We are trying to trace blood relatives of Fred born in 1920 of Hannah Eccles and George Bury. Any information will be most welcome and will be passed on to the solicitor.

 

 

Jason, thanks for posting the pics. In the 11 yrs I lived in the village I dont recall seeing it that bad! Just putting the patio furniture out in mid Cheshire! Regards to all.

 

 

This is the best village site that I have seen on the net. I have been to Belthorn several times and seeing this site brought a smile to my face. Hope my English cousins enjoy it too. I would love to have a copy of the book on Belthorn. Is it possible that someone could mail one to me if I can find a way to transfer the money to them. Thanks.

 

 

 

I used to live in Belthorn when I was younger and have been told of a dvd that has been made of cine film Mr Nicholson made at the primary school. Do you know where I can get one from please?

 

 

 

A very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to all our friends in Belthorn from Ian and Dorothy Howarth

 

 

I just want to say a big thank you to whoever found my husband's wallet on Belthorn Road this weekend and handed it in at the police station. It is so refreshing to know that there are good people around who are willing to do the right thing for others. Thank you again whoever you are - we are very grateful especially during these difficult financial times.

 

 

Dear all, today I have reported to Lancashire police two incidents which occurred outside Belthorn school. The first was a double decker bus driving down the pavement whilst 7 children and two adults were walking towards it on the pavement and a second incident which involved a council van driving down the pavement in similar circumstances. I have also given them a good history of other near misses which have occurred recently. 

 

 

I would like to urge everyone who witnesses any incidents outside the school involving the traffic to contact the police on 101 . I feel that if we report as many incidents which occur as possible action will be taken. The police have a duty of care towards our children and their safety and we have a duty to do all we can to prevent one of our children being killed. Kind regards.

 

 

Hello - I have started a petition for a lollipop lady/man for outside Belthorn school. The traffic is causing chaos once again and cars are continuing to drive down the pavements. My own daughter was involved in an incident which involved a car driving on the pavement and forcing her over to a wall. The driver did not even notice. It is only a matter of time before a child is hurt. If anybody wishes to sign the petition it is available by following this link

Many thanks.

 

 

Hi Gwen,

Please could you post this on the Belthorn web site and it will hopefully encourage more resistance to the continued destruction of our beautiful landscape around our village.

Regards Tony Booth

 

 

Dear Tony,

Thank you for your e-mail concerning the development of the wind farm near Belthorn. Given the issues (scale and significance of the development on Hyndburn) surrounding this development the decision on this planning application was taken by the Council's Full Council following a lengthy debate that weighed up the competing arguments. Officers recommended granting planning permission because it was considered that the development was in line with the relevant prevailing planning policy.

I do not have any powers that would reasonably enable me to stop the development provided it is being implemented in accordance with the planning permission.
Yours sincerely
Simon Prideaux

Dear Simon,

I am aware that the correct planning has been sought for the erection of the wind generators on Haslingden road, and people in the local area were aware of the impending construction of these generators, however it would have been impossible for a local person to understand the full impact on the local area of Belthorn. Even though only 2 of the 12 have been erected the impact on the east view of Belthorn is enormous and of great detriment to this view from the village. The size of these new wind generators are huge compared to any others erected in Lancashire which makes the whole impact that much more of a shock. Please tell me that you will halt further erecting and come and view this monstrous site from our village. I live at the top of the village at Tower View and can see these from my living room and bed rooms which I find unacceptable. PLEASE HELP.

Regards Tony Booth

 

I have made Simon Prideaux Planning officer leader aware of my shock at the impact of the wind farm being erected at the Gray Mare. I wounder if we as a village could employ any legal services to check the legalities of the planning permission granted and wether the village has the ability to stop further construction as these wind towers are much larger than any others in Lancashire. I have viewed many of these wind farms all over Lancashire which are there for good reason and I have started to get used to their presence, but these are massive and offensive. The impact on our village is massive, negative, unacceptable and I am appalled at the sight of them. We must try and put a stop to this wind farm !!!

 

 

Hi - does anyone have a pony who needs some exercise? My animal loving 8 year old daughter would love to learn to ride and would be willing to muck-out, etc, in return. Please let me know. Thanks.

 

 

Hi - please tell me who(m) erected the union flag at the bottom of the village next to the war memorial? The flag is UPSIDE DOWN which is adistress signal!!!!!

