Lots Of Coal Dust

A Memory of Thurnscoe.

Born in 1942, my earliest memories of Thurnscoe was living at 25 Taylor street. When I was four we moved to 137 Thornley Crescent. I attended both Houghton Road Infants and Junior schools. One name sticks in my memory; Mrs Cook - ouch a few times. My dad worked at Hickleton main pit. I remember having to put a ton of coal into the coal house when I was only nine. Went to Thurnscoe the Hill School. I remember some of the teachers, there was Mr Buck, Mr Ingomels, a PT teacher - a bloke called Valenti. I represented my school a few times in athletics, became house captain for Harrow and was made a prefect. Left school December 1957, 3 days before my fifteenth birthday. Thurnscoe was a good place to live in those days, a thriving community. I left Thurnscoe when I was seventeen and joined the R A F. I now live in Scarborough, but I've been back since and I can't say I was impressed. My old school, Houghton Road, has gone, so has the swimming baths and The Drum Pub. The council yard which was like playground for us kids when the men had gone home. I suppose nothing stays the same.