An incident on the Woodhead Pass...in 1901
MY book the Crowden Years Volume 1, 1980-85 will be published soon by LB-Ink Publishing, and without wanting to give too much away, I thought this little snippet as we edge into 2018 may whet readers’ appetite.
A sure sign that nothing ever really changes, a newspaper report from the dawn of the 20th century.
Traffic problems and crazy drivers at the Woodhead Pass.
The same as it ever was. A Sunday At Woodhead 1901
James Borsey, of Duke-street, Ashtonunder-Lyne, was brought before the County Magistrates at Hyde on Monday, charged with furiously driving a horse and trap on the Woodhead-road, Crowden, on Sunday, the 12th May.
Constable DUDLEY said he was standing near his home in Woodheadroad about five o’clock pm on the date named, when he saw defendant driving a horse and trap at a furious pace, and shouting at the horse and thrashing it with a whip. A short distance in front of defendant was a wagonette and defendant was evidently trying to pass it.
He was driving in a most reckless fashion and several times nearly collided with the wagonette. He continued to drive in that fashion and thrashed the horses unmercifully up hill and down.
There were two or three other people in the trap beside the defendant, and they were holding on to the side of the conveyance. A short time afterwards, the witness received information of an accident having occurred, in consequence of which, he proceeded to the Angel Inn, Woodhead. Defendant was pointed out to witness as the man who had caused the accident, the nature of which was a collision between defendant’s and another man’s conveyance.
Witness at once told defendant he should report him for furious driving. In answer to Superintendent COOPER, witness stated that when defendant passed him, the horse was travelling at a rate of 15 or 16 miles an hour.
Defendant: The horses cannot do six miles an hour; it simply shied, and I hit it with the whip.
Joseph WHITTAKER, a steam crane driver of Crowden, deposed that when defendant passed him he was flogging the horses unmercifully. He was going at the least 12 miles an hour up the hill.
Ernest BOARDMAN, saddler’s apprentice, of George-street, Glossop, said he remembered Sunday, the 12th May.
He had been driving to Woodhead with his mother and two sisters and, on returning, he saw defendant coming along at a furious pace, driving on the wrong side of the road.
He seemed to be coming at about 16 miles an hour.
Witness tried to drive out of his way but was unable to do so and a collision took place. Which resulted in witness’s conveyance being much damaged.
The magistrates considered their verdict and fined defendant 20 shillings.