Guest Book

Welcome to the Thornton Through Time Guestbook

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24 January 2010   21:14

       I grew up at Gaskell House on Fleetwood Road North, next to Police Station and opposite The

       Gardner`s Arms. I have fond memeories of picking and eating damsons from the Damson orchard at

       the back of the Gardner`s Arms pub car park with my brother John.
       My wife Michaela (nee Wilson)grew up down Hawthorne Road and has warm memories of playing on

       the park on hot summer days and nights. She also remembers having a friend one summer who was

       staying with her grandma two house down from her, just opposite the park. This friend was called

       Rowena, who has posted a comment further down the page.
       Touching memories & Happy days

       petercounsell@tiscali.co.uk

21 January 2010   21:20

       This site is spectacular.
       Just finished reading the great piece posted by Anne O'Brien (Memories.)
       I was one of the kids evacuated from Manchester to Thornton in 1939 and billeted along with another 

       girl, Joan Heinz, at 29 Trunnah Road with Anne's very kind parents. The rest of my brothers and

       sisters also found decent billets. My mother stayed in Thornton after the war and three more children

       were born there making a total of eleven. I'm sure many of you remember the Hughes's who lived at 7

       Crowder Avenue.

25 December 2010   02:18 

       My father George Forrest Massey was born in this town in 1929 so was his mother June Sonya Lorna

       Annie Johnson in 1908 at "The Lawsons". Any info on any of these people would be appreciated.

       David
       London Ontario Canada

       dfmassey@yahoo.ca

18 November 2010   20:08

       I remember when I was about 4 (born in 1942).  I carried an empty jug from 8 Alexander Road to the

       Bay Horse pub with my Granddad Edmund Hornby every Friday.  This would be filled with beer.

       Grandad had to carry it back as it was too heavy for me.  This was Grandad's once a week tipple!

19 October 2010   10:46

       I came accross this wonderful website when researching about Thonton where my father was born.  

       I have visited the village a number of times over the past few years to visit my cousin Kathleen

       Whiteside and research my family history.  My Grandfather was John William Smith and my father

       James emigrated to New Zealand where I live.  It is such a thrill to visit my fathers birth place and

       learn about my family history I believe spent some early working time at ici before coming to New

       Zealand.

       Blenheim
       NewZealand

31 July 2010  19:04

       Thanks to all involved for providing this wonderful website on Thornton.  I find it ever so informative and

       really helpful, especialy while researching my Family.  Keep up the good work.

19 July 2010  13:58

       Me and my family moved to Thornton from Plymouth in May 1953.  We used to live at Lime Grove,

       Thornton - me, my mother and father, who worked for ICI and my brother and two sisters.  We saw

       many changes during the time ws lived there.  I remember when they Joined Rossendale North to

       Rossendale South.  The people next door, the Gillows, sold off a lot at the bottom of their garden.

       I remember being a flower girl at the Thornton-Cleveleys Gala in Summer 1963.  We were on a float

       which had hoops all around the edge. We had long dresses made of green brocade material.

       I remember being an attendant to the St John's Ambulance Cadet queen - we had a horse and cart

       and the girl who led the horse was called - it was 26th June, 1965.  The Cadet queen was called
       Marilyn Moore.

       The following year I was the Cadet Queen.  We had a horse and cart again and the horse bolted a few

       times.

       The Gala Queen crowning took place on a tennis court in 1966 as there was building work taking

       place on the site where the crowning normally took place.

       Me and my brothers and sisters went to Wignall Methodist Church every Sunday - in the morning, and

       again in the afternoon for the Sunday School. I don't think we ever missed going.

       The girl who was the Cadet Queen after me was called Valerie Downard.  When they had the

       crowning ceremony in 1967 I could not take part, as I had moved from the area.  I think it rained

       heavily that day, and they had the Cadet queen crowning ceremony in the St John's Hall.  I wonder if 

       that hall is still there - where we used to go to learn first aid.  It was the girls who attended the Church

       Road Secondary Modern School who went there.

