Halfords Cafe And Outside Caterers, Castleford Rd.

A Memory of Normanton.

Hi everyone. I was born in 56 and lived in Normanton and Altofts until moving to Pontefract when I was 7 or 8. My grandad had a cafe down Castleford Road called Halfords. Funny how this works isn't it, saw an old film on TV where the main character gets on a steam train and my mind flew back to waiting on Normanton railway station for the train to London where my mum was working as a Tiller girl. I was 3 and terrified of the big black monster that came noisily puffing into the station. I can even 'smell' the steam and fumes as I write this.

So I looked for films or photos of the station and came across this wonderful site and the photos and comments brought back so many memories. Here are a few I would like to share:

The little man on his bike carrying a ladder who would light the gas lamps...the awful sound of the air raid sirens being tested...the gails whipping down Castleford road so powerful that one time they blew a car over and 5 Japanese men had to climb out of the sunroof! And another time blowing over a lorry stacked high with hay bales which would have crushed me if I hadn't been standing next to the post box. The smell of Billy Roberts's dairy, sitting on the rag and bone man's cart, going round the houses selling home made mint sauce made from wild mint we'd picked...doing the same with rhubarb and sugar wrapped in newspaper. The sound of saws making coffins at the undertakers behind the cafe...buttering many, many, loaves of bread with a gang of chattering women for grandad's outside catering functions. The hours spent playing in Hawhill park and making secret dens in the bushes, wasn't there an aviary once? First day at nursery school off Castleford road, forget the school name now and the little bunk beds with red covers. Also, first day at Roman Catholic junior school on Castleford Rd where I fell out with my classmates because I stuck up for a little girl who'd poo'd herself...and a final one to leave you with; being 3 years old and 'finding' a £5 bag of coins (grandad's money from cashing up the tills) and walking up to Pramland toy shop where my 3 wheeler bike was being fixed. Afterwards I came flying out of the cafe yard and knocked a man off his motorbike(!), to ride back to the cafe to find my incandescent (and I should imagine very embarrassed) mum waiting for me outside. The owner of Pramland had phoned up my grandad to say did you know your Shawn has just turned up and paid for his 3 wheeler with a bag full of half crowns? I got such a belting and sent to bed for the day, unfortunately mum relented a few hours later and brought me up a glass of milk and a kitkat, only to find me gone and after a panicked search found I'd sneaked out to play football with my mates in the backings! Another belting! Take care folks and if any of this rings any bells I'd love to hear from you. All the best Shawn.