Post by sean1981 on Mar 24, 2012 16:40:34 GMT
End of an era
My grandma , who lived up Leeming, Oxenhope, used to sally forth into the middle of the road to stop the bus and when we commented that it was dangerous and she should stand by the bus stop, she said, ‘there were no motors here when I was little, so they will have to stop.’ She saw the end of the use of horses in everyday life when the Co-op green grocer and local milk deliveries went over to motor vehicles.
I think we all see things in our lifetime that we later realise were the end of an era. As a young child I remember walking up Lees Lane (Syke) from Haworth to visit my grandma down Vale Mill lane, Lees and walking past the Syke Mill and seeing the large steam engine running, which could be seen through the big window. A true showpiece of engineering and at that time running this part of Merrall’s company. Back then Lees Lane had small cobbles, I think brought from somewhere else because they were blue/grey granite and slippery as hell I later found out when on my motor bike. Perhaps they were hard wearing and took a lot of traffic from Ebor Mill to Syke Mill.
My great grandfather was a stone mason and fell to his death whilst working on Syke Mill. He would be about 26 when the accident happened and had two children with one still in the womb. My grandma was a baby when it happened so I guess it was around 1880 when her father, Robert Pickles, was killed. I often wonder whether Merralls paid for the grave plot in Haworth church grave yard because Robert’s grave is very near the Merrall family vault. Perhaps Robert also worked on the church which was finished in 1881.
Probably the last time the Merrall family vault was open was when ‘Bertie’ Merril died, around 1954 when we boys in the church choir were given time off school to sing at his funeral. The Merrall family paid for much of the Victorian church that replaced the old Bronte one at Haworth as well as St James at Lees/Cross Roads. At Christmas time we would walk up Lees Lane to Law House, where the remaining Merrall family still lived, to sing carols etc. We boys got ginger beer with biscuits as I remember and the men, no doubt, something stronger. We were asked to call old Mr Merrall ‘uncle Bertie.’ I think it was his parents who are mentioned in the east window of Haworth church, dated 1881.
Not only the end of an era in that the steam has gone from our manufacturing, but also both of Merrall’s Mills no longer exist that once employed so many folks. Also all the nice cobbles are now covered in tarmac. I wonder what we will see change next?
John
My grandma , who lived up Leeming, Oxenhope, used to sally forth into the middle of the road to stop the bus and when we commented that it was dangerous and she should stand by the bus stop, she said, ‘there were no motors here when I was little, so they will have to stop.’ She saw the end of the use of horses in everyday life when the Co-op green grocer and local milk deliveries went over to motor vehicles.
I think we all see things in our lifetime that we later realise were the end of an era. As a young child I remember walking up Lees Lane (Syke) from Haworth to visit my grandma down Vale Mill lane, Lees and walking past the Syke Mill and seeing the large steam engine running, which could be seen through the big window. A true showpiece of engineering and at that time running this part of Merrall’s company. Back then Lees Lane had small cobbles, I think brought from somewhere else because they were blue/grey granite and slippery as hell I later found out when on my motor bike. Perhaps they were hard wearing and took a lot of traffic from Ebor Mill to Syke Mill.
My great grandfather was a stone mason and fell to his death whilst working on Syke Mill. He would be about 26 when the accident happened and had two children with one still in the womb. My grandma was a baby when it happened so I guess it was around 1880 when her father, Robert Pickles, was killed. I often wonder whether Merralls paid for the grave plot in Haworth church grave yard because Robert’s grave is very near the Merrall family vault. Perhaps Robert also worked on the church which was finished in 1881.
Probably the last time the Merrall family vault was open was when ‘Bertie’ Merril died, around 1954 when we boys in the church choir were given time off school to sing at his funeral. The Merrall family paid for much of the Victorian church that replaced the old Bronte one at Haworth as well as St James at Lees/Cross Roads. At Christmas time we would walk up Lees Lane to Law House, where the remaining Merrall family still lived, to sing carols etc. We boys got ginger beer with biscuits as I remember and the men, no doubt, something stronger. We were asked to call old Mr Merrall ‘uncle Bertie.’ I think it was his parents who are mentioned in the east window of Haworth church, dated 1881.
Not only the end of an era in that the steam has gone from our manufacturing, but also both of Merrall’s Mills no longer exist that once employed so many folks. Also all the nice cobbles are now covered in tarmac. I wonder what we will see change next?
John