LETTERS PAGE 2006
FERRYBRIDGE COOLING TOWER COLLAPSE
I was interested to read the correspondence on the Ferrybridge Cooling
Towers Collapse in the January issue of the Digest magazine. At
the time, I was Publicity Manager at Pollard Bearings in Ferrybridge and
my department was situated in Riversdale House (subsequently demolished
and replaced by the Computer building). On the late morning of 1st
November 1965 - a very bright but extremely windy day - I was returning to
Riversdale from the main office looking directly at the colling towers and
noticed what I thought was a peculiar shadow on one of the towers. I
quickly realised that it wasn't a shadow but the jagged edge of what
remained of the first tower to fall.
Both my late father, Claude Battye, and my late elder brother, Ted Battye,
worked on the cooling towers site and I was naturally alarmed as to
their safety. I immediately went to the site in my car, but was stopped
by security people from entering. On explaining my concern for my
father and brother, I was told that everyone had been accounted for and
had been sent home. I then went directly to my father's house and received his account of events.
He was the Wages Officer for the contractors (Kiers I believe), and was in
his office, aware of the extremely high wind with loose items being
blown around and a loud noise as the wind swirled between the towers.
Suddenly his door was flung open and one of the workers shouted to him, "Get
out Claude, the towers are coming down". (At that time I think
only the first tower had collapsed, the others fell later in the day). He ran out to where the rest of the site workers were gathered,
located my brother and after a head count went home.
When the first tower fell, my brother, Ted, a steel fixer was working on
another part of the site. The reason there were no fatalities or
serious injuries he explained, was that there were no workers either on
or inside the tower at the time and when it fell it imploded, with all
the massive chunks of concrete, etc. falling inside the tower.
As a postscript to the events of that memorable day, a few days later, in
much calmer weather, again walking to my office and looking at the
remaining complete towers, I noticed what looked like small objects on
the top of one of them. Then one of the 'objects' moved and
bent down and I realised that they were 'steeplejacks'
walking on the rim of the tower inspecting it for damage. I
marvelled at how anyone could have the nerve to do such a job at such a
height!
Robert Battye
10 January 2006
A MORBID SENSE OF CURIOUSITY
It has been some 33 years since I left Knottingley, moving down to Nottingham
where I still live. I remember well first moving to Knottingley as a
ten-year-old from the North east in 1966 when my father obtained
employment at Kellingley Colliery. We moved onto the Simpsons Lane estate
(93 Sycamore Avenue) where I first attended Simpson's Lane Junior School
before moving on to Knottingley Secondary School (or High School as it was
to become). I do know that when I moved to that school in 1967 we were the first 1st
years at the school (as far as I can remember) and now, almost 40 years
later, a morbid sense of curiosity makes me wonder whether this is
remembered in Knottingley, or more precisely by the school, and I wondered if there were
moves afoot to remember or celebrate this is some way.
I have on occasion passed by Knottingley (and even more occasionally passed
through it) in the last thirty odd years, once even calling in at the
school to find a number of 'old' (even more ancient now!) teachers still
working there and graciously being shown round the school by Mr. Bailey
who, if my memory serves me correctly, was by then the head master. It
seemed quite strange to recite to him the names of former classmates and
friends only for him to be quite familiar with the names due to the fact
that their children were now pupils at the school!
I have quite fond memories of my time in Knottingley (no doubt coloured by
my being a child/teenager at the time) and now even more often especially
as I head into the second half century of my life I find myself wondering
what became of the rest of my peers - Christine Allen, Lynne Brocklehurst,
Lynne Malpass, George Gardner, Rob Nuttall and Paul Minto, to name a very
few. Likewise, others who I used to pal about with out of school - Pete
Frain and Carol Parr for instance, who both used to live nearby. It
would be great to hear from anyone who remembers me, knows any of those
mentioned or were members of 'Pomfret' form at that time.
Michael Miller
19 January 2006
BIRTHDAY PRESENT
Being a new reader to your magazine, (we didn’t find out about it until we had
occasion to go to Pontefract just before Christmas), my son decided to buy
all the back issues as a birthday present which I have found very
interesting.
I was born in Knottingley in November 1925 to John Edward Scott and Beatrice
Scott in Aire Street and we lived in some little cottages standing back
from Backhouse’s bakery. They must have been very small as they were
only two stories high. They had a metal stairway at the side and we lived
in the first house up the stairs. Mam used to sew canvas bags with a big
crooked needle for the farmers when bagging peas etc. I cannot believe Mam
got a lot for the sewing. I was the third child as I had an older sister Margery, a brother John who
died young, and then myself, but our parents went on to have five more
boys and another girl Hilda.
I cannot remember when but we then moved to a bigger house on Island Court
behind the Palace cinema. I remember going to Ropewalk School when I was
about three, and all the children sitting on chairs in a square and one
girl was the hen and we all walked behind her flapping our arms and making
noises like chickens.
Moving
on we then got a house in Aire Street facing Backhouses bakery. Next door
lived the Tunningley’s. I remember Alice taking me on the bus to Leeds
to see ‘Mother Goose’ in pantomime – a treat I can still remember to
this day.
We used to walk miles to Womersley or Kellington with Mam pushing the pram to
go pea pulling. One of the biggest farmers for this was Mr. Beevers who
would often come into the field on his horse which used to scare the
children to death. When we got tired of pulling peas Mam used to make a
ring of the full bags and we used to have to sit inside and keep watch
over them as they wouldn’t pay out until the field had been done as some
people who had got fed up would go home. When they arrived in the middle
of the afternoon there was always a mad dash to get weighed in. I
liked it best when they were pulling peas further afield. We were told to
be outside the Cherry Tree for 7am and a low back truck would come and
every one got on. The children would stand at the front looking out over
the roof of the cab and the women would all sing songs. Two I remember
well were 'Oh Play to me Gypsy' and 'Carolina Moon'
– those were happy days!
Dad worked at Bagley’s glassworks and also Fairburns the builders. Many a
time I saw him pushing a handcart round Knottler. When we lived in Aire
Street he had the keys for Backhouse’s on a Sunday night and if we were
lucky we would go in with him and he would light the fires for Mr.
