Why is Church forgotten?

Infinitus · 18-06-2007, 04:38

Greetings,

I'm just trying to wrap my head around why Church is always forgotten about. First of all, they have all this mullarky about a name change and the coat-of-arms for Church is conveniently "not ready in time" (according to the Editor of The Observer). Search for "Accrington" on Google and look at the description of The Observer's website, I (directly) quote: "All the latest news for Accrington, Great Harwood, Rishton, Altham, Clayton le Moors, Huncoat, Baxenden and Oswaldtwistle, England". Oh yeah, every local place is listed there, even bloody Altham (which is less significant than Church in my opinion) but Church, the oldest place, is missing. This seems to reverberate everywhere I go, Church is a no-man's land to everyone but the people who have to live here and try and make a life for themselves in what has become a ghost town.

It kind of ****es me off to think that us Church dwellers are always forgotten about. Talking to my Grandmother I hear that Church used to be a town in it's own right, we had the "Church District Council", all the shops and entertainment that we could possibly need here and plenty of places for people to get employment. Then they bulldozed it all down. I'm too young to know exactly why Church was basically destroyed, but it does seem slightly upsetting to me that our heritage and the history of the people that lived here is so evasive and there is nothing left that is old (save Church kirk). My best guess (and maybe somebody old enough to remember can enlighten me with the truth) is that the government thought it would be best to take all the local district councils, merge them into one big council and govern them as one. I would guess this was to save money. I think it's a load of crap to be quite frank and now the result of this, Hyndburn, is seen to be a bad place to live. Good, I'm glad something backfired on you because you deserve everything you get. Call it karma or whatever you like, but my belief is that if you destroy something good and forget about it, it will come back and bite you in the arse.

Now I love this place, but it really is a sham compared to what it used to be like. We have nothing here in Church worth having, we have a few family businesses and I'm surprised that they can still make a living, good luck to them. We have hardly anywhere for the kids to play or anything for the youths to do and we wonder why they turn out to be devil children and smash up peoples' property; give them something to do. Look at the "park" on behind the Queen's Road West/Meadoway estate as an example of this, what is it? It is a dumping ground for builders employed by the council. That's HBC's ethos for you; tear down a place were kids can hang about and play and basically build a tip that is of no use to the general public whatsoever. It really angers me that they treat Church like this then have the nerve to forget about it and hope that we'll all just conform and follow suit.

I, for one, will not forget about Church. Accrington is the main attraction and people all over the world remember it, let's hope that people will start treating Church with the respect it deserves, at least locally. If you think Church is a ****hole please consider what I've only touched the surface of; the fact that Church was destroyed by local people and what was once a good place to live has fallen victim of the people who thought they could make a better place (and failed miserably). In my world I'd reverse everything that has befallen Church and it would still have it's own district council; HBC could shove every proposal they have where the sun definitely doesn't shine. This would be THE place to live.

Regards,

John

steeljack · 18-06-2007, 06:05

Infinitus .......good post , karma on its way , as to the reasons for the demise of Church the only reason I can offer is that Church was primarily a blue collar/working class town with generally poor housing stock, no middle/upper class areas, apart from the Dill Hall Lane area which would best be described as a lower middle/skilled working class area, unlike the other Urban Disticts which amalgamated with Accrington to form Hyndburn. Any employment I remember in Church from the mid 60s was Billy Blyths chemical works , Primrose mill and Rothwells , both on Bridge st.
Also dont remember any secondary education facilities in Church ,most of the youngsters went to Rhyddings in Ossy, or the Boys Grammer school on Blackburn rd , the Girls (if any qualified)

to the High school off Whalley rd.

hope you get lots of answers to your post

WillowTheWhisp · 18-06-2007, 07:07

I used to work in Church when it boasted a couple of banks (I worked in one of them) and loads of shops. There was a brilliant bakers shop on Blackburn Rd where we all used to get our butties from. As I recall the decline began when Rothwells closed down as it was such a big employer and once they'd gone then the shops lost a lot of daytime custom. We reached a stage in the bank where from being a once busy, even hectic, branch we were reduced to total utter boredom by the lack of customers and as soon as anyone did come in we would fight over who was going to serve them.

Of course that eventually led to the closure of both banks (one relocated in Oswaldtwistle) and the little shops. I'm glad to see that some still do thrive along Henry Street and hope that they continue to do so.

