THIS TAPE HAS BEEN RECORDED ON THE 7th OF DECEMBER 1978 AT 14 STONEYBANK ROAD, EARBY. THE INFORMANT IS FRED INMAN, TACKLER AND THE INTERVIEWER IS STANLEY GRAHAM.
We are going to go straight on from the last tape 78/AH/14 about loom scrapping, we'll just go straight on Fred. The thing about the contraction of the industry and loom scrapping, really the terrible thing about it was that it didn’t work did it?
R- No it didn't work.
I mean what did they expect of it?
R- Well I think they had a very, very lucky do hadn't they with that. There were no saying we're going to scrap 20,000 looms and we're going to scrap so many spindles. They just left it didn't they. Spinning firms could scrap just what they wanted and manufacturers scrapped what they wanted and they had a lucky do. It fairly evened itself out. I don't think there were much bother about getting yarn and there could have been.
What you mean is if they'd scrapped too many spindles there could have been a shortage of yarn for looms.
R – That’s it aye and there were no saying that they'd to make it even. And it were, it were scrapped fairly even. But there were a spinning mill at Preston, eh, what [do you call it] going up over the bridge. I've forgotten the name of it now, it were a very big firm..
Horrocks’s?
R- No. They used to make some good weft but they were fine spinners, they [Johnsons] used to get all there 54s weft of ‘em. Anyway it doesn’t matter about the name but they had one floor working for nobody only Johnsons. And they scrapped and that just upset Johnsons a bit. They could get other yarn but it weren’t in the same street as this what they'd been used to getting.
Was that mule or ring?
R - Mule.
Aye.
R- It were a well known mill about four storey's high, you know, like spinning mills were.
Yes.
R - But big does and little does they managed. They allus had a lot of stock in and I don't think they ever used their stock up before they got accumulating again off other mills.
Was that fairly common in those days Fred to carry a good stock of weft? A good stock of yarn,
R- I think it varied a lot on the [price on the] exchange didn't it..
Aye.
R- It used to be down a fraction and up and they used to carry a terrific stock at Johnsons and they were a firm like this were Johnsons, everybody wanted to deal with them ‘cause they allus got their cheques at month end, there were no quibbling. And I've heard a lot of these travellers what used to come say “Eh I wish I could get in at Johnsons!” Cheques were there every month and no quibbling about it.
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Course the great thing about that is that the suppliers would look after Johnson's wouldn't they.
R- That's it, they'd no bother about getting owt had Johnson's, no.
‘Cause if they knew they were going to get paid they'd send 'em their stuff. Would you say that some of the other manufacturers were getting a bad name then for being slow payers?
R- Well, there’d be some on 'em. There’d be a lot of them, you know, they’d have to sell their cloth probably before they could pay for the yarn. Not 'em all, but some ud be more or less hand to mouth, they wouldn’t have a backing like what Johnson’s had.
When the scrapping took place, it all happened really over a short time didn't it?
R- It did aye.
Round about 1952, was it?
R- Aye it started, well I should say round about 1952 yes.
How many loom do you think went out in Earby? Just have a bit of a reckon if you can.
R- Well there’d be six hundred at what they called the Earby Manufacturing Company.
Which mill were that, Victoria?
(5 mins)
R- In Victoria Mill, up to the Water Street end. Birley's went out, they'd have about eight hundred loom. Then there were one, it used to be, it were where I learnt to weave like, Bracewell Hartley’s. They called it Hartley Wiltex. Somebody had gone in wi’ Joe Hartley then. Hartley Wiltex they called it, they'd have four hundred loom. There were another about two hundred looms Jim Watson’s, then there were another it were a Nelson firm, they had about two hundred loom an all. I think that ud be what went out.
When did Grove go out?
R- Oh they went out before the war, when Rover came during the war.
Aye, they'd gone out. That were one of the mills that was…
R – Empty.
One of the mills that was centralised or whatever they called it. What did they call it? During the war they stopped certain mills didn't they?
R- They did yes. 'Cause there were some, they concentrated ‘em didn't they. A mill what were running four hundred loom they'd happen stop ‘em two hundred, and they let another firm come in wi’ two hundred in the same department
That's it aye. And they tell me, I don't know if it’s right or not, that there were some fiddles went on wi’ that job during the war. Stacking looms up on top of each other.
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R- Oh yes aye. Well, we had a friend at Nelson and then he went to Blackburn and we lost touch with him until during the war and I used to go wi’ me father a bit up to the Red Lion at Earby, up to the pub.
