PONTEFRACT MEMORIES
by GWEN ULLMAN
I
now live in Colchester, Essex, but until I was 15 years old I lived at
number 13 Colonels Walk, Tanshelf. From 1948 until 1954 I attended
Tanshelf Church of England School and then from 1954 to 1958, Northgate
School for Girls. It was here that I had my first cigarette along with
three or four other girls out of my class. We were caught in the
toilets. Consequently we were lined up in front of the Headmaster and my
mother was brought to school and we were reprimanded. My dad was never
made aware of this; if he had I would have been in deeper trouble.
On
the very first day at Northgate School all new pupils were presented
with a bible and on leaving some four years later all class members
signed it. This bible is still in my possession and the class members
are as follows: -
Audrey
Clegg, Anne Beevers, Olive Higgins, Patricia Wood, Wendy Bairstow,
Shauna Hird, Patricia Kelly, Valerie Velland, Jean Senior, Marion Raine,
Crystal Brown, Myra Abbot, Sheila Ratcliff, Betty Smethurst, Margaret
Wilde, Helen Hartshorne, Jane Griffes, Georgina Milton, Georgia
Cherryholme and Annie Stanley. I wonder if any of the above remember me?
My
first job on leaving school was at Hanson’s clothes shop in Castleford
Market. A lady named Maureen Wallis was in charge and on the first day
she gave me some emery paper and a cardboard box containing hundreds of
rusty hatpins and told me to clean them. I enjoyed working there and had
many a laugh trying on all the hats and coats etc.
I
remember Colonels Walk had a wide pavement and we used to play all sorts
of games there. Easter time was whip and top season and we used to
colour the tops with different coloured chalks and then whip them so
that they spun fast and created a beautiful pattern. Another game was
hopscotch. We were allowed to chalk numbers one to eight on the pavement
in squares and then we hopped from one square to another picking up a
piece of stone in numerical order. We always had to swill the chalk away
when we had finished and woe betides us if we didn’t! Kick can and
leapfrog were other favourite games, Happy Days!
On
Sunday’s we attended Tanshelf Mission in Newgate. The Superintendent
was Mr. Kendrick and the Sunday school teacher was Mrs Thrall. The
highlight of the year was the Sunday school outing to Roundhay Park in
Leeds where there was an open-air swimming pool, which we thought, was
marvellous. Then there was the Sunday school anniversary which was held
once per year when we learned new hymns and every child recited a poem
in front of an audience.
My
mother Hilda Unwin, was one of two cooks at the Red Lion Hotel for many
years, in fact one or two women from Colonels Walk worked there. The
proprietors were Mr. and Mrs Smith and the Housekeeper was Miss Thursby.
Many well-known celebrities stayed there and I got quite a few of their
autographs. My dad worked down one or tow of the local collieries until
he had to come out through ill health. I remember him organising a
street party on Coronation Day. He collected money every week towards
the party and all the children in the street were given a coronation mug
and memorabilia of the day. Not many families had television in 1953 but
Mrs Battye at the local newsagent had one and a lot of people went into
her house and watched it there. I was one of them.
Referring
to Mr. Hardcastle’s letter in the July edition of the Pontefract
Digest, my Uncle Dick Pugh, used to drive one of his father’s lorries
for many years until he went to live in Blackpool. Uncle Dick’s family
still live in Blackpool and they also read the Digest which they find
very interesting and informative.
I
married a soldier and have travelled extensively and now live in
Colchester but I visit my relatives in Pontefract quite often. I still
love the smell of liquorice and love to stand outside Dunhill’s
breathing in that lovely aroma. I have the Digest delivered every month
and thoroughly enjoy reading it. Congratulations to every one involved
with it and long may it continue.
Gwen Ullman
|
