Walkers put Hall i’th’ Wood on the map! (From Leigh Journal)

Walkers put Hall i’th’ Wood on the map!

9:26am Thursday 19th August 2010 in Video

THE road was a car-free zone and there was dancing in the street when Pixmore Avenue was transformed into a full street party, bunting and all.

There were giant street theatre puppets, a bouncy castle, kite making, and a barbecue for the hungry party goers at the street in Hall i’th Wood.

Yesterday’s event, organised by Bolton At Home and the charity, Living Streets, was held to launch a new innovative map of the area designed to encourage more walking.

The fold up map has been designed by Hall i’th Wood residents and local artist Adrian Barber.

It features local points of interest including the Hall, fire station, police station, and has the train line running through the middle.

Children at neighbouring St Columba’s school worked on the artwork for the map and took some photographs of local places to go on it.

The project was a family affair for Carly McFadden, aged 24, and her sons, Andrew Binns, aged five, and Jacob Binns, aged six. The family, of Tonge Head Avenue, feature in some of the photographs on the map and also drew some of the pictures for it.

Miss McFadden said: “It gives them something better to do than sitting inside watching telly and it’s been fun doing it.”

Artist Adrian Barber designed the map after he got involved in the project through Bolton At Home.

The 41-year-old said: “I used to live in Tonge Moor and walk the dog around Hall i’th Wood, so it was good to be able to go back and see how it had changed.

“It’s great that Bolton At Home support emerging artists and give them a chance to get started. That is something really special.”

Living Streets is a national charity that works to create safe streets for people to walk on. The organisation launched its Fitter For Walking scheme in Bolton in 2008.

Bernard Kennedy, Fitter For Walking Co-ordinator for the North West, said: “The main reason for Fitter For Walking is to get people walking more.”

He said events like the street party allow people in communities to integrate more than they might do normally.

“It is really to get people out on to the streets together and to enjoy themselves. It’s been really well attended.”

The party also saw health workers turn up with a bike-powered smoothie maker and job advice was on hand from Bolton Council’s Works Bus.

Police Community Support Officer Mark Flannery, who also attended, said: “Events like this are great because you can come and talk to the residents in an informal way and all have a bit of a laugh.

“The area has changed a lot as a result of things like this, they really work.”