South Yorkshire Times and Express – Saturday 3 January 1953
Looking Back on 1952
Beginning of a New Reign
South Yorkshire Scrapbook
1952 and 1953 will be linked by one historic factor—preparations for and celebration of the Coronation. This year has seen much activity in the establishment of local committees, Council-sponsored movements and street committees, and preparations will get into full swing with the arrival of the New Year.
What has there been in South Yorkshire of particular association with 1952? The Sunday cinema issue has been a feature and there have been “yeas” and “mays.”
There has been an important development in the coal industry’s housing plan; there have been disputes in the industry, and in July there was one of the most spectacular and violent thunderstorms in living memory. Remember?
The “South Yorkshire Times” Series celebrated its 75th birthday, and the Barnsley British Co-operative Society its 90th. The biggest coking plant in the country is envisaged at Manvers Main; new pithead baths have been opened. In September the Queen visited Doncaster. Notable deaths have included those of His Majesty King George VI (on February 6th) and of the ninth Earl Fitzwilliam (in April). These are brief glimpses. Here are others:—
January
New Year Honours List brought distinction to South Yorkshiremen—Chief Supt. J. L. Dunn (Rotherham) and Ald. H. Cutts, J.P., of Wath-on-Dearne, both of whom received the M.B.E., and Mr. R. E. Sargeant, of Mexborough, a mineworker, who was awarded the B.E.M.
Gifts were dedicated at Denaby Parish Church to the memory of Mr. Tim Peters, for many years churchman and sportsman associated with Denaby United Football Club.
Flashback to a wet 1951 was the announcement that 577 tons of rain per acre fell in the Dearne Valley during that year. It was the wettest November for close on half a century.
Wombwell voted “for” in a public poll on Sunday cinemas.
On January 31st a unique train left Wath electric loco depot—the first and last passenger train to run on the newly-completed first stage of the Manchester-Sheffield-Wath electrification scheme.
Freeze-ups interrupted passenger transport—notably in the Rotherham area.
February
The nation was shocked to learn at 11.15 on the morning of February 6th that His Majesty King George VI, who had retired to rest on the previous night in his usual health, had died peacefully in his sleep.
A new automatic telephone exchange came into operation at Conisbrough.
Preliminary work on a £295,000 gas scheme to link Doncaster with Rotherham was completed by the East Midlands Gas Board, and work on laying pipes was planned to start before the summer.
Mexboro’ flats were completed.
Plans were submitted for approval to Wombwell Urban Council and a building licence was applied for for a £10,000 Mount Tabor Wesleyan Reform Church extension plan.
March
Paddy Mail for the Parkgate seam in Kilnhurst Colliery was announced.
It was announced that between 7,000 and 8,000 houses were to be built by the N.C.B. in Yorkshire to recruit workers for Yorkshire pits.
Mexborough and Swinton Traction Co. made application for increased fares.
April
The death occurred of the ninth Earl Fitzwilliam, the Rt. Hon. Eric Spencer Fitzwilliam. He was succeeded by his cousin, Capt. William Thomas George Wentworth Fitzwilliam.
It was announced that 300 houses were to be built at Hemingfield and Lundhill to serve Cortonwood and Elsecar Main Collieries.
Sunday cinemas started in Wombwell.
A quern was unearthed at Darfield.
By the end of April, of the 131,000 Yorkshire miners eligible to join the N.C.B. pensions scheme fewer than half had joined.
May
Farmers called for a “firmer stand” to be taken to prevent further agricultural land being taken over at Wentworth for opencast coal mining.
A party of members of Wombwell St. Michael’s Church went on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal as an act of pious thanksgiving for the erection of a new church.
A warm, dry spell caused anxiety about water in the Mexborough-Swinton-Wath areas.
Unemployment among girls in the Don and Dearne area was reported to be the worst for some 10 years.
A nightingale was heard in Wombwell for the first time for 15 years.
June
Industrial note in the early days of June was that ten per cent. of the boys leaving school at Easter in the East and West Ridings went into the coal mining industry.
Family planning clinics in the West Riding were taken over by the Family Planning Association because the County Council had had difficulty in staffing them. The clinics were being operated at Mexborough, Sprotborough and Spenborough.
Most important news note in the coalfields was a dispute affecting deputies, overmen and shotfirers.
It was announced that the coal industry’s Housing Association planned to build 1,981 miners’ houses in the Doncaster Rural Area.
Wombwell Mount Tabor Wesleyan Reform Church received a letter from the Ministry of Works refusing a building licence for proposed extensions to the church.
The Miners’ Day demonstration was held in Locke Park, Barnsley.
Four brigades were called to a blaze at the Wath brewery of Whitworth Son and Nephew, which destroyed part of the brewing tower and stock.
