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Lampman 18-08-2004 21:01

Accrington Observer
 
I wonder if anyone has any photos or memories to share on the subject of the Accrington Observer &Times newspaper formerly of Edgar Street?

Atarah 18-08-2004 23:20

Accrington Observer
 
3 Attachment(s)
Some photographs for the time being ....photograph no. 3 compliments of Owd Bert

Acrylic-bob 19-08-2004 06:53

Re: Accrington Observer
 
I can remember that as a small child I was a member of the Observer Club. I had a round red and white badge and got a mention in the paper on my birthday. I don't recall any other benefit of membership.

Tealeaf 19-08-2004 08:02

Re: Accrington Observer
 
I like the piccy on the left. At first glance it looks like another scene from the 1900's..but look closely and you can see it's 1960's. Lovely.

Lampman 19-08-2004 11:44

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Thanks for the response and the photographs,I used to work at the 'Observer in the late 60's-early 70's.As I remember the company was a family owned affair(Crossley family).
It had many characters,some of whom spent all their working lives there.Others used it as a training ground,many moving on to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.
I think something has been lost now most of the 'local' papers are produced miles away.
Gone are the days of Frank Kitchener(Editor) giving the paper a final once over each Monday and Friday night before announcing,'that's another one put to bed'.Regardless of the fact that around another 4or 5 hours would have to be spent actually printing the damn thing.
Ah well the Nag's Head kept us going!

Atarah 19-08-2004 12:36

Accrington Observer
 
Rowland Joinson of course being a well known reporter there. He had regular "local history" columns in the paper.

Lampman 19-08-2004 12:44

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Ah,yes dear old Rowland,one of the last of his breed,profoundly deaf(not a good quality in a journalist)he was reknowned for always wearing umpteen layers of clothing even on the hottest summer day. One night he turned up in a breathless state to utter the immortal lines,'Stop the Press'.

Apparently one of his articles had been omitted and he was wanting the 14,000 papers already printed to be redone!
As a say last of the breed and a true Gentleman!

pendy 19-08-2004 13:21

Re: Accrington Observer
 
I was at school with Pat Crossley - still in touch.

Does anybody remember Arnold? - He was a great guy, lived in Burnley Road, had worked on Fleet Street, but he upgraded to the Accy Observer. He was a great character and excellent company, whether in the pub or dragging people home to play chess with him. I have happy memories of listening to Thelonius Monk in his front room ...

Lampman 19-08-2004 14:49

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Hmm,Can't recall Pat Crossley,was this a sister of Jennifer who had worked in the office?
Other characters I do recall were Mr.Harry Crossley;owner and Managing Director.Eric Ellis,the Advertising manager (?).
John Bancroft the one man fire risk(where's me fag?)
Leo(former undertaker)still mentally measuring people on first meeting.
Jack Halstead(former RSM Gordon Highlanders)who taught me to swear.
There were many others but time and various places of work,have over the years dimmned my recollection of the names.

pendy 19-08-2004 14:53

Re: Accrington Observer
 
I never actually worked at the Observer, so only know Arnold from the pub and Pat from Paddock House. I think she was Richard's sister, perhaps Harry's daughter, she is about the same age as me, 57, married to a dentist and living at Simonstone. Leo wouldn't have been Leo Hughes, would it, had an undertakers on Blackburn Road with his father, until father handed in his dinner pail ... He was a nice chap, buried lots of my family (not that that was the nice bit!). Can't remember where I learned to swear, but can do it in four languages!

Lampman 19-08-2004 15:06

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Yes Leo Hughes was the name,I remember a member of staff mistakenly donning Leo's smock,only to be told that was the one Leo wore when he laid people out.
The shouts of an anguished,Get it off!' could be heared above the noise of the Presses!

pendy 19-08-2004 17:04

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Leo Hughes was actually a very interesting man, if you could get him to talk. He was very well read, he told me once that when he was a teenager, he used to dream in Latin! The Observer must have had so many characters - wonder if any other newspaper, even a national, could beat the record?

I still read the Observer, buy a copy every time we come up, and read it online when in London .... except you can't get the hatches, matches and despatches online, nor a lot of the really interesting local bits.

Acrylic-bob 19-08-2004 18:40

Re: Accrington Observer
 
If that is the Leo Hughes whose father had his premises on Blackburn Road near to the Sacred Heart, he buried my grandparents, who both died on the same day.

