Swainby, North Yorkshire

My Family

My name is Phillip Robinson. My parents Tom & Eileen lived in Priory View, East Harlsey, in the late 60's. My uncle Charles Derrick McGookin has a plaque inside the village church dedicated to him. My grandparents from Robinson and McGookin are buried in the churchyard.

I also remember the landlady from the Cat & Bagpipes, which I believe to be the only public house named this in the country!

I now live in Darlington, however often return to the village to visit the area and the church.

Memories

I was born in East Harlsey in 1946 and was educated in the village school which of course is now a private house, or is it two.  I remember there being two classrooms and, if my memory is correct, the teacher was a Mrs Lyle??   I seem to remember we called her "jam pot".  At that time the shop was run by a Mrs Topham, not sure of the spelling.
My grandmother was the caretaker of the village hall as she was for about 25yr
and as a child I remember playing in the hall and on the back lawn.  I often helped my gran clean which was great fun.  Polishing the dance floor and dashing through from the house with hot irons for her to iron the snooker table.  I also remember that when one of the regular dances was taking place my cousin and I would sneak up into the projection room and look down at all that was going on.
I, of course, also remember life was very hard then.  The house we lived in is now I believe a one bed property. But there where 8 of us in that house and when I was very young I know we had no running water and we had to go to the village pump to collect it.  It was also an outside midden (I tried to spend as much of my time as possible at my grans).
I remember the landlady of the Cat & Bagpipes was called Nellie Elliott, a very strange lady I thought as a child.
I also remember going to watch the Coronation at the village shop with a lot of other kids.  It was the first TV I saw.  I remember sitting on the floor with my feet on top of one of her two golden labs (funny what you remember).
I often visit the village as my parent's and grandparent's are at rest in the churchyard there.  I don't think it has changed a lot.  More houses, more cars for sure but I would think not enough children to run a village school again if that was possible.
I also think it is a shame that there is no shop now but I would hope that there is still a strong community spirit because I think that's what makes a place.
"Ah well happy memories".

                                                      P Clark   

Childhood

My Great Aunt stayed in Holly Garth and we visited her frequently as children during the 1970's early 80's, I have many, many happy memories of times spent in the beck, herding ducks and Suggit's ice cream, the best on the planet. We spent many hours walking up High Street to the High Green, walking up to Captain Cook's Monument and up Roseberry. My Gran (Laura Armstrong as was) and Grampa used to take us down, they are now 90 and 89 respectively but I believe still have relatives in the village. I would love to bring my son down but we haven't managed it yet, hopefully soon. Ann Harrison, Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland

My childhood memories

The first house in Waterfall Terrace is where my grandparents lived for many decades. John and Ann Scott. I love that place.