Got a Story? - 01226 734262
Articles
From the archives: Barnsley's 19th Century nail makers
IN THE medieval period, nails were hand made in small rural workshops next to workers’ cottages.Such an industry thrived in the village of Hoylandswaine, where by the 18th century, nail makers, if not full-time, would have fitted in forging work in between working in the fields.Records show that by 1806, there were around 60 nail makers in Hoylandswaine, increasing to 90 in 1851.But by 1861, this figure had fallen to 53, and...
The great mascot confusion - cleared up
PEOPLE of a certain age will have heard tales of the original Barnsley FC mascot... and it’s not Toby Tyke.Amos Riley was the first recognised mascot at Oakwell and he was more than happy to make an ass of himself.Confusion has lingered for many years over whether Amos was the man or the donkey in the double act but Kevin Langley wanted to clear it up once and for all.He said:...
From the archives - free download of Barnsley Chronicle - December 2009
We have started re-visiting past editions from our extensive archives at the Chronicle and wanted to share a couple with you.The third one is from this time of year but in 2009 and it is free to download here: https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/storage/pdf/bc-11-12-2009.pdf (51.2 MB) Please note the file size before you download.Keep visiting the Chronicle website for the next instalment.
Trip across the pond for bell ringers
THURLSTONE Handbell Ringers were formed in 1855.The minutes of Thurlstone School Board stated that the bell ringers should always have a room in which to rehearse.They won the Yorkshire Handbell Ringers Association Shield and Cup in 1930, 1931 and 1932 and first prize in the English Championships of 1930.Winners of the English Championships in 1930. Back row- L. Sykes, C. Mitchell, N. Crossland, M. Walshaw, E. Wood. Front row- T. Sykes,...
From the archives - free download of Barnsley Chronicle - December 1950
We have started re-visiting past editions from our extensive archives at the Chronicle and wanted to share a couple with you.The second one is from this time of year but in 1950 and it is free to download here: https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/storage/pdf/bc-16-12-1950.pdf (16.2 MB) Please note the file size before you download.Keep visiting the Chronicle website for the next instalment. We really hope you enjoy going back in time and think you will be a big fan of the adverts...
From the archives - free download of Barnsley Chronicle - December 1980
We have started re-visiting past editions from our extensive archives at the Chronicle and wanted to share a couple with you.The first one is from this time of year but in 1980 and it is free to download here: https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/storage/pdf/bc-12-12-1980.pdf (64.4 MB) Please note the file size before you download.Keep visiting the Chronicle website for the next instalment. We really hope you enjoy going back in time and think you will be a big...
Chart topping performances at the Civic - looking back to 1974
THE prospect of chart-toppers playing a concert in Barnsley seems pretty far-fetched nowadays.But for music fans back in 1974, it was a regular occurrence with the biggest acts of the day regularly taking centre stage at the Civic Hall.There were regular appearances from artists in the top ten with The Bay City Rollers, Suzi Quatro, Cockey Rebel, Mud and Showaddywaddy all featuring.It was the Scottish heartthrobs who caused the biggest stir and...
Barnsley ferret-legger wows Aussies on TV chat show
THE art of ferret-legging may be from a bygone age but it once earned a Barnsley man fame... and a trip to Australia.Back in early 1985, the famed ferret-legger Reg Mellor, proved a major hit Down Under with his unusual skill.Reg, who was 74 at the time and living on Honeywell Street, appeared on the Mike Walsh Show on Australian TV where he wowed the host and audience alike by putting three ferrets...
History society help residents dig a little deeper into their roots
OF the many pastimes people have taken up during lockdown, genealogy has been at the top of the tree. Ashley Ball finds out more from the Barnsley Family History Society.FOR people researching their ancestral roots in Barnsley, the town’s family history society is often a port of call.Membership with the 35-year-old society during lockdown has risen significantly to 250 members as people have gone online and in some cases hit proverbial brick walls....
Permanent home for town's historic artefacts
SOME of what lies beneath us has been brought into the light and since the opening of Experience Barnsley in 2013, it is on show where it belongs. In part four of the series, Ashley Ball looks at how closely we can see into the town’s long history. Without a dedicated home for archaeological finds, a lot of Barnsley’s discoveries were taken away from where they had laid undisturbed for centuries. That all changed with...
Andrew's potty discovery leads to more digging
STUMBLING upon Roman-era pottery in his garden set Andrew Allen on a journey of discovery. In the third instalment in a series of features unearthing the past, Ashley Ball digs deeper into almost 2,000 years of local history. Luckily Andrew knew the value of what he was digging up. He is thankful that his own thriftiness resulted in him deciding to bury rubble rather than get a skip. That is when he quickly began to...
