THE FLATLEY DRYER

[Stanley]

I've often wondered about that as well Ian. I know there was a market on Brook Street once of a day. I look at the building that is on the site of what became the Occasion for many years. If you read Billy Brooks in the LTP he lived in a cottage on Newtown and he said that was a barn that was used as a slaughterhouse for cattle. The shop front, 'Widdup', the barber's pole. No Midland bank or Barclays. And last but not least, the adverts for Dr Lovelace's Soap on the gable end. I was still selling that soap when I was open all hours at Sough in the late 1950s, it was a very good quality white windsor soap.

[Stanley]

This image of Station Road is another mine of information. St James church tower in the background. We know it was shortly after 1892 because that's when the Liberal Club was built and we know that the road was paved in stone shortly after 1900. Possibly on Sunday morning, a group of men talking on the street, thinking back, what else was there to do if you had time to do what you wanted? Notice the sign on top of the shed in the coal yard, Bilborough coal merchant. He was chief engineer for Bracewell Brothers but when they failed he changed course and became a coal merchant.
It's salutary to realise that at this time, the coal yard and the canal were the source of all the energy in the town including the gas works because it was all dependant on coal. That is definitely Flatley Dryer country as well as the group of men gathered on the corner.

[plaques]

Whenever I see old photographs people always wore lots of clothes, Women with hats or shawls and men with trilbies or flat caps. This traditional headwear is long gone. Fashion has a lot to answer for.

[Marilyn]

...back in the day, a gentleman would stand if a woman entered the room and absolutely no-one ate in the street...

[Stanley]

I think one of the factors at work Ken was the fact that if you were going out you really were outside, not sheltering in heated cars or public transport. Even the shops were colder so you needed more clothes because most days of our year are relatively cold. Even in summer you would feel a chill when you went out because funnily enough the living rooms in houses were warmer in summer than they are now because that was often the room that had the fire that was used for cooking.
Another way of looking at it is you went out of the house dressed for a walk.

[plaques]

...back in the day, a gentleman would stand if a woman entered the room

I still do, and always offer my seat to them. Always remove any head covering when I enter a house. Tradition was that only the owner of the house could wear a hat. I must be getting to the stage of being a bit of an anachronism.

[Stanley]

I don't think I always rise for a woman but I definitely take my hat off if entering a strange house. I never put my hat on the table either, my mother told me that was verboten.

[Stanley]

I've remembered being on a residential course run by LCC once and I opened the door for a lady only to be told it was sexist. The woman concerned also objected to being called 'a lady'. Things can get very confusing for those of us evidently still in Flatley Dryer country!

[Big Kev]

I've remembered being on a residential course run by LCC once and I opened the door for a lady only to be told it was sexist. The woman concerned also objected to being called 'a lady'. Things can get very confusing for those of us evidently still in Flatley Dryer country!

It's common courtesy to hold a door open for anyone, to be told it's sexist is pure arrogance and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

[chinatyke]

Should have said "After you, dyke" or bitch!

[Big Kev]

That's a little strong, do we still use those terms in polite society?

[chinatyke]

It's common courtesy to hold a door open for anyone, to be told it's sexist is pure arrogance and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

I'm treating it "with the contempt it deserves" ...

[Marilyn]

So..when your male partner becomes unwell...and you hold the door open for him...or help him into the car...what is THAT called? ( respect and love I say)
Be it your father, lover, brother, son)

[Tripps]

It's common courtesy to hold a door open for anyone

I think maybe that should read

"it used to be common courtesy to hold a door open for anyone"

Amongst the 'woke' community it could easily be construed as an insult. Especially by someone with an agenda, who wanted to be 'insulted' and wished to demonstrate power over others. That's what it's all about.

Along the same lines- any media presenter calling a woman a 'Sheila' would probably not last the day.

[Big Kev]

Perhaps we should all behave like 'entitled' arses and just let the door slam in their faces

[Tripps]

Strangely that would probably please some of them. . . .

