I HAVE received an e-mail from Australia, about a story in the paper in either 1974 or 1985, wondering if I could help get a copy of it.

The answer had to be "Sorry, no", because the cutting had not been filed, and it would be a massive job looking through the individual papers.

However, I thought some of the details in the e-mail were interesting, and that you would enjoy reading them.

It came from Jack Greenwood, and he tells me that "on one of our trips home, my Uncle Bert showed me a clipping from the BEN, possibly in the old Town Topics column, about my great-grandfather William (Billy) Greenwood.

"He was, if I remember correctly, a bailiff for one of the landlords in the Brownlow Fold area. According to the story in the BEN, he was quite notorious.

"He was given the nickname of the 'Smoke Bender', because one of his methods of getting rid of tenants who were in arrears with their rent, was to climb onto the roof and block up the chimney. He used this method if he could not gain entry. If he could gain entry, he would take the front door off its hinges and freeze the poor devils out.

"I have just started on my, and my wife's family tree, and this bit of history on Billy Greenwood would really add some colour to the family story. I did not think to get a copy from Uncle Bert at the time, but these things only seem to become more important as one gets older."

Sorry, though, Jack, can't help!