MY stories in the 50 Years Ago column about Bolton's "Syncopating" Sandy Strickland attempting to break the world record for piano playing brought a letter from Mr T. Hall, of Codnor in Derbyshire, who used to live in this area.

"We had a contender in Horwich for the same record at about the same time," he writes. "The name was Abbie Platt, and the attempt took place in Johnny Holland's old cinema, in the arcade opposite Brownlow Road in Lee Lane.

"He made his attempt in front of the stage, and worked the music in with the shows at night.

"He didn't catch Sandy up, but he put up a good show. The theatre was open 24 hours a day, and I used to go in occasionally to watch him.

"Johnny Holland died in 1921, but the cinema never forgot his name."