1950s: Rock 'n' Roll stars killed in plane crash

Nicola Rippon sifts through the stories making headline news in 1959.

WHEN Derbyshire sweltered in record-breaking temperatures during the summer of 1959, no one had heard the expression “global warming”.

Other news items, however, made familiar headlines – UFOs, racial prejudice, a tragic industrial accident to name but three. Comprehensive education also seemed a step nearer; and a familiar face of Derby was about to change.

There were also varied international honours for two local people.

In 1959, one of Derby’s best-loved adopted sons, Philip Noel-Baker – the town’s MP for more than 20 years – was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a lifetime’s work promoting peace and disarmament, work during the Russian Famine in the late 1920s and with refugees during the Second World War.

It was another shining achievement for a remarkable man who represented Britain at three Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in the 1,500 metres at Antwerp in 1920. He was also decorated for bravery during the First World War, when the Quaker and pacifist served as an ambulance driver.

On receiving the honour Noel-Baker said: “War is a damnable, filthy thing and has destroyed civilisation after civilisation – that is the essence of my belief.”

Havelock Road-born Herbert Beetham also made headlines in this year but for a very different achievement. He reached the final of the English Billiards Championships for the third time.

Beetham, a former Bemrose School pupil, had honed his skills at St Thomas’ Church Institute in Pear Tree before the war.

Another old Bemrosian, actor Eric Lander, took a supporting role in the movie Sink the Bismarck, alongside Richard Todd, Michael Wilding and Richard Attenborough, as well as in Danger Within, a film about British officers held in an Italian POW camp.

In May, the Evening Telegraph published a feature by one of its regular columnists Albert Street asking: “Has Derby a Colour Bar?”

As new immigrants had begun arriving from the Commonwealth, there had been much talk of non-white school leavers finding it difficult to obtain suitable work in the town because employers were selecting white workers ahead of them, regardless of qualification or ability.

As the columnist pointed out, it would be hard to prove this was the case since: “No firm will admit publicly...that the colour of an apprentice’s skin could affect his chances of securing an apprenticeship.”

He also suggested that fear of an unfavourable reaction from existing workers might put employers off taking on immigrant workers. The previous year, factory workers at Milford had gone on strike when a Punjabi was given work there. The strikers had claimed that the management had agreed not to take on “coloured” workers when white workers were available.

Albert Street was horrified to relate that, although the two sides had eventually reached an agreement, this had occurred only after the Punjabi had been dismissed.

The columnist believed the “traditional insularity of the British” and a general mistrust and dislike of anything visibly non-British was to blame.

Despite his concerns, Albert Street was convinced that there was very little disharmony in the town. “Derby strikes me as an admirable example to many towns in the way that it accepts our guests from other lands.”

In late June, a countrywide printing dispute erupted. While national newspapers were unaffected, work at all regional newspapers, including the Evening Telegraph, and at printing works like Bemrose’s in Litchurch, was brought to a halt.

Throughout the six-week strike, non-union workers at the Evening Telegraph produced a small “emergency bulletin” for its readers. Initially, this took the form of a four-page typewritten publication, but later evolved into a small printed edition.

For striking workers times were hard as strike pay was minimal. But, eventually, the print and paper workers became the first manual workers to secure a 40-hour working week.

The year 1959 would prove one of the warmest years in living memory. Although January was very cold, every other month produced higher than average temperatures. There was a long, hot, dry summer which lasted from early May to mid-October.

Working in the factories, mills and foundries, in particular, became highly unpleasant.

For children, of course, the long summer meant plenty of opportunities to enjoy the county’s parks and to play in the streets.

And if the fine English weather was not enough to satisfy some Derbyshire folk, there was always international air travel.

Under the tagline “Fly Derby and meet the sun!” Derby Airways, the forerunner of BMI, advertised flights to Dublin, Guernsey, Jersey and the more exotic climes of Ostend, Luxembourg and Corsica.

The airline operated out of Derby Airport at Burnaston.

Another advertisement, this time for Derby travel agents Briggs and Hill, in St Peter’s Street, offered a “wonderful holiday in Jersey” with return flights from Derby, full-board hotel accommodation, “wonderful full-day and half-day excursions”, the services of a holiday rep, free baggage insurance and a “guarantee of a full refund in case of illness”. All of this for just £19 5s.

Unfortunately, the advertisement neglected to mention the length of the holiday.

If Derbeians preferred to spend their hard-earned wages on something more tangible in 1959, there were plenty of advertisements from local businesses to investigate.

