A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1958
THE COUNCIL
JANUARY The British Transport Commission wanted to renew the Station Lane level crossing, and asked the council to agree to a road closure for part of the work. The council did not agree and asked the county council to support them.
An improvement grant of £4,465 was made to the National Coal Board for houses in Earle Street. Demolition notices were served on owners of property in Green Lane, Earle Street, Post Office Road and Willow Lane.
An improvement grant of £4,465 was made to the National Coal Board for houses in Earle Street. Demolition notices were served on owners of property in Green Lane, Earle Street, Post Office Road and Willow Lane.
FEBRUARY The council decided to prosecute persons apprehended for vandalism at Purston Park. A scheme would be prepared for tenants in 1914 houses who wished to pay for the house improvements rather than have the rent increased. The proposed renewal of the Station Lane level crossing was postponed. The council raised no objection to it being closed on two Sundays.The Yorkshire Electricity Board would be asked for quotations for 75 street lamps in Wakefield Road and Station Lane.
The council expressed regret at the action of the architect in agreeing with contractors to variations of specifications in the contract for the Common Lane Housing Estate without obtaining the instructions of the council, and asked him to secure agreement in case of future need.
MARCH There was a Local Government Reorganisation Bill which had the proposal to merge local councils. The council decided they did not favour the inclusion of Featherstone in any new county borough and favoured parishes joining urban districts (ie Ackworth and Sharlston joining Featherstone).
It was decided the repair work on the Common Lane estate should be finished by April 1, or the council would do the work and take the cost from payments to the builders.
Because of the reduction on what a penny rate produced, the rise in interest rates and wages, it was decided to delay the improvements to street lighting, Purston Park and Lister Baths.
APRIL Following a report about 22 panes of wired glass in the ticket office in the park had been broken, the cost of bricking up the walls would be estimated.
Cr S Robinson said he was disappointed how the council had allowed some landlords to get away with repairs. He said Arundel Street, Short Street and Allison Street had been repaired with red shale which was far from satisfactory and was dangerous. Mr J Hilsley, the public health inspector, said the roads had been repaired according to the specification, but would require further attention. The owners preferred to undertake the repairs at considerable cost to extend the life of the property by 15 years although he advised them they would never get their money back.
MAY The election results were:
Central Ward Bessie Major (Labour) 594 T A Worsfold (Independent) 587
East Ward Lily Fox (Labour) 986 W Fenton (Independent) 775
North-West Ward T Morgan (Labour) 822 A Bingley (Independent) 601
North Ward S Robinson (Independent) 651 S F Gascoyne (Labour) 550
Cr E Rowley attended his last council meeting as he was retiring from public duty after 18 years of council and council council service.
It was decided a garage on the Leatham Estate site made from old doors would be pulled down, and all footpaths ploughed up be reinstated and sign posted.
JUNE A collapsible bed would be installed in all the one bedroom bungalows on the Common Lane Estate. There was a change of view about what would happen in the Station Lane area when houses were demolished. It was decided to press for its classification as an industrial zone should be changed to a clearance area so new houses could be built. Fourteen bungalows would be built on Featherstone Lane opposite Brooksbank's garage.
JULY It was agreed to find out if the land attached to the Purston vicarage was suitable for housing. A tender by the Yorkshire Electricity Board of £11 2s 9d was accepted for the installation of wash boilers and immersion heaters in houses in Common Lane.
SEPTEMBER After an adverse report on the vicarage field it was decided not to take the matter further. The council had imposed four conditions (not specified) on the application for a petrol filling station at Bedford House in Ackworth Road. Mr C B Roberts had appealed against one of them but he was turned down by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
Cr J Harper expressed the concern of residents in St Thomas Road about motorist using it to avoid the stop sign at the bottom of Station Lane. He said parents were becoming anxious for their children. The clerk, Mr H Tattersall asked for time to consider the problem, and it was agreed to ask the Road Safety Committee to look into it.
OCTOBER It was agreed to discuss with the contractor for the Common Lane Estate the possibility of increasing the labour force to ensure all houses being constructed would be roofed before winter. It was decided not to designate Whiteley Street and St Thomas Road as play streets.
