Thornfield Holiday Park

A Memory of Staining.

One of my earliest memories was of falling in the dyke with my best dress on, I was around 18 months old and on Mrs Smith site which I think was close to Dover Lodge. I remember the delicious milk from Wrigglesworths which had red writing on and a picture of a cow on the bottle and a red top. After the dyke incident we moved to Thornfield. I have very fond memories of this site. I was friends with Margaret and also knew her Grandma Nellie. I used to be friends with a family called Cooper from Yorkshire especially Elaine. I would love to hear from any of the girls I played with back then. The Ways who were from Manchester and had a daughter called Sonya and an Austrian friend called Esther Sheikel. Esther's parents were trick cyclists in the circus. I would have tea with Esther's family and her grandmother would make schnitzel and noodles. I learned to speak German very well from Esther and would love to hear from her again. I recall my tomboy days being spent climbing trees walking for hours through the fields, risking life and limb on the play area which at that time had no health and safety in place. If you fell off the swings or slide you hit the dirt hard lol but all good fun. We would polish the slide with bread wrappers to make it whizz you off faster. At that time you could hire bikes from Stan. I was a speed freak and crashed a few into the walls of the camp. Stan and Hilda Swinton ran the site and Clare and Albert were Hilda's sister and brother in law. I remember Dawn Clare's daughter, and their son Lorraine and Brett Hilda's children and Mr Emmett who was Hilda's father. Mr Emmett was an early entrepreneur who came up with the countryside fly-trap consisting of many jam jars half filled with water and jam. We had no need for fly sprays every fly within the caravan park perimeter found its fate in the jam jars. We spent 12 hours outside every day just making our own fun. Walking for miles across the fields or playing with the kids at Entwistles hayloft on Mill lane. Happy happy days!! I saw Hilda recently in the hairdressers on Chain Lane and we laughed about the play area and the good times we had on her site.
I live in Staining and from my house can see the plot where my caravan used to be. Much has changed in Staining now. The old Plough was always packed to capacity and I remember the beer garden where the kids would sit happily chatting while our parents were inside having a drink a bottle of lemonade and a packet of crisps and we were happy. Fred Haughton used to have the co-op and sold everything from shoe polish to nails food, cards gifts it was an amazing store and so cheap. Fred was lovely to children and knew all of us by name. I used to go to what is now 46 Chain Lane and order a chicken the lady I don't recall her name now would kill one and pluck it ready to be collected for Sunday lunch. We got fresh eggs from the farm and always managed to get horse rides in the fields. The house I live in was not there then and there was a meadow and all fields behind Chain Lane. The Nook was another place we spent a lot of time. We used to go frog and newt hunting in the field where there was a large pond close to the pig farm which later had Nook garage which was a car breakers.to the right of it. There was a bow topped caravan parked there for some time and I remember playing with the kids and their dogs. Jim Parkinson lived in a cottage and would always tip his hat to people. Sadly, Jim was murdered in later years. We had a magical childhood and no money was spent unless it was for Bonds ice cream which was absolutely gorgeous and still is. The only other expense being to visit the open air swimming pool where the Sandcastle now stands. It was beautiful inside with fountains and amazing architecture Roman or Greek style with the seating, and beauty competitions were held there. My childhood spent here in Staining was one filled with adventure and imagination. It was a truly awesome time!!