Bird sets fire to carpet

There was a tremendous shock for a man and his wife when a blackbird fell down their chimney. The unfortunate bird which had caught fire on it's descent, set fire to a rug and a carpet.

Article taken from Rochdale Observer 30th June 1956

Dialect Society Pilgrimage

Over seventy members of The Edwin Waugh Dialect Society went on their annual pilgrimage to Waugh's Well in Waterfoot. The members commented that it had been 'the best ever outing' to the well.

Article taken from The Rochdale Observer 30th June 1956

Serve Rochdale competition

A competition run by the Young Readers Club asked the children of Rochdale to write a letter about people that served Rochdale. The winning letters included the parks superintendent, the headmistress at the Grammar School, the editor of the Observer and the chief of the fire brigade.

Article form Rochdale Observer dated 30th June 1956.

Car maintenance classes prove popular for women

An article in the Rochdale Observer dated 30th June 1956 stated that car maintenance classes for women were proving popular. When asked his opinion on women drivers the instructor a Mr E M Lewis commented 'Either she is exceptionally good or awfully bad.'

Waterworks Exhibition

A public notice appeared in the Rochdale Observer dated 30th June 1956 inviting the public to visit 'The Waterworks Exhibition' at the filter house and reservoir at Watergrove. Free transport was to be provided from the Town Hall Square.

Model of Cologne Cathedral

A photograph of a model of Cologne Cathedral appeared in the Rochdale Observer on 16th June 1956. The model had been made by Mr William Pollitt and had taken twenty four years to complete. For the first eleven years Mr Pollitt had worked solely with the aid of drawings in a text book. Sir Clement Royds paid for Mr Pollitt and his wife to visit Cologne so they could see the Cathedral first hand.

Rochdale Trades and Labour Council

The main topic discussed at a meeting at the Rochdale Trades and Labour Council was the fear of mass unemployment unless automation is controlled.

Rochdale Observer 16th June 1956

A swarm of bees

A swarm of bees were smoked out of a hedge at Francil Farm, Marland by Mr Butterworth. He feared that the bees would upset the animals on his farm.

Rochdale Observer 16th June 1956

German visitors

German visitors from Rochdale's twin town Bielefeld commented that Rochdale was 'not a sooty town and had nice residential streets.'

Reported in the Rochdale Observer 13th June 1956

Ceylon cinema closes

The Ceylon cinema closed after forty one years. The last film shown was 'Flame of the Islands.'

Rochdale Observer 13th June 1956

Centenary Exhibition at the Drill Hall

A centenary exhibition was held at the Territorial Drill Hall. Street scenes were recreated showing coach and horses and women dressed in shawls. There was also a hand loom weaver's cottage showing a model of an operative at work.

Article taken form Rochdale Observer dated 9th June 1936

Boy's River Ordeal

Three boys faced a river ordeal after finding a dinghy in Spotland and sailing it into Rochdale town centre. When one of the boys got out to test the depth of the water the dinghy capsized.

After struggling in the water the boys scrambled to the river bank and called for help. After being treated for shock and exposure at hospital they were allowed to return home.

7th May 1975, page 1.

Rochdale Observer

Builders blocked by birds

A family of squatters has halted work on a Littleborough house. The family comprises of a couple of blackbirds and their five hungry fledglings.

The builder quipped "we've got 18,000 riding on this house and no union labour but we've still been blocked".

The birds should soon quit the nest. Chicks stay for 14 to 16 days and once they leave they don't come back.

24th May 1986

Rochdale Observer

Crumbs!

Firemen broke down the door of a hairdresser's shop on College Bank to find smoke coming from the back room.

On further inspection they found a smouldering packet of biscuits left on a portable cooker- oh crumbs!

10th May 1975, page 3.

Rochdale Observer

Nudes in the wood at the Lake

A nudist colony is being planned at Hollingworth Lake. Sunbathers who like to do it in the nude maybe given special facilities in a neighbouring wood. Councillor Albert S Anderson will bring the matter up after being lobbied by a group of local naturists.

Double Trouble

Names were to be a problem for the new Council formed in 1975 with four pairs of councillors having the same surname.

All this confusion comes from:

• two Stotts who were both Liberals.


• two Browns who were both Labour.


• the Jenkins who were both Liberals.


• the Ogdens who were both Conservatives.

Taken from the Rochdale Observer, on 3rd May 1975, page 3.

When your home is on fire and the Mayor turns up

The Mayor went out with the emergency services last Friday night.

By the time he went home Councillor Stott had seen a house fire, two assault victims, a sprained ankle and roof top burglars.

7th May 1983

Rochdale Observer

Doomed Newts Saved

A colony of newts have a new home after a rescue operation from a Norden garden. Pupils of Healey Primary School and Thrum Hall Middle School helped to transfer about a hundred and twenty newts on Thursday from Hutchinson Road to Healey Primary School's specially built pond and two other ponds in Oldham.

10th May 1986, page 61.

Rochdale Observer

'Fireball' seen again

A 'ball of fire' was spotted above Wardle. It looked like a bonfire flickering in the distance then slowly going out. One theory is that the air was saturated with chemicals which form themselves into a thermal ball. One sighting described the fireball as having "the same intensity as a sodium street light" and added "at first we thought it was a plane crashing".

3rd May 1975, page 2.

Rochdale Observer

Oh Well Run Mr Porter

Reverend Kenneth Porter the jogging Vicar completed the 980 mile run from John O' Groats to Lands End at 3:30pm on Monday.

He expects his super slog to bring in around £10,000 for Manchester Children's Hospital.

4th May 1983

Rochdale Observer