Index of Previous News & Articles
from 2016

   This section contains items of news and articles that were previously featured on our Home page.
   We've kept them here in case you missed them - or want to refer back to them! Just "Click" on the item in the list below or Scroll down the page.
2016 -    11 items
Nov 2016 Sad News: David Wilkinson Passed Away
Oct 2016 Article: "Normanby School Class Photos"
Oct 2016 Publications: Three New Postcards
Oct 2016 Birthday Greetings for Spencer Hardwick
Oct 2016 Publications: 2017 Calendar of Normanby
Aug 2016 Ceremony for William Henry Short VC
Jul 2016 100 Years Ago - Battle of the Somme
Jun 2016 Group Members Tour of Ormesby Hall
Jun 2016 Publication: booklet "Story of a Nobody"
Apr 2016 Publication: Six Postcards of Normanby
Jan 2016 Normanby Co-op Store Closes

Previous News & Articles
from 2016

Sad News from Normanby Local History Group - 1 November 2016  

  This October our long-time member David Wilkinson passed away peacefully at home in Thoralby near Leyburn.
  A Service of Remembrance will be held for David at 1 pm Monday 14th November at St Andrew's Church, Aysgarth.

  David wrote our group's fifth booklet published in 2010 entitled
Diaries of Ralph Jackson -the Pepys of Cleveland
   This booklet features extracts edited by David from transcriptions of the diaries of Ralph Jackson (1736-1790) who was the founder of the Ward-Jackson line of squires of Normanby in Cleveland.
  David made an impressive appearance at our 2012 Exhibition dressed as Ralph Jackson to read extracts from the diaries.

  At our Group's monthly meeting on 26th October we all stood for one minute's silence to remember David.
  In this sad time we reflect that David's work has made more widely accessible extracts from an historic diary that reveals much of the lives of the earlier inhabitants of our Normanby.
  Rest in Peace David.
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"Normanby School Class Photos" - 24 October 2016  

  This new Article shows some of the photographs of Normanby School classes from the many in our group’s archives.
  As many names as possible of the pupils and teachers are identified for each photo.
  Please feel free to view and enjoy them - perhaps recognise yourself and former classmates - and so provide us with more names to add.

  This new Article is under continuous construction !
  We’ll also gradually add more class photos -
- so do come back again and look for new entries !

See this Article  on Normanby.

Three New Postcards - 18 October 2016  

  Our group's postcards have always been popular and we have just published new ones.
  These three single view postcards (Nos.14 to 16) of Normanby & Old Eston village scenes are now available.

See our Publications  page for more details & availability.


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Birthday Greetings for Spencer Hardwick -
     - Our Group's Oldest Member - 13 October 2016  

  12th October was the 99th birthday of Spencer Hardwick our group's oldest member and author of several of our booklets.
  His son Derek sent us the following message:-
  As some of you may know, Spencer moved into a care home in Scarborough earlier this year.   He remains fully alert but he is not as mobile as he once was; he still comes out with the same corny old jokes.
  He sends his regards and often talks about his life in Normanby, the villagers he knew and his links to the Local History Group, the Home Guard and about his working life in the iron and steel works.
  His memory is still good and he still can dredge up stories I haven't heard before.
  He gets on very well with the staff (many of whom I taught) and with the other residents especially the ladies.   When he told the GP he was moving into the care home, the doctor warned him to beware all the rich widows and spinsters.   True to form, he looked at the doc and said
           "It’s nourishment I want, not punishment".
  If you’d seen him on his birthday, he was lapping up all the attention and parading around the dining room in the new T-shirt I got him.   He had that many ladies come up to him and give him hugs and kisses that he said he wouldn’t wash his face for days !
  He certainly enjoyed his special day which was enhanced by the caring staff, his new made friends and the surprising number of cards he got.
  I thought you all might like to see the photos of him to show that he hasn't changed that much since you last saw him.
  Please pass on his best wishes to all who might remember him.
         ------ Regards, Derek Hardwick ------

  Our group sends best wishes to Spencer with many thanks for all his contributions towards remembering Normanby and wish him well in his new home.

2017 Calendar of Normanby "Past & Present" - 1 October 2016  

  Our group's calendars have always been popular and we have just published our new 2017 calendar.
  This depicts pictures of Normanby scenes "Past & Present" taken from nearly the same viewpoints.
  So you can spot the differences to see how much our village has changed - or hasn't !

See our Publications  page for more details & availability.

