SOME of the older readers of this column may recognise this shop, John Holt's, which used to stand at the corner of Higher Bridge Street and Back Haydock Street.

The pictures have been sent to me by Mr Harold Hulton, of Carlton Road, Heaton, and he tells me that the man in the centre of the first photograph (top) was his grandfather Counc. John Holt, with grandmother Ellen on his left looking at the picture, and cousin Maggie Flitcroft on the right.

The little boy is a mystery (at the time the shop was a wholesale stationers, but later also sold newspapers etc. However, the boy was definitely not a newspaper boy). This picture must have been taken in the 1890s, because John Holt died in 1900.

The shop was then taken over by Ellen, seen on the left in the second picture (bottom), taken in about 1901, together with Elizabeth and Maggie Flitcroft.

The little girl was Annie Holt, Mr Hulton's mother, who in turn herself took over the shop, and it stayed in the family until 1947 when it was sold. Housing now stands on the site. Mr Hulton tells me that also in the block of shops was Whalley's wool shop and Grocer Brown's.