The Nostalgia column with Margaret Watson: Glimpses of Dewsbury life from old Reporter files

Put together, however, they make interesting reading and for this reason I am including them in my column this week.

I think they give us glimpses of what life used to be like in Dewsbury, and one of them mentions a Hollywood star.

○The following news item appeared in 1955 complete with headline:

Thornhill Marine drives royal children

Driving for Royalty is becoming a regular occurrence for Sgt Donald Auty, 25-year-old son of Mr and Mrs W.A. Auty, of 46, Overthorpe Avenue, Thornhill.

In a letter to his mother, Sgt Auty, who is married and lives in Portsmouth, says how much he enjoys driving for Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

He acted as chauffeur to the Royal children when they visited Portsmouth recently, and the visit was shown on television.

Mr and Mrs Auty thought they recognised their son on the film, and their letter from him confirms they were right.

Sgt Auty has been a Royal Marine for eight years and is personal chauffeur to the Officer Commanding Portsmouth and the Channel Naval Division.

Part of his duties involved driving for other members of the Royal family, including the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Royal.

Sgt Auty who has served in Egypt, Malta, Hong Kong and Malaya, was educated at Victoria Modern School, Dewsbury, and worked in the rate office at Dewsbury Town Hall before joining the Royal Marines for 12 years.

○The following appeared in 1942 in the middle of WW2:

Visit of noted film star

Once again the Pioneer Cinema was crowded for another charity concert in aid of the Dewsbury Pioneers’ Industrial Society Forces’ Fund in aid of the Dewsbury Prisoners of War Association.

During the interval, Mr Hubert Beaumont, MP for Batley and Morley, made a special appeal for the men who had been taken prisoners.

He pointed out they were suffering great hardships, and any comfort they could bring to them should be brought.

He said: “These men would much sooner be fighting the enemy than being prisoners. We at home would not be able to enjoy ourselves this evening but for their sacrifices.”

Deborah Kerr, a popular film star, who had appeared in “Love on the Dole” and other films, also appeared on stage and joined in the appeal. Mr Harry Masterman was responsible for the show, and a collection in aid of the Prisoners of War Association raised over £16.

○The following news item appeared in 1955:

Hundreds see runaway horse career through town

Hundreds of market day shoppers in Dewsbury on Wednesday saw a runaway horse and cart dash through the main streets.

The pony and cart were outside Mark Oldroyd’s mill, Bradford Road, when it was startled and broke the reins.

Nine-year-old Walter Grundy, son of Mr Albert Grundy, of Back Albion Street, Dewsbury, was unable to control it and fell backwards into the cart.

The pony careered down Northgate and as it reached the Market Place roundabout, police constable Holden dashed across the road in an attempt to stop it. But the pony swerved and mounted the pavement, then continued down Church Street.

The constable commandeered a passing vehicle, driven by Mr T Knight, of Horbury, and jumping on the running board gave chase.

They managed to turn the pony into the kerb at Wharfe Street, but it set off again and was eventually stopped in Savile Town. Fortunately, no one was hurt

○ The following appeared in 1920

Gasworks and vegetation

At the Savile Town Gasworks of the Dewsbury Corporation, the resident workmen have been given plots of garden ground, and it is notable how successful the men are in growing various kinds of useful garden produce.

Among the most remarkable products are vegetable marrows, grown out of doors without any covering of glass.

Frequently specimens varying from 6lbs to 14lbs weight are raised in this way.

A record marrow weighing 20lbs was grown by Mr James Gledhill, one of the foreman stokers.

He now has a gourd growing that weighs 45lbs and is 4ft 7inches in circumference and is still increasing in size.

It may be interesting to know that this fine vegetable is growing about 100 yards distance from the retort and purifying houses, and closer still to the boiler’s gas lime heap, and sulphite of ammonia house.

○ The following item appeared in 1937

Gallant Eastborough schoolboy

Schoolchildren playing near Crossley’s Mill Dam, Battye Street, Dewsbury, saw a drowning tragedy narrowly averted.

Four years old Gordon Bradshaw, East Parade, Dewsbury, saw a fish in the water and tried to catch it with his hand.

He missed it and fell in and was carried away by the current. Hearing his screams, Stanley Littlewood, 13-year-old son of Mr and Mrs Cecil Littlewood, Battye Street, Dewsbury, threw down his fishing net and raced to the other side of the dam and dived in.

Gordon was just sinking for the third time when Stanley, holder of the life-saving certificate, and a pupil at Batley Carr Council School, reached him.

Swimming with one hand, he towed him to the edge, where Eunice Littlewood, his sister, and several other children pulled them out.

Gordon was taken home, put to bed, and little the worse for his adventure, was playing out again by 2’ o clock that afternoon.

Stanley, after changing his clothes, returned to his fishing, and some weeks later was presented with the Royal Humane Society certificate for saving a life.