Fireman’s lucky escape and a riotous ‘rum do’

HERE in our regular nostalgia feature we look back at stories in the Rochdale Observer from years gone by. Following on from last year’s 100 years ago feature, this year, we are turning back the clock to see what was being reported on 80 years ago:

●●FIREMAN’S Escape - Fell Through the Roof: Landed on Bed

AUXILIARY Fireman (238) Taylor of the Rochdale Fire Brigade had a fortunate escape from injury when the brigade were extinguishing a fire at the Directors’ Arms, Heywood Road, Castleton, on Thursday night.

A faulty chimney had set alight beams in the false roof. Fireman Taylor was in the false roof attacking the fire when the chimney breast fell away, crashed through the ceiling and took the fireman with it.

Luckily he fell on to a bed and was not injured. The fire was put out with buckets of water, but the damage, most of which was caused when the chimney fell, has not been assessed.

COLD and Rum

BEFORE the magistrates this week, Arthur Greenhalgh (53) of Orchard Street, Heywood, was charged with having been drunk and incapable in Heywood Road, Castleton, on Saturday night.

PC Handley said he fond the accused lying on the footpath helplessly drunk. He was unable to stand, so was taken to the police station.

Greenhalgh admitted the offence and added: “I felt cold and got rather more rum than I should have had.” He was also thankful to the constable for taking charge of him.

Superintendent French said the man was fined at Heywood in September for a similar offence, and the bench imposed a fine of 10s.

●●WOOD for Market Stalls

DONALD Dunbar (30) of Wilton Terrace and James Grindrod (51) of Hendriff Place were jointly summonsed for stealing seventeen 12ft. lengths of timber, of the value of £1, 14s, the property of Thomas Wilkinson and Sons Limited, from the Top Market.

Jack Smith, foreman joiner to the owners of the timber, said the wood had been left at the Top Market on January 13 to be used in the erection of stalls. The defendants had stalls there, and a witness discovered that they had used wood to complete their buildings.

Mr. R. S. Clegg, for the defendants, said the facts were admitted, but emphasised that the whole course of the defendants’ conduct showed there had been no felonious intent. They had to take over their stalls on January 17, and worked on the completion of the buildings on the Sunday.

They bought wood for the purpose, but found that they had not enough, so took several lengths from the pile of timber, believing that it would be all right, as the stall was the property of the Corporation. There was

●●On Friday evening the Men’s Institute at St. Luke’s Church was the scene of an old -time social during which the vicar (the Rev. H. Dobson Peacock) presented a cup to the winner of the Billiard Handicap Vicar’s Cup competition (Mr Ernest Town). Entertainment and a supper was also provided. no concealment, and they offered immediately to pay for what wood was used. The defendents were ordered to pay costs (27s each) and a warning given.

●●FILM Delays – Cinema Staff’s Anxious Wait

THERE was an unprecedented delay in the arrival of films in the town on Monday, which caused a day of anxious waiting for cinema staff. In the case of the Regal and Empire the advertised films did not arrive at all on Monday.

The Pavilion manager decided in view of the non-arrival of his film for the matinee to postpone the opening until the evening, by which time the film had arrived. Only slight delay was caused at the Palace and Victory, and the dramatic arrival of the films for the Rialto and Hippodrome about the time for starting ended the management’s anxiety.