BOLTON'S best-selling author Ruth Hamilton had a sad pilgrimage back to her home town this week.

Ruth, born Linda Girling, was scattering the ashes of her younger sister Susan Nixon. Susan emigrated to New Zealand more than 25 years ago, and died there after a short illness. She was just 52.

The top-selling writer, who now lives in the Liverpool area, arranged for her sister's ashes to be returned to the UK.

And because, as Ruth says, she was a "very British person and always loved Bolton", she and surviving sister Alice brought the remains back here.

"We decided to scatter her ashes around the Tonge Moor area, near St Columba's and near Castle Hill School fields. They were places where she'd been happy," explained Ruth.

"It was a very sad day for us in one way but it was lovely to come back to Bolton again. Alice lives in Cardiff, where she is a head teacher, and she really enjoyed coming to Bolton again and meeting local people. "Everyone was very kind to us, particularly the staff at Sweeten's bookshop in Deansgate."

Despite the miles, Ruth had kept in regular contact with Susan who is survived in New Zealand by her daughter Kathryn. "She was a lovely person, very clever, and I'll really miss her."

The writer is particularly proud of her roots and invites Boltonians to contact her via her website www.ruth-hamilton.co uk

"I can't give you a cuppa," she adds, "but I'll make you all welcome!"