January meetings

There were two meetings in January of the Filey Ladies Monday Club, each enjoyable with the familiar pattern of notices, discussions and entertainment.

Chairwoman Brenda Sweeney read out letters of thanks for the club collections and donations to the two charities at the party last year - £200 to May Lodge and £55 to Help for Heroes, then read out the usual bits from history.

On the day of January 9 in 1799 the Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduced income tax; in 1898 Gracie Fields, famous singer and entertainer, was born in Rochdale; 1972 was the year of the miners’ strike - this fact recalled many personal memories of the “three day week” and rationing.

Then members entertained themselves deciphering clues to make answers.

Members and the speaker were all well wrapped up to attend the next meeting, it was a very cold evening, but the chairman warmed everyone up when she revealed that as the club bank account was healthy - there would be several little perks to look forward to.

Several forthcoming club activities were discussed before bits from the past were read.

On the day of January 23 in 1924 Ramsay McDonald was Prime Minister of a Labour government; in 1962 Kim Philby defected to Russia; in 1971 George Harrison recorded My Sweet Lord.

Then Filey’s own Catherine Welsh was ready with her usual enthusiasm to reveal the results of her researches into the history of the public houses and hotels in Filey - and there have ben many from the year 1710 and to this day.

She reminded everyone that until Victorian times and the making of the railway, Filey was a fishing village with just Queen Street and a few nearby alleyways, but the residents were well supplied with a variety of pubs, inns, coaching houses.

Names changed but they all were intended for leisure.

Catherine went on to list the names and locations of the many grand hotels built when Filey became a select seaside resort and distributed photographs, some still very recognisable, but regretted that she had been unable to find any pictorial or artistic recording of some hotels that were built and demolished when they failed to thrive.

The next meeting will be on Monday February 6 in the community centre at 7.45pm. There will be a sales table and Paul and Rosemary Harrison will speak about Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.