The old photograph shown above was snapped in the summer of 1947. The location was 25 Langton Road, Norton-on-Derwent, Yorkshire. That is where my father was born in 1914 and where he spent his happy, carefree childhood.
Through the second world war, my paternal grandfather Philip had a milk round in Norton. Churns of local farm milk were brought to the family home where there was a small bottling plant. Then crates of the milk were heaved aboard the little cart shown above before early morning deliveries were made with the kind assistance of the horse.
I suspect that the picture was taken on a Sunday - the day of rest. On the cart you can see four people and a dog. There's my father's sister Evelyn - born around 1918. Then there's my grandfather Philip holding his dog and my grandmother Margaret holding her grandson, Peter Thewliss who was Auntie Evelyn's only child . The photo was probably snapped by Frank Thewliss - Evelyn's husband.
How I would have loved to step into that scene to introduce myself but I was not yet born. I came along in October 1953 which must have brought a glimmer of joy into my father's life for his mother Margaret died in January of that year and his father Philip died in September - just a month before I arrived into the world.
They were in their early seventies and I never met them and so sadly they played no role whatsoever in my life. They are buried in Norton Cemetery with their youngest son - my Uncle Jack who was killed on active duty with the Royal Air Force in 1940.
Co-incidentally, my daughter Frances is soon to have a long weekend break in Norton with a friend who also has two young children. Frances was surprised to learn of our strong family connection to that place and she plans to visit her great-grandparents' grave while she is there.
The milk business was taken over by my Uncle Tom and I remember standing in that same yard some twelve years after the old photo was taken. By then Uncle Tom had invested in an electric milk float. They tend not to eat hay or drop doo-doo on the street.
25 Langton Road, Norton - courtesy of Google Streetview
Those old photos are so fun to see. I can't imagine what those people would think of our world today. Cars, computers, cellphones, giant TVs - wouldn't they be amazed at all of the changes that have taken place. I love being able to look up old addresses on Google to see what they look like now.
ReplyDeleteMe too. Google Streetview is a fantastic resource.
DeleteYou're so lucky to have old photos and a connection to the area. I have old photos, some, but no connection. My family is scattered over a wide area. I love these old photos.
ReplyDeleteNorton is around seventy five miles north of Sheffield. That old photo could have easily got thrown away.
DeleteI have family in England, Ireland, Florida and scattered about in Canada, from the Vancouver Island to Niagara Falls. I think I still miss mum, she was the glue that held us together.
DeleteAmusing contrast between the topiary at no 23 and the runaway vegetation at no 25 (contrast also with the earliest street view pic from 2009). You have to wonder if anyone is still living at No 25 at present.
ReplyDeleteSome people don't care about such things or they become old and cannot be bothered any more. You are like a detective Marcellous!
DeleteYes those were the days when milk was delivered and you didn't buy it in the store. These were things our grandparents did. It was a completely different world. .
ReplyDeleteAnd then the supermarkets came along and effectively took over so many businesses.
DeleteWhat a lovely old photo! I hope Frances does fing the family graves and takes photos for you.
ReplyDeleteIt will be nice to have fresh photos.
DeleteNow I am intrigued - who was H. Theasby? Or is there a P we can't see in the photo, and the actual writing on the cart says PH. THEASBY. as in Philip?
ReplyDeleteI am also amazed that your daughter was unaware of your family connection to the place. It is good that you told her now.
Your reflections on deaths of parents and births of children mirror my own these days, what with the many four deaths in my close circle of family and friends in the first three months of this year alone.
I have asked myself those same questions Meike. Regarding Frances, I am sure I have told her about those past connections but she must have forgotten or maybe I told her when she was a child and not terribly interested.
DeleteOh to go back to the days of horses and carts instead of cars.
ReplyDeletePeople often followed horses with a shovel and a bucket - to enrich their gardens.
DeleteThe Yorkshire Triangle rhubarb growers would have liked some.
DeleteSo would the mushroom growers. Leave them in the dark and feed them shit. Sound familiar?
DeleteIs that a Boris Johnson quote from his Partygate memoirs?
DeleteIt's the Tory party manifesto for every election... but fingers crossed, it will not work this year!
DeleteFantastic photograph. However, electric milk floats don't know their own way around the round. He could probably have sent the horse off to deliver the milk on its own. Stick that up your Tesla Elon.
ReplyDeleteUnless you are mad, you can't pat a milk float and say - there's a good girl!
DeleteDo horses have low emissions?
DeleteIs four feet off the ground low?
DeleteI tell my washing machine she's a good girl every time she gets through another load. She's 28 now and has been through a lot with 6 house moves, during one of those she was dropped when getting her off the trailer.
DeleteOld photos are so fascinating. The one you've posted looks to be from a much older era than 1947.
ReplyDeleteThe horse's doo-doo would not have hung around for long - someone would soon be out with their bucket and shovel to pick it up and use it to fertilise their roses! A friend of mine ran a stables and had a profitable side line selling bags of doo-doo to gardeners!
Did she run TV ads to boost sales? "This isn't just manure, it's M&S manure!"
DeleteIf time travel is ever invented, I would be the oddball. While most would travel to see important events in history, I have a list of family moments I have uncovered during my genealogy obsession that I would love to witness. Old photos are often the trigger.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you would walk through Scapegoat Hill - a place I had never heard of till you told me about it. It is over a year ago that I had my little adventure up there.
DeleteI was surprised the photo was from 1947, but then one of my grandfather's farmed with horses and mules through WWII.
ReplyDeleteThe sepia colour makes it look even older doesn't it?
DeleteI had to google "milk float".
ReplyDeleteWhat a great picture to have! Coppa's girl said what I was thinking- that photo looks like it came from an earlier era than 1947. Hard to believe the war had only been ended for a year though.
It's good that you know where and from whom you came.
But I wish I knew more. Now it is too late to ask.
DeleteIt's always fun to look back into the past and to see what our ancestors lived through. The old home looks rather well cared for.
ReplyDelete