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| Ancestor Gateway Forum - STAMFORD MEMORIES GATEWAY (Lincolnshire England) used as PRIDE and PREJUDICE FILM SET | New Topic | Search |
| Thread Topic: Harpers the plumber Topic Originator: roger hardingham Post Date September 19, 2008 @ 9:28 PM |
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| roger hardingham |
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Does anyone recall my Uncle Harper's business. WE Harper the plumber? He lived in Empngham Road with myAunty Amy and ran the plumbing business for many years. I recall a farm with cows was nearly opposite the hous in Empingham Road> Rger |
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| syd |
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I worked for Clark and Beltons, a small local building firm in the late 50s early 60s and they used Mr Harper, he was a nice little man as I recall, the farm and cows belonged to Mr Roberts and his son Ken. they opened the gates in the morning and the cows wandered off up Empingham Road turned into Foundry Road and carried on down onto the meadows, all Ken had to do was open and shut the gates and then the return journey in the evening in their own time. Happy days! |
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| Roger |
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Remember both Harpers and Ken Roberts who was our milkman. Harpers also had a "shop" type of place in St Peter's St. Ken's mum and dad also ran the business with him for many years and I think they actually had 2 places in Empingham Road, one was a bit further down the hill and set back off the road. |
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| roger hardingham |
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Thanks for that Syd, I was only about 6 or 7, but do just recall the cows coming out of the farm into the road. My uncle Walter sadly died a few years ago, but his wife Amy is quite well and her sons are in touch a great deal with us all. Walter finally had a shop in West Street selling the parts for plumbing etc and giving out advice rather than doing the actual jobs. It was a very wise move and was a great success. |
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| Daphne Hawkins ne Harrod) |
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I have just been given this site by a kind neighbour - how interesting! I remember Wally Harper very well. My Dad was a Collyweston slater as were other members of my family and my son continues the craft. Mr Harper used to do lead work for my father on the Collyweston slated roofs. I remember him living in Empingham road and I also remember a little shop he had in St. Peter's street. When my husband and I moved into Stamford from Collyweston in 1985 we lived in Queens Walk and borrowed lots of unusual tools from Wally when we were moving in. I also remember Walter cycling up to Collyweston to see my father about work. He did all the plumbing at The Orchards Collyweston when my father built this stone bungalow which we moved into in 1968. I also remember Amy when she used to sing in the "Blackstones Follies" I believe the concert party was called. I also know that she entertained many people in the town and it is good to see that she is still around. Hope these small snippets of information are of interest to you. Kate: Hello Daphne. Thankyou very much for your 2 postings. These are the sort of "snippets" we want - as they are full of information which is not available anywhere else. They also jog other people's memories and form links which lead to other people being remembered. Any other memories from you always welcomed. My great aunt and uncle lived at Collyweston and had a slate mine entrance at the bottom of their garden. We used to love to visit them as they had rabbits, chickens etc running free on their garden and also a well which was in use for their water supply. |
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| Daphne Hawkins |
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Hello Kate, How interesting guess I knew them. My father had two mines. One, known as the "Foxhole" was on the site where the bungalow "The Orchards" stands. The others were shafts which were on Gadsby's Field. The actual area now belongs to Bowmans and the shafts have been filled in. I used to play in the "Fox Hole" as a child and watched the slaters working underground. I was never allowed into the shafts! Hi Daphne. My great aunt and uncle were Mr & Mrs Walter ELY. Walter was a painter and decorator. My aunt was Lilian ELY (nee Davies) - Aunt Lil. Uncle Frank (Aunt Lil's brother) lived with them. His wife and child and had both died in childbirth. They lived in a prefab type bungalow on a large site of land on the righthand side of the road - through Collyeston (travelling from Stamford set back from the road and up a winding lane. |
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| Joan Stafford |
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I remember Walter and Amy Harper, I worked for Walter in his office, which was situated behind the house in Empingham Road. I worked their from 1965/66 until 1968 when I left to have my 3rd child. When I wasn't busy I would go into the the house and Amy would teach me dressmaking, which was her trade. He employed about 4 men when I was there - 2 Barlow brothers, also Harry Stanger. |
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| Andrew Harper |
