IF THERE was a chart for collecting records, single-minded Nigel Stockley would go straight in at number one!

Nigel, of Moss Hall Road, Accrington, has every number one single from 1952, when charts started, to the present day - 840 songs in all.

He has been buying records since he was four years old - his first purchase was My Old Man's a Dustman by Lonnie Donegan.

But it was only 10 years ago he realised he had the makings of a valuable collection of number one singles.

He said: "I started logging number one and number two hits and I realised I had most of them."

Nigel tried to fill the gaps in his collection but found it difficult as many of the 78s issued in the 1950s were difficult to find.

But then, through a magazine for record collectors, he met a collector from Cambridge who sold many of the discs he needed. From then on it was a case of buying what he could when it became available. He has finally completed his collection with a copy of How Much is That Doggy in the Window? by Lita Rosa, a number one in 1953.

He said he was delighted to have completed the collection at last. "It is something I didn't think I would be able to do so it is very satisfying."

And he intends to keep it going - he has just bought Robbie Williams' hit She's The One.

Nigel, who plays cricket for Accrington Thirds, prides himself on his wide taste in music. He listens to several radio stations and often gets the latest records before his children, Geoff, 20, Paul, 18 and six-year-old Nicola hear them.

His favourite era is the 1960s. He said: "The classic year was 1966. A lot of classic records were released - like Pretty Flamingo, Reach Out I'll Be There and Good Vibrations."

But he admitted that he does not listen to all of them . "Collecting means you end up with things like Mr Blobby and Robson and Jerome!" he said.

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