I recently had an article published in a local history magazine about the New Year carol singing that used to happen through the night on New Year's Eve in the Roby Mill area, west of Wigan. Since this article appeared I understand that carols were also sung in Westhoughton on New Year's Eve. Do any of your readers have knowledge of this tradition, and if so where and when were the carols sung? I would also be interested what carols were sung and to what tunes. In Roby Mill "carols" were in fact standard hymns together with a New Year's carol. The singers used to use many different tunes and would start after midnight and sing through until 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning.

If readers know of any similar customs in Westhoughton, or elsewhere in the area I would like to hear from them.

Peter Bearon

14 Church Street

Westhoughton, Bolton, BL5 3RS

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