HERE’S Chorley postman Bob Bridges, putting his best foot forward in a walking race, in 1928.

In the years after the Great War and into the 1920s, he held the title of the British Walking Champion.

This image captured him setting the pace through his home town, while taking part in the Manchester to Blackpool walking race.

The cyclists around him were his supporters and race officials.

Astley Park railings and estate wall can be seen on the right, while the gable end in the top left is the end of Queen’s Road, which was originally called Terrace Mount, and the birthplace of Henry Tate, founder of the sugar empire.

The building was also the Trustee Savings Bank.

This photograph and detailed description is just one of 180 which appear in a new book, ‘Chorley Borough Through Time,’ by keen historian and author Jack Smith.

Through then and now pictures of streets, buildings and people, it tells the story of a the changing face of Chorley through the decades.

Jack, a founder member of the Chorley and District Historical and Archaeological Society has had 10 books published and co-wrote A History of ROF Chorley, where he worked as systems auditor.

Among the pages is this sepia photo of employees leaving North Street Mill around 1914.

Fifty years later, a flywheel burst there, which caused one death and much damage.

Chorley was a cotton spinning town, and had a trade with long roots in domestic spinning and weaving, long before steam powered mills were built.

There were more than 25 mills in the town, with the last being built in 1914.

Messrs Lawrence’s was the last mill to spin and weave cotton yarns before changing to man made yarns.

Chorley’s first town centre Co-operative Society shop was in Fazackerley Street, you can just see a customer browsing the window on the right.

At the corner of was the popular Lyon’s 3d and 6d Stores, it’s motto, nothing over 6d.

It was eventually bought by the Co-op and demolished, with a much larger gnereal store, built on the site.

Also visible is Tom Banks butchers shops and author Jack Smith used to work for him as a delivery boy, “As lads we often carried his bags home to Queens Road for him, to be tipped with a few coppers.”