Did you join town’s centenary parade? T
WHICH British crime drama would you pick as the best TV series ever?
A RadioTimes poll has Inspector Morse, starring John Thaw, at the top, followed by Foyle’s War and Line Of Duty.
Endeavour, about Morse’s early career, was fourth and Lewis, the spin-off in which Kevin Whately took the lead, was 12th, so author Colin Dexter had a hit formula.
“It’s amazing,” Whately said. “Colin Dexter created a whole industry with Inspector Morse.”
Among other notables in the HE town of Huddersfield was granted its charter as a borough in 1868.
Fifty years ago the country was in the midst of the Swinging 60s, but the town took time out to celebrate its centenary with a parade and pageant that involved music, history and 120 organisations.
The streets were packed in June, 1968, for the event.
Huddersfield 150: The Exhibition, will be launched tomorrow at the Heritage Quay on Huddersfield University’s Queensgate campus, to celebrate the granting of the charter.
As part of it, Chris Marsden, chairman of Huddersfield Civic Society, has collated 258 photographs from the parade that took place 50 years ago.
He is hoping people may be able to identify some of those pictured and also has another quest.
He says: “During my searching I came across a 1968 gilt badge of the Huddersfield Centenary which I will wear tomorrow.
“The corporation’s minutes of October, 1967, shows that the council was ordering 22,500 badges of the centenary emblem.
“The plan was to issue one to all Huddersfield primary school children. top 30 are Happy Valley, Shetland, Touch of Frost, Prime Suspect, Life on Mars, Scott and Bailey, Sherlock and Cadfael.
The list would not please everyone because there were exceptional series that were omitted, such as The Sweeney. This starred John Thaw again, this time alongside Dennis Waterman, as rulebreaking, hard drinking members of the Flying Squad in the mid 1970s. It was an all-action series with a high body count that broke a few rules of its own in the way it portrayed crime drama.
Dixon of Dock Green was never like this. I have one, having found it in Scarborough.
“Where are the other 22,499? I expect the recipients will now be aged about 54-61.
“I would be pleased to hear of anyone who has one and their memories of the centenary celebrations, including the June 22 pageant.”
He can be contacted at 07425402601 or c_marsden@ hotmail.com. Information about the exhibition can be found at www. huddersfield150.org.uk and the 258 photographs can be seen at https://huddersfield150.org. uk/…/year-1968/centenaryparade/.