Winter 2010

Littleborough Out On Its Own?

Following my thoughts on this in the Autumn edition of the Newsletter matters have been moving on.

Reno Minopoli, one of our new members, who brought the matter up originally, has contacted the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to ask what might be possible. He received the following reply by email from the Department for Communities and Local Government:

Dear Mr. Minopoli,

Thank you for your telephone call enquiring what the procedure would be for the area of Littleborough to becoming a principal council in its own right. I apologise for the delay in getting back to you and hope the following is helpful.

The Secretary of State has no powers to amend the boundaries between local authorities (including merging or creating local authorities) without the new Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) undertaking a review of the area and then acting on their recommendations. At present the Secretary of State has no plans to make any such request but we have noted your views.

Given the precarious state of public finances, the Government believes that this is not the time to undertake centrally imposed, resource intensive and disruptive restructuring of local government. Nevertheless, the Government is currently aware of numerous examples of councils of all sizes, working collaboratively in order to reduce duplication and costs; generating vital savings which are being reinvested in front line services for the benefit of their citizens. Central Government would like to see more examples of such collaborative working - approaches which will be made even more beneficial under plans to devolve more power to local authorities. In these circumstances, the Government believes that councils should be left free to decide themselves on sensible co-operation in the interests of their citizens, without recourse to restructuring.

You might wish to note that the LGBCE can, on its own initiative or at the request of a local authority, review and make recommendations for changes to administrative boundaries under the provisions of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. The LGBCE is currently looking at what it might do in its first years). It is highly likely to concentrate on its core task of updating electoral arrangements in councils but it is considering undertaking some administrative boundary reviews. Whilst it is not a matter for the Department we understand that any such boundary reviews are likely to be either small scale or ones where all the local authorities concerned agree that a review should take place.

When we spoke, I said I would send you details of how electors of an area can submit a petition to their principal council for the creation of a parish council.

In 2008 the Secretary of States responsibility for taking decisions about parish boundary matters was devolved to principal councils, under Chapter 3 of Part 4 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007. Section 80 of that Act provides for local government electors to initiate a community governance review and present a public petition for the creation of a parish to the principal council, who are responsible for taking decisions about boundary matters under the Act.

The community governance reviews allows local government electors to change community governance in their area by petitioning for a variety of matters including:

• the creation of a parish
• the name of a parish
• the establishment of a separate parish council for an existing parish
• the alteration of boundaries of existing parishes
• the abolition of a parish
• the dissolution of a parish council
• changes to the electoral arrangements of a parish council
• whether a parish should be grouped under a common parish council or degrouped.

For a petition to be valid it must be signed by the requisite number of local electors:

• for an area with less than 500 local electors, the petition must be signed by at least 50% of them;
• for an area with between 500 and 2,500 local electors, the petition must be signed by at least 250 of them;
• for an area with more than 2,500 local electors, the petition must be signed by at least 10% of them;
• the petition should define the area to which the review relates, whether on a map or otherwise, and refer to identifiable fixed boundaries; and
• the petition must specify one or more proposed recommendations for review.

District councils, unitary county councils and London borough councils (‘principal councils’) can make a decision under the 2007 Act to undertake a community governance review of the whole or part of their council area.

You may find the following website path to the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 Act helpful:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/ukpga_20070028_en_8#pt4-ch1-l1g75

I also attach the website path to our guidance on community governance (parish) reviews. You may find Section 2, paragraph 39 for guidance on "Public Petitions to Trigger Community Governance Reviews" helpful.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/guidancecommunitygovernance2010

Regards,

Anne Dart
Department for Communities and Local Government
Local Governance Division

While this may seem a bit long-winded it seems to me to contain some helpful suggestions and leads me to the thought that the impossible idea may not be so impossible after all.

What do our readers think?

Website

When it comes to making a comment we have recently made things easier for those with access to the Internet. Our website now contains a page through which members of the society (or members of the public) might easily tell us what they think. I hope that many do.

This is an important innovation, despite its simplicity, and I look forward to seeing your views. Anyone agreeing to those views being published on the web will see them posted and can then see what others think about their ideas and so on….

Iain Spencer Gerrard

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Another Successful LCT Talk

About 40 people supported the latest of the talks promoted by Littleborough Civic Trust on September 30th at the Coach House. They were rewarded with a very interesting, amusing and thoughtful combination of photographs, film, interviews and commentary on Heptonstall Village by Nick Wilding.

