I see! Ron Eastwood still looks very mature. Perhaps life was harder in those days and people grew up faster.

Simon - Yes, my father did exactly that in 1949, only to return to Riddlesden after two years!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) cpfirth@singnet.com.sg

Current location (optional) www.kbgs.com

Just think Chris, if your dad had stayed in Aussie, you would probably be in Wagga Wagga married to a Sheila, with mates called Bruce and Barry. And supporting the wrong team in the Rugby World Cup. By the way does anybody remember those two classic films 'The Adventures of Barry MacKenzie' and 'Barry Mackenzie holds his own'. The Aussies don't make films like that anymore!

Re - the 10 pound (don't have a 'pound' symbol on my 'puter)assisted passage to the antipodes - sure did!!
In '65 I spent a miserable, cold, wet camping holiday in St Ives, Cornwall and I decided to emigrate to Oz which my sister had done a couple of years previously.
5 months later I, along with my parents, was on the Fairstar heading South. Luck had it that we were alloted a Suite on the A Deck. This consisted of a large room overlooking the ocean with curtained windows and concealed lighting. The room had a double bed for my folks as well as a coffee table, tv and a fold down sofa/single bed for me. A room divider seperated us through the night. We also had ensuite shower/bathroom facilities. Not bad for 10 quid each eh?
The journey was brilliant - every night in the 'english' pub, swimming in the pool and sunbathing through the day. Had an exciting event when we stopped over at night in Aden. The British troops were still there and I took a flash photograph of the local markets. A jeep came screaming up and the soldiers told me not to use flash again, it could start all sorts of trouble. I was glad to get back to the ship.
Sorry to say this, but the 2 return visits I've had to Keighley have been quite depressing. It's my home town and I have wonderful memories of my youth there but it appears to have simply stood still.

tp

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) tpdesign@primus.com.au

Current location (optional) www.studiofour.com.au

Good news, at last. In Waterstones bookshop where I live, there is a book called 'Crap Towns, Vol Two'. In the UK of course. Keighley is not in it. But Leeds and Bradford are. Luton is the worst, apparently.

May I suggest you have a look in vol 1?

I also migrated to Australia in 1965 and have been there ever since, with frequent visits to UK and Europe. Keighley certainly seems crappier than before, which is saying a bit. In my youth there were many places of entertainment there and a couple of the pubs were halfway decent. There was a live theatre near the bus station - I remember going to see Syncopating Sandy the marathon piano player. We wondered how has bladder and bowels handled the exercise. There was ice skating on Keighley Tarn and flowers around the Old Men's Park - in general there was more community spirit. But this spirit has disappeared from many places, although it's still strong in regional Australia where people help/console each other in crises such as bushfires and World Cup robberies.

Keighley was never designed as a holiday resort, but if you want to see real crap, go across the border to Burnley.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) pedwards@nex.net.au

I had forgotten about the theatre by the Bus Station. I think it was called the Hippodrome, and I used to be taken to pantomimes there when very small.

'Syncopating Sandy' -- the mind boggles.

Keighley Hippodrome was a real peice of Victoriana and like Brian I well remember going to Christmas pantos there. Like most of the centre of town it was pulled down in the 60s to be replaced by a row of mediocre shops and a multi-story car park. Syncopating Sandy - why on earth choose KEIGHLEY of all places to stage a world-record piano marathon!? His bodily needs were catered for by a discreet drawing of the curtains. I still remember the sound of the comode being brought on to the stage, though not the sound of Sandy performing his lavatorial feats. That was carefully disguised. He twiddled on the keyboard while he widdled on the comode. Bus drivers and conductors got in free. The rest had to pay 6d. Keighley Amateurs used it for their annual musical (the Hippodrome, not the comode) and were forced to gravitate to the Ritz Cinema when the Hippodrome closed.

Keighley was probably alway a bit naff. It's just that when you've always lived there you haven't much to compare it with. But I was alway glad I didn't come from Bingley, and as for Burnley, Colne and the rest ....!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) gwalker@diocant.org

What about Cobbydale, Geoff?

It's alright for Paul and Trevor to rabbit (a typical Australian nuisance) on about the Keighley they left behind - but Paul was from Cowling. And he returns as frquently as he can to taste decent English beer. I have an abiding recollection of supping (because that's what you do if you come from Lawkholme)a pint of Toohys in Cairns which was so cold it froze my gums, gave me a pain in the forehead and, when it hit my guts, gave me the wotsits. So.lads, you've got cold beer, clear skies and sunkist beaches - but what do you really miss that isn't crap?

