LIFE IN MY NORTHERN TOWN

IT has been exactly five years this week since my father died and he was in my thoughts the other day as I sat in the car at the traffic lights at the bottom of Whitworth Road, watching my beard grow in the rear view mirror.

What brought him into my consciousness was the sight of the work being done to the Ukrainian Church at the top of John Street.

The church tower is currently undergoing restoration and it took me back to the days when the church was first bought by the local Ukrainian community.

My father was part of that community and he helped restore the church into the beautiful building it is today. In fact, the wrought iron sign above the pedestrian entrance on the road which reads “Ukrainian Catholic Church” was made and installed by him.

With a little help from Eddie.

Anybody of a certain age who owned a horse will recognise the name Eddie as he was the local blacksmith and he and my Dad had a long and happy friendship.

During the Second World War, my father ended up as a POW in Austria and landed a job on a farm. There was another POW – a blacksmith - who shoed the horses for all the local farmers. His name was Eddie and he and my dad struck up a working relationship.

When the war ended, they went their separate ways – my dad to England and Eddie to wherever.

A few years later my dad was in his local pub – The Trafalgar on Trafalgar Street - when he turned around after buying a pint and who should be stood there but Eddie.

Imagine his surprise and delight at seeing his old mate and the two carried on with their friendship.

Eddie had his blacksmith works at the bottom of Whitworth Road by the side of the Tanners pub and my father would go down and help out whenever he could.

He took me along a few times and I have very happy memories as a small child of being allowed to bash away at bits of metal under the watchful eye of them both.

I always remember the roaring hot furnace fire and Eddie’s friendship – he was a bit of a character and he lived for a while in a caravan in Whitworth if memory serves me well.

Happy memories of two very special men.