Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Friday, December 23, 2016 18:14 |
Random Thoughts on Times Gone By
This afternoon, a pretty miserable day if I'm honest, a day when I have not stirred beyond my front door and when I have had no visitors, I received a phone call from someone who must be my oldest friend. Not someone who is the oldest person I know, but from a friend who was born next door to me in Sutton back in the early thirties. He has lived for the last seventy years in Canada but we still make contact pretty regularly. His call was perticularly welcome. It brightened me up. We talked together for over an hour on the subject which is the one which usually occupies most of our conversations - Sutton!
Most of you reading this contribution will not have a clue what I'm speaking about, but maybe someone will. We spoke about playing in Horsfall's Wood and in the beck. The wood was private property back then and Col. Bateman walking his dog, patrolled it armed with a walking stick which he used to whack youthful trespassers, if he caught them!
Few cars in the village during the war years, but one, a green Rover Registration number HUM ???, driven by Mrs Chaffers was frequently seen in Bent Lane. I think she held some office in the WRVS. No, horses and carts still provided most of the transport. The Council used a horse and cart for rubbish collections - not all dustbins. Some houses still had ash-pits. The material collected was disposed of in Thompson's field adjacent to the Baptist Chapel. I believe that is the field which is the subject of a planning appeal. We remember it as the place where the Whitsuntide Sports took place and the battlefield where the 'Hazel Grovers' confronted the 'Holme Bridget's'. I never remember blood being spilt but there was plenty of shouting and gesticulating!
We also spent a lot of time playing in a field which has long since disappeared under housing development - the field between the Old Dyke and Hazel Grove Road. Through that field ran a little stream which eventually found its way into Sutton Beck near the Butterfly House. That stream was just wide enough to present a challenge to youngsters who wanted to jump it. And we did, cross crossing the stream from one end of the field to the other. I think Frank Ingram had that field when he farmed New Laithe Farm down Sutton. His cattle were driven through the village a couple of times each day for milking. Can't imagine that happening today.
We also spoke about catching the bus to Keighley when we'd passed to go to the Grammar School. Twenty past eight each weekday morning from the Black Bull terminus - double decker with red seats - blue seats on the #310 or 311- the scramble to get the front seat upstairs.
We spoke about much, much more. Mr Quinleven, the Postman, Carey Bullocks, Bill Walker and Miss Wilson. All in all, I enjoyed myself this afternoon. |
David Laycock
Melbourne Australia
Saturday, December 24, 2016 04:33 |
I'll bet you enjoyed your chinwag Denis, not sure who it was, but I can remember most of your message only mine were a few years, not many mind! Lovely to read.
Denis, you have a great Christmas and New Year. I will be having our usual chat with Allan on Christmas Day and remind him also. |
Brenda Whitaker
Queensland Australia
Saturday, December 24, 2016 20:58 |
Remembering most of that Denis - the 'ash pit' in our old home in King Edward St now houses the washing machine!! - School bus - number 8 - two of them - I caught it at Holme Bridge - and never sure which one would stop - next pick up Boundary Ave - ...stopped outside what was 'Lunds' to pick up Rita Barsby!! it was always a scramble for me as I had a paper round first - happy days...happy memories. Pleased you had a good day after all. Now it is Christmas Day and we are about to take a 2 hour (plus) drive to visit family on the Gold Coast. To everyone a Merry Christmas.. |
David Brook
Sutton
Wednesday, December 28, 2016 14:31 |
Thank you Denis for your interesting letter it certainly brings back memories of long ago, I know exactly what you have written about and knew all the people you mentioned, being an old Suttoner of your era, and of course I remember you very well. My friend Michael and I used to enjoy jumping the beck we both then lived near the top of that field, I now live at the other end next to Bill Walkers old house. Incidentally an old friend of mine Peter also keeps in touch with your Canadian friend who I also used to know.
Happy New Year to All. |
Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Wednesday, December 28, 2016 18:57 |
Thanks or taking the time to reply to my post David. I was beginning to think that it was only Suttoners living in Australia who had memories long enough to remember the 'good old days'. Please that I was wrong. I read your name and I immediately thought of the spinners you used to deliver when we played cricket in Sutton park. You could turn the ball a good foot! Was the Michael you mentioned Michael Peat? Whatever happened to him? And the Peter? I'm having difficulty recalling his name but I believe he became a painter and decorator. Brian Wilcock told me that he spoke to him now and then.
