Royal occasion as Castleton factory remembered

Ark Royal Avenue sign

Memories of a lamented Castleton factory will be recalled when a local street is named after one of the Royal Navy’s famous ships it designed parts for.

Whipp and Bourne was synonymous with high class engineering, supplying marine switchgear for giants of the high seas like the Titanic, Ark Royal and the Royal Yacht Britannia.

A residential street, located off Manchester Road, on the site of the former company, will be unveiled as 'Ark Royal Avenue' at noon on Sunday 25 February. 

Whipp and Bourne, founded in 1903, supplied many of the ships used in major battles during both world wars, with the Ark Royal finally being decommissioned from service in the early 1980s.

The event will be attended by a range of dignitaries, including local councillors Billy Sheerin, Jean Hornby and Aasim Rashid, members of the armed forces, veterans and former Whipp and Bourne employees.

Councillor Janet Emsley, the cabinet’s lead member for the armed forces, said: “It is fitting to name the street after HMS Ark Royal.

"People in Castleton and across the borough remember Whipp and Bourne with fondness and affection. As we look to the future, we never forget our proud past. This famous factory is a key part of Rochdale’s heritage and their workers' engineering skills live on thanks to this inspired idea.”