 

 

Does anyone have a window cleaner who is reliable? They only ever seem to come and clean the windows in summer, as soon as winter sets in they give up. Thanks.

 

 

Can anyone tell me anything about the 'dog' that is on the wall at the dog inn, I never realised it was there, is there a story?

 

 

Hi - I just wanted to say, I used to live in Belthorn in the early 60s I was only a child, but I recall my time at Belthorn very clearly. My sister Carol and I went to the 'Chapel School' in the village, the teacher was Mrs Ratcliffe. We only lived there around 4-5 yrs. The names I recall at the time, where my parents friends the Renshaws who also lived on Tower View (we were at No 1) Eddy Smalley the farmer, Mr Jackson (did he have a son called Colin?) who kept hens, I used to watch him pluck them.The children were ...Paul and Jerry cant remember their surname, always remember they had a shooting brake...they lived along from us. Paul once pedalled down Bank Fold lost control and ended up with a broken nose...Anna that lived at the house at the end of the lane (became the kennels). The Teague family who lived down Bank Fold, their father had a motorbike,There was a boy called Jake, I think he stayed lower in the village, also the Astley family, Melody, Shaun, and Eamonn. If anyone else can prompt my mind who lived up there at that time I would love to hear from them.We were there during the bad winter of 62/63 I recall the water bowser wagon coming around and going out to fill the kettles as everything was frozen up...and the sledging in the front field and field 'well' was great!! I recall nights playing around the mines, and seeing the deaf and dumb brothers at Waterside, as a child I was very frightened of them, as I could not understand why they made noises instead of talking.....At that time my parents had a vintage Bentley , so someone might remember that, it was kept in a car behind Tower view, and we paid an old lady called Edie for its use. My parents were called Roy and Winifred Ashworth, we were Carol and Davina, before them my mum's father lived at No 1 Tower View, Herbert Kenyon? Hope someone else recalls any of these people and maybe know where they are etc. 

 

 

I like this village.

 

 

Although it is many years since my husband lived at Guide and myself in Blackburn, my brother sent me a copy of a school photograph of my class at the Convent of Notre Dame in 1949, This had been sent to the Lancashire Telegraph ' Looking Back' by a resident of Belthorn, Josie Feldwick.  It was absolutely amazing to see all my former classmates. I have since tried to contact Josie through the Lancashire Telegraph but they are unable to supply any information. Would it be possible to give Josie my email address to contact me if she wishes to?

 

Incidently, my father-in-law was the manager of Belthorn Co-op for many years both during the war and after and knew all the villagers. Before he passed away he often talked about the old days. Of the heavy winter snow and of being unable to get food delivered by horse and cart beyond the bottom of the hill. 

 

My husband and I had occasion to visit the former Queens Park Hospital recently and decided to continue to Guide and Belthorn. We hardly recognised either village. However, someone kindly gave us your website and it was good to reminisce.  I look forward to maybe hearing from Josie and thank you for your time.

 

 

Characters in Belthorn? Of course there were many, I remember one man who was one of the first to have a pacemaker fitted. He still chewed tobacco, even at work in the carpet felt mill at the bottom of the village. My Father had an allotment just up the road from the old school. For those who do not remember, it was opposite the farmhouse up from the new, as was then, school. Developers moved in and the rest is history...now there are bungalows. Opposite Chapel Street, there was a plot of land where a house is now. The owner of that plot kept pigs, and when he went on a holiday we looked after them for him. Would that happen now? We had chickens, of course, as many did, and at the end of their shelf life, so to speak, our neighbour would wring their necks and we as children, would be assigned to plucking out the feathers. Then we all sat around the table watching my mother take out the innards. Gross, maybe, but it was how we lived and we accepted life and death. Do you want any more accounts of life in the 50's and 60's or more information on how the village ran? Just ask, I have many more memories.

 

 

Once again, I will tell you about my experiences growing up in Belthorn. I did not know until I read the website that it was a coal mining and weaving village. The coal mine was down the lanes near to Waterside... There used to be an entrance which my friend and I walked, with trepidation, into for about 200 yards before we gave up. Sadly it is blocked up now..if anyone walks down the lanes, there is a small concrete bridge over the stream from the reservoir. On the left you will see where the entrance used to be. Also, if you traverse the lanes down towards there, about half a mile from where Albert Hope used to live, on the left in a field, there is, or was, a large (about 12ft circle) metal cover for the air vent. I once was allowed to look into it, it must be hundreds of feet deep.

