South Yorkshire Times, January 4, 1969

Expect Yours Was A Holiday Christmas,

But- For them It was different

Christmas Eve transformed a 15 stone blacksmith’s striker at Cadeby Colliery into the reigning “Miss Burcroft,” when with the aid of an apple, an orange and some make-up, Mr. Malcolm Jones changed sex — for charity

Malcolm. (25), of 13, Bentinck Street, Conisbrough dressed up as a woman for customers at the local Castle Inn. He wore a pony tail wig, nylon tights, a mini skirt and borrowed a fur coat to complete his ensemble.

“We did not have a football match for the blind this year — so I decided to do this instead. We have always raised something for them,” he said.

He was in the Castle Inn on Christmas Eve when the idea came to him he went back home and with the help of a neighbour and his family collected the close and was made up. Often a letter he re-entered the Castle to collecting socks for the blind were taken round by friends, while Malcolm “chatted up” customers.

The effort raised £3.

There was a tremendous reaction,” said landlord, Mr. Archie Hamilton “We did not sell any drinks for about 15 minutes—they were laughing, so much. I never expected him to do it, but it was appreciated by everybody.-

Malcolm, who is married with a young daughter, planned to repeat his performance on New Year’s Eve

Still Early To Rise

farming has become a little easier since the days Barnburgh man Mr. William Wheelhouse farmed as a boy. Then, Christmas Day, as any other, began at five a.m.

This year Mr Wheelhouse and his son were up a little later, but still at a time when the rest of us were toasting in bed.

With 70 dairy cattle to milk and feed, the traditional Christmas dinner fitted nicely into the working day

“You never know when you have finished,’ said Mr Wheelhouse “Dairy cattle always need tending, and this year we have had two in calf, but fortunately, they delayed arrival

However, we still find time to enjoy our Christmas dinner,’ he added

Across the way Mr Geoffrey Wilkinson farms feed stock

-Without all the work Involved milking we were able to prepare for Christmas Day

Although it is nice to have Christmas Day off with the family, when you are adult enough to work in a farm, you are also beyond Christmas stockings,” he said.

By The Roadside

Frank Ellerton works the Summer on the East coast, doing odd jobs here and there. In the Winter he takes shelter further inland, coming down through South Yorkshire into Derbyshire. A “South Yorkshire Times” reporter chatted to him at Rawmarsh this week.

While the rest of us were tucking Into turkey over Christmas, Frank had to make do with sandwiches “I was in the Castleforci area over Christmas. said Frank, who expects to spend a few days in Rawmarsh before moving on. “Rotherham is the next town isn’t it ?”

The only change the festive season brings is that people for a whileremember folk like himself, and the odd meal and few shillings are always welcome

How does a man, who has never had a regular job and has always been moving on, live ?

“Religious people and the social usually help out.” he said. At nights I try to find a warm place, but it can be dangerous if you light a fire in an empty house, and the police tend to discourage it anyway,’ he said

Christmas — “the cheer it given to people brings a’ welcome relief from the cold.” He said

Behind The Bar Mr. Derrick Thickett, Ring o’ Bells, Swinton

“I found my enjoyment over Christmas by watching people enjoy themselves,” one Swinton landlord told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter this week

For the majority the Christmas holiday was a time for merriment and indulgence, but for the “pub” landlord the Christmas festivities just added up to a time for extra work and added responsibility; in short, while we played, they worked

But, Mr, Derrick Thickett, Landlord of the Ring o’ Bells Inn. Swinton, found the Yuletide toils very rewarding “My customers made sure that we had a merry Christmas.

“When I came into this job I accepted that we would have to work throughout the year and that holiday times for everyone else would just mean harder work for us. This is O.K with me,” he added.

Christmas Day for the Thicketts was far from the traditional homely occasion that is normally the case. Mr. Thickett’s wife Edna had no time to prepare the seasonal fare her efforts were needed behind the bar

When the last glass had been dried and replaced and the furniture re-arranged for the evening “session”—well after three, the Thicketts were ready to take their Christmas dinner at a local hotel.

“We had booked well in advance and with a lucky to get in at a local hotel, but I would have been prepared to travel up to 25 miles to get a meal,” Mr Thickett said.

But he soon found he was not alone. Several other landlords and their families had the same idea, ‘and on neighbouring tables they too were grabbing a Christmas “bite” before returning to their ‘pubs’ for the evening rush.