Rochdale Heritage Open Days Weekend

I will be going to one or two things over the weekend. There is a programme of events. Hard to choose. It started Thursday but even though I have been on holiday from work, I still had to go on a course Thursday and Friday as part of my work. Really annoying the timing of it all. Anyway see what I can this weekend.

One thing I've promised myself and not got round to doing yet, is a tour of St Chads but I think I've missed the open days for this year now

oooh I just checked and its the last day tomorrow, what good luck!

The access work at the Co-op Museum was supposed to be completed mid June. Time to name and shame the construction company yet?

Went to the Mosque on Hare Street this morning. We were welcomed and shown around the building. It was very educational and told things I never new about the Muslim religion before. Certainly opened my eyes to a lot of things and just shown to me today how much we could learn from one another if we are prepared to.

Wentt to Touchstones for lunch went to the old Yelloway coach parked in the Butts and then onto St, Chads Church. Really enjoyable day.

I would have really enjoyed seeing all the Rochdale Heritage Days. Hope the weather is nice for it and get some good crowds doing it. Take a young person.

I am waiting for the Pioneers to be finished also. We have a Coop here in town. I have given them some books from way back when the Rochdale Co-op Started. Think my GGF was involved way back. Family all green grocery and Fish Mongers.
So many places in Rochdale could have found a place in this years.

Next week I will be at a interesting area close to Boston name of Lowell, Mass. Was researching there last year. Will be taking my daughters to see what a Lancashire cotten mill looked like back in the1830 to 1930s. They have one still running a weaving shed. Just as a museum. The US cotten mill Industry started here. Lots of women brought over from Lancashire,Yorkshire. Ireland also. John Brights name is know in this town of Lowell. Rochdale mentioned. here They have not knocked down most of the mills but some are museum showing how things were. Also the Big Boarding homes where all these women were boarded. Had to sign up for at least one year. My Grandmother was a weaver in Bacup. She came 1889. My Grandfather was also in Lowell who had come over a year earlier from Accrington. . They married here in 1893 and returned to Castleton Lancs in 1897. His first wife had died along with a new born in 1892 . I am taking the girls to the grave site and the house they lived in.

The place really reminds me of Rochdale years ago when all the Mills were running..

Plans thwarted again for my tour of St Chads, instead I'm off to some unknown destination to a 'game fair' with daughter and her in-laws.
Oh well at least I dont have to do the driving.

What's a Game Fair?. Doubt they will do St. Chads tomorrow with it being Sunday.

Yes, St Chads is open Sunday, its the last open day

jeannep2 wrote:What's a Game Fair?. Doubt they will do St. Chads tomorrow with it being Sunday.

A 'Game Fair' consists of rural pursuits - usually vintage farming machines, farm foods of all descriptions, shooting, archery, clothing for the upper crusts, tack and livery and sometimes extra events like rallying, helicopter rides, bungee jumping and what have you. If the weather good and well put together it's a good day out - but be warned - it's never a cheap day out. Have fun.

A game fair is a sort of agricultural show, I cant find the one we are supposed to be going to, the one I thought it was going to be has been on today so I dont kknow if they have got the date or the venue wrong.

The only one I can find for tomorrow is at Darley Dale in Derbyshire, this must be it.

Is St Edmund's doing anything? Always wanted to have a look round in there.
I looked for an itinerary for events today online but couldn't see anything, has anyone got any links - thanks

Is there nothing on RMBC's website JS?

Yes, I would have liked to see St Edmunds. I was unaware of the Masonic iconography and connections. Great piece on RO about it some time ago http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/47497/grade-one-listing-for-rochdale-church

Hope it will let me add the URL.

Went to Bamford Chapel this afternoon. Seen all the old pictures and all the old records. Very impressive collection. Nice to see the copy of the photograph I donated from a photograph taken around 1901 to1905 is still hanging in the Church Hall there.

Also in a discussion with one of the church members and gave them some information they did not know about and they said they will look further into it. Funny how a little information has become useful to others on history of a building and I thought they may already have known.

Small world but I must admit I have enjoyed my weekend.

Sounds like a fun day out. Something for everyone. Suppose Charly, you will be doing the Bungee Jumping.

It wasn't Darley Dale it was a Young Farmers Show at Romiley near Stockport, and I ended up doing the driving.
Someone mentioned it wasn't a cheap day out and that was true, I should have taken more cash with me (but maybe not as I definitely would have spent up)
It was a lovely sunny day and little Archie had a lot of fun touching all the animals, he loved the owls on show and the new born chicks and had a go on a bouncy castle.

I did the tour of the Regal Moon at the last Hertigate Weekend. It's a bit heartbreaking when you get upstairs into what was Cinema #1.

There's still the run where the seats sat (but the seats have long been removed) down to about what I'd say would have been half way, and from then on down it's just a giant air conditioning device. Looks like the kind of thing that wouldn't look out of place at an oil refinery.

There's still a lot of the original mouldings and mirrors on the wall, but most of them are in a very poor condition now.

There's still access to the original toilets (minus fittings thankfully) and to the managers office. You can even get onto the balcony at the top of the building fronting.

From what I remember the tour guide telling us, most of the - well, vandalism seems an appropriate term - happened when the building was converted into the bingo hall. Wetherspoons just made best use of what was left.

Oh, and there's still the flat upstairs that at the time was being occupied by one of the pub staff.

I took a few pictures but the lighting is terrible (all sodium vapour lamps) and I only had the in-camera flash so they're not the greatest. I'm away from a computer till early next week but I'll post up some of the photos if anyone's interested in have a gander.

Be great if you could post the pictures.

I still remember many a happy Sunday night at the Cinema watching the latest releases.