The old adage rings true you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. The Archive wondered who else was in the image, apart from Councillors Norman Lantsbery and Stephen Kaye. John Preston assisted with: ” Steve Kaye was from Moorsholm he is with his good friends Peter and Sheena Smith. Can’t help with the horse!” Elaine Boocock tells us: ”I think this picture would be early to mid 1980′s and the horse I believe is Minett, belonging to Peter and Sheena’s daughter Cheryl. I rode her on few occasions.” Was this the occasion when some wanted the docks removing? Beverley Turner asks: “Can you tell me if Sheena and Peter still live in Moorsholm. My parents met them many years ago whilst on holiday in the Isle of Wight. We stayed with them on their farm in Moorsholm several times along with their children Stuart and Cheryl. Would be great to make contact with them again. Our family name is Fountain. Any information would be great.” Danny Plews has added: “I lived at 25 Cleveland Street, Liverton Mines and as a boy I had a chap in naval uniform wanting to know the location of Moorsholm Docks. I gave him the directions; I wonder how far he got before he realised that the whole thing was a hoax?”
Image courtesy of Loftus Town Council, thanks to John Preston for the missing names; thanks to Elaine Boocock, Beverley Turner and Danny Plews for the updates.
Peter and Sheena still live on the farm in Moorsholm Beverley. Sheena is on Facebook. Hope you are able to get in touch.
My grandad (who grew up in Moorsholm 1907-1930) used to talk about the docks and pointed them out to us on visits but I hadn’t realised this was a well-known joke not just something he made up.