Saddleworth Historical Society Bulletin Volume 50 Number 4 2020 Bulletin of the Saddleworth Historical Society Volume 50 Number 4 2020 Acting Chairman’s Address 103 David Harrison Managing the Roads in Saddleworth: The Work of the Saddleworth Highways Committee, 1900-1930 106 Michael Fox The Great Saddleworth Exhibition - As Reported in Household Words 119 Saddleworth’s Spitfires 124 Peter Fox and Colin Watt Index 128 Alan Schofield Cover Illustration: Uppermill Square, c.1905. The ornamental trees were planted in 1903. (Peter Fox Collection) Edited by Mike Buckley Printed by Taylor & Clifton, Uppermill © 2020 Saddleworth Historical Society and individual contributors and creators of images. i ii SHSB, VOL. 50, NO. 4, 2020 ACTING CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS - 2020 David J.W. Harrison We must sadly report the death of several members of the Society during this past year. We lost two stalwarts of the Society. Barbara Booth of Greenfield, Secretary for many years and, with her husband Ken, then Treasurer, both of whom provided much energy and enthusiasm in the management of the Society in its early days, and sadly, James (Jim) Carr of Uppermill, Chairman for fifteen years and until recently a committee member, fell victim to Covid 19. We are also sorry to hear of the death of members, John Crewe of Oldham, and Prof. Harold Townson of Irby, Wirral. We extend our deepest condolences to their families and friends. It has been, I assume for all of us, a strange and lost year. The Covid-19 pandemic has struck many, not least our membership; there have been a few who have unfortunately contracted it and at least one death advised to us. Let us all sincerely hope that the recently reported successes of vaccination trials lead to approval for wide use and bear fruit in alleviating the debilitating effects of this terrible virus. I am delighted to report that committee resignations this year have been notable by their absence, and indeed we may soon be blessed with additions to augment our ranks. Any such additions, and indeed the continuing service of current members, will have, of necessity, to be conducted by carrying-on as before and by co-option to the committee until such a time as we can gather at a virally safe AGM to formally ratify committee membership. Firstly let us thank those lay members who offered to head up various aspects of the Society’s business this year: Charles Baumann, who though not a trustee, has continued to assist us by advertising our events and keeping the local media appraised of the Society’s functions. Meg Langton, likewise, continues with the editorship and provision of contributions to the Newsletter and her invaluable work with the sale and distribution of our publications. Mike Buckley, also a non-trustee, has been a major force in the Society with his many contributions of articles for and his editorship of the Bulletin and his efforts keeping track of membership and subscriptions. However, Mike’s time has been heavily slanted towards his stewardship of the reconstruction work to the Society’s new premises, Holly Bank. Apart from his almost daily oversight of the work, managing those contracted to carry out the work, he has been instrumental in researching and procuring the means to invest the premises with the measures and latest environmental benefits to ensure its economically secure future. Underfloor heating, heat pumps, suitable insulation procedures, disabled access matters, etc., come to mind. We should be eternally grateful to Mike for all the care and effort he is putting into this project to ensure its eventual success. Continuing this theme I would turn to committee members, in particular the trustees, Keith Lucas and Lily Hopkinson, who, aided by our specialist funding facilitator Nickala Torkington of ‘flourishtogether’ have been instrumental in raising much of the funding to finance the conversion of Holly Bank without which we would be nowhere. Their efforts, sadly not without knockbacks (due, understandably, to many grant bodies currently favouring funding of Covid related charities), are greatly admired and appreciated. This work continues. Also, regarding funding, we are most grateful to one of our distant members who has donated a major sum towards the financing of the conversion of Holly Bank and, although such a handsome gift as was made is unlikely to be surpassed, we would welcome any 103 ACTING CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS donations and any ideas that members may have that may incentivise gifting would be welcome. The day to day work of the trustees continues as well as is possible under the restrictions placed on us by the pandemic; Ivan Foster, treasurer, not only shepherds the Society’s general finances but also, separately, the budgeting and accounts relating to Holly Bank. In addition he remains active with the management of our website and together with Mike Buckley slowly but