| Nelson | |
  Nelson shown within Lancashire |
|
| Population | 29,000 |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| District | Pendle |
| Shire county | Lancashire |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NELSON |
| Postcode district | BB9 |
| Dialling code | 01282 |
| Police | Lancashire |
| Fire | Lancashire |
| Ambulance | North West |
| UK Parliament | Pendle |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| List of places: UK • England • Lancashire | |
Nelson is a town in Lancashire in North West England with a population of around 29,000. It is the headquarters of Pendle Borough Council. Nelson is located 4 miles north of Burnley, 24 miles east of Preston, 28 miles north of Manchester and 30 miles west of Leeds.
Contents |
History
The town was originally two villages, Little Marsden and Great Marsden. However, the advent of the railways in the late 19th century resulted in the new town of Nelson being given its town charter by Queen Victoria. There was already a Marsden on the railway network in the neighbouring county of Yorkshire, so the new railway station was called the Nelson Inn, Great Marsden, after the adjacent public house, the Lord Nelson Inn, from which the town of Nelson also derived its name.[1] It grew up as an industrial town in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its economy being mostly based upon the textile industry (mainly cotton weaving). The textile industry has now sharply declined, leaving the town with high unemployment. It was also associated with the production of confectionery, including Jelly Babies and Victory Vs. The package holiday company Airtours (formally Pendle Travel and now part of Thomas Cook) began life as an independent travel agent here. The town is also home to Nelson F.C., who were Football League members from 1921 until 1931 and since then have played in the lower semi-professional leagues. Cricket was extremely popular in the town during the inter-war period, and Nelson Cricket Club enjoyed the services of Learie Constantine, the great West Indian Cricketer. After the war, Constantine was involved in public service and politics in both his native Trinidad, and in the UK. In 1969 Constantine became the first person of African descent to be given a life peerage, being created Baron Constantine, of Maraval in Trinidad and Tobago and of Nelson in the County Palatine of Lancaster. Extreme left wing politics in the town led to it being labelled "little Moscow" by both the local and national press. Indeed the Nelson Leader ran the headline "Moscow Calling" during the lockout of 1928. There was significant Communist Party influence in the town both pre WWI and between the wars, although never as powerful as the Labour Party. Leftist politics was well established in the town before this period however, and in fact before the formation of the Labour Party. When the Labour Party came to power in the town they responded to local political feeling by placing utilities such as gas, water etc, under the control of the municipal council. This was of course many decades before the nationalisation of such utilities after WWII. The council also built over 800 high quality council houses, with pleasantly landscaped surroundings and most with excellent views of Pendle Hill under the 1924 Housing Act. These Council houses formed part of a "Stock Transfer" to a Housing Corporation approved entity called "Housing Pendle" in October 2006. The council also refused to participate in celebrations for King George V's silver jubilee in 1935, saying that they would rather spend public money on free dinners for school children and the jobless.
Governance
Nelson was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1890. During the 20th century, in common with many mid-Lancashire mill towns, it suffered population decline, with a figure of 39,500 in the 1911 census slowly declining to 31,000 by the 1971 census. Under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974, it became part of the non-metropolitan district of Pendle, along with other settlements. [1] Nelson forms an unparished area with no separate town council; a consultation was conducted in October 2006 which is expected lead to a town council being set up in 2008.[2]
General
Despite being home to a much larger South Asian community than adjoining Burnley, no "race riots" have occurred here. The British National Party gained a seat in the 4 May 2006 local elections in the borough. Brian Norton Parker took the Marsden Ward of the town, ousting a Labour candidate by 80 votes. Pendle Community Radio commenced broadcasting on 103.1MHz FM in September 2007. Licensed by Ofcom as a distinct community radio service, it aims to target the borough's Asian Muslim population, of which a significant number reside in Nelson. The town centre is often criticised for being shabby and having a poor retail offer. This is mainly due to the fact that many residents shop in the large nearby town of Burnley as well as the recent development of superstores and mill stores on Nelson's fringes. Nelson is now the home to many (mainly Polish) East European immigrants and Nelson is now beginning to get people into its town centre which is usually bustling with people. Actor and star of BBC TV series Life On Mars John Simm was brought up in Nelson. The office of Saj Karim (MEP for North West England) was located in the town centre of Nelson. In December 2007, Mr Karim defected from the Liberal Democrats to the Conservative Party and closed his office.
References
Notes
- ^ Nicolaisen, Gelling & Richards, The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain, p. 140
Bibliography
- Nicolaisen W. F. H., Gelling M., & Richards M. (1970). The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain. B. T. Batsford Ltd. ISBN 0713401133.
