A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1988
THE ROVERS
The half-yearly meeting was held in January. Chairman Richard Evans said he was to meet Wakefield Metropolitan District Council in a bid for financial assistance. There was also possibility of a mystery buyer for the ground. They would consider both options and nothing would happen without an extraordinary general meeting of the members. The Safety of Sports Grounds Act had required £200,000 to be spent on the ground. it would cost £15,000 to repair the floodlights, and a decision would be made in the close season on what to do about them.
A meeting about the ground was held in February. The members voted almost unanimously to sell the ground to the district council. The council offered a cash lump sum of £165,000, support for a £100,000 overdraft, to spend £50,000 on the ground, and to guarantee all the club's long term loans. There would be a committee of trustees with ultimate financial control, but the members' committee would continue the day to day running of the club. Richard Evans told the meeting the only alternative is bankruptcy.
A meeting about the ground was held in February. The members voted almost unanimously to sell the ground to the district council. The council offered a cash lump sum of £165,000, support for a £100,000 overdraft, to spend £50,000 on the ground, and to guarantee all the club's long term loans. There would be a committee of trustees with ultimate financial control, but the members' committee would continue the day to day running of the club. Richard Evans told the meeting the only alternative is bankruptcy.
When the deal was finally signed in April, district council leader John Pearman said without the financial package Featherstone Rovers would have folded. It would have been the death knell of the community. He pointed out that because of the deteriorating financial situation nationally, there would be no further rescue packages. He said this is the end of the road as far as Featherstone Rovers are concerned.
Lesley Bullough age 20 of Stanley was the Rovers' Queen. In May she also won the Miss Yorkshire RL Federation title. Photo - The Express.
A meeting was held at the Sports Centre in July, arranged to launch a fund raising scheme. The attendance was about 400, and it was hoped to enrol at least 2,000 members to pay £1 a week. There would be daily and weekly prizes, and the aim was to raise £50,000 a year which would be used specifically for team strengthening.
A loss on the season of £34,549 was reported. For the third year running there was no election for the committee. Bob Ashby and Donald Hunt were re-elected unopposed. 3,000 people had joined the new cash-line lottery to pay £1 a week to help the club and hope to win the £500 weekly prize.
At the annual general meeting in August chairman Richard Evans said the deal with the district council had secured the future of rugby league in Featherstone and allowed the club to keep its independence. The council now owned the ground and were responsible for its upkeep, but the Rovers committee would run the club. The secretary Terry Jones said the social club had been run by Eric Gardner and to date showed a profit of £4.304.
Hey Bros sponsored a police scheme to cut juvenile crime by handing out coloured photo cards of Rovers players at each game. There were two different cards at each game.
THE COUNCILS
JANUARY Wakefield Metropolitan District Council was considering setting up a Tuesday Market as well as Thursday because the Thursday Market had gone well in the last four years.
MARCH Featherstone Labour Party chose Steve Vickers as a candidate for the local election in place of Norman Longbottom who had decided to retire because of ill health.
A sum of £220,000 was to be spent to modernise 42 houses in Alexander Crescent, and £140,000 on New Priory sheltered housing scheme. Part of the money was from the sale of council houses.
MARCH Featherstone Labour Party chose Steve Vickers as a candidate for the local election in place of Norman Longbottom who had decided to retire because of ill health.
A sum of £220,000 was to be spent to modernise 42 houses in Alexander Crescent, and £140,000 on New Priory sheltered housing scheme. Part of the money was from the sale of council houses.
There was disagreement over the plan for an extra market day. Local shopkeepers and the Featherstone Chamber of Trade were in favour because they said it kept shoppers in Featherstone. The market stall holders said the trade was not good enough for two days. They accused the council of being greedy and wanting to cash in on the stall rents of £10. Photo - Dr J Gatecliff.
Town Councillor Roy Beckett complained about a delay in the local GP's deputising service. He said a call at 9.30pm on a Saturday night did not produce a doctor until 1am Sunday morning. A Wakefield family practitioner committee comment was the deputising service exists because in this day and age it is unreasonable to expect GPs to work 24 hours seven days a week.
Mrs Margaret Haller of Hardwick Road said she had to wait from 6.30pm to 11.30pm for a deputising doctor to come from Leeds to see her five months old baby.
