WHEN Mrs Renee Ogden saw a short story in the Evening News recently (not in this column, I might add!), which described Viking Street as being in Burnden, she got out her pen and wrote to me.

"Viking Street is not in Burnden, but in Great Lever," she wrote. "Under Weston Street is an underground river which divides Burnden and Great Lever."

Why was she so insistent on correcting the story? "I spent the first 34 years of my life in that area," she continues, "and Viking Street wasn't a derelict area then." The story in the paper was about family homes being built on the site which has been derelict for more than 20 years.

"All up on the right hand side from Weston Street were houses, and an off-licence and Brooke's chip shop," says Mrs Ogden (nee Blinkhorn), of Clarendon Road, Tonge Fold, Bolton.

"At the top of Viking Street was the 'Boiler Field'. Boilers were waiting for repair, and as children we had a wonderful time, letting our imaginations run, inventing games, etc. When it rained we didn't go home, we sheltered in the boilers (because of Health and Safety rules, that wouldn't be allowed nowadays). We had no park or playground nearby, so the 'Boiler Field' was the next best thing.

"I have two friends who lived either side of me in Southfield Street. We keep in touch and we talk a lot about our childhood in that area.

"We used to have Rose Queens and walk around the streets. Once the boys were jealous and threw potatoes in the Rose Queen's train until it sagged on the floor.

"Among the shops that we remember are Mrs Judge's sweet shop on Weston Street, Booth's butchers on the corner of Viking Street, Misses Dodd's grocery shop on the corner of Southfield Street and Presto Street. The Misses Fielding had their front room as a shop, selling haberdashery, wool, etc.

"Just across from Weston Street on Manchester Road was the Co-op grocers, butchers and cloggers (shoe repairs). The doctor's house was next door, and on Manchester Road were two dentists, Markland's and Bristow's.

"At the corner shop in Southfield Street, as children we would congregate there and play games. No longer do you see marbles, hop-scotch, skipping ropes as a group or individually. Recently I said to someone about 'Millagate One'. 'What do you mean?' she said. Millagate One (don't know where it comes from) was when we played with a skipping rope as a group going into the rope one after another.

"Also, when I was younger, when the Wanderers were playing at home, our streets were filled with buses one after the other waiting for the end of the match.

"These are just a few memories around Viking Street area. My grandparents lived around there as well, but their memories would be different too mine.

"The houses might not be there any more, but you don't demolish the memories."