"The Old Old Wish"

Si · Post by Si » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 11:10 am

Whilst leafing through some old stuff that belonged to my late auntie May, I found this card, signed by her father (my great grandad Fred.) It's about 3"X4" and looks home-made. What is "The Old Old Wish?" Does anyone know? I am assuming it's some sort of Christmas card, but I could be wrong. It is written in gold ink, and the flowers were made by cutting into the surface of the card with a razor, presumably. There's nowt on the back.I think Drapesy has helped in the past with trying to find The Hopewell Inn, but with no luck. Does anyone remember it?Thanks in advance.Si PS I hope everyone had a great Christmas!!!

Si · Post by Si » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 11:12 am

Perhaps this offy on Hopewell Terrace was the Hopewell Inn? Pic from Leodis.

liits · Post by **liits** » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 11:57 am

The Hopewell was at the junction of Low Whitehouse Row and Glasshouse Street, about five streets away from this picture. The shop in the picture was a licensed grocers store, the shop behind at the junction of Mount Terrace was a chippy.

Si · Post by Si » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 12:25 pm

That's great! Thanks, Liits. I wondered where it was. No pics on Leodis, unfortunately.

liits · Post by **liits** » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 12:38 pm

No, I looked and couldn't find any either.

Si · Post by Si » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 1:22 pm

Do you know anything else about the Hopewell, Liits? PS I'm wondering if The Old Old Wish has something to do with the First World War? It looks to be of that era.

liits · Post by **liits** » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 2:10 pm

The only other things I can tell you are some of the licensees;1908 John William Hanks and, in 1947, James Elliott.The pub still only had a beer license - even up until 1947 - so was still classed as a beer house, not a public house. It’s not listed in the 1881 trade directory so may have been built some time after that.Here is an overlay of the 1908 map onto Google Earth. The Pub is shown in red, the offi and chippy in the Leodis photo are shown in blue.

Si · Post by Si » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 3:47 pm

Thanks Liits, that's very helpful. I guess grandad Fred had it some time after John William Hanks. I do know that he brewed his own beer there. Fred also played rugby union for Morley and Yorkshire.

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 8:01 pm

The Old Old Wish by Wilbur Nesbit. Read it here:http://www.archive.org/stream/oldoldwis ... 7/mode/2up

Si · Post by Si » Sun 27 Dec, 2009 10:56 pm

Thanks, Geordie-Exile. A Christmas poem by Wilbur D. Nesbit, first published in the USA in 1911. It must have been more popular back then, I suppose.