Robert Bolt

Robert Bolt was born in Sale on 15th August 1924, the second son of Ralph and Leah Bolt. Ralph was a furniture dealer and they lived on Northenden Road, Sale. Robert attended schools in Sale before transferring to Manchester Grammar School in 1938. After leaving school, he worked for an insurance company, but after serving in the Second World War, Robert qualified as a teacher and began his career teaching English in Devon where he wrote his first play for children. Later he joined Millfield School and whilst working there, wrote 'Flowering Cherry', the first play of his to reach the West End stage, in 1958. After this he gave up teaching to write full time and in 1960 wrote one of his most well known plays, 'A Man for All Seasons'. He later adapted it for the cinema, winning an Oscar for the screenplay. He also wrote screenplays for 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'Dr. Zhivago' and 'The Mission'. All these won awards in the USA and Britain.

Images TL1815 and TL1812 available on Trafford Lifetimes