A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1973
THE COUNCIL
JANUARY The council asked the Post Office to move the Ackton telephone box from near Ackton Hospital to the council house estate saying it was frequently out of use because of vandalism. The Post Office refused and said it had only been out of order on four occasions and had been quickly put back in use.
Shepherd Construction Ltd of York wanted a three acre plot of land for storage and repair purposes. The surveyor, Mr D Sanderson, said the council had no such land available, and if not watched such developments could turn into eyesores.
FEBRUARY Cr Livesey criticised people who asked for an improvement grant for their property and then sold it at a large profit. Some were getting more that £1,000. Cr J W Bettridge said the legislation, and not the authorities which made the grants, was at fault. The clerk, Mr G B Copley, said the council could not before a grant was allowed, prove who was going to take unfair advantage.
The council hired a contractor to remove the remaining 32 air raid shelters at a cost of £2,900. It was expected the work would be completed by March 31.
MARCH Cr J W Bettridge said the council was committed to major projects including the sewage scheme (£440,000), the improvement of the 1914 council houses (£400,000) and the muckstack reclamation scheme. He said there was still plenty to be done but we are not going to get the opportunity, and on March 31 next year we shall cease to exist under our present status.
APRIL in the elections for the new West Yorkshire County Council J W Betteridge (Labour) beat A S Ward (Conservative) by 3,264 votes to 606.
The council decided to plan a civic reception for the Rovers in the Lister Baths whether or not they won the Rugby League Cup in the May final.
Of the tragedy at Lofthouse Colliery the chairman, Cr D Townsend, said "Some say 10 people have to lose their lives before anything becomes a disaster. This is nonsense. What we saw at Lofthouse was a disaster in anyone's language". The council agreed to donate £100 to the Disaster Fund.
MAY At the annual meeting the retiring chairman said local government reorganisation was only a few months away. People don't realise what the change will be. They will only have three councillors instead of twelve and will not find it as easy to get in touch with them.
He said the highlights of his year in office were the Featherstone Square reclamation scheme, housing modernisation, and the Wembley success of Featherstone Rovers. He referred scathingly to a description of Featherstone in the national Press as "a set of traffic lights between Pontefract and Wakefield". This set of traffic lights is now in the possession of the Rugby League Cup, a county environment award and the West Riding Cup for power-boat clubs.
Cr Lily Fox was elected chairman for the third time. The Rugby League Cup was taken to the meeting by Mr and Mrs J Jepson.
The voting for the three Featherstone places on the new Metropolitan District Council was:
N Longbottom (Labour) 2,828
R Widdowson (Labour) 2,470
E Longley (Labour) 2,068
Mrs N Edgar (Ratepayers) 1,589
G Holt (Ratepayers) 1,454
JULY With the council approaching the end of its life it was decided to donate two trophies, one to LinPac Plastics Ltd for their children's sports day, and the other to the Ackton Hall First Aid Committee.
SEPTEMBER The county council said guard rails would be erected on the Girnhill Lane side of the main road junction. The 30mph speed limit on Pontefract Road would be extended by 165 yards towards Pontefract.
NOVEMBER Featherstone was added to the list of small towns which could have a local council when the new district councils took over next April. To provide continuity, the current council members would become the new parish councillors with probably a town mayor.
THE ROVERS
Susan Dufton was elected Miss Featherstone Rovers in January at a dance in the Social Club. The photo of her receiving a gift from Mrs J Jepson on behalf of a supporter is from the Express.
At the half-yearly meeting in February, Jim Reed, the treasurer, said a few weeks previously the club had to ask the seven guarantors to pledge £1,500 each because of serious financial difficulties. But the transfer of Barry Kear and the excellent gate for the first round cup match meant the club was now in credit to the tune of £2,892. Who knows, this could be our year at Wembley and the promise of that crock of gold.
Chairman Mr John Jepson asked for an all-out drive to increase membership of the club. He praised coach Peter Fox and said he was one of the best coaches Rovers had in recent years. He is in sole charge of the team and we do not interfere with him.
