Towers, treatment, trouble

DARWEN parish council meet on Tuesday night - I think - to decide how to pursue the Friends of Darwen Tower for having the temerity to flog about 20 models of the Tower which the council had abandoned some five years ago and left to gather dust and grime in the garage of a former councillor. They also flogged another 25 which the FODT's new chairman Harold Heys paid for out of his own pocked. He told me. "Apparently the group had been trying to sort out the bank account for three years. It was time we got a move on. We're non-political. The council should try it." I say Tuesday, but I'm not sure. And neither is anybody else I've spoken to. The item isn't on the council agenda, which seem to be handed out like Platinum credit cards but I'm told it's probably a cunning plot to keep the row under the radar. It will probably be heard in the secretive Part 2 when Press and Public are barred (an occasional Telegraph hack and, say, two or three kids who see this as the height of political sophistication. Bless!). Criticism isn't welcome and always gets short shift.
The FoDT were thinking of paying for another dollop of Towers. And then just the rubbing down, filling, polishing, and painting to do. Harold was bowled over in the initial rush and the models all went inside three hours. But it was a helluva lot of work and the slagging from Roy Davies has zeroed enthusiasm all around. * Walkers had reported that the state of the much-loved 120-year-old Tower was a concern and several local folk and groups immediately offered to help if it became necessary. Money, time, experience and graft were all on the table in just a couple of days. * BwD Council have the final say but they don't have any money or they might have spent a few quid on a few flowers in the local parks. I won't even mention the state of the old cemetery. Perhaps next time. I'm told the last item on tomorrow's meeting is a gathering of The Parks Committee! Might last, what, 20 seconds… * Once the row dies down and the lawyers disappear into their offices the FoDT might find some renewed enthusiasm but it's not looking likely. Harold is laid up with an infection which is rather a worry. He told me: "Some councillors might knock this sorry saga on the head. I really don't care. I've heard nothing officially. DTC don't rate on my list of priorities at present."
Incidentally, the parish council website is still useless. It tells you nothing. Bit like a few of the members who have little or nothing to offer. One or two have too much to say. Remember the For Darwen Party, responsible for kicking it off and then leaving us with an expensive mess we can't escape from? Aye.
Thanks, fellas. HARRY NUTTALL

Towers: Group faces legal action from Lib-Dems

IT started as a way of giving Darreners some memorabilia to stick on their window bottom or mantelpiece and has ended up with a heated row.

Darwen town mayor Roy Davies has been on his high horse threatening legal action against the friends of Darwen Tower who have sold over 40 elegant, cast aluminium models of the Tower, some of which had been abandoned by DTC five years ago and left to gather dust in a former councillor's garage.

It must be just about the biggest political clanger by the Lib-Dems in years, apart from the disgraceful sacking of the previous mayor, Councillor Brian Taylor (Labour), in a lightning coup back in May..Neither the Labour group nor the Tories have rallied behind Davies as townsfolk have been in uproar at the threat of legal action which could be costly.

Harold Heys, chairman of the FoDT, says: "Roy knew we were selling about 40 Towers. He was at our recent meeting when it was discussed. He says he told us not to sell the Council's original batch as they didn't belong to us. No one else at the meeting can recall this. I certainly can't. If he had I would have immediately challenged him. DTC had virtually abandoned the castings about five years ago.

"I had thought of either getting another 18 or so Tower made to replace the ones they had had made years ago or giving them around £700 from sales of Towers. But in view of the threat of legal action we will keep our powder dry. No one realises how much work went into this project. We haven't made much. We sold them very cheaply."

As news of the threat went around town folk were incensed that the Lib-Dems were threatening a hard-working voluntary group who had taken over what they had apparently abandoned and made a real success of it, forking out close on £1,200 to buy another 25 to sell.

The general theme: As if they didn't have enough to worry about with the state of the town and especially the market.

Mr Heys had planned to show one of the models at a local quiz he is running at Darwen Heritage Centre on Tuesday (Sep 26), but all 40 went inside three hours on Wednesday evening. "It was chaos," he said. "But everyone who got a Tower was thrilled to bits." None are left.

Everyone is asking: "Will there be any more?" Says Mr Heys: "The tremendous response had left us to seriously consider making another 50 in time for Christmas. But not now. We have lost interest. Perhaps the Council will get some made but they have had five years to do summat and done nowt, so I doubt it. Members of the parish council are too busy scoring points and playing party politics."

Cast aluminium Darwen Tower models: £55

EVERYONE is always complaining about the almost total lack of Darwen memorabilia. But now the Friends of Darwen Tower have come up with a limited number of cast aluminium models of the tower which are sure to sell out quickly.

The group arranged for a couple of dozen of the models to be especially made. They have been painted in the same gold-bronze that now adorns the Boer War lion at the Circus and come with an elegant turned-wood base and numbered information card.

Dave Owen, who has had a hand in the production, says: "Apart from a few special edition plates there has been very little Darwen memorabilia

Darwen Heritage Centre is staging a Darwen photo quiz next Tuesday (September 26, from 6.30pm) and a model will be officially launched there. Anyone interested can contact Harold Heys on (01254) 702144. 

. The Friends won't be making much profit out of them. They cost about £50 to produce and are being sold for just £55 on a first-come basis." Each model weighs about 5lb. and would grace any home or office.