THE creator of Vimto has been honoured after a plaque was installed outside the house where he grew up in Blackburn.

John Noel Nichols, who was born in 1883, was brought up at Bank House mansion in Dukes Brow, where the granite plaque has been placed after a project involving Blackburn Council, Blackburn History Society and Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, his former school.

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In 1908, Mr Nichols, who attended what was then Blackburn Grammar School, set up a business as a wholesale druggist and herb importer and spotted a gap in the market after the Licensing Act of that year cut the number of pubs in Britain by a third as part of a government attempt to remedy social ills and promote moral responsibility.

He created his unique drink by mixing grapes, blackcurrants, and raspberries with a blend of 23 other fruit essences, herbs and spices, in a wooden barrel.

The result was a recipe which remains a closely-guarded secret to this day.

The drink was described as a tonic that provided vim and vigour – shortened later to vim-tonic and then to Vimto.

John, the son of a cotton yarn agent and a governess, died in 1966 and a blue plaque was put on the house in which he grew up, but it was later removed by thieves.

After a bid by the history society and the grammar school to erect a new plaque, stonemason Brent Stevenson volunteered his time to create the new memorial.

Permission was granted by the Wilson family, who have lived at the address in Dukes Brow since 1915, for the plaque to be installed outside the house and unveiled on Monday by Mr Nichols' grandson.

Joanna Lavelle, foundation manager at QEGS, said: "It's lovely to be able to honour an old boy of the school in this way.

"He was a pupil that achieved something special and created a company that has a presence across the world.

"It's also great for our students to know of a former pupil from Blackburn who did so much in his life.

"We worked closely with the council and Ray Smith from the history society on this project and everyone is thankful that Brent Stevenson volunteered to donate the labour and the finished plaque."

Mr Stevenson said: "I'm really pleased with the result and I was just glad to help.

"The finished plaque is personalised to Mr Nichols with one of the logos of Vimto engraved onto it which just adds a bit more to it.

"It's important to remember important local figures in this way."