Thanks for those kind words. Pat and Betty were referring to a story I wrote on Hillside Tara  where they are both committee members.

25 September 2000

Hi Gary

Sorry we could not stop longer on Friday (exhibition Brierley Methodist Church), pressing appointment, Good show. Hope to see more in the future. The picture you showed me of an Edith Watson and child. Edith was the wife of William Watson who died 1st September 1921 aged 70. William was born 1851 the son of George Watson, (1788-1847) the publican at the Farriers. Edith died 12th November 1929 aged 73, and if the little girl is called Mabel Watson, then she died 30th April 1972. Cheers for now, see you soon with the floppy and the negative. 

Regards Trev Limbert.

04 October 2000

Enjoyed your web site and the pictures. I'd intended to visit the exhibition but had the "in-laws" visiting. See you have us on the web site already! Amazing!!

Janet Roberts,

12 October 2000

Hello Gary,

Just seen your site for the first time, and its excellent. I was aware of it from Richard Watson (glad to see he's doing well in the hill climb!) I think the "tracing people" page could also be very useful. On the photo page, I'm on the Mrs Thorpe's class (I'm stood between Denise Williams (Sault) and Pat Dye). I think they're both taller than me at the time! I'd say the date is around 1958, as I left Brierley School in July 1960. As I say, excellent page, keep up the good work!

John Draper.

Thanks for the new information on the photograph John and I am pleased you enjoyed the web site. I will change the information next time I update the photographs page, which I am hoping, will be within the next week or so. The web site is still in its infancy and eventually I hope to update the photograph page at least once a month with photographs of recent events. e.g. (update in November with all October photographs), and I also intend to add a page dedicated to the archives which will include interesting old photographs and stories from Brierley. I think this will be a very interesting page when it is up and running. I am also working at the moment on building a web page that will include all the businesses and services offered in the village. I am hoping that these two new pages will be up and running after Christmas.

18 October 2000

Dear Gary

This is the second attempt to e-mail you. The first somehow disappeared! Thank you for your letter about the Brierley web site. I have visited it briefly and also the one on the History of the village only to find I am distantly related to the first lords of the manor. The Neviles are descended from Baudry le Teuton, as are the Baskervilles. I will put the site in the parish magazine so more people in the parish will see it.

Yours sincerely

Revd John Baskerville Vicar of Felkirk with Brierley.

Thank you for visiting my web site and for putting the details in your parish magazine, It was interesting to note that you are distantly related to the first lords of the manor, I will certainly add that information to Baipip archives. Please call again.

18 October 2000

Dear Gary

You were looking for Christopher Hanson last heard of in Tasmania. I went to school with his sister, Gillian before the family emigrated. Gillian has returned to England a couple of times as have her parents, Amy and Wilfred Hanson. I am still in touch with them through their cousin, Hazel Bagnall (nee Jones) who lives in Cudworth. Hazel would be happy to speak to anyone who would like an up-date on Christopher and his family.

Regards!

Denise Stones (nee Spaxman)

Thank you for your information Denise. I have contacted Hazel and she informs me that Christopher is now living in Queensland and that he has been called to the Bar. It is nice to hear that he is doing well. She also says that she is going to write and give him the address of this web site so hopefully Christopher will send us E-mail and let us all know how he is keeping.

21 November 2000

Hello Gary,

I opened up your site today and found that Colin Earl wanted to contact me. You said that Colin was not on the Internet at the moment and that you would pass on a message. (Brian's message has been passed on to Colin in confidence) . If possible could you also get me Colin’s contact details so that I can write him a full letter? I must say that your web site is an excellent source of history on our village and even though I have not lived there in 33 years I still am and will always be a Brierley Boy. I see that you have photographs. The teachers I remember are Mrs Thorpe, Mrs Fox and Mr Balmforth Headmaster. I will have a look and see if I have any Photos and if so I will send reprints over to you for your collection. Well Gary I would like to thank you for helping me out in Contacting Colin and I wish you all the best. If anyone else wishes to contact me could you please just pass on my contact details. 

Also on a further note regarding Christopher Hanson, I did a quick search and found 16 C Hanson's in the online phone register in Tasmania. Will do a bit of searching to see if any of these are the Christopher in Brierley. Will get back to you later on this one.

