[Wynonie Harris]

Alan, if your kid had gone into Dutton Street he could have bought some flowers from Andy's florist. He would have also noted that the legendary Blue Dahlia is now an amusement arcade - sacrilege! Even the deck's been swept away and is a big, empty space now. Where do kids hang around these days?

However, there are a few bright spots amidst the gloom. The ex-Woolies/Co-op building opposite the market hall is now a really good Italian cafe. And the old AEU club at the bottom of Paxton Street is now an excellent restaurant called Accrington Pride. In fact, a few of the old clubs have been converted into pubs - the Miners on Blackburn Road near my old school (also gone!) is a great little pub and the old Marlboro WMC on Whalley Road has been transformed into a cracking pub called the Oaklea.

However, without wishing to go on too much about it, the one big improvement from 35 years ago is that in 1969 Accrington & district did not have a football club - now it does have one and a very good one at that. If you're the slightest bit interested in the game, time your visit to coincide with a Stanley home match and come along and stand on the Clayton End - you'll be very agreeably surprised!