#Amazing Accrington - Winter 2017

ACCRINGTON : GREAT HARWOOD : OSWALDTWISTLE CLAYTON-LE-MOORS : HUNCOAT : RISHTON : ALTHAM WINTER EDITION : 2017 PADDY FROM EMMERDALE Autumn fashion and Shop Local focus TILL YOU DROP SHOP TERYLENE INVENTED IN ACCRINGTON MATCH OF THE DAY ACCRINGTON STANLEY’S CHAIRMAN ANDY HOLT... I say we are geing promoted this year. No mistake or debate in my mind DOMINIC EXC L US I VE I N T E RV I EW BRUNT Dominic’s fascination with horror and zombie films all started in a video shop in Accrington

AmazingAccrington : : : : : :

P L US

AWinter Wonderland planned for #AmazingAccrington CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SWITCH ON

What’s on | Multi million pound mosque | Business focus in Hyndburn Churchfield House has found its former glory | Competition time

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Welcome to #AmazingAccrington – the new name for Accrington Lifestyle magazine - celebrating all that is great about Accrington and its surrounding towns and villages of Great Harwood, Oswaldtwistle, Clayton-Le-Moors, Huncoat, Rishton and Altham.

The community lies at the heart of this magazine. Our publisher, Murray Dawson, Managing Director of Sco Dawson Advertising, is a Clayton lad at heart, proud of the Hyndburn borough and is eager to showcase all that Accrington and the surrounding towns have to offer … let’s talk up this amazing town! For the latest edition, we were lucky to interview self-confessed zombie fanatic and welder-turned-Emmerdale TV star, Dominic Brunt. We spoke to him about his childhood in Accrington, which he remembers fondly and how he ‘absolutely loved’ working on Accrington Market as a teenager. #AmazingAccrington is a mixture of home and leisure, business, pleasure, tourism, heritage and sport. Inside this edition you’ll be able to read about the humble beginnings of family-run wholesale company, Harrison’s, and how it all began in the front room of a terraced house on Manchester Road. Or, if you’re an Accrington Stanley fan, you may enjoy our interviewwith Chairman, Andy Holt, as he shares with us his passion for the club. We want to engage with you - the people, the retailers, the businesses, the heart of Hyndburn – this is YOURmagazine and we want you to share your photographs, thoughts and suggestions for a beer future for the borough. Please get in touch with your ideas. From a competition with a prize of £150 worth of pies, to an interviewwith MP Graham Jones, #AmazingAccrington has something for everyone. We hope you enjoy your local magazine!

CONTENTS

4-5 Readers Picture: Haworth Art Gallery 7-9 Dominic Brunt – fromwelder to TV star 11 Townfield Care – new daily living aid shop 12 What’s on thisWinter 14-15 Shop Local – Abbey Street & Whalley Road 18-19 Extreme Fashion – your winter wardrobe 20-21 Jon Anderson – part 2 of our interview 22-23 Churchfield House – ‘Great Harwood’s own lile stately home’ 24-25 Graham Jones, Member of Parliament for Hyndburn 26-27 Bowland Brewery –Warren Benne interview 28-29 Terylene invented in Accrington! 30-31 Albert Harrison & Co – the story of the company 32-33 New Accrington mosque & community centre 34-35 Chris Dobson goes back to his Roots 37 The Baxenden Bugs 38-39 Believe in Magic – with Just Imagine and Accrington Town Hall 40-41 Christmas with Mercure Dunkenhalgh 42-43 Meet Miranda Barker, CEO of East Lancs Chamber of Commerce 46-49 Accrington Stanley – interviewwith Andy Holt 50-51 Accrington Stanley Community Trust 54 Competition time!

For editorial and picture submissions email: editor@amazingaccrington.co.uk For advertising enquiries email: advertising@amazingaccrington.co.uk

#AmazingAccrington magazine is wrien and produced by Sco Dawson Advertising Ltd. Dawson Court, Billington Road, Lancashire, BB11 5BW. 01282 426 846. Printed by

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HAWORTH ART GALLERY from the Rose Garden

“I love taking photos of the beautiful architecture and landscape of Accrington. I do photography work for a local charity and I have ambitions to become a professional photographer in the future.”

Picture courtesy of Terry Brereton. eltel.oz@gmail.com

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FROM ACCRINGTON WELDER...

ACCRINGTON ROSSENDALE COLLEGE

...TO TV STAR!

ENROL NOW

From humble beginnings as a trainee welder of Accrington, Dominic Brunt now plays Paddy Kirk in the critically acclaimed drama series Emmerdale. Dominic took the time to chat with us over lunch at Roots Restaurant in Accrington and Rossendale College. He reassured us that he hasn’t let fame go to his head.

