HISTORY lover Lyndon Murgatroyd is hoping to recreate the success of his first book with his latest labour of love.

Mr Murgatroyd sold 1,250 copies of A Pub Crawl Through Time, which was released in 2000, and is due to unveil his second book this month.

Mill Walks and Industrial Yarns has taken him three years to put together, and seeks to bring to life the social history of the late 1800s in Congleton.

"The reader is invited to take a walk which includes a number of mills, and authentic information on other businesses is included in the walks to make them more realistic," said Mr Murgatroyd, from Firbeck Close, Congleton.

"Some walks could be taken today, but others have been obscured by housing estates."

The book includes more than 150 photographs, and more than 100 old maps, many not seen before.

One of the sections recounts stories about mill life, many of them humorous, told to Mr Murgatroyd during research for the book.

It includes the history of cotton, silk and fustian in Congleton, and a history of all the town's famous businesses.

"The book will appeal to those with an interest in local history and people who have worked in the mills," said Mr Murgatroyd.

Charities are to benefit from the proceeds of the sale of the book, which is due to be launched at Congleton Museum at 7.30pm on September 26.

Numerous organisations and businesses have subscribed towards the cost of printing the first 500 copies.