Ramsbottom Grant Arms Hotel in Market Place was the home of William and Daniel Grant, 19th century industrialists closely associated with the rise of the town and reputed to be the inspiration for the Cheeryble brothers in "Nicholas Nickleby" by Charles Dickens. The Grants' employees were paid in tokens that had to be redeemed at a public house owned by the company. The landlord converted the tokens into cash, but only after deducting threepence per person, which had to be spent on beer, a variation on the truck system. A network of roads and railways routed through Ramsbottom allowed for a
Kim Dickens she appeared in "Great Expectations", a film adaptation of the Charles Dickens's novel, and had the female leading roles in "Zero Effect" and "Mercury Rising". In 1999, she starred alongside Antonio Banderas in the comedy film, "The White River Kid". In 2000, Dickens had co-starring roles in films "Committed" opposite Heather Graham, "Hollow Man" with Elisabeth Shue and Kevin Bacon, and "The Gift" starring Cate Blanchett. The following year, she played the lead in the independent film, "Things Behind the Sun". Dickens received critical acclaim for her performance, and an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead nomination. Later that