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In the early 80s I was privilidged to meet the last hand pen knife manufacturer 'and a Little Mester' in the city He was packing in and I was able to buy for a pub that I was a involved developing lots of the pieces from his factory for display and atmospheric purposes We also had lots of photos taken of him working which were akll used in the pub. Even a small forge or something similar was purchased and 3 legged stools. Unfortunately I have forgotten his name but he made me a pen knife that I greatly treasured only to have sadly lost it years later when stolen from my home. All the bits of the various parts of the knives were all wrapped in paper bundles Blanks torteshell all sorts of finishing materials It was all very sad really the end of an era. The pub was the Jolly Buffer now also long gone. I hope some of this history found a home some where where more appreciated

Both me and my wife remember being taken to see Father Christmas in his grotto, on a little train, running through fir trees, at the very bottom of the moor on the left as you go down. This would have been early 1960s. Opposite, there were empty spaces where shops had been, before the war. I also remember a joke and novelty shop in a very old building across from the Father Christmas, which had itching and sneezing powder packets in the windows. As a little boy, I thought this would have been hilarious!