A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1959
THE COUNCIL
JANUARY It was decided not to allow fairs in Purston Park this year. No improvements would be made to council houses where the tenants were in arrears with the rent. Layout plans would be made for 14 bungalows and a warden's bungalow in Market Street.
FEBRUARY The council were assured when all drainage and road works were completed at Common Lane there would be no more flooding. The names and addresses of tenants who were persistently behind with their rent would be published. A group surgery was approved in St Thomas Road for Dr Duncan and Partners.
MARCH It was decided to start the first stage of a new main road lighting system. The chairman, Cr T Morgan, said it was the last meeting Mr Hilsley would attend, and he would like to pay tribute to his 32 years work at Featherstone, and to wish him and Mrs Hilsley a long and happy retirement. Mr Hilsley said when he arrived there was much poverty and Featherstone wasn't a pleasant place to work in. Thank God those days have gone and I hope they will never return.
FEBRUARY The council were assured when all drainage and road works were completed at Common Lane there would be no more flooding. The names and addresses of tenants who were persistently behind with their rent would be published. A group surgery was approved in St Thomas Road for Dr Duncan and Partners.
MARCH It was decided to start the first stage of a new main road lighting system. The chairman, Cr T Morgan, said it was the last meeting Mr Hilsley would attend, and he would like to pay tribute to his 32 years work at Featherstone, and to wish him and Mrs Hilsley a long and happy retirement. Mr Hilsley said when he arrived there was much poverty and Featherstone wasn't a pleasant place to work in. Thank God those days have gone and I hope they will never return.
APRIL A footpath would be provided from the Common Lane housing estate to Wakefield Road. Vacant land and 130 houses at Featherstone Square would be bought from the National Coal Board. Property owners in the Station Lane (West) Clearance Area would be told if the demolition and clearance work was not speeded up the council would do it and charge the cost. Another 14 acres of land would be bought to extend the Common Lane housing estate.
MAY The election results were:
Central Ward T A Worsfold (Independent) 748 J Parker (Labour) 693
East Ward A J Davies (Independent) 949 W Roberts (Labour) 895
North-West Ward H Wright (Labour) 950 L R Stringer (Independent) 596
South Ward H Woodcock (Labour) 611 A Edgar (Independent) 529
Tommy Worsfold's victory meant the composition of the Council was now Labour 7 and Independents 5.
MAY A power drill and accessories were presented to Mr J Hilsley to mark his retirement. Closing orders were made on houses in Aberdeen Terrace, Henry Street and Lord Street. Demolition orders were made on houses in Ackton and George Street. A new street lighting scheme was arranged form the Pontefract boundary to Nostell View.
At the annual meeting Cr Bessie Major was elected to be chairman, and Cr Lily Fox was elected vice-chaiman. Cr Major said she was very conscious of the honour of being appointed first woman chairman of the council.
JUNE The council was concerned about seats they had provided for old people in Halfpenny Lane and Purston Park being dislodged and left in a dangerous position. Cr J Harper was congratulated on his being appointed as a magistrate.
JULY The council engaged Turner and Holland, architects, to prepare modernisation schemes for Featherstone Square and Nostell View, alternative plans for developing the centre site in the Square, and the modernisation of the Lister Baths. It was decided not to offer council houses for sale.
SEPTEMBER Mr Littlewood wanted an increased supply of water for his works, and residents in Ackworth Road were complaining. The clerk said Wakefield Corporation had agreed to examine the position of the water supply throughout the district and would submit suggestions for a major improvement scheme for distribution. A notice would be put in Purston Park prohibiting fishing in the lake. An application for a change of use for the Hippodrome to light engineering or warehousing was approved.
Cr Lily Fox said there was deep concern at the damage being caused to the playing equipment in the park. She appealed to the public to report any incidents which came to their notice.
OCTOBER Work started on the old people's bungalows in Featherstone Lane. The terms for old age pensioners' wardens would be £2 a week plus a bungalow with free rent and rates. Preference would be given to a married woman living with her husband.
NOVEMBER The contract was signed to purchase Featherstone Square from the National Coal Board. Two members of the council staff had offered to collect the rents in their own time for a commission of three per cent. It was agreed to try it for six months. F and C Leach Ltd agreed to cut a channel at the base of the muckstack where they were removing shale to prevent water running into the backstreets of The Square.