Mr J Hilsley, the chief public health inspector, was to retire next April. It was resolved his deputy, Mr J F Ellison, would succeed him at a salary of £880 a year.
NOVEMBER It was decided to add a warden's bungalow to the 14 old persons' bungalows to be built in Featherstone Lane.
DECEMBER The council opposed the British Transport Commission plan to abandon the subway at the station, particularly because it was not proposed to consider the erection of a footbridge. Additional telephone cables were being laid and would provide capacity for anyone who wanted a telephone. Kiosks would be erected on Priory Road and Ashcroft Road.
DECEMBER The council opposed the British Transport Commission plan to abandon the subway at the station, particularly because it was not proposed to consider the erection of a footbridge. Additional telephone cables were being laid and would provide capacity for anyone who wanted a telephone. Kiosks would be erected on Priory Road and Ashcroft Road.
COUNCIL HOUSE PROBLEMS
Because of the high Bank Rate of 6% the clerk advised the council in January unless a system of pooling was established for council house rents, they would have to put extremely high rents on the 170 houses being built on the Common Lane Estate.
The council decided:
That with effect from April 1, a charge of 5s per week be made for all separate family units lodging in council houses (a man wife and unmarried children to be regarded as a single unit, and a single person, not the son or daughter of the tenant, as a separate unit) and
That from the same date all rents of council houses and shops go up by 2s a week with certain exceptions; and
That the rents of all council houses be reviewed again in two years.
Cr J Harper explained without the scheme the all in rent for a new three-bedroom house on the Common Lane Estate would be £2 1s 7d, and with it it would be £1 13s 5d. The 2s a week increase would not be paid by all. There would be exemptions for one-bedroom dwellings for old people, all occupied dwellings on the Common Lane Estate, 80 three-bedroom houses at North Featherstone and two in Little Lane.
The council decided:
That with effect from April 1, a charge of 5s per week be made for all separate family units lodging in council houses (a man wife and unmarried children to be regarded as a single unit, and a single person, not the son or daughter of the tenant, as a separate unit) and
That from the same date all rents of council houses and shops go up by 2s a week with certain exceptions; and
That the rents of all council houses be reviewed again in two years.
Cr J Harper explained without the scheme the all in rent for a new three-bedroom house on the Common Lane Estate would be £2 1s 7d, and with it it would be £1 13s 5d. The 2s a week increase would not be paid by all. There would be exemptions for one-bedroom dwellings for old people, all occupied dwellings on the Common Lane Estate, 80 three-bedroom houses at North Featherstone and two in Little Lane.
He said the increases were due to the withdrawal of general subsidies, the increase in the bank rate, and the rise in materials and labour costs.
Cr A J Davis said the Ratepayers Association had discussed several
schemes at length, and the one they had presented, and which was carried
unanimously, was fair to all.
Cr Davis then raised the question of the improvement loans. He asked if the repayment period by the tenants for house improvements would have stayed at nine years but for the overspend.
The clerk said the improvement scheme applied to two different types of houses - the 1914 houses, which were subject to the Rent Restriction Act, and others which were subject to the Housing Act. The 1914 houses would pay the increase for evermore, but for the other houses the council could fix what rents it wished.
Cr E Rowley agreed the original loan was for £7,500, but tenants wanted improvements so badly and because of the zealousness of officials, the scheme went like a snowball, and before we knew where we were we were overspent. Sanction was received for a second loan, property was improved tremendously, and many people benefited.
He then read a circular sent to tenants at the time which stated the weekly cost of the improvements would be added to the rent for nine years, and would then be reviewed.
Cr Davis said the tenants of the 1914 houses were under the impression their improvement payments would be taken off after nine years. Can they be told here and now they won't come off?
Cr Harper said he thought the matter was dead and buried, and it was unfair to bring it up again. A perfectly good explanation had been given. Owing to the exuberance of officials, and perhaps us not giving it as much thought and attention as we should have, we overspent, but we got sanction for it and it didn't cost the ratepayers a halfpenny. When the improvements for houses under Housing Act have been paid for, the payment would automatically cease. But in relation to the 1914 houses I want to agree with Cr Davis that it won't come off.