Nick, who certainly knows how to bring a village, its history, traditions, memories and characters to life, had made this presentation especially for us. Afterwards, he said he said he was “delighted with the general response to the whole evening, so please treat that as my pat on the back for providing me with such a wonderful audience in such a great venue.”

The Events Subcommittee worked hard to make sure every aspect of the evening was enjoyable and ran smoothly. As with the previous talk on the Coach House’s Stone Head, the evening included a chance to win a prize by selecting a name for a central character in the presentation’s subject matter – we have now named not only the Head, which is now officially “Red”, but have also given a name to the stone cat in the wall of Heptonstall Village Church.

Thanks to all who supported us on the night, and helped to make it so enjoyable and worthwhile. We hope you will also want to attend our future events, which are listed in the Events Card which every member of the Trust should have received with their Autumn Newsletter.

A card outlining events planned for October 2011 through to December 2012 will be printed by the time of the 40th Anniversary of the Trust, which we are celebrating in June 2011. We all hope you will come along and join us – you will be made very welcome.

Bernice Clifton

How Littleborough Changes!

Being aware that having lived in Littleborough for a mere thirty five years I am still considered an 'incomer’, it is a shock to realise that I too am beginning to bemoan the many ways in which our little town is changing.

I realised this when pausing at the corner of Harehill and Calderbrook Roads. This junction has changed significantly, being now so much wider. I can clearly recall it being quite a narrow cross roads with the chapel and mill at the bottom of Shore Road. Now it is a major junction which many believe should be protected by traffic lights.

Earlier, of course, Caldermoor boasted its own Co-operative store. The shop opened in 1868 and provided the full range of groceries for people in the area. We must remember that before the days of fridges, freezers and supermarkets, most fresh food was obtained on a daily basis and that before mass car ownership, shops were located within easy walking distance. The Caldermoor store was a substantial enterprise which included a 'newsroom' and an outlet for farmers, selling animal feedstuff. It also had a cloggers which originally was accessed by outside steps. Shire horses were originally used for delivering groceries. Older readers may remember when these animals were 'dressed up' with ribboned manes and shining brasses for May Day and other parades. Later, it was usual for food 'orders' to be delivered by errand boys with bikes. Additionally, there was a cream and red van which served as a mobile shop.

In 1904, a fire caused by a careless cigarette resulted in substantial damage to the Caldermoor Co-op store but the shop was rebuilt and was still thriving in the 1960s. It is hard to imagine now that the Caldermoor junction was the site of such a busy shop.

Yes, Littleborough is constantly changing. Maybe we should take time periodically to record and remember before these memories are lost.

Margaret Edwards

Libraries

My first recollection of a library has stayed with me all my life. Living at Pikehouse Cottages down by the canal, our nearest library was up Summit. It was run by a lady called Mrs. Durber.

Mrs. Durber was a retired school teacher and the library itself was situated in her front room, in one of the many terraced houses that front onto the eastern side of Todmorden Road. I am not sure just where it was now, but I know that it was before you got to the Ebenezer Chapel and the chip shop. I know that because that part was always known as the ‘Top of Summit’.

I was never sure just how I found out about The Library, but I know that I went there on my own, because I had to take a form for one of my parents to sign. But that did not stop Mrs. Durber from helping me to choose a book, and letting me borrow it for two weeks. I was then given strict instructions, very strict instructions, on how to handle a book, I was ALWAYS to wash my hands before reading the book, I was to use the bookmark provided, I was NEVER to bend the corners of a page over to mark my place, and I had to have the book back in the allotted time. Even if I hadn’t finished it, it had to be restamped. Now although these instructions were of paramount importance, in no way was I made to feel as though I would be punished for disobeying the rules. Indeed, the way it was put across to me was that, in some way, it was a privilege to treat books like this. Mrs. Durber always had time for me whenever I went into change a book, often helping me choose which book I might enjoy, and which would be too difficult for an eight year old.

The Summit Library was administered by Lancashire County Council, I think, as was our school at Summit, and other schools around Littleborough. This of course was when Littleborough had its own urban district council, before things were ‘improved’ by being administered by Rochdale.

