Memories
Yesterday Springwood bowler Jeff Mellor asked for the help of the local bowling fraternity to add some information about this photograph. Jeff has come across it when doing some research into his family's history and asked for some helping progressing his findings. Cue Dave Parkin who is on the case
Dave Parkin added this comment to yesterday's posting.
Given the time frame in the article, a Hubert Mellor was a decent standard bowler from 1920's to the 1940's and is always mentioned as a member of Honley Liberal Club. As he's playing his son, it's likely to be that green There was also a H.Mellor who was president of the Honley & Brockholes RBL for at least 1939 & 1940 A H.Mellor also bowled for Hillhouse & Birkby in 1949. Can find nothing for his son.
That coincided with a trip that Jeff Mellor made which enabled him to add to the story as below.
How spooky that I should go to Honley today and take a picture from Honley Lib. car park in what was approximately the same spot as the photo I previously sent you. Dave Parkin’s detective work and this picture confirm what I thought and that it is the no longer existing green at Honley Lib. Knowing that they were born in Honley was a big help to me along with Google Earth views.
Jeff continues ....
I must admit that the large building in the background doesn’t look like the clock tower of St. Mary’s church, more like a mill chimney but I can’t find any record of a mill in that vicinity. The wall and the hip roof of the building on the other side of the road are conclusive evidence that it is Honley Lib bowling green.
I suppose it was asking too much for the present bowling fraternity to recognise the green as most, if not all, would never have played on it. Now that we can confirm the green I wonder if anyone knows more about the players than Dave Parkin has given us. Perhaps Dave Parkin can do a bit more detective work once he knows he is on the right wave length.
Also spooky that Hubert was a snooker player given my Dad’s record. He was born in 1897 but I don’t have a date for his passing. Given that I think the photo is around 1947 he would be 50 and Owen born in 1924 would be 33 which looks possible. I believe that Owen Stanley Mellor was a policeman and went over to Lancashire which is were he lived and passed. He had four children and they were all born over the tops.
There were some guesses as to the identity of the green including Newsome, Crosland Moor, Broad Oak and Skel Central but all were wide of the mark with Honly Liberal Club the likely venue.
Found a little more limiting the search to around the time the photo was taken, still nothing on the son but Hubert was at his peak around this time & could be classed as one of the better bowlers of the time in the Holme Valley going off +2 in a Yorkshire Handicap & qualifying for the latter stages & finals of merits.
The "H Mellor ofHonley RBL" was a "Herbert" & schoolmaster at Honley school so not the same person. I'm busy today but will delve a bit deeper into Hubert. He played for Honley Lib in the Liberal, Dearne & Don plus Huddersfield leagues and was a regular participant in merits & cups.