A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1984
ACKTON HALL COLLIERY
The NCB announced a scheme in January to connect Ackton Hall and Prince of Wakes Collieries underground to enable all the coal to be taken out at the Prince of Wales mine. This would result in the virtual closure of the Featherstone end of Ackton Hall and the workforce would go down from about 1,1oo to 700.
An NCB spokesman said "You have to do something when a pit is losing £16 million annually despite heavy investment". NUM branch secretary Terry Barraclough said the union would fight any lay-offs. Cr Keith Wilson said the closure would be the end of an era for Featherstone, and the main concern at County Hall would be the number of jobs lost in Featherstone. Local traders said the closure would inevitably affect their trade.
An NCB spokesman said "You have to do something when a pit is losing £16 million annually despite heavy investment". NUM branch secretary Terry Barraclough said the union would fight any lay-offs. Cr Keith Wilson said the closure would be the end of an era for Featherstone, and the main concern at County Hall would be the number of jobs lost in Featherstone. Local traders said the closure would inevitably affect their trade.
Terry Barraclough, NUM branch secretary, said he would oppose any compulsory redundancies. If the worst comes to the worst, we shall press for the men who lose their jobs to be employed elsewhere within the industry.
THE MINERS' STRIKE
The NCB had a policy of closing uneconomical collieries. The NUM opposed this and started an overtime ban last November. Things came to a head when the NCB announced the closure of Cortonwood Colliery in South Yorkshire. The Yorkshire miners came out on strike in March.
Just before the strike began John Michael Smith, a miner who worked at Sharlston Colliery and lived at North Featherstone, was found hanging in the home he was renovating before marriage situated in Worsborough Dale. He was said to have been worried by the lack of money because of the overtime ban.
Yorkshire miners picketed other NCB areas to get them to join the strike. David Jones age 24, who worked at Ackton Hall Colliery, was picketing at Ollerton Colliery in Nottinghamshire. While he was running back to his car he collapsed and died. The post mortem showed death was due to a ruptured blood vessel near the heart caused by a crush injury to the chest. Thousands of Yorkshire miners attended the funeral. More than 400 of his colleagues observed a two minutes silence at an Ackton Hall Colliery NUM meeting. The jury at the inquest returned an open verdict.
Just before the strike began John Michael Smith, a miner who worked at Sharlston Colliery and lived at North Featherstone, was found hanging in the home he was renovating before marriage situated in Worsborough Dale. He was said to have been worried by the lack of money because of the overtime ban.
Yorkshire miners picketed other NCB areas to get them to join the strike. David Jones age 24, who worked at Ackton Hall Colliery, was picketing at Ollerton Colliery in Nottinghamshire. While he was running back to his car he collapsed and died. The post mortem showed death was due to a ruptured blood vessel near the heart caused by a crush injury to the chest. Thousands of Yorkshire miners attended the funeral. More than 400 of his colleagues observed a two minutes silence at an Ackton Hall Colliery NUM meeting. The jury at the inquest returned an open verdict.
In April Terry Barraclough, the Local NUM branch secretary, said It seems as though we are in for a long dispute, but the view of the men is that they are not prepared to throw away seven week's action now". It was decided to give every striking miner at Ackton Hall Colliery a voucher worth £2.50 out of the branch funds. It would be redeemable in the local supermarkets and would be repeated weekly until the funds ran out.
As the strike continued in June the NCB said Ackton Hall Colliery would not be on full production for several months after a return to work because of deterioration underground during the four months strike. The proposed underground link to Prince of Wales Colliery had not been threatened so far.
Wakefield Council decided to suspend taking tenants not paying their rent to court. Deputy chief housing officer Maurice Lobley said they were trying to take a sympathetic view of mining families who were behind with their rent because of the strike. They have not been in arrears previously and if we were to persue them to court we would still not get the money because they just haven't got it.
John Hill of Asquith butchers, Station Lane, said the afternoon in Station Lane is absolutely dead. Takings are down about £500 a week. My father and I have been together for the last 20 years and I am pleased we don't employ sstaff because we are only just making ends meet.
The strike passed the six months mark in August. Stallholders in the Station Lane weekly market reported sales were down by half in some cases. Some were hardly taking enough to cover their costs.
