A LEADING scholar bent on putting Bolton on the academic map has called on David Blunkett to ignore prejudice against the town. Warwick University lecturer Malcolm Hardman, who comes from Bolton, believes many scholars are in the dark about the major influence Boltonians have had on the course of history. And he believes this "ignorance" could be one of the reasons why Bolton Institute is struggling to win university status.

Mr Hardman said: "There seems to be a real lack of awareness about what a special place Bolton has in history.

"The town has produced some wonderful writers and it already has a glorious intellectual history of its own.

"But some people just will not have it and I remember when Bolton was overlooked and Cambridge was made a polytechnic.

"It is lamentable that this sort of ignorance can still be found. Let us hope David Blunkett will make a new start."

The senior lecturer in English recently produced a book A Kingdom in Two Parishes (Bolton and Deane), which tells how Bolton made a mark on British history up to 1689. He is now working on another charting the town's influence between 1819 and 1925.

Mr Hardman believes Bolton's contribution to industry is quite well documented but most people do not know the town also produced some great thinkers and writers.

He believes Bolton intellectuals have influenced famous writers such as Wordsworth and Shakespeare and directly led to great social reforms in British history.

Many are well known in their own right but Mr Hardman says scholars do not understand how a great number of influential figures are linked to the town, many through Bolton School.

He added: "They are mentioned in fragmented ways but no-one has linked them to Bolton and the town's long noble tradition of social justice and speaking up for the common man. No matter how far back you go Boltonians have always had a lot to say for themselves and been keen to make themselves heard."

Mr Hardman lived in Broxton Avenue and went to St Andrew's School at Four Lane Ends before his family moved to Bradford.

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