The council could only charge the 1914 house tenants 8% of the cost of the improvements. He would not like to see the payments by Housing Act tenants continued just to bring in additional revenue.
Cr Davis said everyone on the council knew the improvement increases added to the rents of the 1914 houses would continue. For the others there was only an assurance the payments would be reviewed at the end of the specified periods.
In April the council decided old age pensioners living in council houses other than old people's bungalows would not have to pay the 2s a week increase
THE ROVERS
The Rovers had got to the third round of the Challenge Cup and were drawn at home against St Helens in March. Most non-Rovers supporters thought it was a cert for St Helens, but the Rovers players thought otherwise and tackled like demons. Then those on the main stand could see a blizzard coming over the fields from Pontefract which soon engulfed the ground, but play continued and Cliff Lambert scored the only try and the Rovers won 5-0.
The attendance was 15,700, all ticket, a record for the Rovers ground. The photo of Cliff Lambert's try is from the Express, and that of the end of the game is from Ron Bailey's book Fifty of the Finest Matches.
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The Accounts for the season published in June showed a loss on the season of £1,140. A weekly competition, the Joint Development Scheme, produced an income of £2,273. The loan from the Rugby League was reduced by £100, leaving £150 outstanding, and the same amount was paid off the guarantors' loan of £1,000.
The annual meeting was held in July in the Miners' Welfare Hall. The secretary, Ron Bailey, said the season, when so much seemed within the grasp of the club, ended in failure in the cup semi-final defeat against Workington Town and decisive defeats which ended the top four hopes in the league.
Land had been acquired at the railway end of the ground as a training area and junior pitch, and the lease of the ground had been renewed for a further 20 years.
There was the usual proposal to reduced the number of guarantors on the committee, which the chairman, Mr R H Jackson,described as a hardy annual. He said the present system had worked well and the bank had described the proposal unworkable. Only seven people voted in favour.
There was a suggestion that the coaches should select the teams. The chairman said the committee would consider it.
THE GALA
The Featherstone Council's annual gala had it's first day of good weather since it was inaugurated in 1951. Large crowds flocked to Purston Park in July to see it opened by the council chairman, Cr T Morgan.
Among the entertainments were sports for the children, an old men's walking race, a tug-of-war for the working men's clubs, won by the Green Lane Club, a treasure hunt and spot the mystery man.
There were items by the Avrillian concert party of Altofts, followed by the Featherstone Musical and Dramatic Society on the floodlit island in the boating lake. The Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries Workmen's Band played on the Sunday.
PURSTON CHURCH 80 YEARS ON
Purston Church was consecrated on 8 June 1878. The vicar, Revd I O Jay, wrote a long article in the parish magazine to commemorate 80 years of which this is an extract.
"The estimate of the cost was £5,000 with the most rigid economy kept in view, so far as is consistent with solidity of construction and excellency of materials and workmanship.
"Excellency of workmanship will raise a smile when one thinks of the tower portion of the building, built of Ackworth stone and rapidly decaying, and of the enormous sum of money that one day will have to be raised to renew this part of the fabric.
"The firm that used this stone went bankrupt and another firm completed the building in Brighouse stone, which has stood the years. There is no need to fear the collapse of the building, for the stone merely faces good solid brickwork.
"The original design showed a spire over the porch, but with colliery subsidence this was a merciful deliverance, for think of the cost that tower would have involved when the ground began to move, as indeed it has. The capitals of the pillars remain in rough stone and only a second-hand organ was installed." The photo is from the Church of England website.
The police made an application to the West Riding Magistrates' Court in May for Featherstone Working Men's Club to be struck of the register because the committee unlawfully had the care and management of a common gaming house.
Joseph Evans of Pontefract and John Evans of Pretoria Street pleaded guilty to using the club for ready money betting. Also pleading guilty were William Parkes of Pontefract Road, the club secretary, Harry West of Station Lane, the president, and committee members Albert Robinson of Featherstone Square, John Windmill of Station Lane, Enoch Witton of Earle Street, Jonathon Lancaster of Featherstone Lane, Harry Lancaster of Ivy Street, Norman Westwood of Dixon Street, Herbert Nash of Ivy Street, and Herbert Johnson of of Market Street.
