Market Place
I was brought up in Ossett from 1948 to 1966 when I joined the armed forces. I remember very well every Saturday afternoon we would go to the palladium picture house opposite the town hall. We did not have a bus station at that time so all buses would park around the town hall. Shops that spring to mind were Inghams sports on station road, Fords toy shop, and good fish and chip shops, and many others. Every Spring Bank Holiday we would all gather for the big parade from Gawthorp about a mile away to Ossett town center. With bands playing, horses, decorated wagons and fancy dress, it was a sight to see. There were public toilets underground in front of the town hall, they were closed about 1961 - not demolished, just covered over. As far as I am aware they are still there. We lived down Queens Drive and would walk home down Intake Lane, past the open cast mine and over the railway crossing. Gradually we saw the landscape change as housing estate's were built, Broadowler in this case. We would stand by the level crossing to watch the steam trains go by, but as everything else, Ossett train station closed. The nearest then was Wakefield. I have lots of good memories of Ossett to share as a child.
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RE: RE: Market Place
Great story Bazza, I was there as young man but 46 years in Australia has made me lose some of the old memories. One that I do remember is that I was a paper boy for Dales in Ossett about 1949/50, and called on the present owner, in 2008, and had picture taken in the Town Hall square, and coffee and sandwich at the new market held where the underground toilets were. I also know a couple of school mates, Frank Callaghan, and Barry Auty, who live in the street behind the main street, also a guy who swam the English Channel in 1948/49 was in the same street.
Comment from Anthony (Tony) Cascarino on Wednesday, 20th October 2010.
RE: RE: Market Place
I have many good memories of Ossett as we had many relations there and as a child, it was our second home and where we spent all of our holidays & where we went to recuperate from illnesses.
My main recollections are of the Palladium where the films changed twice a week, the "Nip Inn" fish & chip shop which sold fishcakes made of fish between two slices of potato & dipped in batter. Both very important to a child who was allowed neither films nor fish & chips at home.
Blue Butts, Sparrow Park, the Golden Grain bakery, the beautiful gardens in The Kingsway and gathering mushrooms from the fields at the top of Wesley Street were all important ingredients to our holidays.
I too remember the civic reception and party in the town square for when Phillip Mickman swam the English Channel.
I was last in Ossett in 1959 so the photographs on this site are as it was then & bring back many of these memories.
Comment from Audrey Brown on Saturday, 30th July 2011.