THE NORMAN NICHOLSON HOUSE PROJECT
Nicholson’s links with Haverigg
Of the many shops that opened along Main Street many would have had the family living behind them with the family and business combined under one roof. Norman Nicholson lived behind his father’s Outfitter’s shop at No 14 St George’s
Terrace, Millom, until the 1970s when the shop closed and the room became part of the house again. His stepmother, Rosetta Sobey, was born in Haverigg close to the Pool and in his autobiography ‘Wednesday Early Closing’ he recalls her telling him about the effects of living so close to the sea:
‘My stepmother was born in a little house only a few yards away from the chapel and close beside the waters of Haverigg Pool, which, at high tide, flooded both house and chapel. She could remember her father baling sea-water out of the piano after one of the highest tides, and there were stories of flukes or flounders left stranded on the kitchen floor.’ - WEC p.75
Her family, the Sobeys, like most people who moved into the area from Cornwall and Devon, were Methodists and attended the chapel of the Bible Christians which was on Sea View close to their home. This chapel has been demolished now and a house has been built on the site but the sandstone foundation stone can still be seen at the end of the driveway.
Haverigg resident Mrs M Gardner remembered there was a Reading Room on Main Street, opposite Town Head, where people could meet and read the newspapers.
There was a branch library which first opened in the school building in Atkinson Street. Then it moved to 50 Main Street before moving again to 12 Main Street until closing in 1981, replaced by a mobile library. Mrs Gardner also recalled a time when there were 23 shops in Haverigg including two fish and chip shops, two butchers shops, sweet shop, Post Office, dress shop, Floyd’s general store, wallpaper and paint shop, clog maker and paper shop. At the time of writing there are four shops operating in the village.
Of the many shops that opened along Main Street many would have had the family living behind them with the family and business combined under one roof. Norman Nicholson lived behind his father’s Outfitter’s shop at No 14 St George’s
Terrace, Millom, until the 1970s when the shop closed and the room became part of the house again. His stepmother, Rosetta Sobey, was born in Haverigg close to the Pool and in his autobiography ‘Wednesday Early Closing’ he recalls her telling him about the effects of living so close to the sea:
‘My stepmother was born in a little house only a few yards away from the chapel and close beside the waters of Haverigg Pool, which, at high tide, flooded both house and chapel. She could remember her father baling sea-water out of the piano after one of the highest tides, and there were stories of flukes or flounders left stranded on the kitchen floor.’ - WEC p.75
Her family, the Sobeys, like most people who moved into the area from Cornwall and Devon, were Methodists and attended the chapel of the Bible Christians which was on Sea View close to their home. This chapel has been demolished now and a house has been built on the site but the sandstone foundation stone can still be seen at the end of the driveway.
Haverigg resident Mrs M Gardner remembered there was a Reading Room on Main Street, opposite Town Head, where people could meet and read the newspapers.
There was a branch library which first opened in the school building in Atkinson Street. Then it moved to 50 Main Street before moving again to 12 Main Street until closing in 1981, replaced by a mobile library. Mrs Gardner also recalled a time when there were 23 shops in Haverigg including two fish and chip shops, two butchers shops, sweet shop, Post Office, dress shop, Floyd’s general store, wallpaper and paint shop, clog maker and paper shop. At the time of writing there are four shops operating in the village.