TV soap star Sarah Lancashire crossed over the border to relaunch Britain's last clog factory which was down on its uppers but is now set for a rosy future.

This weekend's celebrations at the 150-year old mill which houses Walkley's Clogs in Hebden Bridge were a far cry from the doom an gloom of last September when the company faced financial ruin because of legal wrangling over planning permission.

Now Cheshire businessman Terry Krell has poured hundreds of thousands of pounds into the business and the retail outlets are diversifying into manufacturing the grey clouds seem to have disappeared.

Sarah, who plays dizzy barmaid Racquel in Coronation Street, opened the extended mill and a variety of entertainment and events were put on for visitors.

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