What were his name this bloke Fred?
R - Varley. And he lived at what we call up at Mount, that’s a big house reight on the top. They used to make teas and take boarders in, they had a licence. I suppose they had to fetch their coupons with them what were living there. And a fella at the mill he says do you know anybody called Varley? I says what Varley? He says “Well he knows your dad and he knows that he has a lad, or two lads and he says he wants to
know if you'll come up to the Red Lion on Friday night and he'll meet you there in the taproom. And so I telled me father, “Oh aye" he says, I know who it is.” And oh, what the heck do they call him, anyway I've forgotten his name now. Anyway we met him and he were wi’ another fella what were a school master and so he says "We always go in the tap rooms, we never go in t’other rooms.” So there were a little room then at the Red Lion, just a few used to go in. So he said “Let’s go in there and then we can have a reight talk.” So we had a fair talk and I think he were going home through the week and we met him again. And he says “Best job I’ve ever had in me life!” Me father says “What’s that?” He says “I'm concentrated!” He says “I've a hundred looms weaving.” And he were getting paid for about two hundred, you know, for his profits off two hundred and he’d only a hundred. And he were
getting paid off actually two hundred looms off the government. He says “It’s a real job. I only go about three days a week to have a look round. All orders comes through the government, no bother about that and all the cheques come through the government for what we’re weaving.” And my wife had an uncle, he took a pub up at Embsay. The Cavendish Arms they called it and I used to go up part and he says “There's a fella as comes in here and he says Earby were mentioned and this fella says “Do you know anybody called Inman in Earby?” “Aye.” And he says “Well
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when will he be coming up again?” He says “Oh I don't know, he comes up Sunday nights when it’s moonlight.” I used to walk up from Skipton. So anyway he said to let him know when I were up again and he’d come to see me. And he’d retired then from Blackburn and he’d bought a house in Embsay and retired in Embsay. But he’d lost his wife, they'd only been there about two year when his wife died. So he went to live with his daughter down South and that were the last, we never heard anymore about him. But he were one of lucky ones like wi’ this concentration job.
There was something about licensed looms wasn't there?
R- Aye. Well the government knew all the looms what there were didn't they. 'Cause they'd to stop a set at Birley’s, they'd a set of looms to stop. And that fella [tackler] had to go. Well he went down to Coventry I think but he didn't stop so long! [Fred laughs] He come back, when the bombing started. And I think he got on at Barlick, at Pickles's at Barlick.
Aye you did mention it. Have you ever seen looms stacked on top of one another?
R - Oh yes, aye.
Why did they do that Fred?
R- Well, to make space I suppose. There were a lot at Spring Mill here stacked because they had Spring Mill had the Admiralty. There used to be them big drums o£ baccy come, stocked up wi’ baccy at Spring Mill. And down one side there were all looms, I think they were two high. Well when they come to gait ‘em up again there were a lot of stuff broken on 'em. 'Cause them what lifted 'em up weren’t bothered, they weren’t going to run ‘em when they were put back again were they. And they, I think they were concentrated down at New Road somewhere, they had a few looms down there,
Was that Speak and Booth before then?
R- Aye, what they call Bailey's.
Bailey's aye.
R- Bailey's aye. A good old firm, old established.
And then of course Booth & Speak’s went into Albion didn't they?
R- First of all they bought Charlie Shuttleworth out down Earby.
Which mill were that?
R- In Victoria. In Big Mill.
Yes, aye.
R- Well that were Speak’s what bought it out and then they bought this out [Spring Mill] and shut that up down Earby [In Victoria] and then they had Dotcliffe. And then they bought Albion.
Aye they sold Dotcliffe out for engineering didn't they and went into the Albion. And then eventually of course they finished at Albion and scrapped.
R - Aye.
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Damart are in there now.
R- Yes. I think young Booth has some looms running in Colne hasn't he.
I don’t know.
R - Aye he took some out of there.
Aye. And so they scrapped all these looms. Like I mean at Bancroft it meant that they got down from, I think they scrapped about three hundred at Bancroft. But I once heard Sidney Nutter say that it never made any difference to the orders. He said that they assumed that if, just for arguments sake, 20,000 looms were scrapped in North East Lancashire, that ud make so much more work for the looms that were left. And from what I can gather that was the intention, but it never actually worked did it?
R – No. They thought that everybody would benefit, all the others ud be full up didn't they. But you got little mills, same as them in Cowling and it were a bad job when they scrapped weren’t it.
