THE flood of memories triggered by Looking Back's recent recollections of the Co-op's hey-day in East Lancashire is added to today by Blackburn reader Bob Whalley showing us his souvenir of one of the old-time societies.

It's a teapot commemorating the golden jubilee in 1910 of the Grimshaw Park Co-operative Society and is decorated with a picture of its principal premises which stood at the corner of Grimshaw Park and Mosley Street in Blackburn.

Bob, of Nuttall Street, Ewood, tells me it was originally bought all those years ago by his great aunt who lived at Guide where the Grimshaw Park Co-op had a branch.

Formed in 1860, the society had expanded to 11 branches by the turn of the century and merged with the Daisyfield Industrial Bees and the Blackburn Industrial Co-ops in 1920 to form the 14,000-member Blackburn (Amalgamated) Co-operative Society. Cherry Tree reader Bill Baldwin, who worked for Blackburn Co-op during the 1940s, tells me that the complex at Mosley Street was similar to the one at Peter Street in Daisyfield which was depicted on the 1902 plate commemorating the opening of the premises and shown in Looking Back on October 17.

The Mosley Street Co-op building comprised four shops, says Bill, and had a garage around the corner in Paterson Street.

"There were also two travelling shops which visited the areas towards Salesbury and Samlesbury, one being based at the former shop on Scotland Road. I served on both," he adds.

He recalls that the society had two inspectors who made unannounced visits to the grocery branches. The one who covered the shops in the north and east of the town was called Davies and, says Bill, was given the "usual" nickname by the staff. He cannot remember the name of the inspector who covered the shops in the south and west, but recalls that he had a nickname that was even more rude.

If any reader can tell him the man's name or where the other travelling Co-op shop was based, Bill -- on 01254-209268 -- would like to hear.

Darwen reader Mrs Marion Atkinson tells me she also has one of the Daisyfield Co-op plates. It belonged to her late grandmother and is, she says, in better condition than the one which is in Blackburn Museum.