BARNSLEYANDFAMILY

 

 

Please will you sign my guest book, if you would like to contact me the address is

barnsleyandfamily@msn.com

 

Armed Forces Day is every day as far as I am concerned, our lads and lasses are the best in the world.

Stan

2008

‘I saw behind me those who had gone, and before me those who are to come, I looked back and saw my father, and his father, and all his fathers, and in front my son, and his son and all the sons upon sons beyond.

And then their eyes were my eyes.

As I felt, so they had felt and were to feel, as then, so now, as tomorrow and forever.

Then I was not afraid, for I was in a long line that had no beginning and no end, and the hand of his father grasped my father’s hand, and his hand was in mine, and my unborn son took my right hand , and all up and down the line that stretched from Time That Was to Time That Is, and Time That Is Not Yet, raised their hands to show the link, and we found that we were one, born of Woman, Son of Man, made in the Image, fashioned in the Womb by the Will of God, the Eternal Father.

Richard Llewellyn ‘How Green was my Valley’

 

"TO A POET A THOUSAND YEARS HENCE"

I who am dead a thousand years,
And wrote this sweet archaic song,
Send you my words for messengers
The way I shall not pass along.

I care not if you bridge the seas,
Or ride secure the cruel sky,
Or build consummate palaces
Of metal or of masonry.

But have you wine and music still,
And statues and a bright-eyed love,
And foolish thoughts of good and ill,
And prayers to them who sit above?

How shall we conquer? Like a wind
That falls at eve our fancies blow,
And old Maeonides the blind
Said it three thousand years ago.

O friend unseen, unborn, unknown,
Student of our sweet English tongue,
Read out my words at night, alone:
I was a poet, I was young.

Since I can never see your face,
And never shake you by the hand,
I send my soul through time and space
To greet you. You will understand.

 

 

By James Elroy Flecker (1884-1915).

 

If

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too: If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream---and not make dreams your master; If you can think---and not make thoughts your aim, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same:. If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings, And never breathe a word about your loss: If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings---nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much: If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And---which is more---you'll be a Man, my son! Kieron James Lomax - B.A. (Hons) Cambridge University -  2010 Congratulations, to our dearest grandson, Nan and Grandad Jim would be so proud of you.        The Traveller Who travels alone with his eye on the heights,  Though he laughs in the day time oft weeps on the nights;  For courage goes down at the set of the sun,  When the toil of the journey is all borne by one. He speeds but to grief though full gaily he ride Who travels alone without love at his side. Who travels alone without lover of friend But hurries from nothing, to naught at the end. Though great be his winnings and high be his goal,  He is bankrupt in wisdom and beggared in soul. Life’s one gift of value to him is denied Who travels alone without love at his side. It is easy enough in this world to make haste If one live for that purpose – but think of the waste;  For life is a poem to leisurely read,  And the joy of the journey lies not in its speed. Oh! vain his achievement and petty his pride Who travels alone without love at his side.  Ella Wheeler Wilcox

 

The Beginning (Memories) - Rupert Brooke

 

 

SOME day I shall rise and leave my friends
And seek you again through the world’s far ends,
You whom I found so fair
(Touch of your hands and smell of your hair!),
My only god in the days that were.	5
My eager feet shall find you again,
Though the sullen years and the mark of pain
Have changed you wholly; for I shall know
(How could I forget having loved you so?),
In the sad half-light of evening,
The face that was all my sunrising.
So then at the ends of the earth I’ll stand
And hold you fiercely be either hand,
And seeing your age and ashen hair
I’ll curse the thing that once you were,
Because it is changed and pale and old
(Lips that were scarlet, hair that was gold!),
And I loved you before you were old and wise,
When the flame of youth was strong in your eyes,
—And my heart is sick with memories.

The Land of lost Content

- A.E.Houseman

 

Into my heart an air that kills
From yon far country blows:
What are those blue remembered hills
What spires, what farms are those?

That is the land of lost content,
I see it shining plain,
The happy highways where I went
And cannot come again.

""

The day on which Ian Clayton came to interview me, for the Yorkshire Television Programme, "The Magic of the Seaside".

