Hi Gary,  I don't mind writing for the "Where are you now ?" page but I haven't done much remarkable  and think it may bore people. Also I'm a two finger typist and type slower than a snail jogging. The article on Felkirk church is interesting (is John Steel related to Raymond (a.k.a."Coggy") Steel ?). Both my paternal grand parents are planted in the graveyard at Felkirk as is my aunty Una (Maundrill) late of High St. South Hiendley. I was partially educated at nearby Felkirk Secondary Modern School (as it was then) in High Well Hill Lane. Brian Bower Has contacted me, thanks for giving him my new E-mail address.    

'Bye for now , the footy's ont telly. Regards Eric Heeley Australia. 

Hiya Gary a local resident of Grimey for 27 years now moved to Brierley, cud yer tell me please do you have a girls brigade or somat like that in Brierley. I notice there is a boys brigade but its a young girl of 14 im looking for, we are foster carers and trying to find something in the area for her to do????
Many thanks Keeley Collins of Brierley

Hi Keeley

Thanks for your email. Unfortunately the girls brigade finished a couple of years ago due to lack of interest and to be honest there is nothing much for a 14 year old girl to do unless hopefully they build a much needed community centre that, fingers crossed, may be in the pipeline. We have argued for a long time that Brierley is the forgotten village and that there is nothing for our youngsters or elderly to do.

Sorry I couldn't have been more helpful.

Thank you for the extra information Richard, I have added a footnote to the history.

Hello Gary,

I have just found out that some people want to contact Eric Heeley.  His new address is enclosed, could you please pass it on to the people who have requested it.

Patti Heeley Australia

Thanks Patti, I have passed Eric's details on.

Hello Gary

I have just been looking at the photos of the Isolation hospital. I wonder if anyone can recall a nurse called June Callinan who worked at the hospital in the 1950s she lived in Grimethorpe and applied for a job as a cleaner at the hospital, The matron decided she would make a good nurse, and so she did, regrettably due to a stern father, she only became a 'S.E.N.' because to become S.R.N. Meant her living in during her training. She became my wife in 1960, and passed away three years ago. Throughout her life she never forgot her days at Brierley hospital.

Hi Gary

I am a previous resident of Grimethorpe before coming to Australia and would love to be kept up with any work being done on Grimethorpe Hall. It was always a mystery to me as a young kid.

      Also as a 14yr old I started work helping Billy Hughes in the projection room at Grimethorpe palace, at the same time I met my first girlfriend, her name was Josephine Buck and she lived at Brierley. Josie eventually went on and married and found work in the office at Hemsworth brick works, I would welcome any information as to her whereabouts.

Sincerely yours

Edmund Redmile Australia

What an interesting email Edmund. I will place your search for Josie on the Peoples search page 1 and wish you luck.

Dear Gary

 Perhaps the following would be of interest to you:

 "HOYLAND (Nether) 4 Freemen In Brierley and South Hiendley.  Earnwine has 6 carucates of land taxable.  3 plough possible there.

 Alric has it from Ilbert.  He has there 2 ploughs and 3 villages and 6 small holders with 2 ploughs.  Meadow, 2 acres.  Woodland Pastures 1 league long and 1 wide.  Value before 1066 - 40 shilling, now 20 shillings".

      For information, South Hiendley pre-school was built on the Common and Felkirk Church School was later destroyed along with the brass plaques.  People used to walk to the Church in Felkirk from Brierley for weddings, funerals, Christenings etc.  How they did it I'll never know!

Keep up the good work.

Regards

Jim Hoyland

Canberra Australia

Hi Gary

Just a note to say the site is brilliant. Brings back memories of my childhood. My name is Stephen Hirst. I was born in 1962 & lived at 44 Church St with my parents until 1970 when we moved to Hemsworth.

     Although my memory of Mr Balmforth's retirement is hazy, the little lad (2nd right front row) is me. I remember my mother keeping a cut out of the photo I think it was taken from the Barnsley Chronicle but I can't be sure.

     Also I love the photo of the school taken about 1971 with the portacabin. I can remember well my first year being spent in the portacabin and Mrs Peacock was the teacher

Stephen Hirst ?

Thanks for your kind comments on the website Stephen. Also for the information regarding Mr Balmforth's retirement. I have updated the photograph

Asking me if a photograph like the one you have is any use to me is like asking me if I would like to win the lottery! YES PLEASE!! It would be ok if you email it unless you live local and I could pick a copy up. Could you also just add a little note giving me permission to use the photograph and to place it in the Baipip archives. It would also be appreciated if you could send as much info on the photograph as possible. Thank you

Hello Gary

Thanks for the great presentation of my Memories of Elms Farm. I am looking for some help in finding details around the early and unfortunate deaths of two of my uncles. The first one is Jim Kerr who died 6/12/36 aged 21years from burns following an explosion a few days earlier at Brierley colliery. The second one  Albert K Nicoll aged 24 years was at Grimethorpe colliery on 11/9/39.Any help or pointers would be most welcome.

Regards David Nicoll Pogmoor

Your most welcome David, I enjoyed reading your memories as I am sure so will many more visitors to the website. I hope you have luck tracing information on your uncles. I will also place the details on the Peoples search page 1.

Nice to hear from you Dave. Thanks for the info, the photograph has been updated.

Hiya Gaz

Could you please add my web sites to the local services. My main business is W Y Horseboxes Ltd and the web site is - www.wyhorseboxes.com and my other site and business is www.racetransporters.net

Thank you Gaz

Dave Elliott Brierley

I have placed a page on the local services for you Dave. Your site looks quite impressive

Thanks Hazel. Nice to hear from you again.

