THE last member of the founding family to be connected with the Evening News was guest-of-honour, Marcus Tillotson at the new press opening ceremony.

Marcus, now aged 86, is the grandson of William F Tillotson, who started the paper in 1867.

The paper group stayed in the family until 1971, when it was taken over, and at the time Marcus had been chairman for 15 years -- indeed, many older local people still refer to the company as "Tillotson's".

Marcus joined the group in 1937, and had some training in all departments except editorial.

Two years later, he joined the Territorials as a 2nd Lieutenant, finishing the war as a major.

It only became known generally, though, in 1994, that in two small towns in northern France he is regarded as a hero; he was among a group of soldiers who liberated the towns from the Germans (and, for a time, became town mayor carrying administrative duties).

In 1994, to mark the 50th anniversary of the towns' liberation, they invited him back to the area with his wife Daphne to attend a ceremony at the Monument Aux Morts, a spectacle watched by crowds of elderly folk who remembered Mr Tillotson.

Over the years he has been involved in many fields of charitable and social welfare work, both locally and nationally.

He was made president of the Newspaper Society in 1966 (his year of office included the centenary of the Bolton Evening News), has been deeply involved with the Boys Division of Bolton School, on the board of management of the YMCA, the Bolton, Leigh and District Deaf and Dumb Society, a Justice of the Peace from 1957 to 1985, and only a few weeks ago received his prestigious 50-year membership of rotary club award.

Marcus was also recently presented with a piece of engraved crystal ware at Bolton's Man of the Year Awards for a lifetime of dedication to the town -- he is, quietly and behind the scenes, one of Bolton's biggest benefactors.

It is good that after a member of the Tillotson family founded the group 134 years ago, his grandson, although not actively involved in the Evening News for the past 30 years, but the last direct descendent of the founder still living in Bolton, is guest of honour at the opening of the new presses.