PONTEFRACT IN 1955

28th January 1955 - For Spastics
The Pontefract and District Spastics Association held a party for spastic Children in the All Saint’s Church Hall, on Friday

28th January 1955 - Helpful
The current issue of the W.V.S. Bulletin gives two examples of the Women’s Voluntary Service

4th February 1955 - Pontefract of Former Days
Pictures of the Pontefract of former days appearing in recent issues of ‘The Express’ have brought to light other relics, now in the possession of Councillor T.P. Brindley, O.B.E. J.P

11th February 1955 - Meeting for Missions, From The Queen, Triple Honours, 
Youth and Age, Britains Secret Eyes, Charity Begins
A meeting of missions at home and abroad, was held in the Parish Hall, Pontefract, on Monday

25th February 1955 - Great North Road blocked
The culmination of a fortnight of severe weather, snowfall, frost and biting east winds was a blizzard during Wednesday night and Thursday morning, when an average of five or six inches of snow fell

25th February 1955 - Severe Weather Hits District
In Pontefract, Council workmen were employed throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning with the snowploughs, clearing the roads and spreading sand and grit

6th April 1955 - Open Day, United Service, Hearing The Gospel, 
State Registered Nurse
Palms were blessed and distributed to members of the congregation at a special Palm Sunday service conducted at the Pontefract Parish Church on Sunday

29th April 1955 - Telegram to Queen, Sunday Treat, Sea Rescue
A telegram of good wishes to the Queen on her 29th birthday, on Friday, was sent by the Mayor of Pontefract Alderman W Ryder. J.P., on behalf of the Borough

27th May 1955 - Play In Church, Opening The Season, Well Attended Rally
A travelling professional company of the Religious Drama Society, the Pilgrim Players, performed a play entitled "Christ in the concrete city," in the Pontefract Parish Church

3rd June 1955 - Cliffe College Anniversary
Cliffe College Anniversary was the attraction which drew members of the Ropewalk Methodist Church Youth Fellowship into Derbyshire on Monday

24th June 1955 - Holiday Camp Visit, Seaside Visit
There was not a dull moment to trouble the members of the Pontefract Club for Hard of Hearing when they visited a holiday camp at Skegness

24th June 1955 - Worked Down Pit At 80
After working 68 years underground in local pits - most of them at the coalface, getting coal by hand - 80-year-old Mr. James Connor, of School Road, Pontefract, has retired

9th September 1955 - Self-Service Comes To Pontefract
"This is just what we’ve been needing in Pontefract", was the verdict of one housewife as, with laden basket she made her way towards the cash desk shortly after the opening of the first self-service store in Beastfair

9th September 1955 - Moving Ceremony at Pontefract
Attention! The voice of Drum Major Andrew Noble cut the air and the navy-blue and red-striped tunics of the bandsmen of the York and Lancaster Regiment Band bristled to his command

23rd September 1955 - War Cemeteries Tour
In a tour occupying eight days, the Member of Parliament for Pontefract, Mr. G.O. Sylvester, recently visited the war cemeteries in Northern France and Belgium

4th November 1955 - Statutes Fair
Giddy roundabouts, swing boats, chairoplanes, switchbacks - each year there is some fresh sickening motion to challenge the pleasure seeker who faces more and more precipitous transport

16th December 1955 - Alarming Preview
A somewhat alarming preview of what would happen if commercial radio infiltrated into such regular programmes as ‘In Town Tonight’ was given to a large audience in the Parish Hall on Monday