I AM always amazed what transpires from my stories in Looking Back. A couple of weeks or so ago, I wrote about the Star Museum on Churchgate, which was on the site of where the Theatre Royal later stood.

I have now received an e-mail from Mr George Keech, of Whitehill Cottages, Sharples, Bolton, together with this picture of one of two tokens he has from those times.

You may recall that I told you that the museum was run by Mr T. Sharples, originally at the Millstone Inn, Crown Street, Bolton (he called it the Star Theatre and Museum) and when more space was needed he moved it to Churchgate.

In 1852, about 12 years after the move, the premises burned down. They were rebuilt and opened again in 1855, as a new museum known as the Victoria Theatre of Varieties.

Mr Keech tells me that the tokens say on the front "T. Sharples. Concert Room and Museum, The Star Inn, Churchgate, Bolton", and on the other side is a seven-pointed star surrounded by an olive wreath. Both tokens are made of brass, and "both have been knocked about over the years, one having been in a fire - perhaps rescued from the debris after the fire". Certainly they seem to date from 1852 or before.

How did Mr Keech get them? Well, he tells me that he managed a youth centre in Breightmet for 30 years, and one of the projects was to ask members to bring in foreign coins, which after sorting were given to charities.

"I found one of the tokens among them; I knew a little about the Star Museum, and as it wasn't a coin I kept it. The second token was found by my wife at a 'Pack fair' in Barnstable, when we were on holiday. It was on a coin dealer's stall, and 5p secured it."

A fascinating piece of Bolton history, Mr Keech. Thanks for letting us know about the tokens.