Ray's Hut

I too remember Ray’s hut. I also have fond memories of Ray’s brother Brian. He used to fly model aircraft on the football field at Firbeck pit. He had a friend, Mr Moss. My dad, a fellow Collier, used to call them by their first names but I had to call them Mister. That’s probably why I am not sure but I think It was Harry Moss. Apologies if that’s not right. Anyway, they both taught me how to fly the model I had made. That was once they had rectified all the mistakes I made building it. Both very kind men as was Ray.

I remember Rays Hut in the late mid 70s when we moved to Langold from Carlton in Lindrick. We lived at 62 Riddell Ave, around the corner from School Road.
Ray was stout old man in his late 60s. He was about 5 ft tall walked with a stoop and a shuffle with balding grey hair and always wore blue overalls and a donkey jacket. He was the village road sweeper and litter picker. He would push a yellow council hand cart around the streets of Langold and the Lake during the week keeping the village tidy. He spoke with a speech impediment and always seemed angry. He used to shout a lot showering you in saliva if you got too close. We called him Honk! In the evenings he opened up his club which was in a large green wooden shed that filled the whole back garden of a house on School Road opposite the Juniors. To get to Honks Shed we would walk down the garden path through the jennel and pass in front of the rear kitchen window which was often occupied by an old woman. A narrow gap between the shed and the neighbours fence lead to the entrance door. Older kids would open the door and Ray would have the say if you were allowed entry or not. I think you had to pay 2p but I could be mistaken. Once inside you had to behave. It was essentially an unofficial youth club run by Ray who would shout and ball at any kids who got rowdy, swore or caused a fight. I think he often got quite angry and threatening so most kids were weary of his nature. The older kids would keep the younger ones in line so no one spoiled it for the rest. There was easily room for 20 or 25 kids at a time and there was always loads to do. A full size pool table sat in the middle of the main room which was overlooked by Ray sitting in a beat up old wooden easy chair on an elevated platform next to an iron stove which kept place warm in winter. He sat in his council overalls and flat cap high enough up so he could watch everyone and keep an eye on what was going off. In the corner was a Bar billiards table and a dart board. There were piles of board games, and all sorts of books and comics etc. I remember seeing table skittles and a few old pub tables and chairs. At the opposite end was a smaller room with 3 or 4 pinball machines which were constantly lit up and rattling with bells and chimes that added to the noise of a radio and kids laughing and joking. It was 2p a game so you could have a good run on them and make 10p last the whole evening if you had the skill.
I don’t know how long he ran the club, I remember it folding before we left the village a couple of years later.
Of course these days an old man running a club for young boys in his back garden would be unheard of but at the time it kept a lot of kids off the streets.