gerrard Street are reached on the right hand side of the road. Walk up to the top of Gerrard Street and turn right along Church Road. The corner wall of St John's Church Yard is reached and next to it the phone box used by Max and Paddy to phone Brian Potter up at 3am. (Series 1, Episode 4).

Continue past the church towards the Church Inn. Opposite the pub is the junction with Lord Street. This street was used in the first episode of the second series when Old Kenny, employed as a tall tale-telling lollipop man, gets the phone call to arms from Brian Potter to re-form the burnt out Phoenix.

Continue past the Church Inn and the school gates to Presto Street, which is the next road junction on the right. Look across from here to the school playing field which featured in the last episode of Series 1. A highly relieved Jerry runs across it and heads a football much to the bemusement of the local youths.

Turn right into Presto Street and walk down past St Gregory's Catholic Church on your right. Cross over to view the Phoenix Club in all its glory. Bouncers Max and Paddy often stood outside the fire exit on the far side of the club which was used as another entrance. During filming, St Greg's was covered with graffiti, painted pink, had its windows smashed, was set on fire and had its snooker tables dismantled. That was just for starters! In the earlier Channel 4 spoof documentary series That Peter Kay Thing it was also used for the exteriors of the "club" episode where it was recreated as a set so it could be burnt down. St Greg's interiors became the Tony Knowles Suite, the Chinese restaurant and, of course, the Phoenix's famous "Talent Trek" cabaret room. There is also the gents' toilet where the dastardly Den Perry dropped that infamous cigar butt.

To finish the walk, continue down Presto Street to the crossroads of four roads. Turn right here to return to the train station at the bottom of the road.