Looking back at Penistone Operatic Society’s Beginnings
PENISTONE has always enjoyed a great community spirit and in the past had a host of theatrical and choral groups to entertain the community.Sadly, like many events, television, videos and digital devices took their toll on not just audiences but people willing or inclined to give time and talent for the benefit of the community.The first ever pay performed by Penistone PlayersPenistone Operatic Society’s musicals complete with orchestra...
History group appeals for new members
MEMBERS of a group who have recorded Cudworth’s history for more than two decades are on the lookout for more people to join.Cudworth History Group was formed 25 years ago by members who hoped to find out more about the mining village’s past.The group quickly grew and members have gone on to produce books about their findings.Members were also instrumental in adding names to Cudworth’s war memorial at St John’s Church -...
Town's history comes to the surface
WORK is ongoing to ensure the history of the town keeps coming to the surface. In the final part of the archaelogical series, Ashley Ball speaks to experts about recent discoveries, getting the public involved and future projects. Elsecar’s industrial past is likely to keep archaeologists busy for some time while also affording local people the chance to get up close to their ancestors and heritage. The rich history in the village has been closer...
Darfield's links to 'Eternal City' explored
ROMAN coins were once so prevalent in Darfield that kids used to trade them for conkers. In his latest instalment, Ashley Ball speaks to local historian Martyn Johnson to dig up even more on the village’s strong links to the ‘Eternal City’. The Roman empire was vast, fearsome and mighty - and it was partially powered by an inland port... in Barnsley. It has to, at this stage, be a theory but local historian Martyn...
Egyptologist links Darfield finds to Antony and Cleopatra
PROFESSOR Joann Fletcher is respected around the globe for her knowledge of ancient Egypt but how did coins minted by Antony and Cleopatra end up in her hometown? As part of a series of features, Ashley Ball delves into what has been found beneath our feet in Barnsley. Ancient Egypt and Darfield seem miles apart. According to internet route planners it’s 3,633 miles by road. That is a long distance journey even by today’s standards...
Tokyo medalist Dorothy on 1964 and 2021 Olympics
Dorothy Hyman admits she feels sorry for the athletes who cannot compete in the Tokyo Olympics this year and says a 12-month delay might have helped her win gold in the same city in 1964. The Cudworth woman, who competed at the Olympics in 1960 in Rome and four years later in Japan, is disappointed that the coronavirus crisis has pushed back Tokyo’s second games until 2021 but insists that it is not the most...
2006: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives fro this week in 2006.A STATUE to mark the role played by women during the miners’ strike and pit closures has been erected in a Barnsley church.The figurine of St Barbara, the patron saint of mineworkers, will be dedicated at a service at St Luke’s Church, Grimethorpe and is in tribute to the village’s Women Against Pit Closures group.It has been commissioned and produced in...
1964: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton takes a look back at the Barnsley Chronicle from this week 56 years ago. BRITISH policemen are acknowledged to be wonderful and one particular policeman has made a lasting impression on one visitor and can be regularly seen on traffic control duties in the centre of Barnsley.He is PC William Harber, a 32-years-old member of the Borough Force whose main claim to fame - apart from the efficient way in which he...
2000: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton takes a look back in the Barnsley Chrionicle archives from the dawn of the millenium. SPECTACULAR fireworks lit up the skies of Barnsley as people went party crazy to welcome in the millennium. Eye-catching displays across the borough could be seen for miles around as most folk chose to celebrate from the comfort of their own homes. Willowgarth High School at Grimethorpe was the centre of celebrations in the east of the town,...
Nigel’s exhibition will be a load of old rope...
A RETIRED ship rigger and wire splicer is appealing to former rope men in Barnsley to get in touch with him for a museum exhibition.Nigel Gray, of Northumberland, spoke to the Chronicle about wanting to find ex-rope men / ropesmiths who worked in pits across the borough and who are willing to share their experiences or may still have the specialist tools.“After visiting a mining museum at Wakefield I have realised that there...
Railway viaduct builders always managed to stick to schedule
THE NAYLOR family includes generations of brick makers, railway contractors and drainage clay pipe specialists who have played an important role not only locally in the Penistone, Denby Dale and Cawthorne area, but worldwide.The long established pipe making business Naylor’s was founded by Wilfred Naylor, the eldest of the sixth generation of brick makers and still operates from the successful Cawthorne site among other bases.He was born the eldest of the sixth generation...
