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PLEA FOR YOUNGSTERS TO JOIN FIGHT FOR SADDLEWORTH TO BE RECOGNISED AS YORKSHIRE PARISH
THE war of the roses – it’s an argument that never dies.
Saddleworth was separated from the rest of Yorkshire during the local government reorganisation of 1974.
Although Saddleworth is part of Oldham and makes up 53 per cent of the borough, one organisation firmly believes it is still firmly part of Yorkshire.
Many Saddleworth residents still choose to use their “true address” in a bid to preserve the separate identity of Saddleworth and its historic place in the County of York, which can be traced back to Norman times, and was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire.
The Saddleworth White Rose Society has consistently campaigned for the recognition of Saddleworth’s historic identity as part of the West Riding of Yorkshire for almost 50 years.
The society have had many successes in marking some of the places where the boundary between Lancashire and Yorkshire coincides with the Saddleworth boundary.
Boundary signs have been erected on the following roads, A672, A640, and also on the A669 at the appropriately named ‘County End.’
SWRS now has few members and is appealing for the younger generation to join and continue the legacy.
Treasurer Michael Hall said: “My fear is that when we are no longer around the ‘youngsters’ will have no idea of the history of Saddleworth.
“Most adults now have been born into Saddleworth being classed as Lancashire, or even worse still, Greater Manchester.”
He added: “Over the last year we have lost touch with the memberships, the newsletter hasn’t been sent out, it’s disheartening.
“None of us are getting any younger, we have sadly lost some members and, between that and illness, we have sort of stopped functioning.
“We need some young blood to help us keep it going.”
The society’s treasurer Michael Hall and chairman Geoff Bayley have plans to erect further markings at the original county boundaries, which they are willing to fund themselves.
They have previously contacted the council but they seem “disinterested” in working with the SWRS to mark the boundaries.
The pair need some local backing to apply pressure on the council to honour the boundaries.
A recent poll on the Real Saddleworth Community Facebook page showed that 214 members voted that Saddleworth should still be part of Yorkshire, while Lancashire received only 79 votes. Greater Manchester received even fewer votes still with only 27. One member posted: “Saddleworth has always been in Yorkshire and it always will be.”
Another posted: “Historically, it is Yorkshire and it has never been anything else. The County of York is on my birth certificate.”