Memories from Our Blacksmith's Shop

For Kathleen Voight the village blacksmith's shop was a special place - Our Blacksmith's Shop indeed, for her maiden name was Armitage and the workshop belonged to father.
Great Grandfather Armitage was a great worker for Beeston Church under the then Canon Raines.  Unfortunately, grandfather did not follow in his father's footsteps but became a 'playboy' and got in with the horse racing fraternity.  He left a certain Mr Watson in charge who made enough money to go to South Africa and there became very rich.
When the Low Moor Mining Company sol the Beeston Hall Estate, Mr Clarke bought the Hall and its garden and my father (Arthur Armitage) bought the other half because his business of Farrier and Wheelwright was on this land.  The outbuildings were converted and let to motorists by my father - also a haulage business, Jimmy Convy's.
My older brother, Willy, lived in the cottage known as Beeston Hall Cottage after the Glitheroes left.  In fact, Mr Glitheroe died.  Mrs Glitheroe's sister was a Sunday School teacher.
Not only was my father a Master Farrier but also a wheelwright and made carts and so on.  The main man, who also taught Willy, my eldest brother, was George Stein who lived at the other side of Leeds but came every day on the tramcar.  The terminus was outside our front door.  Our Blacksmith's Shop, as it was called in those days, stood on the land between the present bus turning circle and first house of the Oldroyds.