Long lost photograph captures boot and shoe workers at Preston Guild a century ago

It shows members of the town's Boot Trades Association on their float for the 1922 Guild - exactly 100 years ago this month.

Somewhere on the image is William Butcher, whose son Richard "Dickie" Butcher was a well-known clog maker with a shop next to the primary school in Eldon Street.

Dickie's grandson Andrew Ashcroft found the fading photo tucked down the back of a machine when family members were clearing out his workshop after his death in 1991.

Andrew, an author now living in Sweden, said: "In his workshop, my granddad had a big, noisy, Italian machine for buffing shoes.

"When he died, nearly seventy years worth of clutter and grime had to be dealt with.

"Behind 'the machine' as it was known, I found this photograph. It is one hundred years old, taken at the 1922 Preston Guild.

"It shows the Preston branch of the Boot Trades Association and their contribution to the trades procession on Wednesday 6th September 1922.

"As the Guild is celebrated every twenty years, apart from 1942 due to the war, it would have been a Guild year this year."

At his shop Dickie sold and repaired shoes. "But he was probably best-known for making Lancashire clogs which were still in demand from working people when he died aged 83," said Andrew.

"During the Second World War his work was considered an essential trade and his part in the war effort was to repair army boots.

"I am sure that many of your readers would enjoy seeing this photograph for various reasons. I'm only sorry that there are no names written on the back.

"It's wonderful to think that the LEP is (still) serving its readers. Many generations of my family have looked forward to reading it and keeping abreast with local developments thanks to its tenacious staff."

Andrew was born in Preston and educated at Highfield Priory School, The Harris and then Fulwood High School.

He moved to Sweden and married Ulrika, who he met when she was on an exchange programme for teachers in Preston. The couple have three sons.

He writes children's books and has six "awesome" stories and two Christmas crafts books in print.