Hidden away among numerous overgrown bushes and trees lies the remains of a former nursery school in Bolton that was once loved by many.
The Elms Private Nursery School – on Blackburn Road, in the Sharples area of the Greater Manchester borough of Bolton – first opened its doors to the public back in 1990, and went on to nurture hundreds of children before it closed for good in 2018 / 19.
The former nursery owners Dorothy and Brian Wrigley converted the downstairs of their home and the property next door into the business, while they moved into a flat above.
“At that time, there were only 11 other private early years settings in Bolton,” Mrs Wrigley told the Bolton News in 2011.
“I felt I was about to jump out of the frying pan into the fire.
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“I was the headteacher of a local primary school and was not sure what the future held, as the private sector was not always looked upon favourably at that time, with The Children’s Act only just being written and implemented, and social services being responsible for registering and monitoring settings.”
Mr and Mrs Wrigley ran the business for 17 “very happy” years before their daughter, Joanne Haworth, eventually bought it from them in 2007 to carry on the legacy, until it became “no longer financially viable”.
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And now, the Victorian building has sadly been left to decay.
Photos revealing the state of disrepair that the building currently lies in have gone viral on social media this week, after the nursery premises became the latest point of interest for Abandoned UK – “a small team of urban explorers that love to travel and explore”.
And it’s not hard to see why it’s got people talking either.
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There’s boarded up windows, rooms gutted inside, smashed glass throughout, rotting walls and ceilings, old playground swings and slides still intact outside, and much more that make it a shadow of its former self.
But regardless of whether you knew of the nursery in its prime, it’s still an eerie sight.
The post caught the attention of people right across the borough.
It amassed hundreds of shares and comments by members of the local community, with some shocked at the state the building had been left in, and others sharing fond memories of times when they or they’re children attended the nursery.
Former members of staff also chimed in to remember the good times, and many also expressed their sadness at the thought of the building falling further into disrepair with time.
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Others were completely unaware the nursery had even closed down at all.
The post also went on to generate conversation as to what may come of the building in the future, or rather, if there even is a plan for the building.
Several speculations were made as to whether the new owners may have intended to restore the building to its former glory – potentially through the opening of another commercial premises, with references made to another once-thriving commercial building that has also gone to ruin a couple doors down, or through conversion into residential property – but had ran into complications, or funding issues along the way.
But for now, they remain as speculations, and the future appears unknown.
Green Island returns for 2026 with ‘best lineup’ yet, featuring A Guy Called Gerald, DJ Paulette and more
Danny Jones
Green Island Fest, a.k.a. one of our favourite live music events on the entire planet, is back for 2026 with its biggest and what is, arguably, on course to its best lineup to date.
And this is just the first wave…
The annual series of outdoor parties is about as literal as grassroots celebrations come, with the performances taking place at none other than Hulme Community Garden Centre.
After an incredible debut a few years ago, its popularity and overall reputation have only grown taller like the trees the punters will be in amongst when Green Island ’26 kicks off its first edition this summer.
In addition to continually platforming rising artists across multiple genres and other up-and-coming projects within the industry, they’re now attracting some serious real music legends, too.
As well as Moss Side and original Manc music tastermaker A Guy Called Gerald topping the bill, festivalgoers are set to be treated to a dedicated 808 State DJ set too, though it remains to be seen if others from the iconic collective will be joining Gerald on stage.
Fellow house and dance veteran turned radio host, DJ Paulette, will also be rolling through the sea of plants and ravers for the first time ever.
Split over three ‘chapters’ as always – June, July and the closer in September – this is perhaps one of the most electronic-driven lineups to date as they look to celebrate the city’s rich heritage within the genre, but as always, there’s so much more going on at Green Island.
With street food traders setting up next to the bushes and barrels of beer, the stages spilling out onto backstreets once again, and afterparties each month, festival season simply can’t come soon enough.
This year, not only are the organisers committed to making this an ‘anti-algorithm programming’ initiative, ensuring that they have full control over their acts, selectors and beyond, but they’re also looking to cater for all ages and better than ever.
With a brand-new family area and dedicated daytime programme curated by Z-arts, a nearby arts centre for children and families, ‘The Imaginarium’ is inviting families to “make, move, and explore together through nature-inspired creative activities.”
Promising a “relaxed, joyful space for curious minds and shared moments of creative play, expect drop-in art workshops, nature-inspired storytelling and magical nature adventures”, it’ll serve as a tangible reminder of how both music and the wider Community Garden Centre fit into the arts world.
It’s grassroots pioneers like these guys that make us truly proud of the Greater Manchester live entertainment sector and overall cultural scene, and we promise that if you’ve never been to Green Island Fest before, you WILL NOT be disappointed.
For those who fancy going on either 6 June, 25 July or 5 September, you can grab your tickets HERE.
Bolton Wanderers sign young Celtic striker on loan
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers have signed young Celtic forward Johnny Kenny on loan for the rest of the season, rounding off a busy January transfer window with a final bit of business on deadline day.
All told, that’s seven new arrivals brought in this month as the League One side looks to continue their promotion push.
The Republic of Ireland international Johnny Kenny is just the latest among a number of offensive reinforcements, with Steven Schumacher looking to both increase his side’s goal output and further shore up the defence.
Still just 22, Kenny has already shown plenty of potential back in the Scottish Premiership, and now the fans will see how he takes to life in the English third tier.
Already scoring six times and registering a couple of assists in 22 appearances across all competitions so far this campaign, the Sligo-born striker is just a couple of contributions away from chipping in with his best overall tally in the league over a full term.
His best senior spell overall came on loan in the Republic of Ireland, where he scored a baker’s dozen of goals and assisted three times for Shamrock Rovers.
While perhaps not the most competitive league, he’s certainly taken some of that form back to his parent club in 2025/26, and now Celtic will get an even better sense of where his level is at right now – as will Bolton Wanderers.
Addressing the supporters deal in a club statement, Schumacher said: “We’re delighted to have signed Johnny to continue a really strong month. He is a player who we rate very highly and is someone we identified last summer as someone who would really strengthen our attacking options.
“He’s since played regularly and scored goals at a high level, so [he] will be a big addition for us. We didn’t think he would be available during this window, but once we were made aware Celtic would allow him to leave on loan, we acted really quickly to get the deal done.”
With other acquisitions such as attacking midfielder Ruben Rodrigues and winger Corey Blackett-Taylor, who has already scored on his debut, there’s suddenly some real squad depth to draw from.
As for Kenny, the promising youngster has every intention of quickly becoming the main man at the Toughsheet Stadium, taking on the number nine shirt.
Speaking in his first full interview as a Trotter, Kenny admitted that the interest has been there for some time and that the deal has been a longer process than the eleventh-hour nature might suggest, but reiterated that Bolton “reached out to [him] a lot during the summer.”
He’s made it clear that his aim is not only to increase his regular first-team minutes but also to make sure he is well and truly in the final national team picture.
Ireland are yet to find out if they qualify for the 2026 World Cup – pending a tricky playoff tie this March – but Kenny clearly wants to make sure there’s no doubt in terms of selection should they make it through the challenge.
Elsewhere in the EFL, another big attacking loan deal was done by local promotion rivals Stockport County, who have managed re-sign Louie Barry for a third spell.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd February 2021 