We expat's seem to have hit a raw nerve!
It wasn't my intention to 'rubbish' Keighley as if I was gloating but from my present perspective it is a dark, foreboding town - I can only tell it as I see it? By the way, rabbits are NOT an Australian nuisance they're an imported English nuisance. They were introduced at Barwon Downs, only a few kilometres from Geelong and spread rapidly as they had no natural enemies - they continue to cause $millions of damage.
I agree about the cold beer, it had that effect on me first time I tried it but on a 30 degree summer day there ain't a better way to quench the thirst. You were game drinking it by the pint too!

OK, what do I miss? The Dales pubs for a start, there simply isn't anything to compare here, and in fact the Dales themselves - as they say, God's Own Country! And yes, to a degree I do miss the range of tastes & textures of English ales/beers. I miss the lollies (ooops, they're called sweets there), Rileys Chocolate Toffee Rolls, Walnut Whips, Poor Bens etc etc.
I sorely miss Rugby Union, I live in the Aussie Rules State of Victoria ( a bloody silly game if ever I saw one) and so I see very little of the great game - unless the Wallabies are playing. And yes, I still support England and the Lions. I cop quite a lot of flack from Aussies too - despite being here for 38 years I'm still not considered 'one of them'.
I miss the snow and atmosphere of a Yorkshire Xmas despite living on the glorious Surf Coast.
I miss Midgley's steak puddings that I used to have most lunchtimes when I was at KBGS.
So, what don't I miss - the cold, wet, grey winters - the aggro, the lack of opportunity, the class system - to name some.
So - I'm sorry some seem to have taken offence at my comments. As you can see, Yorkshire has a lot to offer and I do extol its virtues to Oz travellers at every opportunity.

Cheers
TP

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) tpdesign@primus.com.au

Current location (optional) www.studiofour.com.au

Thanks Trevor for the exploration of cultural nuances between the motherland and her offspring. I do notice that the state of South Australia is very keen to kickstart new immigration from the UK by lowering the visa points required. So Aussie must have had enough immigration from Vietnam, Eastern Europe and India.

A second point is why have'nt the imported foxes kept the rabbits in check. The foxes appeared to have decimated other indigenous fauna in the country.


Finally, Aussies have always been quick to dish out the criticism but can be very prickly when assailed with disparagements themselves. Incidentally Australia has highest rate of personal assaults per 10,000 of population in the world according to the Economist Book of World facts.


Apart from that it is a wonderful country.

Oh dear Ian - I don't know why I'm even going to reply to your last pitiful entry, but I'll try.
I don't know why the foxes haven't killed the rabbits, but your own answer sounds as good as any I could come up with - there's so much available wildlife here which is obviously easier to catch - who knows?
Why the cynical remarks about European immigration? You should know about that more than I do.
I agree with you in regard to Aussies having thin skins - there is no one more vocal than myself in denouncing Aussies, particularly in the sporting arena. I've lost count of the times I've said 'there's only one thing worse than a bad loser, and that's a bad winner, and Aussies are bloody bad winners'. And I've said that when I've been the only 'pom' in the room. Believe it or not I defend England to the hilt when I get hit by the same negative, sarcastic comments about her that you are implying about Oz.
I can't argue with the Economist Book of World Facts, goodness me! I only tell it as I experience it.
I was requested by another correspondant to say what, if anything, I missed about Keighley/Yorkshire and I sent an honest reply. I think both countries have a lot to offer, but in different ways - that's obvious if you bother to read my reply carefully. If you believe I was being offensive I can assure you it wasn't intended. Can we now leave out the snide remarks and get back to enjoying memories from times past at KBGS?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) tpdesign@primus.com.au

Current location (optional) www.studiofour.com.au

Thanks Trevor. Did not wish to appear churlish. In fact, I have a brother who has lived in sunny Adelaide for 35 years. Both up in the hills and on the beach areas. Been there myself and enjoyed it enormously. My brother likes to come back to Airedale and Europe from time to time but enjoys the freedom both environmentally and politically Australia affords him. He has met many leading politicians in Oz, something unlikely in England. Like most Aussies he is very keen on Bali too. As you say no class system, but money talks in Oz. All places have their good and bad qualities. And what the hell Keighley can't be all bad -- judging by the thousands of eager Pakistanis who have flooded in legally and illegally to live in post-industrial Keighley. Incidentally, mine's a 'midi of New', that's Sydney side, of course.

