To celebrate the festive season this year we’ve been riffling through our photo archive in search of Christmas goodies to share! And here we have three very special photographs that perfectly evoke the customs and traditions of Christmas past…
Caledonian Society Christmas Party 1923.
Our first photograph is of the Caledonian Society’s Christmas Dance held on the 14th December 1923 at the Athenaeum Hall, Bury. The Society had formed in early 1921 and this was only their second annual ball, but what a turn-out! The photographers Romney and Venn of Bury have used flashlight to create this fantastic group shot and, to avoid the dreaded ‘flash-eye’, have asked their subjects not to look directly in camera.
Thanks to Romney and Venn, we have a clear view of the dancers on the front row attired in Highland dress, one of whom (Miss Elsie M Simpson) won the prize for best costume. But which one is she? A reporter from the Bury Guardian declares her a worthy winner, “who looked charming in her picturesque character of Bonnie Prince Charlie”. No doubt Elsie had fierce competition, not least from Nellie Hayes, “A sprightly young lassie” who danced merrily to the tune of a traditional hornpipe.
We’re told that the group assembled for their photograph during the interval, perhaps before they’d lost count of ‘wee drams’? And the partying carried on until 2am! Ending with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne and, “in true Scottish fashion, was joined in by all present forming a ring extending to the full capacity of the ballroom”.
Mayor’s Christmas visit to Town’s Darby and Joan.
Our next photograph shifts away from Christmas party razzle-dazzle to a much quieter and more intimate scene. Here we have Mr and Mrs Kelsey of Ormrod Street, Bury, who would have been married sixty-five years at the end of January 1939. In celebration of their long marriage, a special visit from the Mayor, Councillor William Hartley, and Mayoress was made on Christmas Day 1938. The picture captures the moment when Councillor Hartley hands Mrs Kelsey a surprise gift, a framed photograph of himself and the Mayoress – a companion piece perhaps to another treasured possession: a framed telegram from Their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary sent when Mr and Mrs Kelsey celebrated their Diamond wedding in 1934.
In an interview published in the Bury Guardian, the Kelseys look back on their time together:
“… we were married in ’74 at St James’s in Oldham. We came to Bury about 54 years ago and we have lived in this house ever since it was built…”
That’s over a half-century worth of Christmases spent by this cosy cottage fireside. What memories Mr and Mrs Kelsey must share! Not to mention the traditions kept, developed, and passed on to their six children, six grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.
The Raleigh Chopper.
Moving further into the 20th century, families became increasingly immersed in the world of Christmas advertising, initially through radio and later television. Consequently, parents experienced mounting pressure to buy the latest toys and gadgets for their children. For young boys growing up in the early 1970s, the coveted Christmas gift was the Raleigh Chopper Bike. In 1971, The Co-op in Bury were selling these highly-prized ‘Easy Rider’ style bikes with a hefty price tag: £35.60. That’s over £400 in today’s money!
The photograph above depicts an icy-cold winter scene of a snow-covered Simister Lane in Prestwich. What makes this image special are the two young boys duffle-coated up against the cold, one on a Chopper-style bike. It’s not clear when the photograph was taken but it appears to capture the essence of Christmas holidays and getting as much fresh air as possible before returning to school. And what better way to do this but on your new Christmas bike!
Bury Archives & Local History 