A local history book was published in Morley back in January, looking back at the golden days of the Co-op. I bought it mostly out of wanting to support local history projects but it considerably exceeded my expectations.
The book charted the social and architectural jigsaw of the rise and fall of the Cooperative Society in the town. At its peak there were five distinct sets of adjoining retail premises along with twenty-one branch shops in outlying areas, warehouses and even a pie factory.
The book can be bought at Co-op travel and Co-op pharmacy in town and you can read a review here.
There are still snippets of history around the town un-noticed to most. This photo shows where it all began 141 years ago on the corner of Albion Street and Commercial Street, the premises now belonging to a firm of Solicitors.
Karen is saddened to hear of the death of Chris Sievey today, AKA Frank Sidebottom.
Karen knew Chris from her days as an audience member of the Oxford Road Show and later with her involvement at Radio HBS (Hospital Radio at North Manchester General). She persuaded both the Freshies and Graham Fellows (Jilted John, now John Shuttleworth) to swap the BBC studios for the hospital ones, if only for an afternoon.
Here are pictures of a youthful Karen with Frank and Chris in the radio studios in 1985.
They charted with this one and later had to replace “Virgin” with “a certain Manchester superstore” to keep Beardy happy.
R.I.P. Chris, you were one of Karen’s heroes a quarter of a Century ago…
In aid of Help for Heroes, The New Inn in nearby Churwell held a charity music festival yesterday, the very first ChurFest. The car park was turned into a stadium and local bands took to the stage.
Fire ravaged the derelict St. Marys in the Wood Church in Morley last weekend, leaving only a shell. The spire is stone so that remains but how stable it is I have no idea since it will have lost most of its timber cross-bracing inside.
I thought at first that the clock had survived from a distance but I hadn’t appreciated that the faces had gone and what I was seeing was daylight through the tower. Up closer, the bitter truth becomes apparent.
The fire is regarded as suspicious by many and there is a £500 reward from local Councillors.
