The chairman of a Bolton charity has retired after being in the role for 16 years. David Williams has been involved with the Friends of Smithills Hall for nearly 20 years. The group, which has around 140 members, provides tours around the historic hall, which is one of Bolton’s most visited places.
David has been involved in writing booklets, producing bulletins, and researching history at the site. Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox. However, the 82-year-old has now retired from the role, passing the leadership to incoming leader Stephen Brown, who became involved in the charity just over two years ago.
Stephen, aged 75, said: “In some respects you’d say – how do you replace him? Someone who’s given nearly 20 years to the place. He’s quite an act to follow. He just loves the place.
“He spends so much time here, and he’s a devotee of local history, and he wants to share that with the population of Bolton.” Originally from Liverpool, David, who has been a member of the charity since he retired from work in 2002, says his favourite part of the charity is getting to meet the people of Bolton. David said: “It’s wonderful meeting people, talking about a very, very interesting hall with lots of stories and ghost stories as well – we have ghost nights.
” He told the Bolton News that he has experienced suspected paranormal activity in the hall’s ‘Green Room’ – the Ainsworths’ former parlour – himself. .
