Haslingden Old and New...

Haslingden derives from Hazeldean or Valley of the Hazels. It lies 19 miles north of Manchester in the County of Lancashire. A area at one time noted in particular for its Stone, it also played a big part in the Woollen and then later Cotton Industries from the 18th and through the 19th and early to mid 20th Century... It is steeped in Local History and can also boast to have one of the most beautiful Natural Valleys around, where thousands come and visit annually

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

The Medals - St Mary's & St James's Football Clubs....

Can anyone remember "The Medals" from the 1950's. It was a local football knock-out competition held annually on the St. Mary's Football Club at Prinny Hill (Click over photo to enlarge). Although I say from the 50's, thats when I remember it from, although I am led to believe it may have well started in the 1930s or 1940s... and it had become a very well established event. Usually, during the competition, one or two games would be played in the early evening (utilizing both pitches), and this would go on each evening for up to a month or so.

On the left is a photo from 1961, the final between Grane Villa Vs Collopy's (Collopy Bros and Nephews - An Irish Family that settled in Cawl Terrace going up to Cloughfold. (This photo shows George McKenzie held aloft with the cup - others in the photo l to r: at the back are: John Barnes, Derek Gill, George Mckenzie and Davies, and l to r: at the front are: Bill Brandwood, Terry Navin, Brian Raynor, Bill Parker, Tommy Egan and Jack Austin)
The Teams that played in the "Medals" came from all over the Valley and Accrington as well, though in the main they where local businesses whom had got a team together specially for the event and included teams from J.H. Birtwistles or L. Whittakers etc.... also there where more permanent local teams involved such as Grane Villa and Helmshore United.

It was customary on the final to get hold of a celebrity to present the prizes, and as I remember the last one to come was Ronnie Clayton (of Blackburn Rovers and England). On St. Mary's there was a modernish brick built changing room, which you met as you entered the pitch and this is where the Medals would be presented from, at the end of the Competition.

The photo on the left is from the 1961 final when the Collopy Brothers and Grane Villa battle it out in the mudded goalmouth.
The photo on the right is the presentation being carried out to Grane Villa. Ald John Walsh handing over the tropy to George McKenzie. (from l to r: Joe Moden, Ald John Walsh JP, Jim Healey, Boy at side of trophy we think is Tony Gallagher at about 10 years old, Roy Britland, George McKenzie receiving Cup, Tony Morgan, Brian Nuttall, Dennis Grenaghon, Tommy Egan, Jimmy Ormerod, Terry Navin)

I am informed that the "Medals" finally stopped in 1969 with the Final between Franklands vs J.H. Birtwistle, and Franklands ended up the Winners. Some of the players in that great final were, for Franklands: Dave Blackledge, Jim Mead, The late Roy Webb and John Flynn and some of the players for J.H. Birtwistle were: David Harvey, John Willan, Paddy Clarke and Jeff Wolfenden.
This was the last competition because before long the area was to be taken for the building of the new by-pass and other redevelopment of the area.

Both Haslingden St. Marys and Haslingden St. James Football pitches where next to one another down on Prinny Hill and they where each enclosed in part by timber railway sleepers stood on end with pointed tops... I played on the St. James field many times with the school and can remember the changing room which was a timber building which was situated to the Swinnel Brook side of the field. Lamberts Cotton Mill was just over the brook and wall..and further back was the village of Carrs.

Cash had a lovely house closeby to both football fields and it got the nickname "Ponderosa"...
Thanks to Martin Molloy for providing the three "Medals" photos and naming the players etc.

Porritts Football Club, Helmshore in the Medal Competition in the early 60s

Back Row from L: Frank Crompton, Ronnie Whittaker, Laurence Barlow, Bob Kay, Bob Haworth, David Braithwaite, John Wadsworth, Raymond Moore

Front Row from L: Tony Frost, Brian Haworth, John Brockbank, David Harrison, Brian Kay.

(Photo kindly sent in by Brian and Kathleen Haworth via Jack Pilling on 8th Jan 2015) Please click over to enlarge.