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“You don’t have to be a show off to be an actor, you just don’t. That’s been an important lesson for me. I’m not a raconteur. I won’t get up and start telling stories at a party. I’m shy really. It’s totally different when you’re acting and you’re just in front of two boom operators.” Aer leaving school Dominic trained as a welder for Hargreaves Sheet Metal, making metal panels to fit onto Accrington buses. “I think if I ever stopped acting I’d go back to being a welder.” He began his formal training studying a BTEC in Performing Arts at Accrington and Rossendale College. “The drama teacher there, Martin Cosgrif, had a knack of geing people into drama school. He turned me from a welder into an actor. He told us on the first day that we should look at it like a job. We had other people turning up to acting classes thinking it was like X-Factor so he used to start offwith intensive breathing exercises and Shakespeare which chased them away. For the rest of us, we were obsessed with acting.” Dominic will always be grateful for his education at Accrington and Rossendale College. “I trained as a welder here and then as an actor so the college has done brilliant things for me.” He went on to join the alumni of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, whose previous students include Daniel Day Lewis and Patrick Stewart. This was also where he met his wife Joanne. Since 1997, Dominic has been best known for his role as Paddy Kirk in Emmerdale, a character who has changed drastically in recent years from loveable bumbling vet to absconding love-rat. He admits that he initially had his reservations about the changes but Dominic now enjoys the role even more. “I like the fact that he’s flawed. I think he has three dimensions and he’s not a saint. He’s as flawed as everybody else. It would have been dull for him to have been there for this long and still be this upstanding person who was a pillar of society.” We asked Dominic if he was ever tempted to ask the writers to alter the storylines. “No. I don’t think we should or every actor would be going up and asking ‘can I have a storyline, can I have an affair, can I be ill? ’I just leave it to them, that’s their job and they’re brilliant at it.” The critics certainly think so. Emmerdale has been enormously successful, particularly in recent years, with the showwinning the Best Continuing Drama Series at the British Television Awards 2017. “It’s been amazing because we’ve always believed in it so it’s been great to be vindicated. About five years ago we were on top form under a producer called Gavin Blyth. The writers had matured and we went from

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Top: Dominic back to his ‘Roots’ at Accrington and Rossendale College. Right: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where Dominic honed his acting skills and met his wife Joanne.

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being a soap to a serial drama. We were really excited about it and yet we were still ignored. I think it takes people a while for their perceptions to change, especially about something like Emmerdale which had been a certain way for a long time. All of a sudden nowwe’re geing the recognition that we believe we deserve. We’re all over the moon and certainly not taking it lightly, we are all very grateful.” We spoke with Dominic about his childhood in Accrington, which he remembers very fondly. He recalls working on a stall on Accrington Market as a teenager. “The stall owner would give us a load of towels to sell and then he’d go off to the pub for the rest of the day. At the end of the day we’d give him all the earnings and he’d give us £3.50 each. It seemed like a lot at the time. “I absolutely loved the market. I remember there was a whole underworld underneath it that stretched for miles. We used to spend hours down there. You could walk directly underneath the Arndale, carry on walking then pop up where the police station is. We’d go down there looking for dog rats.” Dominic explains that there were rumours of giant rats, a result of dogs interbreeding with rats. “There was obviously nothing like that down there but when you’re young you’ll believe it.” When he wasn’t working on the market Dominic would spend his time playing arcade games. “We used to spend a lot of time in the amusement arcade just opposite the town hall. We spent hours and hours down there. I was never a gambler but I was a massive gamer. My favourites from the time were R-Type and Kung Fu Master. Oh, and Galaga which I’m still really good at! I’ve even got a stand-up arcade machine at home with all the games loaded into it which has followed me all my life.” Dominic’s fascination with horror and zombie films all started in a video shop in Accrington, he tells us. “A friend of mine’s dad owned Accrington Video at the boom of Burnley Road. A brilliant shop. The front of it is still there but it’s just a shell nowwhich is really sad. We both liked horror films and that’s where we got our zombie films from. We used to watch tons of them.” A self-confessed zombie fanatic, Dominic has recently branched out into directing and starring in horror films. “Every two or three years they (Emmerdale) let me go away and do films which is great. They’re brilliant like that. It’s really supportive.” Films such as Inbred (2011) and Before Dawn (2012) have achieved international success and a cult following. “I directed Bait and Before

QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS Q. Favourite TV show as a kid? A. Tiswas. Some of my friends weren’t allowed to watch it because it was naughty, they had to watch Swap Shop. We were the stray kids! Q. What do you do when relaxing? A. I play the mandolin. I watch a lot of films. I’m always busy in either pre-production or post-production of a film so I enjoy doing that. I read a lot of comics as well. Q. First car? A. Aminivan that I was doing up that chickens would live in. Q. What would you do if you weren’t an actor? A. I’d be a welder. Q. Worst thing about acting? A. Remembering the lines. Q. What part in a film would you like to play? A. Any part inWhistle Down theWind. It’s my favourite film of all time.

