Chinley

Hidden away behind the high hills of North Derbyshire and served only along a by-road, Chinley feels remote.  The fact that one can be in Manchester in 30 minutes by a fast train has turned Chinley into something of a commuter village. It is the presence of the railway that caused this community to grow from a small hamlet, for this was once a major railway junction with a station of six platforms. London trains regularly called here as did services to Sheffield, Derby, Buxton, Manchester and beyond. The station once boasted a refreshment room and bookstall as well as the usual waiting rooms and booking offices. There was a large goods yard, a turntable and two signal boxes. The station now has a train every two hours and passengers wait in a glazed shelter on the single island platform.

On the train  from Manchester Central to Chinley

Sleep descended upon the ruddy gentleman who had been with friends and when the train stopped at Withington a "good samaritan" joggled him and shouted "Withington, D'y' want to ger out 'ere?. The dreamy one shook his head in sleepy denial and snored again until awakened at Didsbury by the same kind hand and voice. . At Heaton Mersey the voluntary knocker-up repeated his dose of questions, accompanied by the usual shaking, and finally, at Stockport, really aroused his patient and harangued him thus: "I'm gerrin' out 'ere myself. This is Stockport!  See Stockport!.  D'y want to ger out 'ere?  "No" said the patient. "Where d'y' want to ger out then?"  "Chinley". "Oh!" muttered the good man as he banged the door. "An' now" murmured his protege, settling himself in comfort, "now p'raps I can get a wink o' sleep."

February 1912

A Sleepy Stranger

On Easter Monday 1913, a stranger turned up in Chinley. Despite never having seen the man before, a railway official and his wife took him in. He immediately fell asleep and despite the efforts of doctors did not awake for a week. He stated his intention to walk to Bakewell but he got no further than Buxton where he was found sleeping at the roadside. He was carried into a house and then to Buxton Cottage Hospital where he remained for three days. Still asleep he was transferred to the infirmary at Chapel-en-le-Frith Union Workhouse where he slept for another five days.45 years old he had arrived in Englad after spending 25 years in the United States. He said that he could feel the coma coming on and had at times walked the streets of New York, all night long in order to stay awake. He carried papers which gave his case history in America. He was treated for neurasthenia in a Californian sanitorium. He had been found in October 1910 in an old log cabin in Canada. Barely alive, a number of men had assembled to hold an inquest on him but they were able to nurse him back to health. A New York charity had supported him and his relatives had spent a great deal of money on his treatment.

A Horrible Nuisance

In March 1926 the Parish Council received a complaint about open air religious services.  Councillor Murray asked if the Council had the power to stop these services which he described as a horrible nuisance. Chinley had plenty of churches and chapels and there was no need for "Salvation Army" tactics. The services were held by people who shouted at the top of their voices while children "lolled on walls and joked".  Mr Green said that the services were a damned nuisance and that personal remarks were made.  The Council chairman thought that this was a matter for the police and would see what could be done.

A Gruesome Event

As the 12.47 train from Chinley passed through Edale, a railwayman noticed two men throw a parcel onto the platform. On examining the package he found that it contained a child's decomposed body. He telephoned ahead to the next station where the two men were interviewed. On boarding the train at Chinley, they found a parcel in the compartment. On reaching Edale, they could no longer stand the smell and threw it out of the window.

An Electricity Boycott.

Electricity was arriving in Chinley in July 1929 supplied through overheard cables along the roadside. Such was the objection to this eyesore that a petition of 120 names demanded the immediate removal and burial of the cables. The Chinley Women's Institute also objected to the cutting of trees that were in the way of the power lines.  Unless immediate action was taken by the electricity company, the petitioners would refues to use the power supply. The Paris Council endorsed the petition and resolved to submit it to the electricity company.

Let Parliament Decide

An argument over a footpath reached Parliament in 1930. The L.M.S.Railway had sought to close a footpath which crossed it's tracks in Chinley and which they considerd dangerous. Local magistrates had granted an order stopping the footpath but this had been overturned on appeal to the Derby Quarter Sessions. The railway company was having to resort to a parliamentary bill in order to achive their aims. The Peak District and Northern Counties Footpaths Association was fighting the closure which they stated was used by thousands of people each year.

