HARRY HARTLEY – 26th July 1918 – 12 October 2010
1910-1945
-
Born at 26 Garstang Street and lived all his life in Burnley until called up in 1939, returning to Burnley in 1946 and spending the rest of his life in Burnley and Wheatley Lane until his death in 2010.
-
Although qualifying for a place at Burnley Grammar School for Boys, his parents were unable to afford the termly fees and costs.
-
On leaving secondary school, he worked for the Co-Op as a Dairyman delivering milk with his beloved horse, Bess.
-
Harry attended Whittlefield Methodist Church from an early age; became a Sunday school teacher ( his name was listed as a teacher in the 1938 Diamond Jubilee church celebrations brochure ); was a staunch supporter of the Methodist Guild movement; and under the influence and encouragement of long serving leaders of the church – especially James Quirk and Harold Greenwood – felt called to be a local preacher. Harry became an accredited local preacher in 1939 after passing written and oral examinations and a trial sermon.
-
Through his church connections, particularly the Guild meetings, he met his future wife, Joan, who attended Accrington Road Methodist Church, and was also a staunch church worker. They married at Accrington Road Church on 5th August 1944
-
On call up in 1939, Harry joined the South Lancashire Regiment and initially trained at Oswestry as a Physical Training Instructor. Whilst there, he attended the local Methodist church, preaching in the locality when he was off duty.
-
He was posted to Nigeria as part of the West African Frontier Force. He was stationed in a town called Jos which happened to have a Methodist missionary based there. Harry offered his services to them and spent much of his spare time working there and at the leprosy hospital nearby.
Methodism
-
After his return from West Africa, Harry resumed his work as a local preacher where together with his wife, he played important roles in both Accrington Road Church and Methodism wider afield. At Accrington Road he was Sunday School Superintendent, and also the formal education secretary of the North Lancashire District of the Methodist Church for six years, and a member of the Connectional Day School Committee.
-
As stalwarts of the Methodist Guild movement Harry and Joan acted as ‘Hosts’ for many years.
-
They were both champions of the Methodist Missionary Society and helped to raise money for the work. Harry tells the tale of how he managed to bring Gladys Aylward – the woman who was the real life inspiration for the Ingrid Bergman role in the film ‘Inn of the Sixth Happiness’ – to Burnley to work for a week with young people.
-
In 1979 he was presented with a certificate in recognition of his 40 years as a local preacher, although he continued to preach until well into his eighties.
Teaching Career
-
On release from military duty with the rank of Lieutenant, he decided to train for the teaching profession, graduating from Didsbury Training College in Manchester in Principles and Practice of Education (children aged 9 – 15); Health Education; English Usage; History; and Physical Education, in 1948.
-
He returned to Burnley and spent the rest of his working life teaching in Burnley and Wheatley Lane until his retirement in 1982. He began teaching at Stoneyholme Primary School where he learnt his ‘trade’ including how to deal with plagues of rats living in the school cellars! After stints at Wood Top, Towneley Technical High, and Lowerhouse, he was appointed headteacher of Wheatley Lane Methodist Primary School in October 1965. He remained there until 1986.
-
On his appointment, he decided to move house and live in the village. He was a strong believer in community involvement and helped to develop the strong ties between the school and church. During his time, the school grew from 60 to 200 pupils and also had two extensions. He also presided over a thriving PTA who helped support the setting up of a brass band in 1976 – quite an innovation in those days.
-
On his retirement in 1986, he couldn’t stay away and carried on helping children in a voluntary capacity to read and enjoy books. At the time the headteacher said, ‘He’s just wonderful. It’s not just the reading he teaches, but understanding and expression. The children are very fond of him and so are the staff’.
-
He finally ‘ retired’ aged 86!