United Methodist Holiday Centre
In the years following the General Strike in 1926, there was the great depression with about three million unemployed! The chances of children in the area of Beswick Street and Branson Street, Ancoats, having a holiday seemed very remote.
Thanks, however, to Mr. R. H. Riley, the superintendent of the United Methodist church, (as it was in those days) which was at the corner of Beswick Street and Bradford Road. Sunday school scholars of the church had a great opportunity.
Mr Riley contacted the Unitarian Church authorities and they allowed the Sunday school scholars from Beswick Street church, to have a week's holiday at their children's Holiday Centre at Great Hucklow, Derbyshire. The cost per child at the centre was 12/6d (twelve shillings and sixpence) per week. A large sum of money in those days - the old people's pension was 10/- (ten shillings) per week, and a week's pay at fourteen years old, if you could get a job.
The parents of the scholars sent 3d (three pence) per week, per child, to pay for the holiday which would cost them10/- (ten shillings). The United Methodist church subsidized the rest of the cost, rail fare to Miller's Dale Station and the local bus to Great Hucklow.
The holiday centre consisted of three large wooden huts with corrugated iron roofs. The centre hut was the dining room which could also be used as a play room in inclement weather, or a concert or meeting room. The huts on either side were the dormitories, one for girls and the other for boys. Water for washing had to be brought from a pipe at the bottom of a field, this pipe was constantly flowing and filled three large troughs. The water from the first trough was the water supply for the whole of the village and had to be carried to the various cottages. The second and third trough was for the animals.
There was a field available a short distance away where games could be played and adjacent was a room for indoor games if the dining room was not available.
We went to Great Hucklow for several years, until the outbreak of war in 1939, during these years we visited many places such as; Blue John Mines, Peak cavern and Speedwell Mine (an old lead mine) all in Castleton, Eyam the plague village, Bretton Clough, the gliding school on Huckow Head and Chatsworth House.
Holiday at Great Hucklow were never to be forgotten, especially as for many children, it would probably the first time they had ridden on a train, or seen cows, sheep, pigs and hens in the open fields.
Happy days, happy memories.