As part of Sunday is our “Five Photo Sunday” series:
This week is a set of historical photos submitted by Jim Uney depicting Hedon Brickyard and staff fancy dress event. Jim says:
“As far as I can remember, the Brickyard was located to the rear of the row of houses (Princes Avenue) with the shop at the Hedon end, and would have been in operation up to and including the 1940s. On photo no 5, the boy depicting the boxer is dressed as Bruce Woodcock, a lad from Doncaster who became British Heavyweight Champion in 1945. He was admired for his bravery, especially so in 1947 during his fight with Joe Baksi who dropped him three times in the first round and twice more in the second. He managed to carry on until the seventh when the ref stopped the fight.Bruce was vulnerable to cut eyes, a badly cut eye resulted in his World title fight with Lee Savold being stopped in the 4th.“Is that a young Peter Robson I can see in the background, also on photo number 5?”
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We’ve added a bonus sixth shot to Jim’s five showing a postcard aerial shot of the brick works:
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Hello Jim-thank you for taking the trouble to upload these photos. I can confirm that the person in photo 1 second from right is my father in law Lawrence Robson and to his left is his brother Len Robson(sons of the owner).
My husband Peter Robson is not in any of the photos but has vivid memories of the brickyard even though the family left the area in 1960.
Hi Shane, No I wasn’t on any of the photo’s, I think that around the time that many of them were taken I would still be biking from Paull to Hedon after work three nights a week to catch a bus for night school in Town. But that’s another story. Jim
The man stood up at the back on photo number one of the brickyard photos is my Grandad, Albert Thaxter known as Sam
Melanie Johnson
My husband Peter Robson can remember that Albert T. was a trusted member of the team.
I don’t remember the actual Brickworks that much, but do remember playing around the brickponds as a 10 year old. We would go down Ivy Lane, turn right at the back of Ken Winter’s and across towards where the top end of Farrands Road now is. We used to call it ‘the Oulu’. A chum called Martin had an inflatable dinghy and we used to try to catch the young pike which were readily seen – never remember landing one though.
My grandfather used to call the Works “George Handley’s”. I presume he may have been an owner at one time. I also have a vague memory of being told that before WW1 it used to produce half a million bricks and field drainpipes a year. The aerial view image would support this scale of enterprise.
It was my first job when I left school at Hedon Brick yard , I left school on the Tuesday night and started here on the Wednesday morning .My mother got me the job .The year would be 1959.
In the fancy dress pic is my father (top hat) Eric Boyd my aunt Laura Jackson (long pinny ) and Bill Baker our next door neighbour 14 Princes Ave
I’ve tried to enlarge the photo to have a better view, which unfortunately didn’t work, but that lady on the far right standing next to the soldier in the Hull Road, Fancy Dress photo looks like Mrs Bogg who lived on Hull Road.
Photo of man on his own is my dad William (Bill ) Hunter he was working there a few years before the 2sd world war then he joined up he was to old to fight so joined Coldstream Guards to look after the monarchy , very different From making bricks ,
Hi Janet, Can you tell me Please, if it was your Dad who worked with me at Hull Distillery in the late 40s and early 50s, I think he also went on to run the fish-chip shop at the corner of St Augustine’s Gate and Hull Road, Where you could sit on the wall top (in good weather ) to enjoy a fish and 4
Also a slight correction Mr Editor, The row of houses I refer to with the shop at the end are on Hull road. Regards Jim Uney.
Hi Jim yes that’s right my mam and dad had Hedon fish shop and we lived in house attached to shop I was born there ,
Hi Janet, Thanks for the info regarding your parents, I have happy memories of those times and I remember your Dad well,
I still have many photo’s of Hull Road and Princes Avenue people to show but will wait a while before putting them in.
Regards Jim…..
great photos Jim was you on any ?