Aye like a one mill town.
R- Well it were the same at Foulridge weren’t it? There were three mills in Foulridge and there isn't one now is there.
Yes.
R- But there's other industries. It's a hive of industries is Foulridge isn't it, I don't think there's any shortage of work.
No, and I'll tell you something else, Barlick’s getting to be that way. I mean there's Rolls, well I mean every mill in the town’s full, there’s no mills empty in the town you know. And Bancroft won't be empty, and you know they all come for one reason, labour. And I think that that's a throw back to the days of weaving, people were brought up under the old regime where they went to work to work.
R- That's it.
And there are still a lot of workers about in Barlick and Earby, Foulridge, places just round here that haven't been spoilt yet.
R- Aye, that is so.
And that's the reason the industry's coming back you know. But it makes you wonder how long it'll last Fred.
(15 mins)
R - Aye.
I mean look at Rolls now. I mean we should mention that Rolls Royce at the moment are out on strike and this is the 7th of December this tapes being made and they had a meeting today and they're not going back. I mean, it seems to me that when it gets to the stage that people will vote to go out on strike just before Christmas there's something wrong somewhere.
R- Aye. Well when I heard it on there [wireless] and you know, they give a cheer and “Oh it’s a majority.” Well, they don't know whether there's a majority or not for striking. I know a lot in Earby and they’d be back tomorrow if they got half a chance,
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on th’old wage never mind about any rise or owt. They'd go back on the old wage.
Well, look how much they've lost now. [while out on strike]
R - Aye,
How long will it take 'em to make that up?
R- And there’s some on ‘em they've just bought new houses up here and such. They must be in a sticky hole now you know.
You can’t understand 'em can you.
R- No. It’s a thing what everybody’s thinking about isn't it, going out on strike. If they aren’t out on strike they aren’t modernised are they.
R- It's the modern method isn't it, out on strike, not what can we do to increase production in other ways, let's have a strike and stop it. There are some times when I think they've got to threaten strikes but I don't think anybody gains in the long run do they.
Do you think that if there had been a really strong union it could have made any difference in the cotton industry? You know, to the way the cotton industry was run. Do you think that it could have made any difference?
R- No. Because when you're going back into the bad old days, do you mean that sort of thing?
Yes.
R- No, ‘cause I think there were too many workers after work weren’t there, and they weren’t all in the union.
Yes there were a surplus of labour.
R- There were a surplus of labour in the past.
It always seems to me that these manufacturers went on, that was the reason they went on because they had that surplus of labour.
R- That's it aye.
And when you come to think about it, it was the 1939 war that altered it. And once that surplus of labour had gone they didn't seem to have the necessary means of disciplining the workers. They had no other way of keeping production up other than the old discipline. And it makes you wonder if the system itself was completely wrong Fred, doesn’t it. You know, I mean I think there is room for arguing that a system which could only be profitable by using harsh disciplines and severe measures to keep people working flat out all day, there's a lot to be said for that system having to finish.
R - Oh definitely yes. Well we’d a case at the union job [at Birley’s] What it were, eight of us, we were all in the union and things were getting just to a pitch so we said could the union secretary come down and just have a word wi’ the manager, things were getting too bad. Anyway, he came down and knocked at the office door and he says “I'm Mr. Titherington, Overlooker’s Secretary from Colne. Could I speak to the management?” He says “No you can’t!” Just banged the door in his face. That were as far an we got wi’ the union.
And there were nothing you could do about it?
R- No. And he had us all up In the office, he said “The Union man's been down and anybody not satisfied, they can have their cards immediately. I can fill this shop up wi’ non-union members.” And that's as far as you could get wi’ ‘em and you couldn't get work anywhere else you were forced to bow down.
What were your feelings then?
R- Well, you were in a hell of a hole. I were stuck same as some of the others were. I had wife and she hadn't the best of health. And then me father and mother like were still in Earby, else I did feel like getting away. Going down, you know, happen Luton or sommat where folk were going to. I thought well, if I get down there and there's me father and mother left up here, you're a long way off, so I stuck it out.
(20 mins)
R - But it were against the grain all the time and that were on me mind, as soon as I can get out, I’m getting out. And we had a fella working there, he got called up, he were in sick berth and when he came back he didn't come back to Birley’s. He went to this New Bridge, they were gaiting up and I thought well I have a chance of getting in there like 'cause he’d getten to be boss tackler. So I says “Any chance of a job Arthur?” He said “Yes.” I said “I’ll have to give a fortnight’s notice.” He said “Well, the job’ll be there when tha’s given a fortnight’s notice.” So I went there.
