The old photograph shown above was snapped in the summer of 1947. The location was 25 Langton Road, Norton-on-Derwent, Yorkshire. That is where my father was born in 1914 and where he spent his happy, carefree childhood.
Through the second world war, my paternal grandfather Philip had a milk round in Norton. Churns of local farm milk were brought to the family home where there was a small bottling plant. Then crates of the milk were heaved aboard the little cart shown above before early morning deliveries were made with the kind assistance of the horse.
I suspect that the picture was taken on a Sunday - the day of rest. On the cart you can see four people and a dog. There's my father's sister Evelyn - born around 1918. Then there's my grandfather Philip holding his dog and my grandmother Margaret holding her grandson, Peter Thewliss who was Auntie Evelyn's only child . The photo was probably snapped by Frank Thewliss - Evelyn's husband.
How I would have loved to step into that scene to introduce myself but I was not yet born. I came along in October 1953 which must have brought a glimmer of joy into my father's life for his mother Margaret died in January of that year and his father Philip died in September - just a month before I arrived into the world.
They were in their early seventies and I never met them and so sadly they played no role whatsoever in my life. They are buried in Norton Cemetery with their youngest son - my Uncle Jack who was killed on active duty with the Royal Air Force in 1940.
Co-incidentally, my daughter Frances is soon to have a long weekend break in Norton with a friend who also has two young children. Frances was surprised to learn of our strong family connection to that place and she plans to visit her great-grandparents' grave while she is there.
The milk business was taken over by my Uncle Tom and I remember standing in that same yard some twelve years after the old photo was taken. By then Uncle Tom had invested in an electric milk float. They tend not to eat hay or drop doo-doo on the street.
25 Langton Road, Norton - courtesy of Google Streetview
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/0J1ixBA