Lampman 19-08-2004 18:49

Re: Accrington Observer
 
As you say Pendy you don't get the interesting bits on the Observer website,another reason why this site is so useful.

grego 19-08-2004 21:30

Re: Accrington Observer
 
I was disappointed with the Observer web site, I thought the news would've been upto date and not previously published news.

Lampman 20-08-2004 15:15

Re: Accrington Observer
 
As you say Greco the Observer site isn't much use.To reiterate my earlier point the paper along with many other 'local' newspapers has now moved out of its local boundary.
The paper is owned (I think) by the Guardian series of Newspapers and printed in Oldham at Mirror Colourprint.
The local office have only a skeleton staff comprising of mainly freelance reporters.
As for the Website,compare it with the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's which is updated each day.

plazzy 22-08-2004 14:23

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Just because the Observer is PRINTED elsewhere doesn't mean that it has moved out of its local boundary - ALL editorial content (and some advertising) is produced from the office in Blackburn Road. And it isn't a skeleton staff consisting of mainly freelance reporters - all editorial staff are based there. It is correct to say that the paper is owned by the Guardian group, but this has been the case for years and the majority of local newspapers these days are owned by big media groups.

Lampman 22-08-2004 20:44

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Sorry ,I must agree to differ; the staff is a skeleton compared with the good old days.
I think with over 35 years in the Newspaper business(both local and National)I have an inside view of what goes on.
Sorry if I dented your pride, no offence was intended!

Bazf 23-08-2004 00:29

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Got to agree with Greco, the website needs some work, in this day and age you would expect more but it is the Observer when all said and done.

WillowTheWhisp 23-08-2004 08:10

Re: Accrington Observer
 
On the subject of the Observer now being owned by sources outside of Hyndburn maybe it's a case of "full circle" because it was originally set up by someone from Preston wasn't it?

I think most newspaper offices would look like a skeleton staff compared to the good old days. Whatever happened to proof readers? Since the art of compositing became a dying skill many others have disappeared too.

Lampman 23-08-2004 08:49

Re: Accrington Observer
 
In the old days copy was received from multiple sources;advertising was taken either over the counter or by phone,the ad was then typed out by the office 'girl'.
Then the ad was again typed out by the Linotype operator in the Comp room.
The type was then transferred to a galley and proofed,before being proof read,any corrections were then re submitted,
News articles were collected by the Reporter,typed out,tranferred to the Linotype re typed and again proof read.
All these multiple sources were then assembled(along with any photographs and line images)in the Chaise(metal frame) as a mirror image of the page,before again being proofed and checked.
Then the page had a papier machee flong applied,under a presssure roller this became a mould,which was then cast by the Stereotyper into a semi circular printing plate.
The plate was then placed on the press and again a proof was run off.
Then finally the proofed Newspaper would be checked by F.S Kitchener,Les Stott and Harry Crossley, once the all clear was given the paper was printed!
All this labour intensive process had to go and with the advent of computer technology the process became more streamlined(but not as cost effective) with less doubling up of processses.
Subsequently many jobs became redundant to the Industry,the 'Observer clung to the old ways longer than most,but eventually with new owners(more finance)the old Rotary Letterpress method was replaced by the Offset Litho process.
An unusual side effect of this was that many local pubs felt the chill,with the resulting loss of trade!
Yes through my rose tinted specs they really were the Good Old Days!

Alan Gilmartin 24-08-2004 08:31

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Leo Hughes, was he realated to Mr Hughes the woodwork teacher at the Holy Family?

pendy 24-08-2004 12:27

Re: Accrington Observer
 
I am pretty sure Leo was an only child - I know he was the only son. The Holy Family Mr Hughes might have been a cousin, or something, but there are quite a lot of Hugheses about.

Atarah 01-09-2004 00:53

Accrington Observer
 
2 Attachment(s)
Hi, finally found you the Observer information I have been looking for. Yep, Willow The Wisp, you were correct about Preston.

The Accrington Observer was founded in 1887 by the Toulmin family of Preston, owners of the Preston Guardian and Blackburn Times, who decided to extend their interests. During the first four years of its publication it struggled against competition from The Accrington Times and the Accrington Gazette (microfilmed copies of which can be viewed in Accrington Local Studies library) and the Toulmin family, rightly or wrongly decided to sell.