There was concern at the type of dancing and drunkenness at dances in the Lister Hall. A site was approved at the south of Wakefield Road adjoining Mill Collages for a petrol filling station. This suggests the opencasting was completed. A proposed house and shop in Common Lane for Mr Tredgett was approved.
Cr Davis said some old people had expressed concerns about the appointment of a warden on the Market Street estate. He would like to dispel any idea wardens would interfere in the running of individual homes. The wardens would act largely in an advisory capacity, and individuals would not be visited if they did not wish it.
DECEMBER Work began on improving the street lighting in Station Lane. 25 feet high concrete lamp standards with 250 watts mercury vapour lamps were hoped to be operating for Christmas. The second stage would be from Little Lane to the Pontefract Boundary.
Conditional approval was given for 56 houses in Halfpenny Lane to J Grice and Son Ltd, Castleford, and for a housing estate off Park Lane, North Featherstone, to Norman C Ashton Ltd of Leeds.
The clerk said since the last meeting 28 tenants had been served with notices and in 19 cases the arrears had been cleared, a total of about £100.
THE ROVERS
The Rovers players refused to turn out at Halifax in January because they said the ground was frozen. They said a heavy roller on the pitch was making no impression on frozen ruts. The referee, linesmen and Halifax players entered the field, but the Rovers stayed in the dressing room so the referee had to abandon the game. Two days later the Rugby League Management Committee fined the players £5 each. They were Cooper, Smith, Greatorex, Hunt Woolford, Mullaney, Marchant, Moore, Fawley, Anderson, Hockley, Clamp, Clawson.
The Rovers committee were told further action would be taken if they paid any part of the fines out of club funds. Also they would have to pay the match expenses of about £50. The club chairman, Mr R H Jackson, said the decision was very fair, and he hoped the players would note rules, whether right or wrong, must be adhered to.
The Rovers committee were told further action would be taken if they paid any part of the fines out of club funds. Also they would have to pay the match expenses of about £50. The club chairman, Mr R H Jackson, said the decision was very fair, and he hoped the players would note rules, whether right or wrong, must be adhered to.
The team won through to the third round of the Rugby League Cup, and the luck of the draw gave a repeat fixture to last year's epic against St Helens. The Joint Supporters Ground Improvement Scheme had continued terracing the ground, so the police increased the capacity to 17,500. The Rovers won again by 20 points to 6, and to quote the Express "Sections of a deliriously happy crowd invaded the pitch after the Rovers had once again staggered the Rugby League football world". The attendance was a ground record of 17,531. The photo is from Ron Bailey's Fifty of the Finest Matches.
The Rovers players agreed to be inoculated against poliomyelitis which meant a series of three monthly treatments over the summer.
The accounts for the season showed £4,747 had been received from the pools competition and there was a profit of £1,571. At the annual meeting in July the chairman Mr R H Jackson, was asked if the club had made any representation to the Rugby League about the conduct of the Hull team in the Odsal cup sem-final. "No, we don't squeal" was Mr Jackson's reply. The secretary, Ron Bailey, said last season's run of 12 games without defeat was the best in the club's history; and Cyril Woolford had established a new season try scoring record with 31.
The accounts for the season showed £4,747 had been received from the pools competition and there was a profit of £1,571. At the annual meeting in July the chairman Mr R H Jackson, was asked if the club had made any representation to the Rugby League about the conduct of the Hull team in the Odsal cup sem-final. "No, we don't squeal" was Mr Jackson's reply. The secretary, Ron Bailey, said last season's run of 12 games without defeat was the best in the club's history; and Cyril Woolford had established a new season try scoring record with 31.
There was further trouble in the Yorkshire Cup competition. The Rovers
and Leeds were in the semi-final. The Rovers wanted to play on Wednesday
23 September because they had no floodlights and wanted the kick-off as
late in the day as possible. Leeds wanted it a week later. The County Committee
discussed the dispute and failing to come to a decision asked the clubs'
chairmen to toss for it. Bob Jackson agreed and lost, so the game was
played on 30 September.
There was so much criticism among the Rovers supporters about Mr
Jackson "bowing down" to Leeds that although the Rovers' committee
backed him and blamed the Yorkshire County Committee, he resigned as
chairman. The photo is from Ron Bailey's book Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Football Club.