The NCB reported extensive damage in October by vandals and thieves at Ackton Hall Colliery. Barbed wire had to be put round entrances to buildings made dangerous and many doors were nailed up. The coal preparation plant had been entered and damaged, and about 100 tonnes of coal stolen. A fleet of lorries was brought in to remove thousands of tonnes from the stockyard.
The swimming baths had to close because the coal used for heating the water and the building ran out.
By November there was trickle of miners going back to work at pits in the North Yorkshire Area, and by the 37th week of the strike Ackton Hall Colliery was the only one with no strike breakers.
Ackton Hall Colliery's B31 face developed a spontaneous heating due to being left standing eight months because of the strike. The NUM refused to allow its members to work the face and move it forward and it had to be sealed off. The NCB said up to 500 jobs could be lost as a result of losing the face.
The following week six NUM members went back to work. Pickets pulled down lampposts and trees in an attempt to block the road leading to Ackworth pit but the police got the men into work.
More that 1,000 Featherstone miners' children enjoyed Christmas parties because of the efforts of the Ackton Hall Miners' Support Group. A disco for the 12 to 16 year olds was held at Featherstone High School, the 6 to 11 year olds had a party in St Gerard's Church Hall, and the under fives had a party with Santa Claus in the Featherstone Hotel. The plan to provide a party for the children of every striking miner cost over £5,000.
THE COUNCILS
FEBRUARY Town Mayor Cr Edgar Jarvis complained about the proposed closure of the cash collection office in Purston Park. He said we shall become a ghost town if the trend to take away our facilities continues. All district council accounts would have to be paid at Pontefract Municipal Offices in future.
MARCH Traffic lights were erected at North Featherstone Crossroads after years of campaigning by the town council and its road safety committee. The before and after photos below are from the Dr Gatecliff Collection.
APRIL Wakefield Council planned to open a cash collection office part-time in Priory Road combined with an upstairs flat. It would be only for rent payments.
MAY In the Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election Norman Longbottom (Labour) polled 3,157 votes against Brian Woods (Liberal) 472. The turnout was only 34.6%.
The number of children entitled to free school meals had increased because of the miners' strike. Wakefield Council's policy and resources committee decided those children would be entitled to packed lunches during the half-term holiday.
In order to save money it was proposed not to install sliding partitions in the main hall of the new library and community centre in Station Lane. However, a meeting between Wakefield and Featherstone Councils decided the partitions were needed, and it was agreed to share the cost of £17,000.
NOVEMBER County Councillor Keith Wilson began a campaign to make crossing the road near Purston Post Office safer. He said it was difficult for pensioners to get across the road. West Yorkshire County Council decided to have a vehicle counting check made. Cr Wilson said he hoped for a pelican crossing or a refuge island.
Featherstone Labour Councillor Roy Widdowson became Wakefield District Council's new leader.
THE ROVERS
At the January half-year meeting the secretary, Terry Jones, said "I feel that I can, for the fourth year running, state very hopefully that our annual Houdini act is now well and truly underway, as we once more make what is rapidly becoming an annual event, namely our great escape from relegation". He also said the membership had gone up from 644 members to 933 and the average attendance at home games had increased by about 900.
Lisa Jayne Taylor age 16 of Priory Road was selected as Rovers Queen at a function in The Posh Penguin. She collected £40, a sash and a bouquet.
David Hobbs, a Rovers forward, was chosen for the Rugby League tour of Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. He was a substitute in the first test against Australia in June and came on eight minutes from the end. He was sent off for an elbow in the face tackle with just one second remaining on the electronic clock. The disciplinary committee suspended him for three matches and fined him $1,000 (about £680).
The Posh Penguin cabaret bar (formerly the Rovers' Social Club) was destroyed in a fire in July less than an hour after it closed. Club owner Bernard Toft said he would rebuild and hoped to reopen in four months. The Rovers used a gymnasium in the building, Rovers team manager Allan Agar said the loss of it would seriously affect the team's pre-season training. The photo is from fevarchive on the internet.
A profit of £3,145 on the 1983-84 season was reported at the annual meeting in August, but the balance sheet showed bank overdrafts of £55,959. The players had agreed to a reduction in winning pay to help out. Supporters would be asked to sponsor a player for a pair of boots for the season, a match ball or man of the match, all at a cost of £30 each. Wakefield Metropolitan District Council had also been asked for financial help. A watch now pay later scheme would be available to anyone affected by the miners strike and could not afford a season ticket.
