Milnrow comes alive during storytelling and dialect weekend

Milnrow's very own Tim Bobbin visits Butterworth Hall to view the Tim Bobbin Exhibition.

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Milnrow was a hive of activity this weekend during a series of storytelling and dialect events taking place as part of MoorEnd Trust’s Tim Bobbin Festival.

Commencing on Friday afternoon (21 November), Taffy Thomas MBE of the Northern Centre for Storytelling together with children from Milnrow Parish, Moorhouse Primary, Newhey County Primary and St Thomas’ CE Newhey Schools gave a spellbinding performance of traditional stories, songs and clogg dancing.

Mayoress Ann Jones, together with a huge audience at Hollingworth Enterprise and Business College, enjoyed the performance. 

The Mayoress said afterwards: "Judging by their enthusiasm, the children have enjoyed the performances as much as I have. They’ve had fun, exercise and also learnt about their roots and their heritage. This is so important. I’m also really proud to bring a little heritage with me today by wearing the Milnrow Lady’s Chain."

On Friday night Lancashire dialect speaker Sid Calderbank entertained an enthusiastic audience at Milnrow Working Men’s Club with a recital of Edwin Waugh’s humorous Lancashire dialect stories, poems and songs.

On Saturday afternoon visitors to Butterworth Hall were able to find out more about the character Tim Bobbin and his importance to Milnrow with the unveiling of MoorEnd Trust’s Tim Bobbin exhibition, produced by Touchstones.

The Shaggy Dog Storytellers from Hebden Bridge amused the regulars and visitors at The Bobbin on Saturday night with a series of hilarious tall tales and stories.

The weekend was drawn to a close on Sunday lunchtime in the Slip Inn where a packed house were entertained by Milnrow Amateur Dramatic Society, who performed an extract from their forthcoming play “The Life and times of Tim Bobbin” with the Vicars of Rochdale and Todmorden interviewing Tim Bobbin for his licence to teach in a local hostelry.