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Cottontree, between Trawden and
Colne, was my home between the age of four and eighteen. Just over the old bridge, the hill winds up
into Winewall and eventually Wycoller. This during one of the many snowy
winters we had in the 1950's and 60's. |
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This takes me back to my teenage
years in Cottontree, near Colne in Lancashire. This was the view from my
bedroom window.
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Just over that bridge, on the left, is the
Cottontree Inn. Never frequented by me (perhaps because by the time I could
drink legally, I had left the area. I recently received an e-mail from
Stuart Miller who is now researching his family tree. he had this to say:
"I was on the net a few week ago and decided to type Millers of Colne into
the Google search engine and to my surprise there was a web site about us.
My grand father was Richard Thexton Miller. There are still plenty of us
round here and the family is getting bigger by the year as I have a child
of my own and so do my cousin and sister. My uncle Richard now owns the
Cottontree Inn. I would be glad for any info if you know anything about
our family as I'm trying to start off a family tree." If anyone out
there in Internet land can help him, please e-mail me and I will pass the
info on. Thanks. |
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This is my mum and stepfather, Stanley in
their fish and chip shop in the late 1960's. Note the emergency gas light
immediately above the range with it's hot chip fat! |
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Here, mum is using the hand potato chipper
that I knew so well! When I was a teenager, I often used to help in the
shop on a Saturday night. |
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Here's a picture sent to me by Jean Hardman
(nee Bulcock) which took me down memory lane because this is a rare colour
picture of my parents shop.
Thank you Jean (who is being served by my
mum) and who still works locally at Trawden School. |
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A rare self portrait, which
happens to be soft. |
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I used to visit my two cousins,
Peter and Andrew, in Hull, Yorkshire about once a year. Peter, 9 months
older than me, is on the left.
Both are now retired, Andrew lives in Spain, Peter in
Chester (when he's not holidaying in Spain) |
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Dress sense was not my best
feature at that age! A green suede jacket, mmmm. |
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also taken in Hull. (406 Ings Road.) |
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Again, in the late 1960's, this is my ex
wife, Marjorie with her Uncle Bert in his garage in Cottontree.
He used to
work for the main hardware shop in Colne, 'Willie' Whittaker's'. |
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| On
the occasion of my Auntie Muriel's 25th wedding anniversary, we were taken
by coach to a hotel in Blackpool for the celebrations. This was one of the
first colour photographs ever taken of me.
On the front row, Eric Barrett, unknown, Douglas
Barrett, Madge Barrett, unknown.
Middle Row: Phoebe Barrett, me, Uncle Fred, Auntie
Muriel, unknown, Margaret Barrett.
Back row: unknown, unknown, Melvyn (cousin?) unknown,
Alvin Barrett, unknown, unknown. |
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OK, please don't laugh, this is
me with jet black hair taking a pint at the pub on the left that I don't know
the name of! |
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Uncle Fred with Midge, the farm dog before
his retirement. |
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This was my dear old mum anticipating retirement from the
fish and chip shop. |
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| Then there was school. Three miles on a
bus each day to 'Edge End Technical School' as it was then, now a
comprehensive. |
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November 1962 and the 'Colne Times'
reported the A level results for our school. I feature in the middle of
the back row of this 'happy family' group taken at 'Speech Day' which used
to be held in a cinema in Nelson. |
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Stuart Mason and Phil England had been with
me in the sixth form and were both in London in the early 1960's. We used
to get together now and again for a beer or two. seen here on the bonnet
of my trusty old Sunbeam Talbot 90 MkIIA, PTE 237. Sadly, both are now
dead. |