1982: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from this month in 1982. A BARNSLEY lad has found fame and fortune as a rock star in Japan. On his recent visit, Paul Hampshire, 19, was mobbed by fans after appearing on television and radio. Pull-out posters were given away in magazines, featuring him in full colour. Things have happened very quickly for Paul, who left The Danse Society, with whom he played synthesiser, and headed for...
1995: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton takes a look back at the Barnsley Chronicle from this week 25 years ago. A WILD animal, believed to be a puma, has been spotted prowling the isolated moors above Penistone.It was seen by barrister Christopher Mills who says it came within a few feet of the door of his Dunford Bridge home.Christopher, 46, had gone out to scrape ice from his car when the security lights flashed on, revealing the...
1994: Glancing Back
AN ELDERLY man has had his spirit of Christmas rekindled by a thoughtful teenage girl. Philip Hawley, 77, caught the Barnsley bus from Darton to do a little shopping. When he arrived he found that he no longer had the shopping bag which contained his pension book, around £20 in cash and a few groceries. That night two policemen went to his Darton home to hand over the bag and its contents. They told him...
Miners, familiy and friends invited to share their memories
CAMPAIGNERS are inviting former miners, as well as their families and friends, to speak on camera as part of an ongoing investigation into the miners’ strike of 1984.Representatives of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign will set up in the NUM Hall, on Huddersfield Road, tomorrow.They are encouraging anyone with stories to tell - from happy memories to inspiring tales of heroism to more upsetting truths - to join them in the hall,...
2004: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton takes a look through the Barnsley Chronicle archives from November 2004. A BARNSLEY violin-maker thought he was subject of a hoax when world-famous violinist Vanessa Mae said she wanted one of his instruments. The classical musician had tried all over to find a see-through acrylic violin for her album, ‘Subject to Change’, but struck lucky when she discovered Ted Brewer. Ted has now supplied Vanessa with three custom-made violins. “I get a lot...
Glancing Back 1965
Charlotte Hutton explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from September 1965. A BARNSLEY firm which specialises in handmade blazer badges has landed a contract to make all the badges for players and officials for next year’s world cup football tournament. The firm, the Crested Tie and Badge Company, Sheffield Road, has been in existence only 18 months but already their work is known throughout the country. The Barnsley firm was chosen from a number of firms...
2003: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 2003.BARNSLEY Hospital was named one of the best in the country this week after it was awarded full marks in the annual NHS ratings. It was given the maximum three stars for the first time meaning it moves into the prestigious ranks of trusts which got top scores in performance indicators. The rating is decided by a number of factors including how each department performs and...
1995: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 1995.LITTLE Elinor Bailey’s written words hit the right note with her teachers. They were so impressed with her story, they decided to transform it into a musical. Elinor, nine, of Kingstone, pictured with teacher Andy Platt, is a pupil at Ward Green Primary School, where she wrote about working children in the Victorian era. And ever since fellow pupils have been auditioning and rehearsing a musical...
2002: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 2002.FORMER government minister Mo Mowlam was in Barnsley to sign copies of her new book, Momentum as well as see old friends.Mo renewed acquaintances with several friends and colleagues in the Labour Party who were among the fans who queued for the book signing at the Barnsley Bookworm.The former Northern Ireland Secretary was a lecturer and administrator at the Northern College in the 1980s...
1974: Glancing Back
Charlotte Hutton takes a look at the Barnsley Chronicle archives from this week in 1974.EIGHTY-TWO years old John Barnett known as ‘Grandad’ to most of the children in Priory Road, Lundwood, was among neighbours who rescued five youngsters from a blazing council house.Mr Barnett was celebrating his 11th wedding anniversary and had gone out to the bread van when he heard the windows of the nearby house being rattled.“We looked up and...
1989: Glancing Back
Josh Timlin explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 1989. CAMPAIGNERS battling to save the site said to be next on British Coal’s opencast list this week pledged to fight harder in the wake of the government’s go-ahead for a scheme at Rockingham.Jean Miller, who is the coordinator of the group which formed three years ago to prevent opencast proposals for Willowbank and Gawber, said: “We must now fight all the harder because we have...
No TV but life was sweet on our old estate
To mark 100 years of council housing, local historian and comedy songwriter Dave Cherry reflects on his days growing up on a council estate. DID you know we have had council houses for 100 years?The Housing, Town Planning Act of 1919 at the end of the First World War aimed to solve the huge demand for working-class housing in cities and towns throughout Britain.I wonder how many of you were brought up on...
