REV RON GREENALL: Tall stories from Lancashire but always true

I'm asked if I tell you tall stories in these articles '“ the answer is no, for I deal in facts not fiction.
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However, I do deal in tall storeys when I talk about tall factory chimneys and the like!

So first to some nostalgic facts about this week.

It was in this week in 1840 that Prince Albert married Queen Victoria.

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It was also in this week in 1924 that the BBC started using the GMT time signal “pips” in their programmes.

In 1953, Disney released Peter Pan, while the world premiere of Pinocchio was in New York City on this day in 1953.

With my head in the clouds, I report to you that the world’s first military air academy was founded at Cranwell, Lincolnshire, on February 5, 1920.

Now to a few pictures for today.

My first is of elephants exercising on Blackpool sands around 1946.

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It was only a short walk from across the tramlines and Prom from their quarters in the Tower and while elephants never forget, I too have never forgotten this scene.

My second picture today is of one of the roundabouts at Chorley Christmas Fair and Light Festival.

Elephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s,  Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival,  Ministry of Food orange juice,  St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, PrestonElephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s,  Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival,  Ministry of Food orange juice,  St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, Preston
Elephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s, Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival, Ministry of Food orange juice, St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, Preston

The other one you have sent me of a steam powered carousel I will use in a few weeks’ time.

I am sure the bottle of the Ministry of Food orange juice, my third picture brings back both childhood and parental memories from the 1950s and 60s.

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I had to scratch my head, despite the little hair on it, as to the fourth picture I use

Yes, in Coppull, I did have a great teacher on the subject of clergy use of coach travel in the person of The Rev Johnny Whittaker, Vicar of Coppull Old Parish.

Elephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s,  Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival,  Ministry of Food orange juice,  St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, PrestonElephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s,  Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival,  Ministry of Food orange juice,  St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, Preston
Elephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s, Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival, Ministry of Food orange juice, St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, Preston

In retirement, he came to live in my parish and together we organised many coach outings.

In Garstang, I soon came into contact with Patrick Flitcroft and Wyresdale coaches and day excursions and a total of nine annual parish continental trips resulted.

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But, no, I never used a coach like the one in my fourth shot

Now why the picture of 
St Paul’s Church, Adlington?

It was here The Rev Peter Wolfenden and I became curates on the same day.

The vicar decided that the first task for us was to clear the weed infested tennis court area.

Elephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s,  Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival,  Ministry of Food orange juice,  St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, PrestonElephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s,  Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival,  Ministry of Food orange juice,  St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, Preston
Elephants from Blackpool on the beach from the 1940s, Chorley Christmas Fair and light festival, Ministry of Food orange juice, St. Pauls Adlington, waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, Preston

He sent us off to the local chemist Mr Foster for two tins of Sodium Chlorate to spray the area with.

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His reply was, as he saw our dog collars: “I thought you two curates had come to save the good people of Adlington, not to kill them all off.”

Fiona Finch a Lancashire Post reporter is a relative of Mr Finch and vouches the truth of the story of this incident which was in June 1964.

It is not rubbish like my sixth picture of the waste disposal yard in Argyle Road, Preston around 1936.