FORGOTTEN CORNERS

[Stanley]

Thanks for that P.



Kelbrook show 1977. Winston Horsfield leaning on his heifer.

[Stanley]

George Pickles, grandfather of John Albert Pickles. He is stood in front of the cobbler's shop in Kelbrook Main Street which he ran. Probably about 1900.

[Stanley]

Old postcard of Dotcliffe.

[Stanley]

We forget these days that water didn't always run out of the tap with no effort on our part. This is a pumping test on a 100ft deep borehole at Paythorne in 1946. Martin's plumbers were there and Newton is stood next to the boiler.

[Stanley]

The old joiner's shop at Wellhouse Mill in 1978. Used as a bobbin mill by Bracewell at one time, it later became Barrett's Steam Laundry and then during the war was taken over by Brown and Pickles for some of their heavy machinery. It had it's own borehole in the building and used steam from the mill when it was a laundry.

[Stanley]

We forget today how many ex-WD vehicles were converted to post war use. Here's a good example, an AEC Matador converted to a wreker. Still working in 1979.

[Stanley]

Johnny Simpson at Bancroft in 2003, he was 89 years old.

[Stanley]

Alwin Simpson and Sid Demaine over the farm wall at Sid's smallholding in 1977.

[Stanley]

Allan and Alwin Simpson in 2003. They don't seem to age.... Must be something in the water at Bancrofts.

[Stanley]

West Marton smithy when Jimmy Thompson ran it in the 1950s.

[Stanley]

Old postcard of Horton Hall.

[Stanley]

1990. Amazing how fast things change.

[Stanley]

Wonderful how we managed without street furniture in 1983.

[Nolic]

....and much better for roller skating around the corner 25 years earlier. Nolic

[PanBiker]

Army & Navy Store when I was lad.

[Bruff]

Keep up the good work - excellent part of the site this.

On 'forgotten corners', I was up this weekend gone collecting my mother who's staying for a few days. If there's no else parked there, I tend to park up in the cobbled bit next to Peter Whatsisname's solicitors at the top of Newtown.

I asked my mother what this 'yard' was called. She said it was Singleton's Yard - or that's what my dad called it. A few years back, the buildings in the yard were being cleared (they were riddled with pigeons). The chaps doing it saw my dad and asked what the yard was called. He said Singleton's Yard, as this was where Singleton's Stables were. The blokes said that explained it, as the buildings were full of old horseshoes.

Anyone have a photo of Singleton's Yard to post on here - now and before so to speak?

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

I haven't an earlier picture Richard. Singleton was a carriage proprietor and provided hearses, carriages and charabancs. He also had premises in Commercial Street and used some of the stabling in Butts as well.
Thanks for the kind words, I think it's worthwhile posting the pics.

[Bruff]

Just to note, that's not our car but I know who's it is!

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

I think that's the first time I have ever seen you misuse an apostrophe Richard. Standards must be maintained!! Write out ten times 'Stanley is a pedantic old fart'.



This pic is a cheat because when I did it in 1982 I missed out the forgotten bit. It's still there so I shall do another today. To explain, just to the right of the island on the corner is a tall cast iron column that looks like an old fashioned lamp standard but actually it's a vent to allow gas to escape from the sewer.

[PanBiker]

Can't see the picture Stanley but I assume this its the island on the corner of Wellhouse Road and Valley Road. Next to where Eric Bolton's used to be? Part of my playground when I was kid.

[Stanley]

Sorry about that, have reposted and it's there now. The vent is to the right next to the steps. This was where I found a full box of compressor blades in the road one morning. Westons at Foulridge were very pleased when they heard I'd informed Rolls and they had retrieved them, a bloke called round and gave me a bottle of whisky. I suspect they were quite valuable!



This yard outside the house on the left as you go down Lamb Hill into Walmsgate shows the original road level before the beck was culverted using the money obtained from selling the village green c.1825.

[Stanley]

Coates bridge in 1910. Bankfield Shed entrance on left, canal wharf cottages on the bridge to the right.

[David Whipp]

Coates bridge in 1910

I can just about remember the new bridge being built.

When the services were being connected for the new houses in Coates Wharf recently, the contractors connecting the water supply had to bring in a bigger machine to get down to the water main.

The surface of the road was raised by over a metre when the new bridge was built, leaving the water main unusually deep.

[plaques]

You always knew when you had reached the canal bridge in Laycock's flying buses. You did the next 30 yards at zero G.

[Stanley]

When the new boiler arrived for Coates mill it bellied on the bridge and I think it took over a day to get it over the crest. Billy Brooks said that when horse drawn funerals were going up the bank to the bridge on the way to Gill Church the mourners often got out of the carriages and walked up to relieve the load on the horses.



Is this the aftermath of the fire at Nelson Market Hall?