KNOTTINGLEY AND FERRYBRIDGE ONLINE
LETTERS PAGE ARCHIVE
JANUARY 2003 TO DECEMBER 2003
APPEAL TO GET INVOLVED
Congratulations on the last issue of The Digest, I couldn’t put it down. I am
secretary of the Tenants and Residents Association, a member of the
Carnival Committee and the new Heritage Group. I love being involved and
we have achieved many things but we desperately need more help to do
things properly. Could you,
through your columns appeal to all your readers to get involved in their
own areas, to take an interest in what your grandchildren will remember and
blot out many of the bad things that are happening around us now.
Pat Towell
12 December 2003
TODDLER GROUP, ENGLAND LANE SCHOOL
A recently established Toddler Group, run by the ‘Friends of England Lane School’
provides the opportunity of a get-together for mums and young children.
With facilities for the children to play under the supervision of their
parents and become accustomed to being among other children it also offers
parents the opportunity to make new friends and have a glimpse of the
school and the new nursery over coffee and biscuits. There is a small
charge of £1.50, although the under one year olds are admitted free of
charge. The money raised through this venture goes towards purchasing new
equipment for the school.
‘Friends of
England Lane School’ are a group of parents who work hard behind the
scenes to give children that little extra. It has been established for two
years raising funds for the school to enable the purchase of equipment
that it would not otherwise be able to obtain. In this time the groups’
efforts have raised in excess of £10,000. In the past they have held car
boot sales, sponsored walks and Xmas and Summer Fairs. They have also
established a tuck shop for the children at playtime.
The group
meets every Tuesday afternoon between 1315 and 1500 at England Lane
School, Nursery Entrance. All children aged up to 5 years old are welcome.
For further information, please contact Mrs. Snead who chairs the group at the school.
OLD PAL
I read your
site with interest. People from all over the world get in touch and
I wondered if a Pete Davies, nickname 'flip', ever reads this site. He went to
Australia 20 odd years ago and I have not seen him for years. If
anyone knows anything about him I would be pleased to hear from you.
His brother Allan used to live in Knottingley but I never see him if he is
still here. He also had a sister in Knottingley. It would be
great to hear from him after all this time.
Allan Whittles
21 November 2003
THE K SISTERS
Thank you
very much for mentioning Pamela and myself (The 'K' Sisters) in 'The
Digest' and also on your website. We have found The Digest very
interesting and it brings back a lot of happy memories. I still keep
in touch with friends in town who keep me informed of events in
Knottingley and send cuttings from the Pontefract and Castleford
Express. It was so sad to read about the vandalism at the Town Hall,
how terrible, what's wrong with society today? We have had lots of
happy times at the Town Hall where we gave our shows, went Ballroom
Dancing etc. It is three years since I last visited Knottingley and
according to my friends there have been lots of changes since then.
I enjoyed
very much the article in The Digest on Aire Street by Joyce Bell. My
friend Mary and I walked all the way up Aire Street from Marsh End just
before it was demolished. My mother, Mrs. Kellett, had three shops
in Aire Street, two sweet shops and a fish shop. I used to love
serving in the sweet shop that Joyce mentions.
My sister
Pamela is now an accomplished pianist who has lots of engagements.
We send our
best wishes to everyone and thank you once again. Kindest
Regards
Marjorie and Pamela
The 'K' Sisters
12 November 2003
THE ROYAL OAK
Re: the picture in the November 2003 issue of The Digest and on the Letters Page
October 10 2003. My Grandma Walker is the lady standing in the doorway. Mrs. Maria
Walker was born in Liverpool in 1848 and came to live in Knottingley after
living in Ulleskelf. She opened the first fried fish and chip shop in
Knottingley, in Aire Street. A few years later she took control of the ‘Royal
Oak’ – known by locals as ‘The Lodging House’. Regular tinkers
used to stay there overnight as they travelled the area selling their
wares from horse and carts. She ran that business for 37 years. Grandma
Walker died in 1930 at 82 years of age, her husband had died in 1907. I remember
many happy times at The Lodging House with Granny Walker.
