Over one hundred members of a new Facebook group turned up for a photocall outside Bury’s cathedral at the weekend.

According to James, the group was set up for people to enjoy the town and its rich heritage, history and culture and allow them to share collective memories and pictures.

One of those who went along for Sunday’s picture was town and borough councillor Patsy and her husband and fellow councillor Fred.

“I just think it was a really good idea,” she said. “It just proves Facebook can do something good as well as bad.

“I thought it was great that so many people turned up. It was very cold.”

She added: “As a young girl I didn’t realise what a little gem Bury was but I married Fred, I went away and followed him in the forces. We came back to Bury in 1975 when he finished in the army and settled here. Just about all our family have settled here.

“An awful lot had changed by the time I came back but it was only then I began to appreciated the Abbey Gardens. I had always used the Abbey Gardens but never appreciated how nice it was.

“We’ve actually got nearly everything on our doorstep. You see it through different eyes. All my children love Bury and we love the cinema. We absolutely love that.”

James added he was overwhelmed by the group’s success: “I’m just going around smiling all the time like I’m a Cheshire cat,” he said.