THE fact that over the past few weeks I have featured in this column both John Hamer's Brewery, Bromley Cross, and Foster's running shoes, brought a letter from Mr Neil B. Wild, of Station Road, Chapeltown, enclosing photocopies of pages from a booklet printed in 1909.

It was "The History of Turton Football Club" and "Carnival and Sports Handbook", and it was written by W.T. Dixon, the first secretary of Turton F.C. when it was formed in 1872.

It was interesting to look at the fixtures played in the 1909-1910 season, because some of them were a relatively great distance away from home, and with transport in those days being rather slower than now, it must have taken a long time to travel. For instance, among the opposition teams were Barrow, Glossop, Great Harwood, Lancaster, Blackpool, Clitheroe.

In fact, in 1885, Turton "took its only Scotch tour, meeting Partrick and Paisley St Mirrens, losing one match and drawing the other.

And a comment says about Turton: "Perhaps in no other village in England has football such a hold on the people who inhabit it, and have cherished association with the past glorious days, when football was played as a sport, and not as a gigantic business, tending to crush the game out of the little village that first gave it birth."

As I said earlier, though, Mr Wild had forward the photocopies because of the two advertisements. You may know that John Hamer's Brewery was at the Volunteer Hotel, and the details said: "Home-brewed Mild and Bitter ales and Stouts. Bottled beer and Stout of the best quality. Wines and spirits, Bowling Green

The above Beers and Stouts may be obtained at The Gardeners' Arms, Turton, The Derby Arms, Edgworth, The Printers' Arms, Birches Road, Turton Bottoms, The Station Hotel, Entwistle.

The advertisement for Foster's (which you probably know eventually became Reebok) mentioned Running Pumps 10/6 (52p), used by R.E. Walker, A.B. Postle, W. Grocott, H.A. Wilson, A. Russell, V. Johnson, N.T. Cartmell, B.R. Day, R. Kerr, R. Noakes, B. Jones, A.J. Denny, E. Payne.

Cycle racing shoes were also offered at 8/6 (42p) and 9/6 (47p).

J.W. Foster & Sons, Deane Road, Bolton. Tel No. 147x1

Mr Wild also points me towards details of the Pipe and Tobacco Race at the Carnival, over 75 yards.

It reads: "Each competitor will receive and Equal Quantity of Tobacco, which must be all cut up and Lighted before starting, and the Race must be won with the Tobacco still alight. The competitor must smoke during the entire run. If the Tobacco goes out, the competitor must return to starting point and re-light. Pipe and Tobacco must be handed to a Judge on completing the race. Entrance fee 6d (2p).

That, of course, was when smoking was not frowned upon!