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Community News 4 Issue #27

Bubble Rush 6 Submissions If you would like to contribute to the Pontefract and Ackworth 8 Pomfretian please call 07936 860 215 Almshouse Charity or email [email protected]. We’re always delighted to hear from writers, photographers and anyone The Haunting of 10 involved in a local group or activity. Edward Molcher Advertise For more information on how to Recent Beans 14 advertise visit www.pomfretian.co.uk, email [email protected] or call HISTORY & HERITAGE 07936 860 215. Disclaimer Pomfretian is produced and published Cobbles and Setts 16 by Love Local Ltd. The opinions expressed within the Twixt Aire an’t Cut 18 magazine are of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the Pomfretian. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of content, we accept no liability in respect of the content of any article, event, photo or advertisement. PROUD TO SUPPORT ©Love Local Ltd. All rights reserved. No reproduction or copying without permission.

WWW.POMFRETIAN.CO.UK 3 We love to hear from groups, Community organisations and individuals about what’s happening locally. Include a photo News if you can. Email your stories to [email protected]

Cinema in the Library Pontefract Library recently launched a unique VIP cinema experience at Pontefract Library. Cinema in the Library is funded by a grant from Libraries Connected and will host free community screenings. The spaces is also available for hire for parties and functions. Cinema in the Library promises a unique experience where you can enjoy your favourite films with family and friends in the comfiest seats, with superb surround sound and high-quality picture; all tucked away in your local library. The Fairburn Singers After 17 months and the cancellation of 2 SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER SEASON Pontefract concerts, The Fairburn Singers are Tuesday 3 August - 2pm finally getting back to face-to-face rehearsals. Jumanji: The Next Level They will also be holding a FREE concert and Tuesday 10 August - 2pm refreshments in honour of all the wonderful NHS Trolls World Tour and support staff who worked so hard on our Tuesday 17 August - 2pm behalf over the period of the pandemic. Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom Everyone is welcome to attend the Rainbow Tuesday 24 August - 2pm Concert, which will be held at The Community Toy Story 4 Centre in Fairburn on Monday 13 September 2021 at 7.30 pm. For more information, visit Call 01977 727692 to book tickets or visit fairburnsingers.co.uk. cinemainthelibrary.wordpress.com for more information

4 COMMUNITY

Pontefract in Bloom Summer 2021 by Dr Colin White, Chai

ontefract Town Centre is full of colour this summer with Pontefract in Bloom delivering 14 tiered planters and 11 square Pplanters with a profusion of blooms. We also supported the planting of the St Giles’ Church flower beds, two flower beds in the Valley Gardens, two in Pontefract Park and the new installation of four old row boats at the lakeside in Pontefract Park. First Impressions Nurseries, Ackworth have planted the planters and are providing the watering services for the summer season. First Impressions Nurseries have also provided 45 hanging baskets for Town Centre businesses. The flower beds are all planted and maintained by volunteers; a collaboration of Pontefract in Bloom with the Friends of Pontefract Park, Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens and St Giles’ Church. More than 5,000 plants were required for these displays, at a cost of £5,000 for plants, planting, and watering services. Pontefract in Bloom is supported by Wakefield Council’s Neighbourhood Improvement Fund, Wakefield District Housing and 49 sponsors: businesses, individuals, and families. The lakeside boats are a new initiative, and thanks for Wakefield Council Street Scene Services for providing the old row boats and installing them. We planted them with busy lizzies and geraniums which have given an impressive display, although we hadn’t anticipated that the ducks and geese would find the busy lizzies tasty, and we will have to be more selective with planting in future. Thank you to all our supporters and sponsors.

