From the Chronicle files - Thursday 11th September 2025

Five years earlier their countries had been on opposite sides fighting in the Second World War.

But on a sunny autumn day in 1950 there were hand shakes and smiles as five German journalists toured a cotton mill in Glossop.

They were visiting the Wood Bros. factory as part of an industrial fact-finding mission organised by the Government.

The day before arriving in Glossop, the journalists had been down a coal mine, the following day would see them at CWS Manchester.

The Chronicle reported that the delegation was impressed by the modern machinery at Wood’s and how the mill was run.

An interesting and possibly emotional part of the tour came when the journalists called in at the hostel the company had set up for foreign employees.

They spoke to several German girls, one called Eva Lotti, who said she had escaped from the country when the war began, by dressing as a boy.

Lunch followed in the works canteen where the journalists joined employees for lunch.

75 years ago...

Glossop Townswomen’s Guild had booked Victoria Hall for a three-evening performance of what it called ‘Watch on the Rhine’ by William Hellman, directed by Harry Crossley. 

But whether it was a play, revue, or a film, the advertisement on the front page of the Chronicle did not say. Also making the front page was an ‘ad’ for an amateur snooker competition at Glossop Liberal Club.

Hadfield Picturedrome said farewell to Mr J. S. Moore who had been manager of the cinema at the top of Bank Street for 20 years.

Sharing his memories, he recalled the days of the silent films when the music was provided by a pianist in front of the stalls and when pantomimes were staged every Christmas.

Longdendale Urban District Council was hitting out at a government act which said local authorities must provide houses for policemen serving their areas.

Some members clearly believed that in Longdendale’s case it meant taking homes from people on its waiting list and said accommodation for police officers should be provided by the police themselves.

Glossop and Hadfield Trades Council secretary Frank Oliver was claiming at one of its monthly meetings that dirty food was ‘likely to cause more misery than the atomic bomb’ yet people were eating it every day without realising the dangers.

He was calling for work  canteens to be regularly inspected with any found breaking hygiene rules to be closed and for an exhibition to be held in Glossop to help educate people on the risks from ‘dirty food’.

Woods Brothers, whose cotton mill at Howardtown was one of Glossop’s biggest employers, had good working relations with its employees.

A latest initiative from bosses at the family firm was asking them to come up with suggestions to increase efficiency and a feeling of well-being between them both.

The Chronicle was reporting that the Mayor’s Parlour in the Municipal Buildings had been ‘invaded’ by more than 250 women, but they were not there to complain.

They were attending a coffee morning and bring and buy sale, raising money for local charities.

A Chronicle reporter was sitting in the sunshine on a bench in Philip Howard Road, Glossop, but he wasn’t on a lunch break, he was working.

He was asking passers-by what they thought of Glossop and what it needed. Most said it was lovely but lacking in amenities, some wanted more tree lined streets like Philip Howard Road and others complained about the amount of litter in the town centre.

Glossop made it three wins in the Manchester League on the run with a 4-2 defeat of a poor Urmston side who played most of the match with 10 men when one of the players went off injured.

The Hillmen would be back on home ground seven days later and a big crowd was expected at North Road for an FA Cup tie with Cheshire League Altrincham.

The start of the Glossop and District Football League was just a week away and with 14 clubs competing in just one division there promised to be plenty of games.

Meanwhile Old Glossopians were warming up for the start of the Lancashire Amateur League by beating Volcrepe 5-1 in a friendly at Pyegrove.

Archie Cadman took six wickets for 19 runs, but Glossop were still beaten by 15 runs at Macclesfield in the final Lancashire and Cheshire Cricket League game of the season.

It was a bad day all round for Glossop as the second team lost by nine wickets at North Road to Macclesfield’s second eleven.

The Glossop and District League was also completing its final fixtures and newcomers Bardsley finished fourth behind champions Hadfield St. Andrews in the first division, while their second team won division two.