Q. Last gi? A. A pile of comics for my birthday.

Dawn and I’ve just directed Adult Babies which had its Leicester Square premiere in August. I’ve also just bought the rights to a book which we’ll be filming in a couple of years so I’m swapping between two films at the moment. “We’ve been very successful, we’ve been distributed in Japan, Australia, America and Germany. We’ve been very lucky. Slowly we’re gaining ground which is great.” However, when asked if he sees his future going forward as more of a director than an actor, Dominic was quick to answer. “No, I see staying at Emmerdale as long as I possibly can as the way forward!”

Q . First acting role? A. Lazy Jack in a play. Q. Any pets? A. A tortoise, chickens, a fish and a hamster. Q . First bike? A. I had a Grier and then a Budgie.

Top: Dominic plays the part of Paddy Kirk in ITV’s Emmerdale. The show won ‘Best Continuing Drama Series’, at the National Television Awards 2017. Above: Accrington Market where Dominic worked on a stall as a teenager. Celeb judge at ‘Misty Moon‘ International Film Festival. Left: R-Type, one of Dominic’s favourite arcade games. ‘Before Dawn’ a film starring and directed by Dominic Brunt. Opposite: Dominic back in East Lancashire.

You don’t have to be a show off to be an actor, you just don’t. That’s been an important lesson for me. I’m not a raconteur. I won’t get up and start telling stories at a party. I’m shy really. It’s totally different when you’re acting and you’re just in front of two boom operators.

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TOWNFIELD CARE open new daily living aid store A brand-new store is open in Great Harwood,

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WHAT’S ON THISWINTER

The Ballroom@Accrington Town Hall

When:

Sunday 29th October. 12 noon - 2pm.

What: Cauldron College Open Day! Calling all budding witches and wizards of Lancashire! Watch our magnificent theatrical performance followed by four workshops. Complete all four wizarding workshops in order to receive your Cauldron College certificate. Tickets: £4 adults and £8 children. Call 01254 380 293. www.accringtontownhall.co.uk When: Tuesday 31st October. 12 noon - 2pm. What: Pocus Hocus Halloween Ball. Come lile children... The witches are back but who lit The Black Flame Candle? Legend says that on a full moon it will raise the spirits of the dead... join us for a load of Pocus Hocus! Tickets: £4 adults and £8 children. Call 01254 380 293. www.accringtontownhall.co.uk

When: What:

Saturday 25th November. 10am - 2pm.

Film Club: Frozen. All showings begin at 10am and will include a meet and greet with a very special guest...Tickets: £3.50 and include popcorn and juice (tea & coffee for adults). Call 01254 380 293. www. accringtontownhall.co.uk

When: What:

Sunday 10th December. 12 noon - 2pm.

Return to Narnia - The Last Bale. Enter through our magical wardrobe into the mysterious land of Narnia. Upon entering the wardrobe you will be greeted by fairies, elves and fauns as we take you on an interactive adventure! Tickets: £4 adults and £8 children. Call 01254 380 293. www.accringtontownhall.co.uk

Haworth Art Gallery, Accrington

When: What:

Sunday 29th October. 2pm to 4pm.

Halloween - Frighteningly FREE Family Fun Day. Come along to our free family fun day! Meet our special guests fromHogwarts • Ask our Edwardian ladies and gentlemen about what used to happen here at Halloween • Phil Knight’sWeird Lancashire Concert • Mrs Maker’s Halloween Cras • The Art Garden’s Spooktacular Messy Play • Spine-chillingly talented artists in their studios. Call 01254 233 782. www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/haworthaccrington FREE Christmas Family Fun Day. Meet Santa and all of his lile helpers in the Stables • Cras with Mother Christmas • Messy play at The Art Garden • Demonstrations by artists in the Stables andMotor House • Christmas Open Mic • Naughty Lile Elves. Call 01254 233 782. www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/haworthaccrington Sunday 17th December. 12pm to 4pm. King of Pop - The Legend Continues. Get ready to moonwalk the night away with the world’s number one Michael Jackson tribute artist as the King Of Pop world tour rolls into town. Tickets: £19 adults, £13 u14. Call 01254 398 319. www.civicartscentre.co.uk 10cc's Graham Gouldman & Heart Full of Songs. GrahamGouldman formed what became Heart Full of Songs six years ago, purely for the pleasure of playing his songs in their simplest form, acoustically. Tickets: £25. Call 01254 398 319. www.civicartscentre.co.uk A Vision of Elvis. Voted the Official No.1 Elvis Tribute Showmulti-award winning Rob Kingsley is renowned as one of the best Elvis Tribute Artists, performing worldwide to sold out audiences. Early Bird tickets £17.50. Call 01254 398 319. www.civicartscentre.co.uk Manford's Comedy Club. Jason Manford hand selects three top comedians and sends them to Oswaldtwistle. Laura Lexx, Andrew Bird, CallumOakley and Duncan Oakley. Tickets: £12.50. Call 01254 398 319. www.civicartscentre.co.uk The Wizard of Oz. You are invited to click your heels, journey over the rainbow and ease on down the yellow brick road as Immersion Theatre proudly present TheWizard of Oz. Tickets: £12 Adults, £8 Children, £36 Family of Four 01254 398 319. www.civicartscentre.co.uk Saturday 30th September. 7.30pm. Friday 6th October. 7.30pm. Saturday 11th November. 8.00pm. Friday 1st December - Saturday 9th December. Various times - see website for details. Friday 29th September. 7:30pm.

