1991

  A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE 

 1991

THE COUNCILS
JANUARY Wakefield Council said the anti-poll tax campaign of refusing to pay had failed and most people had paid up. 17.5% of people had moved house in the last 12 months and this had caused administrative problems. 
MARCH Wakefield Council announced they were to withdraw future cash support for Wakefield Trinity, Featherstone Rovers and Castleford because of more pressing needs for the money. The Rovers chairman, Eric Gardner said they were grateful for the support given in the past, and they were already in negotiations to buy back the ground.
MAY  The Wakefield Council election result was:
Graham Isherwood (Labour)  3,331
Thomas Steele (Conservative)  360
There was no contest for the town council.
  Wakefield Council put 39 litter bins along Station Lane which was only 350 yards long. The bins cost more than £5,000 and were to meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Act. A local butcher said the people of Featherstone are laughing at the council. Ian Dransfield, secretary of the Chamber of Trade, said it is a good idea but there are just too many. He suggested some could have been put in Green Lane and Purston. The council was hoping local businesses would sponsor the scheme at £160 per litter bin. Photo - Express.

JULY  Wakefield Council applied to the Department of Transport for funds for the Ackworth and Pontefract bypass. This raised the old objections from the Featherstone councillors who said their phones had been red hot with calls from residents objecting to the scheme. The main complaint was traffic for the M62 would not go to the Queens Hotel junction in Pontefract, but would go through Featherstone and Ackton. Cr Graham Isherwood said the scheme would not solve congestion, but transfer it to Featherstone.
  A council spokesman said "Investigations show that it would be quicker to access the M62 at Glass Houghton by using the bypass rather than using Featherstone and the Ackton bypass".
  The redesigned Station Lane precinct was officially opened by Cr Graham Isherwood. The cost of £55,000 was mainly paid for by Wakefield Council plus donations from Featherstone Town Council and British Coal Opencast Executive.
  Cr Isherwood said "The precinct is a credit to Featherstone. It is an excellent example of cooperation by the council, various organisations and local people, who deserve congratulations for a first class job".
SEPTEMBER  The town councillors were worried about the rising tide of vandalism at Purston Park pavilion and bowling green. The number of players using it had dropped off and kids were playing on it and smashing it up according to Dick Bellfield. He said they would let people use it free to prevent another facility being lost.
OCTOBER  Wakefield Council announced next summer dogs would be banned from the children's playground in Purston Park. The playgrounds had already been fenced off. Also there would be safer surfacing material under the equipment.
NOVEMBER  Planning permission was given for Featherstone's new railway station. It was expected to be completed next May. Cr Steve Vickers said it would be a boon for both workers and shoppers. "One of the problems in the search for employment has been travel, but this will be alleviated by the introduction of this service".

THE ROVERS
  The half-yearly meeting was held in January. Secretary Terry Jones said the cashline lottery scheme, the club bar and the club shop had all made tremendous financial contributions to the club's ability to add to the first team squad. The committee was continuing in its search to raise more money so it could keep its quality players. The club was still hoping for ground improvements to get the ground capacity of 6,245 lifted from "its present ridiculously low level".
  The Road Safety Group was to investigate car congestion when the Rovers were at home which fire chiefs considered could hamper life saving emergency services. Parking on both sides of Ackworth Road was the most concern.
  In March the Rovers were fined £1,000 because of a first team brawl at Sheffield and £600 for a similar occurrence involving the A team at Oldham. Half was to be paid immediately and half suspended for six months.
   by April hundreds of Rovers fans had signed a petition drawn up by Tony Nix of Dixon Street to get the committee to withdraw a membership ban on Pete Smith, father of ex-Rovers player Peter Smith. He had an argument with committeeman Terry Mullaney who claimed he had made references to other committee members. Pete Smith denied it. Eric Gardner, chairman, said anyone signing the petition would do so without knowing the full circumstances.
  Pete Smith admitted threatening to fight a committeeman. Terry Mullaney said the incident occurred at the clubhouse and Pete Smith age 71 wanted him to go outside to settle it. Terry Mullaney age 41 declined the offer. He said he wasn't going to fight an old man.
  Wakefield Council said in May they would transfer the Post Office Road ground back to the Rovers without charge. Eric Gardner said it was good news but they would have to take on staff to maintain the ground, and it was estimated a further £53,000 of ground safety work was necessary. 
  The Rovers sponsor for one year, Cop Consultant Group, had gone into receivership so they were looking for a new sponsor. A brochure was sent in June to 1,000 potential sponsors throughout the country.
    A Junior Blue and White Supporters Club was set up in July for youngsters age six to 14. A float in the Gala and a tent in the park would be arranged to publicise it. At the first meeting in August there were 72 boys and girls and it was decided to limit it to 100. They had a tour of the ground and facilities and watched the players train, and then had a question and answer session with the coach Peter Fox and players. The Express photo shows Rovers player Chris Burton with young supporter Natalie Harper age 11.

