Turn Right at Mottram Roundabout - Episode 34
Tue 21st March 2017 | General | By Stewart Taylor
Our destination in Episode 33 was Atherton Laburnum Rovers.
The photo showed what appears to be reserved seating in the stand for local ministers. Knowing LR, we are sure that equal facilities are afforded to visiting members of the cloth.
The quick link revolves around the word Laburnum in that the laburnum is just one of many species of poisonous plants in the excellent collection at Alnwick Gardens in Northumberland.
Transport has featured quite significantly in this series of wanderings across the North West of England and with good reason as we have seen the effects of transport links on local economies.
Our destination this week is no exception to this general rule as we are again on part of the major Trans-Pennine canal route – this time towards the Western end. The canal here was originally crossed by a swing bridge but this was superceded by a mechanical lifting bridge. This rather ugly construction, which lacked a lot in aesthetics but made up for it by its pure functionality, was put in place between the two World Wars and was demolished in 1974.
The Northern end of a significant tramway system was located in this town. Services started in 1898 with much of the system horse-drawn. Rapid electrification saw the system completely converted to electric trams by 1903 with the section running close to our destination today being the last to convert. The system finally closed in 1957 and some of the tramcars are still around as museum pieces – reminders of a bygone age.
We are also close to one of the more important roads for the traveller with an interest in clubs in our League. The road in question is a busy link road between a well known motorway intersection (and something of a bottleneck), which provides a gateway to much of the North West, and a major trading and transport hub.
But for our purposes, the road sees four of our member clubs play their home games within 5 miles of the road – plenty of scope for local derbies there.
There are often stories in the news about possible mergers between companies and the effect that might have on competition within a sector and employment. A case in point currently is the takeover of General Motors by Peugeot-Citroen in the automotive sector and the impact that may have on the Vauxhall plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton.
This is nothing new. Wind the clock back well over 100 years and we see an example in this town of what may be described as “aggressive take-over” tactics. Not motor vehicles in this case but a rather more prosaic product – matches.
The Diamond Match Company (USA) bought an existing match factory in this town and installed American technology which was so efficient that other established match factories could not compete.
One of those who could not compete was Bryant & May based in London. The reaction of the established market leader of the time was simply to buy out its rival. And we thought that corporate raiding was a relatively modern phenomenon – not at all! The factory was destroyed in May 1941.
And now a question. In which year did the Beatles become the Beatles? Many may recall at least parts of stories of John Lennon forming a skiffle group and early gigs by the Silver Beetles. The links with the Cavern Club in Liverpool and the German city of Hamburg are well known, and hugely significant in the development of what many believe to be the most influential group ever in the development of popular music.
The answer to the question is late 1960, and some of the first gigs under the name The Beatles took place in the Town Hall of the place we are visiting this week.
The football club we are visiting this week traces its origins back to 1959 as a church team and played in local leagues. As with many of our member clubs, there have been a number of name changes over the years including one which reflected an association with a commercial organisation which provided finance.
Forward thinking at that time, as such associations were normally the preserve of works teams. The organisation in this case was a workingmen’s club.
A number of changes of playing location brought the club to its current home in 2013 and, with that, the ambition to grow the club as a community facility. Many sides from under 7s to veterans play under the club banner and the first team has had much success in achieving a place in the North West Counties League for the 2014/15 season and is looking forward to continued, community focussed, development.
Quick link - What links this town with the contemporary English singer/songwriter James Blake who won the Mercury Music Prize in 2013.
Turn Right at Mottram Roundabout - Episode 34
Tue 21st March 2017 | General
By Stewart Taylor
Our destination in Episode 33 was Atherton Laburnum Rovers.
The photo showed what appears to be reserved seating in the stand for local ministers. Knowing LR, we are sure that equal facilities are afforded to visiting members of the cloth.
The quick link revolves around the word Laburnum in that the laburnum is just one of many species of poisonous plants in the excellent collection at Alnwick Gardens in Northumberland.
Transport has featured quite significantly in this series of wanderings across the North West of England and with good reason as we have seen the effects of transport links on local economies.
Our destination this week is no exception to this general rule as we are again on part of the major Trans-Pennine canal route – this time towards the Western end. The canal here was originally crossed by a swing bridge but this was superceded by a mechanical lifting bridge. This rather ugly construction, which lacked a lot in aesthetics but made up for it by its pure functionality, was put in place between the two World Wars and was demolished in 1974.
The Northern end of a significant tramway system was located in this town. Services started in 1898 with much of the system horse-drawn. Rapid electrification saw the system completely converted to electric trams by 1903 with the section running close to our destination today being the last to convert. The system finally closed in 1957 and some of the tramcars are still around as museum pieces – reminders of a bygone age.
We are also close to one of the more important roads for the traveller with an interest in clubs in our League. The road in question is a busy link road between a well known motorway intersection (and something of a bottleneck), which provides a gateway to much of the North West, and a major trading and transport hub.
But for our purposes, the road sees four of our member clubs play their home games within 5 miles of the road – plenty of scope for local derbies there.
There are often stories in the news about possible mergers between companies and the effect that might have on competition within a sector and employment. A case in point currently is the takeover of General Motors by Peugeot-Citroen in the automotive sector and the impact that may have on the Vauxhall plants at Ellesmere Port and Luton.
This is nothing new. Wind the clock back well over 100 years and we see an example in this town of what may be described as “aggressive take-over” tactics. Not motor vehicles in this case but a rather more prosaic product – matches.
The Diamond Match Company (USA) bought an existing match factory in this town and installed American technology which was so efficient that other established match factories could not compete.
One of those who could not compete was Bryant & May based in London. The reaction of the established market leader of the time was simply to buy out its rival. And we thought that corporate raiding was a relatively modern phenomenon – not at all! The factory was destroyed in May 1941.
And now a question. In which year did the Beatles become the Beatles? Many may recall at least parts of stories of John Lennon forming a skiffle group and early gigs by the Silver Beetles. The links with the Cavern Club in Liverpool and the German city of Hamburg are well known, and hugely significant in the development of what many believe to be the most influential group ever in the development of popular music.
The answer to the question is late 1960, and some of the first gigs under the name The Beatles took place in the Town Hall of the place we are visiting this week.
The football club we are visiting this week traces its origins back to 1959 as a church team and played in local leagues. As with many of our member clubs, there have been a number of name changes over the years including one which reflected an association with a commercial organisation which provided finance.
Forward thinking at that time, as such associations were normally the preserve of works teams. The organisation in this case was a workingmen’s club.
A number of changes of playing location brought the club to its current home in 2013 and, with that, the ambition to grow the club as a community facility. Many sides from under 7s to veterans play under the club banner and the first team has had much success in achieving a place in the North West Counties League for the 2014/15 season and is looking forward to continued, community focussed, development.
Quick link - What links this town with the contemporary English singer/songwriter James Blake who won the Mercury Music Prize in 2013.
