Cookley memories
Here are memories of Cookley and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Cookley or a Cookley photo.
William Hopkins
I would be very grateful to hear from anyone who remembers William Staite Hopkins who lived in Cookley until he died in 1953. lizrp@blueyonder.co.uk
Memories of Worcestershire
1960's Kidderminster
Dear old Kiddy. My youth and teenage years during the late 1950s and early 1960' spent here. I remember a busy medium sized market town. Full employment was provided by the numerious carpet factories, Adams, Brintons, Carpet Trades, CM Co., Victoria and many more. Dozens and dozens of thriving shops all the way from the railway station, down Station Hill, along Oxford Street and Vicar Street. The High Street, Blackwell Street. Mill Street and Worcester Street. Dozens of great pubs and, in those days, four cinemas to choose from The Central, The Futurist, The Grand and The Empire, the last one with the reputation as the town "flea pit". These provided a wealth of entertainment for Friday and Saturday nights not to mention a large choice of dance venues everywhere from The Baths (during the winter ) to The Florence Ballroom, from Frank Freeman's dance studios to The Black Horse Hotel plus various church halls. Lord, we just didn't know how lucky we were. Does anyone out there remember... Read more
Walking Home in The Dark
Before we were married my then fiance used to live on the Birmingham road and this scene was on my route home often around midnight. Then it was in the process of change from the road works that resulted in the ring road. The scene resembled terrific desolation and required careful negotiation of the canal bank being unlit and very slippery.
In 2006 we rented a canal cruiser and wanted to stay here for a couple of days right where that barge is in the photo. The rental company warned us away because it was unsafe due to the risk from local vandals. Poor old Kiddy and poor old England have not fared well over the last 40+ years.
St Mary's Church, Kidderminster
Research into my Family History tells me that my great, great, great grandfather (John Henry Erskine) was baptised at St Mary's Church on 30th December 1836. His parents, John Erskine and Sarah Cook were married in the same church on 25th October 1829. John, husband of Sarah, was born in 1798 and worked locally as a Weaver. I know that John Henry had many children who were eventually orphaned around 1874 when he died in a Typhus Epidemic in Manchester. Some survived though, including a son which led to my branch of the family. If anyone knows of any further information regarding this family, I would love to hear from them.
St. Mary's
Several of my Tarbox ancestors were baptised at St. Mary's. William Tarbox, b. 1849 (wife Helen Pitt Cooke) lived on Broad Street and he worked as a weaver. He left for NYC in 1880, leaving his wife and 5 children in the workhouse! She followed several years later. I was lucky enough to be able to visit Kidderminster and the church in 2001 and the cemetery where some of my relatives are buried.
Picnic And Paddling
I can remember going to the park when I was a little girl, I loved to paddle in the pool, and we would take sandwiches. It was my favourite place ever in the summer.
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- Blundellsands, Merseyside
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- Knockentiber, Ayrshire
- Aveley, Essex
- Eastleigh, Hampshire
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- Heywood, Lancashire
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- Sway, Hampshire
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- Streatham, Greater London
- Stanhope, County Durham
- Strood, Kent
- Dagenham, Essex
- Horbury, West Yorkshire
- Rochdale, Lancashire
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