12 January 2001

Hi Gary

I've just had a look at the web site and it looks brilliant!! I am absolutely disgusted that another one of Brierley's landmarks is to be demolished in the name of progress. Violet Farm is a place that all Brierley people look upon as being part of the "Old Brierley". The older residents and ex-residents of Brierley all, I am sure, have fond memories of the horse drawn farming days, which this place represents? It will be a sad day indeed when this fine building is demolished to make way for this new development.

Keep up the good work Gary!

Cheers Gary Wilson

Thanks Gary for your comments on the web site, it is nice to know it is appreciated. I was also surprised to hear from an old school chum. You must e-mail again and let us all know how you are keeping. I see your mother quite regularly and often ask about you.

Thank you for your comments on Violet Farm, it is nice to know that other people share my sentiments. I have written to the Barnsley Chronicle this week regarding the demolition and mentioned your comments in my letter. I don't know how long you have been logging in to the site, but I have only recently removed a photograph of yourself from the photograph page, did you see it? I have recently been asked by a few of our old school chums what happened to Gary Seston and Alan Bickerton, have you any ideas? I think I may add their names to the Where are you now? page in the not too distant future.

19 January 2001

Hi Gary

I've been tied up trying to solve the possibility of a name mix-up on the Silkstone Huskar memorial. I'm still researching the matter. If it was Brierley and not Silkstone, it would have made good viewing. Still, here's what I have turned up so far on Farriers Plus!

Cheers for now

Must come and get that photocopy and the site looks great.

Trev Limbert

Thank you for your update on the Farriers Trevor. (Will be added to the history page at a later date). You will be interested to know that one of our readers, Gary Wilson who is an old school chum of mine has been looking into the Street names you wanted to locate. Gary as offered to forward the details on to the web-site. (See letter above).

25 January 2001

Hello Gary

Hope you are keeping well. The web - site gets better every time I check it out!

I saw the photograph of myself, Alan Burdett (now living in Royston), Dave and Phil Leadbeater and Clive Pearson which was taken in Brierley park when I was about seven or eight years old. If I remember the Hemsworth Express newspaper took it.

With regard to Gary Seston and Alan Bickerton: The last time I heard of Gary he was working in Singapore! I saw Alan about three years ago along with our old mate John Barr and I believe they were both working for South Yorkshire Police. I think they were both living in Barnsley?

Going back to the Violet Farm farce, all the people I have spoken to about the destruction are as appalled as we are. I bet most Brierley people don't even know it is to be demolished.

I have printed the list of places that Trev Limbert is trying to locate and I will ask my mother if she can help. I will e-mail again with any answers.

Keep up the good work!

Cheers mate Gary Wilson

Thank you for your E-mail Gary, and I am sure Trevor will be pleased to receive the list of Street names.

I spoke to John Barr's father at my last exhibition, and you are right about John working for SY Police. I believe his father said he was living and working in the Wakefield area. I bumped in to him a few years ago myself in a pub in Wakefield, and he was the same old John Barr. I was pleased to learn that he had done ok for himself.

28 January 2001

Dear Gary

Your web site looks great - congratulations! I'm sure it will appeal to a lot of people and you'll have a vast amount of visitors. Brierley CE (VC) Primary School now has its own site - not finished, but well on the way. I'm hoping to include your site as one of our links, if you don't mind. Our address is:

www.brierleyprimary.ik.org You can e-mail me through that site, or through my personal address at school: isobel.gabanski@barnsley.org  I'll put the link on as soon as I can, although I'll remove it if you object, of course.

It's been quite exciting getting the web site up and running. I've had a substantial amount of help from one of the teachers at Willowgarth, Dave McKenzie, who has set up their web-site. I imagine he'll probably want to include you as a link on their site, too.