 

 

Dear Residents

Please keep emailing me with your support for a 20mph zone.

I forward them all to County Hall where I can assure you they are being noticed.

Kind Regards

 

 

 

My family are shortly due to be moving into Belthorn and I have found your website to be so reassuring that we will be entering a close knit community. I am on it almost every day!! I particularly loved the scarecrows. Could we ask a question in terms of who we would contact if we wanted to rent one of the garages near to the playground area? Thanks very much!

 

 

I lived and grew up in Belthorn in the 50s and 60s. So much has changed....I remember the fishmonger with his horse and cart selling his wares every Thursday, until food hygiene stopped it...but we were never ill eating the food! I remember the spaces where houses are now.. I remember the fun on the swings (always locked on Sunday), and the long slide that now could never be built now due to health and safety issues. The stunning views, the three shops that used to be there - Post Office, Co-op (now the drum shop), and and quaint olde world one that was half way up near to where the working mens club used to be.. I could go on, if you want more of my memories, just ask.

 

 

A very nice animal solar light has gone missing from my front garden, it is not the value of the item but the act of someone walking up the path and taking it, that has upset me. I really wouldn't expect this to happen in Belthorn and on such a quiet cul de sac as Rydal Mount! And I would appreciate if anyone knows of its whereabouts to return it.

 

 

What a marvellous website! Very informative and interesting.

 

 

Hello, I was using the web and suddenly came across your web page. What wonderful memories it gave me I was born in Belthorn 1943.

 

 

If you can help Sue with the query detailed below, please let me know and I'll pass details to Sue.

 

 

During our research we came across an entry concerning Bank Fold Farm in Belthorn.  I've attached the entry - I was hoping that you could shed some light on what happened to the farm and in particular whether the family of Albert Hope still live in the village.  The Domesday Reloaded project will be featured on Radio 4, Radio Lancashire, North West Tonight and the One Show the week beginning May 16th. I really hope you can help me in any way as it would be great to talk to people who remember the farm. Thank you in anticipation - if you need any further information please give me a ring.

 

 

Are we having a village celebration for the Royal wedding?

 

 

Hi Guys. just to let you know the life and time website has gone without being told anything so now we are with doing another the site is live right now but things will be on going. This is the new Address http://oswaldtwistle.shutterfly.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder if anyone has had items stolen recently by opportunist thieves. Last weekend while I was working on my garage, a blue cantilever toolbox, twin barrel footpump & a crowbar were taken while I was out of sight of the garage. Maybe there are other examples around the village that we should be aware of. It might be worth keeping details.

 

 

I wondered if anyone has an electric keyboard I can borrow for about 12 months. Andy, my husband was involved in a road traffic accident on the M6 motorway on the 20.6.10 and will be returning home from hospital on Tuesday 3rd August. He will be housebound for quite some time due to his injuries, and wishes to learn the keyboard to while away the time and alleviate the boredom too. So if anyone can help with this it would be greatly appreciated, and we would return it once he is up and about again, also some instruction books too if possible.

 

 

We have a family of wild ducks back on the pond. Parents & 7 (there were 10 yesterday) little fluffy ducklings. Please tell people so they can bring food.

 

 

In response to the enquiry about George and Marjorie Griffiths, unfortunately my dad George passed away on the 3rd of February this year from a heart attack and my mother Marjorie is now living at Baxenden.

 

 

Hi Belthorn, I have only just thought of looking you up. A long time ago (I was probably about 9 or 10), I spent a holiday in Belthorn and I believe my Mum and I spent some of the war years there. It seems my Dad who was in the Navy had a friend whos name could have been Kelly, who lived there, and to escape the bombing on Liverpool he somehow got us up there. When we went there when I was 9 or 10 we stayed in a house in a dead end lane next to a Church or Chapel. There was a stile at the end leading to a playing field. I remember fishing in a pond or canal just off a main road. If we did stay there during the War, I thank Belthorn because I have no memory of the horrors of the Blitz and hardships. Regards.

 

 

Anyone remember George Griffiths and Marjorie of Rydal Mount?

 

 

Does anyone in Belthorn have a campervan they hire out, just for a weekend please? We take excellent care and give back spotless. Thankyou. P.S. It's for 5 people.