Hi Gary

I don't mean to sound cheeky but I need a favour if you can help me. I was looking through the old photos in the archives and I`m interested in some. Would it be possible for you to send me them so I can view them please. They are photo 44 dated 1967 (my granddad in freezer room) also photo's 70, 71 & 130. I don't have many pictures of my family and I only have one of my Granddad but none of my Nan and would love to get hold of some. I hope you can help me or if anyone else has any pictures of any of my family mainly my Dad (Dave) or Grandparents (Eddie, Nellie). I would love to see them.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest Regards Darron Woodward Stairfoot, Barnsley.

I will be pleased to put the photographs on the website Darron, however, you have only put the photograph numbers and not the categories e.g. people 101, schools 54 etc. I hope you understand that tracing the numbers only from about 2-3,000 photographs would take me an age. Another thing you might be interested in is some video I took on the yard with the ice cream vans around 1991. Your nan (Nellie) is on there talking to me, albeit only for a short time but really interesting to look back on.

Gary

After seeing your website I was impressed with the content. Good work! My mother Ellen Greenwood grew up in Brierley and lived in Shafton before moving to Australia in 1968. As the photo's may be of interest to her ( old school friends etc) I gave  them to her to look at, she immediately recognized herself  in Schools 9 middle row second from left listed as Ellen Sherwood. Should be Ellen Greenwood. Hope this information is useful to you.

Regards Stuart West Adelaide Australia.

Hi Gary

I am unable to contact Eric Heeley on the email address you gave me. He may have changed his email address again.

Thanks for your email. I have a few old photos I'd like you to see. I'll pop up sometime and show them to you.

Regards Jillian  Gamewell  (Wilkinson) South Hiendley

I have put out an appeal for Eric to contact me with his new email address Jillian. As soon as he does I will let you know.

Hi Gary,

My name is Linda Jagger.  I live at Tralee, Barnsley Road, Brierley.  I notice you have a section on the Brierley village website for local businesses.  I wonder if you might include a link to my website www.ljcounselling.co.uk

Thanks, Linda Jagger Brierley

I have added a page with a link to your web site under local services Linda. May I congratulate you on the work you do.

Hi Gary,

Thank you so much for the work you've done putting my info on the Brierley Village website.  I am absolutely thrilled with it!

Linda Jagger Brierley

Thank you for your kind comments on the web site Trevor. I am pleased you have found the rightful owner of the medal

Thanks Betty, you should enjoy the recent update of 8 school photographs as you are on a couple of them.

Hi Gary,

I have just tried to read the feature relating to Tracey Bonner and myself, Geoff Graham.  You have the wrong link in there and duplicates the one to Bryan Bower and  Denise Spaxman

Regards Geoff Graham

Hello Gary

The attached photograph depicts myself, my wife Maureen and our four grandsons.  I don't seem to have any photographs taken in Brierley.  Film was very hard to get during the war.

Some impressions from the war years - there wasn't much in the way of entertainment so you provided your own.  Dances were held quite often at the Institute.  Alcohol was not allowed in this building so it was stowed away in the schools.  I also recall watching a variety show in the Institute.

I think what everyone had to get used to was the blackout, it was pretty near total.  I walked into a black cow in the middle of the road on my way back from Hemsworth late at night. Bit of a shock. I took off at high speed as I didn't know what it was.  This was near Cow Mounts.

When the lights came on at the end of the war everyone felt naked, we expected to get bombed any minute.

The photograph attached was taken at a local flower show.

Jim Hoyland

Canberra Australia

Eyup big fella

You said I never e mailed.... so here it it...

Graham Vodden Brierley

That's the least I've heard you say in one sentence Graham

It's the minimum needed for a mention on this magnificent web site -  all I want is me name in lights !!

Lights Graham Vodden Lights

That's the best I can do for thee lad

Excellent work Gazza and let it never ever be said that you are not a man of your word and of the highest integrity. A top banana !! (fame for me at last)

Hi Gary

I tried sending this to to Eric Heeley in Australia and had it returned. Do you have a different address for Eric and if so could you forward it. You might like to use it for your archives also. 

Many thanks

Jillian Wilkinson South Hiendley 

Hello Eric. You probably don't remember me as it is a long time ago. I'm Jillian Wilkinson from UK. I've been looking on the web site Brierley and It's People and was delighted to see that you have sent a story about your early life and memories  of your time in Hill top. I remember your family very well when you lived there with your sister Janet. I lived at 40 Hill Top with my dad Nat and mother Freda, brothers Geoffrey, Peter, Linda, then we moved to no 17 in 1956 and my brother Stephen was born. Your mother helped to deliver my sister .It was lovely that you remember everybody who lived there at the time. I was born at 25 Barnsley road in 1939 so I'm a bit older than you. I have a photo of Terry Wheater and me with your dad Jerry on the front step. I will send it later if you get this email. I was only about 3 and so you was not born then. I remember your sister Janet. I used to take her out in the pram. Do you remember the tree in your front garden? You were always climbing on it. My mother is 88 now she has recently gone to live with my sister .Dad passed on in 1987, miss him very much. I have done o lot of travelling around but ended  up coming back here in South Hiendley with my husband  and two children and four grand children.

I Look forward to hearing from you and wish you and your family a Happy new year.

Jillian Gamewell nee (Wilkinson.

Hi Jillian, nice to hear from you again. I am sending you the latest email address I have for Eric. Please let me know if you do get in touch it will make a good story for the web site.