The bird was not a prizewinner - but it launched the young Allan's major interest of his life - poultry - into a prizewinning career which has taken him to the top nationally and locally as breeder, judge, showman and wise adviser on feathered fowl, particularly White Wyandottes. Whatever the changes in 60-plus years, one constant (almost) has been the Goosnargh and Longridge show, and he looked forward with GILLIAN WHALLEY to being this year's president.

TO begin this profile, however, Allan looked back to his boyhood in Ribchester, growing up the eldest of five and inheriting through his father, also Allan, and numerous Procter great-uncles, a love of horses, cattle, poultry and the strong farming ethics of the time.
Christmas Day 1935 saw his birth in Brock Cottage, Brock Bottoms – local GP Dr Lord walking fields deep in snow to bring him into the world. He was christened by the Rev Salmon at Whitechapel Church and, after a family move to Ribchester, education followed at the village's St Wilfrid's Primary School with head Mr JS Booth – always 'sir' even after leaving! – and then Longridge High School.
He recalled "In my young days growing up in the countryside and on the family farm was pursuing country things – shooting, fishing, ferreting, working the farm from morning to night.
"If you wanted salad for a meal, you picked fresh, spikey-tasting watercress from the sparkling clean stream across the field, where cattle got their water.
"Your work, your food, the whole way of life was those farming communities where every family knew each other. I can remember, when later as a haulier and delivering stock, we could go to 17 farms between Courtaulds and Longridge. Now there are just about five."
At the age of 15, Allan found the pull of farming stronger than that of learning, and he left school to farm with Clement Talbot – his mentor and a 'great man.'
He had already started keeping poultry, first bantams, then a breeding trio which he cycled to buy at Clitheroe Market, and it was much later after demob from the Army that he bought his first White Wyandottes.
These were from a Mr Capstick at Tubrook in Liverpool, who had an underground milking parlour and who also kept his hens underground for safety during the war.
Allan then bought his first large White Wyandotte trio from Harold Walkey in Devon for £25 – "that was two weeks wages then but he was one of the best known Wyandotte breeders so I knew it was worth it!
"Together with a white hen from Bill Langton in Aberdeen, I noticed a real difference in the breeding, and that's when the strain started thriving. It became one I was proud to call my own."
It has achieved consistently for 40 years and won for Allan and his wife, Dinah, the highest awards and breeding accolades in the poultry world.
National Service call-up, however, interrupted this particular world for a time when, in 1953, Allan was conscripted into the Loyal Regiment at Fulwood Barracks for auxiliary training – and met the Queen.
"It was a real highlight at that time," he says. "It was during her coronation celebrations and she was touring the country and about to visit Bolton."
Allan and a fellow conscript were singled out by the 'stickman' for being the best turned out and were sent on guard duty to Bolton Town Hall for the royal visit.
"We were introduced to the Queen and she was lovely – right petite she was, I could have fitted her into my kitbag!"
Another 'right royal' occasion was in 1990 at the National Championship show at Stoneleigh, when the Queen Mother was patron of the Poultry Club – now Prince Charles's role.
By then renowned as major White Wyandotte breeders and awarded many top national trophies, Allan and Dinah had won the Queen Mothers' 90th birthday commemorative silver salver for best in show, which she was due to present to them.
"Sadly, she was not well that day and couldn't attend so we didn't meet her," said Allan ruefully.
However, a painting of him and his Stoneleigh prizewinners by Ribchester artist Andrew Talbot gained the Agricultural Portrait prize that year.
It was when he was 20 that Allan went to work for Ribchester cattle haulier, William Berry, learning to deliver stock across a wide area – and meeting his wife when taking 22 heifers to her parents Duddle Farm.
"She was told to jump in the cab and show me which field to take them to! I did the right thing in those days, asking her dad etc – and he said 'do you have to?' So I gave the right answer!" he laughed.
They married at St John's Church in Hurst Green on September 17 1960, and exactly a year later on September 17 1961, first son Paul was born, later followed by John and Philip,
Working as haulier for Bill Berry, Allan recalled they could move ten loads of livestock a day, always shorthorns. And taking animals to Longridge show in those days meant queues of cattle trucks waiting to get on the show field and stretching way beyond the Corporation Arms.
In 1970, he became his own 'gaffer,' buying the business and running it with his brother, William, as A and W Procter and serving the farming community for the next 30 years.
"We ran it until 2001 when DEFRA brought in Schedule D licences and blew farming skew-whiff," he said. "There were then eyes watching everywhere and I thought 'we don't need this,' packed it in and sold up."
Life since then has not let up, however. He and Dinah show as A and D Procter, judge poultry and eggs at all the local shows – next on the list is Preston Egg Show at Broughton, then there's Otley, Oswestry, Garstang, Great Harwood, and the Royal Welsh shows in a long list.
As well as the Goosnargh and Longridge show presidency, Allan holds the same title for Longridge and District Fanciers Association since 1993, the White Wyandotte, Wyandotte and Black Wyandotte clubs and Ribchester Homing Society.
Goosnargh and Longridge show society held its popular annual Sunday Lunch at the week-end and this year's president aims to make its annual show in July more popular than ever, a top tribute to all its sponsors, entrants and stallholders – in fact, he says "a fantastic summer spectacle."