PENNINES TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

11th July 2006

PRESENT: Councillor Ashworth (in the Chair); Councillors Akram, R. Clegg,
I. Davidson, Jones, Kerslake, Swift, Whittle and Wright.

OFFICERS:
S. Thornton (Pennines Township Manager), D. Collins (Highways & Engineering Services), M. Dalzell (Planning & Regulation Services), D. David (Strategic Housing Services), P. Egan (Policy, Partnership & Regeneration Service), M. Taylor (Environmental Management Services) and, M. Hardman and N. Dean (Legal & Democratic Services).

Apologies for Absence: Councillors Dearnley, Evans and Maguire.

Also in attendance: T. Booty (Rochdale Development Agency) and Inspector Houldershaw (Greater Manchester Police).
The Bobbin Public House
Mr. Hall expressed congratulations to the Committee for implementing a conservation area in Milnrow but voiced concern at the change in name of a public house from "The Tim Bobbin" to "The Bobbin". Councillor Swift advised Mr. Hall that John Collier did not frequent The Bobbin Public House and that there were buildings in the area that were of greater relevance to John Collier. It was suggested that an application for funding could be submitted, requesting the erection of a plaque in John Collier's memory in a relevant building and that maybe a tourist information sign provided. Councillor Swift agreed to discuss the procedure for such memorials with Mr. Hall in the near future. The Head of Planning & Regulation Services advised the Committee that the names of public houses were the sole decision of the landlord and that the Council could not force a landlord to change the name. A member of the public voiced the opinion that, as Milnrow was a mill town, “The Bobbin” as a name for a public house in that area was suitable.

To continue:- A few years after I took over at Milnrow, Esso ceased to operate from their depot which was eventually sold to an Oldham businessman who intended to take in whale oil there for the manufacture of margarine. A Swiss scientist, who proved to be of a rather excitable nature, was put in charge of the project. Unfortunately the commencement of operations coincided with the onset of an exceptionally cold spell of weather. Around ten tank wagons of whale oil had arrived on the Saturday morning and plans were afoot to unload them on the Monday. All weekend temperatures remained around 28 degrees F or below and, when the discherge pipes had been connected and the pump switched on, nothing flowed forth and it was discovered that oil in the pipes on the vehicles had frozen solid. Tank wagons continued to arrive so that by the end of the week over 50 of them were in the yard while Jack Frost still reigned supreme. The tank wagons were private owner vehicles on hire to the consignee and his problems were further aggravated by the fact that I had to raise charges of 1s. 6.5d per day sidings rent for each wagon once they had been held beyond the `free' period of two clear days after receipt. All the time our scientist friend had been actively pursuing efforts to get the oil discharged. He started by wrapping hot cloths around the exposed pipework on the wagons, progressing through the use of blow lamps, until by the end of the first week, he was even lighting fires under the tanks. None of these increasingly desperate measures brought forth any co-operation from the whale oil which remained consistently congealed. Pennine frosts can last a long time, or at least they did in those days, and the second week dawned with no sign of a let up. As time went by the oil became frozen in the tanks themselves and it was about six weeks before a lasting thaw arrived which allowed the vehicles to be discharged. This experience eventually caused the enterprise to be aborted and, after lengthy correspondence and negotiation with the consignee, the District Goods Manager, agreed to write off 50% of the siding rent charges.

That same winter we had heavy snow in February accompanied by strong winds which had caused it to drift. The arrangement of signals on the down line was such that the `Down Starter'   (see earlier picture and rough sketch) was at the Rochdale end of the platform , whilst the Station Signal Box was some 100 yards before reaching that platform. Rule 55, which required trainmen to remind the signalman of the presence of their train whenever it was detained at a signal, had, with a few exceptions, to be carried out by the fireman or guard whoever was nearest the signal box. One day, when conditions were at their worst, the 2/55pm Manchester - Rochdale was held at the up starting signal and the guard was the lucky lad required to proceed to the signal box. The guard sent the porter across to ask me to use the telephone in the Booking Office to contact the signalman to remind him of the presence of his train. Such an arrangement was not provided for in the rule (which required the person going to the box to sign the train register book) and I had no option but to send the porter back to tell him that he must go to the signal box. The guard, who was of small stature, struggled towards the box, often up to his ears in a snowdrift. Eventually he reached the foot of the box steps, with the enticement of a nice warm fire to warm his frozen limbs, only to be greeted by the signalman with the news that `he had got the road' for his train and he should rejoin it as quickly as possible. The unfortunate fellow tottered back to the platform and told the porter to pass on what he thought about the SM to the gent concerned with which I had to wholeheartedly concur. Thankfully the extended use of track circuits has now considerably reduced the need to carry out this most essential safety duty.

