Portington, North Humberside

Evacuees from Hull in WWII

I have never been to Gilberdyke, but I recall that my grandmother, Ivy Ruston, took her 2 younger daughters, Mabel and Dorothy, to lodge in Gilberdyke when the bombing began in Hull.
My grandfather, Harry Ruston, a signals inspector on the LNER railway, knew someone connected with the railway in Gilberdyke who offered Ivy and the girls a safe home... [more]

Willow Garth

My Grandparents Arthur and Gladys Gossop lived at Willow Garth, opposite the White Horse Pub.  Grandad bought it with his Army money.  He built a workshop, and began a business which included Wheelwright, Joiner and Contractor.  He made coffins and walked in funeral processions with his best top hat on.  He put piped water, WCs and a bathroom into the house,... [more]

The Cottages. Sandholme Road

Moved into Sandholme Road in 1954 from Howden. Father and grandfather bought The Cottages at auction and I lived there until going to college in 1970. My parents stayed there until 1983 when they moved into Laburnum Walk, where my mother still lives. Typical of many villages of the type, walk through it once and you have seen it twice. Living... [more]

Paul Bentley's scrap yard

I remember visiting Holme -on-Spalding-Moor several times in the early and mid 1960s as a teenage schoolboy to view a yard of very salvageable Edwardian, vintage and 1930's cars which in those days had little monetary or collector's value. The proprietor was an aptly named Paul Bentley, I recall. I particularly remember a ginormous Austro-Daimler from the early 1920s and have... [more]

Ben Howdels Blacksmith Shop

In 1952 I started my apprenticeship as a blacksmith with Ben Howdel. We were situated on the corner of Back Lane and Howden Road. I served my full term of five years, always being the 'Junior' under Percy Riley - who I understand, still lives in the village - and Raymond Johnson from Hayton. For eighteen months I cycled from Market... [more]

Poplar Farm on the A614

My aunt Joyce Blacker (nee Watson), and uncle Earnest used to live here, along with my cousins, Christine, Pauline and Magaret. I think it was next to a garage with a cafe or something. They had sheep and pigs on the farm, and there was an old well in the garden that was said to be haunted by a girl that... [more]

Stephenson's shop

In 1939 this shop was owned by Mr and Mrs Hodgson. They were relatives of Geoff Foster who still lives in the village. I last made a purchase from Annie Hodgson in 1948. I last saw the Hodgsons in 1952 on returning from service in Malaya. I love Holme and still make regular visits.

Station Lane

The first smallholding on the right hand side was where my relatives lived - Richard and Nellie Wiles. The house is still very much the same, but with some extensions to the house itself. The outbuildings are exactly the same. The next house was my grandparents' smallholding. The outbuildings are still there but can hardly be seen from the road. I... [more]