A dozen weeks or so ago we ran a photograph of an outing from Todmorden’s Fountain Inn, when suits and ties were the order of the day for those heading out for their big day.
Over the intervening weeks we have had some feedback on the photograph from readers including Mick Wrench and Paul Guest, and can say more about the occasion and put more names to faces.
Mick thinks it was the first time the pub ran an outing to the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, which was to become something of a tradition.
Trevor Mackriel, who is on the photograph and did much to promote rugby league in the town, helping form Todmorden ARLFC, was probably the instigator of a pub custom that became so successful, he believes.
There are still a few names missing and a couple of doubts about others (indicated with a question mark where there is a doubt over either a first or surname), but the picture is much more complete. From the left are Bob Uttley?, ? Marshall, Norman Dixon, Ronnie Marshall, Ronnie Coulthard, Barry Cox, Mick Wallender, who is half hidden behind Tony Ratcliffe, ?, Bob Brierley, Alan ?, Bill Smith, unknown behind him right at the back, Bill Doran, Ken Whitehead, Bev Pickles, ? hidden at the back, Terence Marshall, Malcolm Holroyd, possibly Ted Duffield stood up at the back, Malcolm Lord back at the front, ? almost hidden, Michael Wrench with Terry King half hidden next to him and Francis Richardson right at the back, John Westall at the front in the shortie overcoat.
Next to Francis Richardson at the back is Trevor Mackriel while looking over John Westall’s shoulder is Todmorden cricket legend Harold Dawson, ? next to Harold and on the front row, David Sutcliffe at the back next to Trevor. Of the final four figures pictured a second David Sutcliffe is half hidden behind ? and, on the front row, Harold ?. Tom Lord is on the right.
The picture was loaned to us by Mrs Hilda Smith, whose husband Bill is at the centre of the photograph. They ran Patmos Fruit Stores in the town for many years. Licensee of the pub for two decades from 164 was Dennis Tomkinson who ran it with his wife Brenda and Paul, who came to Todmorden in 1963, recalls that Dennis’s brother-in-law Bob Whitworth was the previous licensee.