FORGOTTEN CORNERS

[Stanley]

That was one of the points I made in the article I wrote yesterday. I have a mailing list of friends abroad or who can't buy the paper and yesterday I received immediate responses from four people, this doesn't usually happen. I've hit a nerve I think. Interestingly a friend in California got straight back to me and said that one of the less reported aspects of Trump is that he is known to have a very low opinion of books and libraries. My friend Larry is a teacher and he says they are expecting a deterioration......

[Tizer]

I think that guy who wrote Trump's book for him said he thought Trump had never read a book in his life. For some reason that doesn't surprise me.

[Stanley]

Do you remember the penny libraries run by some chains? I have an idea that Boots Chemists was one....

[Nolic]

Paragon Library next to the Milk Bar at the top of Skipton Road used to be a subscription library up to the mid to late 1950's. Nolic

[Stanley]

Yes! I remember that one Comrade.....
There is one forgotten corner that is so obvious we don't see it. The building boom in Barlick from 1890 onwards ensured that, in addition to the existing houses, we have a marvellous heritage of solid stone built houses. Forget about their age, compared with modern builds they are, if properly maintained, lovely comfortable dwellings, even the obsolete back to backs. I can remember a time when, in other towns, demolishing them was a priority. Luckily, being a backwater we escaped that trend and the ones that survive are very warm (because they have no back to promote draughts and only one outside wall) and snapped up as soon as they come on the market as they are ideal starter homes.



All these houses on the right of East Hill Street are back to backs and of course their twins line Hill Street behind. Always fully occupied.

[PanBiker]

More back to backs up on the Croft as well.

Paragon Library, I remember they had the big model yacht displayed in the window that was raffled for the opening of the boating pool down Victory Park in 1959, we didn't win it although my mum and dad tried.

[Stanley]

It took me a long time to realise that the cottages in this row on Longfield Lane or 'Crow Row', though not back to backs, had no back doors. I realised that this was to prevent through draughts in the days when doors and windows were generally badly fitted and draughty. I well remember having a heated argument with an English Heritage inspector who was dead against double glazing in listed buildings and I asked if he had ever lived in one. One of the biggest advantages of modern glazing is not the double panes of glass but the fact they are far better fitting and draught proof.

[Nolic]

I remember the yacht Ian and the pool at Victory. My plastic boats from the bath made little impression there. Nolic

[PanBiker]

I spent a few nights building a balsa speedboat, I stuck a Jetex50 on the back. when I lit it up it turned out to be a shorter maiden voyage than the Titanic, about 4 seconds to cover the length of the pool and smash to bits on the opposite wall, happy days.

[Stanley]

You've both woken up an old memory. My dad got me a pond yacht and for a while my Mother took me to a boating pool at Platt Fields which was about 3 miles away. We walked there and back. (LINK)
I have not thought about that for many years..... Thanks!

[Tizer]

Wow, Jetex, I'd forgotten all about that! I wasted a lot of time trying to fly balsa model aeroplanes using Jetex motors. It usually ended up with burnt wrecks rather than graceful flight. Wikipedia says: "Jetex motors are powered by a solid pellet of guanidine nitrate, which burns to release a variety of gases in copious volume, leaving no solid residue or ash. Thrust developed is fairly modest, suitable for horizontally launched flying models rather than vertically launched rockets. The exhaust gas is not excessively hot, which confers a safety advantage. Fuel and wick to ignite the pellets was manufactured by Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). The engine casing was made of an aluminium alloy and was reusable, new fuel pellets and ignition wick being a consumable that could be bought and used in the engine." The pellet could be difficult to light and that's noted by Wikipedia too: "... the fuel is more toxic and requires special handling to keep it dry and in working condition (the fuel is slightly deliquescent and will gradually absorb moisture from the atmosphere which quickly renders it inactive). As a result, Jetex were quite unreliable, often failing to ignite." Regardless of failure it was still quite exciting stuff for a 1950s kid, to able to play around with your own solid-fuel rocket motor!

[PanBiker]

Flip the spring retained end cap off, insert the fuel pellets (two from memory), coil the end of the fuse and place flat on the fuel pellet, pass the free end through the little circular gauze filter disc and then push free end through exhaust port in the flip off lid, refasten said lid with spring clip, install rocket motor in cradle mounted on model and light the fuse.

[Big Kev]

Flip the spring retained end cap off, insert the fuel pellets (two from memory), coil the end of the fuse and place flat on the fuel pellet, pass the free end through the little circular gauze filter disc and then push free end through exhaust port in the flip off lid, refasten said lid with spring clip, install rocket motor in cradle mounted on model and light the fuse.

Elfin Safety would be all over that . I can remember making small devices from kitchen ingredients and old bits of copper pipe. We'd probably be locked up for terrorist activities if we did the same today.

[PanBiker]

Indeed Kev, we later discovered what you could do with garden products, some interesting colours depending what else you used for your mix and some pretty impressive bangs!

[Tizer]

I wonder if Richard Branson dabbled in such things?

[Tripps]

You've both woken up an old memory. My dad got me a pond yacht and for a while my Mother took me to a boating pool at Platt Fields which was about 3 miles away. We walked there and back. (LINK)
I have not thought about that for many years..... Thanks!

Small world - I went to Platt Fields at lunchtime break from nearby school many times in the 1950's. Rowing on the lake, or a quick game of crown green bowls. Occasional look in the Costume Museum - that is until we discovered the charms of the the Temperance Billiard Hall.

