THE now-lost community of Greenbank, Blackburn, has been featured in Looking Back a number of times this year.

Today, we go back to the area, which stood in the shadow of India Mill, to bring you two tales dating back to the early fifties.

Both revolve round Crown Street - the first is a story of a blazing house, from which a family was saved by a human chain and the second, a canal rescue.

It was just a week before Christmas in 1951, when fire broke out at 13 Crown Street, a two-up, two-down, where the Sillitoe family lodged with Mr and Mrs Jack Barker.

And when neighbours heard 30-year-old dad William Sillitoe's shout for help they formed a human chain to bring his three children to safety from an upstairs window.

Mr Sillitoe, a bus cleaner, was asleep with his youngest son, two-year-old Frederick, when he was alerted by Albert, six, and Brian, three, that the living room was ablaze. Smoke was pouring up the staircase and there was no way down.

But his cries for help were heard by neighbour, 24-year-old Gordon Booth, who climbed a drainpipe at the back of the house and passed the children down to his brother Tom, 21, who then handed them on to Thomas Windle, of Ingham Street, on the ground.

Gordon later told the Northern Daily Telegraph: "It was difficult to hang on to the drainpipe, the heat was so great. The children were crying and terribly frightened."

Mr Sillitoe and the youngsters were taken to Blackburn Infirmary where they were treated for shock and the effects of smoke.

They returned home at the same time as Mrs Sillitoe, a weaver, who had been working at Plantation Mill at the time of the drama.

Albert, who still lives in Blackburn, said this week: "After the fire we were taken to Queen's Park Hospital, or the big house' as my father called it.

"It was at one time the local workhouse for the poor. We lived there for about 12/18 months, until we went to live in Quarry Street, in a house belonging to the church.

"Me and my brothers used to be friendly with the old people that lived in the hospital all the time. We used to go and talk to them and in the main enjoyed ourselves.

"Our few Christmas presents were lost in the fire, but I remember there was a cafe in Penny Street called Berts where my dad used to go. They had a 'whip round' and gave my dad a pound or two."

l Our second story is of a young boy, who later served as a police officer, who was the nonchalant hero in a canal rescue. Jack Chambers, who lived at 5 Crown Street, Blackburn, was just 11 when he saved a boy's life and then walked away as though nothing had happened.

It was the summer of 1952, when he saw five-year-old Robert Jarvis, a neighbour, fall into the water as they played on the canal bank near Harwood Street bridge.

Jack dived in fully clothed and brought Robert to the side.

Then, when the little boy's two brothers, Harry and Melvin ran to take him home, Jack walked off without saying a word.

And his heroism would have gone unrecorded but for builder's labourer Sam Woods coming forward to the Northern Daily Telegraph to tell the story.

Mr Woods was working on a mill in Gladstone Street, when he heard Robert's cry for help. He jumped over a wall, just in time to see Jack pulling the lad from of the water.

"When they got to the bank, the little boy was shivering and frightened to death, but the other boy was marvellous. It was as if he was used to rescuing people every day of the week!"

Jack's little sister Sheila added: "He didn't talk about it at all. He is a very good swimmer and has two certificates.

Later that year Jack received a Royal Humane Society award from the Mayor of Blackburn.

Now living in Spain Jack told Looking Back: "I later became a police officer and served 26 years in the force, mostly in Blackburn and district.

"I was involved from time to time with saving other lives. Ironic to say the least, don't you think?"