Mrs. Hannah Dawson (nee Wood)
9 November 2003
RECENT VISIT TO YORKSHIRE
My husband
and I were born in Knottingley but have lived in Kent for many years now.
On a recent visit to Yorkshire we were shown issue number two of The
Digest which contained the article written by Susan Aaron (my husbands
Aunt) and also a photograph of the power station cooling towers where my
husband worked. He was a shift worker and was at home asleep at the time
so I was not worried about him being hurt when I first heard the news. I
still marvel that there were no injuries.
Margaret Aaron
Kent
9 November 2003
FERRYBRIDGE BRIDGE
I am writing
in answer to your request for information regarding the old bridge at
Ferrybridge William the
Conqueror was held up there for three weeks in the 11th century
when the Northumbrians’ destroyed the crossing and William obtained the
help of local people who built a bridge of boats so he could continue his
expedition north. On January 21st, 1797, the Leeds Mercury published an advertisement with a competition for
the submission of plans to build a new bridge, which was won by John Carr
of York. The construction took six years to complete. All this information
was contained in the Yorkshire Post newspaper dated October 24th
1967. The new A1
fly-over alongside the old bridge was opened early October in 1967 when
the final section was completed making the conversion of the Great North
Road into dual carriageway.
Mrs. O. Dobson
8 November 2003
THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES
I have
enjoyed reading The Digest not only because of my brothers’ extracts
(Michael Edwards) but also for the many memories of Aire Street and other
stories that open so many windows of my mind. Knottingley is a very
special town to me and although I moved to Pontefract three years ago I
still take my son to Church School and each time I get that ‘home
feeling’. I enjoy
nothing better than sitting down and reading The Digest, some times with
tears down my face but always with the thought that while my childhood may
have been unconventional I have gained great values and morals from it and
from the folk of Knottingley. Thank you for reminding me of them.
Mrs. Catherine Barnaby
7 November 2003
I REMEMBER
Last week I
received two copies of your newsletter and was delighted to receive them.
I have been interested in such things all my life. I remember
going to the pickling tank work where Granddad Tate used to work. It was
off Womersley Road along where the school is now and where railway
sleepers were soaked in what looked like tar before they were used. Parts
of seven railway sleepers are holding my front fence to this day! Everyone must
remember the donkey and car with its load of crates, my dad used to work
there. There were two kinds of crates, some for pottery and other for
glass. The glass ones were much stronger made with willows soaked in
water, dried in the chimney and then twisted into shape. Lots of people
will remember seeing them outside of Woolworths’. I have always
lived on Womersley Road where nowadays is the Plasmor works. There, lime
was dug out, burned in pits and ground to a powder for use in the building
trade and on the farmland. Some parts of the quarry became swimming pools
for the lads and in wintertime, skating rinks. I remember
the road being constructed in 1928/29. Until then it had been a mud track
and we wore laced up boots. In 1929 the electricity cables were installed
and South Yorkshire buses commenced running to Doncaster. From the Town
Hall to my home cost me half-penny.
Miss M. Leeman
4 November 2003
FERRYBRIDGE HENGE
Keep up the
good work with your website and news letter.