If I put my mind to it, there will be many more names I can remember from those days during and after the war. I'm still in touch with a few. I had a card from Alan Caterall last week - he played cricket with us didn't he? And Peter Barsby and Sam Richards (who is currently in hospital). Any more? |
Andrew Monkhouse
Hanoi, Vietnam
Thursday, December 29, 2016 19:48 |
Peter Boothman? painter & decorator |
David Brook
Sutton
Friday, December 30, 2016 11:20 |
Denis your memory serves you well it was Michael Peat that I mentioned. He lives in Eastburn and had a good job in Landis Lund all his working life. My wife and I went to his golden wedding a few years ago.
Andrew was also correct it was Peter Boothman who I see quite often and we go out for a meal about once a month. |
Isobel Stirk
Silsden
Friday, December 30, 2016 11:34 |
Reading about the field bordering Hazel Grove Road and the back of Holme Lane brought back very happy memories for me. I lived in one of the houses in Holme Lane- up from the 'butterfly' house- facing the park. The large field came right up to our back fence. That field was a magical place for me as a child. One jump over the fence and I could be in a completely different world. The beck running through the field was one to test skill by jumping over it in the wider parts, great care to be taken when it was in full spat and paper boats were floated down- to be hurriedly caught before they disappeared out of sight under the road.The wild flowers growing were compared to ones pictured in my 'I Spy 'book and a watchful eye was kept on the horse and the cows which were frequently grazing there.
The people who lived up that road were all so friendly and I often walked up the field to climb over the fences of the houses further up- Mrs Harrington at Heatherley had been a teacher at the Church school- her father Mr Clough had been headmaster and she entertained me on many a wet day and really encouraged me to read. The Barretts lived next door but the boys there were a little older than me and to a little girl seemed to be part of a grown up world.
Mr & Mrs Edward Greenwood were good neighbours and I can remember vaguely the sadness in the row when their son Peter died. The curtains in every house were closed tight, I remember, on the day of his funeral. How things change but they were happy days and thank you Mr Pickles and Mr Brook for reminding me of the happy times I spent alone, or with one of my dogs, or with friends in Ingham's field. |
Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Friday, December 30, 2016 15:16 |
Thanks for all those responses, particularly from you Irene. You have provided me with other memories and got my old brain working overtime!
Sutton was much smaller when I lived there and we used to know the names of all the families living close by especially those families who had children who you went to school with. I had several friends who lived on Holme Lane. As a little lad, my mother used to take me with her when she visited the Thompsons at the Butterfly House. Clarence and Gordon lived there - Peg and Lag shop - Walter Thompson's brother! I think my mother must have been related to Mrs Thompson and of course her lads were quite a bit older than me. Frank Blackie lived a bit further up the road - he was in the same class as me at the Council School and close to him lived John and Robert Barrett. Robert and I were in the same form at the Grammar School and Alan Barrett, his dad, was one of several Barrett's who encouraged youngsters to start playing tennis in the Park. Gosh! The names are flooding back..... Frank Barrett was another. ? Whittaker, the brother of Misses Maggie and Jessie, also taught us to play tennis. But back to Holme Lane. I used to play with 'Soz' - that's what we fondly called Peter Whittaker. Incidently I was a bearer at his funeral - only 21 yrs when he passed on. One of our favourite playing places was The Gibb where often we were joined by another lad from Holme Lane, Derek Whittaker. I last saw him working in a garage in Windermere. Then there were the Wildman brothers, Andrew and Michael?
The name Boothman came to me as I was lying in bed last night. He had an elder brother, Roy - a brilliant keyboard player who used to play the wonderful electronic organ in the Ritz Cinema in Keighley - the one that appeared into the auditorium from the depths, emblazoned in beautiful coloured lights! Roy also had a job as the organist in the little chapel near Kildwick bridge. I have no idea where he got to.
Happy New Year all Suttoners wherever they might be! |
Brenda Whitaker
Queensland Australia
Friday, December 30, 2016 20:55 |
'Raymond' Whitaker the three of them lived opposite us, beautiful people.... others of that ilk who looked after us when it came to tennis were the Smith brothers Ron and ?? Phillip??not sure he was Heather's dad - they had such patience with us youngsters.. well we were then!! Two names I haven't seen mentioned Michael and Peter Garnett - Love all the memories - keep them coming everyone.
