ALLAN Smethurst is a retired forklift truck and has spent four years restoring a rare World War Two tractor which will take pride of place at this year's Darwen Gala.

Allan, of Bull Hill Cottages in Darwen worked on the tractor with his neighhbour Brian Parkinson

MEMORY: It's funny what sticks in your mind, but one of the first things I can remember is of a lad called Alan Smith throwing a stone at me when I was about four. It cut my neck and I still have the scar today.

HOME: I've lived in Darwen all my life. Our first home was at 13 Higher Shunnybank Street where I lived with my mum and dad and my sister and two brothers. When I was six we moved to Redearth Road

HOLIDAY: Every year we'd go as a family to Grange over Sands and stay with my uncle who had a cottage there. I remember it was always so quiet and relaxing.

I went every year until I got married. For our honeymoon my wife Audrey and I went to Blackpool. and stayed at the Inglewood Hotel.

JOB: My first job was as an apprentice mechanic at Barnes Motor Works in Darwen and I think I got about £4 a week. I had many happy hours there but I had to give it up in the end because I started to get an allergic reaction to the oil from the engines.

My next job was as a cloth carrier at Gillibrand's Mill in Darwen. Then I spent the next 42 years with the company we know now as Akzo Nobel.

CAR: That was a 1940 Austin 8 which had what they call a crocodile front. I bought it at an auction. It wasn't in too bad a condition but it did have a habit of jumping out of gear.

RECORD: I didn't really buy records but someone gave me an old record player which I kept in the garage and I would play while I was restoring the tractor listening to Kim Reeves and Frank Sinatra and other golden oldies. We're very keen sequence dancers so we now buy CDs.