Hindley Green Residents Association

 Local resident Ken Ellis, who for a long number of years has been a campaigner for change to the accident black spot in Leigh Rd, said at the meeting. “We have had more success through the involvement of the Hindley Green Residents Association, than there has been in a long number of years”.

The Committee members elected:

HGRA AGM 6^th May 2009
Chairman: John Vickers.
Vice Chair: Maxine Armstrong.
Treasurer: Eric Dickens.
Secretary: Debbie Birchall.

Committee Members:

Sheila Woodward.

Mike Lynch

Ivy Dickens.

Dawn Draper
Jeff Unsworth
Ken Wheeler

Two committee positions still open.

Accident, Coupland Rd: Yet another accident on Coupland Rd, Hindley Green.Picture shows a wall that was demolished in the incident on Atherton Rd opposite Coupland Rd.
A speeding vehicle went out of control and ploughed into this wall trapping the driver in the car.

There were two people in the car. The driver had to be cut free.
 

It is quite obvious that there are still areas in Hindley Green that attract speeding vehicles, Coupland Rd being one of them. HGRA will continue to campaign to bring about a reduction of vehicle speeding in these areas and to see more speed restrictions and speed reducing measures implemented.

Off road motorbikes

Now that the light nights are with us again there will be complaints about off road and unlicensed motorbikes disturbing people's peace.  
Wigan Council has just launched an initiative to prevent these bikes becoming a nuisance and it should be noted that the police and Council have strong powers to deal with them. Recently three bikes have been confiscated in the Ince area and are due to be crushed in the near future.
If you are having problems with these bikes in your area please contact the police on 0161 872 5050. The more people report a particular problem in their area the more likely the police will deal with it.

Hindley Green Roadworks work in Progress:
Atherton Rd, Hindley Green:
High friction surfacing work is due to be carried out at the junction with Leigh Rd, on consecutive Sundays commencing on 26th April 2009.  Temporary traffic signals will be in operation for the duration of the works.  
Leigh Road / Smith’s Lane, Hindley:
A junction improvement scheme including the provision of new traffic signals commenced on Wednesday 18th February 2009 at this junction for 12 weeks. Temporary traffic signals may be required during off peak periods.
Other Scheduled Work includes: Atherton Rd/Leigh Rd Crossings.
Crossing outside Tesco.
Smiths Lane Traffic Lights / Pavements.
Traffic Island, Long Lane.
Proposed Pegasus Crossing - Leigh Road, Hindley Green
As part of the Highways Capital Programme 2009/10 it is proposed to install a 'Pegasus' type equestrian, cyclist and pedestrian crossing facility on Leigh Road (near to the junctions with Russell St and Halesfield) in Hindley Green.
The proposed crossing will link Section 10 of National Cycle Network Route 55 (Leigh Road to Howe Bridge) that is currently under construction with the proposed Section 7 that will link Section 10 with Amberswood Common and the rest of the network. 

Flower tubs have been placed outside some of the local shops by Cllr Bob Brierley to help brighten up the area along Atherton Rd.
The cost of the tubs has been paid for from his Brighter Borough funding.

Wigan received its first visit from the Queen in 23 years.

Her Majesty and Prince Philip helped celebrate the 50th birthday of Heinz's Kitt Green factory and then travelled across the borough to officially open Leigh Sports Village on the morning of Thursday May 21st.
The Queen and Prince Philip arrived at Wigan North Western Station on the Royal train and then completed their Wigan & Bolton tour in the official car accompanied by a security motorcade. 

Very brief history of "The Bethel Church"
This information relates to the site on Atherton Rd, Hindley Green at the top of Leigh Rdwhere the Bethel Community Centre stands.
Today it is occupied by the Family Church @ Bethel.
Bethel United Methodist Church Hindley Green was originally known in the early days as Hindley Common Church.
The church began in 1865 and the Church & Sunday school were offshoots of Brunswick Methodist Church which was in Leigh Rd, Hindley Green.
Today known as Hindley Green Methodist Church.
The church was founded in1865 in the house of William Meadows in Coal Pit Lane.
George Elliot offered his small shop on Atherton Rdfor use as a Sunday School.
The floor had no floor boards & no stone flags. The people stood and knelt on the bare earth.
On the 1st Sunday 10th Sept 1865, there were 58 people attended in the morning and 87 in the afternoon.
On the 2nd Sunday, 17th Sept there were a total of 160 persons attended.
Eventually the shop became too small, so there was an appeal for money to build a new Church.
John Thomason appealed on behalf of United Methodist Free Church.
Charles Abbott of Swan Laneloaned his barn  for Sunday school address.
In 1866, Lomax & Griffiths of Platt Bridge were employed to do the building ( A small brick building ) and on the 23^rd July 1866, the foundation stone was laid. The building cost £250 and took 13 and a half mths to complete.
In 1871 – 72 the school began to give way because of land movement caused by the nearby pits. The Church was declared unfit for worship. 
Thomas Kirkpatrick and Sons cotton mills offered a room in the mill in Atherton Rdto be used as the Sunday School and Church. The Church stayed in this room for 1 year.
Early pioneers of the church at Bethel
Aaron Kirkpatrick, Thomas Palin, John Hodgkiss, Rev Charles Edwards. John Thomason.
Because of the damage, the last meeting was held in Church at Bethel on June 22^nd 1873 .
A legal wrangle took place between the Bethel trustees and John Speakman, who at first, refused to accept liability for the damage.
Eventually, after a very expensive law suit and a 4 day trial in Bolton Town Hall, John Speakman was forced to accept full responsibility for the damage and erect a temporary building of wood ( Described as a lovely looking Doric style building, which was eventually clad with zinc tin.
Because of the many different buildings that had been used for the Sunday School and Church.
Cottage shop, Small brick building, Hindley Green mills, Wooden Chapel
Various names emerged for the Church, name such as: Noahs Ark, Silver Chapel, Tea Caddy, Top-o-th-Sands and United Methodist Free Church.
As the church numbers grew, it became obvious that this building was not sufficient for the size of the congregation. 
Finally the church stewards did a deal and sold the wooden building to Westleigh Mill for £120 and it was dismantled in 1882.
A new brick church was built at the cost of £1,315. 16. 6, the foundation stones being laid on 4th November 1882.
Further wrangles with the Swan Lane Brick and Coal Co took place as a result of damage to the Church. A shaft was sunk 30 yds from school and caused further damage to the school. 
Finally, after much aurgument and court dealings in 1896 the matter was settled.
In 1901 a new pipe organ was installed.
The church had many problems over the years.
In 1905 the foundation began to give way again.
On two occasions the building was struck by lightening and on another occasion damaged by stormy weather. 
The church celebrated its Jubilee Celebrations on Saturday & Sunday 30th & 31st October 1915.
The church building was eventually demolished about 1971.
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More detailed account can be found in Leigh Library
History of Bethel United Methodist Church Hindley Green from 1865 to 1915. Compiled by Geo Short and Chas Bowen. 

A more detailed account of the History of The Bethel can be viewed on the HGRA Website, along with numerous pictures by kind permission of Wigan Heritage Services.
  
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