Just a quick
comment and question perhaps your visitors and readers can answer. As a teenager
living in Ferrybridge on Pontefract Rd with a great view of Ferrybridge C
power station I can remember coming home from school and the cooling
towers had collapsed due to high winds, this was unbelievable to see such
a large construction fail in those days. However my question is
regarding Ferrybridge Henge, whilst I remember the large Tumulus on the
outskirts of Ferrybridge on the way to Castleford with its previous
history as an ancient burial ground. I am not sure
of the year but Ferrybridge C power station was under construction, then
it was announced in the Pont and Cas Express that an ancient grave had
been found on the construction site and the person in the grave had died
from a wound from a sword that was present in the skeleton. This was later
decided that the sword/dagger was perhaps in a scabbard and had fallen
into the skeleton after the scabbard had dissolved and was in fact not an
attack on the person, but they had been buried with their weapon. I can
remember visiting the construction site with my best friend from school
Colin Tate now of Selby in the area where the skeleton had been found on
the power station site. We met with our history teacher Ray Beech from
Pontefract Secondary Boys School who was involved with Harry Batty again
from the school and both avid historians. I can
remember Ray showing us the bones from the dig placed on a wooden bakers
board of the type they delivered bread on. This was a memorable time
in my life just to see such a historical event. My question
is ---- Is this the same sword/scabbard that was presented to the
British Museum ? Any comments would be appreciated.
Julian Grace.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
31 October 2003
BAGLEY'S GLASS
First, congratulations on the first two issues of The Digest, you have done a
wonderful job. Please find enclosed photo's of
Bagley's Glass
Products that you asked for.
In reply to
Mrs. Browning's question about catalogues of Bagley Glass, there are
catalogues available in the following;
Broadfield House Glass Museum, Compton Drive, Kingswinford, West Midlands, DY6 9NS
and also at World of Glass, Chalon Way, St. Helens, WA10 1BX
For local
people there is a good selection of Bagley's Glass at Pontefract Museum
along with photographs and catalogues.
Alan Hardingham
Ferrybridge
THE ROYAL OAK
I am enclosing a photograph
of the Royal Oak public house, which was situated between
Longwoods Walk and the shops that were built in the 1950’s in Aire
Street. The photograph dates from before 1907 as it depicts my grandfather
who died in May of that year. It is the old lodging house in Back Lane and
was kept by ‘Granny Walker’ as she was known, and owned by Carter’s
Brewery.
I remember
going into the pub to see granny when I was aged about three. Many a drink
I took from some of the men who offered. I was once lost to my family and
found asleep under one of the tables.
Mr. R. Wood, Knottingley
15 October 2003
Additional information supplied by Ron Gosney:
The Royal Oak was the old
lodging house in Back Lane kept by 'Granny Walker' as she was known. Included in
the picture is her husband William James who died in 1907 so the photograph
pre-dates that year. William James would have been about 65 when he died
and he was born in Sheffield. He was shown as 59 in the 1901 Census.
Granny Walker died at the age of 82 in February 1932. This is what a newspaper
report said of her death:
"Knottingley
has this week lost one of its best known characters in the person of Mrs. Maria
Walker, who since 1926 had lived with daughter and son in law Mr. & Mrs. W.
Middleton of Sunny Bank. Mrs. Walker was born at Liverpool 82 years ago
and came to Knottingley from Ulleskelf, near York, 42 years ago, and on a site
in Aire Street, now occupied Pease's Buildings, opened the town's first fried
fish and chip business. A few years later she took control of a lodging house in
Back Lane, which she kept for the next 37 years, during which time she became
well known to local residents, being referred to as 'Granny' Walker by those who
were closely acquainted with her, particularly by children. In her closing years
Mrs. Walker suffered from rheumatism and was confined to the house though the
cause of her death, which was on Monday, was acute bronchitis. Her husband died
in 1907 and she is now survived by four sons and three daughters. The funeral
took place at Knottingley yesterday, the cortege pausing for a moment opposite
the spot where for so long Mrs. Walker had kept her boarding house."
Also in the
picture are the three daughters, Sarah the eldest, Mary the second eldest who
married Happy Joe Bagley and Lilly the youngest.
THE K SISTERS
I read with
great interest your page on the K sisters. I too worked with the Royal
Kiltie Juniors and knew Marjorie and Pam very well. Of course, it is
almost fifty years since we have been in touch but would love dearly to
contact them again, if for nothing else but a trip down memory lane.
