Joe Lunn was born in 1937 and grew up on the “New City” estate at John O’Gaunts. His dad was also called Joe and he worked at Rothwell’s Fanny Pit.
One of his older brothers, Fred Lunn, was a miner at Water Haigh colliery but, after leaving school to work at the Public Benefit shoe company in Leeds, and a with two years in the RAF under his belt, Joe worked as a tanker driver, first at Regent Oil in Woodlesford and later in Hunslet. As a part time job he also drove coaches for local farmer Freddie Knowles taking day trippers to the seaside.
For about 10 years Joe, his wife Diane, and their young family lived on the Lynwood estate built on land which had been the grounds of Eshald House in Woodlesford. In 1968 they emigrated as “Ten Pound Poms” to Wooroloo near Perth in Western Australia, where Joe worked as a tanker driver before running a shop and later a successful private hospital.
Click on the links below to hear Joe’s memories of growing up in Rothwell and Woodlesford which were recorded in July 2011 on a return visit to Yorkshire.