On this day in History 31st May 1887

Whit–Friday processions spoiled by rain. First time for eight years.

On this day in History 30th May 1887

United Centenary meetings of the Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire Baptist Association commenced. John Bright spoke at one of the meetings.

On this day in History 29th May 1823

Heavy Snowstorm. The Grammar School boys to obtain sapling for Royal Oak Day had to walk through snow which lay on the ground so deep that it covered their boot tops.

On this day in History 28th May 1868

Broadhalgh Colliery explosion; two men killed.

On this day in History 27th May 1859

Samuel Bamford, the radical, gave Recitals from his works, in the Public Hall.

On this day in History 26th May 1957

Having gone down to a pond for a drink, Bobby, a carthorse, fell in. It took firemen, hosepipes, a break-down wagon and a tractor to get him out after a four-hour struggle.

On this day in History 25th May 1923

The old Flying Horse Hotel was demolished to make way for a new inn.

On this day in History 24th May 1931

On this day the hundred-thousandth interment in the Rochdale Cemetery was made.

On this day in History 23rd May 1885

Ladies’ reading room, Free Public Library, opened.

On this day in History 22nd May 1951

Councillor and Mrs. William Crossley made Mayor and Mayoress of Rochdale.

On this day in History 21st May 1892

Ellenroad Spinning Company Engines started.

On this day in History 20th May 1910

Civic procession to the Parish Church for King Edward VII. Memorial service.

Applications for a Gallery One Exhibition Welcome

The next Gallery One selection meeting for exhibitions in the community gallery at Touchstones Rochdale will be in mid-June. If you’d like to be considered for an exhibition between January and April next year and either live or work in Rochdale Borough, send your application together with images of what you’d like to display to the Art Gallery Officer at Touchstones Rochdale by 14 June. The application form and guidance notes can be downloaded from the Gallery One page on the Link4Life website.

On this day in History 19th May 1951

Three thousand Rochdalians left for a weekend visit to London and the Festival. This trip was arranged by the Rochdale Observer.

On this day in History 18th May 1925

Terrific storm; heaviest rain for 28 years. Heavy damage at Whitworth – houses destroyed and part of the wall and embankment of Whitworth Road was washed away.

Knit One Pass It On: Secondary School Volunteer Project

Knitting goes on tour again to Holy Family College, Heywood to pass on our expert knitting knowledge to new knitters. This is an ongoing project which will also contribute to a new knitting sculpture. The first of part of the newly formed sculpture will be installed as partg of the knitting exhibition 'Knit One, Purl One' for 'Knitty Gritty goes Large on 22nd May. Pupils work will then be added throughout the life of the exhibition.

Knitty Gritty Goes Large

An exciting afternoon of knitting and crochet crafts. Come and see the new exhibition 'Knit One, Purl One: Contemporary Knitting and Crochet' and meet the curators and take part in a number of artist lead workshops.

Saturday 22nd May 2010 1pm - 4pm

On this day in History 17th May 1868

Norden Church Scandal, when the removal of flowers from the alter by a churchwarden led to police court proceedings.

On this day in History 16th May 1913

New bandstand opened in Falinge Park by Councillor H. Clarke.

On this day in History 15th May 1876

Horse Fair last held in Cheetham Street.

On this day in History 14th May 1925

The 110^th anniversary of St. Mary’s Church School, Wardleworth, was celebrated.

On this day in History 13th May 1885

Boy’s Reading Room, Free Public Library, opened.

On this day in History 12th May 1872

Introduction of the block system on the railway between the town and Manchester; eight block stations provided.

On this day in History 11th May 1914

Man fined for being drunk whilst in charge of a taxi-cab. First case of its kind in Rochdale.

On this day in History 10th May 1927

A “push ball” match was played on the Spotland ground between teams representing Rochdale and Bacup Borough police and Rochdale Tramways men in aid of local charities. The police won by four points to two.

On this day in History 9th May 1871

Large meeting in the Public Hall in favour of ceasing work at noon instead of two o’clock on Saturdays. One p.m closing was shortly afterwards generally adopted.

On this day in History 8th May 1856

Attempted murder of wife, child and four persons by James Taylor, at the Boar’s Head, Baillie Street, Taylor took poison whilst on the way to the lock-ups and died almost immediately.

