05-Jan-2010, 04:56 PM
I remember helping Norman Tattersall to deliver milk with his pony and trap, ladling milk from the churns. He then upgraded to a horse and cart and, as you say, the old shire horse which I think was called Prince and lived to be about 30 years old knew its way round the houses for the deliveries. A problem arose when Norman gained a new customer and the horse would continue in the usual way instead of stopping at the new house. Jean Tattersall lived in one of the terraced houses opposite the Leyland printworks when I was a boy. I remember when the printworks was a fully operational cotton mill. The noise of the looms was deafening and the workers used to lipread. The mill wall on Mill Street was used for soccer, tennis,kick-can, hide and seek and various other games. I remember when the mill closed and all the looms were removed. I helped the workmen remove the fibre pads which were fitted under the feet of the looms to reduce the vibration. We explored in the tower and found gas masks from the second world war. I also remember the mill dam, as it was called, which was used to provide water for the mill. I think it had fish in it. Best wishes to all, Brian