Joe Kerford
8 October 2003
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
I have visited your website with interest and thought I would drop you a
line. I
was born in Knottingley in 1949 in Ashcombe Drive. I now live in West
Sussex, but keep close links via my Mum & other family. I was
lucky enough to go off to York University in 1968 (a very rare breed from
the Council Estate of England Lane in those days) and have never lived
full time in Knottingley since. However I have many happy childhood
memories, some a bit more traumatic - including falling down the quarry at
the back of Ashcombe Drive when I was only 3. I went to confirmation
classes with Kath Spence, one of your authors, around 1966. If
you need any more info. please let me know and please put me on any
mailing lists which you have.
Chris Blaydon
18 August 2003
LACK OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT
In my opinion it has nothing to do with a lack of community spirit, I think
it's all down to having time. All the people I know all work and nowadays
people have to work more hours a week to get an income that they can live
on adequately, then when they do get time off it's all a matter of
priorities i.e.. FAMILY FIRST and if we didn't spend much quality time
with our families there would be some do-gooder out there complaining that
fact. So when it comes to community events let the people who have time,
get it sorted so us FULLY EMPLOYED people with families can get on with
our family lives and enjoy what the more fortunate (people who have time
to spare) do for the community.
Thank you for the good work and keep it up And if you want community spirit when
times of crisis occur its always prevalent then because again its a matter
of priorities and when times are bad we have to muck in and get things
done. Thank you.
Mr. G. Simmons
12 July 2003
ADDYS WOOD
Does anyone
have any information on Addy's Wood which appears on old maps of
Knottingley?
Michelle Procter
9 July 2003
FERRYBRIDGE FEAST
Does anyone have any information on the 'Ferrybridge Feast'? I did find mention
of it in the 19th century when it seemed to be an important and much loved
event with people spring cleaning their houses in readiness. It took
place in late August. Any help would be much appreciated.
Keith Henson
8 July 2003
NOW THE WORK BEGINS
It would
indeed be ludicrous for us to give up on Knottingley and Ferrybridge
Online when we have come so far and achieved so much on our own.
There remains much for us to accomplish and many tasks we have yet to
undertake and the desire to succeed is as strong as ever. Far from
being resigned to defeat through the lack of support we have received we
feel it is now time for us to begin the fight to gain support and interest
within the community. For the past
two years we have been aware that we need to make contact with more people
within the town if we are to achieve our aim of obtaining personal
accounts of life in Knottingley from the people who live and work
here. Our belief has always been that we require a newsletter to
run in conjunction with our web site so that those people without Internet
access have the opportunity to discover who we are and what we are
doing. Producing a newsletter
obviously takes up more of our time, needs more funding and requires distribution. We have sufficient information
within our web site to keep us going for a short time but obviously we
need to obtain new material. Circumstances dictate that we start on a small
scale initially and expand as and when support for it is gained. We firmly
believe there is a need for a local newsletter and that it can be successful. We will keep
you informed of developments.
Michael Norfolk
Webmaster
03 July 2003
ANOTHER RESPONSE
You have never, ever sent me an e-mail or letter. I
would agree with you about the lack of community spirit, but why attack
those that do the most. I would ask if you have a political motivation for giving out this
misinformation, which is not helpful, demeaning to the councillors who
work hard, and gives totally the opposite impression to the town of what
we are like. The facts are that you have never, ever, sent me a letter or Email asking for
my support or involvement on any matter, if you had I would have
responded. I
have in the past signed your visitors book and acknowledged the good work
done on your site, I have promoted it everywhere I have been, I have
promised you whatever assistance I can give, but none has been requested.
