Golden Years

The Royal Mechanics Institute, Horwich

On 10^th November 1887 a tender of £3140 was accepted for the construction of the Mechanics Institute.  Once built, it was found that extensions were needed to accommodate the growing number of students.  They were made possible by the efforts of John Aspinall and by a gift from the widow of Samuel Fielden a former L.Y.R. director.

The extension, which was known as the ‘Samuel Fielden Wing’, included a library, a hall to seat 900 and several classrooms.  It was opened in July 1893.  when the Institute was first opened it h ad a total attendance of 90 students.  Fees were normal but were doubled if a student failed to attend 21 classes in each subject.

CRICKET CLUB  

Members of the Cricket Club

It was agreed at a meeting on 12^th September 1891 that the R.M.I. team would amalgamate with the town team, and that the R.M.I. team would supply the ground.  The first match was played to mark the opening of the new recreation ground on 23^rd April 1892.  entrance fees were 3d for men; 1d for OAPs and women were admitted free.  As a point of interest, the Horwich Amalgamated Cricket Club lost their first match against Little Lever by 22 runs.

The team is currently a successful member of the Bolton Cricket League.

THE BANDSTAND

By 1891 the population of Horwich had grown to 12 850, a massive increase of 9 089 in ten years.  In 1892 two directors of the L.Y.R., William Hinmer and Henry Yates Thompson, provided the flourishing new town with a recreation ground.  This contained a cricket ground, a children’s playground, tennis courts and two bowling greens.  Henry Yates Thompson also provided the town with it’s cottage hospital in 1894, and the bandstand for the recreation ground in 1907.

THE BRASS BAND

In 1912 George Hughes, who was then the C.M.E. of the L.Y.R., decided to form a first class brass band.  Only one member of the old Lancashire and Yorkshire Band passed the audition.  The other members were recruited from the Black Dyke, Irwell Springs and Foden’s brass band’s.  In 1915 the band finished second to Foden’s at Belle Vue.  In the same year, after a strike at Elworth (Foden’s Factory), a dozen players who had been prominent in the picket lines were fired.  They promptly moved to Horwich and took great pleasure in beating their old firm at Belle Vue in 1916 and 1917.

The band’s crowning achievement was the winning of the Crystal Palace competition on 23^rd September 1922.  They became “Champions of the Great Britain and the Colonies” and won the 1 000 guineas trophy.

Thereafter, the band played many summer engagements at various holiday resorts on the south coast.  Unfortunately, due to the recession and subsequent lay-off of its’ members, Horwich R.M.I. Band collapsed as a concert band in 1931.  In the intervening years, they were something of a legend.

THE FOOTBALL TEAM

The football team was founded in 1896 under the name of the “Railwaymen”.  The contemporary works team now plays its football in the Northern Premier League.

THE L.Y.R. CAFÉ AND DINING HALL

The board approved a tender of £1 627 to provide a dining hall at the junction of Gooch Street and Chorley New Road.

THE FIRE BRIGADE

The Horwich Fire Brigade was another community benefit maintained at the expense of the L.Y.R.

SIR NIGEL GRESLEY

An example of a man who served his apprenticeship at Horwich and later went on to win great respect for his work was Herbert Nigel Gresley, who moved from Crewe to Horwich to complete his apprenticeship under Aspinall.

“MALLARD”

On 3^rd July 1938 on of his A4 class streamlined locomotives, “Mallard”, broke the world record for a steam locomotive achieving 126 mph, whilst hauling a seven-coach train weighing 240 tons.

VICTORIA MILL

Until 1884 it can be said that Horwich was an industrial backwater relative to other towns in the area.  However, the arrival of the L.Y.R. was to bring Horwich into a new era. 

Following the railway “mania” came a revival and expansion of the local cotton industry which was associated with the influx of labour encourage by the L.Y.R.  One of the most successful mills was Victoria Mill, built in 1904.