More interesting memories of Brigg life decades ago have come from Kath Smith (nee Sambrook), who is now 87 and has lived in the town since she was a child.
"By gum, it's very cold," she writes. "It reminds me of the times when I worked for Billy Lyon. He inherited his father's bakery on Market Lane. That winter was worse than this! I had to leave the old Morris van at Somerby and go across the fields to take bread to the Post Office-cum-shop at Searby, to several of the villagers, as the snowplough couldn't get up Bigby Hill. Four baskets of bread, eight loaves in each basket, each loaf weighing 2lbs, and costing fourpence ha'penny each. Those were the days...to me, anyway!"
She also recalls a women from Brigg's Newlands estate who used to walk to local streams, collect wild water cress, take it home for washing and then sell it to local fruit and veg shops, including Ken Hall's. This woman had a very tall son "who would drink until he wobbled."
Nice description, Kath!
Many interesting Brigg and Brigg district memories/illustrations appear in issues of the Scunthorpe Telegraph's monthly Nostalgia magazine (January's issue is now on sale for 75p) for which I supply the content on a freelance basis, and from time to time in my well-received weekly (Monday) column in the Scunthorpe Telegraph. If you are an ex-Briggensian (or, as Kath Smith prefers, an ex-Briggite) who now lives away from the area you can order copies by phoning the Scunthorpe Telegraph on 01724 273273. Or put a comment on this posting and I'll be happy to pass on your details to the relevant members of staff so they can contact you.
The buildings along Market Lane, cottages,(in the style of extant relics in Cary Lane) bakery and Castle House farm were demolished in about 1958 as part of Brigg's slum clearance programme.
ReplyDeleteThe original site of Castle House Farm would be roughly in the area of Tesco's entrance, while the original Brigg cattle market, sometimes called the Woolpack cattle market, was sited roughly in the Springs Way's side of Tesco car park.
I understand that Val Holland - see recent blog, 'New Year Sing-Song' - lived at the farmhouse.
Obviously, in the '50's, Springs Way didn't exist and Market Lane led down to allotments, which would now border Barnard Ave. It also gave access to Brigg's gas works - now Tesco's over-spill car park near Riverside surgery.
Market Lane terminated in what is now one of the senior citizen's bungalows.
Sorry - Not Castle House - it was Capital House Farm.
ReplyDeleteBefore Market Lane was known as Market Lane, it was known as Quipp's Lane after a family called Quipp who lived there in the 19thC.
It was renamed in about 1869ish when the Brigg's Local Board assumed control of the lane.
The land and property, at that time, belonged to the Elwes family and in about 1901ish they were auctioned.
Additional info: Cary Lane was known as Hett's Lane in about 1840.
Just to be annoyingly pedantic and just in case anyone is remotely interested......
ReplyDeleteThere is a small section of tarmac wearing away in the entrance to the Woolpack's carpark in Springs Way. Beneath the tarmac is what appears to be the original cobbles of part of the old cattle market.
They must be now worth a small fortune...but why not expose them to display a bit of Brigg's history?