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Wesley Centre Memories > Dave Broadhead

“I know the area around the Wesley Centre well, I lived with my grandfather, Bob Mangham, just up the road on his farm on the site of the health centre until I was 6 years old. My grandfather was one of the head stonemasons in Maltby and I’ve got photo’s of him helping raise the Butter Cross on the corner of Blyth Road in 1929. He also built the steps up next to the Don John so he certainly had a hand in how the area looks now.

He worked as head foreman for Maltby Urban District Council for over 20 years when it was first constituted in 1924. He was also the founder of Maltby Pig Club during the war and the pioneer of Holme Hall Quarries, Stainton. In hindsight he might have made a bit more money if he hadn’t taken on the partners he did but at the time he needed access to their transport.

As a child I spent a lot of time at the Chapel, if there was something going on there I used to get sent along to it. I think it stopped me getting under my grandfathers feet and they certainly started you off young – I’ve still got a card I was given for my 1st birthday from the Methodist Sunday school and that was over 50 years ago now!

I’ve since done some of my own research into the history of the area and I believe the Chapel car park was the site of the hangman of South Yorkshires cottage. One of his neighbours murdered his wife and he had to execute him at Scaftworth near Bawtry. That’s what you call keeping your work close to home!

It’s amazing to think that Millindale at the side of the Chapel used to be a row of holiday cottages. People used to come from Sheffield to take the spring water from the crags. I’m not sure who would holiday here now.

There used to be an outdoor pool up the road at the crags too. My mum once swam backstroke for four lengths with a lit candle on her stomach and didn’t let it go out. Her reward for that was a book. I guess values were different then.

I’m glad to see something positive is being done with the building and I hope Maltby people can get something out of it like I did when I was a kid.”

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Maltby Community Development Trust, The Wesley Centre, Blyth Road, Maltby, Rotherham, S66 8JD
Telephone: 01709 811118 Fax: 01709 811119 Email: ian.cruddas@maltbycdt.org.uk

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