YOUR "milkman/woman" article (BEN: August 16) brought back memories with the photo of the horse and milkcart, and the milkwoman etc.

I believe the horse and "float" belonged to John Stanley, of Highfield Farm, which is now the Highfield Community Centre at the corner of Marsh Lane, Farnworth, and the "milk-lady" was his helper and the daughter from Jubb's Farm, which was situated in the fields where the present Highfield Estate now stands, and close to where the M61 motorway now runs.

I also believe that the location of the photo is at the top end of Rupert Street, close to the Lever Edge Lane bridge -- an area of Great Lever "covered" by the said John's cart etc many years back.

I enjoyed the article and memories, but there was one item in this by a latter-day milkman as to ONLY milk personnel being "out and about" at 3am in the early mornings etc. What about the then railway footplate crews and guards who "booked on and off" at every minute of the 24-hour day; and the railway "knocker uppers" who trudged the streets from midnight until the end of their working shift, making sure the aforesaid "crews" were awakened and available for work at all hours of the early mornings.

What about the night-time patrolling policeman in those past days, and the emergency services engineers, and also the night-time postal staff drivers etc, working all early hours collecting mail from numerous main line rail stations ie Manchester stations, Wigan N W station and even Bolton station, continually meeting the mail trains throughout the night for "delivery" from from early "booking on walk postmen".

Although I appreciate that "milkies" do start early, it was an untrue statement from the latter-day "milkie" to state that ONLY they were out and about at 3am in the morning -- a fact I can verify from the two jobs I had before my retirement, namely LMS and BR steam footplate man, and postman and postman/driver, from which I retired from in '87.

So there are many duties and jobs entailing early or night-time requirements which are ignored or not even thought about by those on regular day work, without which life would come to a standstill.

Geo W Glover

Richmond Grove

Farnworth, Bolton