Pull The Other One

A Chinley doctor appeared before Salford magistrates in November 1934 charged with driving under the influence of drink and of driving without due care and attention. He had been observed by a police superintendent, holding onto his car following a collision with a taxi. He was unsteady on his feet and smelled of drink. He was later seen by the police doctor and by an inspector both of whom wer of the same opinion. In his defence, itwas said that his slurred speech was due to bad teeth and his unsteady gait due to one leg being shorter than the other. Consultation with another doctor had caused the police surgeon to change his opinion. He had learned that the accused suffered from a complaint that always gave the impression of being under the influence.
The magistrates believed the defence and found the Chinley man guilty only of the lesser charge.

Not Chinley's Turn

A squabble over which village should host the 1937 Coronation celebration lasted for two months. It was Chinley that held the Jubilee celebrations, now it's our turn said Bugsworth.  Every resident on Brownside was on their committee so they rsolved to hold their own event. The row started when the vicar said that Bugsworth was being "left out in the cold". The Parish Council eventually agreed that Bugsworth should be the venue and that beacons should be lit on the peaks of Cracken Edge and Eccles Pike

Stung
Another Chinley motorist acused of drink driving gave the excuse that he was a beekeeper and having been stung, drank two double whiskies as he felt ill. The magistrates were not sympathetic and suspended his licence for two years. He was also fined £40, rather a large sum in 1939.

An Aeroplane Crash

Seven year old George, from a farm near Chinley reported seeing a plane crash at the top of Jacob's Ladder, a path leading up Kinder Scout. He ran home to tell his mother. His sister ran down the hill to tell the railway signalman at Cowburn Tunnel. He sent a telegraph to the Station Master at Edale Station who passed the message to Police Sergeant Birch at Castleton.  The police called out the R.A.F., the Fire Brigade and Ambulance and jeeps with wireless transmitters. The moorland was frost and ice bound but visibility was very good. At last, at dusk, the Flight Lieutenant in charge decided to call off the search thinking that a crash had been unlikely. It was thought that George had seen a plane disappearing behind a bank of cloud and hearing a loud noise had come to the wrong conclusion.

Cracken Edge

Crichton Porteous, writing in September 1951, tells of the stone quarries and mines, high up on Cracken Edge.

"Stone for floors and roofs came out of special quarries. On Cracken Egde, over Chinley, the stone was got from underground, as out of a pit.  The orad to this quarry was so bad that my father-in-law's father after going up once with a horse and cart swore he would never do so again. But soe men went up regularly and having no brakes, would chain a greatheap of slates behind - as many as they had in their carts- and let them drag. At the bottom the chains were undone, the load in the cart was delivered, and then the secod load waiting at the foot of the Edge was returned for. The floor in my father-in-law's father's kitchen consisted of two slabs only, out of this quarry, each six feet square. They must have weighed half a tom apiece. Before the quarry shut down, flagstones could be had for very little indeed. Next they could not be got rid of. Concreting had killed the trade"

A Tourist Attraction

For 40 years Chinley had campaigned for the provision of a public lavatory. Now,  this new facility, was causing great controversy. Some local residents and the Women's Co-operative Guild went so far as to accuse the Parish Council of treating the matter frivolously.
There was criticism of the siting and type of signs indicating the convenience. A councillor stated that if they were not removed, the village was in danger of becoming a rendezvous for busloads of tourists, revellers and bottle parties. A colleague pointed out that it was no good building a convenience and then hiding it away.
A letter had been received by the council compaining that "All dignity and peace had been destroyed. There was aconstant banging of car and lavatory doors, even in the early hours of the morning. It is a sorry state of affairs in a bit of rural England."
The council resolved to plant a hedge around the building.

A Tin Bath in the Kitchen

The latest e-book from Furness Vale Local History Society.  Only available on Kindle, price £3.42

Poor Fellow

Buxton  September 1927

When one of their guests started to behave a little strangely, the management of a Buxton hotel wasted little time in calling the police.  When questioned, he seemed to be suffering from loss of memory.  He thought that his name was Arden and believed that he worked for a cable company in Buenos Aries. He had no idea of how he came to be in Buxton nor of his friends or relatives. He was described as 35 to 40 years of age, 5ft 10in tall, and clean shaven.  He appeared to be well educated and of good appearance.  The response of the police was to incarcerate him in the Chapel-en-leFrith Union Workhouse !