When: What:

Civic Arts Centre and Theatre, Oswaldtwistle

When: What:

SAVE THE DATE THURSDAY 30th NOVEMBER LIGHTS SWITCH ON IN

When: What:

#AmazingAccrington

When: What:

When: What:

When: What:

Accrington Stanley Football Club

When: What:

Saturday 4th November.

Fireworks Display. Pre sale tickets: Adults £4, u18s £2, Family £10 (2 adults and 2 u18s - pre-sale only). On the night tickets: Adults £5, u18s £3. Call 01254 356 950. www.accringtonstanley.co.uk Christmas Lunch. With Stanley manager John Coleman, assistant Jimmy Bell and the directors. Tickets: £35 each. Business packages £350+vat (includes half page programme advert). Sponsorship packages available. POA. Call 01254 356 950. www.accringtonstanley.co.uk Thursday 14th December.

When: What:

DICKENSIAN NIGHT Warner Street/Church Street Thursday December 14th, 4pm-8pm.

PLUS

Stanley v Swindon. Saturday 9th December, 2017. 3.00pm. Stanley v Crawley. Saturday 23rd, 2017. 3.00pm. Stanley v Morecambe. Monday 1st January, 2018. 3.00pm. Stanley v Chesterfield. Saturday 6th January, 2018. 3.00pm Tickets call 01254 356 950. www.accringtonstanley.co.uk

Games:

For up to date information visit us online at www.accringtonstanley.co.uk

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# AmazingAccrington

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Shoes (size 3-8) £24.99

...TO DEVELOPING A THIRD EYE! NEAR DEATH... In the second part of our interview , Lancashire boy turned rockstar, Jon Anderson, talks about his life’s journey and finding an inner spiritual connection with a musical career that stemmed from his time at an Accrington primary school.

His father Albert was fromGlasgow and served in the Army whilst his mother Kathleen worked in the coon mills of Accrington. From a very early age music was part of their household, from professional ballroom dancing parents (a large cup proudly displayed on the mantelpiece gave testimony to this) to his Dad playing harmonica in the house. Growing up listening to bands such as The Beatles, TheWho, Rolling Stones and The Birds clearly had its influence on Jon. “As a child, I always listened to music. The first song that changed me was a song called TomorrowNever Knows on the Beatles album Revolver which was their final live project before retirement… The song wasn’t a hit but the lyrics were great.” He goes on to find similarity with Yes and their modest list of top hits “that didn’t maer, what drove us was producing great music…music touches our hearts on so many levels.” It’s hard to pinpoint when his music career started, from geing in trouble for singing too loud in class or playing the washboard in ‘Lile John’s Skiffle Group’ performing songs by Lonnie Donegan. I’ts clear music was part of his everyday life at his Accrington primary school. Leaving school young and moving on to a job as a farm-hand when his father became unwell, “and I worked as both a lorry driver transporting Accrington bricks and as a milkman.” Jon is a born and bred supporter of Accrington Stanley. He jokingly claims that if it wasn’t for his height he would have become a player for them.