Backhouse. I can remember the smell of the fruit was something I will
never forget. I wonder if any of the other older readers can verify that at the side
entrance of the Palace where we used to queue up, as long as we had a
clean jam jar you got in free on the first two rows? You couldn’t move
your neck when you came out! I cannot remember if it was a regular thing
or just a one off.
Well I had better close this now. If you think there is anything worth printing
out of it I don’t mind. If not I have enjoyed living the past again with
no regrets. We did move to Grove Cottages and Cattle Laithe, but that is
another story.
Mrs F. Pawson (nee Scott)
25 January 2006
CITY SPONSORED WEBSITE
I really enjoyed your site, and thought it was a city sponsored website or
something, did not know it was just a hobby. You've done an
excellent job. I discovered a lot of info I was unaware of about my
ancestors, and it helped tie the family to Knottingley (I was unaware from
which town the Gaggs's had moved before coming to Howden and Bridgegate
House). I also contacted Ron Gosney who kindly gave me the
transcriptions on the monuments/stones at St. Botolph's, where many of the Gaggs's are buried,
and verified my connection to Knottingley which I discovered through ancestry.com
I have a question; does Knottingley Manor still exist or was it torn down?
I believe the Gaggs's owned it for a time in the late 1700s through mid
1800s. Why did Mrs Gaggs put it up for public auction when she
died, instead of leaving it to my ancestors, her cousins? I am also
descended from the Carter family of the area too (Howden/Goole and your
area) that owned the brewery. I am working on their genealogy and
will send you a copy when I finish enough of it.
Are you aware of any other remaining vestiges of these families in the area? a
charity, monument or inscription? a pub? a beer label? I
wonder what their beer label looked like? Are there any
photos in archives of the families? I understand the Carters are
still around and own a castle somewhere in Yorkshire. How would I
get in touch with them? I looked on the internet, but did not find
any address for the residence, just some photos and a tour guide.
Thank
you for your great website.
Taylor Kirsch
30 January 2006
STEAM RAILWAY MEMORIES
In the days of steam hauled trains, it was the local train-spotters dream for
some maintenance to be required on the East Coast Main Line or the
Doncaster to Leeds Central Station route. Usually
this occurred on a Sunday, during which time all the main line expresses
were diverted through Knottingley along the branchline via Askern, known
locally as the 'top line'. The poor quality photographs included here, of two A3 class locomotives, were
taken with a Kodak Brownie 127 during such a diversion, at a point known
as the 'bridges' where the roads or cart tracks lead to the fields and
lime quarries south of the railway line.
Quite a collection of 'Pacific' type and former LNER express loco's could be
seen throughout the day including the Mallard and Flying Scotsman etc.
There were rarer loco's such as the ones shedded at Haymarket (Edinburgh)
which rarely worked south of Newcastle. These included A4's 60011 'Empire
of India' and 60024 'Kingfisher'. The latter derailed its front bogie
wheels at Walden Stubbs after hitting some cattle that had somehow found
their way onto the line. This was evening time but the news travelled fast
and quite a few lads raced towards the scene on their bikes. It was
perhaps as well that several fields were situated between the derailment
and the closes vantage point.
The top line was always frequented by several train-spotters on summer
evenings to see what was referred to as the twenty-past-eight 'namer'.
This was usually a gleaming Pacific recently turned out of Doncaster Plant
and hauling a goods train at a very sedate pace. Very often these were
Haymarket shed locomotives and were considered as 'cops', a phrase used
when first seeing a loco. All were underlined in the Ian Allen Loco
Spotters Book, which contained all the numbers and which every boy carried
in his back pocket. My
personal recollections of 'cops' were 60035 'Windsor Lad', 'Tudor Minstral'
and 'Sun Chariot' - all named, I believe, after classic horse race
winners.
Ken Rhodes
3 February 2006
THE PALACE CINEMA
Thank you for publishing my recollections of the Palace cinema. My sister has
recently come to visit us here in Sydney and brought the December issue of
the Digest as well as the earlier issues with Terry Spencer's articles.
I was also interested in the poem from J.W. Dunning in the October issue. As
he claimed to be a projectionist at the cinema in 1952 I must have met
him, as my father did not sell until late 1953. I remember a young male
projectionist, perhaps named John or Jack, so I guess it must have been
him - although I don't recall a Scottish accent. I wonder if he, or
any other former staff, will respond to my article. It would be
interesting to compare memories.
Keep up the good work with the Digest!
Robert Wood
5 February 2006
SUMMER HOLIDAYS DURING THE 1950s
Summer holidays during the 1950's seemed to be endless. It consisted of
trainspotting, bird nesting and numerous other activities where the local
lads visited the Knottingley quarries, surrounding villages, woodlands and
countryside. One such day took a gang from Knottingley on a bike ride to Smeaton Craggs and
Brock o' Dale Woods. The bikes can be seen dumped in the hedgerow. Usually
armed with bottles of pop (or water depending on finances) and a few
sandwiches, the gangs would set off somewhere for the day. The photographs
show a gang on one of these outings.
6 February 2006
HARVEST TIME
May I be allowed to correct a couple of small errors made by Ian Swift in his
'Memories of Knottingley 1947-1957, which is featured on the Knottingley
website and also appeared in the February 2006 issue of the Digest
magazine. Firstly, may I point out that hay was not cut at harvest time - it would have been
any one of several cereal crops, wheat. barley or oats. These were cut by
a machine called a binder, drawn by two horses when I was a lad and later
by a tractor. This machine tied the cut crop into sheaves ready for
stooking. The person doing the stooking would pick up two sheaves, one in each hand, and
carry them to where they were to be stooked. Lowering the cut ends of the
sheaves to the ground they would place a leg between the sheaves to keep
them apart, whilst the eared ends of the sheaves were brought together and
persuaded to balance and stand alone. The next two were placed next to
them and so on until eight sheaves had been put in place and the stook was
complete. Depending n the weather, these stooks were left standing in the fields, sometimes
for several weeks as the ripening and drying process carried on. The next
step was to lead the sheaves on carts and trailers into the stack yard
where they were built in to stacks - hence the name for the yard.
