[Margaret Pilkington]

At five minutes to twelve each year my Ma would shut one of the lads out with a basket.......in the basket was salt, bread, a coin and coal......Once big ben had stopped chiming she let them in.
The stuff in the basket was supposed to bring good luck....there were many years when I'm not sure it helped.......but then again who knows what would have happened if she hadn't done that? We might have had worse luck.