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Garforth memories

Here are memories of Garforth and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Garforth or a Garforth photo.

Ninelands Primary School

Ninelands Primary School c1965
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I was only thinking about my early education recently, then one evening I stumbled across this photo of my old school.  I was only a baby when my family, along with thousands over the years, moved to the commuter (only it wasn't called that then) village of Garforth.  I remember my first morning at this school, it must have been in 1967 when I would have been four going on five.  I went for the morning, and hid in the wendy house because I was having such a good time I didn't want to leave!  The infants at that time were housed on the ground floor and each classroom had a door so that the kids could play outside with the water or the sand easily.  It was a fantastic school with some amazing teachers; Mr Pritchard was the headmaster and he had some unique ideas on education, for example ballroom dancing and an introduction to music with a pianist who used to regularly visit us (I can't remember his... Read more

Primary School

Ninelands Primary School c1965
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I remember the school very well, Mr Pritchard was the headmaster, indeed Mr Pritchard witnessed my birth at home in Castleford. It was my first ever school before moving to Green Lane Primary. I remember playing on the grass with my best friend Michael Nicholls, we both went through primary at Ninelands, Green Lane, then Garforth Comprehensive. I now live in Australia and have for over 30 years, but I have great memories of Garforth.

Barley Hill Road School

Barley Hill Road c1965
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I was born in Springfield Place, Selby Road, Garforth and we had to walk through the fields to go to Barley Hill Road School. I followed my older brother one day and I was only just 3, the teachers took me home. After doing this on a number of occasions they decided I could stay at school. We used to have a sleep in the afternoon on little camp beds. My Aunty lived in one of the houses next to the school. We left Garforth in 1952 and went to live in Woodlesford where I stayed until I married. I now live in Kippax.

Barbara Walton nee Milner

Memories of West Yorkshire

Swilly Common

Hi, I lived in Swilly and the Common was the posh end even though my parents had their own business.

Fond Memories of Brecks Lane

I have fond memories of living down Brecks Lane for the first 7 years of my life. I remember walking down the lane past Brecks farm down to the Billy woods with my mother and our pet corgi..Bunty we called her. My dad was a lorry driver for a firm called Townend and Williams..they had a warehouse next to the Star pictures..I remember him taking me with him now and again to the fruit market at Hull docks..and my mother used to take me over the road at the end of Brecks Lane to a small cabin shop nearly every morning...it's still there standing after all these years. I'm 50 now...it doesn't trade these days..maybe the supermarkets put an end to it!!..lol. If anyone remembers that shop I would love to see a comment from you. My dad bought a fruit and veg shop in 1967 and we moved to Airedale to live there, but I have fond memories of living down Brecks Lane. It hasn't changed much in... Read more

Halton Village

I arrived in Halton in 1957 age 6 .My memories are the shops and pubs in Halton. Harold fish shop was the most popular fish shop in Halton. There was Halton Institute where I went to dancing class, Miss Fraser ran it - she produced shows. It kept me out of mischief and being a shy child it helped alot. The three pubs were known as top ole, middle ole and bottom ole - otherwise the Woodman, Travellers (and at the back of the Travellers were the railway carriages which we loved to play in - and a sand pit) and Irwin Arms. Our Doctors were Dr Young, (who used to bring his Pekenese to work - it was a nasty little thing) Dr Mattock and Dr Ramsey was the junior partner at the time. They were in Gilsyke House which was situated where Boots chemist and the other shops are now. There was no supermarket at that time - the nearest thing we had was... Read more

My Mother's Memories of Ledsham

I would sometimes go to Downing Street if I had a day in London but I always worked at Chartwell. They were very nice people to work for, Mrs Churchill never wanted me to leave, I can't remember why I did. Mother, Pop Gamble and Charles had gone to Yorkshire to live at a little place called Ledsham, as Mr Wheeler wanted a man to work on his estate in Yorkshire. There was a nice little house attached to the job. They had only been in one week when they were flooded out, there was no help in those days. Mother and family had to go and live in Ledston Hall until the house was made fit to live in again, Mother got new furniture bit by bit and soon got the place comfortable. I was still living in Kent and when I had time off I would visit my grandparents in Ospringe and go and stay with Aunt Alice and Uncle Bill at Kemsley near Sittingbourne, they made me... Read more

More Meories From Ethel Allen Nee Taylor

I would have liked to have gone back to Hawtreys as I was very happy there, but one day the Vicar came and asked mother if he could speak to me. He asked if I had got a place in mind and if I hadn't would I go to the Vicarage to look after him and the family as his wife was going into hospital to have another baby, they had two little girls, Sheila and Pam. There was a girls' orphanage in the village and the girls there would take turns to help me. So I went to help for a few weeks as I thought. Mrs. Capel-cure had a little boy(Adrian), they were such nice people to work for. When it was time for me to leave Mrs. Capelcure asked me to stay, so I decided to stay, she never complained about anything and was a very nice lady to get on with. When the work was done and it was a nice day the orphan girls and I... Read more

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