I'm 'old school' myself, but aware of the modern attitudes. Quite irrelavent though, as I don't 'get out' and am not likely to .

[chinatyke]

I'm 'old school' myself, ...

Me too. I always hold doors open for anyone but it isn't the common thing done here.

[Stanley]

Same here David, I don't get out either. Mind you I do leave the shop door open if there is a queue outside.....
That's a reverse Flatley Dryer come to think of it. Queuing was a way of life during the war and we got a lot of attention because of how disciplined we were about it. Then for a long while it was only the queue waiting for the shop to open for the latest sale, now they are everyday matters again.

[Stanley]

There was a time, not so long ago, when this advert could be used without anybody objecting. Thank God those days have gone and are now definitely Flatley Dryer country.

[Stanley]

If you read the interviews in the LTP or any of the literature written about the inter war years you'll find lots of references to what were then called 'Labour Exchanges'. (LINK)
In those days of high unemployment you had to sign on every week at the labour exchange. There was a lot of agitation because the office at Barnoldswick served Earby as well and these people had to walk to Barlick to sign on. Imagine what that was like in winter. Thankfully, this is now Flatley Dryer country.

[PanBiker]

First time I was made redundant when I was 40 they had shut Barlick's down and I had to go to Colne to sign on. Obviously morphed into the Job Centre by then. 2,200 folk in Pendle without work in Maggie's Britain at the time and 118 jobs on the board. It took them 10 weeks before I got any payment from them, missed two mortgage payments and they sent me £8.75 as an interim payment to "tide me over". I had £40.00 to my name at that time and that is when I went to the bank manager and asked for a business account and a cheque book.

[Stanley]

My one and only time on the dole was when Bancroft closed in December 1978. I think I signed on in Barlick but I'm not sure. I think I was on the dole for about two weeks before I got another job lined up with the Department of the Environment researching water mills in the Lake District before I started at Lancaster the next year. It all seems so long ago!

[Big Kev]

When I first moved to Barlick, in 2004, I 'signed on' for a few weeks before getting a job (too much to coordinate at the same time as a house move). Had to go to the Job Centre in Colne for this, they never gave me any money but it kept my national insurance up to date. Went in 3 times and was grilled on what I was doing to find a job in each occasion, I wasn't actively looking which was not what they wanted to hear apparently
Once I'd done the works on the house I got myself a job, the Job Centre had no input whatsoever. I did wonder what they actually did to warrant the name 'Job' Centre...

[PanBiker]

Yes I had the weekly grilling as well. They didn't seem to believe me when I said I was looking to start my own business and be self employed. It didn't fit their brief. I had to be out of work for twelve weeks. I could then qualify for a business start up grant which was the 18th such scheme thought up by Thatchers lot. It offered £2,000 up front but when I applied I found there was a caveat. You had to retrain into a new skill? The training courses lasted 6 months and would apparently turn me from a fully qualified electronics engineer into a Joiner or Bricklayer or any other trade apart from what I could already do. It was insane but ticked the boxes for the government statistics. I refused to play as when I asked the bloke in charge how many of the new business start up's were still going after 18 months or so it was less than 10% not surprisingly! I walked away and went to the bank manager with my plan. I was self employed with my own company for 10 years until my landlord sold the building for redevelopment without telling me. I went into the education sector then in IT support and Network Management roles.

[Stanley]

I think I have subconsciously blanked the whole episode out, it was after all 43 years ago! What I do remember is that I bought two pairs of Tricker Boots at £14 a pair, a lot of money in 1978 for a pair of boots. (I still have them and wear them and today they set you back £400 a pair) One of my mates asked me why and I told him if I had to go for the dole in the rain at least I'd have dry feet.
I have something in my mind about textile workers being a special case because short time was so common in the industry. I don't think we had the same waiting time as other trades. Flatley Dryer country now....