Member’s Evening 2020

In a very full evening, four members gave short presentations involving the history of Bridlington buses, war damage claims, a local farm house, and local conservation. Most of the presentations were illustrated. The evening was rounded off with a tour the Bridlington Augustinian internet sites.

Bro George Parrott posed a question. He listed five colours and asked for their relevance to Bridlington. The answer was bus company liveries. Bro George then gave a potted history of each company.

Williamsons buses had popular routes around town. Robinsons also did excursions further afield. Three locals ran the “red bus” company.  The “blue buses” included routes to Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. Anfields were the fifth bus company. By the mid 1950’s all these companies had been taken over by East Yorkshire Motor Services.

Bro David Moore found two pieces of paper relating to war time Bridlington on ebay. On one side was a list of aircraft types ticked off including a little known Italian fighter. The other side was a typed list of war damage claims against Bridlington addresses with the District Valuer’s assessments.

Bro David reviewed the assessments against known bomb damage. He mused that the list was probably provisional and the paper had been reused for the aircraft list.  Paper was in short supply in world war two.

Sal Cooke’s piece was about conservation. She reviewed the history and beauty of Flamborough Head. Sal then told the story of local vicar Henry Barnes Wallace who was also a learned ornithologist with concerns about the local seabird population being ravaged by shooting parties.

Through his efforts the Sea Birds Preservation Act was passed in 1869, twenty years before the founding of the RSPB. The popularity of the Dotterel Inn as a shooting lodge waned and it is now 50 years since the RSPB first had a presence at Bempton cliffs.

Chris Gatenby’s farm house was built in 1775. She described its history including an extension to the side, and in 1890, a wing which originally was used as a separate dwelling for the foreman and live-in farm workers.

Chris talked about the occupants. James Raywood was living there in the 1841 census. He was also the Rudston constable. Chris’s husband’s John’s family took over the farm in 1911.

Chris showed some of her favourite features which included a bell board and bell pushes around the house, still there but no longer working.

Finally, Bro Rick Hudson took members on a live tour of the Augustinian’s website and Youtube channel. Among other things, you can find fuller details of the programme and several articles of historic interest. The sites have had many visitors and a “contact us” page has enabled the Augustinians to help out other researchers and has brought to light new information.

The Prior Maureen Bell thanked all contributors for a varied set of interesting presentations.