 

 

I have visitors from New York staying at my home for a week from Monday 29th of March 2010. In the family there is an 11 year old boy who is mad about football, and is going to see Manchester United play while he is here! He would love to meet some local boys and maybe have a few games of football while he is here! Can anyone help? Please get in touch with me using the Contact Us page of the website. Thanks very much!

 

 

Just to remind people my surgery will be held on the 9th of January one week later than normal, due to the christmas holidays, and will be at the Carus Centre Hoddlesden from 9.30 am till 10.30 am.

 

 

Hello to everyone in Belthorn; what a great website - came across it by chance. I used to live in Belthorn in the 60's & early 70's. Knew lots of people in the village - The Murphys, the Haworths, Wilson & Lynne Smyth, the Caseys and loads more too numerous to mention! Been living down South now for many years but still have fond memories of my teens & early 20's in the village. We gave that Dog Inn a hammering many weekends, wonder what happened to Dennis Munroe who used to run it for a good few years?? Anyway, nice to see another generation carrying on the community spirit. Best wishes.

 

 

I've been trying to sort out broadband for home, but all services seem very slow. Anyone know a reliable supplier? Thanks.

 

 

We were delighted with your website and will be visiting Belthorn as part of our relocation project from Essex.

 

 

I've just been looking through the site and would like more information about the proposed reading group. By the way I think the site is excellent!

Lesley Billingham, Chapel Street, Belthorn - October 2009 

 

 

The Dog Inn recently had a Rag Wort pulling day in the field at the back of the pub and put on a lovely hog roast for all the helpers. It was a lovely day, and fun and hard work was had by all. It was really great to see how people pulled together to help Brian and Christine with this event, and I wondered if the same spirit could be offered in assisting at keeping the old chapel graveyard clear of overgrown grass etc, weather permitting of course.

 

 

I am thrilled to have come accross your site. My mother died early March and her parents, my Grandparents, used to live at Tower View. They were called Harry & Sally Jackson. My Grandad kept hens on some land opposite the house. Not sure which number but was midway along Tower View. I am going back to the early 1960's so don't know if anyone would remember them now!? Anyway, what a trip down memory lane, just printed picture of Tower View on the computer and feels comforting somehow to have a connection with my old roots, as I have many happy memories of spending time with my Grandparents there and going off for a walk off to the right of the house and over moors. Well done you for web site and thanks.

 

 

Anyone interested in a book swap club? If so email me at tonyedwards@btinternet.com and if there is enough interest I'll set something up whereby we can swap books for free.

 

 

The light on top of Darwen Tower, it is the sun setting directly behind the glass dome at the top. It gives the illusion that the tower is lit up. We used to see it when we lived at Belthorn. Dorothy Howarth, Shetland - May 2009

 

 

It's 9.15 pm on the 26th May 2009, and I've just seen a beacon or light of some kind burning at the top of Darwen Tower. Does anyone know anything about it?

 

 

 

 

What an excellent website, very impressive - how can anyone fail to be proud to be part of such a community!

 

 

It was great to see people turn out to support the May Day event, despite the awful weather! Many thanks to the Village Committee and everyone who helped to organise the event.

 

 

I read the article by Mr. Binns about the goings-on in Belthorn. I seem to be missing out - must get my doorbell fixed! Well done with the site - very informative and professional.

 

 

Hello to Dorothy from Susan, who used to have Jamie the labrador! It's lovely to hear from you - I can't believe it was 1995 when you left. Danielle is now 19 and Dominique is 15. Best wishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those of us who live on the Blackburn side of the boundary probably feel pretty fed up. We don't even live in Oswaldtwistle or Hyndburn! Whilst I fear the proposed compromise over the sign may be the best solution we can achieve, I do wonder why Hyndburn could not have spoken to Blackburn with Darwen and Lancashire County Councils and the Belthorn village committee in advance to have come up with a sensible solution. If this is joined-up local government, heaven help us.

 

 

What a great little web site. You have all worked really hard. It's lovely to see your community spirit and your pride in your little village. I hope the site goes from strength to strength and gets plenty of hits. If there is anything I can do to help please ask. Kindest Regards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a FANTASTIC WEB SITE - well done. Jean and I like it.

 

 

The website looks great - well done!

 

 

Excellent idea. Keep up the good work. :) x -

 

 

Julie Slater made me look at your website, it's very good!

 

 

 I think this site is really well put together :) well done :D x