Congratulations again, Isobel Gabanski

Hi Isobel, Thank you for your E-mail, and yes I am pleased with the number of visitors to the site. I have had a quick look at your site and I was very impressed, although I think, like my own site, they can only get better as each week goes by. As you have worked on your site, you will appreciate the hard work and dedication that goes into building one. I would be honoured to be associated with your site and that of Willowgarth School. I think I would like a word with Dave McKenzie, as I am still learning how to construct a web site and I am still having problems, which I am sure he could sort out for me. The only problem being that the last time I saw Mr McKenzie, he gave me 100 lines and that was back in 1972 and I still haven't handed them in. (joking of course). Good luck with your site. PS. I must say how impressed I am with the dedication shown to the children of Brierley by all the staff at the school

29 January 2001

Gary

I share your sentiments regarding Violet farmhouse. It was built some time after an 1851 survey of Brierley, and before a survey made in 1907. I would suggest at date close to 1900. The west wing is of a later date. The 1851 survey can be seen on the Internet at, http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ Search for Brierley, then Brierley Yorkshire, you can centre the map on the Brierley Hall/Lindley House, then enlarge the map to see more detail. You will see no building on the Violet farmhouse Plot.

Richard Watson

29 January 2001

Dear Gary

I have not yet mastered the art of sending pictures by e mail, if you have, could you send me the picture you have of the old paper shop in the distance with Kenyon's Butchers on the left and The 3 Horseshoes on the right?

Have you any pensioners or the like to assist in the recording of the remaining sections of the Graveyard? I did a few more today (lovely afternoon for it) I noticed some more vandalism of even some of the newer graves towards the bottom end- any chance of you sweet talking anyone living local?

Hope you're not keeping overly busy, but keep up the excellent work.

Yours Cliff Lloyd

From Gary

I am at the present time in the process of establishing a History/Photographic Society within the village. I already have a number of volunteers who are willing to assist with the type of work you mentioned re the churchyard/cemetery. Once we are up and running, I will invite you to visit us and explain exactly what you require and I am sure we will be able to assist you. Regarding the photograph of the Three Horse Shoes, I am not sure which one you mean as I have quite a few taken in that area, but I would be willing to let you have one as a token of appreciation of the work you have done on the Spiritualist Church. If you would like to contact me before your next visit to Brierley, I will arrange this for you.

30 January 2001

On surfing on to your web site the other day memories of happy child hood came flooding back, I have been visiting Brierley since I was born 46 years ago. My mother's sister still lives at park Ave and I used to visit her and my grandma for long summer holidays when I was a child.

I can remember from an early age playing in the fields and lanes around the cow mounts I used to play for hours around the railway {dropping stones down the ventilation shaft in to the railway tunnel} and climbing around the tunnel entrance.

I can still taste Danny Oates’s ice cream and used to devour large quantities of it I used to wait with a plastic dish and buy it loose from the ice-cream van when it called.

Have you any idea when the Three Horse Shoes was first renovated I seem to remember going with my dad and he had a drink in a Porto cabin in the car park. I just can't remember how old I was.

Where is Violet farm? Is it the farm you pass on the way over the common, I hope they don’t pull it down. Brierley is slowly tuning into one large housing estate and it is a shame to spoil such a lovely village.

Looking forward to a week's holiday in August, hopefully I will be able to check out one of your photo exhibitions.

All the best Peter Gardner Tyne and Wear

Thank you for your E-mail and your kind words on the web site Peter. I think we can all remember Danny Oates ice cream. It's a real shame that they are no longer there. Even the cow mounts have been replaced with a roundabout for the new Hemsworth by-pass. I mentioned your e-mail to Chris Sykes and he says he might remember you. I am curious to know who your auntie is on the Park estate? Did you ever live in Brierley or did you just visit? Where are you living now? Can you remember any friends from Brierley?

Regarding the Three Horse Shoe's earlier renovation. I remember the Porto cabin being in the car park in the mid seventies, possibly 1975, if this is the period you are thinking about.

Violet Farm is situated at the top of Brierley hill on the left-hand side of the road. If you remember, there used to be a small petrol station at the side of the farmhouse..

Regarding your visit in August. I am at the moment in the process of establishing a local history/photographic society in Brierley, and if I am successful, then there will be a permanent exhibition and workshop in Brierley Hall. I would look forward to seeing you there if you cared to visit us.

Have you any requests for the photograph page? If so let me know and I will see if I can bring back more happy memories for you. Or if you would like to see any particular part of Brierley as it is today.