  A loss on the season of £147,609 was reported in August even though the lottery brought in £122,003. A 12 months deal was made with Beezer Homes (Yorkshire). The sponsorship money was not disclosed but would be a monthly sum plus bonuses for league position and progress in cup competitions.
   Peter Fox resigned as coach in October. He said he had been unhappy at Post Office Road for several weeks. He offered to stay until the end of the month, but was told it was in the best interests of the club if he left at once.
  He was replaced by Allan Agar who was coach from 1982 to 1985. he said "I am a Featherstone lad and the club means a lot to me. I always fancied another crack at the job".
 
ALL WEATHER PITCH PROBLEMS
   Residents of houses in Pontefract Road which backed onto the new outdoor all-weather pitches claimed in January the glare of the floodlights until 10pm and the noise of hockey balls thumping against wooden boards were making their lives a misery. Players also preferred to use the side of the pitch instead of the toilets.
The Sports Centre manager, Pete Conboy, said booking times would be brought forward to provide an earlier lights out, sponge would be fitted to deaden the sound of the balls, and the police said anyone caught urinating would be prosecuted. 
 
FEATHERSTONE SUPPORT GROUP
  In February the Featherstone Support Group decided to call it a day because of the ill health of members and falling support. It was formed to meet the local needs brought on by the 1984 national pit strike, and in 1986 decided to carry on to support the Dr Jackson Cancer Fund at Pontefract General Infirmary.
  Secretary Horace Lyman said there were not enough young ones coming forward to help, and others were just too old. He said his fondest memory was the children's party of 1984 when every child received £5 as a present.
  The group collected £15,000 in total, two thirds to miners' families and the rest to the cancer fund. Mr Lyman said "We are proud of out achievements, and the people of Featherstone for their response, but nothing can go on for ever".
  Present at the closing meeting were Jack Fawley, Joe Wynne, Denis Blackett, Joe Lyman, Dennis Cross and Horace Lyman.

GLUE SNIFFERS
  Police Inspector John Kiddy told Featherstone Chamber of Trade some shopkeepers were selling packs of four butane canisters to children of 14 and 15. Discarded canisters and beer cans had been found behind Station Lane library which was said to be the sniffers' favourite haunt.
  Len Barraclough, the chamber's new president, said he believed solvent abuse was a major cause of vandalism. They would take action against rogue traders including collecting evidence and giving it to the police, telling parents where their children were being sold the substances, contact the schools and enlist their support, and ban chamber membership to anyone found guilty.
  Mr Barraclough said "We are determined to find these people and expose them. They must not be allowed to sell this stuff to kids. They can harm themselves and be a danger to other people. When these youths are high they have no respect for law, authority or property".

GAUNSONS
 Gaunson clothing company called in the receivers in April. It was hoped to keep the menswear manufacturer going until a buyer was found. The 280 strong workforce were told it's business as usual and wages would be paid. Production manager Arthur Finch blamed unfair competition from abroad and high interest rates for the company's collapse. "The banks pulled out their backing and so we couldn't survive the recession. The company is one of a list suffering from lack of demand and cheap imports from Eastern Europe".
  Sue Wood, shop steward of the GMB Union said the union has told us to sit tight and not panic. There are lots of single women and women with husbands on the dole who work at the factory. I don't know how they are going to survive without their wages. The worry and uncertainty of it all is getting to them.
  The business was advertised in the national press but nobody offered to buy it so it shut down in May. Photo - Featherstone Library Collection.

