Leeds nostalgia: Floods, dried eggs and stolen car in Leeds canal

They say we've just endured the worst floods in a generation and that may be true but, as this article from the YEP on February 9, 1946 shows, there's nothing new under the sun.

Seventy years ago today and West Yorkshrie was also under water, with flood waters covering railway lines and creating a ‘mile long lake’ near Wakefield.

The rising waters even stopped the LMS main line trains running between London and Scotland, while the River Calder spilled its contents onto surrounding land between Canal Lane, Stanley and Bottomboat, creating a huge lake measuring about a mile in length and in some places up to 4ft deep.

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Ferry Fryston Parish Church at Ferrybridge was flooded to the point where vicar the Rev J L Turney had to climb along railings before wading into the building, only to find the pews almost entirely under water.

In other news, Sir Ben Smith, Food Minister, was reputedly trying his hardest to get hold of some dried egg supplies from the US. It was hoped that some 6,000 tonnes a year could be supplied from Canada.

In court, a Leeds mother was jailed for three months after pleading guilty to using her four-year-old son to help her steal items from shops.

Violet Eileen Teagle, 34, of Francis Street, Chapeltown had been avacuated to Leeds four and a half years earlier. She was caught steeling shoes with £1 11s 1d. In her defence, she told magistrates her home had been burgled two months previous, the thieves taking even her clothes and shoes. “They took all my clothes and everything I have and I had no coupons.”

The police said they would arrange childcare.

Finally, a car crashed into the canal near Pollard Lane on Monday February 11. It had been stolen from the garage of Dr R W Ellis.

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