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Voices: Turning words into action
The view from Thirsk's Milk Bar Do you remember Thirsk Milk Bar?
It seems the Thirsk Clock youth cafe is following in the footsteps of another popular place for young people to gather in Thirsk. We've been told that in the 50s and 60s, the Milk Bar in Thirsk was THE place to go to compare motorbikes and put the world to rights!
View from the Milk Bar in Thirsk, 1969, (photo: Diane Young)

Thirsk Clock isn't going to be the first youth café the town's had. In the 50s and 60s, Thirsk's Milk Bar used to be the hub of activity for the area's young people.

BBC's Aleem Maqbool chatting to
BBC producer Aleem Maqbool chatting to Alan Greaves and traffic warden Mike about the Milk Bar

BBC North Yorkshire spent a day broadcasting from Thirsk's Market Place where the old Milk Bar stood. A queue soon formed of people wanting to talk about their Milk Bar memories.

audio Listen to some Milk Bar memories

But we still need your help in giving us your memories AND your photos.

 Take a look at the photos you've given us so far.

Gordon Wilkinson has lived in Thirsk for 62 years and told us "The Milk Bar was a focal point for us, you didn't have to have a lot of money, a glass of milk was about three pence - and the music was top of the range."

Alan Greaves says "The staff in the Milk Bar used to laugh and joke with us, but they wouldn't stand any hanky-panky.

"We used to meet up and chat about the world and about our motorbikes."

Doreen Hanshaw not only went to the Milk Bar as a teenager, she also went on to work there. She says "As a teenager, where else was there to go? If you couldn't afford to go to the pictures every night, at least you could afford a cup of coffee.

View from the Milk Bar in Thirsk in 1969
View from the Milk Bar in Thirsk, 1969 (photo: Diane Young)

"You met up with your friends, you made new friends, you met people from all over the country because Thirsk was so popular with the motorcycling crowd."

Mike Jones, from Thirsk, contacted us through the Darlington and Stockton Times (who have joined our plea for Milk Bar memories!) to say he had a set of pictures taken FROM the Milk Bar of him and his friends meeting outside.

The pictures were taken by Diane Young and you can view them in our popup photo gallery.

 

Do you remember the Milk Bar?
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Thirsk Clock and Eastfield
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