A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1967
THE COUNCIL
JANUARY The council decided where the tenant had replaced the original range with a fireplace and gas or electric cooker they must pay for maintenance themselves, but where the cooker was installed as original equipment the council would pay for maintenance.
It was agreed to contact the Pontefract Postmaster about a sub-post office on the Priory Road Estate to save old people having to go up Station Lane. A planning application for a Methodist Church in Wilson Street was approved.
There was a suggestion the swimming season at Lister Baths should be extended because of a lack of bookings for other functions during the closed season. Cr Lily Fox didn't agree saying it was the only place where organisations could get together to make a bit of money. Cr G Holt said the baths could be open all year for swimming, but in view of the points made by Cr Fox he would support just an extension to the season. No decision was taken.
FEBRUARY The council received a circular from a Ministry suggesting local authorities should ban smoking in public places under their jurisdiction. Cr G Holt said it was a good idea and they should start with the council chamber. Cr F G Smith said I do not think we have the right to decided where people may or may not smoke. Cr H Wright said it was an important national request and they should do something about it. The council voted to take no action at present.
Cr T Morgan, who had been a councillor since 1945, announced he would not stand at the next election. He was the oldest serving member of the council, born in Featherstone in 1897. The photo is from the Express.
The Government asked councils to abolish residential qualifications for council houses in order to assist the redeployment of labour. The council decided to accept the proposal in principle.
It was said the condition of Priory Road was treacherous and in places the mud was ankle deep. The mud was being carried from a nearby building site and was difficult to avoid, but the council would try to keep it clean.
The council had received three planning applications relating to Wakefield Road Methodist Church which would be sold when the new church in Wilson Street was opened. They were for use as offices, a clothing factory and a warehouse.
MARCH Cr G Holt said there had been complaints about the water supply from all over the district. Clothing had been stained, and sometimes tea was undrinkable. Cr F G Smith said it was cause by a pump breaking down which meant the water was stood in the pipes for a while, but it had now cleared.
An application by a council house tenant to replace the window panes in his 12 year old council house at his own expense because they were many small panes difficult to clean was turned down. Concern was expressed at a delay in the Yorkshire Electricity Board connecting the new houses at Ackton to the electricity supply.
The council was presented with a Wedgewood plaque bearing a portrait of the Queen by the regional commissioner for National Savings, Mr J N G Davies, in appreciation of the help given by the council over the years. The winners of the school painting competition arranged as part of the National Savings jubilee celebrations received a Premium Bond voucher from Cr Mary Lily Fox. They were John Maskill age 13 of North Featherstone Secondary School, and Jane Haddock age 9 of Purston C of E School. The painting winners with Cr Fox are on this Express photo.
The National Coal Board said they would be prospecting for coal on eight sites in the local area. They told the council usually only half the sites inspected were workable but in the unlikely event they were, they would not all be worked together.
It was agreed to clean out the Went Beck near Station Lane which was reported to be full of rubbish.
MAY The council election results were:
North-West Ward N Longbottom (Labour) 894 D H Grace (Ratepayers) 331
Central Ward F G Smith (Labour) 565 J Holt (Ratepayers) 483
East Ward Lily Fox (Labour) 790 H Simpson (Ratepayers) 440
The West Riding bus company had applied to the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to amend some routes (to include the new council estate at Ackton) and was proposing to run one-man buses to keep costs down on routes where they were running at a loss. Crs D Gray and F G Smith said before they would agree to re-routing they required assurance that the company had made peace with the trade unions regarding one-man crews.
Cr T Morgan said "Certain members have got bogged down with trade unionism instead of representing the people. We can't argue about trade union business and one-man buses at a council meeting". The clerk was asked to obtain in writing from the company that agreement about one-man buses had been reached with the unions.
At Cr Morgan's last council meeting Cr Nora Edgar said it has been a pleasure to work alongside you. Cr F G Smith said Cr Morgan had been a great source of inspiration to him, and Cr J H Livesey said Cr Morgan had risen above poverty-rife days to serve his fellow man.
Cr Morgan thanked members for their kind remarks and said being a member for 22 years had been a wonderful experience.
JUNE The Ackton Hall Colliery Workmen's Band sent a letter to the council asking for help to buy new instruments and recondition others. Cr R Widdowson, who was also chairman of the Ackton Hall Colliery branch of the NUM, said it was out of order. It should have been addressed to the NUM. The council agreed.
It was also decided to take no action on a request from the Featherstone Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society for assistance until after the society's annual meeting when a balance sheet would be available.