JUNE 14 Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from the year 2000.A BOTTLE containing a message written by little Jessica Major has turned up more than 600 miles away. It was thrown into the sea off Northumberland while the family were on holiday last August. Jessica, seven, got the shock of her life when she discovered it had been found by a boy in Denmark. Mikkel Nissen, 11, who lives in Skagen on the northern...
1969: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 1969. A JOHN J Kennedy Scholarship - one of only 12 available to students in Britain - has been awarded to Miss Jane Bennett, daughter of Mrs M Platt.The scholarship is tenable at Harvard University, starting in September until August, and covers travel to America, the costs of study in linguistics, and a grant of £4,000. Miss Bennett attended Agnes Road Junior School, and from 1959...
1983: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 1983. BARNSLEY pits made a substantial profit during the first three months of the year - and there’s more good news on the way.The £420m coalfield made a remarkable recovery after losing 360,000 tonnes of coal through industrial disputes in the last financial year - the equivalent of £16m in revenue. John Keirs, the NCB’s Barnsley area director, said in January, February and March the coalfield...
Historian Jane is flagging up more about miners’ war effort
HISTORIAN and author Jane Ainsworth has delved into the links between Barnsley’s miners and First World War soldiers after the NUM made a donation to the project to honour the colours of the Barnsley Pals.Jane is co-ordinator of the project to provide a proper display for the colours of the Barnsley Pals at St Mary’s Church and create faithful replicas for ceremonial occasions.Working with Rev Canon Stephen Race at St Mary’s Parochial Church...
Rare piece of treasure is unearthed at Brierley Spring Fete
A RARE china mug which is thought to be more than 100 years old surfaced at a village Spring fair.Jennifer Collishaw took the item to the Brierley Spring Fete to show to long-standing residents of the village who may be interested in it.It is thought to be a peace mug commemorating the end of the First World War. Jennifer said she had got the piece from her mum, who got it from her...
1993: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 1993. A BARNSLEY couple have sunk their savings, and those of their families, into a business venture which they hope will put the town on the kit car manufacturing map.Thirty-year-old David Evans, who formerly worked for T and J Sports Cars of Doncaster, and his 22-year-old girlfriend, Rachel Hunter, have purchased the mouldings, jigs and rights to build the ‘Maelstrom’, a revolutionary car which earned glowing...
Museum’s tale of hot metal
AN UPCOMING exhibition at Experience Barnsley promises to lift the lid on one of the town’s most important global exports.The Barnsley Canister Company was, for the best part of a century, one of the most renowned international producers of metal tins for use by companies to transport and display their tea, biscuits and all manner of other items.Curator Alison Cooper and her team have delved into the history of the company unearthing tins...
Silkstone mining disaster changed history
ON JULY 4 1838, what was described as ‘an awful visitation’ occurred at Silkstone Common.The Huskar mining disaster changed the course of history.A torrential downpour during a thunderstorm caused the stream running through Nabs Wood to turn into a raging torrent, which poured into the bottom of the ‘dayhole’ pit at House Carr Lane (hence the name Huskar), trapping and drowning 26 children aged between seven and seventeen.There were several such ‘dayholes’...
2000: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from this week in 2000.KIMBERLEY Elliot cantered to success on a horse descended from Grand National legend Red Rum.She won a place in the Pony Association major championship in Peterborough after winning a tournament in London.Kimberley, 16, of Doncaster Road, Ardsley, did it on Charlie Chaplin - the great nephew of Red Rum. Proud mum, Mary, explained: “She trained Charlie herself and has now achieved...
2000: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from the year 2000. THE Barkin Brothers could be top dogs in this weekend’s music chart.Their debut single ‘Gonna Catch You’ entered the midweek top 40 at number 17 - and record industry pundits are expecting sales to rocket before the week’s final chart is announced on Sunday night.In real life, the brothers aren’t brothers at all - they are student and part-time comedian Danny Oaks...
1997: Glancing Back
Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 1997. A NETWORK of volunteers who act as friends to some of Barnsley’s loneliest people is to expand. About nine people visit the old and housebound at least once a week, often just for a chat and a cuppa. The scheme they take part in is known as Lundwood PALS, which stands for Personal Assistance and Loans Scheme. PALS was set up last June and has operated...
Looking back as Danny turns 103
ASTONISHING recollections of the Second World War and the evacuation of Dunkirk have been shared with the Chronicle by veteran Danny Smith who remembers ‘blowing up’ his vehicle to ensure the enemy could not make use of it. Danny Smith, born Edwin Verdun Smith, featured in the Chronicle last week as he celebrated his 103rd birthday, and the veteran of Dunkirk shared some of his experiences. Born in 1916 in Leicester, Danny was 23 when...
