WHEN Brenda Townson started work at a Bolton factory little did she know she would be making life-long friends.

Brenda — whose maiden name was Priestley — left school and, at the age of 15, took up employment with the Burton's Halliwell clothing factory.

Here she would make friendships that she still cherishes and enjoy being part of a "community" not just a work force.

The factory was in Wapping Street — off Halliwell Road — and it created employment for thousands of workers, recalls 72-year-old Brenda.

It was hard work — "you had to clock in and clock off and if you were not well then you did not get paid, it was piece work" — but it was the camaraderie that made it so special for the young Brenda.

"Outings would be organised. We'd go on picnics or for days out in Blackpool.

"We would pay so much in each week and once we'd got enough money we'd hire a coach and we'd all be off to Blackpool for a day out," explains Brenda.

Workers at the Burton's factory cut out, stitched and completed garments for Burton's menswear shops and standards were high, says Brenda.

Brenda worked in the cutting room where she had to check the pockets flaps on the jackets matched and the sleeves were just right.

She would check the patterns matched and ensure the sizes were correct.

"They were sticklers for things being perfect," she says of her bosses.

The girls in the cutting room would check everything matched — not an easy job particularly with, for instance, plaid prints — and then the garments would go onto the machine floor for stitching.

There were sections for coats, another for jackets and another for trousers.

At the end of the process everything would be gathered together and it was the responsibility of further workers to ensure jackets matched the trousers of suits. This work took place in dispatch, explains Brenda.

Suits, overcoats, sports' jackets and trousers were all made at Burton's Halliwell and quality was key.

Jobs were very much allocated to either men or women at that time.

The men were in charge of the patterns — these were in standard sizes on racks — and the young lads who started their career by cutting the linings out for the jackets could then progress to cut jackets and trousers for suits.

"They were happy days even though we worked very hard," says Brenda.

Many of the workers were long-standing members of staff.

One workers, Mrs Lillian Allsebrook, left Burton's Halliwell in the summer of 1974 after 35 years of service.

But three week after leaving the firm she was asked to go back for the day to show visitors around the factory on an annual open day event.

Mrs Allsebrook, who lived in Makinson Avenue, Horwich at the time, can be seen in our photograph with a party of visitors at the machine of Anne Bowles, aged 21, who lived in Pixmore Avenue, Hall i'th' Wood.

It was not unusual in the 1960s and 1970s for people to have clocked up such a long service record for the same firm.

Clearly employees enjoyed working at Burton's Halliwell and were, no doubt, upset when the firm finally closed its doors.

We are not sure of the exact date the mill closed but perhaps our readers can help rectify this.

We are also a little unclear if Montague Burton in Walkden was part of the same firm as Burton's Halliwell. Again we expect there will be Looking Back readers who can help us with this poser also.

Now Brenda and two of her former work pals Graham Wells and Alf Swailes hope to gather as many ex colleagues as possible when they hold a reunion of Burton's Halliwell on Friday June 5.

The event will be held at Astley Bridge Legion in Belmont Road and will start at 8pm.

It is an opportunity for former colleagues to meet up and chat about the old days as well as being able to get the chance to catch up on everything that has been happening since they left the factory.

In the 1950s and 1960s (when Brenda was working at Burton's before leaving two years after she got married in 1963) there were many mills and factories in Bolton where a range of different products were manufactured.

Burton's was just one of those hugely popular work places and no doubt many former colleagues of Brenda and her friends will want to get in touch and re-live the past.

Many of the workers married each other, says Brenda.

Get in touch with Graham Wells on 01204 592376 if you would like to be involved in this fun event.

If you have memories of working at Burton's or any other local firm that has now closed down we would love to hear from you.

Contact Gayle McBain on 01204 537269 and share those special memories with other readers.