These photos below have kindly been contributed by Marie Ives and are of the Spring Vale Mill Football Team taken in 1932. They won the Haslingden Church Institute Football Medal Competition during that year.

Spring Vale Mill Football Team taken in 1932 (Click over photo to enlarge)

(Photo: Kindly contributed by Marie Ives and uploaded here on 25th September 2015)

George Taylor front row 2nd left, Wilf Chaplow (back row 2nd left) next to him is Jimmy Brierley (centre), and to his right Billy Whittam.

The team won the Haslingden Church Institute Football Medal Competition

For me this photo has brought up another question! I personally can only remember the "Medals" being played on the old St. Mary's. So did both the St James's and St Mary's run independent "Medal" Competitions and if that be the case, did the competition in later years become merged as one or did the St. James's just pack up with the St. Mary's continuing. DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED - IF SO PLEASE LET US KNOW...THANKS!

Spring Vale Mill Football Team taken in 1932 (Click over photo to enlarge)

(Photo: Kindly contributed by Marie Ives and uploaded here on 25th September 2015)

This photo shows the cup being presented by the Mayor (looks to me like Mr. Baxter)

Request for Photos and Sending photos for the Blog

We are constantly struggling to find photos to fill the header on the front page and so your photos would be a absolute delight to receive and as long as they are yours and of historic value, we have no problem showing them on the blog, so many people get so much pleasure from these. The feedback has been quite remarkable. So please send your scans of the photos in so they can be put on the blog and subsequently filed within the blog, and can then be seen by the thousands who are watching on a regular basis. This way hopefully the photos will be preserved for not just us but also for the future generations of Hazeldeners, Haslingdonians, Ex pats and friends. Thank you.....

Also just as important as photos are memories or stories of the past and other snippetts of information which may give pleasure together with any posters, programmes and scans of memorabilia pertaining to Haslingden.

If at all possible can photos being submitted to the blog as jpeg images (or another image type file if preferred), and be sent to me in a "full" or at least "large" resolution size (eg: the original size which they are scanned at) and without any reductions in size, before sending through to me. If I have them in full resolution I can do far more with them especially when it comes to showing enlargements etc eg "click over the image to enlarge" etc.

Don't worry should this be a problem, I can still show them in smaller resolution sizes, because even small photos are better than no photo.

Thank you.

Bryan.

Preserve the past in words and pictures

Over the many years there must be lots of interesting facts and tales what have gone on within our Haslingden and Helmshore, some vintage, some old and some new....

And here in our blog we are trying to re-introduce some of this precious information and where possible also offer photographs...

As they say its probably only the tip of the iceberg, but its got to be worth "Passing it on or sharing it before it gets lost forever" ... Have you something you want to share? If so please let us know.

Description of the Arms of the Borough (shown above) - The Arms and Crest of which the following is a description, were assigned to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Haslingden, by grant from the Herald's College, dated 25th March, 1892 and are therein described as follows: Quarterly Or and Argent on a fesse wavy Azure between a Lion rampant purpure, holding between the paws a Quatrefoil ermine, in the first quarter; six Eagles displayed three, two and one; Gules in the centre chief point a Rose of the last barbed and seeded proper, in the second; a Cog-wheel Sable, in the third; a Pick-axe in bend surmounting a spade in bend sinister, entwined by a Chain in arch all proper in the fourth; a Shuttle fesswise of the first tipped and furnished with thread pendant of the second and for the Crest, on a wreath of the colours upon a Mount a Rock thereon, a Moorcock holding in the beak a Sprig of Hazel, between two branches of Hazel fructed all proper.

Haslingden in its own right was incorporated as a Municipal Borough in the year 1891 and ran most of its affairs from the Municipal Offices, Bury Road (now Car Park) - see photo below. Sadly in 1974 it lost most of its former Independance by being swallowed up to form part of the (then) new Rossendale Borough Council...