As I got older and went to Secondary school, and, as we had moved into a house up Shore, so of course, I had to get used to a different Library. The Carnegie Library in the park was our local one and I joined that, but instead of getting one card I was allowed two. Now this I couldn’t understand; how could anybody possibly read two books in the allotted time of two weeks? I nearly always struggled to finish one within a fortnight.

At first I was a little overawed by the choice of books and the fact that there was a reading room. Why, I wondered, would anybody want to read in a library? It wasn’t until I investigated and found out that not only did they do books for lending, but there were reference books,newspapers, and things like the electoral roll, that people would go in and study.

The Libraries these days do of course provide access to much more information, with computer terminals and music C.D.s. Also, I believe, lessons on how to use a computer are available weekly at Littleborough. All adhering to the principle of access to information for the people.

I, and probably many more people, have gained a lot from having free and unlimited access to books, from fictional books that kept my interest and whet my appetite, to reference books on the many hobbies that I have pursued, throughout my life, and work. Although the recent scare about moving the Carnegie library from Hare Hill House has died down somewhat, it has not gone away, and I for one do not want to see it moved from such a lovely setting.

As I mentioned earlier, people now have lots of other ways to access information these days, so the footfall into libraries on the whole will be reduced, it’s bound to be, but public libraries should continue in general and ours in particular should strive to maintain the services it provides.

Our lending libraries are a wonderful institution, long may they continue.

Russell Johnson

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Seasonal Traditions

Autumn Glory Photograph: Iain Spencer Gerrard

As I write this the beautiful autumn leaves which have glowed bronze, red and amber are falling. It is the season when we celebrate Harvest, gathering in the last apples and vegetables. I recall my mother busy salting down runner beans, making the chutney, jellies and jams which would serve us through the winter months. Our lives would reflect the seasons and we were acutely aware of the need to sow, plant and harvest as the year progressed.

In this modern age of supermarkets, when food is transported across the world, we are losing the connection with the seasons and also the customs and traditions which accompanied them. In my childhood, the kitchen was full of activity from early autumn, this reached its peak when ‘soul cakes’ were made on the last day in October. This continued until Christmas when they were given to any visitors or Carol singers. They were spiced buns, rather like Hot Cross Buns, with lots of currants and sultanas. Children would sing a special song:-

“Soul cake, Soul cake,
"Please, good missus, a soul cake,
"One for Peter, two for Paul,
"Three for Him who rules us all”

Then there was ‘Stir up Sunday’ when Christmas cakes and puddings were made. It was important that 13 ingredients were included in these, representing Christ and the twelve apostles. We would stir, always from east to west, and make a wish. Charms were added to the puddings; each was supposed to foretell births, deaths, weddings etc.

As Advent approached a spiced apple wine would be ready for visitors. It was only later that I understood this to be ‘wassail” originally an ale-based drink originating, I think in Saxon times, when the words “Woes hael” (be well) and “Drinc hael” would be spoken. I believe that in some areas the wassail was sung in apple orchards.

As a child one of the exciting events would be searching for a Yule Log. The log had to be large enough to burn throughout Christmas day, this ensured good luck for the family. When it was placed in the fire place, wine or brandy was poured over the log and a piece of wood from the previous year was used to light the fire. The fire was kept alight until twelfth night.

It seems rare to hear carol singers going from house to house now but as a child it was a regular occurrence. We always had soul buns, a few pence and toffee by the door. Maybe there is more concern these days about children wandering from door to door in the dark evenings. It seems sad that modern anxieties are likely to be more successful in ending carols than Cromwell's short-lived ban on all things joyful in the 1640s.

A more frightening event was mummers. Mummers were treated with great awe and we all had to be careful to abide by strict rules in their presence. Never speak to, or try to identify a mummer. They were always in ‘guizes’; dressed in black and their faces were covered in soot. Always open all the outside doors for them and let them wander at will throughout the house. The mummers, who were always adult men, would make a murmuring noise and move their hands over tables and chairs in a circular gesture. It was important to reward the mummers with brandy or whisky, a mince pie and money.

These traditions were an important part of my childhood. They marked the changing year and were part of the pre-Christmas excitement. Maybe other readers have their own memories of customs and traditions. I think that it is important to record these before they are lost.

Margaret Edwards

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