The Rovers beat Leeds 14-7 to win their place in the the Yorkshire Cup Final against Hull at Headingley in October. The team was: Jack Fennell; Frank Smith, Ken Greatorex, Jim Hunt, Cyril Woolford; Joe Mullaney, Dox Fox; Joe Anderson, Willis Fawley; Malcolm Dixon, Mick Clamp, Cliff Lambert, Terry Clawson, and the game was won 15-14.
The two programmes below and the team photo are from fevarchive.
Eleven days after the win at Headingley the Rovers entertained the Australian Tourists, and beat them 23-15.
An inquest was held in April into the death of John Heap age 23 of Featherstone Square on the muckstack neat his house. His mother, May Heap, said he often went on to the stack to see Tom Whittam who worked an excavator there. She said he loved to go there and she did not know he had been warned many times not to go. Whenever he went he took a long piece of piping to bring the shale down.
Albert Machen age 10 of the Square said he saw Heap half-way up the stack throwing bricks (stones). One of them loosened a big piece of shale which fell and knocked him down killing him. He said he had often seen Heap on the stack loosening shale with a bar and throwing stones. He estimated Heap fell about three or four yards, and the piece of shale he dislodged was about 2½ feet long.
Tom Whittam said Heap had gone to the stack for about three years. He said he had spoken to his mother and she had fetched him off on numerous occasions. After the incident Heap's bar was found about five yards higher up the stack than his body. He said mentally Heap was not his 23 years.
Michael Edwin Leach of Pontefract, a director of Messrs Leach, said his firm bought shale from the National Coal Board by paying a royalty per cubic yard excavated. (He didn't say, but it was used by building contractors in their preparatory work, and as an infill at the other side of Wakefield Road on the Common Lane opencast site.)
The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure. The foreman, Mr W Bingley, said they felt Mr Whittam took every precaution he could, they wished to congratulate the boy Machen on the way he gave his evidence, and recommended the site be fenced and no loose pieces of shale be left at the end of a shift.
THE GALA
The council's annual gala was held in May and a crowd estimated at 5,000 thronged Purston Park. It was opened by the chairman of the council, Cr T Morgan, from the balcony of the Town Hall. He said each year the council tried to provide something new, and this year had arranged a professional wrestling contest which he hoped would be enjoyed. It was the highlight of the day with opponents from West Africa, France and Ireland.
On view in the Town Hall were the best three painting exhibits from the town's schools, and there were sports for the children. On the following day the Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries Workmen's Band gave a concert.
On view in the Town Hall were the best three painting exhibits from the town's schools, and there were sports for the children. On the following day the Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries Workmen's Band gave a concert.
NAME AND SHAME?
The council's rent arrears sub-committee recommended in May the names of 17 tenants in
arrears with rent be posted on the council's notice board. At the full council meeting Cr J Parker said he hoped by the technicality of there
not being a quorum at that meeting that decision would "fall down". He
was assured by the clerk that the three members present at that meeting
constituted a quorum. Cr Parker then appealed to the council not to
accept the recommendation because some people on the list were genuinely
hard up.
The chairman, Cr T Morgan, said the list had been carefully scrutinised from the point of view of hardship, and everyone concerned had received at least two warnings.
Cr S Robinson said it smacked of the stocks. You are pillorying people. There was always the danger of a genuinely hard case being included in the list. Cr Davis said the proposed action was humane because children could have been turned on to the streets if eviction orders were obtained. Cr Robinson said the proposal was to shame people, but it had not done so. The system was outdated. Knottingley Council had tried it and found it a failure.
Cr Bessie Major said it seemed the council had three alternatives. Publish the names, sue them in court when their names would be published by the Press or leave the arrears as they were. Cr D Cameron pointed out many people had been in arrears for 19 months. Cr W Marsh wondered why the council was divided now when it had already taken the decision, although not unanimously, to publish the names.
Cr Woodcock said money was borrowed to buy the house and rent must be paid to repay the debt. All the debtors were thankful enough to get their houses. Only a minority of people owed rent and a remedy had to be found. In his opinion the publication of the names was a correct one. The discussion then closed with no vote being recorded by the Express, but the recommendation must have been accepted because at the June council meeting it was agreed to post on the notice board the names and addresses of five tenants whose rent arrears had increased.
By September the rent arrears were nearly £1,000. Cr Harper said it was a most serious matter. The same names kept cropping up, and those who stayed on the list longest were by no means those in the lower income groups.
REVD JAY AND A CYCLING ACCIDENT
The Vicar of Purston, Revd I O Jay, went on a cycling holiday in August with eight members of the Parish Church Youth Club. They took a train to Chester, and the next day set off for Colwyn Bay where the vicar's sister lived.
