Miscellaneous Documents

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Miscellaneous Documents

Hand drawn Plan/Map of Hodthorpe overlaid with mine workings (Click on image to enlarge)

Map showing the route Frank cycled every day to work. To work at 8am, return at 12 noon for lunch. Back to work at 1pm and home again at 5.30pm.

Map

Thoughts - Hodthorpe 1925

Document

Newspaper clippings

Obituary of Wing Commander Jim Higgins

Sindall in the first article should read Tindall.

Conder Coin

Oddfellows Medal

This is a transcript of a letter sent to Frank by a friend from Hodthorpe.

15 May 96

Dear Gladys and Frank

thank you for your recent letters. I am sorry that I have not put pen to paper sooner. And thank you Gladys for your very supportive letter it was a comfort when it came.

We rang Norman and Addie last night. They both sounded pretty good in the circumstances. Nick was visiting with them, Norman always speaks very highly of how he and big worked well together over many years.

They said it was a beautiful day and as a great bonus the tulips have just come out. Norman said his leeks were coming on just fine and were ready for planting out. I always think the Saskatchewan soil is so good when you plant something out it may just leap up and poke you straight in the eye! But that is not to say that Hodthorpe allotments are not fertile. Big Joe Webster always has a good show of veg and flowers (and he is just over the wall from Queens Road) perhaps he sleeps in the allotment shed!!!

Mentioning the ’good old place’ - sad to relate thought seems to be unenviably into the drugs scene. Well as do all villages these days.

Another bit of news (and not drug related) some guy on Queens Road-of all places-got a high-powered air rifle and conducted an armed siege. To what purpose, I do not know BUT Hodthorpe was fully blocked off by the police. A full armed response-flak jackets, high-powered rifles-the full works-PC Hattersley who I liaise with through the neighbourhood watch talked in terms of some 50 men being involved-they took the opportunity for a full-scale exercise.

Don’t forget in the last couple of years the police have taken a very hard line on such jobs. About 18 months ago up in Geordie land a man came home from the pub-late at night-stood at his upstairs flat window brandishing a “gun”.

The alarm was sounded-an armed response came-when the flat was surrounded the man in charge had a megaphone and shouted “throw down your gun” “throw down your gun” BANG. The man was shot dead (as quick as that). The gun he was waving was a replica. Tough. But he was known to have guns in his flat.

Well the Hodthorpe incident ended peacefully and without any bloodshed. Thank goodness.

The moral these days’ Don’t act about with guns real or otherwise. After Dunblane everyone is on the side of the police. (If not before).

I spent an hour this morning talking to our neighbour, Mrs Gee-Doris Mary Spencer as she was. She said she was eight months old when she lost her father-double pneumonia. She said they lived next to Lawrence Beeston-who lost his life during the war, and well remembered the Tindall’s who lived nearby. She said she went to school with Ann. So I got out the copies, that I have, of the school’s signing on sheet and we had a good natter about Hodthorpe.

First names she mentioned, Fred and Cecil Mottishaw! What is it about these two guys? Norman Tindall, Bert Turner-George Greaves-always Fred and Cecil Mottishaw. (She said one went into gentleman’s service). How about these names from that time

Leslie Toes, Hope Clarke, Annie Hayes , Cyril Cotterill, John Bunting, Mary Griffin, Florence May Sergeson, Geo William Sergeson, Walter Hall, Gladys Tate. Then entry 648. Date of admission 10.1.1916 (DOB 9.5.08) Gladys Mary Tindall, Jane Calledine, Alf beech, William Staniland, Frank Potts, Ernest Johnson, Geo Storey, Thomas Thorpe, Walter Morris, John Davies, Abner Hollingworth, Herbert Wardle, William Greaves, Edward Hayes, Harold Rutledge, Cecil Round, Horace Seaton, James Littlewood, Vera Moorcroft, Doris Lawson, Mary Greaves, Mary Haywood, Edna Chesson(?), Margaret Robertshaw

Then the good old Hodthorpe names, Kimber, Duckmanton, Roberts, Smith, Turner, Watson, Colclough, Spencer, Mottishaw, Jones, Topham, Wilson, Arthur Parker, Rounds, Holbrook, Binch (Elsie), Beardsley (Lucy)

let him cast his net over those!!

