South Yorkshire Times – Saturday 07 January 1961
1960 in Retrospect
Flash-Back on Items of News Interest in an Eventful Old Year
Do You Remember These?
January
Hundreds of mourners attended a requiem service in York Minster for the late Lord Halifax.
Mr. John N. Barry, Yorkshire Traction Company chief engineer, retired after 26 years’ service.
Coun. Frank Crawshaw, of Swinton, distributed petition forms opposing the closure of Woodhouse Grammar School. The petition was later presented to Mr. Hugh Gaitskell.
The Rt. Hon. Richard S. Wood, Minister of Power, visited Manvers Main Colliery.
Rotherham United beat Arsenal 2-0 in an F.A. Cup third round second replay at Hillsborough.
February
There was a revival in the long delayed scheme to provide a new primary school at Jump, and a “Greater Rotherham” plan-designed to add up to 50,000 to the population of the town—was disclosed.
A 71-years-old Wath widow, Mrs. Edith Grice, was attacked and robbed at her home, of £200.
The death occurred in Leeds Infirmary of Yorkshire Area N.U.M. President, Mr. J. R. Alwyn Muncie.
Rotherham Civic Theatre converted from Doncaster Gate Congregational Church at a cost of £30,000, was opened by Sir Lewis Casson.
Mexborough Fire Brigade were the victims of a number of false alarms, thought to be made by hoaxers.
Mr. Thomas Bird B.E.M. announced his decision to retire from Wombwell Urban Council, after 25 years’ service.
April
Over 100 Sheffield Moslems took part in Ramadan celebrations at the former Vicarage in Industry Road, Darall, which was converted into a Mosque.
Mexborough Grammar School’s former Head Boy, Leslie Storey was offered the choice of studying at one of four American universities, Yale, Brandeis, Brown and Cornell.
Wath helicopter pilot, F/Lt. Kenneth Woodcock, piloted Admiral of the Fleet, Earl Mountbatten, Chief of the Defence Staff, on his tour of British bases in Cyprus, a £4,000 centre for Thorpe Hesley.
May
The annual report published by Mr. H. J. Perrins, H.M. Inspector of Mines, stated that pit fatalities in the North Eastern Division of the N.C.B. were the highest recorded since 1949.
A Goldthorpe man, 60-years-old, Mr. Kenneth Jackson, was one of the State Trumpeters at the wedding of Princess Margaret and Mr. Antony Armstrong Jones.
June
Wath Pope Pius X School was formally opened by the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt. Rev. G. P. Dwyer D.D., Ph.D., B.A. Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery’s fire fighting teams won the N.C.B. No. 5 Area (South Barnsley) shield for the third successive year.
Sixteen years old Maureen Davis rescued four of her brothers and sisters by lowering them on a bedroom window, when fire broke out at their home in Herrington Valley Lea, Rotherham.
West Riding County Council told plans for a possible alternative to widening High Street to alleviate traffic congestion.
Members of Bowbroom Wesleyan Reform Church organised an appeal for money to build a new church.
Mr. S. Bristow, “South Yorkshire Times” staff journalist was one of 22 newly appointed magistrates.
Four people had a narrow escape when the home of Mrs. Mary Wright, in Stubbs Road, Wombwell, was struck by lightning. The 23rd Sheffield Boy Scout Group at Darnall Congregational Church, celebrated its 21st anniversary.
Two Wombwell men set out with no more than £25 each on a grand European tour which they hoped would take them to the Olympic Games in Rome. A new occupation centre was planned as part of Hemsworth Town’s Football Ground.
Yorkshire miners held their annual demonstration at Rotherham, attended by 20,000.
July
Over 1,000 production workers at the G.E.C. Cooker Factory, Swinton, went onto a four day week.
Quick thinking by a 49-years-old overman, Harold Lister save the lives of three workmen trapped in the Melton Field Seam at Wath Main Colliery, following a heavy roof fall. He fed air to the trapped men through the feed pipe of a mechanical pick until they could be released four hours later.
Wombwell’s mysterious benefactor made new gifts. Latest beneficiary was partially blind 72-years-old widow, Mrs. Beatrice Burrows of 6, Melville Street, Wombwell, who received a food parcel on Good Friday morning.
