IT’S always lovely to hear from readers in far-off lands and Burton, South Australia, fits the ‘far-off land’ bill perfectly.

Colne Valley lad Dennis Craig is nearly 86 now and lives in a nursing home in Burton, north of Adelaide, which is about 15 minutes’ drive from his home in Elizabeth.

He was inspired to write when he got hold of a copy of the Examiner which carried a story about Ruth, the wife of Head Of Content Andy Hirst, and the trials of midwifery conducted in the teeth of a snowstorm.

Not a problem for midwives in Adelaide, we’re guessing!

It turns out that Mr Craig’s mother was a Colne Valley midwife.

“In 1937 I left Crow Lane School and two days later was taken on as an apprentice electrician with F W Taylor and Son on Manchester Road, Milnsbridge,” he said. “That same month, July, my mother became the WRCC midwife for Golcar, Wellhouse, Crimble, Bolster Moor, Scapegoat Hill and Scammonden.

“We were living in Scar Lane, Golcar, which was in the Huddersfield Borough area so we had to move to 109, Station Road, Golcar. Mum borrowed £100 to buy a 1936 Austin Seven which my mates named the Maternity Express.

“What a difference to our lifestyle that car made! Dad was earning £3 10s a week as a pattern weaver at John Crowther’s Milnsbridge and Mum got £4 10s a week as a midwife. We were posh – there were only four cars in Station Road in 1937.

“For about 30 years mum delivered babies in Colne Valley and attended the antenatal clinic held monthly at Golcar town hall.”

It was on one of these days that the three Colne Valley midwives were told to practice taking blood pressure as they were going to have a sphygmomanometer, or blood pressure measurer, in their kit.

“When the doctor took mum’s blood pressure she immediately stopped her working,’’ said Dennis. “Her pressure was so high she was labelled a ‘walking time bomb’. This broke mum’s heart, as she loved her work.”

Dennis, who says he used to go courting over Eastergate Bridge, got married and lived for a short time in Spring Street, Marsden, and then bought two cottages at Carr Top Lane, Golcar. “The cottages are now one house and look out over Wellhouse,” he said.

He emigrated 50 years ago as a “£10 Pom” – the price of a one way passage – and has enjoyed a long and fruitful life in Australia.

“I love to keep in touch with the Colne Valley,’’ he said. “Crow Lane School holds many pleasant memories. I received a sound grounding in skills which have stood me in good stead through a long working life.”

Our story started with snowbound midwives. At the opposite end of the scale, Mr Craig’s niece, her husband and two girls, formerly of Parkwood Road, Golcar, were threatened by the bush fire that killed many people recently near Adelaide.

“The live in a place called Bendigo,” he said. “Fortunately they were away from the fire zone.”

Mr Craig would love to hear from Huddersfield people. His address is Room F8, Domus Operosa, 316-379 Waterloo Corner Road, Burton, South Australia 5110.