APRIL The district council passed the proposal for a Tuesday market and said it would start in June. The normal stall rent was £10, but it would be £6 on Tuesdays for three months to give it a good start. Featherstone Chamber of Trade said they were pleased about it. The Thursday traders said they would boycott the Tuesday market claiming it would kill their Thursday trade. Out of the 26 Thursday stallholders 20 said they would not turn up on the Tuesday for the June opening.
MAY The voting for the district council was:S Vickers (Labour) 2,928
V Richards (Conservative) 244
W Hird (SLD) 190
JUNE At the first Tuesday Market some stall were empty, so the council reduced the Thursday rent to £6.
Modernisation of the New Priory sheltered housing scheme was almost completed. There were 32 flats built in 1966. The scheme had a resident warden, intercom, lifts and other services.
JULY The district council was considering relaying the High School football pitch with a synthetic grass surface. It was hoped to get a grant from the Football Trust.
The council newsletter announced contracts had been exchanged for the British Coal houses. A partnership deal between the council and the United Kingdom Housing Trust had taken them over.
AUGUST The Tuesday Market was abandoned after only one stall was rented for two weeks.
THE OLD VICARAGE
An Express article in January said John and Sylvia Godfrey bought the empty ex-vicarage in Featherstone Lane three years ago to turn it into a residential care home. They had an extension built with eight single bedrooms, and furnished the whole building in the Victorian style. There were two and a half acres of private grounds for the residents.
FEATHERSTONE HIGH SCHOOL
In February Featherstone High School received five disabled pupils as part of a pilot project which aimed to integrate handicapped children into mainstream education. Head teacher Mr Tony Warden said "This is a new venture in education in the district. They have fitted in well and having them in school has added a fourth dimension to education here.
"All five children use wheelchairs, and adaptations have been made to the school to cater for them. A second phase which will include various special facilities is due to start later this year. We hope to take three more disabled children in September, and eventually increase the number to 15 or 16.
"When the children arrive at school they have physiotherapy treatment, but that is the only way they differ from the able-bodied children. The rest of the time they take part in the normal timetable". The Express photo shows Katie White in her wheelchair on the rounders field with schoolmate Donna Jackson.
MARLBOROUGH FISHERIES
Residents on Pontefract Road between the Travellers and Junction pubs complained to the council in June about noise and litter from the Marlborough Fisheries fish and chips shop, especially on Sunday nights. There were suggestions the opening was against the 1950 Shops Act.
The council investigated and a spokesman said "After consultation with our legal department we accepted that fish and chips shops which open on a Sunday do not contravene the 1950 Shops Act". So the owner, Andy Mahony of Burton Salmon, was given permission to carry on.
Resident George Money listed their complaints.
Rowdy drunken behaviour often directed at residents
Car doors slamming late at night
HGVs stopping and starting late at night
Fish and chips wrappers strewn over pavements.
Mr Mahony said he started the seven days a week sessions to stay in business during the miners strike and had carried on ever since, and he was puzzled as to why the residents were only now complaining. He tried to keep the customers quiet and had even called the police out to rowdy ones. The Express photos show Mr Mahony in his shop, and upset residents from the left, George Money, Edith Wright, Jean Messenger and Len Wright.
NOTHING GOOD TO SAY
The district council sent in a team of experts from its health, environment and recreation departments to study Featherstone. In their October report they concluded the majority of Featherstone people consumed too much fat, milk, cheese, red meat and chips, More than half smoked too much and over 80% did not take regular exercise. Featherstone was untidy and needed a clean up from mindless tipping of everything from household waste to abandoned cars, also fly posting and graffiti.
Numerous sites were neglected and untidy including allotments, the surroundings of Featherstone Hotel, the Junction Hotel and St Oswald Arms. Suggested improvements were health education and recreational facilities. Efforts should be made to combat mould and condensation in council houses.
Fly posting on the council wall and allotment fences made from old doors.
Town Councillor Steve Vickers said the report is pretty damning to say the least, but you can make statistics say what you like. Peter Green of the Featherstone Hotel was angry at the report saying his pub could do with a beer garden when it already had one of the area's biggest. Frank Crossland of the St Oswald Arms said £35,000 had been spent on transforming the pub. The Express photo shows Peter Green pointing to the sign at the Featherstone Hotel proving it did have a beer garden.
1988 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY The Corra Follies of the Girnhill Lane WMC raised £3,000 last year for the Five Towns Hospice Fund, bringing their total in four years to more than £11,000.
