Wath 1954 To 1963

A Memory of Wath Upon Dearne.

I lived in Wath for only 8 years from aged 1 to 9 (1954 to 1963) when we moved to Mexborough. We lived at No1 Melton View which was just off Well/Cat Lane opposite the old lock up building.
We lived at number 1, next door lived the Shuttleworths, and Mrs Frost was at number 3. Number 4 was Jim and Joan Radford with daughter, Catherine. Number 5 lived Mavis and Peter Furr with daughter, Susan and son, Stephen. At number 6 were the Humberstones with son, Peter and daughter, Carol.
Across the road was Palmers timber merchants with Harry and David Palmer. On the corner of Melton View lived the Patterson family with their daughter, Lynne. Mr Patterson had the cobblers across the road next to Clarry Greens shop. Across the road from Clarry Greens was Broomheads shop run by Biddy Broomhead. Just over the road was the White Bear inn and close to that Ryalls chip shop where my friend John Ryall lived. Just across from the church was Whites Farm where Peter White would drive the cows after their day in the field and next door to the farm lived Mrs Lockwood who had an orchard.
The house we lived in was a simple two up, two down terraced cottage with a toilet across the yard, tin bath and no hot running water. All the houses had gardens at the rear accessed by a ginnel between the Furrs and the Radfords. I think Jim Radford was a bricklayer who used to keep pigs at the bottom of his garden but I don’t remember seeing them. Instead I remember a huge rabbling rose bush which had pink roses. Next to number 6 was the overgrown back garden of the White Bear which had a tall pear tree. Peter Humberstone used the pears as target practice with his air gun. I attended the local infant school on park road and as far as I can remember, my first teacher was Mrs Damby with the headmistress being Mrs Platts. After infant school I went to Wath Central on Festival Road. Some of the teachers I remember; Mrs Hadwin, Miss Vernon, Mr Malyon, Mr Grey, and headmaster Mr Hubbard. There is a plaque on the school that says it was opened by a Mr Horrace Cutts who was my mother's uncle. I too, remember the Tommy Tesh emporium as well as Binns, Wards greengrocers, the blacksmith, Palfreymans, Miss Donough, The Globe and the fire station which had a very good echo. At the bottom of well lane was a farmer called Hoyle and across the road was the Catholic school. My granddad lived on Willow Road and when I visited him I would play on the old racecourse. Perhaps as late as 1965 I can remember walking round the racecourse where evidence of the starting line was still standing. Happy days.