Brian Perkins AUSTRALIA 

Thank you for your E-mail Brian and I am glad that I have been a help to both you and Colin. I have passed on your details to him today and he was really pleased, I am told that he has spoken about nothing else all day. He informs me that he is going to write to you with his address as soon as possible. I am a little bit busy at the moment and I don't have time to go through the full collection of photographs, (I have over 1000 now) especially with my next exhibition just round the corner, but one particular photograph that springs to mind is one of the Three Horse Shoes trip to Southport flower show (Do you remember?). There was only one person on it that I didn't have a name for, but someone at the last exhibition named the chap as YES!! You've guessed it Brian Perkins. In the New Year I am hoping to add lots of photographs to the web site and if I come across any that you are on, I will put them on the web site and you can copy them at your leisure. I have had an E-mail regarding Christopher Hanson (see above), but I thank you for your kind offer anyway. Regarding the teachers you remember, I spoke to Mrs Thorpe by telephone last week although I have not actually seen her myself for at least 32 years. I was surprised to learn that she still lives in Brierley, Mrs Horton another Brierley schoolteacher still visits her. Sadly Mrs Fox passed away a few years ago and the last I heard of Mr Balmforth was that he went into a home about three years ago when he began to suffer bad health. Keep in touch with the site, as I am sure you will find it more interesting in the New Year when I start doing the archive pages.

26 November 200

Dear Gary

Regarding your photographs on show at Brierley Post Office. No 6 photograph shows Doreen Hobson, back right hand side of photograph, with black bouffant hairstyle. Still living in Brierley on Church Street.

Regards

Cliff Lloyd

Thank you for your E-mail and for your information regarding no 6 photograph. I have quite recently met Doreen and reported for the Barnsley Chronicle, on her work for the Friends of Kariba School Kenya. It was interesting to find out that she is on one of my pictures. I will certainly add the information to my archives. Do you live in Brierley? The reason I ask is that I have quite an old photograph that was found on Fiddling farm and I have no information on the people on the photograph, but on making enquiries the name Lloyd was mentioned. I would be interested in your opinion.

30 November 2000

Dear Gary,

Thank you for your great efforts on behalf of the village. I have not lived in Brierley since Oct 1st 1959, but I visit every week to care for my 90 year old Guardian Mother. One of the many tasks I carry out during my visits is to collect the weekly pension from the Post Office, hence my interest in the photographs on show. During this weeks visit I noticed a face that looks fairly familiar, Denise Spaxman, her face appears on one of the Methodist Church photographs-on the far left, and her name is not on your list. I may be wrong but I seem to have read her name amongst the other information on the main Web site under her married name.

My Guardian Mother Mrs Hilda Barraclough is one of the three Founder members of the Brierley Spiritualist Church. Doreen Hobson’s parents, my aunt and uncle, were the other two. As to your general enquiry re the Fiddling farm photograph, I have a very limited knowledge of the Lloyd family but I have been told some sketchy details within living memory- that a Threshing machine was owned and a good living was earned from the threshing business. I would be very pleased to have sight of your 'old photograph' with some of your others, because I have begun some studies that will help in the production of a series of watercolour paintings I plan to do next year.

Keep up the excellent work,

Best regards,

Cliff Lloyd.

I have been informed by Doreen Hobson that you live in York but you come over to Brierley once a week. If you can make it on the 20 December which is on a Wednesday, you will be able to view about 95% of my collection at the exhibition which is to be held in the village club from 12 noon till 10pm. It was interesting to note about your guardian mother Mrs Barraclough being one of the founder members of the Spiritualist Church, I would really like to get the full details for my history archives. e.g. date the Church was founded, and the full names of founders, plus a little about their backgrounds, How the building came to belong to the church, how much it cost e.t.c. I wondered Cliff, if you had the time if it would be possible for you to gather this information on my behalf. Perhaps a questionnaire from me to you would be helpful where you could ask your guardian mother the details. Also if this is possible I could arrange to take a photograph as well with the founder members outside the church itself. Your reply on this matter would be appreciated. Regarding Denise Spaxman, you are correct, I have been in touch with Denise regarding her mother who was a dinner lady at the old school, and as I am assisting the teachers in the new school with their history lessons on the village I approached Denise for information. If you cannot make it to the exhibition, please let me know and I will E-mail the photograph for you to view when I have more time. The photograph shows a well-built lady sat at a chair with four soldiers stood around her (possibly her sons). I would think their uniforms suggest the First World War. Please keep in touch with the web site, as I am sure you will find it more interesting when I start building the ‘history’ and 'memories' page

6 December 2000

Hi Gary, Thanks for the web address, it works every time now by hitting it from your email. I see you're busy rebuilding your history page, I hope to catch it later when complete.

News on the Farriers project is that there is a new update to come soon.