Featherstone Rovers joint supporters clubs were praised by chairman Bob Ashby for taking on the cost of £2,000 incurred in Peter Smith having an operation on his shoulder.
Lin Pac Corrugated Cases and Lin Pac Plastics combined in September to sponsor the Rovers for £30,000 over three years. The Rovers would revert to wearing shirts with the Lin Pac name on, as they did in 1980 in the first ever sponsorship by commerce of a rugby league club. The first year's allocation was spent on improving the dressing room facilities and a new back and name on the main stand. Bob Ashby said "For some time we felt some of our facilities were not up to the standard required, but this is now being remedied with the help of the Lin Pac Company". The Express photo shows Bob Ashby with officials from Lin Pac.
After the game against Hull on Boxing Day ten people were arrested for stoning the Hull supporters buses on their way from the ground. Fines up to £150 were imposed by Pontefract magistrates. The Rovers chairman expressed his disgust at this type of incident and said those concerned were not true supporters of the club.
THE GALA
The July Gala in Purston Park began with a parade from Cressy's Corner. When it reached the park the Queen, Paula Wain, was crowned by retiring Queen Natalie Oakley. The photos are from the Express.
The "Kiss Me Quick" float with Beverley Pearce and Lynne Phillips.
Rose girl Michaela Hale.
1984 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY Gordon Street Youth Club was awarded a £1,750 grant form the Queen's Jubilee Trust Fund to do renovation work at their headquarters in North Featherstone Middle School building in Gordon Street.
A gale caused damage around the district. This Express photo shows a caravan owned by Anthony and Glenda Chester of The Lodge, Cutsyke Road, which was destroyed.
FEBRUARY Radio Ackton were to hold a 60 hours non-stop broadcast to raise funds for new equipment. People could sponsor an hours air play with the hope of raising £500. George Holt said they could no longer do live broadcasts because their rent, which was originally about £30 when they started, was now almost £1,300.
MARCH The Featherstone and District Musical and Dramatic Society's show was Jesus Christ Superstar put on at the Castleford Civic Centre. The Express review included "This was a truly accomplished performance from committed and talented amateurs, in a lavish show that more than justified the £12,000 needed to stage it".
There was a fire at the Sports Centre which melted a water service pipe and damaged the male changing room. There was water available and a partition was put up in the women's changing room to enable the centre to keep open. The fire was centred around an external door, and the police suspected arson.
Birshall's factory premises in Station Lane had been closed since the firm left in March 1982 with the loss of 100 jobs. The company secretary, Mr Paul Thirkettle, said "We have had a number of inquiries to buy the site, which we are actively pursuing at the moment".
The playschool in Gordon Street School was facing closure because of lack of members. which had dwindled to 14. Leader Mrs Mavis Murphy and her two assistants were hoping another ten children would come forward to ensure the future of the school.
Gordon Chalkley of Old Sharlston, his wife and brother, were hoping to turn the former New Purston WMC in Green Lane into a pub. However, the Pontefract Licensing magistrates turned down their application for a licence after Mr David Loynes, who represented the objecting current licensees, told the magistrates there were already 10 pubs and seven working men's clubs in the area. Mr Chalkley said we were very disappointed at the decision. We are now having discussions with Tetley's brewery who are selling the premises to see what steps to take next. It eventually reopened as the Purston Number One Club. Photo - Betty Longbottom (Geograph).
Chief fire officer Graham Karran presented an award to the 13 strong Featherstone retained fire brigade for their effort over the past ten years in raising money for the Fire Service National Benevolent Fund. Their total so far was nearly £7,000. Photo - The Express.
John Jefferson of Church Lane, North Featherstone, was in training for the London Marathon in May. He was hoping to raise funds for Featherstone Rovers and Castleford Salvation Army Corps. The Express photo shows him on a fun run with son Gavin.
APRIL Lin Pac Plastics in Wakefield Road, which employed 250 people, designed a chip and dip food tray which would hold chips plus a separate section for curry or mushy peas. They showed it off at a fish fryers trade show in Manchester which produced several orders.
Jeni Fieldhouse, chairman of the Featherstone and District Musical and Dramatic Society, said they had lost less than £1,000 in the production of Jesus Christ Superstar but didn't regret it. Our attitude was no expense spared. We wanted to do it justice.
