Announcement: Glossop History - The Way We Were

I have been working on a verity of different projects over the last twelve months. From documenting rare and previously undiscovered finds, rediscovering documents and artifacts in private or locked or away collections, providing talks to clubs and schools as well as providing assistance with the ever threat of damage to our local heritage.

This is around my other passion which working with individuals who suffer from dementia. I work closely with the community and provide a ward winging experiences and sessions to engage and enhance a person’s day. This enhances the opportunity to social interaction and the ideal environment to reminisce, remember personal memories and create new ones along the way.

There will be two presentations this year that will be of note and I cordially invite you to join us. The first is on the 26^th October 2019 at Partington Theatre, Henry Street, Glossop. This will be an evening presentation/ workshop titled The Way We Were. It is the perfect combination of both of my passions. We will have a brief look at our social history, local events and images that are proving to be somewhat iconic.

There will be more updates soon regarding the latest request for permission for more housing in the old part of the town which is set to destroy not only history of our town but the skyline forever.

History Snippets of Glossop 1986

Here a series of historical snippets describing Glossop life in 1986.



Shirehill Hospital
Shirehill Hospital was opened in the 1800's as a workhouse. It is now a long stay hospital for the elderly. It does not have a casualty Department. There are 8 large rooms and a few rooms where equipment is stored. Four of the rooms are bedrooms and four are day rooms. The women's rooms are on the bottom floor and the men's rooms are upstairs. There are 60 beds in the hospital and all are filled. All the rooms are fully decorated and carpeted to make the patients feel more at home. The patients may do basket making, sewing, knitting, play dominoes or just sit and talk. In the summer the patients can sit out on the verandah. They say it is just like being at home.


The patients at Shirehill Hospital get their first drink at 6.30am. They can get up anytime between 8am and 10am. Breakfast is served at 9am. The patients are expected to get dressed when they get up. At 11am they have another cup of tea and biscuits. Dinner is served at 12 noon and afterwards they can go over to the day centre where they can make baskets or do other activities. On Mondays a lady comes from the library and the patients can loan books. If they feel tired then the patients can go to bed. Those who are bedridden have their own radio and there are televisions in all wards. At 5.30pm tea is served and after the patients may stay up until about 11pm.


The Commercial Inn
The Commercial Inn is a public house in Old Glossop. It is a typical pub which has a games room with a pool table and a darts board. The pool and darts team play other pubs on saturday nights. There is also a domino's team. Upstairs there is a room for hire. It has a small dance floor and a bar. This costs about £25 for one night. The most popular drink is handpumped bitter,which is kept downstairs in the cellar. The pub also sells food,ranging from pizzas to fish fingers and chips. They also do a special childrens menu.All these meals are eaten in the dining room. They also have lots of activities to do with music,for instance they have a disco,live music, and organ playing


Old Glossop Sub Post Office
Old Glossop post office is a sub post office on Manor Park Road. It sells stamps, National Savings Certificates, Premium Bonds,and you can use the National Savings Bank. You can also buy T.V., car and dog licences. The shop also sells gift tokens,sweets and cards. One person works there and he is expected to be efficient in handling money.Approximately 350 pensions and 290 family allowances are paid out each week. Some people travel from Chunal, Hadfield and Old Glossop to use the post office. Thursday is the busiest day because of the pensioners. The next nearest post office is on Victoria Street,Glossop. The Post Office is considering closing many small sub post offices like this one. Two in the Glossop area were closed in 1984.


Glossop Carnival
Glossop Carnival is held on the first Saturday in July. The procession leaves Hadfield School about 1.30pm and goes down Newshaw Lane, then along the A57 through Glossop and finally up Manor Park Road ending in Old Glossop. There are about 40 floats, 6 troops of dancers and 4 bands, including Glossop Band, Tintwistle Band and the Girls Brigade. Each local village sends their May Queen and individuals can enter in fancy dress. The fancy dress entries and the floats are judged by the Mayor of High Peak. A float is a car or lorry decorated specially for the occasion. This year floats included Alice in Wonderland, Fiddler on the Roof, and Victory in Europe Day. The winning float was the Rocky Horror Show. People throw money onto the floats and this is given to local charities.


Glossop Water Supply
Glossop's main water source is the reservoirs. The reservoirs were built in this area because of the high rainfall of over 1,000 mm per year and the impermeable rock. There are two reservoirs, one called Hurst opened in 1961 and one called Swineshaw opened in 1972. Hurst Reservoir has an area of 13.5 acres and a capacity of 36,500,000 gallons. The depth of the water is 25 feet, and it is 588 feet above sea level.Hurst's treated water output is 1.749 mega-litres per day. Swineshaw Reservoir has an area of 21 acres, and a capacity of 56,300,000 gallons. The depth of the water is 34 feet,and it is 558.6 feet above sea level. It's output is 3.04 mega-litres per day.This area is part of the North West Water Authority.