Some years later aer finishing a concert Jon had a chance meeting. “A lady came by saying she was connected to the Divine Mother Flora of Hawaii.” Divine Mother is a Guru and Jon was no stranger to meeting Gurus aer his travels, so he already had some interest and understanding in the Divine Mother Flora. This twinned with the lady’s persistence, repeated calling and her eagerness for Jon and the Guru to come together, meant that he eventually agreed to meet her. “I went into this roomwith flowers everywhere and this lile lady siing on a couch reminded me of my mum. “I sat in front of her and she said, ‘nice to meet you’, she had no idea who I was, and then she said, ‘you know something, I will tell you now, God is free.’. I said ‘yeah, I love that, God is free. You don’t pay money to get to heaven.“ Aer spending some time with the Guru, it became apparent to her that Jon was eager to learn meditation. Jon had been trying to meditate for around 10 years by this point and wasn’t expecting what happened next. Aer the Guru said a mantra for him, he was thrown into a new experience. “All of a sudden I was in a newworld with a lovely cocoon of energy and beauty for about half an hour. I had learnt to deep breathe at that time and when I came out of that beautiful moment she said Acknowledging that it sounds strange, he urges people that it’s something you have to experience to understand. “No mind at all, just glorious energy.” Meditation has existed for thousands of years before Christ and Jon believed it teaches people how to transform their mind “from negative to positive, from disturbed to peaceful, from unhappy to happy”. This frame of mind has meant that despite worldwide fame, Jon has kept his humility. “I’m not a rock star, just a musician enjoying life.” With celebrity status maybe it’s even more important to stay in touch with nature and follow a lifestyle that isn’t focussed on materialism and possessions. It’s clear to anyone who talks to Jon that alongside his passion for seeking divine energy, he has a deep-rooted love of music. Throughout our conversation music, his inspirations and his parents influence, is an ever-present theme. ‘now, you will have to practise to get there every day’.” This is exactly what Jon did, he practiced and practiced.

SUMMER 2017

“To me Accrington never changes. It's just a lovely lile town." BACK IN ThE UK! MATCH OF THE DAY ACCRINGTON STANLEY’S JOhN COLEMAN ANd JIMMY BELL We score an interview about the childhood friendship that went into extra time JON EXC L US I VE I N T E RV I EW ANDERSON

“Nobody in the band told me I had been replaced. Illness kept me off the road for a year and Yes replaced me with Benoit David.” His replacement was a sound-alike who has fronted a tribute band named Close to The Edge. It’s clear this was a painful experience for him at first but always a glass half full person, Jon adds, “now people come and see me and I feel I’m 30 years younger.” This positive outlook has continued and taken him on a journey of mediation and serenity. Reflecting on his adolescent years, Jon tries to pinpoint the moment that meditation captured his interest. He talks of leaving school at 14 and his lack of interest in education as a teenager. “I didn’t really get into reading until I was 21 when I started with an amazing book called ‘The Third Eye’ by Vera Stanley Alder.” As a starting point for his new-found interest, the book discusses secrets of breathing, colour, sound, diet, exercise and how these can be harnessed to develop the third eye. His interest was sparked and made the decision to try and find a spiritual connection. “I tried to meditate for years and years” he told us, explaining that everyone has the potential to find their connection. “I got the theory about making the ego mind go quiet.”

THE WONDER WOMEN

OF WARNER ST Flying the flag for Accrington

FIRE UP ThE FAMILY FUN IN ACCRINGTON... sizzling dishes, summer cocktails and smoking hot chef demos! FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

Top left: Jon by Cathy Miller. Top right: Owner of a Lonely Heart appeared on the 1983 album 90125. Fragile 1971 album cover. Above: English artist Roger Dean provided many fantasy landscapes for Yes albums. Right: Relayer 1974 album cover.

The turning point that led to Jon leaving his farm job and pursuing music as a career was seeing The Beatles play. In his pursuit to “becoming a Beatle” he joined a band in 1962 called ‘TheWarriors’, dropped the ‘h’ from his name in 1970…and the rest is history! For 72-year-old Jon, life has taken him across the world from friendships with international musicians, to spiritual journeys with Gurus, to American citizenship. It was a pleasure to hear his enthusiasm and fond memories from a childhood here in Accrington.

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a l l i n y o u r FREE S u m m e r LIFE : STYLE M a g a z i n e

In 2008 at the age of 64 Jon, founding member of rock band Yes, thought he had met the end. An unexpected asthma aack le him in the arms of his wife Jane and resulted in a three-month hospital stay in San Francisco. His fate was in her hands and he speaks fondly of Jane and her importance on that pinnacle day where he almost died. “But for the immediate reaction of my wife, I surely would have, she was wonderful and absolutely saved my life.” Recalling his time in hospital aer this aack Jon talks about the repercussions on his day to day life. “It’s important that I don’t eat nuts or seeds or spices, and I particularly like spices” he jokes. It also altered the path of his career, he briefly mentions his replacement in Yes.

Left: Image of Jon created by his daughter, Deborah, a professional photographer on the cover of the previous LIFE:STYLE edition. Above: Yes at a 1998 gig. Classic Yes 1981 album. Jon performing in 1973.

1970’s Prog Rock Superband

Jon is an Accrington Stanley fan at heart.