6 COMMUNITY Pontefract in Bloom 2021 Sponsors

Ropergate Switalskis Solicitors Limited Metro Ropergate Dental Care Electroysis Clinic Boutique 38 Abson Blaza Property Services Coffee Lounge Liquorice Way Pomfret Gallery Taylored Holmes Front Street The Solicitors’ Chambers Mane Hairdressing Pig and Sally Official Frenchic Paint Kendal Estate Agents Stockists (Magistrates Market) Green Dragon Cornmarket Townends Accountants Suzi’s Boutique Martin and Co Estate Agents Beastfair Woods Solicitors Southgate The Play Den Market Place The Blind Pig Newgate Oakworth Consultancy Pickerings of Pontefract Robinson St. Vaux Brothers (Grain and Feed) Gillygate Hartley and Worstenholme Horsefair Knights of Pontefract

Barkers Fencing Giles Boothroyd Michelle’s Flowers Ground Maintenance Farmer Copleys DeLacy Lodge Freemasons Pontefract Library St Marys Community Centre Pontefract Pontefract Town Hall Market Hall Pontefract Rotary Club Pontefract St Giles Church Lioness Club Pontefract Civic Society Liquorice Singers Royal British Legion Friends of Pontefract Park Macklam/ Pontefract Choral Society McGuckin family Pomfretian Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens Pauline West Irene and Brian Holmes Madge Beaumont The Henfrey Family Elma Mangnall

Pontefract in Bloom is also supported by grants from Wakefield District Housing and Wakefield Council’s Neighbourhood Improvement Fund and Local Capital Fund. Planting and watering provided by First Impressions Nurseries, Ackworth.

7 COMMUNITY 7 Illustration by Sandy Fryer by Illustration I Love This Place a poem by Sandy Fryer

I’ve fallen in love and I have to boast Of this little gem On the Yorkshire coast It’s called Saltburn by the Sea

It’s stood for one hundred and fifty years This pier so grand and it’s lift so fine It can take you down from cliff to sand As it did in 1869

You can travel the same today Walk on the beach, or surf away See from Huntcliff a shooting star The changing sunsets towards Redcar

It is naturally unspoiled Because this is its charm Let’s all enjoy it And do it no harm

8 COMMUNITY FAMILY, COSMETIC, IMPROVING ORAL HEALTH The best way to maintain healthy teeth and gums

Join our Dental Membership Plan! From only £8.33 per month.

18 Beastfair, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF8 1AW T 01977 780077 www.pontefractdentalcare.co.uk [email protected] The Haunting of Edward Molcher a short story by Harry Novak (continued)

didn’t see Edward for another week; certainly I text, and he must have known failure to replying would have caused me to bray on his Idoor, so short, terse replies were sent, always in the vein of “I’m fine, we’ll catch up soon”, or words to that effect. Being an engineer, I pride Photo by Antony Walsh myself on being a rational and logical man, though should go home, or go down to the Grove and not devoid of emotion and a love of life. Yet get a pint, you shouldn’t expose yourself.” I hauntings, reality altering events and unshakeable would be lying if I said there was not a part of feelings of dread are not my thing. Had any other me that wanted to do exactly as he suggested, person other than Edward, even a member of to stroll across the peaceful green, walk into the my own family, told me of such an experience, Grove, order a pint of local ale, perhaps another, I would not have believed them. Yet Edward and let the alcohol dissolve my fears like a sugar was both friend and family, was he not? Friends cube in boiling water. Yet I couldn’t do that, and I are the family we choose for ourselves, the ties think that Edward must have known this. emotional and spiritual rather than blood. After “No, I think you need to let me in Ed, and if a week of barely listening in meetings and false you don’t, I’ll hammer on your door until you smiles for clients, I took it upon myself to visit let me in, so don’t bloody argue and put the Edward, unannounced. Arriving at the small but kettle on.” Hesitating briefly, he let me in into quaint little house he owned opposite Carlton the house, a wheezy sigh escaping his chest. It green on a cool Sunday evening, I knocked at his was all I could do not to gasp when I walked into white painted door, with the very real fear he his living room; it was not that it was unkempt, would not answer. Yet answer he did and, god filthy or even over clean. It was still, like a room forgive me, there is a part of me to this day that perfectly frozen in time. It was almost as if the wishes he hadn’t. For Edward was not Edward; passing of seconds moved with glacial slowness, the deep, thoughtful eyes were now sunken and sliding across the skin like oil. A thought occurred red, the modest yet elegant clothes had been to me, one I shared with Edward. replaced by crumpled cast offs. I have always “The tooth?” For of course that is what I thought stories that say a character had aged asked about, “Well-hidden Phil and no, you can’t in a week were a dreadful cliché, after all, how see it. You can’t stay here Phil; you have to go.” can anyone do that? Yet he had aged, the deep His face, lined and weary as it was, was resolute, lines cutting dry furrows from the corners of his some of the steel that had always been in eyes proved that. His skin was as pallid as milk, Edward’s make-up showing. he looked for all the world like a man for whom “I’m not going until you tell me what’s going death is just waiting at the next bus stop. on, I’ll drag you out of here if I have to.” Barking “Phil? He had asked, mildly confused yet laughter escaped him as he sat stiffly on a chair, concerned, “What are you doing here? You hands clasped in front of him. He sat so long

