'4 Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, June 17th, 1982


Clitheroe 22324 (Editorial), 22323 (Advertising). Burnley 22331 (Classified)


Centenarian poet enjoys Wedding day love song


8 York StreetClitheroe. LancashireTelephone24203.


MIDSUMMER EVENT


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8 YORK STREET, CLITHEROE TELEPHONE 24203


MR STALKER with a photograph of himself at 21.


' (§13 ' ' the simple life


MEETING Mr Archibald Stalker, a Whalley ljesident for 14 years, is an unforgettable experience.


the fact that next week Mr Stalker celebrates the great age of 100, he is a remarkable character.


Born in the ‘isolated


small' Scots town of Campbeltown, Argyll­ shire, he says he had “no formal education to speak of” and is largely self taught, yet by diligent re-, search' he became some-, thing of an expert on the work of Shakespeare, Elizabethan literature and poetry and has had sever­ al books published.


His mother was a High­


lander and his father . knew no words of English until the age of seven. Mr , Stalker was one of the


‘ youngest of 11 children and can look back to the , time when coal was 6d. a hundredweight, when the stage coach brought they mail and when the first pneumatic bicycles re­


placed penny farthings. ■ His. literary knowledge-


Prints of most photographs in this issue are available to order


helped him, at the age .of 18, to pass the examina­ tion for the civil service, as an essay on Shakes­ peare was required and he was able to quote in full Matthew Arnold’s sonnet on the bard. Mr Stalker was on the


staff of the Local Govern­ ment Board for Scotland, later the Board of Health, for oyer 40 years and made his home in Edin­ burgh, moving to Abbey Fields to be near his son and daughter-in-law. Dr


For quite apart from .


and Mrs Randal Stalker,, shortly after his wife’s death.. . He has another son,


with two children, ;in Perth. One o f his ear.ly


memories: of London -is seeing Queen Victoria', pass in her carnage in Holbom and give “a most graceful bow.” The reasons for having


reached such a great age are', he explains, twofdld. Firstly, he has good High­ land blood in his veins and long life seems to run in the family. , His parents were over 70 when . they died and of his brothers .and sisters — excluding 'two who died in infancy — one lived to 80, two to 86 and the rest into their nineties. The second reason is


“ living the simple life” and gradually avoiding what did not agree with him, Over the years he has' given up alcohol, smoking, tinned meats, fried foods and most fruit. He thoroughly enjoys home-made soup, meat and . potatoes, but fervently believes that cold drinks are bad for you.


Until recent weeks he


. kept fit by walking a mile in the morning and a mile in the evening. He man­ ages to read a little,


before his eyes become tired,-and enjoys listening to music . ..:. “Mozart’s my man.” : .


music and remembers singing a solo in the town; hall at Campbeltown at.‘ the age of five to win ' third prize in a competi­ tion. -


He -has always loved ' Mr Stalker-has kept: a


. diary for more years than > he cares to remember and is the author of several works of reference, in­ cluding “The intimate life of Sir Walter Scott” and ‘'Shakespeare,' Marlowe and Nashe,” which threw, light on the early plays' and the son n e ts o f Shakespeare! - His first love, he says,


was Bums, a poet every man could understand. He has also written two


volumes of verse and con­ tributed articles to “The Quarterly Review,” one exposing Shakespeare’s will as a forgery and another defining poetry in a way never before at­ tempted. To celebrate the big


day next Tuesday, his daughter-in-law Beryl —


- three granddaughters and' three great-grandsons will be there. Perhaps he will even


. who does all his cooking, cleaning and gardening — is holding a family dinner at their home in Clitheroe Road and Mr Stalker’s


write a poem for the occa­ sion.


.


THE work of which Mr Stalker is perhaps most proud is a wedding song, never published, which he recited at the wedding of his grand­ daughter Monica in 1974.


_ It.is, he says, a curious fact, considering the


great number of love songs in ^ our national repertoire, that there is not a single song fit for recitation or singing at wedding feasts. He wrote the song to the music in the final


chorus of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” and hopes the day will come when opera companies


■ -To you belongs this golden day, ^ And as it passes swift away, To you we sing and say, Joy to bridegroom and bride, Joy, joy, to the bridegroom and bride. B y different pathways through sunshine and rain, • '


adopt it.


They meet at their bridal and part not again, , And may all the future years Prove bright as this day appears, And gladness and health ever with them abide. I f fame and fortune were. The aim of all our care And labour, feio ivoidd share The gladness of life. But since the world began, No price was dearer than The love of maid for man, And husband for wife.


.


So joy to the two who are vliahtina their troth, May happiness always attend on them both.


'While rivers roll and ocean plays, There shall be happy wedding days, And this sweet song always, Joy to bridegroom and bride, Joy, joy, to the bridegroom and bride. With memories that linger and hopes that will


This day brings together the future and past, For some ivho have held them dear, Are present in spirit here, Rejoicing with us as we stand by their side. Love is their mansion fair, So let them enter there, For it is everywhere, Swept, shining and ivarm. Eire in their heart burns bright, Faith fills the house with light, And it shall day and night


last,


Be shelter from storm, . So joy to the two who are plighting their troth. May happiness always attend on them both.