They had not been on the road long when two rearguard riders came across Mr Jay lying in the road with head injuries. They took him to a nearby cottage hospital from where he was sent to Rhyl for X-ray examination. He was found to have a minor fracture of the skull and injuries to his ribs, a shoulder and face. A few days later he was said to be making satisfactory progress, but his convalescence could be prolonged.
The vicar made a slow start at the beginning of November, being assisted by the Vicar of Womersley, Revd R C Garrod, who has conducted most of the services since the accident. Lay reader Mr G Cooper of Ackworth also gave a hand.
1959 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY Mrs Hilda Moody left the newsagents at the bottom of Station Lane after 28 years to take over a grocery business in York. Her husband died in 1944. The previous owners were Mr and Mrs E Bamforth who produced many pictorial postcards of Featherstone. The new owner was Mr J Fearnley.
Hazel Kenealy age 17 of Went Avenue was chosen as Barnsley's Press Ball Queen. she was already Yorkshire's Coal Queen, was a former Miss Featherstone Rovers and had won various titles at seaside resorts.
FEBRUARY Internationally famous ballroom dancers Eric Hancox and Ann Green received an enthusiastic reception from a gathering of over 400 at a Rovers' dance in the Lister Hall.
Tracker dogs were brought by the police after a smash and grab raid at the premises of Mr R H Jackson in Station Lane. Blood was found inside a broken window, but the dogs were unable to pick up a scent. Over 20 watches valued at about £150 were stolen.
The Post Office issued guidance on addressing letters. Yorkshire should be written in full, the name of the post town in block letters, also the words "local", "by" or "near" should not be in the address.
Albert Swift resigned as a steward at Purston Methodist Church because of ill health. He had held that position since the church was opened in 1904, and before that at the old Hall Street Chapel. He had also been organist for 34 years being succeeded by his son.
MARCH The Featherstone and District Hospital Comforts Committee said they would provide Easter eggs for all the children at Ackton Hospital and Headlands Hospital, Pontefract.
The Musical and Dramatic Society put on Carousel at the Miners' Welfare Hall. The leading role of Julie was to have been played by Mollie Steele but she withdrew a week before the opening because of a family illness. Judy Lewis of the Doncaster Amateur Operatic Society took over at short notice, and the Express reported she won a personal triumph.
Irvin Towell of Burton Salmon was driving a bus from Castleford over North Featherstone crossroads when he collided with a van driven by George Wathen of Ackworth coming out of Ackton Lane where there was a "Halt" sign. Mr Walthen claimed in court he stopped and looked and the road was clear, and the bus must have been going too fast. He was fined £5. Both prosecution and defence agreed the crossroads were extremely dangerous.
APRIL Jean Jarvis age 18 of Ivy Street was elected Rugby League Queen at the National Federation of Rugby league Supporters Clubs sixth annual competition at Oldham. There were eight finalist, four each from Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Purston Church was to have a new automatic oil-fired boiler with convectors and radiators. When installed the church would be repainted. A three-year appeal would be launched to raise £2,500.
MAY The crematorium was formally opened by the MP for Pontefract, Mr G O Sylvester, and was dedicated by the Bishop of Wakefield the Rt Revd J A Ramsbotham. The six local authorities concerned in the scheme were congratulated on their co-operation in filling a great need. They were Pontefract Corporation, Urban Districts of Featherstone, Hemsworth and Knottingley, and Rural Districts of Hemsworth and Osgoldcross. The photo is by Derek Dye.
An accumulation of soot in a defective flue caused a fire in the floorboards and joists in the town hall. It was quickly put out by the Featherstone and Pontefract fire brigades.
During blasting operations on the red shale tip near Featherstone Square, a piece of shale about the size of a man's fist fell into the yard of Mrs Wheatley and just missed a pram with a baby in it. The Police were informed and additional precautions were to be taken.
A site for a Roman Catholic secondary school had been discussed by the Castleford Divisional Education Executive for a while. They finally decided on a plot in North Featherstone. It was to accommodate catholic children from around the area. The cost would be divided between the Catholic fraternity and the Ministry.
JUNE About 20 pigs belonging to Mr F Dyson of Wellgarth Road were driven to safety when a heating lamp in their styes ignited hay.
