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Yorkshire Diary: Lotherton Hall memories
IT has been described as 'an Edwardian time capsule', stands on the site of a medieval church and is reputedly visited by the ghost of a dog.
Lotherton Hall in Leeds is celebrating is 40th year in public ownership, during which there will be a series of events exploring its history and some of the lesser known facts about the hall.
Did you know, for example, that the hall itself was given up to public ownership to prevent it being broken up and sold off as a housing estate.
The house which stands today was built around the turn of the last century, the latest extension being added around 1903. It stands on the grounds of an old regency villa and the grounds contain a medieval church.
Its creator, one Colonel Frederick Gascoigne, was obsessed with security and had a firm who specialised in making bank vaults create metal doors and shutters for his library so it would be secure when he was away and they still work today.
Rumour has it that the house is haunted by the ghost of a dog called Black Michael, which, on occasion can be heard scratching at doors.
The Gascoigne family were once one of Yorkshire's largest landowners, with over 11,000 acres, including large parts of five villages. The family's estates included limeworks, all the coal mines at Garforth and a private railway which carried coal, and later passengers to their other house, Parlington Hall.
Michael Thaw is keeper at Lotherton Hall and said the hall was a fine example of what it was like to live in Edwardian times.
Homely
Speaking to Yorkshire Diary, he said: "The thing people like about it compared to other stately homes is that when they first walk in, it feels as though they could live there. A lot of other large houses tend to have the feel like an asylum, whereas this is very homely and has a lot of nice personal touches, very much as the family left it.
"It was lived in right up until 1979 by Lady Lorna-Prescilla Gascoigne. The family loved the place but had no heir and because they didn't want to see it broken up, they donated it to the city.
"It's a bit of a time capsule, you can still imagine what it must have been like to live here. Around the turn of the century, about 1903-1905, they had central heating, hot water and electricity installed."
He added: "The Gascoigne family used to own another house, too, called Parlington Hall, near Aberford, which was about three times larger but was eventually pulled down after it went to rack and ruin."
Part of the anniversary celebrations will include a series of talking tours, one of which will take place on October 31.
A tour about their sports and pastimes will be held on November 11 and the final tour, on December 9, will look at the entertaining that happened in Lotherton.
There will also be chance for people to research their own family history with family history expert Jackie Depelle, on November 6.
Train mystery solved
Your letters...
A former executive and general sales manager with 40 years at the Hunslet Engine Company, the photograph (Yorkshire Diary, July 25, 2009) accosted me like an old friend. It was taken to record the visit of Prince George (later Duke of Kent) in May 1931. Prince George is seen centre right talking to Alexander Campbell, then managing director, whilst at left is John Alcock, a later managing director but I have no identification of the man on the right.
The locomotive in the background is one of eight built by Hunslet for construction use by John Mowlem on their Southampton Graving Dock contract and subsequently used on many other construction and industrial sites for many years.
The connections with the Mersey Tunnel and Liverpool are tenuous. One of the batch of eight locomotives was exhibited at the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Centenary celebrations at Wavertree Park, Liverpool, in September 1930 and Prince George's father, King George V, drove through the Mersey Tunnel on its opening day on July 18, 1934 but neither of these events would have any direct bearing on the photograph.
Donald Townsley, Baronscourt, Whitkirk, Leeds, email: donald@ townsley.org.uk
The picture of the steam locomotive was taken at Hunslet Engine Company, Jack Lane, Leeds 10, in May 1931. The people in the picture are left to right (not the person cut off) are: John Alcock, Alexander Campbell, HRH Prince George (who became King George VI), don't know the one on the right. The locomotive was 0-6-0 saddle tank engine 14in x 20in outside cylinders, an order of one of eight for John Mowlem & Co. Ltd, London built for the Southampton Graving dock.
Neil McCormack, Leeds, email: neil.mccormack703 @ntlworld.com
Yorkshire Diary would also like to thank Barry Blackburn for confirming the people in the picture.
IN relation to a picture which appeared in the Yorkshire Evening Post on Thursday, October 8, I instantly recognised the barber as Jack in his barber shop which was at the top of domestic street in Holbeck, Leeds LS 11, the shop is still there and still bears Jack's name but is now operated by some one else.
Jack was still with us last year, in his 90s. His previous shop was on Niniveh Road near Niniveh Bridge, I first visited his premises there in 1957.
Jack was always friendly, you were always made welcome and could catch up on local gossip.
Stan Thorp, Leeds, email: stanthorp@googlemail.com
Guess the year
This week's question: Weekenders caught the bug, sexist slop fired its last and two musical brothers showed they had more than just rhythm. Which year are we referring to? Answer next week.
Last week's question: The people had an appetite for destruction, the king went bad and Britain and France dug in for the long haul. What year are we referring to? Guns 'N' Roses released their debut album Appetite for Destruction, Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, released his third solo album, Bad, and work began on the Channel Tunnel between the UK and France. All this happened in 1987.
Did you know?
Did you know that actor Brian Blessed, pictured, was born in Mexborough, South Yorkshire in 1937. He made his name on television series Z Cars and appeared in films including Flash Gordon (1980), Henry V (1989), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and The Phantom Menace (1999). In 1990 for BBC documentary climbed Everest without oxygen to 25,400 feet. He is also the oldest man to reach the magnetic north pole on foot.
EP 17 Oct 2009
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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