My latest visit to Macclesfield Library was to view local newspapers covering 1964 and some of the stories I read brought back a host of memories of my last year in primary school.
Roy Thompson, proprietor of Lancashire and Cheshire Newspapers Ltd was created a Baron in the New Year Honours List. The Thompson organisation also owned the Sunday Times and The Scotsman.
A total of ten fire brigades attended a major blaze at Lower Hayes Mill at the end of Black Lane. Amongst the companies occupying the premises at that time were Barracks Fabrics and Arthur Taylor Food Wholesaler. Flames leapt 20 feet high and the total damage caused by the fire exceeded £250,000. I remember the incident well, as it had occurred on the day that local schoolchildren returned to their education at the end of the Christmas holidays and at that time my father was provisions manager at the Arthur Taylor Foods business. A full page advertisement later in the year announced that after the Lower Heyes fire, Arthur Taylor (Macclesfield) had reopened as Wright and Greens Cash and Carry on Maple Avenue. The new site had formerly been Wight’s dye house.
A second blaze in the same area had been reported by the end of March. Damage totalling £25000 was caused at the railway goods yard, a site now occupied by Tesco’s. Brian Ollier captured the event in pictures for the local paper.
A further fire was reported in May when 10000 letters were destroyed in a van on the Manchester to London train as it approached Macclesfield just before 11.30pm on Monday 10th May. The fire was spotted by a signalman who contacted Macclesfield central station from where the local fire brigade was summoned.
Mr and Mrs Barber were pictured in their Roe Street home shortly before their planned emigration to Australia on January 26th. They had a big problem as they needed to find a home for Karl, their fully grown Great Dane. It was reported in a later edition of the newspaper that Karl had been offered a new home in Langley.
William Deacons had had their Park Green branch rebuilt and it was reported that it was now due for to open. It was one of two branches of the bank, the other being at the corner of Chestergate and Derby Street. Both premises still exist but are now branches of The Royal Bank of Scotland.
Following a downturn in the demand for its services, Langley Print Works had been sold to the Scragg’s Group. The print works had been a family run business for 140 years.
Some 280 school children were finding life at school more enjoyable following their transfer from the Dickensian Daybrook Street School (built in 1844) to the newly built Hurdsfield School on Hulley Road. It was also reported that the new Tytherington Secondary School for Girls was scheduled for completion by November.
A local Rover Scout, A Horrox, of the Macclesfield and District Rover Crew had rescued a swan that had become frozen fast on the Macclesfield canal near the Buxton Road Bridge.
The Soroptimist Club of Macclesfield was pictured at a coffee morning at which £25 had been raised. The president was Miss Fairlee Kaye and the Secretary, Miss A Walker.
Note of explanation:
Founded in 1921, Soroptimist ("best for women") is an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world. Through their General (Category One) Consultative Status as a non-governmental organization at the United Nations, the organization claims to seek equality, peace, and international goodwill. The official aim of the organization is to improve professional skills and to support human rights, specifically women's rights.
Police constables G I Hull and E D Bickers of Macclesfield had been commended by the Chief Constable for intelligence and initiative that led to the arrest of two men for burglary.
The company that ran the Macclesfield Arms Hotel had appointed Charles Durose of Bosley as chairman and JP Atkins as company secretary. It was hoped that the hotel would achieve three star rating from both the AA and the RAC and that the restaurant would review its menu to introduce a grill. Just a short distance away, the Angel Hotel had been the venue for the annual dinner of the Typographical Society.
Two Macclesfield exhibitors were successful at the Crufts Dog Show at London’s Olympia. Cartford Sousa, a 12month old Welmaranar owned by Mrs Walker and Mrs T Friedland’s home bred pair of Afghan hounds had all won trophies. The local pet food supplier on Mill Lane was proud to advertise that it had been the supplier to the winners.
Councillor RH Millington of Church House, Withington, was elected the new Chairman of Macclesfield Rural District Council
In February, the first heavy snow of the winter had arrived combined with strong winds and icy roads. Driving had become difficult in the countryside around Macclesfield.
The first six houses on the 113 acre Upton Priory site were formerly handed over to Macclesfield Borough Council on Monday 17th February. It was proposed that on its completion, the estate would include 2000 homes, pubs and a village hall.
The Cheshire Regiment paraded to celebrate the 121st anniversary of Meeanee. Headed by the battalion Band, the Mayor of Macclesfield, Councillor Tom Barnes took the salute and Maxonians lined the streets to witness the parade.
Note of Explanation:
Battle of Meanee, 17th February 1843. Sir Charles Napier led a small force of 2,500, consisting of native infantry and cavalry and one British regiment, The Cheshire Regiment, against the Baluchi Army of the Ameers of Scinde. The desert fortress of Emaun Ghur was destroyed and then, on the 17th February 1843, Napier's small force defeated 30,000 Baluchis at Meeanee. A month later the Baluchis were defeated again at Hyderbad. The province of Scinde fell into British hands and the Cheshire Regiment gained the honours of Meeanee, Hyderbad and Scinde. The honours of Meeanee and Hyderbad are shared with some Indian Regiments. That of Scinde is borne by The Cheshire Regiment alone.
