It is a time to remember those we have lost including former local history class members Malcolm Corke and John Storey, both of Goole. And I shall miss talking to Peter Vessey of Gilberdyke who was so enthusiastic about the history of the Gilberdyke area and a fount of memories and stories of local people and places.
I enjoy teaching my WEA local history classes where we discuss many topics and, as my students learn from me, I in turn learn from them. The Howden class which meets in the Town Council premises includes students aged from teens to 90s and will resume on Monday 14th January at 1.30 pm. The Goole class, which meets at 10am in the Ilkeston Avenue Community centre resumes on Thursday 17th January. Both groups are very friendly and no prior knowledge is needed.
Contact me through my website Howdenshirehistory.co.uk if you would like to know more.
I have been researching two interesting family histories recently. One was for someone with Goole connections who was keen to find whether a grandmother was originally Irish - so enabling them to obtain an Irish passport in advance of Brexit. Unfortunately it was the next generation back who had Irish roots.
The other family settled in Howden in the nineteenth century, coming from Ireland to work as many did on the land and worshipping at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church. It is hard to trace Irish families back to their homeland as often on the censuses the enumerator just wrote 'Ireland' as their place of birth.
I continue to collect old photographs often from friends who allow me to scan their originals or by buying them at postcard fairs or from the internet. It always amazes me how many still 'come out of the woodwork. But there are gaps in my collection - anyone got any old postcards of Sandholme or Kilpin for example??
But now it's time to take Molly out and pick up a few 'morning sticks' for my new woodburner. I remember my grandmother using the phrase for kindling and was pleased to see it on a board outside a farm recently in Wales.
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This is Bob Brooks of Eastrington. He is standing outside Kirkdene and is holding a wasps' nest. He was a beekeeper and hated wasps. I wrote about him in my latest article in the Howdenshire Magazine |
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This is Carlisle Street in Goole. Originally taken as an illustration for a feature advertising the varied shops in the street for the Goole Times it shows the Con club, now closed and the Tower cinema, now demolished |
