A LITTLE girl cradles her beloved dolly. Another hugs a home-made toy animal.

These three-year-olds lined up for their school photograph but all look a bit apprehensive.

A youngster on the back row in the National Health-style spectacles looks terrified while, at the other end of the row, a tot casually leans on a window sill.

And there is always one!

The nipper on the front row, right, looks as though he doesn't want to hang around for the final camera click. This charming record of school life at Holy Trinity School, Blackburn, from the 1920s was sent to Friday Folk by Mrs Eileen Eastham, of Darwen.

She used be head of history at St Alban's School in Trinity Street - the same street where Holy Trinity School once stood.

"A lady sent it addressed to Holy Trinity School, Trinity Street," she explained.

"That's how it came to St Alban's. I can remember Holy Trinity. It was unusual because the playground was on the roof. It was also the first headquarters of the Blackburn Sea Cadets.

"It was demolished about 30 years ago," added Mrs Eastham.

The lady who supplied the picture was Mrs Ethel Curin, from Southport, who said in her letter to "the headmaster of Holy Trinity" that she was sending the photograph for school records.

It shows the infants' class and the teacher was Miss Haworth. Mrs Curin, then Ethel Newton, is pictured third row down, third from the left.

Her pal Lizzie Priestley is second from left on the front row.

Mrs Curin remembers the pupils had little beds in front of a big coal fire with a fire guard and every afternoon they had an hour's sleep.

So if you are the little girl clutching her dolly, or perhaps the little boy with the curls on the back row, get in touch.

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