SHOP FIRE IN STATION LANE
   Thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused in June to the first floor and roof of Yates' Electronics in Station Lane owned by Gareth Yates of Post Office Road. The store had been ransacked twice recently, once by driving a car through the shop window and then by battering the front door down. Each time the entire stock was taken. Thousands of pounds of TV's, stereos and video recorders were ruined in the fire. Mr Yates said "Business is good and sales are up so there's no point in being sad. We've just got to get on with rebuilding it. It will probably take a month or two to get back to normal".
  Firemen from Featherstone, Pontefract and Castleford tackled the blaze. One Featherstone fireman was taken to hospital when a slate falling from the roof gashed his thumb. Sergeant Greg Beaumont of Pontefract Police said the blaze was being treated as arson. Photo - The Express.

THE GALA
    A procession of 15 floats set off in July from St Wilfrid's Roman Catholic High School for the parade to Purston Park where the proceedings were opened by Mayor and Mayoress of Wakefield Gerry and Vera Andrews. They also crowned the Queen, Featherstone High School pupil Julie King age 16. The Express photos show the Gala Queen with those from Normanton and Knottingley, clown Joanna Bannister, and Martin Banks (left) Sally Davis and Timothy Barker on North Featherstone Junior and Infants School float The Chinese New Year.



  Carole Whelpton, a nursing sister, was manning a stall spraying fun dyes into children's hair when an aerosol can exploded in her hand. She received burns to her forearm, wrist and abdomen, and 10 year old Emma McFadyen of Huntwick Crescent was temporarily blinded by silver paint. Both were taken to Pontefract General Infirmary and discharged after treatment. Firemen took all the other cans away and put them in water. They said it could have been the heat that caused it or a faulty can.  
 
HOSPITAL COMFORTS FUND WOUND UP
   It was announced in October the Hospital Comforts Fund would be wound up because of falling membership. The secretary, Sylvia Lea had moved to St Ives, and treasurer George Holt was recovering after being in hospital. That only left Dennis Cross and Peter Wroe. No younger people had come forward to carry on the work.
  George Holt said "There were plenty of people prepared to put their hand in their pocket, but not many seemed interested in playing a bigger part". The fund had bought goods for patients such as televisions, beds, table trays and armchairs.
  After Ackton Hospital closed it switched its efforts to Pontefract General Infirmary. More than £2,000 had been collected this year alone.
 The Featherstone Hospital Comforts Fund gave five electric razors costing £222 pounds to a men's ward at Pontefract General Infirmary in December to wind up the fund. George Holt was presented with an engraved watch for his 30 years of charity service.
 
1991 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY A plaque was erected at the Railway Hotel as part of the Yorkshire mining heritage trail. it read "Following shooting at the nearby colliery in 1893, an inquest was held at this public house. In 1902 the famous Featherstone Rovers RLFC was formed here".
 
  Workers at the Lin Pac Plastics factory handed over a cheque for £4,000 for the Prince of Wales Hospice, and St Wilfrid's Catholic High School gave Featherstone Support Group £400 for the same cause. 

  Scott Powell, a popular local singer, was now getting bookings from Lancashire venues. In The Forum, a Lancashire magazine, John Lowe wrote "Scott Powell is a young man who not only sounds exceptional but looks it and is professional to his fingertips". His son, also Scott, age 14, was composing songs on his keyboard, and daughter Samantha age 12 was playing clarinet with the Featherstone High School orchestra. photo - The Express.

  A three-man team from the Featherstone Hotel appeared on the Yorkshire Television programme Time Please. The Express photo shows quizmaster Eamonn Holmes and scorer Denise Gyngell with (from the left) Pete Armstrong, Andy Lyman and Terry Long.

FEBRUARY  West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive approved the £1.3 million scheme for the Knottingley to Wakefield rail service, but it was delayed by financial cutbacks until 1991-92 and was expected to open in May 1992. A survey had indicated the line would make a financial loss, but that was outweighed by the vital social and economic benefit.

