A look back into local history for the month of October throws up some interesting articles.

10th October 1936 saw the Charter Celebrations take place after King had bestowed Borough Status upon the town, a procession headed up the High Street to the Old Show Ground for an official ‘Handing Over’ ceremony. The Charter Mayor for the day was Sir Berkeley Sheffield. He had generously donated the mayoral chain of office, the mayoress’s chain was donated by the Lincolnshire Ironmasters Association, the deputy mayor’s chain by the Scunthorpe and District Building Trades’ Employers Association whilst the mace was a gift from the Co-op Mutual Plate Glass Company.

                                                                                          Charter Day 10th October 1936

The Dawes Brothers blew in their second blastfurnace at the Trent Ironworks on 2nd October 1864.

On the 10th October 1896 the Scunthorpe Co-operative opened their No2 Branch in Ashby whilst on the same date in 1910 they opened their new store on Scunthorpe High Street which later became their central stores; it is now the Abacus pub.

In 1908 the new Centenary Primitve Methodist Church on Frodingham Road was opened on the 21st of the month, it burnt down in 1970. October 3rd 1925 saw St. Georges Church in Crosby being consecrated whilst on 15th October 1927 saw Lady Astor officially open Scunthorpe Grammar School.

1933 saw Prince George the Duke of Kent in Scunthorpe on the 26th of the month to open the new War Memorial Hospital, the nurses home and the Kingsway & Queensway Scunthorpe trunk roads. He also paid visits to Appleby-Frodingham & Normanby Park steelworks.

                                                                                      Centenary Primitive Methodist Church 

It was reported on Wednesday 24th October 1956 that there was an almost 100% stoppage at Scunthorpe bus depot when Lincolnshire Road Car bus crews withdrew their labour to attend meetings called to consider strike action over the proposed introduction of one man crews. Pickets from the N.U.R were posted at the bus station just after noon to persuade crews to attend the meeting due to start at 1pm.

                 Bus Station in 1968

It was revealed on 27th October 1956 that Scunthorpe United would not be playing floodlight games at the Old Show Ground in the season to come; it wasn’t because the club could not find the appropriate floodlights, it was because Yorkshire Electricity was unable to connect the ground to the National Grid.

Big Band leader Count Basie and his band played two concerts at the Pavilion Cinema on 29th October 1957. His appearance was part of the Boroughs 21st anniversary celebrations.

It was reported on the 4th October 1961 that the biggest building programme in the Boroughs history had been given the go ahead by the Ministry of Housing with the building of 1000 houses and flats for the financial year 1962-63. Councillors were told that of the 1000 homes, 750 were being earmarked for industrial workers moving into the town. The scheme was to include houses on the Westcliff Estate, The Screeds and rebuilding Crosby Road, where terrace houses had already been pulled down. Blocks of flats under the development for the east side of the town scheme are planned for Crosby Road, some of these would be 16 storeys high. This became the Market Hill Estate.

Trouble flared at Scunthorpe railway station on Saturday 4th October 1969 between Iron and Chesterfield fans.

October 6th 1969 saw Alice Cropper elected as the towns Mayor for the second time, she had taken the place of Alderman Mrs Mariam Clay whose ill health had forced he to resign in August – three months after taking office.

Rail traffic on the line between Appleby-Frodingham and Normanby Park steelworks was brought to a halt on the morning of 7th October 1969 when a giant ladle containing 65 tons of molten metal split pouring the liquid onto the track. The ladle was one of two being towed to the Normanby Park works.

 The steam engine which had stood in Jubilee Park at Ashby was removed on 8th October 1982, it had been donated to Scunthorpe Borough Council and had stood in the park for 18 years and was sold for £500 to a museum in the Newcastle area. It was decided to sell the engine after is was discovered it was lined with asbestos and it was estimated it would cost about £3000 to make it safe for children to play on. A special plaque was to be made to commemorate Scunthorpe as the origin of the loco and it was to also feature in a brochure which was to go worldwide.

Removing the Loco from Jubilee Park in Ashby

The demolition of the former Normanby Parks steelwork coke plant took place on 28th October 1983.