Cr Fred Smith was elected chairman for the next year. He was born in Durham, and Cr Widdowson claimed it was the first time the council had had a Geordie chairman. Cr Smith said to become chairman of my home town makes me feel very proud indeed.
After considering electric storage heaters recommended by the Yorkshire Electricity Board it was decided to stick with solid fuel heating. Cr R Widdowson said at these prices electricity cannot compete with solid fuel.
Abandoned cars were causing a problem. Cr Widdowson said recently 19 had been left on highways, backstreets and greens. Another problem was the Went Beck where it ran along George Street and Wakefield Road. The residents complained about rats, the smell and the rubbish thrown in it. Cr G Hold asked is it not possible to culvert it. The clerk said it was the responsibility of the residents by law, and they would not all agree. The clerk was asked to find out if they had had a change of mind. One worried resident was Mrs F W Mitchell of Wakefield Road who had six children and was always having to fetch them away from the beck. The photo is from the Express showing her with Nigel and Mitchell.
British Rail was about to change the Station Lane level crossing gates to a lift up barrier, and asked if they could replace the subway by a wicket gate at the same time. Mr G F Adamson, the council surveyor, said the rail traffic is likely to increase, and if we abandon the subway we might be sorry in the future. The council decided the subway should remain.
The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation said it would spend £34,000 on social amenities on the cricket ground site if the council would do the maintenance. Free use of the facilities could be made by the people of Featherstone and the council would be represented on the management committee for the project. No decision was taken.
JULY Cr Lily Fox said old people in council houses get their grass cut and chimneys swept by the council free of charge, but similar people not in council houses have to pay up to 16s a month to have their grass cut. She said she would like to look into it and see if they could help such people.
The clerk reported six cases of people who had taken out house loans from the Council and later abandoned the property still owing money to the council. In five cases the borrowers had disappeared.
Cr N Longbottom said he knew of a house which was derelict and the people there had done a bunk. Cr G Holt said perhaps when people ask for loans we are not scrutinising enough. Property was going to rack and ruin with money owing to the council. The clerk pointed out it was only six bad payers out of 900 cases. The council could foreclose on the mortgages and either let the property or auction it. A decision was made to investigate the state of the properties and then return to the matter.
SEPTEMBER The National Coal Board sent a letter to the council to say prospecting had revealed coal, but no assessment had yet been made and it would inform the council of that as soon as possible.
The council agreed to give 2,027 square yards of land from Purston Park to the West Riding County Council to make the road between Wentbridge Road and Coach Road safer. Some playground equipment in the park would have to be moved.
OCTOBER The area telephone manager told the council the existing service in Featherstone would soon be incapable of dealing with the growing demand for services. Therefore subscribers would be transferred to the Pontefract Exchange. This would give subscribers the facility of trunk dialling.
The council decided to return to the system where there would be a separate clerk and financial officer. The deputy clerk and financial officer, Mr J Pashley, was appointed chief financial officer.
NOVEMBER The council house rents would be increased by 5s a week because the housing repairs fund needed to be increased from £10 to £15 per dwelling a year. New houses let since last April would be exempt.
DECEMBER New Priory Sheltered Housing was such a success the Ministry of Housing and Local Government wished to show plans of the building to six other local authorities. Also Goole Borough Council requested plans of the elderly people's community centres. Cr D Gray said the council should be proud of the work it had accomplished in this field. Cr G Holt said South Featherstone Gospel Hall also does a great deal of good work in our homes for the elderly and should be included in any praise. The Express photo below of residents relaxing in the lounge shows from the left Mrs F G Harvey, Mrs M Ward, Mrs M Waring and Miss A M Oates.
An additional storm water pump had been installed at South Featherstone sewage works, and the surveyor, Mr G F Adamson, said that and the deepening of the beck near the pump outlet would ease the pressure on other sewers, lessening the risk of flooding.
The NCB reported their test borings for opencast coal had revealed 1,303,000 tons. Some members of the council suggested it should remain where it was.
LEATHAM LODGE
Leatham Lodge was built about 1880 by Charles Leatham, a partner in the banking company of Leatham, Tew and Co. which was taken over by Barclays Bank in 1906. It was built as the gateway to a mansion he planned to live in but it was never built. It was speculated it was the developing Ackton Hall Colliery that put him off. Another theory was the preparation of the ground for the foundations showed the site wasn't suitable.
After various owners since that time it was now owned by Mr T Hemingway, a farmer of Leatham Lodge Farm, and was unoccupied and deteriorating. Then last year a Mrs Hornby delivered some flowers by mistake and realised it was empty.
She and her husband, Mr C R Hornby a decorator, saw it had possibilities and rented it from Mr Hemingway. They spent time and money renovating and decorating it As it was so much improved they were interview by the Express in January.