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War memorial’s undignified end


AN interesting caller came along this week; a former villager now living in Clitheroe who had a host of good stories to tell. First, he tried to catch


there; perhaps I really DID see it, but not being a motorist in those days, it had never “registered.” ' Then this jovial old-


me out. “How many war memorials has Whalley had?” he demanded.- “Two,” I was able to


f§P§H, p « 'C f 3 .9 9


Organ Society’s


m l WhiteEMBOSSFr\ rr0m-^pperrof, WALLC0^R!NGS


_


WALL STORAGE CUPBOARD


with shelf, |


scoop LOVERS of organ- music from miles around are ex- p e c te d to head fo r Clitheroe on July 10th for a recital by the great American virtuoso Carlo Curley.


To attract an artist of r s r f f i — , * s ' i


Mr Curley’s calibre is a marvellous coup for the town’s Organ Society, particularly as he has given an undertaking not to hold any “rival” recitals within a 50-mile radius.


As Mr Curley is the


sort of artist who can fill the Royal Albert Hall, the Society will be most dis­ appointed if there is not a capacity audience at the Parish Church.


Tickets will be on sale


soon at the parish office and from various shops in and around Clitheroe. ■'


Mr Curley, who is 30,


was playing the organ in church by the time he was five.


He has given many per­ formances in this county


and made frequent radio and television appear­ ances. In 1980 he gave the first organ concert in the White House", in front of President Carter.


His repertoire of more


than 100 items is played from memory and he in­


troduces his music in a very personal and humor­


ous way.


attractions PREPARATIONS are well in hand for the 119th Royal Lancashire Show, to be held at Witton Park, Blackburn, from July 27th to 29th, and officials are hoping that the recent hot spell will be maintained. There will be a host of


Lots of


attractions such as para­ chute displays, sheepdog


- trials, i-hot air balloons, shire horses, Shetland ponies, pigeons, dairy.and beef cattle, rabbits, goats and the. Coronet Juvenile Jazz Band. : . ■


■ Tickets are available from any Ribble Travel booking office and • there are concessions for school parties. • • •


tell him. “There was a temporary one that stood in King Street by the corner1 o f Dr Postleth- waite’s garden. It was put there while the present site in what used to be the grammar school play­ ground was prepared and our permanent and more dignified memorial was


carved.” My visitor nodded.


“You’re right,” he said. “But do you know what happened to' ■ the first one?” I confessed my ig­ norance. “ I’ll tell you then. It


was made of wood and asbestos sheeting. Me and my father bought it and


Whalley Window


turned it into a hen cabin. Later we sold it to the old district council as a tool shed.” An undignified end to a


career which started with such d is t in c t ion , I thought. I have an old photograph of the original as it- first stood and it really was very impres­


sive. Then my visitor tried


me out again. Did I know where the first petrol sta­ tion in the village stood?


he enquired, and this time I was uncertain.


“Was it on the corner of Fred Groome’s shop oppo­


site The Dog?” , I asked. My new friend grinned. “No. That was the second


one. Bob Hebden had the first. He used to stand on the pavement where Vale House was with a 40 gallon drum, measuring cans and a hand pump.” He described it so ex­


actly I could almost see it


that one. “Yes. It’s repu­ ted to be the entrance to an old lead mine although I have never seen it documented anywhere. Possibly it was sunk in the days of the Cister­ cians when lead was needed for the roof of their abbey.” I was liter­ ally bursting- with infor­ mation, both geological and historical. Again my caller grin­


timer — only five years older than myself — turned to boyhood pranks. “Do you know that hole in the Nab; just behind the Marjorie, he enquired. He didn’t catch me with


ned. “Aye. Well, when we were youngsters, a pal of mine called Parker from Church Lane crawled down. Me and my other mate tied a rope round his ankles to get him out if he got stuck and then stood to keep ‘nix’. You never saw what a mess he was when we got him out.” I did. Around 30 or


more years later my own boy did exactly the same thing and used his little sister as a look-out. Last o f all came a


lovely old story I simply daren’t put into print. It’s quite hilarious. Next time we meet, ask me about" it


■and I’ll whisper in your ear.


J.F.


Top of class B O L T O N -B Y -B OW-


LAND teenager Claire Birch has won a trophy and certificate for coming top of the second year ..students in the general


catering course at Nelson and Colne College. Claire (18), of Ivy Cot­


tage, Holden, gained the highest City and Guilds mark to win the prize. . Now Claire, a former


• pupil of Bowland County Secondary School, is look­ ing for a job in confection-


'ery and baking or indust­ rial catering. In her spare


time she enjoys motor cy­ cling and watching motor cycle racing.


i H


Clitheroe


Sa


Spring- Voluntee


on Saturd to give S; much need along the Health Cer The clea


step towar brook as those at Waddingto. ing, perha tion area. That is


hope of. 1: rock, head County P who is spring clea “We war


attack the brook botti weeds ai banks,” he


RC Scho showed th dads a trie’ an exciting by two wic The dads


Lads wi The lads


bat and m the lads for 8. Sc “ unbiased Julie Wha Joyce Wai made after ments.


liam, wife vicar, ga Sabden B about her girl in Hi Germany in Switzer thanked bj Mrs Marior


During Mrs Ch


Myste F i f t y


Sabden Ov a mystery tour on a through p shire and supper at Inn, Basha Winners


dominoes Wade, M Mrs M. L Boocock. Whist:


A. Clark Swift, Gei


• Cottam, Raffle: Mr: - At the Mrs K. N Bass and taker won Whist:


E. Hargri Brennan. M. Procter Raffle: Mr:


In the c Newly-el


of Sabaen is mother-i


4 #


For details of fast,


economical


. advertising in this your


local paper ring


BURNLEY 22331


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