Paddy McGuinness has admitted that he believes “Bolton still falls under Lancashire” and not Greater Manchester.
The famous comedian and TV presenter – who was born and raised in Farnworth in 1973, back when it genuinely was still categorised as Lancashire – made the somewhat controversial declaration to his millions of followers on Instagram this week as he shared some pictures of himself that are currently featuring as part of a photography exhibition.
McGuinness is one of dozens of local famous faces forming part of the ‘Greater Mancunians’ project by The Manchester College.
150 students have participated in the landmark photography project – which is currently on display down at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall – and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.
Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Ricky Hatton, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Maxine Peake, Jonathan Warburton, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE are among the 100 contributors featured in the project, alongside McGuinness.
The 50-year-old, who is most well-known for his acting and presenting roles in Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, Take Me Out, and Top Gear, says it was “a real honour” to be featured in the exhibition.
McGuinness wrote on Instagram: “It was a real honour to take part in the Greater Mancunians project with the students at The Manchester College. The exhibition is full of people from music, comedy, politics, poetry, television, medicine and beyond.”
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He then said it’s “well worth popping in if you’re in town”, before dropping the final Bolton-related bombshell: “PS, I’m still saying Bolton falls under Lancashire.”
In case you’re unfamiliar with the borough’s history, Bolton was considered to be a part of Lancashire until Greater Manchester was formally established all the way back on 1 April 1974 – but still to this day, the town is located within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.
Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’, not Greater Manchester (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
After making the bold claim about Bolton’s geographical location, McGuinness has been met with praise and has received hundreds of comments from other Bolton and wider Greater Manchester residents agreeing with him and sharing their similar opinions under the post.
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“I think they should redefine Lancashire back to its old borders, it would bring unity to the area and create a northern powerhouse,” one person commented.
Another fan wrote: “Bolton will always be in Lancashire for me”, while a third commented: “ALWAYS Lancashire. Can’t move land boundaries, they’re not pieces of paper,” a fourth shared a similar sentiment: “They can tell us we’re Greater Manchester, but I know Im a Lancashire lass,” and a fifth added: “Lancashire all the way lad.”
“BOLTON WILL ALWAYS BE LANCASHIRE,” another clearly strong-viewed comment reads.
What’s your take then? Do you think Bolton is still in Lancashire, or is it part of Greater Manchester? What about the rest of the boroughs?
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We know full well we may have opened a can of worms with this one but that’s all part of the fun.
Featured Images – BBC
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Oasis Live ’27 – what to expect if you’re successful for ticket registration in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s go time… fans have started receiving ticket codes for Oasis Live ’27, so here is everything we know about the process so far.
In case you need bringing up to speed a little first, it was announced last week, following the unprecedented success of the reunion tour, Oasis Live ’25, last year – including five nostalgia-drenched gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park – that Oasis would be hitting the road once again in 2027, and this time around, they’re going BIG.
We’re talking 11 nights at the Etihad Stadium and a return to the iconic grounds of Knebworth for six special shows there too, kind of ‘big’.
The iconic Manchester band will also be taking to a range of other world-famous stages across the globe, including five nights at Glasgow’s Celtic Park, and major cities like Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, and Las Vegas.
Fans have started receiving ticket codes for Oasis Live ’27 in Manchester / Credit: Joshua Halling (Supplied) | The Manc Group
If you’re reading this, you’ll probably know by now that tickets are being sold through a strict fan registration process this year – with no general onsale and only successful registrants even invited to try and buy them.
Prices will be fixed, however, meaning fans will be able to snap up a ticket for as little as £74.60 for seated tickets, with seats then costing up to £266.60, including fees.
Standing tickets will be priced at either £173.60 or £206.60, and there are also hotel packages, coach packages, and VIP packages available.
And today’s the day that lucky fans have started receiving the codes and information they need to be in with a chance of securing tickets to next year’s hugely anticipated tour.
The all-important email being sent out to fans reads: “You have been selected to receive a unique code to access the onsale for the Oasis Live ’27 dates at [relevant venue]. Codes do not guarantee tickets, which are limited and subject to availability.
“To reduce waiting times, onsales will be staggered across three days – Friday 25, Saturday 26, and Sunday 27 September 2026, with three on sale windows per day. Don’t worry, each ticket sale will have its own portion of tickets for all Manchester dates, across all ticket types and prices
“You have been assigned a unique code for the [specific time] onsale on [specific date].”
The email also clearly informs fans that there is a limit of four tickets per code, and that codes have no cash value either, meaning they are non-transferable, case-sensitive, and can only be used once by the email address they were sent to.
More information and ticket price breakdowns can be found here.
Featured Image – Joshua Halling (Press Picture – Supplied)
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Oasis warn fans of scams ahead of Live ’27 tour ticket codes being sent out
Emily Sergeant
Oasis have issued an official scam warning to fans ahead of ticket codes being sent out from today.
In case you need bringing up to speed a little, it was announced last week, following the unprecedented success of the reunion tour, Oasis Live ’25, last year – including five nostalgia-drenched gigs at Manchester’s Heaton Park – Oasis would be hitting the road once again in 2027, and this time around, they’re going BIG.
We’re talking 11 nights at the Etihad Stadium and a return to the iconic grounds of Knebworth for six special shows there too, kind of ‘big’.
“As ticket information and unique codes are about to be distributed, please remain vigilant. Scammers may attempt to impersonate Oasis, our mailing list, or our ticketing partners. Anyone promising you a code that does not come directly from Oasis is not genuine.
“Any codes that are offered for sale are fraudulent and will not enable you to buy tickets. Code emails will be sent only between Thursday 24 September and Sunday 27 September.”
So, if you are one of the lucky ones, what do you need to be looking out for? Well, if you have been randomly selected to receive a unique code, as mentioned, your email will come only from [email protected], and will use the name and email address you registered with, as well as contain a ‘unique, personal, and non-transferable’ code.
The codes will come direct you to Ticketmaster, and nowhere else.
Do not respond to any message that asks you to pay for a ticket code, any that request your password or card details, pressures you to make a payment, or directs you to a website other than the official Ticketmaster site.
“Please check your junk/spam folder for genuine emails, but remain vigilant,” the warning continued.
“If you receive a suspicious message, do not click any links or make any payment. Resale tickets will not be available until nearer the events and will only be available at the price originally paid through Ticketmaster and Twickets.
Emily Sergeant -
24th April 2024 
