by Sheila Nixon


QUEEN VICTORIA had reigned for 63


years. . . In Clitheroe, a group of brave young men marched


off to war . . . The Medical Officer for


Health for the area reported a decrease in the death rate and placed Clitheroe among the healthi'est towns in the


Britain was plunged in a bloody conflict in South


country. . . . It was 1900 and already


Africa. The Boer War had begun


in 1899 and in Clitheroe the first group of volunteers cel­ ebrated the New Year by rallying to the flag. With hindsight, one


tury which went on to pro­ duce the most devastating wars the world has ever


seen. With the help of local ref­


erence librarian Sue Hold­ en, the Advertiser and Times decided to look at some of the local events that helped to shape the lives of ordinary men and women in the Chtheroc area during 1900 and the next 29 years. And the news that domi­


might comment that it was a predictable start to a cen-


by Winston Churchill, then a young war correspondent for the Morning Post, were reproduced in the the Clitheroe Times. It was as though the writing was already on the wall - an omen that the new century was going to be blighted by wars, but who would have


Reports from the front ....


Fascinating journey through early years of the 20th Century


nated our columns in Janu­ ary. 1900, was the war in South Africa.


known then that Churchill, some 40 years later, was to become one of the country's greatest war leaders of all time? A story in the Clitheroe


Times for January 19th, 1900, reported a "Send off to local volunteers". It appears that the lads were a very modest group of recruits and wanted to leave their home town with as lit­ tle fuss as possible. The report stated: "The Clitheroe Company of the


East Lancashire Regiment left yesterday upon active service.The men got away from Clitheroe very quietly, the public being unaware of their departure." But when they linked up


with other men from their Battalion in Blackburn, there was a farewell dinner hosted by the Mayor, fol­ lowed by loud cheering from crowds lining the streets, as more than 100 men marched off to war. On the same day, there


Ciithcroc lias known many, old 'characters' and one ot the


most notablo must surely be ■•Pea Harry”, who was well known in the town at tho turn


/


of tho century. “Harry" had his establish-;


was just one volunteer from Chatburn and the whole vil­ lage, including a torchlight, 'procession and- the locaL brass band, turned out to _ wave him off. "Decidedly", patriotic" was how the Clitheroe Times described the occasion. The young man was Mr L: K. Met­ calfe, son of Thomas Met­ calfe, manager of the Gold Venture Lime Works. There were similar scenes in Sab- den and Wiswell. Meanwhile, the Mayor


and Mayoress of Clitheroe were hosting a grand ball in the Public Hall in support of the families of the sol­ diers and sailors serving in


South Africa. Despite the war, the


mont in Lowergatc, at tho rear I ot tho Swan and Royal Hotel,i and from here he would wheel! out his truck, comnlote with fire and cooking-pot from: which ho would scoop out and put into your basin two penny­ worth of hot peas.


most public houses in tho town, but during a particular cold spell, when tho Ribblo was frozen, he was very enter­ prising and took his truck and cooking equipment down to Brungcrloy so that ho might satisfy tho appetites of tho skaters who had gathorod thoro.


His regular round inoludod;


dawn of 20th Century brought reasons for new optimism for ordinary fami­


v Harry” at his establishment v with two of his younger cus- ~ tomers.


My picture shows "Pea


Dawsons’ valued place in Clitheroe history


WHEN you have walked around Dawsons - Clitheroe's "department store" - have you ever wondered about the history of the stylish build­ ing, believed by many to be one of the town’s most fascinating premis-


GS? The story of 54-56 King Street starts in


the last century. • In 1883 the town council approved plans


to build a premises which would become known as the Albert Hall. Despite one resi­ dent’s wish that the hall would be long used for "the moral and spiritual good of the peo­ ple of Clitheroe", building work was discon­


tinued.Sixteen years later, 56 King Street was sold for £500 to a business which aimed to revolutionise Clitheroe's entertainment industry - Clitheroe Rollerskating Rink Company Ltd. Some of the rinks original features have been retained at the store, including the maple floor and the balcony where spectators once stood to watch skaters fine-tuning their skills.


