Category Archives: People

Skating at Forge Dam

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Recently, there were two posts on FaceBook that included newspaper photographs of skaters on the ice at Forge Dam. The pictures show people ‘of mature years’ demonstrating considerable skill on the ice and this attracted a large number of onlookers.

Pictures printed in the Daily Telegraph in January 1909

The original post elicited a few responses including one which pointed readers to film on the Yorkshire Film Archive. Lasting nearly 30 minutes, this silent film is in fact three films put together from 1936, 1945 and 1953. Like the photographs in the newspaper at the start of the century, the participants are mainly adults though a few children are on the ice. From 5 minutes in, the footage is in colour.

The skating was clearly organised and managed. At one point there is a gentleman in a dark suit and wearing a bowler hat. He is stationary in the middle of the ice and appears to be ensuring safety an suitabble behaviour. There are also men clearing away the loose ice created by the blades as the skaters twist and turn

Later the film shows skiers – possibly at Jacob’s Ladder – and also skating on Wire Mill Dam.

The photographer was Kenneth Tofield (1906-1983) who was educated at Pannal Ash College in Harrogate. As a child, he lived on Chorley Road. He married Joan Stringfellow in 1947 and they had one child, John. A keen gardener, in the 1930s Kenneth won the Brighter Sheffield competition five times for the garden at his parent’s house (the category of the competition that he entered was ‘with help’ suggestion he did not do all the ‘spadework’!). Kenneth continued his passion for gardening at the house on Brooklands Crescent (No. 47?) Joan and he moved into after their marriage, creating colourful borders that can be seen on another of his movies “In My Garden”. This film also depicts John waiting for his father on his return from work at the Midland Bank.

Links to the 1st post  and the 2nd post

Kenneth Tofield’s film is here. Other films by Kenneth held at the Yorkshire Film Archive can be found by searching the archive using ‘Tofield’.

Thanks to the original FaceBook poster and the person who shared Tofield’s film

George Eric TAYLOR

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George Eric TAYLOR was born in 1919 into a family that was living at Netherthorpe. His father, Frederick, was a successful Pork Butcher. With branches at Upperthorpe, Hillsborough, Firth Park and London Road, the family business which included pig breeding was, by 1939, jointly owned between Frederick and Edith and their two elder sons. Frederick, Jnr worked in the business, the second son, Jack Andrew was a doctor based at the Royal Hospital and whilst George, the third and youngest child, would have been too young to be a company director.

George was a pupil at King Edward VII school between 1929 and 1936. He had been in the reserves as a volunteer with the 123rd Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery for a few years and by 1940 had been promoted to Lance Bombardier.

George died at home, so his death in April 1940 was more likely to have been illness than injury. George is buried in Fulwood Graveyard in the family plot which has a Commonwealth War Grave headstone.

Why Hopes Are Crushed and Castles Fall

This is a quote from a late 19th century hymn that expresses the hope that ‘in the coming years … we’ll read the meaning of our tears.” Chosen by his parents these words expressed for them their anguish at the death of their youngest son.