IT'S a great life being a bookmaker. Fat cigars. Holidays in Bermuda. Country mansion. An Aston Martin or two... Not if you're a one-shop bookie. Ask Steve Doran.

Corner shops struggle to compete with the supermarket giants and it's the same for the small independent bookmakers.

A lot have sold out or closed. But Steve is still going strong and more determined than ever, 22 years after taking over his betting shop in Duckworth Street.

He told me: "Independents still provide variety and value but we are having to fight hard in the face of some very fierce marketing."

It's not easy keeping the show on the road and he has to put in a lot of time and effort.

It's only in the past three or four years that he's managed to get away on a short holiday.

Ever since he opened he has worked up to 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week, month after month, year after year.

He's a one-man band and if he's ill he has to drag himself into work.

There's a William Hill shop at Hollins Grove; Ladbrokes and Betfred square up at the Circus. It's a tough game.

"You have to keep on your toes," he admitted with a wry smile.

Darwen has had quite a few small bookies. Most of them lived in town and they knew all their customers.

Gentleman Johnny Holmes lived up Avondale and had a shop at the bottom of Church Bank Street.

Colourful Colin Grime lived up Belgrave and had a shop in Railway Road.

Harold Dewhurst, Don Dowling, Tommy Bamford, Dave Sumner and Mick Sziler come easily to mind.

I've bought most of em a three-piece suite or made a hefty contribution to a new car over the years.

Many years ago there were lots of illegal bookies - characters such as Jimmy Walsh and Bow-tie Billy who used to operate out of Astley Bank Club.

It was a long-running battle of wits with the police before betting shops were legalised in 1961.

Steve Doran has kept a loyal following and he's on first-name terms with most of his punters.

"We have a laugh, mostly at my expense," he says.

Supporting Carlisle and Bolton, he probably asks for it.

However, new rules, regulations and commercial alliances between racing authorities and the major bookmakers have hammered the one-shop independents.

Just one example: a couple of years ago Steve used to pay about £50 for registration licences. It now costs him close on five grand.

Betting shops have certainly changed. "It's all very high tech," says Steve.

"There are television pictures and early betting shows from all over the world and for all sorts of different sports and competitions "There's always something new coming along. Punters can even bet on virtual-reality TV races. It's madness.

"But I suppose we're part of the entertainment industry now."

Virtual dog racing. God knows what dapper Bow-tie Billy would have made of it all.