St James Street commenced with

St James Street commenced with Sutcliffe's Chemists, taken over by Meads when the chemists on Yorkshire Street was demolished. It was during that the skeleton of a child was discovered buried under the cellar floor. Then the old established family bakers, Horrocks, whose bread, teacakes and pies were well-known. Dick Newman, who formerly worked for Heyworth fruitier in the town centre buildings, opened a greengrocers shop next to Horrocks.

This was followed by Entwistle Milliners. This shop had an ironwhich spiral staircase in the middle of the floor. They sold everything from a corset lace to a pair of curtains. After that Priestley's newsagents and printers who owned the "Bacup Times", the local weekly paper which began in 1865.

The next shop was E J Barnes, haberdashery (another church organist), and then J W Law, butchers, and Booth's newsagents, and another butchers, Heyworth's Then there was a sweet shop followed by Holden's cycle shop, where one bought paraffin oil as well as had accumulators charged up for wireless sets. Mrs Holden, a tall gaunt lady, usually served in t he shop.

The Holden's also owned Bacup Motor garage in South Street and ran a taxi business. Next door was Holt's Ironmongers, in premises formerly the Masons Arms, and then an old-established pork butchers, Whites, run by Arthur and his sister. It is not long since Arthur died. The end shop was the Neptune Fish Mart, later taken over by W Shelton, whose son Arthur has a similar shop in Union Street.

Many lads made a bit of money by acting as newsboys for local newsagents. Papers came by train in those days and had to be brought on a handcart to the newsagent's shop, sorted put into news bags and delivered in that particular newsagent's area, all before school -- and this must not cause one to-be late lines had to be 'written out. The evening papers came by train at 5.40pm when the same procedure was carried on, except at this time the newsboys all carried extras and advertised this by shouting as they went from door to door "Telegraph or Chronicle". Saturday saw the local paper, The Bacup Times" printed at the Times Office in King Street.

This had to be collected by the newsagents. Saturday night was the night of the "Pink" with all the day's sporting news. This was brought to the local offices where about a dozen men and hoys all seemed to emerge about 7pm each Saturday evening, summer and winter, shouting at the top of their voices "Last Pink" as they made their way to the street and
so to the boundaries of the town.

Up until 1911-1912 the river on the opposite side of the road was uncovered by 1912 work had been completed in covering over the river shown right in order to flag the area ready for the erection of the Maden Memorial.

The memorial designed by Kirk Patrick of Trafford Park was made of Aberdeen Granite and was erected in September 1912 and moved to Stubylee park in 1923.

The Conservative Club shown in the background of the picture right was erected in 1894 today it is only two storeys but at the time of it's build it was built with three storeys. Next to the Conservative Club stood Irwell Terrace Baptist Chapel which was built in 1896 and demolished in 1977.

In front of Irwell Terrace was a row of shops at the time this picture was taken these shops were occupied as follows the end nearest the Mechanics was number 2 William Glasgow, furniture dealers, At number 8 was Cockerills outfitters. Number 10 was Frank Harrisons Barbers shop the pole can just be seen. The tallest building number 12 was the Royal British Legion.T he end shop number 20 was John Tinner Taylors Ironmongers.

On either side of South Street the cast iron parapets of a bridge were to be seen with Bacup's coat of arms decorated on them. These were made by Barkers foundry which once operated out of what is now the Empire theatre. Only one part of the bridge remains now this is on the right hand side looking up South Street.

Between South Street and Lumb Scarr from the South Street end there was Whittaker's fish and chips, Eastwoods, cake shop, a sewing machine shop. The last shop was Bacup's first electricity showrooms shown right.

Behind these shops at the bottom right side of South Street was Sowerbutt, a shop described as hard-ware etc. later to become Isaac Crabtree's shoe shop. A door or two higher up was a public house that had lost its licence, and round a little corner Bracewell's fish and chip shop.

Across the road from George Street was Pickup Street and Smith Street which was also known as Smiths Brow. Pickup Street was demolished on January 11th 1973. The new Employment Exchange on Gladstone Street pictured right was built in 1930.

Venture Street came under the eye of the Borough of Bacup clearance act of 1958 when it was decided that numbers 17 17A - 25 were to be demolished this being carried out in 1959.

Back onto St James Street and in 1923 it was decided by the Town Council that some improvements should be carried out in the centre of town to widen roads etc. The Maden Memorial was moved to Stubylee Park and the buildings fronting St James Street were demolished and the river covered over. The area was surrounded by railings a telephone kiosk installed and trees and shrubs planted. The gardens were opened to the public on the 15th February 1926.