The Bolton Worktown blog

Foundation Stones

Foundation Stones

Thanks to blog reader Dennis Pilling who visited St Chad’s Church and rephotographed the foundation stone laid by the then Lord Bishop of Manchester. His photograph shows how time has weathered the stone since Humphrey Spender photographed it in 1937. The Worktown observers attended the stone laying ceremony. We think that Mass Observation’s interest in foundation […]

Yesterday 75 years ago...

Yesterday 75 years ago…

On the 27 January 1938…. There was a parliamentary by-election in Farnworth. Candidate Herbert Ryan (National Government/Conservatives) was defeated by George Tomlinson (Labour). Children joined in the campaign at a polling station at Moor Hall, on Church Street. And a van overturned on Vernon Street, near Bolton town centre.

The Castle

The Castle

It is easy to scan read photographs but if you look more closely there are often details which give a lot more information. We have been hunting for visual clues in the Worktown photographs which would help us to identify when and where Humphrey Spender’s photographs were taken. This strip of 4 negatives showed a […]

Queen's Park

Queen’s Park

Queen’s Park in 1937 and 2013- different time of year obviously!