YESTERDAY I told you about Mr James Urmston's memories of Midge the "human" chimp, and showed you some of the photographs he lent me.

He was not the only person to contact me after reader Mrs J. Smith brought up the subject, and it wasn't long after last Friday's paper came out that people started contacting me.

The first was Bolton councillor Guy Harkin, who with great delight told me that when as a child he lived at the bottom of the Deane/Daubhill area, he definitely knew about the chimp, which was called Midge, and it belonged to shop owner Edgar Chorlton (yesterday I said Charlton, but I am assured it should be Chorlton. My apologies). It lived in a cage in the shop. Not only did the chimp ride in the van, but it also went fishing with Mr Chorlton, sitting next to him on the bank with its own fishing rod.

He also told me the tale of when the chimp bit someone . . . no, no, you can wait until the end of this article for the punch line to that tale.

Then an e-mail arrived from J.K. Moran, whole tells me: "In the 1950s I worked opposite a shop on Derby Street; I remember on summer days the chimp would sit on the upstairs window sill, and schoolchildren would hurl things up to it. If the chimp did not like what was thrown, it would hurl it very accurately back. I also remember a story concerning the left-hand drive van pulled up by a local constable. The chimp lowered the window, and when the policeman put his head down she slapped his face. She also used to drink bitter in the Albert pub across the way."

Mr P. Burgess, of Rivington House, Horwich, says that he recalls the chimp, named Midge, being dressed like a little girl. He also says that the animal was a great favourite at the Pilkington Arms, near Edgar Chorlton's shop, but was banned after an incident at closing time made her scream and she frightened the locals!

But back to Guy Harkin's tale about the chimp biting someone .. oh, no, I've changed my mind. You'll have to wait.

Shelagh Ogden, of Ryecroft Lane, Worsley, writes: "I remember the cigar chimp called Midge on Derby Street, which belonged to Edgar Chorlton's pet shop. It was bought at nine months old, and trained to ride bikes, smoke, and also liked a glass of beer in the local pubs".

Then D.J. Hulme, of Rydal Road, Heaton, told me: "Midge lived in Edgar Chorlton's pet shop on Derby Street, the second shop down from Noble Street. As far as I can remember, Midge was a female chimp, loved a bottle of Guinness and a cigar or cigarette; she also had her own wardrobe and loved to dress up.

"Her favourite playmate was Edgar's pet cheetah, who she tormented, blowing smoke into its face, pulling its tail. The cheetah seemed to take it all in its stride, though."

So back to Guy Harkin's tale. One day Midge bit a man (it was Jim Urmston, of Ladybridge, about whom I wrote yesterday. Jim also told me the same story, but gave me permission to leave it to Guy to relate today), and the wound needed eight stitches.

The doctor's comment? "That's the worst midge bite I have ever seen."

Well, I found it funny, anyway . . .