The following text is taken from the Spen Guardian 2013. A history buff is hoping the Queen will pay a visit to Heckmondwike on the 150th anniversary of a town landmark. John Appleyard, a member of Spen Valley Civic Society, wrote to Her Majesty and Princess Margaret of Denmark to let them know Heckmondwike’s fountain clock, in Market Place, was installed 150 years ago this month. And he said he was hoping to get confirmation of a royal visit to the town. He said: “I sent letters to say it was 150 years since the people of Heckmondwike raised the money by subscription to pay for the fountain. “I thought the anniversary was an historical occasio n and I thought they might be interested. It was bought to commemorate the wedding of the Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VII, to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863.King George V and Queen Mary visited Heckmondwike in 1912, and in November 1990 Queen Elizabeth came to the opening of Claremont House.It would be lovely if we could have another a royal visit and help boost the town.” The clock was originally a drinking fountain which stood on the site of an old stone platform. In 1901 Heckmondwike Council wanted to remove the fountain because of its blackened surface, the destruction of some of its finer ornamentation and the fact it had not been supplied with water for years. But people from the town disagreed, and at a public meeting the council passed a resolution that the fountain should be kept. A year later, the Heckmondwike Coronation Fund donated £73 14s 5d which they had spare, and this was used to buy the clock.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 21:44:35 +0000