FLOWER power added to the Charter celebrations. Dedicated flower arrangers from Bolton, Horwich and Harwood floral arts groups spent months designing 7ft-high displays depicting town organisations and significant events of the last 750 years in the town.

Props and thousands of stems of flowers were used in the displays which were ready to be viewed by guests attending the Mayor's Grand Charity Ball at the Reebok Stadium on Friday.

The displays, in the Lion of Vienna Suite, were open to the public on Saturday before the blooms were auctioned off at the end of the day. Celia Nisbett, chairman of Horwich Floral Art Group said teams of arrangers had worked extremely hard to complete their creations with £2,000 worth of blooms and imaginative use of props to illustrate each theme.

Mrs Nisbett's husband was even enlisted to make a replica of the Spinning Mule to be used in a display depicting one of Bolton's most famous sons, William Crompton.

Other displays included one dedicated to Bolton Wanderers featuring a goal net and replica FA Cup, the opening of Bolton Town Hall by the Prince of Wales and including a mayoral robe and copy of the menu from the occasion.

The granting of the charter itself featured prominently with artefacts from medieval life, including a quiver of arrows and the Earl of Derby's execution is marked with a replica scaffold and display featuring lilies.

Each of the stands was accompanied by a framed front page of the Bolton Evening News describing the event the display commemorated.

"The results and peoples reactions to the displays have been wonderful," said Mrs Nisbett.