POP ESE CORDED

RR a surah aor a tiesc

Rochdale’s past goes a long way back

“YE SEE that fine building,
lad,” said the old man in the
cloth cap pointing to the town
~ hall, “Hitler was going to take
that apart, ship it to
; Germany, and rebuild it
there.”

it may come as a surprise to learn
: «that Hitler's megalomania extended
» to what are sometimes considered the
less-fashionable parts of Britain, but
a short drive off the motorways can
reveal much to intrigue the visitor.
Rochdale's town hall, one of the
finest specimens of Victorian archi-

» tecture in the country, was opened in ©

1871 when the arca rescunded with
the clatter of blanket, calico and
flanne! mills:

By the time Hitler came this way

— it is known he was in nearby
Liverpool in 1922 — the traditional
industries were in decline, and today
‘one, of the biggest mills is an
Industrial Revolution museum piece.

. The past is being lovingly cared for
‘in the interests of heritage as well as

ROCHDALE’S TOWN hail is -

“rumored to have caught Hitler's
fancy:in the:'20s, The Fuhrer

had wanted to pack up the fine ©

“ specimen of Victorian architec-
ture and ship it to Germany.

Cond

‘A Dickens Christmas ...

A Highland Hogmanay
Roseway Travel invites
you to an afternoon
presentation of Andy
-Fraser’s special. _
“Christmas celebration.
Join us for tea and
.scones and hear about
the wonderful
fellowship and ”:.
traditions of this very
special j journey. |

SUNDAY OCTOBER 1ST
Park Royal Hotel ~ 2PM
‘RSVP. 926- 4344 |

1268-5650

David
Wishart

tourism, and visitors who stray from -

the well-trodden roads will find a
warm welcome in bed and breakfasts
‘and pubs around the Pennine Edge,
the hilly moorland which borders the
counties of Lancashire and
Yorkshire.

Rochdale, a short drive north of |.
Manchester and just off the M62

motorway, is famous as the home of

Grace Fields, who was born above a
fish and chip shop and became a.

BCAA. E.

singing and movie star, The shop has
gone but another in Toad Lane draws
pilgrims from around the world,
including many from Japan.

The past here goes along way -
back. At Middleton, a church dating
to the 12th century has a window
dedicated to the archers who fought

-at the Battle of Flodden in 1513 and

is thought wo be die oldest war
memorial window in existence.
There are 17th century stocks in St
Chad's yard in Rochdale, while at
nearby Milnrow the world’s largest
mill steam engine, perfectly restored
in its Victorian setting, is stoked up
every Sunday aftemoon.,

In days gone by the workers at
this mill would have shed their clogs
and spent Sundays at Hollingworth
Lake, known as the weavers’ seaside

. + still a pleasant place for any

water sports and a picnic —~ and
now an easy drive from Rochdale.
The lake is also close to the Pennine
ridges, one known as Robin Hood's»
bed, and you can still make out the
old Roman road and a trail used by

packhorses;

xXCLUS

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By car it’s just a few miles to
Burnley, once a cobbled and black-
ened cotton-weaving centre where
the fy shuttle was invented in 1743,
A Luddite mob attacked the inventor
who died in poverty in France.

Nearby Blackbur, today home to
Britain's top soccer team, gave the
world the spinning jenny, although
the inventor had to flee after his
home was attacked. Blackburn has a
cathedral and Burnley the splendid
Towneley Hal}, complete with a -
1799 watercolor by Turner, but in
any of the smaller towns and villages
the past lives on, as inthe many
sandstone cottages with rectangular
upper windows favored by weavers.

Many pubs were originally water-
holes for horse-drawn transport
which collected work from weavers,:
such as the Waggoners’ Inn, near.
Burnley. The Pack Horse is a com-
mon pub name. One pub I liked was
the Horse and Farrier at Norden, a
suburb of Rochdale, which has its
own bowling green at the back as

well as tables with umbrellas where
we sat outside and watched the
crown game being played by men
and women of all ages. -

Folk don’! come any friendlier’
than in Lancashire, so it doesn’ t take.
tong to get a conversation going at

‘the bar. Nor is buying a round a

painful experience with a “pint of -.
best" (bitter) nunning about $2.50, a
cheaper — and better — ale than :
you'll get in London.

You'll also be surprised at the
number of people who take a keen
interest in the history of the

” Industrial Revolution, who go hiking.’
~ on the Pennines, and can tell you

how to get to Haworth (home of the

Brontes) and find a steam train.
They haven't time to go to

London: “Ee lad,” said a man at the |

‘bar, “there's hardly enough time to

enjoy ourselves oop here.”

For bed and breakfast info contact
the Tourist Information Centre, Town.
Hall, Rochdale, OL16.1AB, Lancs, :
England, fax 011-44-1706-59475,

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