Cold weather

It is Good Friday, the day when gardeners traditionally plant their potatoes. I have been outside today, wrapped up in woolly hat, gloves and scarf and looked at my veg plot. It is barren with just a few weeds and certainly in no state to plant into.

Like everyone else I am fed up with the cold, the wind and the light but definite snow showers we keep having. Even the chickens, who were laying quite well have gone on strike. I gave them a lot of hay today in their nest boxes to keep them warm and encourage them to lay again.

The Howden junior school centenary celebrations went well and the children released their 100 balloons in the Market Place last Friday morning.

We have been researching the very early history of Goole and looking at the work of Jolliffe and Banks who were the contractors for the construction of the docks in the 1820s. There is a lot more to be found out about the mechanics of exactly how the work was carried out and how and from where the stone for example was transported.

We are still updating the website and working particularly on the old picture pages. They are very out of date at the moment and there are a vast number of old photos and pictures waiting to be uploaded. I have been collecting pictures of Yorkshire towns and villages and include one here of Bridlington in the hope that we are heading for a lovely warm summer when we can visit 'Brid' and enjoy a walk in the sunshine.

an old picture of Bridlington Spa

Howden council school 1913-2013

I have been busy for the last two weeks writing a booklet about the Howden Council school. The school is celebrating its centenary with an exhibition this week in the Shire hall. I have been reading the log books and have picked out some of the main  events and printed them with a few old pictures in a short booklet which I hope will act as a souvenir .

The school was built in 1912 and opened in April 1913. What stands out in those early years is how many times the school was closed for epidemics of various illnesses such as whooping cough, measles and diphtheria as well as flu.

The first headmaster, Mr Frank Platt retired in 1929. The second head was John E Cooke who was keen on music and stayed until the early 1950s. Mr Ernest Wray who followed him set up a school farm where they raised chickens, pigs and lambs. Every year the school held a chicken dinner where some of the chickens were prepared and cooked by the children for selected guests.

Other heads were Fred Wright, Dennis Lucas, Avory Brown, Stuart Collins and Tim Wilkinson.
The present head is Mrs Judy Scargill.

The centenary is being celebrated in the Minster on Thursday evening - I am giving one of the short talks and am planning what to say.

In fact although both my parents taught at the school and my daughter was a pupil I attended Eastrington school and so cannot reminisce about schooldays in Howden. But I am sure I will think of something.

These children attended the school in 1985 and are pictured with headteacher Mrs Avory Brown. Do you recognise anyone?