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6th August Commemorative Ceremony for
               William Henry Short VC - 6 August 2016  

   A Ceremony took place on Saturday 6th August at 11 am to unveil a commemorative paving stone for Private William Henry Short VC in our local Eston Cemetery.
   Local Hero Private William Short of the 8th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) won his VC for most conspicuous bravery on the 6th August 1916 (100 years ago).
   The ceremony was well attended.

  More information and photos of this ceremony can be found
on our Past Events  page.

100 Years Ago - Battle of the Somme - 1 July 2016  

  One of the bloodiest conflicts of the First World War - the Battle of the Somme - began on 1 July 1916 and lasted 141 days until the 18th November 1916.
  In the first day of the battle the casualties were appalling - 57,000 British soldiers of whom 19,000 were killed.
  The battle continued steadily driving the Germans back but at an appalling cost - 420,000 British, 200,000 French and between 450,000 and 600,000 German casualties - killed, missing and injured.
  Soldiers from our village of Normanby suffered heartbreaking losses - nine of the 34 named on our WW1 Memorial died in this bloody battle on the following dates of 1916:
 3rd July Pte. Robert Dale . . . . . . . . . . (10th.Yks) aged 30.
 5th July Lt. Frank Hermiston . . . . . . . . (9th.Yks) aged 25.
 5th July Cpl. Herbert G. Holsey . . . . . (9th.Yks) aged 28.
10th July Pte. Richard J. Hunt . . . . . . . (8th.Yks) aged 21.
10th July Pte. Charles H. Spencer . . . (8th.Yks) aged 28.
20th July Lt. Leonard Ferguson  (13th.Roy.Scots) aged 33.
30th Sep Lt. F.E.S. "Joe" Townsend  (5th.D.L.I.) aged 23.
  1st Oct Sgt.Maurice B.Mallinson  (N/land Fusrs) aged 23.
10th Nov Capt. John Serginson . . . . . . (4th.Yks) aged 26.
  So many lives cut short, women widowed, children orphaned, parents losing sons - and also the many maimed in body or mind.
  The terrible attrition of the Somme was not futile - it eventually led to allied victory in 1918 - but it was a terrible human tragedy.
                   - - - We must never forget! - - -

More information on the 34 brave local men whose names appear on the Normanby War Memorial is published in our booklet
"In Memory of the Men of Normanby".
See our Publications  page for more details.

Group Members Tour of Ormesby Hall - Wednesday 22nd June 2016  

   This National Trust 18th century mansion is only a few miles from Normanby.
   Members of our group spent a sunny morning at Ormesby Hall on a two hour conducted tour after which we rested on the terrace with welcome refreshments from the shop!
   It was a very interesting and informative day which we all enjoyed.

  More information and photos of our tour can be found
on our Past Events  page.

"Story of a Nobody" - 6 June 2016  

  Our group's ninth booklet records the story of Richard (Dick) Clark born 1918 in California, Eston.
  In June 2014 on a Normanby LHG outing to the Eden Camp Museum at Malton group member Kester Marsh noticed a poster in a former Prisoner of War hut mentioning that Dick Clark the Eston born soldier had been a POW but official errors had led to him being listed as killed in action with the subsequent "loss" of his identity.
  Kester decided to find out more about the "Man with No Name" and through his researches eventually contacted 96 year old Dick (in Canada) who told him of his interesting autobiography and the attempts to retrieve his identity by correcting the official records.
  With Dick's blessing his story is published in this booklet to ensure it is not forgotten.  Also included are "My Life as a Prisoner of War" (his secret diary as a POW), copies of documents of his army life and subsequent letters used in restoring his correct service history - and so regaining his identity!

See our Publications  page for more details & availability.

Six New Postcards - Tuesday 5th April 2016  

  Our group has produced 6 new postcards depicting views of Normanby in times past which may well bring back your memories of our village.
  One view (shown here) is of our original Normanby Co-op store - its successor closed in January.

See our Publications  page for more details & availability.


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Normanby Co-op Store Closes - Saturday 30th January 2016  

  Our Co-op has been an integral part of Normanby life since early 1930s - the original shop is shown here - eventually replaced by the modern supermarket.
  Very sadly its doors have closed after some 80 years.
  Many Normanby folk will miss this store, especially elderly people who find it difficult to walk very far and those who don't drive - it is a huge loss for Normanby.
  There are rumours about what will happen to the Co-op site:
an Iceland store or a pub or even cleared by the Council to make way for a new road layout - but no-one knows.
  We hope all the Co-op staff manage to get work elsewhere and we wish them all the very best for the future.

  Photos of the original store and photos taken by Amanda Proud on the last day of opening can be seen on our Photo Gallery.

If you have any more photos or memorabilia of our Co-op or memories to relate -
          - then please contact us  !