Telefusion, of London Road, offered “unbeatable all-in rental terms” for a range of televisions, including the new Murphy 17-inch tabletop set.

Alex Owen Ltd, on London Road, was promoting a new Jackson refrigerator for 35 guineas.

Other advertisements catered to mothers keen to give their sons “pride in their appearance”, like that placed by Strand Boys’ Clothiers and Outfitters who could supply suits, sports coats, rainwear, blazers, pullovers and even jeans.

Perhaps the fashion-conscious Derby lady might have been tempted by the Derby Co-operative Society’s promotion of Ballerina fully-fashioned nylon stockings.

Described as “the finest stockings money can buy”, they featured a special “ladder stop” at top and bottom for longer-lasting wear.

For the wealthier Derbeian, a number of shoe shops in the county could provide “Gimpy – walking leisure, fashion pleasure” women’s shoes.

There was the Kitten for “party time”; or the Walkabout for the “Lady of Leisure”, both of which could be purchased for 39s 11d.

Alternatively, for another 10 shillings, the customer could choose the court for “that special occasion”.

Douglas Worth of the Wardwick offered fashion furs that could be bought in part exchange for “old furs”.

In June, the Evening Telegraph reported a “strange object, which appeared to be hanging motionless in the sky above the Derby area”.

One of the first to spot the UFO was Alfred Green, of Mickleover, a special constable. The following morning, dozens of calls were placed by curious, and somewhat concerned, Derbeians.

However, any fears of alien invasion, or of Soviet spies over the Rolls-Royce works, were soon soothed by a spokesman from the RAF who identified the object as a meteorological balloon.

Fortunately, more earthbound concerns tended to dominate the year. A petition, organised by Mr K Langstaff, of Duffield, was sent to the Minister of Education, requesting a public enquiry into plans by Derbyshire Education Committee to introduce comprehensive education to the county’s schools.

Certainly there was increasing dissatisfaction across the country at the standard of secondary modern schools, and a number of education authorities had already introduced the new system.

The first comprehensive school had been at Holyhead, in Anglesey, and the new system had been introduced to great acclaim in Coventry, Sheffield, West Riding and Leicestershire.

But Mr Langstaff remained cautious. “Although it may work in other counties, we do not know that it will work in Derbyshire.”

After the Christmas holiday, workers at Garford-Lilley and Bros mill, on Agard Street, returned to work to find a strong smell of gas throughout the building.

The Evening Telegraph reported that, far from immediately evacuating the property, work was able to continue after ventilation and tests”.

As Gas Board officials searched for the source of the leak, and fireman stood by hoses at the ready in case of fire, work continued, much to the dissatisfaction of employees, many of whom were feeling ill from the effects of the fumes. Mr W K Astbury, works manager, told the Evening Telegraph: “If it gets no worse, we shall carry on working, but if it does get worse we shall have to close down the factory.”

With more and more women feeling ill, the mill was eventually evacuated and, after a 12-hour search, the leak was traced to an underground gas pipe outside the factory.

For workers at another Derbyshire factory, December took a more tragic turn. On December 2, four men were killed when part of Belper’s historic North Mill, then occupied by the English Sewing Cotton Company Ltd, collapsed.

The accident happened as routine demolition work on the mill’s Round Building took place.

Many of the 20 or so who escaped serious injury reported a rumble like thunder as the entire three-storey building collapsed.

The first victim, Alfred Ritson, was discovered soon after the collapse, but the others, John Clarke, Arthur Freeman and Sam Gotheridge, remained trapped.

It was several hours before their bodies could be removed from the rubble. At the inquest, the coroner reported: “It was one of those things; there was no reason for it.”

As 1959 drew to a close, Derbieans looked forward to developments in the townscape. The first tower block of the new Derby and District College of Technology, in Kedleston Road, had opened, while the town’s major department store, Ranby’s, was preparing to move into new purpose-built premises.

The store, which already had premises on Victoria Street, had acquired the 200-year-old Queen’s Head pub next door.

Publicans Mr and Mrs Fowler celebrated the last night of business at the end of December with a party for regulars who presented the couple with a parting gift. While there was much sadness at the closing of one of Derby’s oldest inns, this was matched by the anticipation of a much-enlarged Ranby’s.

The new store was expected to have two acres of salesroom on the ground and first floors, while the third floor was to be devoted to a large restaurant, a hair salon and other services.

The work would take three years to complete.

There was much to look forward to as the 1960s dawned.