Peter Sutcliffe’s death brought back memories of terrifying time in 1970s Yorkshire - Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Marcia Kemp, Mirfield.
Police hold back large crowds outside Dewsbury court, awaiting Peter Sutcliffe's arrival. Many women lived in fear as he committed his crimes. Photo:Jack Hickes/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesPolice hold back large crowds outside Dewsbury court, awaiting Peter Sutcliffe's arrival. Many women lived in fear as he committed his crimes. Photo:Jack Hickes/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Police hold back large crowds outside Dewsbury court, awaiting Peter Sutcliffe's arrival. Many women lived in fear as he committed his crimes. Photo:Jack Hickes/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

With regard to your coverage of Peter Sutcliffe’s death, November 14, I well remember being scared of the “Ripper” in the late seventies.

I taught a night class at Huddersfield Tech on Monday evenings and dreaded driving home at 9 o’clock each week.

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One particular night a short time after he murdered Helen Rytka in Huddersfield I was driving home and went through Birkby, Huddersfield, on a road near Norman Park which dipped down and then went back up again – we called it the Switchback.

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After stopping at the traffic lights the car stalled and I flooded the carburetter trying to start it again (this was in the days of chokes and no mobiles). It was pitch black and nobody about and I panicked after I couldn’t start it and that made it worse.

I decided to get out and run across the road to knock on a door and ask for help.

Nobody answered and I was in such a panic that I ran back to the car.

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Thank heaven it started then and I was able to get home safely. I have never been as frightened before or since.

This brought back another memory of travelling back home on Monday nights – the “pea souper” fogs.

They always seemed to happen on Mondays and I was just frightened of crashing or running off the road.

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