Life and Times of Furness Vale Printworks

 The story of the Derbyshire village of Furness Vale and it's calico printworks as recorded in the scrapbooks of Mr W. A. Bradbury. A leading member of the community, Bradbury spent his working life at the mill where he was a foreman. He was a staunch member of the Methodist Chapel and a lay preacher as well as being closely involved in other local organisations. This book is compiled from W. A. B's records and includes many reproductions from his collection of handbills, photos and cuttings. Mr Bradbury died in 1926 at the age of 67

Published by Furness Vale Local History Society, this book of 80 pages is available price £5 from Furness Vale Post Office or from the Society; email furnesshistory@gmail.com for details.

An e-book edition is now available for download to your Kindle, price £1.96 from Amazon

The Crime of the Whaley Bridge Postmaster

Robert Jackson was postmaster at Whaley Bridge, a position he had held for 16 years. He also held the post of assistant overseer where his responsibilities would include collection of rates and administering the poor law.  He also acted as collector of tithes for the parish of Taxal and as treasurer of the church restoration fund.

Jackson had received £55 from the ladies who managed the Provident Club to be invested in a Post Office savings account. They had little knowledge of the methods of the Savings Bank and did not ask for a receipt, relying instead upon the honestly of the postmaster. Jackson  received £20 from the Senior Overseer, also for investment.  The anticipated interest on these investments was paid regularly.

In July 1889, Jackson suddenly disappeared. On the investigations of the Charity Commissioners and the Paot Office Authorities, it was found that not only these sums were missing but a total of £275 including moneys from the poor rates. A warrant was issued for arrest and he was discovered in Manchester where he was furnishing a house. The prisoner was conveyed to Whaley Bridge where he was handed over to Constable Hunt. He was then remanded at Stockport and in December 1889 was tried for embezzlement. In his defence, it was stated that Jackson and his wife also ran a stationery business, the stock of which amounted in value to more than the missing funds. Had repayment been demanded, Jackson would have had little difficulty in raising the money. The auditor had found that much of the money could be recovered and the Post Office had refunded £20 leaving a deficiency of only £45. Jackson had a wife and young family and in his support the Rev. Sam Evans, vicar of Taxal and Mrs Johnson and Mrs Shalcross, managers of the Provident Club spoke of his excellent character despite his having made off with the money which they had entrusted to him.

The defendent pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 months hard labour.

Jackson was clearly popular in Whaley Bridge for he had only been in jail for a month when the Home Secretary received a petition signed by a large number of Whaley Bridge citizens praying for Jackson's early release. The signatories included local magistrates, clergy and ministers and nearly all the ladies of the Provident Society from whom he had embezzled the funds!

A Victorian Tragedy

The press of April 1899 described this event as "A most romantic story"

Robert Feron, a gentleman from Brussels, had for 18 months, worked as a foreign correspondent at the manufacturing and wholesale business of Holme & Son in Derby. The 20 year old son of a wealthy merchant, he had been sent to England by his father to learn the English language and commerce. He lived with a family friend in Derby.

Lily Burford was 21 and came originally from Spennymoor, County Durham. Her father was an ironworker, she the youngest daughter. Lily had been apprenticed as a dressmaker and worked from home in this trade. About two years previously, being fond of the theatre, she left home and joined a travelling company . Eventually she was to return home but after a short time, she left to visit her aunt in Derby where whe wished to take up a post as a waitress in the Midland Hotel.

Feron was also very fond of the theatre although it was not known if this was where they had met. It seemed that they had been close friends for some time.

On the Saturday of the tragedy, Robert called at the home of Mr and Mrs Wiliiams where Lily was staying. He carried a bunch of lilies which he straight away gave to her. Prior to his arrival, however, she had remarked that she "must put on clean clothes as she was going to die before the evening was over". The remark was made quite calmly and arousing no suspicion, was ignored. Lily was fond of romantic novels and had remarked several times to Mrs Williams that she would like to die with her lover. Before Rober arrived, she said, apparently in jest "We are going to cause a great sensation tonight in Derby. How nice it will be for the people to find the carriage door open and us dead. I should like to be in at the fun".