Local Education Authorities were concerned by a tattooing craze sweeping schools in the Mexborough Division. Tattoos in greatest demand—“Yogi Bear” and “Huckleberry Hound.”
Friends and colleagues paid a last tribute to Ald. Maurice Creighton at the funeral service at Swinton Parish Church on Saturday, July 23rd.
Passersby in Conisbrough stopped and stared as a local miner, Jack Haddrick, of 8, Calder Terrace, took his pet—Billy the gaggling gander—for his weekly walk.
One of Rotherham United’s longest serving players, goal-keeper Jock Quairney was given a free transfer by the Millmoor Club.
August
Rotherham Agricultural show in Clifton Park, attracted a record crowd of over 22,000.
Tommy Beading, a 13-years-old pupil at Brampton Ellis School rescued his two-years-old brother, Stephen, from drowning in a sewage tank near Cortonwood Colliery.
Large Nazi Swastikas in black paint appeared on the wall of an empty house in Conisbrough..
The United Steel Companies announced that for the first time in any one financial year, the works of Messrs Steel, Peech and Tozer, rolled their millionth ton of steel. The previous record was 929,496.
September
The Rome Olympics had a special significance for South Yorkshire people in September, when Cudworth’s 19-years-old sprinter, Dorothy Hyman, won two medals—a silver and bronze—in the 100 and 200 metres finals to win her the title of the second fastest girl in the world.
Events were not quite so happy for a Midhope farmer, however, lightning struck and killed eight of his cows, simultaneously..
General Sir Rob Lockhart, the deputy Chief Scout, shook hands with over 700 people when he visited Scouts and Scouters at Hesley Wood, Chapeltown.
At Rotherham, a report by Mr. A. J. White, secretary of Rotherham and District Employment Committee, stated that the town had 99 per cent employment. The Lord Mayor of Sheffield, Ald. Harold Slack, was flown from Hillsborough to R.A.F. Norton by helicopter to open the Battle of Britain Show.
Italian beauties took a “beating” at Rimini when a 20-years-old Thurcroft girl—Margaret Seddon—won a beauty contest there.
October
With the roof blazing and liable to cave in any moment, a 31-years-old Thurnscoe miner risked his life to rescue an elderly widow trapped in her low Grange Road bungalow.
Sheffield Wednesday’s centre-half Peter Swan celebrated his 24th birthday, playing for England against Ireland.
Mr. Norman Schofield, manager of Wath Main Colliery was appointed manager at Barrow Colliery.
Seven miners were released after being trapped underground at Hickleton Colliery for 15 hours.
November
The two-day Mexborough Music Festival suffered from a decrease in entries.
The first barge to be built at Waddington’s Boat Yard, Swinton, for 45 years, was launched by three-years-old Steven Waddington.
Vicar of Goldthorpe for 15 years from 1924 to 1939, the Rev. Harry Howard, aged 81, opened Goldthorpe Parish Church’s bazaar.
Mr. Colin Bucknall, Rotherham car dealer, offered a free copy of “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” with every car bought at his garage.
Mr. John Rodgers, Headmaster of Mexborough Dolcliffe Secondary School for 21 years, died at his Swinton home.
December
Canon G. W. P. Adkins, Rector of Wombwell for eight years, announced from the pulpit that he was leaving to take up the appointment as Vicar of the Port of Goole, and Rural Dean of Snaith.
Mr. T. S. Kilpatrick, Director and General Manager of Steel Peech and Tozer’s revealed that the firm were to embark on a new arc furnace project which would make them the largest electric melting plant in the world.
Floods covered wide stretches of land throughout South Yorkshire. A former Great Houghton couple, Mr. and Mrs. John Shelbourne returned to the district after escaping from a mission station in the Belgian Congo during the rioting.
Mrs. Esther Richards, of Darfield, celebrated her 95th birthday.
Mr. S. C. Hacking, J.P. completed 25 years as Editor of “South Yorkshire Times.”
A pile of pennies 17,444 of them, pushed over at the Star Inn Rawmarsh, weighed over three hundredweights.
Two mutual “fans,” Olympic medallist Dorothy Hyman, and singer Frankie Vaughan met in Sheffield on New Year’s Eve.