STORIES about Midge the smoking chimp continue to flow in.

As you will recall, last week I showed you photographs of Midge, and then, on Friday, some memories from readers on this "human" chimp, which used to smoke, drink, and liked dressing up. She belonged to Mr Edgar Chorlton, who had a fishing tackle and pet shop on Derby Street.

Among the latest letters I have received was one from Mr Roy Phethean, of Bramhall Avenue, Harwood, who tells me that his grandma had a grocer's shop in nearby Shaw Street. "One day, one of her regular customers came in for her usual order and Grandma said 'Your Bill has just been in for a packet of milk chocolate biscuits and said to put them on your slate.' The customer said: 'He's what? I'll kill him.' Bill was about 11 years old. The customer stormed out of the shop and returned about half an hour later, livid, and told my Grandma that she had found Bill in Chorlton's shop feeding 'that b . . . . monkey through the bars of her cage,' and went on 'I can't afford chocolates for myself, never mind that b . . . . fat monkey.' I can't remember whether Bill got the threatened good hiding or not!"

Mrs Winifred Boyes tells me that Midge's owners, Edgar and Phyllis Chorlton, were her uncle and aunt. "Midge was quite a character, who lived in a large cage in the shop, and with the family at night (she was completely house trained.) Along with my aunt, she raised quite a lot of money for charity. I never remember her smoking, but she did like to light cigarettes for other people. They had her for many years, and then she died quite suddenly of pneumonia and was sadly missed."

Miss G. Smith, of Sapling Road, Morris Green, also has memories of Midge. "I worked for Robert Watson's on High Street. I was on the social committee, and every Christmas we gave a party for the workers' children. One year we hired Midge to entertain the children, and when the time came, the chimp just sat there and refused to perform.

"Midge was taken to the back of the canteen where I was standing; she put her hairy arm round my waist, and I felt as though a band of steel was crushing me. The chimp then decided to have a smoke. There were a lot of disappointed children that day."

A story with a definite difference comes from Mrs H. Morgan, of Platt Hill Avenue, Deane - she tells me that Midge was her bridesmaid when she married in 1953, because her husband David worked at Chorlton's!

Mrs Morgan also sent me a photocopy of the front page of the Daily Sketch of the time, which included a picture of the wedding, but it is not good enough to reproduce here.

"Midge also like to play the piano," she continues. "Midge once escaped, and came to look for us. We were living with my Mum and Dad at the Jolly Waggoner, and at about 3am one morning there was a screech of brakes and a lot of shouting. There, in the middle of the road, stood Midge and a very bewildered lorry driver. We took her in and played with a black money box while David went for Mrs Chorlton. Midge was a lovely animal."

Well, readers, I am sure you will agree that Midge was also a bit of a character.