READER John Connolly was delighted to see photographs in a recent Looking Back article showing Waterloo Street in Bolton.

That is because he lived nearby in a small pub in Slater Lane called The Robin Hood Hotel.

John explains that the pub was demolished in the early 1970s.

He said: “I lived there from 1950 to 1961 and many of our customers lived in Waterloo Street as did some of my pals and also my grandma who lived at number 140, Auntie Doris at number 138 and other relatives at 150.

“Nat Lofthouse’s mother-in-law lived next to my grandma and whenever Nat visited, my grandma got his autograph and I sold it for 6d.”

On the other side of his grandmother’s house lived a family named Wallwork and at the bottom of Waterloo Street, near Folds Road, was a ladies’ hairdresser called Eddie Corley.

John added: “His house had a basement with a window about a foot below the pavement.

“His hobby was tropical fish. The tanks, there must have been about 15 different ones, were on stands in his basement and the children, by lying down on the pavement could look at this aquarium.

“It was quite something in those days.

“Just near Eddie Corley lived Eddie Platt who was the local bookie.

“It was illegal at the time. He was considered rich and always wore a suit, waistcoat and a large watch chain. He had a bookies’ runner called Jack Bannister who called at all the local pubs to collect bets.”

John says Waterloo Street was reputedly the longest and straightest street in Bolton although he believes this is not true and parallel to it was George Arthur Street which was not as long but also straight and as it had a smooth surface was perfect as a ‘racetrack’ for John and other young cyclists.

nMore of John’s memories in next week’s Looking Back.