The Richmond club was providing live entertainment in Macclesfield with famous names taking the stage including Matt Munro and Bob Monkhouse.
During March, it was evident that Macclesfield was developing an export trade in old gas lamps. The latest demand had come as a result of an overseas customer of Leemetals Ltd who occupied premises in Fountain Street.
Miss Great Britain Gillian Taylor, a former Miss Cheshire Rose, attended the Moss Rose football ground for a match between The Northern TV Stars and a Showbiz XI. Players included Emile Ford, Jimmy Henney and Bill Grundy. I wonder if anyone can remember this game and what the final score was.
The death was announced of 61 year old Alfred Clough, former Clerk and Chief Financial Officer of Bollington Urban District Council.
It was announced that the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Viscount Leverhulme, would open the Bollington Festival on September 14th.
Travel advertisements in May 1964 the local paper informed its readers that they could travel to London by Express Coach in 5 ½ hours at a cost of 38 shillings (one pound ninety pence).
Kerridge Cricket Club announced that it had made the bold step of joining the High Peak league.
A most successful service of blessing the animals was held at Siddington Church on Whit Sunday. Children brought their animals to be blessed by the Vicar, Rev AB Douglas. One of the hens laid an egg interrupting the vicar’s discourse with her cackling. The vicar preached with a small pig in his arms. A collection totalling almost £7 was given to the RSPCA by the children.
Bethel Air Scouts from Macclesfield were pictured setting out on a trip to Ringway Airport with their Scout Master, Gordon Styles.
In what seems to have been a year of notable fires in the area, a North Western Bus on the Macclesfield to Chapel en le Frifth route caught fire close to The Highwayman at Rainow. The passengers made a dash for safety whilst the landlord from The Highwayman called the fire brigade (engines from Macclesfield, Bollington and Whaley Bridge attended). But as the vehicle had burnt to its frame within 15 minutes, the fire service was unable to achieve its purpose.
Throughout the year, newspaper editor Clifford Rathbone, under his pen name ”The Stroller”, contributed weekly articles about his walks in the countryside around Macclesfield. Particularly apt was his description of his walks in the Goyt Valley during this time when Stockport Water Board was flooding the valley to create the Goyt and Fernilee Reservoirs. Mr Rathbone subsequently completed an interesting small book called The Goyt Valley Story
Back in Macclesfield after 4 ½ years touring the world was Mrs Dina Albrecht whose family home was Woodbank at Kerridge. During her time away, she had been a teacher, an air hostess with Pan American Airlines, and a model appearing in commercials and films in both America and Canada.
At half a crown (2shillings and sixpence equivalent to 12 ½ pence) a time, members of the public were able to have a close up view of the world’s largest radio telescope at Jodrell Bank. Visitors were also able to enter the control room to see the scientists at work.
Affirming that cable entertainment is not a new concept, Parkers of Macclesfield offered “Radio Relay” to homes in Macclesfield. Participating homes would choose which radio station to listen to by selecting one of four positions on a little white box. Listeners could tune in to the BBC light programme for Mrs Dale’s Diary, The Archers, Sports Report, Workers’ Playtime, Music While You Work, Woman’s Hour and Radio Newsreel OR BBC Home Service for the Daily Service, Desert Island Discs, Afternoon Theatre, Voice of The North, Today in Parliament and A Book at Bedtime, OR BBC Third Programme for concerts and plays, science surveys, study sessions, jazz sessions, news and views. Whilst some of these programmes are nought but a memory, some can still be heard.
Pop singer Terry Shane released a new record “Whistle Stop” in 1964 – he had been a pupil at St Albans School in Macclesfield and still had relatives living locally.
Peace was shattered around Nab Farm at Pott Shrigley for 2 weeks in May when teams of ITV cameramen, producers and players engaged in the production of the Granada TV Series “The Villains” which was screened in the northwest on Friday evenings.
Poynton Rose Queen Procession had brought colour to the village, lead by the Stockport Boys Brigade Band. The Vicar of Poynton, Reverend Robert Lewes opened the afternoon’s proceedings.
The cheapest car on the UK market in 1964 was the Fiat 500D. It cost £399 including tax and was available at Arthur Watling’s garages on Buxton Road and Beach Lane.
A 1964 headline pronounced that “Macclesfield is to go gay on New Year’s Eve.” The Mayor of Macclesfield, councillor V Farr, proposed a hog roast in the Market Place
The Lyme Green Basketball Team was pictured ready to depart for the Wheelchair Olympics in Tokyo.
Special significance was placed on the Remembrance Day in 1964 as it commemorated the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 1. The procession to the cenotaph was led by the Special Constabulary Band. Mayor Councillor V Farr laid a wreath of poppies on behalf of the town’s folks and the service was lead by the Mayor’s chaplain, Rev K E Jinks.