Industry in Old Glossop
Union Carbide is an industrial plant which is located in Old Glossop . Forty one people are employed,most of these are men.The average age of the workers is roughly fifty years old, but the office staff are much younger. The present plant was opened in 1950 and is one of the most modern in Europe.The workers in the warehouse (the main building) all wear protective clothing. Union Carbide produces briquettes of different kinds. This is the only Union Carbide plant in England to make these. To make the briquettes chromium, silicon and manganese are needed. These raw materials are imported from Zimbabwe and Canada.

These and more can be found on various websites. Many have been collated on the reloaded Doomsday Book on the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/dblock/GB-404000-393000/page/1

Complied By Matthew Cox

Woolworth's at Glossop 1941 to 2009

Winter Woollies

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas”. There is definitely a chill in the air as the festive season sneaks in to town.  There was a feast of traditional sights and smells that were sampled by many at the Glossop Christmas switch on, last Saturday evening. The celebration kick started the late night shopping throughout the town and market, for all your gifts, goodies and treats.  It was at that moment I reflected about our more recent history.

In 1941 the drapers at 9 High Street West was bought by the American company that was spreading the country by storm. That company was F. W. Woolworths. It opened its doors later that year and offered a wide range of wares. It was to become one of Glossop’s first self-service stores. Previously you would have given your shopping list to the shopkeeper in order for them to find the goods for you.

The first Woolworths store to open in America was back in 1879 then in 1909 the first British store opened in Liverpool with a huge celebration with a full orchestra, circus and firework display. It was then in 1910 that Frank Woolworth commissioned the design and construction of the famous Woolworth building in New York.

Back in Glossop the store was vital throughout the war years, providing a wide variety of goods that were available all in one place.  It was an early example of the modern supermarket. The store expanded over the years taking up three shop spaces. The original sign over the door read “Woolworths. F. W Bazaar” and was set in gold and black very similar to the Finlay McKinlay’s sign next door.  The name changed over the years as it became a British company. This resulted in the famous red sign we all knew and loved.

Woolworth's lasted 68 years in Glossop as it closed its doors in 2009. During its closing down sales it sold everything right down to the fixtures and fittings.

Woolworth's was a local favourite and a national icon but will you miss it this Christmas?

By Matthew Cox

glossoptours.co.uk

History of the Dinting Arches

A History of Glossop Railway Line & Beyond..

Part 4 of 6 -  Dinting Arches

The arches have recently under gone major works to maintain, strengthen and preserve the iconic, working structure.

The remarkable structure is part and parcel of the Glossop skyline and has been for over a hundred years. To survive this long it has been modified in several ways and yet still maintains its historic
feel and look.

The viaduct was strengthened with new bearings installed along with repairs to the steel, brickwork and masonry, finished with a new lick of traditional olive green paint.

Dinting Arches originally formed part of “The Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway”. The railway was opened from Manchester to as far as Godley in November 1841. The foundation stone of Best Hill Viaduct (Broadbottom) was laid by John Chapman Esq. on Thursday 17^th February 1842. Then on the 10^th December that same year trains ran from Godley to Broadbottom. It took a further two years to complete the Dinting Viaduct and the first train passed over on August 8^th 1844.

There were originally sixteen arches; five of them were constructed of Baltic timbers each spanning 125 feet. The rest built of stone along with the stone pillars that exist today. The wooden arches stood 121 feet from the river bed.

The original wooden Dinting Arches

A tremendous tragedy took place in the evening of 18^th September 1855 when a train on a journey from Belle Vue stopped on the arches when three passengers stepped out and fell to their deaths.

The wooden arches needed to be strengthened in the 1850s with tie rods but this was not good enough so they were replaced by the wrought iron girders you can see today. Further strengthening took place in 1919 for the requirements after the First World War when heavier goods were imposed. The brick pillars were installed and some of the stone arches were filled in with bricks for added support. The entire works cost over £41,000 some 93 years ago.

The viaduct after 1919

The last major work was carried out in the 1950s in preparation for the electrification. The first electric train passed over in 1954. The recent update cost around  £6.4 million pounds which was part funded and developed by Network Rail, now enabling the viaduct to last for many more years to come.

Matthew Cox