A Hadfield house was put under quarantine and Glossop’s cinema suspended shows as a dangerous disease threatened the town.

Health officials responded immediately when two siblings developed symptoms that could have been infantile paralysis.

Now known as polio, there had been cases in Manchester and Sheffield and there were fears it could have spread to Glossopdale.

With polio suspected, 16-year-old Roy Rigg and his sister Brenda, 13, were admitted to the then isolation hospital at Gamesley.

The family home in Hadfield Road, Hadfield, was placed in quarantine and Mr and Mrs Rigg advised to stay put.

Local tradesmen delivered food to the family’s garage so the family could remain in isolation.

Glossop’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr Jones, told the Chronicle that both children had recently returned from holiday and that all steps would be taken to trace anyone they had been in contact with.

Infantile paralysis mainly affected young children and what the Chronicle described as the ‘baby clinic’ at Glossop Municipal Buildings was temporarily closed.

It was early August 1947, local authorities were well used to dealing with emergencies, the country had only just emerged from six years of world war.

Popular at the time was Glossop Junior Club, the name given to the  Saturday afternoon cinema shows at the Empire picture house  on High Street West.

Dr Jones immediately said that in view of the epidemics in Manchester and Sheffield the shows should be cancelled.

Cinema-owners, the Gaumont British Corporation, expressed their ‘deepest concern in the matter and in the welfare of the children’.

On August 8, 1947, the Junior Club closed for three weeks.

Thankfully the Rigg children recovered, it was not infantile paralysis, the family home came out of lockdown and the baker started his doorstep delivery again.

The Chronicle published details of the infantile paralysis symptoms for  parents to be aware of and hygiene tips to carry out to stop their children getting it.

But were there further polio scares in Glossop in the ensuing days and months?

We will let you know next week.

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