Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

November At a Town Council meeting a letter was received from Mr Thomas Gordon, retired JP of Blackpool ( formerly from Accrington ), offering a gift of £150 towards the erection of a tramway shelter and/or waiting room on or near the Market Grounds. It was resolved to offer the Council’s cordial thanks to Mr Gordon for this generous donation. ( See end-note .) An application was received by the Electricity & Tramways Committee from the Amalgamated Association of Vehicle & Tramway Workers, asking for a review of the wireman’s case for reinstatement. It was resolved to allow this request. On this same day at a meeting of the Watch Committee it was resolved the Lighting Superintendent be instructed to arrange with the Tramway Department to have a lamp fixed to the standard at the Hillock Vale terminus of the Huncoat Section, and that this Committee would undertake to maintain it henceforth. At a meeting of the Electricity & Tramways Committee and in response to the request from the Amalgamated Association of Vehicle & Tramway Workers, a deputation was received from the ‘wireman’ concerned. After hearing submissions from them and the Tramway Manager, it was ultimately decided that the decision to reinstate or otherwise would be left in the hands of Mr Pilling. December At a meeting of the Town Council they discussed the question of providing a service of trams on Christmas Day. It was decided that in the event of either Blackburn or Rawtenstall operating a service on the 25 th , the Tramway Manager could arrange for running a similar service. It was then resolved the Chairman, Vice-Chair and Councillor Lambert would meet with a deputation from the Tramway Department in order to deal with some alleged differences. It was further resolved to allow the Tramway Manager to have apparatus installed at the depot to supply the men with hot water for their drinks at meal times. Finally, the Electricity & Tramways Committee met to receive a letter from Oswaldtwistle District Council, complaining that there were insufficient trams at night to carry home the workers at the end of their shifts. It was resolved to reply that this Committee had given instructions for this matter to be remedied as soon as possible. Also on the18 th the Town Hall & Markets Committee met and it was resolved that the Mayor should invite the Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Electricity & Tramway Committee to confer with them on the question of providing a tramway shelter on the Market Ground. The Gordon Shelter Born in Burnley, Thomas Gordon worked for a time at the Howard & Bullough factory in Accrington before becoming a Director of Lang Bridge, he was also a devoted Baptist and was a Lay Preacher of that faith. Amongst his other works he was a benefactor of Accrington Victoria Hospital. Even since the advent of public transport in Accrington the focal point for boarding and alighting steam trams, electric cars and buses had been on Peel Street. Soon after the opening of the Town Hall, on Christmas Eve, 1858, work began on the development of the Market Hall. This was the first purpose built Market Hall in Lancashire and it was opened on October 23 rd , 1869. This building had an attendant ‘outside or open’ market, which occupied not only an area in front of it, but also down along the Peel Street side. The market stalls were in use on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with just the odd exception such as when the ‘Pot Fair’ came to town. With no shelters provided for intending passengers, they used to congregate during bad weather under the canvass canopies of the metal-framed stalls until their services arrived. This was not a problem on the non-market days of Mondays, Wednesdays (which was also half-day closing), Thursdays and of course Sundays. But it gave great annoyance to market traders and stall holders, when potential customers could not get to the stalls for sheltering passengers, who often crowded into the side entrance of the Market Hall itself, when asked to move on! This problem had obviously come to the attention of Thomas Gordon JP, who was in business in his beloved Accrington and lived at Mount Cottage on Whalley Road at its lower junction with Greengates. On retiring to the Fylde Coast and wishing to leave the town a legacy which would be of some lasting use, he generously donated the sum of £230 in two instalments of £150 and £80 to the town, not an inconsiderable amount of money then, for the construction of a shelter for the benefit of people travelling on trams. For this the Glasgow firm of Walter McFarland & Co. were asked to construct a building with a cast iron frame at their Saracen Foundry. This structure would be erected directly in line with the central doors of the Market Hall, on that side of Peel Street. It opened to the public during the

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