Some Earlier Memories of Scholes
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Some Earlier Memories of Scholes
From the Barwicker No.101
March 2011
I was born in the village of Scholes in the 1930s and have seen
many changes over the years. The content of this article is
confined to some of the everyday needs of the local people which
were delivered to the village by foot, bicycle, horse and cart and
van in the 1930s-50s (inclusive). Food was an essential basic need and local produce was available from various sources within the village.
Milk - this was delivered daily, via horse and cart, from
Goodall’s Farm on the A64 and Wetherall’s Farm in the centre of
the village. Initially all the milk was dispensed from a churn with
the use of a ladle. Subsequently bottled milk, a real luxury, was
supplied by motorised transport from Goodalls, The Co-op and
Craven Dairies.
Bread/Confectionery - this was available from 2 village
bakeries, E.K. Brooke at the top end of Scholes and from Benny
Taylor’s at the bottom end. Taylor also provided a delivery
service.
Butcher - For a brief period in the 1930s meat was sold from a
temporary wooden building which was sited diagonally opposite
the Barley Corn Inn. However it was not until the late 1950s that
a butcher’s shop was opened in Scholes by Brian Kershaw. In the
intervening years villagers were dependant upon local deliveries
by van by Mr Hague from Barwick, Armitage & Wright from
Leeds, The Co-op in Albion Street, Leeds and Hemingways Pork
Butchers from Cross Gates.
Wet Fish - one day each week this was brought to the door by a
Mr Hannam who cycled from Barwick.
Fish and Chips - these were sold from a motorbike and sidecar,
on one night only each week from the forecourt of the Barley
Corn Inn. Portions were pre-wrapped in a newspaper covering. In
later years a number of mobile fish and chip vans appeared.
Fruit and Vegetables - over a number of years these were
delivered by horse and cart from Goodall’s Farm at Barwick(on the corner of Long Lane); ‘Old Tom’ Fosters from Barnbow
Lane and later by M.C.Wood of Barwick with his travelling
shop. His nickname was ‘The Midnight Grocer’ because he
worked so late.
Groceries - E.K. Brooke, the Co-op from Cross Gates both
delivered by van. Frogatt’s from a shop next to the Barleycorn),
Walkers (followed by many successors) were situated opposite
the old Council Offices in Station Road and M.C. Wood.
Sweets - originally available from Mrs Horton at a very small
shop (now a private residence) which was opposite the doctors’
surgery in Main Street. The grocery shops mentioned above also
sold sweets.
Ice Cream - in the early days this was not readily available and
was regarded as a luxury. Walls ‘Stop Me and Buy One’ tricycle
and the ‘Eldorado’ tricycle were eagerly awaited and they
appeared at irregular intervals. The Coronation Tree island was
sometime used as a sales pitch for the vendors.
Mineral Waters - in the 1950s a large lorry appeared conveying
a variety of coloured fizzy drinks under the trade name Penguin.
Public Houses originally the only licenced premises was the
Barleycorn Inn purveying beer (including home brew) but in
1933 a spirit licence was obtained. Outsales were popular and
were obtainable at a counter which opened at the side of the inn.
Doctors - Dr Bean and Dr Shires had a surgery on Main Street.
District Nurse - Nurse Byewater from Barwick.
Laundry and Dry Cleaning - The Co-op and Hygenic
Hairdresser - originally in the wooden shack opposite the
Barleycorn Inn. Later she was transferred to a house on Badger
Terrace opposite the Church.
Post Office - situated in a house in the terrace opposite The
Barleycorn Inn. It then moved to Crick's wool shop at the bottom
of Belle Vue Estate, Main Street. There was also a postbox on
the platform of the 8pm bus to Leeds.
Dressmakers - Miss Calvert, Morwick Terrace and Miss
Dimpleby on Station Road.
Corsetiere - ‘Spirella’ Corsets, Mrs Hunter, Leeds Road.
Library - In the corridor of the school with limited availability.
Newspapers - E.K. Brooke, Mr Speak from Barwick, Mr Fields
who used the Coronation Tree island as his sorting area. He
subsequently owned a hut and then a shop on Station Road. He
delivered his papers by bicycle.
Villagers were also provided with other services i.e. coalmen (the
coal was sourced from Scholes Station Yard); chimney sweeps;
painters and decorators; a cobbler; plumbers; electricians;
joiners; insurance men; agricultural services in the form of Joss
Armitage’s threshing machine,;window cleaners who arrived on
a tandem bike; rag and bone men; gypsies and various vendors
with suitcases full of assorted goods.
There were three garages on the A64 and also one on the site of
Green Court, Station Road, and one on Barwick Road.
Transport - Buses were run by the Red, White and Blue bus
service from Aberford and later by the West Yorkshire Road Car
Co. Trains by L.N.E.R and taxi by Frogatt’s of Main Street.
In succeeding years public and private transport has enabled
villagers to source supplies and services from further afield and
now there is much reduced dependency on local providers.
Ed.
Having lived in the village of Scholes all their lives, Evelyn and
her husband Alan, are a mine of information about life there in
the past. Thank you Evelyn for putting pen to paper and telling us
what the village was like in the mid-1900s. This information will
be of great benefit to local historians in the future.
If there is anyone living in Barwick who would like to write a similar article we would be very pleased to receive it.
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