Gregson Green the Village

GREGSON LANE / GREGSON GREEN - THE VILLAGE A personal view, JT Before the 1960’s Gregson Lane was just that - a lane in the Hoghton area. It had a school, a pub, a post office, a tiny shop and a playing field, but “going to the village” meant going to Higher Walton. When I was a small child, the housing estates of The Alders, Rock Cottage and smaller developments such as Aldersleigh Crescent were just being built, as were the new primary schools .The new housing on Coupe Green was not even begun. Most of the new families in the area moved out of town from Preston or Blackburn. My family had the farm at Daub Hall and the milk round, which naturally, was expanding. My mother in particular was very concerned that new people, particularly the young mothers she was getting to know, were feeling isolated after growing up in town. There was a Hoghton Branch of the Women’s Institute, but that was too far to get to in the evening unless by car. Others, both from long established local families and those who had recently settled in felt the same, and soon decided that what Gregson Lane needed more than anything was its own Village Hall. I remember monthly committee meetings being held, sometimes in our living room, sometimes in other people’s houses. There was tea, cake, laughter and a lot of “getting things done”. We had several fundraising bonfire parties held at the farm. The first was in the field opposite the farmhouse, which was the shortest distance back to the kitchen for treacle toffee and hot drinks, but it was built too enthusiastically and on a windy night the oak tree got singed, so after that it was held on the Big Meadow. For 2 or 3 years, the summer fete was on that field too. The Council would not allow it to take place on the playing field because it had no facilities! - but a field, and a marquee and a tractor generator served just fine. Finally, enough money was raised to get the basic building up. Like today, it wasn’t easy. They had hoped for a solid brick building, but gradually realised they were never going to afford that and compromised for the wooden structure we all know. It was built on a shoestring and most of the carpentry, electrics and fitting out were done by the committee members and local volunteers. It was an amazing achievement and I think they would all have been astonished to be told it would have lasted 50 years, or that so many of their children and grandchildren are now doing it all again. That Community Centre played a vital role in creating a centre for Gregson Lane and turning it into a real village. Over the years it has been the home for the WI, the Cameo Club, whist drives, the Brownies, the Cricket Club, the Football Club and plenty more events and parties. Today, it is sadly impossible to fund and construct a replacement building entirely from bonfire and field day events and DIY effort as it was then, though the community spirit is strong as ever and that in itself has brought people from all of Gregson Lane, and Coupe Green in their efforts to achieve it. Requirements for any public building are expensive to meet now. Everyone had hoped that the considerable fund raising efforts of the last few years would have enabled a mix of grant funding to meet the total. Unfortunately, this has not turned out to be the case. I personally found it sad to learn that local authority funding isn't available partly on the grounds that there are sports and other facilities in Walton-le-Dale and Bamber Bridge. That just means more car journeys and if people are always driving, local businesses like the shops and the pub will suffer too. If community facilities are allowed to die in Gregson Green, in the long term the village becomes a dormitory village. That would be so counter to the aims of those who worked so hard for it in the 1960s. I hope this is a chance to carry on what they all started. .

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