past and present
Memories
Memories of Wickersley from the 1930's
A relative has related to me a few memories of Wickersley dating as far back as the 1930's, the memories refer to locals and buildings, he can remember John Styring's Butchers shop, and a little shop that sold all sorts of things including sweets, this shop was known as Jinnies, these shops were on Morthen Road. The shop just after the Cenotaph on Morthen Road which is now a hairdressers used to be a butchers shop owned first by a Mr Wildsmith and later by Mumford's who later moved to the crossroads, I can only remember Mumford's as ever being at the crossroads (roundabout).
George Kennen a relative of mine (the second husband of my Great Great Grandmother Esther Ann Plant nee Street) had a
Blacksmiths Shop at the crossroads, I think it was just about where the medical centre is now, between there and the little
row of shops, Mr Wadsworth also had a Saddlers Shop there. George Kennen's son George Harry known as Harry helped out in
this Blacksmiths Shop, he also owned a shop in Thurcroft which was known locally as the Aladdin’s Cave because he and his
wife Bessie sold everything, Harry also ran a Blacksmiths Shop in the back yard of the shop, he also kept pigs here,
eventually Harry and Bessie's daughter Daisy and her husband George Yeardley took the shop over. Kennen's and Wadsworth's
shops were very busy in those days, a car was a rare sight, it was mainly horse and carts that were seen trundling up and
down the roads selling and delivering groceries, collecting refuse etc. . George Kennen ran a carrier service with his
Horse and Cab taking people and goods to their destinations.
Opposite the Blacksmith's on the other side of the Crossroads George Kennen's stepdaughter Gertrude Booth nee Plant my Great Grandmother lived at Pear Tree Cottage with her family, this cottage was once the family home of George and Esther Ann, Esther died in 1920 and George eventually went to live with his son Harry on Northfield Lane. Gertrude and her daughter's baked bread and teacakes to sell to the locals, it wasn't a business as such, Gertrude simply sold bread from her kitchen door, no rules and regulations then!!, well not the same as they are today. Next to Pear Tree Cottage was Foer's Farm, at some point my Dad's Uncle Sonny (Alan Frederick Booth) kept pigs in the farm yard where he slaughtered them, my Dad helped with this process, Sonny owned a Butcher's Shop at the top of Green Lane in the 1950's and Leslie and Daisy Bell lived across the road at No 1 Green Lane, Leslie Bell was a partner in the Bell's Quarry business.
Next to the farm was Randerson's Butcher's Shop, at some point there was also a Cobblers in this area and a Fish and Chip
Shop owned by Harry William's.
My Dad has fond memories of the Mason's Public House, in the 30's a very nice couple ran it, the lady of the house had a soft spot for my Dad and took him under her wing, in the 50's when my Dad came home on leave from the Army she would always make a great fuss of him when he visited the pub.
I'm not sure when the Tanyard was built, but I was working as a shop assistant in Watson's Chemist which was on the Tanyard in 1972 when I was 16 years old, it was new then (it has been extended since), at that time the Medical Centre was just being built at the bottom of Morthen Road at the Crossroads, at about this time Pear Tree Cottage was demolished to make way for the new Roundabout and I don't think the road layout had changed then because I can remember crossing the road most days to get to the Supermarket opposite, it was the old single road and easy to cross!!, wouldn't dare attempt it now would we!!?, the Tanyard was quite car free way back then as well, the car park was always empty, not like today when you quite often have to wait a few minutes until someone pulls off before you can park.
Going back to Morthen Road a relative of mine Dennis Johnson ran his Haulage business from a garage on this road, the garage was situated just after the junction leading on to Moss Close, it has now been knocked down and a house built in it's place, when at the bus stop waiting for my bus home to Thurcroft Dennis would always wave to me from the garage. My Dad owned a lorry in the 1970/80's, he parked it in Dennis's garage over night, there was also an apple orchard at the back of the garage, my Mum used to go and pick apples from it to make and freeze apple and blackberry pies.
Although today Wickersley is a very different place, the centre of the village around Morthen Road and across from the Tanyard seems to have retained it's quaint village feel, the old cottage's and houses have a certain fascination about them.
A. Wade 2009
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