Ray recalls his childhood in Eastwood

The local history fan (71) put together Just Off School Street recounting his childhood and youth in Eastwood.

He said he found writing it therapeutic - and enjoys being able to stir memories for others who might not recall as much.

Ray said: “My sole purpose was to remind people of what I call the forgotten part of Eastwood, because when I went to the archives, I couldn’t find anything about it.

“I spoke to the heritage society and they said they’d not got much information either. 

“I find it hard to stop when I get writing. At school, when we were asked to write a story, I would take weeks to finish.”

Ray said penning the book was like therapy because he was unwell at the time.

He added: “I found that it helped. It made the hours fly past.

“I’ve been told I live too much in the past, but if people didn’t write down things like this, we wouldn’t have any local history.”

Ray grew up on Oak Terrace, with his “patch” being the area between Fitzwilliam Road and Doncaster Road, east of St John’s Road.

“It was lovely, growing up there,” said Ray. “The book is all about how we lived, describing the houses, what games we played on the streets and the schools.

“This part has been knocked down and rebuilt twice since our day, but I wish other kids could experience what we did.”

Ray loaned his handwritten texts to the husband of a schoolfriend, who said he recognised many of the stories from tales she had recounted.

And Ray, now of Greenfield Road, East Herringthorpe, puts his knack for remembering details down to tricks he learned as a youngster.

One involved reciting the names of football teams and another was to memorise playing cards.

“I like it when I’m able to help people remember things they might have forgotten,” he said.

Rotherham District Civic Society secretary Peter Hawkridge said: “We were very pleased to be able to publish Ray Hill’s memories in booklet form.

“Firstly, it’s a valuable document about a part of Rotherham that’s now disappeared, but which has touched the lives of many people. 

“Secondly, history is usually written by the rich and powerful, the celebrity. 

“The voice of the ordinary person needs to be recorded for posterity and we’re proud to play our part. 

“One final comment... How does Ray remember such detail? That is truly impressive.”

Just Off School Street is £5 from Rotherham Visitor Centre.