Earby Chronicles Edition 50 AUTUMN 2008 CELEBRATIONS ALL AROUND SOCIETY AIMS: As we publish our 50th edition of Chronicles, we can look back with pride on to raise awareness, the quality and content of the articles sent in by our contributors and the im- foster an interest and proving quality and presentation of our news letter. Edition 1 in 1995 was an 8 facilitate research into the heritage of Earby page photocopied format and now we print an 18 page volume in colour. The and district including 15th edition in 2000 was a special millennium edition in full colour magazine Thornton in Craven, Sough, Kelbrook, format. Chronicles would not be so diverse were it not for the commitment of Harden, Hague and our Chairman Bob Abel and his hard working team, supported by many Salterforth. members and others sending their own contributions. Keep it up and lets look OFFICIALS forward to recording more of this areas history in the years to come. Chairman : Chairman’s Note - Acknowledgement must also be given to the dedica- Bob Abel tion and hard work our editor, Bev Parker, puts in to ensure that we get our phone 01282 843850 regular mix of history and news. Vice Chairman : Bev Parker phone 01282 843226 EARBY YOUTH HOSTEL th Friends celebrate the 50 anniversary of the official opening Secretary : Margaret Brown The celebration was timed to coincide with Earby Development Group’s Open phone 01282 843932 Gardens Saturday when the Hostel held an open house for visitors to view the Treasurer : facilities offered at the Hostel as well as the garden. Our picture shows the Helen Horner mayor and mayoress of Pendle, Shelagh Derwent and Ann McGeorge, with a phone 01282 843850 group of members of the Friends of Earby Hostel Programme Secretary Wendy Faulkner phone 01282 863160 Liaison Officer: Trevor Tattersall phone 01282 842819 Archivist: Margaret Greenwood phone 01282 843394 NRCC Rep: Wendy Vernables Committee: Squire Firth phone 01282 817126 Editor : See back page recent talks & features £2.00 Page 3 Ronnie Cowgill—from one who really knows by Pamela Maryfield Members of Page 6 Warship Week by Peter Schofield Society free Page 15 A Question about Stoops Hill, Earby 1 Earby Chronicles This year is the fiftieth anniversary of the official opening of the Earby Youth Hostel which was donated to the YHA as a lasting memorial to Katherine Bruce Glasier described as “one of the greatest women of her age." She was a founder member of the Independent Labour Party and devoted her adult life not only to the Socialist Cause but she also fought for many social reforms, in particular nursery education, miners working conditions, the Save the Children Fund and the Margaret McMillan fund. Katherine came to live in Earby at Glen Cottage in 1922 after the death of her hus- band, John Bruce Glasier, and when she died in 1950 a fund was set up to provide the money to create a lasting memorial to her name. After much deliberation it was decided to buy her cottage and neighbouring property, convert it to a hostel and gift it to the YHA in perpetuity to her memory. As a large part of her life had been devoted to youth it was thought fitting that her memorial should also reflect this. Although the Hostel was already open for business the official opening ceremony took place in June 1958. Margaret McMillan Unveiling the Plaque at the Official Opening Ceremony, June 1958 Leaders of the Labour movement, including the Rt. Hon. J. Griffiths, deputy leader of the Labour Party, travelled from all parts of the country to pay a final tribute to a woman who, by her vision and campaigning zeal, helped to build the Labour move- ment from modest beginnings and to remember her pioneering work for many social re- forms. Mr. Griffiths commented, "Although she lived to ripe old age, Mrs. Glasier was in spirit ever young to the end. There is something appropriate that the cottage in which she spent so many years of her life, should go to the Youth Hostels Association. May her spirit inspire all who go in 2 Earby Chronicles there. May the fellowship that inspired her life, abide in the hostel for ever more." Other guests included her son Malcolm, a director of the Elder Dempster Shipping Com- pany, and Mr. Harry Wheatcroft, the internationally renowned rose grower and friend of Mrs. Glasier, who had travelled from Nottingham for the occasion, and presented her daugh- ter-in-law with a beautiful bunch of roses. He undertook to stock the beautiful natural gar- den with roses in perpetuity. Mr. Arthur H. Dower, chairman of the YHA, paid tribute to the trustees of the fund, especially to the