THE sights, sounds and smells of a childhood in Radcliffe are almost tangible in the writings of Mr Allan Crossley.

Allan, who now lives in Little Lever, put pen to paper with some recollections of life as a youngster living off Bolton Road.

They were sent to Days To Remember by his daughter Susan Williams and include some of the most evocative descriptions of life in the town.

This week, Allan remembers his family home at the beginning of the Second World War.

Life in the Crossley home could always be cosy, even at a time of war.

Allan, his parents and sister Sylvia lived in a terraced house on Knob Row - which owed its name to the post tops on the front gates of properties.

These were next a length of older terraces, called Mottled Soap Row because of its brickwork decoration.

Allan said: "Although it was a terraced house we looked out onto fields and farmland.

"Our toilet and coal shed were in a concreted back yard.

"The living room, front room and kitchen outhouse were very cosy and kept warm by a large cast iron oven range with boiler.

"A meatsafe was in the back yard with the galvanised bath. The bath hung from a peg on the coalshed and was used on Fridays."

A bedroom belonging to Allan and Sylvia was at the rear of the house and was kept warm by the sun, while the parents' room, facing north, was cold unless a fire was lit.

In winter the family would have to dress beneath the bed covers, such was the cold, and frost would make intriguing fan shapes on the windows.

The family would wash themselves at the kitchen sink.

Allan continues: "Under the steep stairs we had a pantry with access from the living room by a door. This space was also used as an air raid shelter.

"To one side of the fire place was a cupboard and drawers which were always warm and so stored our salt and drinking straws, made out of wheat straw."

Allan's father worked 12-hour shifts at James Street Paper Mill, and would either be returning home or setting out for work at six in the morning.

Allan said: "Mam did part-time work at Setacrepes weaving.

"She was was a good cook and used our rations well.

"She baked simnel cake, parkin and scones and made "mintoes" out of powdered milk, syrup and peppermint.

"After mixing, Sylvia and I used to scrape the bowl clean with our fingers and lick them.

"We had porridge every morning and cocoa for our bedtime treat.

"Coming home from school was good. The house was warm, welcoming and full of delicious smells and Children's Hour was on the radio with Larry The Lamb.

"There was a lovely warm, red fireplace to sit in front of on our home made peg rug, and a bit of parkin before tea.

"When dad came home we all listened to the news on the radio, then dad would get the world map out and point out where our troops were fighting and what the war meant to us.

"Dad would say he would send us to Vladivostok if we didn't eat our greens. He never did."