FFrroomm tthhee EEddiittoorr B B The wider Binns Family continues to B grow and new data is continually be- I I ing added to the web site. In March I N N 2006 our database contained 6294 N individuals, 417 surnames, 1064 N N N I hope you enjoy the articles we T T families and 13698 events. I think we T H H can all be justly proud of the fact that have chosen to publish in this edi- H S S in October 2008 we now have 9697 tion of the News Letter. If you have S E E E individuals, 1013 surnames, 2518 any stories that are Binns related B B families, and 22889 events. I like to B C C and might be suitable for publication C I I think that our late founder Donald I N N please send them to either Alan or N Benson Binns would have been O O me at the addresses on the back O N N pleased with the progress. W ith your N page. S S help and cooperation I hope we can S N N N see these figures continue to grow. 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E T T T S S S T T T E E E R R R Inside this issue: Poetry Corner 2 W hat A Laugh 10 The Singing Angel 3/4 More Alchemy 10 Peter Goes Binns Spotting 11 Autumn 2008 Flyers 5 Naval Losses 5 W here Do W e Come From? 12 The Happy List 13 Bank Collapse 5 Recent Contacts 13 A Fearful Experience /Methias 6 Clough Hey 7 And Finally..... 14 Horse Dealers 8/9 ....Over to You 14 Issue No: 16 Poetry Corner A n E x c u rs ion by Wilkinson Binns One morning in the month of March Though snow was on the ground W ith two of my companions I took a walk around. W e crossed the bridge that spans the burn Also the beck of Dein And soon we came unto the turn W hich to home again. But one mov‘d on nor took the stile Ho Dick we said what road He said come on, with a queer smile Let‘s go as far as the wood. W e walked on and pass‘d the wood Past Sugden and Lees Moor W here Cradle Edge has views so good And W orth we crossed o‘er. W e climbed the brink and pass‘d Damems And Harewood Hill we cross‘d But ne‘er saw wood nor boughs nor stems But one of us were lost. But soon he came and on we bent Says one we‘ll see old Tom Past Sykes the nearest road we went To Providence we kom. So in we went first rapp‘d at t‘door And there old Tom was sat Some youngsters playing on the floor But on his knee his pet. W ith greetings done t‘wife said oh dear W hy did tont let me know Then I‘d had some better cheer So at me she did blow. It was all sham just so I thought And so it proved to be For soon she made a steamer stout W hich suited to a tee. And after that we‘d good roast beef King‘s ne‘er knew better fare Still she said for you come again Send word and I‘ll prepare. Send word Ah, ah not I indeed For what could we have fitter And great in me will be the change Before I send for better. Page 2 The Singing Angel Alan Penrose Binns I was born on the 19th September 1931 at no. 15 Sta- tion Road, W esham, Kirkham near Preston, an ad- dress that doubled as the local police station, signified by the title above the front door. My parents were Har- old Binns the local bobby and Ethel. I was the second child of the marriage. My elder brother Harold Hugh was 13 years old when I was born which was probably a bit of a shock to my parents who were just getting accustomed to having an almost grown up family. A further shock was to be the birth three years later of a little girl Margaret, known always as Margie. … ..W esham was a small township built around the avoid. busy railway line leading to Blackpool and the Fylde Coast resorts. I was always fascinated by the splendid A favourite game was to play in a hay barn which be- locomotives, especially the aptly named and decorated longed to a local farmer. It was out of the town over the Silver Jubilee. This locomotive passed by at 9am and railway bridge and along an unmade road which we again at 9pm. The morning sighting meant being late used to describe as ”up the brig‘ W e were not supposed for school and the evening passage meant being late to be in this barn but it was a Dutch Barn and as such to bed. The penalties for both regular offences were was open on all sides. W e would climb to the top of the considered to be well worth it. hay and slide down again. Great Fun!! Unknown to us the farmer had grown tired of trespassers and had de- I was an adventurous young boy and as W esham was cided to lay a trap. He placed several pitchforks into the surrounded by woods, streams and flooded marl pits side of the stack with the sharp tines facing upwards. and mill lodges, there were always dangers to be faced The first boy down the slide impaled himself horrifically in the climbing of high trees, the walking across frozen on the tines. He did not die but he was very seriously water in winter and fishing there in summer. So called hurt. W e never played there again. Today the farmer sedate country walks after Sunday School often re- would have had to account for his actions in court but I sulted in torn or soiled best clothes and the inevitable do not recall any prosecution at the time. W e were not punishment when I returned home. One memorable supposed to be on private property and so the fault was peccadillo happened when a visit, against orders, to with us. the farm at Mowbreck Hall ended when I slipped on a One February afternoon I was with a friend called cowpat in the shippon and sat down in the middle of it Ronnie Flood. W e made our way along Derby Road in my best navy blue suit and tried to clean my trousers by sitting on the edge of the water trough in a vain at- behind our house and crossed the fields known as tempt to clean things up. The punishment for that was Towns Hill. In the middle of Towns Hill was a large severe indeed. muddy marl pit which was full of weedy water and cov- ered with a mass of small green water plants that we There was another escapade that ended in dire retribu- always called Jenny Green Teeth. Despite the cold tion. I was taken for a walk when I was about six years Ronnie and I decided to have a swim in this frightening old with my cousin Annie Johnson from Lancaster. She place and we undressed and began to wade out spent a lot of time at our house, long enough to form a through the weeds at the edge. W e had got to knee friendship with a young man called Fred Butler whom I depth when there was a shout and a young man and did not like. In the walk across the field I had an alter- his girl friend came running towards us and ordered us cation with Fred and to annoy him I took a piece of tree out. branch and daubed it with the contents of a cowpat that was handy in the field. I threw the stick at Fred W hen I was being undressed by my mother at bedtime who smartly avoided it and the stick with it‘s contents she was alarmed to see that I was wearing my vest struck Annie in the middle of her smart pink suit!!! There were real dangers lurking that I was lucky to Page 3 The Singing Angel Alan Penrose Binns inside out. She knew that I had been undressed and the story came out. Towns Hill was notorious in W esham as the place where lots of poor unfortunates had cho- sen to end their days. W e might easily have joined them. At the time Ronnie Flood was under doctor‘s or- ders as he was delicate and was attending Preston In- The enquirer was probably taken aback even though firmary receiving Sun Ray treatment!!! The fact that my he professed great amusement when he was an- mother was assisting me to get undressed points to swered, —W hat! Off a b… .