So the boss tackler had the shout who he set on?
R- Well he had to a certain extent.
Yes.
R- 'Cause t’other fella didn't know any Earbyers.
That's it yes, he’d be relying on him to pick good men out.
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R- He were relying on him to know who he were setting on. It were funny were that. When I went, there were a fella there from Skipton, and he were a wonderful man wi’ handling of these silk warps and that but he had no nerve to tackle. He’d been a tackler and somehow he’d lost his nerve and all he were doing, he were gaiting up, he didn't want to have a set. And when the mill were gaited up he were finishing. He come from Skipton and he came to me and he says “Have you ever gaited a silk warp up?” I says “No. I've gaited spuns up you know and different sorts.” And he says “Well if you want you can watch me and then watch some of the others and sort out which you think’ll be best for yourself.” So I stood there and I watched him gait this warp up, set it on, no ends down, 100% perfect. I said “By gum that’s alreight!” He said “Well if you do the same you'll have the same.” And I’ll say this, I could have tied a warp up and gaited it and nobody could have told you whether he’d done it or I'd done it. It were identical, I tied me knots just like he told me to, in the same place as he did.
You mean in the lambing strings? In the bands.
R – No. You'd to tie your warp ends on to the lap end when you were gaiting a new warp up.
Aye. Instead of like cotton, just shoving it into the roller. Into the sand roller.
R - Oh no. No you'd to cut 'em across and make 'em all..
Tied 'em in bunches like, into a..
R - That's it about inch and half each..
Aye to give you a lap to start off, yes, yes.
R – Mm. And if I saw that fella to-day I'd still thank him. I thanked him when he were leaving. I said thank you very much Ernest.
Because one of the things about that ud be tying the knots in such a way that you got all those ends even when you started wouldn't it.
R- Every one on 'em were just same tension. They'd got to be..
Yes and especially wi’ sommat like 9,000 ends in a warp.
R- Aye, and I thought well, that were very good on him.
Yes.
R- To come and tell me.
Because there were a lot of ‘em, well at least I’m telling you and I shouldn't do. Is it true to say that there were quite a lot of tacklers and other people as well in the mill that were a bit old fashioned about passing their knowledge on?
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R - Oh there were! Definitely, and some on ‘em would pass sommat on so as you'd be stuck wi’ it.
What do you mean, how so?
R- Well they'd happen tell you a certain thing and it wouldn’t do and you might have to go and ask him do you see and then he’d come and do the job. And then he’d stand, you know, wi’ his hands in his waistcoat, he's done it, you couldn't. I know lot’s have been told wrong ideas and that. And then they've happen gone and asked the fella and he's come. It's all been awkwardness and then to get a bit of praise themselves that they could do it. But I were never like that meself, I'd rather put somebody on a straight path. Aye. But it were funny about them knots, I've tried to learn, well teach other folk how to tie 'em and they couldn't. And it were only a reef knot and then, you know, pulled tight and another knot tied on it.
Yes.
R - Aye and they couldn't get 'em reight way. They were tying ‘em and they were coming slack you know. They'd never tightened 'em up reight.
(25 mins)
Aye, yes
R - And then, well I know this, when I finished at Johnson’s, I'd been there twenty, were it twenty year or twenty one. Alan Smith says how have you enjoyed it Fred? I says I’ll tell you, they’ve been the happiest years of my tackling career. Although I enjoyed it at New Bridge but this has been better than New bridge. Although I dropped me money when I went to Johnson's. But I think you get it back in other ways.
Yes.
R- They never paid big wages but there were these bonuses you got now and again and that superannuation, that’s a big thing is that. And then you got overalls subsidised. It all added up.
Yes. Looking back Fred, I remember something you said on a very early tape that we did and you said that the only idea that you'd ever had was that you wanted to be a tackler.
R- Yes.
Well like, looking back on a long and distinguished career, if you could go back with what you know now, would you still be a tackler?
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R- Yes I would.
Well that's not so bad is it.
R- No. No I'd still go back and in fact when Jim said I'd to finish up there, eh, it were like hitting me on top of the head.
Aye.
R - Aye it were.
Aye.
R- And there's a fella gone back to Johnsons and he retired and he says you daft beggar like, going back to work at thy age. Anyway he's back. So I were talking to him and I says “How arta going on?” He says “Eh, I'm enjoying meself.”
