From the Chronicle files - Thursday 18th September 2025

A consignment of goods manufactured in Glossop are loaded onto a ship called Carlo at Salford Docks that would soon be sailing to Sweden.

Glossop rubber company Volcrepe had scooped another export order and a Chronicle news team was on a quayside to wave the consignment off.

There are few signs remaining of the Milltown company today. Its factories were demolished to make way for homes, its Easton House offices are like a shell.

But it was once one of Glossop’s biggest companies, selling its products all over the UK and making a name for itself across mainland Europe.

In September 1950 a journalist and photographer were at Salford Docks to see one of the firm’s first export orders on its way to Sweden.

It took less than an hour for the 62 rolls of carpet underlay made at Milltown, off High Street East, to be loaded into the hold of the oil powered Carlo.
Then it was down the Manchester Ship Canal and across the North Sea to Sweden, another ‘Made in Glossop’ order safely despatched.

75 years ago...

The Chronicle reporter covering Glossop’s FA Cup tie with Cheshire League Altrincham got quite poetic describing the Hillmen’s goal scoring chances as ‘rare as fruit in a wilderness’.

The Manchester League lads were hammered 4-1, but with more than 1,000 fans at the rather one-sided game, the club probably had a good pay day.

Twenty-four hours after the cup tie, Glossop’s outside left Joe Leah was in Ashton Infirmary.

He had an injury he didn’t realise he had picked up during the match. He had awoken the following day with chest pains that got steadily worse and a visit to the hospital revealed he had sustained a broken rib.

Old Glossopians opened their Lancashire Amateur League programme losing 4-3 to Lymm Grammar School Old Boys at Water Lane, Hollingworth.

Glossop Grammar School’s former students had an away game with Chadderton the following Saturday, and in the days when few people owned cars, the players were asked to meet outside the Norfolk Arms at 1pm where waiting taxis would transport them to the ground.

George Wild was the hat trick hero at Church Lane, playing a huge part in New Mills 4-3 Manchester League victory over works team Taylor Brothers.

Journalists rarely had their names over their match reports then, and the Millers’ correspondent went under the title of Corner Flag!

Glossop Ladies’ Swimming Club held their annual gala at Woods Baths, and there was a large and enthusiastic crowd at the pool side and in the gallery.

Competition was keen and there were plenty of close finishes.

Glossop people celebrated the annual September long weekend by travelling on a fleet of coaches laid on by Glossop Carriage Company to a variety of seaside resorts.

But for those who spent a day a Blackpool it was a time not to remember, with the trippers telling the Chronicle it poured with rain and the wind was so strong they had to cling to lamp posts while walking down the prom!

Fifty-four workers from Sumner’s Mill, Glossop, packed into a couple of coaches to Glasgow to spend a weekend of entertainment at the cotton spinning company’s Scottish factory.

The mills’ football teams played an England v Scotland ‘international’ that ended 2-2, and everyone got together at a dance in the works canteen.

The North Western Road Car Company was apologising to Glossop Town Council for having to withdraw early morning and late night services from Glossop through Charlesworth to Mottram, blaming a shortage of passengers.

Bus services linking villages to Glossop were generally excellent 75 years ago, providing shift workers in rural locations with transport to their jobs at the cotton mills.

The Chronicle was calling on the council to get rid of its mechanical street and pavement cleaner, saying it wasn’t doing a good enough job.

Columnist Watchman said it was ‘disappointing’ to see grass and weeds growing in the cobbled streets, and called for the return of the council’s manual road cleaning team to do the job with spades and brushes.

Glossop and Hadfield branches of the Royal British Legion were reminding Chronicle readers that Remembrance Sunday was less than two months away and they were short of volunteers to stand on streets selling poppies to boost donations.

Longdendale Urban District Council was asking bus companies to come up with more bus stops in Mottram, Broadbottom and Hollingworth.

Councillors were pointing out that the area was particularly hilly and the current stops were spaced too far apart, which meant a long walk to catch a bus.