Hi Curious,

You have posted some fantastic stuff! We tried to find the fountain before without success. It does look rather like it is the top bit of the Whaley fountain. I cant really think there would be two pelican fountains in the same village. I look forward to your post !

Cheers

Jon.

Hello Curious

Although I have never seen the original fountain, and looking at the photographs of the Horwich End and Whaley fountains I am not convinced they are one and the same, I enjoyed reading your account of the family connection with the fountain ! (Are you sure your Dad wasn't Del Boy (no offence) as your description sounds very like an "Only Fools and Horses" script).

Its a bit like the item on "Look Northwest" recently about the war memorial which had been discovered and no-one knew where it had originated from. (I believe it belonged to the Co-operative Wholesale Society in memory of their workers who fell in the War). I am sure that many villages and towns have small monuments replaced/removed because of redevelopment or failure in their function, but where do they go?

A number of years ago I visited an establishment which dealt in "reclaimed" goods from buildings - slates, bricks, plumbing works, stone fireplaces - you name it - they had it ! Fantastic !! The funniest thing in this establishment was a pulpit (complete with lectern) in which they had placed a dummy/model of Britannia holding the Union Jack. I laughed my way round that building becuase I couldn't believe what I was looking at.  Rows of toilets, sinks, pews - BUT I can't remember if I saw a fountain resembling the one in the picture. It must be somewhere!

Thank you Curious, you have shown how talking to elderly relatives can enrich our understanding of the local history. I suggest that anyone with elderly relatives sits down with a cuppa and have a chat with them and talk about the old days in Whaley - they will love it and you will end up with information that money can't buy !! (And of course you can then pass it on to all of us on the forum !!)

Finally, am very interested in the photos you were given - is there any chance you will be posting any of them on this site? A "bag" of photos sounds, to me, like a lot of history !

Best wishes

Gnats

Edited by user 17 November 2009 22:57:58(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Rockbanker

That's excellent - the quality is surprisingly good. Just wish that the camera had lowered a little (on the return "pan") to see the people walking around.

Well discovered !  

Gnats

Edited by user 18 November 2009 17:20:02(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

There were indeed two stations in Buxton,  Radar.  The nearer one in the picture was the old Midland Railway station with services to Millers Dale, Derby etc.  This closed I think in 1967.   The remaining station was built by the Lodon North Western Railway and in addition to the Manchester line, ran trains to Ashbourne.  The two stations were almost identical in design.

I imagine Rock Banker found the video on the British Film Institute You Tube channel.   There are many period films here which can be viewed free of charge including one inside the Buxton Dome in 1916 and a number of Manchester scenes.

www.youtube.com/user/BFIfilms

Edited by user 18 November 2009 22:04:59(UTC)  | Reason: punctuation

I indeed remember the two stations at Buxton. We left Whaley early in the morning and went by the "new diesel train" to Buxton, we changed there and finished up near Dover where we took a plane ride to the outskirts of Paris and a train ride took us to the North Station in Paris. We had a week there and it was  reported in a paper whilst we were there that a young Russian called Yuri Gagarin was sent into space. Was anyone else on the same trip?????

Good point Frankie, but it's nice to indulge in memories of the good old days when you could take the train from Whaley to London with a couple of changes at Buxton and Miller's Dale.

There are various proposals to improve the service frequency on the Buxton-Manchester route and possibly even to provide a direct link to Matlock and Derby by reinstating the old Midland line. If this ever happens, it might be a good opportunity to make a new Horwich End station just off Chapel Road with a replica of the swan/cormorant fountain as its centre piece. Just in time to celebrate the centenary of the coronation?

Edited by user 20 November 2009 09:18:17(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Frankie, try not to be so pernickity with the drift of conversations on this forum. You quickly turned around when someone said something that you were interested in, so perhaps you might give others the same free-rein??????????????????????

I think I know where the fountain is, but dare not say as I don't think it ought to be where it is........................ and 'No, General Jackson, the one I see is not painted black!' It is eau naturale (I hope that is spelt correctly dear folk).

Yours, Dora Gibson

Edited by user 23 November 2009 19:09:33(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Curiouser and curiouser (sic)

This very afternoon I was passing this row whilst on my afternoon walk and I feel sure that I glimpsed  a well known forum member  knocking at a front door - handing over an envelope - and then driving a van around the back.. hmmm

Off to buy some home cured ham and ginger beer and to check ebay

Cheers

Edited by user 06 December 2009 16:21:55(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified