WHEN I was a small boy in Great Harwood in the late 1940s and into the 1950s, it was a very rich and thriving cotton town with approximately 22 textile mills. There was the Oxo food factory and two slipper factories employing not only Harwooders, but many people from surrounding towns.

The Co-operative Society stores were prominent, not only in the town centre, but on the corner of nearly every street. This was equivalent to any supermarket of the present day.

There was the added bonus to every customer of the dividend shares for those who patronised the Co-op stores. But also in the midst of this bulk of shops there existed many well-established businesses, not only competing, but enjoying the same prosperity and there was still room for expansion. Even in those days of food rationing and low wages, there still existed a very strong economy.

Also at that time it was traditional for many families to go to either Accrington or Blackburn on weekend shopping trips. In fact, many of the businesses in Great Harwood closed for half day on Saturdays and the town centre would be almost deserted.

With the advent of the motor car, supermarkets sprouted up in the suburbs attracting large crowds from town centres. This caused many of our small businesses to close.

All over the country the problem has become a national crisis. It has become the policy to reverse this situation by building supermarkets in the urban areas to attract people back to town centre shopping. The people of Great Harwood should have the right to the same shopping facilities as those in Clitheroe and Accrington to sustain and improve their town centre. The proposed Safeway store will not only bring a much-needed service to our town, but also much-needed jobs to a town that has been in economic decline for the past 20 years.

We have also to consider our future need for decent nursery places for people with children who want to work but find it impossible to find a place locally. Even without the superstore, these needs are going to be essential and we have only one bite at the cherry.

As for the recreation ground, this has been a dog toilet for years and the controversy about the covenant land has been suitably addressed without loss of any facilities.

Without change, we have very little future and those who want to take a retrograde step have vested interests and stand to gain.

The people in Great Harwood have given the councillors a mandate and they should respect 88 per cent of any vote, coupled with a 2,000-signature petition. They should do their utmost to respect their wishes.

DAVID FORSHAW, James Street, Great Harwood.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.