Memories
I was born in East Harlsey in 1946 and was educated in the village school which of course is now a private house, or is it two. I remember there being two classrooms and, if my memory is correct, the teacher was a Mrs Lyle?? I seem to remember we called her "jam pot". At that time the shop was run by a Mrs Topham, not sure of the spelling.
My grandmother was the caretaker of the village hall as she was for about 25yr
and as a child I remember playing in the hall and on the back lawn. I often helped my gran clean which was great fun. Polishing the dance floor and dashing through from the house with hot irons for her to iron the snooker table. I also remember that when one of the regular dances was taking place my cousin and I would sneak up into the projection room and look down at all that was going on.
I, of course, also remember life was very hard then. The house we lived in is now I believe a one bed property. But there where 8 of us in that house and when I was very young I know we had no running water and we had to go to the village pump to collect it. It was also an outside midden (I tried to spend as much of my time as possible at my grans).
I remember the landlady of the Cat & Bagpipes was called Nellie Elliott, a very strange lady I thought as a child.
I also remember going to watch the Coronation at the village shop with a lot of other kids. It was the first TV I saw. I remember sitting on the floor with my feet on top of one of her two golden labs (funny what you remember).
I often visit the village as my parent's and grandparent's are at rest in the churchyard there. I don't think it has changed a lot. More houses, more cars for sure but I would think not enough children to run a village school again if that was possible.
I also think it is a shame that there is no shop now but I would hope that there is still a strong community spirit because I think that's what makes a place.
"Ah well happy memories".
P Clark
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RE: RE: Memories
Mrs Lyall, the head teacher, was my granny. I had no idea she was known as 'Jam Pot' but I'd love to hear why. She lived in East Harlsey throughout the war and into the early 1950s, after being widowed. Her pals included Mrs Eileen McGookin and she was on good terms with Mrs Constantine, who gave her an open invitation to pop up to the Hall whenever she fancied a bath! Her children were Mary, who was at Manchester University, Margaret who joined the ATS, my Dad, George who joined the Navy and little Essie, who attended Northallerton Grammar School. My parents were married in the village church. My Dad had met his wife, Lesley Cline, when he was out in a warship in Burma. She came off the boat, and went straight to East Harlsey, which was her introduction to the English way of life. I was born in Northallerton in 1947, and have many happy memories of East Harlsey up until 1956. I remember my granny, a stalwart of the WI, winning cake-baking prizes and directing a play in the Village Hall. My mother was in the play, making a brief appearance in a bed sheet and intoning the words, "Antigone has chosen so to die." I remember the shop, the cowshed and the blacksmith's, where we waited for the bus to Stockton. There were also wedding processions, when it was the custom for the bride to throw coins to the village chidren along the route. "Jam Pot' never let me join them, though!
Comment from Kate James on Sunday, 5th September 2010.