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
Dickens in America the usual Dickens eye for the comic, the critical and the satirical. "Dickens In America" assesses a young radical Dickens' view of the emerging country's manners and morals, its flaws, fashions and its fascination with celebrity. It was produced by Lion Television Scotland for BBC Four. The producer was Richard Shaw. The series was directed by Christopher Swann. The DVD of the series was released in North America on 1 March 2011. Part One - Going Away Miriam Margolyes tells us in the beginning of the program: "I like Charles Dickens. No, I love Charles Dickens; because he wrote the