I have now got the full 1881-head count for Brierley with all names, occupations and some name locations. I think there are about 95 places of residence and 474 people. What I need now is someone to give me an idea as to where these places are so I can pinpoint where most everyone lived. I thought of you instantly.!!!.The names are taken from census 1841 through 1891 and here they are. The 1861 home of Police Sgt Joseph little and 1881 Police Sgt Thomas Horne, both on Pontefract Road. Brierley grove, Folly Hall, Providence terrace Cottages (possibly on Pontefract road). George Wilson Saddler and Postmaster at Prospect Cottage, Ringstone Hill, Red house, Bakers Shop/lockup (2 away from three horse Shoes), Clifton Terrace, Clifton Villa (1881 home of Josiah Harris. Wesleyan minister), Cliff house (farm), the Church St home of Mary Dymond and servant, Church St Postmaster George Wilson, Church St home of school mistress Elizabeth G Smith, which is next door to Watson's shop), James Dymond (coal owner), Brierley Manor (1881), New Park Spring, Ferrymoor Farm, Ivy House, St Peters School House and the Poplars.

Any ideas as to how we might get people to come forward and identify these places?

Cheers for now

Trev Limbert.

Thank you for your E-mail and although most of the place names have changed, I am sure I will be able to assist you in pinpointing most of the homes that you are looking for. I am eager to receive the latest news on the Farriers. Perhaps it may be a good idea for us to get together in the New Year. In the meantime, if there is anyone out there who could assist Trevor in locating the Street names, please do not hesitate to contact me.

7 December 2000

Hi Gary
I have not had the chance to say it before but congratulations on the Web- site, its a great one.

Councillor Pat Doyle.

Thank you Pat. Its nice to know that the site is appreciated and also that it is read by our local councillors. May I also congratulate the Town Council on their excellent efforts in providing Christmas activities for all the residents of Brierley young and old?

9 December 2000

Dear Gary

Thanks for your prompt reply and interesting details on your Exhibition, I am working until late on the 20th but will obviously make every effort to attend, even if it is an hour before you're due to finish. You may be pleased to know that I researched the Brierley Spiritualist Church 4 years ago, and produced all the accurate details for the surviving Founder members, to help commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the opening of the Church. I will be only too pleased to make all of above available to you. I will contact everyone to see if they would consent to a photograph of them at the front of the Church, I will advise you in due course.

I certainly have no objections to you using any of my ramblings to fill any spaces on your web page, anything that will further your most excellent efforts to record the History of this quite unique little village will help.

I have already mentioned that I know very little of my (LLOYD) family history. I have been a member of the Pontefract and District Family History Society for a number of years now, to try and correct this.

When I was a committee member 2 years ago, I undertook the task to record for posterity; the MMI's of the Brierley Church and graveyard, before a lot of the stone records are totally vandalised. Do you know if there are any local contacts that you are aware of, who are attempting such a project? I am already completing the second section of the four to complete the job. As I only visit the village once a week and I'm nearly always pushed for time, the job never seems to progress fast enough.

Keep up the good work,

Regards

Cliff Lloyd.

It is good news to hear that you have researched the history of the Spiritualist Church Cliff; I certainly look forward to reading it and adding it to the Baipip archives.

Regarding your family history, If you think it may help, I would be happy to place as much information on the Where are you now section of the web-site if you make it available to me.

I will check with Father John Baskerville regarding your search of Brierley Church and graveyard, as I am sure the Church will hold records. If there were any particular name/s you wish me to look in there for you then I would be pleased to do so. I also have access to the old Brierley School records, which lists the name of every pupil whom attended the school from 1871 if you think it may be useful in your search. 

17 December 2000

Hello Gary

Brierley Methodist Church web site URL is now can be found at The History of Brierley as can your own and several others. An email has come in from Germany requesting a photograph of Burntwood Hall about 1900, are you able to help.

21 December 2000

Hi Gary, only a quick email just to say I visited the show today along with Sharon Medlock (nee Cross) and Julie Sanderson (nee Armitage), I was very impressed, keep up the good
work!
Regards,
Alison Keating

Thanks for your E-mail Alison and also for visiting the exhibition. I am pleased you enjoyed it. Try to keep in touch with the web- site over the next year, as I am sure you will find it interesting.

21 December 2000

Hello Gary

Thanks for the most excellent display you arranged today. Brierley can consider itself most fortunate to have someone of your calibre to dedicate so much time and effort into its Historical recording of accurate information. Very well done indeed. I shall await your comments on the information I gave you this afternoon on the Spiritualist Church. Once again I am sorry about the quality of the pictures, I am still at the learning stage of this electronic imaging, I'd much rather sketch or paint than mess about with cameras and printers. As I promised I shall endeavour to produce a Founders photograph next Wednesday, the two Ladies with the Church picture.

I'll await your e-mail

Keep up the good work

Regards Cliff Lloyd

PS thanks for the introduction to Neil White, that was a total surprise, I shall have to contact him again during one of my cleaning and shopping trips, it will be great to swap a few tales with him, its 42 years since I last saw him.