For thousands of pupils of local schools the May rose queen procession was an annual highlight and source of much parental pride - in spite of parents often having to scrimp to afford the outfits.

Here, Kathleen Spillane of Harwood recalls how she was rose queen in 1960 and what it meant to her and her family.

“I was a pupil at Our Lady of Lourdes School on Plodder Lane, Farnworth aged seven.

One day, we arrived at school to be informed that all the girls and boys in my class were to pick names out of a hat for the different roles in the May procession.

Pupils from St Gregory’s School in Farnworth were also given the opportunity to draw for a part in the procession. To my immense surprise I was fortunate enough to have my name picked out for the role of rose queen. And my name was Kathleen Mary Rose!

My teacher told me that I wouldn’t be able to do it as my parents would not be able to afford it. The one condition of the role was that the parents had to provide the dress and the crowns.

I rushed home with my little piece of paper in my hand to tell my mother the exciting news and related to her what my teacher had said.

My mother told her close friends about it, explaining that she didn’t know how the family could possibly afford such an expensive event.

One of my mother’s best friends was a seamstress – Anna Eidukas, a Lithunian refugee whom my mother had helped to adjust to life in England. She offered to make the dress for me.

Another of my mother’s best friends, Veronica Dodd, always referred to as Aunty Veronica, volunteered to make the crowns.

I had to go for many dress fittings - and I had to spend many hours learning the Hail Mary prayer off by heart.

The day arrived and it was a little overcast but, thankfully, it didn’t rain. I remember being at the back of the church getting ready to go in and I was really nervous.

Before the ceremony in the church we had to go on a procession around the local streets. I was still feeling very nervous, knowing what was to come after.

During the ceremony on the altar, I had to climb some steps behind the statue of Mary. Then, during the hymn Queen of the May and at the line ‘Oh Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today’ I had to place the crown on the head of the statue.

Then I had to stand in front of a church full of people and unhurriedly recite the Hail Mary prayer on my own.

After an exhausting day, my mother, father and sister Jean went to Townley’s Hospital where my mother Ellen Rose worked as an auxiliary.

All the patients on her ward wanted to see me in my dress, to give them a little bit of the excitement of the day.”

n Do you have any memories of being a Rose Queen? Send us your photographs and tell us some more information about it. You can do so by emailing robert.kelly@nqnw.co.uk and we will feature them in Looking Back.