An Inquest was arranged in Scarborough into the deaths of Debbie and Jackie Walker feared lost at sea in August 1985. There mother Joan Hague said it was too early to have an inquest and she would not give up hope the girls were still alive.
Police advised Featherstone people to lock their doors against a sneak thief who had taken cash and purses from houses in Gordon Street, Verner Street, Priory Road and Leatham Park Road.
FEBRUARY Walter and Ethel Wright age 90 and 91, now living in Ferndale, celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary. They were married in Featherstone Parish Church 70 years ago.
MARCH Paul King age 15 of Went Lane was hiking with Castleford Air Cadets when he twisted his knee at Simon's Seat near Bolton Abbey. He spent four hours in freezing temperatures until a rescue team arrived and took him to hospital suffering from hypothermia and exposure. He made a good recovery. Photo - Yorkshire Images.
Featherstone High School girls donned St Trinian's uniforms to raise £160 for Pontefract General Infirmary baby care unit. Photo - The Express.
Extensive alterations at the former Regent Street School had changed it into Chesney's Youth and Community Centre. It had a lounge, coffee bar, arts and crafts room, pool table, darts, and a five a side football pitch/badminton court.
Allied Foods sold Crystal Drinks on Wakefield Road to a team of its own bosses. Tony Scott said we are looking to put in additional plant, improve storage facilities and up grade access. The firm had 76 employees.
APRIL Ian Dransfield decided to retire from Featherstone Fire Brigade. His father and grandfather were members before him, He said "It's always sad when there's a break with tradition, but our family can say we have been proud to serve the town we love for so many years". Photo - The Express.
Featherstone High School caretaker David Holmes won the Wakefield Caretaker of the Year award. It had only run for four years and he had won twice and came second twice. It was for his abilities to organise, administrate and get the best out of his staff. This year he and his cleaning team had to work particularly hard because of building adaptations for handicapped students. Photo - The Express.
MAY Barry Gowland age 20 of Priory Road was put on bail on a charge of handling a stolen microwave oven while his friends were put on remand on a charge of stealing it from the Lister Baths. He wanted to be locked up with his friends, so he went home and got a kitchen knife and went to a shop in Station Lane and demanded money. The police were called and he waited outside until they came.
The closed Regent Street School was refurbished and reopened as Chesney's Youth and Community Centre. Youth tutor Helen Overton said "The district council have shown faith in the youngsters by providing the money to renovate this place, so now it's up to the teenagers themselves to prove its worth". The Express photo shows Helen Overton with two young club members
The British Coal Enterprise scheme now had more than 20 firms on the Ackton Hall Colliery site. Bob Iceton said Ackton Hall had proved to be one of their success stories, attracting a variety of business ventures. One was former pit fitter Vernon Wood's carriage works where hand-crafted horse-drawn carts were designed and made. Photo - The Express.
Three disabled pupils at Featherstone High School were selected to take part in the National Disabled Athletics Championships at Stoke Manderville. The Express photo shows Lee Wells, Paul Winstanley and Katie White.
Featherstone High School's crime prevention panel of fourth and fifth formers raised £50 in a bicycle stamping and car etching session and spent it on providing locks and chains for 20 elderly people. There were 180 applicants so they decided to carry on with the work.
JUNE A Featherstone Chamber of Trade and Commerce was formed by newsagent Ian Dransfield, gas fitter Charlie Keith, furniture shopkeeper John Gummerson and DIY trader Roy Barker who said "We were very concerned at the state Featherstone was getting into and felt obliged to do something constructive to halt the slide downhill". Charlie Keith said "The initial response was fantastic and we are highly delighted with our membership of about 50". Photos - The Express.
JULY All Saints' Junior and Infants School in North Featherstone needed a prefab room to provide space for another 30 pupils. It would cost £10,000, and as a church aided school 15% of the cost had to be provided by the school. So far the staff, parents and pupils had raised £1,000.
Ian Clayton's book Running For Clocks and Dessert Spoons was launched at the Community Centre with the aid of Featherstone Rovers' coach Peter Fox. It was a Yorkshire Art Circus publication. The photo of Ian and Peter is from the Express.