Leaving the house after a short while, they boarded the cab which waited for them and drove to Derby Station. They were seen together, obviously happy and on friendly terms and entered the first-class refreshment room. Two first-class return tickets to Nottingham were taken and on reaching that city, they strolled to the Market Square where they visited the Talbot Hotel. Returning to the station, they waited for their train in the refreshment room then boarded the 9.20 pm express for Derby.

Trent Station

 On arrival at Trent station, 6 miles out of Nottingham, a porter was horrified to discover the couple lying on the floor of the compartment in a pool of blood.  The train continued to Derby where the bodies were taken to the Infirmary. Feron had been dead for some time, shot in the head.  Lily, with a bullet wound in the side of her head, still lived but passed away within 15 minutes.

 A silver plated revolver with two bullets discharged, lay on the carriage floor. A search revealed six further bullets, wrapped in paper in Robert's pocket. He carried a small amount of money and a number of love letters. Also found on the train was a letter from Lily to her parents saying that she and her lover had resolved to die.The inquest heard that, from the position of the wounds, it seemed probable that Robert had first shot Lily and then himself.

The Libraries of Manchester

Few people realise the importance of Manchester's historic libraries. The collections exceed a total of two milllion volumes and a significant number of ancient works are of worldwide importance.


Chetham's Library

The oldest library is Chetham's which has been a free public library since 1653, the oldest in the U.K. The collection contains over 100,000 books, the majority published before the mid 19th century

The Chethams complex includes one of Manchester's oldest buildings dating from 1422. Built as a manor house, this became a priest's hostel, being alongside the Collegiate Church, now Manchester Cathedral. During the Civil War, it served first as a gunpowder factory and later a prison.

Sir Humphrey Chetham 1580 - 1653 was a successful cotton merchant. He had been educated at Manchester Free Grammar School which was then sited between the later Chetham's Hospital and the Church. He was offered a knighthood in 1631 due to his great wealth and was fined for refusing the honour. He was not able to refuse the post of High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1635 nor of General Treasurer in 1643. He feared that on his death, his wealth might be taken by the Crown and for this reason he bequested money for the establishment of Chetham's Hospital which was to support 40 poor boys and Chetham's Library together with funds for the purchase of books. 24 feoffees or trustees were appointed to manage and stock the library and their aim was to rival the university libraries of Oxford and Cambridge. The building was extended during the Victorian era as was the Grammar School, the latter moving to it's present site in Fallowfield in the 30's.  The books were originally chained although that practice ended in the mid 18th century.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels were frequent visitors to Chetham's and a reference book and bench seat mark the spot where they used to meet.

Chetham's Library is open Monday to Friday and visitors are welcome. An appontment must be made in order to read any of the collection.

Further information : http://www.chethams.org.uk/index.html


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John Ryland's Library

The John Ryland's Library on Deansgate forms part of the University of Manchester Library. The principal buildings are on Burlington Street within the University Campus although parts of the collection are housed at a number of sites.
More than quarter of a million books are housed and over a million documents and archive items.

John Rylands was a textile manufacturer. He was Manchester's first mutil millionaire and employed 15000 at his 17 mills. His home was Longford Hall in Stretford. Rylands was a philanthropist supporting numerous charities including chapels, orphanages and retirement homes for ministers and gentlewomen. In Stretford he provided a library, baths, town hall and coffee house. He was generous in supporting the poor of Rome and in 1880, the King honoured him with the Order of the Crown of Italy. Rylands died in 1888 leaving the bulk of his estate to his wife Enriqueta, more than £2.5 million. He is buried in Southern Cemetery.

Enriqueta Augustina Rylands obtained a site on Deansgate in 1889 and commissioned Basil Champneys, a notable architect to design a library in memory of her husband. The Victorian Gothic building has an ecclesiastical style which refelcts it's original intention to house principally theological works. Construction was completed in 1899 and the library opened in October with a collection of some 40,000 books. Much of the collection is rare including more than 3000 books printed prior to 1501. On her death in 1908, Mrs Ryland bequeathed £200,000 to expand the collection, more than 180,000 books being acquired. The merger with the University Library was in 1972.