I'm surprised that Church doesn't warrant a mention along with the other towns which go to make up the borough. That all happened with the reorganisation of local government and was quite a seperate development to the decline and fall caused by the closure of Rothwells etc.

I personally feel that if Hyndburn changes its name to 'Accrington & District' it will only lead to a further loss of identity for the individual towns. I have an ominous feeling that stone at the bottom of Market Street which pays lip service to the historical significance of Church in its own right will do a bunk never to be replaced if the name Hyndburn is scrapped.

At least you've got the Sports Centre in Church and there's that whateveritis being created in the Bradshaw Street area which will hopefully look good when finished but I think it could have looked better.

Mick · 18-06-2007, 07:15

Please tell me if i am wrong but i would have thought the decline of Church started when the canal and coke ovens fell into disuse.
walking round the area with Tealeaf there is a lot of old industrial buildings located on the canal and i looks like it was a thriving area back then.
but not comming from this area i am not sure

it would be interesting to know more though so if anyone know's or can help please post

cashman · 18-06-2007, 09:06

interesting post infinitus,lived in church early 70s- 80, and was an ok place then,things had vanished from late 50s -early 60s,but the caracter was there,no doubt,was a good little area to live then, i think you got it in one sadly- its been FORGOTTEN.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-06-2007, 12:43

The coke ovens were before my time Mick, but it was a busy little place when I worked there.

Anybody know when the coke ovens ceased to be used?

katex · 18-06-2007, 18:04

Can't help with the coke ovens, but was it not known at one time as 'Church and Oswaltdtwistle' ?

Don't think is being physically neglected at the moment though, with the development on Henry Street and around the lights, and other plans in the offing.

MargaretR · 18-06-2007, 18:12

The death knell for Church was the motorway. I detailed this in another thread and repeat it here :-

"I have lived in Church 3 times
1st at the top of Dill Hall -1961 to 1966
2nd half way down Dill hall -1985 to 1991
3rd on Barnes St - 1991 to 2002

Dill Hall is not considered to part of Church by Church residents, who live in that group of streets hemmed in by the canal, Henry St and Blackburn Rd.
The situation in those streets began to deteriorate when Dunkenhalgh Way opened so that Henry St was choked with traffic and at rush hour there was no way of getting in and out of those streets by the only 2 ways - Barnes St and Church Lane. Traffic noise escalated, litter increased -people wanted out, but not many wanted to buy - property developers bought - bad tenants moved in = gradual deterioration to what it is today.
I feel sad about it too -was Ok in 1991 -friendly folk and all that - but by 2002 was thankful to leave"

Doug · 18-06-2007, 18:16

Church born and proud of the fact, nice post. I loved Church back then and I always take the opportunity to drive round when I'm over, it would be nice if people would reinvest in the locality. I notice that the Commercial and the Stag are decaying fast.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-06-2007, 21:59

The only place I recall seeing "Church and Oswaldtwistle" lumped together is on the signs on the railway station.

katex · 18-06-2007, 22:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

The only place I recall seeing "Church and Oswaldtwistle" lumped together is on the signs on the railway station.

Not sure how old this is Willow:

Church Oswaldtwistle Gateway

2006 and certainly on the move I think.

WillowTheWhisp · 18-06-2007, 22:14

Well it comes under the Hyndburn umbrella so it must be sometime in the last 30 years or so.

They can't even be bothered with an 'and' in there!

katex · 18-06-2007, 22:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Well it comes under the Hyndburn umbrella so it must be sometime in the last 30 years or so.

They can't even be bothered with an 'and' in there!

Well, whatever, but plans on the mat at the moment, so do not think Church is being neglected at all .. have noticed big changes there in the last 12 months.

Still haven't told me where that stone thing is at the bottom of Market Street

WillowTheWhisp · 18-06-2007, 22:20

Directly opposite the Commercial Hotel (remains of) there's a corner piece of land with this huge lump of a thing commemorating Church and Hyndburn.

katex · 18-06-2007, 22:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Directly opposite the Commercial Hotel (remains of) there's a corner piece of land with this huge lump of a thing commemorating Church and Hyndburn.

Will take another look tomorrow .. is it on the Ernest St. Baptist side then ?