Ross Travel of Church Court, North Featherstone, enter a coach in the Blackpool National Coach Rally. It beat 52 other competitors to win the Best Kept and Presented Continental Coach Trophy, plus the award for having the best coach supplied by Moseley, a Loughborough coach company. Ross Travel were preparing for a move to new premises in Allison Street. The Express.photo shows Peter Ross (left) and coach driver Brian Siddall with the trophies.
MAY Lin Pac Plastics' disposable Lindis tableware was chosen for use in the garden complex in Wakefield Ridings shopping centre. The lightweight but rigid plates was designed to look like conventional chinaware.
Appliances from Featherstone and Pontefract fire stations attended the home of Terry Clawson of Featherstone Lane to put out a blaze in the lounge. The firemen had to cool down a liquid petroleum gas cylinder in a room heater which could have exploded.
Construction of a junior adventure playground was held up because railway sleepers being supplied by nearby Ackton Hall Colliery had stopped because of the miners strike.
The Gordon Street School playgroup was still in trouble. Community Association member Ann Lyman said the numbers were starting to build up, but now the miners' wives cannot afford the £1.30 fee because of the strike.
Featherstone fire station was judged best in the Wakefield division in terms of operational efficiency and station management. Photo - personal.
JUNE Both the National Bus Company buses and the refuse lorries were off the road because of strikes. The bus drivers were out because they refused to cross the picket line of striking maintenance engineers, and the Castleford depot binmen refused to cross the picket line of striking Wakefield binmen. Both sets of workmen went back to work after a couple of weeks.
JULY The War Memorial had been damaged again by gales and repairs would cost £400. Wakefield and Featherstone Councils agreed to share the cost.
John Gorton used to live in Featherstone and he had started Access Engineering in South Kirkby. He decided to expand so he moved to the empty Birshall factory in Station Lane. The move had created more than 50 jobs, and it was hoped to double this number.
Mr Yt Lai, owner of a Chinese restaurant in Station Lane, appealed to vandals to leave him alone. They had damaged the shop and his car. He said his family had been accepted by the general community and the damage seemed the work of "stupid kids".
Ishurwarlal Lad, an Indian shopkeeper in Purston sold his Ackworth Road mini-market after a four year "nightmare" during which his shop windows were broken about 20 times.
AUGUST John Sydney Belford of Pontefract left over £13,000 to St Thomas's Church. He also left the same amount to three other churches. His brother Jim was organist at St Thomas for a period. Father Stuart Ramsden said it was quite a surprise. He expected the money would be spent on restoration work on the church building.
A shelter was erected by the County Council near the Station Lane level crossing for those who could not use the subway when the crossing was closed. People were mistaking it for a bus stop so the council decided to provide a notice stating its true purpose. Photo - The Express
The adventure playground in Station Lane was nearly ready and the organisers were looking for volunteers to supervise the four to 14 year olds expected to use it. The Express photo shows Melvyn Farrar, Neil Willis and Dennis Burling working on the project.
Access Engineering took over the closed Birshall premises in Station Lane and employed 43 people to produce the "Satellite work platform"'
SEPTEMBER The Featherstone Community Association, which was behind the adventure playground and a BMX track on the reclaimed muckstack behind the Lister baths, was disappointed at the lack of response to calls for volunteers to supervise both projects.
OCTOBER Green Lane Working Men's' Club arranged a raffle in aid of Featherstone and District Hospital Comforts Fund. It raised £150 which would be used to provide toys for the children's ward at Pontefract General Infirmary.
The adventure playground in Station Lane was nearing completion, but the organisers feared the coming winter weather and delays with grants to provide supervisors would put back the opening until next summer.
Access Engineering took over the Birshall site last July to produce scaffolding platforms at the rate of 6 a week and now employed 85 people. Managing director John Gorton said it was aiming to increase production to 20 a week and almost double the workforce.
Featherstone and District Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society put on the pantomime Goldilocks at Castleford Civic Centre. The script was written by the producer Keith Fieldhouse. He said it saved the tremendous royalties you have to pay for professional scripts.
DECEMBER Vandalism at Featherstone High School caused £600 worth of damage. Shelves were overturned, books scattered, doors forced open and display cabinets were smashed.