I
have and still do get involved in many organisations throughout the town
attending their meetings on most nights of the week, this is my home town
and I am proud to live here and support the work of many organisations in
whatever way I can whether it be assisting in giving advice, fundraising
or taking up their enquiries, my wife Linda is still secretary of the
Carnival Committee. I
think it is mischievous in the least for you to attempt to portray local
councillors as people who do not respond or get involved, those people in
the town who do attend the many meetings that I attend can testify that we
have never refused an invitation, and we are always willing to attend any
meeting and be accountable, we are local representatives elected by local
people, we are all on the same side in doing our best to improve the area
in which we all live for the benefit of everybody.
Graham Stokes
Cabinet Member
Resources Department
30 June 2003
I would like
to thank Graham Stokes for sending us his e-mail, published here in its
entirety, and I am in total agreement with many of the valid points he
makes and applaud the work he does within the community. However,
the one main error it does contain is the fact that we did
send Graham an e-mail on 21 April 2001 thanking him for his entry into our
guestbook and requesting "more information about present day
events and to be kept informed of new developments" Graham
responded personally on April 23, 2001, by stating " I can keep
you informed as and when they come up" That was our final
communication.
PLEASE CORRECT YOUR WEBSITE
am somewhat disturbed to read on your web site that you say you have had
no response from the Local Councillors can I remind you that you responded
to my E-Mail to you on 18/o6/o3 and the information was I believe helpful
that is if you have contacted Mr Gosney???? As
regards to the Carnival Committee in the Days of Dave Lee Travis Gene
Pitney Ect There were as many as on the main Committee people in these
days believed in putting something in to the Community un like To day they
ask what's in it for me or how much will you pay me they are just not
interested I regret to say but please correct you web site ??
Tanking you
COUNCILLOR Graham Clarke
Chairman W.Y.J.S. & Trading Standards
28 June 2003
Councillor
Clarke was responding to comments contained in my article dated 27 June
2003, entitled Whatever happened to
our Community Spirit?. In it I stated that "None of
our local councillors, businesses, industries or schools have ever
responded to our letters or e-mails asking for their support and
involvement..." [towards Knottingley and Ferrybridge Online]
"....in a positive way".
At Councillor
Clarke's request, we apologise sincerely if that comment caused offence as
he did indeed reply to our request for his support and involvement with
the following e-mail (included in its entirety)
Michael
the only person that springs to mind is a chap called Ron Gosney who lives
I believe on Englands lane estate he is very much into the Archive side of
Knottingley and I am sure he could assist or put you on the right track
Regards
Graham Clarke
Chairman W.Y.J.S. & Trading Standard
Knottingley
and Ferrybridge Online extend their grateful thanks to Councillor Clarke
for his support and involvement.
JOHN HARKER'S MV SOUTHDALE H
I would appreciate any information on the above vessel owned by John Harker
Limited. This tanker
operated out of Sharpness Docks carrying cargo fuel oil etc. loading in
Swansea docks for the Bristol channel ports. A photograph of this
tanker would also be appreciated as I was skipper of this tanker.
Stanley Davis
14 June 2003
JOHN HARKER'S TANKER, SOUTHDALE H
Many years ago I
was Mate on Southdale H, working between Swansea and the Bristol Channel
up as far as Gloucester. I would very
much like to have a photograph of her and to discover where she is
now. Any information would be very gratefully received.
Brian N. Asher-Relf
13 June 2003
FERRYBRIDGE TOLL HOUSE
Does anyone know
if there is a history of the Tollhouse at Ferrybridge? My great
grandfather Joseph Waddington was the toll-keeper and lived in the
Tollhouse for at least twenty-five years – (1861 and 1881 census). His
youngest child my grandfather Thomas was born at Ferrybridge in 1857, and
I am anxious to obtain information about his early life – for instance
where he might have gone to school. Can anyone tell me who are the present
occupiers of the Tollhouse?
D Waddington
3 June 2003
JACKSON BROS GLASS STOPPER
I have found
a glass stopper while snorkelling in Samoa. I am trying to find out
the history of it and hope someone can help. It is a pale blue glass
that says Jackson Bros. Knottingley on it. It measures approx.