She and her husband, Mr C R Hornby a decorator, saw it had possibilities and rented it from Mr Hemingway. They spent time and money renovating and decorating it As it was so much improved they were interview by the Express in January.
Mr Hornby said the gable end facing the road had deteriorated and need a lot of work doing on it. Mr Hemingway said he thought no one wanted to live in it and he was considering pulling it down. The photo is by Dr J Gatecliff.
THE ROVERS
The half-yearly meeting was held in January. The secretary, Mr R Bailey said the club was losing £451 every fortnight. Gate receipts were down, but the supporters' Development Fund had contributed £4,800 so far this season. He said until we find a major source of income to take its place we must continue to sell players. Wages to the end of the season were calculated at £3,000 with only £800 in gate receipts.
The chairman, Mr J Jepson, also stressed the enormous debt owed to the Development Fund, and he announced the new social club would open in May or June, and the contract for the purchase of the ground was ready for signing. The only condition was the Post Office Road ground should be used always for rugby league football.
The Rovers reached the final of the Rugby League Challenge Cup for the second time and met Barrow at Wembley Stadium on May 13 in front of 76,290 spectators. They won 17-12. The team was: Wrigglesworth; Thomas, Cotton, Jordan, Greatorex; Smith, Dooler; Tonks, Harris, Dixon, Morgan, Thompson, Smailes. Substitutes; Hartley, Kosanovic. The photo of the programme is personal.
The Rovers captain, Malcolm Dixon, received the cup from Her Majesty the Queen. The photo is from the Featherstone Rovers website.
On their return the Rovers toured the town and then there was a celebration dinner at the Lister Hall given by the council. The team and coach photo is from fevarchive.
The overs players, individually and as a group, attended many events over the summer. One was a street party on the Priory Road Estate. The photo is from the Express.
A full club licence, including permission to serve non-members on match days, was granted in June for the soon to be opened Featherstone Rovers Social Club. Out sales would not be allowed. Later, a music, singing and dancing licence was also granted.
A film of the Cup Final was purchased and shown to sell-out audiences at the Miners' Welfare Hall and the Assembly Rooms in Pontefract.
The balance sheet, published in July showed there was a profit on last year of £661, and a bank overdraft of £2,706 was turned into a credit balance of £1,377.
At the annual meeting in the Junction Hotel the secretary, Mr R Bailey, said it was the third year in succession a profit had been recorded - a notable hat-trick. On the other hand the average receipts at league games was only £227, well below survival level.
The chairman, Mr J Jepson described 1967 as a year which the club would never forget. But the gloss of Wembley must not be allowed to minimise future tasks. He thanked Mr Bailey and his wife for their work and said it was through their efforts the cup arrangements ran so smoothly, particularly at Crystal Palace.
In September Derrick Hobbs of Priory Road was selected to succeed Ron Bailey as Secretary.
WHERE IS DAD?
A bride to be, Carole Dingwall, was due to be married in April. Her parents were parted and she was living with her uncle and aunt, Mr and Mrs Heighway of the Jubilee Hotel. She had not seen her father for three years, but she hoped to contact him so he could give her away at her wedding.
It was rumoured he lived in Wilson Street, Castleford but when she went to see him neighbours said he has been taken to Pontefract General Infirmary. The hospital authorities would not release any information.
It turned out he was living in Leeds and he saw the appeal so he got in touch and Carole went to see him. He said he would be pleased to give her away. The photo of Miss Dingwall is from the Express.
EMPTY SHOPS
Of the row of nine shops built in Station Lane two years ago, to replace storm damaged houses and two shops, only three were let by February. Six months ago the rents were cut by £100 a year; now there were offered first year rent free, two years at £450 and then £550. If the tenant wanted the flat above that would be another £100 a year. The tenant would also have to pay for the shop front and fittings and the rates.
Mr Ian Dransfield, a newsagent lower down Station Lane, told the Express "I do not think there is enough trade in Featherstone to support this new development". Mrs J Bashworth, the manageress of a cut-price store, the only shop and flat person in the row, said trade is very good.
Cr R Widdowson said a new Government Bill would give local authorities power to impose rates on some empty buildings, and it would induce the owners to lower the rents and get them filled.
A YOUTH CENTRE?
In 1961 the council had a scheme for a youth centre and a plot of land was set aside near to the council offices in Purston Park, but financial restrictions prevented the scheme going ahead. A deputation from Pontefract Youth Council met the council in February to try and get the scheme moving.
