MY sporting knowledge has been added to by local driving school proprietor Christine Holland.

Having spotted my earlier piece about the legendary old-time Sutton boxer, Ernie Proudlove, she points out that this was her grandad who was often billed as the Pill Town Boy.

This was obvious reference to the St Helens district's once heavy reliance on the manufacture of patent medicines - that is, until Beechams pulled the plug in recent years!

In cottoning on to the subject, Christine, from Woburn Close, Haydock, pays the Star a pretty compliment. "I advertised when I first set up in business and have never looked back since. It's a brilliant newspaper!"

She also informs me that each week she posts a copy to her dad, Cyril Holland, now living in Northampton, so that he can keep abreast with Whalley's World items.

She'll bring back a flood of memories for the more mature Earlestonians in revealing that her dad was born at the old-time Holland's chip-shop in Crow Lane West.

As his hometown Earlestown was a cradle of steam locomotion, Cyril takes an avid interest in rail history.

Says Christine: "He'd love to hear from any of his old workmates from the years between 1947 and 1960."

And she lists the various places where he was employed - E & T Eaves of Earlestown (later Eavesway coaches), Ed Robinson of Chain Lane, Medlicotts of Warrington, and Heatons Transport, St Helens.

ANY old mates can contact Cyril at: 142 Rothersthorpe Road, Far Cotton, Northampton NN4 8HY.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.