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has found its former glory CHURCHFIELD HOUSE

This iconic building is ready to serve the community again, a local hub, with everything from yoga classes and tea room to wedding celebrations

At the top of Church Street, nestled within carefully laid out gardens, stands Churchfield House, majestically looking out over the town. Affectionately named ‘Great Harwood’s Own Lile Stately Home’ it was built in 1852 by surgeon, Henry Ainsworth Grime. In 1857 Henry sold the house to a man named Joseph Haydock. Joseph spent all of his adult life serving the people of the town, alongside being an active member of the Local Board of Health for over 20 years. Aer his death in 1885, aged 69, Churchfield House passed into the hands of Milton, his youngest son. Milton, like his father before him, devoted his life to improving the living conditions of the people within Great Harwood. When the baton of the Local Board passed on to the newly formed Urban District Council, Milton was one of the men elected onto the council. He continued to serve the town up until his death in 1926 at the age of 77. Milton’s care and concern for the people of the town he loved did not end with his death. In his will wrien just a few years earlier, aer several personal bequests and legacies, he had strict instructions for his executors. ‘His wife could continue to reside at the house during her lifetime if she wished to do so, as long as she continued his widow’. Then on her death or if she choose to leave the property, with the exception of her personal things, the house and all the contents were to be passed onto the Urban District Council in trust for the ‘use and enjoyment of the people of Great Harwood.’ Milton’s real and personal estate was to be sold and aer all debts paid the money was to be invested and the annual income used to pay all outgoings in respect of Churchfield House. In the years following Milton’s death a number of caretakers were employed at different times to help to maintain the house. Unfortunately the money le by Milton in 1926 for the upkeep of the house became totally inadequate in meeting the costs required in the twenty first century. With only enough money for essential repairs, the house became worn and tired. The local council were only too aware that they needed to prevent it decaying to the point of no return and agreed serious steps needed to be taken. Following meetings between the council and Great Harwood Civic Society it was decided that members of the society would take over the management, renovation and preservation of the house from the council and in 2013 Churchfield House Ltd was formed. The architecture of the house is a mix between late Georgian and early Victorian. It has everything including a large events room, several small meeting rooms, two kitchens and beautiful views. The house is currently staffed, solely by volunteers. Many repairs, renovations and improvements have been made and it is now bright, comfortable and welcoming. The house has hosted a number of ‘exhibitions’ during the last four years including one in remembrance of the beginning ofWorldWar One. The downstairs rooms were turned into a museum, depicting

the living room of a house of the town, as it would have been in 1914, and an Army field hospital. There has also been an exhibition depicting the life and work of John Mercer, the Chemist, and another of the Trappes-Lomax family, who were the main landowners of the town for many years. The house now plays host tomany local groups. These include The Camera Club, Yoga classes, University of the 3rd age and Community Voluntary Services. There is a tearoomopen on Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 11.a.m. until 4.p.m. and the venue is licensed to hold weddings. Rooms can be hired for meetings, events and family celebrations. All monies raised are used for the protection and preservation of the beautiful old house. Milton Haydock le Churchfield House for the benefit and enjoyment of all. With the continued support of both volunteers and community, it will be preserved for the benefit and enjoyment of many generations in the future.

For more information visit www.churchfieldhouse.org

Opposite: Churchfield House, Great Harwood. Above: The events room. WW1 remembrance exhibition. Right: Mr and Mrs Haydock and chauffer Mr. Knowles.

For the use and enjoyment of the people of Great Harwood

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I LOVE OLD BUILDINGS by Graham Jones, Member of Parliament for Hyndburn

I used to sit upstairs in the council offices as the opposition leader imagining what could be done with the derelict historic property portfolio that Hyndburn council had.

