An Introduction to the Following Pictures from the Past

A welcome side issue arising from the Canal Gala at Driffield July 2000 was the amount of interest in the old photos we put on display. As a result a number visitors brought their collections of old photos and reminisces to share with us. During the week five individuals offered information (and in three cases photos).

A photo (circa 1939) of a child sat by the towpath (thought to be at Riverhead) was handed in by Cohn Jewitt of Cranswick.

A case full of photos and memorabilia was brought by Mrs Joan Grainger (nee Darwin) of Driffield. Mrs Grainger (an elderly lady) was first on the Canal when she was 3 weeks old. Her parents had a boat and Mrs G remembers having to ‘bow haul" the boat using a canvas harness when there was insufficient wind. In 1939 their boat was fitted with an engine at Thorne. Prior to the engine being fitted it took a day to travel (empty) to Hull but a week to return (full) to Driffield.

Sixteen photos (many in a battered state) were loaned to us for copying by Mr Hought who now lives at Beverley. Mr Hought, with his parents and grandparents used to live at Lockview. Many of his photos show the building in the period from the 1920’s to 50’s. At Mr Hought’s request copies of some of his photos were given to Mr & Mrs Wood, owners of one of the bungalows near Town Lock. They help to emphasise the fact that the Canal was in use before the bungalows were built! Copies of the most interesting photos were made for the DNAA archive collection and there are plans to contact these individuals later to record more of their memories.

Since then Mr Hought has handed over (on loan) a further collection of his family photographs which will also be copied for our archives.

The only picture below not from the Hought family collection is "Keel at Wansford".