There were dismissals at Swinton G.E.C. works.
It was announced that Mr. J. A. Hall, Yorkshire miners’ president, who retired in July, was to become chief welfare officer for Yorkshire in the new Coal Industry Welfare Organisation.
July
The first of July was marked by one of the most spectacular and violent thunderstorms in living memory. It left a wide trail of floods and damage.
Wombwell’s memorial to the dead of the 1939–45 War was dedicated and unveiled.
A new retreat for old people—the third in Wath urban area—was formally opened by Ald. H. J. Bambridge, O.B.E., chairman of the Finance Committee of the West Riding County Council. It was forecast that the retreat, in West Melton, would eventually be the centre of a small township.
Yorkshire Colts won a two-day match at Wath with Nottinghamshire Seconds.
The “South Yorkshire Times” Series celebrated its 75th birthday.
The Sunday cinema issue was raised in Dearne, and Dearne said “Yes.”
Nearly 400 houses were planned on a 45-acre extension to Mexborough’s Highwoods Road housing scheme.
Agricultural note: Cattle and pig classes, etc., were cancelled at local shows because of the incidence of foot and mouth disease.
August
It was announced that 40 acres of land were to be taken over by Swinton Urban Council as a site for 400 houses.
It was announced that in five years’ time Manvers Main would have the biggest coking plant in the country and that extensions costing £5,700,000 were to be made to the existing plant.
New £145,000 pithead baths were opened at Hickleton.
The death occurred of Mr. Horace Irving Turner, Joint Managing Director of the “South Yorkshire Times” Printing Coy. Ltd. He was 60.
September
Big social event during September was the visit to Doncaster of Her Majesty the Queen, to see her horse, Gay Time, run in the St. Leger.
It was announced that 200 homes were urgently needed in the Dearne district for men who, themselves, were to work on the N.C.B.’s big housing estate.
More fares increases were granted to the Mexborough and Swinton Traction Co.
Installation followed in October at Kilnhurst Colliery a full start was made on the working of a “new” seam which will eventually boost the pit’s coal output to over 7,000 tons a week.
The “new” seam was the Haigh Moor, which was worked many years ago, but which had been “dead” for several years.
October
Strange as it seemed at the time after many rainy days Mexborough became short of domestic and industrial water supply.
A £68,620 sewer plan inquiry was held at Mexborough. It was stated that Mexborough’s rate would probably go up by 1s. 5d. if the scheme went through.
A flowering almond tree was planted in Conisbrough Coronation Park to commemorate the district’s savings achievements.
The Earl of Scarbrough was appointed Lord Chamberlain.
Pithead baths were opened.
Notes for the record: For the first time for 20 years the Executive Council of the National Federation of Off-Licence Holders’ Associations met in England and Wales, in Barnsley, and for the fourth successive week pits in the North-Eastern Division of the N.C.B. produced a million tons of coal.
Nearly an inch of rain fell in Doncaster on October 13th—one of the wettest days this year.
November
Plans to extend welfare facilities for Hickleton Main Colliery miners and their families at Thurnscoe Athletic Ground were announced in November.
It was also announced that a scheme for electric lighting in Hoyland’s main thoroughfares would cost £12,000.
Swinton U.D.C. decided by seven votes to three to rescind a previous minute seeking a draft order to permit the Sunday opening of the town’s cinema.
A stone from Conisbrough Castle was taken for an American Ivanhoe Club by Mr. Horace Kelly, former Conisbrough resident.
Beighton reached the first round proper of the F.A. Cup—and were beaten by Wrexham at Millmoor.
A record of 366 entries were received for the 25th Rotherham Chrysanthemum Show.
A joint meeting of the authorities concerned in the Old Denaby bridge proposal decided to ask the West Riding Surveyor to prepare a scheme for the erection of a new bridge over the River Don to link Mexborough and Old Denaby.
There was unanimous agreement in a Mexborough Chamber of Trade meeting that shop hours should not be extended.
It was announced that there was to be specially strong beer for the Coronation!
December
Mexborough and Swinton were still having trouble with water supplies.
On Friday, Dec. 5th, first stamps of the new reign were issued.
On December 13th, the “South Yorkshire Times” Series ran a 32-page issue—largest since the war.
Sign of the times: Shift work radio and television and the cinema were among factors which were causing a falling-off in the number of men taking courses in trade studies, according to Mr. J. South, Yorkshire secretary of the South Yorkshire district W.E.A.
Important development came with the announcement that a scheme was on foot whereby churches from six Methodist circuits would, if they approved, regroup under two new circuits—the Wath and Mexborough Circuit, and the Wombwell and Hoyland Circuit.