As a child, we used to visit historic buildings - I found them to be of great fascination - the history behind these buildings, the people that lived in themand how they came, in some cases, to be ruinous. Our history and heritage are important. It is whowe are. Thereweremany days when I sat there, staring out of the council office window, wondering great things for our area. Though there is lile you can dowhen you are not the council leader and it is not your decision on what shall be done. I was inspired by a Great Harwood resident to visit the abandoned Churchfield House in the town, a once great, but nowderelict property. I sat in the council offices dreaming a dream, believing in a day when perhaps I couldmake those decisions and that these neglected buildings could come back to life. I wanted them to be handed over to the community and be used, restoring the architectural pride, artisan and crasmanship they once presented. Therewere the old park buildings steeped in family histories, the old terraced houses now standing as damp, impoverished slums, as well as themagnificent buildings of the old coon barons and industrialists in our town centres - buildings that define us. It was towards the end of the last decade that my colleagues and I put those solitary days in opposition to good use, with a plan to regenerate asmany of our old buildings as possible; to put community and people forefront and hand the running of themover to the people they served. Nick Collingridge, a former councillor for Clayton and great community activist, suggested I use the upstairs grand room inMercer House, Clayton, for ameeting.When Labour came into administration in 2011 our own grand planwas being rolled out. Mercer House 1842 was the first community group to come forwardwith an offer to bring this old, unloved and unused building, whichwas a constant magnet for vandalism, back into use. Here I was, upstairs with Nick four years later, staring in wonderment at the grand room that had so lovingly been restored to its period look and now used lovingly by the community for various events. Mercer House, Clayton, has benefited froma council willing to hand over the keys, fromcommunity activists able and determined to access grant funding for the refurbishments andwith a steely determination to ensure that the building is well managed and used. This old park building stands as an example of what can be achieved. I have revisitedChurchfieldHousemany times since itwas handedover to the community - it has become a jewel inGreat Harwood's crown. It’s one of life’s pleasures to sit in thequaint perioddining roomwith lace tablecloths, lovingly restored following an agreement ledbyHyndburn BoroughCouncil, and the fabulous groupof volunteerswho areoverseeing its restoration and successful management. Bubblingwith enthusiasm, Deborah Clark recently showedme the back of Elmfield Hall, Church, to showme their latest plans. The last dilapidated rooms are nowbeing refurbished and, across the yard, the local community gardeners groups are active in the large polytunnels.

burning down of the old historic Conservative Clubwas onlymatched by the sadness. We have lost toomany churches over the years and I know that this can be due tomajor structural issues but nonetheless, we should endeavour to save themwherewe can. I still believe that redundant churches offer sanctuary at least from theweather, their redeeming physical asset when considering revenue andmaintenance - perhaps the social and leisure industry would provide themeans of regeneration? Saving old buildings should not just be about saving the legacies of industrialists and thewealthy. I passionately believe that we can transformsome of our unloved and unwanted terraced properties because, for me, buildings are about people, about interest and about the facility. Toomany of our terraced properties have architectural and aesthetic history which should not be given away unnecessarily to the bulldozer - the fabulous stone facades can contain a desirable interior. It is that passion for old buildings and an absence of council funding that, back in 2012, led to the council to rip up themodernity of floating flags in AccringtonTown Centre and lay down stone flags the length of Blackburn Road, architecturally in keepingwith some of Accrington’s great buildings. A brave but sympathetic plan in part driven by itsmajor funder, the Heritage Loery. Having regenerated St James’ church gardens, with plans for the church itself, old Accrington is very slowly moving forward. Our old buildings are beginning to enjoy a renaissance. From the Hyndburnmuseum to the refurbishment of the historic Grade 2* listed Martholme House, there is a new architectural revivalism.

The once vandal hit building has now had an externally funded £330,000 communitymakeover, following Hyndburn Council's support for the social enterprise that has taken the building on. No longer are the gardens at Gay Park spoilt by the abandonment of a once great mansion house.Walking into Elmfield Hall you get the sense that this is, once again, a thriving community. The double glass doors nowpresent amodern office and conference facility but, in keeping with the buildings original features, the large door is a social gateway to a pleasant and popular community café. This building has come alive. The challenge of saving buildings varies as some are not in hands of public organisations. TheMary Hindle Centre, in Haslingden, is a building I knew lile about when I becameMP. It is, in fact, themost famous building in the constituency. Its recently elevated recognitionwas largely gained as a result of the hardwork of the great local historian, Bill Turner, in his book, ‘Riot! The Story of the East Lancashire LoomBreakers of 1826’. It would have been easy to havewalked away and allow theMary Hindle Centre’s history to be lost and sold to a downmarket retailer or to become a rundown warehouse. My passion for these old buildings meant that I had to be there and I had to try and do something - I just believed that history was worth saving. That determination, spirited by a community effort, managed to save the building and return it to public ownership - its history preserved by its newoccupants, -

colleagues, councillor Claire Prichard, and the current council leader, councillorMiles Parkinson, would, and did, lead to the transformation of somany of our old historic buildings. Prior to 2011, I sat in toomanymeetings whichwere devoid of any passion or ambition, wheremoney had the confei value but yet our heritagewas roing. I recall discussions to sell off themarket hall. I sat despairingly at discussions around an inability tomanage the Howarth Art Gallery and serious considerations being given to dispose of it to Lancashire County Council. I always had hope that things could be beer. I believe that our historymaers. Six years on and the Howarth Art Gallery is a huge success. Investment and beer management have transformed this crown jewel. Turning it around requiredwhat wasmissing: passion, vision and determination, as well as a great deal of respect for the past. It is open longer, has facilities for young people, has tripled the number of visitors and there is a sense of pride that this historic building is back in demand. It now caters for weddings and other private gatherings. The people of Haslingden and Hyndburn can be proud of these historic transformations. Wandering out into the sunshine at HowarthArt Gallery you are now pleasantly greeted, not by the derelict stables, but refurbished artisan buildings. This incredible transformation of Howarth Art Gallery has been achieved, not through vain glorious Council Tax spending, but working hard for heritage grants and the determination to succeed. I knowmy colleagues feel proud of their achievements. Last year I wrote to the council inquisitively askingwhy the old Methodist Hall, Clayton, was being demolished. A part of our history and our soul is lost when these buildings of great stature and community are no longer. It transpires that it could not be saved, with all options exhausted. The pridewe have in our old buildings is immense and the

Much more of our history is now in the publics hands and long may this historical transformative renaissance continue for our history belongs to all of us.

