Weekend Visits

A Memory of Upper Midhope.

I was only about 6 years old but I clearly remember visiting my grandparents' house on weekends. My grandfather was a gamekeeper on the moors until his retirement. In the early 1970s he and his wife moved to nearby Penistone.  We used to catch a bus from Sheffield to Langsett, then Grandad would collect us from there in his car to Upper Midhope. I remember sitting on my father's lap on the front seat! The house was situated on the main road I think, next to a farm. The farmer's name was Colin, that's all I can remember. We used to feed bread to the chickens in the back lane, which we were supplied with by my grandmother. The house seemed huge to me at the time and there were lots of rooms to explore.  A piano in the front parlour and a rocking chair in the kitchen, a shotgun mounted on the wall all added to the sense of wonder. Across the road was Mrs Barnes and Gwen. I remember little detail about them, except that they seemed so gentle.
I remember looking out of the back door, across the lawn, over the lane and into the field beyond, watching the cows munching the grass.  The one thing that struck me most was how quiet it was. I also vividly remember one particular day (not the year though), when a glider crashed close by. My grandad ordered us all inside as he donned his duffle coat to go to the scene. We later learned that the unfortunate pilot didn't survive. This one incident aside, my abiding memories of Upper Midhope are all happy ones.  The big meat and potato pies followed by bilberry pie hand-made by my grandmother. Unforgettable! I miss them both but I do have some great memories. It would be good to hear from any one who remembers them. Walter and Florence(Florrie)