Updated 3rd October  2006  

Hi Gary, Have you received any information on Jean Audin yet? I really enjoy browsing your web site and especially looking at the old photographs. Keep up the good work.

Sorry Betty not as yet but patience is a virtue so they say. Given time I am sure we will hear something. Thank you for your kind comments on the web site.

Updated 24th September  2006  

Hello Gary

Sorry I didn't say hello to you at the photograph exhibition but we were so engrossed in the photographs and stories etc that we had to rush off back to Kirk Sandall and just at the time of our departure you had a crowd around you. Hope to meet you next time and best wishes. The exhibition was great and given time we would have liked to stay longer.

Brian Bower Doncaster

Updated 7th September 2006  

Updated 31st August 2006  

Hi Gary

Here are the pictures I promised you, hope they are not too late for inclusion in the picture show you have planned. Sorry if they are a bit late, I’ve been working away from home, then vacation, but here they are now. I was born in Anlaby, Hull in 1962. I think the family moved from Grimethorpe 3 or 4 years earlier. I’m a trained vehicle technician and I work for Ford Motor Company. I was an engineer, now I’m a Warranty Auditor.  I have two sisters, Susan and Ann who were both born in Grimethorpe. I still remember going to see Granddad in Brierley, later Uncle Tom in Grimethorpe and occasionally drive through thinking, I remember all of this. I married Yvonne, whom I went to primary school with, and we have a son, Calum who is just about to start his second year at college. We now live in York . You can find out more from my Friends Reunited profile. My real mum died in 1982 and dad married Joyce whom he had known since he was a child, Auntie Laura, referred to in the pictures, and was Joyce’s mum a headmistress from a school in Normanton. Thanks for your interest and I’ll try and make it over to see the photographic display on the 14^th September 2006. Can you confirm the date, time and location so I don’t miss it?

Kevin Scholey York

Hi Gary

My name is Jillian Wilkinson. I was born at 25 Barnsley Road in 1939. I was thrilled to bits when I came across this web site. I recognized a lot of people I have not seen since I left Brierley Junior and Infants School . I wonder if there is anyone who remembers my family. My Grandmother was known as Daisy and my Grandfather was Nat Wilkinson. My father was also known as Nat, he sadly died December 1987. He had two brothers Billy and Dennis and a sister Renee. I did see with great joy that Eric Heeley has been in touch on Where are you now. I remember him and his sister Janet, I used to take her out in the pram. I have a few old photos which I will dig out. My mother Freda Wilkinson worked up at the Isolation Hospital on Brierley common Just before the war. I am interested in the two cottages that were in Front of the Three Horseshoes. My father Nat was born in one of the cottages, I would love to obtain a copy of them. I think there is one in the present Three Horseshoes but no one knows where to get another copy. I would like to know if there was any photos of the old Blacksmith across from the pub to the left of it. I forgot to mention I lived at 40 Hilltop until I was 16 years of age then we moved to No.17. It is great looking back to all those bygone years, I had the most wonderful childhood at Hilltop. Meryl, Avril and Gail Picken, Dorothy Moorhouse and the Wheater family Terry, John and Ronald to name but a few. My sister Linda and brothers Geoffrey and Peter still live locally But Stephen lives in Grimsby. I myself and my husband Dennis son and daughter and grandchildren live in South Hiendley . I will be coming to the exhibition and I will bring my mother who is 88 to see all the treasures of our beloved Brierley of so many years ago.

Thank you Gary for the Memories !! Jillian Gamewell (nee Wilkinson)

Updated 9th August 2006  

Regards David Nicoll Pogmoor Barnsley

Thanks for the information about the photograph David it has now been updated. Also thank you for your kind comments on the web site and I look forward to your contribution.

Updated 27th July 2006  

Dear Gary

I refer to your e-mail section from the Brierley village web site with reference to the attached e- mail below from Phil Bradley

"We are looking to trace some ancestry by surname "Crossley" once of Brierley Hall Farm. Wondered if you can give us a few local pointers". Regards   Phil Bradley

May I ask you if the link below could be forwarded to Phil. It also relates to a Richard Crossley  

