Below the rewritten article is a copy from the actual newspaper.

A conspicuous figure in the Halmerend District for many years has been Mr Wm Riley. Mr Riley has been a successful businessman, he is now retired. A smith by trade, which is a necessary and important business in a mining district. Mr Riley came to Halmerend from Wood Lane in 1852. He started a smithy at the top of the High Street and carried this on for about 12 or 14 years. Then he started in the business as an ironmonger and general dealer, and his firm is perhaps the most pretentious in the locality at the present time. Several enlargements have been made to the premises, and the business is now carried on under the style of Wm. Riley and Sons. Mr Riley was the first sub post master at Halmerend, a position which he still holds. He was appointed in 1878. He is a staunch Wesleyan Methodist, and as such has always taken a keen interest in the Alsagers Bank Wesleyan Chapel, as well as the Shraley Brook Wesleyan Chapel, of which he is a trustee. When a new chapel was built at Alsagers Bank in 1855, Mr Riley was appointed treasurer and the several additions and alterations which have been made since have been done under his guidance. The chapel is one of the prettiest and most replete for its size in the district, and a considerable amount of the credit for this is certainly due to Mr Riley. He has assisted the work of the church of his choice as chapel steward, society steward, Sunday School Superintendent, and teacher, and in many other ways. He has been chapel steward at Alsagers Bank for the past 30 years without a break. Though never a lay preacher, Mr Riley has always taken a great interest in their work. In 1895 Mr Riley was made a member of the first Audley Urban District Council, but he only sat for a short period. A son of his (Mr David Riley) is, however at present a member of the Council. Mr Riley takes a deep interest in the welfare of the locality and his judgment on matters of public concern is always respected."

Here is a copy of a piece of text wrote by magazine " Hardware Today ". The page is a roll of honour celebrating the oldest ironmongers in Britain who are still in business. Rileys was announced as the eleventh oldest ironmongers in the UK, current joint shareholder Mr John Riley commented that he was surprised and proud of this statement, in a recent interview.

We would like to thank all of the staff of W.Riley and Son Ltd for their time and effort. Without their help this page would not have been able to be constructed. You may want to examine the census section of the village site to find what the Victorian ancestors of the current family were doing in those days!