ONCE again we step back in time to peep into people’s lives and the events that took place in East Lancashire, some from more than a century ago.

They show a cross section of people at work and at leisure, reflecting the different attitude and pace of life of years gone by and how places we know today, looked so different then.

Our first picture reveals how the working folk of Darwen turned out to see the upper crust of the county return home in their carriages after a ‘splendid breakfast’ in honour of the newly appointed Sheriff of Lancashire, Mr W B Huntington.

Resplendent, liveried coachmen take control of the horses, while the attendants of a mayoral coach at the front, walk alongside in their smart uniforms and holding staffs.

People packed on to the cobbled, Bolton Road, and perched on high to get a view of the large number of coaches belonging to ‘gentlemen of the county’, which stretched into the distance, as they made their way towards The Circus.

They had all enjoyed a morning repast in a marquee in the grounds of Mr Huntington’s home Woodlands, in Whitehall, to mark his new post.

Mayors, magistrates, MPs, clergymen and the sheriff’s personal friends made up the gathering, which were entertained by the band of the Rifle Volunteers.

The front carriage is just passing James Gibson’s ironmonger’s and further up the street are the shops of barber and tobacconist Thomas Lawless, fine art dealer James Harwood and clogger Thomas Marsden.

We’ve spotlight some stories of unusual pub names in Bygones recently and here is a picture showing a selection of signs, which hung outside local hostelries that date from 1952.

Picture two: this is one for steam train buffs, showing an engine, pulling three coaches, crossing the spectacular viaduct, Whalley Arches, as it makes the journey between Clitheroe and Blackburn on the last day of scheduled passenger trains on the Hellifield line, in 1962.

Picture three: Will he make it....? Two Swedish acrobat cyclists had a 15,000 -strong crowd holding their breath, as they put on a daring show on a high wire, back in 1952. Fifty feet up and without a safety net, they showed n o fear at the Joseph Lucas sports day on the Prairie Fields in Burnley.

Picture four: We’re looking down Church Street, Blackburn in this 1956 photograph, with Boots store on the right, with Dodgson’s clothing shop and William and Deacons Bank.

Across the road is Hilton’s store and the Thwaites Bay Horse pub, on opposite corners of Ainsworth Street.

There are four modes of transport shown in this busy street scene, — bicycles, a motorbike and sidecar, motor vehicles, in the shape of cars and vans and a bus, which is just coming down Ainsworth Street.

Picture five: We are staying in the fifties with this photo showing the successful Darwen’s South End Mill football team of 1950/51.

The players were league champions that year, as well as cup winners.

Standing at the back, left to right are; treasurer G Woods, reserves F Kay and K Haworth, then H Bell, T Petrak, R Taylor, K Shorrock, S Gleaves, secretary S Gibbons and chairman H Clegg.

Sitting are: W Monks, F Walkden , captain A watson, A Todd, R Bibby and W Bell.

At the front are H Williamson, mascot Jackie Lowe and A Woods.

Picture six: Workers at Walpamur in Darwen load nine British Road Services lorries with products for distribution all around the country, in 1958