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Roger has just told me about this forum. Walter was my father! I'm fascinated to read these reminiscences. I've lived in London for over 30 years; my brother David is in Germany. I was with my mother on Christmas Day; now aged 89 and living at Blackstones Court off Ryhall Road; much afflicted by arthritis but staying cheerful - and as she puts it, "I've still got my marbles". I visit her about twice-a-month and am always happy to have a walk around in Stamford. I remember when Joan worked for my father, in a wooden office built in the garden. This was at a time when Walter's business developed rapidly and he took on more people, doing oil-fired central heating installations. I recall Harry Stanger, Dick Hill, two Barwell brothers and Reg Robinson. Kate: Hi Andrew. Thanks very much for that. Glad you like the postings about your father and hope your mother did not mind people remembering the past in print on here. Thanks for giving the names of the people who worked for Harpers. Word gets around and they may make their own contribution when someone mentions it to them. |
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| DAPHNE HAWKINS |
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Hi Andrew Guess you wont remember me but I remember either you or your brother helping your father with the plumbing and heating when my father, J.J.Harrod, who was a Collyweston slater, built a bungalow at Collyweston in 1968. Was it you or your brother who became rather unpopular when a foot slipped through the newly plastered hall ceiling. Memories! I haven't seen your mother recently but saw her on a regular basis at one time when she was able to entertain and attend Cruse Bereavement Care Social Events with which my husband and I are still involved Nice to hear of you. Kind regards Daphne |
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| Daphne |
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Hi Kate Sorry Ive been so long getting back. Of course I knew Mr & Mrs Ely very well. I was brought up in the house, now called "Lomg Wall" the first house after Slate Drift travelling towards Stamford. We moved into this house in 1938. Do you remember Mr & Mrs Hogg who also lived in Slate Drift? Sadly they have both died but I am still in touch with Jean who, like us,now lives in Stamford. Kind Regards, Daphne |
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| andrew allen |
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I was a good friend of David Harper in the 1970s and 1980s. He used to accompany my flute playing on the piano. I visitid the Empingham road house many times and visited David in Regensberg in 1982. Great to hear that Mrs Harper is still alive. I would love to get in touch with David again if anyone has a contact for him. |
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| Mike Laughton |
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Amy was a great singer! She was a Stalwart of Stamford Amateur Operatic Society (now SAMS) for many years. During the late 1940s and early 1950s she was the young leading soprano. Later she did character roles and one of her best was Nettie in Carousel where she got to sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" That song remained the big number in her repertoire thereafter. She did countless concerts for the Darby and Joan and other organisations. When Amy sang You'll never Walk Alone she did it as it was written and meant go be sung - like a hymn - not the way the song is sung by Gerry and the Pacemakers and Liverpool supporters. When we did a fundraising concert in 1985 for the Bradford Football Fire appeal, Amy closed the show with the song. I remember the plumbing workshop in St Peter's Street. Mr Carpenter the tailor, who lived in Austin Street, shared the premises and had the shop next door. He had lost a leg in World War One and walked with the aid of crutches. |
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| Catherine Doubleday nee hardingham |
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How lovely to read all of these comments. I am distantly related to Walter harper my eldest brother married his older sister. I also worked for Walter when I first left school they were such happy days . That was in a largish shed at the back of their house, I always remember aunts Amy bringing me lovely coffee for my break. She also made my going away outfit when I was married for the first time. Bless them both . |
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| Tim Mytton |
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I can remember Wally very well. I worked for various plumbing firms in town (Alan Mawer, JMP Electrical Plumbing dept & Bowman). If ever there was a fitting that you needed Wally generally had it. If he didn't have it he could get it. If he couldn't get it you've had it. He used to have a lot of stock upstairs and and you could here him moving stuff about trying to find the fitting you required. He used to go over to Germany skiing and I seem to remember him wearing a lerderhosen. He used to have a German working for him who was a plumber but he wasn't on the scene for long. He was a true businessman and would try his best to flog you something he would convince you it would do the job.It was a real blow when Wally packed up. |
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