Lancashire nostalgia in 1981: Market protest; Stiles and Kelly out; and automatic cat wash

Traders in battle to keep old fish market

Angry traders have launched a campaign to preserve a part of Preston... and their jobs.

Stallholders handed a 2,000-name petition to the town’s Mayor - the first major step in a protest against any change to the old outdoor fish market.

And retailers on the covered area, no longer used by fish traders, are to lobby councillors and organisations like the Civic Trust for their support in the campaign.

Fears grew among traders after Preston Council invited tenders and designs for possible development of the site - a listed building.

Customers were asked to add their weight to the protest by signing the petition which was presented to the Mayor, Coun Mrs Doris Scorcroft.

“The livelihood of many stallholders will be lost if development is allowed to take place on this market which is, after all, one of the few remaining sites in the town with Lancashire character,” said bookseller Mr Christopher Pearson, a members of the Preston Old Fish Market Traders Association.

Another trader, Mrs Clara Knight, said: “Already a lot of character has been taken out of Preston.”

Preston North End call time on managerial duo Stiles and Kelly

Preston North End - relegated to Division Three last season - have sacked manager Nobby Stiles and his assistant Alan Kelly.

England World Cup hero Stiles and ex-Republic of Ireland star Kelly will probably pick up about £50,000 compensation between them.

Club vice-chairman Trevor Hemmings made the announcement after informing Stiles and Kelly at Deepdale.

The decision was reached by the directors at a board meeting the night before.

Chairman Alan Jones who could not see Stiles and Kelly because he was representing the club at the Football League’s annual meeting at London’s Cafe Royal, said: “I believed that we could have waited a little longer because the players will probably not return to begin training for next season until June 29.

“But it was felt that it was unfair to Stiles and Kelly to keep them in limbo.

“It was also felt it would not be right for us to decide to sack them and then to seek another manager behind their backs without telling them of out decision.

“Now we have ended all the speculation about them.”

Stiles joined the club as a player from Middlesborough for £20,000 soon after the start of 1973/74 season.

Kelly helped Stiles guide the club to promotion from Division Three in 1978.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Last week we looked at archive pictures from 1980

Soggy moggie Jamie takes an impromptu automatic cat wash

Jamie the cat got in a right lather when she nestled down for a nap in a washing machine. For the soggy moggie was only rescued after a 30 minutes shampoo in a hot wash in the automatic.

Housewife Mrs Gillian Freestone spotted the family pet through the glass in the front loader.

“It took 90 seconds to reprogramme the machine and for it to empty. It was the worst 90 seconds I can remember - and there was just nothing I could do,” said Mrs Freestone, of Hall Carr Lane, Longton, near Preston.

Jamie slipped into the washer while Mrs Freestone gathered the rest of her wash load. “I shoved the clothes in the machine and turned it on. I went upstairs to put the children to bed, then had a sit down before I came back into the kitchen to make a cup of tea,” said Mrs Freestone.

She could hear Jamie but couldn’t find her.

“For some reason I looked down at the washer - it had stopped but I saw something move.

“I thought it couldn’t be Jamie, but she was looking at me through the glass,” said Mrs Freestone.

Jamie got a gentle rub down with a towel and plenty of fuss from nine-year-old Richard Freestone and sister Kaye, seven.

“It is amazing that she survived. I am surprised she didn’t have a heart attack.” added Mrs Freestone.

“She keeps glaring at me but it was her silly fault.”