5.75cm in diameter and is about 2cm deep. Any
information would be greatly appreciated
Rosalie
West Coast of Canada
28 May 2003
SECOND WORLD WAR
I have been
interested in the history of the second world war since my youth and would
be very interested to hear from anyone locally with any memorabilia or
stories of their families serving in the war.
James McAteer
26 May 2003
JIM MELLOR
I have been trying for some time now to contact a former friend of mine who I know is
from Knottingley. We served together in 29 Commando Regiment for a
few years but we have since lost touch. His name is Jim Mellor and I
believe that he is related to Mellor's Beers and that he has something to
do with The Steampacket Inn. If anyone has
any information about Jim or his whereabouts would you please e-mail me.
Nick Jones
3 May 2003
CONGRATULATIONS FROM AUSTRALIA
I just want
to congratulate you on a wonderful site and hope you are able to get
sponsorship again. It has been
terrific to be able to read about Knottingley and see the photographs that
have been added. My father Whitworth Gill grew up in Knottingley and
back in 1980 I was fortunate enough to be able to visit and catch up with
family. I have since become heavily involved with out local Historical
Society of which I am the Secretary. I am also researching my family
history. I was wondering if you were able to give me the address of
the local Family history society or someone who does family research in
the Knottingley and Pontefract area. If anyone over there is
researching Australian or Victorian Family history I am only to happy to
do any research. Congratulations again and thank you
Elizabeth Murfitt (nee Gill)
Secretary Heathcote McIvor Historical Society
Heathcote Victoria Australia.
25 March 2003
FERRYBRIDGE TOLL HOUSE
I was
interested to read about the Tollhouse which still exists. My great
grandfather, Joseph Waddington, was the tollkeeper in Ferrybridge in the
mid 19th century and lived at the tollhouse for many years with his wife
Phoebe and five children. Their youngest child Thomas, born in 1857,
was my grandfather. I am anxious
to learn more about their life and I would be grateful for any information
anyone can give me that would point me in the right direction.
David Waddington
27 April 2003
DRY CLEANERS ON HILL TOP
I lived in
Knottingley from birth in 1956 until I left when I married in 1977.
Does anyone remember a dry cleaning shop on Hill Top? I am not sure
but I do remember a lot of brown wrapping paper and a pair of
scales. I think I may have gone to school with the daughter of the
owner. I attended the Church School in Ropewalk, then Simpsons Lane
Junior School before moving onto the High School in 1968/69.
Brian King
31 January 2003
REALLY INTERESTING SITE
I have found
this site of great interest. I was an employee of John Harker
Tankers Ltd. for 21 years and worked on many of the tanker barges
listed. Just reading through the names has brought back many happy
memories.
Roy Hewson
21 January 2003
KNOTTINGLEY BORN AND BRED
Hi! I would
like to say that I have only just gone on the NET, when I was told to
visit your site as it may be of some interest to me being a Knottingley
lad born and bred. I did and not only did I find it very interesting
but I also got in touch with Mike Edwards as when we were small I actually
lived next door to him in Harker Street and we are now in contact with
each other. I still keep looking to see if there is anyone else's
name I may recognise. Keep up the
good work because its great to get back in touch with people you grew up
with and reminisce about the old days.
C. Dunning
12 January 2003
BAGLEYS GLASS
I am a collector of Bagley's Glass specifically from the 1930's art deco
period. Does anyone
know of any catalogues showing Bagley's wares from this time?
Mark Rodda
9 January 2003
GREAT SITE!
I thought I
would just drop a line to let you know how appreciated your site is. I attended
Simpson's Lane Junior and Middle School's before attending Knottingley
High, leaving to join the army in 1980. I have not been back to
Knottingley since then, but now I have finished travelling, my mind
wanders back to a great childhood and my super friends.
Malcolm Campbell (Malla)
4 January 2003
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