Questions about Darwen
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is Darwen famous for historically?
Darwen is famous for being home to Darwen FC, the world's first football club to have paid professional players, and for its role in the Lancashire cotton industry during the Industrial Revolution. India Mill, built by Eccles Shorrock and Company, was the most important textile building in the town. Darwen also has records in the Guinness Book of Records for one of the largest flash floods in the United Kingdom, which occurred in 1848 and killed twelve people.
Who was the world's first professional footballer and what is his connection to Darwen?
Fergus Suter, born in 1857, is recognised as the world's first professional footballer. He joined Darwen FC in 1878, the club formed in 1870 that is credited as the world's first football club to have paid professional players. Darwen FC reached the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1880-81 before playing in the Football League at the Barley Bank ground between 1891 and 1899.
When did The Beatles play in Darwen?
The Beatles played in Darwen on the 25th of January 1963 at the Co-operative Hall. They headlined an event called "The Greatest Teenage Dance," commissioned by the Darwen Baptist Youth Club. Support acts on the night included the Electones, the Mike Taylor Combo, and the Mustangs with Ricky Day.
What was invented in Darwen Lancashire?
Acrylic glass, including Perspex and Sani-ware (also called Lucite), was invented in Darwen at what was then ICI Acrylics, now called Lucite International. Spitfire canopies were also first made in the town, as were coloured polythene washing-up bowls. Acrylic glass is still manufactured in two separate plants within the town.
Why did Mahatma Gandhi visit Darwen in 1931?
Gandhi visited Darwen in 1931 at the invitation of Corder Catchpool, the Quaker manager of Spring Vale Garden Village Ltd, to observe the effects of India's boycott of cotton goods on the Lancashire textile industry. Darwen was a major centre of cotton manufacture, and the boycott directly affected the town's workers and mills.
What is the Darwen Jubilee Tower and when was it built?
The Darwen Jubilee Tower is a landmark tower on the moors above Darwen, built to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Work began on the 22nd of June 1897 and the opening ceremony on the 24th of September 1898 was attended by more than 3,000 people. The tower stands at an altitude of 1,227 feet and rises 85 feet high; from the top, on a clear day, visitors can see Blackpool Tower, the Isle of Man, North Wales, and the Furness Peninsula.