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August 29 2002
Gary,
In response to your "Where are
they now?” I am Eric Heeley and lived in Brierley from about 1943 to
February 1958 when we emigrated to Australia. My mother, Kathleen and
father, Jerry, died 7 and 2 years ago respectively. My sister Janet is
alive and well and lives in New South Wales whereas I live in Victoria.
She visited me recently and we spent
an enjoyable 3 hours or so looking through old pictures on your website.
Below is a recent photo of us both and our recollection of who lived in
Hilltop Estate in 1958 when we left. It may not be totally accurate as
it WAS 44 years ago!! Please feel free to make additions or
corrections.
Eric Heeley
heeleric@net-tech.com.au
Hi to
Eric and Janet
Thank
you both for the email and the pictures. I am not sure about who lives where
on the estate now, but I know that Mrs Wilkinson still lives at number 17.
Sadly Nat passed away a few years ago. I remember the family well as I used
to be best friends with their son Stephen in the 60s and 70s. He would only
have been a baby when you emigrated. (About 45/46 now). I also had the
pleasure of working with Nat in the 1970s when he was a driver for the
Yorkshire Traction at Shafton. There is also an elderly lady at number 11
called Newton who I know has brothers called Leslie (deceased) and Billy who
lives on the Grange Road estate. Have you visited Brierley recently because
both your faces looks very familiar. If you have any photographs of your
family when you lived in Brierley I would really appreciate a copy of them.
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August 31 2002
Gary
Just checked out the site and saw the
photo etc. I sent you. Great. I will look for some photos and
scan them and send them to you and see if anyone recognizes them.
I myself was in Brierley September
but I think it is about 3-4 years since Janet has been them.
Will keep in touch.
Eric Heeley Australia
I will look
forward to the pictures
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3 September 2002
Hello Gary,
Here are a few photos of the Heeley
family before leaving for Australia. Also there are a couple of group
photos which might be of interest to people - would be nice if someone knew
where the big group of children was taken!!??
Eric Heeley Australia
The photographs are now on line.
I already had the picture of the Whitsuntide 1950s in the archives so I have
added some names. I hope you find it interesting. Thanks for your time and
efforts in responding to our Where are you now? appeal and providing us with
the information on your family. I mentioned your family to Bill Newton who
has lived in Brierley most of his life and remembered your mum and dad quite
well. He was saddened to hear of their deaths. (Not related to the
Newton’s who lived on Hilltop when you were there).
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September 4 2002
Hello
Gary
I've
just had a look on the site and was delighted to see the photograph
of my brother Darren (who was tragically killed in a road accident in July 1981 aged 20)
playing with his mates Dave Lomas and Clive Pearson.
The
photographs shown on the site underline how important it is for people
to have the opportunity to see friends and neighbours, past and present and
be able to remember and reminisce about the good and sometimes not so good
times.
Keep
up the good work Gary
Regards
Gary Wilson
Thank you for your kind comments Gary. I suppose like
myself there are many people who remember Darren and I hope they have
pleasure in visiting the photograph and reliving happier times in his
memory.
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September 8 2002
Hi
Gary
Just
seen the photos of Janet and Eric Heeley.
I remember Janet very well, she used to walk me to school and
"look after" me. I spent a lot of time at their house Number
32 Hilltop, which incidentally, was my parents house before the
Heeley’s lived there, my parents were married from there. It became
my parent’s house again after I had left home. (I never lived there
- when I was in Brierley we lived at 37.)
I
remember Janet having very long fair hair and her mum had a plait way down
her back. The photo of the fancy dress
- I think the young girl at the front in the white dress is Lorna White, but
I don't know any of the others.
Does
anyone know the whereabouts of Diane Wilkinson? She is Billy
Wilkinson s daughter? Billy lived originally in
Hilltop then later moved to bungalow near the park. Jessie and Jim
Midgley looked after Diane for a long time when she was small
but I lost touch with her about 13 year ago She was just about to
move to Cudworth with her boyfriend.
Best
wishes
Joy
Ford (Midgley)
Thanks for the information about the Fancy dress
photograph. I have updated it today. Nice to know you know Janet Heeley,
perhaps you both might get in touch with each other if she reads this. It
would be nice if you do. I have put out an appeal on the Where are you know?
Page for Diane Wilkinson for you. Fingers crossed.
