Aldbrough St John

1951 - 1979 Life in Aldbrough St John

Reading Carol's memories brings to mind a lot of happy times in the village, especially the bus shelter and phone box. We managed to make up a lot of our own entertainment, especially the 'village youth club', in a loft above Wilf Martin's butchery business. With a trap door, we could decide who could enter, once in there the music was provided by numerous transistor radios either tuned to Caroline or North Sea International and occasionally Luxembourg. The annual feast in early August was something we all looked forward to, with John Murphy's dodgems and all the side stalls where you could work for a bit of money, to be spent on the chip wagon or at the back door of the Stanwick Arms. At that time events would be put on to try and raise money, wrestling bouts, beat group contests! etc.
Swimming could take place, once we dammed the beck, but fishermen soon dismantled them, sledging on Mill Hill in winter.
The village was usually a quiet place until about 1970 when we used to rehearse in the village hall, playing heavy rock music, Dog eat Dog, me, Mick Pepe and Karate on drums, never made a fortune out of it but we had some good times, and then with Kelly's Eye, with Doug Kelly and others playing Rock & Roll. These times can't have been very pleasant for the residents. Eventually we drifted apart and everyone though that peace had returned, wrong, along with Alan Cook and Dave Martin we built a dragster which occasionally we had to start up and run, usually around the village green on a Sunday afternoon.
My parents Maurice and Phyllis lived in the village for a long time and they held a lot of memories, both my sisters, Judy and Sue, have returned to the village to carry on the tradition.

Living in Aldbrough St. John 1954-1972

My former name was Carol Innis and I lived in Aldbrough with my brother Les and parents Ken and Hilda. Les and I spent our childhood and teenage years walking and swimming in the beck, playing football on the huge village green and cricket on the cricket pitch which was maintained to a high standard by Jack Hollywell, then owner of The Stanwick Arms. We (that is John  Pearson, Ian Ogden, James (Tig) Foster, Ali Foster, Jeff Auton, Audrey Gargett, Mary Robinson, Syd and Pat Appleby and many more) used to congregate in the village bus shelter, where we had many laughs and compared to some of today's teenagers our behaviour was quite harmless - although some of the elder community may not agree. My time in Aldbrough was mostly a happy one. I still visit my mum and dad's headstone set in St Paul's churchyard. I am hoping others may follow and write their memories of a beautiful peaceful North Yorkshire village.