And where's he tackling?
R- He’s up at Johnsons.
Back at Johnson's again aye.
R- He's only doing, you know, about ten hours or sommat like that. Well, he's as happy as can be. I'd be the same, I were happy when I were doing up there [Bancroft] and then you know, Jim wanted me to go up there for a week or two.
Aye up to Bancroft aye.
R- And I were stuck all that time but I enjoyed meself.
Aye.
R- And that’s the main thing isn't it in work, whatever job you're doing, if you're enjoying it.
That's it Fred.
R- Aye.
If your work’s your pleasure you're a lucky man.
R- Yes. And it has been with me.
Aye.
R- Like even when in the bad old days, I enjoyed me work, me straight forward work, it were all this grunting and nattering what you had to put up wi’, unnecessary, what weren’t your job many a time. They’d little tricks, going round happen at Saturday afternoon when there were nobody there and then they'd write on a bit of paper and leave it on the loom, ‘Do not set this loom on until you've had the tackler, side weaving.’ or another ‘Do not set this loom on until you've had the tackler, temple marking.’ ‘Do not set this loom on until you've had the tackler. Black oil mark.’ And there were some Monday mornings and there’d be about five weavers come after you wi’ papers. Not just me, all the other tacklers an all.
Yes.
R- Aye all bloody stupidity. I'd set 'em on.
Aye. Tell me sommat Fred, something I've never asked anybody else
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I've heard about this but I know nothing about it. I know it's a terrible thing when it happens. Have you ever come across warp slashing, you know stabbing a warp?
R – No. I’ve heard about it. The only slashing I've ever seen, I felt sorry for the little lad, it were a little lad what did it about five year old.
Aye.
R - And he went into the mill, this is at Johnsons lay and he went round the wall and he put his finger in, they’re only gauzes, and about six warps and he pulled 'em like that. Well he were pulling great big gaps out! And I catched him on the end and they said “What do you think you're doing?” He says “Why, have I done something wrong?”
Aye.
R- They says “Yes you have!” He said “I’m sorry but that other boy what went out before me told me what to do.” They says “Has he done any?” “Oh no he didn’t touch any, he told me to do it.” And the poor little kid were reight innocent about it. They explained it to him and he started crying and “Don’t tell me dad will you.” and they said well don't do it any more will you. He said "No"
Have you every heard about, you know, have you ever heard anybody talking about..
R - Oh yes, at this Earby Manufacturing Co. they used to have 'em slashed regular, stabbed.
Yes.
(30 mins)
But it's something you can’t tell till it happens can you.
R- No.
If somebody just shoves a knife into a warp and just shoves it down into a warp.
R - Aye.
And you think It's just a couple of broken ends come up at first and then they come up again don't they.
R- Aye but it isn’t, that’s it aye. Some on 'em like four or five inches, real gashes.
Aye.
R- I've heard about that, it seemed to happen a few times at Earby Manufacturing Co I think they had an idea but they could never prove it who it were.
Aye.
R- But.
Do you think it ud be, somebody with a bit of a twist or..
R- Somebody wi’ a grudge.
Yes.
R- 'Cause I’ll not mention any names but the same person that was suspected of it eventually came to weave at New Bridge and she were absolutely a duck egg.
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And every Friday afternoon she used to have some smashes and the trap hand used to have to go and take 'em up and she’d have three smashes sometimes. And there could happen be seven or eight hours time booked and that were all time. Money for nowt, instead of running eight loom she'd only be running five loom. Trap hand were taking traps up and I thought well, if she'll do things like that… It happened every Friday, there's sommat suspicious here and it might have been reight what they, when they suspected her of these slashes at the other mill. I think there's sommat wrong wi’ ‘em mentally isn't there when they'll do things like that..
Well..
R- Peevishness.
Can you remember the fire bug?
R- Yes aye, aye.
What year were that, what year was it now? It were after I come out of the army, I’d got up to Barlick, so it were after 1960. Would it be about 1965? Sometime round about then?
R- I think it would be a bit before that.
It could have been you know.
R - Aye it were before that because they'd set the school afire across here.
That’s it Springfield, aye, yes.
R - When there were a barn across there.
Yes, and I mean Crow Nest went up, they never found out really what had caused that. I mean Crow Nest were the biggest one weren’t it. Crow Nest were into the millions like, you know.
R- Aye, aye there were that weren’t there.
It were a complete gut.
