Alan Calvert has already printed a few words from George Glover's memories of working as a railwayman at the Great Moor Street and Plodder Lane depots.

Here, George tells us of one particular night shift when he was just sixteen.

To set the scene, coal had to be shovelled into the "tenders" to ready locos for a day's work by hand.

One day the 10pm man did not turn in for work, and George was faced with coaling up every loco in the yard.

He writes: "I got stuck in, and shovelled and shovelled until around 5am when I managed to coal the last one.

"I walked down to the mess room for my scoff (food) and was greeted with laughter and a rendition of Mammy, as the only things visible were the whites of my eyes amid the sweat and coal dust.

"The basic tonnage for a normal shift was eight tons, and a bonus of sixpence (2p) was paid for every ton over.

"I had actually shifted 19 tons 9 cwts and earned a bonus of 5 shillings and 9 pence (about 29p today), which was a lot for a 16-year-old in 1943."