Locals in Bolton have been raising funds to carry out repair works to a bench after it was damaged in a road traffic collision.
This isn’t just any ordinary bench though.
What makes this bench – affectionately known as ‘Tommy’s Bench’ – so special, is that it’s often sat on by Bolton’s very own ‘waving man’.
Tommy Halliday has been sitting on the bench – which is found on the junction of Smithills Dean Road and Scout Road in the Greater Manchester borough of Bolton – for the past four years after his wife sadly passed away, and can often be found smiling and waving at those passing by.
The beloved community figure is often credited with “bringing a smile to people’s faces” at all times of the day.
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And it was this joy that prompted locals to set up an online fundraiser via JustGiving in his name with the kind-hearted intention of buying Tommy a Christmas present “to show him how much we all support and appreciate what he does”.
Wahid Khan, who set up the fundraiser, said: “Tommy is a Bolton legend.”
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“He is on the bench seven days a week come rain or shine. Every morning on the way to work, I always see Tommy sat on the bench.”
“I do not think he knows how much Bolton appreciates him.”
He continued: “With everything that’s going on in the world, it would be great to buy him a Christmas present.” and it was clear that the people of Bolton shared in this wish, as the fundraiser quickly went on to raise hundreds of pounds towards a gift for Tommy, however on Tuesday, in an un-expected event, the bench was destroyed in a road traffic collision.
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This is when the community really rallied around.
Mr Khan encouraged those who had a few pounds to spare to donate towards helping to repair / replace the bench, and within the same day, the bench had been repaired and bolted-down by the Bolton Impact Trust, with the addition of a new plaque honouring ‘Tommy’s bench’.
Writing in an update on the JustGiving page, Mr Khan said: “Just got the news that the amazing kids from the construction team at Bolton Impact Trust have managed to repair the old bench and it’s just waiting to be cemented before the plaques go on.
“Money raised will go towards a much-needed shelter and Christmas present.
“I absolutely love our community – this is brilliant”.
The JustGiving page for ‘Our Tommy’ has now raised over £1,995 towards Tommy’s Christmas present fund and you can donate here.
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Lola Young shares first public statement since cancellations and stepping away from the spotlight
Danny Jones
UK pop star Lola Young has shared her first public statement since cancelling the remainder of her tour and stepping away from the spotlight.
Lola Young, 24, took a break from her still-burgeoning career after numerous concerning incidents on stage, including throwing up and even passing out in the middle of a performance.
The BRIT School graduate announced the unfortunate cancellation of her upcoming shows “for the foreseeable future”, including a gig here in Manchester, at the end of September.
Breaking her silence after the best part of three months, the London-born singer-songwriter took to social media in a fairly brief but heartwarming statement.
As you can see, the time away from the public eye certainly seems to have been beneficial, telling her followers that “it has helped more than you will ever know”.
In addition to embracing ADHD – even labelling her hit song ‘Messy’ as an “ADHD anthem” in multiple anthems – she was also diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at just 17.
The latter can include symptoms such as psychosis, hallucinations, intense mood swings, bipolar mania, depression and more.
All that being said, we’re glad to hear that she’s on the mend; we saw her back in March, and you could tell from the crowd that she’s already got a very passionate cult following.
Both conditions and their associated obstacles have obviously affected her, but have equally helped influence her music and lyrical material, certainly, too.
Responding in the comments, fellow artist SZA wrote: “Love you, starfire angel. Your music is FULL of longevity and substance! We’re so grateful for you”.
Joining in support, ‘dark pop’ musician Carter James added, “Your wellbeing comes before anything. So excited for your next chapter whenever it arrives!”
We hope she’ll be doing better enough soon to get back on stage when she’s ready.
Nathan Aspinall urges PDPA to improve mental health support within the sport
Danny Jones
Local sports personality Nathan Aspinall has urged the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA) to provide better mental health support moving forward.
It’s not the first time ‘The Asp’ has called for more awareness and provision when it comes to player welfare and mental wellbeing, specifically, which remains a prevailing societal problem in general.
The Greater Manchester native has opened up about his own struggles many times in the past and has made a public plea for the PDPA to intervene and offer more help.
Speaking at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championships after his opening round victory, the 34-year-old instead chose to focus on more important issues than his strong start.
As you can see, Aspinall began by stating that “the PDPA now need to step in and help these guys because there’s a lot of guys suffering.”
Having long been an champion for male mental health, in particular – supporting the local Healthy Minds practices in his hometown of Stockport, for instance – he’s been one of the outspoken player on the subject for some time.
Noting that there are at least “two or three people” he refused to name, his message was simple: “There’s a lot of fantastic dart players in our sport, but it’ll be a shame to see so many of them go because of mental health”
The 2019 UK Open and 2023 World Matchplay winner has battled with multiple obstacles, including an ocular condition known as bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome, as well bursitis, which causes inflammation around key joints.
But it’s not necessarly injuries and the physical side of things that have been his biggest concern.
𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗨𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁
"I really do not care anymore.
"I do everything I can to be a good sportsman and you still get s**t. So you know what? I don't care. Say what you want." pic.twitter.com/mCBjQ6kvyj
One of the biggest and most recurring challenges for him has been ‘dartitis’, which many players within the discipline wrestle with the more their careers progress.
Aspinall has confessed to suffering almost chronic panic attacks due to the mental blocks (also commonly known as ‘the yips’) brought about by the intense pressure of playing on stage/live on TV.
With that in mind, it’s great to see him not only back on form and pulling impressive performance such as his ‘big fish’ finish on Friday night, but continuing to draw more attention to the underlying mental health crisis, especially among men. Well played, Nath.
You can watch his post-match interview in full down below.
Emily Sergeant -
26th October 2020 
