[macabethiel]

My brother and I (with wives) are meeting up for an Annual reunion with two brothers Peter & Edward from Leek this weekend.

I was sent to their parents farm on Bottom Houses near Ipstones when my Mum was giving birth to my brother Paul back in 1958!

I used to stay at their farm during summer holidays starting sometime around 1956 they are a lovely family their parents Freda & Joe Sczesniok (now deceased) settled in the UK after the war. Joe was a Polish POW from Gallipoli who was interned on the Isle of Man, his wife Freda was a German speaking Polish lady who worked with my mother when they were working"In Service" for a wealthy Derby family who lived at Wheathills House on Brunn Lane near Mackworth. My Mum was a live-in housekeeper at that time with Joe living in a Tied Cottage working as a Herdsman.

My Mum left Wheathills House when she remarried, Freda & Joe moved to Bottom Houses where they rented a Farm before buying it many years later as sitting tenants.
Joe was a really hard worker, as well as running his farm he also worked at Leek Station initially as a Porter finally becoming Station Master before the line was closed. He used to be a Farm Contractor cutting hedges & building barns. He actually built his eldest sons house !!