Jim Reed's hope came true when Castleford were beaten 17-3 in the Rugby League Cup semi-final at Headingley. Irene Thompson, sister of Rovers player Jimmy Thompson, presented Cyril Kellett with a liquorice ball from W R Wilkinson (Pontefract). The photo is from the Express.
The Rovers returned to Wembley Stadium in May for their third Rugby League Cup Final. Bradford Northern were beaten 33-14, and Cyril Kellett kicked eight goals from eight attempts, a record for the final.
Captain John Newlove lifts the cup after receiving it from Earl Mountbatten. A photo from fevarchive.
From the park the team went to the Lister Hall for a celebration dinner at the invitation of the council. A photo from the Dr Gatecliff Collection.
The Rovers players match winning money was raised for the new season but the committee would not say by how much, although the secretary Derek Hobbs said all the players were pleased with the offer.
The Rovers returned home to a rapturous reception. A photo from fevarchive.
The tour of the town ended at the council offices in Purston Park where the team appeared on the balcony in front of a large crowd. A photo from fevarchive.
The Rovers players match winning money was raised for the new season but the committee would not say by how much, although the secretary Derek Hobbs said all the players were pleased with the offer.
Mr John Jepson, Rovers chairman for 13 years, submitted his resignation in August. No reason was given to the Express, but it was thought he felt he no longer had the full confidence of the entire committee. Another problem was with the coach, Peter Fox, who said he was no longer responsible for selecting the teams.
The annual meeting reported a profit on the season of £3,764. Loans by guarantors were reduced by £350 to £3,042, and a Rugby League loan for stand improvements was cut from £6,500 to £4,875. The club's bank was changed from Barclays to Yorkshire Bank.
The chairman, Mr J Jepson explained how in November last year Barclays told the club not to issue any more cheques. An anonymous person loaned the club £5,000 to be paid off in yearly installments. The club opened a fresh account at Yorkshire Bank and carried on.
The financial secretary, Jim Reed said the average home game attendance was 2,442, but it was estimated 20,000 went to Wembley. He commented there seems something wrong. A lot of money had been spent on ground improvements to reduce the large amount of non-paying people who got in. The money from the Development Fund was down because of the cost of the junior teams.
The secretary, Derek Hobbs, said the success of last season was due in no small measure to the seeds sown by Peter Fox which came to fruition at the right moment.
A question was asked about installing floodlights. Mr Jepson said it was under consideration but other things took priority. A film of the Cup Final had been obtained and it would have widespread showing.
At a later meeting with a two man deputation from the committee, Mr Jepson agreed to withdraw his resignation letter, and Peter Fox agreed he would take over the selection of teams. The first team players who had said they did not have confidence in a selection committee and had all put in a transfer request, agreed to withdraw them.
The Australian touring team came to Post Office Road in November and won an ill tempered game 18-13.
EDUCATION
FEBRUARY Cr Norman Longbottom told the Pontefract Education Executive not one new school had been started on and we just cannot go on like this. Accommodation at both North and South Featherstone Secondary Schools would not accommodate the additional pupils in September when the school leaving age would be raised. Where are we going to put the additional pupils. Work should have started on the new comprehensive school, but the county council has now decided to wait nine months for the farmer of the land to harvest his crop. Now it will be September before we lay a brick.
Work continued by North Featherstone Secondary School pupils aged 11 and 12 to turn the site of Mashams Terrace into a small park. It was hoped it would be completed by the Autumn. The photo of the pupils with plans for the walls to be erected is by the Pontefract and Castleford Express, and the photo with the walls built and planting started is by Dr J Gatecliff. They won the television competition for a Yorkshire Environmental Award.
Included in a major school building programme by Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher were Purston First School, North Featherstone Middle School and George Street Middle School. Building was expected to start in 1974-75.
APRIL The St Wilfred's High School netball team won the Pontefract and District competition beating Ackworth School in the final. The players on this Express photo from the left are Pat Short, Marie Durkin, Catherine Sharkie, Susan Shepherd, Ann Holmes and Susan Mitchell.
