The Past

A Memory of East Witton.

This picture reminds me of the days spent in East Witton at my grandfathers house it was on the right as you look up the green with the pub behind you, it had a archway and it was a working farm there was no electricity and the water came from two pumps in the village green one at the top and one at the bottom.

He kept sheep and he had two sheep dogs one of them was a trainee because he would always be larking around in the kitchen just as any good puppy would.

As a family we spent our time on holiday there and enjoyed walking next to the river collecting fresh watercress also in the local towns Hawes and Leyburn the busses do not appear to have changed since 1960, sadley my grandmother died when i was one my grandfather and father have now passed away but i have never forgotten that time we spent together.

My father served as a solider in the Green Howards stationed at catterick he was posted to India until 1943 he came home and was the posted to France as part of the D-Day landings he managed to get shot and duly returned home where he met my mother who worked as a nurse she treated him and the rest is history as they say

My grandparents are buried in the church next to the blue lion they both lived there from 1880 to 1965 his name was Harry Kirby he had three sons one died at home in a farming accident as a youth i am dissapointed that i did not ask more questions about their past and the things they got up to, all i know is that the village of East Witton will hold a very special place in my heart now and forever.

I made a vist their two years ago nothing appears to have changed apart from the water and electricity is now in the houses

this is a place where time has stood still how magical!!