Re: Elephant
 

One doesn't like to blow one's own trumpet. ;) :D

Re: Elephant
 

You and your good lady will have to visit when your next over, I'll ask her:D:D:D

Re: Elephant
 

Being the charitable folk we are we may pay you a visit, we like to do nice things for the underprivileged. ;) :D

Re: Elephant
 

Don't forget to bring a food parcel:D:D:D

Re: Elephant
 

Ah yes, some of the local culinary delights, a sooggy sossy roll from Greggs, a bag of crisps & let's push the boat out shall we & have a sugary fizzy drink to boot, Tizer do you ? :D

Re: Elephant
 

Probably not a good idea to take Beechams pills when you needed the powders and vice versa!

Re: Elephant
 

Right as this is Heritage & history I'll apologise to Lancs Stan for wandering off topic (with the help of that there Jaysay):o Anyways, your original question was did it happen ? Of course not, it's simply a humorous little anecdote concocted to sell whatever pills & potions were being offered up.

If & it's a big if, a Nelly escaped from a travelling circus (which is plausible) it certainly wouldn't beeline for specifics as stated in the "adds" commentary :-

When the show reaches St. Helens, which is in the Lacashire circuit the elephant will, no doubt drop into Mr. Beecham's establishment and help himself to a few hundred boxes of pills to counteract the effects of his Chorley and Accrington feasts,

Direct targeting, blatant touting of Mr.Beecham's wares, so no marvellous happenings, simply a ripping yarn to sell something. ;) :)

Re: Elephant
 

I vaguely recall reading here that there was some local incident involving an elephant from a travelling circus many years ago, that resulted in the naming of Elephant Street.

I have used 'search' but can't find it.
Does anyone else remember reading it?

Re: Elephant
 

Posts 3 and 5 on this thread, Margaret.

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...that-5590.html

Re: Elephant
 

Thank you for finding it.
Now I am assured that I have a reasonably good memory and am not suffering early dementia :D

Re: Elephant
 

Pleased to have been of service Margaret. I can't rest till I have tracked something down that I recollect so I know how you feel!

Re: Elephant
 

A six pack of Old Peculiar would be better:D

Re: Elephant
 

Where's Elephant Street Margaret, can't say I've ever heard of that:confused:

Re: Elephant
 

Elephant St was off Plantation St, its now long gone under the houses on the right as you enter Plantation St, from the Traffic light at the start of East Gate.
Legend has it that a circus elephant dropped dead in that area in the early 1800's. Never found any proof though. A lot of the original housing dated from the mid 1840's, Birtwistle St was then known as Plantation St, Pitt St, now East Gate, was John St.
Retlaw.

Re: Elephant
 

John, Elephant street has been mentioned in several threads in the past, if you do a search. When I first joined I had to ask where it was and turned out I had walked past it every day on my way to and from primary school!

As for the dead elephant "legend", I copied this from a post by katex on an old thread:

Found an interesting one in a book 'An Accrington Miscellany' Frank Davy tells of:-

'It was a death that gave Elephant Street its name. In 1845 and elephant called "Chimney", purchased by Wombwell for his circus and standing 11ft 4ins. high and weighing more than 5 tons, died in Accrington. This tragedy, caused so much local interest that a street under construction was named Elephant Street to commemorate the event'