The council clerk told the Express a youth centre is a highly desirable amenity but we have yet to assess the potential for such a building in Featherstone. There will be a full investigation to see what steps can be taken to further the scheme. The council architect's sketch for the proposed youth centre is from the Express.
Featherstone male voice choir was formed in the front room of one of its members four years ago. Its conductor was James Stafford, but had to retire because of illness. Doris Collings, a pianist and vocalist herself and wife of the local Methodist minister, agreed to help out.
It was such a success the Express interviewed some of those involved in April. Organist and pianist Irvine Malpass said "We wondered if the men would feel uncomfortable with a woman leading them, but she hit it off with the men very quickly".
Mrs Collings said "It was awful standing in front of 15 men and telling them what to do, but after feeling my way for a few months I eventually got used to it. Half the battle is having a good pianist and the other half is having a good bunch of men. I am fortunate to have both, and we have a very happy practice". The photo of a practice session is from the Express.
THE AMDRAMS
The Featherstone Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society put on Annie Get your Gun at the Welfare Hall in April. The Express review said the show moved with admirable verve and confidence, but the orchestra could have been improved, especially in volume. The leads were taken by Derek Davis and Zena Dickinson.
Authentic scenery and costumes aided atmosphere and the dancing girls performed with skill in the restricted stage space. The photo of Derek Davis, Charles Brennan, Zeta Dickinson and Basil Phillips is from the Express.
NO MERGER?
The West Yorkshire Special Review Area recommended in 1958 a merger between the Pontefract Corporation and Featherstone and Knottingley Councils. It didn't happen, and the Minister of Housing, Anthony Greenwood, sent a statement to all local authorities in May saying the the Royal Commission on Local Government would not report until the autumn of next year, and no changes would take place until then.
The Featherstone Council clerk, Mr H Tattersall, told the Express "It is disappointing that after this has been dragging on since 1958 they should not yet be able to make up their minds what they want to do. It has created a lot of uncertainty in the running of local government.
THE GALA
The annual Gala was held in June and started with a procession from Cressey's Corner headed by the council and the Ackton Hall Colliery Workmen's Band, a tractor carrying the Gala Queen, Judith Fisher, and her six attendants, and the fancy dress competition entrants.
There was a horse jumping gymkhana, exhibitions of schoolchildren's paintings and handicraft, and nursing cadets of the St John Ambulance Brigade giving demonstrations of the kiss of life and heart massage for heart attacks.
Cr and Mrs Smith plus the Queen and some attendants went afterwards to Pontefract General Infirmary to see Karen Anderson who had been selected as one of the attendants but had to withdraw because of illness.
The amount collected by the Featherstone and District Hospital Comforts Fund was £67 10s 4d.
A GARDEN OF EDEN
Ralph Asquith's butcher's shop in Station Lane was nothing out of the ordinary, but behind it was a garden which the Express reported on in June. It was the joy of Mrs Marjorie Louise Asquith who told the Express "Originally there wasn't a bit of green on the rough ground at the back, but now it is a mass of gaily coloured flowers and tall trees.I tried to grow the trees to hide the stacks, and now they make a pleasant background.
"We paid out a lot of money for the trees and the soil, and it was a challenge, although when I lived in London we always had a bit of garden, and this one has afforded me lots of pleasure." The photo is by Dr J Gatecliff.
HIDDEN WATER
A survey of 228 dwellings in July on the Priory Road Estate revealed 119 had water under the suspended floors. The surveyor told the council £9,000 was a conservative estimate of the cost of providing solid floors.
Cr J H Livesey said it was an alarming state of affairs. Cr D Gray said the council could not afford the expense. The architect, Mr T Holland, said the land here is not swampy, but clay. The houses are built on a hillside with deeper foundations than normal and an exceptional amount of void. Doing this survey is doing more harm than good. Water standing on site concrete is not abnormal.
Cr G Holt said there had been complaints about the smell. Some houses had six inches or more of water. Over a period of time it must start smelling. Cr Gascoyne said he went into one house and the smell was foul.
It was agreed for the architect and the public health inspector to investigate the situation and report.
NEARLY HIT BY LIGHTNING
Mrs Irene Spragg was waiting for a bus in Ackton Lane in July when
"lighting was flashing all over the sky". As the bus was approaching
there was a flash and bang and she felt a thump on her head. She was
very shaken and it took her all morning to get over it. Four of her
nursing colleagues on the bus saw the flash and screamed. It was found
afterwards the Gospel Hall opposite the bus stop had been hit and a
chimney demolished,
Parts of Featherstone had a five hours power cut. A full morning's production was lost at the clothing factory in Featherstone Lane. Mr L Myers, for the company, said about 120 girls were standing around until the power was restored about 12.25pm.
