| Title | Mabel Harrison, Deceased |
| Date | 2008 |
| Location | Yeadon |
| Written By | Carlo Harrison |
| Comment | 10th January 2008 ‘Aireborough’s artistic community is in mourning for a poet from Yeadon who has died at the age of 91. |
Mable Harrison was a prolific writer of both verse and dialect who wrote about the hard times as well as the lighter side of life.
Born in Leeds in 1916, she came to Yeadon when she was three weeks old and attended South View School.
She left at 14 and reluctantly went to work in the local mills, later she worked at Crompton Parkinson’s, Carter and Parkers and Silver Cross.
During the war, after her marriage to Fred, she worked at the Silver Library in Otley, followed by 20 years of office work at Cartwright’s and Dacre Son and Hartley’s and Legal and General.
As well as writing she broadcast many times on Radio Leeds and made two local films for Yorkshire TV.
She contributed articles and poems for the Dalesman and several other magazines and local newspapers.
She wrote forwards, features and local history for books on Aireborough.
Mrs. Harrison who used to give talks and recount her memories at schools in the area, was a member of the Yorkshire Dialect Society and Aireborough Civic and Museum Societies.
Mabel had three poetry and prose books published – Spring Cam to Clattergate, When Buzzers Blew and A Yorkshire Summer.
One of her poems, First Day at Mill, was set to music by Lancashire folk singer Bernard Wrigley.
Friends say she had a “warm and kindly personality, reflected in a down to Earth but beautiful style of writing”
In 2000 Mabel began to suffer ill health and in 2003 she moved into residential care at the Ashcroft Nursing Home, Bradford.
A follow up to the obituary on My Auntie Mabel.
I contacted Bernard Wrigley who was mentioned as having put one of Mabel’s poems to music.
Bernard answered straight away, his email below.
Carlo
Indeed I remember Mabel! She heard me sing a song from my first LP on “Folk On 2” which was a Joan Pomfret poem that I set to music. She asked the producer, Frances Line, if it would be possible to set “Fi…rst Day At t’Mill” with music. The letter was forwarded to me, and the song duly went on my 2nd Topic album “Rough & Wrigley”. Then we were invited to their house in Yeadon, and Mabel wrote a poem for our son who would have been a few months old at the time “Our Nick’s a Bonny Lad”.
A lovely lady indeed, and it was a pleasure to have known her and Fred.
Best Wishes,
Bernard.
April 2013.
Previous Comments:
DougRamsay
Carlo,
I am intrigued to note that you are a nephew of Mabel Harrison. Throughout my life I also referred to her as my Aunt, however she was my godmother and not an aunt. As I am sure you do, I have a copy of ‘Spring Cam To Clattergate’. I also have a copy of Bernard’s “Rough and Wrigley” LP with the song First Day At t’Mill. I also contacted Bernard and he very kindly sent me a copy of the sheet music so I am able to play it on my keyboard. My grandmother, Florinda Fleming (nee Hudson) was a very good friend of Ada Marshman who I think was Mabel’s mother. Mabel’s father and my grandfather, Cornelius Fleming were in the First War together. I am sure will have seen the books about Aireborough written by Martin Wrigg. In one of those books is a photo of them both in a hospital for recuperation.
Kind Regards, Doug Ramsay.
03 November 2013.
Consolidated by Jack Brayshaw. 24 August 2022.
Last updated: 24 August 2022.
