The Wingates Band has joined a long list of illustrious word famous musicians, artists, inventors, scientists and politicians, such as Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, John Logie Baird, Ian Fleming and John Lennon, by being honoured with the unveiling of a history society blue plaque to mark their birthplace.

Famous links

Blue plaques first appeared in London in 1866, and have subsequently become a world-wide phenomenon, linking famous people with buildings in which they lived, worked or even died, with Wingates gaining their permanent place in history thanks to the work of the Westhoughton Local History Group.

The landmark plaque is to be situated at the entrance to Wingates Square in the town, denoting the birthplace and home of the famous band since 1873, with the unveiling ceremony taking place on Thursday, July 24th, heralded by a fanfare from current players.

Wingates Band has been a magnificent ambassador, both nationally and internationally for Westhoughton, Bolton and Lancashire, for well over a centuryspokesperson

Magnificent ambassadors

A spokesperson told 4BR: "Wingates Band has been a magnificent ambassador, both nationally and internationally for Westhoughton, Bolton and Lancashire, for well over a century.

The plaque represents the third tangible tribute to them from the local community, following the award of the Westhoughton Community Medal in 2007, and the placing by Westhoughton Town Council of three district boundary road signs in 2009."