Walkington in the 1920's
(Updated in the 21st Century)
Walkington in the 1920’s by Edgar and Joan Lythe
For most of the 1920’s we both cycled to school in Beverley every day, so we will begin our tour of Walkington with our homeward journey. On a windy afternoon - and there was always a head wind - the first bit of shelter came from the trees at what was usually called ‘The
Asylum'.
Walkington was then more aware of the mental hospital. For example it was a common sight to see groups of patients out ‘for a walk’ along the road and one or two voluntary inmates came regularly to the village, notably a dapper little man called Rhodes who played his fiddle during church services more or less in harmony with the rest of the musical performance.
Furthermore, some of the hospital staff entered into the social and sporting life of the village and some of their children came to the village school. We were always fascinated by the traces of cobble paving in the footpath alongside the staff houses, believing rightly or wrongly, that this was a relic of the path provided for under Sherwood’s will. *(The cobble paving was uncovered for a short time during the construction of the new cycle path in 2004)
West of the hospital there was a pond by the roadside next to the farm. The tenant, ‘Nappy’ Cook (so-called because of his phrase ‘I’m just napping on’) came almost daily to the village on his bike for a gossip in Lawson’s joiner shop. His daughter was an elocutionist who later was the station announcer at York (‘The train now approaching platform 5 is the Flying
Scotsman for Newcastle and Edinburgh’). The only house thereabouts – on the opposite side of the road - was ‘Abyssinia Cottage’, so called because when the Ferguson’s were reconstructing it they had an Ethiopian prince staying at the Hall. He was also responsible for planting ‘Abyssinia Tree’ that stands opposite the pond. *(It is still there).
Abyssinia Cottage was occupied by the Taylor’s who sold eggs and chickens. Their daughter was a pianist much in demand at village concerts. At the corner of Mill Lane and Beverley Road was a beech plantation with 'Jubilee Seat’ in front of it. The plantation was felled to make way for the first council houses, built by the District Council.
This is just the beginning of a series of articles which were published in the Walkington Newsletter in 2004 - 2005,. Thanks to Tony Collinson* for reproducing them and to the late Edgar and Joan Lythe for writing them in the first place. The full document can be downloaded here.
* Tony's introduction: This is an account of life in Walkington in the 1920's kindly loaned to me by Mrs Lucy Drew. It was written by Professor Lythe with the assistance of his wife Joan with the express intention that it should be published in the Newsletter. Edgar Lythe, who was born in Walkington, was for many years Vice Chancellor of Strathclyde University. He always had a great interest in the village of his birth and readers may remember his work on the 'Rectors of Walkington', which was serialised in the newsletter several years ago. Edgar and Joan who both died in the 1990's requested that whoever was responsible for publishing their work should add any detail necessary to make places or events recognisable to the readers of today. The work is beautifully written in the vernacular of the 1920's and therefore any additions I have made are in brackets in italics and marked with an asterisk.
Tony Collinson
(Updated in the 21st Century)
Walkington in the 1920’s by Edgar and Joan Lythe
For most of the 1920’s we both cycled to school in Beverley every day, so we will begin our tour of Walkington with our homeward journey. On a windy afternoon - and there was always a head wind - the first bit of shelter came from the trees at what was usually called ‘The
Asylum'.
Walkington was then more aware of the mental hospital. For example it was a common sight to see groups of patients out ‘for a walk’ along the road and one or two voluntary inmates came regularly to the village, notably a dapper little man called Rhodes who played his fiddle during church services more or less in harmony with the rest of the musical performance.
Furthermore, some of the hospital staff entered into the social and sporting life of the village and some of their children came to the village school. We were always fascinated by the traces of cobble paving in the footpath alongside the staff houses, believing rightly or wrongly, that this was a relic of the path provided for under Sherwood’s will. *(The cobble paving was uncovered for a short time during the construction of the new cycle path in 2004)
West of the hospital there was a pond by the roadside next to the farm. The tenant, ‘Nappy’ Cook (so-called because of his phrase ‘I’m just napping on’) came almost daily to the village on his bike for a gossip in Lawson’s joiner shop. His daughter was an elocutionist who later was the station announcer at York (‘The train now approaching platform 5 is the Flying
Scotsman for Newcastle and Edinburgh’). The only house thereabouts – on the opposite side of the road - was ‘Abyssinia Cottage’, so called because when the Ferguson’s were reconstructing it they had an Ethiopian prince staying at the Hall. He was also responsible for planting ‘Abyssinia Tree’ that stands opposite the pond. *(It is still there).
Abyssinia Cottage was occupied by the Taylor’s who sold eggs and chickens. Their daughter was a pianist much in demand at village concerts. At the corner of Mill Lane and Beverley Road was a beech plantation with 'Jubilee Seat’ in front of it. The plantation was felled to make way for the first council houses, built by the District Council.
This is just the beginning of a series of articles which were published in the Walkington Newsletter in 2004 - 2005,. Thanks to Tony Collinson* for reproducing them and to the late Edgar and Joan Lythe for writing them in the first place. The full document can be downloaded here.
* Tony's introduction: This is an account of life in Walkington in the 1920's kindly loaned to me by Mrs Lucy Drew. It was written by Professor Lythe with the assistance of his wife Joan with the express intention that it should be published in the Newsletter. Edgar Lythe, who was born in Walkington, was for many years Vice Chancellor of Strathclyde University. He always had a great interest in the village of his birth and readers may remember his work on the 'Rectors of Walkington', which was serialised in the newsletter several years ago. Edgar and Joan who both died in the 1990's requested that whoever was responsible for publishing their work should add any detail necessary to make places or events recognisable to the readers of today. The work is beautifully written in the vernacular of the 1920's and therefore any additions I have made are in brackets in italics and marked with an asterisk.
Tony Collinson