10 COMMUNITY I thought he would never speak, until he finally John shared my worries; Edward had stopped looked up. contacting them. After some research I found “I’m not sure what to say Phil, there are no that Sylvia, as his older parent could request words for this week. You’re not stupid, you can a mental health act assessment from the local see from my face I’m not right.” He stopped authority. Gary the approved mental health sharply, head inclined to the right, as if listening for professional hadn’t wanted to know at first, until an unheard sound. I unloaded my story of how Ed looked and what “What I said you Phil, about the presence? he said. Eventually, they agreed to go to his Well, like a poison in a river, it’s seeped into this house, taking a key his parents held, they entered reality, my reality. I have seen things, things you with a psychiatrist, Ed’s GP and a nurse from wouldn’t believe existed in the darkest corner the local crisis team. They found his body in the of hell, yet I know they’re real. It pulls me, out of kitchen. my rightful place in this universe, to somewhere Officially, the pathologist ruled the cause of darker, shrouded in freezing and stinking mists. death as respiratory arrest, despite Edward having “He stood then, so fast I took a step back, no known health conditions. He was cremated pointing towards the door, he spoke in an icy at Featherstone Crematorium, his ashes scattered voice. over Brockadale. Numbed, I gave a speech at his “Go, Phil, now. I don’t know how it might affect wake, the words tumbling from like heavy rain you just by having been near me, but you must drops. Whatever Edward had feared had claimed go. You are my friend, a man dearer to me than him, of that I was sure. Whoever reads this, almost anyone else, but you must go.” The feeling possibly years after my death, will of course be of being frozen, somehow outside of time, was wondering about the tooth that Edward found, replaced by a sudden ghastly oppression, as if the the obvious epicentre of his torment. Well, I am air had become a vice specifically designed for my a wealthy man, of some standing in this town, body. I desperately wanted to help my friend, my indeed the county of West Yorkshire. I rarely previous conviction around his sanity wavering, make use of this, I am at heart a working-class yet something was not right in this house. As I sit bloke, a staunch supporter of the proletariat, here writing, I can only describe it as a wrongness, justice and equality. Yet in this case, I used all my a sense of destabilising unreality. I resolved to do influence. I had been to school with the morgue as he asked; I would leave but I would somehow assistant at Pinderfields, a man chronically short of get help to him, whatever red tape I had to cut. cash. A few hundred pounds persuaded him to “I can’t leave you like this Ed, you’re not well.” do what I wanted, for paperwork to be filled out Yet oh god, I desperately wanted to run from in a certain way. For the tooth, that ancient relic that house, from the bowel wrenching fear that of evil, had been found clutched in Edward’s hand. burned hot inside me, from the sense that I was The pathologist was baffled, yet no connection somehow slipping away. Ed just barked that awful to the Hermitage was ever made, why would laugh, standing to meet my eyes. it have been? A tooth is a tooth. Perhaps they “Not well? Well, maybe not, but you know, would’ve sent it off for tests and discovered its we’re all just winding down the clock, aren’t we? age. However, the paperwork marked it missing, Waiting for the moment we slip away. Go home dropped and lost. I ensured its disposal, sealed Phil, I’m not going to harm myself if that’s what in a metal box I made myself, weighted with you’re worried about. Go home, and remember gravel and dropped into the River Calder. I sit the laughs we’ve had.” He moved to his front here now and write this, in the darkness of a door, opening it wordlessly. After a brief pause, West Yorkshire night, praying that the evil Edward I stepped out into the cool night air, breathing warned me about has not extended its withered, deeply. The door shut with a muted click; no wormy finger towards me. I pray that my reality goodbyes offered. is not torn from me, sundered by some spectral, I rang Ed’s parents the next day; Sylvia and rusty blade. I pray. I pray.