In due course the threshing machine would arrive - not a combined harvester
as stated by Ian Swift. The threshing machine was indeed driven by a belt
and I can just remember when this belt went to a steam traction engine
which drove the said machine. The bailing machine was separate from the
thresher but stood behind it collecting and bailing the straw. Everybody
must be familiar with the sight of a combined harvester going round and
round in a harvest field enveloped in a cloud of dust, one man driving the
machine that does everything except bale the straw. The coming of the
combined harvester revolutionised this branch of farming. I can remember the thresher coming to the farms of both George Downing,
who's farm was at the top of Common Lane, near what used to be the bus
terminus, and the farm of Mr. Garnett, who's premises were on Englands
Lane. From farm to farm the steam traction engine towed everything
including the engineman's living accommodation.
Sorry for going on a bit but the people who can remember such things are getting
fewer in number each year.
Kenneth Burden
7 February 2006
CINEMA AND FILMS 1940's - 1950's
It was interesting to read of Mr. Ian Swift's childhood in Knottingley and a coincidence to see the photograph of his grandfather, Mr Swift, the commissionaire at the Crescent Cinema, Pontefract, the same month as the
cinema series started in the Pontefract edition of the Digest.
The Star Cinema Group owned the Crescent Cinema at that time and the badge can be seen on Mr. Swift's cap. The advert sheet behind him showed the film was 'Neptunes Daughter', starring Ester Williams and Red Skelton, an aquatic musical made in the late 1940's. The musical featured the song 'Baby it's Cold Outside'. Mr.Swift would not have realised it at the time, and for that matter neither would anyone else, that these film promotion advertisements would in the future become very collectable and sell for at least $600-$900 a time. The advert picture 'The Kid' with Charlie Chaplin, seen in the February issue, went for auction at Sotherby's in 1992 at the asking price of between $12,000-$15,000. They have certainly been worth saving.
Norman Blackburn
12 February 2006
DANCING CLASS MEMORIES
I would just like to thank you for the prompt delivery of the Digest. My sister and I really enjoy reading it and we were really surprised to see we were mentioned in the December issue, Focus News, for January 1971. It
was so interesting reading it but sadly Ethne is no longer with us but we had lots of happy times with Miss Greens Dancing Class. Do any of your readers remember going to her classes? She was a good teacher.
I was also interested in Nigel Huby’s ‘Growing up in Knottingley’, especially his granddad having a fish and chip shop. As I read it reminded me of how I did the self same thing helping my mother at Morley Fisheries.
I used to fetch fish from Castleford on Saturday’s as during the war they only delivered fish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It brought back lots of happy memories of the days before I went on the stage.
Mr and Mrs Driver, who had a fish shop on Womersley Road, had a son, David, and one Christmas he was Joseph and I was the Virgin Mary in our school play which was a laugh as we were both from fish and chip shops at the
time.
Regarding the Picture Palace and the memories of Robert Wood, I remember him well. It is so nice to be able to keep up with all the news from Knottingley – the memories come flooding back as people write about their lives in the town. Thank you once again.
Marjorie Dearman (nee Kellett)
15 February 2006
SCULPTURE HOUSE FIREPLACE
After recently reading the Knottingley and Ferrybridge edition of the Digest, I was prompted to inform you that I was living at Sculpture House when the fireplace was removed. I would have been aged about seven at the time and I am now 83 years old. A Mr. Tommy Sides, who at one time was Mayor of Pontefract, owned the house and it was he who employed my father, Sydney Wise, at Carter’s brewery in Knottingley, which gave us the opportunity to rent the house. My mother informed me that the fireplace was sold by Mr. Sides to an American gentleman and was shipped out there. I don’t know the address, but that is what I understand to be the case. Mr. Roger Ellis’s grandmother was quite right in her assumption.
It may be of interest to know that my father came from Ripon and walked from there to Byram Park Estate, seeking his father and brother who were lumberjacks working for Sir John Ramsden who lived at Byram Hall. In his search he was directed to Knottingley where he understood his father and brother were lodging. He mistakenly knocked on the door at the household of a young widow named Mary Wilcock who had three children. Sydney was immediately smitten by Mary and so he decided to stay on in Knottingley where he found work at Carter’s Brewery. He and Mary were eventually married and I was their first-born child, followed by my sister Margaret (Peggy).
During his time at Carter’s, my father was sent to Goole to manage a public house called, by strange coincidence, the Sydney Hotel, where he stayed for a year. After his time at Carter’s, my father became a self-employed coal merchant and the family moved from Knottingley to Sutton Lane, Brotherton. I remember my father delivering coal from Brotherton to Boroughbridge and the surrounding areas for one shilling a bag.
Whilst living at Sutton Lane, I met and married Roy Eaton who was the only son of Percy and Mary Eaton, the licensee’s of the Punch Bowl Inn, Brotherton. We had two daughters; Diane, followed two years later by Helen.
Sadly, in July 1944, Roy, an airman in the RAF was killed in action. I married a second time to Ronald Daniel and we had two children, Andrew and Christine. I trust that this brief story will be of interest to the readers of your
excellent publication.
Barbara Daniel (nee Wise)
22 February 2006
NAMES OF THE TOC H REVELLERS
The
names of the Knottingley Toc H Revellers, as ‘Hill Billies’ on the
front cover of the February Digest are as follows. Front Row: Peggy
Lowther, Jean Sarvent, Jimmy Cartwright, Mary Rainer, Alice Spence. Back
Row: Bill Brooke, Bill Lucas, Joan Gill, Benny Cartwright, and David
Pearson. The same people feature on the photograph on page eight of that
same issue, with the exception of Benny Cartwright.
