BEFORE downtown Parr earned its latter-day respectability, it apparently earned quite a reputation for the rough and tumble stuff. Even wedding day punch-ups were not uncommon.

And keen local history buff Ken Melling, from Chancery Lane, has been chuckling over a newspaper report he's found quoted in a hometown book. Written in 1866, it's an account, composed in a quaint style, of a wedding at St Peter's Church, Parr, and of the fistic fireworks at the reception which followed.

The happy couple, apparently known for miles around, were Robert Duckworth (better known as Owd Bob Ducker) and Jane Naylor, for some reason generally referred to as Jenny Gulay.

The scribe of the time records: "The marriage of such weel known characters produced such exitement that has not be witnessed for some time in the nabourhood of Fingerpost."

I'll spare much of the rest of the scrambled spelling and set the big scene in plain English.

Local folk were astir at an early hour, flocking from all parts of town to get a good view of the wedding party. The church was packed and the ceremony performed by the Rev A. A. Nunn (could he, perhaps, have been the one who gave his name to Nunn Street locally?).

The newlyweds, their families and guests then headed for the bride's home "where a splendid reception awaited them, flags flying from every window and crowds cheering."

The wedding dinner was conjured up by two characters known as Owd Peggy Snigey and Owd Bet Chisel.

And afterward, 20 or 30 of the party revellers headed for the Fingerpost Inn, where Jockey Rothel entertained with his fiddle.

Then comes the spicy bit, fuelled by copious amounts of Greenalls sparkling ale. "The party spent a very pleasant afternoon, with dancing and singing and a few fistic encounters in which the bridegroom and his best man were several times engaged."

But all's well that ends well. The party broke up late into the night . . . "the bride taking her new husband home in one of Henry Harrison's coal trucks, while Mr Duckworth amused his wife by singing 'What man would be without a woman; I should like to know.'"

HEY, did I hear somebody at the back whisper "So nowt's changed much down Parr way, then!"?