Castleford, West Yorkshire

Featherstone

I was born in Featherstone in 1956 and lived there until 1962 when we moved to Hampshire. My dad was also born there. We lived at 46 Market Street and my grandparents lived at 64 Featherstone Lane, on the corner of Gordon Street. I believe my great-grandparents lived in Featherstone Lane too. My grandfather (Arthur Haigh) was a miner all his life. He played rugby for Featherstone Rovers, 1921-1929, and was one of the original senior team.

I only have the vaguest of memories of most of my life there, and of later visits, but then others are very vivid. Most seem to focus around food! I have recollections of a shop at the end of Market St., run by 'Mr. Roly-Poly' (as I called him in my innocence!), but I've been told his name was Roly Weston. I remember the fish and chip shop in Featherstone Lane - you can't get Yorkshire fishcakes here for love nor money and I love them! - and I think that there was a shop next door to my gran's house at one time. I'm sure I remember getting sweets there.

I went to Gordon St. school for about a year, but I only remember my first day. I loved it because I could go to my gran's everyday straight from school. The school playground and her yard backed onto one another. Balls would regularly sail over the fence and end up in her yard, never to see the light of day again until my brother and I visited. She refused to give them back! Then she'd open the top drawer of the kitchen dresser to reveal her latest stash of confiscated goods!

I have a photo of my grandad sitting on 'that bench' with his mates and I think it was probably taken a little earlier than this one. No doubt he was also waiting for the doors to open!

Growing up in North Featherstone

I remember a happy childhood, playing in the streets with my best friends Joyce Dean, Linda Perry & Maureen Beaumont amongst many, we had quite a large gang,
playing rounders or sitting around telling ghost stories, we also used to take peoples babies for a walk and go to Pontefract Park.The school we attended was Gordon Street and my favourite teacher as I grew older was Mr Kearsley. I remember going to the Working Mens Club and having crisps and Pop and the annual trip to Scarborough or Bridlington. My favourite memory was bonfire night and my Dad would be buying crackers for weeks before hand and we would collect wood, my mam made toffee and hot peas and we baked potato's on the bonfire, what a way to go mmmm

You are dead right

It is Green lane but I remember this spot as Cressys Corner,my dad Bill Atkinson used to sit on the seat during the day Until the Green Lane Club opened ,Then after dark it was a favorate spot for us to gather,As IRecall lBill Major Colin Jaques Keith Bullock Carl Farington Pat Sutton to name but a few ,I live in Retford now and when I am it the area I always drive up Green lane ,and apart from once meeting Ian Dransfield I have never seen any one that I used to know.

A Good Time To Be Living In Featherstone

I was 10 when Featherstone Rovers beat Wigan and Leigh in getting to the Wembley final.  We lived in the school house immediately opposite the entrance on Post Office Road.  What a wonderful period in history of the town.
I was born on Vicarage Lane and schooled at Regent Street and then George Street Junior School.  Eventually Normanton Grammer school.
I have wonderful memories of the town despite it being a pretty grim place.
I still visit the town whenever I return to Yorkshire, but never recognise  anyone despite the town being largely unchanged.

Neil Wilford.    neil.wilford@tiscali.co.uk