Brookhouse Lane - A St Alban's Procession - c1963

Of all of John Eddleston's photographs of Blackburn, well the ones that have been published (about 200 of them in total), this is the only known coloured photo (though it appears in the book in Black & White).

Taken in 1963, as far as we know, it shows one of the processions from St Alban's Church, as they make their way up Brookhouse Lane.

The caption in the book reads  ''The Polish community of St Alban's Parish, in procession along Brookhouse Lane''  The traditional dress of the ladies and the children certainly looks Eastern European.

I attended St Alban's School and took part in similar processions (well at least one) when I was about 6 years old.

This procession is going in the opposite direction to the route we took. We left the church / school, walked up Whalley New Rd to Bastwell, turned left along Whalley Range and then left again down Brookhouse Lane and back to the starting point.

Lots of these processions used to take place each year, most churches and their associated schools had them. 

Photo courtesy of John Eddleston

Trinity United Reformed Church - Brownhill

Another past and present exercise. This is Trinity United Reformed Church at Brownhill. This little building was once one of the three chapels that stood in the old cemetery off Whalley New Road. They dismantled it stone by stone, brick by brick and rebuilt it on its present plot. I haven't been able to determine whether that happened in the 1930's or the 1950's (probably the latter).

The early photo shows it being rebuilt, whichever decade it was.

If you were stood at the main gates of the cemetery looking towards the War Memorial, I think this chapel would have been somewhere to the right of the memorial, a bit further up in the cemetery. I've arrived at that conclusion, as looking on an old map, the chapel to the left was the RC chapel, the central chapel was the wrong shape and the pitch of the roof ran the wrong way, but the nonconformist chapel, at the Clarendon Rd side, looks about right.
I know that conflicts with what I originally wrote, but I've studied the map again and also looked at a 1940's aerial view of the cemetery and surrounding area and now pretty convinced I have the right one. Also, as the aerial map is from the 1940's, it can't have been removed in the 1930's, so the old newspaper article, is probably from the 1950's.
DOH !  I have just read the newspaper clipping in the top left corner of the older photo and it actually tells us it was indeed the Nonconformists chapel. Dear oh dear, I must get myself to the opticians soon ;- ) 

Top image courtesy of  T. Griffiths and the Blackburn Times newspaper.

Bottom image taken by myself in April 2012

Whalley New Rd - Circa 1905

 

A circa 1905 view of Whalley New Road, looking towards Bastwell, with St Michael's & All Angels Church and adjoining school on the left hand side and the wall to Notre Dame convent on the right.

At the bottom, a section of the OS map for Paul (Please see comments below). Apologies for the blurred image, but hopefully it is clear enough to see what you need. I have marked the property that was the vicarage with a red dot Paul. Just to the left of it, in the grounds, you can see the abbreviation 'Vic'. Cutting up through the centre of the map is Whalley New Rd.

I also found these four images below on Cottontown Paul. They're obviously later than my postcard image, as there are cars in them. The bottom two are of the property that I thought was the Vicarage (No 41 W.N.Rd), but was were the verger was living in my old directories. Cottontown has both labelled as 'The Vicarage', so maybe it was in later times.

P/C COURTESY OF THE CP COLLECTION

OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF COTTONTOWN / BLACKBURN LIBRARY SERVICES

MAP SECTION COURTESY OF THE O.S.

Whalley New Rd at Bastwell - c1900

A similar shot to a previous posting of Bastwell, only there's no signage above the doorway of the Bastwell Hotel on this one.

Only guessing again at the date, but would think it's around 1900, perhaps a few years later.

COURTESY OF THE CP COLLECTION 

The Cemetery Gates - Whalley New Road

Strange subject for a postcard, but the Victorians and Edwardians were very proud of all their public areas / places, even the cemetery. I suppose when all three chapels were still standing and the graves, paths and greenery, were well maintained, it would be a nice place for a stroll.

That kid in the foreground was always hanging around the gates, even when I was a youngster in the 1960's. Strange little chap. He was still dressing like the Artful Dodger, right up to 1970.

COURTESY OF THE CP COLLECTION

Notre Dame Convent - Whalley New Road / Cob Wall

 

Some images (and an old flyer) of Notre Dame Convent, which used to stand on land between Whalley New Rd and Whalley Old Rd.  