I find elements of Ian Atkinson's November 11 postings offensive. They serve as a reminder of the more unpleasant aspects of the English psyche. This was a good humoured, nostalgic thread until he unnecessarily alluded to minorities and stereotypes.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) pedwards@nex.net.au

This whole thread's lost the plot anyway, and has got bugger-all to do with KBGS. If we can't enjoy SHARED reminiscences, we might as well pack it in!

I hope the war memorial is still standing.I expect there'll be a few wreaths round it this weekend.Te fall of the Keighley empire began with the disappearance of the sports shop at the top of Cavendish street..er...what's the name.Keighley, drab though it may be, has the advantage of being an access to some wonderful countryside and places of historical interest. Bronte land,tarn land,Bolton Abbey land, the Dales, and of course, the look-out tower overlooking Cowling(?), the original inspiration for All Along the Watchtower.Dylan hung around the hills with Joan circa 65.

Wiilis Walker's I seem to recall.

If it is Willis Walkers you're refering to it is still in existance. Willis Walker himself, who played cricket for Nottinghamshire, died some time ago. His son Peter who ran the shop for many years died a couple or three years ago.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) d.r.boddy@btinternet.com

oh.I thought it had gone, the last time I was in Keighley. They did a great reversible rugby shirt!

Alan, Is that really true about the Watchtower - or are you having a lend?
tp

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) tpdesign@primus.com.au

Current location (optional) www.studiofour.com.au

There was another sports shop which disappeared years ago.I seem to remember that it was called Bruce Johnstones and was on the corner of Cooke Lane.

I remember Bruce Johnstone's as the place you went for your mixed packets of stamps for the philately collection. There was a time long ago (which he'll probably not remember!) when me and A Britten used to go there regularly for a packet of mixed triangulars! So don't tell me we didn't know how to live it up in those days!

Trevor : if you know the watchtower I refer to, and have climbed up the spiral staircase ( Angelina reference by the way)and looked out over the valley with a howling wind reddening the cheeks, and imagine ten thousand riders approaching, it's easy to see without looking too far how Dylan found his inspiration for the song at that precise landmark. At the time he was taking a break in between concerts in the north country. As for the stamps, I take your word on that one Allan, though it was probably a fad lasting a month at the most.Triangular ones indeed.

"Dylan hung around the hills with Joan (C'65)", Alan?
I thought that was supposed to be Sam Riley with Molly Sugden - or have I lost the thread somewhere?

So it was Sam Riley who wrote Positively 4th Street,and sweet Molly who sang of him. After all this time..........I've been deceived the past 30 years.

I used to think Keighley was a great town when I was a kid. When I married I moved to Bingley (because I ran for Bingley Harriers and it was nearer to training partners) and think that also was a nice place. I now live in Derby and everyone runs it down compared to Nottingham. As for Keighley, I think it started going downhill when it was absorbed by Bradford Metropolitan Council. Any money went to the majoirty who were all old City of Bradford councillors.

Alan is right to draw attention to the local genesis of some of Dylan's finest. It is sad that his producers and agents made him americanise some of his lines before recording so
"Foundry workers drink me beer and owd fowk dig me earth,
That's the kind o' thing yer'll see down by't River Worth"
was lost.
They also made him change the title of "T' King's Head Approximately" and his tribute to the changing rooms at KRLFC, "The Teams They Are A-Changin'", was completely re-written.

But back to Keighley. It isn't Bradford councillors or immigrant communities or planners that caused the decline. Keighley has outlived its' economic purpose and the best profits are to be made elsewhere, so its' people suffer the consequences.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) sjspye@hotmail.com

Oops - I forgot.

I am sure that nobody has missed the significance of Hey "Joe".

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) sjspye@hotmail.com

Bill, almost incidental to this thread, I was sorry to learn from your posting that Derek Stow had passed on. He must have been quite young (for this day and age). I knew Derek for a couple of years in the mid-fifties, he used to come to Long Lee Methodist YC, but was then at the height of his career playing for Keighley in the Bradford League (NOT the West Bradford League). I remember him as being a very nice, quiet spoken individul, and very modest about his cricketing achievements - he'd have felt very much out of place now when everybody is a celebrity!

