Oldham People

I had a 1pm meeting in Oldham.

It's not a town I go to often, I was here last about a year ago. My ambition is to see the sun shine whilst I am here. It has yet to happen - today has been wet, windy, grey, and thoroughly miserable. 

I had had no lunchtime, which was my excuse for having a quick look at The Gallery Oldham after the meeting, as I was parked alongside.

Fascinating. A combination of library, art gallery, and museum. Paintings of some famous Oldham people - including Eric Sykes, William Cobbett, and Winston Churchill. The latter entered parliament for the first time in the year 1900 as MP for Oldham. He then left the Conservative party in 1904 and joined the Liberals, as he disagreed with the Tories protectionist trade policies (he became MP for NW Manchester). He left the Liberals after losing his seat in 1922 when the war-time Coalition fell apart. Politics has been in a lot of flux in times past, never mind today when we get a new prime minister and the opposition seems in disarray..

But the exhibit I liked the most was the 1876 photographic panorama of the town, taken by Squire Knott from the top of the Star Corn Mill. It is astonishing. Oldham was a boom town - terraced houses being thrown up, railways, and lots of mills and their chimneys. As well as still undeveloped fields with sheep grazing. Oldham became the world centre of the cotton spinning industry. By the turn of the century it was producing more cotton than France and Germany combined. No people in the panorama - it was Wakes Week, they were elsewhere. 

The quality of the image is amazing, considering its age. These people were really enjoying looking at it. No wonder it is the most popular exhibit in The Gallery. People love and connect with their town's history.

The extra is a view from the other end.

And of course, like many recent buildings, there is a bucket, to catch the drips from the leaking roof and ceiling.

I spent all of 10 minutes here. It's been a busy day.