CITY status is something which the majority of the people of Bolton believe the town deserves.

It can certainly meet the three main criteria agreed by the Queen for such a title.

Any town must have "notable features including regional or national significance", "historical features," and a "forward-looking attitude".

Many would argue there is no problem here on any of these three counts.

"Notable features" would include a Premiership football club, in a state-of-the-art stadium that manages plenty of national profile.

The Arena, next to the Reebok Stadium, is so notable that it has been selected to host the badminton competition of the Commonwealth Games next year.

And the Middlebrook retail complex attracts thousands of visitors every week from all over the region, plus a host of famous business names drawn to the complex because of its proven prestige.

Bolton is the biggest town in England, with a population of 265,000 and shops and industry to reflect that.

Bolton Institute has the pretensions -- and all the curriculum vitae -- to become a university and everyone would hope that this other, vital status is only a matter of time away.

Its town centre is a showpiece which regularly attracts visitors from all parts of the North-west, and from all over world.

And the Town Centre Partnership company has brought creative ideas, like the recent clowns' festival and the ice rink which returns again this Christmas after enhancing last year's festivities.

The Octagon Theatre has long been a home of entertainment and innovative culture, encouraging all kinds of new talent -- a significant percentage of it home-grown.

This professional theatre is enhanced by the wealth of amateur dramatic and operatic societies, some of whom are good enough to take over the Albert Halls in our magnficently renovated Town Hall.

Victorian

The Town Hall is so notable that it has been a favourite choice for film makers, for whom its Victorian-style splendour has represented every kind of venue, including Russian public buildings.

Which brings us neatly on to the "historical features".

As well as the Town Hall and its wonderful sweep of Le Mans Crescent made in its image, Bolton town centre has retained many of its historic buildings. It has also complemented the style with plenty of new ones, like The Market Place.

It has an excellent open market off Great Moor Street, well patronised and with a fine trading tradition. Impressive historic buildings Hall i'th' Wood and Smithills Hall attract both visitors and praise.

Let us also not forget the stunning countryside all around our town to please residents and visitors. Lord Leverhulme, a major benefactor of the town and a national figure -- Bolton born and bred and forever close to his roots -- loved it so much that he left large chunks of it for the people of the borough to enjoy forever.

Certainly, "forward-looking" was one of his major attributes, and he encouraged it in others.

This town has welcomed many different cultures, living side by side for decades in a practical harmony which has helped to build our local commerce and our communities.

Multi-faith forums, joint projects and the celebration of special days by a whole cross-section of the borough's population have integrated different ideas into the town's daily life.

Bolton's large number of amateur sports' leagues and organisations -- playing football, cricket and rounders to name just a few -- have not only given generations of Boltonians much pleasure but offer an excellent sporting legacy to their sons, daughters and grandchildren.

The youngsters, too, are catered for well into this Millennium with the new Lads and Girls Club building that is taking shape in Spa Road. The new building is a terrific symbol for a town which cares about its youth. Other successful youth projects include Young Enterprise, the organisation which introduces pupils to the reality of the business world.

Certainly, such youngsters will find new businesses waiting for their talents, in everything from computers to leisure and entertainment in our bustling business community.

For those looking for reasonably-priced housing close enough to central conurbations like Manchester, Bolton has become the top choice.

Candidate

Everywhere, new communities are springing up as more people come to live in Bolton and raise their families here, strengthening and swelling our town further. And, as if all these reasons here were not enough for the Queen to consider the town a suitable candidate for city status, there is one other.

Bolton is a town with a HEART -- a community where people care about each other, enough to raise money for poorly children, for hospitals and homes, for projects to help the disadvantaged. In other words, Bolton deserves to be a city. We simply hope that 2002 is the year it all happens.