A WAVE of excitement is rippling through Darwen in the build up to one of the biggest dates in the town's history.

Next month the town will welcome hundreds of guests as it celebrates the 100th birthday of Darwen Tower - one of the area's most famous landmarks.

And the locals are looking forward to enjoying one of the greatest parties the area has organised.

Even the grandson of the man who ran the building company which constructed the tower is returning to the town to mark the centenary.

William Whalley, from South Carolina, America, also gets a name check in the new Darwen dialect poem 'Darren Teawr', by Jim Atherton, who will be reciting his verse during the celebrations.

Darwen MP Janet Anderson and the new Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, Councillor Peter Greenwood, will also join in the fun.

The weekend events begin on Saturday, June 21, with the official opening of the second Darwen Tower Walk in Sunnyhurst Wood car park, before setting off, via Bold Venture Park.

Other attractions planned for Saturday and Sunday include a fancy dress competition, kite flying display and the presentation of commemorative scrolls to all adult walkers - children will get a piece of Darwen rock!

Previous news story

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.