COMMUNITY 11 METHOD Strawberry 1. Whisk together the flour, baking Cake powder and salt and put aside. 2. Beat together the butter and sugar An easy summer treat to make with kids until pale and fluffy. Then add the egg after strawberry picking. This cake can be and vanilla, mixing well.To this mixture, stored at room temperature for several days gradually add the flour mixture until loosely covered or can be frozen for up to combined and forms a smooth, thick 3 months. batter. 3. Pour the batter into the prepared dish INGREDIENTS and smooth the top with a spatula. 355g flour Add the stawberries, cut side down, to the batter so they completely cover 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder the batter and sprinkle with sugar to 1/2 teaspoon of salt your liking. 85g of unsalted softened butter (plus more for 4. Place in the oven and bake for 10 greasing dish) minutes reducing the heat slighlty until 130g of sugar (plus more for topping cake) the cake is a lighlty golden brown and a tester comes out clean (about an 1 large egg hour). 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 5. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack and 64g milk serve with cream or ice cream and Approx 350g strawberries (hulled and halved) enjoy!

12 More than an education... Friarwood Festival 21st August 2021 2-9pm

family friendly music festival that will beverages (Yorkshire craft beers, The ensure you have a fantastic day out. Spirited turtle and Bar toast (prosecco bar) This year we have an awesome there will also be some good coffee on the Aline up for the main stage. From the amazing go from Caseys coffee. Ensuring you don’t Wakefield gospel choir to our headliners go hungry or thirsty through the day. “Soul Attitude”. This event is run purely by volunteers. We are introducing this year a second There is around 12 of us who have been stage. The acoustic stage with a brilliant and planning the event behind the scenes. diverse line up of musicians. We raise money through ticket sales and There will be lots of fun activities and sponsorship which help us put the event on entertainment for the kids including rides, safely. All money raised goes towards the glitter face painting and crafts. event and back into the improvements on We have some delicious street food the valley gardens. traders attending, The Yorkshire cheese We desperately need more volunteers Grill, Gary Pickles from the Spread Eagle on the day of the event with things like litter in Darrington and Spud bros. There will picking, general support and helping on the be bars serving a wide range of delicious gates.

14 COMMUNITY If you would like to help on the day please get in touch via Facebook or Instagram or email [email protected] We would like to thank our sponsors that kindly sponsored the event which didn’t go ahead in 2020. The Pomfretian and Pomfret Gallery along with a recent 1919 2019 generous donation from the Pomfret Established in 1919, we woodland community nursery. This support are your local, family run, is much appreciated and helps so much towards things like security, first aid and the independent opticians. stage setup. Also many thanks to Mel from Our opticians take their time over Memories by Mel for the logo design. every eye examination ensuring that So get your glitter on and shimmy down every test is performed to the highest to Friarwood Festival Saturday 21st August. possible standard. Tickets now available via eventbrite.... https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/friarwood- “Friendly, P s al & Professi al” festival-tickets-160050602661 www.moorhouseopticians.co.uk Tickets £3 Under 11’s FREE 01977 703 307 They sell out fast so be quick. 51 Ropergate, Pontefract, WF8 1JY

COMMUNITY 15 Richard Holmes, extracted from a group picture. Here he is seen in old age. © Holmes family.

