THIS picture of a market building, standing alongside J.Richardson’s boot, shoe and clog maker’s shop in Waterfoot, was sadly lost to the history pages.
In this photo, taken in 1891, the buildings by the big lamp at the junction of Bacup Road and Burnley Road, disappeared with the arrival, in 1899, of the shopping arcade - the brainchild of footwear manufacturer Sir Henry Trickett.
A crowd of 15,000 gathered for the opening ceremony - as Rossendale’s MP, J.H. Maden, opened the main gates with a golden key.
Trickett’s Arcade was the only concern in the valley to produce its own electricity and the generator was housed in one of the shop windows for all to see - all a far cry from the ‘Newmarket’ we see here. We can see this was taken in the late 19th century due to the clothing worn by the gentlemen in the picture.
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