From the Chronicle files - Thursday 10th July 2025

A fading photograph from the summer of 1950 showed when Glossop Velo Cycling Club’s road race attracted large crowds.

Our photograph shows the winner being congratulated by the Mayor of Glossop and some of the fans who cheered him to victory.

There was plenty going on in Glossopdale in the first week of July 1950 with the Chronicle carrying advertisements for everything from the 109th anniversary of the Wesley Church Sunday school on High Street West to the annual Glossop versus Derbyshire County Cricket Club testimonial game at North Road.

Other events included a garden fete at Holy Trinity Church, Dinting Vale, dancing to the Ray Mullins All-Star Band at Hadfield’s Maxina Ballroom and what was described as a holiday fashion show in the drapery department at Glossop Co-op’s large store bordering Norfolk Square.

Hollingworth United had plenty to celebrate at the end of the 1949/50 football season after finishing top of the Manchester Amateur League first division and winning the Glossop and District League Partington Cup competition.

So, the club booked the village Conservative club for a presentation dinner that attracted around 100 players, officials and friends.

Glossop Town Council came in for a wave of criticism when it was revealed it was planning to build an estate of homes on what the Chronicle claimed was land dedicated as public playing fields at Pyegrove.

The houses and flats went up, but councillors claimed there would still be plenty of space left for leisure, and, 75 years later, that is the case, with two football pitches and a children’s play park.

School Leavers in Glossop and the surrounding villages were said to be ‘fighting shy of taking dead-end jobs’.

The claim came from Glossop Juvenile Employment Officer Mr K. Reynolds who said teens wanted to work in offices or to take on apprenticeships in trades that included engineering.

Glossop Town Council was cramming plenty of business into its final meeting before the annual ‘Wakes’ holidays when most of the town’s factories and shops closed for a fortnight and many people, including councillors, went for a week at the seaside.

They discussed items including carrying out repairs to the chapels in Glossop Cemetery and allowing bands to play in Manor Park as long as they did not take a collection.

Damage estimated at around £500 was caused when a fire broke out in a barn at Vale Farm, Coach Road, Hollingworth.

Owner Norman Gould said 29 tonnes of hay and straw were destroyed and the building badly damaged, adding: “It’s the first fire I have had, and I hope it’s the last. I have no idea how it started.”

In cricket news and opener Ambrose Handforth hit 43 and Hervey Ashton was second highest scorer with 21, but it wasn’t enough to help Glossop beat Longsight in a Lancashire and Cheshire League fixture at North Road.

Chasing 169 for victory, Glossop made a less than impressive all out total of 110.

The biggest surprise in the Glossop and District League was a one run victory by I.C.I. over Dinting.

Chasing the Hyde side’s total of 154, the Holy Trinity side was bowled out for 153. Other results: Bardsley 94, John Walton’s 62; Broadbottom 118, Hollingworth 121 for seven;  Mottram 81, Old Glossop 83 for eight.