  Featherstone High School produced a promotional pamphlet, known as a flyer in the printing trade, to give information about its activities, conferences, sports and social events. It was designed to widen the appeal of the school and increase its links with industry. It was distributed at the schools careers convention when more than 60 representatives from industry, the armed forces and further education attended. The Express photo shows teacher Rob Foreman receiving the pamphlets from Emanuel Dourambeis of Emka Print, Pontefract. The Featherstone branch of the Yorkshire Bank paid the bill for 3,000 copies.

MARCH  Iraqi troops deliberately released oil into the sea during the Gulf War. Many migrating birds were affected, and Wildlife Rescue said many birds would be helped by woollen jumpers to keep them warm after cleaning.. A country wide army of knitters set to work, and Gwen Matthewman of Priory Road decided to join them. Photo - The Express. 

   The Featherstone and District Musical and Dramatic Society production was Hello Dolly. They were trying a new venue by putting it on at Wakefield Theatre Royal and Opera House.

APRIL  Vandals dug holes in the cricket pitch and two bowling greens on the Halfpenny Lane playing fields days before the opening of the season. The groundsman had to carry out emergency repairs. The Express photo shows club chairman Brian Harper inspecting the pitch.

  Paul Harrison of Purston Park Court arranged a charity dinner for 130 guests at the Featherstone Rovers club house. He persuaded four local business men to donate £100 each. They were John Gummerson of Featherstone Carpets, landlord Roy Ferris of the Railway Hotel, John Raybould of Pallet and Box Repairs, and Castleford Builder Terry Morris. The total raised was £716 to be shared by the Cyril Kellett Fund and Prince of Wales Hospice. The Express photo shows John Gummerson (left) with Paul Harrison and hospice co-ordinator Ann Gleed.

  The Methodist Church in Wilson Street arranged an open day with stalls selling gifts, homemade cakes and flowers to coincide with a display at the library which traced the growth of the town's Methodist movement.

  Gwen Matthewman visited Purston Infants School to help the pupils who were knitting wool squares to be made into blankets used for relief work in Third World countries. photo - The Express.

MAY   The appeal by Town Mayor Peter Wroe for ex-Rovers player Cyril Kellett who had Alzheimer's Disease raised over £14,000. It was to provide comforts at the Ashlands private nursing home at Methley. Cyril's wife Joan said "I'm grateful to everyone because the money will help to make him more comfortable. It's sad he'll never know what people have done". 

  Two patio plant tubs were stolen from Ferndale old people's home in Purston Park. The residents were reluctant to buy any more, or hanging baskets, in case it happened again. Officer-in-charge Bob Visor said many of the residents were very upset.

   The new doctors' surgery near the Welfare opened to serve the 4,200 patients of Drs Ward and Shutkever.

   Featherstone High School became the first in the local area to open its own bank. Fourth form pupils were trained by Yorkshire Bank staff as part of the technology section of the national curriculum. The bank would be open once a week for 30 minutes. The Express photo shows Margaret Lord of the Featherstone branch of the Yorkshire Bank keeping an eye on proceedings. 

Some of the football team members at North Featherstone Junior and Infants School were playing in shirts and shorts much too big. Lin Pac Corrugated Cases gave £500 for new kit from Sportmasters of Castleford. They entered into the spirit of things by giving a big discount which was used to buy two brass cornets for the schools musicians. The Express photo shows Lin Pac personnel manager Owen Walsh handing over a cheque to teacher Colin Jackson watched by footballers and members of the school band.

JUNE The office block built in 1895 for the now closed Ackton Hall Colliery was badly damaged by fire and would have to be demolished. Photo - the Express.
 
  Pupils from Featherstone High School won 13 gold medals at the Yorkshire and Humberside junior athletics disabled student games. They were Anthony Howell, Grant Cooper, Nancy Jackson and James Kendall. The Express photo show PE teacher Jeff Strutt with at the back, left to right, Gavin Scurrah, Anthony Howell, and Nancy Jackson, and front, Grant Cooper and Stephen Wilkinson.
 

 Stuart Whittell's six year old son Adam didn't speak so he was sent to the Featherstone Speech and Language Unit in Gordon Street. There is was discovered he had a defective voice box. An operation put it right and he was now overcoming his disability. His grateful father ran the London Marathon and was able to hand over £650 to the unit. The Express photo shows Mr Whittell handing over the cheque to teacher-in-charge Mrs Jean King.

