THERE will be a meeting of Bolton and District Family History Society on Wednesday December 3 at 7.30pm at Bolton Cricket Club, Green Lane which includes the welcome return of Sid Calderbank who will regale enthusiastic members and visitors with more of his tales of the origins of the Lancashire and Northern dialects and traditional songs and poems.

The meeting will include a festive quiz with prizes, a book stall from Terry Walsh from the Family History Partnership for ideas for genealogical based Christmas presents and there will be pie and peas or tea or coffee and mince pie refreshments and a raffle.

Anyone wishing to attend should contact secretary Barbara Owen on 01204 390515 as soon as possible of email susan.boddy17@gmail.com

There will as usual be a Help Desk available afterwards for researchers needing advice

Someone needing advice is Ann Hunt who is asking for help on behalf of her mum, Doris Hughes.

Doris recalls, in the early 1930s, a man who used to sell ironmongery from his horse and cart and wonders if any other readers remember him.

The horse was stabled it in a place under the railway arches at the back of Windley Street, near Folds Road.

" He used to bring out his horse and cart and fill it full of ironmongery, pots, pans, candles, anything useful in the ironmongery line. He also sold paraffin for the lamps everyone used. He used to go round the streets shouting "lamp oil" and hung a paraffin lamp on the corner of his cart. I'm not sure but I think his name was Hewitt."