EVERY year, the active Horwich Heritage society puts on an exhibition about the past of the town.

This year, the aim is to celebrate leisure and past-times of all those organisations, clubs and societies who have contributed so much to the rich social life of Horwich over the past 100 years, particularly in the days before the "box" took over our lives.

The exhibition will feature the re-creation of an old style pub -- for many people the social centre of their lives.

Stuart Whittle, chairman of Horwich Heritage, says: "Even today, many of the town's clubs and societies have their origins in the famous L&Y Railway Works which arrived in Horwich in 1884 and created the familiar RMI (Railway Mechanics Institute) insignia used in every sport and past-time from football and cricket to the Harriers and Operatic and Dramatic Society.

"But how many people know about Lord Leverhulme's exotic zoo in Lever Park, or Horwich Racecourse where the Old Lord's Estate is today, or about the numerous brass bands of which Horwich was justifiably proud of in the early part of the last century, one of which, the Horwich RMI Band, won the British Championship in 1922."

The Horwich exhibitions are always intriguing and a real delve into the past. The new exhibition opens on Saturday at the Resource Centre, Longworth Road, Horwich, (by the Mayor of Horwich, Cllr. John Bragg), at 10am and will be open to the public until 1pm on the day, and then on subsequent Saturdays (10am-noon), and Wednesdays (2pm-4pm) or by appointment. Admission is free. For further details, or to contribute to the exhibition, contact Mr Whittle on Bolton 847797.

Among today's pictures, provided by local historian M D Smith, is one of zebras in Rivington. As part of his Lever Park venture, Leverhulme created a zoo with lots of exotic animals, many roaming free, including, as well as zebra, zebu, wallabies, llamas, deer, emu and lion cubs. The zoo closed when Leverhulme died -- and the animals took some catching!.

The other photographs are of a gathering of Scouts and Boy's Brigades in the grounds of Rivington Bungalow in about 1907 (perhaps you can spot Leverhulme and his wife on the back row), and Horwich Prize Medal Morris Men, with leader Harry Morris, in about 1900.