Bartle Hodgkinson

In the first of our series "Kirkham Rotarian of the Month" we showcase our dear member Bartle.  I think you will agree it is quite a remarkable story.

Past President Bartles life has been one of duty and service.  Born in 1915, during the First World War, he served in the Second World War in the Army, and then went-on to reach top positions in his professional, public and Rotary life by hard work, dedication and determination.  His Club recognized his achievements ten years ago when Bartle became a Paul Harris Fellow.  Brian Nickson was President then, and Ian Smith was District Governor. 

Bartle left his local school in 1929 at the age of 14 and, by necessity (he says), went to work in the Whittle & Turner Progress Mill, in Kirkham.  He continued his studies at Harris College, Preston, in commercial and textile subjects for a further 8 years and became Production Manager of the Progress Mill by 1939. Bartle had only married Irene a year before the war but had to join the army in 1939 and did not return to civilian life until 1946.  After the war, Bartle picked-up the threads again and went on to spend fifty-two years of happy married life with Irene until she died, sadly, in 1990. 

After the war, Bartle returned to Progress Mill as Production Manager and became General Manager four years later. This was at a time when 300 people worked there.  From then on, Bartles public life and his Rotary life developed together.  In 1960 he accepted the invitation to join Rotary and two years afterwards won a seat on the (then) Kirkham Urban District Council.  He soon became Chairman of the Finance Committee and was honoured to be Mayor and Chairman of the Council in 1969.  Rotary also put to use Bartles experience of financial matters as he was Treasurer of his Club for three years before becoming President in 1966.  In the same year, he was appointed a Magistrate, sitting at Lytham, Kirkham and Fleetwood.  He also sat on the bench with Senior Judges at Preston Sessions several times each year until being forced to retire in 1985 at the age of seventy. He is still on the Supplementary List and is able to sign documents not connected to the Courts. Bartle retired from his Council work when local government re-organisation took place in 1974 but in that same year was appointed CBI Representative, sitting on the Claims Panel at the Industrial Tribunal in Manchester.  This work also came to an end when Bartle reached seventy.

Another chapter in the life of Bartle, his family and friends began in 1970, when Bartle was 55!  Progress Mill closed with 220 people being made redundant, including his son.   The following year, Bartle recognized a business opportunity and started up a Manufacturing Unit in Sunny Bank Mill.  He bought all the equipment he needed, including 120 looms, from Whittle & Turner and took-on 45 former employees from Progress Mill.  With the great co-operation of everyone, he was in production by October of 1971 and self-sufficient by Christmas, with his products in great demand.  Bartles son went to work at Courtaulds in 1970 but came back to work with him in 1974 and took-over in 1978.

If you have ever been into Kirkham Baths, you will have seen the name of local benefactor William Segar Hodgson.  Charities still bear his name and Bartle is a Trustee of them and was Secretary and Treasurer for twenty years.  He is also still a Trustee of Kirkham United Charities.  Bartle has been a member of the Caravan Club for sixty years and is now an Honorary Member.  In between all his activities, his other hobby has been his garden.   He has a son and daughter-in-law, two grandsons and five great-grand children.