BROTHERTON: THE HOLY CITY

ADDED 12 MAY 2007

I was born in March 1921 and my earliest recollections are of the 1926 General Strike. I still remember the trestle tables with food on provided by the Salvation Army, which were situated in the yard opposite. We lived in a two bedroom house which was home to seven of us including my mother, father, grandfather, myself and my brothers, Joe (Tich), Bill and Norman. In September 1932 we were granted a new house on the England Lane estate but misfortune hit us straight away when my father was fatally injured in a roof fall at the Prince of Wales Colliery in Pontefract, leaving my mother to bring us up on her own.

My father hailed from Brotherton, which he always nicknamed ‘The Holy City’. He was a lifelong brass bandsman starting with Brotherton, who at that time had two bands, a ‘High’ and ‘Low’, representing sections of the village. He then played for Askern Colliery for a few years and later with Knottingley Silver Prize Band until his untimely death in 1932. My brother Bill was a member of the band at the time of my father’s death and went on to complete 60 years service. I was also persuaded to join and played trombone alongside him until my retirement after 50 years in the band.

Percy Hodgson
12 May 2007

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