DAILY and weekly routines as a youngster are still etched in the memory of Mr Allan Crossley.

Allan, who now lives in Little Lever, wrote down some of his recollections of life as a youngster living on Knob Row, off Bolton Road, with his parents and younger sister Sylvia.

They were sent to us by his daughter, Susan Williams.

The week began early for Allan's mother, who was up at 5.30am to prepare for Washday Monday.

Her first task was to place the washing in different piles, fill up the gas boiler and heat the water.

Next she got the children up for school, which they had attended from the age of three, and cleaned their clogs.

Allan said: "Going to school we would spark our clogs on the flags and in the winter we could build up the snow on them before kicking it off when we arrived at school."

The washing could drag on into the next day if conditions were poor, but a dry day meant that chores could be finished by 8.30 in the evening. There was always plenty of washing.

Allan said: "Coming home on Mondays was always chaos.

"There were clothes everywhere, sheets hanging from the ceiling and a clothes horse full of not-so-smalls. It was always hot and steamy."

Allan attended Black Moss Primary and later St Thomas's where he remembers there was a harsh teacher called Miss Thorpe.

Allan said: "She would use her knuckles between your shoulder blades and backbone, use a ruler to rap knuckles, or throw chalk."

After school or tea we played out in the back street near the mill wall. We had games called Relieve-O, Hide and Seek or Ride A Donkey.

"We played until it was too dark to see, or until our mothers called us in.

"We took our library books to bed and read by torchlight."

Allan left St Thomas's and, having passed his 11-plus, was able to attend either Stand Grammar or Radcliffe Technical School.

He opted for the latter and did not regret it at all. "I loved that school," said Allan.

The staff he remembers are Mr Howell the headmaster, an elderly Welshman who wore waxed wing collars on his shirts.

There was also Mr Settle for science and technical drawing and Mr Woods for maths, as well as English and woodwork.

"The most difficult class was mental arithmetic and my worst "subject" was football.

"It was dirty, cold and uncomfortable, changing in a derelict, rat-infested old church.

"After playing we had to walk home from Warth to Stopes. We had no money for a bus."

Allan did enjoy some sport: "Cricket was a favourite. I played on the first team with Harry Hallows and Gerald Parry."

Allan added: "All of the teachers were strict but fair. There was no fooling around."