5 June 2010  20:33

       Well what a great site has been created here.  I was born and brought up in Thornton and it was good

       to read the comments about Ingles nurseries, brewers bakers on trunnah road and edmundsons

       butchers etc.  I remember the smithey at the windmill and I use to go and watch the blacksmith make

       the shoes for the horse and then put them on the horses.  Does any body remember the piggeries at

       the vic road end of rossendale ave behind the con club (bungalows are there now).  I was at thornton

       sec school between 1959-1964 then when I left I went to an apprentiship at a garage in blackpool.  I

       have had 1 daughter, 2 stepdaughters and 1 granddaughter as Gala Queens.  As a child in the 50's

       my mother and her fellow neighbours always put a float in the galas and we were always put in fancy

       dress on the wagons, loaned to them usually by Bill Brown the coalman later by Ronnie Ross the

       coalman.  Does anybody remember the wagons usually designed by one of our friends Ron Ingle, 

       (TROOPING THE COLOUR, EASTER BASKET, WINTER WONDERLAND ETC.)  My stepdaughter 

       Debbie Franklin is the current chairperson of Thornton Clevelays Gala and looking forward to this

       years Gala Day 12 june 2010 and hope the weather keeps fine.I could go on but where and when

       would I stop talking about my village where I was born and brought up. Carry on the good work with

       this site. Its brilliant. Thanks

6 April 2010  13:48

          I was Prince Charming (twice) at Thornton Gala in the 40's and have still got the shapely legs!

2 April 2010  06:20

          H i.  I'm Eric Frank my brother other one Graham sent me this site.  Absolutely wonderful to see the

          site.  Along with my wife Pauline nee Dempsey (Waring Drive).  We live in New Zealand and have

          done for close on 50 years.  Dad worked partime at Billy's market.  Interesting to see demolition of

          the powerstation considering I helped on it with Harbour-General.  I would be interested to hear from

          interested parties. Eric Waller.  Remember Thornton Pheonix?

20 March 2010  18:21

          What a great site just found it, great looking at all the old memories of Thornton. I went to Sacred

          Heart school then on Crabtree Rd, I remember the may sundays my dad built the grotto at the back

          of the church i was the first may queen to crown it back in 1966 . oh happy days.

15 March 2010  21:48

          Great site, memories and pics, my dad would have loved it, he was Gerard Brazil who lived in

          Trunnah Rd great friends with Bob Tuson and John Connolly.  Lived in Thornton all my life, great to

          read about so many things that dad used to talk about.

13 March 2010  13:41

          Love the info. and the pictures Great!  Born & brought up with 5 siblings on West Drive, Ingle

          Nursery world famous for its' Dawn dew Cress!!  What a fortune they made out of a bit of grass!!

          But not me!!

11 February 2010  15:56

          just been through the site with my dad, and have had a full history lesson, this is a great site, keep

          up the good work.

2 February 2010  21:50

          It was lovely to find a photo of the old cottages down Hawthorne Road. I grew up in the house

          opposite the park, and remember my Grandma's friend being force out of her cottage into a council

          house to make way for the new developments. I was born in 1963 and have a vague memory of

          waiting at the Railway Station for a train - a steam train!

28 January 2010 19:31

          Smashing site. Came across it by chance so was amazed to see photos of a family home. An

          ancestor of mine Henry Pilkington (now buried in Accrington) lived at Villa Mar, with his unmarried

          sister. I have an old sepia photograph of the property.