These names were given to me by Mrs Joan Gill who was in the chorus of the Hill Billies’
Mrs J. Norton
22 February 2006
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE TOC H REVELLERS
With reference to the TOC H Revellers on the front page of the February 2006
issue, I think the gentleman lying down, and also featured 3rd from the
left on page eight, is Mr. Sammy Cartwright who lived in The Croft,
Knottingley. I can remember him entertaining at concerts in the
Congregational Schoolroom playing the ‘spoons’ or ‘bones’. The
gentleman on the extreme right in both photographs is Reverend E. Sunter,
the Minister of the Congregational Church (now the United Reformed Church)
in The Croft. Reverend
Sunter and his family lived in The Manse, Marsh End, which I believe is
now an elderly peoples care home. Mrs Sunter was a nurse, and they had two
children - Graham and Julie. Graham was a great schoolboy friend of my
brother, John Coward.
Reverend
and Mrs Sunter were great personal friends of my parents, Mr. John Coward
and Mrs Hilda Coward. My father and mother served the Congregational
Church at Knottingley in various capacities for many years. I
remember Mr. Sunter’s involvement in the Toc H movement, and I believe
their Knottingley Headquarters were in The Croft. The
Sunter family left Knottingley in the 1940’s and moved to Warwickshire
where Mr. Sunter took up an appointment as Minister to a group of
Congregational Churches near Rugby.
Edward Coward
22 February 2006
A VISIT TO MY BIRTHPLACE
On Sunday 19th February, myself and my husband Pete, decided to visit
Ferrybridge, where I was born in June 1945. We travelled from Coventry and on our arrival went into
the newsagents shop where the people were really helpful. I was born at 'Sunnybank', Doncaster Road, Ferrybridge. My mother was Nellie
Hewitt and my father Syd, who worked at the Humber factory. My brother
Graham was seven years old and they were staying with a Mrs Draper at the
above address.
Mrs Draper and my brother Graham
Mrs
Draper had a daughter called Amy Calvert, who lived in Linden Close and
had two sons, Clarence and Stanley. When I was about 15 or 16, me and my
mother went to stay with Amy and Clarence at Linden Close. The
gentleman in the newsagents phoned a lady who he thought might be able to
help us find where I had been born and also the address in Linden Close.
We went to visit a Mrs Joan Wood who invited us into her home even though
she was busy serving dinner. She
remembered Stanley and pointed out the address I had stayed at in Linden
Close and we then managed to find Sunnybank on Doncaster Road. We took
some photographs and also found the church of St. Andrew, where I had been
christened, as well as the old school my brother attended the two years he
was in Ferrybridge.
I was only six months old when the family moved back to Coventry as the war
was over. My father died when he was only 45 and my mother died aged 93 in 2001.
It was lovely to visit the place I was born and to find the people so
friendly and hospitable. I wonder if there are any local people, who will probably now be aged about
90 years or more, who remember the family from that time?
Myself and my husband Pete would like to say a big 'Thank You' to everyone who
made my day so memorable.
Maureen Gibbons
27 February 2006
AN AVID READER
I became a reader of The Digest purely by chance in December 2005. Having
spotted the issues on a shop counter I decided to buy one and picked up
the Pontefract edition. My husband asked if I wouldn't be better
buying the Knottingley edition, which is the one I thought I had picked
up! Later
that evening I opened up at the middle page to see a Ropewalk School
photograph and was shocked to see myself (Margaret Moore) sat there behind
the Headmaster. I have never seen the photograph before but was
delighted to be able to reminisce for the next few days - Mr. Roebuck
walking out to school assembly, sometimes with the cane; Mr. Copping my
form teacher; Mr and Mrs Barton. Mrs Barton took sewing and needlework classes and once, when I had trapped my
finger in the school bus door, she dressed my wound every morning. Mr.
Kaswell took music lessons and Mrs Wordsworth took P.E., where we wore
navy knickers with a pocket in. I
remember the white line in the hall where naughty children stood and the
classical music playing in assembly, which I hated then but find tasteful
now.
On to the January issue which I couldn't wait to get, and I discovered a
photo of Christine Emmerson, now deceased, whose mother is the neighbour
of my mother-in-law. I duly showed the photograph to her mum to be
told that it was 18 years to the day since Christine had died. It
seemed fitting that she was brought to mind.
Keep
up the wonderful work and maybe one day in the not too distant future, on
one of my usual Saturday trips to 'Hill Top' I will bump in to some of
those other faces on the photographs.
Margaret Moate (nee Moore)
01 March 2006
CRYSTAL AERATED WATER WORKS, FERRYBRIDGE
In issue no 31 of The Digest magazine -
Knottingley Edition, there was an article relating to a bottle found in
Pontefract Lake. I have 2 codd bottles with marbles in the neck; one is
BROWN & KNIGHT the other is BROWN & HAIGH, both same address 'THE
CRYSTAL AERATED WATER WORKS, FERRYBRIDGE'. They were purchased in
1962 and I wondered if anyone could tell me anything about them.
Bob
05 March 2006
YORKSHIRE AREA BRASS BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS
The weekend of the 4th and 5th March 2006 hosted the Yorkshire Area Brass Band
Championships where Knottingley Silver Band played in the 1st section and
were delighted to finish fourth beating some very good former championship
section bands on the day. A similar result next year will see us once
again challenging for a place in the top flight - the Championship Section
(the Premiership of Banding!) The result was all the sweeter as we
didn't feel we played to our best on the day.
We are still looking for players and urgently need an assistant principal
cornet and a second trombone.
Garry Pearson
11 March 2006
ROYAL KILTIE JUNIORS 1950's
I read with interest the postings concerning the Royal Kiltie Juniors where
I once played, later joining the Dinah Dee all girls band during the early
1950's. In
November 2004 I requested that anyone wishing to contact me do so. I live
in Charlottesville, Virginia. My e-mail address has now changed and
it would be appreciated if somehow it could be made available to your
readers. I would love to hear from some of the old gang.
Joan Hargreaves Cabell
Cabell (at) Adelphia.net
11 March 2006
KNOTTINGLEY FEAST
In the 1950s I lived at Burlington House in Aire Street. As a young boy I can
remember the Knottingley Feast that came every year onto the Flatts and
also the combined Club Outings to the seaside. I wondered whether anyone
has any photographs of the Feast because I have never seen any. I have
also not seen any photographs of the coaches that would line up along Aire
Street, ready to take the children to the seaside. Maybe
readers would care to submit anything that they might have to the
Knottingley website or the Digest magazine in relation to the above two
items of interest.
