RANCH BIOGRAPHIES
BERYL ABBOTT
DOB: 6 March 1941
Education: Went to Springfield Infants, New Road School, year at Alder HIll and retook 11+. Then transferred to Skipton Girls High School
Residence: Came to Earby and Ranch in 1943 with parents Bill and Kitty from Liverpool. Lived at 1 Earlsdon Avenue until moved to 28 Kenilworth Drive. Moved to Barnoldswick in 1972
Occupation: Started work at Rolls Royce and followed a secretarial position until 1964. Husband a financial advisor for thirty years, worked for him as a secretary (general dogsbody), now retired
Marital Status: Married Alexander (Sandy) Gibb in September 1963. Son Andrew born September 1964. Daughter Catherine born July 1967. Grandchildren Ben 8, Rosie 5 and Chloe 4
Other: Love music, member of Ghyll Golf Club for over twenty years, motoring holidays, dog/cat/horse lover, collecting fine wines, gourmet cooking, entertaining friends and family
CAROLE BENNETT
DOB: Born 1944 on Warwick Drive, Earby (in a prefab)
Education: Springfield Infants School, Earby New Road School, Alder Hill (for a couple of years) and then Keighley Tech
Residence: Moved into Earby itself in 1946 and returned to the Ranch in 1954 to Kenilworth Drive. Sister Avril lives in Barnoldswick. Moved to Canada in February 1964. Live in Oakville on the shores of Lake Ontario
Occupation: Retired February 2004 and now busier than ever
Marital Status: Carole has three boys with her husband Derek - Paul, Darren and Jason as well as give grandchildren.
Other: Loves the summers when they go sailing as much as they can and enjoy spending time in the garden. Not too crazy about the long, cold winters
MICK BRETT
DOB: Born Bradford 1953
Education: Alder Hill School 1964-1965, Barnoldswick Modern 1965-1969. Nelson College 1969-1970 and Keighley College (Barnoldswick annex) 1970-1973
Residence: Moved to Earby (57 Kenilworth Road) in 1964. Moved to Los Angeles 1995. Moved to San Francisco 1996 for work and returned to Los Angeles 1999
Occupation: Earby Light Engineering apprenticeship 1969-1973. Worked for Haas Automation 1995, Turnkey Technologies 1996. Returned to Los Angeles in 1999 to work for Vortech Superchargers. CNC programmer/setter
Marital Status: Married Linda Watson 1972. One daughter Sonja born 1973. Divorced 1986. Married Janet Horsfield 1995
ANN CAUNCE
DOB: January 1942 in Southport.
Education: Attended Salterforth Primary School, and still remember Miss Longbottom, headmistress, the Christmas concerts, danacing around the Maypole in the large central room., rounders in the school yard, and the heavy iron gates at the front. I think they were green coloured and the brick wall all around. Started at Barnoldswick Secondary Modern School in 1953. No happy memories there, teachers were very strict and scary
Residence: Moved to Earby at about six months old
Occupation: Recently retired after 33 years working for the same company, but putting in a few hours at a new home site on the weekends to help out daughter Lori.
Marital Status: Married in 1962 to Brian Brooks, a Canadian. Separated in 1970, later to divorce in 1973. Have two daughters, Lori who is now 40 and Amanda (Mandy) who is 38. Have five grandchildren, two girls and three boys ranging from two to ten years of age
Other: Accidentally came across Ken's Ranch site three weeks before I retired in November 2003 and have been on it ever since. Wonderful idea he had. I'm hearing from people that I haven't seen for 50 years!
Brother Ian was born March 1943, sister Susan in April 1947. Both born at home on Churchill Avenue. Moved to the new house at 77 Kenilworth, must have been about 1952. Shortly after that my dad announced we were all moving to Canada. Dr Morrison advised him to find a drier climate as he suffered badly from asthma. he left in 1953 to gt established there and we followed him over in June 1954. Does anyone remember buying Ian's and my BSA bikes as we had to sell them
JOHN GOACHER
DOB: 29 January 1950 - Earby
Education: Springfield, New Road Schools, Ermysteds Grammar, Leeds College of Commerce, University of Wales
Residence: Emigrated to America 1972 returning to England in 1979. Lived in Hull for 6 months. Wellington New Zealand 1982. Returned to Michigan 1985.
Occupation: Computer programmer, folk singer/recording artiste. Hosted radio folk song show for 5 years (tapes going cheap!)