5 January 2010 21:51

          Great site i spent a lot of me youth in the area I was at Burn Naze school from 1959 till 1967

          captained Mr (Danny) Blair's team 66/67. Went to Church Sec Modern and used to play

          football/hang around the burn naze area with steve fielding, graham kenworthy, jimmy brady, any

          others who escape my memory. On leaving school I was taken on by the ICI as a youth trainee so

          not far to travel to work lol. When ICI closed the site in 1997 I relocated to the north east where I am

          still working

17 December 2009 20:57

          Brill, keep up the great work, fab site ! My family lived in Thornton from 1951. I went to Baines

          Endowed, ending up at Durham Uni. Live in North East now but still visit Mum and Dad's place of

          rest. Thornton still in my heart !!!

          I was born in Burnaze Butts Road its nice to read about the old merories. people will best remember

          my mum Mrs Joan Kelley she trained the gala morris dancers for many years and she loved every

          minute of it

Forgot to say on my earlier message, my grandad was called John Rose and he and his wife (Elizabeth Fenton )had 12 children, two sets of twins which died, the other eight children were called James, Thomas, Betty, Elizabeth, Mary, John (my grandad) Robert, and Margaret. I would love to know if anyone is related to any of the above.

Paul sent me this website address, really good.
My great great grandfather William Rose was a farm worker of Thornton. He4 used to take corn to be ground at Marsh Mill. His son my great grandad was also a farm worker and became the gamekeeper of Fleetwood when it was a Rabbit Warren. His children were born in a small cottage on Flakefleet Farm Estate near Burnhall Hill. He married Elizabeth Fenton, and we have many relatives in the Thornton area. They are buried in Thornton Parish Church.

Just stumbled on this great site. Well done. Have a lot of ancestors on my OH family being born and bred in Thornton. Also a distant cousin of my own Grandmothers was Thomas Meadows so it is lovely to see pictures of the old church as it was in his day.
Thank you.

The site is fantastic, well done. I am Gordon Singleton and I was born at Station House in 1941. I attended Baines Endowed until 1952. I am looking to trace my family history. I welcome any news of the History of Thornton. I understand that my family lived in Cockle Hall for a short time. Left in 1935 and move to Station House. My Father was a senior officer in the St. Johns Ambulace Brigade, all my brothers also were members of the St. Johns at Thornton

You have a very nice site. My great grandfather was John Harper Singleton,great grandmother Lillian Goss Singleton, I am a direct descendant of Hucca Singleton, family to Robert, his brother , and a nephew who came in 1635. Thanks for a great site!!

          I was told about the site via my mum and we immediately tried to recollect memories. We lived on

          Holmes Road and remember that there used to be Easthams, a chippy, corner shop. Those were

          the days when you could leave your back door open etc and always borrow a pint of milk.

          We used to shop in the Co-Op and my mum bought my clothes from Margery's Wool shop at

          Trunnah and shopped at the butchers in Trunnah.
          Please get in touch all those that have more memories to share.
          Kind regards Sharon

Good site, and nice to read more about the place. My family have lived here since around 1920, but it seems even we haven't learned as much in these ninety or so years as I have just learned in the past half hour.

Now I just want to see what dialects were in use here... =]

its nice to learn about where you live,i get told a lot about the "old days" by my father in law ... keep it up

BRILL!
Great site, well done! Proud to live here. Graham.

Really enjoyed reading about the man who lived at Marsh Farm..He should write a book! Some fantastic old photos as well.

Fab site, very useful and is definitely in my bookmarked sites... Well done!

some great pictures good work keep em coming.

Great site lots of photos from my dad lovely to see. My children and myself love looking at Thorntons history. Hope the site grows well done.

Great site which brings back some happy memories. Keep up the good work.

Love the new colour scheme, everything looks great!

Had a look at last, very good and I'm sure it will get even better.

Just keeps on getting better and better each day, may it grow even more.

Great Thornton Website.Thanks Phil

Wow so much interesting info about Thornton. Can even see our house from the excellent maps you have and the fields they used to be.
Brilliant!

A very interesting site with lots of information.
I will definitely re visit this site.

very interesting site i look forward to it,s growth and will be checking in daily.

well done

What an excellent website! I'm definitely going to have to add a link to my own. Keep up the good work.