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September
8 2002
Hi
Gary,
How
are you? Regarding the Whitsuntide pic no.5,
on the Heeley site, I’d like to identify 2 more people. The girl
front row, on left, with plaits and a double breasted coat is Christine
Bates, and front row, right, the girl with hands together and a large bow on
her head is Kathleen Bird, who was one of my best friends in the 50`s.
Best
regards from Oz,
Janet
de Haas (nee Heeley)
P.S.
Love your site!
Thanks for the information. I have updated the site
today. I absolutely adore your P.S bit lol.
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September
2 2002
Hi
Gazza
Its
Ben Schofield working in France, I just thought I would log on and check out
your mint website, from an Internet cafe on a beach in Brittany.
Your
website is fantastic!!!!!!!!!!! Could you do me a favour and say
hi to everyone like my mum and Neil, all the lads in club and the Fruntslide
crew, I’ve been telling all the French about the band just now after we
saw the picture, thanks for the wedding photos bud!!!!!!!!!! Tell everyone
the weather is great and I will be back in the UK in November.
Once
again your website is fab and its mint that I can email my village from 1000
miles from home.
Cheers
Gazza Ben Schofield
How are you keeping out there? Keep the flag flying for
good old Brierley. Check out your pic on the news page (Sept. 14). Good luck
Ben and we’ll have a pint when you come home in November. By the way, what
kind of work are you doing out there? The lads from Fruntslide say Hi!
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October 2 2002
Do
you have any pictures of the cottages that were on the left side of the
road just after Cordeaux's corner going into Brierley? My relatives
lived in one of them. I think there were two of them. They appeared to
be built into the bank. They were very old and I think they were
demolished in the early 50's The family name was either Dootson or
Roebuck. I know for a fact that the cottage was haunted as I've
heard lots of stories concerning them.
Jim
& Beryl Dent
I believe the two cottages you
are talking about were the ones situated opposite Brierley Church next to
the fish shop as it is today. There are two houses there now that were built
in the 1960s?
The left hand cottage as we look
from the church was empty for a number of years before and during the war
while Mrs Hunt occupied the right hand cottage until 1939. I have a
picture of her husband Jim who died in the First World War.
Initial enquires show that there
were no Roebucks or Dootsons in Brierley before the 1930s. I have also
checked the local school records and once again there are no Dootsons or
Roebucks listed as attending the school from 1873.
During the Second World War, the
second cottage was reinforced and used by the Air raid wardens as a meeting
post. After the war, squatters occupied the first cottage but no one can
recall their name. The cottages were indeed demolished in the 1950s.
I have been trying for 5 years to
obtain photographs of the cottages, but as yet no luck.
These are only initial enquires
and I have further avenues I can follow which I will do within the next
couple of weeks. I will keep in touch.
For my information if you don't
mind: Are you or your family from Brierley? Where do you live now? What is
your connection to Brierley?
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October
4 2002
Dear
Gary
I came across your site only yesterday and have to say it is very good
indeed. I have not been back to the village for years, however I have been
in contact via E-mail with John Draper in the past year. I have now settled
in Lincolnshire and work as a projects manager (mechanical engineering) on
various petro-chemical refineries and plants around the UK and Europe. It
was good to see the old photographs of not only the village but the
school classes the faces and names certainly jog the old memory, i think I
recall some of the missing names on Mrs. Thorpe’s class of 56/57 Back row
could that be Craig Blackshaw? Bottom Row (Lawtons0 could they be Peter
Lawley and Susan Lawley??? Who lived on Cross-hill across from my
Grandmother Lillian Lynch. I have not looked at all the site yet but will
keep in touch and send any old photographs if I can find them
Best regards and keep up the good work
Pete Woolridge
Thank you for your very interesting email. I do remember
you from my younger days in Brierley. I was your Lynn’s age but probably
you don’t remember me. My brothers and sister are Alan, Ernie and Janet
Sheard, perhaps you knew them better. I would appreciate any photographs
that you may have. At present we have about 1,200 in the archives with at
least 600 of them being pr 1969. Perhaps you could send us photographs of
your days in Brierley and you and your family now to add to the Where are
you now page?
Thanks for your interest shown in the site.
