Hiya all,
Week 33 already and this theme of 'Record' had me thinking big time.
I have opted to go with the interpretation of 'record' being an account of information or facts of a particular subject collected as a means of preserving knowledge and known history of performance, activities and achievements of my local community Clayton Le Moors.
Following the St George's Day celebrations on the towns, Barnes Square, I joined folk for the
'Signs of Life ... discovering the heritage of Clayton Le Moors' walk which leads one on a history trail around the town following plaques that reflects an aspect of life or an individual who is important to the history of Clayton Le Moors.
Although these photos were not taken during this week, I had taken them to put together a mini record of same and which I was hoping would fit in with one of the Photo52 themes .... for which I think this one is quite apt. So I have produced the following montage recording some of the plaques along the way and included details of same from the booklet received on the day.
I hope you enjoy the mini record I have produced of the town where I was born and now live.
Record of Clayton by
crystal_singer (drodd), on Flickr
Normal Beginnings, Hare and Hounds Pub, Whalley Road
Clayton Le Moors was originally a tract of barren land awarded to Robert de Lacy, by William the Conqueror for his services in the Norman invasion of England in 1066. By 1243 the town was known as "Cleyton", deriving from the Old English words 'claeg' and 'tun' meaning a settlement of clay soil. By 1284, it had become Clayton super Moras. Moras means 'high tract of barren land', referring to the high ground between Accrington and Great Harwood. (Ref: 'A History of Clayton Le Moors' by Richard Trappes Lomax)
Mercerisation of Cotton, Mercer House, Mercer Park
John Mercer, and industrial chemist, developed a process named 'mercerisation' for softening an strengthening cotton using caustic soda, which in turn makes the treated fabric easier to dye and is still used today. In 1851 he gave a gift of handkerchiefs to Queen Victoria at the Great Exhibition and in return for services to British Industry was awarded a carriage. Mercer hall and its grounds, Mercer Park, were left to the people of Clayton and are still enjoyed by many today.
Dr Lovelace's Soaps, Mill House
Here is the site where Dr Lovelace's Soap Factory once stood. He was the inventor of the "Dr Lovelace's Floating Soap" and found fame the world over due to the fact that its floating meant you would never lose the soap in the bath again!
Whit Sunday Walks, All Saints Church, Church Street
The Whit Sunday Walks were a tradition in Clayton for many years which involved a parade of people from the church donning top hats, morning coats and white dresses. Services were held as usual in the morning, whilst in the afternoon the men were at the Enfield and Accrington derby football match and the mothers would take their children to the fairground. The people of Clayton would line the streets to watch.
Eric Morecambe, Barnes Street
One of Clayton's most famous residents has to be John Eric Bartholomew; half of the comedy double act, Morecambe & Wise.
Originally board in Morecambe, he then was moved to Clayton during the early war years, although there is still debate as to the actual house. He served as a young man conscripted to work in the mines ('Bevin Boy') during World War II. Awarded six BAFTA's and an OBE, Eric died in 1984, leaving an enduring legacy of entertainment for all generations.
The Accrington Pals, Arthur Wilson Centre, Pickup Street
The Accrington Pals were a group of local young men, often friends and relatives, who bravely put themselves forward in the early years of the First World War. Protecting the Suez Canal in Egypt proved to be the calm before the storm as The Pals then saw their first action in France at the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. The order came to capture the village of Serre in order to allow British troops to advance. Of 720 Accrington Pals who took part in the attack, 584 were killed, wounded or missing. The roll of honour can be found at the war memorial in Mercer Park.
Nori Brickworks, Whalley Road
The Nori Brickworks at Clayton Le Moors is said to make some of the hardest glazed bricks in the world. When the first bricks were produced, the makers did not take into account the mirroring process, thus the word 'Iron' became 'Nori' which has stuck for generations. Since the founding of these works the bricks have been used worldwide and it is Nori bricks that make the foundations of the world famous Empire State Building in New York.
Thurston Smith, Chequers
Thurston Smith, as self taught engineer, spent his working day at Nori Brickworks. His spare time was used to create extremely intricate and precise fine tooled replicas of large industrial machines. Made from bricks, he also created a scale model of Clayton, including its canals and mills, which has become an invaluable historical record. Thurston had a poor education, evident in the diaries he obviously struggled tow rite, which makes his accomplishments even more amazing. The machines and model are displayed at Oswaldtwistle Mills in Church.
Blakes Hydram, All Speeds, Royal Works, Atlas Street
In the mid 1800's John Blake invented a water pump that moved water from one place to another using nothing but the energy contained in the flowing stream of the river itself. The pump needs no electricity to operate and in today's eco friendly climate it is used across the globe, including power the waters that flow in the pools and waterfalls in the gardens that surround the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
In Rememberance, North Lancs Rd Transport Training, Transport House, Whalley Road
On 20 June 1940 during the first 'silent' North West air raid over Clayton le Moors two houses were destroyed. One family in particular were affected - Nancy Ramsbottom and her daughter Beatrice were killed and her husband, Ephraim Ramsbottom, was seriously injured and died the following day after a foot amputation. Their son, also call Ephraim, escaped uninjured through the back window.
I decided to place them all on a dark background because the walls each plaque is mounted to are different, i.e., some stone, brick, painted and the varying colours didn't blend well for the montage.
The above was my initial idea, hence why I posted same first. Following on from the above history though I made a visit to Oswaldtwistle Mills in Church during the week and visited the display relating to Thurston Smith which is quite interesting. I took some photos of same to create another montage of some of the records there and relating to the above extract:
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Record of History by
crystal_singer (drodd), on Flickr[/IMG]
Granted this is probably not the best of images ... it was a bit rushed and as it is in a mill and small space the lighting was not best and I had to crop some of the shots to get the parts I needed for this image.
Last but not least, I decided to also include one of the photos I took to create my Week 3 - Style image which I thought was quite apt too as it has the #33 on it to represent this week
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Record by
crystal_singer (drodd), on Flickr[/IMG]
If you have reached this far .... thank you for taking the time to look through this record. Please feel free to leave any c&c.
Cheers
Dawn