A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1978
THE AMDRAMS
The Featherstone and District Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society put on My Fair Lady at the Castleford Civic Centre in February. The Express review spoke of the vibrant and inspired performances of the key players and described the show as hilariously funny. There were children in the dance routines as young as eight.
THE ROVERS
The Rovers were having to sell players to survive financially. At the half-yearly meeting in January the financial secretary, Mr Jim Reed, said I can assure you it wasn't the committee's wish to transfer players, but what sort of position would we be in now without this source of revenue. (The club's overdraft was about £8,600.) The chairman, Mr Gordon Appleyard, gave details of ground improvements and the newly launched floodlights fund.
There was bad winter weather in February. Rovers' supporters tried in vain to get the ground ready. Photo - the Express.
Gordon Appleyard took over as chairman earlier in the year from Charles Raybould who resigned because of work commitments. In April he resigned because he felt he did not have the full backing of the committee. He said he had been engaged about 30 hours a week on behalf of the club, but there was so much apathy shown by others. His main complaint was the committee had chosen Mr Raybould to represent the Rovers on the Rugby League Council instead of him.
The Rovers' players refused to turn out for the last league game of the season unless Mr Appleyard was reappointed to the RL Council. It didn't happen so the game against Bradford Northern was not played. As a result the club was barred from taking part in the Premiership play-offs.
Enough Rovers' members supported a demand for an extraordinary general meeting which was held in the social club in June. They considered, right or wrong that the guarantors had a majority on the committee and they didn't always act in the best interests of the club. They were told the guarantors guaranteed a total of £18,050, and they had put £6,900 into the club. The players' representative, Robin Tuffs, told the meeting "We didn't just go on strike just in support of Mr Appleyard. The players have always had to fight for a better standard of wages. We are the worst paid club in the league".
A motion to demand the resignation of the present committee of 14 and elect a new committee of seven with no guarantors was given overwhelming backing.
The Rugby League fined the club £3,000 for bringing the game into disrepute, but took no action against the players because the club was responsible for the behaviour of the players.
In July the captain Terry Clawson issued a statement on behalf of the players of which this is an extract. "We would truly like to apologise to supporters for the inconvenience caused by the strike action at the end of last season. The players do not want to be involved in any further trouble at Featherstone. We just want to get on with playing."
Gordon Appleyard resigned from the club committee and they responded by expelling him from membership of the club which meant he could not be nominated as a candidate for the election of a new committee.
The annual meeting was held in July. Financial secretary Jim Reed announced a record profit on the season of £10,900. He said the social club was sold for £50,000 and after all debts were paid would result in a cash loss to the football club of about £750. With regard to the loss of the guarantors at the end of the meeting he said the club's deeds were at the bank to secure the overdraft which would always be required at the Rovers. The floodlights fund was a separate account and had reached £950.
The members voted for a new seven man committee with no guarantors. There were 20 names on the ballot paper. The Express photo of the new committee shows from the left, Terry Mullaney, Brian Hough, Chris Hewison (chairman), George Millett, Stephen Fitton and Eric Gardner. Terry Roberts was on holiday when the photo was taken.
The floodlights fund had been set up to fill a long needed want at the ground. By November it had passed the £1,000 mark.
THE ROVERS' SOCIAL CLUB
A special members meeting was held in February to consider the sale of the social club. Mr Ian Hartwell, the social club auditor, told members of the very serious possibility Featherstone Rovers RLFC could be wound up because of the social club.
The club chairman, Gordon Appleyard, said when it was opened about ten years ago it was to provide social facilities for the members and finance for the football club. Over the years about £6,000 had been received, but over the past six months £2,500 had been repaid. The football club was responsible for the social club debts, and this fact meant there was no alternative but to sell the social club.
Tetley's Brewery had indicated their intention to foreclose on the mortgage unless the club was sold in the immediate future. There was still £31,000 owing on the mortgage. The club had been offered £50,000 for the social club, but with other outstanding debts they would only be left with about £,4000. The members gave their overwhelming backing to selling the social club.
FLORRIE'S WOES
Miss Florence Nix age 67 lived in Crossley Street. She had poor eyesight and heart trouble. She had lived there for nine years watching the building deteriorate round her with damp walls, rotten doors and a backyard churned into a sea of mud by lorries delivering to a nearby builder's yard. There was no hot water system and an outside toilet. Neighbours on either side had been moved but she was stuck.
She had written to Wakefield District Council's housing department, and they had served an order on the owner, an 81-year-old widow in Purston, to carry out vital improvements.
