THE RAF will recreate its "Finest Hour" above the skies of the borough next month.

In their first return to the area since the end of the Second World War, a legendary Lancaster Bomber and an escort of Spitfires, which blasted the Luftwaffe from the skies, will perform a Battle of Britain Memorial Fly-Past on June 1.

The appearance of the fighters and bomber will be one of the highlights on the first day of a Wartime Weekend organised by the East Lancashire Railway (ELR).

The event starts on Saturday, June 1, with attractions including a daytime ENSA show at Bolton Street Station in Bury, a NAAFI party, a Blitz Ball at Bury's Elizabethan Suite and an afternoon train siege re-enactment at Rawtenstall station, not to mention the fly-past at 1pm over the station.

On Sunday, the main highlights will be a military vehicle road convoy from Ramsbottom to Irwell Vale, a re-enactment battle within the confines of Ramsbottom station at 2.30pm and a Forces Favourite Show at Ramsbottom Civic Hall.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, visitors will also be able to see a war department train at Bolton Street Station transporting a host of military vehicles.

The must-see event comes to an end on Bank Holiday Monday with a military arms fair at the Castle Armoury Drill Hall, a workers' playtime concert and a mass military parade and wreath laying ceremony in Bury town centre.

The event will close at 3pm with a salute to the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The closing ceremony will be held at the Bolton Street Station.

Among the thousands of people expected to visit the Wartime Weekend will be American members of the Burtonwood Veterans' Association who were based with the American Airforce at Burtonwood in Warrington during the Second World War.

For full details of the event, the third staged by the ELR, purchase a War Time Weekend Chronicle from any of the ELR stations. Throughout the weekend a collection for the RAF Benevolent Fund will be in operation.