Veterans in the Community. It’s another historic buildingwhich is coming alive. I still have hope that the HelmshoreTextile Museumcan be saved. Opposition can oen represent emptiness. Controlling the council provides opportunity. Yet, it was still hard to realise back then that this passion shared by both of my senior

Above: Graham enjoying tea at the refurbished Churchfield House in Great Harwood Opposite: Inside the Howarth Art Gallery. Outside view of the updated building.

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‘ CHEERS! ’ InterviewwithWarren Benne – Managing Director of Bowland Brewery

Where it all ends in...

by Nick Turner

They are now casting the Bowland net further into Lancashire. They see Hyndburn as amajor target market and now havemany of their products available at outlets in the area. They recently struck deals with Accrington Stanley to sponsor the Fan Zone at theWhamStadiumand have a similar deal in placewith Burnley FC. “Whenwe saw the changes that had taken place at Accrington Stanley wewere convinced that the current owner was thinking about the long-termand not just a quick fix, that’swhywewere delighted to support the clubwith sponsorship of the Fan Zone. I reallywish Accrington Stanleywell; there is a good feeling down there at the moment and they’ve had awonderful start to the season. The combination of talent, hardwork and new ideas creates the formula which has brought about the current success at Bowland Brewery. There are, however, certain achievements which are epiphenomenal and, as such, completely unpredictable. If you’d have toldme that wewould build the longest bar in the UK and, when we opened, we’d servemore female customers and, despite having 42 ale pumps around the bar, that our biggest seller would bewine in the first month, I wouldn’t have believed you but that highlights the broad-spectrumof customers the stunning surroundings aract and not just the fine ale!” Next on the agenda is the hotel, a planned 38 roombuildingwith a gym, spa facilities and even a cinema to accompany the Beer and Food Halls. The project at HolmesMill is really beginning to hit its stride and you get the feeling speaking toWarren that there ismuchmore to come in the future. If the next two years can exceed the accomplishments of the previous – you ain’t seen nothing yet.

IN 2014 JamesWarburton purchased Bowland Brewery in Clitheroe, adding another jewel in the crown of the James’ Places Group - and it could turn out to be their most successful venture yet. For the latest edition of #AmazingAccrington we talk to theman taskedwith running the day-to-day operations of the brewery - Managing DirectorWarren Benne. WemetWarren in the boardroomof the industrial style offices at HolmesMill - which is a delightful marriage of metal, exposed brickwork, and ultra-modern facilities - to talk about his role and the recent success. “There is no rigid job description towhat I do, we are a fast paced organisation and I carry out plans on behalf of James. Contracts, lease negotiations or major purchases, will at some point find its way acrossmy desk from the various businesses within the group.” The brewery originally operated out of Bashall Barn but it has been themove to the newHolmesMill sitewhich has really kicked things into action. “The catalyst for buying this sitewas buying Bowland Brewery itself, which came about around three years ago, and this all started, as many things do, with James coming inwith a suggestion of opening up amicro-brewery. Bowland Brewery was on themarket and the brand and the location fit, the pricewas right, therewas a full order book and it could sell asmuch beer as it made.” There is now a Food Hall to accompany the Beer Hall which is a showcase for suppliers of all manner of different products across Lancashire. But, for the time being at least, it is with the alewhere their loiest of ambitions lie. “At themoment, the smallest business within the James’ Places group is the brewery but hopefully it won’t stay that way. Once this site is complete and fully operational wewill have, in essence, doubled the size of James’ Places.We have exciting expansion plans for the brewery andwemake absolutely no apologies for saying that wewant to be the biggest brewer in Lancashire.” Recently, their Buster IPA and Deer Stalker Stout won bronzemedals in an international beer competition - competingwith 700 brewers worldwide. In 2016 they landed the Lancashire Life award for Food and Drinks Producer of theYear and inMay of this year alone sold 35,000 boles of beer. Momentum is theword.

Top: Warren Bennett, Managing Director of Bowland Brewery at his desk. Right: New Bowland Brewery sponsored Fan Zone at Accrington

Stanley Football Club. Bottom: Our Clitheroe headquarters.

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