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There was a shock in town when news broke that Burnley's Festival of Music, Drama, Elocution and Ballet, an annual focal point for all lovers of the art and drama in the North West for 27 years, was in great danger of being discontinued because of lack of funds and financial support.
Letters were sent out by Mr F. H. Dawdry the secretary of the Festival Committee to people interested in culture. It pin pointed the threat to the future of the festival and appealed for financial support.
The festival's popularity amongst competitors was certainly not in doubt and entries in 1960 were expected to reach the 1,300 mark with entries for music and ballet already having exceeded the numbers in 1959.
Exotic green, amethyst, damson and black tulip - these were the glowing colours that were used as a 'crowning glory' to hair styles shown at a charity function in town to raise money for Dr. Barnado's Homes.
The colours were used to add sparkle gaiety to the hair-dos for the twenty girl models who were described as all being Burnley working girls (use your own imagination on that).
The big night was held at the Empire Cabaret Club, Rosegrove and in front of a packed audience the dazzling evening styles were a great success with colour rinses, coloured lacquer and coloured twinkle dressing.
Over eighty people had to be turned away as townsfolk turned out to see the working girls in action.
Elocution and ballet, working girls with fancy hair dos and there was more to enjoy. Brunswick Methodist Church were staging Jack & The Beanstalk with tickets priced at 2s 6d (adults) and 1s 3d (children).
Burnley Grammar School Old Boys, needing just a little bit more money to completely fund the new school cricket pavilion had a wonderful Soccer Ball with Tom Hanson & his Band at the Mecca Dansette. Tickets were just 10s 6d.
And there was also a Grand Concert by the Municipal Orchestra at Burnley Girls High School in Kiddrow Lane. You could have a seat for 2s 6d on the main floor or for just 1s in the read floor.
There was some major advertising for people to help them keep warm during the winter months. Modern methods such as paraffin heaters and electric fires were prominent but the main theme was that you couldn't beat a good coal fire.
A man was arrested for breaking into the Empress Cinema with intent to steal. Enquiries were being made but no details were released as to what had been taken. However, there were no choc ices on sale at the next showing.
Three men in their 20s were in court for stealing rain coats. Detective Sergeant John Holden told the court that at 10:00 a.m. on the previous Tuesday he went, in company with other officers, to a garage in River Street, Burnley and recovered from there 187 raincoats and 105 coat hangers, which were identified as having been stolen from Lodge Mill.
Those raincoats were worth over £1,000 in total and ten of those stolen were not recovered. All three were remanded in custody and Mr G. J. Hacking (prosecuting) said he would ask for the men to be committed for trial at the next Burnley Quarter Sessions.
It was the last appearance of the day and everyone in court put their raincoats on and left for the day.
Presumably they had rushed home to get the tea cooked on their new gas cookers. Everyone had been rushing for them after the Gas Showrooms put on a fantastic offer of £2 off your old gas cooker when you bought a new one.
We reported a couple of weeks ago that Padiham had got itself a new fire engine, and not to be outdone Burnley got one too. It was soon called into action when a fire broke out on Manchester Road.
It destroyed the Roxy Cinema, the Candy Club and both the Porky and Coffee Pot cafes. Next door to the cafes Mrs E. M. Wadsworth had two shops and the poor lady was left with a lot of water damaged stock.
She decided upon a sale and advertised it in the Burnley Express. To her astonishment there was a massive queue before she had chance to open that were blocking the pavement on Manchester Road.
On offer were skirts at 15s, hats at 2s 6d and 5s (or for those with a bit of money the top range at £5 5s), scarves for 2s and top quality calf leather gloves for 10s.
The sale run for three days and Mrs Wadsworth said: "We have never had three days like this. Very nearly all our stock has been cleared. I could not have anticipated so many people would be interested".
In 2010, attendances at cup ties are poor compared to the number of people who go through the turnstiles for league games. In 1960 the reverse was very much the case. We'd pulled in over 35,000 for a cup replay against Lincoln and yet four days later less than 22,000 watched the First Division game against Chelsea. So in 1960 it was no surprise to see another big crowd for the cup replay against Swansea Town which Burnley went on to win 2-1.
A great fight and a hard one. It was only after half time that Burnley made sure of passing into round five with a visit to Bradford City as the next attraction. Swansea Town never gave up, and in the last ten minutes staged a revival which was only curbed by desperate defence and some agile service from Blacklaw.
Burnley were just that yard faster towards the end and their positional play posed a problem to the Swans' forwards. Yet the Town goal was a typical instance of their never-say-die spirit which won the admiration of the crowd in their non-stop endeavours to prevent the progress of the home side.
Burnley supporters had a tremendous shock ahead of the game when despite Monday's announcement that there would be no change in the side, McIlroy was found not to be fully fit.
In the first attack Pointer risked injury in collision with the boundary wall as he tried to toe across a centre from the left. Burnley's idea must have been to snatch a quick goal, but it wasn't forthcoming.
Eventually, just before the half hour, Burnley went ahead from a Seith diagonal pass which Pilkington turned into the centre where ROBSON'S gliding effort spun out of King's grasp and over the line.
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Two minutes after the half time interval Burnley went further ahead when Pointer split the defence with a long pass out to Pilkington who got the ball across. A post was hit and a terrific scramble ensued with someone - presumably ROBSON - forcing the ball over the line.
Swansea did fight back but didn't really look as though they could get back in the game. That was until NURSE scored a surprise goal for the Swans seven minutes from time when he came up to support his attack.
They never got close to a leveller and at the end the Town were given an ovation as they left the field, and it was a tribute they richly deserved. For Burnley it was a fifth round tie with Bradford City.
The teams were;
Burnley: Adam Blacklaw, John Angus, Alex Elder, Bobby Seith, Brian Miller, Jimmy Adamson, John Connelly, Billy White, Ray Pointer, Jimmy Robson, Brian Pilkington.
Swansea Town: John King, Alan Sanders, Harry Griffiths, Brian Hughes, Mel Nurse, Richard Hale, Len Allchurch, Reg Davies, Brayley Reynolds, Colin Webster, Barrie Jones.
Referee: Mr J. Powell (Rotherham).
Attendance: 37,038.
FA Cup 4th Round Replay Results 2nd February 1960
Burnley 2 Swansea City 1
Preston North End 5 Bristol Rovers 1
Watford 1 Southampton 0
FA Cup 4th Round Replay Results 3rd February 1960
Blackpool 0 Blackburn Rovers 3
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Rotherham United 1 (after extra time)
Tottenham Hotspur 13 (THIRTEEN) Crewe Alexandra 2
FA Cup 4th Round Second Replay Results 8th February 1960
Brighton & Hove Albion 6 Rotherham United 0 (played at Highbury, Arsenal)