Balls

Few like balls the way the people of Holmfirth do. Whether it be Old Tom's Rum Balls, Uncle Joe's Mint Balls, or even Poor Ben's.

They'll happily trudge through rain and snow to seek out the balls they long for - and they'll find them here, in the gritty back streets of Holmfirth, amidst random tourist trash shops and the delightfully named “Michael's”, the barbers. The little streets are great, adding to the cuteness of what might otherwise be a very ordinary town.

What helps, also, is that the hugely successful TV series “Last of the summer wine” was filmed here, thus ensuring a string of grotty, or not so grotty shops will be here for many years to come.

I do not count “Michael's” the barbers amongst this number. I remember, all too painfully, the time my mother took me there for a hair cut and ended up with an ear cut. The display of blood was impressive and I felt quite faint. Ah, but this is Yorkshire - he still demanded to be paid. They are tough folk here.

See those buildings in the distance on the left? They are really thin buildings. I mean, you'd go a long way to find a building that thin. I'm serious - if you saw the plans for a building that thin, you'd tell the architect not to bother. Yet if you look at them head on from the street, they look perfectly normal. It's not an optical illusion, but it looks like one.

Of course, they have to be thin, because if they were thicker, they'd either be built into the already tiny road or into the river. The amazing thing is that they built them at all.

Ah, this place is brim-full of memories for me. Expect a couple more Holmfirth posting before I am done. It's like walking down memory lane, it really is.

Comments

[John Cooper]

Why is it that sweets never taste like the flavour they're supposed to be. I mean Rum balls just aren't going to taste like rum. Mint sweets don't taste like the stuff we grow in our garden. I love licourice, but hate all Liquorice "flavoured" things. I don't care if they're balls or not. Except meatballs - they do taste of meat obviously. And mothballs as well. OK so my theory is rubbish.

[Liz Marshall]

So, what about cannonballs?
Mothballs don't taste of moths!
Maybe meatballs are the exception to the rule.

[Rebecca]

I am sure that fluff balls must taste of fluff, eeuuhhh..

[Jason]

Yes. Yes they do.