Childhood Memories.

A Memory of Cudworth.

I was born at 50 Nancy Road, Grimethorpe on the 12 December 1944. At this time this address was the White City police house and had the West Riding police crest attached to the front of the house. My dad, Robert Cox, had come down to Yorkshire in 1929 to join the police force from Durham where he had previously worked in the coal mines. He returned to Durham and married my mam Elsie and their first posting was to Shipley where my brother Jack was born in 1933. His second posting was to Castleford where my sister Jean was born in 1937 and his final posting was to Grimethorpe in 1943. He loved his job as a policeman in Grimethorpe and always said that Grimethorpe people policed themselves apart from a few rogues who he said he could count on one hand. He was 6' tall and 19 stone in weight so he could look after himself. There were no radios in those days to call for assistance but I cannot recollect him having any serious altercations. He was based at Cudworth Police Station but always started work from his home address. He retired from the police in 1955. I followed him into the police service and joined Barnsley Borough police in 1966. I served 23 years in C.I.D. and retired in 1996 and now live in Stairfoot, Barnsley. After his retirement my dad was employed as the area security officer for the Number 4 area based at the NCB offices at Grimethorpe. Both parents went on to live at 50 Nancy Road until about 1978 when they went to live with my sister at Holton le Clay in Lincolnshire. Dad died there in 2000 and mam died there in 2002. After leaving school my brother worked as an apprentice draftsman at the Grimethorpe Colliery Offices. After leaving school my sister Jean worked in the Red City Cooperative store for a number of years and then she worked in the central stores at Shafton work shops. My school days are distant now but the teachers I can remember were; Mr Tipping who was a very good friend of my dad, Mrs Reed, Mr Noble, Ray Mellor and Stan Horton who I understand still live in the Barnsley area. Myself, Geoff Rawson, John Cook and Roy Jagger formed what must have been one of the first skiffle groups at school. Many many happy memories which I will have to come back to.

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