The government of the place in 1825 was thus described: 'The district is formed into six divisions called posts or stations, and the executive consists of a constable and six churchwardens. Each churchwarden is charged with the care of a station and is made responsible for its good order.' The system appears to have been successful at the time. It was not till 1875 that a local board was formed. The district ruled by it was extended in 1883 so as to include parts of Haslingden, Henheads, Higher and Lower Booths in the parish of Whalley, and also Musbury and part of Tottington in Bury. In 1891 a charter of incorporation was granted, the council consisting of a mayor, six aldermen and eighteen councillors, chosen by six wards named Town, Acre, Syke, Helmshore, Holden and Grane. The borough area was consolidated into a single township, called Haslingden, in 1894.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company's (later LMS) line from Clifton to Accrington did run northward through the township, having stations at Helmshore and at Haslingden, it was opened in August 1848.

Dr. Aikin, writing in 1795, says:—Haslingden has been greatly improved within the last twenty years, chiefly from the increase of the woollen manufacture, though much of the cotton trade has likewise been introduced within a few years, particularly the branch of making twist for warps, for which purpose alone several factories have been erected in its neighbourhood. . . . The people were (forty years since) chiefly employed by moneyed men at Rochdale; but now the trade is supported by capitals acquired on the spot by the industry and enterprising spirit of the manufacturers, who have erected inns for the entertainment of travellers, shops and handsome houses for their own residence. A square is lately planned here, and some capital houses are already built in it. . . . A number of mills for carding cotton and sheep's wool and spinning them into cotton twist and woollen yarn for the flannels made here, are erected upon the Swinnell. There is also a corn mill on the river, formerly belonging to the Holden family, now extinct.

Haslingden was one of the chapels existing when Whalley was bestowed on the monks of Stanlaw, and in 1296 it was found that its tithes were worth 5 marks and the altarage 4 marks; the chaplain had a stipend of 4 marks, and the chapel had an endowment of 1 oxgang of land. The church, which is now called St. James's, was rebuilt in the time of Henry VIII and again in 1780, after having fallen down. There was no regularly founded chantry, but in 1548 the names of two priests were recorded in the bishop's visitation list, and the same in 1554; later there was only one minister, the curate. His fixed income was £4 a year out of the rectory of Whalley. The Commonwealth Church Survey of 1650 fails to give any account of the income of Haslingden Chapel, but in 1717 it had £17 8s. 7¾d. a year, including £11 10s. out of the rectory, various fees and the Easter roll. There were six chapelwardens. In 1719 George Hargreaves and others gave £200 to augment the endowment, and with later increments the net value is now £368. The vicars of Whalley formerly presented the curates, but about 1848 the Hulme Trustees acquired the patronage. The benefice is styled a vicarage. In the 16th century the north chapel was acquired by the Rawstornes of New Hall in Tottington. The south chapel belonged to the Holdens of Holden. 'In 1857, during alterations, there were found in a cavity under the floor of the church where the altar anciently stood a skull and crossbones with traces of gilding upon them, and therefore believed to be the relics of St. James, the patron saint.' A large 'plague stone,' with two holes in it, was found in the churchyard. The entries in the registers begin about 1620, but are only fragmentary until 1653.
From: 'Townships: Haslingden', A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 6 (1911), pp. 427-433. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=53147

Haslingden On Film

St. Mary's Class of 1951 at a 1991 re-union - kindly sent in by John McGuire.

St. Marys Class of 1951 (1991 Re-Union)

Films kindly given to us by Bernard Rostron - Chairman of the Friends of the Higher Mill Museums - Three films which were filmed by the late Maurice Edmundson:

Green Valley and part of the Walking Day (St. Thomas)

Walking Day (St. Thomas and also Mayor's Sunday

Films kindly sent in by Dave Rothwell (copyright: D. Rothwell)

HGS Staff versus Pupils Hockey Match 3:48

1964 St James Sports Day 3:50

HGS Camp 1965 31secs

HGS Rag Day 12secs

A film by the BFI

Haslingden Peace Celebrations July 19th 1919

Check out DJ Drone on Haslingden Grane (You Tube)

Haslingden Carnival 1950s - Shows Willie Horam and Georgie Berry as the King and Queen.

Click here