OneGuyFromBarlick

Abraham Altham tea merchant and travel organiser. He built Oakleigh on Colne Rd, what is now The Oaks Hotel.

Spot on Gloria, I knew you could do it. I think his connection with Briercliffe may have helped a little.
For those who have never been to the Oaks a look at the stonework and staircase windows is worth a visit.
Time for someone else's mystery object.

Barlick's answer to Pandora's box. For heavens sake take the key out and throw it away.

No, this is totally benign.....

files etc of the LTP

Storage cabinet for Stanleys card index.

Just one of Stanleys tool boxes

Tools and/or bits of steam engine no doubt. He has to keep all the stuff he photographs and posts on here somewhere.....

Filing cabinet.
I suspect that it once held punched data cards.

Ian got it. It holds the local history card index, a source many of you have benefited from. And no, I haven't counted how many cards there are!

No new puzzle? Now let's see what we can find..... It's a box! But what's in it....

Shiny brass instrument with flexible attachments for measuring I know not what.

Barlick's working man's Enigma Machine. Pre-dated computers by plugging into a pressure tapping on the Ellandroad steam engine. All very complicated and beyond me!

The box was made by a proper tinsmith at Rochdale and the contents would be very useful in a power cut.....

What's in the box?? The sixty four thousand dollar question... what does that equate to today??

Stanley wrote:the contents would be very useful in a power cut.....

contraceptives!

Pandora! (It's the box that made me think of Pandora, not the contraceptives, honestly...)

A candle and a box of matches.

90 HP. National Gas & Oil, Diesel generating set (1928)

They're lovely people the Nyasas. . . . What's in the box.

Actually I think I know the answer, but prefer the above.

Some splendid answers. Not fair to tease you any longer... Now then, what is it?

Its a Primus stove, I should have got that one I have it's baby brother which packs into a small tin. Pre-dating "camping gaz" stuff, this version of portable still required paraffin and meths for the pre-heater, nearly forgot the pricker for the jet. Fantastic bit of kit. Petrol versions a bit like cooking on top of an unexploded bomb though!

Note the lovely standard of construction of the box. Our tinsmith in the shop at REW was a master craftsman. I think he charged me a tenner....

All right, no other offers so I'll have to scratch me old head again!