surely enhancing its capabilities. This has not been as swift as we would like as meetings with our software developer in distant Hebden Bridge are far from easy in this current climate. Lily Hopkinson, minutes secretary, in addition to her work with submission of funding bids keeps an excellent record of the discussions and resolutions of your committee. Keith Lucas is an endless source of innovative ideas and ways and means of fund raising. John Curnow organised the lecture programme for the year which, of course had to be curtailed after the first few talks. However his work continues in planning events for when better times allow. Duncan Anderson in the past has helped with the organizing of lectures by ensuring the speakers’ presence and their presentation requirements and gatekeeping such meetings but since the onset of Covid has had to self-isolate. But we welcome his continued interest and involvement. Lesley Brown and Christine Barrow have been managing the culinary side of our events but again, since March, this has not been necessary. They both however continue with the packing and local distribution of the Bulletin as issues are produced. On a personal level I am still upright and standing in as acting chairman and occasional secretary of the Society, roles which do not really suit my character nor age profile. Officers for these two positions are urgently needed. Further, I would thank our redoubtable band of postal distributors who, together with some of the trustees as mentioned already, turn out to deliver Society material, as and when required, thus saving us much in the way of postal costs. I only need to post around 110 copies of the Bulletin each time as the deliverers cope with a similar quantity locally and 35 of you have elected to receive these by email. Finally, thanks must be offered too to the Saddleworth Museum staff, Curator Peter Fox, and Janet on reception who is always ready to assist us as necessary. The trustees and Friends of the Museum too have been most helpful as they always ensure that someone is available to assist on lecture nights, opening up and placing chairs. Thanks to you all, Charlie, Oliver and Steve. Indeed, thank you all whose efforts keep the Society going and viable. Our programme of talks continued only up to March this year, for obvious reasons, but with the usual high quality presentations. At the last AGM in October 2019 Mike Buckley presented findings from his latest research into local celebrity George Shaw, ‘Architect, Antiquarian and Creator of Antiques’. This Victorian still surprises us with evermore revelations of his very active and fulsome life which Mike vividly brought to our notice. November brought us a presentation from the redoubtable Jack Schofield, when he spoke of ’The Kenney family’. Most of us locally are very aware of Annie Kenney of Springhead, one of Christabel Pankhurst more militant disciples and, though Jack’s talk did feature her and her ten surviving siblings, his main thrust was on his personal favourite, Annie’s brother Rowland. Rowland graduated from being a tramp, railway labourer to journalist, was the first editor of the Daily Herald and, during WWI, a propaganda agent for the British Government in Norway, finally being Director of the Northern Section of the Foreign Division in the Ministry of Information. He died in 1961 aged 79. A fascinating man and a revelation to all who heard Jack’s story. 104 ACTING CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS December’s lecture by John Fiddler, entitled ‘Oldham’s Health or Lack of it in the 1890s and the link with Moscow’ gave us an unexpected insight into the foresight and care exhibited by the authorities in late Victorian Oldham and their advanced ideas with the provision of facilities to combat the prevalent diseases of the time, particularly ‘consumption’ (TB) when sanatoria were built at the periphery of the town, one being at the hamlet called Moscow! Our January talk ‘Hathershaw Hall’ was by Carl Gannon. Carl, a retired police detective, brought his forensic experience to bear on researching the history of this ancient property located in the southern reaches of Oldham and though he suggested his investigations were as yet incomplete - when are historical investigations ever complete? - nonetheless gave us a rare insight to an overlooked establishment of medieval origins, still extant, but in private hands. His research is still ongoing. The February talk ‘Oldham’s Seven Crosses’ by Roger Ivens, Oldham’s Local Studies and Archives Officer, considered the likely locations for the seven monastic crosses making out the ancient estate of the Knight Hospitallers but admitted many answers are still outstanding as to this aspect of the town’s history. The March offering by Andrew Bibby ‘Working Co-operatively from Rochdale in 1844 to Hebden Bridge in 1870’ detailed the history of the early days of the Co-operative movement in those two towns.