LIVING in the shadow of his great uncle's business empire, a poverty stricken Woolfold childhood could not have been easy to stomach for Bill Byrom.

While other branches of the family flourished, Bill, his parents and nine siblings were "as poor as the proverbial church mice".

The story of the Byroms of Byrom Street is told in a book published by Bill, now aged 89.

He describes the dizzy heights to which great uncle James Byrom ascended, constructing many of Bury's favourite Victorian buildings.

The former Mayor of Bury ran one of the largest building and civil engineering concerns in the country.

Among his legacies were the town's Theatre Royal and Opera House, Crompton Street Post Office and the Co-op Bakery in Market Street which was later the home of the Bury Times for many years.

From poverty, young Bill went on to become a respected builder in his own right, pioneering many post-war construction techniques.

He now lives in Lowton, near Leigh.

The recollections featured in Bury Memories, which also features an account of his time as a Second World War tank commander, were transcribed onto paper by Bill's son Bernard.

After scouting around for a publisher, they struck lucky with local history specialist Neil Richardson.

Said Bernard: "The book is not wholly about bad times.

"There are also many anecdotes of lighter-hearted episodes in the author's experiences.

"We hope the end result comes across as a blend of serious local history and amusing stories that will appeal to a wide range of readers in the district."

Bury Memories is available at Bury Library, priced £5.