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Andrew Monkhouse
Hanoi, Vietnam
Friday, December 30, 2016 21:44 |
David, could you please pass on my warmest regards to Peter Boothman the next time you catch up with him for dinner. We lived next door to Peter and his family for many years from the late 60s and throughout the 70s.
Peter and I together watched Sir Alf Ramsey's England draw 1-1 against Poland in 1973, a shock result that eliminated England from the 1974 World Cup finals. We were both pretty gloomy after the game had ended!
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Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Saturday, December 31, 2016 08:57 |
Michael Garnett! I cannot tell you much about him Brenda. I know that he died maybe ten years ago when he was living in the Luton area. We did exchange occasional messages after he had 'discovered' me living in North Cambridgeshire when he was working as a 'rep' doing the rounds of G.P. Surgeries, promoting new drugs. He'd visited Wisbech and had called at the local auction hall to buy some strawberries and someone told him where I lived, so he looked me up. That was the one and only time I'd seen him since I left Sutton. Of Peter Garnett I know nowt! Someone told me that he had disappeared without trace in Africa and that must have been fifty years ago!
And how could I forget the name Raymond Whittaker? He was a real gentleman in all senses of the word!
News of any of the following octogenarians would be interesting. Well it would be to me. Mary Baker, Margaret Riley, Harold Hawker, Geoffrey Happs, Rex Whiteoak, Harry Foster, Douglas Reeves and Doreen Horn. That's enough to be going on with!
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Howard Barrett
Silsden
Sunday, January 1, 2017 21:09 |
Denis,
I can confirm that Rex Whiteoak is still alive, grumbling and kicking, as is his beloved Shire horse, which he continues to take to the local agricultural shows each year.
Like myself, he was sent from Crosshills to Silsden as a Missionary, but the task is taking considerably longer than first anticipated! |
David Brook
Sutton
Monday, January 2, 2017 12:46 |
I met Harold Hawker and his wife Shirley a few days ago in Morrisons, we had a very pleasant
chat. He told me he had a heart bypass about two years ago and made a good recovery, he looked fine. I will remember you to him Denis next time I see him. |
Donna frankland
Sutton in craven
Saturday, December 23, 2017 16:06 |
Hello I stumbled across this post a while ago and loved reading about my grandad peter boothman. Unfortunately he passed away in the early hours of this morning. I know some people were still in touch with him and wanted to let everyone know
Regards |
Hazel Martell
Sutton
Saturday, December 23, 2017 17:08 |
So sorry to hear that, Donna. Please pass our condolences on to your mum and the rest of your family. It always seems worse when it happens at Christmas.
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Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Saturday, December 23, 2017 18:52 |
Oh dear! So sorry to read that Peter Boothman has died. Any news of his older brother Roy? |
Donna frankland
Sutton in craven
Saturday, December 23, 2017 19:32 |
Thank you Hazel I will do. Roy died a few years ago now Denis |
John Sharp
Cambridge
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 16:19 |
Interesting to here Rex Whiteoak's name mentioned.
Rex and I went together to Oswestry to do our basic trainng in 1955. My army no. was23086149 Rex was 23086150 How do we remember some things ?
I was a Glusburn lad, but often frequented the private wood behind Hayfield House with the same problems that were mentioned....added to that we had the problem of crossing Snowdens no go area and scaling the ornamental gate on the bridge over the beck. |
Denis Marshall Pickles
Norfolk
Thursday, December 28, 2017 19:27 |
John Sharp,
Although we must be about the same age, for the life in me I cannot bring you to mind. I joined up in 1955 and my number was a little after yours - 23169674. But it would seem that we both enjoyed the illicit ventures into the over grown garden at the back of Hayfield House. Have you ever read Peter Wilcock's description of his childhood in Sutton? It is contained in the History Section of this web site, under the title 'A Life and its Seasons'. It's a worthwhile read. Peter goes into detail about his adventures, gathering frog spawn and pea shooters. |
John Sharp
Cambridge
Friday, December 29, 2017 14:56 |
Hardly expected you to recall or even remember me having lived my early life in Glusburn.
However all my dad's (Joe Sharp) family were life long Suttoners.My aunts and uncles were Raymond, Herbert (Alias Johnson)Mary (kettlewell) and Edith Burgess.
My brother Hugh worked all his working life at Woodrows and shared the duties of shed manager with David Baxter recently mentioned in this forum
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