As fashions changed, so too did the build­ . . . .


ing’s purpose. In 1915 following the advent of cinema, the building became the Palace Theatre and it was hero that the silent jmovies were screened. A year later, in 1916, the Palace Cafe was built on the corner of the premises - a place well remembered by many Ribble Valley residents.


Advertising Feature


again when control passed to a small com­ pany which decided to place tho premises - now known as the Queen's Hall - at tho pub­


lic's disposal as a venue where a variety of events could be staged, including Saturday


night dancing. A decade later, Preston Farmers took


over the premises and occupied the site for 37 years. Then, seven years later, in 1974,


the site passed into the hands of the Daw­


son family. The family firm, which had started life as


an ironmongery in Parson Lane, moved into tho new premises under the leadership of Mr Maxwell Dawson. Since the '70s, the business has been handed down through generations of the Dawson family, first to Mr Dawson's son, Robin, and, more recent­ ly, to his daughter-in-law, Mrs Judith Daw­


son. As time has passed, the family-run firm


has continued to expand as extra depart­ ments selling a wide variety of goods, from luggage to gifts and houseware, have been added. And in July this year the business took a new direction when it took over the Ethos Gallery, a move which led to a mem­ ber of the fourth generation of the family, Mr Simon Dawson, becoming a director. On the dawn of a new millennium, the


Co-operative Wholesale Society, the build­ ing became known as the Agricultural Hall and/just*three years later, it changed hands


In 1920,'how under the ownership of the ■ ■


family firm, which has earned itself a place in the Clithcroe history books, is looking forward to the future and aiming to build on its long-standing traditions and reputa­


tion.


lies. In 1900, the Medical Officer for Health said he was highly satisfied with the improvements in the general health of the popu­ lation of the local area. There was a low general death rate, a low death rate from infectious diseases and a diminishing infantile death rate. In fact, Clitheroe was enjoying bet­ ter health than many other areas. For the general death rate of 14.3 per thousand was the one of the second


lowest recorded in the pre­ ceding 25 years - and was 3.6 below the national aver­


age. However, measles was


still a serious childhood dis­ ease and in the winter of 1900, the National School had to be closed temporari­ ly, after more than 60 cases were reported. At the time, it was considered a relative­ ly minor outbreak because no other school in the town was required to close. We have selected a vari­


ety events over 30 years that paint a picture of local life and the things that mat­ tered most to the communi­ ty. The Victorian era came to a close, with the death of the Queen ( she had reigned from 1837 to 1901), and the Coronations of Edward Vll in 1901 and George V in 1910, with local celebra­ tions to mark the events. Four years later the First


military hospital was. opened at Whalley, later to become Calderstones Hos­ pital. Electricity came to the


dates that help to complete the picture: Clitheroe proclaimed Edward V l l (February


town in 1927, new sports and social clubs sprang up in the local area, several cin­ emas showing silent movies and then talkies were also opened during the 30-year span and brought drama and romance to an austere


era. Short-time working and


World War began and dur­ ing the next four years more than 300 Clitheroe men were killed and many more injured. On May 28th, 1915, the country's largest


disputes were common at local cotton mills, still the biggest employers in Clitheroe. In February, 1900, the spinners at Low Moor Mill staged a strike over the poor condition of the weft and at the same time the weavers were locked out by the manage­ ment because, without the spinners, there was no work for them. The mill closed in the 1930s due to competi­ tion from cheap imports and others followed suit, ending century-old cotton dynasties, such as the Gar­ netts of Low Moor. Here are some other


1901). Opening of new West


Bradford Methodist Chapel (September 1904). Opening of Clitheroe


son tod thoroe by tho Government, in appreciation of the work done t in Clitheroe for


he war effort. It stood here,


in the Market


. Place, fo r a fow days beforo being moved to Brungcriey Park, whore it remained fo r several. years until it w a s broken up for sorap.


th e building on the -fight o(. tho -picture ‘ is tho Brown- low Arms, a bank.


