Columnar grain nickel with a strong <100> fibre texture, cut in slices taken parallel to the columnar grain direction, was cold-rolled to reductions of 10%, 30% and 50%. Since each slice has the same starting grain structure and orientations, the texture evolution of individual grains with different initial orientations grains in a polycrystalline environment can be followed in a convenient manner. The deformation microstructure was studied by electron channelling contrast imaging and the crystal rotations studied using the electron back-scatter pattern technique. Grain-scale deformation bands were observed on the rolling surface only for near cube-oriented grains. Comparison of texture evolution in grains with initial similar orientations shows that the deformation behaviour can be influenced by both grain orientation and grain interaction.