Doug

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1951-58

Current location (optional) Cottingham, East Yorkshire

Ronnie was a well built tall lad, always a bit heavier than me. I was thin by comparison. We grew up together from toddling days, living near each other on Barcroft when we were born. A grand lad, sadly no longer with us.In fact at least 4 from that photo are no longer with us. Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Auckland NZ

Hi Doug, from memory,it was a long time ago, Derek played for Keighley Cricket Club straight from school, he worked at the Town Hall, for maybe one or two seasons before doing his National Service. I know he played for Yorkshire Colts in my time. When I made my first visit back home after 29 years I visited Derek in his home near Sheffield and he was still being paid to play cricket in I think, a League in or near Doncaster, at the age of 46. He was a very good cricketer who might have gone further but for his calling to work with under priviliged children. He showed me a few of his many trophies, and to my regret I can't recall just how many mounted cricket balls he had for 10 wickets in an innings, several, one for Keighley I think, and hat tricks, again several. What a man! You would go a long way to meet a nicer guy than Derek. You describe him very well Doug. We were mates from when he first walked into Miss Moore's class at Lees school, at 6 years old, after his parents moved from Bradford. To read how he earned the respect of his work colleagues have a look at www.thestowcentre.org.uk/index.htm.htm
and when you get through there click on "About us" top left.
In the write up they got his age wrong. He was 65 when he died. How do I know that? He was 4 days older than me. Those things you never forget. We were lucky to have a reunion just about 4 months before he died suddenly. How fortunate we all felt to have been able to meet up again after many years. It also gave my NZ wife an insight into the company I kept as a youngster and what a grand bunch of thoroughly decent blokes they were. oppppppssssssss I'm wafting a bit now. Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Auckland NZ

David, you might be interested to know that at least seven on that photo went to KBGS.
Donald Edmondson(NB the extra "d"),Bob Powell, Malcolm Smales,Malcolm Walsh, Derek Stow, Jim Feather and myself. I'm not sure about Brian Greenwood, he just might have, but he was a few years younger than us. MW will be able to confirm that. You may also be aware that Bob Powell was a real achiever and set a world record for the deepest descent ever in a pot holing expedition in France. Another champion bloke. Cheers.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1947-51

Current location (optional) Auckland NZ

Headline news in the Keighley News(8th March)informs us that The Princess Royal will be visiting our 'not so crap' town on Tuesday, April 3, to open the new Civic Centre in the former North Street police station. The building which has remained unoccupied for a good few years since the police station relocated, has undergone a £1.1million conversion and refurbishment and will be known as Queen Elizabeth the Second House. The property, which is also designed to be a visitor attraction through its police museum and forensic science demonstrations, would be more than just a civic centre.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

I noted on this thread that an entry in November 2004, commented(erroneously)that the sports shop of Willis Walker had closed. This was quickly corrected by local posters who stated that it was indeed still in exsistance and thriving, giving a short history of Willis Walker's sporting life and how his son and grandsons have carried on the family business on Cavendish St. Keighley. The sad news is that some time next month the business will indeed cease to exist as reported on the front page of this week's Keighley News(Mar 29). This, after 93 years existance. I wonder how many of our sporting schoolboys have at some time, purchased that first cricket bat, gloves, boots and that all-essential lower abdominal batting guard!! Well, what did you call it?

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945-50

Current location (optional) Keighley

A box!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958-65

Current location (optional) Leeds

A Jock strap !!

I had a modest season in the 1st XI, 1959, playing in the shadow of such denizens of the game as Durham; Whittingham; Harrison; Gunning; Collen et al (whoever he was!).

Given the chance, I went in at No 7 - and to the disbelief of the chaps above - I didn't wear a box. I boasted that I used my bat and if ever I got hit in the crutch I would give up.

I enjoyed the season and, being mindful of my "boast", I used my birthday money to buy an aluminium reinforced style jock strap. I sourced it at Willis Walkers.

In 1960, elevated as I was to opening bat along with Malcolm Bailey,(both Longsdon!!) I girded my loins with this new acquisition. First time out, lacking the nous of how to apply the same, I confronted opponents with parts genitalia betwixt and between. And as Sod would so effectively present the case law, in my first innings so accoutred, I fielded one smack on the "ally" trapping all that bedangled between box and thigh.

The dent in the "ally" was still there when I played my last innings 20 years later.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana