A CHORLEY Nobel Prize winner has been honoured with a special weekend.

Students joined professional chemists for events dedicated to the late Nobel Laureate Sir Walter Norman Haworth -- who discovered the structure of Vitamin C.

Runshaw College in Chorley put on a healthy eating fair on Friday and Saturday (November 17-18). And the college's Leyland campus hosted the main event -- a lecture by Birmingham University chemistry expert Dr Peter Somers.

The celebrations were arranged by Chorley Borough Council and Chorley Civic Society.

Chris Mellor, arts development officer for the council, said: "Sir Haworth taught himself chemistry, working with his father. It was quite an achievement. We brought in Dr Peter Somers from Birmingham University, as Sir Haworth was also a professor at Birmingham.

"The professor brought with him a copy of the Nobel medal and certificate and gave a lecture on Sir Haworth's techniques and research to a packed lecture theatre. The weekend was a great success."

Sir Haworth -- born in Chorley in 1883 -- was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1937. He was head of the department of chemistry at Birmingham University in 1925, before becoming dean of the faculty of science and acting vice-principal during 1947-48. He died in 1950. CHEMISTRY buffs: students from left: Helen Finch from Adlington, Natalie Cole from Lostock Hall, Joanne Couchland from Euxton, with Dr Peter Somers