The relief of the moors!

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Sat, 24 Oct 2026
  • 274 reads
5 comments
 

A snippet gleaned/found in a letter of July ‘41*, just after his 24th birthday. They had moved to Bradford from the Haslemere area in the South, and from being extremely busy found themsleves rather workless, except for parade etc – I think awaiting embarkation for service overseas, but it proved yet awhile. He wryly admitted he didn't really like being actually short of work, despite the frustration ealier at the amount, and difficulty in getting things finished. I think it was largely transporting in lorries and the organisation of it.

… I am enclosing a view card of Ilkley Moor. I was determined that, having come to Yorkshire, I was going to visit this beauty spot. In which connection your letter showed your supreme ignorance of the Yorkshire language. ‘Baht’at” , my child, is West Riding for”without a hat!”  …

Anyway, I managed to get away about 4:30 on Saturday and forthwith took a bus to Ilkley. Having got there and purchased my cards, I hied me to the moors intending to have a couple of hours walking, return to Ilkley, & bus back to Bradford.

When I got on top I found it absolutely wonderful. After the smoke of Bradford, the air was so clean & pure, the peaty turf was wonderfully springy after the city pavements, and instead of jostling crowds there was pleasant loneliness. I started walking with an amazing energy and covered several miles. Upon asking my way, I discovered I could walk back to Bradford without having to return to Ilkley. This suited me fine so I kept on. I spent a short while at an inn known as Dick Hudsons, which is, apparently, well known in the North country, and returned to Bradford via Shipley Glen. I got in about 11:30 tired out but as happy as a lark. I shall most certainly go out there again – and not only in order to use the return half of my bus ticket! The country reminded me very much of the Berwyns …

The Berwyns are moorland in north-east Wales. He knew exploration of North Wales more than the South, though brought up in the South. But I thought it is good to read of the delight in finding the escape there from the tedium of the waiting army situation, and smoke of the town (probably much more smokey in those days than now!)

*https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/delightful-momentous-task,
https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/starting-read-and-sort
https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/flowers-desert-wartime

 

Certificate U
Biography
Families
Biography
Nature

Comments

Submitted by insertponceyfre... on

Thanks for sharing this Rhiannon - yes, it must have been so dark and dirty during the war, from all the factories and coal smoke. I remember seeing some buildings in London before and after the stone and brickwork was all cleaned and it made a huge difference. For someone living in the country the darkness would have been even more marked

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. Yes, he had lived in small town, and they had been billetted for some time in small southern less industrial towns, but also, it must have been a frustrating time of waiting, after the hard work they had been having, and it was lovely to read of his youthful enthusiastic energy and delight in the wild lonely moors and their beauty! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Yes! Thank You for sharing this letter, Rhiannon. He describes the release so well, the clean air and springy turf. Is it your mother he calls 'my child'?

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you, Di. Yes! A bit cheeky for a 24 year-old courting?! Good relationship, they can have fun and tease!

My sister, who worked in Yorkshire awhile once, just told me when I sent her this, that she hadn't realised he had spent time in Yorkshire and when she first got a job in Leeds, soon after graduating she stayed awhile with a college friend of his called Ifor. I've just found reference to friends of this man having been very good to him at this time with hospitality (when they would lend him civvy clothes for the visit!) living at Dewsbuury. As a previous letter had said that his very good friend Ifor had just gone to sea and how he hoped for his safety, it was good to hear that he had suvived the war! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

All the interweaving stories :0)