SEPTEMBER The school leaving age was raised to 16 which caused accommodation problems. South Featherstone had to exclude new pupils in the first week, but the staff provided outdoor lessons, educational visits and other measures. At North Featherstone specialist work had to be reduced.
OCTOBER At the Pontefract Education Executive meeting Cr J H Livesey said temporary classrooms had now arrived at South Featherstone Secondary School. Headmaster Mr J H Pell said it would likely be January before things were normal. Children were being taken out of school whenever the weather was suitable, the situation had been eased by linked courses with Whitwood Mining and Technical College. The headmaster at North Featherstone Secondary School, Mr D Booth, said it had been possible to avoid part-time education.
The executive said lack of specialist accommodation at both schools was seriously disrupting plans for coping with pupils in the upper age group.
NOVEMBER The new Stephenson classrooms at South Featherstone Secondary School had been fitted out and were now in use allowing all children to have full-time attendance. The start on the building of the comprehensive school had caused the loss of the school garden and greenhouses, and half the playing field had been ploughed up. Major outdoor games and activities had to cease. The two Stephenson classrooms at North Featherstone Secondary School were still without their furniture.
The proposals for the schools were to build a new George Street School in three stages and then demolish the old premises probably in 1976. Purston C of E School would become a primary school for the five to nine age group. The 9 to 13 group would attend a C of E middle school in South Featherstone Secondary School premises.
The people of North Featherstone had to raise £5,000 towards the original estimated cost of the new C of E school to retain management, appointment and title rights and for the vicar to give religious instruction in person. By a series of special effort the sum raised to date passed the £1,000 mark.
Joe Harper MP visited Gordon Street School after a petition from parents about the state of the toilets. He then wrote to Margaret Thatcher, Secretary of State for Education saying "Apart from a number of higgledy-piggledy out buildings, better described as huts, very little has been done at this school since I was there over 50 years ago. It (the infants' section) is built on the same site as the senior and junior schools and great difficulty is found in differentiating between the huts which belong to the three schools, there seems to be no clear dividing lines. The parents were petitioning for better toilet facilities, under cover. The 5 to 6 years old had to go outside to use them.
"There is no wonder the parents and the school managers and governors are fed up to the back teeth. I realise new schools are planned. but people want something done in the immediate future, and what better that to provide some decent toilets for the very young ones. I would invite you (Mrs Thatcher) when next in the north, to visit the Gordon Street School complex. How the teaching staff cope I do not know, but they do a remarkable job of work under extremely trying conditions."
The reply from the Ministry was the Wakefield authorities were reluctant to provide indoor toilets because of the school's limited life but had agreed to improvements to existing toilets including lighting and heating. The school would be replaced in a major project starting 1976-77. The Secretary of State did not have plans at present to visit Yorkshire, but would bear in mind Mr Harper's suggestion when planning any future visit to the area.
BASIL PHILLIPS
Basil Phillips aged 45 was musical director for the Featherstone Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society. They were rehearsing in the Methodist Hall in Wilson Street in February and he was on his way there when he collapsed and died. He was also the regular pianist for the Poole Singers of Glass Houghton, musical director of the Girnhill Lane Singers and the Featherstone Male Voice Choir.
The Featherstone Methodist Church were seeking funds to buy a piano, and Mr Phillips' widow asked for donation towards it instead of floral tributes at the funeral. The church said it would hold a memorial concert for Mr Phillips.
THE AMDRAMS
The Featherstone Musical and Dramatic Society had lost their musical director and then the leading lady had to back out because of ill health. In March it was decided to go ahead with The Sound of Music at Castleford Civic Centre with just an organ played by Cyril Chilton and violin and percussion.
The opening night was reviewed for the Express by Peter Johnson who admitted he was not a fan of the film and had critical remarks of some scenery problems. But he also made some favourable remarks about the show. His somewhat flippant review did not go down well, and 10 people wrote letters to the Express who did not publish them because of a claimed lack of space but provided a summary, which was:
the report was destructive, not constructive in any way;
it lacked sympathy with the object of societies to provide live entertainment and encourage participation;
that insufficient attention was paid to the difficulties sustained by the society;
that the appearance of the report, with performances still to be given, affected public support;
that the way in which the show was received throughout the week proved Peter Johnson's written assessment totally wrong.
