Hello again. Your jolly blog host saw some ugly weather in the past week. Grey skies, teaming rain and puddles. The swishing of windscreen wipers. One's coat hood pulled up in eskimo fashion. One's little face peeping out with mouth turned down. Early January - rarely the best time of year in the northern hemisphere.
Yet there were some clement hours when the rain went home for lunch and Mr Sun peeped through the clouds. On Friday afternoon, your jolly blog host wandered around a part of Sheffield that overlooks the Don Valley. In the city's industrial past, this valley was our smoky workshop. The thumping of steam hammers. The blinding satanic glow of furnaces. Workers lived in terraced streets that marched up the valley side. But that was then and this is now.
 |
| "The Grapes Inn", Burngreave |
 |
| Sutherland Road and the city's modern "Energy Recovery" incinerator |
 |
| Maxwell Way, Burngreave |
 |
| Rear of an industrial building on Forncett Street |
On Saturday, I drove over to Hull to watch The Tigers with old friend Tony. It was the third round of the F.A.Cup and we deservedly beat Brighton thanks to a Robert Snodgrass penalty that almost burst the net. On the way over, I followed a voluntary diversion into the town of Goole (Population 17,500).
It is where my brother Robin was born and it is still a significant inland port. Happily, neither of the parking ticket machines in the car park were working so I was able to write a joyful message on an envelope "Machine Not Working - 11.30am" and this I duly left on my dashboard before strolling about the town like a secret agent on a spying mission.
An hour and twenty minutes was not long enough. Your jolly blog host must go back to see some more including the Yorkshire Waterways Museum, Old Goole and the docks. Without clever drainage methods and without the docks, Goole would not even exist. It is a flat, watery and characterful settlement at the end of the River Ouse, close to the meeting places of other rivers that feed into The Humber.
Admittedly, all the words typed above were just an excuse for posting more pictures. Image is everything.
 |
| The cloctower erected in 1926 to mark the centenary of the town's docks |
 |
| The Seaman's Memorial in Goole |
 |
| Town on the left. River Ouse on the right. The banking is vital to prevent flooding. |
 |
| "The Macintosh Arms" on Aire Street Named after docks engineer Hugh Macintosh |
I can tell that you were really grabbed by the Goolies, like your borther.
ReplyDeleteGoole is a funny name isn't it Mr SP? It reminds me of ghoul, goolies and perhaps Google. I wonder if people might say, "Just a minute, I'll goole it!"
DeleteP.S. What is a "borther"? No wonder you are Mr SP!
I'd love to have a levee like that along the Cosumnes River. The one we have is bare sandy soil, with lots of gopher holes and old tree roots in it. An "accident" waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteMuch of the banking and drainage in that area was undertaken long ago by Dutch enginers. Now those people really do know about living with water.
DeleteI did google it! Of course, I have to know where I am walking. That is a small village with a lot of monuments. I bet young people just can't wait to get out of there. Just like in small, rural villages and towns here.
ReplyDeleteWikipedia says that the name is Middle English meaning "stream" or "channel" or even "outlet drain".
The Dale Sisters of the '60's were born there as well as your brother, Roger. Four slightly famous people.
My brother might like to roger but that is not his name! It's Robin. It pleases me greatly that my little expeditions spark your research MT. I think you are right about young people wanting to leave Goole. It is not a place where many dreams are made.
DeleteSo sorry, Mr Pudding. Robin, of course.
DeleteYorkshire does have an atmosphere all of its own, doesn't it, no matter whereabouts you are.
ReplyDeleteAye lass tha's reeght theer! Does tha fancy t'cuppa?
DeleteGoole sounds and looks like a fascinating place, one of the kind that gives a visitor his or her own time to discover it without jumping up and down, shouting "here! here!" all the time.
ReplyDeleteThe second picture with the road going downhill and the incinerator in the background has an almost unreal quality about it, as if you'd photoshopped two pictures together.
The one with the rear of the building on Forncett Street is my favourite of this lot. Without being able to say why, there is something about it that really speaks to me.
Thank you for your customary thoughtful responses Miss Arian. Much appreciated.
DeleteThe grapes looks neater than i remember it
ReplyDeleteYou knew this "Grapes" then John and not the one on Trippet Lane?
DeleteImages and a good story to go with them.
ReplyDeleteYou are almost too kind Red. I like your style.
DeleteI'm not sure how I came to miss this post, but miss it I did. To be honest, I suppose it's because I've had my eyes glued mostly on the tennis this past week or so!
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps now that you are an award winning blogging celebrity you have left your meagre roots behind - eschewing blogs like this old one.
DeleteGreat images! I especially like the pub and the rear of the industrial building.
ReplyDeleteIf you had turned around on Forncett Street you would probably have seen the fellow who lives in the hollow in the wall. His sleeping bag is there most days, rain or shine, protruding into the street. I've been told he's been there over a year but I don't know his story.
ReplyDelete