This was sent to me by Michael, our new forum member, with a request to post it for all to see. Thanks Michael for sharing your memories with us.
My memories of Briercliffe
I was born at Pighole Farm, Walverden road in 1936, where my father was the farm manager. The farm then belonged to the Nelson Co-operative Society, along with Lane House farm, and Higher House farm by the side of Nelson road.
Pighole Farm at that time was on, or about 25 acres. Lane house was 54 acres and Higher House farm was about 20 acres. I would assume they are all one today. In those days all the outdoor work was done by horse and cart. When I was three my father was offered a move to Lane House Farm, being a bigger farm which he accepted the post. I think this was one of my first memories, sitting on the front of the cart with all the furniture behind, trekking across the fields. My next memory would be going to Haggate infant’s school in 1941. When I was five the teacher at that time was a Miss Hutton, then into junior school with Mrs Starkey until 1947, when I then went to Mansfield secondary modern school until 1951. My childhood memories are more with time spent on the farm, where I was expected to work from a very young age, mainly milking the cows, by hand no milking machines in those days, and to help out feeding hens, pigs and calves.
In the summer my father’s days would start 4.30am when it was cool for the horses to work. They would then rest until evening, and would work again through to 10.00pm cutting grass and turning it into hay. They were long days for my father, who still had to milk the cows and then take the milk into Nelson by horse and cart. No bottles in those days, customers would come out with their jugs, ½ pint, and 1 pint and 2 pint measures, hung inside the milk churns. Saturday was the worst day, collecting the money, where every one had Co-operative cheque no’s which had to be written out, in duplicate on the door step, even when it was raining. I can remember my mum’s cheque no to this day 5510. They were hard times every one had to help out. No electricity only oil lamps for light, one coal fire for heating the whole house. A hot brick in a flannel to take to bed to keep warm. Copper boiler to heat the water, and tin bath in front of the fire, and the wooden dolly to do the washing, and wood rollers in the mangle. Hard work but wonderful memories. I am sure there are other memories that would come to mind if I thought long enough, like the cotton/woollen mill in Lane Bottom, where my sister worked, as a weaver. Sunday school in the chapel at Lane Bottom, and church in Harle Syke. Fish Chips and peas for 6 old pence etc. I could go on for ever.
_________________ Mel
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