I have been aware for some time, that I should have resolved on a device to let readers know what others have said about the articles I have written. Quite often, people contact me adding substantially to the information I include.

I welcome all correspondence but ought to add that, because of illness, I do have problems with emails and computers. Apologies are extended to those who have contacted me by these means as I am unable to reply unless an address is included.

Just a few words about today's picture. It comes from the Ken Bolton collection, which is part of the Briercliffe Society's archive, and is one of a number of photos we have of the building. These latter pictures are better in that they show the whole of the tower and spire, right in the picture, so at some time in the future, I will use one of them to accompany an article about the Manchester Road Wesleyans.

At the end of December (article 472) I wrote about a watercolour from Burnley Council's collection held at Towneley. The painting was of the confluence of the rivers Brun and Calder and, in the accompanying article, I mentioned Wool Court where John Nelson Cherry had his small dye works. It is my opinion that Wool Court was near the confluence but I have no proof of this and, since the article was published, I have been asked where Wood Court was. The library would be interested as they are drawing up a list of Burnley street names which have fallen from favour. By this I mean the names of streets no longer in use. Have you any ideas about where Wool Court was situated?

The week after (article 473), the subject was the former vicarage of St James the Great CE, Burnley. Two photos – one of the interior of the church (which was situated in Bethesda Street) and the other of the vicarage – were published. It was the latter which interested Mr Ron Redfern as it was once the home, as Stoneyholme Cottage, of a largely forgotten hero of civil engineering.

The man in question was Henry Fotherby whose name I had come across but about whom I knew little. So interesting is what Mr Redfern has told me that I have encouraged him to offer his researches for publication, perhaps to Burnley and District Historical Society for its annual publication "Retrospect".

Briefly, Mr Fotherby was not a Burnley man. He was born at Tetney, Lincolnshire – the same county in which Fotherby itself can be found. As a young man he worked with Thomas Brassey, the great railway engineer, in France. He also worked in Gibraltar and Asia Minor but should be remembered for his achievements in Burnley – the reservoirs at Cant Clough and Lowerhouse, the main trunk of the Burnley tramways and the depot for the latter. There were other projects locally and Mr Fotherby was responsible for major projects in Blackburn, Accrington, Birmingham, Liverpool and elsewhere.

The second article of the New Year (number 474) was about Store Room Cottages, in Colne Road, Burnley. I speculated they were built on a detached part of the Bank Hall estate and someone who left a message on my phone agreed, saying that as the first street along Colne Road from the cottages is Plantation Street, this is likely.

I know about Plantation Street as I remember the dairy which used to operate from there. Recently I visited the street again and noted that, though the area could be tidier, some of the gardens behind the houses here are still used.

A few weeks ago, I published (article 475) a photo of a celebratory event taking place in front of the 1870 Burnley Market Hall. A number of readers have contacted me, including local historians Ken Spencer and Mike Townend, to let me know the event was the 50th anniversary, in 1887, of the accession of Queen Victoria.

This was on my list of potential events when I wrote the article but I did not recall seeing the picture before. Mike tells me it has been published in one of his books: "Images of England, Burnley", page 120, so I must have seen it. The problem was there was nothing in the picture which indicated the nature of the event.

A few weeks before, an article in Peek Into The Past (number 470) included a picture taken at the time of the coronation of our present Queen. On that photo there was an image of Queen Elizabeth II but its equivalent was absent on the earlier picture.

Lastly, I want to mention the article (number 476) published on January 22nd. This was of some elderly cottages in Gannow Lane.

There are two things to mention, the first being that I now have doubts about the date, 1896, which I gave. I was concerned when I wrote the article because, had the picture been taken in that year, it is likely the railings on the extreme right would not have been there. I cannot be sure about this but I am informed they went when the Bridge Inn was built (circa 1893).

The other thing to report is that the buildings of Smith's Yard, which was behind the row in the picture, and which I mentioned in the article, have been brought to life by the kindness of Mr Martin Collinge who now owns the site. Before the buildings were demolished Mr Collinge took four pictures, copies of which he has let me have.

The pictures, as do many, resolve some questions but are responsible for others! I will have to undertake a bit of research before I go public on this.