Arnold Singer
Chairman of Aspull Urban District Council 1962-63, 1969-70
b 1926 Middlesborough
Parents: Sydney and Nellie
m 1953 Crosby to Gladys Walker (died 2001)
d 1994
Children: A daughter and two sons
Arnold’s father was an Insurance Agent but in the 1930’s answered a call to study for ordained ministry. Serving curacies first in 1938 at Kirkdale followed by Crosby. Whilst living in Crosby Arnold attended Waterloo Grammar School and in 1941 joined the Crosby boy Scouts, both experiences would lay the path for his future career.
Owing to wartime shortage of “manpower” he soon found himself leading both the Scout and Cub Scout troops at Crosby, rapidly learning to take responsibility for dealing with people, leading groups and gaining organisational skills.
On leaving school in 1944 he joined the Royal Corps of Signals as a wireless operator serving initially at the War Office before being posted to Poona. Whilst serving in the Army he retained his interest in scouting, visiting local troops when on leave and on transfer to Poona he led the 1st Poona Scout Troop. Following demobilisation in 1947 he returned to Crosby and took over the Crosby troop.
In 1948 the family moved to Wigan when Sydney Singer was appointed curate in charge of St John the Baptist, New Springs (St John’s was a chapel attached to St David’s Church Haigh at that time).
Scouting
Arnold re-formed the 17th Wigan (New Springs) Scout Troop. In 1957 he led a troop of scouts from Wigan, St Helens and Ormskirk attending a jamboree in Sutton Coldfield celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Scout movement. He was appointed District Commissioner of Scouts for Wigan and was active in encouraging the growth of the movement in the area. In 1963 he was awarded the medal of Merit and in 1984 was awarded the Silver Acorn for twenty five years’ service to scouting.
Employment
His working life began as assistant to the Personnel Manager at H J Heinz Standish Factory where he was the first secretary of the ’57 Club’. He studied Industrial Administration at Wigan & District Mining and Technical College. In 1952 he joined a firm manufacturing accounting machines and later became branch manager of a firm selling peripheral computer equipment in Liverpool and Manchester. In 1970 he joined the National Computing Centre as a consultant.
Politics
Interest and skill in debate started at Grammar school and then in the Army were he led several discussion groups debating mostly war issues sponsored by the Bureau of Current Affairs. He became interested in social issues and on moving to Wigan joined the Labour Party. At first he was a collector in New Springs Branch before becoming secretary. In May 1954, aged 27, he was elected to Aspull UDC. As the only “outsider” – the other 8 members being “genuine Aspull” people - it took time to become established and listened to. However, when he was returned unopposed at the next election, three years later, he felt he had made his mark.
He had a keen interest in finance and took over as chairman of the Finance Committee when the previous chairman resigned in 1965. He also served on Division 13 Education Committee of Lancashire County Council and General Purposes Committee. He was Chairman of Aspull Urban District Council twice. One of his best achievements, shortly after becoming chairman of the Finance Committee, was to reduce the rates through a reorganisation of the Council’s finances and investments.
He first became chairman of Aspull Urban District Council in 1963/64, was appointed a magistrate in 1968 and served as chairman again in 1968/69. In 1973 the local branch of the Labour Party proposed him as a Parliamentary candidate for the Westhoughton constituency, of which Aspull was part, but he was not selected by the constituency Labour party.
Following reorganisation of Local Government in 1974 he stood as one of three representatives for the new Aspull-Standish ward and was top of the poll. He was appointed chairman of the Education Committee and appointed to the Finance and General Purposes Committees.
Following reorganisation of Local Government he was prominent in re-organising schooling in the new Wigan Metropolitan Borough which had inherited a large number of Victorian primary schools and a mixture of Comprehensive and other forms of secondary education.
In May 1978, in a shock defeat, he lost his seat on the Council to a conservative candidate Mrs Judy Wild but following the death of Aspull Councillor Harold Lowe he was re-elected with a substantial majority in a bye-election in July that year.
Both Arnold and Gladys were members of St John’s Church New Springs were Arnold served as Church Warden and Sidesman. Gladys taught at New Springs Infant School and was Divisional Commissioner of Girl Guides in Wigan.
In 1983 Arnold retired from local politics and moved to North Yorkshire were, with his wife Gladys, he ran a bed and breakfast in Arkletown in Arkengarthdale. A nearby water-splash became famous as part of the opening sequence of the BBC’s “All Creatures Great and Small” television series.
Whilst in Yorkshire Arnold and Gladys maintained their links with Aspull and later returned to live in New Springs were Arnold died in 1994 and Gladys in 2001.
By: Peter Walker, Volunteer, Wigan Local Studies
Sources:
Biographical Cuttings Indices
WO 27/9/1957 Bk7 p47 Appointed District Commissioner Wigan Scouts
WO 25/10/1963 Bk 7 p144 Awarded Medal of Merit Boy Scouts
P&C 20/12/1968 Bk7 p 240 Councillor & Magistrate – 1st Wigan Oldest Troop 60 years
P&C 4 Jun 1969 Bk 7 p247 Councillor & Magistrate – Chairman elect Aspull UDC
WO 9/2/1973 Bk 8 p107 Prospective Parliamentary Candidate – name put forward by Aspull Labour Party.
P&C 9/8/1973 Bk 8 p127 Chairman new education committee
P&C 20/4/1976 Bk8 p227 Profile
WO 15/7/1978 Bk 9 p237 Back on Wigan Council
WO 30/11/1983 Bk 11 p52 Not seeking re-election in May
WO 5/4/1984 Bk 11 p87 Awarded Silver Acorn 25 years scouting
WO 3/4/1986 Bk 11 p269 & Gladys – Well known Wiganer at home among the Dales
Local Cuttings Indices
P&C 5/12/1975 Bk XIV p268 Schools
P&C 26/9/1977 Bk XVII p63 Retirement Teachers
P&C 7/7/1978 Bk XVIII p13 Re-elected
P&C 22/6/1979 Bk XIXp56 Civic costs
P&C 23/6/1983 Bk XX p206 Standish Flooding
P&C 20/9/1986 Bk XV p114 Local cuttings