Author: Peter Norcliffe

Norky’s ramble this week describes his time participating in a choir, attending competitions and meeting people.

Norky shares his experiences as a technical officer where he worked to help people in poverty and deprivation

In his latest rambling, Norky shares his family tree and the early historical records of the Norcliffe family

This week, Norky recalls pastimes from his youth such as building plane construction sets and playing with fire!

Norky retells his days spent trainspotting the Streaks amongst other trains at York railway museum, and how he read comics with his cousins

Peter Norcliffe shares with us his experience with his first motorbike and the adventures he went on with it, his love for his group of friends, and most of all, his love for his wife, Moi.

Norky reminisces about Whitsuntide and the community festivals that came with it: music, banners, and pubs for the dads! He also remembers family parties, when the children were sent to bed and the adults went on late-night road adventures.

Peter Norcliffe explains what being proud to be British means to him; he is ardently proud, without being nationalistic, of the four nations of the UK and the union flag, as well as the Yorkshire flag.

Norky wonders what his parents would think of modern day celebrities; while asking what makes a celebrity a celebrity, he reminisces about the likes of Spike Milligan, Charlie Chaplain and Peter Sellers.

Peter Norcliffe, as part of his ‘Norky’s Ramblings’ series, remembers the many childhood conditions and fevers that were harmful to children when he was growing up: typhoid, polio, and influenza. We are, however, lucky to be alive and lucky to have the NHS.

Peter Norcliffe, as part of his Norky’s ramblings, reminisces on his holidays as a six-year old, eating ice cream, pretending to have drowned, and getting caught up with the police.

True stories from ‘Norky’ who comes from Scapegoat Hill, a small, isolated farming village, high on the Pennines in West Yorkshire. You can catch up on his ramblings so far via his author page. I was a very active lad, running about here and there, getting up to some minor mischief and playing games. One of these […]

Peter Norcliffe remembers John Wesley’s description of people from Huddersfield as ‘savage and uncouth’. He tells of the Duediz travellers who were resented by locals. The people of Golcar seemed to make a better impression on John Wesley though.

Peter Norcliffe’s latest ramblings covers the exploits of his younger brother, Nicholas, a fencer who took a trip to Argentina to referee there … in 1982!

Peter Norcliffe writes of the exploits of his local walking group, the ‘WARTS’, and their Yorkshire rambling. “Lockdown has deprived us of opportunities to exercise these in each other’s company and so I have had to turn to writing to keep my skills ticking over.”

Peter Norcliffe recalls the day when he helped his neighbour with a water leak, but came face to face with a fire; he reminisces about his years as a part-time firefighter and the activities his brigade got up to.

Peter Norcliffe dives into family history in this three-parter about his uncles who served in the Second World War. In this instalment, he discusses his Uncle Frank, who served in India.

Peter Norcliffe dives into family history in this three-parter about his uncles who served in the Second World War. In this instalment, he discusses his Uncle Stanely, who served in Normandy.

Peter Norcliffe dives into family history in this three-parter about his uncles who served in the Second World War. In this first instalment, he discusses his Uncle Harold, who served in what was then Burma.

Peter Norcliffe recalls the ‘proper’ snow of 1947, which started falling in January and didn’t clear until mid-March, leaving many homes stranded for weeks.

Norky recalls his most embarrassing moment, which occurred during a German exchange visit in 1955. ” I’m embarrassed about it even now, I can hardly bring myself to put it down in writing, perhaps doing so will after 63 years lay it down to rest.”

Peter Norcliffe reminisces about biplanes, old money, and ‘Doctor Dan’s Health Drink’ in his latest column. ” Not for me a train driver or firefighter – both very noble causes, of course, but I’m sure you will agree, not in the same league as a milk man with a black and white horse.”

Norky goes back to the early fifties to recall a time when some things were scarcer, but the magic of his childhood Christmas lives on in his memories.

Peter Norcliffe’s latest piece goes into local history, older agricultural practises and his memories of his uncle’s tractor.

Peter Norcliffe’s latest piece goes into his own family’s history and the ‘make-do-and-mend’ culture of earlier times. Revisiting his childhood he recalls old ‘Jerries and English battles’ and ‘erry carts’.

True stories from ‘Norky’ who comes from Scapegoat Hill, a small, isolated farming village, high on the Pennines in West Yorkshire. Textile mills had been allowed to run down before I started working, mainly through lack of investment, and cheap foreign imports. The management no doubt assumed, as did the management of many other British […]

True stories from ‘Norky’ who comes from Scapegoat Hill, a small, isolated farming village, high on the Pennines in West Yorkshire. After the Norman invasion of 1066, there was an immediate and obvious separation of society into a two-tier structure: the ruling class who spoke French and the rest. Then, as the ruling class from […]

True stories from ‘Norky’ who comes from Scapegoat Hill, a small, isolated farming village, high on the Pennines in West Yorkshire. You can catch up on his ramblings so far via his author page. The war took a different turn for my father in 1943. He had served on the Scillonian for about a year, plying between […]

True stories from ‘Norky’ who comes from Scapegoat Hill, a small, isolated farming village, high on the Pennines in West Yorkshire. You can catch up on his ramblings so far via his author page. In the months following the end of the Second World War, millions of military personnel were returning to their homes, at […]

In 1890, my great grandparents Joseph and Eliza Senior took the whole family to Sagan in what was then Germany (now Żagań in Poland). This is where a Yorkshire mill owner called Oldroyd set up a textile factory (which is still running today, now in local Polish ownership). He took a skilled labour force with him fro