Harrison's, the agents for the house. said the widow could not afford to carry out the work and asked the department to buy the house, which was her right. Mr Phillip Harrison for the agents, said the houses in Crossley Street were withdrawn from a slum clearance programme and placed in an improvement grant area.
In March on hearing of Miss Nix's plight, housing committee chairman Cr Geoff Lofthouse instructed the department officers to find her a council flat immediately. She was offered new premises in St Martin's Close and described it as a Godsend to be able to live in comfortable surroundings. The photo is from the Express.
LUCY THE DRESSMAKER
Miss Lucy Harrison age 89 was an apprentice dressmaker when she was 16. Now she lived in Ferndale old people's home but she had taken her old treadle sewing machine with her. She still made things for any resident and did alterations and mending. The Express featured her in May and took a photo of her with Mrs Jo Hutchinson, deputy officer in charge of Ferndale, who was wearing a uniform style dress made by Miss Harrison.
FIRE IN MANOR DRIVE
Mr Arthur Herberts was at work at LinPac Plastics in May when he was informed his house in Manor Drive, North Featherstone, was on fire. His wife and children were also out, and the cat managed to escape.
Mr Rowley Longbottom, a near neighbour, phoned the fire brigade and firemen from Pontefract and Castleford arrived but by the time the fire was out everything in it was destroyed. The back door was wide open when the firemen arrived, and the police were looking for a suspected arsonist.
Cr Norman Longbottom fixed the family up with another house, and social services provided beds and other furniture.
MAYOR WIDDOWSON
Cr Roy Widdowson was elected Mayor of Featherstone in May. He said "Wen the old urban district was disbanded in 1974, many of its functions were taken over by the Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and a lot of the excitement and public interest went with them. I am particularly pleased to be mayor this year because there are some exciting projects coming up which should bring that interest back". The photo of Cr Widdowson and his sons Robert and Richard is from the Express.
Joe Harper of Bedford Close, Purston, Labour Member of Parliament for Pontefract and Castleford, died in Pontefract General Infirmary in June aged 64. He had been an MP since 1962.
Some people had to stand in Purston Church for the funeral service with over 400 inside. Many more stood outside in the rain to pay their respects. HM the Queen sent a representative and Arthur Scargill attended for the NUM. The photos are from the Express.
THE GALA
Town Mayor Roy Widdowson was at Purston Park early on the July day of the Gala to decide if it would go ahead because of the wet weather. At 11.30am it was agreed to carry on and 2,000 people braved the elements. The trampoline display was called of because of the danger of damp equipment and plimsolls. The Queen was Gillian Evans.
A mock coal face rigged up by the NCB proved popular, and there were displays by the Pontefract and District Aeromodellers, Featherstone Model Powerboat Club and karate from Featherstone Sports Centre. There were dancers from Gordon Street Middle School and other children in fancy dress. The photos of the Gala Queen and one of the races are from the Express.
NORMAN MILLARD
Norman Millard, station officer at Featherstone Fire Station, retired in July after 36 years with the Featherstone Fire Brigade. When he began they rode on a 1928 fire engine. He was presented with a teasmaid on behalf of the men and a digital watch on behalf of their social club. He also received a gift from the non-firemen at the club.
He gave thanks to his wife Eva who had shown as much interest in the job as he had done and given him every encouragement.
CHRISTMAS CONCERTS
Purston First School produced a triple bill concert for two nights in December in aid of the children's assessment unit at Pontefract General Infirmary. The capacity 200 audiences saw Zalzabar by classes 1,2 and 3, European Carols by classes 4 and 5, and Christmas Crocodile by classes 6 and 7. The Express photo shows the cast of Zalzabar.
Regent Street First School also had a Christmas concert. Another Express photo.
George Street Middle School had a Christmas party. The Express photographer also turned up.
JANUARY Last year the National Coal Board said it was considering selling its houses to sitting tenants. The scheme went ahead and local valuers, paid by the board, valued the houses and the tenants paid half the valuation. Mr Ken Millward for the NCB, said now is the ideal time to buy with mortgage rates at 8½%, the lowest figure since about 1972. He said the response had been about 45% so far.
There were empty houses in Pretoria Street ready for demolition. A gas metre was stolen from one, and another was set on fire.
FEBRUARY There was a national campaign by Health Minister David Ennals to persuade parents to have their children immunised. Posters to "Protect that Child" were put up at pitheads, pubs and clubs throughout the area.
