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T01a Mrs Florence Scholes
Mills between Summerseat and Stubbins
Born - Unknown
Recorded 1987 – 1988 by Dorothy Moss
Length 00:31:54
Summary of "Part and Parcel" by Florence Fullard
The narrative reflects on life in Summerseat and Ramsbottom from 1929 to 1939.
Describes the hard work in cotton mills, long hours, and the community's reliance on these industries.
Highlights various mills, their products, and the impact of the river on the village.
Mentions significant places of worship and their roles in the community.
Concludes with the decline of mills post-World War II and the changes in village life.
Part and Parcel (by Florence Fuller)
This section nostalgically recalls the industrial life of Summerseat and Ramsbottom between 1929 and 1939.
- Fuller describes the cotton mills and their influence on everyday life — places like James Ashworth Ltd (Wood Road Mill), J. Hoyle and Sons (Brooks Bottoms), and Charles Ainsworth & Sons (Holcombe Brook).
- She vividly portrays workers’ routines, the sounds of clogs, mill hooters, and the long, grueling hours spent spinning, weaving, bleaching, and dyeing fabrics.
- She lists mills and factories along a mental “journey” through the area — noting their chimneys, products, and owners — such as William Holden, Turnbulls & Stockdales, Cobden Mill (William Ettles), and Kay’s Soap Manufacturers.
- Fuller comments on environmental effects, including pollution of the river from industrial waste.
- She ends by acknowledging the village’s transition from a thriving industrial hub to a quieter place and remembers Summerseat’s gasworks and brickworks, both now gone.
Personal Recollection of Mill Life (by Florence Fuller)
The narrator recalls starting work in 1929 at a cotton mill after leaving school:
- Describes her first day, fear, and adjustment to the hard environment of the spinning room.
- Tasks included replacing bobbins, piecing threads, and cleaning machinery every Saturday.
- Mentions low wages (first pay: seven and sixpence, enough for a pair of clogs).
- Details dinner breaks, wage collection, and the communal life of mill workers.
- The Second World War interrupted mill life — air-raid warnings forced workers to shelter outside.
- After the war, mills went into decline, closing one by one — including hers — marking the end of an era.
Passed by Heritage (by Florence Fullard)
Focuses on the River Irwell (“the river Owl”) that runs through Somerset and Ramsbottom:
- The river is both life-giving and destructive — powering industry but often causing flooding and damage to homes.
- Details local floods, such as the 1936 flood that devastated Kenyon Street and nearby mills.
- Recounts historical incidents, like the 1928 bridge collapse during reconstruction, injuring workmen.
- Mentions postwar infrastructure changes — new roads, bridge reinforcements, and flood control.
- Notes how the river once supported mills, workshops, and bleach works, including Star Bleach Works (later housing Italian POWs during WWII).
- Concludes with admiration for the river’s 39-mile journey from Bacup to the Manchester Ship Canal — symbolizing endurance and continuity.
Past and Pleasant (by Florence Fuller)
A reflective tour of Somerset’s and Ramsbottom’s churches and places of worship in the early 20th century:
- Describes the Primitive Methodist Church, St. Wilfrid’s Church, and the Rowlands Wesleyan Methodist Church as central to childhood and community life.
- Mentions Whit Friday processions, Sunday schools, and the role of churches in social gatherings.
- Lists numerous other churches: Holcombe Brook Methodist, St. Andrew’s, Congregational, Presbyterian, St. Joseph’s (Catholic), Baptist, St. Paul’s, Patmos Methodist, Marketplace Methodist, and St. Philip’s in Stubbins.
- Notes with sadness the closure or demolition of many — victims of “the Hand of Progress.”
- Some were repurposed (e.g., St. Wilfrid’s Church became a theatre).
- Ends with lamentation about the loss of sacred spaces and community identity.
Overall Themes
- Industrial heritage — the pride and hardship of cotton mill life.
- Community transformation — from tight-knit, industrious villages to modern decline.
- Memory and nostalgia — Fuller’s deep emotional connection to place and time.
- Faith and social change — how religion structured early 20th-century life but faded with modernization.
- Nature vs. industry — the river as both helper and destroyer.
T01b Mrs Florence Scholes
Local Hospitals
Recorded 1987 – 1988 by Dorothy Moss
Length 00:28:34
Summary of Bury's Medical Heritage
The document explores the history of hospitals in Bury, including Fairfield Hospital, Bury Infirmary, and Florence Nightingale Hospital.
Fairfield Hospital began as the Bury Union Workhouse in 1857, evolving through various expansions and uses, including a military hospital during WWI.
Bury Infirmary opened in 1882, later becoming part of the NHS in 1948, with significant expansions over the years.
The narrative highlights the transformation of healthcare facilities and their roles in the community from the 19th century to the present.
detailed summary:
Part 1 – Hospitals and Health Institutions in Bury
The narrator reminisces about the development of hospitals in and around Bury, tracing their origins, transformations, and community impact.