The main road from the Junction Hotel to a stretch of Wakefield Road was flooded as a manhole cover was forced up, and a council house in Leatham Park Road had its roof and chimney damaged.
FLOODED OUT AGAIN
There was another thunderstorm at the beginning of August. It began late on Tuesday afternoon and lasted on and off until the early hours of Wednesday. The fire brigade pumped away excessive water on Priory Road which has entered some of the houses again, for the fifth time in some cases. The part of Wakefield Road near Commonside Lane was flooded, and barrels of beer were floating in the water in the cellar of the Green Lane Working Men's Club.
On the Friday airmen from five RAF stations arrived with portable heating equipment to dry out the flooded homes of about 100 people, victims of what was said to be the worst storm for 30 years. They had 21 appliances which blasted hot air into the soaked hones at Priory Road and Beech Grove for four days. In Priory Road 14 bungalows and four houses had to be evacuated, and at Beech Grove people in ten bungalows had to leave.
The Council arranged a meeting with the Went Internal Drainage Board, the Yorkshire Ouse River Board and the NCB to try and find a permanent solution. Financial help where needed was given to old people on Supplementary Pensions, and council workmen removed carpets and other possessions and took them to a drying centre set up at the Welfare.
The Council chairman Cr F G Smith put an appeal in the Express to help those in serious difficulties.
As is usual in circumstances like this the children can be relied upon to make the most of it. An Express photo.
Over 60 people attended a meeting at the Clock Cafe. They wanted to be rehoused but the council had turned that down, so they agreed to consult a solicitor to see if he could help their cause. They also complained that the council had said nothing about their private meeting.
The council commissioned a report by Messrs Turner, Holland and Bell. Their investigation concluded:
The flow of the River Went was impeded by mining subsidence
The South Featherstone sewage works was at full capacity even in normal conditions
The sewers leading into the sewage works were inadequate
The outfall into the River Went was too low and became submerged in heavy rainfall and it was half full of silt
The Went Beck was impeded by debris, oil drums, bottles, tree trunks, mattresses, bedsteads etc.
The recommendations for curing the problem were:
The regrading of the River Went on the outfall side of the sewage works
The remainder of the river to the bridge on Wragby Road to be cleared, widened and straightened
Install a relief sewer in Farm Road and as far as necessary along Wakefield Road
Surface water from roofs to be taken to soakaways instead of the sewers
Reconsider the scheme to do away with Snydale sewage works.
The council clerk, Mr H Tattersall, said the first step, to be done immediately, was to regrade the bed of the River Went from the sewage works to the Little Went Bridge, and to improve the section from Wakefield Road to the sewage works.
There would be a general review of the whole of the district's drainage system. And he appealed to the public to stop throwing rubbish into the beck, which restricted its flow.
In October the clerk said people affected by flooding had previously been offered insurance
at 6d a week but nobody had taken up the offer. He did not know if it
was still available but it might be at an increased premium. It was
agreed to find out if flood damage cover was still available. The clerk
said so far the council had not accepted responsibility for the
flooding, and any payments made would be ex-gracia.
More heavy rain caused five old people's bungalows to be flooded for the sixth time in less than two years. Floor coverings and furnishings replaced after the |August flood were damaged again. Regarding the clerk's statement, Mr D Cameron, for the residents, said the letter sent to the tenants contained no specific offer of insurance. There was no point in accepting as there was nothing to accept. We were interested if we had been given the details.
The council announced it would make payments to about 50 householders equivalent to 37% of their losses. The damage in each house was assessed by an independent company and £847 was available. This was £353 from the Flood Relief Fund and £494 from the rates.
OLD CYCLE ENTHUSIASTS
John William Auty of Priory Road bought an old bicycle. His brothers Ken, also of Priory Road, and Eric of Wakefield became interested and they set about restoring it. An investigation showed it to be a Quadrant shaft-driven bicycle from the 1890-1900 period.
John Auty was interviewed by the Express in August. He said their collection was now about a dozen cycles, all before 1920, including one ladies cycle from 1898. They were trying to get a penny-farthing bike but they were very expensive. They had old style clothes to match the pre-1920 era, and were hoping to contact other enthusiasts and form a club. The photo of John Auty with old clothes and bike is from the Express.
A YACHT IN A BEDROOM
Keith Dransfield of Station Lane decided to build a 16ft yacht in his bedroom. When the hull was completed in September the problem was how to get it out for the rest of the work to be done. The bedroom window had to be taken out, and helpers father George, brother Ian and friend Les Jukes got the hull out on to a flat roof of an adjoining building, and then to the ground. It was then put in a garage for the fitting out to be done.
