Paddy McGuinness got back on his beloved Chopper bike to ride back to his childhood. The Top Gear presenter and comedian returned to his roots to take part in a brilliant project by college students to highlight "Greater Mancunians" making the region proud.
He went back to Auburn Street in Bolton, where he grew up, to be photographed on his iconic purple Raleigh-made bike. He insisted on bringing it for the shoot, but not before a pit-stop at Halfords on the way to have the tyres pumped up and a mini "service".
Harry Potts, the main co-ordinator of the project, and a tutor and head of photography at Manchester College, said: "The bike is the same one he used to ride up and down the street as a kid. We photographed Paddy in the back alley before he insisted we photographed him riding his Chopper down the main Street. Many of the residents - some of which he grew up with - came out to watch him roll back the years."
Paddy, 48, said: “All of the values you have as a child stay with you as you get older. It’s very much a working-class mentality. When I come back there are so many families I knew who are still here and everybody’s so friendly.
"The only difference now is… more cars. It’s happy times when I come back."
Seven years in the making, the project's conclusion will see 120 photographic portraits with words about each person's career or standing in the region created by Manchester College students. From entertainers to community champions, hospital staff, politicians, sports stars and more, these are the faces shining a light on the "human side of the Manchester story."
It is likely to spark lively debate as to who should - and shouldn't - be on the list. The project's conclusion will see 120 photographic portraits with words about each person's career or standing in the region created by Manchester College students. They will then be displayed at Manchester Central Library in 2024. A book will also be published.
All the photography is done by students – under Potts' supervision. The aim is to give talented young students the work experience skills vital to break into the creative industries. They regularly collaborate to draw up a wish list of potential contributors who have been highlighted in news stories and current events.
While in the street Paddy posted a clip on Twitter, to take the opportunity to make an appeal the charity Homeless Aid UK which are desperate for size 9 footwear for homeless people in Bolton, Manchester, and Liverpool.
