Two Takeaways
Now, at 13-15 Station Street are two takeaways. The first at number 13 is the Sunrise Pizza and Kebab House and, after that, number 15 houses New Diamond Kebabs. Sunrise has been there since at least 2008. New Diamond Kebabs has been there from at least 2015. From 2009 to 2011, number 15 housed a Chinese takeaway Home Chef and before that, in 2008, Laundry Station.
Butchers at 13 Station Street
In 1941 and 1942, number 13 was John Kelsey’s, a butcher. In 1928, it had been John William Gill, a pork butcher. He appears on Jacques’ List of Station Street retailers circa 1920-1940.
Later, it was occupied by another butcher Jack Walton. This is confirmed by and advert in the 1969 Kirkby Directory and a pre-1969 photograph. In a discussion on Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group, Freda Noble noted that before Jack Walton, it had been Middups and they kept pigs at the back of the shop.
Jack Walton
In a discussion on the Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group, Christine Evans noted that Kirkby Riding Club had a Jack Walton Cup which was presented each year to the winner of a particular class. Sue Broughton noted that she thought he sponsored some of the classes. Sue also noted that the Mosses and Smitheringales were the main organisers of Kirkby Riding Club in the mid-60s. The Caters at Pearl Farm were also involved as the original site of the gymkhana was in one of their fields before it moved to The Cricketers in Nuncargate. Sue noted that to get to riding competitions, they rode or led the horse as “only the really posh had transport“.
Recalling Butchers
In her book(let), “I Also Remember“, Edith Searson recalls that the family butcher’s was run by Gervase Gill. Based on the 1921 census, Gervase was John William’s father. Both were butchers. Edith Searson also notes that Jack Walton was the last butcher there and he died suddenly. After being empty for a long time, it reopened as a fish and chip shop.
In a comment on Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group, Ann Hill noted that, “Kirkby was awash with Butchers. It was a thriving mining community where meat and 2 veg and massive Yorkshire puddings were an everyday meal. Good solid hard working people, who played as hard as they worked.” On Kirkby-in-Ashfield Facebook Group, she noted that Jack Walton had a daughter called Pamela.
Recalling Working for Jack Walton
A number of contributors on Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group noted that they or their relative worked for Jack Walton. Specifically, John Wag Harris noted…
“I had a job as Saturday lad at Jack Walton’s probably 1960 ish, it was such a a busy place then, not just the shop but they also had at least 3 vans delivering meat in the surrounding towns & villages. They also rendered lard which was processed into big metal bowls, I remember one job was to carry these over the road to the tin chippy on the corner of Hodgkinson Road.
The main job was cleaning the myriad of pans & trays that were used in the shop, & on the vans. At the rear of the shop were 3 giant walk in freezers where the meat was stored, Kirkby folk must have eaten a lot of meat back then! I can only remember one of the butchers besides Jack, that was Fred Davies who eventually had his own shop in Annesley Woodhouse on the corner of Fox Street, gone now but not forgotten!“
Recalling Jack Walton’s Shop
Others remembered the shop itself. For example, David Meredith noted, “I remember Jack Walton’s butchers late fifties early sixties, meat laid out in the window, busy shop. What I remember was my mother going in there but not a lot more, to me being young a shop was a shop. It’s a lot more interesting now that it’s our history,“
Kathryn Frith noted, “I remember my Mamma taking me in to to Jack Waltons as a very small child and often being given a coin by the person behind the counter (maybe Jack?) and one time a bar of Cadbury’s Old Jamaica chocolate – strange what sticks in your mind eh!“.
Jennifer Colledge recalled walking past the shop coming home from work at Aristoc, which was at the bottom end of Factory Road. She was 16 or 17. She recalled, “I… used to get whistled at walking past, Jack had some nice lasds working there Lol. Lovely shop. 
“.
Midland Cafe
I am grateful to Margaret Davies for her comment on Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group that she remembered a cafe very close to Jack Walton’s that was called Midland Cafe. She noted that she lived on Ellis Street at the time and “you could get a takeaway if you took two plates with you.”
Confectioners
“Then” number 15 was Mrs Gertrude Dale, a confectioners. In 1928, it was also a confectioners but by the name of Jackson Brothers.
Curtain and Covers
In the 1980s, it seems that Curtains and Covers were at number 15 although the number is not very clear on the notice for the window spotting competition.
In discussing this on Kirkby Living Memory Facebook Group, Geoffrey Whetton and Frank Ball thought Malcolm Bennet had been the owner of Curtain and Covers.
13 and 15 Station Street in the Seventies
In a comment on the photo from the early 1970s, someone has said “not a takeaway in sight” but number 13 appears to be Andy’s Fish and Chips. Presumably, this is the fish and chip shop referred to by Edith Searson. Also, wouldn’t fish and chips be, perhaps, the original kind of takeaway? I can’t make out what was at number 15 in that photo.
Living at 13 and 15 Station Street
1939
In 1939, Alfred Kelsey and his wife Phoebe were living at number 13 along with Archibald Ponting and David Pullin, who both worked for the Gas Department. Next door lived Reuben E Dale, a civil servant at the Ministry of Labour and his wife, Mary M Gertrude Dale who is recorded as a confectioner. Staying with them was Hilda J Moore, a temporary typist at the Ministry of Labour.
1921
In 1921, coal miner hewer Samuel Whetton was living at 13 Station Street with his wife, Mary Ann, and their two children Beatrice (b1913) and Cyril (b1916). Arthur Robert Bowl and his wife, Grace Evelyn, were at number 15 with their two children, Gladys Eileen (b1917) and Arthur Alan (b1910). Arthur was described as a colliery labourer above ground.
1911
Arthur and Florence Edith Smith were living at 13 Station Street in 1911 with their daughter Florence Gosta (b1911). He was described as a general and fancy draper. We have encountered him at 11 Station Street which is further evidence perhaps of renumbering between 1911 and 1921. Charles Vine, a boot maker and repairer (dealer) was at number 15 Station Street with William Day, a boarder, also a boot maker and repairer.
1901
In 1901, coal miner hewer Samuel Hind was living at 13 Station Street. He was described as a widower and he had three children with him, William (b1880), John (b1886) and Joe (b1889). William was also a coal miner hewer and John was a horse driver to coal mine. Another coal miner hewer, George Short, lived at 15 with his wife Matilda Ann and their children Arthur (b1879), Albert (b1884), Harold (b1886), Florry (b1888), Maude (b1890) and Edith Ann (b1892). Arthur and Albert were both coal miner hewers and Harold was a horse driver in coal mine.
Grandad Briefly Owned (or Rented) 15 Station Street
According to grandad’s diary for 1945, he paid a deposit on 15 Station Street but soon after sold it to his brother-in-law Ray Cirket.
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