The papers manager and editor was a Mr Richard Shaw Crossley. He must have had faith in the paper, and he borrowed £1000 from a family member. After only four months, he was in a position to buy out one of the rivals, The Accrington Times, and merged the two papers under the name we all knew, THE ACCRINGTON OBSERVER AND TIMES.

The first office was in Peel Street, on the side where the new market shops are - if you look carefully at this photo taken in Peel Street, you can just about make out the words "The Accrington Observer" on the side of the building. At the turn of the century, the paper moved to Edgar Street. This became its home for over 90 years! Mr Crossley died in 1931, he left a thriving business - during the war years they mangaged to continue successfully, the business being continued by the two sons - Richard and Robert. These two brothers died within a few months of each other in 1959, and their two sons carried on - Eric and Harry. In 1963 a big change was introduced, the front page had always been used for adverts, especially cinema adverts - news items now replaced the ads. In 1973 the Tuesday Observer changed to the new tabloid size. By 1980 the decision to switch from hot metal to computerised photo-typesetting was made. In the late 80's the publication date of the paper changed from Saturday to Friday. By now Harry's son Richard, the fourth generation to run the paper, was in charge. Soon it became apparent that as one of the few family owned newspapers left in the country, they were struggling, and so they accepted an offer from the publishers of the Rochdale Observer. They then switched the Friday paper to tabloid format as well. Finally they decided to abandon their Edgar Street premises, and moved to Blackburn Road, where they are still based.

Hope I have got my facts correct here Mr Lampman, please do correct me if necessary.:) :) :)

Lampman 06-09-2004 07:47

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Yes,Atarah;I think all the facts appear correct.As a personal footnote,I was searching through my paperwork the other day and came across my very first pay slip.The princely sum of £3 4s 6d! Time for a clean out I think.

WillowTheWhisp 06-09-2004 13:01

Re: Accrington Observer
 
How long ago did the mid-wek Observer cease to be published? (The one which came out on Tuesdays)

I love that old photo of the fairground ride.

Atarah 14-09-2004 10:18

Mr Lampman, this is for you
 
1 Attachment(s)
Hi Mr Lampman and members, have been given permission today from Mr Garth Dawson to show this photo - taken in 1979. I bet you are on this piccy!!!!

This photo was taken in the composing room to mark 50 years service by Mr Frank Kitchener, editor from 1964-1979. To his left and right are Mr Rowland Joynson and Mr Harry Crossley.

Hope you enjoy this :)

Lampman 14-09-2004 10:37

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Nice photo Atarah,from the fly leaf of a book on Accrington if I recall.
Er,no I am not on the photo having departed the scene some years before,though I can name most of the the people shown.
The present Editor Mervyn Kay,is seen hiding behind Harry Crossley,another present day journalist Phil Harris is seen on the left (dark jacket)behind Terry Hulme the proof reader(tank top)
I well remember a cricket match we played against the Evening Telegraph,the Telegraph were batting ;Phil was on the boundary fielding.The batsmen played a stroke to the boundary,Phil managed to stop it by tripping over the ball.Then he proceeded to throw the ball to the wicket keeper,unfortunately this took him two attempts;the sight of him running after the ball he'd just thrown picking it up and throwing it again has stayed with me all these years!
Garth Dawson is he still with us then?
Always the gentleman,he long held the Observer photograph slot as well as a successful wedding photography business.Long may he continue!

Atarah 14-09-2004 10:49

RAccrington Observer
 
Mr Garth Dawson is certainly well and truly still with us, in fact, he has a book coming out, by next month I believe, showing local photos he took whilst with the Observer. I look forward to purchasing it!

pendy 14-09-2004 12:55

Re: Accrington Observer
 
I still have the photograph that old Mr Dawson (Garth's father) took of me on my third birthday, and a story goes with it .... feed me beer, and I may tell you!

WillowTheWhisp 14-09-2004 15:57

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Lampman - do you know who the young woman is holding the flowers?

WillowTheWhisp 14-09-2004 21:45

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Thank you PCPlod3487. Whatever you did brought my post into the world of visibility for me :)

Lampman 14-09-2004 21:45

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Afraid you have me there Willow',I seem to recall that the Observer had some girls working in the Comp room after my departure,but there again the girl may be a journalist seeing it was an editorial presentation.Just spotted Richard Crossley lurking in the background, later the last family owner.