Mr F Taylor, prosecuting, said constables Lisle and Rogers visited the club in plain clothes and saw betting taking place in the concert room. They made two more visits and saw bets being made, so the club was raided. Joseph Evans was in a telephone box, apparently getting the prices of the runners for that day, He had £78 in his possession. John Evans was in the concert room sitting at a table where there were blank football coupons. There was money on the table, and card games were in progress - poker and "slosh".
Joseph Evans told the court what he did in the club was just in a small way to satisfy a few old men, His uncle John did not take any bets but just distributed the football coupons.
Mr H J Gundhill, for the committee, said there had been some laxity by the committee who must have known Evans was taking bets. But it was one of those things in the present state of the law which was going to happen from time to time. Some forms of betting were permitted and others were not. He said the club had never been in trouble before, and he suggested the club should not be struck off but be placed under supervision.
Mr H Bentley, the presiding magistrate, said he did not propose to make any remarks because opinions were very divided as to the law. He was not saying whether he agreed with the law or whether he didn't, but he had to carry it out. All the members of the committee were fined, Joseph Evans was fined £7 10s, and John Evans £2. A decision about the club being struck of was adjourned for 12 months, and it was placed under the supervision of the police.
END OF THE JOHNSON'S JUNCTION ERA
The connection of the Johnson family with the Junction Hotel ended in September when George Johnson and his wife left for Bridlington where they were to take over a grocery and general business.
It was 33 years since Mr Johnson's father, also George, became the licensee. When he died, ten years ago, his wife succeeded him, and in 1951 their son, George, took over. The late Mr Johnson was president of Featherstone Rovers for many years, and his son played for the Rovers and also for Featherstone Cricket Club. Also for many years the Junction Hotel was the headquarters for both organisations. The photo is a Frith Postcard.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
Remembrance Day was observed with the usual parade from Cressey's Corner to Purston Church. It was headed by the Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries' Band, and consisted of representatives of many organisations in the town.
A stop was made at the Ackton Hall Colliery War Memorial where a short service was conducted by Mr J Wright. There was an outside service at the Purston War Memorial conducted by the vicar, Revd I O Jay. Bandsman Burton sounded The Last Post and Reveille for the two minutes silence. After the service and wreath laying were concluded, the parade reformed, and the council chairman, Ct T Morgan, took the salute.
CHRISTMAS AT THE CHURCHES
The Express report on Purston Church was "For the war-time Christmas of 1941, when the black-out tested the ingenuity of festive church decorations, the Vicar of Purston (Revd I O Jay) fixed in the middle of the east window a single bulb to represent the Star of Bethlehem. It became something of a symbol in the dark days of war and has remained there. It shone brightly again on Sunday, when there was a large congregation at the traditional carol service, again held in candlelight. With three illuminated Christmas trees in the church and the magnificent crib given - again in wartime - by Dr J Duncan, the setting was entirely appropriate and extremely beautiful".
1958 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY Thieves scaled a wall near Broughs Ltd in Station Lane, got onto the roof and displaced iron bars protecting a skylight which gave them entry to the store. They got away with about 20,000 cigarettes.The photo is from the Dr Gatecliff Collection.
FEBRUARY A heavy snowfall caused widespread disruption. The Purston to Ackworth road was blocked for a day when two double-deck buses and a single-deck bus found the drifts too deep for them, and it took hours to recover them. A later bus from Ackworth to Ackton Hall Colliery got stuck and some miners returned home on foot. Hall Street was blocked when an articulated lorry jack-knifed.
MARCH Diesel passenger trains replaced steam engines on the local rail network. There were slightly different types across the country. Those on the Wakefield to Goole run were B3. This one is from the North Norfolk Railway website.
MARCH Diesel passenger trains replaced steam engines on the local rail network. There were slightly different types across the country. Those on the Wakefield to Goole run were B3. This one is from the North Norfolk Railway website.
