Things I Like about Barnsley that are Still Here

When did you leave Simitri Rooad, my wife lived in Wilby Lane when I met her circa 1967 up to us getting wed.

 

Championship football.

 

I'm pretty sure we moved from 158 Cemetery Rd in the summer of 1968. Our house was two doors up from the Junction Inn. Round the back was a shared yard with three other houses and direct access to Doncaster Road from there. Not long before we left they upgraded the outside toilets. From having two between the four houses - dirty, dark places with a drop straight to the sewers and wads of newspaper hanging on a nail on the door - we got a toilet each, proper flushing one. I can't be sure but that was probably the first time I used a flushing toilet. Seems like Victorian times, not the 1960s!

 

Paul Wilkinson hairdressers back regent st . Don't need him now mind .

 

Hi Stahlrost. I'm absolutely not having a go, or accusing you of anything or getting stroppy or anything like that, I'm just asking you a question out of interest. I thought I better make that clear to prevent any misunderstanding.

Did you think my similar thread was negative? That's fine if you did, it's just I thought it was nice and made me feel warm and nostalgic. That was certainly the intention anyway. I love Barnsley, for many of the reasons you have mentioned, and although I think there are some problems I have no aspirations to bring it down and unless we can afford to live in Santa Barbara one day and buy a yacht, I think my wife and I will live here for the rest of our lives.

Like I said, I'm not accusing you of saying the thread was negative (and even if you were that's fine) but it is possible to interpret your above post that way and I was interested in your opinion.

I know I've pussyfooted around that and made an arse of it, but it's difficult to get the right tone in the written word and I didn't want us to have a row over what is a very innocent question. If we were in the pub I'd have said "Are you accusing me of being negative you bugger?" and it would be obvious I was being jovial from the smile on my face and the tone in my voice, but you can't do that on here.

 

I didn't think your thread was negative at all, quite the opposite it was nostalgic in a positive way, in my opinion. I suppose I "linked" the two threads by choosing a similar title, perhaps unwisely.

As I've said many times on here, after 30 years in business I've been horrified by the negative impressions people from outside the area have of our town, as I honestly believe it's not that bad. On many occasions people have a bad opinion without ever having been here. On other occasions, people born and bred here leave for whatever reason and then slag the place off. All these things hold the town back and have a negative influence on its economic prosperity. I love the place and defend it to the hilt, although I do recognise the bad things too.

Nowt wrong with your thread at all, it was interesting reading it. I just saw the opportunity to mention even more good points about our town.

 

Cheers mate.

I think, like you judging from what you mentioned in the thread opener, it's the landscape in which Barnsley sits that's the big draw rather than the town centre. I walk around Worsbrough Res every day and it's one of my favourite places in the world. And it has grebes. I love grebes. Having said that, the Town Hall and the work they've done around it now looks brilliant, as does the whole area with the old Tech, St Mary's, Dickie's statue and Churchfields.

I just wish they hadn't built the metropolitan centre in the 60s and left the market how my parents and grandparents remember it. Or upgraded it rather than destroying it. People used to come from miles around to shop in Barnsley. Today it could be an even bigger draw, with different specialist markets every day of the month along with the regular stalls. When the council talk about remaking Barnsley, and wasting £millions on ridiculous schemes, they should look to the past and make us a market town again. We can't compete with Meadowhall, never will be able to, so we've got to do our own thing and there's nothing more fashionable than markets. Get that right, get the town centre buzzing again, get the people in and we'll also attract all the blue ribboned stores that the council have always wanted.

And if they pull the library down they want shafting.

 

Watch out for my dad tomorrow round the res. He's 88 but still goes walking there each morning and many afternoons with his Yorkshire Terrier called Buster. He's slowing down but still manages it, although I believe he spends most of his time chatting rather than actually making any forward progress!

 

BBSers, you're all bloody lovely

 

The walk from my Mum and Dad's house past Milton Ponds in Hoyland across the Forge to Elsecar Heritage centre, through the woods to Wentworth returning via the Burying Lane and Elsecar Reservoir. And the view of Wentworth from their living room.

 

I reckon the best view has to be from the top of highstone lane at ward green

 

Yes I agree but the one coming down the road from Birdwell is the first view a visitor coming off the motorway will get of Barnsley. I wonder how many have turned round and gone back to the M1, thinking they have made a mistake

 

Used to have a sign up in our Doctors surgery that read "this is not a rodeo ". When I asked the doctor about the sign he said that every morning when he arrived and walked past the waiting room he could hear people saying I hope he don't throw me off

 

Driving to Oakwell to get away tickets, going over the crossroad to the top of Grasmere Road and being able to see inside the stadium and the new paint job on the West Stand.

Worked in Huddersfield the last 5/6 years so don't go that way much. Usually walk down Oakwell lane to the ground.

 

Northern College

I have got to have the best job in Barnsley, working there.

 

Almost got that out of our front window. We're a road down, but same view.

 

Top et common .

 

In the summer I regularly cycle from Skelmanthorpe to Cawthorne park which takes me across the top of deffer woods towards High Hoyland and then finally down the hill, its about 5 miles and the views are stunning on a nice day!!!

 

Scout Dyke - or whatever it is called now

 

It's still there but no idea what it is used for now. Further on down the banks of the lake there used to be a hospital, but that has now gone and been replaced by private houses. Lovely part of our town.