Historical and Related Societies in Pontefract by Eric Houlder

ublic interest in local history and type of person to enter the field. He was an related subjects appears to occure educated craftsman, not yet a professional, in definite spurts. Until well into the though today he would probably be classed Pnineteenth century, such research and as such. Grammar school educated, Holmes interest was the almost exclusive province would put many a modern graduate to of the gentry as these were the only people shame with his knowledge of Latin and with the money, and more importantly the classics. History at the highest level the leisure time to pursue such topics. was already a profession, and the basics Such was Thomas William Tew, resident of of primary and secondary source perusal, Carleton Grange, banker, and local history palaeography and comparative text analysis enthusiast. Tew followed his interests avidly, were already being taught at the more and published the results assisted by his progressive universities. Holmes had been friend, Richard H. H. Holmes the printer of preceded by Fox (who had owned the Gillygate. premises which he purchased in 1861) and Holmes was an example of the second Boothroyd, who both wrote histories of

16 HISTORY & HERITAGE TW Tew, the Pontefract banker and builder of what is now Kenneth Wilson, seen in his director’s tent at a dig near Carleton Community Centre. © Barclay’s Bank. Drax. © Eric Houlder LRPS.

Pontefract earlier in the nineteenth century, like York had established philosophical though today we would class them both as societies which were open to most antiquarians rather than historians. interested folk, including women, though Archaeology on the other hand was still often the latter were only admitted as largely a matter of digging for what you visitors. However, the increase in leisure could find, with little or no attempt to plot time as the twentieth century unfolded, the stratification and only the most rudimentary relative fall in price of books and magazines of plans produced. Holmes’ work in the and journals and the advent of radio and castle was of his nature, consisting almost later television together with the widespread entirely of the trenching of walls. travel – largely involuntary - engendered by Pioneers like Flinders-Petrie in Egypt the two world wars, did finally produce a were beginning to bring order to the generation which was fascinated by the past. indiscriminate unearthing of mainly biblical In Pontefract in 1956, a disparate group cities, and some middle class professionals of people comprising a window-cleaner, were following progress via books and a fireman, an upholsterer and a teacher lantern lectures. National bodies like the signed up for a WEA (Workers’ Educational Society of Antiquaries were already in Association) class in basic archaeology. existence, but few people from lower The catalyst was the BBC Television down the social spectrum could afford their programmes like Animal, Vegetable, Mineral?, fees or travel to their meetings in London, introducing archaeology to a public with no Edinburgh, Oxford or Cambridge. other choice; the BBC provided the only From the early Nineteenth century, cities television service at the time. They and their

HISTORYLOCAL & HISTORY HERITAGE 17 The kiln at Fordham’s clay pipe works in The Booths, 1958. Margaret Markham White, once a supervisor with Sir © Eric Houlder LRPS. Mortimer Wheeler, here pictured at Pontefract Priory in 1960. © Eric Houlder LRPS. classmates decided to form a society, and with the top people was to prove both in the spring of 1957 the Pontefract and instructive and useful for a number of the District Archaeological Society was formed younger diggers when they in turn branched in All Saints Parish Hall. From the beginning, out and began to work on excavations the society was practical, and after learning outside the town. the rudiments of excavation and recording From the beginning, P&DAS wrote the at St John’s Priory, the WEA Class’s own dig, research and study of local history into its the members went on to survey a clay pipe aims and objectives, though initially this was factory in The Booths without external help. almost exclusively through archaeology. One Having its own dig provided the infant member, Mary Whitehead, felt that sufficient society with a regular supply of top speakers members were interested in local history to and experts. The site was listed in the form a completely separate society, and in CBA (Council for British Archaeology) 1965 formed the Pontefract Local History Calendar of Excavations, which attracted Society, which was devoted to documentary the contemporary A-List diggers, like Peggy research into the town’s past. Thus by 1970 Markham White, once a supervisor with Pontefract had both an archaeological Mortimer Wheeler himself, and Kenneth society and a historical society; at the time a Wilson, a rising star of regional archaeology unique situation in a small market town. (they eventually married). This contact To be continued...

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