Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 10 June 1892
Whitsuntide Festivities
A more delightful Whit-week meteorologically could not be conceived than that of Jupiter Pluvius —if we may still be permitted to use such ancient terms—was in the mouse amiable moods. and everybody felt safe in arranging to leave home for the purposes of holiday making.
Excursions to the coasts, as well as inland, were therefore very extensively patronised, and by Road equally as much as by rail scenes of a lively character were witnessed. The sea—as testified by those who patronised the Morecambe trip—was in its calmest of moods, and thousands of visitors felt safe on its bosom. Nature in the parks and field and on hill and dale was glorious to behold, and those folks who wagonnetted to Roche, Abbey, ‘Wentworth Park, the newly acquired Clifton Park at Rotherham, and elsewhere, thoroughly enjoyed themselves. When the rates at Mexborough become minimised perhaps we shall be in a position to lay out an attractive park there—the Pleasure Grounds (what a misnomer!) Being already in the hands of the public to be utilised as may be thought most desirable. Perhaps the individuals who really mostly take advantage of the brilliant sunshine are the cyclists, and they could be found on Monday and Tuesday on all the roads around Mexborough, making their way to Conisborough, Doncaster, Hickleton, Bolton, Wentworth Edlington Would, and further afield.
At this time of the year, the “wheelmen ” come in for or a good share of censure, because of their extensive use of the highways, but the public are apt to be a little too hard upon them. And it is not difficult often to see how these riders are in inconvenienced by jehus and by people who peregrinate the roads. Many a rider has been flung from his machine by the carelessness of persons as well as by the wilful mysteriousness of youths who cast cap and sticks at the spokes, and who put obstructions in the way. The present is an appropriate time to sound a note of warning in this respect.
The following are the bookings from Mexborough M.S. & L. station :—
Monday, Manchester 100, Sheffield 300, Cleethorpes 250, Conisborough 90;
Tuesday, Manchester 120, Cleethorpes 400 (Roman Terrace Wesleyan Sunday school included), Sheffield 350, Hull 25, Conisborough 75, Southport 50 ;
Wednesday, Manchester 20, Sheffield. 50, Scarborough 15, Liverpool 25.
The Midland bookings at Swinton have been very heavy. The numbers’ include London 12, Scotland 17, Birmingham 30, Derby 15, Morecambe 26, Hull 26, Leeds 30, Ilkley 6, Scarborough 2, Matlock 18.
Holiday-making by the time these lines are printed will be about over for the present, and arrangements are in course of progress for “making up for lost time.”
Yesterday the “cages “were again in operation at the collieries, and the smoke which belched from the chimneys of manufactories testified that trade was likely to be brisk. We hope they may be a continuation of the prosperity experienced heretofore.