Farnworth has a lot to be proud of. It is a town that has spawned Great Britain’s most decorated Olympian and a World Cup winner, despite only having a population of around 29,000 people.
In years gone by, it also boasted a top grammar school, a 'superclub' and much-loved market. The latter is something that brings a twinkle to the eye to anyone of a certain age in the town.
"Are you talking about the market!?" 74-year-old Sylvia Mellon beams on a bitterly cold December morning, as she overhears a couple of shoppers talking about long-awaited plans to redevelop Farnworth town centre. "It was the best," she told the Manchester Evening News . "When I was a little girl, I used to go with me mam and there were stalls and there used to be chickens hanging, fish, mussels, cockles, you could get anything. Farnworth was a fantastic place and it went downhill... like a dump. It’s nice to see it coming back up again."
