WAS the inimitable Fanny Goldthorpe the last knocker-up in town? Well, according to a Parr reader known as 'Kirky', she was certainly a strong candidate, having rapped the early-morning window panes right up to the early 1980s.

Kirky (full identity supplied as a token of good faith) was among the redoubtable Fanny's customer.

He writes: "She used to knock-up a lot of Derbyshire Hilllers, me included for a spell when my alarm clock was broken". Fanny was up and about by 4am rousing the slumbering miners.

"She did a good job", adds Kirky, "she'd knock and knock and even put the boot into the door if that knocking wasn''t enough".

She certainly made sure that none of her customers overselpt. "When I first got to know her, Fanny, a very well known character around Derby Hill, charged about a shilling (5p) a day".

We can also add the name of Bill Pimblett to our ongoing list of old-time knockers-up.

His nephew, Joe Finney, places him on the roll call in digging back to pre-war times. Bill's beat was the Thatto Heath area and he took up his tapping pole after being injured down the pit.

And 86-year-old Joe, who lays claim to being probably the longest-serving Saints supporter (he first watched 'em at the age of nine) chips in with some other interesting rugby details.

Knocker-up Bill was apparently also the uncle of Albert Pimblett, now 82, who, during an illustrious career broken by wartime army service, played for St Helens Recs, Huddersfield, Salford and with Warrington, where he was centre to the legendary wing flier, Brian Bevan.

Joe, from French Street,Toll Bar, cranks the sporting clock back to his 1920s boyhood. "I remember going to Widnes to watch Saints with my Uncle John (Albert's father). We went from the British Lion in a horse-drawn wagonette".

He was privileged to have watched the immortal Alf Ellaby weaving his wing magic for Saints, and adds this bit of interesting information: "Alf only joined Saints after getting hurt playing football for Rotherham".

THANKS, Kirky and Joe for sharing those memories.