Roy Stone
17 March 2006
KNOTTINGLEY POLICEMEN
I have recently come across the Digest magazines for Pontefract, Knottingley
and Ferrybridge and wondered if you might be interested in the following
photograph of my father and two constables taken outside Knottingley
police station in the 1920s. My
family consisted of my father, Richard Whiteoak Stokes and his wife (my
mother), older brother Jack Stokes and my younger brother Arthur Stokes
who was born at the police station in 1926. He later worked for
Knottingley Council in the financial department.
Sergeant Stokes and constables outside Knottingley Police Station in the 1920s.
Select the image for a larger view
When my father retired from the police force in the 1920s, we moved to Hill Top, next door to Mr. Jackson Morris, whom I believe was headmaster at Ropewalk School.
Marjorie Peatfield
18 March 2006
DRY CLEANERS HILL TOP
I can remember the dry cleaners on Hill Top but nobody seems to share my
memory. What happened to the people who ran it? Also,
where are all my friends from Ropewalk School. My name is Lynn King (nee
Brocklehurst) - where are the other Lynn's from my year? I was born
February 1956 so went to the Church School in Ropewalk in 62/63? I'm 50
years of age this year and would like to find people from my era.
I remember a young boy on calipers in our school and also having to walk to
a hut for our school dinners from our first school Ropewalk. I can't be
the only one surely?
Lynn King
2 April 2006
THE ARCADE, HILL TOP
I am curious about the Arcade at Hill Top. I know it was built to
replace the Aire Street shops but when did this happen and which were the
original shops on Hill Top when it first opened and which shops now stand
in their place. I remember shops like Dewhurst Butchers, Granada TV Rentals, Woods, the Job
Centre, the Chemist and the Bingo, but I'm sure there are much earlier
shops. If anyone has any information that would be great.
Dave Smith
13 April 2006
ANTIQUE FIREPLACE AT SCULPTURE HOUSE
Whilst researching the records of Carters' Knottingley Brewery Co., in
preparation for Volume II of the history of the brewery, I recently
discovered material concerning the sale of the antique fireplace at
Sculpture House, Knottingley, which formed the basis of the article by
Roger Ellis in issue 29 of the Digest, January 2006 and the subsequent
reply by Mrs B. Daniel in issue 31, March 2006.
At a meeting of the directors of the Company, held at Sheffield on the 30th
July 1929, Thomas J. Sides reported that the fireplace at Sculpture House,
together with a fireplace and oak panelling at the White Swan Inn, forming
part of the same premises, were to be sold. The Sculpture House fireplace was to be offered to Lord Irwin for £250, he to
replace the same with a modern range and make good the damages.
Alternatively, Lord Irwin could pay £300 and the Company would replace
the fireplace and repair the damage. In
the event of Lord Irwin failing to purchase the whole lot, the goods were
to be offered to Mr. Antribus or Mr. Farr [Antique Dealers] for £600,
they also to make good the damage. If neither dealer made a purchase, the Company was to consider advertising in
'The Conniseur' (sic).
It would appear that the plans went awry for at a subsequent meeting held at
the same venue on 20th November 1929, Sides reported that the Sculpture
House fireplace, together with the panelling from the White Swan, had been
sold to a Mr. Greenwood of Harrogate, the sale being approved by the Board
of the Brewery Company. Thus the facts confirm the information of Mrs Daniel who stated that the
fireplace was removed from Sculpture House circa 1930.
Dr. Terry Spencer
3 May 2006
A TRUE FAMILY HISTORIAN
I have been researching my family history for several years now and I traced
my ancestors back to Otley, Doncaster and Knottingley areas. I came across
the Knottingley web site in my search and saw that Ron Gosney was willing
to do some research for anyone who needed help in the Knottingley area for
free. This was a blessing as I found it very hard to find information in
Australia. Ron has helped me find out more about my ancestors and was
willing to go out of his way to find out what happened to my ggg-grandfather
as he became a bit of a mystery. Ron
has assisted me in many ways with my research and I recommend anyone who
wants to find out more about their ancestors in Knottingley to contact
him. I wish to thank Ron for the help he has given me. He is a true family
historian.
Lisa Wahga, Australia
25 May 2006
COACHES ON THE FLATTS AIRE STREET
I was rummaging through some old photographs when I came across these two
and I remembered a letter from Roy Stone in a recent Digest magazine
mentioning the buses on the Flatts and Old Folks day trips.
The
photographs were taken from the window above our shop, Backhouse's Bakery,
but I don't know the date.
Derrick Hall
13 June 2006
1968 KNOTTINGLEY CARNIVAL
In the May 2006 issue of the Digest magazine, I read the Years in Focus page
regarding the Knottingley Carnival on 25th July 1968. The winning
childrens float was the 'Diddy Men' and my mum, Janette Oakes, was one of
the Diddy Men while my late grandfather, Derek Oakes, did all the drawings
on the float. I would love to know if anybody has any photographs of this
event that they would be willing to send in.
Mandy Roockley
16 June 2006
COACHES ON THE FLATTS, AIRE STREET
I would like to thank Mr. D. Hall for submitting the photographs of the
annual coach outing from Aire Street, Knottingley. I would guess that the
photos date from about 1958.
If
you go down to Aire Street today and look at the river, then at the river
in the photographs, you will see that the islands in the centre have grown
to the point where you can no longer see over them. I
remember we used to walk to them and saw cattle standing in the river.
Roy Stone
23 June 2006
KNOTTINGLEY
AND FERRYBRIDGE REVISITED - A REMARKABLE BOOK
Today as the England versus Trinidad match kicked off, I set off walking from my
house to go to Mr. Ron Gosney's home to pick up a copy of his book -
Knottingley and Ferrybridge Revisited. It
was a fair walk which took me about 35 minutes to get there. I paid £13
for the book then walked home (another 35 minutes).