Observer 07-09-2005 13:22

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Atarah is mostly correct - except that the Oberver was not struggling at all when the decision to sell to the Guardian Media Group was made. The business reaped the benefits from the investments made in more modern computerised typesetting technology in the 1980s and was making a healthy profit when the sale was concluded in 1989.
There were a number of reasons for the sale principal amongst them being an extremely attractive offer from the Guardian and the then owners' recognition that Accrington's best days were probably behind them.
Incidentally, I have the original memorandum of sale document recording the purchase of the business by Richard S Crossley from George Toulmin.

Neil 07-09-2005 17:32

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Is this an official Observer rep posting.

garinda 08-09-2005 09:40

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Observer
Accrington's best days were probably behind them.

That's quite a sweeping statement.

What as, a town, or as somewhere with an independently run newpaper of it's own?

Debbie J 08-09-2005 11:57

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by pendy
I still have the photograph that old Mr Dawson (Garth's father) took of me on my third birthday, and a story goes with it .... feed me beer, and I may tell you!

I too have a number of pictures taken by Garth Dawson. Mainly on 'walking days' but I have one of my brother and me at the Blackpool bus stop on Melbourne street. We were waiting to go on holiday and he just appeared with his camera in his hand & asked to take a photo of us for the Observor

Gayle 08-09-2005 13:22

Re: Accrington Observer
 
My uncle Billy Piper used to work for the Observer around 25/30 years ago. Everytime they had a story and they needed a photo of a young teenage girl to illustrate it he'd be round to photograph me. Once I remember being taken to Haworth Art Gallery and holding a brochure standing next to some Tiffany Glass - think it must have been when all the Tiffany Glass was put back on display.

He's now the Editor of the Daily Mail in Scotland.

Mellitus 20-07-2010 20:53

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by pendy (Post 79198)
I am pretty sure Leo was an only child - I know he was the only son. The Holy Family Mr Hughes might have been a cousin, or something, but there are quite a lot of Hugheses about.

Re- Leo Hughes
Leo was my uncle. His mum and dad were my grandparents- Joseph and Lucy-who had the undertakers.
Uncle Leo was one of 5 children. Oswald -died in his twenties I think, Kathleen - became a Benedictine nun at the age of 16 and died about 7 yrs ago, Tony- who was the woodwork teacher at Holy family and then my mum- Sheila Claire (Banks),
We lived in Africa for a while- but he was a very interesting man - he had been a monk at Buckfast Abbey in his youth. He also worked at Bletchley Park.
Sorry- couldn't resist joining this group just to clarify matters.

Lampman 25-07-2010 09:32

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Well that is interesting Mellitus,they say still waters run deep and this must have been the case with Leo!

Barrie Yates 25-07-2010 12:02

Re: Mr Lampman, this is for you
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Atarah (Post 83549)
Hi Mr Lampman and members, have been given permission today from Mr Garth Dawson to show this photo - taken in 1979. I bet you are on this piccy!!!!

This photo was taken in the composing room to mark 50 years service by Mr Frank Kitchener, editor from 1964-1979. To his left and right are Mr Rowland Joynson and Mr Harry Crossley.

Hope you enjoy this :)

I hadn't seen this thread before today - it certainly brought back memories as I new Frank Kitchener - he was the Sports Writer (Jason) in those days and his son Keith and I were the best of friends - early '50s.
We remained friends into the '70s - none memorable Summer Ball at RAF West Drayton. Sadly lost touch as time passed and we travelled even further afield.

bygum 25-07-2010 21:55

Re: Accrington Observer
 
Is this Pat Crossley wife to Bill if so can you pass me there email address lost contact with them.

P Welsh.


Quote:

Originally Posted by pendy (Post 78004)
I was at school with Pat Crossley - still in touch.

Does anybody remember Arnold? - He was a great guy, lived in Burnley Road, had worked on Fleet Street, but he upgraded to the Accy Observer. He was a great character and excellent company, whether in the pub or dragging people home to play chess with him. I have happy memories of listening to Thelonius Monk in his front room ...


Lampman 27-07-2010 09:01

Re: Accrington Observer
 
1 Attachment(s)
I have added some staff names(those I know and remember) to the earlier photograph of Frank Kitchener's retirement presentation.


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