[Stanley]

We were into bangs! We used to pick over the scrap heap at Cheshire Sterilised Milk for big nots and the bolts that fitted them. Scrape the red heads off ordinary matches, put one bolt part way into the nut and fill the cavity with the powdered match heads, screw the other bolt in as tight as possible and then throw at a wall until you were lucky enough to get the bolt head to hit first. A very satisfactory crack!
I had an old hand cranked film projector and a lot of old 35mm nitrate film reels. In those days old cars had large aluminium valve caps about the size of the CO2 cartridges used for Sodastream machines. If you rolled the film up tight and pushed it into the valve cap and lit the end of the roll of film it flared but as soon as it had burned below the level of the cap the flame went out and it made large volumes of evil smelling smoke! Great fun when you lit one in the back row of the pictures and let it roll down the sloping floor under the seats.....

[Stanley]

Our best explosion though was very dangerous. Get a large pop bottle with a screw down top, tie it to a brick, put some water in and a few knobs of carbide (easily available then as some people still had Acetylene lamps) then throw it into deep water and wait. It took a while but the pressure built up until the bottle burst and stunned the fish which floated up to the surface. When I did the LTP I got examples of other sorts of illegal fishing, one popular one was liming the water. I have never tried it but the evidence is that this kills the fish and again they float to the surface. Ted Lawson and I once went lamping for salmon with a powerful lamp and a trident we borrowed. We got one good fish but on the whole decided that it was a hard and dangerous way to get a fish! We never went again but I'm glad I had the experience.....
Mention of this reminds me that in the hard days there were some habitual poachers in Barlick who made frequent appearances in the Skipton Magistrate's Court.

[Tizer]

Illegal eel fishing still goes on in Somerset rivers due to the high prices they can fetch on the black market and especially in countries like Japan and China.

[Stanley]

I love this pic, c. 1900 of School Lane in Earby. The retailer's cart delivering orders to houses (The name on it is J Edmondson and Son) and most of all the children playing in the beck. I always wonder if any of them were killed in the Great War. Everything was about to change. Truly a forgotten corner.....
In today's world I think about my grand children..... what is their world going to look like? They already have a worse prospect than I did at their age..... Is what we have to report progress?

[Bruff]

Probably not the right place for this post, but I’m not sure where’s best – I suppose the shops below are ‘forgotten corners’.

Whilst in Barlick this weekend, my mother gave me a ‘Souvenir Programme and Recipe Book’ that we’d had for some time. It is from a Country Fair, held in 1950 (the month is indistinct), in support of fund raising for the Methodist Church on Rainhall Road. The recipes are the back half; the front half is adverts from local shops and traders as well as details of the church’s many committees, with membership and further details such as the treasurer and the secretary.


Sample advertisement (taken verbatim):

For your Pet Requirements…
C E WATERWORTH
THE PET STORES
6 FRANK STREET, BARNOLDSWICK

All the leading makes of Dog, Cat and Bird Foods and Medicines, Leads, Collars, Brushes, Baskets, Poultry, Foods and Grits. Fish and Globes, Birds and Cages, Boy’s Fishing Tackle.

If you don’t see what you want – please ask

‘I TRY TO PLEASE’


Here’s another

W HORSFIELD
PORK BUTCHER

The Little Shop with the Big Name for QUALITY

19 RAINHALL ROAD, BARNOLDSWICK


Here’s one of the committees:

FLOWERS AND FRUIT

‘Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made
By singing: ‘Oh how beautiful!’ and sitting in the shade,
Whilst better men than we go out and start their working lives
At grubbing weeds from gravel paths with broken dinner knives.’
- Kipling

Flowers, Bulbs, Pot Plants
Fruit and Nuts
Miniature Bowl Gardens
of Cacti and Succulents
Vegetables

Special Display ‘DESERT GARDEN’
Come and see this collection of beautiful and strange plants

Secretary:
Mr D Barrett

Treasurer:
Miss H Stanley

Committee:
Mr D Collins
Mr R Holden
Mr R Clark
Mr G Pollard


I'll pop a few more adverts etc. on here, as well as a recipe. Where's the best place though?

Richard Broughton

[PanBiker]

Here is as good a place as any Richard, it's all relevant from a bygone age.

[Bruff]

Thanks for the advice.

THE WOOL SHOP

AFTER THE FAIR
you will want a period of peace and quietness

WHY NOT START KNITTING
in readiness for winter?

WE HAVE A GOOD SUPPLY OF KNITTING WOOLS
in the finest qualities it is possible to buy

WE ALSO KEEP A GOOD SELECTION OF HOSIERY
to suit both sexes, and all ages

PULLAN’S 4 FRANK STREET BARNOLDSWICK
(Props.) E & LA Lambert


Richard Broughton

[Bruff]

A few recipes


GOOSNARGH CAKES
1/2lb Flour, 6oz Margarine, 1 ½ oz Castor Sugar, ½ teaspoon Corriandy (sic) powder, ½ teaspoon Carroway Seeds

Rub in fat and cut in rounds ½ inch think. Bake in moderate oven for 15 minutes. Do not turn. Dust with castor sugar

Mrs D Kin


SPANISH EGGS
3 Eggs, 1 ½ oz Margarine, 3 Tomatoes, 1 Onion, salt and pepper

Dip the tomatoes in boiling water to remove the skins. Cut them across, brush with melted margarine, and grill until soft under a red hot grill. Cut the onion in rings and fry brown in hot fat. Keep hot. Scramble the eggs with 1 ½ oz of margarine, season and put each half tomato on a piece of hot toast and pile the eggs on top. Decorate with the onion rings and serve hot. Serves 4 – 6 people (my italics)

Mrs T Downs



Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

I love old advertisements and always remember what a very good historian told me once about evidence in old newspapers; "Only the adverts and the Hatched Matched and Despatched can be trusted 100%". So Forgotten corners is definitely the right place Richard..... (Not that it matters a lot, I like 'off piste'!)