I
caught the last 15 minutes of the football but I didn't care. Every minute
I spent walking and every penny I spent on the book was well worth it. Mr.
Gosney's book is a fantastic collection of photographs of Knottingley and
Ferrybridge and the quality of the images is amazing. I spent the next
couple of hours after getting the book going through it from cover to
cover several times each time noticing different things. If
you already have a copy of this book you will know exactly what I mean,
but if you haven't already bought this book I recommend you go out and buy
it now. If you don't you will be missing out on a trip through time; a
time when Knottingley folk looked happy all the time; a time when the few
roads in Knottingley weren't clogged up with traffic and a time when
graffiti and vandalism were non existent. This
is the sort of book that will get you and your family or friends talking
for hours. You look at the first photo and say "Isn't that the place
where what's his name lived?" then you say "Didn't he work with
our thingy who used to live near the bloke who went in that pub where
thingy used to work?" and before you know it you have spent 30
minutes discussing the first photo. The book is full of photos exactly
like that and it is a must for all Knottingley folk.
John Smith
23 June 2006
KAYEM
In the April 2006 Knottingley Digest (issue 32) you featured an article in
the Years in Focus section about Mr. Ken Robinson taking three and a half
years building a sloop. The boat was ceremonially launched, and named
KAYEM, at Harker’s Shipyard, Knottingley, by Madge Robinson in 1968
before being sailed to Whitby.
I worked for Ken and Madge Robinson at Racca Green Garages, Knottingley, for
six years and during that time their yacht KAYEM was sailed by them, on
their days off work and at holiday times up the Yorkshire and Northumbrian
coasts and to Scotland. In
1970 they crossed the North Sea to Holland (with a young friend as crew)
where they cruised the canals. Later, in 1974 they had a long trip via
Heligoland to Curhaven, Germany up the Kiel Canal and cruised the islands
in the Baltic Sea. They said it was a wonderful trip! After
returning to the United Kingdom, KAYEM continued to sail up and down the
coast for several years and explored the River Thames estuary. In 1978
they sailed through Scotland’s Caledonian Canal to the West Coast. There
the holiday was over and they had to return south to Whitby. Plans
were then being made to build a larger steel yacht!
Ann Thompson
20 July 2006
KNOTTINGLEY, A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART
My cousin in Knottingley arranged a subscription to the Digest as part of my
Christmas present and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I
was born in Knottingley in 1924 and lived there for a number of years. I
was married in St. Botolph’s and my two sons were born in Knottingley
but my husbands work took us to Sheffield a few years later. Widowhood
brought me to Hunmanby, Filey, to live near my youngest son and his
family.
I wonder if any of your readers recall purchasing tickets at school many
years ago, to buy one square yard of the playing fields when it was
converted for children’s use? I kept my ticket for years and only
destroyed it a couple of years ago so I can no longer claim my land in
Knottingley!
I remember waving my flag with classmates on the Anvil Bridge when King
George VI and Queen Elizabeth came to visit Bagley’s glassworks and also
the celebrations in the Town Hall on V.J. night in 1945. Your
magazine brings back many happy memories and I thank you for reviving
them. I look forward to receiving future issues as Knottingley will always
hold a special place in my heart.
I have enclosed a copy of a newspaper article of an incident in my life
which hit the headlines in Knottingley at the time.
KNOTTINGLEY SCHOOLGIRL ELOCUTIONIST
FINALIST FOR FILM TEST
(May 1936)
Audrey
Bains, (13), until recently a scholar at the Knottingley National School,
and now attending the Ropewalk Council Senior School, is a very proud
young lady, and her teachers and schoolmates are equally proud of her.
With four other schoolgirls in Yorkshire, she has been selected for a
London film test.
"A girl with gumption" was sought by Mrs. J.R. Gregson, the wife of the
well-known Yorkshire playwright, to play a part in the screen adaptation
of Winifred Holtby’s novel, 'South Riding'. Through
the kindly offices of her teacher, Miss Godley, Audrey was taken to
Huddersfield for an audition, and was placed in the final test. Audrey
gained prominence at the Pontefract and District Music Festival in March,
when she played the part of Maggie Tulliver in an extract from 'The
Mill on the Floss,' and was very highly commended by the adjudicator.
She also won the first prize in the class for elocution. She is the only
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Bains, of 'Bonville', Womersley
Road. Mr. Bains is the foreman in the moulding department of Messrs
Armitage Bros., iron-founders, of Knottingley.
I did not get the part of Lydia Holly in South Riding, but was an extra in
school scenes and spoke two sentences. The stars were Sir Ralph
Richardson, Anne Todd, Edna Best and Glynis Johns. At
the studios in London I met Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Anna
Neagle and many other stars. ‘South
Riding’ came to the Crescent Cinema in Pontefract.
Audrey Smith (nee Bains)
20 JULY 2006
COOKERY LESSONS AT ROPEWALK SCHOOL
I got a lovely surprise when I purchased the May issue of the Digest – a
picture of Miss Flemming who used to be our cookery teacher at Ropewalk
School. I live in Ferrybridge and have done so all my life but every
Tuesday we went to Ropewalk School for cookery lessons. I used to love it.
A fair number used to go but our gang consisted of Rene Draper, ? Wardle,
Sybil Ellis, ? Dobson, Violet Tennent and myself, Sally Hubbard.
We used to have brown carrier bags which held our plimsolls and, if we were
making a stew, carrots, onions and potatoes. Miss Flemming provided the
meat, which we had to pay for (2d or 3d). If we were making buns or cakes
she provided the ingredients which we had to pay for. We learned how to
black-lead the big old fireplace and also scrubbed the tables and cleaned
the pantry shelves and so on. I used to love going to cookery as it got me
away from History and Arithmetic lessons, both of which I detested! After
our lesson we would walk back home over the fields calling at Bramley’s
who had a lovely grocers shop in the Holes for a penneth of broken
biscuits – laughing and singing all the way home. Happy Days! That
was 74 years ago as I am now 86 but I still think of Miss Flemming and all
that she taught us.
