Owston Ferry, South Yorkshire

Epworth Gas Works

Epworth gas works was located down Tottermire Lane next to the fire station. I was brought up there as a child in the 1950s and had some happy times there. My father Horace was the manager there, and his brothers also worked there, Tom and Eric, I believe my father took over from his father Tom. If my memory serves me... [more]

Manor Court House

The building behind the Market Cross with the arched windows is the Manor Court House, a grade II listed building. It is owned by the Epworth Mechanics' Institute Library, which still operates from the upper floor. The Library was formed in 1837 by William Read, who owned a business based at Albion House on Albion Hill. The Manor Court House is... [more]

1876 drowning of my great grandfather

I recently visited Goole in search of records of my maternal ancestry. I discovered that my great grand father Bernard Knowles Brook and his 6-yr-old son George from Goole were drowned at Keadby on 9 July 1876. I understand that his wife and probably also my then 1-yr-old grandfather Matthew Moorhouse Brook were nearby on the "Eagle" when the drowning occurred... [more]

The Village Shop

One of my fondest memories of my childhood visits to Ealand was visiting the village shop, which stocked a wide variety of goods and was owned by two sisters, Miss Gertie and Miss Laura Sales. Miss Gertie was in charge of the shop and when I called in the shop soon after arriving in the village by train from Manchester via... [more]

Family ties with Ealand

My parents, grandparents and I visited the village of Ealand every year from about 1954 until the 1960s. Our connection with the village arose from the fact that my paternal grandmother had two sisters, Mary and Lizzie, who both married farmers who hailed from Ealand. Mary married Jim Foster and they originally lived at Field House Farm, before Uncle Jim retired... [more]

Ashby Broadway

I lived in Ashby as a child, and when I started attending Ashby Girls' School on Ashby Turn, I had to walk from the bottom of Ashby to the top every day, rain or shine. When I was 11 in 1948, Broadway was nothing more than an overgrown field, I realise now there must have been houses there that had been... [more]

98 & 100 High Street

These two shops in the High Street in Crowle were owned by my grandmother Rose Raper. They were handed down to my father and aunt. My dad Raymond Raper had the grocers shop at number 98 and we lived above the shop until I was ten years old in 1963. My dad continued to work in the shop until his retirement... [more]