The Adventure Playground in Station Lane had been open for three years and had a swing bridge, aerial slide, fireman's pool, Wendy house, swings and sandpit. Money was needed for maintenance and the parents would have to take over from the community leaders. For the council Pat McAvoy said we have the basic facilities. It will be a pity to see it all wasted.
St Wilfrid's Catholic High School held a Victorian art workshop over two days. Pupils from two primary schools, members of a Normanton art club and some parents joined in. Photos - The Express.
The Gala was held as usual in Purston Park. The Express report was very brief and did not mention the Queen or provide a photo.
AUGUST Residents in Avon Walk claimed that blasting in the opencast workings was causing cracks in walls, rattling windows, shaking ornaments and waking sleeping children. It was carried out daily between 10am and noon, and 2pm and 4pm. Area opencast manager David Morgan said the blasting would continue for another 6 to 9 months, but they were doing their utmost to keep the disturbance level to a minimum.
Richard and Beatrice Hirst of Lea Lane won the first prize and the Nostell Priory Rose Bowl in the Featherstone senior citizens' garden competition run by the district council.
Featherstone Gymnastics Club held a competition against the Wakefield Club and ended up with nine medals. Shown from the left in this Express photo are: Samantha Dear, Karen Shepherd, Karen Richardson, Alex Riley, Debra and Kirsty Jackson and Kate Osieki.
Sporting pupils at St Thomas Junior School gathered together for this Express photo to show the trophies they won at Featherstone Schools Gala in Purston Park and Featherstone Town Baths.
SEPTEMBER Pupils at Featherstone High School were attempting to raise £700 for a specially adapted wheel chair so the seven handicapped pupils could practice their particular sport in the same circumstances they competed in, and put them on a par with other competitors.
Cheryl Walker age 11 of Pontefract Road suffered from cystic fibrosis. Her case was suggested to charity MASCOT (make a sick child's dreams come true) by St James' Hospital in Leeds. Somehow Selby Fork Hotel on the A1 got in on it, and by a series of sponsored pub crawls, darts matches and raffles, in only three months they raised the £2,000 necessary to send her to Disneyland along with 14 other children and a full medical team. The photo of Cheryl with her cheque is from the Express.
Bygone Bykes Yorkshire Club, founded by brothers Bill, Ken and Eric Auty in 1967 now had 130 members nationwide. They got together for transport, steam and clubs rallies up and down the country, and also for charity events. There own annual rally was held at nearby Top Farm. Photos - The Express.
Eric Auty on his penny farthing and Don Roffey on a 1905 bike.
OCTOBER Chesney's Youth and Community Centre opened a youth club with special attention to the needs of the disabled. The centre was also to be used for further education, a young women's group and a junior youth club.
Aileen Ambler of Normanton had a design and dressmaking business in the Ackton Hall Enterprise Park. She won £1,000 in a business entrepreneur contest run jointly by Wakefield Council and the Express Photo - The Express.
NOVEMBER The day centre for disabled pensioners run by Age Concern at North Featherstone Community Centre had to close down when the Government scrapped the Community Programme. Thanks to the efforts of charity workers it was able to reopen.
Featherstone's firemen won the West Yorkshire Fire Brigade's award for station efficiency, and another award for having the best kept engine. Photo - personal (1987).
Gwen Matthewman raised over £6,000 for the BBC Children in Need Appeal by her speed knitting of a scarf in the television programme. She was sponsored by Wendy Wools.
DECEMBER Albert Jukes of the Girnhill Lane Tenants Association said 75 properties on the estate, classed as defective under the Housing Act, were sold to Undersky of Bradford about 18 months ago. They wanted to put the rents up by £5 a week although many rents had already be raised from £11.50 to £17.50. He said the estate had gone downhill and the tenants got a rotten service. Undersky said repairs had been carried out including complete rewiring and there was a waiting list of people wanting to move in. Any rent increase would be set by the fair rent officer.
About 20 hypodermic syringes in a plastic bag were dumped in a skip at the back of the bingo hall. They were found by some children and one had to have hospital treatment for an abscess after he stuck one in his leg. The police said they had been used for injecting insulin.
Mrs Edna Maxwell, the warden for the old age bungalows at Highfield Close on Featherstone Lane, said there had been a campaign for years for a bus stop shelter. Now Metro said approval had been granted, but there was no definite date for the installation. Priority was given to where 80 people a day used a stop, and this one only had about six. It would be a cantilever shelter and was eventually put up. Photo - Google Street View.