MARCH Phase one of Featherstone and Purston First School was opened by the chairman of the school managers, Cr K Wilson. It was to cater for six to nine years old, and until phase two was completed younger pupils would stay at the old school. The photo is by Photoair.
APRIL The disused St Peter's Mission Church now used as a store was broken into and trowels, spirit levels, chisels, hammers and tape measures, together worth £120 were stolen.
The Station Lane crossing was closed for nearly an hour when a locomotive pulling coal wagons from Ackton Hall Colliery broke down. Another engine had to be brought to pull the train back to the colliery.
MAY In the Wakefield District Council election Norman Longbottom (Labour) received 2,696 votes, and Mr T D Hirst (Conservative), 1,344.
JUNE News about a skateboard park for Streethouse brought a comment from Cr John Holt to the Express on behalf of the Ratepayers Association. "I welcome the news for Streethouse, but the youngsters of Featherstone really need a rink of their own. We are bitterly disappointed that there has been no action".
Firemen were on hand when fire broke at in three derelict houses in Andrew Street opposite the fire station. Children burning old rubbish were thought to have started the blaze.
Wakefield Council wanted 17 acres of Parkfield Farm, North Featherstone, to be used for an estate of private houses. The farm tenants, Mr Ernest Copley and his two sons Ken and Richard objected so a public inquiry was held for a compulsory purchase order. He said the farm of 156 acres was owned by the NCB and 15 acres was lost for the new school and 15 for the M62. He had 120 head of cattle which produced 160 gallons of milk a day and 95 gallons were sold in the North Featherstone area.
Wakefield Council were considering making the Station Lane level crossing fully automatic to ease the traffic queues when it closed 20 to 30 times a day. It considered the proposed relief road from the Junction Hotel to Cresseys Corner would cost £1,200,000 and would not solve the problem because most of the traffic was local and not through traffic.
JULY Cr John Holt raised the problem of old people living in bungalows with a garden and being unable to cut the grass. If it was open plan the council would cut it bur where there were gardens it was down to the Recreation and Amenities Department. A representative from that department told the Express it was up to the Housing Department to tell them where it was needed. The photo is from the Express.
A new library was proposed to be funded by Wakefield District Council and Featherstone Town Council. A suggested site was the junction of Station Lane and Victoria Street.
AUGUST Tenants on the 1914 council house estate complained about the cost of the district heating scheme. The chief housing officer, Mr Ronald Horrocks, said the price of coal had gone up so they had to increase the cost of running the scheme.
SEPTEMBER The Vicar of Featherstone launched a £3,000 scheme for maintenance to the church tower. He said "We've known for some years the tower needed pointing. It hasn't been done for 40-50 years and the architect has advised us to have the work done as soon as possible".
OCTOBER Featherstone Town Councillor Alan Gasgoyne complained that since Wakefield District Council had taken over the allotment rents had increased for the 365 plots in the town but not a halfpenny had been spent on them. Alec Evans was site secretary for the Girnhill Lane allotments. He wanted high perimeter fences and lock-up gates to stop children getting in and stealing things. Vandalism was also a problem. This Express photo shows Mr Evans with the remains of an asbestos garage on the allotments demolished by vandals.
The Featherstone and District Hospital Comforts Fund were hoping to raise £450 from their Hospital Month effort. New Purston WMC had donated £113. So far this year Ackton Hospital had been provided with six deckchairs, a wheelchair, and a Buxton chair. Curtains would be provided to give patients more privacy.
Fireman Phillip Lockwood undertook a 300 mile trip on his bike to visit all West Yorkshire's 52 fire stations. He was hoping to raise £1,500 for the Fire Service Benevolent Fund. The Express photo shows him being greeted by Brian Harper (in the middle) and Ian Dransfield at Featherstone.
Two more derelict houses in Andrew Street were set on fire.
An auction was held in All Saints' Church of England School in aid of the tower appeal which raised £340 and took the total to £1,100.
NOVEMBER The new footpaths and road realignment between Friars Close and Ackworth Road had been talked about for years. Now money was available to get it done in the current financial year. Mr Colin Nye, the Council's chief traffic engineer, said he would arrange to see if a pelican crossing could be included. The cost of the scheme was £24,000.
DECEMBER The Express Published this photo of Jason Ramshaw (with ball), Tommy Smales, Ian Smales and Terry Ramshaw at St Thomas Middle School to illustrate sons following fathers in the rugby league game.
Twenty five galvanised sheets valued at £125 were stolen from the demolition work at Andrew Street.