Hi Gary

What a wonderful thing I have stumbled upon, your web site! I am at work and browsing the web, I have not yet read through all of the site but am very excited about it and hope you or some of your many readers of this site can remember my grandmothers family. My grandmother Florence Baggley (nee HERON) lived on Barnsley road Brierley across the road from the Three Horse Shoes.  The row of houses of which there was a shop on the end, cannot remember the number off hand. Granny Heron (my great grandmother) was a tall slim lady with silver grey hair and was married to Clifford Heron who died in the early 1940's from a heart attack apparently in the street.  He was at one time a kind of self made greengrocer and remember my grandma telling me about going out on his cart to deliver groceries. He also kept his own  horse and pigs and was apparently the first person in Britain to begin breeding German Shepherd dogs. Granny Heron lived at Barnsley road up until her death in the early 70's and I recall going to her house and finding it very scary going down the cellar as a man hole cover above on the road would clatter when any traffic went over it.!!! Grandma Florence Baggley worked at one point at Brierley Hall when a certain CAPT Addey owned it and was his cook and house keeper, she named her son (my dad) after him, Roland, she was apparently very fond of him as he treated his domestic staff like his own family so much so she named my father after him. Grandma had a sister called Cathleen, who worked at the fever hospital, 2 brothers one called Clifford cannot recall the other brothers name at the minute. I would be great if you could post my message on your web site  and anyone  with any info to forward to andreaainge@hotmail.co.uk I would be most grateful.

Have you any pics of this family or the row of houses where they lived ? Many Thanks, look forward to hearing from you.

Andrea Kay Ainge (nee Baggley) South Elmsall Pontefract

Thank you very much for your email and your interest shown in the Brierley Village web site.  I don't think we will get much response as not many of the older residents of the village log onto the web site, however I am in touch with most of them and I have made a copy of your email which I will carry with me on my visits to them. Next time you visit the Brierley Village web site, take a look at Streets 21 which will be under photographs which will be under photographs on line, perhaps your gran lived in one of these houses.

Thank you for your reply, look forward to hearing from you.

Andrea Ainge. South Elmsall  

Dear Gary,

Came upon your website by accident but was very interested in it because my family and I lived on Barnsley Road, Brierley from 1970 to 1976.  I still have family living there, my Auntie Sylvia Armstong.  We all now live in Perth, Western Australia, but we like to catch up on the news via my Aunt.  A lot of our old friends live there and I recognised a couple of people from the photos.  Unfortunately I didn't recognise anybody you hadn't already identified!  Just wanted to leave a quick note to say well done on the site and thank you for the lovely trip down memory lane!

Regards, Jane Godin ( Orange ) Perth Western Australia.

Dear Gary, Browsing through the Brierley web site during lunchtime at work when I spotted my name concerning a photo taken 60 years ago when I was 3 years old !   The Photo was taken in a field to the right of Barnsley Rd. between  Brierley & Shafton.

Left of me in the photo is Jimmy Austin (footballer) then Kathleen Corcoran (Hawaiian), Pauline Scott ?? (gypsy) , ?,  (bride), Lorna White (doll in a box), Hilary Newton (bandage on head), Barry White (air raid warden ?) and Neil White (coal miner). I think the older lady at the back with the nun's headgear was Freda Wilkinson. The Chap at top right of photo was not in fancy dress, he was the mayor's chauffeur !!. The Mayor & his wife were also not in fancy dress

Eric Healey Australia

Thanks for the information Eric. Your Where R U Know page on the web site is attracting a lot of visitors. I hope you and your sister are keeping ok. I have updated the photograph with your information and I was surprised with some of the names. I have also spoken to Jimmy Austin who is on the photograph and he says he can provide a better quality one than the one on the web site (I received this one I think by yourself via email). He also says he may be able to name a few more people. Please keep in touch.

Hello Again Gary

I hope you are well!

With reference to photo 'Ernie Lacey climbs Ben Nevis' the missing name of the chap on the back left is Steve Sharland an Electrician from Grimethorpe Colliery. Hope that helps to remove another question mark.

Best wishes  Dave Greenwell Cudworth

Nice to hear from you again Dave and thanks for the information that has been updated.

Hi Gary , Pete from Kent or the southern get as my lady friend calls me, since I last emailed you I have visited Brierley again for a week this time and you were right the locals were very friendly and the surroundings in the summer were very green and lush albeit constantly wet !

A great time was had watching a local junior football team Brierley Cubs which my ladies son was playing for. Will be visiting again in August and will be having a beer at The Three Horseshoes pub and probably a scoff too as found the food to be rather nice so maybe if your not busy i will see you in there one evening. Enjoying your site so keep up the good work ........byeeee Pete from Kent

Looking forward to meeting you Pete.