Originally built as Brookhouse Lodge, it was the home of William Kenworthy, one time co-owner of (Hornby's) Brookhouse Mills.

Formed by joining together the Convent Higher Grade School and its pupil teacher centre, it opened as the Convent Of Notre Dame School in 1908 and served to educate young Catholic girls, mainly with a view to them becoming Catholic schoolmistresses, of which there was a national shortage at the time. The Franciscan Sisters also had a convent/boarding school/orphanage, Staneleigh, which was on East Park Road. Staneleigh is still there, as far as I'm aware, but now just a convent for elderly sisters.

 The convent on Whalley New Rd closed its doors in approximately 1986 -7 and was demolished a few years later. The site is now a housing estate.

Also check out --->  http://pagesperso-orange.fr/notredameblackburn/ 

Update 15 / 03 / 2011. In 2010 an ex pupil/student of Notre Dame put together a DVD about the convent. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please e-mail eileen.tomlinson1@btinternet.com  for more details. Please note, any transaction is between yourself and Eileen and is no concern of the Blackburnpast.com site or its administrator. I have only been asked to supply the contact e-mail address.

  

George Hull was a poet from Blackburn. I found the following on the 'net'

ODE TO A SISTER OF NOTRE DAME.

For a brief, happy space—

Yet not too brief for grace

To come to me through your devoted prayer—

I dwelt beneath your care.

Within that lowly school,

Remote from earthly strife,

I and my little comrades learnt the rule

Of faithful Christian life.

Then did we all rejoice,

As at the sound of Gabriel's own blest voice,

When, innocent and fresh, we knelt to say

The Angelus each day.



Now that a tyrant world

Bids us abide where Sin

Struts boldly in the noonday, we begin

To feel how precious was that golden time—

By innocence impearled—

Spent at your feet in Virtue's nursing clime.

And you, I have no doubt,

When day is done, all weary oft look out

Upon that world—by you long since forsaken—

Where we our place have taken,

And wonder how all fare

Who dwelt beneath your care

In those bright days gone by.



True, some have wandered far

From the clear light of Bethlehem's glad star;

But unto others faith, hope, love, and truth

Are dear as in their youth.

Yet even for these last

As toilsome years have passed

You may have heaved a sigh,

Thinking you seldom heard

A grateful heart give utterance to a kindly word.



For me, I know—

Fond memory keeps so green the long-ago—

That when I late was told

How you were still at work within the Fold,

It almost seemed that old times had returned:

And as I mused I yearned

To shape the message I have penned to-day

To cheer you on your way.



And if you think these humble words of praise

Have been delayed too long

Among the careless throng

On the world's highways,

Bethink you that your lot—

To seem so long forgot—

Is but the common fate of Mary's daughters,

Who, amid anxious tears,

Do cast the bread of Faith upon life's waters,

Yet find it, gladly, after many years.
 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF COTTONTOWN, THE COMMUNITY STUDIES DEPT. of BLACKBURN LIBRARY, DEBORAH MILLER-CROOK AND THE CP COLLECTION.

INFORMATION COURTESY OF MIKE ROTHWELL, DEREK BEATTIE AND THE 1925 BARRETT'S TRADE DIRECTORY

POEM COURTESY OF GEORGE HULL (1863 - 1933)

MAP SECTIONS, BOTH COURTESY OF THE ORDNANCE SURVEY

Whalley New Road at Bastwell

I really like this postcard. It's an area that I knew very well 35 years ago, as I worked quite close by. We used to sometimes have a pie and a pint in the Bastwell Hotel, on a Friday lunchtime (our pay day). Most of the properties in this photograph, are still standing. We have Plane Street off to the right (click the photo to expand it) and Whalley Range to the left. Today, it is still a busy crossroads, but now has traffic lights and parked cars there, to spoil the view.

COURTESY OF THE CP COLLECTION

Whalley New Road heading towards Brownhill

I'll bet you didn't know that little wooded area on Whalley New Road, was once referred to as Brownhill Park.  Me neither until I saw this postcard.

(Please click on image to expand)

COURTESY OF THE CP COLLECTION