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Trip to theatre ended in drama

27/ 9/2006

A TRIP to the theatre almost ended in tragedy for the town's first citizen in 1926.

On the morning of Wednesday 24 February Rochdale woke up to the shock news that its mayor and mayoress were in hospital following a road accident.

Fortunately Councillor Harry and Mrs Helen Wycherley survived - but it could have been a lot worse.

It had been drizzling the previous evening as the civic couple left their home at Rose Dene in Manchester Road.

They were on their way to the theatre to see a production of Gilbert and Sullivan's opera 'Ruddigore.'

After reaching the Angel statue at the corner of the Esplanade they started to cross the road towards the art gallery - and were hit by a light two-seater car.

Caught by the offside front mudguard, the mayoress was knocked to the ground and left in the road with back pains while the mayor was dragged along for about 12 yards before the vehicle stopped.

He must have hit his head on the road as he was bleeding from head wounds.

Councillor Ashworth Ashworth, who had been with the couple, helped the mayor into the car which had knocked him down and he was driven to the Town Hall, the mayoress being driven there in another vehicle.

From there an ambulance picked them up and took them to the Infirmary.

At the Infirmary senior house surgeon Doctor Hunter, the matron and staff swung straight into action.

The mayor was swiftly put under anaesthetic and stitches inserted in his wounds while on examination the mayoress was found not to be seriously hurt.

Both spent a few days in hospital before being allowed home to their - and everyone else's - relief.

The town had come close to losing two of its most prominent citizens.

Harry Wycherley's working life had begun at James Duckworth Ltd.

Later he set up his own business and became the head of the highly successful Wycherley Brothers grocers and provision merchants of Rochdale and Todmorden.

He was one of the earliest members of the Rochdale Grocers' Association and was one of its presidents.

A staunch Conservative supporter, he was first elected to the Castleton South ward in 1913.

He strengthened his hold on the seat to such an extent that he was considered invincible.

Unopposed in the 1926, 1929 and 1932 elections - in 1929 he had the distinction of being the only unopposed candidate in the borough.

Councillor Wycherley became one of the most influential members of the town council, being a fluent speaker with a sharp business brain.

For more than a decade he was chairman of the housing committee and led the revolutionary development of municipal housing which led to better conditions for thousands of Rochdalians.

In addition to his sterling work there he was also a valuable member of the education, finance, general purposes and watch committees.

He was a popular choice as mayor for 1925/26.

For many years Councillor Wycherley was secretary of the Rochdale Conservative and Unionist Association.

He was elected chairman in 1929, but was forced to step down the following year because of ill health.

Nevertheless he continued his dedicated council work and was elected as an Alderman in 1933.

After retiring from his business he devoted more of his time to public work, being founder president of Rochdale Rotary Club and a prominent member of St Luke's Church, Deeplish.

The numerous posts he held at the church included being representative to the Diocesan Conference.

He and his wife donated new choir stalls to St Luke's in 1935 to mark the silver jubilee of King George V.

The alderman also presented the Rochdale branch of the British Legion with its original colour, which hung in the Parish Church.

He died in November 1941 at the age of 71.

Mrs Wycherley was a keen voluntary worker with both social and political organisations.

She was honorary president of the Rochdale Conservative Women's Association and a vice-president of the town's Conservative and Unionist Association.

But one of her greatest passions was the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, to which she gave years of dedicated service.

A founder member of the executive committee of the Rochdale Ladies' Lifeboat Guild, she was chairman and later a vice-president.

In 1952 she received a letter from the RNLI thanking her for 25 years of service.

She remained involved with the guild right up to her death in June 1957 at the age of 88.

In her will she left a legacy of £10,000 to the RNLI which helped pay for a new lifeboat.

The 47-foot Watson craft was launched at Whitehills in Banffshire in August 1961 by the Duchess of Fife and was called 'The Helen Wycherley.'