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Stanley Road, its continuation – Aberford Road and the side street – Greenhill Drive as far as I can tell, was an area which was central to the story of the Wakefield Bagnalls. |
This cinema was built by William Bagnall and is mentioned in the article by Necia Potter below.
| The Star Cinema (from http://welcometowakefield.org.uk) |
The Rex as it was in 2004
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See also Moorvilla below.
This piece was written by Necia Potter and features on the Commanet website
| A postcard of men working on Wakefield Cathedral spire |
William Bagnall was a prominent builder of Eastmoor and was responsible for much of the property. He lived on Stanley Road for a period and when the Cathedral spire was repaired Mr Bagnall was asked to go up and make sure the repairs had been carried our correctly. |
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This photograph shows the Co-op on Stanley Road but the house on the extreme right was where William Bagnall lived for a period. The house front was altered just prior to the 39/45 War when Stanley V. Potter changed the bay window into a shop front for his electrical business. Although the Buildings are now pulled down the tree still stands which was in the garden of the house with bay window. About 1912 Eastmoor got it´s own entertainment when William Bagnall built the Coliseum on Stanley Road just across the road from where he lived. In 1933 sound was installed and the name was changed to the Star. Eastmoor residents had there own cinema until 1959 by then its name had changed to the Rex. Since then the building has been used as a Bingo Hall, Dance Hall and is now a billiard hall. A programme for March 1957 gives forthcoming attractions like "The king and I" and "Don´t Knock the Rock" with Bill Haley. |
Photo courtesy of Commanet. |
| Another photo of Stanley Road from the 1920s. |
Stanley Vere Potter was the son of the manager of the Empire Theatre in Kirkgate and trained as an electrician with the Tram Company. When he married Gladys Godwin they set up home at 108 Stanley Road. Stanley set up his own business building and selling radios and charging batteries. He converted the bay window into a shop front. The business had to close in 1939 when war broke out. Stanley, being a skilled electrician had to work repairing public transport. In the Kellys Directory of 1922 in the "Wakefield Private Residents" section was listed "Bagnall William, 108 Stanley Road". This was not far away from his brother Harry at 19 Stanley Road. |
See also The Coliseum, also known as The Star and The Rex cinema on this page.
In the 1881 census, John and Mary Ann are listed as living on Stanley Road.
Bagnall Street (or as it is shown on the 1907 map "Bagnall Road") sadly no longer exists. Mary Hanscombe, a past resident of Bagnall Street and current resident of Eastmoor, was kind enough to send me these recollections:
Bagnall Street had 14 houses that is 7 each side, the odd numbered side was Bagnall Terrace and the even numbered side was Bagnall Street, it was not a through road as the back gardens of Greenhill Road cut across the top of the street, all the houses had 2 bedrooms and the outside toilets were in a row at the end of the terrace.
A compulsory purchase order was put on the street and everyone was rehoused into council houses, My mother lived at number 14 and she was the last one to leave when all the other houses were empty and I know this was in 1973, after that the street was demolished.
The city engineer may have taken photos of the street before demolition. (RB: Indeed the website www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk (type "greenhill" in the search box) shows some old photographs of houses on Greenhill Road before they were demolished)
The picture on your website of Stanley Road with the Co-op and the bay windowed house, well Bagnall Sreet was just to the right of that up an unsurfaced road.
Bagnall Terrace was at the north side of Bagnall Street as shown on the 1914 map, there seems to be 9 houses on Bagnall Terrace but there was definitely only 7 on our side of the street being numbered 2 to number 14.
When my family lived in Bagnall street in the 1960s and early 70s the Co - Op store on Stanley Road was still there and just to the right of it was the Post Office then to the right of the Post Office was a big house with stone steps leading up to the front door and a bay window, the house had a long back garden with a high wall surrounding it and a big tree in the garden, this house was at the bottom left of the entrance to Bagnall Street and it is the only house which seems grand enough to be named Moor Villa. If you visit Wakefield you will see Kev's fish shop on Stanley Road and that is where Bagnall Street went up and the tree was still there but I don't know if it is now I will look next time I pass there.
I have been to the Rex Cinema many times and if you look on the 1914 map for the Butchers Arms public house which is still there today well the Rex Cinema now the Rex snooker hall was built just north of the Butchers Arms situated aprox the rectangle that is numbered 137-5.