R- Eh, weren’t it a job! Police coming round. I can remember it were a Saturday night when Dotcliffe were afire.
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That’s it Dotcliffe burnt out, that were it.
R- And our Jack, what would he be, about fourteen or fifteen, and he’d been to Skipton to the pictures and there were Wuthering Heights on. And he’d gone to see this with another two mates, you know. There were four on 'em went, that were it. Our Jack and two on 'em lived up here and one lad lived on Green End Road so the police come round at Sunday wanting to know where you had been and all that. So he said “Where were you Jack?” He says “I'd been to the pictures at Skipton.” “And what time did you get home?” So, he’d come back on such and such a bus. And he said “What time did you get in the house?” “Oh well it ud happen be about twenty minutes after the bus had come into Earby.” “And where were you during all that time?” He says “Well Eric Barker and Ernest Barker and me, we walked from the bus station and come up New Road wi’ this other lad. I forget his name. Took him home and then all three of us walked up here together.” “Aye well.” he said “That’s a good answer is that Jack. You didn't let him go home on his own.” Jack said “No.” “Now, what picture did you go to see?” “Wuthering Heights.” “Aye, and can you tell me a little bit about it?” “Oh yes.” So he started telling him about it and he said “That'll do.” You know he were making reight sure that he’d been to Skipton. And 1 thought he's putting the kids in a funny hole and now where does this here boy live that you took home, what's his number have you
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any idea. Oh aye, he told him the name, and he went up to Barkers and quizzed them an all. They all told the same tale. Aye well, had he seen anything suspicious when they were coming up New Road and no. Well where were you? I says “On at the Conservative Club.” “What time did you leave the Con Club?” I says “About five to eleven.” And he says “Who were you talking to?” So I says a fella called Alf Duxbury. We weren’t drinking, we were finishing us conversation after we’d finished.” He says “I'm not bothered about whether you were drinking or not. That doesn't come in to it. You could have been talking at one o'clock and drinking and it wouldn't have bothered this enquiry.” Anyway, I see Alf Duxbury and I said “Did the bobby call at your house?” He says “Oh aye he's been to everybody's house.” I said “Did he mention me like talking to them?” He says “Oh aye. I said I were talking to thee and everything were in order.” But what a job them police had hadn't they, going round to every house.
Aye, and they never did find out who it were.
R- No, every house and getting all these here conversations.
Aye, they thought they had him one time.
R- Aye.
When that place at Skipton went up, didn't they.
R- Yes.
But they hadn't.
R - But my wife, she did give one a cursing. There were one up and down all in black, a policeman, had a black dog. He had a black leather coat on and you know dark pants, this here black dog and we were going out this Friday night and there weren’t many lights then, the road hadn't been altered. Just got to the bottom of the
street and this dog come flying out wi’ this fella hold on it. We says “You big daft bugger.” Eh, she says tha’s frightened me to bloody death.” And he says “You've no need to be like that.” She says “Well, Tha’rt bloody daft coming out like that and startling folk!” He said “I didn't think I were doing anything wrong.” [Fred laughs] But I mean we’d just come out of the house
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and we’re walking down. Bye god he did make the wife jump! I bet he were surprised when he got cursed an all. [Laughs] 'Cause I could have had a right joke. one time wi’ two on ‘em. There were some reight clever buggers came, you know, they weren’t all decent. And I’m coming home from the White Lion one night and there's a car pulls up reight sharp at Spring Mill gates and two blokes jumps out and runs in to the mill yard. I thought, bloody hell, I wonder if this is owt to do wi’ it. And I thought how could I do to make it so it couldn’t start. I didn’t know owt about these rotor arms or owt and then I stood and I waited on 'em coming back. They says, what do you want? I says “Well I just want to know who you are. You gave me a bit of a shock when you pulled up in that car and dashed on to there. There's a fire bug about.” And he said “Well we're after him.” I said “Well it ud have been as well if one had a stopped in the car wouldn’t it?” And he says “Well, we weren’t going to split up, we were both going together.” Whether they'd seen somebody on Spring Mill I don't know but they could have been fire bugs themselves for owt I knew. Aye, and I got the number of the car, 1 thought I’ll have the number of that bugger.
Aye, and as I say, they never did find out who it were.
R - No.
Anyway Fred I think just for time being, I think we’ve, I don't think we've done so badly at all. All I can say is it's been a pleasure.
(750) (40 mins)
R- Oh well, I've enjoyed it Stanley.
Good.
SCG/06 May 2003
6,034 words