Stocksbridge, From The Clock Tower c.1955

Photo ref: S324018

I worked for Samuel Fox from 1942 when I left school and worked there for 20 years. I was born at 39 Manchester Road, Deepcar and lived there for 19 years, opposite the Co-operative and next to the fish & chip shop.

It is indeed Hunshelf Bank, and the school was probably Stocksbridge County Primary, although there were a couple of church schools as well. I spent my first 17 years on Unsliven Road, Stocksbridge. It wasn't until I was 11 and stepped off the 'Barnsley Bus' into the silence of Silkstone that I realised just how much 'Sammy Fox's' was part of my very existence. Home was in a beautiful wooded ...see more

From about 1961, it was my job to be up at 4.30am every Sunday so as to pack paperbags for delivery througout the valley. Then when I had passed my driving test I had to deliver the bags to the lads for them to do the rounds - all 29 of them. This was a great way for a lot of people to earn spending money especially at Christmas. One lad who held the record for 'Tips' earned £32, in those days that was a working mans weekly wage. Well done him.

I think the road you see near the top right of the picture is Hunshelf Bank. If I'm right then I used to live in a house at the top of the hill with my family. It stood back from the road and looked down on Samuel Fox's. When I was around 6 years old my parents moved us to the Coach and Horses on Manchester Road which is the main road seen in the picture. I hope I'm right. My name then was Sanderson.