IT’S beginning to look a lot like Christmas and with the onset of the festive season comes the inevitable party.

Whether it’s at work, school, church or old aged people’s home, the Bolton News has been there to capture the moment with generations of revellers caught on camera.

The earliest of our pictures comes from Christmas 1971 and shows the children at St Aidan’s Church’s playgroup enjoying themselves at their festive party.

In 1974 we were at the Primrose Club for Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party in Lever Edge House, Bolton, where Ethel Price, left, and Hilda Winstanley were leading the carol singing.

The following year saw the landlord, landlady and regulars of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Lever Street, Bolton, hold a Christmas dinner and party for a large number of over-60s. The money for the dinner and party was raised through raffles during the year at the pub which was later known as the New Cabin as and was situated at 270-272 Lever Street, Bolton. One of the last pubs in Bolton to brew its own ales, Uncle Tom’s remained a local pub for the residents of the surrounding streets for many years, until it closed down in 2011.

1975 also saw us capture the lovely smiling faces of the children at the British Mail Order Corporation children’s Christmas party, held at the Co-operative Hall, Bridge Street, Bolton.

Also in 1975, the children of members of the Rumworth Hotel Social Club in Bolton were enjoying their annual Christmas Party.

Our final photograph comes from 1979 and shows the Comets - members of the ladies’ section of Trinity Church, Farnworth - dancing the conga at their Christmas party.

Did you know Ethel or Hilda or any of the people in our photographs or if you have similar images you’d like to share please get in touch at jamie.bowman@newsquest.co.uk / 01204 537271