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October 8 2002
Hello
Gary
Hope
you are well. Thanks for the information I have now contacted Raymond and we
have had a nice chat. If you can give me an address and a name I will be
happy to give a small donation to the village site. The site is very good
and well worth keeping going a small donation from a lot of people will
help.
Bye
for now Brian Bower
That would be very much
appreciated Ron. Our address is on the index (Home) page. I am really
pleased to have put you back in touch with old friends.
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October 4 2002
Hello
Gary
I
sent e-mail to you last month but I have since found a fault with my
computer, if you did receive It please ignore this one. I used to live at
The Laburnums Barnsley Road until 1959 I then left and eventually came into
the Doncaster area where I worked at the Doncaster Royal Infirmary as an
electrician until retirement in 2000. Any information you could give on the
following names, I would be very pleased to hear, Raymond Steele, William
Newton, and Paul Normanton.
All
the Best Brian Bower
I have spoken to John Steele on
your behalf. John writes his memories on the website. He says that his
brother Raymond is living in Hemsworth and breeding budgerigars. Raymond
would be pleased to hear from you and his telephone number is (Sent
privately).
I have heard that Paul is running
a DIY in the South, but I will let you know more information when Ron
contacts me this afternoon.
I have spoken to the father of
William Newton and he says his son is living in Normanton. He will pass on
my message to him and hopefully I will have his telephone number within the
next couple of days.
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October 10 2002
Hi Gary
I am Bethany I was
hoping than you cud help me on oaks ice
creams
Could you provide a few more
details of what information you require, and do you mean Oates’ ice cream?
If you are under 16 could you make sure that your parents or teacher know
whenever you send an email
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October 20 2002
Hi
Gaz
Al
Beavers here. Finally got on to the net, but was very disappointed when I
visited your site, and found I couldn’t look at the photographs. I
wondered if you had any idea why this is. Anyway if you want any typing
doing, shell says she’ll do it, and e-mail it to you
See
you later AL
I have spoken to Austen who hosts
the website regarding the photographs as quite a few people are having
problems getting them on line. He seems to think that the problem is caused
by using Microsoft word for my website. This wasn’t intended to be used
for website. However I am going on an advanced 5-week course shortly so
everything should be ok when I change the site around. Tell Michelle thanks
for the offer of typing for the society. I will be in touch with her.
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October 23 2002
Hi
folks
I
am getting too much of the dreaded junk mail and items from unknown users
with virus attachments from accessing my kevinbates1@ozemail address through
my ISP so I will be using only my Yahoo mail address from here on in, which
is
kevinbates1@yahoo.com.au
Kevin
Bates Australia
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October
24 2002
Hello
Gary
Hope you are well. I have enclosed a photograph of the
Laburnums as it was in 1959 the year I left. If you wish, you may put it on
the site.
All
the very best Brian Bower.
Thank you for the photograph
Brian. If you click on the link I have put it on the photographs page along
with a picture I took this morning of the Laburnums as it is today. Thank
you for an offer of a small donation. The society relies heavily on
fundraising. This website alone costs over £300 per year to keep going. It
would be nice if every reader sent a small donation. How about you sending us photographs of your
time in Brierley and of you and your family as you are now?
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October 31 2002
Hi
Gary,
The
photograph "Gifts for the poor" - mid 60's.
No.
3 is Howard Booker who used to live on Barnsley Road. His
Grandmother and Mother were in the Mother's Union at Church.
No.
16 is correct - it is Gary Tibble.
Avril
Perry (Picken)
The photograph has been updated.
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5 November 2002
Hello Gary
Thought your readers might like this
poem.
Brierley
rhymes with entirely,
so why do we always,
or nearly,
get BrEARley
whenever our name is read out?
Oh, it's not that important,
not worth a discordant
remark nor a pout
to make clear
still I find it strange
that so many folk change
what is plainly an I to an EAR!
Bye
Ronald Brierley
Richard Watson has
passed on the poem re Brierley. I am sorry you are having problems with my
email address. Perhaps you could try replying to this one.
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6
November 2002
I am very interested to know if anyone has put a name to a
face on the photograph on your website. I am interested in the name Vamplew
Thank
you
Roxanne
Sandiford
I just received your email while
I was updating the website. Perhaps you could be a little more specific re
the photograph. It would also help if you tell me exactly what you are
searching for re the Vamplew’s and I may be able to help you more
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