Reminiscences of Rotherham
by Alderman Geo. Gummer, J.P.
« « prevTalbot Lane, she appeared to he a quiet and sensible old lady. Yet every time she appeared in the streets the juveniles jibed and sneered at her, calling her Fusty Bet, a procedure winch drove her frantic with rage.
TOSH
A tall, lanky, bony and boisterous man living in Westgate, the terror of the town, went by the name of Tosh Rylands. When in drink and quarrelsome, no policeman would dare to tackle him alone. When it became necessary to take hint into custody it required six men in blue to get him to the Police Court. During one of these frequent scenes in Westgate the police were compelled to requisite a cab and forced Tosh in, only to have the sides kicked out.His brother, for many years the respected licensee of the Falstaff, was, on the contrary. a quiet and peaceable citizen. he would never allow any customer of his to drink to excess, and many wives have had him to thank for their husbands early return home. On Saturday, the pay day, if a workman showed the slightest inclination to stay, he quietly advised him to take his money to his wife, who was waiting at home, tidy himself up, and after a meal, he could come back if he wished. It is a pity we have not more of his type conducting the public-houses of to-day.
STRANGE MEETINGS
To meet the friends of one’s boyhood days after a lapse of many years, and to renew the old friendships, falls to the lot of comparatively few.I have had several experiences of this kind. Some years ago, whilst on a visit to the Southport and Ainsdale golf links. I found. to my astonishment, an old playmate whom I had not seen for over 55 year acting as honorary secretary to the club, Of course, neither recognised the friend of other days; it was the names alone that brought back memories of the past.
Quite recently I was greeted in Bridlington by another friend of my boyhood, in this case a Rotlherham man named Robert Bramley, whose parents formerly kept the branch post - office in College road. He will be remembered by some of my readers, having been in the employ of the Midland Railway Company at Masbro’ Station until reaching manhood, and by others as the brother of Mrs. Turner, whose husband, 'Tillum' Turner, kept the High House Inn, in the Crofts, for over 20 years. I learnt that he had lost his wife some years ago and quite recently had married Miss Nellie Colley, another old playmate of mine, who, as a young girl, lived with her mother, who kept the Ship Hotel, Rotherham. Robert Bramley is now retired from business and resides at Bridlington. We often have a chat about the days of long ago, and as a result he has furnished me with an account of an entertainment at which both of us were present. This, I think, will be interesting. Here it is, in Mr. Bramley’s own words:-
JOHN BROWN AND HIS CELLO
In the early seventies the Penny Reading movement spread to Rotherham. Involved were few difficulties of organisation and but little expense beyond the hire of the hall. The entertainments were held in the old Mechanics’ Hall. The Rev. J. J. Christie, the Grammar School headmaster, and Mr. John Barras were the most active leaders. The services of the entertainers were invariably given. Amateur acting in its various forms was given a strong forward urge from this date. Musical items were ‘interspersed with the literary' , and soon formed the most attractive feature. Apart from societies, singers and musicians privately taught rarely performed in public.Mr. James Leadbeater (the optician) a fine figure of a man, was a great attraction. He was the first amateur comic singer of any education to appear in Rotherham in my recollection, and was a capital performer » next
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