SUMMERSEAT Players dramatic society are celebrating their golden anniversary this year.

The amateur theatre group, who perform in the Theatre Royal in Ramsbottom, are known as one of most successful dramatic societies in the country.

Starting in early 1968, the Summerseat Players began with no money, no equipment and no permanent home, but they had the ambition and drive to know what they wanted to achieve.

Founding members Geoff and Kay Sword, Geoff and Paula Higginbotham and Jack Whitmore decided that they wanted to have their own standalone theatre.

Chairman of the Summerseat Players, Mr Sword said: "We were all involved in various drama societies like the Bury Theatre Group, the Edenfield Community Players and the Ramsbottom Amateur Dramatic Operatic Society but we realised there were too many complications in putting on a play in any of these sites."

The Players signed a lease to begin rehearsing at St Wilfred's Mission Church and Hall on Waterside Road with a first refusal if the premises ever came up for sale. This is where the players performed their first ever production, Celebration, in November 1968.

In 1972, the Summerseat Players purchased St Wilfred's. The group converted the church into a comfortable theatre seating 146, hosting five or six productions a year.

In 1990, the group bought the Buskers Showbar and Snooker Hall in Ramsbottom, formerly known as the Royal Cinema and the revamp began.

All of the renovation work was carried out by members and supporters of the players.

The Summerseat Players continue to put on five or six productions per year, from a theatre regarded as one of the nicest in the country.

In celebration of their 50th anniversary year, the players have produced a brochure, detailing their history with anecdotes from over the years, which can be purchased on their website.

Geoff Sword said: "I am very proud and honoured to be still involved and be the chairman for all these years. It is one of the nicest theatres and one of the most well to do societies in the country.

"We have been very lucky to have such faithful members of the society, as well as all the people from all over the region who make up our audiences.

"We have a thriving young youth group who are winning all sorts of awards and so we have got youngsters filtering up into the society.

"We want this to go on for another 50 years. We are very much encouraging the younger members of our society to take over some of the positions and introduce younger people to work along so that when the day comes that we want to hang up our boots, they can take over."