The Tenants' and Ratepayers' Association decided to contest all four wards in the May council elections. Cr Marsh said the association had revealed its value to the community by the devotion and fighting spirit of men and women who refused to be dominated by a political monopoly.
The Road Safety Committee reported the total number of accidents in 1951 in the Featherstone district was exactly 100. The secretary, Mr R H Fowler, said only six could really be said to have been unavoidable. The rest were plain carelessness, and the fact people will not keep their dogs under control. Dogs accounted for 30 of the road accidents.
The Featherstone Musical and Dramatic Society put on The Desert Song in the Miners' Welfare Hall. It was a repeat of their show in 1946.
APRIL The Featherstone and District Hospital Comforts Fund provided Easter eggs for the children in Ackton Hospital and Headlands Hospital in Pontefract.
Sylvia Edwards of the Wakefield Road Methodist Church was elected queen of the Purston and Featherstone Sunday School Movement.
Mr H Batten, headmaster of North Featherstone County Secondary School, retired. He received a motor operated lawnmower as a leaving gift from the staff and pupils.
The Road Safety Committee reported the total number of accidents in 1951 in the Featherstone district was exactly 100. The secretary, Mr R H Fowler, said only six could really be said to have been unavoidable. The rest were plain carelessness, and the fact people will not keep their dogs under control. Dogs accounted for 30 of the road accidents.
The Featherstone Musical and Dramatic Society put on The Desert Song in the Miners' Welfare Hall. It was a repeat of their show in 1946.
APRIL The Featherstone and District Hospital Comforts Fund provided Easter eggs for the children in Ackton Hospital and Headlands Hospital in Pontefract.
Sylvia Edwards of the Wakefield Road Methodist Church was elected queen of the Purston and Featherstone Sunday School Movement.
Mr H Batten, headmaster of North Featherstone County Secondary School, retired. He received a motor operated lawnmower as a leaving gift from the staff and pupils.
MAY Ackton Hall Colliery produced 14,282 tons of coal in one week, a five-day record output.
JUNE At the annual meeting of the Featherstone Musical and Dramatic Society the president, Mr A Bullock, and his wife were made life members. It was said the last production was not so profitable as previous ones owing to the high cost of production.
A severe thunderstorm cut off the electricity. Five engineers worked from Saturday night to early Monday morning to restore the power.
JULY The West Riding Education Committee decided to buy 1,496 square yards of land between Phipps Street and Henrietta Street at a cost of £1,000 for Featherstone Junior Mixed and Infants School (George Street). A personal photo.
Hazel Kenealy of Went Avenue was elected Yorkshire Miners' Coal Queen at the annual demonstration of the Yorkshire Area of the National Union of Mineworkers at Barnsley. There were 16 finalists and she received the winner's cheque of £50. She is in this photo with Raymond Bassone, "Mr Teasy-Weasy" the hair stylist. Photo uploaded to Featherstone Bygone Days by Deanne Dixon.
AUGUST Geraldine Farrar of Church Lane, North Featherstone, appeared on the BBC programme "Six-Five Special". She began her career singing with dance bands such as Geraldo and Harry Roy, and then appeared in cabaret at various night clubs in London. This is the the announcement in the BBC's Radio Times.
Aged members of the Ackton Hall Branch of the National Union of Mineworkers, totalling 280, were entertained to a concert in the Miners' Welfare Hall. They each received £1.
SEPTEMBER In his annual report, the chief public health inspector, Mr J Hilsley, said the council had erected 38 houses and four bungalows during 1957, and 47 houses were demolished. He considered the 1957 Rent Act had resulted in increased rents in private houses and the carrying out of much needed repairs. He said 101 tenants had applied for certificates of disrepair and 38 were issued. In the other 63 cases the landlords had promised to remedy the defects. Mr Hilsley wrote "Generally speaking, it has been found the majority of tenants do not mind rent increases so long as necessary repairs are carried out".
The medical officer, Dr J P Fraser, said in his annual report there had been 532 infectious diseases notified during last year of which 472 were measles.there were no cases of diphtheria, but there were 147 cases of tuberculosis and six people died.