Wakefield, the Bull Ring c1955

Cheesecake Inn

I was born in 1952 and was raised in Cheesecake Inn.  This was the original name for the farm next to the Church.  When I was growing up there it was called Church Farm.  I have many happy memories growing up in Kirkthorpe.
I spent many hours in Sycamore Cottage with the lady who lived there (Rose Richardson) and her 2 sons (John & David)and daughter (Margaret).  Sycamore Cottage is now a listed building and has been restored beautifully.
David the youngest of the Richardsons, and I used to go fishing at the Half Moon and the pond on the other side of the railway line.  I used to ride my horse through the fields which run alongside the weir.
Harvest time was great, we had such great fun helping dad.  The older boys from the village used to come and help, everyone used to muck in.
My other friend lived in the old hospital opposite our farm.  In the winter time we would sledge down the slope in the snow and we never wanted to go indoors.  Mum had to drag us in and then have the chore of drying off all our clothes which were wet through with the snow.  
We had geese on the farm and on Sundays when the children from the village and Heath common were coming to Sunday School, my sister and I had to tell them all to run down the lane (Half Moon Lane) as fast as they could so the geese wouldn't chase them.  One poor little boy once got pinned up against the wall by the geese, they were hissing and flapping their wings.  Mum had to come to the rescue with the broom and chase them away.  Noone was hurt, just a little frightened, but they all soon got to know the drill and would run by as quickly as they could before the geese came along.
I remember where the old Alms Houses used to be just behind the Sunday School. There was and still is, a fresh water stream and we used to often stop to drink from the stream when we hot & thirsty after playing.  Those were the days when we could play out late and not have to worry about our safety.  Well not like today anyway.
My sister and I attended both Sunday School and church and I was married there when I was 19 years old.  
The grave yard opposite the church has a few old friends buried there.  My fathers ashes are scattered in the field behind the grave yard on Green Lane.  This was his favourite field and always used to like working in this field because he said he always felt peaceful there.
Yes I have some very happy memories in Kirkthorpe, and some sad ones too  Freinds I have lost both young and old.
I have many more memories to share with you if you would like to hear them.

The Cluntergate man

This old bloke used to haul this massive horse-wagon up Cluntergate, on a regular basis. I mean Cluntergate was this hill... 1 in 12 about... and this bloke used to haul this massive horse-drawn wagon up to the top and beyond. I never knew where he went, or where he came from. He wasn't very big, only a small, scrawny feller, but he never ceased to amaze me.

When I think I'm not getting a fair deal, I remember him... he was inspirational.

The Grammar School

I remember climbing onto the roof of the Grammar School - I was in the fifth form, so this would be 1964 or 1965 - and scratching my name on the slates there, underneath my dad's name. He must have done it about 1932. And organising a Review when I was in the sixth form, with the money raised going towards building the original Leeds Playhouse, up by the University gym. Best of all was the rugby team; played 24, won 24 for the 1st XV, and winning the Public School Sevens at Roehampton.

Funnily enough, only a couple of weeks ago I met somebody who had seen our sevens team play at Ilkley and he said it was the most perfect exhibition of Sevens play he had ever seen.