A RETIRED charity worker is bringing the history of Leyland to life in a new book.

Joan Langford moved to Farington seven years ago and instantly fell in love with the leafy village.

The area fascinated her so much that she has just finished her third book, charting stories and memories from local people.

Originally from London, Joan moved to Stanifield Lane, to work as the North West regional coordinator for the BBC's Children in Need appeal. But she soon found her calling as a local historian.

Joan said: "I became interested when I found my house was built in 1906 and I wanted to know about the area."

Soon her research had brought together a huge collection of historic photos and, when she retired, her family suggested compiling a book. She said: "It took me a year to research the book and to compile it. I feel privileged that people are willing to share their experiences with me.

"I found a family who lived in my house when it was first built and I got people turning up on my doorstep and saying they have a photo for me."

Joan's next project is a book on the history of Farington Mill and she is already looking for anyone with memories of the mill and any information.

She said: "Farington was a rural area but the village developed from the mill. I have been trying to find out more about the mill, and I met a lady in her nineties who has made herself a bed spread out of the ends of material she had woven in the mill."

Copies of the latest book, Farington: The Way It Was, are available from the Harris Museum and Farington News, Stanifield Lane, Leyland.

Anybody with stories to share about the Farington Mill can call Joan on 436505.