NO COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL
Featherstone
representatives on the Pontefract and District Divisional Education
were annoyed about a previous decision of no comprehensive school for
Featherstone. The dispute went as far as the Department of Education and
the following statement was issued in March, "In recognition of the facts
confronting them, there should be no separate senior comprehensive
school in Featherstone and that Featherstone's pupils should attend at
one of two such schools in Pontefract".
Featherstone Council still objected so a working party was set up. It reported "The two upper schools serving Pontefract and Featherstone should be on the sites of the Carleton Boys' Secondary School and The King's School. Both these schools should be co-educational. There would then be plenty of accommodation in Featherstone for children under 12, But it is recognised the greater proportion of this accommodation is sub-standard and there is an urgent need for new buildings".
Cr J H Livesey said once again we find Featherstone out in the cold. We are continually being side tracked regarding education in Featherstone. Cr R Widdowson said we are not after sympathy; we want our children brought up in their own area.
Cr G Lofthouse said we should attempt at least to get some Featherstone children educated in their own town. Has anyone seriously considered the transport problem. There would be 700 or 800 children being brought into Pontefract.
Cr D Gray said whether this is accepted or not I shall never agree. We don't intent to lie down at Featherstone and have every child brought into Pontefract at the age of 12.
The education officer, Mr E Johnson, suggested it would be better for the executive to make some progress and accept the proposals for Knottingley and refer back those for Pontefract and Featherstone, and the executive agreed.
THE CRICKET CLUB
At the annual meeting of the Featherstone Cricket, Tennis and Bowling
Club held at the Green Lane WMC in November there was an argument about the bowling
section. Mr L Wagner for the bowling section said the dispute was about
£3, and when the subscriptions were paid they were for all the sections
and not just the cricket part. He denied the bowling section was
subsidised.
When Mr D Hirst asked why the bowling section could not be run
separately He said if you want to control our section, then take over the
finance too and see where you stand; you would be more that £3 adrift.
Mr Frank Tuffs, the retiring chairman said he would not like to see the
club split. We should work together to the best of our ability and stop
this arguing. A proposal to separate the bowling section was defeated.
A NEW HOME FOR THE SCOUTS?
The 1st Featherstone Scout Group led by Mr J Stanley would have to vacate their premises in the Social Service Centre in Green Lane, and they appealed to the Council in November for a loan of £1,500 to convert the disused Purston Methodist Church into a youth centre. He said they already had collected £600. He pointed out the scouts held dances for all teenagers on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Dorothy Littlewood age 15 of Mount Pleasant Street said "We teenagers of Featherstone would like to know where we could go after the one and only dance hall has been knocked down. There is only the Poppin Coffee Bar in Station Lane. Mrs Florence Gates. owner of the coffee bar said some evenings her one room was packed with teenagers (it had a juke-box) but she had never had any trouble.
Cr Holt said the former Methodist Church could be put to good use for the youth of the town until a permanent centre was built. Cr N Longbottom said the church would need a terrific amount of running for it to be a youth centre. Heating would have to be considered. The council decided all interested parties should be invited to a meeting.
ALL SAINTS' CLOCK
The clock at All Saints' Church was first started on 1 January 1901. According to Thomas Precious of Springfield Farm it had never been cleaned or overhauled since. Nobody in particular looked after it and in 1963 it stopped and he asked the vicar, Revd R A Nelson, if he could have a look at it. Ever since he has kept it wound up and altered the hands when necessary. This year he decided all those years of oil and sandstone dust was causing it to run slow and it needed a thorough overhaul, so he stopped the clock for two weeks in August.
In all it took seven weeks to finish the work, and the vicar wrote in the Parish Magazine "We are most grateful to Tom for all the work he has dome so regularly, cheerfully and willingly in keeping us well timed".
He was interviewed at his home by the Express in December and apart from relating the above he said "So many older folk are always saying all today's youth is good for is smashing things and doing wilful damage. These people should not class all young people alike".
CR LONGBOTTOM AND THE BUSES
Getting children to and from St Gerard's Catholic High School at North Featherstone had been a problem ever since it was opened. Some buses had stated using the council house estate to park, and Cr Norman Longbottom said if it did not stop he would erect barricades. He carried out his threat in December blocking off Fairfax Avenue and Manor Drive. He told the Express "Who is going to answer to the parents if a child is killed? We have had this problem for four years and all we have got is a useless lay-by where the buses cannot turn round. The people who built that school had no foresight. What is going to happen when they get the new extension for 800 pupils?".
