WE always enjoy printing photographs of hard working employees of the various firms in Bolton and today's picture is no exception.

This is Miss Lilian Breare who is pictured in 1965 leaving Greenhalgh and Shaws' Halliwell Mills after 48 years service.

Miss Breare was a supervisor-winder at the firm and was presented with the, once, traditional leaving gift of a clock on behalf of her work mates by Mr S Shields and general manager Mr G D H Smith.

She also received a cheque from the directors.

These were the days when mills employed a great number of Bolton residents — many of them being women — and the loyal members of staff would work, often, for decades in the mills.

Once they left for retirement they would be rewarded with gifts such as clocks or watches and their work colleagues would gather for the traditional presentation as in this photograph take in September 1965.

Miss Breare had quite clearly been a popular member of staff judging by the number of cards she received and the number of members of staff who had gathered for her special presentation.