We've always been proud to attend the Remembrance Sunday service there. The attendance seems to have steadily grown over the years, too.
Agree the layout is cheap and ugly. I remember in the past there was a greengrocer (Jack Hall's), a butcher (Christopher Guest) and even a fresh fish shop (Sowerbys). Now it's just several takeaway shops and off-licenses. The market is a quarter of the size it once was. The Indian restaurant Elachi is the only decent looking place I'd say. Co-op has shut now as well. Elsecar around the park, Milton Pub and The Market and Heritage Centre still looks good though.
Hope your right mate re Hoyland. But in the seventies. ( and any hoylanders please fill in any gaps.) when we walked up from jump.( and I’m leaving platts common and elsecar out of this. But they also had their fair share) Not inc wmc’s Welcome inn. Queens. Kestrel Gate Porters Gardeners Beggar Prospect Got to include Birdcage. ( not sure where elsecar starts and hoyland starts. ) 5 minute walk potters and furnace. Which cloughs lot would frequent.
Guessing lil. But on the social side. I just think people were able to find it easier to move to more popular towns and cities. Barnsley. Sheffield. Wakefield. And places like Hoyland suffered. It used to heave in all the pubs in those days. Then all fighting for custom. The main place I find that bucked the trend in the last 15/20 yrs was wombwell. The biggest draw Wetherspoons which revitalised the town people going to other pubs. Going back to Hoyland. The retail premises suffered ( IMO) As Hoyland didn’t have what lots of places had ( including wombwell) lots of choice in a variety of shopping. Wombwell having an high st that had more diverse options. Lots of takeaways now taking over lots of those premises. So still some life left in it. As I say as a jumper/wombwell then Hemingfielder that is only my opinion. Maybe an Hoylander could give us a better insight. IMHO I do believe and many hoylanders I know are of the same opinions. Like em or not. A Wetherspoons would have brought it to life. It certainly would even now. And I believe would have been a great place for em to invest.
Cheers, old mate, much appreciated. Forgive my obvious ignorance, but I don't know a great deal about Hoyland and how it's changed over the years. Which is why I'd asked the question of Dragon Tyke. There's no doubt that most of the changes there, however well intentioned, don't appear to have been met with the greatest of approval by the locals.
Hoyland common has developed into a cracking night out over the past few years, and slso some decent pubs just a small walk to the centre. If they’re all there still after this. Tap and brew is brilliant btw.
It’s incredible mate. The only town supermarket (co-op) has closed ( still empty) . A B and M’s has moved into Hoyland, a couple of micro bars. 2 pubs still surviving. I genuinely hope more investment is poured into the town. (I rarely visit myself) They do have a Herons. Jack Fultons. Boyes and another few small independent retailers. And a Tesco at platts common.
Bat out of Hell and Cold as Ice in Oliver's Ale House. And the **** monster of course, when he struck.
Was the Ball inn Oliver’s ale house in its previous life or the Gate. Turf became Kestrel. And wasn’t it Strafford not Stratford. ?
Yep...Oliver's Ale House then Porters was The Ball (Inn ?) in the 70's Beggar and Gentleman was the Strafford Arms as has been said but it was The Beggar and Gentleman before that. Also ,as said , the Turf became the Kestrel but the original Turf was in the car park at the side of Barclays.
Don't really view the 60's, 70's growing up around Lundwood as the good old days but do lament the loss of community spirit in villages like ours, would assume Hoyland, Wombwell, Dodworth etc had the same......normally due to the pits and clubs. ( and local footy coming out of pits and clubs)