For the school it was said it had been open four years and there had not been an accident. They had taken Cr Longbottom's advice and parked the buses in Church Lane.
Mrs E M Townsend brought the matter up at the Pontefract Divisional Education Executive. She said "My concern is for the small children coming out of the Church of England School at the same time as the big boys and girls are charging down Church Lane to get on their buses. Instead of having trees planted in front of the school and a cabbage patch, the whole lot should be done away with so that buses can go in and pull straight out".
The Executive decided to have a sub-committee to investigate.
FIRE AT LINPAC
A small explosion at Linpac Containers Ltd was though to have been the cause of a fire in December which completely destroyed the works. Thrown out of work were 140 men and 65 women. Temporary accommodation for the office staff was found at the former Purston Methodist Church.
One of the men on the night shift said there was a bang and thick black smoke everywhere. I don't know how we got out. More that 50 firemen with ten appliances fought the blaze but there was no hope of saving any part of the factory. The blaze lit up the sky for miles around and attracted many onlookers to the scene. The photo is by Dr J Gatecliff.
Dr John Duncan retired in December after 40 years in Featherstone. He came to be assistant to Dr Steven and then joined as a partner in the practice with Dr Marjorie Steven and Dr Gardner.
When Dr Steven retired Dr Duncan took over as medical officer of health to the Council. For many years he was president of the Featherstone Cycling Club and the honorary doctor of Featherstone Rovers. On his retirement he said "I can't help feeling a certain amount of distress - you can't be completely unmoved."
On the photo below from the Dr J Gatecliff Collection are, from the left, Drs Steven, Gardner and Duncan.
1967 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY The railway station was closed to normal passenger traffic on Monday 2nd along with Tanshelf Station, Pontefract.
Gwen Matthewman of Priory Road regained her position of champion knitter as awarded by the Wool Board. She had used 2,000 ounces of wool in 1966 to knit 57 cardigans, 13 women's dresses, 14 women's suits, 24 sweaters, 16 coats and many other garments.
Charlie Harris, the Featherstone printer and grammarian, was interviewed at his works in Albert Street for the BBC radio programmes Voice of the North and Today. He said he hoped people took his criticisms of misuse of the English language in the friendly way it was intended.
A new supermarket was opened in Station Lane, a Lion Store managed by Henry Ditchburn of Normanton with 20 staff. It had a loudspeaker system and in-store music. The photo of the supermarket under construction is by Dr J Gatecliff
FEBRUARY On New Year's Eve 1964 the band failed to turn up for the Cricket Club dance at the Lister Hall. The club sued the promoter, Albert Leslie Gill of Rawdon, and were awarded £100. He then sued David Stead of Halifax for the same amount. He told the judge David Stead had agreed to provide the band, and the next he heard was when the secretary of the club phoned hm to say there was no band present. Judge Ould granted the claim.
There was a sixth form for the first time at St Wilfrid's Catholic High School and it was decided to let the girls choose their own uniform to make them more distinguishable from the rest of the school and have a more sophisticated look. They were allowed a shorter skirt than the younger girls. The photo showing the girls in the new outfit with the old one on the right is from the Express.
Trevor
Fox of Pontefract Road was the current power boat champion of England,
Michael Simpson of Lea Lane was runner-up, and Trevor's father William
was third. It was decided to form a local club for power boat racing and
the council agreed that Purston Park lake could be used. The photo of William and Trevor Fox is from the Express.
MARCH St Wilfrid's Catholic High School Drama Society put on a production of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain to capacity audiences in the school hall. Part of the cast is shown on this Express photo.
At a meeting of the Pontefract Divisional Education Executive it was announced a £25,000 rehabilitation scheme for George Street School had been approved. Cr F Smith said "I do not think we should have entered into such a scheme. We should have knocked it down".
A fashion show by Kath's Boutique was held in the Wilson Street Community Centre in aid of the new church fund. It raised £21. A second one took place in Purston Church Hall as part of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the National Savings Movement.
A culvert put in to prevent flooding in the Priory Road area was completed and the ground was being filled in and levelled, and the site would eventually be a children's playground.
Toby Masons' wholesale tobacconist's shop in Station Lane was broken into twice. On both occasions over 80,000 cigarettes were stolen.
John Rawes age 29 of Ackworth Road, Purston, was involved in a coal cutter accident at Ackton Hall Colliery, and a doctor (unnamed) had to go underground and amputate his foot.
APRIL The members of the South Featherstone Gospel Hall continued their visits to the council's residential homes and old folk's community centres.