The road safety committee recommended high hedges at Cressey's Corner, which blocked the sightlines, be cut back; and a "Halt" sign be erected at the junction of Girnhill Lane and Wakefield Road.
A Queen's Scout warrant was awarded to Roy Walker age 18 at the new headquarters of the Featherstone Troop, the Social Service Centre.
AUGUST A faculty was granted for the burial of cremated remains in Purston churchyard, but no burials could take place until the ground was consecrated.
Mr and Mrs P Anderson arrived home from a holiday in Blackpool to find a letter on the mat telling them they had won £1,000 in a Premium Bond draw.
Pastor William Faulkner died age 78. He was born in Staffordshire and moved to Featherstone in 1944 to take charge of the Wakefield Road and Featherstone Lane Methodist Churches. He retired a few years ago.
A cycle training and testing track was opened Purston Park.
Denis Burton of Leeds was fined £5 for keeping a ready money betting office in Station Lane. In court it was said he had already been fined £270 this year, and his total since 1951 was about £900. Samuel Cogan of Glass Houghton was fined £5 for assisting. Arthur Chrishop of Wakefield was fined £5 for keeping an office at Sun Court, North Featherstone. The chairman of the bench said "We keep hoping that the law will be altered one day and that we shall not be troubled by these cases, but as the law stands at present we have to administer it".
The Salvation Army had received a licence to perform marriages in the Salvation Army Hall, and the first one was of William Charles Hare of Plymouth and Doris Scott of Leatham Crescent.
Three trains were needed to take a party of over 1,100 to Cleethorpes for the annual outing of the Green Lane Working Men's Club. There were 750 children, each of whom received 10s to spend, sweets, crisps and mineral waters.
In his last report as public health inspector Mr J Hilsley wrote the council built 70 houses and 52 bungalows in 1958, the highest total since 1949 when 154 houses were built. He said most of the houses were tenanted by people from condemned houses. He recalled the reconstruction and enlargement of the South Featherstone sewage works.
The medical officer of health, Dr J F Fraser, said there were 49 cases of measles during the year, and there were 149 cases of tuberculosis on the register at the end of 1958.
SEPTEMBER The application to change the use of the Hippodrome caused a stir. The managing director, Mr T C Holden of Pontefract, told the Express it did not mean the cinema was closing but merely looking ahead. It would remain open if public support warranted it.
OCTOBER The general election result for Pontefract, which included Featherstone was:
G O Sylvester (Labour) 35,194
E T Bowman (Conservative-Liberal) 10,884
There was a dedication and opening of a new organ at Wilson Street Methodist Church. Mr J Bednall of Rochdale played a classical selection.
The Bishop of Wakefield, the Right Revd J A Ramsbotham, dedicated an extension at Featherstone Cemetery, and then he went to Purston Church to consecrate the churchyard for the burial of cremated remains.
NOVEMBER The Featherstone and District Horticultural Society held its first annual chrysanthemum show at the Clock Cafe. There were 60 entries.
There was the usual Remembrance parade from Cressey's Corner led by the Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries' Workmen's Band. It stopped at Ackton Hall Colliery for a short service conducted by Mr J Wright. The parade then moved to the War Memorial where Revd I O Jay conducted the service. The Last Post and Reveille were sounded by a bugler. Wreaths were laid, the parade reformed, and Cr Bessie Major took the salute. The parade dispersed at the Miners' Welfare Hall.
A lorry driven by Colin Turner of Allison Street crossed Wakefield Road opposite Purston School, crashed through a wall and brought down an electric cable which remained live. The Yorkshire Electricity Board arrived to cut off the power and it was seven hours before it was restored. The incident was said to have caused the biggest traffic holdup ever experienced.
DECEMBER A lorry driven towards Pontefract by Richard Standring (address not given) skidded and knocked down an electric supply pole. The power was cut off for three hours.
A large gathering in the Wakefield Road Methodist schoolroom enjoyed a "cafe-chanson" by the Featherstone Choral Society. It was a programme of songs, recitations and comedy.
The Hospital Comforts Fund decided to curtain three wards at Ackton Hospital.
Charles Harris, the Featherstone printer, received news he had been left four dollars and 80 cents by an uncle who had died in Canada. He would have to appear before a Commissioner of Oaths in order to claim it, which would cost more that the legacy, so he decided not to bother.
All Saints' Church was floodlit again for the festive season. The choir accompanied by the vicar, Revd R A Nelson, sang carols at Ackton Hospital on Christmas Eve.