JULY  Crystal Drinks on Wakefield Road were fined £1,000 and £371 costs for polluting the Went Beck. The National Rivers Authority said samples of bright red water taken from the discharge into the beck showed pollution levels five times that of crude domestic sewage. The company said it was a dye used for colouring blackcurrant drinks and it was not toxic. They regretted the incident and had taken steps to remedy the situation.  

  Caroline Dakers age 16 of St Andrew's Drive won the 400 metres and 800 metres freestyle swimming events at the Esso National Age Group Competition at Coventry. She came second in the 200 metres freestyle. Photo - The Express.

  Sporting pupils at St Thomas's Church of England Junior School gathered together before the summer holidays with the trophies they had won ai rugby league football and the Featherstone Swimming Gala. Photo - The Express.

AUGUST  Trader David Booth said a 14 weeks delay in building the new precinct was the reason for the failure of his fruit and vegetable business. He said his shop was virtually cut off from Station Lane and the hammering and dust put off potential customers.
 
SEPTEMBER  Corporate CMT took over part of Gaunsons disused clothing factory and would employ more than 50 people. It had the contract for uniforms for London Underground, Wallace Arnold and British Gas.
 
  George Buckley age 56 MP for the Hemsworth Constituency which included Featherstone died of cancer. Derek Enright of Pontefract was chosen by the National Labour Party as their candidate in the by-election. The local party refused to chose a candidate because the NUM nominee Ken Capstick was not included on the shortlist.

OCTOBER  Hilda Oxley age 69 retired as caretaker of the Methodist Church in Wilson Street. Her grandfather Ben Horn did the same job when the original church there was opened in 1897. When he retired his son Joe took over, and he eventually passed on the job to Hilda. Photo - The Express.

NOVEMBER Glenys Kinnock, wife of Labour leader Neil Kinnock visited  Featherstone Market and the library as part of the by-election campaign. 

  Christine Herrington of Rhyl Street, Lynn Lund of Avon Walk, and Angela Dibb of North Close ran the Wakefield half marathon and raised £526.50 for the charity Candlelighters at St James Hospital, Leeds. Young Featherstone children were treated there if they had leukemia. The Express photo show the three runners with their cheque at the hospital.

  Featherstone and District Male Voice Choir was part of Yorkshire 1,000 Voices Choir which sang in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Photo - The Express. 

  More than 40 members of the Featherstone Rovers Junior Supporters Blue and White Club planted 250 daffodils and crocuses in the War Memorial Gardens in Station Lane. Rovers players Paul Newlove and Ian Smales lent a hand. Photo - The Express.

  Walter Marsh age 75 of Purston took on the 5,000 metres challenge at Leeds International Pool and did it in two hours and 26 minutes. He was sponsored for charity but the final total was not known when the article was published. It would be split between Featherstone Candlelighters and Prince of Wales Hospice. Photo - The Express. 

  Featherstone High School put on the musical Oliver! and it was an instant sell-out. Headmaster Tony Warden said with hindsight they should have organised a longer run. 

   Royal Mail was planning to close the Featherstone sorting office. It was said there would be no change to the delivery service, but undelivered mail would have to be collected from Pontefract or alternative arrangements made by phone.
 
   The by election result was:
Derek Enwright (Labour)  15,895
Val Megson (Liberal Democrat)  4,808
Garnett Harrison (Conservative)  2,512
Paul Ablet (Independent Labour)  648
Tom Smith (Corrective Party)  108
 
DECEMBER  The Miners' Welfare Hall was gutted by fire. It was owned by Stan Hartley of Pontefract who let parts of it to eight businesses. Fire crews from Featherstone, Pontefract, Knottingley, Rothwell and Castleford couldn't prevent the roof caving in, but they managed to prevent the fire reaching the old library building. The remaining shell was condemned by structural engineers.
  Assistant Divisional Fire Office Michael Firth said it is clear it started as a small fire in a store and because of gale force winds became a major incident. Photo - Sam Spragg.