THERE is a wealth of very good evidence as to why Bolton should become a city -- not least the town's Royal connections.

The Queen has visited Bolton three times during her reign and must have pleasant memories of the area.

Boundary commissions aside, there are many of us who know that Bolton will always be in the "real" Lancashire. Our loyal toast is still: "The Queen, the Duke of Lancaster."

Perhaps the Queen agrees that Bolton would be a welcome addition to the cities in her county.

In 1954 the Queen and Prince Philip visited Bolton during a two-day tour of Lancashire. It rained all day -- but stopped as the Royal party arrived at Trinity Street Station. The Queen must have been very impressed at the changes during her next visit, in May 1968, when she visited the area to see how "Operation Spring Clean" was working in the drab towns of the industrial North.

Impressive

The newly cleaned Town Hall and the old Post Office still look today as if they belong in a city.

Even more impressive -- and memorable -- would have been the Queen's last visit to Bolton during the town's 150th anniversary in December 1988. She came here to open the prestigious Water Place and Market Place developments.

Cleaning up the town, investing in multi-million pound developments -- our submission is that the Queen may well have wondered why we were not already a city.

In and around the visits by the Queen, with and without Prince Philip, many other members of the Royal family have visited Bolton -- and must have been equally impressed. Prince Philip has been here twice on his own, and piloted himself by helicopter both times.

The first time, in June 1963, he became the first Royal to set foot in Farnworth and in June 1972 he landed in the grounds of Deane School for a short, but hectic visit meeting local youngsters involved in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

The heir to the throne, Prince Charles, has visited Bolton only once, in 1983 -- but is unlikely to forget the day. He received a custard pie in the face.

Permission

He took it in good spirit, however, and even replied in kind to the "flinger", Katie Slater, and Stephen Starkie, who had urged Katie on. The two were members of a travelling theatre company and had, of course, asked permission first.

Princess Anne -- now the Princess Royal -- first visited Bolton to open the Princess Anne Maternity Unit at the Bolton General Hospital, now the Royal Bolton Hospital. Her next was in 1989, when she reportedly enjoyed a Bolton bacon butty, and in 1994 when she met members of the Save the Children Fund, of which she is president

Of course, there have been other visits from the time before the accession of our present Queen. In 1913 King George V and Queen Mary came here, and in 1945 her King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth -- now our much-loved Queen Mother -- visited the town.

One important visit for our bid came in 1967 when Princess Margaret opened the Octagon Theatre. This prestigious theatre is another important part of our submission that Bolton deserves City status.

How apt, then, that it should have been opened by such an important Royal personage so close to the Queen. Have you met a 'Royal'? WERE you one of the people who met a member of the Royal Family -- perhaps even the Queen -- on one of their visits? Have you worked for the Royal Family, or do you have any royal memories? If so, share your special moments with the BEN readers. Write to: ROYAL MEMORIES, The Editor, Bolton Evening News, Churchgate, Bolton, BL1 1DE.