Some Memories & Pictures of Catcliffe
Keith, a Catcliffe old boy, now residing in London for his sins has been in touch. He still has in his possession a bottle he dredged up out of the River Rother in his childhood. Pictures of the bottle and his memories are recorded here.
"I was a little shocked to hear that some of the local residents would like to see the Kiln demolished. It was in a far worse state when I was growing up in the 60's/70's. It was literally falling to bits back then, situated on waste ground. We went there to look for what we thought were green marbles, but I later discovered these were in fact bottle stoppers.
In Catcliffe you sometimes hear the kiln being referred to as "Skittle Alley". Which more accurately refers to a row of work men's cottages and a cobbled alley, that was situated next to the Kiln, (where the residents did indeed play skittles in the alley.) Well that's what a primary school teacher names Mrs Cable told us kids.
Regarding the glass waste dumped in the river: I, (probably then aged about 10) had discovered quite a bit of broken, old looking, coloured glass in the shallows of the Rother. So I went home and "borrowed" the garden rake. Came back and had a good old root around. To my delight I dredged out an intact bottle.
It is quite possible of course, that the bottle found its way to its watery resting place from somewhere other than the kiln. But I do remember an old local chap telling me, "that's where all the waste went son," after seeing me with my booty. Maybe there were so many rejects as they has all the glass they needed."