A COMMUNITY clean up in Outwood was among the articles published in the Radcliffe Times 50 years ago.

On Thursday, April 11, 1968, the paper announced that, for the second time within a matter of weeks, members of the Radcliffe public have taken the initiative into their own hands and in a joint operation cleaned up part of their neighbourhood as a contribution to the “Operation Springclean.”

After appeals to the authorities for action had proved ineffective, residents of Outwood turned out in force to clear tons of junk and accumulated rubbish from an open area near their homes.

The day-long operation started after Councillor Arthur Scholes toured the area asking for volunteers.

One of the helpers Pauline Hill, of Elm Avenue, said: “When we first came to live here, the land was a nice clear area for the children to play on.

“But then people started using it as a tip; they dumped everything bar the kitchen sink there.”

With the site now cleared Mrs Hill said she would like to see the land levelled and perhaps grassed over.

Cllr Scholes said: “This is the second time that people have shown themselves prepared to work to tidy up their own area.

“This is an eloquent answer to recent public criticisms that people are not interested enough in the appearance of the town.”

A second article published on April 11, 1968, announced that several queens had attended the Bridge Methodist “Queens at Home” held in the community centre.

Queen Diane Rigby presented each of the sixteen queens with a memento of the occasion. A total of 250 people attended.

A social evening followed with Maureen Thomas singing and Harry Firth and his band providing the dance music. The MC was Jack Wright.

Our picture shows the queens, some of them wearing the latest styles in crowns made from newspapers as part of the fun and fames of the evening.

Finally, the Radcliffe Times published that a report on “the seven worst primary schools” in the Whitefield, Radcliffe and Prestwich educational division would probably be sent to the county chief education officer and to then MPs Denis Coe and David Ensor.

It came after a six strong sub-committee visited “the worst” primary schools on Wednesday, February 28, 1968.