[WillowTheWhisp]

I used to work in Church when it boasted a couple of banks (I worked in one of them) and loads of shops. There was a brilliant bakers shop on Blackburn Rd where we all used to get our butties from. As I recall the decline began when Rothwells closed down as it was such a big employer and once they'd gone then the shops lost a lot of daytime custom. We reached a stage in the bank where from being a once busy, even hectic, branch we were reduced to total utter boredom by the lack of customers and as soon as anyone did come in we would fight over who was going to serve them.

Of course that eventually led to the closure of both banks (one relocated in Oswaldtwistle) and the little shops. I'm glad to see that some still do thrive along Henry Street and hope that they continue to do so.

I'm surprised that Church doesn't warrant a mention along with the other towns which go to make up the borough. That all happened with the reorganisation of local government and was quite a seperate development to the decline and fall caused by the closure of Rothwells etc.

I personally feel that if Hyndburn changes its name to 'Accrington & District' it will only lead to a further loss of identity for the individual towns. I have an ominous feeling that stone at the bottom of Market Street which pays lip service to the historical significance of Church in its own right will do a bunk never to be replaced if the name Hyndburn is scrapped.

At least you've got the Sports Centre in Church and there's that whateveritis being created in the Bradshaw Street area which will hopefully look good when finished but I think it could have looked better.