Mexborough and Swinton Times May 10 1935
Conisborough goes Red, white and blue
Hundreds of years ago Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote: “Conan began a burgh, in all the world there was not such a burgh so fair. When the burgh was made with much strength, he set on it a name after himself and oft he wrote through it and through and named it Conan’s Berg.”
Its name probably changed to Conningsburgh when Conan became Prince of Armorica (Brittany) derived from Saxon “Cyning” for King and “burh” for “a strong place.” It certainly was a royal town when Harold was king of England nearly 900 years ago.
It lived up to its name on Monday, and the modern Conan’s who rode it through and through on that day might have been tempted to reiterate the remark that in all the world there was not a burgh so fair. Drabness disappeared, colour was conjured up and never in its long history as the place displayed so festive a face. One could not find a street either in ancient Conisborough or in more modern Denaby which did not add its quarter to the decoration. Some seats were decorated on the most lavish scale, flags, festoons and garlands were not enough for the exacting demands of the occupants of the houses and when darkness came illuminations enhanced the beauty of the schemes.
Street Decorations
The judges of the general Street decorations add a difficult task and eventually made their award as follows:
1 Athelstane Road
2 Coronation Terrace,
3 Ivanhoe road.
How appropriate that ancient and modern should thus be linked together in these names reminiscent of mediaeval England, and of 25 years ago.
For Denaby the awards were:
1 Blyth Street, 2 Maltby Street, 3 Annerley Street.
Comprehensive programme.
A most comprehensive programme of festivities had been arranged by the various council committees on which many citizens been coopted. A tremendous amount of work had been put in, but the workers were adequately recompensed for their labours.
For the children Friday marked the beginning of the celebrations. In the various schools and bank books, each with a credit of one shilling, and either a fountain pen or a pencil suitably inscribed, were handed to every scholar and rousing cheers were given for Kings, donors, and those who handed out the gifts.
On that day and on Saturday army of ladies were out with collecting boxes and they returned with £53 0s. 5d for the Boots for bairns fund.
But one must hark back to Thursday when the local butchers had their day, and the judges began their inspections of gaily bedecked establishments. Eventually the awards were: 1 L. Newton, 2 R. E. Downend, 3 burdett, 4 A. Glasbey. On Friday it was the turn of the greengrocers, and this time the prize winners were: 1 T. Peters, 2 H. Taylor, 3 H. Humphreys, 4 A: Murgatroyd,
Shop Displays.
Saturday was a particularly busy day, for the remainder of the shops had to be covered, and at last the was done and the prizes were allocated as follows: –
Grocery and confectionery:
1 Denaby Main co-operative Society (Central stores), 2 A. Dunn, 3 R. E. Blackburn, 4 Maypole dairy company, Ltd.
Drapery and Boots:
1 A. Liversidge, 2 H. Kirkby, 3 Denaby Main co-operative Society (chemists Sharp) 4 Messrs. Whittakers.
So the problem was solved, and many were the regrets that more prizes were not available, for so many more shopkeepers had displays of merit which deserved recognition. Perhaps increased takings would pay some compensation for not catching the judges eyes.
The “King’s town.”
Monday morning saw the scholars of the majority of the schools assembled for their own Thanksgiving services to which parents were invited. Several councillors attended these as did members of the education sub committee and parents. The one for Conisborough school was held in the afternoon in Conisborough church hall. There the vicar told the children that they were gathered together in a historic spot, on the site of the ancient Moot Hall whether councillors of old carried out the laws of the land, and he told of the ancient name of the place which meant “the Kings Town.” Here also, the Chairman of the Urban District Council, Mr. R. H. Shepard, expressed thanks to the teaching staffs of the area for what they had done for the children. During the day all the elementary school children were entertained in batches at the Conisborough Globe and Denaby Empire Cinemas.
Then followed the distribution of the Jubilee mugs, at the various schools, after which they had gone to fields throughout the district for sports and games which had been organised by the teachers
On North Cliff
Happy and tired, with bags this weekend the children went home, but not to sleep. They were seen off again and lined the route of their torchlight procession which assembled at Scout headquarters in Dalton Street, Denaby Main, and toured the district before arriving on top of the Northcliffe Hills. In single file their torchbearers wended their way in the blackness, making an eerie vista on the heights of the hill en route for Ladies Valley.