THOSE of us in Oswaldtwistle and surrounding areas old enough to remember the Tomlinson family of Rhyddings Street, had a treat last Sunday night watching the South Bank Show, which featured now world-famous classical operatic baritone, the youngest of the Tomlinson family, John, born in 1946.

All three children in the family attended Mount Pleasant School and its adjoining church, now Rhyddings Methodist.

The programme was splendid, showing the parts of town in which John Tomlinson spent his childhood. Also Accrington Male Voice Choir was featured along with John - superb.

John Tomlinson, bravo! We in the town are proud of your achievements. We saw for ourselves that the gruelling schedule of an opera singer's lot is not a bed of roses.

CHRISTINE WILKIN-WYKE (Mrs), New Lane, Oswaldtwistle.

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