Featherstone Make a Difference Forum

 ;) I would love some memories/pictures of the welfare building,  the dances, snooker hall youth club etc and perhaps a conversation about thr demise of the welfare, there are some conspisacy theories.
many thanks Bob

This sounds interesting, conspiracy theories, well if you know what they were post away Bob!

In the dark recesess of my mind, i think i can recall something of the sort, when the building burnt down ;)

i recall that the miners paid for the building each week out of their wages but never got a penny when it was sold.
i am told that originally it had a different roof that was home to a fabulous clock. id love to know where that went?

My parents have many fond memories of this place as they used to go there in their courting days.

I am 65 and my memories though a little dim are the snooker hall youth club and the amature dramatics plays and pantomines and later when I became was old enough the Friday night dances? and unfortunatley some of the gang fights, pictures of these years would be amazing to add to the towns history.

Yeti about the tower and clock on the roof of the welfare i have spoken to a lady who used to live next to the welfare in 1937 when she was 12 and she is sure there was a clock there, I am still looking for photos.

The same lady also told of her memory of a lady, can anyone remember Jeraldine Farer she is reputed to have sang with Norman Longbottoms band at concerts at the welfare and went on the join a famous dance band of that time? and went on to entertain on the continent.
I am now asking about people involved with the Featherstone amature dramatics, my wife remembers the pantomimes.

I have found a picture and I should have it tomorrow with a little more history.
What I have been told is that the original building had a clock. It was wound up by a key. To wind it up you had to get a tall ladder inside the foyer and climb up once every week. About 1950 a lady ? in memory of her farther bought one of the first electric clocks and had it installed. The other clock disappeared. Only 3 or 4 years later the clock was removed after a fire when the building was then altered.

this is the first one i have seen with the clock.

(http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg99/yetion1/Picture178.jpg)

 the picture of the welfare,that is exactly as I remember it when I was 18 in 1961, I cant emagine it changed much before that time, that is untill it mysteriuosly caught fire, I am not aware of any records as to were the monies from the sale of the site went, may be advise could be sought as to were to begin to find such records could they be in either coal board records or N.U.M records.

Great new, old picture. Havnt seen that one before. Have you got anything else stashed? ;D

Its a new one on me too ;D

The photographs I have placed are available via the w.w.w I am unsure however of their original copy write. My understanding is that w.m.d.c appears to lay claim to most images of Featherstone shown.
I have a few more old photograph that have been collected but as of yet no more that include the miners welfare building other than the two already shown.
More up to date photographs of Featherstone can be seen on my private website one of which includes the now demolished North Featherstone old workingmens club

riding what the addresas for your website please.

Hi San,
Sorry I forgot to insert the address main index is
http://ridings.info
and the featherstone page is
http://ridings.info/index.php?p=1_10_Featherstone