Sally Popplewell
20 July 2006
COACHES ON THE FLATTS
I am prompted to contact you regarding the photographs of the coaches on the
Flatts, Aire Street, featured in the July 2006 issue of the Knottingley
Digest. As far as I can recall, the coaches, (often as many as twenty or more in
number) were used for the Old People’s outings each year and they went
round all the housing estates in Knottingley and Ferrybridge picking up
their elderly passengers. After
congregating on the Flatts they would set off with the Knottingley Silver
Prize Band leading the ‘parade’ along Aire Street.
In the foreground of one of the photographs you can see ‘Massarella’s Ice
Cream van while to the left and just a little further into the distance on
the same photograph is another ice cream seller called Potter, who sold
from his motorbike and sidecar. The Kildare’s - operators of at least one of the coaches seen in the
photographs - I believe were a family from Adwick-le-Street in Doncaster
and unless I am mistaken the business continues to this day.
Mr. Rowbottom.
20 July 2006
FILM - SOUTH RIDING
[above] Glynis Johns, Ralph Richardson and Ann Todd - South Riding
It
was interesting to read Mrs Audrey Smith’s letter in the Digest, issue
35, July 2006, and hear of her experiences appearing in the 1938 film ‘South
Riding’, made by Alexander Korda for London Films. ‘South
Riding’ was reviewed as 'A convincing and dramatic picture of
English provincial life' where a school mistress in a quiet
Yorkshire Dale exposes crooked councillors and falls for the local squire
(do things ever change?)
'It
must have been a wonderful experience for the then young Audrey Bains and
I enclose photographs of some of the stars of the film in the hope that
they bring back many happy memories. Mrs
Smith is quite right, South Riding was screened at the Crescent Cinema in
Pontefract.
Norman Blackburn
20 July 2006
KAYEM - UPDATE
Following my letter in the Digest issue 35, July 2006, regarding Ken and Madge
Robinson and their yacht ‘Kayem’, I mentioned that plans were already
underway to construct a larger vessel. Ken
continued to build the new ‘Kayem’ in his spare time at the rear of
the garage until its completion and then in April 1988, Ken and Madge
retired after 30 years at Racca Green Garages. On
1st June 1988 they set sail from Whitby in Kayem (the steel yacht which
Ken built) and embarked upon what was to become a life onboard for almost
the next eighteen years. They
visited most of the Mediterranean countries on both coasts and in 1996
crossed the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Barbados with a friend as
crew. They left him there and went on to cruise the Caribbean Islands,
Grenada and back to West Palm Beach in Florida USA. From
there they sailed up the intra coastal waterway to Charleston in South
Carolina where they stayed for three-and-a-half months. Leaving Kayem
behind they crossed the eight states of America by train to Los Angeles
from where they explored the National Parks and Las Vegas before flying to
Australia to visit Madge’s sister and family. Eventually
after three months, they returned to Charleston where they stayed for
another three months before sailing up the ICW to Baltimore, calling at
Washington DC, and then up the Potomac River to investigate the capital
city. This
time, leaving Kayem in Baltimore, they travelled by train to the Niagara
Falls and across the border to Toronto, Canada. They took a plane to
Calgary and travelled the full length of the Rockies by coach. On their
return to Baltimore they sailed in Kayem to Annapolis to see the Naval
Academy and then back to Charleston for the winter.
In
May 1999 they sailed to Bermuda and after all the wonderful sights in the
US, crossed the Atlantic to the Azores and back to Gibraltar and the
Mediterranean. In
April 2005, as they were approaching their 80th year, they set sail from
the island of Elba, heading for the UK via Corsica, Sardinia, Spain,
Portugal, the Bay of Biscay, the English Channel and Belgium, finally
arriving in Hull Marina in September 2005 after sailing 3000 miles from
Elba!
So ended their wonderful life aboard Kayem – 34,000 miles at sea and 37
years of sailing since 1968! They
are now reluctant landlubbers back in their bungalow in Kelfield, looking
back on their travels and constantly in touch with their many yachting
friends from all across the world. They
are both still fit and well and do not look a day older than they did on
the day I said goodbye to them as they set sail in Kayem. I left the
garage to start a family but they remained in touch with me throughout
their travels and adventures. >I
moved from Knottingley to the same village as Ken and Madge in 2002, and
they arrived home in September 2005. I see Ken and Madge quite often and
reminisce with them about our days working together at Racca Green Garages
and their travels around the world.
Ann Thompson
20 July 2006
THE 'K' SISTERS COT
The
above photograph shows a plaque currently displayed
on the ‘archive
wall’ at Pontefract General Infirmary.
There have been several mentions of the K Sisters in previous issues of the
Digest and I thought you might be interested in one more. I am sure that the cot ‘endowed in perpetuity’ has long since gone but
thankfully the plaque has survived and I hope this knowledge will give some pleasure to Marjorie and Pamela. I
wonder what would be today’s equivalent of £500, a not insignificant
sum in 1945?
Sue Gilson
20 July 2006
WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE OLD A1?
Does anyone really know what is happening with the old A1 at Knottingley /
Ferrybridge? The
present roadworks on and around the old road are at best haphazard, and at
their worst a danger to all users. The traffic cones seem to have a mind
of their own, moving around indiscriminately, often under the cover of
darkness. Different signs appear daily, traffic lights sprout like daisies
and then disappear just as you get used to them.
The
new motorway is the best thing to happen to this area for years, relieving
the amount of traffic around our town, but the old road is a nightmare.
I've come to the conclusion that the highways department are using it as
some kind of test-track, where road workers can hone their skills before
being allowed out onto the open road. Has
anyone out there got any explanation to the discombobulation on what was
once the Great North Road?
George Gardner
28 July 2006
KNOTTINGLEY SILVER BAND - NEW MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Knottingley Silver Band have announced their choice of new Musical
Director following the departure of Kevin Belcher. The new man is Robin
Morgan LFAM ARCM FTCL, who stood in as temporary Musical Director during
the bands audition period. Robin is originally from the Bristol area and moved north in 2001. He
played solo euphonium with Pennine Brass and was assistant Musical
Director to Ian Porterhouse. He then left Pennine and was Musical Director
and guest conductor at a number of bands until ill health forced him to
curtail his activities somewhat.