Under the `Assimilation Arrangements' of 10th January 1955 all Class 4 positions were assimilated into Class 3. Existing occupants of that grade were given a personal rate of pay and in all cases retained their seniority above those absorbed from Class 4. This, of course, resulted in the former Class 4 personnel remaining in their existing posts for a somewhat longer period than they had originally anticipated.

1955 also brought the notorious A.S.L.E.&F. Strike which, apart from the Beeching Plan, probably drove more traffic onto the roads than any other cause. The vast majority of passenger trains on the Oldham Branch were worked by Newton Heath locomen, who were mainly members of the N.U.R, so few of the local services were affected. That strike caused much bitterness between locomen in the two unions which sometimes divided locomotive sheds into two factions. The aftermath was still being felt right up to the closure of many depots in the mid and late sixties.

One of the signalmen at Milnrow introduced me to his father, a gentleman who who proudly proclaimed that in his journey through life he relied mainly on the Bible and Burgess's Lion Ointment, he used the latter as a cure-all for his family and his flock of fowls which, except on rare occasions, dispensed with the need for doctors and vets. Whilst not fully following his example, our family has since used it for all injuries and infections and found it to have amazing curative powers. About twenty years ago we found that this ointment was becoming unobtainable and excursions into chemist shops nationwide have only confirmed what a valuable commodity Lion Ointmant was. Most said that, since it went off the market, they had received numerous enquiries for it, which leaves one to wonder why it is no longer available. 

Found on the web:

"Jean Barnes has kindly emailed me with a web address: www.boxtreegallery.co.uk, where you can still buy a pot of Lion Ointment (£3-99 for 25g). Not made by E.Burgess Ltd, but Feathergills.
Very strange thing - when searching the web for the original Burgess Lion Ointment, I've come across several government references to it under "authorised veterinary drugs/medicines" as late as 2004. Well, if its good enough for a horse, its probably still good enough for the rest of us! :-)"

http://www.boxtreegallery.co.uk/apothecary/items.asp?code=3&supp=118&item=undefined&buy=&basket=Items&basqty=Items&basize=Items&giftwrap=Items&box=0

Try this link, £3.99 for 25 grammes.

I seem to remember it had a lot of Wintergreen in it.

Iam sure my Gran used to keep a tin of this in the bathroom,burried behind 10 bottles of TCP,the house always smelt of it .

Great post again Ted,i bet there was a few blooded noses in the days of strike..

And Liquid Parrafin  instead of Brylcream!! Nolic

Thanks for that info, Stanley we'll try it! The real stuff had more a greasy smell than Wintergreen. Originally it was in wooden tubs, then they progressed to ?porcelain pots - we always thought due to the possible reaction with metal. We had some made locally a few years ago but it wasn't the real McCoy. Our son-in-law recently got hold of some from Robert Reavley, 124 High Street, Burford, Oxford, Tel.o1993 823144 which smells like the real thing and, so far has lived up to its illustrious past (that is in a glass jar).

With regard to the discharging of the whale oil - I think the consignee explored the methods of overcoming the problem but no viable solution short of having special tankers built was available at that time.    

Ted.

I have attached an obituary from the Rochdale Observer. I thought you might remember Cowlings bakers. They were on Dale st between Kiln Lane (The Tim Bobbin) and Chapel Gate opposite Whitworh St. I remember getting pies and sandwiches there in the early to late sixties.

Mary’s business was toast of the village

CARING and devoted... Mary Cowling of Milnrow.


Cowlings bakery, in Dale Street, was not only the toast of the village, but had customers from miles around because of the quality of their bread. The couple also ran a cafe on the premises selling cooked meals for employees of Holroyds and the workmen who built the motorway.

The business was founded in 1948 when the couple moved from their home town of Paignton in Devon. Mrs Cowling travelled all over the country looking for the right business to buy while husband Reg continued to work as a baker for the Co-op.

Her son Geoff, who lives in Kensington Close, Milnrow, said: “They took over the business from a lady called Makins. I remember the day she left she was wearing clogs and a shawl and carried a flour sack over her shoulder.

“During their first year they made the mistake of closing during the local wakes holidays. But there were so many complaints from people who did not have any bread they opened every year and did not have holidays themselves.

“The shop was on the ground floor, their living accommodation on the middle floor and the cafe on the top floor. Mum had to climb two flights of stairs to take the meals to the cafe.

“It was not just pie and peas, there were different menus every day including puddings.

“The business was opened six days a week, 12 hours a day.”

Mrs Cowling was a former member of St James’s Church parochial church council and after the old Whit Friday walks the walkers were provided with hot cross buns and a hot drink courtesy of the family.

The bakery business took over a chemists shop next door and created a cafe out of it and when a local youth club finished members would end up in the cafe drinking coffee and listening to the juke box. It was later converted into a chippy. They were on Dale st between Kiln Lane (The Tim Bobbin) and