PARK LAKE DRAMA
Calvin Hopkins age ten of Pontefract and his cousin Gerald Dyas age 13 of Katrina Grove were playing in Purston Park in April when they saw Craig Palmer age two of Bedford Close in the lake. They fished him out. Mrs Mavis Kinsey of Katrina Grove, one-time nurse at Pontefract General Infirmary, heard a woman screaming by the side of the lake. She and her husband Vic rushed out and she gave the child artificial respiration and her husband went back to phone the ambulance service.
Craig recovered and they wrapped him in a blanket and took him back to their house to await the ambulance. Calvin's mother said Craig was all right when the ambulance arrived apart from a cut on his nose and a bump on his head. She let him go to the hospital to spend a night under observation. She told the Express she would like to thank the boys who pulled him out and Mavis Kinsey who revived him.
The clerk to the council, Mr G B Copley, said the lake was only two feet deep for safety reasons. He was only aware of two instances of children being taken out of the lake in a distressed condition. Obviously a toddler could drown in it and the council would consider what steps, if any, should be taken.
THE FUTURE OF FEATHERSTONE
The Featherstone Community Association held a meeting in Gordon Street School in October about the formation of Wakefield District Council. The councillors elected to the new organisations attended; Crs N Longbottom, E Longley and R Widdowson (Wakefield District) and Cr J W Bettridge (West Yorkshire).
Cr Widdowson said the population of the new district would be 303,000 compared to Featherstone's 15,000. There would be 66 council members and nine committees.
One questioner asked about Featherstone's old school buildings. Cr Longbottom replied he had been disturbed about the standard of Featherstone school buildings. "We send recommendations to the Education Executive at Pontefract who always agree, but when it goes further than that it disappears. The new organisation should break down these barriers."
Cr Widdowson said the public would be admitted to council meetings but not to committee meetings. Theoretically there should be a better service at a cheaper rate. In reply to a question from Revd R A Nelson about getting hold of somebody to get something done, he said in his opinion the service would not be as good because only three representatives would be available to contact instead of twelve. There would be a district office in Featherstone.
THE CRICKET CLUB
At the annual meeting in December the secretary for the past two years, Graham Stoney, and Dennis Jarvis, treasurer for a great many years, both resigned because they felt they would not have the time necessary to devote to their duties. Noel Schofield was the new secretary, and John Newham the new treasurer. Mr Stoney said the reward for some good cricket was the winning of the Beaumont Cup by the Yorkshire Council XI and the Pickersgill Trophy by the Pontefract League XI.
1973 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY The Featherstone Community Association hoped to open two clubs for toddlers and juniors at the Green Lane Central Youth Club and the Salvation Army headquarters in Wakefield Road. But there was a delay at both because of work being required at both, vandalism at Green Lane and deterioration at Wakefield Road.
The Featherstone Community Association held their first dance at the Lister Baths. About 240 people attended.
FEBRUARY Hemsworth Rural Council wanted to reclaim the disused tip at Ackworth Colliery but were told it was not disused as a comparatively small amount of waste material was still deposited on it.
At a meeting of the Featherstone Community Association it was said the Central Youth Club premises in Green Lane had been improved and a junior club and play group could now start.
MARCH Last year the conductor of the Ackton Hall Colliery Band appealed for new players. The call was answered and the new ones fitted in so quickly that at a competition in Sheffield they played Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks and were awarded 184 marks out of 200 which gave them third place.
South Featherstone Youth Club won a four-a-side football competition organised by Whitwood Mere Youth Club for which 29 teams entered. The Featherstone four were Gary Raybould, David Bell, Glen Batten and Geoff Adams.
APRIL The Ackton Hall Colliery Workmen's Band played the same Handel test piece in a competition at Oldham and came second winning a rose bowl. The band had Launched a "buy a brick" campaign to finance a new band room. They were using the Rovers facilities for practice. The photo of Dennis Metcalfe, the conductor, with the trophy is from the Express.