Neil Johnson, band manager at Knottingley, echoed the sentiments of the
band when he said he was delighted with the appointment. “We had some
high quality applicants for the post of Musical Director and I would like
to thank them all, but Robin was head and shoulders above the others”,
he said.
The band are already hard at work under Robin’s baton preparing for
concerts at St. John’s Church, Wakefield, on the 21st October, and at
Wakefield Cathedral on the 28th October.
“I’m enjoying working with the excellent musicians at Knottingley
Silver Band and looking forward to a new challenge”, said Robin.
Further information about Knottingley Silver Band can be found on the
band’s website
Garry Pearson
3 October 2006
KNOTTINGLEY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH HALL
In last months issue of The Digest - Knottingley and Ferrybridge
edition, you featured a photograph of the Dancing Class party in the
Congregational Church Hall. I would like to point out that the Church Hall
was never in The Croft, Knottingley. The Congregational Church itself is
in The Croft, but the Church Hall was situated on Primrose Vale at the
junction with Tythe Barn Road. The Royal British Legion building now
stands on this site. Also, in the photograph, the lady wearing glasses, on the left, was Mrs
Lucas, and the lady next to her was Mrs Williamson. The girl on the chair
who you have shown as Marjorie Johnson is in fact Marie Johnson. I am told
that the boy in the photograph is Jack Addy.
Mrs June Norton
21 October 2006
HOUSE IN KNOTTINGLEY CEMETERY
I grew up on Womersley Road, Knottingley, next door to the cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs Addy were the tenants of the cottage there. We were good
friends. My mother and I used to keep Mrs Addy company whilst Frank, her
husband, went to Hill Top Workingmens’ Club for a drink It was very spooky
on the dark winter nights when the owls were hooting in the trees. Mr.
Addy was the Sexton and used to dig the graves, his only assistant being a
young man called Dickie Baines, who was a cripple. Dickie used to lie on a
board with wheels attached and propel himself along by pushing with his
hands along the ground. He was a very good worker and of great help to Mr.
Addy.
During a funeral, a church bell used to toll above the front door. The
Clergy used to change into his robes in the front room before the service.
Mr. Addy was also suitably dressed, having to change back into his working
clothes afterwards to fill in the grave. I must say that the yard was
always very well kept. The house had no gas or electricity, illumination
was by candle light or a small lamp. At the outbreak of the Second World War we had to move to a bigger house.
We were sorry to leave our friends. I am now eighty three years old and
have many happy memories of other good friends and relatives on Womersley
Road.
Annie Sproston (nee Neilson)
25 October 2006
OLD TIMES AT FERRYBRIDGE SCHOOL
After months of promising to submit my own contribution, here it is.
My grandfather, Mr. Pilgrim, was head of Ferrybridge School. We lived in
London during the war and in approx 1948 we moved back to Ferrybridge. Dad
had a job in Pontefract. At first we lived in the schoolhouse with my grandparents until in 1949 we
got our own house at 75 Wentcliffe Drive. I remember being able to see
“Nicky Mill” out of the back windows. In 1951 we moved to the “top of
Nevison”, at 15 Myson Avenue. I remember cycling to school and back twice
each day, during all weathers. What 9/10 year-old would do that now? Friends at Ferrybridge School that are dimly remembered were; ‘Flash’
Flaxton, Alan Mason, Jack Popplewell, Ann Robinson, Pauline Smith, ‘Mash’
Lowe, Christine Wright, and Jean Blatch. Teachers were ‘Joss’ Wrightson,
who cycled in from Beal every day, Mr. Gill (Headmaster), and Mrs Briggs.
I remember the tears when we were told of the death of the King in 1952.
We used to play on the coke pile by the air raid shelter, where we used to
keep our crocus bulbs over winter to bloom the following spring. I had to
draw the sycamore tree throughout the seasons, at different stages of its
development. How I hated art! We once went on a day trip to London by
train, also to Liverpool and to see Henry V at the pictures.
At football I was always the goalie as I was the fattest boy. I remember
the taunts I suffered from the older boys and girls. Nowadays they would
end up in court, but it meant that I was capable of looking after myself
for the rest of my life, not whinging to authority when problems arose.
The Feast would come in August onto the field where Ferrybridge Church now
stands. I was at the dedication when it was moved. It was lovely walking
to the old church in winter, with the mist and frost along the marshy
path, and with the spire rising eerily out of the gloom.
I left school in 1953, passing the scholarship, and went away to Drax
School as a boarder. I remember the 11 plus exam at Weeland Road School. I
made my own way on the bus, home for dinner, and then back for the
afternoon exam. Would modern day children be prepared to take that journey
on their own - indeed, would mum or dad allow them to? Were the summers always sunny? Were we always happy and well? I wonder…….!
I hope the names and events have stirred memories for some people. I now
live in South Wales but occasionally pass through Ferrybridge and have a
drink in the Golden Lion.
Phil Pilgrim
9 November 2006
WALLFISH (SNAILS)
In the December 2005 issue of the Knottingley Digest, I was interested
in Roy Wards conversation with Graham Stokes about Wallfish (snails). This
reminded me of my granddad Neilson who worked at Bagley’s glassworks. He
had a heart problem and ate snails believing they contained some medicinal
properties.
About the year 1970 my dad asked my two older sisters to
collect some snails and take them to my grandparents home on Womersley
Road. He said to them, “If gran isn’t in, put them on the chair inside the
house and make sure to close the door after you”. They collected two large bags full and obeyed dads orders. When gran
returned she nearly had a heart attack. The snails were crawling
everywhere; on the furniture, curtains, and even up the stairs into the
bedrooms. I don’t think gran was very pleased but she saw the funny side
of it all afterwards.
Please accept my very good wishes for the future and thank you for all
your good work.
Annie Sproston
16 December 2006