FORGOTTEN CORNERS

[Stanley]

I do Bodge! That's why I took the trouble to write my four volume life story for my kids.... Still available on Lulu! (Stanley's Story)



Billy Brooks was amazing. He started to talk about his war experiences and described red-coated soldiers fighting in squares with the enemy riding round shooting at them. It was only then I realised he was talking about what he called 'The African War', the Boer War to us.... This in the living room of a Barlick house in the 1970s....

[Wendyf]

A distant view of Riley Street Methodist Chapel in an interesting photo! Is that the clock from Mystery Objects?



Definately a forgotten corner of Earby......all gone!

[Stanley]

Wonderful pic Wendy. From the look of the dress, 1930s I think. 'Gormless' as a name for anything placed in the road seems to have been a popular epithet. There was an ornate lamp in Gargrave near the bridge over the river called 'the gormless' as well. Funny thing is I've never heard it used for the Jubilee fountain which stood in the road at the top of Butts. You can just see the edge of it in this picture.....

[PanBiker]

I have heard it called "Owd Gormless". It was moved up Letcliffe I believe when motor transport became more prevalent as the larger vehicles of the day could not negotiate up and down Butts and it was forever getting bumped.

[Stanley]

Thanks for that Ian, I had never heard it used.

[Nolic]

http://www.pendletoday.co.uk/news/colum ... -1-7281351A little bit about Burnley's "gaumless" lamps. Nolic

[plaques]

Nolic has highlighted a very good point. Burnley was trying to recover from past mistakes and now appears to be going down the same road again. I'm all for preserving bits of our old culture but this has to balanced against making a town look like a museum. Both Barlick and Barrowford have kept part of their heritage in a sensitive way. One of my favourites is the old Co-Op banner in the square. We will never see this type of stonework again. Well done Barlick.

[Stanley]

Nice one Comrade. Now we put pedestrian refuges in the middle of the road but we don't refer to them pejoratively....
I was against the demolition of the old Co-op but have since realised that it was a splendid decision and look how the space is used today! I agree about saving the stonework, thank God someone had the sense to do it.....

[Stanley]

We saved the stone off the old drill hall as well, here it is in the gardens next to the war memorial.

[plaques]

Its worth posting the plaque that goes along with this stone. We should never forget the purpose behind these memorials.

[Stanley]

I agree. Peter made a good job of restoring it. Let's not forget that either!
Today's forgotten corner is hard to illustrate but equally important. It is the small areas that survive in the town from the post-medieval jumble that was unplanned Barlick, King Street and Jepp Hill, the yards behind Hudson's buildings and the bottom of Wapping. The area bounded by Skipton Road, Forester's Buildings and the new extension of Fernlea Avenue. Lane Bottoms, Townhead and the bottom of Esp Lane, make up your own list.... We tend to forget they are their but with their stone slate roofs and pleasing irregularity they contribute so much to the overall impression of the town. Their initial survival was accidental, the money ran out in the 1950s when 'improvement' was the mantra in planning departments but since then their value has been realised and they are largely protected. We should guard them well!

[Stanley]

Wapping weaver's houses in 1890. Note the dry macadam road and the buildings on the left just in front of John Street at the end of Calf Hall Lane. They went in the 1950s.

[Stanley]

Wapping looking down the hill in the 1950s. The houses on the right, Clough Mill and the cottages and shops on the right in front of the mill are long gone. The end of John Street opposite the mill is still there but I suspect truncated by demolishing the end cottage. The cottages hidden behind the back of John Street at the end of Calf Hall Lane went at the same time..
I can see why the road was widened but can't help thinking that if the overwhelming needs of transport had been ignored these cottages would now be very desirable town centre properties....

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

Looking up Westgate from the end of John Street on the right. All the houses on the left were demolished. From the motorbike I have dated this around 1910 but suspect it could be later.

[Stanley]

This clapper bridge used to span Butts Beck in what is now Victory park. I think this pic is around 1890/1900. Looking down towards the gas works....

[Stanley]

Being human we tend to forget the really important things like where our water comes from. This is the reservoir at Elslack which supplies much of our water. This was in summer 2005 when it was at a low level. Worth thinking about every time you leave a tap running.

[Stanley]

More water. The only image I have ever found of the pumping station at Whitemoor, for many years Barlick's water source.

[Stanley]

We look at this row of shops on Rainhall Road and forget that they are all converted cottages. Look at other shops with the same eye and you'll be surprised how many started life as ordinary houses.

[Stanley]

Looking at that picture I remembered Roy Cardus who kept the sweetshop next to Ken and Ern's. My mother had a soft spot for Roy.... I saw Roy recently, he's still about I think. All completely changed now of course, both shops incorporated in the Co-op Chemists.



Rainhall Road from Newtown in 1979. Uncluttered by bollards!

[PanBiker]

Two way traffic as well but hardly any cars. Nowadays if you didn't have the bollards you would have cars on the pavement. Look on the bright side, you always have somewhere to park Jack.

[Stanley]

You're right Ian, I hadn't noticed the car going the 'wrong' way!



Postcard. About 1910?

[Stanley]

Barlick is doing great things cleaning up the approaches to the town and making them more attractive. They have never had to worry about the approach down Tubber Hill. In addition to the magnificent view Bancrofts Farm under the care of the Simpson family has always been a perfect example of what a well kept holding should be. We would do well to remember this.
Incidentally, the flat piece of concrete on the wall top is the milk stand where the kits of milk used to be put awaiting pickup. I think they were on 10 gallon galvanised cans picked up by Williamson's of Embsay and bound for Dobson's Dairy which was at New Coates Mill.

[Cathy]

Wow, love that house. Looks like one that you would see on Escape to the Country.

[Stanley]

Part of that is the fact that it was built like all the old farmhouses in the area, facing South for maximum light, gable end pointing to the SW where the main of the weather comes from and taking advantage of the slope to hunker down out of the wind. Perfect siting but then they had the room to achieve that. Hey farm is exactly the same....