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Tue 14 May 2013
Ian Bagshaw - Celebrations in Chorley |
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Chorley Heritage Centre Support Group |
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Ian, a member
of the Chorley Heritage Centre Support Group (CHCSG), declared
himself a collector of all things Chorley. He urged everyone to
save anything concerning Chorley that they might find stored
away. For example, postcards, photographs, souvenir mugs and
medals, etc. Lots of these kind of items were produced as
souvenirs for the townsfolk to celebrate national and, indeed,
local events and these were to form the basis of Ian’s
illustrated talk. |
Ian Bagshaw |
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His starting
point was the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary on 22
June 1911. Images were shown of shops and businesses in the town
preparing for the celebrations by putting up bunting. The
council ‘festooned’ the town hall with gaslights and shopkeepers
dressed up their shops. At 09.30 on the day itself town
councillors and local organisations took part in a march. Many
wore special coronation medals, a total of 11,000 were produced
by the council, to celebrate the event. Postcards from the time
showed the churches that took part in the march. The numbers of
people involved clearly showed the important social role
churches played within the town at that time.
Ian chose the royal visit to Chorley of King George V and Queen
Mary on 10 July 1913 as the next celebration. He said it was the
first visit to the town by a reigning monarch. It was, however,
scheduled for the break up day before the town’s wakes week.
Local employers refused to give their employees paid time off
and this would have affected numbers lining the streets.
Interestingly, Ian showed a short silent film provided by Jim
Monks, another member of CHCSG. The film was shot at the
Ashfield Road entrance to Coronation Rec and is an excellent
record of the events of that day. |
Chorley Borough’s jubilee
celebrations in 1931.
(Photo from the Frank Sellers archive) |
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Souvenir mugs
were presented to all those who attended the opening of
Chorley’s war memorial in Astley Park on 31 May 1924. Postcards
were also produced to commemorate the event but only one showed
the ceremony itself. Fortunately, Jim Monks had produced
excellent quality stills from a film he had of the ceremony.
These were of particular poignancy as they showed many children
looking on wearing their father’s medals.
Chorley Borough’s jubilee celebrations in 1931 lasted a week and
it brought out a souvenir book, hardback and paperback editions,
and a programme of events. Schools were heavily involved and
pictures depicted floats that took part in the pageant. This
included the Rose Queen being crowned by the town’s Cotton
Queen.
The 8 July 1933 saw the stone laying ceremony of the Trinity
Methodist Sunday School. Ian said he owned a souvenir gavel that
was presented to one of his parents. He said he thought he owned
the only one but over time he became aware other people owned
the same. It turned out 160 were made and presented to those who
raised funds for a brick. |
Stone laying ceremony of the Trinity Methodist Sunday School
1933
(Photo from the Frank Sellers archive) |
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Chorley Borough’s jubilee
celebrations in 1931
(Photo from the Frank Sellers archive) |
Chorley Jubilee 1881 - 1931
commemorative mug
Arnold Gillett, Mayor 17th June 1031 |
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Ian’s research
has not taken him beyond April 1953 and his final images were of
Chorley’s 1948 walking day. Significant for the fact that it was
the final time non-Conformists marched separate from the other
churches.
This rounded off an informative and pleasantly humorous talk
from a man who knows and loves the town of Chorley and its
history.
Peter Robinson |
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