TAKE a trip down memory lane to the 1952 Preston Guild, with former weaver Marjorie Amriding, as part of this week's readers recollections.

Born and bred in Preston, Marjorie was just 16 years old when she started work as a weaver in Emerson Road Mill, in Ribbleton, built at the turn of the century in 1907.

For the Preston Guild in 1952, Marjorie (pictured centre with white hat) and other cotton workers braved the wet weather to take part in the Guild procession to represent the weavers' trade unions.

She said: "I remember it was pouring down with rain and we all got soaked through. But we had a good time all the same. That is what mill life was like - people had many young friends because the mill was a very friendly place despite being damned hard work. But we all grew up together and many people, including myself, made life-long friends."

The first account of a Guild in Preston dates from 1682. Since then, records show that there have been 26 Guilds, held regularly every 20 years, apart from a wartime interruption - there was no 1942 Guild.

Each one has been a triumph, with every Guild adapting to change and including new trades, events and ways of celebrating the present.

In the 1952 Guild, trades came out in force to join the procession and the Poles and the Ukrainians who came to Preston after the Second World War were represented as a symbol of the town's growing multi-cultural community.

The Guild is a hugely spectacular event, attracting thousands of visitors to the town - even in the 1782 Guild all the town's main roads were blocked by traffic jams, with coaches queueing to enter the town.

At each celebration there has always been an enormous range and variety of events and the last Guild in 1992 was no exception, with the first ecumenical religious procession and service.

Councillor Harold Parker, who was the Guild Mayor in 1992, said: "What impressed me the most was the Mayoral event for overseas visitors which made even strong men cry. But people were very well behaved and had a lot of fun throughout the week and there was very little trouble."

Who knows what will be included in the next Guild? - you will have to wait until 2012 to find out!

If you have an interesting picture from the past, why not share it with other Citizen readers. Write to us at Citizen Newsdesk, 3 Winckley Court, Chapel Street, Preston, PR1 3JJ or call (01772) 255523.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.