one who first had the idea, for going ahead with the scheme. To him Mrs. Glasier had been for years only a name; now he knew she was someone they in the Associa- tion had sought for years, the genuine Youth Hosteller. Mr. Dower concluded “ We will endeavor to be worthy trustees of this hostel, and make it a true shrine from which the spirit of Katherine Bruce Glasier will shine forth for ever." Miss Miriam Lord a long time friend and associate of Katherine Bruce Glasier per- formed the unveiling of the plaque. Miss Lord said it was appropriate that the ceremony should be taking place on the anniversary of Mrs. Glasier's marriage. The lady they were that day honouring would be saying "splendid" and Miss Lord continued, "the radiance of her spirit is thrilling through this building. She is here with us now. She loved beauty and colour." Recalling one of her favourite quotations, "As we give, so we live," Miss Lord said Mrs. Glasier had given to all who asked with both hands. She had given the gathered jewels of her whole life, and she recalled how, on her eightieth birthday, Katherine had been pre- sented with a beautiful dressing gown and pair of slippers. The next time she saw the slippers they were on the feet of a poor refugee lady to whom Mrs. Glasier had given shelter. Miss Lord said that she pointed out that the slippers had been given to Mrs. Glasier, to which she received the reply "How better can I see them than on someone else." A muniments room was created which still exists today “where young hostellers will be able to enjoy peace and quiet”. Looking down on them, smiling always is a restored portrait of Mrs. Glasier, painted by John Mansbridge, whose father Dr. Albert Mansbridge, founded the Workers' Educational Association. Facing is a picture of her husband, John Bruce Glasier (an architect who gave up a lucrative practice to write, speak and work for so- cial reform), while furnishings include Mrs. Glasier’s bookcase, bureau and table. The Friends of Earby Hostel’s main aim is to ensure that this memorial, in the form of Earby Youth Hostel, will continue in the spirit that is was given and in perpetuity. There is no set membership fee but suggested donation of £5. If you are interested in joining the Friends of Earby Hostel, contact The Secretary, Bob Abel, on 01282 843850. RONNIE COWGILL– from one who really knows … This time from daughter Pamela …. The most recent two editions contained items relevant to my father. So what follows is by way of throwing a little light on someone who, for the middle years of his life, was very well known in and around Earby. Ronald, who was always known as Ronnie, was the eldest of a family of four (other siblings were Norris, killed in France in 1918 and always remembered as the really talented one, a singer and violinist, Norman who bred and showed dogs and judged championship 3 Earby Chronicles shows for the Kennel Club and Mabel who was for several years until her death in 1967, or- ganist at All Saints’ Parish Church. Before the First World War, my grandmother and her sister, Sarah Brown had a bak- ery and confectionery business at 10 Colne Road and ran a café upstairs, which because of its position facing west over Hill Top, was called Sunset Café. The firm was called Brown and Cowgill. This card was posted 1923 and should show Sunset café. From the Smith & Laycock Collection*. In this environment, my father learned to bake. In the early years of the business, when life was apparently a struggle, he used to come home from school and then take round a large, rectangular basket of buns and cakes to sell at the door. This suggests that the business was already running in at least 1908. Ronnie began to teach himself, from ‘trade’ books, the art of sugar confectionary and he became good at cake decoration with ‘royal’ icing. After his War service in France, he was posted to Düren as part of the rather short- lived army occupation in the Rhineland. While there he developed a taste for opera, manag- ing to travel in to Cologne, and he learned his confectionary craft more systematically from the family with whom he was billeted. On his return to England, he joined his mother and Norman in the bakery but he con- centrated on what was then clearly a talent for wing icing and fine tubes very much as an artist with paint and brushes. Ronnie’s first recorded award for a decorated cake was at Darwen Show, in 1925. He parted company from the business at about this time, and began to work in the Post Office as the junior of three postmen serving Earby, Kelbrook and the moor side as far a Bleara.