DARWEN Street was the feature of where is this recently and it got Mrs Marion Gregson of Feniscowles thinking about all the shops which have traded there over the years.

And, at 90 years of age, she can certainly remember quite a few.

As a child her family lived in Bolton Road and as a pupil of the Church of England Central School, at the parish church, it meant she used to walk past the shops there often.

She said: “I can still see all the different shops in my mind as they used to be and all the products they used to sell.

“I vaguely remember the penny bazaar, but clearly recall going into Council’s, which sold bedding and shirts, with my mum.

“To the side of the door was a long counter, where lots of assistants were waiting to serve.”

Marion also recollects Sumner’s the large camping store, which also sold ropes and tents, and Brown’s bakery, where the cakes and bread would sell out as soon as they were displayed in the window.

Also on the long list she sent to Bygones were William’s wool shop, Tyrols, Pickering’s the musical store, with its selection of pianos, and Dewhurst’s the butchers.

Or, do you recall Adam’s which sold pots and crockery, Oats grocery shop, their daughter was on the stage, Quysner’s the pork butchers, or Nevilles?

Over the years, there was also the National Mill store, Gregson menswear, Knowles, which sold pens, Cronshaw’s, which sold mirrors, Stanworth’s, where you could buy umbrellas, and Peerless shoe repairers.

How about Eastern’s the florist, the electric showrooms, the doll’s hospital, Bill Tate’s taxis, the ironmonger’s, Scales undertakers and, of course, Edmondson’s furniture store, which was established in 1898.

Mrs Gregson recalls Queens Hall and The Stokers, Merchant, George and Duke of York pubs. Maybe you can remember other shops over the years?

l These two photographs show Darwen Street; one with the electric tram dates around the 1930s and the other with a horse and cart and very early model car, is much earlier, probably almost a century ago. Both are courtesy of www.olive-greenandivory.co.uk