Turning over a new leaf revives village heritage
EXACTLY a century ago this July, a pageant celebrating the history of a Valley village attracted thousands of people over two blazing hot summer days.
Held as a fundraiser for a new organ at St John’s Church, the festival in Crawshawbooth, saw crowds packed on to special trams laid on from Rawtenstall, and an “enormous” 16lb salmon brought up from a fishmonger in Manchester.
Bringing together the whole village, the event’s folklore would be passed down generations of villagers for decades to come, but has now been revived by a fascinating new book published by Rossendale Civic Trust (RCT).
Author and RCT’s chair
Kathy Fishwick said much of the material came from astonishingly detailed and intact documents – including individual shopkeeper receipts for items like butter and sugar – from the event which she retrieved from the late Victorian church after it sadly closed to worship in around 2012.
Kathy said: “It’s called Fallen Leaves from an
Ancient Forest – because that was the original pageant’s name. In the 1920s St John’s Church had a vicar called Father Paton Williams, and he was an absolute genius. He wrote this play about Crawshawbooth and its history. It goes into the origins not just of Crawshawbooth, but the whole Valley. It’s quite modern considering it was 1921 and written in flashback style.
“The play is part of a much bigger event that took over the whole of Crawshaw Hall and all the roads and gardens. Most of the people in the village were involved - bakers and grocery shops.
“I’ve reproduced the original programme and put a two-page history of Crawshawbooth in the book.”
Kathy says her mum and dad had both spoken of attending the pageant as children, while her grandfather’s brother was the event treasurer.
“It’s been a family story for donkey’s years,” she said.
“We had photographs lying around at home and bits and pieces within the family. When St John’s Church was closed and people began to take things out a lot of things were missed and I managed to get in and collect them.
“When I started to look into those boxes there was so much there. There was a box full of all the details and paperwork, and all the invoices of everything bought from all the village shops. It was absolutely incredible.
“There was a report in the Free Press and apparently the weather was scorching hot on both days. There was an enormous salmon from a fishmonger’s in Manchester.
“The second one weighed 16lb and I’ve got this vision of it being brought up from Rawtenstall station on a cart.
“I thought I’ve got to do this for the 100th anniversary – July 1.”
Kathy admitted working on the book was “bittersweet” due to the onset of time, including the decline of the former church – once a central focal point of the village.
“If they saw the church now they just wouldn’t believe it,” she said. “It would just be such a shock. People glance at that church as they go past with a for sale notice and boarded up windows, and have no idea what it meant for the village.”
The book costs £7.50 and is available from Riley’s Butchers, Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth, or from Rossendale Civic Trust, phone 01706 531550, email rossendalecivictrust@ googlemail.com or write to The Weavers’ Cottage, Fall Barn Fold, Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, BB4 7NW.
Free delivery within Rossendale, pay on receipt, but please add £1.75 for 1st class or £1.53 for second class post. Cheques payable to Rossendale Civic Trust.