19 February 2001

Gary congratulations on your web-site and information about Brierley and its people need a cross reference with my web site on Alex Vodden
First class local service you are providing 
Councillor Alex Vodden JP AITS

Thank you Alex for your kind comments. I had a look at your site and it looks like it is going to be very interesting. If I can help you with photographs please feel free to ask.

5 March 2001

G'day
I was reading thru Annie Turner's notes and realised she lived in 5 Park Avenue before my Nan Bates' family who were there when I went to live in England in 1962 till 1968.

Kevin Bates
Australia
here is my address with a bit on Brierley :http://members.iweb.net.au/~batesk/

I had half an hour on your site today and found it very interesting. Those photographs Paul Halford took of Brierley are great. Did he take them last year as quite a few people came up to me and asked if I had seen THE MAN! Taking photographs in the village? The only mistake you have made is calling Brierley Hall Brierley Manor.

I remember Mrs Bates from Park Avenue, she was quite a regular in the local club up to a few years ago when she then moved to South Hiendley. I spoke to her son Billy at computer classes last year when I dropped on him and he says she wasn't to well. I went to school with his sister Cindy. You must be related then?

6 March 2001

Hello Gary

Mrs Thorpe's class 1956/57 (Photograph page).

I think I can help with this one.

Back row, left to right; Mrs Thorpe, unknown, girl called Cooke, Pat Wright, Jeff Cooke, unknown, Peter Woolridge, Alex Finlay, Andrew Ansell, Tony Horsefall, David Baxendale, Ronnie Wheater.

Middle Row, left to right; Alan Smith, Barbara Thorpe, Sylvia Berry, John Lomas, unknown, Glenys Hardwick, Denise Williams, John Draper, Pat Dye, Mick Vodden, Dennis Oliver, Roger Steele.

Front row, left to right; Marjorie Parry, Susan Sheridan, Ann Mathers, girl called Lawton, Norman Cummings, Trev Berry, unknown, Pam Turner, Geraldine Scott, boy called Lawton, Ann Harding.

Hope this helps. It is reassuring that my memory seems quite clear with faces from 40years ago.

Keep up the good work with this excellent site

John Draper.

Thanks for your help John. I have updated the photograph with your latest information. It would be interesting if you knew where any of the pupils are now?

12 March 2001

Good morning,
I really enjoyed the site, my wife and I have two small businesses. One of the businesses, is Darkroom Bytes Computer Sales & Services Ltd, which has redefined itself into a computer company with it's emphasis in training. The second, is a company specializing in travel cd's that we're just
starting up with friends, called AverageCouple.Net.I took the liberty of hyper linking your web site from
http://www.darkroombytes.com/mainpage.htm

11 March 2001

Hi Gary,
I was wondering if you knew of an address #14 H_ Royd Cottages, Brierley, Barnsley Yorkshire, I'm trying to find Hilda Hughes she lived there in the 1960's (unfortunately, I can't find a specific map for Brierley) I believe she would be in her late 60's early 70's, she is the only link I can find for my mom, Alice Garner daughter to William Garner and Alice Harvey (my mom's last name is Mielke) and I who are trying to reconnect with relatives in Barnsley.
Thanks very much for your help,
Bill Mielke
PS I really enjoyed the site. My wife and I are planning on visiting the area in May and June and the pictures really increased the desire to visit the area of my relatives.

To follow the rest of this story go to Success stories

20 March 2001

Hi Gary,

My name is Peggy Snyder. I live in Dallas, Texas, United States of America and I am not sure this is even the right place to start. But in some prior searches I recall being directed to other sites of Barnsley. I am trying to help a friend find a little bit of his heritage. His name is Gary Cudworth and he thinks that some of his ancestors came from either the village of Cudworth or perhaps Barnsley. I regret to say that I have recently moved and still have many of my things packed and for the life of me; I cannot remember his Grandmother and Grandfathers names. I will contact him and get him to tell me once again what they are. This may be a wild goose chase and I may not have near enough information to lead to anyone in particular, but I thought I would start somewhere. Thanks for any advise or help you can give me. I will be back in touch with those names. You have a lovely day.

My Best, Peggy Snyder