Incidentally,


effort (March 1920). Gisburn Auction Mart


opened (April 1920). Dale Head residents


Library (October 1905) Opening of Low Moor


ma (December 1921). Whalley Show - all


Opening of Grand Kine- ;


bowling green (June 1906). Collapse of suspension


bridge at Whitewell (July 1906).Waddington Wesleyan Chapel opened (April


1908). Brungerley Park scheme


King Street (October 1909). 1,000 horse-drawn vehi­


cles use Whalley Road, Clitheroe, daily (March


mar School - last prizegivng in old building (July 1914). Grindleton bridge col­


1910). Clitheroe Royal Gram­


lapses (September 1919), Record floods (February


1920). Tank arrives in Clitheroe


to celebrate record fund­ raising in town for war


given notice to quit to make way for Stocks Reservoir (June 1920).


records broken, 10,000 visi­ tors (August 1921). Ptomaine (food) poison­


(August 1908). Skating rink opened in ■


scheme (July 1922). General Booth's'visit to Clitheroe" (September


1923). Brownlow Arms sold to Barclays Bank (December


1925). Clitheroe Motor Club


trial run (April 1926). Princess Mary> visit


(October 1927). Express train disaster at


Chatburn (March 1928). Clitheroe housing - peo­ ple living in hovels (August


1929). Chatburn Mill strike


(December 1929).


ing in Clitheroe - 70 cases, including one death (Sep­


tember 1921). Henthorn estate housing


'AWSON'S 0 /ie *3)eA a& t7?i& rU d c o v e


Enjoy your Millennium Party with a large selection of party packs, balloons, crackers, serviettes, coasters, table cloths, corkscrews, paper plates, garden candle torches


J j ^ Millennium Souvenirs for that Special Occasion


ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT


• Irons • Toasters (inc. Dual it) • Jug Kettles • Traditional Kettles • Sandwich Makers • Coffee Makers • Food Processors • Hand Blenders / Mixers • Juice Extractors • Electric Knives • Deep Fat Fryers • Slow Cookers • Pressure Cookers • De Longlii • Dyson Vacuum Cleaners • Fans


THE ONE STOP SHOP FOR YOUR IDEAL HOME BATHROOM


GARDENING DEPARTMENT


• CK and Spear and Jackson tools including Spades, Forks, Rakes, Trowels, Secateurs, Shears, Loppers


. Watering Cans • Hosepipes • Canes • Plant Pots • Bird Tables • Nesting Boxes


COOKWARE DEPARTMENT


• Le Creuset • Meyer • Stainless Steel Pans • Bakeware by Progress • Pyrex • Cutlery • Glassware • Tableware


HARDWARE & TOOLS


DEPARTMENT


• Curtain tracks/tie backs • Paints/Varmslics • Huge selection of light bulbs and fluorescent tubes


• Tools by Snndvik, Stanley & CK


• Power Tools by Black & Decker, Bosch


• Nuts, bolts, loose nails • Plumbing section • Sand and cement


• Door accessories (internal & external)


• Door and window locks by Chubb & Abus


• To see a wide range of bathroom accessories in mahogany, pine, china, chrome and antique gold


• Bathroom cabinets • Bath sets » Mirrors .. • Selection of laundry baskets and toiletries • Shower curtains


GIFT DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT


1 Pictures and frames • Jewellery ’ Country artists > Colony candles • Floral arrangements > Handbags, purses, wallets


» Luggage by Antler and Delsey


• Briefcases • Vases/stem ware ■ • Toiletries • Cards and giftwrap • Cuddly toys:


56 King Street, Clitheroe. Telephone: 01200 425151


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