Marital Status: Marries Rosy in 1972, divorced. Married Elaine Bolton. Four daughters, a son and two grandsons
Other: Sails on lakes
PAMELA GUPWELL
Education: 1962-1965 went to Charlotte Mason Training College in the Lake District. Worked for 25 years at Pendle Nursery in Barnoldswick
Residence: Lived on the Ranch until 1962, firstly on Warwick Drive in prefab and then moved to Kenilworth Drive. Came back to Kenilworth Drive in 1965. Moved to Barnoldswick
Occupation: Taught at Foulridge School
Marital Status: Met her future husband at Ambleside and married Peter Wilson in 1965. Had two sons Craig and Glyn
MARIA KEATING
DOB: Born in October 1951
Education:
Residence: Maria's family were living in one of the prefabs on Warwick Drive when she was born. Moved into 52 Kenilworth Drive when I was approximately two years old. Lived on the Ranch until March 1967 when we moved to Barnoldswick. There were quite a few of us - in order - Jimmy, Marjorie, Eileen, Carmel, Maria and Helen. Still lives in Barnoldswick
Occupation: Employed by Rolls Royce PLC as a secretary/administrator
Marital Status: Married to Doug Boyd, with two grown up sons, Matthew and Thomas
Other: Helen is 13 years my junior and was born at home. We had a dog Beauty, a small black cross breed and later we acquired a more unusual breed - a Basenji. An extremely elegant, regal looking creature that didn't bark, who answered to the name of 'Mick'. He was totally unmanageable and was responsible, I think, for putting Les Ranson off dogs for life, when one day, Mick rushed out and he bit poor Les on the backside whilst he was running past our gate. (Sorry Les!). Actually, I apologised for this many years later when we both lived down Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick.
Now has a dog called Hollie the collie!
Hobbies are art, travel (love Italy), walking, literature. Also, read the local news for Pendle Voice Talking Newspaper for the blind.
KATHLEEN NUTTALL
DOB: Born Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire in August 1941
Education: Kelbrook School, Skipton Girls High School
Residence: Moved to Nelson and then moved to Earby in 1946. Lived Skipton and Bradford and then Lynton's job moved them to Stoke-on-Trent
Occupation: August 1958-July 1963 Civil Service - Colne Tax Office, Keighley NI Office, Keighley Tax Office. July 1967-August 1976 worked full-time with Jehovah's Witnesses (joined in 1962) in Methil, Scotland; Barnsley, Yorkshire; Tipperary, Irish Republic. From August 1976 onwards reverted to part-time voluntary work with Witnesses picking up whatever work was available locally so the family could stay in Ireland - a poverty stricken country then, unlike today. 1990 works a few hours from home
Marital Status: December 1961 married Lynton Mason, computer programmer. No biological children, loads of 'unofficial' ones
Other: In 1992 Lynton took early retirement due to heart trouble. Kathleen had two cancer operations and says I'M FINE!
DAVID PRIEST
DOB: 25 May 1944 - Crewe (Dad worked at Rolls there)
Education: Kelbrook School. Ermysteds Grammar School
Residence: Moved to Earby Ranch in 1946. Left Earby to live in Kelbrook. Divorced and moved to Cologne, Germany.
Occupation: Rolls Royce apprenticeship. Rhythm guitarist and backing singer for 4 years with a Crosshills group. Worked for Linde as a turner in Germany (couldn't speak a word of German at the beginning). Finally sorted the language problem and now works for a Swedish company, Atlas Copco in Cologne in the Quality Control department (technical documentation and translations).
Marital Status: Married Pauline Barnes in 1964 and went to live in Barnoldswick. Two children - Mandy 1966 and Simon 1967. Divorced. Got custody of the children and re-married 1972 to a local Cologne lass Gisela. Another daughter Chiara, born 1980. Still lives in Cologne.
Other: Still plays guitar and keyboard and tries to keep singing.
MARLENE SWINDELLS
DOB: 20 September 1945 Earby
Education: 1995 Diploma from The University of Winnipeg, Continuing Education Division in Management Studies - majoring in Human Resources
Residence: Lived in John Street until 1952, moved to 33 Kenilworth Drive in 1952. Moved to Winnipeg, Canada in November 1981. Still there despite long snowy cold winters, long hot summers make up for it. Sister Pat Hustwick living at Klondyke near Salterforth
Occupation: Working at The University of Winnipeg in Fundraising. Been there for 24 years, oved around the University.
Marital Status: Married Peter Laycock from Kelbrook in April 1964 and moved to 64 Kenilworth Drive. Son Adam born 1 October 1970. Grandchildren - Dorian 7, James 6 and Jocelyn 6 months