The world’s snooker final has just finished in Sheffield. One of the TV commentators finished this year and he said is tearful farewells on air (Ted Lowe)

“How many years have you been commentating Ted?”

“On radio and TV since 1946”

“Who in your opinion has been greatest player of all time?”

“No doubt at all, Joe Davis”

All I can say he must have been some player-because the standard these modern lads set is quite unbelievable and it seems to improve every year.

I loaned the tape that you made with the Portland Street Choir and Dickie Streets (Albert and the lion) to the Methodist ministers wife-Mary Street. She said how much she enjoyed it and she may drop you a line. Hope she has.

Some very good news. You may be aware that (young) Dennis Brain married Mrs Elsie Cowley.-Well Elsie about lost her sight-but she has had a cataract operation reported to be a huge success. Good

I heard this morning that Mr Wilf Pedley is not too well-gone into a home for couple of weeks to get over it. Leaving Mrs Pedley (still at number one St Lawrence View) on her own. I am told social services are very good visiting 3 - 4 times a day.

I have gone down and cleared the snow ??????????????? when I asked about shopping Wilf always says “plenty in thank you-and we always go out shopping (by his car) every Friday”

I mentioned that I used to give the music out for “Merry England” 1943. Do you remember Frank? My dad, Wilf, George Allen, Cyril Farrimond, Carl Wharchan, Mrs Fowle, Mrs Webster. Wilf-trumpet worked in the boilers, from Worksop I think.

Anyway I said to Mr Pedley he always had a Ronson lighter in a small “envelope”velvet case in his waistcoat pocket. He always took the lighter out of the velvet case and always put it back-most meticulous.

“I remember” said Wilf “you mean this one lad?” Not bad-same lighter still kept in a drawer 1943 - 1995.

Last night we asked after the health of Jeanie Tindall-we knew she had to be flown back Florida with a nurse - we were told she has to take it very steady and must lose a lot of weight - we sincerely hope they can cope when those very severe winters, (not going to Florida). Norman and Addie say the last winter was worst on record. (I see from your letter not too bad in B.C.) I always wonder how the snowbirds cannot go to Florida because of insurance and all other taxes and exchange rate if property in B.C. will go through the roof because of possible second alternative is going out of Canada.

Janet has had a bad time these last few months with depression - as you know. These last few weeks I am pleased to say she has been much better. So much so we are going to Italy second of June. We fly Manchester Venice. A day or so in Venice then Rome Florence Assisi Pisa and finally a week on Lake Garda.

As I finish this letter Fri 17^th May the weather is dry but very cold for the time of year. I have been into Worksop this morning - all wrapped up.

I am going down to the community centre this after. Well the ex-police office next to the library that the police are allowing into use for a neighbourhood watch ‘drop-in centre’ we open Monday Wednesday Friday 2 – 3.30pm (when the library is open) and talk to people - give out literature.

We trust you are both healthy, happy and comfortable. Janet will no doubt right after our holiday

love and best wishes

Janet and Ken

In Honour of Remembrance Day

Subject: : In honour of Remembrance Day

Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Bobcaygeon (north of Peterborough Ontario) public school, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms .. Cothren, where're our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.'
They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.'

No,' she said.

'Maybe it's our behaviour.'

She told them, 'No, it's not even your behaviour.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms.Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the desk less classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom. Now I am going to tell you.'

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education.

Don't ever forget it.'

By the way, this is a true story.

Please consider passing this along so others won't forget that the freedoms we have in this great country were earned by War Veterans.

LEST WE FORGET - WEAR A POPPY TO SHOW YOUR RESPECT ON REMEMBERANCE (VETERANS) DAY (ON THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR SHIRT ABOVE YOUR HEART- NEVER ON YOUR HAT OR ANYWHERE ELSE- SHOW RESPECT!)