ECLIPSE! Being brought up Feniscowles the word eclipse had nothing to do with the sky as far as I was concerned.

It was actually the name of the mill where my mother worked — and the Star was the paper mill where my dad worked.

And strangely enough, I never ever connected them with the sky.

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But in the village there was also a Sun paper mill, and though I never knew where it was, I believe there was also a Moon mill, so it looks a bit like those mill owners were also star gazers.

I often wonder, did the company think ‘here is an area of low employment’ when they sited those factories, or was it the canal, which could provide not only a cheap convenient source of both energy and water but also transport, which made Feniscowles a very cost effective proposition?

It was probably those two aspects together, which made it the perfect spot for industry.

As far as I can ascertain, the three streets in the village were owned by the mill owners so they were ensured of a workforce right on their doorstep.

When my dad was elevated to the post of foreman, our status changed a little and we went to live up Green Lane in a corporation house, with gardens back and front. That was something else.

Now there’s posh for you, and so I brought them into the conversation at every available opportunity.

I loved living ‘up Green Lane’ and was quite deflated when I started going out dancing and dating to find out that living in a corporation house was considered ‘infra dig’ and that quite a lot of people actually owned their own houses.

But fierce pride came into play — and I was determined to change things.

Fortunately the council decided to let people buy their houses and with a little help, my dad did just that.

I was in Manchester on Friday at the funeral of a friend of Bill’s.

I hate to say this but it was quite a pleasant afternoon, seeing friends and relatives and recalling what a great bloke he was.

Funny isn’t it, but I find that’s the case with funerals. They always seem to be rather jolly affairs.

Perhaps it’s the relief that the suffering and worrying is over.

I have only ever been to one sad one. And that was because when the will was read out he’d left all his money to the church and I can tell you that took the smile off their faces.