MAY The new fire station was officially opened by Cr D Gray. Preceding the opening was a march by the band of the West Riding County Fire Service. After the opening the Methodist Minister, Revd M J Collings, and the Vicar of Purston, Revd I O Jay, said prayers for the Fire Service.
The Ackton Hall and Snydale Collieries' Band entertained the residents of the old people's bungalows in the Wentworth Road community centre. The concert was greatly appreciated, especially My Old Kentucky Home played on the euphonium by Rowland Hill.
JUNE Although the railway station was closed for normal passenger traffic it still catered for special trains. One 13 carriages long was provided to take 800 adults and children to Scarborough as part of Featherstone (North) Children's Treat.
JULY At a meeting of the Pontefract Divisional Education Executive It was said there would be no television rental for North Featherstone Junior Mixed School. Cr F G Smith said the school had been promised a set every year for the past three years. It is totally ridiculous and totally unfair.
Copper tubing totalling 1,000 feet was stolen from a building site at Ackton. The Value was £184 and it was the property of Crofton Builders Ltd.
A thief broke into John Sheard's shop in Ackworth Road and stole a number of items including eight boxes of women's stocking, the total value was about £25.
Edgar Jarvis put on a show "The wonderful talent of Featherstone" at the Green Lane WMC in aid of the Cricket Club. There were 200 people in the audience and it raised about £40. The compere was Mark Stanley who introduced Derek Davis, comedian Yogi-Dez, Paul and Gary Halliday, Dennis Dixon, magician Raymond Roberts, the Girnhill Singers, the Ackton Hall Colliery Workmen's Band, dancers Kim and Ken, and resident organist Irvin Saxton.
The Road Safety Committee had four schoolgirls checking the behaviour of motorists at the Station Lane crossroads traffic lights. They found that 33% were "ambler gamblers".
AUGUST Brian Harper of Priory Road received the National Blood Transfusion Services Silver Award for giving 25 pints of blood over the past years.
Featherstone's first model boat regatta was held in Purston Park with entries from as far away as Lancashire. A large number of spectators were treated to entertaining racing.
John Malcolm Cook of Kingsley Avenue was home from four years of study at the Royal Manchester College of Music and was due to marry Miss Elizabeth Mary Beevers of Castleford. He had composed his own wedding music because he said the traditional marches were too well worn. He was about to take up a teaching post at South Featherstone Secondary Modern School.
The ninth annual early flower and vegetable show of the Featherstone and District Horticultural Society was held at the Clock Cafe. The exhibits were auctioned off for the Featherstone Flood Appeal Fund and £31 5s was raised.
It was announced work would start on building the new Methodist Church in September. The cost was estimated at £21,500 and so far £17,750 had been raised. The eventual sale of Wakefield Road Methodist Church would reduce the amount still needed.
SEPTEMBER High winds blew a tree down across Ackton Lane near the hospital. It brought down a power line and the council estate was without electricity for about three hours.
The Featherstone Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society held a social evening at South Featherstone Secondary Modern School. It was announced the next production would be Rose Marie.
The kitchen at Regent Street School was to be renovated during the summer holidays, but the old equipment was taken out before the replacements were delivered. So when the kitchen staff turned up after the school holiday they could do nothing. Arrangements had to be made for meals to be delivered from another kitchen.
OCTOBER Ackton Hall Colliery was losing £50,000 a month, and a working party of management and unions was meeting weekly at the pit to assess the situation.
Gambling machines had cash stolen from them in the canteen of Linpac Ltd and the Hippodrome.
NOVEMBER At the Pontefract Divisional Education Executive Cr J H Livesey said before the proposed additions to St Wilfrid's Roman Catholic High School were done something should be done about the danger of the large number of buses taking pupils to and from the school. Father J J Burns said the teachers see the pupils over the road in the morning and see them safely to the buses in the afternoon. The end of the school day had been spread over half an hour to relieve the congestion.
There was the usual Remembrance Day parade led by the Ackton Hall and Snydale Workmen's Band. Services were conducted by the Salvation Army at the Ackton Hall and St Thomas Road memorials. After the services the council chairman, Cr F G Smith took the salute at the Police Station. The Poppy Day receipts were the best ever at £204 8s 4d.
DECEMBER Revd I O Jay, Vicar of Purston, left in November for another parish. His replacement was announced as Revd R H Taylor, Vicar of Brotherton. The new vicar and his wife are shown in the Express photo below.
Cr Norman Longbottom had started a fund to provide Paul Leake with a guide dog. His target was £300 and by the end of the year it had reached £134.
The Featherstone Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society put on the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Lister Baths. It was their first pantomime for many years and it made a profit of £40.