MILK has played a big part in the life of Allan Birchall who comes from a Rainford farming family.

And his collection of fascinating milk memorabilia forms an exhibition which is currently on display at the Heritage Centre at Inglenook Farm.

His father owned Pottery Farm on the by-pass from 1900 which is now the golf course.

From the age of eight as a farmer's son Allan was up early to deliver milk to the village. Before school he would put a large shopping bag on each handle of his bike with sometime a gallon of milk in each.

Following the death of his father in 1946 his workload increased considerably. After school he would have to tend to the livestock and his weekends were spent cleaning out the pig sties.

The farm went from four dairy cows to 24 all of which had to be milked by hand until they bought a milking machine in 1950.

His life on the dairy farm created an interest which stayed with him throughout his life and now the 78-year-old gives regular talks to local groups. Having saved old items from farms including churns, bottles and jugs Allan now has more than 5,000 items in his collection.

There is still time to catch the display at Inglenook Farm on the Rainford Bypass.