.

      Ellie Pride

      Annie Groves

      To my grandmother who was the inspiration for this book,

       and to my lovely husband who was there at its beginning but did not live long enough to see its end.

      Table of Contents

       Cover Page

       Title Page

PART ONE

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

       PART TWO

       TEN

       ELEVEN

       TWELVE

       THIRTEEN

       FOURTEEN

       FIFTEEN

       SIXTEEN

       SEVENTEEN

       EIGHTEEN

       NINETEEN

       TWENTY

       TWENTY-ONE

       TWENTY-TWO

       TWENTY-THREE

       TWENTY-FOUR

       TWENTY-FIVE

       TWENTY-SIX

       TWENTY-SEVEN

       PART THREE

       TWENTY-EIGHT

       TWENTY-NINE

       THIRTY

       THIRTY-ONE

       THIRTY-TWO

       THIRTY-THREE

       THIRTY-FOUR

       THIRTY-FIVE

       THIRTY-SIX

       THIRTY-SEVEN

       PART FOUR

       THIRTY-EIGHT

       THIRTY-NINE

       FORTY

       FORTY-ONE

       FORTY-TWO

       FORTY-THREE

       FORTY-FOUR

       Acknowledgments

       About the Author

       Copyright

       About the Publisher

PART ONE

       ONE

      Wednesday, 3 September 1902

      ‘Ellie, why can’t we go without them? If we don’t get to Fishergate soon, there won’t be any places left!’

      ‘John Pride, we can see everything in the procession just as well here at home on Friargate as we can from Fishergate,’ Ellie reminded her younger brother with neighbourhood loyalty. And it was true. As Ellie looked out of the parlour window of their home above their father’s butcher’s shop, she could see down into the street decorated with hundreds of yards of bunting to celebrate this, the first Preston Guild of the new century – and the first in the reign of the new King.

      ‘But the procession will be here soon and I’ll never see everything on the Textile Trades’ drays from inside! And everyone wants to see them,’ John protested, his lower lip protruding mutinously as he glowered at Ellie. ‘They’re going to have real working machines, and they’re going to be the best displays in the whole parade –’