Peter Haynes, 18 January 2022
Hi Jane,
I am Peter Haynes. the youngest son (no sisters) of William Roydon (WRT) ‘Bill’ and Mabel Haynes (nee McLean) and was born, as my father proudly told me, on a billiard table in the Woolpack Inn, Middleton.on 1 July 1958. my parents’ bedroom was the room above.
The pub was a Free House so could sell any beer that my dad chose. There was a local skittles league in which The Woolpack had a team and, one particular year, they were performing poorly so may dad said: “There are two prizes, first and last, if we can’t come first then we’ll have some fun, come last a get the wooden spoon.”
I am enclosing a selection of photographs for you.
This is my father (aged about 40) standing next to the taxi he owned and ran from Oakley Road, Corby about 1955. The seonc photo shows my mother next to the same taxi along with my two brothers. The tallest is Michael (aged 16) and Ronald (aged 10) who older, long term residents may remember.
My parents Bill and Mabel Haynes behind the bar at The Woolpack.
These pictures are of me about 18 months old along with my parents and German Shepherd dog Prince in the back yard at The Woolpack. My father told me that, although Prince was a guard dog for the pub, he would follow me around the yard and wouldn’t allow anybody to get close.
A postcard of the Congregational Chapel on Main Street, Middleton where I was christened (the writing is my father’s). Has it changed at all? I am about 4 years old in the second photo, that was taken on the front steps of what was the fish and chip shop on the corner of Goward Street, Market Harborough. My mother, aunt and grandmother lived together in a terraced cottage in York Street, Market Harborough.being about 4 years old, we must have left Middleton in around 1962.
I hope this is of interest.
Best wishes, Peter Haynes