The Poor Laws

My good lady and I called into a local tea room for a hot chocolate this morning whilst out shopping, and got into conversation with another customer regarding a selection of the Francis Firth photographs that had just gone up on the walls. They depicted images of the town from 1940 to 1960 and we were saying how good it was to be able to look back and see how it has changed. The lady to whom we were talking was a long time resident, where we are newcomers only having been here for 38 years, was saying how sad it was when things were altered and lost forever with no record, and we agreed.

A short while later, as we wondered home, we came upon this building bearing an original painted sign of the "Registry Office" on its wall. Some person had fitted an air vent, to what now is a bar in the local Conservative Club, right through the sign taking part of it away for ever.

In times gone by, as part of the poor laws, this building was where you went to register for poor relief and the sign was an archeological remain of the towns history. It beggars belief that someone had carried this work out, without seeing what they were doing and who for goodness sake, gave their permission to but this vent there!!!