- Fairfield Hospital
- Originally the Bury Union Workhouse, opened in 1857.
- Expanded over decades: wards for infants (1862), the insane (1868), and infectious patients (1876).
- Hosted up to 800 inmates at one point.
- A new hospital opened on the same site in 1905.
- Used as a military hospital during WWI, receiving wounded from France.
- Later became a decontamination centre and radium unit during WWII.
- Suffered minor bomb damage in 1940.
- The 130-foot chimney was demolished in 1986.
- Evolved from a workhouse into a respected hospital under the NHS.
- Bury Infirmary
- Opened in 1882 by Lord Derby.
- Once had an iconic 101-foot chimney, reduced to 98 feet over time.
- Expanded after joining the NHS in 1948 with new departments (pathology, outpatients, accident unit).
- Provided maternity services—local families paid £3 to avoid the stigma of workhouse births.
- Princess Anne visited in 1982.
- WRVS (Women’s Royal Voluntary Service) celebrated 50 years in 1988.
- Florence Nightingale Hospital
- Built in 1901 to treat scarlet fever.
- Became part of the NHS around 1948.
- Located near the Bury–Bolton railway bridge.
- Later expanded and modernised, surrounded by green spaces.
- Bealey’s Hospital
- Originally a private house, later used as a maternity hospital.
- Converted to geriatric care in 1980, with maternity services moved to Fairfield.
- Known for its homely atmosphere and well-kept gardens.
- Summerseat (Convalescent) School and Hospital
- Opened in 1913 in Summerseat village for children with tuberculosis (consumption), mainly from Salford.
- Initially only for girls; boys admitted starting 1955.
- Children wore navy gym slips and red jerseys.
- A TV was installed in 1955.
- Ramsbottom Cottage Hospital
- Founded in 1898, during Queen Victoria’s reign.
- Received donations and an operating table from the Ramsbottom Medical Services Fund (1937).
- Expanded in 1967.
- Contains portraits and a stained-glass image of Queen Victoria.
- Transitioned over time to a care home for the elderly.
- Aitken Sanatorium (Holcombe)
- Once a private house, became a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients.
- Located on Holcombe Hill for its fresh air.
- Closed as a hospital in 1971.
- John Robinson Kaye Home
- Built by benefactor John Robinson Kaye as a home for the incurable.
- Later used for the elderly and infirm.
- Local Methodist children would visit on Whit Friday to sing for patients.
- Building remains mostly unchanged but now surrounded by modern traffic and development.
Closing Reflection on Hospitals
- The narrator reflects on medical progress, the transformation of healthcare, and mankind’s continuous pursuit of healing.
- Notes that despite all advancements, the common cold remains unconquered.
- Ends with gratitude toward modern nurses, doctors, and hospital staff.
Part 2 – The Value of Money and Life from 1881 to 1981
A century-long reflection on social change, inventions, prices, and wages, decade by decade.
1881
- Queen Victoria reigns.
- Wages: farm labourer earns 18 shillings/week.
- Two-bedroom house costs £300.
- Boots: 3 shillings; oranges: 10 for 2d.
- Boer War ongoing.
1891
- Train London–Manchester: 15 shillings.
- Gloves: 2s 11d, carpet: 5s/yard.
- Cricketer W.G. Grace popular.
1901
- Inventions: cinema, gramophone, x-rays, diesel engine, radium.
- Miner earns £1 15s/week.
- Alarm clock: 4s 6d, watch: 25s.
1911
- Aeroplanes and Rolls-Royce appear.
- Pension at 70: 5s/week.
- Butter: 1s 4d/lb, cigarettes: 20 for 7d.
1921
- Era of jazz and Charleston.
- Skilled worker earns £5/week.
- Motorcar: £175–£300; beer: 6d/pint.
1931
- Great Depression; unemployment near 3 million.
- Dole cut to 15s/week.
- Films: Harold Lloyd, Greta Garbo.
- London house: £750.
- Lunch: 2s, cruise: £23.
1941
- World War II.
- Food rationing, blackouts, clothing coupons.
- Film: The Great Dictator.
- Pensions: 10s/week, radio licence: £1.
1951
- Festival of Britain, severe floods, nationalisation.
- Beer strength rises by 10%.
- Overcoat: £12, cooker: £23, holiday: 15s/day.
1961
- Rise of The Beatles, rock and roll, space race.
- Farm labourer: £11 10s/week.
- TV rental: 9s/week.
1971
- Moon landings, decimalisation, North Sea gas.
- Miner earns £19/week.
- Petrol: 6s 8d/gal.
1981
- Unemployment, riots, but also technology growth.
- Video recorders, freezers, Concorde, organ transplants.
- House: £25,000; car: £4,000; secretary: £90/week.
Themes & Tone
- Historical nostalgia and social commentary.
- Deep respect for medical progress and working-class endurance.
- A tone of gratitude, melancholy, and reflection on the passage of time.
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