This statue of Dickie Bird (sculpted by Graham Ibbeson) is place on Church Lane, Barnsley, almost on the spot where the ginnel was, which led to our cottage.

 

At the bottom of  the menu there is (or should be) some more photos, accompanied by music.  This is a new feature by Freewebs, I am trying it out.

 

Barnsley Town Hall

The side of  Barnsley Town Hall

 

This is a photo of where I used to play with my two cousins as children.

#1 is Churchfield Terrace, where three of my aunts lived.  #2 is St. Mary's Boys' School, where my cousins attended (and my dad and their dads)

#3 is The Black Boy pub, which was all our dads' local, my dad used to take me inside and I was allowed to sit in the kitchen, but I had to hide under the table.  Mrs Stanley was the landlady, a very kind woman.

#4 is High Street, where my dad's sister Nellie lived.

#5 is the air raid shelter.

#6 The lavatories to which we used to have to trek, I hated the dark nights, when I was staying with my aunts.

#7 The spare land, where we had our bonfires, played nipsey (sp) and sometimes cricket, although I always had to be the fielder.

#8 is Highfield Terrace, Churchfield.

The large grey area to the top right of the photo is Churchfield, although it had been concreted over, I had many a grazed knee because of falling down.

The large photo showing the full area gives a better idea of the size of the area.

The old Beckett Hospital.

 

 

 

 

 

The Rifles, from County Durham, and Capt Mark Hale, 42, of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, died trying to help their injured comrade when all three were caught in a second blast.

 

Repatriation By Andy McFarlane

The leviathan of the sky does land In England’s green and pleasant land.

Its cargo more precious than gold The body of a hero, bold.

Once the giant’s engines stopped The cargo ramp is gently dropped Carried by six on shoulders true The hero is saluted by the crew.

The coffin draped in Union Jack Is slowly carried out the back.

Out of the dark and into light Slowly down the ramp and to the right.

The six approach the hearse all black And place the hero gently in the back.

The six then turn and march away Their duty has been done this day.

Politicians usually have much to say No sign of them near here this day.

They hide away and out of danger, Much easier if the hero is a stranger.

The hearse with its precious load Moves slowly out onto the road.

The floral tributes line the route While comrades snap a smart salute.

At the edge of a Wiltshire town The cortege slows its pace right down.

The streets are packed, many deep, Some throw flowers, most just weep.

The crowd have come to say farewell, The church bell rings a low death knell.

Regimental standards are lowered down As the hero passed through the town.

The cortege stops and silence reigns The townsfolk feel the family’s pain.

The nations’ flag lowered to half mast Our brave hero is home at last.

This photograph was taken during the First World War, whilst Stan's grandad was in hospital.  Arthur Lipscombe is seated at the front with his ankles crossed.

Reflections

"Who am I today?" I ask..

“Who am I today?” I ask..
And I wonder if I even know.
I know the past has shaped me now,
Even though the past was long ago.

The little moments form a blur,
The times both happy and sad,
All the people I once knew,
And the things I used to have.

They all helped me to become
Where, what and who I am now,
Because everything has influenced me,
I’m not sure exactly how.

But I’m thankful for the memories,
Even of the people I’ve never really met,
For the people I miss, the people I love,
And even the people I’d like to
forget.

For these memories have helped me grow,
They’ve made me calm, yet strong,
And now there’s a story to my life,
That they’ve been writing all along.

So, thank you for the memories.
Without them, I don’t know who I’d be -
Because somewhere among these memories
Are the things that define me.

 

 

"Who am I today?" I ask..PaPTh
PPPAPnd I wonder if I even know.
I Beknow the past has shaped me now,
Even though the past was long ago.B

The little moments form a blur,St
The times both happy and sad,
All the people I once knew,

Ou
 

Welcome to my website, I hope that you enjoy browsing the pages, showing Barnsley over the years, together with my memories of growing up in Barnsley, during the 1940's and 1950's.

Please will you sign my guest book, if you would like to contact me the address is

barnsleyandfamily@msn.com




Elina ( Kieron's girl friend), Kieron and friend, all ready for the Cambridge Trinity Ball - 17th June 2009

 

Cambridge - 17th October 2009

  



Madeleine McCann

One of two new posters being released by the Find Madeleine Campaign which show Madeleine McCann as she was aged three, and how she might look now, aged six. Photograph: Find Madeleine Campaign/PA

The 3rd of May, marks the second anniversary of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the three years old girl, who was snatched so cruelly, whilst on holiday with her parents and her brother and sister.