The Library is open daily and also houses a cafe. For more information :

http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/deansgate/visitus/

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The Portico Library

Situated on Mosley Street The Portico Library is a private subsciption library. The building in the Greek Revival style was designed by Thomas Harrison and opened in 1806. The library was initiated by a group of businessmen and financed by subscription. The collection of 25,000 books is mainly of 19th century literature. The Library and Gallery are on the upper foors accessed through a doorway on Charlotte Street. The ground floor once housed the Bank of Athens and is currently occupied by the Bank public house.
The Gallery houses regular exhibitions, often of artistic works.

The Portico Prize for Literature is presented biennially for works of fiction and non-fiction.

The Library is open Monday to Saturday although normally only the Gallery area is open to the public. Light
refreshments are available

The first secretary was Peter Mark Roget who started work on his Thesaurus whilst in Manchester. Famous members have included John Dalton, Richard Cobden, Sir Robert Peel, Thomas De Quincy, Elizabeth Gaskell and more recently Eric Cantona.

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Manchester Central Library

Manchester's municipal library in St Peter's Square is currently closed for a major renovation which will not be completed until 2014. The bulk of the collection is in temporary storage in a Winsford Salt Mine. Interim library facilities are provided at Eliot House, Deansgate.

Manchester's first public library opened in 1852 at Campfield near Liverpool Road Station. When this building became unsafe, the Library moved to the old Town Hall which stood on King Street. The book collection had grown too large  by 1912 and a further move was made to the redundant Infirmary buildings in Piccadilly Gardens. This was intended to be a temporary solution but progress on a replacement building was delayed by the First World War. A competition to design a Town Hall Extension and the new Library was held in 1926 and won by the architect Emanuel Vincent Harris.

 The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister, Ramsay MacDonald in May 1930 and the large domed, rotunda in a neoclassical style, was completed in 1934 and opened by King George V on 17th July. 

The basement housed the Library Theatre which is now to be relocated to new premises which it will share with Cornerhouse. Below the Great Hall are four floors of shelving able to store 1 million books in environmentally controlled conditions.

The collection includes many editions of historic importance including books printed before 1500 and the total stock is in the region of 2 million volumes.. 

A Village in Cyprus

Pyla is a village 12 kilometers north of Larnaca in Cyprus. It is unusual in having a mixed Greek and Turkish population, one of only a handful of such communities. On reaching the outskirts of Pyla, one is greeted by a makeshift sign mounted on oildrums announcing the start of the UN Buffer Zone and forbidding photography. The streets are patrolled by the blue capped peacekeeping force, currently Ukranian. Should a crime be reported, either the Greek or Turkish police may become involved but only enter the village in plain clothes; only the UN have power of arrest. A Turkish army observation post is high above the village and from another hill Greek Cypriot soldiers keep watch. Continuing north, one reaches British Sovereign territory although there is little evidence of any boundary. After a further 3 kilometers, the border with Northern Cyprus is manned by British Customs officers and Turkish police. The village of Pergamos, known to the Turks as Beyarmudu lies immediately beyond the checkpoint. Here old men and farmers while away the hours playing backgammon and cards at the coffee shops. 

A small aircraft from the adjacent Kingsfield airstrip often flies over Pyla and sky divers are seen leaping from it's door for the aerodrome is home to the British forces parachute club. The thump of artillery rounds is sometimes heard from the nearby firing range. Visit the nearby Dhakelia base and bargain prices will be found at the servicemen's cafe. The shop is stocked with confectionery remembered from childhood and old fashioned stationery. The restaurant next door is said to serve the best fish and chips on the island and ex-pats drive miles to enjoy the food.

 Pyla, despite the military presence is a quiet peaceful village of about 1300 people. There are underlying tensions between the communties but the two groups live and work side by side even though they do have their separate schools, shops and bars. Five times a day, the muezzin calls from the mosque and often the bells from one of the three Orthodox churches will be heard. There is a sizeable British presence and Nigerian students and Asian workers add to this interesting mix. 

A strange quirk surrounds the electricity supply. For political reasons which date back to the 60's, the Turkish population receives free power. The village suffers frequent and lengthy power cuts following an explosion last year at the island's largest power station. Munitions had been seized from a ship in 2009 and stored at the naval base which happens to be alongside the generating station. A brush fire ignited the gunpowder causing a huge amount of damage including loss of lives.