RADCLIFFE firm A&J Hoyles was certainly punching with the heavyweights when it came to making textiles.

George Worthington (86), of Stopes, heard that the firm had a very famous customer when, long after the concern had closed in 1968, he worked at their Park Street mill.

Prior to his retirement in the early 1980s, Mr Worthington's employers - the General Engineering Company - used part of the old building as a pattern shop.

There he was told several anecdotes by caretaker Harry Stevenson, who had worked at Hoyles when it supplied shirts to a real man-mountain.

Heavyweight Italian Primo Carnera was world boxing champion between 1933 and 1934 and went by a nick-name of The Ambling Alp.

At 6 ft 7 in, and 270 lbs, he was among the biggest of all champions in boxing history, enjoying a sizeable reach advantage over most rivals.

For breakfast alone, Carnera could apparently devour a quart of orange juice, two quarts of milk, 19 pieces of toast, 14 eggs, a loaf of bread and half a pound of Virginia ham.

Among the opponents he beat were Ernie Schaaf, who passed away soon after the fight, Paulino Uzcudun and Tommy Loughran.

However, in 1935 he was knocked out in six rounds by future world heavyweight champion Joe Louis.

Of course Carnera's fighting career took him all over the world but, but he also took time to see the factory in Radcliffe that clothed him, according to Mr Stevenson.

Mr Worthington said: "Harry told us that Carnera actually came down one time and looked around the works.

"We remembered who he was talking about. Carnera was a very imposing figure.

"He wasn't all that handsome but he could definitely box a bit."

Carnera was so famous that his country even produced a stamp as a tribute to his success .