I urge everyone reading my website to take a good look at the above pictures, someone, somewhere may recognise Madeleine.  My heart goes out to Kate and Gerry McCann, who are suffering this ordeal with such dignity.

Thank you,

Mary

Easter Week

See the land, her Easter keeping, Rises as her Maker rose. Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping, Burst at last from winter snows. Earth with heaven above rejoices; Fields and gardens hail the spring; Shaughs and woodlands ring with voices, While the wild birds build and sing. You, to whom your Maker granted Powers to those sweet birds unknown, Use the craft by God implanted; Use the reason not your own. Here, while heaven and earth rejoices, Each his Easter tribute bring- Work of fingers, chant of voices, Like the birds who build and sing. Charles Kingsley   http://www.lillymaesappeal.com Lilly Mae Skidmore. Lilly suffers from a rare genetic disorder, the above link will take you to her website.  Please will you take a look. Thank you, Mary Vikky Skidmore March 2 at 9:46am Reply Hi,  thankyou all for joining and being a member of ' lilly maes appeal' ,can i ask you all a huge favour?? Can you help us please by spreading the word of Lillys appeal, by inviting friends to join this group or telling them about her website www.lillymaesappeal.com, as not only will it help our appeal as someone might have fundraising ideas for us, but it will also help spread the word of the appeal and of her rare condition. My main reason for trying to get more interest in Lillys appeal is that yesterday we got even more bad news we found out her sight is still deteriorating, and im getting scared as to how bad it will get, so im really praying that before the summer is over we will have raised enough funds to build and kit out lillys therapy/sensory room, as we know that the sensory lights will help her vision a little , we dont know how much but any help is better than nothing so PLEASE help us to help Lilly by spreading the word, it will also enable us to carry out her different therapies and programmes she is following that will all help her develop to the best she can, thankyou for reading and i hope you can help us spread the word  vikky x   A meeting was held quire far from earth. It’s time again for another birth. Said the angels to the Lord above. This special child will need much love. His progress may seem very slow; Accomplishments he may not show; And he’ll require extra care From the folks he meets down there. He may not run or laugh or play; His thoughts may seem quite far away. In many ways he won’t adapt, And he will be known as handicapped. Oh let’s be careful where he’s sent, We want this life to be content. Please, Lord, find the parents who Will do a special job for you. They will not realize right away The leading role they are asked to play. But with this child sent from above Comes a stronger faith and richer love. And soon they’ll know the privilege given In caring for this gift from heaven. Their precious charge so meek and mild Is heaven’s very special child.   The above poem is so true of Lilly, she is the sweetest, happiest little girl we have ever met. - Mary and Stan.           Lilly enjoying her first riding lesson with "The Riding for the Disabled".  She looks so happy, bless her.

  Barnsley Town Hall.

Barnsley Town Hall.

Barnsley Town Hall is reckoned to be the best town hall in Britain. Portland Stone was used for the facing, the clock tower is at least 140 feet high, and is a landmark for miles and miles around. I have been on the roof of the town hall and the views are truly amazing and beautiful, I didn’t have the nerve to climb up the spiral staircase to where the clocks are housed ( all four of them)

The foundation stone for the Town Hall was laid in1932 and the building was formally opened by Edward, Prince of Wales on the 14th December, 1933. I have looked at that stone plaque so many times, I used to pass it every day, I went into work.

It cost nearly £190 thousand pounds to build, peanuts in today’s money, I can remember being told that the town hall was built to alleviate the unemployment situation in Barnsley and it’s area. I suspect that this may be an “urban myth”. It is a beautiful building, the inside being as imposing as the outside, I understand that Italian marble was used for the inner walls. I find it hard to believe that when I started work there, this lovely building had only been in use for 22 years.

St Mary's Church, the Mother Church of Barnsley

 

 

Where possible I have sought permission to use the scanned photographs. There has been no deliberate violation of copyright and it is hoped that this is recognized as such