SOMEONE said to me the other day 'what do you reckon were the best times of your life?’ Needless to say I answered frivolously 'all days are good days if you are alive and well'.

My childhood days at Feniscowles were happy but when I gave it some serious thought, I think I must also include my days at the Jubilee Hotel.

It was when my children were small; and their school St Paul's was just across the road.

At that time there were very strict opening hours and as the police station was just across the road, we had to be very careful when catering for the occasional 'lock in. Did I really say occasional?

But I really had cracking customers and the place was packed at weekends, with Loyal Lillie on the piano for the ‘sing-along’.

We had a great card school in the vault, and even my very own rag and bone man, storing his cart under the shed in the back yard, so, as you can imagine, I was never short of donkey stones for the doorsteps and for the sides of the window sills.

Having David, the ‘Rag Tatter’, garaging in the back yard, was quite exciting, as you never knew what treasures he might bring back when he returned from his round in the afternoon.

I remember being pleased with a brass warming pan and matching kettle, that he brought in, but he bargained very hard about those, as he said they had cost him a great many coloured donkey stones.

I was surprised at what treasures people did swap for donkey stones, when I was able to have a ‘root and toot, to see if there was anything left that would do for me when he came back from his round.

Back then I was a great collector of stuff that I didn’t need and didn’t really want, and if I am to be perfectly honest, I still am.

A decision has been made though, the stuff, or junk as my son would say, has got to go, so Bill and I are over to Chorley market within the next week or two.