History of Onchan -
A Noble Occasion Picture Gallery

A Noble Occasion

The School Road Recreation Ground in Onchan came into use during the summer of 1924 having been created over a twelve-month period. The land upon which the playing fields were created had been purchased in 1922 by the commissioners as part of the land which went with Hawthorn Villa, now their offices.

The playground was levelled and facilities provided thanks to a grant of £1,000 from the Henry Bloom Noble Trustees. Henry Bloom Noble was a rich entrepreneur who died in 1903 and as part of the Centenary Celebrations in thanks for his life and good deeds the commissioners decided to hold "A Noble Occasion" on the afternoon of 5th July 2003. This was a village fair event with 22 local clubs and societies having stalls to help raise funds for their own purposes.

In the absence of the Board Chairman, the Vice-Chairman Mr Howard Parkin welcomed the public of Onchan to "The Rec" by which name the recreation ground has been affectionately known for many years. Present also were the two current H.B. Nobles Trustees, Mrs Clare Faulds and Mr Peter Farrant.

After a brief history of the site read by Mr Parkin, the trustees were invited to unveil a plaque at the Nursery Avenue entrance gates. This now officially records the gift of 80 years ago

Unveiling of the Plaque

Left to right: Gordon Astill (Chairman of the Leisure and Amenities Committee), Mr Peter Farrant and Mrs Clare Faulds (H.B. Noble Trustees) and Howard Parkin (Vice-Chairman of the Commissioners) at the unveiling of the plaque.

The Plaque

The anodised aluminium plaque as produced by Photocast Products of Walton, Liverpool.

Clown

Local butcher Chris Burns in his clown outfit flanked by Adrian Earnshaw MHK and Commissioner Maurice Kennaugh.

Juggling

Claire Symes gives a demonstration of juggling whilst Chief Minister Richard Corkill and his wife Julie can be seen in the background.

Treasure Hunt

Members of the public participate in treasure hunt organised by the Onchan Branch of the Royal British Legion.

Onchan Silver Band

Members of the Onchan Silver Band work hard during the hot Saturday afternoon.

Onchan Horticultural Society

Business was brisk at the Onchan Horticultural Society stall.

Mothers Union

Members of the Mothers Union on duty at their stall.

Cup of Tea

A well earned rest and cup of tea for some of the large crowd of supporters at the event on a perfect afternoon.