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Eppleby, the Green c1955
Eppleby, the Green c1955 Ref: E82002
Memories of Eppleby, the Green
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Eppleby & local memories
Read and share memories of Eppleby and North Yorkshire inspired by Frith photos
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Shop and Post Office
My parents, Fred and Marjorie Reeks bought the shop and Post Office from Mrs Britton in 1947 and they owned the business till about 1985. In the mid sixties Fred got about 100,000 daffodil bulbs from a market garden in Darlington and spent many hours getting a single furrow dug around the perimeter of each of the pieces of the green and creating the words "Cross Keys" in front of the pub and "Post Office Eppleby" around the turning bay in front of the shop in letters that were about 3 feet tall. He then spent many more hours planting the bulbs in the furrows. He also put the big stones there to try to stop people from driving over the flowers. He painted the stones white so they were easier to see. Marjorie kept the business going on her own after Fred died in 1983. She moved to Canada in 1986 to join me there. I remember Melvyn Jones who lived next door when I was quite young. Len Bowsher and his mother next to them and Brittons owned Archway Cottage for many years and their grown children Joan, Noel and Hilma (Larsen) lived there at various times. I am not sure how the McLarens ended up there, I believe Mr McLaren was with the military, they had 2 sons Rory ( Roderick John) and Norman Angus. The Kelly-Wiseham family lived there at one time. I remember he had been in the military in Germany and that is where they got their dog, Kurt. Across the green Harry Hutchinson lived in number 1 Victoria Row. The Glaspers lived at number 2, Edna Thompson lived at number 4, Fred Stevens ( the postman) and his sister Rose lived at number 5. Tommy Sutheran owned the cow byre across the green from the shop even though their farm (Glebe farm) was in the corner hidden from our view by the blacksmith's shop owned by the Twedalls. The stop for buses going to Darlington was in front of the blacksmith's shop. Stan Twedall's wife Topsy used to be the bus conductress. Stan used to be the publican at the Traveller's Rest, the pub frquented by the locals. The folks from town went to the Cross Keys which was run by Mr and Mrs Hughes. I remember Mr Hughes getting the sign on his pub changed from 2 crossed keys to 2 keys fighting each other with boxing gloves on! Bill and Alice Smith and Mildred Britton lived on The Curtain as did Mrs Waller who used to live near the corner house. Margaret Tweddal lives in the Corner House now. Nell Clarkson (the cat & dog lady) lived in the small cottage attached to the Corner House next to the blacksmith's shop (the other photo on this page).Nurse Elanor and her family lived near there too. Bert & Rene Bellwood lived nextdoor to Mr Pacey who used to be the hedge slasher in the area. The Dowsons lived in High House (is that the right name?) at the top of the village. Mrs Crooks used to supply milk for people in the village. I walked there every day for 1 1/2 pints of milk and carried it home in cans. Harry Sharpe, who only left Eppleby 1 day a year to go to Darlington on Michaelmas Day, lived in Chapel Row, he had a Gallowa (Yorkshire term for a horse) and to prevent this animal from hurting its hooves walking on the cobblestones behind Chapel Row to get from the garden to the Village Green, led it through his house every day. Mr and Mrs Richardson lived in this row too. The Blackburn family lived in one of the Coronation Cottages. Their daughter, Jean, and I were recruited to chase the geese across the green so they would be in the photos on this site! On that side of the village were the Whitfields, with their son Trevor. Ray Stenson, Daisy and Sybill Thompson lived in New Row. About a mile away, as the crow flies, was where Sir Mortimer Wheeler and his crew excavated part of the Stanwick Fortifications. As a young child I spent many hours there watching their work progressing. He was knighted at about this time. There was an underground stream which ran down the village and through the cellar of the Post Office untill Fred put in the petrol tanks in front of the shop, that diverted the stream. I remember Marjorie telling me that the first spring we lived there she was startled to get her feet wet as she descended the stone steps into the cellar. Behind the P O was Mill Farm owned at the time by Mr Stevenson. He was quite old all the time I knew him. In a corner of one of his fields there was a fresh water spring where we had to go to get water when the town water supply failed. Fred (who ran a threshing machine) and Norah Whappat lived across the road from this farm as did Dennis and Joyce Player. Eppleby Gala was my favourite time. The people who came with the roundabouts and stalls were all friends of mine and I kept in touch with them long after leaving the country. The Shipleys were the main family, then there were the Jefferies, Barwicks and Cowries. Mrs Deer, the fortune teller, and her grandson Johnny always put her caravan near the blacksmith's shop. I have heard that Eppleby has finally started to grow. While we lived there there were not many new homes built. I remember the police house being built, prior to that the village police man used to live in Corner House. The only P C I remember was Mr Williamson, and his wife. They had the first TV I ever saw! C W Watson the councillor lived just outside the village on a farm. If anyone reading this would like to make corrections please do. Time tends to fade facts! Last edited: 13/04/2008 15:42 by Alison Glass |
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The McHugh Family, 1963-1965
