Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 08 February 1941

War Weapons Week

Parades to Meet
Mexboro’ and Swinton Combining
Getting Down To Details

The Mexborough War Weapons Week Executive Committee advocated separate parades for Mexborough and Swinton at their meeting at the Secondary School on Tuesday, when Coun. H. Gough presided.

A delegate from Swinton attended and expressed Swinton’s willingness to join with Mexborough for the parade, stating that they appreciated the difficulty of getting two military bands and two units of soldiers.

Mr. H. B. Sparkes said that at the last meeting the Committee had decided to ask Swinton to join and arranged for a delegation from Swinton to discuss the matter at the present meeting.

The Rev. K. F. Kinns said, appreciating the difficulty of securing two bands and two military units. Swinton were agreeable to loin with Mexborough, and suggested that there should be two saluting bases.

Mr. W. P. Turner suggested it would be better if they had two parades, one starting from the Toll Bar at Mexborough and the other from the top end of Swinton, meeting at the Empire. Mexborough. where the opening ceremony could take place. He suggested that Mr. T. Williams. M.P., Mr. E. Dunn. M.P., and Admiral Sir T. Spence Lyne. with other naval and military representatives, would help with the opening ceremony.

He was supported by Mr. H. L. Watkinson, who pointed out that Conisborough had asked Mr. Williams to attend their ceremony and he had been requested to open the Model Aircraft Exhibition at the Secondary School.

Mr. Kinns said this still entailed two parades and two bands. Were they likely to get them?

Mr. J. S. Large reported that he had communicated with military authorities at Leeds for a military band and parade, but had received no reply as yet. The further details of these arrangements were left to the Publicity Committee to be settled in conjunction with the Swinton representatives.

Schools’ Report.

Mr. Watklnson, giving the report of the Schools’ Advisory Committee, said that it had been suggested films should be shown in the town’s picture houses.

Mr. G. Goodacre, manager of the “Royal” Cinema, said he would be willing to screen the films and also use some “shorts” in connection with the week, and Mr. Cresswell, the Regional Commissioner, promised to see Mr. J. J. Woffinden to make whatever arrangements were practicable and desirable for showing films at the district cinemas controlled by him.

Mr Watkinson added that he and Mr. Stockdale would visit all the Mexborough school s before and during the Week to see how things were progressing.

Mr. E. Andrews offered photographs which had been exhibited at the electricity showrooms in connection with the R.A.F. to be displayed in connection with the Week and these were gratefully accepted.

Mr. J. S Large gave the report of the Publicity Sub-Committee, stating that leaflets and posters were being overprinted and that Mr Tom Williams had been asked to send a message which could be printed on the back of the leaflets. He had written to the military authorities for troops and a band and to the Tank Corps for some tanks. He had also written to the Commanding Officer at an R.A.F. aerodrome to ask if extended training flights over the area could be arranged, especially on Saturday and Wednesday.

Members of women’s organisations in the town had been contacted to help with the staffing of the sales and display shops which would be opened. The two Saturdays in the week would be general, but the rest of the days had been arranged as follows:

Monday, Children’s Day: Tuesday. Railwaymen’s Day; Wednesday. Tradesmen’s Day; Thursday. Urban Council Employees and Civil Defence Day and Friday; Mineworkers’ Day.

At the end of each day some official of the various organisations would alter the income indicator to show how much had been realised.

Mr. D. Creswell, Deputy West Riding Commissioner, said that if additional street groups had been formed that day, which meant there were half as many again formed in Mexborough. This had been facilitated by the co-operation of Mr. M. W. Metcalf.

Mr. G. L. Jones said the license victuallers promised their help and support, and Mr. Cresswell assured him that the list of licensed victuallers should be followed up.

Personal Contacts.

The report of the Personal Contacts Committee was given by Mr. W. P. Turner who said he and Mr. Grayson and Mr. Worrall were dealing with a long list of names and pointed out that as a result of their contact with Mr. J. A. Hall, the Y.M.A. had granted £10,000 to the Week.

In the absence of Mr. G. Rowbottom, the working men’s clubs’ report was discussed, and members were assured that the list of clubs would be covered. Mr. Cresswell gave the Savings Group report, stating that ways and means of strengthening the groups and forming other groups had been discussed.

The business was concluded with tentative arrangements for the opening ceremony and it was decided to invite Mr. Tom Williams, M.P.. Mr. E. Dunn. M.P. Squadron Leader D. R. Bader title legless Sprotborough pilot), an Army Brigadier, Major Morris, of the Yorkshire National Savings Movement, Sir Ronald Matthews. President of the L.N.E.R., Mr. J. A. Hall. J.P. of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association: chairmen of Mexborough and Swinton Councils, and two children from Mexborough and two from Swinton schools.

The Vicar of each parish will be invited and also the President of the Free Church Council, the Rev. E. D. Davies. The starting time for the parade was provisionally fixed for 2 p.m.

Route of Parade

Conisboro’ and Denaby Programme

At Friday’s meeting of the Conisborough War Weapons Week Publicity Committee further consideration was given to the plans for a military parade on the opening day.

The chairman, Mr. J. H. Rawding, reported that he had been in contact with the military stationed in Conisborough, and the secretary, Mr. Birdsall, said that he had received a letter from the Public Relations Officer of the Northern Command at York stating that the Committee’s request for the help of the military was being considered.

It was decided that a parade should be organised by the Deputy Commanders of the Conisborough and Denaby Home Guard in conjunction with the military and that the local troops of Girl Guides and Boy Scouts be asked to co-operate. The parade will assemble at Welfare Avenue, Conanby, and proceed via Old Road, Conan Road, Park Road, Morley Place, Church Street, Castle Hill, Cenotaph and Low Road to the Council Offices, where the salute will be taken.

Leaving the Council Offices the parade will proceed to Denaby by way of Loversall Street, Wadworth Street, Tickhill Street, Doncaster Road and thence to the Memorial Park, where a demonstration will be held at which the local M.P., Mr. Tom Williams, will speak.

The Committee decided to leave the arranging of window displays by local shopkeepers in the hands of Messrs. Crowcroft and Asher, while the fixing of banners in the streets was left to Mr. L. Croxall, who reported that he had chosen the design for the pictorial indicators which are to be placed at various points in the district showing the amount of money which is raised from day to day.

The use of the mobile cinema van was discussed and it was decided that displays should be given in Conisborough at the Boiler House, Conanby, and at St. Peter’s Road and Castle Terrace, while for the Denaby area Hickleton Street, Annerley Street and the junction of Wadworth Street and Loversall Street were chosen as the most suitable places for the cinema shows.

Finally, the Committee decided to hold a War Weapons Week dance at the Denaby Welfare Hall on Thursday, February 27th.