A procession of witness took place on Good Friday organised by the Featherstone Council of Churches. It ended at the precinct in Station Lane where about 100 people took part in hymn singing led by the Salvation Army Band.
MAY A musical evening was arranged to mark the re-opening of the Salvation Army Hall after the completion of renovations costing £5,500.
Carol Braithwaite was selected to be the Queen for the July Gala.
Pauline McPhail age 13 of Nostell View won a talent competition at Great Yarmouth. She sang Ann Murray's song Snowbird and was presented with a box of chocolates.
Members of South Featherstone Gospel Hall held their 300th senior citizens' meeting at New Priory.
JULY The Gala was opened by John Newlove, the Featherstone Rovers captain. He also crowned the Gala Queen, 15 year old Carol Braithwaite. There was a funfair and a free fall parachute display by the Endrust Sky-diving Team. The athletics had to be postponed because of the state of the ground after heavy rain. The photo of one of the sky divers missing the park is by Dr J Gatecliff.
The rain caused flooding including three feet of water in the cellar of the Progressive WMC. Featherstone Fire Service pumped it out.
The withdrawal of passenger services from the station caused 12 coaches to be needed to take 200 children from the Jubilee Hotel for a day out in Bridlington. They each received £3, two bags of crisps, two bottles of pop and sweets.
As usual at this time of the year Gaunson's advertised for workers.
AUGUST Nine sun hats and £15 in cash were stolen from The Market Shop in Station Lane. A police spokesman thought the thief must have had a big family.
SEPTEMBER The 1971 Census showed the population of the Featherstone district was 15,231 compared with 14,638 in 1961 and 13,935 in 1951.
A Merrie Feaste in the Vicarage Field arranged by the younger members of the church raised £55 for the organ fund. There was a chicken supper, tossing a bale of straw, tossing horse shoes, greasy pole fights and guessing the weight of a piglet. PC John Whitworth acted the part of a footpad, was caught and put in stocks and subjected to indignities (not specified).
Senior Major Violet Mercer of the Salvation Army, now 81 and retired, came to Featherstone from Leicester in 1929. She made a return visit from her home in Glasgow and said she was very pleased to see all the young members and congratulated them on the way they were dressed and the way they sang. She also said she was very happy when in Featherstone and was sorry to leave. The Express photo shows Senior Major Mercer with Captain W D Wilson and Brigadier Grace Raeside.
OCTOBER Filming took place in North Featherstone for the second series of the ITV drama Sam.
Ackton Hall Colliery Workmen's Band played in competitions organised by Harrogate Brass Band Association and came second and third in two of them.
Ackton Hall Colliery Workmen's Band played in competitions organised by Harrogate Brass Band Association and came second and third in two of them.
NOVEMBER There was a 16 hours power cut at Greenside affecting old people's bungalows. Those whose power remained on, including the warden, made tea for those without, and the local fish and chip shop did a roaring trade. Mr W D Parkes age 71 told the Express he spent the time with his overcoat and scarf on. He said you can't stand the cold at our age. Harry Bickley bought a camping stove to make tea and heat things like soup. The council surveyor, Mr D Sanderson, said it was caused by a fault in the cable serving the area.
Remembrance Day was marked as usual with a procession from the Miners' Welfare led by the Ackton Hall Colliery Workmen's Band with a first stop at the Ackton Hall Memorial. Then to the Rovers' ground for a service, and finally to the Purston War Memorial where wreaths were laid. The Poppy Day collection realised £230.87.
Gaunson Ltd gave their staff the day off on Royal Wedding Day, but some canteen members turned in as usual to provide the meals-on-wheels service.
The pre-school play group in the Green Lane Youth Club was in difficulties because of a lack of storage space. The council offered to build a storage extension. A second junior club was started in the St John Ambulance Brigade Hall.
DECEMBER The programme for Christmas patients in Ackton Hospital was:
Christmas Eve - carol singing by Featherstone Parish Church choir.
Christmas Day - Christmas dinner, turkey carved by Dr R G Forster. Tea party.
Boxing Day - visit of Father Christmas from the Featherstone Comfort Fund.