Hello all, my name is Terry McHugh Junior, as I am apparently the first to hit this site I will share with you my early childhood memories of that lovely village in Yorkshire, Eppleby. We moved into Eppleby in 1963, my Dad (Terry McHugh senior) was in the Army at the time, serving in Catterick, my Mum's name was Edna. We moved in to Archway cottages and lived in the furthest cottage away from Reeks shop and petrol station. Across from the archway dividing the cottages lived our friends Dot and Stan Tweddle. Dot and Stan had 2 children who we used to play with. Stan was the landlord of the Travellers Rest public house. Mr Reeks used to run the village shop and petrol station, I remember he had a couple of large dogs (Alsations I seem to remember). I have 3 brothers and 1 sister, my name is Terry and I am 49, my twin is called Michael, Stephen is 47, Kevin is 43 and my little sister Catrina is 40. Myself and Michael used to attend the village school, if I remember correctly my first teacher was Miss Metcalf. We used to have friends who used to live in a tied cottage I believe in Forcett who we used to visit from time to time. I also remember a friend of mine who used to live in a house on the road out to Caldwell, if I remember correctly his name was Derek Masterman? I also remember the name of a family who lived in the village called "Nendick" not sure if the spelling is correct but the name sounds familiar. I remember the daffodils coming up on the village green every spring (the green opposite the Cross Keys pub). I also remember the village fete which used to be held on the upper green in the village up the hill, one year Stan and Dot Tweddle went dressed in fancy dress as Laurel and Hardy! Behind the Cross Keys there used to be fields which we used as a playground during the summer holidays, there was also a football pitch in that area were we used to go and watch my Dad sometimes play football for the local team. I have just called my Dad (he is now 73) and he is going to rack his brain to get some further names and memories for me to put on this site. More to follow I guess... Best regards, Terry McHugh Junior (49) Last edited: 02/11/2006 20:54 by Terry Mchugh |
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 Melsonby, Bridge and Church of St James the Great c1960 (ref: M143004) |
Year: 1951
Childhood memories. A memory of Melsonby, North Yorkshire I have many happy memories of Melsonby as I visited regularly until the 1980's. My father's family (Healey) were from Melsonby and my aunt was a teacher at the C of E school for many years. My father and most of his family are buried in the churchyard in the picture. The right-hand cottage belonged to the Rennison family and as a child no visit to Melsonby was complete without a visit to them. Although only 22 miles from Middlesbrough where I lived it took 2 and a half hours to get to Melsonby and 3 different buses. Last edited: 15/02/2008 12:52 by Brenda Fairbairn |
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 Ingleton, the Village 1890 (ref: 26330) |
The Printing Works premises. A memory of Ingleton, County Durham The property on the left of the photograph marked 'Printing Office' is where I grew up and lived until my student days. My parents operated a bakers and confectionery business from the premises. In 1890, when a printing works, it was owned by the Brookes family as can be seen from the sign over the door. Their ownership continued until about 1918, at which time two sisters opened a cafe (Fells Cafe) and bakery business. One of the sisters, Sarah Fell, had lost her husband to the 1918 influenza pandemic and this led to them moving to Ingleton from Ambleside. By this time the premises had acquired another storey - the roof had been raised to a higher level than your picture shows and another window had been fitted above the one marked 'Printing Office'. The new top floor was converted to be a bakehouse - with coke-fired oven on the attic level! My father got a job there and learned the baking trade, becoming quite celebrated for his elaborately decorated wedding cakes. He eventually took over the wedding business and transferred the baking activity to other premises across the street while still using the shop and cafe. The bakery operated under several subsequent owners until 1999. The 'Printing Office' has been a confectioners and cafe (c1918 to c1945), a bakers and confectioners and a clothes shop and bookshop. The Brookes family subsequently emigrated to Canada, though the 'Greta Printing Works' continued to exist in other premises in the village until the early 1960s. Behind the printing works is the Oddfellows Arms which closed many years ago and is now a shop. The building in the background was originally the farmhouse of Seed Hill Farm. Posted: 06/04/2006 16:20 by Dr R Tomlinson |
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Year: 1965
Too short a stay! A memory of Kirby Hill, North Yorkshire I lived in Kirby Hill for one year from 1965 to 66, I was a 13 year old boy. I absolutely loved my time there and have many happy memories. My Mother and Father bought the Shoulder of Mutton in 1965 taking myself and brother Frank ( then aged 7) to live in this fantastic area of North Yorkshire. My Father in fact was responsible for creating the restaurant area from what was then the beer store. I remember waiting on tables in the restaurant (at that time it was known as the Grill Room). The Shoulder of Mutton was a favourite with the Army who used to call on their way back from the shooting range on the Moors, it was quite a regular occurance to see two or three green canvassed backed lorries in the pub car park having deposited their cargo into the pub for a couple of pints and pie and peas. I remember that two brothers from Whashton were regulars in the Bar, one of them was blind and was known as "Albo" and was a real character with a very dry sense of humour, my Father said he was very fond of large quantities of Newcastle Exhibition. Another great memory I have was the winter of 1965, due to heavy snow I did not go to school for two weeks, I recall JCBs clearing the roads only for the wind to blow all the snow back in again, happy days! I attended the Secondary School in Richmond and although I only spent a year there it was the best year of my school days. I played for the school under 14s football team and what I especially liked was that occasionally we used to play matches against other schools in lesson time, brilliant. Back to Kirby Hill, I remember that the Church Warden was called Reg and that he used to come into the pub to buy chocolate and lemonade (not the demon drink for Reg). I used to be friends with Keith Walker whose Father had a farm at the back of the village green. Keith had an older brother called Brian who at that time worked on a farm in the south of England. I believe that another farm in the village was owned by the Fenwick family. When my Father sold the pub in 1966, I believe he sold it to a couple from Scotland, if my memory serves me well they came from Dingwall. I understand that after a relatively short time the husband died. The reason our stay was so short was that my Mother did not really take to the pub life, so shortly after England won the World Cup in 1966 we left (I remember watching the game upstairs in the pub sitting room). To this day I wondered what would have happened if we had stayed, I really did not want to move but at the age I was I had no say in the matter, too short a stay by far, great memories, great people and a great place to live. Last edited: 25/07/2007 16:26 by John Wood |
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