Depressing cobwebs

From: Charles Taylor, Hemingfield Road, Hemingfield, Barnsley.

IN response to Peter Hyde’s query “Original words” (Yorkshire Post, March 21) about the use of “cobs” in the dialect, I can recall the phrase that was in common use in this part of South Yorkshire which meant something (or someone) that was very depressing, dreary, or would really drag you down, and that was “it’s enough to put cobs on you”. I’d always assumed it originated from reference to cobwebs.

From: ME Wright, Grove Road, Harrogate.

PETER Hyde asks for the origin and meaning of “cob” (Yorkshire Post, March 21).

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

My Castleford-born grandfather would refer to “a cob of coal” – a large lump, and to “sweating cobs” – sweating profusely. It seems to have mining origins, but why “cob”?

Halcyon days 
of road cafes

From: Peter Brook, Brow Lane, Shelf, Halifax.

WHAT a delight to see your archive snap (Yorkshire Post, March 23), your photographer obviously wasn’t a HGV driver, otherwise he would have known this location as The Motormans Café, Manchester Road, Marsden.

I wish I had a pound for every bacon sandwich I have eaten in there. The Motormans compared with the likes of Battye’s café at Sharlston, The Red Beck further down the road, The Jungle Café on Shap Fell... these were places of comfort for us wagon drivers of yesteryear.

I worked for the now defunct British Road Services and delivered to all these areas.

Look at those Ford Thames 4ds – a powerful machine. Oh halcyon days...