STUNNED, SHOCKED, AND NOT A LITTLE PROUD

ADDED 20 FEBRUARY 2005

I recently discovered your web site whilst tracing my family tree, and to my delight I found a photo of my (much younger looking) Nan. She is in the photo of the Ladies Conservative Club trip from the 1950's. Is there any way I can get hold of a copy? I live in Southampton, so I would be more than happy with a scanned image that I can print at home. Why should I want this obscure photo? - simple, my nan is still alive and well, and will be 99 years young this year. I thought this may  be a very special gift for her birthday, as I'm sure it will bring back many happy memories.

I was born in Pontefract, but spent a lot of time in Knottingley staying with Nan & granddad. They used to live in Kempfield House (now demolished) just before Metcalfe's farm and the 'Big K'. I remember Mr. & Mrs Young living in the other half of the house, with their daughter Evelyn, and I think it was Mrs Bastow who lived in the cottage next door. To the side of the house were the remnants of an old orchard, which we used to raid every autumn for apples, pears and plums. At the bottom of the orchard were the best blackberry bushes I've ever seen, and Nan never let us down baking the most juicy blackberry & apples pies ever. Mind you, I was never keen on the gooseberries!

I spent many hours walking around the lanes behind Metcalfe's farm with granddad. If the weather was particularly nice we went into Knottingley and back along the road, past the rural splendour that was Yorkshire Tar Distillers. Other times it was round the back across Willow Garth, where there were many trees, stunted and dying from the poison leaked from the tar works. I still remember the thick black ooze that lined the stream.

At the tender age of ten I even went out walking with a man called Brian (I think) who amazed me with his knowledge of the local wildlife. Where the rabbits could be found, a stoats nest, where pheasants laid up. It must have been 5 years later when I discovered that his innocent "look out while I pop in this hedge to answer the call of nature" actually meant "look out for the farmer, I've got a couple of rabbits in snares down here".

I did visit the site of the old house, remembering how much time granddad put into his garden, collecting organic manure from the surrounding fields. It's just a paddock now, with a horse standing where the greenhouse was, and it reminded me of our mortality. No-one will know the happy times that were spent in that garden, just as they wouldn't know about Knottingley of yesterday, yesterweek or yesteryear, if it wasn't for the amazing website you have put together.

I intend to visit home next month, when I hope to do some family history digging. I  would like to collect more family photos from the past, and if they are suitable send them for inclusion in your website.

Once again, thank you very much for the site, and I hope you will go on from strength to strength. Many thanks.

Martin Locker
20 February 2005

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