b'Bishop WiltonLocal History Bulletin 10 -16 February 2005The Day The Church Spire MovedPeter Cooks Memories of Bishop WiltonP eter Cook lived at No. 56 with his parents WilfHarrogate. In time he came back to Bishop Wilton to and Maria Cook. He was the youngest of fourwork for the Campbells at Cliff Farm.boys, with brothers, William, Albert and Alec. TheAmongst Peters memories: he kept rabbits with eldest, William, left school in 1933 and went to HullEric Sissons to sell to a butcher in Pocklington; his Nautical College. After graduating he went to seamother once asked him to buy some pearl barley but and worked his way up to captain in the Merchantafter playing football on the way to the village shop he Navy. William, or Captain Cook, retired in 1982 andforgot what she wanted and he asked for a stone of now lives in Canada. Albert, 2 years younger thanwheat and the shop keeper, surprised, said, What? William, started working on a farm after leaving schoolHave you started keeping pigs!; Mr Pottage used to before being called up into the army. He served timeshoe horses at Fishers before Hubert Hesslewood; in Italy. He then had a career in landscape gardeningthe church choirmaster was very strict and you at Backhouses in York and at York City Council. Alec,couldnt be in the choir unless you attended choir 2 years younger than Albert, started training to bepractice; Mrs Sissons who lived in the gypsy caravan a motor mechanic after leaving school. He too wasoutside Mill House was a great knitter, Peter used called up into the army and served time in India. Heto take wool to her on his way to school and socks then returned to motor mechanics and worked forwould be ready on his way home; Chapel teas were BRS. held in the Manor Farm barns and everyone trooped Peters grandparents were James and Selinaover after a service; Allan Ripley used to wax his Cook who lived at No. 10. As well as being noted formoustache with oil from under the belt of his threshing wearing a smock and keeping all his money in hismachine.smock pocket, James had a nickname that is still remembered but no-one seems to agree on its origin. Peter has a vivid memory of going to school one morning and seeing the church spire rocking. When he told his teacher he was sent to tell the Rev. Fawcett. As a result it had to be scaffolded for work to be done on it.In 1939, there was an outbreak of diphtheria amongst the school children. Peter along with others was sent to the isolation ward at Driffield hospital and it was thought that he would never walk again. He remembers Charlie Farrows mum and dad, in white coats, who had been allowed to come and visit their son who was expected to die. Mr Farrow spotted Peter and said hed tell his mum and dad hed seen him. As soon as Peter returned home he got german measles!The Cook family moved to Harrogate in 1939 andPeter Cook in a school photo, c1934 and Peter in then to Mickley so Peter finished his schooling in2004 - sportingly recreating his school photo poseBULLETIN 10 151'