The Post Office was to the left of Moor villa the postmaster Mr Thewlis lived in the big house and when you went in the Post Office the door bell rang and Mr Thewlis came out of a door inside the Post Office from the house down about 4 steps to serve you behind the old fashioned counter, this could have been the radio shop you mentioned but it was definitely attached to the house and the Co- Op was to the left of the Post Office I used to shop at the Eastmoor Co-Op and used the Eastmoor Post Office regularly.
I remember seeing 'Gone With The Wind' at the Rex Cinema, not on it's release may I add but a few years later when it was doing the rounds again.
You mention Rawling Yard I must say I have no recollection of it at all but I have a lot of books about Wakefield and I looked at the book'Aspects of Wakefield 3' because it has a list of all the yards in Wakefield and it said Rawling Yard location Greenhill Road and that's all.
You are right about Bagnall Street being the Easterley 7 block the other block of 6 houses had been demolished probably in the 1930's because there was a shop built there facing Stanley Road called Billy Price's it was a newsagent and barber's shop combined.
The sign for Bagnall Terrace still exists and is owned by Tony Bagnall in Wakefield. I haven't met Tony yet but I would dearly love to buy it from him or at least photograph it!
You can see maps of the Eastmoor and Bagnall Street as they change over time.
'Bagnall Harry, 19 Stanley road' listed as private resident in a trade directory for 1922.
In the 1892 & 1904 Wakefield Commercial Directory is listed "Bagnall Brothers, builders, 78 Stanley road"
From the 1901 census, we know that in 1901, John lived on Stanley Road, perhaps the house was at 78 Stanley Road where they were listed in the 1891 census.
On the website welcometowakefield.org.uk the writer describes Stanley Victoria Club:
STANLEY VICTORIA CLUB, Aberford Road/Lime Pit Lane - now known as 'Grove Park' and privately owned. Originally it was an all-stone building being part of the Colliery undertaking associated with the Deep Drop Colliery owned by Messrs. R. Hudson and Company and was probably used as office accommodation and stores, It would be built in the early part of the 19th century.
I remember in the early 1930's this club having a Bowling Green which was not always in good condition due to being flooded after heavy rain. Water would settle and often, during a rainy spell, it would be unfit to play on for lengthy periods. The secretary of the club in 1922 was Alfred McDonald. At this time part of the building was used to stable horses belonging to a builder named Bagnall who also kept materials in the yard.
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This is how Stanley Victoria Club looked in 2004: |
Rawling or Rawling's yard was just off Stanley Road, close by the Rex cinema, Greenhill Road and Moorvilla. It is no longer there.
In a trade directory of 1887 "Bagnall Bros. (Jno.) bldrs. & cntrctrs." Are listed at "Rawling yd. Stanley rd"
From the 1891 census, we know that in 1891, Thomas and Hannah lived at 18 Rawling Yard (off Stanley Road).
In the Kelly's commercial directory 1908 is listed "Wakefield Commercial Bagnall Bros. builders, Rawling's yard, Stanley Road"
In the Kelly's directory of 1908 in the "Wakefield Commercial" section are listed "Bagnall Bros. builders, Rawling's yard, Stanley Road"
In a 1992 directory in the "Wakefield Commercial" section is listed "Bagnall William, builder, Rawling's yard, Stanley Road
In a trade directory of 1887 in the "private residents" section is listed "Bagnall Mr Thomas, Greenhill road"
Richard Barker wrote to me recently:
From an email by Richard Barker who was enquiring after Bagnall Buildings:
"Quizzed an older local resident abt Bagnall Buildings he hadn't heard the name applied to a terrace of houses but informed me that a Mr Bagnall built & lived at 174 Aberford Rd (situated between 2 of the terrace blocks) & that Mr Bagnalls son later lived at this address."Also, my cousin, Pamela Brockbank gave anecdotal evidence of 174 Aberford Road being perhaps built by a Bagnall and lived in by a Bagnall(s)
Could this then also be "Ivy Bank, The Grove" as mentioned in the following items?:
In a trade directory of 1922, George Bagnall is listed as a councillor for Outwood: "Outwood SUDC Stanley Ward George Bagnall"
George Bagnall listed in a directory as a private resident at Ivy Bank, The Grove".
George Bagnall was chairman of Stanley Urban District Council, living at Ivy Bank, The Grove, Stanley
'Bagnall Geo. Bldr. Ivybank, The Grove' listed in directory.
George Bagnall listed in directory as member of the Council in Outwood for the Stanley Ward.
'Bagnall Geo. bldr. Ivybank, The Grove' listed in commercial directory.
Rowland W Bagnall listed as a private resident at Ivybank, The Grove in directory.