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Kirkthorpe
Kirkthorpe maps
Historic maps of Kirkthorpe and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Kirkthorpe maps
Kirkthorpe photos
We have no photos of Kirkthorpe, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Normanton| Altofts| Wakefield| Featherstone| Horbury| Rothwell| Castleford| Ossett| Ackworth| Pontefract| Royston| Kippax
Kirkthorpe area books
Displaying 1 of 26 books about Kirkthorpe and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Kirkthorpe
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Kirkthorpe.
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My Childhood
I was born in Manygates hospital and lived at 13 Clarkson Street, Lawefield Lane with just a wall seperating my house from my school so I would jump over the wall at the last minute. The house is no longer there. I would roller skate all the way to the park and later when I got a bike I went all over on that. My grandparents lived at Lupset and when my brother was born when I was 9 we moved to Lupset and I went to Snapethorpe school and left at 15 and went to work at Tankards carpets. I have some fantastic memories of when I was a child and could go on and on. I will save them for another time.
Cheesecake Inn
I was born in 1952 and was raised in Cheesecake Inn. This was the original name for the farm next to the Church. When I was growing up there it was called Church Farm. I have many happy memories growing up in Kirkthorpe.
I spent many hours in Sycamore Cottage with the lady who lived there (Rose Richardson) and her 2 sons (John & David)and daughter (Margaret). Sycamore Cottage is now a listed building and has been restored beautifully.
David the youngest of the Richardsons, and I used to go fishing at the Half Moon and the pond on the other side of the railway line. I used to ride my horse through the fields which run alongside the weir.
Harvest time was great, we had such great fun helping dad. The older boys from the village used to come and help, everyone used to muck in.
My other friend lived in the old hospital opposite our farm. In the winter time we would sledge down the slope in... Read more
West Yorkshire memories
Normanton High Street
The shop (bottom left, with pram outside) was Babyland, the town's toy shop since at least the 1920's. My father bought his first bicycle there when he began work at the age of 14 in 1928.
Normanton
I grew up in Normanton and have many happy memories .... I went to the Church of England Primary school ... walked over the farm fields with my Dad under the old railway line and on to Loscoe Lane to the Bluebell wood .... all gone now I'm afraid ... a motorway and Industrial Estate .... played tennis in the park .... later went on to Normanton Girls High School ..also disappeared ... sad
I went back for a visit 2 weeks ago and it wasn't the Normanton I remembered
School Days And Friends-Normanton Girls High School
The Beta class was never a teacher's favourite, but we enjoyed being just that little bit riotous. I remember cycling to school and leaving the bicycle in the bicycle shed and it was always there at end of school. Friends like Frances Walmsley, Janet Codner, Sylvia Crewe, Jean Sargent, Janis Timms, Christine Friend, Lorraine Phelps, Doreen Brain and many more. Tennis in the park and the Saturday school tennis matches. I Know Frances moved to Australia, if anyone does know any contacts for her or any of the above old girls I would love to hear from you. Does anyone remember Beckbridge Estate prefabs. The estate social club, built by my dad and many of the other dads on the estate. Those were the days. Please contact me if possible on E-mail Sandrarikela@hotmail.co.uk.
The Grammar School
I remember climbing onto the roof of the Grammar School - I was in the fifth form, so this would be 1964 or 1965 - and scratching my name on the slates there, underneath my dad's name. He must have done it about 1932. And organising a Review when I was in the sixth form, with the money raised going towards building the original Leeds Playhouse, up by the University gym. Best of all was the rugby team; played 24, won 24 for the 1st XV, and winning the Public School Sevens at Roehampton.
Funnily enough, only a couple of weeks ago I met somebody who had seen our sevens team play at Ilkley and he said it was the most perfect exhibition of Sevens play he had ever seen.
Was There A Dog Track in Normanton?
I've lived in Tyldesley, Lancs all my life but I remember working in Normanton in 1967, we used to travel all over the country erecting sectional buildings. When in Normanton we built an extension on to the clubhouse of a local dog track [does anyone remember it?]. I think the owner of the track was a Mr. Parker and when the job was finished he threw an opening night dance party. There were 4 of us worked there and he made a fuss of us with free beer and all that. During the night I saw this beautiful young 20 year old blonde, her name was Sheila M. She lived in Sharlston Common. We had a dance and a date and then the day after we had to leave for the next job down south somewhere. I never saw Sheila again but I still have a picture she gave me and I will never forget her. Memories...