On this day in History 7th May 1883

Tramways opened to the public. The first car started from the Wellington Hotel for Buersill, and returning, proceeded to Littleborough.

Sophie Horton installing Front Cover on the outside of Touchstones Rochdale

Sophie Horton was commissioned to produce a piece for theKnit One, Purl One: Contemporary Knitting and Crochet exhibition which would extend the exhibition out of the gallery space and on to the front of the building.

The starting point for the site specific work on the exterior of the building was the recruitment poster for the Lancashire Fusiliers on display in the Museum. Sophie’s father was a 2nd Lieutenant during his national service with the Lancashire Fusiliers. In 1968 the Ministry of Defence amalgamated several regiments including the LF into the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Historically the LF uniform included a bright yellow plume and red sash and it is this use of flamboyant colour that led Sophie to investigate the use of colour by the armed forces.

She was struck by is how many countries have adopted identical camouflage! In 1991 the MOD had to change the camouflage uniforms supplied to the army as not long before the first Gulf War, it was discovered that the enemy itself had been able to purchase uniforms made with the same pattern. In the short time available the camouflage underwent several changes to make it distinguishable from the enemy’s.

Sophie is interested in camouflage as a vehicle of deceit and this led her to question: What would a camouflage of Touchstones Rochdale look like?

Knit One, Purl One: Contemporary Knitting and Crochet opens Saturday 1st May 2010.

Why not come along to Knitty Gritty Goes Large on Saturday 22nd May 1-4pm?

On this day in History 6th May 1915

Rochdale Territorials’ first battle in the Dardanelles

On this day in History 5th May 1857

Art Treasures Exhibition, Manchester, in which great interest was shown in this neighbourhood, was opened by the Prince Consort.

On this day in History 4th May 1890

Census returns published. Rochdale’s population, 83,112; an increase on 1891 of 6,951.

On this day in History 3rd May 1910

Castleton Baths opened by the Mayor (Alderman W. Dunning).

On this day in History 2nd May 1879

Great fire at A. and W. Law’s woollen mill, Littleborough; damage - £20,000.

Eighties, Nineties & Noughties: Contemporary Works from the Art Gallery Collection

Eighties, Nineties & Noughties opens day.

This small display from the permanent collection focuses on contemporary works which have been made and acquired since the 1980s.

The contemporary focus brings together an eclectic mix of work from a photo-realist painting by David Gledhill to a sound piece by Paul Rooney; a hanging woven mass of colour by Tadek Beutlich to the calm of a Manijeh Yadegar painting; a large-scale drawing by Laura Ford to a piece by Chris Taylor based on the format of the book.

The Gallery continues to collect new work building on the tradition started by its benefactors in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Its two most recent acquisitions are also included: a landscape painting by Alan Rankle presented by the Tramman Trust through The Art Fund and Moby Dick by Alan Birch, a laser-cut steel wall piece which reflects the fears and concerns of society in the late 2000s.

Along with recent support from The Art Fund, the Gallery has benefited from being a member of the Contemporary Art Society (CAS) for many years; several of the works on display have been presented by the CAS which celebrates its centenary this year.

By continuing to collect, we can ensure that the art of today will remain for future generations to contemplate and debate just as we can with the paintings acquired by our Victorian forefathers.

The exhibition presents a selection rather than a comprehensive view, particularly because some works from this period are part of At The Edge: British Art 1950-2000, which was shown here at the end of last year and is currently on display at Gallery Oldham

Knit One Purl One: Contemporary Knitting and Crochet

Knit One Purl One opens today at Touchstones Rochdale. This exhibition brings together artists working in contemporary knitting and crochet. Exploring traditional crafts through innovative materials, concepts and techniques the exhibition features site specific installations, a knitted animation and loans from public and private collections. The exhibiting artists are: Anita Bruce, ArtYarn, Karl-Christian Geleff, Sophie Horton, Rachael Matthews, Claire Platt, Freddie Robins, Elizabeth Smith, Sally Spinks and Shane Waltener.

Coming Soon: Knitty Gritty Goes Large

On this day in History 1st May 1930

Miss Elsie Bowden (17), Daventry Road, presented with the Royal Humane Society’s medal for life saving for rescuing a girl from drowning in the canal, Lock Bridge, March 9^th.